Arizona Humane Society(PHEONIX) -- A tiny kitten is now recovering after being rescued from a manhole in Phoenix, Arizona, where she had been trapped for at least three days, according to the Arizona Humane Society (AHS).



The rescue started last Friday after a good Samaritan called with concerns about meowing in a storm drain, AHS public relations manager Bretta Nelson told ABC News. After lowering a snake cam through a storm grate, rescuers confirmed the meowing was indeed from a trapped kitten.



AHS emergency animal medical technicians (EAMTs) "lowered food to the little kitten as they kept watch through a snake cam snake cam" while waiting for the city to open a nearby manhole, Nelson said.



The rescue mission ended Sunday, when AHS EAMT Kelley Mallon was finally able to pull the kitten from the manhole through a trap and take her to AHS' Second Chance Animal Trauma Hospital, AHS said in a news release on Wednesday.



The feline was fully examined and given a bath, AHS said, adding that the kitty was named Tera.



"While in relatively good health, the little girl weighs in at just one pound," AHS said. Tera "is now in foster care with Kelley as she gains another pound in order to go up for adoption in approximately three weeks."

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Michael Hedges May 2, 2016 -

Clandestine meetings on dark street corners, secrets passed silently, details checked diligently, the story written brilliantly and published under a tough editors watchful eye has narrated journalisms highest calling, bringing truth to power. Real life is less dramatic. The digital age has brought new tools to the newsroom and a far different practice. The result is measured the same. Big Leaks, No Meetings, Shoe Leather ReservedMichael Hedges May 2, 2016 - Follow on Twitter Clandestine meetings on dark street corners, secrets passed silently, details checked diligently, the story written brilliantly and published under a tough editors watchful eye has narrated journalisms highest calling, bringing truth to power. Real life is less dramatic. The digital age has brought new tools to the newsroom and a far different practice. The result is measured the same. ...is available for restricted access. You may access this specific article or material for 4 If you are an ftm Member, please go to the home page HERE and log in ftm Members can access all site material at no additional charge. You can JOIN ftm here The ftm newsletter available at no charge to all with registration To register click here.
How many times have we been told that Harper and the Conservatives left us in a big fiscal mess? That has been the narrative pushed by Trudeau and Finance Minister Morneau to justify the costly stimulus spending they wanted to do, regardless of the truth.As time passes and we see yetthat the governments ownreports, released by the Finance Department, show weve been in a budgetary surplus, this lie should get harder to maintain.This isnt a matter of opinion but fact, yet the Liberals continue telling lies -- whether its John McCallum lying about, Chrystia Freeland lying about her  to visit her buddy Bill Maher or Trudeau andabout the Conservatives leaving them in aThe facts are there and the fact is, the Harper Conservatives left the Liberals a surplus.The only way they can continue saying the opposite is to do something underhanded and fiddle with the books, or they can finally admit the truth.Thats not something they want to do so the question is, will theand the opposition call them on it?
Australia blocks sale of Ireland-sized chunk of land to private Chinese company

The Australian government on Friday blocked once and for all a bid that would have seen a chunk of its land the size of Ireland  or more than 1 percent of the country's total landmass  sold to a private Chinese company.Foreign ownership of agricultural land is a touchy subject in Australia and New Zealand. Some have voiced concerns that Chinese companies may give Chinese vendors preferential pricing, and public animus arose in Auckland, New Zealand's biggest city, after media leaked reports that buyers with Chinese surnames accounted for half the purchases of homes there worth more than $1 million (in New Zealand dollars).more
MASON CITY -- A monarch butterfly expert will give a public presentation at the Lime Creek Nature Center at 7 p.m. Wednesday, May 11.

Karen Oberhauser, a professor at the University of Minnesota, will present "Dwindling numbers for an iconic insect: A conservation biologist ponders moving beyond the documentation of declines."

Oberhauser will describe the biology of migratory monarch populations and the work of citizens and scientists in documenting monarch numbers at all stages of their migratory cycle. She will also discuss threats to monarchs, and potential responses to these threats.

Oberhauser is chair of the Monarch Joint Venture, founder of Monarch Lab and Monarchs in the Classroom, and a winner of the White House Champions of Change Award.

This program is sponsored by the Lime Creek Nature Center and North Iowa Nature Club. There is no cost but registration is required by calling 641-call 423-5309.
DES MOINES  Motivated in part by traumatic stories from their districts, a pair of Iowa state lawmakers pushed for legislation that ultimately became what legislators and advocacy groups are calling the most significant criminal justice reform passed by the Iowa Legislature this year, if not multiple years.

Rep. Dave Dawson, a Democrat from Sioux City, and Rep. Ken Rizer, a Republican from Cedar Rapids, were key in getting state lawmakers approval last week of criminal justice reform legislation that would allow some nonviolent drug offenders to become eligible for parole earlier in their sentences, provide a new, less punitive class of robbery for nonviolent offenses and establish a mandatory minimum sentence for individuals convicted of child endangerment resulting in death.

The legislation is en route to Gov. Terry Branstad, who said he wants to review the package before deciding whether to sign it into law but praised lawmakers for addressing criminal justice issues.

It was instantly hailed by criminal justice reform advocates.

This is a major victory for smarter sentencing in Iowa, Greg Newburn, state policy director for the advocacy group Families Against Mandatory Minimums, said in a statement. Iowans understand it doesnt make sense to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars every year locking up drug offenders who dont need to be in prison. This bill will make Iowa safer and save taxpayers money, too.

The child endangerment provision got the legislative ball rolling this year. More specifically, it was the story of a 4-month-old girl from Sioux City whose father fatally struck her. The father was almost immediately eligible for parole, Dawson said.

A constituent relayed that story to Dawson, who asked Rizer  a member of the House majority Republican caucus  to work with him on legislation that would establish a mandatory minimum sentence for child endangerment resulting in death.

Once their work was noted in the news media, Rizer said a Cedar Rapids-area constituent approached him with a similar story of a 17-month-old girl who was beaten to death by her father.

They were shocked to think that this guy who killed that little girl would even be eligible for parole, Rizer said. So thats what were fixing here.

As Dawsons and Rizers legislation worked through the Capitol, other criminal justice reform measures were added, and eventually it became the package that was approved last week and is on its way to the governors desk.

The package has three key provisions:

It requires anyone convicted of child endangerment resulting in the death of a child or minor to serve a minimum of 15 to 35 years of a 50-year sentence. Currently, the average prison stay for the crime is 4.6 years, according to the states nonpartisan research agency.

Makes certain nonviolent drug offenders eligible for parole after serving half of the mandatory minimum sentence, giving more discretion to the parole board. This provision is retroactive.

Creates a new, third class of robbery, which would make nonviolent robbery attempts an aggravated misdemeanor instead of a felony, allowing for lesser penalties in robberies that do not threaten or cause injury.

This is the most significant piece of criminal justice reform that the Legislature has done this year or in many years, Dawson said. In most years, we pass bills that enhance penalties, lengthen sentences, have longer prison terms. This is the first time in the four years that I have served that weve done any criminal justice reform that actually reduces penalties in a significant way for felons.

The reform measures are expected to reduce the states prison population, in turn saving taxpayer money. An early estimate suggested the state could save nearly $90,000 in fiscal 2017 and more than $400,000 in fiscal 2018.

If you can let people back out into society and give them the supports to succeed, its going to cost a lot less money to the state than it would keeping them in prison, Rizer said. Its a matter of individualizing the justice to make sure that the penalty fits the crime and that were getting people back out into society at a time that its safe to do so.

The measures also are expected to help chip away at Iowas disproportionately minority prison population, an effort championed early this year in condition of the state addresses by the governor as well as state Supreme Court Chief Justice Mark Cady.

In 2015, blacks accounted for 3.4 percent of Iowas population but 35.8 percent of the federal prison population in the state and 25.5 percent of the state prison population, according to the state research agency.

And Iowa has the worst black-to-white rate of incarceration in the nation, 13.6-to-1, according to a 2007 study by The Sentencing Project, a research and advocacy group for criminal justice reform.

We think this (new legislation) will go a long way toward achieving what both the governor and the chief justice said was important in terms of judicial reform, Rizer said.

Plenty of work remains on the issue, should legislators and the governor choose to continue to address it. A state panel of experts, convened by the governor, met multiple times in the summer of 2015 and drafted a series of suggested criminal justice reform measures. Only one  making most juvenile delinquent records private  was addressed this year.

Other reform suggestions made by the panel included taking steps to diversify juries and reducing the rates for prison phone calls.

The reforms that passed are good first steps to save Iowa tax dollars and safely reduce the states nonviolent prison population, Holly Harris, executive director of the U.S. Justice Action Network, said in a statement.

With strong bipartisan support in both houses, and support from the governor and the attorney general, we hope that this legislation is just the beginning of Iowas journey down the road to a smarter, fairer and more cost-effective criminal justice system.
DES MOINES  State legislators headed home for 2016 after adjourning Friday evening, and they left the Capitol without addressing Gov. Terry Branstads top priority for the session: allocating new funding for water quality projects.

We worked on it all year. But I know its a big and a bold initiative and Im very hopeful that we can get it addressed in the future, Branstad told reporters last week.

At the start of the session in January, Branstad unveiled to legislators his plan to divert to water quality programs some future revenue from the sales tax devoted to public school infrastructure projects. According to his offices estimates, the plan would have generated $4.7 billion over 32 years for water quality programs.

But legislators of both political parties immediately were cool to the proposal, since it dipped into a funding stream approved by voters for education.

Lawmakers had no better luck striking out on their own.

House Republicans proposed diverting funds from the states infrastructure fund and from a water metering tax, but Democrats did not support the plan because it shifted money from other state accounts, including the general fund out of which public education is funded.

Some legislators called for a three-eighths of a cent sales tax for natural resources, but opponents balked at supporting a tax increase.

In his end-of-session statement issued Friday, Branstad said he was disappointed the House Republican proposal did not receive a hearing in the Democratic-controlled Senate.

Were very disappointed that Senate Democrat leadership decided to bury the House bill with no debate and offering no alternative, Branstad said. Water quality is a critical issue and we will continue to work to build support for a long-term funding solution to address water quality efforts in Iowa.

Over roughly the next month, Branstad will review any remaining legislation passed during the session to determine which to sign into law.

Earlier last week Branstad told reporters he believes it was a pretty productive session, and acknowledged lawmakers had to work within tight budget constraints.

He highlighted a criminal justice reform package that reduced mandatory minimums for some non-violent drug offenders, sustained funding for multi-year commitments to a commercial property tax cut and a teacher leadership program, and a new tax credit for biochemical producers.

Weve already got prospects that are looking at Iowa because of that (tax credit), Branstad said this week. So thats a significant step forward.
ST. ANSGAR  Born in India, joining the Navy to see more of the world appealed to Bondita Schubert.

After high school, the military will provide security and the chance to explore and the opportunity to afford college.

With plans to join the service in July, eventually she plans to go to college for civil engineering.

I just wanted to have a foundation for myself and have a career that will be there for me, said Schubert, 19, a St. Ansgar senior who will be honored during the Globe Gazettes Star Class event Sunday.

You have a job, you have clothes on your back, you have food, you get paid, she said, Youre not just doing stuff for yourself; you are doing stuff for other people.

In the military, she is signed up to become an operations specialist on a submarine. She would be partly responsible for surveillance and tracking of other ships.

Most people go to college and it takes them awhile for them to find a job that they went to college for, she said.

With an interest in math, civil engineering would be a challenging and practical career choice, she said.

Ive always been fascinated by older buildings, she said. Civil engineering applies many of the same concepts, but with roads and bridges.

After being adopted in Minnesota at age 7, and living in foster care in Colorado for two years, she moved to Iowa around 2008.

She said her faith in God has helped her through an initially difficult transition in the U.S.

It has helped me heal and forgive and move on from my past, she said.

But for now, she is open to her future: to re-enlist or rejoin civilian life as a college student.

It was kind of interesting (to become) part of a military family, she said. After the four years I serve I dont know what I will do after that.
ST. JOSEPH, Mo.  Bob Kieser admits that, given a choice, working in a meat processing plant wouldnt be many peoples first choice.

He knows. He worked at the Triumph Foods plant in St. Joseph for six years before he quit and opened Bobs Used Furniture in the same neighborhood.

If its a household good you need  a lamp, a chair, an end table  Bob probably has it and can let you have it for a good price. Plus, free of charge, you get a pen with Bobs business name and address embossed on it along with a heart and the inscription We Love Our Customers.

Bob talked about his days at Triumph as he sat at a wooden kitchen table inside his store and smoked a cigarette.

Its hard work and long hours. It looked easy on the job application, he said with a laugh. But try it for eight hours, on your feet all the time. A lot of people cant handle it. I was one of them.

But Kieser thinks the plant has been criticized unfairly by some people in town.

Its not like people make it out to be, he said. They think with all the immigrants, it was going to be a lot of riffraff going in and out of there. But theyre good workers.

You hear people say it stinks. It dont stink. The sewer system at Triumph is the best youre going to get. It doesnt even smell inside.

He said plants like Triumph are heavily regulated for health and safety.

Everything is checked out regularly, he said of the multi-million-dollar operation. You have inspectors come in and look it over as if they lived next door.

Aint nobody gonna put that kind of money into a plant and see it fail.

Kieser said its obvious what Triumph brings to the community.

Its jobs, thats what it is. Some people, they dont want the traffic, they dont want the smell  apparently they dont want the business.

He said when Triumph opened 10 years ago, there was some conflict, some resistance to immigrants coming in. There were some hard feelings about favoritism given to immigrants over some of the other employees because the company needed the workers.

But it all got straightened out, said Kieser.

Cafe crowd

At Bettys Cafe on the south end, you can substitute grits for hash browns with your morning bacon and eggs and you get your coffee black and regular.

Sorry, darlin  no decaf, the waitress said with a smile.

At a nearby table, Vernon Sauter, Hugh Sawyer and Dwayne Barton, when prompted, talked about the impact the Triumph plant has had on the city.

Overall, I think its been a plus, said Sawyer. Its created a lot of jobs and brought in a lot of business. I think two new plants are opening up because of it. But its hard work. The starting pay should be about $20 an hour.

Sauter was skeptical about the gains to the community.

Whats it costing us taxpayers? he asked, referring to reports that the high turnover at the plant has resulted in more people needing government services.

My son worked there for a while. He was hired for one job but then they gave him a job he wasnt hired for. It was strenuous work. He lasted about a week and then just said, Screw it and quit, said Sauter.

Theres lots of injuries there, said Barton. And theres a lot of truck traffic going in and out all day long. They actually have a dispatcher  thats how many trucks they have to deal with.

Barton said when the plant opened, the 2,000 jobs were open to anyone, and the same is true today.

The jobs are there. People dont want to do them, he said, explaining why so many immigrants are bused in to work at Triumph.

Sawyer said theres definitely a smell around the plant.

They say you get used to it. I dont get used to it, he said with a laugh.

What does it smell like? said Sauter. It smells like a bunch of hogs.

The three men laughed and agreed.

In the park

Relaxing on a park bench on a warm spring evening, Linda Hurd and Sandy Bamfield, two lifelong residents of St. Joseph, said immigrants changed the culture of their hometown.

The two middle-aged women did not speak about it with hostility or remorse, but matter-of-factly as if they were talking about the weather or the price of groceries.

Theyve brought in so many immigrants and one thing I can tell you  crime has gone up, said Bamfield. And so many of them cant speak English. They all have big families. A couple of years ago there was a tornado in a trailer park and they rescued 11 immigrants living in one trailer.

Hurd said there is always talk about the number of jobs the plant has created.

That may be true, but I dont think its given our people (St. Joseph residents) that many jobs, she said.

Bamfield crossed her arms across her chest. They talk about the number of workers and what they do for the local economy. What they dont talk about is what happens when they quit because the work is too hard. Then they dont have a job and have to get government help. How does that help the economy? she asked.

Neither woman thought the odor coming from the plant was much of a problem.

There are so many industries down there, said Hurd. The tannery is worse.

At the senior center, Angie Gardner was cleaning up after having helped serve lunch. As she wiped her hands on a towel, she offered the hint of a smile as she reflected on the past decade.

I remember when Triumph started. It was a huge deal for some people, she said, throwing her arms up in the air to emphasize her point.

Now  not so much a big deal, her arms at her sides again.
LATIMER  Randy DeBour of Latimer still has a small notebook he used during the Vietnam War.

The notebook has words such as hammer, nail and cement written in English, with the Vietnamese translation written beside them.

The 67-year-old Latimer resident, who was a U.S. Navy Seabee, used this notebook while serving as part of a mobile advisory team that traveled between six coastal bases in South Vietnam.

They worked with the Vietnamese on construction projects. They would show the Vietnamese how to do things and advised them while they did the work.

Our job was to teach the Vietnamese to take care of themselves, DeBour said.

DeBour served as the electrician for the four-person team, which also included a builder, a plumber and a chief petty officer who was in charge of the group.

Some of our biggest difficulties were from Mother Nature, he said, recalling the time they sat through a typhoon.

Then there were the mines, some of which would float.

Language barriers were another difficulty, he said.

He spent some time learning Vietnamese before starting work with the team, but he mostly picked up words as he went along.

DeBour, who grew up in Latimer and graduated from CAL High School in 1966, enlisted in the Navy in 1968.

He served in Vietnam from 1971 to 1972.

Compared to others who went to Vietnam, I was kind of a latecomer, he said.

After he returned to Iowa in 1972, DeBour moved to Des Moines to learn more about the electrical business. He returned to Latimer in 1979 and now has his own business, DeBour Electric Inc.

He and his wife, Sue, have been married almost 46 years. They have three children and five grandchildren.

DeBour said he is glad to have served in Vietnam.

It enlightens all those who went about a lot of different conditions, he said.

DeBour said he did have a problem with those who protested the war.

Things werent exactly like they think they were, he said.
WATERLOO  The suicidal deer sign north of St. Ansgar had its moment in the spotlight shortly after it went up in Mitchell County in March. Immediately, reactions were mixed.

Some found it funny, others offensive, and soon enough the puns and opinions poured out on social media. But like most viral content, it was news one day and gone the next.

Even as many people  including two-thirds of Mitchell Countys supervisors  moved on, there have been hundreds who signed a petition started by Waterloo activist Christy Kessens to replace the sign on Iowa 105.

To me, its not just about a sign, its about changing the way that our society views mental illness, Kessens said. I do get it, that its a sign; I see why people think its humorous or eye-catching, but there mental disabilities and other illnesses that we would never think of making fun of.

Kessens, an Osage native, started the change.org petition three weeks ago. So far, it has 320 supporters from all over who want to see the sign replaced with a more general warning.

Many supporters, like Kessens, have struggled with mental illness or had friends and family who have died by suicide or both.

Suicide is a serious subject. What was wrong with the old sign just warning that deer are in the area, read one comment. Others simply left the name of a lost loved one.

Kessens, who is active with the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention but did not launch the campaign on its behalf, said she sees the sign as making light of mental illness.

Its such a serious topic, and as an advocate you work so hard to change the way people see something, and then to have it be kind of made fun of is discouraging, Kessens said.

Suicide is the 10th leading cause of death in the United States, and the ninth in Iowa, according to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. It is the second leading cause of death in Iowa among people age 15 to 34.

Kessens contacted the Mitchell County Board of Supervisors about her concerns before launching the petition, but the responses showed the same divisions theyd aired at public meetings.

Mitchell County Supervisor Shannon Paulus made a motion in late March to remove the sign, but it died for lack of a second from her fellow Supervisors Joel Voaklander and Stan Walk.

Walk sees the petition and other outcry about the sign as political correctness run amok.

What you have is some individuals that have too much time on their hands, and they got solutions looking for a problem, and basically to try to relate a traffic sign that talks about deer to a personal tragedy, to me, is a stretch, Walk said.

He added very few, if any, of the petition signers will visit Mitchell County and see the sign.

You know in Black Hawk County, I am sure you have the same issues that we do in north Iowa, the heroin thing is an epidemic; theres people there that need all kinds of help, Walk said. If these people signing this petition really want to do something, work on a problem that they can solve. This isnt going to solve anything.

He added his grandfather had died by suicide before he was born but he isnt pissing, moaning and groaning about it.

Yeah, we dont like it, so on and so forth, but youve got to move on, Walk said.

Walk said local reaction to the sign is very positive and hes directed the auditor not to put discussion about the sign on the agenda again.

Voaklander agreed there hasnt been a local effort mounted against the sign.

To tell you the truth, I havent really heard a whole lot of anything about it, Voaklander said. I think its pretty well died around here. I think everybodys either, they either look the other way, or else they drive by and laugh.

Paulus, however, said she has received dozens of emails, outside of the petition, and estimates three-fourths of them oppose the sign. She has objected to the sign since it first went up in the county, particularly because of her training as a social worker.

The deer arent making a conscious decision, theyre animals, so to use the adjective suicidal is not appropriate. That is a human term, and theres a lot of people that deal with losing someone every day that dont need to be reminded of it, Paulus said. Its just not appropriate.

She added its becoming a public safety hazard as people stop to take pictures of the sign.

Mitchell County purchased a total of eight signs, costing $80 apiece. Walk said he would put up more if a new warning sign is needed, but Paulus doesnt anticipate they will be used.

Its at a standstill right now, Paulus said.

But Kessens is undeterred.

Knowing so many people are supporting this cause keeps me motivated, Kessens said. Advocacy work is hard. I feel like were a team, working together to change the way our society views mental illness.
One of the saddest and most pathetic things about the struggle against Prestage is how the newspaper, the city government and corporate leaders of Prestage have tried to paint those who are currently standing up to them as trouble-makers, outsiders and unworthy voiced.

It is reminiscent of the people who tried to tear down those who stood against the Vietnam War, the Civil Rights struggles and many other past conflicts.

Well, if they believe it is unworthy for citizens to fight to save the environment, they they should hang their heads in shame. If our plant isn't worth fighting for, what is? The first step in fighting to save your environment begins on your front step.

Elbert Einstein once said, " If I were to remain silent, I'd be guilty of complicity."

William Faulkner once stated, "Never be afraid to raise your voice for honesty and truth and compassion against injustice and lying and greed. If people all over the world ... would do this, it would change the earth."

As one "righteous" pseudo-intellectual advised, "The best was to defeat protesters is to paint them as rabble-rousers, agitators and discontents. Paint them into a gutter and people won't listen anymore."

People, this is a fight to preserve our quality of life. This is a struggle against a corporate entity which is trying to manipulate is with grand promises and no guarantees. They don't want us to have the time to consider the potential devastation. They don't want objections. They want surrender.

If they really cares they would give us time to consider all the ramifications. What difference would it make to table the action for 90 days and have a task force of citizens brought into the discussion and debate? None! Absolutely none!

Bob Wolfram, Clear Lake
CHARLOTTE, N.C., May 01, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Omni Wellness Center, a leading chiropractic practice in Charlotte, North Carolina, is raising awareness about their upcoming Patient Appreciation Day event, which is taking place on Monday, May 23. Scheduled to run from 7:30 a.m. until 6:30 p.m., the event will include a number of special offers for existing patients and new patients alike. Omni Wellness Center will be providing food and hope to raise $4,000 for Feed the Hungry, their charity of choice.



Feed the Hungry, a Christian-based organization founded in 1987, is dedicated to providing food to victims who are suffering in times of crisis. They have provided relief to victims of natural disasters including Hurricane Sandy and Oklahoma tornadoes. Additionally, their global presence has assisted victims in 92 nations, contributing more than $200 million of supplies and food in order to aid the hungry.

"Without the loyalty and support of our valued patients, we wouldn't be available to provide chiropractic care and other wellness services," said Dr. Darcey W. Ladner. "This event is our way of saying 'thank you' to them for their continued support," she added.

New patients who show up for the event will enjoy professional chiropractic adjustments for just $20. These proceeds will go to Feed the Hungry, said Dr. Darcey, "so this is an incredible value and a great way to give back to our local community."

In addition to that, Omni Wellness Center is encouraging referrals by current patients to friends, relatives and other loved ones. To promote this, the practice is offering initial, new-patient consultations during the event for just $20. These consultations include complete examinations, in-depth assessments, X-rays and complete reports of the findings (a $320 value). Existing patients who haven't been to the clinic in six months or longer are also eligible for this offer.

The clinic has been using the slogan "Spring into Health" for this event, which Dr. Darcey feels is quite apt. "Spring is a time of renewal, of turning over a new leaf," she said. "What better way to do that than by putting a renewed focus on health and wellness? We're thrilled to assist area residents in this quest by offering these amazing deals during our upcoming Patient Appreciation Day," she added. All proceeds from sales to new patients will be donated to the Feed the Hungry charity, which helps to fight hunger. "It's our way of keeping the community healthy and connected," said Dr. Darcey.

Omni Wellness Center is located in Charlotte, North Carolina. Those who need more information about the event or who would like to schedule appointments can contact the practice by calling (704) 392-9999 or by visiting their website at http://omniwellnesscenter.com/.

https://feedthehungry.org/
Re: Inuits of the Bering Sea were in isolation from contact with Europeans [ #permalink

vshaunak@gmail.com wrote:

Inuits of the Bering Sea were in isolation from contact with Europeans longer than Aleuts or Inuits of the North Pacific and northern Alaska.



(A) in isolation from contact with Europeans longer than



(B) isolated from contact with Europeans longer than



(C) in isolation from contact with Europeans longer than were



(D) isolated from contact with Europeans longer than were



(E) in isolation and without contacts with Europeans longer than





Meaning is crucial to solving this problem:

Concepts tested here: Meaning + Comparisons + Awkwardness/Redundancy

A:

B:

C:

D:

Correct.

specifically

E:

in general

specifically

Hence, B is the best answer choice.

Dear Friends,Here is a detailed explanation to this question-Understanding the intended meaning is key to solving this question; the intended meaning is that the Inuits of the Bering Sea were isolated from contact with Europeans longer than the Aleuts or Inuits of the North Pacific and northern Alaska were. A comparison can only be made between similar things.This answer choice incorrectly compares the verb phrase "were in isolation from contact with Europeans" to the noun phrase "Aleuts or Inuits of the North Pacific and northern Alaska"; remember, a comparison can only be made between similar things. Further, Option A uses the needlessly wordy phrase "in isolation from contact", rendering it awkward and redundant.This answer choice incorrectly compares the verb phrase "were isolated from contact with Europeans" to the noun phrase "Aleuts or Inuits of the North Pacific and northern Alaska"; remember, a comparison can only be made between similar things.This answer choice uses the needlessly wordy phrase "in isolation from contact", rendering it awkward and redundant.This answer choice uses the phrase "isolated from contact with Europeans", conveying the intended meaning - that the Inuits of the Bering Sea were isolatedfrom Europeans. Further, Option D correctly compares the verb phrase "were isolated from contact with Europeans" and "were Aleuts or Inuits of the North Pacific and northern Alaska". Additionally, Option D is free of any awkwardness or redundancy.This answer choice alters the meaning of the sentence through the phrase "in isolation and without contacts with Europeans"; the construction of this phrase incorrectly implies that the Inuits of the Bering Sea were isolatedand had no contact with Europeans; the intended meaning is that the Inuits of the Bering Sea were isolatedfrom Europeans. Further, Option E incorrectly compares the verb phrase "in isolation and without contacts with Europeans" to the noun phrase "Aleuts or Inuits of the North Pacific and northern Alaska"; remember, a comparison can only be made between similar things. Additionally, Option E uses the needlessly wordy phrase "in isolation and without contacts", rendering it awkward and redundant.All the best!Team_________________
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Hi Everyone,We are current students studying at Weatherhead School of Management at Case Western Reserve University. Our Program is Operations Research & Supply Chain Management (in short, ORSC). ORSC is a STEM accredited program, which allows an OPT extension up to 24 months. This means you may be eligible for up to three years of work in the United States without a work visa. Visit the U.S. government's website for more information on the official website.This article is a brief introduction including: course related issues, living arrangements, on-campus and off-campus jobs and other program related FAQs. We hope this article will be helpful for any related issue and question pertaining to our school, program, life and so on. We also welcome students to send us private emails that contain program specific queries. We hope to provide all the information you need for making your journey at Case Western Reserve University as smooth as possible.Very HappySmileIf there is any question, please see our official website of our program.All the most official and updated information is on the official website.1. On campus jobs.TA: Teaching Assistant (Grader).Work for professors, take classes or correct answer papers and earn a minimum of $10/hr (Max. work limit is 20 hours/week). If you have the interest to teach some of the software skills you possess to your classmates and juniors, we welcome you to do so (with the permission of the professors; after reviewing the content and the slides)GA: Graduate AssistantWork with the admissions office to help future students. Assist admissions administrators and faculty with planning and carrying out events, including marketing promotion projects, collaboration projects with overseas higher education institutions and other assigned special events.Others: You can also find on campus jobs at the library, gym, dental, medical, law and business schools. CWRU has very few Indians, which makes life easier to find on-campus jobs.2. Admission statistics:In the term beginning Fall 2015, 278 applications were submitted. Of that number, we admitted 115 into the program; 57 of those admitted students fully matriculated. For the Fall 2016 start of term, we currently have 241 submitted applications. We have extended an offer to 101 students and so far 19 have committed to the program. At the time these numbers were pulled, the deadline for the second round of deposits has not passed and the interviews for round 3 have not started. We are looking for 50 students to fill the class this coming year.3. Scholarship informationOur school offers merit-based scholarships. Important factors that are considered are GPA, test scores, pre-requisite grades, essay content, recommendation letter content, and interview. Ranges of scholarship can vary between 10% to 50%. In 2015, the average admitted student received 16% scholarship. So far for this coming 2016 year, the average scholarship given out has been nearly 21%.4. Class profile5. Education and curriculum at Weatherhead:ORSC program at Weatherhead is an enriching academic experience that has the potential to offer exposure to operational aspects involved in manufacturing process coupled with entire supply chain ranging from sourcing to shipping and marketing to end users. It also, involves industry simulations that provide real exposure in an industry/ business setting. The course involves getting students to visualize manufacturing process by taking them to industrial visits. After the field study, most of the students can get a Six sigma green belt certification. The requirement for the belt is that you should get A or B in Six Sigma class and meet certain GPA requirements in specific courses. All ORSC students have a chance to get the belt; but not everyone will get it.You will take this course together with students from the MEM and MBA programs. In addition to this, ORSC also has a operations club that actively conducts speaker sessions, guest lectures, networking events (aimed at connecting with industry people for job opportunities) and operations quizzes/games. It can also involve unpaid projects for non-profit organizations.From Professor Alireza KabirianThe students in this course should complete a real industry project. Every summer, I contact a lot of companies in Northeast Ohio to call for projects related in continuous improvement. Attached is the Call for Project from last year. We obtained 44 projects last year from about 35 companies. The students of MEM, MBA, or ORSC who meet some GPA requirement and get A or B in Six Sigma will get a Green Belt Certification.SAP workshop:"Each spring semester we offer a three-week SAP workshop outside of class time for our students interested in learning more about the enterprise resource planning software."Each year, ORSC program conducts several seminars to give the students an insight of the industry. The purpose of this talk is to give our MSM students an understanding of what it is like to apply Operations Research and Supply Chain Management in the real world and how doing so is different from what you are learning in your classes. What is more, we have plant tours related to our courses. This year we will go to Swagelok Corp at their Solon Manufacturing facility. This activity will help us see in action many of the methodologies and concepts learned about in coursework.6. Tuition and living expense.*Tuition and other fees are subject to change. Living and other expenses are approximate and will be different for each person.7. Full time positions in a graphical way.Matthew Maloney, the director of the ORSC program is in charge of creating job opportunities for current and former students. Yes, we stay connected with the students who graduate. We remember and want to help you succeed in life.Develop experiential learning opportunities for ORSC students including internships and corporate projects that foster a mutually beneficial experience for our students and corporate partners. Work with our ORSC alumni to provide our students with a resource to gain insight into the program, internship programs and post graduate work.The latest information of fall 15 graduates employment situationFrom Matthew Maloney:As far as this year's numbers go, at this point we are 4-5 jobs ahead of where we were last year. Organizations who have hired from our program include Cardinal Health, Progressive Insurance, Goodyear (2 students), Cleveland Clinic (2 students), JoAnn Fabrics, MTD Products, Niagara Bottling, Stanley-Black & Decker just to name a few. We have two students working in LA (few others I am told moved there and are looking for work but are not in contact with me) 3 in Columbus and the majority in the Cleveland/Akron area so far. The U.S. Government has held up the process of students finding jobs because of the fact that they are 30-40 days behind with issuing EAD cards.As we have every year, there is a sizable portion of our class that moves back home to pursue job opportunities and the two I've heard from have landed jobs in China with top firms Accenture and IBM. So that speaks loudly to how well our students are doing at home. Another had to move home to fulfill a military obligation and others because they had no intention of staying. So at this point it is premature to be able to give you percentages of the whole that are working. In numbers we have about 24 and a few that have outstanding offers that are contingent on them receiving their EAD cards or having the Immigration Council approve specifics to the job offer.8. Life in ClevelandRock N Roll Hall of FameCWRU FarmCleveland Orchestra at Severance HallCleveland Museum of ArtGreat Lakes Science CenterHorseshoe Casino (our own little Las Vegas)Major Leagues teams include the CAVS with Lebron James (NBA), the Indians (MBL), and the Browns (NFL)Playhouse Square - second largest theater district in the nation (CWRU provides tickets to plays, games etc. at discounted rates as well)Festivals like Italian Festival in little Italy in August and Beer Festival downtownMetroparks, National ParkLake Erie, beautiful lakeside parkCedar Point - the best roller coasters in the world!If you want to look for apartment or house to rent in advance. You can go to the following website.forrentapartments9. Safety on campusThe campus of Case Western Reserve University is in a well-protected and well-lit neighborhood of Cleveland. There are six separate police and security departments protecting and patrolling campus. In addition to the security and call boxes on campus, the school is patrolled by the CWRU Police, the University Circle Police, the University Hospital Police, the Cleveland Clinic Police, and the Cleveland Police. The Weatherhead School of Management has security at the front desk every hour the building is open. Also, there are two major, highly-respectable hospitals within walking distance, University Hospital and the Cleveland Clinic.
Re: Thai village crafts, as with other cultures, have developed through [ #permalink

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When the Four Seasons leaves its longtime location inside the Seagram Building this July, 130 people will be left jobless, as the restaurant's owners have yet to decide on a new location. According to the NY Post, this was indicated on a recent Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification filing, which said that the restaurant is closing for economic reasons.

Indeed, earlier this year it was revealed that the Four Seasons's lease at 375 Park Avenue would increase from $20 per square foot to $105 per square foot. At the time, co-owner Julian Niccolini was optimistic, saying that "We've been here since 1959, and we'll be here for another 15 years." But more recently, Eater reported that Niccolini and his co-owner Alex von Bidder were scouting new locations, but hoping to find somewhere within five minutes walking distance of the original.

"It is unfortunate," Niccolini told the Post of the loss of jobs. "Some will go on vacation, some will retire, some will go to work for other people."

Niccolini recently pleaded guilty to an instance of sexual abuse that took place in the restaurant last year. He was sentenced to a "conditional discharge," which means that he won't do any time provided he doesn't break the law in the year following his sentencing.

This week, it was announced that the Four Seasons will be auctioning off its historic furnishings in advance of the takeover by new owners. Wright Auctions will oversee the sale, and items up for auction include banquettes from The Grill Room, the suite of Barcelona seating from the travertine lobby, and custom Tulip tables with polished bronze tops. The auction will be on July 26th, and a public preview will begin July 20th.
The tax-evading, customer-discriminating, vegan-gouging, promise-breaking, borough-swallowing scion of the pumpkin industrial complex known as Starbucks has been sued for allegedly over-filling their cold drink containers with ice, robbing customers of their precious triple-pump half-caff French vanilla lifeblood. The nerve!

In a lawsuit filed by Chicago resident Stacy Pincus, Starbucks is accused of fraud, negligent misrepresentation, unjust enrichment, and breach of implied warranty. "Starbucks' cold drinks are under-filled to make more money and higher profits to the detriment of consumers who are misled by Starbucks' intentionally misleading advertising practices," Pincus's lawsuit claims.

Specifically, Starbucks is being accused of under-filling 24-ounce-sized (and priced) containers with as little as 14 ounces of actual product before topping the rest off with ice, which, the lawsuit notes, "is not a fluid." Pincus is seeking $5 million from the company, money that would be used to repay other customers who have overpaid for an over-iced Starbucks drink anytime in the past decade.

"In essence, Starbucks is advertising the size of its cold drink cups on its menu, rather than the amount of fluid a customer will receive when they purchase a cold drink  and deceiving its customers in the process," the lawsuit concludes.

In a statement to TMZ, a Starbucks spokesperson called the lawsuit absurd. "Our customers understand and expect that ice is an essential component of any 'iced,' beverage," noting that the coffee megachain has a policy of happily remaking any beverage if a customer is unsatisfied.
Names and faces

Dr. Bowman Smelko, Psy.D. ABPP became board certified in forensic psychology on April 7. He is the first person in Montana to be a member of the American Board of Forensic Psychology and the American Academy of Forensic Psychology. After receiving his undergraduate degree from Carroll College in 1998, he received his master's and doctoral degree in clinical psychology from Forest Institute of Professional Psychology. Smelko has served as the director of sex offender treatment and evaluation at the Colorado Mental Health Institute in Pueblo, Colorado, and as the clinical director of a Division of Youth Corrections facility. He is employed as a forensic psychologist in private practice in Helena, where he conducts a variety of criminal and civil forensic evaluations with adults and juveniles and teaches law, justice and forensic psychology at Carroll College. He can be contacted at bowmansmelko@gmail.com or 406-282-1744.

***

Jane Lee Hamman, regent-elect, of Clancy, and Dorothy Ann Oliveira, treasurer, of Helena, were among state officers of the Montana State Society Daughters of the American Revolution to attend the state conference in Kalispell recently.

Other Oro Fino chapter members participating in the 113th annual conference were Kathy Dreyer, Patty Ruddell Willbanks, Veronica Bovee-Anderson, Patty Greene and Maradell Lafrance to report on service promoting historic preservation, education and patriotism. For more information visit, montanadar.org.

News and notes

Engineering firm receives recognition

Morrison-Maierle announced that its East Belgrade Interchange-Bozeman Yellowstone International Airport has earned a National Recognition Award in the American Council of Engineering Companies 2016 Engineering Excellence Awards competition in Washington, D.C. The National Recognition Award is a distinction honoring projects that demonstrate exceptional achievement in engineering.

The East Belgrade Interchange/Bozeman Yellowstone International Airport projects solved many safety, development and transportation problems for an area of Montana that is experiencing unprecedented growth. Working with the Montana Department of Transportation staff, Morrison-Maierle proposed a $16.4 million compressed diamond (dog-bone) interchange that included a new crossroad and its connections, reconstruction of old Highway 10, two interstate bridges, a railroad shoofly and underpass structure, two-lane roundabouts at the interchange ramp terminals, intersection signalization and street lighting, and extensive storm drainage improvements. In addition, complementary improvements to the access roadways at BYIA were carefully coordinated between the two owners  MDT and the Gallatin Airport Authority.

Guidelines

The IR welcomes reports of hiring, promotions, awards, recognition, learning opportunities and other news from local companies and nonprofits. We accept press releases and photos (digital images at 300 dpi or more are preferred, but we can also use regular photos; we dont guarantee return of these).

There is no charge for items appearing in the Business Briefcase. Items are run on a space-available basis, and we reserve the right to edit and use information as we see fit.

The deadline is Tuesday at noon to be considered for publication the following Sunday.
BILLINGS -- Profits for First Interstate BancSystem Inc. dipped to $20.1 million, 45 cents per share, for the first three months of 2016 as the company continues to struggle with loans in the oil and gas industry, bank officials reported Monday.

Officials at Billings-based First Interstate said the amount of criticized loans to oil and gas companies grew to about $40 million in the first quarter, up about 10 percent from $36.4 million the previous quarter. Generally, criticized loans are defined as those that may or may not be currently accruing interest.

We are closely monitoring the entire region for softening, considering the impact from not only oil and gas, but from the most recent announcements from coal companies in the region, CEO Kevin Riley said in a conference call with investors.

Riley was referring to layoffs last month of 460 workers in Wyoming from Peabody Energy and Arch Coal, two of the nations largest coal companies.

Shares of First Interstate dipped to $28.24 Monday morning in reaction to the news, down from $29.11 at Fridays close.

Riley said First Interstate, which has 79 branches in Montana, Wyoming and South Dakota, is closely monitoring the energy sector and adjusting its portfolio. Outstanding loans to the oil and gas industry totaled $69 million the last quarter, down from $75 million at the end of 2015, he said.

Last quarters profits were down both from the the last quarter of 2015 ($23.4 million) and first quarter of 2015 ($21 million).

Nevertheless, Riley said First Interstate remains in largely good condition because of strong loan performance in other regions, including Billings; Rapid City, South Dakota; Gallatin Valley; and Flathead Valley.

About 54 percent of the First Interstate loan portfolio is in Montana. Another 27 percent is in Wyoming, and 14 percent is from South Dakota. The remainder is from other origins, such as credit cards, according to the bank.

First Interstate is one of the two largest native banks in Montana and a top lender in Wyoming. It has about 1,700 employees in the region.

First Interstate Bank, which is wholly owned by First Interstate BancSystem, reported April 18 a dividend of 22 cents per share, payable May 13 to owners who held stock as of May 2.

Total loans increased year-over-year by 6.4 percent to $5.2 billion on March 31, the end of the quarter. Excluding acquisitions, the organic growth was 5.7 percent.

Commercial loans increased $33 million, or 4.1 percent, to $825 million over the quarter.

First Interstate also announced last quarter the $34.2 million acquisition of Flathead Bank, which would add $231.6 million in assets and seven branches to First Interstate. The deal is expected to close in mid-to-late summer.

The deal would put First Interstate at roughly $9 billion in assets and a step closer to new federal regulation under the Dodd-Frank act.

Riley said the bank has implemented new stress tests and regulatory compliance measures to meet the Dodd-Frank benchmark and continue to grow.

If a deal comes around by the end of this year, we probably will do it. ... We feel good that wed be able to digest an acquisition that would be closing in 2017.

He added that the banks overall business looks positive for 2016.

We continue to think and act like a larger financial institution, which we are destined to become. ... We feel good about where we are, Riley said.
Bob and Shirley Clearman will celebrate 65 years of marriage on May 5, 2016. They are re-creating their honeymoon with a trip to Yellowstone Park. Their children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren are gathering on May 21 for a family dinner in commemoration of their 65 years of marriage.

Retirement years have provided Bob and Shirley with many memorable trips. They have traveled to Russia, Europe, the Holy Land, the Panama Canal, Bermuda, the Bahamas and Hawaii to name a few. They sometimes left themselves just a day inbetween to wash clothes and pack for their next adventure. They have also enjoyed winters in Quartzsite, Arizona, and lots of fun at their cabin on Stemple Pass.
Burns made sure Montana got its share.

Throughout his 18 years in the U.S. Senate, Conrad Burns brought home the bacon for Montana.

Burns, who died Thursday in his Billings home at age 81, operated in the era of earmarks. He was highly successful in obtaining money for his state. For example, in 2000, after he and Sen. Slade Gordon, R-Wash., added $5 million to a National Parks Service bill, Burns steered $1.75 million to emergency repairs at the Many Glacier Hotel in Glacier National Park.

Burns served on the Senate Commerce, Science Transportation Committee, which put him in a good position to earmark money for agriculture, energy, defense and for the Interior Department, which manages public lands.

He supported telecommunications for rural schools and hospitals. In 2004, along with then-Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y., Burns sponsored the E-911 bill that provided money for states to upgrade technology so first responders can locate emergency callers, and so cell 911 calls are routed to the nearest emergency agency.

In his first two years on the defense subcommittee of the Senate Appropriations Committee (2003-2004), Burns directed $144 million to Montana universities and technology companies for research.

Responding to critics of pork barrel spending, Burns defended his tech earmarks: (The money) is going to be spent somewhere. I want to get my share, he told the Associated Press in 2004.

He said earmarked funds have plenty of checks and balances to make sure they are used for research.

We get results, Burns told the AP. Thats the acid test.

The four-lane reconstruction of Airport Road in Billings would have never happened without Burns securing $15 million in earmarks many years before the roadwork started.

Burns got a grant to beautify Downtown Billings. The city eventually used the money to install Skypoint over the Broadway and Second Avenue North intersection.

Local health care facilities received numerous grants thanks to Burns intervention. For example, a St. Vincent Healthcare clinic on Shiloh Road was built with a grant Burns procured.

When the state of Montana eliminated funding for the Mental Health Centers HUB program for homeless individuals in Billings, Burns got a federal grant that kept the doors open till state lawmakers reconsidered funding.

He supported other local services for the disadvantaged. For years, Burns was a fixture at the Billings Food Bank Mardi Gras celebrations, serving as an auctioneer for the fundraiser.

Burns organized annual aging issues conferences in Billings, bringing high-powered federal officials from Washington, D.C., Medicaid administration out to Montana.

He had a true and genuine concern for seniors, said Kent Burgess, CEO at St. Johns Lutheran Ministries, who worked with Burns staff on the conferences.

During his Senate tenure, Burns was once spotted at the Albertsons store on Main Street, shopping alone. Ive got to bring home the bacon, he said when greeted by another shopper.

Minutes later, the U.S. Senator was indeed strolling toward the checkout with that breakfast staple in hand.

As a U.S. senator, Burns made sure Montana got its share of attention and funding. Our state has many facilities and services because of his hard work.

We extend condolences to his wife, Phyllis Burns of Billings, and the rest of his family.

-- The Billings Gazette
Earlier this week I was joined by the CEO of Dick Anderson Construction in Billings to announce that my number one priority moving into the 2017 legislature will be to build Montana for this and for future generations.

Too often, elected officials think in two- and four-year cycles. But we cannot afford to think about Montanas infrastructure needs that way. We need to recognize our action, or inaction, will shape Montana for decades to come.

Montanas water and wastewater systems, roads, bridges, public schools, universities and development-impacted communities cannot be ignored for another two years.

I am proposing a $200 million investment in the immediate needs of Montanas communities financed through a responsible mix of cash and bonds -- the same way you or I would buy a car, or a house or make long-term investments in our local communities.

We can afford to make this significant investment and still remain the most fiscally responsible state in the nation and maintain our $300 million rainy day fund.

This isnt just about creating temporary construction jobs. This is about creating a future for Montana and ensuring that our communities, businesses and residents have efficient and reliable infrastructure that sets the foundation for a thriving economy, creates countless jobs, and protects Montanas quality of life for this and all future generations.

Which is why Im not stopping at $200 million. We must take a step toward developing a sustainable way to fund Montanas infrastructure needs in the future.

Politics has no business meddling with this issue. This time last year, legislators in Helena clocked out and went home after the House failed to approve a statewide infrastructure bill to send to my desk for signature. We -- Democrats and Republicans -- worked hard on that bill. It was sponsored by Sen. John Brenden of Scobey and passed the Senate 47-3. It died in the House by one vote.

A small handful of legislators put politics ahead of Montana jobs, and as a result thousands of Montanans were denied work all across the state and much-needed projects were put on hold. These are jobs that would have grown our economy and helped keep Montana worthy of passing on to our kids and our grandkids.

Some of those same legislators have since had the gall to defend the defeat of that bill and others as right for Montana and a way to leave Helena with a win.

They could not be more wrong. The defeat of the infrastructure bills was wrong for Montana -- wrong for our communities, wrong for our schools, wrong for future generations and wrong for thousands of Montanans who would have had jobs because of it.

In addition to a measure that will get shovels in dirt immediately, we must also work together to address our state's needs for decades to come. And the first step in doing so is the Build Montana Trust.

Over 20 years ago, Montanans were wise enough to create a trust using revenues from Montanas coal industry, and several sub-trusts to help fund local and regional water projects across the state, creating jobs and ensuring the health and safety of Montanans for years to come. When the legislature convenes next January, I will ask them to follow in the footsteps of those who came before them and create a long-term trust to help fund infrastructure in the future.

The Build Montana Trust will start accumulating resources now, to ensure that the future generations of Montanans are able to invest in infrastructure, create jobs, and continue to grow Montanas economy.

Investing in the future of Montana shouldn't be about partisan politics The businesses of today and the next generation of Montanans expect more, and cannot afford for us to wait any longer.

Steve Bullock is the governor of Montana.
A recent letter claiming discrimination is discrimination no matter the groups name is off base and mean-spirited. The writer suggests donations to the KKK, an organization based on racial hatred, are no different than donations to the Montana Family Foundation, an organization that advocates following the teachings of Jesus Christ. How ridiculous! And the Family Foundation is not supposedly a Christian-based organization. It is one! They dont promote hatred for those who see marriage or gender choice differently than they do. They dont hide behind masks and burn crosses on lawns. They advocate for their Christian beliefs and should be free from snide comments. Thats freedom of religion.

They also have the same right to question legislative candidates as does the teachers union or chambers of commerce. The fact that gubernatorial candidate Greg Gianforte donates to the Family Foundation shows the stewardship of his wealth is based on biblical principles. I dont see him asking the Family Foundation for campaign funds, so implying hes going to take money from their PAC doesnt even make sense.

The writers whole argument makes me think if I chose to define marriage one way, Im discriminating against those who define it differently. Thank heavens she got me labeled; I would never have known Im that kind of person. Meanwhile, God bless Greg and Susan Gianforte for sharing their wealth with Christian-based organizations and pox on those who feel compelled to put a negative political spin on charitable, Christian giving!

Jean Johnson

Helena
I dont usually pay much attention to blog comments posted in the wake of a newspaper article but have done so twice in the past 10 days.

One story was in the Great Falls Tribune and dealt with turmoil in the Cascade County Republican Central Committee. Following the story about a half dozen comments appeared. They were to the point, yet civil, and each was signed by the author using their first and last names.

On April 28, I read the Letter-to-the Editor by Rep Hertz endorsing Steve Gibsons candidacy for election to the legislature. That article was also followed by a half dozen comments but, this time, the authors had the opportunity to hide behind an alias, and the comments were much less civil and, in one case, potentially slanderous, something the IR must have discerned for itself because the posting was subsequently removed.

I have a simple philosophy about Op-Eds and Letters-to-the-Editor. If youre brave enough to write it, you should be brave enough to sign it. Thats not happening in the IR right now, and I think it is time for the paper to reconsider its policy of allowing people to post comments under a nom de plume.

I also encourage you to address this issue without delay. Were at the start of what I expect will be a bitter political season. I am fine with someone expressing strong, angry and even bitter opinions, provided they sign their names.

In 2015 the State Legislature passed SB 289, the Dark Money bill, to prohibit clandestine contributions on behalf of political candidates. The IRs policy of allowing the use of aliases or alternative identities strikes me as the journalistic equivalent of dark money. Its dark speech.

IR readers should have the right to know who is publishing material in the newspaper and on its comment blogs. Given the IRs current policy, how do we know if the person posting such materials even live in Montana? If its someone blasting a political candidate, how can we be sure that its being done by an ordinary citizen, and not some political operative working out of party headquarters?

I hope that the IR management will reconsider its current policy of allowing anonymous comments to be posted on its blogs. Free speech requires transparency.

Connie Fitzpatrick

Helena
POPLAR  Six shiny balloons that would have looked at home at a 1-year-olds birthday party -- one pink and in the shape of a heart -- flanked the small white coffin.

The body of Kenzley Olson, who just had her first birthday, lay in that coffin at the Poplar Cultural Center for a little over 24 hours while the community came to mourn, first at her wake and then at a funeral attended by more than 300 people.

Kenzley was killed April 19 and her body thrown in a dumpster. Janelle Red Dog pleaded not guilty to the crime on the day of the wake. Tribal Chairman Floyd Azure has said methamphetamine played a role in the crime, as well as the abduction of a 4-year-old girl in Wolf Point several weeks earlier.

Our society has come to the point where drugs mean more than a childs life, more than a family, more than keeping a roof over your head, Azure said. All we are hurting is ourselves.

On the night of Kenzley's wake, 23 miles to the east in Fort Kipp, the meth abuse awareness coordinator for the tribes held a meeting on meth awareness. Another is scheduled next week in Brockton, where tribal health educator Carolyn Brugh lives. She hopes it will be well-attended, but said shes seen this cycle before where theres a lot of buzz and awareness of problems after something horrible happens, but then the energy to do something fades.

Its too bad we had to have a tragedy to open our eyes, Brugh said. Theres an immediate response, but then the need to do something falls by the wayside. Meth has been here, she said. This is not something new to us.

Those in Poplar, a town of about 800 along Highway 2 in the northeastern corner of the state, find blame on and off the Fort Peck Reservation for what locals call a meth epidemic. Azure said the federal government doesnt provide enough money to pay for social services, but he also, like many others here, casts responsibility for whats happening on the community. Taking care of our own is a huge part of Native culture that we just dont practice anymore, he said.

A meth epidemic

Meth is everywhere.

Drugs are rampant in our community, Frank Hapa told those who gathered for the wake. There are many sleepless nights for mommas and daddies, parents and grandparents. The next morning people are asking, Did you know this happened just down the street, just down the block?

The 100-mile long, 70-mile wide swath of land is home to about 7,000 members of the Assiniboine and Sioux tribes. The reservation is extremely poor and geographically isolated. The unemployment rate was 28.3 percent in 2008, according to a health profile compiled for the state. The median household income was $18,500. That's compared to a 4.3 percent unemployment rate for the state of Montana this past March, and a median income of $40,627 in 2008. Forty-five percent of people live below the federal poverty level, compared to 13 percent statewide in 2008.

The drug has infiltrated our whole society, Azure said.

Sometimes it seems only the too young and very old aren't using meth.

Nothing you can say will stop them, said Raymond Ogle, who has lived in Poplar his whole life. It used to be young people, now its getting into older people. Its all ages. Before it was teens, now its people in their 30s and 40s with kids. A lot of users are grandparents now. Grandkids think, It must be OK because my grandpa is doing it.

Marty Reum, who lives in nearby Wolf Point and works at Fort Peck Community College in Poplar, is a recovering addict who started using meth in 2004. He went on his last runner from 2010-2013. Back then you could find meth almost anywhere in town, he said, and its probably still the same today.

Most people tie the drugs presence in the area to the nearby Bakken oilfields. Williston, North Dakota, the epicenter of the now-busting boom, is just 70 miles east on Highway 2. Though Poplar doesnt have oil wells or man camps, folks passed through and there was some spillover of both the people who work in the oilfields and the drugs they use. The stuff that has come into town is made elsewhere, Reum said, and is very pure.

Reum has been clean for three years, and he said hes going to stay that way. He has relapsed several times, including once just two weeks after he left a treatment center in Black Hills, South Dakota.

Spotted Bull Recovery Resource Center in Poplar is the only place on the reservation to get treatment for methamphetamine abuse. It takes a referral, typically from the court system, to get on the growing list of those waiting to be admitted to the outpatient program.

We can clean them up, get their head where they are thinking about family, about being in the work force, in the community, providing. But if tomorrow we throw them back to the wolves again, whats your success? Reum asked.

Some people are sent to programs in Sheridan, Wyoming, or Browning if they can afford to pay for it. It costs $60,000 to $90,000 to send someone off the reservation for treatment, Azure said, and we send people multiple times."

Those who get treatment often come home to the same environment they left  friends that arent supportive of getting clean and situations that are a hotbed of enticements and triggers for users. The tribe has talked about an inpatient treatment center, but it is still in the discussion phase, Brugh said.

Indian Health Services is operating at life and limb status right now and doesnt pay for addiction treatment. Life and limb, Brugh explained, means that unless someone is going to lose an arm or leg or die, they arent going to get treatment.

The lack of proper health care, especially preventive care, is one of the reasons people turn to meth, Azure believes.

IHS gives people pills to tide them over, then they become addicted to the pain pills. They they cut them off  so what do they do? IHS gives to them until theyre addicts, and then they turn to meth. Or they sell the pain pills, he said.

'I have no answer'

It rained, seemingly without a break, on the days of Kenzley's wake and funeral. It was cold, but the doors to the Cultural Center, the main community gathering place, stayed open.

The gym was in constant motion during the wake. People filtered in and out, women carrying trays upon trays of food and men shaking hands. Teens walked in groups, carrying coffee to seated elders. Preschool-age kids ran between family and friends, some too young to understand what was going on. Toddlers orbited around the drum circles and swaddled babies slept soundly through it all.

What happens to this younger generation was a theme Hapa carried through his message to the mourners.

"We've had a lot of sleepless nights with our sons and daughters out there," he said. "We don't know if they're dead in a ditch or in jail. We have moms peering out of the window, dads driving around at night looking for their sons. Our No. 1 concern is drugs along with alcohol."

Hapa predicted "we will see a lot worse in our community. Things we never expected to see happen."

Chairman Azure is a leader casting around for a solution he can't name. The problems are too big, and the resources to address them too limited.

"I have no answer," he said.

There are only 13 tribal law enforcement officers to police the entire reservation. There are four elected judges and 99 beds that are always full at the newly built jail, he said.

The courts could go 24/7 if we had enough judges, Azure said. It all comes down to funding. From Day 1 we have never been given enough to succeed, only to fight among each other.

He said the tribes need more from the federal government. They are supposed to provide for us because we gave up millions and millions of acres of land."

The tribes have taken over several programs from the Bureau of Indian Affairs, including the Law and Justice Department and the courts. The funding for the courts has increased, but not much, since the tribes took over in 1984.

But he also looks inward when talking about how it got to this point. It's something Brugh echoed.

Its common for generations to always think it was better before, calling back to some time in the past when all the problems of now didnt exist.

Kids had curfews they were held to. Parents and family kept a closer eye on the younger generation, who feared strict punishment. Poplar is no different in its nostalgia, though the feeling seems as strong in the 80-year-old set as it does from those in their 30s, 40s and 50s.

When I was growing up, if you did things you knew you were going to be in trouble, Brugh said. There isnt that fear anymore.

Her tribal health office has always held events around the reservation  Halloween carnivals, Easter egg hunts  events where families gather, make crafts. Brugh offers a meal, door prizes and other incentives to get people to attend.

When we started, we had a lot of participation from mom, dad, grandparents, she said. But in the past year, the past two years, theres been a decline in that. We dont get the participation we used to get. And that has to do with the meth problem. They dont want to go because you know theyre doing meth and theyre ashamed to be out."

Azure ties the decline to boarding schools, which children were sent away to as recently as his grandpas generation. He says the children lost connections with their mothers and fathers, who in turn loosened the rules for children home on summer breaks.

Once you lose that, youre never going to get that back, Azure said. The parents try to overcompensate. The parents allow the children to do things they normally would not, they overcompensate for love.

Symptom of larger problem

Some use meth as a way to escape the realities of living in a poor, rural community that doesn't seem to have a lot of options to better yourself. Jobs are scarce.

The tribes employ about 450 people and does drug testing on employees and some applicants. If you can't pass, you aren't hired.

Private jobs are hard to come by, and economic development is stagnant.

The tribal executive board is 15 people elected in what amounts to a "popularity contest," Azure said. And they've made many bad economic decisions in the past. A pipeline to convert dryland farming fields to irrigated fell through because of politics.

If a project like that doesnt come from the right person on the council, they will vote it down because it came from the wrong person. This is because of the politics we put up with, Azure said. We got shafted numerous times because of the councils decisions."

He can list the companies that came in and took money without any payoff, bad decisions he said the council made even though he advised against them. A solar panel company came in, got money to set up operations, painted the floor of an abandoned industrial building and then left.

"I cant get things done the way I want to," he said, explaining that the tribes can't spend money unless there's a resolution passed by the council.

The community is so poverty-stricken, Azure said, that the only way to make money is to sell drugs because the job opportunity is not here."

And yes, meth will help someone escape a feeling of helplessness, Reum said. But only temporarily.

Meth does that, it will suck that stuff away for a while. But you cant get high enough to numb the life away.

Reum is tired of hearing excuses. "Sure, we've lost people, people who are gone," he said. "But we need to start getting something back. We need to start young, instill our values, raise our kids in a respectful way, and hope they learn enough lessons from how we show them to be."

Brugh has a 7-year-old granddaughter who lives in Poplar. She said she's aware of all the negative things that have happened.

"I worry for her, for all the little ones," she said. "But Im not afraid to live here. Its home to a lot of people, people who have lived here their whole lives. Its not any different than living someplace else.

You can see people get frustrated. What can we do? Keep moving ahead and along the way there will be stumbling blocks. I hate to say it, but the buzz will probably die down.
DECATUR  Before executing a search warrant at the home of a known drug dealer, the Street Crimes detectives took precautions.

They worked together with the heavily armed and armored Decatur Police Emergency Response Team for maximum safety for the officers and occupants of the house, located one-half block from Eisenhower High School.

In a raid on the morning of March 25, an Emergency Response officer knocked on the front door.

Decatur police search warrant. Open the door, one officer loudly announced, as he stood beside an officer holding a battering ram.

After receiving no response, officers broke open the door and entered the dealer's house.

At meetings before the raid, there was discussion of the possibility of a young boy being present, but instead there was only the targeted dealer, who was a 36-year-old male, and two adult women.

The occupants were handcuffed and questioned. The male admitted he sold marijuana out of his house and said there was about 5 or 6 ounces on the premises.

The detectives discovered about 8 ounces, with a street value of about $2,300, located under the staircase to the basement. They found about $2,700 in cash in a box beneath an artificial Christmas tree in the basement.

The Street Crimes unit, which includes 13 Decatur police detectives and three from the Macon County Sheriff's Office, is a proactive force that primarily conducts narcotics investigations. They closely resemble what was formerly called a vice squad, as they also investigate crimes involving prostitution, illegal gambling, liquor violations and other nondrug felonies.

The detectives and supervisors say it is a close-knit team, with high morale. They take pride in taking down drug dealers, partly because so much of the crime in Decatur is closely related to drug use and addiction.

A lot of gun violence is connected to illegal use or illegal distribution of drugs, said Dave Dailey, who has been with the unit for 16 years. The ultimate goal would be to prevent drugs from arriving in Decatur. By arresting drug dealers, we can prevent a user from obtaining drugs.

Dailey, an expert on cellphone analysis and historical phone records, said street crimes detectives initiate a majority of their investigations and arrests.

We're attacking the drug situation in Decatur several different ways, Dailey said. We work on things relevant to our work instead of answering calls for service.

A search of a drug dealer's building normally will involve multiple officers, in addition to a K-9 unit, as dealers employ sophisticated methods to conceal narcotics, firearms and cash.

In the last 16 years, the methods of drug dealers have changed dramatically, Dailey said. They are constantly adjusting actions, so we are required to change ours.

Sgt. Toby Williams, a supervisor of Street Crimes for the past two years, said the detectives work closely with other Decatur police bureaus as well as local, state and federal law enforcement agencies.

The detectives seize thousands of grams of illegal drugs each year, including cannabis, powder and crack cocaine, methamphetamine, heroin, ecstasy and LSD, Williams said during an interview in his office, which he shares with Sgt. Jon Platzbecker, a street crimes supervisor since 2009.

Through the asset forfeiture process, the unit receives vehicles as well as funding for training and equipment that is used in investigations to combat the illegal drug trade.

In 2015, Street Crimes detectives were responsible for 681 arrests, an average of about 13 each week. The total of cash seized was $454,813.90. Detectives seized or purchased through confidential sources about 284 pounds of marijuana, 13 pounds of cocaine, one-half pound of heroin, in addition to other illegal substances. Forty-nine firearms were confiscated from suspects last year.

Street Crimes detectives distinguish themselves by working in several capacities.

Four of the officers, two each from the Decatur police and the sheriff's office, work on drug interdiction, intercepting traffickers as they pass through the city or drive on the city's streets.

One detective is assigned to work with the FBI on its Joint Terrorism Task Force. He takes part in investigations involving recruiting of terrorists and funding of terrorist groups, as well as the planning of terrorist attacks. Another detective works with the FBI to combat gang and drug-related violence, with the FBI Safe Streets Task Force.

Another Street Crimes detective serves as a special deputy U.S. Marshal, capturing violent fugitives in Decatur and throughout the Great Lakes region.

Williams, who also serves as a sergeant with the Emergency Response Team, said that team is called in to assist with the execution of warrants if it is believed that that suspects are violent offenders.

ERT members have more training with SWAT techniques, Williams said.

Although the detectives try to gather the best intelligence available, they always try to be prepared for surprises. In some cases, such as the March 25 raid, no firearms were found, despite earlier indications that there was a strong probability of an armed drug dealer.

Other houses, with no intel of guns, two or three guys are sitting there with guns in their laps, Williams said.

In some raids, nothing turns up at all.

Our intel might be right yesterday, Williams said. Then they might have moved stuff to somewhere else. We don't like to hit a dry hole, but there are no certainties in the work we do.

Platzbecker said one of the biggest challenges is to locate narcotics, with so many potential hiding places for drug dealers.

It can be hidden anywhere, he said. It's their job, their business. Every place contraband can be hidden we scrutinize as much as possible. If it looks like illegal contraband, we send it to the Illinois State Police Crime Lab for testing.

Chad Ramey, the most senior member of the unit, came over to Street Crimes from patrol in 1999.

Here, you feel like you're making a big difference, Ramey said. You're locking up someone who's selling drugs. That's one less person who's selling drugs to kids.
BLUE MOUND  People wanted to hear what Neil Pistorius had to say at least since 1934, when he was a speaker at his eighth-grade graduation ceremony in Boody along with Macon County Superintendent Cora B. Ryman.

He grew up to be a World War II hero, successful farmer and Sunday school teacher. As a member of Richland Community College's Board of Trustees for 16 years, he was a catalyst behind Richland's move to a permanent campus at 1 College Park in 1988.

The site went on to provide a home for the Farm Progress Show every other year, starting in 2004.

Neil had the foresight to see what a community college was supposed to be during a time when a lot of people didn't, recalls longtime friend Helen Brown, 92, of Decatur. He would just sit back and ask, 'What would you think if we tried this?' and bring the best out of every situation.

Sadly, death from natural causes at age 95 silenced his voice March 14. Yet Pistorius lives on in his legacies and in the memories of people who knew him.

Among them is Duane Noland, 59, a former state senator and fellow Blue Mound native who serves as president and CEO of the Association of Illinois Electric Cooperatives. He said Pistorius, a member of the Shelby Electric Cooperative Board for 40 years, urged him to apply.

For the first few years of my life, I thought he was an electric lineman, Noland said. That's because every time the lights went out, my dad would say he'd better call Neil to get the power back on.

Chuck Novak, 73, of Du Quoin, interim president of Richland, said Pistorius was among the college trustees who hired him as president in 1989.

Some people are the salt of the earth, but he was more like the earth itself, Novak said. He always took the long view and was the voice of reason. He was the person to lead you to the best answer.

Dennis Barnard, 63, of Blue Mound was one of his Sunday school students at Zion Chapel United Methodist Church near Boody, where Pistorius taught the high school class for many years.

He remembers getting a good background on the Bible from a mentor who took time to listen to the teenagers he taught, even after class was dismissed.

Barnard said he knew Pistorius from a much younger age, however, as he and his wife were close friends of his parents, Morris and Norma Barnard, spending holidays together and farming together.

Neil was progressive, always looking for a better way to do things, he said.

Barnard also has fond memories of how he, his dad, his grandfather and a neighbor or two would congregate in winter inside the well-appointed farm shop Pistorius and his brother James had.

KMOX would be playing on the radio, and everybody would be drinking coffee and talking, he said. It was the place to be.
America has 2.2 million jail and prison inmates, and everyone worries about what will happen when they get out. Some of us worry that they will seek out new victims and commit new crimes. Some of us worry that they will head to the nearest courthouse and register to vote.

Last week, Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe signed an order restoring voting rights to convicted felons once they are no longer in prison, on parole or on probation. Previously, they were barred from voting for life.

He made his decision out to be one of simple humanity. "I want you back in society," he said of ex-convicts. "I want you voting, getting a job, paying taxes."

Republicans, however, saw nakedly partisan motives. "The singular purpose of Terry McAuliffe's governorship is to elect Hillary Clinton president of the United States," said Virginia House Speaker William J. Howell.

How would changing the rules on voting help Clinton and other Democrats? The thinking is that ex-convicts, who are disproportionately black and poor, would vote much like other low-income African-Americans.

As Ted Cruz has put it, "the overwhelming majority of violent criminals are Democrats" (a claim PolitiFact rated "mostly false"). So adding them to the rolls would penalize Republicans.

McAuliffe is shocked at the idea that he would consciously strive to increase the number of Democratic votes. "Honestly, I haven't thought about it," he said.

This profession of ignorance came from a man who served as chairman of the Democratic National Committee. His partisan devotion is so intense that he once wrestled an alligator in exchange for a $15,000 donation to Jimmy Carter's presidential campaign. If McAuliffe didn't think about the electoral effects of his decision, it's for the same reason he doesn't think about gravity.

Those effects, however, are smaller than the GOP fears. Plenty of states that let former prison inmates vote are solidly Republican, including Alaska, Georgia, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas and Utah. Felons may make as little difference in Virginia as they do in those places.

The number is not that big anyway. McAuliffe's order affected 200,000 people in a state where 3.9 million people voted in the 2012 presidential election. If these felons all voted, they'd increase the total number of votes cast by just 5 percent.

Even that figure greatly overstates their impact, because most will never go near a polling place. Oddly enough, many convicted felons do not feel a solemn duty to exercise the franchise. In places where they are allowed to vote, turnout rates are even lower than in the public at large.

Republicans are right that McAuliffe's order suits his political interests. But his possibly cynical motives shouldn't be the end of the discussion. The Ku Klux Klan values the First Amendment, but that doesn't make free expression a bad thing.

The test in a case like this is to ask what policy would be wise if there were no partisan consequences. By that yardstick, restoring the voting rights of criminals once they've paid their debt to society makes far more sense than excluding them for life.

As McAuliffe noted, Virginia's ban had unsavory purposes. It was adopted in 1902 along with poll taxes and literacy tests in a determined effort to preserve white supremacy. Back then, a state senator noted approvingly that the restrictions would "eliminate the darky as a political factor" in the state. The racial impact of such bans is still lopsided.

Even more important is that they provide nothing of value. If the prospect of incarceration doesn't deter criminals, losing the right to vote certainly doesn't. We don't permanently strip criminals of freedom of speech or religion, the right not to be subjected to unreasonable searches or the right against self-incrimination. Why deprive them of the vote?

The obvious exception is the Second Amendment right to own a gun, which felons lose. But firearms, unlike ballots, can be highly useful in criminal activities.

The chief result of disenfranchising former inmates is to discourage them from changing their ways and fully integrating into society. The people likely to be obstructed from voting are not the incorrigible criminals but the reformed ones. They get jobs, pay taxes and keep their noses clean -- the sort of behavior that Republicans, as well as Democrats, should want to encourage.

There are lots of bad things criminals can do once they're released back into society. Voting isn't one of them.
Ever have one of those days? Not the bad one. The really good one.

I had one of those last month. It started at the ribbon cutting for National Foodworks Services and ended at a Millikin University event honoring a successful entrepreneur.

I'm sure part of it was because of my connection to the kings and queen for the day that made it so special.

For the past year or so I've enjoyed a front row seat as Tony Caccomo's dream of a food incubator came to life. And, as luck would have it, I interviewed Cordia Harrington, this year's Millikin Center for Entrepreneurship's 2016 Excellence in Entrepreneurship award honoree, 27 years ago as she embarked on her successful plan to expand McDonald's reach in the Effingham area. She's now the Bun Lady for businesses across the country

The message at both events was a simple one. The Decatur area has the people, potential and means to do so much. I cant help but believe this message is true.

No, I'm not delusional. I realize we have problems and issues to overcome.

But with my eyes opened to the possibility, I couldn't help but take a mental inventory of all the good things taking place around us and it left me hopeful for the future.
New Braunfels, TX (78130)

Today

Cloudy early with isolated thunderstorms developing this afternoon. High 89F. Winds S at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 30%..

Tonight

Scattered thunderstorms early, then becoming mostly clear after midnight. Potential for severe thunderstorms. Low 56F. SSW winds shifting to NW at 15 to 25 mph. Chance of rain 70%.
Having been subjected to the usual grumbles that I didnt do my case any good etc. by standing up for myself against presenters attempts to close me down, I thought Id subject my encounter with Nick Clegg on BBC-2s Daily Politics to a light-hearted analysis, mainly because its interesting and the iplayer means I can. Even so, watching it is a bit of an ordeal, as I hadnt been taking my ugly pills that day, and on top of that there is often a very good close-up view taken from below, straight up my nostrils, which I would have thought was the last thing anyone would have wanted.

First lets take a look at the little introductory film (illustrated with copious film of people apparently breaking the 1971 Misuse of Drugs Act, not to mention jokey puns about weed and high) which set the scene for the discussion. Note, this was largely about cannabis , the decriminalisation of which Nick Clegg supports. This was the general subject I thought I had come to discuss, not the specific and contentious depenalisation of several drugs in Portugal, which the presenter seemed most anxious to discuss with me.

The reporter in the film also says that politicians risk being viewed as off their heads if they advocated weakening the law. This isnt true. Two House of Commons Home Affairs committees have done so, and, if anything, were praised for their supposed courage and far thinking. The Runciman Committee suggested it and were likewise widely praised.

The film says the laws have been relaxed in some places because total prohibition doesnt work . Is that so? What total prohibition was that? For many years many US states have gone easy on marijuana possession with diversion programmes instead of criminal penalties, and/or through the legalisation of supposed medical cannabis a transparent excuse for legalising personal possession. Or is it because of well-funded lobbying first for medical marijuana, prescribed under an extraordinarily lax procedure, and then for decriminalisation?

The reporter is (quite unconsciously) tendentious, using terms such as prohibition, the language of the legalisers. Their tactic for years has been to claim that the existing laws are oppressive in nature and oppressively enforced, and that this is the cause of the undoubted drug problems in our society. The use of the word prohibition, summoning up vague and inaccurate beliefs about alcohol prohibition in the Al Capone era, is a favourite method.

By using this questionable term, suggesting an iron enforcement of laws against drugs, without qualification or analysis, the film failed to do the job an impartial programme should have done.

For example: Countries like Uruguay have relaxed their laws on cannabis because they say prohibition doesnt work.

As far as I can discover, cannabis use in Uruguay was low before the August 2014 declaration that the state would henceforth sell it, and that small-scale private cultivation would be decriminalised. There were 120,000 estimated users in a population of 3.3 million, and 22 tons consumed a year compared to 500 tons a year in California (source LA Times 21/8/2013) before this move was made (a move, incidentally, unpopular among two thirds of Uruguayans if opinion polls are anything to go by) . The New York Times of July 29 2012 notes that personal marijuana use is already decriminalised in Uruguay, two years before the 2014 change, so it is hard to see what exactly this prohibition was that did not work.

My old opponent Professor David Nutt . whom I once squelched on live radio on the issue of criminalisation; of users, was then shown saying (in a recorded interview): Where countries have decriminalised the *possession* of drugs weve often seen very good health gains and the classic example is Portugal.

Well, there are varying views of Portugals experiment. The claims that the supposed health benefits which followed depenalisation are the *results* of that are strongly disputed. Correlation, as I am often told by legalisers, is not causation. Nor is it, necessarily. Works both ways.

Nick Cleggs own report, Drugs: International Comparators, acknowledges (on p.6) that:

Much of the most relevant data in this area comes from Portugal, as its reforms were fairly recent, and data from before, during and after implementation is easily available. It is important to note, however, that Portugal made a number of changes to its approach to drugs around the same time as implementing decriminalisation, including widespread implementation of harm-reduction programmes and an increase in investment in drug treatment. It is extremely challenging to disentangle the effects of decriminalisation from the effects of these wider changes.

Next, a Tory MP, Andrew Griffiths, was shown citing the decriminalisation of cannabis possession in Colorado, and points out that this has been followed by an apparent increase in use by the young. He seems not to know of Englands 40-year experiment in decriminalisation, or to connect our current plight with it, the simple leap from fantasy to reality that I ask all those speaking about this matter to make. Hes also a believer in addiction. Like so many of my allies on this topic, hes as unaware of reality as the legalisers.

Then the editorial presumption of prohibition and of its undesirability appears again, as the reporter asks: Does prohibition make underground drugs far stronger and open a gateway to experimentation with harder drugs?

The answer to that might well be Eh? and what prohibition? and No and No, plus a rejection of the term experimentation, a euphemism for illegal drug abuse (i.e. crime) which is designed to suggest innocent enquiry and a thirst for knowledge. Believe me, these experiments do not involve anyone taking notes or measuring the effects accurately against a placebo in a controlled double-blind test. The word is entirely unjustified and its use belittles and in my view condones law-breaking. As I sometimes say, a Corporation which relies on the threat of prosecution backed ultimately by prison to get people to pay its licence fee should surely be very keen on upholding the law.

The reporter then asks : Would decriminalisation or legalisation (theyre not the same thing) mean skunk, spice and other synthetic replacements would disappear?

To which one might reply, why on earth should it mean that? (as Professor Sir Robin Murray immediately afterwards points out that ready availability of alcohol has not led to everyone drinking weak beer, rather than spirits). Theres no reason I can think of to believe that this might be true. Its even dafter than asking (as people once did) Would opening pubs all day lead to a continental cafe culture in British cities? self-evidently laughable, and only asked so that the proposition can be advanced. But by posing it as a question, a pro-decriminalisation argument can be insinuated without openly being stated.

Its true that for balances sake Robin Murray was allowed to mock this proposition, but Professor David Nutt was likewise allowed to sympathise with liberalisation. Balanced interviewees dont overcome tendentiousness in the presentation. Readers here will know well that I have long pointed out that it is in presentation and the control of presentation that the real power lies in broadcasting. Merely appearing is nothing like enough.

The reporter also asks, for no apparent reason, the following questions. The first expecting the answer: no; and the second expecting the answer: yes.

Do people who are criminalised want to seek help? Does someone with a criminal record for smoking something arguably less dangerous in moderation than alcohol find themselves marginalised?

These are assertions crammed with unwarranted presuppositions, dressed up as questions.

Again, I regard this as wholly loaded. People who buy and possess illegal drugs are not passively criminalised by a cruel despotism. This is a state of laws in which the laws are, by and large, clearly stated and well-known, and not applied retroactively. People who voluntarily break such laws are not criminalised by anyone. They actively criminalise themselves by consciously and deliberately breaking the known law which in most cases has existed since before they were born. To criminalise someone or something you would have to declare something they already did legally to be illegal. Also theres the arguably less dangerous than alcohol claim. It may be arguable (the alleged flatness of the Earth is arguable if you want to try) but it is not objectively established, nor could it be by any measure known to me, and many people would argue that it was not so, given the growing correlation between cannabis use and mental illness. In any case it is not the reporters job to argue it. So why was this redundant passage not struck out by the editor, charged with ensuring impartiality on questions of controversy?

An editor who was truly concerned to be impartial on the subject would in fact have excised all these passages from the script of this pre-recorded item.

Then we begin the actual discussion. Mr Clegg is asked by the presenter, Jo Coburn: Were you very disappointed? with the outcome of a UN meeting which rejected attempts to relax international law on drugs.

This is an odd starting point. Who cares about his feelings? Surely we should want to know what exactly he had desired and why he had desired it.

I also noted that his silly claim about Asian countries that want to chop peoples hands off if they touch drugs went unchallenged. Do they? Which countries? This isnt the language of a former Cabinet Minister and Privy Councillor. Ms Coburn also asks Mr Clegg about the UN summit as if liberalisation would have been an achievement. Surely an impartial programme would have accepted that either outcome  Mr Cleggs reform or its defeat  would have been an achievement. I certainly regard the defeat of the liberalisers as an achievement. Thus an impartial account could not say that nothing had been achieved.

Ms Coburn used these words in her opening question to me : Do you accept that, because there are these polarised positions, as Nick Clegg has just outlined, its very difficult then to look at what some people would argue as the sensible view of decriminalising some drugs in order to reduce the number of people who are actually becoming addicted to harder drugs?

It may be noticeable from my thunderstruck and weary tone of voice that I couldnt quite believe I had been asked such a question. What was she on about?



What does it matter what I accept? What is this about some people and a sensible view? In a Wikipedia entry such words would quickly (and rightly) attract a tag saying weasel words. Who exactly thinks its the sensible view? Give names and references. Who doesnt? *Why do these words even form part of the question?* And what does she mean by polarised? Theres a difference of opinion on this. She appears to suggest that polarisation (which has a faintly pejorative whiff, to me) is a bad thing, preventing us from looking at what some people would regard as the sensible view. But we can look at it. We do look at it all the time. What the division of opinion prevents is the *acceptance* not the examination, of the supposedly sensible point of view. Why on earth is it difficult to look at the pro-decriminalisation view? Most public and broadcast debates on drugs discuss almost nothing else but decriminalisation and its alleged benefits. What are the words what some people would regard as the sensible view of even doing in this formulation? Which people? Some wouldnt regard it as sensible. The fact that some *would* regard it as sensible doesnt make it so, and an impartial broadcaster has no business choosing between those who would and those who wouldnt. Why not just ask me what my view was of Mr Cleggs position?

If she was being (the old excuse ) a devils advocate, I didnt notice much devilish advocacy directed towards Mr Clegg. It wasnt put to him (by the impartial BBC) that some people would say that decriminalisation was an irresponsible risk How on earth would decriminalising some drugs (presumably cannabis) reduce the number of people taking supposedly harder drugs.(she says theyre addicted, but lets leave that to one side). It is a mass of ill-informed presuppositions including the contentious ideas that there are soft and hard illegal drugs, that making drugs easier to buy and possess will reduce the use of drugs, that drug abuse does not involve wilful crime, Why does an impartial BBC presenter use these formulations?

Then Ms Coburn says to me: In your view, Peter Hitchens, there has been a sort of de facto decriminalisation.. I dont think she uses the words in your view to address or sum up any of Mr Cleggs statements or assertions. Nor did she say that the statements she made about Portugal were made in anyones view(though in my view they very much were). So why did she need to categorise my points (all of which are objectively checkable documented historical facts, and which Mr Clegg himself went on to concede as accurate) were my view.

At 36:10 she said, even more amazingly You can argue for decriminalisation and we will cite statistics from countries like Portugal that have actually shown you can then remove the barriers to help addicts

This extraordinarily contentious statement was the preface to a question about the links between cannabis and mental illness (which Mr Clegg avoided without interruption or correction by switching the subject to drug-related fatalities)

And then back we went to Portugal, favourite subject of the legalisers,

After Mr Cleggs amazing admission of de facto decriminalisation (obtained by my questioning of the former Liberal leader) we suddenly turn out to have run out of time (at 39 minutes 29 seconds  the item actually ended nearly two minutes later, most of that time occupied by Mr Clegg).

There, now, wasnt that fun? And yet some viewers attacked me for daring to be interrupted while I was speaking. So rude of me.
Late on a winter night in 2004 in Kewaunee County, six-month-old Samantha Treml was rushed to an emergency room, violently ill from bathing in water poisoned by manure spread on a nearby frozen field that seeped into the homes private well. The rest of her family got sick, too.

In 2014, seven people visiting Door County were sickened after manure from a large farm made its way into a homes private water well.

In 2015, Kewaunee County Board member Chuck Wagner discovered that the new $10,000 well he was forced to install two years earlier was again contaminated with viruses and cow manure. Wagner and his wife now use a reverse osmosis system to filter the water before drinking or cooking while they contemplate whether to dig a second new well.

And this year, the Algoma School District is offering free water to residents whose wells are contaminated, although that source has been shut down a few times after vandals damaged the dispenser. In early March, a group of local residents asked the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to provide emergency water for Kewaunee County residents with contaminated drinking water.

Its astonishing, the number of people who cant use their drinking water, said Algoma School District Superintendent Nick Cochart, whose own well is polluted.

Between 2007 and 2010, an estimated 18 percent of 3,868 private wells in Wisconsin tested positive for coliform bacteria  an indicator of disease-causing bacteria, viruses or parasites  according to a 2013 study by researchers with the state Department of Health Services. That translates into as many as 169,200 of the 940,000 Wisconsin households served by private wells exposed to disease-causing pathogens.

The problem also plagues municipal water systems where coliform bacteria accounts for most of the violations of health standards recorded each year. The 2014 Department of Natural Resources drinking water report on the states public water systems found 3.7 percent, or 420 of the 11,420 systems, had detectable levels of coliform.

The report said those 420 systems serve about 92,290 people. Most of the violations, 351, were in small public water systems serving motels, restaurants, churches and campgrounds.

Contamination by pathogens is of special concern because unlike pollution by metals or chemicals, pathogens can sicken people after just a single exposure. The gastrointestinal illnesses that result can be life-threatening for people with weakened immune systems such as the sick, elderly and infants.

Pathogens such as bacteria, viruses and parasites are the most frequent causes of illnesses in private water systems, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Whether it was manure spread irresponsibly on a frozen field, a septic system compromised by pollution-prone geology or untreated municipal drinking water, incidents of pathogens in drinking water in Wisconsin have revealed weaknesses in government oversight of this most basic and necessary resource, the Wisconsin Center for Investigative Journalism found.

Committees formed as a result of contamination in Kewaunee County recently proposed steps to be taken by the DNR, state lawmakers and others to better protect Wisconsins drinking water from agricultural pollution.

These work groups, composed of farmers and residents and federal, state and local officials, were formed after Kewaunee County residents petitioned the EPA in 2014 for help with the countys water problems.

The recommendations included $300,000 to provide reparations, including emergency safe water supplies, treatment systems and new wells for households whose drinking water has been contaminated by livestock manure. Other proposals included voluntary restrictions on spreading manure on sensitive lands, additional staff, heightened oversight and more timely response and enforcement to complaints by the DNR.

George Althoff, DNR spokesman, said the agency is actively working on formulating short-term and long-term plans to address water quality issues in Kewaunee County. He added that this has been and is a priority for the agency.

I think were making progress, agreed Russ Rasmussen, a DNR natural resource manager who is coordinating the Kewaunee County effort.

But some residents and others remain skeptical that the DNR will take meaningful action, and they criticize the agency for taking too long to address what some are calling a crisis.

In March, Midwest Environmental Advocates, the public interest law firm that petitioned the EPA on behalf of Kewaunee County residents, shot off another letter to the agency slamming the lack of progress, saying there still has been no direct action to provide local residents with clean, reliable drinking water.

The delayed response to the regions drinking water problems also has attracted the attention of U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin. Baldwin in March sent a letter to the heads of the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the EPA requesting immediate attention to this urgent public health issue and your assistance in making safe drinking water options available as soon as possible.

One-third of wells unsafe

Recent testing funded by the DNR and carried out by the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh showed the extent of the problem in Kewaunee County, with more than one-third of the 320 wells tested found unsafe to use. Those 110 wells had unsafe levels of coliform, E. coli or nitrate.

Any amount of coliform is considered unsafe. Of the wells found to be unsafe by the DNR testing, 27 percent had coliform; and five wells, or 2 percent, were contaminated by E. coli, which can come from human or animal waste. The second phase of the study will show the exact source of the pollutants.

Wagner discovered in the most recent round of testing that his new well  which he built in 2013 to replace an old contaminated well  is now tainted by four bovine viruses as well as nitrate.

Wagner, who served for 10 years on the states Land and Water Conservation Board, said he is convinced clean water and agriculture can exist side by side, but he and other residents are tired of what they say is inaction by the DNR.

Were getting mad, Wagner said.

As for the Tremls, the family eventually was awarded an $80,000 settlement from the insurance company for Stahl Farms, which spread the manure that sent Samantha, now 12, to the hospital. Judy Treml said her family moved to Green Bay over concerns that the water in heavily farmed Kewaunee County is unsafe. The farm also paid a $50,000 fine to the state for violating its DNR permit.

Treml said she believes her familys move away from Kewaunee County was the right decision.

This past summer several families had wells that were contaminated because of malfunctions at a farm manure lagoon, she said. In Kewaunee County, the problems have gotten even more horrific. In 10 years, it hasnt improved at all.

Big farms, big waste

Kewaunee County is home to 20,574 people and 76,000 cows, according to county data. It has one of Wisconsins highest concentrations of large dairy farms, known as Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations or CAFOs. Such farms, which have up to 8,000 head of cattle, can produce as much feces as a city, and most of it ends up on nearby farm fields.

Kewaunee Countys 16 CAFOs contribute the bulk of the more than 555 million gallons of liquid manure that are spread on the countys fields each year, county figures show.

The likelihood that manure from such large farms will contain one or more pathogens is very high, according to the EPA, because of the sheer number of animals housed in such operations.

Manure is a veritable stew of more than 150 pathogens that can make people sick, according to a report from the National Association of Local Boards of Health and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

These pathogens include E. coli, Salmonella, Giardia and Cryptosporidium. All can cause severe diarrhea and can be deadly for those with weakened immune systems. Infants and young children, pregnant women, the elderly, people who are HIV-positive and those who have undergone chemotherapy  about 20 percent of the U.S. population  are most at risk.

Proposals aim to improve water

Legislation aimed at bolstering protections against manure pollution in areas with fractured bedrock, such as Kewaunee County, was introduced by Democratic lawmakers in January.

We are dealing with a public health crisis, said state Rep. Eric Genrich, D-Green Bay, who co-authored the bill with state Sen. Dave Hansen, D-Green Bay. We have communities in northeast Wisconsin where half of the wells that are tested are contaminated and the water is undrinkable, where residents no longer have access to safe, clean drinking water. That is not acceptable.

The bill did not advance in the Republican-controlled Legislature. State Rep. Joel Kitchens, R-Sturgeon Bay, called it a political stunt. He said it was not a serious effort because Hansen and Genrich did not consult him or other Republicans.

In the meantime, Kitchens has introduced a bill of his own that would raise the maximum household income from $60,000 to $90,000 under the Well Compensation Grant Program, which helps owners pay for replacement of wells contaminated by livestock feces. But he acknowledged the change is not a solution to the pollution problems.

Three counties  Brown, Manitowoc and Kewaunee  have acted on their own, passing ordinances that prohibit winter manure spreading or restrict spreading on land with porous bedrock. One of the Kewaunee County work groups formed after residents petitioned the EPA for help has proposed a number of restrictions on spreading manure, including a ban on spreading where bedrock is covered by less than 24 inches of soil.

Kewaunee Countys ordinance passed in the face of strong opposition from the Dairy Business Association, the Midwest Food Producers Association and other agriculture groups. They contend the county does not have the authority to pass such limits, which they say are unnecessary because the state DNR already regulates groundwater.

But a study of the new county regulations, published in 2015 in the journal Resources, concluded the rules have caused statistically significant reductions in well contamination compared to other counties with fractured bedrock that only offered voluntary education on best practices to farmers and manure spreaders. The study showed no improvement in those counties.

Tim Trotter, executive director of the DBA, the states most powerful dairy lobby, said dairy farmers are serious about ensuring clean and safe water. But owners of some large-scale farms insist more research is needed. They say any new state regulations also must take into account the impact on agriculture.

I think with any new rules there should be a balance between safety and being practical, said John Pagel, who owns a large dairy farm and serves on the Kewaunee County Board, chairing the Land and Water Conservation Committee. We need to keep working together to make sure farming practices are done the right way and at the same time set goals that are achievable.

Lee Luft, a Kewaunee County Board member who is part of the DNR work groups, said residents will be watching the agencys actions closely.

If these recommendations are not implemented, he said, my sense is that whatever remaining confidence the residents have in the DNR will evaporate.

Dangerously high contamination

Many users of private wells may be ingesting pathogens unknowingly because, according to the state health department, only about 16 percent of owners statewide have them tested.

The Tremls tested their private water well after Samantha and other members of the family got sick. The astronomically high levels of contamination caused the county to advise the family to shut off the water and get the children out of the house.

The E. coli count in the Treml well was 2,800 parts per milliliter and the coliform count was 9,800. The EPA considers any amount of E. coli to be dangerous.

The Tremls later discovered the DNR had allowed a neighboring farmer to spread liquid manure on frozen land next to their home after the farmer ran out of storage space. Manure spread on frozen ground can run off into surface water and get into the drinking water supply.

Judy Treml had hoped their ordeal would spur the DNR to action. That did not happen.

It does make me angry, Treml said. I thought they would use our case to learn how to avoid these issues altogether.

Groups charge DNR regulation lax

The DNRs seeming reluctance to address concerns about pollution from the big farms is not new, according to an April 2015 investigation by a group called the Socially Responsible Agricultural Project, based in the state of Oregon. The groups Rap Sheets report documented a lack of DNR enforcement on large-scale farms in Kewaunee County going back to the mid-1980s.

Using the DNRs own records, the group uncovered dozens of instances in which large dairy farms violated anti-pollution laws. It found cases including overapplication of manure, failure to report spills, failure to maintain adequate storage, and spreading manure too close to homes and waterways  incidents in which DNR records do not show follow-up to ensure problems were corrected.

The agency disputed the report  saying it was enforcing the law to its fullest authority  but allegations of lax regulation continued to surface.

In October, Midwest Environmental Advocates filed another petition, this time on behalf of 16 residents from across Wisconsin, asking the EPA to rescind the states authority to enforce discharge permits under the Clean Water Act if changes are not forthcoming.

And in December, 45 former DNR employees, many with decades of experience, supported that petition in a letter to the EPA. Among the concerns they cited was lax enforcement against polluters, including CAFOs.

Cochart, Algomas school superintendent, said he is fed up with delays by DNR in getting help to county residents. All they do is drag their feet, he said.

Somebody needs to provide clean water. The DNR certainly isnt, Cochart added. To me, its a basic human right to have clean drinking water. But there are a lot of people here who are spending a lot of money to have clean water.

Luft, the Kewaunee County Board member, said the high levels of lead in drinking water that plagued Flint, Michigan, are reminiscent of problems in his county.

It brought home the fact to me that we have a very substantial number of people living without access to safe water, Luft said. They live a second-class lifestyle because of it.

This report was produced as part of journalism classes participating in The Confluence, a collaborative project involving the Wisconsin Center for Investigative Journalism and University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Journalism and Mass Communication. The nonprofit Center (www.WisconsinWatch.org) collaborates with Wisconsin Public Radio, Wisconsin Public Television, other news media and the UW-Madison School of Journalism and Mass Communication. All works created, published, posted or disseminated by the Center do not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of UW-Madison or any of its affiliates.
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Heres a fact that will likely surprise anyone who likes to joke, whine or fume about the weather in Wisconsin, which includes most of us: The sun shines over the Badger state more than half the time.

Depending a bit on where you live in Wisconsin, you can expect to see the sun shining 190 out of 365 days a year, counting days that are partly sunny.

Thats not Arizona-like sunshine, but its not Seattle, either.

Tapping into the sun to produce energy is still a small part of Wisconsins overall energy mix, but its the fastest-growing component. The Solar Energy Industries Association reports Wisconsin ranks 30th overall among the 50 states in installed solar capacity and that $12 million was spent on solar installations in 2015, up about 70 percent from 2014.

It was a breakout year for solar energy, said Tyler Huebner, executive director of Renew Wisconsin, in a recent statement. Over three times as many solar panels were installed in 2015 as the prior year, and the most ever in the state: 7.5 megawatts worth, enough to supply more than 900 Wisconsin homes annual electricity usage.

Solar installations range from systems that run home water heaters to industrial applications that help to power, heat and cool large buildings. The latest business example is Central Storage & Warehouse in Madison, where 3,000 rooftop solar panels were recently commissioned.

With capacity to produce 741 kilowatts of power, its the largest solar project in Madison, the fourth-largest in the state and Wisconsins largest rooftop project. The panels were installed atop several refrigerated warehouses that store frozen, refrigerated and dry food, as well as Central Storages corporate offices.

The company expects to save about $90,000 in energy costs a year, a figure that reflects the continuing decline in the cost of solar installations. According to the Solar Industries Association, total costs have declined 48 percent since 2010, making it more cost-effective for businesses and others to invest.

The Central Storage project was managed by SunPeak, a Madison-based solar project developer that has completed several other projects in Wisconsin and Iowa. Most of the Central Storage work was finished in 2015 but it was commissioned in April after Madison Gas & Electric Co. completed a transformer upgrade.

(Central Storage) was interested in offsetting a significant portion of its electric utility consumption, primarily used for refrigeration, said SunPeak President Chad Sorenson in a statement. SunPeak was able to engineer and install a system that simultaneously lowered its overall cost of electricity, and enhanced its sustainability by powering its facility with natural sunlight.

SunPeak itself is an example of how Wisconsins solar industry is growing. There are more than 175 solar companies in Wisconsin, according to the national solar association, working in various parts of the supply chain. About 90 companies are installers and contractors, more than 50 are engaged in manufacturing, about 20 are developers or distributors, and another 30 work in financing, engineering and other support functions. Those firms collectively employ about 1,900 people and are spread across the state.

The declining cost of solar panels and various incentives, such as rebates and tax credits, are a big part of why solar is growing as a percentage of Wisconsins overall energy mix. (The state is still heavily dependent on coal-fired plants for electricity generation; about 62 percent in 2013, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.)

Consumer and utility company interest is also driving solar adoption. Solar energy is a renewable, clean source of power that consumers increasingly expect to see as a part of their local utility companys portfolio. That was evident during an April 19 community discussion hosted by MGE, which attracted more than 200 people for a four-hour discussion of the utilitys 2030 plan.

At Alliant Energy, which serves much of southern Wisconsin and parts of Iowa, a solar project will be unveiled Tuesday at the utilitys offices on Madisons East Side, where a solar learning laboratory already exists. Other Wisconsin utilities with solar investments range from Xcel Energy, which has a growing percentage of renewables in its portfolio, to community providers in Eau Claire, River Falls, New Richmond, Medford, Greenwood, Viroqua and beyond.

Not all days in Wisconsin are sunny, but a warming climate for solar energy is making the most out of those that are.
Chris Rickert | Wisconsin State Journal Urban affairs, investigations, consumer help ("SOS") Follow Chris Rickert | Wisconsin State Journal Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Save Manage followed notifications Close Followed notifications Please log in to use this feature Log In Don't have an account? Sign Up Today

Im assuming that when a handful of top UW-Madison officials follow through with a commitment to take cultural competency training this summer, it wont be Cultural Competency Training for Dummies.

If anyone should know how to not act like a racially insensitive jerk, it should be highly educated, accomplished people getting paid big bucks to lead a world-renowned university.

At this point, the group doesnt include any people of color, which is only fair. Competently navigating other cultures seems like something members of American minority groups have no choice but to learn  repeatedly and at a very early age.

But even weirder than a bunch of brainiac college administrators having to submit to lessons on diversity and sensitivity is one of the reasons they got pressured into taking those lessons in the first place.

This semester, campus has been ablaze with allegations of racism and racial insensitivity. Students and some faculty have been taking to protest marches and Twitter to decry what they see as a toxic environment for people of color.

One of the most publicized incidents driving that perception has been the appearance of spray-painted or drawn Wolfsangels on buildings around campus. The ancient and vaguely Swastika-like symbol was used by the Nazis and more recently has been appropriated by some white supremacists.

For a couple of weeks now, campus activists have been asking why police couldnt manage to arrest the people responsible for this graffiti, but could manage to violate UW-Madison Police procedure by interrupting a class to arrest Denzel McDonald, a black student accused of spray-painting messages including Racizm in the air. Dont breathe and The devil iz a white man on campus buildings.

On Wednesday, campus and city police arrested three white men they believe are responsible for the Wolfsangels and other graffiti. Timothy A. Arnold, of Madison, is tentatively charged with graffiti with a hate crime enhancer. Frank T. Horton, of Madison, and Adam T. Ritchie, of McFarland, are tentatively charged with graffiti.

Assuming police have the right guys, they are pretty much what youd expect in people who deface public property with racist symbols.

At 21 years old, all are college age but not necessarily college material. They arent UW-Madison students or staff, but are alleged to have spent a fair amount of time on campus recently.

Arnolds arrest was his third contact with campus police, according to Lt. Aaron Chapin. In September, they approached him twice for trespassing and illegal camping. In November, he was convicted of illegal camping. Online court records list his residence at NPA for no permanent address, suggesting he might be homeless.

Police similarly warned Horton not to camp at Memorial Library in April of last year, Chapin said. His background includes a felony drug possession charge from July of 2014 that was knocked down to a misdemeanor after he agreed to plead guilty.

Of the three, Ritchie has been in the most trouble. Prior to his arrest Wednesday, he was already facing five felony cases on charges ranging from second-degree recklessly endangering safety to child abuse.

I wasnt able to get in touch with either Arnold or Horton or any of their relatives on Friday, but Ritchies grandmother, Vicki Bjornethun, told me she raised Ritchie and that hes on Social Security disability for conditions including bipolar disorder. He had been looking for part-time work, she said.

Adams not a racist. He never has been, she told me. Hes a kid thats got a good heart.

Whether Ritchie  or Arnold or Horton  have good hearts is for God to sort out. But at the least, it seems clear their lives werent going all that well even before they were arrested last week.

They certainly dont seem to have been going as well as McDonalds.

At the time he was arrested, he was apparently on track to graduate. One of his former professors called him one of my best students on his blog. Now he, Arnold, Horton and Ritchie are all in trouble. If you consider The devil iz a white man to be racist, I guess theyre all accused racists, too.

The other thing McDonald and the alleged Wolfsangel taggers have in common is that they are forcing UW-Madison administrators to reevaluate race relations on campus.

It makes sense for administrators to care about what McDonald has to say  even if he might have said some of it illegally. Hes a successful black student at a leading university that has long struggled to attract minority students, and which occupies a state and city that have long had some of the worst racial disparities in the nation.

Theres not much reason Arnold, Horton and Ritchie should be able to affect the course of an institution as big and as powerful as UW-Madison, though.

Even tagging a few buildings with graffiti  racist, anti-racist or otherwise  is of limited import.

Speech has only as much power over us as we choose to give it.
A Janesville man was arrested early Sunday morning on his tentative sixth OWI charge, police said.

Police pulled over Dana Meton, 63, after he made an illegal turn from the center lane of Highway 51/Center Avenue onto Rockport Road around 12:19 a.m., authorities said. Police said Meton told them he drank six beers.

He wasn't able to perform field sobriety tests, and police have issued a warrant to get a blood sample, according to authorities.

Meton was transported to the Rock County Jail to wait for a court appearance, police said.
In a multi-jurisdictional incident that shut down a stretch of Interstate 39-90-94 in both directions for several hours, two Columbia County Sheriffs deputies on Sunday afternoon shot an armed man on the highway near DeForest.

The man was a suspect in a drive-by shooting that critically injured a woman in Sauk County and the fatal shooting of a West Allis man earlier in the day.

The man shot by deputies was a 20-year-old man from West Allis. He was taken to UW Hospital by MedFlight helicopter, according to a statement late Sunday by the Dane County Sheriffs Office. His condition was unavailable.

The complex chain of incidents began when West Allis Police responded to the fatal shooting of a man at an apartment building in the 2300 block of South 92nd Street.

At about 2:55 p.m., the Sauk County Communications Center received a 911 call reporting a drive-by shooting on Interstate 90-94 near mile marker 95. The female shooting victim from that incident was taken to St. Clare Hospital in Baraboo and then UW Hospital, where she remained in critical condition Sunday night.

Another witness then called 911 to report following the suspect vehicle in the Sauk County drive-by shooting, a Chevrolet SUV, east on Interstate 90-94 in Columbia County, heading toward Dane County.

At about 3:20 p.m., the SUV entered Dane County, where road spikes disabled it. The driver was the 20-year-old man from West Allis, who got out of the vehicle armed with a handgun and began to move toward law enforcement, according to the Dane County Sheriffs Office.

The suspect was shot by the Columbia County deputies after he ignored verbal commands to stop, according to the statement.

Two male passengers inside the SUV, ages 30 and 34, were not injured. One was transported to Meriter Hospital as a precaution, and was treated and released to police. Both passengers were taken to the Dane County Jail in connection with the Sauk County drive-by shooting.

The location of the police shooting was on I-39/90/94 at mile marker 125 near DeForest, just south of the Dane County line, according to the Dane County 911 Center.

Around the same time as the DeForest and Sauk County shooting incidents, the Wisconsin Department of Transportation reported all lanes of traffic on I-39/90/94 were shut down in both directions between Highway 51 and Highway 60 so that law enforcement could respond to the shooting near DeForest.

The five-hour shutdown caused lengthy traffic backups. Shortly before 8 p.m. on Sunday, the northbound lanes of I-39/90/94 were reopened, the DOT confirmed. The southbound lanes were reopened at 10:54 p.m.

DOJ investigators late Sunday night were assisting the West Allis Police Department, the State Patrol, the Dane County Sheriffs Office and the Columbia County Sheriffs Office with the continuing investigation.

The DOJ said the public faced no further danger from the suspected perpetrators of the incidents.
On the Occasion of Poland's Constitution Day

Washington, DC - Secretary of State John Kerry: "On behalf of President Obama and the American people, I congratulate the Polish people as you celebrate the 225th anniversary of Europes oldest written constitution on May 3.

"The President and I look forward to joining you in July for the NATO Summit in Warsaw, which will be a fitting showcase for the continued strength and resolve of our Alliance in a period of considerable stress.

"The bonds between our two peoples extend back to the period of American independence, were invigorated through solidarity at Cold Wars end, and have been strengthened further by our joint commitment to shared ideals of democracy and the rule of law. Today, our nations collaborate closely on a range of economic and security issues, and our soldiers serve side by side in regions around the world. Together, we are determined to resist all threats to the safety and well-being of our citizens.

"During my last visit to Poland, I was deeply impressed by the young researchers, entrepreneurs, educators, and innovators I had a chance to meet. These talented individuals are crafting a bright future for Poland and developing ideas that will make life better and more prosperous for us all.

"Best wishes to all the people of Poland as you celebrate Constitution Day."
Contradicting the recent debate over Modi wave fading away, the survey points out that while 62 per cent are satisfied with the performance of Modi government, 70 per cent want to him to remain PM till 2024.

50 per cent feel that Modi has failed to keep his promises and bring any substantial change

By India Today Web Desk: The survey conducted by Centre for Media Studies has claimed that 70 per cent of the people in the country want Narendra Modi to return to power for second term as well.

Contradicting the recent debate over Modi wave fading away, the survey points out that while 62 per cent are satisfied with the performance of Modi government, 70 per cent want him to remain PM till 2024.

However, 50 per cent feel that Modi has failed to keep his promises and bring any substantial change.

Also where 15 per cent hold the opinion that situation has worsen in the NDA regime, 43 per cent said that government has failed to extend the benefits of schemes and policies for underprivileged to the poor people.

The survey had included around 4,000 respondents across rural and urban areas of 15 states.

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Responding over the performance of Modi's Cabinet, many appreciated the work done by Sushma Swaraj, Rajnath Singh, Suresh Prabhu, Manohar Parrikar and Arun Jaitley.

However, Ram Vilas Paswan, Bandaru Dattatreya, JP Nadda, Prakash Javdekar and Radha Mohan Singh came out as weaklings.

The assessment of ministries and Union Ministers was done based on four parameters - media presence, extent of activity on social media utilisation of MPLAD fund and people's opinion, says the survey.
By PTI: New Delhi, May 1 (PTI) More than 6,100 personnel, three IAF choppers fitted with Bambi bucket to carry water have been deployed in Uttarakhand to douse the forest fire that engulfed large part of the hill state.

As many as 6,000 personnel comprising NDRF, SDRF, state police, forest staff and volunteers have been deployed to douse the fire.

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Three Indian Air Force helicopters (1 ALH and 2 Mi 17) with Bambi bucket and 116 rescuers of National Disaster Response Force were also deployed to help the state government in controlling the situation.

The situation is under control now, a Home Ministry spokesperson said.

A four-member Central team of experts, including Special Director Centre for Fire Explosives K C Wadha and director of Delhi Fire Services G C Misra have reached Uttarakhand to assess the situation and suggest possible remedies.

In view of the urgency of the matter, the team will submit its report to the Home Ministry within a week with its recommendations.

Earlier in the day, Home Minister Rajnath Singh reviewed the forest fire situation with top officials of the Uttarakhand government and assured them of all Central assistance.

Singh had yesterday spoken to Governor K K Paul, who briefed him about the prevailing crisis.

The three IAF choppers today dumped loads of water on forest fires raging for days in Nainital and Pauri districts in Uttarakhand. The authorities claimed that the situation is gradually getting under control, latest satellite imagery of the forest fires has reported that the blaze has been extinguished in over 75 per cent of the affected area in the hill state. The water sprinkling operations commenced today as part of efforts to douse the fires that has killed seven persons and destroyed 2,269 hectares of forested land. The fire has also spread to sparsely populated remote hill areas. PTI ACB RG

--- ENDS ---
By PTI: Johannesburg, May 1 (PTI) Thirty-three rescued lions that endured "hell on earth" at circuses in Colombia and Peru have been flown to South Africa to start a new life in a sanctuary, in the largest airlift of the big cats in history.

33 lions, 24 from circuses in Peru and nine from Colombia, rescued by US-based group Animal Defenders International (ADI) returned to their homeland after both South American countries banned the use of wild animals in circuses.

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The long journey began on Thursday in Colombia where a caravan carrying the first nine lions departed the city of Bucaramanga for a 14-hour drive to Bogotas international airport. From there, they were loaded onto a cargo plane and flown to Perus capital to pick up the remaining 24.

Their flight to Johannesburg departed from Limas airport Friday evening.

They appeared a little distressed but healthy after their long journey when they landed here yesterday. They will be shifted to 12,355-acre Emoya Big Cat Sanctuary in Vaalwater.

The ADI, which was behind the biggest of its kind operation, says almost all the lions have had teeth or claws removed at the circuses.

The lions will first be released into bonding camps, the largest enclosures the lions have ever known and where families will be reintroduced to one another and become familiarised with their new home.

The second phase of the release is the construction of habitats 2.5 to 5 acres in size and with trees, platforms and watering holes.

Jan Creamer ADI President said: "These lions have endured hell on earth and now they are heading home to paradise. This is the world for which nature intended these animals for. It is the perfect ending to ADIs operation which has eliminated circus suffering in another country."

Savannah Heuser, founder of Emoya Big Cat Sanctuary, said: "The lions are returning to where they belong. This is their birth right. African sun, African night skies, African bush and sounds, clouds, summer thunderstorms, large enclosures in a natural setting where they can remember who they are."

The Emoya Big Cat Sanctuary is on private land and already houses six other rescued lions and two tigers. PTI AKJ AKJ

--- ENDS ---
Christian Michel, the Italian middleman who visited India for the deal started the company to oblige former officials at the Ministry of Defence.

By Atir Khan: It now transpires there was a Punjabi music angle for clinching AgustaWestland helicopter deal. Curiously enough, Christian Michel, the Italian middleman who visited India for the deal, had floated a media company to export Punjabi music CDs from India.

The company, however, was never used for the purpose. Rather, it was started to be used for obliging former officials at the Ministry of Defence. By obliging MoD officials, Michel would in return get inside information about the chopper deal from the officials.

It came as a bit of a surprise for investigators when they discovered that Michel, the absconder in AgustaWestland case, had floated a media company for exporting Punjabi CDs from India. Investigations revealed that the company was just a shell or a frontal company. ED sources say Michel with the help of one RK Nanda had floated the company named Media Exim. A lot of funds were pumped into this firm. The money to this company came from Michel's Dubaibased company Global Services FZE.

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Investigations also revealed that the media company's travel agency was used to oblige former officials of the defence ministry. The shell company was run from an office in posh Safdarjung Enclave flat in South Delhi. After the discovery that company was fake ED officers initiated move to attach the property after making their representations to the adjudicating authority. An ED notice was found pasted outside the office building.

The facts came to light when Michel's driver was nabbed by ED officials and was questioned at length. Following his interrogation officers got to know the whereabouts of the firm. The MoD officials were given free world air travel tickets and by doing this Michel had made inroads into the ministry.

ED is likely to quiz some former MoD officials in connection with the case. Allegedly, some officials had also received money from the company. But all the facts will only emerge when Michel himself is caught and interrogated. A red corner notice has been issued against him.



Also read:

AgustaWestland chopper scam: Jaitley rubbishes Antony's claims, says company was never blacklisted



Govt turns up heat on Antony; Parrikar forms AgustaWestland hunt team in MoD


Officials said the Bill could come up soon during special Assembly session after taking public suggestions and a nod from the cabinet.

Delhi is a quasi-state with L-G Najeeb Jung (left) as its head. Delhi CM Kejriwal (right) wants full statehood for the city which would bring the police, DDA, etc, directly under the state government's control.

By Shashank Shekhar: Undeterred that the Centre is sitting over 17 Bills passed by the Delhi Assembly over the last one year, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Saturday announced that his government is ready with the draft bill for full statehood of Delhi.

Officials said the Bill could come up soon during special Assembly session after taking public suggestions and a nod from the cabinet.

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Kejriwal has been demanding full statehood of Delhi ever since he came to power in 2015. The full statehood demand also includes control over Delhi Police and other central government agencies like Delhi Development Authority (DDA) and Municipal Corporation Of Delhi (MCD). Even in its manifesto, AAP had promised to push for full statehood for Delhi if it came to power.

Kejriwal's predecessor Sheila Dikshit had also demanded full statehood and also had handed over a resolution passed by the Delhi Assembly to the Centre.

"Draft Bill for Statehood of Delhi ready. Will be soon placed in public domain for comments n suggestions from public," Kejriwal tweeted.

According to senior officers, the Draft Bill may exclude New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) area which houses most of the central government buildings including Rashtrapati Bhavan, residences of the vice president, the prime minister and foreign missions from the jurisdiction of statehood.

"The government will make public Draft Bill for statehood of Delhi next week and seek comments and suggestions from the masses. After receiving suggestions and comments from people, the Draft Bill will be tabled in Delhi Cabinet for its approval. Once the Draft Bill is passed by the Cabinet, it will then be tabled in Delhi Assembly," said a senior officer.

If the Bill is passed there, government will send it to the Centre for Constitutional amendment, a source said, adding, Parliament will take the final decision on the full statehood for Delhi.

According to experts, there is no way any central government will allow a state to control its offices, establishments, cantonments and services as most of the important buildings fall under the NDMC area. So far, provisions of essential services like the law and order, land and housing can happen only if agencies like the Delhi Police, MCD, and the DDA are brought under the control of the state government.

As per the Constitution, Delhi is just a quasi-state with the Lieutenant Governor (L-G) as the head of the state and having complete control over law and order, land and services. The L-G reports to the Union home ministry.

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If Delhi is granted full statehood, the DDA, law and order and even the three municipal corporations would come under the jurisdiction of the Delhi government. AAP believes that this will lead to better coordination among various arms of the government and smoother implementation of the projects.

Granting full statehood to the national capital is one of the major electoral promises of the party, in the absence of which it has frequently clashed with the BJP-led Centre over matters of jurisdiction since assuming office. Last year, AAP had planned to hold a referendum on the issue, which was later shelved after constitutional experts said anything of that sort would be 'unconstitutional'.

The BJP has had an ambivalent stance on the issue although the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government had introduced a Bill in Parliament in 2003 to confer full statehood to Delhi, which was never passed.

Also read:

Surge pricing is daylight robbery, won't give in to blackmail: Kejriwal

Kejriwal's tough message to bureaucrats: If you want to do politics, resign and contest polls

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By PTI: From K J M Varma

Beijing, Apr 30 (PTI) China and Japan agreed to step up efforts to improve their relations frozen over rival claims on a group of islands as the Foreign Ministers of the worlds second and the third-largest economies held rare talks after a gap of over four years.

On a fence mending visit, Japanese Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida held talks with Chinesecounterpart Wang Yi. He also met Chinese Premier Li Keqiang and State Councillor Yang Jiechi.

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Receiving Kishida, Wang said "if you come with sincerity we welcome you".

"We have seen signs of improvement in China-Japan relations. However, there is still a lack of mutual trust between the two sides. Your visit this time is of positive significance," Wang said.

Outlining Chinas thinking over shoring up the ties between the two countries, Wang said they should have a more positive and healthy attitude toward the growth of China and should stop spreading or echoing all kinds of "China threat" or "China economic recession" theories.

Kishida highlighted that Chinas development means opportunities for Japan, saying that the Japanese side commends China for its positive role and contributions in many international and regional affairs.

As the worlds third- and second-largest economies, Japan and China shoulder more responsibilities for the development and prosperity of Asia and beyond, Kishida said.

The two ministers agreed to step up efforts to accelerate the pace of improvement in political relations, Japanese news agency Kyodo reported.

High-level ties between the two countries have remained largely frozen since Japan nationalised a group of uninhabited East China Sea islands claimed by China in 2012. The move sparked deep anger in China.

The uninhabited islands - believed to be rich with oil and minerals - are called Senkakus by Japan andDiaoyu by China.

The island dispute led to polarisation of sentiments in both the countries affecting their flourishing trade ties.

Kishida stressed the need of stronger mutual trust by promoting cooperation in various nonpolitical fields, such as economics, the environment and youth exchanges, according to the ministry.

Wang said that China-Japan ties must be based on "respect for history, adherence to commitment and cooperation rather than confrontation."

Wang said China and Japan are neighbours and stressed that China is willing to develop a healthy and stable relationship with Japan. (more) PTI KJV NSA

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Air pollution in the Capital reached alarming levels in the winter and the Delhi high court said the city had turned into a "gas chamber".

By Siddhartha Rai: Authorities in Delhi offered optimist promises on Saturday off toning up the city's public transport system before bringing back the odd-even carrationing scheme in a bid to combat severe air pollution. New buses, a common mobility card for travelers linking all forms of mass transit and increasing the efficiency of Metro services are among the measures in the pipeline.

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Air pollution in the Capital reached alarming levels in the winter and the Delhi high court said the city had turned into a "gas chamber". The AAP government then imposed an oddeven number formula for two weeks, barring private cars from driving on alternate days. The second round of the road-rationing scheme ended on Saturday.

Sources said the Arvind Kejriwal-led government has set a three-month time frame to upgrade the city's transport system that will allow smoother implementation of the odd-even plan around August after the second round drew a barrage of criticism amid reports that pollution levels had actually gone up.

"The government is in the process of adopting an advanced public transport system, which will make travelling in buses and Metro more comfortable and reliable," an official said. "Premium AC bus service is expected to roll out from June and 4,000 new buses will be added, which will give support to existing infrastructure."

The World Health Organization said in 2014 that New Delhi had the most polluted air among nearly 1,600 cities it studied. Despite no significant impact on pollution level and an increase in traffic volume, the AAP government on Saturday termed the second phase of the licence plate- based driving ban a "success", but said it will implement the next stage only after doing a comparative study of the first two rounds.

"Today is the last day of odd-even -II. Congratulations Delhi for again making it a success," the chief minister tweeted. Transport minister Gopal Rai said the compliance rate of the scheme was 99.6 per cent. A fleet of 1,000 cluster buses will be added to the roads from May while construction of 12 depots to has also begun, he said. Tenders for 2,000 DTC buses will be floated this month and 1,000 midibuses will also be purchased. "People using cars will be able to use comfortable premium AC buses which can be booked through mobile APP.

By the end of June we will finish the work of e-ticketing process in all the DTC buses," he promised. "Trials of common mobility card will begin by first week of August, which can be used in both buses and Metro and it will be implemented further. By August-September we will be able to implement passenger information system through which residents will get real- time information of buses and locations on the website, mobile and social media."

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Also Read:

There will be anarchy on Delhi roads if two-wheelers brought under odd-even: Kejriwal

BJP leader Vijay Goel at odds with Kejriwal's odd-even plan

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By India Today Web Desk: The gorgeous Drashti Dhami from Zee TV's period drama Ek Tha Raja Ek Thi Rani has impressed her fans with a flawless performance as Gayatri. She entered the show as a doe-eyed girl next door, but now that her track is coming to an end--with the death of her character in a fiery mortal combat--she is all geared up to amaze her fans with a new warrior look as Jhansi Ki Rani.

With betrayal, death and revelations galore, the past one week has been action-packed on Ek Tha Raja Ek Thi Rani, and in the upcoming episodes, Gayatri, who is learning martial arts, getting trained in horse-riding and sword-fighting for her biggest-ever fight with the evil Kaal (played by Chetan Hansraj) and Badi Rani Maa (played by Surekha Sikri), so that Jhansi Ki Rani can save her kingdom and avenge the assassination of her husband Rana ji (played by Siddhant Karnick).

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Drashti says, "I'm kicked that my parting shot on Ek Tha Raja Ek Thi Rani is a fiery one. The scene has me engaging in a mortal combat with the ferocious Kaal, and it is a fight to the finish. While she succumbs eventually, Gayatri gives Kaal a run for his money with her persistence, grit and valour. She is in a do-or-die zone, locking horns with the enemy with her child on her back. The visual is very reminiscent of Jhansi Ki Rani. Needless to say, it was a task to manage the fight scene with a child on my back. I had to be extremely careful during this scene. It was difficult, but I loved doing it. As an actor, I try to do varied roles so that audiences get a flavor of different aspects of my personality as an artiste. In this role of Gayatri, I have had the opportunity to enact a number of interesting avatars. I hope viewers will like this avatar too."
By Amir Haque : Going a step further in his endeavour to make a clean & green Varanasi, PM Narendra Modi on Sunday evening will handover E-Boats to 11 boatmen at the Assi Ghat in Varanasi. With an eye on ensuring a pollution free boat ride for tourists on the Ganges, these boats have been especially designed to give a traditional yet comfortable ride to the patrons. The attention that this scheme has from PM Modi can be gauged from his tweet where the PM says- he is already 'excited' about launching this eco-friendly project.

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The ghats of Varanasi boast around 2500-3000 boats of all shapes and sizes along the Ganges. They give employment to over 10 thousand boatmen who have been in this profession for generations. These include boatmen belonging to backward castes like kewat, mallah, nishadhs and manjhis.

In a fist of its kind project in India, these E-Boats will have two batteries each which can be charged at charging points powered by solar panels. The Sudhanshu Mehta Foundation, shich spearheads the project, has arranged for several charging points along the ghats for boatmen's ease. Once fully charged these batteries will last for about 8 hours.

"These are cost effective, environment friendly, silent and the most modern boats that the ghats of Varanasi have ever had. The biggest advantage are tourists will have a hassle free boat ride where they can absorb the spirit of Ganga and hear their guide at the same time. The early diesel generators were noisy and caused a lot of vibration" said Sudhanshu Mehta the foundation's E-Boat Poject Manager.

The good thing about these boats is that they aren't new. With an exception of the new 'shikara look' the boats are the same. "Boats that we have converted to E-Boats have actually been refurbished. We have only used environmentally safe raw-material and have ensured that they retain their traditional look while being more comfortable for its users" says the designer Pragya Singh who is a Varanasi local.

However there is a flip side as well. Some boatmen feel that the entry of these new-age e-boats will adversely affect their business. Gwal Sahni a local boatman said- "Most boatmen are happy with the change since this will bring in more tourists. But some are skeptical since this may encourage entry of well-off businessmen in their traditional domain. Also the new solar powered batteries may not be powerful enough when the current in the river is strong."

But the organisers say this is only the beginning. They are working on the project by way of an experiment and hope to learn from their mistakes in the days ahead. There may be some resistance to change initially but with 'Modiji's blessings' however they hope to clear all hurdles in time.

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By PTI: Kolkata, May 1 (PTI) Gold worth Rs 35.44 lakh was seized at the airport here from a passenger after he landed from Hong Kong, police said.

Dipak Acharya came here by KA168 flight of Dragon Airlines this morning and was trying to pass through the green channel.

Security forces, however, got suspicious and searched him, police said, adding in total ten gold bars were seized from him.

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Acharya, hailing from Behala in the south-western outskirts of the city, was arrested, police said. PTI COR NN PVI

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By PTI: Auckland, May 1 (PTI) India and New Zealand today signed a deal that opens the door for direct flights between the two countries that could boost tourism and trade sectors.

The signing ceremony of the bilateral air services agreement was witnessed by visiting President Pranab Mukherjee and New Zealand Prime Minister John Key.

The air services agreement should also boost tourism and trade between New Zealand and worlds second most populated nation, New Zealand Transport Minister Simon Bridges said.

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Bridges signed the deal with Sanjeev Balyan, Indias Minister of State for Agriculture and Farmer Welfare.

Air New Zealand, Air India and Singapore Airlines are among the operators which have the potential to run such a direct service, New Zealand Herald reported.

Bridges said that New Zealand airlines now have the opportunity to code-share to seven Indian cities - Bangalore, Chennai, Hyderabad, Kochi, Kolkata, Mumbai and New Delhi.

For code-sharing operations, India will have any point in New Zealand. As intermediate points, India can have Singapore, Hong Kong and Bangkok and any two points in Australia, according to the text of the agreement.

"India is an emerging superpower, and its population of 1.25 billion people presents enormous opportunities for New Zealand," the minister said.

"Our annual trade with India is worth more than 1 billion dollars. In the year to March 31, 2016, almost 52,000 Kiwis travelled to India and close to 60,000 Indians visited New Zealand. In addition, more than 160,000 people of Indian descent live here.

"Todays signing will boost tourism, trade and personal ties between our two countries," he said.

India New Zealand Business Council treasurer Bhav Dhillon said that getting a direct flight between the two countries would "change the paradigm" of both tourism and trade.

"We are very confident that there will be a very robust growth in tourist numbers from India to New Zealand once we have a direct flight between these two countries," Dhillon told the Herald.

"Onces there a direct flight that will really change the paradigm in terms of tourism and trade, a direct flight reduces a lot of non-tariff barriers. We think a direct flight will solve a lot of issues on the trade front as well as on the tourism front."

Since the Governments Air Transport policy was introduced in 2012, Bridges said 50 new or amended air agreements had been negotiated, bringing the total to 78.

Most of the major airlines in the world are now able to operate services to New Zealand without restriction, with 18 new air routes announced in the past year alone, the report said. PTI AKJ AKJ

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Refiners like Essar Oil and Mangalore Refinery and Petrochemicals Ltd (MPRL) owe nearly USD 6.5 billion in dues to Iran.

By India Today Web Desk: India has conveyed to oil-rich Iran that it was ready to clear nearly USD 6.5 billion of the dues for oil import at the earliest, provided there was clarity on payment channel.

The message has been conveyed to Iran even as Prime Minister Narendra Modi is likely to visit the Persian Gulf nation country later this month.

Government sources said there has been a series of discussions at various levels both in Tehran and India, and both sides were confident of resolving the issue soon.

"We are working on clearing the dues to Iran and are hopeful that the issue will be resolved soon," they said.

Following lifting of sanctions against it in January under a historic nuclear deal, Iran had terminated a three-year-old system with India of getting paid for half of the oil dues in rupees and has been insisting on being paid in Euros for the oil it sells to Indian refiners, PTI reported.

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It has also scrapped free delivery of crude oil to Indian refiners.

Officials said though Western sanctions against Iran were lifted, problems persist in banking channels due to which regular transactions were not possible yet.

Refiners like Essar Oil and Mangalore Refinery and Petrochemicals Ltd (MPRL) owe nearly USD 6.5 billion in dues to Iran.

Since February 2013, Indian refiners like Essar Oil and MRPL paid 45 per cent of their import bill in rupees to UCO Bank account of Iranian oil company.

The remaining has been accumulating, pending finalisation of a payment mechanism.

Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj had visited Iran last month during which they had conveyed to Iranian leaders that India wants to significantly ramp up engagement in oil and gas sector with that country.

The issue of the pending dues had also figured in the meetings.

Swaraj during her visit had conveyed to Iranian leadership that India wants to invest in joint ventures in oil and gas sectors in the Persian Gulf nation where foreign investors from major economic powers are rushing in to get early footholds after lifting of sanctions.

Following lifting of sanctions against Iran, India has been eying deeper energy ties with that country and has already lined up USD 20 billion as investment in oil and gas as well as petrochemical and fertiliser projects there.

New Delhi is looking to increase engagement with the sanction-free Iran by raising oil imports and possible shipments of natural gas. It also wants rights to develop Farzad-B gas field in the Persian Gulf discovered by OVL.

A deal for the field was not signed during Pradhan's visit as Iranian Parliament, Majlis, is yet to approve the new Iran Petroleum Contract (IPC) under which the Farzad-B field is to be given to the OVL-led consortium.

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Royal Challengers Bangalore suffered their fourth defeat as they went down to Sunrisers Hyderabad by 15 runs.

By Jepher Christopher Nickels: Star-studded Royal Challengers Bangalore were once again beaten and once again it was their bowling unit that let captain Virat Kohli down. Opting to bowl after winning the toss, RCB bowlers were hammered black and blue by an in-form David Warner, who hit 90 off just 50 balls to power Sunrisers Hyderabad to a massive 194 for five. (Match Report | Highlights)



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Chasing a mammoth total, RCB could only manage 179 for six as they suffered their fourth defeat in six matches. They are now placed seventh in the Indian Premier League points table.

Kohli admitted 195-run target was a "little too much" even for his side's formidable batting line-up and wants his bowlers to improve.

"We weren't good enough on the night. Once again, our execution with the ball was poor. When Warner got out, I thought we could restrict them to 175. I thought 195 was a little too much. I'm not worried about the batting bit, it's the bowling we need to get better at," Kohli said after his team's 15-run loss.

'Over the moon'

Warner continued with his rich vein of form as he blasted yet another match-winning fifty. Although, Warner fell short of his third century in the IPL but the Aussie star was over the moon with a fantastic win.

"I'm over the moon with that win. You never know what a good total is, especially when you're playing a star-studded line-up like RCB," Warner said.

The Sunrisers skipper also praised Kane Williamson, who posted a fifty in his first match, and all-rounder Moises Henriques.

"Williamson and I set out to try and get to 100 without losing a wicket. It was fantastic for him to come in and play the way he did. He played the anchor role to take the pressure off me. Moises was fantastic in the end. He' coming in really handy for us," he said.

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In a new video released by the ISIS features Indian terrorist Anwar Hussain saying, "Jihad is our duty. For this we (jihadists) have come from several parts of the world. Despite this, Allah ensured good food for all of us."

Anwar Hussain (39) hailed from Bhatkal in Karnataka and was killed in 2014 while fighting for the terror group.

By Arvind Ojha: An Indian ISIS fighter, who was reportedly killed in Afghanistan while fighting for the group in 2014, has become the new poster boy for the terror outfit as it looks to lure more youth from the country.

In a new video released by the ISIS features Indian terrorist Anwar Hussain saying, "Jihad is our duty. For this we (jihadists) have come from several parts of the world. Despite this, Allah ensured good food for all of us. We got best of best food and friends here. In this fight Allah has given us all those things, which one cannot get, even being rich."

Intelligence agencies believe the video is a propaganda technique to revive the recruitment drive as the attraction for the global jihadi outfit has been reducing among Indian Muslim youth.

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Aaj Tak got exclusive video footage, which is being used by ISIS to expand its footprints in India. Hussain (39) a resident of Bhatkal town in Karnataka was a van driver. "No one has provoked me nor did anyone force me. I have come here at my will," Hussain said in the video. This happens to be his final message before he was killed in Afghanistan.

The YouTube video features a man purported to be Hussain speaking on his reasons for migrating from India to Dubai and thereon to Afghanistan for the cause of jihad and carries statements of men said to be his fellow commanders who recall how he died fighting but not before killing seven men of the "enemy". According to agencies, teams of Indians are undergoing terror training in Afghanistan from where they will be sent to Syria and Iraq.

The narrative of Hussain's sacrifice in the 14-minute video is that he wanted his family in India to be informed if he was "martyred". In the beginning of the video, the narrator describes the background of Anwar Husain and the views of other jihadists about Hussain who say he was fasting the day he was killed.

The narrator says Hussain told other fighters that "I will break my fast this evening, God willing, in the house of Allah with the houris (virgins of paradise)."

In the same video, a masked Afghanistani commander is seen narrating Anwar's struggle to motivate India youth. He says Anwar was a 'fearless fighter' and used to observe roza (fast) during fights. After the training Anwar was supposed to go back to India to become a fidayeen.

"Indian Muslim youth are being provoked by showing such propaganda videos. There are section of people who are also getting influenced by it," said security expert Sushant Sareen.

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ISIS terrorists looking to target European beach resorts, says intelligence

As Islamic State's income drops 30 per cent, crazy fines imposed


It has been an excruciating wait for Rajinikanth's fans ever since the producer Kalaipuli S Dhanu announced the release date of the teaser, and now the wait is over.

By India Today Web Desk: Everything about Kabali has been making quite a buzz on social media. Form the first-look poster to leaked pictures from the sets of the gangster film, everything about Kabali has been making news.

It has been an excruciating wait for Rajinikanth's fans ever since producer Kalaipuli S Dhanu announced the release date of the teaser, and now the wait is over. Here's the teaser of the upcoming directorial venture of Pa Ranjith.

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Kabali is slated to hit the screens in May this year, but the makers are yet to lock a release date for the film.

The film is based on the real-life story of Chennai don Kabaleeswaran.

Also starring Bollywood actor Radhika Apte, Dhanshkaa and Attakathi Dinesh in key roles, Kabali has music by Santhosh Narayanan. Most parts of the gangster film were shot in countries like Bangkok and Malaysia.

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By India Today Web Desk: There was utter ruckus in an event organised for JNU leader Kanhaiya Kumar in Patna. JNUSU president Kanhaiya Kumar's speech was interrupted by a youth showing a black flag and raising Bharat Mata Ki Jai slogan.

The man was brutally thrashed and beaten up by Kanhaiya's supporters. Kanhaiya Kumar was addressing a gathering of students (including old JNU students) in SK Memorial Bhawan in Patna.

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Meanwhile, the police have detained two men in this case.

Kanhaiya who hails from Begusarai district of Bihar is on a two-day tour of his home state and met both Nitish Kumar and RJD president Lalu Prasad Yadav over the weekend.

Kumar was arrested on the charge of sedition in February in connection with an event at Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) commemorating the hanging of Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru. It was alleged that 'anti-national' slogans were raised during that event by Kanhaiya and other participants.

The Delhi High Court in March granted him interim bail for six months.





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The hoisting was a mark of protest against the merger of the then Vidarbha, the Central Provinces and Berar into Maharashtra on 1 May, 1960. Similar flags were also unfurled at about 24 other places across the Vidarbha region.

By India Today Web Desk: Former Maharashtra Advocate General Shreehari Aney hoisted a 'Vidarbha flag' in presence of several organisations that have been propagating separate state for some time and said that their efforts for separate statehood would further intensify, today on Maharashtra Day in Nagpur.

Aney said that while he flag of separate Vidarbha is being raised on 1 May, for last three years, the movement for separate Vidarbha state has gained momentum since it has been strongly opposed by the ruling alliance partner Shiv Sena, besides MNS.

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The hoisting was a mark of protest against the merger of the then Vidarbha, the Central Provinces and Berar into Maharashtra on 1 May, 1960. Similar flags were also unfurled at about 24 other places across the Vidarbha region.

"We are not apprehensive of any political party or group which is opposing the creation of Vidarbha state, but our fight will go on and it will be further intensified from day one of the commencement of the winter session of state Legislature here in the second capital (of Maharashtra) in December," he said.

"Till December, we are chalking out a strategy to agitate for carving out Vidarbha from Maharashtra," Aney said.

He declined to comment on alleged remarks by Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray against him and said, "Come what may we will maintain our discipline and decency in agitation."

Prominent members of pro-Vidarbha organisations, Vidarbha Economic Development Council (VED), Shetkari Sanghatana, Vidarbha Vikas Aghadi and other outfits also participated.

Former three-term MLA, Shetkari Sanghatana's Wamanrao Chatap, former Minister of State and Dalit leader Sulekha Kumbhare, ex-Director General of Police Prabir Chakraborty, former Chief Commissioner of Income Tax B Dharmik, Jan Manch president advocate Anil Killor, former Vice Chancellor of Nagour University Haribhau Kedar were among those present on the occasion.

Meanwhile, the local Shiv Sena unit protested the movement for separate state and the unfurling of the 'Vidarbha flag' by Aney.

The Shiv Sainiks, led by district president Satish Harde, gathered at HB Town, in the eastern part of city, raised pro-Maharashtra slogans and allegedly burnt an effigy of Aney.

The MNS, which is also opposed to creation of Vidarbha, organised a Maharashtra flag-hoisting event adjacent to Aney's programme at Bajaj Nagar Square.

In another development, four activists of Aam Aadmi party, which has extended support to Vidarbha state, climbed up an 80-feet mobile tower of a private telecom company at Akashwani Square in favour of the separate statehood demand.

Sporting white caps with pro-Vidarbha state slogans painted on it, the youths wanted to draw the attention of political leadership over demand for Vidarbha.

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However, no untoward incident was reported from any part of city in view of the events in support of and against the Vidarbha statehood issue.

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Hoisting of the specially prepared multi-colour flag was seen as a mark of protest against the merger of the then Vidarbha, the Central and Berar into Maharashtra on May 1, 1960.

Vidarbha Rajya Andolan Samiti, Vidarbha Pradesh Vikas Parishad & few other organisations during a programme led by former attorney general of Maharshtra Shreehari Aney hoisted flag of Separate Vidarbha state in Nagpur, today on Maharashtra Day.

Hoisting of the specially prepared multi-colour flag was seen as a mark of protest against the merger of the then Vidarbha, the Central and Berar into Maharashtra on May 1, 1960.

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Shreehari Aney, whose comment on separate Vidarabha had sparked the controversy which ultimately led to his resignation as AG, said that flag of separate Vidrabha is being raised on May 1 for last three years.

Aney further stated that due to strong opposition by the ruling alliance partner Shiv Sena, besides MNS the movement for separate Vidrabha state has gained momentum this year.

Meanwhile, Shiv Sena criticised this move by Aney & other supporters of Separate Vidrabha.

In Mumbai near Sena Bhavan Shiv Sena put many hoarding in against separate Vidarbha. Shiv Sena President Uddhav Thackery clearly said in one function at Mumbai that

"We don't need to pay attention to people like Aney. We will not allow them to separate Vidrabha. We will fight till our last breath."

Maharashtra Congress secretary Shehazad poonawalla raised question on BJP's stand on this issue in a tweet to Maharshtra CM he asked "#Mahrashtraday CM Fadnavis must tell us what is BJP stand on UnitedMaharashtra Does he support RSS backed Aney?"

According to few media reports that Shiv Sena's Nagpur unit burnt the effigy of Shreehari Anye as mark of protest & raised pro Maharashtra slogans.

However, there was no report of any unfortunate incident from any part of state in view of the events in support of and against the Vidarbha statehood issue.

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By PTI: New Delhi, Apr 29 (PTI) A parliamentary committee has recommended that CAG be made accountable to legislature and that the "outdated" Act governing it be replaced. It also suggested creation of a stringent monitoring mechanism to enforce recommendations of the Parliamentary Accounts Committee(PAC). A sub-committee, set up to strengthen the PAC with BJP MP Nishikant Dubey as its convenor suggested that the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) be allowed to conduct audit of NGOs, any enterprise or programme where government funding is involved, including in government operated agencies like District Rural Development Agencies and Public Private Partnership projects. CAG audits government departments and institutions. Recommending that the CAG should be made accountable to Parliament, the panel said in its report that countries like Britain, the United States, Canada, Australia and New Zealand, the heads of the Supreme Audit Instiututions (SAI) are functioning under the supervision of the respective legislatures and not completely independent of Parliament as in India. "The CAG Act, 1971, is totally out of date and needs replacement. A mechanism is also needed for CAG to be responsible before Parliament without the control of Parliament. Its budget grows every year. The appointment of the CAG should be kept outside the exclusive purview of the Executive as suggested also by the National Commission to review the working of the Constitution and CAG should be made accountable to legislature.

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"The committee desires that necessary amendments to constitutional provisions to effect these may be considered. The Committee also desired a revision and amendment of the CAG DPC (Duties, Powers and Conditions of Service) Act, 1971 to redress shortcomings and meet new challenges in the fast changing realm of governance," it said. Addressing a press conference on the last day of the second PAC of the 16th Lok Sabha, Dubey, the Chairman of the PACs Sub-Group of Miscellaneous Matters, said there was a trend of delay in ministries and departments submitting the Action Taken Note (ATN) on PACs recommendations.

Citing examples, he said the ATN on Bofors issue is still pending despite decades having passed. "We have recommended that there should be a monitoring cell," he said, adding the delay in submitting is more in ministries like defence and railways.

At a time when corruption allegations dog various PPP projects in the country, Public Accounts Committee of Parliament headed by K V Thomas also made a strong pitch for empowering the CAG and equipping it with technical know-how to examine complex cases of financial irregularities.

Addressing the media, Thomas said the committee has decided to call a meeting of the full CAG to discuss how to empower the audit watchdog to examine such cases.

During the examination of the CAG report on Gas exploration from KG basin, the PAC came to know that the CAG is not properly equipped to carry out computation in such cases.

"One important aspect is that the CAG is not properly equipped. So the losses cannot be quantified by them. There was an unanimous opinion in the outgoing PAC that the CAG should intervene wherever the consolidated fund of Government of India is involved.PTI AMR GSN GSN

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In June 2014, the women had been arrested for obscenity and obstruction of traffic after they carried out the protest draped in green, white and saffron banners.

By India Today Web Desk: The Kerala High Court has ruled that there is nothing obscene about the six women in Kochi, who protested against the Badaun rape in Uttar Pradesh, draped only in banners.

In June 2014, the women had been arrested for obscenity and obstruction of traffic after they carried out the protest draped in green, white and saffron banners.

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The women, including two practising lawyers, filed a counter petition stating that they had only protested against the atrocities against women.

The court observed that the entire proceeding was sheer abuse of law and there was nothing obscene in their protest, and stated that nudity in any form by itself will not legally fulfill the requirement of obscenity, and vulgairty is different from obscenity.

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Doval's statements set at rest speculation that India was unhappy with the way the JIT had conducted the investigation especially after reports in a section of the Pakistan media that the investigative team found no substantial evidence during its visit

By Raj Chengappa: For the first time since Pakistan sent down a five-member Joint Investigation Team (JIT) in early April to collect evidence against those accused of the Pathankot attack, National Security Adviser AK Doval has expressed his satisfaction over the investigative team's visit and intent. India Today Group has learned from sources that in an informal conversation with five former Pakistan High Commissioners at the Prime Minister's Office on Friday, Doval said, "I was quite satisfied with the interest the JIT showed and also the assurances they gave us on the basis of the evidence that we provided them that they would be able to take effective action against culprits." He also told the delegation that he expected, "Pakistan to deliver" on the matter soon.

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Doval's statements set at rest speculation that India was unhappy with the way the JIT had conducted the investigation especially after reports in a section of the Pakistan media that the investigative team found no substantial evidence during its visit. A controversy had also broken out after Pakistan High Commissioner to India Abdul Basit had remarked in a recent interaction with the press that a visit by a team from India's National Investigation Agency (NIA) was not "a question of reciprocity" and linked it with resumption of dialogue between the two countries.



Contrary view

Indian officials had maintained that this was contrary to the understanding they had reached over Pakistan's JIT visit. At the conclusion of the JIT's investigations in India, NIA chief Sharad Kumar had said that India had planned to send an NIT team to Pakistan soon to probe the case "since the conspiracy was hatched there" and the JIT had welcomed the idea. The terror attack at the Pathankot airbase on January 2 had left seven security personnel dead.

Four terrorists were also killed. Evidence collected so far point to the involvement of the Pakistanbased terror organisation Jaishe-Mohammed headed by Masood Azhar. The six former high commissioners - Humayan Khan, Riaz H Khokhar, Ashraf Jehangir Qazi, Aziz Ahmad Khan, Shahid Malik and Salman Bashir -were in Delhi for an interaction organised by the Ananta-Aspen Centre which was moderated by Karan Thapar and telecast live on India Today TV. In their meeting with Doval, the former high commissioners also asked him about the alleged Indian spy Kulbhushan Yadav, who was arrested in Balochistan by Pakistan authorities recently.

Doval is said to have dismissed the charges against Yadav as "fabricated." Sources said that Doval assured the delegation that Prime Minister Narendra Modi was genuine in his desire to have good relations with Pakistan and that the efforts being made were not "for posturing or to score diplomatic points". But Doval is said to have made it clear to the former high commissioners that "Pakistan has to deliver by controlling terrorists and it has to stop bleeding India. It has to abandon the path it had been following in the past."



Concerns

The sources also said that former high commissioners pointed out that there were concerns in some circles about Doval's hawkish approach towards Pakistan as he had openly talked of an "offensive defence" posture in a speech which went viral on YouTube in 2014. Doval pointed out that he was not the NSA when he gave that speech and such statements should be looked at "in the proper perspective and not be taken out of context".

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Doval then went on to explain to the delegation that the basic doctrine of any security mechanism by a country was to ensure that there is a deterrence against those who are trying to harm or bleed the country. He told them that such a doctrine was only meant "to warn the offending country that there will be a cost and a retaliation". Doval is said to have added that "if any country believed it would continue to harm India, we will make the cost unacceptable for them to do it".

Also read: Centre hopeful of NIA team's visit to Pakistan to probe Pathankot attack





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Pawan Kalyan's yet-untitled upcoming Telugu film, which was launched last week, is reportedly the official remake of Ajith Kumar-starrer Tamil blockbuster Veeram. The film will be director by SJ Suryah.

By India Today Web Desk: Actor Pawan Kalyan's yet-untitled upcoming Telugu film, which was launched last week, is reportedly the official remake of Ajith Kumar-starrer Tamil blockbuster Veeram.

ALSO READ: Happy Birthday Ajith Kumar - We bring you the best six films of Thala that shaped his career



"The team acquired the remake rights a few months back and has been working on adapting it to Telugu sensibilities since then," a source from the film's unit told IANS.

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Although it won't be a frame-to-frame remake, the source confirms that the core of the original will be retained while the rest will be tweaked to suit Telugu audiences.

Pawan Kalyan will reprise Ajith's role in this action-based love drama which will be directed by SJ Suryah.

Kalyan's close friend Sharath Marar will produce the film, which will have music by Anup Rubens.

Siruthai Siva-directed Veeram turned out to be a blockbuster hit for Ajith Kumar. The film had Tamannaah, Atul Kulkarni, and Nasser in main roles.

Meanwhile, Pawan Kalyan's brother megastar Chiranjeevi is remaking Vijay's Thuppaki for his next.

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The bench, comprising Justices AK Sikri and R Banumathi, had on March 31, extended the deadline till April 30 for conversion of all diesel taxis to CNG.

By Harish V Nair: From Sunday, petrol and diesel taxis, including those run by aggregators like Ola and Uber, in Delhi and National Capital Region (NCR) cannot ply as the Supreme Court on Saturday refused to extend the April 30 deadline fixed for their conversion into less-polluting CNG mode.

"We can't keep on extending the time. We are not extending it now and not going to make any exceptions. There is technology available, you convert, a three-judge bench headed by Chief Justice TS Thakur said while rejecting the plea that it would affect livelihood of poor drivers as there is no technology available for conversion of diesel vehicles into CNG ones. "Now you are asking for the impossible. To recall our order on the ground that you have loans and liabilities. This is just not done", the Chief Justice told senior lawyer Shyam Diwan who appeared for taxi associations.

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The bench, also comprising Justices AK Sikri and R Banumathi, had on March 31, extended the deadline till April 30 for conversion of all diesel taxis to CNG. Diwan made a strong and emotional plea for modification of the order saying, "We will not be able to earn our livelihood. Moreover, we have to pay the bank also. A senior Delhi government official said about 60,000 taxis are registered in Delhi and of them 21,000 run on diesel.

There is already ban on diesel cabs plying on local routes here. Taxis having all India permit are required to cover around 200 km which is not violation of the existing rules.

Taxis having all India permits cannot ply from one point to other point inside Delhi, the official said.

The deadline for the change had been extended twice. The apex court had initially asked diesel cab operators in the NCR to switch over to CNG by March 1. That deadline was later extended to March 31 and then to April 30. The SC, however, allowed Delhi Police and Delhi Jal Board to register their new diesel-run vehicles with an engine capacity of 2000 cc and above for transportation of undertrial prisoners, arms and ammunition and supply of water.

The bench comprising asked Delhi Police to pay 30% of the real value of the vehicle to be purchased by it as Environment Compensation Charge (ECC) or green cess as a pre-condition for their registration with the transport department.

Also read: Kejriwal warns taxi drivers for over-charging during odd-even, releases new notified rates



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Former Miss Universe and Bollywood's much-sought-after actor Priyanka Chopra has finally attended the annual Correspondent's Dinner with the US President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama at White House.

By India Today Web Desk: Former Miss Universe and Bollywood's much-sought-after actor Priyanka Chopra has finally attended the annual Correspondent's Dinner with the US President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama at the White House.

ALSO READ: Priyanka Chopra slams Donald Trump for 'primitive' remarks on Muslims



Many Hollywood including Bradley Cooper, Lucy Liu, Jane Fonda and Gladys Knight were also welcomed by Barack Obama.

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Priyanka Chopra took to social media to share a picture with the POTUS and the first lady. She said that it was lovely to meet 'charming' and 'funny' Barack Obama and his wife 'beautiful' Michelle Obama. Priyanka Chopra chose to wear a glittering black dress for the grand dinner.

Lovely to meet the very funny and charming @barackobama and the beautiful @michelleobama . Thank you for a lovely evening. Cannot wait to start working on your girls education program #whitehousecorrespondentdinner A photo posted by Priyanka Chopra (@priyankachopra) on Apr 30, 2016 at 8:48pm PDT

Earlier, the Quantico actor was not sure whether she will attend the dinner because of her busy schedule, but later she confirmed that she will be attending the grand event.

The actor will next be seen in Hollywood film The Bay Watch alongside Dwayne Johnson and Zac Efron. She is also playing the lead role in American serial, Quantico. The TV series also stars Josh Hopkins, Jake McLaughlin, and Aunjanue Ellis in lead roles.

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"The 'protesters' in California were thugs and criminals. Many are professionals. They should be dealt with strongly by law enforcement!" Trump tweeted on Saturday.

By Indo-Asian News Service: Republican hopeful for the US presidency candidate Donald Trump who said those who protested against him in the California Republican Party convention were thugs and criminals, the media reported.

"The 'protesters' in California were thugs and criminals. Many are professionals. They should be dealt with strongly by law enforcement!" Trump tweeted on Saturday.

The New York magnate, leader by a wide margin in the Republican primaries for the presidential candidacy, made that comment about demonstrations in the town of Burlingame near San Francisco, during which hundreds of protesters clashed with police.

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The presence of demonstrators forced Trump, who was taking part in the California GOP convention that ends on Sunday, to enter the hotel by the back door.

"That is not the easiest entrance I've ever made. We went under a fence and through a fence. Oh boy, it felt like I was crossing the border, actually. I was crossing the border, but I got here," said Trump, who has made his controversial remarks about building a wall along the Mexican border one of the planks of his campaign platform.

The disturbances came after at least 20 people were arrested following protests at another electoral event of the likely GOP candidate at Costa Mesa in Southern California.

"I'm protesting because I want equal rights for everybody," 19-year-old Daniel Lujan told the Los Angeles Times.

Lujan was one of the hundreds of people - mostly Latinos, according to the newspaper - filling the streets to protest against Trump.

Also Read

Donald Trump blames India again for taking US jobs

Donald Trump does a fake accent and mocks Indian call center representatives



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If Rahul Gandhi does not agree to the proposal, Priyanka Gandhi may be made the party's face in Uttar Pradesh.

By Kumar Vikrant Singh: Congress party's poll strategist Prashant Kishor has strongly suggested that Rahul Gandhi be made the party's face in the upcoming Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections in 2017.

Highly placed sources in the Congress told India Today that Kishor feels the only way the party can come back to power in 2019, is if people start believing that Rahul Gandhi can lead them to victory in an election. He feels the best place to start the experiment is Uttar Pradesh.

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However, if Rahul Gandhi does not agree to the proposal, Priyanka Gandhi may be made the party's face in Uttar Pradesh. In case both disagree, the poll strategist will be suggesting the name of former Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit.

Sources say that Rahul Gandhi has already seen Prashant Kishor's presentation and has asked for a few days time to decide whether he is going to accept this offer.

While Congress leaders from Uttar Pradesh are skeptical about projecting a face in the state elections, Kishor is apparently keen that the party should name a candidate. This is primarily because the master election strategist's campaigns are generally crafted around personalities.

This was evident in the 2012 Gujarat Assembly elections and the 2014 Lok Sabha polls, when Kishor successfully pitched Narendra Modi as a development icon and a decisive leader through the extensive use of modern communication technologies.

From the "Chai Pe Charcha" campaign (a video conference across 1,000 tea stalls), to the 400 video vans deployed in Uttar Pradesh to take Modi's speeches to inaccessible rural areas, or the use of 3D holograms for the simultaneous projection of his speeches at 100 locations, the campaigns were all about Modi and not the BJP.

ALSO READ

Rahul Gandhi looks forward to empower Dalits



When estranged cousins Rahul and Varun Gandhi sat together in a meeting

--- ENDS ---
Delhi Police sources revealed that an SMS was purportedly sent from the cell phone of Chhota Shakeel, a close aide of fugitive mob boss Dawood Ibrahim, to a senior Tihar jail official threatening to eliminate Chhota Rajan.

Rajan, once a Dawood Ibrahim confidante, has been brought to the country to face trial in over 70 cases of murder, extortion and drug smuggling.

By India Today Web Desk: Underworld don Chhota Rajan, who was deported to India after being caught from Bali in Indonesia in October last year, continues to receive death threats from Chhota Shakeel even inside Tihar jail where he is lodged.

Delhi Police sources revealed that an SMS was purportedly sent from the cell phone of Chhota Shakeel, a close aide of fugitive mob boss Dawood Ibrahim, to a senior Tihar jail official threatening to eliminate Chhota Rajan, prompting the senior officer to seek additional security for him.

The SMS was sent from mobile number 971504265138 to the cell phone of Tihar Law Officer Sunil Gupta, threatening 'The End' of Chhota Rajan very soon, sources said. A call had also been received on Tihar's landline number following the SMS after which Rajan's security has been enhanced. The police has also been informed about the threat call.

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"How long will you save this dead pig from death, very soon I will do his the end," the message by "Haji Chhota Shakeel" said.

A Special Cell officer confirmed the receipt of the message by the Tihar official without disclosing anything else.

Gupta had received the SMS in the morning of November 24 last year after which he brought the matter into the knowledge of higher ups and sought security for himself and his family, sources said. The matter is now being investigated by police.

After being on the run for 27 years, Chhota Rajan was arrested in Bali (Indonesia) on October 25 on a Red Corner notice of Interpol.

He was deported and brought to India on November 6 to face trial in various criminal cases registered against him in Delhi and Mumbai.

In New Delhi he was sent to 14-day judicial custody by a local court and lodged in the high-security Tihar jail on November 19.

Rajan, once a Dawood Ibrahim confidante, has been brought to the country to face trial in over 70 cases of murder, extortion and drug smuggling.

Ever since his arrival, Rajan has been questioned by various investigating agencies. He has been making claims of having further evidence to nail India's most wanted terrorist Dawood Ibrahim and his links with Pakistan's external snooping agency ISI.

Also Read:



We have to kill Chhota Rajan, says Chhota Shakeel


Bipasha Basu and Karan Singh Grover are now officially a married couple. The two lovebirds who have been dating for over a year now finally tied the knot on Saturday (April 30).

By India Today Web Desk: Bipasha Basu and Karan Singh Grover are now officially a married couple. The two lovebirds who have been dating for over a year now finally tied the knot on Saturday (April 30).

The wedding was a private affair with only close friends and family of both the actors attending it. Bipasha and Karan's marriage was a three-day affair starting with mehendi and sangeet ceremonies.

Bipasha looked stunning as Bengali bride, but didn't opt for Bengali bridal red-and- white saree for the main ceremony. She wore red and golden lehenga designed by Sabyasachi paired with kundan jewellery and a mukut. On the other hand, Karan Singh Grover chose to wear a white sherwani.

According to the reports, the first was one to reach to the wedding was Bipasha's ex-boyfriend Dino Morea. The two, after their break-up, mantained their friendship. Not just Dino Morea, R Madhavan and his wife Sarita Birje were also present at the wedding.

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The wedding, which took place in typically Bengali style, was followed by a white-themed reception. The reception was attended by Bollywood celebs like Shah Rukh Khan and Salman Khan.

This is Bipasha's first marriage, while Karan's third marriage. He recently got divorced from TV actor Jennifer Winget.

(Picture Courtesy: Milind Shelte)


Cordoba, in Spain, is steeped in history. Take a walk through this city to get a taste of its religious plurality.

By Kalpana Sunder: I look at hundreds of horseshoe-shaped arches in red and white laid, in symmetric patterns, crafted out of marble, jasper and porphyry, crowned with capitals recycled from Roman and Visigoth ruins. With the play of light and shadow, they remind me of a palm forest enveloping me from all sides.

These are double arches - where one stands on top of the lower ones, providing greater support for the ceiling; a technique learned from Roman aqueducts. This vast prayer hall used to have 1,293 pillars and was completed in the 10th century; today only 856 remain. After the Reconquista when Christianity returned to Spain, a cathedral was built in the heart of the mosque. Today an extraordinary blend of styles casts a spell on visitors as they roam the dim interiors.

When the Great Mosque was used for Muslim prayer, the naves were open, allowing the rows of columns to appear like trees. Picture courtesy: Mail Today

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I am in Cordoba, in Andalucia, Spain, a city which, stood out like a beacon in the Dark Ages because of a unique spirit of religious tolerance and artistic expression. Jews, Christians and Muslims lived together harmoniously. Cordoba was the city of intellect and civilisation, with thinkers, scientists, scholars and poets. Its centerpiece, the Mezquita, or the mosque church, is truly a wonder of the medieval world.

In the courtyard outside, orange trees stand in the spacious Patio de los Naranjos (Courtyard of the Orange Trees), cobbled with river stone and shaded by orange trees, palms and cypresses. From the 8th to the 11th centuries, the Umayyad caliphs brought an opulent lifestyle and great learning and culture to Crdoba. In those days, Crdoba was the capital of Iberia. "Long ago, a pilgrimage to the Great Mezquita in Crdoba by a Muslim was as good as a journey to Mecca," explains Maria Dolores, my local guide.

A typical local meal in Crdoba consists of creamy salmorejo and crusty bread. Picture courtesy: Mail Today

"Imagine a place where one morning Muslims said their prayers in the mosque, and the next day the Christians set up an altar to celebrate mass," says Maria. This UNESCO World Heritage site started when a mosque was constructed over the ruins of an ancient Visigoth church, by the Emir Abderrahman I in 785, during the Muslim conquest of Spain. He brought in talented architects, instilled with tastes and ideas from Damascus. The craftsmen and artisans who built the Crdoba Mosque included Muslims, Jews and Christians. When the mosque was used for Muslim prayer, all 19 naves were open to this courtyard allowing the rows of interior columns to appear like trees, with brilliant shafts of sunlight filtering through.

Years later, in 1236, Crdoba was liberated of Islamic rule by King Ferdinand III following La Reconquista (the reconquest) of the city, paving the way for another era of change. Maria tells me how Cordoba's government, opted not to tear down the Mezquita after the Reconquest.

It instead gave the Bishops permission to add the Cathedral right in the middle. Three Catholic chapels were added, a new nave, and the minaret at the heart of the structure morphed into a Bell Tower. I explore the different sections of the Mezquita. Maria points out the mihrab which points to the direction of Mecca, with its walls covered in an intricate design composed of gold leaf and shimmering mosaic fragments.

When Crdoba returned to Christian rule, the Great Mosque was converted into a Roman Catholic church. Three chapels and a new nave were added, and the minaret was morphed into a Bell Tower. Picture courtesy: Mail Today When Crdoba returned to Christian rule, the Great Mosque was converted into a Roman Catholic church. Three chapels and a new nave were added, and the minaret was morphed into a Bell Tower. Picture courtesy: Mail Today

The portal is studded with 1,600 kg of gold mosaic cubes, a gift from the Christian emperor of Byzantium. Above the mihrab is the starry dome with skylights and interlocking lobeshaped arches with mosaics designed by Byzantine craftsman, depicting flowers and flowing Arabic calligraphy with quotes from the Quran; all this blows me away. The Royal Chapel, designed for the tombs of Christian kings, was never open to the public but the well-preserved Mudejar walls and dome are visible. Mudejar was the lavish Arabic-style decor dating from the 1730s done by Muslim artisans, under Christian rule. "A Christian king buried in a tomb so clearly Moorish in design indicates the mutual respect among the cultures at the time." explains Maria.

In the Treasury decorated in green and gold, I am awed by the wealth of ivory, jasper, gold, silver, and brass that were used in the decorations and historic artifacts like beautiful ivory crucifixes, chalices and crucifixes made of precious materials. I love the section where glass cases show off casts of the many stonemason marks, and signatures, found in this building - Maria shows me the same signatures scratched on to the pillars!

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The various stages of the cathedral were built in Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque style, which are surrounded on all sides by the arcaded hall of the medieval mosque and took over 250 years to be completed. I admire the richly carved mahogany pulpits that feature a life-size bull and a lion in veined marble, an eagle in black marble and the rich 17th-century jasper and red-marble altar screen. What fascinates me at the end of my visit to the Mezquita, seeing the Renaissance cathedral nestled amongst the arches and columns, is the fusion of religions.

When Crdoba returned to Christian rule, the Great Mosque was converted into a Roman Catholic church. Three chapels and a new nave were added, and the minaret was morphed into a Bell Tower. Picture courtesy: Mail Today

History is Cordoba's main attraction, and it whispers from every corner. From the cluster of marble columns of an ancient Roman temple, to the Jewish quarter. Having crossed off the main sights off our list, we walk down the picturesque Calera de las Flores (Flower Alley), a narrow street full of window grilles with small pots of flowers, with a tiny square at the end and postcard views of the Mezquita's Tower. A real hidden delight is the St Bartholomew Cathedral that my friend Lourdes from the local tourism board takes me to. It's tucked into the Jewish Quarter.

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The construction of the church began in the end of the 14th century, but remained unfinished. On my last evening in Crdoba, I have dinner at Sojo - a fashionable bar which is situated by the Guadalquivir river. The decoration is a blend of modern style with Arabian features to incorporate local culture.

As I tuck into a typical local meal of creamy salmorejo (a creamy garlicky tomato dip) and crusty bread with a local sherry, I am struck by the surreal juxtaposition of layers of history and modernity in this great Andalucan city.
The fire raged on Saturday, even as three teams of National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) were deployed in Almora, Gauchar and Pauri and one team of the State Disaster Response Fund in Nainital to extinguish the flames.

By India Today Web Desk: The Centre has deployed two Mi-17 helicopters to douse the forest blaze in Uttarakhand. More than 1,900 hectares of forest land have been affected by the fire in the Kumaoun and Garwal region. IN PICS



Here are the live updates

Home Minister Rajnath Singh instructs MHA officials to monitor situation and provide all assistance in controlling.

HM Rajnath Singh reviewed the situation with Chief Secretary of the state and the concerned officers in MHA in the morning.



Union Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar said the Centre was taking the forest fires in Uttarakhand "very seriously" and making all efforts to control it even as his ministry today began trial runs for a pre-fire alert system that will issue warnings via SMS. "Government is taking the forest fires of Uttarakhand very seriously. 6000 people have been deployed for fighting it. We also granted Rs 5 crore to the state yesterday. "Our top officer, including the DG of Forest department is on the spot guiding the local forces. The air force, the Home Ministry...all are helping and guiding the residents there," he said.



Due to refuelling of IAF's Mi-17 v5, operation for areas affected by Uttarakhand forest fire will be conducted from Haldwani army camp.



2270 hectares of forest area affected by fire.

IAF's Mi-17 v5 lifts water from Bhimtal lake (Nainital) & sprays it over areas affected by the fire. WATCH: IAF's Mi-17 v5 lifts water from Bhimtal (Nainital) & sprays it over areas affected by #UttarakhandForestFirehttps://t.co/cZVI0O9ts1&; ANI (@ANI_news) May 1, 2016

Uttarakhand fire continues to rage across 1900 hectares of forest area, 5 districts affected.

These choppers will lift water from lake and will use it to douse flames in affected areas: Raza Abbas(SDM, Srinagar)

Srinagar, Garhwal: IAF's 11-member team begins fire fighting operations to douse Uttarakhand forest fire today.



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"Two helicopters were sent by the Indian Air Force. One has been sent in Gorakhal Sainik School and another one in Pouri, Srinagar. The speciality of the helicopter is it can take 5,000 litre of water from any source of water, be it pond or river and can drop it anywhere," Wing Commander VK Singh, operation in-charge, Airforce told ANI.

"Our mission is to carry water from Bhimtal to places where fire is burning. There is a huge area covering the flames. We will maintain a distance of 100 metre from the fire to douse the flames," he added.

Meanwhile, the Director of Delhi's Fire Department is scheduled to visit Uttarakhand today to extend his support to douse down the fire which has destroyed around 1,900 hectares of forests in the hill state.

The fire raged on Saturday, even as three teams of National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) were deployed in Almora, Gauchar and Pauri and one team of the State Disaster Response Fund in Nainital to extinguish the flames.

Two Air Force helicopters have been rushed into service to fight the fire in Pauri and Nanital districts.

Forest areas of Almora, Chamoli, Pouri, Rudra Prayag and Pithora districts have been badly affected by the fire.

Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh spoke to Governor KK Paul on Saturday and assured him of providing all necessary assistance to control the fire. Governor K K Paul reviewed the rescue efforts underway via videoconferencing with officials in the field and asked them to speed up their efforts.

The casualties due to forest fires, which have spread to sparsely populated remote hill areas, have risen to six with another life claimed in Nainital district on Friday evening. The deceased include three women and a child.

Since the beginning of forest fire incidents in the state in early February this year, 922 incidents have occurred so far killing six people including three women and a child and blighting nearly 2,000 hectares of green cover.

Watch IAF's chopper MI-17 takes off from Nainital



WATCH: IAF's chopper MI-17 takes off from Nainital to drop water in areas affected by Uttarakhand forest fire.https://t.co/dYPKVUvMCt&; ANI (@ANI_news) May 1, 2016

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Also Read

Uttarakhand forest fires continue to rage, govt puts 6,000 personnel on the ground

Uttarakhand forest fires: IAF's chopper Mi-17 to spray water over burning forests



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This is against 82.77 per cent final voting recorded during the 2011 assembly elections in the three districts of Hoogly, Kolkata South district and South 24-Parganas, that went to polls today.

By Press Trust of India: The fifth and penultimate phase of West Bengal Assembly polls in 53 constituencies today recorded a voter turnout of 78.25 per cent and polling was peaceful, even as FIRs were registered against two Presiding Officers and a TMC candidate for alleged intimidation of voters and for helping a particular party.

EC's Deputy Election Commissioner and in-charge of West Bengal, Sandeep Saxena told a press conference that, "based on SMS-based information from polling officers, at 5 PM the voter turnout in fifth phase was 78.25 per cent."

This is against 82.77 per cent final voting recorded during the 2011 assembly elections in the three districts of Hoogly, Kolkata South district and South 24-Parganas, that went to polls today. In 2014 Parliamentary elections, the said area recorded a polling percentage of 80.22 per cent.

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"Three FIRs have also been registered in an otherwise peaceful polls and 17 arrests have been made so far and more arrests are likely," he said.

An FIR was registered against Sonali Guha, the Trinamool Congress candidate from Satgachhia assembly constituency, for allegedly intimidating voters by instructing her polling agents to shoo away the voters of opposite candidate.

Another FIR was registered against presiding officers in Tarkeshwar and Arambagh, for allegedly helping a particular candidate and party.

Also read: West Bengal Assembly election: 78.25 per cent voting recorded till 5 pm
By PTI: Ahmedabad, Apr 30 (PTI) A day after Gujarat government announced 10 per cent reservation for the economically backward among upper castes, jailed Patidar quota agitation leader Hardik Patel today said he will study the decision before reaching a compromise to end the impasse over quota.

However, community leaders involved in talks with the government are pushing for an end to the Patel stir, saying the communitys two main demands have been fulfilled.

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"I will first study the decision taken by the government and surely go for compromise (with the government over quota impasse) if it is in favour of the community," he told reporters outside a Court in Visnagar, Mehsana district, around 90 km from here.

The 22-year-old, who is in judicial custody and facing a slew of charges, including sedition, was brought to the Court in connection with a case lodged against him in the neighbouring district.

"I will take the matter of 10 per cent reservation to the (Patel) community after studying it properly. Solution to the issue is required for peace ... and it is important for both the sides they compromise on the issue," he said.

This was Hardiks first reaction to the reservation for EBCs (economically backward classes) announced by the BJP government for the poor among upper castes (up to annual family income of Rs 6 lakh), which also include Patidars, in jobs and education.

Yesterday, spokespersons of the Hardik-floated Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti (PAAS) had rejected the move as another "lollipop" extended by the BJP and the state government to "mislead" their community.

PAAS has been leading the stir for inclusion of Patidars, a dominant agrarian community, as OBCs.

Meanwhile, leaders mediating between agitating Patels and government today met Chief Minister Anandiben Patel. Later, they said the agitation should come to an end now as two main demands of the community, reservation and releasing youths jailed in sedition case, have been fulfilled.

Mahesh Savani, a member of the Committee mediating between the two sides, said the government was moving in the right direction. After releasing five of the six Patidar youths (who were behind bars and got bail from Courts), it has announced 10 per cent EBC reservation.

"I believe the 10 per cent reservation is a big step. Now, we are waiting for details on the EBC reservation. Once we get them, we will reach out to members of the community and explain them what this is all about," Savani told reporters after meeting the Chief Minister. (more) PTI KA PD RSY IKA

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Shannon, the father of information theory, is also known to have worked with Albert Einstein and Alan Turing.

By Asian News International: Google is marking the 100th birthday of Claude Shannon, father of information theory, with a doodle dedicated to him.

Shannon was an American mathematician, electrical engineer and cryptographer.

As a cryptographer for the US government in World War II, he developed the first unbreakable cipher. He juggled between tinkering with electronic switches to developing an electromechanic mouse called "Theseus" which could teach itself to navigate a maze, much like the modern-day artificial intelligence.

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In the doodle that is created by artist Nate Swinehart, Shannon is seen juggling in the middle of the words "Google".

Shannon is also known to have worked with Albert Einstein and Alan Turing.



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Jack Wills v House of Fraser) in which he and his team have acted for the defendant. Account of profits in trade mark infringement and passing off cases? The IPKat is delighted to host a guest contribution by Simon Chapman (Lewis Silkin) on this very topic and on a case () in which he and his team have acted for the defendant.





Here's what Simon writes:









Judgments in respect of accounts of profits are rare, primarily on consideration that the parties usually come to an agreement on the level of profit that the defendant has made from its infringement after preliminary disclosure because they wish to avoid the costs of further legal proceedings that can be very expensive. However, following the Court of Appeals decision in Hollister Inc v Medik Ostomy Supplies Limited [2012] EWCA Civ1419 , some commentators believed that defendants would be unable to deduct general overheads (ie overheads that support the defendants business in general, such as rent, management and advertising) from their profits after direct costs (such as VAT and cost of purchasing or manufacturing the infringing items) had been deducted.





And so it was that Jack Wills, the British clothing brand particularly popular with well-heeled twenty-somethings, sought to recover over 650,000, that sum being the entirety of House of Fraser (HoF)s sales revenues less VAT and cost of manufacture, and without any apportionment of the profits between the infringing use and other factors, such as the design of the garments. On the other hand, HoF claimed that the amount payable was in the region of 50,000 after the deductions of both direct costs, general overheads and apportionment.





should be able to deduct general overheads from the profit figure if he has foregone an opportunity to sell non-infringing products. In that case, Lewison LJ agreed with Kitchin LJs reliance on an Australian case, A few days before the hearing, the Court of Appeal handed down its judgment in Design & Display Limited v OOO Abbott and another [2016] EWCA Civ 95 . In that case, the Court of Appeal overturned a judgment by HHJ Hacon, ordering that a defendantbe able to deduct general overheads from the profit figure if he has foregone an opportunity to sell non-infringing products. In that case, Lewison LJ agreed with Kitchin LJs reliance on an Australian case, Dart Industries Inc v Decor Corp Pty Limited [1994] FSR 567, in which the court had held that  where a defendant has foregone the opportunity to manufacture and sell alternative products it will ordinarily be appropriate to attribute to the infringing product a proportion of the general overheads which would have sustained the opportunity. On the other hand if no opportunity is forgone and the overheads involved were costs which would have been incurred in any event, then it would not be appropriate to attribute the overheads to the infringing product. Otherwise the defendant would be in a better position than it would have been in if it had not infringed".





Jack Wills had pleaded that a defendant needed to show it was operating at full capacity, or else it could not show that it had foregone an opportunity to sell non-infringing products, i.e. that capacity was a threshold condition. However the Court of Appeal in Design and Display made it absolutely clear (to the extent there ever was any ambiguity) that capacity was not a threshold condition. HHJ Pelling found that the true test was whether HoF has demonstrated that (a) the same overheads would have been incurred even if the infringement had not occurred and (b) the sale of infringing products would have been replaced by sale of non-infringing products which would have been sustained by the overheads in fact used to sustain the infringement.





On the facts, HoF satisfied this burden: it showed that it had a consistent range of products year on year; it sold broadly the same number of products each season; and that the infringing products replaced non-infringing garments before subsequently being replaced by non-infringing garments. This was not a case where the defendant had added a new line of infringing items to its existing business.





Jack Wills argued that even if HoF could deduct some overheads it would need to show to the requisite evidential standard that the specific overhead had supported sales of the infringing products. HoF on the other hand argued that the whole business was supported by all of the costs.





With the exception of some small costs the court allowed HoF to deduct all of its general overheads. This had the effect of substantially reducing the amount payable and putting it much more in line with the profit levels of the whole business.





As a further point, there was significant argument over the basis of calculating the applicable percentage of overheads. HoFs expert witness sought to deduct overheads by reference to sales turnover as HoF did in its management accounts. Jack Wills expert witness claimed this was not the best way and that a square-footage basis was preferable. Essentially, the judge decided that, except where one particular method is clearly superior, it is a judgment call as to which of the imperfect measures is most appropriate for a particular category of overhead. He then applied each method to the particular category in dispute as he considered most appropriate.





Counting profits:

Benedict's favourite weekend activity

Having arrived at a net profit figure, the court then had to determine the further question of whether to award Jack Wills that or just those profits attributable to the infringement. Jack Wills argued that it was entitled to all of these, but HoF claimed that the garments themselves had value over and above the value of the pigeon logo that had been found to infringe, i.e. there was value in the design, fit, quality and other intangible qualities of the garments and value in the store environment itself. HoF claimed that to require it to pay over 100% of the profit it made, would be to give Jack Wills a windfall and punish it, which is not the purpose of an account of profits. Jack Wills had of course been entitled to elect for damages at the outset instead of profits, but had chosen not to.





HoF argued that there was no different test to be applied to trade mark cases than is the case in respect of other IP rights; there is value in the product aside from the value of the infringed IP. Further, the evidence was that there was no increase in sales or profitability following the adoption of the infringing logo.





HHJ Pelling was not persuaded that trade mark cases are by their nature different from other IP cases and accordingly, held that 41% of the net profits were attributable to the infringing mark. That figure was based on HoFs expert witness evidence regarding typical royalties for the use of third party brands.





The amount of profits that HoF was ordered to pay to Jack Wills totaled 53,281, against the 650,000 that had been claimed.




Rich Claussen, a 30-year veteran of Bailey Lauerman in Lincoln, will serve as the ambassador of innovation and entrepreneurship for Prosper Lincoln, a coalition of community groups and businesses.

In his new role, Claussen will guide the next phase of the coalition's action plan to accomplish its innovation objectives.

Jay Wilkinson, CEO of Firespring, and Dan Duncan, executive director of Nebraska Innovation Campus, are co-chairman of the Prosper Lincoln Innovation Committee and said task force committees created by the Lincoln Chamber of Commerce and Lincoln Community Foundation focused on setting an agenda for developing Lincoln as a hub of innovation and entrepreneurship.

Each group determined Lincoln needs someone who wakes up every morning thinking about how to establish our city as a world-class example of innovation," they said in a news release. "Rich Claussen is the perfect person for this role. No one is more qualified to connect and inspire Lincolns innovators and entrepreneurs.

Claussen's appointment completes the leadership group guiding the community agenda of supporting early childhood education, employment skills and innovation.

Bryan Seck and Mike Milbourn were selected to develop the strategies and build relationships for employment skills. Seck previously was a homelessness outreach specialist for Lincoln Public Schools. Milbourn is a learning and development manager at Lincoln Industries, which will loan him to work with Seck one day each week.

Michelle Suarez begins her work on early childhood education upon her retirement in June from LPS, where she has served as a school principal.
Five's a crowd.

That's the number of candidates who entered the contest to succeed Sen. Kathy Campbell of Lincoln in the Legislature's tradition-rich 25th District.

It's the largest field of candidates in 25 legislative primary races this year.

Only two candidates will survive the May 10 primary election and move on to a general election showdown in November.

For more than five decades, the district has been represented by one of the Legislature's leading figures, beginning with the legendary Sen. Jerry Warner in 1963 and continuing with Sen. Ron Raikes and Campbell, who was elected in 2008 and will be term-limited out of office at the end of the year.

All five candidates identify themselves as conservative on fiscal issues, but there are differences among them.

During a candidate forum hosted by the Lincoln Independent Business Association in March, three of the candidates -- Les Spry, Jim Gordon and Dave Tagart -- endorsed the thrust of the health care reform bill that Campbell championed once again this year to extend coverage to the working poor and other Nebraskans by accessing available federal Medicaid funds.

The proposal, which has been offered to the Legislature in different forms over each of the last four years, was shelved at the initial stage of floor consideration.

Candidates Suzanne Geist and Dale Michels said they opposed the legislation, which was introduced this year by Sen. John McCollister of Omaha.

Spry and Michels are medical doctors, Gordon and Tagart are attorneys and Geist is a businesswoman who gained the endorsement of Gov. Pete Ricketts last week.

Among the five, only Tagart opposes the death penalty.

Gordon and Tagart endorsed legalization of medical marijuana during the candidate forum.

Geist says she would like to reduce taxes, eliminate wasteful spending and promote traditional family values.

Gordon's priorities include job creation and efforts to make education, including community college and technical training, more available and affordable.

Spry said he would focus on a number of issues, including adequate delivery of services by the Department of Health and Human Services, specifically including foster care.

Tagart said a focus for him would be judicial and penal reform.

Michels said he believes the state can find a better way to extend medical care for those in need than expanding the Medicaid program.

During an exchange about property taxes at the candidate forum, Spry said he would like to remove the sales tax exemption for purchases of soda pop and candy -- now exempted as food -- to raise substantial revenue that potentially could be used for property tax reduction.

Geist said in response to a questionnaire that tax reduction would be one of her top priorities and that, in turn, would foster a business climate that creates good jobs.

Reducing pressure on taxes may require curtailment or discontinuation of some state agency activities, Michels said.

Gordon said he would focus on property tax reduction rather than income tax cuts.

Tagart said he'd consider adoption of a simplified graduated income tax system as a means of eliminating property and sales taxes.

All five candidates detailed their positions on a number of issues in the Voters Guide published by the Journal Star, which also includes biographical information.

The 25th District is both urban and rural and includes portions of east Lincoln, Waverly, Walton and northern Lancaster County.
Marilyn Claire Pickett Koehn passed away peacefully on March 30, 2016, surrounded by family and friends in Santa Rosa, Calif. She was born June 28, 1938, in Creighton, to Clarence and Linnea Pickett, the younger of two daughters.

Marilyn loved music and the arts and enjoyed drawing and painting. She favored colorful hats, matching sunglasses and dramatic necklaces. Her greatest pleasure was travelling the world with her husband, Roger, and she was passionate about the study and enjoyment of wine and winemaking.

Marilyn grew up in Schuyler. She graduated from the University of Nebraska where she served as president of the Pi Beta Phi Sorority, Alpha Lambda Delta honor society, and the Panhellenic Conference.

Marilyn married Roger Koehn in 1961. Her first job after college was as assistant dean of women at UNL. She attended medical school in Omaha and performed her residency at Stanford Medical Center, where she was the first female chief resident in dermatology.

She loved teaching and served on the faculty at Stanford for 25 years. She practiced dermatology in Mountain View, Calif., and was active in many medical organizations. She served as a dermatology advisor to the Food and Drug Administration from 1984-1988.

Marilyn and Roger moved to Sonoma County in 1997 where Marilyn volunteered with the Pi Phi Literary Program, teaching children to read. Most recently, she was thrilled to serve on the Santa Rosa Symphony Board of Directors.

Marilyn was a longtime member of the University of Nebraska Cather Circle, founded to promote the growth and education of women through mentoring of female students by alumnae.

Marilyn was predeceased by her beloved husband of 52 years, Roger, and by her parents. She is survived by her loving sister, Muriel Johnson; four nieces and a nephew, Jennifer Kochard, Kristin Dean, Bruce Johnson, Molly Grimmett and their spouses; ten great nieces and nephews, Christopher, Matthew, Emily and Elizabeth Kochard; Gordon, Jackson, and Robert Dean; Julia, Richard and Peter Grimmett; and many wonderful friends, including her dear friend, Gayle Brinker and the Brinker family.

A celebration of Marilyn's life will be held on May 15, 2016. Please contact brucepjohnson3@yahoo.com for information.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be sent to the Santa Rosa Symphony, 50 Santa Rosa Ave., Santa Rosa, CA 95404, the University of Nebraska Foundation (with "NWLN Women's Fund" written in memo line), mail to: University of Nebraska Alumni Association, 1520 R Street, Lincoln, NE 68508, or a charity of your choice.
Cindy Lange-Kubick Columnist Cindy Lange-Kubick has loved writing columns about life in her hometown since 1994. She had hoped to become a people person by now, nonetheless she would love to hear your tales of fascinating neighbors and interesting places. Follow Cindy Lange-Kubick Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Save Manage followed notifications Close Followed notifications Please log in to use this feature Log In Don't have an account? Sign Up Today

Ryan Onstad tried to woo me with candy-coated popcorn, delivered to my desk with a copy of his book.

But it was the cover that softened my heart -- the Lincoln mans face superimposed on the body of a dashing 19th century lover, a swooning damsel in his arms.

It made me laugh.

It made me want to read Not Quite Love, the confessional real life romantic dramedy Onstad wrote after he lost his job and decided to turn his attention to recounting his failed attempts at finding love.

He figured he had the time, after all.

He figured he had the stories, too, shared with his friends around campfires and on social media over many years of being unlucky-in-love.

And yeah, he said, he also figured he might be the only 35-year-old virgin left on the planet.

The only reason I wrote the book is to encourage people," he said last week, a deep-voiced man who manages to sound both amazingly confident and completely self-deprecating at the same time. I wanted to help people with their own singleness and not feel bad about that.

So a year ago, he sat down at his computer, wedging in writing between filling out job applications and taking on gigs as a handyman.

Hes got a steady job in sales now; and hes working hard to promote his book -- not for the money, but for the message, he says -- persistent in the same way I imagine he might have been on a date.

He started a website, with smiling fans holding up copies, and an authors blurb: Besides writing, Ryan also is a musician, avid concert goer and film fanatic. In his spare time, he volunteers in the community as well as at his church and has gone on several missions trips ...

He promoted it on Facebook.

He called me once and then again and followed up with the surprise book delivery, sweetened with Colby Ridge and a two-page letter: Im writing to make a fan of you.

I confess: It worked.

I became a bit smitten with his funny-sad stories about terrible dates. Like the first coffee shop meeting with Brooke, who showed up nearly two hours late: Fat Ryan gets to spend time with a cute girl -- lets keep thinking positive.

And the courtship with Jamie Green, whose family believed Vladimir Putin was the secret savior of the world, that HIV could be cured by herbal supplements and that the Illuminati was out to get us: Also they called Mr. Green Father a lot. Of course, that is his title ... but on the side of the tracks I grew up on I called my father, dad.

And I was definitely curious about a guy insistent on remaining celibate until marriage, who would admit to his first kiss at 34, write a nine-page love letter to a woman a month after the relationship ended (buying five different pens to find just the right ink) and try to talk another woman out of an abortion after she got pregnant with an ex-boyfriends baby while she was dating HIM.

Oh, and spend $2,000 on flowers -- and more dough on chocolates and concert tickets and dinners -- for women who always seemed to put an end to things with daggers like: Im not attracted to you. I dont have feelings for you. Im going back to my old boyfriend.

And I did start to wonder: Stalker? Personality disorder? What?

Hes just a hopeless romantic, says longtime friend Kristin Sukraw. Its just him. Theres something refreshing about the fact he is who he is.

Sukraw appears as Melissa in the book, a confidante and dating adviser and, in real life, a trained mental health counselor, who has seen Onstad through his ill-fated loves.

Ive served as his soundboard, she says. Ryan is one of the most teachable people Ive ever met.

He tends to fall fast, so theyve worked on that. He tends to give unsolicited advice, so theyve worked on that.

He is seriously going to be -- when its the right girl -- the most amazing husband.

Nat Crawford agrees. Now a pastor at First Free Church, Crawford met the author when they were both teenagers in a Christian youth group, fans of movies and video games.

Im praying he will find the right person who will embrace him for who he is.

Which is: Generous and open and kind and authentic.

And the stories are true, the pastor says, because hes in some of them. (Which sort of worried him before he read the book.)

Not Quite Love came out in late October. It has a three-star rating on Goodreads and a four-and-a-half-star average on Amazon, based on eight reviews including this one: Readers be warned: this is a religious and self indulgent book about why a poor nice guy cant find a girl to love him.

That hurt, Onstad said.

But then there are reviews like this one: A great read about the search for someone that ultimately leads to discovering that all you really need to do is be yourself.

And this: Really have a sense of who the author is, and, Ladies, he is still single at the end of book!

Single at the end of the book; and single at the end of our interview Friday.

Hed been in a relationship of sorts since winter, Onstad said. He even met the womans parents last week.

They loved me, he says. But she said she couldnt develop feelings for me.
Harvey Perlman, who will step down as chancellor on June 1, will deliver the address at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln's undergraduate commencement on Saturday.

The university said more than 2,800 degrees will be awarded in ceremonies next weekend.

The University of Nebraska-Lincoln's May commencement exercises will be May 6 and 7 at Pinnacle Bank Arena and the Lied Center for Performing Arts.

Pinnacle Bank Arena will host a ceremony for students earning graduate and professional degrees at 3 p.m. Friday and one for those earning bachelor's degrees at 9:30 a.m. Saturday.

The ceremonies are free and open to the public and no tickets are required. There will be open seating in all areas of the arena except the arena floor, which will be reserved for graduates, faculty and dignitaries.

Parking, including handicapped parking, is available in garages south of the arena and in the Festival Space parking area off Sun Valley Boulevard.

Because of security concerns, parcels, handbags and camera bags brought into the arena will be subject to search.

Perlman was named UNL's 19th chancellor in April 2001 after serving nearly a year as interim chancellor. A native of York with degrees from Nebraska, he joined the University of Nebraska College of Law first in 1967 and again in 1983. He plans to return to the law faculty.

Art Thompson, president of the Cooper Foundation in Lincoln, will receive a Builder Award during the undergraduate ceremony.

Timothy Carr, department chair and the Jean Sundell Tinstman Professor of Nutrition and Health Sciences at UNL, will deliver the address at Friday's graduate commencement.

The ceremonies at Pinnacle Bank Arena will be live streamed at www.unl.edu.

The College of Law will conduct a separate commencement ceremony at 3 p.m. Saturday at the Lied Center, 301 N. 12th St.

Lyle Denniston, legal journalist, professor and author, will address the law graduates. A native of Nebraska City, Denniston began his career working for the Nebraska City News-Press and the Lincoln Journal. He graduated from UNL in 1955 and has reported on the U.S. Supreme Court since 1958.
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Don't quote me on this but New York City is in the midst of digging a third tunnel, 60 miles long, deep underground, to bring in water from upstate reservoirs, and until it is finished, if either the first tunnel (1917) or the second (1936) should break down, half of the city would be without water and therefore uninhabitable, and several million inhabitants would need to find homes, and I believe that my state, Minnesota, which took in thousands of Hmong and Somali, would stand ready to welcome New Yorkers.

Imagine a canyon opening in Westchester where an old tunnel collapses and geysers shooting hundreds of feet into the air, mobs of refugees carrying laptops and lap dogs and TiVos and espresso machines descending on JFK and jumbo jets ferrying them to the Minneapolis-St. Paul airport where teams of church volunteers meet them with hospitality baskets and the New Yorkers examine the contents and say, "Why is there rhubarb in this bagel?"

The answer to that question is "Shut up. It's good enough. Don't be so finicky. Eat it, you might like it. Or don't eat it, I don't care one way or the other. But don't expect the world to attend to your every whim. Now beat it, I'm busy." It's what we Midwesterners learned from our mothers. And so we grew up to be accommodating, slow to complain. We might, if we're having a bad day, say, "I'm sorry but why is there toilet-bowl cleaner sprinkled on my blueberry muffin?" But probably we'd just say "thank you" and throw it away when no one is looking.

Don't ask me who "they" are but they estimate that this refugee crisis would last for three months and would involve mostly residents of Queens and Brooklyn. There would be hipsters involved and super Orthodox and people who pronounce English words to make them sound like coffee beans in a grinder. They would arrive in the land of Good Enough and begin advocating for themselves which we were brought up not to do nor think of doing. We were brought up to say, "Don't go to any trouble for me" and "I'll have whatever is easier for you." The New Yorkers operate under no such disadvantage. They would state their specific likes and dislikes and make sure we took them seriously and we would. We'd accommodate people with Jell-O allergies and would provide kosher casseroles and learn to make bagels the right way, firm, with a crust, not like Parker House rolls, and we'd read up on the Mets so we could converse intelligently. We would not judge our guests for their pathetic infantile attachment to unpleasant cats and dogs. We would listen to them as they complain about the flatness of the land, the bitter cold, the weakness of the coffee, the blandness of politicians, the darkness at night, the poor bus service, the lack of excellent Indian restaurants, the limited choice of movies in theaters and the lousy popcorn, and that our local production of "La Traviata" was quite inferior to the one they saw with Renata Tebaldi. Eventually the new tunnel would be completed, water would flow, our guests would return home, and we would be a changed people. Our range of expression would expand. We would feel free to say things like "I think you overdid it on the saffron" and "Please stop using the word 'totally' " and "You utterly missed the point of the book" and "I don't want to discuss my mother any further."

Don't get mad at me when I say this, but I would be one of those Midwesterners who would not be changed. I think that Good Enough is an okay philosophy. It's not up at the top with existentialism or string theory or the Bhagavad-Gita but it has served me pretty well for a good long time. Into each life some rain must fall. Nothing so bad but what it contains some good. All good things come to an end. Not every question has an answer. In silk and scarlet walks many a harlot. So you wish -- people in hell wish they had ice water.

In this election year, surrounded by noise, people dissatisfied or pretending to be dissatisfied, orators railing at the powers that be, let me just put forward one little thought, and please don't shoot me for saying it, but -- if there is water coming out of your tap, if the toilet flushes, if the truck comes and picks up the garbage, things could be a lot worse. Be happy.
WASHINGTON -- Donald Trump's damage to the Republican Party, although already extensive, has barely begun. Republican quislings will multiply, slinking into support of the most anti-conservative presidential aspirant in their party's history. These collaborationists will render themselves ineligible to participate in the party's reconstruction.

Ted Cruz's announcement of his preferred running mate has enhanced the nomination process by giving voters pertinent information. They already know the only important thing about Trump's choice: His running mate will be unqualified for high office because he or she will think Trump is qualified.

Hillary Clinton's optimal running mate might be Sen. Sherrod Brown of Ohio, a pro-labor populist whose selection would be balm for the bruised feelings of Bernie Sanders' legions. Running mates rarely matter as electoral factors: In 2000, Al Gore got 43.2 percent of the North Carolina vote. In 2004, John Kerry, trying to improve upon Gore's total there, ran with North Carolina Sen. John Edwards but received 43.6 percent. If, however, Brown were to help deliver Ohio for Clinton, the Republican path to 270 electoral votes would be narrower than a needle's eye.

Republican voters, particularly in Indiana and California, can, by supporting Cruz, make the Republican convention a deliberative body rather than one that merely ratifies decisions made elsewhere, some of them six months earlier. A convention's sovereign duty is to choose a plausible nominee who has a reasonable chance to win, not to passively affirm the will of a mere plurality of voters recorded episodically in a protracted process.

Trump would be the most unpopular nominee ever, unable to even come close to Mitt Romney's insufficient support among women, minorities and young people. In losing disastrously, Trump probably would create down-ballot carnage sufficient to end even Republican control of the House. Ticket splitting is becoming rare in polarized America: In 2012, only 5.7 percent of voters supported a presidential candidate and a congressional candidate of opposite parties.

At least half a dozen Republican senators seeking re-election and Senate aspirants can hope to win if the person at the top of the Republican ticket loses their state by, say, only four points, but not if he loses by 10. A Democratic Senate probably would guarantee a Supreme Court with a liberal cast for a generation. If Clinton is inaugurated next Jan. 20, Merrick Garland probably will already be on the court -- confirmed in a lame duck Senate session -- and justices Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Anthony Kennedy and Stephen Breyer will be 83, 80 and 78, respectively.

The minority of people who pay close attention to politics includes those who define an ideal political outcome and pursue it, and those who focus on the worst possible outcome and strive to avoid it. The former experience the excitements of utopianism, the latter settle for prudence's mild pleasure of avoiding disappointed dreams. Both sensibilities have their uses, but this is a time for prudence, which demands the prevention of a Trump presidency.

Were he to be nominated, conservatives would have two tasks. One would be to help him lose 50 states -- condign punishment for his comprehensive disdain for conservative essentials, including the manners and grace that should lubricate the nation's civic life. Second, conservatives can try to save from the anti-Trump undertow as many senators, representatives, governors and state legislators as possible.

It was 32 years after Jimmy Carter won 50.1 percent in 1976 that a Democrat won half the popular vote. Barack Obama won only 52.9 percent and then 51.1 percent, but only three Democrats -- Andrew Jackson (twice), Franklin Roosevelt (four times) and Lyndon Johnson -- have won more than 53 percent. Trump probably would make Clinton the fourth, and he would be a tonic for her party, undoing the extraordinary damage (13 Senate seats, 69 House seats, 11 governorships, 913 state legislative seats) Obama has done.

If Trump is nominated, Republicans working to purge him and his manner from public life will reap the considerable satisfaction of preserving the identity of their 162-year-old party while working to see that they forgo only four years of the enjoyment of executive power. Six times since 1945 a party has tried, and five times failed, to secure a third consecutive presidential term. The one success -- the Republicans' 1988 election of George H.W. Bush -- produced a one-term president. If Clinton gives her party its first 12 consecutive White House years since 1945, Republicans can help Nebraska Sen. Ben Sasse, or someone else who has honorably recoiled from Trump, confine her to a single term.
A recent story in the Journal Star reported on a band of highwaymen in Oklahoma that took $53,000 from a group raising funds for a Christian college in Myanmar and an orphanage in Thailand.

The shocker was that the highwaymen were sheriffs deputies who seized the money under the civil forfeiture program.

Thank Sen. Tommy Garrett of Bellevue that such a thing is unlikely ever happen again in Nebraska.

Garretts LB1106, which passed 38-8 earlier this month, bars Nebraska law enforcement agencies from permanently seizing money and property in the state court system unless they win a conviction in connection with the seizure.

"This is as strong a reform as we've seen across the country," Lee McGrath of the Institute for Justice, an advocacy group that opposes the civil forfeiture program.

In contrast, Oklahoma has some of the most permissive laws in the nation, according to the organization.

In the incident in Oklahoma 40-year-old refugee from Myanmar who became a U.S. citizen more than a decade ago, was heading home to Dallas after touring the country for months with a Christian rock ensemble from Myanmar.

The Oklahoma sheriffs deputies based the seizure on a hit from a drug sniffing dog. No drugs were found.

But that was all the evidence the deputies needed.

Unfortunately for the cause of justice, drug-sniffing dogs are notoriously unreliable.

The Washington Post story reported, A Chicago Tribune study of three years worth of drug dog data found that the animals' positive alerts led to the discovery of drugs only 44 percent of the time. A controlled study by researchers from the University of California at Davis found that detection dogs gave false positives 85 percent of the time.

The Oklahoma case resembled a Nebraska case cited by ACLU Nebraska in its report Guilty Money last year in which Seward County Deputies took $4,000 in cash and $10,000 in checks from a pastor collecting money from Spanish-speaking churches for an orphanage in Peru.

Reform of the civil forfeiture program is essential if citizens are to continue to trust law enforcement.

Garretts law, however, allows law enforcement to partner with a federal agency in the civil forfeiture program if the seized property is more than $25,000 and other conditions are met. The program was revived recently after a temporary suspension.

Whats needed next is for Congress to reform the federal law that allows seizures with such a low burden of proof. Maybe federal lawmakers, preoccupied in the unending battle between parties, might find a moment or two to spare between elections to focus on the public good. Founder James Madison, credited as the main author of the Fourth Amendment against unreasonable search and seizure, would be pleased.
A recent article discussed improvements for the Visa credit card ("Visa, Wal-Mart speed up chip cards," April 20). Shoppers and merchants complained about the wait time for it to be processed.

I believe waiting is a small price to pay for increased safety and protection from fraud. Perhaps the additional time waiting could be used to exchange pleasantries with the cashier. Alternatively, while waiting, calculate the cumulative effect drivers glued to their cell phone screens create in unnecessary wait time at traffic lights that turn green without their noticing it or their obvious need to slow down while texting and driving.
1876: Eli Plummer of Plattsmouth visited Lincoln before founding the grocery firm of Plummer, Perry & Co. here.

1886: President Grover Cleveland vetoed a bill making Omaha a port of entry.

1896: The Omaha Commercial Club intervened in efforts by Omaha to secure an adjustment of freight rates to the disadvantage of Lincoln.

1906: Herbert Marsland, for many years in the publishing business in the East, was named secretary-treasurer of Lee Broom and Duster Co. of Lincoln.

1916: Fifty Lincoln jobbers formed a party to make a three-day trip over the Rock Island in Nebraska.

1926: Lincoln Masons voted to buy the Lahr property at 17th and L streets for a new temple.

1936: Between 20,000 and 25,000 people visited orchards around Nebraska City in celebration of the Apple Blossom Festival.

1946: Striking McCook senior high school and junior college students agreed to return to classes, but the school board still refused to reconsider its decision to not offer contracts to four teachers whose dismissal precipitated the strike.

Secretary of Agriculture Clinton Anderson praised Bloomfield farmer Claude Canady, who sold 1,000 bushels of grain when the government first called for grain to be shipped to famine areas abroad, and in turn offered the money over for foreign relief work.

1956: A Lincoln Air Force Base B-47 Stratojet bomber crashed and burned southwest of Raymond, killing four crewmen. The crash was the second in less than a month.

City Forester Darrell Parker was convicted by a jury in the strangulation murder of his wife at their home in Antelope Park.

1966: Iowa Business Investment Corp., with headquarters at Storm Lake, purchased Storz Brewing Co. of Omaha.

1976: Former Lincolnite James Risser was awarded a Pulitzer Prize for his stories on corruption in the grain export business. Risser was with the Washington bureau of the Des Moines Register.

1986: Large numbers of grasshoppers were expected to infest Nebraska because of the number of adult grasshoppers found before August and high winter survival rates, according to a University of Nebraska-Lincoln extension educator.

1996: Nebraska Wesleyan University surpassed its $40 million fundraising target one year early. Campaign goals included $29 million for endowment funds, $4.5 million for facilities and equipment and $6.5 million for annual support.

2006: Powerball winner Quang Dao gave $400,000 to the Linh Quang Buddhist Center for a new temple to be built at Southwest 33rd Street and West Pleasant Hill Road. Dao and his family have been active in the temple for years.

An employee of Universal Cold Storage has been arrested on charges of felony theft by exercising control for stealing and selling more than 27,000 pounds of meat stored there. He sold 75 to 80 pound cases of rib eye steaks for $25 for a total loss of $129,378.14.
When Bill Hoffman graduated high school in 1965, the first thing he did was join the Navy.

My dad used to brag about spending his 16th birthday in Cheyenne, Wyoming, but I told him I spent my 18th in Athens, Greece, Hoffman said.

No parents, no family and far away from home, it was a birthday like he had never celebrated before.

I was probably on duty or something, Hoffman said. Either that or we got drunk like everybody else.

Once a year, Navy veterans who worked on destroyer ships come together and share stories like Hoffmans of their times in the service. For the second year in a row, the Tin Can Sailors reconvened in Lincoln on Friday and Saturday.

Co-chairperson of the Tin Can Sailors reunion Nicole Smith is the granddaughter of Waverly resident and destroyer veteran Gene Phillips. When Phillips asked her to help plan the event, Smith said she couldnt say no. In her second year organizing the event, Smith said it has been nothing but rewarding.

Sometimes these men have never seen each other and they dont know each other but they come together on this weekend and they are able to just bond instantly, Smith said. Its very fulfilling to me because they often dont get to share these experiences or stories with other people, or like my grandma always says, Im tired of hearing the same story over and over.

Growing up with Phillips as a father figure, Smith was able to hear countless stories about his years in the service and see its value in his life.

I know the Navy has meant a lot to him and has provided him with some really beautiful opportunities that he wouldnt have had otherwise, so for me to be able to connect with him on that level, I dont think a lot of people my age get to have that with their grandparents, Smith said. Im just very blessed in that way to be a part of that and be surrounded by such great men who served our country in such a crazy time.

For Phillips, joining the Navy meant leaving the place he had never walked away from.

Id never been out of the state of Nebraska when I joined, but by the time I was 22 I had been halfway around the world, Phillips, who worked in the engine room of the USS Preble, said.

Phillips says the reason the veterans are called the Tin Can Sailors is that in WWII, destroyers were "expendable," like tin cans.

When USS Walker veteran Greg Jensen thinks about his time in the Navy, one thing comes to mind: the crowds.

In a space thats 40 by 40 (feet), there were probably 80 guys, Jensen said. Bunks went three high and our lockers were on the floor. If you slept on the bottom bunk you got smacked by the lockers. If you were out at sea and the evaporator broke down, you didnt get showers until they were fixed.

That kind of crowding made some of the sailors feel claustrophobic at first, but Jensen said they had no other option besides adapting.

We got used to it, Jensen said. Everybody could sleep under any kind of noise.

Hoffman said some of the more unpleasant aspects of Navy life were best dealt with through a sense of humor. If taken too seriously, their lives would be miserable.

Thats part of our memories of things, if you had a sense of humor you were okay, Hoffman said. The good thing about life is that your memories are never as bad as what actually happened, the heat and other stuff we put up with on the ship. It was hot and miserable what we did.

We remember the good stuff, the fun times, Phillips added.

As an observer who has heard both the good and bad stories, Smith said shes learned so much that she can apply to her own life, more than 50 years after most of these men served.

I think the biggest thing that Ive learned from being in these rooms is not taking life for granted and being appreciative for the opportunities that life does give you, but also to live simply, Smith said. Its amazing to just sit there and listen and appreciate one anothers company and stories and life experiences because I think a lot of times we just get caught up in our own worlds and get busy and dont take the time to appreciate one another for their experiences.
The Nebraska Wesleyan University Choir will present its closing concert for the year at 7:30 p.m. Sunday, May 8 in ODonnell Auditorium on the NWU campus.

The concert will feature Morton Lauridsens Lux Aeterna assisted by professional orchestra. Also on the program will be Omnia Solo composed by Z. Randall Stroope, formerly choral director at the University of Nebraska-Omaha and premiered by Nebraska Wesleyan Director of Choral Activities Dr. William Wyman. Also presenting a part of the concert will be the Bennington High School directed by Wesleyan graduate Tye Hanke.

The Nebraska Wesleyan Choir will be performing other works including Hasslers Mein Lieb will mit mir kriegen, for double choir. This piece is one of the 300 choral selections given this year to Nebraska Wesleyan as the Norman Luboff Choral Collection.

The concert is free to the public.
GLENDALE, Calif.  Two people stood side-by-side in a museum gallery, necks craned upward at a 3-foot-high, neon-lit martini glass.

I stood a respectable 4 feet behind them, far enough not to come off as stalkerish to these people of a certain age, but close enough to eavesdrop on their animated conversation. Shamefully, this is what I occasionally do when Im on the clock and pounding the travel beat.

Man: See that cocktail glass on top?

Woman: Oh, yes. Beautiful.

Man: Isnt that marvelous? That reminds me when I was in San Francisco during the war. My buddies and I were on leave and we went into this alleyway and saw just a neon cocktail glass like that, but no name, or nothing, on the door. We opened the door. We looked in. We said, Lets get out of here. 

Woman: Really bad news?

Man: Oh, you wouldnt believe.

It was at this point that I politely interposed myself. These visitors to the Museum of Neon Art, the only conventional museum in the world devoted exclusively to art in electric media, really seemed taken with the array of neon signs flashing and glowing and occasionally moving in the dimly lit space. In fact, it seemed almost every piece on display, everything from salvaged roadside motel marquees to elaborate kinetic signs on service stations, led to passionate reveries of time past and memories rekindled.

Thats totally what neon does to you, said Carole Koenig of Los Angeles, roaming the galleries one recent Saturday with friend Allan Shatkin, he of the martini-glass anecdote. It welcomes you in. It beckons. You cant resist it. The designs are so amazing. Every single one of them has meaning attached to them.

To prove her thesis, Koenig paused before several framed photographs of glowing motel signs and launched into a Proustian childhood memory from a trip from Los Angeles to Northern California, with a stop at a roadside motel somewhere near Bakersfield.

We saw a neon sign with a chicken crossing the road, and we were so tired my father decided we had to stop, she said. It was called the Chicken Inn. It was the biggest dump in the world. We sat on the bed, and the bed fell down. You turned on the faucet, and the faucet broke off. There was just a piece of cardboard separating my sister and my room and our parents room. That was it. I remember my father saying, Good night, kids. Close the cardboard now. 

The next day, on the way out, my dad said to the clerk, Were paying now. The clerk asks him, How was your stay, sir? My father said, This is the Chicken Inn, right? Well, were Chicken Out real fast. 

To neon aficionados, the flashy signs and often elaborate figurative representations, such as the becapped female bather in mid-swan dive that graces the MONA roof, are more than just a trigger for baby-boomer nostalgia. No, they consider it a legitimate, if undervalued, art form. Its origins at the turn of the 20th century may have been first scientific  Hey, what would happen if we ran this neon gas through a test tube and applied electricity?  then employed for commercial purposes to draw the eye of people cruising by in automobiles, but at some point beyond neons consumer heyday in the 1960s it gained an appreciation by pop-art aesthetes.

This resurgence of interest in neon signs by the art world comes at the same time that the old-school signs have largely been subsumed by large, square and bland LED signs and electric billboards that, to many, is an ocular assault more than an inviting blaze of eye-popping color.

Lets face it, the expressed purpose of both neon signs of old and the current incarnation of lit advertising is to sell, sell, sell. But once the business attached to the neon image is long gone, you can appreciate the image outside its original context. A Los Angeles business named Clayton Plumbers may be long gone, but people stop and gawk at the 30-foot sign in MONAs courtyard. Electric blue drops lead down to a splat of white, and the words inside each of the drops proclaim:

The

Leak

Stops

Here!

To Eric Evavold, the museums vice president, neon is a valued form of folk art. Its Americana writ large and lit brightly. He is not surprised by the renewed interest in neon. (In addition to the Los Angeles museum, which has been open since 1981 in various locations, there is a boneyard of erstwhile huge casino and hotel neon signs preserved in a large lot in downtown Las Vegas. In Miami, an interactive, immersible Motelscape literally bathes visitors in neon. Jay-Z even name-checks New York neon artist Dan Flavin in the video for Onto the Next One.)

Its one of the cultural threads that makes up the American experience, he said. It pulls us together. Its how we lit Route 66 and our highways. EAT! You had that one word flashing. Neon was a way to get people out.

People take it personally. For me, its like that. My father used to drive me around town. He owned a business at the produce mart (in downtown L.A.) Just seeing this lore and this quality at night affected me. When the sun finally set, pop, there was that color lighting up the night sky. It didnt seem so dark anymore.

Los Angeles, known for its glitz, seems a logical choice for a museum dedicated to neon. Evavold said some wonder why Times Square in New York or the Las Vegas strip didnt get the nod. His answer is simple. The first neon sign in the United States illuminated a Packard car dealership in downtown L.A. in 1923. It was a simple design, the word Packard in cursive script, but it caused a sensation.

The (Packard) owner, Earl C. Anthony, had gone to a style show in Paris where neon was displayed and brought it here, Evavold said. A lot of people have the misconception that neon started on Broadway in New York City. It actually started right off Broadway in L.A.

Appreciators of neon art can be serious about the form  works by Flavin and others sell for major coin, high six figures  but many also will admit their interest runs toward nostalgia and a certain kitsch value.

Theres a retro classy element to it, I think, said Koenig, the Chicken Inn visitor. It decorates the night sky, when you think about it. Remember driving into Vegas at night? Theres nothing, nothing, and then theres that glow that almost makes it seem like youve arrived on Mars.

Its the animation factor, too. These things most often flash and go off and move. Its so much more individual. Think about it. Youve got letters and a specific message. Its not like the illuminated billboards we have now.  It doesnt hit you over the head with overt selling like todays billboards. I mean, when you see a neon cocktail glass, youve got to go in and have a cocktail, no matter what. You have to.

Except, her friend Shatkin interjected, when theres no name on it and its in an alley.
RACINE  For more than two decades one of Downtowns larger commercial buildings, 410 Main St., had stood tall but not so proudly.

The four-story, nearly 12,000-square-foot building hadnt housed a business tenant since the former Mill City Outlet closed in about 1994.

But today 410 Main is back in play with business tenants fully leasing two of the four floors: Skies Fall Media is renting the second and IBC Studios the third.

Our goal was the best space at the cheapest price, said Tad Ballantyne, who bought 410 Main St. in December for $165,000.

I was trying for $700 a month for 2,700 square feet, and hit his mark. Each tenant pays that amount, plus utilities and a prorated share of the property taxes.

In 1995 local antiques collector John Apple bought the building for $50,000. He used the entire thing for storing his wares and selling items from there.

But in late 2002, city officials lost all patience with Apple, who was refusing offers to buy it and making no improvements. With the prominent building standing in the way of Downtown redevelopment efforts, the city declared it a blighting influence and took it through condemnation.

Next the city sold it for $50,000 to local businesswoman Halina Pudzisz who made major improvements. She sold it to a New Jersey woman, for $825,000, who eventually gave it back to the lender.

Throughout those ownership changes and ever since Mill City, 410 Main St. had lacked a true business tenant.

Ballantyne bought it in December.

An experiment

Ballantyne  whose family business, Mackay Limited Partnership, buys and sells companies  called 410 Main St. sort of an experiment. Id never bought something like that.

Our due diligence was very simple: We surveyed the rents in Downtown and said, We want to be below that.  They ended up at $2.80 to $2.90 per square foot.

As an example of the low-rent approach, one thing Ballantyne did not do to his building was replace the elevator it once had.

Because the tenants dont want it, he said. Lets put it this way: They dont want to pay for it; it would double the rent.

And they dont have a lot of walk-in business; its all by appointment, he added. Technically, the doors are never open.

Downtown Racine Corp. Executive Director Devin Sutherland is happy to see life awakening on the other side of Main Street from his offices.

After more than two decades of under-utilization, seeing the building come alive the past few months has been very exciting, he said. The energy and activity from the creative professionals occupying the building has been contagious. They are attracting other jobs to Downtown and spurring additional economic development.

Media culture forming

From the outset, Ballantyne knew he wanted tenants involved in media and a modern, wide-open, loft-type feel to the interior spaces.

The first floor is unfinished, but the spaces on the three upper floors are quite dramatic, and the original maple floors have been restored on the middle floors.

Following Skies Fall co-founder and Executive Producer Ben Kasicas wishes, Skies Fall Media has rooms with Plexiglas walls; they let light from the large front windows penetrate well into the interior. The walls can be written on and then dry erased, and Kasica uses them for that.

By design, the fourth floor has a metallic, industrial look. Ballantyne said Home Depot gave him the idea of cutting 4-by-8 plywood sheets in half, staining them and adding polyurethane. He said lightweight concrete would have cost $20,000 or wood $10,000. But that one cost $900.

For the 3,750-square-foot first floor  which Ballantyne expects to rent for about $1,000  he wants to find a media-related tenant, although he hasnt ruled out a restaurant.

We want something that fits in with the building  we can wait till the right tenant comes around.

I feel like this building could go in a lot of different directions, said Camela Langendorf of IBC Studios (before teaming up with Jeff Wilson, her business was Images by Camela).

About the first floor specifically Langendorf said, I feel like a year from now, well be like, Wow, thats what happened down there? 
ROCHESTER  U.S. Rep. Paul Ryan  arguably the third most powerful person in the free world  will make Rochesters 150th Memorial Day celebration even more memorable and probably more crowded.

Ryan, elected Speaker of the House last October, on May 30 will attend the villages annual event, which includes the states longest-running Memorial Day parade.

Ian Martorana, Ryans press secretary, confirmed that Ryan is scheduled to attend.

The villages annual Memorial Day observance historically begins with a service at the Rochester Cemetery to honor those who have served the nation. It is conducted by veterans from Essman-Schroeder American Legion Post 20 in Waterford.

Following the service, the parade will start at 1:30 p.m. at the Rochester firehouse on Academy Road, travel through the village, and conclude at Pioneer Park, a sliver of a land on Front Street along the Fox River near the villages historic downtown.

At the park, attendees will gather to hear music, listen to speakers (including Ryan), and salute the men and women who serve the nation. The ceremony will conclude with a lowering of the wreath into the Fox River in memory of those who have died fighting for their country.

Challenges

This year the festivities might be a little more challenging since the main bridge over the Fox River is being replaced and is not expected to be open to vehicle or pedestrian traffic, said Village President Ed Chart.

The Village Board recently discussed the traffic and parking logistics for the event.

Parking will be our big thing this year, Chart said. We usually get a pretty nice turnout, but with this being the 150th and Rep. Ryan coming, we dont know how full things might get.

Those coming to watch the parade and those coming to be in the parade are going to make Rochester feel very cozy, added Village Trustee Chris Bennett.

Memorial Day Committee chairwoman Janine Johnson told the Village Board that the committee expects a large crowd and is thinking about running a shuttle service from somewhere near the Waterford Industrial Park, located just north of Rochester up Highway W, to a central location in Rochester.

Were tossing around some ideas because we would like to see some kind of continuous flow, Chart said. Getting people there will be gradual, but at the end, a lot of people will want to leave at about the same time.

People need to plan on arriving early, perhaps carpool to limit the number of cars, be prepared to walk, and stay calm, Chart said.

This is a day to remember the sacrifice people have made for us, he said. I hope people can keep a smile on their face even if things are a little crowded.

The village also is sprucing up Pioneer Park in preparation for the event.

Rochester crews will complete a gazebo, do some plantings, and install recently purchased benches and trash cans at the park.
STURTEVANT  Officials from Sturtevant and Mount Pleasant on Tuesday will hear why Racine County schools need a comprehensive master plan to foster future success.

Racine resident Dominic Cariello will make the case that county schools need an overarching master plan centered on the planned transformation of the three Racine high schools into career academies.

Cariello will discuss the proposal 6 p.m. Tuesday at the Sturtevant Village Hall, 2801 89th St. Mount Pleasant Village Board trustees also will be at the meeting.

After the presentation, the Sturtevant board will consider a resolution supporting the creation of a master plan. The village would be the second county municipality to support the master plan concept.

On March 2, Cariello made a presentation on the master plan concept to the Caledonia Village Board. The board approved a resolution supporting the plan.

Cariello, an engineer and executive at Badger Meter who also spent more than 31 years in the Army National Guard, has made the creation of an education master plan his latest mission.

He is working to convince local governments  and anyone else who will listen  that Racine County needs an education master plan: an overall, unalterable strategy to guide the Racine Unified School District at first, and the entire county at some point, for the next five to 10 years.

Once local governments support the concept, a master plan would be compiled by a school administrators, teachers, parents, residents, business leaders, community groups and local government officials.

Once developed, the plan could not be altered by school superintendents or school board members.

The plan would start with fixing Racine Unified by incorporating the academy model that district administrators have been working on for several years, Cariello said.

The academy model is designed to prepare students for college or careers by combining classroom work with real-world knowledge and skills from business partners to link learning to life.

Racine Unified plans to begin phasing in academies at its three main high schools this fall. The program is based on a successful academy structure used at 12 high schools in Nashville, Tenn. Cariello has said he has seen the Nashville system first-hand and believes it can work in Racine.

Academies have achieved success, Careillo said in March. Ten years ago, the state was threatening to take control of the Nashville high schools. Today, they have increased graduation rates almost 24 percent.
TOWN OF WATERFORD  Another Racine County municipality is taking up a request to allow chickens in a residential zone.

The Town of Waterford Plan Commission is scheduled to discuss the request, made by a resident in the 30300 block of Beachview Lane, at its 5:30 p.m. Monday meeting at the Town Hall, 415 N. Milwaukee St.

The town has resisted earlier efforts and isnt likely to approve the latest request, Town Chairman Tom Hincz said. Chickens are allowed in agricultural-zoned areas of the town but not in residential zones, where homes are in closer proximity to each other, he said.

Similar requests have been made in several other county communities, including Caledonia and Racine. The Racine City Council approved an ordinance last year allowing chickens, with limitations.

Caledonia has declined twice to change its ordinances, though Cindy Pradarelli, a backyard chicken proponent, said earlier this year she is trying again to change Caledonia officials minds through a petition.
Wisconsin in Brief

MILWAUKEE

Shooting wounds 1 after funeral at church

Milwaukee police say a man was shot and wounded after a fight broke out after a funeral.

Police say the shooting happened around 1:30 p.m. Saturday as mourners were leaving Greater Mt. Sinai Church of God in Christ in north Milwaukee.

Authorities say a 29-year-old man from Milwaukee suffered a non-life-threatening injury. He is being treated at a hospital.

Police are trying to identify any suspects. The shooting remains under investigation.

MILWAUKEE

Police: Man fatally stabbed during street fight

Milwaukee police say a 39-year-old man was fatally stabbed during a street fight.

The fight happened at 1:30 a.m. Saturday. Police say the victim, who was from Milwaukee, was involved in a fight with up to 10 other people in the street.

Police say the man was stabbed during the fight. He was able to flee but died of his injuries despite life-saving efforts by the Milwaukee Fire Department.

Authorities continue their investigation.

ANTIGO

Victim in prom shooting out of hospital

An 18-year-old student is out of the hospital after he was shot and wounded outside of a prom in northern Wisconsin last weekend.

Collin Cooper was released from Aspirus Wausau Hospital on Friday and is back home in Antigo with his family.

Cooper and his date were leaving the dance last Saturday night when police say an 18-year-old man opened fire. Cooper was struck in the leg while a bullet grazed his dates thigh.

An Antigo police officer shot the suspect, Jakob Wagner. Wagner was pronounced dead early Sunday at a hospital after the shooting.

The Wisconsin Justice Department is investigating the officer-involved shooting. Authorities have not released a motive for the attack. People who knew Wagner have said he was bullied.

 Associated Press
Car bomb blast near Turkish police HQ

At least one policeman has been killed in a car bomb blast near a police headquarters in the south-east Turkish city of Gaziantep, officials say.
Deep roots

Though Chir pine was planted with a noble objective, little did people know about its fatal consequences
Fewer Nepalis keen to take up overseas jobs

Fewer Nepalis are taking up overseas jobs a year after the devastating earthquake, according to the latest data from the Department of Foreign Employment (DoFE), even as their demand in the Gulf countries, especially Qatar, continues to rise.
Film to be made about Santhal community

Filmmaker Kiran Khatiwada has announced to film Bonodal, about the Santhal (also known as Satar) community, which is one of Nepals most endangered indigenous community. Bonodal was inaugurated on Friday at Charpane in Jhapa.
Fire destroys settlement in Baglung

An entire settlement in southern Dhullubaskot VDC of the district was gutted in a fire.
Five incidents of blaze reported in Valley in single day

Five separate incidents of fire were reported in the Valley on Saturday.
Forest fires take lives, destroy property

A person died while trying to contain a forest fire at Gothibang-3 in Pyuthan district on Saturday. Police identified the deceased as 35-year-old Krishna Bahadur Khadka of Gothibang-3.
International Islamic Conference wraps up

An international conference of the Muslims concluded in Nawalparasi on Saturday, calling for promoting inter-faith tolerance.
Iraq protests: PM Haider Al-Abadi orders arrest of parliament protesters

Iraq's Prime Minister has ordered the arrest of Shia Muslim activists who stormed parliament in Baghdad on Saturday.
Iraq Shia protesters camp out in Green Zone after storming

Supporters of a powerful Shia Muslim cleric have set up camp outside parliament in Baghdad, after thousands stormed the Green Zone secure area.
Ireland urged to relax travel restrictions on Nepal

Nepal has urged Ireland to relax the travel restrictions on the country one year after it was hit by a devastating earthquake.
Jangs nostalgia

King Mahendra had said he did not believe communism would come to Nepal by riding a car
Moment of reckoning

Political parties are not particularly known for their wisdom of moderation and mediation
Parties to forge consensus on parliamentary regulations

The major political parties have expressed their commitment to forge a consensus in drafting the parliamentary regulations by Sunday evening.
PM gets an earful for keeping half an eye on pressing issues

An all-party meeting called by Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli on Saturday turned into a forum for attending parties to direct slings and arrows at the government for its multiple failures.
Poachers prevail

International shipping companies have been shipping illegal drugs and wildlife trophies
Rampant syndicate disputes hit travellers

Vehicular movement on the Arughat-Gorkha Bazaar road has come to a complete halt for the past week due to a dispute between Transportation Entrepreneurs Association and Arughat Yatayat Pvt Ltd.
Row over cadre deployment

Prime Minister KP Oli has proposed joint mobilisation of party volunteers for building shelters for earthquake survivors before monsoon begins.
Secys told to expedite spending

Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli has instructed ministries whose spending has remained at 20 percent to accelerate their spending.
Senior citizens take to the streets demanding respect to work

Senior citizens organised a rally here on Sunday morning coinciding with the International Workers Day or May Day, demanding respect for work.
UCPN (M) Chair calls on workers to press for industry revival

UCPN (Maoist) Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal has urged workers to pile pressure on the concerned authorities to resume operation of the industries that have remained shut across the country.
Up to 19,000 children out of school in Kapilvastu

Up to 19,000 children in Kapilvastu district are out of school even as the District Education Office (DEO) has been organising enrolment campaigns for the past few years. Fifty-five percent of them are girls.
US anti-Vietnam war priest Daniel Berrigan dies aged 94

The American priest and poet Daniel Berrigan - famous for leading defiant protests against the Vietnam War - has died in New York aged 94.
You are wrong Shyam Saran!

Sarans observations are thoroughly one-sided and his statements are for the most part factually incorrect
Killeen, TX (76540)

Today

Rain showers early with scattered thunderstorms arriving for the afternoon. Potential for severe thunderstorms. High 82F. Winds S at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 60%..

Tonight

Scattered thunderstorms early, then becoming mostly clear and windy after midnight. Low 53F. Winds W at 20 to 30 mph. Chance of rain 50%. Higher wind gusts possible.
Yes, its hard to to tell when one enters the city limits

Yes, they will make the city more inviting

Maybe ... does it really matter?

No, the signs in place are fine

No, it would be a waste of taxpayer dollars

Vote

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Kendallville, IN (46755)

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Sunshine early followed by cloudy skies this afternoon. High 74F. Winds SSE at 10 to 15 mph..

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FORT WAYNE  Former President Bill Clinton Saturday praised his wife, Hillary, as the best candidate to improve the lives of Americans.

The 42nd president spoke to a crowd of nearly 2,000 people at the McMillen Park Community Center on the citys southeast side, three days before Indianas Democratic presidential primary.

Hillary has a comprehensive plan to create jobs, raise wages, reduce inequality and remove barriers, he said.

Clinton said his wife will bring Democrats and Republicans together to work on other key issues such as the overuse of prescription drugs and heroin abuse and the overcrowding of prisons.

She will make this a priority, he said. Nonviolent offenders should be released early with job training and education, with no discrimination against them.

Clinton said his wife, the leading contender for Democratic nomination, also has a plan to cut the cost of college tuition and reduce the debt burdens of those struggling with high-interest loans.

While discussing the economy, one member of the audience yelled out, What about NAFTA, the North American Free Trade Agreement that Clinton supported as president, which took effect Jan. 1, 1994. NAFTA remains controversial today because it created winners and losers in the economy. It has been condemned by Hillary Clintons Democratic opponent, Sen. Bernie Sanders, and leading Republican contender Donald Trump, who say it has had a lasting negative impact on manufacturing jobs in the United States.

Hearing the NAFTA question, Clinton paused, smiled, and then pivoted to the issue of Carrier Corp., Indianapolis, the giant air-conditioning firm which earlier this year announced it would relocate its manufacturing plant to Monterrey, Mexico, impacting 1,400 Hoosier jobs.

Clinton said Carrier was making big profits, but was more concerned about its shareholders and executives than its workers. Clinton said his wifes plan to prevent corporate greed such as Carrier is to offer tax credits for companies that fairly share profit with employees.

Not once in his 30-minute address did Clinton mention Sanders, an indication that the Clinton camp feels good about its current standing. Most political pundits say Hillary is close to locking up the presidential nomination, and the latest polls in Indiana show her with a lead of between 6-13 percent over Sanders.

Indiana is the only state with a primary on Tuesday and candidates of both parties are focusing their attention to the Hoosier state. The former president made two other stops in the Indiana on Saturday, in Kokomo and Gary. Hillary Clinton will be in Indianapolis today at 12:30 p.m. for a get-out-the-vote rally at the Douglass Park Gymnasium. Also today, she will attend a fundraiser in Birmingham, Michigan, and a NAACP dinner in Detroit.

There will be three other major political events in Fort Wayne over the next three days. Republican front-runner Donald Trump will hold a rally today at 4 p.m. at the Memorial Coliseum. On Monday, Republican contender Sen. Ted Cruz will be at a 2 p.m. rally at the Grand Wayne Center. Guests at the Cruz event will be Utah Sen. Mike Lee, Texas Rep. Louis Gohmert and conservative talk-show host Glenn Beck. And at 2:30 p.m. Monday, Sanders will be at Indiana University-Purdue University Fort Waynes Hilliard Gates Sports Center. All the events are open to the public.
ORLANDO, Fla. (TNS)  Animal welfare activists and pet shop owners fear a wave of interest in tropical fish and the possible decimation of key species after the June release of Disney Pixars Finding Dory.

The cartoon movie is a sequel to 2003s Finding Nemo, which had prompted a surge of cute orange clownfish being caught in the wild and sold at pet stores. Many parents and children, inexperienced with saltwater aquariums, bought a little Nemo fish and watched it die.

The new movie includes the return of absent-minded Dory, a cartoon version of a Pacific blue tang voiced by Ellen DeGeneres.

I think we are facing the same problem, and its even worse because the blue tang is really unsuitable for a home aquarium animal, said Teresa Telecky, director of wildlife at Humane Society International. Blue tang live up to 50 years and get big, over a foot long, which would require a 180-gallon aquarium, the size of a couch.

Telecky said the Humane Society has asked to talk with Disney about the movie and its impact on the marine pet trade. Other groups such at the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals are urging families to buy plush-toy versions of Dory instead of the real thing.

Disney didnt provide answers to specific questions about its plans, but a spokeswoman said in an email that Disneys conservation team is working with the Association of Zoos and Aquariums on a program to support tang conservation. The company also said it is preparing educational materials discouraging personal ownership of blue tangs.

The Marine Aquarium Societies of North America reported that marine biologists have talked to Disney about the storyline, particularly suggestions that blue tang can be raised in captivity. Raising blue tang from eggs or larvae in captivity is not possible yet, because captive-breeding efforts have failed.

The baby fish die in captivity because they dont eat normal fish food that other tropical fish in tanks eat, said Matthew DiMaggio, assistant professor at University of Florida and a leading researcher on blue tang.

We knew this movie was going to come out, and we have been trying to raise them. But they are a challenge, DiMaggio said.

After Finding Nemo, SeaWorld helped launch a program called Rising Tide, which attempts to raise blue tang and other marine ornamental fish in captivity. The program just scored a success with raising the first yellow tang in Hawaii and has improved breeding for the clownfish. But so far, the blue tang has only been raised to 22 days old in Florida laboratories at Ruskin and Fort Pierce.
DEAR JILL: I have followed you for years, but you and I disagree on whether its right or wrong to buy coupons online. It is cheaper to buy a bunch of coupon inserts than it is to buy a bunch of papers. You love to tell people how to save money, but when I can buy 10 inserts for the cost of one newspaper, I think I am doing the right thing. What is the problem exactly?  Meagan E.

While its true that online sellers offer clipped coupons and whole coupon inserts, the fact that they are selling them does not mean that its right to buy them. I continue to stand with the industrys position that coupon and insert resale is wrong for many reasons.

When insert resellers advertise that they have more than 30,000 identical coupon inserts for sale, weeks before those coupons are even due to appear in the Sunday paper, doesnt it make you wonder where the sellers are getting these coupons? It should. Coupon inserts are only authorized for distribution in newspapers and in the mail and no one in the industry is providing coupon resellers with inserts for resale.

The publishers of the coupon inserts have tight controls in place from the time those inserts are printed until they are delivered to the newspapers for distribution. Somewhere along the way, inserts are ending up in resellers hands. The newspapers are not allowed to give or sell extra inserts to anyone. In fact, they must destroy any extra coupon inserts that are left over after the papers are collated.

So, how are the resellers getting so many? The sad reality is that many of these coupon inserts are stolen. Last year, authorities in South Carolina busted two coupon insert thieves who were entering a newspaper distribution center and stealing coupon inserts by the pallet. These thieves were sentenced in March. One was jailed for two years, and the other is serving a three-year sentence.

Heres where the story gets interesting: Investigators also arrested a pair of coupon resellers who were obtaining the inserts from these thieves, then selling the stolen inserts online. While they werent the people who actually stole the inserts, these resellers were arrested and charged as accessories to burglary and larceny.

If you are buying coupons from a reseller, its highly likely that they are stolen property. At times Ill hear from readers, What if the seller got them from the trash? Its highly unlikely that anyone could pull thousands of mint-condition, uncirculated coupons from a dumpster. (And if the coupons were indeed found in the trash, would you still want to buy them?)

Keep in mind that a coupon is a contract: A brand will reimburse the store when a shopper purchases a specific product with the coupon. When shoppers buy massive quantities of coupons from a reseller, one single person may be using 100 or more of the same coupon. This pushes redemption rates much higher than normal, which you might think is a good thing  more coupons used! However, brands intend for their coupons to reach many people, not for large numbers of coupons to be used by the same person. When coupon campaigns over-redeem, far more coupons are redeemed than were budgeted for by the company. This hurts all of us in the long run, as the brands often compensate by reducing the value of future coupon offers or they explore alternate ways to distribute coupons.

A few months ago, a popular household product issued coupons in the Sunday paper in some market areas, while others areas received a message in their coupon inserts instructing shoppers to go online and print a coupon. Guess what happened next? Couponers who purchased large numbers of inserts from resellers actually complained online that theyd wasted their money buying coupons that werent in their version of the inserts.

Remember, coupons are a privilege, not a right. Brands that are tired of seeing their coupons go to resellers are going to explore alternate ways to drive consumer purchases without feeding the extremists.
ONALASKA  Nearly eight years after graduating from Onalaska High School, longtime friends Nathan Melby and Alec Bronston have launched their new Sunsoma alcohol brand.

Sunsoma, which its owners say is a blend of fermented citrus fruit, cane sugar and fruit flavor, began appearing in La Crosse-area grocery stores, bars and restaurants in early February. It comes in three flavors  grapefruit, apple and apricot ginger  in a 3-liter plastic bag in a box.

Sunsoma entered the Madison market in early April and now is available in about 75 locations in the two markets.

Melby and Bronston hope Sunsoma will be available throughout Wisconsin and in the Minneapolis-St. Paul market by next spring. They plan to introduce it to the Milwaukee market this summer.

We want to be very methodical in how we expand, Melby said.

Melby lives in Onalaska, while Bronston lives in Minneapolis  where he continues to work full time for a management and technology consulting firm.

Bronston received a bachelors degree in management information systems from the University of Minnesota in 2012.

Melby received a bachelors degree in business management from the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse in 2012. In January, he left his job at La Crosse Beverage LLC in Onalaska to start Sunsoma.

He began working at La Crosse Beverage part time 10 years ago, when he was doing such things as mopping floors and cleaning up broken beer bottles. For the past three years, he sold craft beer brands to area retailers.

Friends since grade school, both men are 26 and run their new business from wherever they can find an Internet connection, Melby said.

Alec runs most of the logistics and business side of things, Melby said. He keeps things organized, tidy and running. My job is to sell, deal with distributors and market the overall brand.

Melby and Bronston use multiple distributors, and keep their inventory at the La Crosse Beverage warehouse.

After selling other peoples brands, I wanted to start my own, Melby said of beginning Sunsoma. Bronston wanted to get into physical products and I wanted to start an alcohol brand that fit a gap in the market that I felt was there.

He and Bronston began developing Sunsoma in the summer of 2014.

Sunsoma is a blend of many trends going on in the beverage industry, Melby said, adding that todays consumers are interested in trying new products. Its noncarbonated, naturally flavored, boxed and less sweet than conventional fruity alcohols. Response has been very positive.

Sunsomas alcohol base is made by fermenting orange juice in Florida. They turn orange juice into a very clear and clean alcohol thats more vodka-like than anything, Melby said.

The alcohol is sent to an Indiana plant, where fruit flavors and cane sugar are blended in, and where Sunsoma is packaged.

Sunsoma is unique and isnt as sweet as flavored malt beverages or wine coolers, Bronston said. Its kind of a hard citrus blend and most retailers sell it for $13.99 to $15.99 per box.

So far, grapefruit has been the most popular of the three Sunsoma flavors.

Were working on new flavors, Melby said, and welcome suggestions.

We try to come up with fun and offbeat flavors, Bronston added.

Melby and Bronston chose bag-in-box packaging over bottles partly because the former will keep Sunsoma tasting fresh longer (for up to four weeks) after the package has been opened. And we think it tastes better in a box, Bronston said of Sunsoma, which has a 5.5 percent alcohol content.
LOS ANGELES  Fridays are paydays for Edgardo Villatoro  and also for the company where he works, XPO Port Services.

Villatoro, 54, gets paid for driving tires and furniture from Los Angeles-area ports to railway stations. But in return, he has to compensate the company for renting a truck, parking, insurance on the vehicle and maintenance. He also buys diesel fuel.

Those expenses, which Villatoro says hover about $900 a week, sometimes leave him with a negative paycheck.

I tell (my wife) Look, the work was slow. We arent going to have much to buy food. We have some savings, and we have to spend that on food this week.

Welcome to the booming  and largely unregulated  world of shadow employment.

Villatoro is one of 12.5 million people who are considered independent contractors, a group that has swelled in the past decade and now represents 8.4 percent of the U.S. workforce, according to a new study by economists at Harvard and Princeton universities. Nearly 3 million Americans became freelancers from 2005 to 2015, the study found.

Because people who work independently are not technically employees, they do not enjoy the raft of worker protections that apply to almost everyone else. That leaves independent contractors out of the wave of pressure to upgrade pay  the latest example being the $15-an-hour minimum wage that is poised to become law in California and New York.

Raising the minimum wage is extraordinarily important, but it shouldnt distract us from the other question, which is: What do we do about the fissuring of the traditional American workplace? said Seth Harris, former deputy secretary of the U.S. Labor Department.

The gig economy has become synonymous with app-driven ride-hailing and home-sharing services that have altered the way many Americans travel. But new research by Harvard economist Lawrence Katz and Princeton economist Alan Krueger suggests that the vast majority of contract workers do not answer to Internet companies.

Less than 0.5 percent of the labor force works through an online intermediary such as Uber or Airbnb, Katz and Krueger found. Most contractors do other freelance jobs, in areas such as sales, home health care or construction.

In these arrangements, the assumption is that workers sacrifice a safety net in the interest of flexibility. Freelancers arent entitled to workers compensation, health care or unemployment insurance, or the minimum wage. In exchange, they are their own bosses.

In Joy Brandes case, that control is a matter of degree.

Brande, 66, spends about 15 hours a week driving for Uber. She can choose to not take rides when she knows drunk kids will be the main clientele, and can simply turn the app off if shes feeling burned out.

But if she is online and does not take 80 percent of the rides, the company sends her a text strongly encouraging her to accept a greater share. Uber also sets the fares for each of her rides and monitors her customer service rating from riders.

Harris explained that federal law treats contractors like independent businesses that are expected to be able to negotiate their own individual compact through bargaining with other businesses.

The problem is that many people called contractors by the companies that pay them do not actually have total autonomy.

Indeed, one of the main strategies of labor activists to extend protections to contract workers is to turn them into employees.

Port truck drivers across America are misclassified as independent contractors, said Barb Maynard, a spokeswoman for the Teamsters union. About 65 percent of all truckers are not properly labeled as employees, according to a 2014 study by the nonprofit National Employment Law Project.

Driver Villatoro said he typically takes home about $800 per 70-hour week, minus expenses, which comes to about $11.40 per hour. On weeks when his expenses exceed his earnings, though, the Los Angeles-area resident has no remedy. Contractors cant unionize.

XPO Logistics, the trucking companys parent, said in an email that it has conferred with its drivers and the vast majority of them value the significant benefits that operating independently can bring. This model is the right one for XPO.

(EDITORS: BEGIN OPTIONAL TRIM)

Trucking companies have been battered with lawsuits and claims to the California labor commissioners office from drivers who have demanded millions in back pay after allegedly being misclassified.

In December, the commissioners office ordered Pacific 9 Transportation to pay 38 drivers nearly $7 million in back wages.

Since 2012, the commissioners office has received 720 complaints from truckers, and it ruled in three cases that covered 100 drivers so far.

The onslaught has taken a toll on some companies. Premium Transportation Services Inc., one of Southern Californias largest trucking companies, filed for bankruptcy in March after losing $4 million to workers misclassification claims and lawsuits.

(END OPTIONAL TRIM)

Instead of transforming contractors into employees, some lawmakers have tried to make it more comfortable to be an independent contractor in the first place.

California Assemblywoman Lorena Gonzalez, a San Diego Democrat, introduced a bill last month that would give independent workers the right to collectively bargain for pay and other benefits. Seattle passed a similar law, which allowed Uber and Lyft drivers to unionize, in December.

Business groups are pushing back. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce sued Seattle last month, saying the measure contradicted federal regulations. Chamber of Commerce lawyers said that the law could undermine the flexibility, efficiency, and choice that accompany independent driver arrangements.

Brande, the Uber driver, values that flexibility.

She also has a part-time job as a cashier at TJ Maxx that pays minimum wage but doesnt come with benefits. Superiors admonish her for failing to make the right notes about a returned item, Brande says. She follows a very specific protocol for ringing up goods and has to consult with a colleague for some small errors she makes at the register.

If I were making a lot more money at this I could understand why they are so demanding, Brande said, but this is a minimum-wage job, so you are screwed all around.

I like Uber better because nobody is standing there telling me, Oh you have to do this. I really like freedom.
Although Holmens Tom Kelley has been playing music for almost 50 years, he had no clue that the music he and his old friend, Mick Orton, put together recently would have the kind of impact its had so far.

In March they released an album of Beatle-esque 1960s-flavored music called After the Laughter, calling their band The Silvers. In advance of its release, they released a single called Running Away thats been getting more airplay than the two ever dreamed possible.

In January, we got 8,000 plays across the globe, including places like Morocco and Moscow, Kelley said. Here we are sitting in our little hometowns and never in our wildest dreams would we think our music would get that kind of exposure.

Other cities where The Silvers music has been heard include London, Sydney, Phoenix, Paris, Manila, Mexico City and Madrid. Kelley, who sings and plays guitar and harmonica, should be familiar to Coulee Region music fans for his work with The Executives.

This is my 19th year with them, Kelley said. Our specialty is 60s music, and we have quite a following among our age group  although its surprising how many younger people like us, too.

But Kelley has a musical history that goes back far beyond The Executives. Growing up in Davenport, Iowa, in the 1960s, Kelley, like so many other youngsters back then, was inspired by the Beatles.

It seemed like every neighborhood had its own little band starting up, Kelley said. I never learned how to read music, but we wore out records learning to play records like the bands of that era.

Sometime during that period Kelley met Orton  neither can remember exactly how or when  and they formed a band called The Todd. That band broke up around 1969 while Kelley was still in high school.

The two then lost track of each other as Kelley went into the service and Orton went on to play with other bands, including a Midwest mainstay of the time called Silver Laughter.

Fast forward 45 years or so. In 2014, Kelley came across Ortons name on Facebook, and when he learned that Silver Laughter was going to be inducted into the Iowa Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, he decided to attend the ceremony.

The two reconnected and when they realized they both had written songs yet to be recorded, they decided to do a new album. There was one problem: Orton lives in California north of San Francisco. Thats when the first serendipitous thing happened.

Ricky Zero, a musician and music producer from Atlanta was trying to find out what day of the week a certain date in 1978 was. While doing that on the Internet, he happened to see a Silver Laughter poster from that time. He then checked out Silver Laughters website, heard a couple clips of their music and contacted Orton.

One thing led to another and Zero agreed to produce After the Laughter (he also plays guitar and sings on the album). Amazingly, The Silvers four band members  guitar players Kelly and Zero, bass player Orton and drummer Glenn Stone  have never all been in the same room together.

They recorded all their parts using digital recorders and then used the internet to send in their respective tracks. Its an interesting process that begins when Orton records a demo of a song.

I send it to the guys so they get an idea of what, I want Orton said. Then the drummer records his part so we have the right tempo and I add vocals and bass, piano or guitar and send the tracks to the engineer in Atlanta.

After the engineer gets through layering the tracks he sends the music to the other band members, and each in turn add their parts. According to Kelley, the process takes a little more time, and, of course, a good engineer is essential.

Orton is just delighted that its even possible to send tracks back and forth via the internet. Its such a great thing, he said. We would never have been able to do this when we had to put everything on tape.

Once the album was released, The Silvers received another stroke of luck. Legendary English record producer Stewart Epps, while working at Abbey Road Studios, recorded numerous famous groups, including Led Zeppelin, Elton John, George Harrison and Twisted Sister. Epps heard After the Laughter and liked it enough to contact Orton and offer to produce a six-song EP for them.

That EP, which will consist of six original songs, is slated for an August release and laying down the initial tracks has already begun. Band members are using the same process of long-distance recording as they did with After the Laughter. Its a process that Epps has gone through with other bands.

Kelley, an advertising manager at the La Crosse Tribune, said he sets aside Sunday afternoons to work on his parts, putting the music and the vocals on separate tracks before sending them on to Epps.

He (Epps) has been easy to work with and he likes the music of that era, so its working out well, Orton said.

Meanwhile, Kelley can barely believe whats happening to his career at such a late stage. This is the kind of thing I would have really liked to have happen when I was 18 or 19, he said, but now its happening when Im 63, which is pretty amazing.

Two of the bands songs  Running Away and No More (This Time I Mean It)  have videos with the band members appearing in them in cartoon form similar to the cartoons the Beatles had back in the 60s.
VIROQUA  Although reading has been difficult for Viroquas Ross DeWaard, hes relished the challenge of needing to work harder than the average high school student.

DeWaard, a student at Laurel High School, which is a charter school of Viroqua High School, has gone through school with a learning disability, that left him struggling with higher level vocabulary.

DeWaard discovered he learns auditorily.

Before finding a strategy to help him learn, his parents, Ken and Kate DeWaard, home-schooled him so he could receive an intensive individualized education in reading and writing. DeWaard returned to public school at the beginning of his freshman year.

I had difficulty reading and learning in the classroom, he said. Having it hard every day at school  I got used to it.

In fact, he wanted it that way.

Ive always wanted it hard for me to learn, DeWaard said.

Laurel High School has an individualized curriculum that creates the opportunity for students to chose classes that interest them and still meet the requirements necessary for graduation.

Renee Baker, director of Laurel High School, said DeWaard has developed strategies to learn with his classmates.

By the time he was at high school he had it (his learning disability) under control, Baker said. He knows how to take care of himself and get what he needs. Hes self-motivated and independent. There is no pity; he doesnt look for it.

DeWaard met all graduation requirements of VHS/Laurel in three years, which has allowed him to spend his senior year taking classes that will help him pursue an entrepreneurial career.

Im really focused on business, he said. My interest before had been cooking.

For a time, DeWaard worked at Driftless Cafe in Viroqua.

When youre cooking in the kitchen, you dont communicate with the customer; youre locked away in the kitchen, DeWaard said. I like to communicate with customers.

Now that his interests have shifted, he is looking toward the world of fashion and has taken such classes as fashion, photography, entrepreneurship and corporate management. During the first semester, he established RAD Empire. He makes pouches, cases and tote bags, using canvas and leather; some of the materials are new, while others are reclaimed.

I make five of everything; I dont want to overdo, DeWaard said. I do the math to see the cost and how long it will take to make. It was 45 minutes at the beginning, now its 20 minutes. Its just myself sewing, so I like to find the fastest way.

His days include school, disciplined workouts after school, a job at Nelson Agri-Center in Viroqua from 6 to 8 p.m. and RAD Empire work at night.

Its a full day of work. I enjoy that, he said.

In addition, he has been involved with community service projects. Laurel High School students are required to fulfill 36 hours of community service each school year, so DeWaard has helped build trails and participated in trash cleanups, among other projects over the course of his school years.

In June, DeWaard and his family are moving to Maine. In September, he plans to attend college for a business and finance degree.

Depending on how I feel about the fashion world, I may (then) go to FIT (Fashion Institute of Technology) in New York or Parsons School of Design, he said. I want to create my own business like Im doing now.

He feels ready for life after high school.

It was helpful to design the classes I wanted to take, DeWaard said. Going straight into Laurel High School as a freshman  I never thought Id create my own company.

I had difficulty reading and learning in the classroom. Having it hard every day at school  I got used to it. Ross DeWaard, Viroqua
Q: Whenever my 4-year-old son tries something new, he becomes very frustrated if he has any difficulty at all. This happens when practicing numbers, letters or anything else I try to teach him. I tell him hes doing fine and will do better with practice, but its obviously not sinking in. In general, hes a perfectionist in the sense that everything must be just so. It worries me because we have depression, anxiety and OCD on both sides of the family. Ive also heard that perfectionism is characteristic of oldest children. Does that also apply to only children? Could it be a result of the fact that his father and I have been separated for a while now? What can I say to him in order to help him not be so hard on himself?

A: I am reminded of Harvey Kormans most well-known line from the film Blazing Saddles: My mind is a raging torrent, flooded with rivulets of thought cascading into a waterfall of creative alternatives.

My purposefully obscure point is you are overthinking the situation, attributing your sons performance issues to heredity, separation, being the oldest or only child and something else tomorrow. The more you think about this, trying to figure out the answer to why hes perfectionistic, the more you worry. It goes without saying that you need to think straight about this ... and youre not. So, Ill try to help you.

First, lots of children are perfectionistic. In and of itself, wanting to do things right is a functional trait. Generally, it levels off with maturity. It is not a harbinger of depression, debilitating anxiety or obsessive-compulsive disorder. And by the way, while were on those topics, no one has ever provided compelling proof that those problems are genetically transmitted. A good number of depressed people, for example, have no family history of depression.

Second, your sons issues are reason enough to stop teaching him academics. Studies have shown that by the third grade, children who learned academics before coming to grade 1 are indistinguishable from peers of equal ability who did not. Further, he is coming to associate academics with a highly negative experience. This goes a long way toward explaining the finding that the earlier a child learns to read, the less likely it is that he will enjoy reading at age 16.

Studies also have strongly suggested that the average childs brain  no matter how smart the child may be  is not fully ready for symbol-based learning (i.e., letters and numbers) until age 6. That is undoubtedly not the only factor, but it is interesting in that regard to note that when the typical American child was not exposed to academics until first grade, our literacy rate was much, much higher.

My best guess is your sons not frustrated and beating himself up because of depression in your family, being an only child or that you and his father are separated. Hes frustrated because youre expecting him to do something hes not developmentally ready to do. Stop teaching academics. Love him and discipline him equally well. Let him enjoy being a 4 year old.
Dumb farmer. What do you think?

A couple years ago a fellow farmer, a school board member in a nearby district, mentioned that the school superintendent had made a derogatory comment about the students in the agriculture program.

We have to put them somewhere, he said, in essence, about the academically slow students in the high school. The farmer could read between the lines what the superintendent was thinking about farmers and the education they require.

I hope that superintendent reads this column. Farming is a very intellectually challenging and rewarding career. To me, dairying is the ultimate challenge. I apply just about all of the disciplines I learned in high school, college, and the school of hard knocks, every day, to each new problem as it presents itself. Ive been tired. Ive been stressed. Ive been broke. But Ive never been bored or intellectually unchallenged.

We need the brightest and best we have in our agriculture classes. Heres why.

The longstanding perception is that anybody can farm. Farmers dont require any formal education. If you cant get a job elsewhere, you can always farm. Fifty years ago, there might have been some truth in these statements. That is not so now.

A farmer needs a skill set no different than that needed for any other business. What is unique about dairying is the multiplicity of disciplines one needs to integrate to make a profitable farm. To prosper, dairy farmers need to know agronomy, animal husbandry, veterinary medicine, employee management, marketing, business management and mechanics. A farmer needs to know where to find information to make good decisions. Knowing where and how to access a team of advisers allows a farmer to apply new technology and information effectively.

In 2012, the dairy industry contributed $43.4 billion to Wisconsins economy. We had 9,900 dairy farms then in Wisconsin. On average, each dairy farm stimulated $4.4 million of activity in Wisconsins economy. There are lot of people who never set a foot on a farm yet benefit from dairy production. I would like to see kids who have no interest in farming be exposed to agriculture in high school. Ag classes are for everyone, not just kids wanting to farm.

Wisconsin fourth-graders study their state in social studies and generally have a unit on agriculture. Lets think what universal study of agriculture in high school could lead to.

Young students would study and involve themselves first hand in the practical application of their science, technology, engineering and math training. Some would discover a career path in agriculture they hadnt known; others discover the value of STEM in the agricultural career they are already interested in. Students will develop an understanding of agriculture around them, and realize the abundance of career paths in agriculture. Those already interested in agriculture will realize they need to apply themselves in their STEM classes in order to own or be employed by a successful farm in the future.

When I am introduced as a veterinarian, people look up to me. When I am introduced as a farmer, however, some people look down at me. Ive practiced as a veterinarian, and I have been a dairy farmer. I am proud to be a veterinarian, but I am prouder that Im a dairyman. Few people appreciate the effort and diversity of knowledge required to survive as a farmer. Do you need to rethink what you think about farmers?
Ray Bock of Viroqua has been a woodworker for more than 20 years, but this is his first time heading to Washington, D.C., to exhibit at the Smithsonian Craft Show.

I dont have a bucket list, but now Ive got to create one and put this on it, said Bock, 63. Its probably the best show in the country. Ive managed to get into all the other ones, but this is the last one.

Most of the shows have a couple of hundred exhibitors, and they pull from a pool of a thousand-plus applicants, said Bock, who said being selected by the Smithsonian jury was humbling.

The Smithsonian show has only 120 exhibitors, so that narrows it down even further.

Bock specializes in elliptical-shaped bowls and architecture-inspired tabletop boxes.

Each jewelry-type box is made with fine woods and unusual shapes, such as his pyramid Wedding Cake Box. Bocks bowls are cut by router and band saw, rather than on a lathe, and are wrapped in a veneer that contrasts with the solid wood.

Although I traditionally use a lot of solid woods, Im moving more and more to veneer, he said. Some of it is tropical wood, and veneers are a very efficient way to use that wood. Veneers are very, very thin, and so much can be gotten out of a log. And theyre just so beautiful.

Bock, who grew up in the Chicago area, attended design school in the architectural college at the Illinois Institute of Technology. He majored in photography, and worked in that field until 1992.

In college I also did a lot of time in the shop, he said. They had a fully equipped architectural design model shop, and I just loved being there.

In 1992, he and his wife moved to Viroqua and Bock made the switch to woodworking.

We just stumbled on it, Bock said of his hobby farm in southwestern Wisconsin. We loved the area, and the piece of property we picked happened to be in Viroqua. In retrospect, it was dumb luck. We were very fortunate to wind up here, because its a really nice little community.

Bock has his shop in an old barn hes refurbished. He favors pieces he can turn around and sell at shows and in galleries, at prices from $95 to $950, rather than the custom furniture he used to make.

I used to spend a couple of months building a piece of furniture. It didnt leave me a lot of options to experiment and do different things, he said.

The small pieces allow me to experiment with other ideas.
WINONA, Minn.  It may be the ultimate masculine nightmare.

A man wakes up in the morning to find his penis missing. Disappeared. As if by magic.

Or, quite specifically, by magic.

Its a malady as real as many we deal with every day  except, in this case, you pretty much have to grow up Nigerian to fall victim.

Frank Bures, son and namesake of Winona dermatologist and Daily News columnist Frank Bures, documents the occurrence of magical penis theft and a variety of other odd and unlikely  and some commonly well-accepted  ailments in his new book The Geography of Madness: Penis Thieves, Voodoo Death and the Search for the Meaning of the Worlds Strangest Syndromes.

Bures will be in Winona on Tuesday, May 3 to speak and read from his book at a free event at the Blue Heron Coffeehouse.

Bures has traveled to remote locales in Nigeria, Borneo, and Thailand, as well as Bologna, Italy, and small-town Iowa to research and document his work. He said the maladies he studied and describes are absolutely real, in the sense that they have profound effects on the sufferers lives and health and can even be the accepted cause of death  within the culture that believes them to be real.

It was about 15 years ago that he first heard of penis theft  referred to in the medical literature as koro and described as a syndrome in which the victims feel their genitals are being sucked up into their bodies as a result of an action visited upon them by another, Bures said.

It was so fascinating to me. So ridiculous, he said. But I wondered what it would be like to live in a world like that, where this was possible. It would be terrifying.

So he went to Nigeria and started asking questions, and there, asking about the magical disappearance of human genitalia proved to be easier than one might first think it to be.

It wasnt that weird, Bures said. In that culture, among many, many people said, Its real. Its possible. Nobody doubts it could happen. The culture accepts it.

Outside that particular culture ... not so much.

The phenomena of generally accepted and medically diagnosed maladies that are limited to a specific culture are not uncommon, Bures said. Known as culture-bound syndromes, they tend to appear and disappear, exacting physical symptoms and responding to specific treatments, but without being experienced by biologically indistinguishable individuals with a different cultural experience or belief system.

They appear to be a cultural idiom of distress, he said. A way of telegraphing that something is not right.

The emergence of such syndromes isnt limited to pre-technological or developing societies, Bures said. The sudden headline-grabbing emergence of contemporary American maladies such as PMS, carpal tunnel, gluten sensitivity and lactose intolerance all bear some of the earmarks of culture-bound syndromes, he said.

What do we mean when we say something is real? he said.

It was so fascinating to me. So ridiculous. But I wondered what it would be like to live in a world like that, where this was possible. It would be terrifying. Frank Bures, author
WASHINGTON  The Senate overwhelmingly approved a far-reaching energy bill Wednesday that reflects significant changes in U.S. oil and natural gas production over the past decade and boosts alternative energy sources such as wind and solar power.

The bill also would speed federal approval of projects to export liquefied natural gas to Europe and Asia, where prices are higher than in the U.S. following a yearlong boom in domestic gas production.

With its 85-12 vote, the Senate backed its first ambitious energy bill in nearly a decade.

Sen. Lisa Murkowski, an Alaska Republican and chairwoman of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, said the bill represented energy modernization on a broad scale, reflecting almost a decades worth of changes in technologies and markets in the energy sector.

Moving forward with this act will help America produce more energy, help Americans save more money and bring us one step closer to becoming a global energy superpower, Murkowski said.

The bill would boost renewables such as solar and wind power, as well as hydropower, geothermal energy and even critical minerals such as cobalt, beryllium and lithium that are used in cell phones, computers and other electronics.

The bill also would encourage so-called clean-coal technology, including projects to capture carbon dioxide generated by coal-fired power plants, and increase public-private partnerships to develop advanced nuclear technologies.

The measure now must be reconciled with a House-passed version that boosts fossil fuels such as oil, coal and natural gas. President Barack Obama has threatened to veto the House measure.

Sen. Maria Cantwell of Washington state, the senior Democrat on the energy panel, called energy the lifeblood of our economy and said the Senate bill would push the nation toward cleaner, more efficient, more cost-effective and renewable energy sources.

Congress last approved broad energy measures in 2005 and 2007, during the George W. Bush administration. The two laws aimed to boost U.S. energy independence by cutting reliance on imported oil, boosting fuel economy standards for cars and imposing a mandate for ethanol in gasoline.

Since then, the U.S. energy landscape has changed dramatically, as improved drilling techniques, including hydraulic fracturing, have sparked a yearslong boom that has pushed the United States toward become the worlds top producer of oil and natural gas. Hydraulic fracturing, also known as fracking, involves injecting water mixed with sand and chemicals into underground rock formations, allowing oil and gas to flow.

Moving forward with this act will ... bring us one step closer to becoming a global energy superpower. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska
State Sen. Howard Marklein, Assemblyman Lee Nerison and Assemblyman Ed Brooks, all of west-central Wisconsin, flagrantly wasted tax money by voting for voter identification without proof that voter fraud was a problem.

They have since shown no interest in determining whether the law is accomplishing its claimed purpose. The voter ID law is an example of irresponsible, useless and costly state regulation.

I contacted my state senator and assemblyman, Marklein and Brooks, respectively, and asked them that now that we have had an election under the new law, please show me figures on how it has reduced fraud, as Republicans claimed it would.

Brooks told me he did not have any such information. Marklein told me it's not possible to quantify instances of fraud because there was no law to prosecute fraud.

That's absurd. Laws against fraud have existed for decades.

Markleins response is also an admission that voter fraud was not the real motivation behind the legislation. It gives credibility to the commonly held belief that Republicans enacted the law to keep certain Democrats from voting, and that is a violation of democracy.

Voter fraud is another Republican lie. Because Marklein claims to be a hot-shot accountant and has no interest in accountability for a law he supported, it also represents inept accounting on his part.
Have you even been intruded upon by somebody elses public porn consumption?

A quiet young woman in one of my classes wanted to know if she could ask a question about college etiquette (her term). A sophomore who appeared not to be feeling quite at home on our big campus, I expected her to ask about a roommate squabble or a tricky club membership issue.

Instead she surprised me with this: Is it impolite for me to ask the guy who sits in front of me in one of those huge lecture courses to turn off his porn while the teachers speaking? Its, like, really distracting. The tone she used was one shed employ to inquire which fork to begin with at a formal dinner or whether she should fold her napkin between courses. This student watches entire dirty movies on his laptop  during a 9 a.m. class  and not just clips. She doesnt want to move because shes left-handed and snagged one of the few seats designed for lefties.

Naturally the university where I teach has a detailed policy against discrimination and harassment explicitly stating that academic and professional excellence can exist only when each member of our community is assured an atmosphere of safety and mutual respect. Sexual harassment may include the public display of pornographic materials so my bet is that the kid watching hard-core movies could be disciplined were he brought up on charges.

But my student didnt want to press charges or even tell the professor. I asked if shed permit me to act on her behalf but she declined. She wouldnt name the course. All she wanted, she insisted, was to figure out how to pay attention in class without making the porn-watcher feel uncomfortable or making herself seem like the sex police.

But watching porn in class raises other questions as well, such as: Why on earth would anybody do that?

Seriously, kid? Do you watch porn in class while youre having your first cup of coffee and then watch the professors lectures at home and take notes by yourself?

I also want to know whos paying for this kids education, because somebody is picking up the bill: either his family, the state or the institution is securing him the right to occupy that seat. Porn Boy is here at the expense of someone else: Another applicant was rejected so that Porn Boy could have the privilege of attending class.

Yes, pornography has existed since the beginning of time. Folks have created dirty pictures since we first drew in the mud with sticks, but one thing I can tell you is that the final exam will not include a matching quiz based on Virgins from the Planet Pleasure.

It isnt just where I teach, either, and it isnt even just college. In a recent issue of Time magazine, Belinda Luscombe describes a 28-year-old named Gabe Deem as growing up in an era when what used to be considered X-rated was becoming mainstream, so that he and his friends watched explicit videos constantly ... even during class on their school-issued laptops.

I wanted to help my student understand that the problem was not hers _ even though she was upset by it.

I remembered that Judith Martin, aka Miss Manners, addressed the issue of dealing nicely with smut-watchers at work. As if to illustrate my ignorance, when we searched online for Miss Manners I tripped over a startling number of sites featuring a Miss Manners having nothing do with the distinguished 77-year-old Washington Post columnist. (As my friend Angel once said, Not all searches for blonde ponies get you where you thought youd get.)

We did finally locate Judith Martins line. It was in response to a woman asking how she might innocuously make her male co-workers stop showing her degrading material. Martin summed it up wonderfully: Your question is almost like asking for a polite way to let a flasher know that his trousers are open.

I suggested that my student needed to embrace some outrage, find some humor and use a loud-girl voice to say, Hey, friend, how about keeping your private tabs closed? Dont do that here. Thanks.

Some things transcend etiquette. Watching porn in public is one of them.
Whats your biggest concern?

Is it the economy and job growth?

The environment?

Holding the line on government spending?

Consolidating units of government?

All of those concerns pale compared to keeping the community safe from crime.

Thats the conclusion of a poll conducted by the Wisconsin Professional Police Association.

Jim Palmer, executive director of the association, visited the Tribune editorial board last week and discussed the fourth annual version of the statewide poll.

Of those polled, 78 percent identified keeping the community safe as the top priority. Thats the highest percentage for that question to date.

The poll shows that all demographic groups agree with that consensus.

But there are differences within demographic segments that deserve more consideration.

While most people believe their neighborhood receives the right amount of community policing, 73 percent of minorities want to see more community policing in their neighborhood, and 70 percent believe police spend too little time in their neighborhoods.

Thanks to community partners such as the La Crosse Community Foundation, Viterbo University and Mayo Clinic-Franciscan Healthcare, the city of La Crosse has been able to invest in Neighborhood Resource Officers whose mission is to get out of the squad car and connect with the people of the neighborhoods they cover.

Palmer said hes pleased that more and more police departments across Wisconsin are using social media more to communicate with residents. Police in La Crosse and others in our area are a good example.

Living in a smaller, safer community, we see police in a variety of positive roles. We see them serve as volunteers. We see them at community meetings and at the annual National Night Out.

All of these initiatives help break down barriers  especially with children. Seeing officers attend a function at a Boys & Girls Club or school function  and seeing kids running to greet the officers  is the best validation that being more a part of the community is paying real dividends.

As he has during previous visits to La Crosse, Palmer is quick to point out that officers must be held to high standards  and poll results back that up.

For instance, 85 percent of those responding believe police should wear body cameras. Thats up from 82 percent in last years survey.

Palmer is pleased that Wisconsin is the first state to pass legislation requiring outside organizations to conduct and independent investigation, collecting its own evidence, whenever theres a death of someone in police custody.

Yet, he continues to be surprised that only two states have joined Wisconsin so far.

The survey shows people are split whether gun laws need to be stricter, but they overwhelmingly believe gun dealers should be licensed (84 percent) and that gun sellers should check the background check of their customers (92 percent).

As with any public institution, police are expected to be transparent and engaged in the community.

The signs are encouraging, especially in the 7 Rivers Region.
When the Americans defeated the British at Yorktown, the surrendering British forces supposedly played The World Turned Upside Down.

The song should be on the soundtrack at Donald Trump rallies. The mogul is marching toward the Republican nomination by trampling every single assumption about presidential politics, especially on the GOP side.

Surely no campaign has ever before had a divisive internal fight over whether the candidate should be presidential or not. But that has reportedly been one of the points of contention between new Trump hand Paul Manafort and old Trump hand Corey Lewandowski, the contestants in a high-stakes episode of Consultant Apprentice.

Trump is operating on the rather insulting assumption that he cant act presidential  i.e., with too much dignity  while also attempting to appeal to his Republican voters, and so far he has been proved right. Its just one of the ways in which he has seemed to understand the party he is seeking to take over better than its longtime loyalists.

It was once thought that a Republican presidential candidate had to pay constant obeisance to Ronald Reagan and hew closely to certain rhetorical tropes and policy truisms. It turns out that the Republican Party  or at least a sizable element of it  isnt that conservative, and even what were once thought to be the partys most rigidly ideological guardians in talk radio arent really sticklers for conservative doctrine.

It was once thought that any serious presidential candidate had to have political experience and be a committed member of the party he or she sought to lead, or at the very least not openly threaten it. Trump the novice, who re-registered as a Republican only in 2012, has appended the not-so-subtle warning or else to his candidacy from the beginning.

It was once thought that you had to organize a campaign operation, run TV ads and raise money. Trump has barely done any of them.

It was once thought that you had to know something and demonstrate it in every setting, or risk seeming amateurish and not up for the job. Trump has blown through this norm.

It was once thought that you had to act with some decorum, display respect for others and yourself, and avoid vulgarity and public displays of anger. Trump has made it his business to do the opposite and, even after reining himself in a little, is still the most outlandish presidential candidate in memory.

We have destroyed manners and chivalry over recent decades  with popular and celebrity culture leading the way  and the left has tried to replace them with political correctness. As a celebrity comfortable in the realms of Howard Stern and the WWE, Trump has little loyalty to the old standards at the same time he (rightly) rejects political correctness. This is a license for unconstrained boorishness.

And it has played well in the party of evangelicals, of social conservatism and of disdain for Hollywood and for elite libertinism. Trump has barely made a pretense of religiosity, and been incredibly overt in his vindictiveness and braggadocio.

Clearly, what a certain segment of conservatives didnt like about Mitt Romney wasnt his pedigree as a Northeastern moderate  which he shares with Trump  so much as his decorousness. Peggy Noonan wrote a book on Reagan called When Character Was King. The follow-up for our era could be called When Character Became a Sign of Weakness.

The old pieties dont have the hold they once did, but Trumps celebrity and unsurpassed media skills have also allowed him to get away with things that more conventional candidates never could. At least with Republican voters. Everyone else is another question. If Trump wins the nomination, he has to hope that swing voters are as enamored of belittling nicknames and brash put-downs (if Hillary were a man ...), and that the traditional rules of how a president acts and represents the country no longer apply. He will need the world to be turned upside down.
Is Congress hopelessly gridlocked about climate change? No.

The bipartisan House Climate Solutions Caucus held its first meeting last week in an air of cordiality and respect rarely seen in Washington when Republicans and Democrats get together.

For Citizens Climate Lobby Senior Congressional Liaison Jay Butera, the meeting was pivotal. It felt like something shifted in Washington that day, because we didnt know what to expect putting Democrats and Republicans together with an oil company to talk about climate change.

After opening remarks, a representative of Statoil, a leading energy company in oil and gas production, told the caucus that his company prefers a carbon tax because of its simplicity and fairness. CCL also backs this plan with the addition that the tax be revenue neutral; that is, all of the net income from the tax be returned equally to all households in the United States. Low- and moderate-income people will not suffer because of the money returned to them. Yet the increase cost of fossil fuels will lead people to choose relatively cheaper non-fossil energy sources.

The caucus also heard from New Zealands Climate Change Minister, who said that addressing climate change has opened up economic opportunities for her country.

The caucus was organized by two Florida representatives, Republican Carlos Curbelo and Democrat Ted Deutch. Why? Because high tides are already flooding the streets of Miami Beach. Hopefully as other representatives learn how climate change is affecting their states, they will join the caucus.
Purdue comes to town to face the Badgers for their homecoming game on Saturday. Hopefully the Badgers can get back on track.
The community has an opportunity to learn about the Vernon Economic Development Association (VEDA) and sample food produced at the Food Enterprise Center at our upcoming annual meeting May 18. The meeting will be held over lunch, from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., at the Rooted Spoon, 219 S. Main St., Viroqua.

The meeting will include a review and celebration of VEDA's 2015 accomplishments and election of board members. Memberships must be current (paid for 2016) to be eligible to vote for the board candidates. Membership forms will be available at the meeting.

Join us and network with other VEDA members! To RSVP or for more information, email Sue Noble, executive director of VEDA, at snoble@veda-wi.org. Reservations are needed by May 4 for the meal portion of the event.

Community partnerships help CHS grow

Increased funding and community partnerships are helping Community Hunger Solutions (CHS) continue to grow, bringing healthy locally-grown produce from area farms providing hunger relief to regional communities. The vital role the Vernon Economic Development Association (VEDA) plays in this project provides the program with in-kind financial administration, grant writing assistance, and important organizational mentoring. VEDAs Food Enterprise Center in Viroqua provides the infrastructure needed to prepare and disseminate the food efficiently and effectively to their distribution partners. This fits well with VEDAs focus to improve the quality of life in our region and increase the business capacity of area farmers.

Through an increase of farm partnerships, CHS was able to distribute 245,285 pounds of vegetables in 2015. This was an increase from the previous year of 80,062 lbs. procured and 66,718 additional meals provided. Contributing to that total was a weekly effort from a harvesting (gleaning) team, made up of community volunteers and paid workers with varying abilities, who captured produce from area farm fields. A partnership established in 2014 with Organic Valley also continued to contribute a significant amount of excess produce from their Produce Pool located in Cashton.

Last year, 59,390 pounds of vegetables were delivered to food pantries within Vernon, Crawford, Monroe and Juneau counties, an increase of 25,047 pounds distributed in 2014. Through CHSs continued partnerships, an additional 44,264 pounds were provided to La Crosse County food pantries through Hunger Task Force food bank. A second food bank, Second Harvest in Madison, received 141,631 lbs. of fresh produce, an increase of 61,239 pounds. over 2014. In all, some 29 Wisconsin food pantries and meal sites benefit from this effort, which also includes resource materials for food pantry personnel and clientele about healthy eating.

As CHS prepares for this year's work, more grant writing and continued partner involvement are needed. CHS has already received a three-year commitment of $10,000 annually from Organic Valley. Other funding sources are being sought to help CHS bring quality fresh produce to area food pantries.

If you would like to help CHS in this effort, you may send a tax-deductible contribution to VEDA/CHS, 1201 N. Main St., Suite 6, Viroqua, WI 54665. For more information, contact Daniel Chotzen at 608-606-1910, Gary Thompson at 608-632-2163, or go to the CHS website, community-hunger-solutions.org.
JOHANNESBURG (AP)  The roars of lions filled the cargo section of Johannesburgs OR Tambo International Airport Saturday evening as 33 lions rescued from South American circuses landed in South Africa where they will be released into a bush sanctuary for big cats.

It was the largest airlift of lions in history, said Jan Creamer, president of Animal Defenders International, which carried out the operation.

These lion have suffered tremendously, Creamer said as the lions were loaded in crates onto trucks.

They lived in small cages on the backs of trucks for their entire lives. Some of them had their teeth bashed in with steel pipes in circuses in Colombia and Peru. Some of them had their claws removed. ... It is a wonderful feeling to bring them back to their home.

Nine of the lions were surrendered by a circus in Colombia. The remaining 24 were rescued in raids on circuses in Peru by the animal defense group and officials enforcing a crackdown on wildlife trafficking.

The lions will be placed in quarantine in enclosures at the 5,000-hectare (12,355-acre) Emoya Big Cat Sanctuary in Vaalwater in northern South Africa, started three years ago by a single mother and her teenage daughter.

The 33 lions will be monitored by a vet for their first weeks in Africa. They will then be introduced to each other in a 1-hectare (2.47-acre) bonding enclosure. Many of the lions were never allowed to have direct physical contact with other lions and have never been together without a fence or a cage separating them.

Due to their poor physical state, the lions will never be able to hunt again and will have to be cared for with food and water for the rest of their lives. Emoya will feed the cats with game meat which it buys in bulk.

The enclosures will be fitted with drinking pools, platforms and toys to ensure the lions dont become bored and will be steadily expanded as they become familiar with their new life, said Savannah Heuser, who started Emoya with her mother.

Emoya, in an area with a mix of habitats including mountainous regions, rolling grasslands, forests, cliff caves and river gorges, has a strict non-breeding policy, Heuser told The Associated Press.

Female lions may receive contraceptive medications so they can remain with their mates, while males may undergo vasectomies to make sure that no lions are bred in captivity.

The animals have no conservation value whatsoever. Many of them have been inbred, she said. When we are sure that no breeding will take place, we allow males to interact with females. By then a pattern will have emerged ... and we will know which lions can be placed together.

The lions are part of 100 animals that were rescued in Peru. Bears, monkeys, birds and other native wildlife have been relocated to sanctuaries in Peru and a tiger has been sent to a new home in Florida.
WASHINGTON  She has no stamina. She shouts. Shes got nothing going for her but being a woman.

Donald Trump, after toying with gender politics off and on during the campaign, is all in on a mission to undercut Hillary Clintons credentials by syncing up his say-anything campaign strategy with his alpha-male persona.

The same Republican presidential candidate who mocked little Marco Rubio, dismissed low-energy Jeb Bush and promises to cherish and protect women as president is dismissing the former senator, secretary of state and first lady as little more than a token female whos playing the womans card.

Frankly, all Im doing is stating the obvious, Trump insisted, when pressed about whether his latest Clinton take-downs were sexist. Without the womans card, Hillary would not even be a viable person to run for city council.

That message may resonate with one subset of the electorate and touch off outrage with another. But for many other voters, Trumps line of attack is simply baffling when America is trying to deal with far more complex matters of gender, such as gay marriage and transgender rights.

Its a very simplistic notion of gender, said Debbie Walsh, director of the Center for American Women and Politics at Rutgers University. She said Trump is putting out there a notion of masculinity that fits with popular images of the presidency. He is playing the gender card but not connecting it to policy, instead connecting it to his own macho image and his bravado.

Trumps messages about women represent a tangle of views, said Stanley Renshon, a political psychologist at the City University of New York.

Theres the Trump who has no qualms about advancing women within his business enterprises, the Trump who disparages women just because I can say whatever comes to mind, and the retrograde Trump who never outgrew an adolescent fixation with desirable and beautiful women, Renshon said.

I dont think he knows how to talk about them in a modern sensibility way, said Renshon, adding that the billionaire businessman is not used to having his utterances corrected by anyone.

Trump rival Ted Cruz says the GOP front-runners attacks on Clinton are unsurprising.

Donald Trump has a real problem with strong women, Cruz said. Its one of the reasons he cant win a general election.

Trumps issues with women in the campaign extend well beyond Clinton.

He has mocked the face of onetime GOP rival Carly Fiorina, whos now Cruzs running mate. Hes retweeted an unflattering image of Heidi Cruz, the Texas senators wife, juxtaposed with a glamorous photo of his wife, Melania. He engaged in a long-running dispute with Megyn Kelly of Fox News in which he dismissed her as a lightweight and bimbo, and described her at one point as having blood coming out of her eyes, blood coming out of her wherever.

He was just as unfiltered in his thoughts about women and their appearances before entering politics. In 1996, Trump reportedly described a Miss Universe who had gained weight as an eating machine. He described Rosie ODonnell as my nice fat little Rosie in a 2006 spat. In 2012, he tweeted that Huffington Post editor Arianna Huffington was unattractive both inside and out.

None of this has seemed to bother Trumps loyal followers in the GOP primaries. But it could be a different matter in the general election, when Republican candidates typically suffer from a gender gap. In every presidential election since 1980, a greater proportion of women than men preferred the Democratic candidate.

The challenge for Republican candidates has been trying to make some inroads into that womens vote, Walsh said. And its hard to imagine that Donald Trump, as of right now, is well positioned to be the Republican candidate to make those inroads, given the things that hes said.

A womans candidacy can cut both ways with voters.

In an Associated Press-GfK poll in February, 14 percent said a female candidate would be at least somewhat less likely to get their vote. Likewise, 19 percent said a woman would be at least somewhat more likely to get their vote.

In the primaries, Trump has drawn a disproportionate amount of his support from men, with an average of 44 percent of men and 36 percent of women supporting him in states where exit polls were conducted.

Further, in a recent AP-GfK poll, women (66 percent) were slightly more likely than men (60 percent) to say they definitely would not vote for Trump in a general election.

Karlyn Bowman, a public opinion analyst at the American Enterprise Institute, cautioned that both Trump and Clinton have a problem with gender in this election.

Trumps is more serious, she added, pointing to his high unfavorable ratings with women, who make up a larger share of the electorate than do men.

Clinton, she said, shows significant weakness with white men, particularly white working-class males.

The question in November, Bowman said, will be whether party loyalty will trump gender politics.

Party is really powerful in the end, she said.

Clinton is betting on gender.

After playing down womens issues in her 2008 campaign against Barack Obama, this time Clinton is embracing the historic nature of her candidacy and playing up her roles as grandmother and longtime advocate for women. She happily addressed Trumps accusations that she was making much of her candidacy as a woman.

If fighting for womens health care, and paid family leave, and equal pay is playing the woman card, she said, then deal me in.

As for Trumps intemperate remarks, Clinton told CNNs The Lead with Jake Tapper that she could really care less.

I have a lot of experience dealing with men who sometimes get off the reservation in the way they behave and how they speak, she said. Im not going to deal with their temper tantrums or their bullying or their efforts to try to provoke me.
DETROIT  A half-dozen women recently sat around a table at a Detroit studio, leaning in as instructor Ralph Taylor taught them how to weld.

Its all right if you try and mess up. Everyone messes up, Taylor told his students, trying to put them at ease and push them to take risks at the same time. You dont have to become a welder when you finish this program. It might be a springboard to something else.

The women in the 12-day welding class _ many of them single mothers and living in temporary shelters  are working with a new nonprofit group, Women Who Weld, to teach welding skills, with the intent of increasing the number of women in a trade in which more than 95 percent of the workers are men, according to the U.S. labor department.

Taylor said women who weld deserve the same respect  and pay  as men in the trade.

The struggle to add more women to the workforce in certain male-dominated fields has taken on new vigor as a recovering economy demands more skilled workers, and as more women fill top executive positions in business and government.

It is not an easy trade, but its not impossible, said Samantha Farr, who founded Women Who Weld while attending the University of Michigan. In the end, my goal is not just to teach women to weld, but find them jobs that are welding related.

Farr, a 29-year-old urban planner, said she became a welder in graduate school. Her great-grandfather was a welder. She said she was drawn to welding when she watched male University of Michigan students work on projects in the fabrication lab.

She thought she might benefit from learning the skill, so she took a class.

It loved it, she said. It felt natural, relaxing.

She took an independent study to learn more, and then, she decided to teach other women how to weld. She created a nonprofit group and applied for grants to pay instructors and purchase equipment. Farr said she hopes to offer more welding workshops for women.

Welding jobs, she said, are in demand.

Welding has long been considered a dirty job, with smoke-filled air and sparks flying, which may be one reason why it has been seen as a mans job, said Cindy Weihl, a senior manager of public relations at the American Welding Society.

But Weihl said there are many types of welding jobs  and some are quite different from the stereotypical image. The trade group is working to change the perception that its a mans job  and recruit women.

Women, Weihl said, tend to be better welders. They tend to pay more attention to detail and are patient.

Taylor, who has been welding for more than 30 years and is a former Detroit Public Schools instructor, said he believes that if there are going to be more women in the industry, the attitudes of women  and men  must change.

More women, he said, need the confidence to do the job; and more men need to accept women in the industry.

For a long time, people believed that men were the breadwinners and women stayed at home, he said. But we live in a different world today. Women want to compete against us at work, and we have no choice but to welcome them. Men definitely have to change their mind-set.

Taylors students said they are eager to take on the challenge of welding.

When you think welding, you think its a mans job, said Brittany Shepherd, 26. You dont think about women doing it.

The Detroiter said shes held several different jobs since earning her high school equivalency diploma: lifeguard, factory worker, home health care. Her dream, she added, would be to be an underwater archaeologist, but having a job as an underwater welder would be the next best thing.

And Daniela Hagen, who also is taking the class, said she wants to try to make to make a career of welding.

Now, anybody can do anything, Hagen, 23, said. Any girl can do construction. Any girl can do plumbing. And any girl can do welding. Its not just for men. Women can do exactly what men can do. We just need to not be scared to try.

Women tend to be better welders. They tend to pay more attention to detail and are patient.Cindy Weihl, a senior manager of public relations at the American Welding Society.
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An L.A. County Superior Court Judge ruled this week that a woman who is suing the Church of Scientology for forcing her to have an abortion against her will may proceed with her trial.

Laura DeCrescenzo alleges that the Church of Scientology forced her to abort a fetus when she was 17-years-old, according to KABC. DeCrescenzo, who signed a "Billion Year Contract" with the church when she was just twelve years old, originally filed her lawsuit back in 2009. Since then, Scientology has put up a vicious legal fight, managing to stall DeCrescenzo's case until now.

Aside from the forced abortion, DeCrescenzo is accusing Scientology of false imprisonment, intentional infliction of emotional distress, unfair business practices and wage-and-hour violations, according to OC Weekly.

DeCrescenzo was involved with Scientology for about seventeen years, according to court documents. The abortion happened back in 1996, five years into her encounter with the church. At the time, DeCrescenzo was a part of Scientology's infamous "Sea Org," the wing of church for the most dedicated members that coincidentally operates several boats.

According to court documents, the church pressured her into having an abortion by threatening her with unemployment, homelessness, and never seeing her husband again if she had the child. The church also allegedly said that if she lost her job, she would be liable for a "freeloader debt" incurred on all earlier Scientology training and services.

Also a component of this was her husband, who was allegedly angry with DeCrescenzo for getting pregnant in the first place. DeCrescenzo had been using birth-control pills, but stopped shortly before becoming pregnant.

Bear in mind that DeCrescenzo was just seventeen when all this was happening, and remained a part of Scientology for another twelve years.

DeCrescenzo's case alleges that this is common practice within the Church of Scientology. Court documents claim that it is church policy to coerce women into having abortions in order to "maximize the workload" of female employees and keep childcare costs to a minimum.

Court documents reflect that DeCrescenzo exited Scientology's Sea Org in 2004, but continued to be an active part of the church until 2008. She left after stumbling across an confessional ex-scientologist online message board.

Bert Deixler, an attorney for the Church of Scientology, says the court is inappropriately involving itself with religious organzation, according to MyFoxLA.

We do not have the civil courts investigate religious practices, Deixler said. He continued, saying the DeCrescenzo case is a question of faith, and not force."
Baghdad is in a state of emergency after protestors led by Shiite clergyman Muqtada al-Sadr entered the parliament building in the International Zone Saturday, forcing lawmakers to flee.

On Sunday morning, the demonstrators gathered in front of the now-empty parliament building and in what is known as the zones Celebration Square. Later, they announced they would temporarily leave the area. In a statement, Sadrs office said the decision was made because a major Shiite religious observance is taking place.

About 60 lawmakers -- most of them from the minority Kurdish and Sunni parties -- flew out of the capital to Irbil and Suleymania, in the northern, self-governing Kurdish part of the country.

It was dangerous for all of us, one parliament official told VOA. He said some lawmakers were beaten.

Usually, only people with special documents are permitted to enter the secure area, which is also known as the Green Zone. A United Nations office and many foreign embassies are in the zone.

The parliament official said at any time, the protesters could attack any embassy, any institution they want, or abuse anybody passing by. It seems al-Sadr wants to keep them inside the (zone) so he can force the government to do what he wants.

The protest took place after weeks of political disputes and increasing instability. Many Iraqis are angry with the government. They want better government services and security and they want corruption to end.

The parliament official said al-Sadr has the power of the people. One speech and he can deliver thousands of people to do what he wants. It is the power of the populace. Al-Sadr is capable of running and leading the anger within each Iraqi person.

Iraqi security forces have stopped anyone from entering the city, and the military is watching closely to see what happens next.

Im Jonathan Evans.

Correspondent Sharon Behn reported this story from Irbil, Iraq. 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.
A new report says as much as $461 billion was spent on counterfeit and pirated goods around the world in 2013, and that trade continues to grow.

The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development released the report on April 18. The OECD studies economic information to help governments develop economic policies.

Counterfeit goods are illegally-made copies of products. They are made and sold without the permission of the owner. Intellectual property rights, such as copyrights and patents, are forms of ownership that can be difficult to enforce in international trade.

Counterfeit goods can travel through many countries before they reach the place where they are sold.

A study by the OECD found that international trade in counterfeit goods is rising. The group says the amount of money earned from this illegal activity may be larger than the illegal drug trade. It warns that the sales of pirated products may even finance terrorists and criminal groups.

The study found that trade in fake and pirated goods has grown to about 2.5 percent of the worlds imported products  up from 1.9 percent in 2008.

The Deputy Secretary-General of the OECD, Doug Frantz, says counterfeit goods are the biggest single provider of money to the world's underground economy. He said that sales of such products provided some of the financing for the terror attacks at the French magazine Charlie Hebdo.

Frantz also said that counterfeiting creates products that endanger lives. He said examples include "auto parts that fail, pharmaceuticals that make people sick, toys that harm children, baby formula that provides no nourishment and medical instruments that deliver false readings.

Products from the United States, Italy, France, Japan, and Germany are the ones most often copied. Twenty percent of the illegal goods seized are copies of American-made products.

Among OECD member nations, the United States is most affected, the study found. China, it says, is by far the largest source of faked goods. However, Chinese-made products are increasingly being copied, too.

The report says that all countries that create new, innovative products depend on the protection of intellectual property rights.

It adds that OECD countries are hit most by counterfeiting. Thirty-four nations in Asia, Europe, and North and South America are OECD members.

Im Mario Ritter.

Jim Randle reported this story for VOANews.com. Mario Ritter adapted it for Learning English. George Grow was the editor.

______________________________________________________________

Words in This Stories

counterfeit  adj. to make an exact copy of a something, such as a product, to trick people into buying it or believing it is real

copyright  n. the legal right to reproduce, publish or make things such as books or music recordings for a certain amount of time

fund  v. to provide money for

patents  n. a document that gives the holder the right to make or sell a product for a specific period of time

underground  adj. in or into a place that is hidden or secret

source  n. someone or something that provides what is wanted or needed
From hospital staff members

Dear Editor,

We could spend time writing about how many great things the current board and administration have done for this town. However, it seems the only thing some people want to hear about is why their doctor cant treat them in their hospital. Lets clear that up real quick. They quit! They (and I quote) moved on and so have we. They decided to leave you. But guess what, you can still see your doctor and go to your hospital. We take care of all patients and have been ensuring a proper physician hand off at discharge for a year and a half (even if your doctor has told you we havent).

That day in 2014 was a scary day for the staff at LRHC. We were scared for our jobs, our patients, the future of our hospital and our community. Then our LEADER, Leslie Marsh, brought us together and calmed our fears. She told us everything would be okay. She was confident and positive, pushing forward toward PATIENT centered care using a TEAM approach. She was right again! Our leadership team and current board members recruited providers who are fabulous to work with, started an urgent care, a new clinic, built a new outpatient surgical center, private rooms with new bathrooms, new curtains, a nurses station that doesnt look like it belongs in the 70s, and heaven forbid new paint and carpet. These are updates that any quality business would need to do to remain competitive. The board prepared for growth because they are forward thinking individuals who are professionals with experience and good business sense.

In the last year and a half the nurses at LRHC have never had to beg for an order to help our patients, never been yelled at, never been ignored, never had to watch our patients not get the help they need in a timely manner, never had doors slammed in our faces, never been called incompetent, never had to watch our patients faces when the provider was out right horrible to them and then try to make it all better using our nursing care, never had to explain where the doctor was, never had to apologize for what the provider said, never had to repeatedly call the provider to come assess a patient and still wait another 45 minutes for the doctor to get to the emergency room, never been blamed for things that were the providers fault, never been called a liar, and never been screamed at in front of a patient. Are you getting the picture? We dont want Urgent Care or Family Medicine to close just so they can be busy again. We DONT want them back. We refuse to go back to that hostile and abusive environment.

Some of you might be shaking your heads right now in disbelief or be downright mad. We understand that, but the providers that you love and the providers we know are two different people. To put it in perspective, have any of you ever had a boss that you just couldnt stand the sight of because they were absolutely horrible to work with and then at the office parties they are the most liked person in the room?  ya thats what we are dealing with.

This brings us to the matter at hand, the election for the LRHC board. These are some of our concerns: The 4 candidates that were asked to be involved in the NOT advertised town hall meetings which were located in Sumner and Elwood have one agenda. They were asked many questions as to why they wanted to run for the hospital board. They as a group, not individually agreed on two things; they have absolutely no plan to better our hospital or move our community forward. However the main agenda is to sit down and have an honest talk to mend this rift. I wonder if these 4 candidates remember that the hospital spent thousands of dollars toward mediation and PCMG finally agreed, then quit participating (imagine that).

This community should want board members who can control their anger and still show passion toward the greater good. Again, we will refer to the town hall meetings. During these meetings 2 of the 4 invited candidates lost their tempers in an almost extreme way. One candidate screamed at the crowd telling them to shut up, shouted that is a stupid question, and pounded his fists on the table like a child throwing a tantrum. He chuckled at every question or comment from the public. During a community members statement another candidate got up from his seat and stormed up to this persons face, screaming and pointing in anger. We were happy to have the sheriff and other peace officers there for safety. One candidate, who happens to be a physician, publicly agreed that having Dr. Jones on the board is a conflict of interest. Another statement, yes Mark has told me things that were said in executive session (the happenings during the boards executive session are CONFIDENTIAL)! These individuals have NO business being on a board where they are expected to remain professional and unbiased.

We are begging this voting district to be educated voters. Talk to the employees and see the truth in our eyes. We challenge you to forget about all the coffee shop talk and one sided stories that you have heard. This election will affect your community more than you think. The community has to look at the growth of this town, growth of schools, growth of their personal business, the growth of their children or grandchildren, and yes the growth of their HOSPITAL! The board has a duty to uphold, to keep this hospital moving forward not backward. The current board of directors; Kerry Teetor, Rob Anderson, Tara Naprstek, Amber Ackerson, former board member Kathy Neil and administration have gone above and beyond to ensure this community has providers and a FACILITY to serve this area. This is the peoples hospital after all. People of this community have said they are tired of all this drama and that they dont even know what we are fighting for. Well we would say this; WE are fighting for you, our patients, just like we always have and always will.

Sincerely, LRHC Nursing staff

Leah Dutro, RN, Tina Kennedy, RN, Kathy Redding, LPN, Vanji Vosler,RN, Rachel Peterson, RN, Audrey Riebschlager, Julie Mcfadden, LPNC, Alex Scharf, Pamela Kratzer, RN, Barb Foss, APRN, Jessica Wooden, Heather Sentelle, Deanne Guthard, RN, Elizabeth Atwood, RN, Stephanie Reutlinger, APRN, Ronda Wittaker, Deb Richter, LPNC, Tess Gall, RN, Kris Wendland, LPNC, Kimberly Stieben, Tracy Harbison, RN, Peg Block, Jennifer Vigil, RN, Krystal Hernandez, LPNC, Elizabeth Cote, RN, Brittany Hueftle, RN, Hannah Hild, RN, Lacey Anderson, RN, Kristina Bergmark, Skylar Lindenkugel, Dusty Ell, Michael Dominguez, Emily Tvrdy, RN, Ann Young, APRN Deb Schmidt, Loni Knudsen, RN, Sam Sleicher, RN, Jamie Slonecker, Abby Hunt, RN, Renetta Hatfield, RN, Emily Brandt, Jamie Gugelman, RN

P.S. This is the text of the letter the doctors sent to the hospital:

Dear Ms. Marsh

As you know we have tried, over the past several months, to resolve our differences with LexingtonRegionalCenter (Hospital) and rebuild and create a meaningful working relationship with Hospitals management team and Board of Directors. Unfortunately, we have not accomplished this goal and feel it is time to move on. Accordingly, we are voluntarily resigning our Hospital medical staff membership and privileges effective as of 11:59 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 22, 2014. We will ensure that the care of any of our patients remaining-in the Hospital as of such effective date is appropriately transitioned to those providers with medical staff membership and appropriate privileges at the Hospital.

Sincerely,

Edward Ford, M.D.

John Ford, M.D.

Gregory Kloch, M.D.

Mark Jones, M.D.

Joseph Miller, M.D.

Pat Unterseher, M.D.

Jennifer Hunke, PA-C

Melissa Hall, PA-C

Received 11/21/2014 12:55 p.m.

Not Jean Fords candidate

Let me introduce myself, I am Theresa Stuart and I am running for the LRHC Hospital Board. I am not and never have been Jean Fords candidate! I am my own person and I made my decision to run for the LRHC Board after discerning whether or not I thought I had skills and qualities that I could contribute to the board and the communities that are served by LRHC district.

Please allow me to tell each of you who I am: I was born in 1959 in Peoria, Illinois. I attended Catholic grade school and high school. I have a bachelors degree in Political Science from IllinoisStateUniversity. I also have Certification in Parish Administration Pastoral Ministry from Loyola University New Orleans. After college I was a volunteer for 2 years at an all-girls high school in Chicago. I moved to Nebraska in 1983 where I worked for the Catholic Church in Cozad and Gothenburg. In 1985 I married my husband Bruce and I moved to Lexington and became his business partner and a member of the Lexington community. I taught at St. Anns High School the last two years it was in operation. I have spent over 40 years of my life volunteering. I have served on many boards: my parish council, for three years I served as the president of the Grand Island Diocesan Pastoral Council and I am a past member of the Nebraska Farm Bureau Legislative Policy Committee. I understand how boards are to act and the responsibility to the entity they serve.

Besides my biographical information there are many things about who I am that you may or may not find on Google. I am a strong independent woman. (Ask my husband). Justice is the core principle of who I am. One Oxford dictionary definition of justice: as just behavior or treatment: a concern for justice, peace, and genuine respect for people.

I was raised to respect all people, especially the poor and vulnerable. I believe in equal pay for equal work. I believe in standing up for my core principles: the Corporal and Spiritual Works of Mercy. There is no place in my world for bullies. I try to treat others as I want to be treated. I listen to all sides of a story, gather as much information as possible and then I formulate my decision.

My three children were born at Tri-CountyHospital. Sadly one of my sons died at Tri-CountyHospital. Other than specialized procedures I have always used Tri-County/LRHC for surgery/rehab. My experience of health care in Lexington is positive: from primary physicians and their staff, the hospital staff, dental care, and eye care. As a community I feel we are truly blessed to have women and men who excel in their fields of medicine and are proud to call the Lexington area their home.

Theresa Stuart

Lexington

Stamp out hunger drive

Dear Editor:

Saturday, May 4 marks the 24th anniversary of one of Americas great days of giving  the National Association of Letter Carriers Stamp Out Hunger Food drive. Letter carriers walk through the community every day, often coming face to face with a sad reality for too many, hunger.

So, each year on the second Saturday in May, letter carriers across the country collect non-perishable food donations from our customers. These donations go directly to local food donations from our customers. These donations go directly to food to people in Lexington who need our help.

Last year, we collected over 71 million pounds of food nationally, feeding an estimated 30 million people. Over the course of its 23-year history, the drive has collected well over one billion pounds of food, thanks to a postal service universal delivery network that spans the entire nation, including Puerto Rico, Guam and U.S. Virgin Islands.

The need for food donations is great. Currently, 49 million Americans  1 in 6  are unsure where their next meal is coming from. Sixteen million are children who feel hungers impact on their overall health and ability to perform in school. And over 5 million seniors over age 60 are food insecure, with many who live on fixed incomes often too embarrassed to ask for help.

Our food drives timing is crucial. Food banks and pantries often receive the majority of their donations during the Thanksgiving and winter holiday seasons. By springtime, many pantries are depleted, entering the summer low on supplies at a time when many school breakfast and lunch programs are not available to children in need.

Participating in this years Carrier Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive is simple. Just leave a non-perishable food donation in a bag by your mailbox on Saturday, May 14 and your letter carrier will do the rest. I invite you to join in Americas great day of giving and help us in our fight to end hunger.

Sincerely,

Lexington

City and Rural Carriers

Thanks for a great Ag Fest

To the Editor:

It was great to see the enthusiastic reception given to "Ag Fest 2016" held in Dawson and Custer counties. This activity drew more than 939 fourth and fifth graders, their teachers and sponsors. The "Agricultural Community" should appreciate the strong interest school administrators, teachers, and students have in learning more about their industry. Thanks to them for taking time out of school schedules to attend.

Another pat on the back goes to those ag producers, commodity groups, media, agribusinesses, and FFA groups that contributed to and were on hand to tell the amazing story of American agriculture. It is a story of a lifestyle and business that has an ag producer working for 17.4 cents of every food dollar to produce food for 155 people. These stewards of the environment strive year after trying year to provide each of us with the most abundant, wholesome and safest food supply possible ... and they succeed.

As Extension workers, we appreciate everyone's cooperation on "Ag Fest 2016"; and believe, that with all the help we received, our goal of educating young people on the impact of Nebraska Agriculture was met.

We applaud others taking on similar challenges and look forward to the next Ag Fest.

Sincerely,

DawsonCounty Extension- Bruce Treffer, Andrea Nisley, Mike Wolff, Sarah Schlund

CusterCounty Extension - Troy Walz, Jessye Goertz, Colleen Peterson
The Lexington City Council opened the way for a daycare to open in downtown Lexington at their regular meeting Tuesday.

The council voted unanimously to conditionally grant a conditional use permit for 619 N.Washington to Nuridan Nur. Nur owns the African International Market. His attorney, Luke Simpson of Kearney, told the council that Nur observed that there is a need for a daycare in Lexington that 1) has staff who are familiar with the Somali language, and 2) can work around the schedules of Tyson employees, specifically the B shift.

He saw there was a need to fill, and thought he had the resources and willingness to fill it, Simpson said. Hes going to remodel the building and put in an outdoor area so the kids can play outside. He hopes to have up to 30 kids in the daycare eventually.

Simpson continued that his client has been working with Health and Human Services to make sure everything is in order. The daycare is expected to operate between 10 a.m. and 1 a.m.

The council granted the conditional use permit on the property, provided that Nur meets all the zoning requirements and the daycare gets licensed by the state.

In other business, the council approved a rezoning for the property at 210 W. 17th Street. The property was zoned as a single family residence. Applicant Jose Gomez wants to turn the property into a tri-plex.

 The council voted unanimously to call the Combined Utilities Revenue and Refunding Bonds, Series 2011 for redemption, and authorize the issuance of the Series 2016. The move was made to take advantage of more favorable rates and shorten the term of the bond by one year.
Uruguays tight-knit Jewish community was stunned last month when a prominent Jewish businessman was murdered in Paysandu, a small city 235 miles north of the countrys capital. David Fremd, a beloved leader in the Jewish community, was stabbed ten times in the back while the assailant shouted, Allahu Akbar.

Antisemitism is rare in this small Latin American country, known for its tolerance and liberal views. But, says Rabbi Eliezer Shemtov, that seems to be shifting. Before people were ashamed to express themselves as anti-semites, but since the last war in Gaza, that taboo has been broken. Now, on social media and in some circumstances, the sentiment is hostile.

Shemtov, who has been in Montevideo since 1985, came at the behest of the local community. Leaders at the time were concerned about the Jewish communitys viability, and so they wrote to organizations around the world, requesting help. Only the Rebbe responded.

Within 48 hours, a group of rabbinical students were dispatched, among them, Shemtov. When the 23-year-old married later that year, the Rebbe sent him back with his new wife as his permanent representatives to Uruguay.

It wasnt even a third world country then, Mrs. Rochi Shemtov recalls. There were no malls, homes werent equipped with phones with direct international access, and people were afraid to walk in the streets without ID cards as the dictatorships aura still lingered. When Rochi gave birth to the couples first child a few months later, the nurses were on strike and there was no electricity in the hospital. A skeleton staff delivered Mendy via c-section, armed with only a flashlight for illumination.

Despite the grit, and there was a lot of it in those early days, the Shemtovs soldiered on. But what they found, surprised them.

The Uruguayan Jewish community is strongly, vocally Zionistic and equally secular. We came with a lot of answers to questions people didnt have, remembers Rabbi Shemtov. The people couldnt care less. I told them that we came to build a swimming pool of Judaism. Some people would want to swim in the deep end, others would paddle in the shallow section and even more would hang out at the edge of the pool. But we were here to help everyone according to their level.

Slowly, lap by lap, their efforts paid off. And now, as they begin their fourth decade in the country, Chabad is a significant voice on the Jewish scene.

And that little baby, delivered in daunting circumstances three decades ago, has become a leader.

Hes a different kind of rabbi. He was born here, he understands us, he knows what we need, says Alan Gejer, a fellow native Uruguayan. Years ago, when Gejer was an active leader in a Zionist youth group, he met Rabbi Shemtov senior. He was inspired by the rabbis zeal for Judaism, but as the years passed, he lost contact and joined a different congregation. That didnt last. When Gejer was to be married in March, and he needed a rabbi to officiate at his wedding, he looked for Shemtov.

And he found his son.

We started talking, Rabbi Mendy and I and his wife, Musya, and my fiancee. Theyre young like us, and we made a lot of farbrengens, like they call it. We really became good friends. Gejers wedding was the first at which the youthful rabbi officiated, producing an emotional, sensitive experience for the broad guest list. It was a very special moment for my wife and me, and it was a very special moment for him. I was not only nervous at the chuppah, he was too!

Since reconnecting with Chabad, Gejer has attended Shabbat and holiday services. I know he will marry a lot more people here, says the 29-year old. He started a new way to connect with young people, and my friends are coming now too. We arent religious, but Judaism is important to us and something we want to transmit to our family.

Rabbi Mendy is building on his parents success. Chabad of Uruguay presently offers a kosher eatery and bakery, as well as a Hebrew school, mikvah, and a slew of classes and activities that cater to all segments of the community. Its very satisfying to see a child come back to our community, says his father. He is willing and able to continue our work here and the people know and love him.

He changed the way people view Judaism in Uruguay, says Stephen Jakter, an architect. People think its closed; they only wear black hats, black suits. But Mendy changed the mentality for young people here.

Jakter is involved with helping the Shemtovs grow the community. He points to the High Holidays as a prime example of its growth: they couldnt haul extra chairs in quickly enough to meet the growing crowds needs.

Mendy has new and newer ideas. You dont like classes? OK, get involved with giving tzeddaka [charity] to people who need food. You prefer a Shabbat meals over services? Come. You like kosher food? Sit in the bakery, have a coffee, read something about Judaism. Really, he wants to involve everyone.

Last year, a friend dared Shemtov to walk through the capital city for ten hours, captured on a GoPro. Similar to a social experiment conducted in Paris, the friend wanted to witness and record local responses to a rabbi in their midst. As a child, Shemtov walked half an hour, in full Shabbat regalia, to synagogue with his father each week. His fellow Jews, though, many Holocaust survivors or their descendants, were less comfortable showing their Judaism on the street. This was to be an important test for the community.

He walked all over town, stopping to give directions, to talk with people about Judaism, and to take a selfie with an admirer. There was no hatred, Shemtov said later, only respect and blessings. The video, condensed into a two-minute clip, went viral.

But, of course, that respect wasnt evident in all corners of the country.

At Fremds funeral, Shemtov senior spoke about the man he had met 32 years before, when he was a traveling yeshiva student. He didnt look to leave the little town he was in, but rather, he felt that G-d had put him there for a purpose, recalls Shemtov. He wasnt a rabbi or on anyones payroll, but he felt that he could make Paysandu a better, more G-dly place. And he really did.

We are all interconnected. If we can follow Davids example and bring goodness to our own little corners, it will change the world for good.
With a parliamentary standing committee calling for stringent penal provisions to make celebrities who hawk brands accountable for misleading advertisements, industry experts feel it is unfair to single out celebs for such mishappenings.

The Parliamentary Panel on Consumer Affairs, in its recommendations on the Consumer Protection Bill, 2015, has called for stringent provisions, including jail term up to five years and penalty of up to Rs 50 lakh if a celebrity endorsed product misfires.

"I agree that celebs should accept endorsements with a certain amount of responsibility. But it is unfair to make them accountable for products/ads as the subject is technical and requires sound understanding of science as its related to the ingredients of the product and consequent claims," said Madison World chairman Sam Balsara.

The committee wants that for first time offence, the celeb in question must be penalised with either a fine of Rs 10 lakh or imprisonment up to two years or both. For the second offence, the fine should be increased to Rs 50 lakh and imprisonment up to five years.

For subsequent offences, the penalties may be increased proportionately based on the value of sales of the product/ service in question.

After Nestles Maggi noodles were banned by the foods regulator last year for allegedly containing excess lead and the additive monosodium glutamate (MSG), there were many voices demanding accountability from brand endorsers. Some of the noodle brands endorsers included actors Amitabh Bachchan, Madhuri Dixit and Preity Zinta.

The domestic celebrity endorsement market is worth around Rs 5,000-7,500 crore and is growing at a fast clip. But its future looks uncertain with many in the government and Parliament baying for the blood of celebrities who earn most of their incomes from such brand endorsements.

Top male celebrities charge anywhere between Rs 12 crore and Rs 25 crore per annum for each endorsement, while their female peers get half of that at Rs 6-12 crore per annum for endorsement, according to industry estimate. On an average, top celebrities endorse as many 8-12 brands.

According to Anirban Das Blah, managing director of talent management agency Kwan that handles brand endorsements for top Bollywood stars like Deepika Padukone and Ranbir Kapoor, the recommendation makes no sense as celebs dont have the expertise to whet the quality of the product they endorse.

"No celebrity has the means to verify what the brand is saying, and they don't run testing labs. What they have is a legally binding document. Almost every endorsement has a contract which warrants that it is making no false representation of any sort in its advertising," he said.
The Real Estate Act, designed to protect consumer interest and improve accountability of developers, will come into force today, setting in motion the process of making necessary operational rules and creation of institutional infrastructure.

An official statement said that the rules will made within a maximum period of 6 months as per the provisions of the Act.

It also said the proposed authorities, which will ensure timely execution of projects, and the appellate tribunals to adjudicate cases will come up in one year.

The Real Estate Act makes it difficult for promoters and builders to delay projects and gives relief to home-buyers and proposes imprisonment of up to three years besides monetary penalties for any violation of rules.

The law also makes it mandatory for all residential and commercial projects to register with the Regulator and will apply to new and ongoing projects.

As per the notification announcing the commencement of the Act on May 1, 2016, rules under the Act have to be formulated by the Central and State Governments within a maximum period of six months i.e by October 31,2016 under Section 84 of the Act, the statement said.

The Ministry of Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation (HUPA) has notified 69 of the total 92 sections of the Act on Wednesday, the statement said.

Appellate Tribunals will be required to adjudicate cases in 60 days and the Regulatory Authorities will have to dispose of complaints in the same number of days.

A Committee, chaired by Secretary (HUPA), has already commenced work on formulation of Model Rules under the Act for the benefit of States and UTs so that they could come out with Rules in quick time besides ensuring uniformity across the country.

The Ministry will also will come out with Model Regulations for Regulatory Authorities to save on time, the statement said.

A proposal for a law for Real Estate was first mooted at the National Conference of Housing Ministers of States and Union Territories in January, 2009.
The Gujarat Governments announcement of 10 percent reservation for economically weaker sections among the upper castes may have been forced by the nine-month-old Patidar agitation, but it quietly dovetails into Prime Minister Narendra Modis politics, which centres largely around the urban middle class, merges suitably with the thought process of the parent Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), and spawns accurately from the political laboratory of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

The decision, whenever it sees light of the day or doesnt at all, makes a statement, by Modi and his BJP, to Indias burgeoning middle class anger in the belief that its loaf has been sliced away by the Mandal brand of politics. Something the RSS leadership, palpably dominated by the higher castes, strongly believes and so wants  as its chief Mohan Bhagwat says  a review of the reservation system aimed at making it based on the economic backwardness instead of caste backwardness.

There cannot be a better place than Gujarat to begin with this experiment just like the successfully tested Hindutva attempt that began from the 1992 Ram Jamnabhoomi yatra from Somnath and continued right through the 2002 post-Godhra conflagration.

This caught the imagination of Gujarats huge and ever-burgeoning urban middle class. The evidence is not far to seek: Of the 72 State Assembly seats in the urban middle class regions in Gujarat, 69 are with the BJP, and three are with the Congress. All the eight city municipal corporations in the State, barring the tiny Gandhinagar Municipal Corporation, are controlled by the BJP. The situation is not post-Modi but has continued to be so ever since the BJP formed its first government in Gujarat in 1995, two-and-a-half years after the demolition of the Babri Masjid.

Tracing this further back to the anti-reservation agitation of 1981 and 1985, led by the upper caste-dominated urbane BJP against the then Congress Government, there is a connect. The agitation was successfully converted into a protracted Hindu-Muslim confrontation that dismantled the lethal KHAM combination created by the Congress with Kshatriyas of the OBC denomination, Harijans, Adivasis and Muslims. The spearhead here was the affluent Patel community. The BJPs growth story in Gujarat thus began here.

The 14 percent Patels, who formed the solid foundation for the BJP, have now come back to ask for their share of the spoils. Appeasing them would be rubbing the other sizeable upper urban middle castes the wrong way and not appeasing them would cost the BJP its Gujarat power, as was shown in the November-December elections to the local self-government bodies. This explains the 10 percent reservation to economically weaker sections among all the upper castes, whose annual income is Rs 6 lakh or less (Rs 50,000 per month).

A large portion of this would obviously be the urban middle class. Those earning Rs 50,000 a month have their own family house and a car at the minimum. Reservations for this urban middle class would therefore strengthen the BJPs Hindutva vote, points out Gujarats veteran human rights lawyer Girish Patel.

This also sits well with the high-caste dominated RSS leadership, which wants Indias reservation system to be completely overhauled to one that is based on economic criterion, he says.

That this undermines the very purpose of reservations as envisaged by BR Ambedkar  to counter caste exploitation of a huge population of the country  is another matter. The real essence of reservations was never to be a vehicle for job mobilisation and fight against poverty, Patel points out. It is still another matter that even this has not been served with the creation of a strong creamy layer among the quota beneficiaries.

The ideal place, says political scientist and former professor of Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) Ghanshyam Shah, to experiment with creation of the new reservation prototype is from the BJPs time-tested political factory of Gujarat. For Narendra Modi, the implementation of the quota system on economic criterion, if it at all becomes possible, is best tried in Gujarat since it rhymes perfectly with the Hindutva rhetoric. It also blends equally with Modis definition of development that has mainly to do with economic growth, he says.

Having learnt it the hard way, the Congress in Gujarat quite understands the success potential of this experiment and has sought a 20 percent quota for the economically weaker sections  though this is merely to grab its own two-minutes in the television sound bite space.

The BJP is trying to establish among the upper castes that the Congress has usurped them of their quota from the development pie to woo the Dalits and the Adivasis for political gains, says Manish Doshi, the Congress spokesperson for Gujarat.

He argues: From Gujarat, the Sangh Pariwar wants to implement its dangerous game plan to set off a country-wide debate in favour of quotas on economic basis, and thus create an opinion to put an end to the reservation system that had originally sought to end the hegemony of the upper castes over the society.

(The writer is Editor, Development News Network, Gujarat)
New Delhi: The Centre has declined to share details of India's efforts to get back the famous Kohinoor diamond from the UK, saying the matter was subjudice.

"A petition has been filed in Supreme Court of India regarding retrieval of Kohinoor diamond from London, UK. Since the matter is now subjudice, hence no information can be provided," the Archaeological Survey of India said in reply to an RTI query filed by PTI.

An application was filed with the External Affairs Ministry seeking details of steps taken for return of Kohinoor along with copies of letters written to and response received from the United Kingdom in this regard. The query was forwarded to Culture Ministry.

The issue of Kohinoor diamond has been in news for the last few days. In response to a Public Interest Litigation being heard by the apex court, the government had on April 18 said the diamond estimated to cost over USD 200 million was neither stolen nor "forcibly" taken by British rulers but gifted to the East India Company by erstwhile rulers of Punjab 167 years back.

However, the next day, it had said all efforts will be made to get it back.

Kohinoor, which means mountain of light, is a large, colourless diamond that was found in southern India in early 14th century. The 108-carat gem, which came into British hands during the colonial era, is the subject of a historic ownership dispute and has been claimed by at least four countries including India.

Earlier responding to another RTI application, the ASI had said under the provisions of the Antiquities and Art Treasure Act, 1972, India takes up the issue of retrieval of only such antiquities as have been illegally exported out of the country.

"Since the object referred by you (Kohinoor) has been taken out of the country prior to the Independence, the

Archaeological Survey of India is not in a position to process the matter," it had said.

To a question seeking details of items which are in the UK's custody and India wants to claim them back, the ASI, which functions under the Culture Ministry said: "There is no list available with the Archaeological Survey of India about the items in Britain's custody".

The apex court is hearing the PIL filed by All India Human Rights and Social Justice Front seeking directions to the High Commissioner of United Kingdom for return of the diamond besides several other treasures.

The PIL has made Ministry of External Affairs and Ministry of Culture, High Commissioners of the UK, Pakistan and Bangladesh as parties to the case. It has also sought return of the ring and sword of Tipu Sultan and other treasures of him besides Bahadur Shah Zafar, the Queen of Jhansi, Nawab Mir Ahmad Ali Banda and other rulers of India.
Rajdeep Sardesai is culpable because he erred in leaving Twitter, even if temporarily as he put it. Because, by doing so he has gave his tormentors a glimpse of his weakness. He gave the sanskari trolls what they always wanted.

Watching him give up, concede defeat and beat a retreat was always their dream. And Sardesai just made them shriek a collective howl of joy.

For those who are wondering what this is all about, here is a brief history of Rajdeep's sudden exit from Twitter.

On Saturday, Sardesai bid goodbye to Twitter. He did this after direct messages were sent out on Twitter through his account. "Teri maa ki boo aa rahi hai," one of them allegedly read in response to an allegation that Sardesai was a beneficiary of money spent by Finmeccanica, parents of AgustaWestland, for managing media coverage of the chopper deal and was, thus, smelling fear.

@shilpitewari @BDUTT @sardesairajdeep I got this DM , I can't reply coz i follow u and u don't follow me. AC hacked? pic.twitter.com/yP7xMTdrC4  Kaustubh (@kaustubhsumbre) April 29, 2016

Nobody knows if Sardesai had tweeted out the abusive response. For years the celebrated journalist and his wife have been victims of relentless social media campaign questioning their integrity, primarily because they are an anathema to followers of the BJP and fans of prime minister Narendra Modi. Sardesai had so far exhibited restraint and caution in spite of serious provocation.

Sardesai claimed the tweets were not his. There has been a campaign of abuse in last one week and it has been extremely personal, and apparently DMs have been sent from my account which I havent sent so I have informed Twitter about it. I have temporarily disabled the account till they sort out the issue and tell me what has to be done. If a police complaint has to be filed, it will be filed. Anyways this is a good break, Sardesai told Indian Express.

If his account was indeed hacked, it would be a new low even by the abysmal standards of the rightwing commentariat in India. But Twitter is yet to verify Rajdeeps claim.

Does it matter?

Abusive social media trolls are digital avatars of the louts who lurk in street corners, on intersections and markets, waiting to pass nasty comments on women, the bullies who prowl in schools and campuses in search of soft targets. Nothing frustrates them more than the realisation that even their most vile, villainous antics failed to break the resolve of their quarry. Nothing encourages them more than the satisfaction of a triumph over a victim.

Even if Sardesai reacted in the way he is accused of, it is understandable if not justifiable in light of the continuous provocation and abuse hes been receiving. It happens to all of us. None of us is god incarnate to control our hurt and anger for years, as Rajdeep has done since the advent of online bullying. It is natural to get upset though not advisable to assume the language of the trolls  which in itself if a bigger victory for the trolls (if his handle was not hacked, that is).

But, by disabling his account, Sardesai gave the social media bullies a trophy victim. He gave them hope that if they continue, the voice of reason can be silenced. He let down others who are subjected to such online violence, including journalists like Barkha Dutt and his wife Sagarika Ghosh who have proferred a thicker skin despite uglier provocation.

In some other world, where there are mental health experts scanning social media behaviour, most of these abusers would have been recommended some form of therapy. Some of them would even have been dragged, kicking and screaming, to a shrink and locked up in rehab. Online trolling, as research has shown, is a mental sickness.

In a recent article, The Guardian argued that many of these trolls can benefit from cognitive behavioural therapy. "This approach is grounded in the idea that changing patterns of thought can alter our emotions and behaviour. In one form of therapy called 'stress inoculation training', patients begin by identifying triggers that provoke reactions of anger or aggression. They then practise self-statements to counteract their usual responses, such as 'This isn't important enough to get angry about' or 'I shouldn't take this personally'. Some evidence suggests that CBT may be effective in reducing aggression, though whether it leads to real-world benefits for anti-social behaviour has been questioned," the paper advised while looking at the psychology of online abusers.

Clearly, it is the online abusers  notice the word 'patients' used for them  who need a break. Not their victims like Sardesai.

Two days ago, when Congress leader Digvijaya Singh's daughter died, some of the rightwing trolls broke into inhuman glee. They rejoiced at the loss of a young life, like barbarians dancing around a corpse, cracking one-liners and jokes just because the unfortunate girl's father was their political and ideological rival. Had they been endowed by talons and claws, they would have even turned into vultures.

A global website that tracks incendiary bullying concludes trolls are people with serious sociological, psychological and deep-seated mental issues, stemming from either sexual abuse, mental illness, and problems with their sexual identity.

"Do you really think any sane person would want to go onto a discussion board, with the sole purpose of starting an argument, if they were not mentally ill? These people would not act that way in the street in front of a random stranger, so what gives them the right to do it in an online environment? " argues anti-troll.org.

Sardesai's exit from Twitter is the right opportunity to ponder what is acceptable online, what is a cognisable offence and what can be tolerated without ruining lives and reputations. And to ask ourselves what are the borders of online sanity, for both Sardesai and his tormentors.

Here is my suggestion: Let us ensure that all trolls come out in the open, share their real names, identities and faces. And be held liable for their claims and allegations.

Once we know who they are it would be easy to put to test Ram Prasad Bismil's hypothesis: Dekhna hai zor kitna bazu-e-katil main hai?
New Delhi: Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Sunday reviewed the situation in Uttarakhand where raging forest fires have destroyed 2269 hectares of jungles in several districts and claimed at least seven lives.

The Home Minister held discussions with chief secretary and other officials of the state government on the situation arising due to the forest fire and offered all assistance from the Centre. Singh directed central officials to provide all possible assistance to the state government to control the forest fires.

The Home Minister on Saturday spoke to Governor K K Paul, who briefed him about the situation in the hill state. The Home Ministry has already sent several teams of National Disaster Response Force to help the state government to douse the fire.

A Mi 17 chopper of the IAF on Sunday began water sprinkling operations in Nainital to control the forest fires. Seven persons have been killed due to the forest fires, which have spread to sparsely populated remote hill areas. Pauri, Nainital, Rudraprayag and Tehri are among the worst-hit districts.

Union Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar has said that the Centre was taking the forest fires very seriously and making all efforts to control it. He said the government will study the reasons behind such major fires and prepare an action plan accordingly.
Dehradun: With major fires blighting around 1,900 hectares of forests in Uttarakhand, the government on Saturday decided to press two MI-17 helicopters into service as NDRF, SDRF and Army personnel struggled to douse the flames which have claimed six lives till now.

A total of 1890.79 hectares of green cover have been destroyed this fire season which had an early start on 2 February due to a dry winter.

Chamoli, Pauri, Rudraprayag, Tehri, Uttarkashi, Almora, Pithoragarh and Nainital are the worst-affected districts.

While three NDRF teams and one SDRF company are busy dousing the flames in different parts of the state, two IAF choppers have been sent to Nainital and Pauri districts, among the worst hit, to spray water over the burning jungles, Raj Bhawan officials in Dehradun said.

Enough funds have been made available to all affected districts besides required personnel and equipment to deal with any situation, they said.

"One MI-17 chopper has been stationed at Bhimtal near Nainital right which is being loaded with water collected from the waterbodies in the area and begin spraying water over affected areas from tomorrow," Chief Secretary Shatrughna Singh said.

Another IAF chopper sent to Pauri will operate in similar fashion, a Raj Bhawan official said.

With forest fires still raging three NDRF teams have been deployed in Almora, Gauchar and Pauri and one team of SDRF in Nainital to extinguish the flames, Principal Conservator of Forest BP Gupta said.

Rudraprayag forest division is also taking help from the army for fire fighting operations especially along the highway, he said.

The casualties due to forest fires, which have spread to sparsely populated remote hill areas, have risen to six with another life claimed in Nainital district on Friday evening. The deceased include three women and a child.

Since the beginning of forest fire season in the state in February, 922 incidents have occurred so far in which seven were injured and 1890.79 hectares of green cover being affected, Gupta told PTI.

Worried over forest fires which are still raging in different parts of the state, Governor KK Paul reviewed the rescue efforts underway via videoconferencing with officials in the field and asked them to speed up their efforts.

NDRF companies assisted by expert teams and locals are conducting fire extinguishing and rescue operations in affected areas of Garhwal and Kumaon regions.

IG Sanjay Gunjyal is coordinating with the NDRF, the district magistrates concerned and Principal Conservator of Forest to supervise the rescue operations.

Locals are being encouraged to report a fire incident to the district magistrate concerned as soon as they sight it so that it can be controlled in time.

The governor has doubled the number of personnel deployed to control the fires from 3000 to 6000 and asked all agencies including the SDRF, district administration and the rural population to contribute their bit in the exercise saying the forest department alone cannot accomplish the onerous task, Gupta said.

Forest fires are natural during summer but this time they have occurred on a bigger scale as the fire season which normally begins by 15 February and ends by 15 June, began on 2 February.

Former chief minister Harish Rawat has asked the governor to declare Uttarakhand as a fire disaster struck state and involve locals as much as possible in fire extinguishing efforts.

Pradesh Congress president Kishore Upadhyay also wrote to party workers asking them to work unitedly to pull the state out of the crisis.

The PCF said the scale of forest fires in Uttarakhand this time has been bigger due to little or no rain during winter at most places.

Pre-fire alerts listing possible fire points over the next seven days in forest areas is being made available on forest department's website www.forest.uk.govt. an official release here said.

The governor today held a meeting held via video- conferencing at the secretariat with regard to forest fires and the preparations of char dham yatra.

He said the DMs must gather all resources required. The administration would provide the funds.

A system should be made in which the information about forest fires is obtained immediately and action taken

immediately.

An incident response system should be activated. Control rooms in districts must work round the clock. DMs must ensure coordination among all departments.

Mass awareness campaigns be launched and gram panchayats, yuva mangal dals, mahila mangal dals and local people should be involved to ensure the control of the fires.

Meanwhile, Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan said that Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) is rushing Aviation Turbine Fuel (ATF) refullers to replenish IAF choppers deployed to douse the massive fire in Uttarakhand.

"Spoke to Governor Uttarakhand; IOC rushing ATF refuellers to reach Haldwani & Srinagar by morning for firefighting by airforce helicopters," he tweeted.
How did the short story in Tamil literature evolve? This was the question editor Dilip Kumar (who had previously edited Contemporary Tamil Short Fiction) and translator Subashree Krishnaswamy wanted to examine when they set out to compile their new book, The Tamil Story.

Sub-titled Through the times, through the tides, The Tamil Story was painstakingly put together by Dilip and Subashree, after combing through all the available sources where short stories were published: libraries and private collections, literary journals, popular magazines, anthologies of old literary magazines, short story collections of individual authors and collected anthologies of various writers. Eighty-eight short stories spanning nine decades (1913-2000) were finally selected for inclusion in their book.

These stories are not just literary gems in themselves  they also document the societal landscapes prevalent when they were written and straddle a range of social concerns relevant to those times.

In an email interview with Firstpost, Dilip and Subashree told us about their experiences working on The Tamil Story.

Why did this question  the origins of the short story in Tamil literature  interest you?

Tamil has a rich tradition of short fiction, which can be traced to early twentieth century and the steady stream flowed on through the decades without any let-up. Given such a rich legacy, we realised that there was a need and scope for a comprehensive anthology which would not only record the evolution of the Tamil short story but also showcase the wide range of expressions and possibilities of the genre. Besides, we thought it would also reflect and document the pulse beat of Tamil Nadu, both social and cultural. We are sure that the galaxy of writers featured in this book has amply justified the need for such a book.

What was the earliest known instance of a short story being written in Tamil?

It is generally agreed that the tradition of fiction began in the 1850s. But the short story, as we understand today, made its appearance in the early decades of the twentieth century. The delightful story by Ammani Ammal featured in our collection as the very first story was written in 1913. This is considered to be one of the earliest short stories to be published in Tamil.

In the course of compiling the book, were there any findings or stories that both of you, with all your expertise and knowledge of the subject, were pleasantly surprised by?

A close reading of a handful of early writers itself revealed that the Tamil writers had convincingly mastered the art of the short story. Take for instance, the first story by Ammani Ammal. It begins like a tame fable, but the intelligent end demonstrates how the element of the modern short story has been deftly woven in. A Madhavaiahs story Kannans Grand Mission is another fine example. He uses a play-like structure, using a single line like a scene changer. He also boldly rattles the caste equations of the time, making the story thoroughly modern not only in terms of form but also content.

What was the most compelling aspect of the narratives you came across? Did you see a pattern in the themes and subjects or styles depicted/used in the stories as you moved over this very vast section of time, from 1913 onwards?

Any literary work has to reflect the concerns and the issues of the day. It is perhaps the short story that convincingly captures the human response to the struggles and complexities of modern life. The Tamil short story is no different. For instance, the post-Independence writers exhibited a new spirit, in tune with the aspirations of a young nation. In the sixties, however, this idealism was replaced by stinging social criticism. To take another example, the 1990s witnessed the emergence of Dalit writing, which reinterpreted and shaped the literary discourse with its unique approach to the narrative. The raw, earthy writings brought in a new literary experience and unexplored landscapes.

It has been said about The Tamil Story that it includes works not just of stalwarts such as Pudumaippittan, Mauni, Sundara Ramaswamy and Ashokamitran, but also relatively unknown voices. Could you tell us about finding this balance between selecting writers whose work was known, and not as well-known?

It was not our intention to include famous names and unsung voices in a binary fashion. Our selection was more defined by the literary merit of the story rather than the reputation of the writers. Excellence is the unifying thread that links the stories and the balance readily fell into place on its own.

Where does the short story format find itself in the current scenario?

With the novel taking precedence now, the short story is perhaps going through a slightly leaner phase. Even writers who began with the short story have moved on to the novel. Therefore there are only a handful of significant short story writers today. However, we are hopeful that this phase will tide over.
After a long interview with Hanif Kureishi, co-convener of the Lodhi Art District, it was time to see the latest instance of their mission that rides on the wings of the Swacch Bharat mission and the matching vision of the CSR branch of Asian Paint.

Lodhi colony is lovely for a stroll even in the intense late afternoon summer heat. That is one of the reasons why the St+art Foundation chose Lodhi colony after they had worked in Shahpur Jat in 2014 and painted walls scattered across Delhi in 2015.

The non-profit organisation founded by Arjun Behel, Giulia Ambrogi, Akshat Nauriyal, Thanish Thomas and Hanif Kureishi aims at promoting art to be out there for the consumption of anyone and everyone. The colony, with its roads at straight angles, characteristic walls and central location, provided the perfect canvas for a different kind of expression, says Kureishi.

Kureishi emphasised that their decision to create a public art district was motivated by the desire to make an impact. Presenting their art within a loosely bounded area made sure that people can seek it out easily. The aim is to create art for all, which does not make people say I dont understand art.

The trick is to try and find the balance by creating murals that are neither over-conceptionalised, nor degrade standards.

To try and gauge the impact on the public, I walk up to the kulcha wallah manning a stall in front of the wall decorated by the miniature painter Mahendra Pawar. He seems to feel unqualified to answer my questions but suggests talking to the guy in the Bata shop, who had seen it being put up.

The Bata guy is very enthusiastic and turns the question back on me What is the one thing that is special about this wall?

Seeing my hesitation, he offers the answer himself.

Its because its art  its not the skill its the art that makes it special  because if you look at it carefully, all the flowers are open, none of them are closed.

Then I wander off into one of the cross lanes to find a guy taking pictures of another, standing on a childrens bike in front of Harsh Ramans work. They live on the other side of Khanna market and are interested in art photography. They drive from one mural to the other in a car in pursuit of their interest.

On the other side of the street sits a boy of eight or nine, watching them. I sit down next to him and ask if the bicycle belongs to him. He nods with a slight distrust. When the guys leave, having thrust 20 rupees in his hand, he tells me that he had got his bicycle pimped up like a motorcycle, with the paint used on the walls, by the artist. He even named his bike Dhoom and put a Haryana licence plate on the crowbar.

As I walk on, a girl of about the same age says hi and offers me a kaccha aam she has just picked from a tree. She disappears under one of the arches in the middle of an undecorated wall to ask permission from her mother to show me around the art district. She loves the paintings, all of them.

As I wait for her, I look at the next wall where hundreds of faces erupt from a mushroom cloud. A man walks out of the building opposite and asks me in English, Are you admiring the art work? People come from far away to look at it and take pictures but I enjoy it the most. The window of my room opens to this sight.

Janvi catches up with me. She and her family live in a jhuggi in the middle passage of one of the government buildings opposite the calligraffiti mural by Niels Shoe Meulman. She tells me that they had also been made to paint in school around the theme of the Swacch Bharat mission, which made the art district happen by sorting out a clash between two different government bodies, the NDMC and the CPWD, says Hanif.

On the way we are also joined by Janvis Nepali friend, Prerna, and, as we walk down the streets, our odd trio gets many a stare and a few rude remarks. Are you hoping to get some money off her?

What are you doing with her, chilly chink? Oye chamara, are you her guide?

I try to call them out but the girls shrug their shoulders and I dont know what more I could do.

We are showing her the paintings, they say proudly and turn to me with a scowl. Badtamiz log hai.

There is also a Gandhiji down there, and well show you the murgi too! They show me Gandhiji and exclaim about Swacch Bharat. When I ask them if they think these paintings make their Bharat Swacch, first they shake their head and then start to vigorously nod.

We move along but it is getting late, so my companions bid me farewell after they point me to the direction of the Gond art-inspired wall by the artist Rakesh Kumar. I am left alone to appreciate the elephant, with winding branches streaming out of its tusks, step into a throttle. It feels as if the full might of the forest were charging at our wasteful urban ways.

Not everyone is so positive about public art in India. One of the representative voices is Aastha Chauhan, a Delhi-based artist, interested in socially engaged art and collaborative practices, who convened the first street art festival in Khirki in 2012. She believes that the top-down approach, and the overemphasis of international artists does not make these projects truly public.

She believes that not working closely with the communities and ignoring the homegrown dynamics of the spheres where the murals are put up amounts to the colonisation of public space by the artist.

In Shahpur Jat, where murals were put up in 2014, the situation is very different.

Most people answer with Yeh pata nahin kya lagaya hai to the question what the paintings are supposed to be.

Residents are nonchalant about the presence of the now aged artworks and also about people coming to look at them. A group of old men playing cards tell me to take pictures, because everyone else does. The youngsters hanging around explain to me that the black lines on the wall trace a worm of the conch shell that pandits blow in the temple.

An older lady exclaims, Why would I be looking up the wall? Its so high, I would strain my neck and then, who would be cooking dinner for my family?

A man in an electrical shop talks of how those who are in that line of business will be concerned with the paintings. His business is fixing electrical items and thus does not know about and cares not for art. His job is to provide for his family because the government does not provide for him.

However, even in Shapur Jat, there are people, apart from the boutique visitors, who appreciate the beauty of public art. Even if the painting of Anpus giant cat has now been inadvertently privatised by a couple of floors erected above the houses in front, there is a certain noticeable pride among the people in the vicinity.

The local tobacconist exclaims when asked about the project.

It was truly international!
Editor's note: So youve swiped right, exchanged numbers and got yourself a date on Tinder. What next? This is a 10-part series on the dating landscape among the young-ish and single-ish of India. Part I is about the "Tinder Man"  the 10 guys you'll see on Tinder.

So, ladies, you have a flame on your phone app and in your  ehm  unmentionables. But before you pop open that Moet at having discovered the Uber for dating and mating, you might want to have a sneak peek at the type of men that Tinder has on offer.

Warning: The following information could convince you to keep that cork secure, if you catch my drift.

1. THE 'I'M HORNY AND YOU KNOW IT' GUY

His photo: Stock footage of  ripped shirtless abdomen, low jeans ending just above the crotch, an impossibly good-looking white couple in coitus, Hrithik Roshan.

His intro: I'm looking to find a married housewife that is feeling neglected or board (sic) and would like some company during the day, whilst hubby is off at work. I'm married too but missing out, if you are, perhaps we could help each other have a more enjoyable days.

This guy saved himself for marriage but his wife aint giving him any. He cant divorce his wife but he will divorce sex deprivation. Hes on Mission Tinder and its all about getting laid.

His message: Im excellent in love making having very good horsepower.

2. THE MARRIED GUY

His photo: The only thing more confusing than female condoms is seeing a guy on Tinder clutching onto his wife and baby. Why is he on Tinder? Why did he upload this family photo? And, why oh why is he holding his family as though swiping right will tear them apart?

His intro: Here to make fraands.

Put this man in a witness box and hell solemnly swear that hes on Tinder to make fraandship because  duh!  you cant make friends by talking to people in real life. Who even does that anymore?

His message:

#Sorry for disappointment as I am married.. you are late just kidding.

#I am here just to make good like minded fraands with whom I can roam around like family and need not hide myself.

#I am very bad on PJs and my fraands always try to kill me for that.

#Lastly I don't eat people if they accept my fraandship. And don't bother them even if they don't accept.

#That's I am...

Indeed.

3. THE PARTY ANIMAL

His photo: Bella Swan would swipe right. For this man, like a vampire, is never seen in broad daylight. His photos are taken in smoke-filled bars, deep in the night, with his head lolling, body swaying, eyes red, a drink in his hand and a little powder on his nose.

His intro: This is not Shaadi.com.

He will scold you, before you even have the chance to swipe left. True to his vampire kinship, this man will remain forever alive. He will be on Tinder in 2016, 2017, 2018  2059  holding that same glass of vodka, with those same red eyes and that same wobbly pose.

His message: Sup? Wanna meet at 2nite?

4. THE INTELLECTUAL

His photo: Showing his face is too plebian an act, so there will be a sepia-toned photograph of this man staring wistfully away into what is hopefully not a woman. His next photo will be a Rumi quote about love, followed by the cover of a French novel that no one has heard of.

His intro: Sapiosexual.

For a second I thought that sapiosexual was a man who got turned on by tree sap. Because you see, despite this words raging popularity on Tinder, I have yet to meet someone who introduces himself as, Hi, Im sapiosexual!

His message: e^{\pi i} + 1 = 0 [/xy]

Loosely translates into: Would you like to meet for coffee?

5. THE SRK FAN

His photo: This guy will stand in front of buildings and mountains and statues of Mamta Banerjee, with his arms stretched out, as though waiting for you to run into them.

His intro: Nothing. Hes waiting for you to run into his arms.

His message: Nothing. Hes waiting for you to run into his arms.

6. THE OLD IS GOLD GUY

His photo: Champagne in one hand and the young unsuspecting wife of a fellow bloke in another, this guy will upload group photos in five-star bars, where hes the only one with white hair, wrinkles and a wink. You see, Botox and anti-ageing creams are passe. This guy has discovered the new fountain of youth: Tinder. And its free (how else will he pay for that champagne?).

His intro: 39 yo!

He was 39. In 1999.

Hell swipe everyone right in the hope of finding a gold-digging young  above 18; keep it legal, yo!  and watching her grow.

His message: Yo! I wont tell anyone we met here if you dont.

This is what counts as old-world charm in new-age Tinder.

7. THE CAR MECHANIC

His photo: Hell stand in front of a Ferrari, Mercedes or BMW but will never be inside them.

His intro: Life in the fast lane.

His message: Vroom ... vroom

This fella will take you to Sukh Sagar for a date, in his bade sahibs BMW.

8. THE WORKOUT GUY

His photo: This man will only have semi-nude selfies with his six-pack abs, the most notable being of him posing in front of a mirror in a towel. Hes most likely an unemployed model, actor or the next Taher Shah wannabe.

His intro: How fit you are decides how far you go.

Wait, isnt that line from the new Kangana Ranaut ad?

His message: Hmmm .

Hes humming because hes hit himself on the head with his own dumbbell. Many times.

9. THE LIAR, LIAR

His photo: The first photo will be of him in a suit looking nonchalantly Don Draperish, the second photo will be of him holding a laughing baby, and the third photo will be of him helping blind people cross the road.

His intro: Harvard, Yale, Wharton. Doctor with my own practice. 6'2". Volunteer at Red Cross. The baby in the picture is my niece. Looking for a deep meaningful relationship with the one.

His message: After seeing you, Im so glad my friend downloaded Tinder on my phone, without my permission, and my hand swiped right, due to a muscle spasm.

If he sounds too good to be true, then he probably is. In reality, hes probably an unemployed divorcee with BO and a PhD from YALE  Yamini's Aloo Lauki Enstitute. Dont believe me? Google him.

10. THE DUMBSTRUCK

His photo: Hell only upload group photos where hes the one clutching something  a friend, guitar, a baby (niece, of course) or a tree.

Being on Tinder is the bravest and coolest thing hes ever done. Its like his bungee jumping. He cant believe hes made it.

His intro: Anyone out there??? Swipe right plssssssz.

His message:

Hiiiiiii. How urr?

Im fine.

Hi.

How urr?

Same as a second ago.

Your smile is so sweet and beautiful, Oh Lord pls take care of this well...



I will tell The Lord.

How urr?

Hi. How urr this Sunday morning?

Hi. How urr this Sunday afternoon?

How urr this Sunday evening?

Hello. Where urr? Where urr? Where urr?

Seems urr busiiieee

Hiiiiiiiiiiiiiii

Did I forget to mention that hes a virgin?

Next week: Part II  "The Tinder Woman"  The 10 Ladies You See On Tinder
Pushed to the corner on the AgustaWestland VVIP chopper scam, the Congress has made a strong retaliatory strike against the ruling BJP, particularly against its president Amit Shah, who a day ago had put some straight questions to Sonia Gandhi.

The Congress president, of course, would not respond to it but fielded Randeep Singh Surjewala, in-charge of partys communication department to take on the BJP president.

Sample his statement: Amit Shah and BJP leaders have become masters in pursuing politics of deceit and deliberate lies. No wonder, empty vessels make the loudest sound. BJP government and its leaders need to introspect, whether mudslinging and muckraking can ever replace the truth?

His statement runs into a few pages and some annexure attached claim that it was actually the Modi government which was at fault in shielding the bribe givers and bribe takers. One can make ones own judgment on the Congress leaders words that the chopper scam and the subsequent revelation originating through the Milan Court of Appeals judgement papers is just a part of the smear campaign and hatchet job of the BJPs dirty tricks department defend the Operation Cover-up of BJP government in helping AgustaWestland.

In his enthusiasm to ring fence his leader Sonia Gandhi and some others, the Congress leader tends to forget to answer simple questions: When did the scam take place? Did the Congress-led UPA government, despite an admission made by then Defence Minister AK Antony that bribe was paid to people in the Indian establishment, bring the guilty to book? Also, who was the force behind the decision the on Rs 3,600-crore deal for 12 helicopters to be used by the VVIPs.

Two days ago, in one of his rare appearances on a television show, Ahmad Patel, the all powerful political secretary of Sonia Gandhi, told Times Now that he was there to defend himself, his leader (Sonia Gandhi) and his party. What this actually meant that blame Manmohan Singh government as much as you want but spare the Congress president. The BJP is not falling into that trap.

On Friday, the BJP mounted a concerted attack and fired at the Congress from all possible quarters. In the morning, the irrepressible Subramanian Swamy filed a notice of breach of privilege against Congresss Ghulam Nabi Azad for willfully telling a lie in Rajya Sabha that AgustaWestland was blacklisted by the UPA regime, as also filing another notice challenging expunging of his words by the Deputy Chairman, which the BJP leader felt was arbitrary, unreasonable and against Rajya Sabha Rules. Outside, he can use the words, Sonia Gandhi and Italian Constitution, but not inside, not in Rajya Sabha.

Few hours later, Amit Shah issued a statement from Ahmedabad asking some biting questions to Sonia on Agusta scam. By night two more developments happened  first, Modi government issued an around 1500-word statement, a point-by-point rebuttal to the Congresss retaliatory strike. Second, the CBI and ED issued summons to the disgraced former Air Force chief SP Tyagi and another senior officer to appear before it for inquiry.

Interestingly, the official government statement on Agusta scam issued by the Information and Broadcasting ministry referred to charges made from quarters that Tyagi was part of Vivekanand foundation established and headed by Ajit Doval in his independent capacity. It didnt matter that the Foundation had through a tweet denied to this charge on 27 April: Ever since 2013, Air Chief Marshal S P Tyagi is not associated with the Vivekananda International Foundation @vifindia in any capacity. The Congress and its sympathisers had continued making this charge to suggest that the tainted ex-air chief was close to the NDA regime not to the UPA.

A few have even sought to link one of the accused with Shri Ajit Doval, present NSA, as also Shri Nripendra Mishra, Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister. This is a totally baseless assertion, devoid of reason and logic, and indicative of malicious intent. In reality, there is no such connection, the government statement said.

The statement does not name the Congress because an official statement of Government of India cant respond to a political partys counter charges per se. But whats interesting that it refers to the Congress as a small section of Indian polity. The Congress which till recently ruled at the centre and in most Indian states surely would not take it kindly but has surprisingly not responded to it. It is perhaps waiting for its turn in Rajya Sabha when it opens on Monday to prove that it is still the biggest party.

It is indeed tragic that a small section of the Indian polity has attempted, unsuccessfully, to divert and diffuse the public discourse on this matter. They question the speed of the government processes, especially the investigation. But, they do not ask how the corrupt influenced the process of acquisition in the first place and bled the nation. They do not admit corruption; they instead boldly proclaim, catch us if you can, the statement said.

In the matter pertaining to acquisition of AgustaWestland helicopters, the undisputed central issue that stands out is corruption, especially bribery. Any other line of assumption, approach and effort, as is being attempted in some quarters, is misleading, tries to hide the wrong-doers and is driven by instincts of self preservation, it added.

http://www.firstpost.com/politics/agustawestland-make-in-india-congress-bjp-narendra-modi-sp-tyagi-ajit-doval-nripendra-mishra-2757262.html

Amit Shah has levelled some serious allegations on changing several clauses of the original tender to favour AgustaWestland and signing a deal with it even as it was not original manufacturer of the chopper. Chapter two, para two of the tender had clearly said that only original equipment manufacturers could participate on the bid, how come then AgustaWestland, which was not its manufacturer, was allowed to bid and even cleared for technical bid. His contention would mean that the deal signed was fraudulent.

To the charge that Modi government did nothing to pursue this case since it came to power two years ago, the ministry goes at length at action taken, beginning 3 July 2014 when it put on hold all procurement/acquisitions from AgustaWestland, Finmeccanica and its other subsidiaries.

To another charge made by the Congress and some others that Modi government permitted AugustaWestland to bid for 100 Naval Utility Helicopters in April, 2015, the facts suggest otherwise -- a techno-commercial Request for Proposal (RFP) for Naval Utility Helicopters was issued to eight vendors on 4 August 2012. In response to the RFP, M/S Eurocopters, France and M/S Agusta Westland SPA, Italy submitted their techno-commercial proposals on 4 March 2013. RFP of the procurement case was retracted by the government on 13 October 2014. Remember, by early 2013 UPA had claimed to have blacklisted AgustaWestland.

In October 2014, Indian Navy had hosted on the website a Request for Information for more than 100 Naval Utility Helicopter in October 2014. No Request for Proposal has been issued, therefore the question of permitting AgustaWestland to bid for the Naval Utility Helicopter in April 2015 does not arise. In their drive to divert the public attention from their own corruption, these charges were being made, the ministry said. It however, admitted that the government is exploring whether their manufacturing can be pursued under Make in India. By now the Modi government would have realized that the political cost of any such consideration would be too big for it.

Whatever the CBI had been doing for the last two years in this case have not yet led to any conclusion, or finding of any substantive leads. The Milan High Court order in Italy has given a chance to push CBI and ED harder to find the money trail and unearth other relevant documents.

Will Modi government and CBI succeed? Well no one knows. Will it remain inconclusive like Bofors? The broad pattern of AgustaWestland and Bofors are the same but what makes the two cases different is the fact that for some reasons Vajpayee government didnt have the political will to actively pursue Bofors investigations and court proceedings, the Modi government may not be found lacking on that score. Modi and Amit Shah would not like to let go an opportunity where they could keep on targeting Sonia Gandhi for long, with some valid reasons.
Thiruvananthapuram: BJP President Amit Shah, who was to kickoff his campaign tour of Kerala for the 16 May assembly elections on Sunday, has cancelled his visit following indisposition.

Shah was scheduled to arrive at the airport in Thiruvananthapuram on Sunday morning to attend a meeting of party workers and three public gatherings, but cancelled the trip as he took ill, party sources said.

The BJP chief was to address two meetings in Thiruvananthapuram and one in Kollam district's Kottarakara.

BJP, which has not yet opened its account in the state assembly, is launching a fierce battle this time to make its presence felt in the state, which has been alternately ruled by Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) and CPI(M) headed Left Democratic Front (LDF) for the last 30 years.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to address six public meetings, starting with the first in Palakkad on 6 May.

The BJP-led NDA's 10-point vision document for the state was on Saturday released by Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, who said the party has emerged as an alternative to the UDF and LDF.

The saffron party has tied up with Bharat Dharma Jana Sangam, a political party floated by Sree Narayana Dharma Paripalana Yogam, an organisation of the backward Ezhava community led by Vellapally Natesan.

For the 140 assembly constituencies, BJP has put up 97 candidates, while BDJS has fielded 37, leaving the remaining to smaller parties.
Kolkata: Issuing a virtual threat to the police, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Sunday said those who declared prohibitory orders throughout districts during the assembly polls in the state and locked local clubs and party offices will have to suffer in the coming days.

Addressing election meetings in East Midnapore district, Banerjee said that she had never in past seen "so much atrocities being perpetrated during the polls".

Banerjee, also the Trinamool Congress chief, alleged that some "broker police from Delhi" along with a section of local police personnel had locked her party offices.

Alleging a nexus among the Congress, the Communist Party of India (Marxist) and the Bharatiya Janata Party, Banerjee said "the central police were used to aid the nexus".

"Some coward police personnel in the state were also used. ..".

Banerjee, who also holds the home (police) portfolio, alleged police created pandemonium in various localities and warned that she had a record of all those who planned such strategies.

"I never allowed the police to create mayhem. But those who have done this, I have record of all the pandemonium...If I am alive, I will reply to all this. Those who have planned this, wherever they have done this, enough is enough. If anybody tries to take me on, they get demolished, please remember," she said.

Banerjee said in her Kalighat area in south Kolkata, an important club which has been there since the pre-independence days, was put under lock and key. "Party offices were also locked," she alleged.

Lashing out against police for imposing prohibitory orders throughout districts on the polling day, Banerjee said the microphone announcements were made the entire night.

"As if there were clashes in the locality, and curfew has been clamped. They issued prohibitory orders under Section 144.

"They were so afraid that they declared Section 144 throughout the district. Those who have done this will have to suffer in the coming days, mark my words."

The Chief Minister's ire stems from the strict measures taken by the central and state police and the administration ahead of the third, fourth and fifth phases of the polls on 21, 25 and 30 April after receiving a litany of complaints from the opposition parties.

Apart from the prohibitory orders, to prevent illegal assembly, local toughs who could have indulged in electoral malpractices were identified and kept under close watch. All under-construction buildings, local clubs were searched, crude bombs unearthed and a massive deployment of police and central forces were made on the polling day. There was presence of large number of quick response teams and mobile patrol units.

Also, the Election Commission removed a large number of key administration and police officers who were allegedly close to the ruling party and gave responsibility to other officers.

Banerjee seemed to be particularly upset with new city Police Commissioner Soumen Mitra, whose role in maintaining the law and order and ensuring neutrality of police on the two polling days in the city (on 21 and 30 April) has earned praise from the opposition and the civil society.
Varanasi: Accusing the erstwhile Congress governments of pursuing "vote bank politics", Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday took potshots at the Nehru-Gandhi family and reached out to the numerically significant Nishad community in Uttar Pradesh as he launched solar-powered boats for plying on river Ganga.

"India has launched seven satellites to augment the GPS system. With the kind of politics going on in our country and massive work being done, it came to our mind that let's name it (the solar-powered boat project) after Pandit Deendayal Upadhyay or Shyama Prasad Mukherjee (the RSS icons)," he said.

"You have already seen how many schemes are named after one family. We also felt tempted to name the project after those who belonged to us. But this Modi is made of a different stuff. I named it Naavik (boatman). I did not name it after any of my family members or any leader. I have given a name, which gives immortality to the fishermen community," Modi said.

Launching 11 solar-powered "e-boats" at the Assi Ghat, the Prime Minister said that the step is in line with his government's focus on making long-term interventions to empower the poor in their fight against poverty and climb up the ladder, which was not the case during previous governments.

"Unfortunately politics in our country took a direction in which policies were always made to strengthen vote bank. The focus was that the vote bank should remain strong, irrespective of whether the poor, the citizens of the country, get empowered or not or the country is strengthened or not.

"Earlier when something was talked about our Nishad brothers, the price of diesel was brought down by one rupee or so in the hope that they will cast their vote in favour. But we have made schemes, which empower the poor to fight and defeat poverty themselves. We are working in that direction," he said listing a number of other schemes.

Reaching out to the backward fishermen and boatmen communities (kevat, nishad, machchuara) and addressing them as "brothers", the Prime Minister said his government is "for the poor".
Zamboanga: Ten Indonesian sailors abducted by Abu Sayyaf Islamic militants were freed in the southern Philippines on Sunday after five weeks in captivity, Philippine police said.

Unknown men dropped off the 10 tugboat crewmen at the home of provincial governor Abdusakur Tan Jnr on the remote island of Jolo during a heavy midday downpour, Jolo police chief Junpikar Sitin told AFP by telephone.

"The report (of their release) is confirmed. They were there. I saw them," Superintendent Sitin added.

The condition of the former captives was not immediately known, though Sitin said the group ate lunch at the governor's home.

They were abducted on March 26 by gunmen described by Philippine authorities as members of the Abu Sayyaf, a small group of militants based on Jolo and nearby Basilan island which is accused of kidnappings and deadly bombings.

The militants are reported to have sought a ransom, but Sitin said he was unaware that any had been paid. Abu Sayyaf does not normally free hostages unless a ransom is paid.

The Indonesians were freed six days after Abu Sayyaf members beheaded a Canadian hostage, John Ridsdel.

Philippine President Benigno Aquino vowed Wednesday to neutralise the Islamic militants after Ridsdel's decapitated head was left outside a government building on Jolo.

The authorities said the group is still holding 11 other foreign hostages -- four Indonesians, four Malaysians, another Canadian, a Norwegian, and a Dutchman.

Abu Sayyaf is a radical offshoot of a Muslim separatist insurgency in the south of the mainly Catholic Philippines that has claimed more than 100,000 lives since the 1970s.

It is believed to have just a few hundred militants but has withstood repeated US-backed military offensives against it, surviving by using the mountainous, jungle terrain of Jolo and nearby islands to its advantage.

Abu Sayyaf gangs have earned many millions of dollars from kidnapping foreigners and locals since the early 1990s.

Although Abu Sayyaf's leaders have pledged allegiance to Islamic State, analysts say they are more focused on lucrative kidnappings-for-ransom than setting up an Islamic caliphate.
Dhaka: Bangladesh police on Sunday detained three persons, including one from fundamentalist Jamaat-e-Islami and an activist from opposition BNP, in connection with the killing of a Hindu tailor who was brutally hacked to death by machete-wielding Islamic State militants.

Nikhil Chandra Joarder, 50, a resident of the Tangail district, was hacked to death on Saturday by three assailants who entered his house-cum shop and slit his throat, in the latest similar attack in the Muslim-majority country on minorities and secular activists.

Three persons, including an activist of key-opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party and a local leader of fundamentalist Jamaat-e-Islami, have been detained in connection with the murder, police said on Sunday.

"They have been detained today for questioning in connection with Nikhil Chandra Joardar's murder on Saturday as part of the investigation," Tangail's additional superintendent of police Mohammad Aslam Khan said.

Hours after the murder, US-based private SITE Intelligence Group posted a statement saying the Islamic State claimed the killing responsibility of the attack.

Islamic State's Amaq Agency reported the group's responsibility for killing the Hindu tailor for blasphemy in Tangail district in Bangladesh, it said in a tweet.

The local media reports said that Nikhil served three months of imprisonment in 2012 when he was arrested for blasphemous comments.

Police said the people in the neighbourhood feared he might have drawn the Islamists wrath since the comments were made.

"We are trying to track down the killers and called CID (Criminal Investigation Department) to probe the murder," said Tangail's district police.

There have been systematic assaults in Bangladesh in recent months specially targeting minorities, secular bloggers, intellectuals and foreigners.

In the recent attacks, a liberal professor was brutally hacked to death last Saturday by machete-wielding ISIS militants who slit his throat near his home in Rajshahi city.

Two days later on Monday, Bangladesh's first gay magazine editor was brutally murdered along with a friend in his flat in Dhaka by Islamists.

In February, a head priest was killed at a Hindu temple in an area bordering India, the first attack by the ISIS targeting the community.

Last year, four prominent secular bloggers were killed with machetes, one inside his own home.

In most of the cases, Islamic State or al-Qaeda in Indian Sub Continent claimed the responsibility.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, however, repeatedly denied existence of any foreign terrorist groups in the country and attributed the deadly attacks on homegrown extremists backed by main opposition outside parliament BNP and its crucial ally fundamentalist Jamaat-e-Islami.
BAIMAJING, China The fishing fleet based in this tiny port town on Hainan island is getting everything from military training and subsidies to even fuel and ice as China creates an increasingly sophisticated fishing militia to sail into the disputed South China Sea.

The training and support includes exercises at sea and requests to fishermen to gather information on foreign vessels, provincial government officials, regional diplomats and fishing company executives said in recent interviews.

"The maritime militia is expanding because of the country's need for it, and because of the desire of the fishermen to engage in national service, protecting our country's interests," said an advisor to the Hainan government who did not want to be named.

But the fishing militia also raises the risk of conflict with foreign navies in the strategic waterway through which $5 trillion of trade passes each year, diplomats and naval experts say.

The United States has been conducting sea and air patrols near artificial islands China is building in the disputed Spratlys archipelago, including by two B-52 strategic bombers in November. Washington said in February it would increase the "freedom of navigation" sail-bys around the disputed sea.

BASIC MILITARY TRAINING

The city-level branches of the People's Armed Forces Department provide basic military training to fishermen, said the Hainan government advisor. The branches are overseen by both the military and local Communist Party authorities in charge of militia operations nationwide.

The training encompasses search and rescue operations, contending with disasters at sea, and "safeguarding Chinese sovereignty", said the advisor who focuses on the South China Sea.

The training, which includes exercises at sea, takes place between May and August and the government pays fishermen for participating, he said.

Government subsidies encourage fishermen to use heavier vessels with steel - as opposed to wooden - hulls.

The government has also provided Global Positioning Satellite equipment for at least 50,000 vessels, enabling them to contact the Chinese Coast Guard in maritime emergencies, including encounters with foreign ships, industry executives said.

Several Hainan fishermen and diplomats told Reuters some vessels have small arms.

When "a particular mission in safeguarding sovereignty", comes up government authorities will coordinate with the fishing militia, the advisor said, asking them to gather information on the activities of foreign vessels at sea.

ROW WITH INDONESIA

That coordination was evident in March, when Indonesia attempted to detain a Chinese fishing vessel for fishing near its Natuna Islands in the South China Sea. A Chinese coast guard vessel quickly intervened to prevent the Indonesian Navy from towing away the fishing boat, setting off a diplomatic row. Beijing does not claim the Natunas but said the boats were in "traditional Chinese fishing grounds".

China claims almost all of the South China Sea. The Philippines, Malaysia, Vietnam, Taiwan and Brunei also have conflicting claims over the islets and atolls that constitute the Spratly Archipelago and its rich fishing grounds.

State-controlled fishing companies dominate the fleets that go regularly to the Spratlys and are recipients of much of the militia training and subsidies, industry sources said.

China has by far the world's biggest fish industry, but depleted fishery resources close to China's shores have made fishing in disputed waters an economic necessity, fishermen and industry executives say.

State-owned Hainan South China Sea Modern Fishery Group Company says on its website it is "both military and commercial, both soldiers and civilians". One of its aims, the company says, is to let the "Chinese flag fly" over the Spratlys.

"Defending sovereignty is primarily the government's concern," said Ye Ning, the company's general manager, in an interview at his office in Haikou. "But of course, regular folks being able to fish in their own countries' waters should be the norm. That goes for us too."

The company provides fishermen who sail to the Spratlys with fuel, water, and ice, and then purchases fish from them when they returned, according to a written introduction to the company's work executives provided to Reuters.

'LOT MORE RISKY'

"It's gotten a lot more risky to do this with all kinds of foreign boats out there," said Huang Jing, a local fisherman in the sleepy port town of Baimajing, where a line of massive steel-hulled fishing trawlers stretches as far as the eye can see.

"But China is strong now," he said. "I trust the government to protect us."

Chen Rishen, chairman of Hainan Jianghai Group Co. Ltd, says his private but state subsidised company dispatches large fleets of steel-hulled trawlers weighing hundreds of tonnes to fish near the Spratly Islands. They usually go for months at a time, primarily for commercial reasons, he said.

"If some foreign fishing boats infringe on our territory and try to prevent us from fishing there ... Then we're put in the role of safeguarding sovereignty," he said in an interview in Haikou, the provincial capital of Hainan.

China does not use its fishing fleet to help establish sovereignty claims in the South China Sea, foreign ministry spokesman Lu Kang said: This kind of situation does not exist.

China had taken measures to ensure the fishing fleets conduct business legally, he told a ministry press briefing last month.

RULES OF ENGAGEMENT

Chen said his fishermen stop at Woody Island in the Paracel islands, where China recently installed surface-to-air missiles, to refuel and communicate with Chinese Coast Guard vessels.

They look forward to using similar facilities China is developing in the Spratly Islands, he said.

China has been pouring sand from the seabed onto seven reefs to create artificial islands in the Spratlys. So far, it has built one airstrip with two more under construction on them, with re-fuelling and storage facilities.

"This all points to the need for establishing agreed protocols for ensuring clear and effective communications between civilian and maritime law enforcement vessels of different countries operating in the area," said Michael Vatikiotis, Asia Director of the Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue, which is helping claimant states design such confidence building measures.

A regional agreement on communications and procedures when rival navies meet at sea applies only to naval ships and other military vessels, he said.

(Additional reporting by Greg Torode in HONG KONG. Editing by Bill Tarrant)

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.
Quito: Crews have rescued a 72-year-old survivor of Ecuador's deadly earthquake almost two weeks after it struck the South American country, Venezuela has announced.

A visiting Venezuelan search team located Manuel Vasquez, who had been trapped under rubble since the 7.8-magnitude quake that killed 660 people, the Venezuelan embassy in Quito on Saturday said on its website.

They found Vasquez "making sounds in a partially collapsed building" on Friday in Manabi province while doing inspections for structural problems, it said.

The 16 April quake was the worst to strike Ecuador in decades, causing buildings to collapse and damaging roads and other infrastructure in tourist areas along the coast.

Vasquez was admitted to hospital with kidney trouble and lost toes. He was also dehydrated and disoriented.

Ecuador welcomed hundreds of rescue teams, doctors, nurses, firefighters and other support staff after the quake from a slew of countries.

President Rafael Correa has announced a series of drastic economic measures aimed at paying for what he estimates will be the USD3 billion cost of rebuilding the shattered country.
New Delhi: Keen to step up engagement in the hydrocarbon sector with Iran, India has conveyed to the Persian Gulf nation that it was ready to clear nearly $6.5 billion of oil import dues from that country at the earliest, provided there was clarity on payment channel.

The message has been conveyed to Iran even as Prime Minister Narendra Modi is likely to visit the oil-rich country later this month.

Government sources said there has been a series of discussions at various levels, both in Tehran and here, and both sides were confident of resolving the issue soon.

"We are working on clearing the dues to Iran and are hopeful that the issue will be resolved soon," they said.

Following lifting of sanctions against it in January, under a historic nuclear deal, Iran had terminated a three-year-old system with India of getting paid for half of the oil dues in rupees and has been insisting on being paid in Euros for the oil it sells to Indian refiners.

It has also scrapped free delivery of crude oil to Indian refiners.

Officials said although Western sanctions against Iran were lifted, problems persist in banking channels due to which regular transactions were not possible yet.

Refiners like Essar Oil and Mangalore Refinery and Petrochemicals Ltd (MPRL) owe nearly $6.5 billion in dues to Iran.

Since February 2013, Indian refiners like Essar Oil and MRPL paid 45 percent of their import bill in rupees to UCO Bank account of Iranian oil company. The remaining has been accumulating, pending finalisation of a payment mechanism.

Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj had visited Iran last month, during which they had conveyed to Iranian leaders that India wants to significantly ramp up engagement in oil and gas sector with that country.

The issue of the pending dues had also figured in the meetings.

Swaraj, during her visit, had conveyed to Iranian leadership that India wants to invest in joint ventures in the oil and gas sectors in the Persian Gulf nation where foreign investors from major economic powers are rushing in to get early footholds after lifting of sanctions.

Following lifting of sanctions against Iran, India has been eyeing deeper energy ties with that country and has already lined up $20 billion as investment in oil and gas, as well as petrochemical and fertiliser projects there.

New Delhi is looking to increase engagement with the sanction-free Iran by raising oil imports and possible shipments of natural gas. It also wants rights to develop Farzad-B gas field in the Persian Gulf discovered by OVL.

A deal for the field was not signed during Pradhan's visit as Iranian Parliament, Majlis, is yet to approve the new Iran Petroleum Contract (IPC) under which the Farzad-B field is to be given to the OVL-led consortium.

Indian firms have so far shied away from investing in Iran for the fear of being sanctioned by the US and Europe.

The same was deterring New Delhi from claiming rights to invest nearly $7 billion in the biggest gas discovery ever made by an Indian firm abroad.

But after the lifting of sanctions, India is making a renewed pitch for rights to develop 12.8 trillion cubic feet of gas reserves OVL had found in 2008.

Pradhan also conveyed to the Iranian side that both countries must expand the basket of oil and gas trade.

He had also expressed India's interest in importing LPG from Iran and said companies from both sides could discuss setting up of an extraction plant in Chabahar, if required.

India's total crude import in 2015-16 was around 184 million tonnes.

Iran had, in November 2013, offered free delivery of crude oil to Indian refiners as tough Western sanctions crippled its exports. With shipping lines refusing to transport Iranian crude for fear of being sanctioned, Iran used its shipping line for the delivery and did not charge for transportation.
Baghdad: Thousands of protesters were inside Baghdad's Green Zone on Sunday after breaking into the fortified area and storming parliament, as Iraq's premier called for rioters to be pursued and punished.

Demonstrators pulled down or scaled slabs of heavy concrete blast wall to enter the fortified area where Iraq's main government institutions are located, the culmination of weeks of political turmoil and inaction by parliament.

While there is still the potential for escalation, the situation was calm on Sunday, with protesters touring the area and taking photos of places they have rarely if ever been able to access.

"This is the first time I've been here since I came with my school under Saddam (Hussein)," said 32-year-old Yusef al-Assadi, who took a "selfie" in front of the unknown soldier's monument.

"It's one of the most beautiful places to be in Baghdad. It should be for everyone, yet the people were not allowed here," he said.

Assadi said it was striking "how rich this place is. Here, there is air conditioning and electricity everywhere, but the people of Iraq suffer from power cuts all the time."

Many Iraqi politicians live in luxury, while most average citizens make do with abysmal services that include only a few hours of government-provided electricity per day at the height of summer.

Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi's office said he had ordered the pursuit of people involved in attacks or vandalism, but security forces were not taking action against protesters inside the Green Zone on Sunday.

Abadi "directed the interior minister to pursue the elements who attacked the security forces and citizens and members of parliament and vandalised state properties and to refer them to the judiciary to receive their just punishment," a statement said.

Protesters attacked at least one MP as well as cars they believed belonged to lawmakers on Saturday, and broke into offices in parliament.

But others sought to contain the destruction, and many were content to take photographs of themselves in parliament, with some sitting in seats usually occupied by lawmakers. The fact that security forces may fear the repercussions of crossing powerful Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr will likely hamper Abadi's directive.

Many of the demonstrators were supporters of Sadr, and members of his Saraya al-Salam militia group deployed around parliament on Saturday night. The protesters broke into the Green Zone on Saturday after MPs again failed to approve new ministers to replace the current party-affiliated cabinet.

Both Abadi and Sadr have called for the change, but powerful political parties that rely on control of ministries for patronage and funds have opposed the move.
DUBAI Saudi security forces killed two militant suspects and arrested a third in a two-day operation in southwestern Bisha province, the Ministry of Interior said on Sunday, accusing them of involvement in deadly attacks claimed by Islamic State.

Security personnel killed two men in an exchange of gunfire during a chase to thwart an "imminent" attack on Friday, said ministry spokesman Mansour al-Turki in a televised statement.

They found explosive belts and machine guns in the men's car, he added.

A third suspect, named as Oqab al-Otaibi, escaped the scene and was arrested the following day.

The statement said the three men were suspects in the killing of a senior security officer outside the capital Riyadh in April. Two of them, including Otaibi, were also allegedly involved in a suicide bombing last August of a security forces mosque in Abha, capital of southwestern Asir province, in which 15 people died.

Islamic State claimed responsibility for both attacks, but the ministry did not directly implicate the group in its statement on Sunday.

Saudi Arabia, the world's top oil exporter, has been hit by a spate of deadly shootings and bombings targeting security forces or its Shi'ite Muslim minority since last year. Islamic State's local branches have claimed many of them.

The group views Shi'ites as heretics but is also bitterly opposed to the wealthy Gulf kingdom's Sunni Muslim rulers, whom it regards as having betrayed Islam through close ties with the West.

(Reporting By Raissa Kasolowsky)

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.
ISTANBUL Turkish police fired tear gas and sprayed water at protesters and detained several people when scuffles broke out in May Day celebrations in Istanbul with some protesters trying to get to the main Taksim square which was closed by authorities.

Security was tight across Turkey's biggest city which was twice hit this year by attacks blamed on Islamic State. About 15,000 police were deployed for May Day celebrations while police scanned the streets from helicopters overhead.

A 57-year old male was killed in an accident after he was run over by a police water truck while trying to cross the street, broadcaster CNN Turk reported.

Taksim square was home to May Day celebrations until 1977 when dozens of people were killed during demonstrations, dubbed in Turkish history as the 'bloody May Day'. The square was reopened for celebrations in the late 2000s but was shut again in 2013.

The square became the main rallying point for 2013 anti-government protests in which tens of thousands of people demonstrated against the rule of President Tayyip Erdogan, then the prime minister.

A usually bustling square lined with cafes and hotels, Taksim was entirely cordoned off on Sunday and filled with riot and plain clothes police. Public transport leading to the neighbourhood was shut down.

Police firing tear gas and spraying water stopped a group of around 150 people who tried to march to Taksim. Several people were detained.

Thousands of people attended celebrations in a designated area in Bakirkoy district near the airport. The mood in the area was bittersweet with many people criticising the government for keeping Taksim off limits.

"Nobody has guns or bombs. People will come and express themselves but the state prevents them even from coming to the area they allocated," union member Fatma Akaltu said.

Brief brawls erupted in Bakirkoy, where police detained several supporters of pro-Kurdish Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) after they chanted "Long Live Kurdistan".

(Reporting by Melih Aslan and Osman Orsal; Writing by Humeyra Pamuk; Editing by Richard Balmforth)

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.
They say crime doesn't pay. But getting an education does, even for gangsters.

Economists have discovered mobsters making a living from things such as robbery, gun running, embezzlement and forgery in the heyday of the Italian-American Mafia earned more when they were better educated. A Mafia gang member who completed just one extra year of education could increase their earnings by about 8 per cent on average. For those involved with more sophisticated crimes such as fraud, embezzlement, tax evasion and counterfeiting  so-called "business criminals"  the return on education rose to 16 per cent.

Offers they can't refuse: Education pays off , even for criminals. Credit:Film still

These findings are from a study of the Italian-American Mafia during the middle of last century by economists Nadia Campaniello and Giovanni Mastrobuoni of the University of Essex and Rowena Gray of the University of California, Merced.

Educational attainment might not be the first thing that comes to mind when Vito Corleone  the legendary crime boss played by Marlon Brando in the 1972 movie The Godfather  delivers his famous line: "I'm gonna make him an offer he can't refuse." But this economic research suggests Vito's fictional son and heir apparent, Michael Corleone, benefited a lot from his tuition at America's prestigious Dartmouth College.
Last week, we were all agog at the young Prince George greeting US President Barack Obama in a personalised bath robe. This week it is the turn of his mother - smiling, relaxed and understated, on the cover of the most famous fashion magazine - to surprise.

Since her engagement to Prince William, the Duchess has barely put a foot wrong with her style (well, perhaps a foot - not everyone is won over by her signature wedge shoes).

The diplomacy she displays in her choice of glamorous but not showy garments is quite something and she hasn't dropped the ball on this important occasion.

The brown suede coat and white shirt she wears for Vogue's 100th anniversary cover shot are made by Burberry, Britain's biggest luxury fashion label, which has a deeply populist appeal together with a strong heritage and a Royal warrant - the perfect choice for a woman who will one day be Queen.
Dr Tim Soutphommasane. Credit:Andrew Meares "For 30 years, James Ruse has been pumping out very clever Asians," said University of Sydney vice-chancellor Michael Spence. "Where are they?" For Dr Spence, self-interest is a powerful incentive. His newborn son, Ted, is half-Korean. His five children from a previous marriage are of Anglo descent. A still from the "James Ruse style" satire video on YouTube. "I want to make sure that he has much opportunity as my other children," he said. "If you say mathematician you probably think east Asian in Australia - if you say leader, you probably think white man."

"We are only now beginning to say that there is a real issue to face of particular ethnicities. The disparity between the educational success and their leadership attainment is evidence of a bamboo ceiling and the university needs to do its best to overcome it. There are settled cultural patterns that need to be challenged." The unconscious bias goes right to the top. The country's Race Discrimination Commissioner, Tim Soutphommasane, has been asked if he worked in IT or Finance, or most recently, as an accountant. In 2014, Dr Soutphommasane gave a speech that said "the bamboo ceiling" was well and truly above our heads. Not much has changed. "But conversations are starting," he said on Friday. "People are beginning to recognise there's a problem." Across academia and business, tentative steps are being made to talk about the touchy subject of race and what is happening to the 99.95 ATAR club when they walk out the school gates. Public leaders are few and far between.

Dr Soutphommasane has initiated a partnership between the University of Sydney business school, PriceWaterhouseCoopers, Westpac and Telstra to develop a blueprint for more diverse leadership. PwC alone has a target of 11 per cent of its partners being of Asian origin by 2020. It's the perceptions that Dr Soutphommasane, who was born to Chinese and Laotian parents, has spent his career battling against. "Leaders are expected to be charismatic, assertive and outspoken," Dr Soutphommasane said on Friday. "At the same time, certain stereotypes of Asian-Australians persist. There is a perception that Asian-Australians are shy, timid and withdrawn. "Put these together and you have an obvious problem. There can be an assumption that Asian-Australians make for better technicians than leaders. That they may not be able to master Anglo-Australian expectations of leadership." Part of the problem lies in the limited number of public faces of Asian identity on our most public platform, television.

Bing Lee and Victor Chang are often rattled off as icons, but you are more likely to find that the public faces of Asian Australians are given as TV chefs like Poh Ling and Adam Liaw. The ABC's outgoing managing director, Mark Scott, publicly acknowledged last week that the ABC had not done enough to promote cultural diversity on the public broadcaster. "On broader diversity, we have a way to go, frankly," Scott told Buzzfeed. "I draw a parallel to the BBC: when I watch and listen to the BBC when I'm in the UK, I think the on-air talent really represents a diversity of modern Britain and I'm not yet sure we represent the diversity of modern Australia." Dr Soutphommasane agrees. "Sadly, the issue doesn't appear to be treated with any urgency within Australian television," he said. "The proof is in the programming: what you see on screen doesn't remotely reflect the reality of modern Australia. And you still have parts of Australian television that appear comfortable in their periodic fits of casual racism."
An 18-year-old has capped off his birthday celebrations with a criminal charge after he allegedly doused an ambulance in petrol when emergency service workers were called to his party to extinguish a bonfire and treat a teenager for burns.

Volunteer firefighters from the NSW Rural Fire Service were forced to call for police back-up on Saturday night when revellers became aggressive and tried to obstruct efforts to extinguish a bonfire at the property in Rossmore near Kemps Creek on the outskirts of Sydney, police said.

A 14-year-old boy was treated for burns to his face and taken to Westmead Children's Hospital, where he is in a stable condition.

Police said emergency service workers were called to the house party following reports the boy had fallen into the bonfire. Subsequent reports have suggested the teenager was burned on the face after he threw petrol onto the blaze.
A cabin announcement, mindful of the mood, implored the passengers to "be nice" to one another.

It was 10pm on a Sunday and 180 tired, grumpy strangers were sniping and squabbling over luggage space inside the A320 Airbus.

When she first boarded Flight JQ527 from Sydney to Melbourne three weeks ago, Sophie Murphy felt an "awful tension" in the cabin.

"He was perhaps 14 and had Down syndrome," she says, sitting at home in Ashburton. "He walked onboard and he was just smiling and joyful. But he was the only one."

The short journey after that was largely uneventful, until the cabin crew announced that they could not land. The equipment was fine. The weather was clear. So was the runway ... but someone would not get into their seat.

"If it was a cartoon," says Murphy, "there would have been smoke coming out of people's ears."

They circled the night sky above Tullamarine, banking and waiting, running low on fuel. Cabin manager John Chesson, 45, says this is when things got stressful.

The problem was the little boy. He felt sick. He was laying on the floor and would not get up, not even with the help of his elderly parents or adult brother and sister.
Bruce Springsteen, actually happy to be returning to Australia It is an issue that is playing out in cities and states across the Bible-belt south in particular, becoming a rallying point for religious conservatives in an election year, while also making headlines around the world as a counter-movement of protest, which has included boycotts by Bruce Springsteen, Hollywood studios and big business, takes off. At the centre of it all though are LGBTI Americans trying to negotiate everyday life under these bills as an already stigmatised community, and that most mundane, most human of unavoidable activities  going to the toilet. Lee Churchill, of Raleigh, shows her support of the bill during a rally at the Halifax Mall in Raleigh on Monday. Credit:AP "For most transgender people using the bathroom is a stressful thing to begin with," says Comero. "Once this bill passed it really escalated the stress and the worry and the fear exponentially."

The so-called House Bill 2 (HB2) came about after the city of Charlotte  a relatively liberal city in a Republican state  passed an ordinance in February expanding anti-discrimination protections to cover sexual orientation and gender identity, including outlawing the denial of goods, facilities and places of "public accommodation"  such as bathrooms  to people simply for being gay or transgender. The executive director of Equality North Carolina, Chris Sgro, leads a group carrying petitions calling for the repeal of House Bill 2 to governor Pat McCrory's office. Credit:News & Observer/AP The backlash from some in the religious and conservative political movement was swift. Republican governor Patrick McCrory's argument against the ordinance followed the blueprint of those heard elsewhere: that it was a matter of privacy and safety, and would allow men to enter women's bathrooms and change rooms for nefarious purposes. North Carolina governor Pat McCrory says allowing transgender people to use the bathroom of their choice puts citizens at risk of 'deviant actions'. Credit:AP

"This shift in policy could also create major public safety issues by putting citizens in possible danger from deviant actions by individuals taking improper advantage of a bad policy," he said, according to the Charlotte Observer. On March 23, he signed the Public Facilities Privacy & Security Act, now known as HB2, which eliminated anti-discrimination protections for LGBTI people and forced public schools and agencies to segregate bathrooms according to people's sex on their birth certificate. Protesters rally against House Bill 2 in Raleigh, North Carolina, on Monday. Credit:News & Observer/AP Chris Brook, the American Civil Liberties Union legal director in North Carolina, said he believed the issue of transgender people and bathroom use had taken a grip in public debate because while gays and lesbians were increasingly visible, the transgender community is still not well understood. "We all know in 2016 gay and lesbian friends, neighbours, family members, but you might not know a transgender person," he said.

Charlie Camero had to make up business cards explaining why he was forced to use the women's bathroom. "Knowing somebody is the key here, that you recognise that the transgender community has the exact same desires  on a narrow level to use the restroom in peace, and on a broader level, to be respected and treated as a person with inherent dignity." Protests began immediately, with condemnation from individuals and companies like Apple, American Airlines and PayPal, the latter of which went on to cancel plans to open an operations centre which would have brought 400 jobs. Joaquin Carcano, a transgender man who opposes the HB2 bill. The ACLU, in collaboration with other groups, soon announced they would challenge the law in court as unconstitutional.

Joaquin Carcano, a transgender man who works at the University of North Carolina, is the lead plaintiff on their case. Like Comero, he was forbidden from continuing to use the men's bathroom  but Carcano did not feel like he belonged in the women's bathroom either, and has chosen not to do so. At work, his only options therefore have been to walk for 15 minutes to the campus' only single-occupancy public stall, or use a recently discovered toilet in the basement maintenance area that can only be accessed via a service elevator. It's onerous. He says he's drinking less water to try to minimise bathroom use, and has to factor bathroom trips into the day in a way most people couldn't imagine. "It's a process, it feels very unnecessary and uncomfortable to feel like you have to take these other steps for something that wasn't an issue months before, that had never come up in conversation," Carcano says. Both men are clear though that is more than simply a matter of inconvenience or embarrassment for the transgender community, it's one of potential danger and serious mental health consequences. Forty one per cent of transgender adults in the US have attempted suicide, compared with 1.6 per cent of the general population. The rate of violence faced by transgender Americans is already alarmingly high, with transgender women of colour the most common target of hate-crime killings and transgender people 3.7 times more likely to face police violence.

While there are no known cases of transgender people attacking women and children in bathrooms in the US, as supporters of these bills fear, bathrooms are a common site of harassment and intimidation for transgender people themselves. Seventy per cent of transgender respondents of one UCLA survey in Washington DC said they had been denied access to or harassed or assaulted when trying to use a public restroom. Carcano, who is Latino, says his fears for the wellbeing of transgender Latinas is one factor motivating him to join the case. "A lot of them, they're not in a position to challenge the law, or to speak out and defend themselves because of the fear of deportations, or the general fear of the police." The protest movement was given a boost on April 8, when Springsteen cancelled a show in Greensborough, NC, in support of the state's "freedom fighters". In the weeks since, a flood of other artists have joined him in cancelling shows  Demi Lovato, Nick Jonas and Bryan Adams  while a range of film and TV studios have refused to film in the state. But supporters of the bill are digging in even as business abandons the state. Republican presidential hopeful Ted Cruz has begun using the issue to flex his conservative bona fides on the campaign trail. After rival Donald Trump said he didn't have a problem with transgender women like Caitlyn Jenner using the women's bathroom, Cruz released a classic scare ad that stated "Should a grown man pretending to be a woman be allowed to use the women's restroom? The same restroom used by your daughter? Your wife? Donald Trump thinks so."
Republican presidential candidate Ted Cruz, a U.S. senator from Texas, says the California primary election June 7, which usually comes too late to have an impact, will this year decide his partys nominee.

Cruz, who is trailing businessman Donald Trump in the state-by-state nominating contest, told delegates to the California Republican Convention on Saturday that the campaign would be a battle on the ground, district by district by district.

California Republicans will send 172 pledged delegates to the national convention in July, the most of any state. The winning candidate needs 1,237 delegates to clinch the nomination.

Cruz, Fiorina speeches

Cruz addressed California Republican leaders just hours before a speech by his announced running mate, Carly Fiorina, a former executive in the states high-tech center of Silicon Valley. Republican front-runner Donald Trump and Ohio Governor John Kasich, who is running a distant third, spoke Friday.

Convention attendee Eric Dillinger, a Cruz supporter, said this election is about protecting our constitutional rights, lower taxes, helping try to get rid of the [national] debt and a strong defense. He agrees with Cruz on every major issue.

Trump supporter Kris Kvarnstrom worries about Cruzs conservative stand on abortion and said a President Cruz would replace retiring justices of the U.S. Supreme Court with judicial nominees that reflect his views. They could stop abortions for the next 50 years, she said, taking the choice out of the hands of women.

She finds Trump less ideological. A Gallup Poll April 1 found that 70 percent of American women have an unfavorable view of Trump, but Kvarnstrom is not one of them. I feel he [Trump] is very good for women because he empowers them to be all they can be, she said. I like that.

Kasich supporters

Trent Carlson, a student member of the Young Republicans group at Santa Clara University, is also wary of Cruzs conservative positions on social issues such as abortion and gay rights. I really do support [the more moderate] John Kasich, he said, but at the same time, I do like quite a lot of what Donald Trump has to say. He has really shaken up the party, and if he won the primary, I would most certainly back him.

Julian Del Real-Calleros of Los Angeles is sticking with a candidate who trails far behind Trump and Cruz in the race. People ask me, 'Why do you support Kasich?'  Del Real-Calleros said. Mathematically, he will not win the nomination. And for me, it doesnt matter. ... Im supporting the guy who I believe is the perfect next president.

Del Real-Calleros, whose parents were born in Mexico, said Kasich steers clear of divisive issues such as immigration and focuses on the economy, jobs and national security  issues on which most Republicans agree.

Trump has been the target of Hispanic groups who question his plan to build a fence along the U.S.-Mexico border to stop illegal immigration. Hundreds of protesters blocked the hotel where Trump spoke Friday, and others tangled with police at a Trump rally Thursday near Los Angeles.

Volunteers for Cruz

The Cruz campaign says it has 41,000 volunteers ready to knock on doors and make phone calls to voters in California. Trump is relying on the momentum from his five-state sweep in primaries on Tuesday in Connecticut, Delaware, Maryland, Pennsylvania and Rhode Island.

Trump has secured nearly 1,000 of the 1,237 pledged delegates needed for the partys nomination, according to an Associated Press delegate count. Cruz has fewer than 600 but could gain enough in coming races to derail a Trump sweep in a contested convention.

Californias 172 delegates will be awarded to candidates by congressional district, regardless of who wins the statewide vote.

The candidates will next face off Tuesday in Indiana, a state with 57 delegates at stake, which Cruz also calls critical to his effort to stop Trump.
The Rev. Daniel Berrigan, a Jesuit priest, poet and peace activist, "died peacefully" Saturday at the age of 94 after a "long illness," a spokesman for the Jesuits USA Northeast Province said.

Berrigan died at Murray-Weigel Hall, a Jesuit health care community in New York City, said spokesman Michael Benigno.

Berrigan, along with his younger brother the Rev. Philip Berrigan, became a leader of the radical anti-war movement in the 1960s.

The Berrigan brothers were convicted and sent to prison for burning draft files in Catonsville, Maryland, in a protest against the Vietnam War in 1968.

Went into hiding

Their case was unsuccessfully appealed, which led the Berrigan brothers and three co-defendants went into hiding.

Philip Berrigan turned himself in to authorities in April 1969, and the FBI arrested Daniel Berrigan four months later.

The Berrigan brothers were sent to the federal prison in Danbury, Connecticut. Daniel Berrigan was released in 1972 after serving about two years. Philip Berrigan served about 2.5 years.

When asked in 2009 by America, a national Catholic magazine, whether he had any regrets, Daniel Berrigan replied: "I could have done sooner the things I did, like Catonsville."

Berrigan was born into a German-Irish Catholic family in Virginia, Minnesota, and grew up in Syracuse, New York. He joined the Jesuit order in 1939 and was ordained a priest in 1952.

Pacifist movement

Berrigan, who wrote poetry as a seminarian, credited Dorothy Day, founder of The Catholic Worker newspaper, with introducing him to the pacifist movement and influencing his thinking about war.

In 1980, the Berrigans and six others broke into a General Electric nuclear missile site in Pennsylvania, and damaged warhead nose cones and poured blood onto documents and files.

Philip Berrigan died of cancer at the age of 79 in 2002.

Berrigan also protested the Gulf War, the Kosovo War, the U.S. invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq, abortion, and took part in the Occupy Wall Street movement in New York's Zuccotti Park, Jesuits Magazine said.

He more than 50 books, and his first volume of poetry, Time Without Number, won the Lamont Prize in 1957. Berrigan also wrote a play, The Trial of the Catonsville Nine.

Berrigan also worked at institutions from Union Seminary, to Loyola University New Orleans, Columbia, Cornell, Yale and Fordham, the Jesuit university in the Bronx, New York.
Baghdad teetered on the edge of political chaos Sunday. The city is in a state of emergency, protesters have occupied parts of the once-secure International Zone (IZ), lawmakers have run away and the military is on high alert.

Early Sunday protesters led by Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr gathered in front of the countrys now-empty Parliament before moving into what is known as the Zones Celebration Square.

By Sunday evening, the protesters temporarily ended their demonstration and started to withdraw from the area.

A statement from Sadr's office said the move was made out of respect for a major Shi'ite pilgrimage.

Lawmakers fled Saturday after protestors stormed into the parliament.

About 60 lawmakers, mostly from the minority Kurdish and Sunni parties, flew out of the capital for Irbil and Suleymania, in the northern autonomous Kurdish region.

It was dangerous for all of us, one parliament official told VOA, speaking on condition of anonymity out of fear of retaliation. Some lawmakers were beaten, he said.

The official said thousands of protesters were still in the so-called International Zone Sunday, parked outside the major government buildings.

Normally only those with special badges are allowed into the secured area, which is also home to many foreign embassies and the United Nations.

It is dangerous, the parliament official said. At any time, the protesters could attack any embassy, any institution they want, or abuse anybody passing by.

WATCH: Related video of protesters in the International Zone

It seems al-Sadr wants to keep them inside the IZ so he can force the government to do what he wants, the official said.

Political unrest

The parliament takeover was the culmination of weeks of political wrangling and increasing instability, and came just days after U.S. Vice President Joe Biden visited Baghdad.

White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest said the visit was a good indication of U.S. continued support for Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi's efforts to unify Iraq and confront the Islamic State (IS) group.

But the visit was not enough to stave off the deepening political crisis.

Sadr has been demanding a new government of technocrats.

Abadi, who had also promised reform, had been unable to deliver any real change as political parties, unwilling to let go of their political power, blocked the majority of his list of candidates.

The prime minister on Sunday walked through the ransacked parliament building, and called on Interior Minister Mohammed Salem al-Ghabban to bring the attackers to justice.

Deadly violence also continued in Iraq Sunday, with Islamic State claiming responsibility for bombings that killed more than 30 people in the southern city of Samawah

Unrest growing

But even as political blocs have fought to maintain their positions and all the trappings of power, the anger in the Iraqi street has been growing for the past year over the lack of basic services, security, and the vast government corruption and political patronage.

Sadr, a firebrand cleric sometimes described as a Shiite nationalist, has managed to capitalize on that anger and frustration.

Al-Sadr has the power of the people. One speech and he can deliver thousands of people to do what he wants. It is the power of the populace, the parliament official said. Al-Sadr is capable of running and leading the anger within each Iraqi person.

One high-ranking Iraqi military official, also speaking to VOA on condition of anonymity, said that Sadr had many young Iraqis, including Sunnis and Christians, on his side.

The Institute for the Study of War describes Sadrs power grab as a de facto political coup.

But the military official said Prime Minister Abadi was still in control of the Iraqi military and running the country.

Rival Shi'ite powers

Yet, the military official warned that powerful rival Shiite powers in Baghdad were not comfortable with Sadrs attempted power grab. He said members of the notorious Badr Brigade militia, which is strongly allied with Iran, were beginning to converge on the capitals center.

The possibility for intra-Shiite violence in Baghdad is high, and Baghdad residents said they are unsure of what will happen next.

There is also concern that IS could take advantage of the turmoil to ramp up its attacks. Iraqi security forces closed off all entrances to the city Saturday.

Resident Mahdi Makhmour, who lives outside the IZ, said the city streets were empty Sunday morning and many roads were still blocked, partly because of the start of a three-day Shiite religious celebration in the capital.
Russia said Sunday that new talks are under way to halt the Syrian bombardment of the rebel stronghold in Aleppo after the United States demanded that a truce elsewhere in Syria be extended to the embattled city.

Lieutenant General Sergei Kuralenko, head of Moscow's coordination center in Syria, told Russian news agencies, "Currently, active negotiations are under way to establish a 'regime of silence' in Aleppo province."

Kuralenko, speaking from Russia's Hmeimim air base, also said that a freeze in fighting in Eastern Ghouta, a suburb to the east of the capital Damascus, had been extended by another 24 hours, into Monday. He said a halt to fighting was also holding in northern Latakia province.

"We are calling on all sides interested in establishing peace in Syria to support the Russian-American initiative and not to allow a regime of silence to be disrupted," Kuralenko said.

Aleppo flashpoint



Aleppo has become the latest flashpoint in the five years of fighting in Syria between forces loyal to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and rebel groups trying to overthrow his regime.



The British-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights says that nearly 250 civilians have died in shelling, rocket fire and air raids in the contested city since April 22, including at least 50 people in a hospital supported by the international charity Doctors Without Borders that was hit in an airstrike.



Aleppo was calmer Sunday, with less fighting. But the British monitoring group said 859 civilians, including 143 children, were killed throughout the country in April. United Nations monitors reported last week that the February truce brokered by the United States and Russia has been left in shambles.

About 30 airstrikes by Syrian government warplanes and helicopter gunships hit rebel-held areas of the northern city of Aleppo Saturday, killing at least five people.

The surge of violence comes as the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) warned that the intensification of fighting could bring many people closer to a humanitarian disaster in Aleppo, Syria's one-time commercial center.

More than 80 international and Syrian non-government organizations signed an urgent statement Friday demanding that U.S. President Barack Obama and Russian President Vladimir Putin respond to appeals by the United Nations and try to stop the bloodshed.

From Geneva, U.N. rights chief Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein said this past week's violence in Syria showed a "monstrous disregard for civilians' lives by all parties to the conflict."

Rebels demanding the removal of Assad and the government troops opposing them control separate parts of Aleppo, and portions of the surrounding province are in the hands of numerous other fighters, including members of al-Qaida and the Islamic State terrorist group.
Britain has suspended aid to Mozambique, one of the worlds poorest nations, after secret loans meant to fund a state-owned tuna-fishing firm were instead used to buy expensive military patrol boats from France. The Department for International Development (DFID), which has been sending 84 million a year to Mozambique, turned off the tap after the government there confessed to almost 1 billion of debts it had failed to disclose while taking aid money. The move follows similar suspensions of aid from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank, which includes Britain among its biggest donors. The bizarre scandal emerged after Mozambique took delivery of eight military vessels. They currently sit high and dry on a concrete dock in the port area of the capital, Maputo. The boats, which include three futuristic-looking 130ft trimarans able to carry heavy-calibre machine guns, were bought with the proceeds of loans taken out in 2013, supposedly to create a state fishing firm. Critics questioned such lavish spending on fishing boats by an impoverished and highly indebted nation but the government went ahead and sold bonds based on an estimated tuna catch of 200,000 tons a year, worth 140 million.

The recorded catch for 2014 was 6,000 tons.Some of the cash raised by the bonds sale was used to buy 24 fishing boats. But hundreds of millions more was spent on security equipment for coastal protection, including patrol boats, light aircraft and drones.The fishing firm was supposed to help fund loan repayments of 177 million a year. It reportedly made a 17 million loss in its first year.Last month Mozambiques prime minister, Carlos Agostinho do Rosario, admitted to the IMF that loans were taken out secretly by his predecessor without telling parliament or donors.The IMF, which bailed out Mozambique with emergency help last October, instantly stopped payment of a second 200 million tranche. The countrys credit rating fell sharply.Economist Joseph Hanlon, an expert on Mozambique, said: At least $2.2 billion [1.5 billion], equivalent to all government spending for five months, has been squandered in secret on boats of dubious necessity and, it is widely assumed, on corrupt payments.Hanlon, a senior fellow of the London School of Economics, added that the careers of aid officials were largely determined by how much money they dispensed, saying: Despite war and scandal, Mozambique is seen as a country they can work with.The scandal appears to be a classic case of fungibility  the term used to describe how money provided from outside for poverty relief permits rulers to divert funds into pet projects or their own pockets.About a quarter of the cash- strapped countrys budget comes from overseas donors.Britain is among key donors, boasting on its website that UK aid is helping Mozambique transform itself into a thriving gateway of trade and investment.A DFID spokeswoman said: This appears to be a serious breach of trust. She insisted there was no evidence to date of any misuse of taxpayers money, adding: We are working closely with international partners to establish the truth.

In http://vibesngists.blogspot.pt/2016/04/lolsbritain-gave-84m-yearly-to.html
NAMPA  Nearly 30 years after his parents were killed execution-style in Nampa, Terry Morey still misses them.

And nearly 30 years since the man who killed them was sentenced to death, Morey is still waiting for justice to be served.

The execution of David Card  the man who killed Moreys parents  is still on hold.

Every six months for the past 10 years, a report has been filed updating the federal court on Cards mental health status.

Each time, that report has stated that Card is not mentally stable enough to aid in his own appeals process.

And that has delayed Cards execution.

He took my parents from me, and I believe he should be executed, Morey said about Card. I would be more at ease, and I think it should be an eye for an eye.

Morey was 14 years old when his parents were killed. His sister, Tammy Morey, was 12. After their parents death, the pair moved to Rockland, Idaho, to live with family.

Now 42, Morey lives in West Valley City, Utah, and believes Cards execution should move forward.

On Death Row

Card, now 56, was placed on death row in 1989 for fatally shooting two Idaho Press-Tribune newspaper carriers, Eugene and Shirley Morey, in the head as they folded newspapers for morning delivery.

In 2006, U.S. District Judge Edward Lodge placed a stay on Cards execution and appeal after mental health evaluations determined Card was mentally unstable. At the time, the defense, the prosecution and multiple psychiatrists agreed that Cards mental health status made him unable to assist in his own defense and unable to understand legal proceedings. On April 1, federal defender Bruce Livingston filed a status report with the court, stating he was unaware of any change or developments in the mental condition and competency of (Card).

Morey is frustrated that the process has taken so long and knows Cards execution may never come.

There are no other pending appeals or legal proceedings in Cards case in the meantime.

A requirement that Lodge mandated in his order was that every six months, the defense provide an update on whether Cards mental capacity has changed.

Last week, Livingston said Card is still in the same mental capacity as he was when Lodge signed the order in 2006, but he didnt know if anyone has given Card a formal evaluation.

The Killings

The couple was killed on June 5, 1988, after a clerk had kicked Card out of a convenience store at the corner of 11th Avenue North and Garrity Boulevard.

Card left the store and returned with a gun, but the clerk was gone.

Eugene and Shirley Morey were contract carriers who had stopped at the convenience store for a Coke before delivery. They were sitting in their car while folding their papers.

According to witness statements, Card walked up to their vehicle and fired at close range through the drivers side window, shooting Eugene Morey in the head.

Shirley Morey screamed, and Card shot Eugene Morey again in the head.

Witnesses said Card then walked around to the other side of the car and fired two more bullets in Shirleys head.

It was a very deliberate, very chilling murder, said then-Canyon County Prosecutor Richard Harris after Card was found guilty of the murders. Here are some ordinary, hard-working people who just happened to be in the wrong place when this guy wanted to get a kick  It was senseless.

They were completely innocent of anything. They didnt deserve to die.

David Card

The fundamental reason Cards execution has been put on hold is because of his severe mental health issues.

In October 2006, prior to Lodge ordering the stay of execution and further proceedings, a motion was filed by the defense outlining recommendations by psychiatrists for the state and the defense.

In the findings, the state-retained psychiatrist Dr. Bruce Harry wrote that Card had not been treated with any anti-psychotic medications for years.

Harry stated that Card had severe conceptual disorganization, frequent loose associations, bizarre delusions, severe paranoia and marked affective flattening.

Harrys prognosis was that Card had paranoid, continuous schizophrenia and had suffered from the mental disease since no later than November 1985.

Anti-psychotic medications are the only known effective treatment for Schizophrenia, according to Harrys prognosis. Therefore, if he continues to go untreated with anti-psychotic medications his prognosis is very poor in the sense that he will not improve and might worsen considerably.

A state-retained psychologist, Dr. Robert Engle, was cited in the motion agreeing Card was not competent to stand trial and proceed legally.

Engle wrote that Card could not convey information rationally to his counsel, make decisions regarding legal strategy, and Card had delusions concerning the motives of his defense counsel.

Engle said he assumed Card would continue to refuse to take medication.

Mr. Cards paranoid schizophrenia is now chronic, Engle said. The longer this disorder has continued untreated the more deeply embedded and rigid his delusions have become. In addition he has become less able to communicate rationally.

Even if Card were to begin taking medications consistently, Engle wrote that it was unlikely that his symptoms would be sufficiently reduced enough that he would become competent to stand trial.

Another psychiatrist, Dr. William Logan, was retained by Cards counsel and agreed with the prosecutions retained psychiatrists.

Logan said that without treatment for his schizophrenia, Card is blatantly psychotic and unable to assist his attorneys. Logan determined that as a result of Cards deteriorated mental condition from schizophrenia, Card lacks a rational appreciation of his legal situation and lacks the ability to assist or work with his attorneys in any manner in the pursuit of his appeals.

The determination was made in 2006 after Card filed a motion for post-conviction relief, claiming Cards attorneys at the time of his initial trial failed to investigate Cards background and life experience prior to the murders, providing ineffective legal assistance at sentencing.

At the time of the Moreys killings, Card was declared mentally competent for the initial trial in the 80s.

Inmates within the Idaho Department of Corrections custody have the right to refuse medication, meaning Card may refuse medications for his diagnosed mental illness.

IDOC policy states that unless the inmate is gravely disabled, meaning unable to provide basic personal needs, or if the offender has a likely risk of harm to himself or others, the state cannot order involuntary medication.

Non-emergency involuntary medication mandates may occur only after a formal hearing. The hearing determines issues such as whether all available, less-restrictive options were attempted and failed.

Generally, an involuntary medication hearing must be held prior to any involuntary administration of medication to an offender, according to the policy. However, a physician or psychiatrist may order the emergency involuntary administration of medication without holding an involuntary medication hearing if, in his professional judgment (the offender meets the previous requirements).

Emergency involuntary medication may only occur if there is an existing emergency and cant be ordered in anticipation of a potential or future emergency.

The Idaho Department of Correction last week said that it was not legally allowed to disclose to the Press-Tribune if Card was taking medication, whether they be voluntary or involuntary.

In the meantime, Terry Morey watches and waits.

They were honest people, and they were good people all around, Morey said about his parents. I miss waking up and saying that I love them.
TORI L. McKINLEY

WANTED FOR : FAILURE TO APPEAR on the original charge of POSSESSION OF A CONTROLLED SUBSTANCE, a felony.

The Twin Falls County Sheriffs Office is asking that anyone having information, please call 208-735-1911 or CRIME STOPPERS AT 208-732-5387 where you can remain anonymous and may be eligible for a cash reward.
WASHINGTON, D.C.  Among the major-party presidential candidates still standing, only Republican Ted Cruz has called for transferring federally owned public lands to the states.

The Republican front-runner, Donald Trump, has touted the economic value of energy extraction on public lands but has also come out against transferring the lands to the states. Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton has similarly come out against a transfer to the states, while her rival for the nomination, Bernie Sanders, has a record of favoring further restrictions on activities like mining and drilling on public lands.

The Democrats

Hillary Clinton has called for more local and state collaboration in land management, but she spoke out against transferring federal lands to the states at a campaign rally in Elko, Nev., in February, according to the Elko Daily Free Press.

And again I see this as, you know, part of the anti-government feeling that I know is out there, Clinton said. But anybody whos run the numbers on it, you take a look. If all of the sudden tomorrow the federal government were to say to all the states where they own land, from the East Coast to the West Coast and Alaska, OK you take care of it, your state and local taxes would skyrocket, because trying to take care of this and manage it is a big, big proposition.

Clinton also spoke against the occupation of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge, calling it a fringe movement, with a lot of anger and rhetoric, but we cant let people like that call the shots.

Bernie Sanders has consistently called for more restrictions on extraction activities on federal lands and has said business interests have too much influence on management decisions. In November, Sanders called for a moratorium on new leases for oil, gas and coal drilling on public lands, and in 1995 he introduced anti-corporate-welfare legislation, called the Corporate Responsibility Act, which would have raised grazing fees.

Public lands should be managed for the benefit and enjoyment of all Americans, and not just the oil and gas, mining, and timber companies that have had disproportionate influence in management decisions on federal lands, Sanders said in a statement to the Reno Gazette-Journal in February. We can balance natural resource conservation AND appropriate the use of public lands to create jobs and promote economic growth.

The Republicans

Ted Cruz is a strong proponent of transferring western public lands to state ownership. In 2014, Cruz proposed an amendment to the Sportsmens Act that would limit federal ownership to 50 percent of a state. The federal government owns more of Idaho, Nevada, Utah, Oregon and Alaska than that.

If I am elected president, we have never had a president who is as vigorously committed to transferring as much federal land as humanely possible back to the states and back to the people, Cruz told the Las Vegas Review Journals editorial board in December.

Donald Trump has said he opposes transferring ownership of public lands to the states.

I dont like the idea because I want to keep the lands great, and you dont know what the state is going to do, Trump told Field and Stream magazine in January. I mean, are they going to sell if they get into a little bit of trouble? And I dont think its something that should be sold. We have to be great stewards of this land.

Trump said in the same interview that he thinks public lands are being poorly maintained and he would do it differently. He favors increased energy extraction but said it needs to be done in a way that it doesnt damage the land.

As president, I will make sure that the Department of Interior and the Department of Energy give as much access to the people of this country as possible and that these departments will make sure that useful development of the land for cities, counties and the state will not be hidebound in needless bureaucratic red tape, Trump said in a statement to the Reno Gazette-Journal in February. Congress should address this issue on a much larger scale and make the determination on how federal lands should be managed by the executive branch, state and local governments.

In early April, Trump campaign adviser Barry Bennett suggested using energy on government lands, and possibly selling land, as part of an ambitious plan to eliminate the federal debt in eight years.

John Kasichs campaign did not respond to a Times-News request for comment on his views. A campaign spokesman told the Idaho Statesman in February that he would be very open to these discussions with interested states and believes that the federal government needs to work more closely and constructively when it makes decisions about land management that impact state and local governments.
BOISE  On Jan. 2, a group of armed anti-government protesters took over the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge, starting a six-week standoff that would bring national attention to an issue that has simmered and flared up in the West for decades: the ownership and management of federal lands.

The standoff might be over, but the debate isnt going away.

The protest in Burns, Ore., started as a show of support for Dwight and Steven Hammond, who were resentenced to five years in federal prison for setting fires on federal lands after first being sentenced to shorter terms. But the Hammonds disavowed the militants, and the occupiers focused their rhetoric on larger issues of land use, local versus federal control and the constitutionality of the federal governments ownership of 47 percent of the land between the Rocky Mountains and the Pacific Ocean.

Some more right-wing Western lawmakers, including three from Idaho, visited Burns to meet with the occupiers. Even some elected Republicans who are generally aligned with the partys more moderate faction, such as Idaho Gov. C.L. Butch Otter, expressed sympathy with the protesters frustrations while being careful to condemn their tactics.

Malheur might have brought the issue to the forefront for people in Eastern states where the federal government doesnt own much land, but the issue has been studied and debated, with less drama but perhaps more potential for lasting impact, in state capitols throughout the region. Republican lawmakers in Idaho and other Western states frequently voice dissatisfaction with federal management and a desire for more state control. Many bills have been introduced in the past few years, but in most states, including Idaho, most of these bills have stalled.

In Washington, D.C., several Western-state congressional Republicans, including Idahos Raul Labrador, have introduced bills to increase state control, although none of them have gotten close to passing.

Given that most state-control bills have been opposed by Democratic lawmakers and environmental groups, it seems unlikely that a Democratic president would sign them even if they were to pass both houses of Congress. So whether any of these ideas ever become law is going to hinge on the outcome of the presidential election. Of the presidential candidates, only Republican Ted Cruz has come out in favor of transferring large amounts of federal land to state control.

Labrador has endorsed the Texas senator for president, and before he dropped out Labrador backed Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul, who also has called for transferring federal lands to the states. Labrador said that, while that specific issue wasnt a big factor in his endorsement decisions, their stances fall into an overall philosophy on federal power and state control that he shares.

I know theyre both big proponents of that, he said.

In Boise

Two legislative sessions have gone by since the Idaho Legislatures Federal Lands Interim Committee came out with a report recommending increased state management and collaboration with federal authorities. Several bills to implement the committees recommendations were introduced in 2015, but the most significant ones, including one to extend the committee to continue its work and one to create a compact of Western states to work on a transfer, failed to pass.

Late in this years session, Rep. Judy Boyle, R-Midvale, introduced three pieces of legislation looking to increase state control; one died in committee, and the other two passed the House but never came up in the Senate.

One bill did pass, though  a measure carried by Sen. Sheryl Nuxoll, R-Cottonwood, to let counties declare a catastrophic public nuisance if local officials fear their condition could lead to a big wildfire or other health or safety risks, and demand the federal agencies that administer them take corrective steps.

The bill was modeled on one that passed last year in Utah, the state where lawmakers have gone the furthest in attempts to assert state control, including preparing for a lawsuit to challenge federal land ownership.

Utahs bill, in turn, was modeled on a draft bill from the American Legislative Exchange Council. The conservative group counts many Republican lawmakers in Idaho and nationwide among its members and supporters and is known for preparing model legislation on many topics and promoting public policy that benefits businesses.

A similar bill was introduced in Arizona this year, too, but was held in committee.

Much of ALECs funding and support comes from big corporate interests including oil companies and the Koch brothers, a fact the groups more liberal opponents often highlight. ALEC put out a report last year making an economic case for state ownership, and report author Karla Jones, head of ALECs Task Force on International Relations and Federalism, testified in favor of the idea at a February hearing held by the Federal Lands Action Group, a group of western lawmakers who support state control.

The paper concluded that the states would serve as superior environmental and economic stewards of select lands within their borders and that Americas own 19th-century experience in transferring land from federal to state control as well as Canadas experience with territorial devolution serve as positive models for the transfer of lands today, Jones said.

Supporters and opponents of Idahos new catastrophic public nuisance law did agree on one thing  that its practical impact wont be huge.

Fred Birnbaum, vice president of the Idaho Freedom Foundation, a conservative group that favors state control, said during committee testimony that a county cant force the federal government to cut down a tree. The bills value, he said, would be in highlighting problems, setting up a legal structure for counties to lodge their complaints and holding non-responsive federal agencies up for public scrutiny.

Jonathan Oppenheimer, spokesman for the Idaho Conservation League, said the law will start any conversation on land management from a very adversarial perspective, and just gives local officials a stick with which to poke the federal government.

It seems like it is really a solution in search of a problem more than anything, he said.

The new Idaho law wont affect the U.S. Forest Service because it doesnt include a mechanism for a county to try to enforce its demands on the federal government, said Wade Muehlhof, spokesman for the Forest Services Intermountain Region. He pointed to the Idaho attorney generals opinion on the bill, which said it includes no provision that explicitly purports to authorize a County Official to make a legally enforceable demand against a federal agency, nor does the proposed legislation purport to impose any penalties on a federal agency for a failure to comply with a demand.

The Idaho AGs office concluded the bill was constitutional as written but could become unconstitutional as applied if a county were to try to take action against a federal agency.

Garfield and Iron counties, in the Dixie National Forest in southern Utah, tried to pursue a catastrophic public nuisance declaration in 2015 after the Utah bill passed, Muehlhof said. Specifically, they were concerned about too many fuels in a watershed near a municipal water source. Dixie officials agreed to include Iron Countys request in the national forests planning priorities for the 2017 fiscal year. In Garfield County, Muehlhof said, the Dixie forest is already doing several fuel-reduction projects in concert with the state.

The bottom line for us, Muehlhof wrote in an email, is that we are always trying to establish and maintain positive working relationships with local, state and federal agencies that seek mutually beneficial solutions.

Legal Challenge

With legislation stalling even in some of the Wests more Republican statehouses, the next front in this debate could be Utahs lawsuit against the federal government  if that lawsuit is ever filed.

The backdrop for this suit was set in 2012, when Utah passed a law demanding the federal government transfer most of the land it owns in Utah to state hands, setting a deadline of Dec. 31, 2014. The federal government, of course, did not transfer the lands it owns in Utah to the state. In December 2015, a panel of state lawmakers voted to move forward after hearing from their legal consulting team, who told the legislators they were on firm constitutional ground.

Its a solid argument, but the court has never thought about it before, said Ronald Rotunda, a constitutional law expert who is part of the team of lawyers, according to the Associated Press. Thats what makes it a very dramatic case.

Whether these theories will get tested in a courtroom depends on the results of the Utah gubernatorial primary on June 28 and the presidential election in November. Incumbent Republican Gov. Gary Herbert said at a debate in April it would be counterproductive and probably reckless to file the suit unless a Republican wins the presidential election. His challenger, Jonathan Johnson, has promised to move more aggressively than Herbert if he wins.

In February, the two Utah legislators who head the Utah Commission for the Stewardship of Public Lands visited Boise, along with George Wentz, the lawyer who is leading Utahs efforts, to make their case to Idaho lawmakers.

Wentz says federal ownership of so much Western land violates the equal footing doctrine, which is the legal principle that the states are all equal to each other. Western lawmakers in Washington, D.C., can be blackmailed with payments in lieu of taxes their states depend on, and keeping so much land locked up limits development, keeping the population lower and limiting the Western states power, Wentz said.

Is Idaho weaker than New York because Idaho doesnt have dominion over all its land? Wentz said. Actually, it is.

Other supporters of a land transfer, including Ammon Bundy, leader of the Malheur standoff, have argued that the Enclave Clause of the U.S. Constitution  which grants the federal government power over Washington, D.C., and the ability to buy and own, with a states consent, Forts, Magazines, Arsenals, dock-Yards, and other needful Buildings  means that, because they arent included, the federal government isnt constitutionally authorized to control the vast Western lands that it does.

Some other lawyers and legal experts have taken issue with these arguments. Deputy Idaho Attorney General Steven Strack wrote in his legal opinion on one of Boyles bills that the interpretation of the equal footing doctrine Wentz espouses has no support in law.

Jerrold Long, a law professor at the University of Idaho, said the Enclave Clause is just about areas where Congress exercises exclusive jurisdiction, and it doesnt forbid the federal government from owning other lands.

Its really kind of a constrained, narrow, bizarre reading that is inconsistent with what anybody else has ever found, Long said of the land transfer proponents legal arguments.

Long said the Constitutions Property Clause, which gives Congress the power to regulate and dispose of lands it owns in general, and the Fifth Amendment, which says no private property may be taken for public use without just compensation, support the idea that the founders did not intend the Enclave Clause to be a list of the only properties the federal government would be allowed to own.

It makes no sense to have a specific requirement to pay for land that youre taking if youre not allowed to own land, Long said. The Fifth Amendment is a clear recognition that the federal government can own land.

The Fire Question

Rep. Steve Hartgen, R-Twin Falls, who was on the Idaho Legislatures Federal Lands Interim Committee, expects federal land management to remain an issue unless there are significant improvements to the way federal lands are managed. He pointed to last years Soda Fire in Owyhee County, and the tens of millions of dollars the federal government is spending just on reseeding the burned areas.

We all know that fires are getting worse, he said. Theres more fuel. And the management practices need to be changed.

Hartgen said he supports multiple use, and that he has been following events in Owyhee County, which used to be in his district and where local ranchers have come into conflict with the Bureau of Land Management over grazing permits. Hartgen pointed to the China Mountain wind energy project, a proposed wind farm south of Rogerson that the BLM blocked due to concerns over sage grouse habitat, as an example of federal regulations hurting the local economy and tax base.

We used to have a broader approach to multiple use, he said. And weve kind of gotten away from that. And its more about recreational use.

Birnbaum of the Idaho Freedom Foundation, which lobbied for Nuxolls and Boyles bills this session, said Tuesday at an IFF gathering at Perkins Restaurant and Bakery in Twin Falls that increased logging and mining would lead to more jobs and tax revenue and fewer fires.

Having hundreds of thousands of acres burn every summer is not good land management, he said.

The Idaho Conservation Leagues Oppenheimer agrees that fires are getting bigger and the fire season longer, but he attributes it to a different primary cause.

Really, he said, climate change is resulting in a change in the way that fire behaves in Idaho, across the West and around the world.

Oppenheimer said wildfires have always been a fact of life in the West, and continued collaboration with the federal government to identify the most at-risk areas and reduce wildfires through measures such as targeted thinning and better community planning is the more sensible approach.

In our view, he said, a collaborative approach is a far better solution than making demands and legal action to demand a federal response.
TWIN FALLS  Magic Valley voters have a lot of choices to make on May 17.

The primary covers county, state and federal elections to determine final races for the November election. In a region dominated by the GOP, some of the May races will settle the eventual winner because there are no Democratic opponents in the fall.

And theres a lot at stake.

In Twin Falls, Republican incumbent Rep. Stephen Hartgen is facing a challenge from Mary Bello. In District 25, which covers Jerome County and much of rural Twin Falls County, longtime incumbent Republican Rep. Maxine Bell is facing a primary challenge from Reggy Sternes. Both Bell and Hartgens votes generally align them with the establishment wing of the party, and Bello and Sternes both are running to the right of the incumbents.

A full slate of Republicans are running in District 23, which includes western Twin Falls County. There, incumbent Republican Rep. Rich Wills is facing a challenge from Christy Zito, and incumbent Republican Rep. Pete Nielsen is facing challenges from Justin Freeman and Megan Blanksma.

Some of these legislative seats will see competitive races with Democratic candidates in November, and those Democrats are also unopposed for their partys line on the primary, but some wont even see that  in Mini-Cassia, for example, all three incumbent legislators are unopposed both for the primary and the general.

Farther down the ballot, though, there are plenty of choices to make that will have a direct impact on the future of your local government. Twin Falls County Republicans will vote on challengers to both of the county commissioners on the ballot, the sheriff and the county prosecuting attorney.

In Jerome County, Prosecutor Mike Seib is running unopposed, but the sheriff and two county commissioners are facing opponents in the Republican primary. Republicans in Gooding County have three prosecutor candidates to choose from, while five Republicans are vying for the partys nod for Lincoln County sheriff. Incumbent Gooding County Commissioner Wayne Chandler is facing a challenge from Terrell Williams, who once served on the board.

Mini-Cassia Republicans have a glut of candidates to choose from on May 17 as well, with three Republicans vying for Cassia County sheriff and four for the District 3 county commissioner seat, while in Minidoka there are two-way primaries for sheriff and District 3 commissioner, respectively.

In Blaine County, the only county in the Magic Valley that regularly votes Democratic, the action is on the left side of the primary ballot, where incumbent commissioner Jacob Greenberg is facing challenges from Kaz Thea and Gary Whitworth Brower. And Camas County Republicans will choose between Monte Cangiamilla and Marshall Ralph for the District 2 county commissioner spot.

While Democratic candidates for party precinct committeeman are generally unopposed throughout the Magic Valley, there are a few competitive races on the Republican side in Gooding County and 17 out of the 44 GOP precinct committeeman posts in Twin Falls County have two candidates.

In some of these Twin Falls races, people who are aligned with the local GOPs more conservative wing are looking to gain seats. In Castleford, for example, Rick Martin, who led the local movement to shut down the College of Southern Idaho Refugee Center, is taking on county commissioner Terry Kramer for the GOP committeeman spot, and Adrian Arp, who was also active in the movement to shut down the refugee center, is running against Tara Wiggins for one of the committeeman spots in Filer.

Steve Millington, the chairman of the county party and a precinct committeeman from Buhl, is facing a challenge from Theresa Strolberg.

Even if youre an independent or have no interest in the primaries and the precinct committee races, you may have some choices to make. Ketchum voters will decide whether to borrow up to $23.1 million to build new City Hall, police and fire department buildings, and in Hailey voters will decide whether to levy an additional $400,000 in property taxes over the next two years to build sidewalks, bike paths and trails. In Sun Valley, voters will have to approve or reject a local-option sales tax, and Ketchum Cemetery District voters will decide whether to annex more land into the district.

Rock Creek Rural Fire Protection District residents will vote on an additional $512,000 levy to fund the districts operations, and Kimberly school district voters will decide whether to borrow $14 million to build a new elementary school and upgrade the existing one and on whether to levy another $300,000 a year in property taxes for the next 10 years for a reserve fund to fix and maintain the districts buildings.

And, all Idaho voters can weigh in on the state Supreme Court race to replace Jim Jones. Sergio Gutierrez, Curt McKenzie, Clive Strong and Robyn Brody are all running for this spot. Brody is from Rupert. Strong, a longtime deputy attorney general, lives in Boise and was raised in Wendell.
SHOSHONE  There might not be a more contested race in the Magic Valley than the race for sheriff in Lincoln County, where nearly one out of e
BURLEY  Four candidates are hoping to win the Cassia County District 3 commissioners seat, which will be vacated by Dennis Crane.

There are no Democrat or Constitutional candidates. Independent candidates have until September to file for the November election.

Dee Yeaman, 64, works for Cassia County Road and Bridge. He served on the Cassia County Planning and Zoning Board for four years, 20 years on the Albion Planning and Zoning Board and as Cassia County clerk for one year.

Shirley Halford-Hubbard, 71, is a licensed practical nurse, advanced emergency medical technician and teacher. She has held leadership positions in Mini-Cassia Search and Rescue and West Cassia Quick Response Unit.

Tim Darrington, 64, is a farm and ranch operator and the owner of a custom harvesting business.

Tommy Hutchison, 57, is a rancher and owner-manager of Steve Regan.

Darrington and Hutchison do not have previous political experience.

County spending

All four candidates said the countys budget is a top issue.

Halford-Hubbard said as a commissioner she will help brainstorm ideas to raise revenue in the county and take a look at internal spending.

We have got to look at that differently, she said.

Halford-Hubbard said the commissioners also need to investigate whether more revenue can be raised at the jail and the cost split with Minidoka County.

Yeaman would facilitate serious discussions with the sheriffs office about generating more revenue through citations.

Hutchison would address staffing and wages and work to better fund the sheriffs office.

We have to make sure that departments are not wasting, he said. And there has to be a way to bring the sheriffs office funding up.

Darrington said he wants to comb the entire budget.

I will look at it to see if it is a management issue or if there is not enough money, Darrington said.

He said it can be difficult to increase funding in just one department because often you rob Peter to pay Paul.

Charitable organizations asking for county funds

Voters have raised questions about how the county handles charitable donations.

Yeaman said he would vet all the organizations to ensure they were not heavy in administration.

I would be more open to helping those, he said.

Darrington considers taxes sacred funds and he would need to look at the overall problem.

He said the county needs to find members of the public to form a committee to choose how the county donates money.

I would be very hesitant to donate to charity, Darrington said. My heart goes out to them. But you have to be make decisions without your emotions. Once you open the flood gates there are a lot of worthy causes.

Halford-Hubbard agrees with forming a committee.

I think the committee should include people from all walks of life, said Halford-Hubbard.

Hutchison would look at the issue hard.

I would need to see which ones benefit the county and allows the county to move forward, he said.

Improving county relations with the city

Hutchison said county and city officials need to sit down at the table and talk.

The distrust is killing everyone in the county. We need to sit down as civil adults and hash through this, Hutchison said.

Darrington said barriers have been created by careless remarks between the city and county. It boils down to good communication and talking about issues right away when they surface, he said.

Said Halford-Hubbard said: Its all about communication and education. Im an educator. Everyone has their own ideas and good people get offended and want their ideas in the forefront.

Often there is a wall built and it is difficult to get to the issues, Yeaman said.

I would work to improve those personal relationships so we can deal with the issues that need to be taken care of, Yeaman said.

The Burley airport

Darrington said he is willing to listen to facts on the need for a new airport, but he wants to know what the citizens want before making any decision.

Halford-Hubbard is also on the fence and wants to learn more.

Hutchison said a new airport is crucial for economic development.

Unless we provide that service for businesses weve shot ourselves in the foot, he said.
GOODING  Gooding County Commission incumbent Wayne Chandler is facing a challenger  Terrell Williams, who says there needs to be more accountability and communication with the public.

Theyre vying for for seat three during the May 17 election.

Chandler, 68, a farmer, has lived in the Magic Valley for more than 40 years. He has served on the Gooding County Commission for four years.

Chandler said hes running for reelection because there are major issues left to address. Theres been some things that I would still like to see accomplished.

Williams  a Wendell resident  was a Gooding County commissioner for six years from 2007 to 2012. She lost to Chandler during the 2012 election.

It was just really disappointing to me because I feel like we were making progress, she said.

Now, Williams said she wants to be on the board again because a commissioner is needed who will attend meetings and be accessible to the public. I think we need a dependable commissioner.

Wiliams, 63, said when she was commissioner, she never missed a meeting. She said she talked with students and senior citizens about local government, went to city council meetings and met with state legislators.

Thats not happening now, she said.

Gooding County working to revamp its website to make information and services more accessible to the public, Chandler said. Were really working on developing a webpage on a computer.

Once its done within a year, he said, it will allow community members to do more online instead of going to the county courthouse. Thats the direction we really need to go.

The countys website needs to be regularly updated with meeting minutes and agendas, Williams said. Its not really transparent.

Other issues facing the county are water rights, protecting property rights and creating an equitable county wage schedule, Chandler said. Williams said shes concerned about declining air quality and water resources.

The commission is trying to get wages equal with neighboring counties, Chandler said. If not, (employees) quit and leave and go to other counties.

Williams said she thinks appreciation of Gooding County employees is lacking. And community members deserve to have a commissioner whos fair, she added.

The problem with county commissioners is they dont tell people what theyre doing or communicate information well, Williams said.

Williams  who was raised in Twin Falls and Hagerman  spent 30 years working for the Times-News and its Ag Weekly publication. She has lived in Wendell for about 40 years with her husband, and they raised their two sons there.

Williams said she puts an emphasis on volunteer work and has a history of community service. She recently finished a two-year term as president of the Wendell Chamber of Commerce and shes on a committee to help organize Magic Valley Dairy Days.

In 2007, she decided to run for Gooding County Commission because at the time, the industrial dairies were a huge problem, Williams said.

Even today, if youre in Wendell in the evening, you have to shut your windows, she said. Its a lot better than it was.

She was involved with revamping the countys comprehensive plan  which took two years of meetings.

The major decision was limiting dairy expansions. That was the main, contentious thing we done, Williams said, adding it made people furious.

Commissioners are in the midst of revising the five-year comprehensive plan again.

Chandler said hed like to see agriculture continue to thrive as the countys primary source of income.

I dont like subdivisions in the country, he said, adding it adversely affects dairy and agriculture operations.

Theres a huge dairy presence in Gooding County, he said. Personally, I dont think we need more, but we need to try to help the ones that are here.

Its important to keep things vibrant in small communities, Chandler said, because they need to thrive.

Chandler is one of the members of a seven-county Southern Idaho Solid Waste board, made up of county commissioners.

Thats been a real eye opener for me, he said. The board is in the midst of trying to negotiate selling methane gas to Idaho Power, he added.
TWIN FALLS  Two Magic Valley Republican legislators are being primaried by challengers who say they want to take things in a more conservative direction.

Rep. Maxine Bell, R-Jerome, who was first elected in 1988 and co-chairs the Legislatures powerful budget-setting Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee, is facing off against Reggy Sternes, the owner of Sternes Realty and a Jerome High School graduate and 21-year U.S. Navy veteran.

And Rep. Steve Hartgen, R-Twin Falls, a former Times-News editor and publisher who has represented Twin Falls in Boise since he was elected in 2010, is being challenged by Mary Bello, who moved here from California 11 years ago and runs Saddle Up Kids, a business giving children horseback riding lessons.

There arent any primaries in District 26, which covers Blaine, Camas, Gooding and Lincoln counties, nor in Mini-Cassias District 27.

Sternes, who describes his personal philosophy as a combination of libertarian principles and conservative values, said he decided to run after looking at his legislators ranking on the Idaho Freedom Foundations Freedom Index.

The only reason Im running is because of the Idaho Freedom Foundation, he told the Times-News editorial board. I looked at their data.

The IFF, a conservative group based in Boise, ranks bills during the session based on principles such as whether they expand government or lead to more spending, and then scores lawmakers votes on them. The high scorers on the index are a handful of the Legislatures most conservative members, mostly from northern Idaho; the Magic Valleys lawmakers mostly fall into the GOPs establishment camp and most of them got F ratings this year.

Sternes said he decided to take on Bell, rather than Rep. Clark Kauffman, R-Filer, or Sen. Jim Patrick, R-Twin Falls, who have marginally better Freedom Index rankings than Bell but also have far less time in the Legislature, because her ranking shows she is the least likely, out of the three, to vote in accordance with his views.

If Im really principled, would I take the easier one? he asked.

Sternes said he knew Bell when he was a student at Jerome High School and she was the school librarian, and worked under her as a librarians aide. He said she has served honorably and bears her no ill-will.

I think she can only improve as a representative if shes competing, he said.

Bello said people approached her to run earlier this year, expressing worries that Hartgen, who missed several weeks of this years session to recover from pneumonia (his wife filled in for him in Boise while he was out), would be re-elected and then wouldnt be able to represent them. She said she favors lower taxes and spending and the freedoms outlined in the U.S. Constitution and the Declaration of Independence, and said government is moving away from those principles.

Im very conservative, she said. I believe that the free market is almost always the answer to almost every single one of our problems.

Hartgen pointed to the 73 percent ranking he got from the American Conservative Union, a national group best known for hosting the Conservative Political Action Conference every year, in 2015, meaning he agreed with the group on eight out of 11 votes they scored. Bell got a 75 percent from the ACU.

Im not a liberal at all, Hartgen said. Never have been. And I have a conservative track record.

A few other Republicans who are facing primary challenges from the right have been highlighting the ACU rankings rather than the IFFs, such as Rep. Luke Malek, R-Coeur dAlene, who recently sent out a mailer highlighting the fact that the ACU rated him the second-most conservative member of the House.

Hartgen attributed some of the opposition to what he called a tea party philosophy that if youre in leadership, you must be doing something wrong. He described himself as a common-sense conservative, and said his views are more in line with what Magic Valley voters want.

They dont expect me to be extremely ideological, he said. And Im not sure they want a representative whos going to vote No on appropriations bills and common things and so forth.

But the Idaho Legislature isnt conservative at all if you look at the yearly increases in spending, said Fred Birnbaum, vice president of the IFF.

Speaking to about a dozen supporters at Perkins Restaurant and Bakery in Twin Falls on Tuesday, Birnbaum said state spending went up 8 percent this year while state revenue was only up 5 percent.

That sort of informs how we view the Legislature, he said.

Both Bello and Sternes were in attendance, although Birnbaum started his presentation by stressing that he wasnt there to talk about the primaries.

This years scores were based on almost 100 bills the group rated during the session. Budget bills are not included in the IFFs ranking system. Lindsay Russell Dexter, the IFFs senior policy director, said the principles they use to score legislation  does it grow or shrink government, does it expand or shrink government intervention in the free market, etc.  are pretty close to the principles Republicans say they stand for.

Its simple, she said. Were just talking about the legislation.

Bell said she suspects her vote this year against a bill getting rid of the requirement for a concealed carry permit within city limits  she was one of just three Republicans in the House to vote against it  is part of the reason she is facing a challenge.

I just was so concerned about having a concealed carry in a populated area and not really having any training at all, she said.

Sternes supports the bill that passed this year, saying mandatory permitting created hoops for law-abiding citizens to jump through while doing nothing to stop criminals who would ignore the law anyway.

The permitting requirement only made it burdensome to the law-abiding citizen, who in an urgent situation needs or wants to carry a gun to protect his or her family, Sternes wrote in a letter to the editor that ran in the Times-News in March. It (the new law) makes it legal for a coat to accidentally fall over an open-carry holstered gun.

Bell recalled a vote she cast early in her legislative career based on something a lobbyist told her, to legalize dog racing, that she came to regret after learning more about how the dogs were treated. She said that experience made her more careful. She said that, out of the dozen or so constituents who reached out to her before the permitless carry vote, all but two were against the legislation.
BOISE  Several bills designed to increase state and local control of federal public lands were introduced in Boise this year, plus a resolution calling on the state to preserve public access and not lease any state lands exclusively. Only one passed.

In Congress, a few bills are pending. Even if they ever pass the House, where the Republicans have a 58-vote majority, their chances of passing the Senate are less certain and their chances of getting signed into law even less so.

Heres a recap:

Idaho Bills

 Bill: Senate Bill 1338

Sponsor: Sen. Sheryl Nuxoll, R-Cottonwood

What it does: Let county authorities declare a catastrophic public nuisance and demand federal land management agencies come up with a plan to deal with problems if the county worries the lands maintenance is leading to a public safety risk. Wildfires are the main risk cited by the bills supporters.

What happened: It passed on mostly party-line votes and has been signed into law.

This was the only bill of the five here to be introduced in February; the others were introduced in March. The Legislature adjourned March 25, which could have been a factor in some of the bills not getting Senate hearings after passing the House.

 Bill: House Bill 582

Sponsor: Rep. Judy Boyle, R-Midvale

What it would do: Idaho would manage for multiple uses and with sustained yield in mind any public lands it obtains from the federal government in the future. The bills supporters said it would establish a framework for how lands would be managed and assure Idahoans that they would still be open for public use.

What happened: It passed the House on a party-line vote but died in the Senate.

 Bill: House Bill 586

Sponsor: Boyle

What it would do: Withdraw state consent for the federal government to acquire any additional lands in the state and require the Legislature to approve any future federal land buys.

What happened: The House Resources and Environment Committee killed it over concerns it would unduly restrict private property rights.

 Bill: House Joint Memorial 14

Sponsor: Boyle

What it would do: Call on Congress to pass a bill introduced by U.S. Rep. Raul Labrador, R-Idaho, to create a pilot program turning some federally owned lands over to state management.

What happened: It passed the Idaho House on a party-line vote but died in the Senate.

 Bill: House Concurrent Resolution 53

Sponsor: Rep. Mat Erpelding, D-Boise

What it would do: Encourage the Idaho Department of Lands not to agree to any leases that would bar other hunters, fishers and trappers from state endowment lands in favor of an exclusive lessee. A private high-end hunting club had looked into getting an exclusive lease on some endowment lands in Jefferson County, and Erpelding wanted to forestall that possibility.

What happened: It passed the House unanimously but died in the Senate.

Federal Bills

 Bill: H.R. 3650, State National Forest Management Act of 2015

Sponsor: U.S. Rep. Don Young, R-Alaska

What it would do: Authorize states to acquire up to 2 million acres of certain National Forest system lands within their borders, to manage them for logging primarily. States could decide whether to buy the land or trade land of equal value. Wilderness and other protected areas would be excluded.

What happened: It was introduced in September and got a subcommittee hearing in February.

 Bill: H.R. 2316, Self-Sufficient Community Lands Act

Sponsor: Labrador

What it would do: Let states set up community forest demonstration areas on Forest Service lands, whereby states could manage up to about 2 percent of Forest Service lands. States would set up committees to oversee management including representatives of local government, timber and grazing and recreational users. Wilderness would be exempt, and the Forest Service would receive a portion of the revenues and use them for firefighting costs.

What happened: Introduced in May 2015, the bill got a subcommittee hearing in February. It needs to come back to the committee so amendments can be considered.

 Bill: H.R. 4579, Utah Test and Training Range Encroachment Prevention and Temporary Closure Act

Sponsor: U.S. Rep. Chris Stewart, R-Utah

What it would do: Withdraw about 625,000 acres of Bureau of Land Management land west of Salt Lake City for the Utah Test and Training Range; give more than 5,000 acres of right of way on disputed RS 2477 roads to Box Elder, Juab and Tooele counties; and swap 84,000 acres of state lands within the ranges boundaries for 99,000 of federal lands.

RS 2477 roads are roads on public lands authorized under an 1866 law passed to encourage settlement of the West. The federal government repealed the law as part of the Federal Land Policy and Management Act in 1976 but said existing valid roads could stay. There have been disputes ever since over certain roads that environmentalists or federal officials want to close but local officials and motorized access advocates want to keep open; Utah, especially, has seen a number of controversies and lawsuits over these old roads.

What happened: Introduced in February, the bill cleared the House Natural Resources Committee by a 19-14 vote in March.
SHOSHONE  There might not be a more contested race in the Magic Valley than the race for sheriff in Lincoln County, where nearly one out of every 1,000 residents is running.

With a population of just under 5,300 people at last estimate, Lincoln County will nevertheless have five options during the Republican primary. George JR Gregory, Bill Irving, Cresley McConnell, Rene Rodriguez and Verlon Southwick are all looking to fill the void created by Sheriff Kevin Ellis, who will retire at the end of his current term.

The five men offer a wide array of experience and backgrounds that will give voters plenty of options. Gregory, Irving and Southwick have all been deputies in Lincoln County, while Rodriguez is a Shoshone Police sergeant with sheriffs office experience in another county. But as one Lincoln County resident put it, theyll all be up against McConnell, the county commissioner who has no law enforcement experience but more name recognition.

Whoever is elected will have to deal with issues the office always faces, like low pay for deputies and how to patrol the entire county at all times during the day and night.

Heres a quick breakdown, in alphabetical order by last name, of each candidate and some of the top issues theyre talking about.

George JR Gregory

Gregory points to experience and leadership as some of his biggest strengths. He started in law enforcement in 2003, worked his way up to lieutenant in the Wendell Police Department and then resigned to help his ailing mother who lived in Shoshone. He then worked five years full-time and one year part-time with the Lincoln County Sheriffs Office, retiring as a sergeant in 2015; hes currently a reserve deputy in Gooding and Jerome counties.

I was a corporal, I was a lieutenant and I was a sergeant, Gregory said during a meeting with the Times-News editorial board in April. Ive been in law enforcement for about 13 years, and theres six years of being in administration. So I know I can handle the job.

As a sergeant with Lincoln County, Gregory investigated the child pornography case tried in federal court that recently resulted in one of the harshest penalties ever in Idaho.

I was the head investigator for that, Gregory said. I can teach someone how to write a warrant that can pass muster in the federal court system. Theyre so particular, and you can lose your whole case because of it.

Gregory also wants more training for his deputies and to reorganize shifts so there are two deputies working during peak times. He also wants to create a youth program withing the sheriffs department.

Bill Irving

Irving started his career in Gooding County, first as a detention deputy and then as a Gooding Police officer. He was a Lincoln County deputy from 2007 to 2013 and is currently working part-time as a police officer in Kimberly.

Irving said hes been out of the loop since leaving the Lincoln County Sheriffs Office but senses trust and communication problems between the office and the residents of the county.

I feel its time for a change, and the trust issues with the county and the sheriffs office, that needs to be repaired, Irving said during a March speech at the Lincoln Day event. I believe if thats repaired, everything else that needs to be fixed can actually be fixed as we go. But the trust and the communication is the biggest part that needs to be fixed.

The role of the Lincoln County Sheriff is to lead by example and be a working sheriff, Irving said.

(A sheriff) also has an open-door policy to the public for whatever their needs are.

Cresley McConnell

McConnell is a level-two reserve deputy, but other than that has no law enforcement experience. Its not surprising then that while the other candidates say the sheriff needs to be a working sheriff who patrols and backs up his deputies, McConnell called the role of sheriff an administrative position that needs a strong leader with skills in managing people and conflict resolution.

As a sitting county commissioner, McConnell might be a step ahead of his opponents in managing the departments budget and working with the county commissioners. But can it make up for him having no full-time law enforcement experience?

In these small counties it probably does help to have a law enforcement background, because youve got to get out and help, McConnell said during his meeting with the Times-News editorial board. But one thing Im big on is continuing education and training  and if elected sheriff, I will go through POST (peace officer standards and training) and at least get my basic certification.

Rene Rodriguez

Sheriff Kevin Ellis endorsed Rodriguez, who started his law enforcement career with the Blaine County Sheriffs Office and is now a patrol sergeant with the Shoshone Police Department.

I think that Rodriguez would make a good sheriff, Ellis said last month.

If elected, Rodriguez said hed bring with him some of the effective policies implemented in Shoshone, like data-driven policing and 24-hour business checks all around the county. Business checks especially have helped police build a strong bond with citizens in Shoshone, Rodriguez said. He believes the same would be true across the county.

Rodriguezs childhood as a migrant worker coming from south Texas to work sugar beet fields in the Magic Valley also gives him a unique outlook on life and law enforcement. It helps him connect not only with the countys growing Hispanic population but with all hard-working county residents.

I fully appreciate how hard our citizens work, Rodriguez wrote in outlining his campaign. I pledge to protect their families, homes and businesses.

Verlon Southwick

The son of former Lincoln County Sheriff Stephen Southwick was a reserve deputy for several years before deciding to go full-time in his fathers footsteps in 2009. Thats when he was hired on by Lincoln County, but he left the office in 2012 after having his eyes opened to things he thought should be done better in the office.

I tried to push those changes as a deputy and those changes didnt seem to happen, Southwick said during an interview with the editorial board. And I lost the joy of the job. It kind of disappeared as I came at odds with the administration.

Southwick says the office seemed to have lost its desire to serve the public and sight of what was important for the county. Instilling in his deputies the desire to be a peace officer, and not just a ticket-writer or law-enforcer, would be one of Southwicks top priorities.
WASHINGTON, D.C.  Idahos two congressmen are both Republicans, but they dont quite agree on a number of issues, and their views on public lands reflect the differences in their philosophies.

Raul Labrador, who represents the area from Owyhee County and the Boise suburbs north to the Canadian border, is one of the more prominent members of the House Freedom Caucus that got widespread attention for its role in forcing out Speaker John Boehner last year. Labrador has introduced legislation seeking to expand state land management and is a member of the Federal Land Action Group, a group of western lawmakers who favor transferring federal lands to local control and/or ownership.

State-owned forests, Labrador said, are healthier and better managed, have fewer wildfires and are better able to control them once they start.

All those lands, I think, give us a pretty good understanding of which entity should be managing the lands, he said. At a minimum, the state should be managing all the lands under its jurisdiction.

Labrador said all the options should be examined, including the possibility of transferring federally owned lands to the states, although he said that would be more difficult to accomplish than a change just to state management. The latter is what his Self-Sufficient Community Lands Act would do on a limited number of Forest Service-managed parcels.

Thats why were doing this pilot project, he said. We can do it, and we can do it in a better way.

Mike Simpson, who represents the eastern part of the state including the Magic Valley, is generally identified with the more traditional faction of the GOP  he is a close friend of Boehners, and he has faced a couple of primary challenges from the tea party wing. Simpson shares concerns about what he views as overly burdensome regulations on federal land uses, and he supports collaborative agreements that would let states manage more of it.

However, Simpson is skeptical about the idea of an outright transfer to state ownership, and of the idea that a change to state management would lead to the significant reduction in wildfires that supporters say it would.

Because the federal government is our landlord for 64 percent of the state, youre always POed at the landlord, Simpson said. If the state owned it, youd be POed at the state.

Simpson said he wouldnt want Idaho to be like Texas, which has little federal land and which doesnt have as many places to fish or hunt that are easily accessible to the public as Idaho does.

A lot of the reason a lot of us love the West and a lot of us love Idaho is because a lot of us love public lands, Simpson said.

Simpson said the federal government spends a lot of money on fighting wildfires and other maintenance needs. He supports memorandums of understanding to expand state management, saying that federal policy is slowly moving in that direction now.

Im not sure you want to turn all the federal lands over to the state government and then have none of the federal laws apply, he said.

In Simpsons view, the problem is that some federal laws that were passed for good reason, such as the Endangered Species Act, have gotten too cumbersome in their implementation. The threat of lawsuits from some environmental groups, especially, has greatly complicated federal land management decisions.

Simpson pointed to the Equal Access to Justice Act  which requires the government to pay attorneys fees if it loses in court unless the government shows it was substantially justified in its position  as something that needs to be reformed, saying it has created a cottage industry of lawsuits. Simpson said he isnt exactly sure what the answer is, because plaintiffs rights need to be taken into account as well.

That law needs to be reformed to maintain the intent and yet make sure we can somehow get rid of the abuses, he said.

Labrador last year reintroduced the Self-Sufficient Community Lands Act, which would let states set up community forest demonstration areas on Forest Service lands, where they could manage up to about 2 percent of Forest Service lands. Labrador said he was motivated to introduce the bill after being approached by a group of county commissioners from his district who were concerned about continuing to rely on federal payments in lieu of taxes to fund basic services in their areas.

They just said, Look, were tired of coming to Washington, D.C., with our hand out, Labrador said. Allow us to be self-sufficient. Allow us to control and manage our lands. We do a good job in Idaho with our state lands.

The bill passed the House in 2013 but was never taken up by the Senate, which was in Democratic hands at the time. This years version cleared an initial subcommittee hearing in February and still needs to come back for amendment. Labrador said he is more hopeful of getting it through the Senate this time.

We have a better chance now, and if we have a Republican president next year that would be an even better chance, he said.

The proposal has run into opposition from some congressional Democrats and conservation groups. Jonathan Oppenheimer, spokesman for the Idaho Conservation League, said there is no need for a pilot project to show how state management works  the state already manages 2.4 million acres. Oppenheimer views Labradors bill, and a number of others that land transfer supporters have introduced, as attempts to soft-pedal a public lands takeover.

We see it as a slippery slope toward the loss of millions of acres of public lands that Idahoans treasure, he said.

Labrador said the concerns he has heard about the bill are unwarranted, saying it excludes national monuments and wilderness areas and that access wouldnt change and title to the lands would not be transferred to the states.

While Simpson hasnt read Labradors bill, Simpson said, his understanding is that it would provide for more state management in collaboration with the federal government.

Ive got no problem with that, he said.
TWIN FALLS  Two names will appear on the ballot for Twin Falls County prosecuting attorney, but only one of those men is campaigning for the position while the other has admitted his campaign is as much a protest as it is a serious challenge.

Grant Loebs, the county prosecutor since his appointment in 1997, has won five elections since 1998 and is running for re-election again this year. His campaign has been straightforward and banks on his extensive political and legal background, including nearly 19 years as Twin Falls County prosecutor and 23 years total in the county prosecutors office.

Before that, Loebs worked for a decade in Washington, D.C., as a legislative assistant to a U.S. senator and a special assistant to the assistant secretary of defense. All the while, the 55-year-old has worked on Republican presidential campaigns, served as president of the Idaho Prosecuting Attorneys Association and served on or worked for dozens of other political campaigns and committees.

Loebs official re-election Facebook page features endorsements from Idaho Attorney General Lawrence Wasden, former Twin Falls Police Chief Lee DeVore and the Twin Falls Fraternal Order of Police, among others.

Its a far cry from the unusual campaign of Loebs challenger, Mark Guerry, who dropped out of the race for three days in April and then got back in the race while announcing he wouldnt be speaking to the media or the public.

Guerry, who once worked for Loebs, also used his Facebook page to post personal attacks and thinly veiled threats against Loebs and outright accusations of misconduct against Loebs and District Judge Richard Bevan.

Guerry later admitted he had no proof the accusations were true and said the postings were made in the fog of war of the campaign. He said posting the accusations was probably not a wise thing to do and probably not a fair thing to do.

Bevan, accused by Guerry of covering up crimes committed by Loebs, answered the allegations by saying hes never intervened on behalf of anybody.

I categorically deny the accusations, Bevan said.

Those accusations led to a complaint against Guerry with the Idaho Bar Association. Guerry said it was Bevan who filed the complaint, while Bevan said he couldnt comment because bar proceedings are confidential. The day he received the complaint, Guerry said he was withdrawing from the race to focus on defending himself.

It is not fair to the voters for me to remain in a campaign in which I am less than 100-percent engaged, Guerry wrote in an email.

That was on a Friday. By the next Tuesday, Guerry changed his mind and re-entered the race. But he announced that while he was back in, he wouldnt be speaking to the media or the public at large and that he wanted to present voters a chance to protest Loebs.
BOISE  Just a few days before his death in Minneapolis, Princes private jet made an emergency landing April 15 in Moline, Ill.

The purpose: To give an unconscious Prince a shot to counteract the effects of an overdose of a prescription painkiller, sources told the Minneapolis Star-Tribune this week.

The drug naloxone counteracts the effects of a heroin or opiate overdose on the central nervous and respiratory systems, allowing a person to breathe normally within three to five minutes. If administered in time, it can save a life.

People are put into immediate withdrawal, said Magni Hamso, a Boise physician.

If Percocet played a role in Princes death  prescription painkillers were reportedly found at the scene of his death  he would be the latest and most prominent celebrity caught up in the nations wave of opioid overdose deaths, McClatchys Tony Pugh noted in a separate report.

Idaho is also part of that wave. Over the past year, health experts and politicians here have worked to broaden access to naloxone, hoping that amid other efforts to confront drug addiction, its use will save lives.

ROLLING OUT THE NEW LAW

Last July, state House Bill 108 took effect, allowing people suffering from a drug use disorder, their friends and family members to obtain naloxone. Under Idahos Good Samaritan Law, the naloxone statute shields anyone who administers naloxone from liability if the person calls 911.

The drug, which causes no harm and has no effect if opioids are not present, was first approved by the Food and Drug Administration in 1971, but for decades its use was limited mostly to hospital emergency rooms. The Chicago Recovery Alliance began handing out free naloxone to drug users and family members in 1998. Reports indicate that more than 6,000 people in Chicago have been kept alive after a potentially fatal overdose.

Its hard to know how many doses of naloxone have been used in Idaho since the new law went into effect. The Idaho Board of Pharmacy tracks prescriptions written for opioids and other narcotics, but not naloxone because it is not a controlled substance.

Hamso, who treats patients at Terry Reilly Health Service, supports widespread availability of naloxone.

Its not to curb the use of opioids, but it can help save someones life, she said. I prescribe naloxone to anyone who could benefit from its use.

Hamso is a native of Norway who came to Boise two summers ago from New York City. She said one-third of her patients are homeless. While methamphetamine use is more prevalent among her patients, shes seen a recent increase in heroin and street opioid use.

Other physicians have not been as enthusiastic.

There has been a reluctance by some doctors to go ahead and provide naloxone, said state Rep. Christy Perry, R-Nampa, who sponsored the bill relaxing the prescription regulations. They felt like that would encourage drug use.

Elisha Figueroa is director of the Idaho Office of Drug Policy, which works to reduce drug use and related crime. She said she hasnt heard that reluctance from health care providers, but has heard the same question from others.

It is a painful, uncomfortable process to have an overdose reversed, so its not an experience people will want to endure repeatedly, said Figueroa, whose website provides video instruction on how to administer naloxone. If we can keep people alive, it gives them an opportunity for recovery.

SO WHERE CAN YOU GET IT?

Last year, Idaho doctors wrote 1.5 million prescriptions for painkillers, according to the Idaho Board of Pharmacy. Thats nearly one for every Idahoan.

Less than 5 percent of individuals who receive opioid prescriptions abuse them, but they generally account for 32 percent of the opioid prescriptions obtained, according to a national study by Castlight Health, a health care information company.

Figueroas office and groups representing Idaho physicians, dentists and nurses are working to get the word out about naloxone. They encourage practitioners to provide it to patients, as well as friends and family members of those who could be vulnerable to an overdose.

The state Board of Pharmacy also has focused on pharmacists. When the new law went into effect, it was sometimes hard to find pharmacies that carried the drug.

There are some big chains that have begun to carry it in Idaho. Now that they know the law has passed and that it is going to be in more demand, we are seeing many more pharmacies bringing it in and stocking it, Figueroa said.

The medication can be administered by injection, through a nasal spray or by an auto-injector applied over clothing to the thigh. It costs from about $33 to $100 depending on the formulation, said Ashley Flower, a spokeswoman for Rite-Aid, which stocks naloxone at all of its Idaho stores.

Fred Meyer also carries naloxone. Employees at the Albertsons store at 16th and State streets and at the Wal-Mart on Overland Road said they do not carry it but could order it.

Walgreens earlier announced it would make naloxone available at stores in 35 states, including Idaho, by the end of the year. A worker at the chains Fairview Avenue store said last week it was not yet available there.

More than 40 states have passed laws providing greater access to naloxone. Some insurance plans will cover at least a portion of the cost.

THE QUINCY EXPERIENCE

Quincy, Mass., a working-class town of 100,000 residents that borders Boston, began using the term epidemic when its number of drug overdose deaths reached 100 in 2008.

It took a major change in police philosophy, Quincy Police Lt. Patrick Glynn said, to stop looking at drug use as a criminal problem and treat it as a medical situation.

What we did before was arrest. We arrested, we arrested, we arrested, Glynn said. It was almost as if we had stock in handcuff companies. We wore out so many handcuffs, it didnt make sense. So we changed it.

Naloxone use was part of that change. Officers received training and by 2010 were provided with naloxone kits so they could reverse overdoses they encountered on the streets. They work to get users into treatment centers, where they can get the help they need and return to their community drug-free. They also began looking at those with drug problems in a new light  as peoples sons, daughters, brothers and sisters.

Its not someone who is lurking in a dark corner with a needle sticking out of their arm, he said.

To reiterate that point, Quincy holds a yearly candlelight vigil for those who have died from overdoses. Names are read out loud, each followed by the ringing of a ships bell.

Quincys 220 police officers also had to realize that relapse is part of recovery, Glynn said. He was asked how many times police will work to reverse an overdose by the same person.

His answer: Every single time that we have (naloxone) with us and its called for. We dont say three strikes and youre out or that youve met your quota. Thats not what we do.

The department has had stunning success. The first year after officers were provided with naloxone kits, overdose deaths decreased by 66 percent. Overall, the death rate is down 55 percent since 2010. More than 500 overdoses have been reduced in Quincy since police officers began carrying naloxone.

At least some Idaho law enforcement agencies are considering the same thing. The Idaho State Police is working to train its officers and plans to provide naloxone to troopers, detectives and forensic scientists sent to crime scenes, spokeswoman Teresa Baker said.

The Police Services Bureau at the Ada County Sheriffs Office is scheduled to speak this week with Sheriff Stephen Bartlett on the issue.

Going easier on users does not mean police look the other way on other drug crimes, Glynn said.

Were not soft on crime. Were arresting the traffickers and the dealers, so there is a happy balance, so to speak. But were treating the people who have the disease, he said.
TWIN FALLS  A Boise-based nonprofit is helping refugees navigate the process of re-entering their career fields in the U.S.

Global Talent Idaho  which launched last year  began offering services in Twin Falls a couple of months ago to a few refugees. The group partners with the College of Southern Idahos Refugee Center to identify newcomers.

Refugees get training on topics such as how to market themselves, write a resume and cover letter, be interviewed and reestablish a professional network.

The crux of what GTI does is provide training for highly skilled refugees who are looking to rebuild their professional careers, project manager Gina Finley said.

The organization comes to Twin Falls once a month to hold information sessions for interested refugees. And a portion of the training is done online.

For job seekers in professions that require licensing, such as a doctor, lawyer or pharmacist, Global Talent Idaho provides written materials to guide refugees through the process.

The nonprofit considers a highly skilled refugee someone with a bachelors degree or higher and at least a couple of years of professional work experience in his or her home country. That way, you really have a career to reclaim, Finley sad.

To participate, refugees must also have permanent U.S. work authorization, computer skills and intermediate or better English abilities.

The organization says 89 percent of program participants are working in their field within a year of completing training. The average income gain is $22,000. And the group estimates a $626,745 economic impact to families and Idahos tax base.

But helping a refugee get a job in his field is a long process, CSI Refugee Center director Zeze Rwasama said. Our priority is self-sufficiency as they come. We will focus on trying to get them a job thats available. After that, theyre referred to Global Talent Idaho.

The initiative helps immigrants  including refugees  use their college degrees and skills in the U.S. Refugees face enormous obstacles to continuing their career and often fill low-wage jobs instead.

Having a college degree will help a refugee get a job interview, Rwasama said, but your work experience will get you the job. What refugees dont have is the work experience in the U.S. On-the-job training and paid internships help refugees gain experience.

In addition to partnering with Global Talent Idaho, the CSI Refugee Center works with the Idaho Department of Labor to verify a refugees professional license and gain current standing.

I will tell you that will take a long time, Rwasama said. Plus, refugees have to support their families and at the same time go to school to get academic credentials to perform their job in their field.

Degrees from a refugees home country are difficult to validate, he said. Some refugees have transcripts from their university, which are evaluated.

At the same time, its up to the employer to accept that, Rwasama said. Education systems from different countries are different.

Tara Wolfson, co-founder of Global Talent Idaho, is the employment and training program manager at the Idaho Office for Refugees. Shes been there for seven years; when she first started, she met many refugees who had skilled jobs in their home countries.

When she found out what they were doing now, they were pretty menial jobs, she said, but I saw talent bursting out of them.

Wolfson received a technical assistance grant through Networks for Integrating New Americans to launch Global Talent Idaho.

A refugee might reframe rather than reclaim his career.

For a doctor, for instance, its a complex process to get certification to practice medicine in the U.S. One option is helping that person find another health care job that draws on her background, Wolfson said. For example, a refugee who used to be a doctor was recently hired at St. Alphonsus Regional Medical Center in Boise to work in infectious disease control.

Accountants often need training on specific software and the latest version of Excel. Much of the accounting in the U.S. is done using a variety of different software that arent used in different countries, Finley said.

In Twin Falls, the CSI Refugee Center also has programs to help newcomers find better jobs.

The extended services program  which launched in January 2015  is open to refugees after their first eight months in the U.S. It targets employed refugees who arent in their fields of expertise or need to make more money to support themselves.

For jobs that require English, participants take English classes separate from newly arrived refugees. Language is the biggest barrier were seeing, Rwasama said. Refugees in the extended services program must keep their current jobs while they pursue better employment.
Our voter guide appears in todays edition. A comprehensive look at every major election in the Magic Valley, its the culmination of hundreds of hours of reporting. We hope youll find it a useful tool as you make decisions on how to cast your ballots on May 17. Beginning Wednesday, well offer another: our endorsements.

Were proud to offer our insight into these important political races. At the same time, we often field questions about why we go beyond reporting to offer opinions about the races, and how we reach our decisions.

Allow me to answer a few questions here:

Why is the newspaper telling me who to vote for?

Were not. If youve done your homework on the issues, met with the candidates and feel comfortable with your choice, dont let us stand in your way.

But the truth is many folks simply dont have the time or interest to research all the candidates and all the issues. We do. And we believe its important and valuable to share with readers where we come out at the end of that process.

Consider an endorsement just one tool among many that can help you make a more informed decision.

Who decides who the newspaper will endorse?

Our editorial board, whose members are me and Publisher Travis Quast. We may ask reporters questions about candidates and issues that pop up during the campaigns, but only Quast and I discuss who to endorse and what the endorsements will say. No one else in the newsroom knows who the paper will support until after the endorsements are written.

I thought newspapers were supposed to be impartial. What gives?

Who we endorse has no bearing on our news coverage of the races and the candidates. The endorsements run on the Opinion pages, and theyre exactly that: opinions.

The reporters covering local politics arent involved in the endorsement discussions, and theyre not directed to cover candidates or issues based on who the paper is endorsing. In fact, theres a good chance many of our employees will cast votes for candidates the newspaper did not endorse.

How does the paper decide who to support?

Were not trying to handicap these races or endorsing only the candidates we think will win.

The editorial board has been holding endorsement interviews with candidates from all over the Magic Valley. We examined voting records, campaign materials and our own news coverage. In some cases, we spoke off the record with folks close to the candidates who could share information not widely known by the public.

After gathering all that information, Quast and I discussed each candidate in detail and together decided who we thought would best represent the interests of their communities.

Sometimes the decisions were easy, other times incredibly difficult.

Finally, we wrote the endorsements by trying to demonstrate our reasoning behind each decision.

I dont agree with the papers choices. What can I do?

First, vote for the candidate you think is best. Endorsements dont count at the ballot box; your vote does.

Again, the endorsements represent our opinion on a particular race. If you have an opinion, wed love to hear it. Write me a letter, and Id be happy to share it with other readers. Im accepting election-related letters through May 11.

In the meantime, you can learn more about the candidates by continuing to read the Times-News and Magicvalley.com.

And dont forget to vote May. 17.
The following editorial appears on Bloomberg View:

Corruption in Mexico is not just a legal and moral problem. It is an economic one. The annual cost amounts to 5 percent of gross domestic product, according to one report, which also found that almost half of business owners said officials have sought money in exchange for contracts or business opportunities. Worse, those who are caught have rarely been punished: Only 1.5 percent of corruption cases lodged in Mexico end in conviction. (In Singapore, in contrast, the share is 80 percent.) In fact, many Mexicans say theyre more concerned about government corruption than even security and the economy.

The sooner Mexicos leaders take charge of the battle to clean up government, the sooner they can ease peoples concerns  and those of their friends and neighbors abroad. Its been almost a year since Mexican citizens secured the passage of a series of constitutional reforms to limit corruption  an achievement rightly hailed by President Enrique Pena Nieto as a paradigm shift. But, unfortunately, the presidents own Institutional Revolutionary Party is now holding up laws that are needed to make those reforms stick.

Pena Nietos administration has made admirable health and energy reforms. Yet rampant corruption still casts a pall over commerce and undermines public support for future economic liberalization. The president needs to push his party to pass the bills, even if it means calling the legislature back for a special session.

The so-called three out of three bill  which Mexican civil society groups drafted and put on the legislative agenda after gathering more than 600,000 signatures of support  would require public officials to declare their assets, tax returns and private interests. Among other measures, this legislation would give more power and autonomy to a special prosecutor and create a framework for coordinating the governments overall anti-corruption effort.

Mexicos two biggest opposition parties have backed the bill. But the PRI has balked at marking it up in open session, has sought to water it down (proposing, for instance, that officials in some cases be able to duck prosecution for misusing public funds by making restitution), and has argued that the requirement for public disclosure might spark witch hunts. And this has delayed the change Mexico needs.

Corruption feeds not just domestic outrage but also the kind of toxic distortions about Mexico that Donald Trump and other outsiders peddle. Defending Mexicos reputation abroad will become easier when the government begins to lead, not hinder, the fight against corruption at home.
One of the Magic Valley's most distinguished citizens is running for the ldaho Supreme Court, on the nonpartisan ballot, May 17.

Raised in Wendell, Clive Strong has been chief of the Natural Resources Division of the Office of the Attorney General since 1985. In that capacity he has been the trusted, legally brilliant force behind every major natural resource conflict in Idaho. He was the indispensable party guiding the great Snake River Basin Adjudication, which secured in law every water right, surface, ground, tribal, domestic, commercial, hydro, instream and federal in the entire Snake River Basin. August 14, 2014, U.S. Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scallia was the keynote speaker for a two day celebration of the completion of this remarkable achievement with the signing by Idaho Judge Eric Wildeman of the final decree of these rights.

Clive has argued twice before the U.S. Supreme Court. In both cases he successfully defended against challenges to Idaho's sovereignty over our natural resources. Clive is known for his ability to find common-sense solutions to complex legal disputes. Through his efforts, Idaho was able to resolve all of the tribal water rights through negotiations. Each of these settlements protected all other existing water rights.

In 2014, the American Bar Association designated Clive as its Attorney of the Year, for his area of legal work. He has also received the Idaho State Bar's Professionalism Award and the Distinguished Service Award of the Idaho Water Users Association. Idaho is in the unique position of having two Governors who also became U.S. Interior Secretaries, Republican Dirk Kempthorne, and Democrat Cecil Andrus. Both endorse Clive Strong. He is also endorsed by two fine speakers of the Idaho House of Representatives, Scott Bedke and Bruce Newcomb.

How fortunate we are to have the opportunity to benefit from his integrity and skill on the Idaho Supreme Court.

Laird Noh

ldaho State Senate, 1981-2004

Chair, Resources and Environment Committee, 1983-2004
This appeared in Sunday's Washington Post.

Do you remember when Donald Trump crudely mocked the disability of a New York Times reporter, and then lied about having done so?

No? That's just as the Republican candidate might hope. Now that he is nearing the Republican nomination, he says he will become more "presidential." After winning the New York primary, he referred to "Senator Cruz" instead of "Lyin' Ted." You can expect multitudes of office-seekers and sycophants to follow Chris Christie's craven path to believing, or pretending to believe, in a presidentialTrump.

So it is important to remember.

Remember that Trump said that Mexicans crossing the border are rapists, though "some, I assume, are good people."

Remember that Trump falsely claimed that thousands of American Muslims had celebrated the destruction of the World Trade Center on 9/11.

Remember that Trump insulted Carly Fiorina for her appearance: "Look at that face! Would anyone vote for that?"

Remember, now that Fox News anchor Megyn Kelly has sought to make peace with Trump, that he insinuated that she had asked him a tough question because she was menstruating: "You could see there was blood coming out of her eyes, blood coming out of her wherever."

Remember that he called her a bimbo, sick, overrated and crazy.

Remember that Trump lashed out at Kelly in the first place because she had recited some of the other names he has used for women he disliked: "'fat pigs,' 'dogs,' 'slobs' and 'disgusting animals.' . . . You once told a contestant on 'Celebrity Apprentice' it would be a pretty picture to see her on her knees."

Remember that Trump, who never served in the armed forces, said that Sen. John McCain, R-Arizona, was "not a war hero." McCain, after being shot down over North Vietnam, endured 5 years of torture and solitary confinement as he repeatedly refused offers of liberation unless all of his fellow prisoners would also be freed. "I like people who weren't captured," Trump said.

Remember how Trump threatened a Chicago family who donated to a PAC opposing his candidacy: "They better be careful, they have a lot to hide!"

Remember that Trump threatened and disparaged not just reporters who angered him but freedom of the press overall with a vow to "open up" the libel laws.

Remember that Trump vowed to ban Muslims from entering the country, though he never explained how he would enforce this edict.

Remember that Trump promised to round up 11 million undocumented immigrants and deport them, in what would be the largest forced population movement since Pol Pot's genocide of the Cambodian people, though he never explained how he would go about doing so.

Remember that he cited "Operation Wetback" as a humane model for such a roundup.

Remember that Trump promised to order American soldiers and intelligence officers to torture their prisoners.

Remember that Trump, unlike virtually every scientist in the world, is "not a great believer in man-made climate change."

Remember Trump's answer when asked whether there are racial disparities in law enforcement: "I've read where there are and I've read where there aren't. I mean, I've read both. And, you know, I have no opinion on that."

Remember that Trump said he would like to punch a protester in the face.

Remember that Trump waxed nostalgic for "the old days," when protesters would be "carried out on stretchers."

Remember that Trump said he would consider paying the legal fees for supporters who attacked protesters at his rally.

Remember that Trump defended his campaign manager after the campaign manager roughly grabbed a reporter and then denied having touched her and called her "delusional" when she complained.

Remember that Trump threatened to "spill the beans" on Cruz's wife to retaliate for an independent PAC ad that angered him.

Remember that Trump lied about President Obama's birth certificate. Remember that he lied about Obama planning to admit 200,000 Syrian refugees. Remember that he lied about President George W. Bush trying to silence him because he supposedly opposed the Iraq War. Remember that he lied about the unemployment rate, the cost of building a border wall, the amount he could save by changing Medicare's drug plan and many other things.

Remember that Trump vowed to kill the innocent children of suspected terrorists.

"Winning is the antidote to a lot of things," Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus said earlier this year. As Trump marches toward 1,237 delegates, others will emulate that amoral embrace.

So remember. Winning is not an antidote to bigotry, violence, ignorance, insults and lies.
During President Barack Obama's visit to Cuba in March 2016, dictator Raul Castro said he would be willing to release all political prisoners; all he needed was a list of names.

Only the biggest fool would believe him, but several groups almost immediately released their lists. Of course, there was no mass release.

On April 25, the Cuban Commission on Human Rights and National Reconciliation, one of the most credible sources in Cuba for information on political prisoners released its updated list of 93 political prisoners.

A major goal of this blog since its inception more than 10 years ago is to recognize those brave Cubans imprisoned because of their opposition to, and their actions in service of their beliefs, against the Castro dictatorship. It is one small step to ensure that they, and their oppressors, know that they are not forgotten.

In that spirit, Uncommon Sense has revived one of its most important features, the Cuban Political Prisoner of the Week.

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Alexander Alan Rodriguez, Carlos Amaury Calderin Roca, Jordys Manuel Dosil Fong, Isain Lopez Luna and Ernesto Ortega Sarduy, all activists with the Patriotic Union of Cuba, were among demonstrators arrested last summer while carrying out peaceful anti-Castro protests in the Parque Central in Havana.

According to the human rights commission, Alan, Calderin, Lopez and Ortega face charges of "disrespect," while Dosil has been found to be a "pre-criminal social danger," the Orwellian "crime" the Castro regime brands many of its political opponents, and sentenced to 3 years in prison. The others have not been sentenced.

Soon after they were arrested, Alan, Calderin, Lopez and Ortega were among several activists jailed at the Valle Grande prison who went on hunger strike to demand the end of political persecution and repression of opposition activists; elimination of the "pre-criminal social danger" law; and the release of all political prisoners.

Alexander Alan Rodriguez

Jordys Manuel Dosil Fong

Carlos Amaury Ortega Sarduy
Not willing to let Cubans demonstrating for freedom upset their May Day party, the Castro dictatorship Sunday unleashed another day of repression, moving to block Damas De Blanco and other activists from taking to the streets to demand respect for their human rights, the end of political repression and the release of political prisoners. At least 31 activists were arrested on Sunday, a day after more than 200 activists with the Patriotic Union of Cuba were arrested.

I wonder if this is the "real Cuba" these tourists will be allowed to see.
The UN Security Council extended, on Friday, the mandate of MINURSO for one year until April 30, 2017, and reaffirmed the preeminence of the Morocco-proposed autonomy initiative in the Sahara, describing as serious and credible Moroccos efforts to push forward the process to solve the Sahara conflict.

In its resolution n2285, adopted by the majority of the council members with three abstentions and two votes against, the UN Security Council takes note of the proposition submitted by Morocco to the UN on April 11, 2007, and of the serious and credible efforts made by Morocco seeking to make headway with the process of finding a solution to the conflict.

Morocco has welcomed the resolution for it reiterates the fundamental parameters of the political solution defined by the Security Council since 2004.

This resolution reaffirms the parameters of the political solution, as defined by the Security Council since 2004 and clarified, in operational terms, in 2007, said the Moroccan Foreign Ministry in a statement released after the vote of the resolution.

The Foreign Ministry deemed that the resolution constitutes a scathing setback for all the maneuvers of the UN Secretariat General. By maneuvers, it alluded to attempts to revive the obsolete option of a referendum, to expand the MINURSO prerogatives to human rights monitoring as suggested in 2013 and 2014 and the bias of the UN Secretary General as evidenced during his visit to Algeria early March.

The Foreign Ministry also welcomed the fact that the Security Council resolution extends the MINURSO mandate without making any change to its status or prerogatives and reaffirms all the previous resolutions which call for a negotiated political solution, making no mention of a referendum.

The MINURSO will work as it did in recent years, taking into account the developments of the issue, the Foreign Ministry said, adding that the Security Council has thus ruled on all the attempts to change the MINURSO mandate and expand it to missions not agreed upon and to tasks alien to its purpose.

It is in the context of this renewed mandate that the resolution calls for the full functionality of MINURSO, the Foreign Ministry said, adding that Morocco will continue dialog, in full compliance with the decisions it made, to reach a solution package likely to mitigate the serious missteps made by the UN Secretary General during his visit to the region, and to guarantee the proper functioning of the MINURSO, mainly regarding its core tasks consisting in monitoring the cease-fire and in demining the buffer zone to the east of the defense wall.

The Friday resolution insists on the importance of parties commitment to continue the talks process under the UN aegis.

In this respect, the UNSC reiterates its call upon the parties and the neighboring states to cooperate more fully with the United Nations and with each other and to strengthen their involvement to end the current impasse and to achieve progress towards a political solution.

The Council also reiterates for the fifth consecutive year its call for an identification and census of the populations in the Tindouf camps, in south-western Algeria. Algeria has actually been refusing to allow the UN concerned agencies to conduct the census for over 40 years.

On the other hand, the UNSC recalls its endorsement of the recommendation in the report of 14 April 2008 that realism and a spirit of compromise by the parties are essential to achieve progress in negotiations.

The Council calls upon the parties to continue to show political will and work in an atmosphere propitious for dialogue in order to enter into a more intensive and substantive phase of negotiations.
Irans parliament will be dominated by reformists for the first time since 2004 after winning 36 of the 68 seats, with four yet to be declared, in the second round of parliamentary elections held in constituencies where candidates failed to win the required 25% in the first round.

The parliament has 290 seats. Reformists and moderate politicians allied with President Rouhani now account for 131 and the conservatives 124 with the remainder held by the independents.

The configuration of the parliament has increased hope that Rouhani will be able to carry out his reforms as analysts say the parliamentary election is a validation of the presidents policies since he came to power in 2013.

Farshad Ghorbanpour, a political analyst close to the government, downplayed the expectations saying people should expect a parliament with a slightly friendlier tone, but also many political crises.

Some of the candidates that won in the second round received support from both the reformists and conservatives which highlights the lack of rigid political affiliations.

Despite having the majority in parliament but falling short of an absolute majority, the members of parliament elected as independent candidates have the balance of power and play a decisive role during voting. It must also be noted that religious leaders in Iran can exercise legislative veto powers. A Political analyst close to the countrys conservative clerics Hamidreza Taraghi said decision making will be more complicated and would be characterized by intense discussions. The independent candidates could side with the views of the clerics considering that lack of party system and all factions having to support the ideology of the Islamic republic.

Nevertheless, Rouhanis aspiration to boost Irans presence on the international stage is expected to be enhanced by the new parliament especially in encouraging economic reforms, foreign investment and foreign policies meant to polish the image of a nation that has been shadowed by controversies over the last decades.
An army unit killed on Friday afternoon three terrorists near Kerkra, in Skikda region in a military operation, the Defense Ministry said.

The operation deemed successful has also enabled the national forces to seize three Kalashnikovs and other weaponry as well as three cell phones, the ministry said in a statement.

Authorities said the army was combing the area in search of terrorists. The operation is still underway.

The Ministry also on Thursday claimed the neutralization of two terrorists at Ouled Aissa, in Boumerdes region.

The army said it killed 157 terrorists last year. The Algerian national forces, despite a peace and reconciliation charter signed in 2005 to turn the bleak pages of the Algerian history marked by a bloody war with Islamists in 1990s, are still facing attacks from Islamists mostly in central and eastern Algeria.
French Defence Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian on Friday met Ivorian President Alassane Ouatara as France beefs up its counter-terror efforts in West Africa.

While visiting French forces in the Ivorian capital, Jean-Yves Le Drian said France will increase the number of its troops in the West African nation which hosts a regional base for French forces.

This summer the French forces in Cote dIvoire will increase from 500 to 900 men and form the forward operating base for West Africa, Defence Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said.

He said the increase has already been budgeted.

I confirm the increase in numbers of French forces here in Abidjan from 500 to 900 as part of the reorganization of our forces. They form the forward operating base for West Africa, he said.

Abidjan is one of three reservoirs of French troops in the world.

The worlds top cocoa producer has been lauded for its political and economic progress since the political uncertainty that began in 2002 culminating in an electoral crisis in 2010 that later saw the arrest of former President Laurent Gbagbo who now faces trial at the International Criminal Court in The Hague.

The United Nations Security Council on Thursday lifted a 12-year sanctions regime on the country and renewed for one more cycle the UN Mission to the country.

The United Nations Operation in Cote dIvoire (UNOCI) of almost 7000 troops and police will be completely withdrawn by June of next year.
Radiation therapy not only kills cancer cells, but also helps to activate the immune system against their future proliferation. However, this immune response is often not strong enough to be able to cure tumours, and even when it is, its effect is limited to the area that has been irradiated. Now, however, research to be presented to the ESTRO 35 conference today (Sunday) has shown that the addition of an immune system-strengthening compound can extend the radiation therapy-induced immune response against the tumour sites and that this response even has an effect on tumours outside the radiation field.

Ms Nicolle Rekers, MSc, from the Department of Radiation Oncology, Maastricht University Medical Centre, Maastricht, The Netherlands, will describe to the conference how a combination of radiation therapy and L19-IL2, an immunotherapy agent, can increase significantly the immune response when given to mice with primary colorectal tumours. L19-IL2 is a combination of an antibody that targets the tumour blood vessels and a cytokine, a small protein important in cell signalling in the immune system.

The researchers found not only that the mice were tumour-free following treatment, but also that when re-injected with cancer cells 150 days after cure, they did not form new tumours. There was also an increase in the number of cells with an immunological memory.

"Radiation therapy damages the tumour creating a sort of tumour-specific vaccine," Ms Rekers will say. "It feeds the immune system and ensures that it notices that something is wrong. What is unique about our latest experiments is that we have been able to create a so-called abscopal effect, where a localised radiation treatment has also had an effect on other tumour sites outside this radiation field."

The lifespan of mice is quite short - about two years - so 150 days is a relatively long time. "Of course, these mice are models of human disease and can never be 100% comparable with a patient, but the fact that the cured mice never formed new tumours, compared with a 100% tumour formation in untreated mice of the same age, is significant. We will know more after analysing results from the Phase I/II clinical study in human patients that we started recently," says Ms Rekers.

L19-IL2 is known to be safe in patients, with only mild side effects limited to injection site reactions. The new trial will look at the combination treatment in patients with oligometastatic solid tumours. "Our ultimate aim is to increase the time during which the disease does not progress by using this combination to bring about an immune response that will attack both the primary tumour and its metastases," says Ms Rekers.

Although reprogramming the immune system has only been feasible relatively recently, research to date seems to indicate that it is without damaging long-term effects. "We believe that the risk/benefit equation is likely to come down firmly on the side of benefit. We hope that this treatment will not only destroy tumours, but also enable the immune system to develop a memory that allows it to annihilate them in the future as well," Ms Rekers will conclude.

ESTRO President Professor Philip Poortmans commented: "A couple of years after the first breakthrough of immunotherapy in medical oncology, we are now on the verge of an exciting new era that combines this novel approach with radiation therapy. This could open the door to shorter treatment durations, thereby reducing side effects and costs compared to common palliative approaches in mono-immunotherapy, as well as to potentially new curative options where we had none before. It is time to join forces with all partners, including industry, to explore these capabilities."

Explore further Next-generation immunotherapy offers new hope for beating brain cancer
@ByKristenMClark

After talking with his primary opponent and Democratic Party officials in recent weeks, Democrat Daniel Horton said Sunday he is dropping his bid for a competitive Senate seat in South Florida and is turning his ambitions to a state House seat.

Horton announced his bid for state Senate less than a month ago.

The 30-year-old FIU law school graduate aimed to challenge Democrat Andrew Korge in the August primary for the District 39 Senate seat, which represents parts of Miami-Dade and Monroe counties. The winner of that contest would have faced state Sen. Anitere Flores, R-Miami, who's seeking re-election.

Flores and Korge had already been embroiled in a bitter race when Horton jumped in the fray.

But in a press release Sunday afternoon, Korge said Horton was bowing out of that contest and planning to, instead, challenge incumbent state Rep. Holly Raschein for the District 120 House seat.

In an interview with the Herald/Times, Horton confirmed his decision to switch legislative races.

"At the end of the day, I figure this is the best decision for the people that live in District 39, I think it's the best decision for the Democratic Party, and I think it's the best decision for myself," Horton said.
@PatriciaMazzei

WASHINGTON -- Florida was in the house Saturday night at the annual White House Correspondents Dinner, where President Obama and comedian Larry Wilmore roasted politicians and the press.

Republican Gov. Rick Scott worked the room before and during the speech, dropping by the Washington Post's pre-dinner reception and eventually taking a seat at the Washington Hilton ballroom for the meal. He was invited by the Washington Examiner, Scott told the Miami Herald.

Also making the rounds were U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz of Weston, the Democratic National Committee chairwoman, who also attended a Friday night bash ahead of the dinner, according to Page Six.

And near the center aisle of the dinner sat Miami Beach Mayor Philip Levine, a Democrat who was listed in the program as a representative of SiriusXM, the satellite radio network that earlier this year hired him to host a show. He was mulling whether to return to Miami early enough Sunday to catch the Miami Heat's afternoon playoff game.
The sales of Apple Inc.s iconic mobile devices dropped for the first time in the March quarter, according to results declared on Tuesday. It sold 51.2 million iPhones in the quarter, compared to 61.2 million in the same quarter last year. Apples March quarter revenue dropped nearly 13% to $50.56 billion over the same period last year. Analysts had forecast revenues of more than $51 billion. Forecasts for the next quarter are also lower than analysts expectations. The companys shares fell 6% after the declaration of the results.

2. Start-up funding down 50%

A report from investment-tracker VCCEdge noted that start-up funding dropped from $611 million in the March quarter last year to $301 million in the same period this year. The report said that there could be some consolidation in the start-up space because investors are getting more cautious and deal sizes are becoming smaller. There has also been a drop in valuations. The Startup India Funding Report released on Tuesday noted that the number of deals remained more or less constant, suggesting that there is less money chasing each deal now. There were 232 deals reported in the March quarter last year compared to 234 in the same period this year.

3. Facebook trumps Twitter again

Facebook Inc. beat expectations by a healthy margin when it declared results on Wednesday. This is in sharp contrast to Twitter Inc., which disappointed analysts. Bloomberg estimates show that analysts expected Facebook to clock $5.27 billion in revenue for the March quarter. It clocked $5.34 billion. Twitter was expected to declare $607 million in revenue, but managed only $595 million when it declared results on Tuesday. Increasing mobile advertising revenue helped Facebooks rise. Advertisers have been less willing spenders on Twitter, according to media reports.

4. Flying start for Equitas

Small finance bank Equitas Holdings Ltd continued its rise after its debut on the stock market last week. As of Friday, the stock was already up 29.04% since listing. It has outperformed the S&P BSE Sensex and the S&P BSE Bankex. The former is an index that is held to be representative of how the overall market is doing, while the Bankex is indicative of banking stocks. The Bankex is up 3.69% and the Sensex has risen 0.62% in the same period.

5. Sensex at highest since 1 January

The S&P BSE Sensex hit its highest level since the beginning of the calendar year on Wednesday. The rise was helped by foreign investor buying and positive overseas cues. Interestingly, there has been a close co-relation between crude oil prices and the movement of Indian markets. This is because emerging market funds tend to do well when crude is rising. Many major emerging markets such as Brazil and Russia are oil exporters. Emerging market funds, therefore, get more inflows when crude recovers, as it has in recent times. This also translates into foreign inflows into India. Crude oil also hit its 2016 high last week.

6. Rising need for electricity

Electricity generation in the first three months of the calendar year has been the highest in 10 years, noted a Mint report on Thursday. Electricity production was up 9% in the quarter ending March, according to data from the Central Electricity Authority. A deficit in rainfall has resulted in more use of electric pumps for irrigation. Higher temperatures too contributed to the rise in electricity demand.

7. RIL results best estimates

Reliance Industries Ltds (RIL) results were marginally better than consensus estimates.It clocked standalone Ebitda (earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortization) of  10,727 crore for the March quarter. This was 3% higher than the consensus estimates of  10,394 crore, shows Bloomberg data. Its gross refining margin (GRM) was $10.8 per barrel. The GRM is the difference between the value of a barrel of crude oil and the value of the products made from it. The Singapore GRM was $7.7 per barrel in comparison. RILs retail business Ebit was up 26%, according to the results. The stocks outlook would depend on the launch of its telecom business and the strategy it follows for the same, say analysts.

8. Promoter pledging on the rise

Promoters have pledged more shares as a percentage of their total holdings in the March quarter than they have in any quarter since at least 2009, according to a Mint report on Tuesday based on 332 out of BSE 500 companies for which data has been released so far. Tighter lending norms that require more collateral and difficult economic conditions are said to have fuelled the rise in pledges. Sectors such as capital goods and industrials, which require a fair amount of investments, were the worst hit.

9. Mutual funds add 18 lakh new folios

Overall mutual fund folios rose to 477 lakh at the end of the financial year, according to a report by rating agency Crisil released on Tuesday. Retail investors account for 453 lakh mutual fund folios, forming the biggest segment by number in the industry. The next biggest by number are high-net-worth individuals (HNIs), or those investing  5 lakh or more. These HNIs account for 18 lakh folios. There are nearly five lakh corporate investors in mutual funds. Although the smallest in number, they account for the largest chunk of assets under management since they make big investments. They are followed by HNIs in terms of assets, and lastly by retail investors.

10. NHPC issue sails through

Institutional investors bought into hydropower producer NHPCs sale of shares in the secondary market, which began on 27 April. Institutional investors bid for more than 1.5 times the shares on offer. The issue was fully subscribed overall as well. An interesting fact to note is that the company had previously done a buyback in 2013. The stock has risen 21.48% since then, compared to a 23.11% rise in the S&P BSE Sensex. Investors who participated in the buyback and used the money they got to invest in the Sensex would have made more money.

Graphics by Prajakta Patil.

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If you see litter on the street, or encounter broken bridges, you are likely to just blame the local administration. Economists, however, will wager that there could be deeper forces at work, which hinder the provision of essential public goods such as roads and sanitation. The most influential thesis in political economy suggests that poor infrastructure in a locality could be because of social divisions.

In his 1965 book, The Logic of Collective Action: Public Goods and the Theory of Groups, American economist Mancur Olson argued that heterogeneous and complex societies see the rise of sectional interests that aim to grab public resources to their advantage. Subsequent research by other economists showed that the provision of public goods tends to be lower in areas with high ethno-linguistic diversity or polarization because it is difficult for people to agree on the provision of public goods that benefit everyone. Historical or cultural conflicts may often prevent different sub-groups in a region or country from collectively demanding state services that cater to all rather than to special interests.

Harvard Universitys Alberto Alesina was among the first group of economists to provide evidence that social heterogeneity negatively affects the provision of government services in US cities. Using a measure of heterogeneity, known as ethno-linguistic fractionalization index, they found that districts that are more heterogeneous spend less on education and infrastructure. However, what is not emphasized in the paper is that they also find that more heterogenous districts spend more on law enforcement and health.

Alesinas work was followed by other studies from other countries that arrived at similar conclusions. There have been similar studies on India as well. A research paper by Abhijit Banerjee of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Lakshmi Iyer of the Harvard Business School and Rohini Somanathan of the Delhi School of Economics showed that social divisions adversely affected the provision of public goods in India.

It has now become generally accepted that social divisions tend to hinder the provision of public goods. A recent paper by Rachel Gisselquist, Stefan Leiderer and Miguel Nino-Zarazua of the United Nations University challenge this conventional wisdom. They compile rich data on government expenditure on education and health for districts in Zambia. They find that there is a positive association between ethnic diversity and public expenditure, underscoring the point that even though diversity negatively affects public goods provision at a national level, the effect may not be same at the state or district level.

Therefore, context matters. The relationship between social divisions and public goods is linked via state capacity and the strength of institutions. Political scientists have long recognized these channels through which public goods provisioning works in different contexts. The response of the polity and of the state to social division determines collective action or the lack of it.

A research by political scientist Prerna Singh of Brown University suggests that fragmentation may not necessarily lead to worse state performance if political elites are able to forge a common identity that bridges over social fault lines. Pointing to the contrasting examples of Kerala and Uttar Pradesh, both of which have very heterogeneous populations, Singh contended that Kerala managed to have better outcomes as its elites united under the banner of sub-nationalism from the 19th century onwards to demand public goods and greater spending on social welfare.

Olson also argued that heterogenous societies with greater economic inequality may see better provision of a public good if the elite group benefits the most from its provision. But the facts do not fit this theory well. Take the case of rural Maharashtra, dominated by the Marathas. In an opinion piece dated 12 June 2012, journalist Meena Menon details the dominance in numbers. From 1962 to 2004, of the total of 2,430 MLAs, 1,336 or 55% were Maratha. Nearly 54% of the educational institutions in the state are controlled by them. Of the 105 sugar factories, 86 are headed by Marathas, while 23 district cooperative banks have Marathas as chairpersons. Marathas dominate the universities in the state, with 60-75% presence in the management. About 71.4% of the cooperative institutions are under the control of this community. In Maharashtra, 75-90% of the land is owned by the community. In addition, all the milk cooperatives and cotton mills are either owned or controlled by them. In 54 of the 288 assembly constituencies, only Marathas have ever been electedeven without any reservations."

A 2015 American Economic Review study by University of British Columbia economists Siwan Anderson, Patrick Francois and Ashok Kotwal shows that in villages where Marathas dominate, public action is driven entirely to cater to elite interests; Maratha panchayat leaders actively try to block funds for programmes such as the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS), etc.

Although the Olsonian framework has faced challenges from recent studies, it still remains the workhorse model to explain under-funding of public goods. But as the contrasting fortunes of Indian states suggest, it is time to develop a more nuanced understanding of how and when social diversity hinders state performance and economic progress.

Sumit Mishra is a research scholar at the Indira Gandhi Institute of Development Research.

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In the previous columns, we have seen how the laws of sedition, obscenity and blasphemy" are used to shut down critical speech by initiating criminal prosecutions against the speakers. Each of these laws are part of the Indian Penal Code, and involve the heavy use of state machinery from the very beginning of the case when the complaint is filed. There is another law, however, which is not codified, and is not even criminalbut is often as effective a means of silencing inconvenient speech as anything else. This is the law of civil defamation.

Article 19(2) of the Indian Constitution specifically envisages defamation" to be a ground for reasonably restricting" the freedom of speech. The stated object of the defamation law is to protect the reputation, dignity, honour or character of individuals against unjustified attacks or slanders.

In India, the English common law" of defamationi.e., an uncodified legal regime constituted of a successive series of court judgements developing the law over timeis applicable. The common law of defamation reflects the concerns of its origins in early-modern England, where freedom of speech was not accorded much importance, but the character" of gentlemen was.

To satisfy the ingredients of defamation, the plaintiffi.e., the person claiming to be defamed and who initiates legal proceedingsmust only show the court that the defendant published" a statement (i.e., that the statement was made to at least one other person), that it referred" to the plaintiff, and that it tended to lower the reputation of the plaintiff in the eyes of right-thinking members of the society. The plaintiff can then ask the court to order the defendant to pay him heavy compensation as redressal. To escape liability, the defendant must show either that the statement was true (the defence of justification"), or that it was a fair comment" based upon true facts (there is a third defence of privilege" that we need not go into).

The obvious problem here, of course, is that the defamation law leaves no room for honest mistakes. In legal terms, this is called strict liability". A false defamatory statement is legally actionable even though the defendant can show that he honestly believed it was true, and took all reasonable steps to verify its truth. The strict liability of the defamation law becomes especially problematic in the case of newspapers, where errors are bound to creep in from time to time.

This form of defamation law has made it a potent weapon in the hands of private partieswhether corporations or politiciansto stifle critical speech. Apart from the possibility of the award of heavy damages, defamation cases also often involve the grant of injunctions"i.e., a court order requiring that the allegedly defamatory material not be published or distributed until the end of the legal proceedings. In India, given the inordinate length of court proceedings, an injunction is effectively a death sentence for any would-be writer or speaker.

The free speech implications of the defamation law, therefore, are immense. Surprisingly, however, it took the Supreme Court of India 44 years to evaluate defamation on the touchstone of Article 19(1)(a). When it finally did so in 1994, in the case of R. Rajagopal vs State of Tamil Nadu, it adopted the test laid out by the US Supreme Court in one of its most famous cases, New York Times Co. vs Sullivan.

New York Times Co. vs Sullivan was a case decided in 1964. It involved a defamation claim that came before the US Supreme Court from the state of Alabama. At this time, the American civil rights movement was at its peak. The New York Times had published a full-page advertisement titled Heed Their Rising Voices", which purported to describe police atrocities upon civil rights protesters in the deep South. The advertisement contained a few factual errors. It stated, for example, that Martin Luther King Jr. had been arrested seven times, whereas he had been arrested only four times. It also claimed that in the town of Montgomery, young black protesters had been padlocked into a hall in order to starve them into submission"this had never happened.

On this basis, the police commissioner of Montgomery sued the newspaper, claiming heavy damages. There is near-universal agreement that the defamation law was being used as a political weapon in order to stifle the national media from reporting on the civil rights movement, and thereby deprive it of the oxygen of publicity.

In a momentous decision, the US Supreme Court noted that the common law of defamation, as it then stood, was inconsistent with the constitutional guarantee of the freedom of speech. It adverted to something that is now popularly known as the chilling effect": the risk of being sued for heavy damages would make people engage in self-censorship, and exercise so much caution that they would end up steering well clear of the dividing line between legitimate criticism and defamation.

For this reason, the US Supreme Court held that insofar as public officials were concerned, liability for defamation could be imposed only if actual malice" was provedi.e., if it was proved that the speaker/writer intentionally lied, or made his statement with reckless disregard" for the truth. Needless to say, this will be extremely difficult to prove.

Thirty years after Sullivan, the Supreme Court of India followed suit in R. Rajagopals case. This case involved the autobiography of convicted serial killer Auto Shankar, who was on death row. It was claimed that he had accorded permission for the autobiography to be published, but had then been coerced by state officialswho were afraid of revelations involving the police-criminal nexusinto withdrawing his consent. The case, therefore, raised complex questions about the intersection of privacy, freedom of speech and defamation. Among other things, the state officials argued that the autobiography contained defamatory material against them.

This contention was squarely rejected by the Supreme Court, which applied the Sullivan test, and held that in the case of public officials, it is obvious, right to privacy, or for that matter, the remedy of action for damages, is simply not available with respect to their acts and conduct relevant to the discharge of their official duties. This is so even where the publication is based upon facts and statements which are not true, unless the official establishes that the publication was made (by the defendant) with reckless disregard for truth".

The adoption of the Sullivan test in Rajagopals case was a notable advancement, and subsequent decisions have tried to build upon it. In a couple of cases, for instance, the Delhi high court has attempted to extend the test from public officials" to other entities performing public functions". This is a logical extension, and has already been made in other jurisdictions.

By and large, however, it seems that despite the holding of the Supreme Court in Rajagopals case, there has not been too much of a difference in the way that defamation cases continue to be dealt with at the lower judicial level.

Part of the reason for this is that Rajagopals case itself contains various internal contradictions, and appears to be confused as to the correct legal test at different points. But another part of the reason is certainly that the Supreme Court itself has failed to build upon the work that it started in 1994.

In the meantime, the use of the defamation law to chill speech and injunct works from being brought into the public domain has continued. It is to be hoped that the judiciary willeventuallyrespond.

Gautam Bhatia is a New Delhi-based lawyer. His book Offend, Shock, or Disturb: Free Speech Under the Indian Constitution is available on Amazon.

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How quickly things change. Just a few years ago, the view of most economists and analysts was that the so-called BRICS  Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa  soon would overtake the world's advanced economies as engines pulling the world economy forward.

Recent events have shattered that view. In its latest forecast, the International Monetary Fund once again lowered its projection of global growth for 2016  to 3.2 percent  due in large part to the sharp slowdown in countries that until recently were considered the world's leading lights.

Let's take a look at what has happened in previously booming economies to cause this seemingly sudden reversal of fortune, starting with the country most in the news of late: Brazil.

Brazil's economy fell into recession last year for the first time since the Great Depression of the 1930s, and it is shrinking this year, too.

Economic pain adds to the political turmoil besetting the country.

Serious corruption scandals involving many of the countrys top politicians are unfolding, even as President Dilma Rousseff faces impeachment and removal by Brazil's legislature for allegedly cooking government books to mask deficit spending.

Brazil's economic boom, and its recent bust, have been driven heavily by China's roller-coaster ride. China's formerly red-hot economy is now slowing, perhaps substantially. Its previously voracious demand for iron ore, copper, coal, oil and many other imported commodities has fallen, resulting in reduced exports from Brazil and other commodities producers.

South Africa is suffering similar withdrawal pains from China's slowdown, as is Russia, which confronts the additional problem of sharply lower prices for its main export, oil. Like Brazil, Russia's economy has fallen into recession.

India, alone among the "BRICS," is faring relatively well, with its economy reportedly growing over 7 percent. However, many outside experts question the validity of its statistics and believe growth may be much slower than official figures suggest.

Looked at purely from an economic perspective, these countries' difficulties all can be traced to various external factors or to economic mismanagement at home.

But the story is much more complex. The troubles confronting these large emerging economies reinforce the message that good governance matters.

Stable, responsive political systems; strong legal and judicial systems; and a relative absence of corruption among the ruling elite are among the attributes that contribute to an environment allowing individuals and businesses to flourish.

In Brazil, Russia, China, South Africa and, to a lesser degree India, the narrative is similar in many ways. Official corruption is widespread and deeply entrenched, which means that leaders and government officials often are more interested in enriching themselves, their families and friends rather than in making decisions for the wider public good.

The absence of fair, accessible and transparent legal and judicial systems in these countries means that citizens and businesses may have little or no recourse when faced with official misconduct or corruption.

In fact, the opposite often is true. People brave enough to challenge the powers that be may quickly find themselves in jail, maybe without access to an attorney; or perhaps "disappeared," never to be heard from again.

Of course, good governance isn't important only for emerging and developing countries. It's an essential underpinning of good economies everywhere. The euro crisis of recent years has been intensified by European governments' failure to build the proper institutional infrastructure for a common currency shared by different countries with differing economic needs.

In the United States, our presidential campaign has been long on pointing fingers at problems and short on proposing specific solutions.

Some chronic problems, such as our long-term fiscal health, unsustainable social expenditures, and aging infrastructure, don't even make the short list for issues worth discussing by candidates.

At some point in the life of every nation, the quality of its governance can make or break prospects for growth and prosperity. In today's uncertain world, it is more important than ever for countries to address domestic challenges in order to set the stage for a brighter future and to shield themselves as much as possible from turbulence from abroad.

Sadly, I fear that some of the previously high-flying BRICS are likely to be weighed down by poor governance at home and inhospitable conditions in the wider global economy. Rather than driving the global economy forward, they are more likely be a drag on global growth. Even worse, their economic and political troubles will compound the challenges facing their citizens as they strive for better lives for themselves and their children in the future.

Joanna Shelton was deputy secretary general of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development in Paris; held senior positions in the executive branch and Congress in Washington, D.C.; and teaches at the University of Montana. You can reach her through her website, joannashelton.com.
Early each spring, Nebraska hosts, along a section of the Platte River, several hundred thousand sandhill cranes. It's something I wish everyone could see. Don Welch, one of the state's finest poets, lives under the flyway, and here's his take on the migration. His most recent book is Gnomes, (Stephen F. Austin State Univ. Press, 2013).

With Spring In Our Flesh

With spring in our flesh

the cranes come back,

funneling into a north

cold and black.

***

And we go out to them,

go out into the town,

welcoming them with shouts,

asking them down.

***

The winter flies away

when the cranes cross.

It falls into the north,

homeward and lost.

***

Let no one call it back

when the cranes fly,

silver birds, red-capped,

down the long sky.

***

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 Don Welch, With Spring In Our Flesh. Poem reprinted by permission of Don Welch. Introduction copyright  2016 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.
Come celebrate the work of local wordsmiths when you attend the Missoula Public Librarys Writing Contest Awards Reception, which recognizes the winners of MPLs eighth annual writing contest at 2 p.m. Sunday in the Large Meeting Room.

This year, the library had 103 qualifying entries in the areas of fiction and nonfiction and in four age groups. We also had 17 volunteers judge the entries, and five generous prize sponsors including Altrusa International, an anonymous donor, Boom Swagger Salon, Friends of Missoula Public Library, and Shakespeare & Co. Booksellers.

All qualifying entries will be printed and bound into books that will be available for checkout later this year.

All winners are from Missoula, except the three noted in parentheses below:

Ages 8-10 Fiction : Cazden Cravy, first place; Lucy Johnstone, second place; Julia I. Dzomba, third place.

: Cazden Cravy, first place; Lucy Johnstone, second place; Julia I. Dzomba, third place. Ages 8-10 Nonfiction : Lucy Reed, first.

: Lucy Reed, first. Ages 11-14 Fiction : Braden Collard, first; Zia Kloetzel, second; Mia Foster, third.

: Braden Collard, first; Zia Kloetzel, second; Mia Foster, third. Ages 11-14 Nonfiction : Abbey Rhoderick, first; Cassie Berg, second; Estella Campana, third .

: Abbey Rhoderick, first; Cassie Berg, second; Estella Campana, third . Ages 15-18 Fiction : Evan Bartel (Wolf Point), first; Anne Luhmann (Lolo), second; Paige Childers, third.

: Evan Bartel (Wolf Point), first; Anne Luhmann (Lolo), second; Paige Childers, third. Ages 15-18 Nonfiction : Molli Clizbe, first.

: Molli Clizbe, first. Ages 19 and up Fiction : Ethan Zimmerman (Hamilton), first; Kimberly Dredger, second; Anya Vasquez, third.

: Ethan Zimmerman (Hamilton), first; Kimberly Dredger, second; Anya Vasquez, third. Ages 19 and up Nonfiction: Sara Anderson, first; Ann Karp, second; Dillon Smith, third.

Unplug and Play Week

In celebration of the national initiative known as Unplug and Play Week, MPLs Youth Services Department is unplugging all of its game and Internet access computers from May 1-8.

Join us in enjoying all non-screen activities that make the library fun, including reading, writing, drawing, coloring, puzzles, LEGOs, checking out the spectrUM exhibit, and more.

The library will also host an activity table at Missoulas citywide Unplug and Play event scheduled 1-4 p.m. Sunday in McCormick Park.

MPL offers mental health series

The Missoula Public Library has teamed up with the Western Montana Mental Health Center to offer patrons a series of collaborative discussions in May as part of Mental Health Awareness Month. These discussions touch on the topics of stress management, grief, crisis intervention, and suicide prevention.

The series kicks off this week with Feel Better Fast: Stress Management on Thursday from 3 to 5 p.m. in MPLs Large Meeting Room. Mike Frost, director of Counseling Services at the University of Montana, will lead this workshop that aims to teach practical strategies to manage stress so you can feel better fast starting today.

We Have It: Staff Reviews

Writing Magic: Creating Stories that Fly by Gail Carson Levine (HarperCollins, 2006) Call Number J 808.3 LEVINE

Written by the author of Ella Enchanted and numerous fairy tale retellings, this writing craft book for teens is light, peppy, and very encouraging. Even the chapter headings give the flavor of the authors temperament: Liftoff (preparing to write); Hearts and Guts (putting down the words); Plowing Through (overcoming obstacles); Digging Deeper (working to improve); and Writing Forever (committing to the art).

Author Gail Carson Levine comes across like a favorite aunt who both praises and pushes you to stretch and grow, and work hard at your writing. The book is loaded with exercises  which are handy for a teacher or a casual reader to pick through, though it sometimes seems like the author naively assumes that teenage writers are much more willing to practice than most actually are.

A nice feature is frequent stories of Levines own writing history and struggles.

Its very comforting and reassuring for beginning and unpublished writers to hear how well-known writers weathered the undiscovered years and the piles of rejection slips. Overall, its a quick, easy, and enjoyable read, which makes it all the more likely that a teen writer will actually read it.

Reviewed by Dana McMurray

Hot Happenings

Heres a sampling of some free programs coming up at the Missoula Public Library. Check the full events calendar at missoulapubliclibrary.org.

MakerSpace offerings

Open hours: 11 a.m.-2:30 p.m. Mondays; 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Tuesdays and Wednesdays.

Computer Electronics: 3-6 p.m. Mondays and Thursdays.

Jewelry Making Workshop: 6-7:30 p.m. Wednesdays.

Visit tinyurl.com/mplmakers for a full calendar of MakerSpace classes

Computer classes

Computer Fundamentals: 6-7 p.m. Monday.

Learn about the various components of a computer, managing your desktop, and how to open programs. No experience necessary.

Resumes: 12:30-1:30 p.m. Wednesday.

A representative from Missoula Job Services will teach basics of how to create an effective resume. Bring details on education, training, and previous jobs so that you can get a start on a resume.

Registration is required to attend MPLs computer classes. Call 721-2665 to secure your spot.
HELENA  Renewable energy advocates and business interests launched a new campaign Wednesday focused on steering the statewide energy debate toward renewable energy opportunities in the face of weakening demand for Montana coal.

Called "Charge," the campaign includes a website, bumper stickers and plans for billboards displaying a wind farm with the slogan "A Boom That Won't Bust." Speakers at Wednesday's launch held at Solar Montana in Helena focused on energy trends with an emphasis on seizing the potential of a growing renewable energy market.

"Montana's energy economy is in crisis," Jeff Fox, Montana policy manager for Renewable Northwest, a renewable energy advocate, told the crowd. "West Coast states have made the decision to reduce or eliminate coal-produced energy, and that means eventually Montana will either need to decide what to do without coal jobs and revenue or find a sustainable replacement," he said.

Montana currently exports more than half its coal-produced energy, but "the people that we sell that electricity to no longer want to buy coal power," he said. "On the power generation side of the equation of the story it really is that simple. The question for us is, what do we want to do about it?"

***

Montana's energy future has been a major political topic at city, county, state and federal levels. With concerns over the future of mining and plant jobs at Colstrip and accusations of federal overreach with the Obama administration's Clean Power Plan, Republicans and some Democrats continue to rally behind an industry that has employed thousands of Montanans and produced millions of dollars in incomes.

Although he emphasized the campaign is about a business reality rather than a political shift, Fox challenged the 40 people in attendance to be part of a proactive stance as opposed to those only interested in maintaining the status quo. West Coast states will either seek to generate their own renewable energy from wind and solar or look to other states prioritizing the transition.

"We have sympathy for coal workers and coal towns. Coal has been an important part of Montana's economy for a very long time and it will be for a while longer," Fox said. "This isn't a debate about the best kind of energy, it's a debate about what we can sell, whether we'd like to sit around and do nothing or participate in the markets that are being formed."

Montana is set to become a player in wind and solar energy with our climate producing the most renewables at the time of day and year when they hit peak demand, he added.

***

Mark Haggerty with Headwaters Economics detailed a shifting energy market where coal peaked but has been on a downward trend in terms of demand and price. The energy market is in a transition, he said, and that means more volatility in the future with the onset of renewables and with natural gas recently surpassing coal in percentage of energy production.

Montana's economy will continue to grow throughout any transition, but that growth has been largely disproportionate in favor of cities, he said.

"No matter what happens we need to start planning for our energy transition now so that we don't leave some communities without assistance if they are going to see their opportunities decline, but also so that we capture new opportunities across the state for communities that have those options," Haggerty said. "Our job is to generate ideas and nurture them for the time when the politically impossible becomes the politically inevitable."

Shelby Mayor Larry Bonderud said his community aggressively sought wind energy development and the effort has paid major dividends. After four to five years of construction the utilities now employ dozens of permanent employees while spending millions of dollars in Toole County. Many people, especially youths, have trained to work at the sites and are now able to stay in their community, he said.

"This can occur in rural Montana, and it's a way to diversify the economy in rural Montana," Bonderud said.

Diana Maneta, executive director of the Montana Renewable Energy Association, noted that nationwide there are more jobs in solar energy than in oil and gas extraction. The cost of solar panels has dropped and Montana has seen an uptick in community solar projects, and the first utility-sized installations are slated for the next year.

Even with recent expansion, solar accounts for only 0.1 percent of Montana's energy production, but rooftop alone has potential to account for about 28 percent, she said. That means the opportunity is ripe for continued growth.

***

In an interview after the launch, Fox said the campaign has a single billboard site chosen in Helena but is looking for additional sites. The website chargemt.org has already gone live.

The slogan asserting that the renewable boom "won't bust" speaks to the nature of renewable installations, he explained.

"There's really no reason to ever retire a successful renewable energy project," he said, explaining that once the installation is on the ground, it is a matter of maintenance rather than depleting resources to continue producing energy. "When it comes to the boom, absolutely markets in California, Oregon and Washington are all moving away from coal and looking to consume and purchase renewable energy and we have that in plentiful quantities in Montana."
We joke that everyone argues about the weather but never does anything about it. When we argue about climate change, it appears we do do something: Stop listening.

To worry about this stuff takes effort  youve got to take time out of your day to do that, said Jack Zhou, a doctoral candidate at Duke Universitys Nicholas School of the Environment. So people often rely on information thats passed on cheaply for them, usually by what politicians are saying on the news. That way, they dont have to look for it.

Zhou recently completed his doctoral studies and published his research in the peer-reviewed journal Environmental Politics. It was based on a 2014 survey of 470 Republicans and Republican-leaning independents who listened to four randomly assigned messages framing climate change as an issue society needs to deal with and is worth caring about.

In the messages, climate change was described as either an economic, national security, moral justice or natural disaster issue. Those first two were further couched to appeal to Republican partisan interests, while the second pair were aimed at Democratic partisan positions. Each of the four also was randomly attributed to a fictional Republican or Democratic source.

I was trying to find conditions where people could be persuaded to reconsider climate change, said Zhou, whos been studying the issue for the past 10 years. I was trying to understand what conditions of communication that are more polarizing, and try to find less polarizing ways of talking about them.

But the efforts didnt just fail in terms of being unconvincing, he said. More often, they actually backfired, polarizing the survey taker even more. Zhou did not survey Democratic-leaning people in a similar manner, but he ventured they would react in a similar entrenched way to ideas that contradicted their partisan position.

What I found was that there werent easy ways to talk about the issue that cut across political identity lines, Zhou said. Its made me kind of pessimistic about persuading skeptics on an issue.

***

That retreat to rigid positions has grown more common across American discourse, according to University of Montana Wilderness and Civilization Director Natalie Dawson. And its happening at a time when much of the rest of the world has moved the discussion to a different level.

The U.S. is practically the only country left where climate change is an active debate, Dawson said, referring to the nearly 200 nations that recently joined President Barack Obama in signing the Paris climate accords. All those other countries realize climate change exists and is something we have to deal with. Political parties differ on what should be done, but across party lines, theres acknowledgement it exists.

Dawson said a growing body of research in the United States finds that when people are faced with opposing information that tests their own beliefs, they dig in more strongly on their set of information and ideas. She said students coming into UM typically base their opinions on what they learned at the family dinner table. As they spend time in college, those opinions evolve.

When they leave, my students go everywhere, Dawson said. Id say its about 50-50 Republican to Democrat, and they go forward into lots of different fields. Theyre going to work in the Bakken (oil fields) and becoming environmental writers and everything in between.

Duke University sits in the middle of North Carolinas old industrial tobacco center. Zhou said there was a sense of deja-vu in walking past old cigarette landmarks steeped in a time when Americans fiercely debated whether tobacco was a cancer-causing health hazard. But while the impacts of climate change depend on meteorological science the same way cancer depends on medical science, cancer research doesnt attract the same kinds of partisan divisions.

Climate change is so far-reaching into the economic world, Zhou said of the difference. The way we talk about it is perceived as a zero-sum game between the economy and the environment. Any environmental benefit comes at an economic cost, and any economic benefit comes at an environmental cost. Thats the way weve framed issues of the environment in American culture over the last 25 years. Once something is that politicized, its very difficult to de-politicize it.
PUYALLUP, Wash.  Darrell L. Rumley, 82, of Puyallup, Washington, passed away surrounded by his loving family on Saturday, April 23, 2016, in Tacoma, Washington.

Darrell was born Oct. 25, 1933, in Spokane to Anita Conley and Lloyd Willoughby. He grew up in the Inland Empire area of eastern Washington and Idaho. As a child, he enjoyed fishing and the outdoors with his younger Brother, Gary Rumley, and his grandfather Richard Rumley and gained his love of trees and life from a young age.

After graduating from high school in 1952, he attended Eastern Washington State College studying Forestry. In 1954, he joined the U.S Army to serve his country. After military service he returned to college to finish his four year degree from University of Montana, where he met the love of his life, Sharon Meyer. They were married on Sept. 12, 1959.

Darrell was a meticulous man of great deliberation and a true collector of people and things. He belonged to many Collector Organizations and was well thought of. He loved his Mariners and a good game of cribbage with co-workers and his brother, Gary.

Darrell had a long career working for the BIA and the BLM. He retired from the career he loved in 1988. After retiring, Darrell turned to his passion of collecting for a second career and worked right up to the week of his passing.

Darrell was truly the friend of many and the enemy of none. He was a kind and gentle man full of love for family and life, a wonderful husband of almost 57 years, a great father, with unending patience and understanding, quiet charm and a great sense of humor that effected people throughout his entire life.

Darrell is survived by his Wife of 57 years this year, Sharon Rumley, and his three sons, Wes, Randy and Kyle; eight grandchildren, Ktrisha, Doug, Ethan, Tami, Kasey, Vance, Nathan and Elliott; four great-grandchildren, Logan, Jade, Amethyst and Isabell; and his brother Gary Rumley. Also by everyone who was touched by him in his 82 years, you know who are in a list of many.

A special thanks to Melissa Gearhart for her great help and kindness and to Dr. Deguzman, who was so helpful over the years of his retirement.

In lieu of flowers, please give to: American Diabetes Association (diabetes.org/donate/); University of Montana Forestry Department (cfc.umt.edu/alumni/howtogive/default.php).
PARADISE  Push is about to come to shove in Paradise.

In about two months, the school board here sunsets out of existence. For almost three years, the trustees have been in charge of a school with no students or teachers.

The board made the difficult decision to close the old building on a hill overlooking this small railroad town in 2013, in the face of a dwindling enrollment that was down to five students by its final year.

Before June is over, the trustees will, in their final act, have to decide what to do with the Paradise School.

If they turn it over to the nearby Plains School District, the 106-year-old building likely will be listed and sold to a private buyer.

If they donate it to Sanders County, it will be re-purposed as a community center, arts center, visitor center and museum.

For most folks in this small town of approximately 160 people, the choice is easy. They would rather the iconic building and its grounds remain under public ownership.

But making that a reality is a hill that must be climbed. The county has no money to operate and maintain the old building and its grounds, so its new purposes will have to be self-sustaining.

And it will take more than a pronouncement to make it a community-arts-visitor center and museum, and compliable with the Americans with Disabilities Act.

***

The Paradise Elementary School Preservation Committee is charging ahead, hopeful that the last $5,000 of the $30,000 it needs to raise will be found before the end of June.

Its challenging to raise money, preservation board member John Thorson said. Sanders County is not an affluent area, but people are working hard.

Last week the board brought museum consultant Lynda Moss of Billings to town for three days, courtesy of a grant from the Montana History Foundation. Shes going to help anyone in Paradise who is interested to become a community curator.

Its not something I invented, said Moss, a former executive director of the Western Heritage Center in Billings, and a former state senator. Its something thats used in the museum field, for local people with an interest and passion for local history.

They are invaluable for assisting in the development of local museum themes and collecting artifacts, Moss said, because they know what and where they are.

The group that gathered in the schools old gymnasium with Moss on Wednesday afternoon was small  about a dozen people  but it quickly brainstormed some big ideas.

***

Paradise  and the old school  exists because of the railroads. Trains and their connection to Paradise should be prominent in any museum, most everyone at the meeting agreed.

I want a steam engine, Karen Thorson, Johns wife, said. Short of an engine, Ill take a caboose and short of a caboose, Ill take a (railroad) car. Paradise is so railroad-oriented.

One could be placed on Montana Highway 200, she said, to catch the attention of drivers and passengers in the 2,000 vehicles said to pass through Paradise every day. Signs could then direct them to the old school, which sits farther away from the highway than virtually everything else in town.

A lot of them are on their way to Flathead Lake or Glacier Park, she said of the traffic. But they dont know about the Ross Creek Cedars or the Hiawatha Trail. How many things do we have that people dont know about?

A visitor center would highlight local attractions, and a museum would fill in Paradises backstory. Even people who move to the area arent always aware of the local history, Benita Jo Hanson said.

Hanson, former clerk for the Plains School District, said she once helped a newcomer register her children for school, and the woman told Hanson, I just dont understand why people came out here to make neckties.

The ties that once were manufactured here were railroad ties, not neckties, Hanson explained to the woman.

As much as it was a railroad town, Paradise was also a company town, just like Butte was a company town, said Jen Kreiner, executive director of the Sanders County Community Development Corporation.

Its why the town is pretty much a perfect rectangle, six blocks long and two blocks wide, all on one side of Highway 200. The school, built after the town was planned on land a subsidiary of the Great Northern Railway sold for $100, is outside the rectangle, next to the cemetery, on a hill above the rest of the community.

Kreiner suggested exhibits explaining a company town could accompany others focused on the railroads themselves.

***

Marie Hirsch, now director of the Business Development Center at the Lake County Community Development Corporation, suggested the right exhibits could also tap into a niche interest in Glacial Lake Missoula.

During the Ice Age, Paradise  like vast expanses of western Montana  was at the bottom of a lake.

Interest in the prehistoric body of water sends people on road trips from Washington to Montana in search of information on the lake, Hirsch said.

As a matter of fact, John Thorson said, the Paradise Center is already lined up to host a luncheon this fall when the Ice Age Floods Institute sponsors a field trip to Missoula.

They want to come up here and learn more about Glacial Lake Missoula, he said.

The preservation committee had already said part of any museum in the old school would highlight the school itself. It was suggested folks here check into a program offered through the Museum at Central School in Kalispell, where third graders are brought in and spend time in a one-room schoolhouse complete with a teacher in period garb.

Because 40 percent of students in the pioneer days came to school barefoot, 40 percent of the third-graders are asked to remove their shoes.

I love that, Moss said. Things like that make a museum trip memorable, she added.

How people can touch that past should always be on the minds of community curators, according to the consultant.

Is it through an exhibit? A brochure? A tour? Maps? Access to information they can get on their smartphones? she said.

***

Other ideas included gathering personal stories from people with longtime connections to Paradise, offering the grounds to bike tours in search of camping spots, and establishing a presence at the popular Sanders County Fair, which attracts people from far beyond the county.

Moss also encouraged them to try to get the school listed on the National Register of Historic Places after hearing that previous attempts to do so in 1976 and 1989 fell short.

Its a worthy goal, and Im surprised the building isnt already, Moss said. A listing provides credibility to some funders, and I would advocate for that because it validates your history.

Its a fabulous facility, Moss said at the start of the afternoon, after touring the school. You have to be so proud of it.

They are, and theyd like it to remain open to the public.

It wont be a school any longer, but the place may still educate people about everything from what its like to be a company town, to Ice Age floods, as part of its re-purposing.

Either that, or, it will be put up for sale. A decision fast approaches.
The Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes appreciate that so many people continue to voice their support for the return of National Bison Range lands to tribal control. Unfortunately, opponents continue to support their position by cherry-picking evidence and distorting history. A case in point is the recent opinion piece by Ralph Webber and William Reffalt (Missoulian, April 13), in which they dispute tribal history as related by CSKT Chairman Vernon Finley (Missoulian, April 3). The authors have apparently read some of the written sourcesand none of the recorded oral traditions. On that thin basis, they assume they know more about our history than do tribal elders and historians.

Webber and Reffalt refer to a 1902 letter by fur trader Charles Aubrey as if it is incontestable, and as if it disproves CSKT statements. Apparently, the authors are unaware that Aubrey was just one of the non-Indians who claimed credit for what was actually the idea of a Pend d'Oreille tribal member: herding orphaned bison calves across the mountains to establish a herd on the Flathead Reservation. None of the written accounts carry the rich detail, or the deep cultural perspective, of the story as related by tribal elders. In fact, written and oral sources present important differences over which Pend d'Oreille individuals saved the bison, and why.

Reffalt cites the book "I Will Be Meat for My Salish": The Montana Writers Project and the Buffalo of the Flathead Indian Reservation, by Bon I. Whealdon and others, and edited by Robert Bigart. That book is an important source of information and contains multiple accounts of history, but should be viewed within the context of the Salish-Pend dOreille Culture Committee disclaimer at the beginning of the book, which notes the lens of the interpreters.

In this column, there is room only to note the uncontested facts. For a recent, more thorough account, readers may consult Brian Upton, "Returning to a Tribal Self-Governance Partnership at the National Bison Range Complex: Historical, Legal, and Global Perspectives," 35 Public Land & Resources Law Review 52 (2014). None of what Webber and Reffalt assert disproves the history related by the CSKT. The central truths of this issue still stand:

 CSKT members played a critical role in saving bison from imminent extinction by herding orphaned calves back to the Flathead Reservation;

 Their actions were motivated by both their deep cultural relationship with bison, and by the material imperative to ensure a sustainable and safe supply for future generations;

 The reservation bison herd became for a time the largest remaining in the U.S.;

 The Hellgate Treaty reserved parts of CSKT aboriginal territories, including the Flathead Reservation and the Bison Range area, for the tribes' "exclusive use and benefit";

 The Flathead Allotment Act of 1904 and the federal plan to open the reservation to non-Indian homesteaders forced tribal member Michel Pablo to sell off his herddescendants of the bison saved by Pend d'Oreille people in the 1870s;

 The government unilaterally took reservation land for the Bison Range, against the wishes of tribal people and the promises of the Hellgate Treaty;

 The Bison Range's initial herd came mostly from the Conrad herd in Kalispellbison that were also descended from those saved by the Pend d'Oreille;

 In 1971, the U.S. Court of Claims ruled that the CSKT had not been fairly compensated for lands, including the Bison Range, that were removed from tribal ownership under the Flathead Allotment Act and associated laws. More importantly, the court found that the tribes had never consented to the land removalshence its finding of an unconstitutional taking and its order for just compensation. With respect to the Bison Range, money has never been the primary issue. The real issue is, and always has been, the tribes connections to the land and the bison.

Restoring the National Bison Range to federal trust ownership for the CSKT will be a great step in our country embracing the best of who we are: a nation of honor and justice. The Bison Range will always remain a place that welcomes everyone seeking to observe and experience the sacred animals that tribal ancestors helped save from extinction.
I don't think we have ever faced such a critical time on our political leadership selection process.

Change is difficult for many adults. It can be threatening, fearful, disturbing and often strongly resisted. On the other hand, with our younger population, change is a normal, everyday thing: Change in body maturity; change in schools; change in family situations; change in jobs; change with marriage and kids. Change is all over the place and it is normal for them as they adjust to change in life's maturing process.

In our political system, right now, we have two candidates running for president who are attracting millions of young people to their messages. They are, of course, Donald Trump and Bernie Sanders.

Many Americans happen to think we are now standing at the critical point of either following a regressive downward cycle or moving into a positive reformation.

Donald Trump has energized and ramped up the fear and anger factors so easily drawn forth in people these days. His call for change resonates in ways that are scary, dangerous, regressive and totally out of tune with America's best interests.

Bernie Sanders, on the other hand, is appealing to those who think positively toward the future; are sensitive to climate change strategies; support reducing big money interests controlling our politics; are taking seriously the need for a foreign policy of diplomacy over military aggression, and to those who believe in engaging with all leaders rather than using threats and bluster leading to stalemate, rejection and possible disastrous conflict.

We adults have a responsibility here. And that is to immediately encourage young people to get informed, be involved and follow their instincts for change. An informed and engaged young population is our hope for freedom, equality, peace, justice and global leadership as America, the nation of many colors and capabilities.

Bob McClellan,

Polson
BILLINGS  The Two Rivers Regional Detention Center, Hardin's troubled private prison, has suspended operations due to the lack of inmates.

Warden Ken Keller said that on April 13, they officially stopped holding prisoners. Employees were sent home, and only Keller and his program manager, Hope Keller, remain in the building.

"There's two of us here," Ken Keller said. "We're keeping the lights on and chugging away."

It's the latest setback in the facility's grim history. For years, the 464-bed facility sat empty. Last fall, the Bureau of Indian Affairs cut its contract with the prison, leaving Two Rivers without its main source of inmates.

By January, the prison had furloughed many of its employees but continued to limp along with a couple dozen inmates. They came from small contracts with individual American Indian tribes and with Williams County, N.D.

The prison gets paid on a per inmate, per day basis through contracts. In the absence of full beds, debt has piled up on the facility, reaching as much as $40 million in December.

The outstanding debt threatens to double the $27 million in bonds originally spent to build the facility.

Emerald Correction Management of Louisiana operates the jail, which is called the Two Rivers Regional Detention Facility. The Two Rivers Authority, the economic development arm of the city of Hardin, owns the building as a separate entity.

Without its main economic engine, the Two Rivers Authority has operated at a substantial loss. In 2014, the authority had $97 in revenue against $388,000 in expenses, according to city documents.

I really have nothing of any value to add to this conversation, said Jeff McDowell, executive director of the Two Rivers Authority, before hanging up on a reporter.

While McDowell declined to comment, the Two Rivers Authority website has a statement announcing the shutdown, which it deems temporary. The statement also said that Emerald advised Two Rivers that it has responded to negotiation moves by the BIA.

It could take up to 90 days for a contract to be awarded, according to the Two Rivers Authority's statement.

McDowell gives periodic updates to the Hardin Common Council regarding the prison. The city has kept Two Rivers Authority afloat and paid out $582,595 from 2004 to December 2015. About 45 percent of that money was paid before the jail opened in mid-2007.

Hardin finance officer Michelle Dyckman said that because the building is owned by Two Rivers, it is tax exempt.

Officials from the prison have made appeals to county officials in Montana, hoping that they will use the Two Rivers Detention Facility to ease county jail overcrowding. So far, there has been no movement toward the private facility.

Additionally, Keller said that he's been working on other small contracts. They recently finalized a deal with the Lummi Nation, which brought small numbers of inmates to Hardin before the facility ceased operation.

As for the BIA contract, Keller said that it's still a waiting game.

"Nobody seems to be clear," he said. "We're working on things."

Officials from Emerald did not immediately respond to calls. Since Nov. 30, the BIA has not responded to periodic questions from The Gazette about contract negotiations.
The American Association of University Women's Missoula branch honored Gov. Steve Bullock and University of Montana President Royce Engstrom on Saturday.

Bullock received the Gender Equity Award and Engstrom received the Combating Sexual Assault award  two efforts that have risen to the top of AAUW's priority list.

Montana women earned 67 percent of men's median earnings in 2013, according to the state of Montana's Equal Pay for Equal Work Task Force. Bullock established the task force in 2013. This gender pay gap puts Montana in 37th place in the U.S.

"We've taken some concrete steps in introducing wage negotiation trainings, job services, doing pay audits in the public sector and also proposing some legislation  some that passed, some that didn't," Bullock said. "It's one of these, from my perspective, both as a governor and as a father, things that is unacceptable that for the same work, this pay disparity still exists."

This award comes days before the state's third annual Equal Pay Summit at Montana State University in Bozeman.

"Awareness, transparency and education are a big chunk of this," he said. "Part of it fundamentally is ... employers should be asking, 'Are there pay disparities?' And certainly employees, this is where the mindshift is from the negotiation perspective, being willing to make sure to ask to get paid."

Sexual assault, particularly sexual assault on college campuses, continues to be at the forefront of the national discussion  and University of Montana in particular has been in the hot seat.

State Rep. Ellie Hill said Engstrom was being honored for his "leadership in sexual assault prevention."

"What it really means to me is to have this kind of recognition for the people at the university who have put in so much effort and work ... in these last several years to address this very serious issue of sexual assault on college campuses  on our campus in particular," Engstrom said.

"I think now we have most of the things in place that we need: the educational and prevention programs, the policies and procedures to help address sexual assault cases when they arise, the systems to care for survivors of sexual assault and the legal understanding of what our responsibilities are and how we interact with the federal government. I think mostly now, it's a matter of implementing all of those pieces to the best of our ability."
Neil Tocher, 35, of Butte and an associate professor in management at Idaho State University has been honored with an Overachiever Under 40 award.

Legally blind, Tocher has achieved wide academic success, according to the Idaho State Journal.

He is the son of Mike and Marlene Tocher of Butte.

The Overachiever Under 40 award recognizes extraordinary young professionals and is sponsored by the Journal and Southeast Idaho Business Journal, among other businesses.

Tocher was one of 21 awardees. All told, 44 applied for the award, which rewards community service as well.

Tocher has a doctorate in management and a masters in management from Auburn University plus a bachelors degree in accounting from Gonzaga University.

He has authored or co-authored 17 journal articles, one textbook, and chapters of other textbooks.

Other awards he has won include ISU College of Business Researcher of the Year, 2011; Civitan of the Year, 2012-13; and Elk of the Year, 2014-15.

He is a member of the Academy of Management, Southern Management Association, Society for Case Research, the Bannock Civitans, Pocatello Elks Lodge, and the Pocatello Camp Fire Association.
MUSCATINE, Iowa  More than 25 residents of Muscatine attended the Coffee with the Mayor event on Saturday, and shared their comments and concerns about events transpiring in their local government.

Mayor Diana Broderson introduced the event and opened the discussion.

What I was hoping today to do is to create some kind of a venue that I could talk to people and they could ask me questions, and get to make sure that we can have a relationship with one another, I want everybody to feel like they can call or talk to me, Broderson said.

City Code changes

One topic raised by many in the crowd was the draft amendments to the city code proposed by Muscatine Councilman Tom Spread.

The request stated that the city attorney will be directed to draft changes to the city code including changing the appointing authority for all the boards and commissions to the city council, and changing the appointment and removal authority for the fire chief and police chief from the mayor to the city administrator, subject to the approval of the city council.

Currently, the Mayor proposes appointments subject to the approval of the city council.

Several residents asked why the mayor and council were talking about changing the current form of government. Broderson announced in a city council meeting that she was looking into forming a task force to research forms of government and decide whether or not the public felt it needed a change, and residents asked if that was in response to the recent request to draft changes to the city code that was approved by the council at the meeting on April 21.

Im not interested in this being reactive to what theyre doing in any way, I dont see that reactive is a positive thing for our community, we need to just each make our decisions and move forward and this was something that I had been talking about, just a plan to take a look at how we are doing things here and if that is what the people still want, she said.

Jana Warren asked how long the policy has been in effect with the mayor makes appointments to boards and commissions.

Thats long-standing  and is very typical if you look at other cities in the state, and actually nation-wide, and the way its set up is it has checks and balances, so the mayor appoints and the council either approves or denies and that method goes all the way up to the federal government, Broderson said.

Karl Reichert, of Muscatine, who said he sat on the city council, said he is concerned about the checks and balances in local government, and remembers when the city developed the position of a city administrator.

We talked, before we created this position, on several things, one was extremely important, and debated unbelievably was the checks and balances. The checks and balances are so critical for city government, and now what I see coming up is that the mayor is going to have all of its power removed, invested into a non-elected bureaucrat called the city administrator, and then the city council then will react, he said.

Broderson said that she hopes to remain positive moving forward, for the benefit of the community and its local government.

Hopefully as we can create more dialogue with the community and making sure that we all are talking openly and publicly about what we want to do moving forward I think we can do this in a positive way, I think we all need to remain positive about all the things going on in this community, she said.

Several citizens also expressed their concerns about the disconnect and disagreement that appeared to exist between the mayor and the city council. Former Muscatine councilman Osama Shihadeh said that after listening to the discussions, he had advice for those currently part of the local government.

When it comes to local governmentyou guys belong to one party and one party only, and that is the Muscatine community party. Sitting here listening to all of this, its not only hurtful, its shameful Moving forward here - and we are hearing only one side of the story, mayor, from you - I dont think there is a need here to divide the local government here about this community. This community is successful, and it would be more successful if we work together as a team, Shihadeh said.

Many residents applauded Shihadehs statement, and Broderson said she agreed.

Dan Clark said that he holds all members of local government in high regard, and the disagreements and disconnect are an issue.

Why do we seem to have a mayor versus united council, because those are people who disagree about a lot of topics. Im just trying to understand why do we have this situation where so early in your term, theyre united against you, weve got to get away from that, Clark said.

Residents agreed that the mayor should work to bridge that gap, and she said she had tried, including offering a mediator from the Iowa League of Cities.

"I have tried to push that olive branch forward many times," Broderson said.

Roger Lande said the mayor should continue to do so, and many of the residents agreed.

"You just do it every day the rest of your term, and then you can't be responsible for the response, but you should be trying to improve that response," Lande said.

Second Street conversion

Another issue that was discussed was the conversion of Second Street from a one-way to a two-way.

"I've heard from staff and council a couple of different reasons why they are going to do it. I went and met with all the merchants on Second Street and visited with them and talked with them, and they were very loudly saying they don't want this. I encouraged them to come to council meetings and share that, call your councilmen, and they did that, unfortunately the council still voted to change that to a two-way," Broderson said.

David Metz, who said that he remembered when Second Street was a two-way, said that getting deliveries was not an issue.

"There was a huge amount of traffic on Second Street on Friday nights, and it was a two-way street, and all of those stores got their deliveries, remember, they were much bigger stores than we have now, and all those stores got their deliveries no problem," Metz said.

Broderson thanked the residents for their attendance and their comments, and said that she plans to hold another Coffee with the Mayor in May.
Les emplois a Rennes sont abondants et varies. Il y a quelque chose pour tout le monde. Que vous soyez a la recherche dun emploi []
Les blattes ou cafards (Blatta orientalis) sont des insectes qui appartiennent a la famille des Blattoptera. Ils se caracterisent par leur forme allongee, leurs ailes []
Nkosana Makate has told the Sunday Times that he will still be asking for 15c of every Rand of revenue that Please Call Me has generated.

This comes after Makates recent victory in the Constitutional Court after a long battle, where Vodacom was ordered to negotiate in good faith to determine reasonable compensation for his idea.

In the event of the parties failing to agree on the reasonable compensation, the matter must be submitted to Vodacoms Chief Executive Officer for determination of the amount within a reasonable time, the ruling said.

Makate said he now plans to go through the records of Vodacom and its parent, Vodafone, to work out what they owe him for the idea.

He said that they are reassessing their team of negotiators and are strengthening it with actuaries, auditors, and accountants. They are looking at big firms with an appetite to help them, said Makate.

According to Makate, the judgement paved the way for him to ask for the records of all Vodafone operations where Please Call Me is used.

Makate said that the service is everywhere where Vodafone operates, so its not only confined to South Africa.

Once they have all the records  including where and to whom Vodacom licensed the product  they will be able to quantify the 15%, Makate said.

In 2013, the Sunday Times reported that the amount could be as high as R6.75-billion rand. City Press reported that Makates team estimated that by now, that amount had climbed to R10.5 billion.

Makates wife, Rebecca, has said that a book about his 15-year battle with Vodacom to get compensation for his idea is in the works, and will be released through a UK publisher before December.

The full reports are available in the Sunday Times and City Press newspapers of 1 May 2016.

More on the Please Call Me case

I still respect Vodacom CEO Knott-Craig: Please Call Me inventor

Con Court slams Vodacom over false Please Call Me story

Massive victory for Please Call Me idea-man against Vodacom

Vodacom Please Call Me case: the inside story

Vodacom Please Call Me case: legal backing revealed
US-based taxi-hailing service Uber is accused of engaging in predatory pricing and anti-competitive behaviour in South Africa, City Press reported.

According to the report, 8 regional taxi companies and 150 individual members of the SA Meter Taxi Association filed the application with the Competition Commission.

The complaint was filed in November 2015 and is under investigation, the Commission said.

Responding to complaints that Uber doesnt comply with the National Land Transport Act, the company said that it does not own any vehicles.

It said it licenses technology to independent transport operators who can connect with people that want a ride.

These partners are required to hold all the appropriate operating licenses, Uber said.

Uber added that authorities around the world have welcomed the increased competition Uber brings to the taxi industry.

Uber price cuts for SA winter

Uber recently cut its rates in South Africa from R7 per kilometre to R6, resulting in drivers marching on its offices in Cape Town.

Some partner drivers boycotted the Uber app following the announcement.

Unfortunately a small number of partner-drivers in Cape Town have not heard about our guarantee so have chosen not to use the app for now. We are trying to speak with them to reassure them of our guarantee, Uber said.

Local spokespeople for the company explained that the reduction in tariffs was an attempt to boost demand and increase earnings for drivers during the quieter winter months.

If prices do not drive up demand, Uber said it plans to offer minimum payment guarantees for its driver partners.

The full report is available in City Press (1 May 2016).

More on Uber

KwaZulu-Natal taxi drivers march against Uber

Taxify relaunched in South Africa to take on Uber and metered taxis

Some Uber drivers boycotting the app in South Africa

Uber could cut Joburg traffic by 800,000 cars

Driver strike reports are exaggerated: Uber
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The people of Napa need to know about a plan that is in the works to develop the hills above Casswall Street, which lies off Old Sonoma Road and runs parallel with Foster Road.

Davidon Homes of Walnut Creek, which owns the 80.63 acres, has asked the city of Napa for a change in the zoning of the area of the current designation of RA  Resource Area  a designation applied to sensitive lands within the Rural Urban Limit to a single-family zoning. The current zoning calls for special standards for the protection of the viewshed as well as resource, habitat geotechnical concerns within the City General Plan.

Davidon Homes of Walnut Creek specializes in luxury homes, and wants to build 53 single-family homes ranging in size from 3,880 square feet to 5,061 square feet on the hills facing Old Sonoma Road. These homes will be visible on both sides of the hill  Caswall Street on the north side and Old Sonoma Road on the south side.

This is not the first time Davidon Homes has asked the city of Napa to change the zoning. Back in 1998 the company proposed to build 78 homes on the same piece of land. We, the neighbors, together with concerned citizens all over Napa, were successful in beating back the plans. We did it by asking for signatures on a petition to stop the development, which was called Napa Oaks I. We got the support of people from all over Napa who shared our concerns for the impact such a development would have on our environment. The demands for water, the increase in traffic, the erosion of the land and the resulting runoff of water would bring dangers of mudslides and destruction of the hills above Highway 29 were among the chief concerns.

In 1998, Davidon, faced with overwhelming opposition withdrew their proposal, and in 2002 the company sued the city of Napa without success.

But now the company is back with Napa Oaks II with its huge plans for the green hills. Do we really need 53 million-dollar homes to spoil those hills? Furthermore, this project poses a threat to existing homes. Once those hills are gone  victims of grading and erosion  there is no going back, and we would all be the losers and so would our precious fragile environment.

If you look up Davidon Homes.com on the Internet, you will see that the company boasts that the new huge houses in Napa are Coming Soon! It even shows a very large house under construction. This presumably is an example of the kind of houses destined for Napa.

It remains to be seen if the City Council will approve this project. The council needs to hear from the people directly concerned as well as the general population, Our beautiful green valley is at risk for an invasion of developers. If Napa Oaks II is approved, how many others will follow? We must stay vigilant.

The Planning Commission will meet in July, review the project as well as well as written comments from all Napa residents and give their recommendation to the City Council. Then, the City Council will review the proposal, review the Planning Commission's and vote on it, probably in August.

Napa neither needs nor wants this project. We need to let Kevin Eberle, the contact person at the Planning Commission, know our stand. His phone number is 257-9530, and his mailing address is Kevin Eberle, Napa Community Development Department, P.O Box 660, Napa CA. Let your voices be heard!

Elsebeth Schoenberger and Lou Kaplan

Napa
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Three women Maoists cadres were killed during an encounter with the security forces at Kuturu village near Ampani ghat under Koksara police station limit in Kalahandi district today. Kalahandi police and the Special Operation Group (SOG) Jawans during an intensive combing operation, raided two Maoists camp near the Amapani ghat.Nearly 25-30 red rebels, who were in the camp, opened fire at the security forces, which was retaliated by the security forces. In the ensuing encounter, three armed women cadres were killed.Kalahandi Superintendent of Police Brrijesh Kumar Ray was leading the operation. The security forces seized three bodies from the encounter spot and recovered three 303 rifles and a 9 mm pistol, besides some Maoist literature from the site.Police said some ultras were also injured in the encounter, but managed to flee from the spot. The security forces have intensified the combing operation in the area to nab the insurgents hiding inside the dense forestUNI DP SHS RJ 2332 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0335-709324.Xml
The Rajnagar mangrove (wildlife) forest division will impose a three-month ban on the entry of tourists and visitors into Bhitarkanika National park from tomorrow.Official sources said the ban will be imposed in view of the nesting season of estuarine crocodiles and to ensure that the crocodiles would not be disturbed during nesting and breeding times.The ban will continue till July 31 next.DFO of Rajnagar Mangrove(Forest) and wildlife Division Bimal Prasanna Acharya said, during this ban period, tourists will be restricted in the crocodile infested areas at Bhitarkanika , Dangamala and Ragadapati forest blocks under Bhitarkanika.Mr Acharay said the reptiles become more violent during the nesting and breeding season and majority of crocodiles-attack reported during the nesting season.The DFO said the forest officials have alerted the riverside villagers to inform the forest personnel in case they come across any crocodile outside the park area.Meanwhile, the forest officials have launched an awareness campaign through public address system to the locals living along crocodile-infested rivers to remain alert and not to venture into water-bodies during the breeding season.UNI XC DP SHS RJ 2333 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0335-709335.Xml
Rally for surviving relatives of slain Griego family members and concerned residents of New Mexico.

Rally for surviving relatives of slain Griego family members & concerned residents of New Mexico (a public event)

Requesting locals to attend this protest rally regarding the planned release of Nehemiah Griego, who executed his parent and three younger siblings at their home in in the South Valley in January 2013, when he was age 15.

PURPOSE: We need to get this turned around to achieve Justice for the Griegos and protection for all the people of New Mexico from this confessed and proud mass murderer!

BACK STORY: Nehemiah was supposed to be sentenced as an adult for slaying his family members, however, District 2 children's court Judge John J. Romero Jr. recently ruled Nehemiah to be processed as a juvenile and that he be released by or before his 21st birthday, and his criminal record expunged -- less than two years from now.

Reminder: Nehemiah had also planned to do mass shootings that weekend, either at his neighborhood Walmart (Coors Blvd SW and Rio Bravo) and/or at their family's church (Calvary of Albuquerque).

Surviving relatives are traveling here to relay in person at 1:00 p.m. on Sunday, May 1st, the despicable details of this slaughter that the media were not allowed to report about a juvenile violent offender, and to refute the lies told by and about their Griego family members  as previously relayed to the media and to the judge by an uncle and an aunt. These two DO NOT represent the rest of the family who vehemently oppose release of Nehemiah. The rest of the surviving relatives fear for their safety and that of the public, if this twisted murderer is let out.

Nehemiah has not displayed much in the way of remorse for his cold-blooded killing of his family; instead, he relayed to a relative who visited him at his treatment/detention facility that he is a big man around here and proudly relayed that the other guys call him Psycho.

See also, informational postings on a Facebook community page regarding this familicide, entitled No Release for Nehemiah Griego
A counsellor with the Saudi Arabian Embassy died in a road accident in Haryana's Gurgaon city on Saturday afternoon. The Gurgaon Police said around 11 a.m, police received a call from Paras Hospital that a man, who met with an accident, had been admitted there. Police rushed to the hospital, but the victim died around 12 in the noon, said police. "The accident took place when the victim, Salman, 26, was on his way from Gurgaon to Faridabad, along with three other bikers. He lost control over his bike (Suzuki Hayabusa) and met with an accident, in which he was graciously injured. He was shifted to the hospital, but succumbed to his injuries," said police, while divulging details of the accident. (ANI)
Divulging details at a press conference, Deputy Election Commissioner Sandeep Saxena said, "At 5 p.m., 78.25 percent voters' turnout was reported in the fifth phase of the West Bengal assembly polls."

"Final voting percentage recorded in the phase 1A: 84.22 percent; Phase 1 B: 83.73percent; second phase: 83.05 percent; third phase: 82.28 percent; fourth phase: 81.25 percent and fifth phase: 78.25 percent," he said.

Following the directions of the Election Commission, the authorities registered an FIR against Trinamool Congress MLA Sonali Guha after she was caught on camera allegedly ordering party workers to beat CPI (M) polling agents. The conversation was recorded by TV channels.

Guha, also the deputy speaker in the outgoing West Bengal Assembly, is the Trinamool candidate from South 24 Parganas district's Satgachia constituency.

"FIR has been lodged and action has been initiated against TMC leader Sonali Guha, said Saxena.

The presiding officer at a booth in Arambagh was changed after charges of rigging for TMC. An FIR has been filed against all involved at the directive of the Commission. Over 2,000 complaints were received by the Commission from the three poll-bound districts till early in the evening, highest being from the 24-Parganas Dakshin and the least from Kolkata Dakshin.

The Kolkata Police used Drones to monitor the massive security arrangement made for the polling.

The voters in today's crucial round sealed the electoral fate of many heavyweights in EVMs including TMC chairperson and Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and 11 of her cabinet colleagues.

The candidates in Kolkata and 24-Parganas Dakshin included the Speaker and Deputy Speaker of the Assembly and the Kolkata Mayor, all of them from the ruling party.

The opponents contesting today included Congress' Deepa Das Munshi, BJP's Chandra Kumar Bose and Left leaders Kanti Ganguly, Sujan Chakraborty and Samik Lahiri.

Senior Congress leader Abdul Mannan and CPI-M's former chief whip, Robin Deb figured among the notables in Hooghly-Ajay Mhamia. (ANI)
Prime Minister Modi would be distributing 11 solar-powered 'e-boats' at the Assi Ghat.

"Particularly excited to launch a scheme for environmentally friendly e-boats at Assi Ghat. These will help bring down pollution. The e-boats will also bring down operational costs thus ensuring higher incomes for those who earn their livelihoods through such boats," he said in a series of tweets.

Later, the Prime Minister will also distribute 1,000 e-rickshaws and also hold a chaupal with rickshawpullers. Before launching the e-boats, he will meet 100 prominent people from the district to discuss about the development of Varanasi.

"In Varanasi will distribute e-rickshaws & interact with beneficiaries. Will also meet prominent citizens of Kashi. Looking forward," Prime Minister Modi tweeted.

He will then leave for Ballia district in eastern Uttar Pradesh to launch the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY).

"Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana will be launched in Ballia. The scheme provides LPG connections to 5 cr women beneficiaries from BPL families," he said in a tweet.

The PMUY is Rs. 8,000 crore scheme to provide five crore free cooking gas connections to Below Poverty Line (BPL) families. (ANI)
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday greeted the people of Gujarat and Maharashtra on their statehood day and wished that both states scale new heights of progress. In a message to the people of Maharashtra, Prime Minister Modi said "On Maharashtra Day, I greet the people of Maharashtra & wish the state the very best in scaling new heights of progress. Jai Maharashtra!" Prime Minister Modi said in a tweet. In a separate tweet, he wished the people of Gujarat and said: "Gujarat's statehood day my greetings to the people of Gujarat. I hope the state continues to progress & contribute to India's growth." (ANI)
The Congress and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Sunday locked horns over the ongoing controversy surrounding the AgustaWestland chopper deal with the grand-old party describing the episode as 'false propaganda' aimed to malign its top leadership while the ruling dispensation categorically stating the nation wants to know the truth. "This is all false propaganda, just to defame the Congress Party and our top leadership. This is because the elections are going on and they don't have their own achievements to tell the people and just to hide their failure, these things are being done," senior Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge told ANI. "Even the CBI inquiry was instituted during the previous UPA regime and why they didn't complete the matter in past two years?" he asked. Kharge further said the Congress leaders have already affirmed that the accusations are false and malicious. "Unfortunately Arun Jaitley ji condemned the interview which a reputed newspaper has published, which itself shows that they want to make much noise without any content," he added. BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra, however, hit back at the grand old party, saying the nation wants to know the truth behind the AgustaWestland deal. "Way back in 2013, when we were discussing these deals and even then the Bharatiya Janata Party had raised pertinent questions and had pointed fingers towards the then UPA president and the driving force of UPA, that was Mrs. Sonia Gandhi and today when appellate court of Milan has delivered its judgement, where the name of Sonia Gandhi ji is and name of the advisors of the UPA chairperson, so definitely the nation wants to know as to where the money has gone and who are the one's who received the bribes," Patra told ANI. Patra further said that since the investigative bodies are probing the matter the truth would be in front of the nation sooner or later. "And the ones who have erred will be facing the law of the land," he added. AgustaWestland's Rs 3,600 crore contract for supplying 12 VVIP choppers to the Indian Air Force had been scrapped by the former UPA regime over charges of paying kickbacks to Indian agents. In January 2013, India cancelled the deal and the CBI was assigned to investigate the matter. (ANI)
Continuing its drive against sale and distribution of spurious, illegal and unauthorized pesticides, authorities have filed cases against 26 dealers and seized huge quantity of misbranded pesticides in the Kashmir valley.An official spokesperson here today said a team of Law Enforcement Agency inspected various godowns in Budgam, Baramulla, Pulwama, Kulgam and Anantnag districts and booked 26 pesticide dealers for violating Insecticides Act 1968."During the inspection the Law Enforcement Inspector Anantnag seized a huge quantity of misbranded Pesticide, including 1650 kgs of Mancozvip and 350 kgs of Mancozvip manufactured by Agri care from Godreg Agrovit Ltd Anantnag. ''Also a quantity of 8 kgs of IPL Ziram-80 manufactured by India pesticide Ltd Lucknow UP was also seized from M/S Crop Care Anantnag, he said.In south Kashmir district of Kulgam, the Law Enforcement inspector Kulgam seized a huge quantity of misbranded pesticides, including 18 kgs of Indofil M-45 manufactured by Indofil industries Ltd Mumbai and 13 kgs of IPL Ziram-80 manufactured by India pesticide Ltd Lucknow UP from M/S Naikoo Agro Kulgam."In total 26 dealers were booked in various districts of Kashmir valley, he said.He said the drive against the distributors and dealers of pesticide, fertilizers and seeds contravening the insecticide Act, 1968 shall be intensified in coming days.UNI ABS QAB PR 1057 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0364-709535.Xml
The Karnataka wine board has plans to establish14 wine boutiques in important cites across the state to popularisewine tourism. Sources in the wine board told UNI that the boutiques will be setup including Bengaluru, Mysuru and Belagavi. A sum of Rs 3 crorehas been set aside to realise this long awaited initiative. Three boutiques will come up in Bengaluru alone and the Board is in talks with the Mysore Sales International Ltd. (MSIL), a subsidiary of the State government, to provide space on their premises for setting up the boutiques. The State's Wine Policy encourages entrepreneurs and unemployed youths to open wine taverns and boutique. The licensing procedure has been simplified with a fee of Rs 5,000 charged to open a wine boutique (for counter sales) with a minimum built-up floor area of 200 sq. ft. The license fee for a wine tavern (where food is also served) isRs 1,000. The Excise Department issues the licenses which can berenewed every year, he said. Mysuru, a tourist hub attractingdomestic and international travelers in big numbers, has beenidentified as a key focus area for promoting the wine culture. The concept of wine tourism is yet to catch up in the State as it is not getting the push it deserves to boost it as an alternative tourism. Despite the State having many wineries, including a few located near the State capital Bengaluru, the concept has not attracted visitors. Most wineries are privately-owned and some of them are promoting wine tour in a small way. Wineries near Channapatna on the busy Bengaluru-Mysuru highway have already introduced the concept of winetourism. As part of it, a visitor can enjoy wine tasting, food and a tour of the winery for Rs. 500. Wine tourism is extremely popular in Europe, especially in countries like Spain, which is considered one of the world's biggest wine growing regions. Visitors to Spain don't miss the opportunity to go on a wine tour with a trained guide. Sources in the Karnataka Wine Board said that wine tourism will get a push when the wine park proposed near Vijayapura becomes a reality. As Vijayapura and Bagalkot districts attract tourists fortheir historical sites, wine tourism is likely to emerge as an added itinerary, the sources added. In its bid to bring out its own brand of wine in the State, theKarnataka Wine Board has proposed to establish a wine park in 141acres near Vijayapura, reckoned to be one of the largest grapegrowing areas in the State. A major portion of the land will be used for cultivating wine grapes and the rest to set up a wine production plant. the wine parkproject had been proposed for inclusion in the State Budget seekingan allocation of Rs 38 crore. Also, there are discussions on implementing a part of the project on public private partnership (PPP) model, and decision will be taken after the project gets approval and budgetary allocation, Theplantation of wine grapes will be done at the proposed park toproduce top quality wine, which will be marketed at wine boutiquesthat are being set up by the board at key locations in the State. Sources in the board claimed the area of cultivation of wine grapes had increased, especially in areas surrounding Bengaluru, after the wine policy was introduced. Thanks to ideal climatic conditions for growing grapes suited for wine making, the State is seen as a hub by the wine industry. The only winery in Mysuru district is located at Belakawadi village near Talkad in T Narsipur taluk.UNI BSP PR -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0364-709538.Xml
Prime Minister, Narendra Modi today led the Nation to salute the hardwork, determination and dedication of millions of workers, on Labour Day. "On Labour Day we salute the hardwork, determination and dedication of millions of 'Shramiks' who have an invaluable role in the making of India", the Prime Minister said in a message. Labour and Employment Minister Bandaru Dattaraya also greeted the workers on the occasion. "Greetings and best wishes to all of my worker folks on this Labour Day. The mantra of "Shramev Jayate" guides us in our endeavors towards creating an equitable labour market to provide best opportunities to every worker in the country, " the Minister said in a statement. He said his Ministry is committed to Employment Generation by facilitating ease of doing business including that for startups and MSMEs.UNI MK PR 1107 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0364-709571.Xml
Poppy cultivation spread over an area of 593 kanals was destroyed in central and south Kashmir districts of Budgam and Pulwama, official sources said here today. He said Excise team under the supervision of Deputy Excise Commissioner (executive), Kashmir destroyed 135 kanals of poppy in village check Qazipora in Budgam. Meanwhile, he said so far total 593 kanals of poppy have been destroyed in Pulwama and Budgam districts of the valley. "Drive against the same shall continue to make valley free of poppy cultivation," he added. UNI BAS QAB PR PM1033 -- (UNI) -- C-1-DL0153-709506.Xml
With dal prices predicted to see a sharp surge in the days ahead,the Centre is exploring ways to boost production or step up procurement to sidestep a crisis. India faces an acute shortage of pulses and is forced to bridge the shortfall of 4 to 5 million tonnes through exports. But this year, the country is exploring an innovative way by looking at the hitherto unexplored 'Dark' continent Africa to tide over the shortage. Last year the price of arhar and other dals shot up to Rs 200 leaving a hole in household budgets. Agriculture Minister Radha Mohan Singh's counterparts from Zambia, Botswana and Seychelles had offered land to Indian companies for cooperation in the farm sector during a meeting earlier this year. While Zambian Agriculture Minister Given Lubinda offered 10,000-15,000 hectare on lease to Indian companies for 99 years as a chance to achieve global food security, but veering from the trodden path, NITI Aayog member Ramesh Chand has favoured the unconventional route of genetically modified pulses to achieve food security. However, this option might not have too many takers, given the aversion to tinkering with nature among many Indians, including several in the current dispensation. Though the country is the largest producer of pulses in the world, the output has stagnated at about 17.5 million tonnes, while demand has grown exponentially to an estimated 21.5 million tonnes in the current fiscal. Hence, every year the country is forced to import 15-20% of its domestic requirement. Global supply has restricted, though, since the whole of South Asia is a net importer of pulses, prompting India to explore alternatives means of production.MORE UNI SD PR 1149 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0005-709122.Xml
Many of his colleagues in the BJP may have drawn flak for their public statements over the last few months but BJP MP and actor Shatrughan Sinha is a strong advocate of uncompromising behavior by celebrities as they serve as role models for society, says his biography 'Anything but khamosh'. ''I have always believed that a public figure must conduct himself in such a way that he lives up to people's expectations,''Shatrughan Sinha says in his biography , penned by noted writer Bharati Pradhan. The biography quotes the actor's friends in the film industry as saying that despite his swagger and his forthright attitude, he has never resorted to abusive language. Says his close friend and his junior at the Film and Television Institute at Pune, Shashi Ranjan,''Contrary to his image of being a motor mouth, Sonu (Shatrughan ) does not abuse even when he is with his buddies. In all these years, the maximum he will come to using a swear word is by going 'hmmm'. He can never bring himself to actually mouthing a cuss word and he still does a double take when anyone is abusing in front of him.'' Says the author of the book,''In his earlier days too, for all his swagger and notoriety,Sinha was never the abusive rowdy.'' It was perhaps this trait of Sinha, the author notes, that led his seniors to recommend him. Stressing on the need for celebrities to be uncompromising in their public behavior, the Patna Saheb MP says,''If you were to hear Atalji (former Prime minister Atal bihari vajpayee) or Advaniji (veteran BJP leader L K Advani) use street language like 'At saala, do kaudi ka biddu( you there, bloody worthless folk) or a four letter word, won't you be disillusioned.'' The actor says that since the celebrities made an impact as role models their conduct had to be always way above reproach. In the book , the actor MP, in order to stress his point, refers to the questionable behaviour by late prithviraj Kapoor and senior BJP leader and former Bjp president Nitin Gadkari. Referring to an incident during his school days when he had gone to meet Prithviraj Kapoor, the father of his idol Raj Kapoor, at hotel plaza in Patna, Sinha says,''He was such an impressive looking man, gora Chitta, wearing a silk lungi (unstitched lower garment) smoking a cigarette stylishly. He was Raj Kapoor's father to boot. I was watching him with awe when I overheard him about a child sitting nearby. He said the child's parents had left him there saying "He doesn't study, he doesn't do anything, take him to 'bambai' make him an actor". I heard Prithviraj Kapoor remark "Left to myself,I would take the pants off such a child and 'bum pe do chabuk maar deta'." My face fell in a second. The famous father of a famous man. What kind of language was he using? I was so disillusioned that I didn't want to hang around any longer.'' In this context the BJP MP also referred to some of the utterances by senior BJP leader and former party president Nitin Gadkari. ''With due respect, when Nitin Gadkari was BJP president he passed a remark about Lalu Prasad Yadav and Mulayam Singh Yadav and said,"kutte ki tarah talve chatenge(they behave like dogs)" which I found unpardonable . Ultimately he had to apologise for it but by then he had gone down in many people's esteem. The same Mr gadkari once also said"is Afzal guru a damad of the Congress. Has the Congress given it's daughter to Afzal guru". I find such language despicable and strongly feel that it lowers your status before the people,''Shatrughan said. In this context, the BJP MP questioned the huge uproar caused by the 'maut ka saudagar' comment by Congress president Sonia Gandhi during one of her campaign rallies for the Lok Sabha polls. ''When Sonia Gandhi said something much milder like 'maut ka saudagar', there was such an uproar. One could actually have forgiven her for that lapse because her grasp over Hindi was minimal,''Shotgun says. UNI AR PR 1217 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0364-709607.Xml
Nearing closer to come under the Indian Navy's flag, INS Kalvari, the first of six Scorpene diesel-electric attack submarines (SSKs) today sailed out of the Mumbai harbor for its crucial phase of sea trials. The 66-metre-long INS Kalvari is part of a 3.6 billion dollar contract signed by the defence ministry with French firm DCNS in October 2005 to deliver six vessels. The submarine is scheduled to be commissioned towards the end of next year after its complete the sea trials, sources in the Navy said here. The vessel had set afloat at Mazagon Dockyard Ltd (MDL) ilast year in presence of Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar. The sea trials of INS Kalvari are likely to continue for the next 10 months, the sources said. The contract envisages construction of six SSKs under India's Project 75 submarine construction programme.While the first four are conventional submarines, the last two are to be equipped with the Air Independent Propulsion (AIP) system, which will enable the vessel to stay underwater for longer.After INS Kalvari, the remaining five boats of the Project 75 would be delivered to the Navy by 2020. India currently has only 14 submarines--nine Kilo class (EKMs), four German-designed HDWs (SSKs) and one Akula class nuclear-powered submarine (SSN) on lease from Russia (since 2012).The Navy has commissioned two submarines and de- commissioned five, over the last 15 years.With the commencement of sea trials of INS Kalvari, it can be expected that the MDL will be able to supply the balance five SSKs also on schedule, once every nine month.UNI MK PR 1208 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0364-709638.Xml
Even as a devastating fire in the hills of Uttarakhan continues to wreak havoc, Union Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar today announced several measures to control the situation, including Rs 5 crore allocation for the fire-fighting operations. Talking to reporters, Mr Javadekar said more than 6,000 personnel have been deployed to control the fire which had been raging over the last more than 12 weeks, engulfing a forest cover of nearly 3,000 acres. The Indian Air Force today pressed its helicopters to douse the fire but the thick cloud of smoke over the jungle area forced them to retreat. The government has decided to take help of space satellite for pre-fire alert. "We have started trial run of pre-fire alert. We are deploying it right away," said Mr Javadekar. UNI MK PR 1354 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0090-709743.Xml
Uttar Pradesh Congress, which has already engaged poll stratagist Prashant Kishor for their Mission 2017 assemby elections, is now trying a new experiment in the assembly bypolls slated for May 16 by giving ticket to a dalit from a general seat to test its formula of 'Dalit- Muslim' combination. The Bilari assembly seat in Moradabad district will witness the Congress experiment when they have fielded a former BSP worker from the general secretary to test its new combination, which they are expected to adopt in the 2017 assembly polls. While, the ruling SP has fielded a Muslim, son of the sitting member whose death caused the vacancy BJP has given a backward candidate and BSP backing out, the bypolls would be an interesting one to witness the Congress experiment. The seat had fallen vacant after sitting Samajwadi Party MLA Hazi Irfan died in a road accident. Congress had not contested the seat in 2012 Assembly polls, leaving it for its then alliance partner Rashtriya Lok Dal. Sources in the party informed with BSP announcing not to contest the bypolls, Congress has planned to check its formula of "Dalit-Muslim" combination, which it also plans to implement in 2017 polls. Congress had fielded Shishu Pal Singh Jatav from the seat. Jatav, left BSP and joined the Congress in February last as part of party's 'Dalit Leadership Programme'. Under this programme, the Congress had spent months across constituencies identifying new Dalit faces ahead of the state polls next year. Admitting that fielding Jatav in Bilari is a part of their new experiment, Bhagwati Chaudhary, chairman of the UP Congress SC department, said, "We have no hesitation in saying that he came into the party recently during our exercise to bring in active Dalit faces, who could emerge as leaders." "So, when the two by elections were announced, party decided to experiment with fielding a Jatav face on a general seat. We might not win but the vote share in this election will help us define our future strategy," he added. In 2012, SP's Hazi Irfan, who had won from the seat, was given a close fight by BSP's Laxmi Singh Saini. While Irfan had got about 55,694 votes, BSP candidate had got 54,154 votes. The RLD candidate, who was supported by Congress, could get only about 10,000 votes. Shishupal Jatav said that Congress has given him a chance on a general seat." There are considerable Jatav votes here and we hope to get it in our favour along with the Muslim vote as BSP is not contesting here," he said. While BJP has fielded a backward candidate Suresh Saini, as part of its own strategy hoping to target non-Yadav backward votes, Samajwadi Party is hoping to gain on sympathy vote as it has fielded Hazi Irfan's son Faheem. In other Assembly seat, Jangipur, also going for bypolls on May 16, Congress has fielded Shailesh Singh, party's district president from Ghazipur. Singh had contested on the seat in the past.UNI MB ADG GC1242 -- (UNI) -- C-1-DL0196-709534.Xml
Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi has been hospitalised here with stomach-related ailments. His condition is stated to be stable. The octogenarian Congress leader had complained of stomach problems and was admitted at the Gauhati Medical College and Hospital here, last night. A panel of specialist doctors is attending on the three-time Chief Minister. The doctors have informed that Gogoi was admitted with bowel movement problems and his condition was stable. He was kept in the hospital overnight to keep him under supervision and is likely to be discharged later today. Mr Gogoi had recently returned to the state after undergoing a health check up. UNI SG KK PR PM1250 -- (UNI) -- C-1-DL0212-709654.Xml
With the warring groups gearing up to take on each other on the VVIP helicopter scam, a showdown seems imminent tomorrow, when Parliament enters into the second week of the second part of the Budget session. Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar today said he will make a detailed statement on the issue on May 4, when Parliament takes up discussions on the functioning of various ministries. "I will place the detailed chronology with documents giving facts about AgustaWestland chopper deal before Parliament on May 4," Mr Parrikar told reporters in Panaji.The Defence Minister had earlier said that he would speak his mind on the floor of the House, as the involvement of big names in the deal were reported by the media. The Congress on the other hand, has decided to take its battle to the streets with party president Sonia Gandhi and vice-president Rahul Gandhi announcing their plan to take out march from Jantar Mantar to gherao Parliament to protest against the alleged deceit and deliberate lies of the ruling NDA. After issuing two detailed clarifications on the AgustaWestland bribery case, one from the Defence Ministry and second from the Information and Broadcasting Ministry, the Government intends to place all the facts relating to the procurement of 12 VVIP choppers from the AgustaWestland, a deal which had been terminated with effect from January 1, 2014. UNI MK SB 1437 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0090-709756.Xml
Prime Minister Narendra Modi today lashed out at the previous Central governments fordoing just politics in the name of poor and drafting schemes only to fill their 'ballot boxes' due to which poverty has increased in the last 60 years of the Independence. " Political parties during the past 60 years just raised slogans to eradicate poverty and drafted policies to benefit them in their vote bank politics and ballot boxes. This is the first government that was trying to do something for the poor," said Mr Modi, after launching the ambitious 'Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojna'(PMUY) scheme under which the central government will provide five crore free LPG connections to the families living below the poverty line. "Schemes must be made for the welfare of the poor not keeping in mind considerations of the ballot box. People need schooling and jobs", he quoted. In his around 50 minutes speech at Maldehpur village on the sides of Ganga, Mr Modi said that poverty can only be alleviated by empowering the poor by good education, jobs and other basic needs like houses,roads, electricity, drinking water and other necessities. The PM also castigated on Uttar Pradesh saying," the state has given highest numbers of PM in the country, but it is unfortunate that none of them did anything for the state and the poor." He claimed that the present NDA government has alloted the highest funds ever by any central government to this state after independence. He, however, thanked the people of the state for electing him to represent them in the Parliament and supporting the BJP to come to power saving now people have started witnessing the change in the socio-economic status of the poor. The PM said ,"fruits of development have to reach the eastern part of India and in the belt of UP, Bihar, West Bengal, Orrisa along with other backward regions then we will gain strength in the fight against poverty." He said connectivity in this region including laying of rail lines and bridges were ignored in the past adding I congratulate all local MPs for ensuring this changes and now new rail lines and bridges are being constructed. He announced the new rail line between Mau and Ghazipur with construction of rail and road bridges over Ganga. Mr Modi also expressed his commitment for cleaning of river Ganga. "Let us pledge that we will never dirty the Ganga. Once we decide the Ganga will remain clean, no force can dirty it. We have to think that Ganga is our mother and how should be pollute it," he commented Mr Modi also criticised the people terming his Ballia function as a political rally in view of the coming UP assembly polls. "Some people only think of politics. We are not here to sound any poll bugle. That is the work of voters," he said while adding that he had gone to Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh and Haryana to launch the national schemes where their is no elections in recent future. " We have launched the national schemes from the place where it is required the most. Ballia has the lowest density of LPG connection among the poor in the country of just 8 connections per hundred. Hence we decided to launch the scheme from here. Similarly, we did the Beti Bachao Abhiyan from Haryana where the situation is critical in the gender ratio."MORE UNI MB ADG AS1445 -- (UNI) -- C-1-DL0196-709735.Xml
Even 15 years after 9/11, Sikhs in the US feel they are more likely to face profiling, bigotry and backlash than the average American because of the two symbols of their distinct identity - beard and turban. To dispel this misperception and spread better awareness about the religion, a new Sikh art exhibit will be held in New York later this year to showcase the pride taken by the community in their religious and cultural practices. UK-based photographers Amit and Naroop will click portraits of Sikh Americans under "The Sikh Project" mounted by The Sikh Coalition. These protraits will be unveiled around the 15th anniversary of 9/11. The Coalition is the largest Sikh American advocacy and community development organisation in the US and works towards the realisation of civil and human rights for all people, particularly Sikhs. After their critically acclaimed exhibit in the UK, the two photographers, who are proud of their Sikh heritage, said they are "very excited" about their upcoming exhibition. "We are very excited! In the US, it will serve as an educational piece as well as an art project as the awareness of the Sikh identity is still misunderstood; so we are hoping it will have a wider impact," the two photographers told this correspondent in an email interview from New York. The photography exhibit, which explores the beauty, style and symbolism of the Sikh articles of faith, will include both turbaned men and women and feature a combination of iconic Sikh Americans and a few selected winners. Speaking about how the idea of 'Sikh Project' came to them, the two photographers said it was in 2013 that it struck them when they "noticed men of different backgrounds and ages growing beards for fashion, as part of their identity." "Being Sikh photographers, we wanted to show that in our culture, the beard has been a part of the Sikh identity for hundreds of years," they said in the joint interview. They said their UK exhibition got "overwhelming response" and was "appreciated" and "respected" for the message it was giving and the way it was executed. "The content and context resonated with people from different backgrounds as it is not just about Sikh's, it's about pride for your identity". The two, who have worked in the US earlier also, want their latest project to "stand up to the UK Singh Project and if anything even better than it." "In the UK, we have witnessed how powerful art can be in positively educating the broader public about the Sikh community. We can't wait to begin photographing the Sikh American experience and sharing those stories with the world as well." Amit and Naroop, in partnership with the Sikh Coalition, are currently casting for additional photography candidates and are asking turbaned Sikh Americans of all ages and genders to take part in this groundbreaking project. The deadline for the entry is May 1. According to Coalition's Executive Director, Sapreet Kaur, "The goal with bringing this project to the United States is the opportunity to combat bigotry by sharing a positive narrative of Sikhs in America through portraits and the incredible stories behind them." The Coalition was founded by volunteers on the night of September 11, 2001, in response to a torrent of violent attacks against Sikh Americans throughout the US. Talking about the response of the people, the two photographers said it has been "fantastic". "The subjects involved have seen the success we have had, so they are excited to be involved. It's the complete opposite of the UK Singh project as nobody wanted to be involved at first and it took a while for it to build momentum." They strongly feel that such exhibition will help in showing the Sikh community in the US in a positive light and help fight bigotry they face in their daily lives. "Each one of the subjects has a story to tell, which will sit alongside the portrait. Some are positive, some are more dramatic, but through the stories, visitors of the exhibition will get to learn what it means to be an American Sikh, both in identity and also in spirit." "Yes I believe so," he said when asked whether the exhibition will help in highlighting the importance of the beard and turban, an important article of faith of the Sikh community. "An accompanying video interview of each subject will allow visitors of the exhibition to learn more about the way Sikhs are treated, both positively and negatively, and the courage it takes for the subjects to continue to wear their articles of faith," they said in their interview to IANS. The project, they said, is a fusion of their Sikh heritage and British upbringing. "It is traditional in content but the execution is modern and contemporary. Hopefully this has allowed it to spread to a wider audience. Has it been successful? It's hard to judge. People have to be open to learn and understand other faiths and identities. "All we can do is to try our best to spread the message. From the response we have had, it appears to have done the job, but there are always more people to reach." (Kavita Bajeli-Datt can be reached at kavita.bajeli@gmail.com) --IANS kbd/vm/tb ( 886 Words) 2016-05-01-15:26:05 (IANS)
Forest officials and Task Force spoted some Red-sander smugglers (labourers) while conducted combing operation at the area. On seeing forest and task force officials, the labourers fled the area after left behind the red-sander logs, Forest official sources said.

A case has been registered and investigation was under way, the sources added.UNI VV PY 1628

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Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu today launched Chandranna Bhima Pathakam, an insurance scheme by the state government for the working people at a May Day programme here.Addressing the event, he said about 1.50 crore workers in the state would be covered under the scheme by which Rs 5 lakh would be paid if the insured worker met with an accidental death, Rs 5 lakh in case of permanent disability and Rs 3 lakh for partial disability. Mr Naidu asked officials to conduct enumeration and enroll all the eligible workers in the scheme. He said the government would earmark Rs 132 crore for the implementation.He appealed the labour unions and workers not to create problems in industries for the sake of their own interests. "If an industry is closed owing to labour unrest, all the employees will become unemployed. For the prosperity of the state, industrial growth is a must" he said and cited the example of large scale of violence in a ceramic factory in Yanam in Pondicherry state few years ago which led to the permanent closer of the industry.He called upon workers to work for their family and not for the benefits of trade union leaders. Mr Naidu announced that the incentives to industries by state government would henceforth be transferred to the accounts of the industries. He informed that online inspection of industries would be introduced to keep the functioning transparent. A Single Desk system was adopted to give permissions for the establishment of industries, he explained. Union Minister for State for Science and technology Y S Chowdary, state Ministers K Achhannaidu, D Umamaheshwara Rao and P Raghunadha Reddy and MP K Srinivas Nani were also present during the occasion.UNI DP PY SB 1614 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0298-709865.Xml
Over 25,000 students appeared for the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) for admissions to MBBS and BDS courses in Chennai, amid protests by students in some centres after they were not allowed to sit for the test, even as DASE, an association staged a protest demonstration against its imposition in state government-controlled medical colleges. The test was conducted by the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) at 39 centres. Most students complained that the test was application-based and they did not get adequate time to prepare for the exam. They also requested the government to give them another opportunity to appear for the second phase of NEET on July 24, though the students had received messages stating that those who had appeared for the test today, could not write the test again on July 24. At some exam centres, students were not allowed entry by the authorities citing that they had come late. Parents along with students requested the authoritiesto allow them to sit for the test, but their request was turned down. As a few protested, police had to intervene to pacify them. One of the student from Virudhunagar said she reached the exam centre at K K Nagar at 0935 hrs. ''But I was denied entry stating that I came late by five minutes, though the exam commenced at 1000 hrs''. To prevent malpractices, CBSE had issued strict guidelines for students like not allowing them in full-sleeve shirts. Candidates were advised to wear half sleeves shirt not having big buttons or badges or brocheswhich could be used to hide communication devices. They were also advised to wear slippers and sandals and not shoes.MORE UNI GV 1455 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0414-709837.Xml
The body of Sheetal, a student of B.sc first semester in a college in Malgaon, was found in her room and it was suspected that she took the extreme step last night.

She was upset about over her examination results in a supplementary subject, the sources said.UNI XC-BDG SB AN1558

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Two youths were detained for waving a black flag at Jawaharlal Nehru Students Union (JNSU) leader Kanhaiya Kumar today when he was addressing a meeting here. The incident took place in the historic Gandhi Maidan in an event organised by All India Students Federation(AISF). It disturbed the meeting briefly.Those present objected to the act while some of them assaulted the duo. Police intervened and brought the situation under control and detained the youthsfor interrogation. The meeting, however, continued without any disruptions thereafter.UNI KKS KK SB BD1545 -- (UNI) -- C-1-DL0212-709817.Xml
In what is being seen as a fine diplomatic balancing act in the backdrop of New Delhi fast improving its ties with the US and Israel, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is likely to visit Iran during the third week of this month. "Detailed schedule of Prime Minister's trip to Iran is under finalisation. ''The visit is most likely to happen in third week of May," official sources told UNI.In the run-up to the Prime Ministerial visit to Iran, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj had travelled to Tehran last month during which Iranian President Hassan Rouhani is understood to have conveyed his desire to host Mr Modi in the near future. Mr Modi's visit to Tehran will take place at a time when the two nations were swiftly moving towards making the strategically import Chahabar port project a reality. More UNI MK PY RP1735 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0090-710022.Xml
Former Mayor of Kalyan Harishchandra Patil died of heart attack this morning, his family members said. Patil 62, leaves behind his wife and two sons. He was closely associated with the former MP and Lt. Governor of Andaman Nicobar Late Kapse besides being a prominent political figure in the Kalyan Dombivili region. He was also the leader of the house and opposition in the Kalyan-Dombivali Municipal Corporation (KDMC). Patil was instrumental in demanding the water transport and parallel road between Thane and Kalyan to the railway line. His funeral was attended by a large number of mourners, including City Mayor Rajendra Devlekar, Municipal Commissioner E Ravinderan, MP Dr Srikant Shinde, former Minister and BJP leader Jagannath Patil at Thakurli crematorium. In 1974, he was elected to the Dombivili Municipal Council as the councilor of the PWP, then in 1976, he joined the Janasangh under the leadership of Krishnarao Dhulap. Between 1995-2005 he was the corporator of the BJP party and Mayor of the sena-BJP alliance and also MLA of the Kalyan constituency. When Patil was refused the party ticket, he joined the MNS occupying post of city unit president of the party for some time. However, in the recent past he was away from politics and carried his own work and activities. A condolence meeting will be held on May 4. Thousands of people from Kalyan and Dombivili and surrounding areas attended his funeral.UNI XR NP SB RAI1730 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0129-710089.Xml
The child identified Sunil More fell into the borewell yesterday when he was playing on a farm with his parents in the vicinity. Despite severe efforts, his parents could not rescue him.

His helpless parents alerted other villagers, who soon informed government authorities. A team from the Shirur police station soon rushed to the spot and started rescue operation.

A J Jagdale, the police inspector of Shirur police station told reporters that a team from the Pune fire brigade and medical officers have reached the spot and trying their level best to save the child. The boy is still alive and responding to instructions, Jagdale added.

The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) team has already reached the spot and rescue operation is on.

A team of experts from the fifth battalion, situated at Lohegaon are engaged in rescue operation said Deputy commandant of NDRF, Sachin Gawade.

He said, "Our team consisting of 20 men, carrying latest equipment, left for the base yesterday when the incident was reported.

The NDRF team is creating a parallel hole next to the borewell which will led to the boy, he added. UNI SP SB AN1731

-- (UNI) -- C-1-DL0169-709946.Xml
The International Labour Day, today was special for the labourers in Uttar Pradesh as the Samajwadi party government formally launched the pension, free bicycle and subsidised lunch packets for them.Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav, also joined a community lunch with the labourers on the day to express his concern for the community.The CM in his address said that his government was doing everything possible to provide sops for the labourers and improving their living conditions in the state. He said that schools for children of the labourers has been started 12 districts including Kannauj, Kanpur, Etawah, Ferozabad, Gautam Buddha Nagar, Ghaziabad, Meerut, Moradabad, Lalitpur, Bhadoi, Azamgarh and Bahriach.Mr Yadav, during the day attended two programmes, first at his official residence, launched the pension scheme for the labourers. On the occassion, the CM also handed over the first cheque to 100 beneficieries.Under the pension scheme, a labourer attaining 60 years of age, and registered at least 3 year back would be elegible for a pension of Rs 1000 per month. Presently 2630 labourers would received this pension. After the death of the pensioners, his spouse would be eligible for the pension.The CM also said that four lakh free bicycles have been distributed among the labourers and today flagged off 1000 such bicycles on the International Labour day.However, the main attraction of today's programme was the community lunch by the CM along with the labourers engaged in the construction work of the new secretariat in front of the Vidhan Sabha .The CM, along with state labour minister Shahid Manzoor and state pension minister Rajendra Choudhury, tasted the lunch packet to be supplied to the labourers at subsidised rate.The subsidised lunch packets for the labourers would cost just Rs 10 each where they would be provided fresh dal, 2 subjis, 300 grams of rotis (around 12) along with gur and salads. Though the cost of each food packet would be of Rs 41 but the state government would bear the rest cost of the packet.As a pilot project, CM launched the lunch packets for labourers working at Awadh Vihar, Vrindavan Enclave, Amausi Metro station and New secretariat building in the first phase of the scheme.Meanwhile ,state labour minister Shahid Manzoor said that presently 27 lakhs labourers are registered with the state labour department of which 3.6 lakhs were registered between January 2015 and January 2016.He also said presently 6.26 lakh labourers have been provided benefits to the tune of Rs 359 crores by the present Samajwadi Party government.UNI MB SB BD1741 -- (UNI) -- C-1-DL0196-710003.Xml
Upping the ante on ruling People Democratic Party (PDP) over delay in the by-poll in Anantnag Assembly constituency and Local Bodies polls, former union minister and National Conference (NC) president Farooq Abdullah said it shows the insecurity in the ruling party. "I wish they (PDP) take the challenge and let people exercise their democratic right to vote to elect their representatives," Dr Abdullah said. "But, it is the insecurity among the PDP leaders that they are not allowing the polls to happen," he said. "It also show where PDP stand on the ground in Kashmir valley," he added. Meanwhile, a senior PDP leader Sartaj Madni said party was enjoying full support and confidence of the people and was ready for polls. The PDP alliance in the government Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) said party will support PDP president and chief minister Mehbooba Mufti in Anantnag by-poll.UNI ABS ASM SB BL2002 -- (UNI) -- C-1-DL0153-710279.Xml
Security forces today foiled a bid by Awami Ittehad Party (AIP) to burn the flag Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP), a partner in the coalition government with Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in south Kashmir district of Anantnag. Led by its president Er Sheikh Abdul Rashid, MLA, large number of AIP workers assembled at Lal Chowk, Anantnag, and shouted slogans against the BJP, which had organized a rally there earlier. The demonstrators were protesting against the alleged anti-Kashmiri polices of the BJP. The AIP chief tried to burn the BJP flag, however, security forces present in the area swung into action and took him into preventive custody alongwith some of his supports.UNI ABS ASM SHS RJ BL2103 -- (UNI) -- C-1-DL0153-710382.Xml
All India Trade Union Congress (AITUC) President Prasanna Utagi today demanded that sedition charges slapped against students of Jawaharalal Nehru University (JNU) be withdrawn and punitive action imposed by the varsity authorities be revoked. Addressing a massive workers rally at Ponda organised to celebrate the 'International Working Class Day', he demanded that sedition charges against JNU students be withdrawn and punitive action imposed by the JNU authorities under 'the pressure of HRD Ministry of Government of India' be revoked, paving the way for ending the indefinite strike of the students and thus saving life and academic career of the students. Mr Utagi alleged that corporate capital had staked everything for the victory of BJP led NDA alliance and now the new Government headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi have started showering concessions and packages on the corporates and foreign multinational companies. ''The Modi Government has also launched direct attacks on the democratic rights of the people particularly the working class by unleashing anti-labour amendments to the labour laws secured by the working class after relentless struggles. He said that this Govt. is out to grab poor farmers' lands in the name of economic development. The hard won labour laws are being amended to suit the 'hire-&-fire policies' of the MNCs and Corporates,'' he alleged. AITUC Deputy General Secretary Raju Mangueshkar in his brief May Day greetings demanded that the offensive launched by the BJP led NDA Government on the working people and their hard won rights at the behest of Corporate lobby must stop. He also demanded that the hard won rights must be protected in favour of the working class by waging relentless, dedicated and decisive struggles. AITUC Secretary Suhaas Naik castigated the state Govt. for employing contract labour in various Government Departments under oppressive and exploitative service conditions denying them benefits of Regularisation. He alleged that many factories and industries which are operational in various industrial estates in Goa continue to exploit the working people and demanded equal-pay-for equal-work for all contract workers. He also demanded immediate regularization of all contract workers employed under Drishti Lifesaving Pvt. Ltd, and PWD Labour Supply Society on the permanent rolls of Tourism Department and PWD besides immediate revision the minimum wages for all schedules of employment in the State of Goa. Prof Anand Mense, Principal of RDD College of Arts & Science, Belgaum, Karnataka, alleged that the NDA government was attacking the rights of working people in the name of Make in India and urged the working people to unitedly counter the offensive launched by the Corporates backed by the NDA Government. Thousands of workers employed in various industries, factories, mines, shipyards, port and dock, commercial establishments, transport, government and semi-government departments marched from Ponda Bus Stand to Kranti Maidan, opposite Ponda Police Station to celebrate the May Day 2016 with posters and banners. The May Day Rally culminated into a Public Meeting followed with a cultural programme presented by the workers of different Industrial and Commercial Establishments. Twenty one resolutions were passed at the rally. The resolutions included immediately revision of Minimum Wages for all schedules of employment for unskilled category @ Rs 600 per day with linkage to Dearness Allowance, abolition of contract labour System in all perennial and permanent jobs operations in Government and private establishments and regularization of the services of all contract workmen employed under PWD Labour Supply Society on the rolls of PWD, among others.UNI AKM NP SHS RJ RAI2108 -- (UNI) -- C-1-DL0169-710359.Xml
"It is nothing new. Fire break out in forest areas is due to rise in temperature," Virbhadra Singh, Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister told media persons here.

The wild fire, which has been raging in the region for a week now, broke out at 12 new places today.

"I think 50-60 hectares of area is affected... Several incidents of fire from different areas have been reported after rise in temperature," Divisional Forest Officers (DFO), Shimla, Raman Sharma told ANI.

More than 200 forest fire incidents have been reported in the state this month alone.

On Wednesday, fire broke out at Sangti area of Summer Hill, while another broke out at Summer Hill area. On Tuesday, a fire brigade team had reached to control the flames at Sanjauli near Chalaunthi.

According to reports, around 22 percent covering 8,267 sq km of the total forest area in the state is fire prone. Majority of fire incidents are reported from the pine forests during summers every year when pine trees shed their dry needles, which are highly inflammable. (ANI)
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa today said that if she was voted to power again in the state, the pending Avinasi-Athikadavu water scheme will be completed. Addressing an election meeting by campaigning for 20 AIADMK candidates of Coimbatore, Tirupur and Nilgiris here this evening, the AIADMK General Secretary said her government has completed the preliminary work for this scheme by spending over Rs three crore. Greeting the workers on May Day, she said Tamil Nadu stands in lead in the country for getting industrial investment. Stating that she has always fought for the development of workers, Ms Jayalalithaa said she has fulfilled all the election promises during the last five years and also some others and that as a mother, she only knows what was the need for her people. Ms Jayalalithaa also said that DMK chief Karunanidhi has not fulfilled many promises, that he gave during the 2006 elections. She blamed Mr Karunanidhi for not conducting elections for the co-operative units during his regime and said that her government has completed elections for co-operative units. She further said that only during her period, the state has developed in various fields. Giving example, she said only this state stands first in total workers in the country. Tamil Nadu stands third in the total export of this country and in power production, the state ranks second, she added. Stating that her government never permitted to open liquor manufacturing units in the state, Ms Jayalalithaa said DMK and Congress have been involved in various corruption scams, while they were at the Centre as well as in the state. Mr Karunanidhi has taken credit to involve in corruption technically. He has spoiled this state for the benefit of his family, she alleged.UNI KS SHS RJ 2208 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0329-710411.Xml
Five members of People's Liberation Front of India (PLFI), an extremist group from Rajgangpur police station area of Sundergarha district, were arrested today and a cache of arms and ammunition seized from their possession. Rajgangpur Police Station IIC Sarada Prasan Das said acting on a tip off, a team of policemen found the PLFI members trying to extort money from a businessman and arrested them. Mr Das said police seized three bikes, six country made pistols, 50 rounds of live bullets and seven mobile phones from their possession. Police sources said a number of criminal cases, including murder, dacoity and extortion were pending against the accused at several police stations of the district.UNI XC BD AD SHS RJ AN2207 -- (UNI) -- C-1-DL0108-710392.Xml
In a drive against illegal transportation of liquor in trains, following total prohibition in Bihar, altogether 16 bottles of Indian Made Foreign Liquor (IMFL) were seized from two trains in Gaya and Patna today. Rail police said here that during the search operation, 11 bottles of IMFL was seized from a bogey of Hatia-Patna Express at Gaya station while five bottles of liquor was seized from a bogey of Howrah-Rajendra Nagar Express at Rajendra Nagar Terminal in Patna. "No one claimed possession of the liquor kept below the seats," Rail police said, adding that the drive was launched following reports that liquor was being smuggled in trains despite complete ban on liquor in Bihar.UNI KKS AD SHS RJ BL2207 -- (UNI) -- C-1-DL0108-710441.Xml
The death toll from the collapse of a six-storey building in Kenya's capital has risen to seven and the number of injured stands at 121, police said today, as rescue operations continued to pull others from under the rubble.The building collapsed in Nairobi's Huruma residential estate late last night after days of heavy rains that have left several parts of the city flooded."Seven people are confirmed dead and 121 people have been rescued and rushed to various hospitals in Nairobi," Japheth Koome, Nairobi County police boss, told Reuters by phone."The search and rescue operation is ongoing for people feared trapped inside the collapsed building of the six-storey building."Today Kenyan television stations showed rescue and security workers sifting through the rubble. It is not known how many people were in the building at the time of its collapse.Kenya Red Cross said on its Twitter feed late last night that people from 150 households were taking shelter in a nearby village.REUTERS PY PM1305 -- (Reuters) -- C-1-1-DL0298-708254.Xml
An Italian merchant ship rescued 26 migrants off the coast of Libya in rough seas and others were feared missing, the Coast Guard said today.The Coast Guard received a call from a satellite telephone yesterday but no voice was heard. It tracked the signal to a location about seven miles off the Libyan coast, a spokesman said.An Italian merchant vessel in the area was diverted and last night rescued the 26 from a rubber boat that had taken on water.The spokesman said such boats used by human traffickers can hold between 100-120 people and are usually full but no information was available on the number that might be missing.The migrants were tranferred onto a Coast Guard ship in international waters and taken to Lampedusa, the island south of Sicily where tens of thousands have arrived in recent years.With the closing of land routes in the Balkans and a recent deal under which Greece sends migrants back to Turkey, Italian officials expect more to try to make the longer and much more dangerous crossing from Libya. REUTERS JW RAI1726 -- (Reuters) -- C-1-1-DL0364-708732.Xml
Daniel Berrigan, a Jesuit priest, poet and peace activist who was imprisoned for burning draft files to protest the Vietnam War, died on Saturday at 94, a Jesuit magazine reported.Berrigan died at the Murray-Weigel Jesuit Community in New York's Bronx borough, America magazine said. It did not give a cause of death.A passionate critic of US involvement in Vietnam, Berrigan gained worldwide attention in 1968 when he, his younger brother Philip, who was a Josephite priest, and seven other Catholics seized draft records from a Selective Service Office in Catonsville, Maryland.The group doused the files with homemade napalm in a parking lot outside the draft office and torched them while joining hands in prayer."It was Philip who came up with the idea," Berrigan told America in 2009. In the library of Georgetown University in Washington, "a friend found a copy of the Green Beret manual with instructions for making napalm from soap chips and gasoline," he said.The Berrigans were convicted in a federal trial and released on their own recognizance in 1970. They then went into hiding and refused to show up for jail.Berrigan was arrested by FBI agents and sent to federal prison. He was released in 1972.Asked by America if he had any regrets, Berrigan said: "I could have done sooner the things I did, like Catonsville."In 1980, the Berrigans and six others broke into a General Electric nuclear missile site in Pennsylvania, and damaged warhead nose cones and poured blood onto documents and files.Berrigan also protested the Gulf War, the Kosovo War, the US invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq, and abortion. At 92, he took part in the Occupy Wall Street movement in New York's Zuccotti Park, Jesuits Magazine said.Berrigan was born into a German-Irish Catholic family in Virginia, Minnesota. He joined the Jesuit order in 1939 and was ordained a priest in 1952.He wrote more than 50 books, and his first volume of poetry, "Time Without Number," won the Lamont Prize in 1957. Berrigan also wrote a play, "The Trial of the Catonsville Nine."Philip Berrigan died in 2002.Asked in the interview with America magazine for an inscription for his gravestone, Berrigan said: "It was never dull. Alleluia." REUTERS JW PM0945 -- (Reuters) -- C-1-1-DL0364-709492.Xml
"Friendship between two countries will continue to strengthen in the years to come to mutual benefit of our peoples," President Mukherjee said in a tweet on his visit to New Zealand.

Mukherjee visited the War Memorial Museum at New Zealand's capital Auckland where he laid a wreath at the Hall of Memories of World War II heroes.

The President also visited the Marshall Islands before his New Zealand sojourn.

"India and Marshall Islands have traditionally enjoyed warm and cordial relations based on goodwill and mutual understanding," Mukherjee said in the tweet, extending greetings and felicitations to the government and people of the country on the occasion of their Constitution Day.

He also met New Zealand Governor General Sir Jerry Mateparae at the Government House.

The aim of the Presidents visit to New Zealand is to have India as its core trade, economic, and political partner.

New Zealand supports Indias aspirations for permanent membership of the UN Security Council.

People-to-people ties between India and New Zealand have traditionally been close and the number of Indian students in New Zealand has grown exponentially over the last few year to about 23,000.

--IANS vin/sd/dg

( 219 Words)

2016-05-01-15:52:06 (IANS)
The Syrian army today confirmed a Russian announcement that a "regime of calm" around Damascus had been extended for another 24 hours, state television reported.The military late on Friday declared a 24-hour lull in fighting in the capital and the Eastern Ghouta region on its outskirts, and a 72-hour lull in the north of coastal province Latakia. REUTERS PY BD1721 -- (Reuters) -- C-1-1-DL0298-710062.Xml
A German government official denied today a magazine report which said Berlin might end its unconditional support for Israel due to Chancellor Angela Merkel's increasing frustration with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's policies.Germany has for decades felt duty bound to support Israel because of the murder of six million Jews by the Nazis in the Holocaust.But Der Spiegel reported that senior government officials are concerned that Netanyahu is exploiting Germany's friendship for his own political ends and believe Berlin should adopt a more critical stance.Asked to comment on the report, a government official told Reuters: "The guidelines of German Middle East policy have not changed."A spokeswoman for Merkel declined to comment and referred to the government's regular news conference on Monday.Merkel has said repeatedly that the building of Jewish settlements on occupied Palestinian land is counterproductive for the goal of establishing a peaceful and lasting two-state solution in the Middle East.In its report Der Spiegel cited concerns that the creation of a fully independent Palestinian state next to a democratic and secure Israel was becoming increasingly unlikely."Israel's current policies are not contributing to the country remaining Jewish and democratic," Norbert Roettgen, a member of Merkel's Christian Democratic Union and chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee in the Bundestag, was quoted as saying. "We must express this concern more clearly to Israel."The magazine also quoted a senior official of Merkel's junior coalition partner, the centre-left Social Democrats (SPD), as criticising Netanyahu."The perception has been growing in the German government that Netanyahu is instrumentalising our friendship," Rolf Muetzenich, SPD deputy floor leader in the Bundestag lower house of parliament, told the magazine.The United States, Israel's chief ally, and the European Union both consider Israeli settlements on land the Palestinians want for their future state to be illegitimate.With US efforts to broker a two-state solution in tatters since 2014 and Washington focused on this year's election, France has been lobbying countries to commit to a conference that would get Israelis and Palestinians back to negotiations on ending their conflict. REUTERS SHS BL2312 -- (Reuters) -- C-1-1-DL0329-710501.Xml
This year, labour unions and city officials agreed to hold the rally in the remote district of Bakirkoy at Istanbul's European side, despite workers' insistence on gathering as past at the Taksim Square, Xinhua reported.

The square at the heart of the metropolis has been closed to all kinds of rallies since 2013.

At the rally, workers, labour union representatives, members of opposition parties and citizens mainly chanted against long working hours, low wages, discrimination against women and poverty.

Police fired tear gas at members of pro-Kurdish People's Democratic Party over a dispute due to attempts to carry out body checks for the second time.

Some members of leftist groups were dispersed by police with water cannons and tear gas as they intended to break the police barricades to cross to the Taksim Square.

Meanwhile, 36 people in several parts of the city were arrested after they tried to march toward the square.

--IANS sku/

( 198 Words)

2016-05-02-00:42:05 (IANS)
Golden Grove Remand on lockdown

The exercise was aimed at ridding the remand section of elicit contraband items, as well as to deal with any infractions of the penal system.

Sunday Newsday understands that officers removed prisoners from their cells and carried out thorough searches resulting in the seizure of improvised weapons, cell phones, chargers, drugs, and other items.

Several prisoners who protested the searches cursed and shouted angrily at the officers, even at times attempting to have physical confrontations but they were eventually subdued.

At one part of the prison, prisoners lit a fire but the flames were quickly extinguished.

Up until 5 pm yesterday, the lockdown was still in effect with several prisoners complaining about alleged violations against them. However, senior officers considered the exercise as being very successful.

Newsday understands recent information being circulated about planned prison breaks prompted yesterdays massive exercise.

Newsday also understands that a report on the results on the exercise was sent to the Minister of National Security, Edmond Dillon and more, similar exercises are planned at other prisons.
ITS NOT RIGHT TO MARRY MINORS

He was speaking yesterday as a panellist at the NGC Bocas Lit Fest human rights seminar held at the National Library, Port-of- Spain.

He said that during the seminar he heard about womens reproductive rights, rights of children and gender rights but a conversation about religion is missing.

He explained that one of the basic decisions in society is whether it is a secular democracy or theocracy. He said there is a right to practice religion but not to impose religious constructs.

He also said a lot of the conversation on gender and marrying children is because politicians are afraid to touch religion.

He pointed out that he is a member of a church but he recognises that as a jurist people have the right to practice religion or none at all. He said the Constitution states that the alienable rights are by God.

Which God? Whose God? he asked rhetorically. He said until citizens have an honest conversation about the issue they will be constrained in this country and will keep going around in circles.

The issue of child marriages also came up during the open session when writer BC Pires predicted that society will come to see religious instruction as child abuse and protect children from these superstitions as they are protected from video games and films that are not appropriate.

Archie responded that people practice religion as way of understanding the world and that understanding of the world may evolve. He said people may or may not walk away from religion but no one had the right to prevent people from understanding the world in the way they want to.

Archie pointed out that a problem is that religion historically has been concerned with the control of women and children and the maintenance of power. He said it is an area where the law and institutions have been deficient.

We cant talk about the rights of children and have laws which allow people to marry minors, he said.

If they were not Hindu and Muslim girls they would not be able to be married, Pires commented.

Archie responded: And this is why I say we need to have an honest conversation about religion. The legal marriage age in this country is 18 but there are exemptions for the Muslim and Hindu faiths. The Marriage and Divorce Act which governs Muslim marriages and divorces sets the age of consent at 16 for males and 12 for females, while the Hindu Marriage Act sets the age of consent at 18 for males and 14 for females.

According to a report by the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV and AIDS (UNAIDS) Caribbean Regional Support Team in 2014 there were 1,033 child marriages reported in the year 2011.

In that year, Secretary General of the Sanatan Dharma Maha Sabha Sat Maharaj, responding to then Youth and Child Development Minister Verna St Rose-Greaves concerns about marriages for under-age girls, said it is better for a pregnant 14-year-old to be married than remain an unwed mother.

Attempts to contact president of the Inter-Religious Organisation Bro Harrypersad Maharaj for comment yesterday were unsuccessful.

On the issue of sexual orientation, the Chief Justice reported the courts attempted to strike down the provision of law that sex does not include this but were overturned by the Privy Council.

He said the Constitution has lofty ideals about the equitable distribution of goods and the courts took that as their mandate to open up access.

Archie said there are very oppressive provisions in the legislation and anyone from the 21st century viewpoint would find it very offensive to basic human rights.

Until we tackle those things I think we are denying ourselves the very right to be or at least we are denying people within our society the right to be. We are denying people in our society a voice, he added.

He stressed we have to have a conversation about the society we want to construct and cannot impose religious structures upon that. He said as jurist it is a source of extreme frustration.
Archie: Not all crimes victimless

He also expressed hope that there will be progress on the backlog of cases within the next year and a half.

He was speaking with Sunday Newsday following the NGC Bocas Lit Fest human rights seminar held at the National Library, Port-of-Spain.

I have a basic concern that we have a human rights issue if persons are remaining in custody awaiting trial, pre-trial detention, for periods that are longer than (if convicted), he said.

He added: So it is a conversation that I in fact began and I am happy that it is now gaining traction and I hope it is something that will be addressed very short term. He said there has to be balance because not all crimes are victimless. We cant just go and release a whole lot of people without consideration for victims. Persons who may have been victims of crime.

But certainly it is a conversation that we need to have and we need to address urgently, he said.

President of the Inter-Religious Organisation Brother Harrypersad Maharaj has disagreed with Harris proposal and instead called for the administrative issues behind these delays to be dealt with by the Judiciary.

Archie said there are a lot of structural things within the justice system that needed to be addressed which he hopes will bring speedier trials.

So we will not have the situation where people are waiting for trial for so long because I think that in itself is a human rights issue, he added.

On remand prisoners imprisoned longer than the potential maximum sentence Harris has stated many of them are poor and could not afford bail, hence the reason they remain in jail for months and years awaiting the start of their trial.

Yesterday, Archie said there is also need to look at the question of bail more closely because there are a lot people who have not been able to access bail due to the way it was structured.

All of those are conversations that are ongoing in the Judiciary and between the Judiciary and the Executive in terms of legislative reform.

So I really am hopeful over the next six months, year, 18 months that we will see some progress with regard to the backlog of cases in the criminal justice system and the length of time that people have to await trial, he added.

Harris has written a letter to the Government asking for a Presidential pardon for prisoners who are found worthy of pardon and mercy.

He has also asked that similar consideration be given to persons charged with minor offences held on remand for a long time noting that the Catholic Church throughout the world was celebrating the Jubilee Year of Mercy (December 8, 2015 to November 20, 2016)
Caucus calls on Afro-Trinis to Own Your Own

The event, to be held at Eight Avenue Extension (off 12th Street) in Barataria, coincides with todays May Day observance, which honours the contribution of workers globally. It runs from 1 pm to 8 pm.

Ronald Nathan, the movements chief executive officer, said the event seeks essentially to promote business and enterprise.

It is about people developing in business and infrastructure so that we dont have the problems and challenges that have been following us since slavery - capacity-building, lack of resources and opportunities for self-help and self-development, he told Sunday Newsday.

Nathan said Own Your Own, which features a formal segment with speeches and short discourses, also will be a forum to showcase the skills and commodities of African entrepreneurs.

Founded in 2004, the Black Caucus gained some traction but was re-launched two years ago at businessman Williams Munroes home, Western Main Road, St James.

Nathan described the BCM as a self-help organisation dedicated to raising up the African community so that they can take their rightful place in society. But the organisation, he said, also has a builtin mechanism to assist its members achieve success.

It offers services in business development, financial management, legal advice and advocacy for members and other interested persons.

Nathan said the movement, which has grown by leaps and bounds since its inception, currently has a membership of between 7,000 and 10,000 persons.

But by next year, we are hoping to have about 15,000 members, he said.

Nathan said, however, that some people were suspicious of the organisation.

Many of them have not seen an organisation with this mindset stay around for long. Others have fizzled out in weeks or even months, he said.

But people who understand the organisation have flocked to us. Saying the situation reflected the need for the BCM to promote greater awareness, Nathan said the movement musts also highlight concrete examples of the success stories that have emerged from the movement.

So, it is a constant battle in that regard.

But we have to present the stories that people would believe, he said.

The BCM has its sights set on establishing an African credit union and a multi-purpose co-operative.

The organisation, which has two radio programmes, is also hoping to develop a registry for African-owned businesses to encourage greater networking within the African community.

Speakers at todays event include Minister of Works and Transport and Laventille West MP Fitzgerald Hinds; BCM chairman Harvey Borris; Emperess Judy Small (BCMs Womens Arm); economist Dr Ralph Henry and board members, Nation of Islam local representative David Muhummad and Keenan Munro.
Rowley meets Roget, talks again May 25

The march ends with a rally at Harris Promenade where, secretary of the Joint Trade Union Movement (JTUM) Ozzi Warrick, says unions will address their concerns about relations with Government.

The movements position comes even after its leadership met with Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley at his St Clair office last Friday, at which arrangements for another round of talks were made for May 25, Warrick disclosed in a release yesterday.

The release states JTUM leader Ancel Roget, who is also president of the Oilfield Workers Trade Union (OWTU), raised the matter of government ministers who were operating against the spirit, principles and articles of the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signed on August 27 last year with the then Opposition Peoples National Movement (PNM), weeks prior to the partys election to power.

No minister was identified in the statement. However, Roget is reported to have told Rowley of the movements dissatisfaction with the lack of consultation with labour which continues to occur even while major decisions are made that affect the majority of the countrys workers and citizens.

The management of State enterprises by persons JTUM alleges are supporters of the now Opposition United National Congress (UNC), which the PNM unseated from government, last September 7, left many to believe there has been no change in governance, the statement declared.

The release said Roget dealt with Governments response to the retrenchment of more than 600 employees of Indian steel giant Arcelor Mittal, which is winding down its operations at Pt Lisas.

It said Roget indicated that the feeling of the movement was that the Government could have done or seen to have done more to support the workers of Arcelor Mittal.

On the operations of Stateowned oil company Petrotrin, Roget told the Prime Minister the union has a proposal for the re-structuring of Petrotrin which will guarantee the improvement of safety, efficiency and productivity at this major State enterprise.

Also addressed was the Tri-partite Advisory Council with Roget reporting that the trade union movement is not being given an opportunity to contribute. He complained about the remarks of the councils chairman Trevor Farrell who chided the gimme gimme gimme mentality of certain sectors, referencing trade unions, CEPEP and URP workers.

Roget called on the Prime Minister to remove Farrell from the council as it is impossible for trade unions to work with him as the issue of trust has been broken.
Oz to Oz: Michelle Deshong, Fulbright Scholar

Public Seminar

Monday, May 2, 2016

4 p.m.

013 Leasure Hall

Refreshments available at 3:30 p.m.

This event is free and open to the public

Seminar Title: Aboriginal women's participation in public and political life - An Australian perspective

Michelle Deshong will present on her research, which focuses on the participation of Indigenous women in the formal political landscape of Australia, which has been fraught with many political and institutional barriers and challenges. Deshong has been undertaking Ph.D. research to identify key enablers to increase participation in public and political life. The presentation will provide insight into the findings of the research including black politics, public life and party politics. She will also share some preliminary insights from her Fulbright exchange with the Native Nations Institute at the University of Arizona, focusing on governance and First Nations building.

Biography

Michelle Deshong lives in Townsville, North Queensland and draws here connection to Kuku Yulanji nation. She has completed a BA with First Class Honours in Political Science and Indigenous studies and is working on her PhD (on the participation of Aboriginal women in public and political life) at James Cook University.

Michelle has worked in both the Government and NGO sectors, and has held many senior leadership roles. From 2001-2010 Michelle was the Director of the Australian Indigenous Leadership Centre and in 2001 she was awarded ACT Aboriginal Person of the year. She currently holds a number of directorship roles in the Not for Profit sector. In 2013 Michelle was named in the Australian Financial Review/Westpac 100 Women of Influence Awards

Michelle has extensive experience in areas of leadership, governance and politics. She has a strong commitment to human rights and has also been an NGO representative on many occasions at the United Nations forums on the Commission on the Status of Women and Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women. She has a strong background in gender equality and works to ensures that the voices of Indigenous women are represented at all levels.

Michelle is undertaking research in the USA and Canada in 2016 as part of her Fulbright scholarship to develop strategies for Nation building, leadership and gender equality. She was also named as the 2015 National NAIDOC Scholar of the Year.

Connect with Michelle

Individuals wishing to visit with Ms. Deshong during her visit to K-State should contact Associate Dean Beth Montelone (bethmont@ksu.edu).
Cambridge University spin-out Optalysys has been awarded a $350k grant for a 13-month project from the US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA). The project will see the company advance their research in developing and applying their optical co-processing technology to solving complex mathematical equations. These equations are relevant to large-scale scientific and engineering simulations such as weather prediction and aerodynamics.

The Optalysys technology is extremely energy efficient, using light rather than electricity to perform intensive mathematical calculations. The company aims to provide existing computer systems with massively boosted processing capabilities, with the aim to eventually reach exaFLOP rates (a billion billion calculations per second). The technology operates at a fraction of the energy cost of conventional high-performance computers (HPCs) and has the potential to operate at orders of magnitude faster.

In April 2015 Optalysys announced that they had successfully built a scaleable, lens-less optical processing prototype that can perform mathematical functions. Codenamed Project GALELEO, the device demonstrates that second order derivatives and correlation pattern matching can be performed optically in a scaleable design.

Project EQUATE: Light speed mathematical processing

Objective of project EQUATE is to investigate applying the Optalysys optical processing technology towards solving complex mathematical equations that form the basis of large scale simulations such as those used in the dynamical core of earth systems modelling.

A feasibility report describing the outputs of an Optalysys research system performing example mathematical functions will be produced and a roadmap for scaling the technology into a commercial product.

In 2015, Optalysys completed a 320 gigaFLOP optical computer prototype. They were targeting a 9 petaFLOP product in 2017 and 17 exaFLOPS machine by 2020.

The projects goal is to lay the groundwork for producing optical processing systems that are capable of high-end tasks used in computational fluid dynamic simulation models such as Direct Numerical Simulation[1] and Large Eddy Simulation[2].

The Optalysys technology is currently developed to Technology Readiness Level 5 (TRL5), and is being developed for use primarily in the field of genetic sequencing, as part of a UK government funded project in collaboration with The Genome Analysis Centre (TGAC) in Norwich, UK.

Dr Nick New, CEO and Founder of Optalysys said:

We are reaching the limits of what traditional silicon-based processors can deliver. Moores Law is breaking down and traditional computing methods are approaching their limits in terms of cost and capability. The Optalysys technology is built on the well established principals of Fourier and Diffractive optics but we use them in combination with advanced high resolution microdisplays. We are creating a cost-effective solution that can be scaled beyond the levels of traditional electrical computers and can be integrated with existing desktop and HPC architectures.

We are developing the technology specifically to help speed up research and analysis for organisations that are trying to help solve some of the worlds biggest problems so having the chance to work with DARPA in this way is an exciting step forward for us.

[1] Direct Numerical Simulation (DNS) is a method used in Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD), the process of modelling real-world fluid in a computer (weather forecasting, aerodynamics, flame propagation, nuclear chain reactions etc.) DNS is the most accurate of the CFD methods and is also the most computationally intensive, significantly constrained by existing electronic processing limitations.

[2] Large Eddy Simulation (LES) is the simulation of turbulent flows by numerically solving the NavierStokes equations. Direct Numerical Simulation (DNS) is more accurate but is computationally expensive and currently prohibitive for practical problems. The main idea behind LES is to reduce this computational cost by making compromises.

What is the basis for the Optalysys technology?

Using diffraction and Fourier Optics, coupled with their novel designs, they are able to combine matrix multiplication and Optical Fourier transforms into more complex mathematical processes, such as derivative operations. In place of lenses, they also use liquid crystal patterns to focus the light as it travels through the system. This means the tight alignment tolerances that exist through the system are achieved through the dynamic addressing in the software.

Optalysys technology is quick at Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) calculations, so what?

Optical techniques can make all stages of the CFD process more effective. They are far from a pure optical CFD solver but it can help us generate, and learn from data better. They are always thinking about the full CFD process and learning. This leads to big data, again another exciting opportunity.

An optical CFD solver would be the ultimate project to get involved with and they would love to partner up to do this. Their focus is to prove initially that optical technologies can improve and complement what is already being done digitally.
One of the worlds largest pharmaceutical companies has launched a massive effort to compile genome sequences and health records from two million people over the next decade. In doing so, AstraZeneca and its collaborators hope to unearth rare genetic sequences that are associated with disease and with responses to treatment.

Its an unprecedented number of participants for this type of study, says Ruth March, vice-president and head of personalized health care and biomarkers at AstraZeneca, which is headquartered in London. Thats necessary because were going to be looking for very rare differences among individuals.

To achieve that ambitious goal, AstraZeneca will partner with research institutions including the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute in Hinxton, UK, and Human Longevity, a biotechnology company founded in San Diego, California, by genomics pioneer Craig Venter. AstraZeneca also expects to draw on data from 500,000 participants in its own clinical trials, and medical samples that it has accrued over the past 15 years.

In doing so, AstraZeneca will be following a burgeoning trend in genetics research. For years, geneticists pursued common variations in human DNA sequences that are linked to complex diseases such as diabetes and heart disease. The approach yielded some important insights, but these common variations often accounted for only a small percentage of the genetic contribution to individual diseases.

Researchers are now increasingly focusing on the contribution of unusual genetic variants to disease. Combinations of these variants can hold the key to an individuals traits, says Venter.

The hunt for important rare variants has led AstraZeneca to partner with the Institute for Molecular Medicine Finland, says Aarno Palotie, who heads the Human Genomics Program there. Finlands population was geographically isolated until recently, he notes, which makes for a unique genetic make-up. As a result, some variations that are very rare in other populations may be more common in Finland, making them easier to detect and study.

AstraZeneca did not disclose exactly how much it would be investing in the project  hundreds of millions of dollars over the course of ten years was all that Menelas Pangalos, executive vice-president of the companys innovative medicines program, would say. The company intends to use the data to inform drug development in all of its major disease areas, from diabetes to inflammation to cancer, says March.

The project should generate about 5 petabytes of data. If you put 5 petabytes on DVDs, it would be four times the height of the Shard, said Pangalos, referring to a nearly 310-meter London skyscraper. If you wanted to put it on your iPod, it would take about 5,000 years to listen to it all.

Much of that data will come from Human Longevity. The company, which ultimately hopes to accrue 10 million human genomes, already has 26,000 completed and paired with medical records. Its databases also contain additional partial genome sequences. Were adding one about every 15 minutes on average, Venter says.

Using DNA sequence alone, Venter says that his company can now predict a persons height, weight, eye color and hair color, and produce an approximate picture of their face. Much of that detail is lurking in rare sequence variations, says Venter, whose own genome has been in public databases for more than a decade.

SOURCES  Nature, youtube
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Moroccos Bureau Central dInvestigations Judiciares (BCIJ,) dubbed Moroccos FBI, Friday nabbed in the city of Nador a terror cell planning terrorist attacks and tasked to form an Emirate in the kingdom, reports say.

The terror cell made of three men, according to a statement by the interior ministry, received instructions to establish an Emirate in the north of the country.

They were also planning to launch a number of car bomb attacks against state institutions with logistical support to be received from the Islamic State group, the parent-organization, the statement further revealed.

Morocco has adopted a stringent strategy to ward off terror attacks including enhancement of its security and judicial apparatuses and succeeded to foil many attacks at home and to burst around 160 cells since 2002 and more than 32 over the past three years. Morocco also helped several foreign countries in their anti-terror struggle.
The European Union-Morocco friendship group at the European Parliament on Friday called for the implementation of the Morocco-proposed autonomy plan for the Sahara without delay, giving thus strong backing to Moroccos position in the Sahara conflict.

The support came from the group of EU lawmakers, led by Gilles Pargneaux, Rachida Dati and Stefano Maullu, just hours after the UN Security Council adopted Resolution 2285 on the Sahara renewing the mandate of the MINURSO, the UN peacekeeping mission in the Sahara, for 12 months.

The EU lawmakers warned that the creation of no mans land in the Sahara will pave the way for the installation of a terrorism breeding ground that will negatively impact Africa and Europe and the world will bear responsibility. Therefore, the autonomy plan must be implemented quickly, they pointed out in a statement.

The European Union-Morocco friendship group and beyond wishes to reiterate its support to the solution proposed by Morocco since 2007, that of the autonomy. Moreover, the Security Council has once again recognized the seriousness, credibility and relevance of this proposal for peace and stability in the region, a stability that is fully in the interest of Europe, the statement said.

10 members of the Council backed the US-proposed draft resolution renewing the UN mission mandate, and only two voted against the text.

The vote on the resolution on the Sahara by the Security Council recalls the urgency to find a solution to a situation which becomes pretext for so many blunders and tensions in a region that does not need them, the statement said, adding that despite Ban Ki-moons missteps, his latest report acknowledges forcefully that a political settlement with a negotiated solution between the parties is the only way out. This falls in line with Moroccos constant and responsible position, they said.

The signatories of the statement also pointed out that the resolution adopted on Friday, which was a victory for Morocco and its friends, should not remain formal but should remind everyone, mainly those who exploit the issue to constantly attack Morocco, of their responsibility.

The UN must be the facilitator in the settlement of the crisis. All conditions are met today to achieve this, the statement further pointed out, adding that what is needed is a little courage and a lot of responsibility, which are required more than ever by the current international security environment.
Public Works had been asked to look for a possible road route from the Jimi to the Waghi and after aerial surveys said, Forget it.

The Jimi and the Waghi valleys are separated by the Waghi-Sepik divide, very rough country indeed - uninhabited and virtually uninhabitable.

IN 1965, I BEGAN MY kiap career as a Cadet Patrol Officer in Minj, being promoted to patrol officer and posted to Tabibuga Patrol Post in the Jimi in late 1967.

That was just the challenge Assistant District Commissioner Ross Allen needed  the Jimi would have a road. Ross had a brilliant grasp of how to execute a project of this magnitude, and was the driving force behind it.

There was no shortage of desire for the road to happen. The people knew that, without a road, there was little chance of economic development.

There was huge willingness to get on with the job, all they wanted was some help. We received about $3,000 in government funds that didnt go very far, with spades from Government Stores costing $1.50 each and crowbars $3 for a workforce varying between 1,000 and 2,000.

It was obvious that the construction was going to take a long time and an unbelievable amount of hard physical work. The amazing thing was that the people knew this and were still happy to do the work.

The keys to getting the road built were ensuring that the people continued to share a vision of what might happen once they had a road, that they all understood how we were collectively going to approach the task, that they equally shared in the labour, and that they all accepted the kiaps role in carrying out the project.

I have often since wondered whether they realised the kiap was about five minutes ahead of them when it came to road-building knowledge and experience. They knew.

I was given an Abney level (a rudimentary protractor fitted to a spirit level) and told to build a road from Tabibuga to Banz.

It took couple of months to find and survey the route, which for the most part would have no more than a three to five degree gradient. The eventual route proved to be many times the direct line distance because we had to keep the gradient manageable.

I guess only a few people have ever tried to mark out a road route through virgin rainforest with no tracks along very steep mountain sides up to about 8,000 feet  it is a character-building exercise.

There were 25,000 people in the Jimi and the next step was to allocate each clan a length of road that they became responsible for digging. Trying to estimate equal allocations was a nightmare but eventually everybody was happy.

Patrol Officer Rob Kelvin arrived as officer-in-charge at Tabibuga and for the next 18 months we lived, breathed and dreamed the road. The Jimi local government council president, Kolye Suwi, was a hugely influential driving force.

To get to their section, people had to walk from home, in many cases 2-3 hard days walk. That meant carrying enough food to get there, spend three days on the job and for the 2-3 days walk home. A week at home, then do it again.

They had to construct temporary shelters at the worksite. The digging was like nothing Australians could envisage. Clear rainforest using only axes, dig the road using spades, crowbars and dainamit bilong mipela (burning huge fires around immovable rock outcrops, then tipping water onto them to crack the hot rock).

Too often we watched the previous months work slide down the mountain after a downpour, but work would start again in good spirits.

And all the time, the people would tolerate the kiap complaining about digging not following the mak, work not proceeding fast enough, the bloody weather and the rest of it.

At the height of activity, there were 2,000 men digging sections of the road that would eventually connect.

No-one was paid a cent for their work.

In 24 months, these amazing people dug 40 km miles of road (in reality, a rough 4-wheel drive track) through impossible country that did its best to destroy construction as quickly as it was completed.

The finished task was considered of such note that the road was officially opened in June 1970 by C E (Ceb) Barnes, Australian Minister for External Territories, and Peter Nixon, Interior Minister (pictured here with Jim Moore).

Nearly 30 years later, in 1998, I returned to the Jimi. Our Cessna couldnt land at Tabibuga  the strip had been closed and was covered in scrub. We put down at Kol, to where the road had been extended.

I wondered whether the young people of the Jimi knew what their fathers had contributed to build that road.

I remembered the true communal spirit and ethos of the enterprise that had gone into it. If the people did not want to build a road, then all the posturing and yelling by two skinny white kiaps (not much more than kids) would not have helped.

If coercion occurred, the impetus and authority for it came from the people through their big men. Usually, power is exercised by those who hold it only because others are prepared to accept it. The people accepted kiap power because it was the best system on offer.

Jackbooted colonialists? I reject that. Quasi-militarists, as Phil Fitpatrick describes some of us in Tin gods, tin medals and the ineptitude of Canberra? I wore khaki because it was cheap, serviceable and available.

How would a project like this be approached today? I suspect wed still be waiting until somebody found the money to pay for a bulldozer.

Do kiaps deserve a medal? What is on offer is the wrong medal, the people giving it dont understand what it was supposed to reward and the reason it is being given recognises only part of what we did. People may or may not apply.

I wondered, when the issue first arose, whether Papua New Guinea would strike a medal. But then I thought, I have my memories, that is enough.
Inevitability seems close. Photo: John Sommers II/Getty Images

A new NBC News/WSJ/Marist poll shows Donald Trump beating Ted Cruz by 15 points in Indiana, where the vote on Tuesday is seen by many as the actual last opportunity to halt Trumps first-ballot nomination in Cleveland. FiveThirtyEights forecast now gives Trump a 69 percent probability of winning on Tuesday, and Politico is reporting that top staff inside Cruzs campaign are beginning to see Indianas writing on the wall as well, though Indianas GOP elite have seemed less savvy about the situation. In addition, Cruzs Hail Carly  as USA Today deftly characterized the candidates sudden choice of Carly Fiorina as a running mate last week  has apparently had only a modest impact on Cruzs poll numbers. In the meantime, Cruz himself continues to profess his belief in an outcome which, so far, projections do not support, telling reporters in California on Saturday that, At this point no one is getting to [the 1,237 delegates needed to win the nomination outright]. Im not getting to 1,237 before the convention, but neither is Donald Trump. Appearing on ABCs This Week on Sunday, Cruz again insisted that it is going to be a contested convention  though he and his staff seem to have also acknowledged that if Trump wins Indiana, his nomination will be impossible to block. (If you need a good primer on the convention process, head here.)

In the meantime, Cruzs campaign did manage to poach a bunch more delegate slots for its supporters in a few states over the weekend. At a contentious and confusing state GOP convention on Saturday in Arizona, even former governor Jan Brewer, a Trump supporter, lost her bid to become a delegate. In all, CNN reports that only about a dozen of the states 58 national delegate slots went to Trump supporters, despite the GOP front-runner winning the states March primary by more than 20 points. Brewer and other Trump campaign supporters and staff in the state are thus accusing the GOP establishment of rigging the vote against Trump and are threatening to sue. And on Saturday in Virginia, Cruz supporters also won another 10 of 13 delegate slots that were up for grabs, according to ABC News. Trump also won that primary.

But leaving alone the now-probability that Trump will win the nomination outright, it also seems that Cruzs delegate poaching might be for naught regardless, considering how the views of those delegates may not be as ironclad as the Cruz campaign hopes. The New York Times reports that as the gravitational pull of Mr. Trumps recent primary landslides draws more Republicans toward him, Mr. Cruzs support among the partys 2,472 convention delegates is softening. They note that supposedly Cruz-supporting delegates are now beginning to waver on their commitment to the Texas senator in multiple states, favoring party unity instead.

There do still seem to be plenty of Republicans who want little to do with Trump, however, as the Times also reports that a remarkable range of leading Republicans, including Gov. Nikki Haley of South Carolina and Senator Jeff Flake of Arizona, have been emphatic publicly or with their advisers and allies that they do not want to be considered as Mr. Trumps running mate. When some of Trumps defeated rivals or their associates were asked if they would join a Trump ticket, they scoffed or even laughed. The central concern of those bowing out is a familiar one: that Trump is so toxic and will lose so badly in November that being associated with him will damage ones political future, thought the Times also notes that elected officials do have a way of coming around to the vice presidency, and Mr. Trump said in an interview on Saturday that he was in the early stages of mending fences and building deeper relationships with leading Republicans.
When Hell is too full, The Damned shall walk the Earth. Photo: Joe Raedle/Getty Images

High-profile Satanists are rejecting former House Speaker John Boehners suggestion that Ted Cruz is Lucifer in the flesh, highlighting the fact that even bona fide devil-worshippers, like many in the GOP establishment, want nothing to do with the Texas senator. According to ABC News, Church of Satan high priest Magus Peter Howard Gilmore announced in a statement that Having a conservative Christian likened to Lucifer  one who opposes equal rights for same sex couples and promotes the ability to deny services to any with different values  we Satanists see as besmirching the positive, heroic aspects of that character as portrayed by Milton in his epic Paradise Lost.

Lucien Greaves, founder of the Satanic Temple, echoed that sentiment to ABC, remarking that Boehners comparison was thoughtless and ignorant, and that Christians cant just push Cruz off on Satanists.

If you look closely though Photo: Win McNamee/Getty Images

[Boehner is] trying to say is that Ted Cruz is some type of embodiment of evil,Greaves added. I think thats a rather destructive, backward mindset, because when you take clearly Christian individuals, clearly Christian activities, and things go sour, you pass them off as the influence of Satan.

So who do devil worshipers support in this cycle? Are they feeling the Bern perhaps? According to high priest Gilmore, Satanists havent indicated any collective support for any specific politicians, but it seems more than clear that Cruz is, quite understandably, at the very bottom of their wish list.
Promposal king John Kasich. Photo: Angelo Merendino/Getty Images

The advent of technology and viral internet fame has turned the previously innocuous (if nerve-wracking) process of asking someone to high school prom into a circus. The trend of increasingly elaborate and ludicrously expensive promposals has spiraled out of control. But now, roping in third-place GOP presidential candidate John Kasich, theyve officially jumped the shark.

California teen Julia Khan took a selfie video with the Ohio governor, and had him say, Hey Nico, it would be Kay-sick if you would go to the prom with Julia.

He said yes!! Thanks for your help, @JohnKasich and @cwclub  about to be the best prom ever! pic.twitter.com/LN33CbmM43  Julia Khan (@JuliaTheKhan) April 30, 2016

He might not be able to secure a nomination for president, but Kasich can successfully help an awkward teen score a date. But not their votes though: Both Khan and her date are Hillary Clinton supporters.
The Peachy Head shampoo is a pun on "Beachy Head" which is a well known spot for suicide in the UK



wtf

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http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/ive-picked-up-250-bodies-401824 this lead to me a google search which led me to this sad article

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Wow :( this reminds me a lot of Vice's Suicide Forest documentary. I know this man said he's not a hero but he definitely is very caring and I'm happy there are people like him volunteering.



Though I'm a little confused about one part - do the police have to be involved? Sorry if this is a weird question

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An incredible read, thank you. I'm in awe of them, even more so that they aren't paid a penny for what they do.

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I am so creeped out rn

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wow no, what in the fuckkkkkkk

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why just why

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$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ and Attention and $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ and Media and $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ and Attention and $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ and Media and $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ and Attention and $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ and Media and $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ and Attention and $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ and Media and $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ and Attention and $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ and Media and $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ and Attention and $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ and Media and $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ and Attention and $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ and Media and

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i wouldn't be surprised if they came out with golden gate lemon for the american market

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Coming soon to an Urban Outfitters near you,

"Cut Yourself Cucumber cleansing lotion!"



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When will this fucking company go under, goddamn

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I didn't think it was that bad until I read the part about Beachy Head. That is beyond fucked up.

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Do they ever get tired of this.



A: no, not when it's free advertising

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Urban Outfitters probably hired someone who knows when their shit is offensive but says put it out just to see whats going to happen.

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Absolutely. They know they're irrelevant and they're trying to get people talking again.

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$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ and Attention and $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ and Media and $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ and Attention and $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ and Media and $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ and Attention and $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ and Media and $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ and Attention and $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ and Media and ... repeat

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What does that even mean?????

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As someone commented above, it's a play off of Beachy Head, a place in the UK that's one of the world's most notorious suicide spots.



Presumably, the shampoo is designed for extremely damaged hair.

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-The Peachy Head shampoo is a pun on "Beachy Head" which is a well known spot for suicide in the UK







This post has two phrases bb

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This was posted above, it's an amazing read http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/ive-picked-up-250-bodies-401824

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Well, they got the attention they wantex.

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It's always Urban Outfitters, Brandy Melville, and American Apparel doing stupid bs like this to appear 'relatable' and angsty, lol. Or it's them doing cultural appropriation.



I remember when Brandy Melville used to have those "stressed, depressed, but well dressed shirts" (which isn't that bad but still stupid)

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+ Zara

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I feel like Zara has had one or two messy things pass by but the other ones are more consistent with their fuckery

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what the fuck

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urban outfitters ain't shit but tbf this isn't their brand, i've seen it on asos too. tho it's still messy of them to stock this product

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Yep, anatomicals. I really like their chocolate body wash tbh

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yeah op should include this. ia that it's messy of uo to sell it but i feel like so many people think uo made this product

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dear god all of this is fucked up.

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how many levels of product development and marketing do they go through before this stuff hits the shelves

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how does this pretentious awful store still exist

its overpriced garbage

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speaking of suicide, i'm so tired of how my period interferes with my depression. it's been getting worse and worse and i should not have to deal with this shit every 28 days.

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Maybe talk to your doctor about getting on a birth control that will stop them. My mirena stopped my periods for a good year but they've returned sadly.

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I used to take a birth control called amethyst where you don't get a period at all. It was the best. Could be something to look into if it's causing you serious issues.

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I have pmdd and started stacking my birth control. It has done wonders to help with my hormones.

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seconding the commenters above. i had HORRID period issues pre-pill. I take Quasense which is the generic Seasonal or Seasonique and I love it. I even sometimes do two packs back to back and when I get my period, it's like totally different. So beyond different. Each pack has 12 active weeks and one inactive week.

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well i like that lipstick she's wearing

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SAME. I wonder what it is

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I wonder what her natural eyebrow shape is

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that is nagl

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Being Canadian, I don't really remember my 21st since it isn't a big deal. I need an American to explain why your drinking age is so high? Why is that still a thing?

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I think I read somewhere it's because that's when your brain stops developing and you can start damaging it with alcohol.

But I'm not american so I might be wrong.

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considering the average american i don't think the results are there

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I'm American but I spent my teenage years in Germany so by the time I came back to the states I had already been drinking and whatnot for years. LOL.





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idk, but my state is about to increase the smoking age to 21 as well lol

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Because M.A.A.D. (Mothers Against Drunk Driving) lobbied to have highway funding tied to having a 21+ drinking age. It used to be 18 here as recently as when my parents were in college (and my parents are Gen X'ers, my dad just turned 50 last year.)



I will say, now at 23 I don't mind having to put up with a lesser number of 18-19 year olds at bars, lol... I don't think it should be 18 here tbh, since the vast majority of high school upperclassmen drive and are stupid. 19 like it is in most of Canada would probably be fine, though.

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People younger than 21 were a huge cause of fatal drunk-driving accidents, MADD (mothers against drunk driving) heavily lobbied to change the age to 21. Also, after the law was passed, the government denied highway funding to states that didn't change it - I used to live in one that resisted for a long time, and the roads were still shit bc of the backlog. Incidentally, the culture of drinking and driving is sadly commonplace there, and you can't drive down any highway without seeing multiple crosses on the side.



So basically the law exists bc America is huge and we drive everywhere. Drinking at a younger age is much safer when you can take public transportation.

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I think it's partially to curb high school kids' consumption by making it so they can't just ask any of their senior friends to buy them booze. It supposedly has a lot to do with drunk driving as well because teenagers are more likely to drink a lot when they drink and often are expected to drive home because they have a curfew or whatever and they're really bad drivers in the first place.

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Everything that earlier commenters said about highway funding being linked to the drinking age. States technically can set an earlier minimal drinking age, but they would lose out on that money. The United States has a huge driving culture (dunno how it compares to Canada) and studies have shown that the raised age has been responsible for decreased traffic fatalities, so idk, although nobody here really respects the under-21 law (since they can just drink at home), it's not like there aren't good reasons why that law was enacted. I think the U.S. has one of the youngest minimum driving ages in the world and there's no way they would raise that just to increase the drinking age.



Edited at 2016-05-01 11:11 pm (UTC)

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i'm pretty sure there was a noticeable decrease in drunk diving deaths among teenagers when the age was increased, so it seems to be working out well enough.

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tragic makeup and lighting

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This is what I noticed too...she's lost a lot of weight.

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the fact that she dates/fucks a literal twig doesn't help i'm sure

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Ugh my chest bones stick out too :(

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I saw a video compilation of her runway walks and she looked much curvier when she started out. She had full hips. It's crazy to see how much weight she lost.

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ikr yolanda must be thrilled tho

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i can picture her making sure that she only gets a sliver of that birthday cake lol

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Make up ages her tbh. Still a babe.



Love the black boots.

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iconic

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This new generation of rich people make me feel like my life is wholly inadeguate.

I am not even sure what I did on my 21st, I was in Budapest and I went for dinner with my ex and a bunch of friends but other than that I have almost no memories.

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girl looks tired.

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butterface

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Lol

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"They brought out the cake to pillotalk"



Man, they are milking that relationship for all it's worth, no?





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They should have brought Zayn to the party then. Two other one direction members were in Vegas this weekend. It would have been huge.

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What the fuck is she wearing?



For my 21st birthday we went to Chili's, my best friend at the time made a speech about how she was my REAL best friend which pissed everyone else off, a bunch of us went to a cheap hotel, got completely wasted drinking cheap alcohol, everyone made out with other, I sang "And I'm Telling You I'm Not Going" into an inflatable microphone, a girl started crying because she wished her boyfriend had showed up, and then we all eventually passed out.



When we woke up we all went to IHOP.



/the end.

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Aww the dancing part sounds fun

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The latest

Before Summerfest, here's where Phil Vassar and Rick Springfield dined

When in Milwaukee, it seems. Phil Vassar and Rick Springfield both found their way to the Calderone Club for some pre-Summerfest show food.
Hardware

Phone Quality Apple has always lead the way in beautifully designed, high-quality hardware, and there's no denying that they continue to produce quality devices. The quality of the Galaxy S7 easily rivals and  in many cases  improves upon Apple's production, and it comes with a cheaper price tag.

Screen Size The iPhone 6S has a 4.7-inch screen with 1334x750, 326 ppi while the 6S Plus has a 5.5-inch 1920x1080, 401 ppi display. The Galaxy S7 essentially has a 2x higher resolution. The 5.1-inch screen has a 2560x1440, 577 ppi display, and the Galaxy S7 Edge measures in at 5.5-inches with the same resolution (2560x1440) but with fewer ppi (534). The Edge also lacks a bezel; since I have such a difficult time holding on to the regular S7 without my finger fat touching elements on the screen, I decided not to get the the S7 Edge.

Fingerprint Sensor Yes. Yes, but the S7's fingerprint sensor/button is half the size. As a result, sometimes I'll inadvertently touch the bottom of the screen, which may impact what I see next time the app opens. For instance, in Instagram, when I re-open the app, it'll show me the post picture screen instead of the timeline screen.

Proprietary charging jack Yes. No. Unlike the iPhone, I have not come across a Micro USB cord that won't charge the phone. As an added bonus, the Galaxy S7 comes with a fast-charging plug that can charge the phone to 100% in less than 90 minutes.

Expandable memory slot No. Once you've dedicated yourself to a size, you cannot go back. This may become particularly regrettable with the purchase of economy models, like the 16 gigabyte version. Yes. The Samsung Galaxy S7 comes with 32 gigabytes and is expandable up to 200 gigabytes. Coming from a 16 gigabyte iPhone 5S, this is legroom plus.

Lowlight Camera No. Yes. This is particularly nice for photographing my dog in under my home lighting, which I keep quite dim.

Left-hander friendly Yes-ish. When holding the phone, my support pinkie covers part of the speaker port, but the port is long enough to not be completely covered. No. Holding the phone with my left hand places my support pinkie right over the speaker port, which is the exact same size as my pinkie. The lock button is also placed lower than on the iPhone, which sometimes causes me to accidentally lock the phone when using it one handed.

Fast charger No. It takes approximately 2.5 hours to fully charge an iPhone S6. Yes. It takes a little under two hours to fully charge the Galaxy S7.

Encryption Yes, even when sending iMessages. The Galaxy S7 comes standard with encryption, but text messages are sent via unencrypted SMS. To get end-to-end encryption, you'd have to use a third-party messaging app.

Android and Samsung Software

Requires iTunes Yes, Apple requires users to interact with the often maligned piece of software. No, but when plugging the device into a computer users must choose which action they want to perform. Transferring "media" (aka music and videos) is different than transferring "photos" (which, technically speaking, IS media, so).

Customizable launcher No. Yes. The S7 comes with Samsung's TouchWiz launcher, which allows users to tuck away apps they don't want to see or don't want period (but can't remove). However, while this leads to a cleaner experience, it can sometimes be confusing if you forgot where you buried your apps. The device essentially requires the user to manage two launchers, and they sometimes act in their own unique ways. Another win for Android, though, is that the OS lets users place icons wherever they want on the grid, and expand or contract the number of icons that appear on the screen.

Non-intrusive notifications Yes. Notifications can be customized to display as much or as little information as you need and are easily pushed out of the way if you don't want to see them again. No. Android tries to organize notifications and only give you what you want to see when you interact with each notification group. I want to turn on my lock screen and scroll through my notifications to grok what I need to deal with and not have to open each group. Android also puts an icon in the top bar and requires you to manually clear some or all of your notifications, even those as benign as connecting to my Wi-Fi at home. It's also very difficult and sometimes impossible to remove the "Unread" badges from certain apps, which really irks my obsessive side sometimes.

Quick access to camera Yes. Turn on the screen and swipe up on the camera icon. Yes, and it doesn't require touching the screen at all. Turn on the screen and double press the Home button. This allows users to take photos with gloves on, a necessity in the frequently cold Wisconsin climate.

Easy photo management Yes. All photos move into the same folder. No. Photos can end up spread out across the system, from folders labeled "DCIM" to "Photos" to each individual social network from which pictures are saved, such as Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat and Twitter. Apps can even create folders with the same name. This is further exacerbated when an expandable memory slot is available.

Quick access to most-used settings. No. Setting like Wi-fi and Bluetooth can be very picky, and being able to turn on and off fine-grained options like which networks and devices you want to connect to is key. iOS does not allow for this. Users must exit their app, click into the settings, then find the Wi-Fi or Bluetooth menu, then change their options. Yes. Swipe down on the notifications tray, long press on the Wi-Fi or Bluetooth quick access button and bam, you're in.

Widgets for quickly accessing information No. Yes. This lets users check the weather, or see incoming communications without opening the app.

Save browser tabs Yes. No matter whether you close the Safari app or not, your open tabs stay put for another time until you manually close them. No. You can bookmark pages, but if you tap the Overview button and "Close all" (easy to accidentally do in landscape mode) it will also close all your browser windows.

Compatible with competing operating systems The messaging landscape has gotten ugly as communication has fractured across multiple platforms. iMessages and FaceTime, the default messaging and video chat apps, are not available on other operating systems, which limits crucial avenues of communication, like group messaging and video chats; these avenues break down or are non-existent on Android. It's easy to blame Android for not handling this, but it's Apple that does not allow this to happen. This requires users to use various third-party apps to communicate effectively in mixed OS environments, and makes communication much more confusing. Texting from the Galaxy S7 isn't inherently broken unless you're trying to Group Message iOS users, in which case it does (again, this is Apple's fault). However, getting your messaging apps organized is no easy task. Samsung provides its own text messaging app; Verizon also provides its own text messaging app. When you first get the phone it's difficult to know which one to choose. I ultimately went with Message+ because I liked the emoji style better. Both of these apps count against your text messaging allotment in your carrier plan and overuse may result in larger fees. To avoid those fees, users can use messaging apps such as Google Hangouts, Facebook Messenger, Snapchat, WhatsApp, and Line, all of which are available on iOS. What works for me: Message+, combined with Facebook Messenger and Google Hangouts, lightly peppered with WhatsApp.

Always on screen No, but this feature is so annoying on the S7, this may be considered a plus. Yes, but the flicking clock (designed to prevent the screen from burning out those pixels) is so annoying I had to turn it off immediately.

Apps

Crapware that can't be deleted. Yes. Yes, but at least the Galaxy S7 pre-organizes these apps into specific folders.

Popular social networking apps Yes Yes

Nintype Keyboard Yes, but iOS handles third-party keyboards poorly and memory usage is severely limited, which greatly hampers performance. Nintype has been making strides in the face of these challenges, but it still requires patience. The app costs $4.99. Yes, but the app is still in beta and can only be downloaded from a sketchy MediaFire page. However, it is incredibly stable compared to its iOS counterpart, and its reliability was a big factor in me switching from one system to the other. The beta version is currently free.

1Password Yes, and it's free. Yes, but it's $4.99.

Contest of Champions game Yes. Yes.

Easy to understand options Generally speaking, yes. iOS has been getting more complicated lately, but it is still quite good at giving users mostly only the options they need. Sometimes this is frustrating, but the more options developers figure out the better off the user is. Android provides LOTS of options that can sometimes be confusingly organized. For instance, the Tweetings app, a Twitter client, has hundreds of options spread over 15 menu items in the Settings tab.

Photo processing app that saves custom filters Custom filters let your photos stand out from the usual Instagram fare. I always liked Mattebox, a beautifully designed app that allows users to save custom filters. It costs $4.99. MIX by Camera360 is a strong contender. It is not quite as beautifully designed, but it is effective and allows for much more fine-grained color management compared to Mattebox. However, neither let users adjust rotation below 90 increments. It is free.

Twitter client that allows keyword muting Tweetbot allows user, keyword, and hashtag muting. For the nerds, you can also mute efficiently with regex. But muting requires users to scroll all the way to the end of the section to add another word. This often means scrolling to the middle of the page (where a section ends) which just makes adding a mute filter just that little bit more frustrating. Tweetings allows similar muting, but does not allow regex. Adding a mute filter is convenient with a button at the top.

Full swath of emojis, including alternate skin colors. Yes. The Samsung S7 with the Marshmallow version of Android does include the full spread, but depending on which app you use, your emoji mileage may vary. Android, Samsung, and apps such as Message+, and Facebook all have varied emoji support, may have different styles of icons and organize their emojis in different ways.
Any person who contributes a poem, short story, essay or book is an automatic member of the Enga Writers Association.

This is just the beginning and more work will be done to register the association and provide it with permanent executive members.

There are no titles but members are expected co-ordinate their activities as volunteers.

THE Enga Writers Association was established at a meeting last Tuesday with an initial membership of eight people who also form the core of the first interim executive.

The pioneering members are Akii Tumu, Mark Sakol, Leo Maso, Ruth Minape, John Kawi, Johannes Kundal, Robert Pyaru and Daniel Kumbon.

Akii Tumu is the Director of the Enga Cultural Centre. He had been involved in writing several books on Enga culture with Professor Polly Weisner of the University of Utah, the major work being Historical Vines, published by the Smithsonian Institution.

Mark Sakol, a former high school teacher and principal of Wabag Primary School, is working on three books, one of which is his own biography. Marks manuscripts are being looked at by Dr Steven Winduo of the University of Papua New Guinea and selected friends. Originally from Madang, he has taught at many schools in Enga Province.

Ruth Minape and Leo Maso are two high school teachers currently working at the Enga Cultural Centre. They will teach cultural education in Enga schools.

John Kawi is a senior teacher at Wabag Primary School who, together with his principal Mark Sakol, is encouraging staff and students to write poems, essays, short stories, legends and other literature. They hope to publish an anthology like Ku High School in Simbu in 2015.

Johannes Kundal has been writing his own autobiography starting from the time of the legendary Huli and Opone brothers who fathered the people who now live in Huli and Enga provinces. Daniel Kumbon is helping him as mentor and editor. Extracts of Johannes work have begun to appear in PNG Attitude. Mr Kundal works as Director of Public Health in the Enga Provincial Health Authority

Robert Pyaru is deputy headmaster and language and literature teacher at the new Mulitaka High School in Laiagam District. He hopes to get his students to write and publish an anthology.

Daniel Kumbon is interim chairman of the Association. He published Remember Me and other stories from Enga Province in 2015 and I Can See My Country Clearly Now this year. He is now working on Johannes Kundals autobiography and also a collection of poems, cultural essays, satirical poems and first impression pieces on Enga Province. Daniel ran the first Enga Writers Association in the 1980s and 1990s.

Two of the main objectives of the Association are to encourage everybody who is able to read and write to become involved in the development of literature to sharpen their minds and encourage the younger generation to read and write.

Daniel Kumbon introduced the PNG Attitude blog and the Crocodile Prize to members, asking them to spread the word that people can make money with their essays, short stories and poems if they enter the annual competition. Nobody among the new members knew about the existence of the Crocodile Prize.

Another objective is to get all students in tertiary institutions, high schools, secondary schools and upper primary schools to read and write. The committee feels that students in Enga schools can do well in maths, science and other subjects but not English.

The committee strongly feels that, if students can be encouraged to read and write a lot, their English scores will improve in the Grade 8, Grade 10 and Grade 12 national examinations.

Although, the interim committee members did not talk about providing incentives for people who wish to write, senior Telikom PNG executive, Corney Korakan Alone, also from Enga, told Mr Kumbon that he will sponsor the essay category if we will run a competition like the Crocodile Prize.

Keep up with the excellent work you're doing, Corney said. We're impressed with your effort and firm beliefs.

"Why Tribal Warfare is Bad for Enga would make an interesting essay and debating topic in all our schools back home if the writers association can drive that.

Being based in Port Moresby, we don't have much flexibility to engage fully with the education of our youngsters back at home, Corney said.

However playing a small part as a small sponsor, I am sure we can not only positively influence the thinking of some of our people but inspire some of our people to re-think, re-imagine and place common good ahead of the wasteful thinking on tribalism's immediate short term gains.

This is an encouraging offer that members will talk about at our next meeting at which time we will invite the Provincial Administrator or Director Education to distribute the Crocodile Prize Anthology and Trickery at the Crocodile Pool  the childrens book sponsored by The Paga Hill Development Company - to selected schools.




Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders today held a news conference at the National Press Club in Washington, DC. Only members of the press were admitted on this Sunday, when the club is usually closed.



Strong, angry, spirited, unflinching, the Vermont senator celebrated the one-year anniversary of his entry into the race for nomination as Democratic presidential nominee. He had announced his bid for the nomination in the District.

Within this year, he said, he took on the entire mainstream Democratic establishment and won 17 primaries/caucuses in every part of the country--a total of nine million votes, which some polls interpret as leading Hillary Clinton (HRC).

Within this year Sanders has raised $174 million, a record for this point in the primary cycle--without the aid of Super PACs or any device other than direct contributions from we the people averaging $27 apiece; in the last month alone donations exceeded $25 million.

"We can run without big money," he told reporters, who represented numerous mainstream vehicles as well as Al Jazeera, the Justice Integrity Project, and of course Oped News. The Press Club ballroom was filled to exact capacity.

Another accomplishment within the last year, said Sanders, is 1.1 million people having attended his rallies, the majority consisting of voters aged 45 years and under, which he called "the future of the Democratic Party and of this country."

The Vermont senator specified issues that "are on all minds," including the unbalanced economy; the criminal justice system; the question of a carbon tax; the crisis of polluted water distributed to the people of Flint, Michigan among other locations; fracking; elimination of tuition charges from all state-level colleges and universities; and raising corporate taxes.

Shifting to the subject of Democratic delegates to the party convention, he specified the total as 4,766, 4,447 of whom are pledged to HRC or him; there are also 719 super-delegates. The 2383 total needed for nomination is out of HRC's reach by the end of the formal primary season, June 11. As of today, HRC has 1645 pledged delegates to his 1318.

Before the primary season ends, voters in 10 states have yet to weigh in, along with the District of Columbia, the Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, and Guam. He will need to win 710, or 65 percent of the 1083 remaining delegates. Sanders expressed optimism about winning in California and, over all, his goals are "tough but not impossible."

"We will fight," he said.

Among the 719 super-delegates, HRC has amassed 520 while his total is only 7 percent in this category (ca. 50). In states where his victories were substantial if not landslides, he said, he should have won far more super-delegates. In Washington state, for example, where he won 73 percent of the votes, he won zero super-delegates while HRC won 10 (with seven more still undecided). These superdelegates' behavior is undemocratic--"they should honor the will of the people."

In Minnesota he won three super-delegates, compared to HRC's 11, even though he trounced her by 46 pledged delegates to her 31.

Sanders then listed differences between his views and HRC's: on trade policy, Wall Street priorities, the minimum wage, carbon tax, and multinational corporations paying their fair share of taxes. But both Democrats agree that a victory by Trump or any of his GOP rivals would be "a disaster."

Many of HRC's super-delegates. who committed themselves to her before he entered the race. should reconsider, he said. All of them should consider who will actually win the November race. "The evidence is clear that I would win," he said. "Every national and state poll" gives him a larger margin over Trump than HRC would win.

Moreover, evidence from swing states indicates that he would defeat Trump by "larger margins" than HRC would.

When many, many people come out to vote, Democrats win, he reminded us. The reverse is also true. The GOP triumphs when fewer people vote. In 2014, for example, 63 percent of the population stayed home from the polls and the GOP therefore won the open offices by a substantial margin.

He pointed to the "energy and excitement" that came to life among young populations when he entered the race, which could generate sorely needed wins in Congress and among state governorships.

Super-delegates must reconsider, he concluded. We need their support.

Responding to questions that followed, Sanders promised again to do everything he could to get a Democrat into the White House in November.

As to his legacy? He wants to be remembered as a "very good president of the United States."

Another crucial subject was the independents shut off from closed primaries, as occurred in New York. He would have beaten HRC in open primaries in most of the relevant states, he said. Independents do come out to vote in large numbers and their own numbers are growing. This disadvantage he'd fight to change, he said. [Among the 16 remaining primaries, only four are open and two are mixed.]

He also promised to work hard against Trump.

Seventeen primaries won as of May 1--"I'm proud of it," he concluded. Then Senator Sanders ended the conference, headed for a flight to Indiana.

(Article changed on May 1, 2016 at 17:09)

(Article changed on May 1, 2016 at 17:12)
Reprinted from Common Dreams

Workers shouldn't strike and go out and starve, but strike and remain in, and take possession, said Lucy parsons. Lifelong partner of Albert parsons, one of the American Labor Leaders, most associated with the founding of the American May Day tradition.





Lucy Parsons was of Mexican American, African American, and Native American Descent. She was born into slavery and she was an intersectional thinker and activist a century before the term was coined.





Her work after emancipation led her directly into conflict with the Ku Klux Klan and into a lifelong partnership with radical typographer and organizer Albert Parsons.

Lucy never ceased advocating for racial, gender, and labor justice, all at once, and she's part of the movement that won us the eight-hour day.

Parsons' husband, Albert, was one of the orators in Chicago, who attracted thousands to a rally near Haymarket Square in 1886, on behalf of worker rights. After police charged the crowd, and a stick of dynamite was thrown, he was one of those arrested and later hanged.

Lucy, it was, who led the campaign to exonerate the Haymarket martyrs, and then she carried on their work. Leading poor women into rich neighborhoods to confront the rich on their doorsteps. Challenging politicians at public meetings and marching on picket lines.

She was the only woman of color, and one of only two women delegates -- the other being Mother Jones -- among the 200 men at the founding convention of the IWW, the Militant Industrial Workers of the World. There, she was the only woman to give a speech. She called women the "slaves of slaves" and urged the IWW to fight for equality and charge underpaid women a lower rate for union fees.

She also called for the use of nonviolence and "occupation" of the means of production. You can see her principles in the sit-down strikes of the 1930s in Detroit, the Civil Rights Movement of the 50s and 60s, and the Occupy movement of today.

She died in 42 in a house fire at the age of 89, but in the celebration of May Day, her work endures. Long may her intersectional spirit live.
by Sen. Doug Whitsett

Oregons 2016 primary election is scheduled to take place on May 17. Voters should be receiving ballots in their mailboxes this week.

The results of that election will determine which candidates the Republicans and Democrats choose to represent their respective parties for various races to be decided in the November general election. Of those contested statewide races, one of the most important is the selection of our next Secretary of State.

Our current Secretary of State, Jeanne Adkins, was appointed to her position by Governor Kate Brown early last year following the resignation of former Governor John Kitzhaber. His resignation led to Browns appointment as governor, which caused the Secretary of State position to become temporarily vacant. Adkins came out of retirement to fill that position, but is not running for another term. Because of that process, it will be an open seat.

There are two Republicans and three Democrats vying for their parties nominations for that office.

The Secretary of States duties are spelled out in Article VI, Section 2 of the Oregon Constitution. Under the state Constitution, those duties are limited to maintaining archived records of legislative and executive branch actions and being the Auditor of Public Accounts.

The Secretary of State has also been assigned as a voting member of the State Land Board since statehood in 1859. The Board consists of the Governor, the Secretary and the State Treasurer. It is directed to manage lands under its jurisdiction to obtain the greatest benefit for the people, consistent with resource conservation and sound management. This important Board sets policy and oversees management of all lands controlled by the state.

The Oregon Constitution further states that the Secretary shall perform such other duties as shall be assigned to the Secretary of State by law. Over time, those duties have been greatly expanded through laws enacted by the Legislature.

Chapters 246 through 260 of the Oregon Revised Statutes (ORS) address the Secretary of States duties to oversee Oregon election laws. They have been amended over time to include provisions related to our unique vote-by-mail system, and include sections on management of initiative and referendum, the voters pamphlet, Oregon Blue Book, vote recounts, campaign finance and regulation, as well as many other areas.

Moreover, the Legislature is charged with the duty of creating the boundaries of legislative districts each ten years. In the event that lawmakers fail to agree on how to draw those boundaries, the duty is delegated to the Secretary of State. The candidate elected to the position this November very well may be given that responsibility.

Another function of the Secretary of States office is its Corporate Division. Those duties are described in ORS chapters 58 through 80, and entail laws involving professional and private corporations, securities regulation, nonprofit corporations, limited liability companies, limited liability partnerships, general provisions for the Uniform Commercial Code. Several other sections are devoted to banking, mortgage, investment and other related issues.

ORS chapters 56 and 177 further codify the duties of the office as theyve been amended over time by the Legislature.

Under Oregon Law, amendments to the state Constitution must either be approved by a majority of voters or by a two-thirds majority of both the House and the Senate. It was deliberately structured that way to ensure that the foundations of our state governance cannot be changed without a vote of the people or a super majority vote of the Legislature.

However, the Legislature does have the ability to create or amend statutes. The preponderance of the duties of the Secretary of States Office has already been created by statute. Any of those laws can be enacted or amended by a simple majority vote in both chambers because they do not affect the state Constitution. Therefore, the majority party may enact new statutory duties for the Secretary of State on party-line votes.

Each of the five major candidates for the Secretary of States office brings with them a different set of experiences and philosophies.

All three of the Democrats running for that position in this election cycle have served in the Legislature. One is still a member of the House, another is a Senator, and the third is a former legislator who now serves in the statewide office of Labor Commissioner.

At least one of those candidates has promised to greatly expand the statutory duties of the Secretary of State through the investigation and prosecution of wrongdoers. The unprecedented new duties would include auditing private corporations, policing equal pay among men and women and holding polluters accountable.

Of the two Republicans seeking the position, one is a former longtime House member, and the other is one of five elected county commissioners in Lane County.

Voters will have the next few weeks to examine the candidates positions on the issues to help determine what approach they would each take if elected Secretary of State. The person who is selected by the voters will have direct supervision over every election held within the states boundaries, corporate and business registration, audits of public agencies, and control of the state archives, as well as one of three votes on the State Land Board.

The importance of that position cannot be overstated. It has the potential to affect many aspects of Oregonians lives throughout the next several years.

Senator Doug Whitsett is the Republican state senator representing Senate District 28  Klamath Falls
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The House of Representatives voted this week to reauthorize a program which has invested billions in projects throughout the Great Lakes.

The legislation would provide $300 million annually over the next five years to support the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative.

The program, which first launched in 2010, has provided more than $2.2 billion for various projects in each of the five lakes, including Lake Ontario.

Under an action plan established when the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative was launched, the aid focuses on four key areas, including cleaning up "areas of concern," combating invasive species, reducing nutrient runoff that leads to algal blooms and restoring habits to protect species.

U.S. Rep. Elise Stefanik, who cosponsored the measure, said the funding will help preserve the health of the lakes.

"As a member of the House Invasive Species Caucus, I am continuing to work at the federal level to raise awareness and work towards solutions to protect our natural ecology and our environment," Stefanik, R-Willsboro, said in a statement.

"The Great Lakes Restoration Initiative is an important, bipartisan program to protect these natural treasures and prevent and control invasive species and their impacts on these natural habitats."

U.S. Rep. Brian Higgins, a Buffalo-area Democrat who also supported the GLRI's reauthorization, highlighted how the initiative has benefited western New York.

He said the region received more than $40.4 million over a five-year period for various projects.

"Efforts to restore, protect and enhance the Great Lakes have been identified as a priority by the United States and Canada and this legislation advances that agenda," Higgins said.

DiNapoli approves state contract with Super DIRT Week promoters

New York state Comptroller signed off on a $250,000 contract between the state and World Racing Group to promote dirt track racing.

The agreement is part of the state's commitment to keep Super DIRT Week, which is considered the Super Bowl of DIRTcar Racing, in upstate New York.

The event needed to find a new home after Gov. Andrew Cuomo unveiled a $50 million plan to modernize the New York State Fairgrounds.

To make way for new buildings and improvements, the fair's race track, which was the longtime host of Super DIRT Week, was demolished.

Cuomo announced in September that Super DIRT Week will move to the new Central New York Raceway Park in Oswego County.
During the month of May, the National Alliance on Mental Illness and participants across the country are bringing awareness to mental health through National Mental Health Awareness Month.

Each year we fight stigma, provide support, educate the public and advocate for equal health care. NAMI believes that these issues are important to address all year-round, but highlighting these issues during May provides a time for people to come together and display the passion and strength of those working to improve the lives of all Americans whose lives are affected by mental health conditions. One in five Americans will be affected by a mental health condition in their lifetime. Every American affected or impacted by their family members' and friends' mental illness can do something to help.

How do we change our thinking about neurologically based mood and thought disorders?

 Read a book about the lives, struggles and hopes of those living with a mental illness and share it with others. Suggestions are "Where Are The Cocoa Puffs?" by Karen Winters-Schwartz, "The Price of Silence: A Mom's Perspective on Mental Illness" by Lisa Long, "I Am Not Sick, I Don't Need Help" by Xavier Amador, "Broken Glass" by Robert Hine and "Sometimes My Mommy Gets Angry" by Bebee Moore Campbell.

 Encourage family and friends to attend a confidential bi-monthly NAMI Family Support Group meeting from 6 to 7:30 p.m. the first and third Tuesday of each month at Auburn Community Hospital in the second floor assembly room for support and education on mental illness.

 Attend a scheduled NAMI In Our Own Voice presentation given by persons living with a mental illness. These 45-minute presentations are free and available to businesses, schools and agencies interested in promoting awareness and education on mental illness for their employees.

 Attend a 12-week NAMI Family-to-Family Education Program to learn about no-fault brain diseases, medications, mental health resources and communication skills, and develop an understanding of what it is like living with a mental illness.

 Ask NAMI of Cayuga County about the "Nothing to Hide: Mental Illness in the Family" traveling photo-text exhibit depicting the lives of 20 families accepting and living with their loved ones' mental illness. The courage and strength of these families make a powerful statement that mental illnesses are highly treatable and that recovery happens.

 Attend a Mental Health First Aid training class provided by certified instructors to learn how to help a person before and during a mental health crisis. These one-day, eight-hour or two-day, four-hour classes are provided by NAMI of Cayuga County.

 Participate in the public forum/panel discussion "Mental Health Services in Cayuga County and Beyond" on from 6 to 8 p.m. Wednesday, May 4, at Cayuga Community College, sponsored by Unity House of Cayuga County's Prosperity Program.

 Encourage others to attend a free depression/anxiety screening opportunity at Auburn High School from 3 to 5 p.m. Wednesday, May 18, to be screened for depression or anxiety by a clinician or pick up a screening questionnaire to take home with you along with educational materials on mental illnesses. This event is sponsored by the Auburn Enlarged City School District, Partnership for Results and NAMI of Cayuga County.

 Join the Tim Durant Recovery Walk at 6 p.m. Tuesday, May 24, at Memorial City Hall to support individuals recovering from co-occurring addiction and mental illness. This event is sponsored by the Auburn Drug and Alcohol Treatment Court.

 Did you know that 50 percent of individuals living with a mental illness have abused prescriptions and street drugs to self-medicate? Support the Heroin Epidemic Action League by attending its meetings at 6:30 p.m. the first and third Monday of each month at The Center, 1 Hoffman St.

 Be informed about New York state legislation and national legislation on services for persons with mental illness and addiction and the families who support and care for them. Find out where our county legislators, local assembly and senators stand on mental illness. Is it a high or a low priority when it comes to their constituents?

In closing, we encourage everyone to get involved at their own pace during the month of May and beyond. You can make a difference in the fight against stigma, provide support to your family and friends living with mental illness and advocate for mental health services. You never know whose life you might save. For more information, contact the NAMI of Cayuga County office at (315) 255-7443 and leave a message.
Oki Matsumoto Proposed to be Added to the Board

PURCHASE, N.Y.- MasterCard Incorporated (NYSE:MA) today announced that its Board of Directors has nominated Oki Matsumoto for election as an independent director at the companys June 28, 2016 annual meeting of stockholders. If elected, along with each of the companys existing directors, the Board will have 12 members.

We believe Okis global perspective, entrepreneurial mindset and extensive experience driving innovation in online financial services will complement the current Board skills, said Richard Haythornthwaite, chairman of the Board, MasterCard. As people and businesses interact and transact more through digital channels, these insights will help guide the companys future, building on our foundation of convenience and security.

Matsumoto is chairman and chief executive officer of Monex Group, one of Japans leading online investment banking and asset management companies, a company he founded in 1999. Matsumoto began his career at Salomon Brothers, before joining Goldman Sachs in 1990. He was named the youngest-ever general partner at the time in 1994, eventually rising to be co-head of the firms Tokyo Branchs FX & Fixed Income business. In addition to his roles on the boards of Kakaku.com and JIN CO., Matsumoto is a former member of the economic council to the Japanese prime minister and the board of the Tokyo Stock Exchange.

MasterCard also announced that, as part of a periodic board review and refreshment, current directors Marc Olivie and Edward Suning Tian will not seek re-election. All other members of the current Board will stand for re-election.

Both Marc and Ed have been key members of the Board since our initial public offering ten years ago, said Ajay Banga, president and CEO, MasterCard. Their global perspectives and experiences across a wide range of consumer and business segments have been integral in helping to guide the company on our evolution and expansion. The entire Board joins me in thanking them for their guidance and wish them all the best.

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May 1, 1936

Mary McGrane and Joseph O'Connor, popular members of Holy Family High School, will play the leading roles in "The Family Upstairs," a comedy of domestic wrangling, which the senior class of that school will present next Monday evening, May 4 at the North Street Auditorium. Miss McGrane and Mr. O'Connor will be assisted by Mary Jaeckle and William Johnson, who are portraying the character roles. The rest of the cast includes Rhea King, Rita Musicao, Barbara Kimball, Frank Keegan and John Alger.

May 1, 1961

(Pictured)

WREATH IS PLACED  Field Commissioner George C. Shownes, left, and Cub Scout Rickie A. Balian of Pack 11, Trinity Methodist Church, placed the wreath at the foot of the Seward Statue Monday evening during the annual Boy Scout May Day program. The program was carried out in spite of a hard downpour of rain.

May 1, 2006

The housing market in Cayuga County became more active in March, but sales values declined slightly, according to the latest industry figures. The New York State Association of Realtors is reporting there were 56 closed sales of single-family homes in the county during March, up from 49 during the same month in 2005 and 35 during February.

The median sale price  the point at which half of all sales fall above or below  was $78,500. That figure was down from both the year-ago total of $80,103 and the February median price of $85,000. The same trend, higher sales volume and lower prices, was seen statewide.

May 1, 2011

Witnesses at the Sterling Nature Center said a pack of wolves was seen roaming the parks trails Saturday. The group was reportedly howling, playing among the trees and pushing wheelbarrows full of wood chips along a section of the Heron Trail. The Wolf Den of Red Creeks Cub Scout Pack 57 volunteered to help spread mulch on the path for the nature centers trail work day.

The community service project was the last requirement the seven scouts needed to complete the Cub Scout World Conservation Award and Achievement 7, Our Living World. Once the boys complete all 12 achievements, they will receive their wolf patches and move on to the bear rank.
100 YEARS AGO

Two carloads of Mexican workers being shipped from El Paso to California by the Santa Fe were stopped in Williams on Friday when two cases of smalpox were discovered among the 108 men.

There are also two cases in Canyon Diablo. The town is quarantined with guards posted in the hope of preventing further spread of the disease.

Conductor Hanson brought in young husky who had been disputing the Right-of-way near Angel. The man is a stranger who had absorbed a quantity of bone dust then sat down on the track to wait for a lift. He is now in Sheriffs custody.

After making a desperate and unsuccessful effort to escape from Deputy Sheriff Terry Bouden at Silver Creek, W. G. Hanson of Bisbee, whose auto was loaded with 7 cases of whiskey and 4 barrels of beer, was stopped when the Deputy shot at and exploded his left hind tire. This stopped the miscreant.

75 YEARS AGO

Too much rain to suit the sheep and cattlemen has ended the complaints about drought. The range cattle are producing more milk than the calves are able to consume. Cowboys attempting to milk on the range are meeting with strenuous protests. The price of wool is up. The sheep are feeding well. The rain washes the wool clean so the wool weight is down. Sheepherders are praying for less rain and more dirt.

A fire started Saturday night on the balcony at the Flagstaff Furniture Co. Defective electrical wires set a mattress aflame. Thanks to prompt action by our Fire Department the mattress was the only damage.

Mrs. Jack Knowles, Chairman of the Red Cross Production Unit of clothing for England, reports that the next allotment is the making of wool maternity dresses. People are needed to do cutting in the sewing room at Emerson School Monday and Wednesday between 1:30 and 4:30 pm. She also asks that button boxes be searched for suitable buttons.

Rainy all week 0.33 H. 62 Tues. & Fri. L. 29 Sun. & Mon.

50 YEARS AGO

Its official now. Flagstaffs Arizona State College is now Northern Arizona University. The Board of Regents has approved an operating budget of $5,450,465. for the coming fiscal year. The new resident fees are up to $129 per semester. Non-residents will be paying $425 to $550.50 per semester. Class fees are not included.

Would-be thieves smashed a $300 plate glass window at Bayless Super Market early Tuesday morning and tried to haul out the safe with a winch truck stolen from H. & R. Transfer. The winch cable broke and the thieves abandoned the project. Manager Larry Stark discovered the mess when he arrived to open up. He called the police and told Detective Gilbert Castro that it was actually 2 safes welded together and welded to the floor as well.

A Rabies Clinic has been set up due to the outbreak in Oak Creek. Sat. 9 am to 1 pm. Cogdill Community Center at Brannen Homes. State law requires all dogs to be vaccinated and licensed. Three rabid fox and several rabid bats have caused a fear that an outbreak in the wild may occur. Ed Standfill, County Health Dept.

A manmade fire that was ignited near the Natural Gas line north of the junction of St. Rte. 89 and US 66 destroyed about 7 acres before it was contained.

Theres been no appreciable rain since early March and the fire danger is high. Coconino Fire Chief Hugh McLean. H. 70 Wed. L. 34 Thurs. No rain.

25 YEARS AGO

Theyre breaking ground on the Gore Expansion plan. When the facility is complete Gore expects a steady increase of up to about 200 new positions.

NAU has begun preparation work for the new Southwest Forestry Complex. It will include space for Forestry Science scientists, students and professors.

H. 66 Tues. L. 23 Fri. No rain.
It was luck that led Dawn Tucker and her fiance, Stefano Coaloa, to save a historic Mikes Pike home from the wrecking ball.

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Tucker and Coaloa were looking at a map of the footprint of the proposed student apartment complex called The Hub when Tucker realized that the home of her former babysitter, Agnes Pearsall, might be one of the buildings slated for demolition.

The couple walked over to look at the location. A cellphone photo shared with Tuckers mom confirmed that the house belonged to Agnes.

Tucker and Coaloa contacted Core Campus, the developer of The Hub. and asked if the company would sell them the house.

She babysat me from when I was 2-years-old until I was about 7, Tucker said. I only have a couple of distinct memories of this place, but I have this warm, friendly, safe feeling.

She remembered Agnes, who is 90 and currently lives in Phoenix, as warm, loving -- and strict when it came to following the rules.

One memory in particular that she remembers about the house is the half door that closes off the kitchen from the living room. Tucker said she remembers being in the kitchen with a boy that was also being babysat at the house. The boy tricked her into eating an entire spoonful of mustard. She also remembers sitting on the front porch in her swim suit after swim lessons waiting for her mother to pick her up.

Tucker said Core was more than willing to give them the house and the money the company planned to spend on demolishing it. However, the couple would be responsible for moving the house and any other costs that werent covered by the money Core offered.

The money was enough to help cover part of the cost of moving the home to its new location on Cottage Street behind the Tourist Home, but it didnt cover the cost of a new foundation and wont cover the cost of renovating the old home, especially on the salary of an English teacher and a Northern Arizona University graduate student.

That doesnt faze the couple because Agnes' House, as they have named it, isnt the first historic home theyve remodeled. The first home the couple owned, a boarding house for railroad workers in Flagstaff, required a lot of time and money on remodeling. Several neighbors and friends have also stopped by to check out the progress on the home and donated time and supplies.

We both love older homes, Coaloa said. They have more history and character than a newer home.

The couple also purchased the Lindemann house, also affectionately known as Grandmas House, on South Agassiz Street last year. Agnes House now sits behind the Lindemann house.

Luckily, the lot Grandmas House sits on had enough room to accommodate both houses. But, the zoning for the property doesnt allow for two residential homes on the same lot. However, a city planning official pointed out that if the two houses were connected, then it could be considered one residential home.

But, in order to keep the historic significance for both homes, the connection would have to be designed in such a way to distinguish the new part and the historic part of both homes, Coaloa said.

The Lindemann house dates back to the early 1890s, Coaloa said. It was likely built by Edgar Whipple and was later the original home of Peter J. Lindemann, who served as a Flagstaff councilmember, then as a Flagstaff mayor and then county supervisor.

According to Mountain Town, Whipple was one of Flagstaffs first businessmen. He moved to the area from Iowa and opened the towns first saloon and eating place in a log cabin near Antelope Spring. He later became a well-known builder in Flagstaff. He is credited with the construction of the first dome for Lowell Observatory and the Babbitt building. At various times, Whipple also hunted buffalo, worked as a teamster and a deputy sheriff, ran a shingle factory and was the towns undertaker.

Lindemanns father was a contractor who built Our Lady of Guadalupe Church. Lindemann was a dentist. He was elected to Flagstaff City Council in 1950 and elected mayor in 1955. He was also served on the Coconino County Board of Supervisors

Both homes require extensive work in order to restore them to their former glory. Tucker and Coaloa have already rewired both houses and started work on re-plastering the inside of both houses.

The Lindemann home has already had the stone fireplace repointed on the outside and the window frames have been removed to be re-glazed. The front porch may also come off, especially since the couple found that the porch was added to the house at a later point and covers up a beautiful crown molding on top of the bay window. The wood floors will have to be redone and some may have to be replaced due to water damage.

Agnes House was recently settled on its new foundation and the couple has ripped off the tile floor in the living room and Tucker is currently working on removing the tar paper under the tile that covers the original wood floor. The floors will have to be refinished and the bathroom remodeled. They also plan to rebuild the craftsman-style bookcases that are missing from the living room.

The couple also have to build the connecting hallway between the two houses. That connection will also include a bathroom for Grandmas House.

Once the two homes are connected and finished, Tucker and Coaloa plan to live in one home and rent the other out as a bed and breakfast. In order to meet code, Tucker and Coaloa will have to squeeze six parking spaces onto the lot along with the homes, one for each bedroom and two for themselves. The homes are not eligible for the same transect zoning parking allowance as the Hub, where only a third of the bedrooms require a parking space.
GREENWICH  A chilly drizzle led to a light turnout Sunday afternoon for the Greenwich Interfaith Fellowships 36th annual CROP Walk.

Thirty-three participants of all ages registered for the 2 p.m. start of the hunger-fighting fundraiser.

Pastor Lee Capodagli, this years coordinator, said the number of participants was disappointing, but others may have submitted donations without attending the walk. Last years walk, which also fell on a rainy day, raised about $9,000, and he hoped this years effort was comparable.

The walk began and ended at the gazebo in Mowry Park, next to St. Pauls Episcopal Church. Participants had a choice of three routes around the village, from a half-mile to 1 3/4 miles.

To make the hike a little more interesting, they could fill out a questionnaire that asked for the number of windows on certain houses, telephone numbers on business signs and the number of truck bays in the new firehouse, for example. They could also stop in the Greenwich Comfort Food Pantry, which was open during the event.

Coordination of the walk rotates among the seven churches in the interfaith fellowship, Capodagli said. The churches are Botskill Baptist, Centenary United Methodist, Easton Friends Meeting, Easton Methodist, Stump Methodist, St. Josephs Roman Catholic, St. Pauls Episcopal and United Presbyterian. Capodagli, with Virginia Cornell, is co-pastor of the Easton and Stump United Methodist churches.

Participants dont have to belong to any of the churches, Capodagli said. Organizers also reach out to local Girl Scout and Boy Scout troops and Greenwich Central School.

A lot of our outreach is by word of mouth, Capodagli said. Its a tradition for the first weekend in May. Some people give every year, even if they never come to the walk.

Brother and sister Cooper and Ryan Skiff of Easton, members of the United Presbyterian Church, said this was the second walk they had both taken part in.

Its fun to walk, and it helps raise money, said Ryan, 11. Its good exercise, added Cooper, 8. Ryan said she collected $140. Cooper raised $85.

A quarter of the funds stay in the community and the rest goes to Church World Services, the walks sponsor, to support programs that fight hunger internationally, Capodagli said. Participants can designate which area pantry will receive the local share of their donation. Most goes to the Greenwich pantry. Other beneficiaries are the Loaves and Fishes pantry in Cambridge and SAFER in Schuylerville.

Refreshments for after the walk were donated by Thruway Beverages, McDonalds, Stewarts Shops, Hannaford and the Varsity Club at Greenwich Central School. Each of the churches also provided two-dozen cookies.
Gov. Andrew Cuomo has appointed Queensbury at-large Supervisor Ron Montesi to the New York State Soil and Water Committee, a panel that advises state government on water and soil conservation issues.

Montesi, a Republican, said he appreciated the governor, a Democrat, appointing him to the committee despite their different political affiliations.

"It was nice to be able to think that the governor did appoint me," he said.

Volunteer committee members meet 14 times a year  monthly in Albany and twice a year at other locations.

Montesi has served eight years on the Warren County Soil and Water Conservation District board and five years on the board of directors of New York State Association of Conservation Districts, an advocacy organization.

 Maury Thompson
Future military enlistees would pay more for health insurance under the version of the National Defense Authorization Act that passed the House Armed Services Committee with strong bipartisan support.

But the fees would not be as wide-sweeping as what the Obama administration had proposed.

It was a much smaller increase (for future enlistees). We also simplified the program, said U.S. Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-Willsboro, who serves on the committee. There are no changes for the current active-duty force.

The legislation replaces two separate managed care plans under TRICARE, the military health insurance program, with a single new plan that would have annual enrollment fees of $300 for individuals or $600 for families for new enlistees, effective Jan. 1, 2018, according to the House Armed Forces Committee.

The proposed legislation, which passed the committee by a 60-2 vote on Thursday, also continues the consolidation of military health care under the Defense Health Agency, a joint military health-care management agency, which is an alternative to individual military branch management.

The military is facing the same pressures from rising health care costs as private enterprise.

In hearings, Department of Defense has presented and testified numerous times about the challenge in the budget as TRICARE is taking up a growing percentage, Stefanik said. Insuring the medical readiness of the force is at the top of my priority list. So I do not think we should be balancing the budget on the backs of our brave men and women in uniform.

The legislation authorizes a 2.1 percent pay raise for members of the military.

Stefanik is running for re-election in November against Democratic candidate Mike Derrick, a retired Army colonel from Peru, in Clinton County, and Green Party candidate Matt Funiciello, a bread company owner and political activist from Hudson Falls.

Funiciello said the militarys financial pressures from health care reinforce his position that the federal government should expand the federal Medicare program to cover everyone.

The military could reduce costs if its personnel and families were in a larger universal pool of coverage, he said.

Derrick was busy with campaign events Friday and Sunday and was not available to comment for this report, said Drew Prestridge, his campaign manager.

Stefanik said she is pleased that several measures she sponsored or supported were included in the legislation, which the committee deliberated on for 16 hours.

The hearing went from 10 a.m. to 2 a.m. the next morning, she said. We worked through the issues, and obviously the vote is something we are proud of.

The bill included legislation Rep. Chris Gibson, R-Kinderhook, sponsored and Stefanik co-sponsored to essentially block President Obamas plan to draw down troops.

The legislation would prohibit Army and Marine land forces from dropping below about 1.25 million personnel.

The administrations plan would reduce levels to about 1.19 million in 2018, the lowest level since World War II, according to Gibsons office.

Other provisions Stefanik supported include the following:

Allows obtaining equipment to expand the use of airspace around military installations, such as Wheeler Sack Army Airfield at Fort Drum;

Allows the Army to acquire new technology camouflage uniforms that cannot be detected by night visions systems, which will help the 10th Mountain Division, stationed at Fort Drum, train in cold weather;

Authorizes United States and Israel to collaborate on research and development of missile systems that use beams of concentrated atomic or subatomic particles;

Establishes measures to counter terrorist recruitment and promotion on social media.

Funiciello said he is pleased the legislation includes a requirement that women register for the draft, not just men.

He said he opposes the draft, but if men must register, women should too.

I cannot see to say anything otherwise unless you are a chauvinist, and I sure am not, he said.

Funiciello said if he was in Congress, he would vote against the defense bill because it continues a pattern of excessive spending for military involvement in foreign conflicts.

Its insane. Were not even under attack, from my perspective, he said.

The full House is expected to vote on the bill in mid-May.

The Senate is working on its own version.

Eventually, a joint House and Senate panel will negotiate a joint version.
GLENS FALLS | A panel of local architects and planners will discuss the past half-century of downtown Glens Falls development from 9:30 a.m. to noon Saturday at Chapman Historical Museum, with a focus on what was demolished and what might have been.

The program will answer the question, What did we learn from Urban Renewal? The national development strategy focused on demolishing blocks of older buildings for redevelopment.

Today, architects and planners use different solutions to solve the revitalization needs of communities, said Timothy Weidner, the museums executive director. Demolition is not the first consideration. Rather, planners look to incorporate principles of social, economic and ecological sustainability.

Panelists are Paul Cummings and Chris Round of Chazen Companies and local architects Gary McCoola and Andrew Allison.

The program will include an opportunity for members of the audience to discuss what features they believe make a community a good place in which to live.

The program is in conjunction with the new exhibit A Look Back: 50 Years Ago, which opened at the museum Thursday and runs through Sept. 4.

The exhibit includes historic photographs of more than 30 buildings along Glen, Warren and Ridge streets that were slated for demolition in 1966, when Glens Falls started its Urban Renewal program.

It was an era when many downtown stores were closing and moving operations to new shopping centers in Queensbury, leaving many downtown buildings vacant.

The strategy changed in 1979 when then-Glens Falls Mayor Edward Bartholomew reversed course on the previous administrations plans to demolish 229 Glen St., the building in which Spot Coffee is now located.

Bartholomew recruited Gilbert Godnick, a Vermont furniture retailer, to buy and renovate the building. In more recent years, developer Bruce Levinsky redeveloped it again as a mixed-use apartment and commercial complex.

Around that same time, a group that included architect Robert Joy developed New Fountain Square, a row of nine buildings stretching from the building that houses Morins Dive Center on Warren Street, around the corner to where Cornerstone Pizza Cafe is located on Ridge Street.

The panel discussion is open to the public free of charge.

The museum at 348 Glen St. in Glens Falls is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday and noon to 4 p.m. Sunday.
WARRENSBURG | Catherine LaFond-Evans is still fighting to add mitochondrial disease to the list of debilitating conditions that can qualify a patient in New York to be certified for medical marijuana.

In the meantime, shes happy her daughter, Brooke, can try it after months of pleading with state officials.

For Brooke, 32, who can stay awake only a handful of a days 24 hours, some symptoms of mitochondrial disease include severe nausea, severe pains, muscle weakness, muscle spasms, neuropathies, dysautonomia, which affects the nervous system, and significant loss of gastrointestinal function.

On Friday, LaFond-Evans picked up a months supply of medical marijuana for Brooke  two brands from Chester-based medical marijuana company Etains dispensary in Albany. One is called Balance  an equal CBD-THC formulation designed to elicit a moderate euphoric sensation and feelings of well-being.

The other is Forte, a high-THC formulation that produces a strong euphoric sensation with feelings of awareness and appetite.

Their cost was $940 for a months supply. She will be using the oil droplets. For the initial doctors visit, the cost was $290. Insurance doesnt cover either.

I do hope she could come down off the opiods to some degree, LaFond-Evans said. However much time Brooke has left, our goal is to make her more comfortable.

The irony was not lost on her that she had to drive to Albany to pick up something that was manufactured in our backyard.

For now, the five medical marijuana companies are only allowed four dispensaries each, and there are rules about how close they could be to each other and the manufacturer.

Etains four dispensaries are in Albany, Syracuse, Yonkers and Kingston. Etain became fully operational with all dispensaries open at the beginning of April when it opened the Yonkers dispensary. A total of 17 of the 20 dispensaries around the state are open.

It will take some time to get the dosage right, but LaFond-Evans hopes eventually medical marijuana could eliminate some of the many other medications Brooke takes, such as anti-nausea medication, anti-spasmodic medications and what she takes for neuropathy, which is the condition that qualified her.

Thats something Ive seen with patients. They tend to use less of, at least their pain medications and anti-spasm medications, said Dr. Francisco Gomez, a general neurologist focused on headaches, migraines and multiple sclerosis.

Brooke was referred to Gomez, a doctor certified to recommend medical marijuana in New York.

Since the January roll-out of the program, Gomez has recommended medical marijuana to about 120 patients  80 to 90 percent were referrals.

Brooke was referred by her physician to Gomez. Patients still have no access to the list of doctors. Neither do the medical marijuana companies. Doctors can look it up through the Medical Marijuana Data Management System, which is located online within the Departments Health Commerce System.

Qualifying

As of April 18, the Department of Health reports 539 physicians are registered for the state Medical Marijuana Program, and 2,875 patients have been certified by their doctors.

According to New Yorks Compassionate Care Act, patients may be eligible for medical marijuana if they are diagnosed with a specific severe, debilitating or life-threatening condition that is accompanied by an associated or complicating condition. There is a strict list for both the first condition and complicating condition.

Many of her symptoms are among the complicating conditions that qualify patients in New York for medical marijuana who are suffering from one of the recognized diseases.

In late March, Brooke was admitted to Boston Childrens Hospital. Doctors found the muscle contractions that move food through the digestive tract hadnt been happening, which is necessary to eliminate waste from the body.

LaFond-Evans said pain medication specialists in Boston also recommended she try medical marijuana.

Georgia, which also has a strict list, includes mitochondrial disease. When they got home from Boston, LaFond-Evans made her usual list of calls and sent letters urging mitochondrial disease to be added to the list.

It must have worked because today, out of the blue, I received a phone call from staff at the New York state medical marijuana program, she said in early April.

They told her to have Brooke qualified under neuropathy.

Its frustrating because here she has a disease that trumps just neuropathy. Neuropathy is just one of several serious conditions that stem from mitochondrial disease, so mito should most certainly be on that list, LaFond-Evans said, though shes happy they made that recommendation.

As far as she knows, Brooke is one of, if not the first, mitochondrial disease patients in New York to try medical marijuana.

Studies done outside of the U.S.  because its still a Schedule-1 drug  have shown medical marijuana to be helpful with seizures in children, and that it may also help increase gastrointestinal mobility, she said.

The commissioner of health may add other conditions to the list.

Conditions

According to the Department of Health, scientists and physicians at the Department of Health researched the following conditions  Alzheimers, muscular dystrophy, dystonia, post-traumatic stress disorder and rheumatoid arthritis  and found there is not enough evidence to support the determination that medical marijuana will provide relief to patients suffering from any additional conditions, including these five.

However, the commissioner has not stopped his review, and continues to evaluate new scientific evidence, the Health Department said in a statement by email to The Post-Star. If sufficient scientific evidence becomes available to support the determination that medical marijuana will provide relief to patients suffering from any additional conditions, including these five, the commissioner will act to increase the list of covered conditions. Ms. LaFond-Evans submitted information about mitochondrial disease to DOH for our review.

DOH further said that the department is continuing to review additional conditions for eligibility, with the goal of helping as many people as possible.

Steve Stallmer, a spokesman for Etain, estimated the company has dispensed medical marijuana to nearly 300 patients now since the company had a little more than 200 at the beginning of the month when the Yonkers dispensary opened.

Weve had a lot of repeat customers, Stallmer said.

He said the number of patients is slightly below what Etain officials projected, but they were careful not to overproduce the product.

There are several bills looking to improve the program in the state Legislature. One, for instance, would allow nurse practitioners and physician assistants to recommend marijuana in addition to doctors, the goal of which would increase the number of medical professionals registered.

We need more patients, more doctors and we need more public awareness. We need more people to be eligible and additional ailments to be covered, Stallmer said.
The Warren County Republican Committee endorsed Donald Trump for president last week, even though more Warren County Republicans voted against him than for him.

While Trump carried Warren County with 3,489 votes, John Kasich and Ted Cruz combined for 3,654 votes.

Thats a dead even split among Republicans

Yet, Warren County Republican Chairman Mike Grasso defended the committees endorsement by saying, Weve got to start looking at the numbers.

Just not those local numbers.

He was talking about the national numbers and the acknowledgment that Trump will win the Republican nomination.

The decision was about which party wins, not who will make the country better.

Thats the problem with both parties.

Grasso did not mention anything about the issues.

Did the Warren County Committee talk about building the wall, banning Muslims, punishing women who have abortions, deporting 10 million immigrants and escalating the war in the Middle East?

Apparently, they are fine with all of that. Thats what their endorsement means.

And that is frightening.

What is more encouraging is that Rep. Elise Stefanik has refrained from any presidential endorsement, despite some harsh bullying tactics from Carl Paladino.

You may remember Paladino as the Republican candidate for governor in 2010. He is also a staunch supporter of Trump and introduced him at the most recent rally in Albany.

Paladino has targeted nine New York Republicans in Congress to endorse Trump. Only one has caved so far.

Syracuse.com reported that Paladino began targeting individual members, including Stefanik, with emails to their constituents.

This is the beginning, Paladino told Syracuse.com. This is the nice one. Its going to get worse for those that continue to hold out. Im being nice.

Paladino said if the members of Congress did not endorse Trump, he would do everything he could to marginalize them.

Obviously, Paladino has gone to war against those in his own party.

Rep. Stefanik has not buckled yet, but earlier this week announced she would not be attending the Republican National Convention in Cleveland.

Id like to think she is holding herself to a higher standard by refusing to go to Cleveland, but its nothing more than political cover when you are not sure which way your district will vote in the presidential race. Her Democratic predecessor, Bill Owens, did the same thing during the last presidential election.

But here is the real irony: Trump is now benefiting from the establishment politics he has railed against  like the endorsement Warren County Republicans made last week  to secure the Republican nomination.

Now, Im one of those angry people, too.
Anatomy alert! If the huge tract of land that comprises much of the USA Southwest is analogous to a human body, the Colorado River, fed by its several tributaries, is the aortas counterpart (vena cava). This drainage returns life-sustaining liquid to the seven-seas heart of Earths hydrologic system. From there water will be evaporated and re-circulated as rain ... some falling on the arid Southwest. And the water cycle repeats.

The Colorado Rivers water is the runoff stage of this lifeblood-loop that nourishes plants and animals on its path to the Sea of Cortez. Without that river water most of the American Southwest would be a much-less-developed arid terrain than exists today. Any human tinkering with the Colorado River drainage system must be carefully planned and executed.

John Wesley Powell was the first person of European extraction who, as a trained scientist, recognized the importance of available water (in gallons per year) for sustaining food production to feed human populations in this desert-like environment. In the late nineteenth century, he designed a program that could support limited human populations around local hydrologic subsystems. He envisioned watershed areas in which a number of small dams could impound enough water to grow food for a defined/limited local population. As he warned a dubious USA Congress in 1883, Gentlemen, you are piling up a heritage of conflict and litigation over water rights, for there is not sufficient water to supply the land. But Congress was thinking of the arid west in terms of land development similar to the well watered and densely populated areas east of the Mississippi River.

With subsequent technical advances in storage and redistribution of water over great distances, the building of huge dams, water pumps, piping, and canals replaced restrictive limitations implicit in Powells watershed-area land-development model. By the early twentieth century, the main issue that needed to be agreed upon to support large regional human population was the number and location of huge dams that would control the flow and distribution of water throughout the Southwest. Agreement appeared only after years of spirited and often contentious debate. A major question during negotiations was what, if any, dams should be built within the spectacular landscape of Grand Canyon. This deep and steep-walled feature is close to a perfect site  possibly a dam-designers consummate wet dream.

The Bridge Canyon (sometimes called Hualapai) Dam, first proposed in the 1920s, was designed to impound water from near the uppermost reach of todays Lake Mead bathtub to the confluence of the Colorado and Little Colorado Rivers, thus flooding most of Grand Canyon. Upstream of this confluence, the Marble Canyon (sometimes called Redwall) Dam, also proposed in the 1920s, would have impounded water to the point of greatly reducing normal flow through the heart of Grand Canyon and its brand new (1919) National Park (GCNP).

Justifications for these dam projects are couched in such terms as: generating clean electricity; helping to control large natural fluctuations in annual river flow  that is, to help damp out changes in cubic-feet-per-second (cfs) flow that may result from a year, or back-to-back years, of unusually dry or wet weather; creating yet another lake for recreation; and just plain diverting water for other uses.

Fortunately, at least in this writers view, the Bridge Canyon and the Marble Canyon proposals eventually were nixed, while the Hoover and Glen Canyon Dams were approved. Hoover was completed in 1936 and Glen Canyon in 1963. Since then, the idea of letting the Colorado River in Arizona once again flow freely by removing the Glen Canyon and Hoover Dams has resurfaced from time to time. But such major human designed deconstruction projects seem to be a fools errand (sorry Edward Abbey!)  extremely unlikely to occur.

However, the accidental breaching of Glen Canyon, and perhaps Hoover Dam too, nearly occurred in 1983 without the secret-back-room scheming of mankind. That spring, snow melt and rain of a particularly wet season filled Lake Powell to above the level of overflow spillways at Glen Canyon dam. By dam-construction design, overflow was channeled into forty-one-foot diameter concrete-lined tunnels through bedrock on each side of the dam. This was the first time these tunnels had been put to use. Faulty design triggered a process called cavitation (creation of low-pressure air pockets that are sources of damaging shock waves when they collapse) as water surged through the tunnels; this destroyed large sections of the concrete walls and permitted the erosion of the much softer sedimentary rocks behind the concrete. Had the rise of water in Lake Powell not serendipitously stopped before the degree of cavitation destruction became critical, the lake would likely have quickly drained, sending a downstream flow that might have caused Hoover to fail, or at least release unplanned and uncontrolled volumes of water. Potential havoc wreaked is limited only by ones imagination. Whew!!

Any future construction of concrete dams that would further impact the natural pre-human-tinkering flow of water through Grand Canyon also seems unlikely in the extreme. Instead, the top-to-bottom deep and colorful grandeur of the canyon remains visible from GCNP rim-top perches for visitors that number several millions annually, and is accessible from rim to river-level for hikers. Boaters continue to experience river-bank scenery and the thrill of running challenging rapids between Lees Ferry and Lake Mead.

Nonetheless, a closer look beneath these rather superficial positives reveals substantial negative impacts to the Colorado River in GCNP due to Glen Canyon Dam. For example, lack of a steady supply of washed-in sediment to maintain sandbars and beaches results in gradual loss of these natural features through continuous erosion. They are washing away on a path to extinction. Most of what was formerly a constant source of replacement grit stays above Glen Canyon Dam, and eventually will fill Lake Powell. Moreover, pre-dam plants and animals that have flourished in and along the river in Grand Canyon also are threatened with possible extinction. The pre-dam sediment-bearing waters that ranged seasonally in temperatures between about 35 and 85 degrees Fahrenheit have been replaced by uniformly cold (46 F) clear water tapped year round from the bottom of the reservoir behind Glen Canyon Dam.

Still, an optimists (or apologists?) view of the situation now, in the early twenty-first century, might be that the GCNP stretch of the Grand Canyon is adequately and appropriately protected by up- and down-stream bookends of Glen Canyon and Hoover Dams. After all, the occasional natural extremes of wild flooding and trickle-like drought have been tamed. A somewhat variable, but regular flow of water is guaranteed.

As a realist, however, I note that any such view of protection ignores the possibility of a little-appreciated revolution from within. Whereas Homo sapiens sapiens may have finally stopped creating even further damn modification to the natural flow of the Colorado River, Nature has repeatedly dammed the river in a succession of projects whose lifespan is unfinished.

The natural dam-building processes are landslides and lava flows. Consider this. Its not surprising that the steep-to-vertical walls of Grand Canyon occasionally slump in landslides large enough to dam water flow. None exist as I type these words, but geologists have mapped remnants of such past barriers  landslide leftovers perched on canyon walls above river-water level. Being composed of loose fragments of tumbled and broken rock, a landslide river plug likely is easily and readily eroded as water flows through and over the porous pile. Here today gone tomorrow  although tomorrow might be months or perhaps even years beyond a large landslide event. But a year or two is a minor time-window compared to a typical human life-span. For example, one may need to only reschedule a Grand Canyon river-running adventure until next year. As a college classmate of mine used to say about such situations back in our shared dormitory days, Get over it. Its no big deal!

A volcanos lava flow, however, is a completely different river-damming beast  a big deal that creates a solid coherent rock that can last for centuries or millenia, before erosion can abrade its way downward to a pre-lava river-bed level. Yes, the upstream part of a lava dam may consist of broken and porous fragments (akin to landslide debris) because when lava and water mix, steam explosions shatter what would otherwise solidify to coherent rock. But the permeability of this shattered stuff is low enough that contemporaneous lava flowing downstream from it has time to fill a virtually dry riverbed with solid rock. And as this sturdy stuff builds upward, it creates a dam nearly as effective for water-retention as the poured-concrete variety.

I fear that few people other than geologists and river-runners know that lava flows from volcanoes in and near the Toroweap (sometimes called Tuweep) section of GCNP have repeatedly dammed the river there. Remnants of these dams are obvious when seen, as thin black frosting on a colorful horizontal layer-cake of ancient sedimentary rocks exposed in canyon walls. But Toroweap is about one-hundred miles downstream from the canyon-rim views available to the millions of tourists who come to spend a few hours or perhaps a day or two in GCNP. Out of sight, out of mind!

John Wesley Powell was the first trained scientist to visit and describe whats left of these lava dams, during his 1869 boat-float through Grand Canyon. Since then, many geologists have studied these remnants, in greater detail as new techniques developed to allow increasingly-accurate reconstruction of the dams from the remaining scattered fragments attached to high canyon walls on down to river level. The challenge for geologists is comparable to trying to accurately recognize the scene of a picture puzzle for which more pieces are missing than present. Nonetheless, the number, timing, size, and life-span of lava dams are now fairly well constrained.

The volcanoes at Toroweap number a bit over one-hundred and are within a roughly rectangular tract of ground (called the Uinkaret Volcanic Field) ten miles east/west and twenty miles north/south. All but a couple lie at and up to a few miles north of the canyon rim. Each is a basalt cinder cone in the parlance of geology  a smallish landscape feature in the gallery of volcano types, and characterized as a feeder of a lava flow that may extend many miles down-slope from the cone during an eruption that likely lasts a few years to a decade.

Such cinder-cone-fed lava flows created dams across the Colorado River at least seventeen times  the first about 800,000 years ago, and the most recent about 100,000 years ago. Some lava dams were as tall as their Hoover and Glen Canyon counterparts. The thickest lava dam may have stood nearly 2,000 feet tall ... more than twice the height of Hoover or Glen Canyon. Most lava dams succumbed to erosion within years to centuries, but some likely persisted for millennia. Some dam failures were essentially instantaneous with presumably catastrophic consequences to downstream landscapes and their biota.

Will similar events happen again? A simple yes or no answer is impossible to defend. But the middle-ground of maybe is believable. Those who populate the no side of maybe can find support and comfort from the fact that the most recent lava dam was created so long ago. And by one track of logic this ancient age might indicate, or at least suggest that the Uinkaret Volcanic Field is finished with its dam-building phase. In fact, perhaps the volcanic field is now dead, caput, finished growing, not a threat for future eruptions. Who knows?

Those who populate the yes side of maybe can bolster their opinion with the fact that the youngest eruption in the Uinkaret Volcanic Field scorched a patch of ground there only 900 years ago. That volcano is informally called Little Springs cinder cone. Native Americans lived in the area and likely watched the eruption, presumably feeling some combination of awe, fear, and perhaps reverence for Natures power. Pieces of their pottery became embedded in blobs of molten lava that splashed down upon them and quickly chilled to solid black basalt rock rind.

The lava flow of this eruption did not extend over the rim and into Grand Canyon. But from a geological point of view the Uinkaret Volcanic Field is still active, and maybe, just maybe, the next eruption will spill into the canyon and build a dam that impounds a large lake while millions of Homo sapiens sapiens and their physical accoutrements occupy the downstream landscape all the way to the Sea of Cortez. And maybe, just maybe, this lake will eventually drain catastrophically, as some of the earlier lava dams did ... although human interventions might be able to substantially minimize downstream damage.

Whether or not any of my readers choose to worry about or even consider a catastrophic flood as an existential possibility, the fact is that we people cannot control the lifespans and behaviors of volcanoes. We are spectators. This spectator thinks the possibility of a new lava dam is too big a deal to just get over.

As Will Durant famously opined, Civilization exists by geologic consent  subject to change without notice.

PUBLICATIONS WITH ADDITIONAL PERTINENT INFORMATION

Ryan S. Crow and others (2015): A new model for Quaternary lava dams in Grand Canyon based on 40Ar/39Ar dating, basalt geochemistry, and field mapping: Geosphere, v. 11, no. 5, 38pp. Results of the most recent and comprehensive study of the history of lava dams created by volcanoes of the Uinkaret Volcanic Field.

Gary Hansen (2007): WET DESERT, Tracking down a terrorist on the Colorado River: Hole Shot Press, 363 pp. A novel that describes a chain of events expectable down-stream if Lake Powell were to be suddenly drained by destruction of Glen Canyon Dam.
We do support the separation of church and state, but nonetheless, wed like Warren County supervisors to keep in mind the biblical and sensible injunction against trying to serve two masters.

Supervisors recently rejected a resolution to study alternate forms of county government  specifically, a legislature. Supervisors should have approved a study. What harm could it do?

The study would be undertaken by a committee of citizens, so, unlike other studies the county has had to pay for, it would be free.

The study is needed, primarily because supervisors under the current system are attempting to serve two masters  the town that each one represents and the county.

Most New York counties  40 of them  have legislatures. Only 16, including Warren County, use the board of supervisors system.

Montgomery County made the switch recently from supervisors to legislators. The countys executive, Matthew Ossenfort, told Post-Star reporter Don Lehman that having town supervisors run the county contributed to parochial fighting, because each supervisor was looking out for his or her towns interests instead of thinking about the good of the county.

Horicon Supervisor Matthew Simpson described a switch to a Legislature as creating another layer of government, but hes wrong about that. Warren County wouldnt create a new layer; it would replace the one it has now  supervisors  with a new one  legislators.

Its true that the supervisors on the county board are also running their own towns, but that is a problem not a benefit. When county and town interests conflict, supervisors will favor their towns, because thats where they get elected.

With a county legislature, supervisors could concentrate on tending to their towns, while legislators could do their best for a broader constituency.

Running a little town is a lot of work, and supervisors would be able to do a better job without the county workload also on their desks.

Likewise, we want our county leaders to have the time to consider large decisions, like selling the county nursing home or contracting for a co-gen power plant, they sometimes have to make. One of the problems with the supervisors approval of the co-gen plant, which became a money-losing fiasco for the county, is that none of them took the time to read the contract and make sure they understood it. Few supervisors even read the criminal report that followed, years later.

Under the current system, each supervisor has a vote weighted according to the population of the town he or she represents. Supervisors from towns with more people hold more votes.

Weighted votes are fair and constitutional, but set up a situation in which a small number of supervisors can form a voting bloc that controls the board. For a legislature, districts would be established, with each legislator representing the same number of people and wielding one vote. For a vote to carry, a majority of the board would have to support it.

When the current board votes in committee, it doesnt use weighted votes. That means issues can be killed in committee by supervisors representing a small minority of the countys population. Again, the supervisor system is rooted in provincialism, with the interests of individual towns inevitably coming into conflict with the interests of the county as a whole.

We need county representatives who will make the welfare of the entire county their priority. Supervisors first loyalty will always be to their towns, which is why the Warren County board should at least have a committee study a switch, and give its report their full consideration.

Local editorials represent the opinion of The Post-Stars editorial board, which consists of Publisher Terry Coomes, Editor Ken Tingley, Projects Editor Will Doolittle, Controller/Operations Director Brian Corcoran and citizen representative Tom Portuese.
As NAU President Rita Cheng told an audience Thursday morning when asked about the universitys stance on divestment, Its complicated.

And thats only half of it  maybe even just a quarter.

But instead, student protesters have insisted on a yes/no answer from Cheng on divesting the NAU Foundation of fossil fuel stocks, creating a polarized confrontation instead of the critical inquiry for which an academic institution stands.

IT DOESN'T WORK

Divestment is complicated because every academic study shows it doesnt work. Targeted multinationals dont have trouble getting access to capital, they dont change their business practices, and it doesnt affect their bottom line. Consider that equity markets account for $60 trillion in investments in the U.S. Why do students think a nationwide campaign involving at most $500 billion in university endowments would move the financial needle?

That doesnt mean that coal stocks haven't floundered recently. But it is because of stiff competition from lower-priced shale oil and natural gas, not higher borrowing costs or the fleeing of institutional investors.

RESTRICTED FUNDS

Divestment is complicated because foundations, especially at smaller universities, have a high proportion of restricted funds and students depending on scholarships underwritten by safe, reliable and diversified investment returns. The NAU Foundation has $167 million in assets, of which $66 million is in permanently restricted funds. Its most recent financial statement showed annual investment income of just $3.6 million, one-third as much as it received in new contributions. The latter allowed it to make grants of $9.1 million, mainly for student scholarships, while still growing the foundations principal.

That is not to say that divestment campaigns dont result in some shaming of their targets, be they the apartheid government of South Africa, tobacco companies or fossil-fuel energy companies. It makes it harder to recruit top talent and forces the targets to spend resources on reputational advertising and other repairs. Too bad the NAU students didnt go after the fossil fuel companies directly rather than attempt to shame the president and the nonprofit foundation  do they want to make it harder to raise money for scholarships in exchange for zero impact on greenhouse gas emissions even if the board were to divest?

NOT MORALLY OBVIOUS

Divestment is complicated because it is not, like apartheid, about a morally obvious choice. Fossil-fuel companies are supplying a market demand that cant be met entirely by other fuel sources. The student protesters themselves sat in a building heated and lit by fossil fuel-powered electricity. Energy policy aimed at sustainable use of planetary resources and a habitable climate involves tradeoffs that are, by necessity, incremental unless the economy is to grind to a halt. Isolating divestment as an either/or choice makes for easy targets by ignoring the hard work of negotiation and compromise.

Finally, divestment in higher education is complicated because it is entwined with the larger entrepreneurial mandate placed on state university presidents as general tax dollars are withdrawn. Some call it the corporatization of the university, which may sound harsh. But when the State of Arizona cuts funding per student from $8,500 to $3,500 in less than a decade, there has to be a new business model to make up the difference.

MAXIMIZED RETURNS

NAU students have borne the brunt, seeing tuition double during the same period, and many are particularly vulnerable to sharp price hikes  49 percent of full-time freshmen are the first in their family to attend a four-year college. That means they are less likely to have the family resources to pay the nearly $20,000 a year for tuition, room, board and other expenses. Scholarships and other financial aid are the lifeline that let needy students actually be students instead of working two and three jobs. The new corporate model says maximize investment returns on behalf of a major public good -- affordable education -- while still honoring a sustainability ethos. The divestment campaign, especially at NAU, needs to engage that contradiction constructively, not erect barriers to dialogue with confrontation.

That said, there is room for university leaders to structure the conversation more formally and responsively  passing it off to an institution like the NAU Foundation that meets behind closed doors at the very least sends a message that they are avoiding the issue.

BROADEN THE FOCUS

Divestment campaigners should broaden their focus to what economists see as the two most effective ways to change energy policy and markets: either make fossil-fuel power more expensive or solar and wind energy cheaper  or both. The former can be done through carbon taxes and cap-and-trade systems, but they will require political change in this country and the hard work of voter education and legislation. It worked with tobacco taxes, so it is not impossible. Cheaper renewable energy requires a major ramp-up in research and development, then commercialization, and some of that initial money will probably need to come from the government, similar to NASA and the space race.

Well concede that the NAU divestment protesters have jumpstarted a local conversation, but more about tactics and less about practical solutions. Students committed to a sustainable planet should be prepared to roll up their sleeves and keep them there for the long haul well after they have left NAU. Rather than sit in, they need to stand up for what is a critical  and very complicated -- challenge.
The Rector of the Bolgatanga Polytechnic, Dr Atinga Mba, who disclosed this at the fifth graduation ceremony of the school at the Sumbrungu campus on Saturday, said one of the biggest challenges facing the institution was infrastructure deficit.

"Our most critical needs are well-equipped laboratories, and a lecture theatre complex. We also require an auditorium and many more," he said.

Dr Mba said although the management on its part was working assiduously to put in place some of the infrastructure, academic programmes and the human resource requirements needs for the conversion, it could not do it all.

Part of measures being taken include, the introduction of more Bachelor of Technology programmes in Civil Engineering, Ecological Agriculture, Hotel Catering and Institutional Management, and Procurement and Logistics Management, he said.

According to him, the Polytechnic in 2014 collaborated with the Kumasi Polytechnic to introduce the Bachelor of Technology programme in Accounting with Computing and that the first batch would be completing in June this year.

"We will also strengthen our linkages with industry in the 2016/2017 academic year to enable us meet the requirements for conversion into a Technical University. We have held discussions with some of the Rectors of the Polytechnics whom we shall be collaborating with, this will enable us apply for re-assessment when we meet the conversion criteria," Dr Mba said.

While lauding the efforts of the Government and the Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETFund) for giving the School a good portion of the fund this year as part of preparations towards supporting the school to become a Technical University, the Rector appealed to the Government, the Ghana Education Service and the National Council of Tertiary Education to honour their promise to support in fast-tracking the process that would lead to the upgrading of the institution into a Technical University.

The Rector commended the chiefs and elders of Sumbrungu for releasing 110 acres of land for future expansion of the Polytechnic.

He appealed to the central government, the Savannah Accelerated Development Authority, Members of Parliament and the District Chief Executives to help the school raise money to pay for the land.

The Chairman of the Governing Council of the Polytechnic, Mr Donald Adabre Adabere, called on Polytechnics to be more innovative by introducing demand driven programmes.

He also reiterated the need for Government to support the Bolgatanga Polytechnic and those other Polytechnics that had not yet been converted to enable them meet the criteria for upgrading.

Mr Adabere urged the students to put up brilliant business plans to access the Youth Enterprise Fund to establish their own businesses instead of relying on government for jobs.

In all, 876 students who completed their courses in 2014 and 2015 were awarded with Higher National Diploma certificates in various academic disciplines including Statistics, Accountancy, Management Studies, Management, Agriculture Engineering, Building Technology and Procurement and Logistics.
So far, 102,760 birds had been infected and destroyed in the country since the outbreak of the disease in 2007, which had been reported in Greater Accra, Central, Western, Brong Ahafo and Ashanti regions.

He, therefore, entreated traditional leaders, assembly members, religious bodies and the media to join forces to educate the public on preventive measures to curb its widespread.

Dr Polkuu, who is with the Epidemiology Unit of the VSD, said any country that continued to record bird flu among its poultry population risked being banned by the World Health Organisation and Food and Agriculture Organisation from exporting poultry products to the international market.

He, therefore, called on poultry farmers to promptly report symptoms of the viral disease in their poultry farms to the VSD for laboratory test.

Avian Influenza, commonly called bird flu, is an infectious viral disease of birds which could spread widely within 48 hours resulting in mass deaths of birds such as chicken, ducks, turkey and guinea fowls.

The virus is mostly spread by infected wild birds during seasonal movements, eating infected poultry products as well as getting into contact with infected poultry and importation of poultry products and feed from infected countries.

The disease could also be transmitted among humans with common symptoms such as severe headache, and throat and joint pains, which could result in death.

Dr Polkuu mentioned some common symptoms of the viral disease in birds as sudden and unexpected deaths of poultry in large numbers, pink coloured legs, swollen combs and wattles, ruffled feathers and watery droppings.

Alhaji Abubakar Sufyan, a Public Health Officer at the Health Promotion Unit of the Ghana Health Service, said effective risk communication aided in preventing the widespread of the disease.

He advocated the need for the establishment of social mobilisation committees across metropolitan, municipal and district assemblies to create awareness about the disease, saying; disaster prevention starts when there is no disaster.

The programme was jointly organised by the VSD, the Ghana Health Service and the National Disaster Management Organisation and supported by the United States Agency for International Development.

It provided a platform to share information on the Situational Report of Avian Influenza outbreak in the country, undertake risk communication and social mobilisation training, and raise awareness on the disease to enable the citizenry to understand its implications and be conscious of its existence.
A family member has told Accra-based Adom FM that the body of the deceased was dismembered so they were forced to bury him instantly."We had to put the scattered body parts in a sack to enable us convey it to the cemetery. It is very sad" the family member said.
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"As you celebrate your rights, the NDC joins Ghanaians to commend you for your dedication, sacrifices and commitment to the growth and development of the nations socio-economic and political developments. The NDC will always acknowledge your commitment to social democratic principles and would continue to share in your aspirations towards qualitative improvement of all workers of this country," a statement signed by Johnson Asiedu Nketiah, General Secretary has said.

In Ghana, the day is being marked under the theme: Election 2016: The Role of Workers in Securing Peaceful Elections for National Development.

The ruling NDC has subsequently asked workers "not to relent on their long cherished role of rallying behind the government in its effort to educate Ghanaians on the need to ensure peace before, during and after elections."

Below is the full statement from the NDC:

The National Democratic Congress (NDC) wishes to extend its warmest greetings to Ghanaian workers and congratulates them on the occasion of May Day.

As you celebrate your rights, the NDC joins Ghanaians to commend you for your dedication, sacrifices and commitment to the growth and development of the nations socio-economic and political developments. The NDC will always acknowledge your commitment to social democratic principles and would continue to share in your aspirations towards qualitative improvement of all workers of this country.

We reiterate that our decision to stand for workers is a confirmation of the long and unflinching commitment to uphold the human rights and dignity and, the bond of friendship and respect

which will continually exist between the NDC and a social progressive force like the Trade Union Congress (TUC).

As the nation go to the polls this year, the NDC urges workers not to relent on their long cherished role of rallying behind the government in its effort to educate Ghanaians on the need to ensure peace before, during and after elections.

The NDC salutes Ghanaian workers on this auspicious occasion. Long Live Unionized Labour

Long Live the Ghanaian Worker

Long Live Ghana.

SIGNED
Arase said the current number of policemen in Nigeria is far too inadequate to provide security to all Nigerians.

The expectations of members of the public in Nigeria are many and varied and exceed the resources and support given to the police. Failures on the part of the police are easily observed and widely reported and condemned while achievements of the police are rarely recognized, applauded and rewarded," Arase said.

Speaking further, he said, 'police are in constant contact with dangerous persons and in dangerous situations. The Nigeria Police has remained steadfast to its responsibility of guaranteeing the safety of the lives and property of the citizens even at the risk of their own lives.'
Maj.-Gen. Lucky Irabor, the Theater Commander Operation Lafiya Dole said this while briefing newsmen in Maiduguri.

``I want to inform you that troops of the Operation Lafiya Dole are conducting operations in the heart of Sambisa as we speak.

``The troops are deep into the forest to smoke out Boko Haram terrorists,'' Irabor said.

He said that the troops were led by the General Officer Commanding (GOC) 7 division of the Nigerian Army Maiduguri Brig.-Gen. Victor Ezugwu.

``In fact the GOC 7 division is leading the operations,'' Irabor said declining to give further details.

He said that the troops had also recorded tremendous successes against the terrorists in the last couple of days.

``Following a tip-off, troops intercepted four female suicide bombers approaching from Sambisa in the general area of Jimini-Bolari village. Two unexploded Improvised Explosive Devices on the suicide bombers were safely detonated by our own team.

``Also, a suspected terrorists training camp at Mudallah llage in Dikwa Local Government Area was raided by troops on April 16.

``Consequently, troops made contact and killed a suspected terrorists leader and six others while capturing five of them, during the raid, five vehicles and several terrorists flags were destroyed.''

Irabor said that the troops also rescued over 1,000 civilians held captive by the terrorists.

He said on April 3, troops also launched a fighting patrol to Boboshe, Garna, Kyare, Ginba and Ajiri villages where they recovered eight industrial gas cylinders and five regular gas cylinders, being used in bomb making, at a primary school.

In another operation on April 28 troops in the general area of Bogoro, Duguno 1, 2 and 3 encountered and cleared some terrorists elements around Mmbaraka.

``The troops proceeded to Jadda village where they engaged and killed four terrorists. The patrol team also discovered a big pit where the terrorists used for dumping their victims to die and rot.

``The patrol team later freed some hostages and recovered an AK-47 rifle, 30 rounds of 7.62mm ammunition, 12 rounds of 7.62mm (NATO) ammunition, 14 Dane guns, a motorcycle, two solar panels, 120 liters of diesel, some packets of panadol and a food storage facility.
Okoh made expresed his view at the dedication of St Peters Anglican Church and Vicarage at Paradise Hills Estate, Asokoro, Abuja.

``If we can try and manage what we have until the present economic crisis is over or until the time comes when we say we are out of the woods then we can talk about salary increase.

``If we talk about salary now and we cannot pay even the minimum wage of N18,000 then our problem will increase.

``The government should help in providing facilities such as transport that can make life better instead of asking for increment in salary.

``Increment of salaries in the past has not solved all our problems; I will not support the demand for N56,000 at this time of economic and security crisis , Okoh said.

He further advised the government to try and control the security situation faced in the country.

``The government should also avert a situation where individual communities will be forced to make security arrangements.

``No country can survive such situations so those in leadership position should do anything possible to take perfect control of security issues.

``There is no reason why a group of people will be carrying arms and roaming the countryside while others are at their mercy.
Oluwawole, in a Workers Day celebration message issued in Ado-Ekiti on Saturday by his Media Aide, Mr Stephen Gbadamosi, lauded the resilience of workers across the nation in the face of dwindling revenue.

"I particularly want to praise the resilience of our workforce and the entire citizens of Ekiti State in particular and Nigeria in general.

The resilience and perseverance during the months of economic recession has been legendary and unprecedented.

But I have a message of hope; very soon, I believe we will all heave a sigh of relief.

"On our part as a government in Ekiti State, under the leadership of Gov. Ayo Fayose, we have not been able to sleep with our two eyes since this recession has been having adverse effect on the welfare of the workers.

At the end of the tunnel, we will soon have light. I assure you that we are more committed to making life more meaningful to workers in the state," he said.
The council's Information Officer, Malam Yakubu Abdullahi, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Sunday in Dutse that the incident occurred on Saturday around 4.30 p.m.

He explained that the fire also destroyed household items and a number of animals.

``Fire outbreak has destroyed food stuffs worth N2 million at Mudiga village in Miga local government area.

``The fire originated from one of the cooking gas from one of the houses in the village.

``It consumed 10 local silos containing guinea corn, millet, rice and beans, including household items and animals," he said.

The spokesperson added that the Caretaker Committee Chairman of the council, Alhaji Muhammad Maigari, had already visited the area and commiserated with the victims.
A dependable police source told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that the suspect was the second vice chairman of the National Union of Road and Transport Workers (NURTW), Ajegunle Unit.

``The suspect has over 52 boys in Lagos State who steal and sell ``clean phones to him.

``He confessed to have bought over 4,256 mobile phones from robbers, pickpockets and one-chance gangs operating in the state, the source said.

The commands spokesperson, SP Oladapo Badmos, who confirmed the arrest, said that the suspect, popularly known as ``Elewure was arrested after the arrest and interrogation of two other suspects.

Badmos said that the two suspects, who were also receivers of stolen phones, were arrested in Kogi State, in connection with abduction and robbery cases in Lagos State.

``The operatives had upon returning from a week-long investigation in Port Harcourt, Enugu and Kogi States, swung into action by arresting ``Elewure in his shop at Boundary Market, Ajegunle.

``The suspect was fingered to have been the seller of two Blackberry Z10 phones and a CAT phone collected recently from victims of robbery and abduction cases in the metropolis.

``He claimed to always receive no fewer than 38 `clean phones in a week. He confessed to have been in the business for more than two years," the commands spokesperson said.

``He claimed he knew that the phones he sold were stolen ones, she said.

The spokesperson said that as at the time of arrest, five stolen mobile phones were found in the possession of Bamidele.

Badmos said that the suspect had been assisting the police in its investigations, adding that two commercial buses suspected to be used for robbery operations had been impounded.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the state Chairman of the NLC, Mr Aminu Umar, disclosed this in Sokoto on Sunday at the 2016 May Day Celebrations.

Umar, who was represented by his Deputy, Mr Abubakar Malami, said that the houses will be built in partnership with some private estate developers.

``So far, about 100 hectares of land had been acquired by the company on which the houses would be built including other facilities like clinic, mini market and schools, among others.

``Therefore, I will like to solicit for your continued cooperation in order to help us achieve the set goals of improving the welfare of workers," Umar urged.

He commended the State Government for ensuring the regular payment of salary and the payment of arrears of gratuities to retired civil servants in the state.

Umar further acknowledged the desire and commitment of the state government to improve the lot of the civil servants in the state.

However, he appealed to the state government to look into the plight of retired teachers and workers of local government councils, as well as salary disparity between secondary and primary school teachers.

Umar further urged the state government to implement consolidated salary for legislative staff, as well as introduce a special media salary scale, among other demands.

Gov. Aminu Tambuwal, who was represented by the Secretary to the State Government, Prof. Bashir Garba, said that no society can develop without a functional, robust, motivated and dedicated civil service.

Tambuwal also pledged to sustain the prompt payment of salary and pensions, as well as uplifting the general welfare of the citizenry.
One unique feature about the industry is the way practitioners acquire monikers by just playing a particular role which will leave memorable moments in the minds of movie lovers.

Pulse brings you 23 popular Nollywood stars that have become synonymous for a particular role that has in turn given them monikers/nicknames.

Ann Njemanze (Domitila)

Ann Njemanze became a household name after starring as the lead actress in the 1996 blockbuster Domitila. The character, Domitila, played by Njemanze became a moniker fans and even industry watchers refer to her.

Ronke Odusanya (Flakky Ididowo)

Bosomy actress, Ronke Odusanya was relatively known even after starring in a movie with late Francis Agu in early 2000s. However, luck smiled on her after she starred in few Yoruba movies and caught the attention of Fathia Balogun, who casted her for the lead role of Folake in the flick Flakky Ididowo. The character has since remained her moniker in the industry.

Susan Patrick (Sakobi)

Susan Patrick had been a regular face in the Nollywood industry since her entrance in the late 90s but her fame shot to high heaves after she played the role of a snake girl in the movie Sakobi. Produced by Zeb Ejiro, the Akwa Ibom State indigene will for a long time be remembered as Sakobi, a decade after the movie hit the public glare.

Olaniyi Afonja (Sanyeri)

Olaniyi Afonja had remained in Oyo State, where he had been an apprentice under his boss and head of a theatre group. He however found his way to Lagos and began going to movie locations where he found himself mini roles. He was known as Sanyeri and the name stuck with him without relevance until he made his big break few years back. The moniker has since become his second name.

Ronke Ojo Anthony (Ronke Oshodi Oke)

Ronke Ojo began her movie career with a drama group called Star Parade under the tutorship of Fadeyi Oloro but became a household name after starring in a movie entitled Oshodi Oke. She played the character of a bosomy lady in the movie and because she had remained bosomy, the name, Oshodi Oke, had stuck to her like a second skin.

Toyin Afolayan (Lola Idije)

Toyin Afolayan remains one of the Nollywood stars to get a moniker that has stuck with her after playing a movie character. The name Lola Idije came to be after Toyin starred in an Alade Aromire movie where she played the role of a promiscuous lady, who was referred to as Lola Idije.

Basorge Tariah Jr. (Do Good)

Basorge Tariah was an all round entertainer long before now. And not many know that his new TV series, Do Good, was actually borne out of his character in the popular TV soap, Palace, which was produced and directed by Ralph Nwadike and Tunji Bamishigbin. Many still refer to the comedian, rapper and actor as Do Good.

Funlola Aofiyebi Raimi (Eniola Baker)

Mention the name Eniola Baker and Tinsel actress, Funlola Aofiyebi Raimi will reply with a warm smile that leaves her with fond memories of her role as the daughter of Chief Bakers in the rested TV soap, Palace. Shes still referred to that name by lovers of the rested soap.

Toyin Adegbola (Asewo To Re Mecca)

Toyin Adegbola became one of the most sought after actress in Nollywood after she appeared in a Yoruba flick entitled Asewo To Re Mecca. She starred as the lead actress in the movie, which narrated the life of a prostitute that turned a new leaf and went on the Muslim pilgrimage. She is still referred to as Asewo To Re Mecca by many.

Yemi Adeyemi (Suara)

The name Yemi Adeyemi will certainly not ring a single bell but at the mention of Suara, then eyes will lighten up with memories of Wale Adenuga produced series, SuperStory: Oh Father Oh Daughter. Adeyemi got the role of Chief Suara, who dumped his wife, Bukky Wright and family for Sola Sobowale aka Toyin Tomato. Hes still known and recognized as that by many members of the public.

Hafiz Oyetoro (Saka)

At the mention of the name Saka, lovers of Nigeria TV ads and movies will reel out laughing as his moniker has since become a household name. However, only a few knows that Hafiz Oyetoro got his moniker from his role as Simply Saka in a Greg Odutayo produced sitcom, House A-part.

Sam Dede (Isakaba)

Sam Dede had always been a popular face in the movie industry but his fame and a moniker was added to his personality after he took up the lead role in the movie Isakaba. Many of his fans fondly remember him as the leader of Isakaba group.

Funke Akindele (Jenifa)

When Funke Akindele got into the Nigerian movie industry, she was well known for her role as the nosy young girl in the series, I Need To Know. However, her fame and an additional moniker was to join her after she starred and co-produced the award winning blockbuster, Jenifa. Not did Funke only made money, fame and name for herself but also got herself an evergreen moniker, Jenifa.

Eniola Badmus (Gbogbo Big Girls)

Just as Funke Akindele made name, money and fame for herself with the production of Jenifa, so also did the moniker, Gbogbo Big Girls stuck on Eniola Badmus, who also starred in the movie alongside Ireti Osayemi, Ronke Odusanya, Iyabo Ojo and Bimbo Thomas.

Razaq Olayiwola (Ojopagogo)

For lovers of movies rendered in Yoruba language, the name Ojopagogo is not only a moniker that has become popular in the movie industry but one synonymous with the son-in-law to late movie maker cum actor, Ade Afolayan aka Ade Love. Born Razaq Olayiwola, the actor got his moniker after playing the role of an elderly man in a movie many years back.

Taiwo Hassan (Ogogo)

Taiwo Hassan is one of the famous actors in Nollywood as a whole. Aside for his popularity in the Yoruba race, where his movies are mostly admired, his moniker  which was gotten from a character he once played  has become a household name in the country. At the mention of Ogogo, the dark skinned and mettle man readily comes to your mind.

Bimpe Adekola (Ireti)

Late movie actress, Bimpe Adekolas name might not ring bell a decade after her death but at the mention of Ireti, memories of her acting prowess and characters she had played readily comes to mind. She became popular with the role of Ireti and also adhered to the moniker all through her life and career.

Alex Usifo (Abass Omiagbo)

Brilliant actor, Alex Usifo has remained a spectacular actor from the late 80s when he became popular for his stern looking roles. He, however, joined the long list of actors that got their monikers from a role they played in a movie or soap opera. For Usifo, he is known by many as Abass Omiagbo, the role he played and which also earned his undoubted fame in the TV soap, Ripples.

Babatunde Omidina (Babasuwe)

Only a handful of fans and movie lovers know the origin of Babtunde Omidinas moniker, Babasuwe. Unknown to many, the moniker, like many of his colleagues, stuck to him like a second skin after he played the role of a father to his first wife, who was named Suwe in the TV series entitled Erinkeke. As Suwes father, Omidina was often referred to as Baba Suwe (Suwes dad) and the name has became his moniker, which he cant afford to change.

Bolaji Amusan (Mr Latin)

Bolaji Amusan was just one of the regular actors from Abeokuta until he was able to breakthrough into the mainstream after many viewers got tired of BabaSuwes comedy style. With the role as Mr Latin in a Yoruba flick, Amusan quickly rose to one of the well loved comic acts in movies and

Ishola Durojaiye (Alasari)

Just like Mr. Latin, the late Ishola Durojaiye also got himself a moniker after playing the role of a herbalist in a movie with the name, Alasari. His brilliance earned him a face and the name ultimately became his moniker.

Kabirat Kafidipe (Araparegangan)

Revered Nigerian filmmaker, Tunde Kelani is known to have been original when casting individuals and names for his movies and when Kabirat Kafidipe was casted as Araparegangan in the hit movie, Saworo Ide, it instantly became a moniker to refer the actress with by fans and even industry watchers.

Kunle Afolayan (Aresejabata)

Until his rise to fame and fortune, many referred to Kunle Afolayan as Arese or Aresejabata, which was the role he played in Tunde Kelanis movie, Saworo Ide.

Adekola Tijani (Kamilu Kompo)

Adekola Tijani rose to fame simultaneously with his buddy, Olaniyi Afonja aka Sanyeri. But while Sanyeri stuck with Adonja, it took Adekola a self produced flick entitled Kamilu Kompo to earn himself a moniker that will stick with him throughtout the entirety of his career. Hes widely referred to as Kamilu Kompo.

Fausat Balogun (Madam Saje)
Audu, who was on his third pastoral visit to St. Martin`s Catholic Church, Masaka, appealed to relatives of the new couples to allow them to build their marriages.

``As newly wedded couples, you must love each other just as Christ Jesus loved the church and died to set souls free.

``You must respect each other's feelings; care for each other, share views and reason together in peace and unity.

``You must not allow a third party to come into your matter; always invite God to intervene in your case.

``Ensure that you are coordinated in all your dealings and make the word of God your standard, your pillar, your faith and your hope.

``If you can keep these entire commandments, your marriage will be perfect and other couples will want to copy from you, he said.

He said that the confirmation and the blessings the members received would energise them to evangelise to people and win more souls into the kingdom of God.

Audu said that confirmation in the Catholic Church was the sacrament which reaffirmed a persons status in the church.

He advised the members who were confirmed to keep doctrines of the Catholic Church and ensure that they carried out responsibilities given to them diligently.

``The Catholic Church sees confirmation as a rite in which grace falls on the person confirmed as they announce their commitment to God and the Church, he said.

Earlier, Rev. Fr. Jude Maigari, Parish Priest of the parish, said that the mass wedding was a culture imbibed by the church to enable couples with little finances wed in the church.
Finding Peace of Mind: Discover These Five Places in Europe to Unwind
In 1970, only about 1 in 10 people in the Quad-Cities had a four-year college degree.

At the time, that wasn't a big problem. Manufacturing jobs, such as at Farmall, Caterpillar and Deere & Co., were plentiful. But as we heard throughout the 1990s and beyond, boosting education levels was needed to compete on the global stage.

Forty-five years later, 1 in 4 Quad-Citians over the age of 25 has a four-year degree, upward of 70,000 people.

Still, it's not enough.

Today's fast-changing, technology-infused economy is demanding more of the people who want to take part in it. They may not have to get a four-year degree, but just gathering up a high school diploma and heading straight out to the job market is often not enough.

It was with this in mind that about 150 people got together last week at the Quad-Cities Waterfront Convention Center in Bettendorf to begin working toward meeting a goal of ensuring that 6 out of 10 Quad-Citians, by the year 2025, have some sort of post-high school degree, certificate or other high-quality educational credential.

It's a goal that must be met to compete, officials say.

"We're in a talent war with the rest of the world, the rest of the country, with other states," Don Doucette, the chancellor of Eastern Iowa Community Colleges, told the group at the convention center last week.

Made up of people from business, education and government, the people gathered at the convention center were charged with coming up with ideas to move the Quad-Cities closer to that 60 percent goal. The gathering was part of an initiative utilizing a $200,000 Lumina Foundation grant awarded in 2013.

Area colleges, the United Way of the Quad-Cities Area and the Quad-Cities Chamber of Commerce are partners in the initiative.

The Indianapolis-based foundation has set this as a nationwide goal of 60 percent by 2025, warning that the U.S. is lagging behind its global competitors and needs to catch up.

But it's not just global competitors that are racing down the field. Just three hours away, in the Des Moines metro area, 45 percent of the population over 25 years old has a two- or four-year college degree or higher.

In the Quad-Cities, about 35 percent have those degrees. And as population data clearly show, it is Des Moines that is growing far more than its neighbors across the state.

To get to 60 percent will mean not just making higher education more affordable, officials at the conference said. It also will hinge a great deal on keeping students already attending school in the classroom long enough that they can walk away with a degree.

That means more than just keeping them engaged in their subjects. Today's students have demands that go beyond the classroom. Of the 17.6 million undergraduates, 75 percent are juggling work, family and school responsibilities, said James Applegate, executive director of the Illinois Board of Higher Education, a speaker at the conference.

The carefree student lounging on the quad before the next class is, increasingly, not the norm.

"That's a very different ballgame from the one that we're used to playing," Applegate said.

That was evident at a midday work session, where three dozen people, mostly educators, got together to talk about helping students get over non-academic barriers.

They all knew the economic hurdles. About half of Scott Community College students qualify for Pell grants, which go to students with limited incomes, said Jan Dolan, who advises students at Eastern Iowa Community Colleges. But the competing priorities of work and raising a family also are serious obstacles, too, as are issues that aren't traditionally associated with college students, including troubled surroundings when they were growing up and mental health issues.

"Depression is real," said Ryan Saddler, director of student disability services at St. Ambrose University.

Organizers of last week's session also said that, to reach the 60 percent goal, also means reaching out to people who live below the poverty line, which for an individual is income of $11,880 per year. For a family of four, it's $24,300.

Data from Eastern Iowa Community Colleges said about 62 percent of Quad-Citians above the poverty line have post-secondary degrees of some kind. But for those below that line, it's 45 percent.

The largest group of people who need post-secondary training currently have jobs, Doucette added. "And some of them are quite happy and quite successful at jobs that may not be here in 10 years."

He cited welders, which he said the area still needs. But in the event some of those jobs go away, "What are those guys going to do? What are those women going to do?" he asked. "We have to be prepared for that."

College officials say that they are going to take what was discussed last Thursday, along with recommendations from a handful of working groups  which included things such as establishing closer ties between education and industry, developing better systems for spreading resources and using branding to infuse the community with the 60 percent by 2025 goal  and then figure out what comes next.

"Our aspirations are really quite simple," Doucette said. "We want to improve educational attainment. We want to make sure we have a skilled workforce necessary to support the prosperity we seek, and part of that is we need to reduce poverty. Those are the issues facing us."
With traditional songs and classical and folk dances spiced with a touch of Bollywood and plenty of food, the Quad-City Telugu Sangham, or Telugu Association, celebrated Ugadi at Pleasant Valley High School on Saturday.

As Bhogalingeswara Rao Chimpidi explains, Ugadi is the New Year for those of Telugu and Kannadigas heritage in India.

But it is more than just the celebration of the New Year, Chimpidi said. It is a celebration of a new era, a new beginning, a new life.

There is much religious significance tied to the celebration, he said.

The celebration falls on different days each year at the end of March or early April because the Hindi calendar is lunisolar, Chimpidi said. This year, the day fell on April 8, but the celebration could not be held until now because this is the first time a place for the celebration was open.

There are about 250 families of Telugu heritage in the Quad-Cities who are members of the association, but many people from outside the area attended the celebration, he said.

Telugu is a south-central Dravidian language primarily spoken by 75 million people in the state of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana in India, he said.

Padmaja Pillutla, an associate professor of finance at Western Illinois University, said she and her husband, Arun, who is a business professor at St. Ambrose University, understand Hindi but their native language is Telugu.

Both languages have Sanskrit as a base, but they are different, she said. Telugu is one of the oldest languages spoken.

Pillutlas daughter Amulya, 14, said she is learning to read and write Telugu, but they do watch a lot of Bollywood at home. Because those movies are in Hindi, she said, Amulya turns to Mom and Dad for translation because they speak both languages.

As the celebration continued, performers young and old took the stage to entertain the crowd that topped 500 people.

Nisha Karthik, who choreographed many of the performances, kept an eye on the stage. While many of the dances were traditional, there was a contemporary touch, along with some Bollywood.

I always have a blend of dances, Karthik said. The three main areas this time were Indian folk, rock n' roll with Indian folk and classical and Bollywood. Weve got a crowd here that loves Bollywood.

Aruna Annavajjula was one of two people overseeing the food. Each packet came with what is known as Ugadi Pachadi.

This sauce has the six flavors the tongue can distinguish, and each is a symbol of the emotions, the joys and the sorrows of life, Annavajjula said. There is bitterness for sadness, sweetness for happiness, pepper for its heat signifying anger, salt for fear, sourness for disgust and tang for surprise, she said.

Ramagopal Vedula, a project manager at Deere & Co., has two sons ages 12 and 15. It is important they understand the culture and history, which is why attending celebrations such as Ugadi is so important.

Otherwise, the culture eventually will be lost, he said.

Moline neurosurgeon Vasan Purighalla has provided many opportunities to the Telugu communitys youth, including sponsoring a school where the children can learn the language.

Its not just for the youth but for the grandparents, Purighalla said. When our children go back to our home to visit, their grandparents need to be able to understand them, and the children need to be able to understand their grandparents. It makes the experience with grandma and grandpa that much more special.

Arun Pillutla said that knowing ones history and language is important to ones future.

If you dont know your history, youre unhinged, he said. By knowing our history, everyone here knows what is expected of them, now and in the future.
Foreign policy does not determine American elections. Indeed, of all Western countries, we are the least interested in the subject. The reason is simple: We haven't had to be. Our instinctive isolationism derives from our geographic exceptionalism. As Bismarck once explained (it is said), the United States is the most fortunate of all Great Powers, bordered on two sides by weak neighbors and on the other two by fish.

Two world wars, nuclear missiles and international terrorism have disabused us of the illusion of safety-by-isolation. You wouldn't know it, though, from the Democratic presidential race where foreign policy has been treated as a nuisance, a distraction from such fundamental questions as whether $12 or $15 is the proper minimum wage.

On the Republican side, however, foreign policy has been the subject of furious debate. To which Donald Trump has contributed significantly, much of it off-the-cuff, contradictory and confused. Hence his foreign policy speech on Wednesday. It was meant to make him appear consistent, serious and presidential.

He did check off the required box -- delivering a "major address" to a serious foreign policy outfit, the Center for the National Interest (once known as the Nixon Center). As such, it fulfilled a political need.

As did its major theme, announced right at the top: America First. Classically populist and invariably popular, it is nonetheless quite fraught. On the one hand, it can be meaningless -- isn't every president trying to advance American interests? Surely Truman didn't enter the Korean War for the sake of Koreans, but from the conviction that intervention was essential for American security.

On the other hand, America First does have a history. In 1940, when Britain was fighting for its life and Churchill was begging for U.S. help, it was the name of the group most virulently opposed to U.S. intervention. It disbanded -- totally discredited -- four days after Pearl Harbor.

The irony is that while President Obama would never use the term, it is the underlying theme of his foreign policy -- which Trump constantly denounces as a series of disasters. Obama, like Trump, is animated by the view that we are overextended and overinvested abroad. "The nation that I'm most interested in building is our own," declared Obama in his December 2009 West Point address on Afghanistan.

This is also the theme of Bernie Sanders. No great surprise. Left and right isolationism have found common cause since the 1930s. Socialist Party leader Norman Thomas often shared the platform with Charles Lindbergh at America First rallies.

Both the left and right have a long history of advocating American retreat and retrenchment. The difference is that liberals want to come home because they think we are not good enough for the world. Conservatives want to wash their hands of the world because they think the world is not good enough for us.

For Obama, we are morally unworthy to act as world hegemon. Our hands are not clean. He's gone abroad confessing our various sins -- everything from the Iranian coup of 1953 to our unkind treatment of Castro's Cuba to the ultimate blot, Hiroshima, a penitential visit to which Obama is currently considering.

Trump would be rightly appalled by such a self-indicting trip. His foreign policy stems from a proud nationalism that believes that these recalcitrant tribes and nations are unworthy of American expenditures of blood and treasure.

This has been the underlying view of conservative isolationism from Lindbergh through Pat Buchanan through Rand Paul. It is not without its attractions. Trump's version, however, is inconsistent and often contradictory. After all, he pledged to bring stability to the Middle East. How do you do that without presence, risk and expenditures (financial and military)? He attacked Obama for letting Iran become a "great power." But doesn't resisting that automatically imply engagement?

More incoherent still is Trump's insistence on being unpredictable. An asset perhaps in real estate deals, but in a Hobbesian world American allies rely on American consistency, often as a matter of life or death. Yet Trump excoriated the Obama-Clinton foreign policy for losing the trust of our allies precisely because of its capriciousness. The tilt toward Iran. The red line in Syria. Canceling the East European missile defense. Abandoning Hosni Mubarak.

Trump's scripted, telepromptered speech was intended to finally clarify his foreign policy. It produced instead a jumble. The basic principle seems to be this: Continue the inexorable Obama-Clinton retreat, though for reasons of national self-interest, rather than of national self-doubt. And except when, with studied inconsistency, he decides otherwise.
SPRINGFIELD  When it comes to state income taxes, Illinois is something of an outlier.

Of the 43 states that tax personal income, Illinois is one of only eight that charge residents the same rate regardless of how much they earn. As the Democratic-controlled General Assembly and Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner continue to labor over passing a budget for the current year and addressing the state's long-term deficits, there's a renewed push to overhaul the tax structure.

Doing away with the flat income tax could go a long way toward helping the state ease its chronic fiscal woes, tax policy experts say, but they have some concerns about the graduated income tax proposal currently under consideration at the Capitol.

Before lawmakers can introduce a system that taxes wealthier residents at a higher rate, they'll have to approve a proposed amendment to the state Constitution by three-fifths majorities in the House and Senate and win voter approval at the ballot box in November. The deadline for lawmakers to approve amendments is this week.

Contingent on approval of the amendment, Rep. Lou Lang, D-Skokie, has proposed a new structure that would lower taxes for more than 99 percent of taxpayers while raising the rate on individual income of more than $1 million from 3.75 percent to 9.75 percent. The plan would bring in an additional $1.9 billion in annual revenue, supporters estimate.

Don Fullerton, a tax policy expert and the associate director of the Institute of Government and Public Affairs at the University of Illinois, said the state's flat tax "is a little bit of an anachronism."

"It's normal to have some kind of graduated rate," said Fullerton, who worked in the U.S. Treasury Department under President Ronald Reagan.

In general, it's a good idea to consider when the state is short on revenue, he said, adding that a graduated system eases the burden on lower-income taxpayers while drawing in more revenue from those who have more disposable income.

That said, Fullerton thinks the upper end of Lang's proposal may be asking too much.

Kim Rueben, senior fellow at the Urban-Brookings Tax Policy Center in Washington, agrees on both counts.

"Having a graduated income tax makes sense, but I would think that you don't necessarily want to immediately go to one of the most graduated income taxes that we see in the country," Rueben said.

Lang's proposal would lower the rate from 3.75 percent to 3.5 percent for individuals earning less than $100,000 a year and families earning less than $200,000. The rates would be 3.75 percent on individual income between $100,000 and $500,000 and family income between $200,000 and $750,000; 8.75 percent on individual income between $500,000 and $1 million and family income between $750,000 and $1.5 million; and 9.75 percent on income above those ranges.

Rueben said it might make more sense to have a smaller increase at the top of the scale and also raise rates on individuals earning between $100,000 and $500,000.

"You're leaving a fair amount of money that should probably be taxed," she said.

Critics of Lang's plan, most notably the Illinois Chamber of Commerce, argue that rates would hurt the many small businesses that pay taxes at the personal rather than the corporate rate.

The Tax Foundation, a conservative-leaning group based in Washington, held a news conference at the Capitol last week to announce that the proposal would drop Illinois from 23rd to 48th on its state business tax climate index.

Lang was quick to respond that nearly three-quarters of Illinois business pay at the personal rate and that more than 90 percent of them earn $200,000 a year or less, meaning they would see a tax cut under his plan.

Matt Gardner, executive director of the left-leaning Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy, said adopting a graduated income tax would go "right to the heart of the state's budget woes."

"There's a chronic revenue need, and anything that raises substantial revenues is going to make it easier for the state's budget process going forward," Gardner said.
Josh Ripley and Rudi McDaniels have developed lots of restaurant savvy over the years.

Last year, they dipped their toes in the restaurant business waters, leasing the popular Desperados Cowboy Restaurant in Hill City.

Buoyed by what they said was a successful summer, they decided to jump in with both feet, buying the real estate and business from owner and founder Dan Dickey.

It was really busy, busier than we ever really thought it would be, McDaniels said.

Desperados, now under their new ownership, opens today at 301 Main St., across from Hill City Elementary School.

Ripley, a graduate of Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts in the Twin Cities, has 13 years of restaurant experience.

McDaniels brings her business management training from Western Dakota Technical Institute and plenty of front-of-house experience as a hostess at restaurants in Minnesota and South Dakota.

McDaniels said new menu items are planned. Their most popular dishes are walleye and a chefs favorite, porterhouse pork chops. Their main focus, she said, is to not mess with success.

A lot of our staff is returning and thats always a good thing, McDaniels said. We want to keep up that good reputation and the rustic cowboy atmosphere.

Hours will be 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., seven days a week, she said. For more information, call 574-2959.

Burger King facelift

Another eatery in the Black Hills is getting a new look.

Brad Hansen, operations director of Burger King of the Black Hills, said the Burger King on West Lazelle Street in Sturgis was completely gutted.

It wont be anything like it was before, Hansen said.

Construction crews lopped about 6- to 8-feet off the front of the restaurant to allow reconfiguring of the entrance to the parking lot and access to the drive-through lane, alleviating what was a pinch-point in the driveway.

The interior will add a second order station and new decor similar to Burger Kings recently renovated location on East North Street in Rapid City, he said.

The restaurant is slated to fully re-open on May 5, but the drive-through may be up and running starting this week, Hansen said.

Discovery Kids coming

On the other side of Sturgis, a child-care center, Discovery Kids University, will break ground on a new facility at 10 a.m. Tuesday, according to a news release from the Sturgis Economic Development Corporation.

Iverson Construction of Sturgis will build a 6,000-square-foot building and an accompanying 5,000 square-foot-outdoor play area at the corner of Old Stone Road and Starline Drive in southeast Sturgis.

Discovery Kids University will offer South Dakota child-care licensed services, including pre-kindergarten and after-school care for up to 120 children.

The center will also offer tutoring, music, and family advocacy and wellness classes, along with an on-site family and child therapist.

The facility will employ 20 to 25 full-time employees and 10 part-time certified staff, the release said. Extended hours of operation will be from 5 a.m. to 7:30 p.m., Monday through Friday.

Sturgis Mayor Mark Carstensen and SEDC president Pat Kurtenbach both identified more child-care options as crucial to supporting increased housing and business recruitment in Sturgis.

In meeting with several area employers, it was readily apparent that more child care services were needed to support their recruitment and retention efforts. Also, we want to make sure that we are doing all we can to support the substantial investment by developers in new housing, Kurtenbach said in a release. Adding the type of child-care services offered by Discovery Kids University will insure Sturgis continues to encourage growth and offer a family-oriented lifestyle.

Discovery Kids University is scheduled to open in August.
A court has jailed two teachers in southern Bangladesh for making derogatory comments about Islam and the Prophet Muhammad, invoking a rare law from the British colonial era that makes insulting any religion a crime.

The case began when students at Hijla High School in Bagerhat district complained that the assistant teacher of a science class Sunday dismissed the Quran as the word of Allah and said there was no heaven, Magistrate Anwar Parvez told the Associated Press late Tuesday.

The students, aged 17 to 18, along with others from a nearby, Islamic school became incensed when the high school's head teacher backed up his colleague. A mob including students, parents and villagers attacked the teachers with sticks, forcing them to lock themselves in a room until police intervened, Parvez said.

"The situation went out of control," Parvez said, adding the mob "wanted to take law in their hands."

The magistrate of the quick-ruling court said the assistant teacher pleaded guilty to publicly insulting religion, and the two were sentenced to six months behind bars.

The law against insulting religion, imposed when Britain ruled the Indian Subcontinent, is rarely used and aimed at preventing communal clashes and inciting violence.

The Muslim-majority country  politically fractured between secularists and those wanting Islamic rule  has been roiled by an ongoing wave of deadly attacks on atheist writers, religious minorities and activists over the last two years.

On Monday night, a gang of young men stabbed two men to death in Dhaka, including the editor of a gay rights magazine who also worked for the U.S. Agency for International Development.

It was the fifth such killing this year, after nine were cut down in 2015. International governments including the United States and aid groups have implored the Bangladeshi government to do more to safeguard free speech and protect members of civil society.
Since I was a child, Ive wanted to see the world. I love exploring new places and learning new things. Ive spent a lot of time traveling across the United States, but recently, I returned from my first international excursion, a 15-day trip across Europe.

The extensive stay included stops in Paris, France; Rome, Venice and Florence in Italy; and London, England. Including a few day trips outside our main destinations, I visited nine cities total. With our non-stop trip in which we walked on average of eight miles a day, I saw what usually takes several trips to see throughout Europe.

And there is only one word that describes my experience: Surreal.

The best planning advice for a trip like this is to pack the right friends. Kidding. Well, sort of.

My friend Stephanie booked and planned the entire trip for eight people. After booking the trip through Living Social, she spent months researching restaurants, monuments and transportation methods. I am forever grateful for her.

We spent a few days in my favorite city, New York, before jetting over to Europe. And after prayers for safe travel and that all eight of us would get along for 15 days straight, we were off to Paris.

Paris was one of my favorites. The first thing on our agenda was to see the Tour de Eiffel, or Eiffel Tower. The moment I saw the Eiffel Tower, it really clicked in me that I was in Europe. I was seeing one of the seven wonders and visiting a city I had only dreamed of visiting. We rode to the top of the Eiffel Tower and looked out over the lights of the city.

Other stops in Paris included the Louvre, soaking in its many levels of ancient artwork, clothing and artifacts. You could spend a week in Paris and not see the entirety of the Louvre. The Mona Lisa was a highlight; however, its much smaller than youd think, at least when you compare it to some of the other massive Renaissance paintings.

We visited Notre Dame Cathedral, Sainte Chapelle, and the dungeon where Marie Antoinette was held prisoner before her execution. The rich history amazed me more and more with each place we visited. Each cathedral and castle, whether its the marble columns, the stained glass windows or the painted ceilings were intricate and gorgeous.

The Arc de Triumph was spectacular. At the top, the Eiffel Tower poked up from the skyline as we overlooked the grand avenue of Paris. We witnessed a ceremony where the French army honored its unknown soldiers. Marching up the street, they sang the French national anthem; it was exciting to be a part of the culture.

Our French excursion also included a trip to the singularly spectacular Palace of Versailles, the home of Louie XIV, to learn how the better half lived in the early 1700s. We also visited the catacombs in Paris. Its not a sight for those faint of heart. And thats all I will divulge.

The food in Paris was ideal. I splurged on macaroons every day, and my favorite meal was a roasted rooster in red wine sauce. I also tried escargot, and if you like mussels, youll love snails.

Our last night in Paris we reminisced on our trip so far and prepared to travel to Rome the next day. And if I told you all I saw in Rome in three days, you wouldnt believe me.

Public transportation is a catastrophe in Rome, and they do not have a subway system. Every time they would begin to dig underground tunnels, theyd stumble onto more ancient ruins.

So, we hired a driver to take us around the city. We had our driver from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and in that time we hit just about every spot in Rome. We drove through the ancient gates that the Romans passed through centuries ago. I threw a coin into the Trevi Fountain, walked up the Spanish steps and along an ancient Roman road, and saw the exact spot where Julius Caesar was killed.

On day two, we went to the Coliseum. The Coliseum is massive and amazes me by what the ancient cultures were able to construct, even if it was for rather barbaric purposes. We also spent time at the Vatican, and admired the timeless work of Michelangelo in the Sistine Chapel. When touring the Vatican, and indeed most of the other sights across Europe, dont forget to look up. The ceilings and the architecture of the buildings are works of art themselves.

Looking out over the Castel SantAngelo and watching the sun set behind St. Peters Basilica, I had to admit a Roman sunset rivals that of western South Dakotas.

Italian food is fantastic, but it was the gelato that stole my heart. I ate two to three times a day throughout Italy. Its a food group.

After Rome, we ventured to Florence for two days. Florence was picturesque and exactly what I needed after spending three days in bustling Rome. It rained our first day, but that didnt stop us from walking to the Plaza de Michelangelo and look out over the vast city and the Amo River. The food was glorious and we ended up eating at the same restaurant several times during our stay, and felt almost like locals by the end of the trip.

Florence is also part of Tuscany (wine country) and we took a day trip to Sienna, San Gimignamo and Pisa. We dined upon perfect food until we could barely move at a local vineyard and organic farm. After tasting the Worlds Best Gelato, (it has awards) we took required cheesy pictures in front of the Leaning Tower of Pisa.

Although we covered a lot, Florence offered a slower pace for our trip, and we were able to enjoy the culture and scenery of Italy and the small surrounding villages.

Venice was up next. Located throughout a series of small islands, we took a water taxi through the canals to islands including Murano and Burano. Venice is bustling and full of life. Its streets are narrow and windy and it is easy to get lost in the city (which we did). But getting lost is exactly what you want to do in Italy. We stumbled upon candy shops, bookstores, gelaterias, and other unique shops we may have missed if we stayed close to the Grand Canal.

On the second day in Venice we took a water taxi to the island of Murano and watched a glass blowing seminar. If youve heard of Murano glass, its made in Murano, Italy, and the artists were able to craft statues of horses, giraffes and other intricate artwork in a matter of minutes.

The tiny island of Burano was spectacular with its windy streets and the most colorful houses. Bright blues, purples, pinks and greens lined the streets as people freely walked along the narrow canals and across the short foot bridges to take pictures and enjoy authentic Italian food.

The last leg of our trip was spent in London. After a delayed flight from Venice to Paris, we didnt get into London until late in the evening. The English were some of the friendliest Europeans and I will admit, I greatly enjoyed being called Love in an English accent.

We immediately went to eat in a local pub, ordering a pint and the fish and chips. Soaking in the environment and relaxing was one of my favorite moments in London.

Since we only had one day to explore London, we switched into high(er) gear. We covered all of London from Buckingham Palace to Big Ben to the Tower Bridge. I enjoyed walking through Hyde Park to the Princess Diana Memorial, as well as riding the London Eye, the second tallest Ferris Wheel in the world as the sun set over London. I stood on the London Bridge, and contrary to popular belief, it did not fall down.

Our last night was spent at another local pub, watching "futbol" with the locals. London was one of my favorites, and perhaps, it was because it didnt feel as touristy as some of the other locations I visited. It is one of the cities I plan to return to.

The long flight back to New York City left us exhausted and craving hot wings and a good ole hamburger. We indulged in both.

I was told traveling abroad would change me, and I was hesitant to believe I would come back feeling like a different person, unless you count the 10-plus pounds I gained from indulging in the spectacular pasta, pastries, and wine. After all, wine was often cheaper than water.

As I returned home to South Dakota, I was appreciative for the simplicity my life often offers me, but I missed the culture and the liveliness each day in Europe provided.

It wont be long until I find my next adventure and I cannot wait to see what else the world has to show me.
Like many veteran workers in the boom-and-bust energy industry, Matt Rolph and Sean Natchke could see the black cloud of economic uncertainty looming over the Great Plains energy industry, and it became a storm of bad news that ultimately cost them their jobs in the Wyoming coal fields.

Now, the two men who are suddenly out of work say the ripple effect from last months layoffs of 465 workers in the Powder River Basin will extend far beyond eastern Wyoming.

I dont think the people in South Dakota realize how big of a hit this is going to be to the economy over here, said Rolph, a Newell resident who was one of 230 employees laid off at Arch Coal's Black Thunder Mine near Wright, Wyo., on March 31.

A third of the guys and girls I work with are from South Dakota. These layoffs are going to hit western South Dakota, too, he said.

Natchke, from Sturgis, also received a pink slip from Black Thunder. He said severance packages will help displaced employees buy time to find new employment, but he also believes the loss of jobs in the energy sector will be felt far and wide across the regional economy.

Things are going to start tightening up if we cant find a decent job, or even a job that remotely pays that much, Natchke said.

Something had to give, they said, with plummeting demand for low-sulphur coal used to generate electrical power.

Energy analysts cited increased environmental regulation of coal, cheap natural gas as an alternative fuel, slumping demand for coal overseas, especially in China, and an unseasonably warm winter contributing to a surplus of coal and a downturn in production.

Production has been down for a while but the last six months were real bad, Rolph said.

That layoffs occurred was no surprise. More shocking was the timing of Arch and Peabody, two of the largest coal companies in the world, in announcing 15 percent cuts to their workforces within a few months of one another.

Natchke said he went to work as usual on March 31 at Black Thunder. Rumors had circulated that law enforcement would be there for a series of meetings that day.

Another indication that something was up: a big screen TV where the days job assignments were normally displayed had been turned off.

A manager came in and said Todays the day, guys. Theres no easy way to put this. Were going to hand out these letters. If it says you stay, please stay. If youre going, be a man about it, grab your stuff and go, Natchke recalled.

Rolph, who saw his 10 years of working for Black Thunder come to an end, said word of the layoffs had gotten around by the time his group of employees got the news later in the day.

We knew something was going to happen, he said.

And Natchke wasnt the only member of his family to be let go. His parents and two other family members also lost their jobs at Peabody Energy's New Antelope Rochelle Mine 65 miles south of Gillette, Wyo.

Arch Coal filed for bankruptcy protection in January. Peabody, based in St. Louis, announced plans to file for reorganization on April 13.

Bad news has bubbled up across the energy industry across Wyoming, North Dakota and now even Nebraska as the coal industry suffers and oil prices have hit record lows. Reports of layoffs have become almost commonplace of late.

The Associated Press reported that 4,600 employees of the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railroad have received buyouts or have been furloughed since the first of the year, because of lowering demand for grain and coal shipments.

Layoffs were also announced last week for 85 employees of Cameco, which may include employees of the Crow Butte Uranium Mining facility near Crawford, Neb.

And just last week, Alpha Natural Resources laid off 37 employees at its two Wyoming mines, the company said Wednesday.

The reduction accounts for 7 percent of Alpha's Wyoming workforce, the company said. It did not provide a breakdown between its two mines near Gillette, Belle Ayr and Eagle Butte.

According to the Casper Star-Tribune, the move comes as mines in the Powder River Basin cut their workforces to match declining production. Output from the region is down by roughly a third over the first three months of the year.

Reports from the North Dakota oil patch also indicate that work in the fracking industry has slowed immensely when only a year ago jobs were still plentiful and wages still strong.

While western South Dakota is not a major player in the energy industry, the slowdown elsewhere is causing pain here, too.

Ben Snow, president of the Rapid City Economic Development Partnership, said the adverse economic effects from the layoffs will be most felt around Wyomings trade centers in Casper and Gillette, but ripple effects from loss of millions in payroll will spread outward to western South Dakota.

On the bright side, he said laid-off mine workers should be in high demand by other employers. But they are unlikely to land jobs that carry as much pay and benefits at coal industry jobs, which reportedly topped the $80,000 mark annually for many workers. Skilled workers in the North Dakota oil fields could make over $100,000 a year, according to published reports.

There may be some of these people that get snapped up by some of these industries that have been clamoring for labor, because there has been a shortage, Snow said of the skilled trades. There could be a positive effect as some of these people re-position with other companies that have been looking for skilled tradesmen and women.

I would think a lot of employers would be salivating to interview some of these folks to get some of them, Snow added.

Rolph, a 1989 graduate of Sturgis Brown High School, moved to Newell from Whitewood in 2007. He is a member of the Newell School Board.

His wife works for the Harding County schools, where their five children, ranging from a kindergartner to a high school sophomore, attend classes.

Rolph hopes he can benefit from a strong general demand for his skills as a heavy-equipment operator. For now, he is looking at options and getting tips from friends and other family members.

Being one of the first ones to leave, we might be in a better position of getting jobs, because I think theres going to be more layoffs, Rolph said.

Natchke said he has savings built up, although medical bills from a motorcycle accident last summer, which forced him to take six months of disability, ate up a chunk of the savings. He believes the motorcycle accident was a factor in his being let go.

I didnt fall into the pit of buying a bunch of toys and living paycheck to paycheck, he said. Im probably one of the lucky ones. I had some saved up and Im able to last awhile.

Natchke can fall back on part-time work as a substitute physical education teacher, and side work as a locksmith and as a provider of dance music for weddings and other events. He is also considering work in corrections, law enforcement or security.

Luckily enough, Im kind of a jack-of-all-trades, he said.

His parents, originally from Sturgis, remain in Wyoming looking for jobs there, he said.

Phil Christopherson, CEO of Energy Capital Economic development of Gillette, said some of those lost coal jobs may return when current coal surpluses decline. But he said the layoffs offer more reasons for Wyoming to broaden into more diverse manufacturing and industry jobs.

The mines arent going to shut down, Theyre still going to need to produce coal, just at what level  theyre going to decide," he said. "There is still a solid base of coal-fired energy plants out there that will need coal for 15 to 20 years."

Natchke said he has curtailed what used to be a weekly outing at a favorite local restaurant, but he is looking forward to being able to spend more time with family and friends, along with other simple pleasures that come from not working for a bustling mining operation.

Actually, being able to catch up on sleep, with no more rotating shifts from nights to days, has been the best part of this, he said.

Rolph said the uncertainty of the future is the most difficult part of losing his job. His overall outlook, however, is positive.

You find out who your friends are. People call and check on you and find out how things are going, and all the guys I used to work with are still my friends, he said. I think itll turn out for the best in the long run. Itll be a little bumpy until we get there."

Christopherson also prefers to look to the future. He recalls being forced to leave Wyoming after college in the mid-1980s when the oil boom turned to bust.

The 1980s were a tough time, but we grew into a solid strong community. Were going to grow through this and develop into an even stronger community, Christopherson said.

In the long run, well be better because of it, he said.

(Editor's note: The above story has been edited to reflect a correction in the respective ownership of the Black Thunder and North Antelope Rochelle mines. Also, the cutline of a photo of Sean Natchke has been changed to correctly report that his three jobs are side jobs he has been working throughout his former employment with Black Thunder coal mine.)
Though people with multiple convictions for driving under the influence of alcohol make up a small percentage of DUI offenders in South Dakota, some have made national news for seemingly making a career of accumulating drunken-driving charges.

At the top of the list is Jerry Zeller, who has become known as Mr. DUI. The Rapid City resident, who died in a 2008 house fire at age 67, had DUI convictions that numbered between the high teens and the low 20s, according to authorities and news archives.

Zellers convictions occurred in numerous states, making the exact total difficult to track down, said Deputy States Attorney Sarah Morrison in Rapid City. His criminal record "seems to indicate roughly 33 prior arrests for DUI," Rapid City Police said after Zeller had again been arrested for drunken driving in February 2005.

Fifteen years earlier, after a DUI conviction in November 1990 (reportedly Zellers 18th), a Pennington County judge had already revoked Zellers license for life. But that would not stop him from getting behind the wheel again and again after drinking.

During one arrest in the 1980s, Zeller registered a blood alcohol content of .50 percent, a Pennington County prosecutor said then. A .30 can kill some people  less experienced drinkers, then-Deputy States Attorney Jay Miller said.

After a trial in November 1997, Zeller was found guilty of a DUI, but was deemed mentally ill. It was the first verdict of its kind in South Dakota, an acknowledgment that alcoholism can rise to the level of mental illness, said his defense attorney Gary Colbath.

Another South Dakota man who gained notoriety for drinking and driving is Robert Groethe, who received his 16th DUI conviction at age 60 in August 2012.

The Rapid City man began racking up DUIs with his first offense in 1977. By the summer of 2012, he had been arrested for a DUI for the 19th time, even though his drivers license had been revoked for life back in 1988, after his eighth drunken-driving arrest.

He was sentenced to two years in the South Dakota penitentiary, and has not reappeared on the state courts radar since his release from prison in January 2014.

But there are others who continue to cycle in and out of South Dakotas detention centers and courtrooms on DUI charges.

In Pennington County, for instance, as of late April there were about five jail inmates with charges for DUI No. 5 or No. 6. They make up only 1 percent of the jail population, but officials say they are a constant presence in the jail.

Others, on similar charges, are awaiting the conclusion of their court cases and are free in the meantime.
The revolution in Pennington Countys approach to incarcerating people could begin this week.

States Attorney Mark Vargo, the countys top prosecutor, plans to ask the County Commission at its Tuesday meeting for approval to add two full-time jobs in his department.

One of the new employees would develop a risk-assessment procedure as an alternative to money bail and would also do data analysis, and the other new person would create and implement a young-adult diversion program. Vargo hopes to have people in the jobs by July 1.

Grant money awarded to the county by the Chicago-based John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation would cover the pay and benefits of the two employees through 2017.

The proposed hires are part of a broader plan to shrink the number of inmates at the county jail, which sometimes comes close to filling all 624 of its beds, and to reduce recidivism among people who frequently find their way in and out of jail.

We have two choices, Vargo said. Indiscriminately locking people up, or having appropriate staffing numbers to determine who needs to be locked up and who needs to be let out to be a productive citizen.

The county recently learned that it would not receive the full $4.9 million in grant funding it sought as a finalist in the MacArthur Foundations Safety and Justice Challenge, a program designed to bolster innovative solutions to over-incarceration in local jails. But the program did award the county $150,000 on top of an earlier $150,000 preliminary award, so that the county could continue its work toward reducing inmate numbers and reforming how non-violent offenders are processed.

The county remains eligible to receive additional funding in the future, explained Pennington County Sheriff Kevin Thom, co-chairman of the local grant planning committee.

They want us to stay part of the Safety and Justice Challenge, Thom said. They havent promised anything other than saying they may award additional funding in 2017, and wed be eligible for that.

Leftover money from the first grant would be combined with money from the new grant to cover the two positions and related expenses this year and next year. Nearly $60,000 would be used to cover the two employees pay and benefits for the remainder of 2016, followed by about $115,000 next year.

After that, the positions would be evaluated by the local grant planning committee and the County Commission for potential elimination or absorbed as permanent positions into the county budget.

The risk-assessment/data-analyst employee would be responsible for developing whats known as a risk assessment instrument or RAI, which criminal-justice professionals pronounce like ray.

A RAI is essentially a form used to guide the compilation of information about suspects when they are booked into the jail. Based on the information gathered while completing the RAI, suspects could be assigned a score to determine their pretrial placement, either in jail or on some form of release. The release could include supervision in the form of an electronic ankle monitor.

The system could wholly or partially replace traditional money bail. In the existing bail system, eligible suspects can either post the full bail amount with the court or pay a lesser amount, usually 10 percent, to a bail-bond agent who posts a bond on their behalf. The goal of risk assessment is to better identify and extend release opportunities to suspects who pose low flight risks and are not considered dangerous, regardless of their ability to pay for bail or a bail-bond.

The risk-assessment employee would also analyze and produce local criminal-justice data, which Vargo said was a weakness identified in the countys grant application by the MacArthur Foundation. Some of the data analysis could help determine the effectiveness of the young-adult diversion program, which would be implemented by the other new employee.

Similar to an existing county program for juveniles, the young-adult diversion program would offer some slightly older, nonviolent suspects with short criminal records the opportunity to complete a diversion program rather than face criminal prosecution. The program would be tailored to each individual suspect and could consist of anti-criminal thinking training, drunken-driving education or participation in any number of other programs that exist in the community or might be created.

Vargo said his department is running a limited young-adult diversion program with eight to 10 suspects at a time, and he wants to expand it significantly. The goal is to keep young adults from becoming repeat offenders who cycle in and out of jail repeatedly, in essence, to rehabilitate rather than incarcerate.

Additional funds remaining from the two MacArthur grants would be used to buy equipment for the new hires, to fund travel and training for the local grant planning committee, and to fund travel and training for the Rapid City Police Departments new Community Advisory Committee.

The Pennington County Commission meeting at which the two new positions will be considered will begin at 9 a.m. Tuesday at the County Administration Building, 130 Kansas City St., Rapid City.
PIERRE | In 1973, as John Cooper put the U.S. Navy and the constant danger of guerilla warfare along the dark jungle rivers of Vietnam behind him, he knew a couple things.

That what he did next needed to be something he could enjoy for the rest of his life. And it probably should involve the bachelor degree in forensics he had earned at Long Beach State University.

He met an agent for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service who encouraged him to apply for a job.

John Cooper found his calling. He worked in law enforcement, sometimes undercover, for the federal agency for 22 years. His last posting put him in Pierre.

There he met Bill Janklow, who was governor from 1979 through 1986 and again from 1995 through 2002. Janklow convinced Cooper to become the secretary, or head, for the state Department of Game, Fish & Parks. When Mike Rounds took office as governor in 2003, he asked Cooper to stay in the Cabinet post.

Cooper served as GF&P secretary from April 1995 until Jan. 1, 2007. Then he worked two more years for Rounds on a contract basis, dealing with Missouri River issues. And in 2010, Rounds appointed Cooper to the state Game, Fish and Parks Commission, the panel of citizens who provide oversight to the department.

Now 71, John Cooper is stepping aside. He and his wife, Vera, have four grandsons, ages eight through 14. He wants to build his schedule now around her and them.

Its time, he said. I just dont want to be old and in the way.

His six years on the commission included two as chairman. He agrees with big changes made in the department by his successors as secretary, Jeff Vonk and now Kelly Hepler, such as species-management plans and interacting with the public through the Internet.

He speaks highly of the women and men whove been on the commission.

I have enjoyed it. Its been a great opportunity to learn about wildlife from the human dimensions perspective, Cooper said. Theyre a good bunch. Theyre competent people and they care.

During his 21 years as a part of GF&P, science and common sense tended to guide Coopers management approaches. He remains worried that commercialization will go too far. He noted more non-residents now hunt pheasants than do South Dakotans and a constant push for landowners to make money on deer hunting.

How does the average wage-earner get those kids or grandkids a place to hunt? he asked.

The family stuff, as Cooper calls it, is the reason his final meeting as a commissioner comes May 5-6 at Custer State Park.

He didnt know who is replacing him.

He couldnt say enough about all Vera has put up with, from his endless travels, to the guy with beer in hand who stops at the table as they have a dinner out.

She steadies him. She brings me that grounding, he said.

Cooper plans to stay involved on some state and federal matters, but as a citizen, albeit with connections.

It was a dream, he said. I wouldnt change a thing about it.
A Ravalli County judicial candidate is facing charges of professional misconduct before the Montana Supreme Court.

The state Office of Disciplinary Council filed charges against Hamilton attorney Robert Myers on April 22.

The charges stem from a long-simmering battle between Myers and his judicial opponent, Ravalli County District Judge Jeffrey Langton, which began in a parenting plan dispute involving Dan Cox.

Myers was Coxs attorney and Langton was the presiding judge.

During that case, Myers attempted to get Langton disqualified but was rebuffed by the Montana Supreme Court. Several days later, Myers subpoenaed Langton to have him deposed in connection with a motion Myers filed asking for relief from adoption of the courts parenting plan.

In June 2014, Langton filed a 42-page order that found Myers had made misrepresentations to the court and ordered Myers to pay $10,000 in sanctions.

In the order, Langton said that none of Myers factual contentions appeared to have even a minimum quantum of evidentiary support.

The current complaint against Myers lists 19 different instances that Langton found that Myers had failed to meet professional standards, including using inflammatory language to make baseless accusations of conspiracy, fraud, bias, unethical behavior and illegal acts against several people, including the judge himself.

Judge Langton determined that (Myers) conduct in using such highly inflammatory language far exceeded the exercise of mere hyperbole and excited overstatement, the complaint stated.

Langton also found that Myers decision to file a Rule 60 Motion was presented for the improper purpose of harassing the adverse party, her attorneys, her witnesses and the Court and its staff, which caused unnecessary delay and needlessly increased the cost of litigation and the expenditure of judicial resources.

Langton said Myers violation of court rules raises a substantial question regarding Respondents (Myers) honesty and fitness to practice law.

The sanction was upheld by the Montana Supreme Court and Myers paid it in July 2015.

Myers will have 20 days to file a written answer to the complaint filed by the Office of Disciplinary Counsel. A formal hearing may be held after that before an Adjudicatory Panel of the Commission. The panel will report its findings to the Montana Supreme Court, which will determine if disciplinary action should follow.

In a written response, Myers said the complaint was based entirely on false claims made by his opponent, Langton.

Jeff Langton was caught engaging in secret communications with an opposing party that deprived my client, Dan Cox, of his ability to fully represent his case, Myers wrote. Jeff Langton failed to inform Mr. Cox of the secret communications and did not allow him to respond as he was required to do by the Code of Judicial Conduct.

Myers said Cox filed a claim for fraud and Langton failed to recuse himself.

He instead chose to judge his own actions and punish the attorney who brought the claim on his clients behalf, Myers wrote. He, of course, found that he did no wrong. This alone makes Jeff Langton unfit for office.

Myers said Langton failed to provide a level playing field for his client, Cox.

My campaign is centered on returning justice to the people and living up to the integrity that should be required of our public servants, Myers wrote. Those who abuse their power like Jeff Langton destroy the very freedom that many have fought to protect.

To read Myers complete statement, go to www.ravallirepublic.com and look for the attachment to this story.
Mr. Dirgha Raj Prasai

The beginning of degradation of Nepal is the nefarious conspirator role of Congress (I) and its Intelligence Agency RAW. On 22 November, 2005, the 12-point agreement was reached under the direction of Congress (I) Govt. and its Indian intelligence wing RAW against the 1990 constitution to format the new constitution from Constituent Assembly (CA) to terrorize Nepal. Since that day, Nepals nationality and democracy have been endangered. India imposed the secularism, republic and federalism. The agendas of secularism, republic and federalism embedded in the 12-point understanding are not the agendas of political parties. Now, since May 2014, Congress (I) Sonia Gandhi's regime has ended and the Hindu nationalist party-BJP is in power. It is very hopeful that the BJP party and Modi Govt. will consider to end the nefarious design of Congress (I) and RAW which was imposed against Nepal. We Nepalese people respectfully suggest to the Prime Minister of India, the Hon. Narendra Modi have to decide to boycott all about the conspirator roles of South Block and RAW in Nepal.

Hinduism and its culture and traditions have a long history spanning over a period of thousands and thousands of years and developed over several eras. It is understood that human civilization started to advance since the Vedic age. Hindu religion is the most personally expansive and psychologically empowering religion on earth. It is a path that teaches its followers to be fearless, dedicated, focused, strong, assertive, self-controlled, virtuous, self-reliant, and to strive for excellence in all endeavors. Among all religions of the world, Hindu religion is considered as an ancient religion that is recognized as the foundation of civilization and as the most liberal democratic way of life. Hinduism & Buddhism are the identities & cultural assets of Nepal.

Nepal has been standing on the verge of disintegration for the last ten years. And neither the law nor decisions is working in Nepal. Due to the eccentric corrupt characters of the party leaders, the parliamentary system has not come to right path as well as the country's development programmed can move. The parties are choosing the ethnic lines to operate themselves to break Nepalese unity in the name of Madhesh. The blockade in Nepal's boarder is also the nefarious design of some corrupt Madhesis who had and have been guiding from RAW. So, due to the RAW nefarious conspirator roles, anti-India slogans are increasing day by day. It is high time for the Hindu nationalist Modi Govt should have to give the attention to maintain the cordial relation with Nepal regarding to keep in existence the Hindu kingdom and constitutional monarchy in Nepal.

The concern of the Nepalese people is complete democracy. Hindu Kingdom and the constitutional monarchical democratic system are the identified symbols of Nepal. But the Congress and UML leading Govt. including U-Maoist declared the secularism; republic and federalism whimsically by the hint of EU-Christian nation in 20 Sep.2015 minimizing the demand of Nepalese people. We Nepalese people are suffering from the Congress and Communist party (UML)'s regime and Maoist who are guided by the RAW, CIA, EU and Christian Mission to fulfil their pretty interest.The foremost cause of the deteriorative situation of the country is the annulment of the constitution of 1990. What were pitfalls of the Constitution of 1990? It was suspended without reason by the hint of Congress (I) Govt. These are the causes of crisis of Nepal. Nepalese democratic exercise faced the black period in between 2005-2015. During the period, the Nepalese people tolerated the worst political practice made by corrupt leaders.

The Nepalese flag is very inclusive and represents to all the castes and tribes insisting the nature. The flag of Nepal is the symbol of unity in diversity. The Maoist wants to change the national flag. That is why; the intention of Maoist is to abolish the identity of Nepalese nationality. To change the national flag is irrational. The Nepalese people believe, Nepal will remain eternal till there is the Sun and Moon. The western renowned philosopher Voltaire, George Bernard Shaw, German scholar Nitse, Megasthaniz and Fai-Han has written many books supporting the Hindu philosophy expressing the evolutionary process of the world's civilization. Hindu philosophy is incomparably greater intellectual work than the Bible?

Nepalese all around the world and Nepal's well-wishers are anxious about the conspiracy designed by some deviant party leaders against the Monarchy and Hinduism. Nepal will not become a heaven on earth just because monarchy is actually abolished and republican system ushered in. Nepal has already received so much respect and identity for being a Hindu kingdom. The conflict between the political parties and the king came up because of the mistakes and blunders of the Nepali Congress and the CPN-UML and the authoritarian thinking of the Maoist. It is a matter of great regret that Hindus are not being treated with the respect and dignity they deserve.

We in Nepal are suffering from the madness notorious activities of Christians and its brokers to destroy the Hindu identity in this pious land. Senior leader of B.J.P Lalkrishna Advani had said: 'The framework for constitutional monarchy in Nepal should be consolidated because monarchy is the symbol of Nepal's identity and sovereignty. Nepal should have an active and dynamic multi-party democracy'. Present Home minister of the Govt. of India and the BJP leader Rajnath Singh said- 'We used to feel proud that Nepal was the only Hindu kingdom in the world,' Singh said. 'I will be happy when Nepal is a Hindu state again. 'We used to feel proud that Nepal was the only Hindu kingdom in the world. 'I will be happy when Nepal is a Hindu state again. No one is appealing to the Islamic states of Pakistan and Bangladesh to become secular. But it was done in Nepal.'- 2010-3-22. Foreign Relations Department Chief of BJP Vijay Jolly said-' I am a Hindu who follows Hinduism. I am much upset as a decision on such an important topic was taken without taking people's opinion' July 4th 2014 Kathmandu. Hinduism is the foundation of human civilization.

Nepal is standing on the verge of dismemberment in the last 10 years. When the relationship between the king and the people have been detached one can easily imagine, Nepal can't remain safe and unified if monarchy is actually abolished from the country. Due to the nefarious activities of Congress (I) and its RAW, since 2006, Nepals situation has been gradually deteriorating and it is making thensions to maintain the good relation with China and India. This is because our basic foundations are violated; consequently national unity and sustainable peace has not been achieved. The permanent institution- 'Monarchy' can put unites the cordial relation between Nepal, India and China. In between the two big neighbors-China & India, the monarchy had been playing a balanced role. Many countries where monarchy was displaced have now ceased to exist and several other have fallen into anarchy and civil war.

Therefore, it will be totally inappropriate without knowing fully the ground realities. It was not for whether to keep monarchy or not. The constituent assembly is just a representative organization to formulate a new constitution and it does not have any right to displace monarchy. Can the future of the country be decided just because so called big political parties ganged up together? Those powerful nations, who in the past shed blood in Vietnam, North and South Korea, East and West Germany, Cambodia, Afghanistan and Yugoslavia, are now trying to drag Nepal into a civil war. So, if the political leaders, including the Maoists, tried to trample on this truth, one should know that the existence of Nepal as well as the culture and traditions of India also will be finished.

'France needs to return to monarchy, as democracy is incompetent and brings the country down, French Minister of Economy Emmanuel Macron told Le 1 Hebdo magazine in an interview according to Le Figaro. Macron regrets that the role of king is absent from French politics. "Democracy always implies some kind of incompleteness because it isn't sufficient in itself," the French Minister of Economy said, according to Le Figaro. French political life is missing a strong figure, someone who could decisively lead France. It's the moment a new Napoleon appears, Macron said.' > http://sputniknews.com/politics/20150708/1024363467.html#ixzz3fIl2roLA<

It is a matter of grief that we Nepalese people are suffering from Communist regime in Nepal. Since 3rd Ashoj 2072 (20th Sep. 2015), the party leaders- Congress, UML, Maoist declared secularism and republic in new constitution which was imposed from EU, CIA and Congress (I) brokers and RAW to Christianize Nepal ending the world Hindu Kingdom. The King was no role in bringing this sorry state of this country. Nepalese people shall not remain quiet if these political parties try to destroy the identity of this country, their tradition and the basic foundation of this state. Therefore, this uncertain and precarious situation can only be averted if a balance can be maintained among nationality, monarchy and parliamentary democracy. Nepal's independence, sovereignty and democracy can never be safeguarded by abolishing monarchy. If Nepal's monarchy will be abolished for-ever, the power balance of this region will be disrupted. Nepal's monarchy is the guarantor for peace and stability of this region. So, there must be in existence constitutional monarchy and Hindu Kingdom in Nepal with respect.

Email:dirgharajprasai@gmail.com
Mr. Arun Budhathoki

Prostitution is one of the oldest professions in the world. Its implications, however, since the ancient times has been overarching and demeaning to the sex workers. In the recent years countries like Canada, Iceland, Northern Ireland, Norway and France have implemented the Swedish Model, which is termed as a progressive and strict law, to annul the culture of paying for commercial sex. There might be opponents who argue that prostitution needs to be made legal to minimize sexual crimes although statistics and reports reveal that sex workers are highly vulnerable to exploitation in all forms and subject to abuses that we cant even imagine. Their fundamental right to live with dignity, basically, is violated by the inability to work outside to sustain them financially. The question, thus, arises as why even make prostitution illegal?

The recent law reforms that other countries have made is to make it illegal to pay for sex and at the same time criminalize any form of communication done with a sex worker. This may sound tricky to the general mass but what it does is to discourage anyone from contacting a professional or an independent escort for sexual purposes. The second thing it does is to discourage pimps, human traffickers and plays an effective role to dismantle the worldwide sex industry. But why even do it?

In most developed countries women are lured to this demeaning profession for a number of reasons. The general people have the understanding that they mostly do it for money. This is true but many times those women come from vulnerable groups and families where they have little or less of security and education. These factors play a key role in shaping the womans conscience and decision to sell her for few hundred bucks. If we think rationally no one would like to sell themselves off unless that person is materialistically-inclined or needs money desperately for some reason.

Scores of critics and thinkers have fervently pointed to the fact that prostitution is a form of exploitation which induces violence against women, children and contributes significantly the human-trafficking. This can be clearly seen in the context of Nepal where flesh trade has been a major crime in the country and in South Asia as a whole.

Street prostitution and open brothels in Nepal, especially in Kathmandu, has almost vanished due to the strict policing but escorts giving offers like in-calls and outcalls are still rampant. The aforementioned terms basically means that it is to either invite a sex worker to your booked hotel or private place and either go to the place where the sex worker resides. Her residence would usually be a hotel or a rented flat. Over the years, even few transgender and LGBTIs in Nepal have been found in this profession due to lack of jobs for them.

The Swedish Model confuses people as it essentially criminalizes the buying of sex but not selling it. This legality confuses a lot of people and in a sense ignites fear in those who are captivated by the appeal of having sex for money and not bearing any responsibility at all. However, when a person pays for sex they are paying to sustain prostitution and in return getting involved indirectly in the abuse of vulnerable women, teenage girls, and even children. The model also further makes pimping, procuring, and running brothels as illegal. This model was first enacted in 1999 by Sweden and followed subsequently by Norway and Iceland in 2009, Canada in 2014 and by Northern Ireland in 2015. This shows that it definitely become an effective legal to dismantle prostitution and help sex workers to leave the profession and reintegrate into the society again as a working citizen with full rights and without abuses.

The ending of prostitution is one of the foundations for gender equality and end of violence against women. With no clear laws regarding prostitution in Nepal, it has only made women a vulnerable group to this vile profession. It only becomes legal if someone is caught in the act voluntarily but those who manage to do it behind the curtains, they are practically safe. The only step that the Nepal government has taken is to make trafficking illegal according to 1986, the Traffic in Humans (Control) Act.

The existing law in Nepal doesnt solve the problem of prostitution or human trafficking since we have seen the skyrocketing of cases where Nepali women have been trafficked abroad and now even children are the victims of it. The continuous disregard to this issue will only push women suffering from poverty to fall victim to it and also force them to face the brunt of sexual diseases and suffer from social stigmas. It is time, and I hope, the Nepal government will seriously implement the Swedish model and move ahead from merely terming voluntary prostitution as illegal, because, that act has practically failed.

While talking to a senior journalist and a well-wisher, I acknowledged the fact that prostitution cannot be solved overnight and Nepal, perhaps, needs a native solution. He argued that poor Nepali girls are forced to delve into this profession to survive in an expensive city like Kathmandu. In the end, the whole issue comes to the circle of morality and existentialism and whether we are born to survive anyhow or live our lives with dignity. Everyone should think about this.

Twitter: @arunbudhathoki
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.
The Hindu, April 22, 2016

The peace process between India and Pakistan has ground to a halt, and perhaps the usual suspects are to be blamed. But it appears the exchange of allegations is more gesture than substance, and meant for domestic constituencies.

In days gone by, the explanations for not having peace between India and Pakistan were far simpler to analyse, as it was to identify institutions on both sides of the border which were reluctant to engage in any process to overcome issues which have persisted for seven decades. On the Pakistani side, blame usually lay with the Pakistan aEstablishmenta, a pseudonym for the military and its many institutions, while on the Indian side, arguments ranged from Pakistanas interference in Indian affairs and the support for militancy in India, as understood and articulated by the Indian Foreign and Home Ministries.

Janus-faced army

Many scholars of Pakistanas military and political process have argued very extensively, and correctly, that the army justified its omnipresence in the countryas politics and military rule over many decades by making the claim that only it could defend Pakistanas geographical and ideological foundations and borders. The athreat from Indiaa to undermine Pakistanas existence has been the main excuse which has given, in the past, the moral justification (not that it ever needed one, really) for the Pakistan Army to claim an over-extended role in the countryas domestic and foreign polity. While this justification from the military has been challenged by scholars and the political class, it has held sway in the public sphere for some time now. Moreover, there have also been extensive allegations and claims, as well as evidence, by academics and scholars that Pakistanas military and its many institutions have also, in the past, been active in promoting non-state actors to carry out insurgency and militancy outside of Pakistanas geographical boundaries. Clearly, however one looks at it, for most of the past seven decades, with Pakistanas military ruling and governing the country for most of this period, the anti-India position, and hence the absence of peace, from the Pakistani side at least, has revolved around apportioning blame on the army.

Despite the wide acceptance and prevalence of the argument of holding Pakistanas military responsible for not wanting peace with India, its military leaders have played a surprising, and ambiguous, role in actually promoting peace with India as well. Or so it seems. General Zia-ul-Haq in 1987, at a time of high tension between India and Pakistan, visited Jaipur to see a Test match between the two countries. (How one misses those days, certainly not of General Ziaas rule, but of a time when India and Pakistan could actually play Test matches against each other in their own countries.) Interestingly, trade between India and Pakistan went up hugely (from the low levels that existed then) under General Zia. Again, Pakistanas next military dictator, who openly claimed and took responsibility for the Kargil war of 1999, was talking peace with India once again by the mid-2000s. Not only did trade soar, people-to-people contact increased similar to what it was prior to 1965, but most importantly, Test matches between the two countries resumed again. There was even public revelation that the Kashmir issue was finally near some form of resolution. The narrative of an anti-India Pakistani military was swept aside by such initiatives and measures following the militaryas changing stance after the 9/11 attacks and the new war on Pakistanas western borders.

Long shadow of 26/11

The volte-face for General Musharraf, after having started the Kargil war, to making peace with India was a result of the changing geopolitics in the region which Pakistan was drawn into after 2001, a peace process which continued even after President Musharraf was replaced in September 2008 by a civilian, democratically elected President and government in Pakistan. However, all that changed after November 2008 when India held Pakistan responsible for instigating and carrying out the Mumbai attacks, and for protecting many of those who are said to have masterminded the attacks. All possibilities of any peace process came to an end after Mumbai, and if anything, there was real threat of retaliation by India and an all-out war against Pakistan.

The timing of the Mumbai attacks a November 2008 a offers an interesting juncture in both the position of the military in Pakistan and the peace process with India. From around May 2007, as General Musharrafas position weakened in Pakistan, and as civilian and democratic forces gained greater confidence and strength, the relative position of the military in the political arena also weakened considerably. In fact, many scholars and analysts have argued that the period from around 2007-08 to the end of 2014 may have been one where Pakistanas military was at its weakest in terms of determining the countryas domestic and foreign policies, with democratically elected civilian governments gaining the upper hand for the first time since the 1950s. Had the Mumbai attacks not happened, there was a growing belief that perhaps Pakistan might be able to build on peace efforts which were already underway since the mid-2000s, with the military not only relatively weak in the political sphere but also actively engaged against militants on the western borders and within the country. But Mumbai put an end to those prospects. Moreover, with Pakistanas military back in a dominating position domestically after the Peshawar school attacks of December 2014, if not a little earlier, in some ways, though not all, the peace process may be back to an earlier format.

Change in the script

In the last few months, however, the India-Pakistan peace process has seen some uncharacteristically new aspects compared to the past, some quite bizarre and unexpected. The fact that a pigeon was claimed to be sent as a spying device by the Pakistani intelligence agency to India, and that an unmanned boat off the shores of Gujarat was thought to be a terrorist boat by the Indians, suggested a change in tactics by the Pakistanis. Moreover, the belligerent tone towards Pakistan shown by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi for many months after his taking over seemed to have melted following his unexpected visit to Lahore on Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharifas birthday in December 2015. On the Pakistani side, the capture and confession of an alleged Research and Analysis Wing agent in Balochistan gave ample aproofa to the Pakistani authorities who had been looking for such proof that India was actively engaged in acts of subversion in Pakistan. Yet, the response by Pakistani authorities to help with the probe into the attack on the Pathankot airbase and the prompt interaction between the two National Security Advisers was also refreshing, given the manner in which the two sides have interacted in the past.

Such ambiguous and contradictory behaviour, by both parties, certainly complicates any evaluation of the peace process between India and Pakistan. Clearly, whatever the peace process may be between the two countries, it is not business as usual, certainly not the way it was undertaken in the distant past.

Even though the peace process between India and Pakistan seems to have come to a halt, and perhaps the usual suspects are to be blamed, one does get a sense that while there is no real peace between the two countries, the allegations at present are more gesture than substance, meant for domestic constituencies. Perhaps India perceives a change in approach from the Pakistani side a pigeons rather than terrorists a while Pakistan is trying to be more proactive, agreeing to jointly investigating attacks, quite unheard of in the past. Nevertheless, despite some wishful thinking on the part of those who hope for peace between India and Pakistan, one thing that much experience and countless events between the two countries in the past have shown is that we never know what the next surprise is going to be.

S. Akbar Zaidi is a political economist based in Karachi. He also teaches at Columbia University in New York, and at the IBA in Karachi.
1 May 2016

Shri Narendra Modi

Prime Minister of India

Dear Prime Minister,

This year your government has increased the wages of NREGA workers in Jharkhand by five rupees (from Rs 162 per day to Rs 167 per day). We feel very lucky, because in 17 states the increase was even less. It sounds like NREGA workers in Odisha are now considered very well-off because their wages have not increased at all.

Actually, we are very concerned. The government must be really short of money if it is unable to raise NREGA wages to the minimum wage, that too when one third of the rural population is affected by drought. (For your kind information, the minimum wage in Jharkhand is Rs 212 per day.)

We feel that you need the extra five rupees more than we do, since your government has so many expenses. To implement the recommendations of the Seventh Pay Commission, you will have to spend an additional Rs 1 lakh crore at least on salaries and pensions of government employees. Defence expenditure is about Rs 2.5 lakh crore. You must also be spending a lot of money on tax concessions for big companies, aside from giving them cheap land and other resources.

Considering all this, we NREGA workers have made a collective decision to give up our extra wages for a day and return the extra five rupees to you. We hope that this will help you to keep your corporate friends and government employees happy.

Your faithful workers,

Name .......... Job Card No ....

see the original letter in Hindi
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New business incubation space in the works for downtown Salina

Saline County is in the approval process for an incubator space for retail and specialty food businesses in downtown Salina.
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Seguin, TX (78155)

Today

Showers this morning then scattered thunderstorms developing during the afternoon hours. High around 90F. Winds S at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 40%..

Tonight

Thunderstorms during the evening will give way to mainly clear skies after midnight. Potential for severe thunderstorms. Low 56F. SSW winds shifting to NW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 70%.
 Emerging news about two new notable gun control and gun safety efforts | Main | Another prominent elderly corrupt politician presenting dynamic federal sentencing issues 

April 30, 2016

"Why Vague Sentencing Guidelines Violate the Due Process Clause"

The title of this post is the title of this new article by Kelsey Heilman now available via SSRN. Here is the abstract:

The United States Sentencing Guidelines are the mandatory starting point and the lodestone for the sentences of 75,000 federal defendants each year. Though advisory after the 2005 Supreme Court decision in United States v. Booker, the Guidelines continue to exert tremendous influence over federal sentencing practice. Last term, in Johnson v. United States, the Supreme Court struck down as unconstitutionally vague a sentencing provision of the Armed Career Criminals Act. In the ensuing year, a circuit split developed regarding whether that decision dooms a textually identical provision of the Guidelines, with some courts holding advisory sentencing guidelines are completely immune from due process challenges. In this Article, I argue the Guidelines violate the Due Process Clause of the United States Constitution if they are so vague they deny fair notice to defendants and invite arbitrary enforcement by judges.

April 30, 2016 at 06:19 PM | Permalink

Comments

Doug, excellent article and very helpful for several cases I am working on. Friday I filed a Motion to Prohibit Death Penalty based on a vagueness argument when the only aggravating factor is "Killing was especially heinous atrocious and cruel" When there is only one ag subjecting a def to death, that fact is an element of a new crime, triggering a due process notice concern.

I'm also working on a vagueness challenge to Trafficking in opiate pills, when the weight of the Tylenol filler is factored in. Possession of five pills can result in huge mandatory sentences.

Several of your articles are referenced in the piece, as well as two articles by my former Constitutional Law prof at UVa, Peter Low.

Bruce

Posted by: bruce cunningham | May 1, 2016 12:35:00 PM

Great to see a larger, more thorough article on this topic! Just recently, I published a brief article in Bloomberg Criminal Law Reporter surveying the landscape on this very issue. Here is a link to my piece: http://www.bna.com/sentencing-aftermath-johnson-n57982070097/

Kelsey's piece is really well done!

Posted by: Neal Modi | May 1, 2016 3:46:28 PM

http://criminalpunishment.blogspot.com/

Posted by: Savannah | May 2, 2016 4:54:52 PM

Post a comment
Having grown up on Market Street, Belfast, Bernie Rea was one of the most stylish and naturally gifted humans from the Emerald Isle to ever set foot on a skateboard. The small amount of footage he committed to tape over the years definitely gives you the idea of how easily skateboarding came to him, but its the vast amount of stories you hear about Bernie, or things that were witnessed first hand that were never documented, that will live on in Irish skate-lore forever.

First try ollies in the dark that havent been touched since, never-ending lines around St Annes purely for the sake of, and a certain level of nonchalant command over his board that drew comparisons with a certain floppy-haired Oxfordian lad.

Spend some time this morning and enjoy Bernies section from the 1998 VHS offering Deconstruction which features a whole load of footage from his stint in Boston, with a smattering of clips from mid-90s visits to Dublin. The section starts at around 1:28  ignore the vomit

Filmed and edited by Ciaran OConnor with footage from Paddy Byrne.

Bernard Rae  Deconstruction (1998) from The Baggot Gap on Vimeo.
SIOUX CITY | Jennifer Rose Bass, a commercial broker associate with Century 21 ProLink, has been awarded the certified commercial investment member designations by the CCIM Institute.

Bass was one of 149 commercial real estate professionals nationally who earned the designation by passing the institutes comprehensive exam on April 5. The group hails from 38 U.S. states, Washington D.C. and several provinces in Canada.

The CCIM designation is awarded to commercial real estate professionals upon successful completion of an analytical curriculum and presentation of a portfolio of qualifying industry experience. The curriculum addresses financial analysis, market analysis, user decision analysis and investment analysis.

Bass is a licensed realtor in Iowa, Nebraska and South Dakota.
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WHITEFIELD, Maine | Peter Froehlich lives at the end of a mile-long dirt road in a part of Maine where pickup trucks share the right of way with wandering dairy cows. The local cable company won't run a line down the road, and his cellphone is useless because he lives in a wireless dead zone.

Now Froehlich, 70, worries a new Maine law will eventually allow the telephone company to unplug him from the plain old telephone service he depends on.

"If they get out of the landline business, I will have no way to connect with anybody else, unless I get in my truck and drive out," he said.

Maine is joining a growing group of states that have passed laws to limit or remove requirements that telephone companies provide traditional, price-controlled phone service  in essence, moving toward a day when plain old landline phone service goes from an endangered species to extinct. Concern is acute in Maine, the most rural state and the one with the oldest average population.

Thirteen states in the past three years have said telephone companies can use alternative technology, like wireless and broadband Internet, to provide basic service. Maine is the first to end basic phone service mandates in communities where there is competition, said Sherry Lichtenberg, principal at the National Regulatory Research Institute.

FairPoint said that it will still offer landline service in those areas, but that the service quality and price will be left to the free market.

California is considering similar legislation. Ohio, Michigan and Kentucky have passed laws allowing telephone companies to stop offering traditional phone service and are now determining how to implement them, Lichtenberg said.

"It will be interesting to see how fast other states follow Maine," she said.

The bill signed last week by Maine Republican Gov. Paul LePage gives the state's largest telephone company, FairPoint Communications, a "level playing field" in the most competitive areas of the state and maintains consumer protection in areas where choices are fewer, said Mike Reed, president of FairPoint in Maine, which has struggled financially since buying Verizon's landline business in northern New England in 2007.

"Maine has recognized the tensions the entire country faces," Reed said.

Consumer groups that fought the bill argued it would allow FairPoint to abandon customers who still use their landline phones because they prefer the call quality and reliability.

The senior advocacy group AARP, which led the opposition, later agreed not to fight the bill after lawmakers added consumer protections that made it harder for the company to abandon service.

Amy Regan Gallant, a lobbyist for AARP, said the group nevertheless remains worried about the long-term future of traditional telephone service in Maine, with its implications for older people not using wireless technology.

"We do suspect this is the beginning of the end of landline phones," she said.

The issue resonates in Maine because vast parts of the state have spotty cell coverage and limited access to high-speed broadband service.

But traditional phone companies can no longer afford the high cost of maintaining the legacy phone network in rural areas, and policy makers have yet to figure out a long-term plan for sustaining that network, said Jon Banks, an attorney with USTelecom, a trade group representing broadband service providers.

"It's a rural problem," he said.

He said traditional telephone companies have only an 18 percent share of the voice market, with half of their customers served by wireless networks and the remaining half split between old-style telephone lines and voice-over internet protocol service,

The Maine law phases out state oversight of the old-style service, removing regulations first in seven cities where there is competition among providers and adding more communities until a limit of 22 is reached. The law allows FairPoint to ask regulators for permission to discontinue landline service altogether in those communities if regulators determine the public would benefit.

Elsewhere in the state, the law requires FairPoint to provide basic service to every customer who wants it, but the company is now allowed to raise its rates up to 5 percent annually.

The battleground now moves to California. Lawmakers there last week heard testimony on a bill advanced by AT&T that would allowed the company to discontinue legacy phone service in areas where alternative phone services are available.

Consumer groups and the Communication Workers of America, the union that represents workers at AT&T and Verizon, are fighting the bill, saying it would replace regulated landline service with unregulated wireless service. But Lichtenberg said she has seen no evidence to date that ending the mandate has hurt consumers.
SIOUX CITY | A Sioux City man is facing several charges in relation to the firing of a gunshot near an apartment complex Saturday afternoon.

According to a Sioux City Police news release, officers responded to 4201 Denice Court at 1:02 p.m. Saturday after a man was seen holding a handgun outside one of the apartments and firing a single shot.

Once on scene, officers found 30-year-old Brandon Demone Smith, a resident of the apartment, intoxicated and armed with a handgun, the report said. Smith matched the description of the man originally seen with the gun, and officers took him into custody, according to the report.

While executing a search warrant on Smiths apartment and his vehicle, officers also found a rifle that had been unlawfully altered under Iowa Code, the report said.

Smith has been charged with public intoxication, discharging a weapon in city limits, reckless use of a firearm and unlawful possession of an offensive weapon.

Smith is being held in Woodbury County Jail on $7,900 bond.
VAN HORNE, Iowa | Four Democrats who want to replace U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley stumped for support at Iowas congressional district conventions Saturday, saying its time to give the six-term Republican a retirement party.

We have the opportunity to send Chuck Grassley home to mow his lawn, former Lt. Gov. Patty Judge said at the 1st District convention in Van Horne. She was referring to a Grassley campaign ad featuring him operating a jerry-rigged combination of lawnmowers.

The others  State Sen. Rob Hogg, and former state legislators Tom Fiegen and Bob Krause  sounded similar themes in their appeals to the delegates, some of whom will go on to the state and national Democratic convention. The party activists also are among those most likely to vote in the June 7 primary election to nominate a Grassley challenger.

Hogg said hes running to do the job and make Congress work again.

Sen. Grassley made the decision to become the chief obstructionist in the United States Senate, Hogg said. He needs to either do his job or get out of the way so somebody else can do that job.

The key to winning in 2016, Fiegen said, is promising unconditional loyalty to working people  who are tired of having their hearts broken by Democrats.

He called on the other candidates to refuse contributions from corporate political action committees.

A Democrat cannot take corporate PAC money and work for working Americans at the same time, he said.

The Democratic Party has lost its way, Fiegen said, and has to commit to shared values such as raising the minimum wage, tuition-free college and a guaranteed living wage.

They all acknowledged that defeating Grassley is an uphill battle in large part because of his campaign treasury. Judge said she has the name identification and network of supporters at the state and national level to wage a winning campaign.

For Hogg, the unanimous endorsement of the Iowa Federal of Labor as well as the backing of AFSCME Iowa Council 61 and other unions and labor leaders is a huge shot in the arm in the primary and general election.

In addition to whatever financial support labor provides, he said it will continue to magnify the grassroots enthusiasm for this campaign.

Krause cant match the millions Grassley has and will raise, but believes social media -- Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and that universe of things is how Democrats will beat Grassley.

You have to use the free stuff, he said. Dont be timid be timid about sharing this stuff with your friends because reposting and sharing pro-Democratic messages has the same true value as a cash contribution.

He encouraged delegate that when you think about defeating Grassley  the fellow thats stopping the Supreme Court nomination, that has voted against women, against working people, that has voted against just about everything that you and I believe in, that you hit the share button.

Whichever candidate Democrats choose, this is going to be one tough race, Judge said. This going to take all hands on deck.

The convention delegates also heard from 1st District House candidate Pat Murphy and Monica Vernon, who want to challenge Republican Rep. Rod Blum.

Every day we talk to voters across northeast Iowa about what really matters to them, and events like this are one more opportunity to do that, according to Vernon. She building a coalition of leading Democrats and an overwhelming number of labor unions who have endorsed me because they know that Im the only Democrat who can beat Blum.

Murphy called the convention an opportunity to talk to the biggest activists as well as build the party, not only for the primary election, but the general election in November.

These are the activists who are going to be involved, he said.
Whether the establishment likes it or not, and it evidently does not, there is a revolution going on in America.

The old order in this capital city is on the way out, America is crossing a great divide, and there is no going back.

Donald Trump's triumphant march to the nomination in Cleveland, virtually assured by his five-state sweep Tuesday, confirms it, as does his foreign policy address of Wednesday.

Two minutes into his speech before the Center for the National Interest, Trump declared that the "major and overriding theme" of his administration will be -- "America first." Right down the smokestack!

Gutsy and brazen it was to use that phrase, considering the demonization of the great anti-war movement of 1940-41, which was backed by the young patriots John F. Kennedy and his brother Joe, Gerald Ford and Sargent Shriver, and President Hoover and Alice Roosevelt.

Whether the issue is trade, immigration or foreign policy, says Trump, "we are putting the American people first again." U.S. policy will be dictated by U.S. national interests.

By what he castigated, and what he promised, Trump is repudiating both the fruits of the Obama-Clinton foreign policy, and the legacy of Bush Republicanism and neoconservatism.

When Ronald Reagan went home, says Trump, "our foreign policy began to make less and less sense. Logic was replaced with foolishness and arrogance, which ended in one foreign policy disaster after another."

He lists the results of 15 years of Bush-Obama wars in the Middle East: civil war, religious fanaticism, thousands of Americans killed, trillions of dollars lost, a vacuum created that ISIS has filled.

Is he wrong here? How have all of these wars availed us? Where is the "New World Order" of which Bush I rhapsodized at the U.N.?

Can anyone argue that our interventions to overthrow regimes and erect democratic states in Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria, Libya and Yemen have succeeded and been worth the price we have paid in blood and treasure, and the devastation we have left in our wake?

George W. Bush declared that America's goal would become "to end tyranny in our world." An utterly utopian delusion, to which Trump retorts by recalling John Quincy Adams' views on America: "She goes not abroad in search of monsters to destroy."

To the neocons' worldwide crusade for democracy, Trump's retort is that it was always a "dangerous idea" to think "we could make Western democracies out of countries that had no experience or interest in becoming Western democracies."

We are "overextended," he declared, "We must rebuild our military." Our NATO allies have been freeloading for half a century. NAFTA was a lousy deal. In running up $4 trillion in trade surpluses since Bush I, the Chinese have been eating our lunch.

This may be rankest heresy to America's elites, but Trump outlines a foreign policy past generations would have recognized as common sense: Look out for your own country and your own people first.

Instead of calling President Putin names, Trump says he would talk to the Russians to "end the cycle of hostility," if he can.

"Ronald Reagan must be rolling over in his grave," sputtered Sen. Lindsey Graham, who quit the race to avoid a thrashing by the Donald in his home state of South Carolina.

But this writer served in Reagan's White House, and the Gipper was always seeking a way to get the Russians to negotiate. He leapt at the chance for a summit with Mikhail Gorbachev in Geneva and Reykjavik.

"Our goal is peace and prosperity, not war," says Trump, "unlike other candidates, war and aggression will not be my first instinct."

Is that not an old and good Republican tradition?

Dwight Eisenhower ended the war in Korea and kept us out of any other. Richard Nixon ended the war in Vietnam, negotiated arms agreements with Moscow, and made an historic journey to open up Mao's China.

Reagan used force three times in eight years. He put Marines in Lebanon, liberated Grenada and sent FB-111s over Tripoli to pay Col. Gadhafi back for bombing a Berlin discotheque full of U.S. troops.

Reagan later believed putting those Marines in Lebanon, where 241 were massacred, to be the worst mistake of his presidency.

Military intervention for reasons of ideology or nation building is not an Eisenhower or Nixon or Reagan tradition. It is not a Republican tradition. It is a Bush II-neocon deformity, an aberration that proved disastrous for the United States and the Middle East.

The New York Times headline declared that Trump's speech was full of "Paradoxes," adding, "Calls to Fortify Military and to Use It Less."

But isn't that what Reagan did? Conduct the greatest military buildup since Ike, then, from a position of strength, negotiate with Moscow a radical reduction in nuclear arms?

"We're getting out of the nation-building business," says Trump.

"The nation-state remains the true foundation for happiness and harmony." No more surrenders of sovereignty on the altars of "globalism."

Is that not a definition of a patriotism that too many among our arrogant elites believe belongs to yesterday?
In this election year it doesnt matter whether or not you believe the current rate of climate change we are experiencing is accelerated by human activities. It seems an inescapable fact that our political climate is heating up around energy issues. However, the camps dont fall cleanly along party lines.

For example, the expansion of the Keystone pipeline may have been removed from debate by virtue of President Obamas rejection of the proposal (preceded by TransCanadas decision to suspend its permit application), but the Bakken pipeline is creating plenty of intense debate here in Iowa that blurs traditional party lines. Concerns about the use of eminent domain could persuade farmland owners to oppose its construction while labor unions may look favorably upon it as an opportunity for good jobs.

The topic that I think has been the most provocative and worth exploring is Iowas deepening relationship with the production of clean energy. Before our Feb. 1 caucuses, the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) stood firm as the ring that had to be kissed in order to gain traction with Iowa voters. This year, the Republican Partys eventual caucus winner not only stated his opposition to extending RFS, he garnered an endorsement from the sitting congressman who represents Iowa Congressional District 4  arguably one of the largest-volume corn-and-soybean-producing congressional districts in the country. Now our seven-term congressman, Steve King, faces a primary challenge within his own party and speculation includes second-guessing about how agricultural interests could affect the outcome.

Democrats, if they are motivated enough to investigate, also have a primary vote that could be influenced by their level of commitment to moving away from fossil fuels. Out of four candidates vying to be Iowas Democratic U.S. Senate candidate, only one has gone to the trouble of writing a book about how to address climate change.

So my question is, why should non-farming Iowans care about RFS or any of the tax incentives for production of alternative energy forms?

First, the RFS is a federal program adopted in 2005 that requires fuel sold in the U.S. to contain a minimum volume of renewable fuels in order to replace or reduce the quantity of petroleum-based transportation fuel, heating oil or jet fuel. It includes four renewable fuel categories: biomass-based diesel; cellulosic biofuel; advanced biofuel; and total renewable fuel. So, not just the sugary corn kernels, but all of the residual, non-food parts used for fuel are eligible to qualify for meeting the standard. In addition to RFS, the federal government offers wind and solar tax credits to encourage alternative forms of energy production. Iowa government also offers renewable energy tax credits for solar, wind, geo-thermal energy and, just recently, biochemical production facilities.

Results? Iowa now has 41 corn ethanol plants and two cellulosic plants and is capable of producing 25 percent of U.S.-produced ethanol. In the northwest corner of the state alone, wind farms are sprouting up all over, with more proposed. For instance, 100 windmills are slated for rural Plymouth County. We dont know where MidAmerican will locate its proposed $3.6 billion wind farm, but the company said it was driven by wind production federal tax credits and intends to boost its energy production from renewable sources to 85 percent of its annual customer sales. Its ultimate goal is to raise that to 100 percent. Ag Processing is expanding its biodiesel, soy-based fuel plant in Sergeant Bluff to the tune of $38 million. If our governor has it right, we can anticipate more investment in bioprocessing as a result of the new 10-year biochemical tax credit.

What we profit from are new and expanded production facilities, a stronger infrastructure for diverse energy production, more demand for the crops we grow, more jobs, more property taxes paid into local governments, stabilized electric rates and a reduction in carbon pollution. But consider this enticing prospect: about half of Fortune 500 companies have clean energy goals and some are even committed to using 100 percent renewable energy. Iowa stands a chance of attracting such companies by offering low-cost energy that will come from an abundance of renewable resources.

In my research, I was able to find plenty of reasons for all Iowans to support clean energy incentives. The question, for which there was no answer, is whether or not voters will actually vote with their long-term best interests in mind.

Next week: Jim Wharton

Katie Colling is the executive director of Women Aware, a private nonprofit agency. She was elected to two consecutive terms on the Woodbury County Extension Council and serves on several civic-organization boards. She and her husband, Ron, live in Sioux City.
Iowa's fight to end the scourge of bullying within its borders took a step backward this year.

After three consecutive sessions of discussion and near-passage of a bill to strengthen state anti-bullying law during the last session, the Legislature this year virtually ignored the issue.

Iowa's children deserve better.

Last year, momentum was building for action on bullying. Gov. Terry Branstad supported the anti-bullying bill during the legislative session, then later in the year issued an executive order through which he created the Governor's Office for Bullying Prevention at the University of Northern Iowa. The state Senate passed the anti-bullying bill, 43-7. Anti-bullying leaders in education like Sioux City Superintendent of Schools Paul Gausman supported the bill. Iowans overwhelmingly supported the effort. In a February 2015 Des Moines Register poll, 73 percent of Iowans answered "favor" to the following question: "Do you favor or oppose authorizing school personnel to react to bullying by notifying parents and disciplining students even when the incident takes place away from school, including through social media?"

Only the state House stood in the way of significant additional protection for victims of bullying.

Creation by Branstad of the Governor's Office for Bullying Prevention struck us as a valuable contribution to this dialogue, but we believe strengthening state law remains the most effective way to protect Iowa children from bullying. We supported last year's anti-bullying bill, largely because we believed it would address the pervasive problem of cyberbullying - tormenting, threatening, harassing or embarrassing someone using the Internet or other technologies, like cell phones - in effective fashion. We were hopeful this year would be the year in which anti-bullying legislation reached the finish line.

It's unclear to us why, exactly, the issue fell from the Legislature's radar screen. In what would be an ironic twist, perhaps creation of the Governor's Office for Bullying Prevention, in effect, suppressed legislative action because lawmakers felt the office solved the problem. Through the office, Branstad sought to meet some provisions of failed anti-bullying legislation.

However, Branstad didn't direct funds to the office in his budget recommendation for the next fiscal year and the Legislature appropriated no money for the office.

In other words, this year produced no bill and no money to combat bullying.

The end result? An important issue was, it appears, simply forgotten.

Thats disappointing. And unacceptable.

On multiple occasions in this space, we have shared our support for stronger anti-bullying law in Iowa. We will continue to do so until this state properly meets its responsibility to stamp out an ugly problem no student should have to experience.
SIOUX CITY | When Jim Clark visited Kosovo in 2013 and 2014, he met kind strangers eager to learn about American government and ways to grow their country.

"It's one of the former Yugoslavia republics," Clark, Sioux City's assistant fire chief, said. "They had terrible war back in the 1990s, and then the United Nations stepped in."

Clark represented Sioux City on two weeklong trips with the Iowa Air National Guard to continually evaluate Kosovo's federal departments and rescue capabilities.

Now, that continued relationship has Sioux City officials discussing the possibility of adding a sister city relationship in the European country.

The city currently has sister-city relationships with Lake Charles, Louisiana, and Yamanashi, Japan.

In April, a delegation of city leaders met with officials in the Embassy of the Republic of Kosovo in Washington, D.C. The arrangement was made by Lt. Co. Mike Wunn with the Iowa Army National Guard.

City Manager Bob Padmore said the decision to establish a sister city will be up to the City Council. He added officials will need to identify a community similar to Sioux City in Kosovo, which has an agricultural background.

"This was a good first step to exploring this opportunity," Padmore said. "Sister cities are always good for exchanging ideas and learning about them."

Kosovo is not yet a member of the European Union or United Nations because some world leaders question the countrys legitimacy as an independent nation.

In 2008, Kosovo declared independence from Serbia. After the breakup of Yugoslavia, lingering tensions between Kosovo's Albanian and Serb populations left the republic divided, leading to the Kosovo War of 1998-99. The war ended with a NATO coalition led by the United States forcing Serbia to withdraw its troops from Kosovo.

Kosovo, bordered by Serbia to the north, Montenegro to the east and Macedonia and Albania to the south, has a population of about 1.8 million.

The European Union has facilitated dialogue since 2011 between Serbia and Kosovo to improve the lives of citizens and spur development, according to the U.S. State Department. In April 2013, the governments of Kosovo and Serbia concluded an agreement, which affirmed Kosovos legal and institutional framework for the countrys territory.

The United States, which backs EU efforts, joined the International Steering Group in 2008 to contribute to the supervision of the Kosovo government to implement the Ahtisaari Plan, a draft of the countrys statehood. Leaders have since dissolved the steering group.

In 2013, Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad established a sister-state relationship with Kosovo. Wunn said the state partnership involves small teams of Iowa Air National Guard members sent to Kosovo to interact and learn from the Kosovo Security Force, the country's military organization.

In return, Kosovo sends troops to Iowa to participate in annual training events. The ongoing relationship yields 15 to 20 exchanges per year.

Sioux City Mayor Bob Scott said another sister city would help interest more people in local government. He added exchange programs offered are popular with youths.

"They're more curious about places and things," Scott said. "They are somewhat more mobile than my generation."

Padmore said the two communities would mutually benefit.

"It's exchanging ideas of being a new country -- how local government works in the U.S. and the state of Iowa," Padmore said.

This fall, the 185th Refueling Wing, Iowa Air National Guard will provide airlift support for exchanges between Iowa and Kosovo.

"The first one is called a staff ride," Wunn said. "Basically, we would send soldiers and airmen to Kosovo to do a familiarization event of learning the history and the environment."
DES MOINES | Motivated in part by traumatic stories from their districts, a pair of Iowa state lawmakers pushed for legislation that ultimately became what legislators and advocacy groups are calling the most significant criminal justice reform passed by the Iowa Legislature this year, if not multiple years.

Rep. Dave Dawson, a Democrat from Sioux City, and Rep. Ken Rizer, a Republican from Cedar Rapids, were key in getting state lawmakers approval this week of criminal justice reform legislation that would allow some nonviolent drug offenders to become eligible for parole earlier in their sentences, provide a new, less punitive class of robbery for nonviolent offenses and establish a mandatory minimum sentence for individuals convicted of child endangerment resulting in death.

The legislation instantly was hailed by criminal justice reform advocates. It is en route to Gov. Terry Branstad, who said he wants to review the package before deciding whether to sign it into law but praised lawmakers for addressing criminal justice issues.

This is a major victory for smarter sentencing in Iowa, Greg Newburn, state policy director for the advocacy group Families Against Mandatory Minimums, said in a statement. Iowans understand it doesnt make sense to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars every year locking up drug offenders who dont need to be in prison. This bill will make Iowa safer and save taxpayers money, too.

The child endangerment provision got the legislative ball rolling this year. More specifically, it was the story of a 4-month-old girl from Sioux City whose father fatally struck her. The father, Paul Hill, was almost immediately eligible for parole after his 2010 conviction for child endangerment causing death, Dawson said.

The Iowa Court of Appeals later granted Hill a new trial, and after subsequent court rulings that limited the evidence prosecutors could introduce at that second trial, Hill pleaded guilty earlier this month to a reduced charge that carried a five-year prison sentence. Because Hill had already spent nearly six years in custody, he was released from jail.

A constituent relayed the story of Hill's initial conviction to Dawson, who asked Rizer  a member of the House majority Republican caucus  to work with him on legislation that would establish a mandatory minimum sentence for child endangerment resulting in death.

Once their work was noted in the news media, Rizer said a Cedar Rapids-area constituent approached him with a similar story of a 17-month-old girl who was beaten to death by her father.

They were shocked to think that this guy who killed that little girl would even be eligible for parole, Rizer said. So thats what were fixing here.

As Dawson's and Rizers legislation worked through the Capitol, other criminal justice reform measures were added, and eventually, it became the package that was approved last week and is on its way to the governors desk.

The package has three key provisions:

 It requires anyone convicted of child endangerment resulting in the death of a child or minor serve a minimum of 15 to 35 years of a 50-year sentence. Currently, the average prison stay for the crime is 4.6 years, according to the states nonpartisan research agency.

 It makes certain nonviolent drug offenders eligible for parole after serving half of the mandatory minimum sentence, giving more discretion to the parole board. This provision is retroactive.

 It creates a new, third class of robbery, which would make nonviolent robbery attempts an aggravated misdemeanor instead of a felony, allowing for lesser penalties in robberies that do not threaten or cause injury.

This is the most significant piece of criminal justice reform that the Legislature has done this year or in many years, Dawson said. In most years, we pass bills that enhance penalties, lengthen sentences, have longer prison terms. This is the first time in the four years that I have served that weve done any criminal justice reform that actually reduces penalties in a significant way for felons.

The reform measures are expected to reduce the states prison population, in turn saving taxpayer money. An early estimate suggested the state could save nearly $90,000 in fiscal 2017 and more than $400,000 in fiscal 2018.

If you can let people back out into society and give them the supports to succeed, its going to cost a lot less money to the state than it would keeping them in prison, Rizer said. Its a matter of individualizing the justice to make sure that the penalty fits the crime and that were getting people back out into society at a time that its safe to do so.

The measures also are expected to help chip away at Iowas disproportionately minority prison population, an effort championed early this year in condition-of-the-state addresses by the governor as well as state Supreme Court Chief Justice Mark Cady.

In 2015, blacks accounted for 3.4 percent of Iowas population but 35.8 percent of the federal prison population in the state and 25.5 percent of the state prison population, according to the state research agency.

And Iowa has the worst black-to-white rate of incarceration in the nation, 13.6-to-1, according to a 2007 study by The Sentencing Project, a research and advocacy group for criminal justice reform.

We think this (new legislation) will go a long way toward achieving what both the governor and the chief justice said was important in terms of judicial reform, Rizer said.

Plenty of work remains on the issue, should legislators and the governor choose to continue to address it. A state panel of experts, convened by the governor, met multiple times in the summer of 2015 and drafted a series of suggested criminal justice reform measures. Only one  making most juvenile delinquent records private  was addressed this year.

Other reform suggestions made by the panel included taking steps to diversify juries and reducing the rates for prison phone calls.

The reforms that passed (last week) are good first steps to save Iowa tax dollars and safely reduce the states nonviolent prison population, Holly Harris, executive director of the U.S. Justice Action Network, said in a statement. With strong bipartisan support in both houses, and support from the governor and the attorney general, we hope that this legislation is just the beginning of Iowas journey down the road to a smarter, fairer and more cost-effective criminal justice system.
There are many fitness goals out there that we desire. Some of us want to be leaner and others wish to put on muscle mass. The thing is, for you to achieve your fitness goals, you need to
MOSCOW (Sputnik)  According to the media outlet, the aircraft, an Antonov 26, crashed when landing in the El Obeid airport due to a technical problem.

"All the crew members including three officers and two soldiers were killed in the accident," spokesperson Brigadier, Ahmed Khalifa Shami said Saturday, as quoted by the Sudan Tribune newspaper.
"This is a hugely important rescue mission because it does make a statement around the world about the way people treat animals. These lions have suffered tremendously," ADI spokeswoman Jan Creamer said, as quoted by the BBC.

The first group of animals was picked up in Bogota by a cargo plane, which then travelled to Lima and then Johannesburg. The lions were freed as the use of wild animals is banned in both Peru and Colombia.
The police made this discovery while investigating a trio of suspects accused of the illegal possession and sale of weaponry.

A search at the garage owned by one of the suspects yielded a variety of deadly artifacts, including two anti-tank rifles, 21 Mosin-Nagant bolt-action rifles, a machine gun, two assault rifles and a 37mm trench gun M1915  a Russian infantry support weapon dating back to World War I  along with several hundreds of artillery shells and over 4,000 rounds of ammunition, a police source told RIA Novosti.

A stash apparently owned by the second suspect contained a Lahti-Saloranta M/26 light machine gun  a weapon developed in Finland in 1926 and employed during the Winter War  eight hand grenades, ten rifles and about two kilograms of smokeless gunpowder.
TOKYO (Sputnik)  Some 30,000 people took part in a yearly May Day rally in Tokyos central Yoyogi park, protesting against the controversial TPP trade deal among other issues, national work unions federation Zenroren said in a statement on Sunday.

The main slogans of the demonstrators concerned higher wage demands and improvement of workers living standards. The protesters also criticized the government's economic policy, in particular Tokyos decision to join the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) deal.
NEW DELHI (Sputnik)  Six people died as a result of forest fires in the state of Uttarakhand in northern India, local media reported Sunday, citing authorities.

According to the Times of India newspaper, the fire has spread over 2,000 hectares of forest.

At the moment, we have registered about 922 incidents to do with fire, as a result of which six people were killed, including three women and one child, a spokesperson for the local forest protection authorities said, as quoted in the paper.
The government allowed them to start importing crude oil in the second half of last year, part of Beijing's efforts to boost private investment and competition in oil refining which is dominated by state-run groups.

The effort pushed Russia to China's biggest oil supplier in March and in four separate months in 2015, "nudging aside the Saudis."

"Now, however, the Saudis have stepped up their game and have offered teapots spot oil contracts. Thats very unusual for Saudi Arabia, which prefers to trade its oil on the futures markets and at a fixed price--but the stakes seem to be high enough to justify this move," Irina Slav, oil and gas analyst for the US-based Divergente LLC consulting firm explains in her article for Oilprice website.

He view is echoed by a senior trader who has done deals with Saudis and Chinese importers.

"For the Saudis, offering a spot cargo to a teapot signals they want to bite back at the Russians, who have supplied most of the demand by the rising teapots," Reuters quotes him as saying.
NEW DELHI (Sputnik)  The ADMM exercises are taking place on May 1-9 this year.

"In consonance with Indias Act East Policy and Indian Navys constant endeavour to enhance maritime security in the Indo-Pacific, Indian Naval Ship, INS Airavat arrived at Brunei on 1 May. The ship will participate in the ADM Plus (ASEAN Defence Ministers Meeting Plus) Exercise on Maritime Security and Counter Terrorism from 1 May to 9 May, 2016," Indian Navy spokesman Cap. D K Sharma said, as quoted in the statement.

INS Airavat is a Landing Ship Tank, indigenously designed and built in India. The ship has a lift capability of 500 troops, 10 tanks and 11 combat trucks. Airavat may be used for a variety of missions, including amphibious operations as well as humanitarian assistance and disaster relief.
On April 4, a group of unknown gunmen broke into the Shinam branch of the North Korean Central Bank, located in the city of Cheongjin, where they stole an unspecified sum of money. The crime became the country's first-ever robbery in history, the Korea Times quoted Radio Free Asia as saying this week.

The bank, located in North Hamgyong Province, is currently out of service, with local police suggesting that there was an accomplice inside the bank on that day.

And It Just Happened  The First Bank Robbery In North Korea pic.twitter.com/5JxIRjxIm5  ERPE (@ERPESTAR) 30  2016 .

"The robbery wouldn't have been possible without an insider's help," a police spokesperson was quoted by the Korea Times as saying.
In his recent analysis , published in the blogs section of the Financial Times, Saradzhyan recalls that a slew of otherwise respected Western scholars and analysts, from British Harvard-based historian Niall Ferguson to Eurasia Group consultancy head Ian Bremmer to American Foreign Policy Council senior fellow Stephen Blank, have speculated about Russia's 'inevitable decline'.

And "others go further. Alexander Motyl of Rutgers University recently wrote of a 'coming Russian collapse'. Lilia Shevtsova, a Russian scholar affiliated with the Brookings Institution, believes the collapse has already begun."

But is Russia really on the precipice of decline or even collapse, as these scholars suggest? According to Saradzhyan, "an examination of the data suggests that Russia has actually risen in comparison with some of its Western competitors."
MOSCOW (Sputnik)  A house fire in the eastern UK county of Lincolnshire claimed the lives of two people, the countys police said in a statement Sunday.

"Shortly after 12am on Sunday 1st May (23:00 GMT April 30), a house fire was discovered at a property in Tower Lane, off Cowbit Road, in Spalding. Sadly, we can confirm that there have been two fatalities," the statement reads.

The Lincolnshire police refused to provide any details about the victims of the blaze.
At the same time, the journalist notes, "there were horrible misjudgments along the way," with "a memo dated June 11, 1965 instruct[ing] the vice-president of the European Community to pursue monetary union by stealth, suppressing debate until 'the adoption of such proposals would become virtually inescapable'. This too was clever by half, as we can see today from debt-deflation traps and mass unemployment across southern Europe."

"In a sense," Evans-Pritchard notes, "these papers are ancient history." But "what they [do] show is that the American 'deep state' was in up to its neck" with the project which has now morphed into the 28-nation European Union.

"It is true that America had second thoughts about the EU once the ideological fanatics gained ascendancy in the late 1980s, recasting the union as a rival superpower with ambitions to challenge and surpass the US. John Kornblum, the State Department's chief of European affairs in the 1990s, says it was a nightmare trying to deal with Brussels," particularly on issues of military, security and defense policy.

At the same time, the journalist writes, Kornblum's view "is interesting, but it is a minority view in US policy circles. The frustration passed when Poland and the first wave of East European states joined the EU in 2004, bringing in a troupe of Atlanticist governments."

"We know it is hardly a love-affair. A top US official was caught two years ago on a telephone intercept dismissing Brussels during the Ukraine crisis with the lapidary words, 'f*** the EU'. Yet the all-pervading view is that the Western liberal order is under triple assault, and the EU must be propped [up]."
A post published on his Facebook page on Sunday showed the politician, accused of corruption and bribery in his home country, gathering in Kiev with family to celebrate Orthodox Easter.

Late last month, Petro Poroshenko Bloc MP Sergei Kaplin accused Yatsenyuk of having fled to Argentina after his resignation in mid-April, something Yatsenyuk's press secretary later denied.
RIGA (Sputnik)  About 3,000 people took part in the protest on Dome Square in Riga's city center demanding the increase of funding for healthcare and education in the country, a RIA Novosti correspondent reported Sunday.

The demonstration was organized by the Free Trade Union Confederation of Latvia (LBAS). Protesters held banners reading "For a decent salary" or "We will not be silent! Everyone must receive affordable and quality healthcare" as well as "Our silence  harms your health" and others.

Latvian medical workers complain of years of underpaid work, education workers saying much the same at May 1 rally in Riga.  juriskazha (@juriskazha) 1  2016 .

Head of LBAS Peteris Krigers, speaking to the gathering said that the situation with healthcare and education is a threat to a national security of Latvia.
"I think that some smarter people need to make themselves known within the Katyn Rally, who will act in line with the interests of the state, instead of acting according to a scenario written in Moscow," Polko noted.

Incidentally, the Polish bikers have successfully carried out their Katyn Rally for 15 years, with Wegrzyn telling Sputnik last year that every time, he and his bikers have been "warmly welcomed" and "treatedwith great kindness" by everyone from police and local authorities to ordinary Russians.

Paranoia Overload: Night Wolves 'Facilitate a Russian-Grown Fifth Column'

Effectively, Polko warned, the Night Wolves' allies in Poland were not only 'useful idiots', but factually facilitated the creation of a "fifth column" in the country "to engage in acts of sabotage on our soil. If someone from the Polish side supports them, he must come to realize that he is actually putting Poland in danger."

Therefore, the officer said, the Russian bikers should be banned not only in Poland, but throughout all of Europe as well.

Ultimately, Polko warned, Russian 'provocations', including the Night Wolves, have one aim: to weaken Polish security, and the cohesion of the NATO alliance.
The German magazine argued that the debate was fueled during Netanyahus Berlin visit. Senior cabinet advisers were infuriated when the Israel publication Hayom published a story on the meeting with the headline: Merkel: This Isnt the Time for Two States.

The article argued Netanyahu had twisted her words, making it appear that she backed his policies.

In fact, though, Merkel had repeatedly made it clear to Netanyahu that she believes the effects of Israeli settlement construction in the occupied territories are disastrous, they explained. The settlement policy, she believes, makes it unlikely that a viable Palestinian state can be established in accordance with plans aimed at a two-state solution.

However, the article noted that, while the future relationship may be murky, plenty officials believe Germanys support will remain unwavering.

The relations between Israel and Germany are, and will continue to be, close and good, an unnamed senior official was quoted as saying. It seems these statements are an internal German attempt to attack Merkel for her close relationship with Prime Minister Netanyahu.
A group of German leftists have posted online the names, addresses and telephone numbers of 2,000 Alternative for Germany (AfD) party members, Die Welt reported on Sunday.

Party spokesman Jorg Meuthen called the leak an act worthy of "criminal prosecution" which has caused considerable unrest among members, who are now in fear of "collective house calls" from left-wing activists, he said.

"We call on the federal government, specifically the federal Justice Minister Heiko Maas to carry out proceedings against radical left websites with the same intensity as he does radical right (wing websites)," Meuthen said.
This is a stark contrast to Angela Merkel's stance that freedom of religion is universally guaranteed by the German constitution and that Islam is welcome in the country.

Tillschneider's statement received loud and vocal support, as such sentiments are apparently shared by the majority of the party members. While the idea of a softer approach has been proposed on the congress (Ernst-August Roettger proposed a "dialogue with local Muslim communities"), it was almost unanimously rejected.

The party that was founded three years ago had its popularity boosted by the recent migrant flow to Europe. According to statistics, Muslims make about 5% of the German population (about 4 million people). AfD is being criticized for its far-right anti-immigrant policy, with some officials have compared its attitude towards Muslims to that of Adolf Hitler's towards Jews  a particularly popular accusation in Germany, that has been attributed to Chancellor Merkel herself.
MOSCOW (Sputnik)  Some 30,000 people have gathered for the annual May Day demonstration in the city, according to the police.

"Three colleges of ours were injured by firecrackers," the police said in a Twitter post.

The demonstrators, have been traditionally joined by members of the left parties and trade unions, as well as the Afghan and Syrian refugees' representatives in Germany. They were holding red flags and balloons and posters calling for social justice.
Additional analysis of statistics in time shows that, while in 2014 there were evident peaks in criminal activity corresponding to the Israeli military Operation Protective Edge in the Gaza Strip, in 2015 crimes are distributed evenly throughout the year. According to the report, "Expectations that anti-semitic crime would gradually return to levels seen prior to the 2014 war in Gaza were proved incorrect."

Campaign Against Antisemitism's chairman Gideon Falter expressed his concerns regarding these numbers, threatening that, should criminal activity against Jews rise and number of cases charged decrease, British Jews will "have no choice but to emigrate."

According to Falter, should the trends remain the same, "the [British] Jewish community will be faced with the kind of rampant antisemitism seen in other European countries, which has left Jews feeling fearful and abandoned."

CAA's official position regarding reasons for increase in antisemitic crimes is connected with rise of "violent ideologies of Islamism and neo-Nazism."

"Whilst Islamists and neo-Nazis agree on little, they both agree that Jews are their enemy and must be violently oppressed," the CAA statement says.
Six people were killed in a gang attack in the Honduran city of San Pedro Sula, which is notorious for its high crime rate, police said in a statement.

According to the authorities, the victims were shot on Saturday while sitting in two cars not far from a prison. Two of them were women, the statement added.

NUEVA MASACRE EN HONDURAS! Mueren 5 personas en San Pedro Sula. https://t.co/O9hF6KeSQW pic.twitter.com/VBEVEbpuot  Noti Bomba (@notibomba) 30  2016 .

Two suspects have reportedly been detained in connection with the shooting.
Aktans lawyers and the broadcaster claimed that he was questioned regarding his tweets posted in 2015, the newspaper reported. The police also interrogated the journalist over him sharing media reports on civilians killed in Turkeys conflict with the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) militant group.

Turkey's crackdown on journalists and restrictions on freedom of speech have previously been criticized by the international community, including the United Nations, the United States, the European Union, Russia and the organization Reporters Without Borders (RSF).
MOSCOW (Sputnik)  Riyadh severed its diplomatic ties with Tehran following the attacks.

"Perpetrators who stormed the embassy were arrested and are now in prison Tehran wants to find reasonable and balanced relations based on multilateral cooperation with the countries of the region," Jannati said as quoted by the Fars news agency and local media on Saturday.
Police sources confirmed that an explosion rocked the police building and people have been injured. The sources added the explosion was felt all over the city.

Pic from the aftermath of #Gaziantep explosion 20 min ago.

A car bomb was detonated infrnt of the municipality bldng pic.twitter.com/wc5qkW8TR6  Bassam (@bassam_k) 1 May 2016

The governor of Gaziantep Ali Yerlikaya said that a law enforcement officer had been killed in the bomb blast. He added that at least 19 police officers and four civilians had been injured.

Gaziantep Emniyet Mudurlugu onunde bombal saldr

DHA: Patlamada 9 kisi yaralandhttps://t.co/9D8Opfhzbq  Haberturk TV (@HaberturkTV) 1 May 2016

Footage from the broadcaster Haberturk shows pieces of a wrecked vehicle near the gates of the police HQ. All roads in the area have been closed as a security precaution.
MOSCOW (Sputnik)  Three Turkish army servicemen were killed and 14 were injured in an attack by members of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) militant group in the southeast of the country, the Turkish General Staff said in a statement on Sunday.

During the attack by members of the separatist terrorist organization [PKK] in the town of Nusaybin in the Mardin Province on May 1, three of our comrades were killed. Fourteen soldiers were injured and were immediately sent to a hospital, the statement reads.
According to the channel, the Muthanna province, where the attack happened, has been a safe region in the past few years.

None of the terrorist groups has claimed responsibility for the attack so far.
HMEIMIM (Sputnik)  The so-called regime of silence in the eastern Ghouta neighborhood near Damascus will be extended for 24 hours until the end of May 1, Sergei Kuralenko, the head of the Russian reconciliation center in Syria, said Sunday.

According to Kuralenko, the silence regime, that was introduced on Saturday in parts of Syrias Latakia province and in Damascus area, is generally holding.

"The positive results that we have achieved allowed us, in coordination with the Syrian authorities and our US partners to extend the silence regime in eastern Guta for another day  until the end of May 1. In addition, active negotiations on the introduction of a silence regime in Aleppo province are currently being held," Kuralenko said.
On Saturday, UN Special Envoy for Yemen Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed met with parties to the Yemeni conflict in the framework of the new round of UN-backed talks on Yemens reconciliation, which began on April 21 in Kuwait.

"The attack [by Houthis] on the military base in Amran blows up peace consultations in Kuwait," Mekhlafi wrote in his official Twitter account.
MOSCOW (Sputnik)  The Free Syrian Army (FSA) rejects the idea of the ceasefire in only specific areas of Syria and supports comprehensive agreement on the truce, members of the group said in a joint statement Sunday.

Russia and the United States brokered the regime of silence that is implemented in the Damascus suburbs for 24 hours and in the northern Latakia province for 72 hours from midnight of April 30. The ceasefire in the Damascus' suburbs was since extended for another 24 hours, till the end of May 1.

"The ceasefire which we have agreed upon, is first of all a comprehensive agreement, which includes the whole territory of Syria, with the exception of the territory under the control of the IS [banned in Russia]. And we will never in any case accept the principle of divisibility or regional truces," the statement said.
Russia and the United States brokered the regime of silence that is implemented in the Damascus suburbs for 24 hours and in the northern Latakia province for 72 hours from midnight of April 30. The ceasefire in the Damascus' suburbs was since extended for another 24 hours, till the end of May 1.

"The truce in Latakia, eastern Ghouta is only needed to enable the government to transfer troops to Aleppo," Zoubi told Sky News Arabia TV channel.
On Saturday, the Iraqi military announced the state of the full combat readiness and closed all entrances to Baghdad after the group of supporters of the Iraqi Shiite leader Muqtada Sadr stormed the parliament building and began smashing furniture inside. The attack severely injured several Iraqi lawmakers.

"In coordination with [Iranian] airlines, we decided to transfer flights to holy shrines, which were scheduled to be made to the Baghdad airport, to the city of Najaf since today so that the pilgrims will face no problem," Ohadi said, as quoted by the Press TV broadcaster.
Earlier in the day, two car bombs detonated in the mostly Shiite-populated Samawah city.

"The explosions claimed the lives of 38 people, another 86 were injured," the Alsumaria broadcaster quoted the source as saying.
DUBAI (Sputnik)  The ceasefire in Syria should be observed throughout the country and not only in specific regions, Syrian oppositions High Negotiations Committee (HNC) spokesman Riyad Naasan Agha said Sunday.

Russia and the United States brokered the "regime of silence" that is implemented in the Damascus suburbs for 24 hours and in the northern Latakia province for 72 hours from midnight of April 30. The ceasefire in the Damascus' suburbs was since extended for another 24 hours, till the end of May 1.

"The Committee [HNC] requires an implementation of the agreement on full ceasefire in all areas without exception," Agha told RIA Novosti.
KUWAIT CITY (Sputnik)  Intra-Yemeni talks in Kuwait on the countrys reconciliation returned to the format of proximity talks after Sanaa refused to continue holding talks with Houthi rebels amid their attack on a governmental military base, a source close to the ongoing negotiations told Sputnik on Sunday.

On Saturday, UN Special Envoy for Yemen Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed held a trilateral meeting with parties to the Yemeni conflict in the framework of the new round of UN-backed peace talks, which began on April 21 in Kuwait.

"The special envoy is now holding separate meetings with Houthi delegations and supporters of the General People's Congress party [loyal to former Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh]. The direct talks were scheduled for the evening, but they was postponed indefinitely due to the governmental delegations decision to suspend its participation in the direct dialogue," the source said.
MOSCOW (Sputnik)  The number of settlements in Syria, which joined the ceasefire in the country has risen to 85, the Russian Defense Ministry said Sunday in a bulletin posted on its website.

"During the past 24 hours, the ceasefire agreements were signed with the representatives of two settlements in Aleppo province. The number of settlements that have joined the reconciliation process has increased to 85," the bulletin said.
The influence that Saudi Arabia wields in the US economy and media prevents Riyadh from being held to account for supporting Islamic terrorism, Alex Bernstein, a political newcomer who is running in the 2016 election for the US House to represent the 3rd Congressional District of Colorado, told Radio Sputnik.

"Up until 2011, Seymour Hersh reports, the Saudi government itself was directly funding Osama bin Laden in Pakistan, and there's also evidence that there was a plan to shoot down Air Force One from its embassy in Washington with a Stinger missile," Bernstein said.

"If we're ever going to seriously solve this problem of Islamic terror I think we have to focus on Saudi Arabia."
MOSCOW (Sputnik)  The overall casualty figures are lower than in March, when a total of 1,119 were killed and 1,561 were injured, the statement added.

"The number of civilians killed in April was 410 (including 11 federal police, Sahwa civil defence, Personal Security Details, facilities protection police, fire department), and the number of civilians injured was 973 (including 20 federal police, Sahwa civil defence, Personal Security Details, facilities protection police, fire department)," the statement said.

The Daesh terrorist group controls large areas of Iraq, in which it claims to have established an Islamic caliphate. The group is notorious for its brutality and human rights violations, including summary executions of captured opponents and journalists, as well as the execution-style slayings of Christians and other religions minorities. The group is outlawed in Russia, the United States and many other countries.
"As many as 3.5 tonnes of humanitarian supplies were passed on to the settlements of Balas in the Aleppo province and Muadhamiya in the Damascus province. Medical staff of the reconciliation center provided medical assistance to 42 locals," the Sunday statement, posted on the website of the Russian Defense Ministry, said.

Syria has been in a state of civil war since 2011, with forces loyal to Syrian President Bashar Assad fighting several opposition factions and militant groups, such as the Daesh and al-Nusra Front.
UNITED NATIONS (Sputnik)  Libya has been in a state of turmoil since the 2011 Arab Spring movement, which later led to a civil war and the overthrow of the countrys leader Muammar Gaddafi by Western-supported Islamic extremists.

The instability also led to the rise of numerous Islamic militant and terrorist groups, including the Daesh which is banned in Russia and other countries.

"From 1 April to 30 April 2016, the United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) documented 47 civilian casualties, including 33 deaths and 14 injuries, during the conduct of hostilities across Libya. Victims included two children injured, 18 men killed and five injured, four women injured, and 15 adults killed and three injured where the sex was not identified," UNSMIL said in a statement on Sunday.
In a statement published by the group on Sunday, it claimed responsibility for the attack, saying that the perpetrator blew herself up before reaching her target.

Turkish Interior Minister Efkan Ala said Thursday that 15 people were arrested in relation to the attack.
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Furthermore, Harmer said, Russia and China are also eroding the US's supremacy under the world's oceans. "Chinese nuclear attack submarines are just in absolute overdrive, how quick they're building and how fast the technology is developing. And we've seen a significant increase in Russian naval activity, Russian long-range naval activity, Russian ships conducting port calls to Bandar Abbas in Iran."

Tehran too, the analyst warned, is also "making progress, and their weapons are getting more accurate," even though they "still lack a precision in their offensive weapons, and [are] still trying to obtain and develop more effective air missile defenses." At the same time, "the Iranian navy is getting a lot bigger a lot quicker than anybody expected."

The US response, The Hill suggests, has been to try and keep ahead of their strategic competitors, with "the Pentagonfocusing on developing high-end weapons systems that can avoid detection even in close quarters, like the B-21 long-range stealth bomber," a $550 million apiece fifth-generation precision attack bomber expected to be introduced in the mid-2020s.

Washington is also working with its allies, including the UK, to get them to buy the advanced US weaponry.

"That includes the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, a fifth-generation stealth fighter [with a projected program cost of over $1.5 trillion]; the P-8 Poseidon, a maritime patrol aircraft designed to detect foreign submarines and ships [program cost $33 billion]; and the Trident Class II D5 missile, which deploy[s] from US and Royal Navy ballistic missile submarines," The Hill explained.
MOSCOW (Sputnik)  The latest round of the intra-Syria talks finished in Geneva earlier this week and saw HNC walking out over continuous fighting in Syria and a lack of progress on humanitarian issues.

"After five years of civil war and 300,000 dead, it remains important to get all the players to the table and keep them there," Steinmeier told the Welt am Sonntag, adding he would meet de Mistura and Hijab to "develop ideas for continuation of the Geneva peace talks."

Four delegations were taking part in the talks  the government delegation, HNC, the opposition group that formed following talks in Moscow, Cairo and Astana and the Hmeimim delegation of internal opposition.
The two presidents will discuss the situation in the Middle East and on the Korean peninsula, according to the media outlet. Seoul is also eager to participate in Irans infrastructure development projects which aim to recover its economy after the international sanctions against it were lifted, the news agency reported.

"We expect the trip to serve as an occasion to take a new leap forward in bilateral ties, which have been stalled due to the international sanctions," Kim Kyou-hyun, a senior presidential secretary for foreign affairs, said, as quoted by the media outlet.
"This all happens in full view of the Saudi regime. They tell the world, which doesn't want to understand anything: 'We are against Al-Qaeda.' What Al-Qaeda, what ISIL [Daesh]? They are ISIL. They are al-Qaeda. Everyone knows what this regime is about," Saleh told the RT television channel in an interview released Saturday.

Yemen has been engulfed in a military conflict between the government headed by President Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi and Houthi rebels, which have been supported by army units loyal to Saleh.
The US State Department said in a Saturday statement that during his visit Kerry will review the ongoing cessation of hostilities in Syria as well as discuss other Syrian issues.

The ceasefire in Syria, worked out by Russia and the United States, took effect on February 27, but does not include groups that have been designated as terrorist by the United Nations.
Twelve bakers and pastry cooks working at a local bakery in a Siberian city spent about three days to create this magnificent 1.5-meter tall treat which weighs about 400 kilograms (over 880 pounds).

According to RIA Novosti, it took about 200 kilograms of flour, 60 kilograms of sugar, about 900 eggs, nearly 50 kilograms of icing, 20 kilograms of candied fruit and 18 kilograms of raisins to bake this culinary wonder.

Residents and visitors to the city alike were able to partake of this Easter cake on May 1.
MURMANSK (Sputnik)  At least 900 marines of the Russian Northern Fleet, as well as 30 units of military equipment, will take part in the Victory Day parades on May 9 in northern cities of Murmansk and Severomorsk, the fleets spokesman, Vadim Serga, said Sunday.

The military parades will showcase several technological innovations, such as launchers of S-400 air defense systems and Bastion mobile anti-ship missile systems, according to Serga.
Last week, the Crimean Supreme Court ruled that the Mejlis, which claims to represent Crimean Tatars, is an extremist organization, and banned its activities in Russia. Crimean Attorney General Natalia Poklonskaya, advocating the ban, underscored that the group "exists only to fuel hatred and hostility."

The ruling follows an earlier Justice Ministry move to suspend the group's activities after it was accused of having links to international terror groups including Hizbut-Tahrir and the Turkish neo-fascist 'Grey Wolves' organization.

Reacting to the ban, Lenur Islyamov, one of the troika of Ukraine-based Tatar politicians responsible for organizing the so-called food and electricity 'blockades' of Crimea late last year, told Radio Free Europe's 'Krym.Realii' internet portal that the present may be the perfect moment for ethnic Crimean Tatars to create their own army, Ukraine's Vesti online newspaper reports.
MOSCOW (Sputnik)  Two people were killed in a crash of a small plane in the southern part of the US state of Nevada, the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department said.

The single-engine Extra EA300 plane went down Saturday at around 5 p.m. local time (01:00 GMT Sunday) near the town of Jean.

The causes of the plane crash are being investigated, according to the police.
Brent crude was trading at more than $47 per barrel on Friday but US shale producers are still cautious about adding new production to the market after their experiences last spring, when oil prices rallied to $60 a barrel, new rigs were put to work, but prices again fell to new lows.

"There is definitely some caution that they don't want to jump back in too fast and see the price fall below $40," Rhidoy Rashid, analyst at London consulting firm Energy Aspects, told The Wall Street Journal.

Many producers "couldnt deal with that again for another extended period of time."
Emergency management officials in Texas have mobilized the Civil Air Patrol to photograph possible oil spills and leaks around the flood regions where a catastrophe could be in the making. Many environmentalists and residents have expressed concern that recent floods have deluged fracking sites, spreading oil and the chemicals used to turn shale into oil and is now depositing them into waterways and even possibly drinking water.

Texas is the home to Americas petroleum industry where companies engage in shale fracturing  more commonly referred to as fracking  seen by many ecologists as destructive to the environment, mostly for the industrys use of harsh chemicals.

Photos show oil-sheen as well as plumes flowing from tipped tanks and fracking sites that were inundated with rainwater during Marchs flooding of the Sabine River.
In an interview with Sputnik, Michael Madden, an expert on North Korea who AP lauded for his "encyclopedic knowledge of the government elite," said that Russia's drive against the US deployment of the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system in South Korea can be described as well-grounded.

The interview came after the White House announced that it would continue talks on the deployment of this new American anti-missile defense system on South Korean territory.

"Moscow and Beijing have perfectly legitimate arguments to make against the deployment of the THAAD system in South Korea, especially given the fact that Seoul earlier tried to develop its own missile defense system. So Russia is perfectly justified in not wanting THAADs deployed in South Korea," Madden said.
YEREVAN (Sputnik)  Defense Ministry of the unrecognized Nagorno-Karabakh Republic said on Sunday that one of its army servicemen was killed in shelling from the Azerbaijani side.

The Karabakh Defense Army's servicemandied as a result of the enemy's violations of the ceasefire in the east (Martuni region)," the ministrys press service said.
Washingtons favorite economic power tool has been so overused, its becoming ineffective and, in some cases, even counterproductive, reads an article in Foreign Affairs, the influential journal published by the US Council on Foreign Relations.

It refers to a report which was recently published by the Cato Institute, a libertarian-leaning US think tank, and the Center for a New American Security (CNAS) which has raised questions about how effective sanctions actually are  and shows mounting evidence of their negative ripple effect.

Sanctions are often the tool to which US policymakers turn first in responding to crises and managing threats on an ongoing basis, says the 78-page research publication The New Tools of Economic Warfare.
Despite NATO repeatedly speaking of plans for enlargement, the very existence of the alliance seems irrelevant given that its members are unwilling to support it, US-based defense expert Kyle Mizokami wrote in an article which was published by T he Week magazine

In his article titled "Why Russia has NATO on the ropes", Mizokami recalled that defense spending among NATO countries had already been reduced significantly, "with only few countries spending the alliance-recommended 2 percent of GDP on defense."

Last year, Germany spent just 1.2 percent, Italy less than 1 percent, and France 1.8 percent for the purpose, according to him.
TEHRAN (Sputnik)  Iranian Petroleum Minister Bijan Namdar Zangeneh may hold a bilateral meeting with Russian Energy Minister Alexander Novak before the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) member states convene in June, a source in Irans Ministry of Petroleum told Sputnik.

"We do not rule out the possibility that we will have contacts with the Russian minister or ministers of other countries prior to the [OPEC] summit," the source said.

However, the source added that there were no specific agreements about possible bilateral meetings.
"The Russian President earlier invited the Magues to visit Moscow. They accepted the invitation, got the passports, and are now dealing with visa-related issues. They plan to fly to Moscow on May 3," RIA Novosti quoted a source in the French Embassy as saying.

Following the extraordinarily friendly gesture from the Magues, Russian Ambassador to France Alexander Orlov visited the couple and invited them to attend the Victory Day Parade in Moscow on May 9.

Orlov brought the Magues a personal invitation from Russian President Vladimir Putin, who said that he would like to meet the French couple while they are in Moscow, according to RT.

Meanwhile, 80-year-old Daniel Couture from the French city of Agde has sent his father's Legion of Honor Order to the Russian Embassy so that it could be handed over to the family of Alexander Prokhorenko, RT reported on Saturday.
YEREVAN (Sputnik)  Armenias border was fired at by the Azerbaijani armed forces overnight on Sunday, the Armenian Defense Ministry said.

"On the night of May 1, Azerbaijani side fired at the state border of Armenia and Azerbaijan. The Azerbaijani side continued firing mostly irregular shots from small arms and sniper weapons of different caliber toward Armenian positions in the northeast," the ministrys statement reads.
MOSCOW (Sputnik)  New Delhi is ready to clear some $6.5 billion of debt for Iranian oil in near time, provided there is clarity on the channel of payment, Indian media reported Sunday, citing government sources.

The reports emerge as Prime Minister Narendra Modi is likely to visit the oil-rich country later in May.

"We are working on clearing the dues to Iran and are hopeful that the issue will be resolved soon," the NDTV broadcaster quoted its sources as saying.
The US is sitting on more butter and cheese than it knows what to do with, and the Europeans are to blame, says a Bloomberg report.

Exports from the European Union have climbed so far this year, it says, as the bloc's once-largest customer, Russia, banned trade in foodstuffs in retaliation for the sanctions.

Europe therefore stated looking for alternative markets such as Asia and the Middle East.
To shoe or not to shoe  that is one of the questions addressed in the third edition of 'Fika with Jonas,' which airs on YouTube, starting today (May 1).

Fika is the Swedish word for a coffee break, and Swedish-born trainer Jonas Czernyson is the star of the monthly series produced by Cody Bach Productions.

Czernyson, who is stabled at Winners Training Center in Chesterfield, New Jersey, introduces his farrier, Dean Vandervort, who discusses his blacksmithing career and demonstrates shoeing options.

Then Czernyson answers questions from viewers, including when it is appropriate for a racehorse to compete without shoes. Racing footage of some of his most accomplished barefooted trotters is featured.

Questions and comments may be sent to Christine and Jonas Czernyson through the Team JC Stable page on Facebook, @teamjcstable on Twitter or by email to [email protected].

(Fika With Jonas)
As the older pacing group starts to hit the racetrack and make headlines, one of the horses expected to make a major splash in that group will have his debut pushed back...if he makes it at all.

Wakizashi Hanover, the 2015 Pepsi North America Cup and O'Brien Award winner, is set to start back into training on Monday after undergoing surgery in early April.

Trainer Joann Looney-King told Trot Insider that the four-year-old son of Dragon Again had been showing signs of some possible ailment as he closed out his sophomore season. His last chart line shows an eighth-place finish in the Matron -- the only start in his two seasons of racing where he failed to get a cheque.

"Obviously we knew something was wrong at the Matron, something really went wrong when he just as much as stopped," said Looney-King. "Up in Canada for the Breeders Crown, we knew he wasn't right there either. We just thought he was kind of dull because he didn't put in a really good performance in the elimination or the final."

Scoping the horse couldn't pinpoint anything, but he didn't appear as he should either. He was turned out at Chris Coyle's Olive Branch Farm in North Carolina for what the connections hoped would be a fresh change of scenery before placing him into the hands of Gordon Corey to train down.

"Gordon trained him down to 2:12, the horse is making a terrible noise, it's not a roaring noise but there's obviously a really bad problem here," continued Looney-King. "Scoped him in North Carolina at Pinehurst, that vet didn't have much of a diagnosis other than something's really wrong here and I don't know if it can be fixed."

Enter renowned equine surgeon Dr. Patty Hogan. Wakizashi Hanover was sent to her for examination, where Dr. Hogan noticed a paralyzed flap in the horse's airway and recommended tieback surgery.

"We've had throat operations but we've never done tie-backs. She's good, and I kind of thought -- and so did my husband -- even if his performance is good training, you know this is bad. When we got him back here at our farm, we trained him in 2:02 and we could hear from one side of the track to the other."

Surgery took place on April 7, with Dr. Hogan considering the pacer an ideal candidate for this type of operation. The overall success rate of the surgery, however, is not perfect. Looney-King reports through Dr. Hogan that it's in the 60-70 percent range.

"We don't know if he'll come back, we don't know if he'll come back as good, you just don't know with throat operations. For me, it's just as bad it gets but there wasn't any choice."

The timing for Dr. Hogan's diagnosis might have made it easier to assess than the previous scopes, as a condition like this one is progressive and thus why it wasn't performed while the horse was turned out. Once the surgery was completed, Wakizashi Hanover was prescribed stall rest, hand walking and grazing for a week followed by light work in an Equicizer.

"He's been on the Equicizer, he's walked. The incision looks really good, he'll get scoped this weekend to see how things look and then he'll start back jogging on Monday. He's been out of training for three and a half weeks."

The depth of the older pacing ranks is serious as ever, with older pacing powerhouses Always B Miki and State Treasurer being joined by three of the four richest sophomores of 2015. Thus Looney-King and the connections are fully aware of the competition Wakizashi Hanover will be set to face this season.

"To be him, he has to come back as good as he was. And he has to come back better to race with these horses, these are monsters," confessed Looney-King. "We'll start knowing more a week or ten days from now because he'll jog for a week and I'm sure he's going to get turned [loose] and we're going to find something out.

"I know my horse can do it if he can breathe...just two-fifths of a second is the difference between whether a horse is a top class horse or whether he's even going to get a cheque. They just go so fast and those boys are so good. It's going to be an interesting year and I hope I can be a part of it."

The incision has healed perfectly and Looney-King commended Dr. Hogan on the work she did. The test will be welcome for the connections, and the horse. Looney-King notes that the four-year-old is feeling great and itching to get active.

"He's a lean, muscular horse and very fit...like a real athlete would be. He's a delight and we're just looking forward and hoping this works. She said that he was a perfect candidate for this and hopefully this is going to be OK."

Wakizashi Hanover's sophomore season was storybook for Team King and owners Tri County Stable of Nova Scotia. From 20 starts, the son of Dragon Again - Western Gesture tallied 11 wins and 17 top-three finishes with more than $1.26 million in earnings and a mark of 1:48 taken in the North America Cup at Mohawk.

"The owners have been so great, Bruce [Kennedy] always has a positive attitude, always a smile on his face no matter what. He and that group, they're good guys and it's a pleasure working with them, that's for sure."
Trot Insider has learned that longtime horseman Bill Davis of Langley, B.C. has passed away at the age of 54.

For decades, Davis dominated the harness racing scene on Canada's west coast. Originally from Ontario, Davis made the move west in the early 1980s and earned the nickname 'The Dominator' for his stellar driving and training numbers that earned him multiple training and driving titles at Cloverdale Raceway and Fraser Downs.

Davis was a two-time O'Brien Award winner, receiving the O'Brien Award of Horsemanship in 2003 as the inaugural recipient and again in 2014. That year, Davis rebuilt his stable after losing a number of horses in a barn fire that June.

As a driver, Davis notched 5,477 wins and more than $22 million in purses. As a trainer, Davis won 3,466 races with horses earning in excess of $16 million. He also helped start the career of trainer Casie Coleman, and was instrumental in rushing the young trainer to safety after an explosion set her on fire some 16 years ago.

Davis was also instrumental in the career of son Billy, now a top driver in Ontario.

Bill is also survived by his father William Sr., wife Laurie, daughters Courtney and Megan, brother Dan, and sisters Patsy and Sandy. Predeceased by mother Dorothy.

"On behalf of the family of Bill Davis (The Dominator) we would like to thank everyone for their thoughts and prayers and comments at this time. We would like to let you know that we are having a private celebration of life for Bill, for his family and close friends, as this is what he wanted," said Laurie in a statement. "We would also like to thank OHHA for their generous gift of flying Billy Jr., Amy and Liam home to be with the family."

Please join Standardbred Canada in offering condolences to the family and friends of Bill Davis.
This drawing shows the layout of rail lines and the new dock Millennium Bulk Terminals would build if its gets approval of its $680 million coal dock.

Less than two years ago, the first sight visitors saw after taking exit 36 toward Longview was the reeking Tennant Way landfill.

People still joke that the first indicator of nearing the town is the pungent odor of the pulp mills.

But Longview has been cleaning up its act. The landfill is covered by a layer of green grass. A new welcome sign  a gift from contractor JH Kelly  greets drivers headed into town. The city has spruced up Tennant Way and Commerce Avenue with new curbs, pavement, trees and sidewalks.

But some argue that Millennium Bulk Terminals proposed coal export terminal could set back the citys efforts and brand the city as a coal town, implying that its dirty and unhealthy and that it will become a hard sell for professionals and new employers.

But would it? An immense environmental impact study released Friday fuels concerns about the projects impact on river and rail traffic and global warming, but it deflates critics rhetoric that clouds of dust would billow off trains and drift around town all summer. The Kelso-Longview area already is known as a rugged, industrial blue-collar community, and its future is more likely to be tied to heavy industry, bulk commodities and manufacturing than to cleaner, high-tech industries.

Economic developers have used Longviews image as an industrial town to their advantage. Port of Longview recently rebranded itself as Washingtons Working Port  a nod to its blue-collar past and present. The towns industrial reputation was a selling point for Nimble Trailers, a semi-trailer manufacturing company that recently announced its opening a plant here that could eventually hire 500 workers.

As much as wed like to be Bellevue or Lake Oswego ... its not in the near-term future, said Joe Phillips, economic development coordinator for the city of Longview. (Longview) is nothing fancy, but its a place you can go, and companies are welcome.

Ted Sprague, president of the Cowlitz Economic Development Council added, Manufacturers really appreciate Cowlitz County because they recognize its a hard working, three-shift city, and they know theyre going to be able hire good people that arent afraid to get their hands dirty.

The Millennium project would be the second-largest coal dock in North America, according to Sightline Institute, a Seattle environmental think tank. The $680 million project would import coal from mines in Wyoming and Montana and ship it to Asia.

According to Millennium, the dock would create 1,325 direct construction jobs and 1,300 indirect construction jobs. Once built, it would support 135 direct jobs and 165 indirect jobs (such as construction suppliers), according to the company. In addition, it would generate $5.8 million annually in state, county and local taxes, according to the environmental study.

It has been intensely controversial. But coal already has a presence in Longview, dating back to a small mine near Coal Creek in the late 1880s. Today, an average of one to two mile-long coal trains travel through Cowlitz County on their way to Centralia and British Columbia, according to BNSF Railway. And Millennium already supplies 100,000 tons of coal annually to the Weyerhaeuser Co. pulp mill.

Longview Mayor Don Jensen said Longview has all the pieces that make it an attractive place to build the coal terminal.

We have rail. We have deep-water ports. We have highway, the interstate. We have everything that makes us a great place to be if youre going to ship anything out of the country, he said. There are people daily looking into what industry might want to come in. I see our folks talking to people every day. Its really advisable to be here.

Jensen said Longview has also been cleaned up over the years, saying its a little more sparkling than it has been in the past. However, he acknowledged that Longview could become even more industrial as projects like Millenniums take shape.

I dont want to become a coal town, but on the other side, we are becoming a coal town, he said.

Jensen said hes not worried about the coal terminal injuring public health.

Coal dust

At least to outsiders, perceptions of the area already are driven largely by what they see from the highway  billowing clouds of smoke and steam, and, less frequently than years ago, mill odor. Opponents of coal say the communitys image will suffer all the more if coal soot blows across the sky and clings to cars and buildings.

The (draft environmental impact statement) paints a bleak picture for people who live near the coal terminal, Roy Staples, co-president of the Landowners & Citizens for a Safe Community, said in a prepared statement. It confirms what we know from coal export sites around the world. Theyre dirty. Coal dust hangs in the air and coat(s) homes. The path forward is clear: Uncovered coal trains and stockpiles have no place in Longview, along the Columbia, or on the exposed BNSF railroad adjacent to traffic on both sides of Interstate 5.

However, the EIS report states that the project would take extensive dust control measures and would not violate air quality standards. It says very little dust would drift off the terminal site (see related story). At worst, the study suggests, residents who live along the main (rail) line could experience nuisance levels (of dust) which may (leave) visible soiling on window sills, outdoor furniture and other property.

Opponents have previously cited a figure from a nearly decade-old study by BNSF Railway, showing that a single rail car can shed hundreds of pounds of coal dust on a long journey. But BNSF spokesperson Courtney Wallace said the study is out of date and refers to coal cars not treated with sticky sealants at the site of a mine.

Since then, BNSF has implemented a two-part method that virtually eliminates dust, Wallace said. Coal must be loaded in a bread loaf shape to minimize wind impacts, and a surfactant (a kind of glue) is applied to the top, creating a crust to contain the coal. The sealant reduces dust loss by 85 percent, she said. The trains are re-sprayed with topping agents at a Pasco rail yard. Wallace said the companys research suggests that the dust is only a problem at the site of the mines in Wyoming and Montana, not miles away in Washington.

The simple truth is millions of tons of coal have been hauled through Washington for decades, and we are not aware of a single coal dust complaint lodged with a Washington state agency or with the railroad until after the coal export terminals were proposed, Wallace said.

Mary Lyons, co-president of Landowners & Citizens for a Safe Community, still rejects any notion that coal can be handled cleanly.

No matter what kind of controls you try and put on it, (coal) is still known as a dirty, unhealthy commodity, Lyons said. Having a coal terminal could add to the stigma of Longview as a polluted town, she said.

It takes ... a series of big actions to address that and undo the stigma, so (any new development) has to be a very visible sign of a new direction and that the community isnt what it used to be, she said.

Impact on job recruitment

However, its unlikely that prospective new employers would shun the area just because it has a coal dock, said Phillips, Longviews economic development coordinator. Companies have other concerns when choosing a location, such as land availability, tax rates and labor costs.

There are so many decisions a company has to look at to understand if they can be profitable in a community. (The coal terminal) consideration just seems pretty far down the list for most companies, Phillips said.

Sprague, president of the CEDC, said he doesnt think Millennium would tarnish Longviews image.

The only people that say this is going to change our image are people going against the project, he said. If you drive down Industrial Way and go to KapStone or NORPAC  were an industrial city, and this will just add to it. And this will add to our prominence as a world exporting hub.

Bill Marcum, president of the Kelso-Longview Chamber of Commerce, said he has few worries about the terminal smudging the areas image or business recruitment efforts. In fact, he said, the terminal would attract related support businesses to the area.

I think businesses are already coming in, and its been on the docket for four years to build, he said, adding that the Chamber has endorsed the terminal.

Kelso Mayor David Futcher said he doesnt worry about the terminal being approved. He worries about the message it would send to other potential employers if the project is rejected.

Weve shown a little bit of a track record recently of not wanting anything here, he said, a reference to the Port of Longviews rejection of two energy export projects. We can find the negative in any proposal.  I worry when we keep saying, No, we dont need your money. No, we dont need your money. Whose money are we going to end up taking? Are people going to keep giving us another shot?

Futcher said the county is attractive for businesses like Millennium because it has deep-water ports and space for development.

I wouldnt say were a dumping ground for fossil fuels, but Id say we are one of the few ports available to develop, he said. The development is coming here because we have a unique asset, but the commodity in demand right now is not what people are excited about sometimes around here.

He said allowing the coal terminal would show other companies that the county is open to new business.

I trust the process. If the process says, Hey, its good enough, then its good enough, he said. I dont want to reject it without knowing. I dont want to just say, Coal is black and dirty, so I dont want it. 
tech2 News Staff

Today's Google Doodle honours the 'father of information theory' - Claude Shannon. It would have been his hundredth birthday today. Born on this day in 1916, Shannon was an American mathematician, electrical engineer and cryptographer.

Shannon was best known for having founded the information theory in a landmark paper he published in 1948. He is equally famous for founding the digital computer and digital circuit design theory in 1937, as a 21 year old student pursuing his master's degree at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Shannon also contributed to the field of cryptanalysis for national defense during World War II, including his basic work on code-breaking and secure telecommunications.

The Google Doodle blog says that for fun, he tinkered with electronic switches, and one of his inventions--an electromechanic mouse he called Theseus--could teach itself to navigate a maze. "If youre thinking, wait, that sounds a lot like artificial intelligence, youre right. He regularly brushed shoulders with Einstein and Alan Turing, and his work in electronic communications and signal processing--the stuff that earned him the moniker the father of information theory--led to revolutionary changes in the storage and transmission of data," explains the blog.

The Google Doodle shows him juggling the numbers 0 and 1 - homage to his reputation of being a world-class prankster and a juggler, along with being such a celebrated academician.
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Facebook said that government requests for account data increased by 13 percent in the second half of 2015, with the United States and India topping the list.

Government requests for account data increased to 46,763 from 41,214 in the first half of the year, the company said in a biannual report. The number of requests jumped 18 percent in the first half of the year.

Government access to personal data from telephone and internet companies has become a bone of contention since former U.S. spy agency contractor Edward Snowden leaked classified details of a program to collect bulk telephone metadata in 2013.

Governments often request basic subscriber information, IP addresses or account content, including people's posts online.

Facebook has about 1.65 billion regular users, or about one in every four people in the world.

Facebook said about 60 percent of requests in the United States had a non-disclosure order prohibiting the company from notifying the user of the government request.

This was the first time Facebook has included details on non-disclosure orders since it started issuing the global requests reports in 2013.

Reuters
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By Mahesh Bhalla

There has been a spate of articles recently on Unicorns vs Roaches. Investors are beginning to appreciate start-ups that are scrappy, survive on meagre budgets and are therefore able to weather downswings with minimal damage. Clearly, thrift goes a long way; there is definitely value in scrounging for everything that an entrepreneur can get at little or no cost. This includes resources, advice, connects, networking, access, etc. One of my friends who is actively involved with the Start-up space, uses the term shameless in her recommended approach when asking for resources. Her philosophy is that there is no harm in asking for the world, for free. After all, the worst that will happen to you is you will have to hear No!

As a start-up (usually with limited capital), it makes sense to try and get what you need without shelling out any money. One simple way to do this is to offer to be a pilot or reference case. If you provide my start-up with your professional services for free, I would be happy to recommend you to other potential customers who will pay you for your services. You can even use my name in your promotional material. It is quite common to see these kind of quid-pro-quo or barter deals take place in the entrepreneurial eco-system.

Then there are a number of Clubs, Networks and Forums which offer expertise for free or a modest sum of money. The larger Start-up support organizations will usually have tie-ups with professionals (like legal, accounting, marketing, trademarks, etc.), who understand the start-up space, and offer packages which are aimed at start-ups. They will help you with the basics (e.g. get your company registered or file the statutory paperwork) for a very modest sum of money. They price these services aggressively for two reasons. One is that the effort from their side to provide basic modular services is low and two, by casting their net wide, they hope that as some of the start-ups grow successfully, they will need more specialized services at a later date, for which they will pay more money.

As a young start-up you want to keep costs as low as possible till you have a MVP (Minimal Viable product) to test in the market. And even after that you would want to minimize the costs of pilots and testing the concept. See how far you can bootstrap the entire operation. While renting a small office in the early stages is considered acceptable, do you have the ability to work out of your home, or garage, or a friends office for a while? Any money saved on rent is money that can ploughed back into getting your product right and growing the team.

Can you save money on hardware? Instead of buying new computers, can you use your old one? These days, people prefer to host their applications on the Cloud instead of investing in Servers themselves. Even basic PCs may be rented if you want to avoid investing in Capex upfront.

There are also companies that will support your website/app development, and instead of charging you a fee, they will take some equity in your venture instead. While this method does reduce your cash flow, you will end up giving out valuable equity. We know that equity is the most expensive form of raising capital, and therefore this should be avoided unless you have no other option, and the equity ask (in lieu of services provided) is modest.

The author is an angel investor. He is actively involved in the start-up space and serves on the Advisory Board of Innoventure Partners LLC.

This is the fourth part in a series on the startup ecosystem in India. Follow this space for more.
AL siphoned off Tk 30,000cr in 7 yrs: Khaleda

Accusing the government of plundering public money in the name of development, BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia on Sunday said the ruling Awami League siphoned off Tk 30,000 crore over the last seven years. The ruling party often talks about developmenttheyve plundered more public money than what they spent on development. Now theyre taking mega projects in the name of development and looting huge money. Awami League has plundered Tk 30,000 crore over the last seven years, she said. The BNP chief came up with the allegation while addressing a workers rally at Suhrawardy Udyan in the city. BNP's workers' front Jatiyatabadi Sramik Dal arranged the programme, marking the May Day. Khaleda said journalist Shafik Rehman was arrested and put on remand as he collected some information about Prime Ministers son Sajeeb Wazed Joys involvement in siphoning off Tk 2,500 crore. As a journalist, he gathered the information. But, he (Shafik) neither disclosed that nor written anything with that. You couldnt have known about Tk 2,500 crore had he been not arrested. The BNP chief alleged that the government arrested Shafik Rehman on a false charge of his involvement in move to abduct and kill Joy. Now theyre implicating Amar Desh editor Mahmudur Rahman in it. She said Joy had brought the same allegation in a US court, but it turned down the accusation as the court found it fake. Khaleda demanded the government either release Shafik Rehman and Mahmudur Rahman or arrest Joy and grill him over the laundered Tk 2,500 crore. Referring to a Prime Ministers remark that BNP has chosen the path of secret killings having failed to return to power, the BNP chairperson said, Wheres the scope for returning to power as there has been no such election. We dont want to go to power through the backdoor without polls. She urged the Prime Minister to hand over her power to a neutral government for arranging a national election. Then, itll be proved whether BNP has its existence or not. About the incidents of secret killing of bloggers, writers, publishers, and people of different faiths, Khaleda said these incidents are being carried out with the governments patronage. Murder incidents are taking place regularly, but no one is punished and arrested in connection with the incidents as the killers belong to Awami League. The BNP chief alleged that the army-backed last caretaker government had tried to destroy the Zia family as she and her sons refused to go abroad as per their dictates. Narrating how her mother died a week after she was refused to meet her at prison during the military-backed caretaker government, Khaleda got emotional saying, Now I dont have my parents, brother, sister, and son. You (people) are my all and I count on you. Youre my brothers, sisters and sons. She called upon people to strengthen her hands by providing her with their all-out supports to protest against unfairness, injustice, killings and enforced disappearances, plundering of public money and restore democracy. Fearing that she may get arrested, Khaleda said: I want to say they (govt) may put be behind bars, but theres no problem as you will remain beside me as my brothers, sisters and friends. In an oblique reference to the Prime Ministers May Day programme at Bangabandhu International Conference Centre, Khaleda said, As BNP is peoples party, its now on the streets through a workers rally. The others who have no connection with people and they fear them are holding the May Day programme sitting in a glassed house. Recalling the background of the May Day, she said the history of the day is the history of realising rights sacrificing blood. I call upon all to be vocal about their rights taking the lessons from the day. BNP standing committee members Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain, Moudud Ahmed, Jamiruddin Sircar, Abdul Moyeen Khan, Mirza Abbas and Nazrul Islam Khan, among others, spoke at the rally held with Sramik Dal president Anwar Hossain in the chair. -- UNB, Dhaka.
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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.
Paris, TX (75460)

Today

Rain showers in the morning with thunderstorms developing for the afternoon. Potential for severe thunderstorms. High 73F. Winds S at 15 to 25 mph. Chance of rain 100%. Rainfall possibly over one inch..

Tonight

Thunderstorms this evening followed by occasional showers overnight. Potential for severe thunderstorms. Low near 50F. Winds SW at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 100%.
Board of Governors names Cecil Staton as chancellor



Dr. Cecil Staton is congratulated by other UNC system chancellors after Staton's election as East Carolina University's next chancellor during the Board of Governors meeting April 27 in Chapel Hill. (Photos by Jay Clark.)

Cecil P. Staton, interim president of Valdosta State University in Valdosta, Georgia, has been named the 11th chancellor of East Carolina University by the University of North Carolina Board of Governors.Staton was elected today during a special called meeting of the board. Staton, 58, will assume his new duties July 1, succeeding Steve Ballard, who has led ECU since 2004. Ballard announced last year that he was stepping down and will return to the faculty.said UNC President Margaret Spellings.Staton said he's looking forward to being part of ECU's mission to serve students, the region and the state.Staton said today.Since 2014, Staton has served as vice chancellor for extended education for the University System of Georgia. In that role, he is responsible for strategic initiatives related to international education, continuing and professional education, entrepreneurial education and military affairs. He is also USG's liaison with the Georgia Research Alliance and supports USG's economic development initiatives and efforts to match the resources of USG institutions with Georgia's evolving workforce needs.Since July 2015, Staton has also served as interim president of Valdosta State, a regional USG institution with 11,300 students. In that role, he has focused on retention, improving student success and better marketing and branding to reverse recent enrollment declines and associated budget shortfalls. He has also worked to expand VSU's distance-learning offerings and competency-based education plan. As a result of these efforts, the university's operating budget has been aligned with enrollment; applications for fall 2016 are up 60 percent over the previous year; and a capital campaign has raised more than $46 million during the past 18 months.Staton also served as associate provost at Mercer University in Macon, Georgia, a multi-campus institution with professional programs including medicine, law, business, education, pharmacy, engineering and nursing. In addition to teaching in the College of Liberal Arts and serving as an administrator, he led Mercer's University Press and secured more than $4.5 million to help endow the academic publishing program.Staton began his academic career at Brewton-Parker College in Mount Vernon, Georgia, where he was an assistant professor of religion from 1989-91.Staton's private-sector experience includes founding and leading three communications companies: Smyth & Helwys Publishing, a publisher of books and curriculum products; Stroud and Hall Publishers, a publisher of books on politics and current events; and Georgia Eagle Media, a holding company for broadcasting, newspaper and media properties.In 2004, Staton was elected as a Georgia state senator representing the state's 18th District. He served five terms before retiring in 2014.said Steve Jones, chair of the ECU Board of Trustees.John Stiller, chair of the Faculty Senate and a member of the chancellor search committee, said StatonHe added:he said.Active in professional and civic organizations, Staton has been recognized numerous times for his service and leadership. His awards and honors include the Georgia Independent College Association's 2014 Miller-Deal Award for significant public service in higher education; Legislator of the Year awards from the Georgia Hospital Association, Georgia Technology Association and Georgia Rural Health Care Association; and the Georgia Ambulance Association Star of Life Award.He also holds an honorary doctorate from Mercer University and received the inaugural Richard B. Furman Award from Furman University. He serves on the board of directors of the Georgia Chamber of Commerce and the board of visitors of the University of Georgia.Staton, himself a first-generation college student, said ECU has "world-class faculty" and a "student-focused" staff and "engaged students."Staton said.Eliza Monroe, a senior urban and regional planning major and member of the search committee, was impressed with how Staton has worked to increase retention at universities and with his varied background.she said.Staton and his wife, Catherine, have two children: Cecil P. Staton III, a financial planner in Atlanta, and William Davidson Staton, a student at DePaul University in Chicago.A native of Greenville, South Carolina, Staton has a bachelor's degree in religion from Furman University in Greenville, South Carolina, master of theology and master of divinity degrees from Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary in Wake Forest and a doctorate in Old Testament, Hebrew and ancient Near Eastern studies from the University of Oxford in England.During the search, the 15-member committee received evaluated 70 candidates, interviewed 11, brought five to campus for further talks and submitted three names to Spellings, Jones said.
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.
CARBONDALE  The home of Southern Illinois University is listed as the 22nd best small city to do business in the United States, according to a financial resource website.

Carbondale, according to Wallethub.com, is not just the 22nd best small city in U.S. with the population between 25,000 and 100,000 residents, but it is only the second best city in Illinois to start a small business.

There were 1,268 cities listed in the survey.

Carbondales high score on the survey can be attributed to being third on the list for access to resources. This took into account financing accessibility and was calculated by dividing the total annual value of small business loans by total number of small businesses, the survey read.

Also, prevalence of investors was a criteria for access to resources. WalletHub Analyst Jill Gonzalez said that was measured by the number of investing entities per 100,000 residents, according to Yelp.

Employee availability, meaning subtracting the number of unemployed residents from the number of job openings, along with higher-education assets, and workforce education attainment, meaning the percentage of the population with at least a bachelors degree were taken into account.

For comparisons sake, Urbana, home of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, ranked 545th on the list, while its sister city, Champaign ranked 305th.

DeKalb, home of Northern Illinois University, ranked 795th, and Normal, home to Illinois State University ranked 370th, while its sister-city, Bloomington, ranked 259th.

Jeff Doherty, Jackson Growth Alliance executive director, said this report shows there are a lot of good reasons to do business in Carbondale.

Whenever you compare favorably with 1,268 similar size cities and you fall into the rank of 22nd, that is a good thing, he said.

He said looking at high-education assets, the work being done at the Dunn-Richmond Center and the Small Business Development Center plays a pivotal role in producing good businesses in the area.

The infrastructure to support small business is high here, Doherty said. The costs of doing business here is in the higher third as well.

Recent business coming into the Carbondale didnt have many negative comments about getting started in the city.

Ron Gidcumb, general manager of Sunny Street Cafe, said during the construction phase, city inspectors were helpful.

They came in several times and were encouraging and appreciative of the overall project, he said.

Hope Silkwood, owner of The Axe Monkey, 606 S. Illinois Ave., said the Carbondale Chamber of Commerce, Carbondale Main Street and the city have been good to the business.

They were really supportive, she said. The store before us was the same type of business, so we just moved and it barely costed us anything.

The store officially opened in late August 2015, and business has been getting better each month Silkwood says. Her husband, Nathan, is retired and spends his time repairing instruments for the business.

Hope is a Carbondale native and Nathan is from Christopher, and for the past five years they have wanted to open a business, and she said the city including the many organizations within the city has made that want, turn into a reality.

Matt Short, co-owner of Stackd Supplements, also had good things to say about the city helping get his and his wifes  Melissa  business off the ground in Carbondale.

The couple has another store in Cape Girardeau and he said the only struggle was finding the right size building for their smaller business.

The chamber here definitely goes above and beyond to help your business in any way possible, Short said.
The Carbondale Public Library hosts an ongoing program for senior citizens every first Tuesday of each month.

The program runs from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m., and seniors are invited to come to the librarys meeting room for coffee, donuts and fun.

For the upcoming May 3 meeting, the library welcomes Vicki Snider of the Illinois Nutrition and Education Program and the University of Illinois Extension Office. Her program is titled Eat Smart: Basic Nutrition for Seniors.

For specific details, contact Lori Torbeck, Reference Librarian, at 618-457-0354.

 The Southern
Rides Mass Transit District employee Jill Lyons was recently recognized at the 14th annual Rural Transit Assistance Center Roadeo in central Illinois.

The event, which consists of public transportation providers from across Illinois, involves a written test along with several different competitions judged on accuracy and pace.

Lyons placed second overall at the RTAC event and secured a first-place in the wheelchair securing division.

"Jill does a quality job each day she is on the job and it's great that she gets a chance to demonstrate this at the statewide competition," said RMTD operations manager Adam Lach. "Her finish is a testament to her dedication and service which are both things that are central to our operations as a public transportation provider."

This year's event, held in New Berlin, marked the third event in which Lyons has participated.

 The Southern
CARBONDALE  As a strike is set for the Southern Illinois University Carbondale campus Monday, there was a series of acts that potentially link to the anonymous call for action.

It began with a video released by a frustrated business student at SIU amid a Donald Trump forum held in her residence hall.

On April 4, according to Leilani Bartlett, Trump forums  which included statements from the Republican presidential candidates campaign in chalk on campus sidewalks  were held throughout the day.

When the student retired to her residence hall, she said a group of individuals discussing Trumps political platform regarding foreign policy, made racial slurs against her and her peers when she approached them.

In the wake of her frustrations, Bartlett posted a video on Facebook, viewed more than 173,363 times to this date, expressing the situation that took place and the continuous racial tension on campus.

Graffiti messages on Faner Hall

On April 18, graffiti messages on Faner Hall, addressing what has been speculated to be issues in relation to the budget impasse, welcomed the campus community.

Toward the base of the building, and along the low concrete walls framing sidewalks, several messages in reference to debt were left in paint with graffiti.

The message Riot proof? Well see was also painted in red letters on the balcony of the hall  leading to speculations of May 2 as a warning of an allege riot on the date.

In the wake of investigation into the graffiti messages an anonymous group, the May 2 Strike Committee released a call for action against rising education costs and student debt, along with the cut in funding experienced by the university as a result of the state budget impasse. A video was posted on YouTube substituting words over the film "A Bug's Life," illustrating a call to action.

University response

SIUC administrators said the investigation into the issues is ongoing. Additionally, they clarified that individuals involved with these acts remain private by law.

Despite this, SIU administrators said Monday that, if found guilty, those involved may face penalties. Additionally, according to the administration, the university is prepared to take action.

A Q & A released on behalf of university officials Friday afternoon also addressed additional concerns for Monday. Among other things, the release ensured that offices will be open, and classes in session as usual.

It also encouraged students to attend their classes, but if they participate in the strike or remain at home because of fear, they are to correspond with their professors regarding daily assignments.

Administrators said they also expect for demonstrations to be peaceful, ensuring that those who choose to participate be aware of the universitys demonstration policy.

"This should be a day of learning for everyone who may choose to participate. I want to remind everyone that university staff will be available at the Student Services Building on Monday to meet with students, faculty or staff who want to join in the important conversations we are having on campus," said President Randy Dunn.

"It won't stop there, however, as we are committed to continuing this conversation and addressing the many concerns that have emerged during this time," he said.

Alpha Tau Omega and racist language

Within her video, Bartlett identified two individuals from the forum as members of Alpha Tau Omega, a national fraternity at SIU.

Under the allegations, Wynn Smiley, chief executive officer of ATO, said the fraternity is working closely with the university to investigate the incident.

In an April 8 news release, the fraternity officer said he found the discussion between Bartlett and the two members of the Theta Zeta chapter to be politically centered.

Sixteen days after the release, another video under the tag name ATO AZO was uploaded to YouTube using the fraternity's name to promote attacks against black students on May 2.

Nolan McConnell, ATO president said, "Alpha Tau Omega does not tolerate any act of racism. We are a group of men who proudly believes diversity is key to a thoughtful and productive college experience for every member of a university community."

"The horrific and inexcusably racist video which has been widely discussed on Southern Illinois Universitys campus was not created or distributed by any member of Alpha Tau Omega. We condemn the behavior portrayed in (the) clip."

Regarding penalties, Smiley said the fraternity will likely litigate under libel.

"It was obviously a setup. No chapter who wants to put out that kind of racist verbage is going to identify itself as the author of the video," he said. "That is illogical on its face."

A new purpose

Although combating the budget impasse was the groups initial intention, the release of the ATO AZO video developed an additional purpose behind the demonstration.

Sam Beard, an SIU student and media liaison for the committee, said the group met in March and agreed for May 2, as the day for demonstrations.

The group came up with the idea of a broad framework that included grievances, immediate demands, and structural demands  something to speak to the whole range of difficulties that people have, he said.

After the graffiti appeared, Beard said the group found it as an open opportunity to promote their ideas.

In a news release release, the committee, made up of four former SIU students, denied connections to the messages on Faner Hall, but later commend the act due to the General Assemblys approval of stopgap funds last Friday -- wherein SIUC received $34.4 million.

As of Thursday, Beard said the aim for May 2 is to promote the idea of students rediscovering their collective power, and learning to "disobey together.

Additionally, he said the video release  which mimics the video by an SIU student who acted on the committee's initial call to organize on their own  placed concerns of "white supremacists" intending to "co-opt the day to push their own disgusting ideologies."

While the committee encourages anyone who feels a walk-out is aligned with their goals for the day to do it, they are now specifically calling for the focus of the day to be on combating the white-supremacy on campus, he said.
SPRINGFIELD  When it comes to state income taxes, Illinois is something of an outlier.

Of the 43 states that tax personal income, Illinois is one of only eight that charge residents the same rate regardless of how much they earn. As the Democratic-controlled General Assembly and Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner continue to labor over passing a budget for the current year and addressing the states long-term deficits, theres a renewed push to overhaul the tax structure.

Doing away with the flat income tax could go a long way toward helping the state ease its chronic fiscal woes, tax policy experts say, but they have some concerns about the graduated income tax proposal currently under consideration at the Capitol.

Hearings begin in state union impasse case SPRINGFIELD  Gov. Bruce Rauners administration and a union representing 38,000 state worke

Before lawmakers can introduce a system that taxes wealthier residents at a higher rate, theyll have to approve a proposed amendment to the state constitution by three-fifths majorities in the House and Senate and win voter approval at the ballot box in November. The deadline for lawmakers to approve amendments is this week.

Contingent on approval of the amendment, Rep. Lou Lang, D-Skokie, has proposed a new structure that would lower taxes for more than 99 percent of taxpayers while raising the rate on individual income of more than $1 million from 3.75 percent to 9.75 percent. The plan would bring in an additional $1.9 billion in annual revenue, supporters estimate.

Don Fullerton, a tax policy expert and the associate director of the Institute of Government and Public Affairs at the University of Illinois, said the states flat tax is a little bit of an anachronism.

Its normal to have some kind of graduated rate, said Fullerton, who worked in the U.S. Treasury Department under President Ronald Regan.

In general, its a good idea to consider when the state is short on revenue, he said, adding that a graduated system eases the burden on lower-income taxpayers while drawing in more revenue from those who have more disposable income.

That said, Fullerton believes the upper end of Langs proposal may be asking too much.

State approves 'stopgap' funding for higher education SPRINGFIELD  In a rare showing of bipartisan cooperation amid Illinois nearly yearlong bud

Kim Rueben, senior fellow at the Urban-Brookings Tax Policy Center in Washington, agrees on both counts.

Having a graduated income tax makes sense, but I would think that you dont necessarily want to immediately go to one of the most graduated income taxes that we see in the country, Rueben said.

Langs proposal would lower the rate from 3.75 percent to 3.5 percent for individuals earning less than $100,000 a year and families earning less than $200,000. The rates would be 3.75 percent on individual income between $100,000 and $500,000 and family income between $200,000 and $750,000, 8.75 percent on individual income between $500,000 and $1 million and family income between $750,000 and $1.5 million, and 9.75 percent on income above those ranges.

Rueben said it might make more sense to have a smaller increase at the top of the scale and also raise rates on individuals earning between $100,000 and $500,000.

Youre leaving a fair amount of money that should probably be taxed, she said.

Critics of Langs plan, most notably the Illinois Chamber of Commerce, argue that rates would hurt the many small businesses that pay taxes at the personal rather than the corporate rate.

The Tax Foundation, a conservative-leaning group based in Washington, held a news conference at the Capitol last week to announce that the proposal would drop Illinois from 23rd to 48th on its state business tax climate index.

Legislature considering tweaks to state constitution SPRINGFIELD  With an early May deadline looming, several proposals to amend the Illinois Co

Lang was quick to respond that nearly three-quarters of Illinois business pay at the personal rate and that more than 90 percent of them earn $200,000 a year or less, meaning theyd see a tax cut under his plan.

Matt Gardner, executive director of the left-leaning Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy, said adopting a graduated income tax would go right to the heart of the states budget woes.

Theres a chronic revenue need, and anything that raises substantial revenues is going to make it easier for the states budget process going forward, Gardner said.
HERRIN -- When Herrin City Council meets, one seat in the audience will be filled, unless Helen Russell is in the hospital. She will be sitting toward the back on the inside wall of the council meeting room.

I just love going, Russell said.

Russell once confused the day of the meeting and went on the wrong day, missing the actual meeting. One alderman stopped by to check on her.

After Russells recent hospital stay, Mayor Steve Frattini recognized her during his comments in the April 11 council meeting.

Id like to welcome Helen Russell back, Frattini said.

Russell started attending meetings after then Mayor Vic Ritter wrote a letter to the editor encouraging people to go to meetings to see if the people they elected were doing their jobs. So, Russell went to the meeting. She noticed a piece of loose wallpaper that had been loose for some time. During public comments, she asked that the wallpaper be fixed.

If you cant fix the little things, how can you be trusted to fix the big things, Russell asked.

She began working on getting a lot with a concrete enclosure cleaned up. The enclosure was filled with foul-smelling, gummy water, but no one seemed to be interested in cleaning up the lot.

Russell talked to the mayor and aldermen. She called the Illinois EPA and Franklin-Williamson Bi-County Health Department. State Rep. John Bradley suggested she get a petition signed. So, she went door-to-door in the winter collecting signatures and presented them to the council.

After Mike Bost was elected to Congress, she called him. She sent him pictures of the site, and he came to see it.

It was no time until Mr. Bost was down here looking at it, Russell said.

Then, the lot was cleared.

Russell began seeing more things that needed fixed in her neighborhood, so she made a list and began mentioning them at Herrin City Council meetings.

If you want me to shut up, you have to get the jobs done. Ive got all the projects I wanted done, Russell said with a grin. Things are looking better in Herrin.

In addition to complaining about things that need fixed, Russell is quick to praise city employees for jobs well-done.

People come one time when theyve got a complaint, then they dont come back [to meetings], she said.

Russell wishes people would stay involved when they are not complaining. She believes Mayor Frattini is trying hard to make things in Herrin better. He is respectful and he cares.

Russell also seems to be having an effect on the aldermen. They used to go around the table and no one had anything to report. Russell said that has changed. More information is being reported by city departments, too.

I have lived in this town all my life, and I love it. There are new businesses and jobs; the town looks better. I think that is a good thing, Russell 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.
HARRISBURG  Saline County officials are feuding over where fees collected by the county clerks office belong, pushing one official to the point of possibly seeking outside legal representation.

County Board member Joe Jackson, chairman of the boards budget committee, said a Feb. 26 ordinance authorizes the board to redirect fee proceeds to the countys general fund, needed to offset a $75,000 budget hole that if left unchecked could have led to layoffs.

County Clerk and Recorder Kim Buchanan said the move would be a raid on her offices automation fund, established by state statute, regardless of how much cash presently resides in the fund.

Basing her position on a 1984 Illinois attorney general opinion that the County Boards budget powers are limited, as well as opinions from other clerks and Illinois law, Buchanan has refused to redirect the proceeds despite the new ordinance.

The clerk remained firm in her position during a County Board meeting last week, demanding either a compromise or a court order.

I feel that it is not feasible to operate my office based on this ordinance, Buchanan said at the Thursday night meeting. Those funds can only be spent on certain items, and thats why the law was written.

Jackson responded that the statute Buchanan relies on was found invalid by an Illinois appellate court. He, too, pointed to an attorney general opinion that the ordinance was legal.

He informed Buchanan that the treasurers office would begin to distribute the funds based on the ordinance.

The ordinance was passed, he said following the meeting, to shift the percentage of how much of the proceeds would go to the countys general fund. Prior to the ordinance, 70 percent of the proceeds went to the clerks automation fund and the rest went to the general fund. The ordinance would reverse those allotments.

Jackson said that as a result of the prior allotment, some $500,000 has accumulated in the fund, more than what is needed for the funds intended purpose of computer upgrades.

We need to have $75,000 this year from those fees in order to operate the county without laying people off, Jackson said during the meeting. He added outside the meeting that the countys budget, passed in February after the Dec. 1 start of the fiscal year, took the fee shift into account.

I would not want to be in your shoes if you refuse to do this, Jackson said to Buchanan.

Buchanan said the automation fund stands at about $300,000, but she argued that the fund is established by state law and that the shift in proceeds would amount to a raid of the fund  balancing the county budget on the back of her office.

She points to a 1984 opinion from then-Attorney General Neil F. Hartigan that county board budget powers are limited to appropriate funds in an aggregate amount and not by line-item.

Therefore, it is my opinions that a county board is limited to the appropriation of aggregate or lump-sum dollar amounts for the necessary equipment, materials, and services required by the States Attorney, clerk of the circuit court, county clerk, county treasurer, sheriff and, effective July 1, 1984, the coroner, Hartigan wrote.

Should the matter move to legal action, Buchanan said she would expect the county to pay for her legal representation since the states attorneys office would represent the County Board.

Jackson maintained that the automation fund does not need to continue being funded at the same rate that it had been, saying the money is needed elsewhere to maintain services.

She and the previous county clerk kept hoarding that 70 percent to the point that she has $500,000 sitting there, doing nothing, Jackson said after the County Board meeting.
During last years holiday season, families in 17 counties across southern Illinois experienced record flooding and severe storms, causing more than $15 million in damage and shutting down homes, schools and businesses for weeks.

When our state asked the Federal Emergency Management Agency, or FEMA, to help these families and local governments recover, the response was all too familiar: a denial. Its time to fix FEMA so Illinois communities never again are left behind because of outdated disaster aid formulas.

Thats why I introduced S. 870, the Fairness in Federal Disaster Declarations Act, which would make the federal disaster aid process more transparent and more fair.

Currently, FEMAs methodology for determining federal disaster aid treats small towns in large, populous states like Illinois unfairly. With a population of more than 12.8 million, our state must incur a higher level of damage than smaller states to be eligible for a federal disaster declaration.

Our bordering states have far lower per capita thresholds because they have much smaller populations than Illinois. For instance, Indianas population is about 6.6 million, Missouris is 6 million, Kentuckys is 4.4 million, and Iowas is 3.1 million. While FEMA is required to take many factors into consideration, it primarily relies on a single indicator  the statewide per capita threshold  when determining federal disaster aid.

As a result, in the last four years FEMA has twice denied Illinois a federal disaster declaration while approving similar requests from bordering states that experienced damage from the same event. Illinois was denied assistance for the recent holiday season flooding, while Missouri received assistance. Illinois also was denied assistance in 2012 following the deadly Leap Day tornadoes and storms that devastated Harrisburg, Ridgeway and surrounding communities, while Indiana and Kentucky received assistance.

On November 17, 2013, 25 tornadoes struck Illinois and destroyed more than a thousand homes, took six lives and left more than $25 million in damage. Again, under FEMAs outdated metrics, Illinois request for assistance was denied.

I have seen firsthand how devastating it can be for families throughout Illinois to recover from a natural disaster. Responsible for government-wide relief efforts, FEMAs mission is to help citizens and communities prepare for, protect against, respond to and recover from natural disasters. In my opinion, FEMA has forgotten its core mission.

The Fairness in Federal Disaster Declarations Act would restore that mission. Specifically, the bill would require FEMA to consider local economic factors, such as the local assessable tax base, the median income as compared to that of the state, and the poverty rate as compared to that of the state. The bill would ensure communities heavily impacted by a disaster no longer are denied federal assistance due to FEMAs shortsighted per capita threshold. This bipartisan bill treats all communities  in large and small states  equally when considering federal disaster assistance.

Our small and rural communities continue to be penalized simply because they are located in a large, populous state. Damages to homes, community centers, churches, public roads and bridges can be particularly devastating to small towns. Without federal assistance for timely recovery, natural disasters can have lasting economic impacts on businesses, hurting families as well as the local tax base.

I dont want to tour another Illinois community devastated by a disaster, then see that community denied federal assistance because FEMA is using outdated formulas. Natural disasters do not discriminate, and neither should FEMA.

I call on my Senate colleagues to support the Fairness in Federal Disaster Declarations Act as we consider a FEMA reauthorization bill. I also call on President Obama to direct FEMA to consider local impacts when reviewing all requests for disaster assistance.

FEMA should not be able to say assistance is denied because damages did not cost enough. I have seen firsthand many Illinois families who would beg to differ.
Good luck to you, Scott, and Godspeed, federal Judge Phil Gilbert said last Monday as Scott Walker walked out of the federal courthouse in Benton a free man following eighteen years in federal prison. Originally sentenced to a mandatory life sentence by Gilbert following his 1998 conviction, there had once been little hope that freedom would be an option. Former federal prosecutor turned law school professor David Zlotnick, a dedicated defense team and Judge Gilbert himself worked tirelessly to prove otherwise.

In the early 90s, Scott Walker was a meth addict who financed that addiction by trafficking drugs. The person I was when I was 25, 20 years old; Im repulsed by some of the actions I committed when I was that age, Walker said when asked to address the court this past Monday. At his sentencing hearing in 1999, Judge Gilbert sentenced Walker  who had no previous felony convictions  to life in prison. At the hearing, Gilbert explained that the sentence was out of his hands, dictated by Congress and mandatory federal sentencing guidelines. I was an emotional wreck, Gilbert said of his feelings as he returned to his desk that day.

Letters from both Zlotnick and Gilbert were written to President Obama requesting commutation. Years of motions, petitions and legal maneuverings finally unearthed the means by which Walker was freed last week. The actions of David Zlotnick and Judge Phil Gilbert are commendable  even heroic  and resulted in the release of a single nonviolent drug offender. But these actions are not able to be mass-produced as a solution to the tens of thousands of nonviolent drug offenders still incarcerated in state and federal prisons as a result of mandatory minimum sentences.

While the final details securing Walkers release were being worked out last month, former President Bill Clinton was campaigning for his wife, Hillary, in suburban Philadelphia, when he reversed an earlier apology for his part in overextending mandatory minimum provisions of his 1994 Crime Bill. That bill expanded upon provisions of the 1986 Anti-Drug Abuse Act and has resulted in mass incarcerations. Nonviolent drug-related crime and its corresponding sentencing requirements will become an even more important issue in this years presidential election as soon as candidates of each party stop swiping at one another.

An unintended but fairly predictable consequence of the Crime Bill is that African-American males  a community that was overwhelmed by the crack epidemic that began in the '80s  are incarcerated in obscene numbers for sentences that are years too long. But mandatory minimum sentencing has an effect on people of all races, albeit with a strong statistical bias in favor of whites. The U.S. Sentencing Commission reports that two-thirds of drug offenders were convicted of a crime that carried a mandatory minimum sentence. Nearly 70 percent of these are either Hispanic (38.3 percent) or African-American (31.5 percent).

In Illinois the situation is far worse. In Southern Illinois its worse yet. Again according to the U.S. Sentencing Commission, 32 percent of all 2015 offenders nationally were convicted of drug-related crimes. In Illinois that number exceeds 46 percent. In other words, those sentenced in the Southern District of Illinois are almost 50 percent more likely to have been convicted of drug offenses than the national average. And drug offenses are those that most commonly contain mandatory minimums.

The proliferation of crimes that now require a mandatory minimum sentence is astounding  and wrong. And the excessive number of years required by these minimums exacerbates the wrong. Not only are they wrong, however, theyre also prohibitively expensive, at both the federal and state levels.

In early March, the bipartisan Illinois State Commission on Criminal Justice and Sentencing Reform proposed three bills designed to intelligently reduce the states prison population. SB3164 in particular deserves rapid consideration and passage.

This weeks release of Scott Walker should serve as a rallying cry for us to make candidates support of sentencing reform a critical issue in our decision to support them in November.
Press Release:

Authorizing the establishment of a transparent, accountable, high-level Atrocity Prevention Board to advance an interagency effort to prevent mass atrocities and ensure a coordinated and effective response to emerging and ongoing atrocities;

Authorizing the Complex Crises Fund, overseen by the Administrator of USAID, to support emergency efforts to prevent or respond to emerging or unforeseen foreign complex crises overseas, including potential mass atrocities and conflict;

Mandating training for Department of State and USAID Foreign Service Officers at high risk posts to recognize patterns of escalation and early warning signs of potential atrocities or violence and;

Encouraging the Director of National Intelligence to include in his/her annual testimony to Congress on threats to US national security a review of countries or regions at risk of mass atrocities or genocide

Tillis on the role Congress can play to stop genocide:

Tillis on the humanitarian consequences of genocide:

Tillis on the importance of genocide prevention to North Carolina:

Contact:

Daniel Keylin/Meghan Burris (Tillis)

(202) 224-6342

WASHINGTON, D.C. Today, Senator Thom Tillis (R-NC) delivered a Senate floor speech to urge the Senate to pass the Genocide and Atrocities Prevention Act of 2016. Earlier this year, Senator Tillis introduced the bipartisan legislation with Senator Ben Cardin (D-MD), Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.The legislation ensures that the U.S. government works in a coordinated manner using its full range of tools, including diplomatic, political, financial, and intelligence capabilities, to provide early warnings about at-risk communities and states in order to help prevent mass atrocities against civilians.This legislation strengthens atrocity prevention efforts by:Joining Senators Tillis and Cardin in supporting the Genocide and Atrocities Prevention Act of 2016 are co-sponsors Senators Christopher Murphy (D-CT), Robert Menendez (D-NJ), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Christopher Coons (D-DE), Barbara Mikulski (D-MD), Edward Markey (D-MA), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Barbara Boxer (D-CA), Robert Casey (D-PA), and Elizabeth Warren (D-MA).The legislation is actively supported by 26 atrocity prevention and human rights groups. The list can be found here Congress has an important leadership role. We can help ensure that America has the tools to combat genocide and atrocities, and combat violent conflict. This is why I joined Senator Cardin in introducing the Genocide and Atrocities Prevention Act.If you think that this is a problem that is "over there", think again. Terrorism has reached our shores. It has devastated some of the great cities of the world-London, Paris, Brussels, Madrid and Bali. As a result of conflict, there are now a record 60 million displaced men, women and children. That is more than at the height of displacement during World War II. Responding to the dire needs of those fleeing violence has driven a 600% increase in global humanitarian aid over the past 10 years, from $3.5 billion in 2004 to $20 billion in 2015. I have seen the human cost in the refugee camps along the Turkish-Syrian border, I was there a few weeks ago. These were Muslims fleeing ISIS and a bloodthirsty dictator who unleashed chemical weapons on his own people.As the Senator from North Carolina, I also have a special reason for supporting this legislation that has the potential to fuse diplomacy, intelligence and foreign aid, in turn prioritize government action to prevent future atrocities. That is important to me because my state is the tip of the American spear. When diplomacy fails, it is the 82nd Airborne Division, the Special Forces from Fort Bragg and United States Marines from Camp Lejeune that are going to go resolve the conflict. We want to avoid those conflicts, and we owe it to them to do better by putting partisanship aside and by taking proactive steps to avoid sending our servicemembers into harm's way to confront a conflict that could have been prevented without firing a single shot.
Three students from Holly Hill-Roberts Middle School have been recognized as Junior Scholars from Orangeburg County Consolidated School District 3.

Niquin J. Bryant, Jaden Mosely and Wayne A. Rivers received an Award of Merit certificate from the South Carolina Department of Education, and may be invited to attend summer opportunities at participating South Carolina colleges and universities.

The Junior Scholars Program was developed by the South Carolina Department of Education to identify eighth-grade students with exceptional academic talent and to develop strategies for inclusion into special programs. Eligible students who qualify are identified for their outstanding intellectual achievements based on the Evidence-Based Reading and Writing assessment and or the Math portion of the PSAT/NMSQT (Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test).

Holly Hill-Roberts Middle School had five test takers: Bryant qualified in Evidence-Based Reading and Writing; Mosely in both Evidence-Based Reading, and Writing and Math; and Rivers qualified in math.

Bryant is the daughter of Jarrett and Nicole Bryant, Mosely is the son of Trevis Mosely and Kimberly Young, and Rivers is the son of Sheryljean Lapord.
Three economic development leaders in The T&D Region have been recognized as ambassadors for industrial growth.

Orangeburgs Bimbo Bakeries USA Plant Manager Gordon Powell was named Orangeburg County Economic Development Ambassador for 2016-2017 by Gov. Nikki Haley during a ceremony at the Governors Mansion. The recognition ceremony is held annually as part of the states Industry Appreciation Week.

Bimbo Bakeries is also the countys industry of the year.

Calhoun County named Thermo King President Ritchie McQueeney as its Economic Development Ambassador for 2016.

Bamberg County named Blackwater Barrels LLC President Greg Pierce its economic development ambassador.

They did $14 million worth of expansion last year and this year, Orangeburg County Development Commission Executive Director Gregg Robinson said in praising Bimbo for its accomplishments. Having them be successful is very important because they have several hundred employees out there.

The expansion is expected to create 30 new jobs in Orangeburg over the next five years. The company, located at 272 Broughton St., will renovate and install new equipment to expand its capability.

The bakery makes bread and roll products under the Sunbeam, Colonial and Sara Lee brands.

Bimbo Bakeries USA is excited to be in Orangeburg County, Powell said. Aside from its geographic advantage as a logistics center, Orangeburg has nurtured a business-friendly environment and a strong workforce that we hope will enable us to continue to grow in South Carolina. It is a testament to our associates at the Orangeburg plant and we appreciate our hard-working team.

Powell has been plant manager at Bimbo Bakeries since September 2008.

Bimbo Bakeries USA Orangeburg employs 180. Bimbo Bakeries is a subsidiary of Mexicos Grupo Bimbo.

Calhoun/McQuenney

McQueeney, a 23-year resident of Calhoun County, described the recognition as an honor and praised the countys leadership in making the county attractive and business friendly.

The lack of red tape of doing business in Calhoun County just amazes me, McQueeney said, noting one can pick up the telephone and get an answer to a question in short order.

McQueeney said he hopes Thermo King has reciprocated such kindness to the community.

We want to enhance it in a good way, McQueeney said. We want to raise the bar and to be a business that continues to back this Sandy Run community and Calhoun County in general.

After completing high school and earning a degree in business administration from The Citadel in 1978, he continued to work for his mentor, Terry Yandel, and moved to Columbia to open a Thermo King dealership.

McQueeney eventually purchased the dealership from Yandel in January 1984.

The company grew and prospered, opening additional Thermo King locations in Charleston and Florence.

Company growth propelled Thermo King to open in Calhoun County in October 2015.

Calhoun County Development Commission Executive Director Pat Black said McQueeney has been an advocate for Calhoun County and the countys pro-business attitude.

Because transportation is an integral part of our economy and transporting perishable products is an important subset of this sector, refrigeration is essential to the movement of products throughout South Carolina and the nation, Black said.

Under Ritchie McQueeneys leadership, Thermo King stands as a vital and vibrant contributor to the continued growth and development of Calhoun County and South Carolina.

McQueeney and and his wife, Carleen, are the parents of two grown children, Tommy and Kelley.

Pierce/Bamberg

Pierce announced in January 2016 that Blackwater Barrels would locate its manufacturing facility in Bamberg County after an extensive multistate and county site-selection process.

The company is the states only cooperage.

Blackwater Barrels will transform the former Zeigler Chevrolet building into a manufacturing facility where 57 jobs will be created. The companys capital investment in the project will be $3.6 million.

Pierce has been an advocate for the county and has worked to utilize local vendors, suppliers, service providers and employees in his project, bringing additional economic stimulation to the local business community.

The entrepreneurial project, the first to manufacture white oak barrels in the state, will serve the growing spirits industry in the United States and abroad.
A historic Orangeburg business once feared to be closing for good has new life.

Palmetto Star Barbecue inside Ferses will open its doors at the current Ferses building on Russell Street within four to six months.

In the interim, the restaurant will remain open as Ferses with the same dining menu.

The 160-seat, 4,500-square-foot family-style casual restaurant will serve Texas-inspired, wood-smoked barbecue, including briskets, ribs, pork butt and spare ribs.

A quarter of the buildings front will remain retail housing specialty items such as rice cookers, rugs, sewing supplies and mason jars. Another quarter of the building will house a fresh market where farmers can sell fruits and vegetables.

Upon expansion, the restaurant will be open from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Monday through Saturday and from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Sunday.

Our ultimate goal is to bring people back to downtown, co-owner James Alexander said. We want to give them a place they can go any night of the week and get a good family meal.

We live here and we plan to live here the rest of our lives, co-owner Maria Alexander said. We want to help Orangeburg see its potential. We are sick of going to Columbia to find a nice restaurant and we know other people are too. We want to promote that here.

The non-smoking restaurant will allow customers to order a meal and then sit down. The meal will be delivered to them.

There are plans to eventually serve beer and wine, with expectations that the expanded business will employ between 10 and 20.

Take-out will be offered and the restaurant will also provide catering. Outdoor dining is something that may be added in the future.

A Texas native, James said Texas-style barbecue is unique to the area. The key to our barbecue is that it is 100 percent wood-fired.

Alexander said expansion work will begin immediately. The store will remain open during renovations.

We are going to do an in-service renovation, he said. Over the course of the next couple of weeks, we are going to restock and start carrying those specialty items you cant find anywhere else in Orangeburg. We have been taking input from customers on that.

For the fresh or farmers market, Alexander said the desire is to coordinate with the Downtown Orangeburg Revitalization Association and its farmers market held on Tuesdays in the summer.

We have identified a gap, Maria said. There are a bunch of farmers who want to sell produce and there are bunch of people in Orangeburg who want to buy produce and we want to bridge that gap and let the farmers sell to people. It will be from farm to table.

The Alexanders will assume operation of the store immediately, with the sale expected to officially close May 13.

The restaurant venture is the first for the couple.

An eight-year U.S. Navy veteran, James first job was a dishwasher in a family restaurant. He later joined his brother to form the cooking corps of the restaurant.

James also worked about five years as a bartender in Maryland. He has spent the past about 30 years in the nuclear power industry.

This is really a dream for me to open my own place and serve the needs of the people, James said.

Cooking has always been a passion of his. He will serve as the restaurants head cook. Maria has worked in the manufacturing sector.

The Alexanders praised the historic character of the building.

The one thing I love when I am in this store is that when I walk from here to the checkout counter in the front and floor creaks under my feet, James said. I love it!

James said he grew up in a small town in central Texas where buildings are old.

There are a lot of good memories from my childhood, he said.

Current Ferses owner Roy Chandler is tickled about the opportunity.

I think it is super for downtown and super for other merchants downtown and super for Russell Street, he said. The way he is describing this restaurant, it will be great for the City of Orangeburg. It is going to be a restaurant that will draw people.

The plans to open a restaurant would help save the Orangeburg historic landmark from vacancy.

The 83-year-old Chandler last year twice said he was going to close the store by years end, but Ferses has remained open four months into the new year. Chandler said age and health issues are the reasons he is closing.

The 109-year-old store has been a fixture on Russell Street but has struggled to stay afloat due to competition from local discount and drug stores.

While the stores retail portion has struggled, the diner and cashing booth have continued to do well.

A storied past





The store was founded by farmer T.B. Fersner Sr. in 1906.

Word got around via mule and wagon that Fersner Sr. sold produce at the corner of Broughton and Russell streets. The popularity of Fersners wares propelled him into the retail business and he began selling farm items from his wagon.

With $900 from the farm and another $900 borrowed from the bank, Fersner opened Fersners Variety Store in a portion of the downtown Sifly Building.

In 1936, the store moved to its present location on Russell Street.

In the stores infancy, it carried fine china as well as tools and fine jewelry.

Buyers would spend two weeks in New York at the American Toy Fair selecting toys for sale. Bicycles and tricycles have always been popular sellers, though in the earlier days the items were assembled on site.

Rice beer, washboards and even chamber pots for those not wanting to walk to the outhouse during the night were also sold.

The stores name was later changed to 5&10, using a marketing tool coined by Sam Kress in 1896 when he opened his first store in Memphis, Tennessee.

In those days, the store was split in half. Everything on one side was five cents, while the other side contained 10-cent items.

To this day, the Orangeburg business sells a few items at the 5- and 10-cent price points.

In 1950, the family-run team opened Fersners Hardware Store at 355 Russell St.

The Fersner family operated the store until 1970, when it was purchased by Santee Wholesale Co.

In 1985, the store was about to go out of business as its competition, as Woods and Kress did years before.

That same year Chandler purchased it from Santee Wholesale.

Chandler was no stranger to the dime store business, having worked for S.H. Kress for 30 years.

Chandler came to Orangeburg with a reputation for success. He had managed four stores in towns across the United States.

In an effort to revitalize downtown, which had declined when retailers began to relocate to the Prince of Orange Mall, Chandler updated the stores stock and luncheonette and implemented procedures for phone-bill payments and cashing checks. One of the greatest changes was starting the Ferse Money Order.

In June 1994, the store burned, but a few years earlier Chandler had purchased the old Smoak Hardware Store. All important store documents were tucked away in a safe. The morning after the fire, the store was open next door.

By February 1995, the original Ferses building was renovated and open for business.
DENMARK  Civil rights activist and businessman Hank Thomas will be the speaker at Voorhees Colleges 119th commencement ceremony.

The hooding ceremony and baccalaureate service for all 2016 May graduates will be held at 2 p.m. May 6 in St. Phillips Chapel.

Thomas attended Howard University, where he in1960 became a founding member of the Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee. This organization was formed to give young blacks a voice in the civil rights movement.

In 1961, he became one of the 13 original Freedom Riders who rode buses in the South to test the compliance with the Interstate Commerce Commission ruling pertaining to the desegregation interstate travel.

In 1965, Thomas served as a medic in the Vietnam War. In 1966, he was wounded in battle, earning him the Purple Heart medal. He also earned six additional wartime medals.

He is a life member of NAACP, inductee in the International Civil Rights Walk of Fame, 2010 recipient of the Margaret Bush Wilson Lifetime Achievement Award, 2010 inductee in the Atlanta Business League Men of Influence Hall of Fame and a 2011 recipient of McDonalds 365 Black Award.

Thomas has established scholarships at the Piney Woods Boarding School, Howard University, Morehouse School of Medicine and Talladega College.

Thomas is a native of St. Augustine, Fla. and is a retired franchisee of nine McDonalds restaurants. He and his wife Yvonne are owners of three Fairfield Residence Inns by Marriott.

Additionally, he serves on the Board of Trustees for the Morehouse School of Medicine, Talladega College, Tougaloo College, The Atlanta Youth Academy and The Center for Civil Human Rights.

The commencement is free and open to the public.
Area residents are encouraged to join the nation in saluting and remembering its veterans at the annual Orangeburg Memorial Day service at the Veterans Memorial Park.

The program gets underway at 3 p.m. Sunday, May 29.

The featured speaker will be the retired U.S. Army Lt. Col. Andrew Dallas Green.

Green was commissioned as a second lieutenant, Transportation Corps, from the Army Reserve Officer Training Corps in 1985 from South Carolina State University.

During his tenure as a citizen/soldier, Green taught in various elementary grades in Orangeburg, Dorchester and Colleton counties.

Green served in at least two dozen capacities as an officer including with the Control Group in St. Louis, Missouri; platoon leader of the 2145th Passenger Liaison Unit in Charleston, South Carolina; platoon leader of the 942 Transportation Company out of Charleston; commander/movement control officer, 49th Transportation Battalion, Logistical Support Area, Camp Anaconda, Balad, Iraq; liaison officer, 3rd Corps, Camps Spearhead/Aifjan, Kuwait, to name a few.

Some of the awards Green has received include the Bronze Star, Army Commendation Medal, Army Achievement Medal, Army Reserve Components Achievement Medal, National Defense Service Medal and the Armed Forces Reserve Medal and Mobilization.

Green retired from the military in 2010.

The master of ceremonies for the service will be Hugh Taylor of American Legion Post 4. Prayers will be offered during the service by Joseph Hallman, pastor at Orangeburgs First Southern Methodist Church

The Pledge of Allegiance will be recited and the National Anthem will be sung by Libby Dunn. Orangeburg Mayor Michael Butler will welcome those in attendance.

The POWs and MIAs will be recognized and the laying of the wreath ceremony will take place. All military branches will be honored and the Blue Star Families of South Carolina, and veterans organizations also will be recognized.

Taps will be played, and the program will be concluded with prayer.

Refreshments will be provided at the end of the program.

The observance is being sponsored by local veterans groups, including the Orangeburg County Veterans Council, Orangeburg County Veterans Affairs, American Legion Post 4, Greater Orangeburg Leathernecks Marine Corps League Detachment 1259, Military Order of the Purple Heart No. 932, Veterans of Foreign Wars as well as ladies auxiliaries.

The Veterans Memorial Park is located on Riverside Drive across the street from the Orangeburg County Chamber of Commerce building.

A special tribute also will be held to the volunteer drivers of Orangeburg County veterans.
The Beta Zeta Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. hosted its annual Spring/Summer Seasonal Wraps Drive recently to donate protective clothing and items to community members in need.

The recipients of this years drive were Connie Maxwell Childrens Home-Brooklyn Campus, the Samaritan House and the Orangeburg County Disabilities and Special Needs Board-West Circle Home and the Hampton Home.

The recipients received summer clothing, sunscreen, toiletries and other items to prepare them for the warm months ahead.

Co-sponsors for the event were the Beta Sigma Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., Orangeburg Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., Delta Chi Chapter of Sigma Gamma Rho, Alpha Omicron Zeta Chapter of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc., New Bethany Baptist Church and St. Stephen UMC United Methodist Women.

The Spring Summer Seasonal Wraps Drive is one of the targets of our international program of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc., Beta Zeta Omega Chapter President Evelyn M. Singleton said.

The drive ties in with the sororitys international program theme titled Launching New Dimensions of Service, which encourages the organizations to give back globally and within their communities.

Its where we provide seasonal coverings to deserving individuals in the community. Examples of items include the sunscreen, lightweight shirts, umbrellas, ponchos, hats, sunglasses, etc., Singleton said.

Singleton said she was happy that so many different sororities could come together in collaboration, rather than competition, to meet the needs of the community.

Children from the Connie Maxwell Childrens Home and consumers from the Orangeburg County Disabilities and Special Needs Board stood in excitement as the new items were passed out to them.

Sheryl Gray, CTH 2 coordinator for West Orangeburg Disability and Special Needs Board, said the consumers were surprised and excited to receive such items.

They thought they had to pay for the items but I told them that they were getting them for free and it was like Christmas shopping and they were ecstatic. Everybody likes nice things, Gray said.

Gray said one of the consumers asked her, Ms. Gray is that mine? Is that mine? in an excited tone about one of the hats.

Each year, children from Connie Maxwell and consumers from the Orangeburg Disability and Special Needs Board take summer trips. They will be able to use the items during those times.

It was a huge blessing and I thank all the participants for helping us out and God bless them and I felt like someone cared for me  a bunch of people that I didnt even know. Its nice to know that there are people out there thinking about people like me, said Carl, a child at the Connie Maxwell Childrens Home.

Beta Sigma Chapter President Kayla Lee said, It was just a joy to see the smile on the faces of those that you could help. It left an impact on lives and smiles on the faces that we touched on today.
Call me unpatriotic, but whenever I hear people prating about the "American Dream," it sets my teeth on edge. The thing about dreams, see, is that they're imaginary. A figment of your imagination.

So you have a dream. Good for you.

I had a dream, too. When I was 12. I was going to be a major league pitcher. Over the ensuing years, however, it became gradually apparent that the fastball that wowed them in Little League might not carry me to World Series stardom.

To me, that's one of the big lessons of sports: realism. How good you are, how good you're not. How to deal with it.

It's when people bring unfettered illusions into the economic and political realm, however, that the trouble starts. One such example is a provocative essay in the May issue of The Atlantic by Neal Gabler.

Despite five well-received books and hundreds of magazine articles in all the prestigious places, Gabler finds himself dead broke at age 66 -- ducking creditors, driving a 19-year-old junker, in thrall to the IRS and having to borrow money from his adult daughters to pay the heating bill.

"Financial impotence," he calls it.

While he says he's not looking for sympathy, Gabler identifies with economically squeezed Americans who told pollsters for the Federal Reserve Board that they would have to meet a $400 emergency by either borrowing, selling something or worse.

"Four hundred dollars!" Gabler writes. "Who knew? ... Well, I knew. I knew because I am in that 47 percent."

Well, Mitt Romney knew, if you recall. He expected GOP voters to be angry that a near-majority of Americans didn't earn enough to pay Federal income taxes (although many end up remitting a greater proportion of their wealth to the government than Romney himself).

However, Gabler's point isn't really political in the electoral sense. He professes concern about the aforementioned "American Dream." He thinks it's a pity that only 64 percent in a 2014 New York Times poll professed belief in this phantasm, defined as "that great, glowing, irresistible American promise that has been drummed into our heads since birth: Just work hard and you can have it all."

Actually, no you can't. And you never could. Respectfully, Gabler appears to have spent too much time on planet Hollywood. He worries that people's money problems have "perhaps begun to diminish our national spirit. People want to feel, need to feel, that they are advancing in this world. It is what sustains them."

Some would say that defining the national spirit entirely in material terms can only lead to sorrow. But let's not get metaphysical in a newspaper column.

The author of biographies of Walt Disney, Walter Winchell and Barbra Streisand, Gabler appears to have fallen into what my friend Gwen Moritz aptly defines as "the fatal trap of believing that (he) deserved a lifestyle (he) simply couldn't afford."

To somebody like me whose professional career roughly parallels Gabler's, the man's personal choices are mind-boggling. As he correctly points out, "writer ... is a financially perilous profession." To keep your head above water, it's important to keep your wits about you. Without my wife's steadfastness and hard work, I'd never have made a go of it. But if wealth and status are your primary goals, you're probably in the wrong game.

Gabler appears to have made one financially ruinous decision after another -- hiding the truth from himself and his family with equal facility. Even his confession sometimes conceals as much as it reveals. Moritz says she actually screamed when Gabler mentioned cashing out his retirement account to pay for his daughter's wedding -- this after spending his father's savings to send his children to costly private colleges. He wanted them to be "winners."

Me, I was flabbergasted when he mentioned buying a house in East Hampton, New York, the most exclusive CEO- and celebrity-enclave on the East Coast. A visit to the yacht club there could make an ordinary peasant nostalgic for the age of piracy. This two years before selling his family's Brooklyn co-op. His combined mortgage payments must have rivaled Portugal's national debt.

Then there was Gabler's stretching out a lump-sum book advance by failing to pay taxes. Slate's Helaine Olen says "I don't believe there are 10 people in the United States who couldn't tell you that would end badly."

Equally bewildering is the personal angle. See, when they left the city, Gabler's wife gave up her career as a film executive. "(W)ith my antediluvian masculine pride at stake, I told her that I could provide for us without her help -- another instance of hiding my financial impotence, even from my wife. I kept the books; I kept her in the dark."

So what can she have been thinking? The wonder is that they haven't divorced.

It's a fascinating confession, but few will find it ultimately persuasive.

American Dream, indeed.

-----

Arkansas Times columnist Gene Lyons is a National Magazine Award winner and co-author of "The Hunting of the President" (St. Martin's Press, 2000). You can email Lyons at eugenelyons2@yahoo.com.
WASHINGTON -- No, of course, I would never say "I told you so." Reminding people that you were right, particularly about a controversial president of the United States, is just not cool.

Over the last eight years, there have been many times when I showed virtually aristocratic control of my emotions, held my wayward tongue and only vaguely argued why I thought Barack Hussein Obama would go down as a great, or at least very good, American president.

The Kenyanist chapter of the Republican Party, of course, saw him not only as a black usurper to the White House address but as a foreigner, very possibly an agent of al-Shabab or the Congolese militias.

Then there were the "birthers," who seemed to think Obama's Hawaiian birth certificate lacked legitimacy. That was part of the perfervid "identity" politics we are now seeing acted out day after day in the Republican primary wars.

Do I even now dare to suggest that our 44th president has been profoundly, and often deliberately, misunderstood?

Well, I am no longer alone. I now realize that, very suddenly, and in "sotto voce" rather than a Donald Trump screech, public and journalistic discussion about our president is quietly changing.

In a long and insightful article on Obama in The Washington Post, one of our most brilliant writers, David Maraniss, wrote: "Obama did not just want to be president. His mission was to leave a legacy as a president of consequence, the liberal counter to Reagan. ... It is now becoming increasingly possible to argue that he has neared his goal."

Another of our most sagacious journalists, Fareed Zakaria of CNN and almost everywhere, also wrote an astonishingly good analysis of the president.

Far from all the negative things so many have said about Obama, Zakaria views his accomplishments as evidence that he has indeed been a "transformational" president. He cites "Obamacare," the transformation of America's energy policy, and a new foreign policy that limits trying to establish political order in the Middle East to fighting counterterrorism, among many other accomplishments.

Then Zakaria might drive us into hysterical guffaws by going into fascinating detail, as he did on CNN early in April, adding that "the biggest impact of Obama's presidency" lay in driving the Republican Party into "an ideological breakdown."

I see Obama's gifts to America as more those of changing the mood: It's no longer fashionable to invade ancient civilizations and pretend we have the knowledge to transform them, but it's very intelligent to save the Earth. President Obama personifies Hawaiian "lokahi," seeking for ways to create unity, and "ahonui," or patience expressed with perseverance.

In fact, Barack Obama has shown over and over that he was not one to lash out or shout down his enemies, his caution and care always driving them to wilder margins of raging despair. Instead, there sat "Barry," cool, disciplined, rational and approaching the world from the center. While his enemies thought they were humiliating him, Obama was quietly watching them self-destruct.

He particularly revealed himself at a town hall meeting with young people in London on his recent trip overseas. Challenged by a question suggesting that he had not done enough to address racial profiling at airports, he first praised young activists for their work, then soberly and "Obamaly" argued that they should work with political leaders instead of always criticizing them.

You "can't just keep on yelling at them," the president said. "And you can't refuse to meet because that might compromise the purity of your position. The value of social movements and activism is to get you at the table, get you in the room, and then to start trying to figure out how is this problem going to be solved."

Often, he summed up, you have to accept "what is achievable at this moment." (Great words for any young person -- or old one, for that matter.)

And so it seems to me that the present thinking about Barack Obama is in many ways quite different from the old ones, which tended to see him as either a distant and ineffective tinkerer or a socialist dreamer, and that it is bringing us closer to the real man.

The wise Zakaria sees the president's success as passive because he "let his opponents self-destruct and never overplayed his hand."

Let me introduce a new term. It seems contradictory, but it isn't really: Barack Obama -- "passive victor."

-----

Georgie Anne Geyer has been a foreign correspondent and commentator on international affairs for more than 40 years. She can be reached at gigi_geyer@juno.com.
Authors' disclosure: Nat Hentoff is a former board member of both the national ACLU and the New York Civil Liberties Union. Nick Hentoff, a former board member of the Arizona chapter of the ACLU, represented the Arizona ACLU in the First Amendment court case Children of the Rosary v. City of Phoenix (9th Cir. 1998).

-----

Under the leadership of Anthony Romero, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) is a diminished shadow of its former self. The ACLU is now led by cafeteria civil libertarians who choose the liberties they deem worthy of protection based on a narrow ideological agenda.

The latest incarnation of this betrayal of the Bill of Rights is the ACLU's refusal to support criminal justice reform legislation that strengthens the mens rea requirement for most federal criminal statutes. Translated from the Latin as "guilty mind," mens rea is a legal phrase that describes the mental state of mind formed prior to the commission of a crime. Traditionally, the law requires the government to prove that a defendant was aware of and intended to break the law before he can be punished for doing so.

Writing in The New York Times, Yale Law professor Gideon Yaffe warned that liberal opposition to the mens rea provision threatens the passage of the criminal justice reform legislation currently pending in Congress:

"The provision is part of a sweeping criminal justice bill that includes important reforms sought by liberals, including reduced sentences for minor crimes. Democrats, however, oppose the mens rea provision on the ground that it would weaken efforts to prosecute corporate executives whose companies have caused harm. Their opposition is a major stumbling block to passage of the larger bill. But suspicions about Republican motivations should not turn liberals against these changes, because strengthening mens rea requirements will also help poor and minority people."

The ACLU's Romero responded to Yaffe with a letter to the editor in which he argued that the passage of mens rea reform "will do little to help the vast majority of the 2.2 million people behind bars in America and those soon to be incarcerated."

George Mason University Law professor David E. Bernstein criticized Romero's majoritarian approach to civil liberties advocacy, writing that "the executive director of the ACLU doesn't care about the rights of a certain class of accused criminals." Professor Bernstein's claim of ACLU selectivity has merit when you consider that the organization has, in some cases, called for strengthening the mens rea requirement in proposed federal legislation.

In 2007 the ACLU vigorously opposed changes to the Keeping the Internet Devoid of Sexual Predators ("KIDS") Act on the grounds that "the amendment's proposed mens rea is overly broad and vague and could result in innocent people being prosecuted for this offense."

Progressive groups have badly mischaracterized the mens rea reform movement as a Republican-inspired effort to shield corporate special interests from much deserved prosecutions. A recent op-ed by Thomas B. Edsall in The New York Times parroted the progressive line on mens rea reforms, which he compared to partisan "pro-corporate stealth provisions attached to unrelated sentencing reform legislation."

Yet one of the leading voices in the mens rea reform movement is Harvey Silverglate, a noted criminal defense and civil liberties lawyer who has a five-decade record of courageously defending progressive causes. Silverglate served for 30 years as a board member of the ACLU of Massachusetts and remains a member of the organization.

The need for mens rea reform was first brought to light in Silverglate's 2007 book "Three Felonies a Day: How the Feds Target the Innocent." According to Silverglate, the average U.S. citizen innocently commits an average of three felonies a day without realizing they have broken the law. His book describes how overzealous prosecutors use vague laws with lax mens rea requirements to prosecute innocent people from all walks of life under a wide variety of federal criminal statutes.

"There has arisen a cynical effort by some to defeat the adoption of mens rea legislation by claiming ... that it will aid corporate and 'white collar' defendants, ignoring that in fact it would apply across-the-board to all defendants," Silverglate wrote in an email responding to our request for his comments.

"This attempted injection of a form of class warfare into the struggle to achieve long-overdue fundamental criminal justice reform is a betrayal of the civil liberties of all Americans," Silverglate warned. "We need both sentencing reform for those convicted, and mens rea reform in order to prevent the innocent from being convicted in the first place."

Silverglate concluded his comments with a stern rebuke: "Romero and the ACLU should know better. Liberty is indivisible. Equal justice is not achieved by cynically pitting one group of citizens against another. That is how we ended up with by far the largest prison population in the world."

In 2009 Silverglate called for coordinated action to solve the problems described in his book. "(R)ecognition that this movement has no ideological allegiances other than the preservation of liberty is a pivotal first step," he wrote in a guest essay for the Volokh Conspiracy blog.

Conservative groups answered Silverglate's bipartisan call to action while the ACLU and other progressive groups turned tail and ran in the opposite direction. Their opposition to the mens rea legislation now threatens to kill the last best hope for meaningful criminal justice reform for years to come.

-----

Nat Hentoff is a nationally renowned authority on the First Amendment and the Bill of Rights. He is a member of the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press, and the Cato Institute, where he is a senior fellow. Nick Hentoff is a criminal defense and civil liberties attorney in New York City.
IFC, a member of the World Bank Group, has arranged a $375 million financing package for a leading private Iraqi power company, Mass Global Energy Sulimaniya.



The project will provide electricity to millions of people across the countryparticularly in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, where a migrant crisis has strained power infrastructure, a statement said.



The financing package is part of a larger effort by IFC to support infrastructure development in Iraq, which needs to increase its power generating capacity by an estimated 70 percent just to meet current demand. It is also part of an emphasis by IFC to scale up support for fragile and conflict-affected states, where private sector investment is essential to rebuild infrastructure, create jobs, and spur growth.



The debt and equity package includes $250 million from IFCs own account and $125 million from Bank Audi, which includes IFCs first Islamic syndicated loan. Mass Global Energy Sulimaniya will use the funds to add 500 megawatts of capacity to a 1,000-megawatt power plant in the Kurdistan Region of Iraqproviding power to 3 million peopleand to help complete a new power plant near Baghdad that will supply about half of the Iraqi capitals electricity needs.



These investments are critically important in a country where years of war and neglect have hobbled the energy infrastructure, leading to daily blackouts and stifling economic growth, said IFC CEO Philippe Le Houerou.



Pressure is especially acute in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq as a result of a recent influx of more than 1 million internally displaced Iraqis and 250,000 Syrian refugees. We expect this project will open the door to greater private sector investment in Iraq, enhance the potential for long-term development, and demonstrate how private solutions can help solve infrastructure gaps in challenging regions.



Over the past five years, IFC has invested $2 billion in infrastructure projects in fragile and conflict-affected countries, including funds IFC mobilized from other investors. - TradeArabia News Service
The second annual Qatar International Medical Congress (QIMC), taking place in Doha later this month, will bring together the most renowned and innovative companies from around the world.



The event will take place from May 18 to May 20 at the Doha Exhibition and Convention Centre.



Following the immense success of the first congress in 2015, this years event will continue to support the regional medical community, connecting top international companies to the industrys leading entrepreneurs, doctors and researchers.



We are pleased to be bringing the international medical community to Qatar once again. QIMC 2016 is expected to further enhance the image of Qatar on a global level, by fostering a knowledge sharing environment amongst the international medical community. By advancing the national healthcare agenda, this event supports a key aspect of the human development pillar in realising Qatars National Vision 2030, said Abdullah Abdurazaq Haider, CEO QIMC.



The event provides the industry with opportunities to navigate the dynamic market place of Qatar, GCC, the Middle East, as well as the International arena, the statement said.



Its focus, this year, continues to be on hospital equipment and supplies, diagnostics, pharmaceuticals, sports, medical and rehabilitation sectors.



QIMC 2015 welcomed 8,000 visitors and more than 150 exhibitors, and this years congress promises to attract an even larger international audience and research interests from around the world to the region, it said.



Moreover, QIMC 2016 will introduce the latest medical innovations to the healthcare sector, and bring the much deserved focus and attention to all the research organisations currently operating in Qatar. - TradeArabia News Service


Sadiq Khan, a Muslim lawmaker from Britain's opposition Labour Party, is the strong favourite to win London's mayoral election on Thursday after a bitter contest marked by religious tensions and accusations of racism.



Polls show Khan, the son of a bus driver, is as much as 20 percentage points ahead of rival Conservative Zac Goldsmith in the race to run one of the world's top financial centres. If he wins, he will succeed current Conservative mayor Boris Johnson to become the first Muslim to head a major western capital.



London's population of 8.6 million is among the most cosmopolitan in the world and it is rare for identity politics to enter British campaigning.



Yet Goldsmith, with the support of Prime Minister David Cameron, has for weeks focused on Khan's faith and past appearances alongside radical Muslim speakers, accusing him of giving "platform, oxygen and cover" to extremists.



Former human rights lawyer Khan says he has fought extremism all his life and regrets sharing a stage with speakers who held "abhorrent" views.



He has accused Goldsmith, the elite-educated son of a billionaire financier, of using Donald Trump-style tactics to divide Londoners along faith lines, as well as being part of an out-of-touch wealthy elite.



Last week there was a new twist as Khan's party was accused of failing to stamp out anti-Semitism in its ranks amid a row over comments by another lawmaker on her Facebook account arguing that Israel should be moved to the US.



Khan condemned the comment and distanced himself from former London mayor Ken Livingstone, who on Thursday was suspended from the Labour party for supporting the party member at the centre of the controversy.



The left wing of the party -- and notably its current leader Jeremy Corbyn -- have long been sympathetic to the Palestinian cause and it is not the first time Labour has faced accusations that this had led to actual anti-Semitism.



Labour figures acknowledge the dispute is distracting the party ahead of the London vote and local elections across the country on the same day, with Corbyn likely to face new questions over his future if the party does poorly.



SOFT POWER



The two mayoral hopefuls also have opposing stances on one of Britain's most important strategic decisions: whether to remain a member of the European Union. Goldsmith wants to leave, Khan wants to stay.



But even with a June 23 referendum on that issue looming -- at which a vote to leave would create serious question marks over London's role as a global financial centre -- the Brexit issue has barely featured in the campaign.



Both candidates have been eager not to alienate voters who disagree with them on Brexit, saying they will fight for the capital's interests whichever way the country votes.



Otherwise, their policies for the city are largely similar - more affordable housing, more transport investment and better local policing.



It is the political influence that comes with the post, the second-largest direct electoral mandate of any politician in Europe, that is perhaps most at stake.



"The soft power of the role is very important," said Tony Travers a professor at the London School of Economics. "The mandate of a city as big as London gives the mayor a voice and authority which goes well beyond that formal mandate."



Polling shows neither Khan, 45, nor Goldsmith, 41, is likely to slip easily into the shoes of the incumbent Johnson, whose outsized personality was widely recognised from regular TV appearances before he took office.



Johnson's globe trotting star turns as London's trade envoy have made him famous, not only boosting the city's international profile but also making "Boris" one of the most influential voices in the upcoming EU referendum.



Around a third of people couldn't even name the two mayoral candidates, and knowledge of their policies was even worse, said Laurence Stellings, director at polling firm Populus. - Reuters
Officials from the two companies at the signing

Omnitech Systems, a provider for IT infrastructure setup, software development and consultancy services, has signed a strategic partnership agreement with TechoSmart, a leading ICT services provider, reported the Gulf Daily News, our sister publication.



To read further, please visit GDNonline.






A 35-member delegation from Polish oil and gas companies will discuss Iranian oil and gas projects and investment in the field at the upcoming International Oil and Gas Exhibition in Tehran, Iran, a report said.



Ramin Mehmanparast, Iran's ambassador in Warsaw, recently discussed the two countries collaboration with Polish Energy Minister Krzysztof Tchorzewski, reported Iran Daily, which cited Mehr News Agency.



The Iranian official also discussed collaboration in areas of fossil fuels, oil and gas, nuclear energy and renewable energies, the report said.



He added that the Polish government is seeking to diversity in meeting energy needs and given its numerous capabilities in fossil energy sector, Iran can serve as a good partner for Poland.
Oil supply growth by Opec countries will not match the output declines being experienced by non-Opec producers and this could lead to higher crude prices next year, says a report.

To balance the oil market by 2020, US oil and gas capex will have to increase by at least 50 per cent, leading oil prices to trade above the current forward strip and into a $55-70 per barrel range, said the report by Bank of America Merrill Lynch (BofAML) titled Global Energy Weekly: The oil supply cliffhanger.



There is still a large set of drilled but uncompleted shale wells that could come on stream over the next few months and US companies are expected to play a role in stabilizing non-Opec supplies, it explained.



However, cartelized producers at the moment have limited spare productive capacity or planned investment to meet demand on a forward basis, leaving the oil market exposed to huge supply uncertainties over the next 5 years, it said.



A string of twists and turns ahead of producer meetings in Vienna and Doha in recent months have turned oil market developments into a serial drama.



Yet one fact remains in this Opec cliffhanger: non-Opec oil supply is indeed hanging off a cliff. We estimate global output is set to contract year-on-year (YoY) in April or May for the first time since 1Q13 as Opec growth no longer offsets non-Opec declines, BofAML said in the report.



The drop in supply has come on the back of massive cuts in global oil and gas capex. Our new analysis points to non-Opec oil field decline rates of 4.9 per cent on average this year, up from 4.2 per cent in 2014. However, as drilling rigs in non-Opec countries have been idled, the Middle East rig count has held steady.



So we stick to our view that Brent will average $61 per barrel in 2017, said the BofAML report.



A key risk to this view is how fast Saudi and other GCC members decide to monetise their low cost reserves. For now, Aramcos output is relatively flat compared to last year. With Saudi leaders pulling out of the oil freeze deal in Doha last minute, the market keeps second-guessing their next move.



Also, disruptions are relatively high at the moment, suggesting there is room for production to come back in Libya, Yemen, or Nigeria if politics allow. But low oil prices could also trigger strikes and unrest in producing countries. In short, if Saudi output remains constant, oil prices should trend higher, it concluded.  TradeArabia News Service
Wyndham Dubai Marina, the first dedicated hotel development from leading Dubai-based property developer, The First Group, celebrated its grand opening last week.



The four-star deluxe Wyndham Dubai Marina, which is managed by Wyndham Hotels & Resorts - the world's largest hotel management firm, marks a major milestone for The First Group, which has built its reputation on developing high-quality serviced apartments and aparthotels in Dubai.



Wyndham Dubai Marina also marks a significant addition to the thriving Marina district.



The 32-storey, 486-room property is situated in a prime location offering stunning views of the Gulf and Dubai Marina, one of Dubai's most exciting districts, as well as nearby Bluewater Island, which will soon be home to the world's largest Ferris wheel, Dubai Eye.



It is expected to prove popular with business and leisure guests alike, being located within walking distance of the Marina's major attractions, amenities and transportation links including Dubai Metro and Tram services.



Wyndham Dubai Marina boasts an extensive range of dining options, consisting of the Range Grill Restaurant & Bar, Essence all-day dining outlet, Chillz Pool Bar and Cafe Azur Lobby Lounge.



Leisure facilities include a spa, gym and swimming pool, while business guests are well-catered for thanks to the hotel's extensive meetings and conference facilities.



The premium Wyndham Club Lounge provides stunning views overlooking the Palm Jumeirah and Arabian Gulf.



Leisure guests can also take advantage of the hotel's safari and car hire facilities, as well as its souvenir store offering a range of gifts and mementos from their visit to Dubai.



The First Group previously marked the handover of the four-star hotel with a ribbon-cutting ceremony in February.



"The grand opening of Wyndham Dubai Marina marks a major milestone for The First Group and is a significant development for the Marina district," said Danny Lubert, the company's co-founder and joint chairman.



"In partnership with Wyndham Hotel Group, we will set new standards for affordable luxury, catering to business and leisure guests alike. Given Wyndham Hotel Group's vast global experience in hotel management, we are supremely confident Wyndham Dubai Marina will set a new benchmark for hospitality service in Dubai," Lubert said.



The property also marks the debut of the Wyndham brand in the UAE. Its parent, Wyndham Hotel Group, which manages more than 7,800 properties in 72 countries worldwide, is one of the hospitality industry's most respected operators.



The First Group is an award-winning British-owned international hotel & property development company, whose principals have built up their expertise and success in the global market over the last 30 years. With its global headquarters in Dubai and offices spanning Moscow, Almaty, Kazan, Astana, Baku, Abuja, Lagos, Jeddah, Riyadh, Khobar, Mumbai and most recently Accra and Algiers, the group's client base is expanding rapidly. - TradeArabia News Service
Natrona Countys exceedingly high rate of involuntary commitments for mental disorders has made it the prime candidate for a pilot program to test Wyomings new gatekeeper program.

Passed in the Wyoming Legislatures last session as a way to reduce costs and improve treatment, the gatekeeper program evaluates up front what level of care a person needs when he is suspected by authorities of having a psychological disorder.

Natrona County has the most involuntary hospitalization orders in the state. At a projected 120 commitments in 2016, its numbers are nearly double to Sweetwater County, the next highest. Over half of Wyomings 23 counties record fewer than 20 commitments a year, with many in the single digits.

The cause of the high numbers, however, was a question at a recent meeting of the Legislatures Joint Labor, Health and Social Services Committee in Casper, and finding answers was one of the reasons the Wyoming Department of Health chose Natrona County for a pilot program, which will start this July.

There was speculation that Caspers central location, and it being home to the Wyoming Behavioral Institute  one of the few in-patient treatment centers in the state  was bringing in people from other counties.

Department of Health Director Tom Forslund, however, said the numbers for Natrona County reflected only local residents. Even so, local officials questioned the data.

We wonder how  like (neighboring) Converse County has zero, said Natrona County Commissioner Rob Hendry. They say that they take those out  but I am wondering if there are some that slip through the cracks.

Last year, the Casper Police Department received 30,800 calls related to mental health issues, said Brandon Wardell, acting director of the Central Wyoming Counseling Center. Of those, 646 were logged as related to suicide, with 413 resulting in detention.

Wardell, speaking on behalf of many health care providers in the county, said a significant part of the problem is the lack of middle ground treatment options.

All we have is the option of either going inpatient, or releasing individuals, Wardell said. So what does that do? That inherently drives up the inpatient admits  we realize this is a systemic problem (in the state).

Efforts are underway, however, to identify other options, including ones that could be incorporated into the gatekeeper program.

What were doing now is  developing processes to make sure there is coordination of care amongst all providers from the very initial stage of engagement with (law enforcement), to the ER evaluations, to that 24-hour hold hearing, to also providing those services that would give options other than just inpatient treatments, Wardell told the committee.

Committee member Sen. Charlie Scott noted the problem in his home county, while voicing support for more flexible care options.

Clearly that thing is eating our lunch, Scott said of the local numbers. I think it is sending people to a very restrictive environment  that probably dont need to go that far, and thats a serious problem, and with the financial pressures were under, weve got to do something about it.

The issue is high on the Natrona County commissioners priority list as well. Under state law, counties are responsible to provide the first 72 hours of care.

In Natrona County, that cost actually lands on the Wyoming Medical Center, which leases the county-owned hospital for a dollar annually in exchange for providing indigent care for local residents, including involuntary commitments.

The Wyoming Medical Center is anticipating indigent care expenses of $25.6 million this year. Involuntary commitments costs (which is combined with prisoner care) are projected at $2 million.

It is not only the counties, however, that bear the expense, as the state picks up the bill after the initial 72 hours, at a cost of some $900 per day in hospitalization fees.

Costs are still growing at a significant rate, said the Department of Healths Stefan Johannson.

We are projecting at least $18 million of expenditures for the (two-year budget cycle), and Title 25 with a $4.4 million operating budget, were getting a shortfall of anywhere from $13-$15 million projected, he said.
Jerry Kelly walked under the red Wardrobe Cleaners sign to start his high school delivery job in 1953. The sign is still there more than 60 years later, and so is he. He co-owns the business, which is 100 this year.

Kelly Kerr also started as a deliverer there while he was in high school in 1981 and became a business partner almost a decade later.

We thank the Casper community for the support and loyalty through the years, Kerr said.

Mist hissed through the shop with the full crew of four working Friday. Kerr smoothed tuxedo jackets with irons and puff steamers while satin-striped pants emerged crisply creased off the steam presses. Later, hed run deliveries.

Prom season is the busiest time of year, Kelly said. Weddings also will keep the tuxedos coming in through the summer, along with some dresses, Kelly said.

He steamed and loaded the dry cleaning machine in his back corner station. Prebble Perea worked a 1960s tagging machine a few feet away as she checked in garments between bagging clean items for pickup.

Shes the newest at 22 years on the crew, which feels like a family, she said. Her bosses taught her a work ethic she describes as: You come to work, you do your job and you make people smile in between.

Kelly can outwork people half his age, and she can count on one hand the days hes missed in the past two decades, Perea said. Kerr can tell her who customers are when they pull into the parking lot, along with their tag color and number of items, she added.

He has a memory like no person Ive ever met, Perea said.

Not everyone can take the heat of dry cleaning, literally, or the eight hours a day on foot, Kelly said. Other occupational hazards include occasional burns, like the time years ago when Perea backed into a steam pipe, she said.

I was the first to be branded, Perea said. You could read the numbers on my leg.

Kelly doesnt know who opened Wardrobe Cleaners in 1916 on the corner of Second Street and a dirt road that would become Fenway Street. But it was and is a strategic location, he said. The middle part of the building is the original shop.

The first owners sold the business to the Gilardi family, whose contracts included the U.S. Army air base west of town during World War II. They sold the shop after the war to Kellys first bosses, Carl and Madeline Williams.

Kelly took over the business in 1961 with the Williamses son, Carl Bud Williams. Kerr joined as a business partner after Bud retired in 1990.

The best part of the job is their crew and customers, the owners said. Theyve cleaned Casper College theater costumes, the U.S. Navys Blue Angels uniforms and Jon Bon Jovis concert duds, Kerr said.

Theyve been called on to save the day countless times. There was the mother who blew fireplace dirt through the vacuum cleaner onto her daughters dresses on prom afternoon.

They called, and there were tears and everything else, Kerr recalled. Kelly picked up the dresses and cleaned them in time for the dance.

Then there was the time a secretary of state had to throw her white skirt over the office door and hide behind it. They cleaned a large coffee stain so she could get to a candlelight vigil during the first Gulf War, Kerr said.

Most of the regular customers are professionals, like Mark Zaback, who stopped in on Friday. The Jonah Bank president has been taking his work clothes there at least every other week for the past decade, he said. When Kerr delivers them to his house, he always remembers a bone for his dog, he said.

Kelly and his entire staff serve you with a smile and make you feel special, he said.

The owners have seen the rise of casual styles edge out dry cleaning shops across Wyoming and the country.

Our main competition is the manufacturer, and keeping up with what they put out, Kelly said. Declining quality and ways a growing variety of fabrics and dyes must be treated also add to the challenge, he said. Theyve even started to see clothing and bedding labels warning not to wash or dry clean, Kerr said.

If youre really not on your toes and know your fabrics and what you can do and cant do with them, youll end up just buying people clothes all the time, Kelly said.

The owners have raised three children each while running the shop, Kelly said. Its not a matter of having to work now, as he nears his eighth decade, as much as where hed find someone to do his job. Plus, he still enjoys it.

I probably should have retired years ago, Kelly said. But it gives you a little something to do.
On Hannah Mockensturms right shoulder in faded blue cursive is a tattoo in memory of her mother. Under the initials D.L.M. is her moms birthday in 1959 and the date of her death: Aug. 7, 2011.

Hannah shook her head Thursday afternoon, sitting in the office at Roosevelt High School. She couldnt believe itd been five years already.

Hannah credits the loss of her mother at a young age as an incentive to graduate from high school. She had to grow up and take things more seriously, she said.

Hannah will graduate on time in a few weeks  a high distinction at Roosevelt, where many of the students are deemed at-risk of never completing their education. About 43 percent of the students graduated on time last year.

Though Hannahs success stands out at her school, she is part of a larger story.

Young women in Wyoming regularly outpace their male peers in high school graduation rates, a lead theyve maintained every year for at least the last two decades, regardless of economic and racial subgroups, according to the Wyoming Department of Education. Records before 1995 are not available digitally.

Cathy Connolly, a womens studies professor at the University of Wyoming, said its impossible to answer the question of why girls get their diplomas more often than boys without detailed research. Connolly is also a representative in Wyomings Legislature.

Wyomings data follows the national trend, she said.

A high school diploma earns men on average $43,740, while a bachelors degree earns women on average $38,312, according to a recent report, Wage Gap between Wyomings Men and Women: 2016. In that context, she said, graduating is a fairly rational decision for Wyomings young women.

Roosevelt principal Shawna Trujillo would agree. She tells her girls that they have a tough road ahead if they dont get an education.

And they understand, she added. They know that as women, without an education, they will encounter nothing but hurdles.

Roosevelt history teacher Susan Griffith has 30 years of classroom experience. Options for girls are expanding, but she also tries to impress on the girls that having a degree is valuable. High school is just a beginning, she said.

I say this to my girls that I have in class, If something happened to my husband, I knew that I could take care of my children because I had a college degree, she said. Thats so important, not to be dependent.

But reaching graduation is hard for her students, boys and girls, Griffith said. For the boys there is the added lure of the job market and making money. Many of them drop out to support their families, she said.

But the kind of jobs that Wyoming offers boys, on oil rigs and in coal mines, are hard for girls to find, the teacher added.

The students at Roosevelt have their own theories about why fewer boys graduate compared to the girls.

Hannah believes girls have more willpower than boys.

Taylor Wilcox, a friend of Hannahs and another senior at Roosevelt about to graduate on time, thinks society puts responsibility on girls early, and they adapt.

Adults expect more from girls, she said. Shes seen it in her own family.

Like my mom would expect me to do a lot more than my older brother, she said. My older brother dropped out, and she was upset about it. But when I dropped out, it was a way different thing.

Taylor thinks her mom realizes boys have alternatives. Taylors brother has a good industry job, for example, which Taylor wouldnt have, she said.

But thats not to say education is easy. It wasnt for Taylor. She dropped out of school four times, she said.

She would leave school for weeks, or ditch more often than attend. It was stupid, she admits now.

The last time she dropped out, Taylors mom persuaded her to go back. She will be the first girl in her family to graduate on time, she said.

Going to an alternative school was a lifesaver for Taylor. When she was at some of the larger schools in the district, she was lost in the mix.

I, at the time, needed help with my responsibilities, and Kelly Walsh did not have that to give, she said.

Roosevelt did. The teachers are no-nonsense, which Taylor appreciates. The one who has helped her the most treats her like an adult.

Shes the straightest teacher you will ever meet, she said. Youre being a jackass, she will tell you youre being a jackass.

When Taylor broke her probation and was afraid of getting arrested, she didnt go to class for a week. But she didnt fall behind. She did all her homework and asked her friends to pass along the assignments.

Hannah has never dropped out. Shes been attentive to school since her mothers death. And she can feel her mom with her now, she said, watching over her, holding her accountable, and making sure shes one more girl who graduates from high school.
Wyoming will likely have a light to normal fire season this year, according to the states forester.

We will have fire activity, it will dry out in July and August and we will see some fires, but were not expecting to see a huge fire season, said Bill Crapser, Wyomings state forester. Im always nervous making that kind of prediction, but from predictive services and the weather forecasters, that is our best guess.

Wyomings last severe fire season was 2012, when fires began by early May and ultimately burned about 600,000 acres across the state, costing almost $43 million. But even during a normal year, wildfires can be destructive. The Cole Creek Fire in 2015 near Casper consumed more than 10,000 acres and destroyed 14 homes.

The upcoming wildfire season across the U.S. is not expected to be as bad as last year, when a record 15,800 square miles burned, the nations top wildland firefighting official said recently.

But parts of the nation should expect a rough season after a warm, dry winter or because of long-term drought, U.S. Forest Service Chief Tom Tidwell said.

Southern California, other parts of the Southwest, Alaska and Montana are all vulnerable, he said.

California is vulnerable because much of the state remains in a drought, despite an El Nino weather system that brought near-average snowfall to its northern mountains. Wildfires have already broken out in Alaska after a warm winter with below-average precipitation.

Slightly more than half the land scorched by wildfires last year was in Alaska, according to the National Interagency Fire Center, which coordinates firefighting nationwide. Washington and Oregon accounted for 18 percent.

The Forest Service, the nations primary firefighting agency, spent a record $1.72 billion on firefighting last year.

The overall bill for wildfires, including prevention programs and the cost of putting crews, equipment and aircraft on fire lines, is consuming a growing share of the Forest Service budget. That has forced cuts in forestry research, campground and trail maintenance and other areas, Tidwell said.

The Obama administration has been pressing Congress to pay the cost of fighting the worst fires from natural disaster funds, rather than the Forest Service budget. Tidwell said the largest 1 or 2 percent of wildfires account for about 30 percent of the costs.

Congress has not agreed to the change, but it did approve an additional $520 million for fighting fires this season, Tidwell said.

He said climate change is making wildfires worse, heating up the air, drying out forests and extending the wildfire season by an average of 78 days since 1998. A growing number of homes at the forests edge, which firefighters call the wildland-urban interface, also drives up costs by forcing managers to concentrate crews and equipment to protect communities, he said.

Tidwell said state and federal agencies need to thin those forests to a more natural state to prevent fires and make them easier to fight. Researchers say decades of over-aggressive firefighting have left forests dense with living and dead trees and more prone to deadly mega-fires.

But Tidwell defended Smokey Bear, his agencys memorable mascot, from allegations of making things worse by portraying fire as evil instead of part of the natural cycle that kept forests healthy. Smokeys original message, Only you can prevent forest fires, has been updated to Only you can prevent wildfires.

Really, Smokey was just talking about those human-caused fires which actually occur at the wrong time of the year, not where the natural fire occurs, Tidwell said. Those are the fires that the Forest Service still wants to stop, he said.

Smokey Bear gets no blame for the situation we have today, he said.
GILLETTE  The video cameraman and sound man weaving their way through Jami Howes fourth-grade classroom during a science project is clear evidence that Campbell Countys work on teaching science is breaking boundaries.

Theres a lot of interest in the science program, now in the fourth year of a federal grant that will ultimately revamp the way science is taught in the school district. The K-12 project has drawn a lot of interest statewide, and now the attention has grown nationally and internationally.

Two small communities in Campbell County are the focus of that attention.

John Tulenko of Education Week/PBS New Hour was at Paintbrush Elementary School with a film crew to view a hands-on science project on light and mirrors. The trio also visited other schools in Wright and Gillette throughout the week to report on the groundbreaking efforts to teach science. Tulenko said the report will likely air sometime in late May, around the time of this years high school graduations in Gillette and Wright.

No other district in the state has attempted anything similar. And there are not many districts in the nation, if any, doing similar work, said Tulenko, whos covered education for the past 20 years.

The timing, with Wyoming considering adoption of new science standards for the first time since 2008, seems somewhat prophetic.

Its happening at a time when states were grappling with the debate over the national Common Core Standards and the Next Generation of Science Standards.

Despite that debate, Gillette educators decided to take a different approach, essentially changing the way science is taught.

There isnt a lot of this, Tulenko said. Gillette is pioneering it.

Revamping science

The science program is in its fourth year of a federal grant through the Wyoming Department of Education under the tutelage of University of Wyoming assistant professor Ana Houseal. It is something of an experiment in its own right. Its the science of teaching science.

It began in 2013 as an effort to revamp Campbell County School Districts science courses in grades K-12. That first year, teachers in grades 3-6 were involved.

Even school district trustees were concerned that science was becoming the ugly stepchild in elementary school classrooms in Gillette. Science scores on the statewide PAWS tests were averaging only about 40 percent proficiency.

They wondered if Campbell County students were even being taught what they were being tested on.

In 2012, the trustees agreed to undertake a year-long study to determine if science was getting enough attention from teachers, particularly those at the elementary level. That same year, trustees passed a strategic goal of having 80 percent of Campbell Countys students score proficient or above on the statewide assessment by 2017.

They also set a minimum time limit for teachers to use science reading or kit-based lessons for 40 minutes a week in K-2 classrooms and 180 minutes a week in grades 3-6. Secondary science teachers had to provide science instruction a minimum of at least 80 minutes over two days.

Part of the strategy also included reviewing the districts science curriculum, delivery and assessments to make sure it aligned with state and national standards.

We needed an overhaul (in science) and we knew that, said Jodi Crago-Wyllie, district facilitator in elementary science and director of the Science Center-Adventurarium.

With leadership also from Christy Mathes, the school districts secondary science facilitator and junior high science teacher, teachers have helped take science to a whole new level in Campbell County.

Its a huge shift. Its not the science we taught 10 years ago, but these are skills our kids need, Mathes said.

Its exciting stuff, Crago-Wyllie said.

Home-grown approach

Teachers have taken the lead, designing the lessons at each grade level and then piloting the units to see what works and what doesnt.

That work likely will continue until the entire K-12 science lesson plans are rolled out in 2017-18. The district also will continue tweaking its lesson plans for many years beyond that with teacher communication and consistency being a key.

The districts grade 7-12 program is being piloted this year, Mathes said. By 2017-18, the Campbell County School District will have a complete 13-year program in place.

Its been a lot of teacher training and a lot of shifts in thinking, she said, adding that its all about teaching science in three dimensions.

As the work has continued, several benefits have emerged beyond science. Teachers have made efforts to improve their teaching methods by working with their peers. They are becoming more effective teachers as a result.

And the lessons have been designed to incorporate other subjects, including reading, writing and social studies. What began as a science lesson now branches out to cover many subjects that will translate into a more rounded and meaningful education for students.

Teachers have told me that kids are a lot more interested in science, Tulenko said, adding that theres a lot more hands-on in classrooms than hes seen before.

Kids also are more interactive in the lessons. In fact, theyre responsible for learning on their own.

Ive noticed in a few classrooms that teachers have had to do almost no managing of the behavior of kids, he added. Theyre really involved. The kids are modeling complicated concepts. Thats good to see.

Im definitely learning from teachers that students are really into it.

Tulenko said the Next Generation of Science Standards is a 270-page document. Its asking a lot of teachers to incorporate that into their classrooms and some feel it will later be used to evaluate teachers.

But the approach being developed in Campbell County is about much more.

It lets kids look at data and make their own conclusions, he said. Its more about letting kids make the decisions themselves.
Four-term incumbent Rep. Jim Byrd has announced he will seek re-election to House District 44 in Cheyenne, and longtime Laramie County civic leader and lobbyist Lindi Kirkbride said she is seeking to represent Senate District 6.

House District 44 is in the historic south and west sides of Cheyenne, including the Capitol and about half of downtown. Senate District 6  which is open since Sen. Wayne Johnson, R-Cheyenne, announced he is not seeking re-election  includes parts of east Cheyenne, most of eastern Laramie County and a silver of Goshen County.

Byrd, a 62-year-old Democrat who is chairman of the House Minority Caucus, said he does not want to leave the Legislature at a time of serious economic downturn, when revenue from coal, oil and gas is anticipated to decrease by an estimated $477 million.

Byrd and the Legislatures other Democrats voted against the two-year, $3 billion budget adopted by the Legislature in March because it cut education, senior and other programs, and didnt expand Medicaid to some 20,000 low-income Wyomigites.

The budget stripped away all of the safety net all those people in the energy industries need when they lose their jobs, Byrd said. We did nothing to help the unemployed and the underemployed and the soon-to-be unemployed in Wyomings energy industry. Nothing.

Byrd said he would fight for more programs to help people who are out of work.

We need to take a hard look at how we support and encourage new business development in the state along with developing next generation markets for our existing energy and minerals portfolio, said Byrd, who is a member of the House Minerals Committee. A diversified economy will be a strong and sustainable economy that will position Wyoming as a leader and example for the rest of the country.

Kirkbride, meanwhile, faces Dave Zwonitzer, a state representative, also seek the seat.

Kirkbride, a 67-year-old Republican, would bring diversity to the Wyoming Senate. The 30-member Senate only has one woman senator right now.

She has worked as a lobbyist and has been appointed to several tasks forces, including Wyoming AARP, Wyoming League of Women Voters and Wyoming Community Service Providers, an association of nonprofits that provide serves for people with developmental disabilities and acquired brain injuries. She has a degree from the University of Wyoming in social work and founded Court Appointed Special Advocates of Laramie County, CASA, a nonprofit that provides a voice for abused and neglected children in court. She was its executive director for seven years and continues as a CASA volunteer.

She wants to tackle the shrinking budget with common sense.

As we continue to seek solutions to our troubled energy-driven economy, big adjustments must be made, but we can do so pragmatically. All aspects of government from natural resources to roads to education affect Wyoming residents, she said. If we have to make cuts, we must approach these issues with care and stewardship.

Kirkbride serves on the founding board of directors of HealthWorks in Cheyenne, a federally funded community health center for the uninsured and people with low levels of insurance. She believes the state needs to expand Medicaid.

People are tired of excuses about why our current legislators continue to deny health care solutions to our residents, she said.

A previous version of this story said misidentified Democrat Mike Weiland as running for the state Senate. Mike Weiland is running for the state House District 6.
Nevada Gov. Brian Sandoval is considering legal action to force the U.S. Bureau of Land Management to pony up some money to pay for roundups of wild horses in the state that have been put on hold because of federal budgetary constraints.

BLM State Director John Ruhs asked agency leaders in Washington D.C. earlier this month to approve funding for a series of gathers in northeast Nevadas Elko County where ranchers are being asked to curtail livestock grazing due to lingering drought.

The federal agency currently plans no large-scale roundups in Nevada this year because of budget shortfalls driven largely by the cost of housing more than 45,000 mustangs now in government holding facilities across the country.

Sandoval says if BLMs parent Interior Department refuses to provide the necessary funding, hell pursue all legal options to protect Nevadas ranchers and rural communities.

The Republican governor in a statement Tuesday said the BLM has underfunded the wild horse program for years.

For too long, Nevada has been forced to compensate for the federal governments inability to manage these growing populations without the appropriate resources, Sandoval said.

Nevada is home to nearly 28,000 wild horses  more than half of the 47,000 estimated in 10 western states, including Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah and Wyoming.

BLM argues the range can sustain less than half that many  about 12,000 in Nevada and 26,000 nationally.

Sandoval said BLMs latest estimates indicate there are more than 5,000 wild horses in a series of herd management areas in southern Elko County alone  three times more than BLM maintains is appropriate for that region.

Nevada Department of Agriculture Director Jim Barbee said ranchers could face anywhere from a 25 percent reduction to elimination of grazing altogether on federal lands in Elko County where they have permits to graze their cattle through the end of the year. He said those restrictions could have as much as a $1.8 million negative impact on Elko Countys economy.

Nevada Department of Wildlife Director Tony Wasley said many of the areas with the horses contain habitat critical to the greater sage grouse at risk of being degraded.

Deniz Bolbol of the American Wild Horse Preservation Campaign said private livestock grazing on public land far outweighs the negative impacts mustangs have on sage grouse habitat.
CHEYENNE  Its hard to believe that climate change was supported by the leaders of both major political parties in the 1990s.

During his presidency, George H.W. Bush (1989-1993) accepted the scientific view, like most political leaders of that era.

The elder Bush, in fact, promised to fight the greenhouse effect with the White House effect and sent his secretary of state, James Baker, to the first international summit of climate scientists.

As recently as 2008, both major presidential candidates, Democrat Barack Obama and Republican John McCain, agreed something should be done about climate change, or global warming.

Today the science of climate change or global warming is a highly politically divisive issue that is opposed by most Republicans and accepted by most Democrats.

Opposition to the scientists conclusions didnt develop as long as climate change remained an abstract problem.

But when public opinion mounted for action, coupled with the Kyoto Treaty in 1997, the fossil fuel industry organized and financed a stealthy state-of-the-art counteroffensive, according to Dark Money, a new book by Jane Mayer.

This is where the Koch brothers, Charles and David, and their nonprofit groups and others like it came in.

They changed the public debate over climate change.

They did it by sowing doubt over the scientific findings, Mayer wrote.

The amount of money spent underground, as it were, is astounding.

For example, between 2005 to 2008, the Koch brothers poured nearly $25 million into dozens of different organizations fighting climate reform, according to research by Greenpeace, a liberal environmental group.

They even outspent ExxonMobil.

Their counteroffensive was understandable, given the threat of government regulation  carbon caps  to their fossil energy industry.

The incredibly wealthy Kochs were proprietors of an oil company headquartered in Kansas.

Their donor network is dominated by coal, oil and gas magnates.

The Kochs used the nonprofits to back candidates that share their libertarian, anti-government views.

They are responsible, in Mayers view, for the rise of the far right.

They also helped finance a network of think tanks, academic programs and news media outlets that far exceeded anything the liberal opposition could put together, she wrote

Big spending by special interest groups on both Democratic and Republican candidates is not a new development in U.S. politics.

But what the Kochs and their allies have created, in Mayers view, is a private political bank capable of bestowing unlimited amounts of money on favored candidates, and doing it with virtually no disclosure of its source.

They have established a Republican Party in which donors, not elected officials, are in charge, she wrote.

Koch and company were helped in their efforts by federal laws.

A section of the Internal Revenue Code allows for 501(4) nonprofit organizations devoted exclusively to social welfare. The groups are allowed to participate in political activities as long as it is not the groups primary purpose.

The organization is not required to disclose sources of its money.

In 2010, the Supreme court, in the Citizen United decision, removed virtually all corporate spending limits and upheld the anonymity of these nonprofits

Mayer, a staff writer for New Yorker magazine, spent five years working on this book. She began covering politics 30 years ago in Washington, D.C., as a reporter for the Wall Street Journal during Ronald Reagans presidency.

Not unsurprisingly the Koch brothers did not grant Mayer an interview for her book.

Its a compelling read and a remarkable accomplishment, given that her topic deals with secret groups. Key sources did talk to her, on and off the record.

As for the climate change debate, I agree with the consensus scientists view, because they are way, way smarter than I am. And we all have seen photos of the melting glaciers, the floods.

What struck me in reading this book was the obscene amount of money spent on politics by the Kochs and their allies.

In January 2015, at the annual summit of Koch network donors in Palm Springs, California, they set a fundraising goal for the 2016 elections at $889 million, which was twice what the group spent in 2012, Mayer wrote.

I kept thinking of how much better those dollars could have been spent if they were used for bona fide social welfare.
Its well-known that Wyoming has an alarming wage gap. The state has been ranked near the bottom in the nation for the disparity between what men and women earn.

Recently, though, the dim news grew darker. A new report pointed out that college-educated women, who have likely invested considerable time, energy and money in furthering their education, make less in Wyoming than men who have only high school diplomas  $38,312 compared with $43,740.

Wyoming has a proud history of empowering women  the state was the first to have a female governor and justice of the peace as well as the first to grant women the right to vote. One of its nicknames is the Equality State.

These days, though, Wyomings reputation for fairness is far less sterling. According to numbers released last year, women here earn 69 cents for every dollar earned by men  and as a state, we have been looking at stagnant numbers for far too long.

The wage gap is a parity issue, of course. Regardless of gender, hard workers who fulfill important roles should be compensated fairly. But the impact goes far beyond that  it also hits Wyoming families. Women should be paid for the time and effort they devote to their jobs. Thats especially important right now: The economy here has slumped, job losses have spread across the states coal mines, and every dollar counts.

The report doesnt suggest that employers are doing this purposely. Instead, it says that male-dominated fields tend to be more lucrative than the ones women gravitate toward. Mining and construction might pay more than teaching or nursing, for example. But we cant dismiss the wage gap by citing our energy-driven economy; other energy states performed better than we did.

There are at least two solutions to work toward. The first is increasing the pay in fields that have traditionally attracted more women  education and health care. These are essential positions, ones that help form the backbone of a community. They should be paid fairly for the important work they do.

The second is encouraging more women to consider paths that are traditionally dominated by men. Many women have interests and abilities in the science, technology, engineering and math fields, and those should be nurtured. Wyoming, navigating uncharted territory in the need for innovation in energy, needs all the capable scientists it can find.

Part of that is economic diversification  fostering an environment where businesses and their employees of any gender can thrive. The more kinds of industries we welcome here, the better off our economy will be.

Wyoming should strive to be a place where people are compensated fairly for their work. Setting that goal and taking action is essential to strengthening the state and the families who have made their homes here.
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.
ROOSEVELT, Utah  The city manager of Roosevelt is under fire after a pair of stop signs was removed from an intersection where he was cited.

Residents are up in arms that two stop signs were taken down last month, a few days after City Manager Ryan Snow received a ticket in mid-March for failing to stop.

The city attorney also ordered Snow's March 17 citation to be dismissed.

In a letter sent to residents Wednesday, the mayor and city council stated that Snow had only asked public works officials to review the intersection.

The city says nobody ever ordered the signs' removal.

In a post on the city's Facebook page, Snow says the Utah Highway Patrol officer was right to ticket him and he never asked the city attorney for special treatment.
A repeal of SB 1070, state investment in infrastructure and increased staffing at the ports of entry are some of the ideas to improve economic and cultural relations between Arizona and Mexico, according to a report produced by Arizona Town Hall participants.

The states 2010 immigration law was widely panned for having a negative effect on the relationship between Mexico and Arizona, participants said, but it is only a piece of what needs to be done to create a truly vibrant bi-national economic region.

Investments on both sides of the border in rail, roadways, shared natural resources and energy production, ports of entry, educational opportunities, and comprehensive immigration reform are all part of a recommended holistic approach.

Although it will not be published for a few weeks, more than 100 people came together Wednesday to work on the final draft of their consensus report, the culmination of a four-day event that included speakers and panel discussions on trade, immigration and regional opportunities.

The economic arguments for expanding Arizonas relationship with Mexico are clear: With more than $9 billion in exports, the country is by far Arizonas largest trading partner, and Mexican tourists spend more than $2 billion annually in the state.

Mexico also has a growing middle class, up to 44 million people, and an economy projected to be the sixth largest in the world by 2050. But these facts are sometimes lost in the political rhetoric, said Sapna Gupta, senior policy analyst at Arizona State Universitys Morrison Institute for Public Police.

The media coverage of politicians talking about building a big wall at the border, and the lingering effects of SB 1070 have contributed to this perception, she said. Treating the border as a liability instead of the asset that it is.

The final town hall report  which will include the consensus report produced by participants along with background information written by experts and edited by Gupta  will ideally let the facts speak for themselves and become part of the narrative about Mexico, officials said.

Working on preparing the consensus report was a great experience, said Kara Egbert, a member of the Sahuarita City Council. While she was familiar with many of the issues, the discussion process with fellow participants was enlightening.

The ideas werent new but more the details and the different challenges that are out there, seeing firsthand peoples experiences and just having a greater understanding of some of the viewpoints, she said.

By design, town hall participants are a diverse group, with different backgrounds and political ideologies, but they all have a passion for civic engagement and a desire to help Arizona, Egbert said.

Our group was really looking for understanding, she said. It was amazing to hear their perspectives.

While the process was respectful there were certainly disagreements during discussion, participants said, but almost everyone there came with an open mind.

We certainly had people who disagreed but a lot of it was just fact checking, it was usually just a difference in data, said Lea Marquez-Peterson, president and CEO of the Tucson Hispanic Chamber of Commerce.

If anything, people came to the room with different perceptions and different priorities, she said, some talked about infrastructure and transportation, others about misperceptions in the media, and others about trade and economic development, but it all fit together in the consensus report.

That report, while important, is only part of what makes the town hall experience have an impact, said Tara Jackson, president of Arizona Town Hall.

Hopefully participants go back to their communities and they start making changes based on what they learned, she said. People leave with new knowledge and information about how we can develop a better binational economic region.
Caterpillar Inc. has run its Tucson proving ground near Green Valley since 1990, putting mining trucks and other massive machines through their paces in the shadow of Freeport-McMoRans Sierrita mine.

All the while the relatively remote, off-grid facility has been powered solely by Cats own diesel generators  but now the sun will do part of the work.

The construction machinery giant last week launched a new product line with the christening of a hybrid solar-generator microgrid system at the proving ground.

The proving grounds system  consisting of 500 kilowatts worth of photovoltaic arrays and an equal amount of battery storage linked to the facilitys generator system  will cut the proving grounds reliance on diesel generation by about one-third, the company said.

It will also serve as a demonstrator for the companys new line of Cat Microgrid products, which range from mobile trailer-mounted rigs to scalable custom, on-site installations, said Rick Rathe, managing director of microgram and energy storage for Caterpillars electric-power division.

Were taking that same value proposition out to our customers right now, said Rathe, who announced the companys new Cat Microgrid branded product offering as the company flipped the switch on the proving grounds microgrid on Wednesday.

Long a leader in large diesel generators, Cat has been looking at integrating renewable energy with combustion generation for some time as prices for photovoltaic panels tumbled and battery technology improved, Rathe said.

Today, solar energy is a very cost-efficient form of energy  more efficient than running diesel generators all the time, he said.

Cat Microgrid systems combine solar panels, state-of-the-art energy storage and advanced monitoring and control systems with Caterpillars traditional line of power generation equipment, including Cat generator sets, switchgear, uninterruptible power supplies and automatic transfer switches.

Caterpillar says the systems are ideal for off-grid applications such as telecommunications towers, industrial facilities, mining installations, remote villages and islands and rural communities.

The company also has partnered with two Arizona companies to create its Cat-branded hybrid micro product. Tempe-based First Solar is supplying the thin-film photovoltaic panels.
Jeffries said he owes the broad support for the measure to the stakeholder process that formulated the pension fix.

By inviting everyone to the table, we ultimately could leave there with an agreement that we could all work with, he said.

Ethan McSweeney is a University of Arizona journalism student who is an apprentice at the Star. Contact him at starapprentice@tucson.com
Legislators call them freedom centers.

Thats as much information as you need to understand why Republican lawmakers plan an unusual $5 million in earmarks for these institutes at the University of Arizona and Arizona State.

If freedom is in the name, theyre for it  better yet if its at those Marxist universities.

The plan is to put $2 million in state tax money toward the Center for the Philosophy of Freedom at the UA and $3 million to the School of Civic and Economic Thought and Leadership, a new combination of two ASU centers including the Center for the Study of Economic Liberty.

The universities arent objecting  why would they? But the plan is full of contradictions, some of them funny, some of them infuriating.

Start with the glaring fact that this is the same Legislature that last year cut $99 million in funding to the states three universities. Even before those cuts, since the recession began in 2008, Arizona had reduced its funding for higher education more than any other state. We were 50th, the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities reported last May  so far behind the other states that were just lucky there was no 51st place.

But despite all the lawmakers persistent talk of needing to make cuts for a structurally balanced budget, lawmakers are able to scrape together a few million for something called freedom. In fact, theyre even making an unusual legislative appropriation to these obscure programs deep within the organizational charts of the universities.

Lynn Nadel, the faculty president at the UA, told me thats the main complaint hes heard  the specificity of this funding.

Ive had some input from faculty about the Legislature determining the funding of universities at this level of granularity, he said.

Usually they let the regents and universities figure that out. But for freedom, no.

Another contradiction: This Legislature, with its preference for practical, career-oriented education instead of liberal arts, is putting extra money into a program in philosophy, of all things. Then-Rep. John Kavanagh, a Fountain Hills Republican, infamously spelled out this widespread point of view in 2014.

If somebodys going to end up in a sales position or someones going to be a real estate agent, why are we investing all this money in a research university degree? he said. Whats the purpose of it?

And yet now, here they are, putting extra taxpayer money into a center whose faculty produce research papers such as The Problem of Determinism and Free Will is not the Problem of Determinism and Free Will.

This quotation from a graduate fellow, highlighted as a pull quote in a brochure by the UAs freedom center, also jumped out at me: If we take our philosophical theories to be telling us anything about our commonsense views, then we ought to take ethics seriously in theorizing about metaphysics.

Abstract as its work may seem, the UAs center is respected by its peers and known for its scholarly depth. Dont tell the Legislature this, but I watched a couple of videos featuring David Schmidtz, the UA centers director. In a lecture he cited Marx and in an interview, a book called Marxism sat prominently on the shelf behind him.

The output is not so abstract and academic at ASUs Center for the Study of Economic Liberty. There, the focus seems to be on giving think-tank-style backing for the supply-side preferences of the dominant strand of Republicanism in Phoenix.

Its not just that founding director William Boyes wants to eliminate government schools  what you and I call public schools  and replace them with private education. Take a look at the other three areas of research highlighted on the centers web page  all bolster the views of the legislative majority and Gov. Doug Ducey.

 One argues that more money should be taken from the states land trust to pay for education without tax increases  supporting Prop. 123

 Another argues that we shouldnt raise any more taxes on the rich and we instead should eliminate the income tax to improve the states economy.

 The last argues against the common libertarian position in favor of open borders and says that instead we should enforce borders to protect private property.

So while its amusing, perhaps, that the Legislature would fund a center for pointy-headed intellectuals at the UA, the money for ASU will likely go directly into making cases to bolster the legislative majoritys point of view.

This brings us to another contradiction in the appropriation: Giving tax money to centers that are part of a network of academic institutes and think tanks founded by billionaires to advance their interests  largely by advocating for lower taxes.

It happens that just before this appropriation came to light, I read Jane Mayers recent book, Dark Money: The Hidden History of the Billionaires behind the Rise of the Radical Right. In it, she explains how in the 1980s, a lieutenant to Charles and David Koch named Richard Fink created a plan for advancing the brothers ideas and interests.

The first phase was to invest in intellectuals whose ideas would serve as a raw product that, in the second phase, think tanks would turn into marketable policies. The third phase was to use citizens  think Americans for Prosperity  and other special-interest organizations to push those policies.

The story of the Center for the Philosophy of Freedom parallels that of the Mercatus Center at George Mason University in Virginia and other such institutes across the country. In this case, it was Paradise Valley attorney Randy Kendrick, the wife of Arizona Diamondbacks owner Ken Kendrick, who took an interest in Schmidtzs work and pledged the $1.5 million to get the center going.

A handful of wealthy people or their foundations kicked in additional millions: The Templeton Foundation; the Charles Koch Foundation; the Thomas W. Smith Foundation and others.

In other words, this is a center that exists because wealthy donors want it to exist, arguably providing intellectual raw material that will turn into policies that benefit wealthy people. It has access to bottomless fortunes. And yet it, of all the UAs needy programs, is given a couple million in taxpayer dollars.

Contradictions abound with this appropriation. I choose to find them amusing, but I understand if youre infuriated enough that you cant laugh.

Just remember: Its all about freedom.
MESA  Delegates backing Donald Trump left the state Republican convention on Saturday evening feeling betrayed.

The candidates Arizona campaign chair, Jeff DeWit, went a step further, telling reporters the billionaire would sue to force a new election of delegates for the national GOP convention in July.

DeWit was visibly upset just minutes before Arizona Republican Party officials released results of an electronic vote to elect 28 at-large delegates to the convention from a pool of 800 candidates. By his count, only two of the candidates his campaign backed were going to Cleveland  with the rest supporting Trumps rival, Texas Sen. Ted Cruz.

I dont believe that in a state where Mr. Trump had a vast, vast, overwhelming 2-to-1 advantage in the voting over Ted Cruz, that it should turn out that Ted Cruz has this vast, overwhelming number of the delegates now pledged to him, said DeWit, who is also Arizonas state treasurer.

The head of Cruzs campaign in Arizona, Constantin Querard, said DeWit was just upset about losing.

They dont want to hold all the Trump voters responsible for their own votes, Querard said.

It is up to every campaign to make sure their slate is right.

Former Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer, a Trump supporter who was vying to become a GOP delegate, said she thought Arizona voters had been cheated by the state convention delegates.

The people of Arizona got cheated. I got cheated. And the Trump delegates got cheated, Brewer said.

DeWit said the website Arizona Republicans used to choose delegates for this summers national GOP convention  NeverHillary.SimplyVoting.com  wasnt functioning properly. So even if someone touched Brewers name on the touch screen, Jan Brewers name was not selected, he said. He said names of delegates supporting Trump were selected more than those supporting Cruz or Ohio Gov. John Kasich, but the results didnt reflect that.

Arizona Republican Party Chair Robert Graham defended the electronic system, saying it was tested and fully vetted prior to the convention.

The greatest thing about our process is transparency. When you have a transparent process, you invited all parties to participate  and there is no question that this process has integrity, Graham said.

Cruz supporters said simple math led to the at-large victory. They offered a nearly identical slate of candidates as Kasich backers, and the combined votes led to a win.

Graham said the Cruz/Kasich campaign had a better ground game at the convention and therefore dominated the vote.

National Committeeman Bruce Ash agreed, saying the Cruz campaign brought in key strategists to build a slate of appealing delegates to send to Cleveland.

The victory was mainly strategic for Cruz, since all 58 Arizona delegates must vote for Trump on the first national ballot because he won the states primary.

If he doesnt win on that first ballot, delegates can vote however they wish on a second ballot. That possibility has politicized the usually low-key state convention.

Trump has nearly 1,000 national delegates of the 1,237 he needs to win the presidential nomination outright  and he has several states and weeks of campaigning to go.

About 1,250 state convention delegates were asked to chose from five slates  one loyal to Trump, another to Cruz and another to Kasich, a unity slate set up by state party leaders, and another that let convention-goers choose their own list of candidates.

In the late afternoon, state officials raised the possibility that flaws in some of the slates  some delegates were listed on multiple slates, for example  and missing candidates could require a revote.

The idea was later dismissed.

Before the controversial election to choose at-large delegates, convention-goers chose district-specific delegates.

Delegates from Pima and Cochise counties selected former state legislator Frank Antenori, state Sen. Gail Griffin and former congressional candidate Gabby Saucedo-Mercer to represent Congressional District 2.

Antenori and Saucedo-Mercer are listed as delegates for Trump, while Griffin is reportedly backing Cruz.

In Congressional District 1, delegates backed Andrea Kadar, Dwight Kadar and Phyllis Ritter as national delegates. All are listed as supporting Trump, although Andrea Kadar was also listed as a Cruz delegate.

Kimberly Ownes, Aman-da Flores and Sophia Johnson, all slated for Cruz, were elected in Congressional 3.

Each congressional district chooses three delegates and three alternates.

More than 800 people were seeking to represent Arizona at the national convention in July.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Preventable medical harm is not an official cause of death, but it is killing up to 440,000 Americans a year.

At that level, medical harm would be the third-leading cause of death in the U.S.

But ask any Tucson hospital to give you a list of its fatal medical errors and the answer is no. Try to find any measure of hospital quality, and the results both vary and overwhelm.

Search for safety information on local nursing homes and assisted living facilities and whats available is both limited and fragmented between two state agencies and the federal government.

In Arizona and most of the U.S., a lack of transparency and mandatory reporting laws put the public at a disadvantage when it comes to assessing preventable errors.

While medical malpractice lawsuits may bring accountability in some instances, its increasingly difficult to sue. The cases that are filed are often dropped or settled in confidence, with no details in the public court record about any wrongdoing or who admitted what.

We cant study errors in the medical industry the way every other industry does, says JoJene Mills, a Tucsonan and medical malpractice attorney in Arizona for 30 years.

Theres an attitude that this industry should not be exposed to sunlight  Its shrouded in so much secrecy that we cant study errors and fix them, and the consumers/patients cant make good choices about the hospitals or providers they choose.

Local health experts and hospital officials typically recommend that patients check two sources  the federal governments Hospital Compare and the twice yearly Hospital Safety scores from The Leapfrog Group.

Both measures have been criticized for having old or incomplete data, scores that are not risk adjusted and information that is difficult to decipher.

We should all rally around the notion that mistakes should absolutely be disclosed, says Larry Aldrich, former CEO of University Physicians Healthcare in Tucson and now executive chairman of the Employers Health Alliance of Arizona.

Transparency will allow people to ask the questions, so you have a better dialogue. What drives me nuts about health care is that all our decisions are made through anecdotes and stories rather than data and statistics.

Hospital officials like Dr. Rick Anderson, the chief medical officer for Tucson Medical Center, say serious errors are not the best way for the public to measure hospital safety.

Anderson acknowledges theres no one place for consumers to get comprehensive safety information. His recommendation is that people get a good primary care doctor.

I am such a strong believer in that strong relationship between a primary care physician or a nurse practitioner and the patient, and really asking those hard questions, says Anderson, who is a primary care doctor. I just cringe at physicians who arent willing to talk and really answer patients questions.

Anderson advocates bringing a friend or family member along when a patient is at the hospital.

Its sad to say that you need an advocate but things happen in hospitals and you want to make sure you hold nurses and doctors accountable, he says.

We need to wash our hands. We need to clean our stethoscopes. We need to protect patients and we should not be afraid to have patients observe and hold us accountable when we dont do that.

One bad event

TMC reports its most serious preventable medical errors to its board of directors, but the information is not public. It does not report them to any other entity.

One bad event would taint the hospital with all the good things that we do well.  Sometimes looking at isolated incidents makes great headlines but does not always make it easy for patients (to decide) where to go for medical care, Anderson says.

Even the best hospitals in the country have those kind of events. Very few of them report publicly, but the best will make sure they have processes in place to get them fixed.

Greg Vigdor, president and chief executive officer of the Arizona Hospital and Healthcare Association, favors the federal governments Hospital Compare tool, which publishes data such as hospital-acquired infections and emergency room wait times.

Methodologies should be transparent. Just as important, the information must be presented to patients and consumers in a way that educates rather than confounds or unduly alarms, he says.

But in addition to Hospital Compare data, consumers should be trusted to have information on preventable harm, ask questions and put it in context, Aldrich counters.

People will die and sometimes it will be unclear whether the illness caused it, Aldrich says, but its important to give consumers the data anyway.

Aldrich, who favors Leapfrog as a guide, points out that existing quality measures give Tucson hospitals average to mediocre ratings. In January, three were penalized by Medicare for being among the worst-performing 25 percent nationwide for their rates of patient injuries and infections  Banner-University Medical Center Tucson, Carondelet St. Josephs Hospital and Tucson Medical Center.

And on Monday, when the nonprofit Leapfrog Group released its newest patient safety scores, no Tucson hospital received an A. An analysis of the Leapfrog grading system by Johns Hopkins Medicines Armstrong Institute for Patient Safety and Quality concluded that an estimated 33,439 lives could be saved each year if all hospitals had the same performance as those that received an A.

A nonexistent measure

The Affordable Care Act, which passed in 2010, places greater emphasis on patient safety and public reporting, but theres still a long way to go both in Arizona and across the country.

The U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services on April 21 had been scheduled to release new overall star ratings for hospitals.

The agency already has a star-rating system for hospitals based on patient satisfaction. The new ratings about overall hospital quality take 62 measures of quality and safety and summarize them as one to five stars, with five being the best.

But federal officials, who received a letter from 60 members of Congress urging delay, now say theyll release the ratings in July. The letter said the ratings could be misleading because they do not adequately adjust for socioeconomic status and the medical complexity of some hospitals patient populations.

Other rankings and grading systems can be helpful but confusing since there are so many, and the ways they measure safety vary. Hospitals may do well on one, yet poorly on another.

The truth of the matter is, we and others have been pushing for better measures of safety so we could report something that is more reliable and more comprehensive to the public, says Nancy Foster, vice president of quality and patient safety policy for the American Hospital Association.

But for now, that measure doesnt exist, she says.

National patient safety advocate Helen Haskell, who founded Mothers Against Medical Error, says hospitals need to take far more responsibility in sharing information about medical harm with the public.

The American Hospital Association does many good things, but in this instance I think they act more as a trade organization than an improvement organization, she says.

Haskell, a South Carolina resident whose 15-year-old son died after routine elective surgery in 2000, believes its up to Congress to foster change.

But the driver for Congress and the White House is public opinion, she says. It takes the voices of patients, advocacy groups and the media to push them to act.

Barriers to transparency

In Arizona, the Star identified these barriers to transparency and patient safety:

Theres no public database of serious medical errors, and hospitals are not required to report such errors to the state.

Hospitals conduct a failure analysis after a mistake through processes called peer review and quality assurance. But both are secret from the public and cannot be used in court cases.

Medical malpractice lawsuits are difficult to file due to added requirements in Arizona law. They are also expensive, so lawyers are less likely to take on cases that dont have promises of a large payout. Expert physician witnesses can cost as much as $1,000 an hour, for example, local lawyers say. The number of medical malpractice cases in Arizona filed in 2014 was 45 percent lower than in 2004.

An Arizona law passed in 2009 makes it more difficult to sue emergency-room physicians. It raised the burden of proof for malpractice from the usual preponderance of evidence to clear and convincing evidence, a higher standard.

Confidential settlements, common in medical malpractice lawsuits, prevent the public from knowing important details, including admissions of wrongdoing.

How errors are calculated

Estimates of fatal medical harm typically come from two reports. The first was the Institute of Medicines To Err is Human: Building a Safer Health System, which was published in 1999 and estimated as many as 98,000 people die in hospitals each year as a result of preventable errors. The estimate was based on records from 1984.

The estimate was initially criticized but has since become accepted by experts on all sides of health care. The American Hospital Association still uses the 98,000 number, but many other patient-safety experts cite a 2013 study published in the Journal of Patient Safety.

That study was done by now-retired NASA toxicologist John T. James, who founded the Houston-based organization Patient Safety America after his 19-year-old son died in 2002 from what James says was negligent medical care.

James estimated 220,000 to 440,000 Americans die prematurely each year because of preventable adverse events initiated while under hospital care. He used data from four studies flagging specific evidence in medical records pointing to adverse events. James categorized five kinds of errors  commission, omission, communication, context and diagnostic.

A third report from the U.S. Office of Inspector General in 2010 found that medical harm in hospitals contributed to the deaths of an estimated 180,000 Medicare patients per year. Medication errors were the most common cause of harm leading to death, the report found.

When you are in the hospital for three days and seeing maybe 150 different people, the chance of error is high. You just hope its not a bad error, says Aldrich, the former Tucson health executive.

Most estimates use data from hospitals only. Data on patients harmed in nursing homes and assisted living facilities is lagging behind, though patients and their families are often navigating a maze of providers and moving between the hospital and long-term care.

The Office of Inspector General of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services released a report in 2014 that found 11 percent of Medicare beneficiaries discharged from a hospital to a nursing home experienced temporary harm, and that almost 60 percent of those events were preventable. Many of the adverse events were related to infections.

Politics and money

Through mergers and acquisitions, hospitals are increasingly part of large, powerful health systems.

In New York City, hospitals employ more people than Wall Street, giving them big political muscle, says Betsy McCaughey, the former lieutenant governor of New York and founder of the Connecticut-based Committee to Reduce Infection Deaths. In Arizona, Phoenix-based nonprofit Banner Health is the states largest private employer.

The largest employer in New York is not the financial sector, its the health-care industry, McCaughey says. They have enormous clout with the state legislature. Enormous. And if they dont want to tell people something, they are going to make sure it doesnt happen.

McCaughey at the moment is angry that New York recently released its rates of the antibiotic-resistant Carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE), but did not disclose the hospitals where it occurred. CRE is fatal in 50 percent of cases and federal officials have called it a nightmare bacteria.

The hospitals are afraid people will not go to their institutions if they know CRE is there. It spreads widely in hospitals, McCaughey says. The fact is, they are putting their business interests ahead of the welfare of the populace.

In Arizona, CRE is not a reportable condition so the state health department does not know how many cases weve had. Its not a federal requirement to report CRE either.

The CDC estimates about 99,000 deaths per year occur as a result of healthcare-associated infections at an estimated $20 billion in healthcare costs. Infections are an increasing focus in improving patient safety because they are usually preventable.

If you are going into the hospital in Arizona, you really should be able to find out which hospital has the lowest infection rate, McCaughey says.

Arizona law does not require reporting of healthcare-associated infections, so the Arizona Department of Health Services does not maintain a public database like some other states, spokeswoman Holly Ward says.

And it is difficult to compare hospital rates of various infections because hospitals have different ways of capturing data, says Dr. Sean P. Elliott, director of infection prevention at Banner-University Medical Center Tucson.

The data is old that is reported nationally, Elliott says. Our numbers are low for hospital acquired infections. CRE is quite rare. ... It would be difficult to quote a number to the public. It has to come with an explanation of what does this mean.

Elliott adds that the hospital is aggressive about infection prevention and shares data every month with its infection prevention committee, though meetings are not open to the public.

In the most recent Leapfrog survey, Banner-University Medical Center Tucson and Northwest Medical Center both scored below the national average on their rates of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infections.

MRSA, which can cause life-threatening bloodstream infections, is often lurking in bed linens or medical equipment, and can spread when providers dont wash their hands between patients.

Its difficult to use Leapfrog as a judge of hospital quality, says Joan Ivaska, senior director of infection prevention for Phoenix-based Banner Health.

Banner has really aggressive internal targets, much more aggressive than any regulatory body or external agency, Ivaska says. By the time that data is released we are six to 12 months down the road and we have already done a bunch of quality improvement.

One of the most common threats in local hospitals and long-term care facilities remains Clostridium difficile, which is known as C. diff. The CDC says C. diff is responsible for about 15,000 deaths per year, and the risk increases with age.

C. diff, which causes inflammation of the colon, is a common cause of surgical site infections and a main reason why Tucson Medical Center recently invested in six ultraviolet robots to make sure rooms are clear from the germ, which can live for long periods on hard surfaces.

We park them in operating rooms and patient rooms that are either at risk for or had C. diff. The ultraviolet light kills the C. diff spores as well as just about every germ you can think of, Anderson says.

Never events

Theres different lingo for serious medical errors in the hospital world, but many call them never events  incidents that should never happen, like an operating room fire, leaving a surgical instrument inside a patient or operating on the wrong patient. Others refer to such incidents as sentinel events.

At least 18 states have reporting requirements on serious and avoidable medical mistakes that happen in hospitals. Arizona is not one of them.

But there are problems with those laws, because states definitions of preventable medical errors vary greatly. Also, critics say in states where public disclosure is required, hospitals seem to report an unusually low number of adverse events.

Some hospitals have chosen to volunteer information about their errors. Brigham and Womens Hospital in Boston, for example, has started posting errors in a blog, along with ways the hospital learned from the incidents. Anderson of Tucson Medical Center, which is Tucsons largest hospital, says his facility is open to improvement in transparency. But it would be best and more consistent if all local hospitals made changes, such as posting mortality and complication rates and patient experience surveys on their websites, he adds.

The power of sorry

Tucson Medical Center has a policy that says the hospital must apologize and disclose medical errors to the affected patient.

As further encouragement for providers to apologize, Arizona law grants immunity to medical providers who say they are sorry, meaning their apology will never be used as evidence in court.

Many health experts say the act of saying Im sorry dissuades patients from suing because an apology is all they really want. Still, patients are not always receiving apologies, according to Mills, the Tucson medical malpractice attorney. Some arent receiving any information at all, she says.

I met with a family last week whose mother went into the hospital for flu. She was in her 60s and she died, Mills says.

They have yet to speak to the physician about what happened. I get about 30 calls a year where something terrible happened and no one told the patient. ... These are the people who feel like they have no one to call but a lawyer.

Medical errors are rarely the fault of one person, stresses Dr. Tejal K. Gandhi, president and chief executive officer of the National Patient Safety Foundation.

Saying, We are just going to fire that nurse actually does nothing to address the issue and creates a culture where people are afraid of telling you about problems because they are afraid they are going to get fired, Gandhi says.

Weve got this culture of trying to cover up and blame as opposed to a culture where people can openly talk about what the issues are and make changes to the system.

To be sure, many hospitals and politicians and even more health care workers are serious about patient safety and trying to foster improvement. The problem is that the system works against them, says Haskell, the patient advocate.

There is a lot of money to be made in medicine and especially in its many underlying industries, she says. The system is profit-driven rather than mission-driven, and as long as that is the case, patient safety will never be the top priority.

Reporting for this project is supported by a grant from the non-profit The Commonwealth Fund through the Association of Health Care Journalists.

Next in our series: Sunday, June 5, barriers to transparent patient safety in nursing homes and assisted living facilities.
* Tyler Baker, 22. Says he wasn't notified of positive test result.

The failure of health providers to communicate a positive test result for the C. difficile bacterial infection is what Baker says led him to develop a life-threatening condition called toxic megacolon in 2014.

The avid athlete says Oro Valley Hospital tested him for C. difficile when he went to the emergency room with severe cramps and diarrhea, but it failed to let him know he tested positive.

Baker had pre-existing ulcerative colitis but says it was the failure to diagnose the C. difficile and the damage it did to his body that led his colon to rupture during emergency surgery. He faces a lifetime of serious health problems.

The hospital has denied wrongdoing and Baker's lawsuit is pending.

* James V. Massara, 56. Doctors fell below the 'standard of care.'

Poor communication and a lack of information about her husband's death is why Susan Massara decided to sue the federal government over his care at the Southern Arizona Veterans Administration Health Care System.

James Massara, who was a paraplegic, died in 2011, two days after he went to the VA hospital suffering from dehydration and abdominal pain from a bowel obstruction. The court found that Massara could have lived at least 12 more years had he been properly treated with fluids and had doctors worked faster to remove the bowel obstruction.

"They were basically just letting him lay there and die," Susan Massara said.

A federal judge ruled in Massara's favor and she received a financial award.

* Byron Van Tassell, 63. Developed a pressure ulcer while hospitalized.

Pressure ulcers are considered preventable, which is what led a Pima County jury last year to award $6.5 million to Van Tassell's family.

Van Tassell in 2007 developed a pressure sore at the base of his spine while hospitalized at what was then University Medical Center (now Banner-University Medical Center Tucson). The hospital denied negligence.

A month earlier Van Tassell had been paralyzed from the waist down after falling off a roof.

The pressure ulcer advanced to stage three, which is considered a never event in hospitals  something that is preventable and should never happen, his family's lawyer has argued.

Over the next four years Van Tassell was admitted to hospitals and nursing homes more than 20 times.

Among his problems were recurrent urinary tract infections, recurrent skin breakdown, gangrene, depression, bowel obstructions and diabetes, court documents say. He died in 2012.

* Mike Beatty, 51. Discharged alone while on morphine.

Mike Beatty walked out of Oro Valley Hospital alone, on morphine, in the middle of a December night. He then fell 15 feet off a bridge and was paralyzed from the waist down.

The 43-year-old father of two had been at the emergency room in 2007 suffering pain for what was discovered to be a kidney stone. He was treated with medication and fluids and then discharged at 2:41 a.m.

Hospital officials say they thought Beatty was leaving with his wife. She was on her way, but not there yet. So Beatty, in what his lawyer called a "drug induced stupor," left alone on foot.

A jury found the hospital responsible for Beatty's injury. Before a second trial to determine the damages, the hospital agreed to settle for $5 million.

The case was unusual because most medical settlements do not make the details public.

* Theresa Tedesco, 96. Alleged neglectful care.

Tedesco was elderly but her family says she deserved better than to die in 2012 after spending her final two days without food or water, suffering from an undiagnosed illness.

Her family says Tedesco, who had dementia, was completely dependent on Emeritus at Tanque Verde, 9050 E. Tanque Verde Road, and that the facility failed to properly take care of her. Emeritus has since merged with Brookdale, the largest elder care company in the U.S.

It was discovered too late that Tedesco had C. Difficile. She wasn't tested for it even though she'd been showing symptoms, and, "was left to just deteriorate without receiving any medical assistance at all," according to a pending lawsuit.

The lawsuit says Tedesco's granddaughter knew something was wrong when she found her slumped over in her chair with a glazed look in her eyes, with no intervention from indifferent staff members. The lawsuit alleges the facility was inadequately staffed.

"They took her money but did not take care of her, and then lied about it by falsifying the records," lawyers Barry A. MacBan and David F. Toone wrote.

The memory care facility has denied wrongdoing.

* Rob Sweitzer, 39. Widow says treatment delay caused husband's death.

Sweitzer, a scientist, died on Feb. 10, 2008  his 39th birthday  after what his widow described as an excruciating eight-hour wait in a crowded Carondelet St. Mary's Hospital ER.

Rachel Sweitzer has said said her pleas for help were ignored as her husband's breathing worsened. In a lawsuit she argued that earlier intervention could have saved his life.

The hospital and doctor named in the lawsuit denied wrongdoing. The case was settled confidentially.

An autopsy report showed Sweitzer died of an aggressive pneumonia caused by a particularly virulent form of staph known as MRSA, which stands for methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (S aureus). He'd been otherwise healthy and had no underlying health conditions.
Massachusetts

Woman on scooter dies in duck-boat collision

A 29-year-old woman was killed, and her passenger was injured, after the scooter she was driving was struck by an amphibious sightseeing vehicle in downtown Boston on Saturday.

The crash happened around 11:30 a.m. near the Boston Common public park when the vessel, known as a duck boat, collided with the scooter.

The woman and her male passenger were taken to Massachusetts General Hospital, where the woman died from her injuries, according to Boston police Officer Rachel McGuire. The passenger suffered non-life-threatening injuries, McGuire added.

There were about 30 passengers on the duck boat when the crash happened, McGuire said.

New York

Priest, peace activist Berrigan dies at 94

NEW YORK  The Rev. Daniel Berrigan, a Roman Catholic priest and peace activist who was imprisoned for burning draft files in a protest against the Vietnam War, died after a long illness Saturday. He was 94.

Berrigan and his younger brother, the Rev. Philip Berrigan, emerged as leaders of the radical anti-war movement in the 1960s.

The Berrigan brothers entered a draft board in Catonsville, Maryland, on May 17, 1968, with eight other activists and removed records of young men about to be shipped off to Vietnam. The group took the files outside and burned them in garbage cans.

The Catonsville Nine, as they came to be known, were convicted on federal charges accusing them of destroying U.S. property and interfering with the Selective Service Act of 1967. All were sentenced on Nov. 9, 1968 to prison terms ranging from 2 to 3 years.

Maryland

Police: Man crashes into, kills woman

GLEN BURNIE  Maryland authorities say a woman is dead after a man fleeing a traffic stop crashed into her car.

The Maryland State Police said in a statement that the crash happened Friday after a trooper saw a silver Toyota Camry driving 17 miles per hour over the posted 55-mile-per-hour speed limit on Route 100 in Glen Burnie. State Police say the trooper attempted to make a traffic stop but the driver, 31-year-old Johnathan Simms of Baltimore, sped off.

State Police say as he fled he crashed into a car driven by 66-year-old Louise Donner of Linthicum, killing her.

State Police say Simms is receiving medical treatment and that they are consulting with the Anne Arundel County States Attorneys office on charges.

Utah

Rock climber falls

75 feet to death

LOGAN  Authorities say a man assisting a youth group on a rock climb in Logan Canyon fell and did not survive.

Cache County sheriffs officials say the incident happened Saturday around 9 a.m. at a section of the canyon known as the First Wall. Deputies say William Hornberger, of Garland, was tying in anchors for a group of young women going climbing when he slipped.
An affiliate of a Tucson church that former members describe as a cult has been banned from a university campus in New Mexico for aggressive proselytizing, misusing school property and causing distress to students.

The actions of New Covenant Christian Church in Albuquerque have significantly negatively impacted students at the University of New Mexico, school officials there said in recent letters ordering the churchs leaders to stay away.

New Covenant is a satellite of Faith Christian Church in Tucson, which more than 20 former members and staffers described as a cult in an Arizona Daily Star investigation last year. The Tucson church recruits on the University of Arizona campus, while the eight satellites target university students in three other states and New Zealand.

The Albuquerque church is appealing the ban, UNM officials said. Church officials did not respond to repeated Star requests for comment.

Meanwhile, at the UA, the administration did not follow through this year on a pledge to keep close tabs on three campus clubs affiliated with the church. A plan to conduct unannounced spot checks of the clubs activities was dropped because it was deemed unnecessary, a UA official said.

Two pastors banned at UNM  Jim Cooper and Kirk Walker  were campus ministers at the UA before the Tucson church sent them in 2003 to establish the Albuquerque site. All of the satellites were founded and are run by believers who started at the Tucson church.

UNM officials say Cooper and Walker, in their recruitment effort, gained unauthorized access to residence halls by slipping inside as others entered or left. They also are accused of misusing a student club affiliated with New Covenant to secure meeting space on campus for the churchs Sunday services.

The UNM student club, Lobos for Christ, is under emergency suspension, and some of its student officers are among those accusing New Covenant leaders of wrongdoing.

EXTREME CONTROL

Most of the satellite churches follow the teachings of Faith Christian leader Stephen M. Hall of Tucson, a self-described former marijuana farmer who has no pastoral training.

Hall, 63, preaches male dominance over females and spankings of infants and children to teach them obedience, former members and employees of the Tucson church say. Pastors exert extreme control over members lives and finances and encourage them to cut ties with family and others outside the church, they say.

Faith Christians methods amount to religious practices gone awry, according to the UAs University Religious Council, a group of religious entities on campus that is not part of the UA administration. Faith Christian was kicked off the council last year in response to complaints.

Hall has not responded to numerous requests for comment. The Star has sent requests by telephone, email and postal mail since February 2015.

Ex-members from Albuquerque and Tucson report similar negative experiences, although the New Mexico students dont have children yet and couldnt speak to the churchs parenting practices.

Many said that after leaving, they went into therapy for panic attacks, flashbacks and other symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder.

Its like a bad poison. I just wish I could get it out of me, said UNM alumnus Martin Ulloa, who ended up in marriage counseling soon after his wedding last year.

Ulloa spent six years at New Covenant, a church he joined as a lonely freshman in search of friends. Two years after leaving, he said he still struggles with extreme anxiety in the presence of authority figures.

Now 25 and a UNM employee, Ulloa said he didnt realize how warped his thinking had become until after he got married. He said his bride, Michelle, 22, confronted him about his domineering attitude, which mirrored the churchs teachings that its a mans world and whatever the man says goes.

She said Martin, you are being abusive, and it made me stop and think: Where did I learn that from? It was ingrained in me and I had to get extra counseling to unlearn it.

LIKE A CULT

Former members say New Covenant ministers  much like those at Faith Christian  give strict orders to members about how they should live, including how to spend money, whom they should date and befriend, and the proper roles for men and women.

Each member is assigned a minister, who closely watches the students activities and reports back to church leaders, said Kalyn Kollie, 20, a junior at UNM who left the church last summer.

That minister knows everything about your life, everything you do, everything thats going on, she said. I felt like I couldnt breathe or use the bathroom without this girl watching me.

Kollie said that when she left the church, she was shocked by how difficult the transition was. Her church friends stopped speaking to her. She struggled to sleep and when she did, she had nightmares that the ministers were going to come find me.

When she started researching the roots of the Albuquerque church, Kollie came across the Stars 2015 investigation and realized New Covenant was an offshoot of Faith Christian in Tucson. She found a Facebook page for former members of the Tucson church and its offshoots.

I started to realize it was like a cult, she said. Thats when I started to realize how serious it was.

LOBOS FOR CHRIST

In March, five UNM students who recently left the church complained to school officials about church practices. They also reported that Lobos for Christ, which is supposed to be run by students, was controlled by pastors.

Lobos for Christ was just a front for them to reserve space with the university, said Katherine Schweizer, 21, a UNM junior and former officer of the group. Schweizer, who left the church last year, was one of the five current students who met with UNM officials in March.

In Tucson, a similar claim arose in 2014 that Wildcats for Christ, one of the UA student clubs affiliated with Faith Christian, was being run by church leaders instead of by students. The allegation was not substantiated by UA officials.

In Albuquerque, UNM reacted swiftly. Within weeks, church leaders were barred from campus and warned they could be arrested for trespassing if they didnt comply.

Our investigation into this case is still ongoing, and our response to it is in line with how we work to handle all student concerns  quickly and carefully, Jenna Crabb, UNMs interim dean of students, said in an emailed statement.

UA SITUATION

The UA received more than 30 complaints about Faith Christian Church last year in the wake of the Star investigation. But administration officials said little could be done because most complainants were former students, and the schools rules only cover current students. Also, they said, the UA only has jurisdiction over the churchs student clubs.

The student clubs were investigated last year and found to be problem-free. Even so, the clubs were put on active monitoring status for this school year, which was supposed to include unannounced spot checks at club events, UA spokesman Chris Sigurdson said at the time.

But no spot checks occurred, UA dean of students Kendal Washington White said last week. The student clubs were so cooperative that spot checks were not deemed appropriate or necessary, she said.

The university has not received any complaints this school year about the church or the student clubs, she said.

Faith Christians campus clubs include Wildcats for Christ, Native Nations in Christ and the Providence Club. Each of the clubs advisers is a longtime Faith Christian Church member employed by the UA.

Faith Christians campus ministers have been virtually invisible on campus this year, said Michelle Blumenberg, spokeswoman for the University Religious Council.

Jeff and Lisa Phillips of Mesa, who worked for the church for 12 years in Tucson and at two of the satellites, said laying low is part of Faith Christians strategy for coping with controversy.

When they get in trouble they just fly under the radar for awhile until it blows over and then go back to what they were doing, Lisa Phillips said.

Faith Christian stopped meeting at Amphitheater High School last year. It has been holding Sunday services at the Tucson Marriott University Park hotel, just outside the UAs Main Gate.

OFFSHOOTS SCRUTINIZED

Other universities that are recruiting grounds for Faith Christian offshoots are paying closer attention to church activities on campus.

We remain very cognizant of the church and the issues raised around it, said Mike Hooker, spokesman for Colorado State University, where Faith Christian satellite Grace Christian Church recruits members. Hooker said the university has received complaints about the churchs activities, but none from a current student.

Last year, Massey University in New Zealand banned nine leaders from Victory Christian Church  another Faith Christian affiliate  from campus.

New Mexico State University in Las Cruces received a written complaint in March from the mother of a student involved in satellite Living Hope Christian Church and its on-campus club, Walk By Faith.

Among her concerns, the mother paraphrased what her child said church leaders told members: If a friend calls needing a ride home after drinking too much alcohol, do not offer them a ride home. It is their sin to do such things, and you will be supporting their sin if you go to them and help.

The universitys Dean of Students Office investigated the complaint and found Walk by Faith had not violated campus policy, a spokesman said.

But the university was not aware that Living Christ holds its Sunday services in a campus building until the Star sent a screenshot of the churchs website advertising the services.

NMSU general counsel Patrick Field said Walk By Faith reserves a campus room on Sunday mornings, but if the reservation is actually used for church services, the church should be paying rental fees. The university is looking into the situation, he said.

Arizona State University has gotten complaints about Faith Christian affiliate Hope Christian Church, but spokeswoman Herminia Rincon did not say how many nor whether they came from current students.

The university has taken no action against the church or its on-campus student club.

Living Hope Christian Church and Hope Christian Church were both founded and are run by former Faith Christian Church pastors, but are not listed on Faith Christians website as official affiliate churches.

Kollie of UNM said she and most of her friends who left the church are in therapy.

Even with a strong support network, Kollie cant escape the memories of New Covenant Christian Church. She is planning to transfer to another college for her senior year.
Help India!

By TCN News,

Rampur: As a historian I want to say that there was no Mandir in Ayodhya at all. Before 19th century there was not even imagination about the Mandir there but only after that it was propagated. No historian has written that Mughal emperors used the means of conversion for extension of their government. It is totally baseless that they brought down thousands of Mandirs and forced people to accept Islam said famous historian and former professor of Jawaharlal Nehru University, Harbans Mukhiya.

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He was delivering his extension lecture today on Reasons behind spread of Islam in India at Raza Library in Rampur, Uttar Pradesh.

Those who said that Mughal rulers demolished three thousand or sixty thousand Mandirs have no proofs. In fact, Some Mandirs were demolished but the reasons were different and not to impose Islam on people. If Mughal emperors demolished Mandirs and forced people to accept Islam then why there were only 15% Muslims in India despite they ruled the country for over eight centuries while their number increased during the period of British rule? he asked.

Bihar, UP, Delhi and East Punjab were ruled by Mughal for long time even though in these areas population of Muslims could not go beyond 18%. It probes that people were not compelled to convert to Islam during Mughal period he continued.

He further said that Islam spread in India because of several reasons with the passage of time. Islamic teachings of brotherhood, communal harmony, tolerance and kindness are some factors that attract people to embarrass Islam and Sofiyas behavior and teachings also worked in this regard. If Muslim used swords to spread Islam then history never missed to mention that but history of Mughal period is silent on this issue he added.

In his presidential speech Syed Shahid Mahdi appreciated Professor Harbans to express the truth in the light of history. He said that a true historian can only speak reality as Professor Harbans Mukhiya did.

Speaking on the occasion, Professor Shah Abdussalam of Raza Library said that Islam spread because of its teachings that impressed people who were living under exploitation and cruelty.
Help India!

By IANS,

New Delhi: Fourteen-year-old, Rehmath and her friend Sabina, a Class 9 student, were in school in Ahmedabad in Gujarat when the massive earthquake hit the state in 2001. The two were lucky to escape. They now feel that had they been informed about disaster management, their friends would have survived.

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About 13 children in our school died in the earthquake as a wall fell on them. Many like me survived as we were in the open ground hoisting the flag, as it was Republic day, Rehmath said.

Over 20 children from schools located in disaster prone states such as Gujarat, Orissa, Bihar and Delhi participated in the launch of national platform to promote Child Participation in DRR Monday and shared their views how they faced and helped the others during natural disasters.

Ten-year-old Vikram from Bihars Raniganj, was lucky enough as he attended the Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) programme for children in his school and he saved his two sisters during a storm. They all got under the bed when the storm hit their house.

I was sleeping with my brothers and sisters, but we woke up because the thunder and wind were loud, my two sisters were really scared. Learning in the (CDRR) programme that one should not panic I asked them to get under a bed and few hours after that the roof of the house fell down. Thanks to the disaster risk reduction programme, Vikram said.

Children should be active participants in DRR effort. At home or at school they should know how to protect themselves during natural calamities like earthquakes, floods and cyclone, Margarita Tileva, chief, emergency solution United Nation Childrens Fund (UNICEF) said.


Help India!

By TCN News,

New Delhi: Mr. Faisal Bin Hassan Ahmed Trad, the Ambassador of Saudi Arabia to India, on Wednesday inaugurated the Out Patient Department (OPD) of newly constructed Al-Shifa Multispeciality Hospital at Dawat Nagar in Abul Fazl Enclave of Jamia Nagar, New Delhi.

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While inaugurating the OPD Service at AL-Shifa Multispeciality Hospital, the Ambassador said that construction of such a hospital with social concern was the need of the hour and Jamaat-e-Islami Hind deserves the credit for such social service projects which are being implemented for over six decades in the length and breadth of the country. The Ambassador appreciated the initiatives taken as part of the Vision 2016 program.

The Hospital aims at providing affordable, dignified healthcare through innovation and commitment, accessible to the poorest of the poor man, said Prof. Siddique Hassan, Chairman, Vision 2016 project.

The 150-bed Al-Shifa Multi-Speciality Hospital is built on 40,000 Sq. Ft of land with an estimated cost of Rs. 15 crore. In the first phase, the hospital is starting its services with 40 beds. It is equipped with state-of-the-art operation theatres, Intensive Care Units (ICUs), Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) along with modern and airconditioned labour room.

The Al-Shifa Multispeciality Hospital is run by the Human Welfare Trust, New Delhi as a part of Vision 2016 program, which aims at transformation of the social landscape of the country and making a society having peace, prosperity and justice for all.

Along with the trustees of Human Welfare Trust and staff members of the Hospital, the inaugural ceremony was also attended by dignitaries like Her Excellency, Dr. Khadija Radman Mohamed Ghanem, Ambassador of the Republic of Yemen to India, Maulana Jalaluddin Umri, President Jamaat-e-Islami Hind & Chairman, Human Welfare Trust, Dr. Zafrul Islam Khan, President All India Muslim Majlis-e-Mushawarat, Mr. Muhammad Jafar, Vice-Chairman, Human Welfare Foundation, Maulana Asghar Ali Imam Mehdi, Secretary General All India Jamiat Ahle Hadith and Mr. Nusrat Ali, Secretary General Jamaat-e-Islami Hind.


Help India!

By TCN News,

Hyderabad: Amjed Ullah Khan, Corporator, Azampura Division and Youth Leader of Majlis Bachao Tahreek (MBT), and other party leaders were stopped by police from visiting the riot-hit areas of Sangareddy town of Medak district on Friday. They were taken to Patancheru Police Station. MBT leaders alleged Muslim properties and several mosques were attacked in communal violence on Thursday night.

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MBT leader Amjed Ullah Khan being stopped from visiting riot-hit Sangareddy town of Andhra Pradesh on 30th March 2012



Many Muslims properties and some Mosques were put on fire yesterday night by some Hindu elements when Muslims objected to a photograph which was being circulated with a caricature of Mecca & Medina at the foot of Ganesh photo. The police was a mute spectator when the Muslims properties were being burnt specially Romania Masjid near Sangareddy Bus Stand, said Amjed Ullah Khan.

Media reports say the violence broke out when a youth allegedly posted on Facebook the provocative photograph of Mecca. Even as a group of people was staging a protest outside a police station demanding his arrest, a mob started attacks on shops and vehicles at the Old Bus Stand. The rampaging mob set afire 40 shops, two four-wheelers and four auto-rickshaws. It also looted several other shops and small roadside kiosks.





MBT has condemned the violence and demanded a high level inquiry. He alleged such types of communal riots were being organized by Bajrang Dal & Hindu Vahini before Ram Navami and Hanuman Jayanthi and also to suppress the ongoing Telangana Movement. MBT demanded a strict action against the Mr. Jagga Reddy, Congress MLA of Sangareddy while accusing him of being directly involved in the communal riots. MBT also demanded the release of Muslims Youths who were picked since Thursday night. The party also asked the Wakf Board to repair the damaged Masjids immediately.
Help India!

According to government orders 1984 and 2002 riot victims are supposed to get age relaxation in central government jobs, but Gujarat victims are often ignored.

By M Reyaz, TwoCircles.net,

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New Delhi: Are you a victim of Gujarat riots 2002? Well even if you are not from Gujarat, or not in Gujarat during the time of the riots, still you should know the answer to the question, especially if you are planning to apply for the coveted job with countrys spy agency Intelligence Bureau (IB).

The Application form of Intelligence Bureau (IB) has a mandatory column which seeks answer in Yes or No on whether the applicant is a victim of Gujarat riots 2002.







In January 2006, United Progressive Alliance Government had announced an additional ex-gratia relief and rehabilitation package for the victims of the 1984 anti-Sikh riots, that included compassionate appointment to children and family members of those killed in the riots by special recruitment drive.

The January, 2006 order read, Children/family members of those who died in riots of 1984 will be given preference in recruitment in para-military forces, IR Battalions, State Police Forces, Public Sector Undertakings and other state and central government departments by giving necessary age relaxation. 

In 2007, the central government had envisaged a similar relief and rehabilitation package, for the 2002 Gujarat riot victims as well. The MHA report of 2010 had noted that the State Government has disbursed the ex-gratia in approximately 99% cases while the disbursement is held up in rest of the cases due to factors like succession issues, present address not being available, court cases, etc.

Then Cabinet spokesperson Priyaranjan Dasmunsi had said that children and family members of those who died in the riots would be given preference, with age relaxation, in recruitment to paramilitary forces, IR battalion, the State police forces, public sector undertakings and State and Central government departments. The Central and State Governments might launch special recruitment drives to accommodate eligible members from the riot-affected families.

However, Narendra Modis Government had refused to grant jobs on compassionate ground and when this was challenged in the High Court, and in September 2011 HC refused to direct the state government to give jobs, observing that the court cannot expand the scope of the Union governments policy and direct the state government to give jobs on compassionate grounds in absence of any such policy of state government.

In all the concerned security departments under MHA, like Indo-Tibetan Police Force, CRPF, IB etc, the age limit is relaxable for ex-servicemen as well as for candidates who were domiciled in J&K from 1.1.1980 to 31.12.1989 and children and dependents of victims of communal riots of 2002 in Gujarat and anti-Sikh riot in 1984.

For example, in a recent recruitment drive for backlog vacant positions for constables and drivers at Central Industrial Security Force, in personal detail section had two sections (9 and 10) for mentioning whether one was direct dependents of victim of 1984 or 2002 riots, respectively. It application form clearly said, Upper Age limit upto 5 years is also relaxable further to the children and dependents of victims KILLED in the 1984 riots and communal riots of 2002 in Gujarat. For similar posts in Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) and Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), too both groups of riots victims have been mentioned.

However, in the ongoing current online applications for the post of Security Assistant/Executive in IB, the last date for which is February 17, has only one section asking candidate if he is a victim of 2002 Gujarat riot.

In personal details section, besides nationality, state of domicile, religion, etc, applicants are asked if he has served before, was a Domicile of J&K during the period 01.01.1980 to 31.12.1989, and whether he was a victim of the 2002 riots in Gujarat.

IB comes directly under the Ministry of Home Affairs. Current chief of IB is Syed Asif Ibrahim, first Muslim to hold the post in its over 125 years history.

What is interesting to note though is that although it was not directly mentioned in the original circular, the new set of relaxation for kins of riot victims mainly seem to be given at lower level recruitments, and not for coveted Union public service examinations (UPSC), unlike ex-servicemen or domicile of J&K, who get the age relaxation at all levels.

Moreover, a simple Google search showed that although kins of 1984 anti-Sikh are mentioned to be in the category of those getting age relaxation specifically, 2002 Gujarat riots have often been ignored.

For example, for different lower level posts like typist, cook, supervisor, etc at the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), the eligibility criteria clearly explained, Children/family members of those who died in the riots of 1984 will be given preference in recruitment by giving necessary age relaxation as applicable. But not the 2002 victims.

In the recently publicised vacancy for Scientific Officer in the Department of Atomic Energy too 1984 Sikh victims are mentioned to be provided age relaxation, but the Gujarat riot victims have been ignored.

When the Canara Bank last year publicised for the post of manager and senior manager, it too did mention about the 1984 riot victims besides ex-servicemen, domicile of J&K during the period of 1980 and 1989, but ignored the 2002 Gujarat victims.

State Bank of India, on the other hand, seems to have ignored both the 1984 and 2002 victims, although categories of ex-servicemen and J&K domicile (between 1980 and 1989), like everywhere else, have been included.

The idea of giving some relaxation or preference to the kins of riot victims is noble in itself, but it seems like most other schemes this too is being implemented discriminately. Moreover, no doubt 1984 and 2002 riots were unprecedented, but a victim is a victim, whether of a larger planned massacre or of a small scale arson. Hence, the category should be made more general to include all victims of riots whether in Muzaffarnagar, Assam or Odisha.

Related:

Relaxations for Gujarat riot victims in recruitment for Indo-Tibetan Border Police

Asif Ibrahim, new chief of the Intelligence Bureau
Help India!

Thiruvananthapuram : Hitting out hard at the BJP, former defence minister A.K. Antony on Saturday said the party is trying to destroy the peaceful communal atmosphere of the state and hoped the party is not able to open its account in the Kerala assembly.

Talking to reporters here, Antony also attacked the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M). He said that in order to keep up the tempo of the development activities in Kerala, the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) is the best bet.

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The senior Congress leader said the single point agenda of the BJP is to finish off the Congress party.

They did it in Arunachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand. Now they are aiming to do the same in Kerala. If one compares with the recent past, things that have never happened in Kerala are happening now. The BJP is trying to destroy the peaceful communal scenario in the state. Its my ardent wish that the BJP is not allowed to open its account in the Kerala assembly, said Antony.

Attacking the CPI-M, he said: The CPI-M is in slumber and it wakes up now and then. Before it wakes up, precious time would elapse; thats what Kerala saw when it came to modernisation in the coir industry. They (Left) first opposed it. It was the same story when tractors were introduced, as they opposed the move. They kicked up a ruckus when computers were first introduced. When they wake up, they try to do something, but then it happens 25 years too late.

He also stated that both the BJP and CPI-M have to end the politics of murder and violence and only then can peace prevail in Kerala.

Antony brushed aside the spate of allegations dogging the Oommen Chandy government, saying the CPI-M is the biggest proponent of the allegation industry.

They thrive on that. They did it against Karunakaran and myself. Allegation are one thing, corruption is something else. This government has taken the state to new heights. In order to keep up the tempo of the development, the UDF has to return, said Antony.

Asked to predict which front would win in the May 16 poll, he said, during his visit here three weeks back, the Left had an edge.

Now when I take stock, I find the rival fronts are on an equal footing. This is good news because in the past, the UDF has raced forward in a flash when the campaign reaches the last leg, said Antony, a three-time former chief minister.

Antonys election campaign begins on Sunday from Kasargode district in north Kerala and will pass through all the 14 districts of the state and end here on May 14. Kerala goes to the polls to elect 140 legislators on May 16.
China, Argentina economic cooperation gains new momentum Updated: 2016-05-02 04:24 By MAO PENGFEI in Mexico City(China Daily USA)

With China entering a new phase of economic development during its 13th Five-Year Plan (2016-2020), and Argentina improving its business climate following the lifting of currency-exchange restrictions and by resuming foreign debt payments, the two long-term partners' economic cooperation is gaining new momentum.

The "opportunities to expand trade exchange and investment will be many, and they will in particular benefit" the trailblazers, Raul Loeb, director of Argentina's Chamber of Commerce for Asia and the Pacific, said on April 26 at a business seminar in Buenos Aires.

Argentina has much infrastructure work ahead, including building roads, bridges, tunnels and electricity networks "and for all of that we have a proven partner in China," Loeb said at the seminar that spotlighted joint investment opportunities with an eye to bolstering the two countries' strategic partnership.

China and Argentina have been long-term, close economic partners, and both are undergoing profound economic changes in addressing the challenges brought by a turbulent global economy as well as increasing domestic demands. The complementary economic ties between the two nations should be further developed to address common challenges.

For Lucio Castro, minister of productive transformation, "saying that China is an important partner for Argentina is a no-brainer".

"Our president (Mauricio Macri) ratified the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership with China, and set guidelines for this stage of the relationship, in which investment and trade between the two countries play a central role, along with an increase in tourism," Castro said at the forum.

"Argentina's challenge is productive transformation, to become a competitive economy that is integrated into the world" economy and that offers opportunities, not just in the agro-industrial sector, but also in renewable energy, in knowledge-based services and in the industrial sector, Castro said.

"The structural changes in China's economy offer Argentina new opportunities, for example, to increase exports of high-protein foods, such as meats, or knowledge-based services," said Castro, adding that "investment should serve as the tool for Argentina's productive transformation".

"China is the leading source of capital in the world today," said Jorge Castro, head of Argentina's Strategic Planning Institute (IPE).

According to China's Ministry of Commerce, the Asian giant's overseas investment totaled more than $1 trillion by the end of 2015.

"China is seeing a fundamental strategic shift in its foreign investment, accompanied by three fundamental measures: the liberalization of the capital account, the internationalization of the renminbi and the definitive installation of the Shanghai free-trade zone," said Castro.

The IPE's chief stressed that China is reorienting its trillions of dollars in foreign reserves toward foreign capital investment.

Castro noted that Premier Li Keqiang last year announced the creation of a special cooperation fund to provide Latin America with $30 billion in financing for manufacturing capacity projects.

"The shift in Chinese investment in South America is especially important for Brazil and Argentina, which along with Mexico are the three leading industrialized countries" in Latin America, said Castro.

Chinese investment in Argentina amounts already surpassed combined investment from the United States and Europe, said Castro.

In addition, "the swaps between banks in both countries amount to more than $11 billion, the most of any Latin American country," he said. "Clearly Argentina occupies a privileged place for China, for which it is a supplier."

The next step for Argentina, said Castro, "is to draw increasing Chinese investment to different national sectors, above all infrastructure, agricultural development and industrial manufacturing.

"The next 10 years in ties between Argentina and China are going to be the most fruitful in history," Castro predicted.

In 2015, trade between the two countries has grown 12 percent, "making Argentina the only Latin American country whose trade exchange with China grew," Yang Wanming, China's ambassador to Argentina, said at the forum.

"With a continuous increase in financial cooperation and a constant expansion in bilateral projects, you can say that economic and trade ties have a positive panorama characterized by parallel progress in cooperation in the areas of trade, investment and finances, with an increasingly diversified and balanced structure," said Yang.

With the global economy "still going through an extensive process of readjustment", China starting a new five-year cycle of development, and Argentina's government launching a series of economic reforms, bilateral planning and cooperation are even more essential than before, noted Yang.

"Renewing our prospects for cooperation constitutes the strategic question for high-level business sectors to consider," said Yang, adding that "it is necessary to strengthen strategic planning".

The two countries should also "boost cooperation in technological trade to establish a sound and lasting partnership", said the ambassador.

To do so, Yang said, "authorities must make an effort to assess complementary advantages and identify short- and long-term priorities, providing consulting and incentives".

Both sides should take advantage of existing bilateral mechanisms, such as a binational economic and trade commission, so information flows easily through the communication channels of government agencies, and joint projects can be promoted, he said.

"It is vital to have the right approach to the demands of the market," said Yang, explaining that China's Five-Year Plan is "accompanied by an effort to deepen economic restructuring and increase domestic demand".

"Argentinian products, known for their variety and quality, would be welcomed by the Chinese market, whose purchasing power is constantly on the rise," Yang said.
Li meets with Tokyo's envoy, urges Japan to nurture ties Updated: 2016-05-02 02:50 By Hu Yongqi(China Daily)

Premier Li Keqiang urged Japan to stick to peaceful development and maintain positive policies toward China as a means of improving relations during his meeting with visiting Japanese Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida over the weekend.

Healthy and stable ties between China and Japan are in the interest of both countries and people, and they contribute to regional and global stability and prosperity, Li told Kishida on Saturday.

Despite some setbacks in the past few years, Sino-Japanese relations are improving, though they are still fragile, the premier said. China is willing to increase the political trust with the neighbor and promote their bilateral relations back to a normal track of development, he said.

"China hopes Japan will maintain peaceful development and make real steps toward fulfilling its agreement to take up opportunities created by Chinas peaceful development," Li said.

He also said Japan should appropriately manage sensitive elements that can substantially affect bilateral relations, and create a positive atmosphere to resume bilateral dialogues and the trilateral leaders meeting of China, South Korea and Japan.

Kishida said Japan is willing to show mutual respect, strengthen political trust and manage disputes. He said Japan will expand cooperation with China in various fields to accumulate positive factors that could boost relations.

Kishida is making his first official visit to China, from Friday to Sunday, since becoming foreign minister more than three years ago. He is the first Japanese foreign minister to visit China since Shinzo Abe was re-elected as Japanese prime minister in 2012.

Earlier on Saturday, Foreign Minister Wang Yi held talks with Kishida, before the visitor met with State Councilor Yang Jiechi and the premier in the afternoon.

Gao Hong, director of the Institute of Japanese Studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said Japans actions are the key to improving bilateral relations, as the country has created issues that hamper Chinas fundamental interests and has broken its promises for cooperation instead of confrontation, especially in maritime rights.
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LONDON - Londoners choose their new mayor on Thursday after a straight fight between rival candidates Zac Goldsmith and Sadiq Khan dominated by negative campaigning.

In the contest to replace the charismatic Boris Johnson in charge of the British capital, polls put Labour candidate Khan comfortably ahead of his Conservative rival as they enter the final straight.

The two main contenders are cut from different cloth.

Environmentalist Goldsmith, 41, represents west Londons affluent Richmond Park in parliament. He is a son of the late tycoon financier James Goldsmith, who left 1.2 billion (US$1.75 billion, 1.5 billion euros) in trust for his family.

Khan, 45, meanwhile, is the son of a Pakistani immigrant bus driver who grew up to be a human rights lawyer and government minister.

He is the MP for Tooting in south London, where he was born and raised, and which has a large population with Asian roots.

"Sadiq is on course for victory, built on his partys core vote, while Zac Goldsmith is left with a mountain to climb," said Laurence Janta-Lipinski from pollsters YouGov.

The latest survey puts Khan on 49 per cent support and Goldsmith on 34 per cent. Of the 12 candidates, second preference votes for the top two are added on to determine the winner.

Survation polled 1,010 adults by telephone between April 21 and 25.

If Khan wins, he will become the first Muslim mayor of London or of any major European capital -- a fact not lost on Goldsmiths campaign as he plays catch-up.

Goldsmith has spent weeks trying to demonstrate links between Khan and Islamic extremists, a theme Conservative Prime Minister David Cameron has echoed in a battle that has got increasingly dirty.

Goldsmith has described Khan as "radical and divisive", while the Labour candidate has branded his rivals campaign as "bleak and desperate".

Nasty tactics

"Khan is clearly a modern, progressive Muslim," said Professor Tony Travers, a local politics expert at the London School of Economics university.

Rosamund Urwin, a columnist in the London Evening Standard newspaper, said Goldsmiths "nasty tactics" would not impress most people in the city.

"Goldsmiths campaign doesnt seem to chime with London. This is a city that wants solutions, not smears; a mayor who unites rather than divides," she wrote.

Londons population has swelled by 900,000 to 8.6 million since Conservative Johnson was first elected in 2008 and beneath all the election rancour, the most pressing issues for Londoners are sky-high housing costs and the strained transport system.

Londoners are not alone in going to the polls on May 5.

Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland elect new national assemblies, while there are elections in 124 English local authorities.

The round of elections is closely followed by the EU membership referendum on June 23, a major test of authority for Conservative Prime Minister David Cameron, who wants Britain to stay in the European Union.

They are also a first electoral test for opposition Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn.

The veteran socialist, who swept to the leadership in September, has the overwhelming backing of grassroots members but many of the centre-left partys MPs do not share the enthusiasm.

Despite Corbyns mandate, Labour plotters might view poor results as "a good time... to stage a coup", said The Spectator, a conservative political magazine.

Scottish nationalists rampant

In Scotland, First Minister Nicola Sturgeons pro-independence Scottish National Party is looking to tighten its stranglehold on power as it seeks to build support for another referendum on breaking free from Britain following the failure of 2014.

The Conservatives are hoping to pile on the agony for Labour in their former fiefdom by replacing them as Scotlands main opposition.

In Wales, polls put Labour on course to retain their dominance. The Conservatives and nationalists Plaid Cymru are vying for second place, with the anti-EU UK Independence Party seeking to win its first seats.

In Northern Ireland, where power is shared between parties, the Democratic Unionists (pro-British Protestant conservatives) remain ahead of Sinn Fein (Catholic socialist Irish Republicans) in the latest polls. - AFP
ANKARA - Turkish police today detained four suspected Islamic State jihadists who were allegedly planning an attack on May Day celebrations in the capital Ankara, the state-run Anatolia news agency said.

Initial investigations showed that the four were Syrian citizens who had been in Ankara for some time, the agency added, without giving details on the nature of the attack.

Turkey is on high alert after a string of attacks blamed on jihadists and Kurdish militants this year. Earlier today, two police were killed in a car bomb attack on the police headquarters in the city of Gaziantep.

Turkish authorities have blamed IS for the double suicide bombing on a pro-Kurdish peace rally in Ankara last October that killed 103 people, the bloodiest attack in the countrys history. - AFP
HA NOI  The Ministry of Industry and Trade (MIT) has set up a hotline to help fishermen in the coastal central provinces sell fish caught offshore.

The move also aims to eliminate problems for fishermen who suffered losses due to massive fish deaths along beaches in the region over the past weeks, following the direction of Deputy Prime Minister Trinh inh Dung after his working visits to Quang Binh and Ha Tinh this weekend.

The hotline numbers are 0979815668 (Hoang Anh Tuan, deputy head of MITs Domestic Market Department), 0906725555 (Duong Thai Trung, head of Trade Division of Agriculture, Food, Consumer products under MITs Domestic Market Department) and 04-2220539 (Trade Division of Agriculture, Food, Consumer products under MITs Domestic Market Department).

At the working session yesterday with local authorities from central Ha Tinh Province, the Deputy PM affirmed that stabilising the lives of fishermen along coastal areas from Ha Tinh to Thua Thien-Hue provinces is an urgent task.

Further, he asked the ministers of Agriculture and Rural Development, Health, Science and Technology, Natural Resources and Environment, and Industry and Trade, along with the head of the State Bank of Viet Nam, to immediately set up permanent working groups in Ha Tinh, Quang Binh, Quang Tri and Thua Thien  Hue provinces. These working groups will collaborate with chairmen of the peoples committees of these provinces to deal with issues that may arise in assisting fishermen.

The Ministry of Science and Technology is responsible for working with agencies to determine the cause of fish deaths, with assistance from foreign experts, the Government official said.

The Ministry of Health has been assigned to be the lead agency to identify whether poisons were found inside dead fish, as well as any possible effects on human health.

Also, the State Bank of Viet Nam is responsible for directing commercial banks to devise plans to extend the duration of repayments and develop policies to decrease debt and assist fishermen who suffered losses, Dung said.

At a meeting yesterday afternoon with agencies looking into the causes of the fish deaths, Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Tran Hong Ha ordered daily sea water sample testing at beaches from Ha Tinh Province to a Nang City to make sure the water is safe for swimming and other tourism activities.

In a related report, beginning yesterday staff dispatched by the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development of Quang Binh Province have been on duty round the clock at local fishing ports or markets to check and issue certificates of safety, hygiene and identify the origins of fish caught offshore.  VNS
HA NOI  Specific measures must be deployed to deal with the consequences of massive fish deaths, and to avoid similar environmental disasters, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc said this afternoon in central Ha Tinh Province.

The Prime Minister made his comments while chairing a meeting with local authorities from those provinces affected by the fish deaths.

Deputy Prime Ministers Trinh inh Dung, Vu uc am and leaders of ministries and State agencies were among the attendees.

The Prime Minister urged ministers to seek solutions so that fishermen can continue fishing as usual, while assigning the Ministry of Science and Technology to work with relevant ministries and sectors to probe the causes of the fish deaths and called for help from foreign experts, if necessary.

Violations by any organisation or individuals must be brought to light, based upon scientific evidence and without any protection. The Government was determined to protect the legitimate interests of residents, he added.

Additionally, fishermen would be assisted, in terms of materials and selling fish, he affirmed.

In another move, Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Tran Hong Ha has set up an inspection team, which includes domestic and foreign experts, to independently monitor and analyse waste water released to the sea by enterprises beginning May 5. The inspection will focus on the area around Vung Ang economic zone in Ha Tinh Province.

Earlier last month, massive fish deaths were reported along beaches in four coastal central provinces, Ha Tinh, Quang Binh, Quang Tri, and Thua Thien - Hue. As of April 25, as many as 70 tonnes of dead fish were reported.

On April 27, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment announced initial investigations into the incident, blaming it on toxic chemicals released by human activities on land or at sea, along with the red tie phenomenon - when dangerous algae occurs at an abnormal rate and produces toxins.  VNS
Teachers teach students to swim in the Mekong Delta's ong Thap Province. --Photo dantri.com.vn

HA NOI-- Alarmed at the increasing number of drowning incidents in the Mekong Delta, primary teachers in ong Thap Provinces Thap Muoi District began teaching hundreds of students how to swim in 2008.

The teachers at Hung Thanh 2 Primary School built a bamboo and netting enclosure to make a temporary pool in a local river after receiving approval from Hung Thanh Communes Peoples Committee.

The swimming classes are free for students and local children.

Nguyen Thanh Tam, principal of the school, said the number of drowning cases usually increases during the flood season when most students row boats to school.

The swimming enclosure is 4m in width and 10m in length. Each class has about 50 students, most of whom are first graders.

Since the classes began, there have been no drowning incidents.

Duong Van Hau, a fourth grader, said before attending the swimming course, he was afraid of getting in the river. Now, he feels confident when he rides on a boat or ferry. -- VNS
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister on Saturday said that the Centre should not treat the International Maritime Boundary Line (IMBL) with Sri Lanka as a "settled question" as it had been challenged in the Supreme Court.

Stating this in a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, she sought his intervention for the release of 21 Tamil Nadu fishermen detained along with their boats by Sri Lankan Navy last week, the latest in continuing mid-sea arrests.

"Once again, I reiterate the government of Tamil Nadu's stand that the Government of India should not treat the IMBL with Sri Lanka as a settled question ... As the constitutionality of the 1974 and 1976 agreements have been challenged on extremely valid and legal grounds" in the Supreme Court, she said.

Read more from our special coverage on "J JAYALALITHAA"

She urged Modi to take immediate action in securing the release of all 55 fishermen and 91 fishing boats in Lankan custody.

She said the "prolonged" detention and "disuse" of the boats would have damaged them, causing immeasurable loss of livelihood to the poor fishermen.
China has expressed concern over the European Union's move to adopt a new prior-surveillance system for steel imports saying trade protectionism measures would do no help to tackle global steel overcapacity but hinder global trade orders.

The prior-surveillance system will bring extra burdens to normal trade and China is concerned about this matter, Chinese Ministry of Commerce said in a statement.

The 28-member European Union (EU) announced yesterday that it had established a prior-surveillance system for imports of steel products into the bloc in order to further protect its own steel industry.

Based on the new regulation, imports of steel products into the EU will now need an import license.

The EU has long claimed that importing steel products from third countries, like China have jeopardised its own labour market.

China always advocates anti-trade protectionism and maintains stable, predictable and fair trade environment, state-run Xinhua news agency quoted the statement from the Ministry of Commerce as saying.

The EU should abide by the commitments it has made and avoid sending wrong signals, it said.
Labor warned energy prices to rise by up to 50 per cent in 2023 A source told Sky News Australia in the lead-up to Tuesday's federal budget the conflict in Ukraine was "99 per cent" responsible for the looming increases in the cost of energy.

Sydney soaked by wettest October ever recorded A Sky News Australia meteorologist has predicted how much rain Sydneysiders can expect for the rest of 2022 as two weather systems lash almost every inch of New South Wales.

Jurors in rape trial make request amid ongoing deliberations The 12-member jury of the Bruce Lehrmann rape trial have requested extra time to come to a unanimous decision on whether the former Liberal staffer sexually assaulted Brittany Higgins.

Lambie prays for Netball Australia after sponsorship mess Senator Jacqui Lambie has thrown her support behind Gina Rinehart as she slammed Netball Australia for losing a major sponsor while local sports clubs struggle to stay alive.
The Lloyd V. Douglas Chapter of the Year Award is presented to the chapter which accumulates the most points from events at the State Leadership Conference and has completed the required criteria for the Iowa Merit Award, outstanding local chapter.
WATERLOO Superintendent Jane Lindaman is concerned about recent legislative action delaying new statewide assessments for students.

An amendment to the education appropriations bill approved in the Iowa House and Senate pushed back implementation of the Smarter Balanced Assessments until the 2017-18 school year.

The Waterloo Community Schools leader was definitely not very happy with the delay, and I have made that know to the legislators, Lindaman said.

So there will not be a new test, as was legislated, she told the Waterloo Board of Education last week. There was supposed to be a new test next year and that was delayed. Basically, theyre going to kind of start over, and so I think its just a really interesting time to watch that.

Lindaman was on a task force created by the Legislature in 2013 charged with recommending an assessment to be put in place by the 2016-17 school year. In December 2014, the task force recommended adoption of Smarter Balanced to replace the Iowa Assessments. In November, the State Board of Education voted to adopt the tests in math and reading.

Annual testing of students in grades three to 11 is required under the federal Every Student Succeeds Act. The assessments are aligned to the Iowa Core standards and designed to measure higher-order thinking skills, according to information from Iowas Legislative Services Agency. The tests are computer adaptive and would individually tailor questions based on a students responses.

I know that many of us who had been involved in that and then some of the teachers who field-tested and really found the test valuable did reach out to the Legislature before that decision was made, said Lindaman. It didnt necessarily make a difference in that.
WATERLOO  The Black Hawk County Veteran Affairs Commission is reaching out to homeless veterans through their stomachs.

Kevin Dill, the commissions executive director, is planning to grill and serve hot dog meals to homeless veterans starting at 11 a.m. every Wednesday in Lincoln Park in downtown Waterloo.

The goal is to bring the homeless vets out from under the bridges to get them connected with our office and other community resources, Dill said. Our goal is to eliminate veterans homelessness in this county.

We will hopefully feed their stomachs as well as a little food for their souls, he added. We are taught as veterans to never leave anyone behind, so I hope our office can be a light for them to come out and get some assistance.

The effort got off to a wet start last week as heavy rain pounded the area.

Dill and representatives of several service agencies  Hawkeye Area Community Action Program, Operation Threshold, Heroes Care and Yellow Ribbon  huddled under a tent. Air Force veteran Damian Spratt manned the grill.

Private donors and other agencies are sponsoring the meals.

Dill noted only five or six veterans showed up this week, but he expects the number to grow with better weather and as the news spreads through word of mouth.

Fliers have been left at places homeless persons frequent.

A similar effort Dill started 10 years ago in Davenport eventually grew to a weekly crowd of 25 to 30 veterans and more social service agencies.

While Dill said its not known how many homeless veterans are in Black Hawk County, a Des Moines veterans organization estimated the number fluctuates between five to 30 people at any one time.

He just wants to make sure they all eventually find housing.

Theres probably benefits they never applied for, Dill said.

Maybe theres a monetary benefit that can get them into housing.
WATERLOO  Plans to fill a vacant Waterloo City Council seat are up for debate this week.

The remaining six council members will be asked Monday whether to hold a special election or try to make an appointment to replace Ward 1 Councilman David Jones, who resigned last week due to job obligations.

Early feedback indicates a majority of the council favors a special election, which would involve only Ward 1 voters in the southwest quadrant of the city.

The citizens of Ward 1 are entitled to chose their own representative, said Councilman Tom Lind.

Councilman Jerome Amos Jr. also was leaning toward a special election, noting the importance of the position as a swing vote on what has become a polarized council.

Because the dynamics of the council right now  obviously a lot of things are 3-3  for me it should be up to the citizens to make that decision, Amos said.

Councilman Steve Schmitt said he was really torn on the issue.

I am a big believer in having the voters choose their representatives, so that would lead to a special election, he said. But I hate the idea of spending (tax dollars) for that special election.

Councilmen Ron Welper and Pat Morrissey both said it was unlikely the current divided council could agree on an appointment. But they suggested it was worth trying that route to avoid the election cost.

County Auditor Grant Veeder said the earliest a special election could be held is July 5 because Iowa law prohibits elections during the three weeks before or following the June 7 primary.

The special election winner would serve out the remainder of Jones term, which expires Dec. 31, 2017. If council members appoint a replacement, that individual would serve until the next city election is held and the position can be on the ballot.

But if the council appoints a replacement, the public could petition for a special election by collecting 183 signatures of eligible electors within 14 days of the appointment.

Waterloo City Council vacancies traditionally have been filled by appointment.

In 2004, Reggie Schmitt was appointed to replace Councilman Tim Hurley after he was elected to the mayors seat. In 1998, the council appointed Bill Gronen to replace Councilman Frank Mollenhoff, who died in office.

In 1992, the council appointed Bill Lemke to replace Bob Brown, who resigned his council seat. Voters petitioned for a special election, which Lemke later won to retain the seat.

The meeting is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. Monday in the council chambers on the second floor of City Hall.
WATERLOO  The suicidal deer sign north of St. Ansgar had its moment in the spotlight shortly after it went up in Mitchell County in March. Reactions were mixed.

Some found it funny, others offensive. Soon enough, the puns and opinions poured out on social media. But like most viral content, it was news one day and gone the next.

Even as many people  including two-thirds of Mitchell Countys supervisors  moved on, hundreds have signed a petition started by Waterloo activist Christy Kessens to replace the sign on Iowa 105.

To me, its not just about a sign, its about changing the way that our society views mental illness, Kessens said. I do get it, that its a sign; I see why people think its humorous or eye-catching, but there are mental disabilities and other illnesses that we would never think of making fun of.

Kessens, an Osage native, started the change.org petition three weeks ago. So far it has 320 supporters from all over who want to see the sign replaced.

Many supporters, like Kessens, have struggled with mental illness, had friends and family who have died by suicide or both.

Suicide is a serious subject. What was wrong with the old sign just warning that deer are in the area, read one comment. Others simply left the name of a lost loved one.

Kessens, who is active with the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, but did not launch the campaign on its behalf, sees the sign as making light of mental illness.

Its such a serious topic, and as an advocate you work so hard to change the way people see something, and then to have it be kind of made fun of is discouraging, Kessens said.

Suicide is the 10th leading cause of death in the United States, and the ninth in Iowa, according to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. It is the second leading cause of death in Iowa among people ages 15 to 34.

Kessens contacted the Mitchell County Board of Supervisors about her concerns before launching the petition, but the responses showed the same divisions theyd aired at public meetings.

Mitchell County Supervisor Shannon Paulus made a motion in late March to remove the sign, but it died for lack of a second from her fellow Supervisors Joel Voaklander and Stan Walk.

Walk sees the petition and other outcry about the sign as political correctness run amok.

What you have is some individuals that have too much time on their hands and they got solutions looking for a problem, and basically to try to relate a traffic sign that talks about deer to a personal tragedy, to me, is a stretch, Walk said.

He added few if any of the petition signers will visit Mitchell County and see the sign.

You know in Black Hawk County, I am sure you have the same issues that we do in north Iowa. The heroin thing is an epidemic; theres people there that need all kinds of help, Walk said. If these people signing this petition really want to do something, work on a problem that they can solve. This isnt going to solve anything.

He added his grandfather died by suicide before he was born, but he isnt pissing, moaning and groaning about it.

Yeah, we dont like it, so on and so forth, but youve got to move on, Walk said.

Walk said local reaction to the sign is very positive and hes directed the auditor not to put discussion about the sign on the agenda again.

Voaklander agreed there hasnt been a local effort mounted against the sign.

To tell you the truth, I havent really heard a whole lot of anything about it, Voaklander said. I think its pretty well died around here. I think everybodys either, they either look the other way or else they drive by and laugh.

Paulus, however, said she has received dozens of emails outside of the petition, and estimates three-fourths of them oppose the sign. She has objected to the sign since it first went up, particularly because of her training as a social worker.

The deer arent making a conscious decision, theyre animals. So to use the adjective suicidal is not appropriate. That is a human term, and theres a lot of people that deal with losing someone every day that dont need to be reminded of it, Paulus said. Its just not appropriate.

She added its becoming an increased public safety hazard as people stop to take pictures of the sign.

Mitchell County purchased a total of eight signs for $80 apiece. Walk said he would put up more if a new warning sign is needed, but Paulus doesnt anticipate they will be used.

Its at a standstill right now, Paulus said.

Kessens is undeterred.

Knowing so many people are supporting this cause keeps me motivated, Kessens said. Advocacy work is hard. I feel like were a team, working together to change the way our society views mental illness.
A very important person was present at a Cedar Falls City Council meeting recently.

He wasnt a billionaire bringing a Fortune 500 company with hundreds of jobs to town.

He wasnt a real estate developer with plans for a fantastic gleaming new shopping mall or massive new residential subdivisions.

He wasnt a former star athlete from the University of Northern Iowa returning to alma-mater accolades after success at the professional level.

He wasnt a brilliant home-grown entrepreneur seeking tax incentives and an angel investor for a major new enterprise in town.

He wasnt a prominent former elected official, returning to praise, pan or otherwise impart wisdom on current office holders.

It was a little boy. A beautiful, smiling little boy about 3 years old. He was in a fire in February. He survived. So, thankfully, did his mother and his sister.

They were saved from their little trailer on North Union Road by Cedar Falls firefighters.

For that, those firefighters and the team of firefighters and police officers supporting them received some well-deserved honors from the city.

Mayor Jim Brown decided they and all Cedar Falls fire and police personnel should receive their awards before the City Council and the public at an open council meeting aired on the citys cable channel.

Brown understands the import of what those firefighters did, and what all firefighters and cops do every day. His father was a career police officer. For the mayor, its personal.

So when it came time to honor Cedar Falls finest, the mayor wanted to make sure their recognition didnt just get shoved in a desk drawer.

City employees do their jobs every day, Brown said, but when a group such as these employees are recognized all are uplifted.

So was everyone present at the meeting. When Brown noted the little boy those firefighters saved was present and a family member lifted him up for all to see, everyone rose to their feet in applause, leaving a lump in every throat and not a dry eye in the house.

Police officers also were honored recently. Waterloo Officer Tim Everett prevented a mentally disturbed woman from drowning herself and her young son in the Cedar River downtown April 16. Cedar Falls Officer Ryan Bellis rescued a suicidal subject from a hanging attempt Sept. 13.

This is what a community is all about. Its not just about budgets and taxes and sewers and streets and parks and businesses. Those are the bones of a city. The heart and sinew of a community is its people. All those amenities contribute to what is and should be the central mission of a community.

There are all kinds of mission statements floating around saying we want Cedar Falls, Waterloo and the Cedar Valley to be a good place to live, work, play and raise a family. Thats all well and good. But it doesnt get to the heart of the matter.

The heart of the matter is, a community is a place where the people who live in it genuinely work with each other  not without sometimes passionate disagreements  because at their very core, they care about their home and they care about each other.

No one in this community could display more heart than those Cedar Falls firefighters who saved that little boy, his mother and sister from that burning trailer. They represent the best our community has to offer  our whole community  all of Waterloo-Cedar Falls, from the UNI-Dome to Elk Run Heights, from east Waterloo to Orange Township, from North Cedar to Crossroads.

Their deeds set an example and pose a challenge to all of us: What can we do in our daily lives to make this place we call home a better community?

Lets keep our eyes on that prize. And lets keep the little boy who survived that fire at the top of our minds. We need to keep all the little boys and girls in our communities safe. From flames. From stray bullets. From poverty, ignorance and lack of opportunity. From despair.

Not all of us can charge into a burning trailer, but we can all do our best to make this house we call community a home for him and all our dear children to grow up in and thrive.
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By Tim Brockwell

Apr. 27, 2016 | CLINTON, KY

By Tim Brockwell Apr. 27, 2016 | 05:19 PM | CLINTON, KY

Hickman County Property Valuation Administrator Amanda Ballentine is facing assault charges stemming from an alleged incident at her Clinton home on Friday evening.



In a criminal complaint filed Monday in Hickman County District Court, Tracey Clark Ballantine says that at 9:30 Friday evening Amanda attacked her, grabbed her hair, struck her repeatedly, pulled her to the ground and choked her, causing physical injury. Amanda was later charged with fourth degree assault.



Tracey said she went to the home Friday evening to check on her sick daughter, but did not go inside. Some time later she says Amanda arrived at the house and immediately began assaulting her.



Amanda's attorney, Bryan Wilson told West Kentucky Star that his client was trying to defend herself during the incident in question.



"This was purely a domestic issue between Mrs Ballantine and her husband's ex-wife that took place when Mrs Ballantine was attempting to defend herself at her home." Wilson said. Wilson says Amanda's husband has filed for emergency protection against his ex-wife.



Tracey says she has not been notified of any emergency protective orders against her. She called Amanda's claims of self defense "absurd", saying that she was the one who was attacked.



"The fact that she says she was defending herself is absolutely ridiculous. I can't stress that enough," Tracey said. "I have cuts and bruises, knots on my head where I was thrown onto the concrete, welts and redness around my throat where she held me down to choke me."



Carlisle County Attorney Mike Hogancamp has been named as a special prosecutor in the case due to what officials are calling a conflict of interest. "I have had a referral from the Hickman County Attorney's Office requesting me to be a special prosecutor." Hogancamp said.



Ballantine's arraignment has been set for Tuesday at 3:00 pm before Special District Judge Keith Myers.








By The Associated Press Apr. 27, 2016 | 05:35 PM | FRANKFORT, KY

Republican Gov. Matt Bevin has vetoed all or parts of seven bills passed on the last day of the legislative session.

Bevin's vetoes mean Kentucky will not have a new driver's license that complies with federal security standards. Bevin had said he supported the new driver's license but said he changed his mind after noticing what he called "tremendous opposition" to the bill.

His vetoes mean some Kentucky high school graduates will not have free community college tuition beginning in the fall. Instead, the program will start in 2017.

And Bevin's vetoes mean some parents won't be able to send their children to public preschool programs. The budget bill included language that expanded the program's eligibility requirements. But Bevin vetoed it, saying the state could not afford to pay for it.
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If youre looking to try out an online casino, there are several things that will help you make a decision. Heres what you should look for when choosing an online casino

 Are they regulated? A lot of the larger ones have licenses issued by the authorities in their respective regions, so its worth checking this first.

 Do they offer games from different software providers? Some casinos just use one software provider and limit your selection. This is fine if you like playing those types of games but you may want to check other casinos as well.

 What does their payout percentage look like? The payout rate refers to how much money you can expect to win after every bet. A high payout rate means youll be able to play more often without having to worry about losing all your money. Its also important to know the minimum and maximum bets allowed on each game. If youre going to play roulette, for example, then you probably dont want a casino with a minimum bet of less than $2.50 or even lower than that.

The players used to play the game slot online in the land based casinos in the past time. But now with time after the invention of the online casinos players play the game slot online. Online platform provide the players with the convenience in playing and even better winning. Even after keeping a good percentage of the profits, they distribute good funds to players.

 How many games do they offer? There are lots of different types of games to choose from. Roulette, blackjack and poker are some of the most popular options, but you might find slots, video pokers, video bingo and others as well. You can usually filter these games down to only show the ones that interest you best, so make sure that your list isnt too long!

 Is there a bonus offer? Many online casinos offer free bonuses as part of their welcome package  which includes new players being awarded 100% up to $10 instantly, for example. These offers are great but not everyone has access to them all the time (and some require you to deposit real money). If youd prefer to avoid paying a fee, some casinos offer no-deposit bonuses where you can get a certain amount of funds before you need to put any actual money into the account. These are usually offered alongside welcome bonuses, so make sure you read both parts of the terms and conditions carefully before signing up.

 Does it offer live dealer games? Live dealers are much preferred by many over regular virtual versions, so it pays to check this option out too. Most online casinos now offer live dealer games in addition to their regular offerings, allowing you to experience the thrill of the real thing without needing to leave home.

Now that youve got an idea of what to look for when choosing an online casino, heres some tips for making the right choice

It really comes down to personal preference. No two people are exactly alike, so everyone has an opinion on what they like and dislike about each casino. That said, here are some things to consider in order to narrow down your choices

 Popularity. Check out reviews, forums and Facebook pages to see what other people think of the casino. Also, ask around at work or friends houses who they would recommend to you. You could always take a look at the casinos website too, to see what kind of information they provide about themselves.

 Reputation. Find out what the general public thinks about the casino. Check out any customer reviews on sites like Trustpilot, Amazon and Google Play to find out more. As far as gaming goes, you can also check out the Better Business Bureau to see whether there have been any complaints against the casino.

 Security. Make sure the casino uses SSL encryption to secure its transactions, meaning that your private data stays safe during transactions. Other than that, look for security seals on the site itself and verify that theyre legitimate. You can also check out the casinos privacy policy to see how they handle confidential information.

 Payment methods. Its good to have multiple payment options available, especially if you plan to play frequently. Its also nice to find a casino that accepts cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin and Ethereum. If youre worried about safety, you can always opt for a credit card or PayPal instead.

With all those criteria in mind, heres our top picks

Betway:

Betway is a relatively new UK casino offering online gambling to residents of the United Kingdom and European Union. They offer hundreds of games across both land based and digital platforms, with plenty of top software providers like Net Entertainment, Microgaming and Yggdrasil Gaming Network. With a generous welcome offer that gives players 100% up to 100, you really cant go wrong with Betway.

Coral Casino:

Coral Casino is operated by the same company that runs the famous Caribbean casino, Grand Reef. Like many casinos, Coral Casino offers a wide variety of games, including plenty of video slots and table games. New players can benefit from a huge 100% match bonus up to 1000, while existing customers enjoy 25% cash back on deposits made within 48 hours of opening an account.

Ladbrokes Casino:

Ladbrokes Casino is owned by the same company as the famous bookmaker that started life in 1921. With more than 500 games from leading software providers such as Amaya, NetEnt and Microgaming, you wont be disappointed by the quality of the games here. New players get a 200% match bonus up to 500, while existing customers can claim 35% cashback on their first three deposits.

Paddy Power Casino:

Paddy Power is another Irish-owned casino that operates throughout Europe. Not only does Paddy Power Casino offer traditional casino games like blackjack, roulette and slots, but it also provides a full range of sports betting, including football, tennis, boxing and horse racing. New players can receive a massive 100% match bonus up to 200, while existing customers can claim 35% cashback on their first three deposits.

William Hill Casino:

William Hill Casino is one of the biggest names in the industry, operating in Europe, Asia and North America. Founded in 1984, this online casino has more than 400 games to choose from, including slots and table games, with a wide array of software providers like WagerLogic, Big Time Gaming and Rival.

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JACKSONVILLE, FL, May 01, 2016 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Bowden Eye & Associates (www.bowdeneye.com), a Jacksonville-based vision center, continues to expand its offerings for patients beyond typical optometry and ophthalmology services. Patients can now visit the practice for ocular surgery procedures, audiology services, and cosmetic procedures.



According to practice leaders, this has proven to be a great way to expand existing relationships with patients.



"Our primary mission is to deliver premier vision care in the region," Dr. Frank Bowden says. "But maintaining a personal connection with patients is a big priority for us, too. We've realized that offering cosmetic and audiology services helps our patients take care of many of their other healthcare needs, and we're happy to better serve them in this way."



The variety of services is reflected among the practice's 8 physicians. Dr. Bowden and Dr. Sarah Darbandi, for example, are both fellowship-trained cornea and external disease specialists. Dr. Breno da Rocha Lima is a board-certified retina and uveitis specialist, and Robert Cabrera is a licensed hearing specialist.



Dr. Darbandi says, "It's simple: We want to use our range of training and credentials to offer more to our patients."



Bowden Eye & Associates offers corneal surgery, LASIK, and complimentary hearing evaluations, all of which have been popular with patients, the doctors say. With a goal of surpassing the treatments offered by an "ordinary eye doctor," they have also been making cosmetic procedures available at their Jacksonville locations. (The practice has 4 offices in Jacksonville and 3 others in northern Florida communities.)



Eyelid surgery (blepharoplasty) is one of the top procedures at the practice, and patients also come to Bowden Eye & Associates for BOTOX injections for wrinkles and CoolSculpting treatments to eliminate stubborn fat. Laser procedures are also available, with laser skin resurfacing and laser hair removal rounding out the selection of cosmetic treatments.



Dr. Bowden says the growth in treatments has been so successful because patients like the convenience of going to a single practice for multiple needs rather than having to search for separate doctors whom they can trust.



"We listen to our patients," he says. "They've told us that feeling good and looking good are just as important to them as maintaining their vision, and we've responded to that. From our perspective, it's also wonderful to get to grow these relationships with patients we already care for so much."



Bowden Eye & Associates (www.bowdeneye.com), one of the leading dry eye centers in the world, offers a range of ophthalmic, aesthetic, and audiology services, thanks to a diverse team of 8 physicians. Among them are 2 fellowship-trained cornea and external disease specialists, founder Dr. Frank W. Bowden and Dr. Sarah Darbandi, as well as specialists in retinal conditions, ophthalmology, optometry, and hearing. With 7 locations in Jacksonville, Orange Park, Ponte Vedra Beach, and St. Augustine, Bowden Eye & Associates is dedicated to providing northern Florida communities with premier care when it comes to eyes, aesthetics, and hearing.



# # #
May 1, 2016 | By Tess

3D scanning and capture technologies have been a boon to the hospitality and real estate industries, as they have allowed for more thorough and arguably even more honest marketing. By letting people virtually experience the spaces they are looking to stay in or even buy, certain companies within the hospitality industry have gone beyond simply showing photos of the spaces, and lets be honest, how many times have you been shocked at the small size of a room in real life after having seen a misleading photo?

Excitingly, but perhaps unsurprisingly, the next big company to begin integrating 3D virtual tours into their platform is Airbnb, perhaps the most recognized of the accommodation rental sites. The company, which is known for its innovative projects and pilot projects, has reportedly partnered with immersive media company Matterport to launch a new pilot project called Sonoma Select.

The pilot, which is said to be launching in July of this year, will be geared towards a number of popular and highly rated accommodation listings in the Sonoma, California area. What will set the selected Sonoma properties apart from Airbnbs regular listings is an Instant Booking option, a 24 hour check-in, and even some local amenities from the host, which include such bonuses as complementary wine, luxury bath products, and a guidebook. Most excitingly, however, will be the introduction of virtual 3D models of the listed properties, which can be viewed through your browser or even through virtual reality devices like Google Cardboard and Oculus Rift.

Though many details of the pilot project and collaboration remain under wraps, some information was divulged from an Airbnb host who will be participating in the pilot project. She explains in an interview, [Airbnb] must have some goals and objectives that they are looking to achieve as a business. I dont know specifically what those are, but this seems like it really makes the whole booking process more quick and comfortable for customers. I have no idea whether or not well have more guests because of this, but it seems like a great program to me.

Matterport, which was founded in 2011, will reportedly offer its services to Airbnb by capturing 3D photographs of the selected properties to then make comprehensive 3D virtual tours of each of them. The service could be a breakthrough for the rental platform, and if the pilot is successful, we would not be shocked to find it become a more commonplace feature on the popular web platform.

The immersive media technology company, which last year raised a hefty $30 million to further develop its 3D virtual tours, has already worked with a number of other companies in the hospitality industry to create 360 degree videos, including Princess Cruises, Viceroy Hotels, and Wyndham Vacation Rentals. The technology has been successful thus far in increasing customer confidence in rental locations and is becoming increasingly popular. And, as Oren J. Tversky, Matterports Vice President of Business Development, explains, the success of their technology within the real estate industry shows how easily the technology could be used on a larger scale, to capture even thousands of rental or apartment spaces.

To accommodate a large demand for the 3D photography of spaces, Matterport uses its own Service Partner Network, a global network of photography partners that can be easily accessed through its website. The Matterport technology essentially works through the use of their specially designed end-to-end media platform, which comprises of the Matterport Pro Camera, the Matterport Capture app for iPad and the Matterport Cloud which generates the 3D model of your home.

Though the pilot project with Airbnb has yet to launch, you can already explore the Sonoma Select properties as well as their 3D virtual tours. So far, there are 37 properties included in the project.

Posted in 3D Scanning

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Joe Jesuele wrote at 10/19/2017 12:15:16 AM:While 3D virtual tours may be the next big thing, it has been slow to penetrate the real estate photography industry for a number of reasons  ranging from cost to simple unfamiliarity. Read more here: https://blog.homejab.com/3d-virtual-tours/Randy wrote at 9/23/2016 9:10:15 AM:Any updates about this project? How's it going, any plans to expand, etc?




Steven Nadler in Aeon:

Spinozas philosophy is founded upon a rejection of the God that informs the Abrahamic religions. His God lacks all the psychological and moral characteristics of a transcendent, providential deity. The Deus of Spinozas philosophical masterpiece, the Ethics (1677), is not a kind of person. It has no beliefs, hopes, desires or emotions. Nor is Spinozas God a good, wise and just lawgiver who will reward those who obey its commands and punish those who go astray. For Spinoza, God is Nature, and all there is is Nature (his phrase is Deus sive Natura, God or Nature). Whatever is exists in Nature, and happens with a necessity imposed by the laws of Nature. There is nothing beyond Nature and there are no departures from Natures order  miracles and the supernatural are an impossibility.

There are no values in Nature. Nothing is intrinsically good or bad, nor does Nature or anything in Nature exist for the sake of some purpose. Whatever is, just is. Early in the Ethics, Spinoza says that all the prejudices I here undertake to expose depend on this one: that men commonly suppose that all natural things act, as men do, on account of an end; indeed, they maintain as certain that God himself directs all things to some certain end; for they say that God has made all things for man, and man that he might worship God.

Spinoza is often labelled a pantheist, but atheist is a more appropriate term. Spinoza does not divinise Nature. Nature is not the object of worshipful awe or religious reverence. The wise man, he says, seeks to understand Nature, not gape at it like a fool. The only appropriate attitude to take toward God or Nature is a desire to know it through the intellect.

More here.
Jefferson Morley in The Intercept:

Last summer I paid a visit to Georgetown Universitys Lauinger Libraryas part of my research on legendary CIA counterspy James Jesus Angleton. I went there to investigate Angletons famous mole hunt, one of the least flattering episodes of his eventful career. By the early 1960s, Angleton was convinced the KGB had managed to insert a penetration agent high in the ranks of the CIA.

In researching and writing a biography of Angleton, I constantly confront a conundrum: Was the man utterly brilliant? Or completely nuts?

Angleton is one of Americas archetypal spies. He was the model for Harlot in Harlots Ghost, Norman Mailers epic of the CIA, a brooding Cold War spirit hovering over a story of corrupted idealism. In Robert De Niros cinematic telling of the tale, The Good Shepherd, the Angletonian character was a promising product of the system who loses his way in the moral labyrinth of secret intelligence operations.

In real life, Jim Angleton was a formidable intellectual and canny bureaucrat who helped shape the ethos of the Central Intelligence Agency we have today.

More here.
Jeff Guo in the Washington Post:

Scholars have long puzzled over the different fates of the worlds peoples. Why, on the eve of the modern world, were some societies so technologically and politically complex? For centuries, leading intellectuals from Adam Smith to Karl Marx believed that agricultural abundance had propelled the rise of advanced civilizations. The Assyrians and Babylonians of ancient Mesopotamia, for instance, flourished thanks to their fertile farms, which fed an upper class that devoted itself to religion and empire.

In his 1997 bestseller Guns, Germs and Steel, historian Jared Diamond argued that the availability of nutritious and easily domesticated plants and animals gave some societies a head start. In the Middle East there was barley and wheat; in Asia there was millet and rice. People around the world who had access to the most productive crops became the most productive farmers, Diamond later said on his PBS show. And more productivity led to more advanced civilizations.

But the staple crops associated with less-advanced peoples  like manioc, the white potato, the sweet potato and taro  werent necessarily less productive. In fact, manioc and the potato are superstar crops, less demanding of the soil and less thirsty for water. These plants still feed billions of people today.

More here.
The Kingdom of Morocco and the European Organisation for Safety in Air Navigation - EUROCONTROL, have today signed a Comprehensive Agreement.



The Agreement was signed by Mr Zouhair Mohammed El Aoufir, Director General of ONDA (Office National Des Aeroports), and Mr Frank Brenner, Director General of EUROCONTROL at a ceremony in Marrakech on the occasion of the International Marrakech Airshow which is currently taking place from 27 to 30 April.



In his speech for this event, Mr El Aoufir noted With the signature and entry in force of this agreement, it is not only that our country achieves a global first  in that EUROCONTROL has never before signed such an agreement with a country outside Europe  but it also recognises the performance of the Moroccan air traffic management services and is consolidating a mutually desired and beneficial partnership between ONDA and EUROCONTROL.



EUROCONTROL has been working closely with the Kingdom of Morocco for many years, and we are delighted that this excellent working relationship is now being strengthened through the signing of a Comprehensive Agreement, said Frank Brenner, Director General of EUROCONTROL. With over 850 flights a day moving between Europe and Moroccos airspace, it is a logical step for us to increase our level of integration and cooperation for the benefit of the airlines and the travelling public.



The Agreement is a clear sign of Morocco moving closer to Europe and becoming part of the European Aviation System. It means that Morocco will participate from now on to the working structures of EUROCONTROL and that it will be able to benefit from all services that the Agency provides, Frank Brenner added.



The Kingdom of Morocco has signed a European Civil Aviation Agreement with the EU, thereby opening the two air traffic markets for open and unlimited access. Therefore it is logical and obvious that bigger volumes of air traffic need to be catered for. For these technical provisions, common airspace design and common air traffic procedures are prerequisites. EUROCONTROL is about ensuring that an effective and efficient network is available.



According to the Comprehensive Agreement, the Kingdom of Morocco will be fully integrated into EUROCONTROLs working structures and will be able to benefit from all services the Agency provides. The Comprehensive Agreement will bring significant operational advantages to the airlines and passengers including improved crisis management, more organised and harmonised management of the traffic flows between North Africa/the Canary Islands and the European continent, improved predictability in planning of daily operations, improved safety of operations and a wider network approach to all developments such as airspace design, infrastructure coordination and management.



The Agreement will enter into force on 1 May 2016.
Right below this post is yet another study seeming to exonerate the MMR. That sure sounds familiar  the CDCAAPFDAIOMETC have already given it multiple clean bills of health. And manufacturer Merck says no studies show any link to autistic regression.

Of course, thats just one mans opinion  but one whos spent the last three years listening to parents and enlightened pediatricians and combing through adverse events reports and just generally trying to think for himself.

On the right hand side of our home page is a collection of my Age of Autism columns for UPI. The one titled Pox  Part 1 of 7 installments -- sealed the deal for me as far as the MMR is concerned. Im not going to repeat myself here except to say, theres every reason to worry about the interaction among live viruses when you stick em in the same shot and inject em into 12-month-old kids. Especially kids whose immune systems are already shot thanks to vaccine mercury and other toxins, thanks to the selfsame CDCAAPFDAIOMETC.

When Merck decided to toss the chickenpox virus into the MMR mix, kids started developing autism in clinical trials; that wasnt reported to the FDA before the drug was approved because, Merck said, the parents never got around to mentioning that their kids had regressed into autism. A few months after the Pox series appeared, Merck suspended production of that four-in-one vaccine, claiming theyd run low on chickenpox vaccine even as they launched a new shot for shingles that contains gobs of it.

The cluelessly credulous mainstream media did its usual thing  they essentially reprinted the press release about the vaccine shortage. Now they have a new study to report, reaffirming the MMRs safety and reassuring parents.

Never mind that Merck and the pharmaceutical industry are starting to show a pattern and practice that ought to make anyone stop and think before they become stenographers for the drug companies: Theres Vioxx with its $5 billion settlement and suppressed data about the heart attacks that fell just outside the study window, causing the New England Journal of Medicine to complain; and Zetia with its delayed results that showed no protection against heart attacks even as the company convinced millions of doctors and patients to switch from cholesterol-lowering drugs that actually did work; and Eli Lilly with its Zyprexa side effects and the looming possibility of a $1 billion fine and a criminal misdemeanor plea because they tried to get doctors to prescribe it for conditions for which it was not approved. Not very nice. Not very nice at all.

And never mind that the FDA has all but admitted it's so overwhelmed and underfunded it can't reasonably be expected to do its job (the one about making sure drugs, including vaccines, are safe and effective).

The tragedy is that if the people who are supposed to protect our kids had relied less on dubious data produced by experts with blatant conflicts of interest, and more on common sense and the evidence of their own senses, the whole autism debacle of the 1990s through today might have been averted.

In an article titled Adverse Events, I wrote about some of the early warnings on file with the federal governments VAERS database.

Heres a report from 1992, listing Feb. 21 as both "vaccination date" and "adverse event date" for a 1-year-old boy: "Patient received MMR vaccination and experienced fever, autistic behaviors, encephalitic condition, began to tune out; sound sensitivity, hand-flapping, wheel-spinning, nighttime sweats, appetite increase."

The child's diagnoses included autism, encephalopathy (brain swelling), mental retardation, personality disorder and speech disorder.

Another report: Two days after being vaccinated in August 1994 a 1-year-old girl experienced "low fever, much discomfort. Patient lay in bed and cried and moaned; three-four days post-vaccination, rash traveled over patient's body and lasted at least one week. Within six weeks of vaccination patient was observed as losing previously gained language and social skills; diagnosed autistic."

Soon after the article was published I heard from the mother who filed that report, and I wrote a follow-up story (Case Number 88924): The patient so clinically summarized in that report, Mary Jo Silva realized with a start, was her 1-year-old daughter Carmen, who fell ill the same day she got the MMR -- measles-mumps-rubella -- and Hepatitis B vaccinations at age 1.

Thats bad. But here's the killer: A 1994 report filed by a California physician citing 10 -- yes, 10 -- children "who received vaccination and (were) diagnosed with autism and encephalopathy." That doctor reported "there are currently 10 cases of autism in children who received DPT/OPV/MMR at 15-18 months."



The real tragedy here is the dates  1992 to 1994, just as the big wave of new mercury vaccines was crashing into Americas kids. These were but a few of the many, many missed opportunities to do what medical professionals are supposed to do  be alert and suspicious, notice something new and grab hold of it till the truth yells Uncle.

Instead, the person who took that report about 10 kids with autism who shared a specific vaccination pattern took a dismissive tone: "Dr. ... is not treating physician and does not possess any original records; unclear whether reporter [the doctor, who was identified and could have been contacted] is suggesting possible causal association."

Well, its pretty clear to me  doctor is suggesting causal association.

And so am I. Lest the CDC miss the point again, let's repeat it: Yes, the MMR causes autism.

--

Dan Olmsted is Editor of Age of Autism
April 29, 2016

On April 4, Egypt signed a maritime border agreement with Saudi Arabia in the presence of Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and Saudi King Salman bin Abdul-Aziz Al Saud. Six days later, the Egyptian Council of Ministers announced that the islands of Tiran and Sanafir, both located in the Red Sea, were Saudi territory based on surveys by the National Committee for Egyptian Maritime Border Demarcation and on 11 rounds of meetings held between the two sides over several months. The committee had worked for six years; a number of Egyptian politicians criticized the agreement. Former presidential candidate Hamdeen Sabahi called on Sisi and Salman to withdraw the agreement and consider it null and void. He denounced Saudi Arabia for putting itself in a suspicious position for exploiting Egypt's need, saying, "It is not worthy for Egypt to appear as complying because of need.

Human rights lawyer Khaled Ali announced April 10 that he filed a lawsuit against what he described as "conceding" the islands of Tiran and Sanafir. He called for turning the popular anger into a demand for putting up the agreement to a referendum according to the Egyptian Constitution.

In the same vein, the head of the Strong Egypt Party and former presidential candidate Abdel Moneim Aboul Fotouh wrote in an April 9 tweet that the agreement threatens Egyptian national security and that the Zionists are the only beneficiaries.

The Egyptian government's decision to consider the two islands Saudi territory caused a stir on social media. Satirist Bassem Youssef, who led the criticism on social media, called the decision a "sale" and the Egyptian president cheap. He likened Sisi to Awad, a proverbial Egyptian farmer who sold his land to eat. He also said that the presidents legitimacy has been lost.

In the media, there was a lot of confusion and tumult between the agreements supporters and opponents. Then a former Egyptian armed forces commander poured oil on the fire. In a televised interview April 9, Maj. Gen. Abdel Moneim Said, the former operations chief of the armed forces and former governor of South Sinai, said that the islands were Egyptian.

Said pointed out that he worked on the island of Tiran in 1955 and that Egypt has two border demarcation points there, stressing that Tiran is only 8 kilometers (5 miles) away from Egyptian territory. But within 24 hours, Said withdrew his comments in a phone call with another Egyptian channel and stated that the two islands were Saudi.

This prompted the presenter of the 10 p.m. show, on which Said first appeared, to claim that Said was pressured to change his position. The presenter condemned the pressure exerted on national and military figures to change their positions with regard to who owns the islands, stressing that figures with the state apparatus have pressured some national and military figures to change their positions on the Tiran and Sanafir issue.

On the other hand, official newspaper Al-Ahram refrained from publishing an article by the head of its board of directors Ahmed El-Naggar, who opposed the agreement on the two islands. So instead, Naggar published his article on Facebook April 17.

On April 13, Sisi met with a number of groups in a meeting attended by the intelligence chief, the defense minister, heads of parliamentary bodies and heads of professional associations. Sisi said that Egypt did not concede any territory but simply gave Saudi Arabia what rightfully belonged to it and asked the people to stop talking about this issue.

Sisi said he was happy to see the Egyptians care so much about their land, but that this caring must be pointed in the right direction and that the mass distrust, including against the state apparatus, must stop.

The president revealed that, before the agreement was made, he wanted the matter to remain under wraps in order to prevent stirring public opinion in Egypt and Saudi Arabia.

In a related development, Israeli newspaper Haaretz reported April 11 that Cairo had informed Tel Aviv in advance of its intention to waive its rights to the two islands, which are in the Gulf of Aqaba, to Saudi Arabia. The newspaper reported that during recent Egyptian-Israeli talks, Tel Aviv informed Cairo that it would not oppose handing over the islands to Saudi Arabia as long as Israeli ships can continue to navigate in the region.

On April 15, the criticism on social media moved to the streets. Cairo and several Egyptian provinces witnessed demonstrations by thousands of Egyptians from various political parties protesting the decision. The demonstrators called on overthrowing the regime and chanted slogans against Sisi, such as "The people want to overthrow the regime," "Just go" and "Awad sold his land." The demonstrations were called for by political figures and opposition forces, including the Muslim Brotherhood, and were held under the slogan "Land is Honor.

In a statement obtained by Al-Monitor, the Egyptian Interior Ministry warned against what it called attempts to lawlessness, in reference to the protests. The security forces arrested a large number of demonstrators. At first, the general prosecutor decided to release them, but then he changed position and ordered them jailed until National Security completes its investigation. The defendants are being charged with demonstrating without notice, disrupting public transportation, blocking roads and threatening security and public order.

In a related event, the US-based global intelligence company Stratfor published a report in which the Egyptian Supreme Council of the Armed Forces warned about conceding the islands of Tiran and Sanafir to Saudi Arabia. According to Stratfors sources, the council advised Sisi to refrain from transferring sovereignty over the two islands to Saudi Arabia because it would hurt national pride and upset Egyptian public opinion given that the agreements timing and its coinciding with the announcement of Saudi investments would make the sovereignty transfer to look like a sale.

Some had called for mass demonstrations on April 25  the anniversary of the Sinai Peninsulas liberation  in an attempt to block the sovereignty transfer, yet a large-scale security crackdown led to a limited turnout. In the same regard, during a speech commemorating the 34th anniversary of Sinais liberation, Egyptian Defense Minister Sidqi Subhi called on the Egyptian people to unite their voices in order to uphold the nations interests, stressing that the armed forces will not tolerate those who try to spread chaos in the streets and will not be blackmailed or pressured.
April 28, 2016

The Paris conference on a two-state solution process, which will be convened May 30, is the first concrete step related to the Israeli-Palestinian peace process since the shuttle diplomacy of Secretary of State John Kerry in 2013-14. The French are inviting the Middle East Quartet representatives (United States, European Union, Russia and the United Nations), the Arab League and approximately 20 foreign ministers. Israel and Palestine are not invited, as the French want to prevent an Israeli no. The purpose is to convene a more operative international peace conference later in the summer in order to launch talks on a two-state solution between the parties themselves.

This is good news for Middle East peace hopefuls. A Washington conference would have been more useful, but probably out of the question in a US election year. France has decided to walk into the policy vacuum produced by US passivity and despair. This move reflects European concerns that, without a realistic prospect for a two-state solution process, the Israeli-Palestinian equation will be filled with growing violence, which compromises the position of moderate Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. All EU partners share this view  some with greater enthusiasm (such as EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Federica Mogherini), some with less (such as German Chancellor Angela Merkel).

The French move comes in the aftermath of active shuttle diplomacy by Paris special envoy Pierre Vimont. French Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault will be visiting Jerusalem and Ramallah in mid-May, and he will continue holding talks with Kerry.

The US administrations position is the missing link to a successful diplomatic effort. It is not clear yet what kind of policy risk President Barack Obama is ready to take, in light of the possibility of failure, or even a domestic risk given the US election year. The American representative in Paris will most probably not be Kerry himself, but rather a senior official or the US ambassador to France.

A Quai dOrsay (French Foreign Ministry) official told Al-Monitor on condition of anonymity that French President Francois Hollande is determined to advance toward a two-state process. A policy void is a prescription for violence or an armed intifada also directed against President Abbas. We see the Arab League as an important partner and favor the Arab Peace Initiative of 2002 as the basis of a two-state solution based on the 1967 lines with a shared capital in Jerusalem. We will insist on security measures for Israel, said the source. He added that Ayrault will attempt to convince Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that such an effort is in favor of Israeli security. Ayrault is well-coordinated with Mogherini and wants to integrate the upcoming Quartet report on a two-state solution process that lists obstacles and recommendations for its renewal into the French diplomatic move.

Above all, the sense in Paris is that of urgency and of preventing both Israeli settlement expansion and Palestinian sporadic terror to destroy a realistic hope for a two-state solution. In parallel, Washington naturally attributes importance to any potential regional progress. The French initiative comes at a time when the US administration is debating intensely how to leave a viable two-state solution policy platform to the next administration. According to a US diplomat in Tel Aviv talking to Al-Monitor on condition of anonymity, Washington is fully updated on the French diplomatic efforts. The administration, while not part of the initiative, has not asked Paris to refrain from convening the conference.

Given that in the past the United States has always taken the lead on such initiatives, the French move may signal a turning point in the nature of international diplomatic activity on the issue.

The importance of the conference is not only in injecting hope into the region, but also in attempting to reach a global consensus on the policy issues of a two-state solution, as well as drawing up a methodology for progress. The French are aspiring to formulate a common position in the same way that the international community and the P5+1 (the five permanent UN Security Council members and Germany) operated when developing the joint approach on the issues of Syrian chemical weapons and Irans nuclear ambitions. Conflict resolution today demands collective international diplomacy on the highest levels. The United States can and must be part of such a consensus  in the case of the French initiative and especially in regard to the Quartet position and the report that is being developed these days. For the French initiative to have a concrete impact on the future of Israeli-Palestinian negotiations, it should be based on detailed positions of the Quartet approved at the conference and combined with a realistic timeline for convening a conference with the parties, leading to negotiations on a two-state solution.
April 29, 2016

Turks recently celebrated the anniversary of the opening of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey (TBMM) by Mustafa Kemal Ataturk on April 23, 1920.

Every April 23, officially known as National Sovereignty and Childrens Day, schoolchildren throughout Turkey enjoy a mix of politics and festivities as they sing songs, sit at the desks of high-ranking government officials  president, prime minister, Cabinet ministers, speaker of parliament, provincial governors  and issue remarks on the importance of freedom, the rule of law, national independence and representative democracy. The heartwarming spectacle nurtures hope that younglings with a tenuous understanding of lofty ideals will someday become informed citizens and dedicated public servants.

Although Turkish children were still able to enjoy April 23 this year, new and futile disputes in the political realm marred the national tradition. Ten days before the anniversary, the office of Speaker Ismail Kahraman, who is a member of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), announced that the TBMM will not hold its traditional reception out of respect for those killed in the ongoing fighting in southeast Turkey.

But then news emerged that the AKP government planned to commemorate on April 29 the centennial anniversary of the Ottoman victory at Kut al-Amara in Iraq against the British during World War I. Whereas the cancellation of the TBMM reception had received scant attention, the Kut issue started a storm.

Yavuz Alogan, a columnist at Aydinlik newspaper, which is allied with the ultra-leftist and ultranationalist Homeland Party of Dogu Perincek, claimed the decision to commemorate Kut reflected [the AKPs] reluctance to celebrate national sovereignty. He added, We should be ashamed of ourselves.

In a less hostile tone, pro-secular Sozcu and Cumhuriyet interpreted the AKPs move as an attempt to suppress the memory of one of Ataturks greatest accomplishments, the founding of the TBMM, and cherish an Ottoman victory that hardly anyone remembers.

Pro-AKP media outlets responded to secular critics in kind. One website argued that those who are bothered by the remembrance for Kut are the English among us, contending that after joining NATO in 1952, Turkey stopped celebrating the military victory under pressure from its new-found British ally.

It is more likely that Ankara did not want to offend London because Turkey needed British support in its dispute with Greece over Cyprus in the 1950s. A similar theory posits that Turkey stopped celebrating Kut because it allied with Iraq for a brief moment in the early Cold War years.

So why are commemorations that should unite Turks of all stripes dividing them instead? After all, the Kut al-Amara campaign  where the Ottoman army drove back, laid siege and took prisoner a British task force of 13,000 troops  hardly diminishes Ataturks stature. The founder of modern Turkey accomplished a great deal in the Canakkale (Dardanelles) campaign during World War I and with his military victories against foreign occupiers after the Great War, the proclamation of the republic in 1923 and with the countrys subsequent modernization.

According to Edward Erickson, author of the book Ordered to Die: A History of the Ottoman Army in the First World War and professor of military history at the US Marine Corps Command and Staff College, The [Kut campaign] was a brilliant display of effective combat leadership. Erickson told Al-Monitor in an email, [Commander of the Ottoman army in Iraq] Nurettin Pasas plan resulted in the capture of an enemy army  it was, and is, a very, very big deal. The twin victories of Canakkale (defensive) and Kut (offensive) bought time for the Ottoman Empire and likely extended the war in the Middle East by one to two years.

In other words, just like Canakkale, Kut helped to weaken Turkeys opponents  especially Britain  which contributed to the Turks winning back their country under Ataturks leadership in 1919-1922.

To be sure, the decision to dust off the memory of Kut and reintroduce it to the public has a political dimension. Veysel Simsek, a historian of the Ottoman Empire and postdoctoral fellow at McGill Universitys Indian Ocean World Center, told Al-Monitor, Past events are remembered (or forgotten) in a selective fashion based on the concurrent political situation. For example, the participation of the non-Turkish ethnic and non-Muslim Ottoman citizens in the Great War have been largely erased from the collective memory in modern Turkey. Armenians and Greeks were traitors and aliens who did not have a real place in Turkish nationhood. Turks wrongly think Arabs as a whole backstabbed them during the war while Kurds were hardly ever mentioned until recently.

Simsek said, Just like all states, the Turkish state likes to add certain things at certain times, and it likes to remove some things at other times, mentioning instances in recent history where the Turkish state promoted new memories to suit the political climate. For example, Turkey began openly including the Kurds into its historical narrative in the 1990s as one of many Muslim ethnic groups that fought in the Great War. In those days, when Turkeys fight against the Kurdistan Workers Party had reached a crescendo, it made sense to emphasize the common history between Turks and Kurds.

Hinting at the AKPs continuing ambitions to reshape the Middle East, Simsek said, It cant be a coincidence that the current government has chosen to glorify a campaign where the Ottomans attained victory in Iraq.

That may well be true. Ibrahim Kalin, senior adviser and speaker for President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, recently declared in a press conference that, on April 29, Turkey will host the descendants of Iraqis whose ancestors fought on the Ottoman side at Kut. That victory, Kalin added, represents a story of heroism  just like Canakkale [and] April 23 against foreign invaders.

But Mustafa Akaydin, a member of the opposition Republican Peoples Party, is not convinced. Akaydin told Al-Monitor in an email interview that canceling the April 23 reception [out of respect for the dead] while holding magnificent ceremonies for [other] occasions says much to the public about the AKPs sincerity.

One person who has reason to be happy for the remembrance of Kut and yet has mixed feelings about it is Mert Kut. Kut, a private citizen from Izmir and great-great-grandson of Halil (Kut) Pasa, who was one of the leading commanders of the Ottoman army at Kut al-Amara in 1916 and whose family name comes from that victory, expressed his frustration to Al-Monitor. He said the new celebration appears like an attempt to marginalize the memory of Ataturk. No victory could be greater than the one that Ataturk won with the War of Independence [in 1922], Kut said.

Let us hope that the AKP avoids similar disputes in the future by addressing the concerns of people like Akaydin and Kut.
May 1, 2016

Aleppo may be last stand for Salafi groups

UN Syria Envoy Staffan de Mistura has called for an urgent initiative by the United States and Russia, including a ministerial meeting of the International Syria Support Group, to re-establish a cessation of hostilities in Syria. While the UN envoy noted some progress in the second round of proximity talks between the Syrian government and opposition groups, he said that the next round would be meaningful only if accompanied by a renewed cessation of violence.

The latest round of UN talks, which concluded last week in Geneva, was overshadowed by the escalation of fighting and casualties in Aleppo, including the bombing of the al-Quds hospital, which killed at least 20, including a pediatrician and three children.

The Russian Federation on April 26 formally requested that the UN Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate (CTED) add Ahrar al-Sham and Jaish al-Islam to its list of sanctioned organizations because they are closely linked to terrorist organizations, first of all Islamic State (formerly ISIS/ISIL) and Al-Qaeda, and provide and receive from them financial, material, technical and military support. Russia has long argued for the two groups designation as terrorist entities, which would allow Syria and its allies to make the case for offensive military operations against them, even during a cessation of hostilities, under UN Security Council Resolution 2254. The United Arab Emirates, for its part, has designated Ahrar al-Sham a terrorist organization.

This column has warned since 2013 about the mainstreaming of these foreign backed rebel Salafi groups, including by advocates in the West, and would prefer they be excluded from negotiations about Syrias future, given their radical sectarian ideology. It should, for example, be alarming that the head of the Syrian oppositions High Negotiations Committee, Mohammad Alloush, is also the leader of Jaish al-Islam. This, while perhaps alarming, is not surprising as the committee was formed in Riyadh. Alloushs father, Zahran Alloush, was memorably described by one former US official as simply an ambitious Islamist commander in an article about a resurgent moderate opposition in 2014. For the record, Zahran Alloush was an apocalyptic sectarian hater of the highest order, memorably warning Shiites that the Umayyad had previously broken your heads, the Levantines will break them again, you impure rejectionists, among other bile. We would refer to you an article by Ali Mamouri about the mischaracterization of Alloush as a moderate.

The United States is well aware of Ahrar al-Shams and Jaish al-Islams on-again, off-again collaboration with Jabhat al-Nusra, al-Qaedas affiliate in Syria, and both groups radical Islamic ideology, which barely differs from that of Jabhat al-Nusra and the Islamic State (IS) and has little foundation or appeal among the vast majority of Syrians. Washington has been boxed in, however, because these groups are backed tooth and nail by Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Qatar, so Washington has, until now, held the line, and its nose, in resisting Russias entreaties in deference to its regional partners and as a means of pressure on Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

The battle for Aleppo could clarify the next phase in the Syria conflict, especially by putting to the test the alleged popular support of these Salafi groups. We cannot envision the population of this great city rallying to defend the Sharia rule of Ahrar al-Sham or other armed groups. The citizens of Aleppo have endured enough suffering. Our hunch is that they will instead welcome a united city and an end to the fighting, as well as the retreat of the Salafi and jihadi rebels. We wrote in January, A Syrian government victory in Aleppo could be the beginning of the end of the sectarian mindset that would have been alien to the city prior to 2011. There is no more appropriate city to begin Syrias healing. A Syrian government victory in Aleppo will make it harder to rationalize Western backing for jihadi groups that want to keep up the fight against long odds in the rest of the country. IS and al-Qaeda may prefer, over time, to begin to relocate to Libya and other countries where they can avoid the pounding from the US-led anti-IS coalition and Russian- and Iranian-backed Syrian forces. This may already be happening, and if so, it is to be cheered by those who seek a unified, secular and nonsectarian Syria, as outlined in the Vienna Communique, and as is Aleppos tradition.

Aramcos 5% may be less than meets the eye

Saudi Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who also serves as defense minister and head of the Council of Economic and Developmental Affairs, last week outlined Saudi Arabias 2030 Vision, an expansive program of economic reform and change.

At the core of the 2030 vision is the public offering of 5% of Aramcos shares, worth an estimated $2 trillion, which would be the largest such offering ever. Rami Khrais explains that by listing Aramco, the largest oil company in the world, Saudi Arabia hopes to establish the foundation for turning the PIF [Public Investment Fund] into a sovereign fund that lends itself to diversifying sources of national income away from oil revenues, which account for more than 80% of Saudi exports.

But heres the catch: Why would investors put their stake in an industry that the kingdom is seeking to downsize? The decision to wean Saudi Arabia off oil dependence and reduce subsidies  good economic medicine for sure  comes at a time of economic crisis and could be accompanied by social and political volatility, especially if the goal is actually to end oil dependence by 2020, as the deputy crown prince said in the interview.

In an interview on Al-Arabiya television, the deputy crown prince said, People in the past were displeased with the fact that Aramco's file and data are undeclared, unclear, and nontransparent. Today, it will become transparent. Transparency is all to the good, but it has not been the hallmark of Saudi decision-making. The kingdoms regional policies, especially in Yemen, have seemed at times impulsive and emotional and contribute to a climate of regional instability. The Economist noted this week that the shadow of the Wahhabi religious establishment  hangs over all reform in Saudi Arabia.

Khrais concludes, Although the Saudis' move to establish a new sovereign fund appears to bode well, that alone is insufficient. It also requires a comprehensive blueprint that establishes the functions and powers of the fund and its governance. In addition, the funds objectives must complement the objectives of creating a local economic base for sustainable development. Serious public finance reforms will also need to be implemented to ensure optimum outcomes in the long term.
Five (or so) new releases that are either good, not-so-good or just worth talking about.

New this week

BATMAN #51. DC. Written by Scott Snyder. Art by Greg Capullo.

As bloated and misguided as "Superheavy" was (and 10 issues out of an overall run of 51 is a bit much), it had its moments -- particularly the quieter, more emotionally-driven stories in #44 and #49. This week's issue of "Batman" -- the last by the duo of writer Scott Snyder and artist Greg Capullo -- manages to focus on what made those two work while also serving as Snyder and Capullo's farewell to the series. (They're not gone completely from Batlore: Snyder is co-writing #52, and he'll return as the writer for "All-Star Batman" later this year, presumably with Capullo in tow at some point alongside a revolving cast of artists.)

But before we get to "All-Star" and before we move on to the silliness of "Rebirth" (the upcoming DC relaunch that will reset all of the publisher's major titles), there is the simple pleasure of "Batman" #51. The story is familiar (the power suddenly goes off in Gotham) but the resolution (no evil plot to be found) is not for a lack of trying on Batman's part -- his investigation that touches on every supervillain and goon in Gotham is a convenient way to ruminate over the largely stellar run Synder and Capullo have enjoyed. At the end, without a face or set of faces that needs smashing, we're left to ponder Batman's legacy in the city he loves.

It's a quiet, dignified way to exit the stage, and a reminder that, despite the excesses storytellers continue to heap upon him, there's something at Batman's core that simply resonates.

Generalized Unique Emoticon Scientific Score: =D>,

3 DEVILS #2. IDW. Written by Bo Hampton. Art by Bo Hampton and Jeremy Mohler.

The second entry in Bo Hampton's supernatural post-Civil War Western miniseries for IDW starts a bit slower than its predecessor, but after the amble-y "trip into town for supplies" intro, the story once again gets rolling. And while Marcus, the mysterious ex-slave turned necromancer of sorts, doesn't raise the dead this time around, we are treated to more of his story and why exactly he seems to be devoid of emotion (which, importantly, serves as a more than sufficient justification for the rather uneventful opener). I love this series -- the story has real stakes with revenge and justice at its core, and the characters are interesting and pretty complex. But the quality control in this particular issue was a little lacking with two noticeable typos that made an otherwise great book seem small. Still, with two more issues to go, this is a series to read.

GUESS: :-), :-D, -_________-

Last week's leftovers

DEADPOOL #10. Marvel. Written by Gerry Duggan. Art by Matteo Lolli.

The best Deadpool stories are tales that are able to deftly mix the character's penchant for violence and meta humor while also giving him a little emotional heft. The film, for example, managed a nice blend of all three, as did writer Gerry Duggan (along with co-writer and comedian Brian Posehn) in the 2013 classic arc "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly." The current story, while it hasn't quite reached the same emotional heights as "The Good..."'s trip to a North Korean POW camp for mutant experiments, is still one with some real heart: Deadpool, by way of his erratic memory, has become convinced that Sabretooth killed his parents when it was, in fact, the Merc himself who did it. But (and here's the interesting part) Sabretooth, in an effort to do something nice, is willing to take the blame to spare Wade from the guilt of knowing he killed his own parents.

Duggan's writing has a light touch: Sabretooth is still gruff and annoyed with most of Deadpool's shenanigans (and is naturally irritated by all the attempts on his life), but he has the inner struggle of a bad guy trying desperately to reform. The emotional conflict, however, is nearly rivaled by the quick action (portrayed with serious skill by Matteo Lolli) between two heavyweights who are both nearly impossible to kill. As the issue closes with Deadpool gaining a serious advantage, we're left with an important question: He just might win this fight, but in the end, will it be a "W" he really wanted?

GUESS: :-O, :'-/, :-)

BLACK-EYED KIDS #1. AfterShock. Written by Joe Pruett. Art by Szymon Kudranski.

The story for "Black-Eyed Kids" is more or less telegraphed in the title as readers are dropped into a non-descript snowy hamlet as dead-eyed youths creep inside its borders to carry out a series of brutal murders. The narrative, strangely devoid of details like where exactly this town is or who any of our unfortunate victims are, unfolds like a standard horror flick, but that's not necessarily a bad thing with artist Szymon Kudranski's hyperrealistic, almost rotoscoped approach. In fact, between the widescreen panels and the aforementioned style, "Black-Eyed Kids" #1 is one of the more cinematic comics I can remember, and it seems as if there should be 10,000 more pages that captured all of the missing frame-by-frame shots. If the writing details start to seep in, this could be one impressive book.

GUESS: O_O, *-*, B-)

ALOHA, HAWAIIAN DICK #1. Image. Written by B. Clay Moore. Art by Sean K. Dove and Jacob Wyatt.

Coming in at the fourth chapter of the "Byrd of Paradise" saga of tropical noir is a little daunting, and the creators seem to understand as much as they open "Aloha, Hawaiian Dick" with a splash page that lists the highlights of previous installments: The secretively mononymous Byrd, after shooting his younger brother to death "for as yet unknown reasons," now works in 1954 Hawaii as a private detective. Seems simple enough, right? Well from there, writer B. Clay Moore takes us to Kansas City and a different, still-living Byrd brother Mike to tell the story of how Mike will sleuth his way to Hawaii to join his brother. ("[A]ll Byrds are Dicks in one way or another," as Moore explains in an afterward.) So clearly this setup is a little confusing, but this issue did interest me in both the previous chapters in Byrd's story and the future installments in "Aloha," so this must have done something right -- and that's namely being a solid post-World War II noir story of private eyes, bad beats and bad luck.

GUESS: :-?, \:-), o_0
A Gadsden man was sentenced this week in North Carolina for sexual offenses involving a teen girl over the course of several years.

Scottie Lamar Myrick, 47, faced 44 charges including indecent liberties with a child, sexual offense with a child and statutory rape, according to the Winston-Salem Journal.

The newspaper reported that Myrick was accused of sexually abusing a girl starting when she was 12 until she was 15.

His trial began this week in Forsyth County, N.C., but ended when Myrick entered an Alford plea to two counts of felony crimes against nature. The district attorney's office then dismissed the original 44 counts.

An Alford plea allows someone to enter a plea without admitting guilt when the defendant and his attorney believe prosecutors have sufficient evidence to obtain a conviction.

Myrick was given a suspended sentence of six to 17 months, followed by a year of unsupervised probation. He received credit for the time he already has served in jail.
One man was killed and two others were injured at a Saturday night cookout in Bessemer, police say.

Bessemer Detective Sgt. Cortice Miles said officers arrived on the scene of a shooting in the 1800 block of 15th Street North at around 9 p.m.

One man was found dead on the scene of multiple gunshot wounds to the upper body, he said. A man and a woman were also shot and transported to UAB Hospital with non-life threatening injuries.

"At this time, we do not have a suspect," Miles said, and it's unclear at this time if there were multiple shooters.

No possible motive in the shooting was released.

More than 100 people were on the street at the time of the incident, which makes the investigation more difficult, he said.

LaQuita Hall, who was at the scene, said her brother-in-law, Robert King Williams, 38, was shot and killed.

Nearly two hours after Williams was shot, Hall was still looking for her sister.

Hall said the news of Williams' death is shocking. A man identifying himself as Williams' cousin said he was devastated.

"(Williams) just got off work," Hall said.

Hall and others said Williams stopped at the nearby Citgo gas station on his way home from work but was called over to the cookout less than a block away on 15th Street.

Williams lived in Ensley, she said.

A bystander, who didn't want to be identified, said someone was shooting Facebook video of the body as it laid in the roadway before police arrived on the scene.

The video makers were saying "Come check on your folks," she said.
A Jefferson County man, twice convicted and sentenced to death in the 1997 beating death of an 85-year-old woman, lost an appeal last week.

The Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals on Friday affirmed a circuit judge's dismissal of Alfonzo Morris' appeal.

Morris, who is being held on Alabama Death Row at Holman Correctional Facility in Atmore, has had three trials.

Morris was convicted and sentenced to death in 2003 for Miriam Rochester's Feb. 25, 1997 murder, but the Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals overturned the conviction and sentence after determining Morris was denied his rights to due process and a fair trial because he was not provided with funds to hire an independent mental-health expert.

Before his retrial, a circuit judge held a hearing and determined Morris was not intellectually disabled.

On April 7, 2008, Morris was again tried for the two counts of capital murder. The jury was unable to reach a verdict, and the trial court declared a mistrial.

A third trial began May 5, 2008 and Morris was again convicted and sentenced to death based on the recommendation of the jury.

Rochester, who weighed 92 pounds and used a walker, was found in the hall of her Second Avenue South home. Evidence showed she had been knocked to the floor with a blunt object in the living room and she moved to the hallway before receiving the fatal blow.

The house had been ransacked, and the killer had taken time to eat some lunch meat, drink a beer and smoke a cigarette inside.

Morris was linked to the crime by DNA evidence. He also had some of the victim's jewelry when he was arrested about four hours after the murder.

The decision in Morris' case was among four appeals by Alabama Death Row inmates upheld by the Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals on Friday.

The others included: John Russell Calhoun in the 1998 death and robbery of a Talladega man and the rape of his wife; Nathaniel Woods, the man convicted in the 2004 shooting deaths of three Birmingham police officers; Anthony Lane, who claims he is intellectually disabled and shouldn't be executed for his conviction in the 2009 robbery and shooting death of an Indiana man who was in Birmingham on business.
The Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals on Friday upheld the conviction and sentence of death row inmate Nathaniel Woods in the 2004 shooting deaths of three Birmingham police officers.

In a 57-page opinion the appeals court affirmed a circuit judge's dismissal of Woods' petition challenging his capital murder convictions and sentence of death.

Woods was convicted in December 2005 of capital murder for the June 17, 2004 shooting deaths of Birmingham Police Officers Carlos Owen, Harley A. Chisholm III, and Charles R. Bennett while they were serving a warrant at an apartment in Ensley.

Woods also was convicted of attempting to murder Officer Michael Collins.

The jury recommended, by a vote of 10 to 2, that Woods be sentenced to death. The judge followed the jury's recommendation and sentenced Woods to death.

Woods's co-defendant, Kerry M. Spencer, was also convicted of capital murder and was sentenced to death. Both men are awaiting execution on Alabama Death Row at Holman Correctional Facility in Atmore.

The decision in Woods' case was among four appeals by Alabama Death Row inmates upheld by the Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals on Friday.

The others included: John Russell Calhoun in the 1998 death and robbery of a Talladega man and the rape of his wife; Alfonzo Morris in the 1997 beating death of an 85-year-old woman; Anthony Lane, who claims he is intellectually disabled and shouldn't be executed for his conviction in the 2009 robbery and shooting death of an Indiana man who was in Birmingham on business.
DANIEL BERRIGAN

The Rev. Daniel Berrigan, right, and defense lawyer William M. Kunstler talk with newsmen after Berrigan and eight other Catholics were sentenced to two years to three-and-a-half years in prison in Baltimore, Md., on Nov. 9, 1968. Berrigan died Saturday.

(AP Photo)

SYRACUSE, N.Y. -- The Rev. Daniel Berrigan, a poet and peace activist who taught at Le Moyne College and attracted national attention with his protests during the Vietnam War, died Saturday.

Berrigan, a Syracuse native, was 94 years old. He died in New York City.

The Rev. Daniel Berrigan listens to comments regarding activism during a gathering celebrating the 50th anniversary of Le Moyne College in 1996.

Berrigan grew up on a farm near Syracuse and became a Catholic priest. From 1957-1963 he taught theology at Le Moyne College. While there he founded International House, student-run, social advocacy group. He also spent four years at Cornell University as the assistant director of Cornell United Religious Work.

Berrigan made headlines when he went to North Vietnam in 1968 to bring home the first three U.S. prisoners of war.

Later in 1968 Berrigan and his brother Phillip, who was also a priest, attracted national attention as "the Berrigan Brothers." They and seven other Catholic protesters, known as the Catonsville Nine, used homemade napalm to burn draft records they had taken from a Maryland selective service office.

The brothers were later sentenced to several years in prison. Phillip Berrigan reported to prison, but Daniel Berrigan spent four months living underground before he was captured by the FBI.

The brothers also formed an interfaith coalition against the Vietnam War. In the 1980s they began the Plowshares Movement, damaging nuclear warhead nose cones at a GE plant and pouring blood on important documents and records.

The two were featured on the cover of Time Magazine in 1971.

Philip Berrigan died in 2002. Another brother, Jerome "Jerry" Berrigan, who was also an activist, died last year at age 95.
Paul Gattis | pgattis@al.com

Brawling mayor, Bentley beach house, bathrooms: AL.com must-read stories

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Paul Gattis | pgattis@al.com

Alex City mayor, wife charged with assault after council meeting brawl

A day after Alexander City Mayor Charles Shaw brawled with city councilman Tony Goss, the mayor and his wife were arrested and charged with third-degree assault following a city council meeting. The fight arose after a dispute between Shaw and Goss during the meeting.

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William Thornton | wthornton@al.com

Oxford approves transgender bathroom ordinance with threat of $500 fine, 6 months in jail

The growing controversy nationally over the use of public restrooms by transgenders emerged in Oxford when the city council passed a law requiring bathroom usage to be determined by the gender listed on a person's birth certificate. The ordinance came in response to Target's new policy allowing transgender people to use the bathroom matching the identity with which they now identify with.

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Rep. Ed Henry rounds up enough signatures to file impeachment

While Gov. Bentley called a press conference on Friday to tout a week of accomplishments for his administration, the scandal engulfing his office isn't fading away. After the legislature imposed a higher bar to bring articles of impeachment, Rep. Ed Henry -- who is leading the impeachment effort -- gathered enough sponsors to meet the new bar and re-introduced the impeachment resolution. Click here to read all of AL.com's coverage of the Bentley scandal.

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Paul Gattis | pgattis@al.com

Baldwin to Gov. Robert Bentley: Tear down this wall now

Bentley's problems have followed him to Gulf Shores. The Baldwin County Commission is considering order Bentley to tear down a decorative privacy wall that the commission said extends onto the county's right-of-way at the governor's office beach mansion. The residence, which is undergoing $1.8 million in renovations, is also creating environmental concerns for the endangered Alabama beach mouse.

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Huntsville parents of 6 die within 48 hours of each other

The parents of six children died within 48 hours of each other last month. Jennifer Norsworthy had a history of blood clots and died in her sleep on April 22. Two days later, husband Toby died of a heart attack. The life of the Norsworthy's was celebrated at a memorial service in which the couple was remembered as selfless, giving Christians.

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Matthew Wester and his wife, Amy Nicole Wester, were married after Wester graduated from high school last year. Wester had been charged with having sexual contact with his now-wife when she was his student at Cleveland High School in Blount County.

Teacher-husband acquitted in sex case after student-wife a no-show in court

Two Alabama court cases brought different results for teachers charged with participating in sex acts with students. One teacher was acquitted when a former student he was accused of having sexual contact with, did not show up in court to testify. The teacher and former students eventually married.

In another case, a Decatur judge refused to overturn a request by a teacher charged with having sex with a student to overturn Alabama's law prohibiting teachers from having sex with students.

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Paul Gattis | pgattis@al.com

How the April 27 Tuscaloosa tornado changed Nick Saban

The state observed the fifth anniversary of the deadly April 27, 2011 tornadoes. And not even perhaps the state's most well-known person was immune to being affected -- although it not be apparent, friends say. Another well-known Alabama personality, James Spann, said he is still trying to process the number of people who died that day.

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Paul Gattis | pgattis@al.com

Mother posts heartbroken message after thieves take cancer-stricken daughter's cash for St. Jude

Money that a 4-year-old girl was collecting to donate to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital was stolen during a burglary. The little girl, Molly Paysinger, is a St. Judes patient herself after being diagnosed with leukemia when she was 2.
Former Alabama governor Don Siegelman was sent back into solitary confinement after being interviewed for a Washington Post article this week, the newspaper reported.

Siegelman, now 70, is incarcerated at a federal correctional institution in Oakdale, La. He was transferred into solitary after the story appeared online Monday, his son Joseph Siegelman told the Post.

Bureau of Prisons officials did not confirm to the Post whether the ex-governor is in solitary confinement but said the allegation that he was punished for talking to a reporter is false.

Siegelman was interviewed by phone on April 22 for a story about former Virginia governor Robert McConnell, who was convicted on public corruption charges in 2014. The Supreme Court reviewed McConnell's case Wednesday.

Siegelman was convicted by a federal court in 2006 on bribery, conspiracy and obstruction of justice charges after being accused of appointing former HealthSouth CEO Richard Scrushy to a health planning board in return for a $500,000 donation to the governor's campaign for a statewide lottery.

He has seen numerous appeals rejected, and, in January, the U.S. Supreme Court said it would not review his case after a lower appeals court rejected his request for a new sentencing hearing and trial.

He is set for release on Aug. 8, 2017.

Last month, more than 100 former state attorneys general sent a letter to President Barack Obama seeking a pardon for former Alabama Gov. Don Siegelman.

According to a statement to AL.com released on Siegelman's behalf, the former governor now aims to help enact criminal justice reform, expose the truth about what happened to him and get a presidential pardon.

A shirt that Siegelman wore in prison was recently sold on Ebay for $4,500. Proceeds will go to help fund "Atticus v. The Architect," a documentary being made about Siegelman's conviction.
Kailahun, Sierra Leone  As Mary Sia Kombo walks through the trees and shrubs of her familys cocoa farm, images of her father flood her memory.

He used to carry me to the farm with him, recalls 23-year-old Kombo. It was a special time spent with my father. I learned a lot.

Though her father died in 2007, she remembers how he encouraged her to pursue farming  and to work hard at it.

He showed me many techniques of farming. Im always missing him, she says.

However, the farm her father owned could not be maintained after the devastation of the countrys 11-year civil war. When the war ended in 2002, he father tried to revitalise the farm, but it was difficult. After his death, there was still a lot of work to be done.

Despite agriculture accounting for almost half of the countrys gross domestic product, farms neglected owing to the war are common.

A project initiated by the German government is hoping to revive the cocoa industry by offering a programme known as the Integrated Farmers Training to youth like Kombo, who has been involved with the programme since its launch in February 2014.

Teaching business

The project is implemented by the German Federal Enterprise for International Cooperation (GIZ) with funding from the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development.

Currently, about 5,000 young people from the eastern districts of Kailahun and Kono are learning about the cocoa farm trade, many of them owning the plantations upon which they learn to farm.

So many [farmers] died, and younger generations were not able to take care of plantations. The knowledge was lost and interest was not there, says Ralf Zimmermann, the team leader of the cocoa component of the programme.

And now they dont have the resources. Many of these plantations are overgrown, neglected. It isnt enough to make a living, Zimmerman says.

Zimmermann notes that Sierra Leone has never been a major exporter of cocoa.

[For the programme promoting employment], cocoa as a high-demand cash crop is an ideal vehicle to create self-employment in the rural areas. All the plantations are already in place  they just have to be rehabilitated and rejuvenated, he says, adding that the climate and soil are ideal for cocoa farming.

With the right training and enough interest from younger farmers, he believes the programme could be a success. This is where we come in.

Through the initiative, GIZ helps these farmers to finance a small portion of their own plantations which, due to years of neglect and damage, essentially must be restored from scratch. GIZ provides the farmers with resources such as tools and equipment, to revive and then maintain the land.

Once they start generating an income, the farmers can fully take over management of the farm. About 4,500 hectares of land is being rehabilitated under the programme.

Taught by local instructors who are led by a German training expert, the programme is divided into eight modules, which include skills such as plant cropping, plant nutrition and replanting seeds. There is also a business training component so that trainees can develop trade skills and sell directly to buyers.

Zimmermann adds that the project focuses on helping youth because of the high unemployment rates in Sierra Leone  another hard-hitting impact of the civil war. The youth population, aged 15-35, comprises a third of the population of the country, of whom about 70 percent are underemployed or unemployed.

Umaru Jusu is just one of the thousands of youth who fought in the civil war. Hes now in his 30s and says the experience was traumatising.

Members of the rebel group, Revolutionary United Front or RUF, killed his parents and siblings after his father could not give them money. Jusu was captured and forced to join the group.

There was no way for me to live, so I joined the war  Without doing that, they [the RUF] would have killed me, Jusu says.

When the war was over, he was at a loss with nothing to do. After living on the streets for years, selling bread to make ends meet, Jusu happened upon a childhood friend who advised him to learn about cocoa farming. He took that advice and started working on his friends farm. When he heard about the training from GIZ, Jusu was eager to join.

RELATED READ: A world without chocolate

His late father also had some land, which he is now utilising for his own cocoa farming.

I didnt know how to use money; I didnt know about cash books or sales credit. They taught us all about financial services. I know what I sell, buy and profit from. Now I know how to do business, says Jusu with a grin. My big goal is to be one of the richest men in Kailahun.

Ebola strikes

There was an economic setback in 2014 when the Ebola crisis hit Sierra Leone. Kailahun was one of the first places where the virus took hold and it became a hot-spot for the epidemic.

The training programme was forced to a halt for several months. However, according to the young farmers who spoke with Al Jazeera, they did not neglect their farms during this time. The farmers were still able to get to their land, but sales exports suffered.

[Middlemen and importers] didnt buy cocoa beans from us. They were worried about the Ebola and wouldnt touch the beans, says Jusu.

What compounded the problem were the restrictions on the movement of the young farmers. We couldnt move around to sell. There were restrictions with no movement out of our town to keep the virus from spreading.

The country was declared Ebola-free this March.

Even though the farmer training programme was new, young farmers say they have still made around $800 and $1,000 per year, which is a high income for a country where most of the population has been living on less than $1 a day.

According to the Produce Monitoring Board, almost 16,000 tonnes were exported in 2011-2012, but figures dropped to 12,642 tonnes in 2014-2015.

WATCH: Ivory Coasts bittersweet chocolate industry

However, demand for cocoa is still high, according to Zimmermann. Most exports head to the United States and Holland, which also distribute the beans further into Europe.

The training could be coming at a very good time, according to some analysts, as a lack of cocoa could be imminent.

It is speculated that climate change may be a cause for this impending extinction. Its not clear at the moment how the situation will be in West Africa. For example, if theres more rain, it wouldnt be a bad thing for cocoa, says Zimmermann.

There are studies that say increased drier, warmer temperatures could happen in parts of West Africa, more so in Ivory Coast and Ghana, which are top exporters of cocoa. On one hand, this could mean an opportunity for Sierra Leone to step up its game in the cocoa world and perhaps sell even more. But on the other hand, if this area is affected too, it could mean that cocoa will be harder to produce.

As for Mary Sia Kombo, she still has high dreams of what she will be able to achieve in the cocoa industry. She plans on continuing to learn more about the trade.

It is something, she is confident, that would have made her father proud.
Officials say talks under way to extend regime of silence as Arab League mulls session to discuss ongoing bombardment.

Russia has said it is working towards halting fighting in the northern Syrian city of Aleppo, which has been under heavy government bombardment for more than a week.

The comments by military officials that they were negotiating an end to the violence with the Syrian government came after the US called on Russia to pressure Syria to end the military onslaught.

Currently active negotiations are under way to establish a regime of silence in Aleppo province, Lieutenant-General Sergey Kurylenko was quoted as saying by Russian news agencies on Sunday.

On Saturday, Russia said it would not urge President Bashar al-Assads forces to halt air raids on the city as they were targeting groups not covered by the ceasefire, which took effect in late February.

Aleppo is not part of the temporary, partial ceasefire which is now in place in the Damascus countryside and Latakia.

Ceasefire talks in Geneva have come under threat as the Syrian opposition threatened to leave if the Assad government did not halt the attacks.

A pro-government newspaper said on Thursday the army was preparing an offensive to recapture all of Aleppo and the surrounding province.

John Kerry, US secretary of state, arrived in Geneva late on Sunday to rescue the talks and the Arab League is holding an emergency meeting to discuss the situation.

Al Jazeeras James Bays, reporting from the Swiss city, said the opposition delegates present at the talks were cynical about Russias role in the peace efforts.

The opposition will tell you the Russians arent here because they are interested in the talks but are instead interested in the military option, our diplomatic editor said.

People And Power: Syria  Under Russias Fist

Earlier on Sunday, an Al Jazeera source in Aleppo said Syrian government forces dropped barrel bombs in the Hritan, Kafr Dael, Bab al-Haded and Kastelo neighbourhoods.

Most of the fighting was concentrated in the countryside in an apparent attempt to cut off rebel-held areas from supply routes on the Turkish border.

Hospitals have also been bombed: four medical facilities were hit on Friday on both sides of the frontline, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said.

Extreme conflict

A raid on Wednesday hit a hospital supported by Doctors Without Borders (MSF) and the ICRC as well as nearby housing, killing 30 people.

Aleppo has been experiencing extreme conflict for four years now and 95 percent of the medical staff in the city has quite understandably already fled, Sam Taylor of the MSF told Al Jazeera from Amman, Jordan.

There are only 70 to 80 doctors in Aleppo. Thats a ridiculously small amount of medical staff trying to deal with enormous amount of trauma injuries.

Hospitals and other civilian infrastructure is not a target in this war. Its appalling that this level of violence still continues in the year 2016.

At least 253 civilians, including 49 children, have died in shelling, rocket fire and air strikes in Aleppo since the surge in fighting, according to the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitoring group.

In remarks in Istanbul in Turkey on Saturday, Anas al-Abdeh, head of the Istanbul-based opposition National Coalition, accused the government of war crimes and crimes against humanity in Aleppo.

Human Rights Watch, the US-based monitoring group, also said air strikes on medical facilities in the city may amount to war crimes.

Qatar asked for the emergency Arab League session to discuss the situation in Aleppo, a day after Saudi Arabia condemned the Syrian government offensive.

Zouhir al-Shimale contributed to this report from Aleppo
Trade unions and other groups stage rallies and events around the world to mark International Workers Day.

Trade unions and other groups are staging rallies around the world to mark International Workers Day. A look at some May Day events:

TURKEY

Turkish police on Sunday used tear gas and water cannon to disperse dozens of May Day demonstrators in Istanbul.

Security forces arrested several people to prevent them gathering in Istanbuls Taksim Square which has symbolic meaning as the centre of protests in which 34 people were killed in 1977.

A police vehicle ran over and killed one protester who was trying to reach the public square. He was named by local media as 57-year-old Nail Mavus, in Tarlabasi district of Istanbul.

In the nearby district of Sisli, police fired tear gas and water cannon to scatter other protesters.

Up to 15,000 police and 120 water cannons were deployed across Istanbul, according to Anadolu Agency.

According to Birgun newspaper, 52 people were arrested as they tried to reach Taksim Square.

The police are routinely heavy-handed in such demonstrations, not only on May Day. The scuffles occurred after police did not let people enter Taksim Square, Yavuz Baydar, a Turkish columnist and analyst, told Al Jazeera.

Authorities had previously agreed with some unions to mark the day in a designated area in Istanbuls Bakirkoy district near the airport.

Elsewhere in Turkey, May Day marches were held without incident but were cancelled in the southern city of Gaziantep after of a car-bomb attack on a police station.

A May Day rally in the city of Adana was also cancelled earlier on Sunday as a result of a suicide-bomb threat.

Turkish police arrested four suspected Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL, also known as ISIS) members who were allegedly planning an attack on May Day celebrations in the capital Ankara, the state-run Anadolu Agency said.

Initial investigations showed that the four were Syrian citizens who had been in Ankara for some time, Anadolu said, without giving details on the nature of the attack.

It is a tense Turkey nowadays. A low-intensity civil war is going on in the mainly Kurdish southeastern provinces of the country, Baydar, the Turkish columnist, said.

As for the oppositional liberal parts of society in the urban areas, they believe their demands are not being met, and not even being listened to, by the government. This tension has been spreading across the country.

RUSSIA

Tens of thousands of people marched across Moscows Red Square on Sunday morning in a pro-Kremlin workers rally. The protesters were carrying the Russian tricolour and balloons.

As is typical for rallies organised by the ruling United Russia party, the May Day rally steered clear of criticising President Vladimir Putin or his government for falling living standards.

The slogans focused on wages and jobs for young professionals.

Left-wing Russian groups held their own rallies.

This year May Day coincided with the Orthodox Easter in Russia.

Communist leader Gennady Zyuganov told Russian news agencies before the rally that he celebrates Easter despite the Communist Partys history of oppressing the Russian Church.

When a supporter greeted him with Christ has risen!, Zyuganov echoed He is risen indeed! in a traditional Orthodox greeting.

TAIWAN

In Taipei, Taiwans capital, labour unions took to the streets with a march to call on the government to reduce working hours and increase wages.

Many Taiwanese have been concerned that outgoing President Ma Ying-jeous push for closer economic ties with China has benefited only a few.

Young Taiwanese have seen wages stagnate and good full-time jobs become harder to find as the export-led economy has slowed.

Chen Li-jen, a protester with the Taiwan Petroleum Workers Union, said that while companies were seeing their earnings per share grow every year, workers salaries were not rising in tandem.

Hardworking labourers are being exploited by consortiums, Chen said.

For the past decade, our basic salary has not made any progress.

Labourers rights have always been neglected. This is why I hope to take advantage of the May 1 Labour Day protest and tell the government that we are determined to fight for our rights.

GERMANY

Thousands of people in the German cities of Berlin and Hamburg were participating in demonstrations marking the Labour Day, according to the DW news agency.

The protests were peaceful, with police reporting only minor incidents of violence.

Protests against the far-right Alternative for Germany Party are expected to take place in several German cities, including Stuttgart, where the party is holding a congress.

Leftwing protests were held against the demonstration of right-wing, anti-immigration activists in the town of Plauen.

SOUTH KOREA

Tens of thousands of South Koreans took part in Sundays May Day protests to criticise labour reforms pushed by the government, and to call for a higher minimum wage.

Labour activists say the labour reform bill, backed by President Park Geun-Hye and her conservative Saenuri Party, will make it easier for companies to lay off workers.

Lets fight together against the evil bill! labour activists and unionised workers chanted in unison during a protest held in Seoul Plaza in front of the city hall.

About 30,000 unionised workers at local companies took part, according to the Federation of Korean Trade Unions.

FRANCE

Sundays May Day rallies pulled together all the different French trade unions and groups opposed to the proposed reform of the Labour laws.

The traditional marches, which continued throughout the day, were likely to be tense affairs after violence marred demonstrations earlier this month.

Police are expected to be out in force following protests on April 28 during which dozens of police officers were wounded and 214 arrest were made.





Bernard Cazeneuve, interior minister, in a telegram to senior police officers on Saturday, outlined a number of measures to be taken to avoid a repeat of the violence at previous demonstrations.

William Martinet, president of the UNEF students union, accepted that more needed to be done to protect and police the marches.

The CGT and the Force Ouvriere trade unions will lead the main May Day march in Paris, which will leave Place de la Bastille and head for Nation in the southeast of the city.

There will be representations from all the major student unions.

There will also be marches in other major towns and cities all over France.

However, neither the CFDT nor the CFTC unions, both of whom support the proposed Labour reform, will be marching today.

For its part, Frances far-right National Front party moved its annual May 1 gathering from its traditional location near the famous Louvre, to another location at Saint Augustin, a church in north central Paris.

The National Front said it had made the decision after ISIL announced earlier this year that the group was on the list of targets.

However, the founder Jean-Marie Le Pen still held a rally at the traditional location, in defiance of current party leader Marine Le Pen, his daughter.
Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi has called for the arrests of protesters who stormed the parliament, clashed with police and broke the barricades of Baghdads heavily-fortified Green Zone.

Abadis statement on Sunday came a day after hundreds of followers of the influential Shia cleric Muqtada al-Sadr tore down blast walls and poured into the parliament building, exacerbating a long-simmering political crisis.



Iraq crisis deepens with storming of parliament

The statement ordered the interior minister to track down the perpetrators who assaulted the security forces, the citizens and members of the council of representatives and were involved in vandalising public property and to present them to court so they can have a fair trial and face justice.

Videos on social media showed a group of young men surrounding and slapping two Iraqi legislators as they attempted to flee the crowd, while other protesters mobbed motorcades.

Protesters were also seen jumping and dancing on the parliaments meeting hall tables and chairs and waving Iraqi flags.

The protesters eventually left the parliament on Saturday night and rallied in a nearby square.

Sadr and his supporters want the political system, put in place following the US-led invasion in 2003, to be reformed.

As it stands, entrenched political blocs representing the countrys Shias, Sunnis and Kurds rely on patronage, resulting in widespread corruption and poor public services. The major blocs have until now blocked Abadis reform efforts.

Meanwhile, in southern Iraq, two suicide car bombs claimed by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL, also known as ISIS) group killed at least 32 people and wounded 75, police and medics said.

Sundays first blast was near a local government building and the second one about 60 metres away at a bus station in the centre of the southern Iraqi city of Samawa.

In the capital, protesters vowed to continue their sit-in inside the Green Zone until their demands are met.

We are fed up, we are living a humiliated life, Rasool Hassan, 37, told the Associated Press from the square where thousands of protesters had gathered.

Well leave here only when the corrupt government is replaced with another of independent technocrats that serves the people, not the political parties.

Jumaa, another protester, said she wanted the government dissolved and replaced by a small interim administration whose job would be to amend the constitution and to prepare for an early election.

READ MORE: Is the Iraqi government capable of taking back Mosul?

Iraq has been mired in political crisis for months, hindering the governments ability to combat the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL, also known as ISIS), which still controls much of the countrys north and west, or address a financial crisis largely prompted by the plunge in global oil prices.

Iraqi security forces initially responded to Saturdays events by tightening security across the capital, sealing off checkpoints leading to the Green Zone and stopping traffic on main roads into the city.

The United Nations mission to Iraq said it was gravely concerned. It issued a statement condemning violence against elected officials and urging calm, restraint and respect for Iraqs constitutional institutions at this crucial juncture.
Local police say sailors held for five weeks by armed group are released on southern Jolo island.

Ten Indonesian sailors abducted by Abu Sayyaf fighters have been freed in the southern Philippines after five weeks in captivity, local police said.

Unknown men dropped off the 10 tugboat crewmen at the home of provincial governor Abdusakur Tan Jr on the remote island of Jolo on Sunday, Jolo police chief Junpikar Sitin told the AFP news agency.

The report [of their release] is confirmed. They were there. I saw them, Sitin said.

The condition of the former captives was not immediately known, though Sitin said the group ate lunch at the governors home.





They were abducted on March 26 by fighters described by Philippine authorities as members of the Abu Sayyaf, an armed group based in Jolo and nearby Basilan island which is accused of kidnappings and deadly bombings.

Jolos mayor, Hussin Amin, welcomed the release of the Indonesians, but said he was unaware whether a ransom had been paid.

If this big release came in exchange for money, those who paid are supporting the Abu Sayyaf, he said.

This money will be used to buy more firearms and will be utilised as mobilization funds by these criminals.

Abu Sayyaf does not normally free hostages unless a ransom is paid, which is the groups main source of funding.

Canadian beheaded

The Indonesians were freed six days after Abu Sayyaf members beheaded a Canadian hostage, John Ridsdel, after their ransom demand was not met.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said he was outraged by the death of Ridsdel, a former mining executive, calling it an act of cold-blooded murder.

Philippine President Benigno Aquino vowed on Wednesday to neutralise the fighters after Ridsdels decapitated head was left outside a government building on Jolo.

Authorities said the group is still holding 11 other foreign hostages  four Indonesians, four Malaysians, another Canadian, a Norwegian, and a Dutchman.

It is believed that the armed group have only a few hundred members but has withstood repeated US-backed military offensives against it, surviving by using the mountainous, jungle terrain of Jolo and nearby islands to its advantage.

Abu Sayyaf violence has claimed more than 100,000 lives since the 1970s.
Al Jazeeras Nina Devries reports from Freetown, Sierra Leone, on one organisation that is doing what it can to improve ways to treat the disease.
Thousands of protesters, demanding an end to corruption, storm parliament, but will it bring about lasting change?

After months of relatively peaceful protests, anti-government demonstrations in Baghdad have turned violent.

A state of emergency was declared across the Iraqi capital following the storming of the Green Zone.

The heavily fortified area, home to government headquarters and foreign embassies, has been closed to most Iraqis for 13 years.

On Saturday, angry citizens tore down walls, called government leaders corrupt and cowardly, and demanded their immediate resignation.

The demonstrators said that they were tired of waiting for Haider al-Abadi, the prime minister, to follow through on his promise to form a new government.

Can they help end the political crisis? Or will they make it worse?

Presenter: Fauziah Ibrahim

Guests:

Dhiaa al-Asadi  Iraqi MP and head of Al-Sadrs Al-Ahrar Parliamentary Bloc.

Ghassan al-Atiyyah  Head of the Iraqi National Initiative and author of The Making of Iraq.

Patrick Cockburn  Middle East correspondent for The Independent newspaper and author of Muqtada: Muqtada al-Sadr, the Shia Revival and the Struggle for Iraq.
The case against Assange is as political as it is legal; where does it go from here? Plus, Kenyas election influencers.
The Bad Plus & Joshua RedmanThe Michigan TheaterAnn Arbor, MichiganApril 23, 2016Over the course of some twenty years, The Bad Plus has honed its own brand of music making, tapping into a plethora of styles and grooves to develop their own musical hybrid. Pianist, bassist, and drummerknow how to push the envelope with their repertoire of original material and crafty alterations of material ranging from Stravinsky to Radiohead. It's surprising then that back in 2011 they asked tenor saxophonistto join them for a week of shows in New York City. Coming from different stylistic philosophies, there was no doubt a synergy that emerged from this alliance. So, last spring, the collaborative foursome released an album that seemed to garner raves from both fan bases.For the eighth and final show of an eight-day run of concerts, The Bad Plus and Joshua Redman took the stage at the Michigan Theater, both the trio and Redman marking their fourth appearances under the auspices of the University Musical Society. Over the course of eight original compositions, it became clear that this was not your typical joint effort. No one personality seemed to govern. Instead, a new organic whole emerged, spiced with various helpings of jazz improvisation, through-composed textures, and jaw-dropping cohesion.Including several pieces from the aforementioned release The Bad Plus Joshua Redman, the evening actually opened with a Reid Anderson line from the group's 2001 self-titled debut. "Love is the Answer" starts as a whisper, Iverson's stately chords speaking in shades of Chopin, only to be interrupted by King's tom-tom ostinato and cymbal bell exclamations. With Redman in tow, this repetitive pattern served as a carpet under the saxophonist's yearning lines, the piece being fleshed out more deeply than in its original incarnation.Iverson's "Faith Through Error" was a more bombastic affair, its' repetitive descending runs developing into a bombastic and atonal barrage of sound that was dominated by King's drums. Another riff would establish the near rock-like groove of "As This Moment Slips Away." It seemed as if the harmonies settled for a time, only to then shift to another area, each transferal allocating a mood change of sorts. Redman's 16th note flurries provided variegated colors that also managed to fill in the spaces of King's backbeat.Surprisingly, Redman's own "The Mending" seemed more like a feature for Iverson. The restrained opening presented a rumbling line in the left hand that segued into a classical-like section that spoke to the pianist's heady skills. This was then followed by a swathe of collective trio brilliance before Redman's entry and a frothy conclusion. The piece might as well be considered the model for the way this quartet does business, attuned to each other and willing to engage in a free will offering of give and take.The prolific Anderson penned the next two numbers starting with "Big Eater," an older piece from the trio's 2003 release These Are the Vistas. What almost sounded like the intervals violinists use when warming up flowered into a unique motif for this flag-waver, putting Redman out front for a spell with backing merely from bass and drums. The more stately "Lack the Faith but Not the Wine" displayed the saxophonist's full range from upper register cries to lowdown bass jabs, all of it done with precision and superb intonation.Rounding the corner and heading toward home, a very sprightly "County Seat" sounded like Copland's "Hoedown" on steroids, a repeated two-note riff alternating with Iverson's pounding block chords. It was invigorating in its abandon. No wonder the crowd quickly rose to its feet and demanded an encore. The foursome then obliging with the heavy two and four backbeat of "Beauty Has it Hard." Complex, yet engaging, cerebral, while emotionally substantive; this quartet has morphed into a champion capable of considerable grandeur.Photo Credit: C. Andrew Hovan
           2005     ..        
I am certain youve never heard of me, unless you are a friend or relative, because I am just a beginner at politics. Yet somehow, in this most contentious political year for Republicans, I am going to the Republican National Convention in Cleveland as a delegate. Heres how it happened.

Wyoming, the least populated state, sends 29 delegates to the Republican National Convention, but that number varies every four years, depending on how well the Republican Party is represented in the state (i.e. legislative seats held, governorship held, party membership per capita). The same system exists at the state level. Depending on how well your respective county does in representing the party both in elected positions and in registered active party members, your county is awarded a certain number of delegates to go to the state convention.

Of the 29 delegates that are sent to the RNC, 3 are automatically awarded to state Republican party elected positions: chair, national committeewoman, and national committeeman, respectively; 12 are chosen at the county conventions, and 14 are chosen at the state convention.

It all begins at the precinct level. Precinct caucuses are called and advertised and occur statewide on the same evening. Ours were on Super Tuesday this year. Because of Republican National Committee rules, we arent allowed to choose our delegates on that evening  that is why even though we were a part of Super Tuesday, nothing really happened as our 29 delegates were to be chosen at two later dates (county conventions for 12 and state convention for 14). At the precinct caucuses, resolutions, platforms and bylaws are brought forth and debated and voted upon to advance to the county level upon 50% +1 approval. Delegates are also chosen to represent the precinct at the county level. Delegates are required to declare whom they support as the Republican nominee for President (though an undeclared status is also allowed which also is considered a declaration). At the county convention, delegates from all the precincts do the exact same business (platforms, bylaws, resolutions) that was done at the precinct level and they choose delegates (the number of which is assigned based on county Republican representation as explained above) to represent the county at the state convention.

One other item of business occurs at the county convention. An election is held where one individual is chosen to represent the state of Wyoming at the Republican National convention. Counties are paired together, and depending on the year, the county-elected national delegate will go to the RNC as an official delegate or as an alternate. This year, my home in Teton County got to send a delegate (pledged to Trump) and Lincoln County sent an alternate (pledged to Cruz).

At the convention this year, held on April 16th, there were 467 delegates from around the state. Thursday and Friday were days that the partys business was done (platforms, bylaws and resolutions) by delegates -- one per county per committee. Saturday the whole body met for a committee of the whole where the delegates listened to presidential candidates or their representatives (only Ted Cruz came in person) and congressional candidates (I think there are 11 running for Lummis open seat). Votes are taken from all 467 delegates to elect next years national committeeman and woman (who represent Wyoming at the national level in quarterly party meetings and are automatic delegates to national convention, as explained above). Votes are also taken from all 467 to elect the remaining 14 national delegates to the convention. Every state delegate got to vote for 14 delegates from the list of around 60 nominated state delegates (nominations came from the floor or from the counties  anyone can be nominated to be on the list). The top 14 vote getters earned the right to be Wyomings national delegates at the RNC. The next 14 vote getters earned the right to go to the RNC as alternates.

This is where it was interesting but completely legal, moral, and ethical. Any accusation otherwise is either ignorantly done or intentionally playing on the emotions of the people and trying to incite them to anger and frustration by touting the idea that their voices arent being heard. (I believe Donald Trump falls into the latter category as he knows how the process works and knows he was outmanned and outplanned in Wyoming, so instead of fighting and showing up for delegates he played the lazy card of calling the system corrupt.)

Peoples voices were heard at the precinct, county and state levels. In a self-government system, government goes to those who show up. It does not go to those who want to sit it out when heavy lifting is required, and then at the end demand that their voice be heard because they deserve it.

Quite frankly, the way to deserve it  at least in Wyoming  is to show up and be involved and convince others that you are the one they should send on to represent them at higher and higher levels of decision making. This is the foundation of a republican form of government and it is essential to good governance, since populist arguments  that every vote should count  make it too easy for the masses to be swayed with high-priced ad campaigns, empty campaign promises and hollow rhetoric that appeals to the emotions without any basis in fact or reality. Our entire system is set up based on representative government where extremely complex and important issues are given the appropriate time to be considered and debated so that that best conclusions are made and actions are taken. (Theres my mini soapbox sermon for you.)

Okay, back to the national delegate vote. Because there were over 60 candidates that wanted to go to the RNC, there wasnt time to hear from them all, so we heard from none of them. Different candidates and different interested parties put together slates (a list of 14 names) that they wanted in order to promote their candidate or cause. Of the 60 candidates for national delegate, probably 70% were pledged to Cruz. (On the ballot it indicated which candidate you were pledge to or if you were undeclared.) The Cruz campaign put together a slate of their chosen 14 so as to not dilute the vote by the other pledged Cruz supporters and not getting enough votes to be on the final 14 voter approved national delegates. When Cruz came, he held up the list and told people to vote for them. This is not shady, its how things work.

For Cruz to just have asked people to vote for delegates pledged to him, and left it at that, would have been woefully ignorant of the process. That could easily have ended up with none of them on the final list. So, Trump had a slate, Kasich did not (very little support or organization), Cruz had a slate, and then I worked with some friends to put together a pro-life slate, a pro-family slate and a pro-gun slate. I was on the original Cruz slate of 14 but got bumped to make room for other more well-known names in the state whom the Cruz campaign figured would have a better chance of being voted for.

I wasnt fully convinced that 3 or 4 on the official Cruz slate were really with him on principle, but that they were actually more establishment leaning and saw supporting Cruz as their best ticket to Cleveland. So I and some friends decided to create our own issue-based slates in order to see if I could still get the vote, even though I wasnt on the official Cruz slate. As it turned out, Taylor Haynes (who had previously run for governor) and I were the only two to make the final list of 14 who were not on Cruzs official slate of 14 (2 on the official Cruz list were bumped down to 1st and 3rd alternate. I was #14, and won by the slim margin of 3 votes). All 14 national delegates were Cruz-pledged delegates and the majority of alternates were as well.

There was a strong push for an undeclared slate where locally prominent big names were being pushed. Their strategy was to go undeclared to the RNC in order to have the leverage they needed to receive concessions from the different campaigns that would favor and benefit Wyoming. There were several of these big names elected as alternates but none that made the top 14. To my knowledge there was not a single alternate pledged to Trump or Kasich.

As far as the national convention goes, as everyone knows, if Trump ends up with 1,237 delegates who are pledged and obligated to vote for him on the first vote, then he will win the nomination. That is far from being a certainty, though. First, he has to get those delegates. Second, they have to stay true to their pledge amidst intense pressure from party establishments who will do everything they can to sway them otherwise. And, third, the national convention will have to resist the temptation of party insiders to change the rules in order to avert giving the nomination to Trump. If things do get crazy because Trump doesnt secure the nomination due to lack of delegates or intrigue in the party, things will get very interesting. I am pledged by my signature to not only support Cruz on the first vote but on all remaining votes until released by the Cruz campaign. This type of pledge I dont think is legally binding (I believe only first votes are legally bound  though some even argue that isnt so) but it is something I chose to do on my own.

I am of the strong opinion that if Trump doesnt get the 1,237 necessary delegates then it is fair, moral and ethical to leave the vote up to the delegates. He, and everyone else, knew the rules going in. I am very opposed to the RNC changing the rules to favor their establishment choice. I will not favor an outsider who is nominated at the convention and I will work hard to oppose such a nomination. It certainly will be interesting to see what occurs at the convention. The grassroots of the party have spoken up strongly against the establishment. The establishment doesnt want Cruz or Trump, but if they carry out any shenanigans to get someone else nominated they must know that the 70% or so who support those two candidates will abandon the party en masse and the Republican Party will cease to exist. Interesting times!

Overall, it was a great experience. This was my first year getting involved at any level in politics. I am seeing a shift in the conservative direction in the Republican Party. It was rewarding to me to know that what I am teaching is taking hold in other parts of the state as I was still able to garner enough support to be elected even though I wasnt on the Cruz slate. I look forward to the convention. I believe it will be historic. I dont think the establishment will allow things to play out regardless of whether Trump gets the 1,237 or not. I just hope it isnt too historic!

Jeff Hymas is the founder and president of In the Constitution, a non-profit educational organization dedicated to teaching the principles of freedom to Americas families. Its Constitution Bee has enjoyed national acclaim. Learn more at www.constitution-bee.com
As long as we are on the subject of New York values, let is consider the New York lawsuit against one Donald J. Trump and his university which alleges that Trump defrauded thousands of students who spent tens of thousands hoping they could benefit from his professed business acumen. The case has been woefully under-covered by a largely Trump-leaning media, but it could soon be as important to Trump as the FBI investigation of Hillary Clintons emails and server could be to the former First Lady.

As Fox News reported on April. 26, the case is going to trial, likely in the middle of a presidential campaign in which Trump hopes to be the GOP nominee:

New York County Supreme Court Judge Cynthia Kern made the decision at a hearing Tuesday, though it remains unclear whether the case will be weighed at a jury trial -- which is what Trumps team is seeking. Trump attorney Jeffrey Goldman said its possible the trial could be held this fall, and Trump could testify. In the case, New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman, a Democrat, has accused Trump and others of misleading thousands of students over the school. Schneiderman alleges that Trump University was unlicensed since it began operating in 2005 and promised lessons with real estate experts hand-picked by Trump, only one of whom had ever met him. The attorney general said the school used "bait-and-switch" tactics, inducing students to enroll in increasingly expensive seminars Schneiderman had sued Trump and the school, which changed its name to the Trump Entrepreneur Initiative before it closed in 2010, for $40 million. The lawsuit seeks restitution and damages for more than 5,000 students nationwide, including 600 New Yorkers, who paid up to $35,000 each.

The irony here is that Trump has often railed against a corrupt establishment and the shenanigans of insiders, but the man who wrote The Art of the Deal may have to reprint it with an added chapter titled The Art of the Con. Now comes the news that The Donald himself will be called to testify. As ABC News reports:

"I am very pleased the judge has indicated her intention to move as expeditiously as possible to trial, as thousands of Mr. Trumps alleged victims have been waiting years for relief from his fraud," Attorney General Eric Schneiderman said in a statement released this afternoon. "We believe that Mr. Trump and Mr. Sexton will be essential witnesses at trial. As we will prove in court, Donald Trump and his sham for-profit college defrauded thousands of students out of millions of dollars," Schneiderman's statement said, referencing Michael Sexton, the man who approached Trump about starting the program.

The fraud charges against Trump University were pointedly raised by Fox News anchor Megyn Kelly at the debate in Detroit, Michigan. As the Huffington Post noted:

Fox News host Megyn Kelly may as well have been on the debate stage at Thursdays Republican presidential debate in Detroit, because she wiped the floor with real estate mogul Donald Trump over a 2004 business venture that has recently come under scrutiny. Trump, however, brushed aside the questioning. Lets see what happens in court, Trump responded. This is a civil case. Very easy to settle. Could settle it now. Very easy to have settled. Lets see what happens at the end of a couple years when this case is over, okay?

Well, the case will be hitting the political fan earlier than he hoped and all the tap dancing about Trump University and its accreditation rating may be rendered irrelevant by the evidence and testimony of former students about Trump Universitys blatant fraud.

There was much speculation that Trump later skipped the Utah debate because he was afraid Megyn Kelly would continue to grill him on his fabrications about the questionable activities of Trump University and its ratings by the Better Business Bureau. As Newsmax reported:

Fox News Channel anchor Megyn Kelly on Monday accused Donald Trump of a "head fake" when he said his Trump University was upgraded from a "D-minus" Better Business Bureau rating to an "A." Trump first challenged Kelly during the most recent Republican presidential debate, at which she was a moderator. During a commercial break, Trump handed the moderators a faxed paper he said showed the school, which is the subject of a fraud lawsuit in New York and a class-actions suits from some former students, currently has an "A" rating. Kelly noted Monday that the BBB denied sending the fax to the Trump campaign, and she added that the D-minus was never upgraded until after the name was changed to Trump Entrepreneurial Initiative and stopped accepting new students. "Mr. Trump now accuses your humble debate moderator of dishonesty," Kelly said. "We stand by our reporting, which has been verified by multiple news organizations as well as the Better Business Bureau. Trump University had a 'D-minus' rating before it went out of business in 2010. The claim about the 'A' is quite simply a head fake."

Trump did not want to answer questions about Trump University, which he falsely claimed was still open for business, the lawsuits against it, or the fake Better Business Bureau fax. The Trump University fraud case is serious business, one that speaks volumes about Trumps business ethics and exactly how much art is in his deals. New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman calls it a straightforward fraud case. As the New York Daily News reported:

New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman on Sunday rejected suggestions that his offices case against presidential candidate Donald Trumps defunct Trump University was at all political. This is a straightforward fraud case. We never had any idea in 2013 the guy was going to run for president, Schneiderman said on John Catsimatidis Cats Roundtable program on AM 970. This is not a political case. This just a case where a lot of New Yorkers were ripped off. There were thousands of folks who thought they were going to learn from real estate experts who were handpicked by Trump and that they would learn his personal secrets, Schneiderman said. Thousands of people (who) paid as much as $35,000 to $45,000.

Trump has made an issue about the credibility and honesty of his primary opponent, whom he has called Lyin Ted Cruz. Trump may very well be the classic case of the pot calling the kettle black. Trump has asked his supporters on occasion to raise their hands and pledge allegiance. Soon he will be asked his hand and pledge to tell the truth about Trump University and nothing but.

Daniel John Sobieski is a free lance writer whose pieces have appeared in Investors Business Daily, Human Events, Reason Magazine and the Chicago Sun-Times among other publications.
Father Joseph (Yusuf) Akbulut is one brave man. He is a soft spoken, highly intelligent, Syrian Orthodox Priest I had the honor to meet in November 2013 at his parish, the 1700 year old Church of the Virgin Mary in the Sur district of Diyarbakir, Syria. The Church, and the rectory in which Father Joseph, his wife and six children lived, were in the crossfire of the 10-month war between Kurdish fighters and the Turkish military.

In January they were in the Church with bombs exploding all around. A rocket-propelled grenade destroyed a portion of the wall surrounding the Church. Initially, Father Joseph refused to leave the Church he has overseen for 23 years, fearing it would be leveled if left empty. Unfortunately, he did have to leave  it became too dangerous. Now, the state has seized it along with all the other Christian Churches in Sur, including one of the largest Armenian Churches in the Middle East, Surp (Saint) Giragos.

Father Joseph Akbulut pointing out the holy spirit door knocker once so prevalent in the Sur district. Photo by Fran Fawcett Peterson

World Watch Monitor reports;

We wouldn't have left the church. But when we looked [on the street] and saw that land mines and rockets were exploding non-stop, we knew that we couldn't stay, he told World Watch Monitor. Our house was shaking and we thought it would collapse. The power, electricity, and water were cut off. It was time to flee. They stepped out on the street cautiously, with Fr. Akbulut waving a white flag. Nobody was there.

"It was like a war zone, he said.

Fr. Akbulut and his family are staying in a hotel for the foreseeable future. Ongoing clashes in the church's neighborhood prevent their return.*

But controversy has followed him. He has fended off reports from the Turkish media that his church had indirect involvement with the PKK. Turkish newspapers claimed on 30 Jan. that a cache of ammunition and explosives was found on the site of Virgin Mary Church. Fr. Akbulut said that he knew nothing of this cache while he was there, and that it was likely deposited after he fled. Fr. Akbulut was insistent that he stay in the church as long as possible, even at the risk of his own life. He considers the church indispensable for his congregation, and for Syriac Orthodox Christianity at large. I would not be able to live with myself if I abandoned the church," Fr. Akbulut told the Assyrian International News Agency. It is a symbol for us Assyrians and a symbol for all Christianity. This is a holy place." The church is of enormous importance to Eastern Orthodoxy, having produced theologians and patriarchs in the early centuries of Christianity. It holds relics such as a piece of the cross and the bones of the apostle Thomas. Fr. Akbulut leads a congregation of 40 members. He speaks Syriac, a language closely related to Aramaic, the language of Jesus and his disciples.

*I am trying to find out if Fr. Akbulut and his family are still in the hotel.

Church of the Virgin Mary in the Sur district of Diyarbakir, Turkey. Photo by Fran Fawcett Peterson

Looking up inside 1700 year old Virgin Mary Church, Sur, Diyarbakir, Turkey. Photo by Fran Fawcett Peterson

This chilling video shows the urban renewal Erdogans Turkish government has planned for 6300 properties in Diyarbakir including the Virgin Mary Church. There are no churches in the video, only mosques. In the video Ahmet Davutoglu, the Prime Minister, vows to turn Diyarbakir into the new Toledo, as in Toledo, Spain. Spain was occupied by the Islamists for 700 years before finally freeing itself. (Davutoglu must not recall the chains of the freed Christians, which were hung on the walls of Toledo to let the people know the slaves had been freed in southern Spain and the slave masters, the Islamists, expelled from Spanish shores.)

Transcript of the Prime Ministers audio:

Diyarbakir is a sacred city. The city of Diyarbakir has been ruined. I want to rebuild it. I will start this process of rebuilding to give Diyarbakir a new beautiful future.. I will rebuild the mosques so the sound of Quran will be heard again. I will make it green again like it used to be. I as the prime-minister will do it. Whatever building needs it I will rebuild. I will renew everything, new mosques, new roads, new houses, and new recreation centers. So that the children will again be happy playing and laughing. I will build big living spaces so people live happily and freely. History hasnt been kind to Diyarbakir. I will fix it so that you will be astonished. I will build the houses so people live happily and peacefully again enjoying the sun. I will build the houses in the big, old ottoman style so people live in renewed life style. I will build famous houses of worship so whoever wants to go to mosque can go and those who don't want to can go to their places to enjoy. I will rebuild Suleiman-prophet mosque so pilgrims will come and enjoy the mosque again. I will rebuild historical places. This new bright future will come soon

-The Republic of Turkey. Office of Prime minister.

Despite the video linked above, the head of Turkeys Housing Development Agency is denying the planned urban transformation will result in any historic buildings being rebuilt. More than 6300 properties have been confiscated and are planned to get renovations.

Other Churches now under state control include: the Surp (Armenian for "Saint") Sarkis Chaldean Catholic Church, the Diyarbakir Protestant Church, the Apostolic Armenian Surp Giragos Church, an Armenian Catholic church, and the Mar Petyun Chaldean Catholic Church.

"They want to destroy the living spaces and houses of the people who have survived death and massacres in those places," said Figen Yuksekdagi, co-chair of the pro-Kurdish Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP). She told a Turkish parliamentary group meeting on 29 March that nearly 90 per cent of the Sur district had been seized. "Where is the law and justice in this?" she asked. Fr. Yusuf Akbulut said that he is currently holding talks with the government to have the church property returned. According to Adnan Ertem, head of the Directorate of Religious Foundations, the government seized these properties only to safeguard the historical district of Sur from further damage. But the authorities have set no timeline for the return of the church properties to their respective Christian communities.

-www.worldwatchmonitor.org

The Turkish government says it is only protecting the Churches and that it is doing the same for mosques in the area. However, mosques are already owned by the state, which pays for their upkeep and even the Imams salaries.

The New York Times reports;

This is reminiscent of the events leading up to the start of the Armenian genocide on April 24, 1915, when properties were illegally confiscated and the population was displaced under the false guise of temporary relocation for its own protection, said Nora Hovsepian, the chairwoman of the Western Region of the Armenian National Committee of America. That temporary relocation, she added, turned out to be death marches and a permanent disenfranchisement of two million from their ancestral homeland.

Indeed, many Kurds believe that Erdogan and his government are trying to do to the Kurds what the then Turkish rulers did to the Armenians 100 years ago -- and that is drive them from their land -- dead or alive. *

Erdogan has reportedly threatened to revoke citizenship for Kurds. Fears are rampant that the Turkish government will force the Kurds over the border into Syria and Iraq. Already there are reports of Syrian refugees being housed in Kurdish homes evacuated in Diyarbakir because of the fighting. This is not confirmed.

In 2000 a Turkish newspaper, Hurryiet, asked Father Joseph about his views on the Armenian Genocide. He replied that not only the Armenians were massacred, but also Assyrian/Syriacs. His published views led to his arrest for inciting racial hatred. He told me that it was thanks to the western media and human rights groups that he was freed.

I consider Father Joseph brave and courageous because he did not leave his flock, he did not leave Diyarbakir, he did not leave Turkey. He stayed. Now, again, he is being persecuted -- only this time with bombs and bullets, as are all Christians caught up in the crossfire between the Turkish government and its seeming ethnic cleansing of now the Kurds.

Last reports are that Father Joseph and his family are still in Diyarbakir living in a hotel.

*As he has every April of his Presidency Mr. Obama again this year avoided using the term Genocide in commemorating the one and a half million Armenians slaughtered, deported or marched to their deaths in the closing days of the Ottoman Empire in 1915- 1916
Under cover of 2016 election headlines, the liberal media have finally confessed that the Saudi ruling clan is directly responsible for the 9/11/01 mass terror attack on the Twin Towers in New York City and on the Pentagon fifteen years ago.

These facts have been widely rumored, because the 17 attackers followed Saudi (Wahhabi) war theology, along with thousand-year-old suicide-murder tactics against infidels.

That news has now been confirmed by the major media, which colluded in fifteen years of cover-up.

Media sources confirming Saudi guilt include the New York Post, CNN (reporting Saudi threats of reprisals against the disclosures), the New York Times, The Independent (U.K.), and numerous other media outlets (see here). However, we have not seen the kind of organized, single-headline media campaign that we have seen so many times when all the liberal establishment media want to make a major splash. The most likely reason is that the media will have to explain their own fifteen years of cover-up very soon. Their mendacious answer will be but we already told you so. That will be another lie, of course.

Strategically, the electoral success of Donald Trump and Ted Cruz is likely to have forced the disclosure of the massive U.S. and EU establishment cover-up since 9/11/01. A de facto Radical Left-Radical Jihad alliance is now faced with a choice of gradually revealing the truth to the public or staging a public coup d'etat both here and in Europe. The political-media establishment has therefore been forced into a checkmate by the popular success of political candidates it could not control, and who may be prepared to reveal Saudi criminal responsibility for the Jihad War that started with 9/11/01 and continues to this day.

The Saudis are not the only regimes involved, since the duty of making jihad against infidels is one of the Five Pillars of Muslim indoctrination around the world. But the media finger is now pointing to the Saudi "royals" as the major instigators of the initial act of war against the American homeland fifteen years ago. There has been massive, culpable collusion between the Saudis and other fundamentalist jihad regimes, like Iran, and among American and European political elites.

This is a first step, but it is nothing but a first step on a journey of a thousand miles. The coming election will plausibly pit a conservative Republican against a Democratic Party candidate who has been in close collusion with the 9/11/01 cover-up. The Republican establishment has not been innocent in the last fifteen years. But the Obama left shares the goal of jihad, a worldwide power elite aiming to eliminate free nations. American voters are finally faced with a genuine choice  but voters must keep a close watch and challenge any politician in office, Republican or Democrat. We cannot trust anyone with overwhelming power for four whole years, in a world of nuclear proliferation and instantaneous web communication.

Winston Churchill in 1942: "Now this is not the end [of the world war]. It is not even the beginning of the end. It may be the end of the beginning."
I suppose that I ought to offer a cliche alert with this post, because the lessons from Kansas and Delaware are obvious to anyone other than a progressive. Yet, those lessons are still not put into practice in most places in this country, so please forgive me for praising innovation in applying a rudimentary understanding of human nature to government policies regarding the poor.

The first cliche to be cited is the old one about federalism constituting the laboratory of democracy. Maybe it is trite, but I really wish my state, California, would pay attention to what Delaware and Kansas have accomplished in reducing poverty. Lord knows, California, with the highest poverty rate in America, could use some change. But with a permanent Democrat hold on the state legislature, the dependent class, reliable voters for Democrats, is only going to increase.

Still, both states prove another old chestnut: humans need to work in order to fulfill our basic nature. We are, as the Latin expression puts it: homo faber. Impose idleness on people, through inherited wealth with no strings and no good upbringing, and you get unhappy people. The same goes for permanent welfare dependency. It eats at the soul. We need to feel we earn our way. It is part of our hard wiring.

So, with that introduction, consider the minor miracle in Delaware, the Moving to Work program (MTW) of housing subsidies. Kathryn Watson of the Daily Caller News Foundation writes:

More than 850 families have transitioned out of public housing in Delaware since the state began limiting the length of time residents are eligible to receive housing subsidies, and hundreds more have become homeowners. Before we started Moving to Work, we had people who were on their third or fourth generation of the same family who were at the same site, Rebecca Kauffman, social service senior administrator at the Delaware Housing Authoritys Moving to Work program, told The Daily Caller News Foundation. The Delaware group is one of only 39 housing authorities out of more than 3,000 in the country that the federal government allows to have its own work requirements and residency time limits. The Moving to Work program was approved during the Clinton administration in 1996. It was tough at the beginning because there was no time limit, Kauffman said. People could come into public housing and stay forever.

Exactly so. Multi-generational dependency; the underclass; in the old Soviet Union, they called it social parasitism, an expression far too politically incorrect to be used today.

The key is tying the assistance to getting a job:

The Delaware Moving to Work program requires all adults to work, and to work an increasing number of hours per week during their five year tenure  at least 30 hours a week towards the end of the program. Two of three participating adults work more than 30 hours a week. Participants also have to meet quarterly with a case manager to plan their path to financial independence, and build savings goals. All school-age children in each home have to meet attendance requirements, and once a child turns 18, he has to either continue his education or meet the work requirements to remain in the subsidized housing.

In general, I am not in favor of government bureaucrats telling people how to live. But if you are unable to support yourself and need to rely on the money paid by others as taxes in order to make it, then obviously you are lacking something in your approach to life. Keeping this sort of program at the state level is a good thing, because failure can be spotted more readily than if a giant federal bureaucracy were attempting the same sort of program.

The results in Delaware have been excellent:

More than 850 families have completed the program to enter assistance-free living, and 30 percent of program participants became homeowners when they left. Kauffman said she could probably count on one hand the number of people who ended the program facing possible homelessness.

A different form of welfare was tied to work in Kansas: food stamps. Rachel Sheffield of the Daily Signal explains:

According to a report from the Foundation for Government Accountability, before Kansas instituted a work requirement, 93 percent of food stamp recipients were in poverty, with 84 percent in severe poverty. Few of the food stamp recipients claimed any income. Only 21 percent were working at all, and two-fifths of those working were working fewer than 20 hours per week. Once work requirements were established, thousands of food stamp recipients moved into the workforce, promoting income gains and a decrease in poverty. Forty percent of the individuals who left the food stamp ranks found employment within three months, and about 60 percent found employment within a year. They saw an average income increase of 127 percent. Half of those who left the rolls and are working have earnings above the poverty level. Even many of those who stayed on food stamps saw their income increase significantly. (snip) Furthermore, with the implementation of the work requirement in Kansas, the caseload dropped by 75 percent. Previously, Kansas was spending $5.5 million per month on food stamp benefits for able-bodied adults; it now spends $1.2 million.

An old folk saying, emblazoned on aprons, tea towels, and other textiles offers the same instruction as Kansas:
What ever happened to the firebrand MSNBC host Ed Schultz? The cable personality could always be counted on to spout the most malignant hate against conservatives, Republicans, and anyone else who violated his strict liberal orthodoxy.

Over the years, he displayed an animus toward Donald Trump, Vladimir Putin, and President Assad of Syia, among others. But now that Schultz has a new job and a new boss, he's singing a different tune.

Schultz is now employed Russia Today, a pro Putin English language TV outlet and the former liberal now spouts propaganda for Putin friends and loyalists.

Washington Examiner:

For six years at MSNBC, Schultz railed against Republicans, and extolled the virtues of the Democratic Party. He was particularly kind to Hillary Clinton, whom he once called his "favorite living New Yorker," and President Obama. At MSNBC, Schulz defended the president and his policies, and he often accused the commander in chief's harshest critics of being racists, unpatriotic and un-American. When he wasn't doing that, Schultz used his MSNBC show to boost American labor unions, which paid him nearly $250,000 between 2012 and 2013, and attacked anyone who suggested they were in need of reform. He even took several shots at billionaire businessman Donald Trump. All that seems to have changed, however, as Schultz has turned his attention from defending the White House and labor unions to attacking U.S. domestic and foreign policy. He's also a big fan of Trump and Putin now, according to Politico. "By the time Schultz resurfaced this January, he had been reincarnated in a very different journalistic form," Politico's Michael Crowley reported. "Gone is the praise for Obama and Clinton. Gone, too, are the mocking references to 'Putie.' And gone are the judgments about others' patriotism." Schultz's show, "now features Putin-friendly discussions about the failings of U.S. policy in the Middle East, America's 'bloated' defense budget and the futility of NATO strategy," his report added. U.S. policy isn't the only topic on which Schulz appears to have evolved. "Even Trump is getting a new look from Schultz. Speaking at various points on RT in recent months, Schultz has said that Trump 'has tapped into an anger among working people,' is 'talking about things the people care about,' and even, as Schultz recently declared, that Trump 'would easily be able to function' as president," Crowley reported. This isn't entirely surprising for an RT host, the Politico reporter explained, as the network is a "bought-and-paid-for propaganda vehicle trying to nudge viewers toward Russia's side of the story."

Selling his soul for a steady paycheck, Schultz always came across as a bombastic liar, a serial exaggerator, and a hateful shill for labor unions. Now he's doing pretty much the same thing, except in many cases, he's switched sides. Hypocrisy aside, Putin deserves Ed Schultz as Schultz deserves Putin.

It's interesting to see that Schultz can feel no shame in his about face, which isn't surprising given his history.
Already in political crisis, the Iraqi government moved to arrest Shia protesters who had stormed parliament and occupied the building, sending lawmakers fleeing for their lives.

The protesters want an end to the US inspired political system that awards offices and seats on a religious basis. They are led by an old "friend"; Radical Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr, who inspired an uprising against US forces in the early days of the occupation.

BBC:

Supporters of cleric Moqtada Sadr broke through barricades of the fortified Green Zone for the first time, after MPs failed to convene for a vote. A state of emergency was declared and security forces near the US embassy fired tear gas. Protesters set up camp outside the parliament after occupying the chamber. Nearby foreign embassies are watching anxiously but there has been no serious violence so far. "We still view this as a demonstration," Sabah al-Numan, spokesman for the counterterrorism forces, was quoted as saying by the Associated Press news agency. "We aren't taking any part in this as it's not something regarding terrorism." Mr Sadr wants Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi to commit to a plan to replace ministers with non-partisan technocrats. Powerful parties in parliament have refused to approve the change for several weeks. Earlier this week, hundreds of thousands of people marched towards the Green Zone, the most secure part of Baghdad that houses embassies and government buildings, to protest against the political deadlock. Iraqi President Fuad Masum has called on the protesters to vacate parliament and politicians to enact the cabinet reshuffle. A new protest outside the zone escalated after parliament again failed to reach a quorum on Saturday. Groups marched on the district soon after the end of a televised appearance by Mr Sadr, although he did not call for the storming of parliament.

While the policy being protested - that there would be a careful division of power among Shias, Sunnis, and Kurds - was originally created by the Bush administration, it has led to massive corruption and government gridlock.

The Obama administration's premature pullout has now resulted in a political crisis that may bring down one of our only allies in the Iraqi government.

Washington Post:

President Obamas plan for fighting the Islamic State is predicated on having a credible and effective Iraqi ally on the ground in Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi. And in recent days, the administration had been optimistic, despite the growing political unrest in Baghdad, about that critical partnership. But that optimism  along with the administrations strategy for battling the Islamic State in Iraq  was thrown into severe doubt after protesters stormed Iraqs parliament on Saturday and a state of emergency was declared in Baghdad. The big question for White House officials is what happens if Abadi  a critical linchpin in the fight against the Islamic State  does not survive the turmoil that has swept over the Iraqi capital. The chaos in Baghdad comes just after a visit by Vice President Biden that was intended to help calm the political unrest and keep the battle against the Islamic State on track. As Bidens plane was approaching Baghdad on Thursday, a senior administration official described the vice presidents visit  which was shrouded in secrecy prior to his arrival  as a symbol of how much faith we have in Prime Minister Abadi. After 10 hours on the ground in Baghdad and Irbil, Biden was hurtling toward his next stop in Rome. The feeling among the vice president and his advisers was that Iraqi politics were on a trajectory to greater calm and that the battle against the Islamic State would continue to accelerate. Some hopeful advisers on Bidens plane even suggested that Abadi might emerge from the political crisis stronger for having survived it. No one is talking that way now. Theres a realization that the government, as its currently structured, cant hold, said Doug Ollivant, a former military planner in Baghdad and senior fellow at the New America Foundation. Its just not clear how the Iraqis get out of this. I just dont see how they will.

A collapse of the Iraqi government would be catastrophic. It is possible that Iran would step in to maintain order and, coincidentally, place a Shia in charge who would be compliant with Iran's wishes. If Iraq wasn't a satellite of Iran, it most definitely would be under those circumstances.

What passes for mainstream Iraqi politics cannot deal with this crisis. They have no real base of support and have relied on American aid to maintain their position. It is probable that this won't work anymore. The next few days will be critical in determining Iraq's fate.
It has taken a lot of concerted effort on the part of the grievance industry, but the bonds of civil society are finally fraying to the breaking point. In broad daylight at 10 AM Thursday, 19 year old nursing student Jessica Hughes was attacked and beaten by a pair of muggers whose race the media do not care to mention, as other passengers on the train did not lift a finger to help her.

Chicago TV Station WLS interviewed her:

"If you were seeing someone else getting abused, wouldn't you want to step in?" Hughes said.

I look at Ms. Hughess face and see a heartbroken young woman, probably an idealist judging by her chosen profession that aims at helping others. As her question indicates, she cannot comprehend that others did not care about her plight, for she automatically would come to the aid of another under trying circumstances.

Hughes said that perhaps more painful than the beating she took at the hands of two robbers while riding the "L", is that fellow passengers who saw the attack, did nothing to stop it. "I was yelling for help. There were two other guys on the train and they did nothing. They just watched as he beat me," she said. (snip) The freshman nursing major said that after most of the passengers in her rail car got off at the UIC-Halsted stop, one man moved to the seat in front of her. As the train left the station, Hughes said she got a bad feeling. That's when the 19-year-old said the man tried to take her iPhone. "He started pushing me and then he pushed me to the floor and when he pushed me to the floor, he started hitting on me constantly. His body was on top of me holding me down so I couldn't fight back," she said. But Hughes didn't let go of her phone, even when her attacker bit her hand. She says the woman her attacker was with then punched her in the face before both fled to another rail car without the iPhone or anything else. Hughes said she finally got some help at the Kedzie/Homan stop.

When the media decline to provide a description of assailants, it is a pretty good indication that they are a protected minority. The attack took place at a place on the Blue Line where the neighborhood starts to get sketchy, as a Chicagoan who used to commute on the same train put it to me.

At a minimum, we know that a sense of community is no longer enough to assure us that we have some backup if a predator decides to attack us. In an era where practically everyone carries a smartphone, salable on the black market, we are all vulnerable. And there are those who make excuses for criminals based on some sense of justice that sees inequality, other than in pro sports, as justification for violence and expropriation by force or by government action.

Update. Chicago police have released surveillance camera photos of the alleged suspects, of no particular race (via DNAinfo):
Any doubts that Russia's aggressive and dangerous actions in challenging American reconnaissance planes in the Baltic Sea was the work of a rogue Tom Cruise wannabe have been laid to rest as another incident occurred on Friday involving an SU-27.

On April 17, a Russian fighter jet performed a barrel roll over a US reconnaissance plane in the Baltic. Russia justified the manuever by claiming the US plane was close to Russian airspace. It wasn't.

Then on Friday, another incident occurred as a Russian fighter performed another barrel roll over an RC-135 recon plane. When the Pentagon expressed outrage at the incident, the Russian defense ministry taunted the US military.

New York Post:

Outraged defence officials called the interception manoeuvre "unsafe and unprofessional", but Russia said it was forced to intercept the American RC-135 plane because it had switched off its identifying transponder. The Pentagon admitted the barrel roll incident could "escalate tensions" between the countries after a number of close-flying encounters. In a taunting statement the Russian defence ministry said: "We are already starting to get used to the insults of the Pentagon regarding alleged 'unprofessional' manoeuvres when our fighters intercept US spy planes at the Russian border. "The US Air Force has two solutions - either not to fly near our borders, or to turn the transponder on for identification." Reports differed on just how close the Russian SU-27 Flanker fighter jet came to its lumbering quarry. US Army spokeswoman Lt Col Michelle Baldanza said it came within 25 feet, or 7.6m, while others claimed a figure of 100 feet, or 30 metres. Lt Col Baldanza told CNN: "The SU-27 intercepted the U.S. aircraft flying a routine route at high rate of speed from the side then proceeded to perform an aggressive maneuver that posed a threat to the safety of the U.S. aircrew in the RC-135."

It's obvious that showing up the American military has become Russian policy, probably ordered from the top. And yes, it makes Obama look weak and indecisive. Perhaps we should start escorting our spy planes with our own fighters - give the Russians something to think about. But that would be an escalation of a situation growing more tense all the time.

Besides, the poiint is, we shouldn't have to protect our recon planes in international waters. Russian harassment is bothersome, but not necessarily warlike. So unless we want to ratchet up tensions in the Baltic by becoming more aggressive ourselves, our hands are pretty much tied.
May 5 is the seventy-fifth anniversary of a signal day in modern African history. On that day, British forces brought back into power Haile Selassie, the Emperor of Ethiopia, who had been driven out of his country by the forces of Fascist Italy almost exactly five years earlier. The oldest independent nation in Africa, indeed, one of the oldest nations on earth, was restored.

The Fascists were bad. The use of poison gas by air was particularly reprehensible, but the history surrounding the Second Italo-Ethiopian War defies the standard understanding of bad European colonial power and noble indigenous African nation which we have been taught. The lessons of that war are useful in understanding our world today.

Ethiopia, like most large nations in the Old World, was an empire with ruling peoples and subject peoples  just like Iran or Iraq or Turkey or Pakistan or China or many other trouble spots in our world. Haile Selassie was an enlightened despot but he was a despot who ruled without the consent of his subjects, just like Mussolini.

What of the Fascist leader in this war? Mussolini was a cynical politician and his motives need not be trusted but the arguments he made for war  arguments which have all disappeared down the memory hole  which were not bad arguments.

Consider first slavery, something which is often portrayed as wicked whites owning oppressed blacks. In fact, slavery was horrible problem in Ethiopia and the Fascists presented their war as one against slavery. Boake Carter, a friend of the Ethiopian cause and writing just before the Italian began war against the African nation, was nonetheless compelled to note: Today, of the nations 10,000,000 people, 2,000,000 are actually slaves. It is estimated that one out of every four persons in Addis Ababa is a slaveActually the slaves are on par with the beasts of the field. They have no rights and they must work from dawn to dusk.

Consider the racial question. The ruling Ethiopians actually considered themselves as racially superior to their subjects rather like the high caste Indians viewer lower castes as racially inferior: Varna is translated as color. Racism exists in Africa and Asia without European influence at all. Odd as it seems to us today, the Fascists, who long mocked Nazism racism, also told the world that they welcomed black natives into the Fascist movement and in the 1935 National Geographic article With the Italians in Eritrea showed native blacks and Italians Fascists happily working together.

Consider the oppressed - Mussolini professed to do  and he presented his aggressive war as a war of liberation by the Fascists against the rulers of Ethiopia and Mussolini called this Italian war a war of the poor, the disinherited, the proletariat. Mussolini, the former Marxist who always maintained that Italian Socialist Party left him and he did not leave it, waged war as any good Marxist  as he did, indeed, throughout the Second World War.

Consider the religious divide in Africa, Mussolini, who also described himself as the Defender of Islam, did and he got a number of Moslem tribesmen to fight alongside the Fascists against the Christian Emperor Haile Selassie. Because the Italians particularly sought, and gained, Moslems recruits from neighboring lands, some of the kinfolk of our president, Kenyan Moslems, might well have been fighting alongside Mussolini and against the forces of Haile Selassie (just as Obamas ancestors were just as likely to own black Africans as slaves as any white man in the America.)

Africa and much of Asia is a nightmare and it has been a nightmare no matter who won or lost wars. Seventy-five years after the Ethiopian Empire was liberated from Italian rule, Ethiopia, which splintered into separate nations after nasty rebellions, remains divided by language, religion and tribe. Independence has not made this land a happy place. Ethiopia ranks 148 out of 178 in the world in freedom and, like its neighbors, Ethiopia, is very poor. The problems of Africa and Asia, which are dreadful, are not the consequence of the richer Europe-American world. The problems are consequence of bitter divides which often have stretched for many hundreds of years.

Africa, sixty years after de-colonization, is still wretched and violent. Ethiopia, the first modern nation of Africa, celebrates the seventy-fifth anniversary of the expulsion of Italian Fascists from their nation. Is anything better? Honestly, no. The problems of Africa and much of Asia are not the consequence of Italian invaders or British imperialism. These problems are old and, tragically, self-inflicted.
For the record, I am still hoping that we can nominate someone other than Trump. I am still amazed that the GOP is about to nominate a candidate who blasted Governor Walker of Wisconsin for not raising taxes or who agrees with Michael Moore that Bush lied about Iraqi WMDs. I also don't care for men who never served in the military giving opinions about who is or isn't a war hero.

But here we are and Mr. Trump has an excellent change of being the nominee.

And he is getting a lot of help from "los anti-Trumpistas" or "hispanos" in California who never pass a chance to make total fool of themselves.

A couple of days ago, "los anti-Trumpistas" greeted Mr. Trump and his supporters with Mexican flags.

What's wrong with that picture?

First, as we learned in the immigration marches of 2006-07, the best way to turn off people is to stick a foreign flag in their face and call them "racista".

Second, it is ironic that people would bring a Mexican flag to show their disapproval of a candidate's statement about deportations. Don't these "idiotas" know that the country represented by that flag leads the league in deporting people without papers?

Third, I love Mexico and it is a wonderful country. However, it is not a nice country for immigrants without papers or who get involved in domestic politics. A couple of young Americans learned this lesson a few years ago:

What would Mexico do? The answer is easy: deport them on the spot. In 2002, a dozen American college students, in Mexico legally, participated peacefully in an environmental protest against a planned airport outside of Mexico City. They swiftly found themselves deported as law-breakers for interfering in Mexicos internal affairs.

So "telegrama" to every "anti-Trumpistas" marching with a Mexican flag: You are helping to elect Trump, in much the same way that Chicago demonstrators helped Mr. Nixon in 1968.

In fact, you are helping Mr. Trump so much that he will soon send you "una invitacion especial" to his next rally.

P.S. You can listen to my show (Canto Talk) and follow me on Twitter.
We are always looking for software updates, especially when they upgrade our device from Android Lollipop to Android Marshmallow. Earlier this week, BlackBerry announced that the Marshmallow 6.0.1 update was available for all BlackBerry PRIVs purchased from their ShopBlackBerry site in the UK, US, France, and Canada. For those that purchased their BlackBerry PRIV from Telus  their latest software schedule shows they will roll out the Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow update as well as a security update on Tuesday, May 3. As with all upgrade plans, they are subject to change. The updates are rollouts and can hit at different times of the day, so you can always manually check for an update to force it a little early.

All Android phones strive to be secure, but BlackBerry devices are all about security and were used in many corporations years ago  and still are. When BlackBerry made the move to run the Android OS on BlackBerry hardware, they worked hard on making Android on BlackBerry as secure as possible. Androids Marshmallow allows the PRIV to improve on its security features. John Chen, Executive Chairman and CEO, BlackBerry said, PRIV by BlackBerry is the most secure Android device in the market, and we continue to find ways to further enhance users security and privacy by adding new features with the Marshmallow operating system update. BlackBerry lists some of the improvements with this latest Android Marshmallow update and how it will affect your PRIV. You will be able to customize your personal data permissions  rather than allowing the app to dictate what personal data it will access, the user can now control this on an app-by-app basis. You will also see improved notification settings where you will only see notifications that affect that particular app. The new S/MIME support will allow users to sign digitally and encrypt their emails.

BlackBerry also improved the keyboard by providing more Emojis  we can never have too many Emojis. A new swipe capability allows the user to slide their finger across the physical or virtual keyboard to enter words. The word prediction is improved to anticipate better the next word based on where you place your fingers on the next word. Cursor control was improved on the physical keyboard to allow for more accurate cursor placement. The Doze feature in Marshmallow will give the PRIV better battery life by turning off background functions when not in use. BlackBerry PRIV users can engage their creative side with better camera/video features  record professional videos at 24fps in 4K, 1080p or 720p or even slow motion. There are many reasons to look forward to your Marshmallow update.


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Vatican City (AsiaNews) - Despite difficulties and suffering "we are not alone! And the sign of the presence of the Holy Spirit is also the peace that Jesus gives to his disciples: "I give you my peace" (v. 27). It is different from what men are hoping and trying to accomplish. The peace of Jesus arises from the victory over sin, selfishness that prevents us from loving one another as brothers", said Pope Francis this morning, before praying the Regina Caeli. The pontiff also spoke of the Orthodox Easter, the humanitarian tragedy caused by the war in Syria and the need for greater respect for human dignity in the workplace.



Commenting on today's Gospel, the Pope pointed out that before facing the Passion, "Jesus promises the Apostles the gift of the Holy Spirit, that will have the task of teaching and remembering his words to the community of disciples. Jesus himself says: "The Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything and remind you of all that I have said to you" (Jn 14:26). Teach and remember: "This is what the Holy Spirit does in our hearts."



Before returning to the Father, Jesus foretells the coming of the Spirit that will teach the first disciples to understand the Gospel ever more fully, to accept it in their lives and to bring it to life through their witness. Jesus promises the apostles that they will not be alone: "The the Holy Spirit, the Paraclete, will be with them, beside them indeed, he will be in them, to defend them and support them. Jesus returns to the Father but continues to accompany and teach his disciples through the gift of the Spirit. "



The mission of the Spirit has a second aspect: "To help the apostles to remember the words of Jesus. The Spirit's task is to awaken their memory, to help the, remember the words of Jesus. The divine Master already spoke of all that he intended to entrust to the Apostles: with Him, the Word incarnate, the revelation is complete. The Spirit will remember the teachings of Jesus in the various concrete circumstances of life, to be able to put into practice. It is precisely what is happening today in the Church, guided by the light and the Holy Spirit, that it should bring the gift of salvation to everyone, that is, Gods love and mercy".



For example, he adds, "when you read every day - as I have advised you - a verse, a passage from the Gospel: we ask the Holy Spirit, to understand and remember these words of Jesus. And then read a passage, every day: but that prayer, first of all, to the Spirit that is in our hearts. That I can remember and understand".



We are not alone, emphasized Francis, "Jesus is near us, among us, within us! His new presence in history takes place through the gift of the Holy Spirit, through whom you can establish a living relationship with Him, the Crucified and Risen One. The Spirit, poured out in us through the sacraments of Baptism and Confirmation, acts in our lives. He guides us in the way we think, act, distinguish what is good and what is bad. He helps us to practice charity of Jesus, his giving to others, especially those most in need ".

A sign of the presence of the Spirit "is the peace that Jesus gives to his disciples:" I give you my peace "(v. 27). It is different from what men are hoping or trying to accomplish. The peace of Jesus arises from the victory over sin, selfishness that prevents us from loving one another as brothers. It is God's gift and a sign of His presence. Every disciple, called today to follow Jesus carrying the Cross, receives within the peace of the Risen Christ in the certainty of His victory, and in expectation of His definitive coming. "



After the recitation of the Regina Caeli, the Pope sends his greetings to the Eastern Churches who today celebrate Easter, "the Risen Lord bring to all the gifts of his light and his peace. Christos anesti! ".



He immediately adds: "I receive with deep sorrow the tragic news coming from Syria, about the spiral of violence that continues to aggravate the already desperate humanitarian situation of the country, particularly in the city of Aleppo, and to claim innocent victims, even among children, the sick and those who with great sacrifice pledged to give help to others. I urge all parties to the conflict to respect the cessation of hostilities and to strengthen the ongoing dialogue, the only path that leads to peace. "



Marking the feast of St. Joseph the Worker, Francis cites an international conference which opens tomorrow at the Vatican and hopes that the event "will alert the authorities, political and economic institutions and civil society, to promote a model of development that takes into account human dignity, in full respect of labor laws and the environment ".

The Pope had a final thought for the Meter Association, which fights against pedophilia: "This is a tragedy. We must not tolerate child abuse, we must defend them. And we must severely punish offenders. Thank you for your commitment and continue your work with courage". And the Pope concluded with the traditional,"good lunch and good-bye. "
By Chris Turney, Professor of Earth Sciences and Climate Change

We live in an age when society is crying out for scientific solutions to global problems. Just a few of the many considerable challenges we face include the urgent need to transition to a carbon-free economy, the need for new drugs to combat disease and improved agricultural yields to meet the needs of a growing world population.

But in parallel to this increasing demand for science we face worrying trends in Australia and across the wider Western world. From high schools to universities, there is a long-term decline in students in the so-called STEM subjects (science, technology, engineering and mathematics).

Meanwhile, government funding in many Western countries is also falling, with Australia continuing to reduce the total science budget.

Repeated studies demonstrate public science investment has a strong multiplier effect on the economy, with estimates suggesting a minimum 10:1 return.

With governments fixated on economic growth, the cutting of science funding seems particularly perverse. Science needs to flourish if it will continue to innovate for future generations.

Looking back to go forward

So what to do? Ultimately, science has a communication problem. We need to redouble our efforts engaging with the wider community to help it understand why science matters.

We dont just need more scientists in society, we need people to better understand how science works. Making observations, testing ideas and reaching the simplest explanation can be applied to all walks of life but is woefully applied in public debate.

Before the Second World War, governments were not the big spenders they are today. In the history of intellectual endeavour, its only the last few generations who have taken state-funded support as the norm.

Business and private benefactors were previously far larger supporters. And in the Edwardian era, this created a golden era of science communication for many fields of endeavour.

For instance, Antarctic expeditions electrified the public, putting science and adventure on the front pages of newspapers. Exploration off the edge of the map was the Edwardian equivalent of space travel and the public could get involved. If you wanted to head south and learn more about Antarctica, you had to raise the funds by engaging the public.

They had to be excited by the endeavour. The result was a public frenzy to learn more about Antarctica. Fast-forward today, and the scientific questions have changed, but the spirit of enquiry remains.

As Earth scientists, we explored the Edwardian funding model to support a unique concept: to take an interdisciplinary research team to a region of rapid and unprecedented environmental change, with the aim of engaging the public in scientific endeavour.

The Australasian Antarctic Expedition 2013-2014 was supported by a unique combination of government, private and commercial funding to raise the necessary A$1.5 million.

Through engagement with Google, sponsorship and selling berths to interested members of the public (who signed up to be citizen scientists embedded in the science program), the expedition sought to explore changes in remote parts of the Southern Ocean including the rarely visited New Zealand subantarctic islands, and south to the site of Sir Douglas Mawsons 1912-1914 Antarctic base on Commonwealth Bay.

Intrepid science pays off

The two-month expedition is delivering a rich scientific trawl. We measured the amount of mixing across the Southern Ocean and discovered significant changes in circulation; we investigated the role of Southern Ocean carbon in past global change; and we documented the devastating impact of more extensive sea ice in Commonwealth Bay on marine benthic communities and local penguin populations.

Were on target to produce more than 20 research papers as a result. Critically, the expedition saw extensive public engagement through social media under the banner of Intrepid Science, using state-of-the-art satellite technology throughout the expedition, reporting our findings when they happened.

With a significant following on social media we received more than 60,000 views of the expedition website, highlighting both the excitement and difficulties of working at the ends of the Earth, and shining a light on Antarctic research rarely seen since the times of Mawson.

Frustratingly, we were caught by sea ice on the way home, but the expedition shows how even relatively modest amounts of money can help make major discoveries.

Recent research has found that scientific impact is only weakly limited by funding and that the return on investment decreases with monetary value. If so, public funding of small science may deliver major findings in the future.

As scientists we just need to engage. And perhaps a modern twist on Edwardian funding could be part of the solution.

Chris Turney receives funding from the Australian Research Council, Antarctic Logistics and Expeditions, and is a Director of CarbonScape (www.carbonscape.com).

Christopher Fogwill receives funding from the Australian Research Council, and Antarctic Logistics and Expeditions.

Originally published in The Conversation.
Hey,



I am a Entrepreneur from Mumbai. I would like to know what are the products that you would be requiring. I can help you source the same
Hi everyone,



I need some help as I think I may have caused some worries to my girlfriend by giving her a bad advice.



I met my girlfriend in France where we were together for 2 years. Then I got a job in Sydney and we had a long-distance relationship for 1 year.

Now she came to Australia on a 12 month tourist visa with multiple entries. Our plan was to sort out in Australia which Visa would be the best one to get for her. Now we decided on partnership visa.



However as her visa is valid for 12 months this means that she cannot work until next year as the bridging visa would only kick in after the tourist visa expired. This is unacceptable, because of financial reasons and also for her career.



Is there any way to get here work rights after we applied for the partner visa? E.g. is there a way to cancel the tourist visa to get her a bridging visa ? Is there a way to get work permission while being on the tourist visa?



I am thankful for any other suggestions.



Thank you,



TAussie
16 Month Waiting Game



Hi all, I'm finally being granted my onshore 820 after 16 brutal months of waiting and three BVBs later.



There was nothing wrong with my application, no missing documentation, but I was told my health check was about to expire so they wanted to get me through before that happened. Thanks IMMI, for shelving my app until you were forced to acknowledge it!



Those of you who've waited 12 months I'm envious and you're lucky. Let's see if my 801 comes in on time!



Anyone have their 801 granted earlier than expected?
So my partner has just arrived in Australia on his 309 visa. I am currently receiving the single parent pension. My partner is yet to find a job so we can earn a proper income. Does this mean that I will lose my single parent pension even though my partner is unemployed for the moment?
To be more precise, certain aficionados could look at this shoeing job and not understand why the owner of such an exclusive machine (Pagani is only building 100 Huayra coupes) would go through the trouble of fitting aftermarket rims.Nevertheless, you can't hold something like this against a Pagani driver when the automaker itself has already offered us two ways of making the Huayra even more special at this year's Geneva Motor Show.Since Pagani launched the Huayra BC as a special edition (twenty units are being built), "standard" Huayra customer were also given attention, with the automaker introducing the Pachetto Tempesta , a package that ups the ante on multiple fronts.Returning to the Huayra example we have here, the beast was gifted with beauty wheels coming from US developer Advance One Wheels. We're dealing with ADV07R Track Spec CS rims, which come in 21x13.5-inch size at the back and in a 20x10.5-inch size up front.While the lips are dressed in Polished Gloss Red, the centers come in Brushed Matte Red. And as a bonus, the wheels feature exposed titanium hardware. The result of all the details mentioned above is that these wheels are simply impossible to ignore.Given the exposed carbon fiber look of this Pagani Huayra, there's a strong contrast between the body and the wheels, which only adds to the hypercar's visual aura. And you can check out the machine, which we have to admit we see as a bit of a rolling candy shop, in the piece of footage below.
kW

OK, the Volt in a fancy suit isn't that popular, I admit. Now, though, the hands-free charging system is available for the Tesla Model S. Including the shipping and the cost of installing the vehicle adapter, Plugless for the Tesla Model S costs $3,290.Bear in mind that shipments of the wireless charger for rear-wheel-drive Tesla Model S vehicles will begin in late May 2016. Customers who want Plugless Power for the all-wheel-drive Tesla Model S will get it in the latter half of 2016. The 7.2charger offers about 20 miles of range for every hour of charging.Overnight charging will provide 200 miles of range, which isnt bad provided that you dont travel more than 200 miles per day. Most Model S owners dont. According to the company, Plugless requires a 208/240 volt, 50 amp, 2-pole, dedicated circuit rated for continuous duty. In other words, nothing fancy.Plugless can also be installed using a NEMA 14-50 outlet or it can be directly hardwired. The vehicle adapter thats installed using existing mounting locations at the front of the rear-wheel-drive Tesla Model S weighs approximately 35 pounds (15.87 kilograms), accounting for less than 1 percent of a Model S 60's weight.Plugless for the Tesla Model S comes with a 3-year warranty and a 45-day Any Reason Return Period after installation. More information on the wireless charging solution from Plugless Power can be found here Plugless isnt yet available for other Tesla vehicles, as in for the Model X, Model 3 or Roadster. "Our engineers are hard at work to bring Plugless to all Tesla models," the Richmond, Virginia-based company has commented. You can have your say regarding which model should go Plugless next by accessing this link
That man is John Barnard. Born in London in 1946, John is now designing carbon fiber furniture. Before this, John worked for Lola as a junior racecar designer. After his first stint at Lola, the man joined McLaren in 1974, where he helped with the development of the McLaren M23. More than that, Barnard was much involved in the IndyCar project.Johns biggest hit at McLaren, however, is the MP4/1. This racing car went to win 6 races and post 5 fastest laps during the 1981, 1982, and 1983 seasons. By comparison, the preceding M30 and M29 are remembered for their lack of competitiveness and, to some extent, reliability. So what made the MP4/1 so great and why does it have a different naming convention?The /1 stands for first and MP4 stands for Marlboro Project 4. Project what? Project 4 Racing, the team founded by Ron Dennis. Yes, that same Ron Dennis who is the head honcho at McLaren these days.Without further beating around the bush, John Barnard was the main engineer for the MP4/1 and he suggested to use carbon fiber composite for the monocoque. These days, carbon fiber is the norm in Formula 1 and road-going McLaren cars, but back in 1981, it was witchcraft.In the video below, John Barnard will talk you through the fine details of the MP4/1.Barnard is also known for introducing the semi-automatic transmission in Formula 1. The Ferrari 640 was the first racecar to employ the electronic gear shift mechanism and flappy paddles.On its debut at the 1989 Brazilian Grand Prix, Nigel Mansell took the Ferrari 640 to victory. Two technical revolutions in Formula 1 in less than a decade, how about that? Dear John, youre a top lad!
If the lure of adventure and faraway places isnt enough to attract women to the cockpit, at least one airline is hoping that appealing to their fashion sense will. Qantas Airlines has introduced its newly designed pilot uniforms and for the first time there are designs specifically tailored for women. Oh, they still have to wear ties (theyre female-only ties, though) and military-style hats, but the new uniforms are a big improvement over the truncated mens wear that have hung in female pilots closets for decades. It is a really big change, A330 Capt. Debbie Slade told the Sydney Morning Herald. Especially for the females, it has got a little bit of shape and it is made to fit girls rather than girls wearing a boys uniform.

Qantas CEO Alan Joyce said the female uniforms were specifically created as part of the airlines attempt to bring more diversity to the cockpit. It was also extremely important for us was that we had a female-designed uniform, Joyce told the Herald. I hope one day we get to 50 percent of our pilots being female so we will have a lot more of them. We are still waiting on that but I think it is a great start. The new uniforms are lighter in weight, more tailored and have a streamlined cut, according to the newspaper. The biggest change is the hat, however. Qantas has gone to a white navy style topper thats a nod to its heritage. The hat is what makes a pilot so recognizable, said fashion designer Martin Grant. I wanted to go back to the essence of the naval uniform and bring back the white top.
Aviation authorities have grounded Airbus EC225 Super Puma helicopters after the crash of a Canadian aircraft off the coast of Norway Friday. The helicopter, operated by CHC Helicopter, went down a few hundred yards from shore near Bergen. All 11 passengers and two crew died. Witnesses told various news sources that they saw rotor blades separate from the aircraft before it dropped into the ocean and exploded. A rotor blade was recovered on shore about 300 yards from the rest of the wreckage, which was under water. The cockpit voice and flight data recorders have been recovered.

The helicopter was working under contract to Norwegian oil company Statoil but only one of the passengers worked for the firm. The others worked for various oil industry companies that were doing work for Statoil. Norway immediately grounded Super Pumas but other authorities followed suit quickly. Following the accident, the UK CAA has issued an instruction to stop any commercial passenger flights by UK operators flying the Airbus EC225LP helicopter, said a spokesman for the British Civil Aviation Authority. This is the second worldwide grounding of the Super Puma. The helicopters were taken out of service to fix gearbox problems in 2012 after the ditching of a CHC aircraft off Scotland.
The U.S. Air Force is complaining about showboating Russian fighter pilots who have done barrel rolls over its pricey reconnaissance planes twice in the last couple of weeks. The most recent incident was Friday when an SU-27 flew within 25 feet of an RC-135 sensor platform and turned inverted over the top of the converted Boeing 707 before lining up on the other side. The SU-27 intercepted the U.S. aircraft flying a routine route at high rate of speed from the side then proceeded to perform an aggressive maneuver that posed a threat to the safety of the U.S. aircrew in the RC-135, Lt. Col. Michelle Baldanza told CNN.

On April 14, another SU-27 rolled from the left to the right of an RC-135, coming within 50 feet of the spy plane. Whats not clear is whether the pilots are being ordered to rattle the U.S. crews or whether theyre doing it for fun. However, Russian officials defended the earlier incident and there does seem to be a pattern developing. There were a couple of buzzing incidents on a U.S. warship earlier this month. In one case a Russian plane is thought to have come within 75 feet of an American missile destroyer.
 

       3.0 (      -       -         ): editor [at] bahrainmirror.com
A 29-year-old man charged Tuesday with two counts of murder in the killing of his mother and stepfather in northwest Bakersfield was ordered h
Six people were injured in a crash Saturday night in Sarasota County, according to the Florida Highway Patrol.

6 people injured after Jeep overturned on I-75

The driver and five passengers were taken to area hospitals

The driver faces careless driving charges

The crash happened just after 9 p.m. on Interstate 75 near mile marker 210.

Troopers said a Jeep Cherokee, driven by Johnny Joseph, 28, of Rhode Island, was traveling northbound when the vehicle veered to the right shoulder.

The Jeep crossed the northbound entrance ramp from westbound State Road 780 and overturned.

Seven people were inside the Jeep at the time of the crash.

Joseph and five passengers, who are from Tampa, were injured and taken to area hospital with injures.

One of the passengers, a 2-year-old, was taken to All Childrens Hospital in serious condition.

Troopers said Joseph is facing charges of careless driving and a child restraint violation.
A man has been arrested in the Saturday morning shooting in St. Petersburg near All Childrens Hospital.

Malcolm DiPina, 22, was arrested and charged with manslaughter

Police said DiPina shot Scott Franklin, 41, after a verbal argument

DiPina turned himself in on Saturday

According to St. Petersburg police, Scott Franklin, 41, was traveling home from work in the area of 6th Avenue South and 6th Street South.

Surveillance footage allegedly showed two or three vehicles following Franklin. The vehicles then stop at the intersection.

Malcolm DiPina was inside one of the vehicles. According to police, Franklin got into a verbal argument with DiPina due to one of the vehicles cutting off the other.

The vehicles then continued west before turning northbound onto 6th Street South. Both vehicles stopped again. The incident escalated and DiPina shot Franklin.

DiPina and his friends fled the scene, according to police.

Later on Saturday, DiPina went to the St. Petersburg Police Department and turned himself in.

DiPina was arrested and charged with manslaughter and booked into the Pinellas County Jail.
Police are investigating a drowning at Mirror Lake in downtown St. Petersburg.

At 8:39 a.m., officers were called to the 7th Street side of Mirror Lake regarding a man that went into the water.

The caller claimed that a man in his twenties had been acting erratically and then ran into the water of Mirror Lake. The man went below the surface of the lake and never came back up.

Officers and members of the St. Petersburg Fire Department arrived and began searching for the man. He was located beneath the surface of the water at 8:49 a.m. and brought to the shore.

Fire rescue paramedics worked on the man for 20 minutes but were not able to revive him. The man was pronounced dead at the scene.

The man has been tentatively identified but police are withholding this information until they can locate and notify his next of kin.


At the Becker's Hospital Review 7th Annual Meeting in a session titled "Benchmarking and Assessing the Financial Strength of a Hospital," hospital CFOs and key thought leaders discussed the best methods for improving hospital finances going forward. Editor-in-Chief of Beckers Hospital Review Molly Gamble moderated the panel.

Darryl Linnington, CFO of McAlester Regional Health Center, assesses financial strength by pursuing growth strategies as they come to the hospitals attention.

One of the things that we sometimes forget about is not just the actual outputs and financial indicators, but also measuring financial management. What are facilities doing in terms of financial management processes and how are they working to their benefit. One of the metrics I look for is do you measure your financial management process? If you have internal control certifications, do you measure that they get done when they are completed? If you have daily metrics that department heads are responsible for submitting, are you tracking that they are submitted on time? he said.

In addition to the financial indicators, he also looks for financial discipline to make sure the information is meaningful, useful and reliable. Ive always thought in terms of value. Really, we want to know, what is the value of our organization? Is there a price to it? The other piece is our credit rating. Even if we never intended to seek public finance, even if we never intended to go for a rating, we should have some idea of how wed size up if we were.

Specific metrics on the balance sheet that are important are days cash, days accounts/receivable, average age of plan, current liquidity ratio and debt, debt terms and EBITDA. Melissa Whitmer, senior vice president, healthcare of KeyBank also discussed the quality of the management team as an important asset for the hospital.

For us, its getting to know the management team and gaining confidence in the team and their decisions theyre making both in short and long term strategies. We want to know their background and industry knowledge. Healthcare is highly regulated, so they have to understand the new regulations. We have to be comfortable with the management team because they are leading the change, she said.

Shes also interested in what investments are made in the facility, technology, EHR, equipment. Its important to know the hospital is able to provide the highest quality of services. They also have to understand the competition too thats around the hospital and if there have been conversations that have taken place in terms of affiliation and joint ventures. Its important from the lending perspective to understand what the short and long term plan is, said Ms. Whitmer. Some hospitals are determined to remain independent while others are considering consolidation; consolidation may bring value to the hospital going forward.

Anthony Creed, CFO of VA Southern Nevada Healthcare, has a unique benchmarking experience because he works at a VA hospital.

We all do business plans, so you have to have some assumptions and benchmarking. If you look at a cascade system, which is what we adopted, we started with Milliman Data. We are looking out to 2033 and our population. We start from there and drill down to each one of our clinics relevant to Milliman and look at what our priorities are, he said. What we do with that data, we set our priorities and look at tactical initiatives we are going to establish.

The hospital starts over every year due to their funding models; last year in the Presidents budget, the hospitals were short $1.9 billion from what they ended up getting. The hospitals may not know this year until after the election what their budget will be. From the Milliman data, they can bring in services and develop a business plan.

At six months, Mr. Creed and his team do a review, looking at productivity. He conducts focus groups to humanize data collected to have a better understanding of the data. The reports previously were quarterly, but now they are monthly, bi-monthly and daily. Since Milliman only comes out once per year, the team manually adjusts the data to gain a better understanding of their projection model.

Mr. Linningtons external benchmarks include:

 Operational efficiency

 Supply cost management

 Patient satisfaction

 Employee engagement

 Physician satisfaction.

Internal benchmarks are managed by metrics and there are five key objectives for the leadership team:

 Pick actionable, predictive metrics

 Measure more frequently than they did in the past

 Engage their frontline staff

 Emphasize discussing performance and responses

 Rewarding consistency in reporting
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It's difficult to imagine Anderson Cooper, the star CNN newsman, ever being wracked by indecision. But for years he had been worried about what to do with his mother's stuff. For decades, Gloria Vanderbilt's boxes of love letters, mementoes and assorted ephemera, had languished in the family's many New York properties. She would not throw anything away.

Cooper had been told, years ago, that there was no inheritance coming his way, that he would receive none of his mother's reported $200m fortune. But perhaps he would get something even better: Contained somewhere between the cobwebs and the yellowing piles of letters he knew there was a story waiting, one in which his own family's drama dovetailed with an era when industrialist fortunes were squandered, the Jazz era was fading, and the Golden Age of Hollywood was just beginning.

The Sliver Fox, as Cooper is known, has always had a special sense of the component parts of a good yarn. Besides being the closest thing to American royalty this side of the Kennedys, he is also an Emmy winning anchor who recently came out. Now middle-aged himself, he could see that his 92-year-old mother's life was replete with dramatic detail.

She was a lifestyle queen before there was Martha Stewart, American royalty before the Kennedys, and she made and lost a fortune while dating some of the most famous men in history; Howard Hughes, Cary Grant and Roald Dahl among them.

Cooper enlisted Liz Garbus, who was nominated for an Oscar for her documentary about Nina Simone, to get involved in making a film about Gloria and his relationship with her, using much of the aforementioned 'junk' as a starting point for reminiscences. The resultant documentary, Nothing Left Unsaid, aired last weekend on HBO in the US.

It is a well-crafted piece, suffused with sentimentality and humour and portrayed Vanderbilt through her son's eyes, as a glamorous emissary from a burned-out star. And yet many of those who saw it, or read the memoir that accompanies it, concluded that, despite the film's tantalising title, plenty was left unsaid. A rift that almost tore the family apart was never touched upon, and the omission raised as many questions as it answered.

There can be few Americans whose blood runs as blue as Cooper. As a boy, he was once shown a statue in Manhattan, near Grand Central Station, of his great-great-great-grandfather, who amassed a shipping and railroad empire. The economist JK Galbraith once observed that the Vanderbilts, like no other American dynasty before or since, "have shown the ability to make and lose money like it was going out of style".

It was Cooper's mother, not the statues at Grand Central, who defined the modern Vanderbilts. On February 20, 1924, the birth of the new heiress to the fortune was covered as a news story in The New York Times. And thereafter the press never missed a moment of her childhood. That her aunt had been the Prince of Wales's mistress before he took up with Wallis Simpson seemed only fitting. After all, what was Gloria if not American royalty?

The 'Poor Little Rich Girl' was another moniker that stuck with her. When she was 10 years old, there was a dramatic custody battle between her aunt Gertrude - founder of the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York - and her mother, also Gloria, a Swiss-American socialite. Gloria's father Reginald, the principal heir to the Vanderbilt railroad fortune, a womaniser and a gambler, had died of a throat infection, which had led to internal haemorrhaging.

Following his death, and fed by reports from family servants and private detectives, the wider Vanderbilt family had become convinced that Gloria senior was an alcoholic and abusing the young heiress. The custody trial that followed was sensationalised across the world.

In court it was alleged that Gloria senior was "a cocktail-crazed mother", who lived a "raucous lifestyle", "a devotee of sex erotica and the mistress of a German Prince [Gottfried, Prince of Hohenlohe-Langenburg]."

The allegations were devastating, and in the end, mother and daughter would be parted. Gloria senior's own lawyer would later describe her as "a woman destroyed".

Gloria senior never took her visitation rights seriously - she passed her remaining years in a haze of parties - and the young girl was raised by an ever-changing panel of carers, including her beloved Irish nanny Dodo. When she was 17, she went to visit her mother in California and fell under the spell of Pasquale DiCicco, a Hollywood agent. Determined not to have to return to aunt Gertrude, Gloria accepted his proposal of marriage. He was violent and would give her black eyes by banging her head off the wall of the mansion they shared, she later said. On their wedding night she waited for him in bed, and eventually found him playing cards with one of the Marx brothers.

While still married to DiCicco, she met Leopold Stokowski, a world-famous conductor who already had two ex-wives and once had an affair with Greta Garbo. She promptly divorced DiCiccio and married Stokowski. It was "instant", she tells her son in the new documentary. "We were married three weeks later."

"Really?" Anderson asks, brow furrowed. "I didn't know that."

"Well, to have this genius, which he was, think I was extraordinary and wonderful, it just gave me a big lift," she answers.

They had two sons together - Stan, born in 1950 and Christopher, born in 1955. And while Stokowski encouraged her artistic side - she had become a keen painter and poet - he also kept her socially isolated.

Yet during their marriage she had an affair with Frank Sinatra, who offered her a part in Ocean's Eleven. During the childhood of the two boys, Gloria had what was described in the press as a breakdown. She went into therapy. In one interview she recounted taking LSD as part of a therapy session. She would go on to divorce Stokowski and was forced to relive the most painful chapter in Vanderbilt history, as she successfully fought the composer for custody of their two young sons.

For many women, two divorces at such a relatively young age - she was still only in her forties - might have daunted them, but Gloria was still one of the most beautiful women in the world and she knew it. So did Wyatt Cooper, a magazine publisher who came from a family with no money and who offered her the one thing she had never had: stability. They married on Christmas Eve 1963 and Gloria was soon pregnant, with first Carter and then Anderson.

By the mid-1970s she was also a household name with her signature fashion jeans. In some senses this was probably the crowning moment of her life, but it was also a time of private pain, something that is completely glossed over in the new documentary and memoir. Christopher, who was by disposition very shy, disliked his mother's newfound fame.

In 1974 he fell in love with socialite April Sandmeyer and the two were planning marriage when his father, then in his nineties and living in England, became seriously ill. Christopher and April moved to England to be closer to the elder Stokowski. When Leopold died, Christopher gained a substantial inheritance, but when he returned to New York after the funeral his life took another turn for the worst: Wyatt Cooper died, leaving Gloria a widow at 50, and she soon came under the influence of a charismatic therapist called Dr Christ L Zois.

She gave Zois and a lawyer friend of his, Thomas A. Andrews, power of attorney and between them they swindled her out of millions of dollars.

She successfully sued Andrews and Zois for $1.6m, but never saw any of it. The money was perhaps not the most significant loss from the whole episode, however. By 1978 Christopher, then an adult, cut off contact with his family, alleging interference by Zois in his relationship with April Sandmeyer. Christopher was subsequently written out of family history. In Gloria's 1996 memoir, A Mother's Story, there is no mention of him (the book is dedicated to Anderson).

Gloria felt sure another tragedy that engulfed her family would also bring it back together. In 1988 Carter jumped off the terrace at her Manhattan apartment. She looked on helpless as it happened. Anderson would later say that the grief had indeed brought the family together, but it did not, as Gloria had hoped, bring Christopher back into their lives. "When Carter died I thought he would come back but he didn't," she said. "And we respect his wishes."

With one son dead and another estranged, Gloria seemed to be entering one of the loneliest periods of her life. She started to pen a number of well-received memoirs, the most interesting of which was probably It Seemed Important at the time.

In it, Gloria answered questions like: how to cope when you go out with a young Marlon Brando and he doesn't call you the next day. The answer: get dolled up in Dior, go to a party and spend the night flirting with Gene Kelly. She also explained: "I find sex endlessly interesting. I suppose I always will.''

In her old age, Gloria is perhaps best known as a socialite and Anderson's mother. She still grieves the loss of her two sons, but Anderson remains her rock.

They make an odd pair. Him, icy cool, analytical, and, by his own admission, a little dull around the edges. Her, emotional, witty and always compelling. And yet at these points in their lives, they fit each other perfectly.

There is a sense through the whole book-and-film project that they really do lean on each other, and that neither of them would be where they are without the other.
A 43-year-old woman is due to appear in court on Monday

A man brandishing a screwdriver held up Subway staff in a south Belfast on Sunday morning, police have reported.

He entered the shop on the Dublin Road around 10.15am and threatened staff with the screwdriver before making off with a sum of money.

However, the police say that a 30-year-old man, believed to have been involved the fast food shop robbery, was detained by members of the public before arrest.

A quantity of cash was also recovered.

The suspect is in custody helping police with their enquiries.
Sir Hugh Orde said the way historic cases were dealt with should be reviewed

Police forces' focus on historic child sex abuse cases over new crimes is "back to front", the former head of police chiefs has said.

Sir Hugh Orde, who retired after heading the now-defunct Association of Chief Police Officers (Acpo), said the way older cases were dealt with should be reviewed.

The former chief constable of the Police Service of Northern Ireland told Sky News: "You fully resource a historic investigation, yet you don't fully resource a current day investigation. That is back to front.

"We have to focus on people who need our protection now. I absolutely understand and respect the need for the victims of these awful cases to have some form of resolution.

"Personally, I would far rather that money was spent protecting the next generation and we look differently at how these past cases are reinvestigated or resolved to a degree."

Awareness of the scale of historical abuse cases exploded after the Jimmy Savile scandal, which led to the launch of several long-running police probes into high-profile figures.

Scotland Yard ended its 1.8 million Operation Midland investigation into claims of a VIP paedophile ring last month, after the 16-month probe ended without a single arrest.

Sir Hugh's comments came as he backed a charity called the Dot Com Children's Foundation, which teaches primary school pupils to recognise signs of grooming and abuse.

But his views drew criticism from Liz Dux, a specialist lawyer at Slater and Gordon Lawyers who represented Savile abuse victims.

She told the broadcaster: "It's very dangerous if an offender thinks 'well, if I committed my crime 40 years ago I'm not going to be prosecuted because there isn't any police money'.

"That would be a terrible message to send out."
The paramedics and three residents were rushed to hospital

Two paramedics were among five people rushed to hospital suffering from deadly carbon monoxide poisoning at a house in Northern Ireland.

The team were responding to an incident at the property in Newcastle, Co Down, on Friday evening when they developed the symptoms, Northern Ireland Ambulance Service (NIAS) said.

The Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service (NIFRS) were called to the property where high levels of the toxic gas were detected.

The paramedics, with the help of the NIFRS, treated themselves and the three others with oxygen while four additional ambulances were sent to the scene.

All those affected were taken to an emergency department where they were due to be checked for levels of contamination and receive further treatment.

NIAS said they are expected to make a speedy recovery. The incident comes a day after a North Wales Ambulance Service driver, named as John Clift, 54, died when his vehicle collided with an urgent response ambulance in Pwllheli.

Three more people were taken to hospital after suffering serious injuries in the incident.
Each week about 10 people are being newly-diagnosed with HIV in Ireland

Campaigners are alarmed at a surge in HIV cases in Ireland after they jumped by more than third over the last five years.

Almost 500 people were diagnosed as living with the infection last year - up from 372 on the previous year.

Around 10 people are being newly-diagnosed with HIV every week in Ireland.

HIV Ireland, a national charity set up to battle the spread of the infection, has urged a country-wide campaign to stem the worrying trend.

Niall Mulligan, the charitys executive director, said he is alarmed at the relentless upward trend in HIV diagnoses.

Official figures are likely to understate the scale of the crisis, he added.

According to the World Health Organisation, 30% of people living with HIV are undiagnosed.

It is therefore likely the number of people living with HIV in Ireland is considerably higher than the number of diagnosed cases.

Mr Mulligan has said the new government, when it is formed, needs to mount a public awareness drive, including free condoms and testing nationwide.

We also need to focus on people who face a higher risk due to their circumstances - being homeless, being addicted to drugs, working within the sex industry, being in prison, suffering from poor mental health, he added.

Failure to do so runs the risk of creating a catastrophe out of a crisis.
The flag of the Libyan Republic used by the National Transitional Council outside the Libyan Embassy in London.

The Irish naval vessel LE Roisin has left Ireland for search and rescue operations for refugees in the Mediterranean.

The ship departed Haulbowline in Cork at midday on Sunday.

Commanded by Lieutenant Commander Ultan Finegan, the 57-strong crew has been completing pre-deployment training and preparing the ship for an extended deployment.

This is the first Naval Service mission to the Mediterranean under Operation Pontus in 2016.

The Defence Forces personnel that crewed LE Eithne, LE Niamh and LE Samuel Beckett last year rescued 8,592 people during deployments to southern Europe.

People smugglers continue almost year-round to launch their flimsy craft from the Libyan shore en route to Italy, Sicily, and Malta.

Many get into difficulties mid-voyage and are rescued by members of an international humanitarian aid mission coordinated by the Italian authorities.

LE Roisin is a first-of-class offshore patrol vessel. It is one of the youngest ships in the Naval Service fleet, and is named after Roisin Dubh, the embodiment of Ireland in the Irish poetic tradition.
Frances O'Grady, general secretary of the TUC, wished the crowd a happy May Day

His appearance marked the first by a Labour leader at a May Day rally in 50 years

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn joins thousands of people at a May Day rally in central London

Jeremy Corbyn announced a new body to improve workers' rights as he addressed the largest ever May Day rally in London.

The Labour leader joined hundreds of people at Clerkenwell Green in the capital to mark international workers' day - the first time the head of the party has addressed the rally in 50 years.

He told the crowds that the Government's trade union legislation would "reduce the ability" of organisations to "speak up for people during election campaigns".

Mr Corbyn announced a new commission to tackle workers' rights and zero hours contracts.

"We will be establishing, in a couple of weeks time, an organisation or a commission called 'Workplace 2020' which will be looking at the end to change or improve trade union and workers' rights, including self employed workers."

He said the initiative would "end the scandal of zero hours contracts", "end the scandal of insecurity" and "end the scandal of a lower wage for younger workers when their needs and demands are just as great as any older worker - to end their discrimination".

Mr Corbyn continued: "And to say to those fast food chains and others that think you can evade the idea that trade unions have a right to organise.

"We want there to be a positive right to join and be represented by a trade union in every workplace in our country."

Hundreds of people marched through the streets of London from Clerkenwell Green to Trafalgar Square carrying placards with slogans supporting junior doctors, human rights and calling for David Cameron to resign.

At one point the rally was stalled as it passed along the Strand where a group of protesters from the Unite union, campaigning against the Melia hotel group, set off red smoke flares.

Frances O'Grady, general secretary of the TUC, wished the crowd a happy May Day and sent a special message of solidarity to BHS workers.

She said: "We stand by you."

General secretary of the National Union of Teachers (NUT) Christine Blower addressed the rally at Trafalgar Square and said that the union would ballot for strike action before the summer holidays.

She said: "In education we are facing onslaught after onslaught of what should be a civil right and a public good. That is education.

"Instead we are facing privatisation and the destruction of a coherent service.

"But we will in the National Union of Teachers... we will say 'no' to those things and we will be balloting for national strike action before the end of this term."

Junior doctor Yannis Gourtsoyannis also spoke at Trafalgar Square and said that the NHS would be the site of the last stand against austerity.

"Social democracy in the UK began with the inception of the NHS in 1948," Dr Gourtsoyannis claimed.

"So too will the NHS be the site of Britain's last stand against the all-consuming forces for austerity and so too will the NHS be a catalyst for a wider workers' movement to defend what is good about this country. He pleaded with the rally to not let the NHS fail and to defend the BMA.

"We need you and you need us," he said.

Mr Corbyn spoke about the junior doctors' strike during his speech in Clerkenwell, where he claimed that it was "beyond disgraceful" that the Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt was "more interested" in privatising 49% of NHS services than coming to an agreement with the health workers.

He said he was "proud" to march with the junior doctors through Westminster last week with the shadow chancellor John McDonnell, who attended a May Day rally in Glasgow on Sunday.

Mr Corbyn said the London rally had a long tradition of standing up for the "timeless principle" of uniting the working class.

He called to the crowd to "work to achieve a society where there isn't the grotesque levels of inequality that there are".

The rally celebrated "what was won by workers' campaigning over many years", including the NHS, education, pensions and affordable housing, which organisers claimed were under attack by the austerity agenda.
Rebels have reportedly shelled a mosque in a government-held neighbourhood of Aleppo, killing at least 15 people as they left Friday prayers.

The attack came as government air strikes hit rebel-held parts of the city, killing at least six people, even after the Syrian army unilaterally declared a brief truce in other parts of the country.

The violence in Aleppo has killed more than 200 civilians over the past week and is likely to continue unchecked, as the government's cease-fire does not include Aleppo.

At least 15 people were killed and 30 injured when rockets struck Malla Khan mosque in the government-held Bab al-Faraj district shortly after Friday prayers, Syrian state TV reported.

"We want the army to finish them," an Aleppo resident told state TV outside a hospital where some of the dead and wounded were taken.

The attack followed an early-morning lull in government air strikes on rebel-held parts of Aleppo, following days of deadly violence that killed scores of people.

Yet by late morning air raids resumed on the city, according to activists from the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights and the Local Co-ordination Committees (LCC).

The resumption of air raids prompted religious leaders to suspend Friday prayers in rebel-held areas.

The Religious Council of Aleppo, a body that runs religious affairs in opposition-held parts of the province, said in a statement online that it was calling on mosque leaders to call off Friday prayers for the first time.

"The heart of the believers is aching ... but preserving lives is an important religious duty," it said.

The Observatory reported that six people were killed in the strikes on opposition areas, while the LCC said at least 10 people died and dozens were wounded.

The LCC and the Observatory also reported shelling near a clinic in the rebel-held neighbourhood of Marjeh. There was no word on casualties.

The humanitarian situation has deteriorated further in opposition-held neighbourhoods, which are almost encircled.

The sole road leading in and out of rebel-held areas from north-west Aleppo is regularly targeted by sniper fire and shelling.

The carnage in Aleppo - a city contested since the summer of 2012, when opposition fighters took over several districts - was particularly bad on Wednesday and Thursday, when air strikes and artillery killed more than 60 people, including dozens at a hospital.

Also on Friday, the Syrian army declared a temporary truce for the capital Damascus, its suburbs and the coastal province of Latakia - but not Aleppo.

It was not immediately clear what impact this unilateral declaration would have.

The opposition seemed unlikely to abide by the truce after dozens were killed in the latest air strikes.

The cease-fire is due to come into effect at 1am on Saturday, according to an announcement read on Syrian state TV.

The military statement said it will last 24 hours in Damascus and its suburbs and three days in Latakia.

Yet in Aleppo, which has once more become the civil war's main battleground, aid agencies warned of a potential humanitarian disaster following the collapse of a two-month US and Russia-brokered cease-fire and the stalling of peace talks in Switzerland.

In Geneva, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights said the latest reports of civilian deaths in Syria revealed a "monstrous disregard for civilian lives by all parties to the conflict".

In a statement released on Friday, Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein urged all sides to step back from a return to an all-out war.

The UN official said "the violence is soaring back to the levels we saw prior to the cessation of hostilities" in late February.

He added that targeting medical facilities and markets could "amount to war crimes".

According to the Observatory, air strikes and shelling in Aleppo killed 202 civilians in the past week - 123 in rebel-held parts of the city and 71 and government-held areas.

It said the dead included 31 children on both sides.

Doctors Without Borders later said the death toll from the bombing of the hospital and nearby buildings in Aleppo has risen to 50, including six medical staff and patients.

The organisation, also known by its French acronym MSF, said the bombing of Quds hospital late on Wednesday destroyed one of the last remaining places in Aleppo in which "you could still find humanity".

MSF warned that the 250,000 residents in the rebel-held parts of Aleppo are in danger of being completely cut off and left without medical care.

Air strikes on the hospital drew international condemnation.

Muskilda Zancada, head of MSF's Syria mission, said "the sky is falling in Aleppo".
Water cannon is used on workers at a rally in Manila

Workers clash with riot police as they try to get to the gates of the US Embassy in Manila

Demonstrators run as riot police in Istanbul use water cannons and tear gas to disperse them

Trade unions and other groups staged rallies around the world to mark International Workers' Day with violence breaking out in Paris on the fringes of one protest.

Fearing France's worker protections are under threat, hundreds of angry youths on the sidelines of a rally hurled stones and wood at police in the capital, receiving repeated bursts of tear gas in response.

The traditional May Day rallies took on greater weight this year as parliament is debating a bill that would allow longer working hours and let companies lay workers off more easily.

The bill has prompted the most violent labour-related protests in a decade, with marches and sit-ins frequently degenerating into clashes with police.

Police encircled a few hundred suspected troublemakers on the sidelines of the Paris march on Sunday, and frustrated youth threw projectiles.

In Marseille, at least five people were arrested after scuffles with riot police. Marchers held banners calling President Francois Hollande a "traitor" and chanted "Everyone together!"

The Socialist government hopes the relatively modest labour reform will reduce chronically high unemployment and make France more globally competitive, by allowing companies more flexibility. Opponents say it erodes hard-fought worker protections and call it a gift to corporate interests.

In Russia, t ens of thousands of people marched across Moscow's Red Square in a pro-Kremlin workers' rally. The protesters were carrying the Russian tricolours and balloons.

As is typical for rallies organised by the ruling United Russia party, the May Day rally steered clear of criticising President Vladimir Putin or his government for falling living standards. The slogans focused on wages and jobs for young professionals.

Left-wing Russian groups held their own rallies.

This year the May Day coincided with the Orthodox Easter in Russia. Communist leader Gennady Zyuganov told Russian news agencies ahead of the rally that he celebrates Easter despite the Communist party's history of oppressing the Russian Church.

In Turkey, police used tear gas and water cannons to disperse dozens of May Day demonstrators in Istanbul.

Small scuffles broke out between police and demonstrators trying to reach Istanbul's Taksim Square. Taksim has symbolic meaning as the centre of protests in which 34 people were killed in 1977.

In the Istanbul districts of Sisli and Bakirkoy, police fired tear gas and water cannon to scatter other protesters. They also rounded up at least 36 demonstrators, according to Anadolu Agency.

The state-run news agency said police deployed around 15,000 officers and 120 water cannons in Istanbul, which has witnessed two suicide bombings this year.

May Day marches were held elsewhere in Turkey without incident but were cancelled in the southern city of Gaziantep after a car bomb attack on a police station.

In Manila, about 2,000 left-wing protesters scuffled with riot policemen, who used shields and a water cannon to try to prevent the flag-waving demonstrators from getting near the US embassy. Labour leaders said 20 protesters were injured.

Some of the protesters managed to break through the police cordon. TV footage in the Philippines showed some of them punching a retreating police officer and using wooden poles to hit a fire truck.

Police made no arrests and protesters dispersed after about two hours.

May Day rallies were held across the Philippines, with campaigning entering the final week ahead of the May 9 presidential election. Some of the candidates pledged to address labour complaints.

In T aipei, Taiwan's capital, labour unions took to the streets with a march to call on the government to reduce working hours and increase wages.

Many among the Taiwanese public have been concerned that outgoing President Ma Ying-jeou's push for closer economic ties with China has benefited just a few. Young Taiwanese have seen wages stagnate and good full-time jobs harder to find as the export-led economy has slowed.

Chen Li-jen, a protester with the Taiwan Petroleum Workers Union, said that while companies were seeing their earnings per share grow every year, workers' salaries were not rising in tandem.

"Hardworking labourers are being exploited by consortiums," Chen said.

"For the past decade, our basic salary has not made any progress," he said. "Labourers' rights have always been neglected. This is why I hope to take advantage of the May 1 Labour Day protest and tell the government that we are determined to fight for our rights."
Former students of Rajshahi University hold a demonstration in Dhaka against the April 23 hacking to death of professor A.F.M. Rezaul Karim Siddique, April 29, 2016.

Assailants hacked to death a Hindu tailor in Bangladesh Saturday, the fifth man killed in the same manner this month, police said.

Three men killed Nikhil Joarder, 50, in front of his tailor shop in Tangail district, 127 km (79 miles) north of Dhaka, at midday, said Aslam Khan, an additional superintendent of police in the area.

They finished the killing in at best three minutes, Khan told BenarNews.

He said police were investigating the murder from all angles. Joarder was jailed for a week in 2012 after being accused of making a derogatory remark about the Prophet Mohammad. The man who filed the complaint subsequently went missing, Khan said.

The tailor was also locked in a battle with relatives over a land dispute, he said.

Several hours after the killing, the Islamic State extremist group claimed credit for it via its Amaq News Agency, according to the U.S.-based Site Intelligence Group said.

"Elements of the Islamic State stabbed to death by knife a Hindu in Tangail in Bangladesh who was known for insulting Prophet Muhammad," the Associated Press quoted the Amaq statement as saying.

Thousands of years

A wave of machete attacks by suspected militants has gripped the predominantly Muslim country since early last year, targeting secular writers, intellectuals and members of religious minorities.

This month suspected militants also killed law student and secular blogger Nazimuddin Samad; Rajshahi University English teacher AFM Rezaul Karim Siddique; United States Agency for International Development (USAID) employee and gay rights activist Xulhaz Mannan; and theater actor Mahbub Tonoy.

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry called Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on April 28 to offer U.S. support for the investigation into Mannan and Tonoys murder, according to the State Department.

Kerry also urged Hasina to redouble law enforcement efforts to prevent future attacks, a State Department statement said.

Bangladesh authorities have repeatedly rejected claims of responsibility for the attacks from IS and Al-Qaeda affiliates. Ansar al-Islam, the Bangladeshi wing of al-Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS), said its members had carried out the murder of Mannan and Tonoy.

Asked about Saturdays attack, Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan once again denied the presence of IS in Bangladesh.

There is a conspiracy to portray Bangladesh as a militant state. Whenever a murder takes place here, confirmation comes from foreign NGOs that IS or al-Qaeda is responsible, Khan told BenarNews.

Heads of major religions in Bangladesh on Thursday told the countrys first conference on inter-faith harmony that they would carry on a dialogue to stop religious extremism and attacks on minorities by zealots.

Maulana Farid Uddin Masud, an Islamic scholar, told the gathering that a campaign was under way to collect signatures of 100,000 Muslim scholars who denounce extremism, violence and attack on minorities.

They are the greatest enemy of Islam. They have portrayed Islam as a religion of terror and barbarism. We have been nourishing religious harmony for thousands of years. It must be protected at any cost, Masud said.
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Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 01/05/2016 (2367 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

VANCOUVER  Almost two decades since an ostracized 14-year-old was swarmed, viciously beaten and then callously drowned near a Victoria bridge, Reena Virks most notorious killer is asking for release.

Kelly Ellard was 15 years old in November 1997 when she smashed Virks head against a tree and then held the Grade 9 students head underwater until she stopped moving.

Ellard is scheduled to attend her first day-parole hearing on Tuesday, seven years after the Supreme Court of Canada rejected an appeal of her second-degree murder conviction.

FKelly Ellard and her father, Lawrence, leave the Vancouver courthouse for dinner, March 30, 2000. Almost two decades since an ostracized 14-year-old was swarmed, viciously beaten and then callously drowned near a Victoria bridge, Reena Virk's most notorious killer is asking for release. THE CANADIAN PRESS/ Adrian Wyld

She has waived her right to a full parole hearing four times while serving her life sentence, but has remained eligible for day parole and applied for release several months ago.

Ahead of the hearing, Virks grandfather said the family no longer believes Ellard can redeem herself.

If she had admitted (her role) and if she had told the truth, then it would have been much better for our conscious, our pain, our satisfaction, said Mukand Pallan, 86, from his home in Victoria.

The way she behaved, were very, very mad about it. It doesnt seem right, shes not a good girl, she doesnt deserve any help.

Members of the Virk family showed compassion for many years towards Ellard, three others girls convicted of assault and Warren Glowatski, who was also found guilty of second-degree murder in the teens death.

They no longer believe Ellard, now 33, will change but will trust the federal parole board to make the correct decision, Pallan said.

It is very painful, but theres nothing too much we can do about it anymore.

Virks parents, Manjit and Suman, have taken a vacation in order to avoid media attention, Pallan added.

The attack focused a national spotlight on bullying and teen violence, particularly among girls.

The murder happened late in the evening after Virk joined a group of teens gathered outside a local school to drink and smoke pot. She was assaulted until bloody by several teens and then crossed a bridge, pleading to be left alone. Successive trials heard that Ellard and Glowatski followed.

During Ellards third trial, a pathologist testified Virks brain was swollen and she suffered at least 18 forceful blows to her body. She died from drowning and her body was found adrift in a local inlet.

Ellard was put on trial for murder as an adult.

A jury found her guilty during the first trial in 2000, but the verdict was overturned and a new trial ordered when the B.C. Court of Appeal determined the Crown had conducted cross-examination improperly.

She testified during her second trial in 2004, sobbing and insisting she never crossed the bridge. The jury was unable to reach a verdict.

Ellard didnt testify during her third trial in 2005. She was convicted and then won an appeal, but Canadas highest court rejected the case and restored the conviction.

She has run into other trouble since Virks death.

Ellards bail was revoked in 2004 while she was living in a halfway house awaiting trial. She was charged with assault causing bodily harm of an older woman in a New Westminster park. The charges were stayed after she was found guilty in the Virk trial.

Court documents in 2005 said Ellard was a belligerent and often abusive inmate, who had violent outbursts that included throwing food and kicking chairs.

She was portrayed as having a fragile mental state as a result of her prison time during her sentencing hearing.

At the time, her mother Susan Pakos said in a letter to the judge that her daughter has suffered more publicly and privately than anyone can ever imagine.

Her lawyer Peter Wilson described her as a person everyone loves to hate.

Should Ellards request for parole be granted, she would be placed under a release plan that includes a requirement she live in a halfway house, a parole official said.

A release plan usually includes a series of conditions attached to the parole boards risk assessment, such as abstaining from intoxicants and avoiding criminally active peers.

 Follow @TamsynBurgmann on Twitter
Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 30/04/2016 (2368 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

BRANT COUNTY, Ont.  Police are investigating what theyre calling an act of vandalism  and what a farm spokesperson is calling an act of animal rights extremism  after some 500 minks were set loose in southwestern Ontario overnight Friday.

Early Saturday morning, Ontario Provincial Police were called to the Brant County, Ont., farm. It had been broken into  holes were cut into the walls, and the mink inside were set loose, investigators said.

It seems like an organized attack by animal rights extremists who have attacked many farms in southern Ontario in the last several years, said Nancy Daigneault, vice president of the International Fur Federation. They break into a farm at night and they open all the cages to release the minks.

Daigneault said that last year, a self-identified animal rights group made threats against the farm. She said the threats were reported to police.

But police wouldnt say whether theres anything that suggests activists were involved in this case.

The farm owner declined an interview, but said that Daigneault was his spokesperson.

The affected farm is one of about 300 fur farms in Canada, according to Statistics Canada, and mink is the most popular farmed fur.

Daigneault said most of the animals were recovered, but many of them had recently given birth. The newborns, called kits, were separated from their mothers, she said.

Provincial police Const. Ken Johnston said theres no guarantee the babies would be able to find their way back to their mothers to nurse, and Daigneault added that even if they could, theres no guarantee the babies could survive the trauma of separation.

The farmers saying he thinks they may lose three-quarters of the babies, Johnston said. I think that whoever did this, that should weigh heavy on their conscience.

Police are continuing their investigation, and theyre asking anyone with information to come forward.



Follow @ColeyT on Twitter.
Waterford Independent TD John Halligan has said he needs a deal on cardiac care for the southeast or he will not back a Fine Gael minority Government, writes Daniel McConnell, Political Editor.

Mr Halligan, pictured below, said that should he decide not to enter government, he will not stand in the way of the other five members of the Independent Alliance from signing up to a deal.

Mr Halligan made his comments during an appearance on RTE's The Week In Politics programme this afternoon.

The Alliance are to meet with Fine Gael ministers tomorrow at 10am, but Mr Halligan said today he has the support of his other five Independent Alliance colleagues despite pressure to support Fine Gael.

Mr Halligan said he was told by the Minister for Health Leo Varadkar that the funding for other hospitals would be called into question if the issues at University Hospital Waterford were to be addressed to his satisfaction.

Fine Gaels agreement with Fianna Fail to form a minority government must now be accompanied by guarantees of support from at least six Independent TDs.

Senior Fine Gael ministers, speaking to the Irish Examiner today, said contacts with different groupings of independent TDs are continuing. They said they remain hopeful that a deal could be done in time for Thursday.

Speaking in Cork, Minister for Agriculture and Defence Simon Coveney has said he expects a government will be in place by Thursday at the latest.

Mr Coveney said he hoped that over the next few days Fine Gael can agree a partnership with independents.

Another minister said that Fine Gael is willing to compromise on many issues in order to form a Government, but insisted it would have to pursue its agenda as well.

However, several members of the Alliance said that a deal is only possible if Fine Gael gives unequivocal guarantees on their key issues.

Independent Alliance TD Finian McGrath said he will only support a deal if he gets what he needs in terms of his priorities.

Michael Fitzmaurice played down the chances of a deal being done this week, saying there is still an awful lot of work to do.

The Alliance's six TDs are working to try to have an agreement in place within hours or days after the group formally meets Fine Gael tomorrow.

If that happens it will allow the arrangement struck with Fianna Fail on Friday to kick in.

Discussions between some independents and senior officials across several government departments have also taken place in conjunction with the face to face meeting on Friday with Mr Kenny.

Everything from health services, increased spending on services for those with disabilities and the future of rural post offices have been discussed.
As efforts continue to try to end violence in Syria, the Irish Navy will begin its fourth refugee rescue mission in the Mediterranean today.

The 57-member crew of the LE Roisin is being deployed to help those attempting to get access to Europe from war-torn countries.

So far this year, just over 1,200 people have died in the massive waterway according to the International Organisation for Migration.

Last year the Irish Navy pulled 8,000 people from the waters. CEO of the Immigrant Council of Ireland Brian Kiloran said the Irish Navy is making a significant effort on behalf of Ireland.

"The presence of the Irish Navy in the Mediterranean has been a tremendous source of pride for Ireland, but also has saved so many lives in so many crucial situations," he said.

"It shows what can be done to use our professionalism to try to respond in a humanitarian way."

Meanwhile, the US Secretary of State John Kerry is attending the Syrian peace talks in Geneva today in a bid to bring the bombing of Aleppo to an end.

He has called for a return to a nationwide ceasefire, saying continued airstrikes on the northern city are a violation of the current ceasefire deal.

The Syrian regime is insisting the strikes are legitimate because they are targeting what they call terrorists.

Mr Kerry is calling on Russia to back efforts to stop the violence, saying a return to peace is the top priority.
Members of the Gardai are not being given the manpower to deal with gangland activity and many communities in Dublin do not feel safe, Mary Lou McDonald has said.

The Sinn Fein deputy leader's comments come after a recent spate of fatal shootings in the capital; two people were killed in Dublin last week alone.
The trade union Mandate has reiterated its warning to Tesco, that workers will go on strike if their pay is cut by the company.

Mandate says Tesco workers will go on strike if the supermarket chain goes ahead with the controversial plans to cut the wages of some long serving staff.
Bernie Sanders is acknowledging that his path to the Democratic nomination to run for the White House depends on flipping superdelegates, the party insiders who can back either candidate and are overwhelmingly behind rival Hillary Clinton.

It is a surprising admission by the Democratic presidential candidate, who formally joined the party a year ago.

He called on superdelegates to cast their votes "in line with the people of their states".

But he also noted that even if superdelegates from states Mr Sanders won flipped to his side, he would still face a narrow path to the nomination.

Mrs Clinton is still 91% of the way to the nomination, according to the Associated Press.

She is 218 delegates away from winning the 2,383 need to clinch the nomination.

"We have an uphill climb no question about it," he said.

Mr Sanders spoke at a news conference in Washington before heading to campaign events in Indiana.

Former President Bill Clinton drew boos and shouts from the crowd as he made a campaign stop in Logan, West Virginia, on his wife's behalf, ahead of the state's May 10 presidential primary.

Supporters of Mr Sanders and Republican candidate Donald Trump gathered outside the school as Mr Clinton spoke on Sunday.

According to WVNS-TV, a letter written on behalf of Logan officials told US Senator Joe Manchin's staff in an email that Mr and Mrs Clinton "are simply not welcome in our town".

Mrs Clinton, who planned to campaign in Williamson on Monday, has been criticised for comments that her policies would put coal miners and companies out of business. Mrs Clinton said later she was mistaken and that she is committed to coalfield communities.

Bill Clinton planned to attend a rally later in Charleston.

Mr Trump said that, if he becomes the GOP presidential nominee, he will raise money for Republican Senate candidates.

He said on Sunday in Indiana that competing against republican rivals is "wasting time" he could be spending raising campaign cash.

Mr Trump has frequently boasted that his presidential campaign is self-funded. While Trump has not held traditional fundraisers and lacks a financial team to solicit checks, his campaign website features a large, red "donate" button.

Mr Trump said Republicans "have fallen out of love" with his main rival, Ted Cruz.
Richmond midfielder Kane Lambert is set to miss the next three rounds of the AFL season, with scans confirming he has a punctured lung and cracked rib.

Lambert was taken to hospital last night, having reported breathing difficulties after a painful collision in the Tigers' clash with Port Adelaide at the MCG.

Moment of impact: Kane Lambert will miss three weeks. Credit:AFL Media/Getty Images

The 24-year-old, playing his 19th game, was inadvertently crunched by Port Adelaide's Brad Ebert in a first-quarter marking contest.

AAP
Apple was once defined by its personal computers, and then by the wildly-successful iPod music player, but the last few years have been dominated by its smartphone. A revolution when Jobs unveiled it nine years ago, with a touchscreen and web browser that brought the internet into people's palms, it remains the world's most popular gadget, sold in mind-boggling quantities: from 5.4 million in its first year to 221.5 million in the last 12 months. And, although it now sells a smorgasbord of painstakingly crafted products, Apple has increasingly become the iPhone company: in the last quarter, it accounted for 65 per cent of all its revenue, up from 57 per cent two years ago. When Apple was growing, this hardly seemed to matter. A year ago, sales of the iPhone had grown 40 per cent year-on-year, and nobody was complaining it was too exposed to the device's success. But the last few months have been less kind. An economic slowdown in China - where the iPhone has been a status symbol, making it a crucial market for the company as first-time smartphone buyers flock to its stores - has cut into sales, as has the strong dollar. Revenue in Greater China has fallen by a quarter in the last 12 months, a decline that was responsible for half of the drop Apple reported last week. Since their peak a year ago, Apple's shares have fallen 25 per cent. Even the company's status as the world's biggest was stolen, albeit for just a day, by Google's parent company Alphabet earlier this year.

In many ways Apple has been a victim of its own success. The company could do no wrong a year ago, when sales surpassed all expectations, creating a sugar rush that resulted in last week's inevitable comedown, as Tim Cook, Apple's chief executive, repeatedly pointed out to analysts. But there is also the nagging feeling that the latest iPhones are just not as interesting as they used to be; that the magic touch that brought Apple to this point has started to wane. The current flagship, the iPhone 6s, was less of a leap forward than its predecessor. It looked largely the same, came with incremental updates to its camera and processor and introduced features such as a pressure-sensitive touchscreen. "The only thing that's changed is everything," Apple declared at the its release, but reviewers were not so sure. Diminishing interest in new phones is hardly something that is unique to Apple. Innovation has plateaued across the industry: there are few obvious changes that would improve today's best smartphones, as there were several years ago. And the wider smartphone market has also come to the end of its remarkable bull run. According to research from Strategy Analytics, smartphone shipments have begun to fall for the first time, down 3 per cent to 335 million in the first quarter of 2016. Samsung, the biggest competitor in the field, has been feeling the squeeze for some time. In comparison to its Korean rival, Apple's performance in the last two years has been spectacular.

But the pressure is now on the world's hottest company to prove that its growth days are not behind it. iPhone sales are likely to fall by double-digit percentages this year, and although they are expected to recover in 2017, The figure of 227 million from analysts at Credit Suisse is still below the levels seen in 2015. "The iPhone can't continue to grow indefinitely," says Geoff Blaber of CCS Insight. "Pressure is likely to mount on Apple to reveal the next big source of growth." Creating another hit as big as the iPhone is a monumental ask, however. The iPad tablet, released in 2010, was once expected to become a bigger business than the iPhone, but sales have dropped for nine-consecutive quarters. The world's technology companies are now furiously chasing the next big thing, from wearable technology to virtual reality (VR), drones and smart home gadgets, but nothing has yet translated into meaningful revenue.

Apple has hands in some of these. A secretive unit within the company is reportedly exploring VR, and last year it unveiled the much-awaited Apple Watch, as well as a revamped Apple TV device, which streams internet video and games. Sales of these devices are still dwarfed by the iPhone, though. The Apple Watch, rumoured for years, was the first major product released since Jobs' death, and was seen as a test of the company's ability to show it hasn't lost its mercurial founder's golden touch - the ability to create something people don't know they need until they see it. Watch sales have been solid - last week Cook was quick to point out that it had sold better than the iPhone had in its first year - but they still account for a fraction of Apple's total sales, not nearly enough to make up for the iPhone's decline. A second generation of the device, expected later this year, could boost sales. "We still think there's a chance enhancements could lead to a killer app or service that can turn the Watch from a curiosity to a mainstream hit," says Morningstar's Brian Colello. A more immediate improvement to Apple's bottom line is likely to come from software and services. Apple takes a cut whenever an iPhone or iPad user buys an app or downloads a song from iTunes, as well as a small fee when shoppers use its contactless payment service, Apple Pay, and this business is booming.

Despite iPhone sales teetering, people are using them more than ever, making the software within them incredibly lucrative. Revenues from Apple's Services division have climbed by 20 per cent in the last year and now exceed those from the iPad or Mac. As a standalone company, its $28.9 billion ($US22 billion) in sales during the last 12 months would put it among the world's biggest media groups. Credit Suisse analysts believe the business could more than double by 2020, to account for almost a third of Apple's total sales. The launch of a music streaming service last year, which has helped counteract the death of music downloads, has helped, as could an often-rumoured Netflix-style video service, although negotiations with networks have repeatedly stalled. But people expect more of Apple. The company's heritage is in making life-changing products, not in taking margins from selling other people's content. There is an expectation, perhaps unfairly, that Apple should create another iPod or iPhone. Apple's next target may well be cars. Although it has never confirmed whether it intends to enter the industry, it is an open secret that it has hired hundreds of automotive experts, most recently Chris Porritt, formerly a top engineer at electric car manufacturer Tesla. Cook has stealthily avoided talking about Apple's plans, but he said last year that the car industry should expect "massive change", while Sir Jony Ive, its British design chief, is a motoring fanatic.

The move would be ambitious, even by Apple's standards. The economics of today's low-profit car industry do not tally with the enviable 40 per cent margins that Apple's gadgets make today. And traditional carmakers, already fearful of the self-driving revolution that Google and others are fostering, are unlikely to warm to an Apple intent on eating their lunch. Talks with both BMW and Daimler over co-operation on an electric car have broken down in recent months, according to German media. But Apple has proven able to make hay where others don't: it commands 94 per cent of the smartphone market's profits despite having around 15 per cent of its sales. And its mountains of cash make it powerful enough to buy its way into an industry sceptical about working with it: Apple has enough money to purchase Tesla seven times over. Apple's acquisitions have typically been small, and it has focused on promising but undeveloped technologies: it has bought 15 companies in the last year, most of which were little known. But this could be about to change. Two years ago it acquired music company Beats for $3.95 billion ($US3 billion), and last week Cook said he could open the chequebook for something bigger: Netflix and the action camera company GoPro have been floated as potential purchases, as has Tesla. The iPhone has been the product of the century, and its success will probably never be duplicated. But as Apple faces its biggest challenge in years, it would be a brave move to bet against it: the company still has plenty of cards left to play.
In the Coalition's three years in office, the Australian Securities and Investments Commission has lost 14 per cent of its staff, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission 10 per cent of its staff, and the Australian Tax Office 16 per cent of its staff.

The figures in a report on corporate malfeasance to be released by the Australia Institute on Monday suggest the total staff cut among corporate regulators is 14.9 per cent, about 3900 employees.

The paper says the only notable exception is the Fair Work Building Industry Inspectorate whose staff has jumped by more than half from 100 to 155.

"You wouldn't lay-off 15 per cent of your firefighters in the middle of a bad bushfire season, but that's effectively what we're doing with white-collar crime," said the institute's director of research Rod Campbell.
I apologise mightily for the early wrap up but I have a pressing appointment to get to. What happened?

it's budget eve ;

; the government is setting the stage for a budget that contains a "national economic plan" ;

is setting the stage for a that contains a ; this is likely to include tax cuts for business but the government is adopting a "wait and see" approach;

but the is adopting a approach; the opposition is doing its best to paint the budget as unfair by repeatedly asking why companies will get tax cuts but many families will not; and

is doing its best to paint the as unfair by repeatedly asking why but many will not; and French Prime Minister Manuel Valls was in Canberra to talk up his country's winning tender for the new fleet of submarines.

My thanks to Andrew Meares and Alex Ellinghausen for their amazing work and to you for reading and commenting.

You can follow me on Facebook.

Andrew, Alex and I will be back in the morning and we hope to see you then. Until then - good afternoon.


Before the full bench of the High Court, and beginning on Monday at 2.15pm, case Number S77 of 2016 between Plaintiff Robert John Day and two defendants from the Commonwealth of Australia will begin.

Intervening between now and then, Malcolm Turnbull will continue to be very careful with his words. According to Michael Gordon in The Canberra Times on April 20, he said this on the previous day, Tuesday: "My intention is, after the budget, an appropriate time after the budget has been delivered, I will be asking the Governor-General to dissolve both houses of the Parliament for an election which I expect to be held on July 2."

The High Court is set to hear a challenge to the government's Senate reforms. Credit:Gabriele Charotte

Since those words were uttered newspapers and the airwaves have been full of speculation as to the Prime Minister's actual thinking. Let me give my theory, which is that the words were entirely driven by his knowledge of the case mentioned in my opening paragraph. Being a lawyer, he also knows the strength of Day's case.

Suppose that on May 6 the High Court announces it has struck down as unconstitutional in its entirety the Commonwealth Electoral Amendment Act 2016. Faced with the prospect of a double dissolution election on exactly the same rules as applied in September 2013, what would Turnbull do?
More than 400 protesters gathered at Moore Park on Sunday at a rally calling for a parliamentary inquiry to stop the felling of six more Anzac Parade fig trees slated for removal from 6am Monday.

Sydney Lord Mayor Clover Moore spoke along with Aboriginal heritage experts and environmentalists, calling for the eastern suburbs light rail route to be redirected to save 31 Moreton Bay figs along Anzac Parade. Buses have been redirected from the current bus route, and the trees due to be chainsawed have been cordoned off with wire fencing in readiness for their removal this week.

Protestors rally to save the trees on Anzac Parade in Moore Park that are scheduled to be destroyed to make way for the light rail corridor in Sydney. Credit:Janie Barrett

"It's not Anzac Parade without those trees," Matt Thistlewaite, member for Kingsford-Smith told the crowd. More than 1200 trees will be affected by the light rail's current route; of these 900 are estimated to be significant and around 600 are to be removed, according to the group Saving Sydney's Trees.

"The government's revegetation program does little to address the massive urban canopy deficit," the group said in a statement.
If there were a neighbourhood watch group in this part of the world, Australia would be the neighbour the group had to watch. It is rich and large, rude and loud, and doesn't seem to care that its behaviour brings the region down.

Our government has managed to infuriate most nearby countries in some way or other. Some have to deal with the consequences of our peculiar, unjustified obsessions with refugees and dole bludgers. One, the youngest, smallest and poorest nation in Asia, has to cop rampant Australian greed for its mineral wealth.

Australia has behaved scandalously towards East Timor. It behaves selfishly towards New Zealand. Highhandedly towards its former colony, Papua New Guinea. It acts towards tiny Nauru as if it is a shameful illegitimate child, to be paid off to do our dirty work, running a refugee gulag hidden from view.

The rendition of innocent asylum seekers, guilty of nothing more than choosing the wrong country to ask for help, has erupted during the phoney election campaign only because the PNG opposition leader had the fortitude to sue for their freedom.
It's hard to bring off an old-fashioned program of divertissements  which is largely what this is  without an old-fashioned line-up of virtuoso technicians. The very good dancers of the Australian Ballet have broader expectations to meet in their wide-ranging repertoire.

But on opening night there was an exception: Chengwu Guo. His spectacular aerial fireworks were thrilling. Not just high, whirling jumps but astonishing rolls in mid-air, propelling himself with scissoring legs. The whole evening was worth it, just to see his performance.

Luckily there was also a highlight of a different kind. Company member Alice Topp is developing her talents as a choreographer of complex, interesting and characterful relationships. Vivienne Wong, Rudy Hawkes and Kevin Jackson presented Topp's first mainstage work, Little Atlas, to music by Ludovico Einaudi, with communicative skill and contemporary understanding  qualities the AB has in generous measure.

The Australian Ballet - Miwako Kubota and Brett Chynoweth in Grand Pas Classique. Photo Daniel Boud Credit:Daniel Boud

An audience favourite, Christopher Wheeldon's slowly unfolding romantic duet from After the Rain, was given a beautifully paced rendition by Robin Hendricks and Damian Smith. And there was another company premiere  corps de ballet member Richard House's gentle Scent Of Love.

The rest were older works whose selection was explained in a program note by artistic director David McAllister as a lead-up to the classically based choreography of today.
A representative for Will Ferrell has told American news outlets that the actor has withdrawn from a controversial comedy project about Ronald Reagan's second term in the mid-1980s, the period during which he is thought to have begun showing symptoms of the Alzheimer's Disease that killed him in 2004.

"The Reagan script is one of a number of scripts that had been submitted to Will Ferrell which he had considered," his camp said in a statement. "While it is by no means an 'Alzheimer's comedy' as has been suggested, Mr Ferrell is not pursuing this project."

Will Ferrell appears to have bowed to pressure and dropped out of a film in which he would have played a Ronald Reagan beset by Alzheimer's Disease.

Variety reported on Wednesday that the comedian, who's already played George W. Bush on Saturday Night Live and in an HBO special, had signed on to play the 40th president. The script, by Mike Rosolio, tells the story of an intern assigned to convince a confused Reagan that he is back in his acting days and playing the President in a movie.

The Reagan family registered their complaint on Thursday, with his daughter, writer Patti Davis, publishing an open letter to Ferrell in which she shamed the comedian for trying to mine Alzheimer's and dementia for jokes.
But off stage, something was different.

He hosted a pop-up party at his Paisley Park studio, and there were few outward signs in his final months that anything was wrong.

On stage, Prince was still captivating audiences at recent performances in Australia and California.

Prince began wanting meals that were easier to digest and was fighting off waves of sore throats and frequent upset stomachs, the musician's personal chef has told The Associated Press.

In this 1985 file photo, Prince performs at the Forum in Inglewood, California. Credit:Associated Press

A law enforcement official said investigators were looking into whether Prince, who was found dead at his home on April 21, died from an overdose and whether a doctor was prescribing him drugs in the weeks beforehand.

The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to speak to the media.

Ray Roberts, who cooked for Prince nearly every day for almost three years, said in an interview that wasn't the man he saw nearly every night, "not even a hint. Not at all".
The walking dead will take over 170 Russell on Friday, May 13 when "Lucifer rock" outfit Neptune Power Federation joins the Viking thunder of Barbarion and riff-punks As A Rival.

The unholy alliance aims to raise blood money for Before Dawn, a zombie flick to be shot in Avoca with Marcus Graham and Samara Weaving later this year.

Neptune Power Federation will play at 170 Russell.

Writer-director Julian Roberts had 18 meetings in three days in Hollywood last year, where his teaser trailer was embraced as "Straw Dogs meets Night of the Living Dead".

The black Friday fundraiser will feature plenty of cinematic effects and chances for the best-dressed zombies to work as extras on the film.
Australia's bid for a seat on the United Nations Human Rights Council is under threat due to its refusal to negotiate directly with East Timor over the disputed maritime boundary, the former president of the fledgling state, Xanana Gusmao, says.

In an exclusive interview with Fairfax Media, Mr Gusmao - still a hugely influential figure in East Timor and its government - said his country would not actively support Australia's bid, adding that many developing nations were alarmed by Australia's stance on the border in Timor Sea, which it says is denying tens of billions of dollars in oil and gas revenue that should be rightfully East Timor's.

Former East Timor president, Xanana Gusmao, in Sydney last week. Credit:Nic Walker

"We will be there at the UN saying we don't think it's the right time for Australia to be there on the Human Rights Council," Mr Gusmao said.
Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has put any changes to the GST on the political back burner, ruling out changes to the consumption tax for at least three years if his government is re-elected.

Ahead of Tuesday's federal budget - and an expected visit to Government House by the end of the week to ask the Governor-General to call an election for July 2 - Mr Turnbull also foreshadowed "substantial" tax changes.

And the Prime Minister has declared his government will be judged by voters on its "new agenda" at the election - rather than being bound to all of the promises made by former Prime Minister Tony Abbott.
Her toy box already contains gifts from a king, two queens, four presidents and three prime ministers, so if the past year is anything to go by, Princess Charlotte will need an extra bedroom for all of her presents when she celebrates her first birthday on Tuesday.

While the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge want nothing more than a low-key family party, the rest of the world is determined to make a fuss of the royal toddler.

A list of gifts released by Kensington Palace shows that among the more extravagant presents she has received over the past 12 months is a silver rattle given to her by the President of Mexico, Enrique Pena Nieto, and his wife, Senora Angelica Rivera, during their State visit to the UK last year.

Even more lavish was an 18k white gold rattle studded with diamonds, rubies and sapphires made by the Natural Sapphire Company and valued at $57,500, but the battle of the rattles is likely to have been won by a simple willow one woven by Co Galway basketmaker Ciaran Hogan, which was given to the Prince of Wales for his granddaughter.
A nursing home was evacuated in Sydney's south, as firefighters battled a fire in a church.

Emergency services were called to the blaze at a Rockdale church on Sunday night.

Nearby buildings were affected by the fire and evacuated as a precaution, while a number of surrounding roads have been closed.

Investigations are continuing into the cause of the fire.
A large fire has destroyed a church and forced the evacuation of scores of residents from a nursing home in Sydney's south overnight, firefighters say.

Fire investigators were to examine the ruins of the Macedonian Orthodox Church of the Resurrection in Rockdale early on Monday morning to determine the cause of the blaze, which broke out about 9.45pm on Sunday.

Superintendent Adam Dewberry, from Fire and Rescue NSW, said about 60 firefighters battled the blaze at the church on Frederick Street for several hours, before bringing it under control.

Large flames could be seen shooting from the roof of the church, which earlier on Sunday had hosted services for Orthodox Easter.
A serving member of the Australian Army is facing multiple charges over the alleged sexual assault of a nine-year-old girl*.

A Defence spokesperson has confirmed the man was arrested by Queensland police on Friday and charged with offences including sexual assault of a minor, but said no personal or service history details would be released due to the Privacy Act.

Serving member of the Australian Army is facing multiple charges over an alleged sexual relationship with a nine-year-old girl. Credit:Glenn Campbell

"It would also be inappropriate for Defence to comment or speculate as to any possible outcomes while this matter is before the courts," the spokesperson said in a statement.

*Correction: The headline and opening sentence of this story have been amended because the initial version contained poor use of language.
Queensland's urgent need for a second commercial theatre has been highlighted once again with producers confirming a new Australian musical would not be coming due to venue availability.

Georgy Girl, a new musical based on the music and story of The Seekers, starring Ipswich actor Glaston Toft, has played Melbourne and Sydney and will transfer to Perth but will not play Brisbane as the city's small theatre stock is at capacity.

The Seekers: Athol Guy, Judith Durham, Keith Potger, Bruce Woodley. Georgy Girl The Musical is based on their story. Credit:Michael O'Flaherty

Presently, the only theatre large enough to host large scale musicals is QPAC's Lyric Theatre with a seating capacity of 2000 patrons.

Some musicals have played the smaller Playhouse with an 800 seat capacity, but most commercial producers find it is not financially viable to play there.
Glenn Lazarus can look forward to another term in the Senate.

He is greatly assisted by Malcolm Turnbull's decision to go for a double dissolution, which reduces the quota for election to the Senate by half to 7.69 per cent. In 2013, standing as a Palmer Senate candidate, Senator Lazarus got 9.8 per cent per cent of the vote (over a quarter of a million votes), and 3 per cent more than the Greens.

Glenn Lazarus says there have been "many complaints" about a lack of ballot papers at polling booths. Credit:Harrison Saragossi

Here is why he will be back.

First, he has name recognition. His career in rugby league, albeit for the Canberra Raiders and the NSW Blues, as well as the Brisbane Broncos, and the fourth Queensland team in the NRL, Melbourne Storm, gives him the highest name recognition of any Queensland senator. Only George Brandis and Larissa Waters, both of whom attract strong positives and negatives, would come close.
Recapping our headline story today: Homicide squad detectives are on their way to Mildura after a woman's body was found at a house just outside the northern country town.

Emergency services were called to a house in Cardross last night at 7.30pm when they found the woman.

Police are treating her death as suspicious and a 36-year-old Cardross man was arrested at the scene. He is assisting police with their investigation.

Anyone with information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or at www.crimestoppersvic.com.au
Illustration: Matt Golding. They've been called "sink schools"  schools drained of affluent families and high achieving students. White families with higher incomes are opting to enrol their children in over-subscribed schools a few suburbs away. They favour Clifton Hill, Princes Hill and Merri Creek primary schools, where 79 to 84 per cent of families are among the state's richest. These schools  with just 10 to 30 per cent of students speaking a language other than English at home  offer accelerated programs, overseas trips and boast above-average NAPLAN scores.

Abeselom Nega, an Ethiopian refugee and community leader, is alarmed by this trend. "The white parents don't send their kids to these schools because all they see is black kids," says Mr Nega, who sits on the board of the Victorian Equal Opportunity and Human Rights Commission. "They may not view it as racism, but it is  you can sugar coat it, and put it differently, but I won't." The great school divide You can see the disparity between the schools in the map below of Fitzroy and Fitzroy North. At Sacred Heart School  located on one of the suburb's wealthiest streets (median weekly wage of about $2700)  74 per cent of its students are among the poorest in the state and 94 per cent of students speak a language other than English at home.

South on Johnston Street is St Joseph's School, across the street from the Wellington Street commission flats  76 per cent of its families are among the state's poorest, and 85 per cent speak a language other than English at home. Over in Carlton and Carlton North, we see a similar pattern. Carlton Primary, in a block where the median house price is nudging $1 million, most of the students have Eritrean and Ethiopian backgrounds, and live in the Rathdowne Street flats. White middle class families in this area send their children to Carlton North Primary, Princes Hill Primary School and Princes Hill Secondary College.

In Kensington and Flemington, two schools  Debney Meadows Primary School and Mount Alexander College  have become de-facto schools for migrant families living in the surrounding towers. Both schools have the capacity for twice their current enrolments. Yet University High is comparatively wealthier and is oversubscribed. The lens of whiteness These are not isolated examples. It is common for white parents to choose schools through a "lens of whiteness", said University of Cambridge's senior lecturer, Dr Arathi Sriprakash, who is researching racial politics in Australian schooling.

"We don't have the White Australia policy any more, we are not talking about explicit or overt racism that you might recognise from the past, but racism exists in more coded ways. It occurs in school choice, in the way parents decide what is a good, bad or risky school." According to Victoria University adjunct Professor Richard Teese, wealthy families have the privilege of being more selective with their children's schooling. Yet newly arrived migrant families find it harder to navigate the complex school system, and often send their children to the closest local school. "If we start educating people separately, we run the risk of creating ghettos, and the formation of hostile social attitudes." Abselom Nega Credit:Jason South

Hiba Shanino, 16, is a fiery advocate for her school, Mount Alexander College. The 16-year-old, whose parents moved to Australia from Eritrea before she was born, is articulate, enthusiastic and ambitious  she plans to study law. She leads her own organisation supporting African youth, and is thriving at a school colloquially known as "the refo school". "They are looking from the outside, it's all external observation from the kerb. At Mount Alexander College you learn so much, especially because it is a multicultural school." "You learn so much from the kids. You hear these amazing stories about war, about loss  and it makes you appreciate what you have."

About three quarters of the school's student body are migrants or refugees, mostly from Ethiopia, Afghanistan and Vietnam. The school has 319 enrolments, but the capacity for twice the number, while schools nearby such as University High are over-subscribed. But Mount Alexander is improving, thanks to new principal Wayne Haworth. Mr Haworth joined the school a year ago with a vision to "rebirth" the college. He believes it's his job to modernise the curriculum, so that it caters for students excelling in certain areas and supports those whose learning has been interrupted by migration.
A Byford man died after he fell from the second floor of the dilapidated old South Fremantle Power Station.

It is believed the 24-year-old man was with a woman when he fell 15 metres through a hole in the floor just before 6pm on Saturday night.

Man dies after falling from second floor of the old South Fremantle Power Station. Credit:ABC News Perth

Emergency Services workers provided the man with medical assistance, but he died a short time later at the scene.

Police will prepare a report for the coroner.
An Australian man has been arrested in Tripoli and could face terrorism charges, according to Lebanese media.

The man has been named by Voice of Lebanon radio as Mark Eddie Maximus.

He was arrested in the Dam wal Farz district on Sunday and detained by army intelligence officers on "suspicion of of belonging to a terrorist group", according to an English translation of the Voice of Lebanon report.

The man is believed to be a dual Australian-Syrian national.

He was reportedly picked up after a vehicle in which he was travelling was tracked by Lebanese intelligence.
Washington: Did you hear the one about the President taking the mickey out of would-be Republican president Donald Trump?

At the White House Correspondents' Dinner in Washington on Saturday evening, Barack Obama had this to say about the man behind the Miss Universe pageant: "The Republican establishment is incredulous that he's their most likely nominee  they say he lacks foreign policy experience.

"In fairness, [Trump] has spent years meeting with leaders from around the world: Miss Sweden, Miss Argentina, Miss Azerbaijan ... "

LOL  but the joke was on the audience, particularly media notables present, who Obama and other comedians ribbed for the collapse of standards as the old media struggles for a footing in a new media world.
Moorestown honors Percheron that helped build the town

Percheron Park opened in downtown Moorestown with a tribute to the horse of yesteryear and its owner, who first brought the breed to the U.S.
Liverpool-based e-commerce agency Velstar has acquired Chester-headquartered counterpart We Influence and is planning for the deal to be the first in a series of acquisitions. The deal to acquire We Influence was backed with funding from River Capital. Following the completion of the deal, the two combined agencies will have 4 million in turnover and are aiming to reach 6 million ...continue reading
HOPING TO HELP

The Promises and Pitfalls of Global Health Volunteering

Judith N. Lasker

ILR Press

272 pages; Rs 1,625



Some do it to get into heaven, and some do it to get into medical school. Some do it because everyone else is doing it. Whatever the motivation, the number of health care volunteers heading from developed to developing countries has soared in recent years, with commentators straggling behind debating the merits of the stampede.

The reasons to applaud are self-evident: All the old epidemics are compounded by all the new ones, and the health-related fallout of wars and natural disasters never ends. If both skilled and unskilled labour can help, then surely those who provide such labour should do good, feel good and learn much.

Not necessarily, critics say. Some would concur instead with an opinion published by a Somali blogger in The Guardian in 2013 and quoted by the sociologist Judith Lasker in Hoping to Help: The Promises and Pitfalls of Global Health Volunteering - "The developing world has become a playground for the redemption of privileged souls looking to atone for global injustices by escaping the vacuity of modernity and globalization."



And indeed, as Ms Lasker watched groups of American and Canadian volunteers in matching T-shirts surging through the Port-au-Prince airport two years after Haiti's disastrous 2010 earthquake, she was reminded of nothing so much as "the weekly Saturday turnover at American time-share vacation resorts."



Many scholars have discussed the theory behind global aid and the various perils in its execution. Ms Lasker, a professor at Lehigh University, delivers instead a straightforward, data-driven review of a small health-related fraction of the enterprise, aiming to answer a few basic questions: "Do volunteers help or hurt?" she asks. "In what ways?"



It turns out these questions cannot be answered, at least not very precisely. Still, anyone contemplating a volunteer stint is likely to be interested in Ms Lasker's results, which amount to a sort of de facto best-practices manual.

Tens of thousands of religious and secular institutions now send hundreds of thousands of health volunteers from the United States out into the world, generating close to an estimated $1 billion worth of unpaid labour. Volunteers include experienced medical professionals and individuals who can provide only elbow grease; between these extremes of competence are the hordes of students in the health professions, among whom global volunteering has become immensely popular.

Ms Lasker presents data from a few hundred programmes. Most of the programmes she considers sponsor volunteer assignments that are quite short, lasting weeks rather than months, despite almost universal agreement among hosting communities that longer stays are much more helpful.

The hosts generally have expectations that are simple enough: Volunteers should do as they are asked, know enough about their destination not to violate local norms, and understand that dirt, dust and discomfort are part of the experience.

But even well-behaved and unremarkably clad volunteers may cause eddies of unintended disturbance.

Even well-organised programmes may undermine hosting communities in unanticipated ways: For instance, a good volunteer-based clinic may sap confidence in local medical care and, providing free services, threaten to put local physicians out of business.

With all this, do objective evaluations find that volunteer activities actually help? "I did not expect how often the evaluation question seems to take people by surprise," Ms Lasker writes.

While the impact of surgical programmes can be obvious and dramatic, efforts at screening for disease and prevention are often far less so. A representative of one programme told Ms Lasker that they "just know" their work makes a difference, while a sizable minority of programmes attempt no formal analysis of their achievements.

But informal evaluations are inevitably suspect. Host communities may feel it is only polite to laud the results of such well-meaning labour, Ms Lasker writes, and sometimes the cited benefits are quite ephemeral: less suspicion of doctors in a community, for instance.

The benefits to volunteers themselves are equally difficult to pin down. Do they really learn the true meaning of charity? Are they really transformed into more educated global citizens? A few studies on the long-term effects of short-term good works are ongoing. In the meantime, "there is little evidence that short-term volunteer trips produce the kinds of transformational changes that are often promised," Ms Lasker finds.

She winds up cautiously endorsing short-term volunteer work, provided the volunteer chooses carefully among programmes and behaves responsibly while at work. Still, she suggests that returning volunteers be "humble" when it comes to claiming they have made a difference, either for others or for themselves.

 2016 The New York Times News Service
After divesting 80 per cent in Sylvania, its international arm, to Shanghai Feilo Acoustics for Rs 1,070 crore, Havells, the electrical equipment and engineering company, is looking at innovation and expansion in India. Anil Rai Gupta, chairman and managing director, talks to Jyoti Mukul. Edited excerpts:



Why did Havells divest in Sylvania?



We have always been focused on the proper allocation of capital. It is very important for the DNA. When we had invested in Sylvania, we were looking at generating if not the same return on capital as in India, at least 15-20 per cent (annually). That's the benchmark we set.

After successful turnaround of that firm, we were moving towards that. Since then, the industry went through a change of technology from traditional lighting to LEDs. We did a great job in both Europe and Latin America of converting the company from a traditional lighting company to almost 50 per cent LED product sales. In this whole transition, however, we were unable to generate the same kind of capital return, due to the new investments. We saw it would not be possible for four to five years and, hence, thought it was not right to remain invested. It was better to utilise human resources and capital in better industry and better locations. Hence, we thought it was time to exit this investment, maybe become a minority partner. It was an objective decision. We invested for globalisation but felt it was not generating enough for our capital.

Does this impact the company's product offering? How are you planning to use the freed capital?



Sylvania was an independent company from Havells. It is a lighting company. Havells is into lighting and other products. Sylvania was present in Europe and Latin America. We are exporting under Havells but close to 90 per cent of our business is domestic. The going away of Sylvania does not impact the operations of Havells in any way. It frees resources for future expansion. We are perhaps one of the only companies out of India which acquired a company (in 2007) and not only turned it around but also generated a profit out of the sale of asset. By selling that asset at a profit of around Rs 360 crore, we now plan to utilise capital to further build up businesses in India.

How has slowdown in the power sector impacted the company?



Our major supply goes to industrial and residential segments and both have been seeing slow growth for the past few years. That has impacted us; we were growing at 15-20 per cent annually but for the past couple of years, it is in the range of 10 per cent. We will continue to be a brand and distribution-oriented company. We are utilising this time to further build our brands and reach other parts of the country. We believe growth will come back and definitely see some traction, with the ground work the government is doing in road and power infrastructure. This will increase demand for our products in both rural and urban areas.

Which new business segments are you looking at?



The past year, we worked a lot on remaking the organisation. The whole lighting industry is transforming into LEDs and because we are a sizable player, it was natural for us to convert into LED. Today, in India, 60 per cent of our lighting business has transformed to LED. We are focusing a lot on solutions for consumers in terms of energy conservation. Lighting turnover is 18 per cent of our business, switchgear contributes 25 per cent of revenue, electrical consumer durables is 25 per cent and the rest comes from cable and wire. We are looking at new opportunities and have intensified our efforts in introducing new products in our core categories. We are also evaluating new opportunities, whether organic or inorganic. We will continue to add products in the renewable segment. There will be lot of energy saving products.

Are you adding new manufacturing capacity?



We are looking at setting up a manufacturing facility in the south. We are looking at Karnataka and are awaiting government clearances. The facility will be for existing products, with focus on cables and lighting. Besides, we are looking at the internet of things coming into our product categories. For instance, domestic appliances like fans can be connected and communicated from mobile phones.

The company has focused on acquisitions in the past. Will you still go for it?



Today, we are open on both sides. We are looking at opportunities for acquisition within the electrical field which can give access to new markets.
To tap business opportunities that the proposed payments banks will bring in, global technology company Microsoft plans to offer back-end support to these players. The company is in talks with some of these banks and hopeful of bagging projects.

Microsoft India Chairman Bhaskar Pramanik told Business Standard that a host of companies from various sectors, including banking financial services and insurance (BFSI), health care, e-commerce are either being powered by Microsofts cloud platform or would soon come on board.

We do plan to have customers from the upcoming payments bank segment. It is not just the new payments bank but also existing banks which have all kinds of payment systems. The talks have already started with various clients. Whether it is the new banks or payments bank, we are talking to everybody, he said.

Microsoft plans to offer solutions around data, security applications and analytics, for handling the large number of small transactions which would be made via these banks.

Microsoft offers analytics at a huge scale, machine intelligence capabilities and higher degrees of security. BFSI customers who are used to having their own data centres, have for various reasons, whether its for capacity purposes or workload they have, actually chosen to come to Microsoft, added Pramanik.

In August last year, 11 firms got the Reserve Bank of Indias in-principle approval to set up payments banks.

Of these, Cholamandalam Investment and Finance Company opted out in March. The other 10 are a Reliance-SBI combine; Aditya Birla Nuvo (Idea Cellular); Airtel; Vodafone; Department of Posts; FINO PayTech; Tech Mahindra; National Securities Depository Ltd; Paytm; and Dilip Shantilal Shanghvi.

As far as Microsofts foray into the small and medium business (SMB) space is concerned, the company said it had around 150,000 customers of which 50,000 SMBs were brought in the past two years alone.

Last year, the software giant launched a cloud adoption programme for SMBs in India called 'Cloud Solution Provider' (CSP). SMBs can adopt value-added solutions and offerings supporting their specific requirements on the cloud through Microsoft CSP.

Microsoft's productivity offerings on cloud has been further integrated and strengthened with Windows 10 and Office 2016 features that boosts collaboration and efficiency of the workforce.

According to the company, its cloud service business has posted a healthy double-digit growth in the country. The company recently collaborated with Federation of Karnataka Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FKCCI) to assist around 200,000 SMBs across Karnataka to adopt technology with cloud computing.

While, the company does not give country specific investment numbers, it has spent $15 billion on cloud computing over the last five years.

Microsoft has 46 per cent market share as far as software-as-a-service is concerned. Overall cloud share, which includes infrastructure platform and software, the company has about 30 per cent of the market share. Our ambition is to get around 40 odd per cent by the next fiscal, Pramanik added.

The company also caters to a long list of e-commerce clients which includes Snapdeal, Meru Cabs, Just Dial, Pepperfry on its cloud platform.
Hero Splendors long streak of market dominance looks likely to be challenged by Hondas biggest seller Activa, as it steps on the pedal to get the top spot in the two-wheeler space.

Splendor is one of Indias oldest and largest selling motorcycles; Activa is the countrys largest selling scooter. Honda shrunk the gap with the Hero bestseller after Splendor sales declined last year, while that of Activa grew in double digits.

From a gap of nearly 339,000 units in the financial year 2014-15, or FY15, Splendors lead over Activa was down to under 20,000 units in 2015-16 or FY16, according to Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers data.

Last year (FY16), Hero sold 2.48 million Splendors; in FY15, it had sold 2.51 million units. It was a drop of 1.2 per cent.

In seven of the 12 months last year, Activa was racing ahead of Splendor; it held on to its leading position in the January-March quarter.

Since first racing ahead of Splendor in September 2013, the Japanese scooter model has often sold more units than the Indian motorcycle.

Hero has managed to hold on to a slim lead but what could upset the ranking is Hondas new manufacturing capacity. It recently inaugurated the largest scooter-only plant in the world, in Gujarat in February. Now, it can make 1.2 million scooters every year.

Activas growth has eaten into the economy bikes (1,000-cc engine) market. In urban area, scooters are preferred over bikes because it is easier to ride them through congested roads.

According to a Credit Suisse report, Past five years, the share of scooters has increased from around 20 per cent to around 30 per cent and in the same period the share of lower executive bikes (around Rs 50,000 price, same as scooters) has shrunk from around 35 per cent to around 25 per cent. In more developed states, scooter share has already crossed 40 per cent and is still increasing. We expect the share of scooters to reach around 40 per cent by FY20, which should be the most positive for Honda, which completely dominates the space.



Last year, scooter sales grew nearly 12 per cent to 5.03 million units, against 4.5 million units sold in FY15. Motorcycle sales reported a fall of 0.24 per cent last year to close at 10.70 million, against 10.72 million clocked in FY15.

Hondas growing presence in the rural areas will help in rapidly taking scooters to the villages.

At present, only about 15 per cent of Hondas scooter sales come from the rural markets. Its dealership reach is less than half of the market leader.

Hero has over 6,000 dealerships and service points.
Three years ago, when US beverage and food maker PepsiCo decided to set up its largest factory in India at Sri City, near the Andhra Pradesh-Tamil Nadu border, eyebrows werent raised at its decision to do so. The multinational, in fact, was following a variety of companies that had already made similar commitments.

One of these was Mondelez, the US-based snacks multinational, best known in India for its Cadbury brand of chocolates. Last week, Mondelez inaugurated the first phase of its largest plant in the Asia-Pacific region at Sri City, fulfilling a commitment it had made three years earlier.

The east coast of Andhra Pradesh, led by the integrated township Sri City, has emerged as a hub for fast moving consumer goods (FMCG) and food companies. Mondelez, PepsiCo, Kelloggs, Colgate-Palmolive and a host of other global and domestic food & FMCG firms have already committed nearly $1 billion (about Rs 6,600 crore) in investment at Sri City alone, say officials of the integrated township. An additional nearly $1 bn of commitments by companies have been recently signed, Andhra Pradeshs mines and food processing secretary Girija Sankar said. He says most of these are in the food processing sector.

Just outside Sri City, another bunch of companies such as ITC, Britannia, Heritage Foods, Godrej Agrovet and Godfrey Phillips have either set up their units or are in the process of doing so. Even Baba Ramdevs Patanjali Ayurved is considering manufacturing units in Andhra Pradesh, sources in the know told this newspaper. The likely location could be Sri City, though this could not be confirmed from Patanjali.

Sri City officials say the interest shown by companies is due to a combination of factors, such as good location, state-of-the-art facilities and subsidies. What companies are looking out are water, land, power and connectivity. Sri City offers all of this. Other advantages include ease of doing business and proximity to all the southern markets. All of this makes FMCG majors want to set up base here, says Ravindra Sannareddy, managing director of Sri City.

Companies endorse this view. Daniel Myres, executive vice-president, integrated supply chain, Mondelez International, says infrastructure, talent and government support are the key reasons behind their investment here. PepsiCo India's chairman & chief executive, D Shivakumar, says Sri City is ideally located. It offers a great opportunity to harness the benefits of superior connectivity, great infrastructure and an ample talent pool, requisites for a business. The new beverage facility at Sri City is a key part of the companys growth plans for the Indian market and we are delighted to locate it in Andhra Pradesh, he said.

Yoshihiro Miyabayashi, managing executive officer and director of Japanese major Unicharm Corp, maker of the Mamy Poko brand of baby diapers, says it opted for the place due to its connectivity to airports and sea ports. This will facilitate imports and exports, he says. Unicharm set up the first phase of its Rs 250-crore production unit in Sri City last year and is on the way to completing the other phases. This is the second manufacturing unit for Unicharm in eight years, after its first one was set up in Majrakath, Rajasthan.

Sri City, say sources in the know, has benefited from Andhra Pradeshs long coastline and its proximity to ports such as Krishnapatnam inside the state and to those outside of it such as Ennore and Chennai in Tamil Nadu. Parallely, it has access to the Chennai and Tirupati airports, as well as National Highway-5 and the railway network, they add.

Additionally, the Andhra government has given business a fillip by linking two of the biggest rivers, Godavari and Krishna, to the city, major sources of water for companies located there.

Sankar says the state now plans to set up food parks in every district, to attract investment from food processing companies. It is also setting up Food Producers Organisations, which will act as a single-point contact for FMCG companies keen to produce raw materials in the state.

SRI CITYS ADVANTAGES

Grant of 50% of project cost to build mega food parks, limited to Rs 50 cr; grant of 50% of cost to build integrated food parks, up to Rs 20 cr; VAT/CST/GST reimbursement for integrated food parks during construction period for two years, up to Rs 2 cr

Rs 1.50 per unit for food processing units, including cold chains, cold storage units, ripening units for five years from date of commencement of commercial production

25% of project cost (includes plant & machinery, technical civil works), limited to Rs 5 cr for establishment of new food processing units; 25% of new/upgraded equipment cost limited to Rs 1 cr for tech upgrade; 50% for setting up primary processing and collection centres, limited to Rs 2.5 cr; 35% for setting up of cold chain for agriculture/horticulture/dairy/meat produce, up to Rs 5 cr

7% per annum on term loan for fixed capital investments, for a period of 5 years; Rs 2 cr for food processing units and cold chain infrastructure; Rs 1 cr for setting up PPCs and PCCs; for integrated food parks that avail loans from NABARD, interest subsidy will not be applicable

100% reimbursement of net VAT/CST/SGST for 5 years for micro & small units; 75% of net VAT/CST/SGST for 7 years for medium units

Source: Andhra Pradesh government
Tourism has been hit in Uttarakhand in the wake of the raging forest fires.

Three IAF choppers fitted with Bambi buckets to carry water have been deployed. Besides, as many as 6,000 personnel of the National Disaster Response Force, State Disaster Response Force, state police, forest staff and volunteers have been deployed to douse the fire. The situation is under control now, according to a home ministry spokesperson. Home Minister Rajnath Singh reviewed the situation from New Delhi.

The estimated drop in tourists was at least 30 per cent at forest centres, particularly at the Corbett Tiger Reserve and the Rajaji National Park, officials said. So far, five people have been killed (including three women and a child) and about 2,200 hectares of forests have been burnt in the Kumaon and Garhwal regions.

A prolonged dry spell is said to be the main reason for the inferno, though authorities also referred to a possible "sabotage" in some areas. Forest fires are usual during summer but this time it has occurred on a bigger scale.

Chief Secretary Shatrughan Singh and Additional Chief Secretary (Forests) S Ramaswami told this newspaper the fires were slowly coming under control. The forest department is doubling the number of personnel deployed for dousing the flames, from 3,000 to 6,000. Pauri, Tehri and Nainital are the worst-hit, due to thick and highly flammable pine and sal trees.

K K Paul, the state's governor (it is under President's Rule), has convened a series of meetings to take stock of the situation. All agencies have been asked to come to the forest department's aid.
As ban on diesel-run cabs came into effect, taxi aggregator on Sunday brought back surge pricing here, prompting Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal to warn of strong action.

had introduced the provision during the odd-even vehicle plying scheme, which was objected to by commuters. Kejriwal had asserted that such demand-linked hikes would be banned permanently. A day after the second phase of odd-even ended, commuters across the city who availed the services of the app-based cab firm on Sunday found that surge pricing, where fares are raised when demand is higher than the available cabs, was back. An spokesperson confirmed this saying the suspension of surge pricing was only temporary.

Some taxis have started charging surge. Surge not allowed under law. They are warned that strong action will be taken against them, Kejriwal tweetedA senior Delhi government official said action will be taken against these companies, based on complaints. We will impound their cabs, the official said.

While an immediate confirmation could also be obtained from Ola, another app-based service, its app displayed a message saying peak time charges may be applicable during high demand hours and will be conveyed during the booking, which enables us to make more cabs available to you. Ola displayed the disclaimer during the odd-even period as well, although it did not invoke peak-pricing till Saturday.

The Delhi government had cracked its whip on these companies in the first week of the second phase of odd-even, after Kejriwal termed the concept daylight robbery. The authorities had also impounded cabs for overpricing.
The will see a big lessening of its dependence on banks for financing its procurement operations. The government has decided to raise by five times, to about Rs 50,000 crore, a 'ways and means advance' (WMA) it sanctions for this purpose. This is almost equal to the sum FCI borrows from a clutch of public sector banks every year.

Sanction for the new WMA, to be raised from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), will be cleared by the government through Parliament in its first supplementary budget, due in July. From Budget 2011-12, FCI has been getting Rs 10,000 crore as WMA advance. It has a credit limit of Rs 54,495 crore with a consortium led by State Bank of India. The new WMA will cancel this out.

FCI's cost will come down substantially from the move. Banks lend to it at a variable preferential rate, currently 10.51 per cent. The government takes any WMA from RBI at about one per cent more than the latter's repo rate, presently 6.5 per cent. The difference will be about two per cent for FCI.

"At the end of the year, we expect FCI will possibly need no more than another Rs 20,000 crore from the banks as short-term credit," said a government official.

As an experiment the corporation floated a tender for a one-month loan of a similar sum on April 13.

FCI was set up by the central government in 1964 and runs the world's largest grain procurement operation. It buys wheat, rice and other crops from farmers at prices pre-announced every year. These minimum support prices are the government's means to provide an income support to farmers. After buying these, FCI sells to state governments, for disbursal through the Public Distribution System.

The difference between the price FCI buys the grain and sells at subsidised prices to states is the Centre's subsidy. In 2016-17, this allotted sum is Rs 134,835 crore. Of this, 76 per cent is for FCI's operations. Yet, it is still a drop of almost Rs 5,000 crore from the revised estimate of Rs 139,419 crore for 2015-16.

Saugata Bhattacharya, chief economist at Axis Bank, agreed the change will reduce the cost of borrowing for FCI. "For banks, this will free up some deposits for additional non-food credit and potentially also free up some capital by reducing credit risk."



RBI has been giving banks the stick to provide adequate capital to cover their exposure in all sectors. This is applicable for food credit, too, but does not apply to FCI. State governments Punjab do their own procurement, independent of FCI, since it offers political mileage. To finance it, they raise credit from banks, too. With that money, the grain they buy from farmers are in turn sold to FCI. As a recent RBI audit (on Punjab) found, the grains are often not there in granaries, though the purchases from farmers have been shown by state government entities.

If FCI cuts its borrowing, banks will be able to cut their capital allocation against food credit, which so far was seen as a risk-free operation. With plenty of slack on their credit portfolio, with an option for easy loan erased, they'll will have to work harder to make up in their non-food credit.
Public sector banks (PSBs) to which Punjab owes Rs 12,000 crore may not have to provision for these because the loans are apparently backed by sovereign guarantee.

The central government is likely to tell the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) that state-owned banks will not need to provision for the dues extended to Punjab for its food procurement programme, as they will get absorbed, the Business Standard has learnt.

For the long term, the Centre would also speed up the process of online tracking and procurement of foodgrain by the Food Corporation of India (FCI), to avoid the kind of controversies that cropped up with Punjab.

It has also asked other states from which the FCI procures foodgrain to go through their books again and bring to the Centre's notice any discrepancy in food procurement numbers.

In April, the Punjab government had claimed that it is owed Rs 20,000 crore by the Centre in foodgrain procurement dues. While the amount is still being verified, central government sources said these dues accumulated over the last 10-15 years because of the difference between the prices at which the state's agencies procures from farmers and the prices at which the FCI picks the foodgrain from Punjab.

"We are in the process of finding out exactly where and how much food stock we have. It is an ongoing process but our view is that these loans are covered by a sovereign guarantee so why do you want it to be provisioned?" said a senior government official aware of the deliberations between officials from the finance ministry, the RBI and banks.

"If everything is clear, the RBI should not have to worry. Even if there is some shortfall, which may be possible, the FCI is saying it is accumulated over time. It has sovereign guarantee. It will be absorbed by the government," the official said.

As reported by the Business Standard earlier, sources in the FCI have disputed Punjab government's claims. The FCI has said the amount the Centre owes the state cannot be higher than Rs 5,000-7,000 crore.

Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal visited New Delhi on April 18 and met Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Food Minister Ram Vilas Paswan. He sought an immediate release of cash credit limit worth Rs 20,094 crore to enable the state government to make timely payments to farmers for wheat procurement.

According to reports, the Centre has already released Rs 10,000 crore of that amount.

Claims by the Punjab government and the discrepancies in the amounts owed by the Centre have also led to a comprehensive review of the procurement process. The government is hastening the process of making procurement and tracking completely online, as announced by Finance Minister Arun Jaitley in his 2016-17 Budget speech.

"An online procurement system will be undertaken through the FCI. This will usher in transparency and convenience to the farmers through prior registration and monitoring of actual procurement," Jaitley had said on February 29.

"The idea is to correct such discrepancies between what a state claims and what the FCI claims. We want all this to be online so we know what is happening. We are tightening everything across the system," said a second official.

Other states, including Haryana, have also been asked to look at their outstanding dues, if any, with their food grain stocks to reconcile possible discrepancies. Officials admit that the Punjab situation was a blessing in disguise. As a result of it, a check is now taking place on the entire food procurement system.

"It is not a bad thing sometimes to have a pressure in the system, to ensure that the system actually works properly. Clearly, there is some shrinkage and something has happened. We don't know how big it is. We are working on finding out and we want to fix this systemically. We want to put some pressure in the system through the RBI and banks so that both the FCI and states clean up their act," the second person said.

The Centre has set up a procurement target of 30 million tonnes for the 2016-17, starting this month. The wheat procurement has already started and the state has purchased about three million tonnes as on April 17.

Punjab and Haryana contribute in a big way to the central pool.
Union Labour Minister Bandaru Dattatreya invoked B R Ambedkar, the architect of the Constitution, on International Labour Day to highlight various pro-worker steps taken by the government.

He spoke of minimum wages and extending of social security schemes to unorganised workers. He also launched a programme to consolidate multiple provident fund accounts. But, Dattatreya was silent on long-pending reforms to archaic labour laws.

"As a founding member of the ILO (International Labour Organization), India is committed to the principle of tripartitism," he said. "The ministry has made the best efforts to reach a consensus on all issues and many tripartite discussions have been held before taking decisions."



The government, however, has put the ambitious plan for labour reforms on hold after coming under fire from trade unions.

While the Centre has dragged its feet, states ruled by the Bharatiya Janata Party, such as Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat, have moved swiftly to usher in reforms as they aim to take larger share of the foreign direct investment pie.

Rajasthan has been the pioneer by relaxing provisions of the Factories Act, Industrial Disputes Act, Apprentices Act and Contract Labour Act.

Madhya Pradesh has amended at least 20 labour laws, including the Industrial Disputes Act, Factories Act, and Shops and Establishments Act.

Experts said the central government was working to foster a competitive environment among states, while simultaneously attempting to unseat Opposition parties in state Assemblies.

"If the Union government is unable to introduce comprehensive investor-friendly labour laws at the national level because of political resistance, it will remain incumbent on India's states to decide if they want to take the political risks necessary to enact difficult reforms such as deregulating labour laws," said Owen Jolie, a researcher with Centre for Strategic and International Studies.

The Centre also plans to move swiftly on the proposed social security schemes for the workers. According to labour ministry officials, there has been a consensus that the government wants to portray itself as pro-worker as it completes the second year in office.

Of the many regulations that the government is trying to push is the Employees' Provident Fund and Miscellaneous Provisions (Amendment) Bill, which aims to provide National Pension System (NPS) as an alternative to the Employees' Provident Fund, which is now compulsory for establishments with 20 workers.

"The law ministry has already approved the amendment Bill to change the Employees' Provident Fund & Miscellaneous Provisions Act, 1952. The labour ministry has circulated the Cabinet proposal," the official said.

Besides that, the government is waiting for Cabinet approval for the Maternity Benefits Act, 1961, which mandates to increase maternity leave to 28 weeks from current 12 weeks.

The government is also planning to soon bring out an executive order to halve the threshold for coverage of firms to 10 workers the official added. "We will give notice for consultations by first week of the next month."



The trade unions are of the opinion that the government needs to reverse some of the "anti-worker" decisions it has taken (see chart for status of some amendments).

"The government is on the back foot. It is unlikely to push anything afresh. It has already taken enough unilateral anti-workers decision; those need to be reversed first," said D L Sachdeva, secretary, All India Trade Union Congress.
Hadda Haddi (close contest) is the expression frequently used by the people of West Bengal when asked to comment on which way the wind is blowing this time. "Ebar eto sohoj hobe na," a retired Indian Administrative Officer (IAS) who dabbled in politics for a while said to a reporter in Kolkata. A range of people whom this reporter spoke to in seven districts spoke on similar lines. They said with the coming together of the Left parties and the Congress, the electoral battle in the state had become too close for a call.
In consonance with Indias Act East Policy and Indian Navys constant endeavour to enhance maritime security in the Indo-Pacific, Indian Naval Ship (INS) Airavat arrived at Brunei on 01 May 16. The ship will participate in the ADMM Plus (ASEAN Defence Ministers Meeting Plus) Exercise on Maritime Security and Counter Terrorism(Ex MS & CT) from 01 to 09 May 16. .

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The Indian Navy has been a regular participant in maritime exercises conducted by the ADMM countries. ADMM Plus Ex MS & CT is a multinational exercise under the aegis of ADMM Plus consortium. The current edition will commence at Brunei and culminate at Singapore, with various drills and exercises in the South China Sea. During the exercise, the Indian Navy would engage with participating navies from Brunei, Singapore, Indonesia, Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia, Myanmar, China, Japan, Russia, Australia, Republic of Korea and US, through professional interactions in harbour and complex operations at sea. .

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India has deep historic and cultural linkages with ASEAN countries which have been strengthened in the recent past by vibrant economic engagement and a growing sense of shared maritime destiny. In the recent past, ASEAN has emerged as one of the largest trading partners of India, with bilateral trade showing an upward trend with each passing year. Indias active and positive contribution in numerous ASEAN-led mechanisms, namely the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) and ASEAN Defence Ministers Meeting Plus (ADMM Plus) as well as Indias support for strengthening of the East Asia Summit (EAS) has often been acknowledged by ASEAN member countries. The establishment of the Indian Mission to ASEAN in Jakarta serves as a testimony of Indias commitment towards ASEAN. .

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Indian Navy and the navies of ASEAN countries have a mutual interest in promoting peace and prosperity in the Indian Ocean and the Western Pacific, given our shared maritime security interests. ADMM Plus Ex MS & CT is aimed at enhancing mutual understanding with respect to maritime security issues and streamlining drills on counter-terrorism operations at sea. The participation of INS Airavat aims to bolster Indias ties and enhance inter-operability with the participating navies. .

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INS Airavat, commanded by Commander Jayant Mahadik, is a Landing Ship Tank (Large), indigenously designed and built at GRSE, Kolkata. The ship was inducted into the Indian Navy on 19 May 09 and has a lift capability of 500 troops, 10 tanks and 11 Combat Trucks, which allows her to be effectively tasked for a variety of missions ranging from amphibious operations to Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR). An integral helicopter significantly enhances the capability of the ship. .

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The participation of INS Airavat in ADMM Plus Ex MS & CT will further strengthen the strong bilateral ties and extensive maritime interactions between India and ASEAN countries as well as contribute significantly to enhancing maritime security in the region. .

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DKS/CKP
A four member central team of experts is sent to Uttarakhand to monitor the forest fire incidents in the state. The team of experts consists of Prof. Santosh Kumar, Executive Director, NIDM, Shri S.P. Vashist, DIG of Forests, Ministry of Environment and Forests, Shri K.C. Wadhwa, Special Director, Center for Fire Explosives and Environment Safety and Shri G.C. Misra, Director, Fire Services, Delhi. About 6000 persons from NDRF, SDRF, State Police, Forest Staff and volunteers are also deployed and the situation is under control. .

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Three Air Force helicopters (1 ALH and 2 MI-17) with Bambi bucket have also been deployed to assist the local administration. In view of the urgency of the matter, the team of experts will submit its report to MHA within one week after taking the stock of situation. .

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Earlier, the Union Home Minister, Shri Rajnath Singh has spoken to the Governor of Uttarakhand, Shri K.K. Paul regarding the incidents of forest fires in the state and said that 116 rescuers in 3 NDRF teams have already been sent to the state. The Centre is providing all necessary assistance to Uttarakhand state to control the forest fires and help in containing the damage, he added. .

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The Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare Shri J P Nadda has directed for a special five-member expert team to be sent to assist the Rajasthan State government to investigate into the causes of water and food contamination that are reported to have resulted in the death of 12 specially-abled persons in the State-run home of the State Government at Jamdoli in Rajasthan. .

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The five-member team will include a senior paediatrician, epidemiologist and microbiologist and will reach Jaipur today. The team shall investigate into the causes that led to the incident and also suggest public health measures to prevent such incidents in the future. .

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Shri J P Nadda stated that he has spoken to the State Health Minister who has informed that necessary measures to prevent such incidents in the future have been taken. The Union Health Minister assured him of all support. A detailed report in the incident is expected shortly, he added. .

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said on Saturday that Berkshire Hathaway Inc is poised to do well no matter who wins the White House in November, and the billionaire investor defended the performance and tactics of the conglomerate's several large investments.

Buffett presided over his 51st Berkshire annual meeting in Omaha, Nebraska, where he and Vice Chairman Charlie Munger fielded five hours of questions on such matters as Coca-Cola's sugary drinks, lower shipping volumes on the BNSF railroad, risks from derivatives, and who might succeed Buffett as chief executive.

Buffett, a staunch supporter of Democrat Hillary Clinton for president, was asked about the regulatory impact on Berkshire if Republican front-runner Donald Trump wins the 2016 US presidential election.

"That won't be the main problem," he said to audience laughter.

"If either Donald Trump or Hillary Clinton becomes president, and one of them is very likely to be, I think Berkshire will continue to do fine."



Because the meeting fell early this year, Berkshire also released only preliminary first-quarter results rather than full results, which will come out on May 6.

Berkshire said, net income probably rose 8 per cent, helped by a gain from the swap of Procter & Gamble Co stock for the Duracell battery business.

Operating profit probably fell 12 per cent, however. Buffett said BNSF was hurt by declining oil prices and coal shipments, while hailstorms caused losses in Berkshire insurance units. "Railroad carloading throughout the industry - all of the major railroads - were down significantly in the first quarter, and probably almost certainly will continue to be down for the balance of the year," Buffett said.

Berkshire owns close to 90 businesses in energy, insurance, manufacturing, railroad, retail and other sectors, and invests well over $100 billion in stocks.

The meeting filled a downtown arena and overflow rooms, and shareholders could buy products made by Berkshire units at deep discounts in an exhibit hall.

Buffett suggested that 40,000 people may have shown up for his "Woodstock for Capitalists," close to last year's record, though the meeting was streamed online for the first time.

At the meeting, Buffett and Munger fielded dozens of questions from shareholders, analysts and journalists. A shareholder proposal for more disclosures on the risks to Berkshire on climate change was overwhelmingly rejected.

Buffett parried concerns raised by a shareholder, and previously by hedge fund manager William Ackman, that Berkshire promotes bad health through its roughly 9-per cent stake in Coca-Cola Co.

Buffett, who consumes 700 calories of Coke a day, said it seemed wrong to blame calories alone for rising obesity levels.

"I elect to get my 2,600 or 2,700 calories a day from things that make me feel good when I eat them," he said, including the Cherry Coke and See's peanut brittle he consumed during the meeting. "That's my sole test." Buffett also renewed his defence of Brazilian private equity firm 3G Capital, which with Berkshire has a controlling stake in food company Kraft Heinz Co, where it has built on its reputation as a ruthless cost-cutter.

Berkshire is seen as a friendlier owner, but Buffett said 3G's cuts have been "extremely intelligent," and did not appear a threat to Kraft Heinz's ability to produce packaged goods.

Buffett also defended efforts of Berkshire's NV Energy unit to persuade Nevada regulators to reduce subsidies for homeowners there who use solar power, prompting Elon Musk's SolarCity Corp to say it would cease activity there.

"Ninety-nine per cent of our consumers were being asked to subsidise the one per cent that had solar units," Buffett said. "I personally think that if society is the one that's benefiting from the reduction of greenhouse gasses, that society should pick up the tab."



Buffett also emphasised his worry that derivatives could cause major risks for most of the world's largest banks if markets were disrupted.

"It is still a potential time bomb," he said, but added that he was "not in the least troubled" by Berkshire's big stakes in Wells Fargo & Co and Bank of America Corp. Buffett also said Geico has been hurt because falling oil prices led to more driving, more accidents and more loss claims, but said he did not "necessarily see the same trends this year."



He also said there are no "tea leaves" in the recent announcement that the next chief of the General Re reinsurance unit will report to Buffett's insurance lieutenant Ajit Jain, not to Buffett. Some investors believe Jain is a top candidate to succeed Buffett as Berkshire's chief executive.

Buffett also said Mark Donegan, chief executive of Precision Castparts, which Berkshire bought in January for $32 billion, may now fare even better now that his company has the support from Berkshire's deep well of capital.

"I would almost rank Mark as one of a kind," Buffett said, before joking: "If he needs capital, he's got my 800 number."



Shareholders at the meeting included hundreds who waited hours in a rainstorm before doors opened at 6:20 am, 40 minutes early.

"I wanted to make sure I got a good seat," said Kim Baumler, an office manager for a wealth management company from Fargo, North Dakota, who said she was at the head of the line at 10:30 pm, Friday night. "My boss is a huge follower, and I got hooked. I wanted to see what it was all about."



Mark Hughes, a money manager from Ashton, Maryland attending his 25th meeting, said he sees no sign Buffett and Munger are winding down.

"They're 85 and 92, and look as good as they ever did," he said.
*Just over a fortnight ago in Wisconsin, a US federal court slapped $940 million penalty on two companies of India's Tata group - Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) and Tata America International Corp - for allegedly "stealing" information related to medical software company Epic Systems. TCS, India's largest information technology services provider, will appeal against the judgment, but it faces a protracted courtroom battle and a threat of losing brand equity.

*Across the Atlantic but around the same time, Germany's health regulator raised the red flag accusing Alkem Laboratories of fudging data on clinical trials of an antibiotic and brain disorder drug. If its drugs are asked to be recalled, the Mumbai-based multinational pharmaceutical company won't be the first Indian firm in the sector in recent years to be pulled up by an overseas regulator.



As these examples suggest, for companies venturing abroad an understanding of the regulatory landscape, the specific compliance requirements and the penalties and consequences of violation is absolutely essential. Experts also point to how factors such as politics and divergence in perceptions and standards in developed and developing economies come into play as companies try to anticipate or negotiate such crises. Sridhar Ramanujam, CEO and founder of Brand-Comm, says any global brand could be under fire for not meeting regulatory requirements. "Who can forget the stress Volkswagen went through? Its problems continue to have an impact not only on its own bottom line but on the entire German economy." Far too many Indian brands, he adds, have managed to do well by 'managing the environment' which is sometimes less stringent back home than many other parts of the world. He calls for an attitudinal change where brands embrace global standards and norms of compliance "as a matter of choice and not something that they are forced to do".

The reason is simple: At best, the brand equity of a company will take a hit when faced with regulatory flak. At worst, it might have to pack up and leave the host country. For instance, Sun Pharmaceuticals had to contend with a dip in share prices after the US FDA issued a warning letter for the company's Halol plant in Gujarat where it raised data integrity issues. Ramanujam suggests it might be worthwhile for Indian brands to follow a mantra of "think local but comply globally". "In a global environment, compliance is going to be the key mantra for survival," he adds.

So what can brands do when they get into a TCS or Alkem-type situation? Is an advertising blitzkrieg the answer or should brands look at public relations coups? The answer seems to be communication - honest and immediate.

Sandhya Shama Rao, GM, corporate communications and marketing, Vertebrand, believes the ideal response in any crisis situation is to come out into the open early and clarify one's position with regards to the allegations. This should be done by the senior leadership or company spokesperson. But more often than not, organisations clam up refusing to offer any comment/clarifications to the media. A "no comment" response is invariably construed as acceptance of guilt and hence should be avoided as far as possible, while in case of lawsuits/ongoing investigations, care should be taken to inform the public that the matter is sub judice and hence cannot be commented upon, she adds.

AN Bhattacharya, professor, marketing and social innovation, School of Inspired Leadership, highlights the political concerns resulting from the growing penetration of Indian businesses. "Fear of loss of jobs is leading to opposition from industry bodies and trade groups overseas. Protests against outsourcing are growing." Setting high quality standards is desirable, but one needs to take into account that depending on the product cycle, products and services offered by Indian companies cost less than those offered by firms in developed nations, he adds.

As a very important measure, says Atul Pandey, associate partner with law firm Khaitan & Co, Indian companies operating abroad need to undertake significant relationship building exercises and work closely with local political parties, understand their agendas and learn how to manage them. In case their investments are jeopardised by actions of the local government, the companies may also seek recourse to bilateral investment treaties (if such treaties have been signed between the Indian government and the government of the investee state).

According to Rakesh Nangia, managing partner, Nangia & Co, "Indian MNCs need to think through their globalisation strategies by clearly defining a path for international expansion, setting up dynamic global operating models and building talent, leadership and culture for growth." Also, he stresses, wherever organisations have proactive and clearly aligned regulatory functions, regulatory-compliance challenges are minimal and there is timely mitigation of non-conformance risks.

Former Indian diplomat Amit Dasgupta, who heads the Mumbai campus of the SP Jain School of Global Management, lays down pointers for companies. First, they need to put forward a strong vision and plan for their global footprint. At the same time, it is important to be conversant with the legal framework, rules and regulations. "You simply cannot break the law or be perceived as someone likely to cut corners," he stresses. Second, it is usually helpful to have a local partner, especially someone who has credible and reliable credentials and more importantly shares the same values about being well within the boundaries of the law. For aggrieved companies, he says, the only recourse is legal. "If a charge is made, it needs to be refuted in court. Get a good lawyer to present your case forcefully and convincingly."



It is here - legal risk - that many companies seem to falter. Somasekhar Sundaresan, partner at national law firm J Sagar Associates, says, "In India, we have the unique approach of seeing spending on legal services as an evil and wasteful expense. Lawyer jokes abound worldwide but Indian corporates take the lawyer jokes seriously and don't really engage meaningfully." He cautions, "Unless Indian businesses start seeing legal and regulatory expense as a business necessity and not as a luxury, their risks in international operations would continue to be a threat."



The other side of the coin is internal communication - if there is a threat to a company of its business, there is a lot of confusion and restlessness among employees. The only way to deal with this is to communicate with internal stakeholders directly - and the communication should come right from the top and before the situation snowballs into a crisis, say experts.

N Chandramouli, CEO of Trust Research Advisory, emphasises that in case of TCS, the trade secrets theft allegations are not a case of organisational involvement unlike instances of wrongdoing by companies like Nissan and Volkswagen. He says, "Brand trust for TCS is high. However, the worrisome issue is that not every link in the value chain is clued in on the company's ethics. That said, TCS needs to probe the matter internally."



All said, a unanimous piece of advice for Indian multinationals is to adopt a proactive approach towards compliance. Nangia says, "The regulatory group is usually viewed as a 'necessary evil' in many organisations and is more reactive than proactive, which leads to a considerable loss of time, energy and resources. The regulatory function should be given paramount importance. They must also understand that managing regulatory risk exposure, especially in the face of uncertain regulations (for example, environmental regulations around carbon emissions) in a more proactive manner is financially beneficial in the long run."




The Centre has deployed two MI-17 helicopters to douse the forest blaze in Uttarakhand.

More than 1,900 hectares of forest land have been affected by the fire in the Kumaoun and Garwal region.

"Two helicopters were sent by the Indian Air Force. One has been sent in Gorakhal Sainik School and another one in Pouri, Srinagar. The speciality of the helicopter is it can take 5,000 litre of water from any source of water, be it pond or river and can drop it anywhere," Wing Commander V.K. Singh, operation in-charge, Airforce told ANI.

"Our mission is to carry water from Bhimtal to places where fire is burning. There is a huge area covering the flames. We will maintain a distance of 100 metre from the fire to douse the flames," he added.

The fire raged yesterday even as three teams of Disaster Response Force (NDRF) were deployed in Almora, Gauchar and Pauri and one team of the State Disaster Response Fund in Nainital to extinguish the flames.

Two Air Force helicopters have been rushed into service to fight the fire in Pauri and Nanital districts.

Forest areas of Almora, Chamoli, Pouri, Rudra Prayag and Pithora districts have been badly affected by the fire.

Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh spoke to Governor K.K. Paul yesterday and assured him of providing all necessary assistance to control the fire.

The Governor has directed all District Magistrates of the affected districts to make full use of available resources to douse the fire.

The Nainital High court has also expressed concern and directed to control the fire in the shortest possible time.

Since the beginning of forest fire incidents in the state in early February this year, 922 incidents have occurred so far killing six people including three women and a child and blighting nearly 2,000 hectares of green cover.
With the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Congress leaving no stones unturned to target each other on the chopper scam, Union Minister of State in the Prime Minister's Office Jitendra Singh on Sunday asked the grand old party not to be afraid of the probe if they feel they are innocent.

"On one hand Congress claims they are innocent. And on the other hand, they are making a big issue out of it. They are ones who should welcome a probe so that at end of day they are able to vindicate themselves," Singh told ANI.

"Sonia Gandhi says that she is not afraid of the Constitution and the CBI. Those Congress leaders who are saying that they have nothing to hide should come out and prove it," he added.

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) spokesperson Sambit Patra said that the investigating agencies are doing their job and eventually the truth will come out in the VVIP chopper scam.

"We are aware of the fact that way back in 2013, when we were discussing these deals and even then the Bharatiya Janata Party had raised pertinent questions and had pointed fingers towards the then UPA president and the driving force of UPA, that was Mrs. Sonia Gandhi and today when appellate court of Milan has delivered its judgement, where the name of Sonia Gandhi ji is and name of the advisors of the UPA," Patra told ANI.

"As far as the question being asked to the Congress Party is concerned, the whole country wants to know the truth behind the deal. The country is asking where the money has gone and who the bribe takers are. The investigative agencies are doing their job," he added.

AgustaWestland's Rs 3,600 crore contract for supplying 12 VVIP choppers to the Indian Air Force had been scrapped by the Indian Government over charges of paying kickbacks to Indian agents.

In January 2013, India cancelled the deal and the CBI was assigned to investigate whether kickbacks were paid to Indian officials.
Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe has emphasized that the labour unions must give priority to safeguard the rights of the workers instead of focusing on political agendas.

In a message to mark the May Day, the Prime Minister said such a farsighted vision would not only empower the workers, but also serve the best interests of the country.

"As a nation, it is our collective responsibility to ensure that their commitment is valued and appreciated, their welfare is assured and that the proper environment is shaped to enhance their contribution to society," Lanka Page quoted Wickremesinghe as saying.

He added the government is willing to set the stage for such a progressive move with optimism and sincerity.

The Prime Minister wished the laborers a renewed sense of hope not just to overcome the challenges at their work places but also to overcome the challenges which they face in life every day.
Nepal Speaker Onsari Gharti Magar today met the leaders of major political parties at the Parliament to discuss the commencement of Budget Session.

Gharti had invited Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli, Nepali Congress president Sher Bahadur Deuba and UCPN-Maoist chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal at her office in Singhadarbar to urge them to make the upcoming session effective, reports The Himalayan Times.

The meeting was held to discuss priorities of the budget which would be announced in the session next month.

The Speaker also discussed issues of new Parliamentary Regulations that have been in dispute lately.

Earlier, the Speaker had met the Nepali Congress president and sought his help to end the deadlock over the issue.

The budget session of the Parliament begins on Tuesday.
Pakistan Peoples Party chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has called upon Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to step down until investigations into the offshore assets of his family are completed.

"Mian sahib, you had demanded the resignation of former prime minister of our party Yousaf Raza Gilani and now we demand your resignation till the completion of investigation into the Panama leaks," Bilawal said on Saturday while addressing his first-ever political gathering in Azad Jammu and Kashmir where general elections are scheduled in June.

The scion of the Bhutto dynasty predicted the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz would not complete its five-year term.

Bilawal said the Panama leaks have exposed the Prime Minister, adding his insincerity with the nation is now in the open and his term is nearing its end.

Accusing the Prime Minister of letting business interests dictate his policies, Bilawal said, "Alas! You have been the prime minister thrice, but you could not become a leader."

Bilawal also criticised Sharif's relationship with his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi, accusing the government of ignoring human rights violations in India-held Kashmir.

This is the first time the party has blatantly called for the Prime Minister to step down in the wake of allegations thrown up by the Panama Papers leaks that his children owned offshore companies.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit his Lok Sabha constituency Varanasi on Sunday, where he will launch solar-powered boats for plying on river Ganga and also distribute 1,000 e-rickshaws.

The Prime Minister will then leave for Ballia district in eastern Uttar Pradesh to launch the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY).

The PMUY is Rs. 8,000 crore scheme to provide 5 crore free cooking gas connections to Below Poverty Line (BPL) families.

The scheme essentially using the money saved from 1.13 crore cooking gas users voluntarily giving up their subsidies, aims to provide cooking gas connections to 5 crore women beneficiaries from BPL families over the next three years.

The Prime Minister will again fly back to Varanasi where will preside over a function to distribute 1,000 e-rickshaws to beneficiaries at Diesel Locomotive Works (DLW) ground.

Prime Minister Modi will then visit 'Jnana Pravaha', a centre of cultural studies and research, in Samne Ghat area. The Prime Minister will thereafter head to the Assi Ghat on river Ganga, where he will launch 11 solar-powered 'e-boats'.

This is Prime Minister Modi's third tour of his parliamentary constituency since January this year.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday lauded the efforts of Shramiks (labourers) on Labour Day.

Prime Minister Modi in his message to labourers across the nation, saluted their hardwork, determination and dedication have an invaluable role in the making of India.

"On Labour Day we salute the hardwork, determination & dedication of millions of Shramiks who have an invaluable role in the making of India," Prime Minister Modi said in a tweet.

The International Labour Day-2016 is being observed today across the globe. This day is a holiday in more than 80 countries and is also celebrated unofficially in many other countries.

The Labour Day aims to pay tribute to workers' sacrifices in achieving economic and social rights all over the world.

The Labour Day originates from the United States labor union movement in the late 19th Century, particularly the eight-hour day movement, which advocated eight hours for work per day.
The Real Estate (Regulation and Development) Act, 2016 will come into effect from today.

It has set in motion, the process of making necessary operational rules and creation of institutional infrastructure for protecting the interests of consumers.

Earlier this week, the ministry of housing and urban poverty alleviation (HUPA) notified 69 of the total 92 sections of the act which would the act into force from May 1.

As per the notification of the Ministry, rules under the act have to be formulated by the Central and State Governments within a maximum period of six months.

The ministry of HUPA would make rules for union territories without legislatures while the ministry of urban development would do so for Delhi.

As per the act, Real Estate Regulatory Authority will be formulated within one year.

The Regulatory Authorities will have to dispose of complaints in 60 days and Appellate Tribunals will be required to adjudicate cases in 60 days.
The Pakistani officials have claimed that a United Nations panel grossly exaggerated the number of visits by two North Korean diplomats to Pakistan, which internationally raised concerns about the motive of their frequent trips.

A UN panel of experts monitoring the enforcement of sanctions on North Korea had in a recent report claimed that Iran-based North Korean officials identified as Jang Yong Son and Kim Yong Chol had transited Karachi and Islamabad on at least 28 occasions between December 10, 2012, and October 25, 2015.

The two were at that time suspected to be linked with the listed Korea Mining Development Trading Corporation (KOMID), which is reportedly involved in trade of equipment related to ballistic missiles, though the UN is now convinced about the link, reports Dawn.

In background interviews, multiple sources confirmed that Pakistan had been asked by the UN about these trips.

The internal investigations revealed that the North Korean officials had only visited Pakistan six times and the same was communicated to the UN.

The Pakistani contention has been that a round trip by the Korean officials was counted by the UN panel as two trips and since they were travelling together, the figure was doubled and single visit was counted as four trips.

"That's how they arrived at this figure of 28," explained a source having knowledge of the issue.

Two diplomats, who visited Pakistan, were suspected. Pakistan had further told the UN that the two were issued visas as part of normal diplomatic practice of granting visas to diplomats as both carried diplomatic passports and had been accredited by Iran.

The Pakistani position had been that the Korean officials did not mention their affiliation with KOMID in their applications.

The purpose of the trip stated by them in their visa application was visit to their embassy in Islamabad and the embassy's economic section in Karachi.

The North Korean officials had also been travelling to the UAE, China, Singapore and Malaysia.
At least 20 people were killed and more than 40 others wounded on Sunday in two car bomb explosions in Muthanna province of Iraq, a security source told Xinhua.

"The latest report said that 20 civilians were killed and more than 40 others wounded by the massive blasts of two car bombs in central Samawa of the province," the source said on condition of anonymity.

The attacks occurred around noon when one booby-trapped car parked near the provincial government compound detonated, while another car bomb ripped through a busy parking lot in al-Sharji district in downtown Samawa, the source said.

The massive blasts set fire to several nearby civilian cars and caused damage to nearby buildings, the source added.

Iraq has been witnessing a wave of violence since the Islamic State group took control of parts of Iraq's northern and western regions in June 2014.

--IANS

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Six policemen were killed and several others wounded on Sunday in a car bomb attack that targeted armoured police vehicles protecting Aden's governor and the city's security chief, police said.

The bomb attack targeted the motorcade of Governor General Aidarous Zubaidi and General Shalal Shayea in Aden's neighbourhood of Mansourah, Xinhua news agency quoted a government source as saying.

A source in Aden Police said the governor and the police chief escaped the terror attack unharmed but bodyguards were killed or injured.

Following the suicide attack, fierce fighting broke out between Al Qaeda assailants and army units in the area.

--IANS

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Himachal Pradesh, whose agriculture sector provides direct employment to about 69 percent of the state's population, does not know its sowing season, it appears so.

The Comptroller Auditor General (CAG) of India has said the state agriculture department supplied 33,011 quintals of seeds costing Rs.9.39 crore to farmers after the sowing seasons during the period 2010 to 2015.

It also said there was shortfall of one lakh tonnes in supply of fertilisers during this period.

In the test-checked districts, 28,909.63 quintals of wheat and 4,101.47 quintals of maize were distributed among the farmers from 2010-15 after the sowing seasons, entailing a delay ranging between one and 135 days.

The agriculture department director informed the CAG that nearly 80 percent area of the districts was rain-fed and sometimes the deficient rainfall resulted in delay in sowing of crops.

The CAG said the reply was not acceptable as the seeds should have been made available to the farmers before the start of the sowing seasons.

It also picked holes in the procurement of seed potatoes, one of the main cash crops.

The shortfall in production of foundation potato seed against the projected yield during 2010-15 ranged between 22 and 92 percent for Kharif and 16 and 46 percent for Rabi crop.

Contrary to the guidelines, the agriculture department procured 182.40 quintals wheat breeder seed of four varieties namely WH-1021, PBW-644, HS-375 and HD-2967 that are susceptible to yellow rust during 2014-15 and supplied to the farmers.

The expenditure of Rs.7.66 lakh on the procurement of these varieties proved infructuous.

--IANS

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'Kalvari' (Tiger Shark), the first of the six French Scorpene class submarines being built at the Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Ltd for the Indian navy, went to sea for the first time on Sunday, an official said here.

The submarine sailed out at about 10 a.m. under her own propulsion for her first sea trial, off the Mumbai coast.

During the sortie, a number of number of preliminary tests on the propulsion system, auxiliary equipment and systems, navigation aids, communication equipment and steering gear were performed, the official said, adding various standard operating procedures were also validated for this new class of submarines before she returned to harbour in the evening.

Over the next few months, the submarine will undergo a barrage of sea, surface, diving, weapons, noise trials, etc testing her to the extremes of its intended operating envelop.

Later, she will be commissioned into the Indian Navy, giving a major boost to the 'Make In India' initiative of the government.

She is part of the ongoing project for constructing six Scorpene class submarines, in collaboration with DCNS of France, which will include transfer of technology to MDL.

In April 2015, Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar had directed that all-out efforts be made to complete the project on schedule after which teams from MDL, Indian Navy and DCNS worked round-the-clock on it.

The submarine was undocked on pontoon on April 6, 2015 in Parrikkar's presence, underwent vacuum tests and battery loading at Naval Dockyard before returning to the MDL for completion of the basin trials and harbour acceptance trials phase.

The state-of-art features of Scorpene include suerpior stealth to launch a crippling attack on enemies with precision-guided weaponry, including torpedoes, tube-launched anti-ship missiles both underwater and on surface.

The Scorpene submarines are designed to operate in all areas including the tropics, and encompass all means and communications to ensure interoperability with other components of a Naval Task Force.

They can undertake multifarious missions like anti-surface warfare, anti-submarine warfare, intelligence gathering, mine laying, area surveillance, etc.

The submarine class are built from special steel capable of withstanding high-yield stress with high tensile strength that allows them to bear high hydrostatic force and enable deep diving for enhanced stealth.

She was built according to modular construction principle, which divides it into a number of sections and building them in parallel.

The complexity of the task can be gauged from the fact that it involves laying around 60 km cables and 11 km pipes in extremely congested and limited spaces inside the submarine.

The Scorpene is equipped with weapons launching tubes (WLT), and its weapons can be easily reloaded at sea with special handling and loading equipment.

The array of weapons and complex sensors fitted on board the Scorpene are managed by a high technology combat management system.

India joined the elite submarine building nations on February 7, 1992 with the commissioning of the first indigenously-built sub, INS Shalki at the MDL. It is still in service.

The MDL has constructed different types of warships including Leander and Godavari class frigates, Khukri class corvettes, Delhi and Kolkata class destroyers, Shivalik class stealth frigates, 1241 RE Missiles boats, Shalki class subs, P-15B class destroyers, the first of which was launched in April 2015, and the P-17A class stealth frigates, a follow-up on the P-17 stealth frigates.

--IANS

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National Iran Gas Exports Company and the Korean Gas Corporation signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) here on Sunday to cooperate in energy sector, Petro Energy Information Network reported.

Under the deal, Iran will export liquefied natural gas to South Korea and the two countries will cooperate on exchanging related experiences in the gas industry, Xinhua reported.

The agreement is signed concurrent with the arrival of the South Korean President Park Geun-hye in Iran's capital Tehran on Sunday.

Park's visit is aimed at the talks on bilateral ties and economic cooperation as well as regional and international issues.

During her three-day visit, Park will meet with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani and a number of senior Iranian officials to discuss topics of mutual interest.

Tehran and Seoul will sign a number of MoUs that touches the fields of energy and telecommunications, to enhance their cooperation.

--IANS

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Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Sunday began a week-long trip to several European countries and Russia.

Abe will meet with the leaders of Italy, France, Belgium, Germany and Britain before flying to Russia to hold a meeting with President Vladimir Putin, EFE news reported.

With his European counterparts, Abe is expected to discuss the impact of the Chinese slowdown on the global economy.

He will also debate comprehensive measures to combat terrorism and urge G7 member states to firmly condemn the latest weapons testing by North Korea.

During his Belgium visit, Abe will also meet representatives of the European Union (EU), including European Council President Donald Tusk, with whom he is expected to discuss the need to step up negotiations for a future free trade agreement between Japan and the 28 EU member nations.

Before returning to Tokyo, the Japanese head of state will make a stop at Sochi, Russia, to meet President Putin and to find a way around the territorial dispute over the Kuril Islands (called Northern Territories by Japan), administered by Moscow but claimed by Tokyo.

The meeting is also likely to clear the road for Putin's visit to Japan, after Ukraine-related tensions forced him to cancel his planned trip to the Asian country in 2014.

--IANS

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The Uttar Pradesh Police should learn from its mistakes to become a better force, a senior officer told his colleagues on Sunday.

"We should learn from the faults committed during encounters," Inspector General of Police (Meerut Range) Sujeet Pandey said at a workshop attended by forensic scientists, financial experts and police officers here.

"The quality of investigation should be improved," Pandey said. In the case of bank frauds, however, 90 percent conviction rate had been achieved due to proper investigation, he said.

He said 10 more workshops would be conducted to refresh the constabulary to be more professional.

Pandey said the subjects covered in the workshops would include urban police tactics, improving quality of investigation and forensic science procedures.

Those who took part in the meeting on Sunday came from western Uttar Pradesh districts including Ghaziabad, Gautam Budh Nagar, Meerut, Baghpat, Muzaffarnagar, Shamli, Hapur, Bulandshahr and Saharanpur.

Ghaziabad Senior Superintendent of Police Dharmendra Yadav gave a presentation on urban policing, how to face mobs and how to use weapons.

--IANS

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi rode an e-boat and an e-rickshaw in Varanasi on Sunday and said India has to become stronger by empowering its poor.

The prime minister flew into Varanasi, his parliamentary constituency, after launching the Pradhar Mantri Ujjwala Yojana, under which free LPG connections will be given to five crore poor women, earlier in Ballia.

"Schemes that strengthen the people are important, not schemes that strengthen vote banks. India has to become stronger," Modi said at the Assi Ghat after the boat ride on the Ganges.

"We are empowering the poor so that they can battle poverty," he added.

"Our experience during the Jan Dhan Yojana brought out the richness of the poor," he said.

"And it is really satisfying to work day and night for the poor."

The prime minister added: "This nation, our government and our banks -- they are for the poor."

Modi began his day at Ballia, where he gave away some cooking gas connections to people.

The Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana will provide free LPG connections to five crore women belonging to Below Poverty Line (BPL) families between 2016 and 2019.

Modi then went to Varanasi and distributed e-rickshaws and launched a scheme for environment-friendly e-boats at the Assi Ghat.

He also took out time to interact with the beneficiaries of the e-rickshaws.

In Ballia, Modi vowed to better the living conditions for the poor of the country.

"This is a government for the poor. Whatever we do will be for the poor," he said. "We have worked a lot on labour related issues."

He said schemes "must be made for the welfare of the poor not keeping in mind considerations of the ballot box".

Modi greeted the workers, or shramiks as he described them, on the occasion of May 1, Labour Day.

"I laud the hard work of all shramiks and appreciate their role in the progress of India. In this century, our mantra should be: All shramiks of the world, let's make the world one. Unite the world."

He said the central government was working to allocate "tremendous resources" to develop Uttar Pradesh.

"Fruits of development have to reach the eastern part of India and then we will gain strength in the fight against poverty."

He described Ballia as a land of revolutionaries.

"Ballia gave us Mangal Pandey. People from here give their lives to the nation. Connectivity in this region, rail lines, bridges... These issues were ignored but I congratulate local MPs for ensuring this changes."

--IANS

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Hailing the Madhya Pradesh High Court's verdict nullifying reservation in promotions, workers' unions here on Sunday said they would file a caveat in the Supreme Court.

Madhya Pradesh Adhikari-Karmachari Sanyukt Morcha covenor Arun Dwivedi and Tritiya Varg Shaskiya Karmchari Sangh general secretary Lakshminarayan Sharma welcomed Saturday's verdict.

Sharma told IANS that a workers' meet will be called to discuss the next step and a decision will be taken about filing the caveat. He said they would not wait for the government to file the caveat in the apex court.

He said the Madhya Pradesh government should take inspiration from Uttar Pradesh that complied with the apex court's order to provide promotion on the basis of equality.

Madhya Pradesh High Court on Saturday struck down reservations for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes in government job promotions through an order that affects over 30,000 employees and officers with possible implications in other states.

The division bench set aside promotions under the 2002 Madhya Pradesh Public Service Rules -- that reserve 16 percent posts for Scheduled Castes and 20 percent for Scheduled Tribes in promotions -- saying they violated Supreme Court guidelines.

--IANS

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Nigeria's Inspector General of Police Solomon Arase has said 359 policemen were killed on duty between January 2014 and April 2016.

Speaking at a lecture in University of Jos on Saturday, the police chief said 272 policemen sustained various degrees of injuries within the same period, Xinhua news agency reported.

He said that the casualties occurred while intervening in civil conflicts, noting that police officers paid the supreme price to enhance community peace and security in the country.

The killing of police personnel had steadily been on the rise since 2009 due to terrorist attacks by Boko Haram insurgents, he added.

According to him, police personnel required diverse skills to tackle modern crimes, especially since criminal elements are arming themselves with more sophisticated weapons.

--IANS

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Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar on Sunday said he will speak on the AgustaWestland issue in parliament on Wednesday, and give a detailed chronology of the events.

The minister, speaking to journalists in Panaji, also said the Congress needs to answer on its inaction in the probe on the deal which involved bribes being given in India.

He said it was the government's job now to prosecute those guilty.

"The detailed chronology of the events, facts of the chopper deal, how clauses and provisions were relaxed to suit AgustaWestland will be placed before parliament on Wednesday," Parrikar said.

According to sources, officials at the defence ministry are scanning the documents related to the deal and the probe, as the government prepares to corner the opposition Congress on the issue.

The government has already issued two official statements, one from the defence ministry and the second from the information and broadcasting ministry, answering questions raised by the Congress.

Parrikar accused the Congress of inaction on the scam.

"Our government blacklisted the firm, not theirs," he said, referring to the then Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government.

"Let them show if any action was taken by them against the company or if they have ordered for its blacklist," he said.

"They have tried to erase the trail of corruption. It is for us to prove and prosecute them," he said.

Both houses of parliament saw the issue being raised last week.

The judgment by a Milan court in Italy, that sent Finmeccanica's former CEO Giuseppe Orsi and AgustaWestland ex-head Bruno Spagnolini to jail for false accounting and corruption in the sale of the firm's 12 VVIP choppers to India, contains the names of Manmohan Singh, Sonia Gandhi, Ahmad Patel and also former IAF chief S.P. Tyagi.

--IANS

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South Korea's exports slid 11.2 percent in April compared to the same period last year, the government announced on Sunday.

Goods sales overseas were worth $41 billion, according to data supplied by the country's ministry of trade, industry and energy.

South Korean imports, meanwhile, fell 14.9 percent year-on-year to stand at $32.2 billion, bringing the trade surplus of Asia's fourth largest economy to $8.8 billion in April, EFE news reported.

While the country has continually shown a positive trade balance since February 2012, it has registered falling exports and imports for 16 consecutive months now.

The latter is a concern for the President Park Geun-hye-led government as exports make up nearly 50 percent of the country's GDP.

In his report, the trade minister attributed the dip in April, higher than that of March when exports declined 8.2 percent inter annually, mainly to the high number of holidays in South Korea in the last 30 days.

"Considering various factors, such as the cut in the number of working days that led to a drop in overall exports, conditions for South Korean exports cannot be said to have deteriorated in April," said the statement released by the ministry.

The fall in crude oil prices has also affected the country since last year, given petroleum derivatives and petrochemical products are among the main things it manufactures; exports of these two goods decreased 10.8 and 14.5 percent respectively compared to April 2015.

Exports of semiconductors also dropped 11.5 percent, although ship exports and those of mobile phones rose 25.2 and 3.2 percent respectively.

The slowdown in China, South Korea's main trading partner, has also had an impact during the last year, with Seoul's exports to the world's second largest economy having fallen for the tenth month in a row; for April 2016, this figure is 18.4 percent.

--IANS

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Actor Suriya, his wife and kids left for the US on a holiday ahead of the release of his forthcoming Tamil thriller "24", which will hit the screens worldwide on May 6.

"Suriya left on a holiday with his family on Saturday. During this trip he will also briefly promote his film in US, along with the film's overseas distributor CineGalaxy Inc," a source close to the star told IANS.

On May 5, he will attend the premiere of "24" in Bay Area, San Francisco.

Directed by Vikram Kumar, Suriya plays triple role in the film.

Tipped to be a time-travel thriller, the film also stars Samantha Ruth Prabhu and Nithya Menen in important roles.

--IANS

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Washington, May 1 (IANS/EFE) Republican hopeful for the US presidency Donald Trump said those who protested against him in the California Republican Party were convention thugs and criminals, the media reported.

"The 'protesters' in California were thugs and criminals. Many are professionals. They should be dealt with strongly by law enforcement!" Trump wrote on his Twitter account on Saturday.

The New York magnate, leader by a wide margin in the Republican primaries for the presidential candidacy, made that comment about demonstrations in the town of Burlingame near San Francisco, during which hundreds of protesters clashed with police.

The presence of demonstrators forced Trump, who was taking part in the California GOP convention that ends on Sunday, to enter the hotel by the back door.

"That is not the easiest entrance I've ever made. We went under a fence and through a fence. Oh boy, it felt like I was crossing the border, actually. I was crossing the border, but I got here," said Trump, who has made his controversial remarks about building a wall along the Mexican border one of the planks of his campaign platform.

The disturbances came after at least 20 people were arrested following protests at another electoral event of the likely GOP candidate at Costa Mesa in Southern California.

"I'm protesting because I want equal rights for everybody," 19-year-old Daniel Lujan told the Los Angeles Times.

Lujan was one of the hundreds of people - mostly Latinos, according to the newspaper - filling the streets to protest against Trump.

--IANS

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The Union ministry for information and broadcasting usually maintains a low profile and draws little attention even from within the government. It is a ministry that is responsible for communicating to the people what the government is doing for them and for the country. Largely because of the nature of its primary responsibilities, it meets the same fate as that of messengers in any system.
United States Steel's complaint about alleged Chinese hacking is clever but risky. The giant producer claims cyber theft violates trade laws and has asked the US International Trade Commission to block offending firms' imports. It's a novel approach to a thorny problem but one unlikely to attract imitators.

China often gets blamed for corporate hacks, with the Federal Bureau of Investigation saying it was behind a 53 per cent increase in economic espionage cases from 2014 to 2015. A Chinese national pleaded guilty last March to charges of conspiring over six years to infiltrate computer networks of Boeing and other American defense contractors. A 2010 breach at US Steel - the first of two - was one of six cyber attacks against companies and a labor union that a 2014 Justice Department indictment pinned on five Chinese soldiers.

Hacking victims typically deal quietly with law enforcement, but US Steel went public out of frustration with a lack of deterrence. It called out major Chinese producers like Baosteel in the ITC complaint, accusing them of benefiting from stolen secrets on how to make advanced high-strength steel. The light and flexible product used often in automobiles took US Steel a decade to develop. Yet the company says Chinese companies suddenly began cranking it out in 2011, just after the second alleged hack.

The ITC has the power to address patent infringement and other violations of intellectual property rights, but hacking cases are less common. Even if US Steel's complaint succeeds, though, it probably won't lead to many similar complaints.

The Chinese market is too lucrative. The company said it was forced to fight back, because the cyber snooping led to a 33 per cent drop in domestic sales from 2013 to 2015 as well as plant shutdowns and workforce cutbacks. Yet China hasn't shied from retaliating against trade sanctions in the past, and it can inflict serious pain as the world's second-largest economy. No wonder hacking victims in telecommunications, clean energy and other industries have avoided costly confrontations.

Instead, they have turned to creating more safeguards against intrusions by, for example, walling off computer servers or putting data into physical files rather than on digital networks. It's a sensible but imperfect solution, of course. When it comes to China, though, occasional breaches are just a cost of doing business.
That the second phase of the odd-even scheme, which ended on Saturday, was not an unalloyed success was clear from several statements by Delhi Transport Minister Gopal Rai. In one, he blamed the media for suggesting that it was a failure; in another, he said serial fires in Delhi were responsible for continued pollution, and the fact that schools were open accounted for the unexpected traffic congestion; in a third, he announced that the third phase of the scheme would be contingent on an analysis by a six-member committee plus media surveys.
About 60 per cent of in the courts involve the government and several appeals by the revenue authorities are outdated and frivolous. There has been a late realisation about this problem and circulars have been issued, like the one by the Central Board of Direct Taxes in December, fixing threshold limits for filing appeals (Rs 10 lakh for tribunals). The Central Board of Excise and Customs is also culling its files.
Private universities can claim only on two conditions: Firstly, an educational institution or a university must be solely for the purpose of education and without any profit motive. Secondly, it must be wholly or substantially financed by the government. Both conditions must be satisfied under Section 10(23C) (iiiab) of the Income Tax Act before exemption can be granted, the Supreme Court ruled in the case, Visvesvaraya Technological University vs CIT. The university's claim under this provision was rejected by the revenue authorities, leading to the appeal. The court noted that during a short period of a decade (1999-2010) the university had generated a huge surplus of about Rs 500 crore collecting fees under different heads. "The expenditure incurred represented only a minuscule part of the fees collected," the judgment observed. None of the benefits granted to the university has gone to the students. It expanded from 64 engineering colleges to 194. The government grants were meagre (about one per cent), the Supreme Court said, concluding that "the university is neither directly nor even substantially financed by the government so as to be entitled to exemption from payment of income tax."



Time limit in cheque bounce cases



If a complaint of cheque bounce is filed after the period of limitation, the magistrate must give reasons for condoning the delay; he cannot order prosecution as a matter of course, the Supreme Court stated while quashing the judgment of the Kerala High Court in the case, K S Joseph vs Philips Carbon Black Ltd. The company filed criminal cases under the Negotiable Instruments Act against the drawer of the cheques, which were not paid on his order to stop payment. The company issued notice on February 3 and the complaint was filed on May 24, after 62 days' delay. However, the magistrate issued summons to the drawer in a "short and summary" order. The high court dismissed his appeal. But on his second appeal, the Supreme Court directed the magistrate to pass a reasoned order for condoning delay after hearing the accused person.
On Friday, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Lok Sabha member Udit Raj lamented how the "influence" of members of Parliament (MP) was decreasing. Raj, a former Indian Revenue Service officer, said he had written about 2,000 letters to government departments on various issues but hadn't received any acknowledgement for most of them. Raj, who represents the North-West Delhi constituency, said he was transferred as a senior income-tax officer in 1998 on the basis of a "forged" letter written in the name of an MP, but now even clerks were not affected by genuine letters from members. He blamed bureaucrats for it, saying they ignored letters from MPs. His comments received wide support from MPs of all political parties.
With reference to the report, "Government promises action against the corrupt" (April 29) defence purchases have been mired in scams and graft charges for long.

The arms lobby is so powerful and entrenched in almost every section of the administration and political hierarchy that not a single corruption case related to defence buys has been solved and the culprits punished. The Defence Purchase Procedure first drafted in 1992 was revised/redrafted in 2002, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2008, 2011 and 2013. After the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led National Democratic Alliance came to power in 2014, it was revised again with the Make in India push. The Congress had been in power for over 50 years and the major defence procurement happened during its rule, hence it cannot absolve itself of the scams or the charges. From 1986, when the Bofors issue first cropped up, to 2016, when the AgustaWestland chopper deal is grabbing headlines, the Congress leadership is alleged to have been involved in both deals.

The BJP-led government wants to bring in transparency and professionalism in defence deals. This could lower the price of Dassault Rafale light combat aircraft by 40 per cent to nearly $8 billion from the price agreed upon during the time of the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance government.

Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar is finding it difficult to negotiate with the French supplier of the Rafale, as it had used strong-arm tactics against the previous Indian governments to clinch deals on its terms.

The Narendra Modi government should rewrite history by giving the Central Bureau of Investigation a free hand in the AgustaWestland scam. Instead of taking to the streets or disrupting Parliament, Congress President Sonia Gandhi should step down from her post till her name is cleared in the scam.

N Ramamurthy, Chennai

Letters can be mailed, faxed or e-mailed to:The Editor, Business StandardNehru House, 4 Bahadur Shah Zafar MargNew Delhi 110 002Fax: (011) 23720201  E-mail: letters@bsmail.in All letters must have a postal address and telephone number
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee seems to be on an apologising spree. Addressing a campaign for state Education Minister Partha Chatterjee in Behala Paschim Assembly constituency last week, she said: "If you think I have committed a mistake, slap me; I wouldn't mind. But I'm hurt if I am called a thief... Abuse me if you like but don't abuse my mothers in Bengal." Just days before that, at a rally in support of state minister Manish Gupta in Jadavpur, she had said: "If you think I am a thief, don't give votes. If people don't want, I will not return to power." Some, however, say these are, at best, "near-apologies" and not in the same league as the 2011 declaration of Budddhadeb Bhattacharjee, then state chief minister, who surprised his Left Front colleagues by admitting in public that the involvement of Communist Party of India (Marxist) cadre in the incident at Netai near Lalgarh in West Midnapore in which nine people were killed was a "grave mistake".
Panama Papers' disclosures now and earlier dealings of Vodafone through Cayman Islands are stories of famous tax havens, which evoke discussions of how tax evasion takes place. These are all direct taxes, mainly corporate tax, and not indirect tax. These are cases of tax planning that come to the fore whenever such disclosures take place.
Kishan Cold Storage, a partnership firm, used to charge farmers to preserve their foodstuff. It was set up by obtaining a cash credit loan and working capital from United Bank of India by mortgaging its entire assets. The loan was granted subject to taking a comprehensive insurance covering all possible risks in the business. The firm requested the bank to obtain suitable policy on its behalf.

During the initial three years from 2005 to 2007, the bank obtained coverage from New India Insurance. The premium was debited from the firm's account, and the policy retained by the bank. For 2008, the bank changed the insurer and obtained a policy from Bajaj Allianz General Insurance, on the same terms.

Unfortunately, after buying this policy, the firm's generator failed during load-shedding, and an attempt to promptly repair it was unsuccessful. This led to a rise in temperature and potatoes stored were damaged, resulting in a loss of approximately Rs 1.4 crore.

The firm lodged a claim but the insurer repudiated it on the basis of the survey report, saying the loss was not within the scope of the perils covered. The firm sent representations to the insurer and the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (Irdai), alleging the surveyor had not conducted the survey properly. The firm also requested the bank to support it. Since the grievance remained unresolved, it filed a consumer complaint against the insurer and bank. The complaint was contested by the insurance company, which pointed out that while obtaining the policy, the bank had acted as the agent of the firm. The policy had been issued to the bank. The risks covered would have to be construed according to the terms of the policy. The risk covered was deterioration of stock due to accident or breakdown of plant and machinery. It did not extend to loss due to electric failure but, on the contrary, stated the insurer would not be liable for any damage due to rise or fall in temperature caused by failure of electric supply for any reason. The company stated the surveyor had observed the power supply in Bhagalpur town of Bihar was erratic. So, the firm ought to have opted for coverage under an FOES (Failure of Electric Supply) Policy. As regards loss due to breakdown of the generator set, the insurer said a machinery breakdown policy had not been obtained.

When the firm attempted to blame the bank for not having taken the appropriate policy, the latter questioned the maintainability of the complaint, contending its services were provided for a commercial purpose, which was beyond the purview of the Consumer Protection Act. The bank also said it had asked the firm to obtain appropriate coverage, but the firm had instead asked it to do so on its behalf. Hence the bank, in consultation with the firm, obtained coverage which covered deterioration of stocks due to breakdown of plant and machinery. The bank argued that in case the policy obtained did not meet its requirements, the firm should have objected and taken steps to obtain the right policy. Having failed to do so, the bank could not be held responsible for deficiency in service.

The Commission observed the firm had not produced the log book showing the temperatures maintained during the month of April 2008 when the incident occurred but the log for the previous and subsequent months showed the temperature was more than what was required for operation of the cold storage. The Commission agreed the risk due to breakdown of power supply was excluded under the policy. It held that breakdown of power supply and failure of the generator set would not constitute an 'accident', and concluded the claim had been rightly rejected. Also, the claim against the bank fell beyond the scope of the Consumer Protection Act. The claim against the bank was not adjudicated on merits and the firm was granted liberty to proceed against the bank before a competent court. The National Commission dismissed the complaint on April 21, 2016.

The author is a consumer activist
With fireworks over the AgustaWestland issue dominating the opening week of the second half of Parliaments budget session, the government is keen to get financial business cleared in this second (and final) week.

It stated that the main agenda for both houses would be passing of the Appropriation and Finance bills. The opposition, including the Congress party, are on board on passage of these.

However, the VVIP chopper issue will still be around, with the Rajya Sabha slated to take up a short discussion on Wednesday. Congress sources say, We too want a thorough discussion and want a reply from the government.



The Lok Sabha is also likely to take up the issue but through a calling attention motion.

A Congress senior said, Despite the (ruling) BJP provoking us and accusing the Congress president on the Westland issue, we cannot be seen to be obstructing the business of Parliament. That perception would go against us and the BJP would go all-out in proclaiming that the Congress was not allowing Parliament to function to save Sonia Gandhi. The party recalls its earlier experience with the National Herald case in this regard.

Their present strategy is to cooperate with the government as long as the latters benches do not rake up any controversial issues. When they do, as with Gandhi baiter Subramanian Swamy this past week, the Congress has gone all-out in opposing.

On Monday, the Rajya Sabha, apart from discussing the health ministrys working, will also be taking up the mines & minerals law amendment, already cleared by the Lok Sabha. Also on the agenda is the railways appropriation Bill.

The government has stated that the Compensatory Afforestation Fund Bill will be the only other new legislation to be taken up in the Lok Sabha. Along with the mines Bill, the upper house is scheduled to pass the Indian Trusts (Amendment) Bill.

Despite all the heat and the trading of charges, in this past week, a total of seven Bills were passed, three by the Lok Sabha and four by the Rajya Sabha. The Lok Sabha cleared the Sikh Gurudwaras (Amendment) Bill, the Regional Centre for Bio-technology Bill and the Appropriation (Railways) No 2 Bill. The Rajya Sabha passed the Appropriation Acts (Repeal) Bill, The Repealing and Amending (Third) Bill, The Constitution (Scheduled Castes) Order (Amendment) Bill and The Industries (Development and Regulation) Amendment Bill.
Nandigram, Haldia, Panskura East and Tamluk are among the 25 constituencies in West Bengal that will go to the polls on Thursday. These seats are especially important because they were all affected by the Nandigram agitation, after a land acquisition for a proposed petrochemical special economic zone that made the Left Front government so unpopular that it was unable to recover ground. In fact, when panchayat elections took place some years ago, the Left could not find people willing to contest elections on its banner and had to back independents, so comprehensively unpopular were they in this area.

In the 2006 Assembly elections, the Left Front had won in 13 of the 16 seats in Purba Medinipur but in the 2009 general election, it lost in both the parliamentary constituencies in the district.

The district used to be one of the CPI-M's strongholds until early 2007, till the Nandigram stand-off between the administration and the locals, who refused to give up their land for the project.

So, the question is what are voters going to say to them now? The issue in this round is not whether the Trinamool Congress will win but whether the



Left-Congress alliance is able to recover ground.

Campaigning spotlight shifts from Bengal to Kerala, TN



The campaigning spotlight will shift from West Bengal to Kerala and Tamil Nadu. Both states will go the polls in a one-day election on May 16. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address five election rallies in Kerala, where the Bharatiya Janata Party is trying to open its account. Modi will begin his election campaign in the state by addressing a rally at Palakkad on Friday. The PM will address another rally in Thiruvananthapuram on Sunday. Three other rallies have been planned at Kasaragod, Alapuzha and Ernakulam, either on May 11 or May 12.

The PM will also speak at rallies in Tamil Nadu. He will speak to voters in public meetings on Friday and Sunday. BJP chief Amit Shah will be speaking at election meetings in different places. Union ministers Nirmala Seetharaman, Smriti Irani, Ravishankar Prasad, Piyush Goyal and Prakash Javadekar are among 20 who will campaign for National Democratic Alliance candidates in the coming days. As Parliament will still be in session, little wonder that everyone is in favour of curtailing the remaining part of the session.
The view from the new Howrah bridge in Kolkata is all blue and white. All government buildings, flyovers, schools, colleges, madrasas, hospitals, pavements and even some police vans in the city don the same colour combination. The view is no different in other parts of West Bengal.

There are several theories about the ruling party's new fetish. Some say Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader and Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee wants to erase the last traces of the Left's red from public memory. Others think she is probably driven by astrological advice. Whatever the reason, many argue it is the only change following the change of regime in 2011, after 34 years of uninterrupted Left rule.

In all other aspects, the CM seems to have copied the Left and tried to beat the communists at their own game. Whether the ingenious instrument known as "scientific rigging" or extending state patronage to new groups to win them over to her party, the TMC regime has followed the Left tradition, and also taken it to new levels.

In a 2012 article, the Washington Post called her the personification of "populist force in India", following her attempts, among others, to block even a token rise in railway passenger fares. Her opposition to liberal economic policies is known. Those who have followed her politics for years say she has been appropriating the Left's symbolism to oppose it. "She has done that to gain respectability among the Bengali middle-class who got disenchanted with Left rule," says Kolkata-based political commentator Rajat Roy.

What once used to be popularly known as "cadre raj", where each decision at the local level had to have clearance from workers of Left parties, has been replaced by "syndicates". There are reports of cartels at work which force buyers to source construction material from them at inflated rates. The Left regime where party workers used to have a say in all aspects of life was replaced by a regime that works on the principle of "local domination through extra-economic coercion," observes Kumar Rana of the Kolkata-based Pratichi Institute.

In most of her rallies, Mamata never forgets to highlight the Rs 2 a kg rice scheme for nearly 80 million people as one of her biggest achievements. Are the people as receptive, especially when unemployment rates, both in rural and urban Bengal, are at fairly elevated levels compared to the national average?



"We do not want subsidised rice or free bicycles. We have had enough of that. Give us jobs, so that we get the purchasing power to buy these items ourselves," says Vishwanath Mukherjee of Paripat village in North 24 Parganas district.

West Bengal needs jobs, possible only if the state revives its industries and evolves an investor-friendly system. The Left regime was seen to be not doing enough of that. Paradoxically, it was replaced by a regime seen to be even more populist and leftist in symbolism. "TMC has to reinvent itself" to be a long-term alternative in Bengal politics, argues Sabyasachi Basu Ray Chaudhury, a Kolkata-based political scientist. But, he adds, it tasted electoral success by espousing ultra-left programmes and abandoning these might not be easy.

Indifference to corruption?



Even as the state is going to vote for the final phase of protracted assembly elections in a few days, it has to resolve the electorate's seeming indifference to cases of corruption. Just a few months after the sordid story of the Saradha scam that impacted nearly 1.7 million investors and scores of brokers and agents came to light, the TMC, whose key functionaries are alleged to have played a role in the growth of this Ponzi scheme, did remarkably well in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections.

Commentators argue the TMC managed the ramifications well. First, by providing financial assistance to nearly 200,000 investors. "I remember aggrieved agents used to come to the TMC headquarters in Kolkata and sit in dharna there. But, the party managed to convince them and through them to depositors that their interests would be taken care of. TMC also managed to defuse the crisis by driving home the point that the Saradha scheme had originated during the previous regime. Voters gave the new government the benefit of the doubt," says a Delhi-based commentator who tracks state politics.

Commentators say the impact of recent revelations of some TMC leaders allegedly taking money to get work done for companies would be seen during the elections. "What is known as the Narada scam has had its impact on the internal dynamics of the TMC. Mamata Banerjee was in denial mode initially and has become defensive. Some TMC leaders have begun saying the money was not taken for personal gains. These things are likely to play out after elections too," observes another Delhi-based analyst.

For the voters, though, the delivery of the fruits of a promised poriborton (change) by Mamata Banerjee is a far bigger issue. "The TMC wants to take credit for the very little it has done and so much it claims it has done but we cannot see it. I am aware of Narada and Saradha. But, before casting my vote, I will ask myself whether my life has changed in the past five years," says Ansar Sheikh while intensely watching a game of cards near the historic site of the battle of Plassey in Nadia district.

Anger with Left and TMC



The sense one gets after touring the state and talking to people is that there is some disenchantment with the TMC because of the perception that it did not quite deliver on promises. But, people are not positively inclined towards the Left. There is some scepticism about the coming together of the erstwhile bitter rivals, the Left and the Congress.

"We have not forgotten the atrocities of the Left days. And, we are not happy with the way the TMC has done pretty much the same thing in the past five years. It is like no choice for us," says a Muslim trader in the Nanoor market of Birbhum district. Nanoor has been witness to violent political clashes since 2000, claiming many lives.

Given the way things are, an alternative political force, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in this case, had a chance to find traction, say observers. But, other than BJP flags and occasional posters, some even in Hindi, it was very hard to find instances of the saffron party occupying mind space in a sizeable section. "The BJP might win a few seats but is not a decisive force yet in state politics," says Sumanta Banerjee, who writes regularly for the Economic and Political Weekly.

In the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, the BJP had won two seats in the state, with an impressive vote share of 17 per cent. It led in 22 assembly segments and came second in another 11. Why has the party seemingly failed to build on those gains? "Other than occasional bursts of good performance, the BJP has been close to getting only four-five per cent of votes," says Rajat Roy.

West Bengal, as part of undivided Bengal, had a history of very violent communal clashes in the pre-Independence days. The riots in 1946, known as the Great Calcutta killings and also described by Time magazine as one of the "most horrifying" religious riots of the 20th century, claimed an estimated 10,000 lives in three days. There were a series of riots between 1946 and 1950. However, it has been relative calm since then. "I will say the events of 1946 to 1950 were aberrations," argues Ray Chaudhury.

The reason why the state has stayed on the course of communal harmony is that Muslims here are poor and mostly rural, argues Kumar Rana, adding others don't feel threatened by their presence. "Another feature of Muslims in the state is that they consider themselves to be Bengali first and Muslims only after," he adds.

Observers say that given the nature of inter-community relations here for decades after the Partition, right-wing forces have found it hard to make electoral gains. "Even the migration of people from Bangladesh and the perceived fear of demographic changes is a non-issue, as the movement of people is reduced to a trickle now," says the Delhi-based commentator. The BJP has been harping on the theme of movement of cattle across the border rather than people in these elections.
Ten Indonesian sailors abducted by Abu Sayyaf Islamic militants were freed in the southern Philippines today after five weeks in captivity, Philippine police said.

Unknown men dropped off the 10 tugboat crewmen at the home of provincial governor Abdusakur Tan Jnr on the remote island of Jolo during a heavy midday downpour, Jolo police chief Junpikar Sitin told AFP by telephone.

"The report (of their release) is confirmed. They were there. I saw them," Superintendent Sitin added.

The condition of the former captives was not immediately known, though Sitin said the group ate lunch at the governor's home.

They were abducted on March 26 by gunmen described by Philippine authorities as members of the Abu Sayyaf, a small group of militants based on Jolo and nearby Basilan island which is accused of kidnappings and deadly bombings.

The militants are reported to have sought a ransom, but Sitin said he was unaware that any had been paid. Abu Sayyaf does not normally free hostages unless a ransom is paid.

The Indonesians were freed six days after Abu Sayyaf members beheaded a Canadian hostage, John Ridsdel.

Philippine President Benigno Aquino vowed Wednesday to neutralise the Islamic militants after Ridsdel's decapitated head was left outside a government building on Jolo.

The authorities said the group is still holding 11 other foreign hostages -- four Indonesians, four Malaysians, another Canadian, a Norwegian, and a Dutchman.

Abu Sayyaf is a radical offshoot of a Muslim separatist insurgency in the south of the mainly Catholic Philippines that has claimed more than 100,000 lives since the 1970s.

It is believed to have just a few hundred militants but has withstood repeated US-backed military offensives against it, surviving by using the mountainous, jungle terrain of Jolo and nearby islands to its advantage.

Abu Sayyaf gangs have earned many millions of dollars from kidnapping foreigners and locals since the early 1990s.

Although Abu Sayyaf's leaders have pledged allegiance to Islamic State, analysts say they are more focused on lucrative kidnappings-for-ransom than setting up an Islamic caliphate.
Within six months of announcing films policy, Uttar Pradesh has received 150 proposals for shooting in the state including "Jolly LLB 2" and a Ayushmann Khurrana-starrer film.

"We just had Bollywood star Salman Khan shooting his movie Sultan in UP and he has appreciated the facilities in the state. In all, we have 150 films proposals in queue for shooting in the state including 'Jolly LLB 2'," UP Film Development Council, Vice-chairman, Gaurav Dwivedi told PTI.

He said that the proposals have come within six months of state coming with films policy.

"We are giving subsidy in the range of Rs 1 crore to 3.5 crore. Recently, Sudhir Mishra completed shoot of his movie 'Dasdev' in UP. His project qualifies for higher range of subsidy between Rs 3 and Rs 3.5 crore," Dwivedi said.

He said shooting for Khurrana's film is expected to start in June-October period and "Jolly LLB 2" in August-September.

When asked about subsidy for "Sultan", he said that it was a only partial shoot hence did not qualify for incentive.

"But Salman is impressed with facilities and opportunities in the state and has expressed interest to set up screen in about 5 cities of UP. This talks about improved infrastructure and prospects in the state," Dwivedi said.

Khan in his tweet on Saturday appreciated support of UP Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav, UP Film Development council for shoot of Sultan in Muzzafarnagar's Morna town.

Dwivedi said that film director Anubhav Sinha and Anurag Kashyap have also submitted proposal for shooting their films in the state.

"We have also made 26 films tax free in last six months



which has been encouraging for the industry, including recently released 'Nil Battey Sannata' which was shot in Agra," he said.

In next phase of policy for films, UP government plans to incorporate provision of subsidy for foreign film makers too.

"(UP) CM is very keen to develop film industry in state. Hence we are not limiting ourselves to domestic film makers. In May, we are going to Cannes film festival to set up direct interface with foreign film makers," Dwivedi said.

The UPFDC has received invite from Information and Broadcasting ministry to be part of India pavilion at the Cannes film festival starting from May 11.

"In the next phase of our policy we are planning to incorporate subsidy provision for foreign film makers. Film makers Sudhir Mishra, Anurag Kashyap and actor Nawazuddin Siddiqui has agreed to join us in UP session on May 13 which will be held there to showcase potential of the state," Dwivedi said.
Bangladesh police today arrested three men, including a member of the fundamentalist Jamaat-e-Islami and a journalist, for the brutal murder of a Hindu tailor by machete-wielding ISIS militants in the latest attack on secular writers and minorities in the Muslim-majority nation.

Two cases have also been filed over the killing of 50-year-old Nikhil Chandra Joarder, who was hacked to death by three assailants who forcibly entered his house and slit his throat yesterday in central Bangladesh's Tangail district.

One of the cases was filed over the murder of Joarder and another over bombs seized from a bag left by the assailants.

Police arrested Badsa Miah, Jamaat secretary of Gopalpur municipal unit, local BNP activist Jhantu Mia and a local journalist and Gopalpur Press Club's Vice-President Aminul Islam for the murder.

"They have been detained for questioning in connection with Joardar's murder as part of the investigation," Tangail's additional superintendent of police Mohammad Aslam Khan said.

Hours after Joarder's murder, US-based SITE Intelligence Group in a statement said that the Islamic State (ISIS) group has claimed responsibility for the attack.

ISIS' Amaq Agency reported the group's involvement in the killing of the Hindu tailor for blasphemy, it said in a tweet.

Media reports said Joarder had served three months in prison in 2012 for blasphemous comments.

Police said his neighbours feared Joarder might have drawn the wrath of the militants for his controversial comments.

"We are trying to track down the killers and called CID to probe the murder," police said.

There have been systematic assaults in Bangladesh in recent months, especially targeting minorities, secular bloggers, intellectuals and foreigners.

Last Saturday, a liberal professor was hacked to death by ISIS militants who slit his throat in Rajshahi city. Two days later, Bangladesh's first gay magazine editor was murdered along with a friend in his flat in Dhaka by Islamists.

In February, the head priest of a Hindu temple was killed in an area bordering India. It was the first attack by ISIS militants targeting the community.

Last year, four prominent secular bloggers were killed, one inside his own home.

In most of the cases, Islamic State or al-Qaeda in Indian Sub Continent have claimed the attacks. But the Bangladeshi government has repeatedly denies that jihadist groups were behind the spate of bloody attacks.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has often denied existence of any foreign terrorist groups in the country and has attributed the deadly attacks on homegrown extremists backed by the BNP, the main opposition outside parliament, and its ally Jamaat-e-Islami.
More than 6,100 personnel, three IAF choppers fitted with Bambi bucket to carry water have been deployed in Uttarakhand to douse the forest fire that engulfed large part of the hill state.

As many as 6,000 personnel comprising NDRF, SDRF, state police, forest staff and volunteers have been deployed to douse the fire.

Three Indian Air Force helicopters (1 ALH and 2 Mi 17) with Bambi bucket and 116 rescuers of National Disaster Response Force were also deployed to help the state government in controlling the situation.

The situation is under control now, a Home Ministry spokesperson said.

A four-member Central team of experts, including Special Director Centre for Fire Explosives K C Wadha and director of Delhi Fire Services G C Misra have reached Uttarakhand to assess the situation and suggest possible remedies.

In view of the urgency of the matter, the team will submit it's report to the Home Ministry within a week with its recommendations.

Earlier in the day, Home Minister Rajnath Singh reviewed the forest fire situation with top officials of the Uttarakhand government and assured them of all Central assistance.

Singh had yesterday spoken to Governor K K Paul, who briefed him about the prevailing crisis.

The three IAF choppers today dumped loads of water on forest fires raging for days in Nainital and Pauri districts in Uttarakhand.

The authorities claimed that the situation is gradually getting under control, latest satellite imagery of the forest fires has reported that the blaze has been extinguished in over 75 per cent of the affected area in the hill state.

The water sprinkling operations commenced today as part of efforts to douse the fires that has killed seven persons and destroyed 2,269 hectares of forested land. The fire has also spread to sparsely populated remote hill areas.

(Reopens DEL 51)



Meanwhile, IAF officials said that 15 sorties were flown, totaling 6 hours 20 minutes, during which over 30,000 liters of water was sprayed from the helicopters.

They said the crew was facing issues of low visibility and weight limitation due to altitude and high temperature.

The operations will be in full swing from first light tomorrow, they added.
Bangladesh police today detained three persons, including one from fundamentalist Jamaat-e-Islami and an activist from opposition BNP, in connection with the killing of a Hindu tailor who was brutally hacked to death by machete-wielding ISIS militants.

Nikhil Chandra Joarder, 50, a resident of the Tangail district, was hacked to death yesterday by three assailants who entered his house-cum shop and slit his throat, in the latest similar attack in the Muslim-majority country on minorities and secular activists.

Three persons, including an activist of key-opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party and a local leader of fundamentalist Jamaat-e-Islami, have been detained in connection with the murder, police said today.

"They have been detained today for questioning in connection with Nikhil Chandra Joardar's murder yesterday as part of the investigation," Tangail's additional superintendent of police Mohammad Aslam Khan said.

Hours after the murder, US-based private SITE Intelligence Group posted a statement saying the Islamic State claimed the killing responsibility of the attack.

ISIS' Amaq Agency reported the group's responsibility for killing the Hindu tailor for blasphemy in Tangail district in Bangladesh, it said in a tweet.

The local media reports said that Nikhil served three months of imprisonment in 2012 when he was arrested for blasphemous comments.

Police said the people in the neighbourhood feared he might have drawn the Islamists wrath since the comments were made.

"We are trying to track down the killers and called CID (Criminal Investigation Department) to probe the murder," said Tangail's district police.

There have been systematic assaults in Bangladesh in recent months specially targeting minorities, secular bloggers, intellectuals and foreigners.

In the recent attacks, a liberal professor was brutally hacked to death last Saturday by machete-wielding ISIS militants who slit his throat near his home in Rajshahi city.

Two days later on Monday, Bangladesh's first gay magazine editor was brutally murdered along with a friend in his flat in Dhaka by Islamists.

In February, a head priest was killed at a Hindu temple in an area bordering India, the first attack by the ISIS targeting the community.

Last year, four prominent secular bloggers were killed with machetes, one inside his own home.

In most of the cases, Islamic State or al-Qaeda in Indian Sub Continent claimed the responsibility.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, however, repeatedly denied existence of any foreign terrorist groups in the country and attributed the deadly attacks on homegrown extremists backed by main opposition outside parliament BNP and its crucial ally fundamentalist Jamaat-e-Islami.
At least 29 people of a marriage party including the bride and groom were injured when the vehicle they were traveling in overturned near Maheshtala here, police said today.

A mini-truck carrying 29 people turned turtle after a tyre of the vehicle burst. The marriage party was returning from Lakhsmi Narayanpur village in South Dinajpur district to Sitalpur village in Malda district last night, police said.

The bride and groom suffered fractures in their hands and legs in the accident. 15 injured have been admitted to Malda Medical College and Hospital and the rest to a local health centre, they said.
Thirty-three rescued lions that endured "hell on earth" at circuses in Colombia and Peru have been flown to South Africa to start a new life in a sanctuary, in the largest airlift of the big cats in history.

33 lions, 24 from circuses in Peru and nine from Colombia, rescued by US-based group Animal Defenders International (ADI) returned to their homeland after both South American countries banned the use of wild animals in circuses.

The long journey began on Thursday in Colombia where a caravan carrying the first nine lions departed the city of Bucaramanga for a 14-hour drive to Bogota's international airport. From there, they were loaded onto a cargo plane and flown to Peru's capital to pick up the remaining 24.

Their flight to Johannesburg departed from Lima's airport Friday evening.

They appeared a little distressed but healthy after their long journey when they landed here yesterday. They will be shifted to 12,355-acre Emoya Big Cat Sanctuary in Vaalwater.

The ADI, which was behind the biggest of its kind operation, says almost all the lions have had teeth or claws removed at the circuses.

The lions will first be released into bonding camps, the largest enclosures the lions have ever known and where families will be reintroduced to one another and become familiarised with their new home.

The second phase of the release is the construction of habitats 2.5 to 5 acres in size and with trees, platforms and watering holes.

Jan Creamer ADI President said: "These lions have endured hell on earth and now they are heading home to paradise. This is the world for which nature intended these animals for. It is the perfect ending to ADI's operation which has eliminated circus suffering in another country."



Savannah Heuser, founder of Emoya Big Cat Sanctuary, said: "The lions are returning to where they belong. This is their birth right. African sun, African night skies, African bush and sounds, clouds, summer thunderstorms, large enclosures in a natural setting where they can remember who they are."



The Emoya Big Cat Sanctuary is on private land and already houses six other rescued lions and two tigers.
Four persons, including a Russian woman, were today arrested in Goa for allegedly running an online prostitution racket, police said.

Four women, who were pushed into prostitution were also rescued, a Goa police spokesperson said. Of these, one woman hailed from Bengaluru, another one from West Bengal and two belonged to Nagpur.

41-year-old Natalia Bhalchandra, a Russian national, 21-year-old Priyanka Sinha, originally from Jharkhand along with two other men - Parshuram Wadar and Swapnesh Naik, were apprehended by the sleuths of the crime branch for allegedly running an online prostitution racket, he said.

All the four were running the alleged racket through three different websites, the spokesperson added.

Acting on a tip-off, the police sent a decoy and conducted raid at a hotel in Calangute beach area following which the four were nabbed, he said.

A case under relevant sections of the Immoral Trafficking Prevention Act was registered.
Four Yemeni guards were killed in a bombing that targeted the convoy of Aden's police chief, officials said, the second such attack on him in the southern city this week.

A bomb-laden car in Aden's Mansura district exploded as General Shallal Shayae's convoy passed, damaging military vehicles and prompting clashes between his guards and Al-Qaeda suspects in the area, the officials added.

Shayae himself escaped unharmed, according to his aides, but medical sources said that four of his guards were killed and eight others were wounded.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the bombing, but Shayae has survived attacks by jihadists more than once, the last of which was just days ago.

On Thursday, a suicide bomber blew up a vehicle packed with explosives when he was stopped at a checkpoint on the perimeter of the compound around Shayae's house, wounding a guard.

In February, suspected Al-Qaeda militants opened fire on a convoy carrying Shayae and Aden governor Aidarus al-Zubaidi, but they escaped unharmed.

Shayae and Zubaidi also survived a car bombing that targeted their convoy in Aden on January 5 killing two of their guards.

Other security officials in Aden, the temporary base of Yemen's Saudi-backed government, have been targeted by bombings and assassinations -- some of which Al-Qaeda or the Islamic State group have claimed.

Unidentified gunmen on Friday killed Aden's traffic police chief Colonel Marwan Abdulalim as he was in his car going to weekly Muslim prayers.

Jihadists have exploited the unrest in Yemen as loyalist forces, backed by a Saudi-led coalition, fought against Iran-backed rebels since March 2015 in a war that has left more than 6,400 people dead.

Pro-government forces last year drove the Shiite rebels and their allies out of southern provinces, including Aden, but have struggled to assert their authority over a growing presence of extremists.

But with the help of coalition forces, mainly from Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, loyalists launched an offensive against Al-Qaeda in March, pushing them out of neighbourhoods in Aden and several provincial capitals.
Hundreds of pro Vidarbha activists seeking separate statehood, today hoisted a flag of 'separate Vidarbha' on the Maharashtra Day.

While Maharashtra Day was being celebrated across the state, hundreds of workers seeking separate statehood for Vidarbha gathered at the Indira Square here and unfurled the flag despite strict police security on the spot.

The activists also wore black badges in protest against a joint Maharashtra and shouted slogans in support of a separate Vidarbha state.

Police however detained all the workers for violating prohibitory orders and later released them.

Those who participated in the agitation included Suresh Poreddiwar, Namdeorao Gadpalliwar, Arun Munghate and others.

(REOPENS WRG37)



Meanwhile, in Yavatmal, activists seeking a separate Vidarbha state damaged five State Transport Corporation buses at the ST bus depot.

In Buldhana, supporters wore black arm bands to register their protest against an unified Maharashtra.

In Jalna, supporters seeking a separate statehood to Marathwada also staged a demonstration and unfurled the flag of separate state of Marathwada.
BJP President Amit Shah, who was to kickoff his campaign tour of Kerala for the May 16 assembly elections today, has cancelled his visit following indisposition.

Shah was scheduled to arrive at the airport here this morning to attend a meeting of party workers and three public gatherings, but cancelled the trip as he took ill, party sources said.

The BJP chief was to address two meetings in Thiruvananthapuram and one in Kollam district's Kottarakara.

BJP, which has not yet opened its account in the state assembly, is launching a fierce battle this time to make its presence felt in the state, which has been alternately ruled by Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) and CPI(M) headed Left Democratic Front (LDF) for the last 30 years.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to address six public meetings, starting with the first in Palakkad on May 6.

The BJP-led NDA's 10-point vision document for the state was yesterday released by Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, who said the party has emerged as an alternative to the UDF and LDF.

The saffron party has tied up with Bharat Dharma Jana Sangam, a political party floated by Sree Narayana Dharma Paripalana Yogam, an organisation of the backward Ezhava community led by Vellapally Natesan.

For the 140 assembly constituencies, BJP has put up 97 candidates, while BDJS has fielded 37, leaving the remaining to smaller parties.
Funnywoman Amy Schumer will no longer be taking photos with fans after one demanded to have a picture with her.

While visiting Greenville, South Carolina, a man scared her when he abruptly approached the comedian, reported the New York Post.

Schumer declined his request but he persisted, allegedly telling her "it's America and we paid for you" in front of his daughter.

The 34-year-old comedian shared a photo of him on social media, identifying the guy as the reason why snagging a Schumer selfie might be more difficult in the future.

"This guy in front of his family just ran up next to me scared the shit out of me. Put a camera in my face. I asked him to stop and he said 'no it's America and we paid for you' this was in front of his daughter.

"I was saying stop and no. Great message to your kid. Yes legally you are allowed to take a picture of me. But I was asking you to stop and saying no. I will not take picture with people anymore and it's because of this dude in Greenville," she wrote.
The supporters of separate Vidarbha led by its strong protagonist, former Maharashtra Advocate General Shreehari Aney, today hoisted a 'Vidarbha flag' and said they would intensify their movement for statehood to the region.

A number of pro-Vidarbha leaders and activists gathered at a private resort in Bajaj Nagar Square and hoisted the specially prepared multi-colour flag as a mark of protest against the merger of the then Vidarbha, the Central Provinces and Berar into Maharashtra on May 1, 1960.

They also chanted pro-Vidarbha slogans.

Similar flags were also unfurled at about 24 other places across the Vidarbha region.

On the occasion, Aney, whose remarks on separate Marathwada and Vidarbha recently sparked controversy leading to his resignation from AG's post, said the flag of separate Vidarbha is being raised on May 1 for last three years.

He said this year the movement for separate Vidarbha state has gained momentum since it has been strongly opposed by the ruling alliance partner Shiv Sena, besides MNS.

"We are not apprehensive of any political party or group which is opposing the creation of Vidarbha state, but our fight will go on and it will be further intensified from day one of the commencement of winter session of state Legislature here in the second capital (of Maharashtra) in December," he said.

"Till December, we are chalking out strategy to agitate for carving out Vidarbha from Maharashtra," Aney said.

He declined to comment on alleged remarks by Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray against him and said, "Come what may we will maintain our discipline and decency in agitation."



Prominent members of pro-Vidarbha organisations, Vidarbha Economic Development Council (VED), Shetkari Sanghatana, Vidarbha Vikas Aghadi and other outfits also participated.

Former three-term MLA, Shetkari Sanghatana's Wamanrao Chatap, former Minister of State and Dalit leader Sulekha Kumbhare, ex-Director General of Police Prabir Chakraborty, former Chief Commissioner of Income Tax B Dharmik, Jan Manch president advocate Anil Killor, former Vice Chancellor of Nagour University Haribhau Kedar were among those present on the occasion.

Meanwhile, the local Shiv Sena unit protested the movement for separate state and unfurling of the 'Vidarbha flag' by Aney.

The Shiv Sainiks, led by district president Satish Harde, gathered at HB Town in eastern part of city, raised pro-Maharashtra slogans and allegedly burnt an effigy of Aney.

The MNS, which is also opposed to creation of Vidarbha, organised a Maharashtra flag hoisting event adjacent to the Aney's programme at Bajaj Nagar Square.

In another development, four activists of Aam Aadmi party, which has extended support to Vidarbha state, climbed an 80-feet mobile tower of a private telecom company at Akashwani Square in favour of the separate statehood demand.

Sporting white caps with pro-Vidarbha state slogans painted on it, the youths wanted to draw the attention of political leadership over demand for Vidarbha.

However, no untoward incident was reported from any part of city in view of the events in support of and against the Vidarbha statehood issue.
Army personnel busted an improvised weapon making factory, recovered war like stores and various fatigues, in a major operation at Phaijang village in the hill district of Senapati,



The April 27 operation led to the recovery of two 9mm pistols, two partially complete pistols, one Drill machine, one vice (Furnace marking machine), two magazine frames, an official release said today.

Three files, two Hacksaw blade, 23 alphabet punching tools, two weapon bodies, two Barrels, three Recoil spring, one weapon alignment machine, two 9mm magazine and scellaneous tools used for making such improvised weapons were seized during the raid.

The factory was used solely for forging weapons to militant outfits operating in Sadar Hills, the PIB release said.

Meanwhile, an active cadre of Kuki National Front (P) was arrested on the same day by another team of the Indian army, the release said.

The militant, identified as Paominthang Singson (35) of Keithelmanbi of the same district, was responsible for firing related injury to a person that occurred at Shantipur in Imphal West district on April 22 last month.

One 9mm Pistol and three live rounds were recovered from the cadre who has been handed over to Imphal Police Station, it said.

In another raid, an activist of the newly floated Thadou People's Liberation Army (TPLA) was arrested on April 28.

He was identified as 44-year-old Chungminlun Khongsai, who has already confessed to being a member of the outfit and involved in extortion at Kangpokpi, Motbung and Saparmeina areas of Senapati district.

The ultra has been handed over to Imphal PS for further investigations, said the statement.
Ahead of the crucial 2017 assembly polls in Punjab, Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal targeted the AAP and Congress over their stand on the SYL canal issue, alleging that both parties were planning to "rob" the state of its due share of water.

Calling upon people to safeguard waters of the state, he claimed that plans were being made to turn Punjab into a desert, and added that if the farming sector was destroyed, the state would be crippled.

Congress and AAP are both "enemies" of Punjab's peace and prosperity and are charting plans to "rob" the state of its due share of water, he said.

He charged Congress with "illegally" providing water from Punjab to states like Haryana and Rajasthan which have no right over it.

Recalling that former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi had laid foundation stone of SYL at Kapoori village, Badal said state Congress chief Amarinder Singh had praised her for the step at the time and even gifted her a silver hoe and bowl.

He said the Akali Dal had organised a rally against the move during that time, and has fought for Punjab's share in water ever since.

Hitting out at AAP, Badal said the new affidavit favouring SYL that the Delhi Government filed in Supreme Court was a "political stunt".

He said Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's "anti-Punjab" stance had been reflected in first affidavit.

Badal alleged that Kejriwal had a soft corner for Haryana as he hailed from that state, which is why it would not be wise to expect him to take Punjab's side.

He said peace, harmony and development have always been the priorities of the SAD-BJP government and would remain the main agenda in the Assembly election too.

"In the forthcoming assembly elections Shiromani Akali Dal and Bharatiya Janta Party's main issue will be peace, harmony and the unprecedented development the government has ushered in state," Badal said here.

He said projects worth Rs 12,000 crore have been started in the state to provide basic amenities like drinking water, roads, street lights and sewerage etc.

Badal reminded people about the "unprecedented"



development in Punjab under the SAD-BJP regime.

He said the SAD-BJP alliance was "everlasting" as it was based on principles and not meant for power sharing.

The Chief Minister further said under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Punjab has been immensely benefited in a short span of BJP-led NDA government's rule at the Centre, as the state got several key projects which are instrumental in putting Punjab on high growth trajectory.

Badal hailed the NDA government for granting All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Indian Institute of Management (IIM) and Post Graduate Horticulture Research and Educational Institute among others projects to the state.

In his address, SAD President and Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal said Punjabis were peeved as the perpetrators of anti-Sikh carnage, that took place on this day, were roaming free.

He also accused the Congress governments of having "discriminatory attitude" towards Punjab, saying after independence several states were carved out on linguistic basis but Punjab was an exception due to discriminatory attitude of the then Congress government.

Sukhbir said though after struggle by SAD, the present Punjab came into existence but still it was deprived of its capital, share in river waters and Punjabi speaking areas.

He added that the struggle for getting these issues addressed would continue.

He said Punjab faced acute power crisis during previous Congress regime, led by Amarinder Singh, but now it was power surplus due to the concerted efforts of SAD-BJP alliance government and was supplying cheapest power to its consumer.

The Deputy Chief Minister said the government has ensured smooth and hassle-free procurement of foodgrains through network of grain markets and free power to farmers.

Reminding people about the "barbaric" attack on Harmandir Sahib, he said Congress was "inimical" to interest of state and it had devastated the most revered holy place of Sikhs, the SAD-BJP alliance has ensured complete face-lift of such holy places.

He also said the state government would soon set up network of 2,500 shops which would provide free medicines.

Sukhbir alleged that Congress government had failed to give job to a single person "but the alliance government has provided jobs to lakhs of people".

Claiming that the CM had dedicated his entire life for sake of people and the state, he said some divisive forces were trying to incite communal tension to pursue their vested political interests.

The Deputy CM said the UPA government had not given a single penny to the state.

Addressing the gathering, Union Minister and state BJP Chief Vijay Sampla said Punjab and its people had immensely served the country by making it self-reliant in foodgrains production and ensuring its defence from foreign invaders.

Though the state has passed through turbulent times but the Punjabis have always upheld the ethos of communal harmony and brotherhood, he said, adding some forces were hell bent upon disturbing the peace and prosperity of the state.
The ban on plying of 27,000 diesel-run taxis in Delhi came into force today, with the authorities launching a crackdown against violators, impounding errant vehicles.

The impact of shortage of taxis will be felt tomorrow, the first working day after the Supreme Court yesterday refused to extend the deadline for converting diesel-run taxis into CNG-mode.

As Traffic Police and Delhi Government's transport department launched a crackdown against the violators, commuters found it difficult to book taxis through app-based aggregators Ola and Uber.

Amid the shortage of taxis, Uber brought back controversial surge pricing, a day after the odd-even car rationing scheme came to an end.

The Delhi government had proscribed surge pricing during the 'odd-even period' and later announced that the ban will continue even after the 15-day period of the road-rationing scheme has ended.

"We have today launched an intensive crackdown against diesel-run taxis plying in Delhi-NCR following the Supreme Court's order. The crackdown was launched in the morning which continued late in the night," said a senior government official.

The official said that the transport department has impounded hundreds of diesel-run taxis in the Delhi-NCR.

"Instructions have been issued to authorities concerned, including transport department, to impound diesel-run taxis plying in Delhi-NCR," another senior government official said.

According to Delhi transport department, about 60,000 taxis are registered in the national capital of which 27,000 run on diesel. Around 2,000 diesel-run taxis had converted into CNG mode in the last two months.

The SC order is not applicable to cabs having All-India Permits but most of the diesel taxis ply on local routes. The ban will essentially bring down the availability of cabs in the capital.

"As per rule, taxis having All-India permit are required to cover a minimum distance of 200 km. Taxis having All India permits cannot ply from one point to other point inside Delhi, Noida and Ghaziabad," official further said.

As Uber brought back surge pricing in Delhi, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal warned the operators of "strong action".

Uber had introduced the provision during odd-even scheme, which was objected to by commuters and Kejriwal had asserted that such demand-linked hikes would be banned permanently.
Indian actress Priyanka Chopra is glad to meet US President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama as she attended the White House Correspondents' Dinner here.

The 33-year-old "Quantico" star, who is currently shooting in the US for the bigscreen "Baywatch" reboot, dazzled the last evening's affair in a deep-cut, black and sheer-stripe gown.

Priyanka took to Twitter to share about her meeting with the Obamas.

"Lovely to meet the very funny and charming @barackobama and the beautiful @flotus. Thank you...," she wrote along with a picture.

At the Washington-insider event, attended by journalists, celebrities, politicians and advertisers, Obama did not hold back and he took jibes at Hillary Clinton, Donald Trump, CNN's Jake Tapper among others.

The 2016 White House Correspondents' dinner, which was President Obama's last in office, was hosted by comedian Larry Wilmore.
BJP workers today burnt the effigy of Congress President Sonia Gandhi in her Lok Sabha constituency protesting against her alleged role in the AgustaWestland chopper scam.

Addressing the gathering at supermarket area here, BJP leader Ajay Agarwal challenged Gandhi to prove her innocence in the chopper deal.

The Congress leadership has come under a scathing attack by the Centre after an Italian court convicted AgustaWestland chief Giuseppe Orsi.

Hitting out at the Congress chief, Agarwal said, "Sonia Gandhi has a feudal state of mind. She has ditched the innocent voters of her constituency by making false promises. She doesn't want them to progress economically or educationally.
Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu today demanded that the Centre must grant special category status to the state, asserting that there would be "no compromise" on that.

"Bifurcation (of erstwhile Andhra Pradesh) was something that we hadn't wished for. Hence, the Centre should liberally aid our state," the Chief Minister said, addressing a meeting on the May Day celebration.

"The previous UPA government promised special category status to AP for five years but we wanted it for ten years. It is the responsibility of the Centre to fulfil that," he asserted.

Referring indirectly to YSR Congress president Y S Jaganmohan Reddy's criticism that he "compromised" with the NDA government on the special status, Naidu said there was "no compromise" on the issue.

"The TDP joined the NDA government at the Centre not with a lust for power but only to protect the interests of the state and its bright future and to secure more projects," he added.

"When the NDA under Atal Bihari Vajpayee was in power, we were repeatedly asked to join the government. Given our numbers at that time, we would have got any number of Cabinet berths but we stayed away only because we were never after positions," Chandrababu recalled.

Meanwhile, the Chief Minister launched 'Chandranna Beema Padhakam', an accidental insurance for workers in the unorganised sector, on the occasion of International Workers Day.

Under this, each worker would get an accidental insurance cover of Rs 5 lakh. About 1.5 crore workers in the unorganised sector in the state would benefit from the scheme. Enrolment of workers in the scheme would be completed in the next three months and implementation would begin on Independence Day (August 15), Naidu announced.

As the day coincided with the birth anniversary of eminent Telugu poet and writer Sri Sri (Srirangam Srinivasa Rao), the Chief Minister announced that the latter's residence in Visakhapatnam would be converted into a memorial and developed as a research centre.

Union Minister of State for Science and Technology Y Satyanarayana Chowdary, state ministers K Atchannaidu, Palle Raghunatha Reddy, D Umamaheswara Rao, P Pulla Rao and others participated.

The Chief Minister presented 'Srama Sakti' awards to workers and also awards to best managements on the occasion.
The Centre today sent a team of experts to Rajasthan to assist the state government in investigating the cause of water and food contamination that apparently led to the death of 12 people with special needs, mostly children, at a government-run home near Jaipur.

The five-member team includes a senior paediatrician, epidemiologist and microbiologist and will investigate the causes and also suggest public health measures to prevent such incidents in the future.

"Union Health Minister J P Nadda has directed for a special five-member expert team to be sent to assist the Rajasthan government to investigate into the causes of water and food contamination that are reported to have resulted in the death of 12 specially-abled persons in the state-run home at Jamdoli in Rajasthan," an official statement said.

Nadda has also spoken to the state health minister Rajendra Rathore who informed him that necessary measures have been taken to prevent such incidents in future.

"The Union Health Minister assured him of all support. A detailed report in the incident is expected shortly," officials said.

Twelve people with special needs, mostly children, staying at the government-run home died between April 16 and 27 due to suspected bacterial infection after drinking contaminated water.

Three officers and as many staff members of the home for people with special needs were suspended after the incident.

With the opposition hitting out at Vasundhara Raje government over the deaths, the state government appointed a three-member committee to probe the matter.

The Chief Minister yesterday issued instructions for strict action against erring government officials.

Earlier in a tweet, Nadda said, "Extremely sad to hear of the death of specially-abled persons in #Jamdoli, Rajasthan. My prayers for them and their families. Sending 5-member experts team to Jaipur today to assist State Govt. To investigate into causes of incident & suggest preventive measures.
Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar today said he will place all facts along with the detailed chronology about the controversial AgustaWestland chopper deal before Parliament on May 4, amid a row over blacklisting of the company and graft allegations.

The Congress, however, appeared not to be enthused with its Chief Spokesperson Randeep Surjewala saying Parrikar should first answer why the Modi government "undid" the blacklisting of AgustaWestland company.

The BJP on its part again trained its guns on Congress President Sonia Gandhi as its national secretary Shrikant Sharma ridiculed her remarks that she was "not afraid of anyone cornering her" and said, "Congress does not fear anybody because it does not maintain dignity of public life (lok lajja)."



Questioning Sonia over the issue of bribes allegedly received by Indians in the chopper deal, another BJP leader Subramanian Swamy once again sought to link her to the deal.

"I will place the detailed chronology, giving facts about the chopper deal before Parliament on Wednesday. I will place the detailed chronology, giving how and when necessary clauses or provisions were relaxed to suit the company," Parrikar told reporters in Panaji on the sidelines of a function.

"Those who received kickbacks will not leave behind the proof for us to prosecute them, but we will have to prove it (that kickbacks were received)," he said.

"It is for us to prove everything now. Since the issue would be placed in Parliament, I would not like to speak in detail to media," the Defence Minister further said.

"Why no action was taken against the company till 2014? Why was the company not blacklisted by then UPA government?" Parrikar questioned.

"I challenge the Congress to show the UPA government's order blacklisting the AgustaWestland company. Let them reply first why it was not banned. It was during our (NDA) government that we banned it," he said.

Parrikar had recently challenged the Congress to show the order by the UPA government confirming the blacklisting.

Surjewala said Parrikar should also answer why within 40 days of banning the company, he passed an order re-permitting the company to participate through a sub-contractor.

"Does Modiji and Parrikarjinot realise they are in power? Is CBI not with Central government? Is Enforcement Directorate not with Central government? Why has the Modi government undone the blacklisting of AugustaWestland? Why Manohar Parrikarkji is not answering," he told reporters in Bengaluru.

Surjewala said levelling allegations against Congress leadership is reprehensible and condemnable, and mudslinging and muck-raising has become BJP's character.
Colombia deported top Peruvian crime lord Gerson Galvez, a day after arresting the man described as the new version of Mexico's Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman.

Galvez, also known as Caracol (Snail), was arrested in a restaurant in the western city of Medellin, Colombia's defence ministry said late Saturday.

He was then handed over to Peruvian authorities yesterday because of his "dangerousness" and flown back to his home country, Colombian national police chief Jorge Nieto told a press conference.

As he was escorted toward an awaiting Peruvian air force plane, Galvez repeatedly told journalists he had "the right to be presumed innocent."



Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos congratulated his national police on Twitter, describing Galvez as "one of the most feared crime capos in the region."



Galvez "is described by Peruvian police and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime as Latin America's new 'Chapo' Guzman," the Colombian defence ministry said.

The jailed Mexican drug lord, who formerly headed the powerful Sinaloa cartel, was captured in January after months on the run.

According to a wanted notice from Peruvian police, Galvez is "violent and aggressive" and headed a network "dedicated to extortion, aggravated robbery, illegal drug trafficking" and other assorted crimes.

Peru had placed a USD 150,000 bounty for information leading to his arrest.
On the occasion of International Labour Day, Delhi's Labour Minister Gopal Rai said that Delhi government has set up a Committee to look at increasing the minimum wage of a labourers.

"Once the Committee gives its report the minimum wage of a labourer will be increased," he said.

Addressing at an event, Rai said that the country can only progress when its labourers will progress and start living a quality life.

He further said Government of Delhi has increased funds by three to four times in the schemes for Building and Other Construction Workers.

Also, a Talent Academy has been established in the city so that the children of the Labourers can get quality education.

He also gave away a cheque of Rs 12 crore to the Directorate. The money will be spent for the welfare of the children of other construction workers who are studying in different government schools in Delhi.
Amid a row surrounding Prime Minister Narendra Modi's educational qualifications, Congress today alleged "discrepancies" in his date of birth.

It also questioned the timing of Gujarat University sharing details of Modi's MA degree which it had earlier refused to disclose citing secrecy.

"In students' register of M N College Visnagar (where Modi took admission in pre-science, equivalent to class XII) Sri Narendra Modi's date of birth is mentioned as August 29, 1949. In his election affidavit, he did not reveal his date of birth, but mentioned his age. His official birth date, as available in the public domain, is September 17, 1950," senior Congress leader Shaktisinh Gohil told reporters.

He showed a copy of the purported school register which mentioned the PM's name as Narendrakumar Damodardas Modi, along with his date of birth.

"We want to know what is the reason behind different dates of birth, what is the date of birth on his (Modi's) passport, on the PAN card and on other documents? And what is the reason behind different dates of birth?" Gohil said.

"Modi, in his affidavit filed before the returning officer in 2014 (Lok Sabha polls), had stated that he pursued his BA from Delhi University and MA from Gujarat University. In the same affidavit, he, for the first time, revealed his marital status as married to Jasodaben," he said.

Taking a swipe at Modi over his "56-inch chest" remarks, the senior Congress leader said, "The country does not have much interest in knowing PM's 56-inch chest, but public has interest in knowing his date of birth...Where he got his BA degree from, when, and at least names of 10 students who studied with him".

Gujarat University today shared details of Modi's MA degree, saying he scored 62.3 per cent as an external student of the varsity after Central Information Commission directed it to provide the same to Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal who had recently criticised the functioning of the transparency panel.

Questioning the timing of the disclosure by the varsity, Gohil said, "Till today, at least 70 RTIs were filed in GU seeking the same information, but the reply was always 'information is secret, can't be revealed'. After CIC asked GU to give reply, overnight it turned vibrant, progressive, and instead of calling it secret, it decided to give information along with marks."



"How come GU does not have details of his (Modi's) BA degree? Because while getting admission in MA, he should have given his BA details. If you migrated from DU to GU, your migration certificate should also be there with the GU," he said.
A Delhi court has rapped several police officials, including the investigating officer in a sexual harassment case, saying they were either not competent to hold their posts or they "deliberately" tried to shield the accused, who was given a clean chit by them.

Metropolitan Magistrate Shivani Chauhan made the observation in view of "glaring deficiencies" in the probe of the case in which the IO filed a cancellation report and the SHO of the police station concerned and the area ACP approved it "without any application of mind".

"There are several glaring deficiencies in investigation of the present FIR. It appears that the cancellation report was prepared by the IO without any application of mind and without conducting any inquiries or investigation.

"The concerned ACP, the SHO and the concerned Additional Public Prosecutor(APP) have also forwarded the cancellation report without any application of mind," the magistrate said.

"In view of the above observations, only two presumptions arise i.E, either these officers are not competent to hold the post which is being officiated by them or the same was done with a view to shield the accused from due process of law," the court said.

The magistrate sent a notice to Delhi Police Commissioner to initiate departmental inquiry against all the police officials concerned and sought an action taken report by the next date of hearing on May 20.

"In these peculiar circumstances, the court is constrained to send notice to the Commissioner of Police with request to initiate appropriate departmental inquiries against all the concerned officers and forward action taken report in this court on next date," the magistrate said.

The court pulled up the investigating officer (IO) saying he prepared all the reports while sitting at the police station and it appeared that he did not even attempt to serve the summons on the accused as there was no proof of the same.

"If the IO had indeed visited the accused, he would have made corresponding departure and arrival entries at the police station. He must have either used a police or private vehicle for the purpose of travel to the residence of accused which is at Ghaziabad," it said, adding there was no record of using any official vehicle for the purpose.

The court said, "These circumstances gives rise to the



presumption that the IO never attempted to execute the process issued by the Court and all reports were prepared by him sitting at the police station. From this serious doubts arise as to the competence of the IO to officiate the position which he is holding at present."



"The circumstances also give rise to the presumption that the IO is deliberately trying to shield the accused person," it said.

The accused was issued summons on February 9 which remained unserved to him. The IO of the case had submitted that summons could not be served as the accused had already left for Ireland for completing his studies.

Thereafter, the court issued bailable warrants against the accused to be executed through the IO which have also remained unexecuted, the magistrate noted.

The court, however, relied on the documents which revealed that the visa of the accused was valid from March 7 to July 12 hence he could not have left for Ireland before March 7.

"Thus, under ordinary circumstances, the summons should have been duly served upon accused, if attempted," it said.

The court has now issued non-bailable warrant against the accused to be executed through DCP concerned.

The complainant in the case, a resident of CR Park here, had alleged that the accused used to send her inappropriate messages and stalked her in 2014.
CPI has responded positively to Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's proposal to forge a grand alliance of anti-BJP parties at the national level but with a rider that such an arrangement should be based on "alternative, pro-poor economic policies".

"We have seen that. Our reaction is positive to it. Nitish Kumar making such a proposal is good. There will be some minimum conditions to it. One is clarity on economic policies. It should not be a negative type of grand alliance. It should be an alternative (to the BJP) that can suggest alternative policies," CPI General Secretary S Sudhakar Reddy told PTI here.

Congress needs to "rethink" on its economic policies and adopt an approach that is pro-poor and against corporates that reap benefits at the cost of the poor, he said.

"Importantly, Congress needs to rethink its economic policies in a way they are against corporates and pro-poor. We are not asking for nationalisation of all corporates. This 'crony capitalism' should end. There should be an effort to see that some do not draw additional advantages as they do in the prevailing capitalist system. There should also be commitment against corruption. Public support will come if such positive things are there," the CPI leader said.

Noting that all parties opposed to the BJP may not join the platform, he felt that the proposed alliance would take shape in part ahead of elections and in full in the post- election scenario.

"I do not think all the non-BJP or anti-BJP parties will join in it. There are groups in some states who contest against each other. We are of the opinion that this (anti-BJP alliance) will come partly in pre-election scenario and mature fully in the post-election situation," he said.

Favouring formulation of a policy framework like Common Minimum Programme agreed by all those forming part of the alliance, Reddy said such an alternative set of policies will make it more "attractive" for the parties to join it.

"That type of scheme (Common Minimum Programme) should be there. Nitish Kumar should take the initiative to work out such alternative economic policies also. Then it will be more attractive and it will get more support from people," Reddy said.

The larger unity of anti-BJP parties should happen



"step-by-step" in the run-up to 2019 elections with a relevant atmosphere established in the state elections coming up, the CPI leader said.

"Elections are taking place in many states. This does not involve in five states where elections are taking place now. Then Uttar Pradesh and Punjab elections are there. Those with anti-BJP views need to come together. After that Madhya Pradesh and probably Rajasthan elections are going to take place. In all these elections, such an environment needs to be built up," he said.

It can be a step-by-step process ahead of the 2019 elections and it is the policies which are more important in that process, he said.

Some parties appeared to have reacted negatively to Nitish Kumar because of the fear that he would be focused as Prime Minister, he said.

The Left parties need not be a part of such an anti-BJP alliance, but they will think of supporting such a coalition if it comes up with policy-based alternative, Reddy said.

"Left will think of supporting if such a policy, programmatic alternative emerges. We need not be part of it. We can support it," he said.

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar recently said he was trying to play a "catalyst" role to unite anti-BJP forces to defeat the saffron party and was not a claimant to any post, but added that "if a person is destined to become the Prime Minister, he would become the PM one day".

"I am not a claimant to any post. All I am saying is that we all should unite (against BJP). Is it a crime to appeal the people to unite," Kumar had said while addressing JD(U)s national council meeting.

Recently, Kumar had called upon on like-minded parties to unite for a "Sangh-free" country and repeat the Bihar experiment at the national level to oust the BJP in the 2019 general elections, triggering speculation that he could lead such a front.

On the current round of Assembly elections, Reddy hoped that Left would form the government in West Bengal as a higher turnout out of voters generally indicated an anti-incumbency mood.

"We feel quite positive, because of the big participation. More than 80 per cent of people turned out (for voting). 78 per cent came in fourth phase also. We feel such a big participation indicates the dissatisfaction of people against the policies of the incumbent government. We hope a Left government would be formed there," he said.

In the event of a hung verdict in West Bengal, formation of government would be discussed after the elections on the basis of number of seats, Reddy added.
Continuing its crackdown on migrant criminal gangs, Delhi police have arrested seven robbers of Pasonda, a village in Uttar Pradesh which borders north-east Delhi, and solved 35 cases.

Over the past two months, they have busted at least three gangs with the arrest of seven robbers and cracked 35 cases registered in Delhi-NCR region.

The gangs from Pasonda in UP's Ghaziabad district have gained such infamy that even the Special Cell, Delhi Police's anti-terror arm, and the Crime Branch, keep a tab on criminals from there, a senior official said.

He said said the village has been producing robbers and snatchers for decades.

The Pasonda gangs usually begin their days in the wee hours when they head for Delhi on scooters, usually in groups of 20-30. Once here, they split in groups of two.

They are known to target men and women on morning walk. Once the target has been identified, the park their scooters and start walking or jogging with the target. Initially, they simply ask their victims to hand over their belongings. If they refuse or offer resistance, they are threatened with knives and occasionally beaten up.

They are usually done by 9 am after which they head back to Pasonda.

For years, they have been targeting morning walkers in south Delhi, south-east Delhi, east and northeast Delhi, said the official.

The recent crackdown was initiated after Alok Kumar Verma took over as Delhi Police chief and instructed officers to be tougher on those committing street crimes and offences which affect people on a daily basis.

For the last few years, police have been slapping the stringent Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) against the members of Pasonda gangs, but it is difficult to say how much it has helped, he said.

In 2014 and 2015, Delhi Police arrested over 40 Pasonda robbers. In April last year, the Special Task Force of Delhi Police had arrested four members of a Pasonda-based gang who imitated the motorcycle-borne thieves of popular Bollywood movie Dhoom.
Does right to privacy include right to delink from the Internet the irrelevant information, the Delhi High Court has asked the Centre and Google.

Justice Manmohan sought the responses of the Ministry of Communication and Information Technology (MOC & IT), Google Inc., Google India Pvt Ltd and IKanoon Software Development Pvt Ltd on a plea of an NRI seeking that he be "delinked" from information regarding a criminal case involving his wife in which he was not a party.

The petitioner has sought the relief saying it would affect his employment opportunities as companies often search about prospective employees on the internet and as the criminal case pops up on searching his name, it might give an impression that he was involved in it.

His petition has raised the question "whether data controllers or intermediaries such as Google, are required to delete information that is inadequate, irrelevant or no longer relevant if they receive a request for removal of such data".

The petitioner, in his plea filed through advocates Rohit Madan and Akash Vajpai, has said the criminal case involving his wife and his mother against each other pops up when his name is searched on the Internet.

"Petitioner got to know that anyone who searches his name on Google will find the aforesaid judgment (of the criminal case) on the second number of search result and consequently giving the impression to everyone that was involved in some sort of criminal proceeding in India," the plea said.

The plea has also said, "petitioner tried to contact Respondent 4 (IKanoon) and made a request for taking down the aforesaid judgment through letter dated January 25, 2016 as petitioner wanted this order to be expunged, from website of Respondent 4."



It also said that the petitioner had contacted Respondent 2 and 3 (Google Inc and Google India) and sent an email for removing the concerned Uniform Resource Locator (URL) from the search result.

According to the petition, it was requested in the email



that "material detrimental to the petitioner must not be the first hit in the search result as he has no role in the aforesaid case and because it was giving a bad name to the Petitioner which will further jeopardize his prospective employment opportunities, being an NRI living in Dubai employed with prestigious organisation."



"This issue pertaining to the criminal case in which his name has appeared had been fully resolved and therefore that reference to his name in the aforesaid criminal case is now entirely irrelevant," the petition has contended adding that not removing the same "violates his right to privacy" and also "creates a bad social image" about him.

The petition has also referred to a European Court of Justice verdict ordering Google "to remove the links related to a person on its website and effectively read a 'right to be forgotten' or 'right to delink' into existing European Union data protection law".

"Right to delink broadly, provides that an individual may be allowed to control the information available about them on the web by removing such information in certain situations," the petition has said.
Delhi University on its 94th Foundation Day programme today took pride in taking its guests to the room in the university where freedom fighter Bhagat Singh had stayed once.

Jutices Rohinton Fali Nariman, Madan Lokur, Arjan Kumar and Faliman Nariman, all alumni of DU, along with their families were taken on a tour of the bunker located underground where Bhagat Singh was incarcerated.

The programme began with flag-hoisting. Nariman recounted the history of the national flag and also explained how it got its present design. In his address, he also mentioned Bhagat Singh and said, "It's nice we remember him like this."



Vice-chancellor Yogesh Tyagi during his address said that, "We must respect the memory of our freedom fighters, sacrifices of people like Bhagat Singh and be sensitive to the feelings of people who are great admirers of Bhagat Singh," while adding that DU itself was "build during the British Raj" but now exists in free India".

Lokur expressed sadness about students in India not being able to do the kind of research they are able to do when they are abroad.

"Indian jurisprudence is right at the top if not the best in the world. It is disheartening that we are not able to do the kind of research our students do when they go abroad," he said.

Four retired teachers, SC Tiwari of anthropology, Rajiva Verman (English), A M Shah (Sociology) and R Ramachandran (Geography) were awarded for contribution to their respective fields and the university. They were not present at the event.

Currently serving teachers like Subhadra Mitra Channa from Anthropology, Physics teacher at Miranda House, Monika Tomar, etc were all awarded too. The event was co-presented by a visually-impaired teacher, Anil Aneja from the department of English and the Equal Opportunity Cell.

The HRD minister Smriti Irani, who was invited could not make it to the event.
Sweden-based electric vehicle maker Clean Motion plans to invest $10 million (about Rs 66 crore) in India over the next three years to expand operations including setting up of an assembly unit for its Zbee three- wheelers in the country.

The company, which runs its electric three-wheeler Zbee in Gurgaon's DLF Cyber City, aims to provide last-mile connectivity in India's congested urban areas and is talking to mall developers in Bengaluru and Mumbai as well as SEZ operators in Hyderabad.

Besides, it is also targeting tourist spots like Taj Mahal to operate its fleet of electric three-wheelers, which are positioned as a premium product unlike e-rickshaws.

"We plan to invest $10 million over the next three years. At the end of the third year, we expect to have a fleet of around 2,000 vehicles cumulatively," Clean Motion Country Head Anil Arora told PTI.

As a startup, the company has already seeded $1 million in the project, he added.

"Our product is powered by lithium ion batteries with design and looks targeting at the premium segment. Not only through fares, we are also looking at advertising on Zbee as a second revenue stream," he said.

Elaborating on the company's expansion plans in India, he said: "We aim to be present in all the places where there is requirement for last mile connectivity. Whether its malls, metros or tourist places we are going to be there."



To meet its targets, Arora said Clean Motion is ramping up assembly of Zbee in India.

"Currently, we manufacture two units a day and aim to increase it to four units a day by the end of this year at Faridabad," he said.

It imports most of the Zbee components from Sweden and is now looking at locally manufacturing of critical parts.

"We are looking at locally producing main mechanical parts except for the body in India. The body shell is imported from Malaysia which is not a problem," Arora said.

The company operates on a franchise model and has entered into an agreement with DLF group to operate Zbees for providing last mile connectivity from DLF CyberHub to nearby offices and metro stations.

Under the franchise model, the company rents out vehicles and even looks after the hiring of drivers for three seater Zbee, which can attain a top speed of 45 km per hour and run for 50 km on a single charge.

He added the company is also in the process of developing a cargo version of the vehicle, which would mainly cater to the e-commerce firms in the country to be used in product deliveries.
Renowned economist Mukul G Asher will head the Fifth State Finance Commission set up by the Haryana government.

The nine-member Commission also includes a freelance journalist and a social worker, an official release said here today.

Asher has been a Professorial Fellow of Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, Singapore since 2012 and Director Public Policy, Global Village Foundation, Delhi since January 2016, it said.

He specialises in areas of public sector economics, social security and public policy. His current research interests include various aspects of public finances in Asian countries, social security issues in Asian developing countries and economic relations between India and East Asia, it said.

The other members of the Commission are Vishnu Bhagwan, Rohini Aggarwal, Aniruddha Rajput, Sham Lal Bansal, Rajinder Mohan Walia, Anurag Bakshi, Neeta Khera and IAS officer Amneet P Kumar, who is currently Special Secretary, Haryana Secretariat Establishment and Finance Department. He would be the Member Secretary.

The Commission shall make recommendations related to the principles which should govern the distribution between the state and zila parishads, panchayat samitis and gram panchayats of the net proceeds of the taxes, duties and fee leviable by the state.

It would also make recommendations regarding determination of taxes, duties, tolls and fee which may be assigned to or appropriated by the gram panchayats,panchayat samitis and zila parishads.

It would also recommend grants-in-aid to these bodies from the consolidated fund of the state, the release said.
Elaborate security arrangements are in place here for Prime Minister Narendra Modi's tour of his Lok Sabha constituency today, his seventh visit to the ancient temple town after assuming office nearly two years ago.

The personnel of Special Protection Group (SPG), which looks after the PM's security, have been camping in the city for the past few days.

The UP police has also deployed 15 SPs, 23 ASPs, 58 DSPs and hundreds of lower-rank police personnel, in addition to companies of Rapid Action Force, Provincial Armed Constabulary (PAC) and Home Guards, to ensure his safety and smooth traffic flow.

Divers of the Navy, National Disaster Response Force and PAC have been stationed at a ghat on the banks of the Ganga, which Modi is scheduled to visit later in the day.

Earlier, this morning, the Prime Minister reached the Babatpur airport here by his special aircraft. He was received, among others, by Governor Ram Naik and state minister Brahma Shankar Tripathi.

From the airport, Modi took off in a helicopter for Ballia.

He is expected to return to Varanasi in the afternoon and spend close to six hours in the city during which he will preside over a function where e-rickshaws will be distributed among hundreds of beneficiaries.

At the Diesel Locomotive Works (DLW) premises, where the function will be held, Modi is also likely to interact with distinguished persons hailing from the city, including artists, educationists, jurists and those running self-help groups.

The Prime Minister will thereafter pay a visit to 'Jnana Pravah' -- a centre for cultural studies -- where he is to meet city-girl Soni Chaurasia who recently set a world record by giving a non-stop 126-hour Kathak dance performance.

The Prime Minister will then leave for the Assi Ghat, where he will launch 11 solar-powered boats.

Modi has been calling for cleaning up the Ganga ever since he got elected from Varanasi in May, 2014 general elections.

The solar-powered boats, which are also referred to as e-boats or eco-boats, are aimed at reducing the alarming pollution levels in the holy river.
Protesting against the alleged non-payment of compensation, a group of farmers today grabbed land at an industrial area here by tilling the land with tractors.

The farmers, who were on a hunger strike from last nine days, also gave an ultimatum to the state government that if their issues were not resolved within a week, they will launch 'jail bharo andolan'.

Congress leader Ompal Tongar and Kisan Sangharsh Samiti chief Ramniwas Nagar joined the protesting farmers and attacked the state government.

Meanwhile, SDM Mahavir Prasad asked the farmers to send their representatives to talk to the administration to put an end to the row.
Amid continuous threat to green belt from increasing commercial activities, the National Green Tribunal has directed South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC) to finalise an action plan on preservation of trees in the stretch located along Mehrauli-Badarpur Highway in the city's Saket area.

"The DC of South Zone (SDMC) is directed to convene a meeting to prepare an action plan in consultation with the Residents Welfare Association concerned as well as the applicants and finalise action plan for maintenance of existing trees and planting of fresh trees and submit a report before the Tribunal within four weeks," a bench headed by Justice M S Nambiar said.

The green panel also directed the petitioners in the case to furnish the list of the details of Residents Welfare Association in the area to SDMC within three days to enable them to convene the meeting.

The directions came while hearing a plea of Tripta Sood and Vivek Pande who had sought directions to maintain status quo to protect the green belt, which is about 1.5-km-long and 13-m-wide, along the Mehrauli-Badarpur Highway in Saket from any change in land use and stoppage of tree felling and encroachment.

The matter is listed for next hearing on May 30.

The tribunal had last year prohibited tree felling in the stretch after the two Saket residents moved NGT against increasing encroachment in the area.
The Union government's focus area is development, which will be achieved by all sections of people together, Union Minister for Labour and Employment (Independent Charge) Bandaru Dattatreya said here today.

"In our (Prime Minister) Narendra Modi's government, the focus area is development... Development... And the development will be done by all sections of people together. All are consumers of Bharat Matha", he said.

He was responding to a query on reported comments of BJP MP Gopal Shetty who had said that a private member's bill in Lok Sabha proposed to make it mandatory for Parliamentarians to chant 'Bharat Mata ki Jai' after taking oath.

Dattatreya said the Centre has accorded priority to providing access to education, health and social security to 40 crore unorganised workers' in the country.

"There are more than 40 crore unorganised workers. We want to give unorganised workers like cine workers, anganwadi workers, auto-rickshaw and rickshaw pullers more rights on access to education, health and social security. These things are priority for us," he said.

Earlier, participating in the May Day function of Film Employees Federation of South India, he said the government would consider various requests of the Union members.

"Since there is model code of conduct here due to elections, I am unable to assure you anything. We will consider the requests after the elections", he said.

FEFSI President G Shiva presented a memorandum to the Minister, requesting him to set up a separate dispensary for members at the ESI hospital, pension scheme, new block for FEFSI members and to resume scholarships from the Centre that were suspended.

To another query, he said banking and insurance sectors



are likely to be impacted more due to the strike by the trade unions tomorrow.

Out of the 12 demands of the Trade Unions, eight are related to the labour department and seven of them have been agreed to, Dattatreya said.

"The seven demands include wage revision, bonus for workers from Rs 10,000-21,000 and social security, which is a prime aspect for workers, particularly skilled workers like anganwadis, Asha workers and Mid-day meal workers," he said.
Recognising the contributions of journalists in a democracy, US President Barack Obama today underlined the importance of a free press when liberal ideals and independent media are under attack across the world.

At his final White House correspondents' dinner, Obama said that a free press is needed more than ever in this age when liberal democracies are under attack and when notions of objectivity, of free press, and of facts and evidence, were being undermined and in some cases entirely ignored.

"And in such a climate it's not enough just to give people a megaphone. And that's why your power and your responsibility to dig and to question and to counter distortions and untruths is more important than even ever," Obama said.

The speech, heavily laced with jokes and satire, lasted for more than 30 minutes and Obama acknowledged that the institutions of media and governance are at times at variance.

But he said that taking a stand on behalf of what is true does not require shedding objectivity. "In fact, it is the essence of good journalism."



He said that "this night is a testament to all of you who have devoted your lives to that idea, who push to shine a light on the truth every single day."



"I know that there are times that we've had differences and that's inherent in our institutional roles. That is true of every president and his press corps. But we've always shared the same goal to root our public discourse in the truth. To open the doors of this democracy. To do whatever we can to make our country and our world more free and more just," Obama said.

"I want to close my final White House correspondents' dinner by just saying thank you...It has been an honour and a privilege to work side by side with you to strengthen our democracy," Obama said.

"I've always appreciated the role that you have all played as equal partners in reaching these goals. Our free press is why we once again recognise the real journalists who uncover the horrifying scandal and brought some measure of justice for thousands of victims around the world."



Recognising some of them present at the dinner, Obama asked the audience for a big round of applause for them.

"A free press is why, once again, we honour Jason Rezaian. Last time this year we spoke of Jason's courage as he endured the isolation of an Iranian prison," he said.

"This year we see that courage in the flesh, and it's a living testament to the very idea of a free press and a reminder of the rising level of danger and political intimidation and the physical threats faced by reporters overseas," Obama said.

Obama said, he can make this commitment that as long as he holds this office his administration will continue to fight for the release of American journalists held against their will.
France's Prime Minister Manuel Valls will make a surprise visit to Australia for talks with Malcolm Turnbull after a French shipbuilder won a huge submarine contract, officials said today.

Contractor DCNS beat off competition from Japan and Germany to seal the Aus USD 50 billion (USD 39 billion) deal to design and construct 12 new conventionally-powered subs.

They will be a smaller version of France's 4,700-tonne Barracuda, replacing Australia's ageing diesel and electric-powered Collins Class submarines.

Valls is in the French Pacific territory New Caledonia before travelling to New Zealand today with officials in his delegation confirming that he will detour to Australia tomorrow.

As well as seeing Turnbull, he is expected to meet members of the DCNS team that put together the successful bid, the officials said.

French President Francois Hollande hailed the decision as historic last week.

"It marks a decisive advance in the strategic partnership between the two countries who will cooperate over 50 years," his office said in a statement.

France has a long history of building submarines for export and analysts said it was the most capable contender.

A Japanese government-backed consortium led by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries and German group ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems had also been in the running.
The Centre and state governments should enact laws for restoration and conservation of rivers and ground water to ensure water security for all, noted water conservationist Rajendra Singh has said as various parts of the country grapple with drought conditions.

Singh, known as the 'Waterman' of India, said it is high time the governments take steps to ensure proper management of water in view of prevailing conditions.

Singh, who is currently working in Maharashtra on water crisis issue, said provisions should be made to check wastage of water, while emphasising on the need for rainwater harvesting structures for accumulating and storing rainwater.

Referring to water shortage in Rajasthan, the Stockholm Water Prize awardee suggested that the state government should bring in a law to check wastage of water and conserve ground water so that the state does not go the Maharashtra way.

"The Centre should bring in the river rejuvenation bill and the Rajasthan government should work on drafting a bill for water conservation and recharge of ground water, and to provide right to water to people," Singh told PTI.

"Rajasthan is facing water crisis but it should not get worse like Maharashtra. Ground water is limited, recharge of the ground water is also not sufficient. The government should ensure optimum use of every single drop of water and provisions should be in place to check wastage of water," he said.

Singh said the act should have stern provisions to ensure there is no wastage of water and sewage and industrial waste are not disposed of in rivers.

"Such an Act will empower authorities who can ensure that the provisions are implemented and followed properly," he said.

"An efficient mechanism for restriction of activities on water bodies is needed and the state government should also work on making a reserve water bank for a period of at least five years," he suggested.

He said that a 'River Panchayat' or Area Sabha for a water body should also be set up by all stakeholders.

"All such people may hold a river panchayat similar to a gram sabha and undertake to protect the rights of the river," he said.

Rajasthan accounts for 10 per cent of India's geographical area with only one per cent of the country's water resources.

The desert state has 248 ground water blocks with 44 in safe category, 28 semi critical, 9 critical and 164 are over exploited.Three blocks have salinewater.
Superstar Salman Khan says he wishes his "No Entry" co-star Bipasha Basu's marriage with actor Karan Singh Grover lasts forever.

Bipasha, 37, and Karan tied the knot yesterday in a traditional Bengali ceremony, which was followed by a reception dinner that saw a host of Bollywood biggies in attendance.

Salman, who also attended the reception, said he likes the couple together.

"I hope Bipasha and Karan's pair will last and that's important," the 50-year-old said.

While this is Bipasha's first marriage, Karan got hitched for the third time. He was previously married to actresses Shraddha Nigam and Jennifer Winget.
Hindustan Sanitaryware and Industries (HSIL) is looking to double production capacity this fiscal, a senior company official said.

At present, the company has a production capacity of 2.5 million units.

"Our aim is to strengthen the sanitaryware and bathroom products business with a clear strategy for each brand as positioned in the market. In July 2014, HSIL invested Rs 150 crore in a new plant in Rajasthan and expects to utilise the full capacity of 2.5 million units by March 2017. We are considering doubling this capacity by FY17," Sandip Somany, Joint Managing Director, HSIL told PTI.

The company is also setting up a plant in Telengana with an investment of Rs 120 crore to manufacture CPVC pipes, which is expected to be ready by March 2017.

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LIVA to foray into men's fabric category by June 2017 * Aditya Birla-owned group company Birla Cellulose's Liva is planning to enter mens fabric category by June 2017, a senior company executive said.

"We have just launched the saree segment and going forward, we are planning LIVA to enter into the mens fabric segment.

The LIVA fabric is a delight for its effortless drape and fluidity without being clingy. It has very high potential to fit into many women's clothing segments and can be turned, to make it more versatile," Birla Cellulose President, Marketing and Business Development, Manohar Samuel told PTI.

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Helpchat sees 7-fold jump in monthly transactions to Rs 35 cr * Personal assistant app, Helpchat expects to see a sevenfold growth in the value of monthly transactions to Rs 35 crore as it adds newer services like recharge, cab booking and deals to its platform.

The Bengaluru-based firm, which sees monthly transactions worth Rs 5 crore, is strengthening its platform to be the "digital assistant to every user".

"We want to be a personal assistant to users. Using technologies like automation and artificial intelligence, we are making our platform intelligent and intuitive to sense what the user is looking for and provide relavant information," Helpchat founder and CEO Ankur Singla told PTI.

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UPL lines up Rs 650 cr capex: Report



* Leading agrochemicals player UPL is planning a capex of Rs 650 crore for capacity expansion in India and abroad.

"UPL has planned a capex of Rs 650 crore in expansion of its capacity in technicals in India, France, Colombia and formulation in India, Rotterdam, Brazil and the US units, which will be kicked in from FY18 and will be the key growth drivers," broking firm Sharekhan said in its research note.

The company is expected to maintain a capex of Rs 250 crore in 2016-17 fiscal, it said.

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Himalaya sees diapers segment game changer for babycare folio * Herbal wellness major Himalaya Drug Company plans to increase distribution of Himalaya diapers as it expects the product to be a 'game changer' for its babycare portfolio.

"Himalaya diapers is a new entrant compared with the existing player... We are going to be very aggressive in this (diapers) market. We expect diapers to be highest contributer to our overall babycare portfolio. It will be a game changer for us," The Himalaya Drug Company General Manager-Baby Care Chakravarthi N V told PTI.

Babycare division is the third highest revenue contributer for Himalaya. Its biggest division is FMCG products followed by pharmacy.

Paras Buildtech appoints Anubha Laroiya as Vice President



* Paras Buildtech today said it has appointed Anubha Laroiya as Vice President (Marketing) of the company.

She has experience of more than 15 years in the real estate industry in companies like Lotus Greens, The 3C Company, Vipul Ltd and Suncity Projects.

Since its inception in 2006, Paras Buildech has already delivered about 6.5 million sq ft and is working on various projects spread across North India.

* * * * * *



Coal India selects CMPDIL CMD Shekhar Sharan as Director * The chairman and managing director of Central Mine Planning & Design Institute (CMPDIL), Shekhar Sharan, has been given the additional charge of Director, Technical of state-owned CIL.

"Ministry of Coal...Has given Shekhar Sharan, CMD, CMPDIL additional charge of Director (Technical) of CIL (Coal India) w.E.F October 31, 2016," Coal India said.

Central Mine Planning & Design Institute is a subsidiary of Coal India.
Fighting poor visibility due to thick plumes of smoke, three Mi 17 choppers of the IAF today dumped loads of water on forest fires raging for days in Nainital and Pauri districts in Uttarakhand.

As authorities claimed that the situation is gradually getting under control, latest satellite imagery of the forest fires has reported that the blaze has been extinguished in over 75 per cent of the affected area in the hill state.

The water sprinkling operations commenced today as part of efforts to douse the fires that has killed seven persons and destroyed 2,269 hectares of forested land. The fire has also spread to sparsely populated remote hill areas



"With three IAF choppers sprinkling thousands of litres of water over affected areas in Nainital and Pauri districts and over 10,000 personnel of NDRF, SDRF, PRD, forest guards and homeguards engaged in fire fighting operations on the ground we can say the situation is very much under control," Additional Chief Secretary S Ramaswamy told PTI.

Choppers in Nainital are lifting water in bamby buckets from Bhimtal lake while the one at Pauri is collecting water from Shrinagar dam.

Besides fighting the flames, active fire spots are also being identified with the help of satellite data so that the choppers can rush straight to the spot and take corrective steps speedily, he said.

"We have been informed that fresh images from satellite have shown that the effective area under fire in Uttarakhand has come down to 110-115 locations from the earlier about 427. It is expected that these figures will be brought down to 50-60 in the next few days by the combined forces fighting to douse the jungle fire," NDRF Director General OP Singh told PTI in Delhi.

As the Centre's handling of the forest fires came under attack from the Congress, Union Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar said the government was taking the incident "very seriously" and making all efforts to control it.

"Government is taking the forest fires of Uttarakhand very seriously. 6,000 people have been deployed for fighting it. We also granted Rs 5 crore to the state yesterday," he said.

Taking on the Centre, Congress' Chief Spokesman Randeep Surjewala said, "while the Modi government is fuelling political crisis in a peaceful state, it has miserably failed to tackle a major environmental tragedy."



Every chopper has a capacity to sprinkle 3,000 litres of water in one sortie and the three together must not have made less than ten sorties during the day covering large areas, Principal Conservator of Forest B P Gupta said.

Home Minister Rajnath Singh reviewed the situation in Delhi and held discussions with chief secretary and other officials of Uttarakhand government. He also offered all assistance from the Centre.
The armies of India and China today expressed resolve to maintain peace along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) with their senior commanders holding two border meets in Chinese andLadakh region as part of efforts to build cordial ties.

Both the armies, which met on the occasion of the International Labour Day, agreed to uphold the treaties and agreements signed between the governments of the two sides during two ceremonial Border Personnel Meetings (BPM) on the Chinese and the Indian side today, a defence spokesman said here.

The meetings took place at Chinese BPM Hut of Moldo and TWD Garrison in Eastern Ladakh, the spokesman said.

"The delegation parted amidst feeling of friendship and commitment towards enhancing the existing cordial relations and maintaining peace along the LAC.

"Both sides also sought to build on the mutual feeling to uphold the treaties and agreement signed between the governments of the two sides to maintain peace and tranquillity along the LAC," he said.

At Moldo, the Indian delegation was led by Major General Sudhakar Jee and the Chinese delegation by senior Col Zhan Peng Zhung and at TWD, Lt Col RC Barthwal, SM and Col Song Zhan Li led the Indian and Chinese delegations respectively.

The border personal meeting was marked by saluting the National flags by both the delegations members.

It was followed by the ceremonial address by both delegation leaders which reflected the mutual desire of maintaining and improving relations at functional level at the border, the spokesman said.
Kalvari, the Indian Navy's first indigenous Scorpene-class stealth submarine, today sailed out of Mumbai Harbour for sea trials even as the plan to purchase heavy-weight torpedos for the vessel remains stuck due to the VVIP chopper scam.

Kalvari is the first of the India's six Scorpene-class submarines being built under the much-delayed Project 75. The vessels are being built by Mazagon Dock Limited (MDL) in collaboration with French company DCNS.

In October 2015, Kalvari had been set afloat. "The sea trials of Kalvari have begun today. It is a proud moment for us," a Navy official said.

However, the plans to acquire heavy-weight torpedos for the submarine is stuck in the Defence Ministry even though the Navy had been pushing for it, citing security imperatives.

WASS Italy, a Finmeccanica company, had emerged as a successful bidder in the procurement for the torpedos for Project 75 submarines.

Subsequently, because of the group's alleged involvement in the VVIP helicopter case, the procurement was put on hold in July 2014.

Navy Chief Admiral R K Dhowan, while stressing on the importance of getting heavy-weight torpedos, had said that the Defence Ministry will take a final call on it.

India may to go in for two more Scorpene-class submarines after the first six are delivered to the Navy.
Indiabulls Real Estate has reduced its net debt by 16 per cent to Rs 4,617 crore during the last fiscal, helped by positive operating cash-flow.

In an analyst presentation, Mumbai-based developer said the company achieved a net debt of Rs 4,617 crore as on March 31, as against the target of Rs 4,800 crore.

"Sixteen per cent year-on-year reduction in net debt during FY16. Overall reduced net debt by Rs 863 crore during FY16, down to Rs 4,617 crore on March 31, 2016, from Rs 5,480 crore as on March 31, 2015," Indiabulls Real Estate said.

The company has a target to cut net debt to Rs 3,300 crore by March next year.

During 2015-16, the company's promoters made an equity infusion of Rs 538 crore. Sales bookings of the firm stood at Rs 626 crore during the quarter ended March 31.

Indiabulls Real Estate also said it plans to launch two projects with a total saleable area of 7.29 million sq ft, of which 5.06 million sq ft would be housing.

The company is developing 11 projects with a total saleable area of 30.51 million sq ft. It has presence in key metros of Mumbai, NCR and Chennai.

The company has entered London property market through acquisition of 22, Hanover Square in Mayfair, Central London, a 87,444 sq ft commercial property in July 2014.

On land bank, the company informed it has fully paid land bank of 1,017 acres in key cities across India which is sufficient for proposed development over the next seven years. It also possesses 2,588 acres of SEZ land at Nashik, Maharashtra.

Last week, Indiabulls Real Estate had reported a 23 per cent rise in consolidated net profit to Rs 305.04 crore in 2015-16 as against Rs 248.08 crore in the preceding fiscal.

Total income of the company increased to Rs 2,785.84 crore from Rs 2,736.60 crore in 2014-15.
An Indian-American journalist was felicitated on sunday by US President Barack Obama and the First Lady Michelle as she and her colleagues were presented with a prestigious award during the annual White House Correspondents Dinner here.

Neela Banerjee and three of her colleagues from Inside Climate News  John Cushman Jr, David Hasemyer and Lisa Song  were presented with the prestigious . The annual award by the White House Correspondents Association (WHCA) honours journalistic work of national or regional significance.

A Washington DC-based journalist Banerjee, before joining Inside Climate News, was energy and environmental reporter for the Los Angeles Times Washington bureau. She covered global energy, the Iraq War and other issues with The New York Times. A graduate of Yale University, she also served as a Moscow correspondent with The Wall Street Journal.

The award was shared by Terrence McCoy of the Washington Post, who explored the issue of lead poisoning among poor black children in Baltimore after Freddie Gray died in custody in a high-profile case of alleged police abuse.

As early as 1977, scientists at energy and oil giant Exxon Corporation told top executives that fossil fuel emissions were warming the planet. Over time, however, Exxon became a leader in denying climate change and argued that the science was inclusive, the judges wrote. Reporters Neela Banerjee, John Cushman, Jr David Hasemyer and Lisa Song of Inside Climate News, used documents, interviews and the public record from four decades to reveal a deeply disturbing trail from climate change discovery to denial, it said.

The story prompted the New York Attorney General to issue a subpoena to force Exxon to disclose records in order to determine if it committed fraud under state law, the judges said. Misha Euceph, a Pakistani radio journalist from Rawalpindi was among the 18 budding journalists selected for WHCA annual scholarship. She was also felicitated by the US President and the First Lady.

Euceph, is the recipient of a $5,000 grant through the WHCA to help finance a post-graduate degree for a student in the Government and Public Affairs reporting track.

Among the judges for journalism awards included Indian American Indira Somani, an Assistant Professor of Journalism at the School of Communications, Howard University in Washington, DC where she teaches broadcast journalism courses.
Pakistan today handed over a 15-year-old boy who had crossed over to PoK from Poonch after a tiff with his parents.

Zulfikar Ali, a resident of Balakote area in Mendhar sector of Poonch district had crossed over to PoK (Pakistan occupied Kashmir) from Bhimber Gali sector earlier this week after his parents reprimanded him for stealing a mobile phone from a shop.

The parents came to know about the incident after they received his call, a senior police officer said.

Zulfikar Ali was handed over by Pakistan authorities at Chakan-Da-Bagh crossing point this afternoon, a defence spokesman said.

He said the repatriation of the boy was a result of the Confidence Building Measures (CBM) between India and Pakistan.

"The parents of the boy were grateful to the Indian Army for the efforts undertaken for his prompt repatriation", the spokesman said.
Islamic State (ISIS) hackers have published a "hitlist" of over 70 US military personnel who have been involved in drone strikes against terror targets in Syria and asked their followers to "kill them wherever they are".

According to 'The Sunday Times', the hackers have links with Britain and call themselves 'Islamic State Hacking Division' and circulated online the names, home addresses and photographs of more than 70 US staff, including women and urged supporters: "Kill them wherever they are, knock on their doors and behead them, stab them, shoot them in the face or bomb them."



The group also claimed that it might have a mole in the UK's Ministry of Defence and threatened to publish "secret intelligence" in the future that could identify Britain's Royal Air Force (RAF) drone operators.

The new hitlist features the ISIS flag above the heading: 'Target - United States Military' and the document, circulated via Twitter and posted on the JustPaste website, states: "You crusaders that can only attack the soldiers of the Islamic State with joysticks and consoles, die in your rage!



"Your military has no courage, neither has your president as he still refuses to send troops. So instead you press buttons thousands of miles away in your feeble attempt to fight us.

"A nation of cowards that holds no bravery as you resort to sending your remote-controlled unmanned Reaper and Predator drones to attack us from the skies. So this is for you, America.

"These 75 crusaders are posted as targets for our brothers and sisters in America and worldwide to hunt down and kill."



The group also warned: "In our next leak we may even disclose secret intelligence the Islamic State has just received from a source the brothers in the UK have spent some time acquiring from the Ministry of Defence in London as we slowly and secretly infiltrate England and the USA online and off."



At the bottom of the ISIS document is an image of the Statue of Liberty with its head cut off.

The ISIS hacking division was previously led by Junaid Hussain, a former British Muslim computer hacker from Birmingham who was killed in a US drone strike in Syria last August.

His wife, Sally Jones, a Muslim convert from Kent in the UK, is still believed to be involved in the organisation, which in the past has urged "lone wolf" attacks against RAF bases in the UK.

Inquiries made by 'The Sunday Times' found that the names on the American hitlist are genuine.

However, the information published by Isis does not appear to be the result of a leak or genuine hack.

Instead, the group seems to have pains-takingly gleaned the names of Reaper and Predator drone operators from news articles and military newsletters, before matching them to addresses, photos and other personal details from publicly available sources on the internet.

Some of the information appears to have been taken from social media sites, including Facebook and LinkedIn.
Jat Yuva Ekta Manch today staged a protest here for the release of youths from the community who were arrested in connection with the recent quota agitation.

Police took 79 workers of the Jat body into preventive custody, but later released all of them.

The Akhil Bharatiya Jat Sangarsh Samiti also extended support to the Manch.

The Samiti's district President Bhoop Singh said the government should accept their demands as they were genuine.

The district administration had made elaborate security arrangements to prevent any untoward incident during today's 'jail-bharo' protest, which was held peacefully, police said.

The Manch has said it will continue the protests until all Jat youths arrested in connection with the quota stir have been released.

The members of the community have been staging peaceful



dharnas so far at various locations in the state.

Internet services had been suspended in the vicinity of dharna sites to check spread of rumours. Authorities have also imposed prohibitory orders under Section 144 of CrPC in some areas of the sensitive districts, banning gathering of five or more people.

Paramilitary forces are out in sensitive areas while heavy police force has been deployed to maintain strict vigil.

During a similar stir a year ago, there were 30 deaths and widespread destruction of property. This time, Haryana has been put on maximum alert, officials said.

Rapid Action Force has been deployed at Munak canal in Sonipat district to ensure uninterrupted water supply to the national capital. The agitators had damaged the canal during last year's stir.

Notably, Rohtak and some of its neighbouring districts, including Sonipat and Jhajjar had been worst-hit by the violence which broke out during last year's Jat stir.

Apart from the quota demand, the agitators are demanding release of arrested Jat youths from jails, withdrawal of cases registered during last year's agitation and grant of government jobs to the kin of youths killed and those injured during the earlier stir.
JNUSU president Kanhaiya Kumar was today shown black flags at a function here by two unidentified persons who were roughed up by his supporters before being detained by the police for questioning.

The two persons belonging to a little-known outfit -'Youth Swaraj' - showed black flags to the JNUSU president, besides raising slogan of 'Bharat Mata Ki Jai' while he was speaking at a function 'Azadi' in S K Memorial hall here organised by AISF and AIYF.

Kanhaiya's supporters thrashed the two persons in the hall. Later the police took the duo into custody.

"Police have detained two persons in this regard," Patna Senior Superintendent of Police Manu Maharaj told PTI.

The two detainees have been identified as Nitish Kumar, a resident of Sitamarhi district, and Manikant Mani, a resident of Samastipur district, the police said, adding that the two youths are said to be the members of RSS.

The JNUSU president, who was addressing the gathering when the incident occurred, said he was not scared of such elements who oppose him or try to distub his functions.

"I am not scared of anything whether you hurl a shoe or a stone.... They want to disturb my programmes as they are uncomfortable with my questions," Kumar said.

Attacking Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Kumar alleged that he became the PM "with the support of capitalists" and cannot solve the problem of unemployment.
In her first fashion photoshoot, Kate Middleton has donned a casual cow girl look in Vogue's June edition to celebrate the fashion magazine's 100th anniversary here.

The 34-year-old wife of Prince William will appear on the June cover of the magazine as part of her first fashion shoot, which took place in Britain's Norfolk countryside near the royal couple's country residence Anmer Hall in eastern England.

The shoot by photographer Josh Olinswas in collaboration with London's famous National Portrait Gallery, where two images are being displayed in the 'Vogue 100: A Century of Style exhibition'.

"Josh has captured the duchess exactly as she is - full of life, with a great sense of humour, thoughtful and intelligent, and in fact, very beautiful," Nicholas Cullinan, director of the National Portrait Gallery said.

The Duchess of Cambridge, who has a keen interest in photography, has been patron of the National Portrait Gallery since 2012.

"To be able to publish a photographic shoot with the Duchess of Cambridge has been one of my greatest ambitions for the magazine, Alexandra Shulman, editor-in-chief of British Vogue said.

"The collaboration for the June edition had resulted in "a true celebration of our centenary as well as a fitting tribute to a young woman whose interest in both photography and the countryside is well known", she added.

Royal portraits to have featured in the fashion magazine include Kate's late mother-in-law Diana, Princess of Wales - who graced the cover four times.

The duchess is to visit the exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery on Wednesday, Kensington Palace said.
State-run Keltron has bagged a Rs 4.55 crore order from Mormugao Port Trust for an RFID-based Gate Access System.

The order is for design, supply, installation, commissioning, operation and maintenance for five years of the system.

The order will be executed by Keltron's Chennai Office, a company press release said today.

As part of security measures, all the ports in the country were under instructions to implement RFID based Gate Access System and Keltron expects similar orders from other ports also, it said.
BJP President Amit Shah and Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan along with his cabinet colleagues, Dalits and tribals will take a holy dip christened as the 'Samrasta Snan' (harmony bath),apparently in a bid to win over the twin communities, at Shipra river on May 11 during Simhastha-Kumbh mela underway at Ujjain district.

The move has come at a time when RSS is organising a series of functions to draw Dalits and tribals to its fold apparently after the Sangh Parivar head Mohan Bhagwat stirred a hornet's nest by calling for review of reservation policy during run up to the Bihar assembly polls last year. The statement had boomeranged and apparently led to BJP's drubbing in the caste-ridden polls.

"Shah, BJP leader Vinay Sahasrabuddhe, Chouhan, BJP MP chief Nandkumar Singh Chauhan and other state ministers are going to take part in Samrasta Snan on May 11. We have invited Union Social Justice and Empowerment Minister Thawar Chand Gehlot (a BJP Dalit face) also to the snan," a RSS outfit - Deendayal Vichar Prakashan - Vice President Ajay Pratap Singh said.

Shah and other leaders will reach the camp of Deendayal Vichar Prakashan set up near the Mela site and in a procession go to Ramghat where they will bathe.

"The Dalits and tribals will participate in the snan in large numbers. Members of other communities too will take the 'Samrasta snan'. The snan will be followed by Samrasta Bhoj (harmony lunch)," he said.

RSS is running a nationwide campaign this year to promote what it calls "social harmony" among Hindus apparently with an eye to win over Dalits and tribals which are key to BJP's hopes of wresting power in Uttar Pradesh which is going to polls next year.

The RSS had already held discussions on 'samajik samrasta' (social harmony) in its shakhas (morning get-together classes) from January 3-10.

"We have also organised common meals and get-together in which Dalits and tribals participated," a RSS leader said. Besides, Samajik Samrasta yajnas are being organised, he added.

Meanwhile, the RSS is circulating a Hindi booklet titled



Sabhi Hindu Sahodar Hai (all Hindus are siblings), containing its views on Hindu samrasta in Bhopal, Gwalior, Chambal and Narmadapuram revenue divisions of MP which it refers as Madhya Bharat Pranth.

The 32-page booklet praises Dr B R Ambedkar, the architect of Indian Constitution, and contains lectures of former RSS chiefs late Balasaheb Deoras and late M S Golwalkar vehemently opposing untouchability.

In a stunning comeback in Uttar Pradesh, BJP had swept the 2014 Lok Sabha elections in the state, which was mainly attributed to the consolidation of Dalit votes, and the party has been hoping to continue the trend in the 2017 Assembly polls in the politically crucial state.

However, the debacle in Bihar Assembly polls despite the fact that it won a major chunk of Lok Sabha seats in the state had jolted the party.
Learning a new language for even a short period of time may aid mental agility and have linguistic, cognitive and social benefits, a new study has claimed.

Tests carried out on students of all ages suggests that acquiring a new language improves a person's attention, after only a week of study, according to researchers from University of Edinburgh in the UK.

They also found that these benefits could be maintained with regular practice.

Researchers assessed different aspects of mental alertness in a group of 33 students aged 18 to 78 years who had taken part in a one-week Scottish Gaelic course.

They tracked people's attention levels with a series of listening tests including the ability to concentrate on certain sounds and switch the attention to filter relevant information.

Researchers compared the results with those of people who had completed a one week course - but not involving learning a new language - and with a group who had not completed any course.

After one week, improvements in attention were found in both groups participating in intensive courses, but only those learning a second language were significantly better than those not involved in any courses, researchers said.

This improvement was found for all ages, from 18 to 78 years, which demonstrates the benefits of language learning also in later life, they said.

Nine months after the initial course all those who had practised five hours or more per week improved from their baseline performance, researchers said.

This shows the mental skills gained from language learning can be maintained if speakers practise continuously, they said.

"I think there are three important messages from our study - firstly, it is never too late to start a novel mental activity such as learning a new language," said Thomas Bak from University of Edinburgh.

"Secondly, even a short intensive course can show beneficial effects on some cognitive functions. Thirdly, this effect can be maintained through practice," said Bak.

A short course language study has a threefold benefit - linguistic, cognitive and social, according to Boyd Robertson from University of Edinburgh.

The findings were published in the journal PLOS ONE.
A four-year-old boy was rescued today from a 200-feet borewell in Mandanwan village, nearly 30 hours after he slipped into it, a NDRF official said.

Yesterday, Sunil More, son of a labourer, accidentally fell into the borewell in the village near Shirur, while he was playing.

The rescue operations, conducted by a team comprising 27 National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) personnel, fire brigade and police officials, lasted for over 30 hours as they rescued the boy Sunil at around 7.45 PM



"Sunil More is unconscious, but his pulse is on and he is being taken to the hospital," Deputy Commandant Sacchidanand Gawade of NDRF's 5th battalion, said.

"We had to dig a parallel hole to the borewell. During the exercise, the rescue team had to face a daunting task as a solid rock was found underneath and it led to the delay," he said.

According to Gawade, after digging vertical at around 22 feet, the rescuing team dug horizontally to reach to the boy, who was stuck at 20 feet into borewell and eventually he was pulled out.

"Even though, his lower part of the body was freed from the horizontal tunnel, the rescue team had faced hardships while freeing his upper part of the body as his neck was trapped against a rock," he explained.

The oxygen was being pumped inside the hole to make sure that Sunil did not face any difficulty while breathing.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis today paid floral tributes at the 'Hutatma Smarak' here to mark the 56th 'Maharashtra Day'.

Fadnavis was accompanied by Mumbai Mayor Snehal Ambekar and Mumbai Corporation of Greater Mumbai (MCGM) Commissioner Ajoy Mehta.

The 'Hutatma Smarak' located in south Mumbai, was build in memory of the Joint Maharashtra Committee, which played a key role in formation of Maharashtra as a separate state.

In Nagpur, the second capital of Maharashtra, state Energy and District guardian Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule, called for conserving water for the future.

Speaking after unfurling the Tri-colour at the Kasturchand Park ground and taking salute of the combined Parade, Bawankule stressed the need for saving every drop of water in the backdrop of severe drought conditions in Marathwada and other regions.

Nagpur Divisional Commissioner Anup Kumar, Commissioner of Police S P Singh, District Collector Sachin Kurvey were present on the occasion.

In Thane, neighbouring Mumbai, District guardian Minister and Shiv Sena leader Eknath Shinde also hoisted the Tri-colour at the Saket Parade ground.

Raking up the border issue between Maharashtra and Karnataka, Shinde said those "Maharashtrians" living in border areas (of Maharashtra but in Karnataka) want to be part of Maharashtra.

"They (residents in borders areas) have been agitating since long to come into Maharashtra. People of Maharashtra are supporting them," he added.

In Nashik, Divisional Revenue Commissioner Eknath Davle hoisted the Tri-colour at the police parade ground. He inspected a parade by city and rural police.

BJP MP Harishchandra Chavan, local MLAs, Nashik mayor and top civic officials attended the event.
A man allegedly committed suicide by jumping in front of a moving metro train at Rohini East station in outer Delhi today.

The incident took place in the evening and the man, identified as Abhishek Gupta, aged around 35 years, was last spotted waiting for a train in platform number 2 of the Rohini East station on Delhi Metro's Red Line, a senior police official said.

Gupta was rushed to a hospital where he succumbed to his injuries.

However, the reason why he took the extreme step could not be ascertained yet.

From the spot, the police recovered Gupta's broken mobile phone and his drivers' license but no suicide note.

He was a resident of Rohini Sector 14, the senior official said.
Belgian capital Brussels's Muslim-dominated district of Molenbeek may have gained global notoriety as an ISIS recruitment hotbed but residents here feel the "family neighbourhood" has been unfairly stigmatised due to the evil acts "of a few" persons.

Molenbeek, a borough of about 100,000 people with large communities of Moroccan and Turkish-origin that are thoroughly middle-class, grabbed media attention worldwide post the Paris and Brussels attacks as having become an almost ideal recruiting ground for the dreaded Islamic State terror group.

Salah Abdeslam, the only surviving direct participant in the Paris attacks, hid in Molenbeek before his arrest on March 18. Abdelhamid Abaaoud, the suspected chief planner of the Paris attacks, lived in Molenbeek.

In all, at least 14 people tied to both attacks were either Belgian or lived in Brussels. One of them is Mohamed Abrini, a Belgian of Moroccan origin who grew up in Molenbeek and was arrested in Brussels earlier this month.

Molenbeek residents are still reeling as the stigma of terrorism has devastated the neighbourhood. However most of them insist people should not generalise and the area is essentially like any other family commune.

"I am a resident here and we have no problems staying in this locality even after the attacks. We are a community of majority of immigrants so it is natural for people to look at us with a suspicious eye. But one or two persons have given us a bad name," Nora Laarissi, a resident, said.

Asked whether there was an unfair stigmatisation of the area in the wake of what happened last month, she responded in the affirmative.

However, she said the community was not being harassed by authorities and stated that officials were "not asking unfair questions".

"Because of a few people the entire community is getting a bad name. However there is no discrimination that we face at our workplace for being Muslims," a Pakistani-origin woman, who was not a Molenbeek resident but was visiting the area and did not wish to be named, said.

Fear was writ large on the faces of community members with many refusing to talk to reporters while others refusing to answer questions on the issue of terrorism.

However, some did openly say the area was a safe place and was being unfairly stigmatised for the acts of a few.

"Only a few people have been found to be linked to terrorism, that does not mean that the entire Molenbeek is wrong. It's a very good community. Never before there has been any danger in the area. It is a very family neighbourhood," Yalman, a Molenbeek resident who was taking her children to a dentist on a metro, said.

"Those found involved in wrongful activities were also living like normal people with their families so the entire neighbourhood was peaceful. My children live here and I am happy with the surrounding in which they are being brought up," she asserted.

Ziani Alia, another resident, said, "I was born here.

Where is the proof that there are terrorists in Molenbeek apart from a few instances. It might not be a safe place for others but it is a very safe place for us. It is a multi-ethnic and multi-cultural community."



"There are some communities or neighbouhoods which are very chic or high-end and those communities don't encourage immigrants to stay and therefore they have to come to Molenbeek. So there is ghettoisation in a place like Molenbeek. But that does not mean Molenbeek is the den of terrorism," Alia said, adding that all cultures stay together here.

Asked if Molenbeek was deprived of development and economic opportunities, she said, "look at the streets, don't you see the streets are economically vibrant and there is development. There is also no problem of unemployment."



"People are peace-loving here. It is not a question of Islam going wrong but some people going wrong and we should not generalise. If there is one person in Belgium who is a paedophile, that does not mean that all Belgians are paedophiles. Similarly, if one person is a terrorist that does not mean everyone is a terrorist. It is just that because of what has happened some people think that something might go wrong here," she said.

But all is not gloomy in this neighbourhood.

A museum opened in Molenbeek this month, which, residents hoped, will help shed the negative image of the area. The Millennium Iconoclast Museum of Art or MIMA is based in a former brewery on the banks of Brussels' industrial-era canal.

Originally due to open on March 23, a day after the Brussels attacks, the museum welcomed 4,000 visitors on its opening weekend in mid-April, local media reports said.

Many in the Muslim community here are keen to detach themselves from those who have made Molenbeek notorious. Over 1,000 Molenbeek residents took to the streets this month to show solidarity with the 32 victims of the March 22 terror attacks in Brussels, reports said.

A bomb was detonated on board a train pulling out of Maelbeek station, close to the European institutions, in the morning rush hour on March 22. The attack followed suicide bombs at Brussels airport which also killed 16.

The attacks were claimed by the Islamic State militant group, which has also said it was behind the gun and bomb attacks in Paris on November 13 that killed 130 people.
The Jammu and Kashmir government today signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi for setting up of IIT in Jammu.

The MoU was signed by Hemant Kumar Sharma, Secretary, higher education department and Prof V Ramgopal Rao, Director, IIT Delhi here today in presence of Jammu and Kashmir deputy Chief Minister Nirmal Singh.

He expressed gratitude to the Ministry of Human Resource Development for providing all support and requisite expertise, resulting in timely completion of necessary formalities required for establishment of the institute in Jammu.

About 625 acres of land has been approved atJagti in Nagrota for establishment of IIT Jammu and regular classes will commence from the current session in the temporary campus, he said.

Singh, while directing the executing agencies to put in concerted efforts for timely completion ofthe project said that with the establishment ofthe IIT, the students of the state will not have to go to far off cities in the country for obtaining degree in various branches of engineering and technology.

The minister said that with the establishment of this IIT in Jammu, long pending demand of the region will be fulfilled.
Congress Chief Spokesperson Randeep Surjewala today said before the Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar places detailed chronology about the controversial AgustaWestland chopper deal in Parliament on May 4, the Minister should first answer why the Narendra Modi government and he "undo the blacklisting" of the company.

"Does Modiji and Parrikarjinot realise they are in power? Is CBI not with Central government? Is Enforce Directorate not with Central government? Why has the Modi government undone the blacklisting of AugustaWestland? Why Manohar Parrikarkji is not answering," he told reporters here.

Parrikar also should answer why within 40 days of banning the company, he passed an order re-permitting the company to participate through a sub-contractor.

"The Defence Ministry banned the company (AugustaWestland) on 3rd July, 2014. Within 40 days, on 22nd August 2014, the Defence Minister passed an order permitting it to participateagain through a vendor or a sub-contractor. Will Parrikarji answer why he did that?," Surjewala said.

In Panaji, Parrikar today said all facts along with the detailed chronology about the controversial AgustaWestland chopper deal before Parliament on 4 May.

Parrikar, in countering the allegations levelled by Congress, questioned why the company was not blacklisted by then UPA government and why no action was taken against it till 2014?



Surjewala alleged that the Foreign Investment Promotion Board once again gave permission even after the company was banned, which was informed through a press release issued by the Defence Ministry on October 2015.

"All these questions should be answered by Prime Minister. Manohar Parrikarji cannot brush this aside. Generally the Prime Minister speaks on every issue. Why is he now maintaininga staid silence," he said.

"Mudslinging and muck-raking has been the character of the Modi government. Mudslinging and muck-raking is not a substitute for truth because the truth will always stand. Please show an iota of evidence. Finance Minister Arun Jaitleycompletelydenies on the floor of the Parliament. He says we have not been able to identify anyone," he argued.

"Outside the Parliament, however, the BJP and their spokespersons indulge in mud-slinging, muck-raking, false allegations and unfounded facts. You can't have a media trial. That's why we said let lasting truth prevail, not leaking lies" he said.

Surjewala said levelling allegations against Congress leadership is reprehensible and condemnable, and mudslinging and muck-raising has become BJP's character.
Muppets and other fun-filled activities are now being used to help children acquire healthy financial skills and behaviour under a new multimedia initiative in the city.

The "Sapna, Bachat, Udaan: Aarthik Bal, Har Parivar ka Haq" initiative is the Indian adaptation of a global programme - Dream, Save, Do: Financial Empowerment for Families begun by 'Sesame Workshop' a non-profit organisation behind 'Galli Galli Sim Sim' - the Indian adaptation of American TV series 'Sesame Street'



Along with MetLife Foundation, the initiative is set to provide engaging content featuring 'Galli Galli Sim Sim Muppets', language for discussion, and effective strategies for spending, saving, sharing and donating.

The workshops and mobile community viewings (MCV) are being held in Najafgarh area of Delhi. The initiative aims to reach 30,000 children via multiple touchpoints in the city through MCVs and workshops conducted over a period of 3 years in collaboration with implementation partners.

A core set of audio-visual, print and digital resources have been created for the initiative in Hindi language.

"The MCVs and workshops aim to improve the knowledge, language and strategies on financial empowerment, to increase the dialogue between parents and children towards making informed choices around spending, saving, sharing and to help them realize their financial and non-financial goals," says Sashwati Banerjee, Managing Director, Sesame Workshop in India.

A vegetable car converted into a mobile TV, travels to each street of the selected area calling out for children to watch educational and entertaining videos on financial literacy. All children gather around the TV for the MCV which is followed by workshops.

During the workshops, facilitators engage children in activities like making their own piggy bank or activities related to saving and sharing.

"Being a fun and entertaining activity for the community, the MCVs and workshops are enjoyed thoroughly by children and even adults. These activities provide parents the right vocabulary to talk to their children about financial literacy.

"It is important that young children understand the concepts of sharing, saving, delayed gratification so that they become informed and better decision makers as they grow," says Banerjee.

The workshops which used to be held in Jharkhand earlier



have now started in Delhi.

"We are spreading messages of financial empowerment to children and caregivers in Rajasthan, Jharkhand and Delhi. In Jharkhand and Rajasthan we are reaching through the Self Help Groups where we are directly able to impact women along with their children.

"In Delhi we are reaching out to children via Mobile Community Viewings (MCV). In a cluttered environment MCVs have always proven to be a great mechanism to catch eyes and engage children," says Anuragini Nagar, Project Manager.

The muppets play an important role in the project educating children in a fun-filled and easy to go manner.

"Young children associate with cartoon characters and muppets. They are elated to watch their beloved muppets - Chamki, Grover, Googly come into their local street TV. They feel connected to the muppets who are also the positive role models for them.

They often emulate the muppets, hence when Chamki talks about savings and planning, they emulate her and practice the same good habits in their life," says Nagar.

7-year-old Nandini Kumari from Najafgarh, Delhi regularly participates in all the MCVs and workshops organised under the Sapna Bachat Udaan initiative, with her two younger brothers Badal (6 years) and Pratik (3 years).

Nandini shares that from the day the programme started in her neighborhood, she has started saving money in the 'Gullak' (piggy bank). She has already saved Rs 100 and gives it to her mother for keeping it safe, so that she can use it later.

"I always used to give some pocket money to my children, but earlier they never valued money. Now my elder daughter has started saving money," says Nandini's father.

When asked the purpose of saving money, Nandini says that she would give the money to her parents so that they can save for her tuition fees.

The owners claim that the project aims to reach approximately 30,000 children in Delhi through Mobile Community Viewing (MCVs) and workshops.

"In India, the project will reach approximately 1 lakh people through community engagement in Rajasthan, Jharkhand and Delhi and over 18 million children through national television," says Nagar.
An auditor working with Indian Navy has been arrested from Karwar in Karnataka in connection with an alleged fraud wherein payment of Rs 6.33 crore was issued on production of fake bills and was transferred to bank accounts here, police said today.

The accused, identified as Suresh Hatle (53), was picked up from Naval office in Karwar following a 60-hour-long covert operation, Additional Superintendent of Police (crime branch) Vinayprakash Paul told reporters here.

Hatle was posted as the auditor in the office of Principal Controllers of Defence Accounts.

According to the Paul, Hatle in connivance with a storekeeper, identified as Rajkumar Choudhary who was going to retire soon, orchestrated the fraud. Both had worked together in Mumbai earlier.

During initial probe, Hatle told police that an amount of Rs 6.33 crore was transferred to two separate bank accounts in Indore on production of fake bills, Paul said.

While Rs 5.36 crore was transferred in one bank account, Rs 97 lakh in another one.

The money was credited in the accounts between July 2014 and October 2014, he said, adding the accounts were subsequently closed.

Paul said Hatle had told police that the fake bills pertained to electronic products. "However, Hatle's claim can be confirmed only after investigation," the officer said.

Police had earlier arrested Choudhary and a local CA, identified as Ramratan Singhal, apart from the manager of Sneh Nagar branch of Bank of India, Bupesh Joshi.

He said police are conducting a detailed probe with the help of Navy.
A naxal who was allegedly involved in triggering an IED blast that injured a jawan in Chhattisgarh's insurgency-hitKankerdistrict recently, was arrested today, police said.

The cadre, identified as Santuram Padda (35), was nabbed from Salhepara forests under Badgaon police station limits of the district by a joint team of Border Security Force (BSF) and district force, Kanker Deputy Superintendent of Police Jayant Vaishnav told PTI.

Security forces were carrying out a combing exercise in the interiors of Badgaon, located around 300 kms away from the state capital, when they rounded up the rebel while he was trying to escape into deep jungles, Vaishnav said.

Padda is a native of Nadichuwa village under Partapur police station area of Kanker.

He was allegedly part of the Maoists' squad that executed improvised explosive device (IED) blast near Mandagaon village injuring a police jawan in March this year, the DSP said, adding further interrogation is on.
Terming the DMK-Congress tie up for the May 16 Tamil Nadu assembly polls as a "corrupt alliance," AIADMK supremo and Chief Minister Jayalalithaa today alleged that no election promise was fulfilled by DMK unless it "benefitted" party president M Karunanidhi and his family.

DMK had only fulfilled promises which benefitted his family, she said and cited their distribution of free colour televisions worth Rs 2,000 each to people, but charging Rs 3,000 for cable connections run by its family members, thus earning Rs 25,000 crore in five years.

The unfulfilled promises made by that party in 2006 included providing solar energy in remote villages, elections to cooperative societies, setting up a food processing export centre and a memorial for late actor Shivaji Ganesan,she said.

Though DMK had been charging her party with not fulfilling election promises made in 2011, her government had made good on almost all of them, coming under 54 heads, like infrastructure and education, Jayalalithaa said.

The Chief Minister was addressing a huge rally here, seeking votes for the AIADMK and alliance candidates in Coimbatore, Tirupur, Nilgiris districts and also Kerala.

On DMK-Congress alliance, she demanded to know why Karunanidhi had joined hands with a party which he had once blamed was "taking revenge" on it on the 2G spectrum scam.

She ridiculed both parties, which she said were "partners in corruption and scams like spectrum, coal, CWG and Adarsh scam" and the current Agusta Westland Chopper deal and wondered how they will give a corruption free government in Tamil Nadu.

Jayalalithaa also promised to develop constituencies in



Kerala if AIADMK candidates win in that state.

She said efforts would be taken to make the High Ranges in Idukki district into a major tourist centre



If her party candidates won, the AIADMK would ensure that all tea estate workers in Devikulam are protected under social security scheme. Also ropeway would be set up in Munnar, another major tourist spot in that state, the Chief Minister said.

Jayalalitha also promised the voters that efforts would be made to construct a flyover in Nadakkavu near Malampuzha.

(Reopens MDS9)



Jayalalithaa said the statements by Karunanidhi during the last three days on prohibition was "contradictory and confusing."



Leaders of all political parties were now talking about bringing prohibition in the state.

AIADMK also announced that prohibition will be implemented in phased manner, like reducing the time of retail outlets, reducing the number of wine shops, detaching bars and also opening de-addiction centres for the affected, if returned to power, she said.

However, the statements by Karunanidhi for the last three days were "contradictory and confusing", as he announced that the first signature if voted to power will be for prohibition, she said.

He changed it the next day and stated that a law will be enacted with regard to prohibition, which was confusing, she said.

Stating that it was doubtful whether DMK was interested in bringing in prohibition, Jayalalithaa alleged that the party wanted to exploit it only to gain votes.
US President Barack Obama cracked jokes on himself, mocked journalists and lampooned Republican frontrunner Donald Trump in his final outing as comic-in-chief at the star-studded White House correspondents' dinner today, ending his gig by dropping the mic and saying: "Obama out."



At the black-tie event, Obama satirised everyone from Democrats to Republicans and from media to his potential White House successors, including Hillary Clinton.

But his sharpest barbs were reserved for Republican frontrunner Trump, who figured prominently in his speech.

"The Republican establishment is incredulous that he's their most likely nominee," Obama said at the event attended by Bollywood star Priyanka Chopra and Hollywood celebrities.

"They say Donald lacks the foreign policy experience to be president. But in fairness he has spent years meeting with leaders from around the world: Miss Sweden, Miss Argentina, Miss Azerbaijan," the president said.

Obama, 54, began with cracking jokes on Clinton, apparently referring to her highly-paid speeches to Goldman Sachs. "Here we are, my eighth and final address at this unique event, and I am excited. If this material works well, I'm going to use it for Goldman Sachs," he said.

Trump and his party's two other competitor John Kasich and Ted Cruz did not attend the dinner. So did the Democratic presidential frontrunner Clinton.

A gifted orator, Obama was at his best during his speech that lasted for more than 30 minutes.

"It is an honour to be here at my last - and perhaps the last - White House Correspondents' Dinner. You all look great. The end of the republic has never looked better," the first African-American president said.

"You've got to admit, though, Hillary trying to appeal to young voters is a little bit like your relative just signing up to Facebook. ...'Did you get my poke?'... 'I'm not sure I'm using this right'."



He also called her "Aunt Hillary," as at one point he virtually endorsed her candidature. "Next year someone else will be here, guess who she will be?" he said amidst laughter. Clinton is the only women contender in the race to the White House.

As usual, Obama made journalists as part of his jokes. "I don't want to spend too much time on Donald. Following your lead, I'm going to show some restraint, because I think we can all agree that from the start he's gotten the appropriate amount of coverage befitting of the seriousness of his candidacy. You all ought to be proud of yourselves," he said.

"Jake Tapper left journalism to join CNN," he said. Thanking the media with a big "Thank You", Obama concluded his speech with: "Obama out" and a microphone drop.

Earlier, he gave a shot out at Sanders, the Senator from Vermont, the only presidential candidate at the dinner. Sanders appeared at this black-tie dinner in his usual suit instead of tuxedo. His press secretary tweeted that he does not own a tuxedo. "That moment when everyone realises your boss really doesn't own a tux...But it's cool #WHCD," he said.
NDRF has deployed over 130 personnel as part of multiple fire fighting teams to combat the raging forest fire in the jungles of Uttarakhand that have destroyed about 2,269 hectares of jungles in several districts and claimed at least seven lives till now.

The teams of the specialised Disaster Response Force (NDRF) have fanned out in 13 affected areas of three districts of Pauri Garhwal, Almora and Chamoli to tackle the massive blaze.

Read more from our special coverage on "UTTARAKHAND FOREST FIRE" IAF chopper sprinkles water to douse Uttarakhand forest fires

"Our teams are working in 13 sectors in coordination with the officials and personnel of the state fire and forest department.

"The teams have been instructed to adopt the conventional method of cutting the fire line and containing the fire.

"We are using fire beaters and green bushes to cut the fire from spreading. About 135 personnel as part of multiple teams are working in Uttarakhand at present," NDRF Director General O P Singh told PTI.

He said while in Chamoli the NDRF is working in Pakhi and Gopeshwar areas, in Almora the teams are working in areas like Binsar, Someshwar, Bikisen, Siplakhet and Dhauladevi.

Each team is covering an area of 8-10 sq km, the DG said, adding additional NDRF teams have been kept in standby near here in Ghaziabad.

The force also saved a house in which a family of four lived from the blaze in the hilly area of Mehlchori in Pauri district.

Singh said he is in constant touch with his team leaders working in the state.

Earlier today, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh held discussions with the Chief Secretary and other officials of the state government on the situation arising due to the forest fire and offered all assistance from the Centre.

The Home Minister had yesterday spoken to Governor K K Paul, who briefed him about the situation in the hill state.

Mi-17 choppers of the IAF have also been sprinkling water in Nainital to control the forest fire.

Seven persons have been killed so far.

Pauri, Nainital, Rudraprayag and Tehri are among the worst-hit districts.
Asked to explain the real causes of ballooning bad loans at public sector banks (PSBs), Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Governor Raghuram Rajan has put the blame on economic downturn, among other reasons, in his submission to a parliamentary panel.



Congress leader K V Thomas-led Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has examined Rajans response but can ask the RBI Governor to appear before it in future once it is reconstituted Various PSBs may also be asked to appear before the panel to explain their position.



The parliamentary panel had suo-motu decided to examine the non-performing assets (NPAs) of PSBs, which touched Rs 3.61 lakh crore at the end of December 2015. At the end of December, as many as 701 accounts with bad loans exceeding Rs 100 crore owed PSBs Rs 1.63 lakh crore, while State Bank of India accounted for the biggest chunk.



PSBs had first refused to appear before PAC, but agreed later and made their submission.

During the examination of bad loan recovery process of the banks, the PAC found that in a number of cases the same bankers were trying to retrieve the bad loans who had earlier sanctioned the loans.

"Since the same officers, who sanctioned the loans are trying to retrieve it, it remains to be seen how successful they will be.. It seems they did not have a mechanism," a PAC member said on the condition of anonymity.

In its questionnaire for the RBI Governor, the panel observed that Private Sector Banks and Foreign Banks do not have as much NPAs as the Public Sector Banks. This was despite the constraints under which the entire banking sector operates being the same, except for the Priority Sector Lending (PSL) requirements.

Noting that Private Sector Banks and Foreign Banks have 2.2 per cent NPAs whereas the Public Sector Banks have 5.98 per cent NPAs, the PAC felt "it is hard to believe that the difference is only due to the PSL".

The PAC Chairman also sought to know the "real causes for the present spurt in NPAs and stressed assets" and whether these are really different from those listed by the Narsimham Committee that went into the NPA issue in 1998.

In his reply, Rajan said, "While some of the reasons for recent spurt in NPAs could be subset of those indicated by Narasimham Committee, the level of stressed assets are seen in the context of overall economic downturn".

Rajan listed six primary reasons for spurt in stressed assets that have been observed in recent times.

These included domestic and global economic slowdown, delays in statutory and other approvals especially for projects under implementation and aggressive lending practices during upturn as evidenced from high corporate leverage.

Other reasons cited by Rajan were laxity in credit risk appraisal and loan monitoring in banks and lack of appraising skills for projects that need specialised skills resulting in acceptance of inflated cost and aggressive projections. Besides, he also listed wilful default, loan frauds and corruption in some cases among the key reasons.

Recalling that the gross non-performing assets (NPAs) ratio had steadily declined from 15.7 per cent in 1996-97 to 2.36 per cent in 2010-11, Rajan said that the asset quality of the Indian banking system has again come under stress in the last couple of years, as a consequence of global as well as domestic economic slowdown.

"As on March 25, the gross NPA ratio was 4.62 per cent. As on June 2015, the gross NPA ratio was 4.97 per cent and the ratio of restructured standard assets to gross advance was 6.50 per cent," he said in the reply.

Rajan also informed the panel about seven key methods evolved by way of recent regulatory measures by RBI to tackle the problem of NPA.

The Committee, however, felt that the six reasons cited by Rajan were not "mutually exclusive" and wanted to know how much of NPAs and stressed assets are attributable to genuine business/commercial risk and those which are not.

Rajan said that during the course of an internal study conducted to assess the causative factors of NPAs in April last year, primarily qualitative information on causes of NPA in banks were sought from the responses received from banks, the main reasons with broad categorization of 'economy-wide factors, borrower-level reasons and bank level inadequacies' came to the fore.

"However, based on responses, it was not possible to specifically derive how much of the NPA (quantum) were attributable to which specific reason as often several reasons, sometimes mutually reinforcing, played out at the same time to turn a loan into NPA," the RBI Governor said.

Rajan also noted that banks tend to attribute most of the non-performance issues to business/commercial risks of the borrowers, whereas the borrowers attribute such situations to macro-economic factors for banks for not providing timely finance/enhancements etc.

"Hence case to case compilation of causative factors as reported by the bank many not reflect the actual proportion of non-performance owing to genuine business risk. The ongoing write-offs/sales/recovery activities under credit administration process of banks also affect the share of such loans in the portfolios of all NPAs," he said in the reply.

As per the government, the main reasons for rise in NPAs are sluggishness in the domestic growth in the recent past, slow recovery in the global economy and continuing uncertainty in global markets leading to lower exports of various products such as textiles and leather.
A photography exhibition and a seminar on empowering street children were organised which explored the lives and struggles of the vulnerable section of the society as the curtain was drawn on the Cairo leg of "India by the Nile 2016" festival.

"We believe that through India by the Nile, we try to bring about different connections between our two countries and our two peoples," India's Ambassador to Egypt Sanjay Bhattacharyya said yesterday, adding the the festival, a celebration of Indian music, dance, theatre, visual arts, food and Wellbeing, will continue till May 7 in other cities of Egypt.

"We should share our experiences so that we can learn from each other," he added.

The seminar on Empowering Street Children was held in the supreme Council for Culture while the photography exhibition entitled "Colors of Life" by Haran Kumar, a street child-turned photographer, was held in el-Hanager Gallery in the Cairo Opera House.

"For us it is very essential to recognize these challenges that we see around us and see how best we can address them," Ambassador Bhattacharyya added.

Amal el-Sabban, Secretary General of the Supreme Council of Culture moderated the seminar.

"Not only there are similarities between India and Egypt in the richness of their culture and civilization but also in their efforts to reach sustainable development as they have a large number of marginalized people in their societies," el-Sabban said.

"Now the Egyptian society gives great attention to the issue of street children and how it can change them to a productive citizens who can benefit the society," she added during the seminar.

Kumar's exhibition 'Colors of Life: A Photography Exhibition' focused on photos of Indian people during the festivities of the Holy festival.

Haran Kumar, an award-winning, Delhi-based photographer with a 14 year long photographic experience, had very humble beginnings.

He left home at the age of 11 with just Rs 20 in his pocket and became a resident of a railway station. In 2001 an international photography workshop changed Haran's life. He was given a roll of film, a camera and asked to shoot whatever he wanted to. He chose 'Street Life' as he wanted to portray the dreams, desires and aspirations of people who lived on the street.

Sanjoy Roy from 'Salaam Baalak Trust' said that child have a right to a safe space where they can study and realize his full potential.
Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi today ordered authorities to arrest and prosecute protesters who attacked security forces, lawmakers and damaged state property after breaking into Baghdad's heavily fortified Green Zone to protest delays in reform plans.

Al-Abadi's statement came a day after hundreds of angry anti-government followers of influential Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr tore down blast walls and poured into the parliament building, exacerbating a long-simmering political crisis.

Yesterday, al-Abadi toured inside the parliament building, walking past damaged furniture.

Videos on social media showed a group of young men surrounding and slapping two Iraqi lawmakers as they attempted to flee the crowd, while other protesters mobbed lawmakers' motorcades.

Jubilant protesters were also seen jumping and dancing on the parliament's meeting hall tables and chairs and waving Iraqi flags.

The protesters eventually left the parliament yesterday night and rallied at a nearby square.

Al-Sadr and his supporters want to reform the political system put in place following the US led invasion in 2003, in which entrenched political blocs representing the country's Shiites, Sunnis and Kurds rely on patronage, resulting in widespread corruption and poor public services.

The major blocs have until now stymied al-Abadi's reform efforts.

Today, protesters vowed to continue their sit-in inside the Green Zone until their demands are met.

"We are fed up, we are living a humiliated life," Rasool Hassan, a 37-year old father of three told the Associated Press from inside the Green Zone where thousands gathered in Saddam-era Grand Celebration Square.

"We'll leave here only when the corrupt government is replaced with another of independent technocrats that serves the people not the political parties," Hassan added.

"We need new faces not the old ones," said female protester Shatha Jumaa, a 58-year old surgeon.

Jumaa, who identified herself as a secularist, said she wanted the current government dissolved and replaced by a small interim administration whose job would be to amend the constitution and to prepare for an early national election.
US-based voice and telephony gear maker Polycom is looking at deeper engagement with government and SMB verticals to drive expansion in India as it aims to grow revenues by 25 per cent this year.

The company, which is being acquired by Canada's Mitel Networks Corp in a USD 1.96-billion cash-and-stock deal, gets about 30 per cent of its revenues in India from government agencies.

"Last year, we grew at about 25 per cent and we expect to grow at a similar pace this year. The SMB and mid-market has been doing very well for us, expanding at 40-45 per cent. Government is another big area of focus for us," Polycom India and SAARC Managing Director Minhaj Zia told PTI.

In the January-March quarter, Polycom India's business grew 32 per cent, he said without sharing country specific revenues. Overall, it registered USD 290.1 million revenue.

Polycom Asia Pacific President Geoff Thomas said India is the fastest growing country in the APAC region.

"In terms of revenue contribution, China is the biggest, while Japan, Australia-New Zealand and India account for similar revenue numbers," he said.

Thomas added: "If India continues to grow at the pace it is growing, it will soon be our second largest market in the region."



Asked about the impact of Mitel acquisition on India operations, Thomas said it was difficult to comment as the process is still on.

Besides, Polycom has also set up its third engineering centre in India in Gurgaon in partnership with Harman. The other two centres are in Hyderabad and Bengaluru.

"India is a key focus market for us. We will not shy away from investing in terms of expansion and manpower. It is an important market and these engineering centres are delivering solutions for global markets, especially voice engineering," Thomas said.

He added that about 800 people of its 3,000-strong workforce is in India. Of these about 650 employees work in the R&D centres.

Polycom is working with various authorities in India, including Punjab and Tamil Nadu police as well as state governments of Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Meghalaya, Assam and West Bengal.

Asked if the company was looking at manufacturing in India, Zia answered in the affirmative.

"We are looking at the feasibility of manufacturing in India. Right now, Thailand is our biggest manufacturing hub... Given the incentives that the government is offering, we are actively exploring whether we can manufacture here. We should be able to arrive at a decision soon," he added.
Digital healthcare platform today said it has appointed Manish Dugar as its Global CFO.

Dugar will be responsible for the leadership of Practo's financial legal and regulatory operations, said in a statement.

Dugar joins from Inmobi, where he was the CFO.

Practo currently lists over 2 lakh doctors, 10,000 hospitals, 8,000 diagnostic centres and over 4,000 wellness centres globally and receives over 10 million searches monthly across its website and apps.

The Bengaluru-based startup operates in 15 countries, including Singapore, Indonesia and the Philippines across over 50 cities.
Children with disabilities in the northeast may hope for quality education with the launch of a project aimed to provide inclusive and quality teaching for them.

Regional Action on Inclusive Education in North East (RAISE-NE) has been launched in five states of the region, including Assam, to complement the programme of Sarva Siksha Abhiyan (SSA) on inclusive education to improve the quality of education for children with disabilities, RAISE-NE's Project Director Bibhudutta Sahu said.

The project will focus on selected government or government-supported schools in select districts of Assam, Meghalaya, Manipur, Nagaland and Tripura.

The primary aim of the project is to ensure that the identified model schools should be made accessible to children with disabilities and that their evaluation should be flexible according to the progress of the child.

"A child should not be a problem for the school but it is the school which needs to adapt to the need of each child. All children should be part of an inclusive education," Sahu added.

The project's ultimate aim is to stop special schools for differently-abled children as these provide education within a very limited ambit and only in the case of a child suffering from severe disabilities should they be sent to special schools, he said.

RAISE-NE has identified some lead organisations as partner organisations with six each in Assam, Manipur and Nagaland, four in Meghalaya and three in Tripura, Sahu said.

In Assam, five districts -- Jorhat, Kamrup, Sonitpur, Bongaigaon and Dibrugarh -- have been selected for the project and the process to identify the schools for implementation of the project was on, he added.

The partner organisations have been selected to provide



technical support to selected government or SSA schools for inclusive education and to help in capacity building of the teachers for teaching children with disabilities.

Besides, the partner organisations will also regularly monitor the selected schools and promote more inclusive model schools, Sahu added.

"Our primary focus as a partnership organisation will be to ensure quality infrastructure and accessibility of children with disabilities to quality education," Diba Nahim, Coordinator of Shishu Sarothi, partner organisation for Assam's Kamrup district said.

Ensuring ramps and accessible toilets, enhancing capacities of teachers and providing support to teachers in drafting the curriculum and evaluation methodology are the key-areas on which Shishu Sarothi will focus, Nahim added.

Activities to be conducted under the RAISE-NE include building capacity of partner organisation for inclusive education, enhancing teacher competence, advocacy for attitude change among all stakeholders and documenting and disseminating innovative approaches and good practices.

Assam SSA Mission Director Thaneswar Malakar said the state government welcomes intervention leading to changes and they should be consulted for any information or initiatives.

The SSA would provide permission to visit SSA schools, conduct required activities and provide logistic support.

The project is supported by three international agencies -- Christoffel Blinden Mission (CBM), Light for the World and Liliane Fonds, all of whom have major presence in the northeast.

Besides, providing funds for the project, the agencies are also involved as strategic think-tank for the project.
Fuel pump owners in several districts of Punjab today said they will not buy fuel from oil companies from tomorrow till their demand are not met.

Petroleum dealers under the banner of Petrol Pump Dealers Association of Punjab have been on hunger strike in support of their demands.

They are demanding reduction in VAT on diesel and petrol, claiming that higher taxes on fuel were hitting the sales of pumps which were located near the border areas of Haryana and Himachal Pradesh.

They are also demanding shifting the base for retail selling rate of fuel from Panipat to Bathinda.

"From tomorrow, fuel pump dealers of nine districts in Punjab will not purchase fuel," Association's Vice President Ashwinder Mongia said today.

Fuel pump owners of nine districts -Pathankot, Hoshiarpur, Nawanshahr, Ropar, Mohali, Patiala, Sangrur, Fatehgarh Sahib and Mansa are participating in their protest.

On April 29, petroleum dealers had gone on hunger strike. "One of our dealers G S Chawla who was on hunger strike was today taken to hospital as his condition deteriorated," Mongia said.

Fuel pump owners said Punjab was charging 17.64 per cent VAT on diesel whereas in Haryana it was 17.22 per cent. Moreover, in Himachal Pradesh, the VAT on diesel was 16 per cent.

As a result of lower VAT in neighbouring states, sale of fuel in bordering areas was affected.

Similarly, VAT on petrol in Punjab was highest among neighbouring states including Haryana, UT Chandigarh, Delhi and Himachal Pradesh.

Punjab levies 36.94 per cent VAT on petrol as against tax in 27 per cent each in Delhi and HP, 26.25 per cent in Haryana and 26.34 in Haryana.

Despite taking up the matter with the concerned authorities in Punjab, nothing has been done to resolve their issues, they said.
Underworld don Chhota Rajan, deported to India after being caught from Bali in Indonesia in October last year, continues to face death threat even inside the high security Tihar jail where he has been lodged, Delhi Police sources said.

They said an SMS was purportedly sent from the cell phone of Chhota Shakeel, a close aide of fugutive mob boss Dawood Ibrahim, to a senior Tihar jail official threatening to eliminate Chhota Rajan, prompting the senior officer to seek additional security for him.

The SMS was sent from mobile number 971504265138 to the cell phone of Tihar Law Officer Sunil Gupta, threatening 'The End' of Chhota Rajan very soon, sources said. A call had also been received on Tihar's landline number following the SMS after which Rajan's security has been enhanced.

The police has also been informed about the threat call.

"How long will you save this dead pig from death, very soon I will do his the end," the message by "Haji Chhota Shakeel" said.

A Special Cell officer confirmed the receipt of the message by the Tihar official without disclosing anything else.

Gupta had received the SMS in the morning of November 24 last year after which he brought the matter into the knowledge of higher ups and sought security for himself and his family, sources said. The matter is now being investigated by police.

After being on the run for 27 years, Chhota Rajan was arrested in Bali (Indonesia) on October 25 on a Red Corner notice of Interpol.

He was deported and brought to India on November 6 for facing trial in various criminal cases registered against him in Delhi and Mumbai.

In New Delhi he was sent to 14-day judicial custody by a local court and lodged in the high-security Tihar jail on November 19.

Rajan, once a Dawood Ibrahim confidante, has been brought to the country to face trial in over 70 cases of murder, extortion and drug smuggling.

Ever since his arrival, Rajan has been questioned by various investigating agencies. He has been making claims of having further evidence to nail India's most wanted terrorist Dawood Ibrahim and his links with Pakistan's external snooping agency ISI.
Ousted chief minister Harish Rawat today virtually admitted his presence in the controversial sting CD, but said it was not a crime to meet a journalist or an MLA and dismissed the conversation shown in the video as "meaningless".

Alleging that the sting operation and the CBI probe into it were part of a "criminal conspiracy" by BJP to topple an elected government, he dared Prime Minister Narendra Modi and party chief Amit Shah to put him in jail if he is found in the wrong.

"Ifany evidence is found against me, like me offering money or post to anybody, hang me at the Clock Tower," Rawat, who had so far been insisting that the sting was "fake", said while addressing party workers at a programme held by Uttarakhand Congress to mark the Labour Day here.

"Why should anyone spend Rs 15 crore for me. The man (journalist) was saying something meaningless to while away my time and I said something to while away his. How does it matter? We keep saying things like this on a daily basis. Does that mean they should be used against us," Rawatsaid, adding, his fight to "save democracy" will go on, "come what may".

"Is meeting a journalist a crime? If one of the MLAs who had not been technically disqualified by that time talked to me...How does it matter? Do we block any channels in politics," Rawat told reporters on the sidelines of the programme.

Claiming innocence, Rawat said, if anything in the CD showed he made an offer in cash or kind in exchange for the support of disgruntled MLAs, he was ready to be hanged in public.

"I have kept my doors open. I present myself to be sent to jail (in the sting CD case) if that is what Modi baba (PM Narendra Modi) and Amit Shah are up to," he said.

The sting CD made by the editor-in-chief of a private channel and circulated by the nine Congress rebels who created a political crisis in the state by siding with opposition BJP in the state Assembly, purportedly shows Rawat negotiating a money deal with the journalist to buy the support of MLAs who had revolted against him.

Training his guns at the Modi-Shah duo, Rawat alleged, Narendra Modi and Amit Shah could "not tolerate" a non-BJP government performing and therefore "toppled" it by hatching a "criminal conspiracy".

They have been "conspiring" to "systematically bring down" governments in states where BJP is not in power, he said.

Ever since Modi government came to power, it has been "neglecting" Uttarakhand and when it failed to bring down the state dispensation by "money or muscle power," it "resorted to President's rule" to dislodge it, he alleged.

Asserting that he was prepared to "bear even a heavier atrocity" if found in the wrong in the sting case, he said, he would not hesitate to face any challenge in his struggle for the development of the people of the state.

(REOPENS DEL52)



Earlier, addressing party workers at the programme, Rawat said the commitment with which the Congress had worked for the poor and the working class was "exemplary".

Citing an instance, he said, it was the Congress which had introduced a novel and revolutionary scheme like MNREGA.

Rawat also highlighted steps taken by his own government in the state to provide social security to the poor and the working class.

People of Uttarakhand will teach them (BJP) a fitting lesson for creating political uncertainty in the state and derailing its development, he claimed.
US Secretary of State John Kerry is urging a return to a nationwide ceasefire in Syria, deeming it a top priority, his spokesman has said.

"The Secretary made clear that ending the violence in Aleppo and returning ultimately to a durable, nationwide cessation is a top priority," spokesman John Kirby yesterday said in outlining phone calls between the top US diplomat and the UN's Syria envoy Staffan de Mistura, as well as the general coordinator of Syria's main opposition High Negotiations Committee.
The administration has clamped prohibitory orders under section 144 of Crpc in Gevra, a coal mining region in Korba district, in the view of a protest call given tomorrow by the villagers affected by various projects of the South Eastern Coalfields Limited (SECL).

The opposition Congress has extended its support to the protest alleging that the administration is supporting SECL to suppress the voices of protesters.

"The prohibitory orders were issued by Korba Additional District Magistrate A Lakra yesterday to thwart the possibility of unlawful activities in Gevra region on account of the announcement of protest given by villagers of Bhathora and other villages on May 2," said Darri City Superintendent of Police (CSP) D R Porte.

The prohibitory orders will be effective from May 2 till further directives, he added.

"Local people have been informed about the orders and no protest or 'bandh' will be allowed to take place during this period. "If anyone tries to violate the law, strict action will be taken against them," Porte added.

Villagers and farmers of at least 30 villages affected by Gevra and Deepka projects of SECL had announced launching of a huge protest at Gevra and blocking transportation of coal from the mining site to power plants for fulfilment of their demands under the amended Land Acquisition Act.

Meanwhile, the main opposition Congress has extended its support to the protest, saying the ruling BJP cannot snatch the democratic rights of the people to protest.

"The villagers, belonging to Bhathora, Naraibodh, Raliya, Bhilaibazar and other villages, have decided to fight for their rights, demanding justice for land acquired by SECL and get employment, rehabilitation and compensation," Congress MLA from Korba seat Jaisingh Agrawal told reporters.

The villagers, who got displaced due to the projects, have raised their problems before the SECL management in the past but failed to get positive response, he said.

"Now villagers have no option other than to block the coal dispatch to get their demands fulfilled. Instead of convening a meeting with affected villagers, the administration has imposed section 144 branding displaced people as anti-social elements," the MLA said, adding local Congress leaders and workers will participate in the protest.

"There is a right to protest in democracy. The administration is supporting SECL to suppress the voices of protesters," the legislator said.
Former union minister Kumari Selja today welcomed HJC leader Kuldeep Bishnoi's return to the Congress, and said the party would be strengthened by the move.

Selja also expressed confidence that the Congresss would come to power in Punjab after the 2017 assembly elections.

She hit out at the BJP for hike in prices of petroleum products, saying it would affect the common man, especially farmers, in the country.

Selja criticised the Haryana government's decision to withdraw cabinet rank for former chief ministers, including Bhupinder Singh Hooda, calling it an "undemocratic" move.

She also charged the BJP with registering false cases against Congress leaders as "political vendetta".
The celebrations to mark the 56th Maharashtra Foundation Day turned into a political tug-of-war between ruling partners Shiv Sena and BJP ahead of the MCGM elections slated next year, with workers of both the parties hoisting their respective flags near 'Hutatma Smarak' here.

The memorial, located in south Mumbai, was built in memory of the 105 martyrs who laid down their lives for the cause of 'sanyukta' (unified) Maharashtra.

The BJP workers needled the Sena cadres by hoisting the party flags at a square overlooking the Shiv Sena Bhavan at Dadar in Central Mumbai.

Meanwhile, Mumbai BJP president Ashish Shelar launched party's election campaign for the Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai (MCGM) polls.

BJP cadres took out processions at various places to mark the occasion.

However, Shelar said he would not indulge in politicising the Maharashtra Day.

"Development should be the only answer to those who are trying to bifurcate the state. The BJP is in power over a unified Maharashtra and Devendra Fadnavis is the Chief Minister of a unified Maharashtra. Hence those who have been rejected by a unified Maharashtra are indulging in politics," he said.

Meanwhile, Maharashtra Navnirman Sena chief Raj Thackeray criticised BJP and Shiv Sena for showing "apathy" towards paying homage to the martyrs at the memorial.

Thackeray, who offered floral tributes at the Smarak, slammed the state administration for not decorating the memorial for the event.

"Every year the 'Hutatma Smarak' is decorated with flowers. This year there is not even a single flower to be seen here, not even a garland. This is extremely shameful for the state government," Thackeray said.

He sarcastically said the previous Congress-NCP government was much better.

"During their (Congress-NCP) rule the Hutatma Chowk (Smarak) used to be at-least decorated, they never talked about separation of Maharashtra," Thackeray quipped.

"Today we are witnessing this picture, it is extremely shabby. The respect of the memorial has not been maintained while Sena-BJP is in power which is regrettable. The official function should have been held at 'Hutatma Smarak', but they may be feeling embarrassed at holding the function here," he said.

Meanwhile, the official programme of Maharashtra Day was



held at Shivaji Park, Dadar where state Governor Ch Vidyasagar Rao paid floral tributes to the martyrs of the agitation for the creation of unified Maharashtra.

Rao also inspected the guard of honour from the State Reserve Police Force (SRPF).

The Governor spelled out the governments policies, the challenges of the future and steps it was taking to tackle the drought.
Pakistan is still negotiating with the US to buy eight despite difficulties in getting the $700 million deal partially financed by the American government, a top Pakistani official has said.

The purchase hit snags after US Congress withheld 60% of the aid earmarked for subsidising the deal, which has been opposed by some American lawmakers and India.

Tariq Fatemi, Special Assistant to Pakistan Prime Minister on Foreign Affairs, responding to reports about the deadlock said the "negotiations aren't over yet".

He said Pakistan's mission in Washington is currently in talks with members of the Congress to raise awareness of Islamabad's views on the matter.

"America understands how important a role these eight F-16s can play in the fight against terror, which is why the request was made in the first place," Fatemi was quoted as saying by BBC Radio.

According to the deal, Pakistan would have paid $270 million and the remaining $430 million was to come from the US.

"There is strong opposition to provide subsidised arms to other countries in the US Congress, but Obama administration's offer of military aid to Pakistan still stands," Fatemi said.

Those opposing the deal argue that these jets can be used against India in the event of a war.
Crews have rescued a 72-year-old survivor of Ecuador's deadly earthquake almost two weeks after it struck the South American country, Venezuela has announced.

A visiting Venezuelan search team located Manuel Vasquez, who had been trapped under rubble since the 7.8-magnitude quake that killed 660 people, the Venezuelan embassy in Quito yesterday said on its website.

They found Vasquez "making sounds in a partially collapsed building" on Friday in Manabi province while doing inspections for structural problems, it said.

The April 16 quake was the worst to strike Ecuador in decades, causing buildings to collapse and damaging roads and other infrastructure in tourist areas along the coast.

Vasquez was admitted to hospital with kidney trouble and lost toes. He was also dehydrated and disoriented.

Ecuador welcomed hundreds of rescue teams, doctors, nurses, firefighters and other support staff after the quake from a slew of countries.

President Rafael Correa has announced a series of drastic economic measures aimed at paying for what he estimates will be the USD3 billion cost of rebuilding the shattered country.
Taiwan today sent two patrol ships to waters surrounding a Japanese atoll amid a dispute over the seizure of one of the island's fishing boats there.

The detention of the "Tung Sheng Chi 16" near Okinotori-shima last week angered Taiwanese officials, who say Tokyo has no authority over the area.

A Taiwanese coast guard ship and another from the Council of Agriculture departed from the southern port of Kaoshiung today.

"Japan has no right to ban our fishing boats from the area," Taiwan's coast guard adminstration said in a statement.

"The government will resolutely defend the rights and freedom of our fisherman in international waters."



The mission will last for one to three months.

Between 100-200 Taiwanese boats fish in the waters around Okinotori-shima each year.

Japan say it has exclusive rights in the 200 nautical mile area surrounding the uninhabited atoll in the Philippine Sea.

But in addition to Taiwan, China and South Korea also reject the Japanese claim.

Taiwan's defence ministry said it also plans to deploy warships to "appropriate waters" but spokesman David Lo declined to elaborate.

The maritime row is straining normally friendly relations between Taipei and Tokyo.

It follows a stand-off more than three years ago over a chain of islands in the East China Sea, when coastguard vessels from both sides attacked each other with water cannons.

The islands -- known as Senkaku in Japanese and Diaoyu in Chinese -- are controlled by Japan but claimed by both China and Taiwan.

But in 2013 Japan and Taiwan forged a fisheries agreement covering the waters off the island chain.
An Indian-flagged tanker has been forced to return a shipment of oil smuggled out of Libya thanks to international intervention, according to the country's National Oil Corporation (NOC).

"The Indian vessel Distya Ameya, which was illegally attempting to export Libyan oil, has this morning... Returned its unlawful cargo to Libya," it said in a statement posted yesterday on its website.

The NOC instructed the tanker to discharge at the Zawiya refinery west of Tripoli, where it will be used "for the benefit of all Libyans" in the cash-strapped country, it said.

"I would like to thank all the people involved for helping to bring about a swift and safe resolution of this matter," said NOC chairman Mustafa Sanallah, praising the "action of the international community".

The United Nations on Wednesday added the Distya Ameya to a UN sanctions blacklist after it left Libyan shores bound for Malta.

A UN Security Council diplomat said the tanker's final destination could be the United Arab Emirates and that the cargo violated a ban on oil revenues to entities other than Libya's unity government.

The UN-backed government has been striving to assert its authority in a country which has been in turmoil since the 2011 revolt that killed dictator Moamer Kadhafi.

Despite the existence of a rival administration, the Government of National Accord has won support from politicians, civil society leaders and state institutions, including the NOC and the central bank which are the depositors of Libya's oil wealth.

The GNA has established its headquarters in a Tripoli naval base, but still needs the formal endorsement of the country's elected parliament.

Oil is Libya's main natural resource, with reserves estimated at 48 billion barrels, the largest in Africa.

Libya had an output capacity of about 1.6 million barrels per day before the revolt, accounting for more than 95 per cent of exports and 75 per cent of the budget.

But production has slumped amid violence as rival forces battled for control of oil terminals.

"In the last three years, we have lost close to USD 75 billion up to April 2016 due to blockades at our oil ports and oil pipelines by militias," the NOC said in its statement.

"That is USD 20,000 for every adult in this country.

"This is the money that could be rebuilding the country, providing for basic needs, medicines and healthcare, electricity, education and so on," it said.
Eyeing the May 16 Assembly polls, BJP today said the time has come for the saffron party to open its account in Kerala Assembly.

While addressing an election rally for the Assembly polls, Union minister Rajiv Pratap Rudy said, "Time has come for the doors of Niyama Sabha (state assembly) to open for BJP MLAs."

The saffron party, which has so far not succeeded in sending even a single MLA to the state assembly, is launching an all out battle to woo the electorate.

Top BJP national leaders led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be addressing a series of election rallies from this week.

"Though he was not an astrologer or soothsayer, the writing on the wall was clear that BJP would open its account and the next government would that be of the BJP," he said.

Attacking the Congress led UDF and CPI(m) led LDF, he said the Congress at the national level had come to a naught and the Communist party's reign was not only over in India, but all over the world.

Referring to the Congress- CPI(M) understanding in the West Bengal elections, he said while the two frontsfight each other in Kerala on ideological differences, they are however, friends in West Bengal.

Asking party workers not to be disheartened, Rudy said BJP which started off with two MPs in the 1984 Parliamentary elections, emerged as the single largest party with 284 MPs and had over 400 MPs in both houses of Parliament presently, besides over 2,000 MLAs.

BJP government is ruling in Goa, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Chattisgarh, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Jharkhand, Punjab, Haryana and in J&K, where it was part of the coalition government, he said.

Union Health minister J P Nadda said it was not the people who had failed the state, but the leaders.

About 50,000 IT professionals from Kerala were working in Bengaluru, instead of Kerala as there are no IT hubs here.

Good construction workers are in Saudi Arabia and Dubai and no development was taking place in the state, he alleged.
Come July and Delhiites will be able to travel on metro trains, DTC and cluster buses using a 'Common Mobility Card', with the city government deciding to launch the project for seamless travel on modes of public transport.

The Delhi government is finalising the modalities of the project which will be launched in a phased manner in the national capital.

"We will launch 'Common Mobility Card' project in July this year through which passengers can travel in Metro trains, DTC buses and cluster buses (orange) run by DIMTS. The project will be launched on a trial-basis in Delhi," Delhi Transport Minister Gopal Rai told PTI.

The Minister said by the end of June, fares will be charged in all DTC buses and Cluster buses through e-ticketing machines (ETM) and thereafter government will move towards the launch of 'Common Mobility Card'.

"We are currently in talks with the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) for finalising a revenue sharing model. In July, commuterss can travel in metro, DTC buses, and Cluster buses through Common Mobility Card.

"As per the plan, while boarding the bus a commuter will have to give this card to conductor who will swipe it in an e-ticketing machine and, just before getting off the vehicle, he or she will again have to swipe the card in the ETM and fares will be automatically deducted like the metro," the transport minister said.

Common mobility card had been proposed during the Commonwealth Games but the project did not take off due to financial reasons.

As part of strengthening public transport system, the AAP government has chalked out a concrete plan, including buying 3,000 new buses till December this year, installation of CCTV cameras and wi-fi services in buses.

CCTV cameras have already been installed in over 200 DTC buses so far.
A Mi-17 chopper of the IAF began water sprinkling operations in Nainital today to control raging forest fires which have destroyed 2,269 hectares of forested area across Uttarakhand, even as another chopper engaged for the same mission failed to take off due to low visibility.

The chopper, which has the capacity of carrying 3000 litres of water, is collecting water from Bhimtal lake and making sorties of Almakhan, Kilbari and Nalena areas of the district to douse the fires, Principal Conservator of Forest and nodal officer B P Gupta told PTI.

However, another IAF chopper engaged for the same purpose in Pauri has not been able to take off due to low visibility, Pauri District Magistrate Chandrasekhar Bhatt said.

The chopper has collected water from Shrinagar dam but will make a sortie over areas where fires are active only when visibility improves, he said.

However, with the two choppers pressed into service and all security agencies besides locals involved in fire extinguishing operations the situation is likely to be brought under control in a couple of days, the PCF said.

Seven persons have been killed due to forest fires, which have spread to sparsely populated remote hill areas.

Pauri, Nainital, Rudraprayag and Tehri are among the worst hit districts, Gupta said but hoped with all agencies activated the situation was bound to improve.

Three companies of the NDRF, one of SDRF besides PRD and homeguard personnel are currently engaged in the operations, he said.

With the MeT department predicting a significant fall in day temperatures after May 2, forest fires may get under control after a couple of days, he said but added that the administration will have to remain alert for the next 35 days to prevent fresh forest fire incidents.
Fifteen migrants are missing after their boat sank on Friday, the second shipwreck that day in the Mediterranean, bringing the number of lives lost to almost 100, the UN said today.

A boat carrying around 120 people had sunk early Friday, four hours after leaving Libya for Italy, UN refugee agency (UNHCR) spokeswoman Carlotta Sami told AFP, adding that "some 15 persons went missing".

Among the missing were four Nigerians, two people from the Ivory Coast, three from Guinea, two from Sudan and one from Mali, she said.

Survivors were being disembarked in Pozzallo, Sicily, she said, adding that eight people had been taken straight to hospital "due to their serious health conditions," and that two bodies had also been disembarked.

The came a day after the International Organization for Migration said that only 26 people were rescued from an inflatable boat carrying around 110 migrants when it sank off Libya in a separate shipwreck Friday.

Sami said Sunday that 27 people, including four women, were rescued from that boat sinking.

Survivors had provided harrowing accounts of the tragedy, both UNHCR and IOM said.

"Due to the very bad conditions of the sea, some two hours after the departure the small boat started to take on water," just a few miles off shore, Sami said in an email.

IOM spokesman in Italy, Flavio Di Giacomo, told AFP Saturday that the vessel had been "in a very bad state, was taking on water and many people fell into the water and drowned."



The boat in the end broke into two parts throwing all the passengers into the waves, Sami said.

Rough seas and waves topping two metres (seven feet) hampered attempts to find any other survivors.

Sami said the health conditions of several of the survivors were "reportedly serious."



"Survivors say they lost relatives and friends during the shipwreck," she said.

The first hint of the tragedy came early Saturday, when Italy's coastguard said an Italian cargo ship had rescued 26 migrants from a flimsy boat sinking off the coast of Libya but voiced fears that dozens more could be missing.

The coastguard received a call from a satellite phone late Friday that helped locate the stricken inflatable and called on the merchant ship to make a detour to the area about seven kilometres off the Libyan coast near Sabratha.

The migrants rescued were transferred to two coastguard vessel and taken to the Italian island of Lampedusa.

More than 350,000 people fleeing conflict and poverty have reached Italy on boats from Libya since the start of 2014, as Europe struggles to manage its biggest migration crisis since World War II.

The Red Cross also voiced alarm at Friday's tragic boat sinkings, warning that more were likely to come.
Vedanta Group firm, THL Zinc Ltd, has sought a rollover of a controversial $1.25-billion loan, taken from the conglomerates cash-rich oil explorer Cairn India in July 2014. The loan, which was extended for two years at floating rate of three per cent plus LIBOR, was to be repaid by July 2016.

CIHL (Cairn India Holdings Ltd), which is a 100 per cent subsidiary of Cairn India, has received a request from THL Zinc for the rollover of the loan and a sub-committee comprising two independent directors have been constituted to review the said rollover request, Chief Financial Officer Sudhir Mathur said in an investor call, transcript of which was made public on Friday evening.

The loan had become controversial in 2014 as Cairn had not disclosed extending of loan to its new parent Group. It came to light only in the analyst call in July 2014 but not before $800 mn out of the total loan of $1.25 bn had already been disbursed.

Mathur said the panel of independent directors would be going into the details of this rollover request and we will get back to you one way or another what decision of the directors is.

In September 2015, London-listed Vedanta Resources Plc, the parent firm of Vedanta, said the $1.25-bn loan was used to repay $800 mn of principal and $450 mn in interest on another inter-company loan.

In June last year, it proposed merging Cairn India with Vedanta Ltd. If the proposed merger goes through, it could mean that the $1.250-bn loan is written off.

When an analyst asked if cash reserves can be lent to the promoters without going to minority shareholders, he said, I think there was no law which prevented this loan from being given.



Under the new Companies Act, companies need to take shareholder nod for related party transactions.

Mathur said the independent directors committee would seek advice on all these elements.

"They would be going into details of this extension, this rollover terms to be changed if any. We will get back to you one way or the other," he said.

Mathur, however, did not say Vedanta is seeking rollover for how many years.

Asked if the parent group has sought additional loan, he said, "There is no request and we do not foresee any request for incremental loan."



Cairn had a cash balance of Rs 19,500 crore at the end of March 31, 2016.

In 2014, it had used its cash to buy back shares that helped Vedanta gain greater control of the firm. It bought 36.7 million shares for Rs 1,225 crore and extinguished them, resulting in promoter shareholding rising from 58.76 per cent to 59.90 per cent.

Vedanta group shareholding would have gone up to 64.53 per cent, had Cairn been able to buy all the 170.9 million share it had intended to buy back for up to Rs 5,725 crore. It could not as Cairn share traded higher than Rs 335 offered.

Mathur said, "All the interest (on the USD 1.25 billion loan) that was to received from THL Zinc has been received."
Hundreds of people gathered today in the Vietnamese capital to protest against a Taiwanese company suspected of involvement in a toxic leak that has hit the fishing industry along the central coast.

Tonnes of dead clams were found last week in Ha Tinh province where fish began washing up on beaches earlier in April, sparking a public outcry.

The area is home to a large steel mill run by a Taiwanese conglomerate, Formosa.

Demonstrators who marched around Hoan Kiem lake in central Hanoi carried banners reading "Formosa out of Vietnam", "The sea dies, we die" and "Save our sea".

Reports on social media said hundreds of demonstrators also massed in Ho Chi Minh City in the south.

Although an official inquiry is continuing, state-run media has pointed the finger at a 1.5 kilometre waste water pipeline from Formosa's multi-billion dollar steel plant to the ocean.

The company has a long history of environmental scandals spanning the globe, although the probe has yet to directly link Formosa's operations to the fish poisoning.

Chou Chun Fan, a Formosa company official, was sacked after he said Vietnamese "need to choose whether to catch fish and shrimp or to build a state-of-the-art steel mill".

The company apologised for the comments and has launched its own inquiry.

"I think Formosa knows that their acts caused environmental pollution," said Vu Cong Thuan, 50, a demonstrator in Hanoi.

"Formosa's plant must be closed," Thuan told AFP.

Officials in the communist nation have admitted failures in how they handled the incident.

"Our response to the environmental disaster was slow," said Environment Minister Tran Hong Ha in the state-run Tuoi Tre newspaper.

Formosa has been ordered to raise the pipeline "to make it easier for monitoring and supervision", he added.

Newly appointed Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has vowed to "seriously punish" any party found responsible.

Media reports earlier said Formosa had imported some 300 tonnes of toxic chemicals to clean the waste-water pipeline, a shipment the Vietnam Environment Administration said it was unaware of.
Yemen's government suspended today its participation in "direct" talks with Iran-backed rebels in protest at their takeover of a military base in the war-torn country despite a ceasefire, officials said.

But government representatives will remain in Kuwait where they will continue to take part in indirect talks through UN mediator Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed, delegates said.

"We have decided to suspend direct talks with the rebels to protest continuing violations of the ceasefire" that came into effect on April 11, a senior government official told AFP.

"We call on the United Nations to act seriously to end these violations which threaten to undermine the peace talks," said the government official who declined to be named.

He said a session that had been scheduled for today afternoon would not take place, adding however that "contacts will continue with the UN mediator and sponsors" of the peace talks.

Yesterday, Yemen's warring parties held their first face-to-face talks since the negotiations opened in Kuwait on April 21.

The UN envoy said these direct talks were "productive" and had touched on key issues.

But later yesterday, the rebels and their allies overran Al-Amaliqa base in northern Yemen after hours of clashes, tribal and military sources said, adding that the fighting caused casualties.

The sources said that the commanders of the 600-strong brigade, located in the rebel stronghold province of Amran since 2014, had "chosen to remain neutral" as pro-government forces, backed a Saudi-led coalition, clashed with the insurgents across Yemen.

"The attack against Al-Amaliqa brigade torpedoes the peace consultations in Kuwait," Yemeni Foreign Minister Abdulmalek al-Mikhlafi, who heads his government's delegation in Kuwait, said on Twitter.

Mikhlafi said his delegation will take "a suitable position" towards the rebels' "crime" against Al-Amaliqa base without elaborating.

Yemen's warring parties have repeatedly traded blame for ceasefire violations.

Government loyalists said they have recorded "3,694 ceasefire violations by the Huthis and their allies" -- troops fighting in support of former president Ali Abdullah Saleh.

Meanwhile, the rebels accused government forces and the Saudi-led coalition backing them of 4,000 breaches.

The coalition in March 2015 launched a military campaign against the rebels, who have seized the capital Sanaa among other parts of the country.

More than 6,400 people have been killed since then and around 2.8 million displaced.

Rebel spokesman Mohammed Abdulsalam wrote on Facebook yesterday that Saudi Arabia freed 40 Yemeni rebel prisoners, as part of a deal reached with the kingdom in March to calm the situation along the border.
How did bathrooms suddenly get to be a problem?

In North Carolina, legislators have whipped themselves up into a frenzy over the sanctity of potties.

Apparently North Carolina legislators see a transgender person under every bed. Or maybe in every bathroom stall.

Legislators, apparently having solved all those niggling problems like public education, joblessness and the uninsured, are now focused on bathrooms. That is, keeping people who were born as boys and who now believe they are girls out of women's bathrooms.

The law they wrote mandates that you must do your business in the bathroom assigned to the sex that is on your birth certificate. How this would be enforced  " I need to see your birth certificate, ma'am"  hasn't been made clear.

I had thought that maybe North Carolina's public latrines were the only ones being stormed in massive numbers by transgender folk. But no.

Now Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick has told the Texas Tribune that Texas needs to protect its public restrooms against transgender folks. Patrick says the next Legislature will likely see a bill introduced along the lines of North Carolina. And he's for it.

"I think the handwriting is on the bathroom wall: Men need to stay out of the ladies' room," Patrick said. "This isn't about equal rights. This isn't about being against anyone or anti-any person. This is about common sense, common decency and allowing women to have comfort when they're in the bathroom."

So it's not about discriminating against people or fear mongering. It's about protecting the womenfolk.

If having transgender users of public bathrooms is a problem, it's hard to detect. However, this past week a real problem, a problem that affects thousands of people, did make the news.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that the suicide rate among Americans since 1994 has risen to alarming levels. The suicide rate from 1994 to 2014 rose 24 percent. Among the common causes of death, such as heart disease and cancer, it was the only one to increase last year while the others continued to fall.

There was no age group that was safe from the suicide rate increase, though adult men and young girls particularly stood out. Nor was there any one method of death that was statistically a favorite.

Guns, pills and suffocation  i.e., hanging  were all methods by which people chose to end their life.

The suicide rate among middle-aged adults is so high that the life expectancy of white men has now declined. The suicide rate among very young girls, 5 to 14 of age, though still very small in numbers, has tripled.

Why do we fixate on ridiculous things like how who goes into bathrooms when so many people are hurting so bad that they wish to end their lives?

Experts asked to comment on the suicide rate have focused on the need for more psychiatric services, reduced gun ownership, more counseling and elderly care.

Yes, but the fact of so many suicides by so many young people, so many women and men in their most productive years and of the elderly says something else, too.

It says, I believe, a great deal about hopelessness, about loneliness, about the absence of a friendly voice, a warm touch and human companionship. It says that so many people see no reason for their existence, no value in their continuing to be part of the world and are so desperate to end their misery that they vote against life.

Trying to ease this pain, I would say, is a far higher priority than worrying about who is in the next bathroom stall.

But expect to hear much more about the transgender threat, such as it is.

Our lieutenant governor, never one to let a demagogic issue go to waste, has already announced he is boycotting any business that allows "men to use women's bathrooms." The man has his principles.

In the meantime, people are under terrific stress as the economy changes, as divorces mount, as more people live alone, as drugs offer relief from a pain that has no relief. They are looking for something to hold onto, something to believe in.

Well, at least if the lieutenant governor and his supporters get their way, they will be safe in their bathrooms.

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.
GEORGE TULEY/SPECIAL TO THE CALLER-TIMES Cassie Pena (left) was crowned Miss Buc Days 2016 by Ariana Rodriguez, Miss Buc Days 2015, on Saturday, April 30, 2016, at the Congressman Solomon P. Ortiz International Center in Corpus Christi.

SHARE GEORGE TULEY/SPECIAL TO THE CALLER-TIMES Ariana Rodriguez (left), Miss Buc Days 2015, announced 2016 Buc Days King Michael Villarreal on Saturday, April 30, 2016, at the Congressman Solomon P. Ortiz International Center in Corpus Christi. GEORGE TULEY/SPECIAL TO THE CALLER-TIMES Buc Days King Michael Villarreal (from left), stands with first runner up Derek Vasquez and second runner up Jordan Balboa on Saturday, April 30, 2016, at the Solomon Ortiz Center in Corpus Christi. GEORGE TULEY/SPECIAL TO THE CALLER-TIMES Miss Buc Days 2016 first runner up Lauren Garcia (from left), second runner up Maegan Leeton and Miss Buc Days 2016 Cassie Pena were announced Saturday, April 30, 2016, at the Congressman Solomon P. Ortiz International Center in Corpus Christi. GEORGE TULEY/SPECIAL TO THE CALLER-TIMES Cassie Pena (left) smiles after being crowned Miss Buc Days 2016 by Ariana Rodriguez (right), Miss Buc Days 2015, as Betty Garcia looks on Saturday, April 30, 2016, at the Congressman Solomon P. Ortiz International Center in Corpus Christi.

By Esther Hackleman, Esther.M.Hackleman@caller.com

Miss Buc Days 2016 Cassie Pena's smile dazzled as brightly as her crown at the Buc Days Scholarship reception, which awarded $37,000 to 20 Coastal Bend students.

The Collegiate High School senior held two bouquets  one in each arm  to represent the awards she received Saturday at the Congressman Solomon P. Ortiz International Center.

"It is an honor to have my peers choose me as Miss Congeniality and to have the commissioners choose me as Miss Buc Days," Pena said. "My goal is to get my bachelor's degree paid for, and this is going to make a huge dent in my tuition."

Pena and her counterpart Michael Villarreal, who was named Buc Days King, received $6,000 scholarships to attend their chosen university, Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi, in the fall.

"This scholarship opens up new doors for what I'm able to accomplish in life," Villarreal said. "This is an amazing opportunity."

This year, the Buccaneer Foundation received the most applicants in its history. Of the 90 students who applied for the scholarships, 20 students were named finalists. First runners up received $3,500, second runners up received $2,000 and all other finalists received $1,000. Since 1996, the foundation has awarded more than $800,000 to students in the Coastal Bend, but the reward doesn't stop there.

The 10 young women and 10 young men who are ambassadors for all things Buc Days received a leadership development course and met with community leaders to learn about the city's history and civic opportunities, Buccaneer Commission Sponsorship and Promotion Manager Tricia Perrone said.

"(The program) is formatted to help prepare the contestants for college and their success in life," Perrone said.

Twitter: @Caller_Esther

Miss Buc Days and Buc Days King Scholarship winners

Miss Buc Days: Cassie Pena, Collegiate High School

Buc Days King: Michael Villarreal, Ray High School

Miss Buc Days runner up: Lauren Garcia, Alice High School

Buc Days King runner up: Derek Vasquez, Ray High School

Miss Buc Days second runner up: Maegan Leeton, King High School

Buc Days King second runner up: Jordan Balboa, Carroll High School
SHARE Gaytan Contributed photo Family members said they were celebrating the birthday of 6-year-old Nevaeh Oliva's family member when the shooting began. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO Family members said they were celebrating the birthday of Lillyanna Valent's 1-year-old brother when the shooting began. She died from a gunshot wound to the head.

By Krista M. Torralva of the Caller-Times

An overturned conviction for one man could pave the way for another convicted killer's second chance.

Brendon Gaytan's lawyer, Ron Barroso, focused his arguments to an appeals court in April on the conclusion that Gaytan's trial lawyers failed by not showing the jury a series of police-recorded interviews. Those interviews showed the only person who identified Gaytan as the shooter in a double homicide had changed his account. That, along with other missteps in the trial, meant he shouldn't have been convicted of capital murder, he argued.

Gaytan, 28, has long said he wasn't to blame for the deaths of Lillyanna Valent, 2, and Nevaeh Oliva, 6. The jury sentenced him to life in prison.

The two girls were killed Feb. 16, 2014, during a shooting at a house in the 4700 block of Cheryl Drive near Ayers Street.

The same day Barroso made his arguments to the 13th Court of Appeals a higher court decided another Nueces County man deserved another trial in an unrelated case.

The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals overturned the murder conviction for Heriberto Saenz because his trial lawyer didn't show the jury video of the only person to identify Saenz telling police he would not recognize the shooter if he saw him again.

The similarities didn't go unnoticed by the justices who will decide Gaytan's fate.

They asked Barroso and the prosecutors to submit additional documents to address the effect the higher court's decision in Saenz's case might have on Gaytan's case.

"The facts in (Gaytan's) case are more offensive and egregious than those in (Saenz's)," Barroso argued in newly filed documents.

The chance of two similar cases with similar issues coinciding is rare, said former Nueces County District Attorney Grant Jones. Jones, a criminal defense lawyer not involved in the case, said the higher court's decision may set a binding precedence.

"I would say the court of appeals is concerned," Jones said. "Even if Saenz was not there, I say that they may have reversed it on their own."

In Saenz's case, the cousin of a teen killed in a 2009 drive-by shooting testified he saw Saenz in the vehicle. Shortly after the shooting he said he'd only seen the gun out the window.

"Although the record shows that trial counsel challenged the reliability of (his) identification of (Saenz) through other avenues, none of those avenues were as damaging to (his) reliability as his prior statement shortly after the shooting that he did not believe he would be able to identify the shooter," the judges wrote in their reversal.

Nueces County prosecutors haven't said whether they'd retry Saenz, who hasn't yet been freed from a North Texas prison.

In Gaytan's case, Arnold Valent, the father of one of the girls killed in the 2014 shooting, told police the night of the shooting he didn't see the faces of the shooters as he walked outside the house. Detectives told him they suspected Gaytan but said they didn't have enough evidence to arrest him.

Days later, Valent went to the police station and told the detectives he remembered seeing Gaytan. The police asked Valent how sure he was that the shooter was Gaytan. Valent told them 75 percent sure. The detectives said they needed him to be 100 percent sure. He then told them he was 100 sure.

Valent's "in-court identification would have been severely crippled by Valent's prior inconsistent statements at first denying he saw the shooter, then after being told by police that (Gaytan) was the shooter coming back to claim he saw (Gaytan)," Barroso's brief states.

Without Valent, the state doesn't have a case, Jones said.

"That's the only evidence. It's an eyewitness case, period," Jones said.

However, prosecutors have repeatedly pointed to other evidence tying Gaytan to the killings including the testimony of people who said he asked to borrow a car the day of the shooting. Those witnesses testified he left a house on Dolores Street in a borrowed blue Malibu and later wiped down the keys with a shirt, which prosecutors suggested was to clean off fingerprints.

The state has about two weeks to respond to the latest filings.

Twitter: @CallerKMT
Caller-Times file Corpus Christi Police Chief Floyd Simpson addresses the crowd on May 12, 2014, during the Eighth Annual Coastal Bend Regional Peace Officers Memorial Day Ceremony at the Congressman Solomon P. Ortiz International Center. Simpson was a charismatic leader, friends and other leaders said, a people person who treated everyone with respect.

SHARE Floyd Simpson GABE HERNANDEZ/CALLER-TIMES file Corpus Christi Police Chief Floyd Simpson greets the public during the Buc Days Toyota Illuminated Night Parade on May 2, 2015, in front of City Hall. The parade was Simpson's final public event before a motorcycle wreck on State Highway 361. Caller-Times file Police Chief Floyd Simpson laughs as he jokes with Special Olympics athlete Robert Katocs on July 23, 2014, during a Tip a Cop fundraiser. The fundraiser benefitted area Special Olympic Texas athletes. Simpson volunteered many hours to Special Olympics events. COURTNEY SACCO/CALLER-TIMES FILE Terry Mills tears up as a video remembering the late Police Chief Floyd Simpson plays during "The Legacy of Chief Simpson" program at the Congressman Solomon P. Ortiz International Center on Sept. 22.

By Chris Ramirez of the Caller-Times

It's a police chief's nightmare.

A dispatcher's voice crackled over a scratchy scanner that officers had been shot.

Information was sketchy and fluid, but Floyd Simpson knew the basics  the officers were alive, and the man who authorities believe drew down on them was in custody.

"We prayed, and the chief joined us," recalled the Rev. Don Leavell, senior pastor at Corpus Christi Christian Fellowship.

Minutes passed. Simpson's thoughts immediately dwelled on his employees.

But they didn't stop there.

"He said 'I also want you to pray for the perpetrator.' So we did,"said Leavell, Simpson's reverend. "That's just ... the kind of man he was."

Simpson made history in Corpus Christi in March 2012 when he was hired to run the Corpus Christi Police Department. He was the first black person to ever hold the post.

He was killed in a motorcycle crash on State Highway 361 in Port Aransas on May 3, 2015.

The father of four was 51 when he died.

Now, nearly a year later, those closest to Simpson say he left a void that has been hard to fill.

"He was caring and personable, a people person who treated everyone he met with respect," said Terry Mills, president of the NAACP's local chapter. "Some of our elected officials could learn a lot from the example he set."

A buttoned-up, paper-pushing lawman who hid behind mounds of administrative work and a closed office door couldn't be a further-from-accurate description of Simpson. Anyone who circled in his orbit, even if only for a moment, remember the always-grinning Simpson as a charismatic, hands-on truth teller who believed in transparency for his 450-officer police force.

Losing him was hard, particularly in Corpus Christi's black community.

K.D. Logan organized a Juneteenth concert shortly after Simpson was named chief. The two men talked during the show, and Logan followed Simpson's career with the department.

Simpson earned a lot of respect from parents by making a priority of visiting schools and reading to children in libraries.

"He understood kids," said Logan, co-founder of Gospel Express, an organization that tries to inspire youth involvement in music. "If he were alive today, he could run for any office and win.

"Chief Simpson's qualities were such that ... people overlooked race. He was liked by all people."

The sad memories of receiving the news of Simpson's death and the days of grief that followed were still fresh in Leavell's mind, he told the Caller-Times last week.

Corpus Christi Christian Fellowship planned two prayer services Sunday for the Simpson family. Leavell said Simpson's faith both shaped a personality that was universally accepted and guided his sensibility as a lawman.

"He was an example of Christianity in its reality. Floyd Simpson was not a ... black policeman. That was skin color, his race," he said. "This man transcended ethnicity. His relationship with Jesus Christ made him unique."

The U.S. Census Bureau estimated there were 13,100 black people living in Corpus Christi in 2010, or 4.3 percent of the city's population. They made up 11.8 percent of the state's population that year. Results of a mid-decade census are not yet available. However, Mills said it's reasonable to believe Corpus Christi's black population has increased, given recent economic growth in the region.

Simpson's role within city government should have signaled to outsiders that Corpus Christi is evolving. But the momentum can't stop in his absence, Mills said.

"You should want to have a city government, a county government that mirrors  the community," Mills said. "When businesses think about moving somewhere, they look at (a community's) crime, education and its diversity.

"We could get the next GM plant looking to come here. But if you don't have diversity, you may miss out on a contract."

Jeremy L. Coleman hoped Simpson's profile with the city, though brief, could become a catalyst for change.

He heads The Movement 2016. One of the group's goals is to recruit more blacks to serve in higher-ranking positions in the community  both in government and in commerce.

A review by the Caller-Times in 2014 found while only a third of the city's full-time workforce was made up of non-Hispanic whites, they occupied 57 percent of the city most well-paid positions. Blacks filled about 5 percent of the highest paying jobs, which was higher than the overall workforce representation of about 4 percent. The highest ranking black police officer is Capt. Anthony Sanders, who is training in Virginia until June.

In December, Coleman led an effort to get the City Council to consider appointing a black person when then-Councilwoman Lillian Riojas stepped down to accept a promotion in San Antonio with her employer, Valero. Michael Taylor Hunter, who is white, ultimately was selected.

"Good leaders come and do things in a short period of time. I read about JFK, other pastors who have come to this city and served for a few years. I see Simpson in that same way," said Coleman, 35. "There was something about him in that time he served as chief ... It's something that's hard to replace."

The last African-American on the council was Welder Brown, who served from 1983-1985.

Some in the black community fear their concerns, such as poverty, housing affordability and unemployment, may be overlooked in Simpson's absence, Lamont C. Taylor said.

Taylor is co-chairman of the Citizens Alliance for Fairness & Progress. The group has been instrumental in effort to secure fair treatment for residents of Hillcrest, one of the city's historically black neighborhoods.

Hillcrest is expected to be significantly impacted by an $898 million state project to replace the Harbor Bridge. The Port of Corpus Christi wants land in the neighborhood and has pledged up to $20 million to relocate residents there.

"(Black neighborhoods) have been the victims of benign neglect for years," Taylor said. "He (Simpson) had the opportunity to bring us to the table. Being at the table is still important to the black community, even though he's gone."

Twitter: @Caller_ChrisRam
SHARE BEATRIZ ALVARADO/CALLER-TIMES File Del Mar College plans to establish a campus on the city's Southside.

Del Mar College has recently announced plans to establish a Southside campus. While attending one of the public presentations, the excitement of others reviewing the plans was readily apparent.

The architects and engineers on hand discussed everything from building location and use to city traffic routes  all the way down to parking. In response to an inquiry about flooding, a detailed answer was provided that showed how occupied areas would be protected by storm sewers and a pond situated at the southeast corner of the tract the college already owns.

The entire presentation and answers to questions were all documented and can be reviewed at www.delmartomorrow.com. Everything seemed to be supported by facts, which often included graphs and schematics to add clarity.

For the most part, comments were positive. There were questions from people who live in the area near the proposed location.

One attendee, among other things, raised the contention that Del Mar College has had a declining enrollment. His source of information was never revealed, but it was similar to another drumbeat going around town.

A dilettante may conclude the declining enrollment portends the decrease in demand for a community college education. On the other hand, a first-year economics student would ask, "What is causing the enrollment decline, or more accurately, enrollment fluctuations?"

The Texas Association of Community Colleges has been watching enrollments for decades. The association's collection of data reveals a direct correlation between enrollment levels and levels of either employment or unemployment.

Stated differently, as the unemployment rate increases, enrollment rates tend to rise, too. Ostensibly, people are trying to position themselves for a new or different labor market. Conversely, in a booming economy, people tend to rush to those jobs that pay the big bucks and put further education on the back burner.

Remember, as often as not, community colleges have more than one type of enrollment. The academic component focuses on what used to be referred to as reading, writing and arithmetic. Now, academics include sciences and other disciplines as well.

Like other colleges, Del Mar offers other curricula that may include anything from GED or high school equivalency preparation to high demand workforce training. These are not typical college semester classes but are geared for a particular objective. They can range from one to 18 weeks in duration. Del Mar achieves those ends both effectively and successfully.

A walk around the East Campus will confirm that many of the buildings currently in use were being used more than a half century ago. Some are a good bit older. While the older buildings generated many memories, the current reality is that maintenance costs can rise quickly and exponentially with continued use of those buildings.

Many existing buildings are simply limited in their scope of use. As an example, it is debatable that any existing East Campus building could be retrofitted to meaningfully contain the proposed culinary institute. Not only could the result be less than desired but could be cost prohibitive. There are other situations where new buildings would be economically warranted.

While it may have been a rite of passage for all new students at Del Mar, parking was a nightmare in 1965. Finding a parking place to attend an 8 a.m. class often entailed starting the search an hour beforehand. Otherwise, parking would be relegated to adjacent neighborhoods. That condition to a lesser extent still exists on the East Campus.

Is there another conceivable location for Del Mar's expansion? Possibly. But, the proposed location provides a clean slate for an educational expansion. Additionally, the location follows the city's growth pattern. The parking problem would be eliminated at the Southside location.

Following the guidance, expertise and experience of the engineers, architects and school officials, who have meaningful experience in this type of undertaking, would probably be a wise move.

An educated population should be a public policy goal. Del Mar has a long history of educating area residents, industry employees and the military, and the college continuously strives to maintain that objective. Del Mar College's Southside expansion clearly deserves the community's support.

Claude V. D'Unger is a lifelong resident and completed coursework at Del Mar College in the 1960s and early 2000s.
SHARE

Wesley, Kyler & Colby, Boy Scouts South Texas Council, Troop 52

Ways to clean up our city

We are members of a local Boy Scout troop that open every meeting with the outdoor code: As an American, I will do my best to  Be clean in my outdoor manners. Be careful with fire. Be considerate in the outdoors. Be conservation minded.

We believe that having more police officers patrolling on foot, horseback, motorcycle or Segway will keep our streets cleaner because people won't litter if they know they will be fined immediately. Litterbugs also could be sentenced to pick up trash under supervision instead of paying a fine. We also think that the city should have more trash cans available for the public in tourist areas and that they should be emptied regularly. We think that people should have a neighborhood cleanup at least once a month. Companies could help by cleaning their parking lots and the land near their facilities. They could also donate trash bags, water, gloves and other supplies for volunteers.

If Corpus Christi would pay attention to the outdoor code then we might begin to look like the Sparkling City by the Sea.
Making something special for Mother's Day? Try one of our favourite spring desserts!

1. Chocolate Espresso Tart

Six ingredients are all you need to whip up this fancy (and super-easy!) Chocolate Espresso Tart. With its rectangular shape, it's a beautiful dessert to bring to the table come dessert time.





Photography by Ryan Brook



2. Lightened-Up Lemon Drop Cheesecake

Candied lemon zest turns this Lightened-Up Lemon Drop Cheesecake into a celebratory dessert fit for Mother's Day.





Photography by Joe Kim



3. Honey Rhubarb Cobbler

A real crowd-pleaser, this Honey Rhubarb Cobbler is best served with a scoop of vanilla ice cream for an extra-special touch. If you can't find fresh rhubarb, you can substitute for the same amount of the frozen variety.





Photography by Joe Kim



4. German Chocolate Cake

A heavenly combination of chocolate, coconut and pecan, our German Chocolate Cake is a real showstopper. To free up time for Mother's Day festivities, make the cake one day ahead and store it in the fridge for up to 24 hours.





Photography by Ryan Brook



5. Layered Strawberry Rhubarb Trifle

With layers of sweet orange and vanilla bean custard and tart rhubarb, this spring trifle is both flavourful and stunning. Top with a few pretty edible flowers just before serving.





Photography by Jeff Coulson
Food

By: Cook Britain

With layers of airy sponge and sweet buttercream balanced by decadent coffee and walnut flavours, this cake is simply divine.

Read More
Saturday, April 30, 2016 at 7:57PM

If you regularly message someone with updates like youre heading home or stuck in traffic, the Other app for iOS will make it easier for you. Its a bit like a launcher for messaging but you just do it for another person (perhaps your spouse). It allows you to create canned messages that you can send through the iPhones Messages app. If you use one of the newer iPhones, you can even have a 3D Touch shortcut for this on your home screen. Other also comes with a share extension, letting you send URLs to this person with just a few taps.

Source: Lifehacker | Download: Apple App Store (Free)
"We have a number of infrastructure projects that will boost the construction industry in the territory, such as the first stage of our city-wide light rail project and Canberra's next public hospital at the University of Canberra.
Your digital subscription includes access to content from all our websites in your region. Access unlimited news content and The Canberra Times app. Premium subscribers also enjoy interactive puzzles and access to the digital version of our print edition - Today's Paper.
"Ahead of the budget, this confirms the positive effects of new university graduates, not only in the creation of new jobs for those without university degrees but also in their wages, as well as the overall employment and economic growth of the nation.
[Your Business Name]

<Your business address>

Contact Info

Phone: <Your business phone number>

Fax: <Your business fax number>

Email: <Your business e-mail address>

Web: CAPITOLHILLCUBANS.COM

<Your Business Headline>

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<Your list of brands>

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We Accept

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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.
Welcome to SwanseaOnline - your home for the best news, sports and what's on coverage of the city.

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This stealthy 1M took to the streets of Monaco recently during the Top Marques event.



It definitely did not go unnoticed: when it comes to exhaust crackles and bangs, this might be the most vocal BMW 1M weve ever heard.

See, its AK47 Performance exhaust system does make it sound like machine gun fire from a distance, especially during downshifts.

This is not as mad as the 750 HP G-Power 150i and its howling V10, but this doesnt detract one bit from its drama.

Were not sure what other mods the car might have, were talking about one seriously fast Bimmer, though, straight out of the box. The 1M is powered by a 3.0-liter turbocharged straight-six good for 340 PS and 500 Nm (368 lb-ft) of torque. It will accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h (62 mph) in 4.9 seconds. Slower than the current M2 Coupe, which succeeded it, but almost as fast as the E92 M3  and thats no mean feat.

VIDEO
Photo: Deborah Pfeiffer

Osoyoos Mayor Sue McKortoff said Friday that she was horrified by the School District 53 board's decision to close Osoyoos Secondary School.

The board voted 4-3 on the third reading of the school closure matter at its regular meeting on Wednesday night.

"It makes me wonder whether any of the things that have been sent in or the passionate pleas were considered with enough interest," she said.

This week's vote was the same as the April 6 vote to close the school.

It followed a public comment period, where parents and politicians again pleaded with the board to keep the town's only high school open.

As a result of the vote, the town is considering taking legal action.

McKortoff said that they are in the process of talking to lawyers and looking at what will work best for them.

"We are getting together the necessary documents and looking at whether this is a viable option," she said.

As for the town's recent offer of 350,000 a year for three years to the board, to ease financial concerns, nothing is happening with that, as the board turned it down.

The effort to get an independent school opened in the town is also going strong, the mayor said.

"That has taken on a life of its own," she said. "There are several people who have gotten together and come up with good ideas."

On another positive note, high school students presented the mayor and others with a banner with 200 signatures thanking them for the town's effort to keep the school open, on Thursday.

"We think that was a positive plus," said the mayor. "The passion and resolve of people in this town has been phenomenal to see."

Students from the high school are now slated to attend Southern Okanagan Secondary School in Oliver.

Board chair Marieze Tarr and Supt. Bev Young could not be immediately reached for comment on what's next.




Photo: Contributed

Kelowna is seeing a sharp increase in needle use year after year.

City of Kelowna bylaw services manager Greg Wise said there is already a significant increase in the first quarter of this year compared to last year in safely disposed used needles.

There is also a rise in both unused needles found in manufacturer packaging, in addition to unsecured needles.

As an example, in January of 2015, we were at 100 and in January of 2016 we saw 248. In February of 2015, we saw 170 and then in February 2016, we saw 693  which is a very concerning rise, he said.

The stats for appropriately, as well as inappropriately, discarded needles, include counts from the Parks Department, Bylaw Services and Downtown Kelowna.

As this has been a relatively new phenomena in this volume, the city is further developing best practices and further refining its reporting mechanisms to clarify further details, he explained.

Wise said new protocols have been put into place due to the noted increase in needles in some outdoor spaces.

Our staff has been trained on proper handling of sharps (the medical term for 'needles'), he explained. We are certainly working on this with Interior Health at a senior level to develop a strategy on how to mitigate the concerns that are occurring here.

According to Wise, the issue of needle disposal is a large and complex issue that cannot be tackled by just the city.

Interior Health (IH) distributes harm reduction supplies to clients on a case-by-case basis in Kelowna, said Jan Appleton, senior community manager, Central Okanagan, hospitals and communities integrated services (HCIS).

IH also provides sharps disposal containers of varying sizes to clients so that they can safely dispose of their needles. In addition, IH provides a needle disposal service out of its downtown Outreach Urban Health Centre, whereby used needles can be returned and are safely disposed of. 

However, IH does not offer a dedicated needle pick-up service.

We are aware that not all needles are being safely disposed of, and we can confirm that IH is working with stakeholders, including the city of Kelowna, to address discarded needles in the community, she said.

While the discovery of injection supplies is a challenging issue for Kelowna, the city isnt the only one in the province with the same problem.

Recently, Vancouver Coastal Health released numbers that showed nearly 140,000 needles were picked up off the ground in 2013. While in 2014 another 130,000 were reported. Last year, a staggering 250,000 were found.

There has been an increase in injectable drug use province-wide, said Wise of the issue. So, this is not just a Kelowna matter, even though we are seeing a significant increase.

Areas that needles are most often discovered by city workers are near Mill Creek, the 200 block of Leon Street, some private properties and City Park. But Wise said no specific area is worse than another as the amount of needles found around the city changes month-by-month.

Anything that is brought to our attention means we are being extra vigilant with patrols. City Park staff sweep areas daily and the beach areas are mechanically cleaned on a daily basis as well, he said, adding the parks and beaches in general remain safe.

More needle disposal containers are being placed in appropriate areas, but Wise wants residents to know that doesnt mean the city is encouraging drug-use, but instead encouraging safe disposal in order to protect the public.

I feel the parks are very safe, and yes we are seeing an increase so the public should be vigilant but we do have protocols in place that are addressing the concern.

City bylaw services responds to calls when needles are found in public areas, sidewalks, roadways and laneways, and they are working with the RCMP and other social agencies to develop additional solutions to this issue.

The Kelowna Fire Department also responds to calls for needle pick up. Fire Chief Jeff Carlisle said the department has also seen an increase in inappropriately discarded needles.

The trend does indicate that its going upwards, he said. It is not conclusive, as we dont really have the context for it.

In 2014, the department was called out to 96 needle pickups, while in 2015 they retrieved 135, and just since January of this year crews have picked up 53 inappropriately discarded needles.

What to do if you find a needle:

Found in the downtown area, contact the Downtown Kelowna Association Downtown On-call at 250-470-9058

Found in parks and public property, contact City of Kelowna parks department at 250-469-8503

Found on city roadways, sidewalks, laneways and rural parks and riparian areas, contact City of Kelowna bylaw services at 250-469-8686

Found on private property, contact the Kelowna Fire Department at 250-469-8801

The following is a needle report from the City of Kelowna for 2014, 2015 and the start of 2016.
Photo: The Canadian Press

The City of Vancouver has begun cracking down on unlicensed medical marijuana shops.

Prominent pot activist Jodie Emery says at least two dispensaries were issued $250 fines today, including Eden Medicinal Society which is located directly above a vapour lounge and glass shop that she owns.

The owner of Eden declined to comment on the enforcement measures.

Regulation began last year when the medical marijuana business began growing across Vancouver, but the city refused to grant permits to 140 dispensaries because they didn't comply with rules such as being too close to schools.

Today is the first day inspectors have enforced the regulations on stores that did not meet the rules, but were allowed to stay open through a six-month grace period.

Emery says the regulations are arbitrary and enforcing them will be expensive and do more harm than good.
Photo: UBC

Police say two men have been arrested on the University of British Columbia campus following an alleged sexual assault.

Officers responded to a report of a break and enter at a home in a residential neighbourhood on the campus early Saturday morning, and two men were taken into custody.

University RCMP say they're investigating allegations of sexual assault.

They say the suspects and the complainants are not known to each other.

The university sent a warning email to students last month after a man attempted to break into a lounge where a female student was studying.

Police earlier this year said the sexual assault of a 20-year-old woman on campus may have been connected to a series of "night prowler incidents" where a man was seen lurking in bathrooms and bedrooms at UBC residences.

Sgt. Annie Linteau with the University RCMP says it's too early to say if the latest incident is connected to other suspicious incidents on campus.
Photo: CTV

Tim Michalchuk has completed his journey of a million steps.

Michalchuk, who's from Bella Coola, began walking from Prince George to Vancouver on April 2 in an effort to raise money for his spouse's expensive stem cell treatment.

Shannon Dixon has multiple sclerosis, in which the insulating covers of nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord are damaged. As the disease progresses, it can cause havoc with co-ordination, double vision and muscle weakness as well as other symptoms. There is no known cure.

He walked through the Okanagan on his pilgrimage and was easy to spot in a bright red T-shirt with the slogan "A million steps to stop MS."

I have no feeling in the left side of my body or my right leg, Dickson told CTV News. When Im overtired or I push myself too far, I develop a head tick.

She was always so full of life, and to see that dimmed in anyway is heartbreaking, Michalchuk added. The stem cells should actually repair some of the nerves, and get her back on her feet where she was before. We want to rewind the clock a little bit and hopefully hold it there as long as we can.

Michalchuk left three older stepkids at home to take care of his wife and their two little children, aged four and seven, while he completed his month-long fundraising walk.

aI'd go to the end of the world and back if it meant helping this woman, he said during a stop in April while he was travelling through the Okanagan. But isn't that what we're supposed to do?

Michalchuk said hes almost a bit sad that the walk is now over.

His shins are black and blue from bruising and he's got blisters on his feet, "but he's done this for me, Dickson said.

Michalchuks long walk may have ended, but a new journey has begun.

In front of a crowd that included his children and grandparents, Michalchuk got down on one knee and proposed to the love of this life.

I need you to do me a favour, he said, pulling out a ring. Tell me youll marry me?

Of I course I will, in a heartbeat, said Dickson, embracing her future husband.

 with files from CTV Vancouver
Photo: NBC News12

More than one million goldfish now have a giant fishbowl to call home in a Phoenix suburb.

Tempe officials dumped roughly 1.2 million goldfish and minnows into Tempe Town Lake on Friday.

They say the fish will serve as a natural insect control for midge flies' larvae, which are at the bottom.

KPNX-TV in Phoenix reports the fish were transported from Arkansas by truck.

The man-made lake already has a variety of fish including bass and carp. The goldfish are expected to be a food source for the larger fish.

The lake was drained in March to replace a dam its west end. The lake is expected to reopen in May.

Officials say the new dam will be more cost-effective, dependable and last for at least 50 years.
Photo: The Canadian Press

The roars of lions filled the cargo section of Johannesburg's OR Tambo International Airport Saturday evening as 33 lions rescued from South American circuses landed in South Africa, where they will be released into a bush sanctuary for big cats.

It was the largest airlift of lions in history, said Jan Creamer, president of Animal Defenders International, which carried out the operation.

"These lion have suffered tremendously," Creamer said as the lions were loaded in crates onto trucks.

"They lived in small cages on the backs of trucks for their entire lives. Some of them had their teeth bashed in with steel pipes in circuses in Colombia and Peru. Some of them had their claws removed. ... It is a wonderful feeling to bring them back to their home."

Nine of the lions were surrendered by a circus in Colombia. The remaining 24 were rescued in raids on circuses in Peru by the animal defence group and officials enforcing a crackdown on wildlife trafficking.

The lions will be placed in quarantine in enclosures at the 5,000-hectare Emoya Big Cat Sanctuary in Vaalwater in northern South Africa, started three years ago by a single mother and her teenage daughter.

The 33 lions will be monitored by a vet for their first weeks in Africa. They will then be introduced to each other in a bonding enclosure. Many of the lions were never allowed to have direct physical contact with other lions and have never been together without a fence or a cage separating them.

Due to their poor physical state, the lions will never be able to hunt again and will have to be cared for with food and water for the rest of their lives. Emoya will feed the cats with game meat which it buys in bulk.

The enclosures will be fitted with drinking pools, platforms and toys to ensure the lions don't become bored and will be steadily expanded as they become familiar with their new life, said Savannah Heuser, who started Emoya with her mother.

Emoya, in an area with a mix of habitats including mountainous regions, rolling grasslands, forests, cliff caves and river gorges, has a strict non-breeding policy, Heuser told The Associated Press.

Female lions may receive contraceptive medications so they can remain with their mates, while males may undergo vasectomies to make sure that no lions are bred in captivity.

"The animals have no conservation value whatsoever. Many of them have been inbred," she said. "When we are sure that no breeding will take place, we allow males to interact with females. By then a pattern will have emerged ... and we will know which lions can be placed together."

Emoya was opened in 2012, when Heuser was 16. The sanctuary's first cat, a lion rescued from Cairo called Chanel, arrived in June 2013. The sanctuary is currently home to eight big cats, including two Siberian tigers.

The lions are part of 100 animals that were rescued in Peru. Bears, monkeys, birds and other native wildlife have been relocated to sanctuaries in Peru and a tiger has been sent to a new home in Florida.
Photo: Wayne Moore - Castanet

UPDATE: 6 a.m.

The fire at Green Bay Bible Camp started in a lounge area on the second floor of a two-storey dormitory.

West Kelowna firefighters arrived at the scene just before 10 p.m.

Guests and staff were in and around the building, said West Kelowna Fire Rescue assistant chief Darren Lee.

He praised their quick action to help confine the fire by closing doors to the lounge while they evacuated the building, thus starving the fire of oxygen and reducing its spread. No one was hurt in the incident.

Crews ran fire hoses through the courtyard and found the lounge area full of smoke. The fire was burning against an interior wall and had spread into the wall and attic space.

Firefighters removed drywall from the wall and ceilings to expose and extinguish the extended fire.

The fire prompted a heavy response. A total of four fire engines and two command vehicles were backed up by a ladder truck and an additional engine, which were were brought in later to perform fire watch and help resort guests secure their personal belongings. RCMP, B.C. Ambulance paramedics, BC Hydro and Fortis gas crews also responded to the incident.

A fire watch crew remained on scene through the night, monitoring for hot spots.

Fire investigators will return this morning to determine the cause and origin of the fire.

ORIGINAL: 11 p.m.

Firefighters in West Kelowna were quick to extinguish a fire in a dormitory at the Green Bay Bible Camp in West Kelowna.

Multiple 911 calls prompted crews to respond with three engines and about 25 firefighters and staff, late Saturday.

"Our crews fought a fire on the second floor. We were able to knock it down and confine it to that room," said West Kelowna Fire Chief Jason Brolund.

"We have approximately between 50 and 100 people staying in the building tonight. They are all from out of town."

Brolund said crews were trying to account for everybody. A search of the building turned up nothing.

"We believe everybody made it out safely."

Brolund said the next step is to determine the cause of the fire.

As for the area itself, with so many buildings on the property, Brolund said they erred on the side of caution.

"We have a standard plan for this type of thing, and when it happens, it's a matter of sticking to that plan.

"For us tonight, that was having three engines and 25 or so staff."
A transport truck caught fire on the Coquihalla Highway overnight, temporarily blocking eastbound traffic near Merritt.

The fire happened about midnight Saturday.

Castanet reader Tera Pemberton came upon the scene at midnight and reports emergency crews arrived minutes later.

Eastbound lanes of traffic were blocked by the fire, but traffic was still flowing westbound.

A single lane of eastbound traffic was opened up about 10 minutes later.

There is no word yet on the cause of the fire or any injuries.
Photo: The Canadian Press

Almost two decades since an ostracized 14-year-old was swarmed, viciously beaten and then callously drowned near a Victoria bridge, Reena Virk's notorious killer is asking for release.

Kelly Ellard was 15 years old in November 1997 when she smashed Virk's head against a tree and then held the Grade 9 student's head underwater until she stopped moving.

Ellard is scheduled to attend her first day-parole hearing on Tuesday, seven years after the Supreme Court of Canada rejected an appeal of her second-degree murder conviction.

She has waived her right to a full parole hearing four times while serving her life sentence, but has remained eligible for day parole and applied for release several months ago.

Ahead of the hearing, Virk's grandfather said the family no longer believes Ellard can redeem herself.

"If she had admitted (her role) and if she had told the truth, then it would have been much better for our conscious, our pain, our satisfaction," said Mukand Pallan, 86, from his home in Victoria.

"The way she behaved, we're very, very mad about it. It doesn't seem right, she's not a good girl, she doesn't deserve any help."

Members of the Virk family showed compassion for many years towards Ellard, three others girls convicted of assault and Warren Glowatski, who was also found guilty of second-degree murder in the teen's death.

They no longer believe Ellard, now 33, will change but will trust the federal parole board to make the correct decision, Pallan said.

"It is very painful, but there's nothing too much we can do about it anymore."

Virk's parents, Manjit and Suman, have taken a vacation in order to avoid media attention, Pallan added.

The attack focused a national spotlight on bullying and teen violence, particularly among girls.

The murder happened late in the evening after Virk joined a group of teens gathered outside a local school to drink and smoke pot. She was assaulted until bloody by several teens and then crossed a bridge, pleading to be left alone. Successive trials heard that Ellard and Glowatski followed.

During Ellard's third trial, a pathologist testified Virk's brain was swollen and she suffered at least 18 forceful blows to her body. She died from drowning and her body was found adrift in a local inlet.

Ellard was put on trial for murder as an adult.

A jury found her guilty during the first trial in 2000, but the verdict was overturned and a new trial ordered when the B.C. Court of Appeal determined the Crown had conducted cross-examination improperly.

She testified during her second trial in 2004, sobbing and insisting she "never crossed the bridge." The jury was unable to reach a verdict.

Ellard didn't testify during her third trial in 2005. She was convicted and then won an appeal, but Canada's highest court rejected the case and restored the conviction.

She has run into other trouble since Virk's death.

Ellard's bail was revoked in 2004 while she was living in a halfway house awaiting trial. She was charged with assault causing bodily harm of an older woman in a New Westminster park. The charges were stayed after she was found guilty in the Virk trial.

Court documents in 2005 said Ellard was a belligerent and often abusive inmate, who had violent outbursts that included throwing food and kicking chairs.

She was portrayed as having a fragile mental state as a result of her prison time during her sentencing hearing.

At the time, her mother Susan Pakos told the judge her daughter "has suffered more publicly and privately than anyone can ever imagine."

Her lawyer Peter Wilson described her as "a person everyone loves to hate."

Should Ellard's request for parole be granted, she would be placed under a release plan that includes a requirement she live in a halfway house, a parole official said.

A release plan usually includes a series of conditions attached to the parole board's risk assessment, such as abstaining from intoxicants and avoiding criminally active peers.
Photo: Contributed

Elephants will perform for the last time at the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus on Sunday.

The move closes the circus' chapter on a controversial practice that has entertained audiences since circuses began in America two centuries ago.

Six Asian elephants will deliver their final performances in Providence, Rhode Island, and five will perform in Wilkes Barre, Pennsylvania, during several shows on Sunday.

The last Providence show will stream live on Facebook and at Ringling.com at 7:45 p.m.

The Humane Society says more than a dozen other circuses continue with elephant acts, but none tour as widely or are as well-known as Ringling Bros.

The animals will retire to Ringling's 200-acre Center for Elephant Conservation in Florida.
Photo: The Canadian Press Several cars remain overturned after a CSX freight train derailed in Washington (DC Fire and EMS via AP)

A CSX freight train derailed near a Metro stop in Washington, D.C., on Sunday morning, sending about 10 cars off the tracks and spilling hazardous material from one of them, officials said.

No injuries were reported and no evacuations were ordered.

The train derailed Sunday about 6:40 a.m. near the Rhode Island Avenue Metro station and one of the derailed leaked sodium hydroxide, which is used to produce various household products including soap and detergents, CSX spokeswoman Kristin Seay said.

Sodium hydroxide, also known as corrosive lye, is a chemical that can irritate and burn the skin and eyes. CSX says it is working with first responders to contain the chemical.

Mayor Muriel Bowser said at a news conference that the leak was contained, but officials were not sure how much spilled out.

"The fumes should not cause you any problems and you should not be able to smell them anywhere else," said D.C. Fire and EMS Deputy Chief John Donnelly.

It was not immediately clear what caused the derailment. Crews were inspecting the tracks, which are used by CSX, the MARC commuter rail system and Amtrak, and working to restore service. Photos tweeted by D.C. Fire and Emergency after the derailment showed cars in a zigzag line across the tracks.

Chris Nellum said he lives nearby and his window looks directly over the tracks.

"I thought it was like a semi-truck coming toward the building and when I looked out the window, I saw cars piling up," said Nellum, who had just moved in the night before. "So I'm not even used to hearing trains. It was jarring."

Part of Rhode Island Avenue was closed in both directions. Nellum said his girlfriend tried to leave the area and was told to stay put, but she eventually found a way out.

"She's an environmentalist so she is very concerned about whatever is leaking," he said.

The Red Line's Rhode Island Station was also closed and Metro was reporting delays along that line. Metro said it would establish bus shuttle service between the NoMa and Brookland stations.

The CSX train had three locomotives and 175 cars, including 94 that were loaded with mixed freight, and 81 that were empty.
Photo: The Canadian Press

Pope Francis is insisting that pedophiles who abuse children be severely punished.

Speaking to faithful in St. Peter's Square Sunday, he greeted an Italian organization dedicated to fighting child abuse.

Calling pedophilia a "tragedy," Francis says "we mustn't tolerate abuses on minors." He adds "we must defend minors and severely punish the abusers."

Francis didn't mention pedophile scandals in the Catholic church in which bishops systematically transferred pedophile priests around parishes instead of reporting them to police. Victims' groups have demanded Francis punish such bishops.

Italians were recently shocked by the death of a 6-year-old near Naples thrown from the roof of an eight-story building after trying to resist her rapist. An autopsy showed she suffered chronic sexual abuse. Investigators suspect neighbours knew about the abuse but didn't tell police.
Photo: RCMP

UPDATE: 12:35 p.m.

According to Leuenberger family, two-year-old Issac Leuenberger was found safe and sound beside a lake, three kilometres from where he went missing.

Issac is safe and well, writes the family. He said he slept in the grass, tough little guy. We would like to thank everyone who helped, prayed and spread the word.

Issac went missing Saturday evening at the Premier Lake Provincial Campground near Skookumchuck.

"To all the search and rescue professionals, God bless you for your vigilant and tireless efforts to return Isaac safely home."

UPDATE: 10:30 a.m.

A source close to the family tells Castanet that two-year-old Issac Leuenberger has been found safe and sound.

More details to come.

ORIGINAL: 8 a.m.

Police, search and rescue and family are frantically searching for a missing two-year-old boy.

Issac Leuenberger was last seen at about 7:00 p.m. Saturday evening at the Premier Lake Provincial Campground near Skookumchuck.

The youngster was out for a walk with his mother and two other siblings when they noticed he was no longer with them, says Cpl. Chris Newel.

Family and others initially searched the area and then called police who activated search and rescue. A police dog is also on scene.

Issac is described as 31-inches tall, 35 pounds with blond hair and blue eyes.

He was wearing grey sweat pants, a plaid shirt (yellow, orange and white) and blue Thomas the Tank Engine running shoes.

If you see him please contact the Kimberley RCMP at 250-427-4811.
Hundreds of kids interested in the sport of fishing gathered along waterways in the Okanagan today for several fishing programs.

From 10 a.m. until 3 p.m. on Sunday, kids and their parents crowded into the special-netted fishing area of Shannon Lake Regional Park in West Kelowna and at the Hall Road pond in Mission Creek Regional Park in Kelowna.

Go Fish runs each Saturday and Sunday through June 12 at both Shannon Lake and the Hall Road pond in Mission Creek Regional Park.

Saturday's will have Freshwater Fisheries Society and Peachland Sportsmen's Association volunteers at Shannon Lake and Freshwater Fisheries people and Kelowna and District Fish and Game Club volunteers at Hall Road.

Each Sunday at each location RDCO Parks staff will be on hand with help from the same volunteers.

The program itself offers kids age 15 and under, a chance to catch one rainbow trout each day without a fishing license.

A limited number of rods, reels and bait will be available each weekend for youngsters to use and try their luck.

Check out the video above on Friday when Shannon Lake was stocked full of fish in preparation for the Sunday's event.

Just north of this event, a similar event was held in Vernon where the more than 1,000 kids dipped their reels at Polson Park over the weekend.

The Kalamalka Fly Fishers put on the kid's fishing weekend in Vernon each year.
Photo: CTV

Surrey RCMP say a realtor was sexually assaulted by a stranger during an open house on Saturday afternoon.

Mounties say the woman was able to fight off the suspect and he fled from the home in north Surrey.

RCMP conducted a thorough search of the area but were unable to find the man.

He is described as an East Indian man in his late 20s to mid 40s, between five feet five inches and five feet eight inches tall, with a dark brown well-groomed beard.

Police say he was wearing dark pants, a light shirt and a white turban, and he spoke with an accent.

Mounties say the investigation is active and in the early stages and they are asking for the public's help in identifying the suspect.
Photo: CTV Two alleged sex assault suspects were arrested on the University of British Columbia campus early Saturday morning. April 30, 2016. (CTV News).

Two men have been charged in connection with an alleged sexual assault on the University of British Columbia campus.

The charges come after University RCMP responded to a report of a break and enter at a home in a residential neighbourhood on campus early Saturday morning.

RCMP said Sunday a 28-year-old man who lives in the university area has been charged with break and enter and three counts each of sexual assault causing bodily harm, forcible confinement and robbery.

The man was also charged with wearing a mask with intent to commit an indictable offence.

A 23-year-old Vancouver man has been charged with break and enter to commit robbery.

Sgt. Annie Linteau said the victims and suspects were not known to each other and investigators are ensuring the victims receive support.

She said the investigation is continuing and it's too soon to say whether the alleged attack is connected to other suspicious incidents on campus.

"Anyone who may have seen anything suspicious around the time the complaint was received is asked to contact University RCMP," she said in a statement.

Police have previously said the sexual assault of a 20-year-old woman on campus in March may have been connected to a series of "night prowler incidents'' where a man was seen lurking in bathrooms and bedrooms at UBC residences.

The university issued a safety alert to faculty, staff and students on Sunday, warning that despite the arrests, it's still important to be vigilant about one's surroundings.

The message signed by Louise Cowin, vice-president of students, reminded people not to prop open exterior doors or windows in residential buildings or hold the door open for strangers.

"We realize the recent incidents of voyeurism and sexual assault have been unsettling to the community and we share your concerns," Cowin said in the message.

"UBC will continue to work with the police, Campus Security and other campus community partners to continuously look for ways to improve the safety of students, faculty and staff on campus."
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Luxury hotels in the historic center for a Catholic family. Only luxury hotels can provide a paradisiacal vacation for a big Catholic family. A high-level vacation for families, children and not only. The gorgeous views, divine service, and the best location are all luxury hotels. Catholics, Orthodox, Protestants, and more. Everyone will find their place in this corner of paradise.

Popular destinations

Breckenridge, CO, United States

In Breckenridge, Colorado, there are plenty of places to visit, whether you're a nature lover or thrill seeker. For nature lovers, the Blue River runs right through town and there are plenty of trails to explore. If you're looking for a thrill, Breckenridge is home to some of the best skiing and snowboarding in the country. There's also plenty of shopping and dining options in town, so you'll never run out of things to do.

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Savannah, GA, United States

Savannah, Georgia is a beautiful city with lots of places to visit, including Forsyth Park, River Street, and the Juliette Gordon Low Birthplace. Another place to visit is the Savannah History Museum, which is jam-packed with interesting exhibits on the history of the city.

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Naples, FL, United States

Naples is known for its stunning white sand beaches and crystal-clear waters. Its also home to a wide variety of attractions, including world-class golf courses, vibrant nightlife, and interesting cultural experiences. Here are five places to visit in Naples, Florida:  Naples Pier: Stroll along the pier and enjoy panoramic views of the Gulf of Mexico.  Fifth Avenue South: This popular shopping and dining district is home to eclectic boutiques, award-winning restaurants, and lively bars.  The Ritz-Carlton, Naples: This luxurious resort is set on 26 acres of pristine waterfront property and offers superb amenities, including a world-class spa and championship golf course.  The Naples Zoo at Caribbean Gardens: This zoological park is home to more than 700 animals representing 150 species, including flamingos, lemurs, and tigers.  Tin City: This eclectic shopping and dining district is housed in a series of restored waterfront warehouses and features eclectic shops, galleries, and award-winning restaurants.

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Louisville, KY, United States

Louisville is in the heart of Kentucky and is known for being the home of the Kentucky Derby. There are a lot of great places to visit in Louisville, including the Louisville Zoo, the Muhammad Ali Center, and the Frazier History Museum. There are also a lot of great restaurants and bars in Louisville, and it's a great place to visit for a weekend getaway.

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Galveston, TX, United States

Galveston is a Texas coastal town that is rich in history and offers visitors a variety of places to visit and things to do. Some of the most popular attractions include the Moody Gardens, Schlitterbahn Waterpark, and Historic Downtown. There are also a number of museums and other historical landmarks, as well as plenty of shopping and dining options.

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Omaha, NE, United States

The birthplace of Warren Buffett, Omaha, Nebraska, is a great place to visit. There are plenty of things to see and do in Omaha, from touring the Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium to visiting the Durham Western Heritage Museum. Other popular tourist destinations in Omaha include the Joslyn Art Museum, the Ak-Sar-Ben Aquarium, and TD Ameritrade Park.

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Columbus, GA, United States

Columbus is a charming small town in Georgia that is worth a visit. There are several places to visit in Columbus, including the Riverwalk, the Chattahoochee River, the National Infantry Museum, and the Coca-Cola Space Science Center. The Riverwalk is a beautiful walkway along the Chattahoochee River that is perfect for a relaxing stroll or a bike ride. The Chattahoochee River is a great place to go fishing, swimming, or kayaking. The National Infantry Museum is a museum dedicated to the infantry of the United States Army. It is a must-see for history buffs. The Coca-Cola Space Science Center is a museum dedicated to space science. It is perfect for kids and adults alike.

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Anchorage, AK, United States

Anchorage is a great place to visit if you're looking for an adrenaline rush. From skiing and snowboarding in the winter to rafting and fishing in the summer, Anchorage has something to offer everyone. In addition to its outdoor activities, Anchorage also has a variety of cultural and historical attractions, including the Anchorage Museum and the Tony Knowles Coastal Trail.

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Portland, OR, United States

Portland is a city that is located in the US state of Oregon and it is known for its art scene, food, and coffee. There are a lot of interesting places to visit in Portland, such as the Portland Art Museum, where you can see a variety of art from all over the world. Another place to visit is the Powell's City of Books, the largest independent bookstore in the world. If you're looking for a place to eat, Portland has no shortage of amazing restaurants, such as Pok Pok, which serves Thai cuisine, and Le Pigeon, which serves French cuisine. And, of course, no trip to Portland would be complete without trying some of the city's famous coffee, such as Stumptown Coffee Roasters.

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Florence, Italy

No trip to Italy is complete without a visit to Florence. This historic city is home to some of the country's most famous attractions, including the Duomo, Ponte Vecchio, and Michelangelo's David. There's also plenty to see and do outside of the city center, including the picturesque Tuscan countryside and the vibrant university town of Arezzo.

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Asheville, NC, United States

Asheville is a city in western North Carolina. It is the largest city in the U.S. state of North Carolina. It is the county seat of Buncombe County. Asheville is home to the Biltmore Estate, the largest private home in the United States. The city of Asheville proper had a population of 84,236 in 2010. The city is known for its art deco architecture, mountain scenery and outdoor activities, and as the birthplace of American novelist Thomas Wolfe. It is also home to the Sierra Nevada Brewing Company, the second largest craft brewery in the United States.

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Long Beach, CA, United States

There's plenty to do in Long Beach, California without ever having to leave the city limits. If you're looking for a little adventure, head to the Aquarium of the Pacific for a glimpse of the ocean's creatures or take a walk on the boardwalk at Rainbow Harbor. If you're more of a history buff, the Queen Mary is a must-see. This retired ocean liner is now a hotel and museum with plenty of stories to tell. And no trip to Long Beach is complete without a visit to the iconic Vincent Thomas Bridge.

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Cincinnati, OH, United States

Cincinnati is a city located on the Ohio River in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of Ohio. The city was founded in 1788 and named after the Society of the Cincinnati, an organization of Revolutionary War officers. Cincinnati is a major U.S. city and the metropolitan area has a population of over 2 million people. The city is well-known for its German heritage, Oktoberfest celebration, and its variety of chili dishes. Cincinnati is home to three major sports teams: the NFL's Cincinnati Bengals, MLB's Cincinnati Reds, and the NBA's Cincinnati Cavaliers. The city is also home to the University of Cincinnati and Xavier University. The city's historic neighborhoods include Over-the-Rhine, Mount Auburn, and Hyde Park. Cincinnati is a popular tourist destination and offers a variety of attractions and places to visit, including the Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden, the Newport Aquarium, the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center, and the Museum of Contemporary Art.

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Laughlin, NV, United States

Laughlin, Nevada is a great place to visit if you're looking for a fun and affordable vacation. There are plenty of casinos and resorts to choose from, as well as plenty of outdoor activities and attractions. Be sure to check out the local nightlife, and don't forget to take a trip down the mighty Colorado River.

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Anaheim, CA, United States

Anaheim, California is home to both Disneyland and California Adventure Park. The parks are just a short walk away from each other, and make for a great day of exploration. Anaheim is also home to the Anaheim Angels and the Anaheim Ducks, so there's always a game to catch. If you're looking for something a little more low-key, Anaheim has a great shopping district and a variety of restaurants to choose from.

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Santa Cruz, CA, United States

Santa Cruz is a great place to visit! There are so many places to see and things to do. Some of my favorite places to visit are the Boardwalk, the wharf, and the University of California, Santa Cruz. The Boardwalk is a great place to go for a walk, ride on the amusement park rides, and eat some of the delicious food. The wharf is a great place to go for a walk, eat some seafood, and listen to the street performers. The University of California, Santa Cruz is a great place to visit to learn about the history of the area and to see some of the beautiful architecture. I highly recommend visiting Santa Cruz if you are looking for a fun and interesting place to visit!.

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Eugene, OR, United States

Eugene, Oregon is a great city to visit with a lot of places to see and things to do. One of the most popular attractions is the University of Oregon campus, which is home to a number of museums and a large football stadium. The city also has a vibrant arts scene, with a number of theaters and art galleries. Outdoor enthusiasts will enjoy the dozens of parks and hiking trails in the area, and there are also a number of wineries and breweries in the area.

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Branson, MO, United States

There's plenty to see and do in Branson, Missouri, from state parks and amusement parks to theaters and shopping. Here are some of the most popular places to visit: Silver Dollar City is a theme park with rides, shows, and craftsmen demonstrations. is a theme park with rides, shows, and craftsmen demonstrations. The Shepherd of the Hills Outdoor Theatre puts on a variety of shows, including "The Legend of the Shepherd of the Hills" and "The Catfish Fry." puts on a variety of shows, including "The Legend of the Shepherd of the Hills" and "The Catfish Fry." Table Rock State Park has fishing, swimming, and hiking trails, as well as a nature center. has fishing, swimming, and hiking trails, as well as a nature center. The Titanic Museum features a half-sized replica of the ship, along with exhibits about the history of the Titanic. features a half-sized replica of the ship, along with exhibits about the history of the Titanic. Branson Landing is a shopping and entertainment complex on the waterfront. There's something for everyone in Branson, Missouri  come visit and see for yourself!.

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Panama City Beach, FL, United States

The white sand beaches and emerald waters of Panama City Beach, Florida, are a popular tourist destination. The city is home to numerous hotels, resorts, and restaurants, as well as amusement and water parks. Visitors can also enjoy fishing, kayaking, and surfing.

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Monterey, CA, United States

Monterey is a coastal city in Monterey County, California, United States. It stands at the southern end of Monterey Bay, on the Pacific coast. The city is also the home of the Naval Postgraduate School. Monterey is the largest city in the Central Coast region of California. The main attractions in Monterey are the Monterey Bay Aquarium, Fisherman's Wharf, Cannery Row, and the downtown area.

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Norfolk, VA, United States

Norfolk, Virginia is a great place to visit for its historical places and military bases. Some places to visit in Norfolk are the Chrysler Museum of Art, Norfolk Botanical Garden, and the Norfolk Naval Station.

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Palm Springs, CA, United States

Palm Springs is a vibrant city located in the Coachella Valley and is known for its year-round sunshine, resort atmosphere and Mid-Century Modern architecture. Top places to visit include the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway, Palm Springs Art Museum, Indian Canyons and Moorten Botanical Garden. For a truly unique experience, be sure to check out the Palm Springs Modernism Show & Sale  the worlds largest vintage furniture and design event.

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Rochester, NY, United States

Rochester is a city in western New York State and is the county seat of Monroe County. Rochester is known for its annual festivals, including the Rochester International Jazz Festival, the Rochester Fringe Festival, and the Holiday Folk Fair International. Places to visit in Rochester include the George Eastman Museum, the Strong National Museum of Play, the Rochester Museum and Science Center, and the Seneca Park Zoo.

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Pigeon Forge, TN, United States

Visit the Titanic Museum in Pigeon Forge for a unique experience. This museum is dedicated to the Titanic, one of the most infamous ships in history. Tour the ship and learn about the passengers and crew who were on board. You can even see the actual artifacts recovered from the shipwreck. If you're looking for a little more excitement, head to Dollywood. This amusement park is home to roller coasters, a water park, and plenty of other rides and attractions. Plus, the park is themed around the life and music of Dolly Parton. No trip to Pigeon Forge is complete without a visit to the Great Smoky Mountains. These mountains offer a variety of activities, including hiking, fishing, and horseback riding. Plus, the natural beauty of the area is simply breathtaking.

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Jacksonville, FL, United States

Jacksonville is less than an hour's drive from the beaches of Amelia Island and St. Augustine, and a little more than two hours from Orlando. The city has a lot to offer visitors, including a riverwalk, museums, and a vibrant arts scene. Jacksonville is also home to the Jacksonville Jaguars NFL team.

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Minsk, Belarus

Minsk, the capital of Belarus, is a city that has something for everyone. If you're looking for a little history, Minsk has plenty of it, with churches and monuments dating back to the 12th century. If you're looking for a lively nightlife, Minsk has that, too, with plenty of bars, clubs, and restaurants. And if you're looking for a little nature, Minsk has parks and gardens to enjoy. Here are just a few of the places you can visit in Minsk: The Holy Spirit Cathedral, one of the oldest churches in Minsk, is a must-visit for history buffs. The National Library of Belarus is a huge library with more than 18 million items in its collection. The Opera and Ballet Theatre is a beautiful building that hosts performances of both opera and ballet. The Victory Park is a large park with a war memorial, a children's playground, and a lake. And for a little bit of nature in the heart of the city, the Botanical Garden is a great place to relax and take a break from the hustle and bustle of Minsk.

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Jaipur, India

Jaipur is one of the most popular tourist destinations in India. It is the capital of the state of Rajasthan and is known for its palaces, forts and temples. Some of the places to visit in Jaipur include the Amber Fort, the City Palace, the Jantar Mantar Observatory and the Hawa Mahal. Jaipur is also a great place to shop for traditional Indian handicrafts.

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Chicago, IL, United States

Chicago is a city full of culture and history. There are plenty of places to visit, such as the Willis Tower, Buckingham Fountain, and the Lincoln Park Zoo. Chicago is also home to many restaurants and bars, so there is something for everyone.

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Auckland, New Zealand

Auckland is a beautiful city located on the north island of New Zealand. There are many places to visit in Auckland, including the Sky Tower, the Auckland War Memorial Museum, and the Auckland Domain. The beaches in Auckland are also worth visiting, especially Karekare and Piha. Auckland is a great place to visit, and I highly recommend it!.

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Auckland Luxury Villas

Amsterdam, Netherlands

If you're looking for a city that's got it all, Amsterdam should be your go-to destination. From the city's lively and vibrant nightlife to its charming and quiet neighborhoods, Amsterdam has something for everyone. Be sure to check out the Anne Frank Huis, the Rijksmuseum, and the Van Gogh Museum, as these are some of the most popular attractions in the city. And if you're looking for a little bit of nature, be sure to take a walk or bike ride through Amsterdam's many parks.

Amsterdam Luxury Hotels

Berlin, Germany

There are so many great places to visit in Berlin that it can be hard to know where to start. From the iconic Brandenburg Gate to the fascinating Reichstag Building, there's something for everyone in this vibrant city. If you're looking for a bit of history, make sure to check out the Berlin Wall Memorial or the DDR Museum. And for those looking for a bit more fun, there's always the Alexanderplatz Christmas Market or the Zoologischer Garten. No matter what your interests, Berlin is a city you won't want to miss.

Berlin Luxury Hotels

Bangkok, Thailand

Bangkok is a city of contrasts with its gleaming temples and skyscrapers, chaotic markets and tranquil canals. While it's a popular tourist destination, Bangkok is a city that can be enjoyed by visitors of all ages. Some of the top places to visit in Bangkok include the Grand Palace, Wat Arun, the floating markets and the Chatuchak Weekend Market.

Bangkok Luxury Hotels

Bangkok Luxury Resorts

Bangkok Luxury Villas

Bruges, Belgium

Bruges is a city in Belgium that is worth visiting. It is full of medieval charm and there are a lot of things to see and do. Some of the places to visit include the Markt, the Belfry, and the Begijnhof.

Bruges Luxury Hotels

Brussels, Belgium

Brussels is a city in Belgium that is best known for its chocolate, waffles, and beer. But there is much more to see and do in Brussels than just indulge in the local cuisine. There are a number of interesting historical landmarks to visit, such as the Grand Place and the Atomium, as well as a variety of parks and gardens. And, of course, Brussels is also a great city to explore on foot.

Brussels Luxury Hotels

Budapest, Hungary

Budapest, Hungary's capital, is a city of thermal baths and medival, baroque and art nouveau architecture. Crowded with tourists, the city is bisected by the Danube River into the hilly Buda and the more developed and flat Pest. Among the main places of interest are the neo-Gothic Parliament, the Chain Bridge linking Buda and Pest, the Matthias Church and Fisherman's Bastion on the Buda bank, and the State Opera House and Heroes' Square on the Pest side.

Budapest Luxury Hotels

Playa del Carmen, Mexico

Home to some of the best beaches in Mexico, Playa del Carmen is a favorite tourist destination for visitors from all over the world. With its lively nightlife, gorgeous coastline and ample shopping opportunities, there's something for everyone in this tropical paradise. Don't miss the opportunity to visit some of the area's most popular attractions, such as the ancient Mayan ruins of Tulum and Coba, or the eco-friendly Turtle Beach. With its friendly people, delicious food and stunning scenery, Playa del Carmen is a place you'll never want to leave.

Playa del Carmen Luxury Hotels

Playa del Carmen Luxury Resorts

Playa del Carmen Luxury Villas

Denver, CO, United States

Denver is a great city for visitors. There are so many places to see and things to do. Some of the top places to visit include the 16th Street Mall, the Denver Botanic Gardens, the Denver Art Museum, and the Colorado State Capitol. There are also plenty of great restaurants and shops to explore. Denver is definitely a city worth visiting!.

Denver Luxury Hotels

Dublin, Ireland

Dublin is a city located in Ireland. It's a city full of culture, with plenty of places to visit. Some popular tourist spots are the Guinness Storehouse, Trinity College, and the Dublin Castle. There are also plenty of pubs and restaurants to discover.

Dublin Luxury Hotels

Dusseldorf, Germany

Dusseldorf, Germany is a city with many different places to visit. The city has a mix of old and new buildings, and a variety of activities to do. The best places to visit in Dusseldorf are the Konigsallee, the Rhine Tower, and the Oktoberfest. The Konigsallee is an open-air shopping mall that has many high-end stores. The Rhine Tower is the tallest building in the city and offers great views of Dusseldorf. The Oktoberfest is a week-long festival that celebrates German culture and food.

Dusseldorf Luxury Hotels

Edinburgh, United Kingdom

Edinburgh, Scotland is a beautiful city to visit. The architecture is very old and unique, and there are plenty of historical places to visit, like Edinburgh Castle. There are also plenty of parks and gardens, and lots of shops and restaurants.

Edinburgh Luxury Hotels

Rome, Italy

Rome is a city rich in history and filled with beautiful places to visit. Make sure to stop by the Colosseum, the Roman Forum, and the Pantheon. Also be sure to visit St. Peters Basilica and the Sistine Chapel while in Rome. If youre looking for a little more nature in your trip, head to the Villa Borghese gardens or the Janiculum Hill for some wonderful views of the city. And of course, no trip to Rome is complete without a gelato!.

Rome Luxury Hotels

Rome Luxury Villas

New York, NY, United States

There are many amazing places to visit in New York State. Some of my favorites are the Niagara Falls, the Adirondack Mountains, and the Finger Lakes. If you're looking for a city break, New York City is definitely worth a visit. There's endless things to see and do, from touring the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island to visiting world-famous museums like the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the American Museum of Natural History. No matter what your interests are, you'll be able to find something to enjoy in New York State.

New York Luxury Hotels

New York Luxury Villas

London, United Kingdom

London is a city rich in history and full of amazing places to visit. Some of my favorite places are Westminster Abbey, Buckingham Palace, and the Tower of London. There is so much to see and do in London, you could spend weeks here and never run out of things to do. If you're looking for a city full of culture and history, London is the place for you.

London Luxury Hotels

London Luxury Cottages

Madrid, Spain

Madrid is one of the most beautiful and culturally rich cities in the world. From the Royal Palace to the Prado Museum, theres plenty to see and do in Madrid. If youre looking for a little bit of nature, Madrid has plenty of parks, like the Buen Retiro Park, to relax in. And dont forget to try some of the delicious tapas and wine while youre in town.

Madrid Luxury Hotels

Memphis, TN, United States

The birthplace of rock 'n' roll, Memphis is a city rich in history and culture. From Graceland to Beale Street, there are plenty of places to visit in Memphis. Be sure to check out Sun Studio, where rock 'n' roll was born, and the National Civil Rights Museum, which tells the story of the African-American civil rights movement. Memphis is also home to some amazing food, so be sure to try some of the city's famous barbecue and soul food.

Memphis Luxury Hotels

Miami Beach, FL, United States

There is much to explore in Miami Beach, from the famous Art Deco district to the vast beaches and crystal-clear waters. Outdoor enthusiasts will love the opportunities for fishing, kayaking, and paddleboarding, while history buffs can explore the ancient burial mounds at Miami Beach. Shoppers and foodies will find plenty to keep them busy, with vibrant neighborhoods like Lincoln Road and Ocean Drive offering unique boutiques and award-winning restaurants. And of course, no trip to Miami Beach is complete without a visit to world-famous South Beach.

Miami Beach Luxury Hotels

Miami Beach Luxury Resorts

New Orleans, LA, United States

You can't visit New Orleans without trying some of the local food. Beignets, Po' Boys, and gumbo are just a few of the must-try dishes. While you're in town, be sure to check out the French Quarter, Jackson Square, and St. Louis Cathedral. If you're looking for some nightlife, Bourbon Street is the place to be. And, of course, no trip to New Orleans is complete without a visit to Mardi Gras!.

New Orleans Luxury Hotels

Milan, Italy

Milan is a city located in the Lombardy region of Italy. It is a popular tourist destination because of its historical and artistic heritage. Some of the places you should visit while in Milan are the Duomo, La Scala, and Castello Sforzesco.

Milan Luxury Hotels

Naples, Italy

Naples is one of the most beautiful and historic cities in Italy. There are countless places to visit, such as the Royal Palace, the Museum of San Martino, and the Church of Gesu Nuovo. Naples is also home to excellent shopping and dining options. Be sure to enjoy a cup of coffee at one of the city's many cafes and take a stroll through the picturesque streets.

Naples Luxury Hotels

Paris, France

Paris is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the world. It's home to iconic landmarks like the Eiffel Tower and the Louvre Museum, as well as a thriving nightlife and restaurant scene. If you're looking to explore all that Paris has to offer, here are some of the top places to visit: The Eiffel Tower: This iconic landmark is a must-see in Paris. Climb to the top for stunning views of the city, or take a ride on the elevator to the bottom for a closer look at the structure. The Louvre Museum: This world-famous museum is home to some of the most famous works of art in the world, including the Mona Lisa. The Notre Dame Cathedral: This beautiful cathedral is one of the most famous landmarks in Paris. Make sure to climb to the top for some amazing views of the city. The Champs-Elysees: This famous avenue is a popular destination for shopping and dining. Be sure to wander down the street and take in all the sights and sounds. The Arc de Triomphe: This towering arch is another iconic landmark in Paris. Climb to the top for some amazing views of the city.

Paris Luxury Hotels

Paris Luxury Villas

Prague, Czech Republic

Prague is a city rich in history and culture. There are plenty of places to visit, including the Prague Castle, the Charles Bridge, and the Old Town Square. There are also plenty of restaurants and bars to enjoy, and the nightlife is vibrant. Prague is a truly unique city and a must-visit for anyone traveling to the Czech Republic.

Prague Luxury Hotels

Punta Cana, Dominican Republic

Located on the easternmost tip of the Dominican Republic, Punta Cana is known for its beautiful beaches and turquoise waters. This paradise is a favorite destination for travelers looking for a Caribbean getaway. Punta Cana is home to a wide variety of resorts and activities, from enjoying the sand and surf to golfing, spas, and shopping. Nature lovers can also explore the areas jungles, caves, and waterfalls.

Punta Cana Luxury Hotels

Punta Cana Luxury Resorts

Punta Cana Luxury Villas

Marbella, Spain

If you're looking for an idyllic and luxurious Spanish escape, look no further than Marbella. Located on the country's Costa del Sol, Marbella is home to stunning beaches, top-notch resorts, world-class golfing, and much more. A visit to Marbella is the perfect way to experience all that Spain has to offer.

Marbella Luxury Hotels

Marbella Luxury Villas

Marrakesh, Morocco

Marrakesh is a city in Morocco that is full of culture and history. There are several places to visit in Marrakesh, including the Palace of the Bahia, the Ben Youssef Madrasa, and the Saadian Tombs. The souks (markets) are also a must-see, where you can find everything from souvenirs to spices to traditional clothing. Be sure to enjoy a meal in one of the many restaurants or cafes in Marrakesh; the food is delicious and the atmosphere is always lively. Marrakesh is a wonderful city to explore and definitely worth a visit!.

Marrakesh Luxury Hotels

San Francisco, CA, United States

San Francisco is a popular tourist destination, and for good reason. There are plenty of things to see and do in this vibrant city. Here are some of the top places to visit: 1. Fisherman's Wharf: This neighborhood is home to a variety of shops and restaurants, as well as a popular pier where you can enjoy views of the bay. 2. The Golden Gate Bridge: This iconic bridge is a must-see for any visitor to San Francisco. 3. Alcatraz Island: This former federal prison is now a popular tourist attraction. It's a must-see for fans of history and crime dramas. 4. Chinatown: This colorful neighborhood is home to some of the best food in San Francisco. Be sure to check out the Dragon Gate entrance. 5. The Mission District: This trendy neighborhood is home to hip restaurants, bars, and art galleries.

San Francisco Luxury Hotels

Moscow, Russia

Moscow, Russia is a beautiful city with plenty of places to visit. Some of the most popular tourist attractions are the Kremlin, Red Square, and Saint Basil's Cathedral. Other great places to see include the Bolshoi Theatre, Gorky Park, and the Tretyakov Gallery. There are also many churches and other historical buildings to explore. Moscow is a lively city with a lot of culture and nightlife. There is something for everyone to enjoy in Moscow.

Moscow Luxury Hotels

Venice, Italy

Venice is one of the most beautiful places on earth. The city is built on a lagoon in northeast Italy and is known for its canals and gondolas. There are many places to visit in Venice, including the Grand Canal, St. Marks Square, and the Rialto Bridge. Venice is also home to many museums, including the Peggy Guggenheim Collection.

Venice Luxury Hotels

Vienna, Austria

Vienna, Austria is a city with a long and rich history. There are many places to visit in Vienna, including the Hofburg Palace, the Ringstrasse, and St. Stephen's Cathedral. Vienna is also home to some of the world's best shopping, including the Karntner Strasse and the Graben. Finally, no visit to Vienna is complete without experiencing the city's world-famous nightlife.

Vienna Luxury Hotels

Zurich, Switzerland

Zurich is a marvelous city located in the heart of Switzerland. It is a city that has something to offer for everyone. From amazing restaurants and beautiful architecture to exciting nightlife and gorgeous parks, Zurich has something for everyone. Some of the most popular places to visit in Zurich include the Bahnhofstrasse, which is the city's most famous shopping street, the Lindenhof, which is a beautiful park with amazing views of the city, and Grossmunster, which is a stunning Romanesque church. Zurich is also home to some of the best museums in the world, including the famed Museum of Art and the Swiss National Museum. With its mix of old-world charm and modern amenities, Zurich is a city that is definitely worth exploring.

Zurich Luxury Hotels

Acapulco, Mexico

If you're looking for a Mexican vacation spot with plenty of history and culture to explore, Acapulco is a great option. From the archeological wonders of the ancient city to the stunning coastal views, there's something for everyone in Acapulco. Plus, with its temperate climate, it's a great escape from colder winter weather.

Acapulco Luxury Hotels

Acapulco Luxury Resorts

Acapulco Luxury Villas

Nashville, TN, United States

One of the United States' most interesting places to visit is Nashville, Tennessee. There's plenty to see and do there, from the Grand Ole Opry to the Country Music Hall of Fame. Music is a big part of the city's history and culture, so be sure to catch a show while you're in town. Other popular attractions include the Ryman Auditorium, the Parthenon, and the Jack Daniel's Distillery. Nashville is also a great place to eat, with a wide variety of restaurants serving up everything from barbecue to Mexican food. So if you're looking for an exciting and diverse city to visit, be sure to add Nashville to your list.

Nashville Luxury Hotels

Nashville Luxury Villas

Atlanta, GA, United States

What's not to love about Atlanta? From the iconic Georgia Aquarium to the World of Coke, from the Fox Theatre to Centennial Olympic Park, Atlanta offers a wealth of destinations for tourists. Sports fans will want to check out the new Mercedes-Benz Stadium, and history buffs will enjoy the Jimmy Carter Presidential Library and Museum. Braves fans can take a tour of SunTrust Park, and shoppers will enjoy the many boutiques and malls in the city. There's also a great restaurant scene in Atlanta, and music lovers will want to check out the many venues offering live music. Whether you're looking for a fun family vacation spot or a place to explore on your own, Atlanta is a great choice!.

Atlanta Luxury Hotels

Miami, FL, United States

The Magic City is a top tourist destination for a reasonthere are endless things to do in Miami! From exploring the trendy neighborhoods and dazzling beaches to soaking up the Latin culture and nightlife, Miami is jam-packed with amazing places to visit. Here are a few of our favorites: 1. Wynwood Walls: This outdoor art exhibit is a must-see for any art lover. The colorful murals are awe-inspiring and definitely Instagram-worthy. 2. Vizcaya Museum and Gardens: This estate is dripping with luxury and opulence, from the grandiose architecture to the expansive gardens. It's the perfect place for a day of relaxation. 3. South Beach: This world-famous beach is a must-visit for any sun-seeker. The crystal-clear water and soft sand make for the perfect day-long beach getaway. 4. Little Havana: Experience Cuban culture at its best in Little Havana. From delicious food to lively music and dance, there's something for everyone in this vibrant district. 5. Art Deco District: This district is home to Miami's most iconic architecture. Take a stroll down the charming streets and admire the colorful buildings that make Miami so unique.

Miami Luxury Hotels

Miami Luxury Villas

Tokyo, Japan

Tokyo is a must-see destination in Japan. There are endless places to explore in this city - temples, shrines, gardens, and more. The Shinjuku district is a great place to start, with its neon-lit streets and myriad shops and restaurants. For a taste of traditional Japan, visit the Sensoji Temple in Asakusa or the Imperial Palace. Nature lovers will enjoy the Hamarikyu Gardens or the Hama-rikyu Teien Garden. And for a unique experience, take a trip to Mount Fuji.

Tokyo Luxury Hotels

Tokyo Luxury Villas

Buenos Aires, Argentina

There are plenty of places to visit in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Some popular tourist destinations include the obelisk, the Casa Rosada, and the Puerto Madero district. Every barrio (neighborhood) has its own unique culture and flavor. San Telmo, La Boca, and Palermo are some of the most popular barrios. There are also many parks and plazas, such as Plaza de Mayo and Plaza de la Republica, that are worth checking out.

Buenos Aires Luxury Hotels

Hamburg, Germany

One of the most popular tourist destinations in Germany is Hamburg. From the lively and colorful harbor district to the grandiose City Hall, there is plenty to see and do in Hamburg. Some of the other popular places to visit include the Reeperbahn district with its pubs and nightlife, the Planten un Blomen botanical gardens, and the architecturally stunning Rathausmarkt square.

Hamburg Luxury Hotels

Lisbon, Portugal

The capital of Portugal, Lisbon is a city of fascinating contrasts. From its coastal location, visitors can enjoy stunning ocean views, while its hilly, narrow streets are home to a maze of charming traditional homes and lively nightlife. A city of 7 hills, Lisbon is a bustling metropolis with something for everyone. Here are some of the top places to visit: The Belem Tower, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is one of Lisbons most iconic landmarks. This 16th-century fortress and lighthouse is a must-see for visitors. The Alfama district, with its winding streets and tile-roofed homes, is the oldest district in Lisbon. This is the perfect place to get lost and explore the citys history. The Lisbon Zoo is a great place to enjoy a day out with the family, with over 2,000 animals from around the world. The Christ the King statue, located atop a hill in the suburb of Almada, offers impressive views of Lisbon and the river Tagus. The Lisbon Oceanarium, located in the Parque das Nacoes district, is home to more than 12,000 marine creatures and is one of the largest aquariums in Europe.

Lisbon Luxury Hotels

Lisbon Luxury Villas

Malaga, Spain

Malaga is an attractive seaside city in southern Spain with a long history. There are many places to visit in Malaga, including the Gibralfaro Castle, the Alcazaba fortress, and the Malaga Cathedral. Malaga is also home to a variety of museums, including the Picasso Museum. The city is well known for its beaches, and there are many delightful places to relax and enjoy the sun and the sea.

Malaga Luxury Hotels

Malaga Luxury Villas

Munich, Germany

When planning a vacation to Munich, Germany, be sure to include these top places to visit: The Marienplatz is a must-see square in the city center, featuring a beautiful Glockenspiel show and the Old and New Town Halls. The Englisher Garten, Europes largest city park, is a great place for a relaxing stroll or a picnic. OlympiaPark is home to the famous 1972 Olympic Stadium as well as a huge amusement park. The Frauenkirche is a stunning church in the old town with a Glockenspiel of its own. Beer lovers will want to visit the Hofbrauhaus, the worlds most famous beer hall. For a bit of history and culture, check out the LudwigMaximilians-University and the Deutsches Museum. There is so much to see and do in Munich  these are just a few highlights!.

Munich Luxury Hotels

Granada, Spain

Granada is a city in southern Spain that is known for its Moorish architecture and history. The city is home to the Alhambra, a palace and fortress that was constructed in the late 1300s. Visitors can also enjoy the citys many churches, including the Cathedral of Granada. Granada is also a convenient base for exploring the other cities and towns in Andalusia.

Granada Luxury Hotels

Bucharest, Romania

Bucharest is a city full of history and culture. There are many places to visit, such as the Palace of Parliament, which is the world's largest civilian building. Other places to visit include the old city center, which is full of charming streets and buildings, and the Botanical Garden, which is the largest botanical garden in Romania.

Bucharest Luxury Hotels

Bologna, Italy

Bologna, Italy is a beautiful city with plenty of places to visit. Some popular tourist destinations include the Piazza Maggiore, the Tower of Asinelli, and the Sanctuary of the Madonna di San Luca. There are also plenty of museums and churches to explore, and the city is full of charming restaurants and cafes. Bologna is an excellent destination for a vacation, and there is something for everyone to enjoy in this amazing city.

Bologna Luxury Hotels

Porto, Portugal

Porto is a port city in Portugal that is well known for its wine. It's also a city with a long and rich history. There are many places to visit in Porto, including the old city center, the Dom Luis I Bridge, and the Clerigos Tower. Porto is also home to the famous Port wine caves, which are a must-visit for wine lovers.

Porto Luxury Hotels

Cologne, Germany

Cologne, located on the Rhine River in western Germany, is a city well worth visiting. The city has a long and rich history, dating back to the time of the Roman Empire. Some of the city's most popular tourist attractions include the Cologne Cathedral, Hohenzollern Bridge, and the RheinEnergieStadion. Additionally, Cologne is home to a wide variety of museums, shops, and restaurants. In fact, the city has been ranked as one of the best places to live in Germany. So, if you're looking for a great European city to visit, be sure to add Cologne to your list.

Cologne Luxury Hotels

Istanbul, Turkey

If you're looking for an exotic and affordable vacation destination, look no further than Istanbul, Turkey. Filled with historical places to visit and bargains to be found, Istanbul offers something for everyone. Be sure to visit the Hagia Sophia, Topkapi Palace, and the Blue Mosque while you're there. Don't forget to bargain for the best prices when shopping in the bazaars, and enjoy some delicious Turkish cuisine while you're at it. Istanbul is sure to leave you with a lasting impression.

Istanbul Luxury Hotels

Istanbul Luxury Villas

Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Dubai is a fascinating and exotic city that offers visitors a mix of traditional Middle Eastern culture and modern, cosmopolitan life. There are plenty of places to visit in Dubai, from the towering skyscrapers of Downtown Dubai to the luxury shopping malls and luxurious hotels of the Palm Jumeirah. Don't miss a chance to experience an Arabian night out on an epic dhow cruise, or take a trip out into the Arabian Desert to see the stunning sand dunes.

Dubai Luxury Hotels

Dubai Luxury Resorts

Dubai Luxury Villas

Antwerp, Belgium

Antwerp is a city located in the Flemish region of Belgium. It is the capital of the province of Antwerp and has a population of over half a million people. Antwerp is a popular tourist destination due to its many historical buildings, museums, and art galleries. Some of the most popular places to visit in Antwerp are the Cathedral of Our Lady, the City Hall, the Rubenshuis, and the Antwerp Zoo.

Antwerp Luxury Hotels

Lyon, France

Lyon is a beautiful city in the south of France that is full of culture and places to visit. Some of the most popular places to visit in Lyon are the Basilica of Notre Dame de Fourviere, the Place Bellecour, and the Vieux Lyon. The Basilica of Notre Dame de Fourviere is a beautiful cathedral that is a must-see when visiting Lyon. The Place Bellecour is a large square in the heart of Lyon that is full of restaurants and cafes. The Vieux Lyon is a district in Lyon that is full of old buildings and is a great place to wander around and take in the sights.

Lyon Luxury Hotels

Athens, Greece

If you find yourself in Athens, there are definitely some spots you won't want to miss. The Acropolis, Parthenon, and Olympic Stadium are all essential stops, but there are plenty of others, too. If you're looking for a bit of history, the National Archaeological Museum is a must-see, while nature lovers will enjoy a visit to the botanical gardens. If you're looking to relax, take a walk along the beach in Glyfada or head to the Plaka district for a charming and picturesque setting. No matter what you're interested in, Athens has something for you.

Athens Luxury Hotels

Athens Luxury Villas

Helsinki, Finland

While in Helsinki, make sure to visit these popular tourist destinations: The Senate Square and Lutheran Cathedral The Sibelius Monument Ateneum Art Museum Market Square Helsinki Zoo.

Helsinki Luxury Hotels

Vilnius, Lithuania

The capital of Lithuania, Vilnius, is a picturesque city with a rich history. The old town is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is full of charming churches, narrow streets, and pretty squares. There are also lots of museums and other places of interest to visit, including the Hill of Crosses, Gediminas Tower, and the Presidential Palace. Vilnius is a great city to explore on foot, and there are plenty of cafes, restaurants, and bars to enjoy in the evening.

Vilnius Luxury Hotels

Reykjavik, Iceland

A city of remote beauty, Reykjavik is teeming with interesting places to visit. One of the worlds most northern capitals, Reykjavik offers stunning landscapes and a wealth of cultural experiences. From the iconic Hallgrimskirkja church to the popular Golden Circle tour, theres plenty to see and do in Reykjavik. Be sure to check out the citys lively nightlife scene, too  you wont be disappointed!.

Reykjavik Luxury Hotels

Glasgow, United Kingdom

Some of the most popular places to visit in Glasgow include the Gallery of Modern Art, the Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum, the Riverside Museum, and the Scottish Exhibition and Conference Centre. There are also many wonderful parks and gardens to explore, including the Botanic Gardens and Glasgow Green. For those interested in history and architecture, there are many fascinating old buildings to see, such as the Glasgow Cathedral and the University of Glasgow. And for those looking for a lively nightlife, Glasgow has no shortage of pubs, clubs, and restaurants.

Glasgow Luxury Hotels

Los Angeles, CA, United States

As the birthplace of Hollywood and home to some of the world's most recognisable landmarks, there's no shortage of places to visit in Los Angeles. Start by exploring the city's iconic neighbourhoods like Beverly Hills and Hollywood, then venture out to attractions like the Griffith Observatory, Venice Beach and Disneyland. And don't forget to savour the city's world-famous cultural scene, with its abundance of museums, theatres and restaurants.

Los Angeles Luxury Hotels

Los Angeles Luxury Villas

San Diego, CA, United States

San Diego is a city located in California and is a major tourist destination. One of the main reasons people visit the city is for its many beaches. Coronado Beach, Mission Beach, and Pacific Beach are some of the most popular and are all within close proximity to the city center. Other attractions in San Diego include the San Diego Zoo, SeaWorld San Diego, and the USS Midway Museum. Restaurants, bars, and shopping can be found throughout the city, and world-renowned museums, like the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego, are also located in San Diego.

San Diego Luxury Hotels

San Diego Luxury Resorts

San Diego Luxury Villas

Washington, DC, United States

Washington, D.C. is a city full of history and places to visit. Some popular places to visit are the Lincoln Memorial, the White House, and the Smithsonian. D.C. is also home to a number of monuments and memorials, like the Vietnam Veterans Memorial and the Korean War Veterans Memorial. There are also a number of museums in D.C., like the American History Museum and the National Air and Space Museum.

Washington Luxury Hotels

Cancun, Mexico

Cancun is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Mexico. Aside from its beautiful beaches, there are plenty of places to visit and things to do in Cancun. Some of the most popular attractions include the ancient ruins of Chichen Itza, the eco-park Xcaret, and the nightclubs and bars in the resort district.

Cancun Luxury Hotels

Cancun Luxury Resorts

Cancun Luxury Villas

Virginia Beach, VA, United States

Virginia Beach is one of the top tourist destinations on the East Coast. From the Virginia Beach Boardwalk to the miles of sandy beaches, there's something for everyone to enjoy. There are also plenty of restaurants, shops, and other attractions to keep visitors busy. Some of the most popular places to visit in Virginia Beach include: The Virginia Aquarium & Marine Science Center : This aquarium is home to more than 20,000 animals, including sharks, dolphins, and rays. : This aquarium is home to more than 20,000 animals, including sharks, dolphins, and rays. The Virginia Beach Boardwalk: This 3.5-mile boardwalk is one of the most popular attractions in Virginia Beach. It features a wide variety of shops, restaurants, and amusements. This 3.5-mile boardwalk is one of the most popular attractions in Virginia Beach. It features a wide variety of shops, restaurants, and amusements. First Landing State Park: This park offers miles of hiking and biking trails, as well as a beachfront area for swimming and sunbathing. This park offers miles of hiking and biking trails, as well as a beachfront area for swimming and sunbathing. Cape Henry Lighthouse: This lighthouse is one of the oldest in the country and offers stunning views of the Chesapeake Bay. There are plenty of other things to do in Virginia Beach, including dolphin and whale watching tours, kayaking, and golfing. Whether you're looking for a fun family vacation or a romantic getaway, Virginia Beach is sure to please.

Virginia Beach Luxury Hotels

Virginia Beach Luxury Resorts

Beijing, China

If you're looking for an amazing cultural experience, be sure to add Beijing, China to your travel bucket list! With beautiful temples, charming hutongs (traditional alleyways), and a lively food scene, there's something for everyone in this bustling city. Plus, Beijing is home to some of the most iconic attractions in China, like the Great Wall of China and the Forbidden City. So if you're looking for an unforgettable East Asian adventure, be sure to add Beijing to your list!.

Beijing Luxury Hotels

Seoul, South Korea

Seoul is a metropolitan city that is home to over 10 million people. It is a city full of culture, history, and a vibrant nightlife. There are plenty of places to visit in Seoul, including the Gyeongbokgung Palace, Changdeokgung Palace, and N Seoul Tower. The Jeongdongne district is a must-see for anyone interested in art and culture, and the Itaewon district is a great place to go for a night on the town.

Seoul Luxury Hotels

South Lake Tahoe, CA, United States

Known for its dramatic lake and mountain scenery, South Lake Tahoe offers visitors plenty of places to visit and things to do. Some of the most popular attractions include floating down the river on a tube, hiking the trails in the summer and skiing or snowboarding the slopes in the winter. The city also has a variety of restaurants and nightlife options, as well as casinos for those looking to try their luck.

South Lake Tahoe Luxury Hotels

South Lake Tahoe Luxury Resorts

Daytona Beach, FL, United States

Daytona Beach is a city in Volusia County, Florida, United States. It is approximately 40 miles northeast of Orlando, and 85 miles southeast of Jacksonville. The city is known as "The World's Most Famous Beach." Daytona Beach is a principal city of the Fun Coast region of Florida. The Daytona Beach area is a popular tourist destination. It is well known for its beaches, sports events, and motorsports. Daytona Beach was the birthplace of NASCAR and home to its first track, Daytona International Speedway. Dayton Beach also features a large number of tourist-oriented businesses, such as motels, restaurants, and bars.

Daytona Beach Luxury Hotels

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

The coastline of Rio de Janeiro is breathtaking, and the views from Christ the Redeemer and Sugar Loaf Mountain are unforgettable. Rio's world-famous beaches are the perfect place to relax and enjoy the sun and the surf. The city's rich culture and history can be experienced in its many museums and in the lively nightlife. Rio is also a great place to shop for souvenirs.

Rio de Janeiro Luxury Hotels

Rio de Janeiro Luxury Villas

Jaco, Costa Rica

Jaco is a town on the Central Pacific Coast of Costa Rica. It's about an hour drive from San Jose and is a popular spot for surfers, sunbathers, and tourists. There are a number of beaches in the area, as well as restaurants, bars, and hotels. If you're looking for a place to relax and enjoy the Costa Rican sun and beaches, Jaco is a great option.

Jaco Luxury Hotels

Oslo, Norway

Oslo, Norway is a city with plenty of places to visit. You can find the peace and tranquility of nature parks and green spaces, experience the city's vibrant nightlife, or take in the historical and cultural sights. Here are a few of the top places to visit in Oslo: The Royal Palace: Oslo's Royal Palace is the official residence of Norway's king and queen. The palace is open to the public year-round, and offers a glimpse into the lives of the royal family. Oslo's Royal Palace is the official residence of Norway's king and queen. The palace is open to the public year-round, and offers a glimpse into the lives of the royal family. Vigeland Park: Considered one of Oslo's most popular tourist destinations, Vigeland Park is home to over 200 sculptures by Gustav Vigeland. The park is a great place to spend a sunny day outdoors. Considered one of Oslo's most popular tourist destinations, Vigeland Park is home to over 200 sculptures by Gustav Vigeland. The park is a great place to spend a sunny day outdoors. The Maritime Museum: This museum is home to a variety of exhibits on Norway's maritime history. Visitors can explore everything from Viking ships to modern submarines. This museum is home to a variety of exhibits on Norway's maritime history. Visitors can explore everything from Viking ships to modern submarines. The National Gallery: The National Gallery is Norway's largest art museum, and home to a vast collection of paintings and sculptures from the country's most famous artists. The National Gallery is Norway's largest art museum, and home to a vast collection of paintings and sculptures from the country's most famous artists. Aker Brygge: Aker Brygge is a popular waterfront district in Oslo, home to a variety of bars, restaurants, and shops. The area is a great place to people watch and enjoy the view of the Oslo Fjord.

Oslo Luxury Hotels

Lima, Peru

If you're looking for a city that's bursting with culture and flavor, Lima, Peru is the place for you! This vibrant destination is home to some of the most amazing places to visit in all of South America. From ancient ruins to lush rainforests, there's something for everyone in Lima. Here are just a few of the must-see attractions in this amazing city: The Larco Museum is one of Lima's top tourist destinations. This incredible museum is home to one of the largest collections of pre-Columbian art in the world. The Historic Center of Lima is a must-see for any history lover. This vibrant area is home to some of the oldest architecture in Lima, including the iconic San Francisco Monastery. If you're looking for a little bit of jungle in the city, head to the Parque de la Reserva. This lush park is home to beautiful gardens, a zoo, and even a butterfly farm! No trip to Lima would be complete without a visit to Machu Picchu. This ancient Inca citadel is one of the most iconic sites in all of South America.

Lima Luxury Hotels

Ankara, Turkey

Ankara is the cultural and political center of Turkey. The city is home to many museums, including the Museum of Anatolian Civilizations, and is a popular destination for tourists. The Citadel, the Ataturk Mausoleum, and the War of Independence Museum are all popular tourist destinations in Ankara. The city is also home to a vibrant nightlife and is a popular destination for students.

Ankara Luxury Hotels

Birmingham, United Kingdom

There are plenty of great places to visit in Birmingham, United Kingdom. Some of the most popular places to go include the Birmingham Botanical Gardens, the Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery, and the Black Country Living Museum. These places are all great for tourists, as they offer a variety of attractions, including beautiful gardens, interesting art, and a recreation of an old-fashioned town. Additionally, there are plenty of other great places to visit in Birmingham, such as the Jewellery Quarter and the German Christmas Market.

Birmingham Luxury Hotels

York, United Kingdom

With a rich history that spans back over 1,000 years, York is a must-visit destination in the United Kingdom. Explore the city's medieval architecture and narrow cobblestone streets, or enjoy a leisurely walk along the River Ouse. Visitors can also enjoy a variety of cultural experiences, such as the York Minster cathedral, the Jorvik Viking Centre, and the National Railway Museum. There are also plenty of shops and restaurants to enjoy in York.

York Luxury Hotels

Inverness, United Kingdom

Inverness, Scotland is a must-see destination on any traveler's list. Filled with rolling green hills, historical sites, and plenty of outdoor activities, there's something for everyone in this charming town. Start by exploring the city center, which is home to a variety of shops and restaurants. Make sure to check out the Inverness Castle, which offers commanding views of the area, and the Inverness Cathedral, a beautiful example of medieval architecture. Outside of the city center, there are plenty of other attractions to explore. The Loch Ness Monster is said to make its home in the loch here, and visitors can take boat tours to hunt for the mythical creature. If you're looking for a more active adventure, take a hike in the hills or go fishing on the loch. No matter what you choose to do, Inverness is a beautiful and welcoming town that is sure to charm you.

Inverness Luxury Hotels

Marseille, France

The Vieux Port (Old Harbor) is the oldest port in France. It is a beautiful place to visit with its sailboats, restaurants, and cafes. The Notre Dame de la Garde Basilica is also worth a visit. It offers stunning views of the city. If you're looking for a more lively atmosphere, head to the La Canebiere. It's a wide avenue with plenty of shops and restaurants.

Marseille Luxury Hotels

Marseille Luxury Villas

Honolulu, HI, United States

Honolulu is a city located on the island of Oahu in Hawaii, United States. It is the most populous city in the state of Hawaii and the county seat of the City and County of Honolulu. Honolulu is the cultural, commercial, and financial center of Hawaii. Waikiki Beach is one of the most famous beaches in the world and is located in Honolulu. Other places to visit in Honolulu include Diamond Head, the USS Arizona Memorial, and Hanauma Bay.

Honolulu Luxury Hotels

Honolulu Luxury Resorts

Honolulu Luxury Villas

Bar Harbor, ME, United States

Famous for lobster and stunning ocean views, Bar Harbor is a popular destination in Maine. There are plenty of things to do in the town and its surroundings, including hiking, biking, whale watching, and exploring Acadia National Park.

Bar Harbor Luxury Hotels

Colorado Springs, CO, United States

There are many places to visit in Colorado Springs. Garden of the Gods is a popular park with beautiful rock formations. Pike's Peak is a 14,115 foot mountain that offers great views and outdoor activities. The Broadmoor is a world-renowned resort with lovely gardens and a championship golf course. Royal Gorge Bridge is the world's highest suspension bridge and a popular tourist spot.

Colorado Springs Luxury Hotels

Fort Myers Beach, FL, United States

Just an hours drive from the Southwest Florida International Airport in Fort Myers, Fort Myers Beach is a popular tourist spot, especially in the winter when the snowbirds migrate down. The seven-mile-long beach is known for its white sand and clear water and is a popular spot for swimming, sunbathing, fishing, and kayaking. There are also a number of restaurants and bars in the area, as well as a few stores.

Fort Myers Beach Luxury Hotels

Biloxi, MS, United States

There are plenty of places to explore in Biloxi, Mississippi  from the citys iconic Beaches to the picturesque Bay Saint Louis. Venture into the citys downtown area to check out the many shops and restaurants, or take a walk along the shoreline. No matter what you choose to do, youre sure to have a great time in Biloxi.

Biloxi Luxury Hotels

Palermo, Italy

If you're looking for a city with a rich and diverse history, Palermo is the place for you. This coastal city in Italy is teeming with medieval architecture, churches, and cathedrals. Be sure to check out the Teatro Massimo, the largest opera house in Europe, and the Palazzo dei Normanni, the seat of the Sicilian government. Don't miss out on the city's vibrant nightlife and vast array of restaurants that serve up some of the best food in the country.

Palermo Luxury Hotels

Palermo Luxury Villas

Manila, Philippines

The capital of the Philippines, Manila is a fascinating city with a rich history and a vibrant culture. There are plenty of places to visit in Manila, including the walled city of Intramuros, the Rizal Park, and the Manila Bay. The city is also home to a large number of churches, including the Manila Cathedral and the San Agustin Church. Manila is a great city to explore on foot, and there are plenty of restaurants and shops to enjoy.

Manila Luxury Hotels

Zermatt, Switzerland

Zermatt is an alpine village in the canton of Valais in Switzerland. It is famous for its ski resort, mountaineering and hiking trails. The views of the Matterhorn from Zermatt are iconic. The village is car-free, making it a cyclists' and pedestrians' paradise. There are many places to visit in Zermatt, including the village's beautiful churches, impressive museums, and great restaurants.

Zermatt Luxury Hotels

Basel, Switzerland

Basel is a city located in northwestern Switzerland on the river Rhine. Basel has a population of about 176,000 and is the third most populous city in Switzerland. Basel has many interesting places to visit, including the Basel Munster, the Basel Rathaus (town hall), the Basel Zoo, and the Munsterhof, the old town square. Basel also has a number of art museums, including the Kunstmuseum Basel, the Fondation Beyeler, and the Schaulager. Basel is a great city to visit, and I highly recommend it!.

Basel Luxury Hotels

Copenhagen, Denmark

There are a number of places to visit in Copenhagen, Denmark. Some of the most popular tourist destinations include Tivoli Gardens, Nyhavn, and the Rosenborg Castle Gardens. Tivoli Gardens is a beautiful amusement park that has something for everyone. It is perfect for a day of fun with family or friends. Nyhavn is a charming canal district that is popular for its brightly colored houses and lively atmosphere. Visitors can enjoy a relaxing cruise down the canal or take a seat in one of the many cafes and restaurants. The Rosenborg Castle Gardens are home to a majestic castle as well as beautifully landscaped gardens. There is plenty to see and do in Copenhagen, Denmark.

Copenhagen Luxury Hotels

Steamboat Springs, CO, United States

Steamboat Springs is located in northwestern Colorado. The town is named for the steamboats that traveled up the Yampa River in the 1800s. Today, the town is a popular tourist destination, known for its skiing, snowboarding, hiking, and rafting.

Steamboat Springs Luxury Hotels

Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

Abu Dhabi is the capital of the United Arab Emirates and is home to many tourist attractions. Some popular places to visit in Abu Dhabi include the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, the Ferrari World Theme Park, and the Yas Island Waterpark. There are also a number of museums and shopping malls in Abu Dhabi, making it a great destination for those looking for a mix of culture and leisure.

Abu Dhabi Luxury Hotels

Abu Dhabi Luxury Resorts

Abu Dhabi Luxury Villas

Bogota, Colombia

There's a lot to see and do in Bogota. Some of the top places to visit include the historical La Candelaria district, the cobblestone streets of Plaza de Bolivar, the Monserrate mountain, the Bogota Botanical Garden, and the Gold Museum. La Candelaria is home to many brightly-colored colonial buildings, churches, and plazas. Plaza de Bolivar is the center of Bogota and is surrounded by important landmarks like the Presidential Palace and the National Capitol. The Monserrate mountain is a popular tourist destination due to its stunning views of Bogota. The Bogota Botanical Garden is the largest in Colombia and features a wide variety of plants and trees. The Gold Museum is home to the largest collection of Pre-Columbian gold artifacts in the world.

Bogota Luxury Hotels

Cebu, Philippines

Due to its location and its rich history, there are plenty of places to visit in Cebu. Some of the most popular tourist destinations include the Cebu Taoist Temple, the Fort San Pedro, the Yap-San Diego Ancestral House, and the Magellan's Cross.

Cebu Luxury Hotels

Cebu Luxury Resorts

Lagos, Portugal

Lagos is a small town in Portugal with a population of around 22,000. It's located in the Algarve region and is a popular tourist destination. Some of the places to visit in Lagos are the beaches, the old town, and the Marina. The beaches are beautiful and there are a lot of them to choose from. The old town is a maze of narrow streets and alleyways with lots of shops and restaurants. The Marina is a great place to walk around and watch the boats.

Lagos Luxury Hotels

Medellin, Colombia

Some places to visit in Medellin, Colombia are: the Botanical Garden, the Ethnographic Museum, the Jardin Botanico, the Metropolitan Cathedral, the Park of Lights, and the San Pedro Claver Church.

Medellin Luxury Hotels

Genoa, Italy

While there are many places to visit in Genoa, one of the must-sees is the city's cathedral. Dedicated to San Lorenzo, the church features an intricate Gothic facade and a Renaissance interior. If you're looking for a place to take in some stunning views, head to the Genoa Aquarium, which is located on the promenade stretching along the city's harbor.

Genoa Luxury Hotels

Hoi An, Vietnam

Hoi An is a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Vietnam. Its a bridge town thats best explored on foot. The narrow streets are a mix of Chinese, Japanese, and Vietnamese architecture. There are tailors, artisans, and lantern shops galore. The food is also some of the best in Vietnam. Be sure to try the local specialties, like Cao Lau and White Rose dumplings.

Hoi An Luxury Hotels

Hoi An Luxury Resorts

Baku, Azerbaijan

Baku, Azerbaijan is a city with a lot of culture and history. There are a lot of places to visit, like the Palace of the Shirvanshahs and the Maiden Tower. There are also a lot of great restaurants, like the Flame Club, which has a great atmosphere and delicious food.

Baku Luxury Hotels

San Luis Obispo, CA, United States

San Luis Obispo is a city located in the central coast of California. It's known for its natural beauty, relaxed vibe, and abundance of things to do. Some of the top places to visit in San Luis Obispo include the Madonna Inn, Hearst Castle, and the Paso Robles wine country. The city is also home to a variety of beaches, parks, and other attractions. In addition, San Luis Obispo is a great place to live, with plenty of restaurants, shops, and other amenities.

San Luis Obispo Luxury Hotels

Colombo, Sri Lanka

Colombo is the largest city and commercial capital of Sri Lanka. The city is located on the west coast of the island and is the administrative, commercial, and industrial center of Sri Lanka. Colombo is also the center of Buddhism in Sri Lanka, with numerous Buddhist temples. There are a number of places to visit in Colombo, including the Galle Face Green, the Dutch fort, the Pettah Bazaar, and the Sri Lankan National Museum.

Colombo Luxury Hotels

Yogyakarta, Indonesia

The city of Yogyakarta in Indonesia is home to some of the most stunning temples and historical landmarks in the country. The city is also a great place to enjoy traditional Javanese culture and cuisine. Some of the must-see places in Yogyakarta include the Borobudur Temple, the Prambanan Temple, and the Sultan's Palace.

Yogyakarta Luxury Hotels

Cefalu, Italy

Looking for a beautiful and historic place to visit in Italy? Look no further than Cefalu. This town is teeming with history and stunning architecture, and its location on the coast makes it the perfect place to relax and take in the stunning scenery. Don't miss the Duomo di Cefalu, a 12th century Norman church that is definitely worth a visit, or the Palazzo dei Normanni, a former royal palace.

Cefalu Luxury Hotels

San Jose, CA, United States

San Jose, California, is home to a variety of tourist destinations. Some popular places to visit include the Winchester Mystery House, the Tech Museum of Innovation, and the Rosicrucian Egyptian Museum. There are also a number of lovely parks, such as Kelley Park and Plaza de Cesar Chavez, that are well worth a visit. San Jose is also home to a number of great restaurants, so be sure to check out the local cuisine. Whatever your interests, San Jose has something to offer visitors.

San Jose Luxury Hotels

Hong Kong, China

Hong Kong is one of the most popular destinations for tourists in China. There are many places to visit in Hong Kong, including the Hong Kong Disneyland Resort, Victoria Peak, and the Temple Street Night Market. Hong Kong is also a great place to shop, with many high-end malls and markets.

Hong Kong Luxury Hotels

Hong Kong Luxury Resorts

Orlando, FL, United States

Orlando is a city in the central region of Florida, in the United States. The city is the county seat of Orange County, and the center of the metropolitan area also known as Greater Orlando. Orlando is well known for its theme parks, including Walt Disney World, Universal Orlando Resort, and SeaWorld Orlando. Other tourist destinations in Orlando include the Holy Land Experience, the Orlando Science Center, and the Charles Hosmer Morse Museum of American Art. Orlando is also home to the University of Central Florida, one of the largest universities in the United States.

Orlando Luxury Hotels

Orlando Luxury Resorts

Orlando Luxury Villas

Philadelphia, PA, United States

If youre looking for a place thats rich in history and culture, Philadelphia is the place for you. The city is home to numerous iconic landmarks, including the Liberty Bell and Independence Hall. Theres also a great variety of museums and other attractions to explore, such as the Philadelphia Zoo and the Please Touch Museum. And, of course, Philly is the birthplace of Americas favorite sandwich, the cheesesteak. So why not visit Americas most historic city and see for yourself what all the fuss is about?.

Philadelphia Luxury Hotels

Nice, France

France is known for its many beautiful places to visit, and Nice is no exception. With its stunning coastline and mild climate, Nice is a popular tourist destination. Some of the most popular places to visit in Nice include the Promenade des Anglais, the Castle Hill, and the Old Town. There is also a wide variety of shops and restaurants to enjoy in Nice. If you're looking for a beautiful and relaxing place to visit in France, Nice is definitely worth considering.

Nice Luxury Hotels

Nice Luxury Villas

Singapore, Singapore

Singapore is a popular tourist destination, brimming with cultural and natural attractions. From award-winning restaurants to serene gardens and pristine beaches, there is much to explore in this diverse city-state. Here are some of the top places to visit in Singapore: 1. Marina Bay: This iconic waterfront district is home to stunning architecture, world-class landmarks, and a vibrant nightlife. 2. Gardens by the Bay: These stunning gardens feature a mix of plants from around the world, as well as towering sculptures and a biodome. 3. Chinatown: This lively district is home to traditional Chinese shops and restaurants, as well as vibrant street markets. 4. Little India: This neighborhood is known for its vibrant culture and colorful temples. 5. Sentosa Island: This resort island is home to sandy beaches, lush rainforests, and a variety of entertainment options.

Singapore Luxury Hotels

Singapore Luxury Resorts

Nottingham, United Kingdom

Nottingham is a city in the East Midlands of England. It is one of the United Kingdom's major cities, with a population of over 321,000. The city is home to two universities, Queen's Medical Centre, and seven football grounds. Nottingham is known for its lace-making and bicycle manufacturing. The city has a rich history, dating back to the Bronze Age. There are plenty of places to visit in Nottingham, including the Nottingham Castle, the Sherwood Forest, and the National Ice Centre. The city also has a lively nightlife, with a variety of pubs and bars.

Nottingham Luxury Hotels

Cannes, France

Cannes is a city located in the south of France. Some of the places to visit in Cannes are the Palais des Festivals et des Congres, the Boulevard de la Croisette, and Le Suquet.

Cannes Luxury Hotels

Cannes Luxury Villas

Park City, UT, United States

Park City, Utah, offers visitors a wealth of places to visit and things to do. Main Street, with its charming shops and restaurants, is a must-see. The Park City Museum tells the town's fascinating history, and the Park City Utah Temple is a beautiful sight. For outdoor enthusiasts, there's plenty of skiing and snowboarding in the winter and hiking and mountain biking in the summer. And don't forget to visit the Olympic Park, where the 2002 Winter Olympics were held.

Park City Luxury Hotels

Park City Luxury Resorts

Port Angeles, WA, United States

If you're looking for a quaint, small town to visit in the US, Port Angeles is worth a stop. Located in the state of Washington, it's right on the Pacific coast with stunning views of the Olympic Mountains. There's plenty of things to do in the area, from hiking and fishing to whale watching and enjoying the local restaurants and breweries.

Port Angeles Luxury Hotels

Fort Lauderdale, FL, United States

If you're looking for a fun-filled Florida getaway, look no further than Fort Lauderdale! With its miles of pristine beaches, world-famous shopping and vibrant nightlife, there's something for everyone in this seaside city. Here are some of the top places to visit in Fort Lauderdale:  Las Olas Boulevard: This popular shopping and dining district is home to some of Fort Lauderdale's most upscale boutiques and restaurants.  The Beach: With its wide, sandy beaches and crystal-clear waters, Fort Lauderdale's beach is a major draw for visitors.  The Everglades: Just a short drive from Fort Lauderdale, the Everglades are home to an abundance of wildlife, including alligators, bald eagles and manatees.  The Broward Center for the Performing Arts: This world-class performing arts center is home to a variety of theater, dance and music performances. So what are you waiting for? Book your trip to Fort Lauderdale today!.

Fort Lauderdale Luxury Hotels

Fort Lauderdale Luxury Resorts

Myrtle Beach, SC, United States

Myrtle Beach, South Carolina is a popular tourist destination. There are plenty of places to visit in the area, including amusement parks, beaches, and golf courses. Myrtle Beach also has a lively nightlife, with plenty of bars and restaurants.

Myrtle Beach Luxury Hotels

Myrtle Beach Luxury Resorts

Salzburg, Austria

Salzburg is one of the most visited places in Austria. It is a city rich in history and culture. There are many places to visit, such as the Hohensalzburg Fortress, the Mirabell Palace, and the Salzburg Cathedral. There are also many hiking trails and parks to enjoy.

Salzburg Luxury Hotels

Pattaya, Thailand

Pattaya is an amazing city with plenty of places to visit and things to do. One of the most popular tourist destinations in Thailand, Pattaya offers something for everyone. There are lovely beaches, interesting temples, great shopping, and exciting nightlife. With its moderate climate and affordable prices, it's no wonder Pattaya is a favorite destination for tourists from all over the world.

Pattaya Luxury Hotels

Pattaya Luxury Resorts

Pattaya Luxury Villas

Dallas, TX, United States

Dallas is a city located in the U.S. state of Texas. It is the ninth most populous city in the United States and the third most populous city in the state of Texas. Dallas is also the main city of the fourth most populous metropolitan area in the United States. The city's prominence arose from its historical importance as a center for the oil and cotton industries, and its position as a major transportation hub for the South. Dallas is home to the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League and the Dallas Mavericks of the National Basketball Association. The city's economy is primarily based on banking, commerce, telecommunications, technology, energy, healthcare and medical research, and transportation. The city is home to the world's largest airline hub and the third largest cargo airport in the United States.

Dallas Luxury Hotels

Kolkata, India

Kolkata, also known as Calcutta, is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal. The city is located on the east bank of the Hooghly River. It is the second most populous city in India, after Mumbai, and the third most populous metropolitan area in India, after Mumbai and Delhi. The city is notable for its colonial architecture, art and culture, and for its overwhelming poverty. Kolkata is home to the Indian Museum, the Calcutta Stock Exchange, the National Library of India, and the Indian Statistical Institute.

Kolkata Luxury Hotels

San Antonio, TX, United States

San Antonio is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Texas. There are plenty of places to visit in this city, from the well-known River Walk to the exquisite Spanish missions. If you're looking for a fun place to spend the day, you can't go wrong with San Antonio.

San Antonio Luxury Hotels

Seattle, WA, United States

There are many wonderful places to visit in Seattle, Washington. Some of the most popular attractions include Pike Place Market, the Seattle Space Needle, and the Museum of Pop Culture. There are also many parks and gardens, such as Volunteer Park and Seattle Chinese Garden, as well as plenty of restaurants and shops. Located on the other side of the world, Western Australia is a great place to visit for those looking for something different. Some of the most popular attractions include Rottnest Island, the Margaret River region, and Monkey Mia. There are also plenty of beautiful parks and gardens, such as Kings Park and Botanic Garden, as well as restaurants and shops.

Seattle Luxury Hotels

Liverpool, United Kingdom

Liverpool is a city located in North West England and is one of the largest metropolitan areas in the United Kingdom. The city is known for its football teams Liverpool and Everton, The Beatles, and its maritime history. Liverpool is a popular tourist destination and is home to various tourist attractions including Mersey Ferry, Liverpool Cathedral, and Albert Dock.

Liverpool Luxury Hotels

Malmo, Sweden

Malmo is Sweden's third largest city with a population of over 310,000. It is located in the province of Scania on the country's southern tip. Malmo is a vibrant city with a strong arts and cultural scene. There are plenty of places to visit in Malmo, including the Malmo Castle, the Botanical Gardens, and the Turning Torso skyscraper. Malmo is also home to a large shopping district and a lively nightlife.

Malmo Luxury Hotels

Gothenburg, Sweden

Goteborg, Sweden's second largest city, is a major port on the country's west coast. It's a popular tourist destination, known for its lively nightlife, beautiful architecture and delicious seafood. Some of the city's highlights include the Liseberg amusement park, the Botanical Garden, and the charming old town district. Goteborg is also home to a large number of museums, including the Volvo Museum, the Maritime Museum and the Universeum science center.

Gothenburg Luxury Hotels

Ljubljana, Slovenia

Ljubljana is the capital city of Slovenia and is a city full of culture and history. There are many places to visit in Ljubljana, such as the castle, the old town, and the cathedral. The city is also home to many museums, art galleries, and parks. Ljubljana is a great city to explore on foot, and there are many restaurants and cafes to enjoy.

Ljubljana Luxury Hotels

Sydney, NSW, Australia

Australia is a vast country with plenty of stunning places to visit, but Sydney is undoubtedly one of the most popular tourist destinations on the continent. From the iconic Sydney Opera House and Harbour Bridge to the beautiful beaches and lush national parks, there's something for everyone in this lively city. There's also a thriving food and nightlife scene, so you'll never run out of things to do in Sydney.

Sydney Luxury Hotels

Sydney Luxury Villas

Melbourne, VIC, Australia

There's a lot to love about Melbourne  its lively arts and culture scene, its parks and gardens, its diverse range of restaurants and cafes, and its stunning architecture. Here are some of the best places to visit in Melbourne: - Federation Square: This iconic square is a great place to people-watch and take in the city's impressive architecture. It's also home to a number of museums and galleries, including the Australian Centre for the Moving Image and the National Gallery of Victoria. - Queen Victoria Market: This vibrant market is a must-visit for foodies and shoppers alike. It's the largest open-air market in the Southern Hemisphere, and offers a vast array of fresh produce, meat, seafood, and souvenirs. - Melbourne Cricket Ground: If you're a sports fan, be sure to check out the Melbourne Cricket Ground, which is the largest cricket stadium in the world. It's also home to the Australian Football League, and has hosted a number of major sporting events, including the Commonwealth Games and the Rugby Union World Cup. - Royal Botanic Gardens: These beautiful gardens are a great place to relax and take in some of Melbourne's natural beauty. They're home to a number of different gardens, including the Australian Garden, the Sculpture Garden, and the Japanese Garden.

Melbourne Luxury Hotels

Melbourne Luxury Villas

Vancouver, BC, Canada

The top places to visit in Vancouver are Stanley Park, Granville Island, Gastown, and Chinatown. These are all must-see attractions that offer an array of activities, scenery, and history. Stanley Park is a world-famous urban park that features greenery, beaches, gardens, and a stunning view of the North Shore Mountains. Granville Island is a vibrant neighbourhood with unique shops, restaurants, and art galleries. Gastown is the city's oldest neighbourhood and is home to charming cobblestone streets and funky boutiques. Chinatown is one of the largest and most vibrant Chinatowns in North America and offers delicious food, interesting history, and vibrant culture.

Vancouver Luxury Hotels

Toronto, ON, Canada

From the CN Tower and Hockey Hall of Fame to the Art Gallery of Ontario and the Distillery District, there are plenty of amazing places to visit in Toronto, Canada. With something for everyone, Toronto is a great city to explore. So what are you waiting for? Start planning your trip today!.

Toronto Luxury Hotels

Montreal, QC, Canada

Montreal is a vibrant city with something for everyone. There are plenty of places to visit, including the Notre Dame Basilica, the Olympic Stadium, and Mount Royal. The city is also home to a lively arts and culture scene, with theatres, art galleries, and music venues. Montreal is a great place to visit year-round, with festivals and events happening throughout the year.

Montreal Luxury Hotels

Seville, Spain

Seville is one of the most visited places in Spain for a plethora of reasons: its stunning architecture, tapas bars, flamenco and great weather. The Giralda Tower is a must-see when in Seville as is the Plaza de Espana. Andalusian culture is heavily present in the city and is best experienced by wandering the narrow streets and alleyways, popping into a lively tapas bar for a drink and some snacks or enjoying a flamenco show.

Seville Luxury Hotels

Seville Luxury Villas

Ocean City, MD, United States

Ocean City is a seaside resort town in Worcester County, Maryland, on the Atlantic coast. It is well known for its long promenade, its fishing, and its crab cuisine. There are plenty of places to visit in Ocean City, including the boardwalk, amusement rides, shopping, and restaurants. You can also visit the Assateague Island National Seashore, which is home to wild horses, or head to the nearby town of Berlin for more shopping and dining options.

Ocean City Luxury Hotels

Cambridge, MA, United States

If you're looking for a quintessential New England town to visit, Cambridge, Massachusetts is the place for you. With its elaborate architecture and Colonial history, Cambridge is a lively town with plenty of things to see and do - perfect for a weekend getaway. Some of the places you won't want to miss include the Harvard University campus, the charming and lively shops and restaurants in Harvard Square, and the leafy paths of the Cambridge Common.

Cambridge Luxury Hotels

Laguna Beach, CA, United States

Laguna Beach, California is a place known for its stunningly beautiful coastline, excellent restaurants, and art galleries. But there's more to Laguna Beach than meets the eye. Here are some of the best places to visit in Laguna Beach: Crystal Cove State Park: This state park is known for its coves, tidepools, and bluffs. It's a great place to go hiking, swimming, and snorkeling. Heisler Park: This park is a great place for a walk or a picnic. It's also home to some of the best views of the Pacific Coast. Downtown Laguna Beach: This charming downtown area is home to art galleries, boutique shops, and excellent restaurants. Aliso Beach: This beach is known for its excellent surfing and swimming conditions. It's also a great place to take a walk or enjoy a picnic.

Laguna Beach Luxury Hotels

Hot Springs, AR, United States

In downtown Hot Springs, Arkansas, you'll find historic buildings, antique shops, and art galleries. For nature lovers, there are also plenty of places to visit, including the Garland County Arboretum, Ouachita National Forest, and Hot Springs National Park. Spa enthusiasts can enjoy a relaxing day in one of the area's hot springs. And no trip to Hot Springs is complete without a visit to the world-famous Bathhouse Row.

Hot Springs Luxury Hotels

Sedona, AZ, United States

There are many places to visit in Sedona, Arizona. Among the most popular are the Chapel of the Holy Cross, Bell Rock, Cathedral Rock, and Boynton Canyon. The town's unique red-rock formations and ancient ruins offer plenty of photo opportunities. Visitors can also enjoy hiking, biking, and horseback riding. Sedona is a great place to relax and take in the natural beauty of the Southwest.

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Sedona Luxury Resorts

Boulder, CO, United States

Boulder, Colorado is a breathtaking city nestled in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains. The city is home to stunning views, ample outdoor recreation, and a lively arts scene. Outdoor enthusiasts will love exploring the city's many trails, parks, and open spaces. History buffs will enjoy checking out the city's museums and historic sites. Culture seekers will appreciate the city's many theaters, art galleries, and restaurants. No matter what your interests, you'll find something to love in Boulder.

Boulder Luxury Hotels

Key West, FL, United States

Key West is a small island off the coast of Florida that is filled with history, charm, and fun places to visit. Its lush tropical setting and the laid-back vibe of the island make it a popular destination for those looking for a relaxing getaway. There are plenty of places to explore in Key West, from the charming historic district to the crystal-clear waters of the Florida Keys. Here are some of the top places to visit in Key West: -The Ernest Hemingway Home and Museum: This iconic museum is dedicated to the life and work of Nobel Prize-winning author Ernest Hemingway, who lived in Key West for over 20 years. -Duval Street: This lively street is the heart of Key West's nightlife and is home to many bars and restaurants. -The Southernmost Point: This landmark is located at the end of Duval Street and is the southernmost point in the continental United States. -The Key West Lighthouse: This picturesque lighthouse is a popular spot for tourists and offers stunning views of the island. -The African American Heritage House: This museum is dedicated to the history and culture of African Americans in Key West. -The Key West Butterfly and Nature Conservatory: This attraction is home to over 2,000 butterflies and a variety of other tropical plants and animals.

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Key West Luxury Resorts

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Stockholm, Sweden

Stockholm, Sweden is a city with many places to visit. One place is the Vasa Museum, which is home to a ship that sunk in 1628 and was raised from the ocean floor 333 years later. The ship is preserved and on display in the museum. Another place to visit is the Royal Palace, the official residence of the Swedish monarch. The palace is open for tours, and visitors can see the royal apartments, the throne room, and the Hall of State.

Stockholm Luxury Hotels

Destin, FL, United States

Looking for a place to visit in Florida? Look no further than Destin! This city is home to beautiful beaches, wonderful restaurants, and plenty of places to shop. No matter what you're looking for, you can find it in Destin. Be sure to check out the Destin Harbor and the fishing pier for amazing views and plenty of things to do. If you're looking for a place to relax, head to the beach and enjoy the sun and sand. There's something for everyone in Destin, so be sure to visit this amazing city!.

Destin Luxury Hotels

Destin Luxury Resorts

Ashland, OR, United States

There are many places to visit in Ashland, Oregon. Some of the most popular places are the Shakespeare Festival, Lithia Park, and Mt. Ashland. The Shakespeare Festival is a great place to see some of the best plays in the world. Lithia Park is a beautiful park with a river running through it. Mt. Ashland is a great place to go skiing in the winter.

Ashland Luxury Hotels

Seaside, OR, United States

One of the most beautiful places on the Oregon Coast is Seaside. With its wide, sandy beach and majestic promenade, Seaside is a popular tourist destination. There are plenty of places to eat and shop, and the Seaside Aquarium is a must-see. Visitors can also enjoy fishing, whale watching, or just taking a leisurely stroll along the beach.

Seaside Luxury Hotels

Newport, RI, United States

Newport is a picturesque town located in southern Rhode Island that is home to some of the most visited tourist destinations in the United States. The city is known for its miles of beaches and historic mansions that line the coast. Some popular places to visit in Newport include the Cliff Walk, the Breakers Mansion, the Museum of Yachting, and the International Tennis Hall of Fame.

Newport Luxury Hotels

Siena, Italy

Siena, Italy is a popular tourist destination, thanks to its well-preserved medieval city center. The city is famous for its art, food, and wine. Siena is located in the heart of Tuscany, making it the perfect base for exploring this beautiful region of Italy. Don't miss the Duomo (cathedral), the Piazza del Campo, and the Torre del Mangia.

Siena Luxury Hotels

Reno, NV, United States

Home to the University of Nevada, Reno and a wide variety of cultural and natural attractions, Reno is a great place to visit. Some of the top places to see in Reno include the Nevada Museum of Art, the Fleischmann Planetarium and Science Center, and the Reno Events Center. Outdoor enthusiasts will enjoy hiking and skiing at Lake Tahoe and biking and kayaking on the Truckee River. In addition, Reno is home to a diverse array of restaurants and nightlife venues.

Reno Luxury Hotels

Atlantic City, NJ, United States

Atlantic City is a popular East Coast tourist destination, known for its boardwalks, beaches and casinos. There are plenty of places to visit in Atlantic City, from the Boardwalk Hall and the Absecon Lighthouse to the Atlantic City Aquarium and Lucy the Elephant. For a more thrilling experience, head to one of the city's casinos, where you can try your hand at blackjack, slots, roulette and more. Atlantic City also offers a wide variety of restaurants, from seafood spots to pizza places, so you're sure to find something to your taste. And if you're looking for some nightlife action, the city has you covered there too. Atlantic City is definitely a place worth visiting!.

Atlantic City Luxury Hotels

Atlantic City Luxury Resorts

Lake George, NY, United States

Looking for a place to visit in upstate New York? Look no further than the stunning Lake George. This picturesque locale is located in the heart of the Adirondacks and is known for its pristine beauty and terrific recreational opportunities. Visitors can enjoy hiking, biking, boating, fishing, and skiing, among other activities. Don't miss the chance to take in the spectacular views from the summit of Prospect Mountain or from the water's edge.

Lake George Luxury Hotels

Buffalo, NY, United States

If you're looking for a city that has it all, Buffalo is the place to be. From its vibrant downtown district to its abundance of parks and nature preserves, there's something for everyone in Buffalo. Here are some of the top places to visit in Buffalo: 1. The Buffalo Zoo - One of the top zoos in the country, the Buffalo Zoo is a must-visit for animal lovers of all ages. 2. The Albright-Knox Art Gallery - Buffalo's answer to the Louvre, the Albright-Knox is home to some of the world's most famous paintings and sculptures. 3. The Buffalo-Niagara Heritage Village - This living history museum offers a glimpse into what life was like in Buffalo in the 1800s. 4. The Buffalo River - Take a walk or bike ride along the Buffalo River, one of the city's most picturesque areas. 5. Delaware Park - This large park is home to a variety of attractions, including a zoo, a golf course, and a nature preserve.

Buffalo Luxury Hotels

Rochester, MN, United States

Rochester, Minnesota is a city with plenty of places to visit. There's the Mayo Clinic, the Apache Mall, and several other shopping areas, as well as a variety of restaurants. There are also a few parks and golf courses. For those who love the outdoors, Rochester is also close to several state parks and the Mississippi River.

Rochester Luxury Hotels

Duluth, MN, United States

If you're looking for an amazing place to visit, Duluth, Minnesota should definitely be at the top of your list. This city is home to some of the most beautiful scenery in the United States, and there are plenty of things to do here that will keep you entertained for days on end. Some of the most popular places to visit in Duluth include the Aerial Lift Bridge, the Glensheen Mansion, and Chester Creek Park. Additionally, there are a number of excellent restaurants and shopping areas in the city, so be sure to explore everything that Duluth has to offer.

Duluth Luxury Hotels

Maputo, Mozambique

Maputo is the capital of Mozambique and a city full of culture and history. There are many places to visit in Maputo, such as the Jose Eduardo dos Santos Museum, the Maputo Cathedral, and the Rua da Independencia. Maputo is also home to the Maputo Bay, which offers beautiful beaches and great seafood.

Maputo Luxury Hotels

Barcelona, Spain

Barcelona, located on the northeast coast of Spain, is a renowned tourist destination and one of the most popular cities in the world. There are plenty of places to visit in Barcelona, such as the Gothic Quarter, the Temple of Olympian Zeus, the Parc Guell, La Sagrada Familia, and more. The city is also home to a lively nightlife and some of the best restaurants in the country.

Barcelona Luxury Hotels

Barcelona Luxury Villas

Split, Croatia

Split is a city on the eastern shore of the Adriatic Sea. It is the second-largest city in Croatia and the largest city in Dalmatia. It has a population of over 200,000 inhabitants. The metropolitan area, which includes the City of Split and the surrounding towns, has a population of over 330,000. Split is a popular tourist destination and is the home of the Diocletian's Palace, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Other popular tourist destinations include the Riva, the Peristyle, the Cathedral of Saint Domnius, and Sustipan.

Split Luxury Hotels

Split Luxury Villas

Dubrovnik, Croatia

Dubrovnik is a city on the Adriatic Sea in Croatia. It is one of the most prominent tourist destinations in the Mediterranean Sea, a seaport and the administrative center of Dubrovnik-Neretva County. Dubrovnik is nicknamed "The Pearl of the Adriatic".

Dubrovnik Luxury Hotels

Dubrovnik Luxury Villas

Byron Bay, NSW, Australia

Byron Bay is a magical place. It's no wonder that it's one of the most popular destinations in Australia. The town is set in a beautiful location, surrounded by rolling green hills and the bright blue ocean. There's plenty to do in Byron Bay, whether you're looking for a relaxing beach holiday or an adventure-filled trip. Some of the top places to visit in Byron Bay include the iconic lighthouse, the stunning beaches, and the lush rainforest. There's also a great nightlife and plenty of restaurants and cafes to enjoy. If you're looking for an amazing Australian getaway, be sure to add Byron Bay to your list!.

Byron Bay Luxury Hotels

Wellington, New Zealand

If you're looking for a little slice of heaven on earth, look no further than Wellington, New Zealand. With its gorgeous landscape and plethora of activities, there's something for everyone here. Whether you're a nature lover or a city slicker, Wellington has something special to offer. Top Wellington attractions include the Zealandia eco-sanctuary, the cable car up to the Botanic Gardens, and the sprawling Te Papa museum. For those who love getting out into the great outdoors, there are plenty of hiking and biking trails, as well as lovely seaside towns and villages to explore. And of course, no trip to Wellington would be complete without trying some of the delicious local cuisine  be sure to sample a traditional Maori hangi feast! So what are you waiting for? Book your flight to Wellington today and start planning your perfect holiday!.

Wellington Luxury Hotels

Saint Louis, MO, United States

If you're looking for a fun place to visit with a rich history and plenty of things to see and do, look no further than Saint Louis, Missouri. This vibrant city is home to a variety of interesting attractions, including the Gateway Arch, the Missouri Botanical Garden, and the Anheuser-Busch Brewery. There's also no shortage of restaurants and shopping options in Saint Louis. So, whether you're looking for a place to explore new cultures and cuisines or you're just looking for a place to have some fun, Saint Louis is a great option.

Saint Louis Luxury Hotels

Bloomington, IN, United States

The city of Bloomington, Indiana is home to a variety of attractions and places to visit. The Indiana University campus is a popular destination, as is the city's historic downtown district. Monroe County Courthouse
Chicago firefighters, at the scene of a 3-11 alarm fire in the 4800 block of South Christiana Avenue, in Chicago, on Saturday April 30, 2016. (Nuccio DiNuzzo/Chicago Tribune) (Nuccio DiNuzzo / Chicago Tribune)

Two firefighters were hurt after an "incendiary and suspicious in nature" extra-alarm fire broke out at a mattress warehouse Saturday evening in the Brighton Park neighborhood on the Southwest Side.

The fire started around 7:40 p.m. at the four-story warehouse near South Christiana Avenue and West 48th Place, according to the Chicago Fire Department media officials.

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The response to the blaze was raised to a 2-11 alarm about 8:30 p.m. and to a 3-11 alarm about 9 p.m., according to media officials.

Two firefighters suffered minor injuries as a result of the fire. One of them was taken to Holy Cross Hospital, and the second firefighter was taken to Advocate Christ Medical Center. Both are in good condition.

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The blaze was struck out about 10:45 p.m., according to media officials. An investigation by the fire department determined the fire was suspicious and the Chicago Police Department will continue the investigation, according to authorities.
Immigration protesters march through the West Loop on May 1, 2016, during a May Day rally. (Brian Cassella / Chicago Tribune)

Hundreds of people demonstrated for workers' rights and immigration reform across the city Sunday in solidarity with labor unions and human rights organizations throughout the world for May Day, the international labor holiday that traces back to Chicago.

Dozens of protesters gathered at Lincoln United Methodist Church in the city's Heart of Chicago neighborhood reciting chants in English and Spanish aimed at stopping the deportation of immigrants in the U.S. illegally, and a number of people blasted Republican presidential front-runner Donald Trump.

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"Trump says 'make America great again,'" the Rev. Emma Lozano said as she grabbed flags to distribute. "We're going to make America Mexico again."

The group, made up of older activists and refugee children from El Salvador and Honduras, wore brown bandannas and carried Mexican and American flags.

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Among them was Elvira Arellano, a Mexican woman whose yearlong stay in a Chicago church made her a lightning rod in the nation's immigration debate. Arellano must meet with a parole officer every six months while she fights deportation. And while her residency in the U.S. remains in limbo, her son Saul Arellano, 17, said he would like to become "the new Martin Luther King for immigration."

"Seeing all the little kids and teenagers who are really into it makes me proud because they have family members who are going through the same thing," Saul Arellano said. "One person can't do it. But all of us can make a difference. For me it's been like 12 years of struggle. We have to keep going."

The group marched to a drum line of teens banging sticks on construction buckets as they made the 21/2-mile walk to Union Park, where they met up with other groups and marched toward Trump Tower.

Representing a hodgepodge of organizations and numbering in the hundreds, protesters were stopped at Wacker Drive and Wabash Avenue by the Chicago Police Department's mounted unit and two other lines of officers on bicycles. The diverse group of people, which included colorfully garbed Cinco De Mayo parade participants decked out in hats and feathers and carrying musical instruments, was dispersed.

Many activists carried signs that looked like stop signs and read "Stop Deportations." Other props were directed at Trump, including a papier-mache version of the businessman turned politician, whose stance on immigration has been condemned by many Latinos.

Earlier, more than 100 people, many belonging to various unions, organized at Randolph and Desplaines streets around the Haymarket Memorial, a bronze statue of a wagon that served as a speakers' platform during a labor meeting in 1886.

The banner for Sunday's event read "Immigration rights are workers' rights."

"In some ways, not so much has changed," said Larry Spivack, president of the Illinois Labor History Society. "The struggle in America was a struggle of immigrants. And there was a fight against immigration by native-born Americans. Low wages, poverty, discrimination. ... The fight for labor has often been against deportation. It's complicated. It's the same fight today."

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Today the memorial is a shrine to labor and the historic Haymarket Affair, the origin of the May Day holiday.

On May 4, 1886, a bomb was thrown during a labor rally in which eight police officers and at least four civilians were killed.

Authorities quickly rounded up eight radicals, four of whom were hanged. One committed suicide before he could be executed. Death sentences for two others were commuted and one was sentenced to prison. The three surviving Haymarket defendants subsequently were pardoned by Illinois Gov. John Altgeld, who concluded they were all innocent.

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Three days before the bombing, on May 1, 1886, tens of thousands had marched on Michigan Avenue in a campaign to reduce the customary 10- or 12-hour workday to eight hours. In the wake of the Haymarket executions, the anniversary of that march became known as May Day and remains a workers' holiday in most nations although not the U.S.

Nerissa Allegretti, the Midwest coordinator of the National Alliance for Filipino Concerns, said the Haymarket riot has worldwide influence, as evidenced by the Kilusang Mayo Uno, or May 1 Movement in her native Philippines.

"When Filipino workers celebrate Labor Day, we educate others of the May 1 protest held 130 years ago, as well as the Haymarket Square bombing that followed days after," Allegretti said. "The story behind these two events is familiar to Filipino workers because we face similar challenges to this day."

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Spivack said International Workers' Day, as it is also known, was largely suppressed in the United States when President Grover Cleveland moved Labor Day to September, which historians believe was because of the historic Pullman strike of 1894 on the Far South Side.

"This is the epicenter of international labor," Spivack said.

tbriscoe@tribpub.com

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Singer Prince performs at a concert in 1985. The musician reportedlydied without leaving behinda will, which will likely lead to intense litigation over his estate. (Associated Press)

How could Prince die without a will? He didn't amass a $250 million estate just through exceptional musical talent. He was also a shrewd businessman. Two years ago, Prince took control of his musical catalog and related copyrights, and negotiated a new contract with Warner Bros. His estate will reap at least $100 million on royalties alone over the next few years.

Prince was extremely hands-on with the business side of music. He shunned attorneys, preferring to deal directly with record studios and concert promoters, and made a point of controlling his legacy. It was part of his persona. Prince fought to remove his songs from YouTube and cut deals directly with digital music providers.

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Expand Autoplay Image 1 of 38 Prince performs in Los Angeles in 1986. (Los Angeles Times)

Yet he neglected to decide what would happen to his estate after his death, leaving behind unanswered questions instead of a plan. Who will control his "vault" of unrecorded music? Where will his fortune go? Prince died unmarried and without living parents, and his only child died shortly after birth. Surviving family members include a sister and five half-siblings. Observers expect a will contest, and additional claims against the estate are likely. One thing is certain: Attorneys will benefit lavishly, as will the federal government and the state of Minnesota. His heirs  whoever they are  will pay a hefty estate tax that could have been minimized with a sensible estate plan that included charitable giving.

Amazingly, it is not unusual for the rich and famous to die without a will. Jimi Hendrix, Pablo Picasso, Bob Marley, Howard Hughes, Sonny Bono and Abraham Lincoln all died without a will. Lincoln was the first president to die without a will  even though he was an attorney. Some sources estimate that more than 55 percent of adult Americans do not have wills or estate plans. Only 41 percent of baby boomers ages 55 to 64 have wills. Only 32 percent of African-Americans have them, and only 26 percent of Latinos.

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Procrastination goes a way toward explaining why so many of us fail to invest the time to create an estate plan  tomorrow's always a better day to confront one's mortality. On a more earthly level, it's uncomfortable to decide who will be in charge or who will benefit upon one's death. As an estate planning attorney, I often hear clients express fear of giving offense. "If I pick my son Johnny to be in charge of my business, won't Beth be angry?"

Some also cite cost as a barrier. But estate plans aren't expensive, particularly compared with the trouble they ward off.

In California, a perfectly acceptable will is one that's drafted completely in your handwriting with your signature at the bottom. You don't even need a notary. Or you can hire an attorney, who'll probably cost less than you imagine and can help you sort out any thorny family issues, like planning for a disabled child or parent. An attorney can also minimize tax consequences and maximize the money your heirs get.

If you die without an estate plan, on the other hand, your loved ones could well end up in probate court. The American Bar Association estimates that probate proceedings cost Americans up to $2 billion per year, of which nearly $1.5 billion is paid in attorneys' fees.

Estate plans are not just designed for death; when done right, they also provide for delegating authority to someone to make medical or financial decisions should we become incapacitated. If Prince did not even have a simple will, it's unlikely he bothered to execute an advanced health care directive  a serious oversight given that he was a devout and active Jehovah's Witness with clear beliefs about blood transfusions and other medical procedures.

In this one area, don't be like Prince  or Picasso or Lincoln. If you do not have a will or estate plan, get busy. Plan for taxes. Decide who will be in charge. Decide who gets what. Decide not to let the government, or attorneys, get your inheritance.

Tribune Content Agency

Jack B. Osborn is an estate planning attorney and partner at the law firm of Brown White & Osborn LLP in Redlands, Calif.
WASHINGTON  Donald Trump's damage to the Republican Party, although already extensive, has barely begun. Republican quislings will multiply, slinking into support of the most anti-conservative presidential aspirant in their party's history. These collaborationists will render themselves ineligible to participate in the party's reconstruction.

Ted Cruz's announcement of his preferred running mate has enhanced the nomination process by giving voters pertinent information. They already know the only important thing about Trump's choice: His running mate will be unqualified for high office because he or she will think Trump is qualified.

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Hillary Clinton's optimal running mate might be Sen. Sherrod Brown, of Ohio, a pro-labor populist whose selection would be balm for the bruised feelings of Bernie Sanders' legions. Running mates rarely matter as electoral factors: In 2000, Al Gore got 43.2 percent of the North Carolina vote. In 2004, John Kerry, trying to improve upon Gore's total there, ran with North Carolina Sen. John Edwards but received 43.6 percent. If, however, Brown were to help deliver Ohio for Clinton, the Republican path to 270 electoral votes would be narrower than a needle's eye.

Republican voters can, by supporting Cruz, make the Republican National Convention a deliberative body rather than one that merely ratifies decisions made elsewhere, some of them six months earlier. A convention's sovereign duty is to choose a plausible nominee who has a reasonable chance to win, not to passively affirm the will of a mere plurality of voters recorded episodically in a protracted process.

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Protesters break through a crowd-control barrier outside of the California Republican Party's convention in Burlingame, Calif., where Donald J. Trump was to speak. (Los Angeles Times)

Trump would be the most unpopular nominee ever, unable to even come close to Mitt Romney's insufficient support among women, minorities and young people. In losing disastrously, Trump probably would create down-ballot carnage sufficient to end even Republican control of the House. Ticket splitting is becoming rare in polarized America: In 2012, only 5.7 percent of voters supported a presidential candidate and a congressional candidate of opposite parties.

At least half a dozen Republican senators seeking re-election and Senate aspirants can hope to win if the person at the top of the Republican ticket loses their state by, say, only 4 points, but not if he loses by 10. A Democratic Senate probably would guarantee a Supreme Court with a liberal cast for a generation. If Clinton is inaugurated Jan. 20, Merrick Garland probably will be on the court  confirmed in a lame duck Senate session  and Justices Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Anthony Kennedy and Stephen Breyer will be 83, 80 and 78, respectively.

The minority of people who pay close attention to politics includes those who define an ideal political outcome and pursue it, and those who focus on the worst possible outcome and strive to avoid it. The former experience the excitements of utopianism, the latter settle for prudence's mild pleasure of avoiding disappointed dreams. Both sensibilities have their uses, but this is a time for prudence, which demands the prevention of a Trump presidency.

Were he to be nominated, conservatives would have two tasks. One would be to help him lose 50 states  condign punishment for his comprehensive disdain for conservative essentials, including the manners and grace that should lubricate the nation's civic life. Second, conservatives can try to save from the anti-Trump undertow as many senators, representatives, governors and state legislators as possible.

It was 32 years after Jimmy Carter won 50.1 percent in 1976 that a Democrat won half the popular vote. Barack Obama won only 52.9 percent and then 51.1 percent, but only three Democrats  Andrew Jackson (twice), Franklin Roosevelt (four times) and Lyndon Johnson  have won more than 53 percent. Trump probably would make Clinton the fourth, and he would be a tonic for her party, undoing the extraordinary damage (13 Senate seats, 69 House seats, 11 governorships, 913 state legislative seats) Obama has done.

If Trump is nominated, Republicans working to purge him and his manner from public life will reap the considerable satisfaction of preserving the identity of their 162-year-old party while working to see that they forgo only four years of the enjoyment of executive power. Six times since 1945 a party has tried, and five times failed, to secure a third consecutive presidential term. The one success  the Republicans' 1988 election of George H.W. Bush  produced a one-term president. If Clinton gives her party its first 12 consecutive White House years since 1945, Republicans can help Nebraska Sen. Ben Sasse, or someone else who has honorably recoiled from Trump, confine her to a single term.

Washington Post Writers Group

George Will is a Washington Post columnist.

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President Barack Obama and Olympic gymnast McKayla Maroney mimic her "not impressed" look in 2012. (Pete Souza / The White House)

WASHINGTON  For a long time, presidential humor was predictable as a knock-knock joke. Then along came President Barack Obama, dropping the word "heezy," mimicking viral memes, and quipping that he and Joe Biden are so close, they'd probably be denied service at an Indiana pizza joint.

Obama, who will take the stage at the annual White House Correspondents' Association Dinner on Saturday to deliver the traditional joke-filled monologue - the eighth and final of his administration - has a comic sensibility that's edgier and more pop-culture-influenced than we're used to hearing from politicians.

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From the dinner dais, he's made reference to drunk-texting and "The Hunger Games." He's used the phrase "piss off" and flirted with even bluer material. (Does he have a bucket list for his final year? "Well," he quipped at the 2015 dinner, "I have something that rhymes with bucket list.") Outside the dinner, he's mocked the New York Times food section on Twitter ("respect the nyt, but not buying peas in guac") and sparred with Zach Galifianakis on his culty "Between Two Ferns" faux-talk show.

He might not be the first truly post-racial president after all - but Obama is arguably the first postmodern humorist to hold the office.

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George W. Bush and Bill Clinton both possessed easy senses of humor and could deliver a punchline. But Obama's style, comedy writers say, belongs to the alternative comedy subgenre - a style of humor that breaks with traditional stand-up, loosely defined by irony, self-awareness, and quirky topical references. Think more Sarah Silverman and less Henny Youngman.

"He's not into the classic hokey punchlines," said Brian Agler, a comedian and speechwriter at the Washington-based West Wing Writers. "There's a level of detachment and a level of understanding about what's going on, like, 'this is kind of weird that the president is up here in a tux making jokes' - all of his humor has that element baked into it."

Take this bit from his 2011 White House Correspondents' Association dinner performance poking fun at the "birthers" who, against all evidence, allege that Obama was actually born in Kenya - among them Donald Trump, who sat in the audience that night. After promising the room that he was about to reveal his "birth video," he rolled a clip from the African-set cartoon movie "The Lion King."

Which might have been funny enough on its own. The crowd roared. But Obama added a deadpan flourish.

"That was a joke," he intoned, pausing for effect. "That was not my real birth video. That was a children's cartoon."

That's what humorists call a "meta" moment: It's a joke about making a joke. Get it?

At last year's dinner, Obama was joined onstage by comedian Keegan-Michael Key, in character as the president's "anger translator," a recurring gag on his Comedy Central sketch show, "Key & Peele." As Obama spoke soberly, Key acted out his unspoken and decidedly un-PC thoughts.

Obama, calmly: "Despite our differences, we can count on the press to shed light on the most important issues of the day."

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Key, agitated and loud: "And we can count on Fox News to terrify old white people with some nonsense! 'Sharia law is coming to Cleveland! Run for the damn hills!'"

The president's reputation as a funny guy is, of course, partly courtesy of the professionally crafted material he reads off the Teleprompters. It's no secret: A team of speechwriters writes his correspondents' dinner routines for him. But Obama has input in that process, said David Litt, a former White House speechwriter who's now the head writer at the Washington office of comedy website Funny or Die.

Writers consult with the president in the weeks leading up to the dinner to get a sense of the punchlines he likes - and those he doesn't. Then the boss tweaks the final version. "He would make these little, small changes, but they would make such a difference," Litt said. "They would punctuate the joke in a way that made it work better, or replace a phrase with a slightly better phrase."

Obama has gotten plenty of unscripted laughs, too. During last year's State of the Union address, Republicans cheered after he said he had no more elections to run. "I know, because I won both of them," Obama zinged back. Those mic-dropping words didn't appear in the advance copy of his remarks.

And as any comic will tell you, timing is everything, even when the words aren't your own. During the 2015 traditional White House ceremony in which the president pardons a turkey, Obama's remarks were standard har-har material: "It's hard to believe that this is my seventh year of pardoning turkeys. Time flies, even if turkeys don't." Ba-da-bum.

But his delivery - arch, cut with sarcasm - conveyed what the words might not have made clear: The president thought the entire thing was completely absurd.

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One stylistic tic, a student of Obama's performances might note, is his tendency to laugh at his own jokes as he's making them. Too much self-amusement is considered a no-no among comedians, but Obama, the pros say, makes it work. "He has this wry smile," Agler said. "He 100 percent knows what he's doing there."

Obama's own tastes in stand-up are illustrative. During a podcast interview with comedian Marc Maron, Obama professed a love for comedy, citing as favorites Richard Pryor, Dick Gregory ("when he was on the edge"), Jerry Seinfeld and Louis C.K. He described the latter as "wonderful in such a self-deprecating, but edgy kind of way. And basically good-hearted even when he's saying stuff that's pretty wrong, you know?"

According to professionals, Obama has learned a few tricks from his idols.

"He has great timing, and that is something you cannot fake," said Stephanie Laing, a former executive producer and director of HBO's "Veep" and the founder of the online women's comedy platform PYPO. "He's not goofy. It's a quiet, very sophisticated humor."

No less an expert than Seinfeld himself praised Obama's comedic skills. He included the president in his series "Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee," insisting that Obama is, in fact, a professional. "He's done some really good work as a monologist at those correspondents' dinners - that's how he qualifies to be on the show," Seinfeld said.

Obama's comfort with this kind of humor is likely one reason for the surprising number of his comedic performances. In addition to his dinner speeches, he has been a frequent guest on late-night talk shows, from "Letterman" to "The Daily Show," where he banters and fields questions about walking around the White House in his underwear. He's slow-jammed the news with Jimmy Fallon and read mean tweets about himself on "Jimmy Kimmel."

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But the laughs often aren't for their own sake. Obama has used comedic venues to advance his agenda, particularly among young people who are more likely to share a viral video than watch one of his speeches.

On the "Between Two Ferns" segment and in a Buzzfeed video where he brandished a selfie stick, the president encouraged young people to sign up for Obamacare health coverage. The news he slow-jammed on Fallon's show was about his student-loan initiative.

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Obama's bone-dry comedic stylings aren't without risk. They carry the potential to come off as mean.

Expand Autoplay Image 1 of 49 First Lady Michelle Obama, President Barack Obama and comedian Cecily Strong of "Saturday Night Live" chat during the annual White House Correspondents' Association gala at the Washington Hilton hotel April 25, 2015, in Washington. The dinner is an annual event attended by journalists, politicians and celebrities. (Getty Images)

At the 2013 dinner, he took a jab at the Republican Senate majority leader. "Some folks still don't think I spend enough time with Congress," he said. "'Why don't you get a drink with Mitch McConnell?' they ask. Really? Why don't YOU get a drink with Mitch McConnell?"

McConnell later tweeted a picture of himself at a bar, enjoying a beer, with an empty barstool beside him.

And the commander-in-chief's style can fuel the criticisms that have long dogged him - that he is snooty and detached. Which, in Obama's comedy world, is simply another opportunity to go meta.

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"Some people say I'm arrogant, aloof, condescending," the president said at last year's dinner.

He paused.

"Some people are so dumb."
Aaron Koch

Chicago will hire its first chief resilience officer Monday, a position focused on taking on the citys most difficult problems in smarter, more connected ways.

Resilience, for an entire city?

Its an evolving approach to taking on  and bouncing back from  everything from natural disasters to more intractable issues like crime, poverty and aging infrastructure.

So who is Chicagos first CRO? Its Aaron Koch, formerly the deputy commissioner in the citys Department of Water Management since 2012.

"I've been in public service most of my life, and I'm drawn to the challenges here," Koch said. "It's a really important and exciting opportunity."

The position is funded by the 100 Resilient Cities (100RC) challenge of the Rockefeller Foundation, a New York City-based group devoted to "the well-being of humanity." The 100RC challenge provides financial backing to hire chief resilience officers  it is paying Kochs salary for two years  as well as software, expertise and networking to develop a resilience plan. Chicago was selected in 2014, and there are 67 cities in the program now.

The CROs role includes the creation of a resilience strategy, which serves as a guideline for a variety of initiatives. 100RC President Michael Berkowitz said CROs work closely with the Rockefeller Foundation and the representatives of other participating cities.

"We're trying to get cities to understand and connect their challenges," Berkowitz said. "In Chicago, the social risks around murder and violence, the police-community relations, the financial and fiscal risks, the environmental risks  the intersection of these is really interesting." Resilience thinking, Berkowitz said, tries to understand shocks  like earthquakes or blizzards  and stresses  issues like crime and food shortage.

Chicago's future with a CRO

Chicago's main issues, according to the Rockefeller Foundation, are aging infrastructure, flooding, infrastructure failure, and endemic crime and violence. It shares the first three issues with two other U.S. cities: Dallas and Pittsburgh, both of which already have chief resilience officers, thanks to funding from the Rockefeller Foundation.

"I like to say that Chicago is Pittsburgh on steroids," said Pittsburgh CRO Grant Ervin. "Chicago's bigger and flatter, but we have a lot of the same characteristics."

Ervin said the CRO's main responsibility is to carry out an integrative approach to city management. When thinking about solutions to city challenges, it is his job to get people to consider resilience as a factor. "For example, if we're trying to change some of our fleet over to electric vehicles, we need a solar canopy to charge it. That's considering sustainability," Ervin said. "The resilience factor is, here's the parking lot we're looking at (for the fleet). It gets a lot of floodwater so we should implement a stormwater component. It's small changes."

Neither Chicago, nor Koch, is a stranger to floodwater and the problems it poses to a city's resilience. Koch cited a program he developed and implemented  the Chicago Green Stormwater Strategy, a $50 million plan to manage rainfall and sewer systems and prevent flooding. The program focuses on creating spaces within public areas that can collect and benefit from rainwater, rather than relying on overtaxed sewage systems to collect rainwater.

"We have well-documented challenges with flooding, from groundwater, rainfall and our sewer network," Koch said. "We've built green infrastructure in public places in order to keep floodwater out, and reap other environmental benefits."

"Storms are only becoming larger because of climate change, and our city will need more sustainable solutions than what it's had in the past," Koch said.

Other Chicago issues that are at the forefront, particularly the city's struggle with endemic crime and violence, are issues with which Koch has had less experience, he said.

"There are many things the city has done to think about root causes of Chicago's violence; it's not just a city policing issue. It's important to address the underlying causes, the issues of employment or poverty or education," Koch said.

"There are many things the city has done to think about root causes of Chicago's violence; it's not just a city policing issue. It's important to address the underlying causes, the issues of employment or poverty or education"  Aaron Koch

New name, old concept

The prevalence of resilience in urban or city planning literature has grown over the past several years. With climate change and severe weather events becoming more frequent and ever-present, resilience now goes hand in hand with sustainability and livability. One of the main goals of the 100 Resilient Cities challenge is to get city leaders to think about how resilient their cities are and how to bolster resilience, no matter what shocks or stresses develop. There are two ways regional resilience has recently been measured.

Kathryn Foster, president of the University of Maine at Farmington, worked on a Resilience Capacity Index at the University of California at Berkeley in 2011 that measured how capable a region is of being resilient in the face of a future unknown stress, using 12 indicators. Chicago fell 143rd on this list out of 361, in the "High" section. Number one was Rochester, Minn.

"It was like making a bet based on what characteristics the community has. If you believed everything the literature told you, would this place be likely to be resilient?"  Kathryn Foster

A more recent measure, by Knoxville planning consultant Edward Jepson Jr., published in the popular urban planning blog Planetizen, measures the current evidence that a region will be resilient in the face of a future unknown stress. Jepson's index is based on a formula using change in population, unemployment rate and violent crime. In this ranking, Chicago is 50th out of 72 cities. Austin, Texas, is No. 1.

"This method is based on systems theory, which says a system is successful when it meets the needs of its agents  residents," Jepson said. "It asks, what are the core requirements of a city in order to meet the needs of a functioning system?"

"It's in the city's own interest to understand this model."  Edward Jepson

Jepson's analysis shows Chicago's resiliience has risen since the 1990s (lower number is better).

Click for the math behind Jepson's resilience formula. While Foster's index focused on the capacity of cities to be resilient when resilience is called for, Jepsen's formula used a few components to determine the evidence of a city's ability to be resilient. The proposed formula for this kind of measurement includes examinations of: Unemployment Variability, magnitude, trend, and recovery. Violent crime Variability and trend. Population change Most recent or ending value (EV) compared to a beginning value (BV). The corresponding measurements are: Variability (V) Standard deviation over the period. Magnitude (M) Average value over the period. Trend (TR) Linear extrapolation of values over the period. Recovery (RE) Difference between maximum value (MVt) over the period and some subsequent value (SVt+i), ie., later in the period, where t = the year of the maximum value and i = some number of years after t. The calculations for each of the components would be: Unemployment: (((V + M) * (1 + TR)) * ((1 - RE) * .10)) Violent crime: (V + M) * (1 + TR) Population change: (BV/EV) Resilience would then be: R = (Unemployment + Violent crime + Population change) The lower the R number, the higher the city's resilience.

Lessons from other cities

One of the lessons Ervin said he learned early on was to involve the community and get the input of regular people.

Ervin, who worked with Carnegie Mellon University to hold two town hall forums when he started as Pittsburgh's CRO, said it's imperative to pull residents into the process of putting resilience at the forefront of city considerations.

"Whether it's Chicago, Semarang, Byblos or Pittsburgh, there's a common language of cities around the world. We're all dealing with similar challenges. You see in the news all the time the inability of state and federal actors to take action, but cities are really on the front line everyday," Ervin said.

"If a river rises or a tornado hits, it impacts everyone. Cities and local governments have to address these issues. It's where things have to get done."
Members of the Elgin City sometimes expense meals to the taxpayers. (Mike Danahey / The Courier-News)

One Elgin councilman has dined on the public's dime almost as much as the rest of the city council members combined during the last 15 months, according to documents obtained by The Courier-News.

According to expense reports obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request, Councilman John Prigge dined at the city's expense 51 times. The next highest total was Councilman John Steffen, who had 15 meals, according to public records. Councilman Toby Shaw did not charge any meals to the city.

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The city reports contain the names of those who attended the meal and the total dollar amount of the check, so it is impossible to calculate the amount spent by each public official.

The 51 meals Prigge attended totaled about $1,856 during that period. For Steffen, the total came to $427.

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The meals Prigge attended with others represent 46 times more than the amount attributed to Mayor Dave Kaptain and 3.5 times Steffen's total, expense reports show. The city has no official policy about council members expensing meals with others, Mayor Dave Kaptain said. However, they are not allowed to submit expenses for alcohol.

Prigge did not respond to requests for comment.

"The council has been encouraged by the city manager to use discretion," Kaptain said. "The city manager has told us on the council if we are dining with a developer  which no one has in recent years  to pick up the tab. It's always to discuss city business or in some cases to recognize employees or residents for the work they have done for Elgin."

Most of Prigge's meals were charged by Elgin City Manager Sean Stegall, who expensed more than $1,500 on 41 meals with the councilman. Another meal with Stegall included Prigge and Community Development Director Marc Mylott. Prigge expensed nine meals totaling almost $356  one with three public works employees, one with School District U46 Board Member Cody Holt, one with Stegall and two other city staff members.

The pattern was consistent with a 2014 Courier-News report that Prigge attended meals that cost taxpayers more than $1,600 from Jan. 1 through mid-November. The rest of the council at the time spent a little more than a combined $1,400 on similar meals, according to that report.

Stegall said he has been going to lunch with Prigge about once a week since Prigge first took office in May 2009.

"Every city council member has different communication needs," Stegall said.

Council members are paid an annual salary around $11,000, with the mayor position paying close to $17,000.

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Elgin City Council members and city staff are issued "purchasing cards" to keep track of expenses, Stegall said. He said meal times sometimes are the only practical time to meet to discuss city matters.

"Councilman Prigge feels it's least intrusive to meet me for lunch," Stegall said.

All but five of Prigge's meals were at the Elgin Public House in downtown Elgin, and all but three of the meals were lunches.

Stegall said he expects that will change in the future.

"There's a benefit in more variety," Stegall said.

Councilwoman Tish Powell said when she dines with others at the city's expense, she does make a conscious effort to go to a variety of places.

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"I do like moving it around," Powell said. "It's more equitable, and it's a chance to expose people to places in Elgin they might not have tried."

Powell's meals with others expensed from last year through this March totaled about $465. She ate with Stegall six times and with others seven times. The meals were at nine different restaurants.

Looking over the reports supplied to The Courier-News, Powell said she believes council members are being cost-conscious about their dining choices.

"None of us are going to Buckingham's (at the Grand Victoria Casino) on the city's dime," Powell said.

She also noted that meetings with Stegall or other city staff often don't involve a meal.

Kaptain questioned why Prigge meets with Stegall over lunch as much as he does.

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"It can take away from the city manager's time," said Kaptain, who meets with Stegall at City Hall most Wednesday afternoons. "And when a council member asks the city manager to lunch, it's like a boss asking an employee to lunch. It's hard to say no. You have to ask, given the amount of times this happens, if that's fair."

According to the information provided by the city, Kaptain charged two breakfasts to the city since January 2015. The total tab was less than $40.

"You don't have to eat to work," Councilman Terry Gavin said.

Gavin said he and Councilman Toby Shaw try to meet with Stegall together at least twice a month in Stegall's office.

According to the information provided by the city, expenses for Gavin eating with others during the last 15 months totaled less than $200 for six meals.

Gavin said one of those meals was to recognize James Harvey for the photography he provides to the city. The biggest tab listed  $73.24 at the Public House in February  involved Gavin discussing the revamped Tower Building deal with Stegall, Elgin Corporate Counsel William Cogley and Assistant City Manager Rick Kozal.

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"The point for when it becomes abusive is for the voters to decide and what residents think," Gavin said.

As in 2014, Shaw charged no meals or other items to Elgin. In 2014, Shaw said council members had to do their best to be frugal.

Councilman Rich Dunne's total reached almost $462 for 14 occasions over the last 15 months. Dunne noted that quite a few of the meals listed involved him meeting with Stegall, other city staff or other city council members at the same time.

Dunne works in Chicago and said it can be more convenient for him and other City Council members to talk over a meal after work. Like Powell, Dunne said he makes an effort to go to a variety of places.

"It shows support for local businesses, and it's good to go to more places than just those downtown," Dunne said.

Steffen said his meetings with Stegall and other staff are not always over food.

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"For those of us on the council who are working full-time jobs, meals sometimes are the most convenient way for us to talk to each other and to city staff," he said.

Councilwoman Rose Martinez said she meets with Stegall before lunch once every two weeks.

"I'd rather have lunch with my parents," Martinez said.

According to information provided by the city, Stegall expensed one lunch in January 2015 with Martinez and Gavin at Elgin Public House and Parks and Recreation Director Randy Reopelle expensed a meeting with Martinez and Gavin at The Grumpy Goat in May 2015, with those two tabs totaling a little more than $81. Martinez said she has not used her city-issued card to make any purchases.

With her job as a school bus driver and busy schedule otherwise, including council duties, Martinez said she tries to set aside 9:45 a.m. to 1 p.m. weekdays to meet with city staff or residents.

"Many times I drink Ensure or Pedialyte just to get me through to dinner," Martinez said. "I can't wait for summer break to start."

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Martinez said she sees nothing wrong with staff meeting with council members for city business.

Councilwoman Carol Rauschenberger used her city-issued card for one meal in 15 months.

"After visiting Crystal Lake officials (in March 2015) to learn about what makes their downtown successful, I offered to pay for lunch," Rauschenberger said.

Aside from that meal, for about $61 at Duke's Ale House in Crystal Lake, Rauschenberger ate four expensed meals that were with city staff and/or fellow council members. The cost for the five meals totaled about $223.

MDanahey@tribpub.com

Meals expensed to Elgin involving City Council members

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John Prigge: 51 meals, $1,856

John Steffen: 15 meals, $527

Tish Powell: 13 meals, $465

Rich Dunne: 14 meals, $462

Carol Rauschenberger: 5 meals, $223

Terry Gavin: 6 meals, $200

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Rose Martinez: 2 meals, $81

Dave Kaptain: 2 meals, $40

Toby Shaw  no meals expensed.

Totals rounded to the nearest dollar. Source: City of Elgin
President Bill Clinton talks about the qualities of his wife during a rally in Gary on Saturday. (Jim Karczewski, Post-Tribune)

Hillary Clinton supporters packed 504 Broadway in Gary on Saturday for a chance to hear former President Bill Clinton stump for his wife in advance of Tuesday's primary.

The crowd of more than 200 burst into cheers as Bill Clinton took the stage calling his wife, who is the front-runner for the Democratic nomination for president, the candidate who will build bridges and bring the change so many are seeking.

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"You need a change maker, not a change talker," Bill Clinton said.

He said Hillary Clinton, former U.S. senator from New York and U.S. secretary of state, can deliver that change with common-sense approaches to the issues that mean a lot to voters, such as economic growth, jobs, gun legislation and the cost of education.

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"She really does get the problems you are facing," Bill Clinton said. "She has the best ideas for putting people back to work."

He said Hillary Clinton stands for sensible gun safety regulations, such as background checks.

"I think it's important to support young people growing up in dangerous neighborhoods," Bill Clinton said, adding that his wife can help find common ground between those who support gun control and those who oppose it.

Clinton called his wife a trustworthy and hardworking official who has dedicated her life to public service.

"Everybody who knows her and works with her, they trust her," he said.

His words drove the message home for many in attendance.

Women from the Romero family all wore T-shirts bearing the words "I'm with her" and an arrow on the sleeve.

"This is a family affair thing," said Migdalia Romero, of Gary.

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Three generations of Romeros came out to support Hillary Clinton. Migdalia Romero's parents, Dolores and Juan Romero; sister Noemi; her daughter Oralia Leon, 15; and niece Chloe Perez, 12, saw the former president speak.

"I'm a Hillary supporter all the way," Migdalia Romero said. She said she had no trouble getting the rest of the family to join her for the rally. Even her father, who she said speaks little English, said "I'm going" when he heard "Bill Clinton," she said.

"She is awesome. She has such a good message. She will make a change," she said.

Noemi Romero said they waited for more than an hour in the rain to ensure they would be able to get a good spot.

"Bill really delivered a message. Hillary will work with the other some and make some bridges," Noemi Romero said.

Danita Banks, of Merrillville, said she was "very impressed" by Bill Clinton's speech. Banks said she is already a Hillary Clinton supporter, so she liked hearing the former president detail his wife's plans for the office.

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"It really made me secure in my decision," Banks said.

Gary Mayor Karen Freeman-Wilson, who started the event, said Hillary Clinton is ready to fight for the area. She called on supporters to get the vote out.

"Just like we did eight years ago, we can deliver on May 3 and deliver in November right here in Indiana. All roads to Democratic victories start right here in Gary, Ind.," she said.

Sheriff John Buncich, chairman of the Lake County Democratic Central Committee, said the party was happy to have Bill Clinton in Lake County.

"It just shows Indiana is playing a major role. There is a great amount of attention being paid to Lake County, Ind. We are very happy," Buncich said.

Carrie Napoleon is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.
The 5th Annual Celebration of International Jazz Day will be celebrated with a star-studded event featuring some of the greatest jazz musicians in a concert to be hosted by U.S. President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama at the White House on Friday night, UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric told reporters here.

It will be webcast on International Jazz Day as a one-hour program, "Jazz at the White House," Saturday evening on the UN, the UN Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), the U.S. State Department and White House websites, Dujarric said at a daily news briefing here.

In addition to UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador and jazz legend Herbie Hancock, the concert will feature Sting, Aretha Franklin, Hugh Masekela, Chick Corea, Wayne Shorter, Pat Metheny and many others, he said.

At last count, nearly 150 countries will be hosting Jazz Day events over the next several days, he added.

In November 2011, the UNESCO officially designated April 30 as International Jazz Day in order to highlight jazz and its diplomatic role of uniting people in all corners of the globe.

Washington, D.C. will serve as the International Jazz Day 2016 Global Host City. As International Jazz Day celebrates its 5th anniversary, the U.S. capital will host a multitude of jazz performances, community service initiatives, and education programs in schools, libraries, hospitals, community centers and arts venues across the city.
Workers are busy at a manufacture base of Dongbei Special Steel Group Co., Ltd. in Dalian, northeast China's Liaoning Province, Oct. 13, 2015. (Xinhua/Liu Debin)

Trade protectionism measures would do no help to tackle global steel overcapacity but hinder global trade orders, China's Ministry of Commerce (MOC) said in a statement after the European Union (EU) adopted a new prior-surveillance system for steel imports.

The prior-surveillance system will bring extra burdens to normal trade and China is concerned about this matter, said the statement.

The EU announced on Friday that it had established a prior-surveillance system for imports of steel products into the bloc in order to further protect its own steel industry.

Based on the new regulation, imports of steel products into the EU will now need an import license. The EU has long claimed that importing steel products from third countries, such as China, have jeopardized its own labor market.

China always advocates anti-trade protectionism and maintains stable, predictable and fair trade environment, said the MOC statement, adding that the EU should abide by the commitments it has made and avoid sending wrong signals.
Tourists visit the Zhanqiao Pier in Qingdao, a coastal city in east China's Shandong Province, April 30, 2016. On the first day of the Labor Day Holiday, many tourists flocked to Qingdao. (Xinhua/Yin Mo)

Chinese tourist agencies and local authorities are hoping that lectures given to tourists ahead of the May Day holiday can avoid the unruly behavior for which the country's travelers and sightseers have become notorious.

In recent years, Chinese tourists' misdeeds ranging from brawling on flights to defacing landmarks at home and abroad have made headlines, sparking angry discussion over the disparity between their bulging wallets and their behavior.

In Wuhan, capital of Hubei Province, Wanda Xinhangxian International Travel Agency gave clients who paid for a group trip to Thailand during the holiday a lesson in etiquette. "Don't rush to take your luggage before the airplane stops. Don't waste food on the buffet table. Don't be noisy at scenic spots. Don't point at Buddhist sculptures...," read promotional material.

The company's Yao Hui said the lessons were required under a directive from provincial tourism authorities.

"Tour guides must repeat the basics, such as no littering and no scrawling on landmarks," Yao said.

Hubei authorities are also watching incoming tourists as the province is a popular tourist destination known for natural wonder including the Three Gorges and Wudang Mountains.

Last week, the provincial tourism department launched a campaign encouraging sightseers to send photos and videos of misbehaving tourists to its WeChat account, promising to name and shame anyone whose identities can be verified in the images.

A cleaner, who wished to be identified by her surname Lin, in a public bathroom at a scenic spot in Wuhan, said she awaits the influx of tourists during holiday seasons with dread.

Lin complained that she is generally unable to take a break during an eight-hour holiday shift because of many toilet users' bad habits. "Some don't even flush the toilet properly," she said.

China rolled out a national tourism law in 2013. As well as regulating tourist behavior, it also covered wrongdoing by tour guides and business owners around tourism sites. This too has made headlines.

In one high-profile case from October 2015, the coastal city of Qingdao lost face as a tourist destination after a traveler ordered a dish of prawns that appeared to be priced at 38 yuan (5.8 U.S. dollars) on the menu, but was later told the price tag was for each prawn.

To solve similar disputes, Guizhou Province on Thursday opened specialist courts at 12 tourist attractions.

In Shandong Province's Qufu, the birthplace of Confucius, officials have promised that tour guides will be blacklisted for dodgy practices including coercing tourists to make purchases from shops or asking shops for kickbacks.
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Kenya President Uhuru Kenyatta sets fire to the largest pile of ivory that was burned on Saturday. [Photo by Hou Liqiang/China Daily]

Kenya set ablaze 105 tons of ivory and 1.3 tons of rhino horns in a bid to send a strong message against poaching and illegal trade in these products.

In a clear and stern message, Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta reaffirmed the country's stand to save its recovering wildlife population by burning the ivory to reduce the economic value of the tusks, saying they are a national treasure better valued when attached on a live elephant.

He boldly addressed contentious voices that call for legalizing the trade and said Kenya will soon be forwarding its proposal to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) calling for a complete ban.

"This vice must come to an end and our elephants protected," he said. "I know there are some who say Kenya should put its stockpile into the market and use the proceeds in development. I want to say that we have made our stand that ivory is worthless unless it is on our elephants. Let the future generation judge us," he said amidst applause from Gabon's president Ali Bongo, John Scanlon, the Secretary General of CITES, Marie-Segolene Royal, French minister of environment and president of Convention of Parties (COP) 21, among other dignitaries.

In his letter to Kenyatta, President Xi Jinping said China appreciates Kenya's effort in wildlife conservation and will continue to strengthen communication and cooperation with the international community, including Kenya, in wildlife conservation in Africa.

The event took place at the Nairobi National Park, the only natural conservancy in the world located in a city.

This is the fourth time the east African country has burned its stockpile. Albeit its consistent anti-poaching stance, the country and Africa at large continue to lose its elephant and rhino populations. Data shows poachers have killed 100,000 elephants in the last three years alone, with Central Africa bearing the biggest brunt. It has lost 64 percent of its population in a decade.

The vice has been nurtured by rampant corruption, porous borders and international cartels that use more sophisticated weapons.

Kenyatta said the fight cannot be won in a day. Nevertheless, he called for concerted efforts from other countries, which have already shown their cooperation by burning some of their stockpiles.

"Countries like China and others have shown their clear intentions to combat the vice. They are indeed good stewards of wildlife conservation. For those who are hording, you only fuel speculation and not the survival of elephants."

He said the move to destroy confiscated ivory disrupts the market.

"The approach has been tested and proven. Kenya has recorded an 80 percent reduction of poaching in the last three years," he said.

On his part, Bongo, who burned his country's stockpile three years ago, gave a stern warning to poachers and traders, noting that central Africa has seen much of its herds wiped out in the last decade.

"Gabon housed half of the total number of elephants remaining in the region. We have to stop poaching because the vice is feeding insecurity and social unrest in the continent," he said.

Bondo said poaching will evolve into terrorism, creating regional and continental instability.

"I want to tell the poachers, traders and users, your days are numbered. We will track you, find you and punish you," he said.

Scanlon said that although the organization's mandate is to set and implement deals in trading of wildlife products, it cannot dictate what countries should do with their stockpiles.

"But we have seen countries emulate Kenya by destroying their hordes. China is among countries that have destroyed confiscated ivory," Scanlon said.

He commended the east African country's efforts to draw international attention to the vice and noted that the trade is destroying economies and livelihoods.

Richard Leakey, the chairman of Kenya Wildlife Service under whose stewardship Kenya started the precedence of destroying ivory, said that the country was destroying 5 percent of Africa's total stockpile.

"In 1989 when we burnt our first, ivory prices plummeted from $300 for a kilogram to $5 a kilogram. We hope other countries will support Kenya because there is no justification to poaching and illegal trading of tusks," he said.

The renowned conservationist and paleoanthropologist also called for a total ban of the trade.

Royal committed to set a ban on ivory products in France.

"We need to kill the trade," she said, adding that she was ready to mobilize international financial support for this cause.

"When we protect wildlife and the environment, we protect ourselves," she said.

Follow China.org.cn on Twitter and Facebook to join the conversation.
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All efforts for a possible solution to Syria's long-running conflicts seem to be shattered, as risks soar with smoke and blaze rises over the city Aleppo, amid scenes of carnage and destruction.

Whether for the ones living under the government rule in western Aleppo, or the others under the rebel control in the eastern part of the city, the conflicts over the past eight days nearly put an end to the shaky truce that had brought a brief lull to the afflicted city.

Violence has been reported to renew in Aleppo, when the al-Qaida-linked Nusra Front and likeminded groups unleashed repetitive large-scale attacks on Syrian military positions in southern Aleppo.

The attacks were intensified by shelling on the government-controlled parts of the city, as the rebels in eastern Aleppo were trying to advance into the western part of the city.

The Syrian army said it had repelled the attacks, but the shelling continued, prompting airstrikes to pound the rebel-held areas.

The intensified violence reflects the gap between the government and the rebels, as well as the broader international differences between the countries that support each party of the conflict.

The Syrian government side has warned that the U.S.-Russian-backed truce, which went into effect last February in Syria, was violated by the attacking rebels in Aleppo.

The United States and Russia agreed on Friday on a "regime of silence" to take place near the capital Damascus and the northwestern province of Latakia to shore up the falling truce.

Still, Aleppo was not included, and the civilians were the ones paying the price.

According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a UK-based watchdog group, a total of 244 civilians, including 43 children and 27 women over 18, were killed by the rebels shelling on government areas and Syrian airstrikes on rebel-held areas over the past eight days.

The official Syrian televisions have focused their coverage recently on the victims of the rebels' shelling, showing angry people shouting and calling on the Syrian army to destroy the rebel-held areas, from which the mortars were being fired.

On the other side, opposition activists are publishing hunting photos and video footages of dead people even children being pulled out of rubble amid the screams their frantic parents, accusing Syrian warplanes of striking them relentlessly.

The size of the calamities in Aleppo has become so big that each side of the conflict is sticking more to fixing the situation through war, amid reports that the government forces were bracing for a wide-scale offensive.

"It's the time to unleash the battle to fully liberate Aleppo from the abomination of terrorism at this very time that holds many connotations, which should reflect on the course of the military campaign across the country," the paper said.

Meanwhile, the international community sounded the alarm about targeting civilians.

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein on Friday urged all the parties to immediately end violence and military actions which too often reflect a "monstrous disregard for civilian lives."

"Reports are coming from Aleppo, Homs, Damascus and Rural Damascus, Idleb and Deir ez-Zour about mounting civilian casualties," the UN human rights chief said in a statement.

The International Committee of the Red Cross said the intense battles raging in Aleppo "are putting millions at grave risk."

"Wherever you are, you hear explosions of mortars, shelling and planes flying over," said Valter Gros, who heads the ICRC's office in Aleppo.

Gros added Aleppo's people are living on the edge, worrying about their lives and nobody knows what is coming next.

The observatory said airstrikes on Wednesday evening targeted a hospital in a rebel-held area east of Aleppo, killing over 50 people.

Russia and the Syrian army have denied carrying out the airstrikes.

The Red Cross said that Al Quds hospital in eastern Aleppo city was completely destroyed overnight, with several people killed and many more deprived of life-saving medical care.

The organization has urged all parties to "spare the civilians, don't attack hospitals or use weapons of mass destruction."

Aleppo is the second largest city in Syria and one of the worst affected in the past five years of conflict. Large parts of the city have been destroyed, leaving infrastructure severely damaged and civilians out of water and electricity for months.

The latest faltering round of intra-Syrian talks in Geneva started this week, during which the opposition Higher Negotiations Committee (HNC) withdrew from the meeting and its chief negotiator, Muhammad Alloush, urged his rebel followers on ground in Syria to inflame the situation and carry out attacks on government forces.

The HNC insisted on a transitional governing body with full executives to rule Syria with no role of President Bashar al-Assad, while the government delegation insisted that the matter of al-Assad presidency is a red line, offering the formation of a national unity government under his presidency.
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Approximately 1,000 Cambodian workers came to streets here on Sunday to mark the 130th International Labor Day, calling for pay rise and better working conditions, a union representative said.

Marchers, mostly from garment and footwear industry, held banners and walked to the National Assembly in order to submit a petition.

"Our petition is to call for the government to raise the minimum wage for garment and footwear workers to 207 U.S. dollars per month,"said Ath Thorn, president of the Cambodian Labor Confederation, who led the rally.

Currently, the minimum wage for garment workers is 140 U.S. dollars.

The 7-billion-U.S.-dollars garment and footwear industry is the kingdom's largest foreign currency earner. The sector is comprised of 1,007 factories with some 754,000 workers.

To mark the day, Prime Minister Hun Sen on Sunday made a visit to the Sihanoukville Autonomous Port in coastal Preah Sihanouk province where he met with more than 1,300 port staff and workers.
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Demonstrators march in protest against French government's reform of the labor code, in Paris, France, April 28, 2016. Protests turned violent in Paris and other French cities as tens of thousands protesters made a new push to force the government to drop a draft bill to reform the country's labor code. (Xinhua/Li Genxing)

On this year's Labor Day multiple protests across the world against unfriendly labor reforms have been scheduled at a time of economic difficulties.

In France, workers' unions and student organizations have planned further protests on Sunday to mark the May Day labor holiday following a violent demonstration on Thursday to block a labor reform.

Police arrested 27 people, placing 24 of them in custody, after hooded youth refused to leave the Republic Square in Paris and threw projectiles at police officers.

In the early hours of Friday morning, people set two cars on fire and destroyed shopfronts, to which police responded with tear gas.

The clashes marked the latest flare-up on the sidelines of the largely peaceful "Up All Night" gathering that began on March 31 as a protest against the proposed labor code reform and have since grown to encompass a range of grievances.

In South Korea, tens of thousands of unionized workers will hold rallies across the country against labor reform plans that will make it easier to lay off employees.

On Sunday, 50,000 members of the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU) will stage protests in 15 cities to urge the government to nullify the agreement made in September between management and labor representatives, according to a report by the Yonhap News Agency.

The rallies will likely paralyze traffic in Seoul and other major cities, said the report. Some 1,000 officers will be mobilized to handle foreseeable traffic congestion.

A public sector reform plan which could lead to layoffs and an increase in the retirement age also brought about 1,000 workers to the streets in central Kiev Thursday.

"There are young people who now work for a small salary, hoping that they will retire at the age of 45 to 55 years, depending on the profession, but it would not happen if the labor code is approved," said Mykhailo Volynets, head of the Confederation of Free Trade Unions.

The protest, organized by the Confederation, was joined by workers from such sectors as transport, mining, medicine and education, as well as students.

According to its organizers, the demonstration was dedicated to the World Day for Safety and Health at Work, observed internationally on April 28, and the International Labor Day which is celebrated on May 1.

Turkey is on particularly high alert for Labor Day, an occasion traditionally marked by rising tensions in the country, following a series of deadly attacks this year blamed on jihadists and Kurdish militants.

A total of 24,500 members of the Turkish security forces would be on duty in Istanbul to ensure the security of citizens on the day, the government said in a statement Saturday.

On May 1 last year, police used water cannons and tear gas to disperse May Day protesters in Istanbul as demonstrations turned violent.
Xiaomi's CEO Lei Jun accepts interview in Beijing, March 5, 2016. [Photo/IC]

Today's cell phone scammers are so wily that even tech tycoons risk being taken in.

Lei Jun, the billionaire chairman and CEO of Chinese smartphone maker Xiaomi, took to Chinese microblogging site Sina Weibo on Tuesday to complain that he was "almost tricked" by a phishing text message.
Premier Li Keqiang urged Japan to stick to peaceful development, as well as take positive policies toward China to improve bilateral ties when meeting with visiting Japanese Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida in Beijing on Saturday.

Premier Li said a healthy and stable tie between China and Japan is consistent with both countries and both peoples and contributes to regional and global stability and prosperity.

China-Japan relations, which have had some fallbacks over the past few years, are improving but on a fragile basis, the premier said. China is willing to strengthen political trust with its neighbor and promote bilateral relations back to a normal track of development, he said.

"China hopes Japan can keep on with peaceful development and take real actions to fulfill its consensus about opportunities created by China's peaceful development," Li said.

He also said Japan should appropriately manage sensitive factors that will substantially affect bilateral relations, as well as create a positive atmosphere to resume bilateral dialogues and the trilateral leaders' meeting of China, South Korea and Japan.

Kishida said Japan is willing to show mutual respect, strengthen political trust and manage disputes. He also said Japan will strengthen cooperation with China in various fields to accumulate positive factors that may boost bilateral relations.

From Friday to Sunday, Kishida is paying his first official visit to China since taking office more than three years ago, and he is the first Japanese foreign minister to visit China after Shinzo Abe was reelected as the country's prime minister in 2012.

Earlier Saturday, Foreign Minister Wang Yi held talks with Kishida before the visitor had a chance to meet with State Councilor Yang Jiechi and the premier in the afternoon.
Premier Li Keqiang urged Japan to stick to peaceful development and maintain positive policies toward China as a means of improving relations during his meeting with visiting Japanese Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida over the weekend.

Healthy and stable ties between China and Japan are in the interest of both countries and people, and they contribute to regional and global stability and prosperity, Li told Kishida on Saturday.

Despite some setbacks in the past few years, Sino-Japanese relations are improving, though they are still fragile, the premier said. China is willing to increase the political trust with the neighbor and promote their bilateral relations back to a normal track of development, he said.

"China hopes Japan will maintain peaceful development and make real steps toward fulfilling its agreement to take up opportunities created by Chinas peaceful development," Li said.

He also said Japan should appropriately manage sensitive elements that can substantially affect bilateral relations, and create a positive atmosphere to resume bilateral dialogues and the trilateral leaders meeting of China, South Korea and Japan.

Kishida said Japan is willing to show mutual respect, strengthen political trust and manage disputes. He said Japan will expand cooperation with China in various fields to accumulate positive factors that could boost relations.

Kishida is making his first official visit to China, from Friday to Sunday, since becoming foreign minister more than three years ago. He is the first Japanese foreign minister to visit China since Shinzo Abe was re-elected as Japanese prime minister in 2012.

Earlier on Saturday, Foreign Minister Wang Yi held talks with Kishida, before the visitor met with State Councilor Yang Jiechi and the premier in the afternoon.

Gao Hong, director of the Institute of Japanese Studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said Japans actions are the key to improving bilateral relations, as the country has created issues that hamper Chinas fundamental interests and has broken its promises for cooperation instead of confrontation, especially in maritime rights.
The 100,000-Strong Initiative, mainly for universities, was launched by President Obama in 2009 with an aim to increase to 100,000 the cumulative number of Americans studying in China over a five-year period. The goal was achieved in 2014.[Photo/Xinhua]

Encouraging more American students to study Chinese and study abroad in China will ensure Sino-American relationship grows and flourishes in the future, US educators have said.

"The goal is to strengthen the overall US-China relationship by ensuring very strong people-to-people ties," said Travis Tanner, vice president of 100,000-Strong Initiative Foundation, a non-profit US organization that leads the Chinese language education initiative called "1 Million Strong."

The 1-Million-Strong Initiative, announced by US President Barack Obama last September, is aimed at encouraging one million American students to learn Mandarin Chinese in elementary and high schools by 2020.

"The US-China relationship is the most important bilateral relationship of the 21st century," Josette Sheeran, President and CEO of the Asia Society, said on Thursday. "Now is China's moment in the world to emerge, and the language is key to understand not only China's today, but also China's history, and the way it thinks."

She noted that the Asia Society has partnerships with Confucius Institutes in the United States along with a Chinese language learning network in 100 districts and 28 states throughout the country.
[Photo/CNTV]

Martin Yan is a household name in the United States. Born in China's Southern Guangdong province, he gained his fame here by teaching Americans how to cook Chinese food.

At a meeting of the 2016 National Chinese Language Conference (NCLC) on Friday, Yan said food is culture, heritage and a lifestyle, and reminds one of where he comes from and his background.

"I consider myself a culinary and cultural ambassador," Yan told Xinhua.

Yan said when he first came to the United States, there were 6,000 or 7,000 Chinese restaurants. Now there are some 54,000, more than all the fast-food chains combined in the country.

In Yan's point of view, Chinese restaurants here in America serve almost everything because of the need for diversity and for their own survival. But sooner or later, "more and more Chinese restaurants will be specialized, say Shanghai restaurant, dumpling restaurant," he said.

Yan is practically the first chef to bring Chinese food to the world on TV. When he began his career as an on-air chef for a local Calgary TV station in 1978, there were few chefs in the cooking-show arena.

Yan has been hosting his award-winning PBS-TV cooking show "Yan Can Cook" since 1982, and has produced more than 1,500 episodes so far, catching the attention and imagination of the American audience.

"I can say that I was the first Chinese-American breaking into the mainstream media, a mainstream American television medium," Yan said in an interview with Xinhua.

Yan even incorporated Chinese acrobatic skills into his cooking show. "When you want to appeal to a broad audience, you have not only to be educational, you also have to be entertaining to attract and captivate your audience ... you gotta be very animated, have fun," he said, "Then people accept you as their friend, whatever you say, much easier."
Jacob, Sarah and their kids.[photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

Jacob Myers is an American teacher of English at Northeast Normal University. He and his wife have two biological children and have adopted three children, including an African boy and two Chinese children. They help poor children and also get lots of help from people. Love and kindness are infectious, continuously spreading between people.

Jacob and his wife Sarah wanted to adopt children. One of the important reasons is Sarah's experiences in high school. Sarah, an American, grew up in the Ivory Coast, West Africa. She joined an orphanage volunteer group in high school. It was through caring for young orphans when she was 16 that inspired her to one day adopt an African boy.

In addition, she wrote a research paper on the world orphan crisis that made her want to adopt a little Chinese girl. Another important reason relates to their religious beliefs. When Jacob and Sarah first started dating in college, she told him about her desire for adoption. Jacob said he agreed with this because they are both Christians and it reflected their values to care for orphans, widows, and foreigners based on the Bible's teaching.

Jacob and Sarah have received a lot of help from other people during the adoption process. It was at the time when Jacob and Sarah had been married for seven years and had a daughter aged three that they started to adopt an African boy. One of their friends, having adopted some children, worked as a volunteer at an orphanage in Uganda. The son fell in love with a four-year-old African boy and told his parents so the family began the adopting process.

The mother knew that Jacob and Sarah desired to adopt an African boy and gave them some information. So they communicated with the orphanage's director in Uganda and read several biographies of orphans. They finally decided to adopt a three-year-old boy called Ephraim. The adoption process lasted for nine months, including filling out paperwork and raising funds with their friends from church.

International adoption is immensely expensive because of attorney, orphanage, travel and many other fees. A very kind lady donated U.S. $15,000 for both his and the other family. Both Jacob, Sarah and the other adopting family went to Uganda in December, 2010. In the end, Jacob, Sarah and their daughter welcomed their new family member Ephraim excitedly.

Jacob's family moved to Changchun, China in 2013. They had not forgotten their dream of adopting a little Chinese girl. They met an American family, living in China, who had adopted seven Chinese children, including one girl and six boys. They found that the lady worked as a social worker with an expatriate family who live in China to adopt Chinese children through an American adoption agency. They learned some information about adoption in China from this kind lady. She also inspired them to consider adopting a little Chinese boy because boys are less likely to be adopted than girls. They decided to adopt a three-year-old Chinese girl and a four-year-old Chinese boy in February, 2015 and welcomed them to their home on 4th February, 2016.

Nowadays, Jacob's family has still got help from other people. Someone even taught him how to use Chinese apps such as Taobao and Baidu Waimai. Jacob thinks that how much money he makes is not important but the point is to manage money wisely.

Jacob and Sarah treat and educate their children with all of their love. They love both their biological and adopted children equally. They try their best to understand each child's unique way of expressing love. They try to model and teach their children how and why to honor, respect and love each other.

They even started to learn some Chinese to help them to talk with their Chinese adopted children during this year's winter vacation. Not only have they studied some phrases from a tutor for several months, but they have also learned using language software. In addition, they has also learned a lot of new words from their Chinese son.

Jacob and Sarah teach their children to be kind people. From Jacob's perspective, teaching children any behavior is based on the parents' consistency in reinforcing and modeling the behavior. They provide plenty of chances for their children to be kind. Their oldest daughter and son both say they want to grow up and help orphans or write books about orphans. Kindness is contagious and is being promoted from parents to children.

Jacob also teaches students to be kind. He has a thought that modeling kindness and giving students opportunities to be kind is the best way . Once he taught English at Jilin University, and he was willing to help the students clean the snow off the roads and brought one of his children to help as well. Moved by his kindness, the boys in his class even bought him a Lei Feng hat. Jacob has started to understand who Lei Feng was since then.

"I believe it's more blessed to give than to receive. When we give or help others, it produces good and inspiration for others to do good for other people. When a person gives, they do not think about themselves but about the other person's well being. When a person receives, they only think about how lucky they are and want to receive more," Jacob said. This is his opinions about positive energy. More importantly, he promotes positive energy though showing kindness to others, helping people in need, and guiding children and students to be warm-hearted.

Love is powerful, and kindness is sunshine. Jacob and Sarah help poor children because they are deeply moved by them. They also receive uncountable help from other people. Besides, they positively influence their children and students to be more caring. People affect each other directly or indirectly to help others. Love and kindness irresistibly spread and powerfully warm our hearts. Jacob and Sarah demonstrate this in the way they live their lives.
His name is Ian. Yes, only a first name and he is a nobody. If you want to know more than his first name, then I will tell you that he may be British because he has a British accent and he has a Chinese wife, has been to at least 46 countries, was an editor and is an English teacher. More about him? Sorry, to be honest, I dont know.

Ian, if my memory serves, taught English in a university in Suzhou in 2010. At that time, I was a sophomore English major. As most universities in China do, mine also entitled us to attend classes taught by foreign teachers. Ian just happened to be one of them. Initially, my impression toward him was not much different from his predecessors - coming to China for the gold rush. I know I was skeptical because I had met abhorrent expats. Days went on, classes went on and absent-mindedness in his class went on. Everything went on as usual until the end of May.

After May Day, I presume what students look most forward to is Childrens Day. Inattentive in class as I was, I was enthusiastic about volunteer work, especially in education. In the middle of May, I started a campaign on campus, calling schoolmates to donate to a nearby primary school mainly consisting of migrant workers children. I wanted the kids to have a special Childrens Day and I hoped they could access better education. I thought about different ways of contributing, such as inviting my versatile friends to tutor.

Thinking of those pupils who had never had a chance to have an English lesson conducted by a foreign teacher before led me to venture to ask Ian if he could spare time to give them a special English class. It was before one of his not-so-interesting English classes that I asked him.

I remembered the scene vividly because he showed great interest and asked many questions about the students status quo and the campaign and then declined to tutor because of school rules. The ten-minute break soon passed, while the 45-minute class slipped a bit slowly.

Frustrated and a bit angry, I went out of the classroom after the bell rang. However, Ian stopped me. He asked me to go to a corner with him and he looked around very suspiciously before getting something out of his pocket. He said in a low voice, Please dont let anyone know this. Instead of giving me some marijuana, it was 1000 RMB.

On June 1st, the pupils had a great time. They played games with college volunteers and received gifts donated by nobodies through the campaign. They also had a special English class taught by a foreign friend of mine. Instead of giving the school the donation directly, I spent the donation on stationery and suggested the school use them as rewards for well-behaved students.

Six years have passed since that Childrens Day. If I havent by chance reviewed the pictures taken then, I would have forgotten that Ian had been involved in such a campaign. In this sense, he is a nobody. Probably the students dont remember that moment either. But he is somebody and once played a part in making the students life better.
Picture of Charles.[Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn

Lei Feng, a household name, is quite familiar to most of us in China; his spirit transcends regions, genders, and nationalities. A foreign Lei Feng will be introduced here.

Lei Feng was a model soldier of the Peoples Liberation Army. He was born in a poor peasant family in Hunan province and became an orphan at age seven. He was raised under the wing of the communist party of China (CPC). He became a member of CPC and died at the age of 22. While he was assisting a truck to back up he was killed. A hero's life historically is somewhat short, like a flash in the pan, yet worthwhile. He left a great deal of spiritual wealth for us. The founder of the Peoples Republic of China Chairman Mao called on the whole nation to follow the example of comrade Lei Feng .

Many foreigners have felt his actions by hearing of his life. One of the foreign teachers in my university shares some traits with Lei Feng. His name is Charles. He comes from California in the US. This is his first time to Zhengzhou as well as to China; he has been here nearly a year now. He is very learned, having four degrees, and he has won admiration and respect from faculty as much as from students. Now he teaches the junior year English major students in Zhengzhou Normal University. He is humorous, kindhearted, well-rounded and thought provoking -- popular among the students due to those characteristics that resemble Lei Fengs.

Even though I have been studying English for more than ten years, it seems that I cannot communicate well with foreigners. When i shared my problems with him he offered me a series of valuable and practical suggestions for learning the different aspects of English. As to listening, I need to listen to English radio, try to explain what I hear on the news and watch good movies without subtitles. For speaking I am supposed to speak English with my friends and so forth. I followed his advice, and, according to my friends, improved. I won awards in an English speaking contest thanks to his guidance. He is a beacon of light instructing and enlightening me on my bright journey.

The other day, I got a call from my friend Ella. She asked me to accompany her to see Charles for advice in regards to an English interview. He explained to us that as a candidate for a masters degree, we should put ourselves in the interviewers' shoes, and think about what kind of applicants they are willing to recruit and what contributions they anticipate from the applicant in regards to the local society and the world in general. Both Ella and I owe him a great deal of gratitude.

Not only does he help others in their studies but he also gives directions in daily life. He absolutely qualifies to be labeled as a foreign Lei Feng!!! He discusses various serious issues with us students such as our health, and others arising from our daily lives. When it comes to health, he loves exercising and persists in it in pleasantly warm spring, annoyingly hot summer, cheerfully cozy autumn, and bitterly cold winter. Students who get up early in the morning have an opportunity to see him running around the campus. He said, Sport and exercise offers one a sense of refreshment. Having good health tops everything. Without having good health, life becomes more difficult.

He influences us with action. Spurred by profound thought, more and more students are seen running in the morning. When it comes to life, his richness in experiences in different parts of the world allows him to have a deeper interpretation and sophisticated outlook. He faced death on five different occasions, in each of which he believed that logically he should have died. In fact one of the last incidents occurred here in Zhengzhou when he came very close to death in a car accident. He said, Life is so short for most of us and shorter for others. We cant expect and predict how we will go but we can increase or decrease our chances of living depending on where we live. Every day is a new day and today is a new day. Thus, we must live every moment of today to the fullest. Admittedly, life is very simple and it is us that make it more complex because we like to create these twists and turns full of ups and downs. However, this process makes each of our lives unique and special.

His powerful words influence me deeply. There was once a time I was stuck in a situation where I had no clue how to cope with stage fear and lacked confidence. Charles detailed my situation deeply and carefully. He told me it was a shadow of a bad experience I was carrying along with me that dispirited and obstructed me. His advice was for me to think and act wisely and with practice to make the situation perfect. Since then I grab every opportunity to expose myself in any event that allows me to practice my speaking in front of an audience.

He colored my decisions for a better future and I gradually moved out of the dark and gloomy days shrouded by my failure in postgraduate examinations. Instead, I plucked up my courage to confront the challenges bravely and persistently. I know that failure is the mother of success and I need to stick to my dream and fight for it.

Charles, like Lei Feng before him, makes us stride in the right direction through his devoted and noble assistance, and by constantly injecting positive energy into our friendship. We the students who have been touched by his knowledge, experience and good deeds, owe Charles our gratitude and our success in life.
Kenya President Uhuru Kenyatta sets fire to the largest pile of ivory that was burned on Saturday. Photo by Hou Liqiang/China Daily

Kenya set ablaze 105 tons of ivory and 1.3 tons of rhino horns in a bid to send a strong message against poaching and illegal trade in these products.

In a clear and stern message, Kenyan president Uhuru Kenyatta reaffirmed the country's stand to save its recovering wildlife population by burning the ivory to reduce the economic value of the tusks, saying they are a national treasure better valued when attached on a live elephant.

He boldly addressed contentious voices that call for legalizing the trade and said Kenya will soon be forwarding its proposal to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) calling for a complete ban.
TEHRAN -- South Korean President Park Geun-hye arrived in Iran's capital Tehran on Sunday for talks on bilateral ties and economic cooperation.

During her three-day visit, Park will meet with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani and a number of senior Iranian officials to discuss, beside bilateral ties, regional and international issues.

Tehran and Seoul will sign a number of memorandums of understanding (MoUs) that touches the fields of energy and telecommunications, to enhance their cooperation.

Iranian Oil Minister Bijan Namdar Zangeneh said Iran's oil exports to South Korea has risen to 400,000 barrels per day (bpd), from 100,000 bpd at the end of last year, thanks to the removal of western sanctions against Tehran's energy sector earlier this year, according to Petro Energy Information Network (SHANA).

Iran is still facing banking problems for the transfer of its cash from South Korea, but the two countries are working together to solve the problem, Zangeneh said after a meeting with visiting South Korean Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport Kang Ho-in.

According to Press TV, the two countries are expected to seal deals worth 10 billion U.S. dollars during Park visit to Iran.
(Photo : Reuters) Along with China, Germany, South Korea, Japan and Taiwan were also included on the US' watchlist.

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The US Treasury Department has released its watchlist of countries which are to be monitored for their foreign exchange practices. The list includes China, Germany, Japan, South Korea and Taiwan. According to the modified semi-annual report released on Friday, the Treasury Department will observe these countries to determine whether their foreign exchange policies offer them undue trade advantage over the U.S.



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The US Treasury Department used three criteria to decide whether any trading partner is unfair. These criteria include whether the country has a trade surplus with the US above $20 billion, whether it has a current account surplus more than 3 percent of its gross domestic product and has repeatedly depreciated its currency by purchasing foreign assets equal to two percent of output over the year.



The five countries on the list were reportedly found guilty of at least two of the three abovementioned criteria. China entered the list for its trade and current account surplus. Japan, Germany, and South Korea also met the same criteria. However, Taiwan ran foul due to its current account surplus and repeated intervention to depreciate its currency.



The US Treasury Department had been watching nations for potential currency manipulation threat. No major trading partner was found guilty in the latest report.



The latest report released by the US Treasury Department said that the Chinese currency "should continue to experience real appreciation over the medium term." In its earlier report, the department had found Yuan to be "below its appropriate medium-term valuation."



The department also advised the Taiwanese government to limit its currency interventions to the "exceptional circumstances of disorderly market conditions, as well as increase the transparency of reserve holdings and foreign exchange market intervention."



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Tagschina, United States of America, South Korea, Japan, Taiwan, Germany, treasury department
(Photo : NASA) A farmer works his field under a severe sun.

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A United Nations report says brutal heat triggered by climate change is a worldwide health danger to people that work outdoors, while also threatening to further slow down the growth of the world economy.



It said some four billion out of the world's total population of 7.1 billion live in areas very vulnerable to climate change. These high risk regions include states in the southern United States; Central America; northern South America, the Caribbean, southern Asia and north and west Africa.



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The UN is bracing for an epidemic of heat related injuries in west Africa, southern Asia and 10 regions in Asia, Africa and Latin America by 2030.



Farmers, construction workers, fishermen, factory workers and professions where outdoor work is necessary are most at risk from the sweltering heat. The UN report also called on governments and business owners to take steps to protect the health of outdoor workers. It said working conditions exceeding 35 degrees Celsius or 95 degrees Fahrenheit are dangerous to an individual's capacity to work and his health.



What the UN report finds regrettable is some people, especially the poor, force themselves to continue working under the severe heat just to earn enough money to get by, according to Saleemul Huq, head of the International Centre for Climate Change and Development. Heat stress is the main danger faced by outdoor employees.



The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) warns that workers exposed to extreme heat or work in hot environments may be at risk of heat stress. It said exposure to extreme heat can result in heat stroke, heat exhaustion, heat cramps or heat rashes. Heat can also increase the risk of injuries in workers since it may result in dizziness and other afflictions.



The rising heat is also causing the loss of valuable manhours and lowering productivity as outdoor employees slow down their pace of work or take longer breaks. The report estimates productivity losses from the unrelenting heat to hit $2 trillion by 2030. Some two percent of daylight hours are expected to be shaved off the working day due to the extreme heat.



This phenomenon is already apparent in West Africa where the number of hot days each year has doubled each year. West Africa has added 10 hot days every decade since the 1960s.



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TagsUnited Nations, Climate Change, International Centre for Climate Change and Development, U.S. Centers For Disease Control And Prevention, CDC, heat stress, heat stroke
(Photo : Andrew Wong/Getty Images) Russian President Vladimir Putin looks at the national flags of Russia and China after he signed an agreement with Chinese President Hu Jintao at the Great Hall of the People on March 21, 2006 in Beijing. China and Russia agreed to expand their links in the energy sector as the two sides signed 15 mainly economic agreements during the visit by President Putin.

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China and Russia have jointly declared their opposition towards the move of the United States of America to deploy an anti-missile system to the Republic of Korea.



In a press conference on Friday, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi told reporters that both countries "are expressing serious concerns in regard to the US intention to deploy the THAAD system in the ROK," reported China Daily.



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"This move goes far beyond actual defense necessities and damages the strategic security of China and Russia," Wang added.



For his part, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov pointed out that the US and ROK "shouldn't use Pyongyang's acts as a pretext to increase their military presence on the Korean Peninsula."



"We believe the possible deployment of the THAAD anti-missile system won't resolve this problem," the Russian leader continued to say.



It was learned that US and ROK were having talks about the possibility of deploying a Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system following the fourth nuclear test of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea in January this year.



According to the report, China's strong opposition to what the US reportedly wanted to do was based on what analysts have been speculating - that such system might be used to "monitor Beijing's missile launches as far inland as Xi'an in the northwest of the country."



However, Sung Kim, the US special representative for DPRK policy, reportedly revealed that there is nothing to worry about the THAAD deployment since it is just "a complete defense system" that will give protection to US and ROK "against missile threats from Pyongyang."



But this explanation appeared not to sit well with Zuo Xiying, an international studies specialist at Renmin University of China's National Academy of Development and Strategy, when he said that "This poses a threat to China and Russia's national security, and the deployment will definitely harm regional peace and stability."



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(Photo : Getty Images) Chinas non-manufacturing PMI saw a marginal decline in the month of April.

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China's non-manufacturing Purchasing Managers Index (PMI) marginally declined in April to 53.5 from 53.8 in March, the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) said on Sunday. The non-manufacturing PMI is a measurement of factory activities outside factory floors, mainly in service and real estate sectors.



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The service sector sub-index declined to 52.5 from 53.1 in March, whereas service new-orders sub index dropped to 48.7 from 50.8. However, activities in the real estate sector increased to 1.4 points from 59.4 in April.



The data revealed that service-related industries such as storage, tourism, accommodation, and telecommunications posted healthy growth in the month of April. However, the catering, insurance, wholesale and repairing industries reported a decline in their business.



The NBS also revealed manufacturing PMI data for the month of April, which fell to 50.1 in April from 50.2 in March.



Economic experts said that they were a little disappointed over the latest non-manufacturing PMI data. Especially considering that March's PMI data was far better and had fuelled hope for economic revival.



Critics say that April's non-manufacturing PMI data proves that China's economic revival still has a long way to go. Analysts are not sure of the exact time span of China's economic revival, but many agree that the slowdown will persist for quite some time.



The Chinese economy is currently witnessing its worst slowdown in over two decades. China economy grew by 6.9 percent in 2015 - the slowest economic growth in 25 years. Most economic indicators have come under severe stress owing to the unprecedented slowdown, with China's stock markets and forex reserves witnessing a sharp decline.



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(Photo : JAIME REINA/AFP/Getty Images) An Oklahoma court has sparked debate after ruling that oral sex with an unconscious person is not rape.

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A Criminal Appeals Court in Oklahoma has shocked everybody with its decision not to criminalize oral sex with a person who is fully unconscious. The court ruling has generated strong reactions from people, who say the judicial system should not be involved in victim-blasting and perpetuating out-dated ideas about rape.



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This particular judgement came as part of a case where a 17-year-old man was accused of mugging a 16-year-old girl after offering to give her a ride home. The suspect and the victim reportedly had a drink in Tulsa park with a group of friends and the girl ended up severely drunk. According to eyewitnesses, the victim had to be carried into the defendant's car.



The defendant took the girl to her grandmother's home. When she was found to be still insentient, she was taken to a nearby hospital, where an examination found her blood-alcohol level above .34. The victim woke up as hospital staff were conducting a sexual assault test on her.



Medical examiners confirmed that the young man's DNA was found on the back of the victim's leg and around her mouth. The accused told the court that girl had consented to performing oral sex. The victim, however, said that she does not have any recollections of leaving the Tulsa Park. Tulsa County prosecutors charged the young boy with forcible oral sodomy.



"Forcible sodomy cannot possible when a victim is so drunk as to be entirely comatose at the time of the sexual act of oral copulation," the court decision read.



Oklahoma is the 28th most populous states in the US.



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I had the privilege or reading a pre-release version of "God Shines Forth: How the Nature of God Shapes and Drives the Mission of the Church." Here are 20 quotes from the book, which you should pick up.
Contraceptive implants for female inmates in U.S. raise ethical questions: Did they have a choice?

Is this just an honest to goodness programme to teach female prisoners contraception or the alarming resurgence of eugenics, the practice of reducing birth rates of individuals with less desirable traits?

The state of Tennessee recently launched an ambitious programme which involves the implantation of contraceptive rods or intrauterine devices (IUDs) in female prison inmates from 15 counties. A medical practitioner and a pro-life advocate, however, warned that this programme may be violating ethical standards.

In an interview with LifeSite News, Human Life International's Stephen Phelan warned that in the past, the racist practice of eugenics was peddled as something that was for the "best interests" of the victim.

"Coercion isn't only literally forcing one to do something against her will," Phelan said. "It can also be pressuring her to take a certain course without providing all information and time to make a free decision."

Dr. Annette Mendola, director of clinical ethics for the University of Tennessee's Graduate School of Medicine, meanwhile said the state should make sure that the female prisoners are indeed given sufficient information and choice in relation to the contraceptive programme.

"If done badly, it could be horribly coercive. You want to make sure people feel like they have a choice," Mendola also told LifeSite News.

The Tennessee state government started the contraceptive implantation programme in Sevier County, where female prisoners began receiving abortifacient IUDs at no cost.

According to county officials, female prisoners become the subject of this state-funded contraceptive effort because they often have a history of drug abuse, which makes them supposedly "less receptive" to getting and using long-acting contraception.

Officials also said that incarcerated women provide a captive and sober audience for the contraceptive programme.

In Knox County, meanwhile, health officials even contact women from prison after their release to check on the implanted contraceptives.
'Experience Mercy' billboard campaign launched in U.S. to allow 'God to touch people's hearts'

Catholic groups have launched a billboard campaign to encourage people to partake of God's mercy in the Sacrament of Reconciliation.

The campaign, called Experience Mercy, was initially launched by the Knights of Columbus and the Men's Fellowship groups at St. John the Baptist Catholic Church and School in New Brighton, Minnesota.

Each billboard uses ads directing people to go to the ExperienceMercy.com website which offers "resources we hope will allow God to touch people's hearts and persuade them to come to confession."

Parishes that support the billboard installation in their community are listed as sponsors on the website along with information on the directions to their parish, confession schedule and donation link.

The parishes are also entitled to access campaign paraphernalia including fundraising materials, flyers, stickers, lawn signs and invitation cards,

Catholics are celebrating the Extraordinary Jubilee Year of Mercy from December 2015 to November 2016 with Pope Francis wanting to direct people's attention and actions "on mercy so that we may become a more effective sign of the Father's actions in our lives . . . a time when the witness of believers might grow stronger and more effective."

The Jubilee of Mercy was designated, the Pope said, "because this is the time for mercy."

"It is the favourable time to heal wounds, a time not to be weary of meeting all those who are waiting to see and to touch with their hands the signs of the closeness of God, a time to offer everyone, everyone, the way of forgiveness and reconciliation," Pope Francis said, according to the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.

According to Father David Pignato at the Diocese of Arlington Men's Conference, "It is not possible, and it is not right, for us to contemplate God's mercy, without also contemplating our sins," LifeSite News reports.

"It's not even logical to think of God's mercy, without also thinking of our sins, because there's no need for mercy, if there's no sin. Mercy is God's response and cure for sin," he said.
Marseille synagogue to be converted into a mosque to accommodate France's growing Muslim population

A synagogue in Marseille is going to be converted into a mosque to accommodate the growing Muslim population in the southern French city, according to a report from Agence France-Presse (AFP).

The Or Thora synagogue, which was reportedly purchased by the Muslim cultural organisation Al Badr for $400,000, will be reopened as a mosque this summer to address the demand for more Muslim places of worship.

"For the past 20 years or so we have seen the shift of the Jewish community to other neighbourhoods," the city's top Jewish leader Zvi Ammar told the news agency Tuesday.

"Marseille's Jewish community is thriving, with the number of synagogues nearly doubling to 58 from 32 over the past three decades," he added.

French newspaper La Provence reports that there are now 70,000 Jews in the city and they make up one of France'sand Europe'slargest Jewish communities.

Marseille, a Mediterranean port city with nearly two million population, also counts around 220,000 Muslims, of whom 70,000 are practising, Newsweek reports.

In 1990, France had an estimated population of 568,000 Muslims. Today, the population has reached some 4.7 million, Pew Research Center reports.

Pew says the conversion of the synagogue into a mosque will somehow help meet the needs of the growing number of Muslim worshippers in the southern city.

A Grand Mosque is also expected to be constructed in the city, said Ammar. But the project promised by the city mayor is reportedly embroiled in controversy.

The proposed grand mosque has an estimated cost of some 23 million euros ($26 million) and designed to be France's largest.
Netherlands, Belgium prepare for possible nuke accidents; stock up on iodine pills

The Dutch government is preparing for a potential nuclear disaster and is stocking up on iodine pills to protect people against radioactivity in case of accidents, according to reports.

A total 15 million iodine pills have been purchased by the government to be given to people living within 100 km radius of any nuclear plant, reports the Daily Mail.

The move comes as concerns arise over ageing reactors across the border in Belgium. Neighbouring Germany had pressed Belgium to shutter two ageing nuclear power plants near their border due to concerns over their safety.

The Dutch announcement came a day after Belgium said it planned to distribute iodine pills to its entire population of 11 million as part of a revised nuclear emergency plan, a measure unveiled just months after police discovered that Islamic State (ISIS)-linked bombers were working to breach Belgium's nuclear security, reports NBC News.

Belgian security services learnt in February that two men had been spying on one of the country's senior nuclear scientists. There were also reports that ISIS plans to build a "dirty bomb."

Although Belgium has yet to finalise how to distribute the pills, Dutch health ministry spokesperson Edith Schippers said the Dutch would "follow" how (the Belgians) carry out the distribution of the pills and where they will be availablewhether people will have to go and find them at a pharmacy or at a local health service clinic.

She said the pills will be initially given to children under 18 and pregnant women living within a 62-mile radius of a plant.

The rest of the supply of 15 million pills could be made available to everyone caught up in a potential accident, including tourists, visitors and workers or even to people living in border areas near Germany's Emsland plant and the two Belgian facilities, Doel and Tihange, said Schippers.

Iodine pills help to block radiation absorption from the thyroid, according to experts.

The Netherlands has one nuclear power plantat Borssele in the southwest. Belgium, on the other hand, has a handful of nuclear facilities with a total of seven reactors. The first commercial nuclear reactor went online in 1972, according to Eurowire.
Pope Francis approves beatification of 38 martyrs murdered by Albania's former communist rulers

Pope Francis has officially given a thumbs-up for the beatification of 38 Albanian martyrs, including Archbishop Nikolle Vincenc Prennushi of Durres, all of whom were murdered by the country's atheistic, communist regime between 1945 and 1974.

The pontiff acknowledged the martyrdom of Archbishop Prennushi and his 37 companions in an April 26 meeting with Cardinal Angelo Amato, prefect of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints, reports the Catholic News Agency (CNA).

In 1944, a communist government took control of Albania and reportedly caused the persecution of a religious leader and the death of almost 2,100 Catholic priests and devotees of other religions. The country then declared itself an atheist state.

During that time, church activities were banned, and schools including seminaries were closed. Bishops and priests were also killed or arrested. Of the seven bishops and 200 priests and nuns in Albania before the communist takeover, only one bishop and 30 priests and nuns were found alive when the communist regime ended, reports the Christian Daily.

A member of the Order of Friars Minor, Archbishop Prennushi, was jailed and tortured during the communist regime in the 1940s for his religious belief. The rest of his companions shared a similar fate and were murdered by the regime from 1945 to 1974.

In his Sept. 21, 2015 trip to Albania, the Pope urged the country ''to look towards the future with hope'' and learn from their dark past.

In addition to the Albanian martyrs, Pope Francis also acknowledged the martyrdom of Servant of God Jose Anton Gomez and his three companions, including an 18-year-old girl. All were priests of the Order of St Benedict and killed for the faith in 1936 during the Spanish Civil War.

The pope also recognised a miracle attributed to the intercession of Venerable Servant of God John Sullivan, S.J, paving the way for his beatification. Born in Ireland in 1861, the priest was a convert to Catholicism and became famous for his holiness and devotion before dying on Feb. 19, 1933.

Moreover, the Pope praised the heroic virtue of eight individuals, including Servant of God Maria Montserrat Grases Garcia. A laywoman, Garcia was a member of the Personal Prelature of the Holy Cross and of Opus Dei, said CNA.

She was known for her fidelity and closeness to God, even when she was diagnosed with cancer as a teen. After enduring excruciating pains due to her illness, Garcia died on March 26, 1959, at just 18 years of age.

Pope Francis also approved the heroic virtue of Servant of God Fr. Thomas Choe Yang-Eop, who was Korea's second priest and the son of two of the country's 124 martyrs, who were canonised by St. John Paul II in 1984.

Fr. Choe was frequently referred to as the "Martyr of Sweat" due to the roughly 1,740 miles he would walk each year in order to evangelise people in Korea's remote villages. He died on June 15, 1861, reports say.
Shocking new hybrid creature? Goat with a human face found in a farm in Malaysia

Thought a half-human, half-goat is only a creature that only exists in mythology? Wait until you hear this bizarre story from Malaysia.

A Malaysian farmer got the surprise of his life last week when he discovered that one of his female goats has given birth to a kid. The little animal was found lifeless, but its appearance was startling: it seemed to have all the features of an ordinary goat, but with a human face.

In an interview with The Straits Times, 63-year-old farmer Ibrahim Basir shared how puzzled he was when he saw the newborn kid.

"When I went to check, I was quite shocked but fascinated too as its face, nose, short legs and even the condition of its soft body seemed like a human baby, but the light brown fur covering its whole body resembles that of a goat," Basir said, as quoted by WND.com.

Much to the farmer's surprise, the strange creature in his farm triggered a bidding war from various people equally fascinated by the human-faced goat.

Basir, however, chose to decline all offers of money he received, and instead turned over the seemingly hybrid creature to the Veterinary Services Department so that it can be studied further.

"We kept the kid's carcass in a polystyrene box filled with ice cubes before taking it to the district veterinary office at around noon yesterday," the farmer said.

Ismail Mohamed, chairman of the Johor state Agriculture and Agro-based Industry Committee, meanwhile said the out-of-the-ordinary goat is currently under investigation, which he said might take two weeks.

He added that the committee will explore why the goat has human-like features, and whether the mother goat was violated by a human, as speculated by some people on the Internet.

"For now we cannot confirm or deny anything as we have never received such a case before," Ismail said.

"We will have to wait for the results and findings to be finalised, and that takes somewhere between two weeks and a month," he added.
U.S. adopts Israel's 'knock-on-roof'strategy vs. ISIS: Detonating missile above building before actual airstrike

A Pentagon spokesman has revealed that the U.S. military is now adopting Israeli military tactics in dealing with the Islamic State (ISIS) and other terrorists: Detonating a missile above a building to warn civilians of an incoming airstrike and then launching the actual airstrike presumably after the civilians have abandoned the building.

The "knock-off-the-roof" tactic has long been utilised by Israel in shelling of Hamas locations and operatives in the Gaza Strip to reduce civilian casualties in urban warfare, CBN News reports.

Other manoeuvres the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) employs include dropping of leaflets, sending SMS messages and placing calls to alert innocent civilians of an impending attack in the area, the report adds.

Air Force Maj. Gen. Peter Gersten, deputy commander for operations and intelligence for the anti-ISIS Operation Inherent Resolve, disclosed this week that Israel's battlefield strategy had been used earlier this month on an alleged ISIS "finance emir" in Mosul, Iraq, who was targeted for assassination.

"The U.S. military had been monitoring his daily routine. He was the major distributor of funds to ISIS fighters," according to Gersten.

"We watched him come and go from his house; we watched his supplies; we watched the security that was involved in it; and we also watched occasionally a female and her children [go] in and out of the quarters," he added.

The U.S. army then began to formulate a plan to get women, children and other civilians out of the building, according to CBN News.

"We went as far as actually to put a Hellfire on top of the building and air-burst it so it wouldn't destroy the building, simply knock on the roof to ensure that she and the children were out of the building ... And then we proceeded with our operations," the official said.

Gersten reportedly acknowledged the Israeli influence, saying, "That's exactly where we took the tactics and technique and procedure from."

He said the U.S. army has "watched and observed" IDF's procedure during past attacks.

Human rights groups like Amnesty International previously slammed Israel's battlefield tactic, claiming that it is not an effective warning strategy.

"There is no way that firing a missile at a civilian home can constitute an effective 'warning,'" said Philip Luther, Middle East and North Africa Director at Amnesty International, about the Israeli practice in 2014, reports CNN.

"Amnesty International has documented cases of civilians killed or injured by such missiles in previous Israeli military operations on the Gaza Strip."

Mahmoud Abu Rahma of the Al Mezan Center for Human Rights, also said that any missile warning cannot be taken lightly and therefore can be dangerous to civilians.

"The sending of a missile cannot be considered a warning. It is the targeting of civilians with a weapon, regardless of how small, and it is a violation of the Geneva conventions," he said

In its 2015 report that discussed the military tactic, the U.N. said: "In a number of incidents examined, the concerned persons either did not understand that their house had been the subject of a 'roof-knock,' or the time given for evacuation between the warning and the actual strike was insufficient."

The report pointed to an incident in which several children died after being given just a few minutes to evacuate at a time when most were sleeping, says CNN.

"'Roof knocks' cannot be considered an effective warning given the confusion they often cause to building residents and the short time allowed to evacuate before the actual strike," the U.N. said.
U.S. Army reverses decision to kick out officer who defended child vs. accused rapist in Afghanistan

The United States military will not lose a hero and an honourable man within its ranks.

The U.S. Army has reversed its earlier decision to kick out Sergeant 1st Class Charles Martland after he defended a young boy in Afghanistan who had allegedly been subjected to rape by a local commander over the course of many days.

Martland himself confirmed his retention in the U.S. Army to Fox News.

"I am real thankful for being able to continue to serve. I appreciate everything Congressman Duncan Hunter and his Chief of Staff, Joe Kasper did for me," the decorated Army officer said over the phone.

Lt. Col. Jerry Pionk, an Army spokesman, also confirmed in a statement to Fox News that Martland's status has been changed, allowing him to stay in the Army.

"In SFC Martland's case, the Army Board for Correction of Military Records determination modified a portion of one of SFC Martland's evaluation reports and removed him from the QMP list, which will allow him to remain in the Army," Pionk said.

In 2011, while he was deployed in Kunduz Province in Afghanistan, Martland confronted a local police commander accused of sexually assaulting a boy and even beating up his mother. When the suspected rapist just laughed off these claims, Martland and his team leader shoved him to the ground.

After the incident, Martland was removed from the military base in Afghanistan and sent home. The U.S. Army then issued a "memorandum of reprimand" against the officer, calling him out for his brass intervention after the alleged rape.

Martland's former team leader, Danny Quinn, said the U.S. Army is a stronger force with Martland as part of it.

"This is not just a great victory for SFC Martland and his familyI'm just as happy that he can continue to serve our country and inspire his peers, subordinates and officers to be better soldiers. Charles makes every soldier he comes in contact with better and the Army is undoubtedly a better organisation with SFC Martland still in its ranks," Quinn told Fox News.

The American Center for Law and Justice (ACLJ) also called Martland's retention as a "significant victory."

"Justice has been served. The U.S. military has a moral obligation to stop child sexual abuse and exonerate SFC Martland for defending a child from rape. The Army finally took the corrective action needed and this is not only a victory for SFC Martland, but for the American people as well," ACLJ's chief counsel Jay Sekulow told Charisma News.
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Malia Obama, President Barack Obama's oldest daughter, will take a gap year after high school before attending Harvard University in fall 2017.

The 17-year-old senior at the Sidwell Friends School is set to graduate in June, according to a White House statement. During her school's signing day, Malia wore a Harvard Class of 2020 shirt. Both Barack and Michelle Obama graduated from Harvard Law School.

>> Click the gallery above to see the colleges other celebrities attended

Though some parents think a gap year will hinder momentum in studies, taking a gap year is a popular choice for students looking to experience things outside the classroom. According to the New York Times, Harvard encourages students who are admitted to the university to do so.

Many colleges even offer scholarships for students to travel, complete an internship or volunteer during a gap year.

It was not immediately known Sunday what Malia intends to do with that time.
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A Portland, Ore.-based think tank has released a cool interactive that maps out cities, not by their populations or accumulation of wealth, but by their quantity of storefronts.

City Observatory's "Storefront Index" pulled retail numbers from an unnamed database to construct their visualization. Each major metropolitan area highlighted in the index shows varying amounts of retail clusters inside their city core.

DEFINITION: What exactly is a storefront?

Just looking at the Greater Houston area, there are around 1,300 retail outlets within a three-mile radius from its urban core. It sounds like a lot, but other cities boast far higher storefront density. For example, the New York metropolitan area, which includes New York City and northern New Jersey, has 9,905 storefronts located within the center of its area.

So what does the amount of retail outlets tell us about a city? Joseph Cortright, an economist working with City Observatory, said they overlaid the "Storefront Index" over a map that featured the Walk Score Index. They found that areas boasting high numbers of retail outlets also happened to boast higher walkability scores.

"We know from the work of Jane Jacobs and Jan Gehl that the presence of neighborhood commercial businesses is one factor that contributes to the attractiveness of streets to pedestrians," Cortwright said.

RELATED: Marketforce names the country's best grocery stores

For context, Jane Jacobs was a journalist and author of the highly influential 1961 book "The Death and Life of Great American Cities" which tackled the problems of 1960s urban planning. Jan Gehl, a Danish architect, is one of the leading activists for pedestrian and cyclist-friendly urban design. Gehl's ideas have already been implemented in urban design projects around the globe.

Coming back to the retail density and attractiveness part, City Observatory also noticed a correlation between the density of storefronts and the perceived safety and attractiveness of two parks in the Washington metropolitan area.

Storefront Index's developers hope urban design activists and city planners take a look at the tool.

"Storefront Index lets city planners quickly measure and compare the concentration of commercial and retail activity in different neighborhoods, and see how patterns in their city compare with other cities, including cities in other parts of the country," Cortwright said.

RELATED: Where do people spend the most shopping?

If you're interested in following this project, Cortwright says a future version of the index will allow users to track the change of retail quantity over time. Currently, City Observatory is testing the feature in its home city of Portland, Ore.

We have taken screengrabs of the shape files used to construct the "Storefront Index" and placed them in the gallery above. While not as visually stimulating, the images have greater detail on the amount of retail spots in a given area.

We've also included a ranking of cities by their walkability. You can compare those cities to the metropolitan areas featured in the Storefront Index.
As temperatures hit the mid 80s Sunday, residents didn't have to look far to hydrate. Thousands of lemonade stands were set up across the Houston area as part of Lemonade Day, an entrepreneurial program aimed at introducing children to the business world.

Since 2007, Lemonade Day has taught area children how to start, own and operate their own business, like a lemonade stand. The entrepreneur chooses where to invest the profits.
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When Brena Firkins thinks of former-Subway pitchman Jared Fogle serving time behind bars in a child-sex case, she feels sorry for him. That's why they've been writing to each other, she says.

RELATED: Ex-Subway pitchman Jared Fogle attacked in prison, according to reports

The Indiana woman told Fox59 that she and Fogle had a very personal relationship years ago so she reached out to him after he pleaded guilty in November to one count each of distributing and receiving child porn and traveling to engage in illicit sexual conduct with a child.

She shared the one-page letter she says she received back this week.

"I kind of felt bad for him, and I wrote him to see how he was doing," Firkins said in the Fox59 interview. "And he wrote me back and sent this letter that was kind of horrifying."

RELATED: Jared Fogle reportedly gains 30 pounds in prison

The letter asks Firkins to send photos writing, "Are you dating anyone? I need you in my life big time. I've thought a lot about you over the years but had no way to contact you."

Firkins said she and Fogle met about eight years ago on a dating site and claims they had a sexual relationship for about a month. Fogle's lawyer did not comment on the letter.

Fogle is serving a 15 year sentence in Colorado. Fogle admitted that he paid for sex at New York City hotels with girls who were 16 or 17 years old and that he had received some child pornography produced by the one-time head of his anti-obesity charity, Russell Taylor. Fogle also paid a total of $1.4 million to his 14 victims, with each getting $100,000.
A woman died early Sunday after ramming her car into a light pole off the Gulf Freeway and another was injured in a separate crash soon after, Houston police said.

At 5:55 a.m., a woman was driving her black BMW 740i south in the 10000 block of the Gulf Freeway. She veered off the road onto the grassy median separating the freeway and the service road before crashing into the concrete base of a light pole, said Houston police spokesperson John Cannon.
A 1-year-old girl died early Sunday after being struck as her mother backed out of their southwest Houston driveway.

At 12:35 a.m., the mother was backing her white Dodge Nitro SUV out of her home's garage in the 6200 block of Darlinghurst near Caradine. Her daughter managed to get into the vehicle's path and was hit, said Houston police spokesman John Cannon.
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.
Peste 300 de liceene s-au inscris in Startup School si sunt gata sa invete bazele antreprenoriatului tehnologic. Vezi cum a fost la evenimentul de lansare a programului national de educatie antreprenoriala
Blogarrhea: Exclusive Interview With Svetlana of Svetlana & The Delancey Five

Hot jazz singer Svetlana of Svetlana & The Delancey Five (Photo : courtesy Origin/OA2 Records)

Svetlana & The Delancey Five can be heard every Monday night (almost) at The Back Room in New York City. (Photo : courtesy Origin/OA2 Records)

Right off Delancey Street on the Lower East Side Of New York City stands a bar called The Back Room that used to host such notorious criminals as Meyer Lansky and Lucky Luciano. It was during prohibition and the room served illegal booze. It's still there. Svetlana & The Delancey Five have been holding court Mondays for the last four years. Their Night At The Speakeasy (Origin/OA2 Records) is one of the best jazz CDs of the year.

Blogarrhea: Who thought of this kind of sound for you? It's hot jazz from the 1920s! Boardwalk Empire music!

Svetlana: Yes, on into the swing era of the 1930s too. Both coasts now seem to be experiencing a revival. [Bandleader] Vince Giordano has a lot to do with that. I understand it went through a similar revival in the '90s and now we're taking it and adding our own thing. We are riding this wave of hot jazz and swing.

Blogarrhea: I love the "Lady Be Good" video in the subway.

Svetlana: That's a nostalgia swing dance party train that some dancer friends of ours invited us to. They've been doing this for over three years. It's crazy! It always happens around Christmas when the MTA [Metropolitan Transit Authority] gets its vintage trains up and running. The swing dancers pick a day. There's no cover. You just have to have a subway token to get on the train. Or a Metro card. There's bands playing in the station from morning to dinner time. Several select bands-and we were lucky to be part of it-get invited on the subway cars that run straight to the MTA museum.

Blogarrhea: It's all too cool, as is the venue you've been packing the people in just off Delancey Street, The Back Room, which used to be, during prohibition, a real speakeasy where gangsters went.

Svetlana: It's been four years since we started those shows there. Like a lot of things that happen in this town, I got the gig by just walking down the street. I had a gig with my band at this other place but they said, "sorry. We're closed tonight. We forgot to tell you." So I was walking down the street, peeking my head into venues, and saying, "hey, I have a band, I have 20 people coming. You want us?" That's how I met the manager and the bartender of the Back Room who happened to be looking for a band to start a vintage Monday night series and we've been playing there ever since. In the '80s, they refurbished it and called it the Lansky Lounge. Then it was bought again and renamed The Back Room in the '90s.

Blogarrhea: Tell me about Russia.

Svetlana: I was born and raised in Moscow, having caught the tail end of the Soviet time where access to Western music was still regulated by the government, but leaked in anyway. I remember I did have a bunch of records by Ella Fitzgerald and Billie Holiday which I played on the family record player. Plus, I was able to discover Nina Simone at our local library. Then I fell in love with syncopated rhythms which are not exactly part of Russian culture. I must say, though, that traditional Russian music has beautiful melodies and orchestrations but it certainly wasn't jazz! And I got carried away with jazz at a young age. I was so enchanted with Duke Ellington and "Porgy & Bess" that it stayed with me my whole life, not unlike American jazz musicians of today who will basically tell you the same thing.

Growing up in a family of engineers, I was forced into picking a practical education. I started studying mathematics but continued my real education in jazz, especially when I was a foreign exchange student in New York. I was so young, and I was happy where I was to be honest, but when the chance to study at The New School in New York fell in my lap, I realized how lucky I was.

Blogarrhea: How was it when you first arrived on our shores?

Svetlana: I remember it like it was yesterday. I don't want to be overly dramatic but it's the scene in Brooklyn where she's stepping through a door, and there's this light. You see her silhouette. That was me. I had this one old leather suitcase and my guitar. I had a frying pan in my bag that my mother insisted I take. It was August in New York, the most beautiful time of year. Some of the autumnal coolness was setting in. That's when it hit me: "oh my god, I'm in New York." Everybody was friendly and wonderful and I was listening to all kinds of music for the first time every day. I landed in the East Village and was having such a ball. It took while but I finally got the courage up to pursue it for myself.

Blogarrhea: So you worked hard, met the right people, but, still, if you didn't have the kind of raw talent you possess, things might have turned out differently.

Svetlana: It's very kind of you to say but a lot of it is also how bad you want it. Growing up where I did, how I did, then coming here, I had a hunger to just not give up and not to take no for an answer. I was and still am, so enchanted with this music, so in love with it, that my passion for it comes through. It's like a drug. I can't get enough.

 2016 The Classical Art, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.

TagsSvetlana & The Delancey Five, Blogarrhea, The Back Room, Meyer Lansky
AKRON, Ohio -- A 41-year-old man was arrested early Sunday morning in the fatal hit-and-run of his girlfriend.

Jeffrey White was charged with felony hit-skip in the 43-year-old woman's death, though police said in a news release that more charges are expected.

White and his girlfriend, whose name has not been released, got into an argument at her home in the 2000 block of Briner Avenue, police said.

White ran over the woman in his 2001 Cadillac as he was leaving the house, police said. White then left the scene, according to police.

Two people driving on Briner Avenue about 1 a.m. saw the woman lying in the street and called police.

The 911 caller, who said she was a nurse, said the woman in the street had no pulse and blood all over her hair.

The woman was later pronounced dead, police said.

White is in the Summit County Jail awaiting his arraignment.

The Summit County Medical Examiner will release the woman's name once her family has been contacted.

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BEREA, Ohio -- A man wanted in the violent attack of a Cleveland couple was arrested here Saturday by police investigating reports of guns stolen from a gun show.

Berea Police confirmed Anthony Lett, 39, was taken into custody during their investigation into two theft reports from the gun show at the Cuyahoga County Fairgrounds.

But police would not say whether Lett was suspected of stealing the guns.

Officers from Berea and the Cleveland MetroParks, aided by a police dog, searched a wooded area between the fairgrounds and Southwest General Hospital on Bagley Road Saturday afternoon.

Several police cars were also parked outside the hospital.

Berea police would not discuss the details of the thefts or Lett's arrest, citing an open investigation. Police may release more information Monday.

Lett's arrest came hours after police in Cleveland obtained a warrant charging him with rape and aggravated robbery in an April 24 attack in which a woman was raped and her husband was shot.

Two other attackers, a man and woman, have not been identified.

Lett and the others went into the couple's East 127th Street home and ordered them upstairs at gunpoint, according to court records.

The assailants asked the couple "where's the money," records say, and demanded credit cards.

Lett took off the woman's clothes and forced her downstairs into the basement, where he raped her, according to court records.

Upstairs, the other two assailants shot the husband multiple times, court records say.

Lett lives on the same block as the couple, according to court records.

Lett was released from prison in January on weapons and drug charges. He previously served nine years in prison for a 2003 carjacking.

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Cleveland police car stock

A 20-year-old woman was shot in the head early Sunday as she sat in a car with her friends, Cleveland police said.

(File photo)

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- A 20-year-old woman was shot in the head in a drive-by shooting early Sunday as she sat in a car with her friends, police said.

The woman was inside a Ford Taurus with two men in front of her home on Jeffries Avenue in Cleveland's South Broadway neighborhood about midnight, when someone in another car opened fire, police said.

The shots were fired from an older model car, police said.

One bullet struck the woman in the head. She got out of the car and collapsed, police were told.

The woman's friends then drove away in the Taurus, leaving her lying in the street, police said.

Officers found her and gave her emergency aid until paramedics showed up and rushed her to the hospital.

Officers later interviewed the woman's friends and found the Taurus near the Outhwaite Homes housing complex. The car was towed for evidence, police said.

Witnesses to the shooting told police the shooters may have been exchanging gunfire with another car, although police have not yet confirmed if that was the case.

Detectives continue to investigate.

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Samaria Rice

Samaria Rice, mother of Tamir Rice, speaks to the media in June during a protest outside of the Cleveland Police Patrolman's Association lounge. Rice will speak at a May 4 commemoration at Kent State University.

(Joshua Gunter, cleveland.com)

CLEVELAND, Ohio - What news do you need to know from the last week?

An Ohio legislator is considering a transgender bathroom law, a heroin bill sinks in the U.S. House, Tamir Rice's mother is speaking at Kent State and Justin Bieber lights up the Q. Read up on the stories you might have missed.

What's with the transgender bathroom law? Rep. John Becker, a Clermont County Republican, says he wants to protect people, especially women and children, from sexual predators entering restrooms under policies that allow people to use the bathroom corresponding to their gender identity, Jackie Borchardt reports. And he wants to extend the law to private spaces, so companies could not open bathrooms and locker rooms at the expense of public safety, which he said Target has done.

Where does the heroin bill stand? The U.S. Senate introduced the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act Feb. 12 to fight heroin addiction, Chris Evans reports. In a rare act of rapid responsiveness, less than five weeks later the Senate passed the bill on a 94-to-1 vote. Now the bill is sitting, buried, in the House, while Congress members contemplate a dozen other versions.

What's going on in higher education? Kenyon College will seek an independent review of how it handles sexual assault allegations, after an alumnus wrote an widely shared essay accusing the school of mishandling his sister's rape investigation, Karen Farkas reports.

Speaking of college, it's harder to pay for college in Ohio than almost any other state, according to a new report. Farkas reports Ohio has the fourth-most expensive public colleges and does not provide enough need-based financial aid, according to the College Affordability Diagnosis.

What's with Tamir Rice's mother speaking at Kent State? A Kent State University student group's choice to have Samaria Rice speak at its annual May 4 commemoration has generated a cloud of criticism and support. But the group sees a connection between the 1970 campus shooting and Tamir's death in 2014. Farkas explains.

Did I miss anything at the Bieber concert? Emily Bamforth gives you a rundown of the highs and lows at the Q. The Biebs donning a Cavs jersey sent an arena of teen girls into rapture.

How's Lake Erie looking? In an effort to protect the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative from spending cuts, the U.S. House of Representatives on Tuesday passed a bill that would authorize the initiative through 2021, Sabrina Eaton reports.

How hard is it to overrule an arbitrator? Really tough, for Cleveland police officers. who stabbed her boyfriend cannot be fired, an arbitrator ruled. Now two courts have backed the arbitrator who ruled a police officer who stabbed her boyfriend cannot be fired, Bob Higgs reports. That's the way it's supposed to be, a legal expert says.

How is the federal government changing prisons? The U.S. Justice Department this past week announced a series of family-friendly initiatives for inmates in federal prisons, in the hopes of improving the outcomes of prisoners once they're released. Prisons will add videoconferencing to help female inmates stay connected with family and programs that appeal to children of inmates, Stephen Koff reports.
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Luke Skywalker has just had his hand chopped off by Darth Vader.

A subsequent scene of the 1980 movie "The Empire Strikes Back" shows the young Jedi getting a new prosthetic hand, capable of touch and every movement needed to wield a lightsaber.

Science fiction is now science reality, according to Paul Marasco, a principal investigator for the Advanced Platform Technology (APT) Center of Excellence at the Louis Stokes Cleveland Veterans Affairs Medical Center.

Marasco,

who is also affiliated with the Department of Biomedical Engineering at the Cleveland Clinic, and Case Western Reserve University,

is one of 105 researchers who will be receiving the 2016

in May.

The award is designed to encourage innovation among those employed or funded by 12 federal departments and agencies.

The local APT Center is one of 13 in the VA's Rehabilitation Research and Development Service.

Marasco's center is studying use of neural-machine-interfaces to provide touch and movement sensations to prosthetic limbs.

Using this technology, an individual can move their fingers, hand and arm by thought. When they touch something, they can feel it through their fingertips.

Just like Luke Skywalker.

But when asked what sort of "Star Wars" future he could envision for prosthetic technology, Marasco kept both feet firmly planted on the ground.

"It's really more a question of just letting people return to a normal life . . . of being able to take care of yourself, being independent," he said.

"That's huge in the big scheme of things. That's my science fiction," he added. "Just to be able to provide a system where people are comfortable with what they're wearing, and it actually provides function and helps them to do what we take for granted every day.

" 'Cause we're not anywhere near there."
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Military veterans who have not yet passed into history on Saturday had a chance to honor veterans long gone.

Around two dozen vets in residence at the Louis Stokes Cleveland Veterans Administration Medical Center got a detailed tour of the Cuyahoga County Soldiers' and Sailors' Monument, which commemorates the service of 9,000 from Cuyahoga County who fought for the Union in the Civil War.

The event was themed "veterans honoring veterans," and the visitors ranged in age from late 30s to early 90s, with most having served in Vietnam.

One special guest was Vito Colonna, 91, of Cleveland.

His cap said "U.S.S Arizona," because he had been assigned to it. Be he never got aboard the battleship because the Japanese "got to it first" he said, referring to the attack on Dec. 7, 1941.

Colonna, who won two Silver Stars, two Purple Hearts and a Bronze Star with Valor, was a Navy corpsman, providing medical attention to Marines in the field.

His cap on Saturday also read like an atlas of the bloody fighting in the Pacific, including such historic campaigns as Iwo Jima.

The tour was conducted mainly by Tim Daley, executive director of the 122-year-old monument.

Richard (Ted) Prasse, president of the monument committee, said in an interview before the tour that, contrary to popular belief, the monument never served as an arsenal or storage facility for military arms.

"That's a great story, though," he said.

Daley pointed out a lot of detail inside and outside of the monument, noting the architect and sculptor Levi Scofield incorporated common military objects of the Civil War era throughout.

Daley began the tour outside, going to each of the four bronze tableaus that represented the Navy, and the cavalry, artillery and infantry of the Army.

After the tour, the veterans were served lunch inside the monument .

Daley said this is the first time people at the VA hospital have been invited for a private tour, and his organization hopes to continue the practice.

The monument remains open despite the radical rebuild of Public Square that continues.

Prasse said it is open Monday through Saturday and will be open every day after Memorial Day. There is no admission fee.

Because of the construction, it is necessary to enter off of Superior at the northeast corner of monument grounds.
LAKEWOOD, Ohio -- Police are searching for a man wanted in a Saturday night stabbing outside a Lakewood bar.

Shawn Sims, 55, of Lakewood, is wanted on a felonious assault charge.

The attack came about 11:30 p.m. outside the Flying Rib Tavern on Madison Avenue, near Hopkins Avenue, police said in a news release.

Sims and the victim, a 42-year-old man, knew each other and got into an argument, Capt. Ed Hassing said.

Sims then stabbed the man in the left side side of his neck, police said.

Sims fled the scene before police and firefighters showed up, police said.

The victim was rushed to MetroHealth. His condition was not immediately available.

Lakewood detectives quickly identified Sims as a suspect, and obtained an arrest warrant overnight charging him in the attack.

Police are still investigating the circumstances that led to the stabbing, Hassing said.

Sims should be considered armed and dangerous, police said.

Anyone with information about Sims' whereabouts is asked to call Lakewood police at 216-521-6773.

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Update: This post was updated to include information from Lakewood Capt. Ed Hassing.
ambulance.jpg

A two-car crash in Cleveland Saturday left three pedestrians injured when one of the cars crossed onto a sidewalk and struck a building, police said.

(File photo)

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Three people standing on a Cleveland sidewalk were injured Saturday when a crash sent an SUV careening into a building and stopping on top of a 58-year-old man, police said.

The crash happened about 6 p.m. on Superior Avenue at East 114th Street in the city's Glenville neighborhood, police said.

A man in a Ford Explorer was driving east in the center lane on Superior Avenue, when a woman headed north in a Honda Accord on East 114th Street pulled out in front of him, police said.

The man tried to swerve out of the way, but slammed into the Accord's front-end, police said. The man lost control of the Explorer, crossed the westbound lanes on Superior Avenue and slammed into the building, police said.

The Explorer stopped on top of a 58-year-old man outside the building, police said. The impact left him with a fractured skull, broken ribs and a broken leg.

Two other people standing outside, a 30-year-old woman and a 57-year-old man, broke bones in their legs, police said.

Paramedics rushed all three victims to MetroHealth.

The man in the Explorer was not injured. The woman in the Accord and two of her passengers complained of back pain, police said. A 2-year-old boy in a car seat was not hurt, police said.

No citations were issued, but police continue to investigate.

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Making its way from Latin America to the U.S. shores, the Zika virus is spreading. And as the mosquito population grows  and the summer rapidly approaches  concern is rising over a potential U.S. outbreak.

On Friday, a 70-year-old man in Puerto Rico infected with the disease died from complications, according to health officials, becoming the first U.S. casualty from the deadly infection. In an interview with CNBC, a top public health official warned the United States could very well see more instances.

"The mosquitoes that carry Zika are in parts of the United States," Dr. Denise Jamieson, chief of the women's health and fertility branch of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, told "On the Money" in a recent interview.

"In the continental U.S., there are no cases of local transmission from mosquito bites," Jamieson said, but added that in Puerto Rico "there are ongoing cases of Zika virus." The island has become ground zero for the virus, where hundreds have been diagnosed.

There's currently no vaccine for Zika, but Jamieson told CNBC that "researchers are working" on one. "There are some vaccines to other related viruses so researchers have a jump-start on that. But it's still going to take time."

"In the meantime, it's really important that pregnant women know how to protect themselves" from Zika. "Notably, avoid mosquito bites."
Justin Solomon | CNBC

On Sunday, the 704-passenger Adonia cruise ship is expected to sail from Miami, Florida, to Havana, Cuba. In doing so, the vessel is sailing into history  becoming the first U.S. leisure ship to voyage between the United States and Cuba in more than 50 years. The ship pulled out of the Port of Miami around 4pm ET, accompanied by a large contingent of police in the water and the Coast Guard in the air. The Adonia is part of Carnival's Fathom brand, based around so called "impact travel" where passengers not only take part in the usual cruise activities like eating, drinking and sun-bathing, but have the opportunity to learn from and work with locals in each port of call.

Passengers "will have free time and be able to go on your own a bit, so I'm not sure it will feel that different" from a full fledged leisure cruise, Carnival CEO Arnold Donald told CNBC in an on-board interview. He said the cruise was completely sold out, and there were about a dozen Cuban-born passengers on board. Those factors are what makes this legal. American's still cannot legally visit Cuba as tourists, but they can if they qualify for one of 12 categories, including "people-to-people" and "cultural exchange" programs offered under Fathom's umbrella. As protesters rode along the side of the ship, passengers lined the upper decks waving American and Cuban flags. Donald and Fathom president Tara Russell gave a short speech to the passengers, thanking the crew and employees that made the cruise happen. "We're delighted to be here," said Donald. "We're humbled, it's an honor, it's a privilege."

Other Carnival brands will be travelling to Cuba over time as port space becomes available, he said.

"This is not about going there like you would to another Caribbean Island and just going to hang out at the beach. This is not the purpose of this cruise," said travel expert Stewart Chiron, also known as "The Cruise Guy."

Still, the planned activities hardly seem to qualify as hard labor. Passengers will spend their days on shore excursions, where they will have options to experience dance and musical performances, meet with business owners, students and artists  all as part of their cultural exchange programs. The experience does not come cheap, however: A balcony room for two adults runs for nearly $9,000. "It's not cheap but we are still a better value if you were to go by air and book your own travel," Donald told CNBC. The Adonia will travel to Cuba every other week with stops in three ports of call; Havana, Cienfuegos and Santiago de Cuba. During the off weeks, the ship will be in the Dominican Republic on a similar impact travel trip. That trip however, comes at nearly a third of the cost. Chiron explained that the cost is "disproportionate compared to the same cruise on the same ship that is going to the Dominican Republic." However he added it's worth the money, especially considering the historical value. "Right now they are the only game in town so why leave money on the table? It is going to provide a very unique experience that no one else can offer," Chiron said.

The trip that almost wasn't

watch now

The trip almost didn't happen. Just weeks before the Adonia was set to leave Miami for Havana, Carnival came under heavy pressure from anti-Castro activists. At the time, the company said it would hold off on the trip until the Cuban government allowed Cuban-born Americans to travel to the island nation by sea  a prohibition against that had been on the books in Cuba for decades. Yet with just days to spare, the countries government made a concession  allowing Cuban born Americans to travel to Cuba by sea, something they had been allowed to do by air for years. With law changed, one can expect more cruise companies aiming their ships towards Cuba. Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings is one of those companies: The company's president and (Cuban-born) CEO Frank Del Rio said in a recent statement that Norwegian's Oceania brand "continues discussions with Cuban officials seeking approval to commence cruises to Cuba later this year." Del Rio added that he has "every confidence that the Cuban government would allow its natural born citizens to visit the island nation by cruise ship as they have allowed Cuban Americans to travel by air for years. I am very much looking forward to sailing to Cuba soon aboard one of our ships in the company of many fellow Cuban Americans and other fellow Americans who wish to share in the excitement and passion that cruising to Cuba brings." That said, there are lingering questions as to whether or not Cuba itself can handle the influx of tourists and cruise ships. Docking space is extremely limited throughout the island. That means companies which hope to send larger cruise vessels to the Island may have to consider using tenders to get passengers to and from the actual port. "There will have to be a lot of tenders to be able to transport passengers because they don't have the docking facilities to handle these large ships," Chiron said. "Countries have spent hundreds of millions of dollars building up their port infrastructure so this type of a boom is not going to happen overnight."
Seated Liberty Quarter Dollar

Arrows, rays indicate change for Seated Liberty quarters By Michele Orzano

COIN WORLD Staff Collectors might be tempted to think if they've seen one coin with the Seated Liberty design they've seen them all. But just ...READ MORE
Adm. George Dewey became a national hero following his defeat of the Spanish Navy during the Battle of Manila Bay on May 1, 1898. Numerous numismatic items like this medal that also shows his flagship were produced after the battle.

The ships came in just before midnight, armed and ready for battle, their officers and crews supremely confident in their readiness to bring the wrath of the United States down upon their enemy.

Recruitment poster for the U.S. Marines plays on the popularity of Adm. George Dwey of the U.S. Navy.

The place was Manila Bay, the Philippines; the enemy was the Spanish fleet; the time, the first minutes of May 1, 1898. The Spanish-American War was about to erupt.

The ships came in just before midnight, armed and ready for battle, their officers and crews supremely confident in their readiness to bring the wrath of the United States down upon their enemy.

It was the moment George Dewey of the U.S. Navy, commodore of the Asiatic Squadron, had trained all his life for  his first taste of battle since the Civil War, his last chance for fame and prominence, a final opportunity to be something more than just a cipher listed in naval records along with hundreds of other naval officers.

The place was Manila Bay, the Philippines; the enemy was the Spanish fleet; the time, the first minutes of May 1, 1898. The Spanish-American War was about to erupt.

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At issue was the long-standing disagreement between the two governments over Spain's treatment of Cuba, which had flashed over in a moment of searing heat in Havana Harbor in February, as a mysterious explosion destroyed the USS Maine and propelled the two nations toward war.

The Battle of Manila Bay was one of the most lopsided victory's in U.S. Navy history; not a single American was killed in the battle and no U.S. ships were lost, while the Spanish fleet and its crews were destroyed.

The American victory over Spain in 1898 resulted in some of the most interesting exonumia of the turn of the century. The medals and tokens commemorating Dewey's victory at the Battle of Manila Bay are among the most fascinating of the pieces produced from 1898 to 1900, encompassing many different store cards, tokens, medals, badges, and more.

Typical is the illustrated medal, which depicts Dewey on one side and his flagship, the USS Olympia, on the other. This same portrait was used for numerous store cards  merchant tokens that were often issued during Dewey's triumphant tour of the United States after the war's end.

Today, such pieces are frequently encountered on eBay and other auction sites. Many pieces are common; some are rare. All are fascinating mementos of a nearly forgotten war.
Family aims to raise awareness about invisible illness

Michelle and Jason Kemp's two children were born with cystic fibrosis. The Columbia family shares their story to raise awareness about the genetic disorder.
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Make memories last a lifetime with a paid special occasion announcement published in The Commercial Appeal and online on commercialappeal.com. For information, click here or call 901-529-2700. Engagement and Wedding announcements are updated each Sunday.

Davis - Albertine

Mr. and Mrs. William Rainey "Josh" Davis announce the upcoming marriage of their daughter, Lauren Elizabeth, to Philip Andrew Albertine. The wedding is May 7th, 2016 at Independent Presbyterian Church in Memphis, TN with a reception to follow at the University Club of Memphis. Rev. Ed Norton will be officiating the ceremony.

The bride is the granddaughter of Mr. and Mrs. Samuel Ledger Stringer, and the late Mr. Robert Thurston Davis and Mrs. Nancy Conn Nevin. After graduating from Briarcrest Christian High School, she attended The University of Mississippi where she was a member of the Chi Omega Sorority. She graduated from The University of Mississippi Medical Center with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing. Lauren is currently employed at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital on the Bone Marrow Transplant Unit.

The groom is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Palmer Smith Albertine, Sr., and the grandson of Mr. and Mrs. James Gary Albertine, Sr., Mrs. Sally Wells Menk, and the late Mr. Philip Anthony Menk. He attended Evangelical Christian School before graduating with a Bachelor of Science in Construction Management from Louisiana State University where he was a member of the Kappa Sigma Fraternity. Philip is employed by Albertine Company, a regional commercial and residential construction company.

Mrs. Kristin Frazier, sister of the bride, is the Matron of Honor, and Mr. Palmer Albertine, Sr., father of the groom, is the Best Man.

After honeymooning in Mexico, the couple will reside in east Memphis.
By Katie Fretland of The Commercial Appeal

A Federal Bureau of Investigation agent showed seven photo lineups to a witness in the case of a woman who disappeared 19 years ago.

The witness, James Darnell, picked out a photo as one of the men he saw at the Memphis motel where 45-year-old Ricci Ellsworth was last seen alive Feb. 8, 1997.

During testimony Saturday in the retrial of Michael Rimmer, retired Memphis police Col. Robert Shemwell said that according to another officer, Stumpy Roleson, Darnell indicated a man other than Rimmer looked like one of the men he saw at the Memphis Inn.

Shemwell cautioned that "looks like" and "is" are two different things.

"You've got to be positive that's the individual," he said.

Rimmer is charged with capital murder.

Sgt. O.W. Stewart was informed that Darnell made a "positive identification" of the man he saw at the motel with what appeared to be blood on his knuckles, according to a document written by Stewart.

Darnell picked out Billy Wayne Voyles Jr. of Bartlett from a photo spread, the document states.

The document was not disclosed for Rimmer's 1998 death penalty trial or his resentencing in 2004.

Records indicated Voyles had been arrested in January 1995 on charges that he stabbed a man while attempting to rob him. A warrant was issued after Voyles failed to return to court, according to Stewart's document.

An investigation by Brad Heath of USA Today published in 2011 found that Shemwell previously testified wrongly that Darnell had recognized Rimmer. Shemwell and the prosecutor, Thomas Henderson of the Shelby County District Attorney General's Office, took a break to look at files, and Shemwell then said Darnell could not positively identify anyone.

Darnell described two men he saw at the motel, and a composite sketch was printed in The Commercial Appeal.

A woman in Arkansas identified one as Billy Wayne Voyles.

Ellsworth, a 45-year-old mother of two, worked the 11 p.m. to 7 a.m. shift at the motel near Interstate 40 and Sycamore View. Her body has never been found.

She was previously married to a man named Tommy Voyles, but it was unclear if there was any relation to Billy Wayne Voyles.

According to information at Rimmer's current trial, the victim married Donnie Ellsworth in 1971 and they had two children. They divorced in 1977.

Ellsworth became involved with Michael Rimmer, who had a friend, Tommy Voyles. Ellsworth met Tommy Voyles through Rimmer, and after she broke up with Rimmer, she began to date Tommy Voyles.

Rimmer was incarcerated for raping Ellsworth in 1989. She forgave him and visited him in prison.

She married Tommy Voyles in 1989 and they divorced in 1990.

She later reunited with Donnie Ellsworth, and remarried him.

Donnie Ellsworth was bludgeoned to death in 2010. A jury found Donnie Ellsworth's nephew, Joshua Cline, not guilty in 2013 of all charges in his death.
A one-year-old is vaccinated with the measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine. (AP Photo)

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By Tom Charlier of The Commercial Appeal

Nearly 9 of 10 Shelby County 2-year-olds had gotten their initial vaccinations against measles, mumps and rubella last year, a rate only slightly below that for all of Tennessee, a state health report shows.

A survey conducted by the state Department of Health showed 89.2 percent of 2-year-olds in the county had gotten their first MMR vaccine dose. That rate was barely shy of the 90.2 percent figure for the entire state, according to the department's 2015 Immunization Status Survey of 24-Month-Old Children in Tennessee.

Immunization rates have taken on increased significance amid a current outbreak of measles in the county. Six people, including one child who had been in a church nursery for kids younger than 18 months of age, have been sickened by the highly contagious virus, but all are expected to recover.

Shelby County's immunization rate, which was higher than those for the counties containing Nashville and Chattanooga, should be sufficient to limit the scope of the measles outbreak, said Dr. Jon McCullers, pediatrician in chief at Le Bonheur Children's Hospital.

But there is room for improvement, he said. "We'd like it to be 100 percent."

In addition to the state's high immunization rate for 2-year-olds, Tennessee's kindergarten students also are slightly more likely to have been vaccinated than their counterparts across the nation, according to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. During the 2014-15 school year, 95 percent of kindergartners in the state had gotten both doses of the MMR vaccine, compared to the national median among states of 94 percent.

Measles begins with a fever, cough, runny nose and red eyes, then progresses to a rash that spreads from the head down the body. In most cases, it causes only a minor illness, but it can trigger complications leading to hospitalization and even death.

The disease is almost completely preventable through the two-dose MMR vaccine. Health officials recommend that children receive the first dose, which renders about 95 percent of recipients immune to measles, after turning 1 year of age and the second dose, which boosts the immunity rate to more than 99 percent, before they enter kindergarten.

Like most states, Tennessee requires children complete the two-dose MMR vaccination -- along with several other vaccinations -- before entering school. But, like most other states, it also allows exemptions for medical and religious reasons.

McCullers said the county's vaccination rate for 2-year-olds probably would be higher were it not for the high poverty rate of the Memphis area. Poor people are more likely to have fractured households and less likely to have access to transportation and health care, he said.

"A lot of these families are struggling, and this (vaccination) doesn't rise to be a priority," he said. "(But) we tend to catch these children as they enter school"

The state report cites other factors for late vaccinations. Children who don't begin a regime of different types of vaccinations by four months of age "are at very high risk of failing to catch up" on all their recommended shots, it states.

Also, children who have two or more siblings also are less likely to be vaccinated on time, the report says.

Only rarely, however, do parents in Shelby County and the rest of the state refuse to have their kids vaccinated on religious or other grounds, the survey showed. Of the 120 Shelby 2-year-olds covered in the survey sample, only two, or 1.7 percent, had not been vaccinated because of parents' refusal, while statewide the refusal rate was 2.3 percent.

In both the Shelby cases of vaccine refusal, religious reasons were given.

In addition to the religious exemptions, McCullers said it's his experience that some parents opt to delay immunizations for reasons that have no basis in science, leaving children needlessly exposed to disease threats. Some, for instance, express the fear that having so many vaccinations administered to small children at once could overwhelm their immune systems.

"Scientifically, that's bunk," McCullers said. "Our immune systems handle millions of inputs every day. Adding two or four more makes no difference."
Fri., 26 Jan. 07 Photo by Lance Murphey - June Averyt of Door of Hope, right, hugs a woman who runs Manna House, an ministry for the homeless which shares space with Door of Hope in a small midtown house.

By David Waters of The Commercial Appeal

June Mann Averyt, a tireless advocate for the poor, disabled and homeless, died at home Saturday morning after a long illness. She was 62.

Averyt, born and raised in Marianna, Arkansas, was a theater major who spent the second half of her life performing real acts of mercy and justice.

"The system works fine for lots of folks," Averyt said in 2007. "But if the system worked for my folks, I'd be home right now planting daffodils." She was rarely home.

She founded two Memphis agencies that help the chronically homeless: Door of Hope in 2003, and Outeach Housing & Community in 2011.

She was a catalyst for the Community Alliance for the Homeless and its countywide coordinated entry system.

A few weeks ago, state social workers gave her the 2016 Social Worker Lifetime Achievement Award.

Her faithful service and frank approach inspired many homeless ministries, including Dr. Pete Gathje of Manna House and Rev. Lisa Anderson of Room in the Inn.

"She was like a grumpy Mother Teresa," said Chere' Bradshaw, executive director of the alliance. "For her, it was about justice."

Dr. Averyt spent hours every day helping homeless and disabled men and women reconnect with society. In addition to housing, she helped them get ID cards, Social Security benefits, health care and counseling, medicines and jobs.

"June is directly or indirectly responsible for getting hundreds of people off the streets," Gathje said.

One of those people is Leroy Scott, who was homeless through a decade of unemployment and illness.

"She gave me hope and love when I really needed it," Scott wrote in "A Group Journey Out of Homelessness," a collection of stories written by the Door of Hope Writing Group.

Dr. Averyt was born July 20, 1953, the oldest of four children of June Beasley Mann and Alonzo Greenlaw Mann, a cotton farmer and former president of the National Cotton Council.

After graduating from Southern Methodist University with a fine arts degree, she worked in theater briefly before moving to New York City in the mid-1970s.

A Bible study class led her to Samaritans of New York, a suicide hotline, which she served as a volunteer and then as executive director. She also worked for a ministry for the homeless in Philadelphia before returning to Memphis.

Dr. Averyt received a master's degree in social work from the University of Georgia and a doctorate in social welfare from the University of Pennsylvania. She was a member of Grace-St. Luke's Episcopal Church.

She leaves her husband, Murray Allen McKay, and her mother, June Beasley Mann, both of Memphis; sisters Louise Mann of Fayetteville, Arkansas, and Burkley Allen of Nashville; and her brother, Bill Mann of Memphis.

Arrangements are incomplete.

The family requests that memorials be sent to Outreach Housing & Community, 135 N. Cleveland St., Memphis, 38104.
State Education Commissioner Candice McQueen with Gov. Bill Haslam in background (AP Photo/Erik Schelzig)

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By Jason Gonzales, The Tennessean

Tennessee officials knew of concerns about Measurement Inc.'s ability to fulfill its five-year, $108 million contract to administer the new online TNReady standardized test even before this year's failed rollout of the new exam, according to documents and interviews with education officials in other states.

During the state's contract vetting process, the company's ability to oversee online testing at the level required by Tennessee was a concern. Measurement Inc.'s online system was relatively untested at the scale the state was asking, the records and interviews show. Concerns about the company existed in at least one other state.

Connecticut officials in a 2014 Tennessee reference check first raised issues about the company's online testing platform known as Measurement Incorporated Secure Testing, or MIST.

"Their online test delivery system, MIST, has not been top notch," according to the documents used to vet the company in the contract selection process. "MIST has not been easily responsive to changes and additions, especially for innovative tests types or test accommodations."

The Tennessee Department of General Services, led by Commissioner Bob Oglesby, awarded the contract after a review of five companies. The department declined an interview request.

"Based on the advice of counsel, we have decided that it is best not to discuss this procurement in a live interview," General Services Department spokesman David Roberson said by email.

In February, the Tennessee Department of Education halted the online portion of TNReady test because the company could not meet demand and switched to paper tests. The problems snowballed as Measurement Inc. missed repeated deadlines to provide almost 10 million paper versions to the state's 146 school districts.

Tennessee Education Commissioner Candice McQueen announced Wednesday the department canceled its contract with the company after the failed rollout.

Now, as the Tennessee Department of Education seeks a new testing firm, students, parents, local education officials and state lawmakers are asking questions about what went wrong with Measurement Inc.

Measurement, Inc. President Henry Scherich said the company hasn't taken any legal action, but would not rule out the necessity. The company hasn't been paid for its work in the last year.

"We want to be paid for the work we have done," Scherich said.

MIST untested on a large scale

Connecticut used the software in a limited fashion for several years, according to Abbe Smith, Connecticut Department of Education spokeswoman.

"At the time of test delivery, it was for small subset of students that required special online accommodations," she said.

The New Jersey Department of Education, another reference, never used the MIST platform, but used the company to administer paper and pencil tests, according to David Saenz, a state spokesman.

In Tennessee, Measurement, Inc. scored the highest among the five companies in the bidding process, as determined by the state's general services bidding process. The state was looking specifically for someone to administer online tests on a mass scale.

"Based on the highest technical score and lowest cost, (central procurement) awarded Measurement Inc. the contract," education department spokeswoman Ashley Ball said by email. "At the end of the procurement process, a state department does not have the option to refuse the apparent winning vendor."

When the state sought the new contract, the Tennessee Department of Education helped select people to evaluate the proposals and develop questionnaires in the application review, Ball said. By law, those people aren't allowed to know the name of the company whose application they are evaluating to ensure a fair process.

"The Department of Education's role was truncated," said Kevin Huffman, who was education commissioner at the time and left office in 2014. "It was a blind procurement process as the law dictates."

Tennessee used Measurement Inc.'s online platform to administer writing tests in the 2014-15 school year. Although the company has a successful history of providing paper and pencil tests, the company's president said it had never used its online program on such a large scale.

"When it was deployed in Tennessee, it was the largest assessment ever attempted (for MIST)," Scherich said.

On Feb. 8, the inexperience in online test administration showed.

While the state's contract asked for the company to provide enough bandwidth to administer 100,000 tests at one time, Scherich said, the company fell far short of that number. At 50,000 tests, the network slowed, he said.

"In hindsight, we could have done something different to have enough internet connectivity between servers to handle it all," he said. "But we couldn't handle enough traffic."

Scherich is adamant it was an issue that the company could have fixed within a few weeks. Students were still able to take tests despite the slowdown, he said.

But the state pulled the plug on the online testing platform due to an accumulation of issues leading up to February.

Ball, the state spokeswoman, said individual district internet bandwidth could have played a part in the slowdown. The state had already worked with Measurement Inc. to fix other functionality issues with MIST, but the bandwidth issues were new, Ball said.

"Given the amount of work up to that point, we did not believe it was prudent or advisable to engage in another round of corrections in implementation," she said.

Before TNReady

Before Measurement Inc., the state contracted with Pearson Education's PARCC  or the Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers  for its online testing platform in the 2014-2015 school year.

But in the spring 2014, political groundswell against the Common Core State Standards-aligned test led to its demise in Tennessee. As a result, its online portion was never used.

Online testing was relatively new on a mass scale, but field tests by Pearson showed successes, according to an Education Week report at the time. And while PARCC had seen success in other states, despite many hiccups,

Would Tennessee have been better off if it stuck with PARCC, which was in place before the switch to TNReady?

"Hindsight is 20-20, except for that question," Wayne Miller, executive director of the Tennessee Organization of School Superintendents, said on Wednesday. "I have no idea. That's pure speculation."

Moving forward, McQueen has said Tennessee has learned plenty in its first endeavor into online testing. How those lessons play into the next procurement process is unclear. Reference checks are only a small piece of the overall procurement process, Ball said.

"Reference checks, along with roughly a dozen other metrics, fall under the 'general qualifications and experience' category," she said. "The entire category is only worth five points out of the overall 100 points. Based on the way the system is structured, a negative comment would not necessarily throw a company out of the running if the overall numeric scores were positive."

A timeline hasn't been set for a new process in choosing a vendor to deliver online tests to Tennessee students. The Tennessee Department of Education plans to move fast in that effort.

For now, the state has suspended the TNReady test for grades 3-8. High schools have the test materials, and education officials say those must go forward as planned. But that means the state also is looking for a company to score its high school tests since it terminated the contract with Measurement Inc.

Scherich, Measurement Inc.'s president, said other online tests, including PARCC, have experienced problems in other states. In April, New Jersey students saw a computer glitch that stalled PARCC testing. In the end, Scherich maintained the issues could have been worked out.

"But they've told us to stop all work," he said.

The Asbury Park Press contributed to this report.
Naples Daily News Seventy-five percent of heroin addicts start out by using opiates such as oxycodone and hydrocodone.

SHARE Mark Lennihan/Associated Press Wyeth's Effexor is intended to treat depression and anxiety, but it was also widely prescribed by "pain docs."

By Nate Hughes, Baltimore Sun

Thirteen years ago, I started a pharmaceutical sales career for Wyeth Pharmaceuticals, peddling samples out of my bag near the lush, beautiful shores of Newport and Laguna beaches in California. I threw ornate dinners for local psychiatrists to boost the sales of Effexor XR for depression and anxiety, even though it was clear that the physicians I sold to  the "pain docs"  prescribed Effexor off-label for pain.

Almost a decade later, I parked my sporty Infiniti company car in Beverly Hills and traded my $200,000-plus salary, which I was then receiving from a boutique firm called Medicis, for a used epidemiology textbook at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in Baltimore, where I started a master of public health program in 2011. What I did not realize at the time was that my own actions in closing a drug sale, without any bioethical considerations of what I was doing, helped contribute to the overprescription of powerful psychotropic drugs much like that of OxyContin, a powerful pain killer.

While the pharmaceutical industry is typically looked to as the public's life raft when health epidemics arise, it is one of the major culprits of the addiction epidemic. Prescription-drug-induced mortalities have surpassed car crash fatalities for the first time, as primary care physicians overprescribe opiates and patients abuse them. I was made aware of this new American epidemic almost two years ago when I attended a town hall at my alma mater on "prescription drug abuse." It was hosted by former President Bill Clinton, who told a story of two young men he had known who died as a result of opioid painkillers.

It's not just the prescription drugs that are the problems, though. Opiates are also the gateway for street heroin; in fact, three quarters of heroin addicts started their addictions with pain pills. According to NPR, between 2007 and 2013, there has been a 150 percent increase in heroin use in the U.S. At the same town hall conference at Hopkins, former congressman Patrick Kennedy fiercely tried to explain the plight of the stigmatized and institutionalized addicts, thrown into a "revolving door" of antiquated rehabs and relapse, and urged attendees to heed a call by the FDA to treat addiction as a chronic disease much like type II diabetes, not an acute flare-up condition to be addressed in a 30-day rehab.

The Hopkins town hall made me realize that I had come full circle. I left the pharmaceutical rep business to search for meaningful ways to ameliorate the nation's health. I now understand that science can change cultural perceptions of illness in line with some of the 20th century French philosopher Maurice Merleau-Ponty's writings on the phenomenology of perception. That is, pharmaceutical innovation, medical breakthroughs and publicity change our perception of stigmatized patients: Highly active anti-retroviral therapy changed the life span and view of HIV patients in the 1990s (as did celebrity infection admissions  think Magic Johnson and, more recently Charlie Sheen), Prozac changed the perennial stigma of depressed and anxious patients with new hope in the 1980s, and even Viagra somewhat removed a stigma of growing older in society with diminishing sexual desires.

Many if not most of us know someone close to us struggling from addiction, wrapped up in the criminal justice system, kicked out of school and stigmatized from our communities  from Donald Trump's older brother, to the homeless veterans who struggle with substance abuse in our city streets, to the Lumbee Native American tribe of North Carolina, to the lower-income African-Americans who relapse back and forth in between prisons and unemployment, and finally to the "vanishing population" of the white male middle-class.

But it doesn't have to be that way. The time has come for a new approach, a new modality and a new cultural acceptance so that addicts can reintegrate into our society as one of us, not one of "them."

Nate Hughes is an alumnus of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in Baltimore. Contact him at natehughes73@gmail.com.
Republican presidential candidate, Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, speaks at a campaign rally Friday, April 15, 2016, in Rochester, N.Y. (AP Photo/Mel Evans)

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By Doyle McManus, Los Angeles Times

Over the next six weeks, Republican voters in the remaining primary states from Indiana to California face an unenviable choice. They can vote for Donald Trump, a boastful vulgarian who hasn't thought much about how he would govern beyond building a wall on the border.

Or they can try to keep the nomination open by voting for someone else, which in most states means Sen. Ted Cruz, the oleaginous absolutist from Texas.

To most Americans, including me, neither option looks very appetizing. As South Carolina's puckish Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham said, it's like a choice between "being shot or poisoned."

But it's the dilemma millions of voters face, especially in winner-take-all states that give extra delegates to the winner. In those states, votes for Ohio Gov. John Kasich, a less angry conservative, won't do much good. That's why so many establishment Republicans, from Mitt Romney to Jeb Bush to Graham, have sheepishly announced their support for Cruz over the last few weeks, even though they don't like him.

There are two reasons voters should prefer Cruz over Trump.

First, unlike Trump, Cruz has thought seriously about the job. He's issued coherent, if bracingly conservative, proposals on tax policy, health care, defense spending and foreign policy. In most of those areas, Trump is still improvising.

Second, a Cruz candidacy would be a useful political experiment: It would test the conservative argument that Republicans would win more elections if they only nominated unambiguously right-wing candidates.

"We need to learn from history," Cruz said in 2014. "If we run another candidate in the mold of a Bob Dole or a John McCain or a Mitt Romney, we will end up with the same result, which is millions of people will stay home on election day. The only way for Republicans to win, I believe, is to run a candidate who runs as a strong conservative with a positive, optimistic, hopeful message."

That's been an article of faith in the conservative movement since the era of Ronald Reagan. But Reagan combined rugged Republican ideology with a winning personality. Nominating Cruz, who has none of Reagan's charm, would be a purer test.

"If Cruz loses to Hillary  conservatives will have no choice but to reassess the idea that too little conservatism has been the only problem with recent national tickets," Republican writer Dan McLaughlin wrote in National Review, referring to Hillary Clinton, while listing reasons GOP moderates should vote for Cruz.

Besides, he added, if Cruz doesn't get the nomination this time, he's sure to be back in four years. "If you think Cruz is a disaster waiting to happen, better to let him happen now and have a chance at a more moderate or at least more moderate-sounding nominee next time."

If Trump won the nomination but lost the election, that would teach the GOP no lesson. Republicans would dismiss the campaign as an aberration  the year their party temporarily went mad.

Unlike Graham and other establishment Republicans, I'm not making an argument about electability here. I'm not urging GOP voters to pick Cruz because he'd be stronger in the general election, because I don't think we can know whether that's true.

Cruz isn't an easy candidate to love. He's capable of breathtaking opportunism and demagoguery. He spent much of last summer praising Trump ("I think Donald's terrific") when that looked like a way to attract Trump's followers; now he says Trump is a danger to the republic. He has matched Trump's hard-line stands on deporting immigrants who are in the country illegally and barring Muslim refugees from entering the U.S.

Last week, he took the Republican race into the bathroom, painting transgender people as potential sexual predators. "Grown adult men, strangers, should not be alone in a bathroom with little girls," he said, defending the North Carolina law that would force transgender people to use the restroom corresponding to the gender on their birth certificate. (On that controversy, Trump struck an unexpectedly sensible note; why not let people use whatever bathroom they're comfortable in?)

So my heart goes out to GOP voters who face this choice: a buffoonish megalomaniac versus a calculating zealot. Lindsey Graham was right. It's like a choice between being shot or poisoned. So take the poison. At least it will help clarify a thing or two about the Republican Party.

Doyle McManus is a columnist for the Los Angeles Times. Contact him at doyle.mcmanus@latimes.com.
Hill purchased the three-bedroom, two-bath, 2,135-square-foot house in the Village of Arlington neighborhood in January for $195,000. (Photo by Craig Collier/Special To The Commercial Appeal)

SHARE The dining room is decorated in earth tones. The discs at left were purchased at a local antiques store. (Photo by Craig Collier/Special To The Commercial Appeal) After much resistance to the idea of living in Arlington, Faith Hill, a captain with the Shelby County Sherriff's Office, finds it suits her. (Photo by Craig Collier/Special To The Commercial Appeal) This memorial to Faith's father, a Korean War veteran. (Photo by Craig Collier/Special To The Commercial Appeal) The front entryway opens into the living room, which is comfortable and roomy enough for having friends and family over for a night of movie watching. (Photo by Craig Collier/Special To The Commercial Appeal)

By Stacey Wiedower, Special to The Commercial Appeal

First things first. She's not "that" Faith Hill.

When it comes to changing her address, that distinction is important  because back in the '90s when that other Faith Hill rose to stardom, Faith Hill of Shelby County, Tennessee, received a lot of fan mail meant for the country music star.

"I had about 2,000 pieces of fan mail before I finally decided to get rid of it," Hill said, laughing.

Back then she received prom invitations, requests for speaking engagements, even a few letters from prisoners. But that's not why Hill, a captain in the detective division of the Shelby County Sherriff's Office, decided to make her recent move.

She simply wanted to find a place that felt like home.

"The other one did not," she said. "It felt like a place to live."

She'd bought her former house, in Cordova, after a divorce. After living there a year and a half, she noticed that a lot of the houses around her were going up for sale or lease. Knowing she eventually wanted to land in a neighborhood where she felt more settled, Hill decided she might as well sell, too.

She thought it'd take a while.

"I put the house on the market right after Thanksgiving thinking it probably wouldn't sell until spring because of the holidays," she said. "It sold in two weeks."

The last time Hill had bought and sold a house  she lived in Collierville before moving to Cordova  she worked with Realtor Beth Fuller of Clearpoint Realtors. When she decided to move again, that's who she immediately called.

"We just hit it off from the very beginning," Hill said. "She's very personable and very funny and knows her stuff."

With the quick sale of Hill's Cordova house, Fuller had her work cut out for her. They had to find a house quickly that met Hill's needs, smack in the midst of the holiday season. Lucky for them, searching for houses during the 2015 holidays was a little more like looking in springtime.

"One or two days in November, December, it was almost 70 degrees," Hill said. "We got in my car, put the top down and looked at probably 20 to 30 houses, and just had a grand time while we were doing it."

Fuller agreed on all but the number.

"I bet we looked at 60 houses," she said with a laugh. "We had a great time."

Hill wanted a house with wood floors, a nice kitchen and a big backyard for her dogs. As for area, she wanted a house in the suburbs, but beyond that she wasn't picky. Except  she absolutely didn't want to buy in Arlington.

"I looked at every single house in Collierville and Germantown that was in my price range," she said. "Lakeland. Bartlett. So finally, I looked in Arlington. And really it sounds horrible, but the main reason I wasn't looking in Arlington is because so many cops live here, and here I am a cop. Just another cop living here. They're everywhere  cops and firemen."

"That's the first thing she said to me," Fuller added. "And then we ended up in Arlington. I think it was God's will."

By that, she's referring to the fact that Hill submitted offers on four other homes before she finally found the Arlington house. She was either outbid, or the buyers changed their minds or the appraisal came up short. Meanwhile, the closing date on the sale of her Cordova house inched closer and closer.

"Eventually, I had to move out of the house I was in, and I had nowhere to live," she said. "A friend of mine let me borrow his RV, and I spent a week or two in a hotel until I could close on this house. I ended up having to board the dogs because I didn't want them stuck in a little RV. All my stuff was in storage."

When she did find the right house, Hill knew it immediately. And this time luck was on her side.

"I put in an offer. We had to negotiate a little bit, but it was really smooth," she said.

She loved the home's curb appeal and landscaping. She also loved the hardwood floors and the updated kitchen.

"On the back side there's a huge deck, an above-ground pool and a backyard with trees and wildlife, and all that together just really took my attention," she said. "They'd obviously done a lot of work before they put it on the market, and it really showed."

Hill purchased the three-bedroom, two-bath, 2,135-square-foot house in the Village of Arlington neighborhood in January for $195,000. As soon as she moved in, she got to work painting and decorating.

"I painted almost every room, and I always try to put in an accent wall," she said.

She bought new bedroom furniture, new living room furniture and a new dining table and chairs for the kitchen's eat-in area. As for accessorizing, she used pieces she's picked up at antiques stores throughout the city.

Some favorite finds include antique pulleys that hang on one dining room wall, a mismatched set of Italian glass bottles displayed above the kitchen cabinets, a collection of photos taken in Elmwood Cemetery, and a set of angel wings that hangs in her master suite.

"If I like it, I'm going to get it," she said.

Hill laughs now that she didn't want to look at homes in Arlington. Because so many fellow officers live in the town, she's "got dozens of friends that live out here," she said.

And Arlington's close-knit vibe reminds her of her Michigan hometown.

"This area is just growing so much," she said. "There are so many kids and everybody's so friendly and working out in their yards and waving at you. It's really the small-town atmosphere that I grew up in."
Todays Sunday Telegraph reports that Iain Duncan Smith is very keen indeed to be part of any TV debates organised for the EU referendum campaign.

With the Prime Minister apparently stalling in talks over the format of any televised debates between leaders of the Leave and Remain campaigns, much as he did prior to the general election, the former Tory leader and Welfare Secretary has emphasised that he is willing to debate anyone, anywhere.

David Camerons reluctance to take part in such a debate is understandable, and not merely because hes chicken, as some newspapers suggest.

He is keen to avoid blue on blue confrontations which could do long-term damage to the Partys image once the poll is over. This was also Boris original position, before the Prime Minister seemingly abandoned the Queensberry rules.

On a more personal level, the Prime Minister will want to avoid a very public reunion with a former Cabinet minister who resigned on such acrimonious terms not very long ago.

But whilst he might not get the showdown with Cameron hes clearly itching for, that doesnt mean that Vote Leave cant find a way to put Duncan Smith in the arena.

Nor should they be afraid to. For all that he can be a shade prolix on occasion, the former Welfare Secretary is on top of the issues and is quite capable of turning in a powerful broadcast performance, as his post-resignation appearance on Marr attests.

The Brexit campaign will obviously want to avoid the Remain caricature that they are all Tories, but as part of a broader team of spokesmen Duncan Smith should have his place.
Whatever ones view about Sadiq Khan and Islamist extremists, the claim that the first has been compromised by his association with the second is striking for a feature on which its supporters and opponents can agree: it relates almost entirely to the years before and immediately after 2005. Put aside for a moment those allegations that relate to his work as a solicitor  such as his strident defence of the anti-semitic hate preacher Louis Farrakan  and consider the context of most of the others.

2005 saw the 7/7 and 21/7 terror attacks, two years after the invasion of Iraq. The fashion then was to claim that Islamist terrorism was caused solely, or almost entirely, by the foreign policy of western governments. Hence the letter to the Guardian in August 2006, co-signed by Khan, making exactly that argument: current British Government policy risks putting civilians at increased risk both in the UK and abroad, part of it read.

Since that period, British troops have withdrawn from Iraq and from Afghanistan, too. But Islamist terror worldwide continues. The Danish cartoons row, which was followed by a boycott of goods from Denmark in some Muslim-majority countries, was a warning. What had cartoons of Mohammed to do with western foreign policy? Later came the Charlie Hebdo murders, another terror assault in Paris later that year and yet another during this one, and the terrorist bombings in Belgium  a country with no military presence abroad worth speaking of.

In other words, the case for believing that western foreign policy drives Islamist terror has gradually crumpled. Conservative policy in Britain now targets the extremist ideology that drives extremist acts. Labours view is more confused, but its politicians cannot ignore the continuum between preaching a hatred of Jews, for example, and anti-Jewish violence. Anti-semitic attacks in Britain last year reached the highest level yet recorded. Indeed, many of Labours most prominent politicians have campaigned ferociously against racism and anti-semitism all their lives.

Hence the fissiparous row within the party  heightened by slights, internal disputes, grudges nursed over many years and wildly different views of Jeremy Corbyns leadership  over Ken Livingstones contemptible remarks. And hence, too, Khans increasing care not to share platforms with or be compromised by Islamist extremists. He has clocked the shifting view among the elites that shape policy, which includes a growing realisation on parts of the Left that Islamist views on the subjugation of women and gay people are incompatible with its own commitment to progress and justice.

Voters share this hardening stance, and Khan himself is well aware of it. He worries aloud in this mornings Observer that the Livingstone contretemps, and the corruption of Labours integrity by anti-semitism, could lose him this weeks London Mayoral election: part of the purpose of his remarks is doubtless to get his vote out on Thursday. Khan is no fool. He realises that polls show him set to win the contest and that, if they are accurate, only a swing against Labour by the moderate, mainstream mass of Londoners is likely to deny him the mayoralty.

This shift of rhetoric and attitude over ten years is a key to understanding Khan. He is no Islamist extremist. His clear and consistent opposition to anti-semitism alone shows that. And he is right to point out that groups such as Hizb ut-Tahrir and the banned Al-Muhajiroun (and their successors) regard him as a traitor and an apostate. They hate him, and he doubtless hates them back. But he has not always opposed extremism vociferously, either  at least, in the sense that his fellow Labour MP, Khalid Mahmood, has done.

Mahmood helped to lead the charge in 2014 over the Trojan horse allegations in Birmingham, which resulted in a Government investigation and report. Peter Clarke, the former head of counter-terror for the Metropolitan Police, who conducted the inquiry, concluded that there was very clear evidence that young people are being encouraged to accept unquestionably a particular hardline strand of Sunni Islam that raises concerns about their vulnerability to radicalisation in the future.

But where Mahmood consistently rises to the challenge, Khan has sometimes ducked it. In 2006, he attended a rally at which Azzam Tamimi, a leading Muslim Brotherhood figure, threatened fire throughout the world. Khan dismissed that language: Speakers can get carried away, but they are just flowery words, he said. Tamimi has said that Israel should be destroyed and replaced with an Islamic state  and that then, its Jewish population should sail on the sea in ships back to where they came or drown in it.



In short, Khan possesses a remarkable ability to understand what an audience wants to hear, and an almost unbounded willingness to say it  as Andrew Gimson wrote of him on this site, as well as an acute ear for changing ideological fashion. This operational sixth-sense is perhaps the first requirement of a successful politician, and Khan clearly has it in spades. He has climbed seamlessly from Wandsworth Council to the Commons to the Cabinet and now, given Labours likely exclusion from national office for some time, is on the verge on mastering the next rung.

I know little of Labours internal workings, especially in detail in London. But you can bet that Khan knows a lot: indeed, that there is nothing important that he does not know. No senior Conservative politician has built up such a tungsten-solid local power base: Boris Johnson is perhaps the nearest equivalent, and citing his name helps to show  were demonstration needed  what a master of the arts of politics Khan is. The London Mayor is invariably off-message. The man who would succeed him, by contrast, never strays from it.

As a not-very-adept former politician myself, I cant help but admire a practising one who is so pitch-perfect. But his technical gifts as an operator are no reason for my fellow-Londoners to vote for him on Thursday. When the mists clear around Khan, what emerges through them is a more-or-less standard left-wing politician, but with a sensitive nose for where the political wind will blow next. He was for Heathrow expansion, but is now against it. He nominated Corbyn, yet didnt vote for him.

He opposes extremism but, as Mike Freer has pointed out on this site, has none the less relied on Momentum during his present campaign. His sums on tube prices dont add up (and would bust Transport for Londons budget) and nor do his plans for rent control (which would deeply damage the housing market in London). Perhaps he would row back from all this if elected; perhaps not.

I write that Khan is unlike Boris in most respects, but there may be a resemblance in one. Boris left the Commons, has been elected twice as Londons Mayor, has returned, and now has his eye on the Conservative leadership. Were I Khan, I would be pondering my chances of a Commons return in 2024 or so, just in time for a national Labour revival  and a crack at Labours leadership myself. He has risen far. If the latest polls are reliable (though there is still all to play for), he is set to win on Thursday. If he does, he could rise further still.
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Iodine tablets will be handed out by the Belgian government in order to counteract a radiation catastrophe in an instance of a nuclear assault from ISIS. Maggie De Block, Belgium's health minister made it known Thursday after a closed-door meeting with the health counsel concerning possibilities of having another Fukushima nuclear meltdown which devastated Japan in 2011, according to The Independent.

However, a much deeper significance of this resolution is due to the wake of an unearthing that the Brussels bombers may perhaps have set their eyes on a nuclear power plant as a senior Belgian radioisotope researcher had his residence spied upon by a terrorist hidden camera.

Belgium which is home to 11 million people has also stirred a difference of opinion with its neighbors specifically Germany, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands on the operations of its Tihange and Doel nuclear plants. Both power plants have been scrutinized for its lack of proper safety measures as they are within quite close proximity to the three next-door countries.

Ecology Party representative Jean-Marc Nollet, an environmentalist elected official expressed his support on the government's recent undertaking as he pointed it out via RT.

"The government is finally accepting the recommendation of the Health Ministry. Given the population density and the risk of a nuclear disaster, this was absolutely necessary."

Previously, the potassium iodide tablets were rationed to citizens who were residents near the two nuclear plants. This latest amendment, however, has expanded the coverage up to 100 km which in actuality will comprise the whole country.

In the event of a meltdown, children, pregnant and breastfeeding women will be set for precedence. The population is asked to obtain the prescribed pills from their local pharmacies which cater specifically in the reduction of radiation build-up in the thyroid gland.

Ecology Party representative Jean-Marc Nollet, an environmentalist elected official expressed his support on the government's recent undertaking as he pointed it out via RT.

"The government is finally accepting the recommendation of the Health Ministry. Given the population density and the risk of a nuclear disaster, this was absolutely necessary."

See Now: What Republicans Don't Want You To Know About Obamacare
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Teen birth rates have dropped drastically in the United States, says a report released on Thursday from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). About 40 percent decline in births in teenagers since 2006 is observed on an average among all the races in the country.

The report also has it that birth rates dropped down by 50 percent among Hispanic and black over the past decade. However, the rate of "babies having baby" is still high among minorities, noted the officials indicating the need for more work and awareness, according to Reuters.

"While reasons for the declines are not clear, teens seem to be less sexually active, and more of those who are sexually active seem to be using birth control than in previous years," the CDC said. "The United States has made remarkable progress in reducing both teen pregnancy and racial and ethnic differences, but the reality is, too many American teens are still having babies," CDC Director Tom Frieden said in a statement.

A report published last year in the Journal of Adolescent Health has noted that teen pregnancy is high in United States than 21 other countries that were included in the study. About 51 out of 1000 teenage girls in United States were found to have had babies from 2008 through 2011. While Switzerland that ranked last in the list has reportedly had a rate of 8 births per 1000 teen.

The reach of sex education through internet over the decade is said to have brought down the most appreciable decline in teen pregnancy and births. Another important reason happens to be that today's teen have an increased access to contraception. Compared to birth control pills, the only contraception that was used for decades together in the past, techniques like implantable and long-acting injectable contraception methods have proved more effective.

"There has been a change in social norms that has happened in the past 20 years, and the idea of not having sex or delaying sex is now something that can be okay," said Bill Albert, chief program officer for the National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy, as reported by The Washington Post.

See Now: What Republicans Don't Want You To Know About Obamacare
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Starz's time-traveling epic Outlander has been heralded as tour de force in its adaptation but also in its costume design as it has time-travelled to Scottish Highlands in the year 1740 to the cream of the cream Parisian society in the 1940s.

Lately, Claire Randall (portrayed by Caitriona Balfe) had a comical outlook for the costume design of Terry Dresbach in which she saunters in a plunging red gown - a garb which was a darling in the Diana Gabaldon's historical time travel novel, according to USA Today.

"It's a beautiful dress and such a fan moment in the books. Jamie has to say, 'You can see all the way down to your third rib,' and it had to fulfill all these different things, so Terry did such an incredible job with it. But walking anywhere, I had to do this kind of sideways crab walk. It was like, 'Wide load, coming through!' I thought all that I was missing was the 'Beep! Beep! Beep!' that these massive trucks had."

Balfe happily admitted that Season 2 of Outlander has a more connected to the narrative as the writers have made her contribute to the sophisticated dress designs of the Claire character.

"It was nice to be able to see Claire explore her femininity, because she's usually such a practical and pragmatic person, and not at all interested in her appearance. Being able to see her dressing up for the first time ever, that was a nice element," she added.

Outlander which is dubbed as a feminist answer to HBO's Game of Thrones further raised the bar with its fashion aesthetics as it had Kimberly Smart who portrayed Madame Mesle de la Tourelle, a mistress of King Louis XV - strut in a revealing dress which exposed her bare breast along with matching swan-nipple rings which were strictly mentioned in the books. Fortunately for the actress was attached a modified bust sculpted with the peculiar rings on it, according to Vulture.

See Now: What Republicans Don't Want You To Know About Obamacare
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Retweeting or sharing an information with friends on social media makes it difficult to remember the same information, new study claims. According to a study conducted by researchers from Cornell University in the US, retweeting or sharing information on social media may have a negative impact on the person's memory as it creates a "cognitive overload" that interferes with learning and retaining.

"Most people do not post original ideas anymore. You just share what you read with your friends," said Qi Wang from Cornell University, reported Daily Mail. "But they do not realise that sharing has a downside. It may interfere with other things we do," warned Wang.

For the purpose of the study, the research team conducted experiments on a bunch of students to show that "retweeting" interfered with learning and memory, both online and offline. During the experiment, which was conducted on computers in a laboratory setting, the students were divided into two groups. Both the groups were presented with a series of messages from Weibo, which is Twitter's Chinese equivalent.

While the first group was offered the option either to share a message or turn to the next message, the other group only had the next option. The students were then made to sit for an online test on the content of the messages. It was found that participants of the group who had the option to share the messages gave double the wrong answers as compared to the other group and also demonstrated poor comprehension.

"For things that they reposted, they remembered especially worse," Professor Wang added, reported Science Daily. The research team found that the participants who reposted messages experienced cognitive overload. "When there is a choice to share or not share, the decision itself consumes cognitive resources," Wang explained.

In another experiment, the students were made to read some Weibo messages, with one group offered the same share option, and then read an unrelated article. Again, it was found that the reposting group performed poorly than the other group. The results showed that the repost group had a higher cognitive drain.

"The sharing leads to cognitive overload, and that interferes with the subsequent task," Wang said. "In real life when students are surfing online and exchanging information and right after that they go to take a test, they may perform worse," she added. The research team suggested that web interfaces should not be designed to interfere with the reader's cognitive processing.

The study has been published in the journal Computers in Human Behavior.

See Now: What Republicans Don't Want You To Know About Obamacare
CPDR Condemns The Action Against The Students By The JNU Authorities

By Committee for Protection of Democratic Rights

01 May, 2016

Countercurrents.org

The JNU row over the organization of a meeting by some students on 9 February on the anniversary of hanging of Afzal Guru and the so called anti-national slogans given there has already exposed the evil design of the ABVP/BJP combine to break the left students domination and open up this prestigious campus for saffronization.

It is already established in the public domain that the videos of the function showing those slogan shouting were doctored and were repeatedly shown by some channels invited by the ABVP to whip up public hysteria. They were used as the basis for the arrests of the students and slap serious cases on them. The lynch mobs were unleashed to beat Kanhaiya Kumar, President, JNU Students Union (JNUSU) in the court premises under the nose of the Delhi police. Instead of taking action against the culprits who doctored the video, the Police who allowed the lynch mob of the BJP to beat up Kanhaiya Kumar, and the people who comprised this lynch mob, the students are being harassed by the government through its puppet VC, Prof Jagdish Kumar.

The `high level enquiry committee (HLEC) instituted by him to go into this incidence is said to be in contravention of the University statutes. Both, the teachers association (JNUTA) and the students union (JNUSU) had objected that the terms of reference of the committee, its procedure and composition were neither made clear nor appeared to fulfill any established norms or criteria. The constitution of the HLEC and the process it followed have been flawed by a panel of legal experts headed by Chief Justice (retd) A.P. Shah, approached by the teachers association (JNUTA). The panel has termed it as violative of both the rule of constitutional law and the principles of natural justice. The JNU student community has summarily rejected the legitimacy of this sham committee.

Some of the students punished by the VC have already cases pending against them and the VC should have known that he cannot take over the adjudication of the matter that is before the courts.

The brave students have responded to the universitys action with an indefinite hunger strike by 20 students including JNUSU President Kanhaiya Kumar and Secretary Rama Naga, from the night of 27th April 2016. Most campuses are busy with their annual examinations. Once they are through it, the floodgates of protests shall be opened to drown the sinister design of the saffron forces.

CPDR condemns the unjust and illegal action of the VC of JNU against the students and demands

 Forthwith withdrawal of the punishments awarded to the students and ex students  Institution of an independent enquiry into the entire episode to identify the criminals responsible for the doctoring the videos and consequent harassment of the students  Action against the Delhi Police for dereliction of duty and abetment in crime of beating Kanhaiya Kumar  Withdrawal of the court cases against the students as they were apparently based on doctored evidence.

Dr Anand Teltumbde

General Secretary

Committee for Protection of Democratic Rights (CPDR)








High Court Order On Adarsh: A Victory Of Struggle By The Urban Poor!

By Ghar Bachao Ghar Banao Andolan | National Alliance of People's Movements

01 May, 2016

Countercurrents.org

Mumbai | 30th April, 2016: National Alliance of People's Movements welcomes the Bombay High Court's order to demolish the building of Adarsh Society in Mumbai. The illegal construction and flats allotted to the corrupt officials in the Indian Navy and politicians through their relatives is a symbol of vulgar corruption in the housing sector that has eroded the administration in the government of Maharashtra and elsewhere. The order is a vindication of our position against scandalous housing policies and projects whether it is Adarsh or Hiranandani and the victory of people's struggle over last ten years and more.

NAPM, using the Right to Information Act, in 2010, excavated the Adarsh Scam. We do so in context of the eviction and demolition of thousands of houses of the slum dwellers. We filed a Writ Petition No. 3359 of 2010 as the first case against Adarsh Scam through its then activist, Simpreet Singh. For NAPM, this case was found to be one of utter injustice and inequity in dealing with illegality. NAPM had already formed Ghar Bachao, Ghar Banao Andolan to assert the right to housing of the poor who cannot afford so-called 'legal' houses and are made to face atrocities. On the contrary, the comparatively small piece of land at the prime location of Colaba was, no doubt, grabbed by the Adarsh coterie of Mr. Kanhaiyalal Gidwani and others which was possible only with the help of those at the higher echelons of power. When not one but more Chief Ministers were involved in sanctioning everything that was illegally attained by the Adarsh society, that too in the name of the war martyrs, the heroes, it was a clear indication of how the system functions, favouring the elites, bypassing rule of law and transferring invaluable resources, especially land.

When Mr. Y.P. Singh, a well-known counsel and former senior police official, handled the case and pleaded himself, with his unique legal expertise, the High Court of Mumbai appointed a CBI inquiry and the State-appointed 2-member Judicial Commission chaired by retired Justice J.A. Patil with N.N. Kumbhar as Secretary in a way got bypassed. The Commission no doubt acquitted most of the accused, especially those who were then in power, it did vindicate NAPM's position that there were illegal flat allotments upto 25 and fake purchases of flats beyond 20. Those included the illegal flats of relatives of two bureaucrats  Jairaj Phatak, the then Municipal Commissioner of Mumbai and Pradeep Vyas, the then Collector of South Mumbai who had dealt with the slum dwellers with unprecedented callousness. Our delegation had even warned them of a lesson that they would learn due to the curse of the poor. It was the further investigation that proved the irregularity in the process of sanctioning and granting all favours. This vindicated the initial exposure and analysis by NAPM which was followed by Mr. Ketan Tirodkar, Mr. Mahendra Singh, Mr. Praveen Wategaonkar and Mr. Santosh Daundkar through their criminal cases.

It is unfortunate that Mr. Ashok Chavan, the main accused, who was no doubt compelled to resign from Chief Ministership, could regain a power position within the Congress party and also got elected as a Member of Parliament in the last Lok Sabha election. Such examples of how the political parties tolerate corruption and the corrupt politicians are not one but many, including that of the Karunanidhi family and Jayalalitha both, contesting against each other in Tamil Nadu. The BJP once again handed over the leadership of Karnataka state to Mr. Yeddyurappa, one of the main culprits in the mining scam. Adarsh was a case in which Gandhi family had questioned the Maharashtra cabinet's decision to put the matter under carpet and not to comply with even a comparatively weaker report by the Judicial Commission. In spite of this, the cabinet of their own party showed no guts to take action against own senior colleagues and bureaucrats. The Indian Express, Times of India and other media that gave due space and coverage to the issue, no doubt made a difference but the State Assembly and the Opposition did not play its role effectively.

Mumbai's urban poor made Adarsh a target when their houses, obviously in slums on the government lands were being brutally demolished, while the irregularities and illegalities of the elites were being permitted day in and day out. Adarsh ko tod do, humari basti chhod do was the slogan that reverberated in every basti and in Azad Maidan where thousands of slum dwellers demolished the idol of Adarsh. It was a number of actions, including capture of Adarsh building by hundreds of Mumbai's swell dwellers for hours fearlessly amidst huge police force. under the banner of Ghar Bachao, Ghar Banao Andolan, an affiliate of NAPM, that kept the issue burning even when it was being forgotten. While the Maharashtra Assembly and the then Opposition Party, BJP, raised the issue for sometime, it was not being taken up towards its logical end as was obvious from the fact that the State-appointed Commission's report and its recommendations were also not perseverently followed.

NAPM's pursuing of the case with the Central Ministry of Environment headed by Jairam Ramesh led to issuing of the show-cause notice for violation of CRZ regulations, 1991. Mr. Antony, the then Defence Minister also took up the issue through the departmental inquiry and legal action. However, the Maharashtra State-level political manipulations could not lead to the appropriate action nor did it allow an apt and in-depth inquiry till 2013.

It has been a case of not less than 11 lakh slum dwellers in Mumbai whose houses are targeted and evicted in the name of mangroves or infrastructure projects but not those of the elites which too destroy the natural resources and violate environmental laws, that they are inequally treated. Recently NAPM had to hold a dialogue with the Forest Minister, Mr. Munguntiwar to save the shelter of the poor, interpreting the laws and judgements with sensitivity and favouring the poor, not the rich. He did respond sensitively when NAPM handed over research report on mangrove destruction and protection involving discrimination.

NAPM also believes that Adarsh should be either demolished or be used as public property for public purpose. None of the culprits who may be finally convicted through impartial CBI inquiry should be acquitted but be punished. NAPM also hopes that the present Maharashtra government will not play hide and seek by approaching the Supreme Court at this juncture but should apply its mind to treat Adarsh as symbolic and take action without any compromise. The State government, it is also urgently necessary, reviews its own builder-prone housing policy and schemes which lead to such political interventions against law.

If Adarsh is to be demolished as illegal construction beyond the 6-storeys permitted as per CRZ regulations or total demolitionbecause it is a threat to security, which needs to be further established, then it's justified by the High Court. Whatever may be the action, one only hopes that the Apex Court does not intervene and rule in favour of the influentials. It is therefore necessary that the common people and the suffering poor continue to fight and take Adarsh scam to its logical conclusion till there is equity and justice. NAPM vows to continue to do the same.

It is rashtradroh by such Adarsh-fame Late Kanhaiya Lal's that need to be condemned, and not the Kanhaiya Kumar's battle with the students of JNU for true freedom from injustice.

Neha Jaymati

Sriram Bharadwaj

Bilal Khan

Medha Patkar

Conatct C/o Rahul: 9820140154










Workers Day In Jharkhand: NREGA Workers Return Five Rupees To Narendra Modi

Press Release

01 May, 2016

Countercurrents.org

1 May 2016: Hundreds of workers in Manika Block of Latehar District (Jharkhand) sent a five-rupee note to Prime Minister Narendra Modi today to protest against the measly increase of NREGA wages in Jharkhand this year  from Rs 162 per day to Rs 167 per day.

This action was initiated by Grameen Swaraj MazdoorSangh, a local organisation of rural workers. Among other activities, members of the Sangh are struggling to secure their rights under NREGA, including employment on demand and payment within 15 days. However, interest in NREGA work is waning in the area because wages are so low. The minimum wage in Jharkhand is Rs 212 per day.

NREGA wages in Jharkhand were raised by just 4 rupees last year (from Rs 158 to 162), and another 5 rupees this year. To protest against this stinginess, workers marched through Manika today, held a rally, and then hundreds of them sent a five-rupee note to the Prime Minister with the covering letter below.

Members of the Sangh have been facing harassment from Jharkhand Jan MuktiParishad, an armed outfit allegedly formed to counter Maoist influence with police support. One of them was badly beaten up on 26 April. Nevertheless, their efforts continue.

For further information, contact James Herenj (9852910778) or Ankita (9504091005).

Text of the letter

Dear Prime Minister, This year your government has increased the wages of NREGA workers in Jharkhand by five rupees (from Rs 162 per day to Rs 167 per day). We feel very lucky, because in 17 states the increase was even less. It sounds like NREGA workers in Odisha are now considered very well-off because their wages have not increased at all. Actually, we are very concerned. The government must be really short of money if it is unable to raise NREGA wages to the minimum wage, that too when one third of the rural population is affected by drought. (For your kind information, the minimum wage in Jharkhand is Rs 212 per day.) We feel that you need the extra five rupees more than we do, since your government has so many expenses. To implement the recommendations of the Seventh Pay Commission, you will have to spend an additional Rs 1 lakh crore at least on salaries and pensions of government employees. Defence expenditure is about Rs 2.5 lakh crore. You must also be spending a lot of money on tax concessions for big companies, aside from giving them cheap land and other resources.

Considering all this, we NREGA workers have made a collective decision to give up our extra wages for a day and return the extra five rupees to you. We hope that this will help you to keep your corporate friends and government employees happy. Your faithful workers, [followed by name, signature and Job Card number]










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By Susan Orr of the Courier and Press

A networking event Tuesday will give local entrepreneurs a chance to learn about free business resources.

The event, Entrepreneur Connection Reception, takes place from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at Tin Man Brewing Co., 1430 W. Franklin St.

It's presented by the Evansville chapter of SCORE, an all-volunteer organization that offers free business mentoring to small businesses.

Dick Neumann, Evansville chapter chairman, said the local group includes 28 members from various backgrounds who offer their expertise via confidential mentoring sessions. About 30 percent of the mentors are currently in the workforce, and the other 70 percent are retired.

Neumann said the chapter is hosting the reception as a way to reach people unfamiliar with SCORE's work.

"We're really always looking for new clients and new mentors, and we thought this might be a good way to do that."

Since the group's fiscal year began on Oct. 1, the Evansville chapter has worked with 60 new clients and has completed a total of 140 mentoring sessions with new and existing clients.

SCORE mentors can offer advice on a variety of topics including sales, marketing, finances, legal issues, technology and more.

Some clients work with SCORE for a short time, Neumann said, while others stay longer. He said one client has completed about 40 SCORE mentoring sessions, scheduling quarterly meetings to discuss business concerns.

"Our philosophy is, we want to be their partner as long as they would like us to be of assistance to them," Neumann said.

SCORE is a resource partner for the U.S. Small Business Administration, and its services are free to clients.

Tuesday's event is free, but space is limited and advance registration is requested. Sign up at www.evansville.score.org.
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Bill and Priscilla Holsey

50th anniversary

Bill and Priscilla Holsey of Evansville plan to celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary with a family trip to Gulf Shores, Alabama.

Holsey and the former Priscilla Karcher were married May 7, 1966, at St. Benedict Cathedral.

They are the parents of Billy Holsey of Saraland, Alabama, and Jennifer Arnold of Evansville. They have seven grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.

Bill Holsey retired from the Evansville Vanderburgh School Corp. Priscilla Holsey retired from Deaconess Hospital.
SHARE MIKE LAWRENCE / COURIER & PRESS Dion Taylor sings the national anthem during Saturday's College of Liberal Arts commencement ceremony at the University of Southern Indiana's PAC Arena MIKE LAWRENCE / COURIER & PRESS With the traditional "Pomp and Circumstance" playing, University of Southern Indiana College of Liberal Arts graduates file in the PAC Arena for Saturday's commencement ceremony. MIKE LAWRENCE / COURIER & PRESS Chloe Wannemuehler uses her smartphone to check her self out before Saturday's University of Southern Indiana College of Liberal Arts' commencement ceremony. MIKE LAWRENCE / COURIER & PRESS Graduates file the floor of the University of Southern Indiana's PAC Arena for the College of Liberal Arts commencement ceremony. On Saturday the school graduated nearly 1,500 students.

By Jessie Higgins of the Courier and Press

The University of Southern Indiana graduated nearly 1,500 students Saturday.

The graduates walked away with degrees in business, liberal arts, science, education, nursing  and a few short words about their futures.

"I have no advice for you other than to remind you: You are not done," said Becky Boling, a 1975 USI graduate and Saturday's Liberal Arts commencement speaker. "You are a book with many chapters yet to be written. Education is a process through which we come to understand us and others. Who we are and what we might be."

Boling, a Spanish professor at Minnesota's Carleton College, urged USI's graduating Liberal Arts students to take time to understand the human experience, and to empathize with all people, whether or not to agree with them.

That attitude is exactly what USI teaches its students, said Danesha Shelton, a liberal arts graduate who delivered a short "reflection" speech Saturday.

"Having friends who were different from me, who had different beliefs, made me understand that there are other people in the world, and it's important to take note of them," Shelton said. "USI prepared me to think about the people I share the world with. I feel confident I can spread my wings and fly high like a soaring eagle."

Shelton's words were met with loud applause from the USI graduating liberal arts students.

Friday, USI graduated 261 graduate students. On Saturday, 209 Romain College of Business and Outreach and Engagement students received degrees as well as 375 liberal arts students; 226 from the Pott College of Science, Engineering and Education; and 353 from the College of Nursing and Health Professions.
DENNY SIMMONS / COURIER & PRESS Donald Trump, frontrunner for the Republican presidential nomination, addresses the crowd at the Aiken Theatre in the Old National Events Plaza in Evansville, Ind., Thursday afternoon.

By Justin L. Mack, USA TODAY NETWORK, Indianapolis Star

A new poll released Sunday gives GOP presidential frontrunner Donald Trump a 15 point lead over U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz in Indiana ahead of Tuesday's primary.

The NBC News/Wall Street Journal/Marist poll says 49 percent of likely Republican primary voters support Trump. Cruz comes in second with 34 percent, while Ohio Gov. John Kasich follows with 13 percent.

The polls also states that Secretary of State Hillary Clinton holds a small lead over U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders with the two candidates getting 50 percent to 46 percent support respectively.

The poll has a 2.1 percent margin of error.

"In Indiana, Trump is positioned to corral all the (state's 57) delegates, which will be a big prize toward winning the nomination outright," Lee Miringoff, director of the Marist College Institute for Public Opinion, said in a statement. "Clinton and Sanders are more likely to divide the delegate pool, which will do little to change the narrative on the Democratic side."

The NBC News/Wall Street Journal/Marist poll comes just a day after the The Mike Downs Center for Indiana Politics poll gave Cruz a significant lead in Indiana. That poll showed Cruz getting 44.8 percent of voters, Trump getting 29 percent and Kasich getting 13.3 percent.

The poll also shows that 58 percent voters disapprove of Cruz and Kasich working together to beat Trump in the state. However, just 22 percent consider the Cruz-Kasich alliance a major factor in deciding their vote, while 15 percent say it's a minor factor and 63 percent say it plays no factor at all.
SHARE MIKE LAWRENCE / COURIER & PRESS Counter protester Anthony Johnson waves a sign at Trump supporters waiting in line to get into Thursday's rally in downtown Evansville, April 28, 2016. DENNY SIMMONS / COURIER & PRESS A pro-Trump contingent voices his opinion to the anti-Trump protestors at the Old National Events Plaza Thursday afternoon. The two groups hurled insults at each other in a mostly non-combative mood. One woman was arrested for allegedly "mooning" the Trump supporters. DENNY SIMMONS / COURIER & PRESS Evansville police form a casual blockade to separate the Trump and anti-Trump camps at the Old National Events Plaza Thursday afternoon. The two groups hurled insults at each other in a mostly non-combative mood. One woman was arrested for allegedly "mooning" the Trump supporters. MIKE LAWRENCE / COURIER & PRESS Counter protesters march down Locust Street during Thursday's Trump rally at the Evansville Old National Events Plaza, April 28, 2016. Related Coverage Thousands expected for Sanders rally Monday

By Zach Osowski, zach.osowski@courierpress.com

INDIANAPOLIS  After the first Donald Trump rally in Indianapolis resulted in two arrests, five speech interruptions and one brief scuffle between protesters and supporters, the Indiana State Police decided to change things up for Trump's next rally.

At the most recent rally, held inside the Indiana Farmer's Coliseum on Wednesday, signs reminding visitors protesting was not allowed at the state fairgrounds were placed at all entrances. Instead of a designated protest area outside the steps of where the rally was being held, protestors were told to protest outside the fairgrounds.

Capt. David Bursten, chief public information officer for ISP, said they wanted to make sure people were aware of the rules governing the fairgrounds for the second rally. The signs were set up to let people know protesting at the Trump event, which was considered a private event, was grounds for removal and possibly arrest.

"No one's First Amendment rights are any more important than anyone else's," Bursten said. "But we wanted to inform people of the rules."

For most of the year, the fairgrounds rents out its facility to various groups and organizations. Bursten said the entities that pay money to use the facilities have an expectation they will be able to meet without being interrupted.

"It's no different than if a 4-H group were holding an event on how to show cows, and an animal rights group showed up," he said.

The change in procedure for the second Trump rally was not at behest of the Trump campaign, according to state Trump campaign Vice Chairman Tony Samuel.

Bursten said the difference between the two rallies was noticeable.

"We think our efforts paid off," Bursten said. "We didn't have to arrest anyone at the second rally."

At the Trump rally in Evansville, police again did their best to discourage protesting inside the Old National Events Plaza. Police were checking people who looked like they were wearing two shirts to make sure they didn't have a Hillary Clinton or Bernie Sanders shirt underneath.

Outside, there were plenty of Trump protestors who engaged in shouting matches with Trump supporters throughout the day.

At his first rally in Indiana on April 20, Trump joked Hoosier protestors weren't as tough as he thought.

"I'm actually a little disappointed," he said. "I say 'get 'em out' and they just walk out."

Trump held a rally in Fort Wayne Sunday and will be in South Bend Monday night.
Republican presidential candidate Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, speaks at Woodrow Wilson Middle School, Sunday, April 24, 2016, in Terre Haute, Ind. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)

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By Stephanie Wang, IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK

A new poll gives U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz a significant lead in Indiana's Republican presidential primary, with support from 44.8 percent of voters polled.

The Mike Downs Center for Indiana Politics poll (PDF) puts GOP front-runner Donald Trump in second place with 29 percent and John Kasich in third with 13.3 percent of the vote.

But 13 percent of Hoosier voters surveyed said voluntarily that they didn't know who they would vote for  and, paired with a 4.9 percent margin of error, that could still put the candidates in a neck-and-neck race.

"I can understand this might be an incredibly optimistic poll for Cruz," said Andy Downs, director of the politics center. "But I think there must be something going on in the electorate that makes the race closer than some people think."

On the Democratic side, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton leads U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders, 55 percent to 40.3 percent, with 4.8 percent of voters undecided.

The poll was conducted among 400 voters across the state from April 13-27. Downs said 30 percent of the surveys were completed before Cruz and Kasich announced a pact for Kasich to pull out of campaigning in Indiana, intended to block Trump from winning the state.

But Downs said he thinks the decision is not likely to help either of the two candidates, because they didn't immediately effectively tell voters whether they should stick with their preferred candidate or switch over to support Cruz.

"A handful of surveys' were completed after Cruz announced Carly Fiorina would be his vice presidential pick if he won the Republican nomination, he said.

Two other polls conducted prior to those two announcements gave Trump slight leads over Cruz in Indiana.

Trump and Cruz, who have made numerous campaign trips throughout the state, will return to the Indianapolis area Monday to make a final push for votes before Tuesdays primary.

Trump will make an appearance Monday afternoon at the Center for the Performing Arts in Carmel. The national Republican front-runner is also holding events Sunday and Monday in Terre Haute, South Bend and Fort Wayne.

Cruz, meanwhile, will head Monday evening to the Exposition Hall at the Indiana State Fairgrounds as a special guest of An American Rally, where TV personality Glenn Beck will also appear. The event is organized by the Keep The Promise PAC, which is supporting Cruz presidential run. Carly Fiorina, who Cruz named last week as his pick for vice president should he secure the nomination, will also attend.

Cruz is also scheduled for events in La Porte and Fort Wayne.

Indiana Gov. Mike Pence will campaign for Cruz on Monday, according to Cruz campaign communications director Alice Stewart.

Pence, who endorsed Cruz on Friday while also commending Trump, recorded a radio ad for the Cruz campaign.

"I really admire the way Ted Cruz has been willing to stand up for taxpayers in opposing runaway spending, deficits and debt, calling for and leading on repealing Obamacare," Pence says in the ad. "I think the man has shown the courage of his convictions. Its not a popular thing in Washington, D.C. to take on the leadership of your own party and hes been willing to do that."

The Cruz campaign also released its Indiana leadership team Saturday, a list of 38 current and former elected officials and key grassroots leaders supporting the Texas senator. It includes fiscal leaders in the state legislature such as Sen. Brandt Hershman, R-Buck Creek, and Rep. Tim Brown, R-Crawfordsville, in addition to state lawmakers who have shown dedication to religious liberty and other social conservative issues, such as Republican Sens. Dennis Kruse of Auburn, Travis Holdman of Markle and Scott Schneider of Indianapolis.

Social conservative leader Curt Smith, president of the Indiana Family Institute, is also on Cruz's Indiana team.

Stewart said the campaign is making its final push through Indiana's May 3 primary election day.

"The last-minute get-out-the-vote effort is critical," she said.

___

IndyStar's Jill Disis contributed to this story.
Donald Trump greets supporters at the Indiana State Fairgrounds on Wednesday.

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By Charles A. Trzcinka

It has been fun to watch progressives at Indiana University cringe at Donald Trumps crass and offensive speech. He simply cant be presidential. He thinks its boring and makes fun of it. I imagine our progressives quivering in safe zones from all Trumps micro-aggressions. But the fun comes at a very high price. Trump has consistently and repeatedly argued that Americans are being taken advantage of by international trade. He is demanding high tariffs (taxes) on imports from China and Mexico. We need to realize that this will start a trade war with both China and Mexico responding. It is a war that will devastate this state.

Indiana is ranked 8th in the nation in international trade. Transportation equipment and the life sciences (primarily pharmaceuticals and medical devices) are Indianas leading exports with $10.5 billion and $8.7 billion in value, respectively. The rest of the top five export industries in Indiana are industrial machinery (which includes engines) at $4.2 billion, miscellaneous manufacturing at $2.1 billion and computer and electronic products at $1.8 billion.

About half of Indianas $35.5 billion in exports went to our nearest neighbors Canada ($12.2 billion) and Mexico ($5.0 billion). People are angry, especially after Carrier, and demand the government do something about the harm that these companies cause. Trump promises to impose tariffs  aka taxes  on imports and taxes on companies that want to move. Our trading partners will respond to our high tariffs with their own tariffs and this will cut Indianas exports. Indiana employers will have to slash jobs here or move production overseas. Currently Indiana has below average income and needs these exports expanded, not contracted. We cannot expand income and jobs if anyone in Washington adopts economic nationalism, which is little more than government protection for companies that get a lot of press.

Trump has become popular at exactly the wrong time.

I understand how nice it is for someone to smash at political correctness, but we cannot allow Trump to destroy Indianas exports. This economy needs more freedom not more deals. We need freedom from regulation, from political cronies, and especially freedom from trade deals. Lets keep the consumer in charge of the market place and keep the deal-makers on the sidelines. The last thing Indiana needs is the economic nationalism championed by Trump.

___

Trzcinka is a finance professor in Indiana University's Kelly School of Business.
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Verma worked (by which we mean "did not work") as a senior bureaucrat for India's Central Public Works Department. Verma was so knowledgeable in his field that he knew all the ins and outs and little loopholes in the country's various labor laws. For example, businesses in India with more than 100 paid employees may not fire an individual without permission to do so from the government.

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It takes a warrant just to clean out his desk.

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Verma seized on this opportunity, taking an extra-long leave of absence, until his superiors called him back into work. Verma responded by filing a continuous stream of extensions to that leave of absence. Naturally, his employer (remember, the government) kept denying these extensions, but each time they did, Verma simply filed another one, like a child in a grocery store who won't stop asking for that box of Cookie Crisp no matter how many times you tell them "No."

Verma decided to fall back on the loophole, rolling the dice on how long it would take the government to grant themselves permission to fire his ass, which finally came about 22 years after he was found to be guilty of "willful absence from duty." The law has since been changed to prevent further radical sabbaticals.
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You will be hearing a lot about the new Department of Labor fiduciary rule over the next few months, a subject we discussed last week.

Financial-services firms are revving up to adapt to new IRA (and retirement-plan) requirements. At the same time, challenges to the rule are mounting.

On April 26, Paul Stevens, president of the Investment Company Institute, wrote to the speaker of the House, Paul Ryan, and the minority leader, Nancy Pelosi, to support H.J.Res.88, which would repeal the rule. The next day, the White House issued a statement saying the president would veto H.J.Res.88.

The ICI views the rule as introducing extreme complexity  imposing significant new liability through a complicated, back-door regulatory regime that will have the effect of limiting available advice options for many savers.

According to Stevens, there is other legislation in the works that accomplishes the result intended by the DOL and the White House without the complexity. Two bipartisan acts were introduced in December 2015: the Strengthening Access to Valuable Education and Retirement Support (SAVERS) Act and the Affordable Retirement Advice Protection (ARAP) Act. These bills set up a best-interest standard in law as an alternative to the DOLs fiduciary regulation.

Jamie Hopkins, associate professor of taxation at The American College of Financial Services, said the DOL rule is impactful  For the first time, IRA investment, asset allocation and distribution advice will be subject to a fiduciary standard of care.

And disruptive  A variety of business models [will be placed] under additional pressure and scrutiny, especially commission and revenue-sharing models. In some cases fees will likely drop and become more transparent; in other areas fees and costs of doing business might increase.

That will lead to some confusion and uncertainty at first, said Hopkins, as some advisers might be subject to two or three different fiduciary standards. Over time the industry will develop more clarity around the issue. . . . The one thing that everyone agrees upon is that putting the investors interests first is the right thing to do.

Why all of these changes? The DOL view on advisers is telling, quoting from its Conflicts of Interest Rulemaking: Protecting Retirement Savings FAQ: While investors often believe they are receiving impartial expert advice, many advisers have conflicts of interest. For example, they may receive a payment from a product provider if they convince their client to invest in one of that firms products, even if that product is not the best one for their customer. As a result, investment recommendations may be based on the advisers financial interest, rather than the best interest of the consumer.

How will non-fiduciaries need to change? You could see of a variety of changes, said Hopkins. You might see the adviser leave the business entirely and transfer the investor to a new adviser. You could also see the adviser keep providing certain services, like insurance and risk-management planning, but no longer provide any retirement investment advice for Individual Retirement Arrangements (IRAs). Lastly, you could see advisers actually expand offerings and provide more services than before. In this case, you will likely be provided with additional documentation acknowledging your advisers fee structure, conflicts and their duty to act as a fiduciary.

Those are significant changes, as is the effect of the DOLs Best Interest Contract Exemption. BICE is a method for firms to continue some of the compensation arrangements that originally caused fiduciary concerns if they meet certain criteria.

Quoting the DOLs FAQ, BICE allows firms to continue to use certain compensation arrangements that might otherwise be forbidden so long as they, among other things, commit to putting their clients best interest first, adopt anti-conflict policies and procedures (including avoiding certain incentive practices), and disclose any conflicts of interest that could affect their best judgment as a fiduciary rendering advice.

Im wondering whether BICE disclosures be sufficient for investors to make sound judgments. Or will they add to the already-confusing landscape that prompted the DOL to adopt the fiduciary rule?

Hopkins adds an important message for all investors:

Its still important for investors to find the right adviser or team of advisers for their unique situation. Retirement planning is a complex process; people need advisers with legal, tax, investment and insurance expertise. Consumers should ask a potential retirement adviser about their experience, education, training, skills and how they are compensated. . . . As a consumer, make sure you ask your adviser or potential adviser about how this regulatory change might impact their services. Additionally, different advisers have different skill sets. . . . So make sure you have the right adviser for your needs.

If you live near Stamford and would like to attend a roundtable discussion on this topic on Tuesday, May 24 at 5:30 pm, email Kari at kari@juliejason.com, call 203-322-1198, or go to www.juliejason.com/events to register.

Julie Jason, author of The AARP Retirement Survival Guide: How to Make Smart Financial Decisions in Good Times and Bad, and Managing Retirement Wealth: An Expert Guide to Personal Portfolio Management in Good Times and Bad, is principal of Jackson, Grant Investment Advisers of Stamford. Email her with questions at readers@juliejason.com or write to her c/o The Advocate, 9A Riverbend Drive South, Box 4910, Stamford CT 06907. Copyright 2016 Julie Jason.
The phrase "and they lived happily ever after" is one that can most definitely be applied to Prince William and Kate Middleton.

The Prince and the Duchess are celebrating the fifth anniversary of their wedding, when they said, "I do" at London's Westminster Abbey on April 29, 2011.
Its peak season for environmental stewardship and caring for our Mother Earth. In the midst of these two weeks, sandwiched between Earth Day and Mothers Day, we find joy in the burst of new life we see in the natural world around us.

It is Spring!

Who amongst us doesnt feel appreciation for the beauty of our earth? And who isnt looking forward to next weeks celebration of the love we feel for our own Mother who nurtured us through childhood and beyond?

It is indeed a fitting time to renew our love and passion for Mother Earth.

I am inspired to do so each morning at sunrise as I commute across our farm hilltop. The vista is always changing with the ebb and flow of colorful clouds and valley mists, reflecting the dawn of each new day.

A mourning dove is often perched on the weathered gravestone of my great-great-grandmother Sarah. Her home was by the hillside lane. She left this world February 25, 1859 at age 23, leaving a little son and daughter.

I think she is thrilled to know the land where she lived is still open and farmed by her descendants. She died so young. But in her stream of DNA still flows the passion she felt for the land.

She left a legacy.

I have never felt like a landowner.

We are land stewards.

That is our collective responsibility as Connecticut citizens. We must ensure the well being of the land our forbearers have set aside for the mutual benefit of our environment and our spirits.

Over the last century, thoughtful Connecticut citizens have given time and treasure to preserve state parks, forests, lakes, and farms. Our state must continue their stewardship.

It is our legal responsibility. And it is our moral obligation to future generations.

As our Connecticut General Assembly grinds towards its May 4th adjournment, there is hidden in the drumbeat of budget negotiations a quiet, cost free gem waiting to sparkle for our Connecticut environment.

It is Senate Joint Resolution 36 (SJ36), which would establish a Constitutional Amendment to better protect public lands from being sold, swapped, or given away without adequate public process.

Three other states in our region, New York, Massachusetts, and Maine provide similar protection for their public lands. Connecticut voters deserve the opportunity to ratify this Constitutional Amendment to protect our land in this Novembers election.

We only get one Mother Earth. She deserves our support!

Terry Jones is a Shelton farmer and grandfather. He is chairman of Connecticuts Working Lands Alliance (www.workinglandsalliance.org) and serves on the Connecticut State Board of Education.
Pa. is about to vote. Here's what to know about voting and ballot access in 2022

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Gov. Ron DeSantis and Charlie Crist square off in their only TV debate

Gov. Ron DeSantis and Democrat Charlie Crist are expected to tussle over the economy, abortion and culture war issues.
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When it comes to the burning question of Britains place in Europe, you would expect a businessman like me to campaign on cool, dispassionate economic grounds.

You would expect me to say that, based on my long experience running one of the worlds biggest companies, we would be better off if we were to stay in the EU.

It is clear to me that, if we leave, our country would be worse off. It would come with a huge price attached in terms of wealth, jobs, and would create tremendous uncertainty which always comes at a cost.

Brexit would leave Britain vulnerable to the uncertainties of negotiating new trade agreements while risking our position as a centre for international business, writes Lord Browne (right) with his mother Paula (left)

But come referendum day, I will also vote remain for reasons of emotion and values  in recognition of who I am, where my family came from and the Europe they knew, or in my mothers case, endured.

I was born in 1948 to a father who had served in the British Army and to a mother who had survived the horrors of Auschwitz.

She was in the concentration camp and was one of the few members of her family to survive it; most were murdered.

So my mother, a Hungarian Jew, experienced the very worst of Europe until, just as the continent was being rebuilt, she met and married my father, then serving as an army officer in post-war Germany.

Their experiences have given me a perspective on the EU that goes beyond its narrow, coal and steel foundations.

They have left me with a sense that, although its origins were economic, the European project is much more than jobs, balance sheets and trade, however important they are.

It is, at its core, about promoting peace and prosperity across a continent with a long history of conflict.

After the catastrophe of the Second World War, the nations of Europe needed a unifying force to restore equilibrium.

So far, the Remain campaign has focused on the economic and financial benefits of EU membership and the downsides of leaving, he writes

That came from the reckoning provided by the Nuremberg trials.

It came from the Marshall Plan, which united Europe with its closest neighbour and ally, the USA.

And it came from the seemingly obscure European Coal and Steel Community, the precursor of the modern-day EU.

But it also came from the experiences of millions of people  my parents included  who saw at first-hand the horrors of the Europe of that time.

Happily, they lived to see a continent reborn and rebuilt around the EU, which aimed to unite the disparate peoples of Europe, through times of great accomplishment and through moments of desperate failure.

It has been more successful in doing that than any person or institution. Membership of the EU is a declaration of shared values.

For me, the most important value of all is inclusion. I dont just say that based on the life of my mother but on my own personal experience.

When I began my career as a junior engineer at BP, I chose not to come out as gay because I feared the consequences for my career.

As a junior executive in the 1970s, I was probably right so to do. I chose to focus on my career at the expense of my personal life.

But in doing so, I excluded and separated myself from my colleagues.

The evidence suggests that inclusion is not just good for the individual. Companies that create inclusive, co-operative environments are more likely to flourish because their staff are more engaged and much more productive. These companies consistently outperform their rivals.

If we vote to leave, it would be a backward step of self-imposed exclusion.

On a national level, it would be the same with Brexit.

If we vote to leave, it would be a backward step of self-imposed exclusion.

We would forgo the advantages that come from being involved, accepted and included in the diverse community of modern Europe.

Based on everything we have learned, and in my own personal experience, we would be shooting ourselves in the foot.

So far, the Remain campaign has so far focused on the economic and financial benefits of EU membership and downsides of leaving.

These are considerable.

Being part of the single market gives UK businesses and the international companies that choose to base themselves here access to a market of 500 million consumers in the worlds largest free trade zone.

Brexit would leave Britain vulnerable to the uncertainties of negotiating new trade agreements, while risking our position as a centre for international business.

If we leave, even in the best case, our GDP would be 3.8 per cent lower by 2030 than if we had remained in the EU.

In the most likely scenario, we would actually be worse off to the tune of roughly 6 per cent of GDP.

But inclusion is about more than just financial accounting.

The economic argument alone fails to address the simple fact that people, teams, even countries work better together than when they set themselves apart.

As President Obama made clear, Britain has more clout on the international stage, and is more secure, in the EU.

He focused on the broader benefits of our membership and so should we.

Of course Britain could survive outside the EU. We have strong diplomatic and trade links around the world and excellent domestic industries.

But as I have met many leaders around the world, it has become clear to me that Britain is defined, in their eyes, by its relationship with the EU. Losing sight of this big picture and hence this relationship would leave Britain diminished on the world stage.

Lord Browne said: 'I was born in 1948 to a father who had served in the British Army and a mother who had survived the horrors of Auschwitz' (pictured)

I have spent five decades in the oil and gas industry and have seen what happens when people lose sight of the big picture.

I have seen Big Oil exploit local communities in search of natural resources and take too long to acknowledge the dangers posed by climate change.

When a person, company or nation becomes introspective, and thinks only about itself, it might feel powerful, but it loses influence in the long run.

Introspection and isolation will not allow Britain to regain control of its own destiny.

The EU is an institution which, for better or for worse, will shape our future, both within and beyond our borders, whatever the result of this referendum.

By choosing to be included, we have a chance to influence that future.

So I return to the memory of my parents and their lives.

I think my father, who fought for the continents future, would be horrified at the arrogance that would lead us to believe that we could prosper without deep partnership and cooperation.

Like many survivors, after Auschwitz my mother simply looked forwards.

She thought that looking backwards would not achieve anything.

Brexit, I believe, would strike her as lacking any future vision and as wilfully ignoring lessons from history in favour of a nostalgic view of Britains past.

If the pollsters are right, young people favour remain while older voters want to leave.

But as one of those older people, as a member of the same post-war generation, I appeal to my contemporaries to remember the experiences of their parents and to listen to the views of the young.
Labour MP Keith Vaz managed to bag a taxpayer-funded jaunt to Copenhagen, where he led fellow MPs on a tour of the red-light district

No wonder Labour MP Keith Vaz had a spring in his step last week: the chairman of the powerful Commons Home Affairs Committee managed to bag a taxpayer-funded jaunt to Copenhagen where he led fellow MPs on a tour of the red-light district. The excuse? The committees inquiry into prostitution laws. Insists Dogs man on the trip: We all made our excuses and left for an early night.

Boris Johnson cheerleader and Tory pundit Tim Montgomerie cried foul over attacks on Johnson for his weirdo Obama comments. Monty knows all about foul play. When he ran a website for Conservative peer Michael Ashcroft, party HQ were puzzled by poison-pen attacks on Cameron on the website by a troll called Ridley Grove  until they got a routine email from Tim Montgomerie, yes, you guessed it, sent from the Ridley Grove address  or from Fat Finger Tim, as he is known in No10.

Boris - bigger than the Bard...

Bojos latest money-spinning tome may be a tour dhorizon on William Shakespeare, but the cover of the forthcoming book gives a different impression. I note that Boriss name is bigger than the Bards, observes one of his more erudite backbench colleagues. I therefore look forward to reading Shakespeares attempt to sum up the genius of Johnson.

So artfully crafted was George Osbornes hilarious speech to the Westminster correspondents dinner  including a veiled jibe at leadership rival Boris for not being a serious politician  that cynical Tories detect the skilful hand of Michael Gove in its drafting. It was too clever to be all Georges, whispered one Tory grandee. And it was all gags at Boriss expense but barely a dig at Gove. If you ask me, Michael is firmly back in the Osborne leadership camp.

Whitto rocks it

Arch EU outer John Whittingdale, who combines a passion for rock music with an exotic private life that included a dalliance with a dominatrix, will be celebrating whatever the June referendum result. Two days after the vote, the Culture Secretary is off to see his favourite band Rainbow in one of their first gigs for 20 years. His favourite song? Surely the bands 1979 classic: All Night Long.

Dave and Sam Cam are the Gogglebox couple of No10, sitting on the Downing Street sofa with a glass of wine watching yes, Gogglebox, the hit Channel 4 programme which stars booze-glugging Steph and Dom giving their views on the world  including our politicians. Cameron loves it, Dog is told. It is much more useful for him than any overpaid pollster or focus group.
A few weeks ago  just after Jeremy Corbyns Loyalty List, codifying the allegiance of his parliamentary party, was made public  I took a call from a Jewish Labour MP. Look at where the Jews are, the politician said.

So I did. Luciana Berger  hostile. Margaret Hodge  hostile. Ivan Lewis  hostile. Louise Ellman  core group negative. Ruth Smeeth  core group negative. Ed Miliband  core group negative. Gerald Kaufman was neutral, while David Winnick secured the accolade of being formally designated core group plus. There were no Jewish MPs deemed loyal enough to be granted admission into the Corbyn core group inner circle.

There is obviously an element of political cause and effect at play here. Corbyns perceived failure to effectively confront anti-Semitism has generated suspicion among his Jewish colleagues. That suspicion has in turn fuelled counter-suspicion on the part of Team Corbyn.

Public attack: Labour MP John Mann berates Ken Livingstone over his comments about Zionists this week

But it is also an illustration of just how deep the cancer of anti-Semitism has eaten into the bones of the Labour Party. In 2016, Labour MPs believe their own leader has been drawing up lists, and officially designating them as disloyal, because they are Jews.

There is no crisis, Corbyn proclaimed on Friday. A statement that followed a 72-hour period in which one of his MPs, Naz Shah, was suspended for calling for the forcible removal of Jews from Israel; his key ally Ken Livingstone was suspended after he had roamed the TV studios claiming Hitler was a Zionist and found himself publicly condemned by the chairman of the All-Party Group On Anti-Semitism as a Nazi apologist; the Israeli Ambassador said Livingstone was deliberately distorting Hitlers goals; and the Holocaust Education Trust openly accused the former London Mayor of anti-Semitism and chucking the Holocaust around like political confetti.

People have described Labours meltdown over the past week as a civil war. They are wrong. This wasnt a civil war. It was a race war.

The reaction from shell-shocked Labour backbenchers has swung from gallows humour to utter desolation. We started with Fawlty Towers and ended up with the Twin Towers, was one MPs description of his partys Black Friday.

Another expressed genuine despair at the unfolding events.

They know Corbyns dead in the water and they want us to kill him. Unnamed shadow minister

Im just becoming exhausted by all this, he said. Its starting to physically weigh me down.

Part of this fatigue is related to the timing of Labours latest implosion. Just a week from the local elections, assembly elections and London Mayoral election, there is fury and trepidation over the potential impact at the ballot box. Postal vote returns are said to already be revealing a surge of support for Ukip in traditional Labour areas, and there has even been speculation it could derail Sadiq Khans steady march towards City Hall.

Most Labour and Tory insiders believe Khan will probably still edge out Zac Goldsmith, but he is said to have come to the view that, when the contest is over, he will have to find a way of immediately distancing himself from Corbyns leadership.

We have a strategy, Labour MPs have reportedly been informed by Team Khan.

Perhaps even more significant is the impact the events of the week may have on plans for a direct challenge to Corbyns leadership. The prevailing view within the party is that it is now a matter of when, not if, a coup is attempted. There has been talk of a four-week window of opportunity immediately after the Euro referendum, though most plotters believe that timetable may be excessively tight.

No Jewish MPs were deemed loyal enough to be granted admission into the Corbyn core group inner circle. There is obviously an element of political cause and effect at play here

But now a new element has been added to their calculations. One of the pivotal moments on Friday came just before 2pm, when John Lansman, founder of the supposedly pro-Corbyn activists group Momentum, issued a call for Livingstone to leave the Labour Party.

Lansman is a key apparatchik of Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell, and his statement confirmed a view held by many in the Shadow Cabinet that McDonnell is starting to prepare the ground for Corbyns succession. Hes heavily on manoeuvres, said one Shadow Cabinet member. Hes going to all the key stakeholder meetings, and anything that gets him close to the party members. Hes even started talking privately about the Corbyn/McDonnell leadership.

Hes even started talking privately about the Corbyn/McDonnell leadership. Shadow Cabinet member on Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell

Another Shadow Minister said: People who get called in to the leaders office for discussions on domestic policy are now walking into the room to find McDonnell sitting there.

One plan being floated by the McDonnell camp is for an informal deal that would see Corbyn dethroned to allow a straight contest between their man and a single candidate chosen by the moderates.

They know Corbyns dead in the water, said a Shadow Minister, and they want us to kill him.

They would agree to stand back and let us do it, so long as we agree not to block a new Left-wing candidate getting on to the ballot paper.

Another Shadow Minister said: Theres even a feeling on their side that we need to end the phoney war and just have a straight stand-up fight for the future of the party.

McDonnell may precipitate that fight. But even if he doesnt, this week has ended with Labour MPs confronting a cruel truth. Corbyns supporters have claimed the current firestorm is not actually about anti-Semitism, but about undermining his leadership. Labours moderates have responded that this is about the party finally putting its money where its mouth is when it comes to confronting racism and prejudice.

In reality, both are right. Labours Jeremy Corbyn problem and Labours anti-Semitism problem have become indivisible. The firestorm has fused them together.

Many in the Shadow Cabinet believe that Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell is starting to prepare the ground for Corbyns succession. Pictured, Corbyn and McDonnell join junior doctors outside the Department of Health in Whitehall, on April 26

Labour MPs have directly called on their leader to take action on anti-Semitism. And their leader has directly rebuffed them. Not only has he repeatedly refused to act on the issue, he has refused to even acknowledge there is an issue. Yes, Labour is holding an inquiry. But it is into generic racism, rather than the specific problem at hand, which is anti-Semitism.

And in any case, Corbyn has already prejudged it. No, there is not a problem, he told the Guardian on Thursday.

Which means Labour MPs now have a choice.

The fact is, the party members still want him to be their leader. Shadow Minister, on Jeremy Corbyn

They can demonstrate they are sincere when they say they will not tolerate anti-Semitism in their party. Which means demonstrating they will no longer tolerate Corbyns leadership. Or they can continue to serve under him. But in the knowledge that they are serving under a man who refuses to acknowledge the virus of anti-Semitism for what it is, and by extension accept that their own calls for a zero-tolerance approach to anti-Semitism are meaningless.

Up until now Corbyns opponents have viewed his leadership through a political prism.

What would be the impact on Labours electoral chances? What would be the impact on their own seats? What was the optimum moment to try to remove him?

But Corbyns leadership now needs to be recast through a moral prism. Labour is a broken party. It has no serious policies. It has no serious prospect of power. It has no sense of direction or purpose. But until this week it still had a core. Something indistinct and small and jagged  but solid. Something worth preserving.

If Labour MPs continue to serve under a leader who looks back on the past week and says no problem, then they and their party will finally have lost everything. There will be nothing left.

Yes, its agonisingly hard for them. This weekend they are in their constituencies campaigning alongside activists who still feel intensely loyal towards Corbyn.

The fact is, the party members still want him to be their leader, one Shadow Minister told me.
Its upcoming closure is also down to cheap imports from around the world

According to the owner, Cathy Lennox, this is down to Internet sales

It is the last handmade dance shoe shop in Australia

Salvio's Dancing Shoes in Sydney will close its doors at the end of June

For 135 years and four generations, it has sold thousands of pairs of shoes to household names across the country.

But Australia's only handmade dance shoe store, Salvio's Dancing Shoes, in Randwick, New South Wales, will close its doors for the last time in June.

Speaking to Daily Mail Australia, Enrico Salvio's great-granddaughter, Cathy Lennox, explained the reasons for the upcoming closure why she will always hold the memories of her family business dear.

Iconic business: Salvio's Handmade Dancing Shoe Shop is 135 years old and has survived countless wars and recessions - however it has announced that it will close its doors at the end of June

Family business: Founded by Cathy Lennox's great grandfather, Enrico Salvio, the business has been passed from generation (pictured) to generation - it is the last handmade dance shoe shop in Australia

Sign of the times: FEMAIL speaks to the founder Enrico Savlio's great-granddaughter, Cathy Lennox, about the upcoming closure, the reasons, and why she will always hold the memories of her family business dear

'I'm totally devastated, as is my husband, Phillip,' Ms Lennox said, 'it's my family, it's our history and our livelihood.'

'We decided towards the end of last year that the business needed to do better at the beginning of this year in order to survive.

'But Salvio's hasn't managed to so Phillip and I made the difficult decision to stop trading at the end of June.'

Struggling for a while: According to Cathy Lennox, the business had been struggling for a while, and she and her husband Phillip decided if it didn't do better this year, the shop would need to close

Heartbreaking news: They posted the devastating update on Facebook, where they have been inundated with people who are upset by the demise of the family institution

Hard decision: According to Ms Lennox, she and Phillip agreed that if the business wasn't performing better by this year they would have to close the business - it has been a hard decision

Anything where people use their hands to make things - clothes, shoes and watches - is dying. We're losing artisans everywhere

For many Australians, Salvio's is a family institution. As well as hundreds of regular clients, the shop has sold shoes to countless members of the arts community - from The Wiggles to the Australian Ballet.

'Manufacturing in Australia is hard at the moment. Cheap imports are killing off businesses, and we just can't compete with the likes of the Internet and imported goods from China and Thailand,' Ms Lennox said.

'I hope there is a future for other traditional bricks and mortar stores like us, but we're losing artisans everywhere.

'Anything where people use their hands to make things - clothes, shoes and watches - is dying. While everyone loves a $12 pair of shoes or T-shirt, I think it's dreadful. We're losing the quality of items that are handmade.'

Loyal clientele: As well as hundreds of regular clients, the shop sells shoes to countless members of the arts community, from The Wiggles to the Australian Ballet (pictured with Tamara Tchinarova)

Uncertain future: According to Ms Lennox: 'I hope there is a future for other traditional bricks and mortar stores like us, but we're losing artisans everywhere'

Salvio's demise: Ms Lennox says that the demise of the shop is down to a number of factors - including the rise of the Internet and cheap imports

For Ms Lennox, the quality of Salvio's dance shoes is what sets them apart from most other manufactured shoes on the market.

Hours of work and handmade craft goes into every single pair of ballet and tap shoes, and her husband learned the art of making shoes from Ms Lennox's father, Ted, who is now 82.

What makes me saddest is that any grandchildren I am still to have won't be able to get their dance shoes from Salvio's

'We've been inundated with work since we announced the closing,' Ms Lennox said.

'People keep coming in asking for multiple pairs of shoes. It's lovely and for me the customers are my favourite memory I'll take from my time at Salvio's.

'What makes me the saddest, though, is that any grandchildren I am still to have won't be able to get their dance shoes from Salvio's.

'My daughters all had dancing shoes from Salvio's, as have all my family members. It's hard to come to terms with the idea no one else will.'

Big batches: 'We've been inundated with work since we announced we're closing,' Ms Lennox says, and the couple are struggling to produce multiple batches of different pairs of shoes

Handmade beauties: For Ms Lennox, the quality of Salvio's dance shoes is what sets them apart from most other manufactured shoes on the market (left and right)

Favourite memories: According to Ms Lennox, there are some pairs of shoes that she and Phillip will take with them when Salvio's closes its doors on June 30

Salvio's as a shop has already managed to survive world wars and recessions but, according to Ms Lennox and her husband, the current climate is too hard for shops such as theirs.

'When I was a girl I did one or two activities after school at most, and so my parents were willing to invest a little money into them.

'Nowadays, children do five through the week and one over the weekend - it's too much. No wonder their mums and dads are looking for cheap gear and shortcuts.'

Time off: She says that she plans to take some time off when the shop closes at the end of June, as does her husband, Phillip

Current climate struggle: Ms Lennox says that the current economic climate is bad for certain businesses - such as her iconic shop

Ms Lennox and her husband plan to take a well deserved break after the shop close.

'We need to have a think about the next stage,' she said, 'in the meantime I have a gorgeous granddaughter I want to spend some time with.'

'I plan to take some of my favourite pairs of ballet shoes from the store with me when we close. They're special memories I'd like to keep forever.'
Crown Princess Mary of Denmark is known for her demanding schedule - most recently taking a whirlwind tour of Burkina Faso in West Africa to focus on women's and children's rights.

And shortly after arriving back home she was back at it again, this time stepping out in Sweden for King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden's 70th birthday alongside royals from around the world.

On Sunday, Mary and Crown Prince Frederik attended the King's birthday lunch at City Hall in Stockholm, with the Princess opting for a classic understated look in a beige trench coat and nude Christian Louboutin heels.

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Birthday party: On Sunday, Mary and Crown Prince Frederik attended the King's birthday lunch at City Hall in Stockholm

Elegance: The Princess opted for a classic understated look in a beige trench coat and nude Christian Louboutin heels

Chic: Princess Mary wore the exact same outfit in March 2015 (pictured), when she welcomed Queen Maxima of the Netherlands to Denmark

Thrifty: It's not the first time the Princess has repeated outfits and regularly recycles her favourite pieces

For a splash of colour the 44-year-old paired the look with an elegant purple pillbox hat, purple leather clutch and matching purple gloves.

Princess Mary wore the exact same outfit in March 2015, when she welcomed Queen Maxima of the Netherlands to Denmark.

Underneath the heavy coat she wore an understated cream Prada dress.

Simple yet striking: For a splash of colour she paired the look with an elegant purple pillbox hat, purple leather clutch and matching purple gloves

Catching up: The Princess was seen laughing and chatting to other guests and royals in attendance

Formal: The birthday celebrations kicked off early with a gala dinner on Saturday evening at the Royal Palace

The Princess posed for photos alongside her husband before joining guests including Princess Beatrix of the Netherlands, Denmark's Queen Margrethe and Japan's Princess Takamado.

She was seen cozying up to her beau in the cold weather and laughing with he and other guests as they watched the proceedings.

The birthday celebrations kicked off early with a gala dinner on Saturday evening at the Royal Palace.

Natural beauty: For a modern twist she wore a unique golden floral headpiece embellished with crystals and subtle golden gems and her hair was styled with simple classic waves

Coordinated: The stylish Princess donned a conservative white and yellow floral print gown for the occasion, which she paired with a golden clutch and matching yellow heels

Ignoring the weather: Once again Princess Mary chose to forego a coat for the occasion, despite the temperature in Sweden averaging just five degrees

The stylish Princess donned a conservative white and yellow floral print gown for the occasion, which she paired with a golden clutch and matching yellow heels.

For a modern twist she wore a unique golden floral headpiece embellished with crystals and subtle golden gems and her hair was styled with simple classic waves.
The chemistry between Georgia May Foote and Giovanni Pernice had many questioning whether the actress's relationship had fallen victim to the so-called Strictly curse.

But the 25-year-old has fervently denied that she hooked up with her dancing partner, professional newcomer, Giovannia Pernice, while she performing on the show.

She told Fabulous magazine how the stress of her split from boyfriend Sean Ward saw her struggling to gain weight - before she finally found happiness with Giovanni after the show ended.

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Georgia May Foote, 25, (pictured at a photocall for Lorraines High Street Fashion Awards) insists there was no overlap between dating Giovanni and her former relationship. The petite star reached the finals of last year's Strictly Come Dancing

Pictured with her new beau, Giovanni Pernice, who was a newcomer to the show in 2015

It was rumoured that Sean (who played Callum Logan in Coronation Street) had become jealous of the close relationship between the pair during filming.

However, the actress was adamant she didn't develop feelings for her Italian co-star until after her relationship had ended.

She said: 'No way did I look at Gio like that on the show. No chance. But he was there for me through a lot last year.

'He was such a good friend and there when I needed him... It just developed after all that.'

The ex Corrie star and her partner reached the finals of the 13th series of Strictly Come Dancing, narrowly losing out on the Glitterball trophy to pop star Jay McGuiness and his dancing partner Aliona Vilani.

Georgia, with her ex-boyfriend, former Corrie star Sean Ward, 27. She says the couple broke up in December last year - before she hooked up with her dance partner during a New Year trip

Georgia May Foote shows off her fancy footwork on Strictly Come Dancing with partner Giovanni. She has insisted that they didn't start dating until after the show finished

'Suddenly I realised: "Oh god, this is weird!" It was a shock to me!'

The actress insists her new relationship with Giovanni, 25, only began during a New Year's getaway trip to Disneyland Paris - only once she had split from Sean in December, shortly after the show's final.

Having already lost a stone during Strictly, Georgia told how she struggled to regain the weight once filming ended because she was under so much stress.

She worried she was too thin at one point and says it is thanks to Giovanni that she is now healthy and happy again.

Since confirming their relationship status, the pair have kept their fans updated on social media with loved-up selfies of them together.

The pair recently enjoyed a holiday in the Maldives, keeping their fans updated with selfies

This Instagram photo set the rumour mill into overdrive when Georgia was pictured wearing what looked like an engagement ring

The couple recently sent the rumours mill into overdrive when Georgia was spotted wearing a stunning ring on her engagement finger in an Instagram snap, but it turned out to be a false alarm.

However the sparkler turned out to be a commitment ring, a traditional gift from Sicily, where Giovanni is from.

Nonetheless Georgia has already moved from Manchester to London to shack up with her love of four months.

The actress will be making her stage debut later this year as she tours the UK with the cast of Breakfast At Tiffany's.
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Sweden's king has continued to celebrate his 70th birthday in sumptuous style by inviting royalty from across Scandinavia and beyond to celebrate at a glamorous evening banquet in Stockholm.

King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia arrived at the Royal Palace in Stockholm to greet hundreds of guests as the five-day celebration of the start of his eight decade went on in style.

Queen Silvia, 72, looked particularly striking in a brightly-coloured orange glittered gown teamed with a sparkling tiara and satin heels. In a nod to international relations, she arrived at the event on the arm of the President of Finland, Sauli Niinisto.

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Queen Silvia arrived at her husband's birthday 70th celebrations at the Royal Palace in Stockholm on the arm of the President of Finland Sauli Niinisto. King Carl XVI Gustaf himself chose to escort Queen Margrethe II of Denmark into the event before the couple were reunited to greet guests inside

A day of celebration: Queen Silvia, King Carl Gustaf and Princess Beatrix chat at the Royal Palace in Stockholm

King Carl XVI Gustaf, looking dapper in black tie, himself chose to escort Queen Margrethe II of Denmark into the venue before being reunited with his wife.

Yesterday marked the king's actual birthday and celebrations marked the day from dawn until late into the evening. A twenty-one-gun salute was fired from Skeppsholmen in the morning, followed by a thanksgiving service and a military parade.

In the afternoon, there was an opportunity for children to present flowers to The King before he retired to get ready for the main event.

It's been a eventful time for the Swedish royals, the couple welcomed the birth of their grandson less than two weeks ago - who will be fifth in line to the Swedish throne.

On Friday, King Carl Gustav enjoyed an opera, arriving at the Royal Swedish Opera and Stockholm Concert Hall in a horse-drawn carriage.

It was Princess Madeleine who stole the show at the concert in a lace floral dress and modest heels with pearl detail.

The festivities kicked off on Monday and have continued with a host of events including banquets, a gun salute and carriage processions.

Glamour galore: (From left) Prince Carl Philip, Crown Princess Victoria and Prince Daniel donned their finest attire to attend King Carl XVI Gustaf's banquet

King Carl Gustav's daughter Princess Madeleine wore a taupe-coloured dress encrusted with jewels. A vision in lilac: Queen Mathilde chose an off-the-shoulder pleated dress for the glamorous event

Scandinavian celebration: Crown Princess Mary of Denmark opted for a floral fitted number with her bruentte locks loosely styled

Not the easiest curtsy! Crown Princess Mary of Denmark, with Crown Prince Frederik at her side, kneels before Queen Silvia

A helicopter crash on an island off western Norway, which killed all 13 people on board, will prevent Norway's King Harald and his wife Queen Sonja to cancel a trip to the celebrations in neighboring Sweden.

Instead, the Norwegian royal house will be represented by the King's daughter, Princess Martha Louise, and her husband, Ari Behn.

From Denmark came Crown Princess Mary who cut a stylish figure in a floor-length floral gown and her brunette locks loosely styled.

Elsewhere, it was an international affair with royals from across the globe jetting in to help the king celebrate.

Princess Takamado from Japan and Prince Hassan bin Talal and Princess Sarvath El Hassan of Jordan were in attendance. The former looked striking in a lime green gown with lace bodice.

Crown Princess Margarita wore a show-stealing tiara to the event, which saw thousands of well-wishers gather for a glimpse of the royals

From far and wide: Princess Takamado, a member of the Japanese imperial family wore bright green with shiny dark gold heels to the party

Count Carl Adam Lewenhaupt who owns exclusive private members club Noppe, favoured by Swedish royals, attended with his wife Lee, who opted for a Far East-inspired look with this colourful pink and blue ensemble

Prince Hassan bin Talal and Princess Sarvath El Hassan of Jordan made the journey to Sweden for the party, as did Prince Manuel of Bavaria and Princess Anna of Bavaria, right

Princess Birgitta of Sweden and Princess Desiree Nosbusch - two of the king's four sisters - both chose white to attend the much-anticipated royal bash of their brother wearing white

SEVENTY YEARS YOUNG! KING CARL XVI GUSTAV CELEBRATES A VERY REGAL LIFE Celebration: Sweden's Queen Silvia and King Carl XVI Gustaf ride an open carriage to the concert at the Nordic Museum in Stockholm Born at Haga Palace on Tuesday 30 April 1946 to parents Prince Gustaf Adolf, Duke of Vasterbotten, HM King Carl XVI Gustaf was the couple's eldest child and brother to Margaretha, Birgitta, Desiree and Christina. A tragic airplane accident which killed his father Prince Gustaf Adolf in 1947 saw him elevated to the throne at just 27 when his grandfather, then king, died in 1973. Just a year earlier, he had met Miss Silvia Renate Sommerlath at the Olympic Games in Munich and the couple were wed on 19 June 1976, three years after he became king. Queen Silvia has previously worked as an interpreter. The royal couple went on to have three children: Crown Princess Victoria, born 14 July 1977, Prince Carl Philip, born 13 May 1979, and Princess Madeleine, born 10 June 1982. They recently welcomed their fifth grandchild, Prince Alexander, born 19 April 2016. Advertisement

The festivities kicked off on Monday and continued yesterday - the King's birthday - with a host of events including banquets

Princess Madeleine of Sweden and her husband Christopher O'Neill arrive to the Nordic Museum to attend a concert of the Royal Swedish Opera and Stockholm Concert Hall, which took place on Friday

Crown Princess Victoria and Prince Daniel pictured at the King's birthday reception (left). Pictured right: King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia at the reception
An open-minded artist is hoping to make a name for herself - by creating casts of her friends' vaginas.

Hollie Osborne, 26, from Newport, appealed on Facebook for models willing to have their genitals immortalised in plaster.

Plenty came forward initially - but when it came to the crunch most people backed out. And not one male volunteered for the challenge.

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Hollie Osborne, 26, from Newport, appealed on Facebook for models willing to have their genitals immortalised in plaster. Pictured with one of the finished sculptures

The Cardiff Met student was surprised at how difficult the moulds were to create. She said: 'I made four but I broke two because I got air in the plaster'

Alongside her appeal on social media, she wrote: 'It will be completely discreet and nobody will know where they came from.'

Talking about the project, the Cardiff Met student said: 'It was awesome, I really enjoyed doing it. I was surprised at how not embarrassing and how difficult the process was.

'It wasn't easy but it did go really well. I made four but I broke two because I got air in the plaster.'

The textiles student added: 'The one cast was of a girl who had a piercing and it would have come out amazing.

Hollie used something called alginate to make the moulds - artist Cynthia Plaster Caster famously used the same material to cast the erect penises of rock stars in the 1960s - including Jimi Hendrix

'Until then I was going to display three at the exhibition. I was sanding the one down and it was more delicate than I thought and it broke. But the two that I have got look brilliant.'

Hollie's pet cat eyes up the plaster casts. Plenty of people forward initially for the project but many backed out when it came to the crunch

Hollie used something called alginate to make the moulds - artist Cynthia Plaster Caster famously used the same material to cast the erect penises of rock stars in the 1960s - including Jimi Hendrix.

'The models were both friends. I just asked for a couple of girls to come forward,' Hollie said.

'Loads of girls said yes, but getting down to it, it was hard getting people to actually do it.

'One of the girls I met doing my foundation in Newport. She has done a lot of work in erotica and was not embarrassed at all. She had already done a lot of close-to-the-mark erotic stuff.

'The other was just a friend who was super open-minded. The models had to be prepared first.

'You put a barrier in place, like moisturiser. Then you put this cold gel paste on.

'That sets in three or four minutes. Then you pull it off and fill it with plaster. The more I did the easier it was. It was all trial and error.'

Hollie's pals came to her house for the casting, which was done on her coffee table.

'The one who had done erotic art before was not embarrassed and quite comfortable,' she said.

'The second girl, she was a bit more tense but putting it on was a bit of a giggle. I was trying to be professional.'

British artist Jamie McCartney famously sculpted more than 70 random members of the public for his Great Wall of Vagina artwork.

Hollie's casts will be displayed at her degree show at Cardiff Metropolitan University from May 21 - 27.
An amateur photographer from Glasgow who has spent most of her life taking photographs of the royal family has revealed her 10,000 image collection.

Sheila Clark, 58 and a Home Economics teacher, has followed the Queen around the UK for 50 years taking snaps after her mother first took her to a royal engagement as a little girl.

Attending more than 100 events in her lifetime, Clark has even had two conversations over the years with Her Majesty and says the Queen now recognises her.

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Shelia Clark shows the Queen some of her 10,000 photographs of the Royal Family. The Home Economics teacher from Glasgow has spent 50 years snapping Her Majesty

With her collection: Shelia has an entire room dedicated to her hobby, which she calls her 'life's work'

Sheila, a keen amateur photographer, has taken more than 10,000 pictures of the Royal Family during her travels.

Her immaculately ordered picture collection serves as a fascinating unofficial history of the British monarchy spanning five decades of social change.

Sheila also has more than 400 royal family mugs, 60 memorabilia plates, and countless books dedicated to the monarchy on the walls and shelves of her semi-detached home in Newton Mearns.

Sheila said: 'I've met the Queen many times over the years. She's got to know me pretty well.

'The most memorable and special meetings were when she stopped her Range Rover to speak to me once in a village near Sandringham in 2005 and again in the grounds of Balmoral in July 2006.

'Her Majesty was driving a Range Rover at the time. She recognised my friend and I and asked whether we were going to be at the Sunday service the next day.

'I was walking along a path and saw the car approaching. When I realised it was her I got ready to just wave, but then she stopped the car and spoke to us for about ten minutes.

'It was surreal.The corgis were barking in the back, she had just taken them a walk on the hills.'

Alongside her photos, the royal fan has 400 royal family mugs, 60 memorabilia plates and countless books

Capturing the Queen in her favoured primrose, photos from Sheila's collection show the Queen at Bolsover in July 1997

A very regal library: Shelia has a bookcase crammed with books about the royals

TIMELINE OF A LIFE-LONG ROYALIST Shelia was born in Cricklewood, North-West London First saw the Queen aged four Moved to Giffnock, Scotland aged nine after dad died of heart attack in 1966 Dad's family came from Scotland so family moved here to be close to them Moved to, and settled in, Newton Mearns in 1984 Member of the Queens Park Camera Club since 1993

Sheila adds: 'It's very nice that she feels she can stop her car and have a conversation with us.

'When she stopped her car beside me again in 2006 I was completely bowled over.

'For it to happen twice in my lifetime is amazing.'

Sheila first saw the Queen as a little girl, aged four.

Her mother Dorothy, better known as Joy, took her on the 40-minute bus journey from their then home in Cricklewood, North-West London, to visit Buckingham Palace.

It was while standing at the gates that a young Sheila became mesmerised by the Queen.

She said: 'I saw Her Majesty sitting in the royal car.

'She was wearing a yellow outfit, a white hat and white gloves. I thought the whole thing was magical.

'Little girls are always impressed by stories of princesses, but the Queen was my favourite.

'My mother was a huge royal enthusiast and her enthusiasm rubbed off on me...'

Soon after, the family moved to Glasgow but Sheila's love affair with the monarchy endured - thanks partly due to TV dramatisations of the monarchy.

She said: 'As a child I found this insight into their lives fascinating. I think all that's what set me off on this path.

'I don't smoke or drink so I'm doing what I want to do.

'Once you get a taste for it it's hard to stop.'

On home turf: Shelia didn't have to travel too far to capture this shot of the Queen in 1986 visiting Glasgow cathedral

A photograph from the Eighties shows the Queen with her late mother and sister. Princess Diana can be seen holding the hand of a young Harry with Prince Charles close behind

Shelia, who describes herself as a 'royal watcher', says she became more interested in the royals in the Eighties

'Everything became bigger once Prince Charles married Diana' says Sheila, who decorated her car in royal colours after being unable to attend their wedding

The unofficial royal snapper, who has spent thousands of pounds in travel costs on her hobby, said little Prince George's 'magical' christening in 2013 has been her favourite royal event to date.

She said: 'It was a magical thing, it was so different.

'When William and Kate walked through with George it was just like a fairytale, it was a different sort of atmosphere from anything I've attended before.'

Sheila has witnesses two royal weddings - Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson in 1986, then Prince William and Kate Middleton in 2011.

And when she couldn't attend the wedding of Prince Charles and Diana Spencer, Sheila decorated her Austin Mini Metro car, the same as Princess Diana's, in royal photographs in the street to celebrate the occasion.

She said: 'Everything became bigger once Prince Charles married Diana.

'The number of royal events I attended increased during that decade. I also met my friend Mary Relph at this time. Mary is from Norfolk and another royal watcher like me.'

Sheila and Mary have since become inseparable and received seats in the Diamond Jubilee ballot to watch events outside Buckingham Palace.

Sheila met friend Mary Relph and the pair's love for the royal family has seen them travel to events together including getting seats in the Diamond Jubilee ballot to watch events outside Buckingham Palace

Cup of tea? The memorabilia is just as important as the photographs to Mary

Balcony shots: Mary holds open a page of images showing the royal family on Buckingham Palace

With her trusty Nikon camera, Sheila has taken images that some professionals would be proud of

Sheila said: 'I think Her Majesty the Queen is amazing. She's done that job all her life.

'She wasn't born to be Queen and looking back at the footage of her when she was little you can see she was a little innocent girl and then at ten years old she realised she was going to be Queen.

'It must have changed her life completely. But she's dedicated her whole life to it, and the country.

'Very seldom has she put her family before the country.'

Sheila, who teaches at Duncanrig Secondary in East Kilbride, said she is looking forward to retirement so she can finally attend the Order of the Garter ceremony at Windsor Castle.

She said: 'It's held in June every year so I've never been able to go because I'm still teaching in June. Once I retire I will definitely go.'

From her valuable photograph collection, Sheila considers a snap of the Queen outside London's Royal College of Music in 1995 to be one of her most treasured pictures.

Sheila first became aware of the Queen as a four-year-old after her mother Joy took her to a royal event when the family lived in North-West London. Charles sent a letter and flowers to the family when Joy became ill in 2004

Going to need a bigger room! With her collection showing no signs of abating, Sheila's home has become increasingly cramped

She said: I'm not usually in London at night time as I normally head back up to Scotland after day time events.

'But luckily on this occasion I caught the Queen dressed in evening wear coming out of a car.'

Sheila's mother, Joy was a lifelong royalist - travelling with Sheila until her death in 2004.

Before she passed away, Sheila wrote to Prince Charles and The Queen to tell them of Joy's illness.

Prince Charles then sent a personalised letter to Joy in 2003 accompanied by a huge bouquet of flowers.
A California high school has come under fire after refusing to let a lesbian couple become prom queens together because it is 'not fair to the boy gender'.

Students at Foothill High School in Palo Cedro, California, nominated Hayley Lack, 16, and her girlfriend as the king and queen of their prom this year alongside two other heterosexual couples.

But when the administration learned of the nomination, they decided that the idea of two prom queens would be unacceptable - as it would be unfair to male students.

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Denied: 16-year-old Hayley Lack of Foothill High School in Palo Cedro, California, and her girlfriend were refused the ability to become prom king and queen because it is 'not fair to the boy gender'

Speaking out: Hayley took to Facebook to protest the decision, saying it was 'blatant discrimination'

But the students don't agree with the decision, as Hayley explained to Cosmopolitan.com.

'The students and myself believe that there was equal opportunity for both males and females because every senior had the ability to be nominated,' she said.

'We are asking for anyone, regardless of gender, to be able to win king or queen. With that, they would have equal opportunity.'

In solidarity with the girls, students from other schools in the area have come together behind a petition for 'Equality for Same Sex Couples at Foothill High School', which Hayley and her girlfriend started. So far they have received more than one hundred signatures.

Home: The principal of Foothill High School, Jim Bartow, said that the girls are allowed to run separately for prom queen, but can't as a couple

Telling it like it is: In a video hitting out at the school's administration, Hayley claims that the policy is 'obvious discrimination against us for being in a lesbian relationship'

Video courtesy of Redding Record Searchlight

In response to the outrage, the principal of Foothill, Jim Bartow, told Mic. 'They [the girls] are both able to run separately, but we don't nominate as couples.'

He added: 'It's not fair to the boy gender,' before clarifying that he is 'not against their relationship', but mused that they 'are unhappy because they [the couple] probably see themselves as a king and queen...I don't think there's anything I can do about that.'

But Hayley is in total disagreement and, in a video she released speaking out about the decision, she called it 'obvious discrimination against us for being in a lesbian relationship'.

She also emphasized that even if she or her girlfriend were on both king and queen ballots, there would still be two boys on the ballot for king.

Where's the issue? She also explained that boys have a chance to win as they would still be on the ballot even if Hayley or her girlfriend were included

Standing together: Other students at the school were similarly outraged by the administrations decision

Taking them on: The students of Foothill, as well as students from other schools in the area, signed a petition started by the couple

'It is by popular vote of the student body, if they vote to have two girls for king and queen, then how is that not equal? The boys had an equal opportunity to win,' she said.

Hayley claims that she isn't just fighting for her and her girlfriend's chance to be the prom's royal couple, but also so that future LGBTQ students at Foothill didn't have to face the same battle.
Johnny Coca is the Seville-born new creative director working his magic at Mulberry. His first capsule collection and signature Clifton bag (from 595, mulberry.com) are in store now.

Your favourite piece from the new ready-to-wear collection? The studded biker jacket, because it respects Mulberrys heritage.

Creating ready-to-wear pieces means that you can use ideas that dont always fit into an accessory collection, although you must be careful not to get lost in all the options.

Johnny Coca is the Seville-born new creative director working his magic at Mulberry

I loved designing the necklaces that the models carried on the catwalk like handbags  Mulberry is not as well known for jewellery, so there was less pressure when it came to creating it.

Who is the coolest person you know? Ive met so many! Working with Phoebe Philo at Celine [Johnnys previous job] was a lot of fun, and Michael Kors, too. You could see their passion; Phoebe designs with love and heart.

Your favourite thing about living in London? I like the street style  its unpredictable. In Paris its laissez-faire, in Milan its la bella figura, but in the UK its mixed and more grungey.

The parks are great for walking and people-watching  they make London a far more relaxing place to work than Paris.

Johnny's first capsule collection and signature Clifton bag (above, from 595, mulberry.com; move over the Alexa) are in store now

Favourite thing about British style? The heritage: military coats, kilts and tartan. Punk is also very interesting to me. I went through a punk stage when I was 18 and still wear kilts and Dr Martens boots. Punk is a very strong look and I think its great as inspiration for womenswear collections as it creates tension and edge.

What cant you live without? Music. I work to it and relax to it. I am listening to Elliphant, who I met during London Fashion Week. If we can afford only one Mulberry piece, what should it be? The new Clifton bag. Its built like a house: it has rooms for different things!

ASCOT HAT TRICKS

Royal Ascot has collaborated with some of Britains top milliners to create a collection of heavenly headgear perfectly suited for a day in the Royal Enclosure. Exclusively at Fenwick Bond Street, fenwick.co.uk

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Edwina Ibbotson, 1,620 (left). Laura Cathcart, 425 (right).

Harvy Santos, 620 (left). Philip Treacy, 1,485 (right)

WEAR WHERE: THE BODY CAMP IBIZA The place to get in shape before summer. A seven-day retreat including half board, a training programme and treatments costs from 1,250; thebodycamp.com.

Swimsuit, 120, Splash by Della Roz, splash-by-dellaroz.com, from 16 May
When novelist Holly Bourne started working at an advice website for young adults, she was shocked to find that this was the most frequently asked question. Now she is campaigning to change peoples understanding of rape

'Almost daily, there were messages from girls who had been raped, sexually assaulted, emotionally abused or plain old bullied into doing sexual acts they didnt feel ready for,' said Holly Bourne

When I was a news journalist working for a local newspaper, fresh from university, a rape was a violent attack that we splashed on the front page.

It was a crime committed by strangers against girls walking down dark alleyways, or staggering drunk around empty town centres in the early hours.

These stories were mercifully rare and usually came to us from the local police service, warning people to be careful.

Reporters rarely have time to emotionally process the stories they work on; even the worst news quickly becomes old news.

If a rape story came in, Id type it up robotically, try to grab some quotes from worried residents and move on to filling the following weeks paper.

But the vicious attacks somehow seeped into my soul and when I left, aged 24, to work for an advice website for young people, I was full of idealism and desire to make a difference.

But I quickly realised that everything I believed about sexual violence was wrong. Rape was far from rare, and having my eyes opened changed me.

The Mix is a charity that provides information and support to under-25s through its website (themix.org.uk), on social media and over the phone.

My job was to write articles on everything from managing housing problems, sexually transmitted infections and mental health to how to survive freshers week.

Its an anonymous space where young people can find reliable information on topics they may be too scared to bring up at home.

'Some Mondays I would go into work and have to deal with three rape victims in a row before ten in the morning,' said Holly

On any given day, Id be organising a YouTube video with a psychotherapist about panic attacks, then interviewing students who lap dance to pay their debts.

After three years, I was offered the chance to train as one of the charitys relationships advisers.

Young people would share their sex and relationship questions and I would send a personal and confidential reply.

I knew that I would be asked about serious issues such as self-harm as well as more light-hearted ones such as how to ask someone out.

What I wasnt prepared for, however, was the volume of questions about sexual violence.

Almost daily, there were messages from girls who had been raped, sexually assaulted, emotionally abused or plain old bullied into doing sexual acts they didnt feel ready for  usually by someone they were in a relationship with.

I began to feel my stomach tightening whenever I opened my inbox, praying: Please dont be another rape, please dont be another rape. But, almost always, there was.

Some Mondays I would go into work and have to deal with three rape victims in a row before ten in the morning.

I remember once breaking down in tears and shouting across the office, Can everyone stop raping each other? before a colleague took me out for a walk.

Despite having access to great support  a compulsory monthly clinical supervision with a psychotherapist, a buddy system and team debriefs  I struggled to process what I was hearing. What do you want to talk about? my therapist would ask.

There have been more rapes, Id always say. Worse ones since last time  one was so violent and graphically described, I was almost sick reading it. Im scared this job is going to make me hate men.

Because, nine times out of ten, it was boys who were committing these horrific acts  not just boys, but boyfriends.

Message after message came from confused girls saying it was their partners who had done this. Or boys they knew. Exes, or the nice bloke who walked them home so theyd be safe, or people from university or work.

What made it so chilling was the girls confusion. Most of the time they were asking, Was it rape?

I was asleep and when I woke up he was having sex with me.

I told him I wasnt ready and said no but he did it anyway.

Im 14 and my boyfriend is 26. He wants to have sex. Is that illegal?

I told him I didnt want to have anal sex. But then we got drunk and he pressured me into doing it. It really hurt. Is that normal?

Of all the many reports of sexual assault that arrived in my inbox, the question that came up most frequently was: Is it normal to have sex when you dont want to?

Because, like me, these girls thought rape involved strangers with knives  not their partners who kiss them nonchalantly afterwards.

'Message after message came from confused girls saying it was their partners who had done this. Or boys they knew. Exes, or the nice bloke who walked them home,' said Holly (file picture/posed by model)

The anonymity of The Mix meant that victims felt confident in coming forward. But there was a limit to the support that I could offer.

I could only reassure the girls that this wasnt their fault, encourage them to tell someone they trusted and signpost them to specialist services.

Some days, they would message back and say the answer had really helped them.

But usually they would simply disappear. Had they taken my advice? Were they OK? Were they safe  or back in the hands of their rapist? Some attacks were so chilling, I still havent spoken about them to anyone apart from the therapist who conducted my supervision.

I am a professional writer and I take words seriously. I do not think the word epidemic is inappropriate when talking about rape. This is happening in every town, every city.

This is happening to careful girls and breezy girls, sober girls and drunk girls, virgins and girls who have slept with many people. This is happening in homes, in bedrooms, in university halls.

One in five women is a statistic you hear about sexual assault, think how terrible and then forget. But where I worked, that horrific statistic was evident on every shift. My eyes were opened in a way that means they cant be shut again.

Id come home some days and feel so angry that I could hardly speak to my boyfriend. I felt part of myself hardening. Through supervision, I started to realise that it was the helplessness that was getting to me.

While supporting these girls is a hugely important thing, its just a tiny plaster on a gaping wound. And, as part of my own recovery, I discovered I needed to do something to stop these sex crimes happening in the first place.

So, I started working on a major project about consent and how to help young people learn what it is.

Talking to experts, I discovered that the first step was to help young adults understand what consent isnt. I wrote a series of rape myth articles for The Mix, exposing the many misconceptions.

Consent isnt implied  you dont have it just because youre in a relationship. In fact, youre most likely to be raped by a partner or an ex.

You have to be in a capacity to give consent, which is impossible if youre drunk or in an abusive relationship.

Finally, were teaching The Mix users that its not their responsibility to protect themselves from being raped, but the onus is on both parties to feel confident that the other is enthusiastically consenting to sex.

We created and ran consent workshops in the office and are currently working out how to turn these invaluable lessons into a digital resource that can be rolled out on a massive scale.

While working at The Mix, I would come back from a difficult shift and pour all my feelings into writing.

I began a trilogy of books about three teenage girls who start a feminist group. What begins as a small discussion club after college grows into a giant organisation where the girls start national awareness campaigns drawing attention to sexism.

The first book, Am I Normal Yet?, deals with the pressure on girls to have sex before they are ready and the second book, How Hard Can Love Be?, published earlier this year, touches on how there is no way to win sexually when you are a girl.

As they grow up, my characters encounter sexual violence and are faced with the issue of how to change a society that normalises it.

The response has been astounding. Many young girls (and boys) have contacted me on Twitter to say that the books have changed the way they think about gender and the pressures theyre under.

Some have found their way to The Mix through my books and have started to open up on there about the awful things theyve experienced.

Others have even launched their own feminist groups to fight for changes such as being allowed to wear trousers to school.

One reader has started feminist Twitter discussions, talking about how fiction can romanticise rape and abusive relationships. All of this has helped me make sense of what I heard.

These topics are uncomfortable to talk about. Rape and sexual assault  and other issues around gender  are emotive and provocative.

But Ive seen first-hand the pressing need for us to talk about it and to understand, because we need to understand in order to stop it.
In the middle of the night, a group of men hurriedly cross the India-Bangladesh border with loaded containers as Border Security Force (BSF) men turn a blind eye - this sequence, caught on camera, exposes the relationship between security officials and crime syndicates involved in smuggling and illegal migration.

These brazen and unlawful crossovers take place as the smuggling mafia finds it easy to grease the palms of officials manning the frontier.

But the evidence the human eye chooses to ignore, is captured clearly on cameras used by the BSF itself for effective surveillance in border areas.

Illegal Crossings on the India-Bangladesh border: Mail Today has accessed the images which have been submitted by a force insider to his senior to expose the relationship between smugglers and officials

The hand-held thermal cameras installed to assist the force have ironically nailed some officials who were helping groups of people involved in illegal trade and migration at a border outpost on India-Bangladesh border.

Mail Today has accessed the images which have been submitted by a force insider to his senior to expose the relationship between criminals and officials.

One officer made a complaint and a DIG-rank officer has been asked to conduct an inquiry. We are quick to probe such complaints and swift action is taken if there is credible evidence, said Sandeep Salunkhe, Inspector General, BSF, South Bengal Frontier.

Some complaints are anonymous. Even in such cases, as a matter of precaution, we do a discreet check and initiate action if there is strong evidence, he added.

It is learnt that an official posted at the Gojadanga border outpost was monitoring real-time pictures captured by hand-held thermal imagers.

He saw these images that could blow the lid off the smuggling racket and passed it on to a senior officer who, in turn, made an official complaint.

An inquiry has now been ordered. The complaint mentions that items being smuggled include fish, cotton, gas cylinders, cycles, cloth etc.

Its not just smuggling of goods and illegal migration but also fake Indian currency notes originating in Pakistan that are pushed in through the Bangldesh border.

Fake currency of Rs 9 crore was seized in West Bengal in 2015, giving jitters to the security establishment.

The BSF claims there is no organised nexus between the force and smugglers and after investigating allegations of connivance, individuals were found to be involved.

Quick action against those found guilty is the biggest deterrent. The entire force should not get a bad name because of a few black sheep, a BSF officer said.

Duties

These brazen and unlawful crossovers take place as the smuggling mafia finds it easy to grease the palms of officials manning the frontier

The BSF guards the India-Pakistan and India-Bangladesh borders and is also entrusted with other internal security duties like combating armed Maoist insurgency.

South Bengal is notorious for illegal crossovers and smuggling, but officials say this is an area that is extremely tough to guard with dense population on either side.

Most of the border here is un-fenced. Only 9 km border out of the 250 km is fenced, said a BSF officer posted in south Bengal India shares 4096.7 km of its land border with Bangladesh.

West Bengal, Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura and Mizoram are the states which share border with Bangladesh. The BSF cracked down on cattle smuggling that was rampant in these areas and in the last few years it has come down by 70-80 per cent, according to a BSF officer.

Home Minister Rajnath Singh has also lauded the force for effectively bringing down the menace on the India- Bangladesh border.

Illegal migration in the area can also be attributed to the fact that this is one of the densest borders in the world making it impossible to monitor every activity.
Mayawati of the BSP topped the list of chief ministerial candidates, with 26 per cent of the vote

Voters in Uttar Pradesh are primarily concerned with issues of law and order and the high price of essential food items, when the state goes to the polls in 2017.

The problem of widespread unemployment in Uttar Pradesh - the countrys most populous and politically crucial state - appears to be on the minds of voters, who listed lack of jobs as the third most critical issue in a survey conducted by ASUME Research, an association of social research professionals.

The state-wide survey was carried out between April 12 and April 25, from a sample size of 25,000 people, to gauge the general mood of the masses.

The survey showed that 25 per cent of the respondents identified 'law and order' as the biggest problem, which will affect the outcome of the upcoming elections.

A close second with 24 per cent votes is the issue of 'price rise', followed by 'unemployment' listed by 22 per cent respondents, as the deciding factor in the elections.

Communalism and corruption garnered 13 per cent and 10 per cent support respectively and surprisingly only six per cent claimed that development may be an important issue in the 2017 elections.

Caste & religion

The people of Uttar Pradesh, which has the maximum number of MPs in the Lok Sabha, are considered to be politically conscious and 27 per cent of those surveyed said that their votes will depend on the party and 22 per cent will decide whom to support on the basis of the candidates.

At least 15 per cent said that local issues will be the deciding factor; 12 per cent said that caste will play a role in voting for a particular candidate and only eight per cent said that votes will be polled based on religion.

The majority among the people surveyed - 42 per cent - felt that the performance of the Samajwadi Party government in the state was poor and 29 per cent termed it average.

Eighteen per cent said that the Akhilesh Yadav government is just about good while only seven per cent is in complete favour of him.

Opinion appeared divided when the people were asked if news and media influenced voters decision.

While 35 per cent respondents answered in the affirmative, 27 per cent appeared unsure and 29 per cent said no.

Commenting on the performance of the central government, 21 per cent respondents said that price-rise has been its biggest failure, followed by disruption of communal harmony.

Coming to the list of chief ministerial candidates, leading the pack in the survey was Mayawati of BSP who got support of 26 per cent respondents while Akhilesh Yadav is preferred by 22 per cent.

The survey showed that Varun Gandhi was the third choice with 20 per cent votes, followed by Priyanka Gandhi with 12 per cent support.

In a survey of potential chief ministerial candidates from various parties, Varun Gandhi from BJP received maximum votes with 45 per cent, followed by 34 per cent for Rajnath Singh.

Among those in BJP with lowest votes, were Smriti Irani with one per cent, two per cent for Manoj Sinha.

Yogi Adityanath got five per cent and Kalraj Mishra got four per cent votes.

Tough call

In the Congress, Priyanka Gandhi got the maximum votes 45 per cent, followed by 29 per cent for Rahul Gandhi.

Among the lowest vote scorers from Congress were RPN Singh with one per cent and UP unit chief Nirmal Khatri with two per cent.

While Rita Bahuguna Joshi got eight per cent, Salman Khurshid got three per cent votes. Sonia Gandhi with 29 per cent vote remained the most effective Congress face to counter Prime Minister Narendra Modi as per the survey, followed by Priyanka Gandhi with 24 per cent.
The dismissal order of ex-inspector Dinesh Kumar claims that he had allegedly called the victim 239 times

The Delhi Police has sacked a former station house officer (SHO) within a few hours his arrest for the alleged 'abetment' of suicide.

Joint commissioner of northern range blamed the ex-inspector Dinesh Kumar, who had allegedly called the victim 239 times and had also made a video of her when she visited the police station.

Video clips have been recovered from Dinesh Kumars mobile phone in which the victim is seen giving statements under pressure, in the premises of PS Vijay Vihar.

Keeping in view the seriousness of the case and above all the implication of such an act, for a disciplined force and sensitivity of the matter, I, Sanjay Singh, Joint Commissioner of Police, Northern Range, Delhi do hereby dismiss inspector Dinesh Kumar. He will deposit all his government belongings with respective branches/stores of outer district, Delhi, the dismissal order says.

According to the order, a report was received from DCP north district which leveled serious allegations against the accused.

During the investigation it was revealed that SHO/Vijay Vihar had brought the deceased victim to the police station and made a video, wherein she was pressured to give a statement. It has also come to light that Inspector Kumar was in regular touch with the wife of one Ram Niwas, a criminal from Vijay Vihar, the order says.

In her suicide note, the victim has allegedly accused Dinesh Kumar, SHO of Vijay Vihar police station, of torturing her

From the analysis of the call details of last six months, it came to light that Dinesh Kumar had called the deceased for 239 times, from his official number. Some of the conversations were for over 20 minutes and made post-midnight, Singh wrote in his order.

The top officials have shown a good gesture by dismissing the officer within a few hours of his arrest, but this promptness should be visible in other cases too. In a case, one SHO who is currently heading a sensitive police station in south-east district was found guilty by vigilance department of Delhi Police."

"Police vigilance department after conducting an inquiry, recommended that the accused SHO should be suspended and a case should be registered against him. But its been years and nothing has happened since he is getting protected by seniors, a senior rank official of Delhi police said.
Snapshots of the world on a day of rage: May 1 rioters clash with police as protests break out against austerity measures and poor working conditions



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Workers hit by lower living standards staged May Day protests across the world today hoping to persuade their governments to ease austerity measures, boost growth and improve employment conditions.



In Turkey, riot police in Istanbul fired water cannons and tear gas to disperse tens of thousands of demonstrators, some of whom threw stones at security forces as they tried to breach barricades to reach the city's main square.

The city's governor, Huseyin Avni Mutlu, said 22 police officers and three civilians were wounded in the clashes.

Roughly half of Istanbul's 40,000-strong police force was drafted in to the centre of the city to block access to Taksim Square, earlier placed off limits by authorities to a march organised by trade unions.
The Japanese manufacturer said 3.2 million cars in the US have air bags that can turn off due to

Nissan has recalled nearly four million cars with air bags that could fail in a crash.

The Japanese manufacturer said that 3.2 million vehicles in the United States could have dysfunctional sensors supposed to detect people in the front passenger seat.

The sensors are meant to be able to tell whether or not the seat is empty and whether the passenger is an adult or a child.

Defective sensors might incorrectly think that an adult is a child or classify the seat as empty, thus turning off the air bag.

Nissan has recalled nearly four million cars, including some Altimas (file picture), due to air bag issues. In the United States, 3.2 million cars could have dysfunctional sensors causing the air bag not to deploy

The recall applies to certain cars of the following models: the 2016-2017 Nissan Maxima, 2013-2016 Nissan Altima, NV200, LEAF and Sentra, 2013-2017 Nissan Pathfinder, 2014-2016 Nissan NV200 Taxi, Infiniti QX60 and Q50, 2014-2017 Nissan Rogue, 2015-2016 Nissan Murano, Chevrolet City Express and 2013 Infiniti JX35 vehicles.

Nissan will notify owners of the problem and offer to fix it for free. It hasn't said when the notices will go out or how quickly the repairs can be made.

Nissan is also recalling another 620,000 of its 2013-2016 Sentras.

In these cars, the air bag sensor has the opposite problem: It isn't shutting off when it should be.

The automaker said the front passenger seat belt bracket may become deformed if it is used to secure a child's car seat.

The recall also applies to certain Nissan Pathfinders (file picture). They may have dysfunctional sensors incapable of telling whether someone is in the front passenger seat, or whether it is an adult or a child

Nissan is also recalling another 620,000 of its 2013-2016 Sentras (file picture). In these cars, the air bag sensor has the opposite problem: It isn't shutting off when it should be

That deformed seat bracket might then cause the air bag not to shut off when it should.

Nissan has not yet figured out how to fix the problem and is warning owners not to install children's car seats at the front of their vehicles.

It will take Nissan more than a month to notify owners of the problem. The company will follow up with a second letter once it figures out a solution, which will be free.

Nissan knows of 'at least three crashes' in which the air bag system did not deploy properly, a spokesman told theNew York Times.

The passengers involved suffered 'moderate injuries' according to the spokesman, who didn't respond immediately when the newspaper asked whether they were children.

Acura, BMW, Chrysler, Ford, Honda, Lexus, Mazda, Toyota and other manufacturers also had to recall cars over air bag problems in the past year.
Warren Buffett said onSaturday that Berkshire Hathaway Inc is poisedto do well no matter who wins the White House in November.

The billionaire investor also defended the performance and tactics ofthe conglomerate's several large investments.

Buffett presided over his 51st Berkshire annual meeting inOmaha, Nebraska, where he and Vice Chairman Charlie Mungerfielded five hours of questions.

The inquires ranged from matters as Coca-Cola'ssugary drinks, lower shipping volumes on the BNSF railroad,risks from derivatives, and who might succeed Buffett as chiefexecutive.

Buffett, a staunch supporter of Democrat Hillary Clinton forpresident, was asked about the regulatory impact on Berkshire ifRepublican front-runner Donald Trump wins the 2016 U.S.presidential election.

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At the 51st Berkshire meeting in Omaha, Nebraska, Warren Buffett (pictured, left) said his company will be fine indifferent of the 2016 presidential election. Buffett took a virtual-reality image with Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates (pictured, right) on Saturday

'That won't be the main problem,' he said to audiencelaughter.

'If either Donald Trump or Hillary Clinton becomespresident, and one of them is very likely to be, I thinkBerkshire will continue to do fine.'

Because the meeting fell early this year, Berkshire alsoreleased only preliminary first-quarter results rather than fullresults, which will come out on May 6.

Berkshire said net income probably rose eight per cent, helped bya gain from the swap of Procter & Gamble Co stock for theDuracell battery business.

Operating profit probably fell 12 per cent, however. Buffettsaid BNSF was hurt by declining oil prices and coal shipments,while hailstorms caused losses in Berkshire insurance units.

'Railroad carloading throughout the industry - all of themajor railroads - were down significantly in the first quarter,and probably almost certainly will continue to be down for thebalance of the year,' Buffett said.

Buffett, the billionaire CEO of Berkshire Hathaway Inc, has been an outspoken Hillary Clinton supporter

However, he said if Donald Trump wins the presidency, Berkshire Hathaway Inc will continue to be 'fine', he said

Berkshire owns close to 90 businesses in energy, insurance,manufacturing, railroad, retail and other sectors, and investswell over $100 billion in stocks.

The meeting filled a downtown arena and overflow rooms, andshareholders could buy products made by Berkshire units at deepdiscounts in an exhibit hall.

Buffett suggested that 40,000 people may have shown up forhis 'Woodstock for Capitalists', close to last year's record,though the meeting was streamed online for the first time.

At the meeting, Buffett and Munger fielded dozens ofquestions from shareholders, analysts and journalists.

Ashareholder proposal for more disclosures on the risks toBerkshire on climate change was overwhelmingly rejected.

Buffett parried concerns raised by a shareholder, andpreviously by hedge fund manager William Ackman, that Berkshirepromotes bad health through its roughly 9-percent stake inCoca-Cola Co.

Buffett, who consumes 700 calories of Coke a day, said itseemed wrong to blame calories alone for rising obesity levels.

'I elect to get my 2,600 or 2,700 calories a day from thingsthat me feel good when I eat them,' he said, including theCherry Coke and See's peanut brittle he consumed during themeeting. 'That's my sole test.'

Buffett also renewed his defense of Brazilian private equityfirm 3G Capital, which with Berkshire has a controlling stake in food company Kraft Heinz Co, where it has built on itsreputation as a ruthless cost-cutter.

Berkshire is seen as a friendlier owner, but Buffett said3G's cuts have been 'extremely intelligent,' and did not appeara threat to Kraft Heinz's ability to produce packaged goods.

Buffett also defended efforts of Berkshire's NV Energy unitto persuade Nevada regulators to reduce subsidies for homeownersthere who use solar power, prompting Elon Musk's SolarCity Corp to say it would cease activity there.

'Ninety-nine percent of our consumers were being asked tosubsidize the one percent that had solar units,' Buffett said.'I personally think that if society is the one that's benefitingfrom the reduction of greenhouse gasses, that society shouldpick up the tab.'

Along with discussing Clinton, Trump and the 2016 election in November, Buffett discussed a host of questions regarding his company's subsidiaries

At the meeting, Buffett and Munger fielded dozens of questions from shareholders, analysts and journalists

Buffett also emphasized his worry that derivatives couldcause major risks for most of the world's largest banks ifmarkets were disrupted.

'It is still a potential time bomb,' he said, but added thathe was 'not in the least troubled' by Berkshire's big stakes inWells Fargo & Co and Bank of America Corp.

Buffett also said Geico has been hurt because falling oilprices led to more driving, more accidents and more loss claims,but said he did not 'necessarily see the same trends this year.'

He also said there are no 'tea leaves' in the recentannouncement that the next chief of the General Re reinsuranceunit will report to Buffett's insurance lieutenant Ajit Jain,not to Buffett. Some investors believe Jain is a top candidateto succeed Buffett as Berkshire's chief executive.

Buffett also said Mark Donegan, chief executive of PrecisionCastparts, which Berkshire bought in January for $32 billion,may now fare even better now that his company has the supportfrom Berkshire's deep well of capital.

Buffett suggested that 40,000 people may have shown up for his 'Woodstock for Capitalists', close to last year's record

'I would almost rank Mark as one of a kind,' Buffett said,before joking: 'If he needs capital, he's got my 800 number.'

Shareholders at the meeting included hundreds who waitedhours in a rainstorm before doors opened at 6.20am, 40minutes early.

'I wanted to make sure I got a good seat,' said Kim Baumler,an office manager for a wealth management company from Fargo,North Dakota, who said she was at the head of the line at 10:30p.m. Friday night. 'My boss is a huge Warren Buffett follower,and I got hooked. I wanted to see what it was all about.'

Mark Hughes, a money manager from Ashton, Maryland attendinghis 25th meeting, said he sees no sign Buffett and Munger arewinding down.
There have been 26 car crashes involving brumbies since 2003

The horses occupy 48 per cent of the park

Remaining horses will be kept within three low-impact areas

The animals will be shot, trapped or subjected to fertility control measures

Government scheme will see 6000 brumbies become 600 in 20 years

Wild brumbies, who have been a staple feature of the Snowy Mountains since the 1930's, are under threat as a controversial NSW government plan aims to cull the population by 90 per cent.

The plan comes in a bid to save the Kosciuszko National Park after a steep rise in the population began to threaten native wildlife.

Almost 6000 wild horses will be killed under the plan with half of the population set to disappear within the next decade.

The population of the brumby is estimated to be increasing by 20 per cent every year, which has prompted the government to consider more radical measures of population control.

The animals will be shot, trapped, or subjected to fertility control measures. Culling is set to continue over the next two decades until the population has dwindled to 600, and these horses will be kept within three low-impact areas within the alpine park.

The details of the proposal have been released in the Kosciuszko Draft Wild Horse Management Plan 2016 which was placed on public exhibition on Sunday.

The NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) says horses are damaging to the natural structures of the national park, such as riverbeds, streams, natural bogs, wetlands and soil structure, as they trample the ground when they feed or look for water.

The horses have spilled over into endangered wetland, and their hard hooves are damaging the delicate ecosystem, which could lead to the loss of some native animals.

Small native mammals, reptiles and amphibians potentially affected by habitat impacts include the broad-toothed rat, the alpine water skink, and the alpine tree frog.

The NPWS also outlined how wild horses such as brumbies can foul waterways, creating a risk to domestic and industrial water supplies.

The horses pose a potential biosecurity risk and can spread cryptosporidium- an infection of the bowel carried by a parasite - and diseases such as equine influenza, African horse sickness and tick fever, which can have a devastating impact on local farmers.

The brumby arrived in Australia on the First Fleet. Only seven survived the harrowing journey. The horses are now found all through the nation - except in Tasmania.

Efforts to re-home brumbies that are not killed have been included in the long-awaited plan, though take-up rates on similar schemes have been low, and the majority of horses end up slaughtered.

NSW Environment Minister Mark Speakman told the Daily Telegraph that wild horses would always be part of the cultural heritage of the Snowy Mountains, but the numbers were unsustainable with the fragile alpine and sub-alpine environment being damaged.

'Wild horse management is an emotive and complex issue. There are diverse opinions in the community. It is clear, however, that the broader community values the unique environmental values of Kosciuszko National Park and looks to NPWS to protect these values,' he said.

The plan said the horses occupied 48 per cent of the park, with 26 car crashes involving brumbies since 2003.
His brothers have been involved in drive-by shooting and drug distribution

Relatives of the gangland figure gunned down at a Sydney shopping centre have reportedly been involved in drive-by shootings, drug distribution and murder with a police officer describing the family as 'too good' to be linked to many of the crimes.

Convicted killer Walid 'Wally' Ahmad, 41, was shot dead in a 'well-planned ambush' on the rooftop carpark at Bankstown Central shopping centre on Friday and it has been revealed he and his brothers have been involved in at least 55 police intelligence reports over the years,The Daily Telegraph reported.

Before his death, Ahmad allegedly demanded local smash repair companies direct a percentage of their business to his Condell Park shop in Sydney's south-west.

His competitors were aware of Ahmad's history of violence, including his stint in jail in 2005 after shooting dead Mayez Dany at Greenacre in 2002.

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Relatives of gangland figure Walid 'Wally' Ahmad (pictured) gunned down at a Sydney shopping centre have been involved in drive-by shootings, drug distribution and murder

Convicted killer Walid 'Wally' Ahmad, 41, was shot dead in a 'well-planned ambush' on the rooftop carpark at Bankstown Central shopping centre on Friday

Ahmad allegedly shot Mr Dany five times at an auto wreckers business after he refused his nephew entry to a nightclub and broke his jaw, The Sydney Morning Herald reported.

Ahmad's brother, Mahmoud 'Brownie' Ahmad, was named a person of interest in the 2002 shooting, but was never charged.

On September 11, 2005, Mahmoud was charged with shooting a man named Monzer El-Husseini in the hand and shoulder. Police found a crashed car at Condell Park after the home of El-Husseini's aunt was sprayed with 32 bullets.

Mahmoud was linked to the shooting after police found a Mazda 6 with a Glock pistol and bullet casings inside. He received a shorter than expected sentence.

Another Ahmad brother, Ahmad 'Rock', was labelled a 'priority investigation,' after committing assault, theft, possessing prohibited drugs and robbery.

Police found five separate drug runs and multiple dealers, but none of the Ahmad brothers were charged, according to The Daily Telegraph.

Officers are continuing to search for the shooter who gunned down Ahmad and injured two bystanders on Friday.

They have shifted their focus to an abandoned vehicle found on the Hume Highway.

Shocking footage merged of the moment paramedics tried to resuscitate gangland figure Walid Ahmad after he was gunned down in a 'targeted attack' outside a shopping centre

Images of the crashed, abandoned vehicle in Victoria, which has led police investigators over the border from New South Wales

Police are investigating possible links between a vehicle which crashed near Benalla overnight but say they are still yet to confirm the accident is related to the Bankstown shooting

NSW Police confirmed on Saturday they had been contacted by Victoria police after a single-vehicle crash in Benalla, and were investigating if it was linked to the shooting, carried out by a masked gunman, the Sydney Morning Herald reported.

The car had been crashed into trees off the Hume Freeway near Baddaginnie overnight but when police arrived it was empty. Police are still trying to confirm who was driving the vehicle when it crashed.

Ahmad, 41, was shot dead in a 'well-planned ambush' on the rooftop carpark at Bankstown Central shopping centre in an attack which left his bodyguard and a 31-year-old woman reported by Yahoo7 to be his girlfriend, with injuries.

After the attack, shocking footage emerged of the moment paramedics tried to resuscitate the convicted killer after he was gunned down in the 'targeted attack' outside a shopping centre.

Distressing images show Ahmad, who went into cardiac arrest immediately after he was shot, lying on the ground covered in blood while a man performs CPR on his chest.

His family and friends can be heard screaming 'Walid, Walid! Don't die on me Walid!'

Police have voiced fears that a war between rival Sydney crime gangs, thought to have stemmed from a drugs debt, could escalate following the death of the convicted killer on Friday

Distressing images show Ahmad, who went into cardiac arrest immediately after he was shot, lying on the ground covered in blood

The man who died is believed to have gone into cardiac arrest immediately after he was shot. Paramedics are seen here attending to the two injured people

Police will be knocking on the doors of well-known gang members this weekend to find the person or persons responsible for killing well-known gangland figure Walid 'Wally' Ahmad.

Police don't wan't the shooting to further fuel a drug-related gang war and have told gang associates not to take the law into their own hands, Newscorp reports.

It has also been reported a senior police officer from the Middle Eastern Crime Squad has said people would 'be lining up to kill him'.

'In the past few months he has been spiralling out of control and bingeing on cocaine,' the Daily Telegraph reported.

Ahmad, a known standover man, was wanted by police for questioning the fatal shooting of Safwan Charbaji at his smash repairs business earlier this month in Condell Park.

It's feared Friday's shooting could be 'payback' for the killing, and police are investigating if indeed it is.

Before his death, Ahmad allegedly demanded local smash repair companies direct a percentage of their business to his shop in Condell Park, Sydney's south-west

'There are two distinct crime groups now involved in a feud and they are extremely violent,' a sebuir police officer told the Telegraph.

It has also been reported a large drug debt was at the centre of the long-running dispute between the two crime gangs.

'Somebody didn't pay protection for their coke run,' a source told News.com.au. 'Somebody owes 100 grand and that's what this is all about.'

'It's clearly targeted, this is not a random shooting,' Detective Superintendent David Eardley said.

'Certainly there's been a recent shooting in Condell Park. Those detectives will be reviewing this today.

'Obviously that will be the subject of an investigation to identify any linkages to the deceased man.

'We're certainly not ruling out any links - we're looking at all opportunists and all avenues of investigation.'

He said police believe the gunman may not have been working alone and that the victim was an intended target.

'The indication is that this gunman did not act alone - we had information of a white Mercedes vehicle being used,' he said. 'I can confirm that vehicle has been located burnt-out in the Greenacre area.'

Police have recovered a car believed to have been used after the deadly shooting at Bankstown on Friday

The gunman is believed to have escaped in a Mercedes, which was found burned out less than 1km away

Police have released CCTV footage showing the suspected getaway car used (driving along the road)

Police said a torched Mercedes used in the shooting was found in a street just one kilometre from the shopping centre

Police have released CCTV footage showing the suspected getaway car used after Ahmad was shot dead.

The video shows a white Mercedes driving down a nearby street followed by a white hatchback, shortly before both cars were found burnt-out in Greenacre.

Police believe the Mercedes was driven into a car park at the Bankstown Central Shopping Centre about 11.50am.

A gunman then exited the car, and opened fire on three people sitting at a table at a cafe.

A woman and a 60-year-old man suffered non life-threatening gun wounds to their legs in the attack and they are now recovering in hospital.

The man, named as Nael Hamid, is thought to be Ahmad's bodyguard and he made light of the situation by telling Seven News his injuries were due to 'fireworks'.

Moments before the attack, a man and a woman reportedly ran into the shopping centre asking about store security.

'Where's store security? Where's store security? Can you call them?' the woman said, according to news.com.au.

But the man said: 'There's not enough f***ing time.'

The pair then ran towards an escalator, which leads to the third-level gym, cafe and carpark, where the shooting occurred.

It is not known who the people were or if they were hurt in the shooting.

A woman is taken away by NSW Paramedics after she was shot in the leg in the car park at Bankstown Central shopping centre in Sydney's south-west just before 12pm on Friday

A man was treated by paramedics at the scene for gunshot wounds to his leg before being taken to hospital

Witnesses say eight shots were fired at the busy shopping centre on Friday.

'As I was parking my car, I heard gun shots. I went upstairs and there were three on the floor, two guys and a girl,' a witness told 9News.

'There was a guy lying in a pool of blood. They were trying to revive him, but he [had] passed away already.

'I was in the war zone in Lebanon, but it wasn't as scary as what I just saw.'

Fatema Islam, who works at the nearby Bankstown Hospital, says she had just parked her car when she heard two gunshots and a woman screaming.

'I thought something probably fell from the fitness (shop) and I tried not to pay attention,' Ms Islam told reporters at the shopping centre.

'A lady came out from over there, screaming and crying, saying, ''Gunshots, gunshots''. I was like, ''That can't be true''.

'I'm sorry, I'm still scared myself. It's pretty scary, especially for local people like us. It's not a very fun place to be.'

Ms Islam said she was used to treating gunshot victims, but not like this.

'We deal with this all the time, but it's different when patients come to us with gunshot wounds,' she said. 'It's different when you actually see it on the spot - it's pretty scary.'

Ahmad's niece told news.com.au how she received a panicked call from Ahmad's daughter.

'She said, 'Come get me! He's dead! He's dead!' the niece said.

Ahmad's family were seen looking distressed following the shooting at the shopping centre on Friday

The wounded man, named as Nael Hamid, is thought to be Ahmad's bouncer and made light of the situation by telling 7 News his injuries were due to 'fireworks'

Ahmad was on the run after the fatal shooting of Safwan Charbaji outside his smash repairs shop on April 9, according to The Daily Telegraph.

He was at the shop when the shots were fired and police wanted to question him in the days after the incident.

The 41-year-old, who is believed to be married with children, was also reportedly being investigated over his role in an extortion racket.

He was also jailed in 2005 after shooting dead Mayez Danny at Greenacre in Sydney's south-west in 2002.

The Sydney Morning Herald reported that he was well known for intimidation and stand over tactics, particularly in the automotive industry.

Anyone with information that could assist police is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.

Ahmad was wanted for questioning over the fatal shooting of Safwan Charbaji (pictured) outside the A Team Smash Repairs in Condell Park on April 9

There is believed to have been eight shots fired in the car park of the shopping centre on the corner of Stacey Street and Rickard Street

The shopping centre car park was closed as a precaution as police investigated

Witnesses say eight shots were fired in the busy shopping centre carpark

Investigators are looking into the possibility two cars may have been used by a man wanted over the shopping centre shooting at Bankstown in Sydney's south-west on Friday

Police were seen talking to residents in Greenacre not far from the street where the burnt-out remains of a vehicle used during a shooting was found

Bankstown Commander Dave Eardley said police believe the gunman may not have been working alone and that the victim was an intended target

A shocked witness said 'there was a guy lying in a pool of blood' in the carpark

Bankstown Central shopping centre is located about 20km south-west of Sydney

Police say a crime scene has been established and it will be examined by detectives and forensic specialists
Mengmei Leng's aunt and cousin were away for the long weekend when her uncle allegedly stabbed her to death and dumped her body in a blowhole at Snapper Point on New South Wales' Central Coast.

Derek Barrett, 27, is accused of murdering his niece between Thursday night and Sunday morning last week.

Police believe Ms Leng, returned to her home in Campsie on Thursday afternoon after spending the day shopping in Sydney, Fairfax reported.

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Derek Barrett (left) and his alleged murder victim Mengmei Leng whose body was dumped in a blowhole

NSW Police have release CCTV footage of Mengmei Leng, 25, shopping at Pitt Street in central Sydney about 3pm last Thursday

She was allegedly murdered inside the family home.

Her aunt and cousin were away for the weekend, the Daily Telegraph reports.

She attempted to fight off her attacker and suffered a number of defensive wounds, as well as over 30 stabbing blows, the autopsy revealed.

It is believed CCTV footage captured a car entering Lake Munmorah national park around 7am on Sunday.

Police will allege Ms Lengs body was inside the car.

Mr Barrett, a former IT worker, was unemployed at the time of the murder.

Police will allege that he stabbed Ms Leng more than 30 times and are awaiting further forensic results.

Mr Barrett was arrested on Friday and appeared at Parramatta Bail Court on Saturday via video link - he did not apply for bail.

He wore a blue forensic jumpsuit and did not speak nor show any emotion throughout the hearing, The Daily Telegraph reported.

He will appear at Burwood Local Court on Wednesday.

Her body was found at the bottom of a blowhole near Snapper Point on Sunday. Above is an image from CCTV

Thousands of tributes have flooded Ms Leng's social media accounts since she was identified as the girl in the blowhole.

'Such a beautiful girl taken too soon by a monster, may you be at peace,' one Instagram user wrote.

'No longer willing to heaven a better kind of pain all believe that the law will severely punish the murderer will not let him go unpunished hope parents must take care to hold the body together waiting for legal rulings,' wrote another.

Her last photo on the social media platform has attracted more than 2,000 comments with many people calling for the 'perpetrator' to be brought to justice.

'The murderer will definitely be sent to hell, the deepest level of hell and bear the greatest torture,' another person commented.

Even strangers have been leaving tributes.

'I don't know you, but you are so beautiful and lively. I feel sick that your life has been taken from you,' one wrote.

'I feel a terrible sadness about this young woman's passing though I didn't personally know her. May you be seated at the head of God's table dear. RIP,' said another.

Ms Leng appears to have visited the site of her alleged murder in the past, as she posted a photo to her Instagram account of the exact same blowhole almost three years ago on June 13, 2013

Ms Leng appears to have visited the site of her alleged murder in the past, as she posted a photo to her Instagram account of the exact same blowhole almost three years ago on June 13, 2013.

Ms Leng was earlier identified as a University of Technology Sydney graduate, and NSW Police released CCTV footage of her shopping at Pitt Street in central Sydney about 3pm last Thursday.

Also known as Michelle, Ms Leng caught a train from St James Railway Station, arriving at Campsie Railway Station about 4.30pm three days before her body was found on Sunday, April 24.

The 25-year-old, who is originally from China, is a University of Technology Sydney graduate who studied economics and hospitality business management.

Ms Leng was living with her aunt and uncle at Campsie, in Sydney's south-west, and had been living in Australia for five years.

Her mother and brother live in China and she was also studying translation at UTS before her death.

A picture of Ms Leng on her graduation day last year after getting her economics and hospitality business management degree

Friends of Ms Leng said they last saw her at a bus stop outside UTS on Friday before the long weekend and she may have been planning to meet someone for a date, news.com.au reported.

Det Chief Insp Jubelin said on Friday she had been communicating with friends on her mobile phone up until Thursday night and she did not post on social media following that time.

He also said it was 'out-of-character' and 'unusual' for Ms Leng to disappear.

'From all the information we've gathered in relation to the young lady, she was very responsible, would always stay in contact with her family, let them know where she was going, so there was concerns when she disappeared,' Det Chief Insp Jubelin said.

'So it is definitely out-of-character for her.'

The blowhole at Snapper Point is a notorious spot popular with fisherman. In eight years, there have been 16 deaths at and around the spot

Friends of Ms Leng said they last saw her at a bus stop outside UTS on Friday before the long weekend

Ms Leng's family have been informed of her death and Det Chief Insp Jubelin said he did not think 'devastated properly describes' the way her relatives were feeling.

Chinese media reported that her mother was applying for a visa in order to fly to Sydney.

'It is difficult and traumatic for her family so far away at this time,' he said.

'Speaking to the brother, he was shocked by it and there is a lot of pain.

'They're dealing with it as best they can but it's a very sad situation.'

Homicide detectives are scouring CCTV and traffic cameras to map out Ms Leng's final movements.

They are also speaking to her family members, friends and associates.

Det Chief Insp Jubelin said there was no 'clear or concise motive' at this stage of the investigation.

'It just seems like a senseless crime for a lady like that to be killed and murdered in the situation that occurred,' he said.

Friends and acquaintances paid tribute to Ms Leng on Chinese and Australian social media sites.

'Devastated. Hope there is no pain in Heaven,' one friend said.

The 25-year-old, who is originally from China, is a University of Technology Sydney graduate

Ms Leng, also known as Michelle, caught a train from St James Railway Station, arriving at Campsie Railway Station about 4.30pm

'Cherish life, as you never know which day is your last day,' another said.

'Who would've thought she was gone.'

Ms Leng was an adventurer who recently travelled to Hobart for a getaway and regularly embarked on day trips around New South Wales.

In recent weeks, she posted a video from West Head lookout near Sydney Harbour, pictures from Resolute Beach, north of the city, in the Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park, and Werri Beach on the south coast.

Like so many girls her age, she would often post pictures of herself having cocktails and glasses of wine with friends and hip Harbourside on weekends.

Ms Leng is originally from Chengdu, the capital of the Sichuan province, according to an old missing persons report circulated online.

Ms Leng's body was found floating in a blowhole at Snapper Point at the Munmorah State Conservation Area on Sunday morning.

Earlier this week, Det Chief Insp Jubelin said Ms Leng suffered a 'violent assault' before her death.

'The post-mortem revealed the woman had suffered a number of wounds, significantly some stab wounds,' he said.

'Our interpretation of the situation is that she suffered a violent assault prior to her death.'

Detectives are hopping to pieces together Ms Leng's movements over the long weekend after she was reported missing to Campsie Police on Monday by a relative

Ms Leng's body was found floating in a blowhole at Snapper Point at the Munmorah State Conservation Area on Sunday morning

Police released a photo composite of Ms Leng's face when they were unable to identify her after her body was found on Sunday

Det Chief Insp Jubelin said her body was found in an area frequented by tourists and rock fisherman, but it was somewhat isolated.

'It is a very beautiful location but for a crime and someone to be disposed of in that manner in the location its a very lonely and isolated area,' he said.

Ms Leng was discovered face down on Sunday morning and authorities believe she could not have been there for any longer than 48 hours, and it was likely much less than that.

'She was found at 10.30am so this is suggestive of the fact that perhaps her body hadn't been there very long in the water,' Mr Jubelin said.

In eight years, there have been 16 deaths between Snapper Point and Frazer Park, which covers an area of 3km along the coast line.
A retired nurse rushed to hospital with a serious illness returned home two weeks later to discover that her cats had been rehomed by the RSPCA and her pet sheep had been shot.

Five cats were removed the same day that Irene Brown was found unconscious by police at her home after being struck with meningitis.

A sixth cat was put down due to its age. Her three sheep were shot the next day in the presence of an RSPCA inspector and their remains fed to the hounds of a local hunt.

Irene Brown was rushed to hospital with a serious illness and returned home two weeks later to discover that her cats had been rehomed

Shot: The three pet sheep (pictured) belonging to Irene Brown were fed to foxhounds

There is no suggestion that any of the animals kept by 68-year-old Miss Brown were mistreated or neglected, but when she was released from hospital after fighting for her life, they were all gone.

Two of the five cats taken away were legally owned by a local animal sanctuary  they had placed the animals with Miss Brown because they regarded her as an exemplary carer. The sanctuary said both pets were microchipped.

Later, Miss Brown said the RSPCA inspector who took the cats away refused to hand them back as they were now in new loving homes.

Last night, a tearful Miss Brown told The Mail on Sunday: My cats are my life and Ive always cared a lot more about my pets than people. I couldnt believe my sheep had been slaughtered. The RSPCA have behaved without any respect for me or my animals.

The charity insists it did not authorise the killing of the sheep, but witnesses said an RSPCA inspector stood by as they were killed.

Miss Brown collapsed at her home in Wellingborough, Northamptonshire, last December and police, alerted by neighbours, broke in.

RSPCA officials were summoned and Miss Browns sister  who does not live nearby  signed over the cats to the charity.

It wasnt her decision to make, and the RSPCA shouldnt have done it either, Miss Brown said.

Snowball, at 22 by far eldest of the six cats, was put to sleep, which Miss Brown had no issue with.

But the other five were healthy cats which were well looked after and some kind of temporary care could have been arranged, but they were all just taken away, she said.

Three Lincoln Longwool pure-bred sheep  named Nilla, Daisy May and Tiny Rambo  which were kept in the field behind her house, were to be dealt with the next day.

Five cats, including Fluffy (left) and Simba (right) were removed the same day that Irene Brown was found unconscious by police

Sooty was removed when Irene fell ill

An 81-year-old retired vet arrived at the property, accompanied by a licensed slaughterman from a local hunt  and the RSPCA inspector.

Lisa Duffy, who keeps horses in an adjacent part of the field, couldnt believe what she was seeing  especially as she had already agreed with Miss Browns sister to look after the sheep herself.

My husband drove down with our young kids to see what was going on when a van arrived. The RSPCA woman was in the field with two men. She told us they were taking the sheep and we assumed theyd been found a new home.

I offered her two bags of sheep nuts [feed] and she said they wouldnt need them. The next thing, the vet told me to get the kids away, and we just heard bang, bang, bang and the carcasses were loaded into a van. It was shocking.

I knew how upset Irene would be. I was happy to look after them for as long as necessary.

The hunt has since apologised to Miss Brown and, as a gesture of goodwill, bought her three replacement sheep. But no such apology has come from the RSPCA and there has been no offer to return her cats.

When she asked for Simba, Sooty, Nala, Fluffy and Fian back, Miss Brown says she was told by the RSPCA inspector that her home was an unsafe environment as it was cluttered.

She maintains the house was in disarray after the emergency services moved furniture to get her out of the property.

After clearing up, I spoke to the inspector a second time. She said three of the cats had been rehomed and the other two were about to be rehomed, Miss Brown said. She said the new owners had grown to love them, but Id had them for four years.

When she asked for Simba, Sooty, Nala (left), Fluffy and Fian (right) back, Miss Brown says she was told by the RSPCA inspector that her home was an unsafe environment as it was cluttered

Roseanna Richardson, owner of the Brook Farm Animal Sanctuary, confirmed they had rehomed three cats with Miss Brown, but routinely retained legal ownership.

Weve inspected Irenes house and never had any issues about her suitability, Ms Richardson said. It might be a little cluttered but to suggest that presents a danger to the cats is laughable. I was shocked to find out what has happened  we would have happily looked after the cats or the sheep here.

The RSPCA said: We were asked to rehome these cats in response to an urgent request by the police and family.

'The family was given a number of options of care for the cats but after considering them, they asked us to rehome them. All of this was done in the best interests of the animals and with all necessary approvals, in the presence of police.
The horse-riding community is in mourning following the death of a teenager during a major equestrian competition in Sydney.

Caitlyn Fischer, 19, from Bairnsdale in Victoria was riding her horse Ralphie at the Sydney International Horse Trials on Saturday morning when the accident occurred.

Organisers of the event said Ms Fisher was riding in the one star competition when her horses foot caught on the second fence about 10.40am.

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Caitlyn Fischer (pictured), 19, from Bairnsdale in Victoria was riding her horse Ralphie at the Sydney International Horse Trials when she fell off in a fatal accident

The horse then fell on top of Ms Fischer.

An on-course doctor and paramedic at the Sydney International Equestrian Centre in the city's west were unable to revive her.

Equestrian Australia has extended its condolences to Ms Fischer's family on behalf of the sport.

'The thoughts and prayers of horse people all over the country are with Caitlyn's family and friends at this sad time,' chair Judy Fasher told reporters in Sydney on Saturday.

Hundreds of tributes and condolence messages have been posted to social media.

'We are all deeply saddened by the tragic incident this morning,' Equestrian Life magazine posted on Facebook.

People from the horse-riding community are marking her death by posting photos with #rideforcaitlyn in the caption.

Her death has brought an end to the three-day event, which was also hosting trials for the Rio Olympics

Hundreds of tributes and condolence messages have been posted to social media

People from the horse-riding community are marking her death by posting photos with #rideforcaitlyn in the caption

The horse-riding community is in mourning following the death of a teenager during a major equestrian competition in Sydney

She was riding her horse Ralphie (pictured) when the incident occurred at the second fence

The horse, Ralphie is in a stable condition following the accident but is being watched by veterinarians.

It has been reported that Caitlyn's mother, Ailsa Carr was watching her compete when the accident happened, while her father Mark and brother were due to fly to Sydney on Saturday afternoon.

The accident occurred on a 1.1 metre jump which is designed as a 'warm up' for rider and horse according to the equestrian community.

The competition has been cancelled for the day as police investigate and prepare a report for the coroner (pictured Caitlyn riding Ralphie)

Her death comes after rising teenage equestrian star Olivia Inglis died while competing in the state's Hunter Valley in March.

Olympic medallist Shane Rose has said it is 'unbelievable Caitlyn died jumping that fence.

'I have ridden on this venue many, many times. I have jumped the fence that was in question on many occasions. It was a very rudimentary fence. It's generic in its nature,' Mr Rose said.

'There's nothing in its nature that would, for me as a rider, give me any concerns about its shape. It's basically a fence to get the horses confident and going well, so when they get later in the course and they're tested, they're in a shape to do it. For it to happen on a fence such as that is unbelievable.'

Other's in sport have called both Olivia and Caitlyn's deaths 'freak accidents'.
A leading art dealer has revealed the moment he barred a leather-clad Freddie Mercury from his antiques shop  because he feared he was staging a robbery.

Gordon Watson, whose customers include Elton John, Mick Jagger and Madonna, explained how he was closing up one Christmas when the late Queen star knocked on the door with a friend.

Wed had several robberies, one an armed robbery, so were wary, he told The Mail on Sunday.

Gordon Watson (left), whose customers include Elton John, Mick Jagger and Madonna, was closing up one Christmas when Freddie Mercury (right) knocked on the door - but he turned him away

Minutes after refusing to let him in, Watson received a furious phone call from the late Queen star's manager, demanding they be allowed into the Chelsea store

These guys were wearing leather jackets, caps and boots. They didnt say who they were. We told them we were closed but they kept rattling the grille.

The pair finally went away, but minutes later Mr Watson received an angry call from Mercurys manager. I had mistaken a robbers outfit for what was de rigueur for a certain section of the gay community, he said. I apologised and said he should come back.

He did and spent 40,000 on Lalique glass, but there was no eye contact. I packed them off in his limo and said Merry Christmas, Im so sorry, but the door just slammed. He never came back.

Mr Watson, 62, made a string of indiscreet revelations about his famous clients ahead of starring in a new BBC series this week.

Sir Mick Jagger has been his most loyal customer, frequenting his shop in Chelsea up to five times a year. Hed arrive in a local minicab, wed get the jewels out and the girls would tremble, Mr Watson revealed. Hed look at five pieces of the most exquisite jewellery and say, That seems expensive but will you keep these for me?

He always came back. I dont think he was just buying for Jerry [Hall], but who can tell.

Watson made a series of indiscreet revelations about his famous clients ahead of a new BBC series this week. He also branded interior designer Kelly Hoppen's taste 'anodyne' and recounted a brush with the Beckhams

He also recounted a brush with the Beckhams. The stars themselves dont come in any more, they send their decorators in, Mr Watson said. I recently discovered that we sent a lot of chairs, sofas, concert tables and lights to the Beckhams. It all came back.

Perhaps an indication of bad taste? I think thats guaranteed, Mr Watson said. If theyre sending my fabulous things back  We sort of knew their other house had big blow-up photographs of them both. Now theyre buying contemporary art from serious galleries and using serious decorators. Mr Watson also took on interior designer Kelly Hoppen, saying: I dont like what she stands for. Its too anodyne. Its not just Hoppen. Its any of that beige brigade who take the easy route. People should do what they want but be strong, dont be tepid  and dont be taupe.

He hopes the BBC show, in which he noses around the collections of Lord Rothschild and David Rocksavage, 7th Marquess of Cholmondeley, among others, will inspire Britons to start collecting.

I want to show that anyone, rich or poor, can collect, he said. Now everyone just wants the treasure in grandmas bottom drawer that they believe is worth a million pounds.
Prince Charles, one of Britains biggest landowners, has strongly criticised the Government over its cuts to flood defences on private land.

In blunt letters to the Environment Agency, the quango charged with protecting the countryside, Charles questioned the morality of the cuts.

But last night critics warned him to stay out of politics and said his intervention left him vulnerable to allegations of a conflict of interest.

In one letter, a copy of which has been obtained by The Mail on Sunday under Freedom of Information laws, the Princes assistant private secretary Michael Whitehead reveals Charles is concerned over plans to stop paying for the maintenance of flood defences on private land.

Prince Charles (left), one of Britains biggest landowners, has strongly criticised the Government over its cuts to flood defences on private land. Sir Philip Dilley (right) quit a few months after being criticised for holidaying in Barbados as floods hit northern England over Christmas

Landowners in some parts of the country are already having to pick up the bill themselves.

In the letter dated November 18, 2015, Mr Whitehead told Sir Philip Dilley, then chairman of the Environment Agency: You will recall that we briefly spoke about the difficulties that some private rural landowners are facing with the withdrawal of Environment Agency support and I did just want to convey some of the concerns that The Prince of Wales has heard recently.

Mr Whitehead added: I therefore wonder whether you might look into this decision, because, if nothing else on a strictly moral basis, it would seem to be rather unreasonable.

Mr Dilley quit a few months later after being criticised for holidaying in Barbados as floods hit northern England over Christmas.

The Environment Agency redacted parts of Mr White-heads letter before this news-paper was allowed to see it so it is unclear if Charles is highlighting the plight of particular landowners.

A spokeswoman for Clarence House last night insisted that Charles  whose Duchy of Cornwall estate covers more than 135,000 acres in different parts of Britain  was not acting out of self-interest but speaking for other landowners.

In the letter dated November 18, 2015 (pictured), the Princes assistant private secretary Mr Whitehead told Sir Philip Dilley, then chairman of the Environment Agency: You will recall that we briefly spoke about the difficulties that some private rural landowners are facing with the withdrawal of Environment Agency support'

She said: The letters warned against the unintended consequences which may result from the Environment Agency transferring liability for flood defence maintenance and flood damage to individuals.

But last night, Labour MP Roger Godsiff said: Quite frankly the Prince should stay out of politics. I dont think its right he should have privileged access to departments, particularly when it can be suggested that as a landowner he has a vested interest in the issue.

Whether he benefits or not is irrelevant  its the appearance his actions give.

'Some people will inevitably think he is lobbying on behalf of landowners like himself. I dont think its a sensible thing to do from the Monarchys point of view.

Dr John Kirkhope, a visiting professor at Plymouth University and a campaigner for greater transparency from Charles, said: The Prince is not just asking to be kept informed about an issue of public policy.

'He is asking for a particular decision to be overturned. That is not acceptable.

However, rural campaigners backed Charles.

Martin Rogers, an environment policy adviser with the National Farmers Union, warned: A lot of land may start to become permanently wet and taken out of agricultural production altogether.

The Environment Agency has an annual maintenance bill of 171 million for flood defences on private land but says it needs to concentrate resources on heavily populated areas.

Last night it confirmed that it had withdrawn support for defences in 18 parts of the country.
The Queen has banned drones from the Sandringham estate amid fears that the Royal Family could be targeted by unmanned aircraft carrying a bomb or chemical weapon.

It will also help to foil paparazzi photographers hoping to take aerial pictures of Royals on shooting parties or taking part in other private activities.

The ban covers all 20,000 acres of the Sandringham estate in north Norfolk, believed to be the largest single area in the UK where the landowner has banned the use of all drones without permission.

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The Queen (pictured) has banned drones from the Sandringham estate amid fears that the Royal Family could be targeted by unmanned aircraft carrying a bomb or chemical weapon

The Department for Transport first made it a criminal offence from last December for low-flying aircraft including drones to be flown at any time within 1.5 miles of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridges home at Anmer Hall on the estate.

Offenders risk a 5,000 fine.

The restrictions are similar to the drone bans around military bases, nuclear power stations and airports.

Tristan Haskins, 47, who runs aerial photography firm DroneVista from Hunstanton, Norfolk, said: A drone costing about 1,000 can easily carry 3kg [6 lb 9oz] of explosives.

The Department for Transport first made it a criminal offence from last December for low-flying aircraft including drones (pictured) to be flown at any time within 1.5 miles of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridges home at Anmer Hall on the estate

'They can be flown from up to two miles away towards a target at 20mph, making very little noise.

'A target could be programmed in using an iPad and Google maps.

'Terrorists could launch a multiple attack using five drones.

You might shoot down one or two, but some could still get through. It is a real concern.

Buckingham Palace declined to comment.
A tiny group of hedgehogs living in an inner-city car park have become the latest prickly problem to hit the 50 billion High Speed Two rail scheme.

Animal experts at London Zoo have joined hundreds of other opponents of the HS2 project as they try to protect the only group of wild hedgehogs in a Royal Park.

The small band of 11 hedgehogs, who do not live in the zoo itself but in its car park, have managed to survive the dangers of the tens of thousands of vehicles and visitors who visit the world-famous attraction in Regents Park every year.

London Zoo experts have warned a group of hedgehogs living in the zoo's car park could be devastated by HS2 plans to turn it into a lorry depot

But now the zoos ecologists are warning that the hedgehogs could be devastated by HS2 plans to turn the car park into a lorry depot during the building of the new line from London to Birmingham.

The London Zoological Society, which runs the zoo near Euston Station, is among 827 petitioners to the House of Lords objecting to the impact of the proposed HS2 line.

The ecologists say that changing the car park into an HGV holding area would lead to the decline or even extinction of the hedgehogs.

HS2s own ecologists suggested relocating the hedgehogs, but a zoo newsletter this month revealed that its experts had dismissed that idea and had demanded to meet HS2 bosses this month.

The small band of 11 hedgehogs, who do not live in the zoo itself but in its car park, have managed to survive the dangers of the tens of thousands of vehicles and visitors who visit the world-famous attraction in Regents Park every year

Fay Vass, chief executive of the British Hedgehog Preservation Society, which is launching Hedgehog Awareness Week today, supported the zoos objections.

Ms Vass said: Its the only Royal Park with a hedgehog population.
29 batons and 24 sets of handcuffs have also gone missing

A loaded gun and 30 rounds of ammunition were swiped from a senior Sydney detective when he forgot his backpack after eating at McDonald's.

It is the most serious incident in a string of examples, uncovered under the Freedom of Information Act, involving careless cops and missing gear.

NSW police officers have also lost dozens of batons, handcuffs, radios and breath-testing kits in the past three years, the Sydney Morning Herald reported.

Figures released under the Freedom of Information Act reveal that NSW Police have lost dozens of pieces of equipment since 2013. The most serious incident involved a Glock pistol being lost at a Sydney McDonald's

In April 2013 detective senior constable Mark Ellims forgot to take his backpack with him after eating at a Mcdonald's in Mascot, Sydney, with six other officers.

He left his gun, ammunition, a baton and a bible in the bag, which was quickly snatched by thief Benjamin John Aurisch.

After realising the mistake it took police three hours to track Aurisch down, by which time he had passed the weapon to a friend, never to be seen again.

The officer faced 'internal disciplinary action' over the incident and has since gone on to become a senior Drugs Squad detective.

Aurisch received a 12 month prison sentence after pleading guilty in Sydney District Court to possessing a loaded firearm and possessing a prohibited weapon.

Detective senior constable Mark Ellims had the high-powered pistol and 30 rounds of ammunition in his bag, which he forgot to pick up when he left the restaurant

NSW Police have lost one gun, 29 batons, 27 breath-testing kits and 24 sets of handcuffs since 2013

The figures, obtained from the police armoury, show that NSW police officers have lost one gun, 29 batons, 27 breath-testing kits, 24 sets of handcuffs and 16 portable radios since 2013.

Explanations for the lost gear include seven batons and seven sets of handcuffs going missing when officers retired, and two batons lost in separate incidents when officers moved house.

Gear was also lost during violent arrests, foot pursuits and bush searches.

Assistant Commissioner Greg Rolph, of the Professional Standards Command, said officers that lost police equipment would be disciplined depending on how serious the incident was.
An African tannery supplying leather for Ralph Lauren shirts that sell for 2,000 in some of the worlds most exclusive boutiques has received funding from British taxpayers.

Thousands of pounds of foreign aid was spent on two failed projects at the tannery in Nigeria where, according to bosses, workers also prepare hides used to make designer goods for luxury brand Louis Vuitton.

Last night the extraordinary revelation that overseas aid funds have been used to support the multi-billion-pound fashion industry sparked a furious reaction from MPs demanding an end to the UKs commitment to spend at least 0.7 per cent of national income on foreign aid.

MP Jacob Rees Mogg said: No one expects British aid money to subsidise the likes of Louis Vuitton, they are quite capable of paying their own way. It is not the right approach for overseas aid at all.

FROM AFRICA TO 2,000 RALPH LAUREN SUEDE TOP

1. CASH TO NIGERIAN TANNERY: The dilapidated Gods Little Tannery factory on an industrial estate on the outskirts of Kano in northern Nigeria. Here local goat skins are treated and then sold. The British Council funded a project at the plant to reduce pollution

2. BOSS'S CATWALK BOASTS: Tannery workers wash goat skins in anti-fungal solution before packing them for export. Some wear masks to avoid fumes, others tie black bin bags round their waists as aprons. Winstons supervisors earn 100 a month. He proudly boasts he has worked with Louis Vuitton for 16 years

A Mail on Sunday investigation has discovered that The British Council provided cash for two disastrous projects at Gods Little Tannery, which is on the northern boundary of the sprawling city of Kano in northern Nigeria.

Winston Udeagha (pictured) is the eldest son of the owner of Gods Little Tannery factory, Kofi Udeagha

One scheme was to treat effluent from the factory, so harmful chemicals could be extracted, avoiding the pollution of a nearby river. It was halted because large fans needed for the process never arrived.

The other project was an attempt to make poultry feed from by-products of the leather production process.

Both schemes would no doubt be welcomed by the fashion industry which is under pressure to improve its ethical credentials.

Mr Rees Mogg added: If you look in the annual reports of these big fashion companies they will have a statement on their social and environmental policy.

'It will almost certainly say they work to the highest social and environmental standards. These are the sort of projects they volunteer to take on and they cant expect the cost of it to fall on British tax payers.

Mail on Sunday investigators charted the incredible journey of the leather hides from the dilapidated tannery in Kano to the hub of the African leather importing business in Southern Italy.

The majority of the Gods Little Tannery skins shipped to Southern Italy are bought by leather agents the Romano brothers who in turn sell them on to a local tannery called Europell.

There the hides are turned into suede and then sold on to factories in Tuscany and northern Italy that produce clothes, bags and shoes for a host of designer brands, including Yves Saint Laurent, Ralph Lauren, Fendi, Gucci, Louis Vuitton, Jimmy Choo and Valentino.

One of the Tuscan factories is run by the Morelli Group owned by Monaldo Morelli. His company has 200 employees and an annual turnover of around 35 million.

Mr Morelli said: They [the suede items] started in Nigeria.

3. THE ITALIAN CONNECTION: Pasquale de Piano, owner of the Europell factory in southern Italy, checks the skins from Nigeria. In Italy they are treated again and turned into suede. They are then sold on to factories in other parts of Italy to be transformed into hugely expensive designer goods for luxury brands

4. 2k TOP YOU HELPED CREATE: Monaldo Morelli, owner of the Morelli Group factory in Tuscany, and a colleague examine a suede shirt already bearing the distinctive motif of the Ralph Lauren brand. It will be part of next years collection and will go on sale for 2,000. The Morelli Group has a turnover of 35 million

Production development manager at Morelli, Allegra Colussi, showed off a suede womens shirt for Ralph Lauren which was made using Nigerian suede from Europell.

Named the Charmain, the suede shirt is destined to be part of Ralph Laurens forthcoming collection.

Senior product manager at Morelli, Valentina Zancarlin, said the factory sells items such as the shirt to Ralph Lauren for around 275.

The fashion giant will then mark up the garment by seven or eight times  meaning the Charmain shirt will be expected to retail for more than 2,000.

Ralph Lauren failed to respond to requests to discuss its forthcoming collection, but a similar shirt currently available on the companys website costs 1,882.

Back in Kano, Winston Udeagha, eldest son of Gods Little Tannery owner Kofi Udeagha, said his supervisors earned around 100 a month and that the company sold the skins for 1.40 per square metre. He said his company had been dealing with Louis Vuitton for 16 years.

At the tannery, workers dip goatskins into vats of chemicals wearing black bin-liners adapted as aprons around their waists.

Look of luxury: A model shows off a Ralph Lauren suede shirt from a previous collection

Professor Abdul Audu, former head of chemistry at Bayero University in Kano, was involved in the British Council project to manage the impact of effluent when it was launched in 2008.

He revealed: I instructed the management to dig a large pit where we could install machinery to assist in the separation of chemicals. The pit was dug but it turned out that further work was impossible.

The second scheme backed by the British Council concerned poultry feed. For several months hundreds of chickens were fed pomo  a food made from boiling cow, goat or sheep skin.

It is a porridge-like meal eaten by some Nigerians. A control group of birds fed regular feed, maize and palm kernels did far better so the scheme was scrapped. Together, the schemes cost the British Council 10,000.

In September 2011 the British Council also spent 2,000 flying top British leather designer Bill Amberg to a fashion week in Nigerias capital, Lagos.

The Council is officially a registered charity, but receives 20 per cent of its funding from the Foreign Office.

A spokesman for the British Council said it had made a small contribution to the business in 2007. He added: It makes a positive contribution to the Nigerian economy which helps to stabilise the region.

Louis Vuitton also declined to comment.
Britain has suspended aid to Mozambique, one of the worlds poorest nations, after secret loans meant to fund a state-owned tuna-fishing firm were instead used to buy expensive military patrol boats from France.

The Department for International Development (DFID), which has been sending 84 million a year to Mozambique, turned off the tap after the government there confessed to almost 1 billion of debts it had failed to disclose while taking aid money.

The move follows similar suspensions of aid from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank, which includes Britain among its biggest donors.

The bizarre scandal emerged after Mozambique took delivery of eight military vessels.

They currently sit high and dry on a concrete dock in the port area of the capital, Maputo.

Mozambique said most of the secret loans had been used to fund maritime security and shipyards, including eight speedboats, pictured at the port in the country's capital, Maputo

The boats, which include three futuristic-looking 130ft trimarans able to carry heavy-calibre machine guns, were bought with the proceeds of loans taken out in 2013, supposedly to create a state fishing firm.

Critics questioned such lavish spending on fishing boats by an impoverished and highly indebted nation but the government went ahead and sold bonds based on an estimated tuna catch of 200,000 tons a year, worth 140 million.

The recorded catch for 2014 was 6,000 tons.

Some of the cash raised by the bonds sale was used to buy 24 fishing boats. But hundreds of millions more was spent on security equipment for coastal protection, including patrol boats, light aircraft and drones.

The fishing firm was supposed to help fund loan repayments of 177 million a year. It reportedly made a 17 million loss in its first year.

Last month Mozambiques prime minister, Carlos Agostinho do Rosario, admitted to the IMF that loans were taken out secretly by his predecessor without telling parliament or donors.

The IMF, which bailed out Mozambique with emergency help last October, instantly stopped payment of a second 200 million tranche. The countrys credit rating fell sharply.

Economist Joseph Hanlon, an expert on Mozambique, said: At least $2.2 billion [1.5 billion], equivalent to all government spending for five months, has been squandered in secret on boats of dubious necessity and, it is widely assumed, on corrupt payments.

The secret loans were meant to fund a state-owned tuna-fishing firm in the impoverished country. Britain has since suspended aid to Mozambique

Hanlon, a senior fellow of the London School of Economics, added that the careers of aid officials were largely determined by how much money they dispensed, saying: Despite war and scandal, Mozambique is seen as a country they can work with.

The scandal appears to be a classic case of fungibility  the term used to describe how money provided from outside for poverty relief permits rulers to divert funds into pet projects or their own pockets.

About a quarter of the cash- strapped countrys budget comes from overseas donors.

Britain is among key donors, boasting on its website that UK aid is helping Mozambique transform itself into a thriving gateway of trade and investment.
Rescue teams were unable to reach the men last night due to poor weather

An injured knee has seen two men spend a rainy night on Mount Beerwah

Two hikers have been winched to safety after finding themselves trapped on a mountain in the Sunshine Coast for almost 24 hours.

The pair became stranded on Mount Beerwah after finding themselves in an awkward spot when one fell and suffered a serious cut to his leg on Saturday evening.

They had camped out on the mountain after rescuers were unable to reach them by foot on Saturday night.

Heavy rain and low-lying cloud on Sunday hampered efforts to rescue the men, whose ordeal was finally over when they were winched to safety by a CareFlight helicopter around 3pm.

Two hikers have become trapped on Mount Beerwah after one severely injured his knee and became incapable of walking

Emergency services tried to reach them on Saturday night, but were deterred by the weather, leaving the men to find shelter on their own in the rain

The men called emergency services around 6pm on Saturday night to request assistance returning from the mountain after one fell and lacerated his knee, leaving the duo in an awkward spot.

The injured man was able to stand, but not able to walk, which forced the pair to spend the night on the rainy mountain.

Incident controller Inspector Chris White from Queensland Fire and Emergency Services, told the Brisbane Times that crews had spent the night trying to get to the men, who are said to be on a difficult section of the mountain to reach.

"We have had experienced SES climbers on the mountain all night under fairly ordinary conditions," he said.

"Primarily to provide them with some thermal blankets, water and sustenance, but we were unable to reach the men last night."

Mount Beerwah is the highest of the Glasshouse Mountains and at some points is a straight vertical climb. Those who reach the top are rewarded with stunning views across the Sunshine Coast

The Glasshouse Mountains (pictured) consist of 11 volcanic peaks. Mount Beerwah is the highest and said to be one of the hardest to climb.

Mount Beerwah is the highest of the Glasshouse Mountains, a group of 11 volcanic peaks on the Sunshine Coast in Queensland. It is said to be one of the hardest to climb, and stuck climbers are a common occurrence.

Just weeks ago, another climbing duo found themselves stuck after one suffered an apparent broken leg and soft tissue injuries. They were removed from the mountain roughly 400 metres up the climbing track.

Both duos found their rescue efforts hampered by the rain, which makes the mountain harder to reach by both air and foot.

The mountain is a popular tourist destination, but it is not uncommon for climbers to become trapped. Just weeks ago, another duo became stuck after one climber broke their leg

Rescue operations recommenced at first light on Sunday morning, though continuing rain impacted the vision from the helicopter and the crew were unable to see the men.

Inspector White said they were hoping for weather conditions to clear to get the chopper back in the air to winch the men to safety.

"If the weather doesn't clear we will have to look at sending other crews up to reach them today," he said.

Search and rescue efforts recommenced at first light on Sunday, but helicopter crews are unable to see the men through the unrelenting rain

"It might be the fact that we provide them with sustenance and thermal protection and they stay on the mountain for another night while we wait for the weather to clear."

Vertical rescue crews from Queensland Fire and Emergency Services were also on standby.

Emergency services liaised with local climbing organisations to ascertain the best ways to reach the men.
Police in Ohio are taking their oath to protect and serve very seriously - even when it comes to birds.

A mourning dove nested in an officer's car and police have dedicate themselves to ensuring the bird comes to no harm.

Parma Police noticed the little dove, named Gerty, had built its nest in a back-up patrol cars windshield last week and immediately cordoned off the vehicle.

The Parma Police Department in Ohio has gone to extreme lengths to protect a dove that set up a nest in a back-up vehicle

Police have given the dove food, a water cup and an umbrella to protect the nest that has two eggs in it

Using orange cones and police tape, the officers ensured the highest level of security for the dove.

Even the elements were no match for the Parma PD's devotion to the bird.

When it began raining, the officers set up an umbrella to keep the nest dry.

After the dove laid two eggs in the windshield, officers gave it a water cup and began digging up worms as food.

Male doves incubate eggs, so it's possible that two doves are visiting the car.

The police department doesn't know the gender of the dove they've been seeing.

Police said the dove isn't interfering with regular police duties. The dove could stay there for up to a month

'Our officers are human beings just like anyone else,' Lt. Kevin Riley told Fox 8 News.

The back-up vehicle is not used on a daily basis and the dove is not interfering with regular police work.

Mourning doves eggs usually hatch within 16 days and the nestlings fledge after after two weeks, according to the Chipper Wood Bird Observatory.
Diehard Liberal supporter and Tony Abbott's ex-chief of staff, Peta Credlin, has warned 'Bill Shorten is getting his act together' and could win the upcoming Federal Election.

Ms Credlin will be commentating on this year's election for Sky News and the Sunday Telegraph, according to Newscorp.

Ms Credlin has admitted Bill Shorten is a 'real contender' for the top job and could win when voters head to the polls in the Turnbull government doesn't tighten its 'communication strategy'.

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Ex Liberal Chief of Staff, Peta Credlin, will be commentating the upcoming Federal Election

Ms Credlin says Malcolm Turnbull (left) needs to tighten his communication strategy or face Bill Shorten (right) defeating him

'I am a Liberal and I will be upfront - I hope the Coalition is returned because I believe they are best placed to deliver the sort of government Australia needs now,' Ms Credlin said.

Before admitting her old competition has a smarter presentation and are 'fighting to win the picture war'.

'Elections are won by contesting the issues that hit home to everyday people and in language that's backyard barbecue,' she said.

Ms Credlin has inside knowledge of the election process as she was by Tony Abbott's side for two campaigns

Ms Credlin says she wouldn't rule Tony Abbott out of holding the top job once more

She says the real contest will begin when the parties announce their policies.

She lists everyday people, the economy and security as three of the top most important discussions. During the candid article Ms Credlin refuses to rule out Mr Abbott's return to the top job.
from NSW to Tasmania on Saturday

A doctor has been charged with murdering his mother and has been extradited to Tasmania.

Stephen Edwards has since been suspended from practicing as a doctor by the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency.

Tasmanian police arrested the 61-year-old GP at his workplace in Woy Woy, New South Wales on Friday and charged him with the murder of his 88-year-old mother, Nelda Mavis Edwards.

Stephen Edwards has since been suspended from practicing as a doctor by the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (stock image)

It will be alleged his mother died after being administered medication at her in Sandy Bay on March 4.

Dr Edwards appeared before a Central Coast local court on Friday where his extradition was ordered.

He arrived at Hobart Airport on a Jetstar flight from Sydney at 7.30pm on Saturday.

It will be alleged his mother died after being administered medication at her in Sandy Bay on March 4 (stock image)

Tasmanian police arrested the 61-year-old GP at his workplace in Woy Woy, New South Wales on Friday and charged him with the murder of his 88-year-old mother, Nelda Mavis Edwards (stock image)

He was met on the plane by airport security and two unmarked cars before being driven away from the tarmac, The Mercury reported.

According to his professional biography, Dr Edwards had returned from Sydney to practice in Tasmania for five years before moving to Woy Woy in 2012.

It also states that Dr Edwards has worked in hospices and nursing homes and has an interest in palliative care and geriatrics.

Police allege Dr Edwards travelled to Hobart in the days before his mother's death.

His arrest followed an investigation by Tasmanian detectives, which involved searching several properties across New South Wales.

Dr Edwards is due to appear at a special sitting of Hobart Magistrates Court on Sunday.
A house once owned by Australia's most notorious serial killer, Ivan Milat, is up for sale - with the real estate listing describing it as a 'stress free haven'.

Milat's former home is in Eagle Vale, western Sydney, and is available for between $685,000 and $715,000, according to RealEstate.com.au.

'In this popular family neighborhood is this well presented home... a stress free haven on a sunny north facing block of approximately 562 square metres,' the property's online listing reads.

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A house once owned by Australia's most notorious serial killer, Ivan Milat (pictured), is up for sale - with the real estate listing describing it as a 'stress free haven'

Ivan Milat's former house (pictured) in Eagle Vale, western Sydney, is on the market for about $700,000

The listing also claims the house is close to local schools, the motorway and public transport.

Milat was arrested at the house in May 1994, after more than 50 police officers surrounded it to arrest the infamous killer.

'Souvenirs' and items that belonged to his victims were found stashed in the walls and roof, including a stove, sleeping bags and clothing.

Guns, knives and ammunition were also discovered in the western Sydney house.

'In this popular family neighborhood is this well presented home... a stress free haven on a sunny north facing block of approximately 562 square metres,' the property's online listing reads

The listing also claims Milat's former house is close to local schools, the motorway and public transport

Milat was arrested at the house in May 1994, after more than 50 police officers surrounded it to arrest the infamous killer

Milat is currently serving seven life sentences for the killings, which took place between 1989 and 1993

The house has four bedrooms, two bathrooms and an outside entertaining area - and is just an hour away from the Belanglo State Forest, where Milat dumped the bodies of seven young backpackers he killed.

The first bodies discovered were British travellers Caroline Clarke and Joanne Walters, and they were found by runners in an area of the forest known as Executioners Drop.

His other victims were: Deborah Everist, James Gibson, Simone Schmidl, Anja Habschied, and Gabor Neugebauer.

Milat is currently serving seven life sentences for the killings, which took place between 1989 and 1993.

Milat's victims were: Caroline Clarke, Joanne Walters, Deborah Everist, James Gibson, Simone Schmidl, Anja Habschied, and Gabor Neugebauer

Ivan Milat (pictured) dumped the bodies of seven people he killed between 1989 and 1993 in the Belanglo State Forest
Also details his own sex life, including bedding an estimated 4,500 women

Said he watched Bonham film a sex tape involving the woman and the fish

When Carmine Appice started playing drums for a young Jimmy James - aka Jimi Hendrix - as a 17-year-old in New York, he was a virgin untouched by the excesses of rock and roll.

Three years later, he had slept with hundreds of women and was throwing sex parties in his hotel with his Vanilla Fudge bandmates.

He had also been introduced to Led Zeppelin and their drummer John Bonham, which would led to him witnessing one of the craziest and most depraved acts in rock and roll history.

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Carmine Appice, now aged 69, the former drummer for Vanilla Fudge and a host of other rock stars, has spoken out about rock and roll's craziest and most depraved years

Appice lays bare the hedonistic years at the zenith of Sixties and Seventies rock and roll in his new book, Stick It, including in infamous incident involving Led Zepplin's John Bonham, a young woman, and a shark

Appice recalls that fateful day in a Seattle hotel room in 1969 in his new book, Stick It, which was previewed by the New York Post.

The hotel happened to be the Edgewater Inn, on Elliott Bay in Puget Sound, which allowed people staying there to fish out of the windows in their rooms.

Appice recalls he was hanging out with his bandmates and members of Led Zeppelin when a young woman he had been 'romancing' came to call.

High on cannabis, the woman kept asking Appice whether she could make a movie with him, after he told her about a film camera one of his friends owned.

While Appice waved her attentions off, Bonham, his tour manager Richard Cole, and two of their crew members liked the idea.

However, before filming started they went into a neighboring room and came back with 'a 2-foot-long, dead-eyed, ferocious-looking mud shark' that somebody had caught and placed in a bathtub.

With the camera rolling, the men ordered the woman to undress and proceeded to whip her with the shark, leaving a series of bright red lacerations across her back, as she rolled around on the bed.

In a scene Appice describes as 'carnage', the men then proceeded to simulate sex acts between the girl and the shark before the recording was broken up by an appalled hotel manager.

Appice claims to have watched as Bonham (left and right) filmed a bizarre sex tape involving the girl and a two-foot-long mud shark which was later immortalized in a Frank Zappa song

The incident took place at the Edgewater Inn, in Seattle, after somebody managed to catch a shark while fishing from their hotel window (pictured, The Beatles fish from the hotel on a separate occasion)

The shocking events did not stop there, however, as a group of roadies continued to use and humiliate the woman at another location.

Appice recalls wanting to leave, had the activity not been taking place in his room.

The following day, Appice related the story to Frank Zappa, who immortalized the grim tale in his 1971 song The Mud Shark.

As for the woman, years later Appice says she called into a radio show while he was on the air to say she had moved to Alaska and started a family.

The drummer himself moved on to play for the likes of Cactus, Beck, Bogert and Appice, and then for Ozzy Osborne - though he says he was fired from the latter after crossing paths with Sharon.

He eventually settled down with partner of 13 years, Leslie Gold, who had insisted on working out how many women he had slept with over the years.

While Appice had no idea of the figure himself, Gold eventually worked out, by means of a spreadsheet, a rough total of 4,500.

He said: 'Leslie asked me a loaded question, and the shocking answer was 4,500. But number 4,501 was the one that mattered most.'

Appice said he formed a lasting friendship with Zepplin, in particular drummer Bonham, who drank himself to death in 1980 (pictured, Zeppelin perform in New York in the Seventies)
Young girls are being recruited to become 'ISIS brides' in northern Africa to help 'build the society' for the terrorist group.

ISIS fighters in Libya have been in contact with Australia women and attempted to 'lure' them to join the group, with detailed text message conversations outlining what life would be like in the conflict zone, the Herald Sun reports.

'The society is in need for sister, to marry brother and create the society,' a man who was trying to recruit young girls said, the newspaper claims.

Young girls are being recruited to become 'ISIS brides' in northern Africa to help 'build the society' for the terrorist group (stock image)

The newspaper claims the conversations took place on an 'encrypted messaging service'.

The terrorist group has been significantly rolled back in its former stronghold of Iraq and Syria, however it was able to establish a foothold in Libya earlier this year.

U.S Secretary of State John Kerry said it was concerning ISIS was positioning itself to potential take control of oil fields in the north African country.

'That country has resources. The last thing in the world you want is a false caliphate with access to billions of dollars of oil revenue,' Kerry told Reuters in February.

ISIS fighters in Libya have reportedly been in contact with Australia women and attempted to 'lure' them to join the group (stock image)
Just over a week after the shocking execution-style murders of eight family members in Pike County, Ohio, a second victim was laid to rest on Saturday.

More than a hundred family members and friends - some of them crying or hugging each other in grief - showed up for the funeral of 20 year-old Hannah Gilley in the small town of Otway, Ohio, about 20 miles south of Piketon, scene of the brutal mass killings on April 22.

Starting at 10am, a long line of mourners passed by Miss Gilley's dark wood coffin at Otway's small Botkin Hornback Funeral Home, where a funeral service was held at 2pm.

Hannah Gilley, 20, was laid to rest in the town of Otway, Ohio, on Saturday as family and friends gathered to pay their final respects a week after she was murdered

The pallbearers wore hunting camouflage and caps in honor of the family's love of hunting as they carried Gilley's coffin to her grave

Gilley was shot dead alongside seven other members of the Rhoden family on Friday last week in what police have described as a 'cold, calculated' killing

Then, in a white hearse, she took her last journey of eight miles to the Hackworth Hill Cemetery where pall-bearers - mostly young men wearing hunting camouflage tops, hats and blue jeans - carried the casket inside a green tent that had been set up to shield the grave from the drizzling rain.

The tent wasn't big enough to accommodate all the grieving crowd so those who didn't bring umbrellas got soaked as they watched the coffin - decorated with pink, blue and purple flowers - being interred.

Hannah - mother of a six month- old son - was the fiance of Clarence 'Frankie' Rhoden, 20.

Both were shot dead, along with Frankie's parents, Christopher Rhoden Sr., 40, and Dana Rhoden, 37, Frankie's brother and sister, Christopher Rhoden Jr., 16 and Hana Rhoden, 19, and Christopher Sr's brother, Kenneth Rhoden, 44.

The eighth murder victim, Christopher Sr's cousin Gary Rhoden, 38, was buried last Thursday. A single funeral for all the others - Chris Sr., Dana, Hanna, Frankie, Chris Jr. and Kenneth - is scheduled for next Tuesday in West Portsmouth, south of Piketon.

The grizzly deaths - there was a total of 32 gunshot wounds with one victim shot nine times - stunned this quiet, rural community of 30,000 some 75 miles south of Columbus.

Gilley, the mother of a six-month-old baby who escaped the shooting unharmed, was the finacee of Clarence 'Frankie' Rhoden, 20, who also died in the attack

Friends and family were watched by a heavy police presences as Gilley was buried, fearful of follow-up attacks by the killer or killers who are still on the run

Some of the well-wishers wore orange in another nod to the family's love for hunting. Orange balloons were also released as part of the service

And local residents were dealt a second blow two days later when police revealed that the Rhodens had been operating a commercial marijuana-growing operation in three of the four homes where the killings took place.

Saturday, Dan Tiernet, spokesman for Ohio's Attorney General Mike DeWine, told Mail Online there were 'no new developments' in the massive investigation involving more than 200 sheriff's and police officers, with help from the FBI and DEA.

Cops have been following up on more than 300 tips that have poured in since the shootings.

News of the drug connection, along with speculation about illicit drug trading and Mexican cartels, prompted Cincinnati restauranteur Jeff Ruby - who is from Pike County - to withdraw the $25,000 reward he had offered for information leading to a conviction of the killer or killers.

And according to some reports, some local people stopped donating to the fund to raise money for next Tuesday's mass funeral when they heard about the Rhodens' links to marijuana.

But that wasn't the case at a candlelight 'Pray for Pike County' vigil Friday night (April 29), said co-organizer Melissa Tschudy who told Mail Online that the event raised $2,700 in donations toward next week's funeral expenses.

'People have been very supportive and very sympathetic toward the Rhoden family for the loss of their loved ones,' added Melissa whose daughter Samantha, 15, was best friends with Christopher Rhoden Jr., one of the dead

Gilley's funeral followed on from a service held for Gary Rhoden, 38, on Thursday, with burials for the remaining six victims due to take place on tuesday

Loved ones consoled each other beside Gilley's grave on Saturday even as police announced their wait for justice will likely go on, as they have no new leads in the hunt for her killer or killers

The funeral service took place in the small community of Otway, around a half hour drive from where she was killed in the town of Piketon, Ohio

Realtives of Gilley and the Rhoden family say they have struggled to come to terms with the violent manner of their deaths as all were shot in the head, some multiple times

At the vigil - held at Piketon's fairground - about 300 friends and neighbors, many of them dressed in orange, showed up to light candles, release orange balloons, observe a minute of silence and remember the victims, all under the watchful eye of a heavy police presence.

The orange theme was picked because the Rhodens liked to hunt and often wore camouflage and orange hunting clothes.

Family members - victim Kenneth Rhoden's ex wife Stacie Rigsby and his 19 year-old daughter Kendra - expressed their tearful gratitude to the people who turned up to the vigil.

'The prayers and love that has been shown to our family is simply amazing,' said Stacie. 'No words at all can express how we feel as a community for all of you coming together for us.

'We pray for quick justice and that a tragedy of this magnitude never touches any of y'all's families. Hold your loved ones close. Let them know they are loved everyday, Any day can be your last.'

Kendra added: 'My grandfather and my father himself always too me, 'The tragedy in life is not death but what we let die inside of us while we live.'

Loved ones gathered for a visitation at the Botkin Hornback Funeral Home in Otway before a white hearse took Gilley's body to its final resting place at Hackworth Hill Cemetery

The Rhoden family slayings have deeply shocked the small town of Piketon, and left residents grieving over those cut down in the shootings, including Gilley

Gilley was the mother of a six-month-old child though the baby was fortunately not hurt in the killings (pictured, loved ones gather to pay their respects)

'Although this has been a tragedy, each of them lived wonderful lives, even though they were taken too soon.They were the best people to know. They were all kind and full of love.'

A third relative, eight months pregnant Telisha Clay - whose cousin Hannah Gilley and aunt Dana Rhoden were among those shot dead - said she's decided to name her baby Hannah Lynn (Lynn was Dana's middle name).

Three Rhoden children - Hanna's four-day-old daughter Kylie, Frankie and Hannah Gilley's six-month old son Ruger and Frankie's three year-old son Bentley, were left untouched by the killers.

The survival of the children, who were found near their dead parents, is the only bright spot in an otherwise dark, tragic episode that still has Pike County traumatized.

After the vigil, Melissa Tschudy told Mail Online: 'Getting people together like this is a step in the right direction towards healing.

'But this was a terrible, terrible thing that happened here and this community is going to take a long time to get over it.'
Daniel Berrigan (pictured in 1981), a Jesuit priest, poet and peace activist died on Saturday at 94 after battling a 'long illness'

Daniel Berrigan, a Jesuit priest, poetand peace activist died on Saturday at 94, a Jesuitmagazine reported.

Berrigan died at the Murray-Weigel Jesuit Community in NewYork's Bronx borough, America magazine said.

It did not give acause of death but reported he had battled a 'long illness'.

Berrigan grew up in Syracuse, New York, with his parents and five brothers.

He joined the Jesuit order after high school and went on to teach preparatory school in New Jersey.

He was ordained as a priest in 1952.

Berrigan became prominent in the U.S. after he was imprisoned for burning draft files to protest the Vietnam War,

A passionate critic of U.S. involvement in Vietnam, in 1968 Berrigan and his younger brotherPhilip, who was a Josephite priest, and seven other Catholicsseized draft records from a Selective Service Office inCatonsville, Maryland.

The group doused the files with homemade napalm in a parkinglot outside the draft office and torched them while joininghands in prayer.

'It was Philip who came up with the idea,' Berrigan toldAmerica in 2009.

'I was blown away by the courage and effrontery, really, of my brother,' Berrigan said in 2006.

Berrigan rose to prominence in the 1960s as he protested the Vietnam war by burning draft records in Maryland

He was convicted and sentenced to jail but did not show up when his sentence began. Later the FBI found him and he served three-and-a-half years in federal prison

In the library of Georgetown University inWashington, 'a friend found a copy of the Green Beret manualwith instructions for making napalm from soap chips andgasoline', he said.

The Berrigans were convicted in a federal trial and releasedon their own recognizance in 1970.

They then went into hidingand refused to show up for jail.

Berrigan was arrested by FBI agents and sent to federalprison. He was released in 1972.

Asked by America if he had any regrets, Berrigan said: 'Icould have done sooner the things I did, like Catonsville.'

In 1980, the Berrigans and six others broke into a GeneralElectric nuclear missile site in Pennsylvania, and damagedwarhead nose cones and poured blood onto documents and files.

In his life Berrigan protested the Gulf War, the Kosovo War, the U.S. invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq, and abortion

He wrote more than 50 books, and his first volume of poetry, 'Time Without Number,' won the Lamont Prize in 1957

Berrigan also protested the Gulf War, the Kosovo War, theU.S. invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq, and abortion.

At 92, hetook part in the Occupy Wall Street movement in New York'sZuccotti Park, Jesuits Magazine said.

Berrigan was born into a German-Irish Catholic family inVirginia, Minnesota. He joined the Jesuit order in 1939 and wasordained a priest in 1952.

He wrote more than 50 books, and his first volume of poetry,'Time Without Number,' won the Lamont Prize in 1957. Berriganalso wrote a play, 'The Trial of the Catonsville Nine.'

Philip Berrigan died in 2002.
male refugee lit himself on fire at a settlement on Nauru

A vigil was held outside Sydney's Town Hall on Saturday for a refugee who died after setting himself alight on Nauru to protest against Australia's detention laws.

The 23-year-old Iranian man, identified only as Omid, was filmed dousing himself in petrol and bursting into flames at the Nibok settlement in Nauru after yelling 'I can't take it anymore'.

He passed away in the Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital on Friday after receiving severe burns to 80 per cent of his body.

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A vigil was held for Iranian refugee, Omid, who self-immolated in protest of Australia's detention laws

The Refugee Action Coalition, who hosted the event, said there was a 'strong turnout'

The vigil was attended by both Sydneysiders and Iranian refugees, and former refugees spoke at the event

Omid's name was written in candles on the ground outside Sydney's Town Hall, and attendees lit candles in memory of the refugee

A large crowd turned up to the vigil held by the Refugee Action Coalition (RAC) and lit candles for the man. Some held signs that said '#bringthemhere' and '#werememberyou'.

A spokesperson for RAC told MailOnline approximately 150 people turned up to the last minute vigil, which was 'a strong turnout at 24 hours notice'.

Omid's name was spelled out in candles, surrounded by photos of the young man.

Many political activist groups were in attendance, such as the Socialist Alliance and Grandmothers against Detention of Refugee Children

The vigil as used as a platform to call for the end of mandatory offshore detention for asylum seekers trying to reach Australia

A number of former refugees who had been detained in Villawood, Nauru, and Christmas Island spoke to attendees, as well as Paul McAleer, the Sydney branch secretary of Maritime Union Australia, Barri from Doctors for Refugees and outspoken refugee advocate, Ian Rintoul.

The Department of Immigration and Border Protection confirmed on Friday the man died from his injuries.

'The Department expresses its sympathies to his wife, family and friends,' they said in a statement.

Earlier shocking footage emerged of the moment the refugee set himself alight on Nauru, and was later filmed screaming in agony in hospital after staging the 'political protest' during a United Nations visit on Wednesday.

Attendees carried signs protesting the detention laws that saw the 23-year-old refugee pushed to breaking point on Nauru

At least five asylum seekers detained on Nauru have attempted suicide in the past 24 hours as the UNHCR refugee agency visits the island, the Australian Refugee Action Coalition claimed.

The confronting footage showed the Iranian, who spent three years in detention, yelling about the conditions he and other refugees have endured on the island before setting himself alight.

'This is how tired we are, this action will prove how exhausted we are. I can not take it anymore,' a witness claimed he said just before setting himself aflame, according to Fairfax.

A 23-year-old Iranian refugee, known only as Omid, was filmed dousing himself in petrol and setting himself on fire at the Nibok settlement in Nauru following a visit from UNHCR representatives on Wednesday

According to reports, witnesses rushed to the man and tried to smother the flames but by the time they reached him his clothes had burned off. He lay smouldering on the ground until medical personnel arrived and is now in a critical condition.

Footage also emerged of the man screaming in pain as he was treated in a hospital.

The Nauru government released a statement confirming a 23-year-old man was seriously injured as he made a 'political protest to coincide with the visit by representatives from UNHCR'.

'Unfortunately we have seen protests like this during high profile visits, as some from within the refugee community try and influence the Australian government's offshore processing policies,' the statement said.

According to the ABC, the man became frustrated after engaging in conversations with UNHCR employees, with three Canberra-based staff witnessing the shocking protest.

Upsetting footage has also emerged of the man screaming in pain while being treated for the burns

The man is believed to have suffered serious burns to 80 per cent of his body and is being treated in a new hospital on the island

Immigration Minister Peter Dutton said an immediate medical evacuation has been requested but that the protester would be returned to Manus as soon as possible afterwards

An Iranian woman claimed they did nothing to help the man as he lay burning on the ground.

'None of them helped. None of them called an ambulance, they just called the police and ran away,' she told the ABC.

'Doctors didn't know what to do. They didn't have supplies to help him,' she added.

She said doctors told her he had suffered life-threatening burns to 50 per cent of his body, while another source told WA Today that percentage is closer to 80.

Immigration Minister Peter Dutton said an immediate medical evacuation has been requested but that the protester would be returned to Manus as soon as possible afterwards.

'He is in a very, very serious condition and his outlook is not good at all,' Mr Dutton said from Melbourne.

Refugee groups claim four other people previously tried to self-harm by swallowing washing powder over the weekend.

Iranian women, Marziyeh Faghih, 28, and Amineh Shajira, 34, have also been missing since Sunday.

The man was heard screaming 'I can't take it anymore' before he set himself alight in front of other detainees

Peter Dutton said he sympathises with the people detained on Nauru, acknowledging they are in a 'very desperate situation', but confirmed Australia will show no leniency when it comes to border security

It is feared that they may have disappeared at sea after trying to flee the island.

Police on Nauru also arrested a 38-year-old Iranian refugee last week after he splashed himself with petrol and tried to set himself alight.

The string of protests come as Australia's policy of detaining and settling refugees trying to reach the country in foreign nations comes under new pressure.

Papua New Guinea's Supreme Court ruled that Australia's detention of asylum seekers on that country's Manus Island was illegal on Tuesday, with the government confirming shortly after that the centre will be closed.

Prime Minister Peter O'Neill said in a statement on Wednesday that the centre is unconstitutional and would be shut down as soon as Australia makes arrangements for the refugees held there.

'Respecting this ruling, Papua New Guinea will immediately ask the Australian government to make alternative arrangements for the asylum seekers currently held at the regional processing centre,' Mr O'Neill said.

Loani Henao, counsel for the PNG opposition leader told Sky News, that the two governments will have to work together to relocate the refugees.

'It effectively means both governments must take steps to effectively shut down the Manus Island detention centre,' he said on Tuesday.

Prime Minister Peter O'Neill said in a statement on Wednesday that the centre is unconstitutional and would be shut down as soon as Australia makes arrangements for the refugees held there

Papua New Guinea's Supreme Court ruled that Australia's detention of asylum seekers on that country's Manus Island was illegal on Tuesday. Pictured Manus Island

Despite international outcry, Mr Dutton has reiterated the government's tough stance on asylum seekers who tried to enter Australia illegally.

He said that while they are in a 'very desperate situation', those who try to gain access to Australia by boat will never be allowed to settle in the country.

'The Government's policy remains absolute and that is that we are not going to allow people to settle in our country if they've sought to come here illegally by boat,' Mr Dutton said on Wednesday.

'We don't want advocates saying to people who are on Nauru or Manus... that if you don't engage somehow you'll come to Australia.'

He has urged 'well intentioned' refugee advocates not to deliver false hope to the populations detained overseas.

'It doesn't matter what others are saying to you, it doesn't matter what people from Australia who are sending you social media messages are saying, you will not ever settle in Australia,' he said.

'That has been the absolute determination of this Government from day one.'

He confirmed incident occurred while officials from the United Nations refugee agency were on the island but had no advice about whether there was a link between the two.

The man had reported facing 'intolerable mental and physical pressure' during his time as a prisoner at Nauru

The Nauruan government have warned others to 'refrain' from shocking protests of this nature, adding there is 'no value in such behaviour'

According to Fairfax, the man had reported facing 'intolerable mental and physical pressure' during his time as a prisoner at Nauru.

The Nauruan government have warned others to 'refrain' from shocking protests of this nature, adding there is 'no value in such behaviour'.

Ian Rintoul, from the Refugee Action Coalition, said Nauru was in 'complete social meltdown'.

'The protests and the attempted suicides reveal the sheer desperation of refugees and asylum seekers left in limbo for almost three years,' he said.

'Manus has to close and Nauru has to close.'
Malia Obama may be trading the White House for Harvard.

After months of speculation on whether Obama's oldest daughter would end up at an Ivy League or pursue film at New York University, it appears Malia has chosen her parents former school.

Malia sported a Harvard Class of 2020 shirt during college signing day at the elite Sidwell Friends School in Washington, DC.

The shirt is only available to students who have been accepted to Harvard, according to the college's edition of The Tab.

Malia was pictured sporting a Harvard Class of 2020 shirt during college signing day at her elite high school, the Sidewell Friends School, in Washington DC earlier this month

Both the president and First Lady have said in the past that they advised their eldest daughter not to worry about attending the school with the most prestigious name

Obama graduated from Columbia University and Michelle graduated from Princeton (pictured) two years later. Both would go on to attend Harvard Law

A source told the student-run newspaper that the picture was posted on Facebook by one of Malia's classmates.

Both the president and First Lady have said in the past that they advised their daughter not to worry about attending the school with the most prestigious name.

'One piece of advice that I've given her is not to stress too much about having to get into one particular college,' Obama told a group of high school students in Iowa in September.

'Just because it's not some name-brand, famous, fancy school doesn't mean that you're not going to get a great education there.'

Michelle told PEOPLE magazine in April that she didn't want her daughters to 'choose a name'.

'I don't want them to think, "Oh I should go to these top schools"', the First Lady told the magazine.

Malia was recentlyspotted touring six of the eight ivies, including Columbia, Princeton, Yale, the University of Pennsylvania and Brown (pictured) in addition to Harvard

Brown classmates posted multiple pictures of Malia on campus, including one that seemed to show her next to a table arranged for a game of beer pong

'We live in a country where there are thousands of amazing universities. So, the question is: What's going to work for you?'

Harvard receives more than 30,000 applications and has a 6 percent admission rate, according to the Princeton Review.

The average GPA of an accepted incoming freshman is 4.10 and 90 percent has over a 3.75 GPA.

Average SAT scores in Math, Reading and Writing are all between 700 and a perfect score of 800.

Obama graduated from Columbia University and Michelle graduated from Princeton two years later. Both would go on to attend Harvard Law.

And it seems that, despite their advice, Malia will be following her parents Ivy League footsteps.

Malia was spotted touring six of the eight ivies, including Columbia, Princeton, Yale, the University of Pennsylvania and Brown in addition to Harvard.

Her trip to Brown made national headlines when Malia was photographed by a game of what appeared to be beer pong at a party on the Rhode Island campus.

Multiple students tweeted about Malia being at the same party they were at that weekend.

Malia was also seen visiting Stanford and the University of California, Berkeley on the West Coast, as well as Tufts, Barnard, Wesleyan and NYU, according to the New York Times.

Many speculated that Malia would attend NYU, where she was spotted visiting with her mother last year

Malia was publicly expressed her interest in the film industry and has spent her last two summers interning for television shows. It was believed Malia might end up at the university's prestigious Tisch School of the Arts

Many speculated that Malia, who has spoken about her interest in the film industry, would end up at NYU's prestigious Tisch School of the Arts.

Malia spent last summer interning on the set of Girls, Lena Dunham's HBO series, in New York City. In 2014 she worked as a production assistant for CBS' Extant in Hollywood.

If Malia does in fact move to Cambridge, Massachusetts come fall she will be joining a legacy of presidents' children who have graced Harvard's halls, including a Kennedy, Bush and Roosevelt.

The mystery won't last much longer, as the incoming class of 2020 must turn in their Statement of Intent to Register to their chosen school by May 1.

But for one now thing remains for sure, Obama will not be speaking at her high school graduation.

'Malia's school asked if I wanted to speak at commencement and I said no,' the president revealed in January.

'I'm going to be wearing dark glasses...and I'm going to cry.'
A fisherman in a kayak had to be rescued by scuba divers on Saturday morning after hooking a catch so big it caused him to sink.

Daniel Ng, 33, was in the water near Coney Island, in New York, at around 9am when he hooked the fish and attempted to reel it in.

However, the catch was so large it pulled him around a mile out to sea before dragging his kayak under the water.

Daniel Ng, 33, had to be rescued by a helicopter and scuba divers on Saturday after he hooked a large fish while out on a kayak near Coney Island, New York

Ng said the fish dragged him about a mile out to sea as he tried to reel it in before his kayak started to take on water and sink, prompting him to call 911

Ng managed to call 911 and a special ops helicopter was dispatched to drop two scuba divers into the water on a winch,CBS New York reports.

Detective Dylan Johnson said: 'He definitely had a look of a little bit of panic and he was absolutely exhausted.'

They discovered Ng afloat and clinging to his life vest in 50F waters with a swell of between four and six feet threatening to plunge him under.

Johnson and his colleague Tom McLaughlin managed to winch Ng to safety before flying him back to shore where he was examined by medics and released.

The kayak was also later recovered by police, though Ng's prize fish managed to get away.
A father who pays $1700 per month in child support despite not having seen his daughter in more than five years after she was taken to India has heartbreakingly revealed he 'just wants to speak to her'.

James Gorry said he last saw his daughter, Alice, when she was just nine years old in August 2011.

Despite not having seen Alice for five years, Mr Gorry claims he still pays $1700 per month in child support, he told news.com.au.

James Gorry (right) says he pays $1700 per month in child support for his daughter, Alice (left), despite not having seen her in five years

'I want to make it very clear I have absolutely no problem paying child support because my daughter is my responsibility,' he said.

Mr Gorry stressed he is not a 'disgruntled father' and wants the money he pays each month set aside for Alice, who is now 14 years old.

He added he did not think it was right to attempt to 'snatch' his daughter back, but would love the chance to rebuild their relationship.

'I just want to speak to her once in a while and ask, "are you happy?" and "how are you going?"... to have the opportunity to be her father and spend holidays with her,' Mr Gorry told the news website.

The father also created a Facebook page in his daughter's name, where he regularly posts pictures and messages addressed to her.

The most recent message, posted on April 18, reads: 'Here is a photo... (of) Alice Gorry in the centre and a few of her friends. Perhaps one of the class will see this and say to Alice your dad is out there and thinking of you.'

Mr Gorry claims his daughter was taken to Indian in August 2011 by her mother, and he has not seen her since

'I just want to speak to her once in a while and ask, "are you happy?" and "how are you going?"... to have the opportunity to be her father and spend holidays with her,' Mr Gorry (pictured) said

It comes after another Australian parent whose children were living in another country, Sally Faulker, was jailed for attempting to 'abduct' her son and daughter from their father in Beirut, Lebanon.

Ms Faulker travelled to the country with television crew from Channel Nine's 60 Minutes program, and had enlisted professional help from Child Abduction Recovery International.

Ms Faulker, journalist Tara Brown, producer Stephen Rice, cameraman Ben Williamson and sound recordist David Ballment were all released after the children's father, Ali Elamine, dropped all charges against them following a settlement being reached.
Alex Hill, 19, faces trial over allegations of possessing child porn and grooming an under-age boy

A 19-year-old lifeguard who worked at a Butlins holiday resort has been accused of possessing child pornography and grooming an underage boy for sexual activity.

Alex Hill, 19, was working at the Bognor Regis Butlins resort when the alleged incidents occurred - though it is thought none of the suspected offences took place at the resort.

The teen appeared in front of Brighton magistrates court on two counts of possessing child porn and two of causing a child to look at indecent images, the Sunday People reported today.

He was also accused of grooming a boy under 16 to meet up with him, and of inciting another boy between 13 and 15 years old to engage in sexual activity.

Hill, of Worthing, West Sussex, was arrested in front of his colleagues and had his locker searched at work in June 2015.

The alleged incidents are thought to have occurred between April 1 and May 30 last year.

According to the Sunday People, Hill was a lifeguard at the popular resort's Splash Waterworld, which the company describes as 'the ultimate family water park.'

The indoor attraction features an array of water slides and swimming pools.

As a member of staff at a family-centric resort, Hill had undergone background checks before he took up the role, according to the company.

A Butlins spokesman told the newspaper: 'A man was dismissed from his job at Butlins in June 2015 after it transpired he had been arrested in connection to allegations of inappropriate contact with a minor outside of work.

The minor was not a guest at the resort.'

A second member of staff was also dismissed by Butlins when it emerged that he allegedly knew about Hill's behaviour.

He failed to inform senior members of staff about Hill's accused activity until the former lifeguard was arrested, however, Butlins confirmed.

'A second man was also dismissed by Butlins in June 2015 for failing to disclose that he was aware of the alleged incident,' the spokesman added.

Hill is due to appear at Portsmouth crown court on May 23 and has been remanded on bail.

Butlins has three resorts around the UK coastline in Bognor Regis, Skegness and Minehead and is popular with families, with some 430,000 visitors on average each year.

The holiday company offers low-cost breaks in cabin-style accommodation and was first opened in 1960.

Hill, from Worthing, West Sussex, will appear in front of Portsmouth crown court later this month charged two counts of possessing child porn and two of causing a child to look at indecent images
Sean Mullender, from Connah's Quay, denied murder but was jailed for eight years for manslaughter

A mother whose husband shook their baby to death has called him a 'monster' and said she hopes he rots in prison.

Sean Mullender, 23, from Connah's Quay in Wales, was described as the 'perfect father' but it was later revealed he shook his eight-week-old baby Daniel so vigorously, that he suffered a fatal bleed on his brain.

His wife Fiona Templeton has since spoken of her anguish that the man she loved was responsible for the death of their beloved child just ten days before they got married.

Mullender was jailed for eight years at at Mold Crown Court after admitting manslaughter but his wife, who is in the process of getting a divorce, said she wants the sentence extended.

At the time of the attack the 'doting dad' had been left to look after Daniel, while Fiona went to look at wedding dresses for their pending nuptials.

Mullender concocted a web of lies to cover up the abuse, claiming he had gone to the toilet, leaving Daniel in a car seat in the lounge - only to find on his return that his son had stopped breathing.

Daniel was taken to a hospital in Chester before being transferred to Alder Hay Children's Hospital in Liverpool where his father told police the baby was grumpy and agreed he was screaming and crying when his partner rang.

He said when he returned from the toilet he initially thought Daniel was asleep but then he could not hear him breathing and picked him up and found him floppy and blue in the face.

Describing the moment she found out the truth, Fiona told the the Mirror: 'My stomach turns when I think about it. I had lain in bed with this beast and he'd told me a pack of lies. I felt sick, heartbroken, angry. My emotions were everywhere.'

The day after Daniel died, Mullender was taken in by police for questioning and was released on bail, protesting his innocence to a traumatised Fiona who believed his twisted tale.

She said the whole family continued to believe that her husband 'wouldn't hurt a fly' and that he wasn't capable of such a repugnant and heinous crime.

Despite their ordeal the couple went on with their wedding and later buried their son, with his father carrying the coffin during an emotional service.

Mullender, 23, was said to be 'over the moon' when his partner Fiona Templeton told him she was pregnant

However, months later a bombshell dropped - Mullender was charged with Daniel's murder.

Fiona said from that day onwards she 'washed her hands' of her husband and since even his own father has disowned him.

Prior to his sentencing the former farm labourer was described as someone who could cause a 'high risk' of causing harm to children and his wife thinks the jail term he is serving is nowhere long enough.
Jeremy Corbyn has been addressing a workers' rally in London today

A close ally of Jeremy Corbyn has denied Labour has an anti-Semitism problem as the leader came under pressure to disown extremist group Hamas.

Shadow Cabinet member Diane Abbott risked further inflaming the row threatening to engulf the party ahead of key elections by lashing out at 'smears'.

Unite boss Len McCluskey also waded in to accuse Blairite MPs of 'manipulating' anti-Semitism concerns in a bid to unseat the leader.

But Israeli Ambassador Mark Regev condemned links to Hamas and Hezbollah as he warned that Labour appeared to be 'in denial' about issues among its activists.

The bitter row escalated again amid fresh warnings that Labour will be hammered by voters in elections this week for failing to deal with the issue.

Mr Corbyn is facing growing demands to eject close ally Ken Livingstone immediately after he again refused to apologise for claiming Hitler was a 'Zionist'. It has emerged that the disciplinary case against the veteran left-winger may not even get under way until July.

The leader's critics are planning a media blitz against him next weekend if Labour crashes in Thursday's council polls.

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The Labour leader was cheered by crowds as he addressed a May Day rally in Clerkenwell Green, London today. He told them Labour stood 'absolutely against' anti-Semitism

Polling experts had been predicting that Labour could lose 150 seats, making it the worst performance in Opposition since Michael Foot was leader in 1982.

But there are fears that the results could end up being even more catastrophic after a hugely damaging week of allegations about anti-Semitism.

Mr Corbyn dragged his feet for a day before finally taking action against Bradford West MP Naz Shah after Facebook posts surfaced in which she suggested Israel should be relocated to America.

He was then reluctantly forced to suspend his ally Mr Livingstone after he made a series of claims while defending Ms Shah, including that Hitler was a 'Zionist' who initially wanted to move Jews to Israel.

Labour backbencher John Mann expressed the sheer fury of many MPs over the remarks by launching a foul-mouthed tirade at the former London Mayor outside TV studios in Westminster, which was caught on camera.

Diane Abbott arrives for her interview on the BBC Andrew Marr show today, where she dismissed claims Labour has a problem with anti-Semitism as 'smears'

Mr Livingstone hit the airwaves again yesterday to defend his incendiary remarks last week in which he claimed that Hitler had supported Zionism.

The former London Mayor said he 'regretted' the disruption caused by his comments, which have led to his suspension from the party, but still insisted: 'I believe what I said is true.'

Shadow cabinet office minister Jonathan Ashworth, who sits on Labour's ruling NEC, indicated that the disciplinary case against Mr Livingstone could not go ahead before July.

'The disputes committee of the national executive has to look at it. Its next scheduled meeting is July. Anything before then would not be due process,' he told the Sunday Times.

Addressing a May Day rally in Clerkenwell Green, London today Mr Corbyn insisted Labour's strength came from 'diversity'.

'We stand absolutely against anti-Semitism in any form,' he said.

We stand absolutely against racism in any form. We stand united as a Labour movement recognising our diversity.'

However, Mr Corbyn dodged questions from journalists about the crisis after his speech.

London Mayoral candidate Sadiq Khan said the remarks by Mr Livingstone had 'made makes it more difficult for Londoners of Jewish faith to feel that the Labour party is a place for them'.

Asked if the dispute would affect his chances, he told the Observer: "Of course it does."

"I am an advocate of the Labour leadership, including the NEC, actually receiving some training on this stuff as clearly they don't understand what racism is, and there is no hierarchy when it comes to racism," Mr Khan said.

The leader of Labour's sister party in Israel has written to Mr Corbyn to say he was 'appalled and outraged' by the alleged anti-Semitism.

Isaac Herzog invited Mr Corbyn to visit Israel's Holocaust Museum to help the party 'better understand the scourge of anti-Semitism'.

Mr Regev urged Mr Corbyn to take up the invitation, and also delivered the veiled rebuke over extremist links.

'Youve had too many people on the progressive side of politics who have embraced Hamas and Hezbollah,' he told the BBC's Andrew Marr show in an apparent reference to Mr Corbyn's previous description of the groups as 'friends'.

'Both of them are anti-Semitic organisations, you just have to read Hamas charter and its like chapters straight out of the prodigals of the elders of Zion.

'Yet some progressive politicians have embraced Hamas. Now, Id ask the following question: if youre progressive, youre embracing an organisation which is homophobic, which is misogynistic, which is openly anti-Semitic, whats progressive about that?'

Asking whether anyone could imagine senior politicians sharing a platform with figures who supported other types of racism, Mr Regev said: 'Why can you share a platform with someone who is openly anti-Semitic?'

He added: 'I have no doubt that part of the left is in denial. They say 'anti-Semitism, that's the right, that's the fascists'. That's a cop-out. It doesn't stand up to serious historical examination.'

Former Cabinet minister Eric Pickles said Mr Corbyn had a 'blind spot' on anti-Semitism and had 'given a green light' to those on the fringes of the party.

"I think Mr Corbyn has got a problem,' he told Sky News' Murnaghan programme.

"He has been too close to terrorist organisation, he has been too involved in anti-Israeli activity and I think it's a blind spot.

"He has kind of given a green light to those people who existed on the fringe of the Labour Party to make it mainstream."

But in a defiant performance on the Marr show Ms Abbot said: 'It is a smear to say that the Labour Party has a problem with anti-Semitism.'

The international development secretary insisted: 'I take anti-Semitism extremely seriously, so does the party. that is why every single - I think 12 - allegations about anti-Semitism since Jeremy became leader has resulted in a suspension.'

When Ms Abbott said the criticism over anti-Semitism was 'something of a smear against ordinary party members' a clearly infuriated Mr Marr interrupted: 'Absolutely not. That is ridiculous.'

Asked why Mr Corbyn had set up an inquiry if there was no problem, Ms Abbot replied: 'There are issues about process.'

'200,000 people have joined the Labour Party. You are saying that because of 12 reported incidents of hate speech online that the Labour Party is somehow intrinsically anti-Semitic.'

'It is not fair on ordinary party members ... you insinuate the party is riddled by anti-Semitism.'

Asked in detail about Mr Livingstone's comments, she said: 'Come on, Andrew, don't start with that ... are you trying to say to me that the Labour Party now or in the past has a particular problem with anti-Semitism and the Conservative Party and other parties have not?

'The reality is that there have been 12 incidents in the period when Jeremy has been leader. Twelve, 200,000 people have joined the party.'

Pressed on whether Mr Livingstone should apologise, she stressed that the comments were 'incredibly offensive' but added: 'Have you ever known Ken to apologise for anything?'

'NO JEWISH DONATIONS TO LABOUR SINCE CORBYN TOOK CHARGE' A Labour donor has said he does not think a single British Jew has given money to the central party since Jeremy Corbyn took charge. Former showbusiness agent Michael Foster, whose family gave 400,000 to the general election campaign, stressed he did not believe Mr Corbyn was anti-Semitic. But he said there were serious concerns about the leader's 'fellow travellers'. Mr Foster, himself Jewish, told BBC Radio 4's World This Weekend he still donated locally to 'all kinds of MPs'. 'What I dont agree with is the way that the leadership of the Labour party simply has ignored this issue and not gone to any length at all to meet with and speak to the Jewish community about its fears,' he said. I think Im right in saying I dont think there is a Jew in Britain who has given money centrally to the party since Jeremy Corbyns selection, because prior to his selection and since his selection, we have asked and asked for this to be dealt with. Mr Fostersaid: I want to be really clear, I do not for one minute think Jeremy Corbyn is an anti-Semite, nowhere near it. 'But he does have fellow travellers who definitely vilify Jews as part of their political shtick.' Mr Foster said the recently-announced anti-Semitism review to be headed by former head of Liberty Shami Chakrabarti should 'look at the whole ethos in the leadership'. I think its quite clear that there are many apologists for what Ken did and I think people such as Simon Fletcher, and people such as Seumas Milne, have a history throughout their working life of trying to shame and shout down people who try to defend Israel, he added

On whether he should be kicked out immediately she said: 'Ken will have due process just like everyone else.'

Unite leader Len MCCluskey said he was sick of people 'preaching' to Labour over anti-Semitism.

He said the row had been 'got up by the right-wing press' who were 'aided and abetted' by MPs opposed to Mr Corbyn.

'The truth of the matter is I've been a member of the Labour Party for 45 years and the truth is there is no crisis of anti-Semitism in our party,' he told Pienaar's Politics on BBC Radio 5 Live.

'I have never once been to a meeting where there have been anti-Semitic views voiced. This is nothing more than a cynical attempt to manipulate anti-Semitism for political aims. Because this is all about constantly challenging Jeremy Corbyn's leadership.'

He added: 'The idea that Jeremy Corbyn hasn't acted quickly, this is nonsense.'

The row has deepened the sense of crisis and drift in the party, with Mr Corbyn's critics arguing that an influx of Left-wing, pro-Palestine supporters since his election last autumn has led to an increase in anti-Jewish sentiment.

Mr Corbyn was directly challenged about his post-election plans by one of his backbench MPs last week. Neil Coyle was heard confronting his leader in the Commons voting lobbies, demanding: 'If we lose more than 200 seats, will you agree to quit?'

Mr Corbyn was seen to ignore the Bermondsey & Old Southwark MP before storming off.

A Labour source said last night: 'This can't go on. The Livingstone row has highlighted the toxic cocktail of incompetence and poison which Corbyn has introduced to the party. He is a dead man walking and it is time to act.'

If Mr Corbyn loses a 'significant' number of seats on Thursday  about 150 or more  some of his most senior critics are planning to criticise him during a series of television and radio appearances.

Mr Corbyn's inner circle is becoming increasingly suspicious that Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell is scheming against him.

The Mail on Sunday political columnist, Dan Hodges, today quotes one Shadow Cabinet member as describing Mr McDonnell as 'heavily on manoeuvres', with the McDonnell camp floating a plan to sit back and allow the moderates to topple Mr Corbyn  in exchange for a guarantee that their man could go on the ballot paper in the subsequent leadership contest.

Mr Corbyn yesterday tried to draw a line under the anti-Semitism row by ordering an independent inquiry into the matter and other forms of racism within its ranks. The probe will led by Shami Chakrabarti, the former head of human rights campaign group Liberty.

Amid mounting speculation that John McDonnell is plotting a power-grab from his long-term ally, Mr Corbyn's opponents are planning a media blitz next weekend if Labour crashes in Thursday's council polls

The anti-Semitism row erupted after Mr Livingstone, 70, defended Labour MP Naz Shah for suggesting Israel should be moved to the United States. This led to Mr Livingstone being publicly labelled a 'disgusting Nazi apologist' by furious Labour MP John Mann.

Former Labour Home Secretary Lord Blunkett has demanded that Mr Livingstone be thrown out of the party immediately.

Lord Blunkett says: 'The increasingly irrational, dangerous and divisive talk by Ken Livingstone means his suspension from the Labour Party is not enough. He should be expelled.'

He adds: 'These remarks are frankly breathtaking This is why both the leadership of the party, of which I have been a member for more than half a century, and its National Executive Committee should get a grip.

'Now is the time for cool heads and tempered responses. But one thing is clear: Ken has to go.'

Mr Corbyn's aides had hoped that the expected victory of his candidate, Sadiq Khan, in the London mayoral election on the same day as local elections would protect him from a party backlash.

A party spokeswoman said: 'Labour is totally focused on fighting to win every vote in next week's elections.'
A mother whose son drowned in a canal as police officers refused to jump in and save him said she regrets calling them for help.

Jack Susianta, 17, died in the River Lea, at Walthamstow Marshes, in east London, after suffering a mental episode last year.

During his inquest, a jury heard how officers from the Metropolitan Police's Territorial Support Group (TSG) waited nine minutes before going into the water to try and save him.

Jack Susianta, drowned in the River Lea, in east London, last year and his mother Anna (pictured with the teen's brother Sam) has criticised the Metropolitan Police, claiming they did not do enough to save her son

His family have since claimed the police failed to do their job and now the teen's mother Anna said she wished they had never asked for their assistance.

The former primary school teacher told the Observer that her family was 'broken' by the tragic loss of Jack, a boy she described as a 'joy' and someone who 'always saw the light in people'.

She said: 'We put our trust in the police when Jack was mentally very vulnerable, in the belief they would bring him back safe. Instead it ended in his death. I wish now I'd never called them.'

At the time of his death Jack had experienced as series of mental health issues and psychotic episodes, which the family believe was brought on as an after effect of taking MDMA at a festival.

On the day of the tragic incident, Jack had smashed through a window at his family home in Hackney, and fled in just a t-shirt, socks and boxer shots.

Jack was described by his mother as 'joy' and someone who 'always saw the light in people'

He had previously been taken to hospital by police under the Mental Health Act 1983 after he walked out of his house in bare feet wearing just shorts and a t-shirt.

After this episode Jack had refused to go to hospital when officers found him and the family later learned that he suffered a cut lip and bruised face when police forcibly restrained him.

Jack's inquest was emotionally and mentally draining for the teenager's family with a jury concluding unanimously, that his death was both drug-related and accidental.

During proceedings witnesses revealed that police refused to enter the canal - but Metropolitan Police denied this, saying one officer risked his life and entered the water.

PC Tom Griffiths told the hearing at St Pancras Coroner's Court that he saw Jack go underwater and believed it was in a 'deliberate act' to evade him and fellow officers.

He added that is was a 'sad, unfortunate truth' that police were unable to save him.

While his colleague PC Richard Hughes said he believed the teenager might have 'fought us off in the water'.

Sergeant Scott Miller, of the TSG, who was supervising his unit's response, also described himself as a 'relatively weak swimmer'.

The jury heard it took around nine minutes between the time Jack jumped into the canal at 3.50pm and an officer, PC Richard Wilson, requesting permission to go in after him.

The London Fire Brigade were first called at 3.53pm before the constable asked to enter the water at 3.59pm, which was approximately four minutes after Jack was last seen to have submerged.

Police search for Jack's body in the canal last year after he drowned. An inquest heard police thought he was deliberately evading them when he went under

Floral tributes are left at the scene after Jack's death. The jury heard it took around nine minutes between the time Jack jumped into the canal at 3.50pm and an officer, PC Richard Wilson, requesting permission to go in after him

On the day, Mrs Susianta was on her way to the riverside in a police car when she was informed that Jack had jumped, only to be told by officers to return home.

She explained that Jack's father, Ketut, is devastated that he was not there to help his son in his time of crisis.

She said: 'Ketut finds it difficult to trust now. He feels he wasn't allowed to do what he wanted to do as a father, and be at the river to save his son. He is destroyed by being made powerless.
But the end of the week should be the start of a mini-heatwave, with the mercury peaking at 19C (66F) on Friday

Monday will see rain moving across the UK from the west, 'blustery' winds and temperatures peaking at 16C (60F)

It will be largely dry in the south east today with rain in the north and west and a maximum temperature of 17C (63F)

Little Venice was awash with bunting as around 130 narrowboats came for London's biggest waterside festival

Dancers gathered in the countryside of Derbyshire and Gloucestershire to perform at the break of dawn today

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The Morris dancers were out in force this morning for a traditional May Day Bank Holiday... and yes, it's going to be a washout too.

A glorious sunrise greeted a group on Painswick Beacon, Gloucestershire, while the Border Morris Dancers stayed dry on the top of Windgather Rocks, Derbyshire.

The south east should remain dry today, with rain in the north and west, while Monday will see a band of rain moving across the UK, leaving showers and 'blustery' winds in its wake.

The Morris dancers were out in force this morning on Painswick Beacon, Gloucestershire for a traditional May Day Bank Holiday... and yes, it's going to be a washout too

The Gloucestershire Morris Men joined the Stroud Ladies Morris and Feet Together Jump for the celebrations as the sun rose over the horizon at 5.41am, marking the start of summer

This afternoon there will be rain in places - particularly in the north and west - while the south east will stay largely dry

But on Monday a band of rain is set to move across the UK from the west, leaving showers and 'blustery' winds in its wake

The sun rises on a group of Border Morris Dancers on the top of Windgather Rocks, Derbyshire

While some parts of Northern Ireland and western Scotland have a bright start to bank holiday Monday, for most of the UK it will be wet and windy for much of the day before brightening from the west in the afternoon

The Powderkegs, a group of 16 dancers which was formed in 2001, paint their faces black and wear rag jackets with jingle bells on their legs

While some parts of Northern Ireland and western Scotland have a bright start to bank holiday Monday, for most of Britain it will be wet and windy for much of the day before brightening from the west in the afternoon.

But the recent cold snap looks to be coming to an end, with temperatures expected to reach the high teens by the end of next week.

Met Office meteorologist Ellie Creed told MailOnline: 'On Wednesday there is another cold front but warmer air will come in from the continent.

'The high pressure wins out in general so the front will die away.

'So Wednesday and Thursday is a nice picture. There will be cloud in places but also sunshine, particularly in the south.'

Henry Czapp, aged 2, plays with a ball in glorious sunshine today next to a field of rapeseed near Winchester, Hampshire

The sun rises over early morning frost and mist in the Cambridgeshire Fens, near Ely Cathedral

The Dursley Rugby Club spend some time on the beach during their Brighton Tour 2016

Low-lying mists carpets the fields of the Cambridgeshire Fens. The agricultural region was created by draining swampland several centuries ago

There were colourful scenes in Little Venice during the capital's biggest waterside festival on Sunday.

The Canalway Cavalcade sees around 130 narrowboats decorated with flags and banners moored along the junction of the Grand Union Canal and Regent's Canal, creating an explosion of colour in one of London's most exclusive neighbourhoods.

Waterways enthusiasts are also able to take part in boating competitions and parades, while family-friendly fun comes in the form of a Punch & Judy show.

And, being spring in England, there is the obligatory troupe of Morris dancers and a real ale tent, as well as plenty of food stalls.

The event is organised by The Inland Waterways Association, a charity that campaigns for the protection of Britain's rivers and canals.

It has been taking place every May bank holiday since 1983.

The festival, which is free to enter, started on Friday and finishes on Monday.

Today has an action-packed schedule, including a blessing of boats by Bishop of London Richard Chartres at 12.45pm.

There will also be a teddy bear's picnic later in the afternoon.

Monday will see a boat-handling competition, before the festival ends with a parade of historic and working vessels.

While the weather expected to remain dry until this evening, rain is forecast for tomorrow.

These were the colourful scenes at London's Little Venice during the capital's biggest waterside festival, which attracts thousands of boating enthusiasts from all over the UK

The Canalway Cavalcade sees around 130 boats decorated with flags and banners moored along the junction of the Grand Union Canal and Regent's Canal to create a colourful spectacle

Waterways enthusiasts - some wearing unusual fancy dress - are also able to take part in boating competitions and parades, while family-friendly fun comes in the form of a Punch & Judy show

Despite all the colourful bunting and banners event participants used to decorate their boats, this dog looked less than impressed with their efforts

The Canalway Cavalcade, which is organised by The Inland Waterways Association - a charity that campaigns for the protection of Britain's rivers and canals - has been taking place every May Bank Holiday since 1983

Children watch a circus entertainer juggling coloured hoops during the festival, which takes place at the heart of one of London's most exclusive neighbourhoods

The event, which is free to enter, started on Friday and finishes on Monday. Alongside the pageantry, people also come to visit a collection of trade stalls selling boat parts and accessories

Visitors enjoyed messing about on narrowboats while wearing fancy dress. The Canalway Cavalcade in 2014 set a record for attendance, with more than 32,000 people joining in the fun

Today will see an action-packed schedule, including the blessing of boats by Bishop of London Richard Chartres in the morning and a teddy bear's picnic in the afternoon

On Monday there will be a boat handling competition, before the festival ends with a parade of historic and working vessels

This narrowboat is decorated with a flag commemorating Queen Elizabeth II's 90th birthday on April 21

As well as organising this annual event, The Inland Waterways Association also provides advice to people taking part in canal restoration projects

The Grand Union Canal at Little Venice was a sea of colour as boat owners put up bunting and banners to mark the spring festival

Boats drift down the canal in Little Venice, a tranquil area north of Paddington known for its wide variety of restaurants, cafes and pubs

Normally famed for its gentrified rowing regattas, Henley-on-Thames has become the focal point for Tough Mudder this weekend. This weekend, brave contestants lined up at Culden Faw, an estate that covers thousands of acres near the picturesque town
She was just three years old when she vanished from the villa in Portugal

On Tuesday it is the ninth anniversary of Madeleine's disappearance

The mother of Madeleine McCann has returned to the villa in Praia da Luz

The mother of Madeleine McCann has returned to the spot where her daughter disappeared nine years ago in Portugal.

Kate McCann took a secret trip to Praia da Luz, situated in the Algarve, where she took time out to walk the streets and contemplate the past few years.

On Tuesday it is the ninth anniversary of Madeleine's disappearance. She was just three years old when she vanished while on holiday with her parents in Portugal on 3 May 2007.

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Madeleine McCann (left and right) was just three years old when she vanished while on holiday with her parents in Portugal on 3 May 2007

Rui Pereira, ex-minister of internal affairs, attacked Portuguese police for not making Kate and Gerry McCann (pictured) suspects  or arguidos  for alleged abandonment after leaving their daughter alone on holiday

'Kate went back last month. She likes to stroll along the beach and relive the memories of them together,' a friend, who did not wish to be identified, told Tracey Kandohla at The Daily Mirror.

Despite a high-profile hunt, no trace of her has ever been found. Kate and Gerry McCann maintain hope that Maddie may still be alive and recently called for a new artist impression of their daughter for fear she may not be recognised.

Kate McCann's return to Portugal comes after it was revealed the police investigation into Madeleine McCann's disappearance could end in the next few months unless new evidence comes to light.

Scotland Yard boss Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe said investigators are following one remaining line of inquiry - and unless any new evidence comes forward it will spell the end of the British probe.

Speaking on LBC, Sir Bernard said: 'There's been a lot of investigation time spent on this terrible case.

'It's a child who went missing, everybody wants to know if she is alive and if she is where is she, and sadly if she's dead then we need to give some comfort to the family.

'It's needed us to carry out an investigation together with the Portuguese and other countries have been involved.

Kate McCann took a secret trip to Praia da Luz, situated in the Algarve, where she took time out to walk the streets and contemplate the past few years

End of the line? Met Commissioner Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe says the probe into Madeleine's disappearance will wind down in the next few months once one 'final' line of enquiry has been completed

The Ocean Club in Praia Da Luz, Portugal, where the McCann's were staying when Madeleine went missing

'There is a line of inquiry that remains to be concluded and it's expected that in the coming months that will happen.'

Sir Bernard's comments come just weeks after the Home Office granted 95,000 funding to keep the investigation - which now only has a handful of officers working on it - going for another few months.

Sir Bernard said: 'The size of the team has come down radically, we are now down to two or three people in that team, at one stage there were about 30 officers in it.'

But he added: 'There is a line of inquiry that everybody agrees is worthwhile pursuing.'

It was also recently revealed that Madeleine McCann's parents were not prosecuted for leaving her alone while they went out for a meal because officials believed it was a 'peculiar' English custom, a former minister has revealed.

Rui Pereira, ex-minister of internal affairs, attacked Portuguese police for not making Kate and Gerry McCann suspects  or arguidos  for alleged abandonment.

Three-year-old Madeleine disappeared in May 2007 after being left in the family's Algarve holiday apartment with her younger twin siblings while her parents went out for dinner.

Rui Pereira, ex-minister of internal affairs, attacked Portuguese police for not making Kate and Gerry McCann suspects  or arguidos  for alleged abandonment

Former Portuguese minister of internal affairs Rui Pereira (pictured) claimed a charge was considered, but said 'compassion' from investigators towards the parents had also influenced the decision no to proceed

British officers searching for Madeleine have taken more than 1,300 statements and spent several days digging up scrubland in the Algarve in the hunt for clues

Mr Pereira told Portuguese channel CMTV: 'At the beginning, there was an extraordinary and ridiculous theory that said the English have very peculiar cultural customs.

'And, therefore, it was natural for them to leave the [children] alone in a bedroom for the parents to go out a few hundred metres away to socialise with their friends.'

He added that a charge was considered, but said 'compassion' from investigators towards the parents had also influenced the decision no to proceed, it was reported by Daily Star.

His comments were echoed by former police chief Moita Flores, who said the couple would have been arrested for abandonment if they had been Portuguese.

He told CMTV: 'Have no doubts. If this had involved a Portuguese child our public ministry would have immediately set off measures which are in place to protect children.

'In our culture, this kind of behaviour would have not been tolerated as reasonable. I am not even sure it is tolerated under Anglo-Saxon cultural values.'

The McCanns have always vigorously denied neglecting their daughter.

British officers searching for Madeleine have taken more than 1,300 statements and spent several days digging up scrubland in the Algarve in the hunt for clues.

The head of Scotland Yard's homicide squad insisted there is 'always a possibility' that the girl will be discovered safe and well as he justified the ongoing operation.
Forced six branches in Melbourne's east owned by same couple to close

Employees affected by the closure of six LJ Hooker offices after trust fund irregularities have revealed their boss asked them for money - and one even claims to have lent her $100,000.

Others are out of pocket after not being paid commissions, and one alleged he was asked to act illegally by employer, according to a report by Fairfax media.

Judy Thanh Truc, who with ex-husband Joseph Ngo, was director of six Melbourne real estate office which have closed during an investigation into 'substantial' financial losses involving millions of dollars from a trust affecting more than 100 customers.

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Six LJ Hooker branches in Melbourne's wealthy eastern suburbs run by Judy Thanh Truc and ex-husband Joseph Ngo (pictured) have been forced to close

Ms Truc has denied stealing any money and claims she's victim of a set up. She has also offered to sell her own properties to recover missing money

LJ Hooker Glen Waverley (pictured), Keysborough, Mount Waverley, Burwood, Doncaster and Box Hill have been closed since April 21

She allegedly used their recent separation to ask employees for financial support, with a number giving her 'substantial money', Fairfax Media reported. A real estate agent who worked for Ms Truc said, on the condition of anonymity, said Ms Truc approached her employees to ask for money during their relationship issues, which they gave her to hold to business over.

But once they'd given her the money, she was back with her husband, the agent told Fairfax.

The agent said he was fired recently when he wouldn't reconcile bank statements for the trust missing millions of dollars.

Consumer Affairs Victoria said on Friday it had taken possession of the offices as it investigated allegations its directors Judy Nguyen (left), also known as Judy Thanh Truc, and husband Joseph Ngo (right) spent customer funds that were meant to be held in trust

He alleged he had been asked to illegally, which he refused to do,Fairfax reported.

He was the same agent who Fairfax reported had given Ms Truc $100,000.

Ms Truc has denied she's stolen money from homeowners and landlords - and claims to be the victim of a conspiracy.

She told Fairfax Media on Saturday she wasn't hiding or running from the issue, and would take responsibility for the missing money.

'I never stolen anyone monies [sic]. I cannot accepted this, is someone set me up,' Fairfax quoted her as saying.

'I feel really bad when I saw my clients in hard situation. Very sorry. But everything out of my control.'

Ms Truc said she was ready to sell her own home to make up for the missing money.

She also said she'd split from her husband last month, and that he was in hospital suffering effects of work-related stress.

Ms Truc (left) says she's split from Mr Ngo, but a former employee said after lending her money during her relationship issues, they then got back together, Fairfax reported

The Victorian State Government says homeowners and landlords will be compensated after funds from a LJ Hooker franchisee trust account went missing, leaving them millions out of pocket.

Consumer Affairs Minister Jane Garrett said on Saturday that the Victorian Property Fund would return money to those affected.

Ms Truc said she'd told LJ Hooker of issues with the trust earlier, but the company said it only learned of the issue on April 20, Fairfax reported.

Six LJ Hooker branches in Melbourne's wealthy eastern suburbs run by the same couple have been forced to close while Victoria's consumer affairs regulator investigates 'substantial' financial losses affecting over 100 customers.

Consumer Affairs Victoria said on Friday it had taken possession of the offices as it investigated allegations its director Judy Nguyen, also known as Judy Thanh Truc spent customer funds that were meant to be held in trust.

LJ Hooker Glen Waverley, Keysborough, Mount Waverley, Burwood, Doncaster and Box Hill have been closed since April 21.

LJ Hooker Box Hill (pictured) is one of the six real estate offices in Melbourne's east which have closed during an investigation

LJ Hooker Keysborough (pictured) has also closed during the investigation. Employees have claimed they lent Ms Truc substantial amounts of money recently

'Initial indications are there are more than 100 landlords and sales customers of the franchise impacted, involving substantial amounts of money,' Consumer Affairs Victoria said in a statement.

Victims Jan and Katarina Melih told ABC News they had yet to receive a $61,000 deposit from the sale of their home in Dandenong.

'We trusted the LJ Hooker brand- we didn't know we were dealing with a franchise,' Mr Melih, 73, said.

'I'm not the only one that's lost money.'

A statutory manager has been appointed to deal with outstanding consumer, landlord or tenant transactions, and wind the business down.

LJ Hooker's head office is helping the regulator investigate and identify any losses, Consumer Affairs Victoria said.

The company was attempting to find work for the employees at the six closed offices, Fairfax reported.

Victoria's consumer affairs regulator investigates 'substantial' financial losses affecting over 100 customers
A mother and daughter missing for four nights in New Zealand bushland have been found, after a helicopter spotted the word 'HELP' spelled out by the pair in a clearing.

Carolyn Lloyd, 44 and daughter Rachel Lloyd, 22, were found yesterday by helicopter after an extensive search of bushland surrounding the Kapakapanui Track, reported the NZ Herald.

The pair spelled the word 'help' on a river bed with rocks, punga fronds and sticks and made another sign in a bush clearing, where they were spotted from the air, waving their arms.

A missing American woman and her daughter have been found after four days in bushland in New Zealand, after a helicopter spotted the word 'HELP' they had spelled out in a clearing

The pair set out on Tuesday on what was supposed to only be a one-day hike.

The alarm was raised when their rental car was found at the entrance to the track on Friday night.

They failed to check out of their Palmerston North motel on April 27 and return their car at 11am on Friday.

The pair are originally from North Carolina and Ms Llloyd is in New Zealand visiting her daughter, who is an exchange student at Massey University.

Ms Lloyd reportedly carried her starving and exhausted daughter Rachel on her back as the pair tried to find their way out of the Tararua Forest.

Amalgamated Helicopters chief pilot Jason Diedrichs told WSOC the pair were physically and mentally tired when they were found.

They have been airlifted to Kenepuru Hospital in Porirua for precautionary checks.

Speaking to the NZ Herald from Charlotte, North Carolina, Ms Llloyd's husband Barry Lloyd said their entire family wanted to express their gratitude to the amazing police staff, helicopter pilots, search team members, dog guides, volunteers and news teams who kept them informed of what was happening.

Rachel Lloyd, 22, (left) and her mother Carolyn Lloyd, 44, (right) became lost on a hike on the Kapakapanui Track in the Tararua Forest after raching the summit and losing track of the markers on the way down

He said finding out his wife and daughter were safe was 'the greatest moment of his life' and he had spoken to them about the ordeal.

Mr Lloyd said they walked to the summit on the track and thought they were following the track on the way back, but the markers turned from orange to blue and as it got dark, the markers disappeared altogether.

He said the pair huddled under a tree overnight and tried to find their way out the next day via a stream.

The pair, who were hiking in the Tararua Forest (pictured) were airlifted to Kenepuru Hospital in Porirua for precautionary checks

By the third day, Rachel became so weak Mr Llloyd said Ms Lloyd made a makeshift camp, of a bed with fern fronds, and the 'HELP' sign in case a helicopter flew overhead.

New Zealand Police Sergeant Anthony Harmer yesterday praised the women for how they had handled their situation.

He said the search operation was 'pretty much textbook'.

'They've done all the right things - they've stayed together, they've conserved their heat, they've conserved their resources so they gave themselves the best chance possible,' he said.
ISIS hackers have released the names and personal details of dozens of American military personnel urging supporters to assassinate them.

The 'hit list' which was published on social media, claimed to include the details of American servicemen who had operated drones responsible for the coalition airstrikes.

The so-called Islamic State Hacking Division, a loose group of hackers affiliated with ISIS, released the details, claiming: 'You crusaders that can only attack the soldiers of the Islamic State with joysticks and consoles, die in your rage.'

The hacking group was setup by British jihadist Junaid Hussain, who was wiped out in a US drone strike in late August 2015

Hussain was married to former punk rocker Sally Jones (left), who is still believed to be in Syria

The hacking group was setup by British jihadist Junaid Hussain, who was wiped out in a US drone strike in late August 2015, according to The Sunday Times.

Known as Abu Hussain al-Britani, Junaid Hussain had been a key figure on social media, recruiting wannabe fighters and urging people to carry out lone wolf attacks in America and the UK.

While under the direction of Hussain, ISIS's cyber caliphate briefly hacked into the US Central Command's social media accounts.

Following his death, Hussain's wife Sally Jones, 46, a former member of a punk band, vowed to continue his work. She has since quietly disappeared from the social media scene.

Following his death, Hussain's wife Sally Jones, 46, a former member of a punk band, vowed to continue his work. She has since quietly disappeared from the social media scene

The group also claimed in a statement that Britains Ministry of Defence had been infiltrated by a spy.

ISIS have also allegedly threatened to publicly reveal 'secret intelligence' in the future that could identify RAF drone operators.

The news comes ISIS supporters revealed that an American husband and wife had been killed in an airstrike in Syria.

Known only as Abu Isa al-Amriki and Umm Isa al-Amriki, their bodies were found in the rubble of their home in Aleppo province on Friday.
A woman has detailed how she lost her husband to their Airbnb host as a 'twisted form of internet dating'.

The American woman, who wished to remain anonymous, said her 30-year marriage had ended after booking a stay with a woman through the online accommodation provider in Auckland, New Zealand, in 2015.

After their stay with an 'unusually solicitous and intrusive' host, the woman returned home, but her husband, who had also arrived a few days earlier than she, stayed on for a week, the New Zealand Herald reported.

The couple had booked an Airbnb in Auckland, New Zealand (pictured), where the husband met the female host he would later have an affair with (stock image)

A map shows Airbnb listings in the New Zealand city of Auckland, where the couple, now getting divorced, stayed in 2015

The woman, who wished to remain anonymous, described the situation as a 'twisted form of internet dating' (stock image)

Despite initially thinking their host was 'sad and needy', it seems her husband then got to know her much more personally.

Now, the woman and her husband are getting divorced, while he remains in a relationship with the host.

She described the affair as a 'shock', adding: 'I thought our marriage was imperfect but solid'.

The woman described the host now in a relationship with her husband as a single, middle-aged woman who 'calling periodically to ask if everything was all right and even asking to come by to make sure that the cleaning ladies were doing a good job'.

During their stay, she said her husband told her the host had 'gratuitously' told him personal details and revealed past relationships.

She believes her story not an uncommon one, but hopes it will be a warning for those using Airbnb.

Unsurprisingly, she doubted she'd be using the accommodation service again.

The couple, who have been married for 30 years, are now getting divorced as a result (stock image)

The woman has opened up about her story so it can be a warning to others using the online accommodation service (stock image)
A drunk man has escaped jail time and been given just community service after he savagely attacked an innocent bus passenger.

Adam White was so intoxicated at the time he could not recall attacking passenger Derek Botta on the L90 bus in Dee Why, north of Sydney.

The brutal attack left Mr Botta with life threatening injuries: 'I was totally trapped, I couldn't get up, I couldn't defend myself properly', he told Seven News.

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CCTV footage from the L90 bus shows Derek Botta on the floor trying to fight off a drunk Adam White

White can be seen on top of Mr Botta who is trying to protect himself as a horrified passenger looks on

The footage from last year shows Mr Botta being dragged across the ground and beaten up before he was knocked unconscious.

In court Magistrate Susan McIntyre said White's behaviour was simply outrageous as an adult.

'That anyone should be subjected themselves to such behaviour on a Sunday night is almost beyond me,' she said.

White was handed 250 hour of community service after he pleaded guilty to assaulting Mr Botta, a NSW court heard.

Bus passenger Botta tries to protect himself by pushing away Adam White

Derek Botta knocked unconcious and left life threatening injuries in hospital after he was attacked by Adam White who was extremely intoxicated

Derek Botta (left) was left with life threatening injuries caused by Adam White (right). White was sentenced to 250 hours community service

The L90 bus driver has stopped the bus to help other passengers break up the violent attack

The video also shows horrified passengers trying to break up the attack.

A passenger is seen notifying the bus driver who pulls the vehicle over to help stop the attack but gets dragged in as well.

The severe injuries have forced Mr Botta to cut back on work as he awaits surgery.
This is the humorous moment Jeremy Corbyn attempted to evade questions from a reporter but was thwarted by a locked door.

The Labour leader was left waiting outside a building frantically pressing buttons as the Sky News journalist continued his line of questioning.

Corbyn was being asked about the alleged anti-Semitism in the Labour party, following comments made by former London Mayor Ken Livingstone.

Jeremy Corbyn was approached by a Sky News journalist who asked him about the alleged anti-Semitism in the Labour party

The Labour leader attempted to evade the questions but found himself struggling with the door handle of a building in North London

The video shows Corbyn approaching the building in North London and asking the reporter: 'Who are you?'

The man replies that he is from Sky News and the Labour leader responds: 'Well, goodbye,' before swiftly walking towards the front door of a building.

He struggles with the door handle as the journalist continues: 'Mr Corbyn, what are you going to do about the perceived anti-Semitism in the Labour party?'

Corbyn is then seen frantically running his finger down the intercom while looking for the correct button to press.

He ignores the following question regarding the criticism from Andy Burnham - who said the Labour party was not dealing with the allegations quickly enough - while waiting for the door to swing open.

Corbyn is then seen running his finger down the intercom while looking for the correct button to press

The Labour leader ignores questions regarding the criticism from Andy Burnham while waiting for the door to open

The clip, which appeared live on Sky News, concludes with Corbyn finally gaining access to the building as a passer-by wishes him a good morning.

The footage, which was spotted by many viewers, quickly went viral after it appeared online and has been compared to a scene from satirical comedy series The Thick of It.

The video emerged as Ken Livingstone defended his remarks regarding Hitler and Zionism yesterday.

The former London Mayor said he 'regretted' the disruption caused by his comments, which have led to his suspension from the party.
After converting in 2010, Lauren Booth set up Peacetrail in 2013 to advance the Islamic faith

A Muslim charity founded by Cherie Blair's half sister is being investigated after it was unable to account for over 70,000.

Convert Lauren Booth set up Peacetrail in 2013 to advance the Islamic faith, help converts and tackle poverty among Muslim women and children in the UK, Palestine, Pakistan and Africa.

It helps house homeless Muslim women and children in the UK and gives financial help to them here and abroad.

But the Charity Commission has launched a Statutory inquiry in the charity's finances and management over alleged financial irregularities.

The investigation by the watchdog was triggered after the charity has failed to file accounts for both 2014.

It made a visit to the charity's HQ in January and found it was unable to provide records on how over 70,000 was spent.

It also identified further concerns about the Peacetrail's use of a bank account of another, non-charitable, company and how these funds had been used and accounted for.

This account allegedly relates to a company controlled by Ms Booth's husband Sohale Ahmed.

The charity's accounts for 2014 are now overdue by 428 days and last year's paperwork is late by 62 days.

Ms Booth, who converted to Islam in 2010, has worked for Al Jazeera, British Muslim TV, Iranian owned Press TV and the UK Islam Channel.

She is also a Patron of Cage who described Jidahi John as a 'beautiful' person.

Yet so serious were the failing by Peacetrail that the Commission opened the statutory inquiry on March 31 and ordered trustees to explain its activities, financial controls and why it has repeatedly failed to file accounts.

It said: 'The charity's objects include the advancement of the Islamic faith and the relief of poverty.

'The charity's stated activities include supporting women and children who face financial hardship in the UK and abroad.

The charity run by Ms Booth, pictured on anti-war protest in Manchester prior to her conversion, is under investigation by the Charity Commission

'The charity was pro-actively identified for a monitoring visit by the commission due to its failure to file its statutory annual returns.

'The visit which was carried out in January 2016 identified serious regulatory concerns regarding how the charity is being managed including; poor governance, risks to the charity's property due to poor financial management and failures by the trustees to conduct proper due diligence and monitoring of its partners.

'The visit also identified that the charity was unable to provide records to evidence expenditure of over 70,000.

'As part of the commission's continuing regulatory engagement it identified further concerns about the charity's use of a bank account of another, non-charitable, company and how these funds had been used and accounted for.

'The commission considers the concerns it has identified to be so serious that it opened a statutory inquiry and directed the trustees to provide information including the charity's activities, financial controls and an explanation as to the trustees continued failure to file the charity's statutory annual returns.

'The commission has also made an order to restrict transactions or payments that the charity may enter into without the commission's prior written approval.'

Charity founder Lauren Booth with her husband Sohale Ahmed, who works as an activist for Muslim charities (Picture by Noble Draper)

The inquiry will look into the charity's management and 'whether its funds have been properly expended and can be accounted for.'

It will also investigate the conduct of the trustees and whether they 'complied with and fulfilled their duties and responsibilities as trustees under charity law.'

It added: 'The inquiry will also take steps as appropriate to safeguard and retrieve any funds which cannot be accounted for as applied for exclusively charitable purposes.'

Ms Booth has refused to comment about the ongoing investigation.

Instead she directed all inquiries to her second husband, who she married in 2013 and lives in Stockport.
Spokesperson defends program saying 'aggregated and anonymous information' is within consumer protection standards

Billboard companies that track people's movements through smartphone apps in order to optimize advertising locations pose a threat to privacy, a US senator said.

New York Senator Charles Schumer is calling for a federal investigation into Clear Channel Outdoor Americas' 'spying billboards,' warning the service may violate privacy rights by tracking people's cell phone data.

'A person's cellphone should not become a James Bond-like personal tracking device for a corporation to gather information about consumers without their consent,' Schumer said in a statement ahead of a planned news conference Sunday in Times Square, where the company operates billboards.

Clear Channel Outdoor Americas operates some of the billboards in Times Square, which New York Senator Charles Schumer claims may violate privacy rights by tracking people's data

But the company, which operates more than 675,000 billboards throughout the world, argues that characterization of its program is inaccurate, insisting it only uses anonymous data collected by other companies.

In a statement, company spokesman Jason King said the RADAR program is based on an established advertising technique that 'uses only aggregated and anonymized information' from other companies that certify they're following consumer protection standards.

King also provided a copy of a letter it sent earlier this year to another lawmaker who also raised concerns about the ad service and consumer protections.

The company 'does not receive or collect personally identifiable information about consumers for use in Radar,' CEO Scott Wells wrote in a letter to Senator Al Franken, a Minnesota Democrat. 'It's not necessary for the insights we are offering our advertising customers.'

The ad program is a partnership between Clear Channel and technology companies, including AT&T, that gather location data from smartphone apps, company officials have said.

In a video on its website, the company says it 'measures consumers' real-world travel patterns and behaviors as they move through their day, analyzing data on direction of travel, billboard visibility, and visits to specific destinations.'

But the company, which operates more than 675,000 billboards throughout the world, argues that characterization of its program is inaccurate, insisting it only uses anonymous data collected by other companies

That information, the company says, is then mapped against Clear Channel's displays, which would allow advertisers to buy ads in places that would 'reach specific behavioral audience segments.'

Clear Channel uses 'aggregate and anonymous mobile consumer information,' the company said.

The program gives marketers a 'solution that provides a more accurate way to understand and target specific audience segments,' Clear Channel's vice president, Andy Stevens, said in a news release announcing the initiative in February.

But an investigation into the company is necessary because most people don't realize their location data is being mined, even if they agreed to it at some point by accepting the terms of service of an app that later sells their location information, Schumer said.
The search for an elderly woman who is believed to have gone missing while bushwalking through the dense bushland of a National park has started after she failed to return home.

The 65-year-old United States national was last seen at about 3pm on Saturday when she went for a bushwalk in the Deua River Valley.

She was reported missing at 9am on Sunday near Moruya, a town 175km from the National capital, Canberra.

A 65-year-old United States national is believed to have gone missing when she went for a bushwalk in the dense bushland of Deua National (stock image) 175 kilometres from the National capital, Canberra

Officers from Far South Coast, with the assistance of SES and Westpac Helicopter have started a wide-scale land and air search of the Deua National Park area where she was last spotted.

New South Wales police said that the woman is described to be of 'Caucasian appearance, about 178cm tall, of solid build, with short blonde hair.

'She was last seen wearing Capri-style pants and a light coloured top.'

Police have urged anyone with information or anyone who may have seen the woman to come forward and call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.

Officers from Far South Coast, with the assistance of SES and Westpac Helicopter have started a wide-scale land and air search of the Deua National Park area where she was last spotted
Another user described the budget as having 'tax cuts for the rich'

One Twitter user questioned who fed Mr Morrison the misinformation

Australian Bureau of Statistics data shows the average wage is $59,576

Treasurer said cuts would 'clear the way for people earning average wages'

He said on Saturday Australian workers earning more than $80,000 a year would benefit from the budget, announced on July 1

Scott Morrison has faced backlash on social media for tax cuts comments

Treasurer Scott Morrison has come under fire on social media after saying Australian workers earning more than $80,000 a year would benefit from tax cuts in July's budget.

Mr Morrison said on Saturday that small and medium businesses and middle class workers earning more than $80,000 would be the big budget winners, set to be announced on July 1 the day before the election.

He told Channel Nine the tax cuts would clear the way for 'people out there earning average wages'.

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One Twitter user said he used to earn $80,000 per year before his job closed, and now he earns less in another position

Another Twitter user asked who was feeding Scott Morrison the average wage misinformation

However according to data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics, the average annual earnings in Australia are $59,576.

Twitter has exploded with comments from people challenging Mr Morrison's assumption that $80,000 is an average wage.

One person wrote: '80k is average earnings - you are joking. Used to earn that but high tech job closed, now earn less'.

Another person said: '80k is above average earnings!!! Who is feeding you this misinformation?'

Another Twitter user questioned what percentage of the budget tax cuts 'would trickle down for the poor needy folks'.

'Is Scott Morrison tone deaf, arrogant or simply without shame? Tax cuts for the rich', another tweet read.

Treasurer Scott Morrison said on Saturday that the big winners in the budget would be small and medium businesses, and workers earning more than $80,000

Industry Minister Christopher Pyne didn't confirm the reports of tax cuts, but said if they are in the budget he would like to see them rolled out quickly.

'Obviously we want the tax cuts to start earlier rather than later should they be confirmed in the budget, because we want middle class earners not to be moving into higher tax brackets,' Mr Pyne said on Sky TV.

Opposition Leader Bill Shorten was scathing of the cuts, arguing they amount to Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull splashing cash around to set himself up for the election.

Data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics shows the average Australian income is $59,576

This person tweeted that the budget was about trashing the poor and helping the wealthy

Another said people who were less well off would have to carry the burden of the cuts, so that wealthier people wouldn't feel victimised

This tweet accused the treasurer and prime minister Malcolm Turnbull of splashing cash around

This Twitter user suggested paying politicians' salaries according to their performance and achievements

Another tweet urged Mr Morrison to increase the pension amount for senior citizens in Australia

This tweet questioned what percentage of the budget would be allocated to people who earn less

Another Twitter user asked if the median earnings were taken into account, when Mr Morrison said the budget would 'clear the way for people out there earning average wages'
Disgraced entertainer Rolf Harris is expected to receive nearly 1million in a payout whilst he is in prison as his firm faces closure.

His firm, known as Rolf Harris Enterprises is being liquidated and paid out 859,434 recently, according to New Companies House documents.

Harris is expected to share the money with his wife, Alwen, who attended almost every day of Harris's lengthy trials for indecent assault.

The news come as Rolf Harris will stand trial next January for alleged sex attacks against women and girls as young as 12.

Disgraced entertainer Rolf Harris is expected to receive nearly 1million in a pay out whilst he is in prison as one of his firms faces closure

The 86-year-old artist and musician denies eight allegations dating from 1971 to 2004, relating to girls and women who were aged between 12 and 27.

He is said to have molested a girl aged 13 at the BBC Television Centre in west London in 1983.

Harris allegedly groped another girl at the BBC's former White City HQ in 2004.

He was charged earlier this year with seven counts of indecent assault spanning 45 years as part of Operation Yewtree, an inquiry into celebrities suspected of child sex offences.

The news come as Rolf Harris will stand trial next January for alleged sex attacks against women and girls as young as 12

The 86-year-old artist and musician denies eight allegations dating from 1971 to 2004, relating to girls and women who were aged between 12 and 27

The first two alleged victims are girls under the age of 14 who claim they were assaulted by the Australian-born star in 1971 and 1977.

Two women aged over 16 have pressed charges relating to incidents on in 1977 and 1978.

Harris is also said to have indecently assaulted another girl under the age of 14 in 1983.

The former Animal Hospital presenter appeared at Southwark Crown Court via video link wearing a suit and tie.

Harris, formerly of Bray, Berkshire, denied seven counts of indecent assault and one of sexual assault

Ralf Harris was well known as an entertainer, musician and painter during his career

Judge Alistair McCreath said: 'Your next date before the court is 29 July but you need not come - we can deal with your case over the video link. Your trial is set for the 9 January.'

Harris, formerly of Bray, Berkshire, denied seven counts of indecent assault and one of sexual assault.

His trial was fixed for January 9, 2017 and expected to last for five weeks.
A Muslim conference touted as a gathering of 'inspirational international and local guest speakers' appears to have been too much for the country's highest ranking Muslim man.

In a photograph from the event in Homebush, Sydney, Grand Mufti Ibrahim Abu Mohamed appears to be resting his head on his chest, asleep, while those around him appear attentive.

At the same event, men and women were prevented from sitting together, their seating placed to either side of the venue with a steel fence separating them.

The Grand Mufti of Australia, Ibrahim Abu Mohamed, (second from right) appears to take a nap during the United Muslims of Australia Quest for Success conference on Sunday

A fence between two women standing together and two men on the other side shows how the genders were prevented from sitting together

A woman is forced to speak and comfort a young boy over the fence which separated the men and women from each other

Conference attendees outside the venue in Sydney on Sunday

The Grand Mufti was attending the United Muslims of Australia Quest for Success conference, held on Sunday.

A website for the event described it as focusing on 'the journey of seeking success in this life and the hereafter'.

Information stated: 'The event will feature inspirational international and local guest speakers to share their vast range of insights, experiences and advice on how this goal can be attained by developing a blueprint for Muslims individually, within the family environment and the wider community'.

Before the event, separate male and female tickets were being sold, despite a tribunal earlier finding a different Islamist group holding meetings in Sydney had discriminated against women by forcing them to sit in separate seating.

Before the event, it controversially sold separate male and female tickets, despite a tribunal earlier finding an Islamist group in Sydney had discriminated against women by forcing them to sit apart from men

A male tick sits on a seat at the venue, where men and women had to sit separately

The Grand Mufti is projected on a screen as he addresses those gathered for the conference

Attendees make their way into the festival, which was described as focusing on: 'the journey of seeking success in this life and the hereafter'

The event saw its fair share of controversy before it even occurred.

Among the 12 invited speakers was Hamzah Tzortzis, from the United Kingdom, who infamously condoned child rape on a previous visit to the country, according to The Daily Telegraph.

However, he failed to show, according to reports.

He has also publicly said anyone fighting against Muslims should be beheaded, the Telegraph reported.

Despite the controversy, the event appears to have gone off without a hitch.

The United Muslims of Australia Facebook page posted on Sunday evening: 'What a successful day at UMA Conference - Quest for Success 2016. Huge turn out. A great line of international and national speakers. Beautiful and hospitable volunteers. Friendly environment'.

The group describes itself on an event page for the conference as 'one of the largest Islamic youth and community based organisations in Australia, founded on traditional Islamic principles and focused on providing quality spiritual, social, educational and recreational programs and activities for the continued development of the Muslim community within Australia'.

Women seated inside the conference venue in Homebush, Sydney, on Sunday

Attendees watch a speaker projected onto a screen inside the conference venue
Torrential rainfall ravaged the south in parts of Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana and Arkansas until early Saturday leaving

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New Orleans' famous jazz festival may have been a washout this year but Stevie Wonder wasn't going to let a little rain stop his performance.

The music legend had been due to play the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival on Saturday afternoon. But his performance, like that of rapper Snoop Dogg and many other artists, had to be cancelled due to thunderstorms and heavy rain.

But rather than disappoint his fans, Wonder walked on stage and led the crowd in a moving tribute to Prince - using just a handheld megaphone.

The Superstition hitmaker began by apologizing to the crowd for cancelling the show and promised to return before breaking into his version of Purple Rain, accompanied by the festival goers.

He ended his impromptu performance by telling the crowd 'I love you.'

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Stevie Wonder wowed fans at New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival on Saturday afternoon when he began singing Purple Rain through a megaphone to stunned crowd after being forced to cancel his gig

The Superstition hitmaker apologized to the crowd for cancelling the show and promised to return before breaking into Purple Rain, accompanied by the festival goers

New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival was forced to cancel major acts like Snoop Dogg and Stevie Wonder because of thunderstorms

Overcast skies turned to rain around 3pm but that didn't stop the music as fans reveled in the acts that were able to perform on Saturday

Water quickly flooded knee-high and some Jazz Fest goers need help trudging the deep waters in the venue as stages shut down

The Acura Stage area flooded after the storm dumped several inches of rain on the second Saturday of the New Orleans Jazz Fest at the Fair Grounds

Ponchos weren't enough to protect the New Orleans Jazz Fest from the harsh weather that rocked the south over the weekend

Guests abandoned chairs and tarps as murky, muddied waters flooded the area. People crowded on dry patches of land to escape to waters

Some fans even appeared to be swimming through the waters as the rose, even though the rising waters only reached knee-high

Some Jazz Fest attendees were not going to be deterred by the massive rainfall trouncing the south and continued to enjoy the festival

Saturday's festival had a gloomy start and overcast skies turned to rain around 3pm but that didn't stop the music as fans reveled in such acts as New Orleans bounce artist Big Freedia, Dr. John and the Nite Trippers and Hurray for the Riff Raff.

But all that changed an hour later as heavier rain barred performances by Wonder and others.

'We're very bummed,' said attendee Laura Monsted, of New Orleans.

'We were waiting for Stevie. Still, we're thankful for the acts we were able to see.'

Monsted and her friends said they saw crews closing down the Fais Do Do stage and expressed disappointment.

'You know, $75 is a lot for a rainy day and, to only get a few acts, that's a hard pill to swallow,' she said.

Claire Mangano and her friend, Emilee Margiotta, appeared glum that the big acts were cancelled.

'But we understand,' Mangano said. 'It's for safety reasons, for the fans and the artists. We live here and know playing in this kind of weather can get dangerous really fast.'

The festival, which began on April 22, will end on Sunday, May 1, with a 60 per cent or higher chance of more rain in the forecast

Scheduled performances are to include Trombone Shorty and Orleans Avenue, Maze featuring Frankie Beverly, Chris Botti, Arlo Guthrie, Neil Young and Bonnie Raitt on Sunday

The National Weather Service issued a flash flood warning for parts of Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana and Arkansas until early Saturday

Mud puddles formed throughout the infield of the Fair Grounds Race Course, where the festival is held annually, on Saturday

Tornadoes snaked across northern and eastern Texas, including in Lindale, and southern Oklahoma, causing severe damage as it knocked down tree limbs and power lines

Floods wracked the south over the weekend as a flash flood devastated parts of Texas and tornadoes ravaged southern Oklahoma

The start of the day at the Gentilly Stage second Saturday of the New Orleans Jazz Fest at the Fair Grounds, before the rain washed out the show

Mud puddles formed throughout the infield of the Fair Grounds Race Course, where the festival is held annually. Fans, ready for the worst, donned rain coats, ponchos and rubber boots. Many held up umbrellas, while others braved the elements without any cover and sometimes without shoes, dancing even as rain pelted them.

Jarrod Broussard and his wife, Tammy, come to the festival every year  rain or shine.

Tammy Broussard, who is fighting cancer, said they decided to attend because 'I'm going through chemo and today is a good day.'

Broussard, who's also celebrating his birthday, said they were prepared for the forecast, bringing along rain gear and a change of clothes.

Artist Dwayne D. Conrad and art dealer Bernadette Gilds Pinel have a booth at the festival and had hoped to hear Wonder's performance.

A child members of the Black Mohawk Mardi Gras Indians performs at the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival in New Orleans

'Spyboy Gusto' of the Mowhawk Hunters Mardi Gras Indians performs at the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival in New Orleans

'Lil' Spyboy Man Man' of the Redhawk Hunters Mardi Gras Indians, performs with the group at the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival in New Orleans

'Lil Queen Lola B' of the Flaming Arrows Mardi Gras Indians, performs on stage with the group at the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival in New Orleans

A member of the Mowhawk Hunters Mardi Gras Indians performs at the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival in New Orleans

Big Freedia performed to a large crowd on the Congo Square Stage, despite the rain, during day 6 of Jazz Fest at the Fair Grounds in New Orleans

Big Freedia holds the microphone out to the crowd during her performance on the Congo Square Stage during day 6 of Jazz Fest at the Fair Grounds

'We were robbed,' Gilds Pinel said, laughing after learning that his show wouldn't go on. 'God willing, he will pop up somewhere in the city tonight to make up for this.'

Todd Thompson and his wife, Rabiya, of Leavenworth, Kansas, said this was their first Jazz Fest experience. Despite the bad weather, they were having a good time.

'We were lucky enough to get inside one of the tents and heard Kermit Ruffins' set. It's been great for what we were able to see,' he said.

The festival ends on Sunday, with a 60 per cent or higher chance of more rain in the forecast. Scheduled performances are to include Trombone Shorty and Orleans Avenue, Maze featuring Frankie Beverly, Chris Botti, Arlo Guthrie, Neil Young and Bonnie Raitt.

The National Weather Service issued a flash flood warning for parts of Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana and Arkansas until early Saturday.

Floods wracked the south over the weekend as a flash flood devastated parts of Texas and tornadoes ravaged southern Oklahoma.

Lenda Asbery, 62, and her four grandchildren were killed after being swept away from their home in Palestine, Texas, early Saturday morning.

City crews found the five bodies near one of the homes before dawn after the floodwaters had receded. One other person was killed in the flooding bringing the death toll to six.

Six to 10 homes in the cul-de-sac were severely damaged following heavy rainfall over the course of just a few minutes after midnight.

The captain said a dump truck was also used to rescue one man from the roof of a home.

A home in Fletcher, Oklahoma was also severely damaged but there were no injuries, officials said.

Tornadoes snaked across northern and eastern Texas, including in Lindale, and southern Oklahoma, causing severe damage as it knocked down tree limbs and power lines - slowing first-responders.

Big Freedia takes the Congo Square Stage to tumultuous applause during day 6 of Jazz Fest at the Fair Grounds in New Orleans
Russia has said that talks were under way to agree a freeze in fighting in Aleppo province after the United States demanded that the Syrian regime halt their bombardment there.

'Currently active negotiations are under way to establish a 'regime of silence' in Aleppo province,' Lieutenant General Sergei Kuralenko, head of Moscow's coordination centre in Syria said.

He also said that a freeze in fighting in Eastern Ghouta, a suburb to the east of the capital Damascus, had been extended by another 24 hours, by the end of today.

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A Friday statement from the Syrian army did not explain what military or non-military action a 'regime of calm' would entail

Pieces of masonry and concrete litter the ground in the Bustan al-Qasr neighbourhood of Aleppo, Syria

A 'regime of silence' was also holding in northern Latakia province, Kuralenko said, said speaking from Russia's Hmeimim air base.

'We are calling on all sides interested in establishing peace in Syria to support the Rusisan-American initiative and not to allow a regime of silence to be disrupted,' Kuralenko said.

The announcement came after Moscow said yesterday it would not ask the Syrian regime to halt air raids on the war-ravaged city of Aleppo, as it believes they are helping to combat jihadist groups.

Earlier this week Washington appealed to Moscow to keep the Damascus regime in check and the United States also expressed outrage over a deadly air strike on an Aleppo hospital.

Nearly 30 air strikes have devastated rebel-held areas of Syria's northern city of Aleppo yesterday

Rescue race to the scene and prepare to help survivors trapped inside the rubble in Aleppo, Syria

A resident of Western Ghouta, which is under government siege, said shellings appeared to have ceased around the capital in the hours after the start of the 'regime of calm' on Friday at 1 am

Observatory director Rami Abdulrahman said government-held areas of Aleppo were 'a bit quieter today', but that shells fired by rebels were still intermittently hitting

Syrian kids gather around the rubbles of houses at Damascus' Cobar region to protest against Assad Regime forces' air attacks targeting Aleppo

Many of the children in the Damascus region held up homemade slogans in support of residents trapped in Aleppo

Aleppo, capital of the northern province of the same name, is a key battleground and of vital strategic significance to both sides in the Syrian civil war.

A truce was called in February between Bashar al-Assad's forces and a coalition of rebels but has since begun to break down, particularly in the besieged city of Aleppo.

Aleppo was left out of a new temporary US-Russian brokered truce that appeared to be holding in the regime stronghold of Latakia as well as Damascus and the nearby rebel bastion of Eastern Ghouta.

The news comes as Pope Francis decried the worsening violence amid the already `'desperate' humanitarian situation in Syria, particularly in the northern city of Aleppo.

During his traditional Sunday remarks to the faithful in St. Peter's Square, Francis referred to last week's attack on an Aleppo hospital.

He laments that a `'spiral of violence' is `'reaping innocent victims, even among children, the sick and those who with great sacrifice are committed to helping their neighbors.'

Medical personnel were reported to be among the victims of that attack.

Francis says he is 'exhorting all sides involved in the conflict to respect the cessation of hostilities and reinforce ongoing dialogue,' which he says is the only path that leads to peace.

Civil defense workers and civilians carry out search and rescue operations after the Russian forces staged air-strikes in Bustan al Qasr Neighborhood of Aleppo

A health worker carries a girl, who has been rescued from the wreckage, after the latest air strikes

Fire fighters try to extinguish fire after regime helicopters target a medical center at opposition controlled Bustan el Kasr region of Aleppo
An elderly couple were left trapped in their car for 14 hours overnight after it skidded off a road and plunged into a 20ft-deep ditch.

Their upturned Honda Jazz was spotted at 10:10.am on Sunday after it came off a road in the Cotswolds, Gloucestershire, on Saturday at 8pm.

The man and woman, aged 87 and 78 manage to escape without serious injury, despite spending all night trapped inside the vehicle.

An elderly couple's car came off the A46 near Prinknash Abbey in Gloucestershire on Saturday night and they were trapped in the vehicle until 10am the next morning

Their car left the A46 near Prinknash Abbey as they were heading towards the village of Cranham.

The Honda was only seen on Sunday when a driver in a larger vehicle noticed it on its side and called the police.

The pensioners, from Churchdown in Gloucestershire were taken to the Gloucestershire Royal Hospital to be checked over.

A spokesman for Gloucestershire Police said: 'We understand from the driver that their car left the road at 8pm last night and the couple have been trapped in the vehicle overnight.

'It was extremely lucky that the couple were not seriously injured at the time of the incident and that their car was spotted this morning by a driver of a high-sided vehicle who called the police.'

Police are now investigating how the car ended up in the ditch.

They said in a statement put out on Sunday that the A46 was shut until 1:30pm but access to Prinknash Abbey itself was not affected.

Their upturned Honda Jazz was spotted at 10:10.am on Sunday after it came off a road in the Cotswolds, Gloucestershire, on Saturday at 8pm
European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker

Plans to extend visa-free travel to Europe to 127 million people from Turkey, Ukraine, Georgia and Kosovo are set to be signed off by officials this week.

Under the proposals expected to be confirmed by the European Commission, tourists from the countries will be able to move freely within the 26-member Schengen zone for up to three months.

However, they would still require a visa to enter Britain.

There are fears the tourists' ranks could be swelled by an estimated 400,000 Kurds from southeast Turkey displaced by a government clampdown. Some have predicted a sharp increase in asylum applications.

Turkey, which has a population of 75 million, has been included as part of a deal brokered by Germany for cooperation in controlling the flow of migrants to Europe.

The plans will be put to European leaders at a Brussels summit in the aftermath of the crucial June 23 referendum on Britain's membership.

Turkey has not yet fully complied with an agreement to introduce more than 70 pieces of legislation to qualify for the waiver scheme.

The measures mostly relate to human rights and media freedoms.

But the commission is expected to endorse the plan on Wednesday, adding Turkey and Kosovo to Ukraine and Georgia.

If EU leaders back the visa waiver at the end of June, the European parliament will need to ratify the move.

Germany took in more than a million asylum seekers last year as part of Chancellor Angela Merkel's 'open door' policy, and is keen to curb the flow of migrants.

France and Germany have proposed a new 'emergency brake' that could suspend visa-free travel for countries that no longer meet the specific criteria. But commission officials have indicated that idea has been rejected.

A senior EU source told the Sunday Times Turkey could threaten to "open the floodgates" irrespective of any safeguards .

"The threat will always be there, not just regarding visas, but also perhaps in disputes related to human rights or the Kurdish issue," the diplomat said.

Meanwhile, thousands of migrants stranded in Greece are under pressure to leave informal settlements and move to government-run camps.

Authorities have been trying to clear ferry terminals in Piraeus in the run-up to this week's Orthodox Easter holiday, which marks the beginning of the holiday season.

A similar action is under way in the northern Greek city of Idomeni, close to the Macedonian border, where 10,000 refugees have gathered.

'These people are traumatised and afraid of uniforms so we are facing some problems persuading them to leave," a Greek government spokesman said.
But both Trump sons said the family could take the jokes - and hit back

Their father declined to attend because he said the press was 'dishonest'

His brother Donald Trump Jr, 38, was there too; both came with their wives

A confident Eric Trump said his father will be the one hosting next year's correspondents' dinner at the White House - and will hit back at Barack Obama's witty remarks.

The billionaire's son, 32, attended his first White House Correspondents' address on Saturday night with his wife Lara.

'We'll take some shots back next year,' he told The Hill. 'He who laughs last laughs longest, right?'

His wife said she'd be 'shocked' if the president spared her father-in-law.

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Eric Trump (pictured with his wife Lara), 32, attended his first White House Correspondents' Dinner on Saturday night and said his father would be the one hosting the event next year

Donald Trump Jr, the mogul's oldest son, also told CNN he did not fear Obama's jokes.

'If there's anyone that can make fun of ourselves, it's my father, it's me, it's our family. That's what we are,' Trump Jr, 38, said as he arrived.

'We're ready. We realize it's all in good fun and we can dish it out and we can take it.'

His wife Vanessa said she probably wouldn't laugh should the president take jabs at The Donald, but Trump Jr assured he would.

He cracked a joke of his own the morning after, posting a photo of him and his father on Instagram.

In the picture, Trump is in the middle of delivering a speech while his son stands next to him, pointing the finger at someone in the crowd.

'I look like I'm doing my finest Joe Biden impersonation!' Trump Jr wrote in the caption.

'Who knows maybe it's foreshadowing... Maybe we go with the name recognition ticket for Prez/VP. The Donald Trump Donald Trump ticket. I like the sound of that.'

Donald Trump Jr, 38, also came with his wife Vanessa. She told reporters she probably wouldn't laugh if the president took jabs at The Donald, but Trump Jr said he would take it in stride

Trump Jr made fun of himself the morning after the dinner, posting this photo of himself alongside his father on Instagram with the caption: 'I look like I'm doing my finest Joe Biden impersonation!'

The billionaire's son compared himself to the vice-president (pictured earlier this month) and added: 'Who knows maybe it's foreshadowing... Maybe we go with the name recognition ticket for Prez/VP'

The Donald declined to attend the dinner, telling The Hill earlier this month the press was 'dishonest' and would not treat him fairly if he went.

He was at the White House Correspondents' address in 2011 and disliked the resulting coverage.

Trump told The Hill the press wrote that he did not enjoy the dinner due to Obama's jokes at his expense, even though he had a 'great time' - and came back in 2015.

'I was very honored by all of the attention. The president told joke after joke and it was good,' Trump said.

'They were all very nice and delivered nicely and I had a great time and told the press. For four years, I've read what a miserable time I had.'

'If the press would be honest, I'd go because I'd have a good time,' he added. 'But no matter how good a time I had, the press would say: "Donald Trump was miserable." What would I need that for?'

Trump (pictured during a campaign stop in Indianapolis on Wednesday) declined to attend this year's correspondents' dinner, saying the press was 'dishonest' and would not give him fair coverage

Obama did not spare the Republican frontrunner during his half-hour speech on Saturday night.

He started innocently as if to praise the media.

'A free press is central to our democracy and... Nah, I'm just kidding. You know I'm gonna talk about Trump!' the president began.

'Although I am a little hurt that he's not here tonight. We had so much fun the last time. And it is surprising. We have a room full of reporters, celebrities, cameras and he says no.

'Is this dinner too tacky for The Donald? What could he possibly be doing instead? Is he at home eating a Trump steak? Tweeting out insults to Angela Merkel? What's he doing?'

Obama lampooned Trump in 2011, hitting back at the billionaire's repeated doubts about the president's place of birth.

'No one is happierno one is prouderto put this birth certificate matter to rest than The Donald. And thats because he can finally get back to focusing on the issues that matter,' Obama said.

'Like, did we fake the moon landing? What really happened in Roswell? And where are Biggie and Tupac?'

The president then made fun Trump's 'credentials and breadth of experience.'

'Just recently, in an episode of Celebrity Apprentice, at the steakhouse, the mens cooking team did not impress the judges from Omaha Steaks,' Obama said.
An 18-year-old man has been charged after petrol was poured over an ambulance at an out-of-control party when paramedics were treating a burned teenager.

Police alleged paramedics were helping a 14-year-old boy who was burned when he tried to light a bonfire at the Rossmore property in Sydney's south west shortly before midnight on Saturday.

The young boy had suffered superficial burns to his face and hands after falling into the blaze.

When a paramedic returned to his ambulance about an hour later, he discovered the vehicle had been doused in petrol, Acting Inspector Branko Kubecka said.

'(He) noticed the entire van was wet and he smelt the strong smell of fuel,' he told AAP on Sunday.

An 18-year-old man has been charged after petrol was poured over an ambulance at an out-of-control party when paramedics were treating a burned teenager (stock image)

An 18-year-old man has since been charged with damage property and was granted conditional bail to face Liverpool Local Court on May 26.

'He was two hours into becoming an adult... he obviously made some pretty dumb decisions - alcohol was a contributing factor,' Act Insp Kubecka said.

Police believed the partygoers who were blocking access to the bonfire weren't aware of their actions.

'I don't think they were intentionally impending access,' he said.

'I think they were probably oblivious to what was going on.'

On Saturday night, the young boy was rushed to The Children's Hospital at Westmead where he remains in a stable condition.

Rural Fire Service volunteers attempting to extinguish the bonfire were forced to call for police assistance when several partygoers became aggressive and refused to let them put out the fire.

Police alleged paramedics were helping a 14-year-old boy who was burned when he tried to light a bonfire at the Rossmore property in Sydney's south west shortly before midnight on Saturday (stock image)

Officers from Green Valley Local Area Command attended and were able to move the partygoers back into the house while the fire was extinguished.

A paramedic called for police assistance about 1.45am on Sunday after he returned to the scene and found someone had allegedly poured petrol over his ambulance.

This vehicle had been left at the scene, when the paramedics drove the 14-year-old to hospital in a second ambulance.

Inquiries are still ongoing and any witnesses who have not yet spoken to police or may have mobile phone footage are urged to come forward.
A Fort Bragg soldier has been charged with kidnapping and raping another soldier from his same unit.

Afghanistan veteran Johnathan Simpson was arrested on Friday and charged with first-degree rape, first-degree kidnapping, and sexual battery.

The 26-year-old is accused of kidnapping his victim, also 26, and carrying out the alleged sexual assault in the 1000 block of Bragg Boulevard on April 25.

Afghanistan veteran Johnathan Simpson (pictured left, in uniform, and right, in his arrest mugshot) was arrested on Friday and charged with first-degree rape, first-degree kidnapping, and sexual battery

Police said Simpson and the victim are assigned to the same Army unit.

Simpson, who is separated from his wife of five years, was arrested at his unit in Fort Bragg, North Carolina, with the assistance of Fort Bragg Military Police, officials said.

He is currently being held at the Cumberland County Detention Center on a $250,000.00 secured bond.

The 26-year-old is accused of kidnapping his victim, also 26, and carrying out the alleged sexual assault in the 1000 block of Bragg Boulevard on April 25. Police said Simpson and the victim are assigned to the same Army unit at Fort Bragg (pictured)

Simpson, who is separated from his wife of five years, was arrested at his unit in Fort Bragg, North Carolina, with the assistance of Fort Bragg Military Police, officials said

Attorney information for Simpson, originally from Dewitt Iowa, and a graduate of North Scott Senior High School, was not immediately available.

Simpson's Facebook page lists him as an active soldier at Fort Bragg since July 2009. His rank is listed as sergeant.

Army officials at Fort Bragg declined to comment.
From a Christian family, a mother of three, and now with a partner who supports her choice of job, Amber* is trying to break down stereotypes about sex workers.

It's a profession the Christchurch, New Zealand, woman got into 15 years ago when she got pregnant with her first child in order to not go on the Domestic Purposes Benefit for solo parents.

After becoming a sex worker, Amber, who wished to remain anonymous and have a different name used, realised the stereotypes about drugs, diseases and gang affiliations weren't true, she told The Press.

The New Zealand sex worker is trying to change perceptions of the industry, and says people don't know what goes on in the private lives of sex workers (stock image)

She began working in the industry after falling pregnant to her first child, and wanted to avoid having to go on a benefit (stock image)

It's the pay - up to $200 per hour - that keeps her in the job and helps support her three children.

At first, she was scared of catching AIDs, but said after a couple of jobs, realised it wasn't so frightening.

In her 30s, she works privately instead of from a brothel, and spends her money on her children and cosmetics.

'Not every girl does drugs and not every girl has been abused in her childhood,' she told The Press.

'You don't know our lives and you don't know what goes on in our private lives. I'm happy. I'm not depressed, angry, suicidal or anything like that.'

She even has a partner with whom she's happy.

'He knows the difference between a job and love. So work is work. I never bring work home, ever.'

Amber is from Christchurch, New Zealand (pictured), but has travelled long distances to for her work (stock image)

Despite the good pay and taking the job by choice, she said it wasn't always easy being a sex worker(stock image)

It's not an easy job, however.

Long hours, trips away, missing her children, mental and physical exhaustion, and concerns about age and appearance all weigh on her.

She revealed how, if she didn't get jobs, she worried she'd been 'hit with the ugly stick'.

'This job demands a lot of energy. You're not just giving your body to somebody, you're mentally engaging with someone at every single point of the session.'

She's gone as far afield as Hamilton, about 1000km from Christchurch, for work.

There she worked so hard she only had five hours sleep and two breaks in 36 hours, The Press reported.

Her clients include widowers or men whose wives who have left them.

Some come to her when their wives are going through menopause.

They aren't all sex-mad.

Luckily, she's never had to call police because of a violent customer.

But Amber knows she won't be in the field much longer.

Her 'shelf life' will expire in the next two years, she says, despite some women working into their 50s, and a market for 'all girls'.

She doesn't want to work past those two years, but she has a plan for a new career - although she won't give any details away.
One day, a terrifying hereditary illness will stop siblings Hayley and Lachlan Webb from ever going to sleep again and eventually it will kill them.

The brother and sister from Queensland have inherited the extremely rare disease known as Fatal Familial Insomnia (FFI) from their family and have no idea when it will strike, 60 Minutes reports.

The rare genetic disease, which affects less than one in 10 million people worldwide, is a debilitating brain disease with no treatment and no cure.

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Queensland siblings Hayley and Lachlan Webb have inherited an extremely rare disease known as Fatal Familial Insomnia, which will one day stop them from ever going to sleep again and eventually will kill them

Anyone who has FFI is tragically destined to die because it stops them from ever falling into a deep sleep and leads to rapid mental and physical deterioration.

Hayley, 30, and Lachlan, 28, first became aware of the genetic time bomb in their family when they were teenagers and their grandmother became ill.

'In my early teens I remember becoming aware of it, aware we had this family curse,' Ms Webb said.

'My grandma started getting sick and dying. Her eyesight went, she had signs of dementia, she was hallucinating and couldn't talk. Eventually she was diagnosed with FFI, that was the first time the family even knew that FFI existed.'

Ms Webb, who is a Channel Nine news reporter, said her mother started showing the first symptoms in 2011.

Hayley, who is a Nine News reporter, is taking part in a pioneering study at the University of California to help find a cure for the brain disease that affects less than one in 10 people worldwide

Hayley and Lachlan (pictured with their parents) first became aware of the genetic time bomb in their family when they were teenagers and their grandmother became ill

The 30-year-old television reporter said she first became aware of the 'family curse' when she was a teenager and her grandmother started to show symptoms. Her grandmother passed away aged 69

'I remember leaving for work to my new post on the Sunshine Coast and mum saying 'have a great day, I'm so proud of you' and then later that week coming back and she was calling me Jillian and she thought I was the housekeeper. It was incredibly aggressive,' she said.

The aggressive disease took hold giving her full blown hallucinations and she tragically passed away after six months.

FFI causes abnormal clumps of protein that damages nerve cells and eventually causing sponge-like holes in the thalamus - the part of the brain that regulates sleep.

'Your body is not allowing you to rejuvenate at all so it's like being awake for the last six months of your life,' Mr Webb said.

Hayley's mother started showing the first symptoms in 2011 but the aggressive disease took hold and six months later she died

Hayley, pictured with her mum after she was diagnosed, said her mother had full blown hallucinations towards the end. The disease begins with exhaustion and leads to a decline in mental and physical capabilities

Hayley and Lachlan say they have no idea when Fatal Familial Insomnia will strike. There is currently no treatment and no cure for the debilitating brain disease

While there is currently no cure, the siblings are taking part in a pioneering study at the University of California being led by US couple Eric Minikel and Sonia Vallabah to help find a remedy.

The siblings have no idea when the disease could strike for them.

'My aunty passed away at 42, my mum passed away at 61, my grandmother passed away at 69 - mum's brother died at 20... we're just hoping we're not one of the young ones,' Ms Webb said.

'It could happen tomorrow but until we're in that danger zone we probably have a good 10 years up our sleeve and I am praying that there is a cure between now and then.

'I don't want to sit here while the sands through the hour glass pass waiting for it to trigger and for me to cark it. I want information, I want answers and I want a bloody cure.'

Lachlan underwent tests alongside his sister in San Francisco to help with research into the fatal disease

The siblings say they are determined not to let Fatal Familial Insomnia rule their lives
As the fifth anniversary of the death of Osama bin Laden approaches, President Barack Obama has said that he hopes the terror mastermind understood in his final moments that the American people hadnt forgotten and wanted revenge for the atrocities of September 11, 2001.

Obama spoke to CNNs Peter Bergen about the raid that killed the Al-Qaeda leader on May 2, 2011  almost 10 years after the terror attacks that killed nearly 3,000 people.

During the interview, Bergen said that the last person bin Laden saw on Earth was an American.

And Obama replied: And hopefully, at that moment, he understood that the American people hadnt forgotten the some 3,000 people who he killed.

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President Barack Obama has said that he hopes Osama bin Laden understood in his final moments that the American people hadnt forgotten and wanted revenge for the atrocities of September 11, 2001

Bin Laden died at the hands of NAVY Seals who had stormed the compound in Pakistan where he had been hiding for years.

The Obama administration had used it as a poignant example of the presidents willingness to act aggressively against terror, despite usually maintaining a more cautious foreign policy.

Five years after ordering the raid, Obama spoke about the decision for an Anderson Cooper 360 called We Got Him to air on Monday, saying he knew it was risky  but that it was our best chance to get bin Laden.

After discussions with our principals, it was clear to me that this was going to be our best chance to get bin Laden, he said.

Bin Laden died at the hands of NAVY Seals who had stormed the compound in Pakistan where he had been hiding for years on May 2, 2011

That if, in fact, we did not take the action that he might slip away and might be years before he resurfaced.

Obama added that he knew the operation would cause significant blowback in Pakistan and it would be embarrassing if the target they pursued turned out to not be bin Laden.

We knew that it was gonna cause some significant blowback within Pakistan and that if it wasnt bin Laden that the cost would outweigh the benefits and we would lose face internationally because there was probably going to be a lot of difficult keeping secret.

Meanwhile, it emerged that as the end of his life approached, bin Laden had become embroiled in a bitter dispute with the two brothers who were looking after him and even went as far as writing them a passive-aggressive letter to try and resolve the situation.

The Al-Qaeda chief had been moved into the Abbottabad compound in Pakistan by the two brothers, who were from northern Pakistan, in 2005.

President Barack Obama receives an update on the mission against Osama bin Laden in the Situation Room of the White House May 1, 2011

A timeline shows how the raid unfolded after Obama ordered NAVY Seals to storm bin Laden's compound

He became completely reliant on the pair, two long-time members of Al-Qaeda, to protect him, shop for him and his family, and crucially, remain his only connection to the outside world  enabling him to command the terror groups members and affiliates while in hiding.

But by 2011, an isolated bin Laden grew paranoid about being tracked and his relationship with the two brothers had deteriorated, CNN reports.

And in January that year  just months before his death  he had written a formal letter to the brothers, who had grown weary of the pressures of protecting the worlds most wanted terrorist.

In the letter, recently released by the U.S. Office of the Director of National Intelligence after being recovered in the raid on the compound in 2011, bin Laden noted the brothers had been irritated in a recent meeting.

Obama said that he hoped bin Laden knew the American people hadn't forgotten the atrocities of September 11, 2001 (pictured above, the first of the World Trade Center towers collapses)

In order to mend their relationship, he had decided to write to them  even though they lived a stones throw away in the same compound.

In another letter, he said: Any suggestion you have to reduce the pressure on you, I am ready to respond to it to the greatest extent possible.

But he confided to one of wives that the pair had become exhausted by their duties and were plotting to quit  so he asked them to give him time to find replacements.

Bin Laden then wrote a letter to one of his confidantes, seeking Pakistanis who could be trusted to replace the brothers.

He said that the demands of the job had affected the health and nerves of one of them  and his condition has reflected on his brothers, who bin Laden said was suffering from a dangerous disease.

The Al-Qaeda chief had been moved into the Abbottabad compound (pictured) in Pakistan by two brothers, who were from northern Pakistan, in 2005

What is your opinion? he asked. Do you know any Pakistanis that you have complete confidence in, and who are able to endure the burden of accompanying us.

And when things worsened, bin Laden and the brothers agreed in writing that they would part ways some time in 2011 or early 2012 and he and his family would move out of the Abbottabad compound.

In a letter to his confidante, bin Laden insisted that the latest they could stay with the brothers was the tenth anniversary of the attack on New York and Washington  referencing the September 11 terror attacks that targeted the World Trade Center and Pentagon.

But on May 2, 2011, both bin Laden and his two bodyguards were killed when Navy SEALS stormed the compound.
A team of Venezuelan workers rescued a 72-year-old man trapped in a collapsed building, 13 days after the 7.8-magnitude earthquake that left 654 people dead in Ecuador.

The rescuers pulled out Manuel Vasquez from the rubble on Friday evening in the fisherman canton of Jaramijo, west of the country.

The 72-year-old, who had been trapped from 13 days, suffered from chronic kidney failure, urinary track obstruction, dehydration and malnutrition when the rescuers found him, the Venezuelan embassy in Quito said in a statement.

Vasquez had also lost several toes, had necrosis in both ankles and was disoriented.

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Manuel Vasquez, 72 (pictured), remained trapped for 13 days after the 7.8-magnitude earthquake that left 654 dead in Ecuador. He was pulled out from under the rubble by a team of Venezuelan rescuers Friday evening

The rescuers had visited the site to conduct risk inspection work and were alerted by sounds coming from the collapsed building.

They followed the sounds and entered, finding Vasquez under the rubble.

Vasquez was taken to the hospital, where he remains.

The team that rescued him is part of the Fuerza de Tarea Humanitaria Simon Bolivar, a Venezuelan rescue organization established in 2005 under Hugo Chavez's administration.

The Venezuelan government dispatches its 2,000 workers to help victims of natural disasters in and around the country.

The April 16 earthquake in Ecuador was the worst in nearly seven decades.

The death toll rose to 654 people last week, with at least 16,600 injured and 58 missing along the country's ravaged Pacific coast

More than 113 people have been rescued from damaged buildings.

'These have been sad days for the homeland,' President Rafael Correa said last week. 'The country is in crisis.'

The rescuers (pictured) were visiting the site to conduct risk inspection work when they were alerted by sounds coming from the partially collapsed building.

Several strong tremors and more than 700 aftershocks continued to shake the country after the major quake, sparking momentary panic but little additional damage.

Tremors are expected to continue for several weeks.

With close to 7,000 buildings destroyed, more than 25,000 people were living in shelters while 14,000 security personnel were keeping order.

Survivors in the quake zone were receiving food, water and medicine from the government and scores of foreign aid workers.

But bad roads delayed aid reaching some communities, Correa acknowledged.

His government has said it would temporarily increase some taxes, offer assets for sale and possibly issue bonds abroad to fund reconstruction.

Correa has estimated damage at $2 billion to $3 billion.

The World Bank said last week it would lend Ecuador $150 million to speed up assistance to victims.

Meanwhile the United Nations has pledged to distribute food to more than 250,000 people.

About one in every 30 Ecuadorians, or half a million people, were in need of food assistance after the quake disrupted their livelihoods, the UN World Food Program said in a statement.

It was gearing up to assist the 260,000 most needy among them, including children, people living in shelters and those hospitalized.
Upmarket hotel the Ritz was spotted taking a delivery of McCain chips after a review suggested the fries weren't worth their 6 price tag.

A delivery man was seen outside the five-star hotel with a two large boxes of medium cut chips - which the hotel insisted on Sunday were for the staff, not guests.

This came after a guest previously posted online that they were served 'the worst French fries in fifty years' at the hotel's Rivoli Bar.

A delivery man was pictured taking boxes of McCain chips into the Ritz, pictured, although bosses claim they were for staff, not customers

The five-star Ritz hotel, pictured, then denied claims that it was serving McCain chips to guests

The Sun on Sunday were tipped off about the TripAdvisor user's disappointed review of her meal.

'What a travesty to serve cold, under cooked chips-chunky, pasty finger sized chips not straw like, golden French fries with the meal!' the reviewer wrote.

While she was positive about the venue,she was unsure about the chips.

And when the newspaper investigated the claims further, they saw the McCains delivery being made.

A catering-sized box of McCains chips cost 35, while in the Rivoli bar a single portion will set a guest back 6.

Rooms in the opulent hotel can cost well over 1,000 per night and a suite as much as 10,000 a night.

The guest described the chips she was served as 'pasty finger sized chips not straw like, golden French fries' (stock image)

'The Rivoli Bar is a glamour drinking hole decorated in tonnes of gold,' the guest wrote in early 2014.

'I ordered the Steak Tartare with French Fries which is very impressively prepared at your table and it was sublime.

'I didn't like to complain as I was celebrating with a friend. But at 32 it was a disgrace.'

The London institution has been open since 1906 and prides itself on being 'the world's greatest hotel'.

The guest dined at the central London hotel's Rivoli Bar, where she had a steak tartar and french fries

A spokeswoman for the Ritz told the Sun on Sunday: 'At The Ritz London in The Rivoli Bar, The Ritz Restaurant, William Kent House at The Ritz and Room Service, our guests enjoy hand-cut fresh potato chips, cooked to order.

'McCain chips are only served in our employee restaurant, where they are enjoyed by all.'
The trial of a group of neo-Nazis who are accused of planning attacks against asylum seekers has sparks concerns of a rise in far-right attacks in Germany.

Known as the 'Old School Society', the gang went on trial on Wednesday in Germany charged with forming a terror group that planned attacks against an asylum seeker home.

The four suspects - three men and a 23-year-old woman identified as Denise Vanessa G. - were arrested last May.

They were seized just two days before they allegedly planned to strike at a migrant shelter in the eastern state of Saxony.

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The four suspects - three men and a 23-year-old woman identified as Denise Vanessa G (face blurred), - were arrested last May

The group had therefore 'accepted that people could be killed,' chief prosecutor Joern Hauschild told the court

The gang's choice of weapon was modified 'pyrotechnic explosives, particularly in the form of fire and nail bombs', which they were planning to hurl into a refugee home, said the prosecutor.

The group had therefore 'accepted that people could be killed,' chief prosecutor Joern Hauschild told the court.

In the dock on Wednesday, co-accused Andreas Thomas H., 57, looked on with a smile, while the heavily tattooed Markus W., 30, glanced around the room mockingly.

The four suspects, who also included 38-year-old Olaf O., met through the Internet in 2014.

In preparation for the attacks, they bought large quantities of banned fireworks from the Czech Republic and subsequently decided to cover the explosives with a layer of nails to make them more lethal.

Hauschild described their plan for the Saxony attack as very concrete, adding that the authorities had learned the details from chat logs and phone intercepts.

The gang's choice of weapon was modified 'pyrotechnic explosives, particularly in the form of fire and nail bombs', which they were planning to hurl into a refugee home, said the prosecutor

Amateur videos posted on YouTube and attributed to the group also use racist and xenophobic slurs in appeals for new recruits

The prosecutor added that the neo-Nazi group had between 10 and 15 members, with investigations still ongoing against other suspects.

Group emblems published on media websites feature Germanic runes popular in the neo-Nazi scene, bloody hatchets and skulls with the slogan: 'One bullet is not enough.'

Amateur videos posted on YouTube and attributed to the group also use racist and xenophobic slurs in appeals for new recruits.

A record influx of asylum seekers to Germany has fuelled a sharp rise in the number of far-right attacks, with Saxony state gaining special notoriety for such violence.

The number of extreme-right crimes, including assaults against asylum seekers and arson at refugee homes, tripled to 784 cases last year in Saxony compared to 235 in 2014, official data showed.

In the dock on Wednesday, co-accused Andreas Thomas H., 57, looked on with a smile, while the heavily tattooed Markus W., 30, glanced around the room mockingly

Like the Old School Society, the suspects stockpiled fireworks from the Czech Republic to use in attacks. The group allegedly carried out at least three attacks

Germany's domestic security agency also noted that the number of violent far-right activists in the former communist state has soared to 1,300 in 2015 from 300 the previous year.

Last week, an elite anti-terror unit also arrested five suspects accused of belonging to an extremist organisation called the Freital Group, named after a town in Saxony where the female defendant in the Old School Society case was born.

Prosecutors say the Freital Group aimed to 'carry out explosives attacks on homes for asylum seekers as well as the homes of political enemies'.

Like the Old School Society, the suspects stockpiled fireworks from the Czech Republic to use in attacks.

The group allegedly carried out at least three attacks.

In the first, fireworks were used to blow out the windows of the kitchen of a refugee shelter in Freital in September 2015, while the other involved hurling fireworks and stones at a building housing leftist activists.
A woman injured during the execution of notorious underworld figure Walid 'Wally' Ahmad is believed to have been on her way to the gym and has been confirmed to be an innocent bystander.

Police said that the 32-year-old was wearing gym clothes and sitting on a separate table to those involved in the shooting when she was shot in the leg at Bankstown Shopping Centre in Sydney.

Paramedics attended to her and a man believed to be 51-year-old Nael Hamid, an associate of the gangland figure, before they were taken to Liverpool hospital to be treated.

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A woman, 32, injured during the execution of notorious criminal Walid 'Wally' Ahmad in Sydney's south-west is believed to have been an innocent bystander in the deadly attack

A 51-year-old man, believed to be Nael Hamid, an associate of Ahmad was treated by paramedics at the scene for gunshot wounds to his leg before being taken to hospital similar to the 32-year-old woman

Mr Hamid is thought to be Ahmad's bodyguard and he made light of the situation by telling Seven News his injuries were due to 'fireworks'.

Both remain in stable condition according to police reports.

New South Wales police said: 'Initial inquiries have led police to confirm the woman injured in the incident was an innocent bystander, and was sitting at a coffee table nearby when she was shot in the leg.

'She is believed to not be linked in any way to those involved in the shooting.'

Images of an abandoned vehicle in Victoria has led police investigators over the border from New South Wales to search for Ahmad's shooter. The incident is said to have been a targeted attack

The car had crashed into trees just off the Hume Freeway near Baddaginnie and was empty when police arrived at the scene

A crime scene has been established at the popular south-west Sydney shopping centre while detectives and forensic specialists examine the area.

Police said: 'Officers from State Crime Command's Homicide Squad have taken carriage of the investigation and have established Strike Force Bindon as inquiries into the incident continue.'

The search for the shooter who gunned down Ahmad has spread to Victoria.

Police investigating Friday's shooting in Bankstown have shifted their focus to an abandoned vehicle found on the Hume Highway.

Police are investigating possible links between the vehicle which crashed near Benalla and the Bankstown shooting, but say they are still yet to confirm the accident is related

Police are yet to identify the driver of the car and are still in pursuit of the masked killer of known gangland figure Ahmad

NSW Police confirmed they had been contacted by Victoria police after a single-vehicle crashed in Benalla.

Police have reason to believe the car might be linked to the shooting reported The Sydney Morning Herald.

Police that investigated the crash found the car empty after it had crashed into trees off the Hume Freeway near Baddaginnie.

Police are still trying to confirm who was driving the vehicle when it crashed.

Ahmad, a convicted killer, was gunned down in the busy Bankstown shopping centre just after 12pm on Friday. It is believed the attack was in relation to the fatal shooting of Safwan Charbaji earlier this month

Shocking footage emerged of the moment paramedics tried to resuscitate Ahmad. Family members can be heard screaming: 'Walid, Walid! Don't die on me Walid!'

Bankstown Central shopping centre is located about 20km south-west of Sydney

Ahmad, 41, was shot dead in a 'well-planned ambush' on the rooftop carpark at Bankstown Central shopping centre in the 'execution styled attack'.

The Detective Superintendent on the investigation, David Eardley said: 'It's clearly targeted, this is not a random shooting.'

'Certainly there's been a recent shooting in Condell Park. Those detectives will be reviewing this today.

'Obviously that will be the subject of an investigation to identify any linkages to the deceased man.

Police have voiced fears that a war between rival Sydney crime gangs, thought to have stemmed from a drugs debt, could escalate following the death of the convicted killer

Distressing images show Ahmad, who went into cardiac arrest immediately after he was shot, lying on the ground covered in blood

'We're certainly not ruling out any links - we're looking at all opportunists and all avenues of investigation.'

Shocking footage emerged of the moment paramedics tried to resuscitate the convicted killer which showed distressing images of Ahmad going into cardiac arrest.

Ahmad is seen lying on the ground covered in blood while a man performs CPR on his chest.

Ahmad is said to have died at the scene while paramedics are seen here attending to the two injured people, a 32-year-old woman and a man believed to be, Ahmad's associate, Nael Hamid

Ahmad is a central figure among Sydney's middle eastern crime gangs and his death has sparked serious concerns about an emerging gang war

Ahmad was jailed in 2005 after shooting dead Mayez Danny at Greenacre in Sydney's south-west in 2002

His family and friends were heard screaming 'Walid, Walid! Don't die on me Walid!'

Police will be knocking on the doors of well-known gang members this weekend to find the person or persons responsible for killing the well-known crime figure in a hope to diffuse the potential for a drug-related gang war.

It has also been reported a senior police officer from the Middle Eastern Crime Squad has said people would 'be lining up to kill him'.

'In the past few months he has been spiralling out of control and bingeing on cocaine,' The Daily Telegraph reported.

Police have recovered a car believed to have been used after the deadly shooting at Bankstown on Friday

The gunman is believed to have escaped in a Mercedes, which was found burned out less than 1km away

Ahmad, a known standover man, was wanted by police for questioning the fatal shooting of Safwan Charbaji, which is believed to be the reason for his murder.

Charbaji was killed at his smash repairs business earlier this month in Condell Park.

'There are two distinct crime groups now involved in a feud and they are extremely violent,' a sebuir police officer told the Telegraph.

It has also been reported a large drug debt was at the centre of the long-running dispute between the two crime gangs.

Police released CCTV footage showing the suspected getaway car used (driving along the road)

Police said a torched Mercedes used in the shooting was found in a street just one kilometre from the shopping centre

'Somebody didn't pay protection for their coke run,' a source told News.com.au. 'Somebody owes 100 grand and that's what this is all about.'

Police released CCTV footage showing the suspected getaway car used after Ahmad was shot dead.

The video shows a white Mercedes driving down a nearby street followed by a white hatchback, shortly before both cars were found burnt-out in Greenacre.

Police believe the Mercedes was driven into a car park at the Bankstown Central Shopping Centre about 11.50am.

Ahmad's family were seen looking distraught following the shooting at the shopping centre

Nael Hamid (pictured) is thought to be Ahmad's bouncer and made light of the situation by saying his injuries were due to 'fireworks'

A gunman then exited the car, and opened fire on three people sitting at a table at a cafe.

Witnesses say eight shots were fired at the busy shopping centre on Friday.

'As I was parking my car, I heard gun shots. I went upstairs and there were three on the floor, two guys and a girl,' a witness told 9News.

'There was a guy lying in a pool of blood. They were trying to revive him, but he [had] passed away already.

Ahmad was wanted for questioning over the fatal shooting of Safwan Charbaji (pictured) outside the A Team Smash Repairs in Condell Park on April 9

Police surrounded a man at the shopping centre but say no arrests have been made in relation to the shooting

There is believed to have been eight shots fired in the car park of the shopping centre on the corner of Stacey Street and Rickard Street

'I was in the war zone in Lebanon, but it wasn't as scary as what I just saw.'

Fatema Islam, who works at the nearby Bankstown Hospital, says she had just parked her car when she heard two gunshots and a woman screaming.

'I thought something probably fell from the fitness (shop) and I tried not to pay attention,' Ms Islam told reporters at the shopping centre.

'A lady came out from over there, screaming and crying, saying, ''Gunshots, gunshots''. I was like, ''That can't be true''.

The shopping centre car park was closed as a precaution as police investigated

Witnesses, Fatema Islam, who works at the nearby Bankstown Hospital, said she had just parked her car when she heard two gunshots and a woman screaming

Investigators are looking into the possibility two cars may have been used by a man wanted over the shopping centre shooting at Bankstown in Sydney's south-west on Friday

'I'm sorry, I'm still scared myself. It's pretty scary, especially for local people like us. It's not a very fun place to be.'

Ms Islam said she was used to treating gunshot victims, but not like this.

'We deal with this all the time, but it's different when patients come to us with gunshot wounds,' she said. 'It's different when you actually see it on the spot - it's pretty scary.'

Ahmad's niece told news.com.au how she received a panicked call from Ahmad's daughter.

Police were seen talking to residents in Greenacre not far from the street where the burnt-out remains of a vehicle used during a shooting was found

Bankstown Commander Dave Eardley said police believe the gunman may not have been working alone and that the victim was an intended target

'She said, 'Come get me! He's dead! He's dead!' the niece said.

The 41-year-old, who is believed to be married with children, was also reportedly being investigated over his role in an extortion racket.

He was also jailed in 2005 after shooting dead Mayez Danny at Greenacre in Sydney's south-west in 2002.

The Sydney Morning Herald reported that he was well known for intimidation and stand over tactics, particularly in the automotive industry.

Anyone with information that could assist police is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.

Another shocked witness said 'there was a guy lying in a pool of blood' in the carpark

Police say a crime scene has been established and it will be examined by detectives and forensic specialists
More than 50 brides are without dresses after the business liquidation

She has been a vocal advocate of the celebrity designer in the past

Ms Bishop wore one of her dresses to the 2015 Mid Winter Ball in 2015

Julie Bishop reportedly refused to help her and did not contact the ATO

Sydney-based celebrity designer Johanna Johnson asked foreign minister Julie Bishop for help with her tax troubles before her business went into liquidation.

The Supreme Court of NSW ordered Ms Johnson wind up her business in May, which currently owes $1.1 million to the Australian Taxation Office, reported The Daily Telegraph.

Staff members say they are owed wages and superannuation and former head of production, Alana Teasel, has reportedly enlisted an insolvency barrister to recover more than $35,000.

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Popular Australian designer Johanna Johnson's (pictured) empire has been pushed into liquidation after owing more than $1 million to the Australian Taxation Office

Supreme Court Justice Paul Brereton gave Sydney-based designer Johanna Johnson time to convince the court she has a plan in place to pay off her debts

One staff member claims Ms Johnson emailed Ms Bishop in early 2015 and requested a deferral of payment of her tax debt.

Ms Bishop said she had been approached by Ms Johnson, but denied having any contact with the tax office.

Ms Bishop's office said: 'Ms Bishop did not become involved in resolving the dispute and at no time was there any direct contact between Ms Bishop and the ATO, nor has there been any request for preferential treatment for Ms Johnson.'

Ms Bishop (left) with partner David Panton (right) wearing a Johanna Johnson dress at the Mid Winter Ball in Canberra in 2015

Last year Ms Bishop wore a Johanna Johnson gown at the Australian American Association's gala dinner and a Johanna Johnson dress to the Mid Winter Ball in Canberra.

She has been a vocal advocate of the celebrity designer in the past, describing Ms Johnson as 'a national asset to Australia'.

Georgia Slade, 30, is one of more than 50 brides who have been left without a wedding dress.

Ms Slade spent $5000 and ordered a 'Somerset' dress, but has now found herself six weeks out from her wedding day without a gown.

'It's just so disappointing more than anything, to have to go through this experience as a bride when it should be a fun, exciting and happy time,' Ms Slade told The Daily Telegraph.

According to court-appointed liquidator Tim Cook, Ms Johnson's assets will now be sold, The ABC reported.

Her business Facebook page has been inundated with comments from brides-to-be questioning the future of their wedding dresses.

Ms Johnson shared a post to her 13,000 followers on April 14, saying her business is being moved to the United States, but 'all manufacturing and local client sales will remain in Sydney'.

Earlier this month, a court heard Ms Johnson's company had 'failed to pay employee superannuation entitlements over many years,' The Sydney Morning Herald reported.

According to court-appointed liquidator Tim Cook, Ms Johnson's assets will now be sold

Georgia Slade (pictured with fiance John) has revealed her 'disappointment' over being left without a wedding dress after popular Sydney-based designer Johanna Johnson had her empire pushed into liquidation

The former head of production at Ms Johnson's company Alana Teasel, 29, claims she is owed more than $35,000 in contractual damages and penalties.

'I feel like I need to stand up not just for myself as a former employee but also all the other ex-employees who are owed significant superannuation,' Ms Teasel told Fairfax Media.

'Seeing Johanna Johnson continue to dress celebrities for free, participate in fashion weeks and go overseas for red carpet collections ... when she owes myself and others [entitlements] is the reason why I have pushed forward with the wind-up of her company.'

One customer, who did not want to be named said after voicing her concerns to Ms Johnson (pictured with sons) she was told to 'just breathe'

Court documents reveal Ms Teasel said she won the case against Ms Johnson in November 2015 for payment to be made in full, but is yet to receive the $25,000.

Ms Johnson, who sells custom-made wedding dresses for up to $15,000, has had her clothing and jewelry worn by Hollywood stars including Madonna, Delta Goodrem, Pink, Maria Menounos, Christina Hendricks and Chrissy Teigen.

Johanna Johnson has dressed some of Hollywood's biggest stars including Maria Menounos (left) and Chrissy Teigen (right)
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Dozens of lions which were bred in captivity, starved and mutilated by their owners and forced to perform circus acts, have arrived at a big cat sanctuary in South Africa.

Some 33 big cats rescued from circuses in Colombia and Peru arrived at the Emoya Big Cat Sanctuary north of Johannesburg last night after a two-day journey from South America.

The animals have been released into small open areas with natural vegetation, something many of them have never experienced before.

The lions roared and explored their new territory as they arrived shortly after dawn at their new home on the 5,000 hectare Emoya Big Cat Sanctuary in the north of South Africa, where they will live out their lives.

It will be impossible for the lions to survive in the wild as they were bred in captivity and their circus owners mutilated many by breaking their teeth and removing their claws.

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After a long journey, the new arrivals play in their new enclosure at the Emoya Big Cat Sanctuary in Vaalwater, South Africa

Making new friends: The lions were bred in captivity and held in circuses in South America - but have now arrived in their ancestral homeland for the first time

One of the big cats anxiously steps out of its cage and prepares for its first taste of freedom after years of being held captive and forced to perform in circuses

Two lions squabble through the fence of their new enclosure: The animals were freed with the assistance of the authorities after the use of wild animals in circuses was outlawed in Peru and Colombia

Cages containing some of the 33 lions are seen after their arrival in Johannesburg. Officials said they will enjoy natural enclosures with drinking pools, platforms and toys

Among the first out of their crates were brothers Junior and Bumbo from Columbia, who came out cautiously, sniffing the trees and grass and marking their territory.

A male lion known as Zeus let out a mighty roar before stepping out of his cage into an enclosure where he will spend the coming months being monitored by a vet.

After ambling up and down the fences of their enclosure, they charged playfully at each other and rolled in the dust.

Because they cannot hunt they will be fed game meat and will have water in their enclosures.

'They are remarkably calm after such a long journey,' said Tim Phillips, the co-founder of Animal Defenders International which led the rescue of the lions.

'It was a dream come true watching them step of those cages into their new homes in the African bush.'

A massive lion airlift including 33 lions, 24 from circuses in Peru and nine from Colombia, rescued by Animal Defenders International arrived in their homeland after both countries banned the use of wild animals in circuses

A crate carrying two of the 33 lions rescued from circuses in Peru and Columbia is lifted onto the back of a lorry before being transported to Johannesburg. A total of 33 former circus lions, 22 males and 11 females from Peru and Columbia, were airlifted to South Africa to live out their lives on a private reserve

The lions were bred in captivity and many have broken teeth or other ailments - one is almost blind, another has lost an eye and most had their claws removed - which would make it impossible for them to survive in the wild

A long journey: The lions arrived at the Emoya Big Cat Sanctuary last night after a two-day journey from South America

On its way to a new life: 24 of the animals were rescued in raids on circuses operating in Peru, with the rest voluntarily surrendered by a circus in Colombia after Colombias Congress passed a bill prohibiting circuses from using wild animals

Circus owners mutilated many of the big cats by breaking their teeth and removing their claws. Because they cannot hunt they will be fed game meat and will have water in their enclosures

A worker straps down cages that hold former circus lions on their arrival at OR Tambo International airport in Johannesburg, in South Africa

The operation was the largest ever airlift of lions, organized and paid for by Animal Defenders International (ADI). Tim Phillips, ADI Campaigns Director, right, watches as a lion steps into its new enclosure

Zeus lets out a mighty roar before stepping out of his cage into an enclosure where he will spend the coming months being monitored by a vet

'I am so grateful to have them here finally, it's a dream come true,' said Savannah Heuser, 19, who runs the sanctuary with her mother.

'They have had a long journey but they are surprisingly calm. Some of them were agitated during the trip and they have some minor injuries, but nothing serious.'

The lions arrived at Johannesburg's international airport late on Saturday afternoon after flying for more than 15 hours in what is believed to be the biggest airlift of its kind, and were driven through the night to Emoya.

'They have lived a life of absolute hell. They've been beaten and they've been starved,' Jan Creamer, the president of Animal Defenders International (ADI), an animal rights charity that organised the flight, told reporters at the airport.

'They've been deprived of everything that makes life worth living for a lion. I believe we have brought them back to paradise, where they belong,' she said.

ADI posted a picture on their Facebook page of a Colombian lion shortly after arriving at Emboya.

'Iron enjoys what is clearly a very satisfying rub against a tree, his first ever,' the caption reads.

The lion enclosures are set in a clearing among natural bush and veld, each with trees, rocks, a hay bale and water filled troughs.

'The lion habitats will be steadily expanded over the coming months as the lions become familiar with their new life and are introduced to each other,' said ADI.

The lions were bred in captivity and many have broken teeth or other ailments - one is almost blind, another has lost an eye and most had their claws removed - which would make it impossible for them to survive in the wild.

The lions were freed with the assistance of the authorities after the use of wild animals in circuses was outlawed in Peru and Colombia.

Twenty-four lions rescued in Peru then were driven from their temporary rescue centre to Lima airport to be picked up by a cargo plane that had brought another nine over from Colombia before taking off for Africa.

'The lions will be in their natural habitat for the first time in their lives,' Creamer said. 'They should fit right into that habitat. It's the best environment for them.'

They will be fed game meat for their first meal at Emoya, which is already home to six rescued lions and two tigers.

Getting a taste of freedom: A former circus lion bites a tree branch inside an enclosure at the Emoya Big Cat Sanctuary

Play time: Because the animals cannot hunt they will be fed game meat and will have water in their enclosures

Already marking their territory: Two lions had a fight following their journey and subsequent release into their new home

Tim Phillips, the co-founder of Animal Defenders International which led the rescue of the lions, said the animals were 'remarkably calm' after their long journey

Lead rescuer Tim Phillips added: 'It was a dream come true watching them step of those cages into their new homes in the African bush'

Among the first out of their crates were brothers Junior and Bumbo from Columbia, who came out cautiously, sniffing the trees and grass and marking their territory. After ambling up and down the fences of their enclosure, they charged playfully at each other and rolled in the dust

The big cats have been released into small open areas with natural vegetation, something that many of the animals have never experienced before

The transfer of the animals from South America to Africa was one of the largest ever coordinated - and two of the incredible creatures can be seen here looking out over their new home

After years of being held captive in circuses across South Africa - and being mutilated by their captors - the animals are back in their natural habitat

'They have lived a life of absolute hell. They've been beaten and they've been starved,' said Jan Creamer, the president of Animal Defenders International (ADI), an animal rights charity that organised the flight

The lion enclosures are set in a clearing among natural bush and veld, each with trees, rocks, a hay bale and water filled troughs
A selfless personal trainer has been giving up his lunch breaks to teach an illiterate homeless woman to read.

Greg Smith passed by Amy Joe almost everyday on his way to work in Orlando, Florida. He noticed that, rather than ask for money, she would simply greet him with a polite: 'Good morning Sir, have a great day. God Bless!!'

The personal trainer said he began having lunch with the woman every week.

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Greg Smith is teaching homeless Amy Joe to read by renting library books and sitting with her on his lunch break

'For 30 min to an hour I get to hear how positive she is even though she really has nothing,' he wrote in a Facebook post that has since gone viral.

But when she revealed that she had never learned to read he was inspired to help.

'Amy Joe kind of dropped a bomb on me...she cannot read,' he said. 'Amy Joe does not smoke, drink, have a drug addiction, or anything to that nature. She simply just has never had anyone teach her how to read.'

Smith, 25, said that not being able to read had always held Amy Joe back, and made it especially difficult for her to find a job.

Personal trainer Smith, 25, said that he had begun having lunch once a week with Amy Joe after regularly passing her on the way to work

When she revealed that she had never learned to read he was inspired to help. Smith said Amy Joe was delighted with their reading dates

So he decided he would help teach her to read.

'I have been blessed with two amazing parents and a family that has always had resources to provide me with anything I wanted to do,' he explained.

'Amy Joe has not. So now not only do Amy Joe and I sit and have lunch, I'm teaching her to read.'

The sales account executive borrows a new library book for his new friend every week and they sit down together, every Tuesday, have lunch and read it together.

'She lit up! I could see in her face that she felt amazing,' he told ABC News.

Amy Joe practices reading with the book the rest of the week on her own.

Smith, the founder of Hybrid Athletes LLC, explained that he had not shared the story to make people feel sorry for Amy Joe, or to brag about his own generosity, but simply in the hope it may inspire others to do something kind for someone in need.

Smith, the founder of Hybrid Athletes LLC, explained that he had not shared the story to make people feel sorry for Amy Joe, or to brag about his own generosity, but simply in the hope it may inspire others to do something kind for someone in need

The sales account executive borrows a new library book for his new friend every week and they sit down together, every Tuesday, have lunch and read it together

'Helping someone could be as easy as saying hello and smiling,' he said. 'You never know what you can do for someone until you try. Who is your Amy Joe?!?!'

Since sharing his story on Facebook, Smith has been inundated with messages of support from people moved to tears.

He has also started a GoFundMe page for the 'Amy Joe Foundation' to raise money to help Amy Joe and others like her. The page has already raised more than $1500 of its $10,000 target.

'I want to be able to help anybody, whether it be giving them some food or clothes,' he said. 'I don't want to just narrow it down to helping people read because there's so many other people that need more help.'
Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has ruled out making changes to the GST beyond the federal election amid claims by Labor the coalition might try to revive the proposal down the track.

In a pre-budget interview on Sky News, the prime minister said there would be no change to the goods and services tax, which is currently levied at 10 per cent, in the next parliament.

It was revealed the budget will benefit workers earning more than $80,000 through tax cuts, unlike those earning less who will likely receive no tax relief, reports the Sydney Morning Herald.

'This is the plan of the Turnbull government': PM Malcolm Turnbull said there would be no change to the GST adding it would be very hard to justify an increase and has also distanced himself for Tony Abbott's economic plan

Since Tony Abbott was replaced as prime minister in September Opposition Leader Bill Shorten said that even if the coalition has taken a GST increase off the table going into a federal election, it remains an option

'We've looked very carefully at the proposal to raise the GST ... but we've rejected it,' Mr Turnbull said on Sunday, saying it would be very hard to justify its increase for the return.

He said any government would need a mandate for any change in the GST.

'I can give you this absolute undertaking: there will be no change to the GST in the next parliament,' he said.

'I will be very, very clear about this, no government should ... contemplate making a change as big as that without taking it to an election as John Howard did when introducing it in the first place.'

A few weeks before he was replaced as prime minister in September, Tony Abbott appeared to be laying the groundwork for increasing the GST by saying Australia's overall tax burden 'must come down'.

Turnbull guarantee: 'I can give you this absolute undertaking: there will be no change to the GST in the next parliament'

Since then, Opposition Leader Bill Shorten has repeatedly said that even if the coalition has taken a GST increase off the table going into a federal election, it remains an option.

But Mr Turnbull says that's not true.

'Bill Shorten runs scare campaigns on all sorts of things but that is a complete furphy,' he said.

The prime minister also appeared to distance himself from his predecessor's economic plan.
Australian entrepreneurs are bottling air from some of Australia's most iconic natural destinations and selling it to heavily polluted China.

The process, called air-farming, involves no digging, planting or harvesting, reported Yahoo 7.

The air is pumped into disposable cans marketed as Pure Gold-Coast Air, Bondi Beach, Blue Mountains, Tassie and Yarra Valley Air, sold for almost $20 each.

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Australian entrepreneurs John Dickinson and Theo Ruygrok of Green and Clean Air are bottling air from some of Australia's most iconic natural destinations and selling it to China

Green and Clean Air founders John Dickinson and Theo Ruygrok developed the technology to capture air from some of the most visited tourist destinations around Australia.

'Each holds upwards of one hundred and thirty deep breaths,' Mr Dickinson said.

'[You] take off the lid, put the lid on the end, the cap fits over the mouth and take a deep breath of pure air.'

Chinese personal shopper Vivian Zhou told 7 News that because the air pollution is so heavy in China now, she buys the air from Australia for her clients and posts it back to them.

Mr Ruygrok said the cans contain the 'smell from the beaches have some salt in it while the smell from the mountains has some eucalypts'.

The business partners also have plans to include private labels for wine regions such as The Barossa and Margaret River.

Mr Dickinson, co founder of the business, said each can holds upwards of 130 breaths of air
Republican candidates are looking towards crucial primary in Indiana on Tuesday, where Trump is leading by a whopping 15 points

Virginia has 13 at-large delegates, 33 congressional delegates, and three slots held by party members for total of 49

Delegates are still bound by primary results, but loyalties to Cruz could prove useful should there be a contested national convention

Trump won the Virginia primary with 34.7per cent of the vote and 17 delegates compared the Cruz's eight on March 1

Ted Cruz has taken 10 of the 13 at-large delegates in Virginia, even though he came a distant third place in the state's Super Tuesday primary, where Trump won with 34.7per cent of the vote.

The victory will only play a role if Trump fails to secure the GOP nomination in the first round of voting at the national convention and the state's delegates, many of whom personally lean towards Cruz, are given free reign.

Virginia's delegates are still bound by the March 1 primary results, where Trump secured 17, Marco Rubio came in a narrow second with 16, and Cruz was awarded eight with just 16.9per cent of the vote.

Cruz is now looking for one crucial chance to block Trump in Indiana, a winner-takes-all state with 57 delegates, on Tuesday.

But the Texas senator will really have to pull one out of the hat as polls currently show him trailing the Donald by 15 points.

Ted Cruz (left) has taken 10 of the 13 at-large delegates in Virginia, even though he came a distant third place in the state's Super Tuesday primary, where Trump (right) won with 34.7per cent of the vote

About 2,500 people attended the state's Republican convention at James Madison University in Harrisonburg on Saturday.

In addition to the 13 delegates selected on Saturday, Virginia's 11 congressional districts have yet to elect three delegates each, adding another 33 delegates. Three more delegate slots will be filled by party leaders for a grand total of 49.

While Virginia's slate of delegates may prove to be a moot point if Trump can avoid a contested nomination, his supporters cried foul, saying the 10-3 ratio ignored the 'voice of the people'.

Elected delegate Kathy Byron, who pledged her support for Cruz should it come to a second national convention vote, told The News & Advance: 'We're not talking fair.

'We're just talking rules right now...I dont know about fairness, how fairness is going to come into play. Right now were just following the rules.'

Trump has already called himself the 'presumptive nominee' and celebrated his string of six victories by declaring he had broken the four-figure mark on his way to the holy grail of 1,237 needed to win the GOP nomination.

But Cruz's establishment roots were evident in Virginia, where the majority of the convention-goers agreed to a 10-3 split.

Members of the Cruz camp suggested they could have gone for a full shut-out on Saturday, with former Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli saying: 'This was an olive branch. If we wanted a 13-zero slate we could have had one.'

'It's a screw-you branch,' Corey Stewart, chairman of the Trump campaign in Virgina, retorted.

While Virginia's slate of delegates may prove to be a moot point if Trump can avoid a contested nomination, his supporters cried foul, saying the 10-3 ratio ignored the 'voice of the people'

Virginia's delegates are still bound by the March 1 primary results, but if the nomination is contested, the loyalty of the 10 at-large delegates could prove useful for Ted Cruz (pictured, campaign paraphernalia in Harrisonburg on Friday, April 29)

About 2,500 people attended the state's Republican convention at James Madison University in Harrisonburg on Saturday

But he remained confident and said, 'The campaign is convinced that we're going to hit 1,237, so this is a moot issue. There will be no second ballot,' Politico reported.

Trump leads the Republican race with 997 delegates ahead of Cruz's 566 and Kasich's 153.

During the March 1 primary, Trump won 17 bound delegates in Virginia, Rubio nabbed 16, compared to eight for Cruz, five for Kasich and three for Ben Carson.

Delegates in Virginia are still bound to candidates who have dropped out during the first round of the national convention, although they usually become 'unbound' for most states.

The Republican candidates are looking ahead to a decisive primary in Indiana on Tuesday, with Trump hoping to lock down the nomination while Cruz is crossing his fingers for an upset.

Trump has the support of 49per cent of Republican voters in Indiana compared to Cruz's 34per cent, according to a poll reported by NBC. John Kasich holds 13per cent.

The Donald, who has staked his position in the race by emphasizing his status as a political outsider, has decried the voting system that has jilted him of delegates in states where similar results played out.

The businessman won 58 delegates in the March 22 primary in Arizona with 47.1per cent over Cruz's 24.9, but secured only two of 28 at-large delegates should there be a contested national convention.

Voters at the state convention were told to log onto websites presenting a selection of slates, but former Arizona Governor Jan Brewer's name was left off the Trump ballot.

He said: 'The people of Arizona got cheated, I got cheated, and the Trump delegates got cheated.'

The Republican candidates are looking ahead to a decisive primary in Indiana on Tuesday, with Trump hoping to lock down the nomination while Cruz is crossing his fingers for an upset

After Trump lost all 34 of Colorado's delegates to Cruz given the state's complex voting system, he said: 'The system is rigged. It's crooked.

'This was a political hack deal, like so much of our country. This is what our country's all about I guess.'

Unlike primaries in most states where voters directly choose between the candidates, Colorado's voting system for Republicans involves several rounds.

On March 1, or Super Tuesday, voters attended caucuses in their precinct to select delegates to attend county-level conventions. Those delegates went through yet another round in seven congressional districts in the state.

Each of the seven district conventions then chose three delegates to go on to the national convention for a total of 21 pledged to Cruz on Friday.

On Saturday, an additional 13 delegates, all of whom went to Cruz, were selected from a pool of more than 600.
Ex-soldier Clive Miller received a 30,000 taxpayer-funded car despite pleaded guilty to benefits fraud weeks earlier

A conman on crutches who pleaded guilty to a 40,000 benefits fraud received a government-funded, 30,000 motability car just weeks after the trial.

Ex-soldier Clive Miller, 47, claimed 20,000 of income support and a 20,000 in Disability Living Allowance, even though he had 280,000 in his bank accounts and several properties in Spain and Northern Ireland.

He walked free from Dungannon Crown Court, Northern Ireland, in February, with a 12-month jail term which the judge suspended for two years.

Despite his criminal record, shameless Miller is now driving a 30,000 Ford S-Max car which is government-funded and comes with a raft of free benefits including a new car every three years.

This includes insurance from RSA Motability (RSAM), breakdown assistance, servicing, maintenance and repairs.

Locals in the Coleshill estate in Enniskillen, where he lives, were furious after Miller arrived in his new luxury Motability car just weeks after he held his hands up to the 10-year scam at Dungannon Crown Court.

The former Royal Irish Regiment soldier turned up for every court appearance struggling on a set of crutches and stood in the dock while being sentenced using the walking aids for stability.

But on Thursday morning Miller was seen virtually skipped down his steps at his Coleshill Crescent home.

The tattooed conman - who the judge described in court as a 'broken man' - managed the steps down to his new set of wheels without crutches.

Reporters asked him if he thought it was right that he was handed a new car as part of a publicly funded scheme after what he did but he just walked away and back into his house - although this time he moved a bit slower and held the top of his neck as he made his way slowly up the steps.

They asked him if he wanted to apologise to the public for his shameless crimes but once again he had nothing to say.

Miller lives in one of two properties he owns in Coleshill Crescent - he rents out the other house which is next door.

Sources in Enniskillen have said they are shocked Miller has been given new benefits.

'We couldn't believe it when he drove into the park with a car that looked like it had just been driven straight out of the showroom,' said one resident, who asked not to be named.

Miller, from Enniskillen, Northern Ireland, used crutches in court but was seen without them when he walked out to pick up his 30,000 Ford S-Max motability car

'He conned the taxpayer out of thousands of pounds claiming DLA and dole while all the time he had a property portfolio and several secret bank accounts.

'How can this be fair to people who go out every day to earn a living? It was bad enough that he didn't spend a single day in jail for his crimes but this is taking the biscuit.'

Other charges including money laundering were left on the books during the case which dragged on for three years, costing the public another small fortune in legal fees as Miller was granted legal aid while he contested the charges until the last minute.

His wife was also charged with benefit fraud in 2013 but those charges were later dropped and it was claimed in court that the pair had since separated.

Locals are also angry at the way Miller was portrayed in court as a 'broken man'.

Neighbours said they were surprised to see the convicted conman and a source said that he was 'not a nice man'

The judge said he was 'a broken man both physically and mentally' and had 'brought disgrace on himself' by his appearance in court.

He added that it had brought a personal cost as his marriage had ended and he now faced an uncertain future with a proceeds of crime order to determine what he has to repay.

It also emerged he was working in the Caribbean while claiming income support.

'Clive Miller is not a nice man at all and has managed to pull the wool over the eyes of the court,' said a source.

'The way he used his crutches as he struggled into court was a farce.

'He really played on that and they seemed to buy it.'

Locals in Enniskillen were also angry after it was claimed in court that Ulster Unionist MP for the area Tom Elliott had given a character reference to Miller.
Jeremy Corbyn has been accused of keeping 'controversial company' after marchers on the May Day rally were seen carrying Stalin banners.

The Labour leader, thought to be the first in 50 years to address the event, insisted his party was 'absolutely against' anti-Semitism and other forms of racism.

But Tories said the presence of communist marchers bearing flags with images of the Soviet dictator and quotes would have given the Jewish community 'no comfort at all'.

Josef Stalin sent hundreds of thousands of citizens, many of them Jews, to the deadly Gulag prison camps.

Communists with banners featuring Soviet dictator Stalin were among marchers on the May Day rally

Mr Corbyn had been due to join the rally and speak at the end of the route in London's Trafalgar Square, but decided to make improptu address from a bus in Clerkenwell Green instead.

He argued that Labour's strength came from 'diversity', saying: 'We stand absolutely against anti-Semitism in any form.

We stand absolutely against racism in any form. We stand united as a Labour movement recognising our diversity.'

However, the Labour leader ignored questions from journalists about the crisis after his speech.

The intervention came as the anti-Semitism row escalated again with fresh warnings that Labour will be hammered by voters in elections this week for failing to deal with the issue.

Shadow Cabinet member Diane Abbott, a close ally of Mr Corbyn, risked further inflaming the situation by dismissing claims there is a problem as 'smears'.

Jeremy Corbyn addresses the May Day march in London

Unite boss Len McCluskey also waded in to accuse Blairite MPs of 'manipulating' anti-Semitism concerns in a bid to unseat the leader.

But Israeli Ambassador Mark Regev urged Mr Corbyn to disown extremist groups such as Hamas - which he previously described as 'friends' - as he warned that the party appeared to be 'in denial'.

Mr Corbyn is facing growing demands to eject close ally Ken Livingstone immediately after he again refused to apologise for claiming Hitler was a 'Zionist'. It has emerged that the disciplinary case against the veteran left-winger may not even get under way until July.

The leader's critics are planning a media blitz against him next weekend if Labour crashes in Thursday's council polls.

The sight of Communist Party marchers carrying Stalin banners among the trade unions and other workers' group raised fresh questions.

Tory MP Andrew Bridgen said: 'The fact that Jeremy Corbyn is keeping such controversial company at his left-wing parade will give the Jewish community no comfort whatsoever.

'It will reinforce the concerns that Mr Corbyn has associations with all the wrong people.'

Fellow Conservative backbencher Stewart Jackson said: 'He is so far from the mainstream of political life that it is bound to bring contagion to the Labour Party.'

'This is a contagion of extreme left views that is alienating people across the United Kingdom.'

Another Tory, David Morris, said the fact Mr Corbyn was at the same events as such groups was 'bonkers'.

'These are not the kind of people serious politicians associate with,' he said.

Shadow chancellor John McDonnell was previously ridiculed for quoting Chairman Mao at George Osborne across the Commons despatch box.

Mr McDonnell jokingly cited the notorious dictator's words before passing a copy of the infamous 'Little Red Book' to Mr Osborne. He later acknowledged that the joke had backfired to an extent.
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Violence broke out across France today as as thousands of people across the country took to the streets for the traditional May Day demonstrations.

There was increased tension compared to previous years, following weeks of disorder aimed at the new employment laws introduced by the Socialist government. By mid-afternoon gangs were already involved in fights with riot police in cities and towns across the country.

In Paris, tear gas and batons were used against dozens of masked anarchists - who were apparently joined by students - close to the Place de la Bastille.

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In Paris tear gas has been used against dozens of masked anarchists - who were apparently joined by students - after violence broke out during the traditional May Day demonstrations (pictured: A masked outh prepares to throw an object during a clash with French riot police)

Shielded: Police stand in formation as they clash with protesters at a traditional May Day demonstration in Paris this afternoon

Anarchy: Dozens of masked protesters clashed with police on the Boulevard Diderot in central Paris on May Day demonstrations

Flares: By mid-afternoon gangs were involved in fights with riot police in cities and towns across the country during the annual event

Smoke: There were five separate demonstrations being held in Paris alone while others took place in other parts of France

Clash: Across France protests have descended into chaos, with Porsche cars among those set on fire, and dozens of police injured

Co-ordinated: Riot police walk together as a group. The protests were organised in part by Femen, an anarchist feminist group, who tried to attack Marine Le Pen, leader of France's National Front

'They corned officers against a wall and began pelting them with bricks and stones,' said a police spokesman at the scene. The atmosphere is extremely tense, and we are prepared for more attacks on us as the march continues.

There were five separate demonstrations being held in Paris, while others took place in other parts of France.

One was organised by Femen, an anarchist feminist group, who tried to attack Marine Le Pen, leader of France's National Front

Violent incidents were also reported in Rennes and Marseille, as economic crises and a rise in unemployment fuelled hatred of resident Francois Hollande's government.

Protests have already descended into chaos, with Porsche cars among those set on fire, and dozens of police injured.

Not happy: The government hopes a change to French labour law will help reduce chronic unemployment, which is over 10 per cent

Protest: Critics believe the changes to labour law threaten hard-won workers' rights by making it easier for employers to sack people

Crowd control: Plain clothed policemen sprayed tear gas at protesters who turned their backs and covered their faces with their hands

Heave: A female protester unsuccessfully pushes against a riot police officer who looks beyond her as if he can't feel any resistance at all

Under arrest: Plain clothes officers take a protester to the floor. Violent incidents were also reported in Rennes and Marseille, as economic crises and a rise in unemployment fuelled hatred of resident Francois Hollande's government

Political: A group holds a sign which reads 'To strike down a demonstrator is to strike one-self' near French riot police during a protest

Hectic: Smoke used to deter the crowds filled the air at the Place de la Republique as protesters packed the square for demonstrations

Alone: A defiant protester remains in the road by himself as riot police close in on his position with smoke and shields

The government hopes a change to French labour law will help reduce chronic unemployment, which is over 10 per cent.

But critics believe they threaten hard-won workers' rights by making it easier for employers to sack people.

French prime minister, Manuel Valls issued a warning today to potential rioters, saying: 'We will respond with the greatest determination to these troublemakers... the attacks and violence against security forces are unacceptable.'

It came as two anti-government protesters aged 22 and 30 were imprisoned for six and eight months respectively for violence against the police.

Their crimes took place in the French capital last Thursday when tear gas and batons were again used by riot-control officers.

'Imprisoning political protestors is a clear sign that the government is losing control,' said Carole Garcia, an 18-year-old student involved in organising the protests.

'It is incredible that a Socialist administration is using these kind of tactics against those who oppose its policies.'

But an Interior Ministry spokesman said the violence was 'getting worse every day', and that officers were 'regularly being seriously hurt' by young rioters.

Today some were wearing face masks, and marching under black anarchist flags, while throwing stones and bottles at officers.

Before the violence: People play music as they take part in the traditional May Day demonstration in Paris this morning

Le Pen: France's far-right Political Party Front National founder and honorary President, Jean-Marie Le Pen addresses the crowd on stage during the party's annual rally honouring Joan of Arc today in Paris

Far right: France's far-right Political Party Front National (FN) founder and honorary President, Jean-Marie Le Pen addresses the crowd on stage during the party's annual rally honoring Joan of Arc today in Paris

It was not only in France that riots broke out today. German riot police officers clashed with participants of a rally of the extreme right-wing party 'Die Rechte' (The Right) in Erfurt.

The party has a vigorous anti-immigration stance and was holding a protest today to voice their opposition to the free movement of migrants into Germany from other EU countries.

The group is famous for its attention-grabbing tactics such as marching in Nazi formation into town halls, and demanding the dismantling of refugee centres.

Crowd management: Riot police used water canon on the German far right group 'The Right' who were protesting in the streets today

Passionate: Participants of extreme right-wing party 'Die Rechte' (The Right) held their hands up behind a German Imperial War Flag during a May Day rally in Erfurt

Response: German police led a group of peaceful protesters through Berlin who were coming out in support of refugees in response to the far right group

Disaffected: 'The Right' has a vigorous anti-immigration stance and was holding a protest today to voice their opposition to the free movement of migrants into Germany from other EU countries

Scuffle: The group is famous for its attention-grabbing tactics such as marching in Nazi formation into town halls, and demanding the dismantling of refugee centres
A pervert dad has been jailed for duping young girls into sending him naked photos before posting them on Facebook

Shawn Evans-Norris, from Taggs Gate, Oxford, used a fake Facebook account to approach the girls, aged 16 and 14, and promised them modelling work in return for photos of them in their underwear.

But instead the cruel dad, 23, posted the private images on social media with 'devastating consequences', Oxford Crown Court heard.

Shawn Evans-Norris, from Taggs Gate, Oxford, used a fake Facebook account to approach the girls, aged 16 and 14, and promised them modelling work in return for photos of them in their underwear

The older teenager started self-harming as a result - and even tried to kill herself.

Evans-Norris was jailed for two years and three months for his 'evil offending'.

The court heard that the younger girl sent the sick predator pictures in her bra and a video of her stripping for him after he messaged her on Facebook.

When he asked for another video and he refused, he exacted his revenge by posting them online with an offensive message despite her begging him to take them down.

The older girl was offered cash to model by Evans-Norris if she sent photos proving she was 'good enough'.

She sent him topless photos and only found out they had been shared publicly online when her friends found out.

Prosecutor Cathy Olliver said the younger girl was left 'angry and outraged' by the incident, but the impact on the 16-year-old was more severe.

She said: 'She says she was so upset she nearly killed herself and she self-harmed by cutting herself.

'She self-harms now every day, this is due to what what happened involving this case.

'It has had a devastating effect on her.'

The court heard Evans-Norris was tracked down by police using his IP address, but he originally denied the offences when quizzed by officers.

He later admitted two counts of possessing indecent photos of the girls and two counts of sharing indecent photos of the girls between January and May last year.

But instead the cruel dad, 23, posted the private images on social media with 'devastating consequences', Oxford Crown Court heard.

He denied two counts of causing or inciting child prostitution or pornography between February 28, 2014, and May 12, 2015. Both counts were left to lie on file.

Tim Greaves, defending, said his client had not committed the crimes because of a sexual desire, but a need for control brought on by his first girlfriend being unfaithful to him.

He added his client had set up the fake Facebook profiles to monitor his ex-girlfriend's behaviour.

He said: 'He was devastated when the relationship broke up.

'It was born out of some form of frustration and a need to exert control.

'He is remorseful, he understands the devastating consequences for the two girls.'

Judge Peter Ross said he was moved to go outside the national sentencing guidelines to give Evans-Norris a longer sentence.

Possessing indecent images of children carries a recommended sentence of 12 months, with judges having the option of imposing between 26 weeks and two years in jail.

But Judge Ross jailed Evans-Norris for two years and three months for his 'evil offending'.

Yours is more sinister offending - it's about gaining control over young girls and being prepared to humiliate them and threaten them. Judge Peter Ross

He said: 'Those who do this for sexual gratification, it seems to me, are more easily treated.

'Yours is more sinister offending - it's about gaining control over young girls and being prepared to humiliate them and threaten them.'

Health leaders have described the case as a 'powerful' example of the impact 'sexting' has on young people.

Speaking after the hearing on Thursday April 28, Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust's school nurses service manager Pauline Nicklin said: 'There are some evil people out there.

'Even the ones who are not evil can lead to disgusting or awful things happening.'

Mrs Nicklin said the police, social services, health workers and teachers have to work together to impress upon teenagers the drastic consequences sexting can have.

She added: 'It's getting the message across they shouldn't be doing it and it can come back and bite them later in life.

'The difficulty is quite a few young people - particularly girls - say "why shouldn't I? I look good".'
The Brussels Airport reopened its departure hall for the first time since ISIS's deadly suicide bomb attacks in March.

Security was tight at the terminal as the newly repaired check-in hall was re-opened for business.

The airport had already resumed some flights, but passengers had been using a temporary check-in tent due to extensive damage to the departure hall.

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The Brussels Airport reopened its departure hall for the first time since ISIS's deadly suicide bomb attacks in March

Security was tight at the terminal as the newly repaired check-in hall was re-opened for business

Much of the airport was render almost unrecognisable  twisted plastic chairs are covered in dust as tables have been flung against the walls

The two suicide bomber are believed to be Najim Laachraoui and Ibrahim El-Bakraoui. The pair killed 16 people when they blew themselves up within seconds of each other.

One of the blasts hit the heart of the packed American Airlines check in desk, and the other struck outside Starbucks as early morning travellers ran for their lives.

The third bomb - thought to be comprised of the heaviest explosive - was left abandoned as the 'man in white' fled the scene.

Much of the airport was render almost unrecognisable  twisted plastic chairs are covered in dust as tables have been flung against the walls.

Passengers on select flights started using the newly-repaired departure hall today after a special ceremony presided over by Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel. Extra security checks have been added before entering the terminal.

Passengers on select flights started using the newly-repaired departure hall today after a special ceremony presided over by Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel

A wall filled with messages and tributes in support of the victims of the Brussels terror attacks

Airport staff recall the shocking moment the two suicide bombers targeted the busy departure hall

Photos from the aftermath of the attacks revealed the shocking carnage unleashed by the bomb attack

'We all choose to resist. Today, our capital's airport is reopening. Brussels is back in business,' Michel told a gathered crowd near a plaque bearing the names of victims, surrounded by photos and flowers.

Some passengers lamented the tense atmosphere at a place that they used to associate with happy vacations. Check-in clerk Veronique Goodman described her emotion at the re-opening, 'for the people who lost their family, injured colleagues ... nobody wants this ever to happen again. But (we're) happy to be back with our colleagues.'

In a statement, Brussels Airport Company CEO Arnaud Feist called it 'an important day in the recovery' of the airport and in efforts to revive the city's image. Feist said he hoped the airport would be back at 100 percent capacity by mid-June.

The March 22 attacks at the airport and Brussels' subway killed 32 people overall.

It was later revealed that one of the suicide bombers, Ibrahim El Bakraoui, had been caught near Turkey's border with Syria in 2015 and Ankara says it had warned Belgium and the Netherlands that he was 'a foreign terrorist fighter.'

But authorities in Brussels said they did not know he was suspected of terror-related activities until after he was deported to the Netherlands.

The March 22 attacks at the airport and Brussels' subway killed 32 people overall

Security was tight at the re-opening ceremony at the airport in Zaventem, Brussels today
Six people including four children have been killed and another three injured after a mother lost control of her minivan along a Florida interstate, according to police.

Heidi Solis-Perez, 33, from Stuart, lost control of her Mercury Villager on Saturday night along I-95 near Jupiter before slamming into a meridian wall and bouncing into the path of a Kia Sorento.

Four of Solis-Perez's children were killed in the accident, who police identified as Marillany Julian-Solis, five, Alexander Julian-Solis, seven, Macareo Julian-Solos, 14, and Sandy Julian-Solis, 17.

Mother Heidi Solis-Perez, 33, is in critical condition along with daughter Daisy, 11, following a horrific crash which also killed four of her children as young as five (pictured, her car after the wreck)

Andres Perez, 18, and Reynaldo Diaz, 31, who were riding in the Villager with Solis-Perez, also died in the accident, the Miami Herald reported.

Solis-Perez and another of her children, Daisy Julian-Solis, 11, were taken to hospital where they are in a serious condition.

Sharwen Pierre Louis, 21, from Ft. Pierce, who was driving the Sorento, was treated for minor injuries, according to the Highway Patrol.

Three of the victims were pronounced dead at the scene, while another three died in hospital.

Palm Beach County Fire-Rescue Capt. Albert Borroto told the Palm Beach Post that multiple victims were thrown from the Villager during the crash.

Police say Solis-Perez lost control of her car along this stretch of the I-95 near Jupiter, Florida, before hitting the concrete meridian and spinning back into the road, where she was hit by another vehicle

Emergency crews found bodies lying in the road as they arrived at the scene, and say it is not clear if the victims were wearing seatbelts.

According to TCPalm, a report by the Florida Highway Patrol says that the treat of one tire on the Villager separated from the wheel.

That caused Solis-Perez to lose control of the car before hitting the meridian and spinning back into the path of the Sorento, which was also in the southbound lane.
Anyone promising a 'free lunch will invariably eat you for breakfast' he said

Bloomberg warned both presidential candidates were making promises they couldn't possibly keep in the election race

He appeared to criticize Donald Trump and Bernie Sanders as he called on voters to keep demagogues out of the White House

Former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg has branded Donald Trump and Bernie Sanders 'demagogues' as he called for voters to keep them out of the White House.

Bloomberg warned that both presidential candidates were making promises they couldn't possibly keep in the election race, AOL reports.

While he didn't mention either Republican or Democrat candidate by name, he warned those who promised a 'free lunch will invariably eat you for breakfast.'

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Former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg has branded Donald Trump and Bernie Sanders 'demagogues' as he called for them to be kept out of the White House

In his speech, at the University of Michigan, he added that he'd seen 'more demagoguery' in this election race than he had seen in his lifetime.

'When a populous Democratic candidate promises free college, free health care and a pony, or another candidate promises to make other countries pay for our needs, remember, those who promise you a free lunch will invariably eat you for breakfast,' Bloomberg said.

The Mayor, who considered a run for the presidency earlier this year, warned that both candidates were picking on 'easy targets who breed resentment' to gain votes rather than creating a realistic strategy for the country.

'For Republicans, it's Mexicans here illegally and Muslims,' he said, 'and for Democrats, it's the wealthy and Wall Street. The truth is, we cannot solve the problems we face by blaming anyone.'

Republican front-runner Trump's plans to build a giant wall along the border to keep out illegal immigrants and drugs - and to force Mexico to pay for it has been criticized by many as unrealistic.

Bloomberg warned that both presidential candidates Trump and Sanders were making promises they couldn't possibly keep in the election race

Bloomberg warned those who promised a 'free lunch will invariably eat you for breakfast'

No more so than the Mexican president who insists that there was no possible scenario in which his country would pay for the all.

President Enrique Pena Nieto said in March that Trump proposed 'very easy, simple solutions to problems that are obviously not that easy to solve.'

'And there have been episodes in human history, unfortunately, where these expressions of this strident rhetoric have only led to very ominous situations in the history of humanity,' the Mexican president added.

'That's how Mussolini got in, that's how Hitler got in, they took advantage of a situation, a problem perhaps, which humanity was going through at the time, after an economic crisis.

'And I think what (they) put forward ended up at what we know today from history, in global conflagration. We don't want that happening anywhere in the world.'

Unlike Trump, Sanders is trailing behind the Democratic front runner Hillary Clinton despite his pledges to make college and university tuition free, lower student loans and make childcare affordable.

Clinton questioned whether he would be able to deliver any of his promises and told the Wall Street Journal earlier this month that Sanders' ideas 'just wont work because the numbers dont add up.'

Bloomberg said it was up to the next generation to 'confront its own demagogues' - a political leader who tries to win by appealing to popular prejudices rather than rational arguments - to keep them 'away from the White House.'
The survey found 71 per cent thought family help was the only way they would be able to buy

Four in 10 people are convinced they will never be able to own a home, according to a shocking survey.

The research by Opinium suggests those who are not already on the property ladder are becoming increasingly pessimistic about the chances of ever achieving the first rung.

More than half blame the difficulties in buying on immigration and foreign investors.

The findings, in a study for the Observer newspaper, come with the housing issue rising up the political agenda.

David Cameron and Jeremy Corbyn have clashed repeatedly on the topic in the Commons, and how to keep property prices within reach of ordinary people has been a key battleground in the London Mayoral election.

According to the poll, 69 per cent of those questioned thought the country was 'in the throes of a housing crisis'.

Some 71 per cent of would-be property owners doubt their ability to buy a home without financial help from family members.

More than two-thirds (67 per cent) would like to buy their own home 'one day', but 37% believe buying will remain out of their reach for good.

A further 26 per cent think it will take them up to five years to get on the ladder.

The Prime Minister insisted before the general election that the Tories' policies would transform 'generation rent' into 'generation buy'.

As he launched plans to force local authorities to sell valuable properties to fund new 'affordable homes' last year, Mr Cameron said: 'The dream of a property-owning democracy is alive and well and we will help you fulfil it.'

The research emerged as the government's highly housing and planning bill returns to the Commons this week.

The legislation would force councils to sell some social housing and curb lifelong council tenancies, introducing 'pay to stay' rules that will force better-off council tenants to pay rents closer to market rates.

However, it has been heavily criticised in the House of Lords, where ministers have suffered a series of defeats.

The government's flagship plan for 'starter homes' has also been widely attacked by critics who say the properties - which in London will cost up to 450,000 - will not be affordable.

Labour's London mayoral candidate Sadiq Khan said the legislation was 'the most extreme in terms of housing in a generation'.

Labour's housing spokesman John Healey said: 'Opposition to this bill now comes from across the board: from housebuilders, housing experts, charities and even Conservative ministers' own council leaders, MPs and peers. It seems that government ministers are alone in thinking their bill is fit for purpose when it comes to tackling our housing crisis.'

When asked by Opinium what measures should be implemented to restrict foreign ownership of British properties, 71 per cent backed a ban on foreign owners buying British properties as investments or as buy-to-let.

Some 60 per cent expressed support for higher taxes for foreign buyers involved in buy-to-let schemes.

A Department for Communities and Local Government spokesman said the government had put forward the 'most ambition vision for housing in a generation'.

The housing budget would be doubled and 8billion invested to deliver more than 400,000 affordable homes, they said.

'There are billions of pounds locked up in local authority housing assets so it is only right that when higher value homes become vacant they are sold to build new homes that better meet local needs,' the spokesman added.

'It means every home sold will be replaced with at least one new affordable home and two for one in London.'
South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham ratcheted up his anti-Donald Trump rhetoric on Sunday, saying that the businessman 'polls like Lucifer' among women and Hispanics, and predicting 'another 9/11' if Trump implements his foreign policy ideas in the White House.

'There's a civil war going on in the Republican Party, obviously,' Graham said on the CBS 'Face the Nation' program, referring to the firestorm that erupted Thursday after former House Speaker John Boehner called Trump rival Ted Cruz 'Lucifer in the flesh.'

'John and I are very close friends,' Graham said of Boehner, 'but he's embracing Donald Trump, and I am not. Why? Because I believe Donald Trump's foreign policy is isolationism. It will lead to another 9/11.'

THROWING SHADE: South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham, at one time a long-shot presidential hopeful, bashed Donald Trump on Sunday by saying he 'polls like Lucifer' among women and Hispanics

TWEETER-IN-CHIEF: Trump castigated CBS News for ignoring the degree to which he trounced Graham in the Republican presidential primaries

Trump fired back on Twitter from Indiana after the interview aired.

'I watched Sen. Graham [on] @FaceTheNation. Why don't they say that I ran him out of the race like a little boy, and in the end he had no support?' the billionaire blasted.

Nobody remembers that he ran and he made a total fool of himself in the race!' Trump said Sunday during a rally in Terre Haute, Indiana.

Graham was a presidential candidate until a few days before Christmas when he dropped to less than 2 per cent in national polls.

On Sunday he latched on to the 'Lucifer' controversy and turned it back on Trump.

'There's been a lot of talk about Lucifer. I think Lucifer may be the only person Trump could beat in a general election,' the senator riffed.

'But when it comes women and Hispanics, Trump polls like Lucifer, so this [primary] is a contest between conservatism and Trumpism, and Trumpism will get creamed in the ballot box.'

He warned that Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton could easily beat Trump in November's general election despite being a 'flawed' candidate.

'She will mop the floor with Donald Trump,' he said, 'because  with women and Hispanics, they hate Donald Trump because he's so harsh and he's so cruel ... in his policies toward illegal immigration, and he's so insulting toward women in general.'

GRILLED: 'Fox News Sunday' put Trump on the hot seat Sunday about his low poll numbers among women and minorities

Graham initially endorsed former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, and later switched allegiances to back Cruz, a Texas senator.

'I'm advising Ted: "Go to the last vote",' he said. 'Trump's gotten 40 percent of the popular vote. That doesn't give you 1,237 delegates. I think you could still stop [him], even if you lose in Indiana.'

Trump shrugged off Graham's criticism on Sunday in Terre Haute.

'I don't want his endorsement or anything. Who cares?' he asked.

The billionaire added Sunday that he's finished calling Cruz and Ohio Gov. John Kasich the 'leftovers' in a primary contest he's been dominating for months.

Instead, he called them 'the two guys who are hanging by their fingernails.'
Parents have been urged to stop using certain Mamas and Papas baby car seats after tests revealed they could crack in a crash.

Argos has issued an urgent recall for several children's car seats manufactured by the leading baby product brand after confirming it had identified 'a potential safety concern'.

The high street chain said several models may be faulty and fail to protect children in a collision.

Argos has issued an urgent recall for five baby seats made by Mamas and Papas (pictured) after confirming 'a potential safety concern' had been identified which means the seats could crack in the event of a collision

Parents who have purchased one of the five models of baby seats being recalled are urged to stop using them immediately and return them to the shop for a full refund.

In a statement, Argos said: 'We have identified a potential safety concern.

'In the event of an accident the car seat shell may crack and therefore not provide the intended level of protection to the user.

'If you have purchased any of the above seats, you should immediately stop using the product and return the car seat to your local Argos store for a full refund.

'We wish to thank you for your co-operation and apologise for any inconvenience caused by this recall.'

It came after parents took to parenting blog Playpennies to report issues with the 'unsafe seats'.

Argos confirmed five different models of Mamas and Papas baby car seats are being recalled (file picture)

One user wrote on the money-saving parental website: 'I am absolutely seething at Mamas and Papas right now.

'These are being recalled due to a massive complaint from me, I lent on my sons seat and it cracked.

'Argos replaced it like for like, now they have recalled the whole lot.'

Argos confirmed five different models of baby seats are being recalled including the following:

Mamas & Papas Mercury Group 1 Black

Mamas & Papas Mercury Group 1 Grey

Mamas & Papas Mercury Group 1-2-3 Black

Mamas & Papas Mercury Group 1, 2, 3 Grey

Mamas & Papas Mercury Group 2-3 Black and Grey

New rules will be introduced in Britain at the end of this year which will limit the use of backless booster seats for older children.

The law currently states that youngsters must use a child car seat until they are 135cm tall or 12 years old  whichever comes first.
A mother who went missing in the New Zealand wilderness for four days with her daughter has described her terror at having to watch her daughter 'suffer and die slowly' before they were rescued.

Carolyn Lloyd, 47, of Charlotte, North Carolina, and her daughter Rachel, 22, had planned a one-day hike on Tuesday but ended up stranded in the Tararua Forest after getting lost on the way down from the summit of the Kapakapanui Track.

They clung to life in freezing temperatures and feared they would never be found until a helicopter spotted the word 'HELP' spelled out by the pair using sticks and stones in a clearing on Friday.

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Carolyn Lloyd (left) has spoken of her terror at watching her daughter Rachel (right) 'die slowly' after they went missing in the New Zealand wilderness for four days after getting lost during a hike

They clung to life in freezing temperatures and feared they would never be found until a helicopter spotted the word 'HELP' spelled out by the pair using sticks and stones

Now, Ms Lloyd has spoken of her terror after Rachel hit her head on her rock and she had to watch helplessly as her daughter began to 'fade'.

'I was scared to death,' she told ABC News. 'I thought they wouldn't find us. [Rachel] was fading on me. As a mother, it's terrifying.'

'I took a tumble on the water and hit my head on the rock pretty bad,' Rachel said.

Rachel graduated from North Carolina State University last year and is now studying at Massey University in New Zealand.

Her mother had come to visit and the pair had embarked on what was supposed to be a one-day hike.

The alarm was raised when their rental car was found at the entrance to the track on Friday night.

They failed to check out of their Palmerston North motel on Wednesday and return their car at 11am on Friday.

They clung to life in freezing temperatures and feared they would never be found until a helicopter spotted the word 'HELP' spelled out by the pair in a clearing on Friday

Ms Lloyd had been visiting her daughter Rachel (pictured together) who is studying at Massey University

Ms Lloyd reportedly carried her starving and exhausted daughter on her back as the pair tried to find their way out of the Tararua Forest, rationing their supplies as they endured the harsh conditions in the bush.

Rachel added that 'watching my mom watch me suffer and die slowly' was the hardest thing, but that she was 'incredible.'

The pair were rescued after they spelled the word 'help' on a river bed with rocks, punga fronds and sticks and made another sign in a bush clearing, where they were spotted from the air, waving their arms.

Amalgamated Helicopters chief pilot Jason Diedrichs told WSOC the pair were physically and mentally tired when they were found.

They have been airlifted to Kenepuru Hospital in Porirua for precautionary checks.

They were found after four days in bushland in New Zealand, after a helicopter spotted the word 'HELP' they had spelled out in a clearing

The pair walked to the summit on the track and thought they were following the track on the way back, but the markers turned from orange to blue and as it got dark, the markers disappeared altogether

Ms Lloyd's husband Barry Lloyd, speaking from Charlotte, told the NZ Herald their entire family wanted to express their gratitude to the amazing police staff, helicopter pilots, search team members, dog guides, volunteers and news teams who kept them informed of what was happening.

He said finding out his wife and daughter were safe was 'the greatest moment of his life' and he had spoken to them about the ordeal.

Mr Lloyd said they walked to the summit on the track and thought they were following the track on the way back, but the markers turned from orange to blue and as it got dark, the markers disappeared altogether.

He said the pair huddled under a tree overnight and tried to find their way out the next day via a stream.

The Kapakapanui Track is listed on the Department of Conservation website as an advanced tramping track with an estimated walking time of six to eight hours

The pair, who were hiking in the Tararua Forest (pictured) were airlifted to Kenepuru Hospital in Porirua for precautionary checks

By the third day, Rachel became so weak Mr Llloyd said Ms Lloyd made a makeshift camp, of a bed with fern fronds, and the 'HELP' sign in case a helicopter flew overhead.

New Zealand Police Sergeant Anthony Harmer has praised the women for how they had handled their situation.

He said the search operation was 'pretty much textbook'.

'They've done all the right things - they've stayed together, they've conserved their heat, they've conserved their resources so they gave themselves the best chance possible,' he said.
The bodies of a renowned mountain climber and cameraman have been found in a glacier, 16 years after they were buried in a Himalayan avalanche.

Alex Lowe, 40, and David Bridges, 29, were swept to their death in October 1999 while a third climber, Conrad Anker, survived.

Lowes's widow said in a statement Friday that two climbers attempting to ascend the 26,291-foot Shishapangma in Tibet discovered the remains of two people partially melting out of a glacier.

The climbers, David Goettler, from Germany, and Ueli Steck, from Switzerland, described the clothing and backpacks seen on the bodies to Anker, who concluded that the two were Bridges and Lowe, the statement said.

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Alex Lowe (pictured) was 40 when a Himalayan avalanche swept him to his death in October 1999 with cameraman David Bridges, 29

Conrad Anker, who was with Lowe and Bridges (pictured) during the 1999 avalanche, heard a description of the bodies and identified them

Two climbers found the bodies still encased in blue ice, partially emerging from a melting glacier as they attempted to ascend the 26,291-foot Shishapangma in Tibet

'Alex and David vanished, were captured and frozen in time. Sixteen years of life has been lived and now they are found. We are thankful,' Jenni Lowe-Anker said.

She married Anker, Lowe's friend and fellow elite climber, in 2001, and he adopted their three sons, Max, Isaac, and Sam.

The couple live in Bozeman, Montana, and run the Alex Lowe Charitable Foundation together.

The couple were in Kathmandu, Nepal, when Goettler and Steck called him from Tibet to tell him about the remains.

The bodies were still encased in blue ice and had begun to emerge from the glacier when Goettler and Steck spotted them.

Anker said the discovery has brought him closure and relief.

He told Outside magazine that although he hasn't seen photos of the remains, he's convinced they are those of Lowe and Bridges.

'They were close to each other. Blue and red North Face backpacks. Yellow Koflach boots. It was all that gear from that time period. They were pretty much the only two climbers who were there,' Anker said.

Lowe (pictured), known jokingly as Lungs With Legs for his incredible strength and stamina, was regarded as the world's greatest mountain climber at the time of his death

Anker (left) survived the 1999 avalanche and came out with a broken rib and injuries to the head. He later married Lowe's widow Jennifer (right) and adopted the couple's three sons

Lowe-Anker wrote in the last paragraph of her 2008 memoir, Forget Me Not: 'Alex will melt out of the glacier one day... And I do not look forward to it.'

She told Outside magazine after the bodies were found: 'I kind of never realized how quickly it would be that hed melt out. I thought it might not be in my lifetime.'

The couple, along with their three sons, plan to go to Tibet this summer to recover the bodies.

They want to hold a ceremony in Nyalam, Tibet, which is the closest town.

'Its never something you look forward to,' Lowe-Anker told Outside. 'To see the body of somebody you loved and cared about. But there is a sense that we can put him to rest, and hes not just disappeared now.'

They haven't spoken to the Bridges family yet.

Bridges, Lowe, Anker and six others were on an expedition to climb Shishapangma, the 14th highest mountain in the world.

The group hoped to be the first American team to ski down a 26,000-foot peak, Rock And Ice magazine wrote.

They were scouting out routes at about 19,000 feet when they saw a slab of snow break free 6,000 feet above them.

Bridges and Lowe ran to the left, Outside magazine wrote, and were trapped under the snow.

Anker ran to the right downhill was thrown away and came out with a broken rib and injuries to the head, but was still able to walk.

'From my perspective there was just this big white cloud, and then it settled and there was nothing there,' he told Outside. 'And it was just so massive and so big. There wasnt that sense of closure.'

Rescuers looked for Lowe and Bridges for 20 hours without success.

Lowe, known jokingly as Lungs With Legs for his incredible strength and stamina, was regarded as the world's greatest mountain climber at the time.

He had made difficult climbs all over the world, including Nepal's Kwangde and Kusum Kanguru, and twice reached the summit of Mount Everest. In Peru, he climbed the southwest buttress of Taulliraju.

He was credited with rescuing several climbers in Alaska in 1995, a year when six climbers died on Mount McKinley.

Bridges, of Aspen, Colorado was an accomplished high-altitude climber and cinematographer as well as a two-time US paragliding champion.

Ueli Steck (left), from Switzerland, and David Goettler (right), from Germany, called Anker after finding the remains of Lowe and Bridges and described their clothing and backpacks
But US appealed decision saying the judge had abused his discretion

He was freed in prisoner swap for five Taliban leaders, but later charged with desertion and misbehavior before the enemy

Taliban captured the 30-year-old after he left his 2009 post in Afghanistan

Bergdahl's lawyers have been granted access to classified material, a military appeals court has ruled

US Army Sergeant Bowe Bergdahl's case will resume now that his lawyers have been granted access to classified material in order to prepare for his defense, a military appeals court has ruled.

Bergdahl, 30, walked away from his post in Afghanistan in 2009 and was captured by the Taliban, who held him prisoner for five years until the US government controversially swapped his freedom for five Taliban members held in Guantanamo Bay.

Legal proceedings against Bergdahl, who faces a potential life sentence for desertion and misbehavior, were put to a halt after his defense requested access to 300,000 pages of classified documents.

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US Army Sergeant Bowe Bergdahl's case will resume now that his lawyers have been granted access to classified material in order to prepare for his defense, a military appeals court has ruled

Legal proceedings against Bergdahl were put to a halt after his defense requested access to 300,000 pages of classified documents (pictured, Bergdahl, right, arriving at Ft. Bragg courthouse with attorney in January 2016)

The United States Army Court of Criminal Appeals granted the defense access to classified information on Thursday, but the decision was not publicly revealed until late Saturday by Bergdahl's attorney Eugene Fidell.

Bergdahl was freed in a prisoner swap in May 2014 that led to therelease of five Taliban leaders who were being held by the U.S.The exchange was criticized by Republicans in Congress.

Bergdahl returned to active duty, but after an investigation, he was prosecuted by the US military who said disappearing from his post resulted in a 45-day search that putsoldiers' lives at risk.

The formal charges in his court-martial are desertion andmisbehavior before the enemy. He has not entered a plea to thecharges or decided whether he will be tried by a military judgeor a jury of soldiers.

BOWE BERGDAHL'S STORY Sgt Bergdahl, 29, faces life in prison for the charge of deserting his troop. Bergdahl went missing on the night of June 30, 2009, near the town of Yahya Kheyl in Paktika Province, Afghanistan. In the first episode of the new season of hit podcast Serial, Ms. Koenig said that as Sergeant Bergdahl stood, scared, in the open Afghan terrain, he briefly contemplated returning to his outpost. Instead, he altered his initial plan, which was to trek 18 miles to a larger military base to raise concerns about problems in his unit. He decided he would track Taliban insurgents placing improvised explosive devices in the road and deliver that information to his superiors. How and when he was captured by the Taliban have remained the source of contention since that night. But he was held by the Taliban for five years - until the U.S. government controversially swapped his freedom for five Taliban members from Guantanamo Bay The swap set off a charged debate over whether Bergdahl was a traitor who had endangered his comrades or a confused soldier who had wanted to warn senior commanders about problems in his platoon.

Bergdahl, now 30, walked away from his post in Afghanistan in 2009 and was captured by the Taliban, who held him prisoner for five years and tortured him. Pictured, his captor displaying his identity tag in Afghanistan, 2009

A military judge granted the defense's request to access 300,000 pages of classified documents on February 2.

But the US government appealed the ruling saying the judge hadabused his discretion. The pre-trial proceedings were put onhold while the issue was being resolved.

The Army Court of Criminal Appeals said in its ruling thatthe military judge had not granted the defense unfettered accessto classified information, but only to material in the contextof the trial.

"The stay on the trial proceedings imposed by this court islifted," the judges of the Army Court of Criminal Appeals ruled.

Bergdahl is free while he awaits trial and is stationed atFort Sam Houston in San Antonio, Texas, where he works at a deskjob and receives treatment at a hospital.
Dragons' Den stars Duncan Bannatyne and Peter Jones are among some of the wealthiest TV stars in Britain alongside Lord Sugar, celebrity chef Jamie Oliver and Geordie double act Ant and Dec.

Top Gear host Chris Evans has also overtaken his predecessor Jeremy Clarkson with a place in The Sunday Times Rich List, making it into the top 50 for the first time with an estimated 50m fortune.

The Apprentice frontman and business magnate Lord Alan Sugar, 69, topped the latest list of Britain's wealthiest television stars  published today - with an estate worth 1.15billion.

Dragons' Den stars Duncan Bannatyne (pictured left) and Peter Jones (right) are among some of the wealthiest TV stars in Britain alongside Lord Sugar and Ant and Dec, according to the Sunday Times rich list

Lord Alan Sugar, 69 (pictured), topped the list of Britain's wealthiest TV stars with an estate worth 1.15billion

Meanwhile, Dragons' Den star Peter Jones, 50, came second with 475m in the bank and Irish-born actress and producer Roma Downey, 55, placed third with assets worth around 375m.

Simon Cowell, 56, ranked in fourth position with a 340m fortune, while married superstars Catherine Zeta-Jones and Michael Douglas placed fifth with a combined estate worth 205m.

Duncan Bannatyne, 67, and fashion entrepreneur and investor Touker Suleyman, 62, both placed sixth with 200m in the bank, with Jamie Oliver following up with an estimated 160m fortune.

Comedy duo Ant McPartlin and Declan Donnelly also placed in the rich list's top 50 for the first time with a fortune worth 45m  ranking ahead of Desert Island Discs' host Kirsty Young who has 43m.

Ms Young's worth is likely to be propped up by that of her husband Nick Jones, who made a fortune by founding the exclusive Soho House clubs across London.

TV money expert Martin Lewis, 43, also features on the esteemed list with 84m, while former Bond star Sir Roger Moore, 88, and comedian Peter Kay, 42, both rank with 50m and 47m respectively.

Top Gear host Chris Evans (left) has also overtaken his predecessor Jeremy Clarkson (right) with a place in The Sunday Times Rich List, making it into the top 50 for the first time with an estimated 50million fortune

Comedy duo Ant McPartlin and Declan Donnelly also placed in the rich list's top 50 for the first time with 45m

One notable finding is that Chris Evans, 50, has snagged a spot as one of the wealthiest performers thanks to his new Top Gear job and his three-year contract with BBC Radio 2 for his breakfast show.

The Warrington-born star has also raked in a reported profit of 1.9m from his sideline supercar dealership, Zimple Limited.

The news is likely to be a welcome break for the presenter who has come under fire in recent weeks for his behaviour on the Top Gear set, described as 's*****' and 'controlling' by his BBC colleagues.

One BBC insider claimed that Evans shouted so violently that he reduced an employee to tears and continued to scream until an engineer intervened. Another accused him of being a 'volatile' boss.

Robert Watts, who compiled the Rich List, told the Sunday Times: 'Chris Evans's career has been a rollercoaster ride.

Catherine Zeta-Jones and Michael Douglas (above) placed fifth in the list with a combined estate worth 205m

Simon Cowell, 56 (pictured), ranked in fourth position in the Sunday Times rich list with a 340m fortune

'He made a huge sum of money in his twenties, struggled in his thirties and lost a lot of his wealth.

'Now he is poised to march up the Rich List of wealthiest performers in the years to come.'

Others to feature on the rich list are Kylie Minogue (55m), Rowan Atkinson (55m) fellow Dragons' Den star Deborah Meaden (40m), Sir Ian McKellen (43m) and London-born Jerry Springer (40m).
A controversial 'prison-style' gate that has been blotting the seascape of one of Britain's most exclusive beaches has been stolen just weeks after furious locals warned they would take matters into their own hands.

The 8ft tall iron gate was removed in the dead of night from the end of a jetty on Mudeford Spit in Christchurch, Dorset where people catch a small ferry to and from the remote beach.

The sandy peninsula is home to the most expensive beach huts in the country, with some changing hands for 250,000, and many owners were furious when the unsightly gate appeared in February.

Controversial: The 'prison-style' gate that has been blotting the seascape of one of Britain's most exclusive beaches

Vanished: The gate has been stolen just weeks after furious locals warned they would take matters into their own hands.

Dorset police is investigating the criminal damage and theft of the barrier that was removed using a welding torch.

It is a mystery as to where the gate was taken to but given its hefty weight it could now be at the bottom of Christchurch Harbour.

It was put up on the wooden pontoon by Christchurch Borough Council due to health and safety fears.

The local authority had expressed concern for boat owners using the jetty to pick up and drop off people without permission and had noted incidents of young children with no lifejackets being lifted over the railings.

Well-heeled beach hut owners, or 'hutters', had warned of a 'mini-revolution' if the gate was not removed soon.

One owner, Steven Bath, had previously posted on Facebook: 'The council needs to remove the wretched gate or sooner or later someone is going to do it for them, in which case it is likely to end up deep in Christchurch Bay..'

Heavy: The 8ft tall iron gate was removed in the dead of night from the end of a jetty on Mudeford Spit in Christchurch, Dorset where people catch a small ferry to and from the remote beach

Luxury: The sandy peninsula is home to the most expensive beach huts in the country, with some changing hands for 250,000, and many owners were furious when the unsightly gate appeared in February

Despite his warnings, Mr Bath, whose late father Peter founded the Mudeford Sandbank Beach Hut Association in the 1960s, said he was disappointed it had taken a criminal act to remove the gates.

He said: 'I have been warning that there would be a mini-revolution like this because the hutters are livid about it. If you push people hard enough they will revolt.

'The gate has been removed and even the nuts and bolts have gone.

'It is what we have been campaigning for. The vast majority of hutters, of which there are 350 who pay almost 1m a year to the council in ground rent, don't want the gate. It is ugly and ruins our lovely beach.

'I am pleased the gate is gone but disappointed that it has been removed by a criminal act. We were going through the correct channels to get it removed and were winning the case.

'I don't know who has done it but I was in London when it happened so I have an alibi.'

But Christchurch council has already confirmed that a replacement gate is on order.

Gone: The gate is no more but Christchurch council has already confirmed that a replacement is on order

Patricia Jamieson, vice-chairman of the community services committee, said: 'We are extremely disappointed by the gate's unlawful removal as any incurred costs are likely to impact on the ability to carry out further improvements to the area.'

The gate was last seen in its position at 7pm on Thursday and was reported stolen at 10am the following morning.

A Dorset police spokesman confirmed the force was investigating the incident.

She added: 'The gate welded to the frame and appears to have been cut off. We are now appealing for any witnesses to get in touch.'
This is the moment a beauty queens face turned to thunder after she was crowned the winner of a pageant - before horrified organisers realised they had made a mistake and placed it on her rivals head instead.

The embarrassing gaffe took place during the Miss Rondonia Mundo contest in north west Brazil, a beauty contest to determine who represents the region in the national event.

Beauty queen Leticia Cappatto was left horrified and 'humiliated' after organisers announced she was the winner - before swiftly removing her crown and giving it to Karliany Barbosa.

There was confusion during the Miss Rondonia Mundo contest in north west Brazil - as Leticia Cappatto was given the crown (left) - before it was swiftly removed and given to Karliany Barbosa (right)

Ms Cappatto's smile turned to a scowl and she kept grimacing as Karliany, from Rondonia's fourth largest city Cacoal, raised her right arm in triumph and her fans began to cheer

Karliany Barbosa, left, was ultimately given the crown in the Miss Rondonia Mundo contest - much to the disappointment of Leticia Cappatto (right)

Beauty queens Leticia Cappatto and Karliany Barbosa held hands as they awaited the judges' verdict in front of a packed crowd in the city of Porto Velho.

The pair remained all smiles even when the woman tasked with placing the crown on the winner's head moved it from one to the other as the commentator joked: 'Who will it be, who will it be, who will it be?'

The omens didn't bode well for Leticia when she received the crown after a nerve-biting wait - only for it to slip off and land on the floor in front of her.

But worse was to come when a helper restored it to her head as it was announced there had been a mistake and the winner was actually her stunning rival Karliany, 23.

Leticia's smile turned to a scowl and she kept grimacing as Karliany, from Rondonia's fourth largest city Cacoal, raised her right arm in triumph and her fans began to cheer.

Audience members watched as the crown was removed from Ms Cappatto's head in the embarrassing gaffe

There was clearly much confusion amongst organisers, who were unclear who should be crowned winner of the beauty pageant

The shocked brunette, from Rondonia's second biggest city Ji-Parana, reacted with a failed attempt to force a public recount.

She said afterwards she felt 'humiliated', claiming: 'I didn't know what to do when it happened.

'It felt like I was taking part in a scene from a film. I just wanted to leave that place, I felt humiliated.

'Some of the women said they were going to take legal action but I don't know what I am going to do yet.'

Event organiser Gleice Leitte insisted claims by Leticia's camp no-one had been tasked with properly counting the votes were false.

Ms Cappatto later said she was 'humiliated' after she was forced to stand on the stage and have the crown taken away from her

.Leticia Cappatto was clearly devastated when pageant organisers took her crown and gave it to her rival

She said: 'Whoever's saying there wasn't an audit is wrong. If anyone wants to check how each jury member voted, we have a record which people are free to consult.'

Karliany added: 'If I won it was on merit. I plan to start preparing myself shortly for the national competition.

'I'll do so with great pride, respect and professionalism because the contest didn't just reward beauty, it also rewarded culture, ethics and knowledge about the state of Rondonia.'

The gaffe comes after Steve Harvey famously announced the wrong winner in last December's Miss Universe, forcing a tearful Miss Colombia to take it off and hand it over to Miss Philippines on live television.

Last December in Las Vegas Miss Colombia Ariadna Gutierrez's joy lasted for two minutes until she was informed the Miss Universe crown on top of her head was actually meant to be for Miss Philippines Pia Alonzo Wurtzbach.
A pregnant mother is facing two felonies after Texas police found two severely injured toddlers chained up in her back yard with another six children left alone inside the property.

Porucha Phillips, 34, was arrested in San Antonio after concerned neighbors called cops at 11.45pm on Thursday night to reports of a child that would not stop crying.

When officers arrived they discovered a two-year-old boy and three-year-old girl suffering from a fractured arm tied up in the back yard by a chain and a dog leash.

Porucha Phillips, 34, (left) was arrested and charged with two felony counts of injuring a child after police found two toddlers tied up in the backyard of her San Antonio, Texas, home (right)

Neighbors called the cops to this property (pictured) on Thursday to report children who would not stop crying

Officers say they found a three-year-old girl suffering from a fractured arm tied up in the back yard with a dog leash, another boy chained to the ground in the yard, and six more children inside the house

Officers said the boy had a chain tied around one ankle with the other end secured to the ground, while the girl was secured to the frame of the back door by a leash.

James Keith, spokesman for Bexar County Sheriff's Office, told KENS5 that when police forced their way inside the house where they found six more children left without an adult at home.

Those children, who are believed to be Phillips' children, are aged between 10 months and 13 years old, according to Keith.

He said: 'They were exhausted, tired, dehydrated. There was evidence that they had been previously abused, it makes you sick to see something like this, it makes you angry.

'To call this horrific is an understatement, this is as disturbing as it comes. Everybody is bothered by this. It motivates you to fight harder to make sure this is taken care of.'

The toddlers found in the back yard are not thought to belong to Phillips, and detectives are currently hunting for their parents.

A neighbor who wished to remain anonymous, said Phillips' friend had dropped off the two toddlers about six months ago, according to Express News.

Phillips denies tying the children up, according to investigators, and says the two found in the back yard were dumped at her house by their parents who didn't want to care for them

James Keith, spokesman for Bexar County Sheriff's Office, said Phillips has been charged with child injury but added investigations are ongoing and more charges are expected

Phillips and another adult, believed to be the father of the six children in the home, returned to the property in the early hours of Friday morning where they were arrested.

Phillips faces two felony charges on two counts of injury to a child, Keith confirmed.

Those close to the investigation told My San Antonio that the father, who is not married to Phillips, has not been charged because he was at work while the children were left alone.

Investigators also revealed that Phillips is claiming she never restrained the two children in her back yard, and they were simply dumped there by their parents.

She is claiming she intended to take the children to a fire station and turn them over because she was unable to care for them.

It is thought that Phillips was supposed to be caring for the two children found in her back yard, but her exact relationship to the toddlers and their parents is unknown.

Residents close to the house (side alley, pictured) say the children were occasionally let out to play and the parents seemed like nice people

The girl and boy in the yard were taken to hospital where the girl was placed into intensive care, according to Fox San Antonio.

The girl is reported to be suffering from a fractured arm and wrist, while the boy has abrasions and scarring.

KBOI2 reports that Phillips is originally from Sacramento, California, while records show she was in Las Vegas for a time, and was also arrested for soliciting prostitution in Reno, Nevada, in 2003.

It is thought that Phillips moved to San Antonio in October, and during the same month police were called out seven times for a disturbance, animal cruelty and burglary.

Chris Tippery, who lives nearby, told My San Antonio: 'They didn't come out much. They keep (the kids) in the house for the most part.

'Sometimes you would see them outside in their diapers. They seemed like all right people.'
Speech was made despite a recent thawing in relations between the

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Hundreds of thousands of Cubans marched Sunday in the country's annual May Day rally, which condemned a campaign to 'destabilize' leftist governments around Latin America.

The island traditionally holds huge festive demonstrations to mark International Workers' Day, which this year comes at a turbulent time for the communist government that has dominated Cuba for decades.

More than 600,000 people participated in the march on Havana's Plaza de la Revolution, many waving socialist flags and posters of Fidel Castro, as President Raul Castro presided over the event.

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Hundreds of thousands of Cubans marched Sunday in the country's annual May Day rally, which condemned a campaign to 'destabilize' leftist governments around Latin America

More than 600,000 Cubans arrived to take part in the annual May Day parade in Cuba (pictured, youths perform in front of a Cuban flag beamed on a giant screen ahead of the march)

President Raul Castro presided over the proceedings as more than 600,000 people participated in the march on Havana's Plaza de la Revolution

The Cuban leader, wearing a white shirt and straw hat, appeared to give the crowd a wave from the stage as he watched the parade

More than 600,000 people participated in the march on Havana's Plaza de la Revolution, many waving socialist flags and posters of Fidel and Raul Castro

Cuban Communist Party (PCC) Second Secretary Jose Ramon Machado Ventura and Workers' Central Union of Cuba general secretary Ulises Guilarte joined Castro at the annual march, while some 1,600 foreign guests from 209 organizations in 68 countries were invited to attend.

Guilarte used his address to the assembled masses to insist that Cuba will maintain its 'unwavering adherence to its revolutionary and anti-imperialist ideals ... (and its) foreign policy committed to just causes,' despite a recent thawing in relations between the island and the United States.

'This May 1 is also a day to condemn the maneuvers aimed at... reversing the gains achieved in social policy in our America and destabilizing the leftist and progressive governments in power,' he told the massive crowd on Revolution Square in Havana.

He claimed that proof of this was the fact that many leftist Latin American governments and leaders were facing power struggles.

In Brazil, President Dilma Rousseff is facing impeachment proceedings in what she condemned as a 'coup'.

Bolivian President Evo Morales recently lost a referendum to allow him a fourth term amid a scandal over whether he fathered a love child, while in Venezuela, President Nicolas Maduro's opponents are seeking to oust him in a recall referendum.

A boy, dressed in traditional Chinese clothes, carries a red and gold Chinese dragon during the May Day rally in Havana, Cuba

Dancers perform with flags during the May Day rally which attracted hundreds and thousands of Cubans and visitors

Dancers perform at the event on the island which traditionally holds huge festive demonstrations to mark International Workers' Day

This year's May Day march comes at a turbulent time for the communist government that has dominated Cuba for decades

People hold up flags and posters of former Cuban leader Fidel Castro march during May Day parade at Revolution Square, in Havana

The son of Cuban President Raul Castro, Alejandro Castro (C), and his family participate in the May Day parade in Havana, on May 1

Hundreds of thousands of people block the roads of the way to the square for the march on Sunday, held in support of the Castro government

Some carried posters with the faces of Raul and Fidel Castro and revolutionary and former Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez

Thousands converged on the plaza for the traditional May Day march which was dedicated to Cuban teachers this year

Labour Day, or May Day, is observed all over the world on the first day of May to celebrate the economic and social achievements of workers and fight for labourers' rights

The leftist parties that have governed most of Latin America since the 2000s have stumbled lately as the region's economies have slowed.

Socialist parties also suffered recent election defeats in Argentina, where conservative President Mauricio Macri won office in November.

Unlike other International Workers' Day marches, which are often used to demonstrate the demands of workers, the parades in Cuba are to celebrate the Castro government and its policies.

This year's May Day parade was dedicated to Cuban teachers, who led the march with posters which read that: 'The Cuban people will triumph.'

Others carried posters with the faces of Raul and Fidel Castro and revolutionary and former Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez.

Castro and key communist leaders watched the parade of more than half a million people from a stage at the foot of the Jose Marti Memorial.

Guilarte, who joined him, also repeated Castro's call for the United States to lift its more than half-century embargo on Cuba and return the 'illegally occupied territory' of the US naval base at Guantanamo Bay, major sticking points in the old Cold War foes' rapprochement.

Relations between Cuba and the United States has improved following an agreement between the countries more than a year ago to begin normalizing relations.

(L-R) Revolution Commander Guillermo Garcia, Revolution Commander Ramiro Valdes, Cuba's First Vice President Miguel Diaz-Canel, Cuba's President Raul Castro and Cuba's Vice President Jose Ramon Machado attend a May Day rally

Cuban President Raul Castro (L) and Vice-President Jose Ramon Machado Ventura attend the May Day parade at Revolution Square in Havana, on May 1

Castro and key communist leaders watched the parade of more than half a million people from a stage at the foot of the Jose Marti Memorial

Castro waved at the hundreds of thousands of Cubans while some 1,600 foreign guests from 209 organizations in 68 countries were invited to attend.

Cuban Vice President Miguel Diaz-Canel (L) talks to Cuba's President Raul Castro during a May Day parade in Havana May 1, 2016. REUTERS/Enrique de la Osa

The Commanders of the Revolution Ramiro Valdes (R) and Guillermo Garcia gave a wave to the masses at the May Day parade in Havana

Valdes right) then pulled out his binoculars to get a better look at the festivities while Garcia watched on at the parade

The thawing culminated in President Barack Obama becoming the first U.S. president to step foot in Cuba in 90 years when he visited with his family in March which 'signaled a new beginning' between the two countries, acting U.S. Ambassador to Cuba Jeffrey DeLaurentis told reporters at the time.

Obama had praised it as a 'historic visit' and was cheered as he passed through a square outside Havana Cathedral, with hundreds of people erupting in applause.

The president did not meet with ex-Cuban dictator Fidel Castro. The 1950s era Cuban revolutionary turned over power to his brother in 2006 temporarily for health reasons and made the transition permanent in 2008.

The 89-year-old has rarely been seen in public since handing over power, prompting rumors that he is in failing health. His last observed outing was in February.

Obama is the only U.S. president aside from Calvin Coolidge to visit Cuba while in office. He and Castro had a formal meeting last April at the Summit of the Americas Conference but that was in Panama.

The Cuban government says that cannot happen until a U.S. embargo banning trade and tourism is lifted on the country and the foreign government returns Guantanamo Bay. U.S. officials have steadfastly said it cannot have the land occupied by naval base and prison back.

Soldiers carried a giant Cuban flag behind them as they marched during the May Day parade at Revolution Square

A military soldier, surrounded by families and other Cubans on the march, looks under a Cuban flag during a May Day rally

A man wearing a shirt with revolutionary heroes Simon Bolivar, left, late President Hugo Chavez, second left, Cuban revolutionary hero Ernesto 'Che' Guevara, second right, and Cuban leader Fidel Castro, which reads in Spanish 'The Fantastic Four of the Revolution'

People carry pictures of Cuba's president Raul Castro (L) and his brother and Cuba's former President Fidel Castro during the May Day parade

Soldiers with images of Cuban leader Fidel Castro. The 1950s era Cuban revolutionary turned over power to his brother in 2006 temporarily for health reasons and made the transition permanent in 2008

Castro (pictured in the posters) has rarely been seen in public since handing over power, prompting rumors that he is in failing health. His last observed outing was in February

Cuban Communist Party (PCC) Second Secretary Jose Ramon Machado Ventura and Workers' Central Union of Cuba general secretary Ulises Guilarte joined Castro at the annual march

Cubans hold up signs of Cuba's president Raul Castro (L) and revolutionary fighter Ernesto 'Che' Guevara during the May Day parade

Cubans were joined by some 1,600 foreign guests from 209 organizations in 68 countries who were invited to attend

Guilarte used his address to the assembled masses to insist that Cuba will maintain its 'unwavering adherence to its revolutionary and anti-imperialist ideals'

Guilarten said Cuba will maintain a foreign policy committed to just causes, despite a recent thawing in relations between the island and the United States

Ahead of Obama's visit the United States Treasury Department eased restrictions on travel to Cuba, ending a requirement that Americans visiting for educational purposes go in groups.

Tourist travel is still illegal - only Congress can lift that ban - but the government will now use the 'honor code' to regulate approved travel, making it much easier for Americans to travel to the country for any purpose.

The new rules will also allow Cubans to open accounts at U.S. banks and financial institutions to process American money coming out of Cuba.

It will further rescind a 10 percent charge on converting U.S. dollars to Cuban convertible pesos and allow mail, cargo and transportation companies to have direct presences in the communist country.

Obama's spokesman argued that by removing impediment to the relationship with Cuba and other countries in the Western Hemisphere that do trade with the country, 'we've actually shined a bright light on the human rights situation in Cuba that does, in some ways, actually put more pressure on them to implement the kinds of long-overdue political and economic reforms there.'

HISTORY OF U.S. CUBA RELATIONS ABOVE: President Calvin Coolidge The last and only U.S. president to visit Cuba was Calvin Coolidge in 1928. Obama becomes the first sitting president to set foot there in 88 years on Sunday. The U.S. and Cuba were not on speaking terms for more than 50 years following the 1959 revolution led by Fidel Castro and Che Guevara that overthrew Western-backed dictator Fulgencio Batista. They installed a communist government and nationalized private businesses, including ones owned and operated by U.S. citizens. President Dwight D. Eisenhower responded with an embargo and cut off ties with the country a year later. On April 17, 1961, President John F. Kennedy authorized a failed attempt to overthrow Castro, known as the Bay of Pigs invasion. The next year his administration expanded the embargo against Cuba to cover all areas of the economy. Eight months later Cuba allowed the Soviets to build a missile base on the island as part of a secret accord, leading to the Cuban Missile Crisis and near nuclear war. The 13-day stand-off involved U.S. naval ships surrounding the country until the U.S. and the U.S.S.R. came to an arrangement. The Soviets backed out of Cuba, America abandoned missile bases in Turkey and Italy. Further sticking it to the Castro regime, President Lyndon B. Johnson in 1966 approved the Cuban Adjustment Act, which allowed citizens of the authoritarian country to apply for citizenship in the U.S. if they could escape. The legislation was amended years later to say that they must reach dry land in the U.S. to stay. In 1996 President Bill Clinton signed legislation specifying that the embargo on the country could only be lifted when Fidel and his brother Raul were removed from power, and free and fair elections were held. Free speech must also be honored and dissidents must be released for the embargo to be removed. In 2006 Fidel temporarily handed over power to his brother Raul due to illness. His retirement became permanent in 2008. Three years later, during his first term in office, President Obama began lifting restrictions on travel and remittances to the country. The two countries resumed diplomatic relations at Obama's urging on Dec. 14, 2015. Prior to that U.S. and Cuban officials met in secret at the Vatican just outside Rome, Italy, to discuss the terms of reengagement. Critics of the move say the U.S. got almost nothing in return for the deal. Arrests of Castro's political opponents have risen and Cuba has not made the kids of economic reforms the U.S. is seeking. In return for Cuba's cooperation, 53 political prisoners, including jailed USAID worker Alan Gross, who had been convicted of espionage charges, were released. The United States likewise returned three captured Cuban intelligence operatives in the prisoner swap who were part of the Cuban Five, a group that was arrested for spying on the U.S. in 2001. Cuba was later removed from the State Department's terrorist watch list in May of 2015. The Obama administration believes the decades-old trade and travel ban on Cuba is fueling oppression in the island nation and wants Congress to throw it out. Tourism to Cuba is banned but the executive branch has unilaterally relaxed many travel rules and Americans can now go there for educational purposes on their own using the honor code as of last week. Soon commercial flights to Cuba from the United States will also be available, as well. Congress says it will not lift the full embargo on Cuba until the conditions set during the Clinton administration are met

Unlike other International Workers' Day marches, which are often used to demonstrate the demands of workers, the parades in Cuba are to celebrate the Castro government and its policies

Guilarte, who joined him, also repeated Castro's call for the United States to lift its more than half-century embargo on Cuba and return the 'illegally occupied territory' of the US naval base at Guantanamo Bay, major sticking points in the old Cold War foes' rapprochement

Relations between Cuba and the United States has improved following an agreement between the countries more than a year ago to begin normalizing relations

People march through Havana's Revolution Square during the annual May Day parade in Havana on Sunday May 1,

Medical personnel hold a picture of Cuba's former President Fidel Castro during the May Day rally in Havana

Members of the Navy wave flags and hold up a picture of Cuban former president Fidel Castro who turns 90 in August

Cubans participate at the International Workers Day parade at Plaza de la Revolucion square in Havana, Cuba. Labour Day is observed all over the world on the first day of May to celebrate the achievements of workers

A man carries a sign in the form of a heart that reads in Spanish 'Cuba - USA live the friendship' after the May Day parade at Revolution Square

People carry pictures of Cuba's President Raul Castro during a May Day rally in Havana, Cuba, May 1

Musicians dressed in T-shirts with the face of Venezuelan revolutionary hero Ernesto 'Che' Guevara play during the parade

A man rides his custom made bicycle and waves a flag after the May Day parade at Revolution Square, in Havana, Cuba, Sunday, May 1

A woman with an umbrella and holding a picture of revolutionary hero Ernesto "Che" Guevara stands in the street after the parade
The St. Petersburg community was left in shock after a well-known area couple were found dead in their home Friday evening, the result of a murder-suicide.

Gerard Joseph Stempinski, 69, an ex-cop turned financial adviser, shot his 72-year-old wife Marie, a businesswoman and former TV journalist, before turning the handgun on himself, police said.

The reason for the shooting is not yet known, although neighbors suggested that the once-active former cop had been 'down in the dumps' after separate injuries left him using a cane and his wife in a wheelchair, the Tampa Bay Times reported.

Murder-suicide: Gerard Stempinski (left), 69, shot wife Marie (right), 71, in their St Petersburg home before turning the handgun on himself, police said. Their bodies were found Friday by police

Police were called to the couple's home at 700 35th Avenue North at 9pm Friday and entered to find Mr Stempinski dead in a hall and his wife's body in her home office.

Hardy Bryan III, a friend of the couple, told the Tampa Bay Times that he had called officers after their daughter Roseann, who lives in San Francisco, told him she hadn't been able to reach her parents on the phone.

He became concerned when the only response to his knocks on their door was a bark from their dog, Popper.

Hardy told the Times that Mr Stempinski, who had been in the police force for 25 years before becoming a successful financial adviser, had been depressed since to an accident in his gym that forced him to walk with a cane.

'Gary was always the picture of health,' Bryan said. 'He once told me, "If you don't have health, then you don't have anything." He basically went from someone who was very healthy to almost an old man overnight.'

His wife, a business consultant and frequent contributor to the Tampa Bay Times, had also recently suffered an accident.

Doctors said she would be dependent on a walker or wheelchair for the rest of her life.

Hardy, who went to lunch with the couple every Thursday, said that he had noticed his friend was depressed, but didn't think it was serious.

'I planned to talk to him today to recommend he get help,' Bryan told the Times on Saturday. 'Marie also recognized he was down in the dumps.'

Home: A friend of the couple, who lived here, said Gerard was down about an injury that had forced him to use a cane - and that Marie had been confined to a walker or wheelchair after her own hip injury

Both Mr Stempinski and his wife had long and successful careers and continued to work up until their deaths.

Marie Stempinski had been he first woman to work as a reporter for Orlando television station WFTV, according to her LinkedIn profile, before starting her own public relations firm.

She had also taught TV and radio production at a local college and worked as the marketing director of an addiction treatment company.

And Gerard Stempinski followed up his quarter-century in the police force by becoming a financial adviser, first with A.G. Edwards & Sons and later at Raymond James & Associates, where he was associate vice president for investments when he died.

He had been planning to retire in six or seven years, but feared that he might have to do so sooner due to ill health.

His colleagues at Raymond James had become worried Friday when he didn't turn up for work - something that never happened.

Both had also contributed to community groups, as former St. Petersburg Mayor Bill Foster attested Saturday.
The director of the CIA has said 28 pages of a congressional report which suggests Saudi Arabia was involved in 9/11 contains inaccurate information.

John Brennan told NBC's Chuck Todd on Meet The Press the findings in the report were 'unvetted' and 'uncorroborated'.

He made the statements after insisting that the United States as a 'very strong' relationship with the Saudi government.

It comes a week after President Obama had a 'healthy visit' to the Arabic nation where he met with King Salman.

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The director of the CIA, John Brennan, has said 28 pages of a congressional report which suggests Saudi Arabia was involved in 9/11 contains inaccurate information

Brennan said the 2002 congressional inquiry, which contains the 28 pages some politicians are pushing to release, was a 'preliminary review'.

He then insisted that the issues raised were 'thoroughly investigated and reviewed' by the 9/11 Commission.

'They came out with a very clear judgment that there was no evidence that indicated that the Saudi government as an institution, or Saudi officials individually, had provided financial support to al-Qaeda,' he added.

In the interview he also talked about America's ongoing battle with ISIS in the fractured Middle East.

'We will destroy [ISIS], I have no doubt in my mind. And we have to remove the leadership that directs that organization to carry out these horrific attacks,' he said.

He believes that if the jihadi's leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, it would send ripples through the group, and could leave them weaker.

'We know that ISIS is trying to carry out attacks in Europe and in other parts of the globe. Also, we are working very, very closely with our European partners.'

It comes a week after President Obama (left) had a 'healthy visit' to the Arabic nation where he met with King Salman (right)

However he did say there were limits on the role the United States could play.

'The United States has only limited influence to shape events in the Middle East. And a lot of individuals think that the United States can wave a magic wand, and we can't.'

He went on to say that he hasn't been distracted by any of Donald Trump's comments on Muslims or immigration.
A fire has engulfed a church in Sydney's south, injuring three firefighters and forcing the evacuation of a nearby nursing home.

Four people were taken to hospital after a blaze ripped through the Macedonian Orthodox Church on Frederick Street at Rockdale, in Sydney's south, just before 10pm on Sunday.

It spread quickly as about 60 firefighters battled to contain the flames that burst through the roof.

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A fire has engulfed the Macedonian Orthodox Church on Frederick Street at Rockdale, in Sydney's south

The blaze took hold just before 10pm on Sunday night. It injured three firefighters and forced the evacuation of a nearby nursing home

About 60 residents from a neighbouring nursing home were evacuated and two were taken to hospital with chest pains.

Three firefighters were injured by bricks from a collapsing wall and two were taken to hospital.

'One of them, it hit him on the air cylinder he was wearing. Knocked him to the ground. He was dragged out by colleagues,' NSW Fire and Rescue Commissioner Greg Mullins said.

'Another firefighter was struck by bricks along one side on the shoulder, chest and leg.'

It spread quickly as about 60 firefighters battled to contain the flames that burst through the roof

About 60 residents from a neighbouring nursing home were evacuated and two were taken to hospital with chest pains

Mr Mullins praised the firefighters' efforts.

'Every window of this side of the fire has been cracked by the heat but great work by firefighters tonight, this nursing home could have easily caught fire as well,' he said.

Witnesses said the blaze escalated quickly.

Three firefighters were injured by bricks from a collapsing wall and two were taken to hospital

Footage shows the extensive damage on Monday morning following the efforts of firefighters overnight

Fire crews set up a 100m exclusion zone as thick smoke blanketed the street and they remained at the scene on Monday morning

'All the trees caught on fire and everything just caught alight. It happened so fast,' a witness told 7News.

Fire crews set up a 100m exclusion zone as thick smoke blanketed the street and they remained at the scene on Monday morning.
The first U.S. cruise ship in 50 years set sail for Cuba on Sunday.

Carnival Corporation's Fathom Line Ship Adonia left Miami for Havana with just over 700 passengers on board.

The ship cast off around 4pm, the Sun-Sentinel reports, with Captain David Box telling passengers: 'We're going to sail directly from the United State to Havana, Cuba. How awesome is that? Tomorrow we will make history.'

However, Carnival sparked controversy for initially blocking Cuban-born passengers from booking tickets because Cuba would not allow them to arrive by sea.

But amid an uproar from Miami's large Cuban-American community, largely opposed to the Cuban government, and from the US government, Carnival reversed course and said it would take reservations from people of Cuban origin.

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Carnival Corporation's Fathom Line Ship Adonia (pictured) left Miami for Havana with just over 700 passengers on board

Carnival had said it was in talks with the Cuban government on lifting the maritime entry and exit restriction.

They had warned that the first cruise would be postponed past May 1 unless the Cubans changed their policy.

But on April 22, Cuba lifted the restriction that barred travelers born in Cuba from the trips.

The government statement said Cubans can now enter and leave the country on cruise ships 'regardless of their migratory status.'

The statement made no mention of ferry services, even though the United States has granted licenses to a half dozen companies to operate such sea links.

But Cuba's reversal cleared the way for anyone to book the cruise.

Carnival sparked controversy for initially blocking Cuban-born passengers from booking tickets because Cuba would not allow them to arrive by sea

Carnival said it was 'proud to play a role' in the change, adding their ship will cruise to Havana and two other cities every other week.

'Carnival will be able to include all travelers, including individuals born in Cuba, on to our cruiser voyages to Cuba, that will begin on May 1, with our historical inaugural voyage,' it added.

Before, Cubans were only permitted to travel to and from the United States by plane.

The restriction dates back to the Cold War and stemmed from fears of a U.S.-backed invasion from the sea.

The voyage is the fruit of of the restoration of diplomatic relations between Havana and Washington last year, which culminated in a historic visit to Cuba by President Barack Obama (pictured with Cuban President Raul Castro, left) in March

The change is another fruit of the restoration of diplomatic relations between Havana and Washington in July last year.

Its climax was a historic visit to the communist island nation by President Barack Obama and his family in March.

Commercial flights between the two countries are also expected to resume soon.

But despite the restoration of ties, the United States has maintained its trade embargo against Cuba, and regular, full-fledged U.S. tourism to Cuba is still banned.

WHY WERE CUBANS NOT ALLOWED TO TRAVEL TO THE ISLAND BY SEA? The restriction on Cubans entering from the United States by sea goes back to the tensest days of the Cold War, after the Cuban Revolution of 1959. It was designed to prevent anti-communist militants from landing on Cuban shores to try to overthrow the government, as in the failed Bay of Pigs invasion in 1961 against Fidel Castro. As it freed up maritime travel Friday, the Cuban government urged the United States to find ways 'to prevent and confront the carrying out of terrorist actions against Cuba, which were what gave rise to the regulation' in the first place. The lifting of the restriction on Cubans leaving on U.S.-bound cruise ships is also sensitive. Many Cubans fleeing poverty attempt to reach Florida in rickety vessels, and the dangerous trips have been on the rise. Cubans fear that with the resumption of ties with Washington, the Americans will end a preferential policy under which Cuban migrants who make it to land in America are allowed to stay, but sent back if caught at sea.




separate May Day marches championed a series of causes including a pro-immigration stances and workers' rights

Hundreds of people marchedthrough Los Angeles on Sunday in May Day rallies that took aimat Republican presidential front-runner Donald Trump.

The protesters took issue with Trump'scampaign vow to build a wall along the U.S. border with Mexicoto stop illegal immigration.

The rallies - in a city with a large immigrant population - comejust days after protesters smashed the window of a police carand blocked traffic in chaotic scenes outside a Trump campaignevent in Costa Mesa, California, 40 miles southeast ofLos Angeles.

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People marched with an inflatable effigy of Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump during one of three May Day rallies

Marching for a cause: The rallies championed a number of causes including pro-immigrant stances and workers' rights

Members of the crowd carried a large blow-up doll of Trump holding a Ku Klux Klan hood and signs that read: 'Dump Trump'

On Friday, demonstrators who blocked the entrance of a hotelhosting the California Republican convention in Burlingame,south of San Francisco, forced Trump to halt his motorcade andgo through a back entrance to deliver his speech.

Three separate marches were planned in Los Angeles on Sundayand began peacefully around noon, with several hundred peoplechampioning a variety of causes, including immigrant and workerrights.

But members of the boisterous crowd also carried a largeblow-up doll of Trump holding a Ku Klux Klan hood and signs thatread: 'Dump Trump'.

Protests have become common outside rallies for Trump, 69,the New York billionaire businessman.

Lauren Wolfer holds a sign before Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump speaks during a campaign stop at the Allen County War Memorial Coliseum

He has aroused criticismfor his pledge to deport all the country's illegal immigrants,even as it helped propel him in the race for the Republicannomination for the November 8 election to succeed DemocraticPresident Barack Obama.

He has accused Mexico of sending drug dealers and rapistsacross the U.S. border and has promised to build a wall alongthe southern border and make Mexico pay for it.

Trump said on Sunday he will have essentially sealed theRepublican nomination if he wins Tuesday's contest in Indiana,where he holds a big lead over chief rival Ted Cruz, a U.S.senator from Texas.

California holds its presidential primary on June 7.

Trump spoke in Indiana on Sunday, May 1, while the protests and rallies went on in California against his campaign
Islamic State hackers have claimed that they have a mole working inside the Ministry of Defence.

It came as cyber experts in charge of protecting the departments computer system warned that it faced a constant threat of insiders.

The terror group threatened to publish intelligence obtained covertly by extremists working for it in Britain that could identify RAF drone operators and put them on a hit list for lone-wolf attacks.

ISs warning came as it published the names, addresses and photographs of dozens of US military personnel alleged to be involved in drone strikes against terrorists in Syria and Iraq, urging fighters to kill them.

Islamic State hackers have claimed that they have a mole working inside the Ministry of Defence (pictured)

Britains policy is not to name any drone operators or military personnel involved in the fight against IS for fear that they and their families could be targeted.

But the MoD has also been forced to send out an internal email to civilian and military personnel warning them not to reveal any details about themselves, their whereabouts or their families on Facebook or anywhere else online.

It said they must make sure their families do not publish details about their job either.

A group calling itself the Islamic State Hacking Division, which used to be run by a Briton, wrote: In our next leak we may even disclose secret intelligence the Islamic State has just received from a source the brothers in the UK have spent some time acquiring from the Ministry of Defence as we slowly and secretly infiltrate England and the USA online and off.

The task of trying to protect the MoDs IT network from cyber threats is carried out by experts from Airbus, the aircraft manufacturer.

The team, including former military personnel, work 24 hours a day at several cyber security centres across the UK.

ISs (pictured) warning came as it published the names, addresses and photographs of dozens of US military personnel alleged to be involved in drone strikes against terrorists in Syria and Iraq, urging fighters to kill them

The Daily Mail was given rare access to the heavily protected centre in Newport, South Wales  full details of which have previously remained secret.

Peter Grogan, head of business development at Airbus, said: The MoD has that constant threat of insiders. Youve got the full spectrum of potential attackers with different motives.

Islamic State have identified the advantages they would get were they to be able to utilise cyber space and theyve put the appropriate amount of effort into it. They recognise their ability to disrupt our way of life electronically.

There are some savvy young people whove got similar qualifications and skills to people working here or working in the US National Security Agency.

Richard Orledge, service operations manager in Newport, said his colleagues were particularly concerned with online activity by MoD personnel during the night when there are fewer working.

Their systems would, for example, flag up emails, that came from unusual addresses. We are aware of the threat 24/7, he said.

There could be a targeted attack. We are looking for a person downloading lots of information, both externally and internally.

On Saturday, the IS hacking group published online an unverifiable list containing details of 75 US military personnel including women.

The terror group threatened to publish intelligence obtained covertly by extremists working for it in Britain that could identify RAF drone (pictured) operators and put them on a hit list for lone-wolf attacks

It urged supporters: Kill them wherever they are, knock on their doors and behead them, stab them, shoot them in the face or bomb them.

The IS hacking division was led by Junaid Hussain, a former computer hacker from Birmingham.

He was killed by a US drone strike in Syria last August after he was discovered to be orchestrating attacks against the West.

His wife, Sally Jones, a Muslim convert from Kent, is still believed to be involved in IS.

It is understood the group may have got the names of the alleged Reaper and Predator drone operators from news articles and military newsletters, matching them to addresses, photos and other details from the internet including from social media sites.

The Ministry of Defence declined to comment on whether it believed there was a mole.

A spokesman said: We are investing more than ever before in the UKs capabilities to protect our national interest.
Hundreds of well-wishers have donated money to a waitress to cover the tip a black Oxford student refused to pay because she was white.

Ashleigh Schultz, 24, was reduced to tears when Ntokozo Qwabe  a leader of the campaign to remove a Cecil Rhodes statue at Oxford  and a friend wrote on their cafe bill: We will give tip when you return the land.

He bragged online that they had made her cry typical white tears, leaving him unable to stop smiling because something so black and wonderful had happened.

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Ashleigh Schultz, 24, was reduced to tears when Ntokozo Qwabe and a friend wrote on their cafe bill: We will give tip when you return the land'

Ntokozo Qwabe bragged online that they had made her cry typical white tears, leaving him unable to stop smiling because something so black and wonderful had happened

The incident last week at Obz Cafe in the Western Cape, South Africa, has ignited a backlash against Mr Qwabe, who was branded a racist bully.

Miss Schultzs friends said she had already been feeling low as her mother has cancer.

One said: She has a very sick mother she cares for, and had to move flat recently and is worried about all of this. She did burst into tears because she is having a tough time at present.

Online campaigns sprang up to tip the waitress and last night they had pledges topping 2,000.

Stacey-Leigh Wood, a friend of Miss Schultz, said: This is so sweet of everyone that donated. That other idiot [Mr Qwabe] still needs to be slapped though.

South African Mr Qwabe is a Rhodes scholar at Oxford University, meaning he receives money from the Rhodes estate to study.

But he is also one of the leaders of the Rhodes Must Fall movement, which wants the statue of the 19th-century imperialist removed from Oriel College.

One of the online campaigns was triggered by an outraged South African, Sihle Ngobese, who decided to pay the tip himself and said: Qwabe is someone that claims to speak to the downtrodden and the disenfranchised yet he has the audacity to bully a working-class young woman.

I just wanted to make a small gesture to show South Africans that if we love and respect each other it makes our country great.

South African Mr Qwabe is a Rhodes scholar at Oxford University, and one of the leaders of the Rhodes Must Fall movement, which wants the statue of the 19th-century imperialist removed from Oriel College

In his incendiary Facebook post last Thursday, Mr Qwabe boasted he and his friend  a radical non-binary trans black activist  had refused to pay the white woman a tip, instead leaving the note.

Mr Qwabe wrote: She sees the note and starts shaking. She leaves us and bursts into typical white tears. He said a male waiter then approached the table to annoy us more with his own white tears telling us that he finds our act racist.

He added: It is irrelevant whether you personally have land/wealth or you dont. Go to your fellow white people and mobilise for them to give us the land back.

Hundreds have condemned him online. Charmaine Rowlands wrote: I cannot believe an educated person  educated with a white racist grant by the way  could stoop this low.

Please tell Ashleigh we, that is all South Africans who do not tolerate racism, stand with her and others who do an honest days work for next to nothing.

Adrian Coetzee said: It is a sad day that someone that is as privileged to receive a scholarship cannot appreciate how hard someone that isnt as blessed has to work to achieve an education that he is taking for granted.
Jeremy Corbyn was warned yesterday that Jewish voters and donors are deserting Labour over his stance on anti-semitism.

Former party donor and parliamentary candidate Michael Foster said the Labour leader had ignored the crisis which erupted last week when Ken Livingstone claimed Hitler had supported Zionism.

His claims followed a call by Israels ambassador to the UK, Mark Regev, for Mr Corbyn to give an unequivocal message rejecting militant Palestinian groups Hamas and Hezbollah, whose representatives he has previously described as friends.

Jeremy Corbyn was warned yesterday that Jewish voters and donors are deserting Labour over his stance on anti-semitism

However, Labour defiantly defended Mr Corbyns past dealings with Palestinian militants and Holocaust deniers, reserving his right to continue a dialogue with them and rejecting calls to distance himself from anti-semitic groups.

Mr Foster, who is Jewish and whose family has given more than 400,000 to Labour, said: I dont think there is a Jew in Britain who has given money centrally to the party since Jeremy Corbyns selection because we have asked and asked for this to be dealt with. Sadiq Khan, Labours candidate in this weeks London mayoral election, also criticised Mr Corbyns handling of the row and warned that he was losing support among Jewish voters in the capital. Mr Khan said his chances of replacing Boris Johnson had been damaged by the row.

But Mr Corbyns Shadow Cabinet ally Diane Abbott yesterday dismissed the row, saying it was a smear to say that the Labour Party has a problem with anti-semitism.

She pointed out that both Mr Livingstone  who is one of Mr Corbyns closest allies  and the Labour MP Naz Shah had been suspended by the party last week pending a formal investigation into whether they had made anti-semitic remarks.

But Mr Regev said the Labour leadership were deluding themselves if they believed the party did not have a problem with the issue. Before becoming Labour leader, Mr Corbyn hosted an event in Parliament for representatives of Hamas and Hezbollah, describing them as friends.

He has also held talks with numerous Palestinian militants and attended rallies in support of both groups, whose armed wings are banned terrorist groups.

Mr Corbyns Shadow Cabinet ally Diane Abbott yesterday dismissed the row, saying it was a smear to say that the Labour Party has a problem with anti-semitism

Speaking on the BBCs Andrew Marr show, Mr Regev issued a direct challenge to Mr Corbyn to renounce his dealings with Palestinian militants, saying: You have had too many people on the progressive side of politics who have embraced Hamas and Hezbollah. Both of them are anti-semitic organisations.

If you are progressive and you are embracing an organisation which is homophobic, which is misogynistic, which is openly anti-semitic, what is progressive about that? There has to be an unequivocal message from the leadership saying that there is no solidarity with anti-semites.

Mr Foster, who lost eight relations in the Holocaust and whose grandfather was in the Dachau concentration camp, said the Labour leader had surrounded himself with people with extreme views on Israel.

He singled out Labours director of communication and strategy, Seumas Milne, who has heaped praise on Hamas and described the creation of Israel as a crime.

Mr Foster said he did not believe Mr Corbyn himself was anti-semitic, but added: He does have fellow travellers who definitely vilify Jews as part of their political shtick.

HE COULD FACE A COUP: DIANE ABBOTT ADMITS LEADER IS UNDER THREAT Critics of Jeremy Corbyn are poised to mount a leadership challenge against him within months, a key ally admitted yesterday. Diane Abbott angrily defended the Labour leader against claims he has failed to get a grip of the partys anti-semitism crisis. She blamed moderates for stirring up the issue to damage Mr Corbyn, saying: These are people who didnt accept the result of the leadership election. She said Mr Corbyn was likely to hang on in the event of a coup attempt. If people are intent on having a leadership election we may well have one, she said. But I have to say that if Jeremy is on the ballot then Jeremy wins. All the polling shows that he is as popular with Labour Party members now as he was when he was first elected. Labour moderates are planning to go public with their criticisms of Mr Corbyn on Friday if the party performs badly in Thursdays local elections. But they say a leadership challenge will not be launched immediately for fear of destabilising the campaign to keep Britain in the EU on June 23. They also fear John McDonnell, the hard-Left Shadow Chancellor, could use any coup attempt to try to seize control himself. One moderate said: Corbyn is not the most powerful person in the Labour Party, McDonnell is. We are going to have to drag him out of the building and use his head to open every door, but too many colleagues are not up for it.

She pointed out that both Mr Livingstone and the Labour MP Naz Shah had been suspended by the party last week pending a formal investigation into whether they had made anti-semitic remarks

Mr Corbyn has denied that the party faces a crisis over the issue. But on Friday night, he announced an independent review and pledged to tighten party codes of conduct, including new guidance on language when discussing Israel.

Speaking at a May Day rally in London yesterday, Mr Corbyn said that both he and his party stand absolutely against racism in any form.

Last night a Labour statement said Mr Corbyn had been a longstanding supporter of Palestinian rights and the pursuit of peace and justice in the Middle East.

A spokesman said: He believes it is essential to speak to people with whom there is disagreement, particularly when they have large-scale support or democratic mandates. Simply talking to people who agree with you wont help achieve justice or peace.

Mr Livingstone refused 20 times at the weekend to apologise for last weeks comments in which he suggested the Nazis had initially backed Zionism before Hitler went mad and ended up killing six million Jews.
An interpreter who worked for the British Army in Afghanistan has killed himself after being told he did not qualify for asylum in the UK and would be deported.

Fellow translators said Nangyalai Dawoodzai was deeply depressed about the threat of being thrown out of the UK despite working with British forces in war-ravaged Helmand province, and that he had spoken of suicide.

Lord Ashdown, who champions the cause of the translators, said: This is the most tragic example of a shameful Government policy.

Fellow translators said Nangyalai Dawoodzai was deeply depressed about the threat of being thrown out of the UK despite working with British forces in war-ravaged Helmand province (pictured)

Dawoodzai, 29, paid people smugglers to reach the UK after receiving Taliban death threats in his homeland. But he was told he could not stay in Britain because he had been fingerprinted in Italy and had to claim political asylum there, his point of entry to Europe.

The Daily Mails Betrayal of the Brave campaign has highlighted the plight of former frontline translators who remained in Afghanistan after UK forces left and have been targeted by the Taliban because of their service.

The campaign  supported by a petition signed by nearly 180,000 people, including military chiefs, soldiers and MPs  has revealed how interpreters have been shot dead or beaten. Their homes have been attacked and their children kidnapped and murdered.

MEN WHO HELPED SAVE BRITISH LIVES, BUT NOW CAN'T GET ASYLUM Fazel Dijilane Nangyalai Dawoodzais tragic case is not the first time the Government has turned its back on Afghan interpreters who helped protect our soldiers. Fazel Dijilane, 23, who was injured by a bomb while working for the British Army in Afghanistan, was revealed to be sleeping rough in the Calais Jungle in January. An Afghan interpreter known only as Ahmed had his asylum claim rejected after a judge ruled it was safe for him to go back to Kabul. Another Afghan military interpreter known as Popal by British troops was executed as he tried to reach the West after he was denied refuge by Britain. Interpreter Aslam Yousaf Zai was refused asylum despite believing that the Taliban would murder him and his family if he returned to Afghanistan. A 26-year-old interpreter known as Chris by British troops was targeted by Taliban hitmen after he was refused asylum in Britain. He and his two-year-old son were shot but survived.

Yesterday one ex-translator, who shared a hostel with Dawoodzai in Birmingham, said: He was depressed and very down. He said his life was at risk and no one cared he believed that Britain would help him because he had helped them. Now he has killed himself  it is so desperate.

West Midlands Police confirmed yesterday that they had been called to an address in West Bromwich last Wednesday night where a man was pronounced dead at the scene. The death is not being treated as suspicious.

The disturbing case comes as at least three other interpreters who served UK forces on the frontlines face being kicked out of Britain because they were fingerprinted in Hungary, Bulgaria and Austria. One has spoken of taking his own life rather than leaving.

Lord Ashdown said: These people will have been at the frontline day in, day out, with no break for years. Given the way they have been treated, who in the future will ever offer to be an interpreter to help British soldiers do their job when we treat those who have served our troops so scandalously?

Dr Julian Lewis, chairman of the Commons defence select committee, added: Many people will share my bafflement and concern that we seem unable to get rid of people who mean us harm and unwilling to take people who have served us loyally. If the facts of this case are as stated I hope that the defence committee will agree to press the UK authorities to take a more generous and enlightened attitude towards our former interpreters.

The interpreter who shared a hostel with Dawoodzai said he had told him he had worked for three years with British forces based at the giant Camp Bastion base. The two men met a year ago and Dawoodzai said he had come from Kabul with the help of people smugglers, travelling via Turkey and Italy to the UK. He said he had to leave after death threats.

Dawoodzai told the man he had claimed asylum, but was arrested after it was discovered he had been fingerprinted in Italy and was told he would be returned there. He said he was held for 18 days at a Home Office detention centre before being released to live in the hostel while paperwork was processed.

Dawoodzai, 29, paid people smugglers to reach the UK after receiving Taliban death threats in his homeland (file image of Helmand province)

The Daily Mails Betrayal of the Brave campaign has highlighted the plight of former frontline translators who remained in Afghanistan after UK forces left and have been targeted by the Taliban because of their service (file image of Helmand province)

Rafi, a former translator who has asylum in the UK, helps co-ordinate work to support his former colleagues. He said he had received a telephone call from Dawoodzai a month ago and he had seemed extremely depressed. He added: It is very hard to be told that the country that you were a friend of and whose soldiers you risked your life for is in fact not your friend and wants to throw you out.

Meanwhile, Britain lets in hundreds who have done nothing for them. The treatment is disgusting. Despite calls to let hundreds of Afghan interpreters into Britain under an intimidation scheme, David Cameron has refused.

The Ministry of Defence says the educated Afghans are needed to rebuild their war-torn country  but many of them have rubbished these claims, saying they face attacks by the Taliban and cannot work.

A Home Office spokesman said: 'We are very saddened by this tragic case. As investigations are continuing, it would be inappropriate to comment further at this stage.'
Ken Livingstone was barred from publishing his offensive views about Hitler while Ed Miliband was Labour leader, it emerged yesterday.

The former London Mayor was suspended from the Labour Party last week following an incendiary intervention in which he claimed Hitler had supported Zionism in the early 1930s before he went mad and ended up killing six million Jews.

Mr Livingstone claimed his suspension was unreasonable because he had voiced similar opinions for 30 years without redress.

Ken Livingstone (left) was barred from publishing his offensive views about Hitler while Ed Miliband (right) was Labour leader, it emerged yesterday

But Labours former communications director Tom Baldwin revealed yesterday that Mr Miliband had intervened personally to prevent Mr Livingstone spouting his bizarre views in the run up to the 2012 mayoral elections when he was the Labour candidate.

He said Mr Livingstone had wanted to publish his theories about the Nazis in his autobiography, You cant say that.

In a message on Twitter, Mr Baldwin said the then Labour leader had stopped Livingstone airing his ridiculous and ignorant views on Hitler and Zionism.

He added: Livingstone wanted it in his memoirs before the mayoral election. Ed told him he was wrong and to take it out. He wasnt advising him, he was telling him.

The revelation will add to concerns that Labours stance on anti-Semitism has softened since Jeremy Corbyn became leader last autumn.

Mark Regev, Israeli ambassador to the UK, yesterday accused Mr Livingstone of a horrendous perversion of history.
A cabinet dispute has broken out over ridiculous aid projects funded by the Foreign Office.

International Development Secretary Justine Greening is said to be furious that they are undermining her efforts to win public support for Britains aid budget.

Treasury Chief Secretary Greg Hands is also alarmed at the perception that taxpayers money is used to fund frivolous overseas projects such as TV game shows and theatre workshops in developing countries.

Dispute: Justine Greening is said to be furious at the Foreign Office, led by Philip Hammond, undermining her efforts to win public support for Britain's aid budget

Both ministers are said to have challenged Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond over his failure to get a grip on his departments spending.

The Foreign Office finally launched a review of its aid spending last year after newspaper revelations that it had approved a 3,400 grant to find mates for two endangered Madagascan fish at London Zoo.

Miss Greening was reported yesterday to be facing the sack for failing to defuse public criticism of the 12billion aid programme primarily administered by the Department for International Development.

The Government has faced ridicule in recent months over its funding of aid projects around the world.

But friends of Miss Greening say many of the most controversial ones highlighted by the media turn out to have been funded by the Foreign Office, which accounts for about 400million of the aid budget.

A Cabinet source said: The Foreign Office has 3 per cent of the aid budget but accounts for 50 per cent of the negative stories about overseas aid.

Treasury Chief Secretary Greg Hands is also alarmed at the perception that taxpayers money is used to fund frivolous overseas projects

DFIDs budget gets a lot of scrutiny, and rightly so, but the department has made huge efforts to make sure the money it gets is spent well to further Britains national interest.

Critics should take a look at what the Foreign Office is doing, because there have been some ridiculous stories there about the use of taxpayers money. The trouble is that, as far as the public is concerned, it is all just seen as the aid budget. It is very frustrating.

Controversial examples of Foreign Office-funded projects include 14,000 spent on a TV game show in Ethiopia, 5,000 on Hamlet education workshops in Ecuador and 7,000 for an anti-litter campaign in Jordan.

The department has also funded a recruitment hotline for the disabled in China and a series of role-play sessions to encourage Chinese teenagers to think about climate change.

Critics note that the department has not published information on its aid spending since the review was launched last summer.

A Foreign Office source said Mr Hammond shared concerns about past aid projects, and improvements had been made.

The source added: We have been concerned, from the Foreign Secretary down, about some of the projects signed off previously, so we have implemented a review of the departments aid projects to ensure better taxpayer value for money.

In a statement, the department added: In June 2015, the Foreign Secretary commissioned a review into our spending on aid and we have now strengthened our process for scrutinising projects before any money is spent. This has had a knock-on effect on publishing data.

A senior Treasury source said Mr Hands, who is in charge of curbing wasteful government spending, remains concerned about the way the Foreign Office assesses potential aid projects and is keeping a close eye on it.

FROM TV GAME SHOWS TO FISH... WHERE THE CASH WENT Aid projects funded by the Foreign Office include: Endangered: A Mangarahara cichlid at London Zoo. The Foreign Office paid 3,400 to try and find a mate for the fish A 13,888 grant to fund a game show on Ethiopian television designed to engage viewers on UK values of human rights and good governance.

The production of Hamlet education workshops in the Ecuadorian capital Quito at a cost of 5,000.

A 51,564 scheme to fund Serbian nationals to travel to the UK to gain work experience.

A bizarre scheme to find mates for a pair of rare Mangarahara cichlid fish at London Zoo. The 3,400 project identified a female of the endangered Madagascan species but she died before making it to London.

A 70,000 campaign to lobby China to bring in a new law to limit carbon emissions.

A 3,000 grant to run a multi-stakeholder roundtable on promoting trade union rights in southern China.

The aid budget soared from 8.8billion in 2012 to 12billion last year as ministers and officials scrambled to fulfil David Camerons pledge to spend 0.7 per cent of national income on aid.

DFID accounts for 86 per cent of the aid budget, with the rest spent by departments including the Foreign Office, the Department for Energy and Climate Change and the Home Office.

Foreign Office aid spending rose from 295million in 2013 to 366million in 2014, and was set to hit 400million last year.

Reports yesterday said Miss Greening is top of the Prime Ministers hit list for the sack in the Cabinet reshuffle expected after the EU referendum.
Resigned: Chief Executive Bernie Cuthel

Health bosses at a top NHS trust put thousands at risk by aggressively driving through cuts at the expense of patient safety, a report has revealed.

In a case likened to the Mid-Staffordshire scandal, executives ignored endless warnings from whistleblowers  and threatened to sack them when they complained.

The 160,000 report said bosses at Liverpool Community Health NHS Trust were so desperate to gain the Governments coveted foundation status that huge budget cuts came before care.

They presided over an oppressive culture of bullying and harassment between 2011 and 2014, where staff were afraid to speak out.

In one case, a district nurse was taken hostage at knifepoint and sexually assaulted by a patients relative in 2013  but they did nothing. Some workers were driven to the brink, while others even considered suicide.

Only when whistleblowers alerted an MP were watchdogs brought in and top managers forced out.

It is thought to be the first time NHS staff have forced out chiefs and kept their jobs. At least one boss is still working in the NHS, but the report recommends they should be investigated.

The report, ordered by the trusts new management imposed in April 2014 and written by an independent law firm, likened the situation to that at Mid-Staffs Hospital, where up to 1,200 patients died.

It revealed that regulators and commissioners who inspected LCHT  providing community health services for 750,000 people in Liverpool and Merseyside  also failed to notice what was going on.

Last night, Labour MP Rosie Cooper, contacted by the whistleblowers after complaints about her own elderly fathers care, demanded an inquiry. The report also revealed that bosses stockpiled 3million of taxpayers money due to be spent on district nurses.

Review author Moosa Patel, head of governance at law firm Capsticks, said problems began in 2011 soon after LCHT was formed.

He said chief executive Bernie Cuthel, her executive nurse and operations director Helen Lockett, director of human resources and organisational development Michelle Porteus  and the non-executive board  were determined to gain foundation status.

It meant they pushed through savings regardless of the impact on patients or staff. Introduced by Labour in 2002, foundation status enables best-performing trusts to set their own pay and build wards without prior Whitehall approval.

Named: Michelle Porteus (l) and Helen Lockett (r). A report said bosses at Liverpool Community Health NHS Trust were so desperate to gain the Governments foundation status that huge budget cuts came before care

But the policy was discredited after it was revealed that criteria were too focused on savings.

Mr Patel found there was a sustained drive from day one to achieve NHS foundation status. Inappropriate and unsafe care was not addressed and the response to adverse incidents was grossly deficient.

Speaking out about concerns was not easy. Such was the impact of this culture that some staff were driven to the brink.

The report found that when staff raised concerns they were ignored or threatened with the sack.

When dentistry directors refused to sign off a 49 per cent or 2.7million budget cut they were suspended. Only when the chiefs were removed and new managers installed were they re-instated.

Last night Miss Cooper, who prompted the Care Quality Commission to investigate in January 2014 which led to the resignation of all three top managers, said a clinical inquiry was vital.

This report has uncovered an NHS scandal similar to Mid-Staffs but in community services, she said. It is a peek through the keyhole.

'There can be no hiding place for the executives who presided over this disgraceful state of affairs.
f late, there has been a growing army of under-30s headed to the South Pole keen to see its wildlife and icebergs

After a flight to Buenos Aires, MailOnline Travel took a 12-day voyage from Ushuaia to Drake's Passage and beyond

Tourism to Antarctica, while expensive, is growing rapidly offering an otherworldly trip that should top bucket lists

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Antarctica: the coldest, quietest and arguably the most magical place left on earth is a once in a lifetime travel destination for certain, but getting there is no smooth ride.

The ride in question? Three days aboard a 100-strong passenger ship, bobbing (seasick) like a cork amid ten-metre high waves and crashing winter storms in temperatures that can freeze your eyelashes solid.

So is it worth it? It hasnt been a tourist destination for long, its not cheap, and its not for the faint-hearted - but take it from a traveller who has just returned: this is a destination worthy of a place at the very top of your bucket list.

Antarctica: The coldest, quietest and arguably most magical place left on earth - a once in a lifetime travel destination for certain, but getting there is no smooth ride

And we're off: Annabel Fenwick Elliott (left) embarked on a 12-day voyage around the Antarctic peninsula, much of it spent peeking out at icebergs from the ship's portholes (right)

The planning stage for any trip is important, but none more so than with Antarctica.

Do you want a luxurious ship? Do you want an adventurous itinerary? Do you want to trek up snowy peaks with a bunch of 20-something foreigners, or do you want to float past the towering icebergs from the comfort of your jacuzzi?

I went for somewhere in the middle - organised by Abercrombie & Kent and courtesy of Polar Latitudes - which operates a sturdy five-deck ship carrying 100 passengers named the Sea Explorer, and while it provided above-average levels of comfort, it was decidedly an expedition and not a cruise.

I shared a cabin with a charming Argentinian mother.

The 12-day voyage around the Antarctic peninsula cost 6,825 for a 14-day trip to Antarctica via Argentina, including international and internal flights.

My journey, as per the flights package, started in London, hopped over to Amsterdam, then to Buenos Aires, landing finally in Ushuaia - the southern most city in the whole world, clinging to the tip of Argentina.

It didnt really begin, of course, until I embarked the Sea Explorer, greeted Titanic-style by rows of grinning staff brandishing champagne, and was ushered into the ships belly, the lounge, where I would spend much of my time.

The journey there is three days aboard a 100-strong passenger ship, bobbing like a cork amid ten-metre high waves and crashing winter storms in temperatures that can freeze your eyelashes solid

First landing: It hasnt been a tourist destination for long, its not cheap, and its not for the faint-hearted - but take it from a traveller who has just returned, this is a destination worthy of a place at the very top of your bucket list

Windows to the soul: Getting this close up to sleek, felt-like seals is a daily occurrence at this time of year around the South Pole

Vessel: A penguin marches past, and in the background, the Sea Explorer - a sturdy five-deck icebreaker ship carrying 100 passengers which provided above-average levels of comfort, but was decidedly an expedition and not a cruise

I was travelling alone, fully aware that 80 percent of the voyage would be experienced onboard the ship, and therefore had a fully loaded Kindle and no expectations of much social interaction.

All this was dashed within the first half an hour, when the lounge full of passengers - as humans always do - sorted themselves swiftly into inseparable friendship gaggles.

The average passenger aboard any cruise, including Antarctic ones, is over 50; but interestingly of late, there has emerged a growing army of under-30s headed to the South Pole, and I was one of them.

Needless to say that over the course of the trip, our crew of nine ate every raucous meal together, were inseparable during trips to shore, and spent more than a healthy proportion of time at the bar.

Snow clan: The average passenger aboard any cruise, including Antarctic ones, is over 50; but interestingly of late, there has emerged a growing army of under 30s headed to the South Pole, and Annabel (back right) was one of them

Below zero: Needless to say that over the course of the trip, the crew were inseparable during trips to shore, and spent more than a healthy proportion of time at the bar. Pictured (left) a chunk of Antarctic ice swimming in shot of whiskey and (right) Annabel admires the view

Shuttle: Every day, the Sea Explorer (left) drops its anchor and groups of passengers are ferried to shore in small rubber zodiac boats (right)

Vista: These inflatables carry 10-15 passengers and are small enough to navigate around the most mind-blowing of ice forms

Hush: Once the shore is reached, 'calm', 'magical' and 'quiet' are adjectives that can't even begin to do this place justice

To get the South Pole, you have to cross the Drake Passage, notorious as being the most tempestuous oceanic corridor in the world

To get the South Pole, you have to cross the Drake Passage, notorious as being the most tempestuous oceanic corridor in the world. This takes three days both there and back.

The ship is designed for this, of course, with every chair, bed and table chained to the floor so as not to be thrown against the wall each time the ship is tossed to a 90-degree angle.

I was chucked from my bed more than once in the middle of the night, after which I clambered from the floor and peeked out of my porthole to see rumbling waves the height of tall buildings leaning towards the ship at every turn.

During these ominous days, most of the ship - passengers and crew - were bed-bound from sea sickness, knocked out from the anti-nausea medication. There was an excellent doctor on board to assist.

I am fortunate enough not to suffer from it at all, so I spent these days bouncing giddily alone through the zero-gravity corridors like an astronaut, and marvelling at the giant albatrosses which followed our ship the whole way.

Eye of the storm: During the ominous days as they crossed the Drake Passage (pictured), most of the ship - passengers and crew - were bed-bound from sea sickness, knocked out from the anti-nausea medication

Slant: Annabel was fortunate enough not to have suffered from sea sickness at all, so spent these days bouncing giddily alone through the zero-gravity corridors (pictured) like an astronaut

As if by magic: Gradually, the thick clouds rolled away and electric blue ice sculptures appeared on the horizon

Worth waiting for: All of a sudden, the sea was as calm as a lake, and the Sea Explorer emerged from the chaos and slid into a wonder world

Little did we know it, but a new world - Disney-like - was about to unfold before our eyes.

All of a sudden, the sea was as calm as a lake, and passengers emerged from their cabins rubbing their eyes and gawping at the spectacle that surrounded us.

Nothing can quite prepare you for this.

Icebergs gliding past at every turn; jagged sculptures which have stood defiantly for thousands of years, looming over the ship and glittering under a sun which, in the Antarctic summer, never sets.

Penguin colonies flop about on chunky glaciers to your left, humpback whales perform back flips to your right.

The ship is always moving somewhere new, its route diverted on an hourly basis by the ever-shifting ice and the sudden howling storms.

Wasteland: Icebergs puncture the rolling landscape like jagged sculptures which have stood defiantly for thousands of years

Otherworldly: Penguin colonies flopped about on chunky glaciers, oblivious to our gawping faces as we thundered past them

Scale: Chalky icebergs the size of skyscrapers loom over the ship, glittering under a sun which, in the Antarctic summer, never sets

The mission continues: Nowhere else in the world can you look out of the window and see this, as you quietly pass on by

Barriers of ice: The ship is always moving somewhere new, its route diverted on an hourly basis by the ever-shifting ice and the sudden howling storms

Approximately twice a day, weather permitting, passengers are unloaded in shifts onto a fleet of inflatable boats and zoomed to shore where they are permitted to spread out and roam freely.

Penguins, having no natural land predators and thus no fear of humans, wandered nonchalantly across our path.

One of my most memorable moments came during one of these landings when I drifted off on my own, lay down behind a wall of snow and closed my eyes for half an hour. I opened them again to see a lone penguin, standing less than a foot away, staring at me quizzically.

Other landings brought pods of wedell and leopard seals, rolling around and barking, and flocks of squabbling birds. Some trips to shore consisted of nothing but sweeping, isolated landscapes and vast crevices.

Almost always left to our own devices but still under the watchful eyes of the expedition staff, we regularly had the chance to scale steep snowy peaks, or to investigate the ruins of old whaling stations and the skeletons of ship wrecks.

Sweeping views: Approximately twice a day, weather permitting, passengers are zoomed to shore where they are permitted to spread out and roam freely

Ancient ruins: Almost always left to their own devices but still under the watchful eyes of the expedition staff, passengers regularly had the chance to investigate the ruins of old whaling stations and the skeletons of ship wrecks

Uphill battle: Penguins, having no natural land predators and thus no fear of humans, wandered nonchalantly across their paths

Swoop: Birds aren't particularly fearful of human visitors either, as this one proves while diving to steal a penguin egg just yards away

In Vogue: Other landings brought pods of weddell seals, rolling around and posing for the camera as if they were born to do so

To my immense relief, it never once felt like we were being marched around in the manner of tourists.

To my immense relief, it never once felt like we were being marched around in the manner of tourists

Back aboard the Sea Explorer, we piled into the lounge and enjoyed daily lectures from spirited experts in penguins, whales and glaciers.

One evening, the talk was led by the enchanting Sunniva Sorby, a member of the first female team to reach to the South Pole on foot, back in 1993.

And on our last day before heading back over the Drake Passage?

A challenge posed every season to every Antarctic tourist, Im told: the Polar Plunge - in which you take off (almost) all of your clothes and leap into the freezing ocean.

Our leap-off point was Whalers Bay, a steaming, black-sanded geothermic beach on a small land-mass named Deception Island.

I was surprised and heartened to witness almost everyone, regardless of age, peel off their ski-wear and launch themselves into the silvery deep - it only counts if you put your head under - before crashing back to shore squealing with delight.

The polar plunge: A challenge posed every season to every Antarctic tourist in which you take off (almost) all of your clothes and leap into the freezing ocean

Anchor: The leap-off point was Whalers Bay, a steaming, black-sanded geothermic beach on a small land-mass named Deception Island

Photo call: Dutifully, the passengers peeled off their ski-wear and launched themselves into the silvery deep - it only counts if you put your head under - before crashing back to shore, squealing with delight before posing for a celebratory snap

EN ROUTE: MAKING THE MOST OF BUENOS AIRES Before you even make it to the ship in Ushuaia, youll have many flights to get there, and from wherever you are coming, Buenos Aires will likely be your halfway point. Rather than mope around the airport in a jet-lagged state of exhaustion, my travel agent suggested I spent a few days there and explore. Good thing I did. My home was the Four Seasons, and my city tour guide was Lily, a rambunctious and highly-patriotic city-dweller who steered me through the vibrant district of La Boca - home to colourful houses and Tango street dancers - with much enthusiasm. It's worth a stop-in at Cafe Tortoni, the oldest cafe in Argentina, and a wander past the President's 'Pink House' residence, La Casa Rosada, just to say you've seen it. We culminated our walkabout at the spellbinding La Recoleta Cemetery. Do not leave Buenos Aires without seeing this. Plenty flock to see Evitas tomb, but around it sits a whole maze of fascinating graves to behold. Other activities offered by Abercrombie & Kent include culinary tours, and a half-day at the Estancia ranch for polo lessons. Culture shock: The vibrant district of La Boca, home to colourful houses and Tango street dancers (left) and Cafe Tortoni (right), the oldest cafe in Argentina Four walls: To lay your head, it doesn't get more iconic than the Four Seasons (left), and to say you've done it, it's worth wandering past the President's 'Pink House' residence, La Casa Rosada (right) Eerie beauty: Do not leave Buenos Aires without seeing the spellbinding La Recoleta Cemetery (left and right) - plenty flock to see Evitas tomb, but around it sits a whole maze of fascinating graves to behold Advertisement

A cold farewell: Hearts were heavy as they witnessed the last of the towering icebergs before their ship turned homeward

Our crossing home was much the same as our journey there, except that everyones hearts were heavy. Ive never been so sad to part with new friends, or to know that in all likelihood I will never get to visit a place so other-worldly again.

Antarctica has much which makes it special.

Its the most uninhabited, ice swamped place on earth. Its also the only destination in the world reserved, under an international treaty, solely for science and exploration. The only place that has never seen a war, or been invaded.

On the other hand, its one of the most expensive locations you can visit as a tourist, certainly the coldest, and perhaps the hardest to reach.

But if you can possibly find a way to swing it, Antarctica will, and I promise you this, go down in history as the most magical holiday youve ever taken.

I cant think of a single other place in the world of which you could say the same thing.

TRAVEL FACTS Abercrombie & Kent's 12 day voyage was operated by Polar Latitudes. A 14-day trip to Antarctica via Argentina, including international and internal flights cost  6,825 Cruises from 10-20 nights start from 3,500 and run up to 40,000. Advertisement

Another planet: Clearly, Antarctica has much which makes it special and a destination that should top any bucket list

Shades of Grey: The mountains are crisp, the snow pure, and the thick silver sea moves like mercury

Conflict-free: Antarctica is the most uninhabited, ice swamped place on earth - and also the only destination in the world reserved, under an international treaty, solely for science and exploration

Final frontier: On the other hand, its one of the most expensive locations you can visit as a tourist, certainly the coldest, and perhaps the hardest to reach

March of the penguins: But if you can possibly find a way to swing it, Antarctica will go down in history as the most magical holiday youve ever taken
City life doesn't get much more vibrant than in Sydney.

Wandering from one chic, cosmopolitan suburb to another, or emerging from the clear waters of one of the many beaches, you very quickly understand why Australias biggest city retains its top ten position as one of the best in the world.

Around the glittering centre of The Rocks and Darling Harbour, skyscrapers, bars and boutiques jostle for position among galleries and theatres, and you could happily sit and people-watch with the lights of the city shimmering on the water until sundown.

Bright lights, big city: Sydney's glittering Harbour and iconic Bridge are even more thrilling in the flesh

Sydney may be one of the most expensive cities in the world, but it continues to attract tourists of all denominations in search of beautiful beaches, famous landmarks, adrenaline-filled activities and a laid back vibe - including backpackers in their droves.

My 18-year-old daughter Jasmine was one of those backpackers and after I wrote about our (well, my) tearful goodbye last year in Femail, Singapore Airlines got in touch to offer me a flight Down Under so that I could see what all the fuss was about.

Singapore Airlines currently boasts the fastest fly time from the UK to Australia of just under 22 hours, meaning I literally had breakfast in London and dinner in Sydney. A 'Premium Economy' seat meant I had plenty of legroom and a good choice of meals, and watching a selection of the newest movies took my mind off being in the air for so long - something I had worried about previously.

The elegant suburbs of Paddington and Darlington are known for their pretty ironwork terraced houses

Like all great cities, Sydney is made up of villages, all with a distinct character.

Surry Hills is a vintage haven of bohemian bar hoppers and stylish book lovers; in Darlinghurst the party buzz of Oxford Street sits alongside the bustle of Little Italy; Paddington is an elegant haven of leafy streets with pretty ironwork terraced houses, while Chippendale has reinvented itself as the go-to destination for art lovers.

Across the harbour the Lower North Shore also offers a large number of jaw-dropping beaches in northern suburbs such as Mosman, Manly and Neutral Bay. There are in fact more than 100 beaches in Sydney alone, from secluded coves within easy reach of the city to the more famous Bondi.

Although Bondi is probably still known mainly for its surfing (and it is, as you might expect, full of bearded hipsters and people in active wear doing press ups and jogging) the district is also known as an exciting food and drink hub, and its hard not to enjoy the perpetual Sunday morning vibe in this most famous of districts.

Starting the day early with a good coffee and a healthy breakfast is a big part of life here, and accordingly the cafes serve perhaps the best breakfasts youll ever taste.

Bondi cool: The beach is a huge draw (left)...but so is the food. Bondi breakfasts (right) are world class

Hipster cafes: Porch and Parlour in North Bondi (above) encapsulates the perpetual 'Sunday morning vibe'

My faves were Speedos Cafe on the north section of Bondi beach, and Porch & Parlour on Campbell Parade, whose Green Breaky Bowl of smashed avocado, quinoa, poached eggs and spinach on sourdough, with a scattering of fresh mint and basil, was peerless.

Staying in a trendy modern apartment rather than a traditional hotel is the real deal in Bondi (or anywhere for that matter).

For casual cool the sleek Adina Apartments on Hall Street (booked through Austravel) were very well-placed, being right next to Bills and amid a bustling foodie scene just five minutes from the beach.

For uber wow factor I also stayed a couple of nights in the ultra-chic QT Bondi, the suburb's first designer boutique hotel, slap bang on the seafront.

After chilling on the beach and braving the waves, a walk around the headland past Tamarama Beach to Bronte or further to Coogee gives you access to a selection of great sea swimming pools away from the big surf (and sharks, if youre worried about them).

Life's a beach: Chilling and people watching on Bondi is a must - but you'll feel invisible if you're over 25...

After the requisite few days in Bondi I headed for the Central Business District, or CBD, for my stay in the very centrally located Tankstream Hotel, recommended by Travelzoo as a good base for some serious sightseeing.

First, clutching a fistful of Travelzoo vouchers I treated Jasmine to breakfast CBD-style, at the Langham - a refined five-star hotel which reminded me somewhat of Londons Savoy, followed after a wander around Darling Harbour by a surprisingly relaxing Thai massage.

Walking is still the best way to get around, particularly as the 12km tram line currently being constructed to run from Circular Quay to other parts of the city (slated to open in 2018), has thrown buses into chaos.

Walking over the iconic Harbour Bridge was first on my list  and an experience every bit as good as I had imagined.

Sydney is very much a city which can be seen and appreciated from the outside, without paying through the nose. Its popular these days to climb the bridge but priced at $230 (122), this can be pushing the budget for many.

View from the top: Walking across the bridge and up the Pylon is the best way to get stunning Harbour views

You could spend almost a whole day just wandering around Darling harbour, eating and shopping

Insider tip: you can get similar views of the Sydney skyline at a fraction of the cost from the Pylon Lookout: I paid $12 (6) to climb the 200 steps to the viewing platform for breathtaking views  and you can take as many photos as you like, whereas cameras are prohibited on the bridge climb.

If youve walked all the way over and dont fancy traipsing back, Milsons Point train station is at the other end of the bridge, so you easily catch the train back.

After my Bridge adventure, meeting a friend for a glass of wine or two at the Opera Bar offered instant access to the buzzing sundowner vibe.

Getting a ferry from Circular Quay to the northern suburb of Manly and back is also de riguer, particularly if you time it so your return journey means allows a view of the sun going down over Sydney Harbour - joy! Ferries run all day to Taronga Zoo - highly recommended if you dont think youll get a chance to see Australias animals in the wild.

The next day was my Sydney arts tour and despite the needle hovering at 31 degrees I headed for a suburb which is becoming the centre of the arts and culture scene in Sydney: Chippendale, a fast-evolving area in the south of the city which has shaken off its gritty past as a slum and now boasts a collection of cutting edge galleries and grassroots dining venues.

Even the shopping area Central Park  a vertical mall with living green walls, is aimed at the architecturally minded.

The Chippendale Creative Precinct initiative has been uniting entrepreneurs and innovative businesses over recent years to create a vibrant, creative community with more than 20 galleries, including multi-arts centre Carriageworks.

The industrial-chic Carriageworks in Chippendale is at the centre of the burgeoning arts scene in Sydney

Kensington Street Social (above) is Sydneys first culinary venture from a British Michelin-starred chef

The industrial feel and scale of this former railway carriage workshop has been retained, making it a popular place for performances, large-scale art installations, and weekend markets.

Bjork recently announced she will unveil her world premiere virtual reality project Bjork Digital here in June as part of Vivid Sydney, the worlds biggest festival of lights, music and ideas. The event will run from 27 May-18 June, with music performances running alongside more than 80 light projections around the city.

Australias botanical diversity certainly helps to drive its culinary engine, and these days adventurous gourmet dining is an established feature of the city.

Sydney boasts a effervescent and spontaneous fusion cuisine, merging Asian, Middle Eastern and European menus with Pacific Rim ingredients.

Kensington Street Social is Sydneys first culinary venture from British Michelin-starred chef Jason Atherton.

Sitting on breakfast bar stools around a central kitchen area watching the chefs prepare and deliver one perfect sharing platter after another made for a delicious and memorable meal.

The next day I was treated to a high-adrenaline ride a couple of hours north of Sydney at Quad Bike King in Port Stephens zooming over miles of sand dunes on a quad bike. My first experience of quad biking and hopefully not my last - great fun.

Taking a break from city life is something many Sydneysiders like to do, and following a Sydney friends recommendation I took Jasmine on a road trip to not one but two destinations favoured by Australians as well as tourists: The Blue Mountains, just 90 minutes west of the city, and Jervis Bay, three hours south.

Dizzying heights: The views over the Blue Mountains are breathtaking, from every viewpoint

The Three Sisters, one of the Blue Mountains' best known sites, towers above the Jamison Valley (left) and following steep stairs down means Catherine got a closeup view (right) ...but preferred to look up, not down

Probably the best introduction to the Blue Mountains - which do indeed appear blue due to a eucalyptus oil haze  is at the family owned Scenic World in Katoomba, where cable cars with glass floors, winding wooden walkways and the steepest passenger train in the world allow the visitor to variously glide over, wander through and zoom up from the ancient rainforest in the stunning Jamison Valley.

Spectacular waterfalls cascade hundreds of feet down sheer rock faces, forest trails wind through the valley and the sheer number of viewpoints means its easy to avoid the crowds of fellow tourists as you gaze out over the heavily forested mountain range with its towering cliffs.

Thanks to a tipoff from an insider, Jasmine and I discover at the end of a meandering path deep in the valley a secret pool complete with cascading waterfall, where we swim completely uninterrupted in the clear, ice-cool water.

Eating out in the area is excellent too and the restaurants we ate in, Leura Garage and Silks Brasserie in Leura, and Echoes Restaurant in Katoomba back up these claims, with fresh, tasty food and local wines every bit as good as Id experienced in Sydney.

For wow factor we stop off at the historic Hydro Majestic hotel for stunning views down the valley -and a beautifully presented high tea with a five-tier cake stand and glass teapots.

Now that's high tea: Jasmine and Catherine enjoyed their meal at the elegant Hydro Majestic Hotel

Whiter shade of pale: The beaches at Jervis Bay offer miles of unspoilt coastline, and the whitest of sands

Obligatory beach selfie: Catherine has this stunning beach in Jervis Bay to herself for her early morning swim

Next on the agenda is a visit to Jervis Bay, a coastal area three hours south of Sydney, where the sand is so fine it actually squeaks when you walk on it.

Made up of clear or white silicon dioxide crystals or silica, its lighter and finer than typical ocean beach sand and has a widespread reputation for being the whitest in the world.

Divers, walkers, cyclists, nature lovers, surfers, anglers, snorkellers - all come here for the remote creeks and inlets and endless beaches, yet its rare to find anyone sharing your space.

Dolphins and humpback whales are often spotted from the land, and although a planned boat trip to see these creatures at close range fell through, Jasmine and I enjoyed our encounter with a couple of grey kangaroos grazing behind one of the many beaches in the area.

Glamping at the Paperbark Camp is more luxurious than you'd ever imagine possible in a 'tent on stilts'

The Gunyah restaurant, perched on stilts, (left) serves an adventurous menu of local specialities, fine wines and some mouthwatering desserts. Right, Jasmine and Catherine encounter a grey kangaroo

We are only three hours from Sydney and yet it seems we are at the farthest ends of the earth. The feeling is underlined during my stay at the really rather wonderful eco-glamping Paperbark Camp arranged for us by travel specialists Cox & Kings, where I discovered fine dining and luxury safari tents, each with their own ensuite bathroom, open to the forest.

After an incredible three course meal in the 'Gunyah' (an aboriginal word for bush hut or shelter) I enjoy an al fresco bath beneath the stars, followed by one of the best nights sleep Ive ever had.

Sydney and its surrounds have captivated me.

I have a crazy few days of feeling like I desperately want to live here, even looking round at prices of real estate, until I realise its far out of my reach and I come back down to earth again. (A friend admits she had the same thought when she last visited  life just seems so easy here.)

In real life of course all holidays come to an end, but as I bid goodbye to my daughter, I cant help feeling that I will return - hopefully sooner rather than later.

Travel facts Singapore Airlines currently fly 123 weekly flights into 7 Australian cities, increasing to 8 cities from September 2016: Adelaide, Brisbane, Cairns, Canberra, Darwin, Melbourne, Perth and Sydney. Standard Economy flights to Sydney from 960pp, Premium Economy from 2,155pp Customers can combine National Express Coach and Singapore Airlines Flights to be protected from delays with the UK's first combined coach-fly ticket. For more information visit www.singaporeair.com or call 0844 800 2380/ 020 8961 6993 Catherine and Jasmine were guests of destinationnsw with excursions and accommodation courtesy of Austravel, Cox & Kings and travelzoo.com.au For upcoming events in Sydney visit Sydney.com or australia.com




A British Airways flight was intercepted by fighter jets over Hungary after it lost contact with air traffic controllers.

The BA108 flight was en route from Dubai to Heathrow when it was detected by the Hungarian defence ministry but reportedly failed to alert ground control to its presence.

Two Hungarian Air Force Gripens were reportedly scrambled to escort and identify the Boeing 777 after it passed over Hungary's borders unannounced on Saturday afternoon.

A British Airways plane was intercepted by fighter jets over Hungary after it lost contact with ground control. Communication was later restored and the plane landed safely at Heathrow (file photo)

Hungary is part of the flight's usual route from Dubai to London, which also passes over Turkey and Romania

According to air safety protocols, pilots must make contact with air traffic controllers on the ground when passing from one country's airspace to another.

Hungary was part of the flight's usual route from Dubai to London.

When the BA planefailed to do so Hungarian authorities reportedly issued their highest alert and the pair of fighter jets were sent to identify the aircraft and ensure it was making safe progress.

Two Hungarian Air Force Gripens, similar to the one above, were reportedly scrambled to escort and identify the Boeing 777

The Gripens reportedly took off at 12.55pm before the BA flight made contact with ground control. The jets returned to their base at 1.21pm.

A BA spokesman told MailOnline Travel: 'Communication was quickly restored with air traffic control and the flight landed normally at Heathrow.'

According to the flight's status on Flight Radar, it landed at 2.19pm in London.

There have been several similar incidents in the recent past where civilian commercial flights have inadvertently triggered high-level security alerts.
This is the terrifying moment that a passenger travelling from Dubai to London spotted a fighter jet next to her window.

Sabrina Fawaz was travelling with her husband on the British Airways flight BA108 on Saturday when the plane temporarily lost communications with air traffic control as it entered Hungarian air space causing two Hungarian Air Force Gripens to be scrambled.

She told MailOnline Travel that she thought the plane was 'ready to shoot us down'.

Sabrina Fawaz was travelling with her husband from Dubai to London when she spotted the fighter jet

The jet had mostly been blocked by the wing of the plane but at one point it ducked underneath the plane

Mrs Fawaz, who works in the travel industry, was on her way home from an industry exhibition.

She told MailOnline Travel: 'I really enjoy looking out of the window at the views. Especially the mountains when we fly over Iran'.

The frequent flier, who was sitting in row 37, part of the British Airways World Traveller class, had already had her phone out and was taking photos.

She said: 'I was just looking out and my husband said "look at that plane".

'It's difficult to describe the feeling. You immediately imagine something's wrong in the plane and you're not aware of it or something's wrong on the ground.'

She added: 'My mouth went dry and I went hot and hold. It was terrifying.

Mrs Fawaz's husband was the first to spot the jet from the window and when she saw it too, she was terrified

Hungary is part of the British Airways flight's regular route from Dubai to London but the plane had temporarily lost communication with the air controllers

'I thought it was ready to shoot us down. Usually you hear that when two fighter jets are scrambled, one is flying to the front of the plane to check that it's okay and the second one is flying behind ready to shoot it down.'

Mrs Fawaz contacted a member of the cabin crew and she was told that it 'happens sometimes when we lose contact' and 'not to worry'.

No announcements had been made on the flight, which Mrs Fawaz thought was good as it would have just caused panic.

Mrs Fawaz later uploaded the footage she shot with her iPhone 6S to Youtube.

In the footage, which lasted less than a minute, one of the fighter jets could be seen flying alongside the plane.

It was so close in fact, it's possible to make out the pilot sitting in the cockpit.

The fighter jets were seen for just a few minutes according to Mrs Fawaz, and most of the time her view had been blocked by the wing of the plane.

In the footage, which lasted less than a minute, one of the fighter jets could be seen flying alongside the plane

Mrs Fawaz explained that it was a very sunny day so most of the passengers had their blinds down so not many people spotted the jets.

However, the man behind her had also shot a video and the passenger in front commented that he thought the jets were French.

According to air safety protocols, pilots must make contact with air traffic controllers on the ground when passing from one country's airspace to another.

Hungary was part of the flight's usual route from Dubai to London.

When the BA plane failed to contact air control in Hungary, Hungarian authorities reportedly issued their highest alert and the pair of fighter jets were sent to identify the aircraft and ensure it was making safe progress.
Holidaymakers who suffer delays to their journey as a result of other passengers may now be able to claim compensation following a landmark court ruling.

Travel company Thomas Cook has been ordered by Birmingham County Court to pay 827 to Maria Edwards and her family following a nine-hour delay to their return flight from Tunisia to the UK in 2013.

Until now, airlines do not have to pay compensations for delays caused by passengers as it's classed as 'extraordinary circumstances' under current EU regulations.

Thomas Cook has been told to pay Maria Edwards by a Birmingham Court after her family was delayed for over nine hours on a flight in 2013

Speaking of her win, Mrs Edwards said: 'In all that time, not once did we receive any kind of an apology from Thomas Cook. Thats the most disappointing thing.'

Mrs Edwards, 47, brought the case against Thomas Cook in August 2014, a year after the delayed flights.

The family spent two weeks in Port El Kantaoui in Tunisia but were delayed at Enfidha Airport during their return journey.

A passenger on a previous flight had accidentally broken an emergency door handle and new parts had to be flown in from France for the repair.

However, when the maintenance crew tried to fix the handle, they deployed the emergency slide by accident, causing further delays to the journey.

The passengers were eventually allowed to board the plane after more than nine hours waiting in the lounge.

In a statement released by EUclaim who represented the Edwards family, Mrs Edwards said: 'We were initially told by Thomas Cook that there would be a one and a half hour delay to our flight, but when we actually boarded we had been waiting more than nine hours!

'Each passenger was allowed a 5 voucher to purchase food and drink, but the choice was so limited in the airport shop, that it hardly made a difference. My partner and I were travelling with two small children and for anyone who has traveled with young kids before, you can imagine how difficult the whole ordeal was.'

Landmark ruling could mean more families will be able to claim for flight delays caused by other passengers

She added: 'We were given no updates, nobody told us anything and when we eventually boarded the flight, we found out that the reason the flight was so delayed, was because a passenger on a previous flight  24 hours earlier  had accidentally broken an emergency door handle and the parts needed to fix it had to be flown over from France!

'We later discovered that when the maintenance crew had attempted to fix it, they accidentally deployed the emergency slide, delaying us further  it beggars belief.'

The ruling was a huge win for EUclaim, who represented the family.

Adeline Noordehaven, UK Manager at EUclaim said: 'Receiving compensation from airlines under this regulation is not always easy.

'Airlines often claim that problems with flights are due to "extraordinary circumstances".

'They do this to shirk their responsibilities and will often try compensating passengers with vouchers for future ticket purchases, which often have a number of usage and timings restrictions attached to them.'

EUclaim said in their statement that 'the Courts interpretation of the legislation stated that the airline had not met their obligations to Ms Edwards'.

It also said that the judge ruled 'the operational effectiveness of the Thomas Cooks fleet was the sole responsibility of the airline, regardless of whether they directly caused the disruption.

But the ruling will not be binding for other courts.

At the moment airlines do not have to pay for delays caused by other passengers as it's considered an 'extraordinary circumstance'

Claim4Flights, who did not represent the Edwards family, said in a statement: 'Whilst this ruling does not affect other court cases, it is indicative that some County Court judges are really getting to grips with the implications of Regulation EC261/2004.

'Whilst the wording of the Regulation is not clear on specific examples such as this, the principles are fairly clear but don't always appear to be followed in County Courts.'

Under EU Regulation 261/2004, passengers are entitled to up to 460 in compensation when their flight lands at their destination more than three hours late or if they are cancelled.

The regulation applies to any EU-based airline or flights into the EU.

However, airlines can refuse to pay the compensation in 'extraordinary circumstances' such as severe weather although they still have a duty of care to their passengers.

Thomas Cook has maintained their position that delays caused by passengers should be considered as an 'extraordinary' circumstance.

A spokesman from Thomas Cook Airlines told MailOnline Travel: 'We're always extremely sorry for any delay and our main focus is on getting our passengers to and from holiday on time. In just three years our long delays have dropped from four percent to less than one percent making us one of the highest performing airlines in the industry.

'The claim of a landmark ruling lacks credibility because County Court judgments cannot create legal precedents. We do not believe a comparison can be made between unintentional passenger damage and disruptive passenger claims.

'We have recently successfully defended cases of a similar nature where district judges have ruled that passenger damage is an extraordinary circumstance. We have also successfully defended cases of disruptive passengers.'
Rumours have been swirling that The Real Housewives Of Melbourne may be be facing cancellation.

Now, stars Gina Liano and Gamble Breaux have taken to Instagram to comment on the issue.

On Friday, Gina posted a message in response to a fan, who had questioned his fans as to the veracity of the rumours.

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Setting the record straight: The Real Housewives of Melbourne's Gina Liano has hit back at rumours claiming that the hit reality show is to be cancelled after it's third season

The TV star also responded to the fan, writing: 'Not true honey xxx', before later adding another comment that read: 'NOOOOOO!!!'

'Don't know but rumours are flying', added Gamble in a comment underneath the fan's post.

According to an article published by The Daily Telegraph, there has been much speculation that 'Foxtel will announce The Real Housewives Of Sydney before another series goes ahead in Melbourne'.

'Not true honey': On Friday, Gina Liano posted a message in response to a fan, who had questioned his fans as to the veracity of the rumours

To add to the reports, it seems producers have headed straight to Sydney for the newest instalment of the international franchise and are understood to have been casting among local identities.

The original stars of The Real Housewives were initially contracted to appear in three seasons of The Real Housewives.

'We were contracted for three seasons ... and that came to an end this season. We haven't had official word if season four has been commissioned,' Gina told AAP.

'Don't know but rumours are flying': Gamble Breaux also added her two cents on the matter

Calling time on the franchise? The original stars of The Real Housewives were initially contracted to appear in three seasons of The Real Housewives

'This season has rated consistently higher than any of the others so I can't see it not going ahead.

'My partner doesn't want to be part of the show so that would be a special condition of me returning.'

Earlier this month, Gina revealed that she hopes to star in an upcoming courtroom reality show titled Judge Gina after filming a pilot for the programme in December 2014.

'Both Nine and Channel Seven are looking at it and possibly Ten, according to my agent,' Gina said. 'Foxtel didn't commission it but that was because of budget more than anything'.
She's a big name in Washington, DC, as fixer Olivia Pope on her hit ABC drama Scandal.

And on Saturday Kerry Washington shut down her own rumors as she hit the red carpet for the White House Correspondents' annual dinner with her husband Nnamdi Asomugha.

The 39-year-old put divorce rumors to rest as the two put on a loving display while making their way into the Washington Hilton together for the star-studded event.

Everything's good here! Kerry Washington seemed to quash rumors of a split with husband Nnamdi Asomugha as the two made a rare red carpet appearance together at the White House Correspondents' annual dinner on Saturday

Kerry wore a one-shouldered, shift-style dress, which fell to just above her knees in an asymmetrical, ruffled skirt.

The striking dress showed off the ABC star's toned pins, and she coupled it with a pair of strappy, black heels.

She carried a small, coordinating black clutch with beaded embellishments, and also showed off a matching, black manicure.

Showstopper: The ABC star flashed her toned pins in a striking, ruffled dress which hit at just above her knees

Get a good look: She coupled the flattering number with a pair of strappy, black heels

She accessorized her look with a few silver rings, also sporting an eye-catching pair of large, diamond earrings.

The mother-of-one highlighted her eyes with dark liner, and added a bit of color to her otherwise monochromatic look with a bright pink lipstick.

Kerry wore her raven tresses pulled up into a sophisticated topknot, and showed off a big smile as she hit the carpet.

Matching: Kerry coordinated her look, showing off a black manicure and also carrying a small, beaded black clutch

Pretty in pink! The mother-of-one added a pop of color to her otherwise monochromatic look with a bright pink lipstick

Her husband Nnamdi - with whom she shares two-year-old daughter Isabelle - looked sharp in a fitted suit and black bow tie.

The couple had secretly tied the knot in Hailey, Idaho back in June of 2013, and were recently facing rumors that they were headed for a split.

However, back in March when Kerry was asked about her personal life during a panel at the South By Southwest Festival in Austin, Texas, she quickly shut it down.

Happy to be here! The Scandal star couldn't hide her smile as she hit the carpet for the last White House Correspondents Dinner of the Obama administration

Eye-catching: Kerry accessorized her look with a large pair of dangling, diamond earrings

'I think - and this is something Reese Witherspoon has talked about a lot - it's a little different for me because I don't talk about my personal life,' she began, according to E!.

'Social media has actually been great for [other celebrities'] relationships with the weeklies or the gossip sites because people say things and they say, "That's not true! Just so you know, that's BS!"

'So I'm thinking in some ways, it's been great because people are able to maintain their voice,' Kerry added, though clarifying: 'If I don't talk about my personal life, it means I don't talk about my personal life.'

Close cast: The stunning actress paused for a moment to take a photo with Scandal creator Shonda Rhimes as well as co-star Tony Goldwyn

Sharing a laugh! Kerry and Black-ish star Tracee Ellis Ross looked downright adorable as they both sported big smiles while posing together on the carpet

'That means not only did I not tell you when I was getting married, it also means if somebody has rumors about what's going on in my marriage, I don't refute them, because I don't talk about my personal life.'

Meanwhile, on Saturday the smiling star also posed beside Scandal creator Shonda Rhimes - who looked lovely in a shimmery, pale pink, floor-length gown - and co-star Tony Goldwyn.
She just turned 35 on Friday - around a year for every $10 million she is worth.

But on Friday she was just a normal mom taking her daughter to the park on a play date.

The Honest Company founder continued to enjoy her laid-back birthday weekend by taking seven-year-old Honor to an al fresco lunch in Venice Beach.

Relaxed: Jessica Alba continued to enjoy her birthday weekend on a playdate with her daughter Honor at park in Venice Beach on Friday

The actress turned businesswoman looked chill in a pair of loose fitting black-patterned white trousers, with a scoop-neck top under a light black blazer.

Her eldest matched her mom's breezy style in a cute blue and white summer dress, tying her white cardigan around her waist.

But while Mrs Cash Warren mixed style and comfort with a pair of platform sandals, Haven was all practicality in a pair of black Nike trainers.

Cash himself - to whom she will be married eight years next month - was absent, most likely with their other daughter, four-year-old Haven.

Off the stones: Her eldest matched her mom's breezy style in a cute blue and white summer dress, tying her white cardigan around her waist

Laid-back: The actress turned businesswoman looked chill in a pair of loose fitting black-patterned white trousers, with a scoop-neck top under a light black blazer

The 37-year-old posted a touching Instagram message to his wife for her birthday, which she the re-posted

It read: 'I still get butterflies in my stomach around you. I still wake up in the middle of the night and smile because you're next to me. I still laugh at your jokes. I am still inspired by you. I'm still in awe of your beauty.

'The only thing that's changed since the first day I met you is our age. Happy Birthday my sweet love!!! @jessicaalba.'

Out and about! That same weekend Alba was spotted wearing skinny jeans and two different kimonos

Wrapping up! Despite the warm weather the star opted to rug up for the day

Jessica was also feeling loved at the office, where her employees had decorated to surprise her on arrival.

'Feeling loved at work,' the beauty captioned a Snapchat holding onto a giant bubblegum pink balloon.

It hasn't been all smiles this weekend though - her company came under fire once again, this time for the ingredients in its baby food.

The Organic Consumers Association (OCA) has filed a lawsuit in California claiming the company falsely labels its Premium Infant Formula as 'organic.'

The lawsuit alleges the product contains 11 synthetic ingredients that are not allowed by federal law in organic products, including sodium selenite and taurine.

In love: 37-year-old husband Cash Warren posted a touching Instagram message to his wife for her birthday, which she the re-posted,
She's famous for her sense of humor.

But on Saturday Amy Schumer wasn't laughing after what she described on social media as a 'scary' confrontation with a male fan in Greenville, South Carolina.

The comedienne and actress posted a photo on her Instagram of the man smiling and giving a thumbs up.

But alongside it she wrote: 'This guy in front of his family just ran up next to me scared the s**t out of me. Put a camera in my face. I asked him to stop and he said " no it's America and we paid for you"(sic).'

Bad encounter: Amy Schumer wasn't laughing after what she described on social media as a 'scary' confrontation with a male fan in Greenville, South Carolina. She shared this photo she took of the fan on her official Instagram

Fazed: The comedienne, 34, who was in Greenville for a show Friday night, was clearly left shaken and vowed never to let fans take photos of her in public again

The 34-year-old, who had done a show Friday night in the city, went on: 'I was saying stop and no. Great message to your kid. Yes legally you are allowed to take a picture of me. But I was asking you to stop and saying no.'

She then threatened: 'I will not take picture(sic) with people anymore and it's because of this dude in Greenville.'

However, later in the day, after she had calmed down, she backtracked somewhat and told her fans she'd 'still take pictures with nice people.'

Change of heart: Later in the day, after she had calmed down, she backtracked somewhat and told her fans she'd 'still take pictures with nice people.'

Amy tweeted: 'I'll still take pictures with nice people when I choose to if its a good time for that. But I don't owe you anything. So don't take if I say no.'

A little later the Trainwreck star seemed to return to her normal self when she posted a cute picture of her with a horse and the caption 'Day turned around with Harley.'

And she went for a nice relaxing ride on Harley that helped put things in perspective.

Calming influence: Amy posted a photo on Instagram and revealed that spending time with horse Harley had helped turn the day around
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They represent the best of British talent and have become leading figures in the world of acting.

So it was inevitable that Michelle Dockery would be in the company of fellow thespians Damian Lewis and Tom Hiddleston at the 102nd White House Correspondents' Association Dinner in Washington, D.C on Saturday night.

Cosying up for a group snap, the trio were truly at home among the legions of home-grown talent - which included Emma Watson and Helen Mirren - as they prepared for an evening mingling with journalists, fellow celebrities and the President of the United States.

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Best Of British: It was inevitable that Michelle Dockery would be in the company of fellow thespians Damian Lewis and Tom Hiddleston at the 102nd White House Correspondents' Association Dinner in Washington, D.C on Saturday night

Leading the brigade of glamorous gowns on the night, Michelle,34, was the epitome of elegance in a floor-length dress that still ensured she stood out from the crowd thanks to its vibrant tangerine hue.

While the frock mainly left Michelle's figure to be imagined, the dress was a little risque as it featured sheer panels of fabric that ran in between her bust and along either side of her decolletage.

She exuded Hollywood glamour as her brunette tresses cascaded in retro waves around her face revealing her stunning $90,000 Tiffany & Co. diamond earruings, though the Downton Abbey actress injected a modern spin on the style by incorporating a metallic silver clutch bag into the look.

Brit of all white! Emma Watson and Helen Mirren dazzled on the evening

Flying the flag, or the Union Jack, for the British men were the acting heavyweights at her side Damian and Tom , both of whom were sharp-suited for the occasion.

Before catching up with Michelle at the Bloomberg & Vanity Fair Cocktail Reception, Damian had made his own way into the presidential dinner, with the Homeland star walking the red carpet without the company of his wife Helen McCrory.

Hanging on Tom's arm was legendary Star Wars actress Carrie Fisher, and the Thor villain, 35, couldn't wipe the cheeky grin from his face as the 59-year-old starlet hung to his arm as they posed for photographers, also joined by Carrie's dog Gary who appeared bursting with energy as he rolled around the carpet.

British invasion: Emma wasn't the only English beauty bound to turn heads at the presidential dinner as she shared the red carpet with Downton Abbey's Michelle Dockery

Tangerine dream: The 34-year-old thespian was the epitome of elegance in a floor-length gown that still ensured she stood out from the crowd thanks to its vibrant hue

It's all in the details: Michelle exuded Hollywood glamour as her brunette tresses cascaded in retro waves around her face, though the actress injected a modern spin by incorporating a metallic silver clutch bag into the look as she smiled alongside a male companion

Ensuring she would also dazzle on the night was Emma Watson, who recreated her iconic Golden Globes moment two years ago when she teamed her dress with trousers.

After achieveing high praise from fashionistas worldwide, it was inevitable that Emma would want to repeat the look for such a prestigious event.

She nailed the trend just as successfully the latest time around, and never one to fall short in the style stakes, the 26-year-old actress looked simply stunning in bandeau gown which was emblazoned with floral embroidery.

Emma Watson once again nailed the dress and trousers trend as she attended the star-studded 102nd White House Correspondents' Association Dinner in Washington, D.C. on Saturday evening

Blooming beautiful: Never one to fall short in the style stakes, Emma looked simply stunning in bandeau gown which was emblazoned with floral embroidery

Dramatic ruffled detailing was attached to the neckline of the dress, while a sizable split ran down the centre of the design, showing off the navy tapered trousers the Harry Potter star sported beneath the intricate garment.

She elongated her lean legs with pointed navy stilettos, while keeping her accessories simple with only a dainty gold necklace and a plethora of rings on either hand.

Her short honey blonde locks were as slick as her ensemble, swept back from her face in a quiff style, allowing her stunning face, which tied the look together with its helping of red lipstick, to take centre stage.

Chatting away: Emma looked enthralled in chat as she lived it up inside the bash

Sensational: Emma was every inch the floral fancy in her stunning gown and trouser combination paired with teetering heels

Shmoozing the crowd: The Harry Potter actress flashed her dazzling smile as she wowed the crowd for the night on the town

Red carpet winner: Emma first tried the daring combination at the 2014 Golden Globe Awards, where she dazzled in a scarlet gown and black trouser combination

Not only a queen on the screen but also on the red carpet, Helen Mirren gave her younger acting counterparts a run for their money in a purple lace gown.

Once again defying the years, the 70-year-old screen siren was a sight to behold in the design as she even flashed a little cleavage in the low-cut number.

Also paying a touching tribute to Prince - who died last month - Helen opted to wear his signature colour of purple, whilst she bore the love symbol in his honour in a temporary tattoo form on her chest.

The Eye In The Sky star was joined on the red carpet by her husband Taylor Hackford, to whom she has been married for almost 20 years.

Pretty in purple: Not only a queen on the screen but also on the red carpet, Helen Mirren gave her younger acting counterparts a run for their money in a lace violet gown

Her leading man: The Eye In The Sky star was joined on the red carpet by her husband Taylor Hackford, to whom she has been married for almost 20 years

Timeless beauty: Once again defying the years, the 70-year-old screen siren was a sight to behold in the design as she even flashed a little cleavage in the low-cut number

President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama looked thrilled to be in attendance. The President laughed heartily while sitting pride of place inside the venue, wearing a traditional black suit with a bow tie and the Stars and Stripes pinned to his lapel.

As the national anthem played the pair stood respectfully with their hands placed over their chests, Michelle looking elegant in a shimmering gown with a sheer cover-up.

Displaying her enviably toned arms in the glittering golden dress, Michelle ensured that her husband would not take all the attention on the evening.

Handsome as ever: Flying the flag, or the Union Jack, for the British men were acting heavyweights Damian Lewis and Tom Hiddleston, both of whom were sharp-suited for the occasion

She's out of this world! While the Homeland star walked the red carpet without the company of his wife Helen McCrory, hanging on Tom's arm was legendary Star Wars actress Carrie Fisher

Radiant: Actress Gugu Mbatha-Raw looked gorgeous in a plunging black and purple gown

Larry Wilmore, host of The Nightly Show with Larry Wilmore on Comedy Central, is the entertainer of the night.

'Larry's edgy, even provocative, brand of humor means he's certainly up to the task of skewering politicians of all ideological stripes, and we don't expect the nation's news media to escape unscathed, either,' said Carol Lee, White House correspondent for The Wall Street Journal and president of the White House Correspondents' Association.

The WHCA represents the White House press corps in its dealings with the administration on coverage-related issues.

According to their website, the WHCA dinner is traditionally attended by the President and the First Lady as well as other senior government officials and members of the press corps.

Proceeds from the dinner go toward scholarships and awards aimed at supporting aspiring journalists and recognizing excellence in the profession.

Double the fun: Damian and Michelle kept the party going at the Bloomberg & Vanity Fair Cocktail Reception

Fantastic four! At the cocktail reception Damian, Michelle and Tom were joined by American actor Jared Leto in a cosy snap

Rubbing shoulders with royalty: She may have played the Queen, but Helen met genuine royalty when she chatted with Jordan's Queen Rania

Happy to be here: President Barack Obama laughed heartily while sitting at the high-profile event
Jaimie Alexander looked glamorous as she attended the White House Correspondents' Association Dinner.

The Blindspot star shone in a strapless gown with long, flowing mermaid train at the star-studded event honoring the White House press corps.

The 32-year-old was the picture of elegance as she strolled down the red carpet.

Elegant: Actress Jaimie Alexander looked gorgeous in a strapless gown with long mermaid train at the White House Correspondents' Association Dinner in Washington, DC on Saturday

Jaimie appeared to be in high spirits, smiling and waving to fans as she arrived at the prestigious bash.

Her elegant black dress featured a heart-shaped neckline and fitted skirt, which trailed her in a pretty mermaid train with layers of large ruffles.

The Thor actor wore her pixie hair cut back brushed back in a bouffant style.

Flawless: The Blindspot star smiled and waved to fans as she strolled down the red carpet

Classy: The 31-year-old's dress feature a low back and layered, ruffled train

She played up her eyes with dark eyeliner and added natural pink lip.

Jaimie kept her jewelry classic, accessorizing with a dazzling diamond necklace.

An annual Washington, DC event, the White House Correspondents' Association Dinner honors White House journalists and will be attended by President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama, as well as senior government officials, press corps members and celebrities.

Classic beauty: Jaimie pushed her chic pixie cut up in a bouffant and added dramatic eyeliner

Kendall Jenner, Emma Watson, Kerry Washington, Morgan Freeman and Jeff Goldblum all attended the dinner, which will be hosted by The Nightly Show host Larry Wilmore.

In February, Jaimie announced her split from her ex-fiance, Supergirl actor Peter Facinelli, 42.

The couple cited their busy schedules and the fact that they lived on different coasts as the reason for the decision to call off their relationship.
Michelle Dockery made sure that she was remembered for all the right reasons on Saturday night as she returned to the red carpet for the first time since her fiance's tragic death at Christmas.

Instead of flying under the radar, the Downton Abbey actress was bold and beautiful in canary yellow when she arrived for the annual Correspondents' Association event in Washington DC.

Michelle, 34, complemented the gown with the brightest of smiles and wasn't alone but instead accompanied by a close male companion, for support.

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Brave face: Michelle Dockery returned to the red carpet on Saturday night for the annual White House Correspondent's Dinner

Though more contemporary, Michelle's dress was worthy of her former alter-ego Lady Mary Crawley and featured a floor-sweeping hemline and elegant capped sleeves.

It was a demure gown, accesorised with a metallic clutch bag and heels, but it featured a subtle, sheer panel to the middle.

The star added some stunning shine to her look, wearing over $200,000 worth of stunning Tiffany & Co. diamond pieces.

Michelle offset the look with her natural, raven tresses and a red lipstick, through which she bravely showed off a smile.

Bold: She was bold in canary yellow as she attended her first formal engagement since the death of her fiance John Dineen in December 2015

It was to be the British actress' first formal appearance since the sudden passing of her fiance John Dineen, in December 2015.

Michelle returned to work in March 2016 to film upcoming TV series Good Behavior, which will be her first role since period drama Downton Abbey ended in 2015.

The new TNT 10 part show, sees Michelle take on the role of Letty Dobesh and also stars Terry Kinney and Lusia Strus.

Glowing: She put a brave face on, as she was pictured in an exquisite canary yellow dress

It's been a long road to recovery for the English rose after her partner of two years John lost his battle with cancer.

He was diagnosed with a brain tumour in December 2014 before he and Michelle got engaged in February 2015.

Michelle paid tribute to 'my friend, my king, my hero, my everything' at St James' Catholic Church near Mr Dineen's family home in the village of Waterfall, County Cork.

Show of support: She was supported by a male companion, but proved to be perfectly brave by herself

Co-stars: Meanwhile Michelle's Downton co-stars were appearing at the Downton Abbey for your Consideration event at the Linwood Dunn Theatre on Saturday

Meanwhile Michelle's Downton co-stars were appearing at the Downton Abbey for your Consideration event at the Linwood Dunn Theatre on Saturday.

Creator Julian Fellowes and stars Lesley Nicol and Jim Carter all joined in for the question and answer session in which the discussed the wildly successful show.

Lesley played Mrs Patmore in the programmed looked lovely and laid back in white shirt and black trousers and top.

Jim Carter meanwhile, who starred as Mr Carson in the show, kept things casual in a navy suit.

Stars of the show: Creator Julian Fellowes and stars Lesley Nicol and Jim Carter all joined in for the question and answer session in which the discussed the wildly successful show
Since assuming the role of Tony Stark in Marvel's Iron Man in 2008, he's become the comic company's most bankable star -- earning himself close to $200 million in the process.

And Robert Downey Jr, 51, has revealed he will continue as the billionaire playboy for at least another two years, which will no doubt come as welcome news to fans of the series and studio bosses alike.

He told the Daily Star: 'I don't know how long I'll do it for. I'll keep playing Iron Man for a couple more years, I guess.'

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Going nowhere: Robert Downey Jr, 51, has revealed he will continue as the billionaire playboy Tony Stark in the hugely popular Iron Man franchise for at least another two years

He's recently been on the promo trail for his latest big screen appearance in Captain America: Civil War which sees him square off against Chris Evans's lead character.

Downey Jr has previously played it coy regarding his future in the Marvel Universe, both confirming and distancing himself from future projects.

While Iron Man 4 is yet to be confirmed, Downey Jr will reprise his role in the next two Avengers films as well as in Spider-Man: Homecoming, with the web-slinger making an appearance in Civil War.

His latest admission that he still has a couple of years left in him will no doubt be welcomed by Iron Man director John Favreau.

He previously told IGN: 'I can't imagine how they could (continue the franchise without Downey Jr) but that doesnt mean that they can't. I just can't wrap my head around that one.

Star attraction: Since he assumed the role of Tony Stark in Marvel's Iron Man in 2008, he's become the comic company's most bankable star

'To me he's the one element that has unified all of it, and I think kept a consistent tone, and the integrity of his acting ability and his talent really works wonderfully synergistically with the Marvel universe. I think that his personality is something which helps define it.

'That being said, nothing would surprise me, but for me it would be a hard pill to swallow and big shoes to fill.'

Downey Jr has seen his stock rise significantly since the first Iron Man film for which he received $500,000.

The success of his debut as the developer of the famous red and gold suit saw his earnings rise to $10,000,000 for the second installment, according to IMDB.

While the second offering didn't receive the same glowing reviews from critics, it succeeded enough for the star to earn a whopping $50,000,000 for the third effort.

And his appearances in the spin-off Avengers films as well as his role in Civil War have been equally profitable.

The two Avengers offerings brought in $90 million for the star, while it is thought he was paid $40 million up front for Civil War, with the potential for more earnings should it eclipse the previous Captain America film's Box Office numbers.

In addition, The Daily Telegraph reported that he is set to earn a further $200 million from the next two Avengers productions.

The charismatic star has been full of praise for Civil War leading up to its release, and the overwhelmingly positive response from critics would indicate his enthusiasm is genuine.

Friends off-screen: He's recently been on the promo trail for the action hero's latest big screen appearance in Captain America: Civil War which sees him square off against Chris Evans's lead character

In his interview with the Star, he said: 'With this film I left it to the Russos, who I really think are something else when it comes to keeping all these balls in the air.

'They make the story relatable, which is so important. I'm a fan of these movies myself. I want to go and see them and take in the story and have some sort of emotional invesdtment. And with this I got my money's worth.'

With the action-packed and physically demanding nature of the role requiring the star to stay in tip top shape, age is likely to play a big part in just how long he can go on for.

And the star revealed filming for Civil War impacted his body more than his co-star Evans, revealing the younger actor, 34, could take more knocks whereas he had to be more careful.

The film is the sequel to 2011's Captain America: The First Avenger and 2014's Captain America: The Winter Soldier.

The plot centres around political interference in the Avengers' activities, causing a rift between former allies Captain America and Iron Man.

New government laws being introduced to regulate superheros divide the entire team into two factions; one lead by Captain America who resists it, the other by Robert Downey Jr's Iron Man, who wants to enforce it.

The adrenaline pumping trailer for the latest chapter in the Marvel Cinematic Universe shows the two former friends beating each other up in a mouth-watering match-up.
She recently called Prince a 'great artist' who she admired.

And Helen Mirren paid touching tribute to the late musical icon with a temporary tattoo of the singer's Love Symbol on her collarbone at the White House Correspondent's Association Dinner.

In ode to the star, the 70-year-old also donned a Purple Rain-inspired lace gown in a plum hue as she stayed close to her husband Taylor Hackford's side during the event on Saturday.

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Tribute: In ode to singer Prince, Helen Mirren displayed her temporary Love Symbol tattoo on her collarbone at the White House Correspondent's Association Dinner on Saturday

The actress looked sensational in a fitted lace floor-length gown, which accentuated her tiny curves.

It was the perfect tribute to Prince's mammoth hit song Purple Rain - the soundtrack to his eponymous 1984 film debut which won an Academy Award.

The veteran actress also displayed the delicate purple Love Symbol tattoo which is synonymous with the legendary popstar, who died suddenly last week aged 57.

Prince changed his stage name to the symbol in 1993 after a contractual battle with Warner Bros and the symbol was later referred to as The Artist Formerly Known as Prince.

Perfect pair: The 70-year-old stayed close to her husband, Taylor Hackford's, side during the event, but she stole the show in her stunning purple dress

Musical icon: Helen called Prince - who died suddenly last week aged 57 - a 'great artist' who she admired

She told The Washington Post: 'I admire great artists and he was a great artist.'

Mirren added that she wished the 'tattoo' had a better back story than the truth - which is that she did it herself.

She confessed: 'I'd love to say that Prince himself did it in 1988 or something, instead of me in the bathroom this morning.'

At the dinner she coordinated her perfectly manicured nails to her outfit with a delicate lilac hue.

And she kept things simple in the footwear department with a classic black, pointed shoe and matching black handbag, which was adorned with a delicate flower design.

The Prime Suspect star opted to wear minimal jewellery for the event and simply stuck to a pair of large drop earrings in a subtle opalescent shade.

Arriving in style: The actress looked sensational in a fitted lace floor-length gown, which accentuated her tiny curves

Pretty in purple: She kept things simple in the footwear department with a classic black, pointed shoe and matching black handbag

The stylish star styled her short platinum blonde locks into a classically chic pixie cut and posed with her hand on her hip as she arrived at The Washington Hilton Hotel.

Meanwhile, her husband, film director, Taylor Hackford, 71, looked equally dapper as he stood by his wife's side for the dinner.

Blonde beauty: The stylish star styled her short platinum blonde locks into a classically chic pixie cut and posed with her hand on her hip

The former president of the Directors Guild of America scrubbed up well in a classically stylish three-piece suit.

However, he added a bit of edge to his look with a skinny black tie and decided to wear a pair of shiny, round-toed black boots.

His silver locks were also coiffed and his designer facial hair perfectly trimmed for the occasion.
They hail from the home of 007, so it's little surprise that English hunks Tom Hiddleston and Damian Lewis were doing Blighty proud at the White House Correspondents' Dinner on Saturday night.

The sharp-suited duo made James Bond eat his heart out in tuxedos and bow ties, both cutting equally sharp appearances as the arrived for annual dinner in Washington DC.

By special invitation of President Obama, Damian, 45, and Tom, 35, joined the likes of Michelle Dockery and Helen Mirren on the red carpet bringing real Brit power to the Stateside event.

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Suave: Tom Hiddleston (left) and Damian Lewis (right) looked impressively sharp as they turned out for the 102nd White House Correspondents' Association Dinner on Saturday night

Tom, who's thought to be hot on the heels of Daniel Craig, was suave with his hair slicked back and his strong jaw cleanly-shaven.

His bright blue eyes were piercing as he smouldered down the lens without so much as a smile - until Star Wars actress Carrie Fisher crashed his red carpet moment.

The 59-year-old wasn't alone at the dinner, because she'd been sure to bring along dog Gary, who famously in attendance at the 2015 premiere of The Force Awakens.

Smouldering: Tom had that sexy 007 look about him as the two Brits lead the male glamour

Having a moment: With his beard unshaven, Damian still managed to look particularly suave

Stage and screen actor Damian's look was less refined but still distinguished as he stuck to his faithful bearded appearance.

He looked thrilled to be joined President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama for dinner that evening.

Inside the venue, The President laughed heartily while sitting pride of place, wearing a traditional black suit with a bow tie and the Stars and Stripes pinned to his lapel.

As the national anthem played the pair stood respectfully with their hands placed over their chests, Michelle looking elegant in a shimmering gown with a sheer cover-up.

Crashing his moment: Tom didn't quite know what to do when actress Carrie Fisher brought dog Gary onto the red carpet

He's back: Fans will remember that the dog was in attendance at the recent The Force Awakens premiere

Larry Wilmore, host of The Nightly Show with Larry Wilmore on Comedy Central, is the entertainer of the night.

'Larry's edgy, even provocative, brand of humor means he's certainly up to the task of skewering politicians of all ideological stripes, and we don't expect the nation's news media to escape unscathed, either,' said Carol Lee, White House correspondent for The Wall Street Journal and president of the White House Correspondents' Association.

The WHCA represents the White House press corps in its dealings with the administration on coverage-related issues.

Respectful: As the American national anthem was played, the President and First Lady Michelle Obama placed their hands on their chests

Happy to be here: President Barack Obama laughed heartily while sitting at the high-profile event

According to their website, the WHCA dinner is traditionally attended by the President and the First Lady as well as other senior government officials and members of the press corps.

Proceeds from the dinner go toward scholarships and awards aimed at supporting aspiring journalists and recognizing excellence in the profession.

Michelle Dockery made sure that she was remembered for all the right reasons on Saturday night in a bold and beautiful in canary yellow while Helen Mirren plumped for purple.

They were both flanked by young actress Emma Watson, who once again ruled the red carpet with a dress worn ever-so stylishly over trousers.

Brave face: Michelle Dockery returned to the red carpet on Saturday night

Stunning: Helen Mirren looked beautiful as she hit the red carpet in a bright plum purple shade
They went public with their romance last month and ex-My Kitchen Rules star Lynzey Murphy has just hit another milestone with boyfriend Daniel Conn.

The fitness-conscious couple were spotted sharing their first public kiss during a trip to North Bondi on Friday - before she stripped off her denim hotpants to display her shapely derriere.

Lynzey, 25, flaunted her well-toned abs in a skimpy bikini as she soaked up the Sydney sun with her ex-NRL star beau, who showed off his bulging biceps and bodybuilder frame in a pair of boardies.

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Pucker up! Former My Kitchen Rules star Lynzey Murphy was spotted sharing her first public kiss with ex-NRL player boyfriend Daniel Conn during a trip to Sydney's North Bondi on Friday

Things were certainly heating up for the Bondi power pair as temperatures reached heights of 25C on Friday afternoon.

Lynzey and Dan, 30, lived up to their reputation for flaunting their gym-honed bodies by enjoying a few hours of relaxation away from their busy workout schedules.

And they weren't shy of showing off their blossoming relationship as Dan also enjoyed an intimate moment with his new girlfriend.

Cooling off: The former reality TV star stripped off her denim hotpants to display her shapely derriere

Lovely view, Lynzey! The 25-year-old flaunted her well-toned abs in a skimpy bikini as she soaked up the sun

The former rugby league hunk, who now works as an elite personal trainer, was seen kissing Lynzey with his impressive physique on full display.

They both looked in happy spirits while chatting the afternoon away and even engaged in friendly conversation with other locals.

Earlier, Lynzey was spotted taking a stroll and buying a pair of refreshing take-away drinks - one which appeared to be a milkshake, and the other a healthier alternative.

Taking a stroll: Earlier, Lynzey was spotted buying a pair of refreshing take-away drinks - one which appeared to be a milkshake, and the other a healthier alternative

Peace out! She looked every inch the Bondi beauty as her washboard abs and sun-kissed legs were proudly on display in just a bikini top and skimpy Daisy Duke shorts, complete with a stylish brown belt

She looked every inch the Bondi beauty as her washboard abs and sun-kissed legs were proudly on display in just a bikini top and skimpy Daisy Duke shorts.

The reality TV star, who appeared in My Kitchen Rules last year and made a brief cameo role this season, accessorised with a white wristwatch and a brown belt with a peace symbol buckle.

Lynzey also rested a pair of aviator-style sunglasses on her forehead while her luscious dark hair flicked about in the breeze.

Hunk: Daniel, 30, showed off his bulging biceps and bodybuilder frame in a pair of board shorts

Delivering the goods: After her drinks trip, Lynzey returned to the grassy patch to join her boyfriend Daniel and summarily stripped off her denim hot pants and replaced her shades

Gym enthusiast: Lynzey opted for aviator-style sunglasses while her luscious dark hair flicked in the breeze

She later returned to the grassy patch to join her boyfriend Daniel and summarily stripped off her denim hot pants and replaced her shades.

After his NRL career finished due to a neck injury in 2011, Daniel founded his own F45 Academy, overseeing students in high-intensity interval training and functional training.

It is perhaps because of his job that Daniel first heard of Texas-born beauty Lynzey - who is a regular fixture on Bondi's fitness scene.

New career: After his NRL career finished due to a neck injury in 2011, Daniel founded his own F45 Academy, overseeing students in high-intensity interval training and functional training

Good times: It likely Daniel met Texas-born beauty Lynzey as they are both fixtures on Bondi's fitness scene

She has amassed 19,000 followers on Instagram by sharing videos and pictures of her impressive feats of strength and flexibility - often wearing very skimpy bikinis.

And during a chat with The Morning Show's Larry Emdur and Kylie Gillies last month, they ended weeks of speculation by finally confirming their relationship.

In their first TV appearance as a couple, the ex-Sydney Roosters player - who previously denied they were dating - revealed that they actually met through a mutual friend.

Sunny days: Lynzey and Dan both looked in happy spirits while chatting the afternoon away and even engaged in friendly conversation with other locals

Lynzey also revealed that her culinary skills helped to spark their romance, adding: 'I cooked Dan dinner, and one thing lead to another and we ended up here.'

She previously spoke about their blossoming relationship to The Daily Telegraph.

'Dan has been a real gentleman and weve spent a lot of time together for the past seven days,' said Lynzey. 'Hes been dragging me around Bondi.

'Weve been enjoying the last few days of some warm weather and he even took me to my first F45 class,' she concluded.
It's Washington D.C.'s biggest red carpet event of the year thanks to the plentiful celebrities, but this year got even more exciting with the presence of these Baywatch babes.

Priyanka Chopra and Kelly Rohrbach pumped up the glamour volume in scintillating dresses as they attended the White House Correspondents' Dinner on Saturday.

While Priyanka showed off her decolletage in a deep-cut, black and sheer-stripe gown, Kelly sizzled in a dark green silky number with plunging front and side views.

Baywatch babes: Kelly Rohrbach and Priyanka Chopra brought their Baywatch sizzle to the White House Correspondents' Dinner in Washington D.C. on Saturday

Priyanka, 33, who plays Victoria Leeds in the bigscreen Baywatch reboot, commanded attention the moment she arrived.

The raven-haired star flashed a smile as she posed on the red carpet, hand on hip.

At one point, Priyanka turned around to show off the back of her dress.

Dazzler: The 33-year-old actress looked sexy and glamorous in a very low-cut black ruffled and sheer-paneled gown with sparkling details

Risque business: Priyanka's gown teased some revealing glimpses while Kelly's forest-green number featured front and side plunges

The gown was spectacular and fit her shapely figure like a glove.

Kelly, 26, still had a tan from working on the beach for those Baywatch scenes as she stepped lightly in her clingy forest-green gown.

The blonde model-turned-actress still had that boho beach vibe going for her considering her simply styled hair.

Everyone is watching: Kelly had that 'life's a beach' vibe going for her as she posed on the carpet

Unique: The 26-year-old's gown fit her loosely around the bust and crinkled around her heels but it still managed to look stunning on her

She wore a heavy necklace and carried a very small golden bag.

Of course, Kelly is used to wearing much less at C.J. Parker in Baywatch.

Kelly has been spotted shooting the movie in a red swimsuit to rival the one worn by the original C.J., Pamela Anderson in the 1990s television show.

Vixen on a mission: Priyanka plays Victoria Leeds in Baywatch and considers herself the 'villain' in the movie

Priyanka, meanwhile, is wearing the heels in the movie that stars Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson and Zac Efron.

'Dwayne and Zac both look like beasts right now,' Priyanka told Cosmoplitan.com while describing her muscular co-stars. They both can, like, pop pennies on their abs right now. They really can.'

She added: 'I have to wear extra-high heels so that I can look intimidating, because I'm the villain in the movie. Otherwise, you know, I'm so little and so tiny, and I have to look up to them, and it doesn't work.'
They met 20 years ago on the set of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air where his character was loosely based on his own charming and mischievous traits.

So it's no wonder Will Smith, 47, was still a kid at heart as he attended the White House Correspondents' Dinner with his wife Jada Pinkett Smith in Washington, DC.

As he took to the red carpet at the star-studded black tie affair, the comedian used the opportunity to take a selfie as he attended with Jada who looked stunning in a long purple gown.

Say cheese! Will Smith, 47, beamed with delight as he took a selfie at the White House Correspondents' Dinner in Washington, D.C. on Saturday

The Hollywood power couple looked ever the glamorous duo as they made their grand entrance for President Obamas final annual affair.

Celebrities from all walks of life hit the red carpet in chic couture designer gowns for the exclusive dinner.

While the event is a lighthearted one where President Obama will poke fun at politicians, celebrities and the Press, A-listers arrive and put on their best power pose while having their picture taken.

Power couple! The actor looked handsome as he attended the star-studded affair with his wife Jada Pinkett Smith, 44, who was stunning in a one-shoulder deep purple gown

But not one to typically play by the rules, funnyman Will broke the mold and quickly pulled out his cell phone for a selfie as he beamed with delight.

Never one to take a fashion misstep, Jada, 44, didn't disappoint in a one-shoulder satin deep purple number.

Her petite figure was showcased in the form-fitting designer mermaid-style dress which pleated at the waistline and included a long sash.

Stunner: Jada's petite figure was showcased in the form-fitting designer mermaid-style dress which pleated at the waistline and included a long sash.

The acting duo married in 1997 and their affection for each other was clear as Will put a loving arm around his wife's waist as they posed for photos

The Gotham star wore dangling vintage diamond earrings to add extra sparkle but skipped any other accessories and allowed the dress to take centre stage.

Her husband looked handsome in his fitted tuxedo as he proudly held his gorgeous wife close by his side.

Also in attendance at the celebrity affair was Kerry Washington, Kendall Jenner, Emma Watson and Helen Mirren, to name a few.

Flawless! Model Kendall Jenner wore a low-cut black dress with strappy black stilettos

Pretty as a petal! Emma Watson was dressed for spring in her floral outfit with a red patterned dress that had a slit up the front

The dinner marks a momentous one as it is the President's final Correspondents' Dinner as he prepares to have the last laugh.

During his comedic monologue the president is likely to make light of the Republican and Democrat presidential campaigns.

Donald Trump - a butt of Obama's jokes in previous years - will not be at the glitzy affair but is likely to also be mentioned.

Arriving in style: The actress looked sensational in a fitted lace floor-length gown, which accentuated her tiny curves
On Friday she turned up in Washington, D.C. for a pre-event cocktail party in an artistic black dress.

But for the main event on Saturday, Karlie Kloss embraced a glamorous vintage look, and impressed in a long white gown for the White House Correspondents' Dinner.

The 23-year-old model dazzled in the sleeveless number, which featured alternating white and parchment-shaded satin panels.

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Classic: Karlie Kloss embraced a glamorous vintage look and impressed in a long white gown for the White House Correspondents' Dinner

A small, cylindrical gold clutch complemented her moderately-sized, gold double hoop earrings.

Her blonde tresses were pulled back and out of the way, with the exception of her swooped bangs.

Some crimson lipstick and light rouge highlighted her youthful visage.

Polished and ready: Her blonde tresses were pulled back and out of the way, with the exception of her swooped bangs

The previous night, the catwalk star had all eyes on her as she made her grand entrance at the St. Regis Hotel for a cocktail party hosted by Time and People in an artistic ensemble.

Her unique black dress for that event featured an intricate design in vibrant blue, yellow, and orange stitching.

The model carried a canary yellow clutch in hand and wore a pair of strappy heels to match.

Out on the town: The previous night, the catwalk star had all eyes on her as she made her grand entrance at the St. Regis Hotel for a cocktail party hosted by Time and People in an artistic ensemble

Karlie wore her golden locks in a glossy and slightly untamed hair 'do, but she took extra care to ensure her face was polished to perfection.

Her millionaire businessman beau Joshua Kushner didn't appear to be with her on that occasion.

But the 30-year-old did accompany Karlie to the New York gala when she was honored as one of Time magazine's 100 Most Influential People for both her modelling and charity work on Tuesday.
Kendall Jenner showed off her model looks on the red carpet as she attended the White House Correspondents' Dinner on Saturday in Washington, D.C.

And the 20-year-old clearly made quite an impression as she was one of those singled out for a mention during President Obama's final tongue-in-cheek address to the star-studded and eclectic group of guests.

'We had the chance to meet her backstage and she seems like a very nice woman,' he said.

'I'm not sure what she does but I'm told my Twitter mentions are about to go through the roof.'

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'I'm not sure what she does': Kendall Jenner, right, got a shout-out from President Barack Obama at the White House Correspondents' Dinner on Saturday night during his tongue-in-cheek address

Kendall, who came to fame on her famous family's reality series, has 17 million followers on Twitter.

She has even more - 55.7 million - on her official Instagram account.

In comparison, the official White House Twitter counts just 10.1 million followers.

See more Kendall Jenner news as she attends the White House Correspondents' Dinner

Exhibitionist: And true to form, Kendall took to social media to share this photo of herself cupping her boobs with her hands and letting her millions of followers get a up close and personal look at her perfect bosoms

Sorry not sorry: Kendall seemed to have trouble keeping her hands off her chest, as she uploaded a Snapchat of another groping session

Sense of humor: It's a tradition for the president to roast celebrities and politicians at the annual event. It's Obama's final White House Correspondents' Dinner as he prepares to leave office after two terms

Before the speeches kicked off, Kendall had had the chance to shake hands with the leader of the free world.

And Obama, apparently, wanted to be remembered to her older sister and her husband.

'He was like, 'Say hi to Kim and Kanye,'' she told People afterwards. I was like, 'Okay.''

Big night: Kendall, 20, struck her nest model poses on the red carpet in a strapless black gown and strappy heels

The daughter of Kris and Caitlyn Jenner made sure she looked her model best for the special occasion.

And she duly treated all her social media followers to a glimpse of herself getting a little make-up touch up at the gala, thanks to Snapchat.

Kendall's stunning Vivienne Westwood designer gown had a sweetheart neckline and a slit at the bottom.

And the raven-haired beauty accessorized with a statement diamond choker necklace.

Looked her best: The reality star shared some Snapchat video showing her getting a little touch up behind the scenes at the event
Kim Kardashian clearly knows how to keep across her own publicity.

The 35-year-old caught a private jet on Saturday with daughter North and son Saint ahead of Monday's Met Gala in New York.

And in a Snapchat video, the reality queen revealed which apps she considers essential to her home screen - and DailyMail.com is one of them.

Busy mom: Kim Kardashian boarded private jet on Saturday with North and Saint West as she headed to New York for Monday's Met Gala

Essential reading: And once on board, a Snapchat video showed that Kim has the DailyMail.com app at her fingertips on her smart phone home screen

But the reason for the video - shot on a second Snapchat equipped phone obviously - was to plug an app that takes all the difficulty out of private plane travel, undoubtedly a hardship faced by so many of Kim's 68.5million followers.

'If you're a mom you know how crazy it is to travel with two kids... that's why I'm so grateful for JetSmarter,' she said with complete seriousness.

'There's this app where you can go on and find a private plane for you and your family... it just makes everything so easy.'

Back in black: She wore all black for the excursion, including towering heels and three-quarter length leggings

She's got the look: She matched it with a cleavage-baring top and a floor-length cardigan draped over her shoulders in her trademark style

Heavy lifting: Kim hoisted four-month-old Saint from the car, tucked up tight in his car seat

For an annual membership of just $9,000, the so called 'Uber of private jets' allows such travelling moms to take unlimited flights anywhere in the world (as long as the plane was already heading there anyway).

Even with the booking sorted there was still mommy duty to be done, as Kim hoisted four-month-old Saint from the car, tucked up tight in his car seat.

She wore all black for the excursion, including towering heels, three-quarter length leggings, a cleavage-baring top and a floor-length cardigan draped over her shoulders in her trademark style.

Godsend: Kim made a Snapchat video to plug an app that takes all the difficulty out of private plane travel - undoubtedly a hardship faced by so many of her 68.5million followers

Fist world problems: 'if you're a mom you know how crazy it is to travel with two kids... that's why I'm so grateful for JetSmarter,' she said with complete seriousness

Let's try that again: She got back out of the plane to film another, more slow motion entrance

ready for take-off: Kim posted several Snapchats before boarding her charter flight

Keepsake: She did have one special accessory - a crucifix choker belonging to Kris Jenner, gifted to her by OJ Simpson's late wife six years before she was murdered

She did have one special accessory - a crucifix choker belonging to Kris Jenner, gifted to her by OJ Simpson's late wife six years before she was murdered.

'My mom's necklace. Gift from Nicole brown Simpson #1988,' she captioned a brief vid showcasing it.

Kim's husband Kanye meanwhile was spotted doing some shopping in SoHo while he waited for her in NY.

Alone time: Kim's husband Kanye meanwhile was spotted doing some shopping in SoHo while he waited for her in NY
She was rumoured to be dating Scott Disick.

However, Australian beauty Megan Blake Irwin was seen cuddling up to another man on Friday - fellow Australian model Jordan Barrett.

The genetically blessed duo were seen snuggling together on a couch as they enjoyed a lunch date at Catch Rooftop in NYC.

What would Scott say? Australian beauty Megan Blake Irwin was seen cuddling up to another man on Friday - fellow Australian model Jordan Barrett - despite rumours she had been dating reality star Disick

Intimate: The genetically blessed duo were seen snuggling together on a couch as they enjoyed a lunch date at Catch Rooftop in NYC

Despite spending much of the past week with Scott, Megan, 21, was seen getting quite cosy with the popular 19-year-old model, who in the past has been romantically linked to Hailey Baldwin and Paris Hilton.

The stunning blonde was seen burying her head into Jordan's neck whilst he placed an arm around her shoulder, as they cuddled on a couch in the quaint outdoor setting.

At one point, the pair were seen giggling as Jordan stood up to grab drinks.

Friendly: At one point, the pair were seen giggling as Jordan stood up to grab drinks

Strutting his stuff: Megan was seen getting cosy with the popular 19-year-old model, who in the past has been romantically linked to Hailey Baldwin and Paris Hilton

For the casual outing, Megan covered up her lithe supermodel figure in a leather biker jacket which she wore over a black turtleneck jumper.

She accentuated her pretty features with a natural application of makeup and wore her bright blonde tresses sweeping over her shoulders.

Meanwhile, Jordan - who is close friends with Kendall and Kylie Jenner and Gigi Hadid - wore an over-sized black cardigan over a white T-shirt.

For their meet, the pair were joined by a handful of pals including fellow Australian model Tahnee Atkinson.

New fling? The 21-year-old had been rumoured to be dating Scott, after the pair were frequently seen out and about with one another in the past week

During the outing, Megan uploaded a playful video of herself to Instagram.

In the clip she is seen striking a number of seductive poses whilst tying her hair up into a ponytail - even biting and licking her lip at one point.

She captioned the sexy snippet: 'Talk'n bout our Generation. Talk'n NYC talk'n @tahnee711 Talk'n @iblamejordan Dammm that leather @kirstyirwinofficial jacket.'

Seductive: During the outing, Megan uploaded a playful video of herself to Instagram which saw her biting and licking her lip

Showing Scott what he's missing? In the clip Megan is seen striking a number of seductive poses whilst tying her hair up into a ponytail

Megan's outing with Jordan comes just 12-hours after Scott left New York City.

The 32-year-old former Keeping Up With The Kardashians star and the Aussie glamour have been frequently seen out and about with one another in the past week.

The pair put on a cosy display as they left a party on Wednesday following their dinner date at Koi Japanese restaurant in Los Angeles.

Intimate? Last year, Jordan was linked to another famous blonde after he shared an image of himself and Hailey Baldwin getting close during a night out in New York City at the Pat McGrath launch of Phantom 002

Couples who dress together: Earlier in the year, Jordan and Hailey dressed in matching outfits as they enjoyed some time out in London

More than friends? The beauty shared an image of the pair close together for Jordan's birthday with the caption: 'Happy birthday handsome'

Scott has been enjoying the single life since his split with famous girlfriend and mother to his three children, Kourtney Kardashian, last year after nearly a decade together.

Since their split in the summer, the couple who have three children -Mason, six, Penelope, three, and Reign, 15 months - have remained on good terms.

He has been spotted out with several different women in recent months including with model Christine Burke, who he was seen out with in Calabasas last month.

Close: In September they attended an event in Manhattan together where Hailey wrapped her body around Jordan as he carried her for the camera

What Do You Mean? The image sent social media into overdrive with fans asking if the pair were dating while also tagging popstar Justin Bieber - who was linked to the supermodel at the time

Meanwhile last year, Jordan was linked to another famous blonde after he shared an image of himself and Hailey Baldwin getting close during a night out in New York City at the Pat McGrath launch of Phantom 002.

The genetically blessed pair cosied up to each other as they posed in a photo-booth while Jordan lent in to give her an intimate kiss on the side of her lip as she rested her hand on his face.

The image sent social media into overdrive with fans asking if the pair were dating while also tagging popstar Justin Bieber - who was linked to the supermodel at the time.

Over: The American beauty was romantically linked to Justin last year

A thing for blondes? But while he proves to have a strong connection with Hailey, he was recently spotted getting close to fellow Australian model and Cody Simpson's rumoured flame Sahara Ray (pictured)

It wasn't the first time they had been spotted together - prior to the snap, Jordan had shared a number of loved-up images of Hailey and himself.

Last year, Jordan was also spotted getting close to fellow Australian model and Cody Simpson's rumoured flame Sahara Ray, after he shared an image of him and the blonde drinking out of the same glass from a straw during a night out.

The Gold Coast resident was also romantically linked to socialite Pairs Hilton earlier in the year.

The unlikely pair were spotted cuddling up to each other at Cavelli Club in Milan, Italy during fashion week, despite Paris being 15-years his senior.

The past: The young Gold Coast resident first made himself known around the globe after making headlines for his rumoured romance with Paris Hilton, who is 15 years his senior

Public outing: The unlikely pair were spotted cuddling up to each other at Cavelli Club in Milan, Italy, during fashion week

Flying solo: While Megan was spotted with another man in NYC, rumoured flame Scott Disick was seen solo back in Los Angeles

Single? The Keeping Up With The Kardashians star and the Australian model spent a majority of last week together wining and dining in New York

Moving on: The 32-year-old has three children with ex-partner Kourtney Kardashian

New loves: Scott and Kourtney ended their decade-long relationship last year after pictures emerged of Scott getting cozy with an ex-girlfriend while overseas




She's had a hectic schedule lately taking to the stage in her off-Broadway hit Dry Powder.

But Claire Danes still made time for a workout as she jogged along the Hudson River in New York City on Saturday afternoon.

The 37-year-old actress went make-up free for her sweat session as she put her sculpted physique on display in workout gear.

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Sweat sesh: Claire Danes, 37, went make-up free as she jogged in New York City on Saturday

The Homeland star teamed the form-fitting black Nike leggings with a charcoal grey workout top that was adorned with a zippered neckline.

Her signature blonde locks were swept back into a messy bun and she presumably listened to music as she wore earbuds while running.

She completed her gym gear ensemble with black trainers while finishing up her exercise regimen for the day.

Leggy blonde: The Homeland actress showed off her sculpted stems in black workout tights as she made her way along the Hudson River

Mane attraction: The Golden Globe winner swept her signature blonde locks into a messy bun while exercising

Working up a sweat: The acclaimed star is clearly a fan of keeping fit while enjoying her beloved city

Once she'd finished her run, the Brokedown Palace actress was seen taking her pet pooch for a run of his own.

Spotted in Manhattan's Soho district, she was seen cleaning up after her dog while walking through the trendy neighborhood.

She was then seen getting two cups of coffee before heading home to see husband Hugh Dancy.

Once she'd finished her run, the Brokedown Palace actress was seen taking her pet pooch for a run of his own

Not her best look! Poor Claire was forced to carry the offending mess to the nearest bin

Later on in the afternoon she had changed wardrobes and was spotted as she arrived at the Public Theatre where she stars in Dry Powder.

Danes, who first shot to fame in 1994's critically-acclaimed My So-Called Life, lugged a large roller suitcase.

She was dressed in a chic two-tone coat which hit at the knee and cinched around her waistline, highlighting her slender physique.

Taking to the stage: After her workout, Danes changed into a chic ensemble as she arrived at the Public Theatre where she stars in the off-Broadway hit Dry Powder

The couture black and lavender number wrapped around her petite frame over a pair of denim skinny jeans to add an effortless cool vibe.

But ever the Hollywood A-lister, Danes upgraded the look with peep-toed grey heels and a large black designer handbag.

The play opened last month and also stars John Krasinski and Hank Azaria.

Meanwhile, Claire is signed up to return as Carrie Mathison for a sixth season of her hit Showtime series this September 2016.

Multi-talented star! Claire lugged a large roller suitcase despite wearing sexy peep-toed heels

It was recently revealed that the upcoming season of Claire's popular series would shift focus to be more 'domestically' based.

When asked for details, Showtime president David Nevins revealed: 'It will be set domestically, primarily in the New York area.'

Having been set everywhere from the streets of Berlin to Pakistan, Homeland has seen its location and focus shift away from America.

The multi-talented star is juggling her theatre commitments with being a mom to her three-year-old son Cyrus with husband Hugh Dancy.
They exchanged their vows in an intimate rustic farmhouse ceremony.

And days after saying 'I do' My Kitchen Rules judge Pete Evans reiterated his love for second wife Nicola Robinson Evans, 39, with a tender message on Instagram.

The paleo-loving television personality penned a gushing tribute on Sunday, saying: 'Everyday is unique & special, but this particular day was a fairy tail! [sic].

'Thank you for creating such a wonderfully magic day to celebrate LOVE!'

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Thank you for creating such a wonderfully magic day': My Kitchen Rules judge Pete Evans reiterated his love for second wife Nicola Robinson Evans, 39, with a tender message on Instagram

The couple married in front of Pete's two children Indii and Chilli and his three ladies were pictured horse back riding through a paddock on their wedding day.

Last week, days after tying the knot, Peter proudly called Nicole, aka Nutritionmermaid, his wife in an Instagram post.

And on Saturday, Nicola shared the picture alongside the words: 'We're not shy of a little dance in the rain... My Dragon & I! #onefoot #onelove #oneness'.

Galloping into happily ever after: Nicola Robinson Evans, 39, provided a glimpse at her dreamy nuptials with a photo of herself riding horseback through a paddock while clad in her wedding dress this week

Pete also shared the photo and captioned it simply with: 'Like the wind! #fearless'.

It comes after Nicola made her marriage Instagram official by changing her name to Nicola Robinson Evans on the photo-sharing platform.

Her handle nutritionmermaid remains the same.

Taking the next step: Nicola has changed her Instagram name to 'Nicola Robinson Evans' after tying the knot with THE My Kitchen Rules judge

Slight change: Her handle nutritionmermaid remains the same, though her name is now extended

In an article published in New Idea magazine earlier this week, Nicola opened up about her decision to change her surname after marrying 42-year-old celebrity chef Pete.

'I've always felt reluctant to change my name out of respect for my own family, but it's definitely time for me to honour Pete and share his last name,' she told the publication.

The couple also shared some details of their farmhouse wedding in New South Wales with the magazine.

Making the switch: She told New Idea magazine 'it's definitely time for me to honour Pete and share his last name'

The couple revealed the intimate affair was complete with 'butterfly bridesmaids, four-legged guests and Paleo cake'.

'We didn't write vows, we chose to do what we call "winging it",' Nicola revealed of the pair's nuptials.

'We shared our deepest hopes, dreams and promises from our hearts.'

The pair's nuptials come after the celebrity chef proposed last year while they were on holiday in New York.

Loved up: Pete met his second wife Nicola in Adelaide four years ago, and she has been a driving force behind his Paleo lifestyle

They met four years ago in Adelaide and she has been a driving force behind his Paleo lifestyle.

Nicola was previously married to millionaire Warriors rugby league club owner, Eric Watson, though they didn't have children together.
She's a darling of the big screen, and also one of Hollywood's best-dressed.

And Freida Pinto made no mistake in the wardrobe department on Saturday, as she stepped out for the night in New York, hours after jetting in from Los Angeles.

The 31-year-old actress was a vision in an all-black ensemble, that made the most of her enviable figure while also having a typically classy, conservative edge.

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Night out in the Big Apple! Freida Pinto looked sensational in a black jumpsuit as she stepped out in New York on Saturday

Oozing confidence, the Slumdog Millionaire star donned a mid-length black jumpsuit with wide trousers - to give the appearance of a skirt when she sashayed down the street - with a flattering cut-out over her trim waistline.

But the most eye-catching part of the gown's design with the incredibly low-cut V-neck, showing off almost every inch of her decolletage and small cleavage.

She covered her bare shoulders with a gorgeous Chanel black and white tweed cropped jacket, adding a touch of designer flair to her night out aesthetic.

Racy touches: The 31-year-old actress flaunted her enviable trim figure in the black one-piece, which included a very plunging neckline and a cut-out detail over her middle

Classic: She draped a black and white Chanel jacket over her bare shoulders to fend off the evening chill

And flashing her toned, silky pins, she elongated her legs further with a pair of classic black pointed court shoes.

The Mumbai-born star kept the rest of her appearance simple, her raven hair scraped back away from her face, which was adorned with little make-up apart from a splash of scarlet on her smiling lips.

Hours before, the beauty was seen departing Los Angeles International airport en route to the Big Apple.

Rocking a far more casual and flight-appropriate look, Freida opted for a structured bubblegum pink leather jacket over a plain white top, which she teamed with a pair of ripped skinny jeans.

Leggy display: Flashing her toned, silky pins, she elongated her legs further with a pair of classic black pointed court shoes

Colour pop! The naturally-beautiful Mumbai-born Hollywood star kept her make-up simple, with a ravishing red painted on her lips

The jeans fell short of her ankles and showed off her stylish metallic loafers, which looked the epitome of comfort for the flight ahead.

Throwing her hair up in a ponytail served to exaggerate her pink smiley pout, and she shielded the rest of her face with a pair of dark tinted sunglasses.

Freida has carved out quite the career for herself in Hollywood, however recently spoke to ELLE about the pressures she faces in regards to representing Indian women.

'Telling stories from my subcontinent is my way of making sure that I'm representing stories from my part of the world on a global scale,' she mentioned.

Jet-setter: Freida looked casual and stylish arrived for an outbound flight at LAX airport, Los Angeles on Friday

Jovial display: Throwing her hair up in a ponytail served to exaggerate her pout, as she donned a white t-shirt with jeans and a pink leather jacket for her trek

'After I did Slumdog Millionaire I made a very conscious decision, I wanted to make sure everything I make is enjoyed on a global scale. I want it to be for everybody, [because] I'm so proud of where I come from.

'Talking about borders and boundaries is the biggest obstacle for diversity. As soon as we let that fade, it will be much better for all of us,' the brunette concluded.

Work aside, she has been enjoying her downtime with professional polo player since they met in October of last year.

They moved quickly, even holidaying in Vancouver together shortly after to celebrate Freida's birthday.

The attractive duo finally made their red carpet debut at the Vanity Fair Oscars party back in February.

The former model mentioned early last year that she's still 'good friends' with ex Dev Patel, who was six years her junior.

After her sudden split to the British actor, she relocated from London to Los Angeles where she is making full use of the city's resources.
She often likes to glam up.

So it's perhaps not surprising that Hailee Steinfeld was on fine fashion form when she attended The Radio Disney Music Awards in LA on Saturday.

The brunette beauty turned heads at the annual event, which took place at the Microsoft Theater in downtown Hollywood.

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Cool: Hailee Steinfeld was on fine fashion form when she attended The Radio Disney Music Awards in LA

Keeping it classy, the 19 year-old oozed sophistication in her choice of attire.

Clearly dressing to impress for her attendance, which included a performance with Hudson Thames, the star looked cute in a black dress with short sleeves and a demure crew neckline along with a jeweled underskirt.

She parted her long locks to the side and capped the look with a pair of platform wedges.

Looking good: The brunette beauty turned heads at the annual event, which took place at the Microsoft Theater in downtown Hollywood

Smiling broadly and waving to onlookers, she was clearly on good form at the event, which was being taped on Saturday and broadcast on the Disney Channel the following night.

Excited by her inclusion in the show's line-up, she took to Twitter to say: 'I haven't really been on Twitter for a hot second.

'I'm so excited for you all to see my RDMA performance!'

Clearly dressing to impress for her attendance, which included a performance with Hudson Thames, the star looked cute in a black dress with short sleeves and a demure crew neckline along with a jeweled underskirt

Naturally, it was 'liked' countless times by her 500,000 fans on the micro-blogging website.

Not that she was the only big name there, of course.

She was also joined by the likes of Justin Bieber and Ariana Grande who were equally on strong sartorial form.
David Walliams, 44, is reportedly dating 24-year-old Playboy model Emily Agnes.

Sources tell The Sun that the womanising funnyman has enjoyed several dates with the Surrey-born beauty yet she is reluctant to take things further.

Emily is said to be hesitant due to the Britain's Got Talent judge's recent divorce from Dutch model Lara Stone, fearing he is not ready for a relationship.

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Wonder what he sees in her? David Walliams, 44, is reportedly dating 24-year-old Playboy model Emily Agnes

In 2014, Emily was plucked from thousands to be named Playboy's July Playmate, shooting her to international fame due to her all natural and incredible figure.

David officially split from Lara in September after five years of marriage and the Lothario, who was recently linked to Made In Chelsea beauty Ashley James looks like she has moved on.

The source revealed: 'Emily was flattered when David approached her and was even more impressed by his charm and lovely manners.

'He made no secret of the fact he was very interested and asked her out straight away. They went on quite a few dates and Emily had a great time. But she was conscious that he recently ended his marriage.'

Something to smile about? Sources tell The Sun that the womanising funnyman has enjoyed several dates with the Surrey-born beauty yet she is reluctant to take things further

Incredible curves: In 2014, Emily was plucked from thousands to be named Playboy's July Playmate, shooting her to international fame due to her all natural and incredible figure

Wowsers: David officially split from Lara in September after five years of marriage and the Lothario, who was recently linked to Made In Chelsea beauty Ashley James looks like she has moved on

With Emily's concerns that David is not ready for love, Lara has moved on relatively publicly after cosying up to businessman boyfriend Andrew Grey at the BRITs in February.

David, who shares son Alfred with Lara, who will turn three on Friday, has reportedly offered Emily tickets to see the live Britain's Got Talent shows - where he is currently sitting on the judging panel.

In 2015 David is said to have dated former Made In Chelsea star Ashley James after reportedly meeting through mutual friends at a party.

According to Mirror, the Little Britain star pulled out all the stops in impress the blonde beauty.

Lost love: With Emily's concerns that David is not ready for love, Lara has moved on relatively publicly after cosying up to businessman boyfriend Andrew Grey at the BRITs in February

Come to my show? David, who shares son Alfred with Lara, who will turn three on Friday, has reportedly offered Emily tickets to see the live Britain's Got Talent shows - where he is currently sitting on the judging panel

'It's a slow-burner but David has made his feelings clear,' a source told the publication. 'He recently sent her a bunch of white roses and a card signed 'DW'.

'They hang out in a group with other people and she has been to his house with other friends.

Back in 2014, Emily spoke to The Sun about her dating life: 'I'm back in the dating game but haven't come across anyone yet. I'm hoping the Playboy shoot may get me a new boyfriend. I'm a very sexual person so I would love to find someone.

Have a type? In 2015 David is said to have dated former Made In Chelsea star Ashley James after reportedly meeting through mutual friends at a party

Stunner: Back in 2014, Emily spoke to The Sun about her dating life: 'I'm back in the dating game but haven't come across anyone yet. I'm hoping the Playboy shoot may get me a new boyfriend. I'm a very sexual person so I would love to find someone'

'I like someone who is independent and has got something going for them. I don't massively care what they look like either.

'I'm not someone who goes for looks. I don't like men who are groomed and tanned. A man should be a man.'

The stunning model was the first British playmate in over a decade when she appeared in the spread two years ago.
He has been known to turn the air blue in awkward situations.

And Bob Geldof seemed to launch into a fuming tirade as he enjoyed a walk down London's Kings Road earlier this week.

The 64-year-old rocker and philanthropist looked stylish as he strolled along the street before things seemed to become heated with a group of passersby.

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Whats going on? Bob Geldof seemed to launch into a fuming tirade as he enjoyed a walk down London's Kings Road earlier this week

Clad in a tweed trench coat with a white baker boy cap and a cream suit, Bob looked cutting edge, slotting perfectly into his indie persona.

Hopping around various shops on the upmarket shopping hub, the Irish star proved fame has not led him to high end fashions as he headed into a Cancer Research charity shop.

Known to launch into impassioned rants, particularly about his beloved charities, the Live Aid founder was extremely expressive during his chat with the males.

Having it out: The 64-year-old rocker and philanthropist looked stylish as he strolled along the street before things seemed to become heated with a group of passersby

Heated: Clad in a tweed trench coat with a white baker boy cap and a cream suit, Bob looked cutting edge, slotting perfectly into his indie persona

Calm before the storm: Before having his run in, Bob looked calm and collected

Daddy cool: Bob cut a particularly trendy figure as he ventured down the road in his smart ensemble

Making his point... At various intervals Bob held his hand up to ensure he could entirely say his part

While his counterparts appeared to remain relatively calm Bob appeared to get the better of himself and persist in his dramatic outburst.

After the group exchanged explosive words, Bob appeared to come to a settlement as Bob extended his hand and gave the fellow pedestrian a tap on the shoulder.

MailOnline has contacted a representative for Bob for comment.

Calming it down: While his counterparts appeared to remain relatively calm Bob appeared to get the better of himself and persist in his dramatic outburst

Pointing the finger: Bob appeared accusatory in his approach to the conversation

Hold up! Bob's excess of hand movements made it clear he was feeling heated about something

Hands up! Bob held his hand up to ensure he could continue to get his point across

Moving on: A calmer Bob ventured away from the chat looked soothed

Expressive: Bob was clearly becoming heated in his chat as he raised his hands expressively

Having his say: Bob seemed prepared to listen to the gilet-baring man yet only momentarily

Last month, Bob commemorated the second anniversary of his daughter Peaches' death and earlier this year he revealed his heartbreak and anger in the aftermath of her death.

The musician recently admitted that he was left with 'angry' feelings towards his daughter following her death from a heroin overdose at the age of 25, in April 2014.

Opening up about his emotions regarding his daughter and her mother Paula Yates, Bob explained he guards himself against grief and weeping, although he still loves them 'to the core of my soul'.

No low profile here... Far from going incognito, Bob made himself known as he became embroiled in the chat

Coming back... Bob's counterpart appeared to be just as ready to go as he pointed at the rocker

Getting serious: Bob's facial expressions spoke a thousand words as he had it out

Bite to eat: Prior to his chat Bob enjoyed a bite at Frantoio Italian restaurant

Time heals all wounds? After the group exchanged explosive words, Bob appeared to come to a settlement as Bob extended his hand and gave the fellow pedestrian a tap on the shoulder

Speaking to The Mirror, he said: 'At the time, with Peaches I mean, immediately afterwards, I was extremely angry with her and probably that was the energy you discerned, it wasnt a positive thing at all.'

Talking about his coping mechanism for the loss of Peaches and her mother Paula Yates, who also died from a heroin overdoes in 2000, he explained he tries to not get 'drippy or sentimental'.

He explained: 'I watch against myself getting drippy or sentimental about either of them [Peaches and her mother Paula Yates] although I loved them to the core of my soul and still do.

'Im not incontinent with my blubbing but when the need arises, I do. I think male crying is somehow different, it seems to come and last a bit and then it goes.'

All's well that ends well? Things appeared to simmer among the group once Bob calmed down

You can leave your hat on... The rocker was seen readjusting his cap as he had the chat

On his way: Bob had a determined stroll as he continued his amble along the road
She may be finding her feet as a single mother after splitting from Olympic swimmer Michael Klim.

But Lindy Klim has certainly found her water legs as she enjoyed some of Australia's finest oysters in an unusual dining experience at Tasmania's Saffire Freycinet resort.

Sharing a snap to Instagram, the 37-year-old stands waist-deep in the water as she leans on a large wooden table, draped in a white cloth with a pile of fresh oysters in front of her.

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Sea legs: Lindy Klim took to Instagram over the weekend to share her unusual dining experience as she enjoyed some of Australia's finest oysters at Tasmania's Saffire Freycinet resort

Captioning the black-and-white picture Lindy wrote :'Dinning (sic) on Fresh oysters straight out of the water in fact I didn't even get out of the water...'

The model then gave high praise to the resort adding, '@saffirefreycinet AMAZING!!! Ps how good are my waders' and including the hashtags #saffirefreycinet #tasmania #oysters #nextlevel.

After referring to her waterproof garments, Lindy wears a white T-shirt under the overalls, showing off her slender arms, while her dark tresses are tied back into a high bun.

Lindy was back in Australia this week after attending the new pilot uniform launch for Qantas.

Captain Klim: The model was back in Australia this week after attending the new pilot uniform launch for Qantas and shared a cheeky selfie donning a pilot's hat

The mother-of-three took to social media to share a selfie of herself at the event as she donned a captain's hat for the cheeky snap.

Lindy and Michael announced their separation after ten years of marriage in a joint statement in February after months of speculation.

The former couple have three children together Stella, 10, Rocco, seven and Frankie, four.

'I am determined to work harder': The mother-of-three has opened up about life after her separation from her husband of ten years, Olympic swimmer Michael, in a new interview

They currently split their time between Bali and Melbourne, with the children going to school on the beautiful Indonesian Island.

Last month the Balinese princess opened up to Moda Familia about her new life as a working single mother.

It has definitely made me really determined to work harder and I think it's important for me to show my children how essential it is for women to work and to have their own independence, she told the publication.

No longer an item: Lindy and Michael, who tied the knot in 2006, announced their separation in a joint statement in February after months of speculation

When asked about how her young brood are dealing with the change in family dynamic Lindy confessed they were in a good place'.

I think that, despite what is happening in our life right now, the children are happy and in a really good place; they know that they are very much loved and we have family around to support us, too, she added.

We know it is a big change for them but at the same time they're coping well because they remain in their home, in the same environment.

'The children are happy': Speaking about how her young brood are dealing with the split, Lindy confessed that they are in a good place at the moment

Making it work: The former couple split their time between Bali and Melbourne, with their children - Stella, 10, Frankie, four, and Rocco, seven - going to school on the beautiful Indonesian Island

'Sunset swims': Lindy shared a sweet snap to Instagram with her eldest daughter Stella as they stood embracing each other on the beach in Bali




The Today Show's Lisa Wilkinson slammed reports she is feuding with co-star Sylvia Jeffreys on Sunday evening.

The 56-year-old news anchor took to social media to address the allegations published by the Sydney Morning Herald on Saturday which suggested the pair 'barely speak off camera'.

'As you all know @sylviajeffreys & I are great mates and love working together,' Ms Wilkinson posted to Instagram alongside an image of herself and the blonde beauty.

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Hitting back: The Today Show's Lisa Wilkinson (R) slammed reports she is feuding with co-star Sylvia Jeffreys (L) on Sunday night

Her statement continued: 'But for some bizarre reason, a journalist at the Sydney Morning Herald decided to report on supposed "rumours of a rift" between us this weekend.

'So let me tell you here what I told him - and I quote - "complete bull***t!"

'And when I suggested that the source that contacted him with this "rumour" could be someone not happy with @thetodayshow now being the Number One breakfast show in the country, he agreed. But it was printed anyway.'

The posted continued: 'Sylvia and I couldn't enjoy working together, be more supportive, or respect each other more.

Speaking out: The 56-year-old posted 'As you all know @sylviajeffreys & I are great mates and love working together' alongside an image of the pair together

Honest: It continued: 'And when I suggested that the source that contacted him with this "rumour" could be someone not happy with @thetodayshow now being the Number One breakfast show in the country, he agreed'

'THAT, in fact, should be the headline! But obviously that sort of good news - or the crazy idea of women supporting women - doesn't sell newspapers these days. #girlpower.'

Ms Jeffreys quickly re-tweeted the words published by her co-host to Twitter, adding: 'And that is why I love working with @lisa_wilkinson.

'Nailed it. See you bright & early xxxx,' she concluded.

At the time the Sydney Morning Herald's Saturday Private Sydney column reported that there had been 'rumours that their relationship had cooled off dramatically, to the point where the women barely spoke off camera', though Channel Nine was quick to deny that was the case.

Reasoning: The social media address came a day after the Sydney Morning Herald published an article which suggested the pair 'barely speak off camera' and are having an ongoing 'feud'

A Channel Nine spokesperson told Daily Mail Australia on Saturday: 'they were rumours and based on no truth'.

A source close to Ms Wilkinson and 30-year-old Ms Jeffreys also denied such a 'professional rift' exists between the show's main co-host and newsreader.

Explaining they are 'good friends', one source told The Sydney Morning Herald that 'Sylvia sees Lisa as a great supporter and mentor, and Sylvia has nothing but the upmost (sic) respect for Lisa'.

Both media personalities are managed by The Fordham Company, with its CEO Nick Fordham told the publication there are definitely no issues between the pair and 'they really like each other'.

Stepping in: It comes after Ms Jerffreys took to the co-hosting seat alongside Karl Stefanovic last week while Lisa was away

While Ms Wilkinson has been co-hosting the network's breakfast program, The Today Show, alongside Karl Stefanovic since 2007, Ms Jeffreys' prominent involvement with the show is much more recent.

She had big shoes to fill when she replaced Georgie Gardner as newsreader in mid 2014.

Last November the journalist revealed how Ms Wilkinson helped her deal with the public backlash she faced after replacing fan favourite Ms Gardner, 44.

Celebrity couple: Sylvia is dating The Today Show co-host Karl Stefanovic's brother Pete who also works with the network

'Lisa has shared a lot of personal experiences with me. She's taught me to stand up for myself', she told The Daily Telegraph at the time.

'Women can find it difficult to ruffle feathers but she's taught me it's okay to be a feather ruffler if it's something you believe in.'

The past week has seen Ms Jeffreys co-hosting alongside Mr Stefanovic while Ms Wilkinson has been away.

And while she wasn't in the studio to wish her colleague a happy birthday last week, Ms Wilkinson's social media post on Friday certainly suggested there is no bad blood between the pair.

'A huge happy 30th birthday to the super talented and completely gorgeous @sylviajeffreys - without doubt one of the best women I know. Have a gorgeous day SJ.xx (sic),' read the caption next to a photo of the two women at the 2015 Logie Awards.

The battle for breakfast has never been tighter, with The Today Show's rise in ratings recently against rival show Sunrise.
She's just days away from the biggest fashion event of the year.

And Alexa Chung treated the Vogue.com Cocktail Party as a suitable Met Gala warm-up as she showed off her chic and quirky style sense at Search & Destroy in New York on Saturday.

Joined by other glamorous invitees, the 32-year-old presenter ensured all eyes would be on her as she donned a bright blue teddy bear texture coat.

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Dressed to impress: Alexa Chung treated the Vogue.com Cocktail Party as a suitable Met Gala warm-up as she showed off her quirky style sense at Search & Destroy in New York on Saturday

Keeping her vibrant jacket the focal point of her ensemble, she opted to wear all-black underneath, slipping her lean legs into a pair of wet look leather trousers.

Clinging to her tanned and toned pins, she added some extra height to her modelesque frame with a pair of barely there black heels.

Concealing her lithe frame beneath a plain black T-shirt, the star - who has designed her own clothes line for Marks and Spencer - also sensibly carried a cream jumper so that she could layer up if needed.

Beary nice! Joined by other glamorous invitees, the 32-year-old presenter ensured all eyes would be on her as she donned a bright blue teddy bear texture coat with chic cropped sleeves

Leggy lady! Keeping her vibrant jacket the focal point of her ensemble, she opted to wear all-black underneath, slipping her lean legs into a pair of wet look leather trousers

Wearing her chestnut coloured locks in her signature bob, her tousled glossy tresses were styled in a centre parting, framing her pretty face.

Swept back with a glittering barette, she opted to keep the rest of her accessories simple, donning a smattering of delicate silver rings.

Allowing her natural beauty to shine through, she merely accentuated her flawless features with a sweep of mascara and slick of rosy pink lipstick.

Brunette beauty: Wearing her chestnut coloured locks in her signature bob, her tousled glossy tresses were styled in a centre parting, swept back with a glittering barette to frame her pretty face

Finishing touches: Clinging to her tanned and toned pins, she added some extra height to her modelesque frame with a pair of barely there black heels, whilst she donned a myriad of silver rings

Turning heads at Vogue's pre-Met Gala party, Alexa was no doubt full of anticipation for Monday night's event at the Metropolitan Museum Of Art.

With this year's theme announced as Manus x Machina: Fashion in an Age of Technology, Alexa will no doubt be feeling the pressure to find the perfect dress after wowing the attendees with her Erdem creation last year.

Clad in a satin purple ballgown, Alexa turned heads as she explained to Vogue: 'I love that it looked sort of regal but also felt easy to wear, its such a special dress.'
She was forced to withdraw from the 2014 season of MasterChef Australia due to prolonged effects from a serious head injury she sustained while snowboarding.

But on Sunday night, Cecilia Vuong made her triumphant return as the cooking competition return to screens for its eighth season.

'Because of my 12-year-old son Nathan I am back here today,' the proud mum exclaimed to judges Gary Mehigan, George Calombaris, and Matt Preston.

'Because of my 12-year-old son Nathan I am back here today:' Cecilia Vuong made her courageous return to MasterChef on Sunday, two years after bowing out of the competition due to a head injury

Proving her resilience and determination to set a good example for her son, the teacher continued: 'If something goes wrong and you have a second chance you should take it.'

She added: 'I told my 12-year-old son Nathan that if you fall, you can get back up'.

The 31-year-old cooked her unique, macaroon and ice cream dessert as loyal son Nathan stood by her side, delivering instructions and offering words of support to his brave mum.

'I told my 12-year-old son Nathan that if you fall, you can get back up,' said the 31-year-old

'If something goes wrong and you have a second chance you should take it:' The teacher prepared a delicious macaroon dessert

When it came time for her to face the judges for the second time in her life, the inspiring Cecilia was showered with praise.

'It's the perfect macaroon!' said judge Gary Mehigan as he tried the dessert.

Matt Preston then exited the room, only to return with Nathan who personally handed his mother her apron.

Cecilia and Nathan then embraced as they shed tears of joy.

'It's the perfect macaroon!' said judge Gary Mehigan as he tried the delicious dessert

Overwhelmed: The doting single mum shed tears after receiving the good news from her son Nathan, who personally handed her the apron to signal that she had made it through to the next round

Happy family: Cecilia and Nathan hugged tightly as they celebrated the win together

Speaking to Who magazine earlier this week, the single mother recounted her terrifying stroke and the subsequent brain surgery she endured in 2013, a year before she first applied for MasterChef.

'It felt like somebody was whacking my head with a metal bat,' she said, recounting the accident when she and Nathan snowboarded during a trip to Mount Hotham in Victoria.

Sent to hospital immediately after having a stroke, she underwent brain surgery.

After recovering, Cecilia decided to audition for MasterChef in 2014, but had to withdraw soon after due to chances her memory could fail her during high-pressure challenges.

Shock exit: She sustained a head injury while snowboarding in August 2013, and had to exit MasterChef in 2014 early due to prolonged effects of her injury

Tough times: 'It felt like somebody was whacking my head with a metal bat,' she has said, recounting the accident when she and son Nathan snowboarded during a trip to Mount Hotham in Victoria

Her exit from the stress-inducing show came as a shock to viewers and her fellow contestants, with judge Gary Mehigan saying 'It's not in her best interest' to continue.

He said: As you know, Cecilia is recovering from a brain injury. We received expert medical advice instructing us that it is not in her best interest to continue in the competition.

Cecilia is a brilliant cook and we all hope we see her next year in this competition.

Cecilia is a brilliant cook': The judges George Calombaris, Gary Mehigan and Matt Preston were full of praised for the maths teacher when she appeared on the show in 2014

Cecilia was replaced by 18-year-old Georgia Hughes from South Australia who had just missed out on making the final 24.

The maths teacher had lost the ability to perform simple equations, however, as a result her creative instincts blossomed and she developed the desire to cook.

She floored the judges with her Jaffa and sesame macaroons, putting her through to the top 22.

Stunning: She floored the judges with her Jaffa and sesame macaroons
He's the self-proclaimed 'international male model' who shot to fame on The Bachelorette.

And on Saturday David Witko proved that he still has his model good looks as he flaunted his muscular, defined physique in a shirtless selfie.

'The only person that motivates me... is me,' the 31-year-old wrote on Instagram.

'The only person that motivates me... is me,' wrote David Witko on Saturday as he shared a stunning shirtless selfie to his Instagram fans

The blonde beauty added the hashtags 'fitness' and 'motivation.'

Irish hairstylist Michael Brennan commented on the provocative image, writing 'supermodel.'

Clearly flattered, David responded 'Oh thx' following some heart emojis.

After appearing on The Bachelorette last year, David had transitioned back to his day job as a working male model.

The muscular blonde recently modelled for online op shop, The Op Market.

Still working: After finding fame on The Bachelorette, the 31-year-old self-proclaimed 'international male model' is still working as a model, recently shooting for an online op shop

He's also working as a producer at The LDB Agency creating visual content alongside popular fashion photographer Andrew Maccoll.

Last December, David revealed that he didn't regret his time on The Bachelorette despite being portrayed as a villain on the reality series.

'No, I don't regret it, I think it was a fantastic experience,' he told the AAP.

'The reason why you go on a show like that, is because, number one, you want to know what it's all about,' he continued.

He finished: 'I was a little bit shocked in regards to the public's reaction, but I think I've shaken it all off now, like Taylor Swift says, and haters gonna hate,' he said.
She's been busy filming Office Christmas Party in Toronto with Jennifer Aniston.

But Olivia Munn took time out on Saturday to welcome a new four-legged friend into her life.

The 35-year-old showed off her svelte figure as well as her new puppy in an Instagram post.

New addition: Olivia Munn took time out on Saturday to welcome a new four-legged friend into her life

The Zoolander 2 actress flashed her toned midriff as she is seen having a lie down with the teeny pooch.

She captioned the snap: 'Meet Frank Rodgers. Frankie for short. Mr. Frank for business meetings. SOOO much love to Sasha from @loveleorescue for rescuing this sweet pup. We are so excited to have a brother for Chance! #adoptdontshop @FrankieRodgers12

She has been dating Aaron Rodgers, so that is how the dog got his last name.

Munn has also set up Instagram accounts for both her pet dogs, and shared cute snaps of them meeting each other. The dog-loving star was also joined on set on Sunday in Atlanta by her rescued spaniel Chance.

Hitching a lift: The dog-loving star was also joined on set on Sunday in Atlanta by her existing rescued pet Chance

Looking make-up free, with her brunette tresses casually pulled into a bun, Olivia carried the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel she adopted a 16 months ago in her arms.

Wearing double denim - a pale blue shirt with indigo skin tight jeans, the Ride Along 2 actress then persuaded an assistant to give a lift to her cute companion.

Despite working hard to establish herself in front of the cameras, the X-Men actress recently said she could move to directing or working behind the scenes.

Not walkies: The Ride Along 2 actress then persuaded an assistant to give a lift to her cute companion across the filming lot

True blue: The Zoolander 2 actress was wearing double denim - a pale shirt with indigo skin tight jeans

She told American Way magazine: 'For me, I would eventually love to be behind and not in front of the camera. Even my own friends are like, "Really?"

'I love being an actor. Maybe its just the feeling of being in front of the camera or the people Ive met whove rubbed me the wrong'

'When youre behind the scenes, you get to shape the whole thing. In front, its just your character.

Comedy Office Christmas Party is due in movie theatres on December 9 this year.

Welcoming: Olivia has set up Instagram accounts for both of her rescue dogs
It looks as if they're back together.

On Saturday Dakota Johnson and rocker Matthew Hitt were spotted holding hands as they strolled in New York City. Their meeting comes just hours after she jetted in from Vancouver, B.C. where she's filming the 50 Shades Of Grey sequels.

The two were broken up for several months earlier this year.

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Back on? Dakota Johnson and her on-off rocker boyfriend Matthew Hitt were spotted holding hands as they strolled in New York on Saturday

The 26-year-old actress and the Welsh frontman for indie band The Drowners, who turns 29 on May 30, certainly looked like an item and even wore matching black leather biker jackets.

Dakota teamed hers with a beautifully fresh white wrap dress with small blue flowers and a chain design that she wore with black flats.

The 50 Shades star left her long brunette tresses to cascade over her shoulders. And she accessorised with a pair of over-sized dark glasses while carrying a small plastic bag.

Dakota smiled up at her 6ft 1ins boyfriend as they strolled. He kept to his rocker roots, wearing a white T-shirt, black jeans and black shoes, with his dark hair neatly trimmed.

Loved up look: The 26-year-old actress and the Welsh frontman for indie band The Drowners, who turns 29 on May 30, haven't been seen together since January and Dakota denied that they were an item in February

It's been a rocky road for the young couple who dated for a few months before splitting last summer.

Dakota confirmed she and Matthew had gone their separate ways during an appearance on The Ellen DeGeneres Show.

When the talk show host asked Dakota: 'Are you in a relationship?' she replied 'no' with a nervous laugh.

Enjoying each other's company: The couple certainly looked like they were back together as they chatted and laughed while they walked

Time for a rest: After confirming their reununion on Saturday, the couple were once again spotted out and about in New York City on Sunday

But they were seen together in New York in October and again in late January when the couple left Dakota's New York apartment separately, making it seem that they were on again.

Dakota squashed that rumour in February when she told Marie Claire that she currently only had the capacity for platonic relationships.

'I don't have a boyfriend. Why? You got one for me?' she replied when asked by the magazine if she was taken. 'Right now I find myself having the capacity to love my family and friends, and that's it.'

Working girl: Dakota's trip to New York is likely to be brief as she will be due back in Vancouver to reprise her role as Anastasia Steele with Jamie Dornan as her kinky millionaire businessman lover, Christian Grey. Director James Foley is filming 50 Shades Darker and 50 Shades Freed back-to-back

But it appears things may have changed.

However, Dakota's trip to New York is likely to be brief as she will be due back in Vancouver to reprise her role as Anastasia Steele in Fifty Shades Darker.

She co-stars with Jamie Dornan as her kinky millionaire businessman lover, Christian Grey.

Director James Foley is filming Darker and 50 Shades Freed back-to-back with the first scheduled for release on February 10, while Fifty Shades Freed hits theaters on February 9, 2018.

Keeping it casual: Dakota was later spotted enjoying a low-key stroll with a male pal in New York after her romantic stroll with Matthew
She's well-known for her love of fashion and supermodel Rosie Huntington-Whiteley pulled out the stops once again on Sunday when she headed out in New York.

Ahead of Monday's hotly-anticipated Met Gala, the 29-year-old looked stunning as she stepped out wearing an oversized camel cardigan.

She teamed the number with a pair of form-fitting leather trousers which showed off her long and lean legs.

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How does she do it? She's well-known for her love of fashion and supermodel Rosie Huntington-Whiteley pulled out the stops once again on Sunday when she headed out in New York

Adding some extra height to her look, she wore a pair of sky-high ankle boots.

The fiancee of movie hunk Jason Statham flashed a glimpse of a grey T-shirt which she wore underneath her outerwear.

Tucking her loosely curled caramel locks behind her ear, Rosie had the ultimate arm candy as she carried a very chic looking designer tote in her hand.

Show-stopper: Ahead of Monday's hotly-anticipated Met Gala, the 29-year-old looked stunning as she stepped out wearing an oversized camel cardigan

All in the details: The fiancee of movie hunk Jason Statham flashed a glimpse of a grey T-shirt which she wore underneath her outerwear

She accessorized with a pair of classic drop diamond earrings and wore immaculate make-up as she made her way to her next destination.

However, a spot of rain threatened to put a dampener on her day until a member of staff kindly held an umbrella over her head for her.

Rosie's effortlessly chic ensemble gave a promising nod to Monday night's Met Gala, which will bring together the biggest names in fashion and the world's most stylish celebrities to help benefit the Metropolitan Museum of Arts Costume Institute.

With this years theme announced as Manus x Machina: Fashion in an Age of Technology, Rosie spoke to Violet Grey about her intense preparations.

Explaining that her custom made dress 'has been hand transported back and forth from LA for fittings multiple times', she gushed: 'I cant wait to see it completely finished!'

The day before, Rosie was pictured leaving her hotel once again wearing the same leather trousers but smartened up with a chic black blazer.
She's preparing to tie the knot with her boyfriend over the next few days.

And Coronation Street actress Catherine Tyldesley, 32, has said that finding out she was pregnant with their child, just four months after meeting, helped her to realise he was The One.

Speaking to Notebook Magazine, she said: 'Meeting Tom was so, so out of the blue. I'm dead lucky. He ticks every box.

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Loved up: Catherine Tyldesley has revealed how she knew that beau, Tom Pitfield, was the right man for her

'Of course it was a shock for us but we were both ready. The fact that I wasn't nervous about telling him proved a point in my head that he was the right guy for me.'

Before she met Tom, Catherine had decided that she no longer believed in love and had even resigned herself to having a baby with a gay friend.

However, her son, Alfie, is now one and she has never looked back.

See Coronation Street news as Catherine Tyldesley talks on beau Tom Pifield

Written in the stars: The 32-year-old fell pregnant just four months after she began dating the former personal trainer

Unlucky in love: Before she met Tom, Catherine had decided that she no longer believed in love and had even resigned herself to having a baby with a gay friend

And her character, Eva Price's love life is also on the up as she has recently rekindled her romance with boyfriend Aiden (Shayne Ward).

But Catherine says that Tom isn't bothered by her kissing other men on screen and has even sat on set while she has canoodled co-stars.

Speaking to the magazine, she said: 'He totally gets the job. Plus the kissing on camera is the least romantic thing ever.'

Laidback: Catherine says that Tom isn't bothered by her kissing other men on screen and has even sat on set while she has canoodled co-stars

Catherine hasn't always been slim and in her younger years reached a size 22.

But she says that it has changed her perspective on life and reveals that she would never let a man buy her a drink because they didn't offer to do so when she was fuller-figured.

The beauty was recently pictured picking up a host of lingerie from the Trafford Centre, ahead of ehr big day which is thought to be in a few days time.

As well as putting the finishing touches to her wedding, she revealed she has been helping her co-star Antony Cotton, who plays Sean Tully to learn a routine for a London Palladium performance.

She wrote: 'Tonight I choreographed my dear pal @antonycotton's dance routine. I spent hours teaching him- but I'm so proud. Well done babe.'

Catherine previously talked to Hello! about her impending wedding and said her son was at the forefront of her mind when making plans.

She said: 'We wanted to wait until after his first birthday in March to tie the knot so he could be part of the big day.

'And from the way he's already trying to hold himself up, he should be walking by then.'

Antony will be one of her 'bridesmen' - and she says she has already picked up the perfect dress.

'I've picked a gown that's totally unlike any design I thought I would choose. It's absolutely stunning  and I'll feel like the luckiest girl in the world when I wear it to make my vows to Tom.'
Tom Hanks carved out time from his extra busy schedule to spend some quality time with his family on Saturday night.

The 59-year-old was spotted leaving Nobu in West Hollywood arm-in-arm with his wife Rita Wilson, 59, following dinner with his son Colin, 38, and his spouse, Samantha.

Tom and Rita, who have been married for 28 years, even appeared to coordinate for the evening.

Family night! Tom Hanks was spotted leaving Nobu in West Hollywood arm-in-arm with his wife Rita Wilson following dinner with his eldest son Colin and his spouse, Samantha

Tom donned a black blazer, trousers, a button-up shirt, and a pair of dark grey shoes.

He also seemed to have a fresh tan.

Rita, meanwhile, looked radiant in a chic black dress which showed off her legs and a pair of pointed heels.

They make a great match: Tom and Rita, who have been married for 28 years, even appeared to coordinate for the evening

Onward and upwards: The family looked ready for a relaxing night ahead as they made their way from the eatery

She had on pink blush and a coat of mascara to bring out her eyes.

Colin kept it casual in dark blue jeans, a denim shirt, and jacket.

The actor's wife Samantha sported a long white blazer, black top, and rolled up jeans paired with wedge heels.

Man of style: Tom donned a black blazer, trousers, and a button-up shirt as he strolled arm-in-arm with his wife

Casual cool: The actor's wife Samantha sported a long white blazer, black top, and rolled up jeans with wedge heels

Colin is Tom's son from his nine year marriage to actress Samantha Lewes.

The marriage was Tom's first, and lasted from 1978 to 1987.

The former couple are also parents to 33-year-old Elizabeth Hanks.

Love story: The couple have two children together and have been married since 1988

Tom has been married to Rita since 1988. The couple have two children together: Chester, 25, and Truman Theodore, 20.

Tom has just returned from London, where he was promoting his new film A Hologram For A King.

In the film, Tom plays the character Alan, who travels to Saudi Arabia to propose a business idea to the local government.

The comedy-drama, which is based on the Dave Eggers novel, was released on April 22 in the US.
His fans are repping him to be the next James Bond.

But Idris Elba didn't look shaken or stirred as he stepped off the plane in a casual outfit after touching down in New York on Sunday.

The 43-year-old cut a relaxed figure in a soft leather jacket, which he threw cooly over a plain blue t-shirt for his travels.

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Flew-ther: Idris Elba didn't look shaken or stirred as he stepped off the plane in a casual outfit after touching down in New York on Sunday

And he looked nonchalant ahead of his Met Gala appearance on Monday as he rested his hands in his pockets and covered his eyes with a pair of oversized shades.

Idris also played by his own rules as he rounded off his outfit with some khaki green chinos and added a splash of vibrancy in the footwear department with some red TOMs.

The heartthrob looked ready for all eventualities as he slung a large black rucksack over his shoulders.

Off-duty chic: The 43-year-old cut a relaxed figure in a soft leather jacket, which he threw cooly over a plain blue t-shirt for his travels

And despite the long journey, Idris looked surprisingly fresh faced as he showed off his designer stubble and covered his shaved head with a black beanie hat.

But newly single Idris, didn't arrive at JFK Airport alone, as it appears as though he was flanked by a number of aids, who helped him with his luggage.

On Monday the Luther star will act as a co-chair as the extremely fashionable Met Gala, in the city, with Taylor Swift.

While the main host of the evening will be Vogue's editor-in-chief, Anna Wintour.

The annual charity event will be raising money for the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Costume Institute and is sponsored by Apple.

So it's perhaps no surprise that the theme for this years event is, Manus x Machina: Fashion in an Age of Technology.

However, despite this high profile role, Idris revealed that there is no truth to the rumours that he will be the next James Bond just yet.

Jet setter: Idris played by his own rules in the colour department as he rounded off his outfit with some khaki green chinos and added a splash of vibrancy in the footwear department with some red TOMs

For, in a recent interview he said that the only way he'd take on the role of 007 is if it was the 'will of the nation.'

And he revealed he's not been involved with any discussions relating to the role.

The 43-year-old actor recently explained in an interview that he wasn't in talks with the movie executives behind the iconic franchise, saying that anything else was pure rumours.

Speaking to Hello! US in a recent interview, the star put pay to speculation, saying: 'It's all rumour-ville.'

However he didn't rule himself out of the role, as he said he he was flattered by so many people saying he'd make a 'great' Bond.

'If human beings want to know if there's any connectivity between all of us, the one thing I've heard around the world universally is, "You'll be great as James Bond",' he admitted.

Idris is thought to be single after splitting from his 28-year-old ex-partner Naiwana Garth in February.

The actor and the mother of his 23-month-old son attempted to keep news of their split out of the limelight but it was soon revealed that the star had moved out of their London home.

Last week, First Dates star Elle Bretagne has claimed that Luther star Idris Elba tried to bed her just days after he split from his long-term girlfriend.

The busty blonde opened up to the Daily Star about her encounter with the British actor which took place on the night of the British Film Awards earlier in the year.

Elle, 30, claimed that while she did allow the hunky star into her bed, nothing happened because she 'didnt really fancy him and found his seduction techniques awkward.
She's going through something of a tumultuous love life - and Charlotte Crosby showed Gaz Beadle what he's missing with a very sexy Instagram post on Sunday.

The 25-year-old Geordie Shore star put on a very leggy display as she showed off her very slim figure in a super short black playsuit.

The off-the-shoulder number showed off her golden limbs as she pouted for the camera wearing the racy piece from her own In The Style range.

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Legs for miles: Charlotte Crosby shared a very Instagram post on Sunday in which she wowed in a super short playsuit from her own fashion collection

She added some extra inches to her height with a sky high pair of statement heels.

Charlotte simply captioned the image with the words: 'Bank holiday b***hes Playsuit @inthestyleuk.'

The snap comes as the lovely lady came over all shy while leaving a restaurant on Thursday night, covering her face with a napkin instead of her posing for the cameras.

What's the worst that could happen? It looks as though Charlotte is getting ready to let her hair down with a couple of pals in her new outfit

She has been going through a tough time as rumours swirled of her on/off boyfriend Gary Beadle bedded two women while filming MTV reality show Ex On The Beach.

Dressed in a demure golden silk shirt, jeans and ankle boots, love-lorn Charlotte joined the rest of the Geordie Shore crew - minus Gary who was still on his way home from Thailand - for a meal.

The reality TV star could have found recent events too much to handle, as she tried to leave Mambos restaurant in South Shields incognito.

Meanwhile, Gary was spotted in Heathrow Airport after touching down from south east Asia on Friday Morning.

Shy: Charlotte Crosby hid her face with a purple napkin when she left Mambos in South Shields on Thursday night as on/off boyfriend Gaz Beadle jetted back into the UK

Sheepish: Gary Beadle arrived at Heathrow on Friday morning to face the music with on/off girlfriend Charlotte after rumours emerged about fling with co-star Jemma Lucy, who was also pictured arriving home

Wheeling his luggage through arrivals, the 28-year-old looked sheepish.

It is thought he will face crisis talks with Charlotte, who he has dated on and off since he joined the Geordie Shore house in 2011.

Charlotte voiced her concerns that Gary would was going to play away while he films his second stint on MTV dating show Ex On The Beach - a show centered around dating and dalliances.

Geordie stars: Holly Hagan was also pictured leaving Mambos on Thursday, but was happy to be photographed

Woman in black: Chloe Ferry was also present at the dinner, which was the first time Charlotte has been seen since the drama emerged about Gary and Jemma Lucy

The Sunderland-born beauty insisted that if Gary returns and announces he has romanced a cast mate - she would break things off for good.

Her vow comes after reports surfaced claiming he worked his charm on two of his co-stars on upcoming season of the controversial MTV hit - allegedly bedding both Charlotte Dawson, daughter of late comic Les, and returning cast-member Olivia Walsh.

A source told The Sun: 'Gaz and the girls barely knew each other, but they were determined to make this the raunchiest series of Ex on the Beach ever and jumped into bed with each other pretty much as soon as the cameras were on.

'It was a total free for all and even though Gaz has slept with over 1,000 women, it'll be a night he never forgets. He definitely wasn't thinking about how Charlotte C may feel.'

The claims come as Charlotte threatened to quit Geordie Shore after it emerged Gaz had a fling with another Ex On The Beach star - Jemma Lucy.

Sideboob ahoy: Jemma Lucy posted a photo of herself wearing a very low-cut black vest and shorts as she waded through the water

The notorious reality star was also pictured arriving back in the UK on Friday. She was seen sporting her Thailand-tan as she waited in the miserable weather at Manchester airport to be picked up.

Despite her adamant sentiments, she also revealed that if he managed to stay faithful they could give their relationship a go.

She adds: But if he comes back and says: "I didnt get with anyone and I realise I just want to be with you," then Ill say lets be in a relationship.

'I do care so much about the boy and I want more than anything for us to be together.
Tara Cady Niche Publications Senior Editor for Niche Publications of the Billings Gazette Follow Tara Cady Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Save Manage followed notifications Close Followed notifications Please log in to use this feature Log In Don't have an account? Sign Up Today

Lets be honest, chipped, cracked and protruding tiles arent exactly the rustic-chic accents you had in mind for your bathroom. It takes patience, attention to detail and borderline perfectionism to get your bathroom remodeled. Rid yourself of the hazardous eyesores for good with the right products, tools and measurements according to current industry standards. Local experts in bathroom tiling explain the ins and outs to complete your next home project.

Watertight tiling

Kevin Moser, owner of Moser Tile and state director of the National Tile Contractors Association, doesnt advise any homeowner to re-tile their bathroom without help from a professional.

I tear out showers that fail at least once a week because the person didnt seek professional help, explained Moser.

Retiling can be a do-it-yourself job, but homeowners typically miss crucial waterproofing steps that result in water damage and costly repairs.

Most people dont understand that tile and grout are not waterproof. Water goes through tile like a sponge. If you do not waterproof behind the tile, you have a shower that will fail, he said.

Richard Miller, owner of Richs Flooring Abbey Carpet, agrees.

If the shower pan was ever to leak, there is no saving that shower and it must be replaced from floor to ceiling, noted Miller.

A basic cement board behind the tiles will not cut it. Moser recommends Schluter waterproofing products to paint over the cement board. Home improvement stores carry cement boards and topical waterproofing material such as RedGard.

Once you have your waterproofing materials, you have to look at the manufacturer directions to get the correct thickness, noted Moser.

According to Moser, waterproofing is the most important aspect of tiling the bathroom. Avoid repairs to your repairs by paying attention to details from the onset. Then, its back to a home improvement retailer and tool rental facility for morter or thinset, a wet saw, trowel and the tiles, of course.

Laying it out

Youll need a wet saw to efficiently cut tile.

Nitpickers beware, it takes years to become efficient with measurements. According to Moser, there is no easy way to explain the entire process without an in-person demonstration, but recommends figuring out where you want your accent or decorative bands when calculating the layout.

After the tiles are measured and cut, youll need a trowel to put thinset on the backs of tiles as well as on the wall or floor depending on what is being re-tiled.

Mortar is the same thing as thinset. Thinsets are what are holding the tile to the wall or floor, binding the tile to the structure like a glue made up of polymer, sand and concrete, explained Moser.

The percentage of thinset on each surface depends on whether the area will be dry or wet the majority of the time.

In wet areas, you need 95-percent coverage of thinset on the tile when installed. On dry areas, you need 85-percent coverage. If your existing tiles are popping out, either it didnt meet coverage guidelines or the thinset was not to correct code, he said.

The American National Standards Institute sets the guidelines for products such as thinset. If you use product that doesnt meet code, its more apt to fail, which is why Moser highly recommends hiring a professional.

Seal the deal

Once youve scraped off any thinset from the tile surface and from within the tile joints, the joints are ready to be filled with grout.

Homeowners have three options when it comes to grout.

There is the standard, sand-based grout, urethane grouts which are more stain-resistant and epoxy grout which is the most expensive and durable when it comes to stains and harsh chemicals, Miller explained regarding the final step in the retiling process.

Grout typically takes 24 hours to dry and the manufacturer instructions will specify a projected timeline.

And voila, you have a freshly re-tiled bathroom.

According to Miller, all types of tile can be used in a shower, even ceramic and porcelain.

Average pricing for tile is $3.50-$4.00 a square foot. Larger format tiles, 12-inches by 24-inches and larger, are becoming the norm. There is a large selection of tile manufacturers to choose from, including Daltile, Surface Art and Florida Tile, explained Miller. Accent tiles are always fun and can make an ordinary bathroom come to life.

Total costs can range between $1,500 and $2,500 when doing the job yourself. Hiring a professional ranges increases costs anywhere from $5,000 to $35,000 depending on how intricate you want your finished product.

The best place to save money on a shower is having the homeowners do the demolition themselves, noted Miller.

Moser adds that buying tile from home improvement stores drives down costs, too.

If this is going to be a remodel, the homeowner will want to pick out new fixtures and contact a plumber as well. One of the more common mistakes made in a shower that has failed is that they used wood lumber for the curb or bench and over time the wood took in moisture, swelled and caused the tile to pop loose or compromise the shower pan itself, said Miller.

Miller recommends conducting extensive research before embarking on this home project, which typically takes about a week to complete from start to finish.

Still not sure about tackling retiling on your own? Like most tile stores, Moser Tile offers in-person demonstrations for homeowners.

Theres no doubt it takes patience, skill and time to re-tile your bathroom. With the right amount of elbow grease and critical thinking, your bathroom will truly be the relaxing restroom youve always dreamed of.
She's the undisputed queen of baking who stars alongside Paul Hollywood on television.

But Mary Berry, 81, turned her attention away from pastry and towards seafood as she opened Salcombe Crabfest in Devon, on Sunday.

The popular Great British Bake-Off star donned a bright yellow fisherman's jacket for the occasion which she wore over a navy and white striped jumper.

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Star attraction: Bake Off star Mary Berry, 81, turned her attention away from pastry towards seafood as she opened Salcombe Crabfest, Devon, on Sunday

Mary had a twinkle in her piercing blue eyes as she sat down and signed cook books for her fans.

She was in fine spirits for the event, trading smiles with one adoring fan and even reaching up and placing her hands affectionately on the woman's cheeks.

Typically glamorous, Mary ensured her blonde bob was well-coiffed and she wore a slick of red lipstick to complement her vibrant nails.

Back outside, Mary's vivid coat certainly brightened up an otherwise overcast day.

Job done: After she'd carried out her duties, she picked up a bottle of drink and made her way to her new holiday home in the town

Little Miss Sunshine: The popular Great British Bake-Off star donned a bright yellow anorak for the occasion

She walked flanked by members of the Rotary of Salcombe and took time to gaze out over the waterfront.

After she'd carried out her duties, she picked up a bottle of drink and made her way to her new holiday home.

Last year, Mary's children Thomas and Annabel sold their mum's original 800,000 holiday home in the picturesque town to a couple of cookery enthusiasts.

A warm welcome: She was in fine spirits for the event trading smiles with one adoring fan, even reaching up and placing her hands affectionately on the woman's cheeks

Looking good: Typically glamorous, Mary ensured her blonde bob was well-coiffed and she wore a slick of red lipstick to complement her vibrant nails

Mary described The Old Manse as 'a lovely family house', saying: 'The Old Manse is very quiet - you don't hear what's going on outside, but you still have a view of the water.'

Although Mary and husband Paul reside full-time in the leafy village of Penn near High Wycombe, Mary has had a long-time love affair with Salcombe because Thomas and Annabel, who are heavily involved with the family business, love spending time on the water.

That, says Mary, is the reason for the family's move - to get closer to the waterfront. She said: 'The children want moorings - we're waiting to see what we can find.'

Well looked after: She walked flanked by Rotary of Salcombe members in fluorescent vests
They've been since 2010 but Chris Hemsworth has revealed that despite being together for such a long time he is more smitten than ever with wife Elsa Pataky.

The 32-year-old actor has gushed about the mother of his three children explaining that he is constantly reminded of new reasons as to why she's the one for him.

Speaking to TV Week the actor said: 'Each week I find something different, more I love about her.'

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Cute couple: Chris Hemsworth has opened up about his relationship with wife Elsa Pataky and revealed that he continues to fall in love with her more each week

'It continues to grow, which is a great thing.'

Chris and Elsa began dating in 2010 before marrying later that year and the couple have daughter India, three and two-year-old twins Tristan and Sasha.

The Thor actor, who previously dated Home and Away actress Isabel Lucas, has revealed that he knew she was the one for him because being with her was so easy.

He said: 'It just made sense to both of us. There was an ease to it neither of us had had before.'

See Chris Hemsworth updates as he opens up about his relationship with wife Elsa Pataky

Precious cargo: Chris was seen carrying his daughter to the car following lunch on Saturday

Brood: Chris and Elsa share three beautiful children together

Over the weekend the pair were pictured out with their children in Byron Bay and they were joined by Chris' younger brother Liam and girlfriend Miley Cyrus.

Miley, 23 and Elsa, 39, recently cemented their friendship with matching tattoos.

The singer's tattoo artist shared a picture on Instagram of the art-works, which showed four new tattoos and was captioned: 'Stoked to do these little matching custom waves @kellyslater drew up for @mileycyrus @kalanimiller @elsapatakyconfidential @aprilmun.'

Tat's nice: Elsa has got a matching inking with Chris' brother's girlfriend Miley Cyrus

firm friends: Miley has been enjoying spending time with Elsa and her friends

Miley appears to have hers inked onto the sole of her foot, while Elsa's looks to be on the inside of her left middle finger.

The daughter of Billy Ray Cyrus may soon be able to call Elsa her sister-in-law properly, as the pop star has been spotted wearing her engagement ring from her back-on-again beau.

According to Us Weekly, The Last Song co-stars are ready to head down the aisle, with Miley wanting a 'wants a summer wedding' and 'it's possible they'll run off to Vegas and tie the knot!'

They ended their engagement in 2013 after dating since 2009 and rumours that they had rekindled their relationship began last year when she was seen in Australia with the family.

The pair attended Byron Bay's Falls Festival together and spent New Year at Chris and Elsa's house.




Sheridan Smith has perfected what you might call the showbiz smile.

She has been wearing it in public ever since the events of Thursday night at the Savoy Theatre in London, when the curtain came down during a performance of the musical Funny Girl, and the audience were sent home with an explanation that technical issues had made it impossible to continue.

But behind the scenes there is terrible upset over what happened that night.

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Emotional: Sheridan Smith at a recent curtain call. Behind the scenes there is terrible upset over what happened on Thursday night

The actress with her father Colin: Several theatregoers seem to be in no doubt about what they saw  which was a leading lady who was apparently unfit to perform on Thursday

And although the show goes on  it is slated to continue until October this year, with 5 million worth of tickets sold on the strength of the leading ladys name  a production source says: There is a lot of fear and terrible upset. The cast have been told to keep their mouths shut and support Sheridan.

So what happened? Several theatregoers seem to be in no doubt about what they saw  which was a leading lady who was apparently unfit to perform.

Abigail Richter, who paid 123 for a stalls ticket, told one newspaper: It was an unbelievable disaster. Sheridan was all over the place. At one point, she was standing centre stage and her leg went from underneath her.

She started in a Bronx accent but slipped into Irish. Then there was a dance scene where at one point she grabbed the dancers groins. She walked off and they literally just dropped the curtains.

Another who was there wrote online: I dont mean to sound nasty at all, but the show was really uncomfortable viewing from the start. Sheridan was slurring her words and forgetting her lines.

Can this really have been so? Two eye-witnesses involved with the production have come forward and said that those theatregoers were not mistaken.

Sheridan Smith has perfected what you might call the showbiz smile - and has been wearing it in public ever since the events of Thursday night at the Savoy Theatre in London

The actress had a disastrous liaison with the actor Greg Wood (pictured together last year), having apparently fancied him like mad after seeing him on screen in Hollyoaks, and got in touch with him via Twitter

One said: She was playing the famously Jewish Fanny Brice in what sounded like an Irish accent. She was slurring her words and staggering. For an early number in Act One she had to make an entrance on a travel-ator [moving walkway] but she missed it and ended up walking on.

Whatever was making her find the performance so difficult had not been detected before the curtain went up, because she had not been there for Parish Notes, a session held with the whole company before each performance.

It is a meeting at which cast and crew are given any last-minute briefings about that performance, in particular if anyone is off sick. Instead, she had breezed in just before the show was due to start.

The cast have been told to keep their mouths shut

On Thursday night, seeing what was happening on stage, someone made the decision to bring the curtain down, and someone else allegedly locked the leading lady in her dressing room.

Sources say there followed a lot of shouting and foul-mouthed abuse from 34-year-old Sheridan. She apparently insisted that she wanted the show to go on  with her in it.

When someone went into her dressing room to try to calm her down, she scooted out of the room and up the wings at the side of the stage to insist that the production should continue.

Sheridan ran to the curtain to try to lift it up, and carried on a four-letter tirade, said a witness. An attempt by co-star Darius Campbell to calm and console her was rudely rebuffed.

Smith posted a seductive picture of herself when she was celebrating her 30th birthday in 2011

The Academy Award winner 'struggles to control crippling stage fright and anxiety' said one source

One production source said she was then furious to hear the understudy was preparing to go on in her place. She was hollering that everyone was against her. In the event the understudy did not come on, and the audience were sent home.

Remarkably, when she turned up on Friday, Sheridan performed and behaved as if nothing had happened on the previous day. There was, apparently, no apology for her volatile behaviour or for the considerable embarrassment caused.

Now, some of the cast are very angry and others wonder if she will manage to continue in this role until October as planned.

So what on earth is going on?

There are those who fear for this brilliantly talented but very fragile superstar, and it is important to point out that she is under unprecedented strain because her beloved father is battling cancer.

She hollered that everyone was against her

Sheridans agent has explicitly denied claims made by theatregoers that she appeared to be drunk, saying: I have spoken to my client and this is categorically not true.

One source, who has worked with her on television projects, says Sheridan struggles to control crippling stage fright and anxiety, and that this is likely to be behind any such problems.

Worryingly, however, sources in theatreland say this is not the first time the acclaimed actress has created waves backstage.

One insists there was an incident, when Funny Girl was running at the Menier Chocolate Factory theatre in south London last year, which producers hushed up. There is talk that an official from Equity, the actors union, has even met the cast of the show to offer support and advice.

Certainly, Sheridans time there did not end happily. She pulled out of the final week when her father Colins cancer was diagnosed.

She even threatened producers with legal action for supposedly trying to force her to perform in her emotional state. The actress expressed her anger at the theatre online, tweeting: You have no idea what Im getting pressured into. They dont give a f*** about my dad.

Sheridan pictured leaving the Savoy Theatre on Saturday: Sources in theatreland say this is not the first time the acclaimed actress has created waves backstage

Some of the cast wonder if the actress will manage to continue in the Funny Girl role until October as planned

The source said: Sheridan is being supported because she is a bloody great talent, but she is so unhappy.

She cant fathom how she does what she does on stage or in front of the camera. Its like having some kind of superpower that you cant control, so it controls you.

In some ways this uneasiness with the spotlight is a surprise, given her showbusiness background.

Sheridan was born in Epworth, a village between Doncaster and Scunthorpe, and it seems she always wanted to be a star.

Parents Colin and Marilyn have worked for decades in their country and western band, The Daltons. From the age of six she would join them on stage.

But having showbiz in her blood, she didnt go to drama school, instead joining the National Youth Music Theatre as a teenager and moving to London at 16 for theatre roles.

She has long been insecure about her supposed lack of heavyweight acting credentials. She remarked: I always feel like a bit of a fraud, but so far Ive not been found out.

She added to one interviewer: When Im working alongside someone like Dame Maggie Smith, I cant help thinking: I dont deserve to be here. 

She has, though, been notably workaholic and enormously dedicated in her career.

She said some of this drive came from the tragic loss of her older brother Julian, who died of cancer in 1990 when he was 18. She has a tiny tattoo of angel wings and a halo on the back of one wrist in his memory.

She said: For as long as I can remember, I have always just wanted to make my parents proud, to somehow distract them from losing Julian.

Success came slowly, starting with small roles in The Royle Family, sitcom Two Pints Of Lager And A Packet Of Crisps, and Gavin And Stacey, followed by big West End stage roles in Little Shop Of Horrors and Legally Blonde.

It was hit musical Legally Blonde that launched her as a star.

At the time, she was dating her Gavin And Stacey co-star James Corden, who was then at the height of his own party lifestyle.

I was a lot wilder back then, Sheridan has said. I wasnt someone who was in a frame of mind of settling down when I was with James.

But it was on stage that she faced her greatest challenges.

While in the Ibsen play Hedda Gabler at the Old Vic, for which she won awards, she tweeted throughout rehearsals about her nerves, and said using social media helped her cope with terrible stage fright.

In another interview, she admitted suffering panic attacks: I started having these panic attacks before going on stage, because I felt like Id be letting people down in some way, she said.

Sheridan (pictured with co-star Darius in Funny Girl) has seemed particularly volatile since about 2013  the time in her career when she became a household name

Sheridan pulled out of the final week of Funny Girl last year when her father Colins (pictured) cancer was diagnosed

To keep up with the demands of her acting career, she sometimes gives up drinking.

Around the time of making Mrs Biggs  a TV drama about the wife of Great Train Robber Ronnie Biggs  in 2012, she announced she had given up alcohol. I just thought that if Im in every scene of something, I wont drink  I can be a bit of a party girl  and you know, Ive stuck with it, she said.

She said again last year that she had given up drinking for a few months. Responding to a follower on Twitter who told her in July 2015 Drunk tweeting is never advisable, she replied: In fact Im sober, thats a low blow. She added: Ive stopped drinking, so I found it offensive.

Drink or no drink, Sheridan has seemed particularly volatile since about 2013  the time in her career when she became a household name.

It began with her extraordinary appearance at the Baftas three years ago, when she won Best Actress for her performance in Mrs Biggs.

When her name was read out, she audibly swore, saying F****** hell, and began to weep. Then, on stage, clearly shaking, she asked through sobs: Is this a wind-up? before muttering to herself: Dont cry, you look like a k**b.

In 2015  at a professional high, thanks to her widely praised performance as a young Cilla Black in the drama Cilla  she was dropped by her PR agency, Public Eye, allegedly for being high-maintenance. She also parted company with her agent, Sarah Camlett.

Sadly, she did not have stability in her personal life either. In fact, quite the contrary.

Household name: The award-winning actress in ITV's 'Black Work' (left) and starring as Cilla Black in 'Cilla' (right)

She had a disastrous liaison with the actor Greg Wood, having apparently fancied him like mad after seeing him on screen in Hollyoaks, and got in touch with him via Twitter.

He was not long separated from his wife Catherine, with whom he has three children, and what began as an online flirtation turned into a full-blooded affair.

By March last year, the romance was of such intensity that the couple had matching tattoos of a pair of playing cards.

Sheridans read: Gregorys Girl and was inked on to her ribcage. Meanwhile, Gregs tattoo read: My Sheri Amour. But by July it was all over, with the actress tweeting that she had been hurt by an idiot boy again, and making cryptic remarks about his co-star Tamara Wall, hinting that she and Wood were having an affair.

The pair were reunited a few weeks later and went on holiday together, but finally called it a day in December.

Her blunt conclusion, in an interview with Vogue magazine, was: What can I say? I dont pick them very well!

David Walliams, a friend who appeared with her in A Midsummer Nights Dream two years ago, has said: I felt like an older brother, constantly giving advice about her tangled love life, which she never, ever took!

For now, Sheridan is single  but apparently unhappily so.

She loves men, especially dangerous ones, says a friend. Another avers: There are wild swings. She seems to get so wound up about everything.
She's never been shy about showing off her bod.

And Kim Kardashian didn't disappoint in a video she shared with her Snapchat fans on Sunday afternoon.

The 35-year-old reality star put on a very busty display in a skintight tank-top with an eye-popping closeup view of her ample bosom.

See Kim Kardashian updates as she puts on busty display in closeup view of ample bosom

She's got some front! Kim Kardashian, 35, put on a very busty display in a skintight tank-top with an eye-popping closeup view of her ample bosom on Sunday

Her best assets: The Keeping Up With the Kardashians star went with minimal makeup as to not draw any attention away from the main attraction

The Keeping Up With the Kardashians star modelled her sexiest power poses while filming from several angles, ensuring fans would not miss an inch of the revealing number.

She wore her chestnut locks down in relaxed waves and went with minimal makeup as to not draw any attention away from the main attraction.

Her rapper husband, Kanye West, 38, stood behind his wife of nearly two years with his head down as she proudly publicized her famous cleavage.

Showstopper! The reality star filmed from several angles, ensuring fans would not miss an inch of her ample cleavage

The couple recently arrived in New York City as they will be attending the star-studded Met Gala on Monday.

Not only will Kim and Kanye make an appearance at the ball but it's likely most of the Jenner/Kardashian clan will also make an appearance.

On Friday Vogue released a flashback video of Kim and her supermodel sister Kendall Jenner discussing their plans for the evening back in February during New York Fashion Week.

'I feel like we should all go together,' Kim said. 'Like, all wear the same designer and just have, like, our looks be like the family Christmas card.'

Supportive spouse: Kim's rapper husband, Kanye West, 38, stood behind his wife of nearly two years with his head down as she proudly publicized her famous cleavage

Adding: 'We can use our Met picture up the stairs as our family Christmas card since we never have time anymore to take photos.'

But if Kim's gown on Monday is anything like the one she wore at last year's gala, that holiday card might have to come with a warning label.

Barely protecting her modesty the mother-of-two pushed the boundaries in a sheer Roberto Cavalli by Peter Dundas gown.

Upcoming: Kim recently arrived in New York City as she's gearing up for the Met Gala on Monday night

It was her most daring dress yet as she flashed flesh and forwent underwear in the revealing lace number.

This year's theme of the ball - which is being held on Monday, May 2 - is 'Manus x Machina: Fashion in an Age of Technology.'

The Gala will be hosted by Taylor Swift, Anna Wintour, and cochairs Idris Elba and Jonathan Ive.

Flashing her flesh! Barely protecting her modesty the mother-of-two pushed the boundaries in a sheer Roberto Cavalli by Peter Dundas gown at the Met Gala in 2015

Daring to bare! It was Kim's most daring dress yet as she flashed flesh and forwent underwear in the revealing lace number
Piller leads Texas Shootout, Korean juggernaut poised to pounce

Gerina Piller shot a four-under par 67 to hold off a raft of South Korean challengers, taking a two-stroke lead after 54 holes of the LPGA Tour Texas Shootout.

Piller shot her second straight bogey-free round for a 14-under par total of 199.

Five South Koreans are among the players hot on her heels, including Amy Yang and Hur Mi-Jung -- who share second on 201.

Gerina Piller looks over the 10th green with her caddie Brian Dilley during the third round of the Texas Shootout at Las Colinas Country Club on April 30, 2016 in Irving, Texas Scott Halleran (Getty/AFP)

Piller, a 31-year old American, is trying to win for the first time on the USLPGA Tour and she is aiming to do it in front of family and friends as she lives in Fort Worth, just 42 kilometres (26 miles) west of the Las Colinas course.

She grew up in Roswell, New Mexico.

"I felt like I gave myself opportunities," Piller said. "Had some great shots, just couldn't get some putts to fall. These greens are pretty tricky and they have a lot of slope to them so you definitely have to give them respect.

"But I don't feel like I kind of barely got by with eight pars. I felt like I could have been a lot lower, so definitely a lot of confidence going into tomorrow."

Yang shot a six-under 65 and Hur fired a 66 to move into a tie for second at 12-under.

Jenny Shin, with a 65, and Kim Sei-Young, with a 68, finished at 10-under and Ji Eun-Hee (71) was at nine-under, five shots back of Piller and tied with Thailand's Ariya Jutanugarn (69).

China's Feng Shan-shan (65) and Scotland's Catriona Matthew (68) were tied for eighth on 206.

Piller, who is winless in 123 career starts, hasn't made a bogey since her opening hole of the week.

Poor weather disrupted the second round on Friday afternoon with all 70 players in the afternoon group still having to finish their rounds.

Piller managed to finish her second round before the storms hit, and said she just kept her head down in the third and tried to get on with the job.

"I didn't look at one leaderboard all day and I knew that if I played my game, I know I could make five or six birdies out there," she said. "You've just got to go out and hit fairways and hit greens and get it close and make putts."
Stuard leads rain-ravaged Zurich Classic

Brian Stuard and the other leaders never hit a third-round shot as the Zurich Classic of New Orleans was halted by thunderstorms, raising the chance of a Monday finish for the event.

Stuard, seeking his first professional victory, finished off a four-under-par 68 in round two on Saturday morning, making four birdies while closing on the front nine to take a one-stroke lead over Jamie Lovemark and Venezuela's Jhonattan Vegas.

Lovemark carded a 66 and Vegas a 69 -- both wrapping up their second rounds on Friday, when there was no weather delay but darkness stopped play in a tournament still trying to catch up from a delay on Thursday.

Brian Stuard, seeking his first professional victory, finished off a four-under-par 68 in round two to take a one-stroke lead Chris Graythen (Getty Images/AFP)

Stuard, who had a 36-hole total of 12-under par 132, said it was too soon to start thinking about a victory.

"We have a long way to go. I'm just kind of focusing on the next shot, and we'll see what happens," added the American, who is playing in his 101st PGA Tour tournament with his best results second-place finishes in the 2010 and 2014 OHL Classic at Mayakoba.

An Byeong-Hun of South Korea, the 2014 winner in New Orleans, posted a second straight 68 and was three shots back in a tie for fourth with Harold Varner (67), Daniel Berger (65), Charles Howell (69), Patrick Rodgers (69) and Chad Collins (64).

World number one Jason Day of Australia was five strokes back in a group sharing 10th after a 68 for 137.

"You've got to try and stay in the right frame of mind mentally," Day, who has won seven times in the last 15 months, said of waiting out the weather delays.

"Try and keep yourself loose. Because there is a lot of sitting around, a lot of eating, and all that other stuff. But you've got to try and remind yourself that you need to stay sharp."
A coronation for North Korea's Kim Jong-Un

After four years of top-level reshuffles, purges and executions, Kim Jong-Un will formally cement his unassailable status as North Korea's supreme leader at a landmark ruling party congress this week.

The first gathering of its kind for nearly 40 years is really a coronation of sorts -- recognising the young 33-year-old leader as the legitimate inheritor of the dynastic dictatorship started by his grandfather Kim Il-Sung and passed down through his late father Kim Jong-Il.

"This congress means everything for Kim Jong-Un," said John Delury, a North Korea expert at Yonsei University in Seoul.

A landmark ruling party congress is really a coronation of sorts for Kim Jong-Un, recognising the young 33-year-old leader as the legitimate inheritor of North Korea's dynastic dictatorship

"It is the most public, historic setting in which he can demonstrate that he is fully in charge, and that everyone follows his orders," Delury said.

"Nominally, it's for the party, but really this congress is for Kim," he added.

Kim wasn't even born when the last congress was held in 1980 to crown his father as the heir apparent to founding leader Kim Il-Sung.

When his own turn came, following the death of Kim Jong-Il in December 2011, there were numerous doubters who suggested the Swiss finishing school graduate lacked the survival skills needed for the Machiavellian world of North Korean power politics.

But he proved them wrong, purging the party, government and powerful military of those seen as disloyal, and displaying a ruthless streak that notably led to the execution of his powerful uncle, and one-time political mentor, Jang Song-Thaek.

- Policy pivot -

He also adjusted his father's "songun", or military first policy, to a "byungjin" policy of pursuing nuclear weapons in tandem with economic development.

The nuclear half of that strategy has dominated the run-up to the party congress, starting with a fourth nuclear test in January that was followed by a long-range rocket launch and a flurry of other missile and weapons tests.

"The objective of all that was clear from the start," said Victor Cha, Korea Chair at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS).

"It was a race to have a credible nuclear deterrent in place, as a crowning achievement, before the congress opens," Cha said.

But there was an embarrassing stumble in the home straight, with the failure in recent weeks of three separate efforts to test fire a powerful, new mid-range ballistic missile capable of striking US bases on the Pacific island of Guam.

- Nuclear test prologue -

One final act might still play out before the party gathering begins on May 6, with many predicting a fifth nuclear test to underline the North's status as a genuine nuclear power.

Then, once the congress gets underway, comes the question of what, beyond Kim's leadership qualities, the gathering will seek to spotlight.

The optimist's scenario is that, with a confirmed nuclear deterrent in the bag, Kim will announce that the North's security is ensured and the focus can now switch to the other half of his "byungjin" strategy -- economic development.

"The key is not whether such a strong North Korean deterrent force is a reality, not even whether Kim believes it, but whether he will set out this position as the philosophical basis for a new direction in policy," said Robert Carlin, a visiting scholar at the Centre for International Security and Cooperation in California.

In his very first public address, at a military parade in April 2012, Kim had said he was determined that North Koreans would "never have to tighten their belts again".

The need to raise living standards has been a constant refrain of his annual New Year addresses, although analysts note that they have been largely devoid of any specific policy initiatives.

So while the party congress does provide the platform for a genuine policy shift, it can just as easily become a stage for tired, self-congratulatory rhetoric that offers little in the way of change.

- New, young leaders? -

Whatever the tone, the content of the speeches, especially Kim's keynote address, will be closely scrutinised as will any personnel changes, with analysts looking for a younger crop of officials to take over leadership positions.

The North's chief diplomatic ally, China, which has become increasingly frustrated with Pyongyang's refusal to restrain its nuclear ambitions, will be among the closest observers.

"Any North Korean rhetorical emphasis on living standards and peaceful development over nuclear chest-thumping and threats... will be interpreted by Chinese state media as evidence that things are moderating," said Adam Cathcart, a University of Leeds specialist on China-North Korea ties.

"There may also be more willingness to work with newly-promoted officials who are somewhat younger and presumably more pragmatic," Cathcart said.

Participants wave flowers at North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un as they pass through Kim Il-Sung square during a mass military parade in Pyongyang in October 2015 Ed Jones (AFP)

North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un delivers a speech to nuclear scientists in Pyongyang on January 12, 2016

Soldiers applaud the arrival North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un during a mass military parade at Kim Il-Sung square in Pyongyang in October 2015
Indonesia takes aim at palm oil after forest fires

Indonesia is pushing to ban new palm oil operations after last year's haze-belching forest fires were partly blamed on the industry's expansion, but producers are warning the move could hit the economy and green groups are sceptical.

President Joko Widodo in April proposed a halt on granting new land for palm oil plantations in the world's top producer of the edible vegetable oil, a key ingredient in many everyday goods, from biscuits to shampoo and make-up.

In a statement, he said that "palm oil concessions available at the moment are already adequate" and urged producers to concentrate on using better seeds to increase their yields.

Plantations on Sumatra island and the Indonesian part of Borneo have expanded in recent years as demand for palm oil has skyrocketed, resulting in the destruction of vast tracks of jungle Bay Ismoyo (AFP/File)

Plantations on Sumatra island and the Indonesian part of Borneo have expanded in recent years as demand for palm oil has skyrocketed, bringing huge profits to companies and healthy tax revenues to the government.

But the rapid growth has been blamed for the destruction of tropical forests that are home to many endangered species, and forest fires that occur every year during the dry season due to illegal slash-and-burn clearance.

The 2015 blazes were the most serious for some years, worsened by dry weather caused by an El Nino phenomenon, and cloaked large stretches of Southeast Asia in toxic smog for weeks, causing hundreds of thousands to fall ill, disrupting air travel and fuelling anger at Jakarta.

The proposed moratorium on new concessions is the latest move by Widodo aimed at reducing environmental destruction caused by the industry and halting the annual smog outbreaks.

But the Indonesian Palm Oil Association warned that the ban could damage a mainstay of Southeast Asia's biggest economy that supports 24 million jobs, directly or indirectly.

"Palm oil is a strategic sector which contributed $19 billion in exports in 2015," said Tofan Madji, a spokesman for the group, which represents some 650 companies.

"It contributes to economic growth, especially in remote areas."

- 'Forest will keep burning' -

Activists were cautious about the proposal, with Greenpeace Indonesia warning it would not be effective unless the government introduces a tough regulation, rather than just a weaker "presidential instruction".

The details of the proposed moratorium are still being discussed, and it is not yet clear when it will be adopted, the environment ministry said.

Kiki Taufik, Greenpeace Indonesia forest campaigner, also warned of implementation problems as various parts of government would need to work together for a ban to operate smoothly.

"This is probably one of the hardest parts. Lack of coordination among officials is common and it often leads to bad implementation of regulations," Taufik said.

Implementation of laws is also difficult due to heavily decentralisation of power across the archipelago of more than 17,000 islands, with rules set in Jakarta often flouted by local administrations.

A moratorium on new logging permits on primary forest and peatlands -- defined as areas not logged in recent history -- has been in place since 2011, but campaigners say it has sometimes been ignored when local governments grant concessions.

The palm oil plan follows a 2015 ban on new development on all peatlands after swathes of carbon-rich peat were drained for use as plantations in recent years, creating highly flammable areas.

The government has also pledged to punish more than 50 companies accused over last year's forest fires. But it suffered a setback in December when a court rejected a $565 million lawsuit against a pulp and paper company accused of failing to prevent the blazes.

Some believe that little can be done to stop the annual fires when there is still money to be made from palm oil.

"The main cause of forest fires is greed," said Herry Purnomo, a scientist at the Indonesia-based Center for International Forestry Research.

"As long as people want a quick return, quick money, the forest will keep burning."

Indonesian firefighters backed by police and military troops fight fires in Southern Kalimantan province on Borneo island on September 23, 2015 Romeo Gacad (AFP/File)

Palm oil seeds are harvested at a plantation area in Pelalawan, Riau province on Indonesia's Sumatra island Adek Berry (AFP/File)
France to build Australia subs but US to arm them

Australia may have awarded France a bumper contract to build its next generation of submarines, but its highly secretive combat system will come from close ally the United States.

French shipbuilder DCNS last week beat off Germany and Japan to secure the Aus$50 billion (US$39 billion) deal to design and build the 12 subs, a scaled down conventionally-powered version of its 4,700-tonne Barracuda, to be named Shortfin Barracuda.

But it will have little to do with armaments and the complex combat system, which American defence giant Lockheed Martin -- which is in the running to be involved -- said was "essentially the eyes, ears and sword of the boat".

A computer-generated image of the 4,500 tonne Barracuda shortfin submarine that French firm DCNS is building for the Australian Navy

Australia has made clear it prefers the American AN/BYG-1 system, along with the joint Australian-US heavyweight Mark-48 torpedoes as its main weapon.

A decision has yet to be made on which company will be responsible for integrating the system -- essentially to detect, acquire and track targets -- with US defence contractor Raytheon also said to be a contender.

Given the close relationship and the fact that its technology will be used, Washington was always going to take a keen interest in Canberra's choice to build the boats.

Senior US officials were heavily involved in the competitive evaluation process and it was peer reviewed by retired US Navy Vice-Admiral Paul Sullivan and retired US Navy Rear Admiral Tom Eccles.

Washington reportedly at first favoured Tokyo over France or Germany for the sub build because of its existing close ties to the US Navy, along with regional security issues at a time of a rising China.

Japan expressed "deep regret" at not being selected, but analysts said the decision largely boiled down to capability.

France has extensive background in building submarines for others while Japan still lacks experience in exporting military hardware.

"I genuinely think the decision was made on technical grounds," said Stephan Fruehling, deputy director of the Military Studies Program at the Coral Bell School of Asia-Pacific Affairs.

He added that suggestions that the US had concerns about allowing its most advanced weapons systems to be installed on European-made subs made little sense.

"The sensitive stuff in the combat system is the software and the French don't need to see that," he said. "They provide the big boxes and cabling but the integration of the software is done by the US."

A breakdown on the cost of the combat system has not been provided, but analysts said it would be included in the Aus$50 billion ballpark figure provided by Canberra, accounting for less than a third.

- Intimate relationship -

Rory Medcalf, head of the National Security College at the Crawford School of Public Policy, agreed that France won on merit with strategic considerations secondary.

"The Australian government has recognised France as the best option in terms of capability -- the challenge now is to ensure that this is much more than a commercial deal, that it is also a partnership of deep strategic trust," he said.

He stressed Canberra must also now "take the initiative to assure the Japanese that a close strategic partnership is about more than submarines".

Australian submarines operate across huge areas, from the cold Southern Ocean to the tropics, and so require range and endurance to cope with wide-ranging geographic and oceanographic conditions.

Besides matching the capabilities of the existing Collins-class which are due to be replaced, the new generation subs need to offer superior sensor performance and stealth capabilities.

David Shackleton, an Australian vice admiral and former chief of navy, said that while stealth and range was key, the combat system was as crucial and with the US helping refine the one used on the Collins-class, it made sense to deepen that relationship.

"While there are other navies with which Australias submarines will operate, it will take them a long time, if ever, to achieve the intimacy shared between the Royal Australian Navy and US Navy," he recently wrote for the Lowy Institute for International Policy.

He added that the two militaries enjoyed an "unprecedented degree of collaboration in research and development, tactical development and mutual training of an advanced nature".

"When all of these factors are put together, acquisition of a US Navy combat system for Australia's future submarines does matter, and it makes a lot of sense."

French President Francois Hollande (C) receives a model submarine from French naval defence contractor DCNS chief executive officer Herve Guillou (R) in Paris on April 26, 2016 Christophe Petit Tesson (POOL/AFP)
Seaweed farmers in hot water as Zanzibar struggles

Waist deep in sparkling blue water off the white beaches of the Indian Ocean spice island of Zanzibar, seaweed farmer Mtumwa Vuai Ameir gently ties seedlings to wood poles.

Seaweed farmed on the Tanzanian archipelago is one of Zanzibar's key exports -- used for food, cosmetics and medicines in Asia, Europe and North America -- but now the vital industry is struggling with warmer waters killing the crops.

"We are desperate, and some farmers have been discouraged and abandoned the work," said Ameir, who has been a seaweed farmer for over 20 years.

Women harvest seaweed at their farm in the Muungoni area, south of Stone Town in Zanzibar Issa Yussuf (cds/AFP/File)

She works alongside her daughter and husband in the small village of Muungoni, some 42 kilometres (26 miles) southwest of Zanzibar town.

As crop yields decline, cheaper production and transport costs in Asia are also challenging Zanzibar's position as the world's third-biggest producer of spinosum seaweed.

Over 23,000 farmers grow and harvest the seaweed -- around 80 percent of them women -- according to government statistics.

But tens of thousands more depend indirectly on an industry that provides a key income for families with few other means to earn a living.

- Medicine, cosmetics, food -

Seaweed from Zanzibar is exported to China, Korea, Vietnam, Denmark, Spain, France and the US. It is used as an ingredient base for cosmetics, lotions and toothpaste, as well as in medicines. It is also eaten as a vegetable.

Farmers say that reduction in demand from abroad and subsequent falling prices has made turning a profit a challenge.

"Seaweed is now cheaper in Asia, compared to our price, therefore we must drop prices to maintain our buyers," said Arif Mazrui, who runs Zanque Aqua Farms, a seaweed business, blaming price fluctuation in the world market.

"We have no control over the price, we have to adjust our prices to keep our buyers. It is unfortunate that while we adjust our prices to compete with Indonesia and the Philippines, the farmers are the great losers."

In recent years, Zanzibar has exported some 16,000 tonnes of seaweed a year, according to government statistics.

But levels are declining -- in the first three months of 2016, levels were less than half the amount produced during the same period a year earlier.

Prices too are falling: the price of spinosum seaweed was previously around 700 Tanzanian shillings ($0.31/0.28 euros) per kilogramme (2.2 pounds), but is now less than half, selling for 300 shillings.

The price for cottonii, another type, has tumbled from around 1100 shillings to 700 shillings.

But the plants also face a threat from disease as well as poor weather, which have both caused production levels to drop in Zanzibar.

Warmer waters -- due to climate change or other causes -- is a major factor in the decline in seaweed growth.

- Hotter water, lower yields -

Narriman Jidawi, from the Institute of Marine Sciences at the University of Dar es Salaam, said research into the production decline was under way.

"When it is too hot... seaweed (does) not grow very well, so a lot of women have stopped actually cultivating," Jidawi said.

The university's marine scientists and environmentalists are encouraging seaweed farmers to try and grow their crop in deeper, cooler waters in a bid to minimise infection, after tests showed the seaweed fared better there.

Farming in deeper water, however, is harder to do.

Seaweed grows best in water temperatures of around 25 to 30 Celsius (77-86 Fahrenheit), but temperatures are now rising above 31 C (88 F), which is unfavourable for seaweed growth.

"The seaweed business is now a challenge -- both farmers and exporters are frustrated," Mazrui said. "But we are encouraging them to continue production with hope that the price will rise again in the near future."

The government is worried, and trying to find solutions.

Zanzibar's President Ali Mohamed Shein -- who won a second term in office in March after a controversial re-run of elections the opposition claimed it had won -- used his inaugural speech to parliament to address the seaweed issue.

Improving seaweed production was among his priorities, he said, promising to improve equipment for farmers and to work to boost the market.

Hashim Moumin, head of aquaculture at the ministry of livestock and fisheries, said they were promoting "seaweed processing light industries" as an alternative to relying on exports of raw material.

"We invite investors to establish industries that will use seaweed as material," Moumin said.

For the farmers, they must struggle on with little choice.

"Despite low prices and poor production, I am still reluctant to quit this hard job, because I need to earn money," said Ameir.

Seaweed from Zanzibar is used as an ingredient base for cosmetics, lotions and toothpaste, as well as in medicines Marco Longari (AFP/File)
A recently produced map showing 18.6 million acres of land in Montana possibly being used by hunting outfitters  more than twice what has previously been reported  has drawn criticism from all quarters.

Its not even close to accurate, said Joe Perry, a Conrad farmer and member of the Private Land/Public Wildlife Council who circulated a copy of the map via email. Who knows how many acres weve got?

Steve Gallus, executive officer for the Montana Board of Outfitters, said he provided the information to Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks to create the map knowing that it would be imperfect.

The map was produced with the caveat that we think these numbers are inflated and the numbers reported next winter will be more accurate, Gallus said. Every time I emailed the map to anyone it included that caveat.

Software challenges

Gallus, a former Butte legislator and fishing guide, took over as executive director of the Montana Board of Outfitters in April 2014. He said that in his first meeting with Fish, Wildlife and Parks officials they requested an updated copy of the map.

But FWPs Alan Charles told The Gazette that the agency was out of the map business and that Gallus had come to him asking the agency to produce the document.

We were reluctant to do it initially, Charles said, but FWP director Jeff Hagener agreed to let his GIS staff produce the map but is billing the Department of Labor and Industry for their time. The department houses the Board of Outfitters.

Previous maps had been produced in 2005, 2007, 2011 and 2013.

In 2005 the map showed, within a 7 percent margin of error, that 5.6 million acres were being used by licensed hunting outfitters. In 2011 that had jumped to 7.79 million acres of private lands that may have been used by licensed outfitters, but didnt report property under 40 acres.

The most recently produced map put the figure at 18.6 million acres. On the map FWP included a disclaimer saying: FWP assumes no responsibility for the accuracy of the outfitter data  Questions related to outfitter data depicted on this map should be directed to the (Montana Board of Outfitters).

I dont know what the hell it is. I dont know if its accurate or not, Charles said.

Outfitters' response

Publication of the map has angered the outfitting industrys Montana representative, who has already penned a letter to Gov. Steve Bullock expressing his concerns.

I think the data are flawed, said Mac Minard, executive director of the Montana Outfitters and Guides Association.

In conversations with some of the states more than 280 hunting outfitters and based on the downturn in the economy and the surplus of out-of-state hunting licenses, Minard said he couldnt reconcile the map with what has been reported in the past.

Its probably grossly overinflated, he said.

There are elements of the sportsmen community who are going to grab this and say things are out of control, Minard said. It will cause an unwarranted and unnecessary response to the landowner community.

Governors request

Perry said hes not sure who to blame for the maps inaccuracy but said he distrusts the Board of Outfitters.

The Board of Outfitters said we fulfilled our obligation, he said. FWP said we did the best with what weve got. Last year (the Board of Outfitters) promised me a state of the art map. PL/PW needs that information and sportsmen want that information.

The information is considered so important that Gov. Bullock amended House Bill 274 during the 2013 Legislature to ensure that reporting of outfitted lands in Montana continued. HB 274 was written to reduce the amount of paperwork outfitters have to do and would have made annual reporting of leased acreage for outfitting discretionary. Bullock called that directive unacceptable.

FWPs Charles said MOGA fought tooth and nail to get the reporting requirement stripped from the bill. But the governor cited the data as vital to the management of wildlife, the setting of hunting seasons and critical for the activities of the Private Land/Public Wildlife Council, which has been working on land access issues.

I have not felt there has been any real commitment on the part of the Board of Outfitters or Steve Gallus to meet the statutory requirement, Charles said. I have not seen a real commitment from the Board of Outfitters to give the public accessible information.

Charles comments harken back to 2000 when the Board of Outfitters was criticized in a Legislative Audit Committee report that said the board was so poorly organized that it cannot properly regulate the outfitting industry or determine whether growth in the industry has reduced public access to land for hunting, the Associated Press reported.

Ronja Abel, deputy communications director for the governor, wrote in an email that, Governor Bullock continues to believe it is in the public interest to understand where licensed outfitters are authorized to conduct their business. He has directed the agencies involved to resolve the data issue behind the current map.

Outdated system

Despite the governors declaration about the importance of the information, no map has been produced since 2013 even though numerous requests were made to the Board of Outfitters to provide the figures.

Gallus said thats because the immense amount of data is contained in an outdated database that cant communicate with the Department of Labor and Industrys newly updated software, a system that has undergone some pretty heavy systemic changes.

Theyve been talking about converting to a new database for several years now, Charles said. I dont know that theyve made any progress on that.

Gallus said a more accurate map could be produced by February 2017 once the departments system is upgraded to use digital information provided by outfitters that is required to be reported by Nov. 1.

Based on his conversations with Gallus, Minard said, The contents (of the map) are technically flawed, and its use is ill advised.

He questioned why the map was even created given that the information could not be properly sorted to portray an accurate representation of outfitted lands in Montana.

The expectation that I have is that were going to have technically sound and valid results provided to the public, Minard said. If the maps purpose is to help inform the hunting public about lands status then why was it so damn important to crank this out in April?

Gallus said he had been directed to get a map produced  and build a new system to gather data. Thats where my focus is.

I honestly dont know if they have the capacity to do it right, which means we should send it out to a contractor, Minard said.
Five years after bin Laden, Al-Qaeda down but far from out

Five years after the killing of Al-Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden, the network he founded is far from dead even if it has suffered a series of setbacks.

Replaced as the preeminent global jihadist power by the Islamic State group, Al-Qaeda nonetheless remains a potent force and dangerous threat, experts say.

With last year's Charlie Hebdo massacre in Paris and a wave of shootings in West Africa, Al-Qaeda has shown it can still carry out its trademark spectacular attacks.

Replaced as the preeminent global jihadist power by the Islamic State group, Al-Qaeda nonetheless remains a potent force and dangerous threat, experts say Karin Zeitvogel (AFP/File)

And in Syria and Yemen its militants have seized on chaos to take control of significant territory, even presenting themselves as an alternative to the brutality of IS rule.

By the time US special forces killed bin Laden in Pakistan on May 2, 2011, the group he founded in the late 1980s had been badly damaged, with many of its militants and leaders killed or captured in the US "War on Terror".

Dissention grew in the jihadist ranks as new Qaeda chief Ayman al-Zawahiri struggled in bin Laden's place, until one of its branches, originally Al-Qaeda in Iraq, broke away to form the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL).

After seizing large parts of Iraq and Syria in 2014, the group declared an Islamic "caliphate" in areas under its control, calling itself simply the Islamic State.

IS has since eclipsed its former partner, drawing thousands of jihadists to its cause and claiming responsibility for attacks that have left hundreds dead in Brussels, Paris, Tunisia, Turkey, Lebanon, Yemen, Saudi Arabia and on a Russian airliner over Egypt.

- 'Media war machine' -

Its self-declared "emir" Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi has won pledges of allegiance from extremist groups across the Middle East and beyond, with especially powerful IS affiliates operating in Egypt's Sinai Peninsula and in Libya.

Jean-Pierre Filiu, a Paris-based expert on Islam and jihadist groups, said IS has been especially effective at using new technology to surpass its less tech-savvy rival.

"Al-Qaeda propaganda has become invisible on social networks thanks to the media war machine that Daesh has managed to successfully create," Filiu said, using an Arabic acronym for IS.

"Al-Qaeda has lost everywhere to Daesh, except in the Sahel" desert region of northern Africa, he said.

William McCants, of the Brookings Institution in Washington, agreed that Al-Qaeda had lost some ground to IS, but said the organisation has recovered.

"Al-Qaeda has a strong showing in Syria and in Yemen," he said.

In Syria the group's local affiliate, Al-Nusra Front, is one of the strongest forces fighting President Bashar al-Assad's regime, holding large parts of the northern province of Idlib.

The local branch in Yemen, Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), has meanwhile seized significant territory in the south and southeast as the government struggles against Iran-backed Shiite insurgents who have taken the capital Sanaa and other areas.

AQAP suffered a setback last week when Yemeni troops recaptured the key port city of Mukalla it occupied for more than a year.

- Attacks in Paris, west Africa -

But AQAP remains the key jihadist force in Yemen with thousands of members compared with only several hundred affiliated with IS, McCants said.

AQAP, considered by Washington to be Al-Qaeda's most well-established and dangerous branch, has also claimed responsibility for one of the group's most important attacks abroad in recent years.

In January 2015 gunmen stormed the Paris offices of satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo with assault rifles and other weapons, killing 12 people in an attack claimed by AQAP.

Another branch, Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM), has carried out assaults on hotels and restaurants in Mali, Burkina Faso and Ivory Coast since November that have left dozens dead, including many foreigners.

The attacks in west Africa "have reasserted the regional presence of AQIM and shown its expanding reach," New York-based intelligence consultancy The Soufan Group said in March.

"AQIM has used the attacks to challenge the influence of the Islamic State, to demonstrate and build its local support and to show that it is united after earlier damaging divisions," it said.

The International Crisis Group also argues that although IS has reshaped the jihadist landscape, Al-Qaeda "has evolved" and its branches in North Africa, Somalia, Syria and Yemen "remain potent, some stronger than ever".

"Some have grafted themselves onto local insurrections, displaying a degree of pragmatism, caution about killing Muslims and sensitivity to local norms," said the Brussels-based think-tank.

Al-Qaeda chiefs in Yemen and elsewhere have condemned IS for some of its actions, including bombings of Shiite mosques.

- 'Jihad will last decades' -

The United States clearly still sees Al-Qaeda as a key threat, pursuing a vigorous drone war against the group in Yemen.

The strikes have killed many senior operatives, including Al-Qaeda's second-in-command Nasir al-Wuhayshi in June 2015. In March a US strike on an AQAP training camp in Yemen killed at least 71 recruits.

Writing for French news website Atlantico in early April, former intelligence officer Alain Rodier said that while IS may have stolen the spotlight, Al-Qaeda may be in a better long-term position.

By rushing to declare its caliphate and establish its rule, IS has made itself an easier target, with thousands of its supporters killed in air strikes launched by a US-led coalition and by Russia.

Its harsh rule has also alienated potential supporters, while groups like Al-Nusra have instead sought to work with local forces in areas under their control.

"The death of Al-Qaeda's founding father in no way meant the end of his progeny," Rodier wrote. "This jihad will last for decades."

Osama Bin Laden Sophie Ramis, Kun TIAN (AFP)

Soldiers patrol in Paris as the capital was placed on the highest alert status after an attack on French satirical newspaper Charlie Hebdo Joel Saget (AFP/File)

Yemeni security forces inspect unexploded ordnance confiscated from Al-Qaeda militants in the Lahj province Saleh Al-Obeidi (AFP)

Wreckage of a government warplane reportedly shot down by the Al-Nusra front (Al-Qaeda's Syria affiliate) over the northern Syrian town of Al-Eis Omar Haj Kadour (AFP/File)

Forensics experts inspect a car outside the Splendid Hotel in Ouagadougou following an attack by Al-Qaeda-linked gunmen Issouf Sanogo (AFP/File)

French soldiers on Operation Barkhane, an anti-terrorist operation in the Sahel, patrol in Gao, northern Mali Philippe Desmazes (AFP/File)
Senegal, Mauritania bet on oil and gas in perilous climate

While petro-states reel from plunging oil prices and gas producers brace for American exports to hit the market, two west African nations are forging ahead with potentially massive extraction projects others might fear to touch.

Energy firms say Senegal and Mauritania's current oil and gas ventures will transform them into net exporters by 2020, betting on long-term demand and the eventual recovery of the slumped market, as well as their proximity to Europe.

Located off Africa's western extremity, three oil wells drilled by Scottish firm Cairn Energy have yielded a "significant resource base" in Senegalese waters, its chief executive Simon Thomson said in early April, confirming that work would begin on a fourth.

Energy firms say Senegal and Mauritania's current oil and gas ventures will transform them into net exporters by 2020 Spencer Platt (Getty Images/AFP/File)

Meanwhile Texas-based Kosmos Energy has confirmed a single, very large pool of "high-quality gas" straddling the Senegalese-Mauritanian maritime border, and now plans to prospect for oil in the same area, the firm told AFP.

"We have excellent working relationships with both governments," said Kosmos spokesman Thomas Golembeski, describing four years of work that have yielded a predicted 20 trillion cubic feet of natural gas.

The discovery of that "threshold" amount -- considered the minimum for viable production -- after digging just four wells was an encouraging sign in a business where dozens can be drilled and all found completely dry, Golembeski said.

- 'Why rush?' -

The Senegalese government has stressed it will take "every measure" to ensure the projects are carried out in the "best interests of all current and future generations," President Macky Sall said in a recent speech.

Other nations such as Kenya and Tanzania are waiting for a better economic climate to exploit similar resources, said Nadine Kone of Oxfam International, a strategy she urged Senegal and Mauritania to heed.

"I don't see a clear vision for the use of this resource," Kone told AFP. Furthermore, "why rush with oil given where prices are now?"

World Bank country manager for Mauritania Gaston Sorgho told the Financial Times last month the project was potentially risky if not properly handled, with the Chinguetti oil field discovered 15 years ago in Mauritanian waters producing a fraction of what was hoped.

However, it offered a "huge opportunity" if the two governments were able to work together, Sorgho said.

Much remains to be done before the outcome is set: Cairn and Kosmos are negotiating with production firms to get the product out of the ground and onto the market, and attracting finance for such billion-dollar projects is "the real hard part", according to Wood Mackenzie analyst David Thomson.

"These projects are massive and they're very capital intensive," Thomson said, adding that although it could take time in the current circumstances, he believed both firms would nonetheless secure the funding required.

There was enough gas alone found so far to last for three decades, he added.

- 'Clear advantages' -

Kosmos' Golembeski said the firm believed demand will have risen by the time the gas site commences delivery, with ease of shipping to Europe a clear advantage on the export side.

"Demand for oil and gas will continue to increase over time as more and more people around the world move from rural areas into the cities and want the conveniences of modern life," he told AFP.

The states' 10 percent stakes in each of the projects will be more than welcome: both battle youth unemployment and persistent poverty, and are a long way from ensuring all their citizens have clean water, housing and access to education and health services.

Mauritanian economist Isselmou Ould Mohamed said his country had in 2005 signed up to the anti-corruption Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative.

"That considerably reduces the chances of large-scale corruption. (Mauritania) is required to reveal all the payments received from these companies, which in turn must report all payments made to the state," he told AFP.

Nonetheless, Oxfam's Kone believes the five-to-10 year window from exploration to sale is not enough to guarantee a legal framework to ensure the proceeds will be used correctly.

The two countries could look to the regional example of Ghana, she said, which has a dedicated fund from the proceeds of oil and gas directed to priority areas such as agriculture and education.

Kosmos also struck oil offshore there in 2007, and the west African countries are of a comparable size.
Taiwan sends patrol ships after boat seized by Japan

Taiwan Sunday sent two patrol ships to waters surrounding a Japanese atoll amid a dispute over the seizure of one of the island's fishing boats.

The detention of the "Tung Sheng Chi 16" near Okinotori-shima last week angered Taiwanese officials, who say Tokyo has no authority over the area.

A Taiwanese coast guard ship and another from the Council of Agriculture departed from the southern port of Kaoshiung Sunday.

Taiwan has sent two patrol ships to waters surrounding a Japanese atoll amid a dispute over the seizure of one of the island's fishing boats

"Japan has no right to ban our fishing boats from the area," Taiwan's coast guard adminstration said in a statement.

"The government will resolutely defend the rights and freedom of our fisherman in international waters."

The mission will last for one to three months.

Between 100-200 Taiwanese boats fish in the waters around Okinotori-shima each year.

Japan say it has exclusive rights in the 200 nautical mile area surrounding the uninhabited atoll in the Philippine Sea.

But in addition to Taiwan, China and South Korea also reject the Japanese claim.

Taiwan's defence ministry said it also plans to deploy warships to "appropriate waters" but spokesman David Lo declined to elaborate.

The maritime row is straining normally friendly relations between Taipei and Tokyo.

It follows a stand-off more than three years ago over a chain of islands in the East China Sea, when coastguard vessels from both sides attacked each other with water cannons.

The islands -- known as Senkaku in Japanese and Diaoyu in Chinese -- are controlled by Japan but claimed by both China and Taiwan.
With help, Africa targets coordinated fight against Boko Haram

With US and European support, African states threatened by Boko Haram are out to smash the militant Islamist group terrorising the region -- but a coordinated response is required if they are to succeed.

A regional offensive launched early last year against the group by Chad, and Nigeria under new President Muhammadu Buhari has seen Boko Haram driven out from numerous towns and villages that it controlled in northeastern Nigeria.

Two weeks ago, Nigeria's military said it would raid the group's Sambisa Forest stronghold on the Cameroon border. The group also has hideouts within nearby Lake Chad's huge maze of small islands and swampland.

People walk past burnt houses after Boko Haram attacks at Dalori village on the outskirts of Maiduguri in northeastern Nigeria

Despite losing some ground in recent months the insurgents retain the capacity to launch attacks almost at will, notably via suicide attacks which require few resources.

British NGO Action on Armed Violence said earlier this week that Boko Haram attacks claimed three times as many victims last year as in 2014.

The group started wreaking havoc in Nigeria in 2009 and according to World Bank estimates has killed around 20,000 people, also sowing chaos and fear inside neighbouring Cameroon, Chad and Niger.

US and British troops will join the international coordination effort against the group, while Nigeria and France on Thursday signed an agreement on closer military cooperation, including intelligence sharing.

Nigerian Defence Minister Mansur Dan Ali saluted the deal as evidence of a "growing partnership" between Abuja and Paris.

An 8,500-strong multinational force has been drawn up to track the jihadists, but its deployment has been haphazard with little to indicate the extent of real progress.

Even so, the Nigerian general overseeing the force, Lamadi Adeosun, indicated Friday during a meeting with French Defence Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian that "much has been done and is still being done to win the battle and ultimately win the peace".

The Nigerian army is expected to launch an offensive in the coming days so as "to deny Boko Haram its traditional Sambisa sanctuary", according to Chad military sources in the capital N'Djamena.

Such an offensive has been in the offing ever since Buhari took office a year ago but has yet to materialise.

- Imminent action -

"The idea is to be able to announce at the next Abuja summit (on May 14) that this sanctuary no longer exists. That is a military and also a political imperative," says a source close to the president.

The summit will bring together leaders of Cameroon, Chad, Niger and Nigeria -- allied neighbours in the fight against Boko Haram -- as well as French President Francois Hollande and representatives from Britain and the United States.

Boko Haram leader Abubakar Shekau appeared in a video late last month and "he still seems to be the leader and is hiding out in the Sambisa Forest," according to a French military source.

The group is thought to number somewhere between 100,000 and 30,000. Its exact strength is hard to evaluate but the French source says that experienced fighters who have returned from Mali or Libya are no more than a small hard core.

The multinational force is preparing its own offensive along the border with Cameroon, Chad and Niger but time is of the essence with the rainy season approaching.

- IS link? -

The multinational force, whose HQ is at N'Djamena although each nation's contingent is under its own command, will have access to intelligence compiled by French and US drones and fighter planes -- but communications, transport and logistics hardware are in short supply.

Coordination is paramount.

"If they are not coordinated they will never be able definitively to curtail Boko Haram," a French military source warned.

General Adeosun says the international community should be doing more -- red tape has held up 50 million euros ($55 million) of EU aid -- and has asked for lifejackets and a consignment of flat-bottomed boats to take the fight to the enemy across the huge expanse of Lake Chad.

There are concerns Boko Haram may have received weapons via Libya from Islamic State through individual go-betweens, though Le Drian says that "for now we do not have proof of close links" between the jihadists.

On Saturday, Le Drian promised to do away with Boko Haram "barbarity" as he visited the Ivorian resort of Grand-Bassam, scene of a deadly March 13 attack blamed on an Al-Qaeda affiliate which killed 19.

"We are determined to fight together with the Ivory Coast authorities for our freedoms and against barbarity," said Le Drian a day after pledging to lift the French troop contingent in the country from 600 to 900.

Armoured vehicles donated by the US to Nigeria are paraded in Lagos Stefan Heunis (AFP/File)
Vietnamese rally against Taiwan firm over mass fish deaths

Hundreds of people gathered Sunday in the Vietnamese capital to protest against a Taiwanese company suspected of involvement in a toxic leak that has hit the fishing industry along the central coast.

Tonnes of dead clams were found last week in Ha Tinh province where fish began washing up on beaches earlier in April, sparking a public outcry.

The area is home to a large steel mill run by a Taiwanese conglomerate, Formosa.

Vietnamese protesters demonstrate against Taiwanese conglomerate Formosa during a rally in downtown Hanoi on May 1, 2016 Hoang Dinh Nam (AFP)

Demonstrators who marched around Hoan Kiem lake in central Hanoi carried banners reading "Formosa out of Vietnam", "The sea dies, we die" and "Save our sea".

Reports on social media said hundreds of demonstrators also massed in Ho Chi Minh City in the south.

Although an official inquiry is continuing, state-run media has pointed the finger at a 1.5 kilometre (one mile) waste water pipeline from Formosa's multi-billion dollar steel plant to the ocean.

The company has a long history of environmental scandals spanning the globe, although the probe has yet to directly link Formosa's operations to the fish poisoning.

Chou Chun Fan, a Formosa company official, was sacked after he said Vietnamese "need to choose whether to catch fish and shrimp or to build a state-of-the-art steel mill".

The company apologised for the comments and has launched its own inquiry.

"I think Formosa knows that their acts caused environmental pollution," said Vu Cong Thuan, 50, a demonstrator in Hanoi.

"Formosa's plant must be closed," Thuan told AFP.

Officials in the communist nation have admitted failures in how they handled the incident.

"Our response to the environmental disaster was slow," said Environment Minister Tran Hong Ha in the state-run Tuoi Tre newspaper.

Formosa has been ordered to raise the pipeline "to make it easier for monitoring and supervision", he added.

Newly appointed Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has vowed to "seriously punish" any party found responsible.

Media reports earlier said Formosa had imported some 300 tonnes of toxic chemicals to clean the waste-water pipeline, a shipment the Vietnam Environment Administration said it was unaware of.

The report did not say whether the chemicals had been used.

Vietnam's central provinces are heavily dependent on seafood, including farmed shrimp, catfish and wild-caught tuna.
Indian teen shoots himself in head taking selfie with gun

An Indian teenager accidently shot himself in the head with his father's gun while trying to take a "selfie" photograph, police said Sunday, the latest in a series of such accidents.

The 15-year-old is being treated in hospital at Pathankot in Punjab state and is expected to survive, said the city's deputy police superintendent, Manoj Kumar.

The accident happened on Friday evening when the schoolboy was playing at home with the licensed revolver which is normally kept in a wardrobe, Kumar told AFP.

In January 2016, police in the western city of Mumbai moved to crack down on dangerous selfies after a man drowned trying to save a girl who fell into the sea while snapping one Indranil Mukherjee (AFP/File)

"The boy's father and family said that he was trying to take a selfie with his gun," he said.

"We will speak to the boy when he is declared medically fit. We think that part of the blame obviously goes to the father for not keeping his loaded gun under lock and key at their home."

A teenager was run over and killed in the southern Indian city of Chennai in February as he tried to take a selfie in front of an oncoming train.

In January police in the western city of Mumbai moved to crack down on dangerous selfies after a man drowned trying to save a girl who fell into the sea while snapping one.

Police identified 16 dangerous selfie spots in Mumbai and asked the local council to erect warning signs and deploy lifeguards.
Indonesian sailors home after Philippine kidnap ordeal

Ten Indonesian sailors held hostage by Abu Sayyaf Islamic militants returned home Sunday after being freed in the southern Philippines, less than a week after the gunmen beheaded a Canadian captive.

About five weeks after being abducted, the 10 tugboat crew turned up outside the house of the provincial governor on the remote Philippine island of Jolo.

They flew back to Jakarta later the same day, arriving on a private plane at an air force base before being driven away in a minibus without speaking to reporters.

Indonesian sailors, who were taken hostage by Abu Sayyaf Islamic militants in the Philippines, get off a plane upon their arrival at Halim Perdanakusuma Airbase in Jakarta, on May 1, 2016 Jefri Tarigan (AFP)

Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi said they would undergo medical checks before being sent home.

"Our prayers have been answered," Rahmat Mansyur, brother of freed hostage Wawan Saputra, told AFP in Indonesia's South Sulawesi province.

"A few days ago when the kidnappers beheaded a hostage we were very worried, but now we heard he is safe we feel so blessed."

Officials did not say if any ransom was paid for the 10 Indonesians. Abu Sayyaf does not normally free hostages unless a ransom is paid.

There has been a recent upsurge of kidnappings in the strife-torn southern Philippines, and the Indonesians' release came just six days after Abu Sayyaf beheaded Canadian tourist John Ridsdel, for whom they had demanded a $21 million ransom.

Authorities said the group is still holding at least 11 foreign hostages -- four sailors from Indonesia and four others from Malaysia, a Canadian tourist, a Norwegian resort owner and a Dutch birdwatcher.

- 'Hope and pray' -

Provincial governor Abdusakur Tan Jnr on Jolo hailed the "good news" of the men's recovery after they were brought to his home by unidentified men during a heavy midday downpour.

On learning who they were, the politician's guards let them in and they were fed before being turned over to the police.

"We hope and pray that the others may also walk freely away from their captors," Tan said.

Philippine President Benigno Aquino vowed Wednesday to neutralise the militants after the Canadian retiree's head was left outside a government building in Jolo.

The fate of the other hostages remained unknown even as artillery and military aircraft bombed suspected Abu Sayyaf positions on Jolo in the past week.

The small group of militants is based on Jolo and nearby Basilan island and is accused of kidnappings and deadly bombings.

The 10 Indonesian sailors were abducted off the southern Philippines on March 26 as their tugboat pulled a barge from Borneo island.

Filipino authorities later described the kidnappers as members of the Abu Sayyaf, a radical offshoot of a Muslim separatist insurgency in the south of the mainly Catholic country that has claimed more than 100,000 lives since the 1970s.

Abu Sayyaf is believed to have just a few hundred militants but has withstood repeated US-backed military offensives against it, using the mountainous jungle terrain of Jolo and nearby islands to its advantage.

Abu Sayyaf gangs have earned many millions of dollars from kidnapping foreigners and locals since the early 1990s.

Although its leaders have pledged allegiance to the Islamic State group, analysts say they are more focused on lucrative kidnappings-for-ransom than on setting up a caliphate.

Jakarta will host a meeting of foreign ministers and military commanders from Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines on Thursday aimed at discussing joint naval patrols where the sailors were abducted.

The Abu Sayyaf group Gal ROMA, Adrian LEUNG (AFP)
Protesters in Green Zone, Iraq PM calls for punishment of rioters

Thousands of protesters were inside Baghdad's Green Zone on Sunday after breaking into the fortified area and storming parliament, as Iraq's premier called for rioters to be pursued and punished.

Demonstrators pulled down or scaled slabs of heavy concrete blast wall to enter the fortified area where Iraq's main government institutions are located, the culmination of weeks of political turmoil and inaction by parliament.

While there is still the potential for escalation, the situation was calm on Sunday, with protesters touring the area and taking photos of places they have rarely if ever been able to access.

Iraqi protesters open a breach in a concrete wall surrounding the parliament on April 30, 2016 Haidar Mohammed Ali (AFP)

"This is the first time I've been here since I came with my school under Saddam (Hussein)," said 32-year-old Yusef al-Assadi, who took a "selfie" in front of the unknown soldier's monument.

"It's one of the most beautiful places to be in Baghdad. It should be for everyone, yet the people were not allowed here," he said.

Assadi said it was striking "how rich this place is. Here, there is air conditioning and electricity everywhere, but the people of Iraq suffer from power cuts all the time."

Many Iraqi politicians live in luxury, while most average citizens make do with abysmal services that include only a few hours of government-provided electricity per day at the height of summer.

Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi's office said he had ordered the pursuit of people involved in attacks or vandalism, but security forces were not taking action against protesters inside the Green Zone on Sunday.

Abadi "directed the interior minister to pursue the elements who attacked the security forces and citizens and members of parliament and vandalised state properties and to refer them to the judiciary to receive their just punishment," a statement said.

- 'System is not working' -

Protesters attacked at least one MP as well as cars they believed belonged to lawmakers on Saturday, and broke into offices in parliament.

But others sought to contain the destruction, and many were content to take photographs of themselves in parliament, with some sitting in seats usually occupied by lawmakers.

The fact that security forces may fear the repercussions of crossing powerful Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr will likely hamper Abadi's directive.

Many of the demonstrators were supporters of Sadr, and members of his Saraya al-Salam militia group deployed around parliament on Saturday night.

The protesters broke into the Green Zone on Saturday afternoon after MPs again failed to approve new ministers to replace the current party-affiliated cabinet.

Both Abadi and Sadr have called for the change, but powerful political parties that rely on control of ministries for patronage and funds have opposed the move.

"Even the most sectarian of Iraqis are seeing the failure of their leaders and their system," said Patrick Skinner, a former CIA case officer who is now with The Soufan Group consultancy.

"The question might not be 'why now' as it relates to the anger, but 'why it took so long'. Their system is not working," he said.

Parliament approved some of Abadi's nominees earlier in the week, but "they were replacing figures who were easy to replace," said Kirk Sowell a Jordan-based political risk analyst who is the publisher of Inside Iraqi Politics.

"Abadi just looks more and more impotent... He is just very weak. He will not be impeached. But he is being made less relevant by the day," Sowell said.

Thousands of Iraqi protesters invaded the main session hall of the parliament in Baghdad on April 30, 2016 Haidar Mohammed Ali (AFP)
Three held over Bangladesh Hindu tailor's murder

Bangladesh police detained three people on Sunday over the gruesome murder of a Hindu tailor one day earlier, the latest deadly attack on minorities claimed by the Islamic State group.

A senior officer said the principal of an Islamic madrassa and two others were being held for questioning over the hacking to death of Nikhil Chandra Joarder outside his shop in Tangail town, northwest of Dhaka.

Police suspect the 50-year-old Joarder may have been targeted on Saturday for making derogatory remarks about the Prophet Mohammed four years ago, as Bangladesh reels from rising Islamist violence.

Bangladeshi protesters in Dhaka demonstrate on April 29, 2016 against the killing of a university professor days earlier in the capital

Tangail deputy police chief Aslam Khan said the three have been "taken into police custody for questioning" including a local leader of the country's largest Islamist party, Jamaat-e-Islami.

"The madrassa principal filed a complaint against the deceased in 2012 for making derogatory remarks against the Prophet Mohammed," Khan told AFP.

The attack comes after two gay activists were hacked to death last week, attacks claimed by a Bangladeshi branch of Al-Qaeda, while a liberal professor was also killed days earlier.

Suspected Islamists have murdered at least 30 members of religious minorities, secular bloggers and other liberal activists, foreigners and intellectuals in Bangladesh in the past three years.

The IS group claimed responsibility for the latest attack, carried out by three unknown men who arrived on a motorbike.

It claimed Joarder "was known for blaspheming the Prophet Mohammed," the IS-affiliated Amaq news agency said, citing a source, according to SITE Intelligence Group.

Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan rejected the claim of responsibility on Saturday, repeating the government's stance that the jihadist group, along with Al-Qaeda, have no known presence in Bangladesh.

The secular government and the police have instead blamed local banned militant groups for the attacks.

Four years ago, Joarder was charged with hurting religious sentiments and he spent three weeks in jail, before the unknown complainant withdrew the case against him.

In February, suspected Islamists decapitated a top Hindu priest inside a temple complex in one of the country's northern districts, an attack also claimed by the IS group.

A long-running political crisis in officially secular Bangladesh has radicalised opponents of the government and analysts say Islamist extremists pose a growing danger.

Hindus, the country's largest religious minority, make up nearly 10 percent of Bangladesh's 160 million population of mainly Sunni Muslims.
Four Yemen troops dead as Aden police chief survives bombing

Four Yemeni guards were killed in a bombing that targeted the convoy of Aden's police chief, officials said, the second such attack on him in the southern city this week.

A bomb-laden car in Aden's Mansura district exploded as General Shallal Shayae's convoy passed, damaging military vehicles and prompting clashes between his guards and Al-Qaeda suspects in the area, the officials added.

Shayae himself escaped unharmed, according to his aides, but medical sources said that four of his guards were killed and eight others were wounded.

Yemeni loyalist forces and onlookers gather at the scene of a suicide attack targeting the police chief in Aden on April 28, 2016 Saleh Al-Obeidi (AFP)

There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the bombing, but Shayae has survived attacks by jihadists more than once, the last of which was just days ago.

On Thursday, a suicide bomber blew up a vehicle packed with explosives when he was stopped at a checkpoint on the perimeter of the compound around Shayae's house, wounding a guard.

In February, suspected Al-Qaeda militants opened fire on a convoy carrying Shayae and Aden governor Aidarus al-Zubaidi, but they escaped unharmed.

Shayae and Zubaidi also survived a car bombing that targeted their convoy in Aden on January 5 killing two of their guards.

Other security officials in Aden, the temporary base of Yemen's Saudi-backed government, have been targeted by bombings and assassinations -- some of which Al-Qaeda or the Islamic State group have claimed.

Unidentified gunmen on Friday killed Aden's traffic police chief Colonel Marwan Abdulalim as he was in his car going to weekly Muslim prayers.

Jihadists have exploited the unrest in Yemen as loyalist forces, backed by a Saudi-led coalition, fought against Iran-backed rebels since March 2015 in a war that has left more than 6,400 people dead.

Pro-government forces last year drove the Shiite rebels and their allies out of southern provinces, including Aden, but have struggled to assert their authority over a growing presence of extremists.
POPLAR  Six shiny balloons that would have looked at home at a 1-year-olds birthday party  one pink and in the shape of a heart  hung behind the eagle staffs that flanked the small white coffin.

The body of Kenzley Olson lay in that coffin at the Poplar Cultural Center for a little over 24 hours while the community came to mourn, first at her wake and then at a funeral attended by more than 300 people.

Kenzley, who turned 1 in March, was killed April 19 and her body thrown in a dumpster. Janelle Red Dog pleaded not guilty to the crime on the day of the wake. Tribal Chairman Floyd Azure has said methamphetamine played a role in the crime, as well as the abduction of a 4-year-old girl in Wolf Point several weeks earlier.

Our society has come to the point where drugs mean more than a childs life, more than a family, more than keeping a roof over your head, Azure said. All we are hurting is ourselves.

On the night of Kenzleys wake, 23 miles to the east in Fort Kipp, the meth abuse awareness coordinator for the tribes held a meeting on meth awareness. Another is scheduled next week in Brockton, where tribal health educator Carolyn Brugh lives. She hopes it will be well-attended, but said shes seen this cycle before, where theres a lot of buzz and awareness of problems after something horrible happens, but then the energy to do something fades.

Its too bad we had to have a tragedy to open our eyes, Brugh said. Theres an immediate response, but then the need to do something falls by the wayside. Meth has been here, she said. This is not something new to us.

Those in Poplar, a town of about 800 people who live along Highway 2 in the northeastern corner of the state, find blame on and off the Fort Peck Reservation for what locals call a meth epidemic. Azure said the federal government doesnt provide enough money to pay for social services, but he also, like many others here, casts responsibility for whats happening on the community. Taking care of our own is a huge part of Native culture that we just dont practice anymore, he said.

'Drugs are rampant'

Meth is everywhere.

Drugs are rampant in our community, Frank Hapa told those who gathered for the wake. There are many sleepless nights for mommas and daddies, parents and grandparents. The next morning people are asking, Did you know this happened just down the street, just down the block?

The 100-mile long, 70-mile wide swath of land is home to about 7,000 members of the Assiniboine and Sioux tribes. The reservation is extremely poor and geographically isolated. The unemployment rate was 28.3 percent in 2008, according to a health profile compiled for the state. The median household income was $18,500. That's compared to a 4.3 percent unemployment rate for the state of Montana this past March, and a median income of $40,627 in 2008. Forty-five percent of people live below the federal poverty level, compared to 13 percent statewide in 2008.

The drug has infiltrated our whole society, Azure said.

Sometimes it seems only the too young and very old aren't using meth.

Nothing you can say will stop them, said Raymond Ogle, who has lived in Poplar his whole life. It used to be young people, now its getting into older people. Its all ages. Before it was teens, now its people in their 30s and 40s with kids. A lot of users are grandparents now. Grandkids think, It must be OK because my grandpa is doing it.

Marty Reum, who lives in nearby Wolf Point and works at Fort Peck Community College in Poplar, is a recovering addict who started using meth in 2004. He went on his last runner from 2010-2013. Back then you could find meth almost anywhere in town, he said, and its probably still the same today.

Most people tie the drugs presence in the area to the nearby Bakken oil fields. Williston, N.D., the epicenter of the now-busting boom, is just 70 miles east on Highway 2. Though Poplar doesnt have oil wells or man camps, folks passed through, and there was some spillover of both the people who work in the oil fields and the drugs they use. The stuff that has come into town is made elsewhere, Reum said, and very pure.

Reum has been clean for three years, and he said hes going to stay that way. He has relapsed several times, including once just two weeks after he left a treatment center in Black Hills, S.D.

Spotted Bull Recovery Resource Center in Poplar is the only place on the reservation to get treatment for methamphetamine abuse. It takes a referral, typically from the court system, to get on the growing list of those waiting to be admitted to the outpatient program.

We can clean them up, get their head where they are thinking about family, about being in the work force, in the community, providing. But if tomorrow we throw them back to the wolves again, whats your success? Reum asked.

Some people are sent to programs in Sheridan, Wyo., or Browning if they can afford to pay for it. It costs $60,000 to $90,000 to send someone off the reservation for treatment, Azure said, and we send people multiple times."

Those who get treatment often come home to the same environment they left  friends that arent supportive of getting clean and situations that are a hotbed of enticements and triggers for users. The tribe has talked about an inpatient treatment center, but it is still in the discussion phase, Brugh said.

Indian Health Services is operating at life and limb status right now and doesnt pay for addiction treatment. Life and limb, Brugh explained, means that unless someone is going to lose an arm or leg or die, they arent going to get treatment.

The lack of proper health care, especially preventive care, is one of the reasons people turn to meth, Azure believes.

IHS gives people pills to tide them over, then they become addicted to the pain pills. Then they cut them off  so what do they do? IHS gives to them until theyre addicts, and then they turn to meth. Or they sell the pain pills, he said.

Community mourns

It rained, seemingly without a break, on the days of Kenzley's wake and funeral. It was cold, but the doors to the Cultural Center, the main community gathering place, stayed open.

The gym was in constant motion during the wake. People filtered in and out, women carrying trays upon trays of food and men shaking hands. Teens walked in groups, carrying coffee to seated elders. Preschool-age kids ran between family and friends, some too young to understand what was going on. Toddlers orbited around the drum circles, and swaddled babies slept soundly.

What happens to this younger generation was a theme Hapa carried through his message to the mourners.

"We've had a lot of sleepless nights with our sons and daughters out there," he said. "We don't know if they're dead in a ditch or in jail. We have moms peering out of the window, dads driving around at night looking for their sons. Our No. 1 concern is drugs along with alcohol."

Hapa predicted "we will see a lot worse in our community. Things we never expected to see happen."

Chairman Azure is a leader casting around for a solution he can't name. The problems are too big, and the resources to address them too limited.

"I have no answer," he said.

There are only 13 tribal law enforcement officers to police the entire reservation. There are four elected judges and 99 beds that are always always full at the newly built jail, he said.

The courts could go 24/7 if we had enough judges, Azure said. It all comes down to funding. From Day 1 we have never been given enough to succeed, only to fight among each other.

He said the tribes need more from the federal government. They are supposed to provide for us because we gave up millions and millions of acres of land."

The tribes have taken over several programs from the Bureau of Indian Affairs, including the Law and Justice Department and the courts. The funding for the courts has increased, but not much, since the tribes took over in 1984.

But he also looks inward when talking about how it got to this point. It's something Brugh echoed.

Its common for generations to always think it was better before, calling back to some time in the past when all the problems of now didnt exist.

Kids had curfews they were held to. Parents and family kept a closer eye on the younger generation, who feared strict punishment. Poplar is no different in its nostalgia, though the feeling seems as strong in the 80-year-old set as it does from those in their 30s, 40s and 50s.

When I was growing up, if you did things you knew you were going to be in trouble, Brugh said. There isnt that fear any more.

Her tribal health office has always held events around the reservation  Halloween carnivals, Easter egg hunts  events where families gather, make crafts. Brugh offers a meal, door prizes and other incentives to get people to attend.

When we started, we had a lot of participation from mom, dad, grandparents, she said. But in the past year, the past two years, theres been a decline in that. We dont get the participation we used to get. And that has to do with the meth problem. They dont want to go because you know theyre doing meth and theyre ashamed to be out."

Azure ties the decline to boarding schools, which children were sent away to as recently as his grandpas generation. He says the children lost connections with their mothers and fathers, who in turn loosened the rules for children home on summer breaks.

Once you lose that, youre never going to get that back, Azure said. The parents try to overcompensate. The parents allow the children to do things they normally would not, they overcompensate for love.

Escaping reality

Some use meth as a way to escape the realities of living in a poor, rural community that doesn't seem to have a lot of options to better yourself. Jobs are scarce.

The tribes employ about 450 people and do drug testing on employees and some applicants. If you can't pass, you aren't hired.

Private jobs are hard to come by, and economic development is stagnant.

The tribal executive board is 15 people elected in what amounts to a "popularity contest," Azure said. And they've made many bad economic decisions in the past. A pipeline to convert dryland farming fields to irrigated fell through because of politics.

If a project like that doesnt come from the right person on the council, they will vote it down because it came from the wrong person. This is because of the politics we put up with, Azure said. We got shafted numerous times because of the councils decisions."

He can list the companies that came in and took money without any payoff, bad decisions he said the council made even though he advised against them. A solar panel company came in, got money to set up operations, painted the floor of an abandoned industrial building and then left.

"I cant get things done the way I want to," he said, explaining that the tribes can't spend money unless there's a resolution passed by the council.

The community is so poverty-stricken, Azure said, that the only way to make money is to sell drugs because the job opportunity is not here."

And yes, meth will help someone escape a feeling of helplessness, Reum said. But only temporarily.

Meth does that, it will suck that stuff away for a while. But you cant get high enough to numb the life away.

Reum is tired of hearing excuses. "Sure, we've lost people, people who are gone," he said. "But we need to start getting something back. We need to start young, instill our values, raise our kids in a respectful way, and hope they learn enough lessons from how we show them to be."

Brugh has a 7-year-old granddaughter who lives in Poplar. She said she's aware of all the negative things that have happened.

"I worry for her, for all the little ones," she said. "But Im not afraid to live here. Its home to a lot of people, people who have lived here their whole lives. Its not any different than living someplace else.

You can see people get frustrated. What can we do? Keep moving ahead and along the way there will be stumbling blocks. I hate to say it, but the buzz will probably die down.
Iran parliament urges ballistic missile improvements

Iran's outgoing parliament approved a motion Sunday to increase the capabilities of the country's ballistic missiles, a military programme that has been ruled dangerous by the United Nations.

Tehran considers the missile programme an essential deterrent, citing the unprovoked attacks on its cities by former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein in the nations' 1980-1988 war.

However, the United States and other Western countries has said the Islamic republic's missiles threaten the Middle East, particularly Israel. Tehran's clerical rulers do not recognise the Jewish state.

A long-range Qadr ballistic missile is launched in the Alborz mountain range in northern Iran on March 9, 2016 Mahmood Hosseini (Tasnim News/AFP/File)

The motion was passed by the lame duck conservative-dominated parliament one day after election results showed that reformists had beaten them in polls.

Lawmakers said measures must be taken "to develop and increase ballistic missile capability" and "short, medium and long range anti-aircraft capabilities."

The new parliament will be sworn in later this month.

The ballistic missile programme was not covered by the landmark nuclear deal last summer between Iran and the United States and other leading powers under which sanctions were finally lifted in January.

Under that agreement, Tehran agreed to place curbs on its atomic programme which the West accused Iran of using to develop a bomb. Iran has always denied the allegation.

However, the testing of ballistic missiles just months after the nuclear agreement was struck last year has shown the limited reach of the accord as well as highlighting that Iran and the United States remain foes.

The United States hit Iran with fresh sanctions on the missile programme on January 17, just 24 hours after nuclear-related sanctions had been lifted under the deal with world powers.

Ballistic missile tests are considered a means for Iran's military to demonstrate that the nuclear agreement will have no impact on its domestic defence plans.

But a UN panel said in December that tests conducted two months earlier breached previous resolutions aimed at stopping Tehran from developing missiles capable of carrying a nuclear warhead.
Ghanaian crowned first 'Miss Africa Continent'

Barefoot, wearing traditional costumes including animal hide skirts and elaborately beaded headdresses, the contestants strutted the stage before Ghanaian Rebecca Asamoah was crowned the first 'Miss Africa Continent'.

The 24-year-old dental hygienist beat 11 finalists drawn from an original list of 40 contestants from across the continent in the inaugural pageant at Johannesburg's Gold Reef City casino on Saturday night.

Runner-up was Michelo Malambo of Zambia, while South Africa's Jemimah Kandimiri was placed third.

Miss Ghana, Rebecca Asamoah, is crowned the first ever Miss Africa Continent in Johannesburg, South Africa on April 30, 2016 John Wessels (AFP)

The swimsuit contest was also a departure from the beauty contest norm, with contestants wearing black t-shirts and tight shorts while dancing barefoot to music such as "Africa" by Mali's legendary afro-pop musician Salif Keita.

The pageant is the brain child of South African film producer Neo Mashishi, who says it aims to empower young African women.

"This is the first ever Miss Africa Continent," said Mashishi, adding that it had been five years in the making.

"This is about Africa, we are selling Africa to the world, and we are proud to be Africa".

"The way everything was done was African, we didn't emulate anything from Miss Universe, or Miss World," he said.

Asamoah, who wore braids, entered the stage in a traditional Ghanaian Ashanti gold-coloured beaded crown and then returned in a evening dress made from the country's trademark kente cloth.

She walked away with a grant to study business management at Monash university in Johannesburg.

Runner up in the 2015 Miss Ghana competition, Asamoah said she wanted to see young people help uplift the continent.

"There are a lot of things to be fixed in Africa -- water, education, environmental issues," she told AFP.

"My main concern is the empowerment of youths... so we can work hand in hand and put our continent in the best place it should be."

In the weeks running up to the event, the 12 finalists embarked on a series of pre-pageant activities, including showing off their culinary skills in cooking traditional meals from their native countries.

Ultimately, the organisers hope to involve the continental body, the African Union, "so our winner can play a role in uplifting Africa"and spearhead campaigns to fight Africa's woes such as malaria, poverty and xenophobia.
US, Russia in bids to halt fighting in Syria's Aleppo

US Secretary of State John Kerry began a diplomatic push in Geneva on Sunday as world powers desperately sought ways to halt the mounting carnage in the Syrian city of Aleppo.

More than a week of fighting has killed hundreds of civilians and left a UN-backed peace process -- jointly sponsored by Washington and Moscow -- hanging by a thread.

Kerry jetted in to Geneva for talks with Arab ministers and UN peace envoy Staffan de Mistura, but US officials admitted privately that much depends on Russia's stance.

People walk amid the rubble of destroyed buildings following a reported air strike on the rebel-held neighbourhood of al-Kalasa in Aleppo, Syria on April 28, 2016 Ameer Alhalbi (AFP/File)

"We are talking directly to the Russians, even now," Kerry said, after a week in which Moscow conspicuously refused to rein it its ally, Syrian strongman Bashar al-Assad.

"The hope is we can make some progress," he said ahead of a meeting with Jordanian Foreign Minister Nasser Judeh in his Geneva hotel, on the eve of talks with De Mistura.

"But the UN Security Council Resolution calls for a full country, countrywide, cessation and also for all of the country to be accessible to humanitarian assistance."

Concern has been growing that the fighting will lead to the complete collapse of a landmark ceasefire between Assad's regime and non-jihadist rebels agreed in late February.

On Saturday, Russia said it would not urge Assad's forces to halt air raids on the war-ravaged city as they were targeting jihadist groups not covered by the truce.

Washington has rejected this argument and on Sunday the head of Moscow's coordination centre in Syria said talks on a freeze had begun.

"Currently active negotiations are underway to establish a 'regime of silence' in Aleppo province," Lieutenant General Sergei Kuralenko told Russian news agencies.

He said that a freeze in fighting in eastern Ghouta, a suburb of Damascus, had been extended to the end of Sunday and that another freeze was holding in Latakia province.

- More than 250 civilians dead -

"We are calling on all sides interested in establishing peace in Syria to support the Russian-American initiative and not to allow a regime of silence to be disrupted," Kuralenko said from Russia's Hmeimim air base in Syria.

Before leaving Riyadh for Geneva to join Kerry and De Misura, Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir accused the Assad regime of committing "war crimes" in Aleppo.

Before leaving Washington, Kerry expressed "deep concern" about Aleppo, which has suffered some of the worst fighting in a war that has killed more than 270,000 people.

At least 253 civilians -- including 49 children -- have been killed on both sides of the divided city since April 22, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitor says.

On Sunday the provincial capital's rebel-held east was eerily quiet, an AFP correspondent said.

There were no reports of fighting in the regime-controlled west of the city, the Observatory said.

But air strikes did hit several rebel areas on Aleppo's northwestern outskirts, after rebel shelling of the west and regime bombing north of the city in the night.

Rockets were fired Sunday from rebel-held areas into the west without causing casualties, it said.

The regime dropped barrel bombs on Castello road, the only route in and out of rebel-held parts of Aleppo and a civilian escape route, the Observatory said.

- #AleppoIsBurning -

The fighting has dampened hopes that the ceasefire could finally lay the groundwork for an end to Syria's five-year conflict.

Peace talks last month in Geneva failed to make any headway, though De Mistura has said he hopes they can resume "during the course of May".

Concern for Aleppo, Syria's former economic hub, has been growing.

A hashtag demanding an end to the violence -- #AleppoIsBurning -- has spread on social media, with protests planned this week around the world.

In neighbouring Lebanon, dozens of demonstrators protested, some wearing white helmets marked "Civil Defence" in a nod to Aleppo's rescue workers.

Lebanon currently hosts more than a million Syrian refugees.

The escalating violence in Aleppo has also struck medical centres, with the International Committee of the Red Cross reporting four hit Friday on both sides.

And a raid on Wednesday hit a hospital supported by Doctors Without Borders and the Red Cross, killing 30 people and sparking an international outcry.

On Saturday, many terrified residents fled a new wave of air strikes on the city's east, saying the violence had become unbearable.

Syria's conflict erupted in 2011 after the brutal repression of anti-government protests and has since escalated into a complex, multi-faceted war.

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry (R) and Jordanian Foreign Minister Nasser Judeh address medias following their meeting on Syria in Geneva, on May 1, 2016 Denis Balibouse (POOL/AFP)

Crisis in Syria: the battle for Aleppo Philippe MOUCHE, Thomas SAINT-CRICQ (AFP)

Syrian civil defence volunteers evacuate a man and children following a reported air strike on the rebel-held eastern neighbourhood of Bab al-Nayrab in Aleppo, northern Syria on April 29, 2016 Ameer Alhalbi (AFP)
Yemen govt temporarily suspends talks with rebels

Yemen's government temporarily suspended Sunday its participation in talks with Iran-backed rebels in protest at their takeover of a military base and continued ceasefire violations, officials said.

"The delegation of the republic of Yemen has suspended its participation in Kuwait talks because of the continued violations by rebels and their takeover of Al-Amaliqa base," foreign minister and head of delegation Abdulmalek al-Mikhlafi said on Twitter.

He said the suspension will last "until guarantees for compliance were provided", without providing details.

Yemen's UN envoy Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed holds a press conference at the ministry of information in Kuwait City on April 30, 2016 Yasser al-Zayyat (AFP)

A spokesman for Mikhlafi told AFP that the government delegation has suspended its participation in both "direct and indirect" talks taking place in Kuwait.

"The suspension will continue until guarantees are provided that the rebels will stop their ceasefire violations and withdraw from the base," Mane al-Matari told AFP.

A statement by the government delegation called on the UN envoy, Kuwait and other Gulf states and countries backing the peace process "to apply pressure on the other side to comply with peace requirements."

The United Nations said it was informed by the government delegation that it will not attend a round of talks scheduled for later Sunday.

UN envoy Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed said he made contacts with members of both delegations and that he had received assurances that they would continue to try to resolve their differences but without face-to-face meetings.

Huthi rebel spokesman Mohammed Abdulsalam however criticised the Yemeni government's decision.

"Those who don't want peace ... are the ones who create false justifications and reasons to obstruct," the talks, Abdulsalam wrote on Twitter.

On Saturday, Yemen's warring parties held their first face-to-face talks since the negotiations in Kuwait began on April 21.

The UN envoy said these direct talks were "productive" and had touched on key issues.

But later Saturday, the rebels and their allies overran Al-Amaliqa base in northern Yemen after hours of clashes, tribal and military sources said, adding that the fighting caused casualties.

The sources said the commanders of the 600-strong brigade at the base, located in the rebel stronghold province of Amran since 2014, had "chosen to remain neutral" as pro-government forces, backed a Saudi-led coalition, clashed with the insurgents across Yemen.

"The attack against Al-Amaliqa brigade torpedoes the peace consultations in Kuwait," Mikhlafi has said on Twitter.

Yemen's warring parties have repeatedly traded blame for ceasefire violations.

Government loyalists said they have recorded "3,694 ceasefire violations by the Huthis and their allies" -- troops fighting in support of former president Ali Abdullah Saleh.

Meanwhile, the rebels accused government forces and the Saudi-led coalition backing them of 4,000 breaches.

The coalition in March 2015 began a military campaign against the rebels, who have seized the capital Sanaa among other parts of the country.
Cuba May Day rally defends embattled Latin American left

Hundreds of thousands of Cubans marched Sunday in the country's annual May Day rally, which condemned a campaign to "destabilize" leftist governments around Latin America.

The communist island traditionally holds enormous, festive demonstrations to mark International Workers' Day, which this year comes at a turbulent time for the left-leaning governments that have dominated the Latin American political scene for more than a decade.

"This May 1 is also a day to condemn the maneuvers aimed at... reversing the gains achieved in social policy in our America and destabilizing the leftist and progressive governments in power," keynote speaker Ulises Guilarte, the secretary general of the Workers' Central Union of Cuba, told a massive crowd on Revolution Square in Havana.

Cubans display pictures of their former leader Fidel Castro and their current president Raul Castro, during the May Day parade in Havana, on May 1, 2016 Adalberto Roque (AFP)

As examples, he cited Brazil, where President Dilma Rousseff is facing impeachment proceedings she condemns as a "coup"; Bolivia, where President Evo Morales recently lost a referendum to allow him a fourth term amid a scandal over whether he fathered a love child; and Venezuela, where President Nicolas Maduro's opponents are seeking to oust him in a recall referendum.

The leftist parties that have governed most of Latin America since the 2000s have stumbled lately as the region's economies have slowed.

The left recently suffered election defeats in Argentina, where conservative President Mauricio Macri won office in November, and Venezuela -- Cuba's key regional ally -- where the ruling Socialists lost the legislature by a landslide in December.

Cuban President Raul Castro presided over the rally on the capital's iconic square, which state media said drew 600,000 people.

Guilarte also repeated Castro's call for the United States to lift its more than half-century embargo on Cuba and return the "illegally occupied territory" of the US naval base at Guantanamo Bay, major sticking points in the old Cold War foes' rapprochement.
Rescued circus lions take first steps on African veld

Thirty-three lions rescued from circuses in Peru and Colombia set paw on the African veld for the first time Sunday after an epic journey by plane and truck.

The lions roared in unison as they arrived shortly after dawn at their new home on the 5,000 hectare Emoya Big Cat Sanctuary in the north of South Africa, where they will live out their lives.

Among the first out of their crates were brothers Junior and Bumbo from Columbia, who came out cautiously, sniffing the trees and grass and marking their territory.

Newly arrived African lions play in an enclosure as lions, that were bred in captivity and held in circuses in South America, are prepared to be released at Emoya Big Cat Sanctuary on May 1, 2016 in Vaalwater, South Africa Brett Eloff, Brett Eloff (AFP)

After ambling up and down the fences of their enclosure, they charged playfully at each other and rolled in the dust.

"I am so grateful to have them here finally, it's a dream come true," said Savannah Heuser, 19, who runs the sanctuary with her mother.

"They have had a long journey but they are surprisingly calm. Some of them were agitated during the trip and they have some minor injuries, but nothing serious."

The lions arrived at Johannesburg's international airport late on Saturday afternoon after flying for more than 15 hours in what is believed to be the biggest airlift of its kind, and were driven through the night to Emoya.

"They have lived a life of absolute hell. They've been beaten and they've been starved," Jan Creamer, the president of Animal Defenders International (ADI), an animal rights charity that organised the flight, told reporters at the airport.

"They've been deprived of everything that makes life worth living for a lion. I believe we have brought them back to paradise, where they belong," she said.

ADI posted a picture on their Facebook page of a Colombian lion shortly after arriving at Emboya.

"Iron enjoys what is clearly a very satisfying rub against a tree, his first ever," the caption reads.

The lion enclosures are set in a clearing among natural bush and veld, each with trees, rocks, a hay bale and water filled troughs.

"The lion habitats will be steadily expanded over the coming months as the lions become familiar with their new life and are introduced to each other," said ADI.

The lions were bred in captivity and many have broken teeth or other ailments -- one is almost blind, another has lost an eye and most had their claws removed -- which would make it impossible for them to survive in the wild.

The lions were freed with the assistance of the authorities after the use of wild animals in circuses was outlawed in Peru and Colombia.

Twenty-four lions rescued in Peru then were driven from their temporary rescue centre to Lima airport to be picked up by a cargo plane that had brought another nine over from Colombia before taking off for Africa.

"The lions will be in their natural habitat for the first time in their lives," Creamer said. "They should fit right into that habitat. It's the best environment for them."

They will be fed game meat for their first meal at Emoya, which is already home to six rescued lions and two tigers.
Turkey police detain over 200 in tense May Day clampdown

Turkish police on Sunday detained over 200 people in a crackdown on unauthorised protests during a tense May Day in Istanbul, using tear gas and water cannon against demonstrators and imposing a heavy security blanket on the city.

One man in his 50s was killed when he was knocked over by a police water cannon vehicle while trying to cross the road, in an incident that caused anger on social media.

The authorities prevented all public access to Taksim Square in the centre of the city -- the traditional focus for protests -- and the usually bustling area was deserted save for police.

Turkish anti-riot police detain a protester during clashes at a May Day rally in Bakirkoy, a district of Istanbul, on May 1, 2016 Bulent Kilic (AFP)

Hundreds of labour and union activists, brandishing slogans promoting workers' solidarity, took part in an officially-sanctioned action at a vast market ground in the outlying district of Bakirkoy close to the international airport.

However police used tear gas against members of the pro-Kurdish Peoples Democratic Party (HDP) who sought to stage a protest of their own in Bakirkoy, roughly arresting several people, an AFP photographer said.

Police also used water cannon and tear gas in the district of Sisli on protesters who were trying to march on Taksim.

In the flashpoint area of Okmeydani, masked radical leftists threw Molotov cocktails and firecrackers at police and created burning barricades out of junk.

The office of the Istanbul governor said that 207 people were detained around the city for trying to march on Taksim. It said that 40 Molotov cocktails, 17 hand grenades and dozens of fireworks were seized.

- '24,500 police deployed' -

The man who was killed was run over by a police water cannon vehicle, known by its Turkish acronym TOMA and which have become ubiquitous in recent years as the police crack down on protests.

The man, 57, was knocked down by the TOMA while trying to cross the Tarlabasi Street close to Taksim, reports said. An investigation has been opened.

Access to Taksim, the main hub in the European side of the city, was cut off by an interlocking network of police barriers.

The square, usually filled with hundreds of people, was completely empty save for a few police and dozens of pigeons enjoying having the square to themselves.

Police also sealed off access to Istiklal Caddesi, the famed shopping avenue leading from Taksim whose stores were all shuttered.

The Istanbul governor's office had said 24,500 members of the Turkish security forces were on duty in the city.

Parliament last year passed a controversial security bill giving the police greater powers to crack down on protests, as controversy grows over what critics say is the authoritarian rule of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

May Day comes at a time of particular tension in Turkey after a succession of deadly attacks this year blamed on jihadists and Kurdish militants.

Two police were killed and 22 other people wounded Sunday in a car bomb attack in the city of Gaziantep close to the Syrian border.

Meanwhile, Turkish police detained four suspected Islamic State jihadists who were allegedly planning an attack on May Day celebrations in the capital Ankara, the state-run Anatolia news agency said.

Planned May Day events in the southern cities of Adana and Sanliurfa were also scrapped after the authorities reportedly received intelligence of a possible suicide bomb plot.

A demonstrator throws a molotov cocktail during a May Day rally in the Okmeydani neighbourhood of Istanbul on May 1, 2016 Yasin Akgul (AFP)
Protesters quit Baghdad's Green Zone after unprecedented breach

Protesters withdrew from Baghdad's Green Zone on Sunday after breaking into the fortified area and storming Iraq's parliament in an unprecedented security breach the day before.

The move, which lessens the pressure on politicians in Baghdad, came as rare bombings in the south killed 33 people and wounded dozens.

"The protest organising committee announces the withdrawal of the demonstrators from the Green Zone," it said in a statement, citing respect for a major Shiite pilgrimage as the reason for their departure.

Iraqi protesters climb over a concrete wall surrounding the parliament after breaking into Baghdad's heavily fortified "Green Zone" on April 30, 2016 Haidar Mohammed Ali (AFP)

The statement was distributed by the office of Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr, whose supporters make up the vast majority of the demonstrators.

Demonstrator Hussein al-Ali said that the announcement was made at Ihtifalat Square, where protesters had gathered, and that demonstrators then departed, but would be back later.

Protesters pulled down or scaled slabs of heavy concrete blast wall on Saturday to enter the Green Zone, where Iraq's main government institutions are located, the culmination of weeks of political turmoil and inaction by parliament.

Some remained overnight, and hundreds of people combined a festive demonstration with sight-seeing in the previously off-limits area on Sunday.

Protesters waved flags, clapped and chanted slogans in front of a grandstand from which Saddam Hussein once delivered addresses, in an area bordered by giant statues of twin crossed swords held in hands said to have been modelled on Saddam's own.

The Green Zone breach allowed Iraqis access to places they have rarely if ever been able to enter before.

- Parallel world -

"This is the first time I've been here since I came with my school under Saddam," said 32-year-old Yusef al-Assadi, who took a "selfie" in front of the monument to the unknown soldier.

Assadi said it was striking "how rich this place is. Here, there is air conditioning and electricity everywhere, but the people of Iraq suffer from power cuts all the time."

Many Iraqi politicians live in luxury, while most average citizens make do with abysmal services that include only a few hours of government-provided electricity per day at the height of summer.

Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi's office said he had ordered the pursuit of people involved in attacks or vandalism, but while security forces were deployed at Ihtifalat Square on Sunday, they did not take action against the demonstrators.

Protesters attacked at least one MP as well as cars they believed belonged to lawmakers, and broke into offices in parliament.

But others sought to contain the destruction, and many were content to take photographs of themselves in parliament, with some sitting in seats usually occupied by lawmakers.

The fact that security forces may fear the repercussions of crossing Sadr will likely hamper Abadi's directive.

The protesters broke into the Green Zone after MPs again failed to approve new ministers to replace the current party-affiliated cabinet.

Both Abadi and Sadr have called for the change, but powerful political parties that rely on control of ministries for patronage and funds have opposed the move.

- South Iraq bombings -

"Even the most sectarian of Iraqis are seeing the failure of their leaders and their system," said Patrick Skinner, a former CIA case officer who is now with The Soufan Group consultancy.

"The question might not be 'why now' as it relates to the anger, but 'why it took so long'. Their system is not working," he said.

Parliament approved some of Abadi's nominees earlier in the week, but "they were replacing figures who were easy to replace", said Kirk Sowell, a Jordan-based political risk analyst who is the publisher of Inside Iraqi Politics.

"Abadi just looks more and more impotent... He is just very weak. He will not be impeached. But he is being made less relevant by the day," Sowell said.

Baghdad security forces were already on high alert prior to the storming of parliament due to the annual commemoration of Imam Musa Kadhim's death, which sees tens of thousands of Shiite faithful walk to a shrine in northern Baghdad.

But at least 23 people were killed in a bombing targeting pilgrims just outside Baghdad on Saturday.

On Sunday, two suicide attackers from the Islamic State group detonated car bombs in the city of Samawa, some 230 kilometres (145 miles) south of Baghdad.

Local security and medical officials put the death toll at 33 and said at least 50 other people were wounded.

Such attacks are rare in Iraq's deep south, which is overwhelmingly Shiite and has been largely spared the chaos that has plagued Iraq for years.

Supporters of Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr gather in the parade grounds outside the parliament in Baghdad's heavily fortified "Green Zone" on May 1, 2016 Ahmad al-Rubaye (AFP)

Iraqi protesters gather in the parade grounds outside the parliament in Baghdad's heavily fortified "Green Zone" on May 1, 2016 Haida Mohammed Ali (AFP)
Sri Lanka sets up panel to investigate 'Panama Papers'

Cash-strapped Sri Lanka announced Sunday it was setting up a special panel to chase after nationals likely to figure in the "Panama Papers," a trove of leaked documents on global tax evasion.

The government, which came to power in January last year on a promise to clean up corruption, has accused former president Mahinda Rajapakse and his family of siphoning off billions of dollars during his decade in power, a charge he has denied.

The new administration has also been weighed down by huge foreign loans taken out by the Rajapakse regime. Colombo last week secured an IMF bailout of $1.5 billion to head off a balance of payments crisis.

Police stand guard outside the Mossack Fonseca law firm offices in Panama City during a raid on April 12, 2016 Ed Grimaldo (AFP/File)

Finance Minister Ravi Karunanayake said Colombo would investigate "each and every Sri Lankan" whose names were likely to come up when the Panama Papers became publicly available on May 9.

He accused the former government of failing to look into 46 Sri Lankans whose names came up in a 2013 probe known as the Offshore Leaks, by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ) which is also behind the Panama Papers.

"Our panel will look into names that will come up in the Panama Papers as well as those already named in the Offshore Leaks," Karunanayake told reporters in Colombo.

The Panama Papers have become a global scandal, sparking investigations and resignations.
Egypt police arrest two journalists wanted for incitement

Egyptian police stormed the headquarters of the journalists' association in central Cairo Sunday and arrested two journalists for incitement to protest, judicial sources and the head of the union said.

"This is the first time that police have stormed the headquarters of the association," its head Yahiya Kallash told AFP, adding that journalists Amr Badr and Mahmud el-Sakka were arrested.

A judicial source said the pair had been wanted by the prosecution service for alleged incitement to protest in violation of the law.

According to rights group Amnesty International, Egyptian security forces arrested hundreds of people ahead of planned protests last month Mohamed el-Shahed (AFP/File)

Badr heads the website Babawet Yanayer which is opposed to President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi. Sakka works for the same organisation whose Arabic name means January Gate in a nod to the January 2011 uprising.

On Friday, Badr had written on his Facebook page that police had raided both his and Sakka's home.

The following day Badr announced that the pair had started a sit-in in protest at the headquarters of the union.

Sakka had announced on Facebook plans to join an April protest against a decision by the government to hand over to Saudi Arabia two Red Sea islands.

According to rights group Amnesty International, Egyptian security forces arrested hundreds of people ahead of planned protests last month.

In July 2013, Sisi, then the army chief, overthrew Egypt's Islamist president Mohamed Morsi and began a deadly crackdown on his supporters.

Authorities have since banned all but police-approved rallies and overseen a crackdown that has left hundreds of Morsi supporters dead and thousands imprisoned.
Rarely a day goes by that the fate of Colstrip isnt mentioned in Montanas campaign for governor. Republicans and Democrats alike have spoken with conviction about saving the power plant and the town that serves it from the War on Coal, as if the 40-year old power plant faced a single challenge.

In truth, the four-unit power plant faces multiple challenges. Three of its six owners, none of which are headquartered in Montana, are being pushed to the exits by new climate change laws in other states. All three of them lobbied for the laws that may end their Colstrip run within 14 years.

There are also retail customers who no longer want electricity from coal. Coal by wire the customers call Colstrip electricity, saying carbon dioxide emitted by power plants is warming the Earth, endangering the climate.

One of the owners is faced by rising costs and slimming profit margins, is simply looking to get out.

The chess game involving Colstrip is easiest understood by knowing a little about the players:

Talen Energy: based in Pennsylvania. Talen owns 50 percent of Units 1 and 2, a 30 percent share of Unit 3 and also operates the entire four-unit Colstrip complex. Talen is the corporate offspring of Pennsylvania Power and Light, which not only had shares in Colstrip, but also owned the coal-fired Corette Power Plant in Billings and most of Montanas hydroelectric dams.

None of those PPL assets remain for Talen, which was created after PPL sold its dams to NorthWestern Energy. The Corette plant was razed because it lacked the pollution controls to trap mercury and cost of adding those controls was considered too much.

With just Units 1 and 2 as Talens only Montana assets, the company is working on a final solution related to its operation and ownership interest in Colstrip.

Cheap natural gas is pulling down the market price for electricity, which has in turn deeply diminished the profit margin for coal power. Talen is more vulnerable to the market price for electricity than any other Colstrip owner. Because its the only owner that isnt a regulated utility, Talen cannot pass its expenses on to regulated customers for an above-market cost. It has no guaranteed profit margin, as regulated utilities do. Its customers are also free to go if Talens prices become too high.

The Clean Power Plan calls for deep carbon dioxide cuts in Montana and could result in the closure of Units 1 and 2. Thats a challenge to Talen. The companys more indirect threat is a Washington state law authorizing co-owner Puget Sound Energy to begin raising funds to close Units 1 and 2 within a decade. Washington lawmakers and consumers concerned about climate change want PSE out of Colstrip.

Puget Sound Energy: Based in Bellvue, Wash., PSE is Colstrips largest shareholder with 50 percent ownership in Units 1 and 2, and 25 percent ownership of Units 3 and 4. Its 667-megawatt capacity is enough to power more than 600,000 homes.

Earlier this month, Washington Gov. Jay Inslee, a Democrat, signed a law allowing PSE to begin banking funds to pay for closure and cleanup of Colstrip Units 1 and 2. The governor also struck down a portion of the law that would have prevented the utility from spending those funds before the end of 2022.

In other words, where two months ago it seemed certain PSE wouldnt pull out of Colstrips older units for at least seven years, the utility could now leave much sooner. Climate change is the impetus behind the Washington push to cut cord on coal by wire, meaning electricity created burning coal, which emits greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide.

PSE has been cautious to put a date to its Colstrip exit. In January 2017, PSE will lay out its Colstrip plans as part of a rate case hearing before Washingtons Utility and Transportation Commission. It has already estimated the cost of closing Units 1 and 2 at between $130 and $200 million, including environmental cleanup. The cost to customers of keeping Colstrip online is a big issue.

Portland General Electric: Based in Portland, Ore. PGE owns 20 percent of Colstrip Units 3 and 4. At 296 net megawatt capacity, its power can light nearly 300,000 homes.

PGE is getting out of Colstrip by 2035. Thats the date set by a new Oregon Clean Electricity and Coal Transition plan signed into law in March by Gov. Kate Brown, a Democrat. Its a law PGE supported as an alternative to a citizen petition forcing Oregon utilities to cut coal power from their portfolios much sooner. It will begin tapering off coal power by 2025 and be almost off by 2030. Renewable energy must also be half of PGEs portfolio by 2040.

PacificCorp: based in Salt Lake City. PacifiCorp owns 10 percent of Colstrip Units 3 and 4. At 148 megawatts, PacifiCorps electricity from Colstrip is enough to power more than 100,000 homes. PacifiCorp is the smallest shareholder at the power plant.

In Oregon, PacifiCorp must stop selling coal power by 2030 because of the Oregon Clean Electricity and Coal Transition plan. However, PacifiCorp sells power in several Western states with no coal power restrictions.

PacifiCorp has indicated to Washington state regulators that it could be getting out of Colstrip as early as 2032 because of regulatory challenges.

Avista Corp.: based in Spokane, Wash. Avista owns 15 percent of Colstrip Units 3 and 4. Unlike Puget Sound Energy, Avista Corp. hasnt been under pressure by the state Legislature or its customers to get out of Colstrip.

The federal Clean Power Plan would be the most likely cause of Avista getting out of Colstrip. But Units 3 and 4 would likely survive CPPs greenhouse gas cuts.

NorthWestern Energy: based in South Dakota. NorthWestern, owns 30 percent of Colstrip Units 4 and has an agreement for power from Unit 3 if needed. Like Avista, NorthWestern Corp. hasnt been under pressure by the state government or its customers to get out of Colstrip. It estimates Units 3 and 4 will last until 2046.

This month, Gov. Steve Bullock invited NorthWestern to join a task force to figure out how to keep Colstrip Units 1 and 2 functional, find a plant manager should Talen and Puget Sound Energy exit. Stay tuned.
Five years after bin Laden killing, CIA chief eyes IS head

Ahead of the five-year anniversary of the killing of Osama bin Laden, CIA chief John Brennan said Sunday that taking out the head of the Islamic State group would have a "great impact."

US special forces killed Al-Qaeda founder bin Laden in Pakistan on May 2, 2011.

As his agency live-tweeted the events as they unfolded five years ago, the CIA director warned that Al-Qaeda remained a threat and that IS was not just an organization but a phenomenon.

CIA Director John Brennan testifies before the Senate Intelligence Committee hearing on worldwide threats to America and its allies, on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC on February 9, 2016 Molly Riley (AFP/File)

"We have destroyed a large part of Al-Qaeda. It's not completely eliminated. So we have to stay focused on what it can do," Brennan told NBC's "Meet the Press" talk show.

"Now, with the new phenomenon of (IS), this is going to challenge us for years to come," he added.

Asked if removing IS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi from action was as important as the Bin Laden get, Brennan, who does not often do interviews, was direct.

"He is important, and we will destroy ISIL; I have no doubt in my mind. We have to remove the leadership that directs the organization to carry out these horrific attacks," he said, using an alternate acronym for the IS group.

"If we got Baghdadi, I think it would have a great impact on the organization. And it will be felt by them," he added.

"But this is a large, not just organization, it's a phenomenon. We see it not just in Syria in Iraq, we see it in Libya, Nigeria, and other countries. We're going to have remain very focused on destroying all elements of the organization."

Using the hashtag #UBLRaid, the CIA live-tweeted the raid on bin Laden as if it were happening Sunday, tweeting updates that included the famous picture of President Barack Obama and other high-ranking US officials watching matters unfold from the Situation Room.
Torrential rainfall ravaged the south in parts of Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana and Arkansas until early Saturday

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Thunderstorms forced the cancellation of Saturday's late acts at the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival, including scheduled appearances by Stevie Wonder, rapper Snoop Dogg, Beck and others.

Overcast skies turned to rain around 3pm but that didn't stop the music as fans reveled in such acts as New Orleans bounce artist Big Freedia, Dr. John and the Nite Trippers and Hurray for the Riff Raff.

But all that changed an hour later as heavier rain barred performances by Wonder and others.

'We're very bummed,' said attendee Laura Monsted, of New Orleans.

'We were waiting for Stevie. Still, we're thankful for the acts we were able to see.'

New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival was forced to cancel major acts like Snoop Dogg and Stevie Wonder because of thunderstorms

Overcast skies turned to rain around 3pm but that didn't stop the music as fans reveled in the acts that were able to perform on Saturday

Water quickly flooded knee-high and some Jazz Fest goers need help trudging the deep waters in the venue as stages shut down

The Acura Stage area flooded after the storm dumped several inches of rain on the second Saturday of the New Orleans Jazz Fest at the Fair Grounds

Ponchos weren't enough to protect the New Orleans Jazz Fest from the harsh weather that rocked the south over the weekend

Guests abandoned chairs and tarps as murky, muddied waters flooded the area. People crowded on dry patches of land to escape to waters

Some fans even appeared to be swimming through the waters as the rose, even though the rising waters only reached knee-high

Some Jazz Fest attendees were not going to be deterred by the massive rainfall trouncing the south and continued to enjoy the festival

Monsted and her friends said they saw crews closing down the Fais Do Do stage and expressed disappointment.

'You know, $75 is a lot for a rainy day and, to only get a few acts, that's a hard pill to swallow,' she said.

Claire Mangano and her friend, Emilee Margiotta, appeared glum that the big acts were cancelled.

'But we understand,' Mangano said. 'It's for safety reasons, for the fans and the artists. We live here and know playing in this kind of weather can get dangerous really fast.'

The festival, which began on April 22, will end on Sunday, May 1, with a 60 per cent or higher chance of more rain in the forecast

Scheduled performances are to include Trombone Shorty and Orleans Avenue, Maze featuring Frankie Beverly, Chris Botti, Arlo Guthrie, Neil Young and Bonnie Raitt on Sunday

The National Weather Service issued a flash flood warning for parts of Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana and Arkansas until early Saturday

Mud puddles formed throughout the infield of the Fair Grounds Race Course, where the festival is held annually, on Saturday

Tornadoes snaked across northern and eastern Texas, including in Lindale, and southern Oklahoma, causing severe damage as it knocked down tree limbs and power lines

Floods wracked the south over the weekend as a flash flood devastated parts of Texas and tornadoes ravaged southern Oklahoma

The start of the day at the Gentilly Stage second Saturday of the New Orleans Jazz Fest at the Fair Grounds, before the rain washed out the show

Mud puddles formed throughout the infield of the Fair Grounds Race Course, where the festival is held annually. Fans, ready for the worst, donned rain coats, ponchos and rubber boots. Many held up umbrellas, while others braved the elements without any cover and sometimes without shoes, dancing even as rain pelted them.

Jarrod Broussard and his wife, Tammy, come to the festival every year  rain or shine.

Tammy Broussard, who is fighting cancer, said they decided to attend because 'I'm going through chemo and today is a good day.'

Broussard, who's also celebrating his birthday, said they were prepared for the forecast, bringing along rain gear and a change of clothes.

Artist Dwayne D. Conrad and art dealer Bernadette Gilds Pinel have a booth at the festival and had hoped to hear Wonder's performance.

A child members of the Black Mohawk Mardi Gras Indians performs at the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival in New Orleans

'Spyboy Gusto' of the Mowhawk Hunters Mardi Gras Indians performs at the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival in New Orleans

'Lil' Spyboy Man Man' of the Redhawk Hunters Mardi Gras Indians, performs with the group at the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival in New Orleans

'Lil Queen Lola B' of the Flaming Arrows Mardi Gras Indians, performs on stage with the group at the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival in New Orleans

A member of the Mowhawk Hunters Mardi Gras Indians performs at the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival in New Orleans

Big Freedia performed to a large crowd on the Congo Square Stage, despite the rain, during day 6 of Jazz Fest at the Fair Grounds in New Orleans

Big Freedia holds the microphone out to the crowd during her performance on the Congo Square Stage during day 6 of Jazz Fest at the Fair Grounds

'We were robbed,' Gilds Pinel said, laughing after learning that his show wouldn't go on. 'God willing, he will pop up somewhere in the city tonight to make up for this.'

Todd Thompson and his wife, Rabiya, of Leavenworth, Kansas, said this was their first Jazz Fest experience. Despite the bad weather, they were having a good time.

'We were lucky enough to get inside one of the tents and heard Kermit Ruffins' set. It's been great for what we were able to see,' he said.

The festival ends on Sunday, with a 60 per cent or higher chance of more rain in the forecast. Scheduled performances are to include Trombone Shorty and Orleans Avenue, Maze featuring Frankie Beverly, Chris Botti, Arlo Guthrie, Neil Young and Bonnie Raitt.

The National Weather Service issued a flash flood warning for parts of Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana and Arkansas until early Saturday.

Floods wracked the south over the weekend as a flash flood devastated parts of Texas and tornadoes ravaged southern Oklahoma.

Lenda Asbery, 62, and her four grandchildren were killed after being swept away from their home in Palestine, Texas, early Saturday morning.

City crews found the five bodies near one of the homes before dawn after the floodwaters had receded. One other person was killed in the flooding bringing the death toll to six.

Six to 10 homes in the cul-de-sac were severely damaged following heavy rainfall over the course of just a few minutes after midnight.

The captain said a dump truck was also used to rescue one man from the roof of a home.

A home in Fletcher, Oklahoma was also severely damaged but there were no injuries, officials said.

Tornadoes snaked across northern and eastern Texas, including in Lindale, and southern Oklahoma, causing severe damage as it knocked down tree limbs and power lines - slowing first-responders.

Big Freedia takes the Congo Square Stage to tumultuous applause during day 6 of Jazz Fest at the Fair Grounds in New Orleans
Jesuit priest, peace activist Daniel Berrigan dies at 94

NEW YORK (AP)  The Rev. Daniel Berrigan, a Roman Catholic priest and peace activist who was imprisoned for burning draft files in a protest against the Vietnam War, died Saturday. He was 94.

Berrigan died at Murray-Weigel Hall, a Jesuit health care community in New York City after a "long illness," according to Michael Benigno, a spokesman for the Jesuits USA Northeast Province.

"He died peacefully," Benigno said.

File-This Feb. 16, 1981, file photo shows Daniel Berrigan, ex-priest, now political activist on NBC-TVs Today show in New York. The Roman Catholic priest and Vietnam war protester, Berrigan has died. He was 94. Michael Benigno, a spokesman for the Jesuits USA Northeast Province, says Berrigan died Saturday, April 30, 2016, at a Jesuit infirmary at Fordham University. (AP Photo/Dave Pickoff, File)

Berrigan and his younger brother, the Rev. Philip Berrigan, emerged as leaders of the radical anti-war movement in the 1960s.

The Berrigan brothers entered a draft board in Catonsville, Maryland, on May 17, 1968, with seven other activists and removed records of young men about to be shipped off to Vietnam. The group took the files outside and burned them in garbage cans.

The Catonsville Nine, as they came to be known, were convicted on federal charges accusing them of destroying U.S. property and interfering with the Selective Service Act of 1967. All were sentenced on Nov. 9, 1968 to prison terms ranging from two to 3.5 years.

When asked in 2009 by "America," a national Catholic magazine, whether he had any regrets, Berrigan replied: "I could have done sooner the things I did, like Catonsville."

Berrigan, a writer and poet, wrote about the courtroom experience in 1970 in a one-act play, "The Trial of the Catonsville Nine," which was later made into a movie.

Berrigan grew up in Syracuse, New York, with his parents and five brothers. He joined the Jesuit order after high school and taught preparatory school in New Jersey before being ordained a priest in 1952.

As a seminarian, Berrigan wrote poetry. His work captured the attention of an editor at Macmillan who referred the material to poet Marianne Moore. Her endorsement led to the publication of Berrigan's first book of poetry, "Time Without Number," which won the Lamont Poetry Prize in 1957.

Berrigan credited Dorothy Day, founder of The Catholic Worker newspaper, with introducing him to the pacifist movement and influencing his thinking about war.

Much later, while visiting Paris in 1963 on a teaching sabbatical from LeMoyne College, Berrigan met French Jesuits who spoke of the dire situation in Indochina. Soon after that, he and his brother founded the Catholic Peace Fellowship, which helped organize protests against U.S. involvement in Vietnam.

Berrigan traveled to North Vietnam in 1968 and returned with three American prisoners of war who were being released as a goodwill gesture. He said that while there, he witnessed some of the destruction and suffering caused by the war.

Berrigan was teaching at Cornell University when his brother asked him to join a group of activists for the Catonsville demonstration. Philip Berrigan was at the time awaiting sentencing for a 1967 protest in Baltimore during which demonstrators poured blood on draft records.

"I was blown away by the courage and effrontery, really, of my brother," Berrigan recalled in a 2006 interview on the Democracy Now radio program.

After the Catonsville case had been unsuccessfully appealed, the Berrigan brothers and three of their co-defendants went underground. Philip Berrigan turned himself in to authorities in April 1969 at a Manhattan church. The FBI arrested Daniel Berrigan four months later at the Rhode Island home of theologian William Stringfellow.

Berrigan said in an interview that he became a fugitive to draw more attention to the anti-war movement.

The Berrigan brothers were sent to the federal prison in Danbury, Connecticut. Daniel Berrigan was released in 1972 after serving about two years. His brother served about 2.5 years.

The Berrigan brothers continued to be active in the peace movement long after Catonsville. Together, they began the Plowshares Movement, an anti-nuclear weapons campaign in 1980. Both were arrested that year after entering a General Electric nuclear missile facility in King of Prussia, Pennsylvania, and damaging nuclear warhead nose cones.

Philip Berrigan died of cancer on Dec. 6, 2002 at the age of 79.

Daniel Berrigan moved into a Jesuit residence in Manhattan in 1975.

In an interview with The Nation magazine on the 40th anniversary of the Catonsville demonstration, Berrigan lamented that the activism of the 1960s and early 1970s evaporated with the passage of time.

"The short fuse of the American left is typical of the highs and lows of American emotional life," he said. "It is very rare to sustain a movement in recognizable form without a spiritual base."

Berrigan's writings include "Prison Poems," published in 1973; "We Die Before We Live: Talking with the Very Ill," a 1980 book based on his experiences working in a cancer ward; and his autobiography, "To Dwell in Peace," published in 1987.

File-This July 25, 1973, file photo shows Rev. Fr. Daniel Berrigan and some friends participating in a fast and vigil to protest the bombing in Cambodia, on the steps of St. Patricks Cathedral in New York City. The Roman Catholic priest and Vietnam war protester, Berrigan has died. He was 94. Michael Benigno, a spokesman for the Jesuits USA Northeast Province, says Berrigan died Saturday, April 30, 2016, at a Jesuit infirmary at Fordham University. (AP Photo/Ron Frehm)

File-This April 9, 1982, file photo shows Daniel Berrigan marching with about 40 others outside of the Riverside Research Center in New York. The Roman Catholic priest and Vietnam war protester, Berrigan has died. He was 94. Michael Benigno, a spokesman for the Jesuits USA Northeast Province, says Berrigan died Saturday, April 30, 2016, at a Jesuit infirmary at Fordham University. (AP Photo/Marty Lederhandler, File)
Trump backers yell foul over loss at Arizona GOP convention

PHOENIX (AP)  Texas Sen. Ted Cruz pulled out a strategic victory at Saturday's Arizona Republican Party convention, nailing down a large majority of delegates to the national convention amid cheating accusations from backers of businessman Donald Trump.

The Cruz slate won virtually all of the 28 at-large national delegates and roughly split the 27 delegates selected by congressional district.

Former Gov. Jan Brewer, losing her first election in 35 years, angrily yelled "I got cheated  I got cheated," as the results became known.

Former Gov. Jan Brewer attends the Arizona Republican 2016 state convention at the Mesa Convention Center Saturday, April 30, 2016. (Cheryl Evans/The Arizona Republic via AP)

But Cruz's Arizona campaign organizer says simple math led to the at-large victory. Cruz offered a nearly identical slate of candidates as John Kasich backers, and the combined votes led to a win.

The victory was mainly strategic for Cruz since all 58 Arizona delegates are required to vote for Trump on the first national ballot because he won the state's primary. There are three automatic delegates, including state party Chairman Robert Graham.

With Trump at nearly 1,000 national delegates out of 1,237 he needs to win the presidential nomination outright after recent sweeps of five eastern states, even Cruz's Arizona backers believe Saturday's effort is likely to be for naught.

"It's most likely that Trump will be the next president, but I'm trying my hardest for it to be Cruz," said state Rep. David Livingston, who is unabashedly backing Cruz.

State Treasurer Jeff DeWit, who chairs Trump's Arizona campaign, said a challenge is possible after calls for a revote were rejected by the party.

"The Trump campaign is very unhappy with the results," DeWit told reporters. "We don't feel that this was a fair process. The Trump button got checked more than any other, so why do we have so few delegates?"

Constantin Querard, Cruz's Arizona campaign chair, countered: "They lost because of math, not because of malfeasance. If you take the people that want Cruz, and you add to them the people who don't want Trump, that's a majority in just about any room in America."

Graham, the state party chairman, said the election was run fairly, and the Kasich-Cruz slates just combined to get the win.

"Mr. DeWit is making a habit of making outlandish comments to try to crush the integrity of a great meeting," Graham said. "This was a very pronounced victory for the Cruz-Kasich slates. If it was close, then you might say 'Hey, one person here, one person there,' but this was a commanding victory."

The battle at Saturday's convention goes back weeks, when Cruz backers were wrangling at local party meetings to nail down delegates to the state party.

Gov. Doug Ducey opened the convention by calling on the party faithful to end Democratic control of the White House.

Ducey called the past eight years "the most futile in modern American history" and said that it's time to "put a Republican in the White House and Hillary Clinton in the Big House."

John Rosado, of Phoenix, signs in to select delegates to attend the National Republican convention during the Arizona Republican 2016 state convention at the Mesa Convention Center Saturday, April 30, 2016. (Cheryl Evans/The Arizona Republic via AP)

Arizona Governor Doug Ducey attends the Arizona Republican 2016 state convention at the Mesa Convention Center Saturday, April 30, 2016. (Cheryl Evans/The Arizona Republic via AP)

Former Gov. Jan Brewer attends the Arizona Republican 2016 state convention at the Mesa Convention Center Saturday, April 30, 2016. (Cheryl Evans/The Arizona Republic via AP)

Arizona state Treasurer Jeff DeWit addresses hundreds of delegates to the Arizona Republican Party Convention in Mesa, Ariz., Saturday, April 30, 2016. (AP Photo/Bob Christie)

Arizona state Treasurer Jeff DeWit addresses hundreds of delegates to the Arizona Republican Party Convention in Mesa, Ariz., Saturday, April 30, 2016. (AP Photo/Bob Christie)
Malaysia deports 32 Taiwanese to China, draws protest

BEIJING (AP)  Taiwanese officials have protested Malaysia's deportation of 32 of the self-ruled island's nationals to China to face wire fraud charges.

The deportation follows the sending of nearly four dozen Taiwanese from Kenya to China last month, a case that has raised concerns Beijing is exerting diplomatic pressure over the island it considers its own territory.

The Taiwanese Cabinet, in a statement late Saturday, says China pressured Malaysia to deport the Taiwanese wire fraud suspects to the mainland.

The island's foreign ministry lodged a protest with Malaysia for taking that action despite Taiwanese officials' efforts to negotiate and said the deportations would hurt relations.
Peace activist, Jesuit priest Daniel Berrigan dies at 94

NEW YORK (AP)  His defiant protests helped shape Americans' opposition to the Vietnam War. And they landed The Rev. Daniel Berrigan behind bars.

The Roman Catholic priest, writer and poet, who became a household name in the U.S. in the 1960s after being imprisoned for burning draft files in a protest against the war, died Saturday. He was 94.

Berrigan died after a "long illness" at Murray-Weigel Hall, a Jesuit health care community in New York City according to Michael Benigno, a spokesman for the Jesuits USA Northeast Province.

File-This Feb. 16, 1981, file photo shows Daniel Berrigan, ex-priest, now political activist on NBC-TVs Today show in New York. The Roman Catholic priest and Vietnam war protester, Berrigan has died. He was 94. Michael Benigno, a spokesman for the Jesuits USA Northeast Province, says Berrigan died Saturday, April 30, 2016, at a Jesuit infirmary at Fordham University. (AP Photo/Dave Pickoff, File)

"He died peacefully," Benigno said.

Berrigan and his younger brother, the Rev. Philip Berrigan, emerged as leaders of the radical anti-war movement in the 1960s.

The Berrigan brothers entered a draft board in Catonsville, Maryland, on May 17, 1968, with seven other activists and removed records of young men about to be shipped off to Vietnam. The group took the files outside and burned them in garbage cans.

The Catonsville Nine, as they came to be known, were convicted on federal charges accusing them of destroying U.S. property and interfering with the Selective Service Act of 1967. All were sentenced on Nov. 9, 1968 to prison terms ranging from two to 3.5 years.

Berrigan wrote about the courtroom experience in 1970 in a one-act play, "The Trial of the Catonsville Nine," which was later made into a movie.

When asked in 2009 by "America," a national Catholic magazine, whether he had any regrets, Berrigan replied: "I could have done sooner the things I did, like Catonsville."

Berrigan grew up in Syracuse, New York, with his parents and five brothers. He joined the Jesuit order after high school and taught preparatory school in New Jersey before being ordained a priest in 1952.

Berrigan began writing poetry as a seminarian. His work captured the attention of an editor at Macmillan who referred the material to poet Marianne Moore. Her endorsement led to the publication of Berrigan's first book of poetry, "Time Without Number," which won the Lamont Poetry Prize in 1957.

Berrigan credited Dorothy Day, a social activist and founder of The Catholic Worker newspaper, with introducing him to the pacifist movement and influencing his thinking about war.

Much later, while visiting Paris in 1963 on a teaching sabbatical from LeMoyne College, Berrigan met French Jesuits who spoke of the dire situation in Indochina. Soon after that, he and his brother founded the Catholic Peace Fellowship, which helped organize protests against U.S. involvement in Vietnam.

Berrigan traveled to North Vietnam in 1968 and returned with three American prisoners of war who were being released as a goodwill gesture. He said that while there, he witnessed some of the destruction and suffering caused by the war.

While he was teaching at Cornell University, Berrigan's brother asked him to join a group of activists for the Catonsville demonstration. Philip Berrigan was at the time awaiting sentencing for a 1967 protest in Baltimore during which demonstrators poured blood on draft records.

"I was blown away by the courage and effrontery, really, of my brother," Berrigan recalled in a 2006 interview on the Democracy Now radio program.

After the Catonsville case had been unsuccessfully appealed, the Berrigan brothers and three of their co-defendants went underground. Philip Berrigan turned himself in to authorities in April 1969 at a Manhattan church. Four months later, the FBI arrested Daniel Berrigan at the Rhode Island home of theologian William Stringfellow.

Berrigan said in an interview that he became a fugitive to draw more attention to the anti-war movement.

The Berrigan brothers were sent to the federal prison in Danbury, Connecticut. Daniel Berrigan was released in 1972 after serving about two years. His brother served about 2.5 years.

Long after Catonsville, the Berrigan brothers continued to be active in the peace movement. Together, they began the Plowshares Movement, an anti-nuclear weapons campaign in 1980. Both were arrested that year after entering a General Electric nuclear missile facility in King of Prussia, Pennsylvania, and damaging nuclear warhead nose cones.

Philip Berrigan died of cancer on Dec. 6, 2002 at the age of 79.

Daniel Berrigan moved into a Jesuit residence in Manhattan in 1975.

In an interview with The Nation magazine on the 40th anniversary of the Catonsville demonstration, Berrigan lamented that the activism of the 1960s and early 1970s evaporated with the passage of time.

"The short fuse of the American left is typical of the highs and lows of American emotional life," he said. "It is very rare to sustain a movement in recognizable form without a spiritual base."

Berrigan's writings include "Prison Poems," published in 1973; "We Die Before We Live: Talking with the Very Ill," a 1980 book based on his experiences working in a cancer ward; and his autobiography, "To Dwell in Peace," published in 1987.

File-This July 25, 1973, file photo shows Rev. Fr. Daniel Berrigan and some friends participating in a fast and vigil to protest the bombing in Cambodia, on the steps of St. Patricks Cathedral in New York City. The Roman Catholic priest and Vietnam war protester, Berrigan has died. He was 94. Michael Benigno, a spokesman for the Jesuits USA Northeast Province, says Berrigan died Saturday, April 30, 2016, at a Jesuit infirmary at Fordham University. (AP Photo/Ron Frehm)

File-This April 9, 1982, file photo shows Daniel Berrigan marching with about 40 others outside of the Riverside Research Center in New York. The Roman Catholic priest and Vietnam war protester, Berrigan has died. He was 94. Michael Benigno, a spokesman for the Jesuits USA Northeast Province, says Berrigan died Saturday, April 30, 2016, at a Jesuit infirmary at Fordham University. (AP Photo/Marty Lederhandler, File)
More funerals ahead for victims in Ohio shooting massacre

PIKETON, Ohio (AP)  The long goodbyes continued for eight members of a rural Ohio family killed more than a week ago with a funeral for a young mother as authorities remained silent in what they've said will be a lengthy investigation.

Rhoden family members were shot in the head at four different homes near Piketon on April 22. Authorities say the deaths were a pre-planned "sophisticated operation." They haven't released any specifics on possible suspects or a motive.

Services for Hannah Gilley, 20, in Otway, Ohio, on Saturday brought together hundreds of family members and friends. Her baby was one of three children who survived the massacre. Gilley was the fiancee of 20-year-old Clarence "Frankie" Rhoden, another victim of the shootings.

Mourners embrace at Botkin Hornback Funeral Home in Otway, Ohio, Saturday, April 30, 2016 at the funeral of shooting victim Hannah Gilley. (Fred Squillante/Columbus Dispatch via AP)

Gilley's was the second funeral to be held. Services for Gary Rhoden, 38, were held Thursday in Kentucky. Funerals for the six others will take place Tuesday.

They were 40-year-old Christopher Rhoden; his ex-wife, 37-year-old Dana Rhoden; their three children, including Frankie, 16-year-old Christopher Jr., and 19-year-old Hanna; and Christopher Rhoden Sr.'s brother, 44-year-old Kenneth Rhoden.

Besides Gilley's baby, Hanna Rhoden's infant and another young child also were unharmed.

"It's a very sad situation, eight victims," Scioto County Sheriff Marty Donini told The Columbus Dispatch on Saturday. "It's just unheard of and overwhelming. I can't imagine how the families are dealing with it."
Malaysia sends 32 Taiwanese suspects to China, draws protest

BEIJING (AP)  Taiwanese officials have protested Malaysia's deportation of 32 of the self-ruled island's nationals to China this weekend to face wire fraud charges, the latest in a series of disputes that has raised new friction between China and Taiwan.

The deportation follows the sending of nearly four dozen Taiwanese from Kenya to China last month, a case some experts and observers see as an attempt by Beijing to bully the island that it claims as its own territory.

Chinese authorities have said they need to crack down on perpetrators of phone scams that have resulted in an estimated 10 billion yuan ($1.5 billion) of losses each year. Scammers posing as officials from the police, government, banks or insurance companies convince their victims to transfer funds or provide personal information that can be used to steal from them.

FILE - In this April 13, 2016 file photo released by Xinhua News Agency, Chinese suspects involved in wire fraud are escorted off a plane upon arriving at the Beijing Capital International Airport in Beijing, China. Taiwanese officials have protested Malaysia's deportation of 32 of the self-ruled island's nationals to China to face wire fraud charges. The deportation follows the sending of nearly four dozen Taiwanese from Kenya to China last month, a case that has raised concerns Beijing is exerting diplomatic pressure over the island it considers its own territory. The Taiwanese Cabinet, in a statement late Saturday, April 30, says China pressured Malaysia to deport the Taiwanese wire fraud suspects to the mainland. (Yin Gang/Xinhua News Agency via AP, File) NO SALES

Taiwanese Cabinet spokesman Sun Lih-chyun said Sunday that China had invited a delegation from the island to come to the mainland for talks on the Taiwanese detained in the investigation. Sun welcomed China's move, according to Taiwanese media.

In a statement late Saturday, the Cabinet said that China had pressured Malaysia to deport the Taiwanese suspects to the mainland against Taiwan's wishes.

The island's foreign ministry lodged a protest with Malaysia for taking that action despite Taiwanese officials' efforts to negotiate, and said the deportations would hurt relations. In April, Malaysia sent 20 Taiwanese wire fraud suspects back to Taiwan despite Beijing's request that they be sent to China.

China claims jurisdiction in these cases because it says the victims of the alleged fraud were residents of mainland China.

The Taiwanese were part of a group of 97 phone fraud suspects Malaysia deported to the southern Chinese city of Guangzhou on Saturday night. The other 65 among them were mainland Chinese citizens, Chinese state media reported.

Malaysian government officials confirmed Sunday that the Taiwanese were sent to mainland China.

A Malaysian official, who declined to be named because he isn't authorized to speak to the media, said the decision came after Beijing made further appeals to the Malaysian government after the earlier group of Taiwanese suspects were repatriated to Taiwan.

China's official Xinhua News Agency said all the suspects arrived in Guangzhou bound by shackles and wearing black hoods.

Officials and state media have complained that Taiwan doesn't punish such crimes harshly enough, encouraging others to try their luck at such relatively low-risk, low-overhead scams that can potentially lead to massive payouts.

Taiwan says Beijing violated a tacit understanding under which both sides agreed not to interfere in the legal affairs of their citizens abroad.

___
Local favorite Li Haotong fires 64 to win China Open

BEIJING (AP)  China's Li Haotong shot a bogey-free 8-under 64 on Sunday to win the China Open for his first European Tour title.

The 20-year-old Li, who began the day two shots behind leaders Felipe Aguilar of Chile and Denmark's Lucas Bjerregaard, finished three strokes clear of runner-up Aguilar at 22-under 266.

Aguilar, who shot a 69, held a two-shot lead at the turn but a double bogey on the par-3 16th dashed his title hopes.

Li missed the cut at last week's Shenzhen International, the first of back-to-back European Tour events in China.

"I just tried to relax myself and I'm really happy to hold the trophy here," Li said. "The start of this year has given me a lot of hard times. Even though I worked hard I still played badly, especially last week. I worked hard there and couldn't control my ball."

Bjerregaard shot a 70 to finish in a three-way tie for third with Marcel Siem of Germany and England's Richard Bland.
Car bomb in southern Turkey kills 2 police officers

ANKARA, Turkey (AP)  A car bomb struck the entrance of a Turkish police station Sunday in the southern city of Gaziantep, killing two police officers and wounding 22 other people in a day marred by violence and May Day protests.

Four civilians were among those wounded in the explosion, according to Gov. Ali Yerlikaya of Gaziantep province. The blast shattered the windows of nearby buildings.

The police station is close to offices for the governor and mayor. Gaziantep is also home to the offices of international aid organizations focused on the conflict in neighboring Syria.

Security officers and firefighters work moments after an explosion outside the Police headquarters in Gaziantep, Turkey, Sunday, May 1, 2016. A car bomb struck the entrance of a Turkish police station Sunday in the southern city of Gaziantep, killing a policeman and injuring over 20 other people, an official said. (Depo Photos via AP) TURKEY OUT

There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack. A Turkish interior ministry official, who spoke on condition of anonymity in line with government practice, said investigations were ongoing.

Speaking in Ankara, the Turkish capital, Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu expressed his condolences and wished a speedy recovery to those wounded in Gaziantep's "heinous terrorist attack."

Turkey has suffered multiple bombings in recent months linked either to Kurdish militants or the Islamic State group.

In the eastern provinces of Mardin, three Turkish soldiers were killed and 14 wounded in an attack by Kurdish militants, the military reported. Another was killed in clashes with PKK militants in the border province of Sirnak.

Later on Sunday, a car bombing targeted a gendarme station in the southeastern town of Dicle, Diyarbakir Province, according to the interior ministry official.

He told The Associated Press "a few soldiers were injured" when the "bomb-laden vehicle exploded." A local official gave a higher toll, saying one soldier was killed and 26 others, including civilians, were wounded in the attack.

The authorities were blaming the Dicle bombing on the Kurdistan Workers' Party, or PKK, a group designated by Ankara and its allies as a terrorist organization.

Meanwhile, another Kurdish militant group, known as the Kurdistan Freedom Falcons, claimed responsibility for a suicide attack in Bursa, Turkey's fourth largest city, which wounded 13 people on Wednesday.

Turkey, which is facing both growing blowback from the conflict in Syria and renewed conflict with Kurdish militants, has seen a rise of deadly attacks across the country. In the past year, more than 200 people across the country have been killed in six major bombings.

Sunday's violence eclipsed International Labor Day celebrations. In Gaziantep, demonstrations were canceled for security reasons.

Police in Ankara carried out anti-terror operations the night before and detained four suspected IS members allegedly planning to attack May Day demonstrators.

In Istanbul, police imposed tight security measures and used water cannons and tear gas on demonstrators who sought to rally in non-designated areas.

The office of the governor of Istanbul said 24,500 security officers reported for duty on Sunday and that 207 people were detained. One man died after being run over by a water cannon vehicle.

Elsewhere, eight people were wounded after four rockets hit Kilis, another town near the Syrian border, the state-owned Anadolu Agency reported. Three Syrians were among the injured.

The news agency said the Turkish military retaliated by firing at IS targets across the border in Syria, killing nine militants. It wasn't possible to verify the agency's claim.

Kilis, where Syrian refugees outnumber locals, has been hammered by cross-border fire since mid-January. There have been a total of 18 fatalities in that period.

The wider province of Kilis borders areas in Syria that are contested by Kurdish factions, IS militants and rebels fighting to topple Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

___

Dominique Soguel reported from Istanbul. Mehmet Guzel in Istanbul also contributed reporting.

Security and forensic officials and medics investigate after an explosion outside the Police headquarters in Gaziantep, Turkey, Sunday, May 1, 2016. Turkish officials say one police officer killed and ten other were injured.(IHA agency via AP) TURKEY OUT

Security and forensic officials and medics investigate after an explosion outside a police station in Gaziantep, Turkey, Sunday, May 1, 2016. Private NTV television says the explosion appears to have been caused by a car bomb (IHA agency via AP) TURKEY OUT

Security and forensic officials and medics investigate around the remains of a car after an explosion outside a police station in Gaziantep, Turkey, Sunday, May 1, 2016. Private NTV television says the explosion appears to have been caused by a car bomb. (IHA agency via AP) TURKEY OUT
State regulators lowered Peabody Energy's reclamation costs by $138 million shortly before the coal giant filed for bankruptcy protection in early April.

Wyoming authorities framed the decision as a more accurate portrayal of Peabody's cleanup bill, one that accounts for lower diesel prices and the mining firm's existing equipment.

But the decision has prompted concerns from environmentalists who worry the state is relaxing reclamation standards to aid financially battered coal companies.

"We see it as part of a trend, a conversation that is happening, which is basically making excuses for these companies," said Shannon Anderson, a lawyer at the Powder River Basin Resource Council, a Sheridan-based landowners group.

In all, state regulators lowered Peabody's self-bonding total from almost $867 million to nearly $728 million prior to April 13, the date the company filed for bankruptcy.

Peabody applied for the change earlier in the year, and state regulators accepted public comment on the proposal before implementing the change.

The decision reflects coal's new reality, said Kyle Wendtland, who oversees the Department of Environmental Quality's Land Quality Division.

Mining firms and regulators paid less attention to estimated cleanup costs during the coal industry's boom days, he said.

"Now that this market has become tighter, accurately defining that liability has become more important," Wendtland said. "Were just taking a much harder look at that, and for good reason."

Factors in decision

The lower cleanup estimate for Peabody's four Wyoming mines is based on two factors: lower diesel prices and a new shovel sharing policy.

Heavy haul trucks and bulldozers use vast quantities of diesel fuel in reclamation operations. A drop in diesel prices resulted in a $91 million reduction of Peabody's reclamation bill.

But the new shovel sharing policy, which lowered Peabody's cleanup tab by $47 million, is perhaps more controversial.

When regulators calculate a company's reclamation bill, they essentially estimate what it would cost the state if it had to pay for the cleanup itself.

Included in that estimate is the cost of purchasing a new shovel at each mine. The massive earth moving machines generally sell new for around $24 million, Wendtland said.

But if Wyoming had to reclaim Peabody's mines, it is unlikely the state would buy a new shovel for each facility, Wendtland said.

In Peabody's case, regulators implemented the new shovel share policy at the company's Caballo and Rawhide mines. Caballo's self-bond included the price of a new shovel. Rawhide's bond included the cost of moving and reassembling the Caballo shovel.

The shovel share policy ultimately saved the company $22.6 million at Caballo and Rawhide. It was also applied to Peabody's North Antelope Rochelle and School Creek mines, where it saved $24.5 million.

"That is much more fiscally responsible use of the equipment," Wendtland said, noting the shovel share policy could be used only by companies that have multiple mines in Wyoming.

The change would require mines to rotate through the varying stages of reclamation, he said. A bulldozer would work at one mine to reduce the size of mining benches, while pits would be filled in with a shovel at a second mine, Wendtland said. The two mines would then switch.

Anderson, the Powder River Basin Resource Council attorney, questioned the change.

"If this is the fiscally responsible thing to do, why havent we done it until now?" she said. "It is a fairly substantial change to the bonding program after doing it the same way after all these years."

Meeting standards

The practice of self-bonding has drawn increased scrutiny in recent times, as the coal industry's fortunes plummeted and doubts over miners' ability to pay for cleanup mounted.

Under federal law, mining firms are allowed to pledge their assets as a guarantee on future cleanup costs  provided they can pass a financial stress test. The U.S. Office of Surface Mining, Reclamation and Enforcement has ultimate authority over mine reclamation, but Wyoming is responsible for implementing oversight of cleanup operations.

For coal companies, the consequences of losing self-bonding status are particularly high. Those that lose the designation are required to obtain guaranteed financing like surety bonds, cash or letters of credit.

A reclamation bond, be it a self-bond or another form of financing, is required to maintain a mining permit.

Amy Schwetz, a Peabody executive, explained the importance of maintaining reclamation bonds in a bankruptcy filing earlier this month.

"If any surety bonds lapse without renewal, or if the debtors (Peabody) are unable to self-bond or obtain new third-party surety bonds for certain purposes, the debtors could default on various obligations, which could severely disrupt the debtors' operations and impair the debtors' prospects for a successful reorganization," she wrote.

There have been growing calls to reform the self-bonding program. Senate Democrats have become increasingly vocal, expressing concerns that taxpayers could be left with the bill for mine cleanup.

Federal regulators have questioned Wyoming officials' oversight of Peabody, writing in February that the mining giant may not have met the standards needed to qualify for self-bonding.

Arch Coal and Peabody maintained their self-bonding status right up until the time each filed for bankruptcy.

Wyoming regulators initially revoked Alpha Natural Resources' self-bonding status before agreeing to a deal that secured 15 percent of the Virginia-based mining firm's $411 million reclamation tab.

Wyoming officials, for their part, have defended their oversight of the program. Wendtland, in a letter to federal officials, noted that Peabody's self-bonds were guaranteed by a subsidiary  a practice allowed under federal regulations.

Bond transition

But there are indications that companies are moving away from the self-bonding program.

Executives at Cloud Peak Energy noted in a call this week with financial analysts that they are in talks to secure the company's $190 million in self-bonds.

"We are proactively working to address the ongoing regulatory uncertainties regarding self-bonding programs by seeking to voluntarily transition fully to third-party surety bonds," Cloud Peak Energy Chief Financial Officer Heath Hill told analysts.

And in Colorado, state regulators are moving to transition coal mines away from self-bonds. Peabody Energy converted $27 million in self-bonds to surety bonds at regulators' request. Colorado officials are also seeking to transition Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association's mines away from $80.5 million in self-bonds.

Yet the bond amounts in those cases are comparatively small to those found in Wyoming. Alpha, Arch and Peabody have a combined $1.6 billion in self-bonds.

Wyoming regulators are reviewing the state's bonding policies as part of Gov. Matt Mead's energy strategy. But they have shown little indication of moving away from the program.

"The thing you have to remember there is OSM will play a role in that," Wendtland said, when asked if the state would transition away from self-bonding. "The thing we dont want to do is change our rules, and then have OSM change theirs."

Peabody, meanwhile, is unlikely to be the last company to apply for a reduction in its self-bonds. Arch, Alpha and Cloud Peak are all expected to make similar requests, Wendtland said.
Watchdog looks to counter new chemical weapons threats

THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP)  With about 92 percent of the world's declared chemical weapons stockpiles destroyed, the watchdog agency overseeing the elimination of poison gas and nerve agents is looking now to counter emerging threats from extremist groups while still dealing with unfinished business in Syria.

The Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons is marking the April 29, 1997, entry into force of the Chemical Weapons Convention https://www.opcw.org/fileadmin/OPCW/CWC/CWC_en.pdf with a three-day conference starting Monday focusing on chemical safety and security.

It appears, in the future, extremists and criminals seem more likely than nations to launch chemical attacks.

FILE - In this Jan. 16, 2014 file photo, OPCW (Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons) Director-General Ahmet Uzumcu talks during a press conference, in Rome. With about 92 percent of the worlds declared chemical weapons destroyed, the watchdog overseeing the elimination of poison gas and nerve agents is looking at how to counter emerging threats while still dealing with unfinished business in Syria. The OPCW is marking the anniversary of the entry into force of the Chemical Weapons Convention with a conference focusing on chemical security in a future in which extremists and criminals seem more likely than nations to launch attacks. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini, File)

"We want to capture the current security threats in regard to chemical weapons, especially from non-state actors," OPCW Director-General Ahmet Uzumcu told The Associated Press at the organization's headquarters in The Hague.

There have been repeated reports of chemical attacks in Syria's devastating civil war and a U.N.-mandated investigation is underway aimed at apportioning blame for nine cases in 2014 and 2015. A final report is expected shortly before the team's mandate ends in September.

In some of the cases, it's believed that chlorine was used in the attacks. The widely available substance is sold the world over for legitimate purposes such as water purification, but chlorine gas also was used in the first large-scale chemical weapons attack by German forces in World War I.

"The challenge will remain to prevent the use of toxic substances as a weapon," said Uzumcu, whose organization won the 2013 Nobel Peace Prize for its disarmament efforts.

The issue is not new, the OPCW has been considering it since the 9/11 attacks in the United States, but it has been brought into sharper focus by the attacks in Syria.

At the conference starting Monday, experts will discuss how to use the existing chemical weapons convention to tackle the problem and whether the OCPW needs to adapt to the new reality.

Ralf Trapp, a former OPCW staffer who is now an independent disarmament and non-proliferation consultant, says protecting people from attacks using readily available chemicals is a difficult balancing act.

"You always will have the dilemma that some of these chemicals are in very wide use," he said in a telephone interview. "If you over-regulate them or control them to the point where they can no longer be properly used, you're actually slowing down economic use. It's not going to work."

Trapp warned that finding a way to deal with extremists has taken on new urgency with the rise of the Islamic State group in Syria and Iraq.

"Over time, you could expect that if they do decide to go for a chemical weapons program that they will in fact have the capability of investing time and money into it and develop something that would be much more sophisticated than what we see today," he said.

Meanwhile, the OPCW has yet to complete its work in Syria, which joined the organization in 2013 amid international outrage at a nerve gas attack on the outskirts of Damascus.

Syrian President Bashar Assad's government declared a 1,300-ton chemical weapons stockpile and 14 production facilities, triggering an unprecedented international operation to remove weapons and chemicals from the war-torn country and destroy them.

The weapons have been destroyed, as have 11 of the production plants, Uzumcu said, but member states of the OPCW have repeatedly questioned whether Assad declared everything in 2013.

"We are not yet there," Uzumcu said. "There are still questions. I am not able to say whether Syria has declared everything or whether Syria continues to possess some chemical weapons or some munitions. I hope that we will be able to clarify the remaining questions."

He said Syrian officials are expected to visit The Hague in coming weeks to continue talks aimed at clarifying the situation.

Another key challenge for the OPCW is attempting to bring on board four remaining countries that have not joined the chemical weapons convention  Egypt, Israel, North Korea and South Sudan.

Uzumcu believes it is only a "matter of time" before South Sudan joins and says the change in the Mideast security landscape brought about by the Syrian war may ultimately lead to Israel and Egypt joining.

The reclusive regime in North Korea has so far ignored all attempts by Uzumcu to open a dialogue.

Trapp says getting Pyongyang on board will be tough because of the nuclear issue that dominates the disarmament agenda.

"Can you isolate the chemical weapons issue from the rest of the security situation on the Korean peninsula?" he said "If you could do that, you could talk to the Koreans and try to get a process going. If you can't separate it from the rest, it becomes a ball in a much bigger game and you get the nuclear issue and a couple of other things and it becomes very complicated."

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Protests disband after IS group carries out 2nd Iraq bombing

BAGHDAD (AP)  Anti-government protesters disbanded at least temporarily Sunday from the heavily fortified Green Zone they had stormed a day earlier after the Islamic State group carried out its second major attack in Iraq in as many days  a pair of car bombs that killed more than 30 people.

The country's political crisis intensified Saturday when hundreds of supporters of Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr tore down walls and poured into the zone that is home to the seat of the Iraqi government and most foreign embassies. Loudspeaker announcements on Sunday evening urged protesters to leave peacefully. When the call came, hundreds calmly packed up and left, carrying flags and overnight bags away with them.

Later in the day, families walked through the compound's smoothly paved streets and snapped pictures beside its well-watered gardens, and young men bathed in a fountain. Such scenes are entirely divorced from the rest of the city's crumbling infrastructure and neglected public spaces.

Supporters of Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr chant slogans calling for governmental reforms as they wave national flags before ending their sit-in inside Baghdad's highly fortified Green Zone, Sunday, May 1, 2016. Anti-government protesters temporarily ended their mass demonstration in Baghdad's Green Zone on Sunday and began an orderly withdrawal a day after tearing down walls around the government district and invading parliament. (AP Photo/Karim Kadim)

The Green Zone, surrounded by thick blast walls topped with razor wire, is off-limits to most Iraqis because of security procedures that require multiple checks and specific documentation to enter. It has long been the focus of al-Sadr's criticism that the government is detached from the people.

Supporters of al-Sadr have been holding demonstrations and sit-ins for months to demand an overhaul of the political system put in place by the U.S. following the overthrow of Saddam Hussein in 2003. Last summer, demonstrations demanding better government services mobilized millions across Iraq and pressured Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi to submit his first package of reform proposals. However, months of stalled progress followed, and in recent months al-Sadr's well organized supporters took over the protest movement.

Despite the subdued end to the latest protest, Iraqi officials fear the precedent set by the Green Zone breach will continue to undermine the country's security.

Earlier on Sunday, car bombs in the southern city of Samawah killed 31 people and wounded at least 52. A police officer said two parked cars filled with explosives were detonated within minutes of each other around midday, the first near government offices and the second at an open-air bus station less than a kilometer (mile) away. On Saturday, an IS-claimed bombing in a market filled with Shiite civilians in Baghdad killed at least 21 people and wounded at least 42 others.

The attacks were just the latest in a series of IS-claimed bombings in Iraq. Over the past month, the United Nations said at least 741 Iraqis were killed in April due to ongoing violence. On March 25, an IS-claimed suicide bombing attack on a stadium filled with children killed 29 and wounded 60.

"The political crisis is having a very negative influence on our war against Daesh," said Iraqi lawmaker Younadim Kanna, using an Arabic acronym for IS. "I can tell you Daesh is very happy that there are these demonstrations in Baghdad," he said explaining that the instability in the Iraqi capital was pulling security forces away from the front-line fight against IS and from the perimeter security of the Iraqi capital.

Baghdad Operations Command confirmed that additional security forces were deployed Saturday to the Green Zone after protesters breached its walls. In March, political instability in Baghdad pulled Iraqi units away from the front and brought operations against IS in Anbar to a near halt.

While IS has suffered a number of territorial defeats in the past year, the group still controls significant pockets of territory in Iraq's north and west, including the country's second largest city of Mosul, estimated to still be home to more than 1 million civilians.

Al-Sadr's office in Baghdad denied that the demonstration was jeopardizing the fight against IS, but conceded that the decision to disband Sunday was made partly for security reasons.

Organizers decided to end the protest now because of an annual Shiite pilgrimage to the shrine of an eighth century imam in Baghdad that is expected to attract thousands from across the country, said Sadiq al-Hashemi, a representative of al-Sadr's office in Baghdad who was present at the protests.

The protests will resume after the pilgrimage ends this week, al-Hashemi said, adding that the al-Sadr movement would also give Iraqi lawmakers one more chance to vote in new reforms.

"We have achieved something here. We got our message out from the Iraqi street," Al-Hashemi said.

But lawmakers and Iraqi security officials say Sadr's show of force is undermining the country's leadership at a critical time and sets a dangerous precedent.

"They could just do it again," said lawmaker Hanan al-Fatlawi, referring to the Green Zone breach. "This is not a real solution. They showed no respect for the rule of law."

As they passed the parliament building they overran a day earlier, protesters said Iraq's lawmakers have already had their chance to achieve change in the halls of government.

"They don't really want reform," said Hussein Ahmed Tariq, 19, who camped with protesters overnight. "We gave them so much time, and each time they said the next day and the next day. We reached a point where we realized they don't want to vote at all."

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Associated Press writers Karim Kadim and Murtada Faraj in Baghdad and Maamoun Youssef in Cairo contributed to this report.

Supporters of Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr chant slogans calling for governmental reforms as they wave national flags before ending their sit-in inside Baghdad's highly fortified Green Zone, Sunday, May 1, 2016. Anti-government protesters temporarily ended their mass demonstration in Baghdad's Green Zone on Sunday and began an orderly withdrawal a day after tearing down walls around the government district and invading parliament. (AP Photo/Karim Kadim)

Supporters of Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr chant slogans calling for governmental reforms as they wave national flags before ending their sit-in inside Baghdad's highly fortified Green Zone, Sunday, May 1, 2016. Anti-government protesters temporarily ended their mass demonstration in Baghdad's Green Zone on Sunday and began an orderly withdrawal a day after tearing down walls around the government district and invading parliament. (AP Photo/Karim Kadim)

Supporters of Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr chant slogans calling for governmental reforms as they wave national flags before ending their sit-in inside Baghdad's highly fortified Green Zone, Sunday, May 1, 2016. Anti-government protesters temporarily ended their mass demonstration in Baghdad's Green Zone on Sunday and began an orderly withdrawal a day after tearing down walls around the government district and invading parliament. (AP Photo/Karim Kadim)

Protesters and supporters of Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr chant slogans calling for governmental reforms as they wave national flags before ending their sit-in inside Baghdad's highly fortified Green Zone, Sunday, May 1, 2016. Anti-government protesters temporarily ended their mass demonstration in Baghdad's Green Zone on Sunday and began an orderly withdrawal a day after tearing down walls around the government district and invading parliament. (AP Photo/Karim Kadim)

Supporters of Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr chant slogans calling for governmental reforms as they wave national flags before ending their sit-in inside Baghdad's highly fortified Green Zone, Sunday, May 1, 2016. Anti-government protesters temporarily ended their mass demonstration in Baghdad's Green Zone on Sunday and began an orderly withdrawal a day after tearing down walls around the government district and invading parliament. (AP Photo/Karim Kadim)

Supporters of Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr chant slogans calling for governmental reforms as they wave national flags before ending their sit-in inside Baghdad's highly fortified Green Zone, Sunday, May 1, 2016. Anti-government protesters temporarily ended their mass demonstration in Baghdad's Green Zone on Sunday and began an orderly withdrawal a day after tearing down walls around the government district and invading parliament. (AP Photo/Karim Kadim)

Iraqi security forces stand guard as supporters of Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr leave Baghdad's highly fortified Green Zone Sunday, May 1, 2016. Anti-government protesters temporarily ended their mass demonstration in Baghdad's Green Zone on Sunday and began an orderly withdrawal a day after tearing down walls around the government district and invading parliament. (AP Photo/Karim Kadim)
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Who doesn't want to see a formerly top-secret communist nuclear bunker?

A facility that was designed to keep Albania running after a nuclear attack is the latest relic of the country's dark communist past that is being reinvented as a modern tourist attraction.

In its swords-to-ploughshares drive, the Socialist government has already announced plans to open an island fortress to tourists and auction off the country's decrepit Soviet and Chinese fighter jets.

A formerly top-secret installation meant to keep Albania running after a nuclear attack is the latest relic of the country's dark Communist past being reinvented as a modern tourist attraction. Pictured: Besim Ndregjoni, a former political prisoner

A wood-panelled office is seen inside an old bunker in Tirana. Staff offices doubled as dormitories and were equipped with iron tables and beds

The small Balkan nation has no end of useless military installations and weaponry, a legacy of the paranoid, isolationist regime that ruled it with an iron fist for about 50 years after the end of World War II.

Fearing invasion by a host of imaginary enemies  imperialists, social-imperialists (as other Communist countries deemed ideologically unsound were termed) or restless, land-hungry neighbours  Albania's regime had about 700,000 concrete bunkers of all sizes built across the country.

A quarter-century after the Communists' fall, most are still there, the bigger ones serving as sheep barns, bars, restaurants, public toilets, love nests for furtive couples or even as homes.

The queen of them all  a secret five-story underground extravaganza on the outskirts of the capital Tirana to protect Albania's army command from nuclear attack  opened to the public two years ago. It has since closed due to funding shortages. Authorities are planning to reopen it this summer.

The 1,000-square-metre bunker has thick reinforced concrete walls to withstand and protect people from nuclear attack

An old toilet room can be seen inside an old bunker. Three sinks and two urinals are fixed to the dirty walls opposite cubicles

Now, its smaller sibling in downtown Tirana is tapped to become a museum of the Communist era, sparking complaints from Albania's conservative opposition party that the governing Socialists are trying to glorify the country's dark past.

Located under the Interior Ministry, the secret nuclear bunker was built in the early 1980s to shelter ministry staff. Auron Tare, who heads a government tourism agency, says opening the former bunker as a museum will help preserve the country's history.

He said: 'Twenty-five years after the fall of communism, the younger generations have no idea of what that regime was (like).

'The collective memories of the communist regime, which had so much impact on the country's life, are being wiped out fast.'

The 1,000-square-metre bunker has thick reinforced concrete walls to withstand nuclear attack. Machinery kept the air fresh from radioactive pollution, generators provided electricity, and water came from a well inside the structure. Its old East German-made air conditioning system is still functioning.

Albanian Besim Ndregjoni, a former political prisoner, stands inside an old bunker during a tour. The opening of the bunker has sparked complaints from Albania's conservative opposition party, stating that the governing Socialists are trying to glorify the country's dark past

Staff offices doubled as dormitories and were equipped with iron tables and beds. The minister had a small, wood-panelled suite to himself, which included a small room for his secretary, a bedroom and bathroom, and a hotline to the party's leadership.

Authorities hope to open it to the public later this year.

The structure has already triggered controversy. An anti-government rally by the conservative Democratic Party late last year ended with a riot at the Interior Ministry, with protesters trying to destroy a small replica bunker that will provide access to the shelter.

Architect Artan Shkreli, who is involved in the bunker project, says the criticism is 'absurd', but was pleased that the new entrance weathered the attack.

He said: 'Hundreds of thousands of bunkers built by the communist regime were never tested. That fake bunker... passed the test.'
Palestinians blast Eurovision Song Contest's flag policy

RAMALLAH, West Bank (AP)  Palestinian leaders are blasting the Eurovision Song Contest for preventing their flag from being flown during the event this month.

Palestinian official Saeb Erekat voiced his dismay in a letter to Jean-Paul Philippot, the head of the European Broadcasting Union which oversees the yearly contest. In the letter, obtained by The Associated Press Sunday, Erekat says the decision is "totally biased and unacceptable." The Palestinians do not compete in the contest.

The EBU published a list of banned flags last week. Among them were the flags of Northern Cyprus, Kosovo, Spain's Basque region and the Islamic State group's flag.
Militants free 10 Indonesian hostages in south Philippines

MANILA, Philippines (AP)  Abu Sayyaf militants have freed 10 Indonesian crewmen who were seized at sea in March in the first of three attacks on tugboats that have sparked a regional maritime security alarm, officials said Sunday.

The Indonesians appeared to be in good health when they were dropped off Sunday afternoon in front of the house of Sulu province's governor in the town of Jolo, said the town's police chief, Junpikar Sitin. The 10 men were then brought to a Philippine military camp and arrangements were underway to turn them over to Indonesian officials.

A photo seen by The Associated Press shows the sunburned men in fresh shirts eating rice and chicken with Sulu's governor on a veranda beside a Japanese-style garden in his house. In another photo, some of the men are puffing cigarettes and enjoying coffee while resting on chairs.

In this photo provided by the Office of Sulu Governor, Sulu Governor Abdusakur "Toto" A. Tan II, center, sits as Indonesian tugboat crewmen eat a meal after being freed in Jolo, Sulu province, southern Philippines on Sunday May 1, 2016. Abu Sayyaf militants have freed 10 Indonesian tugboat crewmen who were seized at sea in March and taken to a jungle encampment in the southern Philippines, officials said Sunday. (Office of the Sulu Governor via AP)

Jolo's mayor, Hussin Amin, welcomed the release of the Indonesians, but said he did not know whether a ransom had been paid.

"If this big release came in exchange for money, those who paid are supporting the Abu Sayyaf," he said. "This money will be used to buy more firearms and will be utilized as mobilization funds by these criminals."

Indonesian President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo thanked the Philippines and the "many parties" in Indonesia who cooperated to secure the release of the hostages.

At a televised news conference at a presidential palace in the West Java province city of Bogor, Jokowi said the government was continuing to work for the release of four other Indonesians who were taken hostage by suspected Abu Sayyaf militants in a separate incident last month.

A Philippine army officer who has been helping to deal with kidnappings by the Abu Sayyaf said a rebel commander from the Moro National Liberation Front, which has signed a peace deal with the Philippine government, helped negotiate with the Abu Sayyaf for the release of the 10 Indonesians.

The hostages were escorted down from a jungle encampment in Sulu and left outside the home of the governor, Abdusakur Tan II, the army officer said by phone on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to talk to reporters.

After the Indonesians were kidnapped at sea in March, suspected Abu Sayyaf militants separately attacked two other tugboats and snatched four Indonesians and four Malaysians who are believed to have also been brought by speedboats to the militants' jungle bases in Sulu, a predominantly Muslim province about 950 kilometers (590 miles) south of Manila.

Alarmed by the successive attacks, Indonesia's Jokowi said last week that his government would host talks with Malaysia and the Philippines to boost security in waters bordering the three countries.

He said the meeting of foreign ministers and military chiefs would discuss joint patrols to protect shipping. A Malaysian diplomat said one proposal is to harness satellite technology to keep an eye on the vast stretch of water and allow faster reaction by naval and maritime police forces.

When asked whether ransom was paid for the Indonesians' release, the army officer said he was unaware of any payment, but noted that the Abu Sayyaf traditionally has released captives only after money has been paid.

Abu Sayyaf gunmen beheaded a Canadian hostage in Sulu last Monday after they failed to receive a huge ransom by a deadline they had set.

Philippine troops launched an offensive against the Abu Sayyaf after the beheading, and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has vowed to help the Philippines bring the killers to justice.

More than a dozen foreign and local hostages remain in the hands of the Abu Sayyaf, including another Canadian and a Norwegian who were kidnapped last September, and a Dutch bird watcher who was kidnapped more than three years ago.

An unusual surge in kidnappings, including the tugboat attacks, along with recent beheadings by the Abu Sayyaf and a few small extremist groups that have emerged in the southern Philippines may be an effort by the militants to show off their capability and brutality and associate themselves with the Islamic State group in the Middle East, terrorism analysts say.

The Abu Sayyaf emerged as an extremist offshoot of the decades-long Muslim secessionist conflict in the southern Philippines and has carved its name in blood, carrying out mass kidnappings, beheadings and bombings.

The brutal group, which is estimated to have about 400 armed fighters split into a few factions, has been blacklisted by the United States and the Philippines as a terrorist organization.

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Associated Press writer Niniek Karmini in Jakarta, Indonesia, contributed to this report.
Brussels Airport departure hall reopens after deadly attacks

BRUSSELS (AP)  Under extra security, the Brussels Airport reopened its departure hall Sunday for the first time since deadly Islamic extremist attacks in March.

The airport had already resumed some flights, but passengers had been using a temporary check-in tent because of extensive damage to the departure hall from the twin suicide bombings that killed 16 people.

Passengers on select flights started using the newly-repaired departure hall Sunday after a special ceremony presided over by Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel. Extra security checks have been added before entering the terminal.

"We all choose to resist. Today, our capital's airport is reopening. Brussels is back in business," Michel told a gathered crowd near a plaque bearing the names of victims, surrounded by photos and flowers.

Some passengers lamented the tense atmosphere at a place that they used to associate with happy vacations. Check-in clerk Veronique Goodman described her emotion at the re-opening, "for the people who lost their family, injured colleagues ... nobody wants this ever to happen again. But (we're) happy to be back with our colleagues."

In a statement, Brussels Airport Company CEO Arnaud Feist called it "an important day in the recovery" of the airport and in efforts to revive the city's image. Feist said he hoped the airport would be back at 100 percent capacity by mid-June.
Trade unions hold rallies to mark May Day; clashes

Trade unions and other groups are staging rallies around the world to mark International Workers Day. A look at some May Day events:

FRANCE

Fearing France's worker protections are under threat, hundreds of angry youths on the sidelines of a May Day labor rally hurled stones and wood at police in Paris, receiving repeated bursts of tear gas in response.

A masked protestor kicks a tear gas canister during clashes with riot police as part of the traditional May Day march in Paris, France, Sunday, May 1, 2016. The traditional May Day rallies are taking on greater weight this year in France as Parliament is debating a bill that would allow longer working hours and let companies lay workers off more easily. (AP Photo/Michel Spingler)

Trade unions, teenagers, pensioners and families held nearly 300 largely peaceful marches Sunday in Paris and cities around the country. The traditional May Day rallies took on greater weight this year as parliament is debating a bill that would allow longer working hours and let companies lay workers off more easily.

The bill has prompted the most violent labor-related protests in a decade, with marches and sit-ins frequently degenerating into clashes with police.

Riot police encircled a few hundred suspected troublemakers on the sidelines of the Paris march Sunday, and frustrated youth threw projectiles. Later, protesters set fires at a subway entrance and around the Republique plaza that has become a rallying point.

Nationwide two people were injured and 18 arrested, according to the Interior Ministry. Marchers held banners calling President Francois Hollande a "traitor."

The Socialist government hopes the relatively modest labor reform will reduce chronically high unemployment and make France more globally competitive, by allowing companies more flexibility. Opponents say it erodes hard-fought worker protections and call it a gift to corporate interests.

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TURKEY

Thousands of Turkish demonstrators rallied for May Day in an authorized area of Istanbul while police cracked down on other protests.

Police used tear gas and water cannons on demonstrators trying to reach Taksim Square. One man died after being hit by a water cannon vehicle.

Taksim has symbolic meaning as the center of protests in which 34 people were killed on May Day in 1977.

The office of the governor of Istanbul said 24,500 security officers reported for duty Sunday, and that 207 people were detained.

Tensions are running high in Turkey after a string of deadly suicide bombings linked to either Kurdish or Islamic State group militants.

In the capital, Ankara, police rounded up four suspected IS members who were allegedly planning to attack May Day demonstrators.

May Day marches were held elsewhere in Turkey without incident but were cancelled in the southern city of Gaziantep after a deadly car bombing on a police station.

In the coastal city of Izmir, some demonstrators stripped down in protest over police body searches at a square where people were allowed to gather, according to local media.

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RUSSIA

Tens of thousands of people marched across Moscow's Red Square on a sunny Sunday morning in a pro-Kremlin workers' rally. The protesters were carrying the Russian tricolor and balloons.

As is typical for rallies organized by the ruling United Russia party, the May Day rally steered clear of criticizing President Vladimir Putin or his government for falling living standards. The slogans focused on wages and jobs for young professionals.

Left-wing Russian groups held their own rallies.

This year the May Day coincided with the Orthodox Easter in Russia. Communist leader Gennady Zyuganov told Russian news agencies ahead of the rally that he celebrates Easter despite the Communist party's history of oppressing the Russian Church. When a supporter greeted him with "Christ has risen!" Zyuganov echoed "He is risen indeed!" in a traditional Orthodox greeting.

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PHILIPPINES

In Manila, about 2,000 left-wing protesters scuffled with riot policemen, who used shields and a water cannon to try to prevent the flag-waving demonstrators from getting near the U.S. Embassy. Labor leaders said 20 protesters were injured.

Some of the protesters managed to break through the police cordon. TV video showed some of them punching a retreating police officer and using wooden poles to hit a fire truck.

Police made no arrests and the protesters dispersed after about two hours.

May Day rallies were held across the Philippines, with campaigning entering the final week ahead of the May 9 presidential election. Some of the candidates pledged to address labor complaints.

"We'll see the real color and what will become to the sweet promises when one of them sits as president," left-wing labor leader Elmer Labog said.

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BRITAIN

Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn joined thousands of people at a May Day rally in central London, using the occasion to condemn the progress of far-right groups throughout Europe.

Standing atop a red London bus, Corbyn said the party is united against the far-right and against racism.

"We stand in solidarity now against the growth of the far right in Europe," said Corbyn, whose faltering opposition party has been accused of anti-Semitism in recent days.

Corbyn, who represents Labour's left wing, was the first Labour leader to address a May Day crowd in decades.

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TAIWAN

In Taipei, Taiwan's capital, labor unions took to the streets with a march to call on the government to reduce working hours and increase wages.

Many among the Taiwanese public have been concerned that outgoing President Ma Ying-jeou's push for closer economic ties with China has benefited just a few. Young Taiwanese have seen wages stagnate and good full-time jobs harder to find as the export-led economy has slowed.

Chen Li-jen, a protester with the Taiwan Petroleum Workers Union, said that while companies were seeing their earnings per share grow every year, workers' salaries were not rising in tandem.

"Hardworking laborers are being exploited by consortiums," Chen said.

"For the past decade, our basic salary has not made any progress," he said. "Laborers' rights have always been neglected. This is why I hope to take advantage of the May 1 Labor Day protest and tell the government that we are determined to fight for our rights."

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BRAZIL

Embattled Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff used a May Day appearance in Sao Paulo to rally support against efforts to impeach her.

The president announced to tens of thousands of backers that she will beef up a flagship social program, reduce the impact of income tax on the middle class and build another 25,000 new low-price homes.

A key vote on her impeachment proceedings is scheduled within two weeks in the Senate.

Meanwhile, at an anti-Rousseff rally, union leader Paulinho da Forca called the president's announcements "desperate measures."

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UNITED STATES

In the U.S., hundreds of marchers in Los Angeles chanted slogans and carried signs on May Day, with at least one person carrying a pinata replica of controversial Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump.

The marchers took to the streets calling for immigrant and worker rights and decrying what they see as hateful presidential campaign rhetoric.

It's one of several events in cities nationwide to call for better wages for workers, an end to deportations and support for an Obama administration plan to give work permits to immigrants in the country illegally whose children are American citizens.

"We want them to hear our voices, to know that we are here and that we want a better life, with jobs," said Norberto Guiterrez, a 46-year-old immigrant from Mexico who joined families, union members and students who marched through downtown.

Demonstrators repeatedly called out Trump for his remarks about immigrants, workers and women. The leading Republican presidential contender has called for a wall on the border with Mexico and chided Democratic hopeful Hillary Clinton for playing the so-called "woman card."

Tear gas canisters explode near riot police during clashes as part of the traditional May Day march in Paris, France, Sunday, May 1, 2016. The traditional May Day rallies are taking on greater weight this year in France as Parliament is debating a bill that would allow longer working hours and let companies lay workers off more easily. (AP Photo/Michel Spingler)

Leftist demonstrators throw petrol bombs as they clash with riot police using tear gas to disperse them during May Day celebrations in Istanbul, Sunday, May 1, 2016. Security forces prevented leftist groups trying to reach city's iconic Taksim Square to celebrate May Day.(AP Photo/Cagdas Erdogan)

Leftist demonstrators set on fire a barricade as they clash with riot police using tear gas to disperse them during May Day celebrations in Istanbul, Sunday, May 1, 2016. Security forces prevented leftist groups trying to reach city's iconic Taksim Square to celebrate May Day.(AP Photo/Cagdas Erdogan)

Leftist demonstrators set on fire a barricade as they clash with riot police using tear gas to disperse them during May Day celebrations in Istanbul, Sunday, May 1, 2016. Security forces prevented leftist groups trying to reach city's iconic Taksim Square to celebrate May Day.(AP Photo/Cagdas Erdogan)

Russians wave flags and cheer as they walk on Red Square to mark May Day in Moscow, Russia, Sunday, May 1, 2016, with the St. Basil's Cathedral, left, and Spasskaya Tower, right, in the background. As in Soviet times, about one hundred thousand of cheerful workers paraded across Red Square despite a chilly rain, but instead of red flags with the Communist hammer and sickle, they waved the blue flags of the dominant Kremlin party and the Russian tricolor. (AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko)

Jean-Marie le Pen, former head of the far-right party National Front delivers a speech at Joan of Arc Statue during its annual May Day march, in Paris, France, Sunday, May 1, 2016. French far right leader and presidential hopeful Marine Le Pen is dueling with her father Jean-Marie for public support as the two hold competing events Sunday celebrating Joan of Arc and French glory. (AP Photo/Kamil Zihnioglu)

Protesters, mostly workers, clash with riot police as they try to force their way closer to the gates of the US Embassy in Manila to mark the International Labor Day Sunday, May 1, 2016 in Manila, Philippines. The protesters are demanding among others, better wages and salaries, an end to contractual labor, better working conditions and retirement benefits, less taxes, public and not privatized social services, and the assertion of national sovereignty against foreign domination and control.(AP Photo/Bullit Marquez)

Foreign labors in Taiwan shout slogans during a May Day rally in Taipei, Taiwan, Sunday, May 1, 2016. Thousands of protesters from different labor groups staged a rally on a street to ask for raising minimum wage and shorter working hours. (AP Photo/Chiang Ying-ying)

Taiwanese workers shout slogans during a May Day rally in Taipei, Taiwan, Sunday, May 1, 2016. Thousands of protesters from different labor groups protest on the street to ask for raising minimum wage and shorter working hours. (AP Photo/Chiang Ying-ying)

Taiwanese workers shout slogans "Strive for Working Right, Want Indemnifier" during a May Day rally in Taipei, Taiwan, Sunday, May 1, 2016. Thousands of protesters from different labor groups protest on the street to ask for raising minimum wage and shorter working hours. (AP Photo/Chiang Ying-ying)

Russians wave flags and cheer as they walk on Red Square to mark May Day in Moscow, Russia, Sunday, May 1, 2016, with the St. Basil's Cathedral, left, and Spasskaya Tower, right, in the background. As in Soviet times, about one hundred thousand of cheerful workers paraded across Red Square despite a chilly rain, but instead of red flags with the Communist hammer and sickle, they waved the blue flags of the dominant Kremlin party and the Russian tricolor. (AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko)

Workers take a selfie as they walk on Red Square to mark May Day in Moscow, Russia, Sunday, May 1, 2016. As in Soviet times, about one hundred thousand of cheerful workers paraded across Red Square despite a chilly rain, but instead of red flags with the Communist hammer and sickle, they waved the blue flags of the dominant Kremlin party and the Russian tricolor. (AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko)

Russians play accordions as they walk near the building of the Federal Security Service (FSB, Soviet KGB successor) in Lubyanskaya Square to mark May Day in Moscow, Russia, Sunday, May 1, 2016. As in Soviet times, about one hundred thousand of cheerful workers paraded across Red Square despite a chilly rain, but instead of red flags with the Communist hammer and sickle, they waved the blue flags of the dominant Kremlin party and the Russian tricolor. (AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko)

Russians carry flags and cheer as they walk on Red Square to mark May Day in Moscow, Russia, Sunday, May 1, 2016. As in Soviet times, about one hundred thousand of cheerful workers paraded across Red Square despite a chilly rain, but instead of red flags with the Communist hammer and sickle, they waved the blue flags of the dominant Kremlin party and the Russian tricolor. (AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko)

Russians wave flags and cheer as they walk on Red Square to mark May Day in Moscow, Russia, Sunday, May 1, 2016. As in Soviet times, about one hundred thousand of cheerful workers paraded across Red Square despite a chilly rain, but instead of red flags with the Communist hammer and sickle, they waved the blue flags of the dominant Kremlin party and the Russian tricolor. (AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko)

Russians wave flags and cheer as they walk on Red Square to mark May Day in Moscow, Russia, Sunday, May 1, 2016, with the St. Basil's Cathedral, left, and Spasskaya Tower, right, in the background. As in Soviet times, about one hundred thousand of cheerful workers paraded across Red Square despite a chilly rain, but instead of red flags with the Communist hammer and sickle, they waved the blue flags of the dominant Kremlin party and the Russian tricolor. (AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko)

Austria's Chancellor Werner Faymann applauds after a speech during the traditional May Day celebrations of the Austrian Social Democrats, SPOE, in Vienna, Austria, Sunday, May 1, 2016. Every year around hundred thousand citizens participate the event. (AP Photo/Ronald Zak)

Participants of the traditional May Day celebrations, organized by the Austrian Social Democrats, SPOE, and trade unions walk with a flag in Vienna, Austria, on Sunday, May 1, 2016. Every year around hundred thousand citizens participate the event. (AP Photo/Ronald Zak)

Bangladeshi workers and activists participate in a May Day rally in Dhaka, Bangladesh, Sunday, May 1, 2016. Trade unions and other groups were staging rallies around the world Sunday to mark International Workers Day. (AP Photo/A.M. Ahad)

Bangladeshi workers and activists participate in a May Day rally in Dhaka, Bangladesh, Sunday, May 1, 2016. Trade unions and other groups were staging rallies around the world Sunday to mark International Workers Day. (AP Photo/A.M. Ahad)

Police officers detain demonstrators, in Istanbul, Turkey, Sunday, May 1, 2016. Turkish police on Sunday prevented a small group of May Day demonstrators from reaching Istanbuls iconic Taksim Square. Security forces started to detain some of the 15 people in an effort to prevent their march. (AP Photo/Omer Kuscu)
Kate's new photos of Princess Charlotte mark 1st birthday

LONDON (AP)  Kensington Palace officials have released new photos of Princess Charlotte ahead of her first birthday.

The daughter of Prince William and the Duchess of Cambridge turns one-year-old on Monday. A palace statement said Sunday the photos were taken by the Duchess in April at their country home.

It says William and Kate "are very happy to be able to share these important family moments and hope that everyone enjoys these lovely photos as much as they do."

In this undated handout photo released on Sunday, May 1, 2016 by Kensington Palace, Britain's Princess Charlotte poses for a photograph, at Anmer Hall, in Norfolk, England. The princess will celebrate her first birthday on Monday. (Kate, the Duchess of Cambridge/Kensington Palace via AP)

In this undated handout photo released on Sunday, May 1, 2016 by Kensington Palace, Britain's Princess Charlotte poses for a photograph, at Anmer Hall, in Norfolk, England. The princess will celebrate her first birthday on Monday. (Kate, the Duchess of Cambridge/Kensington Palace via AP)

In this undated handout photo released on Sunday, May 1, 2016 by Kensington Palace, Britain's Princess Charlotte poses for a photograph, at Anmer Hall, in Norfolk, England. The princess will celebrate her first birthday on Monday. (Kate, the Duchess of Cambridge/Kensington Palace via AP)
Pope decries 'desperate' situation in Syrian city of Aleppo

VATICAN CITY (AP)  Pope Francis is decrying worsening violence amid the already "desperate" humanitarian situation in Syria, particularly in the northern city of Aleppo.

During his traditional Sunday remarks to the faithful in St. Peter's Square, Francis referred to last week's attack on an Aleppo hospital. He laments that a "spiral of violence" is "reaping innocent victims, even among children, the sick and those who with great sacrifice are committed to helping their neighbors."

Medical personnel were reported to be among the victims of that attack.

Pope Francis waves during the Regina Coeli prayer from his studio's window overlooking St. Peter's Square, at the Vatican, Sunday, May 1, 2016. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)
Saudi Binladin Group employees set fire to buses in protest

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia (AP)  Employees at the Saudi Binladin Group, a construction giant, have set fire to more than seven company buses in the latest protest by disgruntled staff over not being paid salaries for months and a large round of reported layoffs.

Maj. Nayef al-Sharif, the spokesman for the Civil Defense in the city of Mecca, said late Saturday that firefighters put out the blaze without any injuries reported.

The Binladin Group has not issued any statements about the reported layoffs or the unrest. Calls and an email request for comment to the company were not immediately returned.

FILE- In this Tuesday, Sept. 15, 2015 file photo, Muslim pilgrims walk outside the Grand Mosque in the holy city of Mecca, Saudi Arabia. Employees at giant construction firm, the Saudi Binladin Group, have set fire to more than seven company buses to protest a reportedly large round of looming layoffs and not being paid their salaries for months. (AP Photo/Mosa'ab Elshamy, File)

For several weeks, thousands of the firm's employees have been staging rare protests in Mecca and the Red Sea coastal city of Jiddah, with some saying they have not been paid for six months.

The attack on the company's buses comes a day after the Saudi Al-Watan newspaper quoted an unnamed source as saying the company has terminated employment for 50,000 foreign workers and issued them exit visas. Many of those workers are apparently refusing to leave without being paid their late wages, the newspaper reported.

Also Friday, local newspapers reported that five construction workers were injured when an official from the Saudi Binladin Group hit them with his car after employees protesting salary delays rushed toward the vehicle. Police are investigating the incident.

Gulf-based construction firms have been among the hardest-hit due to lower oil prices that have curbed and sometimes delayed government spending on major infrastructure projects. In February, the president of the Council of Saudi Chambers of Commerce and Industry, Abdulrahman al-Zamil, wrote an open letter to King Salman saying that construction firms were struggling under the weight of delayed payments for their work on government projects.

The Saudi Binladin Group is one of the world's largest construction firms. Founded in 1931 and headquartered in Jiddah, the firm has been behind some of Saudi Arabia's most important projects, including roads, tunnels, airports, universities and hotels. It has carried out expansion work throughout the holy city of Mecca to accommodate more Muslim pilgrims, including construction of a massive clock tower with luxury hotels.

The multinational firm is also a main contractor for the Kingdom Tower in Jiddah, which will be the world's tallest skyscraper at a kilometer, or roughly 3,300 feet, high.

The Binladin family has been close to Saudi Arabia's ruling family for decades. Al-Qaida's late leader Osama bin Laden was a renegade son of the construction firm's founder, Mohammed bin Laden, and was disowned by the family in the 1990s.

Despite the close family ties, the Saudi government barred the firm from acquiring new contracts after an initial government probe found the company was partly responsible for a crane collapse in Mecca's Grand Mosque last year that killed 111 people days before the start of the annual hajj pilgrimage in September.

The crane boom pierced the roof of the mosque housing Islam's holiest site, the Kaaba, bringing down slabs of reinforced concrete and leaving bodies of worshippers lying amid pools of blood on the mosque floors.

Saudi daily Arab News reported that the layoffs included engineers, foremen, steel fixers, carpenters and welders at the firm. The paper said employees were offered severance pay.

The newspaper cited various possible reasons for the terminations, including government restrictions on the firm and changes to Saudi labor law that have made it more difficult for firms to hire expatriates over local Saudis.

Other sectors have seen hundreds of layoffs as governments across the Gulf look to hire more of their own citizens and reduce public spending in the face of plunging revenues from lower oil prices. There have been layoffs in the United Arab Emirates' banking sector and at Qatar Petroleum and the Qatar-based news broadcaster Al-Jazeera, among others. In Kuwait, oil unions held a three-day strike against government cutbacks to their benefits and pay.

Masood Ahmed, director of the Middle East and Central Asia Department for the International Monetary Fund, told The Associated Press recently that one of the consequences of cutting back spending in the Gulf is that fewer people will be needed to work on government-backed projects.

"This is part of a sensible strategy to try and balance their budgets over time to improve and further their fiscal resilience and to reflect the new reality in terms of oil revenues," he said.

___

Batrawy reported from Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Associated Press writer Fay Abuelgasim in Dubai contributed to this report.

___

The spelling of Binladin in the story's keyword has been corrected to match the company's spelling.

FILE- In this Saturday, Sept. 12, 2015 file photo, Muslim pilgrims walk around the Kaaba, the cubic building at the Grand Mosque in the Muslim holy city of Mecca, Saudi Arabia. Employees at giant construction firm, the Saudi Binladin Group, have set fire to more than seven company buses to protest a reportedly large round of looming layoffs and not being paid their salaries for months. (AP Photo, File)

FILE - In this May 8, 2014, file photo a man works on construction of the Kingdom Tower, a planned 252-story building, which aims to become the world's tallest skyscraper when complete, in Jiddah, Saudi Arabia. Employees at giant construction firm, the Saudi Binladin Group, have set fire to more than seven company buses to protest a reportedly large round of looming layoffs and not being paid their salaries for months. (AP Photo/Hasan Jamali, File)

FILE- In this Tuesday, Sept. 15, 2015 file photo, Muslim Pilgrims walk past the site of a crane collapse that killed over a hundred Friday at the Grand Mosque in the holy city of Mecca, Saudi Arabia. Employees at giant construction firm, the Saudi Binladin Group, have set fire to more than seven company buses to protest a reportedly large round of looming layoffs and not being paid their salaries for months. (AP Photo/Mosa'ab Elshamy, File)

FILE- In this Sunday, Sept. 13, 2015 file photo, Muslim pilgrims walk towards the Grand Mosque in the holy city of Mecca, Saudi Arabia, marked by towering cranes used in the ongoing expansion aimed to accommodate the growing numbers of annual pilgrims. Employees at giant construction firm, the Saudi Binladin Group, have set fire to more than seven company buses to protest a reportedly large round of looming layoffs and not being paid their salaries for months. (AP Photo/Mosa'ab Elshamy, File)
US once again forced to turn to Russia for help on Syria

GENEVA (AP)  Scrambling to resuscitate a nearly dead truce in Syria, the Obama administration has again been forced to turn to Russia for help, with little hope for the desired U.S. outcome.

At stake are thousands of lives and the fate of a feeble peace process essential to the fight against the Islamic State group, and Secretary of State John Kerry has appealed once more to his Russian counterpart for assistance in containing and reducing the violence, particularly around city of Aleppo.

"We are talking directly to the Russians, even now," Kerry said on his arrival in Geneva as he began talks with Jordanian Foreign Minister Nasser Judeh. "The hope is we can make some progress, but the UN Security Council Resolution calls for a full country, countrywide, cessation and also for all of the country to be accessible to humanitarian assistance. Obviously that hasn't happened and isn't happening."

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, right, talks to the media next to Jordanian Foreign Minister Nasser Judeh, left, during a bilateral meeting on Syria in Geneva, Switzerland, Sunday, May 1, 2016. Kerry has appealed once more to his Russian counterpart for assistance in containing and reducing the violence, particularly around the Syrian city of Aleppo. (Denis Balibouse/Pool via AP)

"These are critical hours. We look for Russia's cooperation. We obviously look for the regime to listen to Russia and to respond to the international communities' powerful statement to the UN Security Council."

Kerry spoke at length on Friday with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov to that end, and had been hoping to meet with Lavrov soon, according to U.S. officials.

In Geneva, Kerry met with Judeh and was to meet U.N. envoy Staffan de Mistura and Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir on Monday before returning to Washington.

But Lavrov was not expected to be in Geneva, complicating Kerry's efforts to make the case directly to the Russians for more pressure on their Syrian government allies to stop or at least limit attacks in Aleppo.

The State Department said Kerry, in his meetings, would "review ongoing efforts to reaffirm the cessation of hostilities nationwide in Syria, obtain the full humanitarian access to which the Syrian government committed and support a political transition."

Specific, viable options to achieve those broad goals are limited, and Friday's announcement of a new, partial cease-fire that does not include Aleppo underscored the difficulty Kerry faced.

U.S. and other officials described that initiative, brokered mainly by Russia and the United States as co-chairs of the International Syria Support Group, as a "reinforcement" of the February truce, now largely in tatters, that they hope to extend from Damascus and the capital's suburbs and the coastal province of Latakia to other areas.

"This is an agreement within the task force, but certainly on the part of the U.S. and Russia that there would be a reinforcement of the cessation of hostilities in these specific areas as a start, with the expectation that this ... would be then extended elsewhere," State Department spokesman Mark Toner said.

Syria's military extended a unilateral cease-fire around the capital for another 24 hours on Sunday, and relative calm set in across much of the country after days of heavy fighting concentrated in Aleppo.

For that city, the U.S. is considering drawing up with the Russians a detailed map that would lay out "safe zones." Civilians and members of moderate opposition groups covered by the truce could find shelter from persistent attacks by Syrian President Bashar Assad's military, which claims to be targeting terrorists.

One U.S. official said "hard lines" would delineate specific areas and neighborhoods. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the matter publicly.

It was not immediately clear whether Russia would accept such a plan or if Moscow could persuade the Assad government to respect the prospective zones. Some U.S. officials are skeptical of the chances for success, but also note that it is worth a try to at least reduce the violence that has wracked Aleppo for the past week, with hundreds killed and thousands wounded.

Kerry discussed the deteriorating situation in calls over the past days with de Mistura and the head of a Syrian opposition negotiating committee. "We are working on specific initiatives to de-escalate the increased fighting and defuse tensions and hope to make tangible progress on such initiatives soon," State Department spokesman John Kirby said in a statement.

For the administration, Friday's announcement about the partial cease-fire is largely a means to measure the commitment of the warring parties to the concept of a truce that could lead to serious peace talks.

"It's a test for the Russians and for the regime, as well as for the Syrian opposition," Toner said.

The administration's problem is that the Russians, the Assad government and the opposition backed by the U.S. and its partners have all failed that test in the past.

In particular, the administration has been routinely disappointed that Russia has not lived up to pledges that U.S. officials think it has made. From the start of the conflict, the administration has sought numerous times for Moscow to use its influence with Damascus to bring about an end to the violence and to advance a political transition. At each turn, those hopes have been dashed with Russia continuing, and even increasing, its support for Assad.

U.S. officials concede there is little to suggest that will change.

A Syrian man holds a sign during a protest in front of the United Nations headquarters in Beirut, Lebanon, Sunday, May 1, 2016, against Syrian President Bashar Assad's military operations in areas held by insurgents around the country, mostly in the northern city of Aleppo that has been the main point of violence. (AP Photo/Bilal Hussein)

Protesters hold up placards during a protest in front of the United Nations Headquarters in Beirut, Lebanon, Sunday, May 1, 2016, against Syrian President Bashar Assad's military operations in areas held by insurgents around the country, mostly in the northern city of Aleppo that has been the main point of violence. (AP Photo/Bilal Hussein)

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, right, listens as Jordanian Foreign Minister Nasser Judeh, talks to the media during a bilateral meeting on Syria in Geneva, Switzerland, Sunday, May 1, 2016. Kerry has appealed once more to his Russian counterpart for assistance in containing and reducing the violence, particularly around the Syrian city of Aleppo. (Denis Balibouse/Pool via AP)

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry listens as Jordanian Foreign Minister Nasser Judeh, gives a statement to the media during a bilateral meeting on Syria in Geneva, Switzerland, Sunday, May 1, 2016. Kerry has appealed once more to his Russian counterpart for assistance in containing and reducing the violence, particularly around the Syrian city of Aleppo. (Denis Balibouse/Pool via AP)
3 detained in Bangladesh after stabbing death of Hindu man

NEW DELHI (AP)  Police in Bangladesh detained three men Sunday, including the head of an Islamic school, in connection with the stabbing death of a Hindu tailor in an attack claimed by the Islamic State group.

Police officer Saleh Muhammed Tanvir said the school principal had sued Nikhil Joarder, the slain tailor, four years ago for allegedly making derogatory comments against Prophet Muhammad. Joarder was killed Saturday in his shop in the central district of Tangail by two men on motorcycles.

The Islamic State group-affiliated Aamaq news agency issued a statement later Saturday saying "elements of the Islamic State stabbed to death by knife a Hindu in Tangail in Bangladesh who was known for insulting Prophet Muhammad." It did not give further details.

The two other men arrested were a local leader of the fundamentalist Jamaat-e-Islami political party and a supporter of its main ally, the opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party.

Joarder spent two weeks in prison in 2012 after the complaint against him was made. He was released after the complaint was withdrawn.

The authorities said they were investigating whether the 2012 incident was behind the attack on Joarder.

The killing was similar to other recent attacks in Bangladesh on atheist bloggers, academics, religious minorities and most recently a gay rights activist by Muslim extremists.

Five have been killed this year, including the attacks last Monday of Xulhaz Mannan, a U.S. Agency for International Development employee and gay rights activist, and Tonmoi Mahbub, a theater actor. Two days earlier, on April 23, a university professor, A.F.M. Rezaul Karim Siddique, was hacked to death. Nine others were killed last year.

While there have been some arrests  mostly of low-level operatives  there have been no prosecutions so far and authorities have struggled to make any headway in naming those planning the attacks.
North Korea party congress to show unity around Kim Jong Un

TOKYO (AP)  North Korea is preparing to hold a once-in-a-generation congress of its ruling party that is intended to rally the nation behind leader Kim Jong Un and could provide an important glimpse into Kim's plans for the country's economy and military.

The congress, set to begin on Friday, is the first in 36 years and follows a 70-day "loyalty drive" in which everyone from coal miners to restaurant workers were called upon to put in extra hours to increase productivity as a show of their devotion to Kim and the Workers' Party of Korea, which he leads.

The congress comes as North Korea is facing international pressure over a nuclear test in January and a series of rocket and missile launches that have led many outside experts to believe Pyongyang is much closer to having a viable nuclear deterrent than previously thought.

FILE - In this Saturday, Oct. 10, 2015 file photo, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un waves at a parade in Pyongyang, North Korea. North Korea is preparing to hold a once-in-a-generation congress of its ruling party that is intended to rally the nation behind leader Kim Jong Un and could provide an important glimpse into Kims plans for the countrys economy and military. The congress is set to begin May 6, 2016. (AP Photo/Wong Maye-E, File)

The North, wary of its leader's security and always loath to release any more information to the outside world than it deems absolutely necessary, has disclosed few details of the congress' itinerary. Instead, it has presented the congress as a chance for the ruling party to boast its achievements and unity in the face of the "U.S. imperialists."

But North Korea's foreign minister told The Associated Press in an April 23 interview that the congress would focus on demonstrating unity behind the country's leader and on finding ways to build the North's moribund economy even as global sanctions squeeze it ever tighter.

"One of the most important things through this party congress is to show to the entire world the union of our people," Foreign Minister Ri Su Yong told the AP while he was in New York for a United Nations conference on climate change. "I'm sure our country will be even more vibrant after the party congress to build up a more prosperous and powerful, economically sound nation."

The event will be an opportunity for Kim Jong Un to assume center stage before a world audience. Throngs of foreign journalists are being invited to cover it. That's all the more important because the enigmatic young leader, still in his early 30s, has yet to travel abroad or meet any other heads of state.

In the last party congress, held in 1980, Kim's late father, Kim Jong Il, was awarded a slew of top jobs in a confirmation he was in line to succeed his father, North Korea founder Kim Il Sung.

Kim Il Sung died in 1994, so Kim Jong Il  who rarely spoke in public and never held a congress after actually assuming power  had 14 years to prepare for power. Kim Jong Un, on the other hand, was virtually unknown outside of the Pyongyang inner circle until a few years before his own father's death in 2011.

Still, there are no signs his position as the head of the world's only socialist dynasty is in question.

The congress will give Kim, who seems to be more like his grandfather and less averse to addressing big crowds, a chance to further cement his authority by getting its stamp of approval on officials who are in his favor. He has conducted numerous shake-ups in the regime's top ranks  the most prominent being the execution of his powerful uncle in 2013  to make sure he is surrounded by loyal lieutenants.

The congress is sure to praise Kim's nuclear policy, though it has triggered sanctions that have caused economic pain.

Tensions on that front have deepened recently after North Korea conducted its fourth nuclear test and a long-range rocket launch, which led to the U.N. slapping its toughest sanctions on Pyongyang in 20 years and South Korea and the United States upgrading their annual spring military drills into the biggest they've ever held.

Amid vows it will never be cowed by foreign pressure, the North just days ago test launched two midrange missiles  both of which appear to have failed  and speculation is growing that North Korea could perform a fifth nuclear test ahead of the congress to further burnish Kim's image as a strong leader.

"The DPRK proudly joined the ranks of advanced nuclear and space powers while demonstrating the might of the invincible politico-ideological, military and youth power and is now dashing ahead toward to a socialist economic power and highly civilized nation," the party's official newspaper said in an editorial on Saturday, using the acronym for North Korea's official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.

Even so, Ri, the foreign minister, said the economy is still at the top of the congress' agenda.

"The first thing is to advance the pace of economic building for a powerful nation," he said. "The second is to improve the people's living standards and to find the best, optimum ways to improve the people's living standards under these circumstances. And the third, to strengthen our national defense capabilities."

Ri said the convening of the congress is itself of high symbolic importance.

"The real source of power in our country isn't nuclear weapons or any other military means, but the single-minded unity of the people and the leader," he said. "And this power of unity we have is the real source of power that leads our country into victory."

The North's state media has not said how long the congress is scheduled to last. The 1980 congress lasted five days, but this year's is expected to be somewhat shorter.

FILE - In this Oct. 8, 2015 file photo, North Koreans gather at a monument built 10 years ago to honor the founding of the Workers' Party of North Korea, in Pyongyang, North Korea. North Korea is gearing up for the first congress of its ruling party in 36 years. The congress is set to begin May 6. (AP Photo/Wong Maye-E, File)
South Africa: Rescued lions explore new home in sanctuary

Vaalwater, South Africa (AP)  Lions rescued from circuses in Colombia and Peru and airlifted to South Africa scratched their manes on trees and explored their new territory in the African bush after being released into a sanctuary north of Johannesburg Sunday.

One of the 33 lions, a male known as Zeus, let out a mighty roar before stepping out of his cage into an enclosure where he will spend the coming months being monitored by a vet.

The lions arrived at the Emoya Big Cat Sanctuary shortly after dawn on Sunday to end a two-day journey from South America.

A former circus lion bites a tree branch inside an enclosure at Emoya Big Cat Sanctuary in Vaalwater, northern, South Africa, Sunday, May 1, 2016. Thirty-three lions rescued from circuses in Peru and Colombia are heading back to their homeland to live out the rest of their lives in a private sanctuary in South Africa. The operation is the largest ever airlift of lions, organized and paid for by Animal Defenders International. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe)

The lions were freed after the use of wild animals in circuses was outlawed in Peru and Colombia.

It will be impossible for the lions to survive in the wild as they were bred in captivity and their circus owners mutilated many by breaking their teeth and removing their claws. Because they cannot hunt they will be fed game meat and will have water in their enclosures.

"They are remarkably calm after such a long journey," Tim Phillips, the co-founder of Animal Defenders International which led the rescue of the lions told The Associated Press."It was a dream come true watching them step of those cages into their new homes in the African bush."

A former circus lion scratches its head against a tree inside an enclosure at Emoya Big Cat Sanctuary in Vaalwater, northern, South Africa, Sunday, May 1, 2016. Thirty-three lions rescued from circuses in Peru and Colombia are heading back to their homeland to live out the rest of their lives in a private sanctuary in South Africa. The operation is the largest ever airlift of lions, organized and paid for by Animal Defenders International. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe)

A former circus lion look on prior to being released into an enclosure at Emoya Big Cat Sanctuary in Vaalwater, northern, South Africa, Sunday, May 1, 2016. Thirty-three lions rescued from circuses in Peru and Colombia are heading back to their homeland to live out the rest of their lives in a private sanctuary in South Africa. The operation is the largest ever airlift of lions, organized and paid for by Animal Defenders International. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe)

Emoya Big Cat Sanctuary workers, transport a former circus lion inside a cage to be released inside an enclosure in Vaalwater, South Africa, Sunday, May 1, 2016. Thirty-three lions rescued from various circuses in Peru and Colombia are being relocated to live out the rest of their lives in a private sanctuary in South Africa, organized and paid for by Animal Defenders International. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe)

Former circus lions inside an enclosure at Emoya Big Cat Sanctuary in Vaalwater, South Africa, Sunday, May 1, 2016. Thirty-three lions rescued from various circuses in Peru and Colombia are being relocated to live out the rest of their lives in a private sanctuary in South Africa, organized and paid for by Animal Defenders International. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe)

A former circus lion explores the enclosure as members of the media and the staff watch his acclimatization at Emoya Big Cat Sanctuary in Vaalwater, South Africa, Sunday, May 1, 2016. Thirty-three lions rescued from various circuses in Peru and Colombia are being relocated to live out the rest of their lives in a private sanctuary in South Africa, organized and paid for by Animal Defenders International.(AP Photo/Themba Hadebe)

A former circus lion is released into an enclosure as Tim Phillips, ADI Campaigns Director, right, watches at Emoya Big Cat Sanctuary, in Vaalwater, northern, South Africa, Sunday, May 1, 2016. Thirty-three lions rescued from circuses in Peru and Colombia are heading back to their homeland to live out the rest of their lives in a private sanctuary in South Africa. The operation is the largest ever airlift of lions, organized and paid for by Animal Defenders International. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe)

Former circus lions flight after being released into an enclosure at Emoya Big Cat Sanctuary in Vaalwater, northern, South Africa, Sunday, May 1, 2016. Thirty-three lions rescued from circuses in Peru and Colombia are heading back to their homeland to live out the rest of their lives in a private sanctuary in South Africa. The operation is the largest ever airlift of lions, organized and paid for by Animal Defenders International. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe)

Former circus lions plays after being released into an enclosure at Emoya Big Cat Sanctuary in Vaalwater, northern, South Africa, Sunday, May 1, 2016. Thirty-three lions rescued from circuses in Peru and Colombia are heading back to their homeland to live out the rest of their lives in a private sanctuary in South Africa. The operation is the largest ever airlift of lions, organized and paid for by Animal Defenders International. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe)
Undeterred by rescues, novelist ready to set sail again

PORTLAND, Maine (AP)  A novelist who was twice rescued from storm-battered sailboats hopes his next adventure lacks in such drama.

South Carolina author Michael Hurley plans to sail around the world after using the experience of scuttling his sailboat on a failed trans-Atlantic crossing for his new book, "The Passage."

"I love the freedom of sailing on the ocean. There's no limit. The horizon extends. There's nothing to stop you from going wherever you want to go," he said from England.

FILE-In this June 13, 2015, file photo, Michael Hurley, a South Carolina author who lost his storm-battered sailboat on a failed Atlantic crossing, left, poses for a photo with Maine Maritime Academy junior Gabrielle Wells on the stern of the training vessel State of Maine, in Portland, Maine. Hurley used some experiences from his rescue last summer by a Maine Maritime Academy training ship for his new book, "The Passage." The book goes on sale June 1. (AP Photo/David Sharp, File)

The former corporate lawyer captured international attention last summer when his 30-foot sailboat began taking on water as he sailed solo from Charleston, South Carolina, to Ireland.

He credits a decision he and his wife made to renew their vows days before his rescue for saving his life. Absent that, he said, he may have tried to continue sailing  with fatal consequences  after his vessel began sinking with more storms looming ahead.

He was rescued south of Newfoundland by students on the Maine Maritime Academy's training vessel, State of Maine.

Elements of the adventure are rolled into "The Passage," the tale of a spiritual journey by a broken stockbroker who encounters a stowaway who changes his life while sailing to Ireland.

The book, which goes on sale June 1, features an attempted trans-Atlantic crossing, a harrowing rescue and a Robert Burns poem, character and details drawn from his experiences aboard the State of Maine. After his rescue, Hurley made a pilgrimage along the Camino de Santiago in Spain for a time of reflection and that, too, found its way into his book.

In the end, he and his wife never renewed their vows, and their marriage didn't survive. Part of that may have to do with Hurley's wanderlust.

Hurley, 58, is an experienced mariner who has no intention of remaining on terra firma  despite his spate of bad luck.

He was rescued by the Coast Guard in 2012 and had to scuttle his storm-damaged "Gypsy Moon" between Haiti and Cuba. The boat had lost its headsail in a storm, and then a rogue wave sheared the engine off its mounts, leaving the sailboat helpless.

After his latest rescue, he worked on his book in Wales before decamping for London and purchasing a British-made 1967 Camper & Nicholson, a yacht that bears the name Nevermore.

The 32-foot fiberglass boat is heavy and strong, and suitable for his goal of traveling and living in the boat, he said.

But Jonathan Beale, from Burnham Yacht Harbour, an England boatyard that has worked on Hurley's new sailboat, had some reservations about Hurley's plan to sail the old boat around the world.

He doesn't share Hurley's opinion that the 49-year-old sailboat is an oldie but goodie. "It's an oldie. That's all I'm saying," he said.

And Susan Ryan Hurley said she fears the man she's divorcing won't survive his latest effort to sail the world's oceans. "The whole sailing thing is in his blood. Sometimes I think he's planning his own death," she said from South Carolina.

Now living temporarily in France, Hurley is ready to take advantage of a narrow weather window this month to sail to the Canary Islands. After riding out the hurricane season there, he'll head to the Caribbean. Then, he plans to sail the world  a little bit at a time.

"It's a gypsy lifestyle but it's a simple and beautiful way to live. It's the freedom of sailing that's always attracted me. The wind is free. The ocean is free. If you have the chance to enjoy both in a sailboat, then you're free," he said.

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Follow David Sharp on Twitter at https://twitter.com/David_Sharp_AP. His work can be found at http://bigstory.ap.org/content/david-sharp.
Qatar bank says some leaked customer data may be accurate

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP)  Qatar's largest bank acknowledged Sunday that some personal customer data that was leaked online may be authentic, and said it has hired an outside expert to review potential vulnerabilities to its computer systems.

Files dumped online last week appeared to contain sensitive information involving thousands of Qatar National Bank customers, including bank logins, passwords, security questions and answers, credit card numbers, national identification numbers, phone numbers and email addresses. The bank previously said only that it was investigating an alleged breach.

"While some of the data recently released in the public domain may be accurate, much of it was constructed and contains a mixture of information from the attack as well as other non-QNB sources, such as personal data from social media channels," the bank said Sunday.

"We believe the nature of this incident is fundamentally an attempted attack on QNB Group's reputation and not specifically targeted at our customers."

The bank has released little information about how its network was compromised. It said its risk team "monitored abnormal activity in our system environment," and that this information was immediately shared with relevant authorities. Only a portion of its customers were affected, it said.

"We are taking every measure to protect the privacy of our customers and have engaged an external third party expert to review all our systems," it said.

Accounts are now secure and customers will face no financial fallout from the breach, it promised, without specifying how.

Security experts say the leaked data, which purported to include government employees and members of the ruling family, appeared genuine. Several customers have told The Associated Press that information posted online was authentic.

Two experts who've studied the breach  Abdullah AlAli of Kuwait-based Cyberkov and Finland-based security engineer Omar Benbouazza  say hackers apparently used what is known as an SQL injection to obtain unauthorized access to hundreds of thousands of unencrypted records.

The commonly used tactic involves taking advantage of errors and misconfigurations to force servers to throw out sensitive data.

"Any kid learning about hacking can do this," Benbouazza said.

Benbouazza said the bank was running "old and vulnerable software" on its servers while AlAli said its unusual configuration  with the main website directly connected to sensitive databases  may have made the hackers' job easier.

In 2012, a damaging virus crippled computer systems at Qatari natural gas producer RasGas soon after a similar attack on Saudi state oil giant Saudi Aramco. Hackers later managed to steal $45 million using stolen card data from Rakbank in the United Arab Emirates and Oman's Bank Muscat.

AlAli said oil-rich Gulf Arab states were belatedly waking up to the threat of cyberattack.

"It is something very new for them," he wrote in an email. "The lack of expertise and awareness will make the coming years harder for the government and private sector."

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Associated Press writer Raphael Satter in London contributed to this report.

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Neighbors deny rescue of quake-buried man in Ecuador

QUITO, Ecuador (AP)  Ecuadorean news media say relatives, neighbors and a nurse are denying reports that a 72-year-old man had been buried in his quake-damaged house for two weeks before being rescued.

The major newspaper El Universo says relatives and friends of Manuel Velazquez were in regular contact with him after the magnitude 7.8 quake on April 16, and had taken him food. They say his house in the town of Jaramijo was damaged, but he wasn't trapped.

Neighbor Alexandra Zambrano told the newspaper that Venezuelan rescuers took Velasquez to a clinic on Friday. Brother Crisobal Velazquez says the man suffers from diabetes and a clinic nurse said he received kidney treatment.

This April 25, 2016 photo shows a sign that reads in Spanish; "We need help because we were affected by the earthquake, we need food and medicine," on the side of a highway outside Pedernales, Ecuador. More than a dozen roads were closed due to damage from th April 16, 7.8-magnitude earthquake, making it harder for rescuers to reach where they were needed most. (AP Photo/Rodrigo Abd)
Egypt police block labor day assembly, workers urge freedoms

CAIRO (AP)  Egyptian police prevented hundreds of workers from holding a meeting in Cairo to commemorate International Workers' Day on Sunday, while independent trade union leaders urged the government to allow them freedom of assembly.

Kamal Abbas, of the Center for Trade Unions and Workers' Services, said some 650 workers came to the city center and initially sought an alternate location to hold a news conference after police prevented them from entering the journalists' syndicate building.

The area was under lockdown by dozens of uniformed and plainclothes security forces, some wearing facemasks and carrying automatic weapons. A smaller group of workers later convened at Abbas' organization's headquarters and spoke out against what they described as government suppression of their constitutional rights.

The journalists' syndicate has been a rallying point for demonstrations in the past, and was blocked in a similar way ahead of planned anti-government protests last Monday.

After nightfall, police stormed the building and arrested two Egyptian journalists, Amr Badr and Mahmoud el-Sakka, who had been inside, syndicate leaders posted on social media. The two were posting on social media and had appeared in a photo circulating online holding a banner that read, "journalism is not a crime," after they said police raided their homes.

Senior syndicate leader Khaled el-Belshy called for a "swift response by the journalistic community" for what he described on Facebook as a "brutal and unprecedented aggression" since the institution's founding in 1941.

New York-based Human Rights Watch urged the government to legalize independent trade unions and end a decades-old system that enshrines a single official union.

"Egypt's government is ignoring the basic right of workers to organize independently," said Nadim Houry, deputy Middle East and North Africa director at Human Rights Watch. "The government seems intent on stifling the freedom Egypt's labor movement only gained after years of struggle that culminated in the 2011 uprising."

Worker movements were among the early supporters of the 2011 revolt that ousted longtime autocrat Hosni Mubarak, ushering in years of tumult as the country was ruled by the military, elected but divisive Islamist Mohammed Morsi, and eventually President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi.

Under Mubarak, the syndicate building was one of the few places demonstrators could gather to voice grievances, as long as they stayed on the building steps or the area directly in front of it.

That changed under el-Sissi, the general who ousted Morsi in 2013. Protests now are effectively banned and activists from a wide spectrum  Islamists to secularists and liberals  are labeled terrorists and enemies of the state.

The journalists' syndicate building drew particular attention because it was from there that some 2,000 demonstrators gathered last month to protest el-Sissi's decision to hand over two Red Sea islands to Saudi Arabia. Police fired tear gas and arrested dozens to break up the protests, the first significant wave of street demonstrations since the former army chief became president in 2014.

A second round of mass demonstrations over the issue planned for Monday were stifled by a massive security presence, with hundreds of arrests and only small flash mobs managing to assemble, drawing tear gas and birdshot from the riot police.

Spokesmen for the Interior Ministry, which is in charge of police, as well as the presidency's office did not respond to repeated telephone calls throughout the day seeking comment. Sunday coincides with Egypt's Orthodox Easter as well as a long holiday weekend celebrating the beginning of spring.

Government social media accounts and that of national carrier EgyptAir posted notes in commemoration of Labor Day, with the Foreign Ministry applauding Egyptian workers for their skill and "capacity for production." The official Facebook page of the armed forces posted an image showing industrial cogs to mark the day.

Last month, the International Labor Organization urged Egypt to respect international labor conventions on freedom of association that it has ratified. In its April 8 statement, the ILO also demanded the repeal of measures that prevent unions from publishing official documents and prohibit collective bargaining, exposing union leaders to the risk of dismissal and arrest.

Egypt's independent trade unions were a focus of the doctoral thesis of an Italian student who was tortured and killed after he disappeared earlier this year on a day when police were out in force to prevent protests, fueling speculation they were behind his abduction and death. Italy has withdrawn its ambassador from Cairo to protest what it described as a lack of cooperation in the investigation, while Egypt denies security forces were involved.

Also on Sunday, a political party founded by opposition leader Hamdeen Sabahi, the only candidate who ran against el-Sissi in the 2014 presidential election, issued a statement condemning the police blockade of the syndicate building and urging independent unions be allowed to organize freely.

The Karama, or Dignity, party, which itself had been surrounded by armed security forces last Monday, said "It is a pity that Egypt's workers are prevented on their day to express demands and their rights."

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Police: Well-known Florida couple die in murder-suicide

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP)  Police say a well-known St. Petersburg couple has died in their home in a murder-suicide.

The Tampa Bay Times reports (http://bit.ly/1r8VW21 ) that the bodies of former St. Petersburg police officer Gerard Joseph Stempinski and his wife, Marie Stempinski, were discovered Friday night.

Police say 69-year-old Gerard Stempinski shot his wife then took his own life.

Gerard worked for 25 years as a police officer and detective before becoming a financial adviser. Marie, who was 72, was president of a communications firm and a frequent columnist for the Times.
Appeals ruling clears way for Bowe Bergdahl case to resume

An appeals court has cleared the way for U.S. Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl's legal case to resume, rejecting prosecutors' arguments that defense attorneys were given too much leeway on accessing classified documents.

The United States Army Court of Criminal Appeals denied prosecutors' appeal in a ruling released late Saturday by defense attorneys. The court also lifted a stay from February on pretrial proceedings being heard at Fort Bragg in North Carolina.

Bergdahl faces charges of desertion and misbehavior before the enemy after he walked off an outpost in Afghanistan in 2009 and was held by the Taliban and its allies for five years. The latter charge is relatively rare and carries a punishment of up to life in prison.

Prosecutors had argued the military judge erred in a decision that "directs the unauthorized disclosure of classified information and grants the defense unfettered access to classified information," according to court documents.

In an opinion dated Thursday, the three-judge appeals panel wrote that it disagreed with prosecutors' interpretation.

The judge overseeing Bergdahl's military trial, Army Col. Jeffery Nance, had ordered prosecutors in February to turn over many of the classified documents they had gathered, subject to certain rules. His order had also allowed defense attorneys to obtain other classified information without taking steps that prosecutors said were necessary.

Prosecutors argued that, in either instance, another layer of approval was needed.

Defense attorneys argued that Nance's order was sound and that existing rules already require them to notify the judge and prosecutors if they intend to disclose any classified information during the case. They wrote that prosecutors were trying to make them follow an "endlessly inefficient" process that "would overwhelm these most senior members of our government by requiring their personal decision on every one of hundreds of thousands of documents."

Army spokesman Paul Boyce said in an email Sunday that Army officials are working on scheduling Bergdahl's case. He didn't answer a question about whether prosecutors would file another appeal.

Bergdahl's military trial was tentatively scheduled to start in August, but pretrial proceedings were halted while the appeals court considered the classified documents dispute.

He was arraigned in December but has yet to enter a plea.
Cornatzer at Sanford

Dr. William Cornatzer has joined Sanford Health in Bismarck at the Sanford Seventh & Thayer Clinic.

A North Dakota native, he has been a dermatologist in the region for 31 years.

Cornatzer graduated from the University of North Dakota School of Medicine and completed his residency in dermatology at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis. He is board certified in dermatology by the American Academy of Dermatology.

Volume leader

Kirstin Wilhelm was the top agent for March at the Bismarck office of Keller Williams Roers Realty Bismarck/Fargo, leading in closed, listing and written volumes.

Three re-elected

Laurie Swank was re-elected to the credit committee and Tom Wirtz and Addison Fry were re-elected to the board of directors at Railway Credit Unions 62nd annual meeting last month in Mandan. They will serve three-year terms.

Closings leaders

Shirley Thomas and Judy Maslowski were named Bianco Realtys Realtors of the month for having the most closed sales for March.

Wilhelm hired

Chance Wilhelm has been hired by Basin Electric Power Cooperative as a laborer at its Antelope Valley Station in Beulah.

Wilhelm, a native of Beulah, was previously a laborer for Dakota Westmoreland in Beulah.

Andre recognized

Teresa Andre, who works at the Baptist Home, Bismarck, has received a 2016 Caregiver Award from the North Dakota Long Term Care Association. The award recognizes staff for enhancing the quality of life for long-term-care residents.

Andre began her career at the Baptist Home in 1981 and returned in 2006.

Senechal a rep

Mike Senechal, Bismarck, has been named a representative with Securian Financial Advisors of N.D. Inc., 4431 Memorial Highway, Mandan.

He is also a registered representative and investment adviser representative with Securian Financial Services Inc.

A Bismarck native and graduate of the University of Minnesota, Senechal previously was a trust officer with American Trust Center.

Simek with Starion

Beth Simek has been hired as a private banker at the downtown Bismarck location of Starion Financial, which has expanded its private banking department.

Simek has bachelors and masters degrees in business administration from North Dakota State University and several years of banking and investment experience.
Malia Obama will follow in the footsteps of her parents by attending Harvard University.

The White House confirmed on Sunday that the President's eldest daughter will take a gap year after graduating from high school in June.

She will then begin her studies at the prestigious institution in Massachusetts in 2017, joining the Class of 2021.

'The president and Mrs. Obama announced today that their daughter Malia will attend Harvard University in the fall of 2017 as a member of the Class of 2021,' said a short statement issued Sunday by first lady Michelle Obama's office. 'Malia will take a gap year before beginning school.'

The White House confirmed the story after student newspaper The Tab posted a picture of Malia wearing a Harvard t-shirt.

It follows months of speculation on whether she would end up at an Ivy League or pursue film at New York University.

She has been spotted at campuses around the country and was even snapped at a party at Brown University.

Confirmed: Malia Obama will take a gap year after graduating from high school, but will then go to Harvard. The White House she would be heading to the prestigious college after she was pictured in a Harvard t-shirt

President Barack Obama jokes with his daughter Malia Obama as they walk to board Air Force One from the Marine One helicopter on April 7

During his final White House Correspondents' Dinner speech, the President joked about his relationship with Malia.

He said: 'A lot of folks have been surprised by the Bernie phenomenon. One young person said to me recently that she was tired of politicians standing in the way of their dreams ... as if we were going to let Malia go to Burning Man this year.'

Harvard College, where Malia would enroll, encourages admitted students to defer for one year to travel, pursue a special project or activity, work, or spend time in another meaningful way.

The student must not enroll in a program at another college that would grant them a degree.

Malia, the eldest of the Obamas' two daughters, is a 17-year-old senior at Sidwell Friends, an exclusive private school in the District of Columbia that helped educate another first daughter, Chelsea Clinton, in the 1990s.

Malia's younger sister, Sasha, 14, is a freshman at Sidwell. Malia is set to graduate high school in June. She turns 18 on the Fourth of July.

Obama has spoken publicly about dreading the day when Malia leaves for college, and the decision for Malia to take a gap year could keep her closer to home as her family prepares for another major transition next year, leaving the White House and returning to normal life.

The president has admitted on a couple of occasions that he is not ready for his daughters to leave the White House, even though he acknowledges Malia is more than ready to go

THE CHOICES OF THE FIRST CHILDREN: WHERE THE OTHER PRESIDENTS' KIDS WENT TO SCHOOL Malia Obama - Harvard University - Class of 2021 (Barack Obama) Chelsea Clinton - Stanford University - Class of 2001 (Bill Clinton) Barbara Pierce Bush - Yale University - Class of 2004 (George W. Bush) Jenna Bush Hager - University of Texas at Austin - Class of 2004 (George W. Bush) Amy Carter - Brown University - Class of 1988, did not graduate. Graduated with a bachelor of fine arts from the Memphis College of Art in 1992 and earned a master's in art history from Tulane University. (Jimmy Carter) John F. Kennedy Jr - Brown University - Class of 1983. He graduated with a law degree from NYU School of Law in 1989, though he failed the bar exam twice, before passing on his third try- (John F. Kennedy) Caroline Kennedy - Radcliffe College at Harvard University - Class of 1980 Earned a law degree from Columbia Law School in 1988 (John F. Kennedy) Julie Nixon Eisenhower - Smith College - Class of 1970 (Richard Nixon. She married David Eisenhower, grandson of President Dwight D. Eisenhower) Tricia Nixon Cox - Boston College - 1968 (Richard Nixon) Luci Baines Johnson - Georgetown University School of Nursing and Health Studies - Class of 1966. Did not graduate as the school prohibited married students. (Lyndon Johnson) Lynda Bird Johnson Robb - University of Texas at Austin - Class of 1966 (Lyndon Johnson)

Obama plans to live in Washington for a few more years so Sasha can finish high school. He still owns a home in Chicago.

The first lady has said Malia wants to be a filmmaker. Malia spent last summer in New York City interning on the set of HBO's 'Girls,' starring Lena Dunham.

She spent the summer of 2014 in California working as a production assistant on 'Extant,' a now-canceled CBS sci-fi drama that starred Halle Berry. Malia has also had internships at the Smithsonian's National Zoo in Washington.

The president turned down an invitation to speak at Malia's Sidwell graduation because he will be too emotional.

'I'm going to be sitting there with dark glass, sobbing,' he told Ellen DeGeneres during an appearance on her talk show.

Obama grew up without his father, who was born in Kenya and is now deceased, and has spoken of his desire to be there for his kids.

The bond between Obama and his children was readily apparent, as he often was seen holding hands with either daughter getting on or off the presidential aircraft or on the family's walks through Lafayette Park to attend services at St. John's Episcopal Church.

Malia joined her father earlier this month on a three-day trip that started at the University of Chicago Law School, where he once taught constitutional law, to discuss his stalled nomination of Judge Merrick Garland to the U.S. Supreme Court.

From Chicago, they flew to Los Angeles and San Francisco, where the president attended fundraisers and played golf.

'Both of my daughters are wonderful people. Malia's more than ready to leave but I'm not ready for her to leave,' Obama told DeGeneres.

'She's one of my best friends. It's going to be hard for me not to have her around all the time, but she's ready to go. She's just a really smart, capable person and she's ready to make her own way.'

Malia visited at least a dozen public and private colleges during her search, mostly on the East Coast. Six of the eight Ivies were among them, including her parents' alma maters.

Obama graduated from Columbia University and Michelle graduated from Princeton (pictured) two years later. Both would go on to attend Harvard Law

President Obama graduated from Harvard's Law School in 1991. He was named head of the Harvard Law Review in 1990

The president is a 1983 graduate of Columbia University, and Mrs. Obama graduated from Princeton in 1985.

The president and first lady earned law degrees at Harvard.

He entered Harvard Law School in the fall of 1988 and was there for two years.

Michelle Robinson, as she was then known, went on to earn her Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree from Harvard Law School in 1988.

Malia also checked out the University of California, Berkeley; Stanford; New York University; the University of Pennsylvania; Barnard; Tufts; Brown; Yale and Wesleyan.

Malia was recentlyspotted touring six of the eight ivies, including Columbia, Princeton, Yale, the University of Pennsylvania and Brown (pictured) in addition to Harvard

Brown classmates posted multiple pictures of Malia on campus, including one that seemed to show her next to a table arranged for a game of beer pong

Many speculated that Malia would attend NYU, where she was spotted visiting with her mother last year

Malia was publicly expressed her interest in the film industry and has spent her last two summers interning for television shows. It was believed Malia might end up at the university's prestigious Tisch School of the Arts

She appears to have disregarded her parents' advice.

The president and first lady have said college-bound students shouldn't limit themselves to just a handful of elite schools.

'The one thing I've been telling my daughters is that I don't want them to choose a name,' Mrs. Obama said in a recent interview with Seventeen magazine. 'I don't want them to think, 'Oh I should go to these top schools.' We live in a country where there are thousands of amazing universities. So, the question is: What's going to work for you?'

Malia sparked speculation about her choice on Saturday night when she sported a Havard, Class of 2020, t-shirt while posing with her friends at the elite school

A source told student-run newspaper The Tab, who first published the picture, hat the picture was posted on Facebook by one of Malia's classmates.

Both the president and First Lady have said in the past that they advised their daughter not to worry about attending the school with the most prestigious name.

'One piece of advice that I've given her is not to stress too much about having to get into one particular college,' Obama told a group of high school students in Iowa in September.

'Just because it's not some name-brand, famous, fancy school doesn't mean that you're not going to get a great education there.'

Michelle told PEOPLE magazine in April that she didn't want her daughters to 'choose a name'.
Synthetic narcotics spark new look at drugged- driving laws

MINEOLA, N.Y. (AP)  Eighteen-year-old Kristian Roggio was riding in a friend's car when another driver careened across a Brooklyn street, colliding head-on and killing her. That driver had inhaled aerosol dust cleaner moments before to get high, and prosecutors say he was impaired enough to be charged with vehicular manslaughter.

But New York's top court threw out the case, ruling the chemical composition of the dust cleaner wasn't on the state's list of banned substances  a requirement under the law  and that he couldn't be charged under a statute meant for drunken driving.

That ruling nine years ago highlights a loophole that still exists in New York and a dozen other states which base intoxicated driving  not on a police officer's observation of impairment  but on a specific list of banned substances 34 pages long.

In this April 25, 2016 photo, Maureen McCormick, left, chief of vehicular crimes at the Nassau County district attorney's office and Nassau County District Attorney Madeline Singas speak about the rise in synthetic drugs and its impact on drugged driving during an interview in Mineola, N.Y. As synthetic drugs become more popular, prosecutors in New York and a dozen other states are finding themselves stymied by a law that allows them to charge drivers with drugged-driving only if they're under the influence of something on an official list of banned substances. (AP Photo/Michael Balsamo)

Such laws were intended to give a scientific basis to drugged-driving charges. But some law enforcement officials say they have failed to keep up with the boom in designer drugs  such as synthetic marijuana, known as K-2  and homemade concoctions that are chemically distinct from traditional narcotics, which is leading them to push for a change in New York's law. They say that even though laws have been passed making it unlawful to sell or possess synthetic drugs, drugged driving laws haven't caught up with the rise in those narcotics.

"If we can't define the chemical and it's not on the list, we can't prosecute you," said Nassau County District Attorney Madeline Singas. "It is really frustrating for us in law enforcement especially as these chemical drugs become more and more popular with our kids. We're basically fighting drugged driving with one hand tied behind our back."

Experts say synthetic and homemade drugs impair a user's cognitive and motor skills just like their recognized illegal counterparts. And although state banned lists are occasionally updated, that's not happening fast enough to keep up with the black-market chemists who are continually making slight changes in their compounds to stay one step ahead of the law.

"Every kid with access to the Internet has access to unregulated designer synthetic drugs that are largely unknown to law enforcement," said Brendan Ahern, a New York attorney and former vehicular crimes prosecutor who has trained police officers and prosecutors on drugged driving. "There are certainly cases that are occurring routinely with drugs that law enforcement has the inability to detect."

In 2012, in Long Island's Nassau County, officers stopped an erratic driver who admitted she snorted a bath salt known as "Disco Powder." Police found traces of the drug in her car, but prosecutors couldn't charge her with intoxicated driving because the drug, which was made to mimic an outlawed stimulant, was just different enough chemically to escape legal scrutiny.

"Literally that's all it took," Singas said. "It was to just change the composition."

It's not just designer drugs. Some prescription drugs can also escape scrutiny.

In June 2014, a woman who crashed into a parked car in Suffolk County was arrested after telling police she had taken antidepressant and seizure medication before the crash. The officer, who said the woman was stumbling, had slurred speech and failed a field sobriety test, arrested her on a drugged-driving charge. But a judge dismissed the charges against her last year after finding that the prescription pills weren't on the banned list.

Thirteen states in the U.S., including Minnesota, Arkansas, Massachusetts and Ohio, rely, at least partially, on a list of specifically banned substances. Thirty-seven states, and Washington, D.C., have more expansive definitions of the word "drug." Legislation is pending in New York to align its law with other states that rely on an officer's observation of a driver's condition or have broader definitions. California's law, for example, allows for an intoxication charge if a driver uses any drug that causes impairment.

Peter Gerstenzang, an attorney from Albany who specializes in DWI defense, questioned whether such a broadening of the law was a good idea.

"The specificity of it was designed so that you didn't get a situation where somebody had some kind of reaction to a non-listed substance that affected their driving," Gerstenzang said. "You could have a reaction to aspirin, to Advil. It depends on the physiology of the individual."

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Follow Michael Balsamo on Twitter at http://twitter.com/MikeBalsamo1.

FILE - This Aug. 7, 2015, file photo provided by the New York Police Department shows packets of synthetic marijuana, known as K-2, on display in New York after they were seized in Brooklyn. As synthetic drugs become more popular, prosecutors in New York and a dozen other states are finding themselves stymied by a law that allows them to charge drivers with drugged-driving only if they're under the influence of something on an official list of banned substances. Prosecutors say the problem is that synthetic drug manufacturers are changing the composition of their drugs before the law can catch up. (New York Police Department via File)
Funeral for ex-Patriot Ron Brace scheduled for Monday

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (AP)  Former New England Patriots defensive lineman Ron Brace is being laid to rest in his home town.

A celebration of his life will be held at St. John's Congregational Church in Springfield, Massachusetts, on Monday morning followed by a noontime funeral service. Burial will follow at Oak Grove Cemetery.

Brace died at his family's home April 24. He was 29.

Police say his death was not suspicious and appears to be have been caused by a medical condition.

Brace grew up in Springfield and attended Burncoat High School in Worcester, Massachusetts. After a standout career at Boston College, he was drafted by the Patriots in the second round of the 2009 draft and played four years with the team.
The Latest: Clinton: Don't let progress fall to Trump

WASHINGTON (AP)  The Latest on the 2016 presidential campaign ahead of Tuesday's high-stakes Indiana primary (all times Eastern Daylight Time):

9:30 p.m.

Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton is appealing to African-American voters to prevent the progress achieved under Barack Obama's presidency from being "torn away" if her Republican counterpart is elected to the White House.

Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton speaks at the NAACP's 61st annual Fight for Freedom Fund dinner in Detroit, Sunday, May 1, 2016. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)

Speaking to thousands at an NAACP dinner in Detroit on Sunday, Clinton pointed to Donald Trump's "insidious" role in the birther movement that questioned Obama's citizenship and his refusal to immediately denounce white supremacist David Duke.

Clinton says "we cannot let Barack Obama's legacy fall into Donald Trump's hands."

The former secretary of state, senator and first lady says "let's not endanger the promise, the potential, the dream of our country by giving in to these voices of hatred."

Clinton says bringing the country together is more urgent than ever with Obama's presidency ending.

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5:20 p.m.

Republican front-runner Donald Trump is urging his party to unite behind his candidacy  not that it will make a difference to his nomination, he says.

Trump tells a crowd in Fort Wayne, Indiana: "I don't think it matters, but it would be nice to have the Republican Party come together.

He adds: "With that being said, I think I'll win anyway."

Trump is campaigning across Indiana, which holds its primary on Tuesday.

If Trump wins, he'll cement his commanding lead and inch ever-closer to clinching the Republican nomination ahead of this summer's convention.

Rivals Ted Cruz and John Kasich remain in the race and are hoping to force a contested convention by denying Trump a majority of delegates.

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3:31 p.m.

Bernie Sanders is acknowledging that his path to the nomination depends on flipping superdelegates, the party insiders who can back either candidate and are overwhelmingly behind rival Hillary Clinton.

It's a surprising admission by the Democratic presidential candidate, who formally joined the party a year ago.

He's calling on superdelegates to cast their votes "in line with the people of their states." But he's also noting that even if superdelegates from states Sanders won flipped to his side, he'd still face narrow path to the nomination.

Clinton is still 91 percent of the way to the nomination, according to the Associated Press. She is 218 delegates away from winning the 2,383 need to clinch the nomination.

"We have an uphill climb no question about it," he says.

Sanders spoke at a news conference in Washington before heading to campaign events in Indiana.

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2:19 p.m.

Former President Bill Clinton drew boos and shouts from the crowd as he made a campaign stop in Logan, West Virginia, on his wife's behalf, ahead of the state's May 10 presidential primary.

Supporters of Democrat Bernie Sanders and Republican candidate Donald Trump gathered outside the school as Clinton spoke Sunday. According to WVNS-TV, a letter written on behalf of Logan officials told U.S. Sen. Joe Manchin's staff in an email that Bill and Hillary Clinton "are simply not welcome in our town."

Hillary Clinton, who planned to campaign in Williamson on Monday, has been criticized for comments that her policies would put coal miners and companies out of business. Clinton said later she was mistaken and that she's committed to coalfield communities.

Bill Clinton planned to attend a rally later in Charleston.

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1:59 p.m.

Donald Trump is saying that, if he becomes the GOP presidential nominee, he'll raise money for Republican Senate candidates.

He said Sunday in Indiana that competing against republican rivals is "wasting time" he could be spending raising campaign cash.

Trump has frequently boasted that his presidential campaign is self-funded. While Trump has not held traditional fundraisers and lacks a financial team to solicit checks, his campaign website features a large, red "donate" button.

He has raised more than $9.5 million, according to federal records.

A senior aide, Paul Manafort said on CBS's "Face the Nation" Sunday that the Trump campaign has meetings this week about working "with leaders of the Republican Party and various committees to help raise money for them."

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1:16 p.m.

Donald Trump says Republicans, "have fallen out of love" with his main GOP rival, Ted Cruz.

The GOP front-runner spoke in the closing days of the Indiana primary in an effort to cement his hold on the Republican presidential nomination.

Cruz, who is trailing Trump badly in delegates, has placed a strong emphasis on Indiana and a loss here in Tuesday's primary could be crippling toward his campaign. Trump taunted that Cruz was "way down in the polls."

The rally in Terre Haute, the first of four scheduled for Indiana over the next two days, puts Trump in a bellwether county that has voted for the winning candidate in the general presidential election 30 out of 32 times since 1888.

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11:06 a.m.

Donald Trump's top adviser says the GOP front-runner is willing to help House and Senate Republicans raise money to maintain their congressional majorities.

Paul Manafort said on CBS's "Face the Nation" Sunday that Trump "has indicated that he is going to work with leaders of the Republican Party and various committees to help raise money for them."

Trump has recently picked up support from some members of Congress, including Sen. Jeff Sessions of Alabama and two House committee chairmen. But it's not clear that the GOP campaign committees or other lawmakers want Trump's help. After Trump said Hillary Clinton's main qualification for the presidency is her gender, New Hampshire Sen. Kelly Ayotte, who is in a tough re-election battle, said Friday that women leaders expect to be "judged just on our qualifications and merit."

Also on CBS, Sen. Lindsey Graham, who supports Trump rival Ted Cruz, urged Republicans to stay far from any association with Trump because, Graham said, Trump is not a conservative.

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10:30 a.m.

Bernie Sanders has brought in about $26 million in April in his primary challenge to Hillary Clinton, marking one year on Sunday in his insurgent bid for the Democratic nomination.

Sanders' fundraising total for the month was a steep decline from the $46 million he raised in March, raising questions about whether he can sustain his powerful online money machine as his path to the nomination has substantially narrowed against Clinton.

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9:52 a.m.

Look out for Bernie Sanders to help front-runner Donald Trump compete against Democrat Hillary Clinton.

Not purposely, of course. But the Republican front-runner says that he'll use Sanders' sound bite calling Clinton unqualified later in the campaign. Trump didn't mention that Sanders has since retreated from his own comment and said that Clinton, a lawyer, former senator and onetime secretary of state, is intelligent and experienced.

On "Fox News Sunday," Trump said Sanders' comments back up his own charge that Clinton is only a viable candidate because she's a woman.

He spoke ahead of Tuesday's Indiana primary, with 57 GOP delegates at stake. Trump, Clinton, Sanders and GOP rival Ted Cruz have events in the state Sunday. Clinton also is delivering a speech to the NAACP in Detroit.

Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton speaks at the NAACP's 61st annual Fight for Freedom Fund dinner in Detroit, Sunday, May 1, 2016. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)

Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump speaks during a campaign rally at the Indiana Theater, Sunday, May 1, 2016, in Terre Haute, Ind. (AP Photo/Seth Perlman)

Democratic presidential candidate, Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt. listens during a news conference in Washington, Sunday, May 1, 2016. (AP Photo/Cliff Owen)

Former President Bill Clinton spoke Saturday, April 30, 2016, at the McMillen Park Community Building in Fort Wayne, Ind., in support of his wife, Hillary Clinton, running for President. (Cathie Rowand/The Journal-Gazette via AP)
New tests lead to Phoenix freeway shooting case's undoing

PHOENIX (AP)  Leslie Merritt Jr. sat in a police interrogation room, unaware of why he had just been swarmed by SWAT officers and whisked away in handcuffs.

"Why do you think you would be here?" the detective asked.

"I have no idea, man. Traffic ticket or something," Merritt replied.

FILE - In this Sept. 11, 2015 file photo, a sign displays a shooter tip line above Interstate 10 in Phoenix. After weeks of random shootings on Phoenix freeways that rattled residents, police believed they had their man when they arrested Leslie Merritt Jr. Seven months later the entire case fell apart, leading to his release, the dismissal of charges and allegations of a botched investigation. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin, File)

Not even close.

After weeks of random shootings on Phoenix freeways that rattled residents, police believed they had their man.

The interrogation went on for more than two hours, culminating with the detective telling him that ballistics experts had matched his handgun to four of the 11 shootings and they had him on video pulling the trigger. The latter was a lie. The former would eventually be the undoing of it all.

Seven months after Merritt's arrest, the entire case fell apart, leading to his release, the dismissal of charges, allegations of a botched investigation and a gunman authorities dubbed a domestic terrorist possibly still on the loose.

Police believe the shootings began Aug. 27 and continued until Sept. 10. Investigators determined eight of the incidents were bullet strikes while the remaining three were some other projectiles. They also believed that while they had a serial shooter on the loose, some of the crimes were likely copycats.

Miraculously, no one was seriously injured.

Charter bus driver Robert McDonald first thought he hit something while on Interstate 10 on Aug. 29. But when McDonald stopped his empty bus, he was shocked to see what appeared to be a bullet hole.

Police arrived 20 minutes later.

"It hadn't really hit me that somebody took a shot at me," said McDonald, who still has trouble sleeping.

Before Merritt's capture, authorities faced mounting pressure to solve the case. They flooded the highways with patrol cars. They monitored freeway cameras. And signs posted over roadways offered drivers a tip line to call in suspicious activity.

Then came a break in the case. It was the morning of Sept. 11, a day after the last shooting. Cops had a lead. They swooped in with guns drawn and arrested a 19-year-old man they called a person of interest.

"It was good police work," Arizona Department of Public Safety spokesman Bart Graves said at the time.

The man was released a week later. No connection.

The investigation continued with a renewed sense of urgency.

Experts examined bullets retrieved from the crime scenes until they say they determined the exact type of weapon used in the shootings. Detectives fanned out to pawn shops, hoping for a lucky break, retrieving every one of those guns and running tests until the DPS crime lab found a match. It was Sept. 17. The firearm was traced back to Merritt.

He was arrested a day later.

"I was convinced that Leslie Merritt was the guy," McDonald said. "I was, like everybody else, sure. Ballistics doesn't lie."

That, in fact, would soon be put to the test as the gun became the lynchpin of the case.

Merritt was only charged with the first four shootings. The rest remain unsolved. But the tip line signs came down.

As the case weaved through the courts, Merritt languished in jail unable to come up with the money for his $1 million bond or expensive attorneys. He pleaded not guilty to numerous charges, including drive-by shootings and aggravated assault.

That's when two high-profile lawyers say they saw holes in the case and stepped in to represent Merritt.

As prosecutors prepared for trial, they had their own forensics expert re-test the bullets against Merritt's gun. The results were damning  but not in the way authorities hoped.

The expert found the DPS crime lab came to a faulty conclusion, noting the bullets "could neither be excluded or identified" as having come from Merritt's gun.

Merritt's attorneys began to dig deeper. Based on measurements of the heights of vehicles that were struck and the height of Merritt's car, along with examining the trajectory of the bullets, they say it is fantasy that their client fired the shots.

"The only way Leslie Merritt could have perpetrated this shooting on I-10 ... is if he was driving down the freeway in broad daylight standing on the roof shooting downward. Impossible," defense attorney Jason Lamm said of one of the shootings.

Prosecutors also enlisted the FBI to use Merritt's cellphone to track his movements on the days of the shootings. Defense lawyers say that was strike three, indicating he was nowhere near the crime scenes.

The case went back to court and based on the evidence now being presented, the judge reduced Merritt's bond to zero, allowing for his release pending trial. Soon, prosecutors themselves sought a dismissal of charges without prejudice, meaning they can arrest Merritt again.

They have declined to provide explanations about the contradictory evidence and say the investigation is ongoing and Merritt isn't off the hook.

"I'm not guaranteeing that we're going to re-file charges in this case. I'm also not guaranteeing that charges would not be re-filed in this case," top prosecutor Bill Montgomery said this week.

DPS Director Frank Milstead said Friday he stands behind his crime lab's findings.

"I believe we have enough evidence to develop probable cause to believe that he is the correct suspect," Milstead said.

Defense attorneys remain on the attack, despite the fact that Merritt is still considered the only suspect, and he has not been vindicated.

"There was a public thirst for blood," Lamm said, "a public thirst for accountability, and that thirst was quenched by the arrest of Leslie Merritt Jr."

FILE - In this Sept. 19, 2015 file photo, Leslie Allen Merritt Jr., enters a hearing room at the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office in Phoenix. After weeks of random shootings on Phoenix freeways that rattled residents, police believed they had their man when they arrested Merritt. Seven months later the entire case fell apart, leading to his release, the dismissal of charges and allegations of a botched investigation. (Rob Schumacher/The Arizona Republic via AP, Pool, File)
Poland blocks entry to 7 bikers with pro-Kremlin group

WARSAW, Poland (AP)  Polish border police say they have prevented seven members of a pro-Kremlin motorcycle club from entering Poland.

The members of the Russian Night Wolves had hoped to cross Poland as part of a ride paying homage to the Red Army soldiers who died fighting Hitler's forces.

A spokesman for the border police, Dariusz Sieniecki, said four of the bikers who were denied entry were from Slovakia, two from Germany and one from Russia.

Poland's Foreign Ministry said last week it would ban them for security reasons.

It is Poland's second such ban on the nationalistic Night Wolves club after a similar ban in 2015.
2 NY brothers who served in Afghanistan awarded Bronze Stars

NEW YORK (AP)  Two brothers from suburban New York City have each been awarded a Bronze Star for their service in Afghanistan.

The Journal News (http://lohud.us/1NM1Hx4 ) reports Sunday that Staff Sgt. Richard Pisano Jr. and 1st Lt. Nick Pisano were awarded the honor in March.

The paper says the brothers were assigned to the same Army division by chance, even spending a Christmas together in a mortar pit at Kandahar Airfield.

Twenty-four-year-old Nick Pisano didn't describe the circumstances surrounding his award.

But 44-year-old Richard tells the newspaper his was for certain acts defending the airfield over the course of nine months.

The two returned home last month.

Their mother, Kathy Pisano, says their coming home ceremony at Fort Drum took her breath away.

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Information from: The Journal News, http://www.lohud.com

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Kurdish group claims attack in Turkish city of Bursa

ISTANBUL (AP)  A Kurdish militant group claimed responsibility Sunday for a suicide attack in the Turkish city of Bursa that wounded 13 people last month.

The Kurdistan Freedom Falcons, also known as TAK, issued a statement identifying the bomber as Eser Cali. The female attacker blew herself up near an Ottoman-era mosque in Bursa's historic district on Wednesday.

The 23-year-old Cali was from Igdir in eastern Turkey. TAK, which is considered by authorities as an offshoot of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party, said she blew herself up before reaching the intended target.

TAK has also claimed responsible for two other suicide bombings, one in February and the other in March, which killed a total of 66 people in the capital, Ankara.

The group says such attacks are reprisal for stepped up security operations in predominantly Kurdish areas of the southeast. A decades-old conflict between Kurdish militants and the Turkish state re-ignited last summer.

Turkey is struggling against an array of security threats, including growing blowback from the conflict in Syria.

The country has endured six major bombings since July 2015. The Islamic State group, which has a presence in neighbouring Syria and Iraq plus cells in Turkey, was behind four such attacks, according to the authorities.

On Sunday, a car bombing killed two police officers and wounded 22 other people in the southern city of Gaziantep, near Syria.
Above-average fire year ahead in Hawaii, Alaska, Southwest

Hawaii, Alaska and the Southwest face an above-average threat of wildfires this summer, but most of the country should see normal or below-normal problems, forecasters said Sunday.

The National Interagency Fire Center's outlook for the spring and summer shows the potential for significant fires will be below average for much of Texas, the South and the southern Midwest. But some regions will face active fire seasons.

Here's a look at specific areas with increased danger this season:

FILE--In this July 28, 2015 file photo, Department of Forestry firefighters prepare for work at the Cable Crossing Fire near Glide, Ore. The National Interagency Coordinating Center is releasing its report on the outlook for the 2016 summer wildfire season nationwide. (Michael Sullivan/The News-Review via AP, file) MANDATORY CREDIT

HAWAII

Hawaii could face a long, dry summer, with above-average wildfire potential from May through August after a drought intensified last month, the fire center said.

The islands are entering a typically dry time of year, so the drought will likely persist or even get worse, even with normal precipitation, the outlook said.

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SOUTHWEST

An increased threat of wildfires is expected in southern Arizona in May, expanding into southwestern New Mexico and southern Nevada and Utah in June.

By July and August, conditions will improve in Arizona and New Mexico, but a strip near the California coast from the San Francisco Bay to the Mexican border could see above-normal chances of fire.

California is vulnerable because much of the state remains in a drought, despite an El Nino weather system that brought near-average snow and rain to the northern half of the state and its northern mountains.

Northwestern Nevada and southeastern Idaho could also see fire-prone conditions later in the summer.

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ALASKA

South-central Alaska will vulnerable in May after scant snow fell over the winter.

Conditions should improve by June, forecasters said, and wildfire potential is expected to be normal across Alaska for the rest of the summer.

Last year, fires burned nearly 8,000 square miles in Alaska, more than half the total nationwide.

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OVERALL OUTLOOK

Fire officials were not available Sunday to discuss the outlook.

But U.S. Forest Service Chief Tom Tidwell discussed it with The Associated Press on Wednesday while in Denver for a conference on forest health.

"We anticipate the severity of the fire season will not be at the same level as last year, (but) we still expect to have some areas that will be really active," Tidwell said.

"We're ready for it," he added.

The improved overall outlook is welcome news after the 2015 fire season, when a record 15,800 square miles burned nationwide. Alaska and the Pacific Northwest were particularly hard-hit.

The Forest Service  the nation's primary wildfire-fighting agency  spent more than $1.7 billion fighting fires last year, and Congress approved an additional $520 million for this season.

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Online: http://www.predictiveservices.nifc.gov/outlooks/monthly_seasonal_outlook.pdf

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Things to know about a gap year, when students take time off

WASHINGTON (AP)  President Barack Obama's daughter Malia is taking a year off after graduating from high school before attending Harvard University as part of an expanding program for students known as a "gap year."

Many colleges are encouraging the delayed entry to give students time to recharge after the stress of high school and build upon life or work experiences with a structured program of volunteer work, part-time employment or travel and internships in foreign countries.

Gap years have been getting increased attention in the U.S., although the percentage of students who actually end up deferring their admission for a year or two remains small. They typically come from higher-income families. Some colleges have been seeking to make gap years more accessible to lower-income families by offering financial aid packages that allow students to explore different communities rather than jump right into college.

FILE- In this April 8, 2016, file photo, President Barack Obama and his daughter Malia walk from Marine One toward Air Force One at Los Angeles International Airport. Malia is taking a year off after graduating from high school before attending Harvard University as part of an expanding program for students known as a "gap year." (AP Photo/Nick Ut, File)

Some things to know about a gap year:

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HOW IT WORKS

Not all universities allow it, and policies and programs vary. Upon receiving their admissions letter, students may request delaying their entry for a year  or in less frequent cases, two years  outlining what he or she plans to do during their time off. In Harvard admissions letters, students are actively encouraged to consider taking a gap year. Once approved, during that year a student may need to provide updates or otherwise check-in periodically to the university as a way to affirm their activities and continued interest in the university.

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INTEREST IN U.S. IS GROWING

Gap years have long been popular in Europe, and more recently have begun to gain traction in the U.S. There are no official statistics kept on participation, but the Portland, Oregon-based American Gap Association found in surveys it conducted that about 30,000 to 40,000 students each year take advantage of the program. It said in 2015, participation increased about 22 percent from the previous year. The group reports that anecdotally, interest has been growing via participation in gap year fairs that promote the programs. Still, the percentage of students who defer admissions for a year or more remains very small  generally 1 percent or less of an admitted class.

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WHAT STUDENTS TYPICALLY DO

Many students opt to spend some time abroad studying, learning foreign languages or volunteering with nonprofit groups, according to a 2015 report by the American Gap Association, which cited students' desire to experience personal growth, see the world and take a break from the traditional academic track.

Popular destinations for students according to the group were parts of Central and South America, Israel, India and Australia. But many students also reported doing volunteer or political campaign work, taking classes, traveling or doing outdoor adventures in different regions of the U.S.

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ADVANTAGES OF A GAP YEAR

Students who took a gap year typically say they entered college feeling more recharged and focused, while universities say those students often arrive on campus as better leaders  more civically engaged and motivated.

Anecdotally, "students come away much more mature and take their studies more seriously, and they are more assured of what they want to do major wise," said Jeffrey Selingo, author of the book, "There Is Life After College."

More important, Selingo said, they know what they don't want to do.

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LIMITATIONS

In part due to cost, students who take a gap year typically come from higher-income households, according to the American Gap Association. But Ethan Knight, executive director of the group, notes that some schools including Tufts University, Florida State University and the University of North Carolina have begun to offer some forms of financial aid to give cash-strapped students exposure to a broader range of experiences before college as well.

Knight also advises that a gap year isn't right for everyone.

He says a student might not be a good fit if he or she doesn't have a clear plan of learning or enrichment activities during the time off, or doesn't feel that they are academically burnt out and are looking forward to classes. "If a student really lights up at the prospect of going to college, then he or she is ready," Knight said.

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Puerto Rico won't make $370 million in debt payments Monday

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP)  Gov. Alejandro Garcia Padilla announced that Puerto Rico's government will not make nearly $370 million in bond payments due Monday after a failure to restructure or find a political solution to the U.S. territory's spiraling public debt crisis.

Garcia said Sunday that he had issued an executive order suspending payments on debt owed by the island's Government Development Bank, a default that will likely prompt lawsuits from creditors and could be a prelude to a deadline to a much larger payment due July 1.

The governor said Puerto Rico can't pay the bonds without cutting essential services.

FILE - In this Dec. 16, 2015, file photo, Puerto Rico Gov. Alejandro Javier Garcia Padilla speaks at a luncheon at the National Press Club in Washington. Garcia said on Sunday, May 1, 2016, that negotiators for the U.S. territorys government have failed to reach a last-minute deal to avoid a third default and that he has issued an executive order to withhold payment. (AP Photo/Sait Serkan Gurbuz, File)

Island officials spent the weekend trying to negotiate a settlement that would have avoided the default but apparently came up short. The development comes as Congress has so far been unable to pass a debt restructuring bill for Puerto Rico.

"Let me be very clear, this was a painful decision," Garcia said in a speech. "We would have preferred to have had a legal framework to restructure our debts in an orderly manner."

The Government Development Bank had $422 million in payments due Monday. Puerto Rico will pay $22 million interest and it reached a deal Friday to restructure about $30 million, leaving it short $370 million.

The administration also will be paying about $50 million in other debt payments due Monday owed by various other territorial agencies.

Nearly all the bonds are held by a variety of U.S. hedge funds and mutual funds.

Garcia said Puerto Rico's government could not make the payment without sacrificing basic necessities for the island's 3.5 million residents, including keeping schools and public hospitals open.

"We will continue working to try to reach a consensual solution with our creditors," he said. "That is one of our commitments. But what we will never do is put the lives and safety of our people in danger."

The governor had been warning since last year that the island's overall public debt of more than $70 billion is unpayable.

Puerto Rico has been suffering through more than a decade of economic decline since Congress phased out tax cuts that had made the island a center for pharmaceutical and medical equipment manufacturing. Garcia's predecessors and the island legislature borrowed heavily to cover over budget deficits, causing a debt spiral that has already prompted several smaller defaults.

Creditors have accused the government of exaggerating the crisis to avoid upcoming payments of more than $1 billion due July 1 that includes general obligation bonds, which are guaranteed by the constitution.

Economists have warned that a default of this magnitude could cause Puerto Rico to lose access to capital markets and make the situation worse as the government faces the much larger payment due July 1.

Garcia lashed out at Congress for failing to pass a bill that would create a control board to help manage the island's $70 billion debt and to oversee some debt restructuring. He said it has been held up by "internal partisan and ideological divisions" in the House of Representatives.

"We can't wait longer," he said. "We need this restructuring mechanism now."
LGBT rights protesters vow to keep fighting Mississippi law

JACKSON, Miss. (AP)  Hundreds of supporters of lesbian, gay bisexual and transgender rights protested Sunday against a new Mississippi law they call discriminatory, saying they're not giving up their fight.

The law, which takes effect July 1, is to allow religious groups and some private businesses to deny services to same-sex couples and transgender people.

More than 300 people marched from the state Capitol to the governor's mansion in Jackson, the capital city, bidding to keep up pressure on Gov. Phil Bryant and other Mississippi leaders who support the law.

Protestors march seeking repeal of a Mississippi law allowing religious groups and some private businesses to deny services to same-sex couples, transgender people and others. More than 300 people attended a March and rally Sunday, May 1, 2016, in Jackson, Miss. (AP Photo Jeff Amy)

"We need to show him loud and clear we're not going away," Chad Griffin, president of the Human Rights Campaign, told the crowd gathered outside the white columned-mansion.

The only signs of activity inside the mansion's wrought iron fence were a few State Capitol police officers walking around.

Bryant and other supporters have said the law reinforces the First Amendment guarantee of freedom of religion. They also said opponents are overreacting, and that Mississippi needed to take action after the Supreme Court legalized gay marriage.

The law would allow a church group to decline services including housing or adoption to gay couples. Private businesses could refuse marriage-related services such as room rentals, cakes, photography or flowers. Any employer or school could refuse to allow a transgender person to use the bathroom of their choice.

Among government employees, clerks could refuse to issue marriage licenses and judges could refuse to marry gay couples. In both cases, governments are supposed to ensure licenses and marriages are "not impeded or delayed."

No state or local laws compelling services for LGBT persons had been passed in Mississippi. The measure prohibits cities and counties from passing such ordinances.

Speakers at Sunday's rally included the leader of the Mississippi chapter of the NAACP, an executive with the state chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union, and an Episcopal priest who was a plaintiff in a successful lawsuit to abolish Mississippi's ban on same-sex couples adopting children.

Many of the speakers likened the struggle against the law to the fight against 1960s era segregation of African-Americans.

"I don't like the repeat of this movie, when a Mississippi governor decides they want to make a name for themselves by attacking the dignity of an entire group of people," said Ben Jealous, former national president of the NAACP.

Jody Owens, managing attorney for the Southern Poverty Law Center in Mississippi, encouraged people who experience discrimination to call his organization, laying possible groundwork for a lawsuit or lawsuits.

"We need to know who's been targeted and why," Owens told the crowd.

After the rally, Owens said opponents might challenge the law by arguing about the general stigma it casts on particular groups. Yet he also said more concrete examples would make for stronger legal cases.

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Online: House Bill 1523: http://bit.ly/1qo4guX

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Follow Jeff Amy at: http://twitter.com/jeffamy. Read his work at http://bigstory.ap.org/author/jeff-amy

Protestors march seeking repeal of a Mississippi law allowing religious groups and some private businesses to deny services to same-sex couples, transgender people and others. More than 300 people attended a March and rally Sunday, May 1, 2016, in Jackson, Miss. (AP Photo Jeff Amy)

Protestors march seeking repeal of a Mississippi law allowing religious groups and some private businesses to deny services to same-sex couples, transgender people and others. More than 300 people attended a March and rally Sunday, May 1, 2016, in Jackson, Miss. (AP Photo Jeff Amy)
Schumer: Probe billboards using phone data to track shoppers

NEW YORK (AP)  A U.S. senator is calling for a federal investigation into an outdoor advertising company's latest effort to target billboard ads to specific consumers.

New York Sen. Charles Schumer has dubbed Clear Channel Outdoor Americas' so-called RADAR program "spying billboards," warning the service may violate privacy rights by tracking people's cell phone data via the ad space.

"A person's cellphone should not become a James Bond-like personal tracking device for a corporation to gather information about consumers without their consent," Schumer, a Democrat, said in a statement ahead of a planned news conference Sunday in Times Square, where the company operates billboards.

Pedestrians walk through Times Square, Sunday, May 1, 2016, in New York, where Clear Channel Outdoor Americas operates some billboards. New York Sen. Charles Schumer is calling for a federal investigation into the advertising company's latest effort to target billboard ads to specific consumers with its so-called RADAR program which he calls "spying billboards," and warns that the service may violate privacy rights by tracking peoples cell phone data. (AP Photo/Kathy Willens)

But the company, which operates more than 675,000 billboards throughout the world, argues that characterization of its program is inaccurate, insisting it only uses anonymous data collected by other companies.

In a statement, company spokesman Jason King said the RADAR program is based on a years-old advertising technique that "uses only aggregated and anonymized information" from other companies that certify they're following consumer protection standards.

King also provided The Associated Press a copy of a letter it sent earlier this year to another lawmaker who has similarly raised concerns about the ad service and consumer protections.

The company "does not receive or collect personally identifiable information about consumers for use in Radar," CEO Scott Wells wrote in a March letter to Sen. Al Franken, a Minnesota Democrat. "It's not necessary for the insights we are offering our advertising customers."

The ad program is a partnership between Clear Channel and other companies, including AT&T and technology companies that collects location data from smartphone apps, company officials have said.

In a video on its website, the company says it "measures consumers' real-world travel patterns and behaviors as they move through their day, analyzing data on direction of travel, billboard viewability, and visits to specific destinations." That information, the company says, is then mapped against Clear Channel's displays, which would allow advertisers to buy ads in places that would "reach specific behavioral audience segments."

Clear Channel uses "aggregate and anonymous mobile consumer information," the company said. The program gives marketers a "solution that provides a more accurate way to understand and target specific audience segments," Clear Channel's vice president, Andy Stevens, said in a news release announcing the initiative in February.

But an investigation into the company is necessary because most people don't realize their location data is being mined, even if they agreed to it at some point by accepting the terms of service of an app that later sells their location information, Schumer said.

The Federal Trade Commission did not immediately respond requests for comment.

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Follow Michael Balsamo on Twitter at http://twitter.com/MikeBalsamo1.
LA sheriff official resigns after offensive emails revealed

LOS ANGELES (AP)  The chief of staff to Los Angeles County Sheriff Jim McDonnell stepped down days after it was revealed he forwarded emails containing jokes mocking minorities, Muslims and women when he worked for the police department in Burbank.

McDonnell said in a statement Sunday he accepted Tom Angel's resignation, calling the emails "deeply troubling." The sheriff previously said he had no immediate plans to discipline Angel.

The Los Angeles Times reported last week that Angel sent the emails between 2012 and 2013 when he was second-in-command at the Burbank Police Department. The Times obtained the emails through public records law.

One email joked about black people and Mexicans filling jail cells. Another listed "towels for hats" for why "Muslim terrorists are so quick to commit suicide." It also said, "You can't wash off the smell of donkey."

Angel told the newspaper he was sorry if he offended anyone and never intended for the emails to become public.

McDonnell said he plans to turn the controversy into a learning opportunity for all LASD personnel.

He said he would introduce random audits of department email accounts. He also said he would meet with various community groups to share ideas about deepening the department's understanding and appreciation of the "many ethnicities and religions that are part of the vibrant fabric of the population we serve."
Labour is 'united' in fighting anti-Semitism, Corbyn insists

Labour is "united" in opposing anti-Semitism, Jeremy Corbyn insisted as the row over the party's handling of controversial comments by prominent figures continued to cause serious unrest.

The Opposition leader said he and the party "stand absolutely against racism in any form" as senior allies accused internal critics of whipping up a false "crisis" to undermine his position.

"We stand united as a Labour movement recognising our faith diversity, our ethnic diversity, and from that diversity comes up strength," he declared as he addressed a May Day rally in London.

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn joins thousands of people in Clerkenwell Green, central London, to celebrate workers' achievements at a May Day rally

Mr Corbyn announced an independent review and pledged to tighten party codes of conduct in a bid to put a lid on the furore - which has seen MP Naz Shah and close ally Ken Livingstone suspended.

But he faced calls from Israeli politicians and diplomats to give a more "unequivocal" condemnation and warnings - including from the party's London mayoral candidate Sadiq Khan - that the party would be punished in the May 5 elections.

Sunday newspapers were full of speculation that MPs were coming closer to launching a challenge to his leadership - with a poor showing at the ballot box or a vote in favour of Brexit potentially sparking an internal coup.

Opponents have accused him of acting too slowly to deal with incidents - most notably Mr Livingstone's incendiary assertion, while defending Ms Shah, that Hitler was a Zionist before he "went mad and ended up killing six million Jews".

But allies launched a ferocious fightback and warned critics they had no chance of ousting the leader.

Shadow cabinet minister Diane Abbott said it was " a smear to say that the Labour Party has a problem with anti-Semitism".

Mr Livingstone's comments linking Hitler with Zionism - for which he has declined to apologise in a string of media interviews - were "extremely offensive", she told BBC1's Andrew Marr Show, but not part of any wider pattern.

"Two hundred thousand people have joined the Labour Party. Are you saying that because there have been 12 reported incidents of hate speech online, that the Labour Party is somehow intrinsically anti-Semitic?"

She said she would be "dismayed if some people were hurling around accusations of anti-Semitism as part of some intra-Labour Party dispute".

Unite union leader Len McCluskey said Mr Corbyn was the victim of "a cynical attempt to manipulate anti-Semitism for political aims" that was "got up by the right-wing press aided and abetted by Labour MPs".

"Once the mood music of anti-Semitism dies down, then next week and the week after there will be another subject," he told BBC Radio 5 Live. Pienaar's Politics.

The row had been ignited by party grandees who "get out of their wheelchair and toss a few hand grenades in", he said.

A poll carried out as the controversy unfolded gave the Conservatives an eight-point lead, and experts tip Labour to lose up to 150 council seats in England and face a hard night in elections to the Scottish and Welsh governments.

Israel's new ambassador to Britain said parts of the left were "in denial" about anti-Semitism and criticised Mr Corbyn's links to groups such as Hezbollah and Hamas.

"There has to be an unequivocal message from leadership saying that there is no solidarity with anti-Semites," Mark Regev said.

The leader of the Labour opposition party in Tel Aviv said recent events needed to act as a "red alert" that urgent action was required.

In an open letter to his UK counterpart, Israel's Labour leader Isaac Herzog invited Mr Corbyn to lead a delegation to the Yad Vashem Holocaust memorial in Israel to help "engage and better understand the scourge of anti-Semitism".
British trio knocked out in first round of Madrid Open

Johanna Konta, Heather Watson and Laura Robson were all first-round casualties at the Madrid Open on Sunday, ending British interest in the women's event.

Konta had already lost the first set against France's Caroline Garcia 6-4 and was 2-1 down in the second when the British number one was forced to retire due to what the WTA said was an " upper respiratory illness".

The Australian Open semi-finalist's withdrawal followed the exit of Watson, who failed to capitalise on her lucky loser status as she too went out in the first round.

Heather Watson is out of the Madrid Open

The 23-year-old was broken twice in each set as she went down 7-5 6-4 to Australia's world number 39 Daria Gavrilova.

Watson, the British number two, had lost to Mirjana Lucic-Baroni in the final round of qualifying but went through after Yulia Putintseva was ruled out due to illness.

Defeat was a blow for Watson, who is now set to lose the top 56 ranking she requires for Olympic qualification next week.

Robson, who used her protected ranking of 58 to enter the main draw in Madrid, was also knocked out on Sunday, going down 6-4 6-2 to world number five Victoria Azarenka.
Jeremy Corbyn announces initiative to advance workplace rights

Jeremy Corbyn announced a new body to improve workers' rights as he addressed the largest ever May Day rally in London.

The Labour leader joined hundreds of people at Clerkenwell Green in the capital to mark international workers' day - the first time the head of the party has addressed the rally in 50 years.

He told the crowds that the Government's trade union legislation would "reduce the ability" of organisations to "speak up for people during election campaigns".

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn joins thousands of people at a May Day rally in central London

Mr Corbyn announced a new commission to tackle workers' rights and zero hours contracts.

"We will be establishing, in a couple of weeks time, an organisation or a commission called 'Workplace 2020' which will be looking at the end to change or improve trade union and workers' rights, including self employed workers."

He said the initiative would "end the scandal of zero hours contracts", "end the scandal of insecurity" and "end the scandal of a lower wage for younger workers when their needs and demands are just as great as any older worker - to end their discrimination".

Mr Corbyn continued: "And to say to those fast food chains and others that think you can evade the idea that trade unions have a right to organise.

"We want there to be a positive right to join and be represented by a trade union in every workplace in our country."

Hundreds of people marched through the streets of London from Clerkenwell Green to Trafalgar Square carrying placards with slogans supporting junior doctors, human rights and calling for David Cameron to resign.

At one point the rally was stalled as it passed along the Strand where a group of protesters from the Unite union, campaigning against the Melia hotel group, set off red smoke flares.

Frances O'Grady, general secretary of the TUC, wished the crowd a happy May Day and sent a special message of solidarity to BHS workers.

She said: "We stand by you."

General secretary of the National Union of Teachers (NUT) Christine Blower addressed the rally at Trafalgar Square and said that the union would ballot for strike action before the summer holidays.

She said: "In education we are facing onslaught after onslaught of what should be a civil right and a public good. That is education.

"Instead we are facing privatisation and the destruction of a coherent service.

"But we will in the National Union of Teachers... we will say 'no' to those things and we will be balloting for national strike action before the end of this term."

Junior doctor Yannis Gourtsoyannis also spoke at Trafalgar Square and said that the NHS would be the site of the last stand against austerity.

"Social democracy in the UK began with the inception of the NHS in 1948," Dr Gourtsoyannis claimed.

"So too will the NHS be the site of Britain's last stand against the all-consuming forces for austerity and so too will the NHS be a catalyst for a wider workers' movement to defend what is good about this country. He pleaded with the rally to not let the NHS fail and to defend the BMA.

"We need you and you need us," he said.

Mr Corbyn spoke about the junior doctors' strike during his speech in Clerkenwell, where he claimed that it was "beyond disgraceful" that the Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt was "more interested" in privatising 49% of NHS services than coming to an agreement with the health workers.

He said he was "proud" to march with the junior doctors through Westminster last week with the shadow chancellor John McDonnell, who attended a May Day rally in Glasgow on Sunday.

Mr Corbyn said the London rally had a long tradition of standing up for the "timeless principle" of uniting the working class.

He called to the crowd to "work to achieve a society where there isn't the grotesque levels of inequality that there are".

The rally celebrated "what was won by workers' campaigning over many years", including the NHS, education, pensions and affordable housing, which organisers claimed were under attack by the austerity agenda.

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn condemned anti-Semitism during his speech

The Labour leader joined the crowds at Clerkenwell Green

Mr Corbyn addressed workers from the top of a red London bus

His appearance marked the first by a Labour leader at a May Day rally in 50 years

Thousands of people gathered in central London to celebrate workers' achievement

Thousands march to Trafalgar Square

Frances O'Grady, general secretary of the TUC, wished the crowd a happy May Day

Shadow chancellor John McDonnell is addressing a rally in Glasgow

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn joins thousands of people in Clerkenwell Green
Cristiano Ronaldo returns to training

Cristiano Ronaldo returned to training on Sunday following a thigh injury as he bids to prove his fitness for Real Madrid's Champions League semi-final second leg tie against Manchester City on Wednesday.

The forward limped off the field in the closing stages of the Spanish giants' 3-0 win over Villarreal on April 20 and has been absent for the following three matches, including the goalless draw against City last week.

But Real announced their captain had returned to training ahead of the return tie against Manuel Pellegrini's men at the Bernabeu.

Cristiano Ronaldo has not featured for Real Madrid since April 20

The 31-year-old trained with his team-mates for the first half of the session before working individually for the remainder.
Verizon Wireless opened its first Smart Store in the state in Bismarck last week.

The stores location near Kirkwood Mall opened and the former store at Sweet Avenue and Third Street closed.

In the new store, the showroom floor is 3,400 square feet and contains about 40 percent more merchandise.

And when customers walk in, everything is interactive, giving customers the feeling that, not only will the store supply them with electronics, employees will show them how to use the devices in their daily routine, general manager Kristi Brown said.

They can come in and immediately start using (a product), she said, pointing out speakers that customers can wirelessly connect to their own phones and play music.

The store is divided into several sections, some of which contain products not seen in other Verizon stores. Theres a smart scale which weighs you and sends the information wirelessly to your mobile device for fitness tracking. There is a lock that allows you to remotely lock your house from your phone or open and close your garage door. Theres mood lighting, controllable from your phone. And customers can try out a virtual reality headset.

In addition to the products, there are wireless workshops. Companies can choose to come in to learn how products can be used in their company - whether that be mobile fleet tracking for a trucking company or mobile grain bin monitoring for a farmer. And employees are there to teach individuals how to backup information, sync to a new device or do whatever they may need to do.

Brown said the purpose of the larger store is to bring in more wireless accessories to cater to peoples more-connected lifestyle.

The choice to open the Smart Store in Bismarck is part of the companys transitioning all corporately owned stores to smart stores. There are also corporate stores in Minot, Grand Forks and Fargo that will undergo the change.

With a larger location, the Bismarck store is currently hiring.

Law firm in new location

Robins Kaplan LLP has moved into a new, permanent location in Bismarck, 1207 W. Divide Ave., on the second floor of the Horizon Financial Bank building.

Attorney Tim Purdon said the new office opened April 13.

Purdon said having the location in town offers a base of operations for the firm's 250 lawyers nationwide, a large number of which work every day on North Dakota matters.

With the slowdown in the oil economy, Robins Kaplan's North Dakota business has picked up, settling partner disputes, handling mergers and acquisitions, conducting restructurings and more. Purdon said Robins Kaplan is one of the top litigation firms in the country and whether prices are up or down, there's plenty of opportunity.

"We've got the horsepower and resources of a national law firm," Purdon said, and he's glad to be able to connect friends and neighbors with world class legal talent, in addition to his own 15 years of litigation experience before serving in his former position as U.S. Attorney to the District of North Dakota.

For more information call 701-255-3000 or go online to http://www.robinskaplan.com/.
'Jobs, low prices and financial security at risk' if UK backs Brexit

The UK economy could face a 250 billion hit in lost trade if the country votes to leave the European Union, Remain campaigners have claimed.

The Britain Stronger in Europe analysis suggests that trade to the European Union would be 224 billion lower if there was no deal in place after a Brexit.

There would also be a 9 billion fall in trade with the wider European Economic Area and 14 billion in lost trade with countries which have deals with the EU.

Lord Darling is backing the Remain campaign

Former chancellor Lord Alistair Darling said the analysis showed that leaving "would put jobs, low prices and financial security at risk".

The figures draw on Treasury analysis of the "EU effect" on the UK, which suggests that trade with EU countries is 76% higher than it would have been outside the bloc.

For the EEA the figure is 44% higher and for countries the EU has a free-trade deal with the figure is 17% higher.

The Remain camp applied the "EU effect" to the trade figures from 2014 to calculate the benefit of EU membership, and therefore the amount which could be at risk if the country votes to leave on June 23.

The figures suggest what might happen if the UK is outside the single market and relies on World Trade Organisation (WTO) rules - although Brexit campaigners insist they would be able to strike a preferential deal with the EU after a Leave vote.

Lord Darling said: "Those wanting to leave the EU want to pull Britain out of the single market, which would mean introducing tariffs and barriers to our trade and putting billions of vital trade at risk.

"The choice is between free trade within the EU's single market of 500 million consumers, or spending years negotiating new trade deals only to leave us in a weaker position than we enjoy today.

"Leaving the single market would be catastrophic for our businesses and our families who would be paying more and suffering from a weaker economy.

"There is no trading arrangement outside the EU which gives us the free trade we rely on today. Leaving would put jobs, low prices and financial security at risk."

Vote Leave chief executive Matthew Elliott questioned the figures used by the Britain Stronger in Europe (BSE) campaign and repeated his claim that the UK would "stop sending Brussels" 350 million a week - a sum which does not take into account Britain's rebate.

He said: " BSE can't even be consistent or honest in their campaign to do down the British economy.

"Their underlying belief appears to be that Britain - the world's fifth largest economy and a nation with a great history of trading across the globe - would be an economic backwater if it wasn't for Brussels taking control of our trade deals. That's absurd.
The man behind personal identification number (PIN) technology has recalled his 'eureka moment' as he marks 50 years since its invention.

James Goodfellow, 79, was an engineer working in Glasgow in the 1960s when the banks were looking for a way of letting customers get hold of their money after branches closed on Saturday.

He worked on the project for a number of weeks and came up with the idea of a coded card with a personal number to access money from cash machines.

The man behind personal identification number (PIN) technology has recalled his 'eureka moment' as he marks 50 years since its invention. Stock image pictured

After getting the go-ahead from bosses and the 'great and the good' of the banks, he started work on developing the concept with a team of engineers.

The patent was then applied for on May 2, 1966, and the system soon became accessible for millions of people around the world.

Mr Goodfellow said he had gained no financial benefit from his invention but has gradually received recognition over the years.

Ten years ago he was named an OBE, and in 2014 was given an honorary doctorate from the University of the West of Scotland.

Mr Goodfellow, who lives with wife of 50 years Helen in Paisley, Renfrewshire, said: 'The banks wanted an automatic cash dispenser - something that would provide a service 24/7 unmanned.

RISE OF CONTACTLESS CARDS Half a century since the PIN was introduced, it is being replaced by contactless cars. These cards were used in nearly one in eight card purchases last year as customers used them to speed up payments in pubs and on public transport. In total, 7.75billion was spent in one billion transactions, the UK Cards Association said. That represented three times the total spent in 2014 and more than doubled the combined amount for the previous seven years. A higher transaction limit of 30 was introduced for contactless payments last September, making it easier for customers to use their cards for supermarket and high street shopping.

'They wanted a methodology for allowing access to cash on this unmanned basis.

'It eventually landed on my desk and the reason probably was that in 1964 I had spent some time in the United States designing access control systems.'

Recalling the time dedicated to the project, he said: 'I was left with this problem - the demand was a million customers, 2,000 machines scattered throughout the UK which anyone could use at any time, and only money dispensed to a recognised person.

'The conventional view at the time was that it was going to be biometrics - such as your fingerprint - but that was totally impractical for many reasons.'

He said: 'The actual sort of eureka moment took place when I was messing around and suddenly realised that I could do it and it would probably solve the problem.

'That took place in my head and then on an engineering model but there was quite a bit of work to put it together into a demonstration form.

'I bundled this great thing on to a trolley at central station and wheeled it down and took it off at Euston, put it in a taxi and set it up in a boardroom and then the great and the good of the banks and the insurance companies were given the demonstration.

James Goodfellow, 79, was an engineer working in Glasgow in the 1960s when the banks were looking for a way of letting customers get hold of their money after branches closed. He worked on the project for weeks and came up with the idea of a coded card with a personal number to access money from cash machines

After getting the go-ahead from bosses and the 'great and the good' of the banks, he started work on developing the concept with a team of engineers. The patent was then applied for on May 2, 1966, and the system soon became accessible for millions of people around the world. Stock image pictured

'We now had a token identified to a person, issued by the bank, along with a number they had to keep secret and that was the personal identification number. If you got it right then you got the money - which is exactly the same as what happens today.'

Mr Goodfellow said it was just part of his remit as a research and development engineer to work on the technology and it was seen as a successful project.

'I shortly went to work somewhere else and forgot about it,' he added.
Germany's Schaeuble in favour of lower income tax - newspaper

BERLIN, April 30 (Reuters) - German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble is in favour of lowering income tax for workers and raising a relatively modest tax on investment income after next year's federal election, he said in an interview published on Saturday.

Germany has a flat rate withholding tax of 25 percent on private income from capital and capital gains. It was introduced by former SPD Finance Minister Peer Steinbrueck with the aim of preventing tax evasion.

Critics say the so-called settlement tax is unfair because it favours the wealthy and punishes the working class. German employees' salaries are taxed at a progressive rate of up to 45 percent.

"I was never a friend of the settlement tax," Schaeuble told German newspaper Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung. "But my predecessor Peer Steinbrueck was right when he justified it back then by saying: It's better to have 25 percent of something than 45 percent of nothing."

Schaeuble said the taxation of capital income was difficult in a globalised world in which people can hide their wealth in secret bank accounts in other countries.

But he added the government was working on realising an automatic exchange of bank account information between all countries and establishing a register to detail the beneficial owners of companies, trusts, foundations and shell companies.

"That's not an easy task technically, but we're getting there," Schaeuble said, adding Berlin could then abolish the flat rate withholding tax and tax capital gains at the same rate as salaries.
U.S. says working on "specific initiatives" to de-escalate Syrian violence

WASHINGTON, April 30 (Reuters) - The United States is working on "specific initiatives" to reduce the violence in Syria and sees stopping the bloodshed in Aleppo as a top priority, a U.S. State Department spokesman said on Saturday.

In a statement detailing calls Secretary of State John Kerry has made over the past two days with UN Special Envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura and with Riyad Hijab, a negotiator for Syrian opposition groups, State Department spokesman John Kirby said Kerry had made clear the United States wanted Russia to apply pressure to the Assad government to get it to stop "indiscriminate aerial attacks" in Aleppo.
TABLE-South Korea April exports fall 11.2 pct y/y, near forecast

SEOUL, May 1 (Reuters) - Following are South Korea's preliminary export and import figures for April, released by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy on Sunday (rounded): APRIL *MARCH Balance ($ billion) 8.8 9.9 Exports ($ billion) 41.0 43.0 (pct growth vs yr ago) -11.2 -8.1 Imports ($ billion) 32.2 33.2 (pct growth vs yr ago) -14.9 -13.9 * Revised figures released on April 15 NOTES: - Reuters poll: Exports were seen down 11.0 percent in April over a year earlier while imports were seen slumping 12.5 percent. - The average export value per working day stood at $1.82 billion in April, compared with a revised $1.79 billion in March, according to the trade ministry. - China is South Korea's largest export market, taking about one-quarter of shipments, followed by the United States and the European Union. - By product, electronics goods account for over one-fifths of the country's total exports, followed chemical products and industrial machinery. (Reporting by Christine Kim; Editing by Kim Coghill)
Taiwan DPP condemns latest deportation of Taiwanese to China

TAIPEI, April 30 (Reuters) - Taiwan's ruling party on Saturday strongly condemned the deportation of 32 Taiwanese to China from Malaysia on suspicion of telecommunications fraud, and the outgoing cabinet said Malaysia had acted "under pressure" from Beijing.

The case comes weeks after 45 Taiwanese in Kenya, in another alleged telecom fraud case, were forcibly deported to China, an incident which also drew protests from Taiwan.

Taiwan's cabinet said in a statement it had tried in vain to have the 32 suspected Taiwanese sent back to the island, but "under pressure from China", Malaysia deported the individuals to China on Saturday, without elaborating.

In total, 97 people were deported to China including 65 mainland Chinese, China's state-run Xinhua news agency said. The suspects are implicated in 100 cases in 20 provinces, accused of crimes related to feigning to be public security authorities.

"Since all victims are Mainland Chinese and at present, it appears no Taiwanese were scammed and in addition, because these cases involve organised crime, China requested Malaysia send back all 97 victims to Mainland China to ensure smooth investigations, stolen goods are recovered, justice is administered according to the law and the legal rights of victims are upheld," Xinhua wrote in a commentary.

Overseas telecom fraud is rampant and cross-straits offenders will not be allowed to get away with their crimes, Xinhua quoted An Fengshan, the Chinese State Council's Taiwan Affairs Office, as saying.

On April 15 another group of Taiwanese suspected of telecom fraud by Malaysian and Chinese authorities were deported back to Taiwan and are being held there on suspicion of committing "serious crime".

China has said Taiwanese have been heavily involved in telecom fraud in China and have caused huge losses.

Taiwan's ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) in a statement said China's "unilateral and tough action" in the latest deportation was "completely unhelpful to bilateral relations".

"Any of our nationals who commit crime abroad should be escorted back to Taiwan and face trial here," it said.

The cases have strained relations between the two sides ahead of the presidential inauguration of Taiwan's Tsai Ing-wen of the independence-leaning DPP on May 20.

Beijing sees self-ruled Taiwan as a wayward province to be taken back by force if necessary, particularly if it makes moves toward independence. It wants Tsai to stick to the "one China" policy agreed upon with the outgoing China-friendly Nationalist government.
Rare rallies in Vietnam over mysterious mass fish deaths

By Ho Binh Minh

HANOI, May 1 (Reuters) - Hundreds of people demonstrated in Vietnam on Sunday against a Taiwanese firm they accuse of causing mass fish deaths along the country's central coast, with some also blaming the government for a sluggish response to a major environmental disaster.

Though an official investigation has found no links between the fish deaths and a $10.6 billion coastal steel plant run by a unit of Taiwan's Formosa Plastics, public anger against the company has not abated.

Hundreds gathered in Hanoi holding banners that said: "Formosa destroying the environment is a crime" and "Who poisoned the central region's waters?"

Others said: "Formosa out of Vietnam!" and took aim at the government for being aloof in what it now describes as one of its worst environmental disasters.

Demonstrations are rare in Vietnam and uniformed and plain-clothes police are usually quick to suppress them. On Sunday they cleared traffic to allow demonstrators to do a lap of a big lake in the heart of Hanoi.

Huge numbers of dead fish have appeared at farms and on beaches since April 6, impacting 200 km (124 miles) of coastline in four provinces, with no known cause.

The environment minister has demanded Hung Nghiep Formosa Ha Tinh dig up its waste pipe at the steel project to enable government to monitor its discharge.

The government's initial probe said the cause could be "red tide", when algae blooms and produces toxins, or a release of toxic chemicals by humans.

What has stoked public anger was a comment by a Formosa official who said Vietnam had to choose between catching fish and shrimp and building a modern steel industry.

"Here is Vietnam's territory and there shall never be any case in which a Formosa steel plant has the right to tell the Vietnamese people to choose," protester Cao Vinh Thinh said.

Several hundred protesters marched in Ho Chi Minh City, the economic hub, according to multiple accounts on Facebook, which is used by 30 millions Vietnamese.

State-controlled media has not reported any of the demonstrations.

Social media and witnesses said protests also took place in central Quang Binh province on Friday, with fishermen throwing fish on the highway after failing to sell their catch. The accounts could not be verified by Reuters.
Three Turkish soldiers killed, 14 others wounded in PKK attack in the southeast - army

ISTANBUL, May 1 (Reuters) - Three Turkish soldiers were killed and 14 others were wounded on Sunday in an armed attack by Kurdish militants during a military operation in the southeastern town of Nusaybin, Turkey's army said in a statement.

Turkey's largely Kurdish southeast has been hit by waves of violence in clashes between government security forces and members of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) after a ceasefire fell apart last July.
Suspected Islamic State suicide bomber kills two police in southeast Turkey-sources

By Seyhmus Cakan

GAZIANTEP, Turkey, May 1 (Reuters) - Two police officers were killed and 22 people wounded in a suicide car bomb attack in the southeastern Turkish city of Gaziantep, the governor and police sources said, in one of three attacks on the security forces on Sunday.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility but security sources said police raided the home of a suspected Islamic State militant believed to have carried out the attack and detained his father for DNA tests and questioning.

Turkey has suffered attacks recently both by Kurdish militants and members of Islamic State, raising concern at home and among NATO allies about the increasing spillover of conflict from neighbouring Syria. The city of Gaziantep is just 65 km (40 miles) from the Syrian border.

The Gaziantep-based suspect is believed to have detonated a bomb-laden vehicle just outside the gates of the city's main police headquarters on a street housing several other provincial government buildings, whose windows were also smashed.

"The father of a suspect who is believed to have carried out the attack has been detained. We have records of the suspect's links with Islamic State," a security source said.

Sources also said there were two vehicles carrying out the attack. While the suicide bomber was inside the detonated car, three men opened fire on police guarding the station from a second.

Several security sources also said police had received intelligence on the attack on Saturday and had ordered officers not to gather in front of the station as they deployed for May Day celebrations, a move which may have prevented a higher toll.

Nineteen police and four civilians were wounded, a statement from the governor's office said. One officer died at the scene and a second later in hospital, a security source said.

"We have eight people in intensive care. Seven of them are police officers," Deputy Prime Minister Mehmet Simsek told reporters after visiting the wounded.

MULTIPLE THREATS

Several hundred miles east in the town of Nusaybin, three Turkish soldiers were killed and 14 wounded in an armed attack by Kurdish militants, an army statement said. Another was killed in clashes with PKK militants in border province of Sirnak.

A separate car bomb attack carried out by suspected PKK militants on a gendarmerie station in the southeastern town of Dicle wounded 10 troops, security sources said. Two others were wounded when an armoured vehicle en route to the scene was also attacked.

Turkey is facing security threats on several fronts. As part of a U.S.-led coalition, it is fighting Islamic State in Syria and Iraq and battling Kurdish PKK militants in its southeast, where a 2-1/2-year ceasefire collapsed last July.

Turkish military sources said on Sunday drones from the U.S.-led coalition, drawing on intelligence from Ankara, had struck an Islamic State explosives depot in the northern Syrian town of Dabiq. Two Islamic State militants outside the building were killed and several others were thought to have been inside.

Gaziantep, which borders Islamic State-held Syrian territory, is home to a large Syrian refugee population and there have been several police raids on suspected Islamic State militants there over the past months.

A wave of suicide bombings this year, including two in Turkey's largest city Istanbul, have been blamed on Islamic State, and two in the capital Ankara were claimed by a Kurdish militant group.
MIDEAST STOCKS-Gulf markets mixed in early trade, Ma'aden soars in Saudi

DUBAI, May 1 (Reuters) - Stock markets in the Gulf were mixed in early trade on Sunday with Saudi Arabia's bourse buoyed by commodity-related shares while banks weighed on United Arab Emirates indexes.

Shares in Saudi Arabian Mining Co jumped 9.5 percent, their daily limit, after the miner reshuffled its board and appointed the chairman of state oil giant Saudi Aramco, Khalid al-Falih, as a member.

Developing the Saudi mining industry and making Aramco into a diversified industrial conglomerate are major planks of a national economic reform plan announced last week.

Saudi Basic Industries added 1.2 percent; Abdullah bin Mohammed al-Issa, a board member of Saudi Basic Industries, will also join Ma'aden's board. The main Saudi stock index was up 0.1 percent after an hour of trade.

Elsewhere in the Gulf, the mood was weaker. Abu Dhabi banks remained soft after disappointing first-quarter earnings last week; the main index fell 0.7 percent. Heavyweight First Gulf Bank was down 1.2 percent and Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank lost 2.4 percent.

But Union National Bank rose 2.2 percent despite posting a 27 percent drop in first-quarter net profit attributable to equity holders to 447 million dirhams ($121.76 million). Two analysts polled by Reuters had forecast 314.00 million dirhams and 454.30 million dirhams.

Dubai's index fell 0.9 percent. Emaar Properties , which has not yet reported earnings, fell 1.0 percent and Dubai Islamic Bank, which reported a drop in profits last week, lost 0.9 percent.
A state audit says the North Dakota Health Department stored thousands of COVID-19 vaccine doses at incorrect temperatures or without temperature data over the past two years  and that some of the vaccine was administered to patients. The health department disputed the audit released Tuesday. Tim Wiedrich, who heads the agencys virus response, says no non-viable vaccines were given to patients. The state analysis said nearly 2,000 Moderna doses were stored at incorrect temperatures and were administered to patients. The audit also found nearly 13,000 doses of the Pfizer vaccines were issued from storage with missing temperature data. Neither the Health Department nor the auditor's office is recommending revaccination.
Yemen's Houthis seize military base, endangering peace talks

CAIRO, May 1 (Reuters) - Yemen's Houthi movement and its armed allies seized a military base north of the capital Sanaa on Sunday, dealing a setback to a shaky ceasefire and peace talks in Kuwait aimed at ending a year-long war.

Unlike most of Yemen's soldiers, those at the Umaliqa base had refused to take sides in the civil war between the Iran-allied Houthis and the government, which escalated when a military coalition led by Saudi Arabia intervened in March last year.

The Houthis had tolerated the neutrality until launching a surprise push into the facility in Amran province and seizing its large cache of weapons at dawn, according to local officials.

Several of the soldiers defending the base were killed during the assault, they added.

Abdel-Malek al-Mekhlafi, Yemen's foreign minister and the government's top delegate to U.N.-backed negotiations with the Houthis in Kuwait, said the move had "torpedoed" the talks.

"We will take the appropriate position in response to the Houthi crime at the Umaliqa base in Amran for the sake of our people and country," he wrote on his official Twitter account.

Buttressed by a truce which had been largely holding since April 10, talks in Kuwait had been inching ahead in recent days and the Houthis said Saudi Arabia released 40 Yemeni prisoners it had been holding on Saturday.

For its part, Yemen's Houthi-run state news agency Saba accused the mostly Gulf Arab coalition and Yemeni government forces of violating the truce 4,000 times, saying shelling, bombing raids and warplane overflights had raised tensions.

The war has killed at least 6,200 people and unleashed a humanitarian crisis in the already impoverished country.

Yemen's army has split, and military bases and commanders have mostly either taken the Houthi or government side.
Philippine island rebels free 10 Indonesian hostages

By Manuel Mogato

MANILA, May 1 (Reuters) - Islamist militants in the southern Philippines released 10 Indonesian hostages on Sunday, ending a month-long ordeal during which a kidnapped Canadian held by the same group was beheaded after a ransom deadline passed.

The chief of police on Jolo island said the hostages, who were crew of a Taiwanese-owned tugboat intercepted by Abu Sayyaf rebels, were delivered to the local governor's home at around 0500 GMT then taken to an army base.

"They appeared tired but were in high spirits," said Police Superintendent Junpikar Sitin.

Police and military officials said it was unclear whether or not a ransom was paid for the men. The Philippines rarely publicises such payments, but it is widely believed no captives are released without them.

The fate of four other hostages from Indonesia held by a different Abu Sayyaf faction is unknown. Indonesia's foreign ministry had no immediate comment on Sunday's release of the 10 detainees.

Abu Sayyaf, a formidable and brutal militia known for amassing tens of millions of dollars from the ransom business, is now holding 13 people, among them four Malaysian seamen and Japanese, Netherlands, Canadian, Norwegian and Filipino citizens.

John Ridsdel, 68, a former mining executive, was executed on Monday by the Abu Sayyaf, which kidnapped him and three others from a resort last year. His head was found in a bag a few hours after the deadline passed and a torso was discovered two days after.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau called it "an act of cold-blooded murder" and has urged countries not to pay ransoms. The price for his life was 300 million pesos ($6.41 million).

Philippine President Benigno Aquino has vowed to devote all his energy to eliminating the group before he steps down in two months.

But the group's network is deeply entrenched and efforts to flush out its fighters have proved to be a big challenge for the 2,500 Philippine troops engaging them.

The lucrative business has allowed Abu Sayyaf, whose name translates as "Bearer of the Sword", to invest in high-powered boats, weapons and modern communications equipment. With poverty and joblessness rife, it is able to recruit with ease.
Iraq's southern oil exports rise in April to 3.364 mln bpd

BASRA, Iraq, May 1 (Reuters) - Iraq exported oil from southern fields at an average rate of 3.364 million barrels per day in April, higher than the March average of 3.286 million, Oil Ministry spokesman Asim Jihad said on Sunday.

That is close to the record of 3.37 million bpd exported in November as OPEC's second-largest producer resumes the supply growth that has added to downward pressure on global prices.

Iraq looked set to exceed that rate, with exports in the first 24 days of April averaging 3.43 million bpd, according to an industry source and loading data. It was not immediately clear why exports appeared to drop off last week.

Baghdad had given verbal support to an initiative by OPEC and outside producers to freeze output. But they failed to reach a deal at an April 17 meeting, and rising exports from Iraq as well as other nations including Russia underline the challenges to any further attempt at curbing supply.

The Baghdad government, which relies on oil for nearly all its revenue, sold crude at average price of $33.26 per barrel, reaping $3.343 billion, Jihad said.

April's figures are for exports by the central government, which is now only shipping crude from southern terminals, and not through a northern pipeline to Turkey, Jihad said. That pipeline is also used by the Kurdish Regional Government to independently export crude from fields it controls in the north.

Iraq was the fastest source of supply growth in OPEC last year and boosted production by more than 500,000 bpd, despite spending cuts by companies working at the southern fields and conflict with Islamic State.

Iraqi officials and oil analysts expect further growth in the country's exports this year, but at a slower rate than 2015.
Irish fin min likely to retain post in new government - source

DUBLIN, May 1 (Reuters) - Irish Finance Minister Michael Noonan is likely to be reappointed to his position if, as expected, his Fine Gael party forms a new minority government, a senior government source said on Sunday.

Acting Irish Prime Minister Enda Kenny took a major step towards forming a government after nine weeks of deadlock on Friday when he secured the agreement of the country's second largest party to facilitate a minority administration.

Kenny just needs the support of six more lawmakers outside his party to reach the 58 required to pass legislation and could be in a position to be re-elected prime minister and name a new cabinet by next week.

Noonan, one of the longest-serving members of the euro zone's group of finance ministers, has suffered from ill health over the past two years but was a key part of the Fine Gael negotiation team that finalised the government framework deal last week.

He reiterated last month that he would be willing to serve again in government if Kenny asked him to and one of his first tasks would be to decide whether to go ahead with a stock market flotation of state-owned Allied Irish Banks this year.

The sale of a 25 percent stake in AIB would be one of Europe's biggest bank floatations since the 2009 financial crisis. Noonan said last month that a final call on the date would be made in the early days of the new government.
Two car bombs kill at least eight in southern Iraq -police sources

BAGHDAD, May 1 (Reuters) - Two car bombs in the centre of the southern Iraqi city of Samawa on Sunday killed at least eight people and wounded about 16 others, two police source said.

The first blast was near the provincial council building and the second one about 60 metres (yards) away at a bus station, a police colonel told Reuters. He said the death toll was expected to rise due to the gravity of some injuries.
Islamist group al Shabaab kills 15 soldiers - Somali military

By Abdi Sheikh and Feisal Omar

MOGADISHU, May 1 (Reuters) - Al Shabaab insurgents killed 15 Somali soldiers and retook a town northeast of the capital Mogadishu on Sunday, just one day after it had fallen to government forces, the military said.

The Islamist group, which wants to topple Somalia's Western-backed government, said it had killed 32 soldiers in the assault. It was not possible to verify independently the death toll. Al Shabaab has inflated casualty figures in the past.

Captain Nur Ali said the attack had taken place early on Sunday morning in the town of Runirgood, about 180 km to the north east of Mogadishu.

"Al Shabaab used a suicide car bomb to penetrate a military base. It exploded and then fierce fighting followed. At least 15 soldiers died," Major Abdullahi Omar, a second army officer, told Reuters from the region by phone.

"The soldiers (at the base) were few and there were no AMISOM or other military nearby for reinforcement. We killed more than 10 militants in fighting on Saturday and Sunday," Omar added. AMISOM is the African Union peacekeeping mission.

Residents of Runirgood said they had seen dead bodies of both al Shabaab and government soldiers in the town.

Abdiasis Abu Musab, al Shabaab's spokesman for military operations, said its fighters had killed 32 soldiers and captured three vehicles.

"It was a fierce battle and thank Allah, we recaptured the town," he told Reuters.

Somalia's government is battling to rebuild the Horn of Africa nation after more than two decades of conflict. Al Shabaab ruled large parts of Somalia until 2011, when it was driven out of Mogadishu by African Union and Somali troops.

It still controls some rural areas, however, and carries out frequent attacks in the capital and other areas.
Slovak Prime Minister Fico released from hospital after heart surgery

BRATISLAVA, May 1 (Reuters) - Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico was released from hospital on Sunday after having heart surgery on April 22, he said on his official Facebook page.

Fico, 51, was hospitalised in the National Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases on April 14 after complaining of chest pains. Doctors have said examinations did not confirm whether Fico had suffered a heart attack.

The hospital has not specified Fico's surgery although newspaper Dennik N, quoting a hospital source, said he had a double bypass.
Bomb targeting security chief in Yemen's Aden kills four soldiers

ADEN, May 1 (Reuters) - A car bomb in a central square in Yemen's port city of Aden on Sunday targeted the city's security chief for the second time in a week and killed four soldiers, local officials and witnesses said.

The bomb exploded in front of the provincial government building and wounded eight people although security chief, Shelal Ali Shayyeh, was unharmed, the sources said.

A suicide car bomb planted outside Shayyeh's home on Thursday ended a period of relative calm in Aden, the temporary base of Yemen's internationally recognised government.

The attacks follow gains by Yemeni and Emirati forces based in Aden, who have mounted an offensive against al Qaeda militants in towns on the south coast.
Suspected Islamic State militant believed to have carried out Gaziantep attack - Turkish security source

GAZIANTEP, Turkey, May 1 (Reuters) - Turkish police have raided the Gaziantep home of a suspected Islamic State militant believed to have carried out a car bomb attack on Sunday in the southeastern city and have detained his father, security sources said.
German economy minister cancels Iran trip due to illness, official says

BERLIN, May 1 (Reuters) - German Economy Minister Sigmar Gabriel has fallen ill and therefore cancelled a trip to Iran where he was expected to co-chair an economic conference with his Iranian counterpart, a German government official said on Sunday.

German industry has been hoping for a surge in exports to Iran after international sanctions were lifted in January in return for the Islamic Republic complying with a deal to curb its nuclear programme.

The government official did not give further details on Gabriel's illness. No new date for a visit had been fixed, the official said.

The minister had planned to co-chair an economic conference with Iranian counterpart Ali Tayyebnia in Tehran on Tuesday, and German companies had seen the event as a potential catalyst for increasing exports to Iran to as much 5 billion euros per year, double their current worth.

But the head of the German banking association on Friday dampened such expectations, saying it would take some time to restore banks' financial ties with Iran due to old debt still owed to Berlin and general transparency concerns.
The corner of the St. Joseph School library will feel much emptier next month.

The wall will no longer display students' latest art projects  currently paper ice cream cones colored and cut out by kindergarteners.

Neither will it sport a collage of students smiling from "Gramma's Photo Gallery."

At age 92, the woman who adopted that corner will retire from school.

Rhoberta Wegner has spent the past 15 years serving as a foster grandparent at Mandans St. Joseph School, working with kids on reading, spelling, math and art. She helps the teachers with grading and provides one-on-one instruction to kids.

To the children, she is known as "Gramma Rhoberta" or, simply, "Gramma."

"When we were younger, we always did learning games," fifth-grader Aliya Selensky recalled. "She would always make the subjects more fun than they were in class."

Becoming 'gramma'

Wegner worked a variety of jobs throughout her career, first living on a cattle ranch south of Oakes, then inspecting rooms at Old Faithful Inn at Yellowstone National Park. She later owned a liquor store in Kansas before returning to Yellowstone.

Fifteen years ago, she moved to Mandan.

"I didn't know what I would do with myself," she said.

Wegner came across an advertisement for the foster grandparent program, now under the helm of ServeYES!, a volunteer organization in North Dakota. She decided to give it a go.

Wegner shows up to school every day at 8:30 a.m. and stays for six hours.

Most of her time there is spent working with the younger kids.

She helped us get better in reading, fourth-grader Bennett Leingang said, recalling the time he and a group of students took turns with Wegner reading the classic childrens story The Giving Tree.

Wegner also sews costumes for school productions. Some she made more than a decade ago are still in use. And one year, she made 105 bags of marbles for the kids to play with at recess.

The schools Box Tops for Education program has been taken up by Wegner. Last year, she cut 11,000 of the box tops from packages like tissue boxes. Each top earns the school 10 cents, so St. Joseph received a $1,100 check in the mail.

If I see one of these on something Ive got and I dont cut it out, I have a terrible time, she said. Im throwing away a dime.

Leaving a legacy

Wegners last day at the school is May 13. Her retirement comes after her son asked her to move in with his family to Arizona. Plus, the foster grandparent program will soon end in this area.

She said her time at St. Joseph has filled her with satisfaction that she may have instilled something positive in the students that they will take with them through life.

"It's a reason to get up in the morning," she said.

Wegner said she will miss the kids who wave at her as they arrive at school and greet her with a friendly, Hi, Gramma!

Weve told her she can always FaceTime the kids, Principal Valerie Vogel said.

Wegner brings a sense of closeness to the children, Vogel said. Shes like family.

The students, in turn, look up to her.

She is a really good role model, fifth-grader Aliya said. She always knows what is the right thing to do. She knows between good and wrong.
Qatar National Bank says customer accounts safe despite data breach

DOHA, May 1 (Reuters) - Qatar National Bank, the Middle East's largest lender by assets, said it had taken immediate steps to ensure customers would not suffer any financial loss after a security breach last week exposed personal data of thousands of clients.

"We are taking every measure to protect the privacy of our customers and have engaged an external third party expert to review all our systems to ensure no vulnerabilities exist," the bank said in a statement on Sunday.

"All our customers' accounts are secure," it added, although it was not clear how the bank planned to protect accounts whose details, including customer names and passwords, have already been published.

The 1.5GB trove of leaked documents posted online last week included the bank details, telephone numbers and dates of birth of several journalists for satellite broadcaster Al-Jazeera, supposed members of the ruling al-Thani family and government and defence officials.

Some files had pictures of account holders from Facebook and LinkedIn, a potentially sensitive issue in a conservative country where privacy is valued.

The bank said the breach was an attack on its reputation, rather than specifically targeted at the customers, and only involved a portion of Qatar based customers.

The statement did not mention the identity of the hackers.

QNB said some of the data released may be accurate but much of it was constructed and "contains a mixture of information from the attack as well as other non-QNB sources, such as personal data from social media channels."

A copy of the leaked content seen by Reuters contained transaction data of QNB customers that showed overseas remittance data from as recently as September 2015.

One file had information on what appeared to be 465,437 QNB accounts, although only a fraction of these accounts had anything resembling full account details.

Several known Qatari figures in the government and media whose names appeared on the list confirmed to Reuters that their account details were accurate.
Foreign minister reaffirms Japan's economic ties to Thailand

BANGKOK, May 1 (Reuters) - Japan's foreign minister arrived in Bangkok on Sunday aiming to reaffirm economic ties after Japanese investments in Thailand slumped last year amid political concerns as well as stiff competition emerging from more nimble neighbours.

Japan has historically been the largest investor in Thailand, Southeast Asia's second biggest economy, which it sees as an important production base.

However, Japanese investments in Thailand nosedived by 81 percent last year, according to official data, something analysts say mirrors concern about Thailand's economy which continues to struggle under prolonged military rule.

Increased competition from the region's newer economies, such as Vietnam and Myanmar, is posing another threat to foreign investment in Thailand.

Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida told a news conference after meeting his Thai counterpart at the beginning of a two-day visit that Thailand remained an important stakeholder.

"Thailand is a stakeholder that Japan cannot be without as many big and medium-sized Japanese firms from over 4,500 companies are based here," Kishida told reporters.

Japan still came top in foreign direct investment (FDI) in Thailand last year, with total investments approved valued at more than 144 billion baht ($4.13 billion).

A senior Japanese diplomat, who wanted to remain anonymous, said Thailand's military government was keen to allay Japanese fears on potential political obstacles to investment.

Thailand has been ruled by a junta since the military took power in a May 2014 coup. The junta has promised a swift return to democracy but has pushed back a general election now expected to place in mid-2017.

The military government, led by General Prayuth Chan-ocha, has struggled to revive Thailand's export-dependent economy.

The country has seen a fresh wave of small, anti-junta protests over the past two weeks ahead of an Aug.7 referendum on a draft constitution that critics say will enshrine military power.

Kishida's visit to Bangkok kicks off his tour of the region including Myanmar, Laos and Vietnam.
Kazakh leader evokes Ukraine as land protests spread

ALMATY, May 1 (Reuters) - Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev, facing a growing wave of protests against planned changes to land ownership, evoked the image of war-torn Ukraine on Sunday as he called for national unity.

Speaking at an event in Almaty to mark the annual May 1 Unity Day celebrations, Nazarbayev highlighted Ukraine, where street protests in 2013-2014 toppled the government of Viktor Yanukovich, as an example of what could happen in the absence of unity.

"Ukraine, the second-biggest ex-Soviet state, today has an economy which is half the size of Kazakhstan's," the president said. "Because there is no unity, no sense of purpose, no tasks are being solved, (people) are busy with other things: fighting, killing, brawling."

Though relatively small, the rallies are a challenge to Nazarbayev, 75, who has run the oil-rich Central Asian nation since 1989 with little tolerance for dissent since 1989. The collapse in global oil prices has hurt the economy and the government's fiscal position, prompting Fitch Ratings to cut the country's long-term sovereign debt ratings on April 29.

The protests which are entering their second week, were sparked by fears that land reforms will allow foreigners to take over farmland, although some analysts say many Kazakhs have attended the demonstrations to express their general discontent.

A legal overhaul due to take effect on July 1 will allow the government to sell farmland to joint ventures, provided they are controlled by Kazakh residents, and lease it to foreigners for up to 25 years. Previously they were only allowed leases for up to 10 years.

Opponents of the new law, who staged their first protest in the city of Atyrau last Sunday, see the change as a threat to national security, especially after the government announced several agreements with neighbouring China for agricultural projects.

Rallies have taken place in several cities during the week, despite warnings from Nazarbayev and the prosecutor general's office that the organizers would be punished.

On Sunday, political activists said dozens of people took to the streets of provincial capital Kyzylorda in southern Kazakhstan. One video posted online showed protesters scuffling with police in full riot gear at a square where official celebrations of the Unity Day holiday were taking place.

In another video police were seen marching in formation at a group of protesters and then chasing them down the street as they tried to scatter.

A spokesman for the local police said by telephone that several people had been charged with misdemeanours over the protest which was illegal because it had not been agreed in advance with the authorities.
Connecticut governor honored for welcoming Syrian refugees

By Ted and Siefer

BOSTON, May 1 (Reuters) - Connecticut Governor Dannel Malloy was honored on Sunday by the family of John F. Kennedy for embracing Syrian refugees at a time when other U.S. leaders sought to turn them away.

The Democratic governor was presented the Profile In Courage award at the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library in Boston, alongside the Syrian family he personally welcomed to his state.

Malloy invited the refugee family to settle in Connecticut a week after the November 13 attack by Islamic militants that killed 130 people in Paris. At least one of the attackers is believed to have held a Syrian passport, although the authenticity of the document has been questioned.

The attack prompted governors in more than half the U.S. states to oppose the settlement of Syrian refugees. Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump called for a complete ban on Muslims entering the country.

"When I saw that, I decided to raise my voice and to make clear that not all Americans think all people should be barred at the door because of religion or from where they come," Malloy said in his speech. "I accept this tremendous award on behalf of the good people of this nation who said, 'Not in our land.'"

It was the first public event attended by the refugee family - a mother, husband and five-year-old son. In a halting speech in English, the mother, Fatema, thanked Malloy and the United States.

"This country is our future. We love this country. We will work to defend it and improve it," said Fatema, who wore a headscarf.

The family's surname was withheld because of concerns about the safety of their relatives in Syria.

Fatema acknowledged that the family had received a less friendly reception from some people, whom she said had formed the wrong idea about Muslims based on the attacks in Paris, San Bernardino, California and elsewhere.

"I tell them that those people ... are not bad Muslims; they are not Muslim at all," she said.

Since the family's arrival, about 75 Syrian refugees have been settled in Connecticut, with another 250 slated to arrive, Malloy said.

U.N. mediator Staffan de Mistura has said up to 400,000 people have been killed as a result of the Syrian civil war and the U.N puts the number of Syrian refugees abroad at 5.8 million.

President Barack Obama said on Thursday he expected the United States would meet a goal to admit 10,000 Syrian refugees before the end of the 2016 fiscal year, despite delays and opposition from critics concerned about security implications.

The State Department reported on March 31, halfway into the fiscal year, only 1,285 Syrians had been admitted into the United States.

Malloy received the award from John Schlossberg, the grandson of the late president Kennedy.
More than 100 years ago, while enumerating "India and her problems", Swami Vivekananda said prophetically: "The child is taken to school, and the first thing he learns is that his father is a fool, the second thing that his grandfather is a lunatic, the third thing that all his teachers are hypocrites, the fourth, that all the sacred books are lies!"

Today, as the Bhagat Singh controversy rages across the nation, one more term is added to the list. The child going to the school is also being taught to call the freedom fighters "terrorists"!

The Oxford dictionary defines terrorism as the "unlawful use of violence and intimidation, especially against civilians, in the pursuit of political aims". Were the violent acts of Bhagat Singh aimed against civilians?

Even a cursory glance would prove that Bhagat Singh was not an advocate of violence for the sake of violence. Yes, on April 8, 1929, he threw two bombs, along with Batukeshwar Dutt, in the Central Legislative Assembly, but they were not aimed to kill but "to make the deaf hear".

Singh wanted to dissuade the Assembly from voting for a law, namely, the Public Safety and Trade Disputes Bill, whose implementation would have penalised Indian workers. Now that's not the work of a terrorist.

The terminology gets all the more ludicrous, with a tinge of Orwellian humour, when one finds freedom fighters waging a battle against a repressive colonial government being called terrorists, while a bunch of "misguided" Maoists fighting an all-out war against the world's largest democracy are regarded as "Gandhians with guns".

Mahatma Gandhi.

Incidentally, these "misguided idealists" fit into the Oxford terminology of a terrorist. For, about 90 per cent of the individuals killed by them are poor and labouring classes from the deprived section of the community, if the "Report of the Advocates Committee on Naxalite Terrorism in Andhra Pradesh" is to be believed.

Again an Orwellian doublespeak at play: Maoists killing the poor and downtrodden in the very name of the poor and downtrodden! Coming back to Bhagat Singh and his ilk, the late historian Bipan Chandra is not alone in calling these freedom fighters "revolutionary terrorists", as he did in his book India's Struggle for Independence.

It has been a standard terminology used - and is continued to be in practise - by the Left and Left-inspired intellectuals. For instance, professor Sumit Sarkar, another historical giant in India, doesn't even bother to tag the word "revolutionary" with "terrorist". In modern India, he impishly uses the term "terrorists" or "Bengal terrorists" for the likes of Khudiram Bose and Prafulla Chaki.

And it's a blatant lie when the apologists say these terms had been used "without any pejorative meaning" and that their usage has now been stopped since the term terrorism has "acquired a very negative meaning in recent years".

For those pedalling this theory must read Sunil Khilnani's latest book, Incarnations, published just a few months ago, wherein the author, who is hardly a diehard Left intellectual, calls VD Savarkar "the young terrorist".

The terrorism debate, however, is just the tip of the entire historical iceberg. For, the malaise lies with how history has been allowed to be appropriated by a dominant section of the Congress led by Mahatma Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru.

The Class 12 history textbook is a classic example. It provides one single chapter on India's freedom struggle, and its heading, "Mahatma Gandhi and the Nationalist Movement", says it all. The mention of Subhas Chandra Bose's INA exploits is conspicuous by its absence, even though they were regarded by the British as one of the most important reasons for them to leave India. This was confirmed by no other than Clement Attlee, the then British prime minister, who at the same time dismissed Gandhi's role as "minimal".

Bhagat Singh is even more ignored. There's not a single mention of the patriot in the entire NCERT history textbooks from Class 7 to 12.

(Maybe it fits into the framework of Nehruvian historical consensus; for Nehru himself, as pointed by Kama Maclean in A Revolutionary History of Interwar India (2016), wrote in his autobiography "some three to four years after Bhagat Singh's death" how he was "popular despite his violence".)

Similar is the fate of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel and his endeavour to unite the country then divided into more than 550 princely states.

Incidentally, the NCERT textbook has an entire page devoted to a letter by Communist leader Somnath Lahiri, with a separate paragraph talking exclusively about him!

This brings us to the question: Whose history is it, anyway? It's definitely not India's, or even that of the Congress. It's just the history of a section of the party which has been lucky enough to rule the country since Independence, vindicating Churchill's statement, "History is written by victors." And as the victors are out of power now, it's time India reclaims its real history.

The challenge is enormous as there is hardly any viable academic culture beyond the confines of the Left. And even if there are some who are silently building up an alternative intellectual discourse, they more often than not live under the shadow of those loony, "unintellectual" elements for whom history is all about finding flying planes in ancient India and unearthing the stem cells exploit during the Mahabharata era.

As for those swearing by the intellectual integrity of Bipan Chandra, they must read India After Independence, wherein the eminent historian defends, in his own suave way, how Indira Gandhi was forced to impose Emergency by her "opportunistic" and "anarchic" political rivals! India's eminent historians did what their political masters wished them to do.

And, given the quality of the work they produced, it seems they crawled when they were merely told to bend.
Terrorism is a confession that the terrorist is failing, for all terrorists know their inevitable end: a certain death only a few weeks away, without a victory.Yet, the romance of terror so captures the imagination of manyintellectuals in India that they become blind to the bloodshed that accompanies terrorism. All that they can notice is the symbolic challenge to the state expressed by the terrorist.

Something of this could be seen in the the public lectures at JNU in February/March 2016, subsequent to the arrest of the JNUSU president Kanhaiya Kumar. Most speakers got so beguiled that they were willing to define India out of existence in their desire to revile the Indian state. Could it be that these revilers of the Indian state were actually falling back on the age-old traditions of India in which state authority was something valueless?

Kanhaiya Kumar at a press conference after his release.

Let us look at it like this: identity is made up not just of self-perception but also of how others perceive us. The very use of the words "India", "Hindu" and "Hindustan" is indicative. Arabs still use the word Hindu for all Indians irrespective of their religion.

To trade with India, in 1600, the English floated the East India Company and not some "South Asia Company". Two thousand years before that Alexander of Macedonia too came on a military adventure to India and not to some other land as did Mahmud Ghaznavi in 1000 and Ahmed Shah Abdali in 1748.

Presuming India to be a cultural entity without a political or legal basis would be a serious case of category mistake. A person from a village when going to a neighbouring town identifies with being a person from the village but when going to the big town in the region, the identifier ceases to be the village; it becomes the town near which the village was settled.

When the same person goes to a completely different region of India, there the identity is neither that of the village or the small district from which the person hails but that of the region.

It is only when a person emigrates to a completely different part of the world that he identifies himself as an Indian. These layers of identity do not mean that this person is confused about who they are; rather it suggests a sensitivity to the fact that different identities work at different levels and in different ways.

The one identity that was of little value for the people at large through Indian history, was the identity of belonging to a state.

For centuries, Indians have had an indifference, amounting to incomprehension, of state authority and its importance in shaping society and state systems. Kings and their kingly authority was discardable in India.

In 1757, when Mehtab Rai Jagat Seth actively colluded with the East India Company to unseat Siraj-uddaulah from the Nawabi of Bengal, it never even occurred to him that what he was doing would seriously compromise his ability to do business.

Mehtab Rai's successors once again colluded against the new Nawab, Mir Jafar; they were in the end executed by Mir Qasim. Finally, the East India Company conquered India with the help of its Brahmin soldiers who hailed mostly from Awadh, Bihar and Bengal.

To condemn any of these people as being traitors to the nation would presume the need to be loyal to a state.

But, loyalty to any state is not something which was ever important for anyone in India.

Indifference to the utility of loyalty to state power and to the value of state organization cost Indians heavily.

Until such time as Europeans arrived in the Indian Ocean, trading in India had largely been a peaceful affair. Europeans, whatever their level of prosperity, always understood and used war and state power as an instrument to conduct trade.

Indian rulers never did. And their subjects repaid their indifference amply.

But the fact that modern state identities were unimportant did not mean that India did not exist. Rather, India existed without a state to back it up.

In the contemporary world it is politics and state authority that is central to one's identity. To denigrate the idea of state power may be an atavistic fallback to Indians' traditional hostility to the state. It also ignores the one lesson we should have learnt, but obviously have not, in two hundred years of living as colonial slaves.
The Odd-Even scheme of the Delhi government seems to have received more brickbats this time around. The reports and surveys of all kinds are being cited, indicating virtually negligible or a very miniscule level of positive change on pollution level of the city. Public policy initiatives must be critically examined by its stakeholders in a democracy. The critics, however, in this case, seem to have had anticipated magic wand like results - that the pollution level of the city will disappear overnight.

What is most bizarre is the impatience shown to an initiative that has at least brought the issue of environmental pollution to lime light, to the public imagination. When did we last time hear of school children and housewives discussing environment? Odd-Even has done that. That is no mean achievement.

A life that looks at Delhi from behind the green tinted glass window of its car and finds the city green essentially lives in a denial mode.

Odd-Even seems to have done to environment what Ramdev had done to yoga at one point, before he started selling noodles, by making it part of ordinary people's everyday world, by making it part of the concern-list of the old and the young alike. Politically, Odd-Even scheme symbolises a new imagination, a more creative and humane perspective to urban governance and development.

The world today is precariously set up. The insatiable race for development, for industrialization, urbanization and more growth continues unabated. Alongside, the universal concern for environmental degradation is looming larger by the day, behind the glittering facade of development. Young children in many parts of India are being forced to play a new game of "Paani-paani", walking barefoot up to miles, to fetch a bottle of water on their tiny shoulders, leading to loss of childhood and even death on many occasions.

One of the most telling and poignant images that I recently encountered was of poor children from nearby slums, in the vicinity of a thriving, prosperous middle class locality in Delhi, wandering in groups with empty plastic bottles of Pepsi and Coke, in search of water sources. How did we reach here? And now that we have reached such a stage, what do we do? Sadly, not doing anything is no option available anymore.

A beginning, even if symbolic, has to be made - howsoever tiny and modest that step may be. This is particularly important for the region of South Asia, a region inhabited by the majority of poor, impoverished population of the world, living in an utterly inhuman and unequal socio-cultural habitat.

While the success of development is centripetal in nature, thereby meaning that the prosperity and profit is concentrated in a circle of a few, the brunt of development is tragically centrifugal, as we now sufficiently and empirically know, as the cost and risks are majorly borne by the poor people of the world. A research paper published in 2015 by Oxfam, an international development agency, cautioned against the trend that shows one percent of people owning more wealth than the combined wealth of the remaining 99 percent. This is a scary situation. For the plundering of nature affects the non-plunderer, the poor and the marginal the most.

Delhi's pollution level is alarming. Its roads and localities are increasingly getting congested and contest ridden for scarce resources such as water and other amenities. With the rising influx of hapless migration from the poor rural pockets of India towards urban, the scenario is least likely to reverse in near future. It is in this sense that the idea of Odd-Even has been a great initiative, for it foregrounded, for the first time, the concerns on environment (which is not just about taking measurements of PM presence in the air quality or ozone level) in the larger scheme of governance.

It initiated and took the debates around the idea of environmental pollution and the resultant pressure on resources to the nook and corner of the city. If not for anything, the Odd-Even policy should at least be lauded for its deep moral underpinnings, for its critique of a culture of no-holds-barred filthy consumption behaviour of India's upper middle class urban dwellers who fret and fume at the very thought of travelling in metro or public buses.

The recent media interrogations of the Odd-Even policy largely reflect the irritation and unwillingness to participate in the idea of common public good by the pampered new upper middle class. There is a class amidst us who steadily rose in its economic stature, and subsequently got political patronage, post 1990 and who wants the world to carry on, unhindered, as it is; for they are pretty settled in their SUVs and do not want any disruptions. Their personal aggrandisement, they argue and demand, should be seen as act of nation building. And the act for building the nation must not be uncomforted or inconvenienced.

The Odd-Even policy irritates and punctures the ego of these self-styled nation builder who finds the scheme far too pedestrian (literally) and more crucially pandering to the world views of the common and the less privileged people. The middle class gets defined by differences. If the Odd-Even scheme has been received grudgingly by the upper echelon of this class, it is precisely because the scheme, in operational terms, undermines the differences or distinctions and flattens the world divided between public transport commuters and the SUV-riders.

It is true Delhi needs all of this - more buses, more trees, more ponds, a robust public transport system and more importantly a reimagining of design of our roads and pedestrian paths- and no single initiative can make Delhi's environment clean and liveable. What we need is a multi-pronged, long term initiative that takes in to account the larger public good, beyond the pettiness of politics. With Odd-Even a beginning has been made; it is time now to think of other ways to bolster the movement for clean and green Delhi.

It is important to experience the pleasure of being part of the larger collective, even if it is for a few days or weeks, by carpooling or going car-free, by travelling in a metro and thus becoming part of a life that celebrates diversity, collectivism and shared living. A life that looks at Delhi from behind the green tinted glass window of its car and finds the city green essentially lives in a denial mode, of the hard realities of the future, if we do not mend our ways.

I read the story of children in Latur who wander thirsty in search of water, to my children and make a rule that we will be disciplined in our use of water in the house, I carry my jute-bag when I go to buy vegetables in local weekly neighbourhood market, and I refuse plastic bags from the shopkeepers. Will that change the water crisis in Latur or make the city of Delhi plastic free or less polluted?

Remember Gandhi for an answer as he once famously said: Be the change you want to see in the world. Odd-Even is therefore, not quite about numbers, it is about the spirit. Trying to evaluate it by only measuring PM 1 or PM 2.5 or ozone concentration in the city means you got the whole idea of environment protection wrong. We destroyed the nature through the millennium; it will take at least a few decades of sincere efforts before we go about measuring the changes that it brought about.
Modern life rebuilds itself on the primordial and the ancient. What Rome constructed around circuses, India builds around elections and IPL. Both appear like staged spectacles and epic in terms of battle. But both need new scripts. However, there is a fear of new ideas and new scripts. One watches Harsha Bhogle treated literally as anti-national because his commentary was biased towards objectivity.

Inspiration

Both events are expensive and between the two they represent the idea of fair play in India. Yet of late there is a dullness to both, that is undeniable.

IPL no longer provides an epic sense of competition and hysteria and the elections last fortnight lacked a sense of fable or inspiration. The elections in West Bengal, Kerala, Assam looked like old replays without a sense of enthusiasm. It is as if when politics runs outs of ideas an election loses out on becoming a transformative spectacle to become a deadening pantomime.

The cast of characters are old hangovers from an electoral Tussauds - Gogoi, Mamata, Karunanidhi and Jayalalithaa. It appears like an enactment of regional authoritarianisms to balance the Modi-esque anti-drama at the Centre. Even the same lines make little difference. Jaya fights Karuna and one can summon little enthusiasm for it.

Karunanidhi plays the electoral lion and creates a third rate script. He offers his son Stalin as the possibility of the new and the electorate yawns over it. Stalin will probably be a young leader at 70 before he inherits the DMK mantle.

As ancient Rome that thrived on spectacles of "bread and circuses", politics in Tamil Nadu survives on the dole and the gift as spectacles. Come election time, everyone gets enthusiastic about prohibition but all it creates is a hangover called electoral politics.

There is no sense of a social movement and even Vijayakanth's politics is ineffectual hardly qualifying for even cameo level possibilities. There are no big issues around equality or justice, just the limbo of continuity.

Jaya fights Karuna and one can summon little enthusiasm for it.

Jaya appears to continue like an implacable glacier and the whole electoral battle appears much ado about nothing. It's ironic that the AIDMK and DMK which literally cinematised politics now seem frozen. One is sure that a lot is happening but as far as elections go political ideas seem subterranean.

If the "Punch and Judy" play between the AIADMK and DMK appears half dead, the battle between Mamata and the CPM looks hysterical. This is partly because Mamata Banerjee's style can turn a morning walk into a crusade and the CPM appears bereft without Bengal. Once again the sheer absence of ideas and issues is amazing and Bengal seems caught in the tragedy of non-choice.

Politics

Any vote for any party dooms Bengal in to a tragic non-development for another decade. Politics in Bengal is still hysterical and galvanic but there is little of the animation of ideas.

Assam boils with tension and yet it is clear that elections are not going to create reform. Politics will be the same give or take a Gogoi or two. The American army in World War II coined a word for such a situation, SNAFU, for an activity which expends a tremendous amount of energy but alters the world not even a little.

As a spectator and a citizen, I do not deny that elections are important. But elections which look bereft of ideas, which present the same unpromising alternatives makes one worry about the possibilities for democracy.

Covering this with sheen is the idea of Nitish Kumar as an alternative prime ministerial candidate. Nitish, of course, is immaculately hypocritical denying that he has any prime ministerial ambitions.

In fact, that one act captures this election drama, where the politics of hypocrisy is presented as the politics of hope. It embodies the conviction that the citizen who is a sucker for democracy will digest anything in its name. Yet one is desperate for a rethinking of ideas and a renewal of political drama.

Symptoms

How does one look at symptoms of such a disease? Where does one begin a diagnosis as a movement into therapy? I think one can sense three major threats to the democratic-electoral system. First is the fact that civil society is on the decline, that NGOs are under threat and there are no social movements to fight durable battles against the state.

It is as if there are few contending structures around the state today and one can sense that all political parties are relieved by the decline of NGOs and social movements.

Secondly, media has become dominant in the new middle class view of politics and given its current style, highlights the hysteria of the middle class. Deep down that hysteria hides the dullness, the lack of ideas.

Finally one has begun to sense, that democracy in India has to go beyond electoralism to wider issues of rights, livelihood, migration and violence and our electoral system seems tone deaf to these issues.

May be one needs this sense of ennui to create the new. Let us hope democracy will ambush us with the unexpected. Only that can relieve the tedium of the Jayalalithaa and the Mamatas of today.
MiKynna Cummings, 2, sits cross-legged on the carpet picking up colored number puzzle pieces and pressing them firmly into a puzzle. One-by-one, she fits each foam piece into their correct spots.

You did it!" said Sara Joersz, an occupational therapist, after MiKynna pushes the purple "3" piece into its outline on the puzzle.

MiKynna, who was diagnosed with autism when she was 15 months old, comes to Red Door Pediatric Therapy three times a week for speech and occupational therapy sessions. During the session, Joersz has her complete a puzzle to hone her fine motor skills.

Before MiKynna started therapy at Red Door a year ago, she was unable to use her fingers and would instead just grasp things. Now, she holds the puzzle pieces between her fingers with ease. Speech therapy also has helped her learn how to talk, which, up until September, she was unable to do. Now, she's able to express herself through her limited vocabulary.

Shes definitely improving, her mother Amber Cummings said during the therapy session last week.

Cummings' husband was recently laid off from his job as a driller on an oil rig. MiKynna's therapy sessions are covered through Medicaid until the end of year, Cummings said. Come January, Cummings says she's not sure whether she'll be able to afford the therapy sessions without coverage. Last year, Cummings applied to get MiKynna on the autism Medicaid waiver, but was waitlisted.

No relief in sight

There are 94 slots statewide on the waitlist for the autism Medicaid waiver program, which is managed by the North Dakota Department of Human Services, but recent mandatory state budget cuts prohibited the department from expanding the waiver program to serve an additional 25 children over the 2015-17 biennium. A state-funded autism voucher program also won't expand.

The Department of Human Services was required to cut $53.9 million from its more than $1.33 billion in general fund appropriations, the largest of any state agency.

Some parents, including Cummings, who were anticipating services through the autism waiver program, are frustrated by the recent budgetary changes.

What were hearing is that families (on the waitlist), they just really are devastated because now they were relying on services," said Lorena Poppe, director of autism services at the Anne Carlsen Center, which provides autism services all over the state.

The autism Medicaid waiver started in 2009 and provides services for families with autistic children, birth through age 4. In 2014, it was amended to include birth through age 7, and now, this year, the age range will be expanded to age 9. The state-funded autism voucher program started in 2014 for children between ages 3 and 18 who are not on a Medicaid waiver and families who can't get on the waiver because they dont meet the income qualification but still need services. The voucher program offers up to $12,500 a year for every child with a qualifying diagnosis.

Families feel loss of waivers

Anne Carlsen Center is providing services to 71 children across the state, 40 of whom receive services through the autism Medicaid waiver.

The inability to expand the autism Medicaid waiver due to budget cuts is "disheartening," Poppe said, especially when she's heard state officials say, "Were really getting by OK even though all these budget cuts happened because people arent losing their jobs."

"But thats not even the most significant issue," Poppe said. It was a loss of what was going to be there.

Poppe said the autism waiver covers much-needed early intervention services for children. With autism, the earlier the better, she said.

Kids who are preschool age, if they can get the more intensive types of support and interventions, they may go on and not need as much support in the school system," Poppe said. "They may not need as much support throughout their lifetime because of that early intervention.

Vicki Peterson, a consultant at Family Voices of North Dakota, said she works with many families on the autism waiver or who have children who were screened for the waiver and now are waiting.

Its very hard to sit on a phone with a parent who you connected earlier with Anne Carlsen, got the screening, knew we were gonna do this, and then they call you and they go, Its gone, Vicki. Where do I go now? Peterson said.

She tells them she doesn't know.

Theres so many frustrated parents," said Dee Daniels, a Bismarck mother of a 5-year-old boy with autism. There are some parents who havent even applied because they dont even think its worth their while. Why bang their head against the wall?

Daniels' son, Grant, has been on the autism Medicaid waiver since 2014. He receives Anne Carlsen services, Medicaid, and respite care through the waiver program.

He has gained a lot of skills, Daniels said. Grant used to walk in circles and hum a lot, but now  his eye contact has gotten so much better.

And social situations used to overwhelm him, Daniels said, and they still do, but hes getting better.

Even the little things  he can pull up his own pants, put his own shirt on, put his jacket on with help. Before he could never do any of that stuff," she said. The little battles are just amazing, the little things that he does sometimes.

Cummings, whose daughter MiKynna is on the waitlist for the autism Medicaid waiver, says she's worried her daughter will lose the skills and progress that she's made this year with her therapy sessions. Losing coverage at the end of the year means they'll have to cut down on a lot of the services she receives.

She only started talking in September," Cummings said. "Doctors worried she wouldnt ever talk."

Further reductions expected

On Wednesday, Gov. Jack Dalrymple is expected to deliver guidelines to state agency heads for his final budget crafted as governor, which lawmakers are expecting to include further reductions.

Im fearful were going to be living in debt if we dont get the services that we need and have to pay for it out of pocket," Cummings said. "And Ill do whatever it takes, but is it going to take going hundreds of thousands of dollars in debt in order to pay for therapies my daughter needs.
Days after granting it, the Indian government cancelled the visa of Chinese dissident leader and Uyghur activist Dolkun Isa earlier this week. Isa is the chairman of the Germany-based World Uyghur Congress and was due to attend a conference next week in the northern Indian town of Dharamsala being organised by the US-based Initiatives for China.

Uyghurs are an ethnic minority community from China's western Xinjiang region and have a long history of discord with Beijing. They are Muslims and regard themselves as culturally and ethnically close to Central Asian nations. China has been battling Uyghur separatism in Xinjiang since the 1990s and began labelling separatists "terrorists" since 2001 to get global support even as its stringent policies have been fuelling militancy further. Chinese authorities consider Isa as a terrorist and promptly criticised India when the visa was issued.

India's initial decision to grant the visa to Isa was largely viewed as a retaliatory measure against China after Beijing blocked India's bid to get the UN to put Jaish-e-Muhammad chief Masood Azhar on its terrorist list. China decided to put a technical "hold" on Masood Azhar's terror designation, defending their stance by suggesting that more information was needed on the matter. New Delhi's visa to Isa was an unusual and provocative one, the first time New Delhi was taking on China. Even Rebiya Kadeer, chief of the World Uyghur Congress, was not granted a visa by India in 2009.

Dolkun Isa at a protest against the Chinese government.

And so, when India cancelled its e-visa to Isa, the Modi government seemed to have unwittingly signalled that China still calls the shots in this bilateral relationship. The government has been publicly embarrassed, though officially it continues to maintain that Isa's e-visa was revoked because such a visa is only issued for tourism purposes and Isa was coming to India to attend a conference. New Delhi has also suggested that the Interpol's red corner notice was one of the reasons for the cancellation even though Isa has been travelling to other countries such as the US and Japan without much problem.

Isa has expressed his disappointment at the turn of events and has pinned the blame on the doors of China, suggesting that "Chinese pressure" would have been behind India's decision as China "has regularly attempted to block or interfere with my human rights work at the UN in Geneva, in particular". China did protest diplomatically to India and underlined that "Dolkun is a terrorist on red notice of the Interpol and Chinese police". After Isa's case, it has emerged that two more Chinese activists Li Jinghua and Ray Wong were not given visas by New Delhi.

The Modi government is receiving flak from various quarters - not only from its opponents but also from its supporters who have long wanted New Delhi to follow a more muscular approach vis-a-vis China.

Moreover, there are issues pertaining to India's support for democratic forces in its vicinity. For a country that never fails to mention its democratic credentials in its quest for major power status, such pusillanimity on its core values does not inspire much confidence.

It is true that New Delhi-Beijing is a major bilateral relationship that India needs to nurture with due diligence. It needs to worry about economic and trade ties with China as well as China's hands-off approach vis-a-vis separatists in Kashmir and the Northeast.

Yet, there were ways in which the government could have salvaged the situation better once the visa was issued rather than taking an embarrassing U-turn, which has left most baffled owing to the sheer incompetence with which such a serious issue was handled.

This is a consequence of the way in which foreign affairs and national security are being dealt with under the Modi administration. Though foreign policy has largely been a success story for the two-year-old government, there are big personalities at play and the institutions are working in silos without any meaningful coordination.

In this case, the ministry of external affairs was reportedly kept out of the loop as the ministry of home affairs and the national security adviser's office became the ultimate arbiters, resulting in a policy which has lowered India's stock at multiple levels. It once again underscores how vulnerable India remains to Chinese pressures even as it demonstrates New Delhi's inability to execute tough foreign policy decisions.

It also makes it clear that India does not have any real leverage vis-a-vis China at a time when relations between the two sides are becoming increasingly difficult.
Corrections reform has become one of Attorney General Wayne Stenehjems key planks in his campaign for governor. The states prison system and most county jails are dealing with overcrowding issues. And, as Department of Corrections Director Leann Bertsch noted in the past, we cant build our way out of the problem.

Stenehjem told the Tribune Editorial Board last week that the state needs to find alternatives to prison sentences, especially in many drug cases. He wants the state to develop better treatment options for those fighting addiction and mental illness. Defendants facing drug-related charges wont get a pass, theyll be expected to get treatment, be tested to prove they are clean and be required to not have any more violations.

Drug dealers, the ones responsible for getting people hooked on drugs, still will be facing jail time, in many cases lengthy sentences.

This isnt a new issue and its a problem across the nation. The Tribune has been consistent in urging reforms and work is underway on developing solutions.

The interim Incarceration Issues Committee has been holding hearings and working with the nonpartisan Council of State Governments Justice Center. The council in a recent meeting with the committee cited a 2014 study that found two-thirds of North Dakota judges had sentenced someone to prison so they could get treatment. The council noted that this is the most expensive way to provide treatment.

The interim Incarceration Issues Committee has been asked to develop legislation to cut costs and reduce recidivism. Whatever they offer will likely face a battle. The 2017 legislative session will be dealing with tighter budgets and there may be some reluctance to use funds on corrections reforms. However, as Stenehjem argues, there will be a return on the investment in treatment. If offenders can be turned into productive citizens they will be a benefit to society.

Thats why its important the committee do a thorough job on legislation. They need to be able to persuade the Legislature to act.

On the national level, the group Law Enforcement Leaders to Reduce Crime and Incarceration also is working on alternatives to arrest and prosecution. More than 100 current and former law enforcement leaders are involved in the project. The groups recommendations could prove helpful to North Dakota.

Last fall the states prison population was 1,783, more than triple the 578 inmates in 1995. Projections show the population reaching 2,985 by 2025. The state needs to find a way to stop that growth and the interim committee can play a major role in doing so.

We need to end the waste of talent caused by drugs and the financial drain from the overcrowded prison and jails.
GRAND FORKS -- In some ways, Wayne Stenehjem's campaign for North Dakota governor began long before he officially launched it last November in a Grand Forks coffee shop.

More than two decades before Stenehjem was sworn in to his current job as the state's attorney general, he was elected to his first public office as a legislator from Grand Forks. A relative unknown then, Stenehjem is now relying on his decades of experience and name recognition to help win the most high-profile election of his career.

While Stenehjem often touts his record as the state's longest-serving attorney general, his years representing Grand Forks in the Legislature helped lay the early groundwork for his electoral success. The district is home to many University of North Dakota students who end up living across the state working as doctors, attorneys, engineers and in other professions.

"Those folks have fanned out," Stenehjem said. "It's like a feeder system for a statewide coalition of supporters."

Stenehjem's classmates and colleagues from his early days in the Legislature remembered him as a hardworking and personable student and lawmaker who was bound for big things.

"He seemed like the kind of guy who was a serious thinker, but at the same time a normal sort of guy who you could have a beer with," said Fred Strege, a Wahpeton attorney who graduated from the UND School of Law with Stenehjem in 1977. "The way he's handled the attorney general's office is similar I think to the way he was in law school."

But that long career has also fed into a criticism from Stenehjem's opponent, Fargo businessman Doug Burgum, that North Dakota politics is too heavily influenced by "career politicians" and a "good old boys" network of insiders. The contrasts in the Republican candidates' backgrounds and styles has produced an intriguing primary battle, with Burgum pointing to his business skills as an asset to manage the state's fiscal woes and Stenehjem citing his experience in public office as a steady hand at the wheel.

"I know that his service in the Legislature has benefitted him greatly in his work as attorney general and I suspect it would be the same in being governor," said Daniel Traynor, a Devils Lake attorney and former state Republican party chairman who is supporting Stenehjem's campaign for governor. "You've got to know how the process works."

A student for office

Stenehjem's political roots began in Grand Forks, but he was born in Mohall, N.D., a town of almost 800 north of Minot. After living in Williston and Bismarck, Stenehjem came to UND in 1972 to study history and English.

At that time, Stenehjem said, most large counties in North Dakota were made up of one legislative district, including Grand Forks County, where lawmakers ran at-large. But a federal court case in the 1970s prompted the state had to switch to single-senatorial districts, helping to create District 42 as the area around the UND campus.

"A lot of us started thinking this is now a student district, where the bulk of the interest in the district is students and university-related activities," Stenehjem said.

It made sense, then, that a student should run for the Legislature. That's where Stenehjem, who already had an interest in politics and who had family members involved in the political process, came in.

"I just realized I knew a tremendous amount of people personally," he said. "Which is one of the unique things about this district, because you really do come in contact with each other frequently."

Stenehjem thought about running for the state Senate, but at 23 years old, he was too young to do so. He was first elected to the House while he was still in law school in 1976 and opened a Grand Forks law firm soon after. Stenehjem spent four years in the House before winning election to the Senate in 1980.

'Pretty idealistic'

But even with a self-described passion for representing his district, Stenehjem acknowledges he was "green" in those early days.

"We thought we were invincible at that time," said Jack Ingstad, a former Grand Forks lawmaker. "I think when you're younger and you're put in those roles, you don't understand some of the barriers that people who have been in it for 40 years understand they face. We were pretty idealistic."

And Stenehjem certainly didn't have the name recognition that he does today. He remembered once being mistaken for an aide by someone looking for a cup of coffee early in his career.

But Ingstad said Stenehjem was "very active" and constantly tweaking legislation and introducing new bills. Stenehjem said his first major bill that passed into law updated state statute on tenant-landlord relationships, including provisions on how landlords could handle security deposits.

Along the way, Stenehjem learned how to legislate, build coalitions and rally support for bills.

"One of the main things that you learn is that today's enemy is tomorrow's ally," he said. "So you cannot afford, on any individual bill that you might disagree on, to make an enemy."

Ray Holmberg, a Republican state senator from Grand Forks who was first elected to office the same year as Stenehjem, said colleagues respected Stenehjem and paid attention when he spoke or introduced a bill. That helped him get legislation passed while Republicans were in the minority during the late 1980s and early 1990s, he added.

Stenehjem made domestic violence prevention a focus of his legislative career -- Holmberg said the laws on the books at the time were not "very protective" -- and he eventually rose to the chairmanship of the Senate Judiciary Committee.

But Stenehjem didn't seek attention for his accomplishments, Traynor said.

"He was accessible and available, but he wasn't somebody who was a great promoter of himself," he said.

Higher office

Stenehjem flirted with higher office with a bid for labor commissioner in 1990 -- neither he nor Ingstad ultimately received the nomination -- and was once a candidate for the North Dakota Supreme Court, according to the court's website. He was also on a 1989 list to become U.S. attorney for North Dakota under President George H.W. Bush, a post that later was given to Bismarck attorney Steve Easton, according to archives.

It wasn't until the turn of the century, 24 years after first being elected to the North Dakota House, until Stenehjem was elected to statewide office.

Citing the demands of his work and constant travel between Bismarck and Grand Forks, Stenehjem said he realized he needed to make a choice: practice law or go into public office, but not both. With the encouragement of his wife, Beth, he chose to run for attorney general in 2000 but faced a formidable opponent in Glenn Pomeroy, a former North Dakota Insurance Commissioner.

"I didn't know if I would win," he said. "I was reasonably prominent here, but not statewide."

He won the election with nearly 56 percent of the vote.

'They trust me'

Sixteen years later, Stenehjem is in the middle of a heated primary battle for the governor's office. Burgum, who grew Great Plains Software as chairman and CEO and led it through a sale to Microsoft, has drawn the ire of some Republicans for his use of the term "career politicians," but he said in an interview that label is not meant for legislators.

"One of the great things about North Dakota is that we've got people with real jobs, real businesses, real life experiences that come together every two years to form our Legislature," he said.

But Burgum has called for term limits for statewide officials, arguing that it's a way to break up "power structures."

"I think there's real value in having the rotation of people in and out of government and the private sector, private sector to government, exchanging those ideas," Burgum said. He also pointed out that Stenehjem is running in the middle of his term as attorney general, meaning he could remain in one of the state's highest offices even if he doesn't win the election, and he would be able to appoint an attorney general if he's elected as governor.

For his part, Stenehjem pointed out that he was not appointed to his current position, and he instead earned the support of the majority of North Dakota voters.

"We do, of course, have term limits, and that's exercised on a case-by-case basis," he said. "And the voters can turn anybody out any time they want to."

Delegates at the state Republican convention last month chose not to do that, and Stenehjem won the party's endorsement on the second ballot in a three-way race. Whether voters again choose him over Burgum in the June 14 primary election -- and move on to the November general election against Democrat Marvin Nelson -- remains to be seen.

"I've learned in the 40 years that I've been involved in the political process that I know a lot of them, they know me, and I think they trust me," Stenehjem said.
The No. 2 Brown men's lacrosse team outlasted Virginia through two lightning delays on Saturday night to win, 19-11, at Fifth Third Bank Stadium in Kennesaw, Georgia.

With the loss Virginia (7-8) concludes its 2016 season.

Brown (14-1) took an early 2-0 lead on back-to-back goals by Dylan Molly. Zed Williams found James Pannell at 9:04 in the first quarter to put UVa on the board for the first time, cutting the Brown lead to 2-1.

Kylor Bellistri scored for Brown with 8:11 left in the first quarter, giving the Bears a 3-1 lead. Ryan Lukacovic found Williams with 5:30 left in the first quarter, cutting UVAs deficit to one goal, 3-2.

As soon as the goal was scored, play was halted due to lightning in the area. The delay lasted 1:24. Play resumed at 8:39 p.m. Lukacovic scored unassisted with 28 seconds left in the first quarter, tying the game 3-3.

The Bears responded with a 3-0 run, taking a 6-3 lead with 13:01 left in the opening half. Pannell scored with 11:47 left in the second quarter, cutting UVAs deficit to 6-4. Henry Blynn scored at 10:57, pushing the Brown lead back to three goals, 7-4.

Virginia finished the first half on a 4-2 run. Pannell started the run with 10:18 left in the second quarter and he capped the run with 22 seconds left in the opening half on a Ryan Conrad helper. Michael Howard and Greg Coholan also scored during the run. Brown owned a 9-8 lead going into the intermission.

Brown scored twice in the first 16 seconds of the third quarter, taking an 11-8 lead. However, lightning came into the area again and the second delay commenced.

The second delay lasted only 18 minutes and play resumed at 9:55 p.m. Coming out of the delay Brown went on a 5-0 run to take a 16-8 lead into the final frame.

Brown scored three open-net goals in the fourth quarter as UVas defense tried to double the ball. AJ Fish, Williams and Ryan Conrad all scored for the Cavaliers in the fourth quarter.

Brown won the battle of shots (57-37), ground balls (41-27), faceoffs (21-12) and saves (13-11).

Pannell led UVa with four goals.
HARRISONBURG  Repeated appeals for Republican unity werent enough to stop a bitter floor battle for presidential delegates Saturday at the Virginia GOP convention in Harrisonburg, where supporters of Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas used their overwhelming numbers to secure 10 of 13 delegate slots up for grabs.

Supporters of front-runner Donald J. Trump  who won the states March 1 primary with almost 35 percent of the vote  cried foul early and often, accusing the establishment of defying the will of Virginia voters by packing the slate with Cruz supporters.

The personal loyalties of the Virginia delegation could quickly become moot if Trump gets the 1,237 delegates he needs to win the nomination outright. But if Cruz, who finished third in the Virginia primary, successfully forces multiple rounds of voting this summer at the national convention in Cleveland, a significant portion of Virginias votes could swing to Cruz.

The Cruz-friendly slate passed by a 1,033-858 margin of raw votes.

Former Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli, who is leading the Cruz campaigns national hunt for delegates and will serve as a Virginia delegate in Cleveland, said the convention showed Cruzs superior ability to organize the grassroots.

Cuccinelli rules out run for governor in 2017 Corey Stewart, a Prince William County supervisor, says he will challenge Ed Gillespie, former chairman of the Republican National Committee, and Rep. Robert J. Wittman, R-1st.

"This is a competition. And they are incapable of competing effectively on the ground, Cuccinelli said of the Trump campaign.

More than 2,500 party officials and activists attended the convention, held in an arena on the campus of James Madison University. In an unofficial round of cheering for the three remaining candidates, Cruz drew the loudest roar, followed by a little less noise for Trump and virtually none for Ohio Gov. John Kasich.

Cuccinelli said the Cruz campaign had the numbers to take all 13 delegates, but allowed three Trump slots as a compromise and olive branch.

Corey Stewart, Trumps Virginia campaign chairman, called it a screw-you branch.

Stewart, a Prince William county supervisor, was denied a spot on the delegate list, which he said was an attempt by Cruz forces, particularly Cuccinelli, to embarrass the Trump campaign.

It just shows no respect for the supporters of Donald Trump who won the primary, Stewart said. And it's destructive to the party.

Trumps first-place finish in the primary guarantees hell receive 17 of Virginias 49 delegate votes on the first ballot at the July national convention in Cleveland. If no candidate were to win the nomination after the first vote, Virginia delegates would be free to vote for the candidate they personally support.

Cruz supporters were elected to five of six delegate slots already decided at two smaller, district-level meetings. The rest of the 33 delegates from Virginias 11 congressional districts will be elected at meetings later this month.

In other convention action, RPV Chairman John Whitbeck was elected to another four-year-term, successfully fending off a challenge by former state Senate candidate Vince Haley.

Cynthia Dunbar, a former member of the Texas Board of Education, defeated Suzanne Obenshain, the wife of Sen. Mark R. Obenshain, R-Rockingham, in a race to represent the state as committeewoman on the Republican National Committee.

Former Texas governor Rick Perry endorsed Dunbar in a videotaped message played at the convention.
Insanity defense trials dont happen often.

When such cases do go to trial, the defense usually loses.

Thats the challenge facing attorneys for Steven Vander Briel, a 31-year-old New Jersey native who is scheduled to go on trial for murder Monday. His attorneys said they will pursue an insanity defense on the murder charge that Briel faces in the death of one of his University of Mary Washington housemates a little more than a year ago.

In court last week, veteran Fredericksburg-area attorney Mark Gardner acknowledged the challenge of an insanity defense.

One primary hurdle, he said in court, is that most people dont know what happens to a defendant found not guilty by reason of insanity.

Some attorneys dont know, he said, adding that, in his 35 years trying cases, Briels will be his first insanity case that he will argue in front of a jury.

Defendants found not guilty by reason of insanity are civilly committed to a secure mental health facility under the custody of the Virginia Department of Behavioral Health & Developmental Services.

Department experts evaluate patients periodically to determine whether to release them or continue to hold them in custody.

The department says there are an average of 35 cases annually statewide in which a defendant is found not guilty by reason of insanity.

According to the department, those committed following insanity cases spend an average of 6.5 years in an institution. But many stay longer and some spend the rest of their lives in a mental facility.

One famous example of an insanity defense is John Hinckley Jr., who attempted to assassinate President Ronald Reagan in 1982. He was found not guilty by reason of insanity and committed to St. Elizabeth's Hospital.

While he has been allowed to leave the facility to visit family, Hinckley remains committed at the hospital more than three decades later.

While insanity defense cases are rare, there was a spike in Virginia last year involving committals to mental health facilities, according to the states behavioral services department.

There were 90 insanity case committals in 2015, compared with an average of 61 a year from 201014.

University of Virginia School of Law Professor Richard Bonnie, who teaches and writes about the law and is well known for his work in forensic psychology, figures insanity defenses account for less than 1 percent of all cases.

Its really a rare thing, said Bonnie, author of The Trial of John W. Hinckley, Jr.: A Case Study in the Insanity Defense. But he added that they are the kinds of cases that tend to get a lot of attention.

One reason there arent many insanity defense cases is that its a high threshold to meet, in Virginia and nationwide. Such high-profile defendants as D.C. sniper Lee Boyd Malvo, Colorado movie theater shooter James Holmes and serial killers Jeffrey Dahmer and John Wayne Gacy failed to meet the standard of legal insanity.

According to Virginia law, in order to be found not guilty by reason of insanity, a defendant must have an underlying mental disease or defect. It must be proved that during the crime, the defendant did not realize the act was wrong or that an irresistible impulse drove the defendant to commit the crime.

Its a narrow test. Its a narrow defense, said Bonnie.

When two experts agree that a defendant meets the insanity standard, both sides usually come to a mutually agreed outcome, said Bonnie.

The professor said he wasnt familiar with the Briel case. Attorneys involved in the case have not given any indication that such an agreement is possible.

According to court records, Briel told his other housemates that he and Mann had gotten into a fight on the afternoon she was killed, but prosecutors have not publicly offered any additional details about a possible motive for the crime.

Briel has undergone two psychological evaluations, but the findings have not been released with other court documents.

Bonnie said insanity cases that go to trial are usually an uphill battle for the defense. He cited data indicating that the defense loses 75 percent of such trials.

Convincing a jury to acquit a person who committed a crime is not a promising position to take.

In court, Gardner characterized it as troubling for jurors to find that a person who committed a crime is not being held responsible in the typical legal sense.

Bonnie said jurors are naturally skeptical of the insanity defense.

However, he pointed out that such a defense is essential to the moral integrity of the law because sometimes finding a defendant not guilty by reason of insanity is clearly the right thing to do and legally the proper outcome.
HASTINGS, Minn. -- It takes many pairs of hands to keep This Old Horse going.

Seven hundred and twelve of them, to be exact.

Thats how many volunteers have worked with the Hastings sanctuary for retired horses since it started keeping formal track in 2014. Without them, founder Nancy Turner is positive she couldnt keep Wishbone Ranch, This Old Horses 43-acre farm about 30 minutes south of St. Paul, up and running. The organization has just five paid employees  a program director, a barn manager and three stable hands  and none of them is full time.

Volunteers are what Turner was counting on when she started This Old Horse in 2012. Turner, who runs a business managing group homes for vulnerable adults, had noticed a problem with horses that grew too old for full-time use in therapeutic riding programs; they were often too expensive for owners to keep but had nowhere to go. She calls such horses unwanted, not unloved.

I took two, three then four of those horses into my own barn, and I felt I had an embarrassment of riches, she said.

Turner said she checked with other rescue groups but found that most concentrated on horses that had been neglected or abused. She tried to work out a business plan for feeding and sheltering old horses without much of a revenue stream but determined it just wasnt feasible.

And then she changed her mind.

All of a sudden, it was like What if people helped?  Turner said. We just jumped off the cliff.

Its quite a cliff. There are 30 horses at Wishbone Ranch, and 33 have been placed in foster care at nearby farms. Turner estimates about 150 horses have gone through This Old Horse in its four years of operation. Most have grown too old for work in mounted police or therapeutic riding programs. Some are show horses or racehorses who came up lame or aged out of competition; others had to be surrendered because their owners could no longer afford them. Although This Old Horse concentrates on retirees  its motto is Thank you for your loyal service  it also takes in rescue horses as the need arises. Turner said she gets about 20 calls a month regarding horses she doesnt have room or money for. The waiting list to surrender a horse is usually around 50.

This Old Horse has an annual budget of $330,000. Boarding 10 horses at Wishbone Ranch brings in a little revenue, as does taking donated equipment to tack swaps, but Turner estimates 80 percent of it comes from fundraising and donors.

Turner describes funding This Old Horse as a pinch every month.

I just hate to see that, she said with a small laugh as she walked past a dwindling pile of hay bales. Because that means another call to the hay vendor and then another bill.

Events like This Old Horses May 7 Run for the Roses 5K and Minnesotas statewide Give to the Max Day help. Some people who have surrendered their horses also help  one donor couldnt afford to maintain a horse any longer but contributes $100 a month to its upkeep and visits regularly.

A great model

The volunteers are what keep This Old Horse functioning.

I think (Nancys) got a great model, and shes got a huge network of volunteers. She brings a real genius to getting people engaged and invested, said Stacy Bettison, vice president of the Minnesota Horse Welfare Coalition.

Michelle Hoffman, the programs volunteer director, said most volunteers work on feed crews, brigades that handle the twice-daily undertaking of bringing all 40 horses in from pastures for hay and grain. Volunteers also make sure each horse is groomed at least once a week and perform barns chores, like mucking out stalls and cleaning water pails.

For every 12 hours of volunteering, a participant earns a riding lesson. Turner said riding lessons often cost $45 to $50 an hour, so the option of earning them with service is especially attractive to families.

The moms are crazy for it, because when else do you get three hours with your teenage kid and then have something in common to talk about in the car on the way home? she said.

Turner thinks a love for horses also prompts people to volunteer. Shes noticed many people are interested in horses but dont have the time, space or money to have their own.

We created a community here, she said. We wanted to gather people who love horses or think they might love horses and get in one place.

Pete Swentik found This Old Horse after he went through a divorce and his former wife kept the horses they had together. Now, hes the organizations barn manager.

Everybody wants to feel needed, and when you hang out around a horse, you feel like, I need to be here. It needs me,  he said.
Hyderabad: Thousands of students who took the medical stream of Fridays AP Eamcet might have to write the test again. This situation will arise if the Supreme Court disallows the plea of the AP government to exempt the state from joining the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test this year.

Close to 1 lakh candidates wrote the test in AP and a few centres in Hyderabad.

Mr P.V.R.K. Murthy, chairman of Sri Gayatri institutions, said it all wont depend on the fate of the pleas of the AP and TS governments in the apex court, which will be known later this week.

The AP Eamcet will be rendered useless at least for filling medical seats, which will be done by Neet if the Supreme Court insists on it. The agriculture and veterinary seats can be filled based on Eamcet ranks. Medicine aspirants will have to write the Neet slated for July 24, he said.

Mr Murthy said that both AP and TS were seeking exemption for this year citing reasons like Article 371(D) of the Constitution and the Presidential Order which governs reservations for students from the two states in medical institutions.

AP has conducted its exam while TS is set to conduct it in the next few days. If directions are given that all states should join Neet this year, there will be no option before the government and students from Telangana state and Andhra Pradesh but to toe the line, he told this correspondent.

Telangana state government officials stated that Eamcet might go on irrespective of the court verdict. It is too early to comment on this since the government will be filing a review petition at the earliest. Even if orders are passed making it mandatory for all states to join Neet, the Eamcet might still be held for filling seats in agriculture and veterinary streams, TSCHE chairman Prof. N. Papi Reddy said.
Students are asked to appear for both NEET 1 and CET.

Bengaluru: The state government has asked second year PU students to appear for the first phase of National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) for admission to MBBS and BDS courses on Sunday and also the Common Entrance Test scheduled for May 4 and 5.

At a joint press conference here on Saturday, Law and Higher Education Minister T.B. Jayachandra and Medical Education Minister Dr Sharanprakash Patil said the government would appeal against the Supreme Court order on NEET, which is coming up for hearing on May 3.

But it is better for the students to appear for both NEET 1 and CET. The government will file a petition seeking the apex courts permission to implement its NEET order from the next academic year, they said.
Dhaka: Pakistan People's Party chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has called upon Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to step down until investigations into the offshore assets of his family are completed.

"Mian sahib, you had demanded the resignation of former prime minister of our party Yousaf Raza Gilani and now we demand your resignation till the completion of investigation into the Panama leaks," Bilawal said on Saturday while addressing his first-ever political gathering in Azad Jammu and Kashmir where general elections are scheduled in June.

The scion of the Bhutto dynasty predicted that the ruling Pakistan Muslim League would not complete its five-year term.

Bilawal said the Panama leaks have exposed the Prime Minister. He added that his insincerity with the nation is now in the open and his term is nearing its end.

Accusing the Prime Minister of letting business interests dictate his policies, Bilawal said, "Alas! You have been the prime minister thrice, but you could not become a leader."

Bilawal also criticised Sharif's relationship with his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi, accusing the government of ignoring human rights violations in India-held Kashmir.

This is the first time the party has blatantly called for the Prime Minister to step down in the wake of allegations.
Bengaluru: Defending the hike in property tax in Bengaluru, which has drawn much flak from the opposition and people alike, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Saturday insisted the increased revenue was necessary to fund its infrastructure development.

Inaugurating a flyover in Rajajinagar Block I, Mr Siddaramaiah pointed out that the zonal revision for property tax had been put on hold on the advice of Bengaluru-in-charge minister, K.J George and mayor Manjunath Reddy, who felt that people were being overburdened. "However, to develop the city with a population of over a crore, we need more revenue, he contended.

While the BBMP had presented a budget for Rs 8,000 crore, it was collecting only Rs 1,900 crore in revenue, he pointed out. How can you generate an additional Rs 6,000 crore without such moves? Basic infrastructure problems like traffic congestion, lack of drinking water have to be dealt with and we need more revenue for this, he maintained.

He also referred to the garbage crisis in the city, saying he was dismayed at its mismanagement. Despite setting up seven new plants and processing 2,200 tonnes of garbage, we have not been able to find a permanent solution to disposing waste, he agreed.

AAP faults both BJP and Congress

Meanwhile, accusing BJP of shedding crocodile tears on the property tax hike, state convener of the Aam Aadmi Party, Prithvi Reddy claimed the previous BBMP Council, which it headed, was responsible for the present mess.

The Congress too was using a scare and pacify tactic to raise property tax, he charged, demanding that the BBMP should publish a white paper on property tax defaulters and ensure that the dues are collected within a month.

BJP withdraws protests

BJP corporators, who had created a ruckus over the increase in property tax in the BBMP council, withdrew their protest Saturday morning. Later, addressing a press conference, opposition leader , Padmanabha Reddy demanded mayor Manjunath Reddys resignation for calling the BJP and other corporators third grade politicians.

When he belongs to a party led by a woman , how can he insult women corporators who protested in the Council? He should apologize and resign as the mayor, he demanded.
Even nearly 54 years after its humiliating military defeat at the hands of China, India clearly is in no mood to risk another conflict. While defence experts point out that war between the two nuclear-armed Asian giants is not an option, the more realistic worry is a localised skirmish that could test the nerves of both sides. With a belligerent and hostile Pakistan Army on its western front, India will have to weigh the costs of opening another front on its east. The Indian security establishment has been grappling with the nightmarish possibility of a two-front war that India could face in future, a euphemism for a joint Sino-Pakistani military attack on India.

But even on its own, the 2.3 million-strong Chinese Peoples Liberation Army (PLA), which enjoys a considerable numerical superiority, packs in quite a punch and India will clearly have to punch much above its weight if it is ever locked in a conflict situation with the Chinese dragon. The reasons are not far to seek. The 1.2 million-strong Indian Army has not acquired modern artillery guns for nearly three decades now, the last artillery acquisition being the Bofors guns in the late 1980s. Plans to acquire ultra-light howitzer (ULH) artillery guns, ideal for mountain warfare and to have been deployed in the eastern sector facing China, have yet to see the light of day. The Indian Army currently has about 6,400 battle tanks, far less than the 9,100 that China has. The Indian Navy is suffering from a critical shortage of submarines and has about 15 currently, at a time when China has 68 of these. The Indian Air Force (IAF) also desperately wants induction of modern fighter aircraft, especially the multi-role medium combat aircraft (MMRCA) to boost the number of its fighter squadrons. The IAF has about 650 fighter aircraft while the Chinese have about 1,200 of these. Plans to build border roads in the eastern sector have been delayed by years.

Establishment of a mountain strike corps of the Army in the eastern sector, already underway, will be completed only by 2021 amid reports that the process of its raising may be hit by a lack of adequate financial resources. The mountain strike corps was envisaged to give the Indian Army offensive capabilities vis-a-vis China for the very first time, considering that the Army has traditionally adopted a defensive posture on that sector following its defeat in 1962.

Conflict is always a possibility if diplomacy fails. But there are always warnings and an escalatory ladder. Nothing happens overnight. The world is not going to let the escalatory ladder hit the pinnacle, points out former Northern Army Commander Lt. Gen. (retd.) B.S. Jaswal who, as Northern Command chief, was refused a visa to visit China in 2010. A possibility of a low-cost, high pay-off skirmish in eastern Ladakh cannot be ruled out in future, he says. For India, war is not an option, war-avoidance is. The Chinese have a distinct military advantage if there is a conflict, but it will not be a 1962-like situation. The military costs that India will impose on the aggressor will make it difficult for the Chinese. It will not be a cakewalk for them, he believes. The former Northern Army Commander also points out that for India to adequately protect itself, there needs to be not just one but two mountain strike corps. While the current mountain strike corps being raised is primarily meant to bolster the eastern sector, he says, the other one should be positioned on the western sector. We dont have enough strike and offensive elements, he concedes. Defence experts also caution against a lightning thrust and localised skirmish in J&Ks eastern Ladakh (the northern sector) by the Chinese to demoralise the Indian Army and test its nerves, saying the failures of 1962 must never be repeated.

A Parliamentary Defence Standing Committee report tabled last year had shockingly revealed, The Committee is dismayed to note that in Tawang (Arunachal) area (the eastern sector) the situation is very critical in so far as connectivity is concerned. In case of war, the Army cannot reach there in a day. While our neighbouring countries (a clear reference to China) can reach the borders within two or three hours, our Army takes more than a day to reach there. This is a matter of great concern with regard to our Defence Preparedness. About 90,000 sq km of Arunachal Pradesh is claimed by China as its own territory and the Chinese are almost certainly expected to mount a sharp attack on Tawang in case a conflict ever breaks out again.

In another major admission that caused much alarm, the IAF recently said it simply did not have adequate fighter aircraft to launch a full-fledged air campaign in case of a two-front war, a euphemism for the theoretical possibility of a simultaneous Sino-Pakistani attack on India. The sanctioned numerical strength of the IAF fighter aircraft squadrons should be 42 but currently it is only 33. IAF Vice-Chief Air Marshal B.S. Dhanoa  who is likely to be India's next IAF chief eventually  said, Our numbers are not adequate to fully execute an air campaign in a two-front scenario... Are the numbers adequate? No. The squadrons are winding down. We have given our concerns to the government. The government is seized of this problem...

When asked about the increasing Chinese Air Force (PLAAF) sorties over the Tibet region bordering India, IAF chief Air Chief Marshal Arup Raha too had admitted last year that the Chinese PLAAF presence in that area was increasing exponentially. No doubt, an indication of Chinese military preparedness that India has much to learn from.

A lot of China all around

China is widely seen to have adopted a string of pearls strategy to encircle India. Perhaps the two most important aspects of this policy at present are the countrys maritime capability in the Indian Ocean and its building of an economic corridor with Pakistan through Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). Apart from its deep links with Myanmar, which has now distanced itself from Beijing to some extent, it attempted to woo Nepalese communist leaders, was close to the anti-India erstwhile Khaleda Zia regime in Bangladesh, wooed the former M. Rajapaksa regime in Sri Lanka and was suspected of having a hand in the earlier strain in ties between India and the Maldives. In short, the Chinese have constantly attempted to fish in troubled waters in the neighbourhood to Indias detriment. China is also understood to be interested in joining South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) to push its way further into the south Asian neighbourhood with ample Pakistani assistance. There have also been reports of

Chinese security personnel being involved in supply of arms to Northeast rebel groups based in Myanmar.

An internal defence thinktank report of the Indian government prepared earlier had revealed, Chinas recent strategic manoeuvres in and around the Indian Ocean Region (IOR) pose a threat to both Indias economic and security interests. Chinas naval capabilities have significantly expanded over the past few years with induction of new submarines, like the Shang and Jin class boats. It is well entrenched even in public discourse through think tanks and other agencies that the Chinese naval capability is proving to be a major limiting factor to other regional navies, especially the Indian Navy (IN). Chinese interests in the IOR will demand attempts to begin deterrent patrolling as early as within the next three years. These extended patrols may fully overlap with INs current area of operation and subsurface activity.

The report added, Without adequate bilateral military linkages and transparency standards, the threat of a serious reduction in sea denial and anti access in the IOR is a reality.

The presence of Chinese nuclear submarines in Sri Lankan waters had shaken New Delhi which had promptly taken up the matter with the then Rajapaksa regime in Colombo which was seen to be actively encouraging Beijing in its designs. The Chinese presence in development projects in the Maldives and its highly publicised rushing of civil supplies to Nepal during the Madhesi agitation also did not escape the attention of New Delhi.

What has worried New Delhi the most is the increasing presence of Chinese PLA troops in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) to monitor completion of infrastructure projects which are part of the US$ 46 billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). Chinese troops have also been reportedly spotted close to the LoC on the Pakistani side. Pakistan Army chief Gen. Raheel Sharif recently announced that his forces would ensure completion of the corridor.

Strategic affairs expert and director, Society for Policy Studies C. Uday Bhaskar says, China is seeking to enhance its presence in the IOR by way of bilateral relations with Pakistan, Sri Lanka and the Maldives. India has to evolve a long-term strategy in response. While India can be involved in a close partnership with Sri Lanka and Maldives, Pakistan is an exception since it has a relationship with India that is predicated on an anti-India position.

The CPEC is going to be problematic. China wants to increase its access to the Gwadar port in (Pakistans) Balochistan province. But more worryingly, the Chinese military (through its presence in PoK) will be positioning itself between India and Pakistan, points out JNU Professor in Chinese Studies Srikant Kondapalli. Its a strategy thats caught India in a bind.

India has options too, but those come with risks

Chinas recent decision to block Indias move at the UN  on Pakistani prodding  to get terror outfit Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) banned seemed to have opened up a new strategy of raising the costs for Beijing. Soon after China blocked the move, there were three high-level Indian interactions with that country. External affairs minister Sushma Swaraj held discussions with her Chinese counterpart in Moscow followed by high-level visits by defence minister Manohar Parrikar and national security advisor Ajit Doval to Beijing. The trio tried to impress upon the Chinese leadership that there could not be a differentiation made between good and bad terrorists and that such an approach would be dangerous for the neighbourhood. But the pleas fell on deaf ears.

Immediately afterwards, in a curious move, India issued a tourist visa to leading Chinese dissident and Uyghur activist Dolkun Isa  a leader of the World Uyghur Congress (WUC) who lives in Germany  who wanted to participate in a conference in Dharamsala, the home of supreme Tibetan spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama. At one stroke, the unified voice of Chinas oppressed minorities  the Tibetans and Uyghurs  seemed to have found global attention ahead of the conference that was to have been organised by a U.S.-based group to discuss democratic transformation in China. But it was not to be. After China retorted angrily, the ministry of home affairs cancelled the visa for the Uyghur activist on the grounds that it was a tourist e-visa and that such a visa could not be used to attend a conference. The episode, however, raised doubts on whether New Delhi, before backing off, had sent a subtle warning to Beijing that pressure could be applied, if necessary, on Chinas vulnerable pressure points that include Tibet, Xinjiang (the Muslim Uyghur-dominated province also known as Chinese Turkestan), Taiwan and the South China Sea.

We have put the Chinese on alert and have made it clear that our behaviour depends on reciprocity. There has been no sensitivity showed by China on Indian concerns, especially in the Masood Azhar case. New Delhi has found that Beijing is not really forthcoming on the issue of terrorism despite the fact that India had a decade ago accepted the Chinese concerns on the three evils that include separatism and extremism. India seems to have sent a clear message to China that if it does not behave, New Delhi is perfectly capable of issuing visas to prominent Chinese dissidents, pointed out JNU professor in Chinese Studies, Srikant Kondappali.

When the then Northern Army Commander Lt. Gen. B.S. Jaswal was denied a visa by the Chinese in 2010, India cancelled bilateral military engagements. Finally, they granted a visa (last year) to (the current) Northern Army Commander Lt. Gen. D.S. Hooda. It took the Chinese those many years to reverse their position, Professor Kondapalli pointed out.

However, former Indian diplomat and China expert T.C.A. Rangachari points out that there are inherent risks in confronting China and adds that India should do a full cost-benefit analysis before taking such a stand. You have to continue to talk to people. There has to be a process of dialogue. The Indian government has not yet reached breaking point. While we have serious differences of opinion on some issues with China, we should continue the dialogue along with attempts to persuade them on respecting our concerns. We have to be practical. Mr Rangachari adds, If you want to take it to a point of confrontation, you have to make a full calculation (of the risks). But it is not a position that I would take.

Just recently, New Delhi had hosted US defense secretary Ashton Carter and had agreed to ink a defence logistics pact with the Americans that would permit the use of each others bases for refuelling and replenishments of defence platforms such as warships and fighter aircraft. Both sides once again emphasised the importance of freedom of navigation in international waters in the South China Sea, again seen to be one of Chinas pressure points. This came amid an ongoing rebalance of US naval assets to the Asia-Pacific, an American move widely seen as a check on Chinese hegemony in the region.

Observers point out that any move by India in confronting China would have its risks. Army officers, speaking on condition of anonymity, say the situation at the Line of Actual Control (LAC) with China is peaceful and that there is none of the hostility associated with the Line of Control (LoC) facing Pakistan. It appears that the Modi government would like to keep it that way.
Smoke and fire billow from the desert of al Alam, east of the southern port city of Aden during a controlled explosion by Yemeni security forces to destroy explosives and mines laid by the al Qaeda. (Photo: AFP)

Dubai: Five years after the killing of al Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden, the network he founded is far from dead even if it has suffered a series of setbacks.

Replaced as the pre-eminent global jihadist power by the Islamic State group, al Qaeda nonetheless remains a potent force and a dangerous threat, experts say.

With last years Charlie Hebdo massacre in Paris and a wave of shootings in West Africa, al Qaeda has shown it can still carry out its trademark spectacular attacks.

And in Syria and Yemen, its militants have seized on chaos to take control of significant territory, even presenting themselves as an alternative to the brutality of IS rule.

By the time US special forces killed bin Laden in Pakistan on May 2, 2011, the group he founded in the late 1980s had been badly damaged, with many of its militants and leaders killed or captured in the US War on Terror.

Dissent grew in the jihadist ranks as new Qaeda chief, Ayman al Zawahiri, struggled in bin Ladens place until one of its branches, originally al Qaeda in Iraq, broke away to form the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL).

After seizing large parts of Iraq and Syria in 2014, the group declared an Islamic caliphate in areas under its control, calling itself the Islamic State.

Yemeni loyalist forces and onlookers gather at the scene of a suicide attack, targeting the police chief in the base of the Saudi-backed government on April 28, 2016 in Yemen's second city Aden. (Photo: AFP)

IS has since eclipsed its former partner, drawing thousands of jihadists to its cause and claiming responsibility for attacks that have left hundreds dead in Brussels, Paris, Tunisia, Turkey, Lebanon, Yemen, Saudi Arabia and on a Russian airliner over Egypt.

Media war machine

Its self-declared emir Abu Bakr al Baghdadi has won pledges of allegiance from extremist groups across the Middle East and beyond, with especially powerful IS affiliates operating in Egypts Sinai Peninsula and in Libya.

Jean-Pierre Filiu, a Paris-based expert on Islam and jihadist groups, said IS has been especially effective at using new technology to surpass its less tech-savvy rival.

Al Qaeda propaganda has become invisible on social networks thanks to the media war machine that Daesh has managed to successfully create, Filiu said, using an Arabic acronym for IS.

Al Qaeda has lost everywhere to Daesh, except in the Sahel desert region of northern Africa, he said.

William McCants, of the Brookings Institution in Washington, agreed that al Qaeda had lost some ground to IS but said the organisation has recovered.

The main branches of al Qaeda in the world. (Photo: AFP)

Al Qaeda has a strong showing in Syria and in Yemen, he said.

In Syria the groups local affiliate, al Nusra Front, is one of the strongest forces fighting President Bashar al Assads regime, holding large parts of the northern province of Idlib.

The local branch in Yemen, al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), has meanwhile seized significant territory in the south and southeast as the government struggles against Iran-backed Shiite insurgents who have taken the capital Sanaa and other areas.

AQAP suffered a setback last week when Yemeni troops recaptured the key port city of Mukalla it occupied for more than a year.

Attacks in Paris, west Africa

But AQAP remains the key jihadist force in Yemen with thousands of members compared with only several hundred affiliated with IS, McCants said.

AQAP, considered by Washington to be al Qaedas most well-established and dangerous branch, has also claimed responsibility for one of the groups most important attacks abroad in recent years.

In January 2015, gunmen stormed the Paris offices of satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo with assault rifles and other weapons, killing 12 people in an attack claimed by AQAP.

Another branch, al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM), has carried out assaults on hotels and restaurants in Mali, Burkina Faso and Ivory Coast since November that have left dozens dead, including many foreigners.

The attacks in west Africa have reasserted the regional presence of AQIM and shown its expanding reach, New York-based intelligence consultancy The Soufan Group said in March.

AQIM has used the attacks to challenge the influence of the Islamic State, to demonstrate and build its local support and to show that it is united after earlier damaging divisions, it said.

The International Crisis Group also argues that although IS has reshaped the jihadist landscape, al Qaeda has evolved and its branches in North Africa, Somalia, Syria and Yemen remain potent, some stronger than ever.

Some have grafted themselves onto local insurrections, displaying a degree of pragmatism, caution about killing Muslims and sensitivity to local norms, said the Brussels-based think-tank.

In this file image posted on the Twitter page of Ahrar al Sham on June 19, 2015, fighters march in the eastern Damascus suburb of Ghouta, Syria. (Photo: AP)

Al Qaeda chiefs in Yemen and elsewhere have condemned IS for some of its actions, including bombings of Shiite mosques.

Jihad will last decades

The United States clearly still sees Al-Qaeda as a key threat, pursuing a vigorous drone war against the group in Yemen.

The strikes have killed many senior operatives, including al Qaedas second-in-command Nasir al Wuhayshi in June 2015. In March a US strike on an AQAP training camp in Yemen killed at least 71 recruits.

Writing for French news website Atlantico in early April, former intelligence officer Alain Rodier said that while IS may have stolen the spotlight, al Qaeda may be in a better long-term position.

By rushing to declare its caliphate and establish its rule, IS has made itself an easier target, with thousands of its supporters killed in air strikes launched by a US-led coalition and by Russia.

Its harsh rule has also alienated potential supporters, while groups like al Nusra have instead sought to work with local forces in areas under their control.

The death of al Qaedas founding father in no way meant the end of his progeny, Rodier wrote. This jihad will last for decades.
Tariq Fatemi, the Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Foreign Affairs, responding to reports about the deadlock over the deal said that the "negotiations aren't over yet", reported BBC Radio. (Photo: AFP)

Islamabad: Pakistan is still negotiating with the US to purchase F-16 fighter jets despite difficulties in getting the USD 700 deal partially financed by American government, a top official said on Saturday.

The purchase hit snags after US Congress withheld 60 per cent of the aid earmarked for subsidising the deal opposed by some American lawmakers and India.

Tariq Fatemi, the Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Foreign Affairs, responding to reports about the deadlock over the deal said that the "negotiations aren't over yet", reported BBC Radio.

He said Pakistan's mission in Washington is currently in talks with members of Congress to raise awareness of Islamabad's views on the matter.

"America understands how important a role these eight F-16s can play in the fight against terror, which is why the request was made in the first place."

According to the deal, Pakistan would have paid USD 270 million and the remaining USD 430 million was to come from the US.

"There is a strong opposition to provide subsidised arms to other countries in the US Congress, but the Obama administration's offer of military aid to Pakistan still stands," Fatemi told BBC Radio.

Those opposing the deal argue that these jets can be used against India in case of a war.
The BJP in Gujarat never expected the Patels, the backbone of its support base, to turn against it. The Patels did, and the BJP government was so stunned that it did not know how to contain the state-wide agitation that at times turned violent.Taking a totally unjust approach, Gujarat slapped sedition charge against Hardik Patel, the agitation leader, and pushed him behind bars. The state government has now announced quota for the economically backward among the Patels, but the latter have rejected it.



The Patidars or Patels brought and kept the BJP in power in Gujarat for over two decades. The Jana Sangh had only about 2% of the vote in Gujarat till the 1970s and two moves in the 1980s produced a shift in the states politics.



Then chief minister Madhavsinh Solanki of the Congress introduced a vote bank strategy that was built around his own Kshatriya community, which was the second largest agricultural group after the Patels. To them, Solanki added the theoretical votes of Dalits, Adivasis and Muslims. This strategy was called by the acronym KHAM (Dalits are still referred to in Gujarat as Harijan, the term coined by Mahatma Gandhi) and it excluded, as is obvious, the states largest and most powerful community, the Patels.



The Patidars were seen as upper caste (Savarna) and they have traditionally opposed reservation because their rivals - the Kshatriyas - were classified as the Other Backward Classes (OBCs). It must be remembered that for decades before this, Patels had been Congress supporters. The success of Vallabhbhai Patel in the satyagrahas of Bardoli and Kheda was made possible by the Patel community. On the Congresss instigation, Patidars refused to pay the British higher tax and so had to give up their lands.



Left out by the KHAM grouping, in the late 1980s, the Babri Masjid movement attracted the Patels towards Hindutva. The BJP in Gujarat is the party of Patels, just as the BJP in Karnataka is the party of Lingayats. The majority of the BJP ministers in every Gujarat cabinet (including Narendra Modi's), has been made up of Patels. So, think of the Patel agitation as that of Lingayats in Karnataka suddenly attacking their own BJP government.



This is the background to the incarceration of Hardik Patel. The young man has had cases of sedition filed against him for instigating violence against the police, which Patels believe is biased. This is because the majority of policemen in Gujarat come from the Kshatriya community. The specific charge against Hardik is linked to this. He is supposed to have said to Patels contemplating suicide in anguish that they ought to kill the policemen instead of themselves.



The case against this statement was filed in October and this is how it was reported in DH: We (police) have filed a case of sedition against Hardik Patel for his October 3 comments here (Surat) telling his friends to kill policemen, said Surat City DCP Makrand Chauhan, who is a complainant in the case.



And so, the BJP leaders of Gujarat are faced with the strange situation of having their supporters beaten up and jailed and relying on their traditional opponents to do this. The question is: Why is Chief Minister Anandiben Patel using the strongest possible law against the young leader of her own community?



Sedition is the incitement of violent rebellion. Hardik Patel has been hit by this law to make his bail difficult. Whether or not his actions merited the charge, it has been used cynically in this instance.



The fact is that the BJP believes it does not have an option. Hardiks release will mean a full-scale revival of the agitation, which took the Gujarat BJP by total surprise. Having enjoyed power for 20 years, the Patel ministers confused their own success and prosperity with that of their community.



National attention



Releasing Hardik will mean national attention again on trouble in a state which the BJP has made the centrepiece of their development narrative. And it will mean an erosion of the BJP Patel voter and support base. The longer the agitation plays out on the streets of Surat, Ahmedabad, Rajkot and Baroda in Indias most urbanised state, the more it gives expression to Patel anger, and the more the Gujarat BJP believes, quite correctly, that it will suffer. And not only will the revival of the agitation undermine Modis fabled Gujarat Model, but it will also add fuel to the reservation flames around India.



In the north, their extreme violence has already produced victory for Haryanas Jats. Closer to us, the Kapus in Andhra Pradesh have already risen up in protest. And so much is at stake in the successful handling of Hardik. The BJPs Patel ministers have been trying to arrive at a compromise with the agitators. This has not gone far, according to reports. The Haryana BJPs surrender to the Jats has cut the ground under the feet of the Gujarat BJP to a large extent. The party has been trying to break up the various Patel groups and has also tried to reach some agreement with a faction. This has not worked either. The fact is that Patels genuinely want either to be included in the OBC category or they want all reservations to go.



So far, what has worked for the BJP is its temporary strategy of isolating Hardik by keeping him in jail. It has cooled off the agitation or at least made it dormant. The question is how long the government can keep him locked up and what will happen once he is out. Hardik already has filed bail applications in the Gujarat High Court. Sooner or later, he will be out. At that point or before that, the BJP must come up with a plan to pacify the Patidars, or face renewed opposition from its supporters.



Patels are hardened agitators with decades of experience in mobilising support and they will not be put off by a lollipop promise. They will insist on real recompense and here the BJP will struggle. How can it be possible pass off the states most landed, politically powerful, business-minded community as being backward? It cannot.



No survey will validate Patidars as being socially, educationally and economically backward. It is difficult to imagine a court in which such a proposition would pass scrutiny. Most worryingly for the BJP, the Hardik issue is linked to its long-term policies. Opponents will find it easy to say: If your own voters are saying that they are being excluded from progress, that they have no opportunity for employment and education, then what is this development that you are selling nationally and what is this Gujarat Model?



(Aakar Patel is a writer and a columnist)






Observing that the situation continues to be "grim" with no improvement appearing imminent, the panel has suggested beginning the hiring process before a post falls vacant. In order to make teaching more attractive, it has also suggested that the faculty should be encouraged to undertake consultancy.





In a report tabled earlier this week, the Parliamentary Standing Committee on HRD headed by BJP MP Satyanarayan Jatiya, voiced concern over "acute" shortage of faculty in higher education institutions across the country.





The panel said it was informed that the total number of sanctioned teaching posts in Central Universities is 16,600 out of which 2,376 are for the position of Professors, 4,708 Associate Professors and 9,521 Assistant Professors. Of the positions lying vacant 1,277 are for the post of Professor, 2173 Associate Professor and 2,478 Assistant Professor.





In the IITs, the committee said in its report, the minimum qualification for a faculty member is PhD and there is a shortage of such candidates. It noted that institutes were engaging faculty on contract basis to tide over the shortage.





"The committee is anguished to find out that right from well established Central Universities to those set up recently, State Universities as well as private universities, premier institutions like IITs, NITs and IIMs, this problem has emerged as the biggest handicap for the development and growth of Higher Education vis-a-vis maintaining the quality of education," the panel said.





It further observed that the situation continues to be "grim" with no improvement foreseen in the near future.





Either our young students are not attracted towards the teaching profession or the recruitment process is a prolonged one with too many procedural formalities, the panel said.





Asking the Department of Higher Education in the HRD ministry to assume a proactive role, the panel suggested that the recruitment process should start well in advance before a post is vacated.





It also advised the ministry to work in tandem with the institutes to "have this exercise on yearly basis and recruitment must be done in advance so that shortage does not develop into crisis."





The panel also said to make the teaching profession more attractive, "the faculty should be encouraged to undertake consultancy and given start-up financial support."

A Parliamentary committee has expressed "anguish" over shortage of faculty in higher education institutions, including Central Universities, IITs and IIMs, terming it as the "biggest handicap" in developing and maintaining the standard of education in the country.
Asked to explain the "real causes" of ballooning bad loans at public sector banks, RBI Governor Raghuram Rajan has put the blame on "overall economic downturn", among other reasons, in his submission to the key Parliamentary Panel.





Congress leader K V Thomas-led Public Accounts Committee (PAC), whose term ended yesterday, has examined Rajan's response but can ask the RBI Governor to appear before it in future once it is reconstituted, sources said.



Various public sector banks may also be asked to appear before the panel again to explain their position.



The Parliamentary Panel had suo motu decided to examine the non-performing assets of the public sector banks, which touched Rs 3.61 lakh crore at the end of December 2015.



At the end of December, as many as 701 accounts with bad loans exceeding Rs 100 crore owed public sector banks (PSBs) Rs 1.63 lakh crore, while SBI accounted for the biggest chunk.



PSBs had first refused to appear before PAC, but agreed later and made their submission.



During the examination of bad loan recovery process of the banks, the PAC found that in a number of cases the same bankers were trying to retrieve the bad loans who had earlier sanctioned the loans.



"Since the same officers, who sanctioned the loans are trying to retrieve it, it remains to be seen how successful they will be.. It seems they did not have a mechanism," a PAC member said on the condition of anonymity.



In its questionnaire for the RBI Governor, the panel observed that Private Sector Banks and Foreign Banks do not have as much NPAs as the Public Sector Banks. This was despite the constraints under which the entire banking sector operates being the same, except for the Priority Sector Lending (PSL) requirements.



Noting that Private Sector Banks and Foreign Banks have 2.2 per cent NPAs whereas the Public Sector Banks have 5.98 per cent NPAs, the PAC felt "it is hard to believe that the difference is only due to the PSL".



The PAC Chairman also sought to know the "real causes for the present spurt in NPAs and stressed assets" and whether these are really different from those listed by the Narsimham Committee that went into the NPA issue in 1998.



In his reply, Rajan said, "While some of the reasons for recent spurt in NPAs could be subset of those indicated by Narasimham Committee, the level of stressed assets are seen in the context of overall economic downturn".



Rajan listed six primary reasons for spurt in stressed assets that have been observed in recent times.



These included domestic and global economic slowdown, delays in statutory and other approvals especially for projects under implementation and aggressive lending practices during upturn as evidenced from high corporate leverage.



Other reasons cited by Rajan were laxity in credit risk appraisal and loan monitoring in banks and lack of appraising skills for projects that need specialised skills resulting in acceptance of inflated cost and aggressive projections. Besides, he also listed wilful default, loan frauds and corruption in some cases among the key reasons.



The CIC, acting on the letter from Kejriwal, had asked the Delhi University and Gujarat University to "make best possible search for the information regarding degrees in the name of Mr Narendra Damodardas Modi in the year 1978 (Graduation in DU) and 1983 (Post Graduation in GU) and provide it to the appellant Mr Kejriwal as soon as possible".



The genesis of the case is in two previous CIC orders and a scathing letter from Kejriwal to Information Commissioner Sridhar Acharyulu where he demanded that while he was ready to share information sought by RTI applicants, the CIC must also order disclosure of educational qualifications of the Prime Minister.



In a case related to one Neeraj Pandey, who sought information about electoral photo identity card of the Delhi Chief Minister, Acharyulu had sought explanation from Kejriwal why he as an MLA be not declared as Public authority under the RTI Act and why his party too was not brought under the Act.



Kejriwal in his response did not object to disclosure of information about him but raised a demand for information about Prime Minister's educational qualifications referring to Hans Raj Jain case, Acharyulu had noted.



"He stated that while CIC wanted Mr Kejriwal's information to be given, CIC was obstructing the information about degrees of Mr Modi, the Prime Minister. He expressed surprise over this and also doubted objectivity of the Commission," Acharyulu said.
Bangladesh police today arrested three men, including a member of the fundamentalist Jamaat-e-Islami and a journalist, for the brutal murder of a Hindu tailor by machete-wielding ISIS militants in the latest attack on secular writers and minorities in the Muslim-majority nation.





Two cases have also been filed over the killing of 50-year-old Nikhil Chandra Joarder, who was hacked to death by three assailants who forcibly entered his house and slit his throat yesterday in central Bangladesh's Tangail district.



One of the cases was filed over the murder of Joarder and another over bombs seized from a bag left by the assailants.



Police arrested Badsa Miah, Jamaat secretary of Gopalpur municipal unit, local BNP activist Jhantu Mia and a local journalist and Gopalpur Press Club's Vice-President Aminul Islam for the murder.



"They have been detained for questioning in connection with Joardar's murder as part of the investigation," Tangail's additional superintendent of police Mohammad Aslam Khan said.



Hours after Joarder's murder, US-based SITE Intelligence Group in a statement said that the Islamic State (ISIS) group has claimed responsibility for the attack.



ISIS' Amaq Agency reported the group's involvement in the killing of the Hindu tailor for blasphemy, it said in a tweet.



Media reports said Joarder had served three months in prison in 2012 for blasphemous comments.



Police said his neighbours feared Joarder might have drawn the wrath of the militants for his controversial comments.



"We are trying to track down the killers and called CID to probe the murder," police said.

There have been systematic assaults in Bangladesh in recent months, especially targeting minorities, secular bloggers, intellectuals and foreigners.



Last Saturday, a liberal professor was hacked to death by ISIS militants who slit his throat in Rajshahi city. Two days later, Bangladesh's first gay magazine editor was murdered along with a friend in his flat in Dhaka by Islamists.



In February, the head priest of a Hindu temple was killed in an area bordering India. It was the first attack by ISIS militants targeting the community.



Last year, four prominent secular bloggers were killed, one inside his own home.

In most of the cases, Islamic State or al-Qaeda in Indian Sub Continent have claimed the attacks. But the Bangladeshi government has repeatedly denies that jihadist groups were behind the spate of bloody attacks.



Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has often denied existence of any foreign terrorist groups in the country and has attributed the deadly attacks on homegrown extremists backed by the BNP, the main opposition outside parliament, and its ally Jamaat-e-Islami.




The two persons belonging to a little-known outfit -'Youth Swaraj' - showed black flags to the JNUSU president, besides raising slogan of 'Bharat Mata Ki Jai' while he was speaking at a function 'Azadi' in S K Memorial hall here organised by AISF and AIYF.





Kanhaiya's supporters thrashed the two persons in the hall. Later the police took the duo into custody. "Police have detained two persons in this regard," Patna Senior Superintendent of Police Manu Maharaj told PTI.





The two detainees have been identified as Nitish Kumar, a resident of Sitamarhi district, and Manikant Mani, a resident of Samastipur district, the police said, adding that the two youths are said to be the members of RSS.





The JNUSU president, who was addressing the gathering when the incident occurred, said he was not scared of such elements who oppose him or try to distub his functions.





"I am not scared of anything whether you hurl a shoe or a stone.... They want to disturb my programmes as they are uncomfortable with my questions," Kumar said.





Attacking Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Kumar alleged that he became the PM "with the support of capitalists" and cannot solve the problem of unemployment.





Criticizing those who say that tax-payers' money or subsidy being provided to the JNU is a waste of public money, Kumar said that there is a "conspiracy" to "defame" the premier academic institution of the country.





"I am a PhD scholar who is the son of an Anganwadi worker. This itself proves that taxpayers' money or subsidy given to JNU is spent and utilised properly," Kumar said, adding that people should not worry about wastage of taxpayers' money as a large majority of people in the country want JNU like institutions.





Alleging that only capitalists get loans from banks, he said they "do not repay loans and instead they fly to London overnight", a reference to the fugitive industrialist Vijay Mallya, who is in Britain after defaulting on a loan of over Rs 9000 crore.





Kumar was given a rousing welcome in the state yesterday. He was escorted by a posse of policemen at airport on his arrival from New Delhi and the JNUSU President moved with a convoy in the state capital.





Kanhaiya, who hails from Begusarai district of Bihar, is on a two-day tour of his home state and met both Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and RJD president Lalu Prasad Yadav yesterday.





Kanhaiya shot into limelight after he was arrested in a sedition case in connection with a controversial event in JNU. He is currently out on interim bail.

JNUSU president Kanhaiya Kumar was today shown black flags at a function here by two unidentified persons who were roughed up by his supporters before being detained by the police for questioning.
An IAF Mi 17 chopper today flew several sorties in Nainital district sprinkling water lifted from a lake to douse the raging forest fires that have destroyed vast swathes of forested land across Uttarakhand.





Low visibility, however, prevented a second chopper from being deployed in Pauri district for the aerial operations in the hill state which commenced today as part of efforts to control the fires that has killed seven persons and destroyed 2,269 hectares of forested land. The fire has also spread to sparsely populated remote hill areas.



Home Minister Rajnath Singh reviewed the situation in Delhi and held discussions with chief secretary and other officials of Uttarakhand government. He also offered all assistance from the Centre.



As the Centre's handling of the forest fires came under attack from the Congress, Union Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar said the government was taking the incident "very seriously" and making all efforts to control it.



"Government is taking the forest fires of Uttarakhand very seriously. 6,000 people have been deployed for fighting it. We also granted Rs 5 crore to the state yesterday," he said.



Taking on the Centre, Congress' Chief Spokesman Randeep Surjewala said, "while the Modi government is fuelling political crisis in a peaceful state, it has miserably failed to tackle a major environmental tragedy."



The Mi 17 chopper, which has a capacity to carry 3,000 litres of water, is collecting water from Bhimtal lake and making sorties over Almakhan, Kilbari and Nalena areas of Nainital district to douse the fires, Principal Conservator of Forest(PCF) and nodal officer BP Gupta told PTI.



However, another IAF chopper engaged for the same purpose in Pauri has not been able to take off due to low visibility, Pauri District Magistrate Chandrasekhar Bhatt said.



The chopper has collected water from Shrinagar dam but will make a sortie over areas where fires are active only when visibility improves, he said.



However, with the two choppers pressed into service and all security agencies besides locals involved in fire fighting operations the situation is likely to be brought under control in a couple of days, the PCF said.



Pauri, Nainital, Rudraprayag and Tehri are among the worst-hit districts, Gupta said but hoped with all agencies activated the situation was bound to improve.Three companies of the NDRF, one of SDRF besides PRD and homeguard personnel are currently engaged in the operations, he said.



With the MeT department predicting a significant fall in day temperatures after May 2, forest fires may get under control after a couple of days, he said but added that the administration will have to remain alert for the next 35 days to prevent fresh forest fire incidents.



Since the beginning of forest fire season in the state in February, 922 incidents have occurred so far.



Forest fires are natural during summer but this time they have occurred on a bigger scale as the fire season, which normally begins by February 15 and ends by June 15, started early on February 2.
NDRF has deployed over 130 personnel as part of multiple fire fighting teams to combat the raging forest fire in the jungles of Uttarakhand that have destroyed about 2,269 hectares of jungles in several districts and claimed at least seven lives till now.





The teams of the specialised National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) have fanned out in 13 affected areas of three districts of Pauri Garhwal, Almora and Chamoli to tackle the massive blaze.



"Our teams are working in 13 sectors in coordination with the officials and personnel of the state fire and forest department.



"The teams have been instructed to adopt the conventional method of cutting the fire line and containing the fire.



"We are using fire beaters and green bushes to cut the fire from spreading. About 135 personnel as part of multiple teams are working in Uttarakhand at present," NDRF Director General O P Singh told PTI.



He said while in Chamoli the NDRF is working in Pakhi and Gopeshwar areas, in Almora the teams are working in areas like Binsar, Someshwar, Bikisen, Siplakhet and Dhauladevi.



Each team is covering an area of 8-10 sq km, the DG said, adding additional NDRF teams have been kept in standby near here in Ghaziabad.



The force also saved a house in which a family of four lived from the blaze in the hilly area of Mehlchori in Pauri district.



Singh said he is in constant touch with his team leaders working in the state.

Earlier today, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh held discussions with the Chief Secretary and other officials of the state government on the situation arising due to the forest fire and offered all assistance from the Centre.



The Home Minister had yesterday spoken to Governor K K Paul, who briefed him about the situation in the hill state.



Mi-17 choppers of the IAF have also been sprinkling water in Nainital to control the forest fire.



Seven persons have been killed so far.

Pauri, Nainital, Rudraprayag and Tehri are among the worst-hit districts.
Islamic State (ISIS) technicians are working to develop a Google-style driverless car that could navigate itself into a crowded area before detonating an explosive device, a NATO security expert has warned.





ISIS' research and development department in the terror group's de facto Syrian capital, Raqqa, is believed to be producing the vehicles at the same time as US Internet giant Google attempts to perfect the same technology.



If successful, the invention could prove to be a major headache for security services in Britain and throughout Europe and North America, where self-driving cars are expected to become commonplace, Daily Express reported.



Thousands of driverless cars are expected to be on Britain's roads within the next few years and there is a very real prospect jihadis could prey on the new technology to launch attacks in the UK.



Jamie Shea, NATO's deputy assistant secretary general for emerging security threats, said the Islamic extremists were using their bomb making factory in Raqqa to develop the technology.



He said ISIS was using its "technical expertise" to "play around" with driverless cars in a "worrying" development.



Shea said: "We are focusing very much on...Raqqa at the moment, where ISIL [ISIS] has its bomb making factory.



"It is not just Google that is producing the autonomous car, ISIS is also trying to do the same."



The technology would remove the need for suicide bombers and could help the death cult - also known by its Arabic acronym Daesh - cope with the dramatic drop in its numbers, which has seen its fighting force cut almost in half.



The FBI has long argued autonomous cars could be used by criminals as lethal weapons.


Two bomb blasts in the southern Iraqi city of Samawa today killed at least 33 people and wounded more than 50, security and medical officials said.





"The hospitals have received 33 dead," a senior official in the Muthanna health department, which covers Samawa, told AFP. An officer in Muthanna Operations Command confirmed the toll.



They said at least 50 people were also wounded in the blasts in Samawa, 230 kilometres (145 miles) south of Baghdad.



"Two car bombs went off in town. The first one was at around midday near a bus station in the city centre," a senior police officer in Muthanna province said.



"The other exploded about five minutes later, 400 metres from the spot of the first explosion," he said.



Samawa is the capital of Muthanna and lies deep in Iraq's Shiite heartland and such attacks there are rare.



Muthanna also borders Saudi Arabia and a vast Iraqi desert that connects the troubled province of Anbar with the south.



A car bomb just outside Baghdad yesterday killed at least 23 people, according to security and medical sources.



That attack targeted Shiite faithful walking to the northern Baghdad shrine of Imam Musa Kadhim, the seventh of 12 imams revered in Shiite Islam.



The Iraqi capital remains on high security alert for a whole week as the faithful walk from all over the country to commemorate Imam Kadhim.



The Islamic State jihadist group, which considers Shiites heretics, almost systematically attempts to target pilgrims marching to holy sites during Iraq's many religious commemorations.But there was no immediate indication that the attacks in Samawa specifically targeted Shiite pilgrims.


On a day the ban on diesel-run cabs came into effect, taxi aggregator Uber today brought back surge pricing in Delhi, prompting Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal to warn the operators of "strong action".





Uber had introduced the provision during odd-even scheme, which was objected to by commuters and Kejriwal had asserted that such demand-linked hikes would be banned permanently.



A day after the second phase of odd-even ended, commuters across the city, who availed the services of the app-based cab firm today, found that surge pricing, where fares are raised when demand is higher than the available cabs, was back.



When contacted, an Uber spokesperson confirmed the development saying that suspension of surge pricing was only a "temporary" measure.



Uber's move came on a day a ban on diesel-run cabs came into effect in Delhi, affecting nearly 27,000 vehicles.



"Some taxis hv started charging surge. Surge not allowed under law. They r warned that strong action will be taken against them," Kejriwal tweeted.



A senior Delhi government official said that action will be taken against these companies based on complaints.



"We will impound their cabs," the official said.

While an immediate confirmation could be obtained from Ola, another app-based service, its app displayed a message saying peak time charges may be applicable during high demand hours and will be conveyed during the booking which "enables us to make more cabs available to you".



Ola displayed the disclaimer during the odd-even period as well although it did not invoke peak-pricing till yesterday.



The Delhi government had cracked its whip on these companies on the first week of the second phase of odd-even after Kejriwal termed the concept as "daylight robbery".

The authorities had also impounded cabs for overpricing.
Accusing the erstwhile Congress governments of pursuing "vote bank politics", Prime Minister Narendra Modi today took potshots at Nehru-Gandhi family and reached out to the numerically significant Nishad community in Uttar Pradesh as he launched solar-powered boats for plying on river Ganga.





"India has launched seven satellites to augment the GPS system. With the kind of politics going on in our country and massive work being done, it came to our mind that let's name it (the solar-powered boat project) after Pandit Deendayal Upadhyay or Shayma Prasad Mukherjee (the RSS icons).



"You have already seen how many schemes are named after one family. We also felt tempted to name the project after those who belonged to us. But this Modi is made of a different stuff. I named it Naavik (boatman). I did not name it after any of my family members or any leader. I have given a name, which gives immortality to the fishermen community," Modi said.



Launching 11 solar-powered "e-boats" at the Assi Ghat, the Prime Minister said that the step is in line with his government's focus on making long-term interventions to empower the poor in their fight against poverty and climb up the ladder, which was not the case during previous governments.



"Unfortunately politics in our country took a direction in which policies were always made to strengthen vote bank. The focus was that the vote bank should remain strong, irrespective of whether the poor, the citizens of the country, get empowered or not or the country is strengthened or not.



"Earlier when something was talked about our Nishad brothers, the price of diesel was brought down by one rupee or so in the hope that they will cast their vote in favour. But we have made schemes, which empower the poor to fight and defeat the poverty themselves. We are working in that direction," he said listing a number of other schemes.



Reaching out to the backward fishermen and boatmen communities (kevat, nishad, machchuara) and addressing them as "brothers", the Prime Minister said his government is "for the poor".



Earlier speaking in Ballia, where he launched a Rs 8000 crore scheme to provide free LPG connections to five crore poor families, the Prime Minister hit out at the erstwhile Congress-led governments, saying most policies under them were made keeping the ballot box in mind and not for development or poverty alleviation.



"Uttar Pradesh has given so many Prime Ministers. But why did the poverty levels go on increasing? Were there some drawbacks in these policies?" he asked.



He said an MP from Ghazipur had raised the issue of abject poverty in eastern UP when Jawaharlal Nehru was the Prime Minister following which a commission was formed which made several major recommendations.



"What happened to those recommendations, only God knows. Fifty years have passed since then. One of the recommendations was to connect Ghazipur and Mau by rail. We have now decided to construct a rail line to implement that recommendation," Modi said.



In Varanasi, the Prime Minister said his government believes in "going to the root" of problems to resolve them otherwise the situation remains stagnants while elections and formation of governments keep on happening.



"Even after passage of 70 years since India got independence, the doors of banks were closed for 40 per cent of Indians. The Prime Minister Jan Dhan Yojana launched by our government ensured that the poor are able to open their bank account with zero balance. Banks should remember that this government, the country and the banks belong to the poor," he said.



On his pet LPG scheme for the poor, the Prime Minister recalled that there was a time when people had to queue up before MPs, who used to have a quota for doling out gas connections to 25 people.



"That was also a government, which used to think big of it by giving 25 connections and this is also a government, which has decided to give gas connection to 5 crore families within 3 years," he said.



Contrasting the focus of his government against those that preceded it, Modi, whose dispensation has often been accused by Congress of pursuing "pro-rich and pro-corporate" policies said,"Many governments came in past, which worked for the rich. This time a government has come, which aims at benefiting the poor. This government is for those who have nobody else to fall back upon."



Addressing members of the boatmen and fishermen communities as "sisters and brothers", the Prime Minister said, "Earlier when elections used to come, the talk centred around how much diesel is to be given to the fishermen. Today, we are giving freedom to them from this and starting e-boats, which will produce no noise and save my Nishad brothers Rs 500 they spent daily on diesel.



"Earlier the government used to bring down the price of diesel by one or two rupees. Today with my one decision, each poor boatman will be able to save Rs 500 daily. Will he now be able to defeat poverty or not? One decision can bring about such a big change," he said.



Modi said these e-boats will also have mobile charging facility that would encourage tourists to go for boating and will result in greater earning for "thousands of my Navik, Kevat, Machchuaara sisters and brothers".



The Prime Minister urged the community to spend the money saved on education of their children and not on alcohol. He also appealed to people in his constituency to take up the cleanliness drive with full gusto.



Mallahs or Nishads constitute a sizeable segment of the electorate in Uttar Pradesh, which goes to polls next year. Stakes are high for the BJP in the key cow belt state where the party and its allies had won 73 of the 80 Lok Sabha seats in 2014 general elections.
Various organisations celebrated May Day in a significant manner on Sunday.





While Builders Association of India (BAI) honoured construction workers, Parisara Jagruthi Vedike planted saplings, followed by cultural events by another organisation. Some also took out a protest rally, seeking fulfilment of their demands.

While, Mysore Polymers and Rubber Products Limited, Hotel Owners Association and Hotel Owners Association Charitable Trust, had organised a formal function to mark the day.



The Builders Association of India (BAI) and Mysuru Builders Charitable Trust, had organised a programme with the theme Hosa Alochane Hosa Aayama (New Ideas New Dimensions). The new team of the BAI has started with various need-based activities which are aimed to improve living standards of construction workers like health on wheels, talent awards for children and skill development programmes, said BAI Chairman N Subramanya.



Nearly 1,000 construction workers were enrolled under Construction Workers Welfare Scheme.



Sushruthi Krishna, first runner-up in Femina Miss India contest was the cynosure of eyes at the event organised at Mahajanas College ground in Jayalakshmipuram. Assistant Commissioner for Labour department Meena Patil also attended the event.

Karnataka Rajya Kara- kushala Vasthugala Uthpadakara Sangha felicitated 25 craftsmen for their service to art sector.



Adidravida Thamate mathu Nagari Samskruthika Kalavrunda inaugurated a 23-day cultural camp Navu Pouraru, Maha Pouraru for children of pourakarmikas. Jyothi Ranganath, daughter of a pourakarmika, was honoured for excelling in her studies. She had bagged five medals in the recently held convocation of the University of Mysore (UoM). Nearly 250 children from 28 pourakarmika colonies were brought to Ambedkar Nagar in Hanchya Satagalli.



Govt blamed



Addressing a programme, organised by Karnataka State Daily Wage Employees Federation at Veene Seshanna Bhavan, Falkon Tyres Factory Workers Union president Devaraj said, Even though many workers are harassed at work places, the governments are not bothered to take any action to check them. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been attracting foreign investors to the country and creating job opportunities. But, at the same time, many companies are violating and snatching the rights of employees. Unorganised labourers are facing severe problems, he said, adding, even few employees associations were working as political parties.



BJP MLC Go Madhusudhan said, State government has failed to take action against the authorities of the Falkon Tyre factory which had meted out injustice to its employees.



Madhusudhan said, harassment of employees in software companies is rampant. They lack minimum job security. There is a need for debate in this regard, he pointed.



Advisor to the Labour Minister G T Ginkalappa, retired judge A Manjunath, Mysuru District Cooperative Union president H V Rajeev and others were present.



All India Trade Union Congress (AITUC) leaders, along with other associations, took out a protest march against government, seeking fulfilment of various demands.


Bihar Chief Minister and JD(U) president Nitish Kumar is preparing to market his liquor ban in Bihar at the national level.





He would be travelling to Lucknow this month to launch his campaigning against alcohol. He would address a programme on prohibition organised by the Kisan Morcha at Lucknow on May 15. We expect huge participation of women, said a senior party leader. The Morcha was formed by former Prime Minister VP Singh. It had fought against land acquisition Uttar Pradesh.



According to party sources, prohibition is on the top of Kumars agenda.



He has asked his leaders that they should campaign for prohibition and publicise liquor ban in Bihar.



Women support this programme and it could change the electoral equations, Kumar is said to have told his party leaders.



The choice of UP as the place to launch his campaign is obvious. JD(U) and its ally RJD are keen on entering into the poll arena of the state by contesting the assembly elections in 2017.



Before the Lucknow programme, Kumar is holding a state-level conference of party workers near Varanasi. The venue of the programme is very close to Prime Ministers constituency. But it is part of Macchlishahar parliamentary constituency.
Shred the 'colonial' call sign used for registration of aircraft owned by Indian Airlines, a Parliamentary panel said.



The aircraft owned by domestic airlines are registered with initials VT, which stands for 'Viceroy's Territory' and the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Transport, Tourism and Culture wanted a change in it.



Officials said India had in 1947 retained 'VT' initials used by British rulers while Pakistan adopted the initials 'AP' from the newly allocated call signs APA-ASZ.



Since 1929



This registration prefix was assigned to India in the year 1929 and continued ever since.



In its report on Demands for Grants for 2016-17, the panel headed by Trinamool Congress MP K D Singh said the Indian civil aviation sector has grown stupendously and that it can be compared to any other developed nation.



"The committee also feels that it is high time to set aside the sign of a colonial past and acquire a new call sign which appropriately denotes the Indian civil aviation sector," the report said. The call sign is an aircraft registration which is a unique alpha-numeric code that identifies a civil aircraft in civil aviation to a licensed plate on an automobile in accordance with the Convention on International Civil Aviation.



Certification



According to the Convention, aircraft must be registered with a proof of this registration in the form of a legal document called a certificate of registration at all times when in operation.



International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) in consultation with International Telecommunication Union (ITU) assigns the Call Sign registration to every country based on the annexure to the Convention on International Civil Aviation.



Call Signs

* India -- VT

* China -- C

* Pakistan -- AP

* Afghanistan -- YA

* Bangladesh -- S2

* Sri Lanka -- 4R

* Nepal -- 9N

* Bhutan -- A5

* Germany -- D

* United States -- N

* United Kingdom -- G
One morning in 1977, Brian Eno, electronica pioneer and former synthesizer player for Roxy Music, was sitting in an airport in Cologne, in what was then West Germany, and was deeply disturbed. The light was beautiful. The building was beautiful, Eno told a Dutch television interviewer. They spent hundreds of millions of pounds on the architecture and everything  except the music.





Eno was so unhappy with the music (or maybe we should say inspired) that he recorded Music for Airports, intended to serve as a soundtrack for the harried air traveler. The album, which was briefly played in a terminal in La Guardia Airport in the 80s, is hailed today as a high-water mark of ambient music.



Roughly 40 years later, during a layover in Madrids airport, I started to think about Eno and how, by todays standards, his complaint about airports and bad music almost seems quaint. Airports have been drastically transformed since the 1970s, when you could smoke anywhere, stroll leisurely through security and hug your loved one at the gate before boarding the plane.



Passing through security these days takes forever and sometimes borders on harassment. The lighting is brighter than at a World Series night game. Almost all the chairs have armrests, preventing you from splaying out. And the ambient noise  the endless gate changes, the last calls for boarding, the CNN late-breaking news  makes it almost impossible to relax.



Its no wonder then that passengers often feel more like prisoners than clients. How did we get here? Who is to blame? Why isnt there a place in airports for not travelling? Not moving? Yawning a bit, slowing down? Catching some shut-eye maybe, or at least a little peace and quiet?



Why are airports built for everyone  the city, the airlines, the retailers  except for the very people who use them the most: the passengers? One answer is a current trend of airport architecture that evokes an airports region yet doesnt get bogged down in the small details of the interior design. Read the proposals of top airport architects, and many of the words youll find could have been lifted from a travel brochure: geology, prairie, landscapes, clouds, sun and horizon. For a proposed terminal in Urumqi, China, architects were inspired by the textures and lines of the Silk Road.



For an airport completed in 2011 in Winnipeg, Manitoba, architect Cesar Pelli cites the landscape, expansive sky and faraway horizon as the designs point of departure.



Like the great railway stations, airports are also the contemporary equivalents of gateways, Norman Foster said in an interview in Icon magazine, referring to his airport in Beijing, which is shaped like a dragon. Very often they represent your first experience of a city or country. In that sense, they have the potential to excite and inspire.



There is nothing wrong with this model, but Im not convinced that it should be the future of airports. Sure, one day I want to see the Silk Road, and I like expansive skies, too (although I see plenty already when Im in the plane). But many airports are threatening to be a kind of camera obscura, a simulacrum of a city that, if were on a layover, well never see.



Architects may need to spend more of their creative energies on the travelers experience than on creating an interactive postcard.



There is another explanation for our perpetual discomfort in todays airports: the sheer number of moving parts involved.



The design of an airport imposes platoons of specialists  interior designers, specialised engineering firms (for lighting, structure and landscape) and quantity surveyors  most of whom are even less concerned with the passengers comfort than architects are. Luckily, there are still some architects working who havent forgotten their professions obligation to please the people who use their space.



Richard Rogers is one. Rogers and his firm, Rogers Stirk Harbour & Partners, create buildings that offer alternative spaces  public realm is their phrase  where you can experience the building in a casual, relaxed way. (The square in front of the Pompidou Centre in Paris, which Rogers designed with Renzo Piano, is one example.)



Moreover, Rogers inside-outside approach, which uses the buildings innards  its water pipes, ventilation ducts, escalators, etc.  as the facade itself, offers a new way of imagining a buildings interior. With the inside now outside, a buildings interior is more open and flexible  space can be converted and reconfigured without worrying about disturbing most of the buildings innards.



As a big fan of his work, I was (almost) pleased when American Airlines decided to route me through Madrid on my back way to France last year. My thinking was that Rogers, who was awarded the Pritzker, architectures highest honour, the year after his new terminals opened in 2006, could deliver a space, along with his collaborator, architect Antonio Lamela, that prioritised the traveler and his needs.



Devoid of the details

The layover did not begin well. At 6 am, we landed at Terminal 4S, a satellite terminal. Bleary-eyed, I walked almost seven minutes to the other end of the terminal, which is lit by light fixtures that are too bright to allow you to sleep and not bright enough to read.



We were whisked away via tram to a larger building, Terminal 4. Here, as with many European hubs, they dont assign gates to flights more than an hour in advance. For those waiting, the terminal provides clusters of aqua-blue chairs that are scattered around almost haphazardly, like puddles might form after a quick rain. The banks of steel chairs have two armrests separating four chairs, which, unless youre about 6 or younger, make it impossible to splay out.



Finally, I saw that my flight was assigned a gate, and I sleepily stumbled there. The chairs were a different material, rubberlike instead of steel, but also had the annoying armrests. Curiously, given how new the airport is, at this gate, there are no outlets for recharging your laptop or smartphone. For heat, there is one silver cylinder-shaped grate, perforated evenly with holes the size of childrens fingers. The system barely works. Or more precisely, I think the heat works well, but the cylinders arent enough to heat a space with 6-story-high ceilings.



Worst of all, there arent enough seats for those waiting: I counted 32 at our gate for a flight on an Airbus 320, which, if the flight is full, holds about 150 passengers.



All you can do is stand (unless youre lucky enough to get one of the coveted chairs); search for another sweater; and wonder why Rogers and Lamela (and architects of other airports) have created a building so devoid of the details that most of us care about: comfortable furniture, cheerful ambience and inviting interiors that allow us to experience the space and, at the same time, unwind.



To be fair, Rogers is not working with a clean slate. As with any architect of an airport, he is forced to work within limitations imposed by the Federal Aviation Administration (or a countrys equivalent), an airports city, environmental laws, and other agencies involved with the zoning, safety and construction.



Rogers and other airport architects are designing for a post-9/11 world, where security concerns often trump comfort and, sadly, good architecture. Even so, I think architects could do better. Should the real-world complications of the 21st century completely freeze our creativity? If the old architectural bromide form follows function still holds, why would that equation so often rule out attention to aesthetics, comfort, acoustics and light  essentially, the real-life sensory experience of a tired, overworked traveler?




The AIADMK may have wrested Chennai from the DMK stronghold in 2 previous elections, but flood and drinking water crisis have now put the ruling party in a spot.





The AIADMK has fielded its bigwigs with Social Welfare Minister B Valarmathi fighting it out in Thousand Lights, Handloom Minister Gokula Indira in Anna Nagar, former speaker D Jayakumar in Royapuram and party chief Jayalalithaa herself contesting in R K Nagar.



Riding on Jayalalithaas popular schemes, the AIADMK cadres are now working overtime burning the midnight oil to counter DMKs anti-government campaign, which also accuses ruling party for doing little towards city development.



Though the AIADMKs freebies such as mixer grinder and electric fan reached to most of the people in the metro city, the electorates could not forget the flood that devastated almost all the constituencies.



Though I got financial assistance of Rs 5,000, it is not enough since our family lost all household articles worth more than a lakh, Keerthivasan, from Anakapurhur in Palavaram constituency, which was severely affected in the December flood, told DH.



Many flood affected people felt that the government could have compensated the stranded families with an amount that was proportionate to the losses suffered. Chennai, which comprises 16 constituencies, has about 40 lakh voters with women voters outnumbering men in more than 10 of the total Assembly constituencies in the city. In Chennai alone, there are more than a lakh first time voters, who also are likely to play a critical role in this elections. We feel there should be an alternative government other than the AIADMK and the DMK and therefore I will not caste my vote to these two parties, Sruthi, a final year B.Com student and a first time voter said. With the view to woo female voters, both the AIADMK and the DMK have nominated many women candidates in Chennai.



Political analysts indicated that it would be difficult for other parties including Vijayakanths DMDK-PWF sans the AIADMK and the DMK to attain even 10% of the vote share. The DMK is leaving no stone unturned in fielding its star candidates including party chief M Karunanidhis son M K Stalin, who is seeking re-election in Kolathur constituency in the city. People Studies Multidisciplinary Research Institute said that corruption, alcohol consumption, poor drinking water facilities, lack of electricity and unemployment were the major issues based on which the people are likely to cast their vote. With the AIADMK yet to release its poll manifesto, and going by the current scenario, it will be a tough fight between the 2 major Dravidian parties in Chennai.
Indian Navy ship INS Airavat will participate in a multinational naval exercise in the South China Sea later this week.





The warship INS Airavat arrived in Brunei on Sunday for the mock drill, conducted by the ASEAN countries. The exercise will commence in Brunei and culminate in Singapore with various drills and exercises in the South China Sea.



USA, Japan and China too would take part in the exercise that would witness participation from Brunei, Singapore, Indonesia, Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia, Myanmar, Russia, Australia and South Korea.



Interestingly, INS Airavat is the same warship that was harassed by the Chinese Navy in 2011 when it was sailing to Vietnam for a port call. In July 2011, when INS Airavat sailed from Nha Trang port in south central Vietnam towards Haiphong, the ship received an unusual radio message in which the caller identified himself from the Chinese navy and asked the Indian ship to move out of Chinese waters.INS Airavat did not respond to the message and continued its way. Later, the Ministry of External Affairs criticised Beijing in a statement, saying India supports freedom of navigation in international waters, including in the South China Sea, and the right of passage in accordance with accepted principles of international law.



Commanded by Commander Jayant Mahadik, INS Airavat is an indigenous Landing Ship Tank (large) that can carry 500 troops, 10 tanks, 11 combat trucks and a helicopter for amphibious operations, humanitarian assistance and disaster relief. The participation of INS Airavat aims to bolster Indias ties and enhance inter-operability with the participating navies, said a Navy spokesperson.


Kalvari, the first of the Scorpene-class submarines, went to sea for the first time on Sunday marking the commencement of sea trials.





Being built at the Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Ltd Mumbai (MDL), the vessel is now undergoing the most important phase before commissioning. The submarine sailed out at about 10 am under her own propulsion for the first sea trial, off the Mumbai coast.



A number of preliminary tests were conducted on the propulsion system, auxiliary equipment and systems, navigation aids, communication equipment and steering gear. Various Standard Operating Procedures were also validated for this new class of submarines. The submarine then returned to the harbour in the evening, a Defence Ministry spokesperson said.



This important milestone was achieved by MDL after overcoming a number of challenges faced since launching of the submarine last year in October. During the next few months, the submarine will undergo a barrage of sea trials, including surface trials, diving trials, weapon trials, noise trials etc. which would test the submarine to the extremes of its intended operating envelop. Thereafter, she would be commissioned into the Indian Navy as INS Kalvari later this year. Commissioning of Kalvari will be a re-affirmation of Indias capability to build submarines and a major boost for the Make in India programme.



The state-of-art features of the Scorpene include superior stealth and the ability to launch a crippling attack on the enemy using precision-guided weapons. The attack can be launched with torpedoes, as well as tube launched anti-ship missiles, whilst underwater or on surface.
A government-commissioned committee set up to draft a new education policy is learnt to have recommended introduction of National Academic Services for recruitment of teachers.





The panel, headed by former cabinet secretary T S R Subramanian, has also suggested overhauling the current system of recruitment of vice chancellors, taking note of loopholes in the existing process for such appointments and past irregularities.



The committee, which is giving final shape to a new education policy, is likely to submit its final report to the Human Resource Development (HRD) Ministry later this month, official sources privy to the developments told DH.



The draft is prepared based on the suggestion and feedback received through nationwide consultations at different levels.



The committee members held a meeting with HRD Minister Smriti Irani last week and discussed the major highlights of the draft being finalised by them.



They held a day-long meeting at its temporary office, provided at National University of Educational Planning and Administration premises, as part of the finalisation of its report.



The committee is almost ready with its draft report. It will submit the report very soon, official sources said.



The committee members, however, remained tightlipped over the recommendation made in the report.



Let the report be submitted to the ministry. It will share the content with media, one of the members in the panel said.



The idea to introduce an Indian Education Service was first mooted in the late 1980s when P V Narasimha Rao was the HRD Minister. A study was also conducted at that time, but it was never followed up.



During the previous regime, senior Congress leader and the then HRD Minister, Kabil Sibal, also made a strong pitch for introduction of Indian Educational Services on the lines of other civil services and even set up a group of experts to suggest measures for it.



But, this too, got lost into the government files.



The HRD Ministry had set up a 5-member panel last year to prepare a draft of new national education policy, initiating the mega exercise after a gap of 29 years, with the BJP led NDA coming to power at the Centre in 2014.



Shailaja Chandra, former Delhi chief secretary, Sewaram Sharma, former Delhi home secretary, Sudhir Mankad, former Gujarat chief secretary and J S Rajput, former director of the National Council for Educational Research and Training (NCERT) are members in the drafting committee. Gaps in system

* The draft is prepared based on the suggestion and feedback received through nationwide consultations at different levels.



* The idea to introduce an Indian Education Service was first mooted in the late 1980s when P V Narasimha Rao was the HRD Minister



* During the previous regime, senior Congress leader and the then HRD Minister, Kabil Sibal, also made a strong pitch for introduction of Indian Educational Services on the lines of other civil services.



* The HRD Ministry had set up a 5-member panel last year to prepare a draft of new national education policy



* The HRD Ministry initiated the mega exercise after a gap of 29 years, with the BJP led NDA coming to power at the Centre in 2014


Many students walking out of the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET-I) centres in Bengaluru on Sunday said the physics section was relatively tough.





Sushmitha V, a student from MES College said she was completely dependent on CET and was under tremendous stress when she was asked to take this exam.



I had prepared for CET. Not this one. Physics was complicated, she said.



Meanwhile, Shivani Patil, a student from SVR College in Kalaburagi said, We had only around 15 days to prepare. The number of days we got to prepare for competitive exams were cut short due to repeated chemistry paper leaks. There has been one stress after another, she said. Rahil, another student, said, We would have definitely done better if there was no paper leak.



Preparing for NEET is different compared to the other exams and hence it was difficult, said a few students. The pattern is different for both. This will have more questions out of the syllabus and mostly from NCERT, said Karthik C, student, Excellent PU College.



As many as 6.5 lakh students wrote the Phase I paper for 720 marks. While there were 90 questions from biology, there were 45 each from chemistry and physics. Students were also angry about the exam being conducted in phases. Students who had registered for the All-India Pre-Medical and Pre-Dental Test (AIPMT) wrote the first phase of the exam on Sunday.



The second phase of NEET is scheduled for July 24 and is only for candidates who had not registered for AIPMT.



Nisha Tripathi, a student of KV, DRDO said she had no plans for preparing for NEET. I was completely dependent on other competitive exams and this came in between that, she added.



Sadhan, a student from Bijapur said this was not fair to students. First of all, giving them additional time to prepare is wrong. Besides that, they will be given different papers. How fair is it? Will it be ensured that the same difficulty level is maintained? he questioned.



A group of around 70 parents said they would submit a memorandum to the chief minister urging the government to push for another round of exams for students who appeared for the exam on Sunday.



There was not enough time for our children to prepare. We will seek a concession that they be given another opportunity, said one of the parents at an exam centre in Mariyannapalya.


Underworld don Chhota Rajan, lodged in Tihar Jail, remains on the hit list of Chhota Shakeel, an aide of fugitive Pakistan-based don Dawood Ibrahim, who has sent a text message to a prison official to end the ailing gangsters life, a senior official said on Sunday.





Rajan was deported to India from Bali in Indonesia in October last year.



The SMS was sent to Tihar Law Officer Sunil Gupta in November last year.



I received the message in November. I informed the Delhi Police Special Cell about the SMS. The Special Cell has been looking into the matter, Gupta told DH.



It was a death threat to Chhota Rajan, he added without revealing the entire content of the message.



Sources said that the message was in Hindi. For how long will you be able to save this ailing pig. I will end his life soon, the source said quoting the message.



The source added that the Tihar official (Gupta) has also sought security from the Special Cell.



Probe on



A senior official of the Special Cell said, The matter is under investigation, so the department cant reveal anything. When asked why Gupta has not been provided security since November, the official said, The Tihar official (Gupta) has received a message and we are looking into it.



Rajan was arrested in Bali in Indonesia in October 2015, through a Red Corner team of Interpol. He was a fugitive for over 27 years.



He was brought to India in November and sent to Tihar Jail as he faces trial in connection with 70 criminal cases of murder and extortion.



Rajan, once Dawood Ibrahims right-hand man, has been making claims that he can lead the investigating agencies to the fugitive underworld don at large who has connections with Pakistans ISI.


A team of the Baiyappanahalli police which had gone to Secunderabad to arrest a woman involved in a robbery at Hotel Leela Palace has returned empty-handed.





The team, led by SI Ramadevi, went there to arrest a call girl, who had robbed builder Vasanthraj of his diamond and gold chains, a wallet and an Ipad in the hotel on April 23.



The incident took place when he had kept his valuables on the table and had gone to the bathroom. The suspect is said to be hiding in South Goa and the police are likely to send a team there. She is believed to have cheated many industrialists in Hyderabad, the police said.



Girl dies while playing



A 9-year-old girl died while playing in a cloth swing at Markandeyanagar, Sunkadakatte on Saturday.



The deceased is Anjali, daughter of Gowramma and Basavaraj. She was studying in class 3 in a local school, said the police. Basavarajs legs were paralysed due to electrocution at work two months ago. He had gone to a hospital for treatment, while Anjali and her sisters were at home. She sat inside a cloth swing and started playing. The girl rotated and the cloth covered her neck completely. She collapsed due to suffocation. Anjali was rushed to a nearby hospital by neighbours, but was declared dead on arrival, police said.


Even if Anthony had a year to analyze and dissect each piece...(he couldn't tell if it would)... stand the harsh light of public exposure.

WUWT insider Willis Eschenbach tells you all you need to know about Anthony Watts and his blog, WattsUpWithThat (WUWT). As part of his scathing commentary , Wondering Willis accuses Anthony Watts of being clueless about the blog articles he posts. To paraphrase: Click here to read more.
With the Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways announcing its plan to open up the transport sector to private players for operating bus services, the Karnataka government has urged the Centre to protect the interests of the state-run transport firms (KSRTC and BMTC), saying they have over 1.25 lakh employees.





Karnataka made its plea at a meeting of Group of State Transport Ministers constituted by the Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways to examine best practices in road safety and transport sector. The GoM, headed by Rajasthan Transport Minister Yonus Khan, held its first meeting on Friday to take views from various stakeholders on all transport-related issues.



In the meeting, Karnataka said the state had Karnataka Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) and Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) with a fleet strength of 24,000 and 1.25 lakh employees. Of the total number of buses, only 18% run on profit, 40% on a no-profit-no-loss basis, while 42% run under loss. Taking all issues into consideration, the Centre must safeguard the interests of the state road transport corporations while allowing the private sector to enter the organised public transport sector, Karnataka Transport Minister M Ramalinga Reddy said. With most of the Karnataka public transport routes nationalised, the KSRTC and its subsidiaries have a monopoly. If the private sector is allowed on national routes, state road transport undertakings will face a tough challenge, he said, adding that our transport companies are not concentrating only on profit-making routes, but instead we aim at catering to the needs of remote areas also.

In the last budget, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley announced the governments plan to open the transport sector to private players and entrepreneurs to operate buses on various routes aimed at providing efficient public transport system.


Need a hand? Write to us





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



Clear concrete slabs



The concrete slabs covering the drain were replaced with new slabs more than two years ago on 2nd Cross, Nanjarasappa Layout, Nagarbhavi Road. The old slabs have been piled up on either side of a narrow road and have still not been cleared. Residents too pile up garbage on the side of the road.

N S Bhawani Shankar



Chaotic traffic on Marathahalli ORR



The service roads along the Marathahalli Outer Ring Road  from KR Puram flyover to Kadubeesanahalli, Bellandur flyover and beyond  are in a pitiable state, and in some parts, almost unmotorable.



Add to this, there are unregulated and poorly designed entry and exit points from the Outer Ring Road. With the monsoon to start soon, we will be stuck as badly as last December, after the unseasonal rains.



Though the traffic police try to regulate stoppage of buses at many places, it appears they are turning a blind eye to illegal and unauthorised stoppage and parking by large private buses (near Marathahalli bridge and opposite the Innovative Multiplex), causing delays and jams on most days of the week.



While white lane markings on the ORR guide motorists, police are unable to channel the drivers near KR Puram. I request the BBMP and the traffic police to look into this issue which affects thousands of people.

Nagesh Ramamurthy, CV Raman Nagar



Dangerous traffic in Fraser Town



Young drivers move at breakneck speed on Standage Road, Fraser Town, between Bourdillon Road and Mosque Road, endangering life and property.



The jurisdictional traffic police inspector cites shortage of manpower for the mess. The Assistant Commissioner of Police (Traffic) East) promised help. Now he says we need to approach the higher-ups. Where the buck stops, we do not know.



The so-called model road, Mosque Road, is in a shambles. We appeal to the Additional Commissioner of Police (Traffic) and the DCP Traffic (East) to solve the problems before a tragedy befalls us.



Sunder MA Standage Road



Jnanabharati rail station neglected



The Jnanabharati halt railway station located on the Bangalore University campus is in a state of neglect and needs immediate attention. The station is close to educational institutions like RVCE and IT companies located in the Global Village Tech Park. Namma Metro work is also under progress right opposite this railway station, with an extension line being prepared up to Kengeri. Now that the east-west corridor of Namma Metro has been opened, it is high time the railway authorities improved infrastructure at this railway station.



To better utilise the railway station and generate more revenue, the railways can upgrade the ticketing office at this station to UTS-cum-PRS counter.

Varun Nagarabhavi 2nd Phase



White lines on National highways



Many sections of the National Highway between Bengaluru and Hosur are not marked with white lines, making it difficult for motorists to maintain lane discipline, especially at night.



The problem is worsened by the glare from the vehicles coming in the opposite direction, in the absence of any vegetation on the median.



Besides, the reflector paints at crucial points are blackened by soot, which makes driving really hazardous.



One would expect the NHAI to take care of these minimum needs of road users at the earliest.



Francis Xavier Muniga Layout, M S Nagar



BSNL immune to complaints



After Deccan Herald published my letter on BSNLs pathetic service last week, I received several phone calls from many BSNL offices enquiring if my line was working.



This was after they had set it right. After 24 hours, the line went dead again! Its the same old story now.



I lodged a complaint and got a docket number 11555557641 with further instructions that I must contact the customer care on 1500. When the line is dead how, how can I call another number? It is time BSNL woke up from slumber and realised that in the telecom sector there is stiff competition where only the efficient survive.

M V Nahusharaj, Kanakapura main road



Errors in property tax form



The online form for paying property tax for 2016-17 has lot of errors. For example, my property usage changed from tenanted to self-occupied in 2010.



These changes were submitted at that time and until this year they were also reflected correctly. However, the form this year shows that my property is tenanted (old data). There is no clear instruction on whether the taxpayer has to change this and if so, how? Or should one go ahead with the incorrect information? Repeated emails/phone calls to BBMP helpline is completely ignored.

Rajashree Hosadurg

Hampinagar, Hosahalli



Increase bus frequency



The BMTC bus service from Nagarabhavi BDA Complex to Majestic is poor. There is a heavy concentration of buses to Yeshwantpur and Hebbal which pass through the Outer Ring Road, but there are hardly any buses to Majestic. There is no bus service to Shivajinagar at all. The surrounding areas are Annapoorneshwarinagar, Health Layout and Papireddypalya which have a sizable population which is in need of bus service to Majestic and Shivajinagar. Commuters going to Kottigepalya take a bus to Majestic. Senior citizens and women are hard hit as the Kottigepalya buses are very crowded. Can the BMTC authorities please take a look at the problem?

Ravishankar



No streetlights near East station



There are no streetlights at the Clarence bus stop (near East Railway Station close to Telugu Church) and in the evenings, it is in complete darkness.



The bus stop is used by hundreds of people in the evening and commuters, especially ladies, children and senior citizens are put through a lot of hardship. The bus sign boards are hardly visible and people who are in a rush to catch buses stumble on the high footpath. I request the authorities to take immediate action to address the problem.

Muniraja Gopal

Kuvempu Layout, Kothanur



Ban honking in underpass



Many vehicle users unnecessarily honk while driving through Nayandahalli underpass bridge.



The sound is very deafening in the underpass. The authorities concerned are requested to put a No Horn sign here.



Furthermore, this stretch is full of potholes and steps should be taken to repair the road.

L N Vikram Rao, RB Nagar




Demonstrations and rallies by trade unions and employees associations at several places in the city on Sunday marked May Day.





The recurring theme at all these demonstrations was a demand to withdraw cases against garment workers who were arrested following violent protests in the city in mid-April.



In separate rallies, members of CITU and AITUC demanded better facilities for the working class and the release of arrested garment workers.



In response to their demands, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah in a programme hosted by Indian National Trade Union Congress, assured support. He said he will consult the police and see if any innocent garment workers were arrested.



Wrong decision



The chief minister also said the wrong decision taken by the Union government had resulted in violent protests.



The Centre had taken such a decision without consulting the working class. It shows the capitalistic nature of the government, he said and added that a few miscreants took the opportunity to damage public property and jump the law.



This should not have happened, he said. Later, Labour Minister P T Parameshwar Naik said the government has decided to revise the minimum salary of Rs 10,500 in 27 jobs for labourers.



No other state has done this, he claimed.



Property workers



In a separate programme, CREDAI Bengaluru observed May Day by organising a programme for workers across projects of CREDAI member real estate development organisations.



The event saw over 800 labourers from various builders like Brigade Group, Puravankara Projects, Total Environment, Century Builders etc take part in various games, the press release stated.
A man driving while intoxicated struck a parked snowmachine in Oscarville, said Alaska State Troopers. On 2/2/2017 at about 1435 hours, Alaska State Troopers responded to REDDI in Oscarville (outside of Bethel), for a white 2003 Yukon which had struck an unoccupied Snow Machine in a yard. Investigation revealed the driver of the Yukon, identified as Oscar Jacob, age 56, of Napaskiak, was driving intoxicated. Oscar was arrested for Driving Under the Influence. Oscar was arrested and transported to Yukon-Kuskokwim Corrections Center without incident. Oscars bail was set at $5,000.00.

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In the Yupik culture, we embrace each other with a warm and welcoming greeting by offering a hand to shake accompanied by the exclamation, Cama-i!

It is in that same spirit we announce that a Cama-i Dance event is arriving soon! The two-day event is sponsored by the SouthWest Alaska Arts Group (SWAAG) and starts Saturday, March 26th with doors opening at 11:30 AM, and ending Sunday March 27th at 9pm.

There will be world-class crafts from local and regional artists, a fur fashion show, panel discussion for a new book, Ircenrraat: Other-than-Human Persons, and traditional dancers who will share their history through dance and music.

The theme for this years festival is Cangerliim Nalliini  During a Pandemic. It is customary for a Cama-i event to dedicate the event to an inspiring individual and pay tribute to the memory of an individual whose legacy helped to shape and preserve our cultural traditions in the delta. This year, the event is dedicated to all who have lost their lives to COVID-19 and honoring our living treasures: all who are doing their part to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 by masking up & are vaccinated.

We intentionally called this event, Cama-i Dance and omitted the usual Festival because it will be a scaled-down version of the Cama-i that everyone has become accustomed to. Our planning team has risen to the challenge of creating an event that is both unique and safe, striving to maintain the spirit of the dance.

Please take note of these additional changes to minimize confusion during the event: this event will be two days, instead of the usual three. It will be held at the Yupiit Piciryarait Cultural Center, so seating will be limited. This event is broken down into 4 sessions, 2 sessions on each day (schedule and list of groups at the following link). Admission for each session is $8 per person, and tickets are sold ONLINE ONLY at: https://bethelartscouncil.networkforgood.com/events/37756-camai-dance-2022

Only water and light snacks will be sold. Access to the artists selling crafts in the hall of the cultural center, as well as AVCPs Museum space will be open to the public and free of admission. However, the access into the main event room for any of the 4 sessions will require a ticket.

Cama-i always strives to create an experience that is both entertaining and educational; aiming to celebrate our local culture, as well as transport us to different parts of the world through music and dance.

Performing local groups are: Qasgirmiut, Upallret, Yurartet, the Kuskokwim Learning Academy, Ayaprun Elitnaurvik, Gladys Jung Elementary, Bethel Regional High School, and the Delta Illusion Dancers. One adaptation that we have made as part of our COVID-19 mitigation measures is that we have pre-taped Ayaprun Elitnaurviks performance.

Additional Yukon-Kuskokwim region communities of Chefornak, Kwethluk and Napaskiak will also be joining us. This years guests representing the Pribilof and Aleutian Island communities are the Unangax Dancers from Anchorage. Other highlights include: the Underground Dance Company, a group performing Hip Hop and Street Style dancing.

The event will be live streamed on SouthWest Alaska Art Groups YouTube page: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCKGVEhnYE5etbhtPaWgzNYQ

COVID-19 Mitigation Measures: the event requires everyone in the Yupiit Piciryarait Cultural Center be masked, with the exception of performing drummers and dancers.

Plan on joining us this year, as we celebrate resilience through dance!

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The YKHC Office of Environmental Health & Engineering (OEHE) water lab routinely tests water for total coliform and E. coli bacteria.

From April 24 to 27, the YKHC water lab will be testing water samples, from Bethel homes with water tanks, at no cost to customers ($50 value). Water sample results will be communicated to customers by phone and e-mail or letter within two days. Potable water delivered by City of Bethel water trucks is tested regularly and is in compliance with State and Federal guidelines for bacteria.

In addition to informing residents about the cleanliness of their water tanks, the results will help YKHCs OEHE better understand how treated water ages in residential storage tanks. If traces of total coliform & E. coli bacteria are found in the water samples, OEHE will offer education and best practices for how a resident can clean their tank.

To participate in this limited time, free event, pick up a water sample kit (including instructions on how to take the sample) from the YKHC water lab (suite 223 of the YKHC Community Health Services Building, CHSB). Samples must be received within 24 hours of collection. Samples will be accepted April 24-27, between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m.

Residents seeking more information about this event can contact the YKHC Office of Environmental Health & Engineering water lab at 543-6420.

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I always look for your articles for advice. I dont always have that type of advice. Im grateful you share.

Brittany Laraux

Bethel, AK

Vaccine Eligibility Expanded in AK!

Yesterday (March 3rd, 2021), the State of Alaska Vaccine Task Force significantly expanded the criteria for who is eligible for the state-allocated COVID-19 vaccine! The new eligibility group, Phase 1C, includes people 55-64 years old, people 16 and older who are essential workers under the CISA definition, high-risk or might be high-risk according to CDC guidelines, those living in a household that includes three or more generations, or skipped generations (e.g., a grandchild living with an elder), and people living in unserved communities as specifically defined by the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation.

I would encourage everyone to take some time to look through this information and find out if your family or friends are eligible and desire to receive a vaccination. This is a big step forward in the COVID-19 mitigation effort and is very encouraging news!

If you do qualify, visit CovidVax.Alaska.Gov to check the availability of appointments in your area.

Senator Scott Kawasaki

Juneau, AK

I will support the first Native American who would hold this position with the expectation that Representative Haaland will be true to her word

During a Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee hearing, U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) today (March 4th, 2021) announced that she will support the nomination of Representative Deb Haaland to serve as Secretary of the Department of the Interior.

The Department of the Interior  and thus the Secretary who leads it  both play an outsized role in our state. Alaska has more federal lands, more mineral resources, and more natural hazards than any other state. We are set apart by unique laws and frameworks that Congress enacted and that Presidents signed, whether our Statehood Act or ANCSA or ANILCA. We are an Arctic nation because of Alaska. And we are a diverse state, with many indigenous peoples and cultures who have lived there since, as they say, time immemorial. We are a state that is just different.

I seek to ensure every nominee who comes before us understands that. I have spent a considerable amount of time trying to educate others about Alaska and our unique needs and our unique peoples. And I spent a considerable amount of time with Representative Haaland reiterating what is at stake for us.

Alaskas prosperity is directly linked to decisions made by Interior  whether through their trust responsibilities, their authority over responsible resource development, or their monitoring of hazards and other threats.

Ive had two separate meetings with Representative Haaland that lasted for more than an hour each. I participated in both days of her nomination hearing, asking many questions, and have reviewed the answers she provided to all of our members. Ive also spent considerable time listening to Alaskans views on her nomination. They are paying attention to this nomination.

Ive heard two sentiments over and over again. The first is that many Alaskans  Alaska Natives in particular  are enormously proud to have a Native American nominated to this position. It is truly a historic nomination and they believe Alaska Native issues can be elevated to one of the highest levels of government.

The second concern that Im hearing is that many Alaskans are concerned about the agendas Representative Haaland will seek to implement on her own and on behalf of the White House. They are concerned by her opposition to resource development on public lands, including her opposition to key projects in Alaska and her questioning of the vital role that Alaska Native Corporations serve in our communities.

Weighing on top of that is my experience from the Obama administration, when I voted for a Secretary who promised to be a good partner for Alaska, but proved to be anything but that after confirmation.

So I struggled with this vote. How to reconcile a historic nomination with my concerns about an individuals  and an administrations  conception of what Alaskas future should be.

I believe Representative Haalands heart is there for Native peoples and all who treasure our public lands. I dont believe that is the extent of Interiors mission, but she has also told us that she recognizes that if confirmed, she will be serving in a different capacity. She told me that she knows she will need to represent every Alaskan, including those who know how to responsibly develop our lands. And she committed to me that she will make sure that we are doing all we can to ensure that your constituents have the opportunities that they need.

Given the early days of this administration, I have my doubts about whether that will be the case. But I have decided to support this nomination today, to support the first Native American who would hold this position, and with the expectation that Representative Haaland will be true to her wordnot just on matters relating to Native peoples, but also responsible resource development and every other issue.

I also fully anticipate that she will have a strong management team in place with people who understand the value of resource development from public lands. She needs thiswe need thiswithin the Department of Interior.

I am going to place my trust in Representative Haaland and her team, despite some very real misgivings. And Representative Haaland, if you are listening, know that I intend to work with you because I want you to be successful and need you to be successful, but I am also going to hold you to your commitments to ensure that Alaska is allowed to prosper.

U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski

Washington, D.C.

Clean Water Act protections needed for Bristol Bay

This is a letter to Michael Regan, Administrator- designate and Jane Nishida, Acting Administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency dated March 1, 2021.

Dear EPA Administrator-designate Regan and Acting Administrator Nishida,

We write to you today requesting immediate action to ensure the Bristol Bay salmon fishery and the 14,000 men and women whose livelihoods depend on it are not destroyed by development of the proposed Pebble Mine in Bristol Bay, Alaskas headwaters. Bristol Bays commercial fishermen have been fighting the threat of the proposed Pebble Mine for over a decade now, still with no protections in place which would give our industry the assurances we need and deserve.

Bristol Bays commercial salmon fishery is unlike any other in both its volume of fish and number of renewable jobs. Its a thriving economic engine that supplies over half the worlds wild sockeye salmon and provides over 15,000 renewable jobs. Bristol Bay is a torch-bearer for sustainable fisheries management, boasting record returns over the past decade, following a record 135 years of commercial fishing of this incredible resource.

Its sustained a fishing tradition for generations of families throughout Alaska and the U.S. with Bristol Bay commercial fishing permit holders and crew hailing from nearly every US state. Unmatched in both size and sustainability, action under the Clean Water Act is needed and justified to ensure this $2.2 billion a year commercial fishing industry continues to thrive.

In spite of consistent findings by both the EPA and Army Corps of Engineers that the Pebble Mine would pose unacceptable adverse impacts to the Bristol Bay watershed and fisheries, the Bristol Bay region remains vulnerable to large-scale mining and the door remains open for the Pebble Mine to be developed. Without Clean Water Act 404(c) protections in place, Bristol Bay is not safe and Bristol Bays fishermen cannot rest.

We now have an opportunity to stop the Pebble Mine for good and put an end to the uncertainty that has been hanging over Alaskas fishing industry and the thousands of American fishing families who depend on Bristol Bay. We hope that you listen to the call from Bristol Bay tribes, fishermen, and others to establish Clean Water Act protections for Bristol Bay without delay. Please help us ensure that we can continue to provide our fellow Americans and the world with nutritious wild seafood and support our families for generations to come.

Commercial Fishermen for Bristol Bay Advisors; Katherine Carscallen, Hattie Albecker, Erica Madison, Heidi Dunlap, John Fairbanks, Michael Jackson, Michael Friccero, Holly Wysocki, Mark Niver

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by Maggie King

A $1.9 million federal grant will support University of Alaska Fairbanks programs that focus on Indigenous food and energy system development and sustainability at the institutions five rural campuses.

The UAF College of Rural and Community Developments project, Place-Based Solutions for Alaska Native Food and Energy Sovereignty, is funded by the U.S. Department of Agricultures National Institute of Food and Agriculture. The institute has a competitive grant program for institutions serving Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian students.

The project is driven by Indigenous values of responsibility, relationship, redistribution and reciprocity. The main goals of the project are to promote equal access to education in rural Alaska and provide sustainable food and energy solutions for Alaska Native communities.

The funding will support academic programs, including ethnobotany (Kuskokwim Campus), food security and sovereignty (Chukchi Campus), high-latitude range management (Northwest Campus), tribal governance and stewardship (Interior Alaska Campus) and sustainable energy (Bristol Bay Campus).

The programs use place-based, culturally relevant and experiential learning models. The content of each program will emphasize the relationships between Alaska Native peoples and the natural world, Indigenous knowledge and Alaska Native languages.

Northwest Campus looks forward to growing our high-latitude range management program and our partnership with the Sami Education Institute, said Barbara QasuGlana Amarok, the campus director in Nome. This grant will extend the accessibility of food sovereignty programs focused on Indigenous lifeways, wellness, decision-making power and management to students in our region and throughout the state.

The USDA grant is double the amount previously awarded to UAF, in part because of the continued success of its programs in uplifting Alaska Native community practices to enhance food and energy systems, security, and sovereignty through education.

For example, sustainable energy students created a prize-winning new design for rural Alaska housing construction at the 2022 National Renewable Energy Laboratory Solar Decathalon. A group of four Bristol Bay Campus students placed third in the New Housing Division for their innovative and sustainable rural Alaska housing design, the first-ever UAF team to place in the competition.

The continued support of this grant will promote collaboration between UAFs campuses to enhance local food sovereignty and energy sustainability initiatives while improving student recruitment and retention in food, agriculture and natural resource sciences.

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By Jeff Masters

29 April 2016 (wunderground.com)  The greatest threat of climate change to civilization over the next 40 years is likely to be climate change-amplified extreme droughts and floods hitting multiple major global grain-producing breadbaskets simultaneously. A Food System Shock report issued in 2015 by insurance giant Lloyds of London outlined a plausible extreme shock to global food production that could cause rioting, terrorist attacks, civil war, mass starvation and severe losses to the global economy. Their scenario, which Lloyds gave uncomfortably high odds of occurringsignificantly higher than 0.5% per year, which works out to at least an 18% chance of occurrence in the next 40 yearsgoes like this: A strong El Nino event develops in the equatorial Pacific Ocean. Severe drought typical of El Nino hits India, eastern and southeastern Australia and Southeast Asia, causing the following crop losses (note that wheat, rice and corn make up over 50% of all agricultural production world-wide):

India (worlds #1 rice and #7 wheat exporter): wheat -11%, rice -18%

Vietnam (worlds #2 rice exporter): rice -20%

Australia (worlds #3 wheat exporter): wheat -50%

Bangladesh, Indonesia, Thailand, Philippines: rice -6% to -10%

Historic flooding hits Mississippi and Missouri rivers, reducing production of corn in the U.S. by 27%, soybeans by 19% and wheat by 7%. Nepal, Bangladesh, northeastern India and Pakistan see large crop losses due to torrential rainfall, flooding and landslides, with Pakistan losing 10% of their wheat crop. On top of the adverse weather, global crops are attacked by two major diseases: Asian soybean rust and Ug99 wheat stem rust, which cause additional 5  15% crop losses in Argentina, Brazil, Turkey, Kazakhstan, Ukraine, Pakistan, and India. The extreme weather/plant disease double whammy causes global corn production to drop by 10 percent, soybeans by 11% and rice by 7%. Wheat, corn and soybean prices spike to quadruple the levels seen around 2000. Rice prices quintuple as India buys from smaller exporters following restrictions imposed by Thailand. Food riots break out in urban areas across the Middle East, North Africa, and Latin America. The euro weakens and the main European stock markets lose 10% of their value; the U.S. stock markets lose 5% of their value. The scenario mentions the possibility of civil war in Nigeria, famine threading to kill one million people in Bangladesh and Mali becoming a failed state. Terrorist attacks in the U.S., in combination with concerns over heightened military tensions between Russia and NATO, plus conflict between India and Pakistan, cause major stock market losses.

A historical analogue: the extreme weather of 2010

The extreme weather of the year 2010  which I speculated was Earths most extreme weather year since the famed Year Without a Summer in 1816  showed us that multiple extreme weather events in major grain-producing areas can indeed cause dangerous shocks to the global food system. This was unexpected at the beginning of 2010, when in its January World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates report, the U.S. Department of Agriculture predicted higher global wheat production and lower prices for 2010  2011. But extreme weather began an dramatic assault on the worlds grain-producing nations in the spring of 2010, when record rainfall in Canada, the worlds second-largest wheat exporter after the United States, cut Canadas wheat harvest by 14%. As spring turned to summer, the jet stream got stuck in an unusual loop that kept cool air and rain-bearing low pressure systems to the north and east of Russia, bringing Pakistan their costliest floods in history and a 12% decline in their wheat production. The stuck jet stream pattern allowed a titanic heat wave and extraordinary drought to envelop Russia and Ukraine; Moscows all-time heat record was equaled or exceeded five times in a two-week period. Over a thousand Russians seeking to escape the heat drowned in swimming accidents, and thousands more died from the heat and from inhaling smoke and toxic fumes from massive wild fires. In all, 55,736 people died in the heat wavethe second deadliest in recorded human history, behind the European heat wave of 2003 (77,000+ deaths). Wildfires in Russia in 2010 scorched more than 1 million hectares, 25% of crop production was lost, and economic losses reached $15 billion1% of Russian GDP. The drought slashed the wheat harvest by 33% and damaged soils to such an extent that 10% of Russian wheat fields could not be planted in 2011. Russiathe worlds fourth-largest wheat exporter accounting for roughly 14% of the global wheat traderesponded by imposing an export ban on wheat, barley, and rye, as fears of domestic price spikes or shortages increased. Neighboring Ukraine, the worlds 6th largest exporter of wheat, saw a 18% decline in their wheat harvest due to extreme drought, heat, and wildfires, and cut wheat exports by 54%. [more]
Ajiths Thala 57 To Get Launched On His Birthday?
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by Kathleen Gilbert BEIJING, September 7, 2012, (LifeSiteNews.com)  Escaped Chinese dissident Chen Guangcheng is leading international opponents of forced abortion in calling upon the worlds largest company to end compliance with the Chinas one-child policy. Family planning police have targeted employees (569)

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Church Militant, we need to band together to protect our religious liberties and win the culture war!
Unleaded 88 fuel is often cheaper, but should drivers use it?

Unleaded 88 fuel gives lower gas mileage than regular unleaded but with fewer carbon emissions. So, should you put it in your vehicle? That depends.
Halloween creatures  owls, crows and bats  all live at Crossroads, and that makes us very happy, for these scary animals make a positive contribution to the habitats of the preserve. We don't even mind black cats, IF they are kept indoors. Feral and outdoor cats are exceedingly harmful to wildlife ... and that's not a superstition! But to tamp down superstitions, we at Crossroads will spend the week demystifying Halloween creatures.

On October 28, 2022, at 6 p.m. will be our Evening with Owls. The Open Door Bird Sanctuary will be at Crossroads, offering a one-hour presentation followed by the opportunity to meet and greet live birds. Learn all about owls and the other incredible birds in the care of the Sanctuary!

Down through the centuries, in many cultures throughout the world, owls have been associated with evil and death. Truth is, owls probably are not smart enough to be evil. But researchers agree that owls are about as dim as the nighttime forests in which they hunt.

Owls don't need to be smart. They have everything else going for them. They are muscular. They fly silently. Their huge eyes enable them to see in the dark. Their beaks and talons are strong and wickedly sharp. But their sensitive ears are what make owls extraordinary hunters.

Most people assume that the plumicorns (a.k.a. "horns) of an owl are its ears. Not so.

The actual ears lie under feathers on the sides of the head, and they aren't symmetrical. Because one ear is higher than the other and the ears are unequal in size, sound is different from different directions, helping owls locate prey, which they do almost unfailingly, even in total darkness.

Owls do not smell their prey. As with most birds, the sense of smell is insignificant, if it exists are all. Great Horned Owls frequently prey on skunks. Enough said.

But well-developed intelligence? Researchers have observed owls beating their wings on bushes to try to flush out little birds. Is this learned behavior? Is it problem-solving?

Maybe.

For the most part, owls do not have a lot of problems to solve. They appropriate abandoned nests of other birds, so they don't need building skills. They are stealthy by nature, and they pounce on and usually catch anything they hear, so they don't need hunting techniques.

In spite of ghost stories, legends of American First People, and superstitions from Europe and India, hooting owls do not foretell impending death, although their nocturnal calls are spooky. We hear them now and then this time of year, but we will regularly hear those eerie calls at Crossroads in January or February.

In contrast to owls, crows are noisy all year round and they are amazingly intelligent. They can learn. They can remember. They can solve problems. They can even identify individual humans. And they detest owls, though whether this is innate or learned behavior is not clear.

Those curious about crows will want to attend the Crossroads Book Club on Wednesday, October 26, at 10:00 a.m. This month, the book Crow Planet, Essential Wisdom for the Urban Wilderness by Lyanda Lynn Haupt will explore the fascinating world of these remarkable birds. The program is free and open to all, whether or not they have read the book.

So bring the family to our program on owls, learn about crows at the Crossroads Book Club, or learn about bats at our pre-school Junior Nature Club on Wednesday at 10:00 a.m. or our Family Science Saturday program at 2:00 p.m. Costumes are encouraged but not required at Junior Nature Club and Science Saturday, and adult visitors are welcome.
Ron Owen dreamed big and built big, but he didnt do it alone.

Owen insists on a lot of things, and one of them is giving credit to his team. As the Southeast Alabama Medical Center CEO prepares to retire after spending more than four decades in health care, he acknowledges that he couldnt have accomplished the things hes done  doubling the facilitys medical staff, adding several new buildings to the hospital, creating a charitable foundation and starting a medical college from scratch  without a lot of support from friends, family and the Houston County Health Care Authority.

Everyones been supportive, he said. The employees have been helpful, and Ive enjoyed a tremendous amount of support from the medical staff and the community.

While Owen is humble about his accomplishments, other local leaders are more direct about his contribution to Dothan.

I dont think that the medical center would be where it is today without Rons leadership, said Chester Sowell, Houston County Health Authority chairman. Ron and his wife Suzanne have been tremendous assets to SAMC and the Dothan community.

Matt Parker, Dothan Area Chamber of Commerce executive director, said, Ron definitely took the health care industry to a new level. He had the vision to make the osteopathic school happen.

Under Owens watch, SAMC enjoyed a period of tremendous growth. The hospital is Houston Countys largest employer, providing jobs for around 2,700 people. SAMCs Surgery Tower and Womens Center also opened during Owens tenure. According to its 2012 annual report, the hospital is responsible for more than $640 million in economic activity in Alabama.

Perhaps the thing Owen will be remembered most for, however, is the Alabama College of Osteopathic Medicine, the medical school started during his final years as SAMC CEO. Owen gets a little light in his eyes when he talks about ACOM , as its clear he sees it as a big part of the legacy he leaves behind.

Owen said a demand for physicians in rural areas and SAMCs involvement with the Alabama Medical Education Consortium, a group that helped place medical students at hospitals like SAMC for third and fourth year med school clerkships, helped get the ball rolling in forming ACOM. Owen said the areas need for physicians and SAMCs experience in training doctors, as well as a careful financial analysis, convinced him that a medical school could thrive here.

It was just the right thing to do, we need physicians, it made sense, he said. If it hadnt been financially feasible, that would have killed it.

Owen again gave credit to others for his success, thanking the Houston County Health Care Authority for having the vision to see what ACOM could provide to the community.

Sowell said that when Owen pitched the idea of ACOM to the board, he backed up his assertions concerning the viability of the proposed medical school with a mountain of research and evidence.

We beat that thing to death, Sowell said. He had gone and done so much homework before we moved forward.

ACOM opened in 2013 and its first class will graduate next year. The number of students applying for admission has grown each year as the schools reputation grows. The medical school has also had a big economic impact on the east side of Dothan, spurring new housing and commercial development.

The medical college has helped kick us up a notch when it comes to recruiting, Parker said.

Owen, of Greenville, started out as a pre-med student before determining he wanted to pursue business. A stint in the Armys medical service corps revealed a gift for health care administration. After Owens service to his country was complete, he returned to school, and earned a masters degree in Hospital and Health Administration from the University of Alabama at Birmingham.

Owen took the reins at SAMC in 1997, a tumultuous time in the hospitals history. His predecessor as CEO left under a cloud regarding $1 million in questionable spending. Owen doesnt much like to talk about that period, but admitted that he had a bit of rebuilding to do at the administrative level when he took over at SAMC.

Owen said he simply picked the right people for the right jobs, got out of their way and let them excel. Owen said his management philosophy was simple.

Im not doing your job, you go do it, he said. Its my job to remove barriers to making you successful.

Owen said one of the greatest challenges of his work as CEO has been dealing with reimbursement rates. Alabama hospitals are reimbursed at lower rates from government health programs for services than hospitals in larger, wealthier areas. Those government health reimbursement rates can often influence reimbursement rates from insurers. Although some costs are lower in this area, patients here still expect the same level of service and professionalism that those in California or areas with higher reimbursement rates receive. Owens job has been finding ways to provide that same level of quality or better while receiving less money for it.

Owen said that the evolution of medical technology has been the biggest change he and other health care leaders have had to adjust to in his time as a health care administrator. When Owen began his career, medical imaging was in its infancy and most surgeries were still performed in hospitals.

Public policies have also changed during Owens career, with the biggest change likely being the Affordable Care Act. Owen said the act is changing the paradigm for health care from a fee for service basis to a value-based model. Instead of being reimbursed for visits and tests, health care providers now get paid based on the value of care they deliver  how effective it is and how well it heads off future problems. Health care administrators have had to navigate the new environment and find ways to offer affordable care while keeping their institutions financially sound.

Its almost a 180 degree change, he said.

Although much has changed about medicine, Owen said some things in the industry are timeless. Owen said he hopes his successor will follow his basic tenets of health care administration  ensuring that patients get the best care in the most efficient and economical manner.

Owen said hes a little ambivalent about retiring  he thinks navigating the new environment being created by policy changes and technology would make a great challenge  but now perhaps its time to let a new CEO lead the team he assembled.

Its been 43 years, its time to go home, he said.
It is 15 minutes before the beginning of Water Worlds new season, and a handful of people are already in line waiting to buy tickets.

Jennifer Roehrig is the first in line along with her husband, Walter, and son Joshua. With them is Crystal Sizemore and sons Casey and William.

They drove from Phenix City to play in Dothans water park.

We have family in Abbeville, so we Googled it, Jennifer Roehrig said. It was either going to be here or Panama City and we decided to come here.

Water World opened Saturday at 10 a.m. and will be open on the weekends until May 21, when it will open daily for the summer. Although almost 50 people had come through the turnstiles in the first 15 minutes, the opening weekend is not considered a high traffic weekend, and that is a good thing for the administration and staff. Opening weekend is usually considered a dress rehearsal.

Two major repairs took place during the off-season. The parks fiberglass triple flume water slide had lost its slipperiness and had to be resurfaced. Painters were not able to paint the slides in time, so the improved slides will make their debut next weekend. Patrons received a $2 discount because the slide was inoperable Saturday. It cost about $186,000 to repair the slides.

While patrons will notice an improved slide next week, they probably wont notice the most costly repair. The park, however, could not have opened without it.

The surface of the wave pool was replastered during the off season at a cost of $221,000.

The wave pool works when multiple devices behind the pools walls force down pressure strong enough to produce the waves in 10-minute intervals. About 450,000 gallons of water are used in the process. The bottom of the pool is lined with a plaster, or marcite. The material has suffered wear and tear from the waves and human use over time.

Water World Director Kelly Carter said the shallow and deep portions of the wave pool are separated by a joint, which receives much of the pressure each time the wave is forced through the pool. Carter said the pool could not have opened without the repairs.

Very soon, the pool was not going to be safe, Carter said.

Several other cosmetic improvements were made over the off-season as well, including changes to the concession area and gift shop, Carter said.

I think our season pass holders, the ones that come more often, will definitely know a difference in some things, Carter said. But, a lot of our changes are under water.

Regular patrons may notice a cooler wave pool also. Aerators are in place to inject cooler water into the pool, which can become very warm on extremely hot days.
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'Regression' starts with an encouraging premise, and a promise that the proceedings are based on true events. The events in question involve hysteria forming around the perceived emergence of devil worshippers in a sleepy rural Minnesotan town in 1990.

Detective Bruce Kenner (Ethan Hawke) has been sent to investigate the alleged sexual assault of one Angela Gray (Emma Watson). Kenner is a skeptic, and there's some interesting faith versus science interplay brewing, but it's never given more than a cursory once over.

Angela is unable or unwilling to remember the assault. Her father John (David Dencik) readily admits to it, but also doesn't remember doing it. Gray is put under regression hypnosis by Dr. Thewlis (Kenneth Raines) in order to recover the lost memories in hopes of solving the case.

The case ends up spiraling out of control. It appears that Angela has been branded with an upside-down crucifix. A mark of satanic rituals. The hysteria begins to grip the city once the idea of Satanists spreads like wildfire.

Director Alejandro Amenabar, who directed 'The Others,' provides a wonderfully dark, moody feel to this seemingly straight-to-Blu-ray movie (a very small US theatrical opening is all it received). From the outset it's easy to tell that the quality just isn't there. Amenabar does an admirable job trying to infuse some creepiness by injecting his unique visual style. It works, to some degree. At times it feels like he captures some unseen malevolent force that weighs on the film, in a good way. A constant unease that provides the necessary drama.

The film works on a few levels, and doesn't on others. Hawkes and Watson are capable actors and do as much as they can with the material they're provided. Sadly, the screenplay never ventures too deep. Amenabar doesn't stoop to jump scares, but he also doesn't spend time dissecting the true causes of mass hysteria. He conjures up some wickedly nasty dream sequences that really set the mood, but in the end they don't really contribute much to the stories or characters. Though those dream sequences do a good job at setting up that unrelenting unease felt throughout the movie.

One unique filmmaking technique that I enjoyed was Amenabar's exceptional use of surround sound. There are numerous first-person point of view shots  mostly during dreams  where dialogue is sent into the rear speakers creating a discombobulating, yet captivating mood. If there's one thing to learn from 'Regression' it's that Amenabar understands that film doesn't need to be tied down to its usual conventions.

While I already briefly touched on the movie's science versus religion argument, I neglected to elaborate. Detective Kenner is a skeptic, but he's open to the possibility of devils, possession, and so on. The deeper he gets into the case the more wrapped up in these Satanic fantasies he becomes. On the other hand Dr. Thewlis is there to provide a scientific constant. This relationship has the opportunity to dive deep into the schism between science and religion and fails. There's a hasty conversation about it and that's it. There's so much more to be explored that the screenplay leaves simply sitting there.

It's clear that even when Amenabar is dealing with lower-grade material like this, he knows how to make movies. There's a distinct visual style here that makes the movie watchable, and a palpable dread that makes it attention-grabbing. Unfortunately, it ultimately fails to harness its full psychological horror potential.

The Blu-ray: Vital Disc Stats

This is a 25GB Blu-ray, which comes in a standard keepcase. It also comes with an UltraViolet Digital Copy.
Small hatchbacks are the new family favourites for modern Australians, with the Toyota Corolla and Mazda3 regularly duking it out each month for the top spot in the popularity contest with Hyundai often stealing the limelight with its i30.

The Japanese car makers have an advantage in that they fight with both sedan and hatchback variants, whereas Hyundai continues to separate its small car range between the i30 and Elantra, which has just been refreshed with a stylish new body, a simplified model line-up and new equipment.

WHAT DO YOU GET?

The sixth-generation Elantra maintains Hyundai's core value-for-money proposition with a simple yet competitively priced range that consists of just two model grades, starting at $21,490 (plus on-road costs) for the entry-level Active with a five-speed manual transmission.

A six-speed automatic costs an additional $2300 on the Active but is fitted as standard equipment on the top-spec Elite we're testing which costs $26,490 (plus on-road costs) and is expected to be the more popular variant.

With both models powered by the same 2.0-litre four cylinder engine, the differences are all in the level of equipment offered. Even in base trim, the Elantra comes with a fair amount of kit including 16-inch alloy wheels (with a full-size spare), cruise control, air conditioning, cloth trim, LED driving lights and a 7.0-inch multi media screen with a six-speaker audio system, Bluetooth connectivity and while it misses out on sat nav it features Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone mirroring that compensates with Google Map functionality.

The Elite not only brings the auto gearbox as standard but adds a bunch more goodies such as larger 17-inch alloys, dual-zone climate control, keyless entry and pushbutton start, fake leather trim, rain-sensing wipers and a host of chrome exterior highlights.

Both models share the same safety package, with six airbags and a basic suite of electronic driver aids as well as front and rear parking sensors and a reverse camera.

As with all Hyundai models, the Elantra is covered by a five-year warranty and a lifetime service plan with yearly visits or every 15,000kms.

WHAT'S INSIDE?

While the Elantra is Hyundai's small sedan alternative to the popular i30 hatch, it offers more than just a boot on the back to differentiate it.

The cabin is, first of all, larger and more spacious than the i30 and the previous-generation Elantra with increased shoulder room (7mm for front seat occupants and 12mm for those in the back), 4mm more head room and a significant 59mm extra legroom in the rear seat  making for a comfortable small car capable of accommodating four adults without too much stress. The 458L boot is generous enough to swallow enough luggage for four and will easily cope with the daily grind of family life.

The cabin is far more conservative than the angular style of i30, and the two-tone colour scheme in the Elite adds to the ambience and gives it a sense of quality that is matched by decent grade plastics throughout.

The design is not only better suited to the character of the car but is far easier to navigate with its simple structure that sees a 7.0-inch multimedia touch screen positioned between the air vents and above the logical controls for the heating/cooling system.

Even with a conventional handbrake and large gear lever along the spine of the cabin there is ample small item storage space with a covered binnacle at the base of the dash, two cupholders in the centre and a decent-sized covered console.

UNDER THE BONNET

While Hyundai claims the Elantra is all-new (and the majority of it is, centred around a stronger and larger body shell), what lies under the skin isn't the latest  or best  engine in Hyundai's lineup.

Both Elantra models are powered by an ageing 2.0-litre naturally aspirated engine that produces 112kW and 192Nm  numbers that are down on more modern engines in rivals  and produced relatively high in the rev range. The end result is the Elantra feels a little more lethargic off the line and around town than others in the class and, consequently, needs to be worked hard to extract its best performance, which brings with it an intrusive engine note.

The six-speed automatic manages to be a bit of a saving grace with smooth shifts and intuitive logic that ensures it is rarely hunting for the right gear, even on steep inclines.

Without the latest fuel-saving measures though (it still has multi-point fuel injection), the Elantra doesn't set any economy benchmarks with a claimed average of 7.2L/100km, which can easily hit double figures when confined to just city driving.

ON THE ROAD

As it does with all major models sold here, Hyundai Australia has tuned the Elantra's underpinnings specifically to cater for local tastes and conditions.

Having tested a total of 48 different combinations, the final outcome is a car that feels well sorted without raising the bar for dynamics in the hotly contested small car class.

The steering is well weighted and reasonably precise, the suspension is compliant over most surfaces and it feels sure-footed through the bends  up to a point. But there are either sportier or more comfortable alternatives out there.

VERDICT

While most small families have jettisoned the traditional sedan in favour of high-riding soft roader wagons as the preferred suburban runabout, the Elantra is a competent, conservative and affordable alternative that offers just as much useable space as an SUV.

While it doesn't set any new benchmarks for safety, economy or dynamics it isn't far behind the best small sedans either.

2016 Hyundai Elantra Elite pricing and specifications

Price: $26,490 plus on-road costs

Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cylinder petrol

Power: 112kW at 6200rpm

Torque: 192Nm at 4000rpm

Transmission: 6-spd automatic, front-wheel drive

Fuel Use: 7.2L/100km

The Competitors

Mazda3 Touring

Price: $24,790 (plus on-road costs)

Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cylinder petrol

Power: 114kW at 6000rpm

Torque: 200Nm at 4000rpm

Transmission: 6-spd manual, FWD

Fuel Use: 5.7L/100km

Our Score: 7.0/10

Subaru Impreza 2.0i-S

Price: $27,900 (plus on-road costs)

Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cylinder petrol

Power: 110kW at 6200rpm

Torque: 196Nm at 4200rpm

Transmission: CVT automatic, AWD

Fuel Use: 6.8L/100km

Our Score: 6.5/10

Ford Focus Trend

Price: $24,390 (plus on-road costs)

Engine: 1.5-litre 4-cylinder turbo petrol

Power: 132kW at 6000rpm

Torque: 240Nm at 1600rpm

Transmission: 6-spd automatic, FWD

Fuel Use: 6.2L/100km

Our Score: 7.0/10

Online Road Test: Haval H8

Read more reviews at drive.com.au/car-reviews
Dundalk Railway Heritage Society and Dundalk Tidy Towns have joined with Tesco Ireland to include railway sculptures on the plaza of their new store in Dundalk.

Dundalk Railway Heritage Society and Dundalk Tidy Towns have joined with Tesco Ireland to include railway sculptures on the plaza of their new store in Dundalk.

The sculptures will include the upright pillars from the walkover bridge (The Battering Ram) on which was built in the 1850s.

The bridge was in use for over 120 years and spanned the Dundalk-Greenore Railway.

When the bridge was taken down in the 1990s it was bought by the Fane Anglers who had hoped to have it crossing the Fane to facilitate anglers.

This project never happened and the bridge was put into storage.

In 2010 the Dundalk Railway Heritage Society bought the uprights and set about finding a suitable location for them.

This was proving difficult and when Tesco announced they were going ahead with their plans to build a new store the idea of having them back at the original site was suggested.

Tesco were very receptive to the idea and agreed in principle to include them on the Plaza of the new shopping centre.

Dundalk Railway Heritage Society and Dundalk Tidy Towns told Tesco that in 1847 Lord Roden gave the land to the Dundalk-Greenore-Carlingford-Newry Railway for construction of the line.

A solid brass plaque of the Great Northern Railway will also be on display in the plaza.

We would like to thank the Tesco Management for their most positive contribution to this project, Mr Willie Duffy chairman Dundalk Tidy Towns committee said.

We believe that through this collaboration the new plaza has been enhanced with a crucial part of the history of Dundalk Railway Heritage preserved in a fashion which will provide an understanding to visitors to the store, contribute to the Railway Heritage Trail around Dundalk and ensure an appreciation of the history in the vicinity of the site for future generations.
Genres : Drama, Thriller

Starring : Sam Waterston, Kristen Stewart, Corey Stoll, Glenn Close

Director : Tim Blake Nelson

Plot Synopsis

A snowy New York City night, a beloved teacher, a shocking crime: this provocative drama pieces together the puzzle of a man's life just before it changes forever. While on his way home one evening, Walter Zarrow (Sam Waterston), a popular Columbia University philosophy professor, is violently attacked on the street. Flash back one week, as actor-director Tim Blake Nelson traces the domino effect of events that led up to this seemingly senseless assault. Along the way, hidden connections between a seemingly disparate group of people-including a self-destructive student (Kristen Stewart), a hard-drinking suburban housewife (Gretchen Mol), and a desperate junkie (K. Todd Freeman)-emerge, forming a complex, engrossing mosaic of lost souls united by tragedy. The stellar ensemble cast includes Glenn Close and Michael K. Williams.
Genres : Crime, Drama, Mystery

Starring : Clint Eastwood, Isaiah Washington, LisaGay Hamilton

Director : Clint Eastwood

Plot Synopsis

He's a boozer, a skirt chaser, a careless father. You could create your own list of veteran reporter Steve Everett's faults, but right now there isn't time. At San Quentin, a Death Row prisoner is scheduled to die at midnight - a man Everett has suddenly realized is innocent. In his 21st film as director and 41st as star, Clint Eastwood memorably plays Everett in True Crime, a savvy beat-the-clock thriller that "brims with more life than a single review can describe" (Henry Sheehan, Knight-Ridder Newspapers). Isaiah Washington, Denis Leary, Lisa Gay Hamilton, James Woods, Diane Venora and others in a razor-sharp ensemble populate this suspense tale that tightens to nerve-frying intensity intercutting the parallel stories of the inmate and Everett's scramble to save him ... and perhaps lift his own life out of the trash heap along the way. Everett is harried, determined and trying not to self-destruct as he probes the circumstances of a long-ago murder. And the clock is ticking.
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.
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(Facebook/FastandFurious)Cast of "Fast & Furious"

"Fast & Furious 8" has finally begun production in Havana, Cuba. Stars Vin Diesel, Michelle Rodriguez, and the rest of the crew have already been spotted filming scenes in the streets of the tropical island.

Just a few days ago, the official "Fast & Furious" Twitter account released a short clip of director F. Gary Gray surrounded by local women who, with welcoming arms say, "Fast & Furious, welcome to Cuba!"

Meanwhile, Diesel also updated his Instagram with a video while walking the streets of Cuba. He shares that the cast and crew are proud to be filming here and that they have received a lot of love from the locals. Given the recently lifted embargo, he also shared that they feel extremely lucky to be able to film in such a beautiful place.

"Fast & Furious 8" will actually be the first U.S. movie to be filmed in Cuba. It was first reported back in January that Universal Pictures had been in discussion with the U.S. and Cuban governments in order to secure permission to film a portion of the upcoming movie.

While the plot of the movie has yet to be released, fans of the popular series can surely expect a lot of racing. The cast and crew have spent the past few days filming racing scenes and using various vintage cars.

Following the shoot in Cuba, production is expected to return stateside to Atlanta, Georgia. According to a casting call, "Fast & Furious 8" will be needing talents for filming from May 11 to June 7. The casting call is on the lookout for tough and fit talents that are 5'10" or taller and aged anywhere from 18 to 45.

Aside from Havana and Atlanta, filming will also take place in Cleveland and possibly New York City.

"Fast and the Furious 8" will be released to theaters on Apr. 14, 2017. Meanwhile, the next two movies in the new trilogy will be released on Apr. 19, 2019 and Apr. 2, 2021, respectively.
Considered to be the Ten Best UFO Photos Ever Taken I am sure that we could add more pictures to this list but these are considered ten o...
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AP PGCET 2022 registrations to begin today Candidates should be prepared to pay the tuition fee as applicable, mere attending of web counselling does

Alert: Seat allotment result for AP ICET counselling today, know details here Candidates registered for the AP ICET exam can check the allotment result on the official website

ICSI CSEET 2023 registration process starts, exam to be conducted in January The last date for the CSEET November session registration is December 15
What works for you?

In India, we place too much emphasis on what is often just a piece of paper, without the knowledge or skills that need to go into earning it. If one is looking for higher education, a degree is the normal study route. There are numerous careers and fields of work that require advanced knowledge and skills training. However, all students may not and sometimes cannot take advanced courses and prefer to develop skills that do not necessarily require the rigour of a degree curriculum. In other words, every person with skills may not receive a degree. Similarly, there are many graduates who have theoretical knowledge but no practical experience. A number of jobs and careers require various skills  the computer and IT sector being one. So, without worrying if it is a degree or not, many students can study a course that would help them find work.

The governments skill development programme is attempting to change students attitude to skills that earn them jobs. However, as is often the case with well-intentioned government initiatives, there is little synergy between prospective employers and a skills training agency. As a result, students who complete the training programmes are neither well placed in jobs which require those skills, nor paid in a way that can attract more young people to such fields. Also, often, employers still ask for a degree irrespective of how well-trained such a candidate may be. Therefore, students prefer to pursue a degree without a job in sight, rather than skill themselves with training that can better provide a job. The trick is to analyse what a student is made for  a degree or a skill-based programme -- and which one would work best for him/her.

>>Usha Albuquerque, career counsellor, Delhi





College prepares you

When students decide on their career path, it is essential for them to understand the importance of a degree and how it contributes to their future. A degree programme makes a students generalised approach more focused. At the college level, applicants pick a stream and then study a specific field such as engineering, medicine, commerce, science, humanities, law, architecture and others. The student learns about things ranging from the finer points of a particular field to communication and people skills. Students must opt for a degree course since it trains them to understand -- through guest lectures, industry visits, etc -- how industry functions. They thus know what employers expect. They develop a worldview of the field they would work in, explore it in depth and be ready to face the challenges they may encounter in their professional lives. However, it is important to pursue a degree from an accredited institute that ensures the overall development of the student and introduces him/her to the skills that are essential to make him/her market-ready.

-Sudha Vyas, principal, KJ Somaiya College of Arts and Commerce





Seamless Mobility

A degree programme will always remain vital for any student seeking an occupation. The issue with vocational streams has been that they lead to an occupation, but fail to ensure upward mobility. It is crucial to remove this anomaly. One should not have to choose between a degree and a vocational qualification. Instead, the higher education system should provide a seamless pathway for vocational students to transfer to degree programmes. This could be achieved by acknowledging students knowledge and placing them directly at that level within a degree programme at any time, irrespective of their age. Internationally, there are tried-and-tested systems which allow this. These could be adapted without trial and error. It would benefit students, if, based on their ability and need, they could choose a vocational stream knowing that they can study for a degree at the right time. This will help them skill themselves as well as secure a degree.

-Ajeenkya Patil, chairman, CII Western Region Education Sub-committee
Bogota, May 1 (EFE).- The National Liberation Army, or ELN, guerrilla group denied in a statement that it staged the April 20 kidnapping of attorney Melisa Trillos in Ocana, a city in Colombia's Norte de Santander province.

The 25-year-old Trillos was abducted by gunmen as she got out of her vehicle at a service station owned by her family.

The attorney's whereabouts is unknown.

The ELN's Northeastern War Front said in a statement dated April 28 that Norte de Santander, especially the province's Catatumbo region, has been the scene of "murders, kidnappings and forced disappearances" that have been "irresponsibly blamed on the ELN."

Officials have accused the ELN, which is expected to start peace talks with the government soon, of kidnapping Trillos and Henry Perez.

Perez, a community leader in Catatumbo, was abducted in January.

"The Northeastern War Front wishes to clear up public opinion, especially in Catatumbo and in Ocana, Norte de Santander province, that it had nothing to do with the kidnapping (of Trillos), and we do not know the circumstances under which Mr. Perez disappeared," the ELN said.

Ramon Jose Cabrales Camacho, a Colombian government official, was kidnapped by the ELN on Sept. 3 in Ocana and held captive more than six months.

Cabrales Camacho, a 40-year-old business administrator who at the time of his abduction was advising the government of Norte de Santander, was handed over to his family on March 23 in Teorama, a town in that same province, in an operation involving Catholic Church representatives.

The ELN, Colombia's second-largest guerrilla group, has spent more than two years engaged in fruitless "exploratory" contacts with the government about starting a peace process similar to the one involving the much larger FARC insurgency.
Local safety experts offer advice for keeping Trick-or-Treat fun for everyone

As families prepare for fun night of Trick-or-Treating, local safety experts are offering some tips on how to stay happy and healthy this Halloween season.
She's not even eligible to vote in the United States (yet), but it looks like George Clooney's wife Amal has a huge interest in this country's Presidential election. In fact, the British-born human rights lawyer is not only backing Democratic nominee hopeful Hillary Clinton, but she's also taken the opportunity to slam Donald Trump in the media several times, too.

Clooney--who was born to Muslim parents in Lebanon--has expressed her disdain for mogul/reality star/GOP frontrunner Donald Trump by hinting that he is not only sexist and racist, but that he won't be winning the Presidential race in November, either.

As Fortune pointed out on Friday, at the end of an interview with the BBC about her defense of Azerbaijani journalist Khadija Ismayilova Clooney was asked about the American presidential election and spoke on Trump's remarks that he is "great" with women by saying, "He has a really high negative rating. I don't think he's going to get much of the women's vote as a result of that."

What's more, Clooney skewered Trump, especially over his controversial statements about illegal immigrants and how he plans on building a wall along the southern border of the United States if he is elected to the oval office.

Clooney explained, "When you listen to what the leading candidate on the Republican side has been saying about building walls, about excluding Mexicans and a complete shutdown of all Muslims entering in, and if you actually look at what he specifically said in that now infamous speech about Muslims, he kept saying, 'They only want jihad. They don't believe in our way of life. They don't respect our system. And when he says 'they' and you watch the media coverage afterwards, people, I think, should have been saying 'Do you mean the 1.5 billion people around the world who fit that description? Do you mean the people who are U.S. citizens who are members of your military who are, the vast majority of whom are not violent or extremists in any way?'"

She then added, "If, at the end of all of this, he gets beaten by the person who becomes the first female president of the United States, then I think that would send a very positive message from the electorate back to him as to what they really think of those points of view."

You can watch for yourself in the video below, her comments on the election begin just after the 8 minute mark.
Geneva, 2 May 2016. More women in Mexico than previously thought are dying of indirect causes of maternal mortality - such as type 2 diabetes and hypertension - conditions that often predate their pregnancies, according to a study published today.

The study, by authors in Mexico and the United States of America, appears in a special issue of the Bulletin of the World Health Organization.

Fewer women in low and middle-income countries die due to conditions related to pregnancy and childbirth than 10 years ago (1). The study highlights the risk that noncommunicable diseases could undermine recent progress in improving maternal survival.

"We are winning the battle against the traditional causes of maternal death - such as post-partum haemmorhage, but not against the indirect causes of maternal death," said co-author Dr Rafael Lozano, from the National Institute of Public Health of Mexico.

Lozano and his colleagues' findings add to mounting evidence on the causes of deaths during pregnancy in Mexico and are consistent with the latest global analyses that more than a quarter of maternal deaths worldwide are due to indirect causes (2).

Maternal death - when a woman dies during pregnancy, childbirth or in the 42 days after she gives birth - is an important measure of a country's level of development and of how well its health system is performing.

Direct maternal deaths result from obstetric complications during pregnancy and childbirth. Indirect maternal deaths result from an often pre-existing disease made worse by pregnancy and include noncommunicable conditions, such as type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disorders, as well as infectious and parasitic diseases such as HIV infection, tuberculosis, hepatitis, influenza or malaria.

The authors identified and re-classified 1214 deaths as maternal deaths, revealing that such deaths in Mexico had been underestimated by about 13%. As a result, Mexico's maternal mortality figures for the study period were corrected from 7829 to 9043.

The additional maternal deaths were identified using a new method of intentional search and review of maternal deaths and their reclassification, called Busqueda Intencionada y Reclasificacion de Muertes Maternas or BIRMM (5).

Applying the new method to data from the eight-year study period, the authors found that maternal deaths from direct obstetric causes declined from 46.4 to 32.1 per 100?000 live births during the study period and that maternal deaths from indirect causes had remained steady with 12.2 deaths per 100?000 live births in 2006 compared with 13.3 deaths per 100?000 live births in 2013.

"The direct maternal deaths concern women living in the poorest municipalities, but the women who died of indirect causes had fewer pregnancies, were better educated and tended to live in wealthier municipalities," Lozano said.

Like many middle-income countries Mexico has seen a rapid increase in high levels of cholesterol and obesity in recent years. This puts women of reproductive age at higher risk for pre-existing hypertensive disorders and type 2 diabetes (2).

Seven out 10 Mexicans are overweight, while three of those seven are obese (3). A person with a body mass index (BMI) of 25 or more is considered overweight, and with a BMI of 30 or more is considered obese.

In addition, the age-adjusted prevalence of diabetes in adult Mexicans increased from 10.2% to 10.7% between 2010 and 2014, according to the World Health Organization's (WHO) Global status report on NCDs. In 2014, Mexico had the highest prevalence of diabetes among the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development's 34 countries.

The study adds to increasing evidence of the "obstetric transition", a term recently coined to describe the shift in the causes of maternal deaths from direct to indirect.

"Maternal health programmes tend to focus on making skilled birth attendants and emergency obstetric care available, and on what happens at the time of the delivery," said Dr Flavia Bustreo, Assistant Director-General for Family, Women's and Children's Health at the World Health Organization (WHO).

"There has been a huge improvement in the provision of these interventions in low and middle-income countries and this has reduced maternal mortality globally. But the vast majority of maternal deaths from indirect deaths cannot be averted through these delivery-focused interventions," Bustreo said.

"In the absence of the intense review process by the study authors these deaths would not have been counted and the true magnitude of maternal mortality in Mexico would have been underestimated," Bustreo said.

She said it was vital that governments and the international community continue to invest in civil registration systems to ensure that every maternal death is counted and that the correct cause of death is registered in each case. Specialized systems, such as maternal death surveillance and response and confidential enquiries, can provide critical information on the events that led up to a maternal death and identify the improvements that urgently need to be made to prevent future deaths.

The new Global Strategy for Women's, Children's and Adolescents' Health (2016-2030) proposes key actions governments can take to end all kinds of preventable maternal mortality, Bustreo said.

These include: strengthening the health workforce and scaling up efforts to ensure universal coverage of essential health services, including pre-pregnancy detection and management of noncommunicable diseases and their risk factors (e.g. obesity).

The study by Lozano and his colleagues is one of a special collection of articles published in the May issue of the Bulletin of the World Health Organization that is devoted to new evidence and key lessons from efforts over the past 15 years to reduce maternal, child and adolescent deaths.

The collection of articles is timely because many countries are just starting to implement the global strategy, which aims to prevent deaths and improve overall health and well-being.

The Mexican study highlights the need for maternal, newborn and child health services to be designed to meet new challenges, such as the emerging threat of noncommunicable diseases to maternal health.

"To reduce indirect maternal deaths, obstetricians and other health-care personnel attending to women during pregnancy and the postpartum period need to be trained to care for women's health holistically and not just her pregnancy," Bustreo said.

"This special issue presents important new findings on actions that countries can take to ensure that women, children and adolescents not only survive, but thrive," she said.

###

1. WHO, UNICEF, UNFPA, World Bank Group, United Nations Population Division. Trends in maternal mortality: 1990 to 2015. Geneva: World Health Organization; 2015.

2. Say L, Chou D, Gemmill A, Tuncalp O, Moller AB, Daniels J, Gulmezoglu AM, Temmerman M, Alkema L Global causes of maternal death: a WHO systematic analysis. Lancet Glob Health. 2014 Jun;2(6):e323-33.

3. Barquera S, Campos-Nonato I, Hernandez-Barrera L, Pedroza A, Rivera-Dommarco JA. Prevalence of obesity in Mexican adults 2000-2012. Salud Publica Mex. 2013;55 Suppl 2:S151-60. Spanish. PMID:24626691

4. Stevens G, Dias RH, Thomas KJ, Rivera JA, Carvalho N, Barquera S, et al. Characterizing the epidemiological transition in Mexico: national and subnational burden of diseases, injuries, and risk factors. PLoS Med. 2008 Jun 17;5(6):e125. http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.0050125 PMID:18563960

5. Torres LM, Rhenals AL, Jimenez A, Ramirez-Villalobos D, Uriostegui R, Pina M, et al. [Intentional search and reclassification of maternal deaths in Mexico: The effect on the distribution of causes]. Salud Publica Mex. 2014 Jul-Aug;56(4):333-47. Spanish. PMID:25604173

For further information on the study:

Dr Rafael Lozano Ascencio.

Director of the Centre for Health Systems Research

National Institute of Public Health Mexico

Cuernavaca, Mexico

Tel: +52 1 5547 66 86 52

Email: rafael.lozano@insp.mx

Fiona Fleck

Bulletin of the World Health Organization,

World Health Organization

Geneva, Switzerland

Tel: +41 22 791 1897

Email: fleckf@who.int

For further information on WHO's work:

Dr Flavia Bustreo,

Assistant Director General

Family, Women's and Children's Health

World Health Organization

Geneva, Switzerland

Tel: +41 22 791 3309

Email: gruendinga@who.int

and

Email: seoanem@who.int http://www.who.int/topics/maternal_health/en/

The Bulletin of the World Health Organization is one of the world's leading public health journals. It is the flagship periodical of WHO, with a special focus on developing countries. Articles are peer-reviewed and are independent of WHO guidelines. Abstracts are available in the six official languages of the United Nations: Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian and Spanish.

See the homepage here: http://www.who.int/bulletin/en/

The complete contents of the journal, since 1948, is available free to all readers worldwide through PubMed Central, available at: http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/tocrender.fcgi?journal=522&action=archive
Written by ACM





*Strasbourg/ Prefectoral Palace + Europa Bridge + CCP (Kehl) /Angelo Marcopolo/- Amidst a spectacular Series of visits to various Joint Franco-German Security Tools protecting Strasbourg area, (from Rhine River patrol Ships, Mixte Bicycle Teams, "Europa Bridge" Border Checks, up to Police and Customs' Cooperation Centre at nearby Kehl, etc), the Experienced French JHA Minister, and former EU Affairs Minister, Bernard Cazeneuve, speaking to Journalists, including "Eurofora", and an Audience of Policemen, Gendarmes and Soldiers, as well as Local and National Officials at the Prefectoral Palace downtown, hailed the precious Help provided in the current Fight against Deadly Terrorism by a recently growing European cooperation, announced that Many new Attempts for more Attacks against France had been Prevented, and made a Strong Plaidoyerie in favour of Respect to Basic, Historic EU Values, in front of the serious Challenges faced Nowadays.

------------------------------



>>> - "For Jihadist Groups, France remains a main Target in Europe, ... both Inside and Outside of our Borders", Cazeneuve Warned. That's why, f.ex., Strasbourg's area will receive 115 More Security Agents, to Strengthen further its Defence, he anounced.



- Only "during the Last few Months (of 2016), we have Prevented 12 attempts for Terrorist Attacks, and (another) 7 since January 2015, thanks to a Determined Action against Terrorism", the French JHA Minister announced.



- This was said at a particular Moment when, as he Stressed from the outset, "for more than a Year now, Security Forces have to struggle at Various Fronts at the Same Time, since to the Ordinary Criminals, were Added, with an Unprecedented Intensity, also the Needs to Reply to Terrorist Threats, ... as well as to an Irregular Migration Crisis throughout Europe, while, Recently emerged even Repeated Violence by some Groups of Trouble-Makers full of Hate against the Repubican State, who exploit Public Demonstrations", (about Social Rights), provoking a lot of Material Destructions and even Wounding many Policemen. (F.ex. "78 only Yesterday", one reportedly in serious condition, as he said, shortly before it was anounced that also a Demonstrator lost an eye by a Flash-Ball at the Provincial City of Rennes). All those who Provoke such Violences will be systematicaly Prosecuted and brought to the Courts, he anounced.



- However, even "in Front of the Serious Terrorist Threats that we know", he "reminded the Principles of Responsibility and Wisdom", about the use of Public Force "with Proportionality", according to "the Democratic Legality of a Republican State" like France, "in Strict Respect of the Legal Rules", placed "under Judicial Control", as he observed.





- Nevertheless, "with a series of Arrests, during the latest Weeks, in France, Belgium, the Netherlands, etc" (+ the UK), "we are Breaking up the Terrorist Networks which have attacked and threaten France, Belgium", and other European Countries, "and would have Attacked again, if there wasn't a Strong and United Reaction in Europe, Cazeneuve noted positively.



+ Moreover, the recent Green Light given by EU Parliament to a "European PNR (AirFlights' Passengers Name Records), awaited since long, will now allow for EU Policemen to have a Tool for the Traceability of the Movements of those who come to Commit Terrorist Actions by Crossing EU's Borders" :



- "This Tool will allow us (EU Member Countries) to Anticipate, and Face Efficiently those Jihadists when they arrive at the EU", Cazeneuve promised, (even if Most Terrorists who Killed innocent Civilians in Paris, last November 2015, had entered the EU coming from Turkey by Smugglers' Ships, Hidden among that "Tsunami" of Massive Asylum Seekers/Irregular Migrants which stroke Europe since the Middle of 2015, through the Turkish Coasts near the Aegean Sea Islands of EU + Shengen Member Greece, and didn't Diminish but only after Several European Countries were led to Impose Strict Controls or even to Close their Borders, Blocking the so-called "Western Balkans route", since March 2016).



_ And, meanwhile, f.ex., in France alone, "there are 110.000 Policemen, Gendarms and Army Soldiers, who are constantly Protecting the Country", since the beginning of the state of Emergency, he reminded.

+ Among various other moves, "Since 2012, we have set up a Special Network for Informations, in Partnership with the German Authorities, in order to gather Intelligence on Criminals", (f.ex. from Eastern Europe, etc), welcomed Cazeneuve, who has served previously also as Minister for EU Affairs.





__________________________________



- "In front of all Forms of Brutal Violence", the Republican State has to defend Democratic Freedoms, and, "for that, it needs Men and Women who are Committed, Determined, Discreet, and Courageous, whose Bravery expresses their attachment to (love of) Republican Values", he went on to add.



+ Today, "the Republic also Needs Appeasement", the French JHA Minister stressed. That's why, "while Facing various Threats", we need "Just and Well-Balanced Words" :



- "Instead of words which Hurt, Divide, Aggress", sometimes taking part to the "Responsibilities for forms of Violence that the Republic doesn't need at all".



- "Because, while Facing Violence and Threats, the Republic is Strong, when it's One and Indivisible". I.e. "when it finds, deep inside it, the Appeasement which allows to Live Together, with one of the Best Republican Values : that of Respect. Respect to those who wear uniforms", to those who exerce a Public Authority, because they have a (Democratic) Legitimity and take care to act always in a Respectable way, as People also owe Respect to Elder Persons, who have had a Long Experience of Life, and might contribute to Help the Younger to find their way, as well as Respect to the Citizens of the Republic, and to a Youth who has Aspirations and should be Encouraged to head towards" the Best possible Direction.



- "Respect is a beautiful Value, but Risks to be Lost" recently, "while, in fact, it's not so Difficult to Saveguard, if everyone does his duty", he optimisticaly said, (adding also that, "as a Normand, I don't like Violence, nor Abuses").



=> For that purpose, "we must search, not Words which Hurt, Divide People, provoke Antagonism, But, rather, Words which simply tell the Truth, about the Challenges that we have to Face" all Together, the French JHA Minister pointed out.



- "Say that in Strasbourg, a beautiful European Capital" City that reminds "the Values of EU's Founding Fathers, it takes a Special Meaning", Cazeneuve concluded, pointing at the Fundamental Historic "Sources" of a European Dream, which notoriously Faces various Serious Challenges recently.

(../..)



-------------------------------------------------





***





("DraftNews", as already send to "EuroFora"s Subscribers/Donors, earlier. A more accurate, full Final Version might be Published asap).
Hello,

My in-laws have lived in Celaya for a long time so we go down to visit there at least annually. If you are looking for a place to live you may want to check out Praderas De La Hacienda, on the north side of town on the road to San Miguel. I've always seen plenty of houses for rent or for sale. I can't help you with Kindergartens, but I do see advertising around town. Celaya has really grown in the last 15 years with lots of companies located there including Honda. You'll find traditional markets in the center of town and stores like Walmart, Costco, Sears, & Home Depot on the outer rim. Celaya is centrally located and an easy drive to the colonial towns San Miguel De Allende, Dolores Hidalgo, and Guanajuato. We like flying into Queretaro as it's only 1 hr max to Celeya. Good look with the move!
First of two columns

Some time ago (the Express-News) published an item about the Catholic Archdiocese demolishing Mary Catherine Hall on their acquired property, while the San Antonio Conservation Society was still trying to save it. I think this was perhaps about the year 2000. The Hall was given in the 1920s to the previous Westmoorland (Methodist ) College as a womens dormitory by the McFarlins in memory of Mrs. McFarlins mother. Westmoorland merged with Trinity University about 1941 and was sold to the Archdiocese in the 50s. Can you tell me what year the hall was torn down?

 Harold Burkhardt

Mary Catherine Hall, one of three dormitories at Westmoorland College and the only one for women, was praised as the Souths most modern dormitory when it opened in 1926 on what is now the 3000 block of West French Place. Designed by Adams & Adams Architects in the then-popular Spanish eclectic style  similar to the firms more famous project, Jefferson High School  the three-story structure was built of brick and steel with a tile roof at a cost of about $300,000. Half that amount was contributed by Mr. and Mrs. R.M. McFarlin and named after Mrs. McFarlins mother, Mary Catherine Barnard.

Dorm rooms were designed with female students in mind, with cozily furnished alcoves in the living room where the college girls (could) entertain young men friends(,) electric plates for making fudge, built-in dressing tables, a kitchen and dining room for exclusive dormitory parties, built-in chiffonettes (chests of drawers), clothes presses and even a series of rooms arranged en suite for groups of girls who want more intimacy than single rooms afford, says the San Antonio Express, Marcy 19, 1926.

Furnishings, costing a total of $15,000, were a combination of enameled steel and wicker. The rooms came complete with rugs and even sofa pillows, so students could make their beds look like couches during the daytime. At 24,000 square feet, the hall was intended to accommodate 120 students

The building was dedicated March 19, with considerable ceremony - hymns, prayers, scriptural readings and recognition for the McFarlins and other donors. Administrators and board members spoke on the need to create a $1 million endowment and to continue a building program to make Westmoorland the equal of any educational institution in the country, as reported in the Express, March 20, 1926.

Operated by the West Texas Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church South, the college was founded in 1894 as San Antonio Female College and renamed Westmoorland in 1918. With the opening of the new dorm on the Woodlawn-area campus, the school could attract more young women from South Texas to study fine arts, business, public speaking and to earn teaching certificates. The church school advertised Christian education, small classes, individual attention and a homelike atmosphere. Besides the college, there were elementary and secondary schools.

Through the 1930s, Mary Catherine Hall was a popular venue for college events. Ground-floor public spaces included parlors, reception rooms and an Alumnae Association Room, where art exhibits, assemblies, club meetings, dances, lectures and recitals were held.

In 1937, the institution went fully coeducational and changed its name to the University of San Antonio. When Trinity University  a historically Presbyterian school founded in 1869  moved from Waxahachie to San Antonio in 1942, it merged with the younger school and occupied the Woodlawn campus until its move in 1952 to the present Skyline Campus north of downtown.

The Woodlawn property was transferred to the Catholic Archdiocese in 1952, says Trinity historian Douglas Brackenridge, Ph.D., a retired professor of religion. The purchase price was $265,000 for land and buildings and some contents, says Brother Ed Loch, archdiocesan archivist. Mary Catherine Hall was used as a dormitory for Assumption Seminary, to accommodate 120 students and eight faculty members. Innovations included a telephone on every floor and utility rooms; a chapel was discussed but axed by canon law, which said no sleeping quarters above a chapel, says Loch. A separate chapel was established elsewhere on the campus, and students moved into the dorm Sept. 10, 1952.

After enrollment at Assumption dwindled in the late 1960s, the building was repurposed along with others at the seminary, for the use of the new Mexican American Cultural Center (MACC), founded in 1971 by the Rev. Virgil Elizondo and other priests and nuns. MACC became a national center for pastoral education and language studies for Hispanic ministry, according to its entry in the Handbook of Texas.

In early 2000, MACC moved its headquarters into newer buildings nearby. The hall was still under the control of the seminary, whose administrators wanted to build a more modern dormitory, rather than going to the expense of trying to remodel the 1926 building to bring it up to code. Plans for its demolition were announced that fall, pitting two beloved local institutions  the Archdiocese and the San Antonio Conservation Society  against each other in a protracted controversy involving city authorities and lots of dramatic twists and turns.

Next week: A polite fight to the finish

historycolumn@yahoo.com

Twitter: @sahistorycolumn

Facebook: SanAntoniohistorycolumn
Two men with ties to the city of Windcrest have been indicted on charges of misapplication of fiduciary property, in connection with some $300,000 in funds for a swimming pool complex in the Stone Oak area that was never built.

Bexar County District Attorney Nico LaHood said Robert Colunga and Tom Pittman were indicted by a grand jury in April on the first-degree felony charges. Although a civil lawsuit is pending in the project, LaHood said he believes a criminal case also is warranted against the two men, and possibly others.
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KILLEEN  Four U.S. soldiers sat at a folding table across from a man wearing an Afghan National Army uniform as he discussed his units work in a rugged area of eastern Afghanistan.

The Americans jotted notes in green field books as the Afghan commander, speaking in Dari and through an interpreter, explained his efforts to set up military checkpoints and supply routes for his troops. Hanging on the rooms walls were the flag of Afghanistan and a framed photo of Ashraf Ghani, the countrys president, and on a nearby table stood a coffee urn filled with tea.

All of the elements  the conversation topics and interpreter, the decor, even the availability of tea instead of coffee  provided a preview of what awaits the soldiers in Afghanistan.

The men, who belong to the 3rd Cavalry Regiment stationed at Fort Hood, will join some 1,000 soldiers from the unit deploying in the next month to the countrys mountainous eastern region for a nine-month tour.

Their participation with a dozen other soldiers in the classroom exercise, held on a recent weekday on base, illuminated how the U.S. military has shifted its emphasis in Afghanistan from fighting to talking.

Maj. Chauncey Hodge was among the four soldiers listening to the faux commander played by a native Afghan who once worked for U.S. forces as an interpreter and later emigrated to America. Hodge, 36, who previously deployed to Afghanistan in 2010 after a tour in Iraq three years earlier, described the change in purpose and philosophy for American troops.

Were not going there this time to say, This is what you have to do, he said. Its their plan, and youre more working to help them follow through.

The 3rd Cavalry will make up more than 10 percent of the 9,800 troops in Afghanistan supporting Operation Freedoms Sentinel. The train, advise and assist mission, in military parlance, began last year after President Obama halted major combat operations following the 13-year, U.S.-led war against the Taliban.

The transition to an advisory role coincided with Obamas decision to reduce the number of troops on the ground. The figure will drop to 5,500 by early next year as the Afghan military, formed in 2002 and forced to grow up under fire, struggles to subdue the resurgent Taliban insurgency.

Afghan army and police forces have suffered heavy losses since assuming more control of the battle against the Islamist militia, with 16,000 members killed or wounded last year, an increase of 3,500 from 2014. The Taliban has exploited a lack of cohesion among Afghanistans military branches across the country, including in the capital of Kabul two weeks ago.

A suicide attacker detonated a massive truck bomb outside a government intelligence office in the heart of the citys so-called ring of steel, killing 64 people and wounding nearly 350, most of them civilians. The attack ranked as the deadliest in Kabul since 2011, when militants launched an assault on the U.S. Embassy.

The classroom training at Fort Hood involved quieter scenarios that 3rd Cavalry officers can expect to encounter during their tour. They met in small groups with Afghan commanders, who sought guidance on moving weapons and equipment between bases, evacuating wounded soldiers and improving radio transmissions.

The Americans asked questions to learn more details before suggesting potential solutions, taking care to articulate ideas and options rather than commands.

Its not about having them copy the American model, said 1st Lt. Matthew Duarte, 24, who will lead a platoon that will advise Afghan combat medics. Weve been in Afghanistan for quite a long time now, and the Afghan forces have come a long way. At this point, were just trying to help them reach the goal of self-sufficiency.

1st Lt. Michael Schumer, an assistant communications officer who will deploy to Afghanistan for the second time in three years, offered a similar perspective.

We need to build a sustainable Afghan military because we dont want to stay in Afghanistan forever, said Schumer, 26, who like Duarte belongs to the regiments 3rd Squadron. We need to help the Afghans be responsible for their own fate.

The 3rd Cavalrys upcoming tour adds to a long list of deployments in Americas 21st-century wars for units stationed at Fort Hood.

Elements from the 1st Cavalry Division took part in the invasion of Iraq in early 2003, and soldiers with the 4th Infantry Division, then based at Fort Hood, captured Iraq President Saddam Hussein later that year.

In Afghanistan, the 1st Cavalry arrived within weeks of the U.S. invasion in October 2001, and later this year, the division will send 500 troops to Bagram Airfield, some 35 miles north of Kabul. Last fall, the 504th Military Intelligence Brigade from Fort Hood deployed to Afghanistan for a nine-month tour that will end in June.

The evolving role of U.S. troops in Afghanistan requires them to balance the duties of soldier and trainer. Yet while the 3rd Cavalry will focus on advising Afghan troops, Capt. Ronald Rice, a commander with the 4th Squadron, makes a point of reminding his soldiers of the existential threat of violence.

Ive been telling my guys, This is still a combat zone. It is a dangerous place, said Rice, 30, who deployed to Iraq in 2012. You cant go over assuming something bad wont happen.

He talked as his unit conducted a live-fire training exercise last week, with teams of soldiers raiding a suspected insurgent target that took the form of a wooden shack. They ran through shin-high grass in a field turned swampy by overnight rains as the humid air swallowed the pop of gunfire.

Rice views the 3rd Cavalrys mission in the context of preventing the kind of military collapse that has plagued Iraq. He watched with frustration from afar as areas of the country he had patrolled as a platoon leader in 2012 fell to the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, or ISIS, two years ago.

I cant believe that happened, he said. So for Afghans, I dont want to let that happen in their country.

Rices unit will provide security for a team of advisers aiding Afghan commanders who are seeking to repel an insurgency that appears stronger than at any time since U.S. forces ousted the Taliban from power in 2001. He regards the ongoing presence of U.S. troops as crucial to the fortunes of Afghan forces.

Theyre learning some extremely hard lessons, Rice said. Theyre going through a learning process, and they cant just do it alone.

mkuz@express-news.net

Twitter: @MartinKuz
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Retired Navy Capt. Norman Jack Dusty Kleiss, thought to be the last surviving dive bomber in the pivotal Battle of Midway of World War II, has died in San Antonio about six weeks after turning 100.

Kleiss, who lived for nearly 20 years at the former Air Force Village retirement community, now known as Blue Skies of Texas, was buried Friday at Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery and remembered in a Catholic Mass at the retirement village on Saturday. He died April 22.

His most celebrated actions in the famous sea battle came less than six months after the bombing of Pearl Harbor plunged the United States into war in the Pacific Theater. On June 4, 1942, he dropped bombs on the Japanese carriers Kaga and Hiryu.

I released a 500-pound bomb at 1,500 feet, my two 100-pound incendiaries at 1,000 feet, rather than the standard altitude of 2,500 feet, to ensure he hit critical targets on the Kaga, Kleiss told the Express-News in 2011.

Barely pulling out of the dive, he saw the entire ship in flames 100 feet high, he recalled. He also attributed his 5-foot-7-inch frame with saving his life, saying he would have been fatally shot in the head in one dogfight, if taller.

Born in Coffeyville, Kansas on March 7, 1916, Kleiss graduated from the Naval Academy hoping to become an Olympic wrestler before the war broke out. He was awarded the Navy Cross for actions at Midway that helped cripple the Japanese fleet.

His daughter, Jill Kleiss, described him as a cuddly teddy bear who spoke with intelligence but expressed joy through his crazy dancing at Blue Skies.

He always had a smile, she said. Hed say, How are you doing today?

Kleiss was preceded in death by his wife, Jean, who died in 2006. He is survived by another daughter and two sons, seven grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren.

shuddleston@express-news.net

Twitter: @shuddlestonSA
Housing Secretary Julian Castro, a surrogate for Hillary Clintons presidential campaign, took aim at Bernie Sanders record on immigration when he served in the U.S. House.

Sanders voted with Republicans to protect the Minutemen, a hate group that used military tactics against our community, Castro, a former San Antonio mayor, said in a statement rolled out by the Clinton camp March 8, 2016, the day that Sen. Sanders of Vermont won an upset victory in the Democratic partys Michigan presidential primary.

Clinton leveled a similar claim about Sanders and the Minutemen at a Democratic debate in Miami the next day; PolitiFact found her statement Mostly True. Unlike Castro, she did not call the Minuteman Project a hate group.

Democrats tend to support comprehensive immigration reform including possible citizenship for residents living in the country without legal permission. Sanders, an Independent, caucused with Democrats in the House and later in the Senate. So its arguably not helpful at the polls for him to be seen as supporting the Minuteman Project, which came into the spotlight in 2005 when its founders organized a volunteer stakeout of parts of the Arizona-Mexico border for the month of April.

One of the co-founders of the Minuteman Project, Chris Simcox, parted ways with the project and established the Minuteman Civil Defense Corps in 2005. The remaining founder, Jim Gilchrist, was fired from the Minuteman Project in 2007, according to the Southern Poverty Law Center.

The groups spawned a network of chapters over the years, driven by a combination of growth and internal conflict over finances and other issues. Some chapters were not close to the border and focused on anti-immigration advocacy, while others voluntarily patrolled the U.S.-side of the border with Mexico.

Those patrols and confrontation with undocumented immigrants prompted then-President George W. Bush to disparage them as vigilantes and a former Mexican president to call them immigrant hunters, the Washington Post reported in 2005.

But the Minuteman Project and Minuteman Civil Defense Corps websites in 2005 and 2006 explicitly described their cause as peaceful and urged members to follow the letter of the law while patrolling the border, or risk discrediting their cause.

In the claim, Castro, like Clinton, was referencing a vote on an amendment to a 2006 appropriations bill. The amendment was proposed by Rep. Jack Kingston of Georgia in response to rumors that the U.S. Border Patrol had been telling the Mexican government where vigilante civilian border groups were stationed.

The 2006 CQ Almanac described it as follows: Kingston, R-Ga., amendment that would bar the use of funds in the bill to provide a foreign government with information that relates to the operations or location of the Minutemen or other private volunteer border patrol groups along the U.S.-Mexican border, unless the information sharing is required by an international treaty.

On the House floor, Kingston explained, What this amendment does is it clarifies Congress position on a Border Patrol practice or a practice of the U.S. Government that tips off illegal immigrants as to where citizen patrols may be located. ... What my amendment does is simply says that the U.S. Government cannot tip off the Mexican officials as to where these folks are located.

PolitiFact found that Clinton got Sanders vote right  he did vote with the GOP for the amendment, House records show  but downplayed what had been a bipartisan vote where 76 Democrats joined 216 Republicans in support.

But unlike Clinton, Castro described the Minuteman Project as a hate group.

So, is the Minuteman Project a hate group  and did Sanders vote really protect them?

Requests for clarification from Castro led to Josh Schwerin, a spokesman for the Clinton campaign, reaching out via email and directing us to the Southern Poverty Law Centers list of nativist extremist groups. The SPLC was established in 1971 and is listed as an outreach partner by the FBI, according to the agencys website.

The SPLC list doesnt designate the Minuteman Project a hate group, unlike some other groups on their list of nativist extremists, which are marked with an asterisk to denote that they are both nativist extremist and hate groups.

We wondered what moves a group into hate-group territory. By phone, Mark Potok, a center expert, told us the nativist extremist groups are a step towards the center.

Basically, those are the groups which go beyond merely disagreeing with immigration policy and confront, personally, suspected illegal immigrants, or people who would help or hire them, he said, adding: We dont list a group just for saying they think immigration levels ought to be lower.

Potok continued, the thing to understand about our hate group listing is its not based on criminality or violence. Its based on the ideology expressed by the group, on its website or by its leaders. We ask, does it demonize an entire group? Those are the hardest line groups we cover.

The SPLCs website defines hate groups as those that have beliefs or practices that attack or malign an entire class of people, typically for their immutable characteristics.

Potok said that in 2006, the year the vote Castro referenced took place, nativist extremist groups were on the rise after beginning to emerge around 2005. Activity peaked in 2010, he said, when the center tallied 319 groups. In 2015, the SPLC counted only 17 such groups.

A lot of these [extremist nativist groups] were spinoffs of the Minutemen groups, Potok said, but not all.

Brian Levin, director of the Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism at California State University, said in a phone interview that Jim Gilchrist, one of the co-founders of the Minuteman Project, was receptive when Levin approached him to deal with neo-Nazi elements in the organization, and that differences of opinion on how to handle that issue contributed to the fissure creating the Minuteman Civil Defense Corps.

Certainly there were entities in the border movement that were clearly racist hate groups, and certainly there were people who were in the Minuteman Project at the time who were, but I can tell you that [Jim] Gilchrist wanted those people excluded, and after I informed him, he took measures to do, he said.

In our research, we found that coverage of the projects offshoots has been dominated by several high-profile criminal cases that happened in the years between 2006 and today. In 2009, a former member of the Minuteman Civil Defense Corps murdered a Latino man and his 9-year-old daughter after breaking into their home, CNN reported. In 2013, Minuteman Project and Minuteman Civil Defense Corps co-founder Chris Simcox was arrested on charges of child sexual molestation, according to Univision. These incidents have taken a toll on the reputation of the groups (for instance, in 2010, the NAACP referred to the Minuteman Project as a nativist organization that has in the past been associated with the murder of migrant Mexican workers as part of its vigilante border operations).

But Sanders House vote on incidents that came after it occurred.

So what information on the project was available at the time of the vote?

A report from the Congressional Research Service, dated April 7, 2006, cited many potential problems that could arise with civilian border patrols, but also said that apart from the widely reported incident involving Ranch Rescue [an extremist anti-immigration group that dressed in military gear and went looking for armed drug smugglers in 2002], there have been no credible reports of civilian border patrol organizations engaging in violence against migrants.

Some scholars of the Minuteman Project, like Leo Chavez, an anthropologist at UC Irvine who has written about the group, have suggested that press coverage and creating a spectacle were central to the groups purpose (Although monitoring the U.S.- Mexico border was Gilchrists immediate objective, the larger goal was to use the citizen patrols on the border to draw attention to Gilchrists larger aim of influencing public opinion and federal immigration policy, he wrote).

Christopher J. Walker, an associate professor of law at Ohio States Moritz College of Law, echoed this view in an article in the Harvard Latino Law Review, writing, More than anything else, the Minutemen seek media attention.

Todd Gutnick, communications director for the Anti-Defamation League, told us by email, We have always referred to the Minutemen Project (of that period) as anti-immigrant extremists, who had racists/haters in their rank and file, but not specifically a hate group, when asked about the ADLs view of the Project circa 2006.

Sanders campaign policy director Warren Gunnels told us by email that Sanders did not vote to protect the minuteman. This amendment simply stated what was already law at that time. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has never shared information with the Mexican government except when required by treaty.

Although Sabo said it didnt reflect a change in existing law, 106 out of 201 Democrats at the time still voted against it; 19 did not vote.

We reached out to Kingston for his perspective on the amendment.

It wasnt an extremist group, they werent violent, they werent making threats, it wasnt anything like that at all, he said by phone. It passed overwhelmingly. I may have spoken to Bernie about it at the time, I dont remember, but it wasnt an extremist position. To me, it was common sense.

It was a minor vote. Ive gotten calls from a few other reporters that started a few months ago. I didnt even remember the thing itself until they started asking me about it, he said.

Our attempts to reach the Minuteman Project by phone and via its website proved unsuccessful.

Our ruling

Castro, a surrogate for the Clinton campaign, said: Bernie Sanders voted with Republicans to protect the Minutemen, a hate group that used military tactics against our community.

Sanders, then an Independent in the House, voted with 75 Democrats to restrict the U.S. from alerting Mexico to Minutemen operations on the border. However, we didnt see any evidence that this since-weakened extremist group was designated a hate group.

On balance, we rate this claim as Half True.
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Authorities released new details Saturday in the shocking discovery of two toddlers who were chained and leashed outside a Northeast Side home in which six unsupervised children were also found.

Both of them were dehydrated, had old bruises and new bruises, several scratches, Bexar County Sheriffs Office spokesman James Keith said Saturday. The little girl had what appeared to be a fractured arm and injuries to her foot.

When asked if the children showed any signs of torture, Keith said if you consider a child chained up with metal chain torture, then yes.

Porucha Denise Phillips, 34, the pregnant mother of the six children in the home, remained in Bexar County Jail on Saturday in lieu of $150,000 bail. She faces two felony charges on two counts of injury to a child by omission.

Child Protective Services spokeswoman Mary Walker said the two children were continuing their recovery in the hospital Saturday. The girl had been in intensive care on Friday.

As for the other six children, aged 10 months to 13 years old, found in the home, they remain in CPS custody.

Were doing whatever we need to do so that theyre taken care of, Walker said.

Bexar County officials continued their search for the parents of the toddlers who left the children with Phillips.

Keith said of the two restrained children, deputies found the 2-year-old boy chained to the ground, and the 3-year-old girl tied to a door with a dog leash.

The neighbor who called 911 said she had heard screaming from the back yard of the home in the 8100 block of Chipping in an unicorporated area of Bexar County for some time, authorities said.

After climbing a ladder and rescuing the toddlers, deputies discovered six other children inside the home, who did not show signs of abuse.

As investigators were still at the scene, Keith said Phillips and her husband arrived hours later Friday morning.

Phillips husband has not been charged in the case, and it was determined that he was working when the incident occurred. Keith added that he had been cooperating with investigators.

According to records, Phillips once lived in Sacramento. Reaching out to California CPS, a representative said they could not confirm or discuss any previous interactions with the children, but that they were interested in the case and any ties they may have had to the state.

Keith confirmed Saturday that detectives were in touch with California CPS as they continued their investigation.

A neighbor, who did not wish to be identified but said she was close to Phillips, said that Phillips had been taking care of the two toddlers over the past 6 months, around the time a friend of hers dropped the two children off at her home.

On Friday, Keith said that investigators had the name of the mother but had been unable to locate her.

According to Northeast Independent School District Spokeswoman Aubrey Chancellor, three of Phillips children were confirmed to be students Montgomery Elementary School,

She noted that there were no CPS cases opened involving the children who attended the school prior Thursdays discovery.

If there were any signs of abuse its (the schools) obligation to open a case, she said. Since this happened outside of school obviously we let the authorities handle that.

jbeltran@express-news.net

Twitter: @JBfromSA
Like so many others in San Antonios small Syrian community, Bilal Deiri scouts for news about the war in Syria, the estimated 4.8 million refugees scattered throughout the world and the millions more that have been displaced inside that country.

Deiri, a businessman whose family owns the popular Pasha Mediterranean Grill restaurants, has been waiting especially for news that Catholic Charities in San Antonio will resettle some of those refugees here.

But on last check, none have landed in San Antonio and none are expected in the immediate future.

In September, U.S. resettlement agencies were expecting thousands of them and lobbying the Obama administration to accept more.

Since then, little information has trickled down to local agencies.

When Syrian refugees do arrive, they wont be in any large number, said Paula Walker, director of refugee services for Catholic Charities, the citys only resettlement agency. The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops doesnt foresee a huge influx, either.

Last fall, as so many of those refugees were being turned away at borders, some drowning trying to reach safety, Catholic Charities was ready to resettle 500 of them.

San Antonios Syrian community has remained focused on raising money for food and supplies for refugee camps.

Deiri, a native of Dallas and longtime San Antonian, is a member of the Syrian Aid Foundation. The local charity is now working on raising $10,000 to pay for 40,000 pounds of rice that will be sent to a refugee camp. Costco has offered the best deal, he says.

The foundation has kept locals abreast of the humanitarian crisis. Deiris father, who was born in Syria, has traveled to several camps in Turkey to see conditions. They appeared to be reasonably well-kept and were hospitable to Syrians.

Try to imagine that youre carrying all of your belongings, all you can carry, and face a difficult, dangerous journey by foot or boat, seeing tragic things along the way, Deiri said. Then getting to a bleak, depressing camp. It can be tough on anyone, any way you look at it.

In April, when he spoke at the San Antonio Walk Against Genocide on the Campus of the San Antonio Jewish Community, his voice cracked when he spoke of Syrians whove endured such hardships only to be treated as less than human when they arrive at their destinations.

The emotional videos and photographs of Syrian refugees have faded from public view, but Deiri says the crisis hasnt changed much.

The war in Syria has worsened as forces have become more difficult to distinguish from one another. The demographics are cloudier, he says, the Islamic State included.

He believes thats intentional, to give the government more time to squash the rebellion, he said of President Bashar al-Assad. If it hadnt been for Russia and Iran and Hezbollah, the regime wouldnt have lasted for a year.

It has been five years since Arab Spring protests offered so much hope for political reforms and al-Assads ouster.

Over the last few months, the foundation has focused on clothes drives and such. Items collected are passed to groups that can more readily get them to camps in Turkey, Jordan and Lebanon, he said.

Deiri knows of only one group that can get goods into Syria. Its extremely difficult, he says.

A State Department spokesman could not provide any projections on Syrian refugees going to any state or city, saying only that such decisions take a lot of factors into account, including family and personal ties a refugee might have to a particular state or city.

So, like refugee resettlement agencies, the San Antonio Syrian community waits. It connects by way of a Facebook page, where you, too, can make a pledge to their rice project.

The only bit of news is that Catholic Charities will hold a meeting June 22 at which it will update refugee stakeholders. It has received some negative calls about accepting Syrian refugees, but most others have been positive ones.

We had folks offering to have them stay at their home, Walker said. They are listening to the popes message of hope.

eayala@express-news.net

Twitter: @ElaineAyala
AUSTIN  When lawmakers and Gov. Greg Abbott approved $3.8 billion worth of tax relief last year, they suggested the package was only a beginning.

But the twin uncertainties of a slower economy and a highly anticipated, potentially costly court ruling on the constitutionality of the states school finance system have leading lawmakers taking a different focus when they look at the next phase of the tax-relief effort.

Rather than working to exempt a bigger share of homes value from school property taxes (like they did last year) or buy down school property tax rates (as lawmakers have in years past), a special Senate committee is looking closely at such things as putting new restrictions on the growth of property tax revenue for cities and counties.

Its expensive for the state to restrict public schools local property tax revenue, because the Legislature makes up the difference in funds. It has no such obligation when it comes to setting new hurdles for the revenue growth of cities and counties, which oppose such efforts on grounds including the need for local officials control over funding vital local services.

The type of tax relief that we are talking about is limiting the growth of government bills on taxpayers. Thats effectively future revenue, local and state, said Sen. Paul Bettencourt, R-Houston, who chairs the Select Committee on Property Tax Reform and Relief created by Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick.

The fiscal effects to the state are not the blockbusters like last decade when you are trying to buy down big chunks of the tax rate. Its much more appropriate for a much more stagnant budget, Bettencourt said.

The two-year package approved last year cost the state $2.6 billion due to a cut in the business-tax rate and more than $1.2 billion from the school property tax break. Since then, the faltering condition of the energy industry has prompted the Texas comptroller to revise the states revenue estimate downward.

The new revenue estimate still leaves more than enough to cover expenses for the two-year fiscal period, but theres no heady planning on big money to spend as lawmakers would like for the next cycle.

Last year at this time, everybody had visions of tens of billions of dollars of sugar-plum fairies, and everybody had an idea of what to do with a $10 billion or more (in unallocated funds). There will be no $10 billion sugar-plum fairies in this budget, Bettencourt said.

Among key proposals being examined by his committee are potential new restrictions on the level of local revenue growth for cities and counties. Bettencourt pushed the idea in last years legislative session, but it failed in the wake of local government opposition.

Current law allows voters to petition for an election when revenue growth exceeds 8 percent. With strong support from Patrick, who has named tax relief as a top priority, senators again are looking at making a rollback election automatic at a lower rate, of growth, perhaps as much as 5 percent. They say this would give more control to property owners bending under the weight of their tax burden. Among other issues, senators also are looking at appraisal reform.

On the House side, Speaker Joe Straus, R-San Antonio, has asked the tax-writing Ways and Means Committee to study the causes of rising property tax bills and propose solutions He looks forward to hearing those recommendations, said Straus spokesman Jason Embry.

Dale Craymer, president of the business-based Texas Taxpayers and Research Association, said because money will be much tighter in the 2017 legislative session, its unlikely that tax cuts will be as deep as last years session. But he doesnt think there is any question that there will be process-focused relief tightening up what local government can do absent voter approval.

Process-oriented changes may be of even greater value to taxpayers than just buying down rates, said Craymer, since the effect of rate cuts can be eclipsed by other factors.

Bexar County Judge Nelson Wolff said Bexar has a strong history of holding down increases below the potential new limit. But he said the extent of what lawmakers are contemplating is unclear and worrisome.

Since schools impose a bigger share of local property taxes, Wolff said, lawmakers could better ease local taxpayers burden by funding more of public education with state dollars.

If they really want to make a significant change and really help property taxpayers  and I think they should  they need to fund education and take that terrible burden off of the (school) property tax, he said.

pfikac@express-news.net

Twitter: @pfikac
FUW Report into the Post-Quota Dairy Sector April 2016

A report on the current state of the Welsh dairy sector has been launched by the Farmers Union of Wales in order to identify the main issues affecting the sector and those mechanisms which might mitigate some current problems.
From traditional cheddar to Somerset brie, Europes food connoisseurs cant get enough of British cheese, with 330 million of UK cheese exports going to the EU market in 2015.

Also, export volumes increased by 8 per cent since 2010, Environment Secretary Elizabeth Truss said today.

Visiting Somersets Wyke Farms, the Environment Secretary hailed the success of British cheese exports, three-quarters of which went to Europe last year.

France alone bought 59 million of British cheese, which is gaining a growing reputation across the continent for its quality and taste.

Demand for Wykes award-winning cheddar is growing rapidly in France, with sales up by 30 per cent last year.

Last year 60 per cent of all its exports went to the EU, with top customers being France, Spain and Czech Republic.

Outside the EU, cheese producers like Wyke Farms could face crippling tariffs of up to 30 per cent to sell their produce to Europe, costing an additional 169 million per year and meaning EU consumers would pay much higher prices for our cheese.

'Stronger, better and safer in the EU'

Speaking as she visited Wyke Farms dairy, Environment Secretary Elizabeth Truss said:

"With a huge 330 million of cheese exports going to Europe its clear Somerset dairy farmers and producers are stronger, safer and better off as part of a reformed EU.

"Wyke Farms is a prime example of a farm business taking advantage of our tariff-free access to the worlds largest single market of 500 million customers to export their high-quality produce."

Having launched a new British-themed brand to specifically target their export customers, Wyke Farms values the fact that wherever they sell their produce in the EU, the label requirements are exactly the same.

If the UK were to leave the EU, businesses could face re-labelling costs around 3,000 for each product line they export to the EU.

Based in the centre of the cheddar-making region in Somerset, Wyke Farms sources its milk from its own herd which grazes the Mendip Hills, as well as directly from 150 other farms, and employs 250 people, making this 150-year-old family business a crucial part of the rural economy.

'Working hard to build European exports'

Richard Clothier, MD of Wyke Farms, said: "My family have been farming here in Somerset for over 150 years and Im immensely proud of how we have thrived in recent years as weve been able to sell Somerset produce all over the continent.

"Weve worked hard to build our European export business and now have relationships with many European businesses such as Carrefour.

"Leaving the EU puts our free market trade at risk; the current arrangement gives us access to a market more than twice the size of the US and the ability to trade within it under just one set of regulations.

"Changing this would be disabling for business, not empowering. We have an ambitious five-year growth plan for our business and leaving Europe in the coming years will jeopardise that."

Cheese manufacturers in the South West also benefit from EU Protected Food Name status for West Country Farmhouse Cheddar.

By meeting specific criteria, cheddar from the region can carry the resulting logo, helping to distinguish our high-quality produce in a competitive market.

New figures from HMRC recently revealed the UK exports far more cheese to France than to the US, despite the US population being nearly five times largerin 2015, cheese exports to France were worth 59.5m compared to 45.6m to the US.

Last year, UK exports to Ireland alone - the UK's top EU market - were worth 74.7m, more than exports to the USA, Canada, UAE, South Africa, Australia and China combined.
Nestles factory in Dalston, Cumbria, has hosted the latest event of the Next Generation Dairy Leaders Programme.

Seven young First Milk farmers supplying to Nestles factories in Dalston, Cumbria and Girvan, Scotland visited the companys Dalston site, home to Nescafe Cafe Menu products, such as cappuccino and latte.

They toured the factory to learn about Nestle supply chain and how the quality of their milk impacts Nescafe Cafe Menu production performance in what was the second event held under the programme.

The farmers took part in a number of activities, including an interactive demand planning game to help improve their knowledge of the dairy industry and give them a greater understanding of the dairy supply chain from field to consumer.

140 million litres of milk goes into producing Nestle UK confectionery and Nescafe products every year

'Eye opening experience'

George Brown, 25 year old farmer from Cumbria said of the programme: "It has been fantastic learning about the larger supply chain and what goes on beyond the farm gate.

"Now, more than ever, it is too easy to get bogged down in day to day activities with the cows, so to be shown the wider industry and how we fit in with a global company like Nestle has been, and will continue to be, an eye opening experience."

Jennifer Galloway, 28 year old farmer from Girvan in Scotland added: "It was very interesting to see where our milk goes and how some of the countrys most famous products are made using our milk.

"My experience at Nestle has made me look at the dairy industry in a different way and I look forward to learning even more as part of the programme."

Nestle and First Milk launched the Next Generation Dairy Leaders Programme in February 2016, a scheme for young farmers that aims to identify, nurture and develop the next generation of dairy leaders.

The programme forms part of Nestles long-term partnership with First Milk to improve the sustainability of their farms and develop a more sustainable and efficient supply chain with a reduced environmental impact.

The Nestle First Milk Partnership comprises 106 farmers in Cumbria, Ayrshire and Wigtownshire providing high quality fresh milk used in the manufacture of brands, such as Nescafe Cafe Menu and KitKat.

140 million litres of milk goes into producing Nestle UK confectionery and Nescafe products every year. This constitutes 1% of the UKs total milk volume and 8% of Scotlands.
Is Wawa coming to Fayetteville? Heres what we know.

Wawa, a Pennsylvania-based convenience store chain that residents have long clamored for, could be coming to the area.
Lamar Odom's father has been kicked out of his Los Angeles home after Khloe Kardashian stopped paying his rent.

Khloe Kardashian

Joe Odom, 62, has moved back to Brooklyn from Los Angeles after Khloe - who called off her divorce to Lamar last year following his collapse at a Nevada brothel - allegedly cut him off.

He told the New York Post's Page Six: "Khloe didn't even have the guts to tell me herself that my rent wasn't going to be paid anymore. She got the guys who handle Lamar's money to call me and they said the rent wouldn't be paid, I gotta move and my phone was going to get cut off.

"She disrespected me. She decided to kick me out of my home when Lamar was in hospital in Nevada."

Khloe has been looking after Lamar in LA while he recuperates following his collapse after a drugs and alcohol binge, but Joe insists he just wants to look after his son.

He said: "I just wish I could be at his side in LA to support him, but Khloe doesn't want me there," the broken-up father said.

"Whenever I call him, she answers. She must be checking his texts, too. I can't always get through to him anymore.

"She may be Lamar's wife, but I'm his father. She shouldn't have cut me out of his life like she has."
Matt Smith and Lily James have moved in together.

Matt Smith and Lily James

The couple - who have been dating for two years - are living together in Matt's London home and couldn't be happier.

A source told the Sun on Sunday: "They are head over heels and both think they have found the one. Lily moved into Matt's London home and there's been no arguing over who's hogging the bathroom cupboards - yet."

Meanwhile, Lily, 27, previously revealed she loved working with Matt, 33, on comedy horror movie 'Pride and Prejudice and Zombies'.

She said: "He just made me laugh all the time. I actually loved being able to talk about work. It was great that he had to propose to me [in the movie]."

Lily also admitted she was initially reluctant to join the Burr Steers-directed movie, but was convinced after reading the script.

She said: "When I saw the e-mail from my agent, I was like, 'This sounds terrible!' Then within 20 pages of the script, I thought, 'This is so cool! Somehow these two worlds join together, and it's a riot.'"
Woody Harrelson's application to run a marijuana business in Hawaii has been declined.

Woody Harrelson

The 54-year-old actor was one of 58 people who had their requests to open a dispensary in the state refused, after the Department of Health made it legal to supply the drug for medical purposes.

However, eight people were given licenses out of the 66 who applied to run one of the medical dispensaries, which are set to open across four main islands in July.

A list of approved parties from the Hawaii Department of Health showed three approvals in Honolulu on Oahu Island, two on the Big Island, two on Maui and another on Kauai, Reuters reports.

Woody has been an advocate for the legalisation of the drug for some time and reportedly has a home on the Hawaiian island of Maui, where marijuana was legalised 16 years ago.

However, patients never had a way to buy it until the dispensary law was passed.

Applicants were scored on set criteria and had to be resident in Hawaii for more than five years, have $1 million cash, plus $100,000 for each dispensary location.

The 'Natural Born Killers' star intended to open the facility under his company name Simple Organic Living, and will have the opportunity to apply again when more licenses are offered in October 2017.

The Hawaii Department of Health will release individual scores in the coming weeks.
George MacKay has described working on Captain Fantastic as a 'brilliant experience'.

George MacKay

MacKay is set to return to the big screen last this year with Captain Fantastic, which sees him team up with actor Viggo Mortensen and director Matt Ross.

The actor, who has been making a name for himself in recent years with roles in Pride and Sunshine on Leith, says he has an 'amazing' time working on this latest film project.

Speaking to HeyUGuys, the actor said: "That was an amazing thing to work on. Matt Ross, who wrote and directed it, really created some amazing characters. It really encouraged me to learn about the whole community. It's about a family that is raised off the grid and then they are suddenly introduced to society.

"All the intellect behind the kids there was kind of looking at nature versus nurture. Is it pop culture or something else that effect us. I got to work with Viggo [Mortensen] and a great young cast too. It was a brilliant experience."

Captain Fantastic will be the first big screen outing for MacKay since Bypass back in 2014. MacKay and Mortensen are joined on the cast list by Frank Langella, Steve Zahn, Kathryn Hahn, and Samantha Isler.

MacKay has returned to the small screen with his latest film project as he stars alongside James Franco in mini-series 11.22.63, which follows a man who travels back in time to stop the assassination of JFK.

Captain Fantastic is released later this year.

by Helen Earnshaw for www.femalefirst.co.uk

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Dharavi is like a Special Economic Zone in the middle of Mumbai city. There is so much talent and willingness to work here among the people. I am trying to showcase this to the world, says Megha Gupta, 28, founder of dharavimarket.com.

The former journalist, who covered infrastructure for a newspaper in Mumbai, became interested in town planning and later worked as an urbanologist (a sociologist who focuses on urban issues) for a few years. In April 2012, she undertook a project for the research organisation URBZ about how Dharavi residents commute every day.

For six months, Megha spent almost 18 hours a day in Dharavi and understood the local manufacturing activities, popular communication modes and overall lifestyle of the people there. She says, That is when I saw the multitude of products being manufactured here. I bought belts and wallets from the local craftsmen during my research days. Thats when I had a brainwave: What if I want to buy these products online?

Megha thought of building a website that would not only sell the products made by the residents of Asias largest slum, but also tell buyers about who they are, how they live and what their aspirations are. She worked on the idea for almost two years and launched the website in 2014. I worked as a freelance urbanologist to raise money for the idea. During this time,I also realised that a lot of people in Dharavi dont have computers but most of them have good smartphones. So I needed to invest in developing a mobile app that would allow craftsmen to upload images and other details of their products on the platform.

Megha invested almost Rs 5 lakh and rolled out the website and the app, with only about 30 products. Today, there are over 280 craftsmen listed on dharavimarket.com, but the founder believes they still have a long way to go. There are almost 10,000 craftsmen in Dharavi. I eventually want their products to be sold at e-commerce websites like Snapdeal, Amazon, etc. Initially Megha would pick the orders herself and courier them but now she has a shipping partner in place that delivers products across the globe. The initial orders came from countries like Poland, Australia, France and South Africa, she says.

The young entrepreneur is clear about the fact that hers is a for-profit venture helping improve the quality of life of the craftsmen in Dharavi at the same time. The craftsmen working with us have experienced a 20-30 per cent increase in their profits, she says. Megha is now working towards launching the brand Dhama, which will bring all Dharavi products under one umbrella brand. Leather bags, accessories for women, etc, that are produced here are bought by other brands and then sold for a higher price. The idea is to let the craftsmen know the worth of their work. We only give a product the brand name once we conduct a thorough quality check, says Megha. She hopes to eventually turn dharavimarket.com into a robust platform for voicing issues that are crucial to the slum-dwellers, like affordable housing, right to livelihood, access to basic amenities and a right to their own way of life.
TEL AVIV, Israel, May 1, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Kuang-Chi, a Shenzhen-based technology conglomerate, is launching an international innovation fund based in Israel to invest in companies worldwide. The "Kuang-Chi GCI Fund & Incubator" will be the first Chinese fund of its kind, combining investment in early to mid-stage Israeli and global companies with incubation by Kuang-Chi. The newly established fund has an initial mandate of $50 million which is planned to grow to $300 million within the next three years.

GCI refers to the Global Community of Innovation initiated by Kuang-Chi. It brings together innovators from all over the world and turns science fiction and human dreams into reality by delivering "the future" to the world. Kuang-Chi will make its full corporate resources, from sales and marketing to technology collaboration and joint development, available to the companies in which it invests.

Founded in 2010 by five distinguished Chinese scientists who returned to China after earning advanced degrees at Duke, Oxford, and Cambridge universities, now Kuang-Chi is a global innovation group with operations from China to North America, Europe, Africa and Oceania. Kuang-chi has applied for more than 3,000 patents worldwide in the areas of metamaterials, photonics, satellite technology, aviation, and robotics in the past five years alone.

Among its holdings, the group is a main shareholder of KuangChi Science Limited (00439.HK), Solar Ship Inc., Martin Aircraft Company (ASX:MJP), biometrics pioneer Zwipe, and communications group HyalRoute. Acting through public companies, private holdings and research institutes, the group's value exceeds $10 billion.

Kuang-Chi will also announce investments in local Israeli technology companies that are joining GCI, led by a sizable investment in a leading Israeli technology company. Dr. Ruopeng Liu, the group's chairman, stated, "Israel has unparalleled capabilities to offer the world. You share with Kuang-Chi a special mindset and vision. We intend to invest in the best local companies in the fields of biometrics, communications, robotics, and AR, and to take them to the next level commercially and technologically."

Kuang-Chi's longtime partner in Israel, Indigo Global, will represent and manage the GCI Fund & Incubator's activity. Dorian Barak, managing partner of Indigo Global, stated, "Kuang-Chi is one of the most important technology companies in the world today, combining the best of the Shenzhen tech ecosystem with China's scale and development vision. Dr. Liu and his team have developed a unique and successful model to partner with leading innovators in a range of fields, which affords enormous resources to the companies in which they invest. Kuang-Chi isn't merely a financial investor for their enormous technological resources, distribution networks, and design and product development capabilities to benefit the companies selected for the China-based accelerator. We at Indigo are very excited to manage the platform in Israel with a view to expanding the model globally."

A senior Kuang-Chi delegation led by Dr. Liu, including representatives of Chinese media outlets and company executives, will visit Israel in early May to formally announce the fund and to meet with high-level government officials and industry leaders. The talks will end with a launch event at the offices of leading Israeli law firm ERM Law. ERM senior partner Amnon Epstein commented, "It is a great pleasure to welcome such an important Chinese technology company and we look forward to continued collaboration with Kuang-Chi in Israel".

Inquiries:

Kuang-Chi: xiaokelan@kuang-chi.com +86 181 2625 4673

Indigo Global: vicki@indigog.com +972(9)8322526
OTTAWA, ONTARIO -- (Marketwired) -- 05/01/16 -- Asian Heritage Month is a time to celebrate the many achievements and contributions of Canadians of Asian Heritage who helped shape the diverse and prosperous country that we are today.

As Minister of Canadian Heritage and the Minister responsible for Multiculturalism, I invite Canadians of all backgrounds to learn about, appreciate and celebrate the exceptional contributions that Canadians of Asian origin have made to our country.

This year's theme of "Celebrating Arts and Culture" gives us a unique opportunity to celebrate our country's vibrant cultural life. From ballet dancer Chan-hon Goh to actor Zaib Shaikh, novelist Shyam Selvadurai, pianist Jon Kimura Parker, filmmaker Deepa Mehta and many others, Asian-Canadian artists have shared their immense artistic talents, inspiring and educating us.

I encourage all Canadians to take part in the many events happening this month to celebrate Asian Heritage Month.

For more information on Asian Heritage Month, visit http://www.canada.ca/AsianHeritageMonth

Stay Connected

Follow us on Twitter, YouTube, Facebook, Instagram and Flickr.

Contacts:

Pierre-Olivier Herbert

Press Secretary

Office of the Minister of Canadian Heritage

819-997-7788




New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will on Sunday launch the Rs.8,000 crore scheme to provide 5 crore free cooking gas connections to Below Poverty Line (BPL) families from Uttar Pradesh's Ballia.

The Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana, to be run essentially using the money saved from 1.13 crore cooking gas users voluntarily giving up their subsidies, aims to provide cooking gas connections to 5 crore women beneficiaries from BPL families over the next three years, said informed sources.

The Prime Minister will also visit his constituency Varanasi, where he will distribute e-rickshaws to beneficiaries.

"He (Modi) will visit Gyan Pravah - Centre for Cultural Studies and Research at Varanasi and hold a meeting with prominent citizens in Varanasi," an official source said.

The Prime Minister will also launch a scheme for environment-friendly E-Boats at the famous Assi Ghat.

These E-boats will not only reduce pollution, but will also bring down the operational costs, thereby enabling higher incomes for those who earn their livelihoods through such boats on river Ganga, the official source said.

"Since the launch, 1.13 crore people have given-up LPG subsidies and are buying cooking gas at market price," Oil Minister Dharmendra Pradhan had said earlier. PTI had reported.

Maharashtra tops the list with 16.44 lakh consumers giving up subsidies. Uttar Pradesh saw nearly 13 lakh users give up subsidies, followed by Delhi (7.26 lakh). Prime Minister's home state of Gujarat was way down the list with just 4.2 lakh giving up subsidies. Pradhan's home state of Odisha was even lower at 1.3 lakh.

"Five states of Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu account for roughly half of the people who have given up LPG subsidies," Pradhan said.

Consumers are currently entitled to 12 cylinders of 14.2 kg each or 34 bottles of 5 kg each in a year at subsidised rates. A subsidised 14.2-kg cylinder is currently available at Rs 419.13 per bottle in Delhi while the 5-kg pack costs Rs 155.

Market-priced LPG is available at Rs 509.50 per 14.2-kg cylinder. Giving up subsidised LPG will help cut the government's subsidy bill, which was at Rs 30,000 crore on the fuel last fiscal.

Nearly Rs 5,000 crore of subsidy saved through the campaign is being used to provide LPG connection to the poor. "We have released 60 lakh new connection to poor in the last one year," he said.

The scheme provides a financial support of Rs 1,600 for each LPG connection to the BPL households. The identification of eligible BPL families will be made in consultation with the State Governments and the Union Territories, he said. Pradhan said the country currently has 16.64 crore active LPG consumers.

Of the 21 million tonne LPG requirement, nearly 40 per cent is imported and this will go up as demand rises by double digit with new connections.
New Delhi: Asked to explain the "real causes" of ballooning bad loans at public sector banks, RBI Governor Raghuram Rajan has put the blame on "overall economic downturn", among other reasons, in his submission to the key Parliamentary Panel.

The Congress leader K V Thomas-led Public Accounts Committee (PAC), whose term ended on Saturday, has examined Rajan's response but can ask the RBI Governor to appear before it in future once it is reconstituted, sources said.

Various public sector banks may also be asked to appear before the panel again to explain their position.

The Parliamentary Panel had suo motu decided to examine the non-performing assets of the public sector banks, which touched Rs 3.61 lakh crore at the end of December 2015.

At the end of December, as many as 701 accounts with bad loans exceeding Rs 100 crore owed public sector banks (PSBs) Rs 1.63 lakh crore, while SBI accounted for the biggest chunk. PSBs had first refused to appear before PAC, but agreed later and made their submission.

During the examination of bad loan recovery process of the banks, the PAC found that in a number of cases the same bankers were trying to retrieve the bad loans who had earlier sanctioned the loans.

"Since the same officers, who sanctioned the loans are trying to retrieve it, it remains to be seen how successful they will be.. It seems they did not have a mechanism," a PAC member said on the condition of anonymity.

In its questionnaire for the RBI Governor, the panel observed that Private Sector Banks and Foreign Banks do not have as much NPAs as the Public Sector Banks. This was despite the constraints under which the entire banking sector operates being the same, except for the Priority Sector Lending (PSL) requirements.

Noting that Private Sector Banks and Foreign Banks have 2.2 per cent NPAs whereas the Public Sector Banks have 5.98 per cent NPAs, the PAC felt "it is hard to believe that the difference is only due to the PSL".

The PAC Chairman also sought to know the "real causes for the present spurt in NPAs and stressed assets" and whether these are really different from those listed by the Narsimham Committee that went into the NPA issue in 1998.

In his reply, Rajan said, "While some of the reasons for recent spurt in NPAs could be a subset of those indicated by Narasimham Committee, the level of stressed assets are seen in the context of overall economic downturn". Rajan listed six primary reasons for spurt in stressed assets that have been observed in recent times.

These included domestic and global economic slowdown, delays in statutory and other approvals especially for projects under implementation and aggressive lending practices during upturn as evidenced from high corporate leverage.

Other reasons cited by Rajan were laxity in credit risk appraisal and loan monitoring in banks and lack of appraising skills for projects that need specialised skills resulting in acceptance of inflated cost and aggressive projections. Besides, he also listed willful default, loan frauds and corruption in some cases among the key reasons.
Washington: Recognising the contributions of journalists in a democracy, US President Barack Obama on Saturday, underlined the importance of a free press at a time when liberal ideals and independent media are under attack across the world.

At his final White House correspondents' dinner, Obama said that a free press is needed more than ever in this age when liberal democracies are under attack and when notions of objectivity, of free press, and of facts and evidence, were being undermined, and in some cases entirely ignored.

"And in such a climate, it's not enough just to give people a megaphone. And that's why your power and your responsibility to dig and to question, and to counter distortions and untruths is more important than even ever," Obama said.

The speech, heavily laced with jokes and satire, lasted for more than 30 minutes and Obama acknowledged that the institutions of media and governance are at times at variance.

But he said that taking a stand on behalf of what is true does not require shedding objectivity. "In fact, it is the essence of good journalism." He said that "this night is a testament to all of you who have devoted your lives to that idea, who push to shine a light on the truth every single day".

"I know that there are times when we've had differences and that's inherent in our institutional roles. That is true of every president and his press corps. But we've always shared the same goal to root our public discourse in the truth. To open the doors of this democracy. To do whatever we can to make our country and our world more free and more just," Obama said.

"I want to close my final White House correspondents' dinner by just saying thank you... It has been an honour and a privilege to work side by side with you to strengthen our democracy," Obama said.

"I've always appreciated the role that you have all played as equal partners in reaching these goals. Our free press is why we once again recognise the real journalists who uncover the horrifying scandal and brought some measure of justice for thousands of victims around the world."

Recognising some of them present at the dinner, Obama asked the audience for a big round of applause for them.

"A free press is why, once again, we honour Jason Rezaian. Last time this year we spoke of Jason's courage as he endured the isolation of an Iranian prison," he said.

"This year we see that courage in the flesh, and it's a living testament to the very idea of a free press and a reminder of the rising level of danger and political intimidation and the physical threats faced by reporters overseas," Obama said.

Obama said, he can make this commitment that as long as he holds this office his administration will continue to fight for the release of American journalists held against their will.
New Delhi: "Good health is a justiciable fundamental right", a Delhi court has said while observing that Prime Minister Narendra Modi's ambitious project for health insurance cover for everyone would bring about an "evolution" in India's health insurance model.

The court's observations came while pulling up the United India Insurance Company Ltd, a Public Sector Unit (PSU), for rejecting the mediclaim of a person for heart ailment on the ground of genetic disease exclusion clause.

"I hold that a genetic disease exclusion clause in a mediclaim insurance policy which is a contract between the insurer and the insured and which totally excludes the grant of insurance in case of genetic diseases, is liable to be struck down being violative of the constitutional mandate, the fundamental underlying constitutional scheme, policy of the State and public good."

"Such clauses are arbitrary, discriminatory and unfair as they discriminate persons suffering from genetic disorders/ diseases from state assistance," Additional District Judge Kamini Lau said.

The court said, "The ambitious project of Prime Minister Narendra Modi i.e. National Health Assurance Mission (NHAM) envisioning a scheme for health insurance cover for everyone is yet to effectively put in place and rolled out before it can be offered to everyone and this would bring about an evolution of the health insurance model in India as promised."

The court, while deciding the suit against the insurance firm, said plaintiff Jai Prakash Tayal was entitled to recover from the company Rs five lakh which he had spent for his treatment at the hospital.

The firm had denied mediclaim saying "genetic disease is not payable as per policy genetic exclusion clauses".

The man had told the court that he has already taken two claims for the same treatment and therefore, a third claim for the same disease was not liable to be rejected.

The court observed that a person suffering from a genetic disease, is as much in need of a medical insurance cover as others and the liability qua them is more.

The court said, "No person can be discriminated or deprived of a State protection in case of an ailment, be it genetic or acquired. The courts of law are required to interpret the provisions of the private contracts in the light of these constitutional obligations."

The judge added that any failure on the part of service provider/ insurer would be a violation of the existing law and the repeated directions of the Supreme Court for which the regulatory authority i.e. IRDA would be obligated to intervene to ensure that needful is done by the service provider.

The court also said that a human society must be able to provide basic health access to its citizens irrespective of their paying capacity.

"I may observe that good health is not a privilege but a justiciable fundamental right. However, in our country the health care finances have a poor record and only four per cent of the national budget spent on health."

"An alternative which has largely remained unexploited is providing health coverage via health insurance where the government rather than necessarily running its own health facilities is required to consider the alternative of providing health insurance to its citizens and time has come that India catches up with this alternative model of allocating resources and funding to its public health programs," the judge said.
[The Uttarakhand fires have destroyed nearly 1,800 hectares of forest land in 13 districts since February. At least six people have died so far. This is a first person account of NDRF chief OP Singh]

About 30 minutes back, our team of National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) rescued a family of Sahib Singh whose house caught fire near Pauri. Though the NDRF is not trained in fire-fighting operation, this is a unique situation where we have been putting in our best efforts to check the devastation.

In fact, when I was asked to deploy the NDRF for assistance in fire-fighting, I was skeptical about the efficacy of my men. We do not have the protective gears that are required for firefighting. Similarly, the NDRF teams do not possess the equipment required to douse a fire of such scale.

I got a call from Governors office and later from Uttarakhand chief secretary Shatrughan Singh to assist in the operation. Though I was aware of the NDRFs inadequacy in this situation, the situation was so serious we needed to put in all our efforts to contain the fire.

Once we got instruction that the NDRF has to be deployed, we went the whole hog to execute the operation. Our teams reached there on Friday and consulted all stake-holders, including forest officials, volunteers, home guards, local administration and the police to launch a coordinated effort. On Saturday, the coordinated effort was launched in right earnest.

The fire is roughly spread over 1800 hectare area which includes Chamoli, Almora and Pauri. We have been using conventional method of beaters and diggers to contain the flame. For instance, flames are beaten down through conventional methods and trenches are dug to contain it. It has been pretty effective as the situation seems to be under control.

In the initial operation, we identified five fire sectors and deployed our teams with the help of local assistance. Our immediate objective is to stop spreading of fire to the reserve forest area which is contiguous to human habitation. Our teams have been simultaneously at 13 different locations which keep changing with the spread of the fire. Each team roughly covers 8-10 km of forest area during its operation.

With the help of local authorities and fire-brigade personnel, our operation has proved to be effective. For the NDRF, it was a different kind of experience as we are known as disaster relief response force. More recently we rescued people trapped in a fire that engulfed a commercial establishment in Lucknow. Since this is a new situation, our teams of NDRF are trying to cope with it rather valiantly with local support.

(As told to Ajay Singh)
Vijayawada (AP): Union Minister Haribhai Chaudhary's remark over special category status to Andhra Pradesh has evoked sharp reactions from across the political spectrum on Saturday, with Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu coming down heavily and terming it as "inappropriate".

"The union minister's statement on special category status is inappropriate. Not only should the Centre grant it but also

extend full financial support to Andhra Pradesh till it grows on par with other states in south India," Naidu said in a public meeting in Visakhapatnam on Saturday evening.

On his part, YSR Congress president and Leader of Opposition Y S Jaganmohan Reddy sought to blame the chief minister for the Centre's attitude on the special status issue, alleging that Naidu "sold out" the state's interests to the Centre.

Jana Sena party chief and actor Pawan Kalyanwho supported the TDP-BJP combine in the 2014 elections and played a crucial role in the victorytoo reacted on the issue asking the TDP to fight for the special status in Parliament along with opposition parties "before people of the state take to the streets".

The Union Minister of State for Home had on Friday said in the Rajya Sabha that there was no need to grant special category status to Andhra Pradesh.

Congress, which raised the special status issue through a Private Member's Bill in Rajya Sabha on Friday, said the BJP betrayed the people of Andhra Pradesh by going back on the promise of granting special status.

Replying to a debate on the Private Member's Bill moved by Congress MP K V P Ramachandra Rao, Choudhary questioned the need for granting special category status to Andhra Pradesh.

"When the Centre is extending adequate financial assistance, where is the need for special status? The Centre is constantly reviewing what has been done so far and what has to be done further to AP," he added.

Reacting sharply to the remarks, Naidu on Saturday said that gross injustice was done to AP due to the bifurcation.

"M Venkaiah Naidu (now Union Urban Development minister) raised this issue in Rajya Sabha (as opposition member in February 2014) and demanded special category state status to AP. The then Prime Minister agreed to it, though it was not included in the AP Reorganisation Act-2014," the chief minister pointed out.

The Centre should lend a helping hand to AP till the "injustice is undone" and the state reached a level-playing field with other states in south India.

"I have been repeatedly pleading with the Centre on this issue. Not only the provisions in the (AP Reorganisation) Act, but also those that were not included in it should be fulfilled by the Centre," he said.

Referring to the union minister's claim that adequate financial assistance was being provided to AP, Naidu lamented that the Centre so far granted only Rs 2,500 crore as against the revenue deficit of Rs 16,000 crore.

"We need industrial incentives and Bundelkhand-type financial packages for the development of backward districts in the state. Polavaram multi-purpose irrigation project has to be completed by 2018. A new railway zone has to be established at Visakhapatnam," he said. The Jana Sena chief said in a tweet that he hoped the BJP should not commit any mistake by going back on its promise of according special status to Andhra.

"Exactly two years ago, the Congress necked out MPs of Seemandhra region from Parliament and committed a grave

mistake by splitting the state. People of the region neither forgot nor will forget that insult. I hope the BJP will not commit a similar mistake," Kalyan said.

"On behalf of Seemandhra people, I request the ruling party MPs to take their opposition colleagues along and fight (for special status) in Parliament before people take to the mstreets and launch an agitation," he added.

CPI state secretary K Ramakrishna said the Left parties would hold a meeting in Vijayawada on 2 May to chalk out the future course of action in the wake of the Centre's statement.

Meanwhile, YSRC president Jagan accused the chief minister of "deliberately watering down" the demand.

"He (Naidu) says special status is not a panacea. Now, the Central ministers are mustering courage to openly announce in Parliament that special status is not required for AP only because of Chandrababu's claims," Jagan lashed out.
Chennai: CPI National Secretary D Raja on Sunday charged the NDA government with taking "anti-working class" measures in the name of reforms, one example of which was to try and "privatise PSUs like the banking sector".

"BJP government is trying to change the labour laws in the name of reforms and they are taking all anti-working class measures. The Modi government wants to privatise Public Sector Undertakings, including banking sector to serve the interest of corporate houses," Raja told PTI.

"Now the working class has to fight all anti-working class policies of the Modi government," he said.

Referring to RBI Governor Raghuram Rajan's "one-eyed king" remarks, Raja said though BJP ministers have criticised him over it, "his (Rajan's) comments explain everything. The economy is in a bad shape now".

Taking a dig at DMK and AIADMK, he said both the parties have "failed" the people of Tamil Nadu and new voters were looking forward for an alternative in the form of People's Welfare Front, of which his party is a constituent.

"DMK criticises AIADMK for failing people and AIADMK criticises DMK for failing people. But both parties have failed the people. It is time to move forward for another level of development and this People's Welfare Front-DMDK-TMC combination is a viable alternative," he said.

"I think people of Tamil Nadu, particularly new voters look forward to this front for a change and alternative," he said.

On increase in the fuel prices yesterday he said, "We condemn the increase in fuel prices. The Modi government has increased the prices of diesel and petrol. Whenever there is a fall in prices in the international market, it's not shared with the people in the country. This we condemn," he said.
The Modi government did something very unusual on the evening of Friday, 29 April that largely went unnoticed. At 20.39, the Press Information Bureau (PIB) put out a long, 1,346-word statement with the headline Government clarification on issues regarding M/S Agusta Westland International Limited (AWIL) on its website.

Nothing unusual one might say. Its the PIBs job to issue policy statements, clarifications etcetera on behalf of the government. Okay. Whats unusual is this: The distance between the PIB headquarters at Shastri Bhavan on Dr. Rajendra Prasad Road and the BJP central office on Ashoka Road, New Delhi got reduced.

Thats not much of a physical distance. But in a democratic setup, that distance must remain. The government and the ruling party must maintain their separate identities.

The BJP crushed the PIB identity that day and virtually merged the government and the party wings into one. It had happened once in the country before- during the Emergency.

When I read the PIBs statement on Facebook wall of a political reporter within half an hour after it was issued, I was shocked. The PIB had issued a political statement. When did the PIB become an extension of the BJP? Is this a part of the Modi governments new media plan one has been hearing about?

The PIB statement begins like this: In the matter pertaining to acquisition of Agusta Westland helicopters, the undisputed central issue that stands out is corruption, especially bribery. Any other line of assumption, approach and effort, as is being attempted in some quarters, is misleading, tries to hide the wrongdoers and is driven by instincts of self-preservation.

And sample this: It is indeed tragic that a small section of the Indian polity has attempted, unsuccessfully, to divert and diffuse the public discourse on this matter. They question the speed of the government processes, especially the investigation. But, they do not ask how the corrupt influenced the process of acquisition in the first place and bled the nation. They do not admit corruption; they instead boldly proclaim, "catch us if you can."

And this: In their drive to divert the public attention from their own corruption, some have said that the Modi government permitted Augusta Westland to bid for 100 Naval Utility Helicopters in April, 2015.

Who are some quarters, small section of the polity, and they that the PIBs statement is referring to? Obviously, the PIB is referring to the Congress and those who have questioned the veracity of the government and the BJPs claims on the AgustaWestland scandal.

There is a reference to the controversy arising out of Christian Michels claim that Modi had cut a deal with the Italian Prime Minister on the release of the two marines in return for evidence against the Gandhi family in then chopper case.

The PIB statement says, Those who cannot see Prime Minister succeed even hint at him cutting a deal. Nothing could be farther from the truth. Prime Minister Modi did not cut any deal of any sort. His only goal and priority is the development of comprehensive national power, and empowerment of our masses.

Is the job of a government department to take on opposition party or parties? No.

The governments information and publicity wing, at least at the level of Central ministries and departments, maintains a discreet distance from the party. The governments information departments present facts; they even dish out lies, distort facts and figures and spin webs but they dont join political slugfests. That is left to the party and the organizational wings to lead and carry on political fights against rival parties.

The clear and distinct separation of roles between the executive and legislature or organizational wings has so far been maintained with utmost care. In a one-party rule system, such as in China and former USSR, for instance, the crucial distinction between government and party gets blurred.

On the evening of 29 April, it appears that some spin doctors of the BJP drafted the statement on the AgustaWestland issue and passed it on to PIB to be uploaded on its website. But its not easy to pass off party statements as government communique or handouts. The style of writing of press releases by government agencies is markedly different. They are formal, they often use archaic, worn-out phrases and are not aggressive or hard-hitting against some quarters or some sections.

The Hindu in its edition on Sunday, 1 May has carried a small report by Smita Gupta that quotes former Information and Broadcasting Minister and Congress leader Manish Tewari. He says, This is not the language that is used by the PIB. Its just not their style. From the manner in which the statement has been put out, and its tone and tenor, it is very obvious that the PIB was merely asked to upload it.

His assertion was later confirmed by PIB officials, reports Gupta.

Have the RSS/BJP apparatchiks taken over the PIB, the governments nodal information department? The government must come clean.
An imagery that has been used many a times by writers and filmmakers to depict the pathos of living on margins was that of women hunched over a chulha lit up with the uplas and wood, braving smoke, heat and rubbing her eyes with the corner of her saree.

Last year Prime Minister Narendra Modi appealed to the people to give up their LPG subsidy in favour of the less privileged and poor. In March this year speaking at an election rally in Jorhat, Assam, Modi said "85 lakh people have surrendered LPG subsidy in response to the request. People who gave up their subsidy are not rich. Some had even retired from work. This has helped many poor people."

He also added that it was his governments endeavour to ensure that free gas connection is provided to about five crore poor families as according to surveys, cooking in firewood leads to inhaling smoke which is equivalent to smoking 40 cigarettes.

Modi's announcement of the 'Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana' in Ballia, Uttar Pradesh, on May Day is another step towards the plan to provide free LPG connections to 5 crore women beneficiaries from BPL families over the next 3 years.

The scheme which will cost state exchequer around Rs 8,000 crore, part of which will come from the money saved from those gas users who voluntarily giving up their subsidies.

India currently has 16.64 crore active LPG consumers with a consumption of 21 million metric tonnes of liquefied petroleum gas. During 2016-17, around 1.5 crore connections will be provided. The scheme provides a financial support of Rs 1,600 for each LPG connection to BPL households.

The World Health Organization, in its report in 2012, highlighted the grave health issues caused by the use of traditional chulhas.

Globally, 4.3 million deaths were attributable to household air pollution (HAP) in 2012, almost all in low and middle income (LMI) countries. The south-east Asian and Western Pacific regions bear most of the burden with 1.69 and 1.62 million deaths, respectively. Almost 600000 deaths occur in Africa, 200000 in the Eastern Mediterranean region, 99000 in Europe and 81000 in the Americas. The remaining 19000 deaths occur in high income countries, the report added.

While LPG cooking gas becomes an imperative in this backdrop, getting the connection was not easy till even the last decade. High level of corruption perpetuated by the gas agencies led to the black marketing of the connection which made it totally unaffordable for lower income group and LPG was something which BPL families could not even dream of.

While the money that was spend on getting the connection has been completely waived of, getting the stove and other accessories have also been made easy. The amount has been reduced substantially with the help of the dealers.

The beneficiary will not have to pay for it on spot rather the amount will be recovered from his subsidy; which instead of being deposited in his account will go to the account of the dealer from whom the beneficiary has bought the stove.

This means that the beneficiary will have to pay virtually nothing to switch over to LPG gas from their traditional chulhas at first instance.

Launching the scheme in Ballia on Sunday, Modi said, This land of Ballia is a revolutionary land. This land gave us Mangal Pandey. People from here give their lives to the nation

"The scheme will benefit poor families and particularly poor women".

He added that in the last 60 years on 13 crore families got LPG connection whereas in last one year NDA government gave LPG connection to 3 crore households. Ballia was chosen for the launch because it has the lowest LPG gas connection, he said.
Berlin: The two teenagers suspected of carrying out a bomb attack on a gurudwara in the German city of Essen wanted to cause maximum casualties by detonating the explosives inside but were unable to break into the Sikh temple, investigators have said.

"It was a matter of great luck that a major catastrophe was averted," a police spokesman said.

An explosion ripped through the entrance hall of the Nanaksar Satsang Sabha Gurdwara on the evening of 16 April, shortly after it hosted a wedding ceremony.

Most of around 200 wedding guests, including children, had left the gurudwara to attend a reception in a nearby hall when the bomb went off.

A 60-year-old suffered serious injuries and had to be hospitalised while two men had minor injuries. The injured included the 'granthi' (priest) on whom the whole pane of glass had fallen due to the impact.

New information on the attack given by the North Rhine Westphalia interior ministry on Thursday showed that the 16-year-old secondary school students Mohammed B and Yussuf T wanted to detonate their self-made bomb, a fire extinguisher filled with explosives, inside the gurudwara.

But they could not break into the gurudwara through the entrance door and they set off the explosion at the entrance.

The bomb was so powerful that the explosion caused severe damage to the building.

Mohammed B had presented himself as "Kuffr killer" (killer of infidels) on his facebook profile in November last year and displayed jihadi symbols, regional newspaper Westdeutsche Allgemeine Zeitung (WAZ) reported.

The newspaper said it had on 27 November reported about Mohammed B's intention to kill "non-believers believers" and carried on its website screen shots of his facebook profile.

Mohammed B had also glorified the terror attacks in Paris on 13 November and derided its 130 victims on his updated facebook profile, the report said.

The report said that it has information that the two men had contacts to two mosques in the city.

Security authorities are alarmed by the terror attack and they are trying to establish whether the two men are linked to a jihadi terror network, it said.

Immediately after the attack, Mohammed made contacts with a 16-year-old Salafist in Wesel in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia, the report said.
ISTANBUL Turkish police fired tear gas and water cannon and detained more than 200 people after scuffles broke out at May Day celebrations in Istanbul and some anti-government protesters tried to breach a ban on access to the main Taksim square.

Security was tight across Turkey's biggest city, which was hit twice this year by attacks blamed on Islamic State. Around 24,500 members of the security forces were deployed for the May Day celebrations, according to the Istanbul governor's office. Police scanned the streets from helicopters overhead.

"Some illegal groups who want to damage the peace and safety of our people attempted illegal marches and demonstrations primarily around Taksim square ... under the pretext of May Day celebrations," the governor's office said.

"A total of 207 people have been detained and some 40 Molotov cocktails, 17 hand grenades, 176 fireworks ... and lots of illegal posters have been seized," it said.

A 57-year old man was killed when he was run over by a police water truck while trying to cross the street, broadcaster CNN Turk reported. The governor's office said he was struck as the vehicle was maneouvring.

Taksim square was home to May Day celebrations until 1977, when dozens of people were killed during demonstrations, dubbed the 'bloody May Day'. The square was reopened for celebrations in the late 2000s but was shut again in 2013.

It became the main rallying point for 2013 anti-government protests in which tens of thousands of people demonstrated against President Tayyip Erdogan, then the prime minister.

A usually bustling square lined with cafes and hotels, Taksim was entirely cordoned off on Sunday and filled with riot and plain clothes police. Public transport leading to the neighbourhood was shut down.

Thousands of people attended celebrations in a designated area in Bakirkoy district near the airport. The mood was bittersweet with many people criticising the government for keeping Taksim off limits.

"Nobody has guns or bombs. People will come and express themselves, but the state prevents them even from coming to the area they allocated," union member Fatma Akaltu said.

Brief brawls erupted in Bakirkoy, where police detained several supporters of the pro-Kurdish Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) after they chanted "Long Live Kurdistan".

(Additional reporting and writing by Humeyra Pamuk; Editing by Nick Tattersall, Larry King)

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.
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Though there are many different types of credit cards, they all fall into certain categories based on their features and rewards programs. Here are the different types of credit cards and the best credit cards and credit card deals right now within each category.

Travel credit cards

With travel cards, you can redeem your points or miles for free or discounted travel. There are also quite a few top travel credit cards that offer extra travel perks, such as free access to airport lounges, hotel upgrades, and travel insurance. An airline credit card, hotel credit card, and general travel credit card would all fall under this category.

Chase Sapphire Preferred Card: 3 points per $1 on dining, 2 points to 5 points per $1 on travel

Compare more picks: Check out The Ascent's best travel rewards credit cards

Rewards credit cards

This category includes every credit card that earns purchase rewards. With so many cards to choose from, you'll find a diverse mix of rewards credit cards that earn cash back, travel points, and store rewards.

Compare more picks: Check out The Ascent's best rewards credit cards

Cash back credit cards

With this type of rewards card, you earn rewards that can be redeemed as cash or a statement credit. Depending on the card, you may be able to redeem your cash back as a statement credit towards your credit card balance, a deposit to a bank account, or as a check. You'll find cards that earn the same flat rate on purchases as well as cards that earn extra in bonus categories among the best cash back cards.

Discover it Cash Back: 5% back in rotating quarterly bonus categories you activate up to $1,500 quarterly spending cap, 1% back on other purchases.

5% back in rotating quarterly bonus categories you activate up to $1,500 quarterly spending cap, 1% back on other purchases. Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express: 6% cash back at U.S. supermarkets up to $6,000 annual spending cap and on select U.S. streaming subscriptions, 3% cash back at U.S. gas stations and on transit, 1% back on other eligible purchases. Terms apply.

6% cash back at U.S. supermarkets up to $6,000 annual spending cap and on select U.S. streaming subscriptions, 3% cash back at U.S. gas stations and on transit, 1% back on other eligible purchases. Terms apply. Chase Freedom Unlimited: 5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards, 3% cash back on dining at restaurants and on drug store purchases, 1.5% cash back on other purchases.

5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards, 3% cash back on dining at restaurants and on drug store purchases, 1.5% cash back on other purchases. U.S. Bank Cash+ Visa Signature Card: Earn 5% cash back on your first $2,000 in combined eligible net purchases ($100 per quarter) on two categories you choose.

Earn 5% cash back on your first $2,000 in combined eligible net purchases ($100 per quarter) on two categories you choose. Wells Fargo Active Cash Card: Unlimited, no hassles 2% cash rewards.

Unlimited, no hassles 2% cash rewards. Capital One SavorOne Cash Rewards Credit Card: 3% cash back on dining and entertainment.

Compare more picks: Check out The Ascent's best cash back credit cards

Balance transfer credit cards

This type of card offers a lower, introductory APR on balance transfers. Many of the top balance transfer cards have a 0% intro APR on balance transfers and intro periods can last for well over a year. If you want to refinance credit card debt and save money on interest, a balance transfer card is ideal.

U.S. Bank Visa Platinum Card: 18-billing-cycle 0% intro APR on balance transfers and purchases.

18-billing-cycle 0% intro APR on balance transfers and purchases. Discover it Balance Transfer: 18-month 0% intro APR on balance transfers. The go-to variable rate applies after the 0% intro APR expires.

18-month 0% intro APR on balance transfers. The go-to variable rate applies after the 0% intro APR expires. Citi Diamond Preferred Card: 0% intro APR for both purchases and balance transfers.

0% intro APR for both purchases and balance transfers. Wells Fargo Reflect Card: A leading 0% intro APR for both purchases and balance transfers.

Compare more picks: Check out The Ascent's best balance transfer credit cards

Best credit cards for beginners

The best credit cards for beginners accept applicants with no credit history, don't charge unnecessary fees, and have educational features to help you improve your credit, such as free credit score monitoring. For those who are enrolled at college or university, student credit cards are a great first step into the world of credit.

Compare more picks: Check out The Ascent's best starter credit cards

High limit credit cards

Some credit cards tend to offer higher credit limits than most. These high limit credit cards let you spend more, and they can also help you protect your credit by making it easier to keep your credit utilization ratio low. You typically need excellent credit to qualify.

Compare more picks: Check out The Ascent's best high limit credit cards

0% intro APR credit cards

Cards in this category have a 0% intro APR that applies to purchases. They're a smart choice if you need to buy something expensive, but you can't afford to pay in full upfront. The most popular 0% intro APR credit cards also often have those intro deals for a year or longer.

Compare more picks: Check out The Ascent's best 0% intro APR credit cards

Credit cards for building credit

You need to pay a security deposit to open a secured credit card, which is typically used for rebuilding or building credit. The security deposit is often (but not always) equal to your starting credit limit. High-quality secured credit cards can usually graduate to unsecured cards, meaning you get your deposit back if you make enough on-time payments.

Discover it Secured Credit Card: A lucrative rewards program plus Discover matches all the cash back earned in the first year.

Compare more picks: Check out The Ascent's best secured credit cards

Looking to rebuild credit?: Check out The Ascent's best credit cards for bad credit

Student credit cards

If you're in college, you can get started on building your credit with a student credit card. Even though these cards are for students, there are some excellent perks to be found with the best student credit cards. Some cards include free credit score tracking and money back for good grades.

Bank of America Customized Cash Rewards Credit Card for Students: A rare student credit card pick with a long 0% intro APR, big sign-up bonus, and rich rewards program.

Compare more picks: Check out The Ascent's best student credit cards

Business credit cards

Business credit cards are designed with business owners in mind. These cards usually offer higher credit limits than consumer credit cards to accommodate business spending. Many of them also have bonus categories to fit typical business spending habits. For example, a business card may offer bonus rewards on advertising, shipping, or office supply store purchases.

In addition, a business card can help you build your business credit score. Just like your own credit score is a rating of your personal creditworthiness, businesses have credit scores that rate their creditworthiness. By using a business credit card and paying on time, you can raise your business credit score. That can help you qualify for business financing in the future.

Your business doesn't need to be a separate entity to qualify for a business credit card. It's possible to open a business credit card with a sole proprietorship. No matter what type of business you have, it's smart to compare offers.

Compare more picks: Check out The Ascent's best business credit cards

Want cashback on business purchases? Check out The Ascent's Amex Blue Business Plus Card review.

Store credit cards

Many chain stores, from Macy's to Target to Lowe's, offer their own credit cards. Sometimes these credit cards are accepted everywhere, but often they're only for use in-store. Store credit cards usually come with exclusive discounts and rewards that can only be used at that store. Make sure to read the fine print on any 0% intro APR offers from store credit cards, as they can involve deferred interest, which is tricky and can lead to hefty surprise interest charges.

Compare more picks: Check out The Ascent's guide to store credit cards.

Ready to do some shopping? Check out The Ascent's Macy's credit card review.
If you're at all familiar with Elizabeth Warren, you know she's a senator with a keen interest in protecting consumers financially. She was the driving force behind the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, a relatively new government agency that "works to make sure that consumers have the information they need to make the best financial decisions for themselves and their families." One of Warren's latest targets is our tax system, and if she has her way, many of us may be able to prepare and file our taxes ourselves, in just five minutes per year.

Before I explain any further, let's set the stage a bit. In case you haven't noticed (and I'm sure that's not the case), our current tax system is very complex -- and, many think, unnecessarily so. The National Taxpayer Advocate, in her 2012 annual report to Congress, noted that the tax code is close to four million words long and that individuals and businesses spend more than 6 billion hours each year on tax preparation. About 59% of taxpayers end up paying professionals to prepare their tax returns for them, with another 30% using tax-prep software that is also typically not free. As of 2007, the median-income taxpayer spent $258 on tax preparation, a not-insignificant sum.

There's a better way

You might think the situation is mostly just inevitable, and perhaps you can't imagine anything better. Well, in many other countries, tax preparation is far simpler. The Atlantic magazine reviewed this issue in March, noting:

Eight OECD countries, including Finland and Norway, fully prepare returns for the majority of its taxpayers. In Estonia, it famously takes the average person five minutes to file taxes. In Sweden, the vast majority of taxpayers don't do battle with tax documents and fine-print questions about itemized deductions. They just get a document from the government with all the relevant information already filled out. Some even get a text message with their prepared tax information, and if they respond "yes," their taxes are done.

Simplification for the U.S.

Senator Warren has introduced the Tax Simplification Act of 2016 bill, which would have the IRS automatically fill out tax forms for millions of taxpayers using the income reports they routinely receive from employers and financial institutions. Those who approve the pre-filled-out returns as correct could just indicate that and be done with it, paying what they owe or soon receiving their refund. The bill would also create a free online tax preparation and filing service for taxpayers (not unlike TurboTax, TaxAct, etc.) and would offer taxpayers access to information about their tax returns.

In arguing for this simplification of the tax-prep process, Warren noted, "This year, taxpayers will spend an average of 13 hours preparing and filing their returns, and will pay $200 for tax preparation services -- a cost equal to almost 10% of the average federal tax refund," Warren said in a statement. That's certainly eye-opening, that many of us are forking over 10% or more of our refunds just for tax preparation services.

Limits and opposition

The proposal is exciting to many and would save millions of taxpayers a lot of time and money. It won't quite as useful to some, though. If you have capital gains to report, such as from stocks you sold, the proposed pre-filled tax return won't work. It's also not likely to work for the many people who itemize their taxes, claiming deductions for charitable contributions, medical expenses, and more. Still, many Americans have rather simple tax situations, collecting income just from a salary and not having deductions greater than the standard deduction. Warren has estimated that between 8 million and 60 million households may benefit greatly from this proposal, not having to prepare and file returns.

The proposal might seem like a terrific, slam-dunk idea to you, but some entities see it differently. Companies that specialize in tax-preparation, for example, such as H&R Block and Intuit (which sells its TurboTax software), are passionately opposed to any tax simplification. After all, the more complex our tax code gets, the better it is for their business. A report prepared by Warren's staff notes that, "as of 2016, just three large tax preparation companies, Intuit, H&R Block, and Jackson Hewitt, have spent nearly $41 million since 1998 on federal lobbying [against tax simplification and return-free filing]."

While some on the right who don't love Elizabeth Warren might also be skeptical about the proposal, they should know it's not exactly a new idea; even President Reagan supported the idea, supporting return-free filing in a 1985 speech on taxes.

If you like the Tax Simplification Act of 2016 bill, consider contacting your representatives in Congress and letting them know. You might want to follow the bill's progress, too -- especially if you're an investor in any tax-preparation companies.
The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (also known by the shorthand "Obamacare") was passed in 2010 with two primary goals: Reduce the rate of uninsured Americans, and cut healthcare costs. Despite a number of setbacks -- most recently UnitedHealth Group's recent announcement that it is exiting most of the Obamacare public exchanges because its footprint there was unprofitable -- the law is largely succeeding in its first goal. At the end of 2015, the uninsured rate in the U.S. was 11.9% according to a Gallup/Healthways survey -- a far cry from the 18% uninsured rate in 2013 before many of the law's provisions had taken effect.

The second goal has been more difficult to achieve, and UnitedHealth Group's exit will only make it more so. After all, the law depends on competition among insurers to help keep prices down... and one fewer insurer means less competitive markets. And as it is, premiums across the exchanges increased 8% this year and may increase by even more next year.

Yet one portion of the law, Medicaid expansion, whereby millions of poor Americans who could not otherwise afford health insurance are enrolled in Medicaid, is having a surprising impact on low-income families across the United States. According to a new study (link opens PDF) by a team from the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago and two universities, Medicaid expansion is helping poor Americans reduce their non-medical debt by between $600 and $1,000.

Connecting the dots

First off, it's important to know that -- unlike many of the plans offered on the Obamacare exchanges -- enrollees in Medicaid usually pay little to nothing for healthcare. That's crucial because medical bills are a big financial stressor for many Americans, and that goes double for the uninsured (particularly the uninsured poor). According to one study, uninsured Americans who are hospitalized watch their likelihood of sliding into bankruptcy double over the four years after that hospitalization and also see a 170% increase in unpaid medical bills.

If this study were targeting medical debt, nothing I've written yet would be surprising. After all, you get insurance, you don't have to pay a five-figure hospital bill, you don't have medical debt anymore. No surprises there. But the team specifically targeted non-medical debt to see what would happen when the financial stressor of medical debt was removed. And it turns out that the impoverished Americans who benefited from Medicaid appear to have taken that money and reduced their other debt, sometimes by as much as $1,000.

And the debt reduction could be even higher

The study looked at the change in collections balances for those zip codes in the United States that are disproportionately poor and located in states that expanded Medicaid. Then the research team honed in on the percentage of the population that likely obtained Medicaid insurance where they previously didn't have access and found the estimated $600 to $1,000 reduction in collections balances. There are two reasons that number could be conservative:

1. The study didn't consider medical debt (although, as the authors noted, it's possible that some may have been included -- debt can be difficult to classify). As I noted above, it wouldn't be surprising if medical debt balances also decreased substantially in this population.

2. The researchers also considered another possible way of measuring the affected population by zeroing in on the percentage of uninsured folks newly eligible for Medicaid who were likely to actually have a hospitalization. After all, if -- as data from the National Health Interview Survey indicate -- only 22% of adults newly eligible for Medicaid were likely to experience a hospitalization during that time, then those folks would be the ones actually seeing the financial benefit from Medicaid (and therefore reducing their collections balances). Rescaling the zip code-level data to that subset of the population yielded an estimated collections reduction of $1,364 to $2,272. Talk about a big chunk of change.

It's a start

With the average American carrying over $20,000 in non-mortgage debt, any debt reduction is good news. That goes double for the impoverished Americans on Medicaid. (Even with Medicaid expansion, a family of four can only earn up to $33,465 to be eligible.) While Obamacare has had plenty of unexpected side effects, this is one hopefully most Americans can rally around.
Getting all your documents organized and preparing your federal and state tax returns is a complicated process that can turn into a nightmare. So it's no surprise that most people just want to file their returns and never look at them again.

But if you're not doing your homework, then you may be missing some opportunities to save money. With the 2015 tax season having just ended, now is a good time to take a close look at your tax return and look for ways to lower your tax bill for 2016. Here are some things to look for on your 2015 return.

Are there any mistakes?As you look over your return, you may realize that you forgot to include something or that your tax preparer made a mistake. Tax preparers are busy and may enter a number incorrectly or overlook a 1099. An omission or error could could lead to an audit by the IRS and result in an additional payment or possible penalty. A mistake could also lead you to pay more in taxes than you actually owe. To make a correction or claim a refund, you'll need to file an amended return -- head to the IRS website for the necessary form and instructions.

Did you pay Uncle Sam more than his fair share?If your filing status, number of exemptions, or income has changed since you filed your return, thenyou may need to adjust the amount of state and federal tax being withheld from your wages (or, if you're self-employed, the amount you pay in estimated quarterly taxes). Underpaying taxes can result in an easily avoidable penalty. Meanwhile, having extra taxes withheld may result in a large refund when you file your return (See line 75 on the 1040), but you are losing the opportunity to use those dollars every month to help pay down debt or save for your future goals.

Should you have itemized your deductions?If you simply took the standard deduction and did not itemize through a Schedule A, then try consolidating your deductions for 2016so they fall into the same tax year. This may help reduce your taxes and make filing a Schedule A worthwhile. For example, you might make an extra year-end real estate tax payment, or you can consolidate and document charitable contributions and elective or out-of-pocket medical expenses.

Conversely, if you did itemize your 2015 deductions, you may later realize it was not worthwhile. If itemizing did not lower your tax bill more than the standard deduction would have -- or if the savings were not worth the time and effort involved in itemizing -- then you may want to save yourself the headache and take the standard deduction next year.

Did you mitigate your investment losses?If you have taxable investment income on Schedule B, did you also realize investment losses on Schedule D? Investment losses can be used to offset taxable gains and reduce your taxable income (See line 13 of the 1040), but only if you realize the loss. To realize a tax loss you have to actually sell the position during the tax year. Losses can also be carried forward and used to offset income and gains in future tax years. But be careful not to buy back the same position, or a substantially similar position, within 31 days. Otherwise, it will be considered a "wash sale" and ruled ineligible for a deduction.

The bottom lineThere are many ways to help reduce your state and federal taxes. But you have to take action and either learn about the tax laws or consult with a financial advisor.

The article Now That You've Filed, Here's Why You Need to Review Your Tax Return originally appeared on Fool.com.

Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

Copyright 1995 - 2016 The Motley Fool, LLC. All rights reserved. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
Photo: Mike Mozart.

Real estate investment trusts (REITs) can be an excellent way to get a steady stream of income while still allowing your portfolio the opportunity to grow. And retail REITs can be some of the best long-term investments in the segment. With that in mind, let's take a look at two of the big names in the sector Realty Income Corporation , which invests mainly in freestanding retail properties, and Kimco Realty Corporation , which focuses on open-air shopping centers.

Realty Income: Why freestanding retail?Realty Income focuses on freestanding retail properties, and currently has 4,615 properties in 49 states and Puerto Rico. 79% of the properties are retail, and the company has also diversified into industrial, office, and agricultural properties.

Many investors perceive retail as risky, and it's easy to see why. There are certainly a lot of struggling retailers out there, not to mention the numerous high-profile retail bankruptcies of recent years, like Radio Shack. However, 90% of Realty Income's properties fit into one of three categories:

Non-discretionary : These are businesses that sell items consumers need to buy, and often need to buy in person. Drugstores are a good example of these, as are gas stations.

: These are businesses that sell items consumers need to buy, and often need to buy in person. Drugstores are a good example of these, as are gas stations. Service-based : Businesses that provide a service are virtually immune from online competition. Movie theaters and fitness centers are in this category.

: Businesses that provide a service are virtually immune from online competition. Movie theaters and fitness centers are in this category. Low-price-point: Businesses that specialize in deeply discounted products, or that sell in bulk. Dollar stores and warehouse clubs are good examples.

In fact, Realty Income's top three tenants are Walgreens, FedEx, and Dollar General, which are three examples of businesses that fall into these categories, in order. This approach has resulted in a sky-high 97.8% occupancy rate, which has never dropped below 96% no matter what the economy was doing.

Kimco: Why shopping centers?Kimco specializes in shopping center properties with anchor stores, and currently has 564 properties with 4,800 separate tenants. And Kimco has its own risk-reducing business model.

Specifically, Kimco's shopping centers have strong anchor stores, specifically in off-price retail (think TJ Maxx or Ross Stores). This type of retail has thrived in recent years, as shoppers can find bargains that aren't readily available online. In fact, these two retailers have seen their combined market cap more than quadruple since 2007, while major department store chains (Sears, J.C. Penney, Dillard's, Nordstrom, and Macy's) have seen their collective market caps drop by more than half.

Kimco's anchors represent about 77% of leasable area and are occupied by companies such as the aforementioned TJ Maxx and Ross Stores, as well as other rock-solid tenants like The Home Depot, Bed Bath & Beyond, Wal-Mart, and PetSmart.

Much of the rest of the shopping centers are made up of companies that would fit one of Realty Income's three major categories, such as Starbucks, Panera Bread, CVS, and Dollar Tree, just to name a few. Kimco has a slightly lower, but still impressive, 95.8% occupancy rate, but the small-shop (non-anchor) occupancy has been steadily improving recently.

Source: Kimco investor presentation.

How they growThese two REITs have different growth strategies investors need to know about. In Realty Income's case, the primary growth mechanism is through acquisitions. The company has spent $7.4 billion on acquisitions since 2010 and plans on another $900 million this year. In contrast, the company only plans to dispose of $50 million to $75 million worth of properties. And Realty Income is not in the development business.

On the other hand, Kimco's primary method of growth is development and redeveloping properties. In fact, over the past five years, Kimco has disposed of more properties than it acquired and plans to do the same in 2016. However, it plans to spend $225 million to $325 million per year on development and redevelopment per year through 2020. Redevelopment is a particular focus right now: The company has said it plans to "aggressively" pursue redevelopment opportunities in its own portfolio, as it is an opportunity to create instant value once the projects are complete. As of the end of 2015, Kimco has a $1 billion redevelopment pipeline, which it estimates will create $550 million in value for shareholders.

Balance sheets and financing Both REITs have strong balance sheets, but I have to give the clear advantage to Realty Income in this category. Just 26% of the company's capitalization is in the form of debt or preferred stock, as opposed to 36% for Kimco.

This translates to a fixed-charge coverage of 4.1 for Realty Income and 3.0 for Kimco. Now, with this kind of coverage and 63% equity capitalization, Kimco doesn't have a bad balance sheet by any means -- it's just not quite as solid as Realty Income's.

Dividends and performanceThis is another area where Realty Income stands out. For one thing, Realty Income's 17.8% average annual total return since its IPO is significantly better than Kimco's 13.3%, although both handily beat the S&P 500.

More significant than this is the consistency, both in terms of overall performance and dividends. Kimco has done a good job of increasing its dividend recently, but it doesn't have a perfect history of increases. On the other hand, Realty Income has increased its dividend for 74 consecutive quarters by an average annual rate of 4.7%.

Even though it has produced a dramatically higher return over the long run, Realty Income has done so in a more linear fashion than Kimco has. Simply put, Realty Income has performed well while consistently allowing its shareholders to sleep soundly at night. We all know that past performance doesn't guarantee future results, but history has shown that companies with strong histories tend to continue the trend.

Valuation comparisonNow, just because Realty Income's numbers look better in the previous two categories doesn't necessarily mean that it's the better buy now. There's still the matter of valuation to consider.

The best metric for valuing REITs is funds from operations, or FFO. To make a long story short, FFO is a much more accurate way to express a REIT's profitability than net income or earnings per share.

Many REITs have their own company-specific ways of calculating their ongoing FFO that account for one-time items. There are different names for this, depending on the company -- Realty Income calls this adjusted FFO, or AFFO, while Kimco calls this "recurring" FFO. So, to best reflect each company's ongoing profitability, these are the FFO numbers used below.

Company Current Share Price 2015 FFO P/FFO -- TTM 2016 Guidance P/FFO -- Forward Realty Income $59.09 $2.74 21.6 $2.85-$2.90 20.6 Kimco Realty $28.61 $1.46 19.6 $1.48-$1.52 19.1

Note: Forward P/FFO based on midpoint of guidance range.

So while Kimco is indeed the cheaper of the two, it's not by much.

Is one a better buy now?Don't get me wrong. I like Kimco as a company, and I especially like its 2020 improvement plan it outlines in its most recent investor presentation. However, Realty Income is simply the better investment at this point. You get a stronger balance sheet, better dividend history, and (in my opinion) a safer form of retail property. Realty Income's property types are less vulnerable to online competitors than, say, TJ Maxx or Bed Bath & Beyond.

Just to reiterate -- you won't go wrong with either company. Both have great business models, and I think both companies will continue to deliver market-beating results. I just have a higher level of confidence in Realty Income.

The article Better Buy: Realty Income Corporation vs. Kimco Realty Corporation originally appeared on Fool.com.

Matthew Frankel owns shares of FedEx and Realty Income. The Motley Fool owns shares of and recommends FedEx, Panera Bread, and Starbucks. The Motley Fool recommends Bed Bath & Beyond, CVS Health, Home Depot, and Nordstrom. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

Copyright 1995 - 2016 The Motley Fool, LLC. All rights reserved. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
Image source: SolarCity.

No business wants to create a solution in search of a problem, particularly in the slow-changing energy industry. Instead, businesses want to find solutions for problems that exist and create ways to make money off their solutions.

Enter the exigent problem California is facing: it has too much solar energy. First, who thought that would be a problem in the country's largest state? Second, why isn't there a solution if utilities and regulators knew this problem was coming? The short answer is that energy innovators weren't going to create and install solutions for solar energy's variability until they knew the utilities and regulators had recognized the problem.

What's going on in California California has made a big push into renewable energy in an effort to meet a 50% renewable energy goal by 2030. It's built wind and solar plants rapidly over the past decade, which combines with hydropower to provide clean energy to the state. The problem is that solar energy, in particular, isn't created evenly throughout the day or year and that's a challenge for the grid.

In March, before peak air conditioner season in the state, there was so much solar energy on the grid that the California Independent System Operator had to tell some solar farms to shut down because there was too much energy for the grid to handle. And that could lead to a blackout.

It's not as if the solar energy being produced is somehow a surprise or that utilities don't know when demand is coming, but the mismatch between when clean solar energy is produced and when it's consumed has become a problem. At low penetration levels, solar energy doesn't create this problem, but in California they're starting to reach the "problem" level because there's so much sunlight.

The opportunity to build Grid 2.0 What's happening in California is solar energy creating a problem for the grid. It's not a lack of energy, but rather a lack of energy at the time that energy is demanded by customers. The secret to the electric grid is that each instant it has to send enough electrons to every customer to work correctly. A day, an hour, a minute, or even a second mismatch between supply and demand and the system falls apart.

Since sunlight only creates energy while the sun is out, but doesn't create any energy at night and is at less than optimal production with even a little cloud cover, it creates a challenge for grid operators. What the utility needs to do is find a way to move units of energy from when they're produced to when they're needed. Or another way of thinking of it is moving demand to when energy is produced.

Powerwall could be an energy storage solution utilities turn to. Image source: Tesla Motors.

The massive opportunity for energy storage It seems obvious that energy storage should fill this gap in supply and demand for the electric grid. After all, we can see the problem coming a mile away, so why not build energy storage on a scale to save the grid from these problems?

The simple answer is that there hasn't been a financial driver of energy storage until very recently. Even today, there aren't a lot of ways to make money off owning an energy storage system in a home or business. For utilities, there's been no economic need or regulatory driver to deploy energy storage on a massive scale. Until now.

What we're seeing is the emergence of a market that Elon Musk saw when he announced Tesla Motors' Powerwall and Powerpack products. They could move energy from when it's produced to when it's needed in a relatively efficient manner. But regulators in states like California need to find ways to make energy storage economical for utilities and developers. It would clearly be valuable to have energy storage in place today, but until we got to the point where there was too much solar energy there wasn't much urgency for energy storage.

GTM Researchrecently noted that energy storage deployments rose 243% in 2015 to 221 MWh. And by 2020 they predict the market will be 1,662 MWh. There's an incredible opportunity in energy storage now that the problem has been identified.

Image source: SolarCity.

The demand side of the equation Moving the supply of energy from one point in time to another is important, but so is moving demand. And that's something that's never really been done on a grand scale in energy.

The concept known as demand response is a budding business in energy with EnerNOC leading the charge. The company bids demand response into regional transmission organization PJM, so instead of utilities paying for wholesale power plants to produce more energy to meet demand they pay EnerNOC to reduce demand. The company just tells its partners to turn down the air conditioning or lighting or some other demand source. The effect is the supply and demand being matched, but this time the demand side is what's being adjusted.

Alphabet's Nest has a similar platform with Rush Hour Rewards. It works with utilities to compensate customers for turning down the air conditioning at peak hours. It's not widelyused yet, but this is the kind of platform that could bring demand response to the next level.

California's problem will create solutions Concepts like energy storage and demand response have been lurking in the energy background for years as potential solutions for problems that are on the horizon. But now that California has so much solar that it needs ways to move energy supply to different times of the day or reduce demand at certain times, we could see a real business model emerge.

That creates a major opportunity for companies like Tesla Motors, EnerNOC, Alphabet, and other energy innovators to provide solutions to the energy industry.

The article California Has Too Much Solar Power -- And That's a Good Thing originally appeared on Fool.com.

Suzanne Frey, an executive at Alphabet, is a member of The Motley Fool's board of directors. Travis Hoium has no position in any stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool owns shares of and recommends Alphabet (C shares), EnerNOC, and Tesla Motors. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

Copyright 1995 - 2016 The Motley Fool, LLC. All rights reserved. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
Image source: Pixabay.

If you're at all familiar with Elizabeth Warren, you know she's a senator with a keen interest in protecting consumers financially. She was the driving force behind the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, a relatively new government agency that"works to make sure that consumers have the information they need to make the best financial decisions for themselves and their families." One of Warren's latest targets is our tax system, and if she has her way, many of us may be able to prepare and file our taxes ourselves, in just five minutes per year.

Before I explain any further, let's set the stage a bit. In case you haven't noticed (and I'm sure that's not the case), our current tax system is very complex -- and, many think, unnecessarily so. The National Taxpayer Advocate, in her 2012 annual report to Congress, noted that the tax code is close to four millionwords long and that individuals and businesses spend more than 6 billion hourseach year on tax preparation. About 59% of taxpayers end up paying professionals to prepare their tax returns for them, with another 30% using tax-prep software that is also typically not free. As of 2007, the median-income taxpayer spent $258on tax preparation, a not-insignificant sum.

The U.S. tax code is more than three times as long as the entire Harry Potter series, and more than four times as long as the Bible. Image source: KitviaFlickr.

There's a better wayYou might think the situation is mostly just inevitable, and perhaps you can't imagine anything better. Well, in many other countries, tax preparation is far simpler. The Atlantic magazine reviewed this issue in March, noting:

Elizabeth Warren. Image source: AFGEviaFlickr.

Simplification for the U.S.Senator Warren has introduced the Tax Simplification Act of 2016 bill, which would have the IRS automatically fill out tax forms for millions of taxpayers using the income reports they routinely receive from employers and financial institutions. Those who approve the pre-filled-out returns as correct could just indicate that and be done with it, paying what they owe or soon receiving their refund. The bill would also create a free online tax preparation and filing service for taxpayers (not unlike TurboTax, TaxAct, etc.) and would offer taxpayers access to information about their tax returns.

In arguing for this simplification of the tax-prep process, Warren noted, "This year, taxpayers will spend an average of 13 hours preparing and filing their returns, and will pay $200 for tax preparation services -- a cost equal to almost 10% of the average federal tax refund," Warrensaid in a statement. That's certainly eye-opening, that many of us are forking over 10% or more of our refunds just for tax preparation services.

Limits and oppositionThe proposal is exciting to many and would save millions of taxpayers a lot of time and money. It won't quite as useful to some, though. If you have capital gains to report, such as from stocks you sold, the proposed pre-filled tax return won't work. It's also not likely to work for the many people who itemize their taxes, claiming deductions for charitable contributions, medical expenses, and more. Still, many Americans have rather simple tax situations, collecting income just from a salary and not having deductions greater than the standard deduction. Warren has estimatedthat between 8 million and 60 million households may benefit greatly from this proposal, not having to prepare and file returns.

The proposal might seem like a terrific, slam-dunk idea to you, but some entities see it differently. Companies that specialize in tax-preparation, for example, such as H&R Blockand Intuit(which sells its TurboTax software), are passionately opposed to any tax simplification. After all, the more complex our tax code gets, the better it is for their business. A report prepared by Warren's staff notesthat, "as of 2016, just three large tax preparation companies, Intuit, H&R Block, and Jackson Hewitt, have spent nearly $41 million since 1998 on federal lobbying [against tax simplification and return-free filing]."

While some on the right who don't love Elizabeth Warren might also be skeptical about the proposal, they should know it's not exactly a new idea; even President Reagan supported the idea, supporting return-free filing in a 1985 speechon taxes.

If you like the Tax Simplification Act of 2016 bill, consider contacting your representatives in Congress and letting them know. You might want to follow the bill's progress, too -- especially if you're an investor in any tax-preparation companies.

The article Elizabeth Warren Wants Your Tax Return to Take 5 Minutes to Do originally appeared on Fool.com.

Longtime Fool specialistSelena Maranjian, whom you can follow on Twitter, owns no shares of any company mentioned in this article.The Motley Fool owns shares of and recommends Intuit. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

Copyright 1995 - 2016 The Motley Fool, LLC. All rights reserved. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
Game available on Oculus Rift. Source: Facebook.

Facebook's time as a hardwaremanufacturermay be short lived.

In March, the social networking giant launched its first piece of hardware: the virtual reality headset Oculus Rift. Although the Oculus Rift won't generate much revenue for Facebook in 2016, itstillrepresents something of a surprising shift in Facebook's core business model. Until last month, Facebook had confined itself to software and services.

More hardware is coming, though. Facebook will launch new controllers for the Oculus Rift later this year, and second- and third-generation models of the headset may eventually follow.

Yet investors shouldn't expect hardware to ever generate more than a modest portion of Facebook's revenue.

Specializing in softwareBack in February, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg sat for an interview with Germany's Axel Springer (via Business Insider). Zuckerberg touched on a wide range of subjects, but, at least for Facebook investors, his mostpertinentcomments may have centered around virtual reality, and his hopes for Facebook's long-term participation and possible business model.

Facebook is building the Oculus Rift headset itself because virtual reality remains in its infancy. But eventually, like other computing platforms, it will mature. At that point, Facebook won't be interested in providing headsets -- it wants to own the software that powers them.

Going for massive market shareThat stands in notable contrast to the computing model Apple has long championed. Since its inception, the Cupertino tech giant has steadfastly embraced an integrated hardware-software approach throughout its entire product portfolio. Apple designs the iPhone and Mac, and also develops the software that powers them. That approach has allowed it to consistently deliver top-notch user experiences -- ones its competitors have had a difficult time replicating.

Google and Microsoft have embraced a different model, developing operating systems (Android and Windows, respectively) but relying on a procession of hardware partners to build the actual devices. Apple's approach has made it fantastically profitable, but its share of the smartphone and PC markets has long trailed that of its rivals. Apple captured just 15.3% of the worldwide smartphone market last quarter according to research firm IDC -- Android accounted for almost all of the remaining 84.7%. Among traditional PCs, Windows is even more dominant.

Going for an integrated approach could perhaps net Facebook Apple-like hardware profits if the Oculus Rift is a success, but would contrast with the company's core objective -- connecting the world. After nearly a decade, Apple is about to sell its billionth iPhone, but Facebook has more than 1.65 billion people checking its website each day (not to mention Messenger, Instagram, and WhatsApp, which collectively add about another 2.3 billion).

Not material in 2016Facebook's management has been clear: Oculus Rift won't be material to the company's financials anytime soon. But for long-term shareholders, Facebook's interest in virtual reality is certainly worth watching. Zuckerberg is a big believer, and thinks it could become the next major computing platform after the smartphone and PC.Through Facebook's dual class stock structure, Zuckerberg has commanding control of the company, and at the age of 31, he isn't going anywhere anytime soon.

If Facebook is successful, Oculus could one day be the Android or Windows of the virtual reality market, powering hundreds of millions of headsets throughout the globe.

The article Facebook's Oculus Rift Won't be the iPhone of Virtual Reality originally appeared on Fool.com.

Suzanne Frey, an executive at Alphabet, is a member of The Motley Fools board of directors. Sam Mattera has no position in any stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool owns shares of and recommends Alphabet (A shares), Alphabet (C shares), Apple, and Facebook. The Motley Fool owns shares of Microsoft. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

Copyright 1995 - 2016 The Motley Fool, LLC. All rights reserved. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
Nokia (NYSE: NOK) recently announced plans to buy French wearables maker Withings for 170 million euros ($193 million) in a surprising return to the consumer hardware market. The company -- which sells fitness trackers, scales, and smartphone-linked blood pressure monitors -- will be integrated into Nokia's new WellCare digital health platform. WellCare gathers health data from different devices and provides it to healthcare professionals across a unified platform, similar to Apple 'sHealthKit.

Withings' Activit Pop. Image source: Withings.

Nokia started developing WellCare two years ago, but the purchase of Withings will accelerate its expansion into the digital health market. The unit should also strengthen Nokia Technologies, which was created to patent and license technologies after the sale of its handset unit in 2014.

Nokia also plans to use the Withings purchase to expand its presence in smart homes and connected appliances, which would enable it to compete against Alphabet'sNest, Samsung's SmartThings, and Apple's HomeKit. Nokia Technologies President Ramzi Haidamus recently told Engadget that there was much to learn "about people's lives by monitoring their environment as well as their body, whether it be air or temperature monitoring, a sleep monitoring system or a security camera."

How will this purchase help Nokia?Nokia has been taking baby steps back into hardware over the past two years. Shortly after selling its handset unit to Microsoft, Nokia licensed its brand and design to Foxconn for its N1 Android tablet. The company also stated that it might return to the smartphone market with a similar brand and design licensing model. It also recently launched the Ozo, a $60,000 camera for capturing 360-degree videos for virtual reality headsets.

Nokia's Ozo camera. Image source: Nokia.

However, none of those initiatives are really moving the needle for Nokia Technologies, which generates most of its revenue by collecting patent royalties. On the surface, the acquisition of Withings won't make much of an impact either. Withings hasn't disclosed how much revenue it generates, but market tracking site Owler estimates thatit generates around $10 million in sales per year. If that figure is accurate, it would equal less than 1% of Nokia Technologies' revenue from 2015.

But if Nokia uses its R&D and marketing resources to expand Withings' presence and tether all its devices to the WellCare platform, its weight on Nokia's top line might increase. Moreover, the connected health market is still expected to grow considerably over the next few years. Research firm Markets and Markets believes that the entire mobile health solutions market, which includes connected devices and apps, will grow at a compound annual growthrate of 33% until 2020.

It's also about patentsNokia also acquired Withings to add its patents to Nokia Technologies' portfolio. Revenue at Nokia Technologies rose 170% annually last quarter and accounted for 11% of Nokia's total sales. However, the unit suffered a big setback in February when a long-awaited patent settlement with Samsung fell short of expectations.

Though that deal boosted Nokia Technologies' 2015 revenues 77% to 1.02 billion euros ($1.2 billion), much of that gain was attributed to "catch up" revenues from 2014. Looking ahead, the deal will only boost the unit's annual run rate to around 800 million euros ($911 million), missing analyst expectations for 900 million euros.

Withings, which was founded eight years ago, was an early mover in the wearables space, so it likely owns valuable patents, which should boost Nokia's patent licensing revenues as the wearables market grows. The company recently told The Financial Times that acquiring Withings will "ensure theongoing renewal of Nokia Technologies' world class (patent) portfolio."

A fragmented and competitive marketNokia's acquisition of Withings makes strategic sense, but the new business will face fierce competition in the wearables and smart homes market. First, Apple's HealthKit and Google Fit can use their dominant mobile operating systems to tighten control over wearable devices. Over halfof the top hospitals in the U.S. are already trying out HealthKit, so it could be a bit late for WellCare to enter the market. Second, Fitbit can use its market-leading position in wearables to expand its digital ecosystem at a faster rate than Withings and WellCare.

Since Nokia doesn't own its own mobile OS and Withings isn't a top wearables brand, it could struggle to compete in the crowded mobile health market. Therefore, investors should see if buying Withings will boost Nokia Technologies' sales over the next few years, but they shouldn't assume that the purchase will make Nokia a top player in wearables, smart homes, or the Internet of Things.

The article Nokia Corporation Makes a $193 Million Bet On the Internet of Things originally appeared on Fool.com.

Suzanne Frey, an executive at Alphabet, is a member of The Motley Fools board of directors. Leo Sun has no position in any stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool owns shares of and recommends Alphabet (A shares), Alphabet (C shares), and Apple. The Motley Fool owns shares of Microsoft. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

Copyright 1995 - 2016 The Motley Fool, LLC. All rights reserved. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
Image source: Panera.

During Panera Bread's fourth-quarter report back in February, CEO Ron Shaich revealed a solid quarter. Overall, comparable sales at company-owned cafes grew 3.6% over the previous year's corresponding quarter, with franchised cafes increasing 1.1%. That's a solid result for a restaurant that has increased its store counts more than 25% in the last five years, as it becomes harder to grow comparable sales as the comparable-store base increases.

However, at that time it was Shaich's statement in regard to first-quarter comparable sales that had investors enthusiastic about the company's path forward. During the Q4 conference call, Shaich said comparable sales at company-owned locations were up 6.4% throughout the first 41 days of the quarter. At that time I noted that investors might be undervaluing the company if Panera was able to report 6%-plus comparable sales.

Well, the company did just that. Last week, Panera reported its first-quarter results, and the company reported company-owned comparable sales up 6.2%. Shaich credited strategic initiatives, which include things like digital ordering and payment and store design, but it's probable that an external factor helped the company overachieve.

Panera 2.0 is working First, the strategic initiatives.Shaich enthusiastically reported the company's financial results on the conference call, after noting he has "been looking forward to this conference call for some time." Shaich went on to credit the company's new strategies for the strong comparable-sales results, 6% year-on-year top line growth, and 21% EPS growth. Additionally, the company raised 2016 EPS and comparable-sales guidance.

One of the larger new strategies, dubbed Panera 2.0, is aimed at reducing the friction for the guest to improve the customer experience. To that end, Panera has improved technology within its restaurants with tablets and an improved mobile-ordering app. Additionally, the company has invested in labor for experience-improving procedures such as table delivery and an increased focus on order accuracy.

While Shaich is correct these strategies are responsible for increased sales, a competitor's struggles likely helped Panera post 6%-plus comparables this quarter.

Chipotle's loss, Panera's gain? But there could be another reason for Panera's blowout quarter. While the menus are different, Panera and Chipotle Mexican Grill have similar value propositions. Within the fast-casual restaurant space, where buying decisions are made daily, the risk of losing a customer to a competitor is quite high. During this time frame, Chipotle endured a massive 30% same-restaurant-sales drop as concerns about food safety continued to dog the company.

Mediterranean Sandwich, Thai Chicken Salad, and French Onion Soup at Panera. IMAGE SOURCE: FLICKR USER SHOSHANA.

Overall, Chipotle's revenue fell 24% as newly opened restaurants offset the company's same-restaurant performance at existing locations. Chipotle seems positive about winning back consumer trust, partly through the use of coupons. An earlier study from analyst firm Cowen and Company points to Chipotle's win-back strategy as being effective. Cowen and Company's data show a marked difference in visits over the prior 30 days from Chipotle customers who used a coupon the company sent, averaging 3.8 visits, versus the 1.4 visits from consumers who did not use a coupon.

It stands to reason that Chipotle's loss was a gain for the rest of the restaurant industry, with similar competitors, like Panera, being the biggest beneficiaries of the burrito maker's stumbles. During the first-quarter conference call, Panera's Shaich noted that for the first 27 days of the current second quarter, company-owned same store sales are up a respectable 4.4% and the company expects full-year comparables in the range of 4%-5.0%.

In the end, Panera's amazing 6.2% year-on-year comparable-store sales growth was most likely aided by Chipotle's struggles and should slow as Chipotle wins back trust. That said, the company should be commended for its Panera 2.0 success and should continue to outperform the overall industry.

The article Panera Had an Amazing Quarter. Don't Get Used to It. originally appeared on Fool.com.

Jamal Carnette has no position in any stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool owns shares of and recommends Chipotle Mexican Grill and Panera Bread. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

Copyright 1995 - 2016 The Motley Fool, LLC. All rights reserved. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
Over the past year and a half, Southwest Airlines has gone back to its roots as a disruptive force in the U.S. airline industry. Southwest has added capacity rapidly while challenging its biggest competitors in many of their core markets.

Southwest Airlines has grown rapidly in the past year and a half. Image source: The Motley Fool.

However, those rivals can breathe a sigh of relief now. Last month, Southwest announced that it will accelerate the retirement of its aging fleet of 737 Classics to Q3 2017 because of issues related to pilot training. This means that American Airlines , Delta Air Lines , and United Continental are poised to benefit from a lull in competition beginning next fall.

Southwest Airlines challenges its rivalsSouthwest has been a big thorn in the sides of American, Delta, and United lately. All three legacy carriers have reported persistent unit revenue declines since early 2015.

Of course, Southwest Airlines isn't the only cause of the revenue troubles at the Big Three. But as the only other airline with similar scale in the domestic market, it has a unique ability to affect supply/demand dynamics in the U.S. -- and Southwest's capacity surged 7.2% year over year in 2015.

This included tremendous growth in Dallas, a key hub market for American Airlines. Southwest also began operating international flights in Houston, a big hub for United Continental. Delta has been less directly affected by Southwest's recent growth -- which helps explain its better unit revenue performance -- but it still isn't immune, as Southwest has added seats in many markets.

Southwest's growth has contributed to its rivals' unit revenue declines. Image source: The Motley Fool.

With its profitability at record levels, Southwest plans to continue growing at a steady clip. It increased capacity about 8% year over year in Q1, adjusting for the leap year effect, and plans to grow 5%-6% for the full year. This will keep the pressure on its rivals, who are all facing slower than hoped-for revenue recoveries.

Southwest faces a training issueHowever, Southwest has decided that because of uncertainty about the training requirements for its new 737 MAX fleet, it will have to retire all of its older 737 Classics before it puts the 737 MAX into service in the fall of 2017.

Southwest is known for operating only one aircraft type -- the Boeing 737 -- to simplify operations and pilot training. But there are many different variants and generations of the 737. Southwest mainly flies the 737 Next-Generation (NG) models that are currently in production, but it also has more than 100 737 Classics that were built during the 1980s and 1990s.

The same pilots can fly both generations of the 737. And it will be equally easy for Southwest to train pilots to fly both 737 NG and 737 MAX models. The problem is that Southwest doesn't know what it would need to do to train pilots to fly both the older 737 Classic and the brand-new 737 MAX. The only viable solution Southwest has found is to retire the remaining 737 Classic fleet before the 737 MAX enters service.

Capacity growth set to slowSouthwest had already planned to retire its last 737 Classics in 2018, so this decision only moves up the timeline by a year or so. However, it still had 129 737 Classics operating at the end of 2015 and only has 120 planes on order for the combined 2016-2017 period. This suggests that Southwest will end 2017 with fewer planes than it had at the beginning of the year.

CEO Gary Kelly emphasized that this doesn't mean Southwest's full-year capacity will decline next year. A more likely option is that it would continue operating about 50 737 Classics during the summer peak season and then retire them all right after Labor Day.

Southwest will retire its oldest 737s before it starts to fly the 737 MAX. Image source: Boeing.

Even in this scenario, Southwest's capacity growth seems likely to slow to about 2%-3% through the summer peak season before turning negative after Labor Day. The result is that American, Delta, and United could benefit from an easing competitive environment in 2017, especially later in the year. This will help them in their efforts to return to unit revenue growth.

The respite won't lastThe bad news for the legacy carriers is that Southwest Airlines' growth slowdown won't last for very long. By the end of 2018, Southwest will be back to its previous fleet plan. That could mean an increase in growth in the second half of 2018, as the carrier laps its late-2017 capacity reductions.

Still, even a temporary respite from competition will help American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, and United Continental. It will give them a chance to get unit revenue on the right track -- and to prepare for Southwest's next wave of growth.

The article Southwest Airlines Co. Just Handed Its Rivals a Big Gift originally appeared on Fool.com.

Adam Levine-Weinberg owns shares of The Boeing Company and United Continental Holdings, and is long January 2017 $40 calls on Delta Air Lines, and long January 2017 $30 calls on American Airlines Group. The Motley Fool is long January 2017 $35 calls on American Airlines Group. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

Copyright 1995 - 2016 The Motley Fool, LLC. All rights reserved. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
Image source: iStock/Thinkstock.

Picking a rewards credit card can be a challenge, given the large number of options available. But for the average American, the best rewards card also happens to be the simplest: the Citi Double Cash Card issued by Citigroup .

The Citi Double Cash Card at first doesn't seem to be anything to write home about. Users earn 1% cash back on all purchases, and a second 1% cash back when you pay your bill. This means that if you pay your bill in full every month, you'll earn 2% cash back on all your purchases.

That's great, but it pales in comparison with the top tiers of other rewards programs. Citigroup's co-branded card with Costco serves as a case in point. When it's released later this year, its users will earn 4% back on gas, 3% back on restaurants and eligible travel, 2% back on Costco purchases, and 1% back on everything else.

Image source: Citibank.

The Blue Cash Preferred Card issued by American Express offers another example. Its users earn 6% cash back on purchases at U.S. supermarkets, 3% back on gas and purchases at select department stores, and 1% back on everything else.

Based on these percentages, then, you would be excused for concluding that Citigroup's upcoming co-branded card with Costco and the American Express Blue Cash Preferred Card are superior to the Citi Double Cash Card. But this just proves that appearances can be deceiving.

There's no question that the average American could benefit from earning 4% cash back on gas (as is the case with the soon-to-be-released Costco card) and 6% back on purchases at supermarkets (via the American Express Blue Cash Preferred Card). For the average American, however, the single largest category of expenditures is "all other" or "everything else."

You can get a sense for this by looking at the average American's budget, which is broken down in the following table:

Type A Typical American's Expenditures Percent of Total Expenditures Housing $18,128 33% Transportation* $9,315 17% Food** $6,887 13% Personal insurance and pensions $6,048 11% Healthcare*** $4,379 8% Entertainment $2,782 5% All other $2,445 4% Cash contributions $1,761 3% Apparel and services $1,885 3% Education $1,362 2%

*Transportation includes gas ($2,094), vehicle purchases ($3,723), and other ($3,498). **Most people spend half their food budget at restaurants and half at grocery stores. ***Includes health insurance costs of $2,972. Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Consumer Expenditures Midyear 2015 Update.

All told, the average American last year spent an estimated $20,998 on credit card eligible expenditures -- this excludes housing, health insurance, cash contributions, education, personal insurance, and vehicle purchases. Within that were gas purchases of $2,094, restaurant and grocery purchases of approximately $3,443 each, and travel expenditures of somewhere around $3,000.

With these figures in mind, the average American could get an estimated maximum of $420 in cash back by using the Citi Double Cash Card, $347 from Citigroup's co-branded card with Costco (after subtracting the annual fee, which doubles as a Costco membership), and $349 back with the American Express Blue Cash Preferred Card (after the $75 annual fee). These are all in the same ballpark, but there's nevertheless a clear winner.

The article This Is the Best Rewards Credit Card for the Average American originally appeared on Fool.com.

John Maxfield has no position in any stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool owns shares of and recommends Costco Wholesale. The Motley Fool recommends American Express. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

Copyright 1995 - 2016 The Motley Fool, LLC. All rights reserved. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
Image source: T-Mobile.

I have a confession to make: I was wrong about T-Mobilenot being able give away lots of freebiesandgrow revenue at the same time. At least, I'm wrong about it right now, and for the foreseeable future.

Back in January, I wrote an article questioning that T-Mobile would be able grow its customers at the astonishing rate it has in the past without significantly hurting revenue growth or pushing down average revenue per user (ARPU).

Here are two quotes from my previous article:

And I concluded the article with:

But T-Mobile proved me wrong on both counts in its Q1 2016 earnings report.

The nation's third-largest carrier amassed 2.2 million net customer adds in the quarter. That marks 12 consecutive quarters of more than 1 million net adds for the carrier.

And remember that all that growth comes at the expense of its competitors. The carrier said 80% of the carrier's imported customers come from Verizon Communications and AT&T .

And then there's the company's financials. T-Mobile was able to increase revenue more than 10% year over year to $8.6 billion,and service revenue increased to $6.6 billion, up 13% year over year.

I was previously skeptical about T-Mobile's ARPU growth, and in fact, itdid fall slightly from $46.43 in Q1 2015 to $46.21 in Q1 2016. But the 0.5% change is clearly flat on a year-over-year basis -- and not all that troubling at this point. Average revenue per user fell on a sequential basis, but T-Mobile said that's because of the "non-cash net revenue deferral related to Data Stash," and the number was relatively stable on both a sequential and year-over-year basis when excluded.

Meanwhile, T-Mobile eked out a 1.6% average billing per user (ABPU) increase year over year.

The company also increased its full-year adjusted EBITDA to be in the range of $9.7 to $10.2 billion, up from the previous guidance of $9.1 to $9.7 billion.

The conclusion So, it would appear T-Mobile can, at least in the first quarter of 2016, keep its customer acquisition party raging by giving away freebies like Music Freedom, Data Stash, Binge On, etc.,and increase revenue growthat the same time.

As analysts at MoffettNathanson noted --reported by FierceWireless -- "A return to positive growth, even ifminuscule, goes a long way toward refuting the premise that T-Mobile isexcessively discounting."

I'll continue to watch how additional UnCarrier services impact the wireless provider, but if T-Mobile can continue to make impressive customer gains and maintain (or increase) ARPU, then the company may keep proving all of us skeptics wrong.

The article I Was Wrong About T-Mobile originally appeared on Fool.com.

Chris Neiger has no position in any stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool owns shares of and recommends Verizon Communications. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

Copyright 1995 - 2016 The Motley Fool, LLC. All rights reserved. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
Source: iStock photos.

The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (also known by the shorthand "Obamacare") was passed in 2010 with two primary goals: Reduce the rate of uninsured Americans, and cut healthcare costs. Despite a number of setbacks -- most recently UnitedHealth Group's recent announcement that it is exiting most of the Obamacare public exchanges because its footprint there was unprofitable -- the law is largely succeeding in its first goal. At the end of 2015, the uninsured rate in the U.S. was 11.9% according to a Gallup/Healthways survey -- a far cry from the 18% uninsured rate in 2013 before many of the law's provisions had taken effect.

The second goal has been more difficult to achieve, and UnitedHealth Group's exit will only make it more so. After all, the law depends on competition among insurers to help keep prices down... and one fewer insurer means less competitive markets. And as it is, premiums across the exchanges increased 8% this year and may increase by even more next year.

Yet one portion of the law, Medicaid expansion, whereby millions of poor Americans who could not otherwise afford health insurance are enrolled in Medicaid, is having a surprising impact on low-income families across the United States. According to a new study (link opens PDF) by a team from the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago and two universities, Medicaid expansion is helping poor Americans reduce their non-medical debt by between $600 and $1,000.

Connecting the dotsFirst off, it's important to know that -- unlike many of the plans offered on the Obamacare exchanges -- enrollees in Medicaid usually pay little to nothing for healthcare. That's crucial because medical bills are a big financial stressor for many Americans, and that goes double for the uninsured (particularly the uninsured poor). According to one study, uninsured Americans who are hospitalized watch their likelihood of sliding into bankruptcy double over the four years after that hospitalization and also see a 170% increase in unpaid medical bills.

If this study were targeting medical debt, nothing I've written yet would be surprising. After all, you get insurance, you don't have to pay a five-figure hospital bill, you don't have medical debt anymore. No surprises there. But the team specifically targeted non-medical debt to see what would happen when the financial stressor of medical debt was removed. And it turns out that the impoverished Americans who benefited from Medicaid appear to have taken that money and reduced their other debt, sometimes by as much as $1,000.

And the debt reduction could be even higherThe study looked at the change in collections balances for those zip codes in the United States that are disproportionately poor and located in states that expanded Medicaid. Then the research team honed in on the percentage of the population that likely obtained Medicaid insurance where they previously didn't have access and found the estimated $600 to $1,000 reduction in collections balances. There are two reasons that number could be conservative:

1. The study didn't consider medical debt (although, as the authors noted, it's possible that some may have been included -- debt can be difficult to classify). As I noted above, it wouldn't be surprising if medical debt balances also decreased substantially in this population.

2. The researchers also considered another possible way of measuring the affected population by zeroing in on the percentage of uninsured folks newly eligible for Medicaid who were likely to actually have a hospitalization. After all, if -- as data from the National Health Interview Survey indicate -- only 22% of adults newly eligible for Medicaid were likely to experience a hospitalization during that time, then those folks would be the ones actually seeing the financial benefit from Medicaid (and therefore reducing their collections balances). Rescaling the zip code-level data to that subset of the population yielded an estimated collections reduction of $1,364 to $2,272. Talk about a big chunk of change.

It's a startWith the average American carrying over $20,000 in non-mortgage debt, any debt reduction is good news. That goes double for the impoverished Americans on Medicaid. (Even with Medicaid expansion, a family of four can only earn up to $33,465 to be eligible.) While Obamacare has had plenty of unexpected side effects, this is one hopefully most Americans can rally around.

The article You'll Never Guess the Surprising Way Obamacare Is Helping Millions of Americans (Hint: It Has Nothing to Do With Their Health) originally appeared on Fool.com.

Michael Douglass has no position in any stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool recommends UnitedHealth Group. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

Copyright 1995 - 2016 The Motley Fool, LLC. All rights reserved. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
Prince may have used multiple aliases to stock up on pain pills to feed his opioid addiction, according to reports.

The night before his death on April 21, the artist traveled six miles from his Paisley Park home to pick up prescription meds in Minnetonka  passing eight other pharmacies along the way, TMZ said.

Princes family members told TMZ they were worried he was frequenting several pharmacies under different names and seeing separate doctors, including a personal friend, to cover his prescription paper trail.

His Royal Badness reportedly visited various Walgreens pharmacies in Minneapolis four times in the week leading up to his death at 57.

Police raided one of the stores Friday.Prince knew he was hooked on Percocet  prescribed for his severe hip pain  and attended an unnamed rehab, Minneapolis station KSTP 5 reported.

Officials have yet to release a cause of death.
"Live with Kelly and Michael" host Kelly Ripa emerged from her brief "strike" this past week on stronger footing, having extracted an apology from Walt Disney Co. officials for giving her little advanced word that her co-host Michael Strahan was leaving for "Good Morning America.

"She had briefly boycotted the popular daytime talk show, saying she had earned the right to better treatment.

Her audience gave Ripa a standing ovation upon her return Tuesday, and ABC said Strahan was leaving nearly four months earlier than expected.

It was hardly the first time television executives had botched a transition, nor the most spectacular.Here are some other dropped batons:

THE YOUNGER WOMAN

Jane Pauley had been a mainstay on NBC's "Today" show for 13 years, first as co-host with Tom Brokaw and later with Bryant Gumbel, when the show's executives were seduced by a younger woman.

Deborah Norville, seven years Pauley's junior, lit up the screen on NBC's early-morning newscast. She was reassigned to "Today" in late summer 1989 with a big new contract, given a more prominent role than predecessor John Palmer. Norville was widely viewed as Pauley's successor, certainly to Pauley, who quit before she could be pushed out.

During her last show, on Dec. 29, the New York Daily News wrote that Pauley "often looked like she'd rather have been queued up in a 5-hour rice line in Bucharest." Most unfortunately, the show featured a long report on a horse that had been racing 11 years but had to be retired.

The optics were horrible. Women dominate the morning news audience, and "Today" was serving up their worst nightmare onscreen: a loyal woman approaching middle age pushed aside for a sexy new model. The show's ratings instantly fell behind ABC's "Good Morning America." They didn't recover until Norville left on maternity leave 19 months later and was herself displaced by Katie Couric.

Norville fought depression, then battled back as an author and host of "Inside Edition."

"It was personally devastating to, in less than two years, go from 'NBC's fastest-rising star' to a pariah in television," Norville wrote for The Hollywood Reporter in 2012.

TEAM COCO

If you still have a "Team Coco" shirt in a back closet, you remember late-night television's worst transition.

NBC thought it was being foresighted when it announced in 2004 that five years later, Jay Leno would retire as "Tonight" show host and be replaced by Conan O'Brien.

"I was blindsided," Leno recalled in a later "60 Minutes" interview, likening it to being told by a girlfriend that he was no longer wanted. He didn't feel much better five years later. He vacated the late-night perch, and was given a prime-time show that not many people watched.

Meanwhile, "Tonight" ratings sank when after O'Brien took over and NBC executives worried that the quirky sensibility that worked for O'Brien's later-night show didn't translate to a more mainstream earlier audience. They floated a plan to cut the "Tonight" hour in half, giving part of Leno and part to O'Brien.

O'Brien rejected it early in 2010, and began negotiations for a contract buyout.

With the axe near, O'Brien's "Tonight" show became white hot. Ratings soared, and his persona as the put-upon employee fueled superb comedy. Fans rallied around, buying "Team Coco" shirts, and Leno was brutalized regularly by fellow late-night hosts David Letterman and Jimmy Kimmel as a turncoat, someone who couldn't give up his seat of power. Besides a reported $45 million buyout, O'Brien earned another late-night gig at TBS, where he works today.

Leno's transition to Jimmy Fallon in 2014 went much more smoothly. Fallon was an immediate hit, and Leno gracious in his exit.

Even then, though, he made sure to note that leaving wasn't his decision.

STAR TIME

Star Jones, panelist on daytime TV's "The View," surprised that show's audience in July 2006 by announcing after a commercial break that she would soon be leaving after 10 years.

"That's shocking to me," co-host Joy Behar said. It shouldn't have been. The show's creator, Barbara Walters, said later that Jones had known for months that the show was going in a different direction. Jones said in a magazine interview that appeared that day that she had been fired.

As Jones made her announcement, Walters sat at her side, glaring.

To the proper television doyenne, few things were as important as appearances and the illusion that the ladies of "The View" were a convivial bunch. She told The Associated Press that day that Jones' announcement was a betrayal.

The next day, Jones was gone. Walters said Jones had been given time to find another job so the transition would appear smooth. "I would have loved for Star to have left and not said 'I was fired' and not make it look like the show was somehow being cruel to her," she said.

It was six years before she was welcomed back onto the ABC show as a guest.

Even on a program that featured the colorful and combustible Rosie O'Donnell for two separate tenures, Jones had the most memorable flameout.

CRYING CURRY

Two decades after the Norville debacle, the "Today" show managed to top itself with Ann Curry's tearful exit.

Curry was a loyal soldier, reading the news for "Today" starting in 1997 and remaining after she was passed over for Meredith Vieira as co-host when Couric left in 2005. When Vieira quit in 2011, Curry earned the job next to Matt Lauer. Yet "Today" started fading in the ratings, running neck-and-neck with "Good Morning America" in the spring of 2012 after many years of dominance, and executives worried that Curry and Lauer had little on-screen chemistry.

They decided to replace her with Savannah Guthrie.

Curry's final show made for excruciating television. She was in tears seated next to Lauer on the show's couch, telling viewers: "For all of you who saw me as a groundbreaker, I'm sorry I didn't carry the ball over the finish line. But man, I did try."

Again, the effect was immediate. ABC's "GMA" took over as morning television's favorite and while things have been looking up lately, "Today" remains in second place. Lauer's reputation with viewers took a beating, especially when Curry did little to discourage accounts that she partly blamed him for her demise. After reporting primarily on international stories, Curry left NBC News in January 2015.

"It was a hard time for everybody," Lauer told the Daily Beast in 2013. "I don't think the show or the network handled the transition well. You don't have to be Einstein to know that."
Sens. Bernie Sanders and Ted Cruz significantly trail the front-runners in their respective Democratic and Republican presidential primaries, but both said Sunday they will stay in their races until the end, even amid bad news about the Indiana primary on Tuesday.

We intend to fight for every vote and every delegate remaining, Sanders said at a press conference in Washington, D.C., before heading to campaign events in Indiana.

The Vermont senator said Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton winning enough pledged delegates in the remaining state contests to secure the nomination before the July convention would be virtually impossible. So his only path to the nomination will be to flip superdelegates, the party insiders who can back either candidate and are overwhelmingly behind Clinton.

In other words, the convention will be a contested contest, Sanders said.

Clinton is still 91 percent of the way to the nomination, according to the Associated Press. She is 218 delegates away from winning the 2,383 need to clinch the nomination.

Sanders remarks came at about the same time an NBC/Wall Street Journal/Marist poll showed him trailing Clinton in Indiana 46-to-50 percent, roughly the same margin as in other recent polls.

The poll also shows Cruz trailing GOP front-runner Donald Trump in Indiana 49-to-34 percent, despite Cruz essentially putting all of his efforts into winning the state and stopping Trumps six-state roll. (The poll also showed Ohio Gov. John Kasich, the third GOP primary candidate, with 13 percent.)

Cruz said Sunday he hoped to do well in Indiana. However, he said on ABCs This Week that We are going the distance. We are competing the entire distance.

The Texas senator spent little time campaigning in the six Northeast states that Trump handily won and instead spent much of his time in Indiana.

He also cut a deal with Kasich that would allow him to compete head-to-head with Trump in Indiana. And last week he named former primary rival Carly Fiorina as his running mate and announced the endorsement of Indiana GOP Gov. Mike Pence.

I have faith in Hoosiers -- in the common sense good judgment of the men and women of this great state, Cruz said Sunday at a rally in Lafayette, Ind. And if we unite, were going win this nomination.

Cruz has gone back and forth on whether Indiana will be a make-or-break contest for him, even telling California Republicans on Saturday that their June 7 primary will decide the GOP race.

Trump leads in the delegate count with 996, followed by Cruz with 565 and Kasich with 153, with 1,237 needed to secure the nomination before the July convention.

Clinton has 2,165, compared to 1,357 for Sanders.

Republicans will compete for 57 pledged delegates in Indiana, and Democrats will compete for 81.

Trump, Clinton and Sanders also had events Sunday in Indiana, with Clinton also scheduled to deliver a speech to the NAACP in Detroit.

At a rally in Fort Wayne, Trump focused his attack on Cruz, saying he has no road to victory and is the first person in the history of the United States who picked a running mate  when he has no chance to win.

Earlier in the day, he repeated his argument that Clinton has so far had a successful campaign largely because she is a female candidate.

The only card she has is the woman card, Trump told Fox News Sunday. Even women dont like her. If she were not a woman, she would not even be in this race.

Former President Bill Clinton drew boos and shouts from the crowd as he made a campaign stop in Logan, W.V., on his wife's behalf, ahead of the state's May 10 presidential primary.

And Supporters of Sanders and Trump gathered outside the school as Clinton spoke Sunday. According to WVNS-TV, a letter written on behalf of Logan officials told Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin's staff in an email that the Clintons "are simply not welcome in our town."

Hillary Clinton, who planned to campaign in Williamson on Monday, has been criticized for comments that her policies would put coal miners and companies out of business. Clinton said later she was mistaken and that she's committed to coalfield communities.

Sanders has brought in about $26 million in April in his primary challenge to Clinton, a steep decline from the $46 million he raised in March, raising questions about whether he can sustain his powerful online money machine as his path to the nomination has substantially narrowed against Clinton.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Texas Sen. Ted Cruz admits hes putting all his eggs into Indiana, but a new poll suggests a win Tuesday in the Hoosier States Republican presidential primary against front-runner Donald Trump may be too high a mountain to climb.

I'm barnstorming the state, Cruz said on ABC's "This Week." I'm in a bus with my family, doing everything we can to earn the votes of the men and the women in this state. We are competing hard here. I hope we do well here.

He made the comments the same day as a new NBC/Wall Street Journal/Marist poll showing Trump leading him by 15 percentage points in Indiana, 49-to-34 percent.

Cruz suggested last week that Indiana will decide the GOP presidential contest among him, Trump and Ohio Gov. John Kasich.

Amid the latest polls, Cruz still stopped short Sunday of saying he must win Indiana to stay in the race after suggesting last week that it was make-or-break.

It gives me great comfort that this primary is going to be decided by the Midwestern common sense of the Hoosier State, Cruz told Fox News on Friday, though he did not say definitively whether he would drop out if he loses Indiana.

To be sure, much is at stake before Cruz beyond the 57 delegates up for grabs Tuesday.

He has so far won 10 state contests, but nothing since the Wisconsin primary in early April, while Trump has since won convincingly in New York and in the five Northeast states that held primaries last week.

Last week, Cruz tried to regain some momentum by naming former primary rival Carly Fiorina as his running mate and announcing an endorsement by Indiana Gov. Mike Pence. And his campaign has worked out a deal in which the Kasich campaign will allow Cruz to try to beat Trump one-on-one in Indiana.

Cruz also attacked Trump, saying he talks about stopping the Carrier company from leaving for Mexico but has no plan.

He has no economic policy to bring back those jobs, said Cruz, who has increasingly argued that Trump, a billionaire businessman, is as much a Washington insider as Democratic presidential front-runner Hillary Clinton, a former first lady and secretary of state.
Former Alabama Gov. Don Siegelman -- in prison on corruption charges and who got major support earlier this month for a White House pardon -- was put in solitary confinement Monday, his son says.

Siegelman, the states last Democratic governor, was transferred to solitary confinement after The Washington Post published a story in which he talked extensively about the Supreme Court this week reviewing former Virginia GOP Gov. Bob McDonnells 2014 conviction on public corruption, says son Joseph Siegelman.

Siegelman, also his fathers attorney, suggests the timing of the transfer to solitary confinement is suspicious.

Bureau of Prison officials would not confirm the transfer but said there was no connection.

"The allegation that Mr. Siegelman was punished for talking to a reporter is false," said a bureau spokesman, who declined to elaborate, citing confidentiality concerns regarding disciplinary matters.

Siegelman said his father had told him he was being punished for three infractions: running a business from prison, misuse of the mail and a catch-all prohibition against behavior that is disruptive of prison operations.

Siegelman reportedly sold a T-shirt on eBay for $4,500 that he will use to finish a documentary about his case. According to the note Siegelman posted during the eBay auction, such T-shirts can be purchased at the prison commissary.

He was convicted in 2006 for bribery and obstruction of justice.

The court found Siegelman sold a board appointment to HealthSouth founder Richard Scrushy in exchange for contributions to his 1999 campaign to establish a state lottery.

He is serving a sentence of six-plus years in a federal correctional institution in Oakdale, La.

Scrushy has already has finished his sentence.

This is not the first time Siegelman has purportedly been put in solitary confinement. He allegedly was transferred after calling into a talk show in October 2015 to argue his innocence and say he is a victim of Republican politics.

The revelation this week follows more than 100 former state attorneys general asking President Obama, in a letter sent to the White House earlier this month, to pardon the 70-year-old Siegelman.

Former New York Attorney General Bob Abrams said the group thinks the conviction was unjust and tarnished by politics.

Presidential intervention is one of Siegelman's last hopes of getting his prison sentence cut. However, he and his son are also trying to get the Supreme Court to review their case, now that appellate courts have upheld the conviction.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Backers of Republican presidential front-runner Donald Trump accused the Arizona GOP convention of cheating after Texas Sen. Ted Cruz pulled out a strategic victory Saturday.

Cruz won virtually all of the 28 at-large national delegates and roughly split the 27 delegates selected by congressional district. Cruz's Arizona campaign organizer says simple math led to the at-large victory. Cruz offered a nearly identical slate of candidates as John Kasich backers, and the combined votes led to a win.

State Treasurer Jeff DeWitt, who chairs Trumps Arizona campaign, said a challenge is possible after calls for a revote were rejected by the party.

"The Trump campaign is very unhappy with the results," DeWitt told reporters. "We don't feel that this was a fair process. The Trump button got checked more than any other, so why do we have so few delegates?"

Phoenix City Councilman Sal DiCiccio blamed back-room-dealing politics for the loss Saturday, according to The Arizona Republic.

"This is what America hates. This is why the voters have turned to Trump," DiCiccio said. "They're turning to Donald Trump because they are tired of the backroom politics, and that's what occurred here today."

Former Gov. Jan Brewer lost her bid to become a delegate and said afterward that she was cheated.

"I got cheated," Brewer told reporters. "And the people of Arizona got cheated."

State party Chairman Robert Graham said the election was run fairly, and the Kasich-Cruz slates just combined to get the win.

"Mr. DeWit is making a habit of making outlandish comments to try to crush the integrity of a great meeting," Graham said. "This was a very pronounced victory for the Cruz-Kasich slates. If it was close, then you might say 'Hey, one person here, one person there,' but this was a commanding victory."

Constantin Querard, Cruzs Arizona campaign chair, struck back against claims from DeWitt.

"They lost because of math, not because of malfeasance. If you take the people that want Cruz, and you add to them the people who don't want Trump, that's a majority in just about any room in America."

Saturdays victory was mainly strategic for Cruz since all 58 Arizona delegates are required to vote for Trump on the first national ballot because he won the states primary. If there is a contested convention, the states delegates can switch to back Cruz. There are three automatic delegates, including Graham.

With Trump at nearly 1,000 national delegates out of 1,237 he needs to win the presidential nomination outright after recent sweeps of five eastern states, even Cruz's Arizona backers believe Saturday's effort is likely to be for naught.

"It's most likely that Trump will be the next president, but I'm trying my hardest for it to be Cruz," said state Rep. David Livingston, who is unabashedly backing Cruz.

The battle at Saturday's convention goes back weeks, when Cruz backers were wrangling at local party meetings to nail down delegates to the state party.

Gov. Doug Ducey opened the convention by calling on the party faithful to end Democratic control of the White House.

Ducey called the past eight years "the most futile in modern American history" and said that it's time to "put a Republican in the White House and Hillary Clinton in the Big House."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
A Frenchman has flown more than 2 kilometers (over a mile) on a hoverboard in an apparent new world record.

The Guinness World Records reported on its website that 37-year-old Franky Zapata travelled 7,388 feet off the French Atlantic coastal town of Sausset-les-Pins on Saturday at a height of 165 feet above the surface of the water.

It said a Guinness World Records official was on hand for the flight and determined that it beat the previous record of 905 feet by Canadian Catlin Alexandru Duru last year.

Zapata achieved the new flight on a craft developed by his company Zapata Racing. He also held an earlier Guinness record for doing 26 backflips with a water jet pack in a single minute.
Declaring justice has been done, President Obama announced late Sunday that Usama bin Laden was killed by U.S. forces in Pakistan, marking the end of the worldwide manhunt that began nearly a decade ago on Sept. 11, 2001.

The president made the stunning announcement within hours of informing congressional leaders. He said bin Laden was killed Sunday, the culmination of years of intelligence gathering. The news drew a large crowd to the front of the White House, as well as in Times Square, as people chanted U-S-A. U-S-A.

Obama, in his address to the nation shortly before midnight, thanked the Americans who have toiled in pursuit of bin Laden and applauded those who carried out the successful mission in Pakistan. Describing that mission only briefly, he said its result is a testament to the greatness of our country.

For over two decades, bin Laden has been Al Qaedas leader and symbol, Obama said. The death of bin Laden marks the most significant achievement to date in our nations effort to defeat Al Qaeda.

The president traced the death of bin Laden to a tip received last August. He said he was briefed at the time on the possible lead, and that after months of intelligence work it was determined bin Laden was hiding in a compound deep inside Pakistan. Obama said, after determining the intelligence was sound, he authorized the operation to bring him to justice last week.

More On This... Usama Bin Laden

He said a small team of Americans went after bin Laden in Abbottabad on Sunday. After a firefight, they killed Usama bin Laden and took custody of his body, the president said.

Senior administration officials, in a briefing with reporters, afterward said the administration had determined by February that they would pursue the compound "custom built to hide someone of significance" in Pakistan. This decision led to a series of national security meetings starting in March to develop a course of action. Obama gave the final order to pursue the operation on April 29, officials said.

The house was 100 yards from the gate of the Kakul Military Academy, an army-run institution where top officers train. A Pakistan intelligence official said the property where bin Laden was staying was 3,000 square feet.

At 3:30 p.m. EST, a 40-man Navy Seals squadron raided a compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan, killing the Al Qaeda leader with a bullet to the head.

Four Chinook and Blackhawk helicopters dropped 24 men on the compound. One helicopter suffered a "hard landing" inside the compound after experiencing a mechanical failure and had to be destroyed on the site, according to one defense official.

There was a large shootout. The residents at the compound resisted. The total raid took 40 minutes.

No Americans were killed in the mission Sunday. Officials said three adult men other than bin Laden were killed  one was believed to be bin Ladens son, the others couriers. One woman was killed when she was used as a human shield and two other women were also injured, the officials said.

Abbottabad resident Mohammad Haroon Rasheed said the raid happened about 1:15 a.m. local time.

"I heard a thundering sound, followed by heavy firing. Then firing suddenly stopped. Then more thundering, then a big blast," he said. "In the morning when we went out to see what happened, some helicopter wreckage was lying in an open field."

"Intelligence analysts concluded that this compound was custom-built to hide someone of significance," he said.

In the wake of bin Ladens death, authorities around the world are being urged to take security precautions. One source said officials are concerned bin Ladens death could incite violence or terrorist acts against U.S. personnel overseas.

The State Department issued a travel alert for U.S. citizens abroad overnight, citing the enhanced potential for anti-American violence given recent counter-terrorism activity in Pakistan.

Obama said Americans must continue to be vigilant. But he said the death of the architect of the deadliest terror attack on U.S. soil should be welcomed around the world.

Bin Laden was not a Muslim leader. He was a mass murderer of Muslims, Obama said. So his demise should be welcomed by all who believe in peace and human dignity.

Sources said the vice president informed congressional leaders late Sunday night that the worlds most wanted man had been killed.

Officials said bin Ladens body, which was in U.S. custody, was given a sea burial.

The announcement comes nearly a decade after the 2001 terror attacks that triggered the Afghanistan war and started a tireless hunt for the terrorist mastermind and Al Qaeda leader.

In recent years, that hunt had increasingly led U.S. intelligence across the border and into Pakistan, where Al Qaeda is thought to be concentrated.

Fox News' Jennifer Griffin, Justin Fishel and the Associated Press contributed to this report.
The Rev. Daniel Berrigan, a Roman Catholic priest and peace activist who was imprisoned for burning draft files in a protest against the Vietnam War, died Saturday. He was 94.

Berrigan died at Murray-Weigel Hall, a Jesuit health care community in New York City after a "long illness," according to Michael Benigno, a spokesman for the Jesuits USA Northeast Province.

"He died peacefully," Benigno said.

Berrigan and his younger brother, the Rev. Philip Berrigan, emerged as leaders of the radical anti-war movement in the 1960s.

The Berrigan brothers entered a draft board in Catonsville, Maryland, on May 17, 1968, with eight other activists and removed records of young men about to be shipped off to Vietnam. The group took the files outside and burned them in garbage cans.

The Catonsville Nine, as they came to be known, were convicted on federal charges accusing them of destroying U.S. property and interfering with the Selective Service Act of 1967. All were sentenced on Nov. 9, 1968 to prison terms ranging from two to 3 years.

When asked in 2009 by "America," a national Catholic magazine, whether he had any regrets, Berriganreplied: "I could have done sooner the things I did, like Catonsville."

Berrigan, a writer and poet, wrote about the courtroom experience in 1970 in a one-act play, "The Trial of the Catonsville Nine," which was later made into a movie.

Berrigan grew up in Syracuse, New York, with his parents and five brothers. He joined the Jesuit order after high school and taught preparatory school in New Jersey before being ordained a priest in 1952.

As a seminarian, Berrigan wrote poetry. His work captured the attention of an editor at Macmillan who referred the material to poet Marianne Moore. Her endorsement led to the publication of Berrigan's first book of poetry, "Time Without Number," which won the Lamont Poetry Prize in 1957.

Berrigan credited Dorothy Day, founder of The Catholic Worker newspaper, with introducing him to the pacifist movement and influencing his thinking about war.

Much later, while visiting Paris in 1963 on a teaching sabbatical from LeMoyne College, Berrigan met French Jesuits who spoke of the dire situation in Indochina. Soon after that, he and his brother founded the Catholic Peace Fellowship, which helped organize protests against U.S. involvement in Vietnam.

Berrigan traveled to North Vietnam in 1968 and returned with three American prisoners of war who were being released as a goodwill gesture. He said that while there, he witnessed some of the destruction and suffering caused by the war.

Berrigan was teaching at Cornell University when his brother asked him to join a group of activists for the Catonsville demonstration. Philip Berrigan was at the time awaiting sentencing for a 1967 protest in Baltimore during which demonstrators poured blood on draft records.

"I was blown away by the courage and effrontery, really, of my brother," Berrigan recalled in a 2006 interview on the Democracy Now radio program.

After the Catonsville case had been unsuccessfully appealed, the Berrigan brothers and three of their co-defendants went underground. Philip Berrigan turned himself in to authorities in April 1969 at a Manhattan church. The FBI arrested Daniel Berrigan four months later at the Rhode Island home of theologian William Stringfellow.

Berrigan said in an interview that he became a fugitive to draw more attention to the anti-war movement.

The Berrigan brothers were sent to the federal prison in Danbury, Connecticut. Daniel Berrigan was released in 1972 after serving about two years. His brother served about 2 years.

The Berrigan brothers continued to be active in the peace movement long after Catonsville. Together, they began the Plowshares Movement, an anti-nuclear weapons campaign in 1980. Both were arrested that year after entering a General Electric nuclear missile facility in King of Prussia, Pennsylvania, and damaging nuclear warhead nose cones.

Philip Berrigan died of cancer on Dec. 6, 2002 at the age of 79.

Daniel Berrigan moved into a Jesuit residence in Manhattan in 1975.

In an interview with The Nation magazine on the 40th anniversary of the Catonsville demonstration, Berriganlamented that the activism of the 1960s and early 1970s evaporated with the passage of time.

"The short fuse of the American left is typical of the highs and lows of American emotional life," he said. "It is very rare to sustain a movement in recognizable form without a spiritual base."

Berrigan's writings include "Prison Poems," published in 1973; "We Die Before We Live: Talking with the Very Ill," a 1980 book based on his experiences working in a cancer ward; and his autobiography, "To Dwell in Peace," published in 1987.
Five years ago, Rob ONeill chomped on a sandwich watching television at Bagram Airfield. Usama bin Ladens dead body lay on a table next to him.

ONeill was the reason bin Laden lay lifeless on that table May 1, 2011. He explained the details of the death of the worlds most notorious terrorist in a matter-of-fact manner years later to relatives of 9/11 victims.

I explained how I went into a room and I saw him and he was standing 3 feet in front of me and he was a threat and I shot him, ONeill said Sunday on "Fox and Friends."

ONeill said he and his fellow Seal Team 6 members were still in the uniforms they wore on the mission when President Obama announced the death on television.

I heard him say Usama bin Laden, I looked at Usama bin Laden  I thought, How in the world did I get here from Butte, Montana? ONeill said.

Even half a decade after bin Laden was taken out, little-known information about the operation and the hunt that led up to it is trickling in. ONeill revealed Sunday that the much-publicized kidney ailment bin Laden was said to have and the dialysis machine he was said to have with him were merely counterintelligence myths propagated to weed out sources that were lying.

Bin Laden's death, however, has not decreased the threat from Islamists.

John Brennan was the chief counterterrorism adviser to President Obama when ONeills elite team stormed bin Ladens compound in Pakistan. Brennan is now the CIA director and faces a new nemesis, ISIS, and a new wily figurehead, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.

Hes important and we will destroy ISIL, I have no doubt in my mind, Brennan said Sunday on "Meet the Press." Bin Laden had important symbolism and, if we got Baghdadi. it would have great impact on the organization. Were going to have to remain very focused.

Brennan recalled the outpouring of emotion that greeted the announcement of bin Ladens death.

I remember that same evening, the chants of USA and CIA, culmination of hard work, Brennan said. We had destroyed a large part of Al Qaeda.

But Al Qaeda, however much diminished, has survived bin Ladens death and is joined in its destructive efforts by ISIS.

This new phenomenon of ISIS -- this will continue to challenge for years to come, Brennan said.
Among the tens of thousands of children fleeing Central America in recent years, roughly one in 26 of these young migrants have come to live in Georgia.

The obligation to educate most of these new arrivals has fallen on public schools in metro Atlanta, which advocates say were already serving a growing population of Latino students. Still, these children sent alone by their parents to escape gang and drug violence in their home countries often face obstacles to learning that require more than teaching them English.

"Kids are coming with delayed educational backgrounds, and they're coming with significant trauma," said Allison Ashe, executive director of Covenant House Georgia, a charity that has social workers assigned to help roughly 160 unaccompanied migrant children in Georgia and neighboring states. "Even schools with English as a second language programs aren't accustomed to serving kids who are coming here from significantly violent situations."

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services reports 103,833 children fleeing countries such as Honduras, Guatemala and El Salvador have been placed with relatives or other sponsors in the U.S. since October 2013. Those children crossed the U.S.-Mexico border without their parents, and 3,921 of them came to live in Georgia while their cases are decided by immigration courts. Only seven other states took in a greater share.

Kate Walker of Catholic Charities Atlanta, which has provided aid to many unaccompanied migrant children in the Atlanta area, said some smaller school districts were better equipped than she expected to assist these new students. One school district called to ask for help understanding the immigration court process so staff could better answer questions from unaccompanied students or their sponsors.

"They've been really proactive," said Walker.

It's unclear where in Georgia many of these unaccompanied children ended up living. The federal government breaks down their numbers by county in which 50 or more children are placed.

Only six Georgia counties meet that threshold  all of them in metro Atlanta. The 2,426 children sent to live in Fulton, DeKalb, Cobb, Gwinnett, Hall and Cherokee counties account for about 62 percent of Georgia's total.

DeKalb County received the greatest number, 906 children as of the end of February. Though that's less than 1 percent of the total student population of the DeKalb County's public school system, the influx at first proved be to "a very volatile and highly sensitive issue," said Michael Thurmond, who served as DeKalb County school superintendent from February 2013 until last July.

"What I said to people is it's not an issue," said Thurmond, a former Georgia labor commissioner who had been hired to turn around DeKalb County's troubled schools. "Unaccompanied or not, we have to educate every child."

Thurmond inherited a school district suffering from a $14 million budget deficit. It's also a community that's widely diverse. DeKalb County's immigrant population is bolstered by the city of Clarkston being a national refugee relocation site. Nearly one-fourth of the county school district's 101,000 students speak English as a second language.

Despite that, because of budget woes, the school board had shut down its International Student Center used to assess and enroll immigrant newcomers and laid off its staff of roughly 20 interpreters by the time Thurmond arrived. Thurmond made reopening the center a priority not long before the influx of unaccompanied Central American students began.

He also saw that DeKalb County hired three Spanish-speaking assistant principals by the 2014-2015 school year, as well as more Spanish-speaking faculty.

"Have all the issues been fixed? The answer is no," said Thurmond, noting DeKalb County is still working to address overcrowding in schools with high Latino enrollment. "But at least the district is moving in the right direction."
When Nathanial White was asked whether his French teacher actually spoke French, he replied, yes  but with a caveat.

Bonjour, but everybody knows that, White told KHOU.

Albert Moyer, a French teacher at Houston Independent School Districts Energy Institute High School, is under fire for not actually speaking the language he teaches. Moyer told KHOU his experience includes just a year of high school French.

Moyer was hired after the schools longtime French instructor, Jean Cius, was removed in December following a dispute. Cius said he now just monitors the halls at another Houston school.

I feel so bad for the taxpayers because theyre paying me for not doing anything at all, Cius said.

White said if students now have a question about their French studies they have to search the answer on Google.

It can often become a difficult task to find certified foreign language teachers, in the middle of the academic school year, to fill the needs of the district, HISD said in a statement to KHOU. Effective French teachers are especially hard to come by. However, the district continues its efforts to hire talented foreign language teachers to instruct HISD students.
Authorities in North Carolina charged a Fort Bragg soldier Saturday with kidnapping and rape of a fellow solider assigned to his unit.

Johnathan Simpson, 26, of Moonstone Court, was charged with first-degree rape, first-degree kidnapping and sexual battery, Fayetteville police said in a statement. Simpson allegedly committed the assault on April 25.

Simpson was taken into custody at his unit on Fort Bragg with the assistance of the Fort Bragg Military Police. Detectives with the FPDs Special Victims unit were assisted by the Armys Criminal Investigation Division agents, WTVD reported.

Fort Bragg soldier charged with rape of fellow soldierhttps://t.co/o7vwOQKND2 pic.twitter.com/3Ljw9nq7aW  FOX8 WGHP (@myfox8) April 30, 2016

He was processed at the Cumberland County Detention Center, according to WTVD. He is being held on a $250,000 secured bond, according to WRAL.

Anyone with information about the case is urged to contact Detective Matrafailo with the Fayetteville Police Department at 910-322-4101 or Crimestoppers at 910-483-TIPS.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
A New Jersey police officer is being investigated after a dashcam video showed the officer suddenly braking in the middle of a roadway and then issuing the driver behind him multiple tickets, authorities said Friday.

According to NJ.com, video of the March 19 altercation surfaced on YouTube last week. It shows a Clifton resident, identified only as Omar B., and shows the Clifton police officer slamming on the brakes in front of the man.

There was no one in front of the officer at the time he slammed on the brakes. The officer admitted in the video that he only braked in front of the motorist because the driver was driving behind him too closely. The practice is known as brake checking, according to NJ.com.

Warning. The video contains explicit language.

"This cop could have hurt me, himself and anyone else who was behind me that couldn't stop in time," the individual wrote in the video.

Clifton Police Department spokesman Detective Sgt. Robert Bracken told NJ.com that the incident is being investigated by Internal Affairs officers.

"The Clifton Police Department is aware of the incident," Bracken said. "Internal Affairs matters are confidential, therefore, we will not be commenting on the incident at this time."

NJ.com, citing public records, identified the police officer as Juan Velez. Velez has been working with the Clifton Police Department since 2005. Bracken didnt confirm the officers identity or the departments policy on brake-checking practices.

In the video, the car appears to be traveling at a speed between 22 and 29 mph. Velez tells the driver he braked because I thought you were going to run into me.

The motorist, driving a 2006 Infiniti M35x, was traveling at about 29 mph before the officer brake-checked him. The driver told the officer he was a car length away.

Velez issued the driver three summonses at the end of the traffic stop: One for lack of a front license plate, one for tailgating and another for tinted windows.

The video has been viewed on Youtube more than 200,000 times.

Click for more from NJ.com.
Parents of a Hawaii boy who has been missing for nearly 20 years have pleaded not guilty to murder charges.

The Hawaii Tribune-Herald reports that in two separate courtrooms on Friday 46-year-old Jaylin Kema and her 45-year-old husband, Peter Kema Sr., pleaded not guilty to second-degree murder.

The boy's parents have long been suspects in the 1997 disappearance of then 6-year-old Peter Kema Jr., known as "Peter Boy," but prosecutors say there hadn't been enough evidence to charge them until now.

READ: Parents indicted in cold case murder of Hawaiian boy

Peter Kema Sr. had told authorities he took his son to Oahu and gave him to a longtime family friend.

Jaylin Kema's trial has been scheduled for Aug. 22, while her husband has a Sept. 19 date.
An Illinois college professors story about finding an abandoned puppy inside a duct-taped pillowcase was a tall tale, according to police who charged the woman with filing a false report.

Hope Sanchez, an adjunct psychology professor at McHenry County College, was booked on a felonious disorderly conduct charge after she turned herself in to Woodstock detectives Friday, the Northwest Herald reported.

Police said the 38-year-old instructor told students during a class that she found the abandoned puppy in a taped pillowcase dumped on the side of a road, the Chicago Tribune reported. One of the students told an animal shelter, which contacted police.

They investigated and determined that the weeks-old boxer or boxer mix had actually been given to Sanchez and that she was seeking a new home for the animal, the paper reported.

It was her living arrangements  she has a partner that doesn't want any part of a dog, so she couldn't keep it, Woodstock Police Chief Robert Lowen told the Tribune. Why she chose to concoct a story, I don't know.

The college was initiating college personnel procedures, a spokeswoman told the paper Friday.



Sanchez, of Fox River Grove, was released after posting a $1,000 bond, the Herald reported.

The puppy has been put up for adoption at Hoof, Woof and Meow Animal Rescue in Gilberts.
The Armys top general wants cadets to prepare to fight little green men.

Army Chief of Staff Gen. Mark Milley made the remark April 21 in a speech to celebrate the 100th anniversary of Norwich Universitys ROTC program, The Army Times reported.

Youll be dealing with terrorists, youll be dealing with hybrid armies, youll be dealing with little green men, youll be dealing with tribes, youre going to be dealing with it all, and youre going to be dealing with it simultaneously, Milley said.

But Milley (probably) wasnt referencing a close encounter or new intel from the secretive Area 51 complex.

Military officials told The Army Times that little green men is typically used to refer to foreign troops who dress in green attire instead of military uniforms.

It does not mean fighting troops from outer space, an official said.

But a denial from a government official isnt likely to sway those who believe the truth is out there.
A British Airways flight was intercepted by fighter jets over Hungary after the passenger plane lost contact with air traffic controllers.

Hungarian authorities reportedly issued their highest alert after the Boeing 777 passed over its border unannounced on Saturday afternoon.

Two Hungarian Air Force Gripens were scrambled to identify the aircraft which was en route from Dubai to Heathrow.

According to air safety protocols, pilots must make contact with air traffic controllers on the ground when passing from one country's airspace to another.

The Gripens reportedly took off at 12.55pm before the BA flight made contact with ground control.

A BA spokesman said: "Communication was quickly restored with air traffic control and the flight landed normally at Heathrow."

There have been several similar incidents recently where civilian commercial flights have inadvertently triggered high-level security alerts.

Click for more from Sky News.
Two car bombs in the southern Iraqi city of Samawah on Sunday killed 31 people and wounded dozens, the latest in a series of large attacks claimed by the Islamic State group as the country grapples with a worsening political crisis.

The attacks came the day after thousands of anti-government protesters poured into Baghdad's heavily guarded Green Zone and stormed parliament, the culmination of months of protests by followers of an influential Shiite cleric demanding wide-ranging political reforms.

A police officer said two parked cars filled with explosives were detonated within minutes of each other around midday in Samawah, the first near government offices and the second at an open-air bus station less than a mile away.

At least 52 people were wounded in both explosions, and the police official said the death toll was expected to rise. A medical official confirmed the casualty figures. Both officials spoke on condition of anonymity as they were not authorized to release information.

IS claimed the bombings in an online statement, saying they were carried out by suicide attackers targeting police. It was not immediately possible to reconcile the competing claims.

The Shiite-dominated city is located some 230 miles south of the capital, Baghdad. The extremists have repeatedly targeted Iraq's Shiite majority -- which they view as apostates -- as well as the Shiite-dominated security forces.

Earlier on Sunday, Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi ordered authorities to arrest and prosecute protesters who attacked security forces, lawmakers and damaged state property after breaking into the Green Zone.

Followers of influential Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr tore down blast walls and poured into the Green Zone and parliament building on Saturday.

Videos on social media showed a group of young men surrounding and slapping two Iraqi lawmakers as they attempted to flee the crowd, while other protesters mobbed lawmakers' motorcades. Jubilant protesters were also seen jumping and dancing on the parliament's meeting hall tables and chairs and waving Iraqi flags. No one was seriously wounded. The protesters eventually left the parliament Saturday night and rallied at a nearby square.

Al-Sadr and his supporters want to reform the political system put in place following the U.S.-led invasion in 2003, in which entrenched political blocs representing the country's Shiites, Sunnis and Kurds rely on patronage, resulting in widespread corruption and poor public services. The major blocs have until now stymied al-Abadi's reform efforts.

On Sunday, protesters vowed to continue their sit-in inside the Green Zone until their demands are met.

"We are fed up, we are living a humiliated life," Rasool Hassan, a 37-year old father of three told The Associated Press from inside the Green Zone. "We'll leave here only when the corrupt government is replaced with another of independent technocrats that serves the people not the political parties," Hassan added.

"We need new faces, not the old ones," said Shatha Jumaa, a 58-year old surgeon. Jumaa, who identified herself as a secularist, said she wanted the current government dissolved and replaced by a small interim administration whose job would be to amend the constitution and to prepare for an early national election.

Also on Sunday, the United Nations said at least 741 Iraqis were killed in April due to ongoing violence, a sharp decline from the previous month. In its monthly report, the U.N. mission to Iraq put the number of civilians killed at 410, while the rest were members of the security forces. A total of 1,374 Iraqis were wounded that month, it added.

In March, at least 1,119 people were killed and 1,561 wounded.

The capital, Baghdad, remains the worst-hit area, with 232 civilians killed and 642 wounded in April, followed by the northern province of Ninevah, which is almost entirely controlled by the Islamic State group, with 72 killed and 30 wounded.

"It pains us to see the continuing bloodletting and loss of life, particularly among civilians who are paying a high price as a result of bombings and the armed clashes," U.N. envoy Jan Kubis said.




A Dutch carpenter inspired by a dream to build a massive replica of Noahs Ark has a new and equally daunting vision  to bring the 410-foot vessel to the Americas in time for this summers Olympic Games in Brazil.

Johan Huibers impressive boat, built at a cost of nearly $4 million, is currently moored in Dordrecht, some 60 miles south of Amsterdam. A popular tourist attraction drawing as many as 3,000 visitors a day, the ark is an interactive museum and event center. Hauling it across the ocean in time to reach an international audience would cost an estimated $1.5 million, according to a California nonprofit recently established to help Huibers realize his latest dream.

If we are able to purchase a barge, that will make taking it to every port in South and North America a very real possibility, David Rivera, of The Ark of Noah Foundation, told FoxNews.com.

The group needs a miracle to achieve Huibers latest goal, as just under $1,800 has trickled in to date. But Huiberss history of overcoming long odds is testament to his tenacity. His lifes work began with a dream, which he was later able to achieve after his contracting business made him a multimillionaire.

[I hope] to see happy faces, explain the story of the Ark as a tool of God to give hope to mankind.  Johan Huibers

In 1992 I had a dream about the Netherlands being underwater [due to] a flood, Huibers, 57, told FoxNews.com. A short time after, I saw a book and I read it to my children. It showed pictures of the Great Flood. I said then that I want to build the ark. Thirteen years later, I had the means and time to do it.

At 410 feet long, 95 feet wide and 75 feet high, the ark is half the size of the specifications described in the Bible. It is made of cedar and pine and was built atop a steel barge in the river port of Schagen, some 30 miles north of Amsterdam. Since its completion, it has been towed by canal tugboats to Rotterdam and Arnhem, as well as to its current base.

Completing the 2,500-ton ark took more than four years, during which time Huibers and a crew that included random volunteers, his son and even the local butcher, often slept aboard the 95-foot-wide, 75-foot- high vessel. Given the time and money that went into building the ark, as well as its popularity, Rivera believes bringing it more than 5,200 miles to Brazil is a prophecy that can be fulfilled.

The price point is actually low, Rivera said optimistically. Its been reduced a bit because of falling oil prices.

Rivera, an Air Force veteran and retired 3M executive, became involved with the effort to bring the ark to the Americas after visiting it in the Netherlands.

I was just in awe of the size, said Rivera, who worked with Huibers to establish the tax-deductible charity to raise funds. The dimensions. The scale of it. I found it overwhelming, in a good sense.

The to-date vastly underfunded plan would have the ark docked in the Brazilian city of Fortaleza for as long as four years, with trips penciled in to cities along the South American coast, through the Panama Canal and to U.S. cities along the West Coast.

I hope that visitors will learn of true hope, Huibers said. [I hope] to see happy faces, explain the story of the Ark as a tool of God to give hope to mankind.

Although the ark can hold up to 5,000 people, there are no live critters aboard, much less two of everything. But models of the animals the Bible says Noah saved from a devastating flood are part of the museum experience. If they can get it to Brazil, they hope to use proceeds from admissions to create more interactive exhibits, including ones that would feature hologram animals.

Once in Fortaleza, we will make upgrades to allow visitors of seeing a Bible story come to life, Rivera said.

Time is running out for Huibers and Rivera to raise the money needed to get the ark to Brazil by early August, when the Olympics begin. But as the foundations motto states, above a logo showing a sea of umbrellas opened against an epic downpour, There is always hope.


A Hindu man was hacked to death in central Bangladesh in the latest attack claimed by radical Islamists in the Muslim-majority nation, police said.

Authorities are investigating whether the killing on Saturday of Nikhil Joarder was connected to a 2012 complaint against him for alleged comments he made against the Prophet Muhammad, said Aslam Khan, a police officer in the district of Tangail, where the attack took place.

The Islamic State group-affiliated Aamaq news agency issued a statement saying "elements of the Islamic State stabbed to death by knife a Hindu in Tangail in Bangladesh who was known for insulting Prophet Muhammad." It did not give further details.

Joarder was attacked with sharp weapons by two men on motorcycles as he sat in his tailor shop, Khan said.

Joarder spent two weeks in prison in 2012, and was released after the complaint against him was withdrawn.

The killing was similar to other recent attacks on atheist bloggers, academics, religious minorities and most recently a gay rights activist by Muslim extremists.

Five people have been killed this year, including Xulhaz Mannan, a U.S. Agency for International Development employee and gay rights activist, and Tonmoi Mahbub, a theater actor, this past week. Two days earlier on April 23, a university professor, A.F.M. Rezaul Karim Siddique, was hacked to death. Nine others were killed last year.

While there have been some arrests  mostly of low-level operatives  there have been no prosecutions so far and authorities have struggled to make any headway in naming those planning the attacks.

Two men were sentenced to death and six others to prison for the 2013 killing of an atheist blogger.

Nearly all the attacks have been claimed by international Islamist extremist groups, including the Islamic State group and various affiliates of al-Qaida. The government, however, has refused to accept that these groups have a presence in Bangladesh, and has blamed the violence on the political opposition.
Secretary of State John Kerry urged Syrian government forces Saturday to stop bombarding the city of Aleppo as it moves in to retake it.

Kerry said the priority was a durable, nationwide cessation. The UN envoy for Syria and the lead opposition negotiator have urged the U.S. and Russia to step in and take control of peace talks as a fragile truce hangs in the balance.

The truce between Syrian President Bashar Assad and the U.S.-backed moderate rebels was called in February with the help of the U.S. and Russia.

This week, fierce bombing has ramped up with heavy civilian casualties, including the bombing of a Doctors Without Borders hospital that killed one of the last pediatricians left in the country. However, Russia has resisted calls to pressure Assad to stop his bombing campaign.

The International Committee of the Red Cross warned that the intensification of fighting threatens to cause a humanitarian disaster for millions of people. A statement issued late Friday said four medical facilities on both sides of the city were hit earlier that day, including a dialysis center and a cardiac hospital. ICRC appealed to all parties in the conflict "for an immediate halt in the attacks."

"There can be no justification for these appalling acts of violence deliberately targeting hospitals and clinics, which are strictly prohibited under international humanitarian law," said Marianne Gasser, head of the ICRC in Syria. "People keep dying in these attacks. There is no safe place anymore in Aleppo."

"For the sake of people in Aleppo, we call for all to stop this indiscriminate violence," Gasser said.

Kerry is planning to talk with UN envoy Staffan de Mistura in Geneva Sunday along with Saudi and Jordanian foreign ministers. Aleppo was left out of the original cessation of hostilities agreement that included the Latakia and Eastern Ghouta regions.

According to the AFP, Kerry has expressed deep concern about Aleppo to de Mistura and Riad Hijab  the chief negotiator for the High Negations Committee.

The secretary made clear that ending violence in Aleppo and returning ultimately to a durable, nationwide cessation is a top priority, State Department spokesman John Kirby said.

Kerry dismissed Russian claims that airstrikes are targeting the Nusra Front in Aleppo and instead claiming civilian lives.

The Assad regime continues to escalate the conflict by predominantly targeting innocent civilians and parties to the cessation of hostilities  not Nusra, as the regime falsely claims, Kirby said. Such attacks are direct violations of the cessation and must stop immediately.

Aleppo has suffered some of the worst fighting in the Syrian conflict. Fighting in the civil war has clamed more than 270,000 people.

In neighboring Lebanon's capital, Beirut, more than 100 people marched in the city center to protest Syrian government attacks, mainly those on Aleppo, calling them "war crimes." Lebanon is split between supporters and opponents of the rebellion against Assad.

In Damascus, ICRC spokesman Pawel Krzysiek said that despite the difficult situation in Aleppo, which hinders humanitarian operations in the city, aid deliveries elsewhere continued. Humanitarian convoys entered separate areas besieged by rebels and government forces, he said.

The convoys, a joint operation between the ICRC, the United Nations and the Syrian Arab Red Crescent, began delivering aid to Madaya and Zabadani  two mountain resorts near Damascus that have been besieged by government forces.

Krzysiek added that 20 other trucks entered the northwestern villages of Foua and Kfarya, which are being besieged by insurgents.

The ICRC delivers food parcels and wheat flour, medicines, bed nets, crutches and anti-lice shampoo to all locations, he said.

The U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said on its Twitter account Saturday that the aid delivery in the four areas will be large enough to serve 61,000 people.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Click for more from AFP.
The quarter stuck to the blob of gum in the ashtray, the dime wedged between the drivers seat cushionsthese are the coins of Ronnie Shahars realm.

The U.S. ships hundreds of thousands of tons of scrap to China each year, much of it comprising the aluminum remains of broken-down vehicles that have been fed through industrial shredders. The scrap is so laden with coins, many of them battered beyond recognition, that a new industry has emerged to reclaim and repatriate them.

Mr. Shahar, a 46-year-old entrepreneur, was among the first to realize the potential in pocket change more than 25 years ago. Today, he buys U.S. coins in bulk from Chinese salvage yards and exports them to his Oregon-based partner, who exchanges the coins at the U.S. Mint for a lump sum.

The Mint redeems coins that are bent, burned, fused, chipped or otherwise uncountable by machine at nearly their face value, under a program established more than a century ago.

The program has paid out more than $100 million since 2009, the year customs officials in Los Angeles noted a sharp increase in large coin shipments from China. The uptick was so sharp that federal law-enforcement officials have come to believe some of the dimes, quarters and half dollars arriving from the Far East are fakes.

Read more at the Wall Street Journal
Their daughter was stolen by terrorists, forced to "marry" the leader of ISIS and ultimately killed, and Carl and Marsha Mueller can only wonder if it all could have been different.

Kayla Mueller was an idealistic aid worker who went to Turkey in 2012 to help refugee children. She was taken hostage in August, 2013, when she and her boyfriend traveled to an Aleppo, Syria, Doctors Without Borders hospital. She would spend nearly a year-and-a-half in captivity before U.S. officials confirmed she had been killed.



"We believe that Kayla could have been released and still have many unanswered questions, Marsha Mueller said Thursday at a conference convened by the Holy See's ambassador to the world body.



"Maybe we can get enough people together to really make a stand and persuade our government, our president to do something besides talk.  Carl Mueller

In the years before she was taken hostage, and in a letter she was able to send her parents from within the Raqqa compound where she was held, Mueller told of the desperate plight of Christians in the Middle East. But only last month did the United States formally declare the grim situation amounts to genocide, a term that could spark UN action.



Helping the suffering was her lifes work, Carl Mueller said. We worried about Kayla. We worried about what she was witnessing."

The knowledge of their daughter's suffering under ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi and her death has spurred the Prescott, Ariz., couple to pressure Washington and the UN to act now to protect Christians and stop the black-clad jihadist army.

We have to do it now, Carl Mueller told FoxNews.com later. She would be ecstatic that this is finally going on. As far back as 2011, she was trying to bring this to attention of our government and no one would listen. No one cared.

[Many] people still dont care," he continued. "But if we can get this [issue] out into the public, if we can squeeze it in between the political election news that is out there now ... maybe we can get enough people together to really make a stand and persuade our government, our president to do something besides talk.

Kayla Mueller was moved to take action as early as 2011, when images of children displaced at the beginning of the Syrian civil war prompted her to leave home and offer herself to the Danish Refugee Council and the humanitarian organization Support to Life.

Kayla was one courageous voice, calling the world to speak with one voice and with our actions," her mother said. "To have the same courage and commitment.

Carl Mueller said carrying forward their daughter's cause is their way of keeping her memory alive.



We do it for Kayla and for the people that are suffering," he said. "Although we didnt witness it first-hand, we saw how it affected her and we knew what we were hearing was true. And today, I feel like Kayla finally got her chance to show it to the world, which she was so desperate to do.
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South Korea's president has arrived in Tehran in the first such high-level visit since the two nations established diplomatic ties in 1962.

President Park Geun-hye's office said she would visit Iran for three days beginning Sunday and hold talks with her Iranian counterpart Hassan Rouhani on the Korean Peninsula and ways to promote bilateral ties.

Iran's state news agency IRNA says Rouhani will hold a welcoming ceremony Monday. IRNA says over 230 business executives are accompanying Park.

Iran has been seeking to integrate into the global financial system and improve ties with other countries since nuclear-related sanctions were lifted in January under a landmark deal with world powers.
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Scrambling to resuscitate a nearly dead truce in Syria, the Obama administration has again been forced to turn to Russia for help, with little hope for the desired U.S. outcome.

At stake are thousands of lives and the fate of a feeble peace process essential to the fight against the Islamic State group, and Secretary of State John Kerry has appealed once more to his Russian counterpart for assistance in containing and reducing the violence, particularly around city of Aleppo.

Kerry spoke at length on Friday with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov to that end, and had been hoping to meet with Lavrov soon, according to U.S. officials. Kerry arrived in the Swiss capital on Sunday evening and headed into talks with Jordan's foreign minister, Nasser Judeh.

The top U.S. diplomat scheduled meetings on Monday with U.N. envoy Staffan de Mistura and Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir before planning to return to Washington.

But Lavrov was not expected to be in Geneva, complicating Kerry's efforts to make the case directly to the Russians for more pressure on their Syrian government allies to stop or at least limit attacks in Aleppo.

The State Department said Kerry, in his meetings, would "review ongoing efforts to reaffirm the cessation of hostilities nationwide in Syria, obtain the full humanitarian access to which the Syrian government committed and support a political transition."

Specific, viable options to achieve those broad goals are limited, and Friday's announcement of a new, partial cease-fire that does not include Aleppo underscored the difficulty Kerry faced.

U.S. and other officials described that initiative, brokered mainly by Russia and the United States as co-chairs of the International Syria Support Group, as a "reinforcement" of the February truce, now largely in tatters, that they hope to extend from Damascus and the capital's suburbs and the coastal province of Latakia to other areas.

"This is an agreement within the task force, but certainly on the part of the U.S. and Russia that there would be a reinforcement of the cessation of hostilities in these specific areas as a start, with the expectation that this ... would be then extended elsewhere," State Department spokesman Mark Toner said.

Syria's military extended a unilateral cease-fire around the capital for another 24 hours on Sunday, and relative calm set in across much of the country after days of heavy fighting concentrated in Aleppo.

For that city, the U.S. is considering drawing up with the Russians a detailed map of the city that would lay out "safe zones." Civilians and members of moderate opposition groups covered by the truce could find shelter from persistent attacks by Syrian President Bashar Assad's military, which claims to be targeting terrorists.

One U.S. official said "hard lines" would delineate specific areas and neighborhoods. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the matter publicly.

It was not immediately clear whether Russia would accept such a plan or if Moscow could persuade the Assad government to respect the prospective zones. Some U.S. officials are skeptical of the chances for success, but also note that it is worth a try to at least reduce the violence that has wracked Aleppo for the past week, with hundreds killed and thousands wounded.

Kerry discussed the deteriorating situation in calls over the past days with de Mistura and the head of a Syrian opposition negotiating committee. "We are working on specific initiatives to de-escalate the increased fighting and defuse tensions and hope to make tangible progress on such initiatives soon," State Department spokesman John Kirby said in a statement.

For the administration, Friday's announcement about the partial cease-fire is largely a means to measure the commitment of the warring parties to the concept of a truce that could lead to serious peace talks.

"It's a test for the Russians and for the regime, as well as for the Syrian opposition," Toner said.

The administration's problem is that the Russians, the Assad government and the opposition backed by the U.S. and its partners have all failed that test in the past.

In particular, the administration has been routinely disappointed that Russia has not lived up to pledges that U.S. officials think it has made. From the start of the conflict, the administration has sought numerous times for Moscow to use its influence with Damascus to bring about an end to the violence and to advance a political transition. At each turn, those hopes have been dashed with Russia continuing, and even increasing, its support for Assad.

U.S. officials concede there is little to suggest that will change.
Pregnancy experts recommend that most pregnant women get 30 minutes of exercise a day. If that feels a little onerous, consider new findings out of Baylor College of Medicine in Houston suggesting that love of physical activity may start in the womb.

So maybe women who wont exercise for their own sake will do it for the baby.

The research in question involved mice and found that the offspring of mothers who exercised turned out to be 50 percent more active than those whose mothers werent active. How does this relate to humans?

Observational studies of active pregnant women and their babies have reported similar results. But in the human studies, it wasnt always clear whether active mothers who have active children simply raised their kids to exercise a lot or whether there might have been a genetic predisposition to physical activity. The Baylor scientists were able to correct for those variables.

Our results offer a very positive message, said Robert A. Water land, one of the researchers. If expectant mothers know that exercise is not only good for them but also may offer lifelong benefits for their babies, I think they will be more motivated to get moving.
In some fashion universe, TVs fashion cheerleader Carrie Bradshaw is probably talking to her husband, John James Mr. Big Preston, and gazing at all of her shoes. After all, the former Ms. Bradshaw, a lover of shoes, missed her ferry ride home during an old episode of HBOs Sex and the City after slipping out of a designer shoe and crying out, Wait, I lost my Choo!

The Choo she was referring to, of course, is the red-carpet favorite Jimmy Choo, the London-based footwear and accessories label thats celebrating its 20th anniversary.

Jimmy Choo is a very celebratory brand, said Sandra Choi, Jimmy Choos creative director, during a March luncheon and store appearance at Saks Fifth Avenue in Beverly Hills. The red carpet and the celebrity dressing has been such a key backbone in the making of Jimmy Choo.

Choi, who lives in England, met with fans of the brand and previewed the Memento anniversary collection of red-carpet-ready shoes and bags, available online at jimmychoo.com, in stores and at retailers including Saks. She said the capsule collection of clutches and sparkly shoes, which feature reimagined details, reflects a celebration of Jimmy Choos past while capturing what she feels glamour means today.

Dressing up in a glamorous way means that your shoes are just as beautiful [as your clothes], Choi said. They might not need to be as fashion as how the fashion world see[s] footwear. Glamour is about timelessness. And glamour is about being unique.

As part of the occasion, Jimmy Choo also has released a limited-edition, $65,000 shoe trunk made from a pale galuchat-embossed leather and outfitted with 20 shoe drawers lined with suede and a brass cardholder to fit a shoe sketch from the Memento collection (or other artwork). The trunk is available a select Jimmy Choo flagship stores and by special order.

Also, a brand top seller and fan favorite is included in the Memento collection. Its called Lance, Choi said. It was designed back in 2009. And to today, 2016, its still going very strong. ... Because it has been so well loved, we couldnt quite move it along. So we just kept it in the collection. Lance is one shoe that will make the best foot really go forward.
The U.S. Army has reversed a decision to discharge a locally championed Green Beret for "body slamming" an Afghani police commander officer accused of raping a boy.

Sgt. 1st Class Charles Martland will be allowed to continue to serve at least through the end of his enlistment after an Army board on Wednesday determined that his personnel file contained an error or injustice, according to Stars and Stripes.

For everyone who fought for this, thank you, said Del. Nick Freitas, R-Culpeper. This was not only important for Sgt. 1st Class Martland and his family. It was important to every serviceman and woman who when far away from home has wondered if the American people still care. The answer is yes.

A former Green Beret himself, Freitas took up Martlands cause in February, delivering an impassioned speech on the floor of the statehouse that went on to be viewed online by more than a million.

Martland has maintained the only blemish on his personnel record is an October 2011 memorandum of reprimand, issued by Brig. Gen. Christopher K. Haas, then-commander of the Combined Forces Special Operations Component Command in Afghanistan, according to the Army Times.

The reprimand was issued after Martland and his commander hit a local police leader in September 2011 while deployed to a remote Afghani combat outpost.

The Green Beret shoved and slammed Abdul Rahman into the ground after hed admitted to chaining a 12-year-old boy and sexually assaulting him repeatedly for several days, according to the Army Times. Martland was relieved of duty and sent back to the U.S. for his actions that Hass wrote were the intentional assault of Rahman.

Freitas, like others, was outraged.

The question that every service member has to come in contact with when that episode happens is what are you going to do about it? Sgt. 1st Class Martland confronted evil. He punished it. He demonstrated to evil and to that boy and his mother that someone was going to be willing to stand up for them, Freitas said in his house floor speech.
Ferry Farm Elementary School collected $1,786.27 for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society Pennies for Patients. Students were given a collection box to collect spare change to help patients with blood cancers live better, longer lives. Pictured from left to right are: James Hart, Gabrielle Ott, Tyler Pulliam, Jeremy Green, Madison Pulliam and Leigha Montrief.
HARRISONBURG  Repeated appeals for Republican unity werent enough to stop a bitter floor battle for presidential delegates Saturday at the Virginia GOP convention in Harrisonburg.

Supporters of Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas used their overwhelming numbers to secure 10 of 13 delegate slots up for grabs.

Supporters of front-runner Donald Trump  who won the states March 1 primary with nearly 35 percent of the vote  cried foul early and often, accusing the establishment of defying the will of Virginia voters by packing the slate with Cruz supporters.

The personal loyalties of the Virginia delegation could quickly become moot if Trump gets the 1,237 delegates he needs to win the nomination outright. But if Cruz, who finished third in the Virginia primary, successfully forces multiple rounds of voting this summer at the national convention in Cleveland, a significant portion of Virginias votes could swing to Cruz.

The Cruz-friendly slate passed by a 1,033858 margin of raw votes.

Former Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli, who is leading the Cruz campaigns national hunt for delegates and will serve as a Virginia delegate in Cleveland, said the convention showed Cruzs superior ability to organize the grassroots.

This is a competition. And they are incapable of competing effectively on the ground, Cuccinelli said of the Trump campaign.

More than 2,500 party officials and activists attended the convention, held in an arena on the campus of James Madison University.

In an unofficial round of cheering for the three remaining candidates, Cruz drew the loudest roar, followed by a little less noise for Trump and virtually none for Ohio Gov. John Kasich.

Cuccinelli said the Cruz campaign had the numbers to take all 13 delegates, but allowed three Trump slots as a compromise and olive branch.

Corey Stewart, Trumps Virginia campaign chairman, called it a screw-you branch.

Stewart, a Prince William County supervisor, was denied a spot on the delegate list, which he said was an attempt by Cruz forces, particularly Cuccinelli, to embarrass the Trump campaign.

It just shows no respect for the supporters of Donald Trump, who won the primary, Stewart said. And its destructive to the party.

Trumps first-place finish in the primary guarantees he will receive 17 of Virginias 49 delegate votes on the first ballot at the July national convention in Cleveland.

If no candidate were to win the nomination after the first vote, Virginia delegates would be free to vote for the candidate they personally support.

Cruz supporters were elected to five of six delegate slots already decided at two smaller, district-level meetings.

The rest of the 33 delegates from Virginias 11 congressional districts will be elected at meetings later this month.

In other convention action, RPV Chairman John Whitbeck was elected to another four-year-term, successfully fending off a challenge by former state Senate candidate Vince Haley.

Cynthia Dunbar, a former member of the Texas Board of Education, defeated Suzanne Obenshain, the wife of state Sen. Mark R. Obenshain, R-Rockingham, to represent the state as committeewoman on the Republican National Committee.

Former Texas Gov. Rick Perry endorsed Dunbar in a videotaped message played at the convention.
The teacher crisis is real, and were not going to work our way out of it simply by making it easier to hire teachers.
British farmers would face an uncertain future if the UK left the European Union, says the trade association which represents 250 agricultural suppliers.

Too many questions remained unanswered when it came to supporting Brexit, warned the Agricultural Industries Confederation (AIC), which represents 6.5bn in farmgate turnover.

There is a clear lack of information on strategy and desired outcomes from both sides, says a policy paper published by the confederation.

See also: 58% of farmers want Brexit, reveals survey

For those arguing the UK should remain in the EU there is no information on how agriculture might benefit from further and future reforms, it warns.

But there was a more fundamental problem with a lack of any information from those arguing that the UK should leave the EU, the paper adds.

Strategic objectives to be pursued by an independent UK in terms of negotiation, objectives, timetables or intended outcomes are lacking, it says.

This lack of an objective framework makes it impossible at this stage for AIC to take any informed view on the agricultural implications of the UK leaving the EU.

Frustration

AIC chairman Jon Duffy acknowledged there was a lot of frustration among farmers when it came to EU rules and regulations. But he said the case for leaving didnt yet stack up.

Mr Duffy said two issues would be of particular concern to farmers if the UK left the EU. Those issues were losing open access to trade and uncertainty over future farm support.

As EU members, we have open access to trade across the EU and have numerous trade negotiations and trade deals in place as EU members right around the world.

Agriculture in the UK relied heavily on trade, said Mr Duffy, who is also business development director for crop production and marketing company for Frontier Agriculture.

The more competitive we can be, the better. As soon as you step outside of that, all you get mass uncertainty. At the minute, we have certainty.

Support

The second issue was the level of financial support to agriculture.

Agriculture is a supported industry around the world. We are in a bloc that supports agriculture and if we come out, all of a sudden we are again in uncertain world.

Defra had yet to reveal a coherent Plan B for agriculture in the event that the UK left the EU following the in-out referendum on 23 June, said Mr Duffy.

No-one can say for certain that the Treasury would still support agriculture to the same amount as its is currently getting, he said.

Although Defra minister George Eustice had insisted that farm support would continue, and might even increase, most people thought privately or otherwise that it would go down.
Long Beach Mayor Robert Garcia was among the right people enshrined on the memorial wall on Saturday, Oct. 21.
An opportunity for foodies and beer lovers to get lost in a world of food and drink from a hand-selected range of food trucks and breweries from around New Zealand.
US Discloses Senior Official Sold Nuclear Secrets to China

by VOA News April 29, 2016

A Taiwan-born American citizen has admitted selling nuclear information to China while he was a senior manager at the U.S. government's Tennessee Valley Authority, federal officials say.

Court records unsealed Friday show that Ching Ning Guey admitted traveling to China and receiving payments in return for handing over restricted information about U.S. nuclear technology. Federal officials who discussed the case indicated China is suspected of running a spy program to evade U.S. security precautions and collect high-tech information.

An indictment filed more than a year ago but kept secret charged Guey with one count of conspiracy to illegally participate in the development of nuclear material outside of the United States and one count of conspiracy to act as an agent of a foreign government. Prosecutors say he had been specifically warned not to share restricted nuclear information in advance of his trip to China.

No sentencing yet

Guey has pleaded guilty to the charges but a date for sentencing has not yet been set. Until then he remains free; U.S. authorities indicated he has cooperated with investigators.

A nuclear engineer born in China who is a long-time acquaintance of Guey, Szuhsiung Ho, was indicted separately and has been arrested on espionage charges. Prosecutors allege that Ho conspired to recruit American nuclear scientists to provide nuclear information that could help China upgrade its nuclear reactors.

Ho has been detained since his arrest earlier this month in the southern U.S. city of Atlanta, awaiting trial.

Federal authorities say Ho and Guey have known each other since the early 1990s, and that Guey's recruitment by China began more than 10 years ago. Ho allegedly provided payments to Guey in return for information the government employee had turned over since 2013.

The Tennessee Valley Authority, where Guey worked, is owned by the U.S. government and operates a large electrical supply network powered, in part, by nuclear reactors.

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Strikes Hit ISIL in Syria, Iraq

From a Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve News Release

SOUTHWEST ASIA, April 30, 2016  U.S. and coalition military forces have continued to attack Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant terrorists in 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 and remotely piloted aircraft conducted seven strikes in Syria:

-- Near AL Hawl, two strikes struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed an ISIL fighting position and an ISIL vehicle.

-- Near Manbij, a strike destroyed an ISIL vehicle.

-- Near Mar'a, four strikes struck four separate ISIL tactical units, destroyed an ISIL fighting position, an ISIL vehicle and damaged ISIL equipment.

Strikes in Iraq

Bomber, ground-attack, fighter and remotely piloted aircraft conducted 17 strikes in Iraq, coordinated with and in support of Iraq's government:

-- Near Al Qaim, a strike struck an ISIL vehicle-bomb facility.

-- Near Fallujah, four strikes struck two separate ISIL tactical units and destroyed two ISIL fighting positions, an ISIL vehicle, an ISIL vehicle bomb, an ISIL used bridge, and an ISIL tank.

-- Near Habbaniyah, a strike struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed an ISIL fighting position and an ISIL mortar system.

-- Near Hit, a strike destroyed an ISIL mortar system.

-- Near Kirkuk, four strikes struck two separate ISIL tactical units and destroyed four ISIL vehicle bombs, an ISIL vehicle, an ISIL supply cache, four ISIL weapons caches, four ISIL assembly areas, two ISIL tunnel systems, an ISIL front end loader, an ISIL excavator, four ISIL fighting positions, three ISIL-used bridges, an ISIL bed down location, and an ISIL tactical vehicle.

-- Near Mosul, two strikes struck two separate ISIL tactical units and destroyed three ISIL assembly areas, two ISIL bed down locations, two ISIL fighting positions, and an ISIL weapons cache.

-- Near Qayyarah, three strikes struck three separate ISIL tactical units and destroyed three ISIL rocket rails, five ISIL rockets, and an ISIL vehicle.

-- Near Waleed, a strike produced inconclusive results.

Task force officials define a strike as one or more kinetic events that occur in roughly the same geographic location to produce a single, sometimes cumulative, effect. Therefore, officials explained, a single aircraft delivering a single weapon against a lone ISIL vehicle is one strike, but so is multiple aircraft delivering dozens of weapons against buildings, vehicles and weapon systems in a compound, for example, having the cumulative effect of making those targets harder or impossible for ISIL to use. Accordingly, officials said, they do not report the number or type of aircraft employed in a strike, the number of munitions dropped in each strike, or the number of individual munition impact points against a target.

Part of Operation Inherent Resolve

The strikes were conducted as part of Operation Inherent Resolve, the operation to eliminate the ISIL terrorist group and the threat they pose to Iraq, Syria, and the wider international community. The destruction of ISIL targets in Syria and Iraq further limits the terrorist group's ability to project terror and conduct operations, officials said.

Coalition nations that have conducted strikes in Iraq include the United States, Australia, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Jordan, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom. Coalition nations that have conducted strikes in Syria include the United States, Australia, Bahrain, Canada, France, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates and the United Kingdom.

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Taiwan patrol boats to protect fishermen near disputed Japanese atoll

ROC Central News Agency

2016/04/30 22:20:12

Taipei, April 30 (CNA) Taiwan will send two patrol ships Sunday to international waters near a Japanese-controlled atoll in the Western Pacific to protect Taiwanese fishermen operating in the area.

In response to a directive issued by President Ma Ying-jeou (), a nearly 2,000-ton Coast Guard Administration vessel and a ship belonging to the Fishery Agency under the Council of Agriculture will depart from the southern city of Kaohsiung for waters near Okinotori atoll to protect Taiwanese fishermen operating in the area.

The deployment of the two patrol boats comes after a Taiwanese fishing boat operating some 150 nautical miles from Okinotori was seized April 25 by the Japanese coast guard.

On Saturday, Premier Simon Chang () said that the Navy will be on standby to provide further assistance if needed.

The fishing boat, the "Tung Sheng Chi No. 16" (16), was released April 26 after a payment of 6 million Japanese yen (US$54,442) was made as a deposit, pending legal proceedings.

Japan claims a 200-nautical mile exclusive economic zone around the tiny atoll, but Taiwan argues that Okinotori is a reef rather than an island -- as Japan defines it -- and therefore is not entitled to anything more than a 500-meter "security zone" around it.

Taiwan has protested at the highest level the detention by the Japanese coast guard, and Ma has asked relevant government agencies to step up protection for the country's fishermen operating in waters near the atoll.

Okinotori is about 860 nautical miles east of Eluanbi, the southernmost point of Taiwan.

(By Liu Chien-pang and Elaine Hou)

ENDITEM/J

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Yemen warring sides begin face-to-face talks

Iran Press TV

Sat Apr 30, 2016 11:37AM

Warring sides of the conflict in Yemen have begun face-to-face negotiations for the first time since an ongoing round of talks started under the auspices of the United Nations in Kuwait.

Charbel Raji, the spokesman for UN envoy to Yemen Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed, said on Saturday that direct meetings had already started between representatives of Yemen's Houthi Ansarullah movement and those of the resigned president, Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi.

"All delegations are present. Key issues will be addressed," said Raji of the talks which are being mediated by Ould Cheikh Ahmed in Kuwait City.

The key issues Raji mentioned include the withdrawal of armed groups, a handover of heavy weapons, the resumption of a political transition and the release of prisoners.

The negotiations, which started on April 21, have only seen delegations submitting their own proposals to Ould in separate meetings they have held with the UN envoy.

Houthis have been demanding a complete lifting of a blockade by Saudi Arabia on Yemen, which Riyadh has put into place since it started its campaign against Yemenis in March 2015. Hadi's delegations, which is backed by the regime in Riyadh, says, however, that the Houthis must first implement the terms of a UN resolution and withdraw from the areas they have captured in Yemen.

An official from the Houthis speaking to the Sabanews.net website said a "new phase in the negotiations begins Saturday, which would truly test the positions of the United Nations and international community" in order for a settlement to be reached between the two sides.

The current talks in Kuwait started after a shaky ceasefire came into effect on April 11. That ceasefire agreement seems to be still holding across Yemen although both sides keep reporting violations.

More than 9,500 people have been killed in Yemen since the Saudi campaign began. The airstrikes have been meant to block the advance of Ansarullah and to bring Hadi back to power.

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NATO membership not to benefit Finalnd: Govt. report

Iran Press TV

Sat Apr 30, 2016 6:18AM

A report commissioned by the Finnish government has strongly advised against the country's membership in the NATO military alliance, saying such a move would negatively affect ties with Sweden and Russia.

"Finland joining NATO with Sweden staying out would create a strategically awkward situation, leaving Finland as a strategic outpost without territorial contiguity with NATO," said the strategic analysis released on Friday.

The report, which was complied upon an order by Finnish Prime Minister Juha Sipila, further said a decision to join NATO could draw "strong" and "even harsh" reactions, adding, "Even while stopping short of the use of force, specific counter-measures would be difficult to predict."

Sipila said "with Sweden, we have promised not to surprise each other in these matters."

Swedish politicians have been floating the country's potential membership in the US-led alliance.

The Finnish analysis, meanwhile, warned that NATO membership could also have a negative impact on ties with Russia, which is viewed as an "aggressor" by the Western military alliance.

"The membership would probably also lead to a serious crisis with Russia, for an undefined period of time," it stressed.

Russia has been wary of the alliance's military buildup close to its border. It has been mirroring the heightened NATO activity in its backyard by staging domestic military maneuvers and flying its aircraft close to US destroyers in the Baltic Sea.

The Kremlin has recurrently warned that Sweden's potential accession to NATO would entail retaliatory measures by Moscow.

Most recently, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said, "If military infrastructure draws close to Russian borders we will naturally take the necessary technical-military measure."

Finland shares a 1,340-kilometer (830-mile) border with Russia and has managed to maintain peaceful relations with Moscow.

The bilateral ties sustained the animosity between Moscow and the West during the Cold War and resurgent antagonism between the two, dubbed by some as another Cold War.

Relations between Russia and the West have been strained since Ukraine's Black Sea peninsula of Crimea re-joined the Russian Federation following a referendum back in March 2014.

The ties soured further after Ukraine launched military operations in April 2014 to silence pro-Russian forces in the country's eastern regions of Donetsk and Luhansk.

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Another US spy plane buzzed by Russian jet over Baltic

Iran Press TV

Sat Apr 30, 2016 12:40AM

A US RC-135 reconnaissance aircraft has been buzzed by a Russian Sukhoi Su-27 over the Baltic Sea, the latest encounter in a series of similar incidents between the two countries' military forces.

The incident happened on April 29, when the Russian fighter came within about 30 meters (100 feet) of the American plane and performed a "barrel roll" over it, CNN reported Friday, citing two US military officials in the Baltic Sea region.

"This unsafe and unprofessional air intercept has the potential to cause serious harm and injury to all aircrews involved," Pentagon spokesman Commander Bill Urban said in a statement.

"More importantly, the unsafe and unprofessional actions of a single pilot have the potential to unnecessarily escalate tensions between countries," he added.

Urban noted that Washington is concerned by such moves as they "raise serious safety concerns."

This is while on Thursday, a Russian Mig-31 supersonic jet intercepted a US Navy P-8 spy aircraft over Russia's Far East.

The Soviet-era Mig-31, which is known as the world's fastest supersonic jet, flew within 50 feet of the P-8, performing maneuvers that Commander Dave Benham, a spokesman for the US Pacific Command, said were "safe and professional."

Tensions between Russian and American military forces surged earlier this month after two Russian Sukhoi Su-24 warplanes performed "simulated attack" passes over the USS Donald Cook destroyer in the Baltic Sea.

Describing the move as one of the most aggressive acts in recent memory, American officials said the Russian bombers were flying so close that they caused "wakes in the water."

Russia has accused the US of intimidation by sailing the Cook close to Russia's border in the Baltic, warning that the Russian military would respond to any future incidents.

The US-led NATO military alliance has been deploying more troops and equipment to the Baltic States-- Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania-- to counter what the alliance calls "Russian aggression."

The Baltic nations, which joined NATO in 2004, have asked the military alliance for a permanent presence of battalion-sized deployments of its troops in each of their territories, although Moscow denies any intention to attack the Baltic States.

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Estonia Works to Bring Additional NATO Forces to the Baltic

Sputnik News

17:33 30.04.2016(updated 18:06 30.04.2016)

Estonia makes a lot of contribution to the NATO plans of military troops deployment in the Baltic states, Estonian Minister of Defense Hannes Hanso said Saturday.

MOSCOW (Sputnik)  NATO's plans to place more military forces in the Baltic States are important and Estonia has put a lot of effort in their implementation, Estonian Minister of Defense Hannes Hanso said Saturday.

The Wall Street Journal earlier reported that NATO member states are preparing to deploy about 4,000 troops  four battalions  in the Baltic states and Poland as part of the Alliance's strategy of military buildup on the Russian border.

"Allies have realized that in our region NATO is not only protecting the security of Estonia and the Baltic Sea region, but the entire NATO [member countries]. Everyone should understand that NATO defends its borders where there are security challenges, and now they are present in our region. The deployment of additional units here is totally understandable and welcomed. We have worked a lot in the name of this goal," Hanso said, as quoted by the ministry's press service.

Since 2014, NATO has been building up its military presence in Europe, particularly in eastern European countries bordering Russia, using Moscow's alleged interference in Ukraine as a pretext for the move.

Moscow has repeatedly denied the claims and warned NATO that the military buildup on Russia's borders is provocative and could harm regional and global stability.

 Sputnik

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NATO Expansion Moves On: Troops Deployed Near Russian Border

Sputnik News

13:12 30.04.2016(updated 13:39 30.04.2016)

NATO alliance is going to deploy troops in the Baltic states and Poland along the Russian border, media reported, citing officials.

MOSCOW (Sputnik)  NATO member states are preparing to deploy about 4,000 troops  four battalions  in the Baltic states and Poland as part of the Alliance's strategy of military buildup on the Russian border, media reported, citing officials.

According to The Wall Street Journal, the United States is likely to provide two of the battalions, while two other battalions will consist of German and UK troops.

"The Russians have been doing a lot of snap exercises right up against the borders, with a lot of troops. From our perspective, we could argue this is extraordinarily provocative behavior," US Deputy Secretary of Defense Robert Work told the paper, confirming the overall size of the new deployment.

NATO has been reinforcing its military presence in Eastern European countries bordering Russia, using Moscow's alleged interference in the Ukrainian crisis as a pretext for the move.

In February, NATO defense ministers approved in principle the deployment of troops in Eastern Europe to deter what they refer to as "Russian aggression," though there was no final decision on the matter. The proposal is currently being reviewed at the Alliance's headquarters in Brussels.

 Sputnik

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US warned over missile system

People's Daily Online

(China Daily) 09:42, April 30, 2016

Beijing and Moscow urge Washington against starting deployment in the Republic of Korea

China and Russia sent strong signals to the United States on Friday, urging it not to deploy a new anti-missile system in the Republic of Korea.

"We are expressing serious concerns in regard to the US intention to deploy the THAAD system in the ROK," Foreign Minister Wang Yi told reporters at a joint news conference with his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov.

"This move goes far beyond actual defense necessities and damages the strategic security of China and Russia."

The US and ROK began talks on possible deployment of the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense system after the Democratic People's Republic of Korea conducted its fourth nuclear test in January.

However, China firmly opposes the move, with analysts saying the system could be used to monitor Beijing's missile launches as far inland as Xi'an in the northwest of the country.

Lavrov said countries involved "shouldn't use Pyongyang's acts as a pretext to increase their military presence on the Korean Peninsula. We believe the possible deployment of the THAAD anti-missile system won't resolve this problem."

Wang said the possible deployment only "adds fuel to the fire of an already tense situation and even possibly wrecks the regional strategic balance".

Last week, Sung Kim, the US special representative for DPRK policy, said China and Russia do not need to be concerned about THAAD. It is "a complete defense system" to protect the US and ROK "against missile threats from Pyongyang".

He made the comments after "productive discussions" in Beijing with Wu Dawei, China's special representative on Korean peninsula affairs.

Zuo Xiying, an international studies specialist at Renmin University of China's National Academy of Development and Strategy, denounced Kim's comments.

Zuo said THAAD is called a "defense system" but its capacity passes way beyond the need to safeguard against missile threats from Pyongyang and its radar could be used to collect surveillance data far inland in both China and Russia.

"This poses a threat to China and Russia's national security, and the deployment will definitely harm regional peace and stability," Zuo said.

Lavrov also said on Friday that one of his most important tasks is to prepare for Russian President Vladimir Putin's visit to Beijing in June. Lavrov discussed the visit with President Xi Jinping and Wang during their meeting on Thursday and Xi told him that China hopes for new agreements with Russia during the visit.

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U.S. Is Wholly to Blame for Tension on Korean Peninsula: KCNA Commentary

Korean Central News Agency of DPRK via Korea News Service (KNS)

Pyongyang, April 30 (KCNA) -- Leon V. Sigal, director of the Social Science Research Council of the United States, recently dedicated an article critical of the U.S. hostile policy toward the DPRK to the U.S. magazine National Interest dealing with international relations.

The U.S. is giving impression that it has made efforts to settle the issues with the DPRK in a diplomatic way, the article said, adding the DPRK placed moratorium on the production of all nuclear materials for nearly a decade after the conclusion of the DPRK-U.S. Agreed Framework in 1994 but the U.S. reneged on its commitment to normalizing the DPRK-U.S. relations and providing energy and resorted to such hostile acts as banning the DPRK's banking transactions.

The U.S. prejudice against the DPRK makes it impossible to hold talks. The U.S. should discuss the security matters of concern with the DPRK on the principle of mutual respect.

This is, in a word, similar to the assertion that the U.S. should roll back its hostile policy toward the DPRK.

The U.S. ill-intended inveterate repugnancy and deep-rooted hostile policy toward the dignified DPRK are the main source of constant tension on the Korean peninsula and the U.S. is chiefly to blame for this.

Genuine peace has never settled on the Korean peninsula even a moment during the DPRK-U.S. confrontation started in real earnest right after the end of World War II.

The U.S. has worked hard to pass the buck for it on the DPRK while talking volumes about "provocation" and "threat."

However, this is no more than a fig-leaf to cover up its scenario to invade the DPRK.

There is no ground whatsoever for the DPRK to aggravate the situation on the Korean peninsula as it is associated with the soul of the ancestors and remains the cradle of the fellow countrymen.

The U.S. is the arch criminal who turned the peninsula into the world's hottest spot over which the dark clouds of a nuclear war is hanging all the time.

It has pursued its hostile policy toward the DPRK for decades in a bid to use the peninsula, a geopolitical and strategic vantage point, as a springboard for attaining world supremacy.

It turned south Korea into the world's biggest nuclear arsenal and put the DPRK on the list of the targets of nuclear attack, frantically kicking up a racket for provoking a nuclear war against it in the new century.

The present Obama administration caused the August incident that pushed the situation to the eve of war on the Korean peninsula last year. Not content with this, it staged largest-ever nuclear war drills for invading the north this year while undisguisedly crying out for "bringing down its social system", creating a touch-and-go situation on the peninsula.

The U.S. following a hostile policy toward the DPRK and stepping up the nuclear war moves is the sworn enemy of the Korean nation.

The DPRK had access to nuclear weapons, pursuant to a resolute strategic decision, and steadily bolstered them, foiling the U.S. hostile policy and reliably protecting the sovereignty of the country and the nation.

The U.S. hostile policy towards the DPRK is the most criminal one consistently pushing the situation on the Korean peninsula to the brink of a war and a foolish strategy that compelled the DPRK to possess H-bomb.

Public in every part of the world is becoming increasingly vocal asserting that the DPRK's access to nuclear weapons was quite just and the U.S. policy to stifle the DPRK serves as a main source of harassing peace and security in the region.

The U.S. will have to pay the dearest price for its criminal and suicidal hostile policy that put the situation on the Korean peninsula and in the region into crisis and compelled the DPRK to emerge a nuclear weapons state. -0-

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DPRK Will Counter Enemy's Threat of Nuclear War with Its Bolstered Nuclear Capability: FM Spokesman

Korean Central News Agency of DPRK via Korea News Service (KNS)

Pyongyang, April 30 (KCNA) -- Key Resolve and Foal Eagle 16 joint military drills staged by the U.S. and the south Korean puppet forces against the DPRK for 50 odd days were the worst-ever military provocations that pushed the situation on the Korean peninsula to the brink of a nuclear war, said a spokesman for the Foreign Ministry of the DPRK in a statement on Saturday.

The statement went on:

The war rehearsals were the largest-ever maneuvers hostile to the DPRK as it was manifested in the drills that the U.S. scenario and moves to physically eliminate the DPRK reached an extremely dangerous phase.

It is tantamount to an open declaration of war against the DPRK that the U.S., kicking off the drills, undisguisedly revealed its attempt to mount a preemptive attack on the DPRK after discarding even the spurious mask of "defensive drills."

We didn't overlook it but countered it with measures for self-defence in a just manner.

It is the pivot of the DPRK's counteractions for self-defence to counter the enemy's nuclear threat with its own nuclear weapons.

It is the legitimate right of a sovereign state specified also in the UN Charter for the DPRK to react to the enemy's declaration of war and threat with its own steps for self-defence, and even the UN Security Council is not entitled to infringe upon the right.

By opting for undisguised military hostile acts and threats to the DPRK, the U.S. intentionally and completely reneged on the promise specified in the September 19 joint statement as its keynote that it would respect the sovereignty of the DPRK and co-exist with it peacefully and has no intent to attack or invade it with nuclear or conventional weapons.

So, the statement was finally scrapped.

The U.S. no longer has legal foundation or moral justification to urge the DPRK to "be true to its commitments" and the like.

The DPRK will as ever remain unchanged in its stand of countering any war of aggression to be provoked by the enemy with its just war and react to the threat of a nuclear war posed by them with its bolstered nuclear deterrent.

Whenever the enemy stage war drills, the nuclear attack capability of the DPRK will be bolstered up remarkably. -0-

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Wonsan Army-People Power Station Goes Operational

Korean Central News Agency of DPRK via Korea News Service (KNS)

Wonsan, April 30 (KCNA) -- Large-scale Wonsan Army-People Power Station has been built in Kangwon Province.

The power station has provided a foundation for generating the electricity necessary for developing the economy and improving the living standard of the people and solving the issues of household water, industrial water and irrigation water in the province.

An inaugural ceremony of the power station took place on April 29.

Present at the ceremony were Pak Pong Ju, O Su Yong, officials concerned, builders and working people.

A message of thanks from the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea (WPK) was delivered.

The message appreciated the builders of the power station and supporters for building another monumental edifice representing the era of the Workers' Party by dint of self-development and self-reliance as a laudable present to the Seventh Congress of the WPK.

Pak Jong Nam, chief secretary of the Kangwon Provincial Committee of the WPK, in a speech called upon the officials, working people and builders of the province to create a fresh Mallima speed in their worksites in the same spirit as was displayed in the construction of the power station.

At the end of the ceremony the participants went round the power station. -0-

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Interior ministry puts turnout of run-off elections at 59 percent

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

Tehran, April 30, IRNA -- Iran's Deputy Interior Minister Hossein-Ali Amiri here on Saturday put the turnout of second round of 10th parliamentary elections at 59 percent.

Amiri reiterated that the figure indicates three percent increase compared to the run-off of 9th parliamentary elections.

He added the winners of the second round of 10th parliamentary elections in 51 constituencies have been announced and the results of four left constituencies will be announced after some legal formalities and as soon as possible.

He added 47 percent of the winner candidates are women and the rest are men.

Iranians voted in the run-off parliamentary elections in which 68 seats were up for seize in the 290-seat Majlis.

Polls opened at 8:00 local time (0430 GMT) on Friday (April 29) in 55 cities and towns in 21 provinces across the country.

According to the Elections Headquarters, 136 nominees ran for 68 seats.

About 17 million voters were eligible to go to the ballot boxes for the run-off elections across the country.

There was no run-off vote in the capital, Tehran, as the candidates close to the President Hassan Rouhani gained all the 30 seats in February 26.

The new parliament will begin its session on May 27.

9060**1771

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Russia says ready to make T-90s in Iran

ISNA - Iranian Students' News Agency

Sat 30 Apr 2016 - 08:31

TEHRAN (ISNA)- Russia announced that it is considering a plan that involves the licensed production of T-90 tanks in Iran in what could mark a new chapter in strategic relations between the two countries.

The announcement has been made by Vyacheslav Khalitov, the deputy general director of the UralVagonZavod (UVZ) which is the largest battle tank manufacturer in the world.

Khalitov has been quoted as saying by Interfax news agency as saying that the project to produce T-90s in Iran will go ahead as soon as there is a proposal from Tehran.

"We are ready, if the customer wants it," Khalitov said.

Iran has already purchased Russia's S-300 missile defense systems for $800 million and has started to receive the early batches of the system which will be fully delivered over the next months.

Iran's Defense Minister Hossein Dehqan left for Moscow on Tuesday to discuss the delivery of S-300 as well as several other issues of mutual interest.

Iran's Embassy in Moscow has announced in a statement that Dehqan is expected to discuss purchases of Russian Sukhoi Su-30 fighter jets and T-90 tanks during his visit.

Russia's media said in February that Tehran had handed Moscow a major shopping list involving arms and military equipment.

Sources close to the Russian government said at the time that Iran's Defense Minister Dehqan was to visit Moscow later in February to discuss new sales contracts that were collectively estimated to be around $8 billion.

"Iran would like to buy Russia's latest S-400 Triumph anti-aircraft missile system, developed by Almaz-Antey. And they make no secret of it. On the eve of his visit to Moscow Dehqan openly said to Iranian media they want to purchase the S-400s," Interfax quoted a source close to the Russian government as saying.

According to Interfax's source, the second important topic of Dehqan's talks in Moscow was expected to be Tehran's possible procurement, or even a licensed production of the new Russian Sukhoi Su- 30SM multi-role fighter.

Iran is also interested in Russia's Bastion mobile coastal defense missile system, equipped with supersonic Yakhont anti-ship missiles, along with Mi-8/17 helicopters and other arms, Interfax added.

End Item

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P5+1 must honor JCPOA obligations: Iran FM

Iran Press TV

Sat Apr 30, 2016 5:47PM

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif says the P5+1 group of countries need to fulfill their obligations stipulated in the nuclear agreement they reached with Iran last year.

In a meeting with the visiting President of the Belgian Senate, Christine Defraigne, in Tehran on Saturday, Zarif reaffirmed Iran's full commitment to the nuclear agreement, dubbed the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).

"The P5+1 [negotiations] partners are expected to carry out their responsibilities vis-a-vis the precise fulfillment of their obligations," the Iranian minister said.

He also expressed hope that European countries would take "tangible and genuine" steps to encourage banking and financial relations with Iran to promote ties between Tehran and Brussels.

Iran and the five permanent members of the UN Security Council  the United States, France, Britain, China and Russia  plus Germany started implementing the JCPOA on January 16. The two sides signed the agreement on July 14, 2015 following two and a half years of intensive talks.

Under the JCPOA, all nuclear-related sanctions imposed on Iran by the European Union, the Security Council and the US would be lifted. Iran has, in return, put some limitations on its nuclear activities.

Belgium keen to boost Iran ties: Defraigne

The president of the Belgian Senate said Tehran and Brussels are developing cooperation, particularly in political, economic and parliamentary sectors.

She added that her country is keen to hold more consultation with Iran, mostly in parliamentary fields, in a bid to strengthen all-out relations.

She also commended Iran's leading role in establishing peace and stability in the region.

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Moderate Reformists Set to Take Control in Iranian Parliament

by VOA News April 30, 2016

Unofficial results from Iran's parliamentary run-off election show that reformist and moderate politicians allied with President Hassan Rouhani won more seats than their conservative rivals, and will likely have control over the legislature.

Iranians began voting Friday to fill the 68 seats that no candidate won decisively in the first round of voting, held back in February. During the first election, reformist politicians won a majority of the seats where there was a clear winner.

Of the 68 seats up for grabs, the pro-Rouhani List of Hope coalition won 33 while conservative politicians won 21, according to Iranian state media. The rest of the seats are still being contested.

Final results are expected to be announced later Saturday.

If the outcome is officially confirmed, it would mark a dramatic shift in Iranian politics, with conservatives outnumbered by their more moderate colleagues for the first time since 2004.

With the wins Friday, reformists will see their numbers swell to 128 seats in the 290-member legislature. While slightly short of an outright majority, they would outnumber the 124 seats held by conservatives and wield more power to make reforms to the Islamic republic's policy.

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Iraqi PM: Situation in Green Zone under control

Iran Press TV

Sat Apr 30, 2016 8:19PM

Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi says the situation in the Green Zone is under control after demonstrators broke into the heavily-fortified government complex in Baghdad.

"The situation in Baghdad is under the control of the security forces," said a statement released by Abadi on Saturday.

He also urged the protesters to carry on peacefully with their demonstrations, without damaging the "property of state institutions."

A statement was also released on Iraqi President Fuad Masum's website, urging the demonstrators to remain calm and "abide by the law, not to attack any lawmaker, government employees, public or private properties and to evacuate the building."

The president also called for "the cabinet, lawmakers, and head of the political blocs to implement the desired ministerial amendment, execute the political and administrative reforms, and fight corruption. We believe that burying partisan and factional quota system is a task that can no longer be postponed."

Earlier, protesters moved into the Green Zone, a restricted area which houses the country's key government institutions, and attempted to ransack the parliament, where fierce debates have been going on over a cabinet reshuffle proposed by al-Abadi.

Abadi was scheduled to seek approval for the remaining candidates of his new cabinet in parliament on Saturday. MPs failed to reach a quorum and the session was rescheduled for next week. The postponement triggered the protests and forced Masum to call for an emergency session of political leaders on Sunday.

The demonstrators, reportedly supporters of the prominent cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, rampaged through several parts of the parliament building. Others chanted, "peacefully, peacefully" and tried to prevent the destruction.

Iraq has been the scene of a political turmoil in the past weeks over Abadi's efforts to form a new cabinet.

On April 26, the parliament finally endorsed six new ministers proposed by Abadi despite attempts to block the chamber meeting by about 100 deputies who are reportedly close to former Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki and have opposed Abadi and parliament Speaker Salim al-Jabouri.

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Iraqi army liberates strategic town in Kirkuk

Iran Press TV

Sat Apr 30, 2016 6:8PM

The Iraqi army says it has managed to liberate the strategic town of Bashir in Kirkuk Province from the grips of Daesh Takfiri terrorists.

Local media reports said the military, backed by fighters from the popular units, attacked the terrorists from three directions and recaptured the town.

The Takfiri terrorists in and around Bashir were dealt a major blow.

Iraqi forces also regained control of the nearby village of Mo'amareh, according to media reports.

Earlier in the day, security sources told local media that Iraqi forces had gained full control of the villages of Khazraj and Nowaiem, west of the capital, Baghdad, after fierce fighting with Daesh terrorists. Iraqi troops inflicted heavy losses on the militants in that area.

In recent months, Iraqi forces have been able to regain control over much of the territories that had been under the control of Daesh.

Daesh took over parts of northern and western Iraq, including the major city of Mosul, in June 2014.

The militants have been committing brutal crimes against all ethnic and religious communities in Iraq, including Shias, Sunnis, Kurds, Christians and others.

Iraqi government forces and fighters from the Popular Mobilization Units are currently engaged in operations to liberate the militant-held regions.

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Iraqi security forces retake Anbar regions from Daesh terrorists

Iran Press TV

Sat Apr 30, 2016 7:25AM

Security personnel have managed to liberate two regions in Iraq's embattled western province of Anbar from the clutches of the Takfiri Daesh militants.

A security source, speaking on condition of anonymity, told al-Baghdadia satellite television network that Iraqi government forces took full control of the villages of Khazraj and al-Nowaiem, located more than 140 kilometers (85 miles) west of the capital, Baghdad, on Friday following heavy exchanges of gunfire with Daesh extremists.

Iraqi troopers also killed an unspecified number of the militants in the process and destroyed a large amount of their munitions.

Separately, fighters from the Popular Mobilization units brought down an unmanned aerial vehicle operated by Daesh terrorists in the southern suburbs of Mosul, located some 400 kilometers (250 miles) north of Baghdad, as it was flying over the area and surveying the pro-government fighters.

Also on Friday, four high-ranking Daesh commanders were killed in a series of airstrikes carried out by the Iraqi Air Force in the country's northern province of Kirkuk.

Jabbar al-Mamouri, a commander of the pro-government Popular Mobilization units, told Arabic-language al-Sumaria satellite television network that the Takfiri terrorists were killed as Iraqi fighter jets targeted the terror group's key headquarters in the town of Hawijah, located about 282 kilometers (175 miles) north of the capital.

Mamouri added that the aerial assaults also killed dozens of the commanders' companions, who had come together for a meeting at the time of the attacks.

The northern and western parts of Iraq have been plagued by gruesome violence ever since Daesh terrorists mounted an offensive in the country in June 2014. The militants have been committing vicious crimes against all ethnic and religious communities in Iraq, including Shias, Sunnis, Kurds, Christians and others.

The Iraqi army and fighters from the Popular Mobilization units have been engaged in operations to liberate militant-held regions.

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Four Daesh commanders killed in Iraq's Kirkuk, 2 villages freed in Anbar

Iran Press TV

Sat Apr 30, 2016 12:19AM

Four Daesh commanders have been slain in airstrikes carried out by the Iraqi Air Force in the country's northern province of Kirkuk.

The Takfiri terrorists were killed as the Iraqi warplanes targeted the terror group's key headquarters in the southwestern district of Hawijah on Friday, Arabic-language al-Sumaria news website reported, quoting Jabbar al-Mamouri, a commander of the pro-government Popular Mobilization Units.

Mamouri added that the airstrikes also killed dozens of the commanders' companions, who were at a meeting at the time of the attack.

Meanwhile, Iraqi fighter jets also killed at least 32 other Daesh terrorists in al-Rashad region and Bashir village in the province.

Earlier on Friday, Iraqi ground troops backed by the country's Air Force also killed 91 Daesh Takfiris as the terrorists mounted offensives against the villages of Mahana and Kharbardan, south of the militant-held city of Mosul.

Separately, the Iraqi forces managed to liberate the villages of Khazraj and Nuwai'am, located west of the town of Hit in Anbar province.

Iraq has been engaged in the fight against the Takfiri Daesh terrorists since the summer of 2014, when the militants took control of the major city of Mosul in the north of the country and some other areas in the country.

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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Iraqi Troops Use Tear Gas Against Green-Zone Protesters

April 30, 2016

by RFE/RL

Iraqi security forces have fired tear gas and warning shots in a bid to contain an aggressive demonstration in the secure Green Zone in the capital, Baghdad.

Hundreds of supporters of Shi'ite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr stormed into the Green Zone on April 30, with some of them occupying the parliament building and the nearby cabinet headquarters.

The protesters stormed the Green Zone after lawmakers refused to hold a vote on reforming the government. Some television reports appeared to show protesters breaking furniture in the parliament building.

It was an unprecedented security breach, although the Green Zone frequently came under mortar attacks during the country's occupation by U.S.-led coalition forces.

Iraqi security forces were deployed to protect embassies, government buildings, and other sensitive objects in the area. Security forces did not try to prevent the protesters from entering the parliament building.

Troops have also blocked roads leading into the center of the city to prevent more protesters from reaching the area.

In a televised address from Najaf, Sadr announced a two-month withdrawal from public life and said he was "waiting for the great popular uprising and the major revolution to stop the march of the corrupt."

Local television showed Prime Minister Haidar al-Abadi walking inside the zone with security guards in order to dispel earlier reports that he had fled to a secure location elsewhere.

The United Nations said it is "gravely concerned" about the protests. The UN's Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI) is located in the Green Zone.

EU foreign affairs chief Frederica Mogherini criticized the protests, saying they "risk to further destabilize an already tense situation."

Sadr supporters have been demonstrating for several weeks to pressure Abadi to carry out promised reforms. Some parliamentary parties, however, are resisting Abadi's efforts to replace some officials -- who were chosen to maintain sectarian and ethnic balances -- with technocrats.

With reporting by AFP, AP, and Reuters

Source: http://www.rferl.org/content/baghdad- protesters-storm-green-zone/27708709.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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Sadr Supporters Storm Iraqi Parliament

by Edward Yeranian April 30, 2016

Supporters of Iraq's mercurial Shi'ite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr have stormed the Iraqi parliament, after entering Baghdad's government-controlled "Green Zone." A Saturday session of parliament to approve members of a new government had been called off for lack of a quorum earlier in the day.

Hundreds of mostly young Muqtada al-Sadr supporters chanted and waved Iraqi flags inside parliament after breaking through barriers and entering the government-controlled "Green Zone." The action came after Sadr criticized Iraqi leaders for opposing efforts to impose government reform.

He says that (Iraqi) politicians are ready to create a civil war to protect their positions and he warned that a popular uprising or revolution would take place to put an end to corruption in the government.

UN office closed

Arab media reported that the U.N. had closed its office in Baghdad and was trying to evacuate personnel. Al-Arabiya TV reported that several foreign embassies, including the U.S., were also evacuating personnel from the "Green Zone." VOA could not independently confirm the report.

The Iraqi government's Baghdad Operations Command declared a "state of emergency" inside the capital shortly after demonstrators began entering the "Green Zone." It was not immediately clear if Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi had ordered elite troops fighting in Anbar Province to return to the capital to restore order inside the Green Zone.

Most Iraqi political leaders, including the president, prime minister and speaker of parliament, live inside the Green Zone and it was not clear if troops were continuing to protect them. Sadr told supporters during a speech earlier that they should act "peacefully."

Iraqi media, however, reported that the large crowd inside parliament was "destroying furniture and electrical equipment."

U.S. Vice President Joe Biden met top Iraqi leaders during a visit to Baghdad several days ago to discuss the political situation and military operations inside the country to defeat Islamic State militants.

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Moscow defends interception of US aircraft in Baltic Sea

Iran Press TV

Sat Apr 30, 2016 4:33PM

Moscow says it was right to intercept a US Air Force reconnaissance plane over the Baltic Sea since the Pentagon was flying a spy plane near the Russian border.

On Friday, a Russian Sukhoi Su-27 jet came within about 30 meters (100 feet) of a US Air Force RC-135 over the Baltic Sea and performed a "barrel roll" over it, CNN reported, citing two US military officials in the Baltic Sea region.

"All flights of Russian planes are conducted in accordance with international regulations on the use of airspace," the Russian Defense Ministry said in a statement on Saturday.

Russia said the American jet had turned off its transponder signal which helps others identify it.

"The US Air Force has two solutions: either not to fly near our borders or to turn the transponder on for identification," the statement added.

The Pentagon claimed the surveillance plane was flying in international airspace when the Russian jet approached in an "unsafe and unprofessional" manner and had "the potential to cause serious harm and injury to all aircrews involved."

This is while on Thursday, a Russian Mig-31 supersonic jet intercepted a US Navy P-8 spy aircraft over Russia's Far East.

The Soviet-era Mig-31, which is known as the world's fastest supersonic jet, flew within 50 feet of the P-8, performing maneuvers that Commander Dave Benham, a spokesman for the US Pacific Command, said were "safe and professional."

Tensions between Russian and American military forces surged earlier this month after two Russian Sukhoi Su-24 warplanes performed "simulated attack" passes over the USS Donald Cook destroyer in the Baltic Sea.

Moscow accused the US of intimidation by sailing the Cook close to Russia's border in the Baltic, warning that the Russian military would respond to any future incidents.

NATO has been deploying more troops and equipment to the Baltic States-- Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania-- to counter what the US-led military alliance calls "Russian aggression."

The Baltic nations, which joined NATO in 2004, have asked the Western military alliance for a permanent presence of battalion-sized deployments of its troops in each of their territories, although Moscow denies any intention to attack them.

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Russia Responds To Pentagon Comments On 'Air Intercept'

April 30, 2016

by RFE/RL

Moscow says it had sent a fighter jet to intercept a U.S. aircraft approaching the Russian border because the American plane had turned off its transponder needed for plane identification.

The Russian Defense Ministry said a statement on April 30 that "all flights of Russian planes are conducted in accordance with international regulations on the use of airspace."

The statement came a day after the Pentagon expressed concerns about a series of incidents involving Russian aircraft that have "come close enough to other air and sea traffic to raise serious safety concerns."

The latest incident occurred on April 29, when a Russian SU-27 fighter intercepted a U.S. Air Force reconnaissance plane as it flew in international airspace over the Baltic Sea.

CNN reported that the Russian jet had come within about 30 meters of the U.S. plane and had performed a barrel roll.

Pentagon spokesman Bill Urban said "this unsafe and unprofessional air intercept has the potential to cause serious harm and injury to all air crews involved" and "unnecessarily escalate tensions between countries."

In an earlier incident this month, Russian jets buzzed a U.S. guided missile destroyer, the USS Donald Cook, over the Baltic Sea. A photo released by the Pentagon appears to show the Russian jet passing at an extremely low altitude over the ship's bow.

With reporting by Reuters. CNN, and Interfax

Source: http://www.rferl.org/content/pentagon- raises-concerns-about-unsafe-russian- jet-maneuvers/27708094.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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US Walks Thin Line with Russia Between Cooperating and Helping

by Jeff Seldin April 30, 2016

With the two-month old cessation of hostilities in Syria rapidly disintegrating, the United States is finding itself in an increasingly uncomfortable position, trying to expand cooperation with Russia while not simultaneously playing into Russia's hands.

The latest example of Washington's quandary played out Friday as U.S. and Russian officials worked to reinforce cease-fires in Latakia and Eastern Ghourta, including talks between U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.

"This is not something new but really a constant effort on our part, particularly with the Russians," a senior State Department official said Friday, adding the status of the northern city of Aleppo was also a deep concern.

"We're talking to Russia urgently about it in terms of de-escalation and reducing or diffusing tensions there," the official said.

Whether the talks are ultimately successful in averting a worsening humanitarian disaster remains to be seen. But there are significant, lingering doubts that Moscow is interested in anything more than just talks.

"Despite holding back initially, Russian forces in concert with [Syrian President Bashar al] Assad, are violating the cessation of hostilities," a U.S. intelligence official told VOA.

The official also expressed concerns about the fate of Syria's largest city, saying Russia "has laid the propaganda groundwork for its support of Syrian regime activities around Aleppo."

Russia's aims

For weeks, U.S. military and intelligence officials have warned all indications point to an eventual Russian-backed assault on the city. And the recent spike in fighting, described by the United Nations as "monstrous violence," is reinforcing the notion that what Russian President Vladimir Putin is after is something other than peace.

"They would like a foothold in Syria so they can be a player," a U.S. official said on the condition of anonymity, noting the Russians already have plenty of military capacity.

"There's a move to be able to have that long-term capability," the official added.

Still, Syria seems to be just one part of Russia's long-term plans.

"Putin's primary motivation to intervene militarily in Syria was to re-assert Russia's central place on the world stage," the U.S. intelligence official said, "escape the international isolation Russia faced after its forced annexation of Crimea."

Some U.S. officials have downplayed the link between Russian involvement in Syria and Russia's plans in Ukraine. However, some analysts caution that could be a mistake.

"I think the Russians look at the Middle East as a land of opportunity," said Reva Goujon, vice president of global analysis at Stratfor, a U.S.-based intelligence company.

"Here is where you have an array of conflicts that threaten to suck the U.S. in at every turn," she said. "If Russia can insert itself into these conflicts in a big enough way where the United States can't avoid dealing with Russia to manage those conflicts then that gives Russia some leverage in that broader negotiation."

Is it working?

For now, at least, it seems the strategy is working with the U.S. forced to deal with Russia in Syria while Washington's European allies worry about Russia's involvement exacerbating the migrant crisis.

Yet there have also been some cracks.

One of the biggest has been Russia's failure to consistently have its proxies on the ground follow its directions. U.S. officials have said the much-hyped Russian announcement of a pullout from Syria was, in large part, meant to send a message to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. At the time, one official cited Russian frustration with "the intransigence and incompetence of the Syrian regime."

"The open question is how long Putin will allow Assad to be in charge and put Putin's gains at risk," a U.S. intelligence official told VOA.

There is also the complicated relationship between Russia and Iran. Escalating tensions with Turkey could also help to derail Moscow's plans.

Despite getting the U.S. and its Western allies to the table, Russia has yet to translate its leverage in Syria into concessions on Ukraine or elsewhere in Europe.

"Russia has set up the chess board very well," said Stratfor's Goujon. "It's still a big question on whether they actually get everything they're hoping for."



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25 civilians killed in militant attacks in Aleppo

Iran Press TV

Sat Apr 30, 2016 6:24PM

Over two dozen civilians have been killed during the past 24 hours in attacks by militants on residential neighborhoods of the city of Aleppo in northwestern Syria.

Syria's official SANA news agency said on Saturday that at least 25 people were killed in militant rocket attacks on the two neighborhoods of Neel and Hamadaniyeh in 24 hours.

The report quoted sources in Aleppo Police Command as saying that militants from the al-Qaeda-linked al-Nusra Front were behind the attacks. The toll included six people from attacks a day earlier who died in hospitals on Saturday.

Officials said attacks were also carried out on areas surrounding the Municipal Palace and Saadallah al-Jabiri Square in the city, causing some injuries and inflicting losses on public and private properties.

Fighting has surged in Aleppo over the past few days despite a truce deal which came into effect late February through the mediation of the United States and Russia in an attempt to facilitate peace talks between the warring sides.

Militants shelled a mosque in a government-held area of Aleppo on Friday, killing at least 15 people and wounding 30. State TV said the attack on the Malla Khan mosque in the Bab al-Faraj neighborhood and its surroundings came when the worshipers were leaving after Friday prayers.

The Syrian government says stopping strikes on militant-held areas of Aleppo could embolden terrorists who control several neighborhoods in the city to launch even more attacks on areas under the control of government forces.

Aleppo has been divided between the government forces and militants since 2012, a year after the conflict broke out in the Arab country. Dozens have been killed in renewed clashes over the past few days as warnings are high that a human tragedy may unfold in the city.

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Russia won't pressure Syria to halt Aleppo strikes: Official

Iran Press TV

Sat Apr 30, 2016 3:28PM

Moscow will not seek a halt to Syrian airstrikes on militant-held areas of Aleppo as the move could embolden terrorists who control those neighborhoods, Russia's deputy foreign minister said Saturday.

"No, we are not going to put pressure on (Damascus) because one must understand that the situation in Aleppo is part of this fight against the terrorist threat," Gennady Gatilov said, adding that Syria's campaign against the militant-held areas of Aleppo is helping to combat terrorist groups.

The remarks came in response to a demand by Syria's High Negotiations Committee, a major foreign-backed opposition group which has militants on the ground in Syria. The group, which is backed by Saudi Arabia, has warned that if Damascus does not stop fighting in Aleppo, an initiative by the United Nations for reaching a peace deal on the situation in Syria would totally collapse.

The HNC left Syria's peace talks last week in the Swiss city of Geneva after it accused the government of violating a truce deal.

Gatilov said, however, that Syria's offensive in Aleppo is based on a UN Security Council resolution which accepts Syria's right to fighting terrorists.

" it says clearly who the opponents are: these are Daesh (ISIS), Jabhat al-Nusra and other terrorist organizations included in the Security Council lists," said Gatilov of the groups operating inside and around Aleppo.

Daesh and al-Nusra Front are excluded from a "cessation of the hostilities" agreement reached in late February as an attempt for facilitating peace talks. The truce, which is sponsored by the United States and Russia, is still officially in place in many parts of Syria despite surging violence in Aleppo, which has been a flashpoint over the past weeks.

The Russian deputy foreign minister said efforts are underway by Moscow for broadening the list of outlawed groups, so that offensives like the one by Syrian military in Aleppo could face less friction.

"We are trying now to add two more to them, of which we said earlier, namely Jaysh al-Islam and Ahrar ash-Sham," Gatilov said.

Aleppo has been divided between the government forces and militants since 2012, a year after the conflict broke out in the Arab country. Dozens have been killed in renewed clashes over the past few days as warnings are high that a human tragedy may unfold in the city.

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U.S., Russia Broker Renewed Truce In Parts Of Syria, But Not Aleppo

April 30, 2016

by RFE/RL

The United States and Russia brokered a renewed cease-fire in parts of Syria, but excluded the main battlefield of Aleppo where intense fighting has killed more than 200 people in the last week.

Under an agreement worked out by U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on April 29, a truce lasting one day took hold at 1 a.m. local time on April 30 in the Damascus suburb of Ghouta. while a truce lasting three days was instituted in the coastal province of Latakia,.

While it was quiet in those areas, the carnage continued in Aleppo, where at least 50 people were killed in air strikes on one hospital alone, and dozens more were killed in fighting elsewhere in what was once Syria's largest city and commercial center.

The Syrian regime launched a major offensive on Aleppo shortly after peace talks were adjourned for the month in Geneva this week, provoking outraged statements from top leaders of the United States, European Union, and United Nations.

Violence is "soaring back to the levels we saw prior to the cessation of hostilities" originally brokered by the United States and Russia in February, said United Nations human rights chief Zeid Ra'ad al-Hussein.

"There are deeply disturbing reports of military build-ups indicating preparations for a lethal escalation," he said on April 29, denouncing the "monstrous disregard for civilian lives by all parties to the conflict."

U.S. officials said Kerry tried to extend the renewed truce to Aleppo, but Russia refused to go along. Russia has contended that the banned terrorist group Al-Nusra Front operates out of the city, and the cease-fire does not apply to the Al-Qaeda affliate.

Other rebel groups with links to Nusra also are located there, and Moscow moved this week to put them on the same UN blacklist as Al-Qaeda, which would mean the cease-fire would not apply to them either.

The failure to include Aleppo in the truce was "in part a recognition that Aleppo is very complex and the fighting around there is indeed alarming," said State Department spokesman Mark Toner. "We need to start somewhere and we're going to start with Latakia and east Ghouta."

"We want to focus on strengthening the cessation of hostilities, renewing it, reaffirming it, so that we can quell the fighting," he said.

The International Committee of the Red Cross reported on April 29 that another four medical facilities in Aleppo were damaged extensively. It said dozens of people had died and were injured in "another day of relentless fighting."

"There can be no justification for these appalling acts of violence deliberately targeting hospitals and clinics, which are prohibited under International Humanitarian Law," said Marianne Gasser, the Committee's Syrian chief.

"People keep dying in these attacks. There is no safe place anymore in Aleppo. Even in hospitals. For the sake of people in Aleppo, we call for all to stop this indiscriminate violence."

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said air strikes and shelling in Aleppo killed 202 civilians in the past week, including 31 children on both sides. Syrian state TV reported that 85 people were killed and more than 600 wounded in government-held areas alone in the past week.

With reporting by Reuters, AP, and AFP

Source: http://www.rferl.org/content/us-russia- broker-renewed-truce-parts-syria-damascus- but-not-aleppo-kerry-lavrov/27708128.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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Airstrikes in Aleppo Kill at Least 5 People

by VOA News April 30, 2016

About 30 airstrikes by Syrian government warplanes and helicopter gunships hit rebel-held areas of the northern city of Aleppo Saturday killing at least five people.

According to the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, nearly 250 civilians have died in shelling, rocket fire and air raids in the contested city since April 22. Among those killed were at least 50 people in a hospital that was hit in an airstrike.

The surge of violence comes as the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) warned that the intensification of fighting could bring many people closer to a humanitarian disaster in Aleppo, Syria's largest city and former commercial center.

Kerry travels to Geneva

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry will travel to Geneva Sunday for talks on the Syrian situation. The State Department said in a Saturday release that Kerry will discuss ongoing efforts to reaffirm a cessation of hostilities throughout Syria.

Aleppo was left out of the temporary U.S.-Russian brokered cease-fire, which appeared to hold in the regime stronghold coastal province of Latakia, Damascus and the nearby suburb of Eastern Ghouta, a rebel bastion, ahead of the truce deadline.

U.S. officials said Friday a renewed cessation of hostilities in the two regions was to take effect at midnight Damascus time.

A Syrian government statement said the truce would begin Saturday (at 2200 UTC Friday) and last for 24 hours in Damascus and the Eastern Ghouta region. It said a similar arrangement in Latakia is expected to last for 72 hours.

"It is our view that this, essentially, would be a refreshment of the cessation of hostilities and getting both sides to commit to refreshing the commitments that they made," said White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest.

Kerry - Lavrov discuss plan

U.S. officials say Kerry and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov discussed details of the plan on Friday. However, officials say talks on the renewed cessation had been underway for some time.

Officials said the U.S., Russia and other members of the 17-nation International Syria Support Group would use their influence with either the Syrian regime or the opposition to try to get both sides to comply.

A senior State Department official said the decision to focus on quelling unrest in Latakia and Eastern Ghouta is not an attempt to ignore escalating violence in Aleppo.

"There should not be any thinking that anything was set aside," said the official in a Friday briefing.

"We have moved forward on what we were able to move forward with right now," the official added, saying negotiators hoped to be able to make progress on Aleppo as soon as possible.

State Department spokesman Mark Toner said the plans for Latakia and Eastern Ghouta would test the commitment that all of the parties made to the initial cessation of hostilities.

"This is a recommitment and it is a test for the Russians, for the regime as well as for the opposition," he said.

Attacks continue

Rebels continued to hit government-controlled neighborhoods in the northern city Aleppo with rocket and artillery fire Friday. State media said a direct hit on a mosque killed 15 people and wounded 30.

The Syrian government also kept up its bombing raids. Civil-defense officials said the regime's airstrikes hit a well-known medical clinic, wounding several people, just over 24 hours after similar raids destroyed a hospital in Aleppo.

The medical group Doctors without Borders said 50 people, including six of its staff members, were killed when the al-Quds Hospital was hit late Wednesday night.

Kerry, speaking in Washington, said targeting of the hospital appeared to have been "deliberate." There was no clear account about whose planes were involved, but reports from Aleppo said they were either Russian or Syrian aircraft.

More than 80 international and Syrian NGOs signed an urgent statement Friday demanding that President Obama and Russian President Vladimir Putin respond to appeals by the United Nations and try to stop the bloodshed.

From Geneva, U.N. rights chief Zeid Ra'ad al-Hussein said this week's violence in Syria showed a "monstrous disregard for civilians' lives by all parties to the conflict."

Rebels demanding the removal of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and the government troops opposing them control separate parts of Aleppo, and portions of the surrounding province are in the hands of numerous other fighters, including members of al-Qaida and the Islamic State terror group.

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Ankara jets pound PKK positions in SE Turkey, N Iraq

Iran Press TV

Sat Apr 30, 2016 9:25AM

Turkish warplanes have conducted fresh airstrikes against militants of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), hitting the group's positions in southeastern Turkey and northern Iraq.

Security sources said on Saturday that 20 Turkish jets took off from the southern Diyarbakir air base and bombed sites in Turkey's Sirnak Province as well as the Iraqi regions of Hakurk, Avasin and Qandil.

According to the sources, two separate rounds of air raids were carried out in Sirnak after receiving an intelligence tip-off.

In another development on Saturday, one Turkish soldier was killed while two police officers sustained injuries in a PKK rocket attack in the city of Nusaybin, located near the Syrian border.

Ankara has been engaged in a large-scale anti-PKK campaign in its southern border region in the past few months. The Turkish military has also been pounding the group's positions in northern Iraq as well in breach of the country's sovereignty.

Turkey's operations began in the wake of a deadly July 2015 bombing in the southern town of Suruc. Over 30 people died in the attack, which the Turkish government blamed on the Takfiri Daesh terrorist group.

After the bombing, the PKK militants, who accuse the government in Ankara of supporting Daesh, engaged in a series of reprisal attacks against Turkish police and security forces, prompting the Turkish military operations.

A shaky ceasefire between Ankara and the PKK that had stood since 2013 was declared null and void by the militants following the Turkish aerial assaults against the group.

The PKK has been fighting for an autonomous Kurdish region in southeastern Turkey since 1984. The conflict has left more than 40,000 people dead.

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Interview: In Eastern Ukraine, 'Too Many Troops Willing To Fire'

April 30, 2016

by Rostislav Khotin

Violations of a fragile internationally brokered cease-fire between government forces and Russia-backed separatists in eastern Ukraine are at their highest level in months. Paul Quinn-Judge, a senior adviser to the International Crisis Group who just returned from the demarcation line that separates the two sides, attributes the volatile situation to the numbers and proximity of troops along the line of separation, and their willingness to fire on one another.

RFE/RL: The current situation in eastern Ukraine looks like it's neither peace nor war. What is your assessment of the state of the conflict?

Paul Quinn-Judge: I think the situation right now is very disturbing. I think we've seen a gradual decline and deterioration of the cease-fire probably since the beginning of this year. As you remember, it started off quite well in September when it finally got going, but violations are becoming greater on both sides. My feeling right now is that the only reason that we as journalists and the public as well are not hearing so much about the situation in the east is that neither Moscow nor Kyiv has any interest in publicizing the fact that there are daily skirmishes along the front line. There are almost certainly people dying every day on the front line -- military people, and unfortunately, still, rather a lot of civilians as far as we can make out. So I think it's going into a very disturbing negative trajectory

RFE/RL: Do you think that the situation in eastern Ukraine is on its way to becoming a frozen conflict?

Quinn-Judge: No, I think there are a lot of people who are complacently predicting in Europe, and Ukraine, and in Russia that we're heading for a frozen conflict. As you know, I've just been traveling along the line of separation, and what strikes me is any assumption that we are heading for a frozen conflict is for the moment, premature. One of the big problems with the line of separation is that it doesn't really separate anything. Troops are facing each other across very short distances in places like Avdiyivka, where it's maybe 50 meters. Therefore the risks of something eventually going out of control cannot be excluded. I'm not saying it's going to happen, I am saying we have too many troops on both sides of the border who are willing to fire at each other and retaliate for what they consider to be an attack by the other side. I think the situation is very volatile for that reason. And also, it is very disturbing to see so many people living directly on the line of separation, living often literally next door to the troops and therefore who are very frequently in the line of fire themselves.

RFE/RL: Is that what caused the incident earlier this week, when at least four civilians were killed in Olenivka?

Quinn-Judge: Well I think it is horrible, I think it's a tragedy, and this is going to happen as long as we have so many troops in close proximity to each other along the line of separation. In this case it was obviously artillery, or at least heavy mortars that killed the civilians. But I think at the moment the situation can degenerate at any point, and as usual, as we've seen so often in any war, people who suffer most are the civilians.

RFE/RL: The OSCE monitoring mission issued a report saying that the fire came from the "west-south-west" direction, but did not blame either side. What do you make of the OSCE's wording?

Quinn-Judge: Frankly, it doesn't worry me too much because you and I and anybody else who is interested can pick up a map and look at it [Editor's Note: Ukrainian troops are positioned west-south-west of the spot where the shelling occurred.] What the mission is trying to do is to some degree get in the way of whichever side is trying to fire and making sure at the very least that this is reported and registered later. I've no doubt that the OSCE is going to report back to the relevant governments about this particular tragedy and other ones like it. So, you know, they could be a little more daring in the language, but that's really not their job. Their job is to -- as much as possible -- get in the way of the potential warring sides and register violations on either side.

RFE/RL: What do you think about the prospects of resolving this conflict? Which direction do you think it is going to go?

Quinn-Judge: I don't like to make predictions. What is clear is that the Ukrainian army is much more self-confident and probably much more competent and better-led on the front line than it was a year ago. There are young officers; they seem educated, they know their job. They also understand that if they tried to move forward very far, that that would invite a Russian response, not just a separatist response. I think the separatist military also is well aware that they are no longer any match for the Ukrainian army, but they depend on Russia to enforce and to support their side. At the moment it's a deadlock, and all the while, at some point, some leader in Moscow or elsewhere will decide that he has to show to the world who is really tough, who is really 'krutoy' ['cool and tough' in Russian] and it always worries me. At the moment we have a military stagnation where far too many people are dying and I'm sure we will see many more incidents like this week's death of civilians close to the front.

Interview conducted by RFE/RL Ukrainian Service correspondent Rostislav Khotin.

Source: http://www.rferl.org/content/ interview-in-eastern-ukraine-too-many- troops-willing-to-fire/27708420.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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Kyiv Sees No Elections in Eastern Ukraine Until Russians Leave

by Isabela Cocoli April 30, 2016

A top Ukrainian official said that elections in eastern Ukraine are only possible after Ukraine's sovereignty is renewed in the region and the Russia's presence is eliminated in those territories.

A deputy speaker of the Ukrainian Parliament, Oksana Syroyid, told VOA Friday that from the Ukrainian perspective, any elections under current conditions would legitimize those who occupy Ukrainian territory. It would mean giving them legitimacy and bringing them to Ukrainian politics, she said, which would end up destroying the Ukrainian state and its sovereignty.

In a broader sense, Syroyid said, Russian de-occupation should include eliminating the impact of Russian propaganda, reconciliation of all the people in Ukraine's Donbas region and the withdrawal of all Russian agents from the area.

Only after such conditions are fulfilled, she said, could holding elections in the occupied territories be discussed, and they should reflect the legitimacy of the people who live there, including those who now have the status of Internally Displaced People (IDP).

It happened because, one day, Russia decided to invade part of a neighboring country, Syroyid said. There are not equal parties in today's process, it is one party who is an invader and an aggressor and another one who is a nation-victim, that is Ukraine. There should not be an equal Ukrainian-Russian treatment in this process by the international community, Syroyid said.

Ukraine and the West accuse Russia of giving military aid to the separatists in the Donbas region, something Russia has repeatedly denied, saying that those who fight alongside separatists are Russian volunteers.

Holding elections in the east is seen by Ukraine's European partners, Germany and France, as a way to end the two-year conflict in eastern Ukraine that has claimed about 9,200 lives.

US position on elections in Donbas

State Department Deputy Spokesperson Mark Toner reiterated at a press briefing Friday what Assistant Secretary of State for European Affairs Victoria Nuland said in Kyiv earlier in the week, that the U.S. has not set a specific deadline for when elections happen in eastern Ukraine.

Toner said that the U.S. is more concerned that Minsk require sufficient security and monitor access and that candidates have the ability to get their names on the ballot, and that citizens are able to hear from candidates before elections are held in the Donbas region.

A Ukrainian lawmaker said after meeting Nuland earlier in the week that she was setting a July deadline for the elections, which Nuland categorically denied.

The level of violence observed in eastern Ukraine since the cease-fire went into effect in September has been an issue of concern for the U.S., Toner said. The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe blames separatists for most of 30,000 violations in April alone.

A conflict of such proportions in part of Ukraine's sovereign territory is certainly "destabilizing" to say the least, Toner added. The U.S. calls on Russia and the separatists that it supports to fully comply and observe the cease-fire, Toner said.

STAND for Ukraine Act

Congressmen Eliot Engel (D-NY) and Adam Kinzinger (R-IL) announced in a statement Friday that they introduced legislation in the House of Representatives to address the ongoing crisis in Ukraine  The STAND for Ukraine Act.

Calling Russian annexation of Crimea "illegal," the act calls for a clarification of the position of the United States on Crimea, as well as for tightening sanctions on Russia and providing new innovative support for Ukraine.

The proposal also directs the State Department to implement a strategy to respond to Russian propaganda and disinformation.

"Driven by President [Vladimir] Putin, Russia's aggression in Ukraine has undermined that country's sovereignty, and at the same time threatened our own long-term investment in a Europe that is whole, free, and at peace," Engel said. The act "makes clear that the United States will not just stand by as Putin bullies his neighbors, tests the resolve of NATO, and works to fracture Western unity."

Kinzinger said that it has been obvious time and again that "there is no stopping Vladimir Putin's disrespect for global order, especially in regards to Ukraine." It is time for the United States to 'Stand with Ukraine' legislatively and most effectively," he said.



A bipartisan group of 14 members, including the bipartisan leadership of the Congressional Ukraine Caucus, joined Engel and Kinzinger in introducing the Stability and Democracy (STAND) for Ukraine Act (H.R. 5094).

VOA's Ukrainian Service and Central News Cindy Saine and Nike Ching contributed to this report.

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In a dry spell, lush green can turn to tinderbox

West Texas ranchers are cautious about expressing their pleasure in the lush green pastures of this spring remembering other times in the history of this region when the hot and dry days of summer can turn the grass brown and create fuel for wildfires.

Last August was the driest month of the year in West and Central Texas and a few isolated thundershowers triggered damaging lightning strikes resulting in grass fires that destroyed thousands of acres of rangeland.

Two fires in Crockett County consumed 700 acres and more than 3,000 acres.

Pierce Miller told me about one grass fire that burned 3,000 acres on the VIP Ranch near Ozona. "The fire smoldered for a day following another blaze on the Bob Buchholz Ranch, south of the VIP, and the next day it burst out with low humidity and strong winds."

A big fire south of San Angelo on the Head of the River Ranch near Christoval burned more than 5,000 acres the last week in August.

Nearly 8,000 acres burned around the Eaton Cemetery Road in Mason County after a woodpecker stuck its beak in a transformer.

In April 2011, the Wildcat fire engulfed nearly 160,000 acres, including almost all of the 3,400 acres on the John West ranch north of San Angelo and south of Robert Lee. Afterward, rebuilding from the fence up was the only option available.

"Again this year, continued rains and optimum grass-growing conditions across much of West Texas are setting the stage for a potentially catastrophic wildfire season," said Marvin Ensor, regional program leader for Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service at San Angelo.

He said plans for such an occurrence and circumvents protocol misunderstandings among landowners and firefighters, several state agencies and emergency management entities are seeking landowner participation at a Wildfire Response Workshop May 7.

"This workshop is designed to help landowners and emergency responders work together to understand one another's concerns and perspectives during and immediately following a major wildfire, Ensor said.

"The workshop will provide a forum that encourages communication and active dialogue among landowners, volunteer fire departments, the Forest Service, county government officials and local emergency management offices," he said.

The Texas A&M Research and Extension Service at San Angelo is partnering with the Texas A&M Forest Service, Concho Valley Council of Governments and the San Angelo and Tom Green County Office of Emergency Management to host the workshop.

"We strongly encourage as many area rural landowners as can to attend this meeting as it is the planners' goal for all participants to come away well-informed of the emergency management systems involved in fighting a major wildfire," Ensor said. "We will strive to instill a high level of cooperation and understanding among all parties and create an ongoing meaningful dialogue so everyone understands and values the concerns each have from their respective standpoints."

General topics and speakers will include:

Protection Natural Resources and Agricultural Enterprises-Landowner Perspective  Bob Brockman, Sutton County rancher; Bob Buchholz, Schleicher County rancher, and Reed Stewart, Sterling County rancher.

Wildfire Response Exercise: Session 1 (The First Four Hours of Response  Steve Mild, San Angelo and Tom Green County emergency management coordinator

Wildfire Response Exercise: Session 2 (Expanding the Incident, Requesting Assistance and Delegation of Authority)  Mild and Jeff Meiner, Forest Service assistant chief regional fire coordinator, Midland

After Action Report  Mild and Meiner

Responsibilities and Priorities of County Government  Tom Green County Judge Steve Floyd

Wildfire Mitigation and Recovery Resources and Educational Programs  Morgan Russell, range specialist.

For more information, contact Ensor at 325-653-4576, extension 264.

Jerry Lackey is the agriculture editor emeritus. Contact him at jlackey@wcc.net or 325-949-2291.
Associated Press Heather Retberg feeds chickens earlier this month at the Quill's End Farm in Penobscot, Maine. Retberg belongs to a group of farmers who want to exempt local food producers from federal and state regulations.

SHARE In this Friday, April 15, 2016 photo, Heather Retberg collects eggs at the Quill's End Farm in Penobscot, Maine. The farm represents a way of life she said needs to be protected from an aggressive regulatory structure that keeps small farms from getting food to local people. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty) In this Friday, April 15, 2016 photo, fresh eggs are packaged for sale at the Quill's End Farm, a small family run operation in Penobscot, Maine. Supporters of an unsuccessful attempt to amend Maineis constitution to ensure a iright to foodi say the defeat is only a bump in the road for advocates of food freedom around the country. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty) In this Friday, April 15, 2016 photo, Phil Retberg pours a pail of milk that will be made into cheese in the family kitchen at the Quill's End Farm in Penobscot, Maine. Retberg said the food sovereignty movement is about protecting community as much as it's about protecting farms. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)

Groups urge push to alter law in Maine

By Patrick Whittle, Associated Press

PENOBSCOT, Maine  Heather and Phil Retberg's Quill's End Farm is idyllic to the point of New England cliche. Dairy cows, milked by hand, share space with goats and ducks near a wooden barn that overlooks a rolling green field and the summit of nearby Blue Hill.

The farm is a way of life Heather Retberg said needs to be protected from an aggressive regulatory structure that keeps small farms from getting food to local people. State legislators' pushback against "food sovereignty" advocates such as Retberg, in Maine and elsewhere in the country, has only emboldened her.

"This used to be how it was decades ago. It's only changed recently, and that's a pretty aberrant period in our food history," she said. "It's my right, as an individual, to grow the food I eat."

The Retbergs, like the food sovereignty movement they are a part of, aren't going anywhere. The movement consists of a loose collection of farmers and activists who want to exempt local food producers from federal and state regulations, arguing they work in favor of big food producers and trample on the little guy.

Sedgwick, just south of Penobscot, was the first town in Maine to approve an ordinance declaring local control of food production, and supporters believe it was the first of its kind in the country. Sixteen other Maine towns have followed. Supporters of an unsuccessful attempt to amend Maine's Constitution this year to protect food freedom said the defeat is only a bump in the road for hundreds of Mainers and others who want to ensure local control of food production.

A bill calling for the amendment, proposed by organic farmer and Democratic state Rep. Craig Hickman, would have declared the right to food as "inalienable" in Maine. The amendment, if also approved by state voters, would have made it impossible to infringe upon residents' ability to hunt, gather or farm for whatever food they choose, or to prevent them from buying from others who produce food they want.

Backers saw it as a way to prevent government from intruding in local farm production and sales, and to take food production back from corporate control. But the Maine Senate shot down the proposed amendment on March 23, a day after the House approved it by a two-thirds majority.

Opponents and skeptics, ranging from state regulators and legislators to other farmers, have described the amendment as vague, unnecessary or potentially dangerous. Some saw it as a way to skirt rules about inspections and safety that could be dangerous for consumers of products that present health risks, such as raw milk.

Sen. Peter Edgecomb, a Republican from Caribou who grew drinking raw milk up on a farm in Limestone, said he feared the law could open the doors for a food contamination incident that could scare consumers away from Maine's small farms.

"Maine ranks very high in food safety in the country," Edgecomb said. "I'd like to keep it that way."

Maine's attempt at a food freedom bill is an outgrowth of national campaigning for localized food security by groups such as the Organic Consumers Association.
Macon Blair and Patrick Stewart in "Green Room." (Scott Green/A24/TNS)

SHARE Anton Yelchin and Imogen Poots in "Green Room." (Scott Green/A24/TNS) Alia Shawkat, Anton Yelchin, Joe Cole and Callum Turner in "Green Room." (Scott Green/A24/TNS)

By Colin Covert Star Tribune (Minneapolis) (TNS)

Diabolical, coldblooded, racist, horrifying. Not the sort of qualities you associate with Sir Patrick Stewart, a global darling for his wise, kindly roles in Star Trek and X-Men.

But being cast against type is just what he wanted when he signed on as the clever, regal villain of writer/director Jeremy Saulniers punishing thriller Green Room. A thinking persons fright film, it caused quite a stir at the Cannes and Sundance film festivals. It has a cautionary R rating for strong brutal graphic violence, gory images, language and drug content.

The setup is simple: A punk band playing at a rural white supremacist roadhouse witnesses a homicide. Outnumbered by violent neo-Nazis whose Gruppenfuhrer is none other than Stewart, the musicians try to survive with a few unlikely allies. While the movie is twisted and traumatic, it is also subtle, smart and thought-provoking.

The star and director spoke by phone to explain why they chose to make an ultrarealistic survival film rather than safer studio fare.

After playing Capt. Jean-Luc Picard and Prof. Charles Xavier for established filmmakers, Stewart said, it was natural to want to work with an independent newcomer as a depraved monster.

Its been a little frustrating because diversity has been a keynote of my career for 56 years, Stewart said. Characters like this have been many in my career, including Shakespearean roles such as Othello, Richard III and Hamlet.

Only a couple of years ago I was in one of the nastiest, ugliest, bloodiest productions of Macbeth you could ever hope to see, he said with pride.

The character he plays in the new film is not a screaming racist demagogue but a soft-spoken gentleman who is a father figure to his young blackshirts, sending them off to massacre the groups enemies with supportive encouragement. By stripping away the anti-intellectualism of typical fascist portraits, the part reveals the dark underlying appeal of hate and intolerance.

Violence is a fascinating subject, Stewart said. It has historically always appealed to actors because we get to explore it in a relatively safe environment.

Saulnier said he was drawn to Green Room because its high-stakes filmmaking.

I was first introduced to cinema by my cousins making me see really gory scenes from Dawn of the Dead or the Friday the 13th franchise, he said. It was a wonderful experience to be so terrified and so fascinated while I was safe in the basement of the house.

He grew up loving Monty Python films because they were violent and funny. Now Im making these films to do what psychologists call coping with my trauma, he said, adding a level of emotional responsibility to bloody stories. His goal is to deliver surprise without throwing away the logic, as many genre films do.

It takes a lot of work, but even more important, less interference, he said. Id definitely like to make the jump to big-budget studio fare, except that he calls most commercial films something the keeper of a horse stable has to sweep up.

I want a pension and health care, Saulnier said. But the real feat is exposing yourself to the committee prematurely. I hate the idea of going through draft after draft like a number of in-demand indie filmmakers have had to do after signing on to execute studio-controlled movies. Rather than carefully choreographed moments, I want to feel something. I want the heart to beat faster.

As did his image-transforming cast.

I just cast people who werent used to being in action flicks. The young kids (including Anton Yelchin, who plays Chekov in the new Star Trek films; ingenue Imogen Poots, and comedy regular Alia Shawkat) just leapt on these parts.

Imogen doesnt get to do this very often. She had a ball. She got real feral. Each brought a level of performance and grounding and realism which I think heightens the impact of the entire movie.

When it comes to the dark material, Stewart was just as excited as the younger cast.

Very early on, I was impressed with a conversation I had with the director, when Jeremy talked about the tonality of the character being very muted and quite low-key and reasonable, Stewart said. I was intrigued by that, the idea that there could be a way of taking on this person that would be unexpected.

Even with that vote of confidence, Saulnier said hes not ready to go to the big leagues. Id rather write from the gut level than play to certain standards. I want sloppy and real and unpredictable.

Having opened a snake pit with this film, itll be interesting to see what can of worms, hornets nest and Pandoras box he unlocks next.
Associated Press Students examine patient Jacqueline Villalobo during an exercise in EMC First Responder class as emergency medical technician Gretchen Medel (center, standing) supervises at Dozier-Libbey Medical High School in Antioch, Calif.

SHARE Associated Press Health science teacher Dr. Cynthia Soraoka gestures while speaking in class at Dozier-Libbey Medical High School in Antioch, Calif. Decades after "shop class" became known as a lesser alternative for children deemed unfit for college, vocational education is making a comeback in many of the nation's high schools. Associated Press Antioch High School student Amani Taylor takes a break from removing invasive species of plants at the Antioch Dunes National Wildlife Refuge in Antioch, Calif. States such as California, Colorado and Louisiana are looking to rebranded "career pathways" that combine technical training with academics built around an industry theme as a way to get more young people to pursue some postsecondary education.

Students not set for college stand to benefit

By Lisa Leff, Associated Press

ANTIOCH, Calif.  There was an emergency in Room 14. Three girls injured, one with a broken thighbone and maybe something more serious. Snapping on sterile gloves and kneeling before the worst-off patient, two 17-year-olds went to work.

The pair cut open the girl's pant leg, pinched her toes to see if she had feeling and fit her with a neck brace. Sweat flecked their faces by the time they had the patient  a perfectly healthy classmate  strapped to a back board 12 minutes later.

"You are acting like professionals and you haven't even finished this class yet!" Gretchen Medel, an EMT who oversaw the mock exercise during the first responder course she teaches at a health care-focused high school east of San Francisco, told the students.

Decades after "shop class" became known as a lesser alternative for children deemed unfit for college, vocational education is making a comeback in many of the nation's high schools. States such as California, Colorado and Louisiana are looking to rebranded "career pathways" that combine technical training with academics built around an industry theme as a way to get more young people to pursue some postsecondary education  whether it's a certificate from a two-year school or a four-year degree.

Supporters of the renaissance hope it will keep students engaged and prepare them for the stable, middle-income jobs employers say they can't fill.

"Career and technical education is really the perfect blend of the academic, the technical and the employability skills. Students come out college- and career-ready because they have the skills in all these essential areas," Association for Career and Technical Education Executive Director LeeAnn Wilson said.

Congress has endorsed the revival of such hands-on learning, at least in concept. An education reform bill adopted last year includes career and technical education, or CTE, in the definition of a well-rounded K-12 education. Over the next year, lawmakers are expected to strengthen the federal law that provides about $1.1 billion a year for job training.

The trend represents a course correction from efforts of the past 30 years that assumed exposing all students to the same college prep curriculum would be an antidote for achievement gaps, past inequities and the nation's flagging economic competitiveness, said Anthony Carnevale, director of the Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce.

The "high school to Harvard pathway," as Carnevale calls it, was not a cure-all; the percentage of high school graduates immediately enrolling in a four-year college only rose from 40 percent in 1990 to 42 percent in 2013, according to the most recent federal data.

While research on high schools that integrate career exploration with academics has shown positive effects for attendance and graduation rates, some education experts worry it could lead to a new form of tracking.

"I think we can identify ninth-grade students who have career interests and build a rich, challenging curriculum around those interests. That's a smart thing to do," Kevin Welner, who directs the National Education Policy Center at the University of Colorado, Boulder, said.

"What's not smart is to identify ninth-grade students who are academically struggling and then track them into these separate academic programs that have watered-down expectations and watered-down instruction," he said.

Nowhere has the renewed embrace of work-based learning been stronger than in California, which expects to spend $900 million to reinvigorate career and technical education at high schools by 2019.

The money comes on top of another $500 million the state has awarded to partnerships of public school districts, community colleges and employers promising to prepare students for jobs in fields that do not require four years of college.

The private James Irvine Foundation also has spent over $100 million in the last decade to promote "linked learning"  a strategy that weaves technical courses, interaction with industry professionals and practical skills such as public speaking into a career-focused college prep curriculum.

"Being in a pathway helps students connect the dots: 'Oh, this is what the math is for,'" Linked Learning Alliance President Christopher Cabaldon said.

Elsewhere, Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker, a Republican, wants to devote $75 million over five years to equipment that would modernize and expand career and technical education. Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo of New York has pledged $21 million to take a technology high school model that IBM started in Brooklyn statewide in seven years.
Abel Uribe/Chicago Tribune/TNS A woman with a child interviews with legal experts before filling out a U.S. citizenship application, as dozens of immigrants attend a U.S. citizenship application workshop at Daley College in Chicago.

SHARE Maria Garcia (left) gets help with her paperwork from her daughter, Sonia Hernandez, during a U.S. citizenship application workshop at Daley College in Chicago. Abel Uribe/Chicago Tribune/TNS

Many want to vote in the next election

By Jeanne Kuang, Chicago Tribune (TNS)

CHICAGO  Elena and Esteban Salgado have been living in the U.S. for over 30 years. This year, they decided, would be the year they vote.

"We want to become citizens so we can vote against Trump," Esteban Salgado, 57, said through a Spanish interpreter.

The River Forest couple, originally from Mexico, have had green cards for 20 years, meaning they've been eligible for citizenship for 15. They've had busy lives: They both work at a Whole Foods Market, and they've raised four children in the U.S.

"We never had a chance to become citizens," Esteban Salgado said.

But this year's election has struck a chord with immigrants. Republican presidential front-runner Donald Trump may not be the only reason for rising interest in citizenship, but he's a major one. Trump has frequently lambasted U.S. immigration practices, promising to be strict on borders, deport those who are here illegally and end the use of specialty work visas. He launched his campaign in June accusing Mexican immigrants of being drug dealers, criminals and rapists.

"He's racist, and he speaks very badly about Mexicans," Elena Salgado, 51, said. "It shouldn't be like this.  It is true that there's a lot of people who come here and do bad things but not all people do, and for some who do bad things, the rest of us have to pay."

About 8.8 million immigrants throughout the U.S. are eligible for citizenship, about 350,000 in Illinois. The Salgados are part of a surge in residents hoping to become naturalized in time for the November election.

And this is crunchtime. The naturalization process, from turning in the first application to the final swearing-in ceremony, takes five to six months, according to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.

"We have seen an increase of people trying to vote for the first time," said Dagmara Avelar, a coordinator with the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights. "What we've been seeing in these intake questionnaires is that there's a definite mention of the anti-immigrant rhetoric (of the election).  They feel an attack on the immigrant community is an attack on them."

The coalition and other Chicago-based immigrant advocacy groups said many permanent residents have come to them asking how to get to the polls. From January to March, the Illinois coalition helped 913 people apply for citizenship, Avelar said.

From August to January, applications for citizenship throughout the country have increased more than 14 percent compared with the same period a year before, according to the most recent data from Citizenship and Immigration.

Not only are more immigrants seeking citizenship, but unions and advocacy groups are ramping up their outreach efforts as the political climate brings immigration issues to the forefront.

The Supreme Court on April 18 heard arguments on President Barack Obama's immigration programs that would benefit parents of U.S. citizens or lawful residents. The programs could aid roughly 4 million people who have been living in the U.S. illegally for years. Twenty-six states with Republicans in control are challenging the proposals.

Illinois' naturalization numbers have fallen in the past five years by about 10 percent. A study from the Center for Migration Studies of New York estimates that nearly 35 percent of eligible Illinois residents are like the Salgados  they've been in the U.S. since 1990 or earlier, and they've long been able to apply for citizenship. Advocates say many residents are put off by the lengthy application process or the $680 fee to apply, face language barriers or have simply never gotten around to it.

The Illinois coalition and affiliated groups, such as SEIU Local 1 and Juntos Podemos, have workshops in the Chicago area to reach those people, connecting hundreds of residents with immigration attorneys to determine eligibility, helping them navigate the naturalization form and assessing qualifications for a fee waiver.

The workshops are an opportunity for advocacy groups to eventually register more voters who are likely to support immigrant-friendly candidates.

"Having presidential candidates using a platform of hate toward specifically Mexicans  we do realize we have a lot of folks who need to be put on that path toward citizenship," said Idalia Cervantes, a program manager for Chicago's branch of Juntos Podemos, which advocates for Mexicans living in America. "It's the same group of people we'll be using in the 2016 elections to push them to get out and vote."

SEIU organizer Wojtek Gil, who became a citizen in February after coming from Poland 14 years ago, said he is happy that he is eligible to vote this year. Gil's wife is living in the U.S. but is not a citizen.

"The rhetoric (Trump's) using is very much hurting not only me but my family and my immigrant friends," Gil said. "I have a lot of friends who are still undocumented immigrants, afraid to come out of the shadows. I vote for them."

At Holy Trinity Church in Noble Square on a recent Saturday morning, volunteer Graciela Vergara sat across a table from a Polish man wearing a Cubs hat.

The room buzzed with activity as nearly 90 applicants and their families made their way through the workshop. The walls were emblazoned with slogans in different languages  Polish, Spanish, English. Many attended the workshop through their service workers' union, which helped organize the event.

Vergara went down the questions on the 20-page N-400 form. She asked about the man's family, his employment history, his residency status in the country.
Marcus Yam/Los Angeles Times/TNS Anti-Trump protesters clash with the police outside the California Republican Convention on Friday in Burlingame, Calif.

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By Cindy Carcamo, Richard Winton And Ruben Vives, Los Angeles Times (TNS)

Latino activists said they expect more large protests as Donald Trump moves his presidential campaign into California.

Trump faced large and hostile demonstrations outside a rally Thursday night in Costa Mesa and at the Burlingame hotel where he delivered a speech to the California Republican Convention on Friday.

I think its going to get worse if he gets the nomination and is the front-runner. I think its going to escalate, said Luis Serrano, an organizer with California Immigration Youth Justice Alliance. Were going to keep showing up and standing against the actions and the hate Donald Trump is creating. We are going to continue to just show up in numbers and stand together.

Trump has faced protests during several stops in California over the past few months, but they escalated considerably this week.

He is leading several polls of California Republican voters. But his outspoken comments about people in this country illegally and advocacy for a border wall have sparked a backlash by younger Latinos, said Carlos Perea, an immigrant rights organizer who was at the Costa Mesa rally.

Young people went to the streets and said Weve had enough of this,  he said.

The next test could come Sunday, when a May Day rally is planned in downtown Los Angeles.

Los Angeles police have been meeting with demonstrators for some time in order to ensure a peaceful protest.

We expect May Day to be peaceful, LAPD Assistant Chief Michel Moore said. We are always prepared for any eventuality were anything to happen. But we have nothing to suggest that will be the case.

Protest organizers in Southern California said the anti-Trump demonstrations spread through word of mouth and involved mostly young people, including many high school and college students. They brought with them Mexican flags, which were once discouraged at immigrant rights rallies for fear they would be regarded as un-American.

The demonstrations outside the Pacific Amphitheatre in Costa Mesa on Thursday night blocked traffic and caused tense moments. Some protesters performed screeching burnouts in their cars or did doughnuts at intersections. Others kicked at and punched approaching vehicles, shouting expletives. Ranchera and hip-hop music was blasted throughout the streets. At least 17 people were arrested, and a Trump supporter and a teenage anti-Trump protester were hurt.
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24 hours, 130 nonprofits, $1 million goal

By Mike Kelly of the San Angelo Standard-Times

The clock is ticking on sanangelogives.org.

It will hit zero at midnight tonight, and the city's second annual day of giving will open its portals.

The leaderboard on the website, which is now displaying a countdown clock, shows more than 130 Concho Valley nonprofit organizations waiting for donations to come in during the 24-hour event, which runs from midnight tonight to 11:59 p.m. They range from children's groups to faith-based charities and soup kitchens to arts organizations.

The first San Angelo Gives in 2015 gathered more than $787,000 in donations, all of it contributed in a single day, a stunning tribute to the community's generosity.

The San Angelo Area Foundation is the organizing force behind San Angelo Gives.

Although the foundation is reluctant to set goals, President Matt Lewis said, it hopes to raise more than last year. "As a community, we're hopeful our stretch goal of $1 million can be met," Lewis said.

The individual charities already are promoting their causes, many on social media platforms. Santa Rita Elementary School has distributed cards outlining its ambitions for campus improvements: $45,000 to install air conditioning in the multipurpose building and $17,000 to provide shade for the playground area. The Facebook page for the San Angelo Symphony notes that $50 can help a musician travel to play at seniors' centers as part of its Music and Wellness program.

"Please remember West Texas Boys Ranch on May 3!" the ranch asks followers on its Facebook page.

" ... will you help us make history through San Angelo Gives?" the House of Faith asks on its page. The widely supported organization known for its outreach to thousands of children in San Angelo received more than $48,000 during the event last year.

San Angelo Gives occurs on the same day as more than 100 similar efforts by community foundations across the country, all of them using the same online software. Lewis noted that allows people from outside the community  in fact, nearly anywhere in the world  to contribute to San Angelo causes.

"So, if you live in Miami, you can give through same portal to San Angelo. Anybody in the world that has access to the Internet and a credit card can give," he said. "Last year, people in 31 states and three countries gave to San Angelo."

The website is set up to be "an easy and ultrasecure" method of online giving, Lewis said. People who want to give but are unable or unwilling to do so on the Internet can contribute by check at the San Angelo Area Foundation office, 221 S. Irving St., on Tuesday.

As an additional inducement, $120,000 in "amplification" funding already has been committed to the effort  the funds can be applied to individual gifts to increase their impact  and prizes to the nonprofits will be announced throughout the day.

The prize funds include a $250 "early bird" prize that will go to the organization that receives the first donation after the event opens, and another will give $1,000 to the first organization that receives 50 donations of $50. Total prize money available amounts to $11,000, Lewis said.

"The goal is to make it fun and add money to every gift," he said.

The countdown clock will hit zero at midnight Tuesday and the event continues through 11:59 p.m. Tuesday.

IF YOU GIVE

What: San Angelo Gives

When: 00:01 a.m.to 11:59 p.m. Tuesday

Where: sanangelogives.org

Contact: 325-947-7071

And now for something special

During the second annual San Angelo Gives day from midnight Tuesday to 11:59 p.m. Tuesday, organizations will be eligible to receive prizes in addition to the donations pledged by the public.

Early Bird Gets the Worm: The first $100 donation of the day  $250

Tres Amigos Rise & Shine: Most unique donors between midnight and 6 a.m.  $1,000

1st Community Federal Credit Union Nifty 50: First to receive 50 donations of $50 from 8-10 a.m.  $1,000

Addresses Real Estate Give Where You Live: In honor of our 76903 ZIP code, the donation that pushes the total amount raised over $76,903  $1,000

H-E-B Give and Grub: Most unique donors between noon and 1 p.m.  $500

Sonora Bank Siesta Prize: Most donations between 2-3 p.m.  $500

AEP Texas Area Code Cash: The donation closest to 3:25 p.m., celebrating our area code  $500

Sonora Bank 5 oclock Somewhere: Random Drawing  $500

John Stokes, CPA Happy Hour: Most donations raised between 5-6 p.m.  $1,000

Atmos Energy Dinner & Donations: Most unique donors between 6-7 p.m.  $500

CVCOG Procrastinator Prize: Most donations between 10-11 p.m.  $1,000

Texas Bank One in a MILLION: The gift that pushes us over our goal of $1 million  $1,000

AEP Texas Break Time-Minute to Win It: Most donations in a specific 30-minute time frame. The San Angelo Area Foundation will select the time on the day of the event and announce it on social media  $500

H-E-B 3297 Prize: The 3,297th donation, surpassing last years gift count of 3,296  $500

Better Late than Never: The last donation of the day  $250

The Bank & Trust Record Breaker: Donation that pushes the total over $787,173, surpassing last years total amount raised  $1,000

For the purpose of awarding prizes, a unique donor is one individual or corporation. Multiple donations from one donor to the same nonprofit will count as one unique donor.

In the event a prize is not awarded, the value of the prize will be added to the amplification funds.
SHARE Alex DeAnda Houston 'Space Center' sign

Alex DeAnda, a junior at Central High School, has been selected to travel to NASA's Johnson Space Center this summer to participate in the High School Aerospace Scholars program (HAS).

Nominated by his state legislator, DeAnda has been selected as one of more than 260 high school juniors from across Texas to be part of HAS.

During the school year, selected students completed a 16-week interactive, online curriculum including four distance-learning modules each containing four Web-based assignments. The on-site experience at NASA will include a tour of JSC facilities and briefings by NASA subject matter experts, then these scholars will apply their newfound knowledge working as a team to plan and design a mission to Mars. Their on-site experience will conclude with a presentation of their proposal to attending parents, members of the Texas Legislature, Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, Rotary NASA, and JSC senior management.

The state of Texas, in partnership with JSC and the Texas educational community, developed HAS in 1999 to encourage more students to pursue studies and careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). More than 8,700 students from across Texas have participated in the program since its inception 17 years ago.

For more information about Texas Aerospace Scholars, visit: has.aerospacescholars.org.
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By Dawn Thompson

Two schools from Region XIV took on a distant learning study with Lycee Joseph Fourier, a school in Auxerre, France, in the beginning of January 2015.

They collaborated their studies of World History and compared their country's cultures during this year and a half study.

The French students raised enough money to make a trip to Texas to spend a week with some of the Region XIV employees and surrounding schools to learn the Texas culture.

Highland ISD in Roscoe was one of the collaborating schools.

Faculty asked the French students what they would be interested in learning or seeing while they were in West Texas. They were interested in many Texas traditions but stressed they would love to learn to square dance.

Dawn Thompson and Shea Baucom contacted John Geen and Nora Geen from San Angelo to see if they would come out and demonstrate their talents. The Geens and their square dancing group came to Highland ISD on April 7 for a Tex-Mex meal provided by the staff of the school and entertained their foreign students with a square dance show and lessons.

The 25 french students are in the 11th grade at their school and range in age from 16-18.

Dawn Thompson, Highland ISD Odyssey coordinator and DL facilitator
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Some say more resources needed to fight PTSD

By Jen Fifield, Stateline.org (TNS)

WASHINGTON  A staggering share of veterans who served in Iraq and Afghanistan have been returning home with mental illnesses brought on by their time overseas. But as hundreds of thousands struggle with post-traumatic stress disorder, many are going without the help they need, which is prompting several states to step in.

State officials say they are trying to bridge what they see as gaps in services provided by the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs, whose medical centers have been plagued by mismanagement, often face lengthy backlogs and can be located far from rural communities.

If veterans with PTSD arent treated while their wounds are still raw, it will end up costing not only the veterans and their families, but society, according to state lawmakers and mental health workers. Veterans with PTSD are more likely to be depressed, drink heavily or use drugs, and many have trouble working and maintaining relationships  problems that cost billions of dollars in lost productivity.

And because members of the National Guard  who report to their governors and serve within their states when they are not mobilized for active duty  deployed at record levels during the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, states are looking after their own. National Guard members often face more challenges upon returning home. While other service members return to military bases, surrounded by support, guard members move back into their communities, which are often rural and where few resources are available.

Starting this year, Texas will give money to nonprofits and private programs that provide treatment to veterans with PTSD and their families. New Hampshire has been training community mental health staff since last summer on how to find veterans and treat their PTSD. And New York is expanding a program that connects service members and veterans with mental health needs in small settings or in activities such as yoga and tai chi.

Although state and local governments have long relied on the VA, states have an obligation to veterans, and they need to do more, said Kathryn Power, a regional administrator for the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. The agency encourages local governments at a minimum to train mental health center staff about military culture, and make sure they know how to help veterans and their families.

The top objective of the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, a national nonprofit with more than 400,000 members, is to get lawmakers at the national and local level to improve access to and quality of mental health services. The National Guard Association of the United States, which represents guard members in all 50 states, Washington, D.C., and U.S. territories, says that despite the efforts of some states, more services need to be made available locally.

Since 9/11, guard members have been deployed 544,000 times. Many were sent on multiple tours and often came home to find little support, said Matt Pincus, a legislative affairs manager at the guard association.

With an all-volunteer military, including the National Guard, it is unacceptable not to help, Pincus said. It is a dereliction of our responsibility to them.

Aware that many states face tight budgets, the association wants Congress to provide funding for states in block grants so states can train mental health providers to better treat veterans with PTSD. The association also supports a bill that would allow providers outside of the VA to deliver VA services, including mental health.

Veterans who served after 9/11 experienced a range of traumas  from explosions and sexual abuse to seeing friends wounded or killed. Eleven to 20 percent of them have been diagnosed with PTSD. The number diagnosed each year steadily increased until 2012, when it reached a peak of 21,017. In 2014, the last year for which data is available, 16,012 veterans were diagnosed.

PTSD is a severe mental illness with symptoms that can start shortly after trauma or years later. Veterans with PTSD often relive their trauma, feel alert or in danger, have trouble sleeping, and avoid certain places or activities, said Dr. Jennifer Klosterman Rielage, a clinical director of outpatient trauma programs at the New Mexico VA Health Care System. It can bring on depression, strain relationships, and make it hard to go to work and school. Many drink or take drugs to cope with everyday life, Rielage said.

Veterans of the Vietnam War who suffered from PTSD have faced twice as much substance abuse, divorce and homelessness as those without it. A 2008 RAND Corp. study projected that PTSD and major depression among veterans who deployed from 2001 to 2007 would cost the nation $4 billion to $6.2 billion over two years, mostly in lost productivity.

In 2014, the suicide rate for active duty members of the Air Force, Army, Marine Corps and Navy was 19.9 per 100,000, compared with 12.9 per 100,000 for all Americans. Among guard members, the rate was 19.4 per 100,000.

After hearing about guard members who were struggling to get treatment, California began a program in 2006 that pays for eight clinicians in the California National Guard to serve as regional contacts and provide referrals to those experiencing a crisis, said Susan Pangelinan, a guard coordinator.

The program costs the state $1.5 million a year, but it prevents costs down the road, Pangelinan said.

A Connecticut program that began in 2007 was designed to support guard members, with a 24/7 help line, counseling and case management services. It was expanded to serve all service members and veterans, and was lauded as a program that could be replicated nationally. But the program is one of many being cut in Connecticut as Democratic Gov. Dannel Malloy attempts to close the states $220 million budget deficit.

Of the more than 2 million veterans who served in Iraq and Afghanistan, 4 in 10 have never used VA medical care.

Providers say there are many reasons veterans dont go to the VA for mental health treatment. The closest clinic may be hours away. Some still work for the military in civilian roles and fear their employer will find out about their problems. For many, its simply the stigma.

The VA often treats the illness with counseling, using techniques such as cognitive behavioral therapy or exposure therapy, in which a counselor helps clients understand their trauma and change how they think about it. The VA also can offer medication.

In Texas, the new program will provide matching grants to nonprofits that offer counseling and treatment, such as therapy that uses dogs and horses to help with physical and emotional problems, said Sonja Gaines, the associate commissioner for mental health services for the states Health and Human Services Commission. The first phase will provide $1 million, with another $20 million to follow.

New Hampshire is using money from the federal government meant for health services to provide better care for veterans, said Jo Moncher, bureau chief of military programs for the states Department of Health and Human Services.

Of 115,000 veterans in the state, only about 30,000 receive care at the VA. The state gave each of its 10 community mental health centers $10,000, which Moncher said is to be used for training in military culture, including teaching employees the values that service members live by, the challenges they face, and effective methods for treating PTSD. It also created a military liaison in each center to guide veterans to the services they need.

The initiative is part of a larger $2.8 million campaign to find veterans who may need help and connect them with health services, housing and employment. The campaign has taught staff in many state agencies to ask the question: Have you or a family member ever served in the military? If the answer is yes, they know how to help, Moncher said.

Because family members are not eligible for most VA services, the New Hampshire and Texas programs are also reaching out to families to see if they need counseling or other help.

Some states recently passed or considered measures to allow judges to acknowledge the affects PTSD has had when sentencing veterans in criminal cases.

The Oklahoma Legislature sent a bill to Republican Gov. Mary Fallin last week. Alaska, California and Kansas have enacted similar laws. A similar bill was introduced in Wisconsin last year but failed.

Others are studying the effectiveness and availability of PTSD treatment. Texas passed a law last year that requires the state to conduct a clinical study on the effects of mental health treatment for veterans and their families. Puerto Rico passed a law to investigate the supply, availability and effectiveness of services for the diagnosis and treatment of veterans with PTSD.

New York offers a different approach to treatment. The Pfc. Joseph P. Dwyer Veteran Peer Support Program, inspired by a veteran who died after struggling with PTSD, began in 2012 as a county-run program in Long Island and has since spread to over a dozen counties. It is funded by $2.8 million from the state in fiscal 2016.

Participants can meet one-on-one with program staff and attend group meetings, or take part in programs such as tai chi, yoga and drum circles, said Thomas Ronayne, the director of the Veterans Services Agency in Suffolk County, where the program started. The program is open to all service members and veterans, and the idea is to provide comradery and someone they can relate to.

We all have that one foundational piece that brings us all to the center  and that is that we have all worn the uniform, Ronayne said.

U.S. Rep. Lee Zeldin, a New York Republican and a veteran who introduced the bill to launch the Dwyer program as a state senator, this year introduced legislation in Congress that would spread it across the country.

And New York Assemblyman David DiPietro, a Republican, introduced a bill this year that would start a trust fund to pay for treatment for veterans who suffer from PTSD and traumatic brain injury. We actually should be taking a leading role for helping our veterans, DiPietro said.
FILE - In this Feb. 17, 2016 file photo, an iPhone is seen in Washington. The FBI said Wednesday, April 27, 2016, that it will not publicly disclose the method that allowed it to break into a locked iPhone used by one of the San Bernardino attackers, saying it lacks enough technical information about the software vulnerability that was exploited. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster, File)

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Fingerprints sought in L.A. to open iPhone

By Matt Hamilton And Richard Winton, Los Angeles Times (TNS)

LOS ANGELES  As the world watched the FBI spar with Apple this winter in an attempt to hack into a San Bernardino shooters iPhone, federal officials were waging a different encryption battle in a Los Angeles courtroom.

There, authorities obtained a search warrant compelling the girlfriend of an alleged Armenian gang member to press her finger against an iPhone that had been seized from a Glendale home. The phone contained Apples fingerprint identification system for unlocking, and prosecutors wanted access to the data inside it.

It marked a rare time that prosecutors have demanded a person provide a fingerprint to open a computer, but experts expect such cases to become more common as cracking digital security becomes a larger part of law enforcement work.

The Glendale case and others like it are forcing courts to address a basic question: How far can the government go to obtain biometric markers such as fingerprints and hair?

The U.S. Supreme Court has held that police can search phones with a valid warrant and compel a person in custody to provide physical evidence such as fingerprints without a judges permission.

But some legal experts say there should be a higher bar for biometric data because providing a fingerprint to open a digital device gives the state access to a vast trove of personal information and could be a form of self-incrimination.

It isnt about fingerprints and the biometric readers, said Susan Brenner, a law professor at the University of Dayton who studies the nexus of digital technology and criminal law, but rather, the contents of that phone, much of which will be about her, and a lot of that could be incriminating.

In the Glendale case, the FBI wanted the fingerprint of Paytsar Bkhchadzhyan, a 29-year-old woman from L.A. with a string of criminal convictions who pleaded no contest to a felony count of identity theft.

She was sentenced in that case on Feb. 25 in a Van Nuys courtroom. Jail records and court documents show that about 45 minutes after Bkhchadzhyan was taken into custody, U.S. Magistrate Judge Alicia Rosenberg  sitting in a federal courtroom 17 miles away  signed off on the warrant for the defendant to press her finger on the phone.

By 1 p.m., an FBI agent specializing in cybercrimes took her print, according to court papers.

Why authorities wanted Bkhchadzhyan to unlock the phone is unclear. The phone was seized from a Glendale residence linked to Sevak Mesrobian, who according to a probation report was Bkhchadzhyans boyfriend and a member of the Armenian Power gang with the moniker of 40. Assistant U.S. Attorney Vicki Chou said the search was part of an ongoing probe. She declined further comment.

Other court documents in the case were filed under seal.

Even with the limited outlines of the inquiry, Brenner said the act of compelling a person in custody to press her finger against a phone breached the Fifth Amendments protection against self-incrimination. It forced Bkchadzhyan to testify  without uttering a word  because by moving her finger and unlocking the phone, she authenticated its contents.

By showing you opened the phone, you showed that you have control over it, Brenner said. Its the same as if she went home and pulled out paper documents  shes produced it.

But Albert Gidari, the director of privacy at Stanford Law Schools Center for Internet and Society, said the action might not violate the Fifth Amendment prohibition of self-incrimination.

Unlike disclosing passcodes, you are not compelled to speak or say whats in your mind to law enforcement, Gidari said.  Put your finger here is not testimonial or self-incriminating.

The issue partly revolves around the prevailing legal stance toward fingerprints.

Law enforcement routinely obtains search warrants to examine property or monitor telecommunications, even swab inside an inmates mouth for DNA. But fingerprints have long remained in the class of evidence that doesnt require a warrant, along with providing handwriting samples or standing in a lineup. Courts have categorized fingerprints as real or physical evidence sourced from the body, unlike communications or knowledge, which cannot be compelled without violating the Fifth Amendment.

George M. Dery III, a lawyer and criminal justice professor at California State University, Fullerton likened the warrant to the governments request for a key.

Before cellphones, much of this information would be found in a persons home, Dery said, noting that search warrants commonly authorize police to march into a home and seize evidence. This has a warrant. Even though it is a big deal having someone open up their phone, theyve gone to a judge and it means theres a likelihood of criminal activity.

Apples fingerprint sensor, known as Touch ID, is installed on phones and tablets rolled out after 2013, and the optional feature has a narrow window during which it is viable for an investigator. The Touch ID biometric reader cannot be used if the phone has not been unlocked for 48 hours. If a phone is restarted, or goes beyond the 48-hour window, only a passcode can open it.

Few courts have taken up the issue of whether a defendant can be forced to unlock his or her iPhone, either with a password or fingerprint.

In a Virginia trial court, David Charles Baust was accused of trying to strangle a woman in his bedroom, which was equipped with a video recording device that the victim said could have been linked to Bausts phone. Investigators seized the phone via search warrant, but it could only be opened with a passcode or fingerprint reader.

In 2014, a judge said Baust could be compelled to provide his fingerprint to open a locked phone but could not be ordered to disclose a passcode. The judge reasoned that providing a fingerprint was akin to giving a key, while giving a passcode  stored in ones mind  entailed revealing knowledge and therefore testifying. Baust was later acquitted.

George Mgdesyan, an attorney who has previously represented both Bkhchadzhyan and Mesrobian, said he was unsure why authorities were trying to unlock her phone. He said he was not representing Bkhchadzhyan in any federal criminal matter and believed the probe included hacking and possibly other issues.

The attorney denied that the search of Bkhchadzhyans phone was connected to Mesrobian, who has been held in North Kern State Prison in Delano, Calif., since Feb. 12.
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Fewer options force patients to pay more

By Phil Galewitz, Kaiser Health News (TNS)

UnitedHealthcare's decision to quit insurance exchanges in about 30 states next year has patient advocates concerned that fewer options could force consumers to pay more for coverage and have a smaller choice of network providers.

The company's departure could be felt most acutely in several counties in Florida, Oklahoma, Kansas, North Carolina, Alabama and Tennessee that could be left with only one insurer, according to an analysis by the Kaiser Family Foundation (KHN is an editorially independent program of the foundation).

To sell policies next year on the health law's exchanges, also called marketplaces, insurers must apply within the next few weeks and get state approval this summer.

Two counties in Southwest Florida  Lee and Collier  will be most affected. With UnitedHealthcare's departure, the 80,000 consumers in those counties could be left with only one option: plans offered by Florida Blue, the Blue Cross and Blue Shield company. Two counties in Oklahoma  Oklahoma and Tulsa  which had about 60,000 enrolled on exchanges this year, could be left with only the Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Oklahoma, the Kaiser analysis found.

Lynne Thorp, regional director of the Health Planning Council of Southwest Florida, which helps consumers enroll in plans, said the impact depends on how Florida Blue handles its monopoly. While most enrollees get subsidies that keep their monthly premium low, many are concerned about possible increases in co-payments and other cost-sharing on physician visits and drugs. Florida Blue offered the plans with the lowest premiums in the region last year.

"Absolutely there are concerns with United leaving," said Andrea Stephenson, executive director of Health Council of Southeast Florida, which also assists consumers with enrollment. "Having another big carrier pull out of the market will be a real challenge," she said.

While Florida Blue has a strong reputation, her group did hear complaints that the insurer did not offer enough choice of specialists. Without having a company to compete against Florida Blue for exchange customers, Stephenson worries those networks could remain tight or get even narrower. If customers can't find a robust choice of doctors, they may decide to remain uninsured. "Even with the individual mandate, the value proposition has to be there," she said.

UnitedHealth Group cited escalating losses on the Obamacare plans  $475 million in 2015 and $650 million expected this year  as a reason the company planned to quit most marketplaces. United operated in 34 states this year but has committed to staying only in New York, Virginia and Nevada for 2017. United's independent subsidiary, Harken Health, is expected to continue operating in Atlanta and Chicago.

So far, UnitedHealthcare is the only large carrier to announce it was quitting the marketplaces in multiple states.

While UnitedHealth is the nation's largest health insurer overall, most of its business historically has not been in the individual market, which the exchanges serve.

Jodi Ray, director of Florida Covering Kids & Families, which has the largest federal navigator contractor in the state to conduct enrollment assistance, played down the impact of UnitedHealthcare leaving. "United is not a low-premium issuer  and most consumers are price driven," she said. "Consumers will adjust accordingly no matter who the issuer is."

Denise Cyzman, executive director of the Kansas Association for the Medically Underserved, said UnitedHealthcare will be missed even though it only had about 10 percent of marketplace enrollees. She said she hopes another carrier comes in to give the Blue Cross and Blue Shield plan some competition. "It's good for consumers to have choice," she said.

Kansas Insurance Commissioner Ken Selzer is meeting with companies to try to entice one into the marketplace, a spokesman said.
An Iranian woman adjusts her head scarf while crossing a street in downtown Tehran, Iran, Tuesday, April 26, 2016. Tehran police chief Gen. Hossein Sajedinia recently announced his department had deployed 7,000 male and female officers for a new plainclothes division _ the largest such undercover assignment in memory. Critics fear the units main focus will be enforcing the government-mandated Islamic dress code, which requires women be modestly covered from head to toe. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)

SHARE Iranian youngsters play music at a sidewalk in downtown Tehran, Iran, Tuesday, April 26, 2016. Tehran police chief Gen. Hossein Sajedinia recently announced his department had deployed 7,000 male and female officers for a new plainclothes division _ the largest such undercover assignment in memory. Critics fear the units main focus will be enforcing the government-mandated Islamic dress code, which requires women be modestly covered from head to toe. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi) In this picture made available by Young Journalists Club, YJC, on Monday, April 18, 2016, Iranian plainclothes police officers stand in an inauguration ceremony of a newly established undercover division of the morality police, at the Tehran police department, Iran. Tehran police chief Gen. Hossein Sajedinia recently announced his department had deployed 7,000 male and female officers for a new plainclothes division _ the largest such undercover assignment in memory. (AP Photo/YJC, Mohammad Ali Najib) Iranian women make their way along a sidewalk in downtown Tehran, Iran, Tuesday, April 26, 2016. Tehran police chief Gen. Hossein Sajedinia recently announced his department had deployed 7,000 male and female officers for a new plainclothes division _ the largest such undercover assignment in memory. Critics fear the units main focus will be enforcing the government-mandated Islamic dress code, which requires women be modestly covered from head to toe. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi) Iranian women make their way down a sidewalk in downtown Tehran, Iran, Tuesday, April 26, 2016. Tehran police chief Gen. Hossein Sajedinia recently announced his department had deployed 7,000 male and female officers for a new plainclothes division _ the largest such undercover assignment in memory. Critics fear the units main focus will be enforcing the government-mandated Islamic dress code, which requires women be modestly covered from head to toe. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)

By NASSER KARIMI, Associated Press

TEHRAN, Iran (AP)  Tehran resident Sousan Heidari has stopped letting her headscarf slip casually down over her neck and shoulders while driving in the Iranian capital. These days, the 22-year-old with a taste for bold makeup makes sure to pull it tightly over her dark hair, fearful of running afoul of a newly established undercover division of the morality police.

"Every single man or woman could be a member of the unit," she cautioned. "I don't know. Maybe some plainclothes have already reported me because of heavy makeup."

Tehran police chief Gen. Hossein Sajedinia recently announced his department had deployed 7,000 male and female officers for a new plainclothes division  the largest such undercover assignment in memory. Authorities say the division, which started work last week, will patrol major Tehran streets and intersections, policing transgressions including harassment against women and excessive car honking and engine noise.

Critics fear the unit's main focus, however, will be enforcing the government-mandated Islamic dress code, which requires women be modestly covered from head to toe. They see it as the latest flashpoint in the struggle between relative moderates such as President Hassan Rouhani and establishment hard-liners who fear looser social norms will weaken the Islamic Republic's values and priciples.

Iranian women these days, particularly younger ones, often forego the traditional long black long veil known as the chador and opt instead for trendy dresses and fashionable headscarves. More and more, they are daring to let their scarves slip down to their shoulders while driving.

Influential ayatollah Mohammad Ali Movahedi Kermani alluded to those concerns about moral erosion during a recent Friday sermon in Tehran, saying that a woman driving without a veil, "cannot be called freedom."

Avoiding sartorial trouble in Iran has been fairly straightforward up until now. Police assigned to the morality-enforcement beat normally wore the same dark green uniform of regular Iranian police, and were stationed out in the open at major squares and crossroads.

They would take a range of approaches to enforcing dress codes, including handing out scarves as gifts, giving verbal warnings or having female officers physically remove excessive makeup.

At worst, offenders would be sent to court and face fines of up to $250 or hauled to the local police station until their family members gave a written promise that they would never commit the same offense again.

Azizeh Shirazi, a mother of two college-aged daughters, said last week's announcement of the new force has left her worried that something might happen to them on the way to university. "When the girls do not answer my phone calls during the day, my heart beats faster," she said.

The outcry over the new undercover police force extends to senior officials.

Shahindokht Molaverdi, vice president for women and family affairs, criticized the decision and expressed concern that it would be "limited to giving warnings to women over improper attire," according to local media reports.

Molaverdi said many citizens have complained to her about the police decision, and she vowed that the Rouhani administration will review the proposed force.

Even the popular Hamshahri daily, which is linked to conservative opponents of Rouhani's government, raised questions about the plan in an editorial, asking why it was necessary now and whether there would be any way to verify the unit's reports.

Police responded to the criticism by saying that "demands by the people" led to the creation of the new unit and that concerned citizens could contact police about any ambiguities.

They have found support from hard-liners, including female parliamentarian Fatemeh Rahbar  who said the previous practice of uniformed morality police was too easy for violators to spot and evade.

"The police are thinking about a more precise, more effective and more functional method since the previous open method did not bear fruit," she said.

On Sunday, the spokesman of the hard-line dominated judiciary, Gholam Hossein Mohseni Ejehi, added his voice of support, saying the "judiciary definitely supports the police plan to confront open social corruption."

Tehran-based political analyst Saeed Leilaz believes the new unit is a reaction to the resounding defeat of hard-line and conservative candidates in Tehran during recent parliamentary elections. A bloc led by moderates and reformists won a majority of seats around the country, but captured all 30 seats representing the capital in the 290-seat parliament. A runoff election for 68 remaining undecided seats will be held Friday.

Leilaz noted that these new plainclothes units have only been announced for Tehran, not for any other major Iranian city.

"This is part of the establishment's reaction toward Tehran residents' attitude in the election," he said. "It's an expression of discontent and taking revenge, as well as applying efforts in restricting President Rouhani."

Leilaz said the new initiative suggests previous hard-line dress code policies have failed. And he questioned how effective the new division would be.

"The plan, as usual will have a short-term limited impact. Soon people will return to their routines," he said.
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The following editorial appeared in the April 24 Corpus Christi Caller-Times:

Seceding from the United States and becoming a sovereign nation again is a fun fantasy for Texans of every political persuasion. But it takes a special kind of person to pursue secession seriously. And apparently that special kind of person isn't as rare as he or she should be.

Secession is likely to be a topic of discussion at the state Republican convention next month, according to Washington Post blogger Amber Phillips, whose report was shared by the Texas Tribune. And by "discussion" she didn't mean after way too many Shiner Bocks in the hospitality suite. She meant that it is likely to be discussed as an actual thing that could happen, by people who want it to happen.

Those people, while outnumbered and sure to fail, are expected to have their say without being dismissed as kooks because apparently there's enough pro-secession sentiment for the powers-that-be to fear being dismissive.

That's quite a pickle for a party that ought to refuse to suffer such foolishness, for the sake of a reputation already damaged by a presidential frontrunner's plan to wall off Mexico and bring back torture. It's an uncomfortable situation reminiscent of the time in 2013 when U.S. Rep. Blake Farenthold, R-Corpus Christi, explained to a woman in Luling the procedural obstacles to impeaching the president rather than tell the woman there was no legitimate reason to impeach the president. Telling secessionists firmly that the party is against it, or refusing to entertain discussion of it, would be the principled, responsible thing to do. But it also would be the hard thing to do.

We bring up Farenthold's Luling blunder not to embarrass him  again  but because impeachment and secession talk springs from the same viral opposition to President Obama. It's doubtful that there would be talk of secession from a United States governed by a President Ted Cruz  at least not by secession's current sympathizers. Democrats might become converts  and Libertarians and Greens and Socialists.

Texas' secession triggers don't speak well for it. First it was slavery and now it's the first black president. Secessionists would say now what their predecessors said then  that it's all about states' rights.

Phillips noted that in 2009 Gov. Rick Perry made a comment about secession in jest that made national news. She called it tongue-in-cheek. But in retrospect it's starting to look like a trial balloon. Gov. Greg Abbott has called for a convention of states to rewrite the Constitution to all but write the Supreme Court out of it by making it near-impossible for the court to overturn a state law.

Meanwhile, the actual secession movement claims 200,000 members, which Phillips notes would be a tiny percentage of Texas' population of nearly 27 million if indeed there are that many. But voter participation in Texas is so low that 200,000 committed voters would be a force with whom to be reckoned. Also, according to Phillips, at least 10 Republican county conventions voted in favor either of Texas independence or making it a debate topic at the state convention.

Phillips is not to be dismissed as some East Coast news media type looking for an excuse to make fun of Texans. She's a TCU Horned Frog ... If the Texas Republican Party embarrasses itself with talk of secession or with being unable to keep its secessionists under wraps, it will have itself to blame, not a Washington Post blog.

Please, Texas Republicans, for the sake of the state's reputation, pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands.
Jenson Button has confirmed reports Honda is working on a major redesign of its F1 'power unit' for McLaren to use in 2017.

The Japanese marque has made steps forward this year after a disastrous 2015, but Button was still a tenth shy of making it into 'Q3' in Russia.

So while Honda is planning more upgrades for later this year, reports this week suggested the manufacturer has now acknowledged that putting the turbo inside the 'V' of the six-cylinder internal combustion engine was a mistake.

"I think with the way the engine is, yes, it's difficult to extract the power that we feel we need," Button said at Sochi.

"And that's not me saying that, that's Honda and that's why the makeover for next year" is in the works, he explained.

Whether the 36-year-old Briton will actually get to race the 2017 McLaren-Honda, however, is another question.

It is rumoured the Anglo-Japanese collaboration may already have quietly taken the decision to pair Fernando Alonso with Belgian reserve driver Stoffel Vandoorne for 2017.

Having made an impressive debut in injured Alonso's place in Bahrain, the reigning GP2 champion admitted in Russia that returning to the reserve bench has been frustrating.

"I feel like I should be here doing the race," 24-year-old Vandoorne, who kicked off his Super Formula campaign in Japan last weekend with a podium, told Brazil's Globo at Sochi.

Vandoorne said being told late last year that Button was staying at McLaren alongside Alonso was already frustrating.

"I admit it was hard for me to hear that he had been chosen," he said. "I won the GP2 title right here at Sochi and learned through the press that they (McLaren) had renewed with Jenson.

"It took a while to digest the news," Vandoorne revealed.

"I went to the final (GP2) round in Abu Dhabi willing to do anything to win both races and show that I was the best option," he revealed.

Button said on British television on Saturday that rumours he is switching to Williams for 2017 are premature, insisting he has not opened talks with any team yet.

But Vandoorne is now warning that he is determined to make his full-time debut next year.

"Yes," he smiled. "I realise there is a lot of interest in me, but I have a contract with McLaren, they believe in me and I hope I can stay here.

"I want to start my career at a top team," Vandoorne added.

He said he is not even fazed at the prospect of starting his race career alongside a driver as strong as Alonso.

"It wouldn't worry me," said Vandoorne. "There will be pressure to be a potentially winning racing team, but at the same time I will be facing it with a world champion.

"And if I do well my reputation will grow. I believe in my ability."

(GMM)
Max Verstappen will continue to steal the limelight even though Carlos Sainz is also doing a good job.

That is the view of the duo's Toro Rosso boss Franz Tost, amid speculation it could be Dutchman Verstappen who is promoted to the senior Red Bull team for 2017.

"Max is doing great, but Carlos as well," Tost told the Dutch newspaper Algemeen Dagblad.

"However, Max is in a special position. He is the youngest F1 driver ever, so there is a lot of attention on him, regardless of how Carlos is also doing.

"I hope Carlos has less bad luck this year than he did last year, because you will see that there is little between him and Max," the Austrian added.

Tost said he would therefore be happy if Red Bull's driver manager Dr Helmut Marko decides to keep the same drivers at Toro Rosso next year.

"Our drivers are absolutely valuable to us," he said. "We are more than happy with how things are going with Max and Carlos.

"It's also very nice that they are quite similar in their way of working and adjusting the car, which makes it a lot easier for the engineers," said Tost.

But if Verstappen does get the call up to Red Bull, it is expected he would replace Daniil Kvyat. That is despite the fact Marko has praised the young Russian's current form.

"Kvyat's speed is exceptional," the Austrian told Sport Bild.

"For me, Daniil is a mixture of Kimi Raikkonen and Sebastian Vettel," Marko added.

So if Kvyat does have to be relegated to Toro Rosso, Tost will be happy to accept him.

"He is super fast and has an almost acrobatic car control," he said, "yet he is still very young.

"Additionally, he's as extremely focused and as assertive as Vettel, coming from Russia which is not a motor sport stronghold. As a child he already came to Italy, which makes what he has been able to achieve even more valuable," added Tost.

(GMM)
Daniil Kvyat on Sunday said he had spoken with Sebastian Vettel on the phone after the Russian grand prix.

Two weeks after their pre-podium verbal argument in China, Russian Kvyat had an horror home race at Sochi after hitting Ferrari's Vettel from behind not once but twice on the first lap.

German Vettel launched a foul-mouthed tirade on the radio as his car came to a sudden halt in the barrier, before visiting Kvyat's Red Bull boss Christian Horner on the pitwall.

Ferrari boss Maurizio Arrivabene called Kvyat's driving "unacceptable", and Horner acknowledged that the mistakes also "screwed up" the race of the sister Red Bull driven by Daniel Ricciardo, who was also critical of the 22-year-old Russian.

"Everything can be clearly seen on the video," Kvyat is quoted as saying by Russian media afterwards.

He took the blame for the first impact and apologised, but said he was caught out by Vettel's slowing Ferrari ahead of the second hit.

"I saw (on the replay) that Perez had a puncture, he (Vettel) saw it and slowed but this curve is almost full throttle and you do not expect such a strong slowing down.

"I have already said all that is necessary to the people who I need to speak to," said Kvyat, who according to speculation is in danger of losing his seat to Max Verstappen for 2017.

"Within the team we have constructive criticism -- the points cannot come back now and shouting does not help. I have realised my mistakes.

"Who was I talking to on the phone? I called Sebastian.

"For the people who would like to keep talking about it, let them talk. I know I made a mistake, I will learn a lesson from it as the consequence is that the team did not score the points that it should.

"In general I think it is behind us now. To make mistakes is quite human," he added.

(GMM)
Meet Dr. Divyesh Telugu Movie Hero and USMLE instructor

USA: Meet Dr. Divyesh the 24-year-old Chase Telugu Movie Hero, Physician and USMLE (United States Medical Licensing Examination) instructor. He is one of the record youngest residency applicants this year and has recently matched at Michigan State Universitys Internal Medicine residency program.

Divyesh graduated from Windsor University School of Medicine where he completed a 6-year M.D. medical program in 4 years, making him one of the youngest MD graduates in town.

How did he do it? Answer: He took 3 semesters per year, worked very hard, and never took a break while finishing all USMLE exams. He passed and received the 99th percentile on all USMLE exams.

He received the Best Student Award for basic sciences and graduated with a 4.0 GPA and the valedictorian award (nominated to the best student of the graduating class). While doing research at MD Anderson, UThealth, and Northwestern University, he submitted 5 publications as the primary author to major medical journals and also helped start a major clinical trial.

Divyesh has always kept his roots in Michigan as he went to Michigans top, and one of the countrys top high school: International Academy (IA) (Bloomfield Hills). Divyesh also has his own tutoring services as he trains candidates appearing for the USMLE exam.

He has trained over 300 students with a very high success rate and the number keeps growing consistently. His website can be found here at: www.DivyeshMD.com

He is the lead actor in the feature Telugu film Chase filmed completely in Detroit. This movie was released on the big screen in April 2015 in over 50 theaters in India and 5 states in the US including AMC Southfield in Detroit.

The link to the movie can be found here: https://youtu.be/5kH6cma_Bic

Divyesh is currently preparing for future movies.

His dominant mindset along with his healthy lifestyle has brought him to where he is today. It seems that he gets the multi-tasking abilities from his family. His father, Mohan Reddy Nemakayala originated from Cuddapah, AP india and is the director and producer of Telugu movie Chase. His mother Padmavathi Nemakayala is a homemaker, who is always there, supporting all of his dreams. He also has a younger sister named Kirtana Nemakayala who he hopes follows the same footsteps to medicine. Divyesh is the first Doctor in his entire Nemakayala family. The family lives in Rochester, MI (USA).

Divyesh advises aspiring medical students to work as hard as possible to achieve their goals. Admission into residency programs are getting more difficult every year and so applicants USMLE exam scores must be higher in order to match.

He says parents have given our generation a huge opportunity to follow our dreams in whatever career one chooses.

Divyesh credits his mentors, professors, and most importantly his family for his success.

Great Andhra wishes Divyesh Reddy Nemakayala the best and looks forward to sharing more information about his successes in the future.
Pawan Copying Tamil Film?

After the disastrous show of 'Sardar Gabbar Singh,' Pavan Kalyan has decided against taking much gap and speeded up works on his next film.

The film, which has already kicked off with the formal puja, is going to sets in June and is most likely to be released in January.

Pawan himself is producing the film under the direction of S J Surya, who had earlier done a hit film Khushi and a flop film Komuram Puli with the power star. Apparently, Pawan is of the hope that Surya would fetch him good luck this time.

It is said Pawan Kalyan is going to play the role of a faction leader in this film, which was briefly described as a faction leader love story. This immediately reminds us of Tamil film Veeram starring Ajit Kumar and has led to doubts whether Pawan has taken inspiration from the Tamil film.

Initially, Pawan Kalyan thought of re-making Tamil film Vedalam but for some reasons, he had put his plans in abeyance. In the meantime, he has taken up the Telugu film with faction background which might have been inspired by Veeram.

The film has not generated any euphoria among people, including Pawans hardcore fans, because Director Surya has lost touch with Telugu film industry long ago.

May be Pavan requires a magic wand like Trivikram to generate high expectations among fans on his film!
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AP Officer Found To Have Rs.800 Cr Assets

HYDERABAD: An official in Andhra Pradesh has been arrested and sent to jail for amassing wealth said to be around Rs. 800 crore, allegedly through corruption.

Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) officials continued their searches on Friday to unearth the assets of Mohan, a deputy commissioner in the transport department.

The simultaneous searches, which began on Thursday, were conducted at nine places in Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Karnataka.

ACB officials recovered gold and silver jewellery and cash from the officer's house in Kakinada town in East Godavari district.

Documents of several lands and flats owned by him and his family members in Nelore, Prakasam and Chittoor districts of Andhra Pradesh, Hyderabad in Telangana and Bellary in Karnataka were also found.

The market value of the assets could be around Rs. 800 crore. Some bank lockers of the officers are yet to be opened.

ACB officials said Mohan, 52, and his family members own as many as eight plots sft 450-500 square yards each at Kompally in Hyderabad.

They also have four plots in Madhapur, the information technology hub. Other prime property in Hyderabad include a four-storey building in posh Jubliee Hills and a flat in commercial centre Panjagutta.

ACB official A Ramadevi, who led the raids, said there were 10 house sites and seven acre agriculture land in Bellary, Karnataka in the name of Mohan's son-in-law.

The transport official owns 45 acres in Prakasam district while 9.5 acre land is registered in the name of his daughter in Nellore.

Mohan had also invested in five companies he had set up in the name of his elder daughter. Officials suspect the firms could have been used for money laundering.

The ACB took action following complaints against Mohan, a Group I officer in the state. A case of disproportionate assets was booked against him.

The officer had been serving as deputy commissioner at Kakinada since 2014. He had earlier served at various places in then united Andhra Pradesh.
Chowdary's Dinner Politics In Delhi!

Union Minister of State for Science and Technology Y V S Chowdary aka Sujana Chowdary is making use of every opportunity to save his seat and wriggle out of the financial mess he has been facing for the last few weeks.

Recently, he performed the marriage of his son Karthik in the most pompous manner in Hyderabad. The next day, he hosted a sumptuous reception at N-Convention Centre. Both the events were attended by whos who of the city and the state, including officials, politicians and industrialists.

As if it was not enough, Sujana hosted another big bash in New Delhi a couple of days ago. Since he is a Union minister, the party was attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, his Cabinet colleagues and a large number of industrialists, officials and VIPs in Delhi.

It was surprising as to why Sujana hosted three parties for his sons wedding. Well, that is politics. He knows that he is in neck deep trouble with the default of loan taken from a Mauritius bank. So, he has to appease the bank authorities by hosting the party where the Prime Minister himself was present.

Secondly, his Rajya Sabha term is coming to an end and he has to establish that he is closer to Modi and hence, needs re-nomination.

And thirdly, in case he has to get out of the Telugu Desam Party, he has to be ready to join the BJP and hence, he invited top BJP leaders to the party.

It remains to be seen whether his strategies would help him retain hold in Delhi.
Jagan Back To Fasting Mode!

YSR Congress party president Y S Jaganmohan Reddy is gearing up to take up yet another hunger strike; this time against the Telangana government headed by K Chandrasekhar Rao.

Jagan declared that he would take up deeksha for three days on May 16, 17 and 18 at Kurnool in protest against the construction of Palamuru-Dindi lift irrigation scheme, which was aimed at diverting 115 tmc of Krishna waters from Srisailam to Mahbubnagar, Ranga Reddy and Nalgonda districts.

This project is illegal and against the Krishna Waters Disputes Tribunal award. This would make the Rayalaseema lands parched and delay release of water to Krishna delta. Andhra Pradesh would not get assured water and has to be content with only surplus water, to be released at the mercy of the Telangana government, he lamented.

The YSR Congress party president wondered why AP Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu remained silent on the construction of the Palamuru project by the Telangana government.

Obviously, he is hand in glove with the K Chandrasekhara Rao government for his own benefits. My fast is aimed at exposing the indifferent attitude of the Chandrababu Naidu government. His attitude will make the entire Rayalaseema and upland areas of Andhra dry, he said.
Will Naidu Speak Out At Least Now?

For the last few weeks, Telugu Desam Party president and Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu has been trying to put up an aggressive posture these days against the alleged step-motherly attitude of the Centre towards Andhra Pradesh in releasing adequate funds.

His comments and that of his party colleagues in the recent past have given an impression that he will not hesitate to disassociate with the NDA government at the Centre, if Prime Minister Narendra Modi continues to ignore Andhra Pradesh.

Now, the time has come for Naidu to take a decision since the Centre has made it clear categorically in Parliament that there was no need for giving special category status to Andhra Pradesh and that Niti Ayog has made it clear that the Centre has given more than what is due to AP.

All these days, Naidu and his friend in NDA cabinet M Venkaiah Naidu have been hoodwinking the people that the Niti Ayog was examining the special category status issue. Now, it is crystal clear that AP wont get the status. So, what is the point in Naidu continuing in the NDA cabinet when he cannot protect the interests of the State?

Will Naidu speak out at least now and get out of the NDA?
REIDSVILLE  Butterball's outdoor adventures left her stranded about 40 feet up in a tree and family worried about getting her down before she gets hurt.

The 1-year-old indoor cat scampered up the tree more than two days ago and can't find her way back down, according to Larry and Shannon Shown.

The couple are at their wits end. They've called police, animal control and the fire department. The Showns said none would send anyone out. They said the agencies told them the cat would make her own way down.

"We pay taxes and all that," Larry Shown said, upset that no one would help. Shown, who said he is on disability, said he tried to climb the tree, but couldn't reach the cat.

"If she falls, she probably will die," he said.

They hope someone might be able to help them get their cat down safely.

They're asking that anyone who can help contact them at (336) 394-7164, sshown4178@gmail.com or Shannon Shown on Facebook.
OMAHA, Neb.  Berkshire Hathaway's idiosyncrasies were on display this weekend, as tens of thousands of people filled an arena to listen to Warren Buffett and Charlie Munger talk business for several hours Saturday at the conglomerate's annual meeting.

No other company can match the crowds who attend Berkshire's meeting, the 51-year-tenure of its top two executives or its eclectic mix of businesses. Though attendance was down from last year's 50th anniversary meeting when more than 40,000 attended, it still dwarfs any other corporate meeting.

In an adjoining 200,000-square-foot exhibit hall, Berkshire subsidiaries such as See's Candy, Fruit of the Loom and Geico insurance sell their products as executives chat with shareholders.

Buffett told shareholders that some of the keys to successful investing are avoiding envy and costly fees. The investor said it's important not to try to copy others who profited in a company's initial public offering or claimed a lottery jackpot.

"You don't want to get envious of somebody who bought an IPO or won a lottery. You have to do what makes sense to you," Buffett said.

That kind of advice  and Buffett and Munger's willingness to take almost any question  are part of what keeps people coming back to the meetings. Bob Shanahan returned for his second Berkshire meeting so his son, Tim, would have a chance to attend while the 85-year-old Buffett and 92-year-old Munger are still leading the company.

"You never know how much longer they'll be around," said Bob Shanahan, who lives in Castle Rock, Colorado.

It didn't take much convincing to get Tim Shanahan to make the trip. He is studying finance at the College of William and Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia, and has looked up to Buffett for several years,

"For someone my age, he's a good hero to have," Tim Shanahan said shortly after snapping a quick picture of Buffett touring the exhibit hall.

Shareholder David Parr said eventually replacing Buffett has to be a concern for Berkshire shareholders because of his age and remarkable talent, but he's confident that Buffett has a good plan in place and has a knack for choosing good people.

"His investing is not about a magic formula. It's about him," said Parr, who is from Superior, Wisconsin. "If it was a formula, everyone would be doing it."

In presidential politics, Buffett has long supported Democrat Hillary Clinton, so one shareholder asked what might happen to Berkshire if Republican Donald Trump were elected.

"That won't be the main problem," Buffett said before reassuring shareholders that Berkshire would prosper regardless of who is elected. He said U.S. businesses will continue to adapt and thrive.

"No presidential candidate or president is going to end that," he said.

Though Berkshire won't release its full first-quarter report until next Friday, Buffett offered a preview of results. The company's profit grew 8 percent, largely because of the way it had to account for its Duracell acquisition on paper, but profits fell at its BNSF railroad and at its insurance units.

Buffett warned shareholders that Berkshire's size  more than 90 companies and investments  will make it difficult to continue delivering exceptional returns.

"We had to forgo superior results for satisfactory," Buffett said. "We're quite happy with the satisfactory result."

Buffett takes a hands-off approach to managing all the companies Berkshire owns, allowing the individual CEOs wide latitude unless he's aware of a problem that needs his attention. He also encourages managers to focus on building the long-term strength of their brands.

Benjamin Moore paints CEO Mike Searles said running a Berkshire subsidiary has been a pleasant change after a career of working for public companies that focus heavily on each quarter's results.

"The way Berkshire runs its company, it's all about two things: the future and ethical performance," Searles said. "The culture is so long range."

One of Berkshire's latest acquisitions, Precision Castparts, received an intense welcome to the company when Buffett visited its booth displaying the aviation parts it makes.

Dozens of shareholders surrounded Buffett and Precision Castparts' CEO with their phones in the air to try to snap a picture, while security guards created a bubble around the executives.

The attention was a bit more intense than Precision Castparts executives were used to from industrial trade shows, but Jay Khetani said joining Berkshire has been great so far. Instead of drafting a quarterly earnings report and preparing to deal with questions from investors, Precision Castparts executives can focus on running the business, Khetani said.

A group of environmentalists tried to make an impression on Buffett with their resolution urging the company to write a report on the climate change risks Berkshire's insurance units face. Shareholders overwhelmingly rejected the resolution after Buffett argued that climate change won't hurt its insurance companies because they generally reprice their policies annually.

"It doesn't mean we differ on the importance of climate change to the human race," Buffett said.

The meeting gave the environmentalists and Nebraskans for Peace a prominent platform even if the resolution failed. Climate scientist Jim Hansen urged support of a fee on fossil fuels to discourage their use.

"As long as fossil fuels appear to be the cheapest energy, we will continue burning them," Hansen said.
Once again the General Assembly looms over us with the threat to take away essential powers of municipalities. A bill co-sponsored by Reps. John Faircloth from High Point and Allen McNeill from Asheboro, both of whom have law enforcement backgrounds, would expressly and pre-emptively make police body camera footage not public records.

Any decision to allow public viewing or copying of police footage would be made by the chief of police or sheriff, depending on which agency employed the officer taking the footage. If the requester disagreed with a decision withholding or redacting footage, the bill allows only one option: to file a lawsuit in Superior Court. The bill adds that if the judge determines the lawsuit was filed in bad faith or is deemed frivolous, the judge shall assess attorney fees and costs against the person seeking access to police footage.

Cities will have no say in these matters if the bill passes. The legislature is expected to act on the bill during its current short session, which began on April 25.

State governments attempt to take away power regarding police footage from local governments, which are closer and thus more accountable to the people, comes when people in most cities want more transparency and truth about law enforcement encounters.

According to The Washington Post, 990 people were fatally shot by police in 2015. Most were non-white and about 25 percent were mentally ill. Personal cellphone/cameras have exposed a pattern of perjury and lies told by police officers, their supervisors and police lawyers and prosecutors.

We were all led to believe that public access to police footage, with limited, compelling exceptions, was the very purpose of those body and dash cameras.

Recently Greensboro has become a beehive of dialogue and protest about the meaning of government of, by and for the people as it relates to police footage. Our state Supreme Courts language about the mandate for open government and how the legislature intended to provide that, as a general rule, the public would have liberal access to public records is celebrated in theory by almost everybody. So is the high courts declaration that, While some degree of confidentiality is necessary for government to operate effectively, the general rule in the American political system must be that the affairs of government be subjected to public scrutiny.

But when it comes to putting this Fourth of July rhetoric into practice, our law enforcement officials and far too many City Council members appear to disagree with the fundamental principles of open government. They spout off the same talking points about all the reasons they need to keep police footage secret. It is a version of President Nixons just trust us, which we know didnt work out so well.

We must celebrate this dialogue in Greensboro between the people and their elected officials, even the tense back-and-forth. We are doing democracy. We are civically engaged. We are realizing that democracy is not a spectator sport. We are having a conversation about policing and race. We are talking to our neighbors about issues that affect us all but which have been far more harmful to non-white residents.

We have had meetings in all five city districts where folks shared their views. People attending those meetings also watched a TED Talk by nationally renowned law professor and author of The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness, Michelle Alexander. Alexander recently spoke in Greensboro to more than 700 people at the Carolina Theatre, with hundreds more watching online. A town hall meeting is planned for June 12 (place to be announced) to synthesize the changes needed that emerged from the district meetings. People are insisting on the publics right to reasonable viewing and copying of police video.

But there are two fundamentally different proposals concerning public access to police video pending before City Council. One, called the Peoples Ordinance, arose from residents and begins with the presumption that footage is a public record and viewable by the public unless the City Council determines that a few narrow exceptions compel restrictions. Those exceptions include the protection of the integrity of criminal investigations and prosecution and the protection of established individual privacy rights. The other proposal, created by some members of the council in consultation with law enforcement, begins with a presumption of secrecy and severely limits public access.

The General Assembly is attempting to shut down Greensboros ongoing civic engagement about these issues by taking our power. Now our challenge is twofold: 1) to fight off the power grab by the General Assembly, which has a proven record of unwise action; and 2) to continue doing democracy in our city to gain greater public access to police footage and hold our City Council directly responsible to the voters for their actions.
Nonviolent boycotts are the perfect answer to ending discrimination as displayed in HB 2. Nonviolent boycotts ended the British imperial rule of India. The Montgomery, Ala., bus boycott aided the African American community in its fight against discrimination. Why? It takes money and power from the discriminators. Money and power, the only gods oppressors worship.

On the subject of core human values, I refer to the Christian New Testament and the teachings of Jesus:  Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself. All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.

Christ declared, A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. His love does not discriminate against those of a minority gender, cap the amount of money a worker can earn in a given period and stop employees from suing those who have committed the evil of discrimination in the workplace (HB 2). Jesus was a champion of the minorities. I believe this should be the setting of our societys moral compass.

John Dickey

Greensboro
Every year, you receive tax information from employers and other entities. You have to wait for forms, make sure they are correct, hang onto them until tax filing time, and in some cases, ask for corrected forms. The IRS gets a copy of these same forms and uses them to compare the answers with the taxes you submit. Since the IRS gets the same information you do, why don't they fill out all the information for you and send you a tax form with that information already submitted?

A fine question, says Senator Elizabeth Warren (D, MA). She has introduced the Tax Filing Simplification Act of 2016 to require the IRS to set up a free-online tax preparation service and allow taxpayers downloadable access to third-party information (such as W-2 forms from employers). In essence, this allows return-free filing for simple tax situations  and more importantly, they will not have to pay a tax preparer to file these taxes.

Those with more complicated tax situations (capital gains, itemized deductions, etc.) would still require additional paperwork and a more traditional tax form, but at least those taxpayers would still have a head start on tax season.

This concept is already in place in several countries such as Sweden, Finland, Norway, and Estonia with success from the taxpayer's viewpoint. Imagine your taxes taking only five minutes with no preparation costs, as these countries report.

There are a few roadblocks to Sen. Warren's bill, not the least of which is the tax preparation industry. The idea of return-free and cost-free filing for simple tax circumstances has been around since Ronald Reagan; in 2001, the Bush administration directed the IRS to provide Americans with the means of free online tax preparation in these cases. The IRS complied with its Free File service that is available to those making $62,000 or less  but it did so by turning to the tax-preparation companies for assistance.

Free File is not IRS software; it is the product of the Free File Alliance between the IRS and several major private tax preparation firms. As part of the agreement, the IRS was prohibited from creating its own tax preparation software that would effectively be a competing product. Sen. Warren's bill would ban the IRS from such agreements and mandate that the IRS create their own software.

Currently, Free File is only used by around 3% of those eligible. Sen. Warren says that the program isn't working and notes various flaws  for example, each software company can set up their own eligibility criteria, leaving taxpayers confused and potentially directed to products that they do not need. Free File advocates say the issue is mainly with publicity. Too many people are unaware that the program even exists.

Critics of Sen. Warren's bill point out that this system will cost taxpayer money to implement, and the IRS is strapped for resources as it is. Advocates counter that reduced errors and costs on the consumer end will actually save money in the long run. However, there are other concerns about the IRS' ability to control properly and distribute this information  recent breaches are enough to give one pause.

Others are concerned that this bill eases filing and collections, making future tax increases easier. It is the Tax Filing Simplification Bill  not the Tax Simplification Bill.

It seems logical that we should make tax filing as easy as possible for most Americans, but perhaps we should be careful what we wish for. Senator Warren's proposed bill may not be what any final bill looks like. Remember the old joke about a tax form containing only two lines:

How much money did you make last year? Send that amount to the IRS.
GREENWICH  Ever since the death of their daughter Emily in 2014 in a boating accident in Long Island Sound off of Greenwich Point, town residents Pam and Joe Fedorko have dedicated themselves to increasing awareness of boating and water safety.

On June 5, the first Emsway Walk for Safety will be held at Greenwich Point.

The walk, which will benefit the Emily Catherine Fedorko Foundation, is open to anyone interested.

The registration fee is $10 before the event and $15 at the site. No dogs are allowed. The walk will go through the two-and-a-half mile path beginning at Tods Point and ending near the Innes Arden Cottage.

The first 250 participants ages 10 and older who register online and pay the fee get a free life vest and T-shirt. Limited supplies of both life vests and T-shirts will be made available to people who have Connecticut boating safety certificates or who register online for a safe boating class.

We are holding this walk because its important for us to give back to our community that has supported us, the Fedorkos said in a statement.

We are making our community much safer regarding boating and water sports. We want to educate people so they stop and think before they go out on the water participate in any water sport activity, they said. We want to keep Emilys memory alive by educating folks at the place where she was last enjoying what she loved to do. We want to make our community safe so this doesnt happen to another family.

The walk was timed to be around the beginning of the new boating season.

Refreshments will be served including a local shellfish bar.

The Fedorko Foundation provides funding to spread awareness and education about safe boating and water sports.

More information is available online at https://emsway.org/walk/ .
HARTFORD  Gov. Dannel P. Malloy on Sunday received a Profile in Courage award from the John F. Kennedy Foundation for his willingness to accept refugees from Syria into the state.

The award was presented to Malloy during a morning ceremony at the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library in Boston.
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Every day, those without health insurance seek medical care at hospitals, community health centers and clinics across Connecticut. And once theyve been treated, financial counselors typically try to enroll them in some form of insurance program.

But in places like Danbury, where there is a large immigrant population, health providers know that some of these new patients face an extra barrier  their undocumented status.

Recognizing this, health professionals and advocates across the region are working together to make sure undocumented immigrants have access to health care  partly because they see it as moral responsibility, but also because it affects the health of the entire community.

These individuals are graduating from our schools, working in our workforce, sustaining our local economy and are contributing to the community in multiple ways, said Ingrid Alvarez, of New Fairfield, the Connecticut director of the Hispanic Federation, a nonprofit organization that works in 15 states. Without access to preventive health care, without the opportunity for people to stay proactively healthy, then we are all at risk.

Connecticut is home to an estimated 100,000 undocumented immigrants. At the Hispanic Center of Greater Danbury, visitors ask daily about access to affordable health care, said Executive Director Andrea Contreras.

Some undocumented immigrants are able to obtain health insurance through their employers, but none are allowed to buy insurance on the state exchange, Access Health CT, even at full price. So when a medical catastrophe occurs, it can leave an undocumented immigrant or family with astronomical medical bills.

Most undocumented immigrants have no access to health insurance, so they wait until things get so bad that they have to go to the emergency room, said Carolina Bortolleto, 27, an undocumented immigrant who moved to Danbury with her family 18 years ago. Then the medical bills pile up for everyone involved.

Bortolleto was granted a work permit and exemption from deportation until 2017 through the federal Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, but wasnt able to get health insurance on her own. She was covered for a time by her fathers policy, but that expired when she turned 26.

Seven months later, in December 2014, she awoke one night with horrible stomach pains and nausea. The next morning, after a visit to Doctors Express, she went to the emergency room at Danbury Hospital.

I went to the triage room, I sat down and I started to explain my whole story, she said. Then I remember the door closing and then I woke up about two weeks later.

An obstruction in her stomach had ruptured. For 18 days, while in a medically induced coma, she underwent six surgeries, including one that removed part of her stomach.

In April, she was transferred to Yale-New Haven Hospital, where she had three more surgeries  including removal of the rest of her stomach and part of her small intestine. She now receives food and water through feeding tubes.

All in all, Bortolleto spent seven months in the hospital.

Carolina and her twin sister, Camila, had founded an organization in 2010 called Connecticut Students for a Dream to push for greater access to higher education for undocumented youth. She has continued that work from her Brookfield home, where her mother is her caregiver.

Bortolleto still owes more than $400,000 in medical bills.

Not all cases are as financially burdensome as Bortolletos, but she exemplifies a larger trend in which undocumented immigrants use the emergency room as a last resort.

To prevent this, health providers in Danbury  including the free clinics, community health centers and Danbury Hospital  not only provide immediate treatment, but also encourage patients to get preventive care.

The Greater Danbury Community Health Center on North Street provides primary care, dental services and behavioral health treatment to people of all ages on a sliding pay scale and without regard to immigration status.

When needed, its staff  many of whom are multilingual  refer patients to Danbury Hospital or to private providers. For example, the community health center provides a wide range of prenatal and postnatal services for women. But when its time for the women to give birth, they are sent to the hospital.

Conversely, hospital officials refer patients to community health centers and clinics like the Americares Free Clinic on West Street, which provides free care to eligible adults.

James Maloney, CEO and president of the Connecticut Institute for Communities, which sponsors the community health center, called these partnerships absolutely crucial.

Without the relationships that exist, we literally could have individuals not getting the services that they may need and may need quite critically, Maloney said.

Advocates laud this work, but add that these measures are not always enough to keep people healthy  and that even these safety nets could unravel amid the states budget crisis.

Alvarez, as part of her work at the Hispanic Federation, has been working with the Connecticut Health Foundation for two years in Bridgeport to bring together immigrant, black and Hispanic groups to talk about the issues they face in health care and to groom local advocates to take their concerns and recommendations to Hartford.

Decisions every day are made on our behalf without our knowing it, without us having an opportunity to have input, she said.
Laziness led to the creation of Venmo, a mobile payments company acquired by Paypal in 2013 that processed $7.5 billion last year.

Seven years ago, Venmo co-founder Iqram Magdon-Ismail and his former University of Pennsylvania roommate, Andrew Kortina, were at a funk concert in Philadelphia when they conceived of the idea to send money via their phones. They were in the balcony and too lazy to go downstairs and tip the band.

Three weeks later, Magdon-Ismail went to visit Kortina in New York and forgot his wallet. It was then that they got serious about refining the idea for their mobile payment service and building a prototype.

Sometimes building something that directly improves your life is a great way to invent something that improves the lives of others, Magdon-Ismail said Friday at the third annual #StartupColumbia entrepreneurship festival.

Related: Crash Course in Business Plan Competitions

Here are the main lessons Magdon-Ismail learned along the way that helped him shepherd his company from the idea stage through two acquisitions.

Unlike PayPal, which later acquired Venmo (more on that later), Venmo would allow mobile users to pay anyone, as long as they had that persons phone number. At the time, thats what made most sense for the co-founders in building the service, but they never expected the phone number aspect would be what would make it go viral. Nonetheless, that social network component made Venmo available to millions of people who now exchange billions of dollars via the mobile app each year.

(The FTC is currently investigating Venmo in connection with potential unfair trade practices.)

When Magdon-Ismail and Kortina started Venmo, they initially viewed its largest market as food trucks, who could use the service to exchange money with customers. Specifically, they labeled the market for the product as every food truck in the world! Investors werent sold on the idea.

Later, they transitioned to a charity model. They tried using Venmo for charitable donations at a Will.i.am concert, but the audience wasnt so keen on the idea.

For a time, the co-founders also considered focusing on merchants. Now theres something called Square for that, Magdon-Ismail says.

They finally landed on Venmo with Friends, the basis for the app as it exists today. After an angel investment, the company took off, and the app launched on June 5, 2012.

Related: Businesses Can Soon Accept Payments Through Venmo

And by a long way, Magdon-Ismail means two major acquisitions. Despite the promise the app showed for adoption, the company was losing money. It would have taken hundreds of thousands of dollars from investors to even break even, Magdon-Ismail explains.

The co-founders werent deterred by the prospect of their company being acquired. When one of their investors suggested they explore an offer from another company in his portfolio, Braintree, they took the deal. Braintree saved Venmos life, Magdon-Ismail says. It was then that the duo could finally see their initial instincts for Venmo fully realized.

While working on Venmo one day, Magdon-Ismail was listening to Stevie Wonders live concert, Live at Last. At one point, Wonder shouts to his audience, Were just getting started!

Thats how I look at life, Magdon-Ismail says. Now that Venmo is doing so well, Magdon-Ismail no longer works full time with the company. Hes recently invested in a HR job-matching company and a Manhattan Sri Lankan restaurant. Hes also working on an album.

Related: Papa John's Launches Venmo-Powered Digital Platform to Split Bills

Though he was running out of time to finish his talk, Magdon-Ismail made sure to save a moment to share a photograph of Venmos staff right before the company moved from Philadelphia to New York.

Its important to step back and think about all of the memories that youll build with people that youre in the trenches with, he says.

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Revolving Doors: An Analysis Of The UAE's High Staff Turnover Rate

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Five Reasons Why CEOs Need To Be Coached



Copyright 2016 Entrepreneur.com Inc., All rights reserved
GREENWICH  Carl Higbie hit a highlight in his military career when he and a team of fellow U.S. Navy commandos captured a very high-priority target, the so-called butcher of Fallujah.

Ahmad Hashim Abd al-Isawi was the mastermind behind the 2004 murder and mutilation of four American contractors in Iraq, and his capture was a major priority. SEAL Team 10 was given the go-ahead to grab him  alive.
The Samsung Galaxy J3 (2016) has surrendered its number one spot in our Top 10 trending chart this week, making way for the Xiaomi Redmi Note 3. The Chinese phablet powered to the top after being way down in 7th just two weeks ago.

Meanwhile, the world has stood still for most of the others, especially in the middle of the chart. We need to scroll down to number 7, to find the Galaxy J7 (2016) move 2 spots up from it's last week's 9th.

The Galaxy S7 edge has slipped into 8th, where it normally stands - last week's 7th was a one-off. The Lenovo Vibe K4 Note inches ahead, after reentering last week, and the timeless iPhone 5s makes a comeback.
Published on 2016/05/01 | Source

American gaphic novelist Onrie Kompan has illustrated the famous naval Battle of Myeongnyang in which Admiral Yi Sun-shin defeated a 330-strong invading Japanese fleet ships with only a dozen of his famous turtle ships.

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A preview of "Yi Soon Shin: Fallen Avenger" is published Thursday, which marks the birthday of Yi, on the website of the Seoul International Cartoon & Animation Festival and on YouTube.

The full graphic novel will be unveiled at Comicon in New York this October.

Sales of Kompan's trilogy, "Warrior and Defender", which first featured Yi's feats, totaled around 50,000 copies in the U.S. alone. It was published in Korean last year.

Kompan will visit Seoul in July and meet fans at the festival.
Published on 2016/04/30

Bong Joon-ho and Tilda Swinton are working together on "Okja" for Netflix, KOBIZ has an infographic on popular Korean series films, CJ CGV's ScreenX takes filmgoing to the next level at Cinema Con, and learn about Korea's "Grand Master" of eroticism.

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"CJ CGV Spreads 'Cinema Hallyu' at 2016 CinemaCon"

CJ CGV's "ScreenX" technology was the awesome means by which many filmgoers at CinemaCon enjoyed screenings at this year's event. This "advanced cinema solution" is taking filmgoing to the next level and helping to spread "Cinema Hallyu" to the rest of the world: "The company's 4DX, the multisensory cinema technology with motion and environmental effectsand ScreenX, a 270-degree, multi-projection system used within a theatre setting, were favorably reviewed and attracted attention from numerous movie theater operators at the event, leading to business discussion". Do you think such technology will ever be the standard?

...READ ON BUSINESS KOREA

"Grand Master of Korean Eroticism Films"

KOBIZ has a great feature on Bong Man-dae, Korea's "Grand Master" of eroticism: "Unlike previous eroticism videos where sex scenes were mechanically inserted in the middle of discrepant stories, his works had their own convincing narrative. He sometimes used music video-style camera works and editing skills". Have you caught any of his films, yet? Be honest...

...READ ON KOBIZ

""Okja" Reunites Tilda Swinton With the Director of "Snowpiercer"!"

"Snowpiercer" fans rejoice! Bong Joon-ho ("The Host", "Mother - 2009") will once again be working with Tilda Swinton, but this time it will be for a Netflix original movie called "Okja"! Bloody Disgusting reveals that the movie is set for release next year, so keep an eye out for more magic from Bong in the future!

...READ ON BLOODY DISGUSTING

"I'll Be Back"

Enjoy this neat infographic from KOBIZ detailing popular "series movies" in Korea, like "Marrying the Mafia", "Two Cops" and "Public Enemy".

...READ ON KOBIZ
Published on 2016/04/30

Get a taste for Korean-American cuisine with the "Koreatown" cookbook, Korea's J-shaped ice-cream cones head to L.A., discover what new dish is trending in Korea, and get some advice from travel bloggers on how to shop and eat local.

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"'Koreatown' takes home cooks on culinary journey"

Interested in exploring the exciting flavours of Korean-American cuisine? "Koreatown: A Cookbook" could be just for you, and in this post you'll get Erin Pride-Swaney's review of Deuki Hong's new book: "Recipe descriptions are friendly, useful and entertaining. They encourage readers to reach out on Twitter should they get stumped on a recipe or ingredient". No excuses, delicious fusion food can be yours to devour at home!

...READ ON HERALD NET

"The Korean J-Shaped Ice Cream Cone Arrives in L.A".

I must say that I didn't encounter too many of these on my walkabouts in Korea, but there you have it! This strange looking treat is L.A.-bound and soon these "wacky churros" will be enjoyed by America's west coast: "Customers are given the choice to have the cone filled with vanilla or chocolate soft serve, or both. Shim then tops one end with sprinkles and the other with a raspberry. It makes for a bizarre and Instagrammable dessert".

...READ ON LA WEEKLY

"South Korea's latest food craze  barbequed lamb skewers"

While the world is gorging itself on many of Korea's delicious dishes and ingredients, what are Koreans themselves tucking into? Barbecued lamb skewers, apparently: "For years, lamb and mutton were considered unpalatable by Koreans  too strong, too smelly, not to mention too cute while prancing through the fields. Meat consumption was limited to beef, chicken, pork, sometimes duck, and very occasionally dog. But a booming Korean-Chinese population has got the country into the swing of lamb".

...READ ON THE MALAY MAIL ONLINE

"ISO authentic food: Travel bloggers on how to shop and eat local"

This is a great collection of tips from various travel bloggers on how to shop and eat local. Anna Kate, specifically, has some advice from her blog, The Legendary Adventures of Ann", on her experiences in Korea: "To find the tastiest food in a local market, look for a long line. I often get in line, ask if they speak English in their local language and then ask what we are standing in line for".

...READ ON USA TODAY
By William Schwartz | Published on 2016/04/30

"The Truth Shall Not Sink with Sewol" was the immediate incredulous reaction to the South Korean government's poor handling of the Sewol tragedy. "Cruel State" was the protracted, despairing reaction as time went on and surviving family members were belittled for wanting an explanation. And now, we have "Upside Down", a documentary which, two years later, tries to find out how the families are holding up, and what the best explanation is, now that there has been ample time to test out all sorts of theories.

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The immediate distressing part of "Upside Down" is realizing that more Sewol documentaries are even necessary at this point. What it really boils down to is a simple lack of accountability. The students who died in Sewol weren't just random statistics. They were people, with family who loved them, who even in the present day talk about their children as if...well, as if they were still vibrant presences in everyday life. Their deaths are hard to process because the whole tragedy was so obviously preventable.

"Upside Down" goes over each of these issues one by one, like bullet points. There are the indications that the crew had a much better idea how bad the situation was, yet failed to notify the passengers. There's the matter of how a quick response was constantly subverted because apparently not enough people with sufficient government credentials were on the scene yet. There's the preventative safety angle, going over how deregulation eliminated many of the safeguards that should have made a capsizing physically impossible.

The list just goes on and on, and it's a little overhwelming how all this time later, still no one can point to any action by the government which seriously worked to correct the systemic problems. Punishment is discussed, like Park Eun-hye's somewhat extreme decision to disband The Coast Guard, yet none of this posturing inspires much confidence in the way of preventative measures. The immediate reaction to the Sewol crisis was apathy, and absent constant protests, that streak probably would have continued.

But "Upside Down" is informative in more than just the matter of Sewol itself. Foreign observers were surprised when left-wing parties defeated the incumbent right-wing government in recent elections. Yet watching "Upside Down", which was of course produced beforehand, it's clear there's a powerful activist element in South Korean politics that's sick of all the excuses. Park Ju-min, one newly elected lawmaker, has been working as a lawyer for the families of Sewol victims and ran for office mostly to put himself in a better position to do just that.

I should probably note that in terms of technical construction "Upside Down" is not the most elegantly designed. The documentary ends quite abruptly with little build-up, and overall the film is little more than a construction of personal anecdotes, subjective reactions and objective analysis. But it's an issue that speaks to people for good reason. Anyone who uses a car, or a subway, or even just walks the street could fall victim to the same indifference that doomed the passengers of Sewol. It's more human to grieve with victims than it is to be as aloof as the administrators.

Review by William Schwartz

"Upside Down" is directed by Dong B. Kim
Published on 2016/05/01 | Source

Some 140 drivers will race each other in Ferraris, Lamborghinis, McLarens, Porsches and other supercars at the Asia Festival of Speed in Yeongam, South Jeolla Province in mid-May.

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AFOS is in its third year. The first race in 2014 drew just 10,000 spectators, but the 2015 event attracted 13,000 and organizers hope for 20,000 this year.

The ill-fated Korea International Circuit hosted the Formula One Korean Grand Prix from 2010 to 2013, but snowballing losses prompted South Jeolla Province to stop it and replace it with the AFOS race, a purely commercial event.

It has paid off so far. The KIC last year posted its second surplus and is slowly emerging from the shock of losing the Grand Prix.

Hyundai, GM Korea and the Korea Automotive Technology Institute are currently using it as a testing ground, as are tire makers Hankook and Kumho. Smaller racing events are also held there.

As a result, rental profits rose from W3.2 billion in 2014 to W3.6 billion last year and are forecast at W4 billion this year (US$1=W1,150).

Since it costs around W3 billion a year to maintain the circuit, this year will mark the third year the KIC makes ends meet.

The provincial government said the race track is open 280 days of the year.

Provincial officials are hosting other events in order to help reduce the approximately W190 billion in accumulated losses, including a festival prior to AFOS. The festival from May 5 to 14 will give visitors a chance to ride in a supercar.
Published on 2016/05/01 | Source

A growing number of young office workers are quitting their jobs to take a year out because they missed the gap year that high-school graduates in the West often take before university to see the world or do good.

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They often see it as an opportunity to reflect on the rat race and their future in it, and do some general soul searching.

According to Korea Gap Year, which offers gap year programs for young adults, more than 500 office workers quit their jobs or took sabbaticals and signed up last year.

"Just three years ago, most of the applicants were university students taking time off or graduates looking for jobs, but now more than 30 percent are young workers who quit their jobs", a staffer said. "If you include those who didn't sign up for our program but organized their gap year on their own, the total number probably rises to the thousands".

Lee Ban-hee (31) has a degree in art but worked for a major electronics company. She quit her job in October 2014 and traveled to Italy, where she learned metalworking for three months. She returned to Korea and found work as a freelance jewelry designer.

"I make half of what I used to make, and this makes me nervous at times, but I have no regrets since I'm doing what I really want to do", she said.

Jeon So-ra (32) quit her government job in 2012 and spent the next year and a half doing volunteer work in the Third World. She later found a job as a consultant on doing business in developing countries.

"Since high school I never had time to look back on my life", Jeon said. "My annual salary has dropped by around 10 percent, but my work satisfaction has increased tremendously".

Jeon quit her job again recently and headed to Brazil, where she plans to get married to her Brazilian boyfriend whom she met during her gap year.

But the way home can be difficult. One 28-year-old woman who quit her job in PR for a cosmetics company in 2014, is still looking for a new job. "I thought I'd find another job quite easily after traveling through Europe for two months, but I've been out of work for a year and a half now", she said. "I think corporate employers have a negative view of people who quit their previous jobs for some recharging".

Ham In-hee at Ewha Womans University said, "Young Koreans who grew up trying to live up to the expectations of others increasingly take charge of their own lives and begin to take on new challenges when they turn 30".
Published on 2016/05/01 | Source

Vitaly Mansky

"Under the Sun" by Russian director Vitaly Mansky opens in theaters here on Wednesday to shine an unprecedented light on the North Korean propaganda machine.

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"I wanted to make a film about North Korea, but there's no real life in the way that we consider", Mansky told the Chosun Ilbo in Seoul on Tuesday. "There is just the creating of an image of the myth of a real life. So we made a film about fake reality".

He said the North Korean government wanted something like the "Truman Show", where everything is tightly controlled and orchestrated.

Mansky swiftly changed focus to the propaganda machine itself, surreptitiously recording every staged shot as it was being set up.

He was born in the Soviet Union. "I wanted to make a film in North Korea because of my curiosity about Russia's past", he said. "But I encountered scenes that were completely different than what I expected. If there's anyone who believes North Korea is a good place to live in, I would like to tell him to try living there".

The film makers had no say in the locations and interview subjects, and any answers were scripted by North Korean minders. Mansky and his film crew were under constant surveillance by North Korean authorities and had to submit each day's footage to the censors.

But North Korea's extreme isolation from the outside world ended up helping the director, because authorities were unfamiliar with digital cameras and did not know they were being constantly filmed.

Mansky submitted only 30 percent of his footage to the censors. Asked how he managed to smuggle out the rest, he declined to elaborate.

Late last year, North Korea wrote to the Russian Foreign Ministry demanding a ban on "Under the Sun" at the Black Nights Film Festival in Estonia and called for the film makers to be punished.

Manksy said North Korean authorities sent three more letters to the Russian government afterwards and asked him to come to Pyongyang "for an important talk", But he told them he was not dumb enough.

But he still wants to show the film in North Korea one day.
Published on 2016/05/01 | Source

The population of Seoul has fallen below 10 million for the first time in 28 years with registered citizens at 9.99 million last month, Statistics Korea said Tuesday.

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The population of the capital surpassed 10 million in 1988 and stayed above until now.

As of March, 10 million people were registered as living or having a residence in Seoul, but the number falls below that mark if 10,472 who live abroad are excluded.

The main reason for the decline is an exodus to the suburbs in surrounding Gyeonggi Province. Seoul first saw a net outflow of 2,300 citizens in February 2009, which has continued ever since.

Last year it increased to 8,820, the biggest of all metropolitan cities in the nation.

Gyeonggi Province by contrast saw a net influx of 9,264 citizens last month, the biggest in the country.

Lee Ji-yeon at Statistics Korea blamed soaring home prices.

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Harlow is a former New Town in Essex with a population of 86,000. Located in the upper Stort Valley, it was built in the decades after the Second World War to ease overcrowding and London and provide homes for people bombed out during the Blitz. It includes Britain's first pedestrian precinct and first modern residential tower block, The Lawn. Old Harlow, the historic part of the town, was mentioned in the Domesday Book. David and Victoria Beckham's former home, Rowneybury House, nicknamed 'Beckingham Palace', is nearby.

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Motorcycle Meltdown heats up 7th Avenue

Keith MacDonald and Jonny Burritt of West Asheville show off a 2009 Thruxton named Ethyl and a 2007 Bonneville T100 named Maybelline. Burritt said Maybelline is an '07, but looks like a 60s or 70s model. It's reliable, but still retro, he said.

With arrival of spring and motorcycle-friendly weather, Southern Appalachian Brewery hosted the fifth annual Meltdown Vintage Motorcycle Show on Saturday.

The Meltdown, sponsored by Ton Up Highlands, shares its five-year anniversary with Southern Appalachian Brewery.

Once again the ride-in show featured hundreds of pre-1980 motorcycles and custom cafe racers plus live music, food trucks and merchandise vendors.

The Meltdown was the first event owner Andy Cubbin hosted when he and wife Kelly opened the countys first brewery in 2011. Cubbin estimated 500 motorcycles rumbled in this year. It gets bigger every year, he said.

The WNC-based Ton-Up Highlands Club has five members who ride, work on and race vintage motorcycles while promoting motorcycle safety.

The first year we had a great response and it has snowballed since then, club member and show director Daniel Huggins said.

This years event featured a Builder Showcase with custom-built motorcycles from all over the country.

At the end of the event, the club raffled off a custom 1971 British cafe racer the members built with all new parts. Proceeds benefited the Veterans Healing Farm in Hendersonville.

SABs weeklong anniversary celebration also included a live music night and the release of special brews from Southern Appalachians small-batch pilot brewing system. SAB recently filled one of its largest beer orders so far. By summer, distribution will expand throughout the rest of North Carolina and into South Carolina.

As part of a significant outdoor expansion, SAB now has a new music stage, covered seating and a designated kids zone. A professional lighting system was also added during the courtyard renovations.
Fascinating history of the unsung women heroes and the American Revolution

Women Heroes of the American Revolution by Susan Casey, contains 20 tales of some of the unsung heroes in American history. Split into five parts, this book relates the accounts of resisters, supporters and rescuers; spies; saboteurs; soldiers and defenders of the home front; and legendary ladies. The stories are recounted through narrative, letters and documents. To give you a taste:

Phyllis Wheatley, a native African who was sold into slavery in America, began writing poems at age 12 and by 14, she had had her first poem published. She wrote about her life and religious beliefs and commented on the events occurring in Boston that led to the American Revolution. When her book of poetry was published, it was only the second book ever to be published by an American woman; it was the first to be published by an African American woman. Her words are still relevant today.

When Lydia Darragh overheard snippets of conversation about what British troops were planning she told her husband, who wrote the information down in code. Lydia then molded the paper over a button and covered it with fabric matching her 14-year-old boy John's coat. John wore the coat and traveled to the Continental Army camp, where his brother Charles served. Then Charles translated the message and relayed it back to General Washington's headquarters.

Grace and Rachel Martin were the wives of two sons in the Martin family, who were away fighting in the militia. When they heard that a courier carrying papers to British officers commanding forces in the area, they decided to prevent the papers' delivery. They dressed themselves like militiamen, took up arms and hid by the road for the messenger and his escort of two British officers. When the women presented their pistols and demanded the men hand over their dispatches, the men readily agreed.

At the end of each story, the author tells you where to go to learn more.

 Graham's take: Some fascinating history.

 Wolfe's take: Some brave women.
FORT WORTH, Texas (AP)  A concert musician who was not allowed to board a flight with her violin says she hopes the incident will raise awareness of regulations that permit violins and other small instruments as carry-on luggage.

Rachel Barton Pine was told by a flight attendant and captain of an American Eagle flight that she could not bring her 18th century violin on board the plane Thursday from Chicago to Albuquerque, New Mexico. They offered to valet-check the instrument, but Pine declined. The airline, which is based in Texas, later apologized.

"Violins are too delicate to be checked," Pine said in a phone interview Friday. "It's not a question of if it might break. It will break."

She said the fact that her violin, a 1742 Guarneri, is a rare and valuable instrument, is irrelevant: "It could be a $50 student violin and the same problem exists."

Pine said federal regulations and American Airline's own policies specifically say "a musician may carry a small instrument such as a violin onto the plane" to be stowed overhead or under a seat.

"A law is only helpful if people know what it is," said Pine. "I hope that bringing this to light will help other musicians know their rights and obligations."

In an email, American spokeswoman Leslie Scott said the captain of the American Eagle flight "determined that Ms. Barton's instrument could not be safely secured in an overhead bin or under a seat." Scott confirmed that the airline offered to valet-check the violin, but Barton declined. She was then rebooked for travel Friday morning on a bigger plane, which Scott said could better handle the instrument as a carry-on item.

"American has reached out to Ms. Barton directly to apologize for the inconvenience," Scott said.

Pine says she flies 100,000 miles a year with American in every type of aircraft  including the type of small regional jet she tried to board Thursday  "and I can guarantee that my violin easily fits on the airplane." There's even a photo of her instrument in an overhead bin on her Instagram account. She says while it's slightly longer than a standard rollerbag, it's narrower and thinner.

Pine also said that she offered to show the attendant that her violin would fit but she was not permitted to demonstrate, and that she cited the regulations allowing instruments on board to no avail. "There's not enough awareness about the existence of this law," she said, adding that American remains her favorite airline and that "this could have happened with any airline."

Pine said she was heading to Albuquerque to play for "inner city kids" and she made it to her Friday appearance on "two hours sleep." She was scheduled to solo Saturday with the New Mexico Philharmonic.
HARRISONBURG, Va. (AP)  The chairman of GOP presidential front-runner Donald Trump's campaign in Virginia says he plans to run for governor in 2017.

Corey Stewart, who is also chairman of the Prince William County Board of Supervisors, told The Associated Press on Saturday that he plans to launch an official campaign in October.

Stewart, best known for taking an aggressive stance against illegal immigration, said his conservative credentials should help him secure the GOP nomination. Republicans are currently scheduled to pick their candidate for governor next year at a convention instead of a primary. Conventions generally favor conservative candidates.

Other GOP gubernatorial hopefuls include former Republican National Committee Chairman Ed Gillespie and U.S. Rep. Rob Wittman. Former Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli, an outspoken conservative like Stewart, said Saturday he is not running.
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Noted director Vishal Bhardwaj and high commissioner Navtej Sarna added Indian tributes to events in Britain to mark 400 years of William Shakespeares death, recalling how the bard was appropriated as an Indian Shakespeare over the ages.

If a recent survey is to be believed, more Indians are familiar with Shakespeare  83%  compared to Britons at 58%. The occasion helped people to recall the many adaptations of the bards work in Indian films and theatre in various languages.

At Stratford-upon-Avon, a town synonymous with Shakespeare, Sarna unfurled the tricolour, addressed a 600-strong gathering on behalf of the diplomatic corps, and recalled the many layers at which India engaged and appropriated Shakespeare over the years.

Bhardwaj, who says he is more of a music composer and would like to be remembered as such, is best known for his film trilogy based on Shakespeare s plays: Maqbool (2003, Macbeth), Omkara (2006, Othello) and Haider (2014, Hamlet).

My engagement with Shakespeare happened accidentally. In school, Shakespeare horrified me. Ninety per cent of directors want to make a gangster film, I was keen to go beyond the surface, say more than just killing, Bhardwaj told an audience in Asia House this week.

I came across Lamb s Macbeth, and when I started reading, it fascinated me. Our countrys cops would be the best witches. I also remembered Shakespeare winking at the audience at the end of the film Angoor (1982, based on Comedy of Errors).

Bhardwaj said his effort was to be honest with the soul of Shakespeares plays, rather than the text. His Shakespeare trilogy was screened in London and he responded to questions later, along with co-writers Robin Bhatt and Abbas Tyrewala.

Noting that India figured often in Shakespeares plays, Sarna said: The simple fact is that Shakespeare does not belong to any one country, or in fact to any one language. He belongs to humanity as a whole; and particularly for the English speaking world, who can own the mind that gave the language 2,000 words and several catch phrases.

Besides Bhardwajs trilogy, Sarna recalled that Shakespeares plays were being staged in colonial Calcutta and Bombay since the mideighteenth century, with the earliest drama tis at ions by Indian sat Hindu College in Calcutta in 1822.

With the advent of film it was only a matter of time that filmmakers in India began to mine Shakespeare for material. In one of the earliest talking movies or talkies as they were known, filmmaker and actor Sohrab Modi played Hamlet in his movie called Khoon Ka Khoon (1935). This was followed in 1941 by JJ Madans take on The Merchant Of Venice Zalim Saudagar, he said.

Sarna rounded off his address with the bards lines: But I have spoken long enough. I wouldnt want my words to become, as in As You Like It, too much of a good thing. I shall therefore, to borrow words from Othello, vanish into thin air and no doubt all of you will instantly recall the words from The Merchant Of Venice - good riddance.

WE ARE NOT OCCUPYING KASHMIR, IT IS OURS

The film Haider, set in Jammu and Kashmir and directed by Vishal Bhardwaj, was one of the key movies discussed at the Asia House event Shakespeare Meets Bollywood. The director dwelt on the film and the complex context in which it was made.

To a British questioner who mentioned India-occupied Kashmir, Bhardwaj responded calmly: First of all, we dont call it India-occupied Kashmir. It is ours. We are not occupying it. You have to see, accept the pain, make it your own, at least acknowledge the pain.

He added, The film opened up a discussion on what is happening there. The films message is that everything is not lost, that we should all overcome the feeling of revenge. The whole film was against violence. The army is doing its job, people should acknowledge the armys role.

Bhardwaj said Haidar had made the most money of all my films, so Indians liked it.

On the pronunciation of the Yiddish word chutzpah used in the film  resonating with a Hindi word for a female body part, rather than its original hutzpah  he said he first heard it in a talk given by Osho, and used it because it also rhymed with AFSPA (Armed Forces Special Powers Act).

It took a long time to woo actress Tabu to play a role in the film: She said she would play mother to anyone but Shahid Kapoor, Bhardwaj said.

He revealed that actor Aamir Khan was keen to play the role of Langda Tyagi in Omkara but he wanted Bhardwaj to wait for two years. He said he was not ready to wait that long and cast Saif Ali Khan in the widely acclaimed role.

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The city of Lahore will be a medium, not just a site, says Pakistani artist Rashid Rana, as he settles in to discuss over the phone the inaugural Lahore Biennale, set to be held in November-December 2017.

Rana, the Pakistan art worlds most recognisable face, has been picked as curator and artistic director of the event -- which is being organised by the Lahore Biennale Foundation, a body established in 2014 by Pakistani artists, art enthusiasts and members of the business fraternity.

This will be the third major art event launched in the Indian subcontinent, after Bangladeshs Dhaka Art Summit and Indias Kochi-Muziris biennale, both started in 2012. And this one, Rana promises, will be unlike most biennales.

Read: Art in times of conflict

For one thing, anyone can submit an entry, not just professional artists.

The broad theme is Beyond Public Art. The aim is to create an art event without walls, in every sense of the term, Rana says. To expand the production and viewership of art beyond conventional spaces but to do so in diverse ways that go beyond installing large art works around.

In keeping with this approach, certain slots will be reserved for select artists/practitioners, who will participate by invitation, but anyone who has an interesting idea can apply for the rest. The only requirement is that the art work is visually and functionally accessible to the inhabitants of the city of Lahore.

View: Some of the best works from India's own Kochi-Muziris art biennale

We hope to overturn expectations surrounding both art practice and exhibition-making, Rana says. While the format of the biennale has proliferated enormously in the past few decades, there are pertinent questions surrounding its workings and critical currency. The discipline of art itself is not a fixed imaginary. Thus, the biennale sets out to challenge the parameters of both the biennale format and the discipline of art itself, seeking to imagine possible futures and potentials in subversive and yet expansive ways.

Unlike most biennales, the duration of the event will be open-ended too. While we have announced November 5 to December 24 for art tourists to attend the event, but some projects could go on for days after, some for years, and some could become a permanent feature of Lahore, Rana says.

Lahore at present is complicated... the world has a very limited view of it, the artist adds. Its non-linear and peculiar circumstances enable multiple contexts, providing a fertile environment that has produced many creative individuals who have made their mark felt across the world. Its a city that deserves a cultural event with the ambition and scale of a biennale. I hope that starting with a note of self-reflection will become a sustained practice that allows the event to respond flexibly and urgently to new fields of inquiry for many cycles to come.

This approach is, in some ways, an extension of Ranas own art practice, which deals with everyday issues that range from faith to tradition and urbanisation, commenting on politics, society and peoples at large.

Read: Rashid Rana's journey from a policeman's son to Pakistan's most-recognised artist

Art in its present state is a social construct spanning only the last two centuries. The wide scope of objects and activity that we lump together as art now was not necessarily seen as such in the past, Rana adds. The curatorial premise encourages the artists to explore questions around the function of art.
After releasing the first look, Amitabh Bachchan has shared the first poster of his upcoming film TE3N on Twitter.

The 73-year-old actor took to his Twitter handle to share the poster of the Sujoy Ghosh produced, Ribhu Dasgupta directed movie.

Read: Amitabh Bachchan injured in Kolkata shoot, says he is OK

The first release poster of TE3N ... enjoy , he captioned.

T 2242 - The first release poster of 'TE3N" ... enjoy pic.twitter.com/A4NVArj89z  Amitabh Bachchan (@SrBachchan) April 30, 2016

The poster shows Nawazuddin Siddiqui sitting behind the Wazir actor on a scooter. The poster also utilises Inception-like upside down visuals, but in Kolkata instead of Paris.

TE3N, which also stars Vidya Balan, was earlier slated for a May 20 release. But later, when it was found to be clashing with Aishwarya Rai Bachchans Sarbjit, her father-in-law Amitabh Bachchan actor asked the makers to postpone the date and finally, it will now arrive on June 10.

Big-Bs next flick, Shoojit Sircar produced, Aniruddha Roy Chowdhury directed Pink will be releasing on September 16.

Read: Amitabh Bachchan painted Delhi Pink and no one came to know

The film also stars Taapsee Pannu, Kirti Kulhari and Andrea Tariang.

Follow @htshowbiz for more
There seems to be no stopping Irrfan Khan. The 49-year-old actor is known for his diverse and critically-acclaimed roles in Bollywood and Hollywood films. Irrfan has been seen in movies such as Life of Pi (2012) and Jurassic World (2015), and is currently doing another project  an adaptation of Dan Browns novel, Inferno  with Tom Hanks.

Read: Why Irrfan Khan rejected Steven Spielberg film with Scarlett Johansson

He has also been a popular face in the endorsement circuit. The brands that he is endorsing renew his contracts year after year. So, it comes as no surprise that the actors global reach is also getting him offers from across the world. The star has now bagged another international endorsement.

Read: Tom Hanks is a bigger man than he is an actor: Irrfan Khan

A source says, Irrfan has been approached by a Swiss watchmaker brand to become their brand ambassador. The brand is looking to sign three celebrities, and they want Irrfan to be their brand ambassador in Asia, as he is a renowned face here.

Irfan Khan has been approached by a Swiss watch brand to become their brand ambassador.

Irrfans spokesperson confirms the development, saying, The team is in talks with the Swiss brand, and theyre about to finalise the deal. Hopefully, they will shoot the first ad by the end of the year.

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Many have criticised Parineeti Chopras drastic weight loss, saying she succumbed to Bollywoods preference for skinny girls, but the actor admits says she is only thankful for this pressure as it pushed her to attain a fitter body.

The actor has suddenly become a darling of luxury clothing brands and also earned numerous style awards courtesy her new toned figure.

Parineeti feels proud of her weight loss and says she is at peace now.

Read: I was not happy with the way I looked before: Parineeti Chopra

Sharing an old picture of her when she used to on the heavier side, the Kill Dil star wrote on Instagram, All my life, I have struggled with how I look, how I feel, and how people looked at me. I was constantly made fun of, but the person I was, I generously laughed with them. Today, many people ask me what triggered the weight loss, did I give in to the bollywood pressure? To that I say - thank God I became an actor and had that pressure! I am able to achieve what I couldnt achieve otherwise. I feel more confident, I feel at peace, and I feel proud!

The 27-year-old said she is glad her journey to fitness has inspired girls and women across the world.

Read: Parineeti Chopra debuts sexy new look after losing SO much weight

Girls and women meet me all around the world, at airports, events, on the street; they hold my hand, hug me, and tell me their struggles and how I changed their lives. They show me their wallpapers, their wallets, and its all pictures of me! They look at those pictures and want to make that change in their own lives. I have seen women tear up and tell me I changed their life. Post delivery weight, teenage obesity, they are fighting it, and I am their inspiration. As an actor, there is no bigger achievement for me, Parineeti wrote.

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Travelling in local trains is the quickest mode of transportation in Kolkata. That is what Vidya Balan, who is currently shooting in the city for the sequel to her hit film, Kahaani (2012), realised recently.

The actor enjoyed travelling in a local train while shooting in the city recently; also bought earrings from a vendor. (Yogen Shah/ HT Photo)

She chose to board a local train to reach Howrah Junction railway station from Chandannagar, as she was getting late for a shoot due to traffic.

Read: Actresses lives dont stop at 30 or marriage, says Vidya Balan

A source says, Vidya wanted to save time and avoid traffic. She didnt mind travelling by local train, and reached the venue, where the shoot was happening, in an hour. The local commuters were surprised when they spotted her on the train with her team.

Read: Insecurity in Bollywood is a dark thing, says Vidya Balan

She chatted with them as well. The source adds that Vidya is having a blast in Kolkata, which is one of her favourite cities in India.

The Bollywood star says, It was so much fun travelling in the local train. I also bought jhumkas (earrings) while I was on it.

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Asked to explain the real causes of ballooning bad loans at public sector banks, RBI governor Raghuram Rajan blamed the overall economic downturn, among other reasons, in his submission to the key Parliamentary Panel.

Congress leader K V Thomas-led Public Accounts Committee (PAC), whose term ended yesterday, has examined Rajans response but can ask the RBI Governor to appear before it in future once it is reconstituted, sources said.

Various public sector banks may also be asked to appear before the panel again to explain their position.

The Parliamentary Panel had suo motu decided to examine the non-performing assets of the public sector banks, which touched Rs 3.61 lakh crore at the end of December 2015.

At the end of December, as many as 701 accounts with bad loans exceeding Rs 100 crore owed public sector banks (PSBs) Rs 1.63 lakh crore, while SBI accounted for the biggest chunk.

PSBs had first refused to appear before PAC, but agreed later and made their submission.

During the examination of bad loan recovery process of the banks, the PAC found that in a number of cases the same bankers were trying to retrieve the bad loans who had earlier sanctioned the loans.

Since the same officers, who sanctioned the loans are trying to retrieve it, it remains to be seen how successful they will be.. It seems they did not have a mechanism, a PAC member said on the condition of anonymity.

In its questionnaire for the RBI Governor, the panel observed that Private Sector Banks and Foreign Banks do not have as much NPAs as the Public Sector Banks. This was despite the constraints under which the entire banking sector operates being the same, except for the Priority Sector Lending (PSL) requirements.

Noting that Private Sector Banks and Foreign Banks have 2.2 per cent NPAs whereas the Public Sector Banks have 5.98 per cent NPAs, the PAC felt it is hard to believe that the difference is only due to the PSL.

The PAC Chairman also sought to know the real causes for the present spurt in NPAs and stressed assets and whether these are really different from those listed by the Narsimham Committee that went into the NPA issue in 1998.

In his reply, Rajan said, While some of the reasons for recent spurt in NPAs could be subset of those indicated by Narasimham Committee, the level of stressed assets are seen in the context of overall economic downturn.

Rajan listed six primary reasons for spurt in stressed assets that have been observed in recent times.

These included domestic and global economic slowdown, delays in statutory and other approvals especially for projects under implementation and aggressive lending practices during upturn as evidenced from high corporate leverage.

Other reasons cited by Rajan were laxity in credit risk appraisal and loan monitoring in banks and lack of appraising skills for projects that need specialised skills resulting in acceptance of inflated cost and aggressive projections. Besides, he also listed wilful default, loan frauds and corruption in some cases among the key reasons.
Keen to step up engagement in the hydrocarbon sector with Iran, India has conveyed to the Persian Gulf nation that it is ready to clear nearly $6.5 billion of the dues for oil import from that country at the earliest, provided there was clarity on payment channel.

The message has been conveyed to Iran even as Prime Minister Narendra Modi is likely to visit the oil-rich country later this month.

Government sources said there has been a series of discussions at various levels both in Tehran and New Delhi and both sides are confident of resolving the issue soon.

We are working on clearing the dues to Iran and are hopeful that the issue will be resolved soon, they said.

Following lifting of sanctions against it in January under a historic nuclear deal, Iran had terminated a three-year-old system with India of getting paid for half of the oil dues in rupees and has been insisting on being paid in Euros for the oil it sells to Indian refiners.

It has also scrapped free delivery of crude oil to Indian refiners.

Officials said though western sanctions against Iran were lifted, problems persist in banking channels due to which regular transactions were not possible yet.

Refiners like Essar Oil and Mangalore Refinery and Petrochemicals Ltd (MPRL) owe nearly $6.5 billion in dues to Iran.

Since February 2013, Indian refiners like Essar Oil and MRPL paid 45% of their import bill in rupees to UCO Bank account of Iranian oil company.

The remaining has been accumulating, pending finalization of a payment mechanism.

Petroleum minister Dharmendra Pradhan and external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj had visited Iran last month during which they had conveyed to Iranian leaders that India wants to significantly ramp up engagement in oil and gas sector with that country.

The issue of the pending dues had also figured in the meetings.

Swaraj during her visit had conveyed to Iranian leadership that India wants to invest in joint ventures in oil and gas sectors in the Persian Gulf nation where foreign investors from major economic powers are rushing in to get early footholds after lifting of sanctions.

Following lifting of sanctions against Iran, India has been eying deeper energy ties with that country and has already lined up $20 billion as investment in oil and gas as well as petrochemical and fertiliser projects there.

New Delhi is looking to increase engagement with the sanction-free Iran by raising oil imports and possible shipments of natural gas. It also wants rights to develop Farzad-B gas field in the Persian Gulf discovered by OVL.

A deal for the field was not signed during Pradhans visit as Iranian Parliament, Majlis, is yet to approve the new Iran Petroleum Contract (IPC) under which the Farzad-B field is to be given to the OVL-led consortium.
One summer in Chennai, when I was eighteen, I sold Funskool Toys door-to-door. (Circumstances). My assignment was to walk down the roads of a fancy area of the city carrying a massive bag and ring doorbells. Somewhat new to poverty I prepared myself for humiliation. But I was stunned by the world of strangers and the persistence of kindness even though I was not a good salesman of board games and I did not sell a lot.

People drew me into their homes, offered water, even juices and junk. Girls made eye-contact. Housewives in nighties, with towels over the breasts, spoke so kindly the boy misunderstood. Old men spoke about education and the future of the nation. One man challenged me to a chess match on the terrace; if he lost he would buy. A boy in the school uniform of Don Bosco answered the door and when his mother refused to let me in, he said, Im so so so sorry. Even today I wish him well. You, too, but he especially.

For an adolescent writer who was then sponging off high moral ground, social inequality and hyperbolic nihilism for material, the experience deprived me of a strand of profitable bitterness. The world was not a cruel place. If you dont include Pomeranians.

Read | Giving is good: Want to be happier, healthier? Donate money

We have an opportunity today to convey such a myth or reality to millions of young men and women who have been dealt a lousy hand in a treacherous nation. Through kindness, yes, but tips chiefly. Not only in restaurants but in other places, like our own homes. With the whole warehouse of goods now coming home on the arms of the poor there is much we can do with money that would otherwise stay in the desk drawer. We can push billions of rupees into the economic system even as we convey to the bitter men and women who are not like us: That we are not so bad; you dont have to count on crooked politicians alone.

In actuality, forget tipping, Indian consumers are plain villainous. According to an Amazon employee, who explained why Amazon and Flipkart do not deliver in Noida anymore (goods that are worth above a certain amount), Our delivery boys were locked up in bathrooms, some beaten up for the most silly reasons ever  give me my change of Rs 2, the POS (point-of-sale) not working, the order was late Also, people in Noida, and other places, too, exhibited the tendency to order an iPhone, claim it was a Nokia, and return a piece of brick or biscuit packets in the box instead of the phone. And, several people ordered cash-on-delivery just for fun.

It appears that it would be hard to convert India into a tipping nation, but the effort would be worth it and it would be an exquisite political act.

There is a moment in the television series, Wonder Years when at the door of an intoxicated mans home stands a food-delivery boy with diminishing hopes of getting a tip. I wish I could give you something more meaningful, the doped man says, like a sunny day, or a rainbow, but all I got is this  money. You may have guessed the expression on the boys face. Cash would do. Cash is good.

Read | Chinese internet mogul Pony Ma pledges $2 bn donation

An economic behaviour is usually not rational, it is a habit. The reason why in many societies, people tip only waiters but not other professionals who perform as much or far greater service, like shop assistants. Actually, as Mr Pink pointed out in Reservoir Dogs, even McDonalds employees are not tipped. you dont see anyone tip them, do ya? Why not?, theyre serving you food. But no, society says dont tip these guys over here, but tip these guys over here.

But even in other types of restaurants, where the idea of tipping is deeply set, Indians give grudgingly and poorly when service charge is not included in the bill.

The organised foodservice business in India is estimated to be about Rs 3 trillion. Most of Indian online commerce concerns travel, but online retail is worth thousands of crores and is growing fast, and about 80% of it, it is believed, is executed through cash-on-delivery. If Indians start tipping as though it is a religious duty it would infuse a reasonable amount of idle cash into the economic system and may even contribute to the goodwill between the republic of the middleclass and that of the poor. A truly courageous reformer, which eliminates most politicians, would coax Indians to tip more instead of giving money to god who puts it in dumb fixed-deposits.

Tipping also includes asking taxi-drivers to keep the change. And letting the unsung inventor of surge-pricing, the Indian auto-driver, overcharge you within reasonable limits.

Read | A toast to philanthrocapitalism: Zuckerbergs charity and profit

Indians in the capitalist system who earn more and more through diligence or charlatan ways, and pay more and more direct taxes, indirect taxes and cesses, are greater philanthropists than 30-year-old communist student leaders whose hearts bleed for the poor. Even so, there are moral reasons why we should do more. Most of the upper classes are beneficiaries of inequality, which begins in the maternity ward. The losers are the ones on the other end of cash-on-delivery. Also, we are beneficiaries of the most ludicrous business model in the history of capitalism. The deep discounts that e-commerce marketplaces offer us are financed by billionaires betting with the money of other billionaires and millionaires. But the wages of the delivery workforce has not risen substantially because India has so many doomed youth.

That fortunate Indians must tip those who perform mundane services can be a reformist political movement on the lines of Modis Clean India. It is most suited for Arvind Kejriwal. His core constituency of worker bees would love him more. If his campaign would annoy the elite, it would reassure him that he has probably done something right.

Manu Joseph is a journalist and the author of the novel, The Illicit Happiness of Other People

The author tweets via @manujosephsan

The views expressed are personal

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If eye-popping murals are anything to go buy, the walls in the Capital are witnessing a style war.

What started as an underground graffiti culture a few years back has evolved into a vibrant street art movement with an array of street artists transforming the citys public spaces with paints, stencils and spray cans.

Like New York City, a mecca for street artists whose iconic murals attract tourists from all over the world, Delhi too now boasts of its street art hotspots. New colourful paintings emerge on Delhis walls in the streets, marketplaces and residential areas.

Lodhi Colony, for example, became the countrys first public art district earlier this year; the walls of Shankar Market in central Delhi too adorn colourful depictions focusing on music, dance and drama. And after the Govindpuri Metro station, where murals were painted recently on the walls as part of the street art festival, Indian Railways commissioned street artists to give a facelift to its long-neglected station Narela in north-west Delhi.

Unlike a few years back when street art was seen as an act of rebellion, many of these big street art projects have the approval of government agencies such as the New Delhi Municipal Council and Central Public Works Department.

The railways approached us to paint on this historic station which was built in 1890. Seven artists from our group worked on the walls to draw railway-related motifs, says Yogesh Saini, founder of Delhi Street Art (DSA), one of the citys better-known street art groups that has been at the forefront of the citys fast-evolving street art scene. It has painted murals in places such as Shankar Market, Nehru Place and Janakpuri.

Lodhi Colony, which Hanif Kureshi, director of ST+ART festival, calls an open air public art gallery flaunts several massive murals created by artists from all across the world. The common man cannot relate to art. We believe that art should be more popular and the best way to make that happen is to bring it to streets, where there is no class division, says Kureshi, one of the pioneers of street art in the city. The murals in Lodhi Colony represent diverse and complex themes such as nature in its various manifestations, origin of the world, migratory birds, space, life and death, among others.

So why is Delhi becoming a canvas for street artists? Delhi is a large city with diverse geography, culture and history. It has enough wall spaces that lend themselves to all kinds of artistic narratives, says Kureshi.

A mural at the Narela station. (Ravi Choudhary/HT Photo)

The citys street art scene got a major boost in 2015 when ST+ART India foundation organised its first street art festival. Art for everyone was the idea behind it. Besides we wanted to change the visual landscape of the city through artistic interventions such as murals and installations, says Kureshi.

The Capitals street art scenario got a boost with lot of graffiti and street artists making Delhi their home, says Saini. He is not exaggerating. Delhi is home to a growing community of street artists such as Anpu Varkey, Harsh Raman Singh, Amitabh Kumar, and of course Daku.

Street art has become a medium for conveying messages on social, environmental and gender issues. Artists such as Ashwani Aggarwal, 25, a graduate of College of Art, Delhi have created a whole range of signages to dissuade people from open urination. Generally, people use messages to shame people and images of gods which cannot be seen in the night. I have created glow stickers that shine at night, conveying this is not a place to urinate, says Aggarwal.

Many street artists are working with groups such as New Delhi Rising, a community of volunteers, which works to restore and reclaim public spaces. Walls in north and west Delhi are among the ugliest, thanks to ugly political posters. We remove them and invite street artists to paint those walls, says Nakul B of New Delhi Rising.

Kureshi says the biggest achievement of the citys fledging street art movement is that it has democratised art, redefined public spaces, and promoted a dialogue between city and its inhabitants. He says about 25,000 people visited container depot in Tughlakabad, the venue of the street art festival this year, over one month. I do not think any art gallery can match this figure. A lot of artists now want to display their creations on streets where their works get a larger audience, says Kureshi.

You might have a great studio to work and might display your work in a famous gallery, it is all meaningless if no one gets to see it. So street is the most important art gallery.

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From Sunday, commuters in Delhi-NCR may have to struggle to get cabs. After the Supreme Court on Saturday refused to extend the deadline for diesel taxis to switch to CNG, around 50,000 cabs are likely to go off road.

The order will not only affect diesel cabs with the All India Tourist Permit (AITP), but also the fleet of web-based cab aggregators such as Ola and Uber.

Cabs with the permit operate as tourist vehicles and cannot ply as city taxis, which have the pickup and drop points within Delhi-NCR. These vehicles ply with a registration series of DL 1Y.

At present, over 35,000 AITP diesel vehicles in Delhi will be affected by the order. Out of the 30,000 Ola cabs and 20,000 Uber cabs, around 5,000 and 8,000 are yet to switch to CNG.

The diesel SUV cabs cant ply in the city because they cannot be converted into CNG.

Read: SC hits the brakes, diesel cabs off Delhi-NCR roads from today

The actual number of cabs off the road, however, will be less than 13,000 because many cabs run for both Ola and Uber.

We are law abiding citizens and we will abide by the court orders. We will ply only CNG cabs, a spokesperson for Ola said.

Sanjay Samrat, president of Delhi Taxi Transporters Association, said the ban on AITP vehicles would allow the police to harass taxi drivers.

The issue is no longer about pollution. The government, through such orders wants to destroy local cab businesses and encourage cab aggregator services such as Ola and Uber. Around 30 lakh diesel vehicles under the Euro-4 category ply in Delhi and NCR, out of which only 50,000 are commercial vehicles. How much will they add to pollution? he said.

Read: No new diesel vehicles of over 2000cc in Delhi till March 31

He, however, said in a meeting with Bhure Lal from the Environment Pollution (Prevention and Control) Authority, and Sunita Narain from Centre for Science and Environment, the taxi drivers concerns were discussed.

Delhi traffic police chief, Sandeep Goel, said identifying and prosecuting such cabs would be a challenge for the department. He said officials would challan and impound AITP cabs from Sunday.

Transport experts agreed that implementing the rule would be a tricky affair. Since there is no electronic billing mechanism in most AITP cabs, there is no way to tell their pickup and drop points. This is a grey area and it will be misused, said Manjeet Singh, researcher at Central Road Research Institute.

Read: Automakers fear big losses after NGT curbs diesel car sales

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On the day a ban on diesel-run cabs came into effect in the National Capital Region, taxi aggregator Uber brought back surge pricing on Sunday, prompting chief minister Arvind Kejriwal to warn the operator of strong action.

Uber had introduced the provision during the second phase of the odd-even scheme, and the move was objected to by commuters. Kejriwal had asserted that such demand-linked hikes would be banned permanently.

Surge pricing is a business practice in which companies charge higher rates than normal to encourage more drivers to offer rides when demand for taxis outstrips supply.

A day after the second phase of the odd-even scheme aimed at curbing air pollution ended on April 30, commuters across the city who availed of the services of the app-based cab firm found that surge pricing was back.

When contacted, an Uber spokesperson confirmed the development, saying that suspension of surge pricing was only a temporary measure. The move came even as the ban on diesel-run cabs affected nearly 27,000 vehicles.

Some taxis hv started charging surge. Surge not allowed under law. They r warned that strong action will be taken against them  Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) May 1, 2016

Kejriwal had recently described as daylight robbery taxi aggregator Ola and Ubers business model.

Read: Delhi govt cracks down on Ola, Uber; to ban surge pricing permanently

A senior Delhi government official said action will be taken against these companies based on complaints. We will impound their cabs, the official said.

While an immediate confirmation could not be obtained from Ola, another app-based service, its app displayed a message saying peak time charges may be applicable during high demand hours and will be conveyed during the booking which enables us to make more cabs available to you.

Ola displayed the disclaimer during the odd-even period as well, although it did not invoke peak-pricing till Saturday.

Uber and Ola hiked rates by at least three times during odd-even, and commuters complained they had to pay astronomical rates because of surge pricing. They had to withdraw the move after the governments threat to cancel licences and impound cabs.
The misuse of the Right to Information (RTI) legislation has long been a pet gripe of bureaucrats and is now getting political attention. It figured in a discussion in the Rajya Sabha last week where NCP leader Praful Patel asked if the government would consider amending the Act since it was passed in a hurry in 2005 and was being misused by citizens who with no locus standi end up asking the government questions about the countrys missile system or international relations. Mr Patel also said this was preventing officials from taking decisions. Congress leader Rajiv Shukla deplored that some people have turned RTI activist into a designation and profession while Jitendra Singh, the minister of state at the PMO, acknowledged such concerns.

Read | RTI reveals millionaire Mallya never failed to claim MP salary, perks

There is little doubt that there is a great degree of frivolity in RTI queries. They reportedly range from asking about the number of fans and tube lights in residences, to details of tobacco habits of government officials to the number of eligible girls for marriage in a particular government department. These no doubt waste the time of the bureaucracy. But there is also no doubt that RTI has been a transformative intervention in Indian democracy. It has given ordinary citizens, importantly in rural areas, the right to know what is happening with public money, whether it be about spending on schools, roads, drains or the use of their ration cards. And many whistleblowers have uncovered financial scams, irregularities in allocation of land, black marketing of food grains and bad corporate practice through its use. That whistleblowers are subject to threats and violence in itself points to the unsettling power of RTIs provisions.

Read | Liquor vends double in Punjab in 11 yrs: 5,632 to 12,000!

There is thus a case for finding middle ground between checking misuse while retaining the empowering aspects of the Act. A fruitful consultative process between government, academia and civil society, that factors in best international practices, will hopefully generate innovative institutional solutions that meet those objectives. There is also an imperative for a more responsive, sensitive handling of citizens by government officials in general. Most find the experience of approaching the sarkar daunting, even if the experience has improved in parts. We literally need a very civil service.
Around 667,000 aspirants appeared for the first phase of the National Eligibility and Entrance Test (NEET) for admission to MBBS and BDS courses at 1,040 examination centres across 52 cities on Sunday.

In view of last years All India Pre Medical Test (AIPMT), which was cancelled by the Supreme Court due to reports of widespread cheating, the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) this year imposed strict guidelines to prevent any wrongdoing.

Aspirants were allowed to carry only their admit card and two photographs, and nothing else. Caps, rings, bracelets, watches and religious symbols were forbidden.

The candidates were also asked to take off their shoes before being scanned with a metal detector and torchlight. Girls had to tie their hair.

The candidates were also asked to take off their shoes before being scanned with a metal detector and torchlight. Girls had to tie their hair. (Vipin Kumar/HT Photo)

Students who failed to follow the stipulated dress code  light colour half-sleeve clothes without buttons or brooches  and some latecomers were prevented from entering the exam hall, but the test went without any major incident.

The paper itself was balanced, examinees said.

Those who had studied beyond NCERT would have been able to easily handle the questions, but overall the paper was balanced, said Ritika Sanjalee, an aspirant from Chandigarh.

The biology part was easy but I found physics a little lengthy, said Meenu Mathew of Bhopal.

However, there were complaints of a few erroneous questions or questions with multiple possible answers.

Students leave for examination centre after they were thoroughly scanned to take the NEET. (Vipin Kumar/HT Photo)

We have already sent an email to the CBSE-AIPMT cell to intimate them about these erroneous questions, said an academician and Pre-Medical Test (PMT) trainer in Chandigarh, Arvind Goyal.

The second phase of the common medical entrance test will be held on July 24.
National eligibility and entrance Test (NEET) began in 1040 examination centres across 52 cities on Sunday with stringent security measures put by the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) to deter any wrongdoing.

Taking note of previous years All India Pre Medical Test that was nullified by Supreme Court due to incidents of cheating, the CBSE officials left no stone unturned to ensure a fool proof examination.

Aspirants were allowed to bring only admit card, a passport size photo and a postcard size photo and nothing else, not even pen/pencil or paper.

Students at a exam centre in RK Puram, New Delhi. (Vipin Kumar/HT)

Students at an exam centre in RK Puram, New Delhi. (Vipin Kumar/HT)

Aspirants werent be allowed to enter examination centre wearing caps, rings, bracelet or any religious symbols.

Candidates had to take off wallets, shoes and wrist watches.

Candidates were made to go barefoot for scanning before the NEET 1 examination commenced, at RK Puram exam centre, New Delhi. (Vipin Kumar/HT Photo)

Aspirants were not allowed to carry mobile phones or any digital device inside the examination centre, in RK Puram, New Delhi. (Vipin Kumar/HT Photo)

A student removes his shoes before entering the RK Puram exam centre in New Delhi. . (Vipin Kumar/HT Photo)

Female aspirants had to tie their hair.

Many officials were seen frisking students with metal detectors and torch light.

Students were thoroughly scanned at the entrance at a centre in New Delhi. (Vipin Kumar/HT)

Students being frisked at a centre in New Delhi (HT Photo)

Students being checked at Kerala School in New Delhi. (Sushil Kumar/HT)

The students being checked and frisked and are asked to remove their shoes and other accessories before entering the examination centre at Kerala School in New Delhi. (Sushil Kumar/HT)

Around 667,000 aspirants will appear for NEET-1. The second phase of the common medical entrance test will be held on July 24.

Students and parents stand outside the gate before the NEET 1 examination commenced, in RK Puram, New Delhi. (Vipin Kumar/HT Photo)
Summer vacations might no longer be fun and games if you arent doing well in studies.

The Centre plans to make poorly performing students sweat it out in remedial classes over the summer vacation and weekends to catch up with their peers.

Human resource development (HRD) ministry officials told HT the states have agreed to a proposal to hold remedial classes that might start this summer.

The classes will be organised in all government and government-aided schools to improve the quality of education, an issue raised by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his last meeting with HRD ministry officials.

We have asked schools to conduct basic tests and assess the levels of students promoted recently. If there are weak students, remedial classes will be held to ensure they dont lag behind, said a senior HRD official.

The classes might reverse a downward trend in academic performance, as captured by the first survey of learning achievement of class X students, conducted with a sample of 277,000 students in 7,216 schools across 33 states or union territories. The study by the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) showed only 41% students were able to answer correctly in English. In mathematics, only 40% students gave correct answers. The figure stood at 43% and 47% for science and social science, respectively. The criteria to identify weak students have been left to the schools but might include examination results, basic comprehension, reading texts and knowledge of subjects. The performance of these students will be monitored to assess whether extra classes led to an improvement or not.

Holding such extra classes is a good idea as it will help such students. Though efforts should be made to ensure that such classes are taken during normal school hours or on weekends, said a Delhi school principal.

Indias schools are chronically understaffed and often function out of dilapidated buildings with teachers using outdated methods.

Quality of teaching varies wildly with a few premier and often private  schools in big cities diverting attention from the thousands of village and suburban institutions, where students arent even taught basic comprehension or calculation.

At the March 10 meeting attended by HRD minister Smriti Irani, top PMO officials and the cabinet secretary, it was decided to identify grade wise weak students for remedial classes and organised remedial instruction by July 2016, according to the minutes of the meeting accessed by HT. The ministry wrote to the states with the summer classes proposal soon after.

HRD officials said they originally wanted to hold extra classes during school hours but realised it might hamper normal teaching schedules. That leaves the option of doing it on weekends and during vacations, said officials.

Concerned over archaic teaching tools in government and aided schools, the ministry is trying to implement latest teaching methodology and ensure teachers are put through rigorous training.

This year, the Sarva Siksha Abhiyan will be the focus area and states will be encouraged to prepare student friendly learning and teaching material and make use of e-content, said a senior HRD official.

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A year ago, the Maharashtra government asked educational institutions to observe International Yoga Day.

This year, the University Grants Commission (UGC) that regulates and finances public universities has asked colleges and universities across the country to promote PhD courses in yoga, and encourage foreign students to take courses in the subject.

The direction came in a circular the UGC issued on Friday, following a request from the AYUSH (Ayurveda, Yoga and Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homeopathy) ministry. It said as the country prepares to celebrate its 2nd International Yoga Day on June 21, the Prime Minister has suggested starting a course. During discussions, the PM desired an attempt be made to promote PhD courses in yoga for foreign students, a letter written by the ministry states. The letter was forwarded by UGC, with a circular asking universities and affiliated colleges to share details of foreign nationals who may be interested in doing such a course.

The AYUSH ministry has said it is willing to award fellowships to students selected or recommended by the universities, the circular read.

The compulsory celebration of Yoga Day last year did not go down well with many schools and colleges, but the option of a PhD in the field has impressed many educationists. Instead of blindly forcing children to celebrate Yoga Day, this option makes more sense. Only those who are interested will apply, said the principal of a south Mumbai college, not wishing to be named.

However, officials at the University of Mumbai pointed out that with this circular showing up so late in the academic year, finding students who may be interested, especially during the vacation time, will be difficult. Once students are back, we can pitch this idea to them, a senior official said.
Anushkha Sharma turns 28 today.

Its the actors big day, and we want to make her feel like the only girl in the world! But were not quite sure what to get Anushka a.k.a. the girl who has everything: Looks, money, fame, lifestyle and a love affair India cant get enough of.

So, because we love her style so much, we asked 17-year-old Avantika Pathania -- a Class 12 student from Delhi and die-hard Anushka fan  to dress our birthday girl. After all, the beauty queen-turned-actor-turned-producer is renowned for her uniquely experimental style (and that enviably toned body).

Read: From Katrina to Anushka, what a stylish evolution for these stars

Retro fun with a dash of pin-up sexiness, these looks are sure to grab your attention.

Oh! And Anushka, if youre reading this, do sit down and take note because our future fashion pro went a little out-of-the-box on colour and even designed an Afro-meets-Mexicana jumpsuit. Enjoy!

We especially love that peek-a-boo crop top feel; its just the right amount of sexy for our Bijli. (Sketches by Avantika Pathania)

The Jab Tak Hai Jaan-star is no wallflower when it comes to fashion, but she is sure to wow with these sassy but sophisticated bombshell-like looks. The outfits have cool-girl detailing, complete with exposed midriff and matchy-matchy looks pulled together to give them a serious character. Anushka will look flirty and feminine in these big-on-stripes gown. And because she does colour like no other, the bright shades give them her own edgy signature touch.

Anushkha, just remember, tied-up hair will give the look that perfect balance of feminine and masculine. (Sketches by Avantika Pathania)

The floor-length evening gown should be saved for special occasions, such as an evening out with a special someone (ahem) or an upscale cocktail party. So, flowy, printed and striped, dresses like these can be Anushkas perfect outfit to flaunt at a spring wedding, fancy brunch, or a romantic date. We cant wait to see the actor in such very versatile, over-the-top sexy and chic gowns.

Cute but conservative! (Sketches by Avantika Pathania)

Over-the-top sexy gowns are not your thing, Anushka? Then, may we interest you in these big-city-girl-ready-to-paint-the-town-red ensembles? They are perfect for a day date with your guy. After all, who knows what kind of activities youll get into if youre having fun! And when you are done with all the glam outfits, wed love it if you wore more toned down jumpsuits and rocker chic Chinese collar dresses. These show just the right amount of skin.

Read: He is my best friend, Anushka Sharma on her brother Karnesh

Now some juice on the artist behind all the lovely sketches...

Avantika Pathania is all of 16 years! A serious Anushka Sharma fan, the aspiring fashion designer is a Class 12 student at Apeejay School, Noida. She loves listening to  wait for it  Korean and Mandarin music! She loves reading books on mythology, and keeps an eye out for all astrology-related dope. The one true reason she loves Anushka is for her out-of-the-world and innocent smile (spoken like a true fan!). Her message to Anushka and all her fans: Love, like and share this story.

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Priyanka Chopra was a vision in black while arriving for the 2016 White House Correspondents Dinner held at the Washington Hilton.

Priyanka Chopra brought her Baywatch sizzle to the White House Correspondents Dinner in Washington DC on Saturday. (Instagram)

She pumped up the glamour volume in a scintillating Zuhair Murad dress as she attended the final White House Correspondents Dinner of the Obama administration on Saturday.

The 33-year-old actress looked sexy and glamorous in a deep-cut black ruffled and sheer-paneled gown with sparkling details.

She showed off her decolletage in the low-cut gown that was spectacular and fit her shapely figure like a glove.

Read: I dont diet, Im just genetically blessed, Priyanka Chopra rubs it in

She even posted a picture, where she posed with the hosts:

Lovely to meet the very funny and charming @barackobama and the beautiful @michelleobama . Thank you for a lovely evening. Cannot wait to start working on your girls education program #whitehousecorrespondentdinner A photo posted by Priyanka Chopra (@priyankachopra) on Apr 30, 2016 at 8:48pm PDT

Priyanka, who plays Victoria Leeds in the bigscreen Baywatch reboot, commanded attention the moment she arrived.

But she wasnt the only Baywatch babe to sizzle at Correspondents Dinner: Kelly Rohrbach sizzled in a dark green silky number with plunging neckline.

Kelly Rohrbach wore green to the White House Correspondents Dinner. (AFP)

The blonde model-turned-actress had that lifes a beach vibe going for her as she posed. The 26-year-olds gown looked stunning on her.

Everyone now! Watch Priyanka as she poses on the White House Correspondents Dinner red carpet.

What a beauty  Priyanka @ #WHCD A photo posted by Priyanka Chopra FC | Quantico (@pcourheartbeat) on Apr 30, 2016 at 4:07pm PDT

The annual White House Correspondents Dinner has become a hot ticket for celebs. This year, some of the biggest names are TV politicos, social activists, and just plain-old pop culture notables: Kendall Jenner and Emma Watson to Helen Mirren and Damien Lewis.

Check-out these best red-carpet looks at the White House Correspondents Dinner. (Agencies)

Emma Watson opted for pants and a floral print.

Helen Mirren paid tribute to Prince with a purple Dolce & Gabbana and temporary tattoo.

Michelle Dockery, Lady Mary to Downton Abbey fans, chose a bold colour.

Neve Campbell, from House of Cards, went for a pattern.

Sophia Bush wore a pink body-con gown.
A 13-year-old girl was killed in Haryanas Mewat district in firing that took place after her family objected to some songs being played at a neighbouring house during a wedding ceremony, police said on Friday.

Police were yet to arrest anyone.

Police said the incident occurred late Friday night during the marriage of Dinus son Yahbudi, a resident of Biwan village in Haryanas Mewat district.

The police complaint stated that Dinus neighbour Israel and a few villagers were objecting to the loud songs being played during the wedding.

In his complaint, Israel stated that when he along with other villagers objected to playing such songs around 2 a.m, some people opened fire.

In the firing, Israels 13-year-old daughter Swahalia was killed on the spot when a bullet hit her forehead.

Police have booked a group of people including Shokeen, Naseen, Sakeen, Haku and others under various sections of the Indian Penal Code, including murder.
Gujarat chief minister Anandiben Patel said on Sunday her government has decided to make 300 villages across the state self-reliant on the lines of smart cities.

Now that the concept of smart cities has reached smart villages, the government has decided to make 300 villages self-reliant, clean and hygienic during this year, Patel said in an official release.

Patel was in Chhotaudepur town of Vadodara district to attend state-level foundation day celebrations.

Announcing a slew of measures on the occasion, Patel in her message said, the government will set up a tribal university in Narmada district, over 100 smart Ashram shalas, 10 new hostels for tribal girl students at a cost of Rs 3 crore, besides Samras hostels at a cost of Rs 10 crore.

The government has a 33% quota in jobs for women under which 2,800 women have been employed in the police department. There is a plan to provide jobs to 22,000 women this year, she said.

This is in addition to providing 300 square metre land and Rs 5 lakh assistance to milk societies run by women to construct milk houses, besides providing chilling centres, milking machines and chaff cutters to 2.50 lakh Sakhi Mandals (self-help Groups).

To realise the goal of health for all, Patel said, we have started certain key schemes like screening of 78 lakh women to test breast, cervical and mouth cancer besides treatment of 1,018 women cancer patients in super speciality hospitals free-of-cost, relief for poor and middle-class families under Amritam-Ma Yojna.

Also, allocation under Ma-Vatsalya Yojna has been increased by 33% to Rs 160 crore and the government is bearing the cost up to Rs 2 lakh for each such patient, she said.
A makeover for Air Indias cabin crew is in the offing soon with an internal committee, mostly comprising the in-flight staff, suggesting various sartorial options for draping themselves.

A 10-member committee, set up from within the ranks and headed by the General Manager for Cabin Crew, has suggested various options for patterns, material, texture and colours, among other things for the cabin crew uniform in its report, a senior Air India official told PTI .

The options in the report are now being evaluated by the management before taking a final call on the issue, he said.

The cabin crew strength in Air India currently stands at around 4,000.

The use of indigenous fabric khadi for draping the cabin crew is one of the several choices suggested by the committee, the official said, not ruling out the possibility of the management looking at this option keeping in view the Prime Ministers flagship project Make in India.

Significantly, the cabin crew operating Air India One, the official aircraft of the President, the Prime Minister and the Vice-President, during a recent official trip of Modi to Belgium and the US was all draped in khadi uniform.

This was for the first time that such a committee was set up at the airline with all its members drawn from the cabin crew from across regional bases and also across fleets -- wide-body and narrow-body. The idea was to give them a flexibility and freedom to chose the uniform they feel comfortable with, the official said,

Sampling of the clothing based on the committees suggestions is being carried out currently. Once this exercise is completed, the samples would be placed before the authorities concerned for a final view, the official said.

The state-owned carrier had last April given a makeover to the cabin crew uniform.

At that time, while retaining the traditional saree as part of the uniform, it had introduced kurtis, churidars and trousers, besides Western style clothing to give a more contemporary look to its flight attendants.

Air India had the uniforms designed by the National Institute of Fashion Technology.
The body of Chikku Robert, a 25-year-old Kerala nurse who was murdered in Oman last month, will arrive in Kochi on Monday morning, said Chief Minister Oommen Chandy.

Roberts husband will not be able to accompany the body because Omans rules require him to be present in the country while the investigation into the murder is being conducted, Chandy said.

A five-month pregnant Robert, who worked as a nurse in a hospital in Oman, was found by her husband with multiple stab injuries at their flat in Salalah city.

The couple worked at the same hospital.

Chandy said police in Oman have cracked the case and the details are awaited.

Police have so far taken statements from several of Roberts friends, colleagues and her husband, as part of the investigation.

A Pakistani national was also questioned by police and let off.

Chandy suggested that Roberts husband was not being allowed to accompany the body was not because he was a suspect in the case.

We have been told that her husband is totally innocent, but the rules there are like that. I even gave a letter to the officials there that the state government will ensure that soon after the funeral is over, her husband will be sent back, he said.

We are told that he is also unwell and the authorities have said that he will be given all the necessary attention, added the chief minister.
The refusal by Patidars to end their nine-month-long agitation, despite the Gujarat government announcing 10% reservation for economically backward classes of the general category, has given a ray of hope to the Congress ahead of the 2017 state elections.

Out of power in the home state of PM Narendra Modi and BJP chief Amit Shah for the past 21 years, the Congress is drawing up a comprehensive campaign strategy to dethrone the party in the polls scheduled for December next year. Chhabildas Mehta was the last Congress CM from 1994-1995. From 1998, BJP has been in power in the state for the past 18 years, of which Modi ruled for 12.

To start the process, Congress chief Sonia Gandhi and vice-president Rahul Gandhi are expected to address separate rallies in the state this month. As per the tentative plan, Sonia will address a tribal rally in south or central Gujarat while Rahul is likely to speak at a farmers gathering at Saurashtra.

The two leaders will target the BJP governments both in the state and at the Centre for their failures to work for the welfare of farmers and tribals. The state unit has already started mobilisation for the rallies. The Congress is buoyed by its impressive performance in the local bodies elections in rural areas in December last year when it won 21 of the 31 district panchayats.

The Anandiben Patel government faces heat over its handling of the Patidar quota agitation that political observers see as an attempt to undermine Modis Gujarat model on the plank of which he won the 2014 general elections.

The Congress is trying to woo 22-year-old Hardik Patel, leader of the quota agitation, who in February last year claimed that the opposition party will defeat BJP in the 2017 polls. Congress also did well in last months elections to the Gandhinagar municipal corporation, winning 16 of the 32 seats with the results throwing up a tie.

The state governments reservation move has been rejected by the Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti (PAAS) spearheading the agitation. Hardik described the announcement as a lollipop to misguide the Patel community. Congress sources also said the party is planning to have a working president as state chief Bharatsinh Solanki has been unwell for some time. The move is to keep the party fighting fit for the upcoming elections.

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A senior Tihar jail officer in November last year received a text message warning of an attack on jailed gangster Chhota Rajan. Rajan, who was extradited last year, is lodged in a high security cell in the prison.

Polices sources said a text message from a number belonging to underworld gangster Dawood Ibrahims associate Chhota Shakeel was sent to Sunil Gupta, a law officer in Tihar.

The Delhi police special cell was then informed by the jail authorities, following which jail officials reviewed his security details. On November 19, Rajan was sent to Tihar.

Five days later on the morning of November 24, Gupta had received the message which read,  till when will you save this &^%^His end will be by my hand.

While Gupta could not be contacted, jail sources said the special cell had then been informed and a case was registered. The case is pending investigation. Sources inside the jail said that Rajan was currently lodged in cell number 2.

There is a high level of security threat because of which Rajan has been kept in a high security cell. Owing to the threats to his life, we were advised to use video-conferencing facilitty for his court appearances. Moreover the people guarding him are changed regularly, said a senior jail officer.
JNU student leader Kanhaiya Kumar refuted on Sunday allegations that he has hired a public relations officer (PRO), carries an iPhone and travels in business class in flights.

I dont have a PRO, what is the use for me? Those who are spreading such rumours are part of a powerful force that is against my campaign, which I along with 8,000 students of JNU and others across the country began, Kumar, who is facing sedition charges and is currently out on bail, said.

The Jawaharlal Nehru University Students Union (JNUSU) president is on a visit to his home state Bihar for two days for the first time after he hit the headlines after his arrest over a February 9 event at the institute where anti-India slogans were allegedly shouted.

Read: Nitish govt rolls out red carpet for Kanhaiya Kumar in Patna

I do not even have a cellphone, please dont talk about iPhone as some people with vested interests are propagating that I have an iPhone, he said.

Kumar clarified that he was not paying for his visits to any part of the country.

My visit is paid for by the organisers, who have been inviting me to address them and join their protest. It is simple, I dont have money to buy a plane ticket.

Kumar said he has not been getting his scholarship money since July 2015.

I am son of an Anganwadi worker and my father is suffering from paralysis. I am managing somehow, thanks to help and support from hundreds of JNU students.

He said that a group of sweepers and manual scavangers in Maharashtra has informed him that they have collected Rs.10,000 to pay the fine slapped on him by the JNU authorities.

I told them thanks and said I will not pay the fine, he said.

The amount collected by them for me is an example that people in this country come forward to help you if you move in the right direction for a cause. It is a beauty of India, he said.

Kumar said there was only Rs 200 in his bank account.

Anyone can file an RTI to get information about my bank account, he said.

For me, talking about the poorest of the poor, poverty, marginalised and deprived people of the country is not a part of fashion. I am committed towards them and their cause, he said.

A source in the All India Students Federation (AISF) to which Kumar belongs said on Sunday the JNU leader addressed a meeting in Patna with Azadi (independence) as the theme.

Two people were detained while showing black flags to Kumar, police said.

In February, Kumar was arrested on sedition charges in connection with an event on the JNU campus commemorating the hanging of 2001 Parliament House terror attack convict Afzal Guru. It was also alleged that anti-national slogans were raised during that event at JNU.

The Delhi high court in March granted him interim bail for six months on the condition that the student leader would not participate actively or passively in any activity which may be termed anti-national.

The JNU authorities have imposed a fine of Rs 10,000 on Kanhaiya Kumar and rusticated three other students for taking part in the February 9 event.

Read: JNU rusticates Umar, Anirban for a semester; Kanhaiya fined Rs 10,000
The Gujarat Congress on Sunday accused PM Modi of misguiding the nation by providing different dates of birth in different documents.

Congress national spokesperson Shaktisinh Gohil said that while Modi has maintained that he was born on September 17 1950, the student register of MN College (pre-Science) in Mehsana shows his date of birth as 29.8.1949.

We want to know what is the reason behind different dates of birth, what is the date of birth on his (Modis) passport, on the PAN card and on other documents? And what is the reason behind different dates of birth? Gohil said.

Accusing the PM of always hiding the truth, he said, Modi never mentioned his marital status in poll affidavits until the 2014 Lok Sabha elections.

(With inputs from PTI)
The air force flew three helicopters on Sunday to contain raging forest fires in Uttarakhand, which have gutted more than 2,300 hectares of lush Himalayan forestland over the past fortnight and claimed at least seven lives.

But one of the Mi-17 helicopters could not take off till afternoon because of a thick smoke over the Garhwal region. It managed seven sorties after 4pm.

The choppers for the Kumaon division were in action since 7am, collecting water from the Bhimtal lake and emptying the load over wildfires in Nainital and Almora districts.

WATCH: IAF team spraying water over forest area in Srinagar & Koteshwar as #UttarakhandForestFire continues to ragehttps://t.co/Bz0n0FvPpX  ANI (@ANI_news) May 1, 2016

The air support helped the field teams of firefighters from the state forest and fire departments, army, National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), and village volunteers.

The forest department hopes the fire will be brought under control in the next 2-3 days as the meteorological office has predicted rain, additional chief secretary S Ramaswami said.

A fire in Buakhal in Pauri. (Arvind Moudgil /HT Photo)

The joint effort has paid off, bringing down the number of blazes from 160 on Saturday to 112 on Sunday. The state reported 1,082 forest fires in the past two-and-a-half months.

But about 35 major fires in the popular tourist and pilgrim destinations of Rudraprayag, Pauri Garhwal, Chamoli, Almora, Nainital, and Dehradun hills remained a worry.

Read: Congress says absence of Uttarakhand govt worsened fire

Read: Living with fire and smoke: Villagers on the edge in Uttarakhand hills

Piyoosh Rautela, the executive director with the states Disaster Mitigation and Management Centre, said as many as 135 NDRF personnel were working in 139 locations.

Strong winds, a prolonged dry spell, hazy conditions, and treacherous mountain slopes posed a serious challenge to the firefighters trying to stop the fires from spreading. Reports said the wildfire has already spread to neighbouring Himachal Pradesh.

Smoke covers the jungles of Mandakhal. (Arvind Moudgil /HT Photo)

The haze has brought down visibility and making breathing difficult. The thick smoke is posing problems in the operation, Garhwal division divisional forest officer Ramesh Chandra said.

People from villages within a licking distance of flames have been evacuated. But the worst sufferers are animals and nesting birds in Corbett tiger reserve, Rajaji tiger reserve and Kedarnath wildlife sanctuary, where about 550 hectares were reduced to ashes in this seasons forest fires.

In New Delhi, home minister Rajnath Singh reviewed the situation in Uttarakhand, which is under central rule since March 27.

Union environment minister Prakash Javadekar said the Centre was making all efforts to control the forest fires. The government will study the reasons and prepare an action plan accordingly.

A blaze in Mandakhal near Pauri. (Arvind Moudgil /HT Photo)

Local environmentalist Vijay Jardhari of Tehri probably knows the reason. He said wildfires have become common because villagers and forest officials have discarded traditional preventive measures.

There was a trend to make fire lines outside forests since the British-era. This is not done religiously now  which is why uncontrolled fire is becoming commonplace, he explained.

A fire line is made by clearing waste such as tree leaves and other biological inflammable material from within a forest and its edge.

The fires generated political heat too as the Congress, which was ousted from power in the state, accused the BJP-led NDA government of doing little to check the crisis.

Congress spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala said the fire situation spiraled out of control because there is no state government to tackle it. He taunted environment minister Javadekar for conducting a press conference in air-conditioned rooms in Delhi to douse fires in Uttarakhand.

(With inputs from HTC in New Delhi)

Read: To douse flames, Mi-17 choppers spray water over Uttarakhand forests

Read: Uttarakhand blaze: Centre begins trial runs for pre-fire alert system
Indias premier management institutes might be on a warpath with the government over implementing reservations in teaching staff recruitment, potentially aggravating a nationwide debate over caste quotas and discrimination on campuses.

Three top Indian Institutes of Management (IIM) not dependent on government funds--Kolkata, Bangalore and Lucknow--havent yet responded to a human resource development ministry letter asking if the schools followed Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, Other Backward Classes (SC/ ST/OBC) quota policy in faculty hires.

Some other IIMs put up a defiant note to the April 12 letter, saying they stressed only on merit in staff recruitment, said sources. IIM-Rohtak said 16 of the 17 faculty positions were from the general category.

READ MORE: With political competition, reservation architecture expands

You cannot be giving non-deserving candidates preference just because they are SC or ST, Kiran Mazumdar Shaw, chairperson of IIM-Bangalore, told HT.

IIM-Trichy said it extended reservations provided the candidate measured up to qualification sought.

An IIM director who did not wish to be named said quotas in teaching positions will hurt the quality of education that brand IIM is associated with.

The reservations for students at schools and university level is fine but to fill the faculty positions on the basis of caste at premier management schools that are centres of excellence is foolhardy, he said.

READ MORE: Why Gujarats quota move is politically smart but legally suspect

India extends reservations for scheduled castes (SC), scheduled tribes (ST) and other backward classes (OBC) for social empowerment of the communities that have been historically marginalized. But critics say the quota system hurts quality of education and is unfair to upper-caste candidates.

The IIM controversy comes as the Centre faces intense criticism over caste discrimination and the absence of SC/ST/OBC faculty members, three months after the suicide of Dalit PhD student Rohith Vemula sparked a storm of protests.

Kiran Mazumdar Shaw, chairperson of IIM-Bangalore, says non-deserving candidates cant be given preference. (File photo)

With an eye on state polls, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has reached out to the lower-castes--who comprise a fifth of Indias population --with schemes and sops, in a bid to nix Opposition charges of the BJP being an upper-caste party.

Most IIMs said they recruited teachers on merit and not on the basis of their caste or background.

We agree a combination of meritocracy and affirmative action is the solution and if all things are equal, we would certainly give preference to a candidate from SC or ST community, Shaw said.

Sources said after getting the status report on reservation policy in these institutions, the government will work out a strategy to enforce it.

Reservation in IIM faculty positions has a controversial history. In 2008, then HRD minister Arjun Singh directed all centrally funded institutions -- including IITs and IIMs -- to implement faculty quotas, triggering protests. The IITs toed the government line but the IIMs were defiant.

READ MORE: Battle over reservations: Can quotas really work in India?

Faced with protests, Singh proposed a bill that would exempt 47 premier higher educational institutions, including IITs and IIMs, from reservations. The bill was passed in the Rajya Sabha in December 2008 but it lapsed after the 14th Lok Sabha was dissolved.

Sources said the April 12 letter was a follow up to a 2013 letter that asked the IIMs to implement quotas in faculty positions. The April letter asked IIMs if they implemented quotas in faculty hires and if they didnt, why they should be exempt from a constitutional provision that requires every centrally funded institution to follow the policy, a source said.
On a visit to Uttar Pradesh, Prime Minister Narendra Modi took a boat ride and an e-rickshaw ride, launched a scheme to give free cooking gas to women and attacked the previous UPA government on Sunday.

The PM visited his Lok Sabha constituency, Varanasi, later in the day where he said his government believed in going to the root of problems to resolve them.

Many governments came in past, which worked for the rich. This time a government has come which aims at benefiting the poor, he said, accusing the previous regimes of practising vote-bank politics.

Here is a photo essay on Modis day out.

PM Modi distributed free LPG connections to beneficiaries under the Pradhan Mantri Ujjawala Yojana at Ballia. Modi said the scheme to give free cooking gas connections to 50 million below poverty line (BPL) women was one of the many steps by the Centre for the welfare of the poor. (Photo: PIB/Twitter)

PM Modi got a few books as present at the launch of the Ujjwala Yojana scheme. He also got a sapling. (Photo: PIB/Twitter)

Modi addressed the citizens of Varanasi. (Photo: PIB/Twitter)

He distributed the papers of e-rickshaws to beneficiaries in Varanasi. (Photo: PIB/Twitter)

Modi flagged off the distribution of e-rickshaws and took a ride on a vehicle at the DLW ground. (Photo: PIB/Twitter)

Modi went close to the barricades and responded to the cheering crowd. The PM interacted with family members of the beneficiaries. (Photo: PIB/Twitter)

Modi also visited the Centre for Cultural Studies and Research in Varanasi. (Photo: PIB/Twitter)

He inspected ancient books and cultural artefacts at the centre. (Photo: PIB/Twitter)

Modi at the Centre for Cultural Studies and Research in Varanasi. (Photo: PIB/Twitter)

Modi also took a ride on an e-boat and distributed 11 solar-powered boats at the Assi Ghat in Varanasi. The PM said the step was in line with his governments focus on making long-term interventions to empower the poor in their fight against poverty and climb up the ladder. (Photo: PIB/Twitter)

Read: PM Modi rides e-boat in Varanasi, says India has to become stronger

Shramik no. 1: Modi launches cooking gas scheme for poor women
Contrary to the perception that the Narendra Modi-led government denied visas to Chinese dissidents under pressure from Beijing, no less than eight Chinese activists and a prominent Uyghur leader are participating in the Dharamsala conference.

The three-day conference on Strengthening Our Alliance to Advance the Peoples Dream: Freedom, Justice, Equality and Peace has been organised by US-based Chinese dissident Yang Jiamil without formal sanction either being sought or given by the Indian government.

Almost all the 69 foreign delegates, including president of the Uyghur American Association Ilshat Hasan, have travelled on tourist visas.

The conference has been organised at Norbu House in McLeodganj, which is owned by Wangdu Tsewang, an Indian national of Tibetan origin and is part of the Dalai Lamas set-up.

Top government sources confirmed to Hindustan Times that delegates met the Dalai Lama on April 28.

While the Dalai Lama spoke about secularism, ethics, compassion and harmony, Yang, head of the NGO Initiatives of China, talked about freedom from Chinese tyranny and oppression.

While the Indian government has been accused of bending before Beijing by cancelling the e-visa granted to Dolkun Isa, the Germany-based head of World Uyghur Congress, has documentary proof which reveals the action had nothing to do with Indias China policy.

Read | All diplomatic: Indias message to China in Uyghur activist row

The e-visa was erroneously issued to Isa on April 6 by the department of immigration as an Interpol red corner notice issued against him in 1998 did not show up in official records.

Intelligence Bureau director Dineshwar Sharma severely upbraided the immigration department for its mistake and directed that all records be reconciled with those of agencies such as the CBI and Enforcement Directorate, sources said. The facts of the case were shared with the Prime Ministers Office.

The denial of tourist visas to two other Chinese dissidents, Lu Jinghua and Wong Toi Yeung, was on procedurals grounds.

Lus application for an e-tourist visa was processed and rejected as the copy of the uploaded passport was not legible.

In case of 22-year-old Wong, a Hong Kong resident who had applied for an e-tourist visa on April 21, discrepancies related to the uploaded passport were noticed in the application.

When the visa applications were processed, the immigration department did not even know they were dissident Chinese activists. These applications were processed and rejected as any other, said a senior North Block official.

Read | Uyghur leader Isa disappointed with Indias decision to cancel visa

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Residents of Buakhal, about 155km from Uttarakhand capital Dehradun, had a sleepless night on Saturday, staring at the advancing flames dancing in the dark.

They watched in horror as a strong gust of wind brought the fire uphill - at their doorsteps. Panicked, they rushed out with water buckets to dampen the surroundings.

WATCH: IAF team spraying water over forest area in Srinagar & Koteshwar as #UttarakhandForestFire continues to ragehttps://t.co/Bz0n0FvPpX  ANI (@ANI_news) May 1, 2016

Officials of the forest and fire departments and a disaster response team doused the blaze. By then, the fire had consumed the cattle fodder collected from jungles.

Read: Uttarakhand blaze: Centre begins trial runs for pre-fire alert system

There is hardly any grass left in the nearby jungles or at our homes. God knows what will happen to our animalsthe government should supply fodder, Neelu Rawat, a resident, said.

Buakhal is in Pauri Garhwal, one of the worst-hit districts in the fires that have killed four people and affected more than 2,300 hectares of forest land in Uttarakhand since February.

Though forest fires are a natural phenomenon in summer in the hill state, this time they have occurred on a bigger scale. Government data says all 13 districts have been affected.

Indian Air Force choppers have been pressed into action in Kumaon and Garhwal to spray water on the flames. On Sunday morning, a helicopter could not take off due to low visibility.

Smoke covers the jungles of Mandakhal. (Arvind Moudgil /HT Photo)

Read: To douse flames, Mi-17 choppers spray water over Uttarakhand forests

Three teams of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) are in action, with the central government assuring the state of all possible assistance.

Dhirender Bhandari of Nisni village in Pauri said villagers have volunteered to go into the forests to fight the flames.

With fresh fires being reported frequently, NDRF teams have a tough task at hand. The smoke cover is causing difficulty in breathing and affecting visibility.

The forest department has gone all out to control the spread but the thick smoke is posing problems, said Ramesh Chandra, divisional forest official of the Garhwal division.

A blaze in Mandakhal near Pauri. (Arvind Moudgil /HT Photo)

Vijay Jardhari, who controlled a blaze near his village in Tehri with 200-odd villagers last week, said making fire lines before the pre-monsoon showers appeared to be a must in Uttarakhand.

Forest teams clear the perimeter of forests and light that area in a practice to fight fire with fire. The move ensures forest fires dont cross the perimeter.

Since British era, there had been a trend of making fire lines outside forests. That has not been done regularly of late. As a result, this uncontrolled fire is raging, he said.

Fire rages in a forest of Gorkhyakhal near Pauri. (Arvind Moudgil /HT Photo)

Read: Pics: Uttarakhand forests go up in flames, rescuers jump into action
The Supreme Court-appointed Environment Pollution ( Prevention and Control) Authority (EPCA) has told the Delhi government to stop the registration of new diesel taxis under the All India Tourist Permit (AITP).

There are 35,000 taxis operating under the AITP licence. The EPCA says most of them violate permit conditions and ply in Delhi-NCR as regular taxis.

Advocate Aparajita Singh, assisting the Supreme Court in the air pollution case, told Chief Justice TS Thakurs bench about the letter to the state administration. She said the environment panel would conduct a study to find the reason behind the sudden surge in such taxis.

Singhs submission came when an association of taxi operators asked the court to exempt them from its order asking diesel cabs to switch to CNG.

The bench asked Singh and pollution control body member Sunita Narain to file a response to the operators petition, but as a temporary relief allowed them to ply.

The bodys concer n over the misuse of the All India Tourist Permit comes at a time when cab aggregators Ola and Uber have been accused of hiring such taxis.

Radio taxi operators have accused aggregators of circumventing the 1998 Supreme Court order mandating all commercial passenger vehicles to run on clean fuel. The aggregators claim their fleet is now CNG-compliant.

Narain said the pollution control body had directed the Delhi government to ensure AITP taxis strictly followed permit conditions that disallowed them from undertaking point-to-point travel.

These taxis are meant for tourism and not ferrying BPO employees. Their route for Delhi is specified. We have asked the transport department to take an assurance from the taxi drivers that they will operate strictly for the purpose of interstate tourism. If they want to run only in Delhi, they have to convert their vehicles to CNG, she said.

Narain said there was enough evidence to suggest AITP vehicles were being misused to provide taxi services within the NCR. The pollution control body has advised the Centre, Delhi and Haryana governments to stop hiring AITP diesel cabs for their official work.

We have asked them to encourage the use of CNG vehicles, she said.

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Defence minister Manohar Parrikar said on Sunday he will place all facts along with the detailed chronology about the controversial AgustaWestland chopper deal before Parliament on May 4.

I will place the detailed chronology, giving facts about the chopper deal before Parliament on Wednesday. I will place the detailed chronology, giving how and when necessary clauses or provisions were relaxed to suit the company, he said.

Those who received kickbacks will not leave behind the proof for us to prosecute them, but we will have to prove it (that kickbacks were received), he said.

Read: In 5 points: All you need to know about AgustaWestland deal

It is for us to prove everything now. Since the issue would be placed in Parliament, I would not like to speak in detail to media, the defence minister added.

Why no action was taken against the company till 2014? Why was the company not blacklisted by then UPA government? Parrikar said.

The war of words over the AgustaWestland chopper deal has intensified with the Congress asking the government and the BJP a pointed question: Why a fraud and blacklisted company was allowed to participate in defence contracts in 2014?

The charge has been outright denied by finance minister Arun Jaitley, who also held the defence portfolio from May to November 2014. He said AgustaWestlands parent company Finmeccanica was never blacklisted by the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government.

I challenge the Congress to show the UPA governments order blacklisting the AgustaWestland company. Let them reply first why it was not banned. It was during our (NDA) government that we banned it, Parrikar said on Sunday.

Read: Congress, BJP exchange fresh fire in AgustaWestland row

AgustaWestland was not blacklisted during the UPA rule, top Modi government sources had recently said, asserting it was the NDA dispensation which had put on hold all acquisition proposals with the VVIP chopper scam-tainted firm.

The deal for the choppers went off track in 2013 when Italy arrested the head of Finmeccanica, which owns AgustaWestland, for paying bribes to secure the deal.

An Italian court, which convicted AgustaWestland chief Giuseppe Orsi, had reportedly described how the firm paid bribes to top Congress leaders to bag the 3,600 crore deal.
Supporters of Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) student leader Kanhaiya Kumar assaulted two youth for showing him black flags when he was addressing a gathering in the Bihar capital on Sunday.

Kumar, whose family is from Begusarai district of Bihar, appealed to volunteers of the All India Students Federation (AISF) and All India Youth Federation (AIYF) to let the two protesters go but his request went unheeded.

The crowd kicked them out and handed them over to police stationed at the venue, the SK Memorial Hall in Patna.

WATCH: Kanhaiya Kumar's supporters beat up man after he showed black flag to Kanhaiya during his speech in Patnahttps://t.co/2nrmG3pMHK  ANI (@ANI_news) May 1, 2016

Kumar, who was arrested for sedition in February after an event in JNU where anti-national slogans were shouted, said his detractors should wave the Tricolour if they want to convert him into a patriot.

He is out on bail but facing public attacks for the JNU event on Kashmiri separatist Afzal Guru, who was hanged for the 2001 attack on Parliament. The student leader was offloaded from a Pune-bound Jet Airlines flight at Mumbai airport on April 25 after a fight with a co-passenger, whom he accused of trying to strangle him.

Read: Kanhaiyas book to launch on digital platform Juggernaut

He said these protesters considered him anti-national for attacking Prime Minister Narendra Modi. My attacks on the PM for his failure to fulfill his promises of providing jobs and depositing money in peoples accounts will pain the Modi-worshippers, he told the gathering.

(Arun Abhi/HT Photo)

He said such people saw only condoms or sex rackets in JNU but were blind to contributions of its teachers and alumni in nation-building.

We are not wasting public money. Peoples money is wasted on suits worth lakhs, by disrupting Parliament and on corporate individuals and families that get crores in loans, he said.

His praise for the university contrasts the protest he had started after the JNU authorities on Monday imposed a fine of Rs 10,000 on him and rusticated three other students for their role at the February event.

(Arun Abhi/HT Photo)

Kumar said his fight is against those who defamed the Constitution and sought to divide the nation on basis of gender, religion, colour and caste. Also, he dispelled rumours of joining a political party.

Read: JNU rusticates Umar, Anirban for a semester; Kanhaiya fined Rs 10,000

I am no politician. I am a research student who aspires to be a teacher. I fight for freedom, for our farmers, our labourers and for a common education system that ensures everyone receives unbiased, quality education, the PhD student said.

Stop following any Kanhaiya Kumar or Modi. Apply your own logic and arguments to change society for the better.

Kumar is on a two-day tour of his home state and met chief minister Nitish Kumar as well as RJD president Lalu Prasad Yadav over the weekend.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi rode an e-boat and an e-rickshaw in Varanasi on Sunday and said India has to become stronger by empowering its poor.

The Prime Minister flew into Varanasi, his parliamentary constituency, after launching the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana in Ballia, under which free LPG connections will be given to five crore women.

Schemes that strengthen the people are important, not schemes that strengthen vote banks. India has to become stronger, Modi said at the Assi Ghat after the boat ride on the Ganga river.

We are empowering the poor so that they can battle poverty, he added.

Our experience during the Jan Dhan Yojana brought out the richness of the poor, he said.

And it is really satisfying to work day and night for the poor.

The Prime Minister added: This nation, our government and our banks -- they are for the poor.

Modi began his day at Ballia, where he distributed some cooking gas connections to the residents.

The Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana will provide free LPG connections to five crore women belonging to the BPL category between 2016 and 2019.

Modi then visited Varanasi and distributed e-rickshaws and launched a scheme for environment-friendly e-boats at the Assi Ghat.

He also took out time to interact with the beneficiaries of the e-rickshaws.

In Ballia, Modi vowed to better the living conditions for the poor of the country.

This is a government for the poor. Whatever we do will be for the poor, he said. We have worked a lot on labour related issues.

Modi said schemes must be made for the welfare of the poor not keeping in mind considerations of the ballot box.

Modi greeted the workers, or shramiks as he described them, on the occasion of May 1, Labour Day.

I laud the hard work of all shramiks and appreciate their role in the progress of India. In this century, our mantra should be: All shramiks of the world, lets make the world one. Unite the world.

He said the Centre was working to allocate tremendous resources to develop Uttar Pradesh.

Fruits of development have to reach the eastern part of India and then we will gain strength in the fight against poverty.

Modi described Ballia as a land of revolutionaries.

Ballia gave us Mangal Pandey. People from here give their lives to the nation. Connectivity in this region, rail lines, bridges... These issues were ignored but I congratulate local MPs for ensuring this changes.
Tight security arrangements have been made for Prime Minister Narendra Modis visit to Maldepur at Ballia on Sunday to launch the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY). Under the scheme, worth Rs 8,000 crore, five crore below poverty line (BPL) women across the country would be provided free cooking gas connections.

The programme venue at Maldepur is under surveillance of the Special Protection Group. An additional director general of police rank officer, 15 superintendents of police (SP), nine additional SPs, 12 companies of provincial armed constabulary (PAC) and 3,000 police and paramilitary force personnel have been deployed for on security duty for the programme.

Besides SPG, the NSG are also on duty. They carried out inspection at the venue on Saturday.

ASP Ramyagya Yadav said, On our part, all preparations have been completed. Thorough inspection has been carried out at the venue.

Modi will land at a helipad at the programme venue at 11.50 am and then will provide subscription vouchers of cooking gas connections to 10 women beneficiaries from five eastern UP districts, including Ballia, Ghazipur, Mau, Azamgarh and Deoria.

Among the beneficiaries are Guddi and Maya (Deoria), Tarannum Bano and Maya (Azamgarh), Shyampyari and Bhanumati (Ghazipur), Zareena and Geeta Singh (Mau) and Seema and Guddi (Ballia).

Speaking to HT, Seema said, I am very happy that I will share the dais with the Prime Minister whom I wanted to see for a long time.

The district administration has completed all preparations for the PMs visit. A high-tech dais, a huge air-cooled pandal and more than 1 lakh chairs have been set up. According to a senior official, more than 1 lakh people are likely to attend the event. The venue has been decorated with pamphlets, describing the PMUY.

At 1.10 pm, Modi would fly to Varanasi where he is scheduled to distribute 1,100 e-rickshaws among beneficiaries. He would also meet the families of the beneficiaries and interact with them.

Modi will then visit Jnana Pravaha, a centre of cultural studies and research, in Samne Ghat area. The centre was founded in 1997 by city-borne philanthropist Bimla Poddar, who was conferred with Padma Shri last year.

The Jnana Pravaha boasts of a museum with rare artefacts belonging to ancient and medieval ages, a library equipped with rare books and manuscripts and a handicraft atelier where artisans churn out exquisite specimens of brass, copper and ashtadhatu (alloy comprising eight metals).

The Prime Minister will thereafter head to the Assi Ghat on river Ganga, where he will launch 11 solar-powered boats. Widespread use of motorboats, mostly powered by diesel, has been a cause of concern in view of the alarming pollution level in the holy river.

The introduction of e-boats is being seen as a remedial measure.

This will be the Prime Ministers third tour of his parliamentary constituency since January this year.

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A pregnant woman was assaulted for resisting a rape attempt inside the general compartment of the Jan Nayak Express on Saturday.

The incident took place when the Amritsar to Darbhanga-bound train had left the Gonda station and was nearing the Budhwal railway station. Alerted by the victims cries for help, her co-passengers rushed to her rescue.

The suspect was caught, thrashed and handed over to the police at the Budhwal railway station. The woman was travelling with her husband, a four-year old daughter and a distant relative to Haryana where she was going to work as a labourer with other family members.

Soon after the train left the Gonda station, the victim went to the washroom. A youth, who was also travelling in the same bogie, followed her. Before she could close the door, the accused also barged inside and tried to rape her.

People in the train rushed to her rescue and started abusing the suspect. Finding himself cornered, the suspect opened the door and tried to flee but he was caught and handed over to the police at Budhwal station.

The suspect was identified as Rajkumar alias Rajan, a resident of Tulsi Tola, Begusarai, Bihar. After noting the victims complaint, she was sent to the district hospital in Budhwal for medical examination.
A 15-year-old boy in Punjabs Pathankot who allegedly shot himself with his fathers revolver while taking a selfie died in Ludhiana on Sunday.

Amandeep Singh, a student of Class 10 of Char Marla Quarter school, was purportedly attempting a selfie with his sister while putting a revolver on his head on Friday.

The gun went off, injuring Singh who was rushed to a private hospital. He was later moved to Apollo Hospital in Ludhiana.

Read | What drives people to put their life at risk for a selfie?

Singhs body has been brought back to Pathankot and a post-mortem will be conducted, police said.

Several such incidents have been reported across the country of late. The Washington Post has reported that of at least 27 selfie-related deaths around the world last year, about half occurred in India.

In February, a teenager was run over and killed in Chennai as he tried to take a selfie in front of an oncoming train.

Read | Mumbai Police identify 16 no-selfie zones after drowning

In January, Mumbai Police moved to crack down on dangerous selfies after a man drowned trying to save a girl who fell into the sea while snapping one.

A man was seriously injured in April by an elephant when he tried to snap a selfie with the chained animal at a festival in Kerala in April.

Read | Selfies gone wrong: India leads in number of selfie related deaths
It was early morning when I reached the Bapudham Motihari railway station in Bihars East Champaran two weeks ago. A cool breeze blew as students, workers and families waited for their train on the platform. The loudspeaker crackled with a voice announcing a train arriving from Muzaffarpur. I stood there, on the foot-over-bridge between the two platforms, trying to imagine the day which started a fresh chapter in Indias independence struggle about a century ago.

On the afternoon of April 15, 1917, thousands had gathered at the same railway station, waiting for a man who was destined to lift their lives out of misery and slavery. It was 3 pm when Gandhi alighted at the station from a train from Muzaffarpur.

Little did people know that Gandhis visit would snowball into the first satyagraha that he would lead in the country. To mark the 100th anniversary of the Mahatmas Champaran Satyagraha, the Bihar government has announced year-long celebrations starting this April.

The First Satyagraha

It was Champaran that turned Mohandas into the Mahatma. If Porbandar is his janmabhoomi, then Champaran is Gandhis karmabhoomi, Biharis claim proudly.

After his return from South Africa in 1915, Gandhi, on his mentor, Gopal Krishna Gokhales suggestion, embarked on a journey to discover India. He travelled to Calcutta and Shantiniketan in Bengal, to Rangoon, Cawnpore and Hrishikesh. But it was in 1916, at the 31st session of the Congress in Lucknow, Gandhi met Raj Kumar Shukla, a representative of farmers from Champaran, who requested him to go and see for himself the miseries of the indigo raiyyats [tenant farmers] there.

I must confess that I did not then know even the name, much less the geographical position, of Champaran, and I had hardly any notion of indigo plantations, Gandhi later wrote in his autobiography.

The colonial rulers in the region had imposed a system called tinkathia. Tenants were mandated by law to plant three out of twenty parts of their land with indigo; that is, they were under obligation to grow indigo in three kathas of every bigha. It is no exaggeration to say that this [tinkathia] was at the root of all the troubles and miseries of the tenants of Champaran, wrote Rajendra Prasad, who became the first president of India, in his book Satyagraha at Champaran.

Remains of an indigo factory near Hardiya Kothi in Nautan block, West Champaran. (Arvind Yadav/Hindustan Times)

Farmers suffered as they got poor compensation or faced heavy taxation if they refused to plant indigo. The landlords (mostly British) would enforce this system with their agents, called Gumasta, who executed the terms brutally. The reduced production of food crops and exclusive indigo farming (they were not allowed to grow any other crop even during the indigo off-season) had led to a famine-like situation.

The news of Gandhis arrival spread like wildfire and he was greeted by large crowds of peasants at railway stations all along the way from Muzaffarpur to Motihari. The morning after Gandhi reached Motihari, he left for a village, Jasaulipatti, on elephant back for he had heard that a tenant there had been beaten and his property destroyed just a day ago. On his way, in Chandrahia village, he was served a notice from the then district magistrate WB Heycock with orders to leave Champaran by the next available train. Gandhi refused. He was arrested and produced before a court on April 18. With the kind of support he had already received, the British government, fearing unrest, released him. Two days later the case was withdrawn and the government promised to look into the farmers sufferings. Later, a formal committee was constituted, of which Gandhi was a part. After months of recording testimonies, the committee submitted its report. Almost a year after Gandhis arrival, the report was accepted and the tinkathia system was abolished.

Read | Gandhi was against forcing words down ones throat

Lost in Time

Called the land of King Janak, Champaran or Champaranya, the Forest of Magnolia (champa in Hindi) has been associated with great historic events. It served as a refuge for saints: Valmiki, the author of Ramayana, is believed to have spent some time in an ashram here. The ruins of a stupa at Kesaria are a reminder of the Buddhas travels in this region and is frequented by Buddhist pilgrims. King Asoka erected four stone pillars at different locations here. The Lichchavi and Gupta kingdoms were intimately associated with the land as well.

With over 90 per cent rural population, East and West Champaran have two major towns  Motihari and Bettiah. My search for Gandhi took me to the villages that he visited, the ashrams he stayed in and the schools that he helped set up. From Bhitiharwa ashram, situated in the northwest corner of Bihar to Pipra Kothi at the southern edge of Champaran, the area is peppered with places which bear the Mahatmas imprints, though most of these places are in a sorry state today. Braj Kishor Singh, secretary of Motihari Gandhi Sanghralaya, blames it on the central and state governments indifference. The two Gandhi museums in Champaran display stories and photographs of his life. But strangely enough, Champarans history seems to be missing from most of these displays.

Gandhi kept coming back to work in the villages, much after the satyagraha ended. Following his footprints, I visited the Hazarimal Dharamshala in Bettiah and advocate Gorakh Prasads house, two places that Gandhi stayed in. Hazarimal Jhunjhunwala, a Marwari resident, had offered his place for Gandhi to stay in. But today, the imposing, two-storeyed dharamshala building has been reduced to a garbage dump obscured by a multilevel shopping complex while Prasads house stands half-demolished. A court case will decide the fate of the building that the present owner wants to demolish, something the Gandhians are protesting against.

After years of neglect, Hazarimal Dharamshala, once Gandhis refuge in Bettiah, has been turned into dumping ground today. (Arvind Yadav/Hindustan Times)

When very few dared to host Gandhiji, my great grandfather asked him to stay here, says Avinash Jhunjhunwala, Hazarimals great-grandson. Were paying the penalty for that. We cant construct anything there, nor can we install a Gandhi statue to commemorate his stay. The government doesnt allow us to even touch the structure. Locals, however, allege that the dharamshala is not a private property and Hazarimals descendants do not have a right over it. They are just waiting for the structure to fall so that they can take over the land.

In 2012, Bhitiharwa ashram, founded by Gandhi in November 1917, was renovated but by then not much remained. The only old structure, the Gandhi Kutir, was renovated which now displays a school bell from those days and Kasturba Gandhis chakki (hand mill). Gujarat Vidyapeeth and Sabarmati Gandhi Ashram in Gujarat reportedly donated charkhas, books and photos.

Another ashram, Vrindavan, near Bettiah, set up in 1939, is in an appalling condition. The only functioning part, a khadi store, has remained locked for the past 15 years. Charkha ghars in the vicinity are abandoned, with collapsing roofs and walls slowly giving way to wild plants. A part of the ashrams front wall has been broken down to accommodate a marble plaque mentioning a donation by a local politician. A gaushala nearby, Pinjrapol, also set up by Gandhi, is mired in controversies. Locals say shops were built inside its compound to fund the gaushala, but the management simply pockets the rent money.

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The gaushala houses 62 cows. The gaupalak, Naresh Chandra, a volunteer at the gaushala for the past 20 years, believes the place that should have been a model gaushala is poorly managed. There are a lot of Gandhiwadis these days. But Gandhiwadis themselves have left Gandhian principles, forget about the others, he says. Today, Gandhis killers frequent his samadhi and offer flowers there.

Gandhi also worked to promote education in Champaran. Foundations for three schools were laid in 1917  the first near Motihari, the second in Bhitiharwa and the third in Madhuban. To bridge the gap between education and work, several such self-sustaining Buniyadi schools were established by him later as well. Training in spinning, carpentry, farming and weaving was also part of the education in these schools.

In 2012, the Bihar government had vowed to revive Buniyadi or Mahatmas schools. Last week, Bihars education minister Ashok Choudhary said that the government would turn Buniyadi schools into model schools to revive them. The teachers there, however, allege delayed payments, indifference to falling levels of education and failure to recover encroached land. The school principal at Vrindavan claimed that the school is left with only 20 bighas of land of the over 100 bighas it owned earlier.

After repeated requests, a fund of about `5.5 lakhs was promised by a local politician but the contract was given to his relative who siphoned off most of the amount, said a teacher at a Buniyadi school. The politician, however, didnt forget to get his name engraved on the ashram building.

Charkha ghars in the vicinity of Vrindavan Ashram are abandoned, with collapsing roofs and walls slowly giving way to wild plants. (Arvind Yadav/Hindustan Times)

In places which show even slight signs of restoration, politicians have installed commemorative plaques promoting themselves. Placed at statues, ashrams and parks, the plaques exhibit their good work.

With the start of the centenary year, politicians, from local to national level, are making a beeline to Champaran. Rahul Gandhi is expected to reach Patna in June to kick-start celebrations of the 100th year. Last month, union minister Radha Mohan Singh inaugurated a Satyagraha Park in Motihari. The park, which was meant to honour English author George Orwells house, was turned into a park after protests by self-proclaimed Gandhians.

Read | On Gandhis death anniversary, need to do more than lament the tragedy

Distressed Farmers

There have been peasant movements before and after the Champaran satyagraha, says historian Mridula Mukherjee. But the significance of this movement was that Gandhiji built bridges between the peasants and the other sections, especially the middle class intelligentsia. Its symbolic significance was much greater than what actually happened in Champaran.

There were several instances of revolt by the raiyyats years before Gandhi reached Bihar. The first indigo disturbance in Champaran, of which any record is available, was in 1867, notes Rajendra Prasad in his book. It began in Lalsaraiya, once the most renowned indigo factory in Champaran.

In 1907-08 the tenants of Sathi factory near Bettiah were persuaded by kisan leaders Sheikh Gulab and Sital Rai to stop growing indigo. Few years later, one Babu Lomraj Singh in Jasaulipatti village near Motihari stood up against the planters. All the revolts were ruthlessly suppressed.

Unfortunately, their role in history has been largely forgotten. Recently, though, a revival of this historical narrative has emerged. Afroz Alam Sahil, a journalist and Bettiah resident, is researching the role of both Sheikh Gulab and Sital Rai. Last year, he released a book on journalist and activist Peer Mohammad Munis, who played an instrumental role in propagating the issues of Champaran with his writing, and who worked with Gandhi in Bettiah. More recently, the great-grandsons of Lomraj Singh released a short documentary on the incidents at Jasaulipatti. Over a year ago, Raj Kumar Shuklas descendants got his diary  that documents Shuklas time with Gandhi  published.

Raghunath Sahni, a farmer in Jagdishpur village in Bettiah, was forced to send his two children out of Bihar to find work as the land he owned wasnt enough to feed the family. (Arvind Yadav/Hindustan Times)

It was the exploitation of poor farmers that drew Gandhi to Champaran. A hundred years later farmers continue to fight poverty and exploitation. We are still landless labourers. A few might have some land but not more than two to three kathas, said Nandlal Shah, a sugarcane farmer in Piparia, Narkatiaganj. Most of the farms are owned by mill owners or kothi walas. We get Rs.100 to 120 for a days work in the farms.

Landless and uneducated, farmers are forced to migrate out of Bihar. Shah says that people from his village have gone to Punjab, Delhi, Kerala, among other places, looking for work. Mishri Manjhi, Shahs neighbour, claims that they earn more in a few months outside the state than they do in a year working on farms.

Indigo vanished from Champaran after the satyagraha and was replaced by sugarcane and paddy. Raiyats got their due, and were lifted out of misery, but land ownership passed on to those close to the regime. Today, the estates once owned by Englishmen are run by Indian landlords, remnants of a feudal or durbari set up.

Pehle neelha the, ab millha aa gaye hain (Indigo planters ruled before, now mill owners rule), said Munawar Alam, a lawyer and social activist who kicked off a Ganna (cane) Satyagraha last year. Following the path shown by Gandhi, Alam and his team went from village to village in West Champaran documenting testimonies and complaints filed against sugarcane mills. The movement helped the farmers to get their due in sugarcane payments. But Alam says the fight is far from over. The real fight is to get farmers the land that is rightfully theirs.

Interestingly, every movement that takes root in the region is called a satyagraha. A week ago, in an event to mark the start of the centenary year in Motihari, water conservationist Rajendra Singh called upon the people of Champaran to start a Jal Satyagraha, focusing on receding ground water levels and the drying up of canals. A jal satyagraha will be a real tribute to Gandhiji, he said at the event.

According to Pervez Alam, Sheikh Gulabs great grandson, their village is facing a drought-like situation. The canal built by the British has been dry for the past five years. We manage only one harvest instead of two and the crop yield has reduced too, he said.

Banhu Bhagat, caretaker of the Gandhi Smarak in Vrindavan Ashram near Bettiah, alleges that many politicians visit the place but no one has ever bothered to preserve the ashram. (Arvind Yadav/Hindustan Times)

In Motihari, Gandhi had told his companions that as long as the condition of the villages was not improved, India could not be happy.

A hundred years later, Gandhi survives, but in statues and museums, in the roads, parks, hotels, shops, songs named after him and, of course, on currency notes. From Bapudham Motihari railway station to Hotel Gandhi Inn in Motihari, to Gandhi khadi shops all over Champaran.

Gandhi seems to have become a commodity, used only for personal gains here, I tell a Motihari journalist. Isnt the entire country doing just that, he responds.

A timeline of the events which led to the Champaran Satyagraha:

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Hawaiis loss may be Ladakhs gain.

Alternative sites such as Hanle in Ladakh are being considered for the Thirty Metre Telescope project -- proposed to be the largest telescope -- after protests in Hawaii stalled its construction.

The telescope was to be constructed at Mauna Kea in Hawaii but protests by the indigenous population blocked the project.

The construction was expected to start on Mauna Kea, Hawaii in 2015. However, it is now stalled due to the recent decision of the Supreme Court of Hawaii, revoking the construction permit on procedural grounds.

The State of Hawaii agencies are working on the permit process following the prescribed procedure by the court. TMT is pursuing the matter in consultation with the University of Hawaii (land lease holder) and other agencies. It seeks to construct TMT on Mauna Kea, which is the preferred choice, said Bacham Eswar Reddy, programme director.

However, the project partners are also looking at alternative sites, both in the northern and southern hemispheres. These include sites in Chile, Hanle, Ladakh and others that are being evaluated for technical and logistical suitability.

It is expected that on-site civil work on the project may be delayed by about 18-24 months. However, work on telescope and observatory subsystems continues across the partnership, Reddy added.

India is a 10% partner in the TMT project, which includes China, Japan, Canada and the US. On the Indian side, the project is being handled by the Ministry of Science and Technology and Department of Atomic Energy.

The project is expected to improve employment opportunities for the local people besides development of the region. TMT being the largest optical and infrared telescope in the northern hemisphere will strengthen the domestic programme of the country in this field and lead to several discoveries, which will inspire future generations, said Reddy.

The project will also help develop state-of-the-art technologies and expertise in the country, an official of the Ministry of Science and Technology said.
Assam chief minister Tarun Gogoi has been hospitalised after he complained of stomach-related problems.

According to doctors of Gauhati Medical College and Hospital, Gogoi was admitted last evening after he had complained of stomach pain.

Doctors said, he was having constipation-related issues and his condition was stable now.

He is recovering fast, they said.

Although he was fit to go home on Sunday, Gogoi will stay at the hospital on Sunday night and undergo some further tests.

Governor P B Acharya visited the hospital during the day to enquire about his health and wished him speedy recovery.

Doctors said the chief minister is likely to be discharged on Monday.
Two Indian Air Force (IAF) choppers began spraying water over the burning forests in Uttarakhand on Sunday morning.

A seven-member crew of MI-17 chopper, headed by Wing Commander VK Singh, began the sortie in Nainital district. Forces are collecting water in bambi buckets from the Bhimtal lake, to be sprinkled over the worst affected areas -- Kilbury, Nalenda, Almakhna in Nainital.

One MI-17 chopper has been stationed at Bhimtal near Nainital, which is being loaded with water collected from the lakes in the area and will begin spraying water over affected areas from Sunday, chief secretary Shatrughna Singh had said on Saturday.

Srinagar, Garhwal: IAF's 11-member team begins fire fighting operations to douse #UttarakhandForestFire today pic.twitter.com/NCIUkjObM9  ANI (@ANI_news) May 1, 2016

Another IAF chopper based at Srinagar Garhwal will douse water in the Garhwal hills. More than 2300 hectares of forest have been gutted in the fire since it was first reported in February this year. Dry winters and soaring temperatures are blamed for the fire that has affected all 13 districts of the state.

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922 incidents of fire breaking out have been reported since February. (Arun Sharma/HT Photo)

Forest fires have spread to protected wildlife areas too. Around 550 hectares have been burnt in the Corbett Tiger Reserve, Rajaji Tiger Reserve and Kedarnath Wildlife sanctuary.

Forest officials fear loss of trees and wildlife in the forest fires. Six people have also been killed in the fire while around 12 have been injured in separate incidents.

Director general of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, SS Negi, said Uttarakhand forest fires were unprecedented. He said Uttarakhand lacks manpower to douse the fire.

WATCH: IAF's Mi-17 v5 lifts water from Bhimtal (Nainital) & sprays it over areas affected by #UttarakhandForestFirehttps://t.co/cZVI0O9ts1  ANI (@ANI_news) May 1, 2016

Presently, some 5,000 workers -- including 3,000 daily wagers -- are engaged in putting out the fire. Three National Disasrer Response Force (NDRF) teams have also been pressed into services. We have asked Uttar Pradesh to send 500 people that could be placed in the sensitive protected areas. Negi told HT.

Read | Disaster response force deployed to control Uttarakhand forest fires

Since the beginning of forest fire season in the state in February, 922 incidents have occurred in which seven people were injured and 1890.79 hectares of green cover has been affected, Gupta told PTI.

Worried over forest fires that are still raging in different parts of the state, governor KK Paul reviewed rescue efforts underway via video conferencing with officials in the field and asked them to speed up their efforts.

NDRF companies conduct rescue operations at Pauri, Garhwal district at Uttarakhand. (Arun Sharma/HT Photo)

NDRF companies assisted by expert teams and locals are conducting fire extinguishing and rescue operations in affected areas of Garhwal and Kumaon regions.

IG, Sanjay Gunjyal, is coordinating with the NDRF, district magistrates and principal conservator of forest to supervise rescue operations.

(With inputs from PTI)

Pics: Uttarakhand forests go up in flames, rescuers jump into action

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Union Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar said the Centre was taking the forest fires in Uttarakhand very seriously and making all efforts to control it even as his ministry began trial runs on Sunday for a pre-fire alert system that will issue warnings via SMS.

Government is taking the forest fires of Uttarakhand very seriously. 6000 people have been deployed for fighting it. We also granted Rs 5 crore to the state. Our top officer, including the DG of Forest department is on the spot guiding the local forces. The air force, the Home Ministry...all are helping and guiding the residents there, he said.

The government will study the reasons behind such major fires and prepare an action plan accordingly, he said.

The larger issue is why such fire occurs in the summer season. We will study the reasons and come out with an action plan on how to control it in future all over the country, Javadekar said.

He said his ministry began trial runs for a pre-fire alert system that will issue warnings via SMS about possible fire outbreaks in the country so that the forest department could attend to them immediately.

We are issuing fire alerts through satellite since last year. Wherever a fire breaks out in any remote forest, we get to know immediately. But these alerts are only issued after the fire has started, Javadekar said.

This is a new technology developed by our forest institutes...It will generate pre-fire alerts. SMS will be sent to all departments and officers concerned so that action can be taken immediately, he said.

Meanwhile, Indian Air Force (IAF) helicopters sprayed water in a bid to control forest fires raging in Uttarakhand. A team of 40 National Disaster Rescue Force (NDRF) personnel were also deployed in Nainital and Almora districts, authorities said.

Javadekar said in New Delhi that the government would investigate how and why the massive fire erupted and spread to such a wide area.

He said it would be seen if timber mafia was behind the blaze. But our first priority is to douse the fire and give relief to people.

The Prime Ministers Office has earmarked Rs.5 crore for the fire-fighting operation. The home ministry is monitoring the situation, Javadekar said.

Forty NDRF personnel had reached Almora, one of the worst hit districts, officials said.

The fires began 88 days ago and have so far destroyed nearly 3,000 acres of forest cover.
Heaping praise on countrys first prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru, Samajwadi Party president Mulayam Singh Yadav said no one had been a better premier than him till date in India.

He also blamed Chinas back-stabbing during the Sino-India war for his demise.

Yadav was speaking during the inauguration of new central medicine supply depot at UP Rural Institute of Medical Sciences and Research in Saifai.

Sharing anecdotes with the gathering, he said When slogans of Hindi-Cheeni bhai bhai were reverberating in the country China attacked India. It was a shock for Nehruji. It took his life.

He further said: China still has 1 lakh sq km of Indian land in its possession and no government did anything to reclaim the lost land in 50 years.

Yadav added that more over the governments were averse of dispatching the bodies of soldiers killed in action to their homes. It was during his time as defence minister the government began sending the bodies.

On the occasion he also said Uttar Pradesh was progressing immensely and he hoped that the high pace set by the SP government led by his son Akhilesh Yadav will further be accelerated.

The central medicine supply depot has been built with `7 crore to provide medicines to people in OPD and wards.

Director of RIMS Brigadier T Prabhakar said the institute has seen rapid growth in terms of academics, giving out quality treatment to people and infrastructure. The institute has 150 MBBS seats against 100 earlier and post graduate seats have been increased to 78 from 50.
With UPs jails too facing a severe water crisis, the prison department, in a bid to solve the problem, has started releasing inmates who are aged 70 years and above.

The department also plans to release just for the summer months those who have five-six months left in their life sentence.

Around 93 prisoners above 70 years have already been released and we have prepared another list of 1,800 septuagenarian inmates for release. We have also released 57 convicts who have five-six months of their 14 years sentence left, prison minister Balwant Singh Ramoowalia said.

Talking to HT, Singh said, Prison officers have been told to make adequate arrangement of potable water in all the jails. New tube wells have been constructed and tankers hired for regular supply of water.

The crisis has been aggravated due to fall in the water table in several districts, particularly Bundelkhand and the Mirzapur region, Singh said, adding that district magistrates and municipal authorities have also been asked to ensure water supply to the jails.

Singh, appointed prison minister in November, 2015, said: Majority of the jails have prisoners more than their capacity. To ease the pressure, the prison department is has planned the release of old prisoners.

We are also preparing a list of life convicts who have spent maximum part of their sentence in jails and are likely to be released within six months or so. These convicts would be released for the summer months with instruction to return back with the onset of monsoon, Singh said. The convicts would not violate the order as they know that after a few months they would be freed. Strict action would be taken against those who flout the order, he said.

UP has 59 district jails, five central jails and three special jails collectively having a capacity of 51,000 prisoners. At present, around 1 lakh prisoners are lodged in these jails.

The seven districts jails in the parched zone of Bundelkhand -- Jhansi, Lalitpur, Orai, Hamirpur, Banda, Mahoba, Chitrakaoot as well as Mirzapur, Sonbhadra and Chandauli are facing water shortage, besides housing prisoners more than their capacity. Jails officials here have stopped plantation and farming on agricultural land on the jail premises.

The water crisis in Banda and Hamirpur turned so acute that inmates had to go out of the jail premises, under police watch, to fetch drinking water from nearby tanks. ADG (Prison) Devendra Singh Chauhan, who visited the jails recently, said, Measures have been taken to ensure adequate water supply in both the jails.

The prison department also plans to shift prisoners to newly-constructed jails in some districts -- Kasganj, Chitrakoot, Ambedkar Nagar, Shravasti, Sant Kabir Nagar, Allahabad, Bareilly, Azamgarh, Etawah and Rampur. These jails together will house 12,000 prisoners. Also, new barracks are being constructed in the old jails and they will be able to accommodate around 6,000 prisoners.

Bundelkhand district jails

Jhansi: Capacity - 416; prisoners lodged - 1080

Lalitpur: Capacity - 100; prisoners lodged - 326

Orai: Capacity - 430; prisoners lodged - 768

Banda: Capacity- 567; prisoners lodged- 721

Chitrakoot: Capacity- 300; prisoners lodged - 630

Mahoba: Capacity- 175; prisoners lodged - 363

Hamirpur: Capacity - 400; prisoners lodged - 690
Even as the rest of the state celebrated Maharashtra Day, activists demanding statehood for Vidarbha observed black day in the region on Sunday.

While agitators pelted state transport buses with stones in Yavatmal, Republican Party of India (RPI) activists led by party president Sulekha Kumbhare blocked the busy Wardha Road  disrupting traffic.

Pro-statehood supporters, led by former state advocate general Shrihari Aney, hoisted the Vidarbha flag at a private resort at Bajaj Nagar Square, Nagpur. Similar flags were unfurled at 24 places across Vidarbha.

The Union government had merged Vidarbha, the central provinces and Berar with Maharashtra on May 1, 1960, a move that still evokes resentment among residents of these regions.

Read: Ahead of Maha day celebrations, sparks fly between allies

Aney, whose act of demanding separate statehood for Marathwada and Vidarbha had sparked a controversy leading to his resignation from the position, said they have been raising the Vidarbha flag on May 1 for the last three years. Stating that opposition from the Shiv Sena and the Raj Thackeray-led Maharashtra Navnirman Sena will not affect their resolve, he said: We are not afraid of any political party or group that opposes the creation of a Vidarbha state Our fight will further intensify from the day the winter session of the state legislature commences in Nagpur from December. We are currently in the process of chalking out a strategy for carving out a Vidarbha state from Maharashtra.

Aney said he will not degrade himself by commenting on certain derogatory remarks made by Shiv Sena executive president Uddhav Thackeray regarding the movement. Come what may, we will maintain our discipline and decency while agitating, the former advocate general said.

A small group of Shiv Sena activists had staged a demonstration in south Nagpur earlier in the day to protest Aneys attempts to divide Maharashtra.
Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convener and Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal will adopt the two children of the debt-ridden farmer who committed suicide along with his mother at a Barnala village on Tuesday, partys MP from Sangrur, Bhagwant Mann, has said here on Sunday.

Mann said that Kejriwal would visit Barnalas Jodhpur village on May 4 and adopt the farmers son and daughter. Kejriwal says he will have four children now and he will provide them with the best possible education in Delhi, the MP said here in an AAP state-level function organised with the help of the Punjab State Karamchari Dal.

Unable to repay Rs 1.8 lakh loan that his father, Darshan Singh, had taken in 2002, farmer Baljit Singh (35) and his mother, Balbir Kaur (62), committed suicide when commission agent Teja Singh and his sons go to his door along with police to take possession of his land.

Mann said Teja Singh was a cop himself and one of his sons was active member of the Student Organisation of India (SOI), student wing of the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD). Yet on the other side, the Badals (Punjabs ruling family) claim to be friends of farmers, said the MP.

Meanwhile, Karamchari Dal state president Hari Singh Tohra accused the ruling party of being anti-employee. He said the implementation of the sixth Pay Commission recommendations, release of the pending instalments of dearness allowance, regularisation of the services of employees in different departments, acceptance of the demands of Asha, MNREGS and Anganwadi workers were all pending. The government has not paid many employees for the past eight months but appointed more chief parliamentary secretaries. Its disregard to taxpayers money and employees rights, said Tohra.

Phoolka chose to be not involved

Replying to the media on Supreme Court lawyer HS Phoolkas viral video about ticket distribution for the 2017 assembly elections, Mann said Phoolka himself had chosen to be out of active politics to concentrate on representing victims in the 1984 riots case.

Shaheed needs no certificate

Shaheed Bhagat Singh was 23 when he died for country and he is still an inspiration for the entire nation, said Mann on the wrong representation of the martyr in a Delhi University book. He needs no certificate, the MP added.

Capt not in demand

Asking his supporters to stop raising slogans against the ruling party, Mann took a dig at Punjab Congress president Captain Amarinder Singh, saying: Even Canadian people are not willing to listen to him, so they told him to go back.

Sidelights

AAPs national organisation-building head Durgesh Pathak was also on stage but he passed the mike to Bhagwant Mann after greeting the public.

The Sangrur MP recited poems on political matters and suicides on Punjab farms.
The All Indian Pre-Medical Test (AIPMT) 2016, being treated as the first phase of the National Eligibility Entrance Test (NEET), was held on Sunday across 29 centres in Chandigarh. The competitive examination held for entrance to MBBS and BDS courses across the country was held amidst tight security this year.

Students had a proper dress code to adhere to as they were not allowed to enter the examination hall in shoes or carry any kind of stationary with them. Mobile phones were also not allowed.

Over 10,000 students appeared for the medical examination in the Chandigarh centres. (Ravi Kumar/HT Photo)

CBSE regional coordinator RJ Khanderao told HT, The exam was held smoothly across all the 29 centres. We have not received a single complaint so far. CBSE officials had even visited these centres a day before the exam to ensure that all rooms had clocks and were adhering the norms.

Over 10,000 students appeared for the medical examination in the Chandigarh centres. Most students claimed that the paper was easier and more balanced than last year. Ritika, a local aspirant, however, said that the Biology section, like always, was lengthier than the Physics and Chemistry sections. Aspirants also claimed that few questions in the Biology section were beyond NCERT syllabus. Those who had studied beyond NCERT would have been able to easily handle these questions, but overall the paper was balanced, added Ritika.

However, experts said CBSE must give grace marks for certain erroneous questions in the paper which had dual answers. Local academician and PMT trainer Arvind Goyal said, We have already sent an email to the CBSE AIPMT cell to intimate them about these erroneous questions.
Even 15 years after 9/11, Sikhs in the US feel they are more likely to face profiling, bigotry and backlash than the average American because of the two symbols of their distinct identitybeard and turban.

To dispel this misperception and spread awareness about the religion, a new Sikh art exhibit will be held in New York later this year to showcase the pride taken by the community in their religious and cultural practices.

Amit and Naroop with Waris Ahluwalia for the project (Photo: Facebook)

England-based photographers Amit and Naroop will click portraits of Sikh Americans under The Sikh Project mounted by The Sikh Coalition. These portraits will be unveiled around the 15th anniversary of 9/11.

The Coalition is the largest Sikh American advocacy and community development organisation in the US and works towards the realisation of civil and human rights for all people, particularly Sikhs.

After their critically acclaimed exhibit in the UK, the two photographers, who are proud of their Sikh heritage, said they are very excited about their upcoming exhibition. We are very excited! In the US, it will serve as an educational piece as well as an art project as the awareness of the Sikh identity is still misunderstood; so we are hoping it will have a wider impact, the two photographers told IANS through email from New York.

The photography exhibit, which explores the beauty, style and symbolism of the Sikh articles of faith, will include both turbaned men and women and feature a combination of iconic Sikh Americans and a few selected winners.

Amit and Naroop, in partnership with the Sikh Coalition, are currently casting for additional photography candidates and are asking turbaned Sikh Americans to take part in this groundbreaking project. May 1 was the deadline for the entry.

According to Coalitions executive director, Sapreet Kaur, The goal with bringing this project to the United States is the opportunity to combat bigotry by sharing a positive narrative of Sikhs in America through portraits and the incredible stories behind them.

The Coalition was founded by volunteers on the night of September 11, 2001, in response to a torrent of violent attacks against Sikh Americans throughout the US.

An accompanying video interview of each subject will allow visitors of the exhibition to learn more about the way Sikhs are treated, both positively and negatively, and the courage it takes for the subjects to continue to wear their articles of faith, they said.
Workers in a hosiery unit at Bahadur Ke Road had a distressful time on Saturday morning as they made frantic attempts to escape death after a fire broke out in the building.

Eight people were stuck on the top floor of Ashwani Knitwears for half an hour since 9am when smoke first billowed out from the factorys first floor. Dense, poisonous smoke soon filled the entire building, but the workers could not get out as the shutter leading to them was locked.

The workers finally made it out by breaking window grills and using a ladder that was set up from a building opposite to the factory. They were immediately shifted to hospitals.

A gutted shanty at Jodhewal Basti in Ludhiana on Saturday.Sikander Singh Chopra/HT (Sikander Singh Chopra/HT)

The fire destroyed goods and machines worth lakhs, but it is still not clear why it broke out. The factory owner refused to comment. Additional station house officer of Salem Tabri police station, Balbir Singh, said the police are probing the incident, which has again put focus on lack of fire safety in buildings in the city.

In August, 2014, three labourers were died due to suffocation after a hosiery factory caught fire in Ganeshpuri area of Shivpuri. The labourers had found no way to escape as the factory owner had gone home after locking down the unit.

Officials said ten fire tenders pressed into service on Saturday made 30 rounds to and from the fire station to refill. Leading fireman Raj Kumar said the fire was doused after four hours.

Around 25 employees, who were at the ground floor on night duty, also took part in the rescue operation. Among the workers who were stuck, Opinder, Ram Vilas and Mohinder Pal were sent to Jain Hospital, and Asheeq was taken to Ludhiana Civil Hospital. They worked in the factorys tailoring unit.

Pal was later referred to the Dayanand Medical College and Hospital after his condition deteriorated, but he was later reported to be recovering. The other workers, Kulwinder Singh, Avtar Singh and Ram Swaroop, are said to be stable.

Fire at four other places had firemen on their toes

Even as the city struggled to contain the blaze at Bahadur Ke Road, fire at four other locations --- Jodhewal Basti, Chaura Bazaar, near the bus stand and Chhapar --- had officials from the department on their toes.

Four shanties of the slum area near Jodhewal Basti were gutted with residents losing all their belongings. Two fire tenders were rushed to the spot, leading fireman Raj Kumar said, adding that the exact cause of the blaze was not known.

In Chaura Bazaar, a clothes shop caught fire, possible due to a short circuit. A fire tender was able to douse the blaze in a hour. Witness Sandeep Singh claimed that there was panic in the area when smoke started bellowing out of a shop in the area.

In the third incident, another fire broke out at a house near the bus stand. Leading fireman Kumar again added that there had been a blast in a gas cylinder near the Dyan Singh Complex, but no one was injured.

Assistant divisional fire officer, Bhupinder Singh also had a fire incident to narrate, at a rice mill near Chhapar village. He added that there were no deaths, but a team from Ludhiana had to be rushed to the spot.

Incidents of fire generally see an increase in summers as there is overloading on the power grid, Singh claimed.
Normally, I wouldnt regard myself as a yesteryears product. Why, only a couple of decades ago we were a happening lot, with the right amount of oomph oozing out of our simple lifestyle. Brought up on a staple diet of books by Agatha Christie, Mills & Boon and Barbara Cartland, and Yash Raj films, we blended in a little mystery as the world at large set about decoding the nuances of our demeanour.

Those were the days of Fiat cars, soulful melodies, Rajesh Khanna films and convent-school discipline. The oversized new garments on Diwali were such a delight! Stacked closets were unthinkable. We never knew of a world more glamorous than the one we inhabited. So content we were, in our cocoons.

Soon enough, there was a menacing bombardment of brands. Whodunnit? I still wonder. When and how did the good old Bata and Liberty get eased out by Louboutin, Aldo,Gucci, etc? Suddenly, a pint-sized child, who has not yet begun to set apart her Jacks from Jills in nursery rhymes knows for sure whether her clothes are from GAP or Zara. While teenagers today are complete brand-slaves, and the good old tailor is non-existent in their world, our generation thrived on hand-me-downs.

I recall with embarrassment, how I was picked up from college by my father for a family wedding. All pleas to be allowed to change out of the college uniform, a white churidar-kurta, fell on deaf ears. The punctual gentleman saw no sense in getting late for something so trivial.

Red-faced, I was dragged into a sea of glitter and bling. Later my father asked me why I didnt mingle with the rest. I told him I felt absolutely out of place because of my clothes. That day, he gave me a lesson, I never forgot. Beta, these frills and fancies are the refuge of nobodies. Make sure you grow beyond their grip and introduce a well-meaning and confident person to the world.

Indeed, we have lost the plot somewhere. At a recent social gathering, one couldnt help but notice the swarm of well-heeled ladies, flaunting finery from head to toe. More than conversing or meeting anyone, they seemed to be interested in eyeing what the rest were wearing. Mentally, they slotted them in different categories of social scale.

What a glaring contrast to the grim reality of our state where we have yet to find a solution to many a crisis. While a farmer commits suicide as he cant repay a debt of about a lakh, a socialite would probably pick up a branded bag for double the amount and push it into a dark corner of her cupboard once seen by her friends. If only collective conscience prevails and we strike a healthy balance between the haves and have-nots, wont we be closer to flaunting a newfound social brand called euphoria?

bubbutir@yahoo.com

(The writer is a Chandigarh-based freelance contributor)
Hailing from Badal village, Pardeep Kumar, a landless progressive farmer is making a killing through bee-keeping. He is earning Rs 25 lakh from it and has about 400 boxes for the purpose.

Badal village has formed a co-operative society of bee keepers that has about 500 members to date and is making a turnover of about Rs 1.25 crore. The co-operative society is looking forward to take the membership to about 2,000 bee keepers.

There is great demand for honey, especially abroad. We are working towards expanding the market. As of now, the society members are selling honey to Markfed, while a few are even exporting, added Pardeep.

The society is exporting bee to Europe, Argentina and the US. Standards abroad are quite strict and we get the honey tested before exporting it, added Pardeep. A progressive farmer from Hoshiarpur, Kulwant Singh, who was instrumental in getting the ambitious project approved, said, Farmers committing suicide are the ones whose only source of income is land. There is need to push for crop diversification and ensuring development of processing industry that is need of the hour. A PKVC patron, Dr GS Kalkat, said, The PKVC initiative of the state government will go a long way in putting our dwindling agriculture economy on strong pedestal. The chamber, in close coordination with PAU, will give far better extension services to motivate the farmers for adopting new farm practices on scientific lines.

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It was a couple of years ago that I visited the British Library on Euston Road, London, for some research on the book I was writing back then. As I take immense interest in diaspora stories, a document titled Sikhs - Argentina caught my attention. If I remember correctly, it was under the India files at the reading room dedicated to Asian and African studies.

Thinking it would throw light on the story of Sikhs in Argentina, especially given their recent successes, I was taken aback after I finished reading the document. That the dossier with the Buenos Aires dateline left me queasy, angry and flabbergasted, is a story for another day.

The document is in the form of a letter addressed to Sir Edward Grey Bart, KGMP (perhaps then foreign secretary) by a British diplomat Reginald Tower. Written in 1912, Tower has stated to his superior the then Argentine Republics director general of immigrations reasons why Asians, especially Sikhs and Hindus, shouldnt be allowed on Argentine shores.

Dated two years prior to the Komagata Maru occurrence, the letter is a clear giveaway that South America was equally given to race and religious bias towards Indians. Just as much as Canadians, Europeans and Americans, who in the early 20th century had very strong discriminatory laws to keep out Asians.

Tower writes: On the subject of the immigration of Sikhs into the Argentine Republic, I have the honour to report that the Director General of Immigration, Senor Manuel Cigarraga, addressed a letter on the 21st instant to each of the foreign shipping companies represented in this Capital, urging them to refuse passages to any Asiatics to the Argentine Republic.

The British officer further writes: In the lengthy letter Senor Cigarraga speaks in unmeasured terms of reproach of the British Indians. He points out that they belong to a conquered race, indolent and weak. Their pretend religious beliefs, real idolatry are in par with their moral corruption. No absurdity can be imagined in matters of religion which is not incorporated by the Indians and other Asiatics, Malays and Negroes. Many millions of them, among these, those who arrived in the Argentine Republic in January last, worship the cow and the monkey. The British government have been compelled to prohibit human sacrifices by the Indians and obligatory suicide by widows.

Senor Cigarraga, in his endless racial tirade against the Indians is quoted as saying that the experience of the Indians, some five hundred in number, now in the Republic is that they are useless for work. That the Eurasian cross is highly objectionable for this Republic, and that their presence is in every way undesirable. Cigarraga, quotes the Argentine constitution of that time, which enjoins an encouragement of European immigration, this justifying his placing an impediment in the way of Asian immigration.

Tower, explaining further the contents of Cigarragas letter writes: He attacks His Majestys Legation and the action taken by me on behalf of the Sikhs in the following terms:- I was engaged in studying the question of the aptitude of European immigrants for national work in our fields when the arrival for the first time of numerous and successive detachments, within a short period of time, of third class passengers born in India, surprised me in the most disagreeable manner, I say it without circumlocution. And my surprise was increased by the inconceivable pretension of wishing to admit into the immigrants Hotel under my jurisdiction, in which European immigrants alone, who show special aptitude for work, can be lodged.

Reginald Tower, interpreting the Argentinian constitution in the light that its borders are open for all men of the world who may desire to inhabit Argentina in his concluding paragraph writes: There are rumours that a Bill will be introduced into the Congress during the present session, excluding Hindoos and Gipsies, but has not yet been presented.

That the letter, which runs into four pages, is highly offensive, is beyond doubt. What one wonders is whether this document has yet come into the public domain or not. Unfortunately, Google shows no sign of the letter.

The world has come a long way. Sikhs are one of the best agriculturists in Argentina. However, this Argentinian Komagata Maru ought to be revealed, even though such imperialistic remarks may not be few and far between in those days.

(Email the writer at singhkhushwant@hotmail.com)
The Punjab cabinet on Saturday directed the school education department to put in place an effective mechanism to regulate fee and other charges levied by private schools in the state.

Nakodar fee protest turns ugly as school owner fires in air

The matter was raised in the cabinet by local bodies minister Anil Joshi who had earlier sent a letter to chief minister Parkash Singh Badal on the issue. Joshi highlighted that a number of complaints have been received from parents across the state regarding exorbitant fee charged by private schools.

Sources said the cabinet will discuss creation of a regulatory body in this regard in the next meeting.

In another significant decision, the cabinet decided to recast combined seniority of assistant sub- inspectors (ASIs), sub-inspectors (SIs) and inspectors of district police and Punjab Armed Police (PAP)

Read more: School for scandal? Mounting fee brings parents to the road

It also approved to designate a constable as head constable (PR) on completion of 16 years of regular service. A constable is designated as senior constable on completion of eight years of service.

The cabinet also decided to increase the upper age limit for recruitment of constable and sub-inspector in police from 25 to 28 years.

New rules for old age pension cases verification

The cabinet decided to abolish the committee under the chairmanship of ADC (development) constituted for the verification of old-age pension cases. Amending the procedure for getting approval for old age pension, government said the application forms can be recommended by sarpanch and one member of panchayat or one nambardar and one member of panchayat or two members of panchayat or chairperson/member block samiti and one member of panchayat or chairperson/member, zila parishad and one member of panchayat.

In urban areas, such recommendation could be made by any councillor in the local bodies concerned. The application forms are to be sent to the SDMs office. The SDM would immediately give provisional sanction and the applicant would start getting pension. The district social security officer (DSSO) would verify such provisionally approved cases within a month. If a beneficiary is found to be ineligible, the authority who recommended its case would be liable to pay double the amount received by the beneficiary.

Other decisions

* Director and warden of fisheries post to be filled on contract basis.

* Sale proceeds of Rs 7.35 crore transferred to Bhogpur cooperative sugar mill. The amount was received from the sale of 12.68-acre land of Sugarfed to Housefed.

* 6.18 acres of Rupnagar improvement trust transferred to transport Department for construction of new bus stand

* Direct recruitment of jail warders approved

* e-purse cards to be introduced for purchase of goods from jail canteens instead of coupons

* Private players to be roped in for renovation of historical Gobindgarh Fort at Amritsar on PPP mode

* No need for no-objection certificate for release of residential electricity connections

Extortionist Punjab schools: 120 meetings, 0 result, fee panel fails
Unhappy with health-related policies of the Punjab government, senior medical officer (SMO) of the Khadoor Sahib civil hospital and state president of the PCMS (Punjab Civil Medical Services) Specialists Doctors Union of Punjab Dr Kashmir Singh Sohal resigned from his job on Saturday.

Speaking to HT, Dr Sohal said poor policies of the state government was giving a tough time to specialist doctors working under the health and family welfare department. He said in such circumstances, no doctor wants to work with the department.

The condition of civil hospitals in the state is pathetic. Not enough facilities are being provided to patients. People think twice before visiting government hospitals for the fear of contracting some disease. The wrath of patients over the mismanagement on the part of government has to be face by doctors, he said.

Dr Sohal said the government has set up a hierarchy of other officials, including sub-divisional magistrates, over the specialist doctors. This move has killed the freedom of doctors, who now feel suffocated, he said.

Being the union president, I have raised such issues a number of times and held strikes against these anti-people and anti-doctor policies, but the government never took our concerns seriously, he said.

Dr Sohal said more doctors are ready to quit the job and they may do so in coming months, which will be a major embarrassment for the government led by chief minister Parkash Singh Badal.

Also resentful for being dismisses in 2009, Dr Sohal said: I have worked my whole life with full dedication and true spirit to serve people, especially during the critical period of militancy in Punjab. The government awarded me for this by dismissing me on basis of baseless allegations in April 2009. I fought the case in the Punjab and Haryana high court, which reinstated me in April 2011. After being reinstated, I made a number of requests to the top health authorities seeking job benefits during the dismissal period, but nothing was done.

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Chief parliamentary secretary Navjot Kaur Sidhu was in the city on Saturday to condole with the family of Inderpal Ahuja, a 25-year-old Dugri-based mobile shop owner who jumped in front of a running train on Friday and died. Ahuja was upset after alleged harassment by the police.

Read more: Harassed by cops, Ludhiana man puts it on FB, jumps before train

Sidhu assured the family that justice will be delivered and demanded cops be booked for abetment to suicide. She stated Ahujas Facebook status was proof enough that he died due to harassment by cops.

This is not merely a suicide case; the grim reality is that police often operate under pressure from politicians and there is a bigger nexus in place wherein cops do not fear taking law into their hands. I have decided to write to chief minister Prakash Singh Badal, the director general of police and also Prime Minister Narendra Modi, she told HT.

Sidhu alleged no FIR was registered against the cops because Ahujas family was poor. The DGP must intervene and ensure the family gets justice and compensation in time, she added.

Meanwhile, a bhog ceremony for the deceased will be held at Model Town Extension gurdwara on Tuesday. The authorities are likely to announce monetary compensation and a government job to Ahujas sister at the ceremony.

Political gimmicks

Ahujas relatives, however, dismissed Sidhus visit as a mere political gimmick and said it hardly served any purpose. One of the relatives, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said: We have lost a son, and everyone knows he cannot be brought back to his family again. Such visits by high-profile politicians or police officers will do nothing now.

Lost my only hope

Ahujas mother, Kuldeep Kaur, also said compensation will not matter. I have lost the only hope of my life. No mother in the world would wish such a fate for herself, she said, adding Inderpal was the lone bread winner of the family after his fathers death a few years ago. Kaur said Inderpal always kept to his work and never fought with anyone. It is only now that I know that he was blackmailed by cops who extorted money from him. He never tell me anything, she added.

SIT formed

Meanwhile, Commissioner of Police Jatinder Singh Aulakh formed a Special Investigating Team (SIT) headed by Sandeep Garg, ADCP-2 Ludhiana. The team has begun investigation and the accused officers, SHO (Station House Officer) Dugri Davinder Chaudhary, assistant sub-inspector Buta Singh and head constable Swaran Singh, have been suspended. Strict action would be taken against the guilty, Aulakh said. The team will submit its report on Monday.

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Eighty-four migrants are still missing after an inflatable craft sank off the coast of Libya, according to survivors cited by the International Organization for Migration (IOM) on Saturday.

Twenty-six people were rescued from the boat which sank on Friday and were questioned overnight.

According to testimonies gathered by IOM in Lampedusa 84 people went missing, IOM spokesperson in Italy Flavio Di Giacomo wrote on his Twitter feed.

Di Giacomo told AFP that the survivors indicated 110 people, all from assorted west African states, had embarked in Libya.

In an email, he added that the vessel was in a very bad state, was taking on water and many people fell into the water and drowned.

Ten fell very rapidly and several others just minutes later.

Earlier Saturday, Italys coastguard said an Italian cargo ship had rescued 26 migrants from a flimsy boat sinking off the coast of Libya but voiced fears that tens more could be missing.

The coastguard received a call from a satellite phone late Friday that helped locate the stricken inflatable and called on the merchant ship to make a detour to the area about four miles (seven kilometres) off the Libyan coast near Sabratha.

Rough seas and waves topping two metres (seven feet) hampered attempts to find any other survivors.

The rescued migrants were transferred to two coastguard vessel and taken to the Italian island of Lampedusa.

Images released by the coastguard showed two women wrapped in shawls and blankets stepping off one of their vessels.

An IOM spokesperson said five unaccompanied minors aged between 16 and 17 were among those rescued.

More than 350,000 people fleeing conflict and poverty have reached Italy on boats from Libya since the start of 2014, as Europe struggles to manage its biggest migration crisis since World War II.

Most of the 27,000 people who have made it to the Italian coast this year hail from Nigeria, Gambia and Senegal.

Some 500 were rescued on Friday by monitoring vessels in the area while Di Giacomo said two bodies had been spotted in one inflatable craft.

The UN high commissioner for refugees estimates 1,261 people have drowned in the Mediterranean this year, chiefly on precarious voyages to Greek islands, in desperate attempts to secure a new life.

The additional migrant flow from the Syrian conflict has put further pressure on search and rescue operation efforts.

Last year, the IOM estimated that around 3,800 people died or were listed as missing in the Mediterranean -- though some UN estimates put the figure at nearer 5,000.
With about 92% of the worlds declared chemical weapons stockpiles destroyed, the watchdog agency overseeing the elimination of poison gas and nerve agents is looking now to counter emerging threats from extremist groups.

The Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) is marking the April 29, 1997, entry into force of the Chemical Weapons Convention with a three-day conference starting from Monday focusing on chemical safety and security.

It appears, in the future, extremists and criminals seem more likely than nations to launch chemical attacks.

Read| Two chemical attacks by Islamic State kill child, wound 600

We want to capture the current security threats in regard to chemical weapons, especially from non-state actors, OPCW director-general Ahmet Uzumcu said at the organisations headquarters in The Hague.

There have been repeated reports of chemical attacks in Syrias devastating civil war and a UN-mandated investigation is underway aimed at apportioning blame for nine cases in 2014 and 2015. A final report is expected shortly before the teams mandate ends in September.

In some of the cases, its believed that chlorine was used in the attacks. The widely available substance is sold the world over for legitimate purposes such as water purification, but chlorine gas also was used in the first large-scale chemical weapons attack by German forces in World War I.

The Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) is marking the April 29, 1997, entry into force of the Chemical Weapons Convention with a three-day conference. (AFP File Photo)

The challenge will remain to prevent the use of toxic substances as a weapon, said Uzumcu, whose organisation won the 2013 Nobel Peace Prize for its disarmament efforts.

The issue is not new, the OPCW has been considering it since the 9/11 attacks in the United States, but it has been brought into sharper focus by the attacks in Syria.

At the conference, experts will discuss how to use the existing chemical weapons convention to tackle the problem and whether the OCPW needs to adapt to the new reality.

Ralf Trapp, a former OPCW staffer who is now an independent disarmament and non-proliferation consultant, says protecting people from attacks using readily available chemicals is a difficult balancing act.

Read | US-led coalition captures IS emir of chemical weapons in air strikes

You always will have the dilemma that some of these chemicals are in very wide use, he said in a telephone interview. If you over-regulate them or control them to the point where they can no longer be properly used, youre actually slowing down economic use. Its not going to work.

Trapp warned that finding a way to deal with extremists has taken on new urgency with the rise of the Islamic State in Syria and Iraq.

Over time, you could expect that if they do decide to go for a chemical weapons program that they will in fact have the capability of investing time and money into it and develop something that would be much more sophisticated than what we see today, he said.

Meanwhile, the OPCW has yet to complete its work in Syria, which joined the organization in 2013 amid international outrage at a nerve gas attack on the outskirts of Damascus.

Syrian President Bashar Assads government declared a 1,300-ton chemical weapons stockpile and 14 production facilities, triggering an unprecedented international operation to remove weapons and chemicals from the war-torn country and destroy them.

Read | Chemical weapons used 161 times in five-year Syria war: Report

The weapons have been destroyed, as have 11 of the production plants, Uzumcu said, but member states of the OPCW have repeatedly questioned whether Assad declared everything in 2013.

We are not yet there, Uzumcu said. There are still questions. I am not able to say whether Syria has declared everything or whether Syria continues to possess some chemical weapons or some munitions. I hope that we will be able to clarify the remaining questions.

He said Syrian officials are expected to visit The Hague in coming weeks to continue talks aimed at clarifying the situation.

Another key challenge for the OPCW is attempting to bring on board four remaining countries that have not joined the chemical weapons convention - Egypt, Israel, North Korea and South Sudan.

Uzumcu believes it is only a matter of time before South Sudan joins and says the change in the Mideast security landscape brought about by the Syrian war may ultimately lead to Israel and Egypt joining.

The reclusive regime in North Korea has so far ignored all attempts by Uzumcu to open a dialogue.

Trapp says getting Pyongyang on board will be tough because of the nuclear issue that dominates the disarmament agenda.

Can you isolate the chemical weapons issue from the rest of the security situation on the Korean peninsula? he said If you could do that, you could talk to the Koreans and try to get a process going. If you cant separate it from the rest, it becomes a ball in a much bigger game and you get the nuclear issue and a couple of other things and it becomes very complicated.
The fishing fleet based in this tiny port town on Hainan island is getting everything from military training and subsidies to even fuel and ice as China creates an increasingly sophisticated fishing militia to sail into the disputed South China Sea.

The training and support includes exercises at sea and requests to fishermen to gather information on foreign vessels, provincial government officials, regional diplomats and fishing company executives said in recent interviews.

The maritime militia is expanding because of the countrys need for it, and because of the desire of the fishermen to engage in national service, protecting our countrys interests, said an advisor to the Hainan government who did not want to be named.

But the fishing militia also raises the risk of conflict with foreign navies in the strategic waterway through which $5 trillion of trade passes each year, diplomats and naval experts say.

The United States has been conducting sea and air patrols near artificial islands China is building in the disputed Spratlys archipelago, including by two B-52 strategic bombers in November. Washington said in February it would increase the freedom of navigation sail-bys around the disputed sea.

Basic military training

The city-level branches of the Peoples Armed Forces Department provide basic military training to fishermen, said the Hainan government advisor. The branches are overseen by both the military and local Communist Party authorities in charge of militia operations nationwide.

The training encompasses search and rescue operations, contending with disasters at sea, and safeguarding Chinese sovereignty, said the advisor who focuses on the South China Sea.

The training, which includes exercises at sea, takes place between May and August and the government pays fishermen for participating, he said.

A satellite image released by the Asian Maritime Transparency Initiative at Washington's Centre for Strategic and International Studies shows construction of possible radar tower facilities in the Spratly Islands in the disputed South China Sea in this image released on February 23, 2016. (Reuters file photo)

Government subsidies encourage fishermen to use heavier vessels with steel - as opposed to wooden - hulls.

The government has also provided Global Positioning Satellite equipment for at least 50,000 vessels, enabling them to contact the Chinese Coast Guard in maritime emergencies, including encounters with foreign ships, industry executives said.

Several Hainan fishermen and diplomats told Reuters some vessels have small arms.

When a particular mission in safeguarding sovereignty, comes up government authorities will coordinate with the fishing militia, the advisor said, asking them to gather information on the activities of foreign vessels at sea.

Row with indonesia

That coordination was evident in March, when Indonesia attempted to detain a Chinese fishing vessel for fishing near its Natuna Islands in the South China Sea. A Chinese coast guard vessel quickly intervened to prevent the Indonesian Navy from towing away the fishing boat, setting off a diplomatic row. Beijing does not claim the Natunas but said the boats were in traditional Chinese fishing grounds.

China claims almost all of the South China Sea. The Philippines, Malaysia, Vietnam, Taiwan and Brunei also have conflicting claims over the islets and atolls that constitute the Spratly Archipelago and its rich fishing grounds.

State-controlled fishing companies dominate the fleets that go regularly to the Spratlys and are recipients of much of the militia training and subsidies, industry sources said.

China has by far the worlds biggest fish industry, but depleted fishery resources close to Chinas shores have made fishing in disputed waters an economic necessity, fishermen and industry executives say.

State-owned Hainan South China Sea Modern Fishery Group Company says on its website it is both military and commercial, both soldiers and civilians. One of its aims, the company says, is to let the Chinese flag fly over the Spratlys.

A Chinese Coast Guard vessel is pictured on the disputed Second Thomas Shoal, part of the Spratly Islands, in the South China Sea (Reuters file photo)

Defending sovereignty is primarily the governments concern, said Ye Ning, the companys general manager, in an interview at his office in Haikou. But of course, regular folks being able to fish in their own countries waters should be the norm. That goes for us too.

The company provides fishermen who sail to the Spratlys with fuel, water, and ice, and then purchases fish from them when they returned, according to a written introduction to the companys work executives provided to Reuters.

Lot more risky

Its gotten a lot more risky to do this with all kinds of foreign boats out there, said Huang Jing, a local fisherman in the sleepy port town of Baimajing, where a line of massive steel-hulled fishing trawlers stretches as far as the eye can see.

But China is strong now, he said. I trust the government to protect us.

Chen Rishen, chairman of Hainan Jianghai Group Co. Ltd, says his private but state subsidised company dispatches large fleets of steel-hulled trawlers weighing hundreds of tonnes to fish near the Spratly Islands. They usually go for months at a time, primarily for commercial reasons, he said.

If some foreign fishing boats infringe on our territory and try to prevent us from fishing there ... Then were put in the role of safeguarding sovereignty, he said in an interview in Haikou, the provincial capital of Hainan.

China does not use its fishing fleet to help establish sovereignty claims in the South China Sea, foreign ministry spokesman Lu Kang said: This kind of situation does not exist.

China had taken measures to ensure the fishing fleets conduct business legally, he told a ministry press briefing last month.

Rules of engagement

Chen said his fishermen stop at Woody Island in the Paracel islands, where China recently installed surface-to-air missiles, to refuel and communicate with Chinese Coast Guard vessels.

They look forward to using similar facilities China is developing in the Spratly Islands, he said.

China has been pouring sand from the seabed onto seven reefs to create artificial islands in the Spratlys. So far, it has built one airstrip with two more under construction on them, with re-fuelling and storage facilities.

This all points to the need for establishing agreed protocols for ensuring clear and effective communications between civilian and maritime law enforcement vessels of different countries operating in the area, said Michael Vatikiotis, Asia director of the Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue, which is helping claimant states design such confidence building measures.

A regional agreement on communications and procedures when rival navies meet at sea applies only to naval ships and other military vessels, he said.
The two teenagers suspected of carrying out a bomb attack at a gurdwara in the German city of Essen wanted to cause maximum casualties by detonating the explosives inside, but were unable to break into the Sikh shrine, investigators have said.

It was a matter of great luck that a major catastrophe was averted, a police spokesman said.

An explosion ripped through the entrance hall of the Nanaksar Satsang Sabha Gurdwara on the evening of April 16, shortly after it hosted a wedding ceremony.

Most of around 200 wedding guests, including children, had left the gurdwara to attend a reception in a nearby hall when the bomb went off.

A 60-year-old suffered serious injuries and had to be hospitalised while two 47- and 56-year-old men had minor injuries. The injured included the granthi (priest) on whom the whole pane of glass had fallen due to the impact.

New information on the attack given by the North Rhine Westphalia interior ministry on Thursday showed that the 16-year-old secondary school students Mohammed B and Yussuf T wanted to detonate their self-made bomb, a fire extinguisher filled with explosives, inside the gurdwara.

Read: IS-linked teenagers accept hand in German gurdwara bombing: Report

Read: German cops say gurdwara terror suspect a repeat offender

But they could not break into the gurdwara through the door and they set off the explosion at the entrance. The bomb was so powerful that the explosion caused severe damage to the building.

Mohammed B had presented himself as Kuffr killer (killer of infidels) on his Facebook profile in November last year and displayed jihadi symbols, regional newspaper Westdeutsche Allgemeine Zeitung (WAZ) reported.

The newspaper said it had on November 27 reported about Mohammed Bs intention to kill non-believers and carried on its website screen shots of his Facebook profile.

Mohammed B had also glorified the terror attacks in Paris on November 13 and derided its 130 victims on his updated Facebook profile, the report said.

Security authorities are alarmed by the terror attack and they are trying to establish whether the two men are linked to a jihadi terror network, it said. Immediately after the attack, Mohammed made contacts with a 16-year-old Salafist in Wesel in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia, the report said.
Two teenagers suspected of carrying out a bomb attack on a gurudwara in the German city of Essen wanted to cause maximum casualties by detonating the explosive inside but were unable to break into the Sikh temple, investigators said.

It was a matter of great luck that a major catastrophe was averted, a police spokesperson said.

An explosion ripped through the entrance hall of the Nanaksar Satsang Sabha Gurdwara on the evening of April 16, shortly after it hosted a wedding ceremony.

Most of around 200 wedding guests, including children, had left the gurudwara to attend a reception in a nearby hall when the bomb went off.

A 60-year-old suffered serious injuries and had to be hospitalised while two 47- and 56-year-old men had minor injuries. The injured included the granthi (priest) on whom the whole pane of glass had fallen due to the impact.

New information about the attack, given by the North Rhine Westphalia interior ministry on Thursday, showed that the 16-year-old secondary school students Mohammed B and Yussuf T wanted to detonate their self-made bomb, a fire extinguisher filled with explosives, inside the gurudwara.

But they could not break into the gurudwara through the entrance door and set off the explosion at the entrance. The bomb was so powerful that the explosion caused severe damage to the building.

Mohammed B had presented himself as Kuffr killer (killer of infidels) on his Facebook profile in November last year and posted jihadi symbols, regional newspaper Westdeutsche Allgemeine Zeitung (WAZ) reported.

The newspaper said it had, on November 27, reported about Mohammed Bs intention to kill non-believers believers and carried on its website screenshots of his Facebook profile.

Mohammed B had also glorified the terror attacks in Paris on November 13 and derided its 130 victims on his updated Facebook profile, the report said.

The report said it has information that the two men had contacts to two mosques in the city.

Security authorities are alarmed by the terror attack and they are trying to establish if the two men are linked to a terror network, it said.

Immediately after the attack, Mohammed made contacted a 16-year-old Salafist in Wesel in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia, the report said.
Five years after the killing of al Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden, the network he founded is far from dead even if it has suffered a series of setbacks.

Replaced as the pre-eminent global jihadist power by the Islamic State group, al Qaeda nonetheless remains a potent force and a dangerous threat, experts say.

With last years Charlie Hebdo massacre in Paris and a wave of shootings in West Africa, al Qaeda has shown it can still carry out its trademark spectacular attacks.

And in Syria and Yemen, its militants have seized on chaos to take control of significant territory, even presenting themselves as an alternative to the brutality of IS rule.

By the time US special forces killed bin Laden in Pakistan on May 2, 2011, the group he founded in the late 1980s had been badly damaged, with many of its militants and leaders killed or captured in the US War on Terror.

Dissent grew in the jihadist ranks as new Qaeda chief, Ayman al Zawahiri, struggled in bin Ladens place until one of its branches, originally al Qaeda in Iraq, broke away to form the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL).

After seizing large parts of Iraq and Syria in 2014, the group declared an Islamic caliphate in areas under its control, calling itself the Islamic State.

Yemeni loyalist forces and onlookers gather at the scene of a suicide attack, targeting the police chief in the base of the Saudi-backed government on April 28, 2016 in Yemen's second city Aden. (AFP Photo)

IS has since eclipsed its former partner, drawing thousands of jihadists to its cause and claiming responsibility for attacks that have left hundreds dead in Brussels, Paris, Tunisia, Turkey, Lebanon, Yemen, Saudi Arabia and on a Russian airliner over Egypt.

Media war machine

Its self-declared emir Abu Bakr al Baghdadi has won pledges of allegiance from extremist groups across the Middle East and beyond, with especially powerful IS affiliates operating in Egypts Sinai Peninsula and in Libya.

Jean-Pierre Filiu, a Paris-based expert on Islam and jihadist groups, said IS has been especially effective at using new technology to surpass its less tech-savvy rival.

Al Qaeda propaganda has become invisible on social networks thanks to the media war machine that Daesh has managed to successfully create, Filiu said, using an Arabic acronym for IS.

Al Qaeda has lost everywhere to Daesh, except in the Sahel desert region of northern Africa, he said.

William McCants, of the Brookings Institution in Washington, agreed that al Qaeda had lost some ground to IS but said the organisation has recovered.

The main branches of al Qaeda in the world. (AFP Photo)

Al Qaeda has a strong showing in Syria and in Yemen, he said.

In Syria the groups local affiliate, al Nusra Front, is one of the strongest forces fighting President Bashar al Assads regime, holding large parts of the northern province of Idlib.

The local branch in Yemen, al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), has meanwhile seized significant territory in the south and southeast as the government struggles against Iran-backed Shiite insurgents who have taken the capital Sanaa and other areas.

AQAP suffered a setback last week when Yemeni troops recaptured the key port city of Mukalla it occupied for more than a year.

Attacks in Paris, west Africa

But AQAP remains the key jihadist force in Yemen with thousands of members compared with only several hundred affiliated with IS, McCants said.

AQAP, considered by Washington to be al Qaedas most well-established and dangerous branch, has also claimed responsibility for one of the groups most important attacks abroad in recent years.

In January 2015, gunmen stormed the Paris offices of satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo with assault rifles and other weapons, killing 12 people in an attack claimed by AQAP.

Another branch, al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM), has carried out assaults on hotels and restaurants in Mali, Burkina Faso and Ivory Coast since November that have left dozens dead, including many foreigners.

The attacks in west Africa have reasserted the regional presence of AQIM and shown its expanding reach, New York-based intelligence consultancy The Soufan Group said in March.

AQIM has used the attacks to challenge the influence of the Islamic State, to demonstrate and build its local support and to show that it is united after earlier damaging divisions, it said.

The International Crisis Group also argues that although IS has reshaped the jihadist landscape, al Qaeda has evolved and its branches in North Africa, Somalia, Syria and Yemen remain potent, some stronger than ever.

Some have grafted themselves onto local insurrections, displaying a degree of pragmatism, caution about killing Muslims and sensitivity to local norms, said the Brussels-based think-tank.

In this file image posted on the Twitter page of Ahrar al Sham on June 19, 2015, fighters march in the eastern Damascus suburb of Ghouta, Syria. (AP File Photo)

Al Qaeda chiefs in Yemen and elsewhere have condemned IS for some of its actions, including bombings of Shiite mosques.

Jihad will last decades

The United States clearly still sees Al-Qaeda as a key threat, pursuing a vigorous drone war against the group in Yemen.

The strikes have killed many senior operatives, including al Qaedas second-in-command Nasir al Wuhayshi in June 2015. In March a US strike on an AQAP training camp in Yemen killed at least 71 recruits.

Writing for French news website Atlantico in early April, former intelligence officer Alain Rodier said that while IS may have stolen the spotlight, al Qaeda may be in a better long-term position.

By rushing to declare its caliphate and establish its rule, IS has made itself an easier target, with thousands of its supporters killed in air strikes launched by a US-led coalition and by Russia.

Its harsh rule has also alienated potential supporters, while groups like al Nusra have instead sought to work with local forces in areas under their control.

A police cordon is seen while Ivorian police prepare to inspect the area of the hotel Etoile du Sud following an attack by gunmen from al Qaeda's North African branch, in Grand Bassam, Ivory Coast. (Reuters File Photo)

The death of al Qaedas founding father in no way meant the end of his progeny, Rodier wrote. This jihad will last for decades.
Belgian capital Brusselss Muslim-dominated district of Molenbeek may have gained global notoriety as an Islamic State (IS) recruitment hotbed but residents here feel the family neighbourhood has been unfairly stigmatised due to the evil acts of a few persons.

Molenbeek, a borough of about 100,000 people with large communities of Moroccan and Turkish-origin that are thoroughly middle-class, grabbed media attention worldwide post the Paris and Brussels attacks as having become an almost ideal recruiting ground for the dreaded Islamic State terror group.

Salah Abdeslam, the only surviving direct participant in the Paris attacks, hid in Molenbeek before his arrest on March 18. Abdelhamid Abaaoud, the suspected chief planner of the Paris attacks, lived in Molenbeek.

In all, at least 14 people tied to both attacks were either Belgian or lived in Brussels. One of them is Mohamed Abrini, a Belgian of Moroccan origin who grew up in Molenbeek and was arrested in Brussels earlier this month.

Molenbeek residents are still reeling as the stigma of terrorism has devastated the neighbourhood. However most of them insist people should not generalise and the area is essentially like any other family commune.

I am a resident here and we have no problems staying in this locality even after the attacks. We are a community of majority of immigrants so it is natural for people to look at us with a suspicious eye. But one or two persons have given us a bad name, Nora Laarissi, a resident, said.

Asked whether there was an unfair stigmatisation of the area in the wake of what happened last month, she responded in the affirmative.

However, she said the community was not being harassed by authorities and stated that officials were not asking unfair questions.

Because of a few people the entire community is getting a bad name. However there is no discrimination that we face at our workplace for being Muslims, a Pakistani-origin woman, who was not a Molenbeek resident but was visiting the area and did not wish to be named, said.

Fear was writ large on the faces of community members with many refusing to talk to reporters while others refusing to answer questions on the issue of terrorism.

However, some did openly say the area was a safe place and was being unfairly stigmatised for the acts of a few.

Only a few people have been found to be linked to terrorism, that does not mean that the entire Molenbeek is wrong. Its a very good community. Never before there has been any danger in the area. It is a very family neighbourhood, Yalman, a Molenbeek resident who was taking her children to a dentist on a metro, said.

Those found involved in wrongful activities were also living like normal people with their families so the entire neighbourhood was peaceful. My children live here and I am happy with the surrounding in which they are being brought up, she asserted.
The White House announced on Sunday that the Obamas elder daughter Malia Obama will be going to Harvard University starting 2017. She will take a year off before that.

Her parents also went to Harvard, but much later in their respective educational careers. Barack Obama went to Harvard after Occidental College, Los Angeles and Columbia University, New York. Her mother, Michelle Obama (then Michelle LaVaughn Robinson), went to Harvard after Princeton.

And both the adult Obamas went to the Harvard law school. But thats not where they met, despite overlapping years.

Malia and her younger sister Sasha go to an elite private school in DC, Sidwell Friends, which counts several first children among its alumni, including Chelsea Clinton.

See in pics: When Sasha Obama borrowed big sister Malias blue dress

Media speculation about Malias college pick has been on for a while, especially after she moved to senior classes, with all the usual Ivy Leagues and west coast institutions thrown in.

Malia (2nd R) and Sasha (R), the daughters of US President Barack Obama, walk to a vehicle upon arrival at Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland. (AFP)

The New York Times reported last October she had toured six of the eight Ivy League  Brown, Columbia, Harvard, Princeton, the University of Pennsylvania and Yale. And also Stanford and the University of California, Berkeley, the top institution on the west coast. Also New York University, Tufts, Barnard and Wesleyan, the Times had added.

Read | Barack Obamas daughter Malia interning on TV show Girls

She picked Harvard, or, rather, the other way around. There is no word on how well she did in school, and the media has stayed off the subject, as it has with other first children.

Read | Rare glimpse of Barack Obamas daughter causes online stir

Sasha has two more years to go. And President Obama said at the White House Correspondents Dinner he and his wife intend to stay in DC for two more years to let her finish school.
President Barack Obama spared no one at his last White House Correspondents Dinner address on Saturday  himself, Hillary Clinton, Bernie Sanders, The Donald and floored all.

If his jokes for the night worked, he started, Im going to use (them) at Goldman Sachs next year, dinging Clinton on her speeches to Wall Street firms after her term as secretary state.

He called Bernie Sanders, a lifelong Independent who is running for Democratic partys presidential nomination and who was in the audience, the bright new face of the party.

About himself, he riffed I am gray, grizzled and just counting down the days to my death panel, compared to the young man full of idealism and vigor who took office eight years ago.

This was Obamas last White House Corespondents Dinner  and the last ever, he declared  but if anyone was expecting an emotional farewell, no-drama Obama was not their man.

The president, who likes to call himself the comedian-in-chief, had a great night  scored funny by 80% of those polled by CNN  and looked every bit in form as he always has.

The dinner is an annual event hosted by reporters accredited to cover the White House where the president gets to mock friends, family  the first lady included  and foes.

A professional comic follows the presidents act usually  it was Comedy Centrals Larry Wilmore this time  but the mock-fest has taken on a foreboding side since 2011.

Shortly after wrapping up the dinner then, May 2, Obama announced the killing of Osama bin Laden in a raid in Pakistan, which was underway as he had sipped wine and joshed around.

No such announcements have followed any of the dinners since, but there is always this sense of anticipation. Who you killing tonight? Gilmore asked Obama on Saturday.

This time, the president stuck to jokes. He had a few more for Clinton, whose attempts to woo youngsters, he said, was like an old relative who just signed up for Facebook.

Dear America, did you get my poke? Is it appearing on your wall? Im not sure Im using this right. Love, Aunt Hillary, he said. Its not entirely persuasive.

Clinton has struggled with young voters, whove tended towards Sanders, attracted by his promise of free education at public colleges, universal healthcare and just his personality.

He ticked off Sanders for trying to distance himself from him.I am hurt  I mean thats just not something that you do to your comrade (Sanders calls himself a Democratic Socialist).

And then the Republicans. About Ted Cruzs recent misstep on basketball  the candidate called a basketball hoop a ring, Obama said, But sure, Im the foreign one.

Some conservatives have long believed  despite proof to the contrary  that Obama was born abroad. And Cruz has tasted some of that himself now, being born in Canada, to an American mother.

Then, the president suddenly looked like he was wrapping up. What, no Donald Trump? Im just kidding! You know Im going to talk about Trump. Come on.

Obama said he was hurt a little that Trump was not in the room. We had so much fun that last time. Trump did attend the 2015 dinner and went back with a few bruises. But not this time.

Is this dinner too tacky for the Donald? What could he possibly be doing instead? Is he at home eating a Trump steak (a failed business venture), tweeting out insults to Angela Merkel?

The president ended his act by dramatically dropping his microphone to the ground, saying, Obama out.
Time heals. And when it doesnt, at least it dulls the first shock of a tragedy and gives one some semblance of recovery.

So a gathering to commemorate possibly the worst disaster in the history of a community, may, to a casual onlooker, assume the appearance of a celebration. At Kathmandus Durbar Square on Sunday, April 24, Nepalese youngsters, dressed in their best, walked about arm-in-arm, laughed and chatted and clicked selfies on their smart phones. Seen from a distance, through the big glass windows of the Himalayan Java Coffee, a popular cafe chain in Nepal, it could have looked like a festive gathering. Only the ruins of Durbar Square, the pamphlets motivating people to rebuild their heritage, the thousands of candles lit in memory of those who lost their lives and the presence of the international media were reminders of the fact that it was the one-year anniversary of the earthquake that shook Nepal on April 25, 2015, causing damage to both life and property.

And cutting off one of Nepals most important sources of livelihood  tourism  for the next few months. Nepal politics has been in the doldrums for many years. Those in the government dont care about the common people. But as long as we had a flourishing tourism, we werent hit by the political upheavals, says a taxi driver in Kathmandu, who says his business dropped by 60% after the earthquake and is yet to revive completely.

Fall from high

For those in the niche business of mountain tourism, the 2015 earthquake was the second blow in two consecutive years. On April 18, 2014, an avalanche in the Khumbu icefall at the Everest killed 16 Sherpas. As the Nepal Tourism Board website says, It was mountaineering that first opened Nepal to the outside world. Of the worlds fourteen highest peaks  those above 8000 metres in height  eight are in Nepal. After the 2014 avalanche only expeditions to the Everest were cancelled. But the 2015 earthquake impacted all mountaineering expeditions and treks, says Ang Tshering Sherpa, president of Nepal Mountaineering Association. Among the first pupils to have studied at the school built by Sir Edmund Hillary in the Khumbu region of Nepal, Ang Tshering gave up professional climbing in the 1980s and owns the Asian Trekking company in Kathmandu. We have two kinds of expeditions  mountaineering and trekking. While mountaineering requires more technical skill, treks are of shorter duration, he explains.

Read | One year of Nepal earthquake

He estimates a 95% drop in the number of foreign climbers coming to Nepal in the immediate aftermath of the earthquake, in May last year. We have two climbing seasons, spring and autumn. There was a 55% drop in the number of mountaineers and 68% drop in the numbers of trekkers last autumn. For the 2016 spring season we have seen an 87% return in the number of mountaineers. It is difficult to estimate the trend in the trekking crowd at present, he says.

Ready for the risk?

Phurba Namgyal Sherpa, general secretary of the Nepal National Mountain Guide Association, feels that the impact of the natural disaster has been less on mountaineers than on trekkers, because mountaineering has an inherent element of risk, which serious climbers are willing to face.

He was at the Everest Base Camp at the time of the 2014 avalanche. It was around 5.30am. I was in my tent, when I heard a loud sound. But since ice fall is so common there, I didnt think it was serious. Then another guide came and told me there had been an avalanche and people were trapped or injured and needed to be rescued. In ten minutes I was dressed and out of the tent, he recalls.

Dr Nima Namgyal Sherpa, a high altitude doctor, who was also at Everest on April 18, 2014 has similar memories. After the avalanche of 2014, there was another avalanche last year triggered by the earthquake. I see fewer tents in that area this year. There are exceptions. Tony Fairbrother, from UK, was on his seventh visit to Nepal last week. I was at Durbar Square on the day of the earthquake. I was nervous about coming this year but I also wanted to be here, says Fairbrother, who went on an expedition before returning to Kathmandu to spend April 25 in the city.

But the lure of the mountains is not enough to make everyone overcome their apprehensions. The Sherpas, the generic term used for guides and other support staff who form the backbone of the mountaineering industry in Nepal, have not been untouched by a sense of foreboding either. I have heard many Sherpas this year say that they will go north (towards Tibet), but not the south side (the areas impacted by the earthquake). Families are also scared to let them go, says Pasang Lhamu Sherpa, one of the few women guides in the area.

Living close to nature has given the Sherpas an uncanny ability to sense danger. On April 25, before the earthquake, I was with a group of clients. I remember watching a lizard and squirrel moving about agitatedly and thinking that something was wrong, says 54-year-old guide Agasta Bahadur Mukhiya.

The ruins of Durbar Square (RAJ K RAJ/Hindustan Times)

Feeling the Pinch

When they are able to go on an expedition, the money earned by the Sherpas is good. According to some estimates, a guide can earn up to $5,000 a year compared with Nepals average annual salary of $700. And this is what has lured generations to risk their lives on the climb. But with expeditions cancelled and tourists staying away last year, most felt the pinch.

I had rented a house in Kathmandu because all the expedition operators are here. I had to pay a monthly rent of $ 75. My house in the village was damaged and is yet to be repaired. I had been booked for trips, but when they were cancelled I didnt get any money, says Anjan Rana, a trekking guide.

Of course, the Sherpas were not the only ones to have suffered. Shops selling mountaineering gear to tourists complain of poor sales. There is 40% less business this year, says Dhruba Raj Bhattarai, of Manakamana Export Traders. According to Sarad Pradhan, media consultant of the Nepal Tourism Board, the total drop in tourism in 2015 as compared to 2014 was 31%. Countries like China issued a blanket advisory against travelling to Nepal even though only 14 out of 75 districts were affected. We are requesting foreign tourists in Nepal to use the hashtag # IAmInNepal now, when they use the social media, to attract others to come, says Pradhan.

Read | What has changed in a year

But disgruntled Nepalese  about one million of whom are directly or indirectly associated with tourism  are unimpressed by the efforts of the government. At Durbar Square, a shopkeeper selling artwork complains, The government hiked entry fee to Durbar Square from Rs 100 to Rs 150 for those from SAARC countries and from Rs 500 to Rs 1000 for others to raise funds for repair. But nothing has been done yet.

Engaged in the business of rebuilding their lives, few complain about the actual disaster. At a hotel in Thamel, Kathmandus busy tourist district, a hotel manager struggles to lock the window in one room. The locks have stopped working since the earthquake, he says with a smile, pointing to the cracks in the bathtub in the room  another reminder of that day. He also talks of water and power scarcity  power cuts of up to ten hours a day are common in Kathmandu and many of Nepals water sources were impacted by the earthquake, he says. Like the youngsters at the memorial meet in Durbar Square perhaps, his refusal to feel sorry for himself is not born out of lack of grief, but a determination to put the tragedy behind him and reclaim his life.

Read | No homes for earthquake victims

Pasang Lhamu Sherpa, one of the few women guides in Nepal, at a shop in Thamel (RAJ K RAH/Hindustan Times)

Climbing Sherpas of Nepal

Its the most common title that fills the rank and file of the mountaineering industry in Nepal. From tour operators sitting in the comfort of their Kathmandu offices, to guides risking life and limb on mountains, the Sherpas of Nepal are synonymous with climbing. Now their ranks are joined by people from other groups, and those Nepali people who earn a living from working in the mountains are also now generally accepted as being Sherpas, explains the website of the Nepal Tourism Board. But many from other tribes feel the Sherpas resent this loss of monopoly. In the minds of the locals there is a clear line between the Sherpa clan and the Sherpa profession. Many from other ethnic groups do not like being called Sherpas.

Even within professional Sherpas there are hierarchies. Most start as porters, cooks and odd job staff, before graduating to becoming guides. Among guides too there is a demarcation  those with international licenses and others, says Pasang Lhamu Sherpa, one of the few women guides.

The main guide, or the leader, can earn $60-70 a day while on an expedition. Others earn much less, about $15-20 dollars a day. Not that the international license is a safeguard against every hazard. Take gender discrimination for example. Though an international license holder with experience of working abroad, Lhamu says she is yet to act as a guide on an Everest expedition. People prefer men. she says simply. Lhamu rues the absence of a uniform government scale for pay and qualifications of a Sherpa. In its absence, it is left to the expedition operating company to decide payment and other benefits.

In pictures | Then and now: Nepal, a year after the devastating earthquake

In 2014, after the Everest avalanche, Sherpas went on a strike to demand more insurance. The government gave in and increased the life insurance cover from $10000 to $15000. The medical insurance cover was increased from $3000 to $4000. None of it is paid by the government, but by operators, or rather by the tourists who pay for the expeditions. There is no mandatory scheme to support a Sherpa after his retirement, or to take care of his family in case something happens to him while on an expedition. Some companies have such schemes, others dont, says Damber Parajuli, president of the Expedition Operators Association  Nepal.

Written contracts are not always entered into. Speaking of the hardships of the last year, Phurba Sherpa says, Licensed guides fared better because they had a contract with their employers which ensured that they got paid once they were signed for an expedition, even if the trip was abandoned. Non-licensed guides often dont have such contracts and many of them didnt get paid. It is only fair for the guides to have been paid, because as Parajuli explains, Once the bookings have been made, the client has to give the tour operators the money because we need to pay the royalty for the trip and also invest in food and lodging. If after that an expedition is abandoned because of natural conditions we dont have to pay them back.

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Bangladesh police arrested on Sunday three men, including a member of the fundamentalist Jamaat-e-Islami and a journalist, for the brutal murder of a Hindu tailor by machete-wielding ISIS militants in the latest attack on secular writers and minorities in the Muslim-majority nation.

Two cases have also been filed over the killing of 50-year-old Nikhil Chandra Joarder, who was hacked to death by three assailants who forcibly entered his house and slit his throat yesterday in central Bangladeshs Tangail district.

One of the cases was filed over the murder of Joarder and another over bombs seized from a bag left by the assailants.

Police arrested Badsa Miah, Jamaat secretary of Gopalpur municipal unit, local BNP activist Jhantu Mia and a local journalist and Gopalpur Press Clubs Vice-President Aminul Islam for the murder.

They have been detained for questioning in connection with Joardars murder as part of the investigation, Tangails additional superintendent of police Mohammad Aslam Khan said.

Hours after Joarders murder, US-based SITE Intelligence Group in a statement said that the Islamic State (ISIS) group has claimed responsibility for the attack.

ISIS Amaq Agency reported the groups involvement in the killing of the Hindu tailor for blasphemy, it said in a tweet.

Media reports said Joarder had served three months in prison in 2012 for blasphemous comments.

Police said his neighbours feared Joarder might have drawn the wrath of the militants for his controversial comments.

We are trying to track down the killers and called CID to probe the murder, police said.

There have been systematic assaults in Bangladesh in recent months, especially targeting minorities, secular bloggers, intellectuals and foreigners.

Last Saturday, a liberal professor was hacked to death by ISIS militants who slit his throat in Rajshahi city. Two days later, Bangladeshs first gay magazine editor was murdered along with a friend in his flat in Dhaka by Islamists.

In February, the head priest of a Hindu temple was killed in an area bordering India. It was the first attack by ISIS militants targeting the community.

Last year, four prominent secular bloggers were killed, one inside his own home.

In most of the cases, Islamic State or al-Qaeda in Indian Sub Continent have claimed the attacks. But the Bangladeshi government has repeatedly denies that jihadist groups were behind the spate of bloody attacks.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has often denied existence of any foreign terrorist groups in the country and has attributed the deadly attacks on homegrown extremists backed by the BNP, the main opposition outside parliament, and its ally Jamaat-e-Islami.
Three Turkish soldiers were killed and 14 others wounded in an attack Sunday in the Kurdish-dominated southeast blamed on militants from the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), the army said.

The attack took place in the Nusaybin district of Mardin province, where the army has been conducting a military operation backed by a curfew against the PKK, it said.

The army blamed the attack on the separatist terror group, its customary phrase for the PKK which it never mentions by name.

The Dogan news agency said the PKK opened fire with rockets on an army bomb disposal team.

Turkey has waged an offensive against the PKK after the collapse in 2015 of a two-year ceasefire declared by the group. Hundreds of members of the Turkish security forces have been killed in attacks since then.

One of the PKKs leaders, Cemil Bayik, warned in an interview with the BBC this month the group was ready to escalate the war in response to Ankaras military campaign.

The renewed conflict has also struck at the heart of the country, with two attacks that killed dozens of people in the capital Ankara claimed by Kurdish rebels.

Over 40,000 people have been killed since the PKK took up arms in 1984 demanding a homeland for Turkeys biggest minority. Since then, the group has pared back its demands to focus on cultural rights and a measure of autonomy.
The United States Saturday demanded that Syrian President Bashar al-Assads forces halt their bombardment of Aleppo and help restore a nationwide ceasefire, with Secretary of State John Kerry due to head to Geneva for talks on the conflict.

Terrified residents fled a new wave of air strikes on rebel-held areas of the divided city as key regime backer Russia rejected calls to rein in its ally.

With the peace process hanging by a thread, Kerry was to fly to Geneva on Sunday for talks with UN envoy Staffan de Mistura and the Saudi and Jordanian foreign ministers.

In calls to De Mistura and the lead Syrian opposition negotiator, Kerry expressed deep concern about Aleppo, which has suffered some of the worst fighting in a conflict that has killed more than 270,000 people and displaced millions.

The secretary made clear that ending the violence in Aleppo and returning ultimately to a durable, nationwide cessation is a top priority, spokesman John Kirby said.

A truce was called in February between Assads forces and a coalition of rebels but has since begun to break down, particularly in the besieged city of Aleppo where nearly 250 people have been killed in the last 10 days.

In the calls, Kerry dismissed Russian and regime claim that the Aleppo strikes were targeting the Al-Nusra Front, a jihadist force that is not party to the ceasefire.

The secretary made clear that we urged Russia to take steps to stop regime violations, especially its indiscriminate aerial attacks in Aleppo, Kirby said.

Aleppo was left out of a new temporary US-Russian brokered truce that appeared to be holding in the regime stronghold of Latakia as well as Damascus and the nearby rebel bastion of Eastern Ghouta.

A new round of UN-backed peace talks is set to start on May 10 in Geneva.

- Unbearable situation -

In Aleppos rebel-held east, dozens of civilians left the battered Bustan al-Qasr district early Saturday, an AFP correspondent said.

The situation has become unbearable, Abu Mohammed said as he prepared to flee with his wife and five children. Everything is paralysed.

Russia said that it would not ask Damascus to halt air raids on Aleppo.

No, we are not going to put pressure on (Damascus) because one must understand that the situation in Aleppo is part of this fight against the terrorist threat, Deputy Foreign Minister Gennady Gatilov said.

At least 246 civilians have died in shelling, rocket fire and air strikes in both sides of the city since April 22, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.

At least 10 civilians died in rebel-controlled areas on Saturday, according to the civil defence.

The violence in Aleppo has severely tested the February 27 truce between the regime and non-jihadist rebels intended to pave the way to an end to the five-year conflict.

The few people out on the streets watched the sky anxiously for regime aircraft, running for shelter when one launched a new raid.

The Britain-based Observatory, which relies on a network of sources on the ground, reported 28 air strikes on eastern neighbourhoods.

But in its daily report on Syria, Russias defence ministry said it had recorded only three ceasefire violations in the city of Aleppo, blaming them all on the rebels.

The SANA state news agency said shelling of western government-held neighbourhoods killed three civilians, including a child, and blamed Al-Qaeda affiliate Al-Nusra Front and its allies.

A pro-government newspaper said Thursday the army was preparing an offensive to recapture all of Aleppo and the surrounding province.

- Aid for besieged towns -

Hospitals have also been bombed in nine days of escalating violence in Aleppo.

Four medical facilities were hit Friday on both sides of the front line, the International Committee of the Red Cross said.

A raid on Wednesday hit a hospital supported by Doctors Without Borders and the Red Cross as well as nearby housing, killing 30 people and sparking an international outcry.

On other fronts, fighting halted at 1:00 am Saturday (2200 GMT Friday) in a freeze set to last for 24 hours in Damascus and Eastern Ghouta, and 72 hours in Latakia.

Humanitarian convoys carrying food and medicine meanwhile entered the besieged rebel-held towns of Madaya and Zabadani, northwest of Damascus, on Saturday, the Red Cross said.

At the same time, trucks entered the besieged government-held towns of Fuaa and Kafraya, southwest of Aleppo.

Madaya became infamous in late 2015 after dozens died of starvation there.

Anas al-Abdeh, head of the Istanbul-based opposition National Coalition, Saturday accused the regime of war crimes and crimes against humanity in Aleppo.

Human Rights Watch also said the air strikes on medical facilities in the city may amount to war crimes.

Qatar called for an emergency Arab League meeting, and Saudi Arabia condemned the regime strikes.

str-ram/ah/mtp/jv
A CSX freight train derailed near a Metro stop in Washington, DC, on Sunday, sending about 10 cars off the tracks and spilling hazardous chemical from one of them, officials said.

No injuries were reported and no evacuations were ordered.

The train derailed Sunday about 6.40am near the Rhode Island Avenue Metro station and one of the derailed leaked sodium hydroxide, which is used to produce various household products including soap and detergents, CSX spokesperson Kristin Seay said.

Sodium hydroxide, also known as corrosive lye, is a chemical that can irritate and burn the skin and eyes. CSX says it is working with first responders to contain the chemical.

Mayor Muriel Bowser said at a news conference that the leak was contained, but officials were not sure how much spilled out.

The fumes should not cause you any problems and you should not be able to smell them anywhere else, said DC Fire and EMS deputy chief John Donnelly.

It was not immediately clear what caused the derailment. Crews were inspecting the tracks, which are used by CSX, the MARC commuter rail system and Amtrak, and working to restore service. Photos tweeted by DC Fire and Emergency after the derailment showed cars in a zigzag line across the tracks.

Chris Nellum said he lives nearby and his window looks directly over the tracks.

I thought it was like a semi-truck coming toward the building and when I looked out the window, I saw cars piling up, said Nellum, who had just moved in the night before. So Im not even used to hearing trains. It was jarring.

Part of Rhode Island Avenue was closed in both directions. Nellum said his girlfriend tried to leave the area and was told to stay put, but she eventually found a way out.

Shes an environmentalist so she is very concerned about whatever is leaking, he said.

The Red Lines Rhode Island Station was also closed and Metro was reporting delays along that line. Metro said it would establish bus shuttle service between the NoMa and Brookland stations.

The CSX train had three locomotives and 175 cars, including 94 that were loaded with mixed freight, and 81 that were empty.
Travelling has become an essential component of our everyday business and leisure life. Thus, the more the "habit of traveling" sets in, the more efficient room layout and smooth fruition of both services and facilities in a hotel are taken for granted and are not noticed, unless the hotel gets them wrong.

The world is changing rapidly, hence any type of business needs to adapt to evolving market dynamics. The hospitality industry is no exception and, even though it is often viewed as a slower adopter of technology, hoteliers continuously look for the latest innovations, which would enable them to improve operational efficiencies and customer satisfaction. Especially the latter becomes an issue when the guest profiles range from techno-yuppies to seasoned veteran travelers who despise remote controls. Thus, technology in hotels has to be adaptive and make a perceivable improvement contribution.

What are the recent technology standard additions and what is now common in hotels? Where is technology leading hospitality service and room features? How do hotels adapt to changing demands in worldwide travel patterns? Which practices can enforce efficient and environmentally sustainable operations?

It is all about the experience

According to a study conducted by Cornell Centre for Hospitality Research in 2014, it is estimated that the Millennial generation will represent 50% of all travelers by 2025. This clearly emphasizes the importance to attract Millennials among others by meeting and exceeding their travelling requirements. If this is true for them, then it will also apply for other target segments (i.e. Generation X and Baby Boomers) who are sometimes also as tech savvy as Millennials

Millennials are known to have redefined the parameters of traditional luxury consumption giving more importance to experiences than material products. As such, there is more prestige attributed to travelling and generating memories, than buying expensive items. Millennials also characterize by their high concerns for and awareness of the environment. Being constantly online through their social media channels, they gather a large part of the information on which to base their travelling decision from online resources and friends' experiences. At the same time,they are also very fast in posting bad reviews, thus exposing the service provider to quick and major reputational risks.

An astute businessman would therefore reach out to these travelers and gauge their attention in order to influence the booking decisions. But the efforts are not finishing there as it is also important to actually maintain Millennials' satisfaction throughout every interaction during their stay. The interactions that happen between the customer and the hotel are at the basis of the guests' overall experience and therefore online reputation of the hotel.

How are hotels around the world using technology to keep their guests engaged for the duration of their stay?

Experience 1: The Booking Process

The first interaction between a guest and a hotel usually takes place during the reservation process: this is when the decision-making process actually materializes; hence, it is critical for the hotel to provide the most accurate and up-to-date information about the property and its amenities / services. Whether it is an online travel agency or a direct booking channel, hoteliers aim to maximize conversion for their properties. As such, they supply websites with quality visual impressions, facility description and contact details, making the User Interface (UI) and payment procedure as smooth as possible.

Some brands, such as Loews Hotels, go as far as introducing an option of making a room reservation using a hash-tag on Twitter. Hilton's HHonors app, on the other hand, allows its loyalty program members to select the exact room location and configuration (king bed versus two separate beds) a day before arrival.

Experience 2: Sense of Arrival

Traditionally, guests that have arrived at the hotel approach the reception desk in order to check in and receive a room key. However, the trend is now leaning towards automated registration techniques. As more online traffic to the hotels' websites is now driven through mobile devices rather than computers, hotel operators continue to innovate their reservation systems and checkin procedures. Ultimately, the goal is to minimize the amount of time guests spend, from the moment they arrive in the hotel lobby, to the point they reach their selected room.

As such, hoteliers have introduced a mobile check-in option, which enables guests to use their mobile devices as a key, through mobile applications and Bluetooth. For example, Starwood have rolled out the Starwood Preferred Guest (SPG) Keyless initiative across some of its Aloft, Element and W properties. The program members are able to access their rooms, skipping the reception and related paperwork. As this option is only available for the SPG loyalty customers,guests are incentivised to book through the company's direct channels, which is a win-win for both customers and operator.

Keyless entry experience has been introduced to not only high-end properties, but also to budget hotel chains. For example, the reception desk in Formula 1 is only open during 4 to 6 hours a day, while all the remaining time visitors can open the hotel room directly by swiping their credit card. For a budget hotel, this represents a dramatic saving in costs, as there is no need to maintain receptionists for more than one shift per day.

Another aspect of the front office that is seeing an impact of increased mobile utilization is the concierge desk. As more hotel brands  and also attractions typically booked by a concierge in the past - introduce mobile applications with an online concierge service, the need to interact with the hotel employees is kept at a minimum. For example, Marriott Hotels have launched a digital concierge service called Mobile Request in May 2015. The app allows guests to request any service they would have otherwise had to contact a concierge for. Not only does this advancement have an impact on the customer experience, but it also positively affects the hotel's bottom line.

The above are just few examples of the limitless possibilities of good interactions which could extend to knowing when your client is approaching the hotel and making sure their selected room is ready on time, mentioning the name of the client if the client's profile has a picture and so on.

These examples lead to a conclusion that both reception desk and concierge service will soon become obsolete, as more hotel companies will adopt the electronic versions of these services, especially in the middle and upscale tiers.

Experience 3: Hotel room

One of the main draws of any hotel is the room. The basic expectations of room amenities have changed dramatically over the last years while the physical aspect of the room has in fact not changed at all. Going far beyond just a clean and comfortable bed, guests now want the room layout to be user-friendly and accessible for multiple digital devices.

Regardless of whether travelling on business or leisure, connectivity is nowadays the most valued feature of the room. In fact, many travelers make their booking decisions based on the availability of free Wi-Fi. Yet, brand standards are still based on characteristics such as rooms' size and type of furniture rather than connectivity. Hoteliers who treat their customers "as kings" by providing large room sizes but then forcing them to spend all their time in the lobby because internet in their rooms is not working properly will not survive  nor will charging for internet access.

As anyone who has travelled extensively would know, sometimes rooms lack the amount of electricity plugs that any traveler would consider basic as well as energy adaptors for different sockets. The result of the inability to instantly connect devices to a (sufficient number of) power source is immediate irritation and frustration to the customer.

Similarly, the position of furniture within the room can be a nuisance to the traveler if placed incorrectly. We have all had the annoying experience when a room's function was inaccessible due to the poor layout. It is not unheard of, for a guest having to move the bed in order to access a power socket. Worse still is when the next day the housekeeping staff returns the furniture to itsoriginal position, complying with the Standard Operating Procedure Manual but not with any guest's common sense.

It strikes that, despite the use of ultimate technology, hoteliers still fall prey to simple mistakes such as impracticable room layouts  likely because infrastructure changes in rooms are CAPEX intense..

Despite the negatives however, there is increasing progress for in-room technology. Hotels often offer tablets in the rooms, enabling guests control the room features, including TV programs, room temperature and such. Some hotel companies go as far as establishing their own techfriendly hotel brands, usually in a 4-star lifestyle positioning. For example, Carlson Rezidor has set up their Radisson Red brand with a focus on art, music and technology. The brand intends to tap into the tech-savvy market by introducing an app that will allow guests to skip the reception desk upon arrival, access the online concierge service and adjust the environment within the room in accordance with their moods and preferences. A hotel on the Seychelles for instance completed abandoned in room phones and instead provide PDAs to use all room and hotel features.

Going beyond WiFi and applications, one of the recent primary drivers for the technology sector is the Internet of Things (IoT), which in 2015 was ranked number two by IT research firm Gartner in their world renowned strategic annual technology trend list.

This development promises the ability for any object to be connected to a network and thereby gain some addressable intelligence. It is expected that 50 billion ''Things" will be connected to the Internet by 2020, and we foresee that more and more hoteliers will be looking for IoT solutions that enable them to innovate and enhance the guest experience in their hotels.

IoT as an enabler to improve Service and Efficiency

A number of hotel companies have already recognised the benefits IoT can bring to their hotels and are now piloting initiatives around the Internet of Things as an opportunity to improve guest service, efficiency and revenue.

While adoption of IoT in the hospitality sector is still in an early stage, promising use cases already exist; ranging from the application of iBeacons for targeted location-based guest marketing and enhanced guest convenience, to mobile key solutions, wirelessly-connected appliances in the rooms to automate energy saving and operations, and real-time staff and asset tracking in hotels.

For example, most hotels currently employ dedicated staff to check and replenish the mini-bar in each and every room in the hotel on a daily basis. According to the Carniege School of Hospitality Management, however, only 20-25% of mini-bars are used daily. Through an affordable and simple wireless retro-fit door contact, operations teams know in which rooms the mini-bar has been opened since the last check. This means only these rooms need to be checked, allowing staff to focus on other services that enhance the guest experience.

This is just one example, and while not all applications can be anticipated at this point, we do know that the majority of these IoT use cases are based on Bluetooth communication, with the ability to provide a flexible, upgradable and maintainable infrastructure in a hotel.

The advice to hoteliers is to ensure they put systems in place that are ready to leverage the Internet of Things in the future. When building or renovating a hotel, the right, flexible and scalable infrastructure should be put in place to allow for IoT technology to be deployed. A number of providers of Guest Room Management Systems have recognized this and provide upgrades to their existing products to offer future-proof solutions that are ready for this development.

IoT as an enabler of Sustainability

Aside from the guest experience benefits and operational efficiencies, hoteliers are increasingly looking for sustainable in-room technology that enables them to optimize their energy consumption and reduce their carbon footprint, without impacting guest comfort and experience.

For a number of years, this was limited to a focus on reducing their properties' energy consumption in terms of heating and lighting, and we are seeing measurable results in this space. However, water consumption remains a huge challenge for hotels, particularly for resorts in the warmer climates of the world. On average, an overnight guest staying in a luxury hotel consumes between 300 and 1,400 liters of water, significantly more than the typical local population in the same area.

Both operators and guests are becoming more conscious of this challenge, and we expect systems that allow hoteliers to effectively manage water heating and consumption in the room in an intelligent manner to become commonplace in the near future.

For instance, with an online configurable water supply infrastructure, operators could specify the maximum temperature for hotel guest use. At the same time, the system would know when housekeeping staff enters the room and could allow them to use water of a higher temperature for cleaning purposes.

Such a system could also provide an additional guest experience differentiator, as designers can take advantage of modern digital control interfaces to combine light and water for new experiences or make it easier for guests to set their preferred water temperature rather than struggling to find the correct hot and cold mix and wasting water in the process.

This kind of approach is expected to resonate well with the millennial generation, therefore having a double advantage: making the hotel stand out from competitors and enhancing its overall onand off-line reputation.

Customer loyalty and Social media exposure

Customer loyalty and feedback is now more important than ever. So is the ability of hotel staff to handle guests' complaints in a timely manner. This is because Millennials are characterized as being extremely quick to react to certain experiences, positive or negative, thus they request an immediate fix to their problems by the hotel. The adverse impact of a property failing to do so may be severe.

Public perception of a hotel is largely formed through the digital channels, especially now that social media platforms are perking up in popularity. Hotels dedicate staff to monitor their social media profiles, run campaigns to engage the audience and increase their international awareness. These campaigns also form the 'personality' of the hotel, which in turn serves as a competitive advantage to differentiate the property. The new potential guests get an impression that they are familiar with the place even if they have never been there, while the repeated customers strengthen their loyalty, as they remained engaged with the hotel.

Another implication of heavy social media exposure on the hotel industry is the fact that customer feedback, positive or negative, frequently goes viral. It happens quite often that an upset client decides to penalize the hotel by making sure potential future customers avoid the place. And all he has to do is to post a note on his social media page describing his recent bad experience. It is also not unusual that customer feedback has been picked up by so many internet users that it went viral and got published in international news articles as well. It is important to acknowledge however that this trend can work in hotel's favor if excellent customer service is delivered. It is also true that customers get impressed when the hotel goes an extra mile to take care of the guests, as when they face arrogant service. However, the old adage still stands: a bad experience gets relayed 10 times more likely than a good one

Gone are the days when hotel's employees tried to recognize the mystery shopper among the guests: equipped with a mobile phone and social media access, each customer now has the power to become a brand ambassador, if the hotel delivers outstanding service, or a brand murderer, if the service fails to comply with their basic expectations.

To conclude, hoteliers cannot afford to miss out on the latest consumer behavior trends, which largely rely on utilization of technology devices. From the perspective of customer service, these innovative solutions help speed up the traditional procedures and reduce the guest's input otherwise required to facilitate their requests and preferences.

From the perspective of hotel management, the trend towards the connected room and the proliferation of the Internet of Things will be a main driver for technology related improvements in the guest experience and hotel layout / operations in the coming years.

Hoteliers should therefore act smart and use the technological advances in their favor: if applied efficiently, despite the initial capex, hotel technology is a powerful tool that can strengthen the public image of the hotel, smoothen the operational efficiency of the standard procedures, increase loyalty to the brand and, what is more, considerably minimize operational costs. Is it not the right time to embrace the technology challenge?

About INTEREL

INTEREL powers the modern hotel through its Hotel of Things ecosystem that connects people, devices, and data. Its award-winning connectBsmart IoT infrastructure is built into its Guest Room Management Systems, and its new low-cost EOS Wi-Fi networked thermostats will revolutionize the guest experience, increase operational efficiency, and drive sustainability in the hospitality industry. INTEREL is backed by European technology investor, Jolt Capital SAS. With offices across four continents, INTEREL's solutions are deployed in over 45 countries and have been used by over 50 million guests. To learn more, please visit: www.interel.com

Anne Bleeker

Managing Partner, In2 Consulting

+971 44558499

INTEREL
Hospitality Net today

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Each year, the Offshore Technology Conference - OTC to its regulars - brings tens of thousands of people to Houston to see, discuss and consider the latest advances in deepwater drilling. But with oil and natural gas prices near historic lows, this week's gathering at NRG Park is unlikely to match the go-go exuberance of years past.

Along with the high-tech displays and gee-whiz presentations that highlight the annual event, the conference will feature sessions on how to reduce operating expenses and extend the lives of aging oil and gas fields. Many of the some 300 papers to be presented will focus on techniques and equipment to bring down the high cost of offshore drilling to make it more competitive in a low-price environment, OTC chairman Joe Fowler said.

"We are at a low point in the energy cycle, but this is when the seeds of the next recovery are sown," Fowler said. "The industry itself realizes cost is one of the impediments to offshore

development, and we need to do it more economically."

The OTC and the industry have been here before, moving ahead through the oil booms and busts for nearly a half-century. During this last oil boom, when crude rose above $100 a barrel, attendance hit a record 108,161 in 2014, slipping to 94,880 last year as oil prices retreated. This year, with prices dropping below $30 but recently hitting $45 a barrel, OTC officials estimate attendance will decline further as companies cut back on the number of people they send, as well as the dinners and parties they host. Sales for exhibit space are down slightly from last year.

"It's in vogue for companies to show they're saving on the budget," said Berend Groeneveld, managing director of the Dutch firm InterDam, which manufactures fire doors used on offshore platforms.

Interest builds

Organized in 1969, the OTC was the brain child of a group of engineers and scientists who saw opportunity in providing a technical forum for an industry venturing into deeper and deeper waters in search of oil and gas. As the site of the conference, they chose Houston, near the coast of the Gulf of Mexico, now one of the most productive offshore fields in the world.

Over the past decade, as companies began drilling wells in thousands of feet of water, interest intensified. Along with technical papers, executives and other industry leaders will give talks on leadership and how the industry might weather its greatest period of upheaval since the bust of the 1980s.

One of the speakers, Ram Shenoy, a consultant and former executive at ConocoPhillips, said he thinks the price downturn is driving the development of new and better technologies to make offshore drilling more efficient and competitive with onshore production. He pointed to new companies such as Dallas-based Motive Drilling Technologies, which uses computers, not humans, to steer drill bits underground.

"The headlines are about big corporations tightening their belts to survive, but there's not that much attention on all the start-ups popping up," he said. "Those that find cheaper costs will succeed, and those that don't will cease to exist."

Tech on display

Some 2,600 U.S. and international companies will exhibit their technologies across more than 675,000 square feet in NRG Park. There will be remote-controlled submersibles to perform maintenance deep under the surface of the ocean. Attendees will get the chance to gawk at blowout preventers, connectors and other over-size pieces of equipment that keep the oil and gas flowing from ocean depths.

The demand for new "iron" - as exhibitors call oil and gas equipment - is continuous. As governments update offshore drilling and emissions regulations, equipment manufacturers must constantly update their products to meet ever stricter requirements.

Caterpillar Inc., the heavy-equipment manufacturer, will use the conference to sell clients on a new service that uses computer technology to better monitor equipment in the field and alert operators when maintenance is needed, cutting down on the need for manned inspections.

Staying involved

"OTC is one of the few chances where you can get access to the global oil and gas industry. It's really important to be involved," said Reese Jones, Latin America region manager at Caterpillar's oil and gas subsidiary. "We're in a cyclical industry. It's a down market, so we're interested in providing value to customers."
As crude prices plunged and layoffs spread, the offshore drilling industry still buzzed with activity based on investments made years before the downturn began. But now that backlog of orders is running thin for equipment manufacturers as the worst energy crash in 30 years drags on.

At Houston's National Oilwell Varco, which already has shed more than 10,000 jobs and closed dozens of factories, the backlog of rig-equipment orders is expected to shrink from $15 billion two years ago to $2.6 billion by the end of the year. Another Houston manufacturer, FMC Technologies, could see outstanding orders cut by nearly two-thirds in 2016.

"That hole in the backlog is going to be there for a long time," said Robert Sullivan, a managing director at consulting firm AlixPartners in New York. "Some of those companies are really just starting to feel the pain."

The offshore drilling industry has reached a turning point as it contends with an extended period of low oil prices. As tens of thousands of oil and gas professionals come to Houston this week for the annual Offshore Technology Conference, they face the daunting challenge of reinventing their industry into lower cost producers to compete with more efficient dry land operations.

"There's a significant reset going on in the industry right now," said Ahmed Hashmi, BP's global head of upstream technology.

The reset for offshore drilling could take years, and the reverberations will be felt across Houston's celebrated energy sector. On Thursday, for example, ConocoPhillips, the third-largest U.S. oil company, said it won't drill two planned deep-water wells in the Gulf of Mexico, adding to the $150 billion in offshore projects that oil companies have already delayed, according to energy research firm Wood Mackenzie.

Ultimately, analysts say, companies will develop better technologies, increased efficiency, more automation - and fewer jobs. In the meantime, drillers are abandoning deep-sea expeditions, mothballing major offshore projects, laying off thousands, and leaving some 16 billion barrels of crude behind for the industry's next generation.

Exploration drilling, Wood Mackenzie estimates, could fall by as much as 30 percent this year alone. Last month, the U.S. Bureau of Ocean Energy Management drew among the fewest bids for new drilling leases in the Gulf of Mexico in three decades.

1 in 5 jobs shed

More Information A special guide to the OTC Our visitors' guide to the conference includes what to expect, see - and eat. Section M See More Collapse

As a result, manufacturers like National Oilwell Varco, which employs 9,000 in Houston, and FMC Technologies, which has 3,200 local employees, stand to lose billions of dollars in business, with no immediate recovery in sight.

"Oil could go to $70 tomorrow and it really wouldn't change the trajectory of offshore drilling at all," said David Anderson, an analyst at Barclays. "All (companies) can do right now is wind down as much labor as possible."

The U.S. oil and gas industry has shed one in five oil jobs since the downturn began, according to the Federal Reserve. Rig contractors, service companies and equipment suppliers for American companies have shed more than 247,000 jobs around the world, and deep-water equipment makers will have to cut more workers to survive, analysts said.

The oil industry pumps about one-third of the world's crude from wells on the ocean floor and spends one-third of its money on offshore installations. In 2014, when prices topped $100 a barrel, drillers spent $700 billion plumbing the earth for crude, taking on massive debt to finance the work.

During this period, offshore labor and equipment costs soared, but few investors cared as profits rolled in and the industry enjoyed the biggest domestic boom in 40 years.

Now, with oil prices at $45, investors have soured on multibillion-dollar ventures in frontier regions, and global oil spending has fallen by $300 billion, according to the French oil company Total S.A. At a plant in northwest Houston, GE Oil & Gas is waiting to deploy the last six-story blowout preventer system it has on order.

Offshore costs have come down recently, but not nearly as fast as those of shale oil drillers. Even when crude prices recover, some oil companies such as Chevron Corp. will likely prefer to invest in less expensive, lower-risk shale fields than expensive deep-water projects, at least for a while.

"They're such high cost," Julie Wilson, research director of global exploration at Wood Mackenzie in Houston, said of offshore wells. "Nobody wants to commit to that right now."

Adding to the industry's woes is an oversupply of equipment on the market, including boats, helicopters and rigs. That means new orders will be slow in coming. Dril-Quip, a Houston field services company, could see its backlog of equipment orders fall to $400 million from $1.3 billion in the first half of 2014, according to the financial services firm Barclays.

Executives at FMC said last week they don't expect any contracts over the next two years to be considered so-called mega-projects worth more than $500 million. Also last week, National Oilwell Varco reported that it lost $21 million in the first quarter and cut nearly 6,000 jobs in the first three months of the year.

"There are a lot of very smart people trying to make this more efficient," Chief Executive Clay Williams told the Chronicle. "I can't tell you when the recovery is going to come, but it's out there."

Old fields, new standards

The industry will wrestle over how to ride out the downturn at the Offshore Technology Conference. One approach: Drilling fewer offshore exploration wells and squeezing more crude out of existing ones. That trend could boost the manufacturing of tools to increase production from aging fields.

"A much higher share of what we produce in the future is going to come from existing fields than has come over the last 20 years," BP's Hashmi said. "The majority of the world's basins are discovered, and the discoveries are getting smaller. There's so much life left in the mature fields."

Another cost-saving idea that has gained traction is standardizing equipment that connects drilling rigs and production platforms to oil wells miles underwater. For years, big oil companies had ordered customized equipment in an array of different specifications, relying on their own engineers to come up with new designs for each project. Standardizing equipment that could be used for many projects could lower design and production costs.

"Every now and then the industry needs something like this," said Brad Beitler, vice president of technology at FMC Technologies. "When you go as hot and heavy as we have for the past six to eight years, we need to take stock of where we are."
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Byron Johnson has never seen a recipe for the all-beef links he makes by hand at his small Houston barbecue joint, Byron's Gourmet Bar-B-Q. He learned the recipe by watching his grandfather Joseph Granger make them at his family's barbecue/beer/juke joint in the Pear Orchard neighborhood of Beaumont in the 1950s.

By all accounts, the Silver Dime Beer Parlor in this traditionally black neighborhood in south Beaumont was a lively establishment. Granger was something of a jack-of-all-trades - a trained carpenter who ran the beer joint where he made the "Beaumont-style" beef links. Sausage-making was a tradition in this area, also known as "Tripe City" because of the nearby slaughterhouses that local meat producer Zummo's operated at the time.

Granger also cooked for the bazaars at the local Catholic church where he was a dedicated parishioner, and when he finished cooking he'd pick up the "windjammer" (aka accordion) and play tunes from the Cajun country of central Louisiana from which he hailed.

Coincidentally, Granger's brother built and operated the legendary Granger's Seafood shack in Sabine Pass, where another dish unique to Southeast Texas, the barbecued crab, was invented.

More Information Byron's Gourmet Bar-B-Q 2101 W. Little York 713-290-0870 See More Collapse

Johnson spent many afternoons after school watching his grandfather make the links that were various parts of beef trimmings, fresh chopped garlic and fragrant spices such as paprika and cumin, all stuffed into a beef casing and smoked on a barbecue pit for six to eight hours. Affectionately called "homemade links," "garlic bombs," "juicy links" or "grease balls," these Beaumont-born links are among the most unusual culinary inventions of Southeast Texas.

Johnson is one of only a handful of pitmasters in the region who still make the links from scratch. He tinkered with the technique he remembered from watching his grandfather, and wound up making his own recipe.

"It's a two-day process," Johnson says. "It takes one day to wash and soak the casings, then the next day I mix up the meat and spices, stuff them into the casings and smoke them from about 10 in the morning to 4 in the afternoon."

Johnson's recipe uses 6 pounds of freshly chopped garlic for every 100 pounds of meat used. Though Beaumont-style beef links can be an acquired taste for the uninitiated, Johnson's links are a smoky combination of beefy flavor, garlic and spices. He serves them in a not-too-sweet barbecue sauce he makes himself.

One thing Johnson is adamant about is that he makes links, not sausages.

"Links are all-beef in an all-beef casing," he notes. "Sausages are beef and pork in a pork casing."

Johnson also makes his own boudin (or "boudain," as it is uniquely spelled in Beaumont), but it's too much work for one person to make this Cajun rice-and-pork sausage.

"I call my sister in Beaumont and tell her I'm coming over to make boudin," he says. "She gets everything ready, and then I drive to Beaumont to help with the mixing of ingredients and stuffing it into the casing."

He brings it back to Houston and smokes it on the traditional offset, all-brick pits that he had built into his barbecue joint when he opened in 1996.

It's getting harder to find handmade Beaumont-style beef links in Southeast Texas. In addition to Johnson, Felix Powell at Powell's Bar-B-Q in Houston's Sunnyside neighborhood oversees the links made by his assistant Wayne Lemon.

In Beaumont, the tradition lives on at Patillo's Bar-B-Q, Broussard's Links and Ribs, and Gerard's Bar-B-Q. Leon's in Galveston and Nick's Bar-B-Q in Port Arthur also are known for the delicacy.

I ask Johnson, who makes upwards of 150 pounds of beef links per week, if he thinks his links are as good as his grandfather's that inspired him to make his own recipe.

"I think mine are better," Johnson says with a wink and a smile.
What does it mean to become a successful woman - and does it mean something different for our mothers and daughters? Across oceans and decades, amid stubborn silence and aching separation, three generations of women find their own answers in Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni's novel "Before We Visit the Goddess."

The novel opens with Sabitri, an old woman in India, who sits down to write a letter to her granddaughter, urging her to reconsider dropping out of college. Sabitri reaches back into her memory, recalling the day she perfected the recipe that made her Kolkata sweet shop - the business that provided her livelihood - famous: "The smooth, creamy flavor of fruit and milk, sugar and saffron mingled and melted on my tongue," she writes. "Satisfaction overwhelmed me. This was something I had achieved by myself, without having to depend on anyone. No one could take it away. That's what I want for you  ."

For Sabitri, that sweet-shop independence was hard-won and a long time coming. She grew up in rural Bengal, desperate for an education. She was given the chance to attend college in Kolkata, but a single mistake soon put an end to her opportunity. She married, dropped out of school and never finished her degree; instead, she had a daughter, who eventually had a daughter of her own.

More Information Author appearance Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni will read and discuss "Before We Visit the Goddess," 7 p.m. Wednesday, Brazos Bookstore, 2421 Bissonnet; 713-523-0701 or brazosbookstore.com. 'Before We Visit the Goddess' By Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni. Simon & Schuster, 240 pages, $25. See More Collapse

When her husband died, Sabitri came into her own, supporting her daughter with her business savvy and sugary confections. But she is the last generation of her family to live her entire life in India. Sabitri's daughter, Bela, emigrates to the United States, never to return. And in turn, Bela's daughter, Tara, grows up in a Houston suburb, all "Indian features and Texan boots," never being told much about her grandmother. The three generations of women fight themselves and each other, often diving helplessly back into "the past, that vessel in which all emotions curdle to regret."

Divakaruni was born in India and teaches creative writing at the University of Houston. A novelist, poet and short-story writer, she's the author of 16 other books, including "Oleander Girl" and "One Amazing Thing." This novel, like some of her previous work, bridges the gap between India and America, moving between a land of tradition and a land of opportunity.

In some ways, Divakaruni has lived this story. She, like Bela, came to the United States as a young woman. She was 19, far from her family and living on her own for the first time.

"It was at once a thrilling adventure and terribly, terribly scary," Divakaruni said in a phone interview. She worked a series of odd jobs, scrambling to earn the money to stay in college. But even as she struggled, she said, "I could see that as a woman, so much more had opened up for me."

Growing up in India, "the idea of a successful woman was very clearly delineated for me," she said. "You went to college, you got married, you made a good marriage, you had kids, and you brought them up well. That's what society was saying to me."

Her mother, meanwhile, struggled as a single parent to make ends meet and impressed on Divakaruni the importance of being independent.

"I was getting, even in India, mixed messages," Divakaruni said. "And then I came to America, and all those rules changed."

But coming to the United States presented plenty of challenges.

"America, for most immigrants, it's the golden land," she said. "That's the lasting myth of our time: You come to America, all your problems will be solved. As immigrants find out, this is a wonderful country, but it will not solve all your problems."

Divakaruni's characters discover that; they struggle to survive financially, strive to be independent, fall in love and into relationships that ensnare them. Each generation of this family is given more freedom, but each woman ends up being trapped until she finds a way to claim that freedom.

The novel moves from rural India to the highways of Houston and back, shifting as the characters speak up in turn, explaining themselves. Each chapter begins in a different time and place, a slightly disorienting experience that plops the reader into a new world, listening a new voice, again and again.

"Before We Visit the Goddess" is "a novel in stories," Divakaruni said, a form that gave her the freedom to offer the voices of multiple characters, all telling stories that overlap until, finally, the truth is seen. "It really becomes a chorus, a symphony of sorts," she said. "That's how I think of this novel."

The book has been an instant best-seller in India, but much of the story is based in Houston. Local readers may find familiar experiences: a day trip to Galveston; a visit to the Sri Meenakshi Temple in Pearland; a dangerous ride on Texas 288, where people drive "with Friday frenzy, like the world's going to end if they don't make it on time to wherever they're rushing."

Divakaruni, who moved to Houston 14 years ago when her husband got a job at Shell, said she feels as though she finally understands Texas well enough to use it as a setting for her fiction.

"For readers who are Texan, I hope they will recognize and enjoy Texas in this book," she said. "But for the readers who are not, I wanted them to know a Texas they don't often think about: a Texas that is very multicultural, that is diverse."

Food - so important in this story - is described in rich detail: the taste of mango, sweet malpua pancakes dipped in rose syrup, the warm comfort of cauliflower-stuffed singaras. Those sweets and spices become a thread that connects these women over the years and across the miles.

"That's a theme I was really concerned with in this novel: What do we pass on to our next generation?" Divakaruni said. "I think it's important in all families, but in immigrant families it takes on a particular poignancy."

Ultimately, though, "Before We Visit the Goddess" is universal - a story of mothers and daughters, misunderstanding and sacrifice, success and independence.

Near the end of her life, Sabitri recalls being a girl and watching her own mother serve sweets to a group of wealthy partygoers. "Sabitri felt a churning inside her as she watched her mother, a mix of sadness and anger and love." It's that sweet, piercing blend that - like sugar, fruit and saffron - forms a dazzling, memorable novel.
There's a play right now at Houston's Alley Theatre called "The Christians." Paul, a pastor who's grown a storefront church into a megachurch comes back from a trip and announces a major change in doctrine: He no longer believes in hell, and his church's members shouldn't, either.

When the first major character dissents from the new policy, Paul says he is welcome to leave. As the disagreement hits closer to home, however, Paul's attitude changes.

The play dwells on one of the big questions that face any organization or movement: Which do you value more, unity or purity? The Republican Party faces that question today. So do American Christians. It's worth considering the two groups together to see if we can draw some larger understanding.

The GOP's tension didn't come out of nowhere; it had its coming-out party in the 2010 midterm elections, when the tea party established itself as a force in national politics. In 2013, a then-vice president of tea party group FreedomWorks told the Atlantic, "There are two views on the right. One says more Republicans is better; the other says better Republicans is better."

The party's mainstream and establishment want more Republicans. This big-tent proposition was made clear in the party's 2012 postmortem, titled the "Growth and Opportunity Project" in that insistently optimistic tone that hints at desperation and a bevy of well-paid communications consultants.

One of the first recommendations: "We need to campaign among Hispanic, black, Asian and gay Americans and demonstrate that we care about them, too." Another prescription: "When it comes to social issues, the Party must in fact and deed be inclusive and welcoming. If we are not, we will limit our ability to attract young people and others, including many women, who agree with us on some but not all issues." The message could not be more clear: Unity, please!

On the other hand, the party's right wing wants to cleanse the GOP and elect more tried-and-true conservatives who will put up a fight, like Ted Cruz did in the 2013 government shutdown. The Cruz bloc says the GOP lost the 2008 and 2012 presidential elections because it failed to nominate someone sufficiently conservative who would ignite the passions of America's grassroots. Purity is their clear preference.

Oddly enough, the current front-runner would seem to fail both goals. Donald Trump's comments and retweets offend many minorities, so he doesn't pass the unity test. His idiosyncratic and unpredictable ideology  accept gays, end free trade  defy purity.

If the nominee is Trump or a mainstream figure like House Speaker Paul Ryan, the tea party could conceivably split from the GOP. In other words, they might choose purity over unity (and electability).

In much of American and global Christianity, too, the tension between purity and unity has reared its often-ugly head. Liberals refuse to associate with conservatives they saw as intolerant; traditionalists refuse to cede their understanding of sexuality and marriage, among other things.

The Episcopal Church lost some congregations over the last 15 years as it became more accepting of gays in church, most notably by ordaining the Rev. Gene Robinson as New Hampshire's bishop in 2004. In 2009, disaffected traditionalists broke away to form the Anglican Church in North America, which today claims 112,000 members in 1,000 parishes.

At its general conference in Portland next month, the ideologically and theologically diverse United Methodist Church threatens to disunite over similar issues. As the denomination grows more and more international  and thus more and more conservative  more liberal Americans might be the ones who try to force the issue, before they are outnumbered. (Full disclosure: I grew up Episcopalian and currently worship with Methodists.)

The same tension between unity and purity can erupt in any large group that's formed around some shared self-understanding and self-definition. Rather than enjoying both unity and purity, group members suddenly face a choice between two competing values. As in "The Christians," the decision often leads to great pain and, sometimes, division.

If I believe in limited government and free trade, can I accept a Donald Trump candidacy for the sake of my party's unity? If I believe that 'pure' marriage is limited to one man and one woman, can I accept a gay neighbor? Perhaps the ultimate question is: If the group that helps me define myself changes, will I have to change my definition of myself?

Maybe I'm too young to call something a cultural shift, but it seems that many groups in America have marched toward purity and away from unity  even in our online social life. A fascinating 2012 Pew Center report found that 26% of all Facebook users "have blocked or defriended someone on social media because they disagreed with something that person posted about politics." Liberals were more likely to defriend someone, while conservatives were less likely to see views they disagreed with.

Perhaps we're all barricading ourselves in personal echo chambers. Perhaps we're all picking purity over unity. You might step out of your echo chamber to go see "The Christians," though I have to warn you  it's an intellectual workout that demands theological soul-searching. (You can read the Chronicle's review here.)

There's never one final choice between these competing values, but the GOP convention in July and the Methodist conclave in May might teach us something new about the tension between unity and purity. Until then, there's only one sure bet: There will be tension.

Andrew Kragie (@AndrewKragie) is a Houston Chronicle reporter and copy editor.

Bookmark Gray Matters. It enjoys both purity and unity.
Area residents and agencies are continuing to pick up the pieces in an effort to return to normalcy after heavy rains in north Harris County pummeled creeks and neighborhoods with as much as 24 inches of rain on April 18.

More than 2,000 of the 6,700 flooded homes were in Harris County Precinct 4, which includes Tomball as well as unincorporated Spring and Klein. These areas were impacted by high water along Spring Creek and Cypress Creek, said Precinct 4 Commissioner Jack Cagle. When the creeks were unable to retain anymore water from the downpour, adjacent neighborhoods along the floodplain were inundated.

Basic needs

Ana Rojas is a five-year resident of Pinewood Place on the outskirts of Tomball and a mother of six in the Klein Independent School District. She scrolls through her phone filled with pictures documenting the flood damage to her home. Rojas, her husband and her six children were home during the floods. Her family made it through the Memorial Day floods last year without any water damage, so she thought they would be alright this time around. Though Rojas and her family are safe, her home was decimated. And like many area residents, she has no flood insurance to help defray costs. Rojas is tapping into community resources as best she can to return to normalcy. She was one of hundreds of families who have received community assistance through Klein ISD.

The school district opened its doors to donations for clothes, food, cleaning and personal hygiene supplies, light furniture and more to help local residents with urgent needs. The multipurpose center, which is a large warehouse, off FM 2920 had tables piled high with folded shirts, shoes, purses, and non-perishable foods as volunteers sifted through donations and organized them. The temporary donation center received and gave out emergency supplies until May 1.

Spring ISD also collected and donated basic aid to area residents at Spring High School.

Although some school districts have stepped in to fill a temporary, urgent need for residents, their reach isn't far enough.

Even with community support, Rojas said it's not enough to meet their immediate needs.

"My husband had to get things out on credit because we don't have insurance," Rojas said. "After this flood, we're going to get insurance."

Agencies offer help

The American Red Cross, Houston Food Bank, United Way of Greater Houston and the Northwest Assistance Ministries have teamed up to help with basic needs and connect residents with caseworkers to guide them through the full recovery process.

During the course of the disaster, the American Red Cross had 12 temporary shelters that provided overnight stays, delivered tens of thousands of meals and snacks, distributed relief items and cleaning supplies, fielded thousands of calls and made medical and mental health visits. Some of the aid was in the greater Spring area. "They were certainly heavily impacted, and we have been providing all of our basic services (in the Spring area) - sheltering, disaster, mental health and health services, delivering relief supplies - and we're doing casework for those clients who have been affected in those areas," said Vicki Eichstaedt, spokesperson for the American Red Cross about relief efforts in Spring, Klein and Tomball areas.

More Information Recovery help Harris County Recovery Network: harrisrecovery.org Federal Emergency Management Agency: fema.gov and disasterassistance.gov FEMA application line is 1-800-621-3362. For those who are deaf or hard of hearing, the teletypewriter number, or TTY, for FEMA applicants is 1-800-462-7585 Northwest Assistance Ministries: namonline.org or call 281-885-4555 American Red Cross: for recovery assistance and to speak with a caseworker, call 866-526-8300 and select option 1. Harris County Precinct 4 Community Assistance Department Phone: 281-353-8424 for pick up or visit hcp4.net/Assistance/CAD for more information. Harris County Engineering Department: call 713-274-3880 or visit eng.hctx.net/permits See More Collapse

The American Red Cross asks residents who need assistance to call its hotline at 866-526-8300, and select option one to speak with a caseworker.

The Northwest Assistance Ministries has also been instrumental in addressing urgent needs in the area. NAM has distributed 16,920 pounds of relief supplies from five distribution sites. They are Harvest Time Church, Holy Comforter Episcopal Church, Cy-Fair Christian Church, St. Duncan's Episcopal Church and NAM's main office off Kuykendahl Road in Spring. These sites also accept donations.

"As you know with this type of disaster, the needs change daily," said Carol Little, president/CEO of NAM. "As the flood waters have receded in the Ponderosa areas and Champion Forest, people are able to get out. But the biggest need is transportation. A lot of people have lost their mode of transportation. Now comes the hard part for people who were uninsured."

NAM fashions itself as a one-stop-shop for disaster recovery assistance, with its core service area spanning 200 square miles. The nonprofit places eligible individuals in housing and offers referral services for caseworkers, legal assistance, storage and county resources. NAM also hosts community informational sessions to connect residents with county officials and other professionals for relief assistance. About 300 affected residents were in attendance during its last session on April 26, which hosted Harris County Precinct 4 and Precinct 1 commissioners' offices, the Harris County Flood Control District, the Harris County department of public health and environmental services and the county engineering permit division and an attorney from Beacon Law.

"What we found with (Tropical Storm) Allison and we're finding now is that people are shell-shocked. They don't know where to look for the information, and they don't know where to begin for the help. So really what we're wanting to do is bring that information to the community in one place," Little said.

Torrential downpours are not just worrisome because of the immediate damage to property. Large amounts of sitting water are a public health concern.

Damage and disease

The county is urging residents to be vigilant about emptying pots and other items that hold water as the mosquito population is expected to boom. To prevent the spread of communicable diseases from mosquito bites - Zika, West Nile and other diseases - the county recommends covering up and applying an Environmental Protection Agency-registered insect repellant that has DEET, picaridin, IR3535 or lemon eucalyptus oil. Window screens are also important to keep mosquitoes out. And storm drains should be kept free of debris, tree limbs, leaves and other lawn clippings to ensure water doesn't pool on streets or sidewalks.

Homes that sustained water damage are at risk of mold, which can pose a variety of health risks. Those who have mold allergies, asthma or have weakened immune systems are at particular risk of a reaction, according to the Centers for Disease Control. Symptoms can range from skin or throat irritation, wheezing, coughing and other respiratory illnesses.

To prevent mold growth, residents can keep windows and doors open to provide fresh air, use fans and dehumidifiers to dry their houses and use non-ammonia soap, watered-down bleach or detergent to clean all areas that might have sustained water damage. Bleach and ammonia should never be mixed. All materials such as plaster, drywall, flooring, insulation and other wet materials below the water line should be removed and discarded. Visit the Harris County Public Health and Environmental Services site at hcphes.org for more information on effective and safe cleanup.

Debris removal

As residents continue the cleanup process, tossing out soggy materials, ruined appliances and more, they should take care to properly separate and place the trash on the curb for pick up. Debris should be divided in appliances, construction materials and regular household trash. All appliances should be taped shut, and all waste should be placed near the curb. Food waste should be removed from refrigerators and placed with household trash.

"If you can, try not to stack the debris around fire hydrants or brick mailboxes. Our crews will go out and grab it, and they don't want to hit a fire hydrant or a mailbox in that process. So if it's at all possible, try and keep it as close to the edge of the street," said Elizabeth Stinsman from the Precinct 4 commissioner's office.

Stacked trash should also be kept away from storm drains and parked vehicles.

Household hazardous waste won't be picked up; residents are expected to drop any household hazardous waste at the Harris County Household Hazardous Waste Collection Facility at 6900 Hahl Road at U.S. 290 and North Gessner Road.

Those living within Precinct 4 can call the Community Assistance Department at 281-353-8424 to have debris picked up.

"It may take some time for our crews to get to your neighborhoods," Stinsman said.. "We will be doing more than one sweep of the subdivisions."

Some homes may need to be renovated or rebuilt due to physical or water damage. In an effort to be proactive, Harris County has mailed out free building permits to all county residents living in unincorporated areas, like the Spring and Klein areas, and who do not live a 100-year floodplain. Those permits are necessary to receive FEMA or other financial assistance for home repairs.

Residents who need permits from Harris County Engineering Department can call its hotline at 713-274-3880.

"If your house did flood and you need to make repairs, you will need a permit," said Shawn Sturhan, assistant manager of permits at the county engineering department. "FEMA and your insurance provider will likely not give you money unless they see a permit from us."

Those living within a 100-year floodplain must schedule an inspection with the county before receiving a building permit. The inspection is to check for structural damage, particularly if that home's foundation is at or below the 100-year elevation.

Signs will be placed at the entrance of certain neighborhoods that will denote times and dates county inspectors will be in a particular neighborhood. Residents can get inspections done on the spot if they're home then, and inspections take about 30 minutes to complete.

If residents are not home, a note will be left on their door so that a future appointment can be set, a department spokesperson said.

Private wells may need to be chlorinated and tested, particularly if wellheads were covered with floodwaters.

Residents whose homes are connected to private wells can pick up sample bottles and get their well water tested for free with the city of Houston Health Department lab. Water samples need to be returned to one of six pick-up locations across the county within 30 hours after collection. Contact the Harris County Public Health and Environmental Services at 713-274-6300 or online at bit.ly/1aJytwW for more information.
AUSTIN - Scores of photographs taken by state emergency-management officials show that when floodwaters rise in Texas, they inundate oil wells and fracking sites, sweeping crude and noxious chemicals into rivers throughout the Lone Star State.

Most recently, rainbow sheens and caramel plumes can be seen radiating from tipped tanks and flooded production pads during the March flood of the Sabine River, which forms much of the state's boundary with Louisiana. Similar scenes are visible in photos from last year's floods of the Trinity, Red and Colorado rivers.

But despite apparent evidence that spills have been routine in recent floods, Texas' regulator, the Railroad Commission of Texas, contends that it has responded effectively.

"I'm confident that once the agency is notified, we're taking appropriate measures," Rich Parsons, the commission's communications director, said last week.

Scientists concerned

Scientists and environmental groups aren't as confident.

They worry that as floodwaters rage, harmful substances are swept downstream into the environment - and, possibly, drinking-water supplies - before Railroad Commission inspectors can reach the site of the spills.

"They're looking after the fact at what might have happened," said Ken Kramer, water resources chairman of the Lone Star Chapter of the Sierra Club. "Because of that, it's pretty hard to figure out exactly what happened."

It's hard to draw definite conclusions simply by looking at photographs, but after reviewing a few, one expert said the spills could be deadly.

'Potential disaster'

"That's a potential disaster," said Walter Tsou, a physician and past president of the American Public Health Association. He published an article about the possible risks posed by fracking fluids on the website of the Environmental Health Policy Institute, an arm of the group Physicians for Social Responsibility.

"I'm sure it will get into the groundwater and streams and creeks," Tsou said of photos depicting oil plumes and inundated wastewater ponds. "In other areas, cattle that drank the fracking fluid actually died an hour after drinking it. There are potential carcinogens that can lead to leukemia, brain cancer and other endocrine disruptors that can affect premature births. So it is not good to drink fracked wastewater."

A series of photos were shot by the Texas Wing of the Civil Air Patrol when the Texas Department of Public Safety activated the State Operations Center during recent major flooding. The surveillance is directed by the Mid-American Geospatial Information Center at the University of Texas at Austin, which posts photos from recent floods on its website.

As emergency managers identify photographic evidence of flood-related spills, they notify the appropriate state agency, said DPS spokesman Tom Vinger.

"Based on the particular circumstances, agencies that could be notified in a scenario involving a potential spill include the Texas Railroad Commission, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality or the Texas General Land Office," Vinger said in an email.

Railroad agency's job

In the case of spills from inland oil-and-gas production sites, the Railroad Commission is the responsible agency, TCEQ spokeswoman Andrea Morrow said.

Once notified of a spill, the Railroad Commission reacts quickly, spokeswoman Ramona Nye said.

"If a release or spill is identified, the agency dispatches an inspector to investigate," she said. "Alleged violations are documented and appropriate action is taken based on the nature of the alleged violation."

Despite the many photos of apparent spills in the past three years, Nye did not provide any examples of enforcement actions taken against energy producers whose sites leaked during severe floods.

"It is possible alleged violations could be identified as a result of a severe weather event, but we track and enforce violations based on commission rules, not specific weather events," Nye said.

One incident

In the case of one spill, Nye described her agency's response.

The photograph was taken June 8 on the Lower Trinity River about 6 miles northeast of Midway. It shows a production site with 11 tall, tan tanks.

Floodwaters swamped the berm around the pad. Inside, most of the water is black, but as it is it carried away, it swirls in caramel plumes.

Photographs taken just downstream the same day show heavy, dark plumes flowing into and through flooded groves of trees.

A railroad commission inspection report dated July 16 - more than a month after the photos were taken - describes what was done in response to the spill.

Describing the well site itself, the report says, "Free oil picked up and berm was pressure washed. Soil inside firewall is being remediated."

Referring to a downstream grove of trees, it says, "Remediation of tree-line area of pecan trees near well 700 is finished."

The report doesn't mention oil and chemicals that might have washed farther downstream. Nor does it say how much oil or other substances might have left the well site during the flooding.

Of the other photos the Railroad Commission reviewed, it said one - shot during last month's flooding on the Sabine River - was of a leaking facility in Louisiana on the east side of the waterway. Another, showing a brown penumbra around a tank during last year's Red River floods, contained no evidence of an oil spill, Nye said.

Soft on industry?

Despite its assurances, the commission has long been accused of being soft on the industry it's supposed to regulate.

Lon Burnham is a former Democratic state representative from Fort Worth who unsuccessfully sought his party's nomination to an open seat on the three-member commission earlier this year. He said that since the members of the Railroad Commission receive most of their campaign contributions from energy producers, they have little incentive to punish polluters - or even find that they're polluting.

"They don't enforce," Burnham said. "They don't fine. But they do whine about needing more money from the Legislature."

Top priority

Indeed, a 2015 report by the watchdog group Texans for Public Justice showed that each of the commissioners got more than half of their campaign funding from industry contributors, with Chairman David Porter getting the most - 67 percent.

Texans for Public Justice implied that the funding led the commission to sponsor research claiming that fracking can't be shown to cause earthquakes even though scientists at Southern Methodist University reported that it does.

Despite the criticisms of the commission, spokeswoman Nye insisted that spill prevention is the agency's top job.

"Protection of public safety and our natural resources is the Railroad Commission's highest priority," she said. "The Railroad Commission's oil and gas rules have been effective in carrying out this mission.

"As stated previously, all operators are required to report any spills in water and contain and clean up such spills in compliance with Railroad Commission rules."
My children have been busy "finding themselves" of late. It makes me anxious.

"Finding" was not what I did when I was in my 20s - I was too busy clamoring up the professional ladder of medicine. I got into Cornell Medical School after graduating from public high school and state university, not necessarily the typical path into the Ivy League. My preppy classmates couldn't quite figure what to make of me. But it didn't matter since, at the ripe old age of 22, I knew I had "made it" - one way or another, I was set for life. In contrast, my children, who went to private high schools and elite colleges, have forsworn graduate school and are building their own businesses in the liberal arts, struggling to "make it" along a more tortuous and financially hazardous path.

As the parent of such children, I have one of two choices. I can either be the dragon mom, conditioning my love on demands for proscribed behaviors and perceived successes, or I can love my children unconditionally.

Grandparents are, in my experience, role models for the practice of unconditional love.

"Pampering" grandchildren is almost a hallmark of grandparenthood. Not only do grandparents give gifts and sometimes financial support, they give experiences. One older friend took each grandchild on a high school graduation adventure - experiencing together the memorable landscapes, flora and fauna of Alaska and Chile and the Galapagos, places her children would have given their eye teeth to visit. Even more importantly, many grandparents bestow positive reinforcement, no matter what.

Conditional versus unconditional love has become a modern parenting battleground, and many have wondered if all this pampering is good. Is it?

But before we go into that, let's ask: Why do grandparents behave this way? I can think of several reasons. Perhaps it is because unruly grandchildren can always be handed back to parents for "real life" conditioning. Perhaps it is because grandparents realize this is their best, last chance to be loved back. Perhaps older people just care less about the objective behaviors of their grandchildren and care more about nurturing a loving relationship.

Although this last possibility seems least obvious (grandparents seem to endlessly crow about their offspring's achievements), research suggests that with age, you are less likely to react to negative emotional inputs, such as a grandchild's bad behavior. In laboratory studies in which several stimuli are presented at once, you as older adults are less likely to attend to and process arousing, upsetting stimuli. You are also less likely to store recollections that evoke negative emotions in long-term memory. The frontal lobe, the seat of executive function in the brain, simply down-regulates with age. A dulling of reactivity is good news when it optimizes emotional experience. It can become bad news if the process goes too far, resulting in a kind of dementia. But a little-known benefit that accrues with aging is becoming more "chilled out."

Now to the question of whether pampering is good. No one knows the best parenting style for children (which is why it is so hotly contested). But we all know how most children feel about grandparents. If you are strongly present in your grandchildren's lives, they likely have a special, unequivocal love for you - my children have this for their grandparents. Moreover, my children tell me that it was through the eyes of grandparents that they first found some of their passions and talents.

And how about the givers of unconditional love? It turns out to make you not only happier but healthier. As an elder who holds onto fewer negative and more positive emotions, in one survival study, you were one-third less likely than a negative thinker to die in a 10-year follow-up period.

My friend David Mincberg, a highly successful real estate investor, told me that when his children do things that make him crazy, he nonetheless withholds judgment. Instead of jumping in and giving fatherly advice, he waits to see if fatherly advice is requested. If and when that advice is not taken (this should sound familiar to any of you with older children), he continues to shower unconditional love. I can only emulate David's behavior.

My aspiration is to age fast - to act like a good grandparent. I aspire to make unconditional love the centerpiece of all my relationships.
Frustrated Greenspoint residents who are still living in apartments flooded on April 18 gathered Saturday to take their mounting frustrations public.

Tenants remaining in units that have seen few repairs stepped before media to express their concerns - namely the looming due date for rent.

Residents and community organizers say some property owners threatened to impose late fees on May rent not paid on time and to evict people who don't  or can't  pay.

Their list of demands for landlords includes waived May rent; solid timetables for repairs; no penalties for move-outs, including returning security deposits; no evictions and no cars towed before June 1.

State. Sen. Rodney Ellis joined tenants and advocates outside The Woods of Greenbriar, a complex of more than 170 units in the 900 block of Greens Road, to encourage landlords to waive May rent.

'I'm doing my part'

Narinder Nagra, who owns the complex, emerged to speak on behalf of property owners and managers who have agreed to give tenants 25 percent off May rents. He said he has 86 first-floor units that flooded and has spent more than $70,000 on repairs.

"I'm doing my part," he said. "If still they want to leave  they are free to leave. They have no obligation against the lease."

Nagra said most residents want to stay and that he intends to have all sodden Sheetrock torn out by Sunday morning.

Tenant Lakisha Kennedy said management changed its tune when it got wind of the media.

"Of course they're going to, today, say: Oh you can break your lease and we're not hold it against you," the 39-year-old said.

The condition of sodden first-floor units, from which some residents had to be rescued by boat, added to mounting concerns about living amid mold and mildew.

Kennedy said her sons, ages 7 and 18, have developed upper respiratory problems. Sheetrock on the damp walls of their lower-level, two-bedroom unit had not been taken out as of Saturday afternoon. The family plans to find another home.

The Texas Organizing Project, the nonprofit that organized Saturday's event, has been canvassing Greenspoint apartments and offering assistance for nearly two weeks, said TOP's Harris County director Tarsha Jackson.

A few hours after the news conference, city housing department officials showed up and placed several families in hotels, including the Kennedy family.

'Totally reasonable'

Recovery from the floods has been challenging for many. Some lost their cars to floodwaters and haven't been able to work, which means they have fewer financial resources to address increasing expenses. Some have additional medical needs created by the emergency.

Ellis, who is running for Harris County Precinct 1 Commissioner, implored property owners to go further than a discount.

"It is totally reasonable to ask the landlords to give one month free rent, because there is nothing that they could do with the unit I just left and most of these units while they're being repaired," the state senator said. "If these great folks were not in these units, they wouldn't make a dime. The units would be empty."

The Houston Apartment Association is offering guidance for landlords and tenants who are dealing with flooded apartments. "The law says that if a unit is 'totally unusable,' then either party to the lease can terminate the agreement," spokesman Andy Teas said. "The law also says the owner has responsibility to refund pro-rated rent in the event that the unit is partially unusable. ... That's where you get into what's going on in Greenspoint."

Another first-floor resident at The Woods of Greenbriar, Anna Parker, said Sheetrock removal on her unit started on Friday, but not before she began feeling ill.

"I have a heart condition," the 57-year-old said. "I told my husband I was getting sick to my stomach and things like that, so went to my sister's house  because I couldn't inhale the mold and mildew."Floodwaters also left her appliances on the fritz. Neither the stove nor the microwave works, Parker said, and the refrigerator is not holding cold temperatures.

Clothes left in the washer and dryer were ruined by mildew. A ceiling fan fell.

Parker, who has lived in the complex for eight years, said construction and cleaning crews could work longer hours to make repairs more quickly.

An undated letter from management that Greg Kennedy said was delivered to his unit on Saturday shortly before the 2 p.m. news conference informed residents about the 25 percent discount on May's rent.

"Lastly, to all the people that are complaining and can't wait for the process of your apartment to be completed[,] then we inform you that you may evacuate your apartment and nothing will be done against you on your record," the letter said.

As reporters and photojournalists crammed into Kennedys' unit, workers appeared  some with masks or bandannas covering their faces and carrying brooms and other cleaning equipment.

The increasing friction between residents and management was on full display Saturday.

Much of Nagra's interview with a scrum of reporters was drowned out by "no justice, no peace" chants by dissatisfied renters and Texas Organizing Project activists.

"Instead of complaining  doing all this  they need to cooperate," The Woods of Greenbriar owner said about tenants who participated in the news conference. "This is not helping."
Rising through the mist of battlefields old is the faint gray ghost of the Lost Cause, summoned once again by a familiar argument over historical truth and the importance of memory.

For many people, this spirit was a welcome presence - a comforting reminder of shared loss and common purpose - while for others it dredged up images from a time of subjugation and brutality.

Today, 151 years since soldiers in tattered uniforms trudged home in defeat, the Houston ISD board's decision to rename a handful of schools with Confederacy connections has reignited debate over how - or whether - to keep honoring individuals whose achievements were overshadowed by their commitment to a cause predicated on slavery.

And sometimes, as in the case of one local middle school, the debate gets ugly.

A group from Sidney Lanier Middle School in the Montrose area earlier this month demanded a public apology from Trustee Jolanda Jones, the most vocal proponent of the name changes. In calling for her to appear at a student assembly, they cited statements Jones made at an earlier board meeting asserting that she had received emailed complaints claiming that Lanier students in favor of the change have been bullied by others who oppose it.

The group spent weeks combing through Jones' HISD emails, obtained through a public information request, and found no such complaints. They then contacted the school administration and said they were told there had been no reported instances of bullying.

"To be accused of something they would not do, I find it absolutely shameful," Lanier parent Chrysi Polydoros said at a Monday news conference. "It's disgraceful, it's saddening, and it's sickening that our school board trustee  would make such accusations."

Jones has not responded to the demand specifically, saying only that "this debate has once again exposed the ugly racial divide that exists in our country and our community."

Lanier the most vocal

The HISD board voted 5-4 earlier this year to change the names of several schools, including those named for the president of the Confederate States of America and two of its illustrious generals. The decision brought to mind scores of similar actions, as recently as last year, when South Carolina legislators voted to discontinue the official use of a Confederate flag and University of Texas administrators chose to move a statue of Jefferson Davis from a prominent outdoor spot.

Many of the memorials and monuments honoring the Confederate dead and its leaders were erected over a century ago during a surge of nostalgia for the Lost Cause and to pave the way for the rise of Jim Crow laws. Some states, including Texas, even designated official holidays in remembrance of Confederate "heroes."

The integral relationship of the CSA to Southern identity endured through most of the 20th century - to diehards, it still does - but as the nation has grown more diverse and more connected to a rapidly changing world, that grasp has never seemed more tenuous. Continued veneration of the old icons has now become a hard sell.

"Schools that have the names of high-ranking Confederates should change, and statues should go down and be placed in a museum - that is the right spot for them," argues Eric Walther, a professor of Southern history at the University of Houston.

Beyond that, however, Walther advises deliberation. Sins of revolutionary leaders should not be imputed to those who merely answered the call, he said.

Which leads directly to the matter that has dominated recent attention surrounding the HISD trustees' decision.

Although alumni, students, and parents at most of the schools have expressed opposition to the change, those at Lanier have been the most vocal. They insist Lanier was far more noted for his poetry than service to the Confederacy. He was a low-level soldier and spent much of the Civil War in a POW camp.

As it happens, at least three members of the majority - Rhonda Skillern-Jones, Diana Davila, and Jones - have ties to the 90-year-old school. Davila and Skillern-Jones had children who attended Lanier while Jones is an alum.

Responding to the parents in the tense Feb. 11 board meeting, Jones gave an emotional explanation for her decision.

"I find it incredibly interesting that the majority of people who are proud of Sidney Lanier are white," Jones said. "Slave masters raped us, they separated families. That is what they did. They killed us, they murdered us."

'Real history lesson'

Jones went on to mention the emails she had received from "people who are afraid" of voicing their support for the change because opponents look at them in a "twisted and funny" manner.

"I will not allow you step on those kids who get bullied at Lanier for believing that they want to go to a school."

The sentence was left unfinished, but Jones charged on.

"The holocaust happened. It's important that we recognize that. The slave trade happened. It's important that we recognize that. And oh, don't forget, this used to be Mexico, and we stole land from them. So, let somebody want to change the names of some schools where Mexicans were slaughtered and I'm gonna vote for that too," Jones said.

Skillern-Jones, president of the board when the renaming issue was quietly put on the agenda, did not respond to a request for comment. Jones' response was a prepared statement through a California-based PR agency and did not refer to the bullying allegation.

"As an African American, I'm just as offended by the people these schools are named after as the Confederate flag itself," Jones said.

While Lanier parents complained at the tone of her remarks at the meeting, others who watched from afar saw them as useful - another reminder that this issue offers little in the way of middle ground.

"I'm utterly shocked and saddened that Lanier used brainwashed kids to speak uninformed nonsense," said Stephon Davis, the dean of culture at KIPP Houston High School, in an email of support to Jones. "The kids in that room needed the real history lesson you gave them."

As for the other schools on the HISD name-change list, John H. Reagan High School also has seen a spirited effort in opposition. Approximately 13,000 signatures have been obtained through an alumni "save the name" campaign, and leaders of the fight also have started a fundraising drive to pay legal fees for a court fight.

Unlike Lanier, Reagan was a more prominent figure though not a soldier. He served as postmaster general in the CSA cabinet and was a defender of secession. After the war, he renounced his support for the Confederate cause and urged more rights for former slaves.

As far as historian Walther is concerned, the most important thing to come from any discussion of names, statues, memorials, mascots, and old heroes who were on the wrong side of history is not a zero-sum conclusion to a feisty debate, but an appreciation for what that fight was about, why it took place, what it meant, and how it helped define the nation that America became.

"We don't want to forget about this war," said Walther, noting its place as the country's bloodiest conflict. "One side was fighting for a more universal cause of freedom and the other was not. We should tell the story and let it be. We shouldn't purge people or their history. We shouldn't be Stalinist about this."

Respect for opinions

The discussion has a special resonance for Walther, whose Jewish parents narrowly escaped Nazi Germany in 1938, just before the beginning of World War II. He disputes those who would equate the Old South with the Third Reich, even if the parallel would have made sense to the enslaved. But he thinks the time has passed to keep honoring the architects of the rebellion, who explicitly stated in secession documents that they believed in the divinely bestowed superiority of the white race as well as the right to subjugate the non-white.

"I would not go to Germany if they had statues of Hitler and Himmler and all of those guys," he said. "There are no public celebrations (today) of the German leadership of that time. Please understand, I am not saying the South was like Nazi Germany, but as symbols go, let's move the flag off the pole."

While groups from other schools fight on behalf of the traditional names despite the CSA associations, Lanier parent Adrienne Murry she said her group has no desire to whitewash history or defend the schools named after CSA luminaries. They simply believe that their school has been shoehorned into the wrong category for reasons she can't quite understand.

"People just decided to change the name because they wanted to," Murry said. "There has to be more to this."

Or maybe not. In an email to other HISD trustees expressing concern that Lanier was included on the list, Skillern-Jones explained that to her it was matter of black and white. Because Lanier, whatever his accomplishments, fought on the Confederate side, the name should go.

Skillern-Jones also said that all sides should be listened to.

In an email to a supporter of the Lanier change, she called for respect of differing opinions.

"The whole Confederacy issue is a sensitive one  ," she wrote. "It's necessary to address it, but has to be done with consideration for people's perspective. Tolerance must work both ways."
Harris County Judge Ed Emmett said Tuesday that the county is identifying roadways and underpasses prone to dangerous flooding, and will immediately start deploying personnel and barriers to them when floodwaters start rising to prevent a repeat of last week's deaths at a heavily traveled interchange.

Emmett outlined the interim steps to improve road safety more than a week after three motorists perished when they drove into flooded underpasses at the interchange of Loop 610 and U.S. 59 near the Galleria.

Emmett said placing personnel, such as deputies or transportation officials, and barriers at the locations could help prevent motorists from unknowingly driving into treacherous spots.

Heavy downpours, strong winds and hail were forecast for late Tuesday night and Wednesday. County officials planned to monitor roadways for signs of flooding and would seek to deploy county personnel to block them off with both people and barriers if they started seeing high water.

The Texas Department of Transportation and the Harris County Toll Road Authority will continue to work on a longer-term solution that may involve gates or other technology.

Listing high-risk spots

One driver during last week's floods drove around a toll road authority vehicle into high water at the Galleria-area interchange, but two others on the opposite side of the freeway did not meet a barrier.

"We've got to make sure that doesn't happen," Emmett said after Tuesday's county commissioners meeting.

Last week's tragedies followed the death of a motorist 11 months ago during Memorial Day flooding at the same location. Emmett said that the situation was "unacceptable," and announced that he would head an effort to prevent a repeat of such deaths.

While officials already rely on public safety officers, barriers and message boards to redirect motorists from some flood-prone areas, county officials acknowledge that there are spots that lack adequate protections.

Several staffers in the county judge's office will be tasked with coming up with a comprehensive list of the high-risk locations, said Joe Stinebaker, a spokesman for Emmett.

Also Tuesday, commissioners approved $4 million for debris removal and $2 million for infrastructure fixes after last week's storms. They also waived fees for residents of unincorporated Harris County who may need to get permits or inspections before they can get repairs. The fees for permits and inspections typically vary, but can be several hundred dollars.

During the floods, heavy rain - more than 17 inches fell in parts of north and northwest Harris County - caused waterways to spill out of their banks. At least eight people across the region died during the floods, including the three motorists near the Galleria.

3,500 homes damaged

More than 3,500 homes in the county were damaged in the storms. The county estimated $56 million in damage to those properties. Officials said the cost of debris removal, emergency response and damage to public infrastructure totalled more than $32 million.

Harris County was among the counties covered by a disaster declaration by President Barack Obama on Monday; it will allow residents affected by the floods to apply for financial relief from the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

FEMA is expected to open several "disaster recovery centers" around the county to help flood victims get aid, but as of Tuesday afternoon, no locations had been finalized.

Commissioners also approved several measures aimed at mitigating future floods, including a $150,000 study of flood risks in the Goose Creek, Spring Gully and Cedar Bayou watersheds as the Grand Parkway increases development pressures in the northeast part of the county.

And the commissioners court voted to begin the bidding process for the next segment of the Brays Bayou flood control project. The project has been delayed for years, in part due to funding constraints. Brays Bayou flooded last week and also during the Memorial Day 2015 floods, with water damaging dozens of homes.

The items were not placed on the agenda because of last week's floods, said Mike Talbott, executive director of the flood control district.
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Their laughter reverberated over the clatter of cups and silverware, drifting past the lunch-hour cacophony of La Madeleine.

The women were gathered round a rustic wooden table, nursing oversized blue cups of cappuccino and tall glasses of iced tea. They greeted each other all at once, words colliding and clashing, like schoolgirls at a cafeteria table.

It had been a few weeks since their last get-together, and there was much territory to cover.

As always, their conversation would dart like quicksilver from one topic to another. Career women and community activists, outspoken and irreverent, rooted to Houston and proud of their roots, they refute stereotypes simply by being themselves.

Lately, in the wake of terrorist attacks in Paris and San Bernadino, Calif., and election-year rhetoric vilifying Muslims, their talk has turned time and again to those stereotypes, to frustration with media tropes of oppressed women veiled from head to toe in black, to the pain caused by the hostile stares of strangers, to the sorrow of seeing their children made to feel unwelcome in their own country.

But first things first.

Someone threw out a question inspired by Saira Jilani's latest Netflix obsession: Who are you on "Friends"?

"A little of all of them," said Bibi Khan, who wore a peach hijab and ready smile.

"I ask my kids: 'Who am I?' and they say, without hesitation, Monica," confided Jilani. "I look at her and go: That is so me, so OCD about everything."

"Let's talk about who Lily is," Khan proposed with a mischievous gleam.

They considered Lily Nasar, whose blond hair is pulled back into a bun.

"Rachel?" suggested Jilani.

"Phoebe?" countered Khan's daughter, Safra.

"She's a cross between Rachel and Phoebe," decreed Khan, as they all broke into laughter and leaped to the next subject.

---

Don't get the wrong idea. They are not just ladies who lunch. This is a group to be reckoned with.

Jilani, on sabbatical after 20 years in the corporate world, serves as program director for Speak Up, a group that raises awareness of social issues affecting Muslims. Bibi Khan, a former credit analyst and social services chair for the Islamic Society of Greater Houston, is planning a citywide unity rally, one of the 19 projects-and-counting on her plate. Her daughter, a University of Houston business major, is helping set up a mental health center, where Fatima Sultan, a licensed therapist, will provide counseling. Along with Nasar and Afshan Jilani, Saira's mother, they all recently staged an interfaith meet-and-greet between Muslims and Christians.

Like many Houstonians, their journey to this city began in other places. Saira Jilani, who was born in London and moved around the world for her engineer father's work, came to Houston as a high school sophomore. Khan, the daughter of Guyanese immigrants of Indian descent, grew up in Queens, N.Y., and moved to Houston in 1996, looking for a family-friendly city for her children. Sultan was 6 months old when her Pakistani parents left Chicago and settled in Kingwood.

Bibi Khan and her daughter choose to wear head scarves; the others do not. Nasar, married to a Pakistani man, is a convert; the rest were born into Muslim families.

About two years ago, they were brought together through community service with the An-Anisa Hope Center, a domestic violence prevention agency founded by Bibi Khan and named after the fourth chapter of the Quran, an Arabic word that - fittingly - means "The Women."

As An-Nisa gradually expanded to include mental health services, ESL classes and a food pantry, the relationships deepened, and the women began taking on leadership roles in the community. Among their recent projects: an all-day conference exploring issues of identity among American Muslims, a cultural sensitivity workshop for Houston Police Department cadets, and a "human library" event where non-Muslims could learn more about Islam.

The friends now spend "a lot of time together," joked Nasar. "A. Lot. Of. Time."

---

Their lunches, usually on Fridays before or after services at the mosque, are a time to debrief, decompress and digress. At this recent gathering, they were still buzzing from the success of the interfaith event at Cypress Creek Christian Church and Community Center.

"Everyone across the board has the same issues. Everyone goes through difficult times," Khan said, recalling a conversation with a Christian woman who had dealt with problems with her children.

"As humans, we are all the same," said Afshan Jilani. "We are one."

That, her daughter said, was the point of a recent workshop in Kingwood, called "A Day in the Life of a Muslim."

There, she talked about her husband's contributions to housework.

"He makes me breakfast in the morning. He makes the bed, and he does laundry," Saira Jilani recounted. "I'm saying this and two ladies in the audience. Their faces "

"Their jaws dropped," finished Khan.

"They were like  What?" Jilani continued. "A Muslim man? A Pakistani man? Does this for you?

Sultan jumped in.

"If people knew how many Muslim men are so scared of their wives ," she paused, her words interrupted by peals of laughter. "They would be like, what's going on here? They have no idea."

"Just think of our friends," mused Khan. "Women are more aggressive than their husbands. Let's be real."

"Maybe it's us," Sultan teased. "Have you thought about that?"

Another round of raucous laughter.

"Want to hear something funny?" asked Khan, now on a roll. "So, one day I decided I was going to vacuum."

"One day! After 20 years!" her daughter chided with affection. "I was shocked."

Khan tossed her a side-eye glance.

"Let me go back to my vacuum story," she said, undeterred by the teasing. "I decided one day, because my husband usually vacuums and all that, today I'm going to do it."

Sultan could not resist.

"Do you know how to turn it on is the question?"

Khan did not miss a beat. "That was the problem."

"I knew it!" Sultan cheered, as the table dissolved into chuckles. "I knew it!"

---

About 45 minutes in, after the talk swerved from housework and husbands to the appeal of the HPD cadets and men in uniforms, the tone got political. And personal.

The day before, news broke that the militant Islamic group known as ISIS had called for the assassination of Clear Lake leader Waleed Basyouni. It was a reminder of the threat posed by extremists - and the shadow cast on all Muslims.

"These people who are in ISIS hate those of us who are American Muslims, who are good Muslims," noted Afshan Jilani.

"Not just American, everyone," said Sultan. "It's horrible."

"They are not Muslim," added Khan. "The moment they have an intention of doing something like this, we don't consider them Muslim anymore."

"I feel like terror has no name, no face, no nothing," agreed Jilani. "They are doing it for their own agenda, a political agenda, and they make everyone else with that religion look bad."

"No one on this planet hates this group more than our people," Sultan said, emotion spilling from her voice.

As the threat from ISIS and radical terrorists has grown, so has the hostility toward Muslims in this country. A hostility, the women lamented, felt most acutely by their children.

Sultan described her 12-year-old daughter cringing at news reports of violent incidents, praying "Please don't let it be a Muslim."

Jilani described her 8-year-old son coming to her after a speech by Donald Trump and asking, "Do we have to pack up?

"You were born here," she told him. "You are so American to the core. We have a picture of you in a cowboy hat."

"The kids get the rough part of this. They are the ones out there," Sultan sighed. "They're in school. They have to hear names. They have to hear teachers say crazy things that are not close to the truth."

She glanced around the table, at the women nodding, at the friends who in a few moments would encircle a fruit tart decorated with three candles and sing her "Happy Birthday."

"This is my circle. No one is going to say anything like that to me."
HOGP

AUSTIN - The latest attempt to challenge fees being paid to special prosecutors handling the criminal case pending against Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has been dismissed, court filings showed Saturday.

The two-page order by the Dallas-based 5th Court of Appeals tossed out a request by Jeffory Blackard, a Collin County landowner and Paxton supporter, to block Collin County officials from paying any additional invoices for services by three Houston attorneys who were appointed to prosecute Paxton on felony charges alleging that he violated state securities laws.
For three months, Courissa Hall essentially lived in a Houston rehabilitation hospital providing care for her 4-year-old daughter, who suffered brain damage during a routine appointment at a local dental clinic that specialized in treating Medicaid patients.

She's still processing the calamity that left her daughter Nevaeh, healthy and rambunctious before the January appointment, now unable to walk or talk or respond to instructions. The victim of apparent overmedication at the clinic, Nevaeh lies in bed, a feeding tube providing her nutrition, her limbs contracting involuntarily from neurological damage. It's heartbreaking to watch, her mother said.

On April 8, Hall took the big step of seeking criminal charges at the Harris County District Attorney's Office against her daughter's dentist, Dr. Bethaniel Jefferson, alleging reckless endangerment of a child. Separately, state officials will decide this month whether to make permanent the temporary suspension of her dental license.

"Once we found what went on behind closed doors, we determined she needs to go to jail," Hall said. "No dentist should be able to get away with what was done to my girl."

UPDATE: Houston dentist indicted on charges of causing 4-year-old's brain damage

This case has opened a window on Medicaid dental clinics that prosper by treating an abundance of pediatric patients whose low-income families qualify for government financial assistance. The clinics have proliferated around the country since around 2000. In Texas, the biggest growth spurt occurred after the state in 2007 doubled the Medicaid reimbursement rates paid to dentists. Medicaid dental claims in Texas jumped 400 percent between 2005 and 2015, and they now total $1 billion a year.

Lawyers, dentists and pediatric patients' parents have alleged the clinics, often propped up by corporate entities, overbill Medicaid and put at great risk the most vulnerable patients - children. Nowhere is the problem greater than in Texas, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Its data shows 160 ongoing Medicaid dental fraud investigations in Texas, by far the most in the nation.

For the clinics, the lure is a government system that financially rewards dentists who perform multiple procedures. In formal complaints, lawsuits and public writings, critics allege the clinics rush children through dental treatment by heavy use of sedative drugs and with straitjacket-like restraint devices known as papoose boards.

"You either juice them or papoose them," Dr. Michael W. Davis, a New Mexico dentist who has filed complaints with numerous state dental boards about such practices and generally has waged a campaign against these dental clinics, told the Chronicle.

The problem has attracted the attention of the federal government, the Texas attorney general and state board of dental examiners. Committee staffs of U.S. Sens. Max Baucus and Chuck Grassley produced a 2013 joint report about the "corporate practice of dentistry in the Medicaid program." These corporate-run dental practices, it said, "over-emphasize bottom-line financial considerations at the expense of providing appropriate high-quality, low-cost care." The report cites unnecessary dental treatments and serious trauma to young patients.

The report gives no data on the scope of the problem nationally, instead focusing on a handful of dental chains alleged to be engaged in risky dental treatment and fraudulent billing practices. Four of the chains operate in Texas, including two in Houston.

Texas is the only state that tracks adverse medical events that occur at dental clinics. Dentists have notified the Texas State Board of Dental Examiners of 550 hospitalizations and 86 deaths since 2010. The records of these notifications did not break down how many of these incidents involved Medicaid patients. The latest death at a clinic, a 14-month-old girl who was given anesthesia for a cavity filling, occurred in Austin in late March. Details about the clinic's operation remain unclear, including if it treated mostly Medicaid patients.

Clinic under probe

"What happened to Nevaeh Hall happens across this country all the time," said Houston attorney Jim Moriarty, who represents the Hall family and has handled many similar cases. "Overtreating children and failing to properly treat them anesthetically, principally at corporate 'Medicaid clinics' seeking to maximize profits, is a disaster."

Moriarty has secured settlements totaling more than $42 million on behalf of about 3,000 children, all of whom are alive and whose parents sought redress for alleged overtreatment or mistreatment at dental clinics. He said all the settlements involve children treated at "corporate clinics specializing in Medicaid patients."

Jefferson's Diamond Dental clinic, closed in January, focused on Medicaid patients and operated without corporate affiliation. The Texas Attorney General's Office said it is investigating Diamond Dental for possibly defrauding Medicaid, Moriarty said. A spokeswoman for the attorney general would neither confirm nor deny that.

Nevaeh's parents took her to Jefferson's clinic in northwest Houston at the beginning of the year to stabilize the girl's decaying teeth. Within an hour after Nevaeh was given a sedative and placed in a papoose board, her parents heard her cry out and rushed from the waiting room to see what appeared to be a seizure. Courissa said clinic staff assured her Nevaeh was fine and just needed to rest.

But Nevaeh's patient records, provided to the Chronicle by Moriarty, show too much medication was given for her 30-pound body. They also show an ambulance wasn't called to take her to the hospital until late in the afternoon, more than four hours after her vital signs worsened.

Moriarty contends Hall was "chemically and physically suffocated."

Jefferson's lawyer declined comment for this story, and Jefferson did not return a reporter's repeated telephone calls.

In January, the Texas State Board of Dental Examiners temporarily suspended Jefferson's dental license, ruling that her continued practice of dentistry would constitute "a clear, imminent or continuing threat to a person's health and well being." A State Office of Administrative Hearings proceeding to decide whether to permanently revoke Jefferson's license is scheduled for May 23-24.

Jefferson, who had been reprimanded by the dental board on two previous occasions, graduated from the University of Missouri-Kansas City dental school in 2003. She has been practicing dentistry in the Houston area since 2007. Her clinic closed early this year after the state temporarily suspended her dental license.

Dr. Dennis McTigue, an Ohio State University professor of pediatric dentistry and president of the American Board of Pediatric Dentistry, said that papoose boards have purposes in treating pediatric dental patients but are best used only in emergency situations.

"The routine practice of restraining a healthy child who has a lot of cavities but nothing urgent with them is wrong," McTigue said. "It flies in the face of everything we believe about protective stabilization."

McTigue, who acknowledges Medicaid dental clinics that overtreat children are a big concern, said the vast majority of irreversible injuries suffered in dental clinics occur because sedation was given improperly, sometimes by a practitioner not adequately trained, and it wasn't well monitored.

Mylesia Fulford, a former dental assistant at Diamond Dental clinic, said such standards of dental care were routinely violated when she worked at the clinic during two stints, from 2007 to 2008 and 2012 to 2014. She left well before Nevaeh's January appointment.

In a lengthy statement taken by Moriarty and provided to the Harris County District Attorney's Office, the state dental board and in an interview with the Chronicle, Fulford described a host of problems at the clinic: that Jefferson didn't calculate sedative amounts based on a patient's weight; that dental assistants performed procedures they weren't licensed to perform; that most children were put in a papoose and many were heavily sedated as well; that procedures, often unnecessary, were added to the dental treatment plan to which parents had agreed; and that marketers were hired to solicit patients from households with Medicaid dental insurance.

"Medicaid is how Dr. Jefferson made a living," Fulford said. She told the Chronicle and authorities that Jefferson "abused the system."

Ownership in question

The Baucus-Grassley report focused on dental practices affiliated with companies that purport to provide administrative support to dentists but often "own the dental clinics and have complete control over operations, including clinical care." It calls the ownership structure "fundamentally deceptive," hiding from state authorities "the fact that all rights and benefits of ownership actually flow to a corporation through contracts between the company and the 'owner dentist.' "

The report's findings are disputed by officials at the Association of Dental Support Organizations, the Virginia-based trade group for such dental-service companies.

Bill Head, a spokesman for the association, said the original criticism of such companies comes from competitors, dentists unable to spend as much time with patients because they are bogged down with administrative duties.

"Ultimately, only the dentist is responsible for the care provided to patients," Head said. "It's a red herring to say dental-service organizations direct care. If they do, state dental boards should go after them for providing care without a license."

The Texas board of dental examiners is awaiting guidance from the Texas Legislature on that very issue, said Kelly Parker, the agency's executive director. Texas law requires that dental practices be owned by dentists.

In a September report to the state Legislature, the agency expressed concern about dentists "partnering with non-dentists to establish 'sham' ownership of dental practices functionally owned, maintained or operated by non-dentist entities." According to the report, the agency's concerns grew out of its recognition of "the spread of Medicaid fraud in Texas" and "the growth of dental business models that appear to focus on monetary gain rather than patient care."

Moriarty estimated there are about 50 company-owned dental clinics in Houston and that about half of them opened after the state doubled Medicaid reimbursement rates in 2007.

"We need to get the dental community to truly realize the threat these clinics represent," the attorney said. "You've got children dying and being mistreated in dental clinics and no one knows what's happening behind closed doors besides the dentists."

There's now movement in Texas in that direction. A state report has called for the Texas board of dental examiners to do more to protect dental patients from deadly sedation risks, noting that the agency lacks the authority and resources to routinely inspect dental offices - unlike their medical board counterparts in Texas and most dental boards in other states. The report recommended that the Texas Legislature in 2017 authorize the dental board to conduct such inspections and require dental practices to maintain emergency management plans.

For the Hall family, the state's action unfortunately is too late. In 2014, Fulford and another Diamond Dental employee alleged to the state board of dental examiners that Jefferson was not complying with state dental care standards. The agency investigated the allegations but found no wrongdoing.
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On Jan. 6, Nevaeh Hall was running, playing and laughing at a Chuck E. Cheese indoor playground and game room.

The next day, after a morning dental appointment, the 4 year old was in an ambulance en route to Texas Children's Hospital.

Tests showed severe brain damage that the child's mother and her lawyer blame on the girl's confinement in a restraining device known as a papoose. Some dentists use the apparatus to immobilize children for procedures.

Courissa Clark said her daughter had been restrained at Diamond Dental on a previous visit for tooth caps. She said she knew the apparatus would be used again on Jan. 7 when Dr. Bethaniel Jefferson saw the little girl to stabilize decayed teeth.

"They made it seem like it was for her safety so she wouldn't fall off the table or put her hands in her mouth," said Clark, 23.

Nevaeh has been diagnosed with dystonia, or involuntary muscle contractions, and remains in the hospital.

"She's constantly moving her arms and having muscle spasms," Clark said. "She's agitated a lot. She cries most days."

Her condition was reported in testimony and documents to the State Office of Administrative Hearings.

On Jan. 20, the executive committee of the Texas State Board of Dental Examiners temporarily suspended Jefferson's license based on Nevaeh's incident. The action was taken during an emergency meeting, called "when something is going to present a clear, eminent or continuing threat to a person's physical health or well-being," said Texas dental board spokeswoman Lara Anton.

Efforts to reach Jefferson via phone and email were unsuccessful, as were attempts to contact her attorney.

Nevaeh, a once-vibrant preschooler, is conscious. She opens her eyes. But she does not respond anymore when her name is called. She cannot talk. She cannot get up.

Clark, along with relatives and her lawyer, Jim Moriarty, convened reporters on Thursday to discuss Nevaeh's condition and to publicly warn parents about the use of immobilizers during pediatric dental procedures.

"We've got to get the American public to understand: You cannot allow your child to be held in a restraint device without you personally being present," Moriarty said. Clark said she was present when the child was sedated with gas, but not restrained, then complied when she was asked to leave.

Previous reprimand

Nevaeh's family hired Moriarty about a month ago. He said Texas law prevents him from filing a civil action until a medical expert reviews the records and provides a report on the extent of the alleged liability.

In February, an administrative law judge upheld Jefferson's dental license suspension. A revocation hearing is scheduled for later this month.

Jefferson, a general dentist and 2003 graduate of the University of Missouri-Kansas City dental school, was reprimanded in 2005 for not making notations of vital signs for a patient and again in 2012 for failing to properly sedate a child.

According to the Texas dental board's administrative code, only dentists with "advanced training" should use the restraint technique in urgent circumstances or for uncooperative patients and should consider having a parent or guardian present if the patient is a minor. The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry has issued recommendations that mirror Texas guidelines and notes that the restraint may lead to serious "physical or psychological harm."

Moriarty alleges that the Medicaid system financially rewards dentists who perform multiple procedures. Strapping down children, he said, enables the dentists to work more quickly.

The high-profile case of Jahi McMath, a California 13-year-old declared brain dead after tonsil surgery in 2013, brought the potential dangers of pediatric oral procedures to the public's attention.

'Everything was OK'

In Nevaeh's case, Clark said she heard her daughter crying about two hours into the appointment. When she went into the procedure room, Nevaeh wasn't in a restraint, but Jefferson was holding the child's flailing arms, Clark said.

According to Clark, Jefferson asked if there was any family history of "shaking," but she doesn't recall the word "seizure" being used.

"When I went back there and saw her, my first question was: 'OK, do we need to call the ambulance or are you all going to call the ambulance? And they said: We're just going to try to get her to calm down. We're going to monitor her. We're going to watch her. You guys have nothing to worry about, but we do need you all to wait in the waiting room and let her rest so she can walk back out of here,' " Clark said.

"The whole time they just assured us that everything was OK. The next time we were allowed to come in is when the paramedics were actually coming back."

'Didn't have to happen'

According to Moriarty and State Office of Administrative Hearings documents, Nevaeh's vital signs worsened around noon. The records show the girl was given too many medications for her 30-pound body, Moriarty said.

"This child started suffering severe lack of oxygen. In essence what happened is this child was chemically and physically suffocated," the lawyer contends. "911 wasn't called until close to 4 o'clock. This child suffered massive brain damage during that time period and that didn't have to happen."

Moriarty has been suing pediatric dental clinics for the last six years and has reached a multimillion-dollar settlement with the Small Smiles dental chain. He was hired by the state of Texas to investigate a dramatic increase in Medicaid bills by Texas orthodontists.

Diamond Dental at 15531 Kuykendahl Road in north Harris County appears to be closed.
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Eleven contestants gulped, shoveled and wolfed their way through plates upon plates of hot dogs, and two emerged victorious in Saturday's qualifying competition for the 2016 Nathan's Famous Fourth of July International Hot-Dog Eating Contest.

Gathered before a congregation of young and old in the western corner of Memorial City Mall, contestants squinted, bounced and nodded though 10 minutes of gorging, turning a plate of beautifully-browned buns and brick-red beef franks into puddles and mush.

They dipped buns into large yellow cups of berry-flavored limeade and devoured handfuls of dogs at a time in an attempt to beat the clock.

The winners, Adrian Morgan in the men's division and Nela Zisser, the women's winner from New Zealand, guzzled their way to the top, punching their ticket to the July 4 event, which is held annually in Coney Island, N.Y. Morgan disposed of 39 hot dogs, while Zisser downed 17.

"I'm kind of full," said Morgan, who will be competing in Coney Island for the fifth time. "I can fit some more in there. Maybe some ice cream."

Morgan will be practicing at home with grits and oatmeal between now and then, when he'll face heavyweights like Joey Chesnut, who owns the world record by eviscerating 69 hot dogs in 2013.

Zisser, a petite model and pre-med student in Auckland, New Zealand, returns to Coney Island for the second time - she came in seventh the last year.

"You kind of have to put yourself in the zone," said Zisser, emphasizing that's the best way to handle the culinary gore.

Zisser first started competing after her mom convinced her to enter a pizza-eating contest in which she said she beat "a bunch of big guys." A video of her feat went viral, and she was competing in the Nathan's contest a year later.

George Shea, a Nathan's spokesperson and emcee for the event, said there aren't too many things more American than the Nathan's contest.

"The contest became associated with the Fourth of July, and it's held in the nation's melting pot - Coney Island. It's good to see people representing their country in a non-stressful and non-violent way," Shea said. "It's physical poetry, really."

Being so close to contestants means Shea has to walk through the "spray zone," where food residue may shoot or squirt by from any direction, although he said it's not too bad since as a father, he's changed babies' diapers

"Yep, there's a lot of detritus up there," Shea said with a chuckle. "It's all a part of the fun, though."

The Nathan's International Hot Dog eating contest will be televised on ESPN on July 4.
FLINT, Mich. - Health care workers are scrambling to help the people here cope with what many fear will be chronic consequences of the city's water contamination crisis: profound stress, worry, depression and guilt.

Uncertainty about their own health and the health of their children, the open-ended nature of the crisis, and raw anger over government's role in both causing the lead contamination and trying to remedy it, are all taking their toll on Flint's residents.

"The first thing I noticed when I got to Flint, quite honestly, was the level of fear and anxiety and distress," said Dr. Nicole Lurie, an assistant secretary at the Department of Health and Human Services who has been coordinating the federal recovery effort here since January. On Wednesday, President Barack Obama will pay his first visit to the city since the lead contamination was revealed.

A team of behavioral health specialists from the U.S. Public Health Service began addressing the mental health problem in February by providing "psychological first aid" training for people interested in helping others cope with the water emergency.

Genesee Health System, a local mental health agency, also created the Flint Community Resilience Group, whose members are focusing on the long-term psychological consequences of the water crisis and how to address them.

With a $500,000 emergency grant from the state, the group is offering free crisis counseling at churches and the public library and has held two community meetings on stress management. Social workers and social work students are helping with the counseling on a volunteer basis.

Diane Breckenridge, Genesee Health's liaison to local hospitals, said she had seen "people come into the hospitals directly related to breakdowns, nervous breakdowns, if you will."

"Most of it's been depression or suicidal ideation directly linked to what's going on with their children," she added. "They just feel like they can't even let their children take a bath."

Maelores Collins blames the water for a problem that deeply troubles her: Her hair has broken off over the past six months.

Her self-prescribed therapy consists of cruising the aisles of Wal-Mart or playing bid whist, a card game, with friends. A few months ago, her doctor also prescribed Xanax, a tranquilizer, which she takes "to get up" in the morning, she said.

"I'm depressed, I'm angry, my anxiety is running high," said Collins, a former construction worker who has asthma and is on permanent disability.

Worse off, she said, is her 12-year-old grandson, who refuses to drink even bottled water and will eat only off paper plates. The family jumped several hurdles to secure a psychiatric appointment for him in early May.

"He's freaking out - he's like, 'We're all going to die from the water,' " Collins said. "I said, 'You're young, you ain't going nowhere.' But I can't convince this boy."

Collins called the situation "crazy."

"This thing," she said, "will never be over."
A recently completed aerial survey of the Great Barrier Reef found that 93 percent of the smaller reefs that comprise it showed at least some bleaching, and in the northern sector of the reef, a large majority of reefs saw bleaching that was severe - meaning many of these corals could die.

There was already considerable murmuring that this event, which damages a famous World Heritage site and could deal a blow to a highly valuable tourism industry, did not simply happen by chance. And now, a nearly real-time analysis by a group of Australian climate and coral reef researchers has affirmed that the extremely warm March sea temperatures in the Coral Sea, which are responsible for the event, were hardly "natural."

"Human-caused climate change made the extreme ocean temperatures that led to the massive bleaching events along the Great Barrier Reef this year at least 175 times more likely," finds the analysis, which was led by Andrew King, a researcher studying climate extremes at the University of Melbourne.

King and his four colleagues freely confess that their analysis has not yet been peer-reviewed - science doesn't move that fast - and admit to adopting the "unusual approach of releasing the results before publication." But they defend the move in light of the situation.

"Because we have confidence in the methods, the methods have been peer reviewed, and because the results are so strong, we decided we needed to release them almost immediately. It's important for the public to know that climate change is making these bleaching events far more likely," King said in an interview.

The researchers have also posted their data and methods online. King said in an interview that the researchers were sure to include a coral-reef expert, Ove Hoegh-Guldberg, who directs the Global Change Institute at the University of Queensland, in the analysis.

At the heart of the new analysis is the warm March sea temperatures of the Coral Sea region, which the researchers say set a new record for that month, at more than 1 degree Celsius above the long-term average. The scientists then proceeded to conduct what is called an "attribution" study, which involves running large numbers of climate model iterations, with and without the human global warming influence included, to determine how likely such a warm departure is to occur in each set of model runs.

The result was that the warm Coral Sea extremes were far more likely in the runs that included human-induced climate change than in those that did not. This is where the statement that the event is 175 times more likely to occur due to climate change comes from.

"The likelihood of bleaching in the normal climate is just under 0.1 percent, a one in a thousand year event, roughly," King said. "But in the modern world, it's much more likely."

The scientists also wrote about the analysis at the website The Conversation, where they made a similar point: "Surface temperatures like those in March 2016 would be extremely unlikely to occur in a world without humans."

Reacting to the research in an interview with Climate Central, David Kline, a researcher who studies corals at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography but was not involved with the study, commented, "This is the smoking gun."
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WASHINGTON - The Food and Drug Administration is reconsidering whether doctors who prescribe painkillers like OxyContin should be required to take safety training courses, according to federal documents.

The review comes as regulators disclosed that the number of doctors who completed voluntary training programs is less than half that targeted by the agency.

A panel of FDA advisers meets next week to review risk-management plans put in place nearly four years ago to reduce misuse and abuse of long-acting painkillers, powerful opioid drugs at the center of a national wave of abuse and death.

Under the current risk-management programs, drugmakers fund voluntary training for physicians on how to safely prescribe their medications. However, many experts - including a previous panel of FDA advisers - said those measures don't go far enough and that physician training should be mandatory.

According to FDA figures, only 37,500 physicians had completed the voluntary training programs by March 2015, less than half of the targeted number of 80,000. In fact, surveys conducted by drugmakers showed that 40 percent of prescribers were unaware of the programs more than a half-year after they launched.

The FDA says its own findings "show mixed results that make it difficult to draw conclusions regarding the success of the program," according to briefing documents posted online.

The FDA will present its findings over a two-day meeting beginning next Tuesday, then ask its panel of outside safety experts what changes should be made to improve the plans. The panel's advice is not binding.

In the last year, government authorities have launched a number of steps intended to reduce painkiller deaths, including new federal prescribing guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and state measures that restrict and track opioid prescribing.

Prescription opioid overdoses have been rising steadily for well over a decade, reaching nearly 19,000 in 2014 - the highest number on record.

Total opioid overdoses exceeded 28,600 that year when combined with heroin, which many abusers switch to after becoming hooked on painkillers.

The FDA first proposed its risk-management plan in 2010, before the CDC had formally identified opioid overdoses as a national epidemic.

While public health advocates urged the agency to apply the measures to all painkillers, the FDA decided to limit its action to long-acting painkillers like OxyContin and Opana, because of their high levels of drug ingredients.

The risk-management measures don't apply to the most commonly-used opioids such as Vicodin and Percocet.
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WASHINGTON - They thought it was impossible. Some still fear it. Others can barely believe it. But leading Republicans are increasingly beginning to accept the idea that Donald Trump will be their party's presidential nominee.

In the wake of the businessman's commanding wins in five Eastern states this week, a growing number of national Republicans and GOP lawmakers on Capitol Hill say Trump has taken on an indisputable air of inevitability. Some argue they should get behind him now and abandon the "Never Trump" efforts still nursed by some establishment Republicans. Embracing Trump, these Republicans say, may be the GOP's only hope of blocking Democrat Hillary Clinton in November.

"Donald Trump is going to be our nominee," Florida Gov. Rick Scott wrote on Facebook this week. "The Republican leaders in Washington did not choose him, but the Republican voters across America did choose him. The voters have spoken."

Trump vs. Clinton

"Republicans now need to come together," Scott wrote, warning that continued opposition to Trump "will be nothing more than a contribution to the Clinton campaign."

On Capitol Hill, support for Trump has also gotten markedly easier to find.

"I don't understand. I mean, it's not 'Never Trump.' It's 'Never Hillary.' Never, never, never, Hillary. Come on. Wake up and smell the coffee," said Rep. Mike Kelly of Pennsylvania, who earlier this week cast his ballot for Trump, along with all members of his large family and 57 percent of Republican primary voters in his state.

"I've never seen a party attack one of its own candidates with this aggressiveness," Kelly said of GOP establishment figures who oppose Trump, blaming it on an elitist Washington attitude out of touch with voters.

Sen. Orrin Hatch of Utah, a respected senior member of the Senate, previously endorsed Jeb Bush and then Sen. Marco Rubio and said he doesn't intend to endorse Trump. But Hatch said of Trump: "It looks to me like he's going to win, and if he does, I'm going to do everything in my power to help him."

Some leading Republicans have forecast that a Trump candidacy could spell electoral disaster, help Democrats win back control of the Senate and even cost safe Republican seats in the House.

They point to Trump's disparaging comments about women and minorities that have contributed to high unfavorability ratings.

Hatch, along with others, disagreed.

"I think he could be great if he'll get serious about being president, and I think he will," Hatch said. "When he gets hit with reality that this is the toughest job in the world, he's a clever, smart guy who I think will want to be remembered for doing good things, so I have a feeling he can make that transition."

Not 'best foot forward'?

On Thursday, Trump picked up endorsements from two House committee chairmen, Reps. Bill Shuster of Pennsylvania, who chairs the Transportation Committee, and Jeff Miller of Florida, who chairs Veterans Affairs. He talked foreign policy in a phone call with Sen. Bob Corker, R-Tenn., who heads the Foreign Relations Committee. Corker later was full of compliments about Trump, though he said he had no plans to endorse him.

To be sure, not all are on board. Some in the GOP continue to cringe at the thought of vulnerable Senate Republicans and candidates getting linked to Trump's provocative stances or attempting to distance themselves from them.

"My feeling about Donald Trump is, I don't think that that's our best foot forward at all," said Sen. Jeff Flake of Arizona, an outspoken Trump critic.

"And I can't imagine being forced to take some of those positions that he's taken. A ban on Muslims, build a wall and make the Mexicans pay for it, you name it."

It remains uncertain whether Trump will amass the 1,237 delegates needed to clinch the nomination ahead of the Republican convention in Cleveland in July.

If he does not, Texas Sen. Ted Cruz hopes to make a play to win the nomination as balloting progresses. Ohio Gov. John Kasich also remains in the race. Next week's primary in Indiana, where polling suggests a close race, could be crucial in determining whether either Cruz or Kasich can continue to argue they have a path forward.
MEXICO CITY - Six years ago Bernardino Hernandez boarded a plane to Mexico City with not much - his high school yearbook, a printer and his college copy of "Thomas More's Magician," a novel about creating a utopian community in 16th-century Mexico.

He had recently graduated from the University of California, Davis, but he felt limited by his lack of legal status in the United States. Hernandez was 21 years old and unsure whether he'd ever reach his potential in a country that he'd called home since he was a toddler but that now wouldn't allow him to work legally.

Before he departed, his disapproving father gave him $1,000 in cash but warned him, "I won't pay for a coyote to bring you back."

No need.

Though he gave up on his American dream in the U.S., he is now living it in Mexico.

Hernandez, 27, is at the helm of a translation company he launched last fall, leading a team of 15 linguists who offer services in nearly two dozen languages to multiple businesses, including eight transnational companies.

He regularly travels to the U.S. - as a business executive. Until recently he had been a high-level manager for a Fortune 100 company. His career in Mexico allowed him to save enough money to attend university in Canada, where he earned his master's degree.

"I've traveled to more places in the U.S. while living in Mexico than while I was living in the U.S. I'm glad I did leave," he said. "I wanted to find my own way."

Hernandez is one of more than 500,000 people ages 18 to 35 who have returned to Mexico since 2005 after spending significant time in the U.S., said Jill Anderson, an independent researcher and activist in Mexico City who has studied the phenomenon.

Although some were deported, others, like Hernandez, voluntarily returned. They are often called "los otros dreamers," or "the other dreamers."

Hernandez's success story runs counter to the oft-told narrative of hardship and challenges many so-called Dreamers - people brought to the U.S. at a young age and who stayed illegally - face upon returning to their place of birth after growing up American.

Only a small percentage excel, Anderson said, but those who do are increasingly involved in a tight network, taking leadership roles and helping other former Dreamers. Their success is not a reflection of Mexico, but of their determination to clear hurdles in their path, she said.

"I think it speaks to the amazing potential of this population," said Anderson, who co-wrote a book, "Los Otros Dreamers," on the subject. "They are definitely beating the odds, and I think it's because they are determined to do it no matter where they land - despite the violence, corruption and impunity that plague many Mexican communities."

A catch-22

Initially, it didn't come easy for Hernandez, who mistakenly believed that his U.S. education would automatically give him a leg up in Mexico's job market. As he struggled, he looked at his parents, still living in California, and what they accomplished as inspiration.

A free-falling Mexican economy in the mid-1990s and minimal education had prompted Emilio and Sira Hernandez to strike out for the United States. The couple left Oaxaca, taking Hernandez, 2 at the time. They followed the harvests for farm work until settling in Santa Maria, along California's Central Coast.

Eventually they arrived at their American dream, renting and buying enough land to start their own large vegetable farm, selling tomatillos, squash and other produce.

Hernandez led a comfortable life in Santa Maria, excelled in school, lettered in high school cross country. If he worked hard, teachers and his parents told him, he could accomplish anything.

"I remember pledging allegiance to the American flag when I was a kid. I didn't even know the Mexican national anthem," he said. "For me, I was more American than Mexican."

But slowly, Hernandez grew cynical. In high school, he soon discovered he didn't qualify for most scholarships because of his legal status.

His parents could foot the bill for his undergraduate studies at UC Davis, where he earned a bachelor's degree in international relations and Spanish, but he would have to pay for his master's at the school's Latin American studies program. He couldn't because he couldn't legally work.

'He can adapt'

It was 2010 and Hernandez had no way to legalize his status. It would be two more years until the Obama administration announced an immigration program that offered young people like him a work permit and reprieve from deportation.

Hernandez's feelings of disaffection with the U.S. are common among the Dreamer diaspora, Anderson said.

"They realize that they did everything right, and they still couldn't take advantage of that sort of mythical American dream," she said.

When Hernandez arrived in Mexico City, he quickly realized that his American lifestyle of eating all the time and renting an apartment in a hip neighborhood, Condesa, was too expensive in the megalopolis he now called home. He scaled down, moved to a more affordable neighborhood and shopped at open-air markets instead of chain grocery stores.

He eventually started to exploit his bilingual skills, approaching English-language schools to work as an instructor.

He saved up and scored a scholarship for a master's program in modern languages and Latin American studies at the University of Alberta in Edmonton, Canada.

Christina Weidemann, who attended university and worked with Hernandez in Canada, said her friend's ambition and smarts aren't the only reasons for his success.

"He has the sense for taking advantage of being familiar with both cultures so perfectly," she said. "When he is together with North Americans, his attitude changes and so does his personality. And when he is together with Mexicans, speaking Spanish with Mexicans, he changes in a way. He can adapt very well to both environments. I think that's a huge advantage."

Between worlds

His ability to seamlessly navigate both work cultures, paired with his university degrees, helped him land a job as a translation contractor at Johnson Controls, a Fortune 100 company that produces automobile parts. He became something of a liaison linking American and Mexican workers within the company.

"I was able to communicate, for example, Mexico's business and learning needs to the U.S. headquarters, because often most of the programs or business models are U.S.-centric and do not consider the business culture in Mexico," he said.

After only eight months, he worked his way up to management. It led to an opportunity to travel for business, and he was granted a U.S. business and tourism visa in January 2015.

In November, he launched a startup called QuickTrans, which is something of an Uber in that it pairs translators, transcribers and interpreters with companies seeking those services.

Some of his linguists are dreamers, too.

Hernandez runs the outfit from his kitchen table at home. His UC Davis diploma hangs on a wall above.
WASHINGTON - Fistfights at campaign rallies. A major presidential candidate called a bigot and bully by members of his own party. Gridlock in Washington. And Americans downright pessimistic.

This is America's politics today, seven years after Barack Obama was elected president with a promise to change it all.

The political change he predicted never appeared. Instead, partisanship and dysfunction have grown worse. His legacy on policies is more mixed. He did accomplish things, notably the Affordable Care Act. But his legacy on politics is another story.

Republicans and Democrats refuse to compromise, sometimes even talk. Congress has become more unproductive, with lawmakers failing to pass budgets or even consider presidential appointments. And most Americans have little to no confidence in the federal government to tackle the problems facing the nation in 2016, according to a poll released in January.

Just Thursday, about 20 people were arrested after hundreds of protesters blocked an intersection and vandalized a police car outside a rally for Republican presidential front-runner Donald Trump at the Orange County Fairgrounds in California. Several fights broke out.

"It's fair to say that President Obama entered office as chief executive of a divided country, and he's done nothing noticeable to heal those divisions in his seven years," said William Galston, a former adviser to President Bill Clinton and now a senior fellow at the center-left Brookings Institution.

Worse, not better

Barring an unexpected change in the country, the political legacy of the 44th president will be that he left office with the atmosphere in the United States in worse shape than when he was elected.

That failure is all the more disappointing, Democrats and Republicans say, because he raised expectations so high.

"He clearly thought - and he was entirely wrong - that he could transform politics in America," said George Edwards, a presidential scholar at Texas A&M University. "It was naive to think he could bridge this divide."

Before he was even sworn into office, Obama proclaimed that his successful election itself had altered American politics. "Change has come to America," he said the day he was elected president.

Now entering his final months in office, Obama acknowledges that he was not able to "fix our politics."

"It's one of the few regrets of my presidency - that the rancor and suspicion between the parties has gotten worse instead of better," Obama said in his final State of the Union address in January. "There's no doubt a president with the gifts of Lincoln or Roosevelt might have better bridged the divide, and I guarantee I'll keep trying to be better so long as I hold this office."

There are plenty of reasons for the dysfunction: millions of dollars of unaccountable money in politics; districts that ensure most lawmakers don't face competition; parties that have become more extreme; highly partisan media outlets; and an atmosphere that no longer stops campaigning for governing.

To be sure, gridlock's been building in the nation's capital for decades. But Obama campaigned as a leader who could - and would - change that.

"I can bring this country together, I think, in a unique way, across divisions of race, religion, region," Obama said in a 2008 primary debate against opponent Hillary Clinton.

"The Obama that campaigned was not the Obama that governed," said Doug Heye, a veteran Republican strategist who worked on Capitol Hill.

'He found opposition'

Obama has taken some responsibility for the nation's problems but pushed back on accusations he has led to the Republican Party's problems.

"What I'm not going to do is validate some notion that the Republican crackup that's been taking place is a consequence of actions that I've taken," he said recently.

Some blame Republicans who have refused to meet him halfway time and time again.

Miles Rapoport, president of Common Cause, a government watchdog group, said Obama turned to executive actions in his final years in office only after Republican lawmakers repeatedly rebuffed him.

"He tried, but he found opposition," Rapoport said. "Elected leaders have a responsibility to try, despite the very deep disagreements."
Eric Gay/STF

AUSTIN -- The latest attempt to challenge fees being paid to special prosecutors handling the criminal case pending against Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has been dismissed, court filings showed Saturday.

The two-page order by the Dallas-based 5th Court of Appeals tossed out a request by Jeffory Blackard, a Collin County landowner and Paxton supporter, to block Collin County officials from paying any additional invoices for services by three Houston attorneys who were appointed to prosecute Paxton on felony charges alleging that he violated state securities laws.
When then-Vice President Richard Nixon attended the ribbon-cutting ceremony for the newly developed Meyerland neighborhood, the winding streets and modern homes were a picture-perfect vision of a post-war future that promised new appliances in every kitchen and two cars in every garage.

Now those cars have been replaced by Dumpsters as crews gut flooded homes.

Two major deluges in less than year have transformed this slice of southwest Houston into a patchwork of devastation. Some blocks are practically abandoned. Streets sit in eerie silence.

It didn't have to be like this.

After Tropical Storm Allison, the federal government and Harris County Flood Control District united in the bipartisan Project Brays, which would spend about $450 million to improve water retention and flood prevention in the Brays Bayou watershed. It was originally supposed to be completed in 2014. Now, due to inconsistent funding, that project will be finished in 2021 at the earliest.

How many homes would have been preserved, and lives saved, if our local representatives had worked to keep Project Brays fully funded and on schedule?

Meyerland shouldn't have to wait for a third flood to be the charm that gets Congress moving. The Water Resources Development Act, which designates projects for the Corps, was just passed out of committee in the Senate. While press releases tout new infrastructure projects in California and flood control in Louisiana, there's little love so far for Houston.

There will be plenty of opportunities to add to this bill as it makes it way to President Obama's desk. The Harris County Flood Control District even made specific recommendations for the new bill in its 2016 federal briefing. Houston's politicians need to pay attention.

Follow the bayou current downstream and there's reason to hope. Sen. John Cornyn, a Republican, just proposed a bill designed to speed up the construction of a storm surge protection project along the Texas coast. This is impressive progress for Texas' senior senator, who didn't even know what coastal storm surge protection was during the 2014 election. The potential of a major hurricane driving a wall of water into Galveston Bay and up the Houston Ship Channel poses a grave threat to one of the most important industrial centers in the nation, if not the world. Federal, state and local governments need to act to protect this important linchpin in the global petroleum supply chain, and the millions of people who live in its shadow.

U.S. Rep. Randy Weber, R-Friendswood, said he will introduce a House companion to Cornyn's bill.

If passed, the bill will require the Corps to consider local studies, which the agency says it already plans to do. The bill will also authorize construction without specific congressional approval. Without expedited action, the Corps has said that construction on a hurricane protection project would have to wait until 2024 at the earliest. That's at least eight more hurricane seasons that Houston will have to endure with crossed fingers and bated breath.

However, the real challenge will be in funding the whole thing.

So far, the Corps has struggled to get Congress to fund mere studies on protecting the Texas coast. That doesn't bode well for the expected multi-billion-dollar price tag on the final project.

The devastating May 2015 floods cost Houston between $200 million and $550 million in destroyed property and economic loss. The floods this past month are being estimated at $1.3 billion and $1.9 billion.

We're going to pay one way or another for the damage that Mother Nature wreaks on our city, and new infrastructure makes for a much better ribbon-cutting opportunity than debris cleanup.
Austin taxpayers are in for millions of dollars in regulatory costs if voters decide not to change what the city requires in background checks of drivers for ride-hailing services, a pro-proposition group says.

Ridesharing Works for Austin says in a mailer to voters: "A completely new City-run" criminal background check "process will cost millions in processing fees, additional staff, and bureaucracy." The mailer, which came to our attention from a reader, is headlined: "Keep Taxpayers From Having to Pay."

Proposition 1, which landed on the May 7, 2016, ballot after a petition drive led by Ridesharing Works for Austin, centers on whether to require fingerprinting of drivers for popular services, like Uber and Lyft, that enable customers to summon a ride using a mobile app.

Vote "yes" and company-provided name-based national criminal background checks would continue -- without a fingerprinting element. Vote "no" and driver fingerprints would be gathered and run through the FBI.

Rejecting the proposal, the mailer suggests, gives "the City a blank check to fund a takeover" of background checks "and sends taxpayers the bill."

So, hide your pocketbook?

Not so fast, we found.

Council member: Taxpayers not on barrel

Before we saw the mailer, an Austin City Council member disputed the notion that taxpayers will be charged for fingerprinting drivers. An April 19, 2016, Austin American-Statesman news story quoted Ann Kitchen, sponsor of the ordinance the proposition would repeal, saying the council agreed to levy a 1 percent fee on the ride-hailing companies gross local revenue to go to a city fund to "assist and incent drivers to become compliant" with the new rules. Then again, according to an April 22, 2016, commentary by Ben Wear, the American-Statesmans transportation writer, thats to be charged only if companies fail to take certain steps to get drivers fingerprinted as quickly as possible.

The incentive fee was created to help allay ride-hailing drivers concerns about the costs of the fingerprint check  expected to be nearly $40 per driver, city spokeswoman Alicia Dean told us by email. Dean added: "This is what it costs for checks we do for other driver background checks for other vehicles for hire."

We asked if the city or council had decided to cover the costs. Dean replied: "No."

Theres also a separate 1 percent fee, to be in place if the proposition passes or not, "to cover the citys administrative costs and infrastructure needs," the Statesman reported.

Upshot: Ride-hail companies could be paying up to 2 percent of gross local revenue to the city though another April 2016 American-Statesman news story says ride-hail companies arent expected to owe any general fees until at least the end of 2016. The same story quoted a former council member, Chris Riley, saying that when the council approved its first ride-hail regulations in August 2014, the intent was that any such fees cover city administrative costs.

Of course, all this not-so declamation comes from city-connected officials.

We were curious how Ridesharing Works for Austin arrived at its millions-of-dollars conclusion.

To our query, spokesman Travis Considine pointed out by email that prospective-driver fingerprints are to be run through the FBI, according to the ordinance adopted by the council in December 2015. Specifically, the ordinance authorizes the city or an approved "third party" to submit each driver-applicants fingerprints to the Texas Department of Public Safety for a search of state criminal records and to forward the fingerprints to the FBI for the national check.

"The results of the FBI check will be returned to the DPS," the ordinance says, "which will disseminate the results of state and national criminal history checks to the City." Next, the ordinance says, the department shall use each result to determine if the applicant is prohibited from driving for a Transportation Network Company, as in ride-hail service.

Not that the city expects all of this in a hurry. During a phase-in, the ordinance says, the citys Transportation Department is to implement procedures to help drivers obtain fingerprints and background checks with each company expected to have 99 percent of its drivers checked by February 2017 or be subject to financial penalties.

Considine suggested city reviews of each completed check will entail massive upticks in staff and spending to process thousands of reports coming back from the DPS. The services currently conduct name-based checks on their own.

Uber lobbyist: 50,000 background checks will burden city

Considine also put us in touch with Adam Goldman, an Austin lobbyist for Uber, who said by phone the few city workers who currently review applications for chauffeur licenses cant possibly be expected to handle the surge in applications likely to come from ride-hail drivers seeking to fulfill the citys requirements.

If voters say "no" to the proposition, Goldman said, city staff stand to see fingerprint-fueled checks submitted for 50,000 drivers -- a figure he said reflects the number of Austin-area residents who have driven at least once for Uber.

Hold that count. An Uber spokeswoman, Jaime Moore, previously told us it has 15,000 Austin-area drivers though that total fluctuates. Moore, informed of Goldmans 50,000 figure, replied by email that nearly 50,000 Austin-area people went through the Uber screening process in the last year -- though many of them didnt make it through.

Still, Moore suggested we put stock in the "50,000" because Goldman didnt consider Austin-area Lyft drivers. So, Moore said, "we would expect the number" of individuals whose background checks would require the citys final review "to be much higher than 50,000."

Goldman didnt offer a calculation to back up the predicted "millions" in city costs. But Considine, asked for an equation behind the groups claim, suggested multiplying 50,000 times the possible $40 charge per background check, which plays out to $2 million.

Alternatively, we noted, if you go with the low-end count of 10,000 drivers, you get $400,000 in possible costs.

We asked Considine if its fair to consider either total a city cost in that the city, far as we can tell, hasnt said its funding the checks. He didnt reply.

It also occurred to us there might be fewer ride-hail drivers if the proposition fails; some might resist fingerprinting. Considine agreed, saying by phone: "That is what happened in Houston. Uber in Houston is different than Austin; the wait times are longer, the surge pricing," pricing at peak travel times, "is higher."

Houston official: No spike in taxpayer-funded costs

It made sense to us to consider Houstons experience. The Bayou City has required fingerprint-driven background checks of ride-hail drivers since November 2014, also demanding drug tests, physicals and vehicle inspections.

So we reached out to the citys Administration and Regulatory Affairs Department to ask if administrative costs spiked. By phone, spokeswoman Lara Cottingham said the city experienced an "enormous spike" in applicants after Uber agreed to comply with the citys security requirements. However, she said, the department didnt add staff for its final reviews; as before Uber arrived in Houston, a single employee looks over 200 to 300 driver background checks a day. If a background check shows any offense disqualifying a person for a license, the application is denied, Cottingham said, but the city also sets up a hearing for the driver to seek reconsideration, in accord with state law, she said. "Theres been no real change other than shes a lot busier than before," Cottingham said.

Cottingham said driver-applicants are allowed to get fingerprinted by a designated private vendor or may visit the DPS in Austin to be fingerprinted. Generally, Cottingham said, fees paid by Uber, the amount of which she said the company doesnt consider public information, more than cover city costs.

Austin official: Staff can 'flex'

Next, we asked Austins Transportation Department if the pro-proposition groups cost claim comports with its expectations.

We sought elaboration about flexing up; Dean replied that the department has 12 employees including about eight "administrative personnel" who could process such applications plus at least five professional staff who "could be flexed to review reports."

Gordon Derr, an assistant director in the department, earlier said by email: "Possibly, the number of staff may need to increase to handle large numbers of applications, but the activities overseeing vehicles-for-hire are funded by the enterprise fund for the city."

Thats not tax revenue, we recognized. By email, a department spokeswoman, Cheyenne Krause, said the ride-hail fees authorized by the council would go into the departments enterprise fund which to date brings together parking revenue and fees paid by ground transportation service companies and drivers, funding department staff and administration.

Derr earlier said: "Possibly, the number of staff may need to increase to handle large numbers of applications, but the activities overseeing vehicles-for-hire are funded by the enterprise fund for the city," which applies to programs generally funded from fees, not taxes. "Costs would not be paid from the general fund," which supports tax-backed activities, "therefore the costs would not be billed to the taxpayers," Derr said, adding: "It has yet to be determined who would be responsible for paying for background checks."

Derr said the city has "engaged" a DPS contractor, Morphotrust, to take fingerprints from prospective drivers. Once prints are taken, he wrote, "Morphotrust works through DPS to process the background checks through DPS for the state background check and the FBI for federal background checks." Next, Derr said, the DPS sends results to the city where staff review them.

Generally, Krause later told us by email, staff dont know "what will be required and cannot speculate as to the number of background checks that the City will review or the resources that will be required to review the checks. Any potential costs to the City are purely speculative."

Our ruling

The Ridesharing Works group said that if voters reject Proposition 1, a "completely new city-run" criminal background check "process will cost millions in processing fees, additional staff and bureaucracy" with taxpayers getting "the bill."

This claim isnt backed up by Houstons avowed experience or available facts about Austins approach.

What happens next does seem a bit unsettled. For instance, it's up in the air whos going to pay for each background check reviewed by the city. We also found no authoritative cost estimate for the citys oversight. Additional staff might be needed, we learned, yet the relevant department also advises it can lean on existing staff.

However, we neither fielded nor found evidence the citys contemplated reviews of background checks will cost millions. Significantly too, taxpayers aren't poised to get the bill; city costs are to be covered from a fee-backed fund, not tax revenue.

We rate this statement False.

FALSE  The statement is not accurate.

Click here for more on the six PolitiFact ratings and how we select facts to check.

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The Missouri Department of Conservation said seven of the nearly 7,700 free-ranging deer tested for Chronic Wasting Disease were confirmed to have the fatal disease.

The new cases  three in Adair, two in Macon and one each in Linn and Franklin  bring the total to 33 deer that had the disease since it was first discovered in 2010. Twenty-one cases were found in Macon County.

CWD infects only deer and other members of the deer family by causing degeneration of the brain. The disease has no vaccine or cure and is 100percent fatal. According to MDC State Wildlife Veterinarian Kelly Straka, the departments CWDtesting efforts focus mostly on deer harvested by hunters and deer removed by MDC staff and landowners from specific private properties in northeast, central and eastcentral Missouri around where the disease has been found, along with a small number of sick and roadkill deer.

Straka said MDC also conducts broader CWD testing around the state each year as part of its ongoing monitoring efforts. Nearly 2,700 of the deer tested last fall and winter were part of this broader CWD monitoring and the focus was on the southern half of Missouri. No deer from southern Missouri were found to be positive for CWD.

The conservation department has collected more than 51,000 tissue samples for CWD testing from all around the state since it began testing for the disease in 2001.

This coming fall and winter, MDC said it will increase its testing efforts in its CWD management zones. The management zones consist of 29 counties within or that touch a radius of approximately 25 miles from where the disease has been found. Counties in the CWD management zones are: Adair, Boone, Callaway, Carroll, Chariton, Crawford, Cole, Cooper, Franklin, Gasconade, Jefferson, Knox, Linn, Livingston, Macon, Miller, Moniteau, Morgan, Osage, Putnam, St. Charles, St. Louis, Randolph, Schuyler, Scotland, Shelby, Sullivan, Washington and Warren.

MDC will require hunters to present their deer for CWD testing at an MDC testing location if they harvest it in one of these 29 counties during the opening weekend of the fall firearms deer season Nov. 12 and 13. The testing is free and hunters can also get free test results.

We are in the process of working out the logistics for this important CWDtesting effort and will have more details this summer and fall, explained Straka. We will be providing several locations in each of the 29 counties to help make getting their deer tested as convenient as possible for hunters.

MDC will also continue to work with meat processors and taxidermists in the 29 counties to provide free CWD testing during other parts of the upcoming deerhunting seasons. The department will also continue its broader ongoing CWD monitoring efforts with a focus on the northern half of the state for the upcoming season.

For more information on CWD in Missouri, visit the MDC website at mdc.mo.gov/CWD.
Texas County Memorial Hospital lost almost $2.1 million last year, reflecting a tough healthcare environment in the state that was accelerated by depreciation costs.

The report, received on Tuesday at the boards monthly meeting, was compiled by BKD, LLP, a Springfield accounting firm and reported by representatives Stephanie Weis and David Taylor.

Weis said 2015 was an atypical year for operating results as she cited the loss of two doctors in the first quarter, leading to lower operating revenues of $1,848,391. Audit results also showed that expenses at the hospital dropped by $475,145, which Taylor described as not common.

A substantial portion of expenses are fixed in a hospital of your size, Taylor said. Its very hard to be responsive to volume changes, but you were able to control expenses that were controllable.

Grants and donations to the TCMH Healthcare Foundation totaled $619,196  compared to $1,180,978 in 2014. Although the foundation funds are designated for specific purposes, the numbers are included in overall year-end fiscal results.

The funds you have received for grants and donations are very strong, Taylor said. Numbers like these are not typically seen in a hospital of your size.

Although revenues at the hospital were down in 2015, TCMH continued to invest in the hospital with capital purchases totaling $500,940. TCMH made principal payments of $747,356 on the major construction project completed in 2014 and depreciation expenses made up a good portion the hospitals losses in 2015.

A lot of this years loss is related to depreciation, Taylor said. If you take out the depreciation, 2015 showed a true decrease of about $450,000.

The report showed a decrease in accounts receivable of more than 12 percent for 2015, most of which is third-party insurance collections for clinic-based billing. Auditor called the decline favorable.

Our report shows that you are doing what you can to watch any funds that are going out the door, Taylor said.

TCMH had 83 days of cash on hand  the days the hospital could operate without bringing in any funds. The average among rural Missouri hospitals is about 50 days.

Construction projects at TCMH have the average age of the hospital facility down to about 10 years  at or below Missouri hospital averages. The debt to capitalization ratio at TCMH is at 50 percent, which Taylor called not too high. TCMH is in line with other hospitals in the nation.

Your balance sheet is good, and your financial position is strong, Taylor told board members.

Taylor pointed out that revenue from the 340b pharmaceutical program helped offset losses in 2015. He said TCMH plans to grow those revenues in 2016. Additionally, TCMH has hired Dr. Cory Offutt, a family medicine and obstetrics physician, who will begin working full-time in the hospital and clinic in July.

TCMH brought $14,127,908 in Medicare and Medicaid funds into the hospital. Due to the patient population in the area, TCMH relies heavily on federal funds.

Taylor spoke to board members about the shift that hospitals are experiencing as Medicare makes payments for healthcare related to value rather than volume.

TCMH experienced some value-based payments in 2015, and there are more of those to come in the future, Taylor said.

Taylor explained that understanding the financial path for risk-based reimbursement versus the traditional fee for service payment method is not entirely known.

Beginning this April, a pilot program for hip and knee replacement was put into place in major-metro areas of the state. Hospitals are given a bundled bulk payment for the joint replacement, and with the joint replacement, the hospital assumes a 90-day responsibility for the patient post-discharge.

The bottom line for each joint replacement is dependent upon improving the outcome of the patient, Taylor said. This is forcing conversations on the coordination of care for patients.

Taylor and staff at BKD anticipate that more healthcare procedures and services will be placed into bundled payments, placing the hospitals at risk financially.

As a result of the anticipated changes to the payment delivery methods for the hospitals they serve, BKD has hired non-CPA staff to help the accounting firm better understand the clinical side of the business.

BKD sends an audit team to TCMH each March, spending about a week pouring over hospital financial information from the previous year. The firm takes about a month to complete the audit information including expense statements, balance sheets, statement of cash flows and other information that comprises the financial report documents presented at the April board meeting.

BKD uses historical TCMH data and data from other healthcare facilities for comparison purposes during the audit. BKD also has access to the latest information regarding hospital payers which helps the firm reach concrete numbers in the final audit report.

As our numbers show, there was not a significant change from the numbers you reported internally to those we are reporting, Weis said. You did a good job making decisions throughout 2015 based on your internal results.

ADMINISTRATIVE REPORT

Wes Murray, chief executive officer, said he and Joleen Senter Durham, physician recruiting director, visited the Cox Family Medicine Residency Program in Springfield to speak to residents about TCMH.

We had a very productive meeting and provided lunch for about 15 people, Murray said. We spoke with them about moonlighting in the ER, rural residency rotations in the clinic or surgery department, weekend hospitalist work and full-time opportunities after residency.

Durham said several of the current residents have roots in the Ozarks.

Most residents will take a job within 100 miles of where they complete residency, Durham said. We are very fortunate that Cox allows us the opportunity to meet with their residents regularly.

Ron Prenger, CoxHealth representative, said the Cox residency program was recently allowed to add an additional resident. The program hopes to add more slots for residents in the future.

FINANCIAL REPORT

Linda Pamperien, chief financial officer at TCMH, reported inpatient volumes were below budgeted expectations, but outpatient volumes were above budgeted expectations for an overall revenue of $23,261.

Due to Medicaid payment remittance for three weeks instead of two in March, contractual adjustments were higher, coming in at almost 68 percent.

With the higher contractual adjustment, TCMH ended March with a negative bottom line of $132,018, creating a negative year-to-date bottom line of $35,997.

Attending the meeting were Weis; Taylor; Murray; Pamperien; Durham; Prenger; Anita Kuhn, controller; Dr. Jonathan Beers, TCMH chief of staff; and board members Jim Perry, Mark Hampton, Omanez Fockler and Janet Wiseman. Absent was Russell Gaither.
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Your HRIS serves as the hub for storing and managing a mass of employee information, such as benefit elections, personal data, salary, and tax information. In addition, many HR departments deploy additional applications to manage processes that are both task-oriented and document-intensive, such as recruiting, onboarding and performance reviews. While these additional solutions expedite those processes, the information they contain often isnt accessible  or even visible  from your HRIS.

In this presentation, youll learn how content management technology and high-performance search applications can increase the visibility of data and documents from various systems, allowing you to access information more easily and ensure compliance with employment law, privacy initiatives and other mandates.



Content management allows the integration of data and documents from various systems, giving HR professionals access to information from the HRIS and third-party applications, without switching back and forth between systems. This connectivity makes monitoring compliance and preparing for audits less time-consuming, yet preserves the security of confidential data by limiting access to authorized individuals.

High-performance enterprise search applications allow HR professionals to search across systems  including the HRIS, third-party HR applications, payroll systems, etc. -- to find the precise information they need. This functionality ensures access to the most relevant and up-to-date information, mitigating the risk of legal/regulatory compliance breaches. At the same time, any information gaps can also be quickly identified, further reducing any potential risk.



Used together or separately, these technologies can increase the visibility of the information contained in your HRIS and other HR solutions to advance compliance and mitigate risk.



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Prime Minister Justin Trudeau continues his crusade in raising the equality bar.

On Saturday, he met the four millennial men behind Generation Y Not for an interview on feminism, and specifically how men can be more effective at it.

As part of it, Trudeau was asked to answer, in 10 seconds or less, what advice he would give men to become better feminists.

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"There's lots of things you can do to be a better feminist as a man but here's a simple one: don't interrupt women, and notice every time women get interrupted in conversation," the PM said in a Snapchat video.

'Until it is met with a shrug'

Trudeau introduced a gender-balanced cabinet last year, and has stated he would prefer there was actually no response to the fact that he's a feminist.

"I'm going to keep saying loud and clearly that I am a feminist until it is met with a shrug," he said during a discussion on gender equality at the United Nations in New York last month.

Round 2... A photo posted by Generation Y Not (@generation.ynot) on Apr 30, 2016 at 11:50am PDT

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Generation Y Not first caught Trudeau's eye in Ottawa last winter, not the least because they were wearing bright Christmas sweaters, said the prime minister's press secretary Cameron Ahmad.

But the group is about much more than loud sartorial choices. They turned their photo with the prime minister into a holiday card, with proceeds going to help Syrian refugees settle in Canada.

Matt Dajer, Thomas Brag, Derin Emre, and Ammar Kandil, who are all from various cultural and religious backgrounds, created a moving video after the Paris attacks last year. Three of them stood beside each other holding hands in a Montreal subway station, in front of them were signs that read, "These are my brothers. They cannot separate us."

The four social media personalities, who live in Montreal, run a YouTube channel and are planning a Snapchat Discovery show this summer. Trudeau's interview will air as part of the Snapchat project, likely in July.

Ahmad said the prime minister is always looking for ways to connect with younger Canadians through various social media platforms, like Snapchat.

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The National Portrait Gallery, of which The Duchess is Patron, has collaborated with British Vogue on a series of photographic portraits, shot by photographer Josh Olins in the Norfolk countryside #Vogue100

A photo posted by Kensington Palace (@kensingtonroyal) on Apr 30, 2016 at 1:05pm PDT
The Sistine Chapel can now be called a landmark, religious symbol and a music venue.

U2 guitarist, The Edge, played the first ever rock concert at the Sistine Chapel on Saturday in Vatican City, Reuters reported.

A three-minute clip was posted to YouTube showing the 54-year-old musician playing an acoustic set for a collection of philanthropists, doctors, and researchers who attended a conference on regenerative medicine at the Vatican. U.S. Vice-President Joe Biden also attended.

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The Edge, whose real name is David Howell Evans, was backed by a young Irish choir.

"When I was asked to perform in the Sistine Chapel I didn't know what to say, because usually there's 'this other guy' who sings," The Edge told the audience, referring to U2's frontman Bono. "So it took me at least, well, 30 seconds to agree to it.

"The most beautiful parish hall in the world" - In epic event, @U2's #TheEdge rocks the Sistine at cancer summit. pic.twitter.com/3pQftURmYS  Rich Raho (@RichRaho) May 1, 2016

The Irish guitarist played unplugged versions of the band's songs, "Yahweh", "Ordinary World" and "Walk On", as well as a cover of Leonard Cohen's "If It Be Your Will", according to NBC News.

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This was a historic event for the 15th century, Michelangelo-painted chapel, which has never before hosted a rock music performance.

The Edge thanked Pope Francis and other Vatican officials "for allowing us to use the most beautiful parish hall in the world", according to Reuters.

He also dedicated his "Walk On" performance to Pope Francis. "My special thanks go to him, to the people's Pope," NBC News reports.

U2 rock band's guitarist The Edge poses for a photo with some bishops at Paul VI Audience Hall in the Vatican City.

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U2 has a reputation for giving back, contributing to Amnesty International, AIDS research and Greenpeace. The Edge sits on the board of the Angiogenesis Foundation, an organization dedicated to cancer prevention.

According to NBC News, the musician lost his father to cancer last month, and his daughter was diagnosed with leukemia.

Vice-President Biden lost his son Beau to brain cancer last year, and spoke at the conference Friday.

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A 27-year-old man has been charged over the murder of a Chinese international student whose naked body was found inside a blowhole on the New South Wales Central Coast last Sunday.

Mengmei 'Michelle' Leng, 25, was reported missing by her family on Anzac Day after claims she failed to return to her Campsie home from a shopping trip four days earlier.

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Police have confirmed the man, Derek Barrett, to be Ms Leng's uncle, charging him with the murder on Friday afternoon at Campsie Police Station.

Uncle of woman found floating in blow hole at Snapper Point charged with her murder. #9Newspic.twitter.com/qlBzxkqaXw  Nine News Sydney (@9NewsSyd) April 29, 2016

The man's arrest came after detectives executed a crime scene warrant on the family's Campsie home on Friday. He has been refused bail and is due to appear at Parramatta Bail Court later today.

Ms Leng's body was discovered by a tourist at Snapper Point at around 10:30am on Sunday, April 24.

Police said Ms Leng was naked and had been stabbed multiple times. She remained unidentified for three days.

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"When the body was recovered from the water, there were a number of injuries indicative of Michelle suffering a very violent attack," Detective Inspector Gary Jubelin said.

Inspector Jubelin said police had informed members of Ms Leng's family -- who lived in both Australia and overseas -- of the news.

"We spoke to Michelle's aunty who she lives with, then I spoke to Michelle's brother by phone who she lives with in China," he said.

"It's terrible news to deliver and you can understand how upset they are."

Earlier, police released CCTV footage of Ms Leng who was last seen shopping in Pitt Street in Sydney's CBD last Thursday. The vision showed her catching a train from St James Railway Station to Campsie Railway Station where she arrived at 4:30pm.

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According to Inspector Jubelin, Campsie Railway Station was the last place Ms Leng was seen alive.
Embassy of Venezuela in Ecuador

A 72-year-old man has been rescued almost two weeks after being trapped under rubble during Ecuadors deadly earthquake.

A Venezuelan rescue task force touring the area of Jaramijo heard sounds in a partially collapsed structure and found the man inside, according to the Venezuelan embassy in Ecuador.

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Vasquez was found with chronic renal failure, necrosis in both ankles, and was dehydrated and disorientated. Hes now recovering in hospital.

Survivor pulled from rubble two weeks after Ecuador quake: Crews rescue a 72-year-old surviv... https://t.co/Dz13ObriQr#australia#news  Australian News (@LatestAusNews) May 1, 2016

The magnitude 7.8 earthquake, which shook cities around the country, killed at least 600 people and injured more than ten thousand.

Touring a city ravaged by the earthquake, Ecuadorean President Rafael Correa contemplated the cost to rebuild, estimated at billions of dollars, and a potentially huge impact on the fragile OPEC economy.

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Reconstruction will cost billions of dollars, said Correa in the hard-hit city of Portoviejo, where survivors swarmed him asking for aid. The economic impact could be huge, he added.

2nd UNHCR airlift has landed in #Ecuador with 100 tons of relief materials for ppl displaced by #EcuadorEarthquake. pic.twitter.com/9xzQpADuD2  UNHCRNews (@RefugeesMedia) April 30, 2016
Francesca Yorke via Getty Images Youth culture

The number of young Australians under supervision due to their involvement in crime is falling, as juvenile justice agencies, courts and police try to keep children out of the system.

The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare has released its annual Youth Justice In Australia report that reveals a 23 percent drop in the number of young people aged 10-17 who were under supervision in the last five years.

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In 2014-15, this added to 11,360 young people during the year, down from 14,298 in 2010-11.

It is an overwhelmingly positive picture that we are seeing, Deputy Director of the Australian Institute of Criminology Rick Brown told The Huffington Post Australia.

From our view, this is a declining rate that has been going on for at least a decade. This seems to reflect the fact that there are fewer young people who are committing crimes in the first place.

Justice supervision can be imposed on those who have been sentenced for a crime or who are awaiting the outcome of a court matter. It involves both supervision in the community and in detention.

The AIHW report revealed a decrease in the rate and number of young people -- both Indigenous and non-Indigenous -- in supervision across all jurisdictions where data was made available. The Northern Territory and Queensland were exceptions, where there was no consistent trend.

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According to Rick Brown, this declining trend points to both a decrease in youth crime activity and the type of offences being carried out.

The majority of young people that commit crime will be on minor offences and often on a one-off basis, Brown said.

He also attributes the decline to changes in legislation and policing activity that diverts child offenders from the system early on.

Australia has strong diversionary policies for first-time offenders and whilst they vary from state to state, this is a strong feature of our criminal system.

It is common now for the police to caution an individual so that they dont end up with a criminal conviction and in that way, they are not processed. This notion of increased risk through improved security is becoming more commonplace.

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ABS figures reveal that between 2010-11 and 2014-15, the number of young people aged 1019 who were proceeded against by police each year dropped by 20 percent. And the number of young people with matters finalised in the Childrens Courts dropped by 19 percent between 201011 and 201314.

The report also indicated 85 percent of young people were under community supervision in the last year, with the remainder in detention. Over the five-year period, the rate of those in detention has dropped from four to three per 10,000.

But more than half of all juveniles in detention nationally were on remand (or unsentenced) -- a concerning trend, according to Brown.

Research performed by the Australian Institute of Criminology in 2013 revealed that one third of those who had received a period of remand went on to receive a period of detention.

Theres potential there to do more around schemes for bailing young people rather than remanding them, Brown said.

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cheering woman hiker open arms at mountain peak cliff

With the recent news that Malia Obama will take a gap year before her freshman year at Harvard, the world will surely watch with anticipation to learn how she will spend the 365 days between high school and college.

While it's not common in the U.S., taking a gap year is considered the norm in some countries all over the world, including the United Kingdom and Australia. Many colleges and universities in the U.S. not only accept applicants who choose to take gap years, but also actively encourage enrolled students to study abroad during their college tenures. According to study abroad organization CIEE, Harvard College has seen a 33 percent increase in the number of their incoming students taking gap years.

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That might be due, in part, to the school's acceptance letters. According to U.S. News & World Report, acceptance letters from Harvard even suggest that students might want to take time off before they enroll.

Taking a gap year between high school and college can be tremendously beneficial to one's personal growth, whether one decides on enrolling in a structured gap year program, spend time volunteering abroad or simply traveling the world. Regardless, taking a gap year means that you're living life to the fullest. Here are 10 reasons why.

1. Youll perform better in college.

Students might worry that college admissions officials or professors will look down on them for taking a gap year. This isnt true: many schools report that gap year students have higher GPAs and are more involved on campus, so their attitudes toward gap years are far from unfavorable.

2. Youll realize what you love before you start studying.

More often than not, college students commit themselves to one area of study, realize its not for them, and then swap to a completely different major often two or three times. Youll cut down on coursework, tuition bills and stress if you take time before college to decide how you want to spend your academic experience before you get there.

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3. Youll get to adventure at your prime.

When else are you going to be 18 years old with no job, no mortgage payments, no significant other, no kids, no homework and no worries? Never. The answer is never.

4. Youll know whats important in life before most people do.

College is ridiculously fun, but its easy to get so caught up that you begin to believe your fraternity or friend group is the absolute center of the universe. As such, any small crisis might seem like the end of the world. However, if youve traveled the wider world in all its complexity and glory, youll understand there are bigger issues for humanity than a failed date night or lost game of beer pong.

5. Youll be an expert at adapting to new places.

On a gap year, youll be forced to integrate into a new society, a new group of friends, and maybe even new languages or cultural norms. College requires similar adaptation skills, and youll be much more ready to handle it if youve already shifted societies once before.

6. Youll have something to talk about.

Skip the same old where are you from? and whats your major? chitchat, and nail the whatd you do this summer? question with stories from your gap year. Youll have first-hand opinions to share about people, places and ideas that your peers might have never even heard of.

7. Youll have a shinier resume.

Oftentimes, a gap year involves staying in one spot and soaking up its culture, part of which means getting a job. No matter where you work -- a sandwich stand in India or the embassy in London -- youll have valuable (international!) experience for your resume and can explain your ability to do business with customers from different cultures. If you travel on the cheap, you might even have some earnings left to use on college tuition.

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8. Youll pick up the pieces you missed in high school.

Slept through every Spanish class? Head to Argentina for your gap year, where you'll be forced to speak the language every day. Wish you knew more history? Spend time touring government buildings in Europe. A gap year is your time to refine the specific skills you feel like youre lacking and sharpen them up for college.

9. Youll have time to think.

Life feels like its unfolding fast right now, and in college, things only move faster. Give yourself room to think and breathe and be on long train rides from country to country or in days spent strolling through new towns. Youll be surprised where your mind wanders when you give it free rein.
The most critical relationships in life are often those between parents and their children. Whenever such relationships are ruptured (or destroyed) by family tensions or an inability to communicate, it's easy to be haunted by film titles, song titles, and advertising slogans that evolve into angry ear worms. "Knock Three Times" (a song made popular by Tony Orlando and Dawn following its November 1970 release) and Stephen Sondheim's sardonically defiant "I'm Still Here" (from 1971's Follies) can take on new meanings for those whose wounded egos keep struggling with a darker interpretation of the words "The Parent Trap."

Death and/or dementia can leave the surviving party wrestling with unfinished personal business and years of emotional baggage. As a result, a wireless carrier's popular marketing tagline ("Can You Hear Me Now?") may take on the bitter irony of Lost Verizons.

Consider how this process works with an oft-overlooked song from 1964's Funny Girl. Sung by Fanny Brice as she weighs the power imbalance in her marriage to Nicky Arnstein, "Who Are You Now?" might seem like a pensive, troubled love song. But what happens when one examines Bob Merrill's lyrics through the soul of a person forced to watch a loved one disappear into the mental fog created by Alzheimer's disease?

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"Who are you now, now that you're mine?

Are you something more than you were before?

Are you warmer in the rain? Are you stronger for my touch?

Am I giving too little by my loving you too much? How is the view? Sunny and green?

How do you compare it to the views you've seen?

I know I am better, braver, and surer, too.

But you -- are you now? Who are you now?

Are you someone better for my love?"

Barbra Streisand and Omar Sharif in a scene from Funny Girl

Although many women become caregivers for elderly parents battling dementia, their family situations rarely provoke as much laughter as Dame Edna's.

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Royston Tan's new film, 3688, starts off as a perky musical in the spirit of 2002's Dutch musical comedy film, Yes Nurse! No Nurse! A crew of female parking attendants, led by the domineering Jenny Rahimah (Rahimah Rahim) are aggressively ticketing cars that have overstayed their welcome. As car owners rush to the parking lot begging for sympathy, they run up against the unforgiving Jenny's insistence on sticking to the rules.

One of Jenny's subordinates is the likeable Xia Fei Fei (Joi Chua), who is much more sympathetic to the car owners than her boss. Before going on her break, Fei Fei always places a call to give her order to her friend, Ah Luan ("Auntie Hai Xian,"), the owner of a neighborhood coffee shop who immediately warns all her customers that Fei Fei has left the parking lot.

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Liu Lingling as Singapore's Seafood Queen, "Lady Kaka" in 3688

The flamboyant Ah Luan (Liu Lingling) -- who dresses up as Singapore's Seafood Queen, "Lady Kaka" -- is a former entertainer who has been close to Fei Fei and her father, Uncle Radio (Michael Tan), for many years. Helping Ah Luan in her restaurant is her slacker son, YoYo (ShiGGa Shay).

Because Uncle Radio's wife died of cancer when Fei Fei was a little girl, he was forced to raise her as a single father. Forever single, the 38-year-old Fei Fei continues to live with her father, whose behavior has become increasingly eccentric. Uncle Radio used to sell subscriptions to Rediffusion (a cable radio service that has long since gone off the air). These days, not only does Uncle Radio wander around the neighborhood collecting broken radios and speakers to repair, he can't understand why no one wants to buy Rediffusion subscriptions from him.

Lost in a fog of dementia, Uncle Radio (Michael Tan) imagines he is

dancing with his deceased wife (Lin Meijiao) in a scene from 3688

Soon after word spreads that the owners of the parking lot are planning to convert it into an automated car park (with no need for live attendants), Fei Fei and her colleagues suddenly find themselves unemployed. With encouragement from Ah Luan, Fei Fei enters a singing contest in the hope of winning first prize (the equivalent of two years' salary as a parking lot attendant).

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Xia Fei Fei (Joi Chua) performs in a singing contest in 3688

As soon as she arrives at the television station, it becomes obvious that the show's producer wants her to perform in her old parking lot attendant's uniform. To make matters worse, she is threatened by the fierce Anita (Tan Bee Keow), a power hungry vicious bitch who might also be transgender. Just as her rehearsal is about to begin, Fei Fei receives a frantic call from her childhood friend, Maoshan (Brandon Wong), informing her that Uncle Radio has gone missing.

Poster art for Royston Tan's new film, 3688

One can't help but admire the meticulousness with which Royston Tan has steered this film from a giggly musical romp to a deeply moving story about a woman who, in rapid succession, loses her job and her father. The buildup to Fei Fei's triumphant moment in the competition (unaware that, as she sings, her father is watching her on a series of monitors in an appliance store without really understanding who she is) will tug at any viewer's heartstrings.

Joi Chua gives an appealing performance as Fei Fei, with Michael Tan's poignant portrayal of the confused Uncle Radio anchoring the more sober moments in the story. Much of the film, however, is delightfully comical, with mischievous performances coming from Rahimah Rahim, Liu Lingling, and ShiGGA Shay. Here's the trailer:

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As part of its continuing artistic relationship with playwright Terrence McNally, New Conservatory Theatre Center recently presented the regional premiere of Mothers and Sons (a play originally written for the Bucks County Playhouse in New Hope, Pennsylvania as a vehicle for Tyne Daly). Mothers and Sons has had a long and curious gestation. It began in 1988 as an eight-minute play produced by the Manhattan Theatre Club as part of an evening of short works.

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On March 4, 1990, McNally's television adaptation of Andre's Mother was broadcast over the PBS network as part of the American Playhouse series. The 50-minute film was subsequently released in DVD format on April 25, 2006 with a cast headed by Sada Thompson, Richard Thomas, and Sylvia Sidney.

Poster art for Andre's Mother

Following its much-heralded world premiere at the Bucks County Playhouse, Mothers and Sons opened on Broadway on March 24, 2014 and ran for 104 performances at the John Golden Theatre. Looking back on the play's creation, McNally notes that:

"AIDS is not the only scourge that decimated generations of gay men and women. The wounds of homophobia are still raw, deadly, and tearing families apart. Mothers and Sons is a play I didn't know I was going to write when I sat down three years ago with a raging case of the flu, determined to write a play about what has happened to this country in my lifetime (especially our LBGTQ community). But time was not an option. I had a deadline to meet. I thought about the young man who had come to New York to be the gay man he knew he already was. I was 17 years old -- too young to get into a gay bar but old enough to know where the men were. Like most people, I was looking for love (my story isn't much more complicated or interesting than that). Along the way, I found love often enough, but I lost the love of my family as well and we became strangers. It was both our loss. Since those many years ago, I have made my own family for myself and, by now, we are generations deep in happiness, sadness, and fulfilling relationships. The only people missing in my life are my parents. My husband's father was his best friend. How I envy him that. I was not with my father when he died. When my mother died, I was working on a show in Chicago. All I can do is live with her inability to love me as I truly am and try to remember the way she was and maybe even begin to understand us both a little. I adored her, you see. She was my mother."

Velina Brown (Katherine) and Andrew Nance (Cal) in

a scene from Mothers and Sons (Photo by: Lois Tema)

Mothers and Sons takes place 25 years after Andre's death. During that period, AIDS has become a manageable disease, gay couples have been able to adopt children, same-sex marriage has become the law of the land, and the concept of "gay family" has gone mainstream. Although there are only four characters in McNally's play, there is still plenty of drama to be unleashed onstage.

The play begins with Andre's mother, Katherine Gerard (Velina Brown), standing in the living room of her son's former partner, Cal Porter (Andrew Nance). Katherine has taken advantage of a stopover en route from Dallas to Rome to surprise Cal with an unexpected visit (perhaps hoping to learn who gave her son AIDS). Because of her long-standing hostility toward Cal (and the ways in which she intimidated Cal and Andre when they were a couple), it's easy to sense the tension in the air.

In the eight years since Andre died of AIDS, Cal has abandoned his dreams of acting and become a successful financial manager of other people's money. Now living in the kind of spacious Central Park West apartment that he and Andre could never have afforded, he is married to Will Ogden (Daniel Redmond), an aspiring writer 15 years younger than himself. Together, they are raising a son, Bud Ogden-Porter (Aviv D. Drobey), who has become the apple of their gay eyes.

Dasshiel Ferrero (Bud), Velina Brown (Katherine) and Andrew Nance

(Cal) in a scene from Mothers and Sons (Photo by: Lois Tema)

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While Cal has done his best to heal from the grief surrounding the deaths of Andre and so many of their friends, Katherine (who was never a particularly demonstrative or affectionate woman) has refused to move on with her life. Despite Cal's best efforts to put her at ease, following the death of her only child (and, more recently, her husband), Katherine has been transformed from a mourning mother into a ferocious old battle axe -- a bitter, lonely shrew who doesn't like most people and accepts that, for many years, she has been far from likeable, herself.

The following clip from the Broadway production (with Tyne Daly as Katherine and Bobby Steggert as Will) gives an excellent demonstration of the deep passion, wounded pride, and emotional scars which define McNally's characters.

Working on a handsome unit set designed by Kuo-Hao Lo, Arturo Catricala has directed NCTC's ensemble with care to frame McNally's arias of grief, anger, and hope as simply as possible. The playwright makes no bones about the fact that:

"If you think Andre is me in tonight's play, you're right. Cal is a survivor of our darkest years but if this play has a hero, it's Will. If it has a future, it's Bud. There are no villains, only a mother decimated by her inability to enter a new world, a world born of the tragedy of AIDS and now vibrant with new freedoms and infinite possibilities."



Velina Brown (Katherine) and Daniel Redmond (Will) in

a scene from Mothers and Sons (Photo by: Lois Tema)



It's not hard to recognize how the body language of Katherine, Cal, and Will reflects their varying levels of self-awareness, sophistication, self-pity, fear, and willingness to think positively (rather than shield themselves from the world with layers of emotional armor). As a result, I found myself rather conflicted about the performances by the three adults in the cast.

Andrew Nance's depiction of Cal was beautifully layered, offering the most nuance and depth throughout McNally's one-act play.

Daniel Redmond's aggressively loud portrayal of Will may have been on edge due to opening night nerves.

Although Velina Brown offered a terse portrait of Katherine, I often found myself thinking about how this role would fit Michaela Greeley like a glove.

If you have the time, the following segment of Theatre Talk features Terrence McNally and Tyne Daly discussing Mothers and Sons as well as what their personal experiences allowed them to bring to the play.

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Donald Trump speaking at the 2015 Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in National Harbor, MarylandOn April 27, Donald Trump, the presumptive Republican nominee for president, gave a speech at the Center for the National Interest in which, it was advertised, he would give the first systematic presentation of his foreign policy. Speaking from a prepared text and using a teleprompter instead of his usual off the cuff remarks, he went on to describe the present US foreign policy as having "no vision, no purpose, no direction, no strategy."

Trump then went on to outline what he saw as the five main weaknesses of the present US foreign policy:1.The US is overextended, the result both of reducing our military strength and of implementing economic policies that crippled America's economic potential.2.Our allies are not paying their fair share.3.Our friends are beginning to think they can't depend on us.4.Our rivals no longer respect us.5.America no longer has a clear understanding of our foreign policy goals.

Trump's proposed response to these five weaknesses was to put "America First," maintain maximum flexibility in how the US would define and carry out its foreign policy rather than be bound by fixed commitments, only use military force when no other alternative was available and rely on "sharp bargaining/deal making" to advance American interests.

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The speech was widely derided by foreign policy analysts. Many of which described the presentation as contradictory, inconsistent, and at times bordering on incoherent. Perhaps the most striking element of Trump's speech was his declaration that he did not intend to announce a "Trump Doctrine." Instead he would focus on maintaining the maximum amount of flexibility in the conduct of US foreign policy and forego locking the US into predictable or automatic responses. In short, the "Trump Doctrine" is that a President Trump would not have a doctrine.

Presidents, or would be presidents, often use the occasion of major policy speeches to lay out their view of the world, the challenges that face the United States, and the strategic framework in which their administration's policies and responses would be formulated. These are the sinews of an administration's "doctrine." In some cases, "doctrines" come and go with the change of administrations, while others, like the Monroe Doctrine, become cardinal principals of US foreign policy and were pursued long after the presidency of its name sake had ended.

There are a number of observations worth making about Donald Trump's foreign policy views. First, a doctrine of "no doctrine," in other words a strategy of maximizing ones options, preserving maximum flexibility in order to respond opportunistically as the case may be, makes absolute sense as an entrepreneurial business strategy. This is precisely the strategic nimbleness that distinguishes successful companies from their competitors.

Great powers, however, must stand for something. It is precisely the values they espouse, and the commitments they make, that define who they are and shape the elements of both their hard power and their soft power. It is one thing to be opportunistic in your tactics; it is an altogether different thing to be equally opportunistic in defining the long-term strategy for the kind of international system you hope to maintain. Stability requires a degree of predictability. An international system where the one remaining superpower is unpredictable is an inherently unstable system.

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Secondly, Trump's reference to "America First" was derided as a throwback to the American isolationists of the 1930s. They too used the same "America First" slogan, proof for some critics that Trump, or at least his followers, were ignorant of American history. That may be true, or it may simply be a case of Trump showing off his genius for creating controversial labels designed to keep him in the news.

"America First" is at the intellectual core of Trumpism. The essence of Trumpism is that America's current problems stem from the fact that Washington has consistently failed to put "America First" and instead has allowed itself, either because of corruption, stupidity or naivete, to be taken advantage of by friend and foe alike. By putting America First, Trump argues, he will use his business knowledge, and that of his friends', "to negotiate better deals" so that the US "will start winning again."

A strategy of "America First" goes hand in hand with a rejection of globalism. The Trumpian critique of globalism is that by promoting the needs of the international system Washington has willingly or inadvertently sacrificed America's needs to those of the global system. It is the US military and US cash that are globalism's first line of defense. In the Trumpian critique not only has the rest of the world, including America's erstwhile allies, not paid their share of the costs of maintaining the international system, but they have bent the rules in order to create an economic playing field to their advantage at America's expense.

In this sense there is nothing particularly new or "Trumpian" in "Trumpism." US foreign policy has long been characterized by recurring periods of isolationist sentiment. The most virulent was in the 1930s, when the "America First" movement routinely condemned America's World War I allies and major banks and "big business" interests for having taken advantage of gullible Americans and persuaded the United States to enter the war in order to advance their own financial objectives.

Similar sentiments occurred in the aftermath of the Vietnam War. Only this time it was out of touch cold warriors and their allies in the military industrial complex that were to blame for advocating a ruinous war that served little purpose beyond advancing their own financial interests. It took the stunning victory of the US and its allies in the First Gulf War and the collapse of the Soviet Union a few months later to largely put an end to those American isolationist sentiments.

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In his inaugural address, President John F. Kennedy resolutely declared that the United States "shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe to assure the survival and the success of liberty." More than a half a century later, it is clear that Americans are no longer willing to "pay any price" or "bear any burden" in pursuit of such goals.

Nor is this sentiment a recent manifestation. It has been building for the better part of two decades. President George W. Bush came into office with a commitment to disengage from the Middle East and to reject the burden of nation building. The legacy of 9/11 and the neo-con worldview that in a uni-polar world American military power was sufficient to shape the world to suit America's tastes put a quick end to that objective.

This is equally true of the Obama administration. President Obama was elected in part on the stated promise of disengaging from the Middle East and bringing American troops home. The Obama administration did disengage only to find that the Middle East tar baby was far stickier than it had expected. True, most of the troops did come home under President Obama's tenure, but his administration ended up doubling down in the Middle East by maintaining deployments in the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq that it had inherited and engaging in new wars in Syria and Libya.

In the view of many American's, military globalism is part and parcel of an economic globalism that has seen governments around the world band together to create larger "free market" economic zones like the European Union (EU) and the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), while simultaneously encouraging the free flow of labor/migration and capital around the globe. Seamless global supply chains, the impact of digitization, and cheap, instantaneous communications and data sharing has further encouraged this trend by making geography less of a limiting factor of commerce than it used to be.

The problem with globalism as an economic strategy for maximizing output and economic growth is that the costs and benefits of globalism fall disproportionately on different socioeconomic groups. Those economic sectors that decline, in North America and Europe these are principally lower skilled industrial manufacturing jobs, create unemployment, social and personal turmoil, and declining property and asset values, not to mention that they devastate those communities that are overly dependent on the industries affected.

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Long-term these jobs would have disappeared anyway, but the economic, trade and foreign policies that encourage globalism invariably makes this happen faster. In turn this breeds resentment against the most visible manifestations of globalism, international capital, trade agreements and migration, both legal and illegal.

It is not coincidental that the demographic profile of many Trump supporters is a carbon copy of that of many Britons supporting a UK withdrawal from the EU. It is the same demographic profile of many supporters of right wing parties in Europe. All three feature an explicit anti-immigration message in their political appeals and all three describe immigrants as taking advantage of their respective countries' social welfare programs and of stealing jobs from current citizens.

All of these anti-globalism movements, furthermore, share a common message in that they blame their political elites for having sacrificed national sovereignty and the interests of the working middle class on the altar of globalism and free trade.

The problem is that neither the countries of the EU nor the United States nor any other industrial countries have come up with an effective way of reintegrating large numbers of displaced workers back into the national economy at comparable wages. Instead, to a large degree governments have relied on ever lengthening unemployment insurance schemes to create a safety net for unemployed industrial workers.

A safety net is only sustainable if it is a temporary measure while unemployed workers transition to other employment. Otherwise it just becomes another income redistribution scheme, one that doesn't solve the long-term problem of dis-occupation, and which only breeds resentment and despair and a new class of citizens perpetually dependent on government handouts.

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Moreover, there is some validity to at least some of the Trumpian criticism of US foreign policy. The fact is that the United States is over extended both militarily and economically. The world today is very different from the world that existed when the current array of international organizations and multinational military alliances were created. The United States cannot, over the long-term, continue to be the primary underwriter both militarily and economically of international stability and world order.

Ultimately, this new reality will demand neither an "America First" strategy nor a new "isolationism" but a renewed commitment to creating international coalitions that share a common agenda in promoting world order and stability. American leadership is essential for such an endeavor, but American leadership does not mean unilateral American action and such leadership must be tempered by the realization that, in a hyper-connected, socially mobilized world, even broad international coalitions have limits to what they can accomplish.

Donald Trump may well be the next president of the United States or he might never merit more than an obscure footnote in the broad sweep of American history. In this election no possible outcome can be safely ruled out. But Trumpism is not the creation of Donald Trump, he is simply the vehicle by which it is expressing itself.
Casual discussion between coworkers in modern architect studio

This blog will teach you the process of running a "design sprint"  a method developed by Jake Knapp, a partner at Google Ventures  to solve big problems and test new ideas in just five days.

Most teams often invest months, even years, in developing a product or service -- only to discover they've built something that no one wants.

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Jake developed a method that helps teams make better use of time and resources by simulating the entire product development process in just five days.

A design sprint helps teams filter ideas and gain clarity as to which of them are best to pursue.

Let's dive in and see what that process looks like at a high level, and how to implement it.

For more a more detailed, step-by-step process, check out Jake's book.

Preparing for the Sprint

To kick-off a design sprint, your goal is to assemble a diverse team from within your company of five to eight experts in different areas of the business.

Jake notes that the sweet spot here is seven people -- any more will only "create drag."

An ideal team involves representation from the engineering, sales, customer support and marketing departments, as well as, critically, "the Decision Maker."

Each person brings a key understanding to the process: engineering understands product capabilities, sales understands customer preferences, customer support sees customer challenges, and marketing holds key insights that tie it all together.

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Over the course of the next five days, the team will develop and test a number of different things. You can run sprints on key features (What should my landing page look like? How should we price it?), product variations (Do people prefer this type of product or something else?), or entirely new businesses (Does this business solve a key problem for a customer? Are they willing to pay for this product?).

Here's how the five key days play out

Day 1: Monday -- Map and Define the Problem

Day 1 is about defining the problem you want to solve.

The decisionmaker in the group should facilitate the agreement around a long-term goal. What the company or product should achieve in, say, eight months' time. Make sure everyone is aligned and excited about this goal, write it down and post it on the wall.

Then, map out a series of difficult questions, potential barriers to achieving that goal:

What are the technical and market risks?

What if people dont care about it?

What if they wont use it?

What might they not trust?

After you've mapped out the questions, spend time trying to answer the most important of them based on the information you know.

Next, brainstorm and list as many different types of customers (demographics) that you believe have the problem you are trying to solve. Now pick one (either the one you best understand or the largest cohort). This is the customer for whom you are going to be (designing) running the design sprint.

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Based on this understanding, one team member is next assigned to recruit five real potential customers who fit these characteristics from outside the company. These five people will be asked to physically show up on Friday to test the product you're designing.

Why five? Back in the 90s, Jakob Nielsen did a study to answer this question: "How many interviews does it take to spot the most important patterns?"

It turns out that 85 percent of the problems were observed after just FIVE people reviewed a product!

Additionally, the deadline of actual customers coming in five days creates an added incentive to have a workable product finished by then.

The team's last task for Day 1 is to Ask the Experts. Somebody out in the world knows "the most" about your customers; somebody knows the most about the technology, the marketing channels, the business, and so on. Your goal is to find them and pick their brains.

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This is usually where people find the most exciting ideas.

Day 2: Tuesday -- Create Solutions

Jake compares ideas in product design to LEGO bricks: they can be combined and recombined in new ways to create something better.

On Day 2, the team first sketches (literally, on large sticky notes) competitors' solutions and puts them up on the wall for everyone to see.

Next, each team member sketches new solutions that combine these "LEGO bricks" to address the problem identified on Day 1.

Each person does their sketching on their own and submits their sketches anonymously. Each member can submit one, two or even three solutions.

This individual process prevents the groupthink that occurs with traditional brainstorming.

The goal is for each individual to create fully fleshed out ideas, empowering introverted team members to contribute equally.

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Note: You need to be quite thorough with these sketches -- they should illustrate how the solution would work for the target customer, what the customer sees going through the app or website, and so on They can be rough, but they should be very detailed and precise.

Day 3: Wednesday -- Downselect

Suspense is high coming in on Wednesday morning. The team tapes up sketches and everyone marks their favorite ideas with a dot.

The team engages in a timed critique of each concept. Interestingly, the person who sketched it isn't allowed to speak until the end. This minimizes bias and ensures the process is truly meritocratic, allowing people to be as honest as possible with their critique.

In a group of seven sprint participants, there may be anywhere from seven to 15 proposed storyboard solutions.

The team votes on the solutions they believe in and are most excited about testing.

The clincher, however, is that The Decision Maker casts "super-votes," which supersede all other votes, choosing up to three solutions to test fully on Friday. Ideally, though, you pick the best single prototype to answer the question you defined at the beginning of the week.

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Next, create a storyboard. The team should flesh out the top idea(s), detailing everything from discovery (i.e. how a user comes across the product for the first time -- for example, on a store shelf, via a web search or news article) to every other part of the user experience.

In other words, this storyboard needs to be able to stand alone without a verbal explanation, so it may be evaluated in an unbiased manner, on their merits alone, not based on who created the storyboard.

The next step is to take the idea beyond the storyboard and transform it into a high-resolution mockup that looks and feels like an actual product.

Day 4: Thursday -- Put It All Together & Build the Mockup

Once the team has an idea of how everything will look and feel, they assign tasks to different team members to build a prototype.

A good rule of thumb is: Build just enough to learn, but not more...

These prototypes don't have to be fully functional, but they should look like they are. Buttons might not fully work, but when pressed should drive the customer down a different path

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Jake calls this "Goldilocks Quality"  the prototype should have just enough quality to evoke honest reactions from customers.

After team members build their mockup, the team regroups to connect the pieces and flesh out the full experience they want to put their five clients through tomorrow. They need to assure everything appears realistic and cohesive.

Day 5: Friday -- Observe Customer Reactions (and Learn!)

Day 5 is when the real fun begins  you get detailed and authentic feedback from real customers.

The five people you recruited on Day 1 have shown up to test the product/prototype.

It's best to bring them in face-to-face to test the product in person if possible, though videoconferencing can suffice in some cases.

Identify "The Interviewer" on your team  this person will interact one-on-one with your customer, who is testing the product.

The rest of your design team observes customer reactions via live video in a separate room.

The Interviewer asks the customer different questions (you should write a script):

What do you think about what just happened?

How would you compare the different options?

What worked?

What didnt?

Would you buy this?

CRITICALLY -- The team observes customer reactions, rather than listens to feedback.

This ensures that the insights they glean are as honest as possible.

By the end of this observation, you should be able to see patterns.

You'll know what's working well and resonating, and what's confusing and what people don't care about.

These insights answer some of the larger questions posed at the beginning of the sprint and inform the direction that the team will head in next.

This knowledge is extremely valuable and gathering it now will save you an incredible amount of time and money later.

What does this mean for you?

Design sprints are an essential tool that entrepreneurs can use to fail fast, rapidly iterate and grow quickly.

For me it's part of my year-long exploration of how to best 'experiment' in building my businesses, products and services.

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Working in a group environment successfully is difficult and, as Jake mentioned, A crucial, but overlooked, part of the design process is designing the way in which we work together.

The structured design sprint process enables teams to operate in ways that are effective in gleaning real, actionable insights about what works and what doesn't.

It empowers individuals with crazy ideas and also squashes ideas that aren't validated by customers.

If your team is grappling with whether to launch a new feature or product, it's worth giving a design sprint a try.


GERD MULLER -- Extended Synthesis Founding Father:

ES REPLACES NEO-DARWINISM



KEVIN LALAND -- Extended Synthesis Project Leader:

ES DOES NOT REPLACE NEO-DARWINISM

The Big Questions are these: What exactly is the extended evolutionary synthesis ("ES") John Templeton Foundation has recently funded with $8M (and $3M more going to ES from institutional contributions)? What good is an extended synthesis without the largest part of the biosphere -- viruses -- factored in? Why fund now, when ES has been kicking around ever since it was born at "Altenberg!" eight years ago?

Paul Wason, Science and Religion chief at Templeton simply won't say, declining my request for an interview and emailing that he "would prefer not to be involved in the debates."

Of the above Big Questions that Wason won't answer, the really sticky one is: What exactly is the extended synthesis?

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Kevin Laland, an animal behavioralist serving as ES project leader for Templeton, and one of the organizers of the November Royal Society meeting on evolution, has described ES like this:

"The extended evolutionary synthesis does not replace traditional thinking [he means neo-Darwinism], but rather can be deployed alongside it to stimulate research within evolutionary biology. The new perspective retains the fundaments of evolutionary theory -- genes and natural selection remain central, for instance -- but there are differences in how causation in biology is understood."



Hmmm. . . "The extended evolutionary synthesis DOES NOT REPLACE traditional thinking [neo-Darwinism], but rather can be deployed alongside it to stimulate research". (emphasis added)

I recently asked Gerd Muller, one of the founding fathers of the extended synthesis, to clarify the meaning of the term. A little background: Muller barred me from attending the Altenberg! meeting for getting out in front of the story with a series of reports and an ebook prior to the event and for branding conference participants "the Altenberg 16" in print.

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Contrary to Kevin Laland -- Gerd Muller sees ES as a new synthesis that will replace the modern synthesis (neo-Darwinism). In an email exchange with Muller a few weeks ago I reminded him of statements made to me for an Archaeology magazine story in 2008 by Stuart Newman, another Altenberg 16 scientist, characterizing ES as a graft onto or a major departure from the modern synthesis depending on who was describing it. Muller, an Austrian whose first language is German, informed me of this:

"The term "Extended Synthesis" was never meant to refer to an "extension of" the Modern Synthesis but to a new and different kind of synthesis that includes many more components -- hence "extended." The inclusion of the new concepts completely alters the structure and "logic" of the evolutionary model, and hence (as a theory) can only replace the Modern Synthesis, not merely improve it. This is not a change in opinion. Denis (Noble) originally also thought that our term "extension" referred to an "add on," but now we are in agreement that this is not the case."

[NOTE: Denis Noble advises he's addressed the matter in his forthcoming book].

Hmmm. . . "hence (as a theory) [ES] CAN ONLY REPLACE the Modern Synthesis [neo-Darwinism], not merely improve it." (emphasis added)

Muller then noted, "Stuart [Newman] knows about this."

Several hours later, Muller followed up:

"I wrote to let you know what the scientific meaning of "Extended Synthesis" is. Many terms in science have a different meaning from the public usage, because they depend on particular definitions of the phenomena to which they apply."



He then concluded:

"there is no dilemma. I quick check with your Word thesaurus will show you that synonyms of "extended" include "comprehensive", "extensive", "broad" etc. This is the meaning in our case. As in "Extended Family", referring to the wider family and not to an extension of the family."

Gerd Muller and Kevin Laland are both part of the Templeton-funded ES project. But while Muller is adamant that ES replaces neo-Darwinism, Laland is firm that ES does not replace neo-Darwinism.
By Margo Berends

Following each new terrorist attack, especially those in western countries such as France and Belgium, the international community reaffirms its commitment to fighting terrorism. U.S. President Barack Obama stated that the attacks in Brussels in March 2016 were "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 we will defeat those who threaten the safety and security of people all around the world."

Yet the United States' piecemeal counterterrorism strategy is failing because it prioritizes surveillance and killing individual terrorists over addressing the fundamental social and economic issues that empower and sustain terrorist groups. The United States must reevaluate its counterterrorism approach in order to fulfill the promise of defeating global terrorism. A greater emphasis on investment in development - political, economic, and social - is the only means of alleviating the underlying conditions that give rise to terrorist groups and allow them to successfully recruit members.

Engaging terrorists militarily is very different from fighting a conventional war against a sovereign nation. Terrorist groups such as the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), Boko Haram, and al-Qaeda consist of far-reaching, decentralized networks spanning multiple countries. Members of terrorist organizations are often difficult to identify, locate, and capture or eliminate. And eliminating one terrorist cell does little to weaken the strength of the organization. When leaders and members are captured or killed, they are quickly replaced with new recruits and new cells that are strengthened in their resolve to defend the group's values.

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For these reasons, terrorist groups cannot be defeated through purely military engagement. While boots on the ground and air strikes are undoubtedly essential components of counterterrorism efforts, until the root causes that lead individuals to form and join these organizations are addressed, existing groups will never be completely eliminated and new organizations will continue to form.

While the link between poverty and terrorism is difficult to conclusively establish, a 2015 study, "Economic Growth and Terrorism: Domestic, International, and Suicide," published in Oxford Economic Papers, found that higher industrial economic growth is correlated with lower levels of international and domestic terrorism. Poverty can lead desperate individuals to join terrorist organizations they would not otherwise engage with given greater economic opportunity.

Extreme poverty in Northern Nigeria is a leading factor in recruiting members for Boko Haram. CIA analysts stated that, "The threat Boko Haram poses will disappear only if Nigeria's government manages to reduce the region's chronic poverty."

Social and political grievances are another potential motivator for joining an extremist group. Boko Haram "attempts to exploit the legitimate grievances of northern populations to garner recruits and public sympathy," according to Johnnie Carson, former Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs.

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Despite the important role that "social conditions" and the larger socio-economic context play in driving domestic individuals to join terrorist organizations, most counterterrorism efforts focus on military campaigns, surveillance and intelligence, security, winning hearts and minds, and blocking funding sources, rather than addressing and alleviating domestic drivers of recruitment through comprehensive development.

Using foreign aid and development programs to mitigate these conditions is not without its challenges and drawbacks. Some places, such as Syria, are too dangerous to effectively run development programs beyond providing basic humanitarian assistance. A development-based approach does little to combat those who are already actively engaged in terrorist organizations. Some underlying conditions (such as corruption, kleptocratic governance, and lack of rule of law), which give rise to grievances used as recruitment tools, are extremely difficult to influence externally through aid programs. The current military-heavy counterterrorism strategy, however, exerts little influence on the political environment in a country and can further harm an already struggling economy.

Yet the United States' counterterrorism strategy remains military-centric. This is underscored by the fact that the United States spends far more on military initiatives than development programs. Gordon Adams, a national security budget expert, estimates that the United States spends at least $100 billion on counterterrorism efforts each year. The 2016 U.S. Department of Defense budget is $585 billion while the budget for U.S. foreign assistance is $38 billion. This needs to change.

Military engagement is an undesirable, but sometimes necessary, means to an end. Military action puts human life at risk in order to achieve a greater good - in this case combating terrorism. However, development is a desirable means to the same end, as well as a valuable end in and of itself. Using development initiatives for counterterrorism not only impedes the proliferation of terrorist membership, but also improves the social, economic, and political climate of a country - a worthwhile goal on its own.

Economic, social, and political development is an effective means of preventing existing terrorist organizations from thriving and new ones from forming. Until the root issues that allow the ranks of these extremist groups to grow are addressed, we will be fighting a losing battle against terrorism. If we make sustainable development a higher priority and view it as an indispensable counterterrorism and national security tool, we can create a future with fewer terrorists while simultaneously improving lives and livelihoods. A counterterrorism strategy that prioritizes military intervention at the expense of development is a zero sum game.

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Hindustan Times via Getty Images UTTARAKHAND, INDIA - APRIL 30: Forest fire in Pauri Garhwal District, on April 30, 2016 in Uttarakhand, India. Three National Disaster Response Force deployed three teams on Saturday to control forest fires in Uttarakhand that have destroyed nearly 1900 hectares of forest land in 13 districts since February. On Friday night, scores of villagers had rushed outside their homes to prevent the advancing blaze from engulfing their houses, even as government rescue teams struggled to contain the fire. 1,900 hectare of forest in five districts have been affected in Uttarakhand fire so far. (Photo by Arun Sharma/Hindustan Times via Getty Images)

DEHRADUN -- With major fires blighting around 1,900 hectares of forests in Uttarakhand, the government today decided to press two MI-17 helicopters into service as NDRF, SDRF and Army personnel struggled to douse the flames which have claimed six lives till now.

WATCH: IAF's Mi-17 v5 lifts water from Bhimtal (Nainital) & sprays it over areas affected by #UttarakhandForestFirehttps://t.co/cZVI0O9ts1  ANI (@ANI_news) May 1, 2016

A total of 1890.79 hectares of green cover have been destroyed this fire season which had an early start on 2 February due to a dry winter.

Chamoli, Pauri, Rudraprayag, Tehri, Uttarkashi, Almora, Pithoragarh and Nainital are the worst-affected districts.

While three NDRF teams and one SDRF company are busy dousing the flames in different parts of the state, two IAF choppers have been sent to Nainital and Pauri districts, among the worst hit, to spray water over the burning jungles, Raj Bhawan officials here said.

IAF's Mi-17 v5 lifts water from Bhimtal lake (Nainital) & sprays it over areas affected by #UttarakhandForestFirepic.twitter.com/KqnY6xJVvc  ANI (@ANI_news) May 1, 2016

Enough funds have been made available to all affected districts besides required personnel and equipment to deal with any situation, they said.

"One MI-17 chopper has been stationed at Bhimtal near Nainital right which is being loaded with water collected from the waterbodies in the area and begin spraying water over affected areas from tomorrow," Chief Secretary Shatrughna Singh said.

Another IAF chopper sent to Pauri will operate in similar fashion, a Raj Bhawan official said.

With forest fires still raging three NDRF teams have been deployed in Almora, Gauchar and Pauri and one team of SDRF in Nainital to extinguish the flames, Principal Conservator of Forest B P Gupta said.

NDRF personnel douse the flames and conduct rescue operation at Pauri Garhwal District, on 30 April, 2016 in Uttarakhand, India.

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Rudraprayag forest division is also taking help from the army for fire fighting operations especially along the highway, he said.

UPDATE: 2270 hectares of forest area affected by #UttarakhandForestFire (Visuals from Gangotri Marg) pic.twitter.com/FZScCrnXki  ANI (@ANI_news) May 1, 2016

The casualties due to forest fires, which have spread to sparsely populated remote hill areas, have risen to six with another life claimed in Nainital district on Friday evening.

The deceased include three women and a child.

Since the beginning of forest fire season in the state in February, 922 incidents have occurred so far in which seven were injured and 1890.79 hectares of green cover being affected, Gupta told PTI.

Worried over forest fires which are still raging in different parts of the state, Governor K K Paul reviewed the rescue efforts underway via video conferencing with officials in the field and asked them to speed up their efforts.

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From today we've started trial run of pre-fire alert.We are deploying it right away on trial basis-Prakash Javadekar pic.twitter.com/ATrbyEIAO7  ANI (@ANI_news) May 1, 2016

NDRF companies assisted by expert teams and locals are conducting fire extinguishing and rescue operations in affected areas of Garhwal and Kumaon regions.

IG Sanjay Gunjyal is coordinating with the NDRF, the district magistrates concerned and Principal Conservator of Forest to supervise the rescue operations.

Locals are being encouraged to report a fire incident to the district magistrate concerned as soon as they sight it so that it can be controlled in time.

Situation will soon be under control:Piyush Rautela,Exec Director Disaster Mitigation&Mgmt Center #UttarakhandFirepic.twitter.com/IlojNk0EZ9  ANI (@ANI_news) May 1, 2016

The governor has doubled the number of personnel deployed to control the fires from 3000 to 6000 and asked all agencies including the SDRF, district administration and the rural population to contribute their bit in the exercise saying the forest department alone cannot accomplish the onerous task, Gupta said.

Forest fires are natural during summer but this time they have occurred on a bigger scale as the fire season which normally begins by 15 February and ends by 15 June, began on 2 February.

Forest fire in Pauri Garhwal District, on 30 April, 2016 in Uttarakhand, India.

Former chief minister Harish Rawat has asked the governor to declare Uttarakhand as a fire disaster struck state and involve locals as much as possible in fire extinguishing efforts.

Pradesh Congress president Kishore Upadhyay also wrote to party workers asking them to work unitedly to pull the state out of the crisis.

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The PCF said the scale of forest fires in Uttarakhand this time has been bigger due to little or no rain during winter at most places.

Pre-fire alerts listing possible fire points over the next seven days in forest areas is being made available on forest department's website www.forest.uk.govt. an official release here said.

The governor today held a meeting held via video- conferencing at the secretariat with regard to forest fires and the preparations of char dham yatra.

He said the DMs must gather all resources required. The administration would provide the funds.

A system should be made in which the information about forest fires is obtained immediately and action taken immediately.

An incident response system should be activated. Control rooms in districts must work round the clock. DMs must ensure coordination among all departments.

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Mass awareness campaigns be launched and gram panchayats, yuval mangal dals, mahila mangal dals and local people should be involved to ensure the control of the fires.

Spoke to Governor Uttarakhand;IOC rushing ATF refuellers to reach Haldwani & Srinagar by morning for firefighting by airforce helicopters  Dharmendra Pradhan (@dpradhanbjp) April 30, 2016

Meanwhile, Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan said Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) is rushing Aviation Turbine Fuel (ATF) refullers to replenish IAF choppers deployed to douse the massive fire in Uttarakhand.

"Spoke to Governor Uttarakhand; IOC rushing ATF refuellers to reach Haldwani & Srinagar by morning for firefighting by airforce helicopters," he tweeted.

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Mukesh Gupta / Reuters India's Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar gestures during a news conference as India's Air Chief Marshal Arup Raha (L) watches at the Indian Air Force (IAF) base at Pathankot in Punjab, India, January 5, 2016. Six militants who attacked an Indian air base have been confirmed killed, Parrikar said on Tuesday, adding that a four-day-old operation to secure the compound was still under way. REUTERS/Mukesh Gupta

Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar said on Sunday that he would present the detailed chronology of the AgustaWestland chopper deal before Parliament on Wednesday.

"I will place the detailed chronology with documents giving facts about AgustaWestland chopper deal before Parliament on 4 May," he said.

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The controversy over the chopper deal has escalated in the past few weeks, with Parrikar seeking a clarification yesterday from the former UPA regime on who received the alleged kickbacks in the AgustaWestland chopper deal.

"The moot question is who took the money in Agusta deal. Those who were at the helm at the time when the deal was struck owe an explanation. The Italian court has clearly said that an amount of Rs 125 crore was paid. It has even disclosed some names. The government of that day needs to answer," he told reporters in Dehradun, where he was attending an event.

Earlier, he had said on Friday that India has not signed an agreement with any country to purchase fighter aircraft. He made these revelations in a written reply to Jitendra Chaudhury and others in the Lok Sabha.

"No agreement has been signed with Russia for procurement of fighter aircraft equipped with stealth technology," he had written. "However, an Inter-Governmental agreement has been signed with Russian Federation for design, development, production, etc, of a Prospective Multi Role Fighter Aircraft."

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He said, "The Indian Air Force (IAF) is equipped to cater for the threat environment that exists and is ready to meet the role assigned to it. Operational preparedness of the IAF is reviewed from time to time, based on the threat perception."

Parrikar had earlier challenged the Congress to show the UPA government order blacklisting the AgustaWestland in connection with the VVIP chopper scam.

He also said that the ministry has received a copy of the Italian court order and is in the process of translating it into English.

AgustaWestland's Rs 3,600 crore contract for supplying 12 VVIP choppers to the Indian Air Force had been scrapped by the previous UPA regime over charges of paying kickbacks to Indian agents.

In January 2013, the Manmohan Singh-led UPA Government cancelled the deal and the CBI was assigned to investigate whether kickbacks were paid to Indian officials.

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(with ANI inputs)

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Reuters Staff / Reuters Anita, 14, poses as she sits outside her grandmother's house in Mandwa village in the desert state of Rajasthan, India, April 18, 2016. To match Thomson Reuters Foundation story INDIA-CHILDLABOUR/RAJASTHAN REUTERS/Rina Chandran

DUNGARPUR, India (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - For Anita, the eldest daughter in a family in Rajasthan, a family tragedy means she has had to leave school and go to work, unlike her friends, doing an adult job even though she is only 14.

After the sudden death of Anita's father, her mother abandoned the three children to the care of their grandmother in Mandwa village. Struggling to raise them on a meagre widow's pension, the grandmother pulled Anita out of school four years ago to do the housework, then sent the girl to take over her government job on a construction site.

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"I liked going to school. My best friend still goes to school," said Anita, who fetches water, cooks and tends to the family's goats before she sets off for her 9-to-5 working day.

"But my grandmother can't work, and there is no one else."

There are 5.7 million child workers in India aged between five and 17, out of 168 million globally, according to the International Labour Organization.

More than half the children work in agriculture, toiling in cotton, sugarcane and rice paddy fields, and over a quarter in manufacturing, embroidering clothes, weaving carpets or making matchsticks and rolling beedi cigarettes. Children also work in restaurants and hotels, and in middle-class homes.

In recent years, another option has opened up for Anita and thousands of children like her: the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act. Enacted in 2005, it provides 100 days of employment a year to one adult member of every rural household. A third of the jobs are reserved for women.

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EMPOWERING WOMEN

The job scheme has been credited with reducing rural poverty, curbing school dropout rates, empowering women and improving the financial inclusion of rural populations.

In many parts of the country, successive years of drought have forced villagers to migrate in search of jobs.

Thanks to MGNREGA, the women sometimes stay behind to earn about 180 rupees ($3) a day working on construction sites or on highways. When they too go away, older people take on the job.

Rajasthan has 24 million workers on the MGNREGA scheme, according to official data, and women make up more than 60 percent of the state's active MGNREGA workforce.

There is no mention of child workers, yet they are far from rare. No one at Anita's job checks identity cards or questions her age, and there are other children like her, she said.

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A Rajasthan state MGNREGA officer said no children were employed in the scheme.

"We are very sure there are no minors working," Sandeep Katra told the Thomson Reuters Foundation.

"There may be some working in place of their mother or father, but the village officials are responsible for checking the job cards and making sure there are no irregularities."

SEWING MACHINE

Non-profit Save the Children has had some success persuading parents in Dungarpur district that they must educate their children and not send them out to work.

It also works with government officials to stop children from working in MGNREGA jobs in Dungarpur, where the average literacy rate is 58 percent, compared with a national average of 74 percent, according to 2011 data.

"There are many children continuing to work at MGNREGA sites despite our efforts," said Harish Chanderiya, a project coordinator.

"Poverty could be considered as a driver, but there are deep-rooted attitudinal constraints which have aggravated the situation of child labour in Dungarpur," he said.

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A Save the Children report this week noted the entrenched exclusion of girls and women in India, starting even before birth with female foeticide, and including child marriage.

In the case of Anita, the non-profit's efforts include getting more state benefits for her grandmother, so the family is not overly reliant on Anita's wages, which also help pay for her two younger brothers at a charitable residential school.

Anita herself does not plan to work as a labourer for long.

"I'd like to learn sewing, so I can make clothes and sell them in the village," she said.

"We have to go into town now to buy clothes. So if I learn to use a sewing machine, I think I can do well."

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Long Timelines Not Uncommon in Domestic Terrorism Cases

ADAMS, Mass.  It has been more than nine months since an Adams man was arrested and his Murray Street apartment was searched by the FBI.

It has been nine months since the U.S. Attorney's Office announced that Alexander Ciccolo was charged with violating a federal weapons possession law and released a detention memo outlining the ISIS sympathies of the 23-year-old man who also went by the name Ali Al Amriki.

But to date, there have been no terrorism charges leveled against Ciccolo, and it is weeks away from the next status conference at which additional charges could be announced.

"Because of the nature of the case ... it involves a lot more people," U.S. Attorney Kevin O'Regan told Magistrate Judge Katherine A. Robertson in February.

The protracted timeline of the United States vs. Alexander Ciccolo may seem unusual, but similar cases in recent years can take months if not years to adjudicate, according to data culled from various media sources tracking domestic terrorism cases from coast to coast.

In July, about three weeks after Ciccolo's arrest, a research attorney in the public defender's office in Western New York compiled a list of 36 different cases involving 65 individuals nationwide.

The July 29 memo, interestingly, includes Ciccolo's case, even though it was one of the few where no allegations of "Attempting to Provide Material Support to a Designated Foreign Terrorist Organization," the most common charge, were made.

The 36 cases (plus one other that turned up in an Internet search of cases in the memo) all began with arrests between March 2014 and July 2015.

Of those 37 cases, 14  including Ciccolo's  remain completely open. A couple are scheduled to go to trial this spring. One, the case of the U.S. vs. David "Daoud" Wright and Nicholas Rovinski has a February 2017 trial date.

Of the remaining 23 cases examined, most resulted in either a guilty plea or a conviction for at least one of the parties involved, with the vast majority including plea agreements.

In fact, the March 17 conviction of ISIS supporter Abdul Malik Abdul Kareem was "the country's first jury trial involving a violent act committed in the name of the Islamic State," according to New York Times. The Arizona man was found guilty by a jury of four men and eight women for his role in a 2015 attack outside the "Muhammad Art Exhibit and Cartoon Contest" in Garland, Texas.

Twenty of the cases that began in the March 2014 to July 2015 time frame ended in plea agreements for at least one of the defendants named. Sentences have ranged from 48 months up to more than 20 years in prison.

At the low end, Colorado's Shannon Maureen Conley was sentenced to four years in prison and three years of postrelease supervision.

Conley was 19 when she was arrested in April 2014 and charged with "Conspiracy to Provide Material Support to a Designated Foreign Terrorist Organization." As part of her September 2014 guilty plea, she "agreed to cooperate with the USAO against other individuals named and unnamed in the indictment," according to the memo from the Public Defenders Office.

At the high end, Donald Ray Morgan, also known as Nasser Abdul Raheem, of North Carolina, pleaded to multiple counts with sentences totaling 243 months in prison plus three years postrelease supervision. Morgan was arrested in August 2014 at JFK Airport after a flight from the Middle East, where he had attempted to join ISIS in Syria. He pleaded guilty just two months later, in October 2014.
3 people tied to shooter in San Bernardino terrorist attack arrested on federal conspiracy

Riverside, California - Three people with family connections to Syed Rizwan Farook, one of the perpetrators of the Dec. 2, 2015, terrorist attack at the San Bernardino Inland Regional Center (IRC), were arrested Thursday morning on federal conspiracy, marriage fraud and false statement charges.

A five-count indictment returned Wednesday by a federal grand jury charges the three in a marriage fraud conspiracy that involved making false statements under oath for the purpose of obtaining immigration benefits for one of the defendants. The charges are the result of the ongoing probe by the multiagency, FBI-led Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF), which includes U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcements (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).

The three defendants arrested Thursday are:

Mariya Chernykh, 26, of Ontario, who, according to official records, is married to Enrique Marquez, Jr. Marquez is awaiting trial on charges of conspiring with Syed Rizwan Farook in 2011 and 2012 to provide material support to terrorists;

Tatiana Farook, 31, of Corona, Chernykhs sister; and

Syed Raheel Farook, 31, of Corona, Tatiana Farooks husband and Syed Rizwan Farooks brother.

The indictment charges all three defendants in a conspiracy to knowingly make a false statement under oath with respect to a material fact in an application, affidavit, and other documents required by the immigration laws and regulations of the United States. This charge carries a statutory maximum sentence of five years in federal prison.

The indictment also charges Chernykh with fraud and misuse of visas, permits, and other documents; perjury; and two counts of making material false statements to federal agents. These four charges carry a combined statutory maximum sentence of 25 years in federal prison.

When Marquez was indicted by a federal grand jury at the end of 2015 for conspiring with Syed Rizwan Farook to provide material support to terrorists, he was also charged with entering into a sham marriage with Chernykh in November 2014, and illegally signing an immigration form that falsely declared he was living with her.

This is the latest step in the comprehensive investigation into the horrific attacks in San Bernardino last year that took the lives of 14 innocent Americans and deeply affected so many more, said United States Attorney Eileen M. Decker. As I have said previously, we owe the victims, and the entire community of San Bernardino, a thorough investigation that uncovers all criminal activity surrounding these events. Todays arrests open a new phase in the process of bringing to justice all individuals who allegedly committed crimes that were uncovered during our exhaustive investigation. The charges also reflect the importance we place on statements made to law enforcement officials during a terrorism investigation. Those who lie to or conceal material information from law enforcement officers investigating terrorist acts will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.

Members of the FBIs Joint Terrorism Task Force worked around the clock in an attempt to find immediate answers in the days and weeks following the December murders in San Bernardino to ensure no additional threats to the community were present, said James Struyk, acting assistant director of the FBIs Los Angeles Field Office. As proof of our enduring commitment to the victims and their families, the FBI and our partners will continue to pursue all leads developed in this matter to build cases when evidence of a crime is revealed.

The case against Chernykh and the Farooks stems from the overall investigation into the IRC terrorist attack. While investigating the terrorist attack, federal agents obtained official records showing that Marquez, a former neighbor of Syed Rizwan Farooks, is married to Chernykh. The investigation determined Marquez agreed to marry Chernykh so she could obtain immigration benefits that were not available to her because she is a Russian citizen and did not have legal status in the United States. The indictment alleges Marquez received money from Chernykh to enter into the sham marriage.

Last years tragedy in San Bernardino showed yet again how our nations legal immigration system can be subverted and exploited by those intent on doing this country harm, said Joseph Macias, special agent in charge for HSI Los Angeles. As the second largest presence on the nations Joint Terrorism Task Forces, HSI special agents, in collaboration with their JTTF partners, are using their unique skills and authorities, including their immigration expertise, to pursue individuals and organizations that pose a threat to domestic security. As this case underscores, that vigilance extends to those whose actions directly or indirectly put our communities and our country at risk.

In furtherance of this conspiracy, both Marquez and Chernykh signed immigration documents, under penalty of perjury, that included information that they lived at the same address, when they did not.

Syed Raheel Farook and Tatiana Farook participated in the conspiracy by, among other things, witnessing Marquez and Chernykhs wedding, taking staged family pictures of Marquez and Chernykh, establishing a joint checking account for Marquez and Chernykh, and creating a back-dated lease for Marquez and Chernykh to create the illusion that they shared a marital residence with Syed Raheel Farook and Tatiana Farook.

FBI agents interviewed Chernykh as part of the investigation into the IRC terrorist attacks, and she allegedly made false statements that she lived with Marquez at Syed Raheel Farook and Tatiana Farooks residence in Corona.

All three defendants are expected to be arraigned on the indictment in U.S. District Court in Riverside Thursday afternoon.

An indictment contains allegations that a defendant has committed a crime. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent until proven guilty in court.

In addition to the FBI and HSI, the following agencies are participating in the ongoing JTTF probe into the December terrorist attack  the San Bernardino Police Department, the San Bernardino County Sheriffs Department, the Riverside County Sheriffs Department, the Ontario Police Department, the Riverside Police Department, the Corona Police Department, and the Chino Police Department.
California Doctor Pleads Guilty to $2.4 Million Medicare Fraud Scheme

Los Angeles, California - A Valencia, California, doctor pleaded guilty Thursday to submitting more than $2.4 million in fraudulent claims to Medicare.

Assistant Attorney General Leslie R. Caldwell of the Justice Departments Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Eileen M. Decker of the Central District of California, Special Agent in Charge Christian Schrank of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG) Los Angeles Region and Special Agent in Charge Joseph Fendrick of the California Department of Justices Orange County and San Diego Office made the announcement.

Gary J. Ordog, M.D., 61, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Court Judge Fernando M. Olguin of the Central District of California to one count of health care fraud. Sentencing has been scheduled for Aug. 18, 2016.

According to admissions made as part of his plea agreement, Ordog purported to be a physician, specializing in toxicology. Ordog admitted that he submitted false claims to Medicare for purported visits with Medicare beneficiaries, when in fact those visits never actually occurred, including on dates when Ordog was out of the country. He also admitted to billing for services provided to beneficiaries who were deceased on the dates Ordog purportedly treated them and for services totaling more than 24 hours in one day. Ordog fabricated patient records to support false claims, he admitted.

Between January 2009 and February 2015, Ordog submitted approximately $2,435,089 in false and fraudulent claims to Medicare, he admitted. Medicare paid approximately $1,295,699 of those claims, according to the plea agreement.

The HHS-OIG and the California Department of Justice investigated the case, which was brought as part of the Medicare Fraud Strike Force, supervised by the Criminal Divisions Fraud Section and the U.S. Attorneys Office for the Central District of California. Fraud Section Trial Attorneys Ritesh Srivastava and Niall ODonnell are prosecuting the case.

Since its inception in March 2007, the Medicare Fraud Strike Force, now operating in nine cities across the country, has charged over 2,300 defendants who collectively have billed the Medicare program for over $7 billion. In addition, the HHS Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, working in conjunction with the HHS-OIG, are taking steps to increase accountability and decrease the presence of fraudulent providers.

To learn more about the Health Care Fraud Prevention and Enforcement Action Team (HEAT), go to www.stopmedicarefraud.gov.
Santa Clara Insurance Broker Charged With Wire Fraud And Mail Fraud In Alleged Theft From WidowS Insurance Policy

San Jose, California - Gary Thornhill was charged with wire fraud and mail fraud in connection with an alleged attempt to steal more than a million dollars from a clients trust account, announced United States Attorney Brian J. Stretch and Federal Bureau of Investigation Acting Special Agent in Charge Bertram Fairries.

In an indictment unsealed Thursday, Thornhill, 63, of Santa Clara, is accused of using his position in a boutique insurance brokerage to withdraw funds from a widows client trust account. According to the indictment, Thornhill was a fiduciary who had responsibility for management and oversight of an account containing the proceeds of an insurance policy he created for a married couple years earlier. Beginning in January 2011, several years after the husband passed away, Thornhill allegedly transmitted written requests for funds to be drawn against the cash value of the widows insurance policy and then deposited the proceeds into an account he exclusively controlled as trustee for the policy. Throughout calendar year 2011, Thornhill allegedly withdrew almost $1.5 million from the account and put the funds into the account which he controlled and used for his own personal benefit. Thornhill is charged with one count of wire fraud, in violation of 18 U.S.C.  1343, and one count of mail fraud, in violation of 18 U.S.C.  1341.

Thornhill was arrested today and made his initial appearances in federal court in San Jose before the Honorable Paul S. Grewal, U.S. Magistrate Judge. Thornhill was released on a $500,000 bond with conditions. His next scheduled appearance is set for Monday, May 2, at 1:30 p.m. before Magistrate Judge Cousins for review of the bond conditions.

An indictment merely alleges that crimes have been committed, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. If convicted, the defendant faces for each count a maximum sentence of 20 years imprisonment, a fine of $250,000 or twice the gross gain or twice the gross loss, plus restitution. However, any sentence following conviction would be imposed by the court only after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the federal statute governing the imposition of a sentence, 18 U.S.C.  3553.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy J. Lucey is prosecuting the case with the assistance of Laurie Worthen. The prosecution is the result of an investigation the by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Psoriasis A Chronic Condition, But Treatment Can Reduce Symptoms

Rochester, Minnesota - Psoriasis is a common skin condition that changes the life cycle of skin cells. It causes cells to build up rapidly on the surface of your skin. The extra skin cells can form thick, silvery scales and itchy, dry, red patches that can be painful. Psoriasis often goes through cycles, with symptoms flaring for a few weeks or months, and then going away for a time.

A dermatologist usually can diagnose psoriasis by reviewing your medical history and examining your skin, scalp and nails. Although its typically not necessary, your doctor also may recommend a biopsy. For this procedure, a small sample of your skin is removed and examined under a microscope to rule out other skin disorders. Conditions that can look like psoriasis include seborrheic dermatitis, lichen planus, pityriasis rosea and ringworm of the body.

If you have psoriasis, your dermatologist will talk with you about your treatment options. Psoriasis is a chronic condition, and, currently, theres no cure. But, treatment can reduce symptoms by stopping the skin cells from growing so quickly. Therapies also can be used to remove scaly patches and smooth your skin.

If your condition is mild, you may only need to put a cream or ointment  sometimes called topical medication  on your skin to relieve your symptoms. Topical corticosteroids are a common psoriasis treatment. These anti-inflammatory drugs slow cell turnover by suppressing the immune system. That eases inflammation and relieves itching. Other topical medications also can be useful in treating psoriasis, including retinoids, anthralin, salicylic acid, synthetic forms of vitamin D, and coal tar, among others. Regardless of what medication you use, keeping your skin well-moisturized at all times will help control the dryness and discomfort of psoriasis.

When topical treatments alone arent enough to keep your symptoms in check, your dermatologist may suggest you also use light treatment, or phototherapy, to control psoriasis. The easiest form of phototherapy involves exposing your skin to controlled amounts of natural sunlight. Other forms of light therapy include the use of artificial ultraviolet A (UVA) or ultraviolet B (UVB) light. Although this treatment may be time consuming, it can be very effective.

If you have severe psoriasis or if it doesnt respond to other kinds of treatment, your doctor may recommend oral or injected drugs, along with other therapies. In general, these drugs help lower the production of skin cells or reduce inflammation. They also may suppress your immune system.

Psoriasis sometimes can be challenging to manage. It may be unpredictable, going through cycles of improving and worsening symptoms without warning. In addition, treatment is not uniformly effective. What works well for some people might not work for others. Your skin may become resistant to some treatments over time, and the most potent psoriasis treatments can have serious side effects.

If your symptoms are due to psoriasis, you and your dermatologist can work together to develop a treatment plan. As you move forward with treatment, stay in contact with your doctor, especially if your condition doesnt improve after starting treatment or if youre having uncomfortable side effects. He or she can help you adjust your treatment to ensure the best possible symptom control. - Dr. Rokea el-Azhary, Dermatology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota
ICE releases quarterly international student data

Washington, DC - There are nearly 1.2 million international students with F (academic) or M (vocational) status studying in the United States according to the latest "SEVIS by the Numbers," a quarterly report on international student trends prepared by the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP), part of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcements (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).

The report, released Friday by SEVP, highlights March 2016 data from the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS), a Web-based system that includes information about international students, exchange visitors and their dependents while they are in the United States.

Based on data extracted from SEVIS March 7, international student enrollment at U.S. schools increased 6.2 percent compared to March 2015. In March, there were 8,687 U.S. schools with SEVP certification to enroll international students, a three percent decrease from the previous year.

Forty percent of international students studying in the United States, equaling almost 479,000 individuals, were enrolled in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) coursework. Approximately 417,000 international students from Asia pursued STEM studies, an increase of 17 percent since March 2015.

The March report includes a special section about M students in the United States. In March, more than 75 percent of the M student population was male. Canada was the only country, out of the top ten countries of origin, where the majority of M students, at 51 percent, were female. Male students from China comprised 23 percent of the total M student population. Sixty-four percent of M students majored in transportation and materials moving, with a focus on air, ground or marine transportation.

Among U.S. schools, New York University, the University of Southern California, Northeastern University, Columbia University and the University of Illinois rank one through five for schools with the highest international student populations. More than 10,000 international students were enrolled at each school in March.

Other key points from the report include: 77 percent of all international students were from Asia. The top 10 countries of citizenship for international students included: China, India, South Korea, Saudi Arabia, Canada, Vietnam, Japan, Taiwan, Brazil and Mexico.

The full report can be viewed here. Report data was extracted from SEVIS March 7. The report captures a point-in-time snapshot of data related to international students studying in the United States. Data for the previous "SEVIS by the Numbers" report was extracted from SEVIS in November 2015.

Individuals can explore and drill down international student data from current and previous "SEVIS by the Numbers" reports by visiting SEVPs interactive mapping tool. This information is viewable at the continent, region and country level and includes information on gender and education levels, as well as international student populations by state, broken down by geographical areas across the globe. New this quarter, users can view international student data at the U.S. state level to learn more about the students studying in a specific area of the United States.

SEVP monitors approximately one million international students pursuing academic or vocational studies (F and M visa holders) in the United States and their dependents. It also certifies schools and programs that enroll these students. The U.S. Department of State monitors exchange visitors (J visa holders) and their dependents, and oversees exchange visitor programs.

Both use SEVIS to protect national security by ensuring that students, visitors and schools comply with U.S. laws. SEVP also collects and shares SEVIS information with government partners, including U.S. Customs and Border Protection and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, so only legitimate international students and exchange visitors gain entry into the United States.

HSI reviews SEVIS records for potential violations and refers cases with possible national security or public safety concerns to its field offices for further investigation. Additionally, SEVPs Analysis and Operations Center reviews student and school records for administrative compliance with federal regulations related to studying in the United States.
USDA Offers New Resource to Help Food Hubs Improve Financial Performance

Washington, DC - Rural Business-Cooperative Service Administrator Sam Rikkers announced a new resource to help food hubs improve their financial performance. Food hubs, which are businesses or organizations that manage the aggregation, distribution, and marketing of locally-produced food, play a key role in creating opportunities for small and mid-sized producers while also satisfying growing consumer demand for local products.

The new report, Running a Food Hub: Assessing Financial Viability, provides modules and best practices for food hubs to maximize profits and control costs. Part of a multi-volume series published by USDA Rural Development, the report provides technical assistance for food hubs at different stages of development. For example, it gives beginning food hubs advice on writing sound business plans, and it includes guidance on how established food hubs can expand into financially viable long-term businesses.

"Food hubs are an exciting and growing business model," Rikkers said. "They create new opportunities for producers and are critical elements of vibrant local and regional supply chains in communities across the country. With this report, we're excited to share practical steps that food hubs can take to be even more successful."

The number of food hubs in the U.S. has more than doubled over the course of this Administration, with more than 350 now operational around the country thanks in part to support from USDA. Food hubs aggregate products from small and midsize farms and distribute them to large-volume buyers, such as grocery stores, in the local region. According to a comprehensive survey by Michigan State University, on average, each food hub supports 20 jobs and generates nearly $4 million in annual sales.

Rikkers presented the report at Washington, DC's Union Market, a food retail space with more than 100 businesses employing 1,500 people in food production and distribution. Joining Rikkers at the market were representatives from the Arcadia Center for Sustainable Food and Agriculture, a non-profit organization that operates a farm, mobile market, food hub, and farm to school program. Based in Alexandria, Virginia, the Arcadia Center brings local produce to neighborhoods that would otherwise have limited access to fresh food.

Rural Development's efforts to support food hubs and other regional food enterprises are part of USDA's Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food Initiative (KYF) which coordinates the Department's work to develop strong local and regional food systems. USDA is committed to helping farmers, ranchers, and businesses access the growing market for local and regional foods, which was valued at $12 billion in 2014 according to industry estimates. Under this Administration, USDA has invested more than $1 billion in more than 40,000 local and regional food businesses and infrastructure projects. More information on how USDA investments are connecting producers with consumers and expanding rural economic opportunities is available in Chapter IV of USDA Results on Medium.

Since 2009, USDA Rural Development has invested $11 billion to start or expand 103,000 rural businesses; helped 1.1 million rural residents buy homes; funded nearly 7,000 community facilities such as schools, public safety and health care facilities; financed 180,000 miles of electric transmission and distribution lines; and helped bring high-speed Internet access to nearly 6 million rural residents and businesses. For more information, visit www.usda.gov/results.
Secretary of State John Kerry's Travel to Geneva

Washington, DC - U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry will travel May 1-2 to Geneva, Switzerland, where he will meet with Jordanian Foreign Minister Nasser Judeh, Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir, and UN Special Envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura.

In all of his discussions, the Secretary will review ongoing efforts to reaffirm the cessation of hostilities nationwide in Syria, obtain the full humanitarian access to which the Syrian government committed, and support a political transition, as called for in UN Security Council Resolution 2254.
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Banks are being encouraged to create age-friendly branches for older people who are less digitally aware.

The charity Age UK has focused on banks and buildings societies in its Age Friendly Banking report, which says many older people have been left without access to basic banking services due to the closure of more than half of all UK bank branches over the last 25 years.

Its report cited the cost of accessing online services, fear about fraud and a lack of computer skills as barriers to older people using online banking, encouraging banks to find new ways to provide the face-to-face service older customers were found to prefer.

Charity Director at Age UK, Caroline Abrahams, said: "Older people often tell us about the challenges they face when it comes to managing their money. The increasing reliance on online methods is difficult for many and bank branch closures can leave older people feeling high and dry, but we have been heartened to hear about some creative and successful approaches that work well for older people and for banks and building societies too.

"The examples highlighted in our report show that by listening to older people and implementing new approaches intelligently, the financial services sector can make real progress towards meeting the needs of an ageing society. Thats why were urging every financial service provider to put age-friendliness at the heart of their propositions. Not only is this good for older people, it can make great business sense as well."

The charity suggested making use of Post Office services, introducing older people to telephone banking - where they could be helped by a real person on the other end of the phone - and having branches that are mobile or shared with other banks in order to provide a service for the elderly.

It also suggested that such services would be beneficial in the long-term as they would continue providing for the next generation of older people.
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Staff at Le Pain Quotidian are understood to be having their conditions cut ahead of the introduction of the National Living Wage.

The company is just the latest in a number cutting benefits and other conditions for their employees in what they say is a necessary move to allow them to afford paying people the new, higher minimum wage.

Employees of the Belgian coffee shop are reportedly losing their paid breaks in a move that effectively wipes out all the extra money they would receive from the new National Living Wage.

The company has also been criticised for taking tips rather than distributing them to staff. The Government could step in over fears that the voluntary rules the industry abides by have largely failed.

The Government introduced the National Living Wage as a way of bumping up the income of low-paid workers, effectively raising the minimum wage to 7.20 for over-25s. While companies can be subject to legal action if they do not pay that new wage, they are free to get rid of other perks like lunches or paid breaks as they wish.

Le Pain Quotidiens change effectively means that the pay increase is wiped out, since it will reduce the number of hours that people are paid for by roughly the same proportion that the wage will go up.

Le Pain Quotidien did not return requests for comment.

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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

The Belgian restaurant is just the latest company to make major reductions to staffs conditions ahead of the introduction of the National Living Wage.

Italian restaurant Zizzi announced this week that it would reduce staff perks - including the amount they earn from tips and their choice of free meals. Coffee chains Caffe Nero and Eat have both made changes to the system of breaks and food that they give to staff.

Other companies including Eat are said to have brought in the same system as Le Pain Quotidien, removing paid breaks to keep the wage bill down. Others including Tesco, The John Lewis Partnership and B&Q are reported to have changed their rates for weekends and bank holidays in a bid to do the same.

Many companies are thought to have either made changes to conditions ahead of the introduction of the new rules, or are planning them.

The Government has said it is unable to step in to force companies not to make the changes, but also said it was unacceptable for companies to cut perks and then blame it on the new policy.

It is for employers to decide how they manage increases in their wage bill  but it is unacceptable to reduce other perks and blame that on the introduction of the National Living Wage, said a Department for Business, Innovation and Skills spokesperson. Good employers will be giving their staff a pay rise and maintaining other perks.

Employers need to ensure their pay and reward packages are competitive to retain and develop the people and talent they need for their business. The bottom line is that they must pay their workers more as a basic hourly wage. This is the key achievement of the National Living Wage and one we should all welcome.

George Osborne said earlier this month that companies cutting perks made him angry.

 Osborne 'stole the living wage'

We will enforce the letter of the law but we want companies to also live by the spirit of the law, he said on ITVs The Agenda programme.

Mr Osborne promised that the Government would find companies that arent paying the new wage, but that there was little it could do about those that are getting around it by cutting other perks.

What you get is some companies cutting the lunch break, or cutting the free lunch they were providing, he said. That may not be the letter of the law and we dont in this country prescribe what everyone eats for lunch, but its not the spirit of the law.

I think that companies these days should be much more careful about their reputation and much more aware of their social responsibility to their workforce as well as to their community.
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Fans who are eager for a photo with Amy Schumer are out of luck. Thanks to one particularly intrusive, meddling dude in Greenville, South Carolina, the comedian has announced shell no longer be posing for photos - unless fans are particularly nice.

The 34-year-old Trainwreck star was so vexed by the man that she posted a photo of him on her Instagram, identifying him for all to see and announcing her new no-selfie dogma.

This guy in front of his family just ran up next to me scared the shit out of me. Put a camera in my face, Schumer wrote on Instagram. I asked him to stop and he said no it's America and we paid for you this was in front of his daughter.

People news in pictures Show all 18 1 /18 People news in pictures People news in pictures 7 October 2015 Russian President Vladimir Putin takes part in an ice hockey match between former NHL stars and officials at the Shayba Arena in the Black Sea resort of Sochi. Vladimir Putin spent his 63rd birthday on the ice, playing hockey with NHL stars against Russian officials and tycoons EPA People news in pictures 6 October 2015 German designer Karl Lagerfeld (R) and model Cara Delevingne (C) appear at the end of his Spring/Summer 2016 women's ready-to-wear collection for fashion house Chanel at the Grand Palais which is transformed into a Chanel airport during the Fashion Week in Paris, France Reuters People news in pictures 5 October 2015 Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne addresses the Conservative party conference in Manchester. The Chancellor argued that reducing the payments to people in low paid jobs would give them economic security by reducing the Governments spending deficit Getty Images People news in pictures 4 October 2015 Cowboys captain Johnathan Thurston takes a moment in the centre of the field with his daughter Frankie Thurston, holding dark-skinned doll, after winning the 2015 NRL Grand Final match between the Brisbane Broncos and the North Queensland Cowboys at ANZ Stadium in Sydney. The image quickly became the talking point of Australias National Rugby League Final and provoked a strong reaction on social media, with many praising Thurston for giving his child a toy that promotes inclusiveness and diversity Getty Images People news in pictures 3 October 2015 Pope Francis gives a thumbs-up as he greets people at the end of an audience to the participants of a meeting organized by the "Food Bank" at the Paul VI audience hall in Vatican Getty Images People news in pictures 2 October 2015 Britain's Finance Minister George Osborne (L) throws an American football as he meets with former American football players Dan Marino (2nd R) and Curtis Martin (not pictured) at 11 Downing Street in London, ahead of the New York Jets playing against the Miami Dolphins at London's Wembley Stadium on 4 October Getty Images People news in pictures 1 October 2015 An honor guard opens the door as Russian President Vladimir Putin enters a hall to attend a meeting with members of the Presidential Council for Civil Society and Human Rights at the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia People news in pictures 30 September 2015 Former Mrs America Lisa Christie, who alleges misconduct by Bill Cosby, holds up photos of her younger self during a news conference at the law office of attorney Gloria Allred in Los Angeles People news in pictures 29 September 2015 Matt Damon has defended himself against claims that he instructed gay actors to remain in the closet. He had said I think youre a better actor the less people know about you and sexuality is a huge part of that. Whether youre straight or gay, people shouldnt know anything about your sexuality but an appearance on the Ellen DeGeneres show said, I was just trying to say actors are more effective when theyre a mystery. Right? Getty People news in pictures 29 September 2015 Actor Marion Cotillard has said that there is no place for feminism in Hollywood. Speaking to Porter magazine, she saidFilm-making is not about gender/ You cannot ask a president in a festival like Cannes to have, like, five movies directed by women and five by men. For me it doesnt create equality, it creates separation. I mean, I dont qualify myself as a feminist." Getty People news in pictures 29 September 2015 Actor Paul Walkers daughter, Meadow, is suing Porsche over her fathers death in a lawsuit that claims he was trapped in the burning car because of design flaws and the seat belt. The Fast and Furious star was killed when the Porsche Carrera GT he was a passenger in hit a pole in California in 2013. The driver, his friend Roger Rodas, also died when the vehicle burst into flames. AP People news in pictures 28 September 2015 Robert Mugabe waits to address the United Nations General Assembly. The leader of Zimbabwe reportedly exclaimed 'We are not gay!' as he criticised Western nation's "double standards and attempts to prescribe new rights that are contrary to our values, norms, traditions and beliefs. In 2013 he described homosexuals as worse than pigs, goats and birds. Reuters People news in pictures 28 September 2015 South African comedian Trevor Noah hosts the first 'Daily Show' since taking over from Jon Stewart as host. Stewart had presented the US satirical news show since 1999 and was described by Noah during the show as a 'Political father' 2015 Getty Images People news in pictures 25 September 2015 Sir Elton John may have received a phone call from the real Vladimir Putin. Mr Putin's spokesman announced he had made contact weeks after the singer was duped by pranksters pretending to be the Russian President. Getty People news in pictures 25 September 2015 Actor Leonardo DiCaprio was mistakenly declared as the artist who produced the Mona Lisa by Fox News anchor Shepard Smith. It was in fact Leonardo da Vinci. People news in pictures 24 September 2015 A new biography claims Donald Trump expected to be dead by 40 and never marry. The Guardian says the a new book also claims that in 1980, Mr Trump manufactured a fake vice-president of his real estate conglomerate, whom he called John Baron. People news in pictures 24 September 2015 The Dalai Lama has said that Britain's policy towards China is just about 'Money, money, money.' And asked 'Where is morality?' People news in pictures 24 September 2015 Puff Daddy secured the number-one spot on the Forbes Hip Hop Cash Kings list, with the publication calculating he made an estimated $60million (39m) between June 2014 and June 2015.

I was saying stop and no. Great message to your kid, Schumer added. Yes legally you are allowed to take a picture of me. But I was asking you to stop and saying no. I will not take pictures with people anymore and it's because of this dude in Greenville".

Nevertheless Schumer followed up her post by explaining that shell still be taking photos with her polite fans.

Schumer then wrote another post explaining that while she is always grateful for her fans she is rather less enthralled with those who think behaviour like his is acceptable. I am grateful to people who like my work and support me but not the ones who think that behaviour is ok.

 Schumer and Williams stun

The comedian had been in Greenville for a performance on Saturday night and is now heading towards Lexington Kentucky  the next stop on her tour.

A representative for Schumer did not immediately respond to request for comment.
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Barack Obamas infamous mom jeans have often grabbed headlines. Sported on the campaign trail and at an MLB All Star Game, the loose-fitting, light blue, 80s style jeans have become something of a trademark look for the President.

Speaking at his last ever White House Correspondents Dinner on Saturday, Obama has yet again made a reference to the fashion staple.

Reflecting upon life after he leaves the White House, the 54-year-old Hawaii-born politician said: I can wear my mom jeans in peace. I hate these tight jeans.

Barack Obama wins his place in history Show all 98 1 /98 Barack Obama wins his place in history Barack Obama wins his place in history 71721.bin STAN HONDA/AFP/Getty Images Barack Obama wins his place in history 71701.bin JEWEL SAMAD/AFP/Getty Images Barack Obama wins his place in history 71963.bin Getty Barack Obama wins his place in history 71962.bin Getty Barack Obama wins his place in history 71681.bin MANDEL NGAN/AFP/Getty Images Barack Obama wins his place in history 71964.bin Getty Barack Obama wins his place in history 71965.bin Getty Barack Obama wins his place in history 71025.bin EMMANUEL DUNAND/AFP/Getty Images Barack Obama wins his place in history 71062.bin REUTERS/Chris Kleponis Barack Obama wins his place in history 71123.bin Getty Images Barack Obama wins his place in history 71031.bin William Thomas Cain/Getty Images Barack Obama wins his place in history 71041.bin DON EMMERT/AFP/Getty Images Barack Obama wins his place in history 71113.bin PAUL J. RICHARDS/AFP/Getty Images Barack Obama wins his place in history 70701.bin Getty Barack Obama wins his place in history 70001.bin GETTY IMAGES Barack Obama wins his place in history 69885.bin GETTY Barack Obama wins his place in history 70561.bin David McNew/Getty Images Barack Obama wins his place in history 70541.bin REUTERS/Las Vegas Barack Obama wins his place in history 70546.bin REUTERS/Jason Reed Barack Obama wins his place in history 69882.bin GETTY IMAGES Barack Obama wins his place in history 69861.bin DAMIAN DOVARGANES/AP Barack Obama wins his place in history 69161.bin GETTY IMAGES Barack Obama wins his place in history 69181.bin GETTY IMAGES Barack Obama wins his place in history 70570.bin REUTERS/Brian Snyder Barack Obama wins his place in history 70581.bin REUTERS/Jason Reed Barack Obama wins his place in history 70567.bin REUTERS/Brian Snyder Barack Obama wins his place in history 65268.bin AP Barack Obama wins his place in history 70601.bin REUTERS/Jason Reed Barack 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But while the comfy jeans might be a personal favourite, his wife, Michelle, is rather less keen. So much so that she decided to dispose of the jeans. There was also some interest in the jeans I wore that night. But Michelle retired those jeans quite a while back, the President revealed back in May 2014.

But the "mom jeans" werent the only wisecrack Obama made. He also publicly pondered exactly what it was that Kendall Jenner did for a living.

She seems like a very nice young woman. I'm not exactly sure what she does, Obama said of the reality TV star turned supermodel. But I am told that my Twitter mentions are about to go through the roof.
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Bob Hoskins has died for the second time. While the English actor died of pneumonia on 29 April, some Twitter users have only just caught news of it.

As Twitter users began re-sharing an old BBC 2014 news story, tributes to Hoskins quickly started trending on Twitter and the original news story became the second most read piece on the BBC.

A number of fans paid homage to the actor, who is best known for his roles in The Long Good Friday, Mona Lisa, and Who Framed Roger Rabbit, assuming he was the latest of 2016s notable deaths.

People news in pictures Show all 18 1 /18 People news in pictures People news in pictures 7 October 2015 Russian President Vladimir Putin takes part in an ice hockey match between former NHL stars and officials at the Shayba Arena in the Black Sea resort of Sochi. Vladimir Putin spent his 63rd birthday on the ice, playing hockey with NHL stars against Russian officials and tycoons EPA People news in pictures 6 October 2015 German designer Karl Lagerfeld (R) and model Cara Delevingne (C) appear at the end of his Spring/Summer 2016 women's ready-to-wear collection for fashion house Chanel at the Grand Palais which is transformed into a Chanel airport during the Fashion Week in Paris, France Reuters People news in pictures 5 October 2015 Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne addresses the Conservative party conference in Manchester. The Chancellor argued that reducing the payments to people in low paid jobs would give them economic security by reducing the Governments spending deficit Getty Images People news in pictures 4 October 2015 Cowboys captain Johnathan Thurston takes a moment in the centre of the field with his daughter Frankie Thurston, holding dark-skinned doll, after winning the 2015 NRL Grand Final match between the Brisbane Broncos and the North Queensland Cowboys at ANZ Stadium in Sydney. The image quickly became the talking point of Australias National Rugby League Final and provoked a strong reaction on social media, with many praising Thurston for giving his child a toy that promotes inclusiveness and diversity Getty Images People news in pictures 3 October 2015 Pope Francis gives a thumbs-up as he greets people at the end of an audience to the participants of a meeting organized by the "Food Bank" at the Paul VI audience hall in Vatican Getty Images People news in pictures 2 October 2015 Britain's Finance Minister George Osborne (L) throws an American football as he meets with former American football players Dan Marino (2nd R) and Curtis Martin (not pictured) at 11 Downing Street in London, ahead of the New York Jets playing against the Miami Dolphins at London's Wembley Stadium on 4 October Getty Images People news in pictures 1 October 2015 An honor guard opens the door as Russian President Vladimir Putin enters a hall to attend a meeting with members of the Presidential Council for Civil Society and Human Rights at the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia People news in pictures 30 September 2015 Former Mrs America Lisa Christie, who alleges misconduct by Bill Cosby, holds up photos of her younger self during a news conference at the law office of attorney Gloria Allred in Los Angeles People news in pictures 29 September 2015 Matt Damon has defended himself against claims that he instructed gay actors to remain in the closet. He had said I think youre a better actor the less people know about you and sexuality is a huge part of that. Whether youre straight or gay, people shouldnt know anything about your sexuality but an appearance on the Ellen DeGeneres show said, I was just trying to say actors are more effective when theyre a mystery. Right? Getty People news in pictures 29 September 2015 Actor Marion Cotillard has said that there is no place for feminism in Hollywood. Speaking to Porter magazine, she saidFilm-making is not about gender/ You cannot ask a president in a festival like Cannes to have, like, five movies directed by women and five by men. For me it doesnt create equality, it creates separation. I mean, I dont qualify myself as a feminist." Getty People news in pictures 29 September 2015 Actor Paul Walkers daughter, Meadow, is suing Porsche over her fathers death in a lawsuit that claims he was trapped in the burning car because of design flaws and the seat belt. The Fast and Furious star was killed when the Porsche Carrera GT he was a passenger in hit a pole in California in 2013. The driver, his friend Roger Rodas, also died when the vehicle burst into flames. AP People news in pictures 28 September 2015 Robert Mugabe waits to address the United Nations General Assembly. The leader of Zimbabwe reportedly exclaimed 'We are not gay!' as he criticised Western nation's "double standards and attempts to prescribe new rights that are contrary to our values, norms, traditions and beliefs. In 2013 he described homosexuals as worse than pigs, goats and birds. Reuters People news in pictures 28 September 2015 South African comedian Trevor Noah hosts the first 'Daily Show' since taking over from Jon Stewart as host. Stewart had presented the US satirical news show since 1999 and was described by Noah during the show as a 'Political father' 2015 Getty Images People news in pictures 25 September 2015 Sir Elton John may have received a phone call from the real Vladimir Putin. Mr Putin's spokesman announced he had made contact weeks after the singer was duped by pranksters pretending to be the Russian President. Getty People news in pictures 25 September 2015 Actor Leonardo DiCaprio was mistakenly declared as the artist who produced the Mona Lisa by Fox News anchor Shepard Smith. It was in fact Leonardo da Vinci. People news in pictures 24 September 2015 A new biography claims Donald Trump expected to be dead by 40 and never marry. The Guardian says the a new book also claims that in 1980, Mr Trump manufactured a fake vice-president of his real estate conglomerate, whom he called John Baron. People news in pictures 24 September 2015 The Dalai Lama has said that Britain's policy towards China is just about 'Money, money, money.' And asked 'Where is morality?' People news in pictures 24 September 2015 Puff Daddy secured the number-one spot on the Forbes Hip Hop Cash Kings list, with the publication calculating he made an estimated $60million (39m) between June 2014 and June 2015.

Actor Charlie Lawson tweeted: Never a celebrity, Bob Hoskins was a great actor. First met him at The Roundhouse. A good man and great fun RIP.

Oh no now Bob Hoskins. 2016 has not been good for the celebrities so far #RIPBobHoskins, added another.

Bob Hoskins dies of pneumonia aged 71, Who Framed Roger Rabbit reminds me of my childhood! Thanks Bob! Great Actor! said another user.

The BAFTA-award winning actor retired due to being diagnosed with Parkinsons disease in 2011 and then died at the age of 71.

Social media gaffes such as these are becoming ever more common. The same thing happened just days ago when fans paid tribute to English naturalist and television presenter, Terry Nutkins, oblivious to the fact he died back in 2012.

Other users expressed worry about other prominent figures dying for the second time. And Bob Hoskins @BBCNews! If you make go through Bowie again I swear
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The Duchess of Cambridge is to appear on the cover of the 100th anniversary edition of British Vogue, with several of the photos unveiled in the National Portrait Gallery today.

The photographs, taken by British photographer Josh Olins, were taken on the Sandringham estate in Norfolk and will be featured in the June edition of the magazine.

British Vogue has given a platform to some of the most renowned photographers in this countrys history, said a spokesperson for the Duchess.

Prince William and Kate Middletons visit to India Show all 32 1 /32 Prince William and Kate Middletons visit to India Prince William and Kate Middletons visit to India Prince William and Kate Middletons visit to India Prince William and Kate Middletons visit to India Prince William and Kate Middletons visit to India Prince William and Kate Middletons visit to India Prince William and Kate Middletons visit to India Prince William and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, paint an elephant statue at Kaziranga Discovery Park in Panbari village, in Kaziranga, some 250 km from Guwahati, the capital of the north-eastern state of Assam Prince William and Kate Middletons visit to India Britain's Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, feeds a baby elephant at the Centre for Wildlife Rehabilitation and Conservation (CWRC) at Panbari reserve forest in Kaziranga in the northeastern state of Assam, during the royal visit in India Prince William and Kate Middletons visit to India Prince William and Duchess of Cambridge, meet a rhino calf at the Centre for Wildlife Rehabilitation and Conservation (CWRC) at Panbari reserve forest in Kaziranga in the northeastern state of Assam Prince William and Kate Middletons visit to India Catherine and Prince William take a Game drive at Kaziranga National Park at Kaziranga National Park in Guwahati Prince William and Kate Middletons visit to India Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge and Prince William visit a contact centre run by the charity Salaam Baalak, which provides emergency help and long term support to homeless children at New Delhi railway station Prince William and Kate Middletons visit to India Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge and Prince William, Duke of Cambridge meet a young dancer as they watch dancing by the fireside during a Bihu Festival Celebration at Diphlu River Lodge Prince William and Kate Middletons visit to India The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge meet Prime Minister of India Narenda Mod in New Delhi's Hyderabad House during day three of the royal tour to India and Bhutan Prince William and Kate Middletons visit to India Catherine and William visited the Banganga Water Tank. They were given a traditional welcome at Bangana Water Tank and met representatives from SMILE, an organisation working in an economically deprived urban area to support local enterprise Prince William and Kate Middletons visit to India Duchess Of Cambridge enjoys a game of cricket during a visit to meet children from Magic Bus, Childline and Doorstep, at Mumbai's iconic recreation ground, the Oval Maidan Prince William and Kate Middletons visit to India Prince William and Catherine Duchess of Cambridge at India Gate in New Delhi Prince William and Kate Middletons visit to India Prince William and his wife Catherine take part in an event at the Gandhi Smriti, a museum dedicated to Mahatma Gandhi, in New Delhi Prince William and Kate Middletons visit to India Prince William and Duchess of Cambridge meet young entrepreneurs during a visit to Mumbai Prince William and Kate Middletons visit to India The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge prepare to lay a wreath at the Inida Gate in New Delhi Prince William and Kate Middletons visit to India The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge remove their shoes at Gandhi Smriti in New Dehli, India before paying their respects at the Mahatma Gandhi memorial Prince William and Kate Middletons visit to India The Duke and Duchess toured the museum housed in the Old Birla House and paid their respects at the place where Mahatma Gandhi's life ended on 30 January 1948 Prince William and Kate Middletons visit to India Duchess of Cambridge and Prince William pose for a picture at India Gate Memorial Prince William and Kate Middletons visit to India Prince William and Catherine pay their respects at the place where Mahatma Gandhi's life ended on 30 January 1948, at Gandhi Smriti, the Old Birla House museum Prince William and Kate Middletons visit to India The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge poses with local school children as they tour Old Birla Hous in Gandhi Smriti in New Dehli Prince William and Kate Middletons visit to India The Duke Duchess of Cambridge meet children from local charities Magic Bus, Childline and Doorstep, and join game of cricketwith boys from the Dilip Vengsarkar Academyat the Oval Maidan recreation ground Prince William and Kate Middletons visit to India The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are garlanded as they arrive at the Banganga Water Tank in Mumbai Prince William and Kate Middletons visit to India Catherine, Duchess Of Cambridge plays football during a visit to meet children from Magic Bus, Childline and Doorstep Prince William and Kate Middletons visit to India The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge react after playing football during a visit to the Banganga Water Tank in Mumbai Prince William and Kate Middletons visit to India Duchess of Cambridge and Prince William play football games during a visit to the Banganga Water tank, where they met representatives of SMILE Prince William and Kate Middletons visit to India The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge arrive at a Bollywood Charity Gala hosted by the British High Commission and the British Asian Trust at the Taj Mahal Palace hotel in Mumbai Prince William and Kate Middletons visit to India Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge arrives for a Bollywood Inspired Charity Gala at the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel Prince William and Kate Middletons visit to India Prince William and Duchess of Cambridge speak with Boman Kohinoor during a meeting in Mumbai Prince William and Kate Middletons visit to India The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge stand after laying a wreath on the martyrs memorial at the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel in Mumbai

The Duchess is incredibly grateful to the team at British Vogue and at the National Portrait Gallery for asking her to take part.

The centenary issue cover star has been a patron of the National Portrait Gallery since 2012 and her Vogue photos will be exhibited there for the next three weeks.

(Josh Olin/PA Wire (Josh Olin/PA Wire)

The Duchess is the third senior member of the Royal family to appear on a Vogue cover, following her late mother-in-law, Princess Diana and the Princess Royal.

Alexandra Shulman, Editor-in-Chief of British Vogue said it had been a wonderful experience working on the edition.

The images for the June edition were styled by British Vogue fashion director Lucinda Chambers and the Duchess was dressed in items by British designer Burberry and French label Petit Bateau.

Vogue 100: a Century of Style is on at the National Portrait Gallery until 22 May.
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English comedian Sara Pascoe has said that rape is not off limits to joke about. The writer, stand-up comedian and actress who has appeared on Mock the Week, Being Human, QI and more, argues that if the joke is funny and strong enough rape can be broached humorously.

So you can joke about rape but Id like the comedian in question to first consider how it might feel if you have been a victim of it, because hearing certain language can provoke a physiological reaction, the 34-year-old told The Telegraph.

People news in pictures Show all 18 1 /18 People news in pictures People news in pictures 7 October 2015 Russian President Vladimir Putin takes part in an ice hockey match between former NHL stars and officials at the Shayba Arena in the Black Sea resort of Sochi. Vladimir Putin spent his 63rd birthday on the ice, playing hockey with NHL stars against Russian officials and tycoons EPA People news in pictures 6 October 2015 German designer Karl Lagerfeld (R) and model Cara Delevingne (C) appear at the end of his Spring/Summer 2016 women's ready-to-wear collection for fashion house Chanel at the Grand Palais which is transformed into a Chanel airport during the Fashion Week in Paris, France Reuters People news in pictures 5 October 2015 Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne addresses the Conservative party conference in Manchester. The Chancellor argued that reducing the payments to people in low paid jobs would give them economic security by reducing the Governments spending deficit Getty Images People news in pictures 4 October 2015 Cowboys captain Johnathan Thurston takes a moment in the centre of the field with his daughter Frankie Thurston, holding dark-skinned doll, after winning the 2015 NRL Grand Final match between the Brisbane Broncos and the North Queensland Cowboys at ANZ Stadium in Sydney. The image quickly became the talking point of Australias National Rugby League Final and provoked a strong reaction on social media, with many praising Thurston for giving his child a toy that promotes inclusiveness and diversity Getty Images People news in pictures 3 October 2015 Pope Francis gives a thumbs-up as he greets people at the end of an audience to the participants of a meeting organized by the "Food Bank" at the Paul VI audience hall in Vatican Getty Images People news in pictures 2 October 2015 Britain's Finance Minister George Osborne (L) throws an American football as he meets with former American football players Dan Marino (2nd R) and Curtis Martin (not pictured) at 11 Downing Street in London, ahead of the New York Jets playing against the Miami Dolphins at London's Wembley Stadium on 4 October Getty Images People news in pictures 1 October 2015 An honor guard opens the door as Russian President Vladimir Putin enters a hall to attend a meeting with members of the Presidential Council for Civil Society and Human Rights at the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia People news in pictures 30 September 2015 Former Mrs America Lisa Christie, who alleges misconduct by Bill Cosby, holds up photos of her younger self during a news conference at the law office of attorney Gloria Allred in Los Angeles People news in pictures 29 September 2015 Matt Damon has defended himself against claims that he instructed gay actors to remain in the closet. He had said I think youre a better actor the less people know about you and sexuality is a huge part of that. Whether youre straight or gay, people shouldnt know anything about your sexuality but an appearance on the Ellen DeGeneres show said, I was just trying to say actors are more effective when theyre a mystery. Right? Getty People news in pictures 29 September 2015 Actor Marion Cotillard has said that there is no place for feminism in Hollywood. Speaking to Porter magazine, she saidFilm-making is not about gender/ You cannot ask a president in a festival like Cannes to have, like, five movies directed by women and five by men. For me it doesnt create equality, it creates separation. I mean, I dont qualify myself as a feminist." Getty People news in pictures 29 September 2015 Actor Paul Walkers daughter, Meadow, is suing Porsche over her fathers death in a lawsuit that claims he was trapped in the burning car because of design flaws and the seat belt. The Fast and Furious star was killed when the Porsche Carrera GT he was a passenger in hit a pole in California in 2013. The driver, his friend Roger Rodas, also died when the vehicle burst into flames. AP People news in pictures 28 September 2015 Robert Mugabe waits to address the United Nations General Assembly. The leader of Zimbabwe reportedly exclaimed 'We are not gay!' as he criticised Western nation's "double standards and attempts to prescribe new rights that are contrary to our values, norms, traditions and beliefs. In 2013 he described homosexuals as worse than pigs, goats and birds. Reuters People news in pictures 28 September 2015 South African comedian Trevor Noah hosts the first 'Daily Show' since taking over from Jon Stewart as host. Stewart had presented the US satirical news show since 1999 and was described by Noah during the show as a 'Political father' 2015 Getty Images People news in pictures 25 September 2015 Sir Elton John may have received a phone call from the real Vladimir Putin. Mr Putin's spokesman announced he had made contact weeks after the singer was duped by pranksters pretending to be the Russian President. Getty People news in pictures 25 September 2015 Actor Leonardo DiCaprio was mistakenly declared as the artist who produced the Mona Lisa by Fox News anchor Shepard Smith. It was in fact Leonardo da Vinci. People news in pictures 24 September 2015 A new biography claims Donald Trump expected to be dead by 40 and never marry. The Guardian says the a new book also claims that in 1980, Mr Trump manufactured a fake vice-president of his real estate conglomerate, whom he called John Baron. People news in pictures 24 September 2015 The Dalai Lama has said that Britain's policy towards China is just about 'Money, money, money.' And asked 'Where is morality?' People news in pictures 24 September 2015 Puff Daddy secured the number-one spot on the Forbes Hip Hop Cash Kings list, with the publication calculating he made an estimated $60million (39m) between June 2014 and June 2015.

And if you still feel that its a joke worth telling, then great. That means you have total confidence in your material.

Pascoe takes an in-depth look at whether rape can ever be joked about in her new book Animal: The Autobiography but doesn't decide on a firm opinion.

The question of whether rape can be joked about came to the public fore at a comedy festival in Melbourne last year after a male comedian made a joke about rape and a female audience member lay beneath a table as a display of protest. In due course, the incident was globally discussed on social media and proved massively divisive.
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Police have admitted they tried to conceal the identity of a Polish rapist for fear of stoking further tensions in a town inhabited by number of Eastern European migrants.

Derbyshire Constabulary requested that Marcin Jaworski, 20, be added to the sex offenders register, but did not want his name to be published by the media.

The force argued the release of information about Mr Jaworski's might force him leave the Shirebrook area in order to avoid further public hostility against foreign nationals.

Andrew Davison, a district judge, ruled that the publication of Mr Jaworskis identity be permitted after Derbyshire Times reporter Jon Cooper argued it was in the public interest and in the interests of public safety.

Mr Davison told a Chesterfield magistrates court civil hearing on Friday: A fundamental principle is open justice, which is a hallmark of the law. The media plays a vital role in the upholding of that principle on behalf of the public.

Superintendent Jim Allen of Derbyshire Police said in a statement: Reporting restrictions were requested in this case because of concerns raised by local officers.

There have been widely reported community tensions in the Shirebrook area in the past, linked to the large number of Eastern European people who now live and work in the area.

We respect the decision of the judge who ruled the case should be heard without restriction.

UK news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 UK news in pictures UK news in pictures 23 October 2022 Britain's former Chancellor of the Exchequer, Conservative MP, Rishi Sunak leaves from an office in central London AFP/Getty 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

Mr Jaworski was questioned by police after he was found drinking alcohol in a prohibited area within the town,

Background checks revealed he had been convicted of rape in Poland in 2014. Police responded by applying for an order requiring him to sign the sex offenders register.

The hearing was adjourned until 5 May because Mr Jaworski was not present.
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The smartphone cab service Uber has changed a page on its UK website which reportedly encouraged drivers to work 65-hour weeks, amid concerns that drivers work excessive and unsafe hours driving on the service.

The entry page previously told potential recruits that driving with Uber could turn your car into a money machine. The website promised drivers could earn 3360 a month based on average net payments of partner-drivers in London who have driven 55-65 hours [per week] in November 2015.

Uber changed the page to claim that drivers could earn a smaller amount of 3300 by being logged in to the Uber app for 55-65 hours per week after being contacted by the Sunday Telegraph.

Uber treats its drivers as independent contractors. (Getty Images)

But according to Ubers own general manager in New York, Josh Mohrer, the hours recommended are still potentially dangerous.

Uber in New York recently banned drivers from working long hours.

In an open letter to the citys taxi and limousine commission he wrote that it is unsafe to use the Uber app for more than 12 hours at a time.

However, an Uber spokesman in London told the Sunday Telegraph it would not be following the New York model, saying : Uber does not set hours or shifts and drivers who partner with us can choose the hours they work.

The spokesman said drivers who drove too many hours would receive a message from Uber about safe driving, but did not specify how many hours was too many.

Uber treats its drivers as independent contractors, but drivers must pay 25 per cent of each fare to Uber. Drivers must also pay the cost of petrol, maintenance and insurance of their vehicles.

To earn 20,000 a year a driver would have to work 68 hours a week.

Steve Garelick, the private hire drivers branch secretary for the GMB union, which represents a number of Uber drivers, told the Sunday Telegraph drivers were being encouraged to work excessive and unsafe hours because the companys net rates of pay can amount to as little as 5.68 an hour in London after costs.

We definitely know of Uber drivers who have to work more than 12 hours a day, he said.

An Uber spokesman told the Sunday Telegraph the company took excessive work hours very seriously and regularly discusses driving habits with partners.
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A British man who was among 13 people killed in a helicopter crash in Norway has been named as oil worker Iain Stuart.

The 41-year-old, from Laurencekirk, Aberdeenshire, was working for oilfield services company Halliburton when the Airbus Super Puma helicopter he was travelling onboard crashed on Friday.

It has emerged that the Super Puma, travelling from the North Sea Gullfaks B oil field when it crashed en route to Flesland Airport in Bergen, Norway, had to return to base twice in the days before the incident after warning lights came on in the cockpit.

Helicopter operator CHC said the aircraft was forced to turn back to Flesland Airport in Bergen last Tuesday when the pilot spotted the light and again in a test flight the following day after a part had been replaced.

The company added the aircraft completed six commercial flights with no indications of problems the day before the crash.

The aircraft shattered into pieces when it smashed into the rocky shoreline of Turoey, a tiny island outside Bergen, Norway's second-largest city.

Rescue forces work at the shore west of Bergen, Norway after a helicopter transporting 13 workers from an offshore oil field in the North Sea crashed on 29 April, 2016 (Getty)

Eleven bodies were recovered from near the crash site, around 74 miles (120 kilometres) off the Norwegian coast. Two others are presumed dead.

Of the 13 passengers, all were Norwegian except for Mr Stuart and an Italian national. Their names have not yet been released.

All UK commercial passenger flights using the Airbus EC225LP - or Super Puma - have been grounded by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) following the accident.

A petition to remove all Super Puma helicopters from service has now been signed by over 5,000 people.

The petition calls on the CAA to "put the lives of Offshore Oil Workers and the pilots before vested interests, and revoke the air worthiness certificates for this aircraft".

Norwegian television showed footage of what appeared to be a helicopter rotor blade spiralling down minutes before the helicopter crashed.

Emergency crews pulled the wrecked fuselage out of the sea on Saturday ahead of an investigation into the cause of the disaster.

A team from the UK's Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) has travelled to the crash site to assist with the investigation.

Additional reporting by agencies
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Diane Abbott has waded into the row over antisemitism in Labour by dismissing claims the party has a problem as smears  as Len McCluskey claimed the furore was a cynical attempt to undermine Jeremy Corbyns leadership.

Ms Abbott, the shadow International Development Secretary and one of the Labour leaders closest allies sought to play down tensions in the party, insisting robust action had been taken to combat antisemitism but denied the party was riddled with it.

Speaking on the BBCs Andrew Marr Show, Ms Abbott said: "It's something of a smear against ordinary party members, it is, it is a smear to say the Labour party has a problem with antisemitism.

"There is no basis for arguing that the Labour party is riddled with antisemitism and it's not fair on ordinary Labour party members, some of whom have spent a lifetime fighting racism and antisemitism in their schools, in their community, amongst people they know, to get up this morning and hear you insinuate that the Labour party is riddled with antisemitism."

Shortly after, Mr McCluskey, the General Secretary of Unite and Labour's biggest donor, said Mr Corbyn was the victim of "a cynical attempt to manipulate antisemitism for political aims".

"The idea that there is an antisemitic crisis within the Labour Party is absolutely offensive but it is being used in order to challenge Jeremy Corbyn," he told Pienaar's Politics on BBC Radio 5 Live.

"Once the mood music of antisemitism dies down, then next week and the week after there will be another subject. It is an issue that comes up because somebody says something stupid and then immediately it becomes a crisis."

The row had been "got up by the right-wing press aided and abetted by Labour MPs" and party grandees who "get out of their wheelchair and toss a few hand grenades in", he said.

Ms Abbott and Mr McCluskey's comments come just two days after Mr Corbyn launched an independent inquiry tasked with tackling antisemitism, to be led by Shami Chakrabarti, the former head of rights group Liberty.

Last week the Labour leader was forced to suspend his long-time ally Ken Livingstone, the former London Mayor, and Labour MP Naz Shah.

Labour antisemitism row: What Livingstone said Show all 14 1 /14 Labour antisemitism row: What Livingstone said Labour antisemitism row: What Livingstone said On Israel and Palestine The simple fact in all of this is that Naz made these comments at a time when there was another brutal Israeli attack on the Palestinians; and theres one stark fact that virtually no one in the British media ever reports, in almost all these conflicts the death toll is usually between 60 and 100 Palestinians killed for every Israeli. Now, any other country doing that would be accused of war crimes but its like we have a double standard about the policies of the Israeli government Labour antisemitism row: What Livingstone said On Antisemitism in the Labour Party As Ive said, Ive never heard anybody say anything antisemitism-Semitic, but theres been a very well-orchestrated campaign by the Israel lobby to smear anybody who criticises Israeli policy as antisemitic. I had to put up with 35 years of this Labour antisemitism row: What Livingstone said On Naz Shah Its completely over-the-top and rude, but who am I to denounce anyone with all of that. It was wrong. I dont think she is antisemitic, it was incredibly rude but I dont believe she is an antisemite. When the NEC investigation is finished they'll say it was rude and over the top but they wont find any evidence that she actually hates Jews. Weve got to investigate all these charges and the context in which they are made. If she is antisemitic like the other three or four members weve found who are antisemitic, shell be expelled Labour antisemitism row: What Livingstone said On other alleged antisemites in Labour That is part of the classic antisemitic thing about an international Jewish conspiracy  that is the reason we need to have an investigation. Ive got an open mind. Ive seen nothing to suggest to me that she is antisemitic. I wouldnt have supported her if I [thought] she was antisemitic Labour antisemitism row: What Livingstone said On whether what Hitler did was legal, as stated by Naz Shah Thats a statement of fact  Hitler, Im sure, passed all those laws that allowed him to do that  its history  literally, Hitler was completely mad, he killed six million Jews. Shes not saying its legal to kill six million Jews: what they were doing in that country allowed them not just to kill six million Jews, kill all the communists, kill all the leftists like me, my father almost died when a Nazi sub sank his boat. I have no sympathy with Hitler Labour antisemitism row: What Livingstone said On another alleged antisemite in Labour No, that is, and thats why shes been suspended or expelled. What Ive said is that in 47 years of the party in all the meetings Ive been in Ive never heard anyone say anything antisemitic. There are bound to be in a party of half a million people youll have a handful of antisemites, youll have a handful of racists. Youve managed to dig out virtually every antisemitic comment that Labour members have made out of half a million people. Ive never met any of these people. Theres not a problem. Youre talking about a handful of people in a party of half a million people. Jeremy Corbyn has moved rapidly to deal with them Labour antisemitism row: What Livingstone said On Jeremy Corbyns response to the allegations He met with Naz and she agreed she would stand down while the investigation is going on. He called her in to see her. Theres been a huge investigation of virtually everything that anybody put on the internet  many of these people are quite new and recent members of the party that joined in the big influx. 300,000 new people came in Labour antisemitism row: What Livingstone said On his meeting a man accused of antisemitism in London This is the man who called for Muslims around the world to donate blood after the attacks of 9/11 when he came to London I went with him to the Regents Park mosque where he said no man should hit a woman and you should not discriminate against homosexuals. So I cant equate what I heard him say he made no antisemitic statement while he was here in London. I dont investigate people. Ive simply said what I believe to be true which is that Naz was not antisemitic. She was completely over the top, very rude, but that does not make her an antisemite Labour antisemitism row: What Livingstone said On John Manns comments He went completely over the top. I was actually doing a radio interview at the time that he was bellowing that Im a racist antisemite in my ear. Ive had that with John Mann before a few weeks ago screaming that I was a bigot down the phone. Im not an apologist for anyone who makes antisemitic statements. What Im saying is dont confuse antisemitism with criticism of the Israeli government policy Labour antisemitism row: What Livingstone said On calling a Jewish journalist a concentration camp guard whilst Mayor of London I cant tell if a journalist is Jewish or Catholic or anything. If a journalist is chasing you down the street at nine of clock at night you might be rude to them. Some people might have hit him! He said he was just doing his job. We went all the way to the High Court and the judge opened his judgement by saying I hope no one here is going to suggest that Mr Livingstone is antisemitic. We won the case Labour antisemitism row: What Livingstone said On claims about Hitler and Zionism I cant tell if a journalist is Jewish or Catholic or anything. If a journalist is chasing you down the street at nine of clock at night you might be rude to them. Some people might have hit him! He said he was just doing his job. We went all the way to the High Court and the judge opened his judgement by saying I hope no one here is going to suggest that Mr Livingstone is antisemitic. We won the case Labour antisemitism row: What Livingstone said On John Mann Id simply say to John Mann go back and check. Is what I say true, or is it not? The BBC, youve got a huge team of researchers, it will take just an hour or two to go back and confirm. I was asked a question, I answered it. I have never in 45 years since I won my first election, I have never lied. I have always answered the question Labour antisemitism row: What Livingstone said On raising the issue if Hitler It lays you open to people smearing and lying about you. Ive always answered the questions put to me and that simple fact is weve had a handful of people saying antisemitic things in the Labour Party, theyve been suspended, some of them are on their way to being expelled, some of them have been expelled already Labour antisemitism row: What Livingstone said On people calling for him to be suspended All my usual critics  but the simple fact is I agree with them; there is no place for antisemitism in the Labour party. For them to suggest I am antisemitic is a bit bizarre considering we worked with Jewish groups and put on exhibitions about the scale of the holocaust, we worked with Jewish groups to tackling the scale of antisemitism back in the 1970s. Ive always opposed every form of racism whether its against black people or Jews. Im going to stay in the Labour party and continue to fight against all forms of racism and discrimination as I have my entire life

In a Facebook post in 2014, before she became MP for Bradford West, Ms Shah shared a graphic which showed an image of Israel's outline superimposed onto a map of the US under the headline "Solution for Israel-Palestine Conflict - Relocate Israel into United States", with the comment "problem solved".

A code of conduct will also "make explicitly clear for the first time that Labour will not tolerate any form of racism, including antisemitism, in the party" and provide guidance on acceptable language.

Mark Regev, the new Israeli ambassador to the Britain, also speaking on the Andrew Marr Show, said that Mr Livingstone's assertion was "a horrendous perversion of history" that appeared to paint those who helped get Jews out of Nazi Germany as collaborators.

In a message to Mr Corbyn, he said: "It is crucial for leadership to stand up and to condemn antisemitism in unequivocal terms.

"It is important that leadership is also not neutral or agnostic about antisemitism.

"You have had too many people on the progressive side of politics who have embraced Hamas and Hezbollah. Both of them are antisemitic organisations.

On Saturday the leader of the Israeli Labor Party wrote to the Labour leader to say he is appalled and outraged at examples of alleged antisemitism in the partys ranks. I would like to take this opportunity, in the week leading up to Holocaust Memorial Day in Israel, to invite you to bring a delegation from the British Labour Party to Israels national Holocaust museum, Yad Vashem, Mr Herzog wrote.

By doing this, perhaps we can ensure that the antisemitism expressed in recent days is not the example to set to [sic] British young generation, but rather one of tolerance and acceptance of all people, regardless of faith.

The Labour leader was this week forced to suspend his long-time ally Ken Livingstone over antisemitism row

Mr Herzog added: As someone whose father served in the British army and risked his life fighting against Hitler and the Nazis, the views expressed by Ken Livingstone, the former Mayor of London and member of Labours national executive, in which he claimed that Hitler 'was supporting Zionism before he went mad and ended up killing six million Jews' were particularly horrific, and unthinkable for a British politician and the 21st century.

Meanwhile, Sadiq Khan, Labours Mayoral candidate, admitted he fears his prospects of being elected in London have been dealt a blow by Mr Livingstones comments.

In an interview with the Observer, Mr Khan said: I accept that the comments that Ken Livingstone has made make it more difficult for Londoners of Jewish faith to feel that the Labour party is a place for them, and so I will carry on doing what I have always been doing, which is to speak for everyone. If I should have the privilege to be the mayor I will show Londoners the sort of mayor I can be.

This week on Thursday  dubbed Super Thursday  voters will head to the polls in a series of elections, including Londons Mayoral contest. It will be the first significant electoral test of Jeremy Corbyns leadership.
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A majority of people supported last weeks all-out strike by junior doctors in England, according to a survey for The Independent.

ORB, who conducted the poll, found that 58 per cent of the public agree that doctors were right to strike over the Governments decision to impose a new contract on them, even though it affected accident and emergency services. Three in 10 people (31 per cent) disagreed with this statement, while 11 per cent replied dont know.

The finding will come as a relief to the British Medical Association following fears among some doctors that hitting emergency care would reduce public support for their action. Advance warning of last weeks stoppages gave hospitals time to plan ahead, drafting in consultants to cover for junior doctors and preventing major problems that might have turned opinion against the strikers. However, many patients did stay away from accident and emergency departments because of the action.

With the Government standing firm against concessions on pay for Saturday working, which has been demanded by the BMA, the doctors face a difficult dilemma as they plot their next move. Options include an indefinite strike, stoppages at shorter notice to hit emergency care harder and mass resignations from the NHS.

ORBs survey of 2,000 people was conducted between Wednesday and Friday. The two strikes took place between 8am and 5pm on Tuesday and Wednesday.

In pictures: Junior doctors first all-out strike Show all 10 1 /10 In pictures: Junior doctors first all-out strike In pictures: Junior doctors first all-out strike Doctor in acute medicine, Melissa Haskins, holds up a 'I ain't afraid of no Hunt' sign whilst striking with other junior doctors outside her hospital, St Thomas' Hospital in London Getty Images In pictures: Junior doctors first all-out strike Accident and emergency junior doctor, Jennifer Hulse, holds a homemade placard outside St Thomas' Hospital as she strikes with colleagues in London Getty Images In pictures: Junior doctors first all-out strike Demonstrators and Junior doctors hold placards as they protest outside the Basingstoke and North Hampshire Hospital, in Basingstoke during a strike by junior doctors Getty Images In pictures: Junior doctors first all-out strike Demonstrators and Junior doctors hold placards as they protest outside the Basingstoke and North Hampshire Hospital, in Basingstoke during a strike by junior doctors Getty Images In pictures: Junior doctors first all-out strike A supporter displays a slogan on her bag during a junior doctors' strike outside St Thomas' Hospital in London Reuters In pictures: Junior doctors first all-out strike The picket line outside King's College Hospital in London PA In pictures: Junior doctors first all-out strike The picket line outside King's College Hospital in London, as thousands of junior doctors begun the first all-out strike in the history of the NHS after the Health Secretary said the Government would not be "blackmailed" into dropping its manifesto pledge for a seven-day health service PA In pictures: Junior doctors first all-out strike Junior doctors and supporters take part in a strike outside the Royal United Hospital in Bath Getty Images In pictures: Junior doctors first all-out strike Doctor in acute medicine, Melissa Haskins, holds up a 'I ain't afraid of no Hunt' sign whilst striking with other junior doctors outside her hospital, St Thomas' Hospital in London Getty Images In pictures: Junior doctors first all-out strike Dave Prentis, UNISON general secretary visits a British Medical Association picket line at Royal Sussex County Hospital in Brighton, to show support for striking junior doctors on the second day of the union's annual health conference PA

The strongest levels of support for the striking doctors was among 18-24 year-olds, 68 per cent of whom backed the strike and only 18 per cent believed it was wrong. The most hostile group was those aged 65 and over. Among this group, only 45 per cent thought the doctors were right to strike and 50 per cent opposed the action. But a majority in all age groups under 65 backed the strikes.

Public sector workers (70 per cent) were more likely to say the doctors were right to strike than people working in the private sector (58 per cent).

Support for the doctors action was highest in Scotland (69 per cent), which was not affected by the strikes, the North East (64 per cent) and the West and East Midlands (both 60 per cent). It was at its lowest in Yorkshire and Humberside (48 per cent).

Ministers hope that public sympathy for the doctors will wane if they hold more strikes, forcing the BMA to back down. However, another poll last week suggested that the public increasingly blame the Government for the bitter dispute. YouGov found that the number of people who believe the Government is most to blame has risen from 45 to 52 per cent since February, while the proportion who think the BMA is most responsible has dropped from 12 per cent to 9 per cent. The number blaming both parties equally has fallen from 30 per cent to 27 per cent.
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Labours Mayoral candidate has said he fears his prospects of being elected in London have been dealt a blow by Ken Livingstones highly controversial comments linking Hitler to Zionism.

Sadiq Khan, an ex-Labour minister, admitted the party's leadership had acted too slowly to tackle concerns about racist views in its ranks and conceded there could be electoral fallout following the row over antisemtism within the party.

It comes as around 45 million registered voters prepare to cast their ballots in a slew of elections across the UK this week on Super Thursday  including the hotly contested London Mayoral election. It will be the first significant electoral test of Jeremy Corbyns leadership.

Mr Khan, who is seen as the Oppositions best hope of a positive result in the elections, said in an interview with the Observer he was not convinced by the polls that put him comfortably ahead.

He added: I accept that the comments that Ken Livingstone has made make it more difficult for Londoners of Jewish faith to feel that the Labour party is a place for them, and so I will carry on doing what I have always been doing, which is to speak for everyone. If I should have the privilege to be the mayor I will show Londoners the sort of mayor I can be.

Mr Livingstone, the ex-City Hall chief, who has now been suspended from the Labour Party pending an investigation by the National Executive Committee, last week said in a radio interview: Lets remember, when Hitler won his election in 1932, his policy then was that Jews should be moved to Israel. He was supporting Zionism  this before he went mad and ended up killing six million Jews."

Labour antisemitism row: What Livingstone said Show all 14 1 /14 Labour antisemitism row: What Livingstone said Labour antisemitism row: What Livingstone said On Israel and Palestine The simple fact in all of this is that Naz made these comments at a time when there was another brutal Israeli attack on the Palestinians; and theres one stark fact that virtually no one in the British media ever reports, in almost all these conflicts the death toll is usually between 60 and 100 Palestinians killed for every Israeli. Now, any other country doing that would be accused of war crimes but its like we have a double standard about the policies of the Israeli government Labour antisemitism row: What Livingstone said On Antisemitism in the Labour Party As Ive said, Ive never heard anybody say anything antisemitism-Semitic, but theres been a very well-orchestrated campaign by the Israel lobby to smear anybody who criticises Israeli policy as antisemitic. I had to put up with 35 years of this Labour antisemitism row: What Livingstone said On Naz Shah Its completely over-the-top and rude, but who am I to denounce anyone with all of that. It was wrong. I dont think she is antisemitic, it was incredibly rude but I dont believe she is an antisemite. When the NEC investigation is finished they'll say it was rude and over the top but they wont find any evidence that she actually hates Jews. Weve got to investigate all these charges and the context in which they are made. If she is antisemitic like the other three or four members weve found who are antisemitic, shell be expelled Labour antisemitism row: What Livingstone said On other alleged antisemites in Labour That is part of the classic antisemitic thing about an international Jewish conspiracy  that is the reason we need to have an investigation. Ive got an open mind. Ive seen nothing to suggest to me that she is antisemitic. I wouldnt have supported her if I [thought] she was antisemitic Labour antisemitism row: What Livingstone said On whether what Hitler did was legal, as stated by Naz Shah Thats a statement of fact  Hitler, Im sure, passed all those laws that allowed him to do that  its history  literally, Hitler was completely mad, he killed six million Jews. Shes not saying its legal to kill six million Jews: what they were doing in that country allowed them not just to kill six million Jews, kill all the communists, kill all the leftists like me, my father almost died when a Nazi sub sank his boat. I have no sympathy with Hitler Labour antisemitism row: What Livingstone said On another alleged antisemite in Labour No, that is, and thats why shes been suspended or expelled. What Ive said is that in 47 years of the party in all the meetings Ive been in Ive never heard anyone say anything antisemitic. There are bound to be in a party of half a million people youll have a handful of antisemites, youll have a handful of racists. Youve managed to dig out virtually every antisemitic comment that Labour members have made out of half a million people. Ive never met any of these people. Theres not a problem. Youre talking about a handful of people in a party of half a million people. Jeremy Corbyn has moved rapidly to deal with them Labour antisemitism row: What Livingstone said On Jeremy Corbyns response to the allegations He met with Naz and she agreed she would stand down while the investigation is going on. He called her in to see her. Theres been a huge investigation of virtually everything that anybody put on the internet  many of these people are quite new and recent members of the party that joined in the big influx. 300,000 new people came in Labour antisemitism row: What Livingstone said On his meeting a man accused of antisemitism in London This is the man who called for Muslims around the world to donate blood after the attacks of 9/11 when he came to London I went with him to the Regents Park mosque where he said no man should hit a woman and you should not discriminate against homosexuals. So I cant equate what I heard him say he made no antisemitic statement while he was here in London. I dont investigate people. Ive simply said what I believe to be true which is that Naz was not antisemitic. She was completely over the top, very rude, but that does not make her an antisemite Labour antisemitism row: What Livingstone said On John Manns comments He went completely over the top. I was actually doing a radio interview at the time that he was bellowing that Im a racist antisemite in my ear. Ive had that with John Mann before a few weeks ago screaming that I was a bigot down the phone. Im not an apologist for anyone who makes antisemitic statements. What Im saying is dont confuse antisemitism with criticism of the Israeli government policy Labour antisemitism row: What Livingstone said On calling a Jewish journalist a concentration camp guard whilst Mayor of London I cant tell if a journalist is Jewish or Catholic or anything. If a journalist is chasing you down the street at nine of clock at night you might be rude to them. Some people might have hit him! He said he was just doing his job. We went all the way to the High Court and the judge opened his judgement by saying I hope no one here is going to suggest that Mr Livingstone is antisemitic. We won the case Labour antisemitism row: What Livingstone said On claims about Hitler and Zionism I cant tell if a journalist is Jewish or Catholic or anything. If a journalist is chasing you down the street at nine of clock at night you might be rude to them. Some people might have hit him! He said he was just doing his job. We went all the way to the High Court and the judge opened his judgement by saying I hope no one here is going to suggest that Mr Livingstone is antisemitic. We won the case Labour antisemitism row: What Livingstone said On John Mann Id simply say to John Mann go back and check. Is what I say true, or is it not? The BBC, youve got a huge team of researchers, it will take just an hour or two to go back and confirm. I was asked a question, I answered it. I have never in 45 years since I won my first election, I have never lied. I have always answered the question Labour antisemitism row: What Livingstone said On raising the issue if Hitler It lays you open to people smearing and lying about you. Ive always answered the questions put to me and that simple fact is weve had a handful of people saying antisemitic things in the Labour Party, theyve been suspended, some of them are on their way to being expelled, some of them have been expelled already Labour antisemitism row: What Livingstone said On people calling for him to be suspended All my usual critics  but the simple fact is I agree with them; there is no place for antisemitism in the Labour party. For them to suggest I am antisemitic is a bit bizarre considering we worked with Jewish groups and put on exhibitions about the scale of the holocaust, we worked with Jewish groups to tackling the scale of antisemitism back in the 1970s. Ive always opposed every form of racism whether its against black people or Jews. Im going to stay in the Labour party and continue to fight against all forms of racism and discrimination as I have my entire life

The row led Mr Corbyn to launch an independent inquiry tasked with probing and tackling antisemitism, to be led by Shami Chakrabarti, the former head of rights group Liberty.

A code of conduct will also "make explicitly clear for the first time that Labour will not tolerate any form of racism, including anti-Semitism, in the party" and provide guidance on acceptable language.

The inquiry will be tasked with opening a dialogue with the Jewish community and will report back to Labour headquarters within two months on how the party can best tackle antisemitism and other forms of discrimination.
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MPs have written to Sir Philip Green asking him to attend parliament  where he will be questioned by two parliamentary committees at once.

In a joint letter the Work and Pensions Select Committee and the Business Innovation and Skills Committee both invited the billionaire Arcadia Group boss meet them for a joint session of both committees.

The MPs are probing the sale of BHS, which recently went into administration  amid controversy over its pension arrangements.

Recommended Read more The urgent questions Sir Philip Green needs to answer before MPs

On Saturday the Daily Mail newspaper reported that pensions regulators were looking at the details of BHSs pension fund, which needs 571 million to meet its commitments.

The probe is said to cover whether retirement savings were adequately protected when the firm was sold by Sir Philip for 1 in 2015.

MPs letter of invitation said: The Work and Pensions Select Committee wishes to invite you to give oral evidence to its inquiry into the Pensions Protection Fund and The Pensions Regulator.

Similarly, the Business, Innovation and Skills Committee wishes to invite you to give oral evidence to its inquiry into the sale and acquisition of BHS.

We would be grateful if you could advise of our availability to attend a joint session of both committees in Westminster over the coming weeks.

We anticipate putting some written requests for information to you in advance of the meeting and will be in touch separately to those ends.

BHS went into administration on April 25, putting 11,000 jobs at risk and threatening the future of 164 UK stores.

Administrators are looking to salvage value from the business in talks with suppliers, employees and other parties.
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Lions rescued from circuses in Colombia and Peru have been released into a sanctuary in South Africa.

The 33 lions were given their first chance to explore their new home at the Emoya Big Cat Sanctuary just north of Johannesburg on Sunday after a two-day journey from South America.

One of the lions, a male known as Zeus, let out a roar before stepping out of his cage into the enclosure where the animals will spend the next few months being monitored by a vet.

But the animals will never be able to be released in the wild as they have been bred in captivity and do not know how to hunt.

Several of them were also mutilated by circus owners who broke their teeth and removed their claws.

The lions were freed after the use of wild animals in circuses was outlawed in the countries.

Tim Phillips, the co-founder of Animal Defenders International (ADI) which led the rescue of the lions, said they were "remarkably calm after such a long journey.

A lion awaiting freedom en route to South Africa (Getty Images)

"It was a dream come true watching them step of those cages into their new homes in the African bush."

ADI spokeswoman Han Creamer told the BBC: "This is a hugely important rescue mission because it does make a statement around the world about the way people treat animals.

"These lions have suffered tremendously."

Where not to visit if you love animals Show all 9 1 /9 Where not to visit if you love animals Where not to visit if you love animals Monkey shows Chimpanzees are forced to perform demeaning tricks on leashes and are often subject to cruel training techniques. Animals who are confined to small, barren enclosures and forced to perform unsurprisingly show symptoms of stress and depression. Chimpanzees have been documented rocking back and forth, sucking their lips, salivating and swaying against enclosure perimeters in distress. Getty Where not to visit if you love animals Marine parks Some parks confine orcas to concrete tanks and force them to perform meaningless tricks for food - many die in captivity. Orcas are highly intelligent and social mammals who may suffer immensely, both physically and mentally, when they're held in captivity. Getty Where not to visit if you love animals Tiger shows Tigers are forced to live in an unnatural and barren environment and have to endure interactions with a constant stream of tourists. Since tigers never lose their wild instincts, across the world they are reportedly drugged, mutilated and restrained in order to make them safe for the public. However, every year, incidents of tiger maulings are reported at this type of tourist attraction. Getty Where not to visit if you love animals Donkey rides Sunning on the beach is great for humans  we can take a quick dip or catch a bite to eat when we get too hot or hungry. But it's pure hell for donkeys who are confined to the beach and forced to cart children around on the hot sand. Some donkey-ride operators at beach resorts in the UK even keep the animals chained together at all times. Getty Where not to visit if you love animals Swimming with dolphins Some marine parks use bottlenose dolphins in performances and offer visitors the opportunity to swim with dolphins. Unfortunately, people are often unaware that these animals are captured in the wild and torn from their families or traded between different parks around the world. Getty Where not to visit if you love animals Canned hunting Lions are confined to fenced areas so that they can easily be cornered, with no chance of escape. Most of them will have been bred in captivity and then taken from their mothers to be hand-reared by the cub-petting industry. When they get too big, they may be drugged before they are released into a "hunting" enclosure. Because these animals are usually kept in fenced enclosures (ranging in size from just a few square yards to thousands of acres), they never stand a chance of surviving. Getty Where not to visit if you love animals Running of the Bulls Every year, tourists travel to Pamplona for the Running of the Bulls. The bulls who are forced to slip and slide down the town's narrow cobblestone streets are chased straight into the bullring. They are then taunted, stabbed repeatedly and finally killed by the matador in front of a jeering crowd. The majority of Spaniards reject bullfighting, but tourists are keeping the cruel industry on its last legs. Getty Where not to visit if you love animals Horse-drawn carriages City streets are no place for horses. The animals toil in all weather extremes, suffering from respiratory distress from breathing in exhaust fumes as well as numerous hoof, leg and back problems from walking on pavement all day long. As easily spooked prey animals, horses subjected to the loud noises and unexpected sounds of city streets are likely to be involved in accidents, even deadly ones. Getty Where not to visit if you love animals Zoos The zoo community regards the animals it keeps as commodities, and animals are regularly bought, sold, borrowed and traded without any regard for established relationships. Zoos breed animals because the presence of babies draws visitors and boosts revenue, yet often, there's nowhere to put the offspring as they grow, and they are killed, as we saw with Marius the giraffe in Denmark. Some zoos have introduced evening events with loud music and alcohol which disrupt the incarcerated animals even further. EPA

Peru banned the use of animals in circuses in 2011 and Colombia followed in 2013.

They are among a handful of countries which have totally banned the use of any animal in circuses which is not normally domesticated.

There has been an ongoing battle to get the practice outlawed in England - it is under the jurisdiction of the regional parliaments in the rest of the UK - as 12 private member's bills previously failed to get through their first reading in the House of Commons after being blocked by backbenchers.

A lion in his cage in Peru waiting to be taken to South Africa (Getty Images)

A fresh attempt was launched by a cross-party group of MPs in February but Conservative backbencher Christopher Chope - who was one of those who previously blocked the ban - said in the House of Commons that good Conservatives should argue for less regulation and prohibition.

He said: I think we have reached a compromise here where weve got a proper, tight welfare licensing regime without the need for a total ban or prohibition.

Despite this 94 per cent of people in England and Wales support the ban, according to animal rights charity Peta.

Additional reporting by AP
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A man has been arrested in connection with the death of a woman from Maine who he is accused of killing during sex, using her credit card to buy dinner and returning to have sex with her corpse.

Timothy Johnson, 25, from Florida, was arrested in connection with the murder after the body of 52-year-old Judith Therianos, who had last been seen on 14 March, was discovered in a wood near Tampa.

According to an arrest affidavit, the cause of death was homicidal violence, with police believing Ms Therianos, who was visiting Florida on holiday, was killed during or immediately after sexual intercourse, ABC News reported.

The affidavit also stated Johnson stole Ms Therianos credit card and used it to buy himself food from Waffle House, which he ate before allegedly returning to Ms Therianos body, when police believe he had sex with her corpse.

The pair are thought to have met outside an off-licence, bought alcohol together, and reportedly went to some nearby woods where it is alleged they had sex.

Ms Therianos body was found on 7 April in a wood close to a highway in New Port Richey, about 30 miles from Tampa, almost a month after the mother-of-three was reported missing. An autopsy cited the cause of death as a blunt force trauma to the head.

Johnson is currently being held at the Land O' Lakes Detention Center.
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A highly anticipated monument honouring World War II veteran has grabbed the attention of onlookers, but unfortunately not for its craftsmanship.

Only a few days after the unveiling of the statute depicting General William Darby, visitors noticed the word American had been misspelt on the $200,000 statues plaque, missing out the I and reading Amercan instead, 5 News reports.

The bronze monument honouring General Darby, who founded the US Army Rangers, was installed on Monday and formally dedicated on Saturday in Fort Smith, Arkansas, after years of the effigy being absent from a plinth in the citys Cisterna Park.

Hundreds of people, including former Army Rangers and veterans from around the country, turned out to witness the statues unveiling, which was described by one local as the "greatest thing that ever happened to the city of Fort Smith."

CGSC

It took three years for the Darby Legacy Project to fund and organise the installation of the 12ft monument, It was funded by private donations and the sale of personalised dedication bricks, which cost $75 (50), according to the projects website.

A spokesperson for the Darby Legacy Project told 5 News, the group are aware of the error and are in the process of correcting the mistake.

Brigadier General William Orlando Darby was born in Fort Smith in 1911 and is best known for his organisation of the First Ranger Battalion during World War II. He died on 10 April 1945 after a shell burst in the middle of a group of assembled officers while he was issuing orders for the attack on Trento, Italy to cut off a German retreat. Two days later, on 2 May 1945, all German forces in Italy surrendered.

General Darby, who was 34 at the time of his death, was posthumously promoted to brigadier general on 15 May 1945.

He was known as an exemplary leader in combat, and he always led his men into battle, the Darby Legacy Project says. The life size monument is a recreation of documented pictures of General Darby riding a Harley Davidson during World War II.
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A longtime peace activist whose repeated acts of civil disobedience made him a major figure in the radical left of the 1960s and 70s, has died.

The Rev Daniel J Berrigan, a writer and teacher, who spent years at loggerheads with his government and the Roman Catholic Church, died on 30 April at a Jesuit residence at Fordham University in the Bronx, aged 94.

The cause was a cardiovascular ailment, said the Rev James Yannarell, a priest affiliated with the Fordham Jesuit community.

In May 1968, Father Berrigan, his brother and fellow priest Philip Berrigan, and seven other activists entered a Selective Service office in Catonsville, Maryland.

They gathered hundreds of draft files, lugged them outside and, with a recipe of kerosene and soap chips taken from a Green Berets handbook, burned them to ashes. The Catonsville Nine, as they became known, were arrested, and in a five-day trial in October 1968, they were found guilty of destruction of government property.

Father Berrigan wrote a play about the event, The Trial of the Catonsville Nine.

Our apologies, good friends, he wrote, for the fracture of good order, the burning of paper instead of children, the angering of the orderlies in the front of the charnel house. We could not, so help us God, do otherwise.

The judge sentenced Father Berrigan, then 47, to three years in federal prison. Philip Berrigan, who had been charged in earlier protests, received a longer sentence.

In 1970, after the appeals ran out, Father Berrigan refused orders to report to federal prison in Danbury, Connecticut. He went underground, on the lam from safe house to safe house, and spent four months dodging an FBI manhunt. After many false leads, he was caught on Block Island, off the coast of Rhode Island. Days before he was captured, he spoke at a church in Germantown, Philadelphia, saying, We have chosen to be branded peace criminals by war criminals. He ultimately served two years in prison.

Father Berrigan was a willing recidivist who was first arrested in 1967. His rap sheet would eventually be filled with arrests and convictions from protests at weapons laboratories and at the Pentagon.

Daniel Joseph Berrigan was born May 9, 1921, in Virginia, Minnesota, the fifth of six sons of a pro-union father and a mother who opened her home to the poor.

In 1939, Daniel Berrigan entered the former St. Andrew-on-the-Hudson Jesuit novitiate near Poughkeepsie, New York. During his years of theological training, he wrote poetry and taught at Catholic high schools, preparing for a career of teaching or pastoring. He was ordained in 1952.

In the mid-1950s, he taught at Brooklyn Preparatory High School in New York. From 1957 to 1962, he taught theology at Le Moyne College in Syracuse, New York.

Over the decades, Father Berrigans forays into the academy also included stints at Cornell University, the University of Detroit, Loyola University New Orleans, DePaul University and the University of California at Berkeley. During the Vietnam War years and after, he believed that universities had become tools of the government, military and corporate giants.

With no conventional ministry, Father Berrigan operated for more than 40 years out of a small commune known as the West Side Jesuit Community on West 98th Street in Manhattan. He aligned himself with Dorothy Day and the pacifist Catholic Worker movement and formed a friendship with Thomas Merton, the Trappist monk who was also moving away from conventional priestly piety by condemning US involvement in Vietnam.

In 1968, Father Berrigan traveled with Howard Zinn, the liberal political activist and historian, to North Vietnam in a successful effort to bring back three captured US pilots. Father Berrigan was affiliated with several Catholic antiwar groups and later ministered to AIDS patients.

In 1980, he and his brother Philip were instrumental in forming the Plowshares Movement, a loose coalition of pacifists who were often arrested for acts of civil disobedience at military bases and other sites, including a nuclear-missile facility in Pennsylvania.

Among those jailed was actor Martin Sheen, who once said, Mother Teresa drove me back to Catholicism, but Daniel Berrigan keeps me there.

In 1965, Cardinal Francis Spellman, a supporter of the Vietnam War, told Father Berrigans Jesuit superiors to get the agitator out of New York City. He was sent to South America, but seeing the conditions in the slums of Peru and Brazil made him more militant, not less. He believed that the Catholic Church too often sided with the rich, and he criticized a US foreign policy that included the sale of weapons to rightist military regimes.

Father Berrigan took aim at his fellow Jesuits when he wrote his Ten Commandments for the Long Haul (1981).

The Jesuits are masters of invention, he wrote in his provocative manifesto. They come out of the culture, they know how to take its pulse, try its winds and trim their sails. Nothing extravagant, nothing ahead of its time, nothing too fast. Consensus! Consensus!

Father Berrigan wrote more than 40 books, including a 1987 autobiography, To Dwell in Peace, He wrote numerous volumes of poetry, including Time Without Number (1957), which won the Lamont Poetry Award, and Prison Poems (1973).

His brother Philip died in 2002. Survivors include a sister.

In a 2008 interview in The Nation magazine, Father Berrigan echoed a line of Mother Teresas that spiritual people should be more concerned about being faithful than being successful.

The good is to be done because it is good, not because it goes somewhere, he said. I believe if it is done in that spirit it will go somewhere, but I dont know where. I have never been seriously interested in the outcome. I was interested in trying to do it humanely and carefully and nonviolently and let it go.

The Washington Post 
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Starbucks is being sued for $5 million over claims it is misleading customers by putting too much ice in its iced drinks.

Stacy Pincus, from Illinois, alleges the firm is falsely advertising drinks, because a cup with ice cubes in does not contain the advertised amount of liquid.

Starbucks advertises all its drinks according to the size of the cup they are served in. For instance, a Grande sized drink comes in a 16 oz (454ml) cup.

In some cases, Ms Pincus claims, the cup will contain only half as much as the advertised amount due to the space taken up by ice cubes. She is demanding $5 million (around 3.4 million) in damages and restitution.

Ms Pincus filed a class action complaint on the basis that plaintiff and other consumers relied on Starbucks misrepresentations in purchasing Cold Drinks, and would not have paid as much if anything, for the Cold Drinks had the true facts regarding the true amount of fluid ounces they were getting been disclosed.

As a result, Ms Pincus claims to have suffered injury in fact and lost money or property.

Starbucks told TMZ the lawsuit was absurd: Our customers understand and expect that ice is an essential component of any iced beverage."

The ten most ridiculous lawsuits Show all 10 1 /10 The ten most ridiculous lawsuits The ten most ridiculous lawsuits 188990.bin The ten most ridiculous lawsuits 188988.bin GGetty The ten most ridiculous lawsuits 188964.bin Getty The ten most ridiculous lawsuits 188987.bin The ten most ridiculous lawsuits 188986.bin Getty The ten most ridiculous lawsuits 188981.bin Getty The ten most ridiculous lawsuits 188985.bin Getty The ten most ridiculous lawsuits 188982.bin Getty The ten most ridiculous lawsuits 188983.bin Wikipedia The ten most ridiculous lawsuits 188984.bin Getty

They said they would gladly re-make any drink that the customer was not satisfied with.

Starbucks was also sued around a month ago after being accused of under-filling its cups.

Siera Strumlauf and Benjamin Robles, from California, made a legal claim against Starbucks for taking payment for more product than it delivers.
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By Ted Cruzs own admission, this is make or break.

As the Texas senator campaigns across Indiana ahead of Tuesdays vital primary, he has warned his supporters he is fighting for the very future of his presidential hopes. If he allows Donald Trump, the Republican frontrunner, to win here, the battle for the coveted nomination is effectively over.

I cant emphasise enough how important the vote in Indiana is going to be and, frankly, it could be the deciding factor, he wrote to supporters last week.

Make no mistake, Indiana is absolutely pivotal. The bad news is that if Trump wins all the delegates in Indiana, his nomination could be all but determined.

Mr Cruz is desperate to stop the New York tycoon from securing the 1,237 delegates he needs to secure the partys nomination ahead of its convention in July.

It is mathematically impossible for Mr Cruz to himself win the nomination before the gathering in Cleveland; his only hope is of blocking Mr Trump and forcing a so-called contested convention, where he believes the party would unite around him. But if Mr Trump wins Indiana and its treasure trove of 57 delegates, it becomes increasingly likely he will become the partys candidate.

Mr Cruz, a devout Christian, has been trying to reach out to Indianas social conservatives, of which there are a large number in the state. In recent days, he has been trying to incite controversy surrounding transgender peoples use of lavatories.

A number of states have passed laws that demand a person only use the toilet designated for the gender of their birth rather than how they identify. Campaigners for LGBT rights say the laws are discriminatory. But Mr Cruz has been telling voters he supports the measures and is seeking to contrast himself with Mr Trump.

Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton both agree that grown men should be allowed to use the little girls restroom, Mr Cruz said last week, at an event where he appeared with his daughters, aged seven and five.

In another attempt to reach out to conservatives, and to seek to highlight Mr Trumps unpopularity among women voters, Mr Cruz named Carly Fiorina as his running mate, a step that is unprecedented at this stage in the campaign.

His campaign also did a deal with the third Republican candidate, John Kasich, whereby the Ohio Governor agreed not to campaign in Indiana in exchange for an undertaking from Mr Cruz to reciprocate the favour and stand aside in Oregon, which votes on 17 May, and New Mexico, which votes on 7 June. He has also boasted about winning the endorsement of Indiana Governor Mike Pence.

Yet it is unclear whether any of this will be enough to allow Mr Cruz to beat the thrice-married reality TV host he is facing off against.

Polls in Indiana have provided a mixed picture: one published last week suggested Mr Cruz had a clear lead over Mr Trump. But the majority suggest the advantage lies with the abrasive New Yorker. An average of polls collated by Real Clear Politics puts Mr Trump on 39 points, ahead of Mr Cruz on 35 and Mr Kasich on 17.

One poll published over the weekend by NBC News and the Wall Street Journal suggested Mr Trump had a lead of as many as 15 points over Mr Cruz, scoring the race 49, 34 and 13.

Meanwhile, among Democrats, polls suggest Hillary Clinton has a 50-44 advance over her rival, Bernie Sanders. Ms Clinton looks on course to secure the partys nomination ahead of its convention, and her campaign is already looking towards the general election contest, most likely against Mr Trump.

Yesterday, Mr Cruz again said he could derail Mr Trumps plans by winning Indiana.

We are competing hard. I hope we do well here. I can tell you Im barnstorming the state; were in a bus with my family, were doing everything we can to earn the votes of the men and women in this state, he told ABC News.

Were going the distance. Were competing the entire distance.

The senator, who is trailing Mr Trump by 431 delegates, insisted he had a viable route to victory.

Were going to go into Cleveland. It's going to be a contested convention, he said. I believe at the convention, the highest total Trump gets, it will be the first ballot and that we are seeing the party unite behind our campaign.
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Venezuela has put its clocks forward by half an hour to save electricity.

President Nicolas Maduro ordered the time change - which will mean lighter evenings - to deal with a chronic shortage of electricity caused by a drought which has drained its hydroelectric dams.

It is part of a range of measures to deal with the crisis, with the country already having ordered rolling blackouts and reduced the public sector working week to just two days.

The government has also ordered schools to close on Fridays, while shopping malls must generate their own energy and reduce their opening hours.

Mr Maduro has also suggested more unusual energy-saving methods such as foregoing hair dryers.

Announcing the latest change, science and technology minister Jorge Arreaza said the move would reduce the night-time use of lighting and air conditioning.

He said: "It will be simple to move the clock forward a half hour - this will allow us to enjoy more daylight, and it wont get dark so early".

People queuing to buy basic foodstuffs in Caracas, Venezuela (Marco Bello/Reuters)

The change means Venezuela will return to the timezone it had before 2007, when late President Hugo Chavez moved it back half an hour.

It will now be four hours behind Greenwich Mean Time.

It comes with the country is in the midst of a major economic crisis caused by the global collapse of the price of oil, the BBC reports.

In pictures: Venezuela elections Show all 10 1 /10 In pictures: Venezuela elections In pictures: Venezuela elections An opposition masked man holds a Venezuelan national flag as supporters of Venezuelan opposition coalition Mesa de Unidad Democratica (MUD) celebrate the victory of the party in Caracas, after the Venezuelan National Election Council's President, Tibisay Lucena (unseen), announced that MUD won the legislative election EPA In pictures: Venezuela elections Several people celebrate in a street in Caracas EPA In pictures: Venezuela elections A woman reacts as people celebrates in a street in Caracas EPA In pictures: Venezuela elections Humberto Lopez, known as "El Che", reacts as National Electoral Council (CNE) President Tibisay Lucena announces the official results of parliamentary elections in Caracas. Venezuela's opposition won control of the legislature from the ruling Socialists for the first time in 16 years, giving them a long-sought platform to challenge President Nicolas Maduro Reuters In pictures: Venezuela elections Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro speaks after listening to the results of the legislative elections in Caracas. The Venezuelan opposition won national elections by a landslide, with at least 99 of the 167 seats confirmed for the alliance of the Democratic Unity Roundtable (MUD). It was the first defeat of the socialist movement since its founder Hugo Chavez came to power in a 1998 electionelection In pictures: Venezuela elections Opposition leaders, from left to right, Lilian Tintori, wife of jailed Venezuelan opposition leader Leopoldo Lopez, Freddy Guevara, of the Voluntad Popular party, Jesus Torrealba, head of the Democratic Unity Movement (MUD) party and deputy Julio Borges celebrate in Caracas. Venezuela's opposition won control of the National Assembly by a landslide, delivering a major setback to the ruling party and altering the balance of power after 17 years of socialist rule AP In pictures: Venezuela elections Venezuelan opposition leader Henrique Capriles votes in the legislative election, in Caracas Getty Images In pictures: Venezuela elections A citizen votes in the legislative election in Caracas Getty Images In pictures: Venezuela elections Presidential Guard officers hold their national identification cards as they enter a polling station during congressional elections in Caracas AP In pictures: Venezuela elections Voters enter a public school serving as a polling station, decorated with an image of Venezuela's late President Hugo Chavez, right, and current President Nicolas Maduro, during congressional elections in Caracas. The system built by Chavez faces its gravest electoral test as voters cast ballots in what seems to have become a tightening race for control of the national legislature AP

The bloated public sector and generous benefits propped up the economy for many years using the revenues from oil but now the country is suffering from a shortage of basic goods and food.

Mr Maduro announced on Saturday evening that he was also ordering a 30 per cent increase in the minimum wage to fight economic stagnation.

The increase - which came into force on Sunday - follows a 25 per cent increase in 1 March.

The new minimum wage is 15,051 bolivars a month, around 1,035 at the official exchange rate but around 34.22 at the black market rate - which largely sets the price of goods in Venezuela.

People signing petition to impeach President Nicolas Maduro. Opposition leaders say nearly two million have signed the petition so far (EPA)

Mr Maduro has claimed the situation is caused by an economic war against the country by the USs capitalist business elite.

But opposition parties who took control of the countrys Congress in December have accused Mr Maduro of economic mismanagement.

They have started a campaign to oust him by launching a petition to have him removed from office.

On Saturday they said the petition to impeach him had already gathered nearly two million signatures from voters.
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An 15-month-old baby has reportedly been burned alive in what is believed to have been a revenge attack on his family.

Two men, Billa and Hari Singh, are accused of forcing their way into a house in Amritsar, India, and setting fire to baby Harman.

The boy later died in hospital after suffering 90 per cent burns.

He was with his mother, Bholi, when the two men poured kerosene over him and fled the scene, the Chandigarh Tribune reports.

Harman and his mother had been staying with her husbands sister for several weeks after the couple had become estranged.

A formal complaint filed by Harmans uncle, Satnam Singh, alleged the pair had wanted to take revenge on the family as they suspected they had given local police information which led to the arrest of their relatives, Gurpreet and Gopi Singh, for theft.

World news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 World news in pictures World news in pictures 30 September 2020 Pope Francis prays with priests at the end of a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 29 September 2020 A girl's silhouette is seen from behind a fabric in a tent along a beach by Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 September 2020 A Chinese woman takes a photo of herself in front of a flower display dedicated to frontline health care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic in Beijing, China. China will celebrate national day marking the founding of the People's Republic of China on October 1st Getty World news in pictures 27 September 2020 The Glass Mountain Inn burns as the Glass Fire moves through the area in St. Helena, California. The fast moving Glass fire has burned over 1,000 acres and has destroyed homes Getty World news in pictures 26 September 2020 A villager along with a child offers prayers next to a carcass of a wild elephant that officials say was electrocuted in Rani Reserve Forest on the outskirts of Guwahati, India AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 September 2020 The casket of late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is seen in Statuary Hall in the US Capitol to lie in state in Washington, DC AFP via Getty World news in pictures 24 September 2020 An anti-government protester holds up an image of a pro-democracy commemorative plaque at a rally outside Thailand's parliament in Bangkok, as activists gathered to demand a new constitution AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 September 2020 A whale stranded on a beach in Macquarie Harbour on the rugged west coast of Tasmania, as hundreds of pilot whales have died in a mass stranding in southern Australia despite efforts to save them, with rescuers racing to free a few dozen survivors The Mercury/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 22 September 2020 State civil employee candidates wearing face masks and shields take a test in Surabaya AFP via Getty World news in pictures 21 September 2020 A man sweeps at the Taj Mahal monument on the day of its reopening after being closed for more than six months due to the coronavirus pandemic AP World news in pictures 20 September 2020 A deer looks for food in a burnt area, caused by the Bobcat fire, in Pearblossom, California EPA World news in pictures 19 September 2020 Anti-government protesters hold their mobile phones aloft as they take part in a pro-democracy rally in Bangkok. Tens of thousands of pro-democracy protesters massed close to Thailand's royal palace, in a huge rally calling for PM Prayut Chan-O-Cha to step down and demanding reforms to the monarchy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 September 2020 Supporters of Iraqi Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr maintain social distancing as they attend Friday prayers after the coronavirus disease restrictions were eased, in Kufa mosque, near Najaf, Iraq Reuters World news in pictures 17 September 2020 A protester climbs on The Triumph of the Republic at 'the Place de la Nation' as thousands of protesters take part in a demonstration during a national day strike called by labor unions asking for better salary and against jobs cut in Paris, France EPA World news in pictures 16 September 2020 A fire raging near the Lazzaretto of Ancona in Italy. The huge blaze broke out overnight at the port of Ancona. Firefighters have brought the fire under control but they expected to keep working through the day EPA World news in pictures 15 September 2020 Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny posing for a selfie with his family at Berlin's Charite hospital. In an Instagram post he said he could now breathe independently following his suspected poisoning last month Alexei Navalny/Instagram/AFP World news in pictures 14 September 2020 Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga, former Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba and former Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida celebrate after Suga was elected as new head of the ruling party at the Liberal Democratic Party's leadership election in Tokyo Reuters World news in pictures 13 September 2020 A man stands behind a burning barricade during the fifth straight day of protests against police brutality in Bogota AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 September 2020 Police officers block and detain protesters during an opposition rally to protest the official presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus. Daily protests calling for the authoritarian president's resignation are now in their second month AP World news in pictures 11 September 2020 Members of 'Omnium Cultural' celebrate the 20th 'Festa per la llibertat' ('Fiesta for the freedom') to mark the Day of Catalonia in Barcelona. Omnion Cultural fights for the independence of Catalonia EPA World news in pictures 10 September 2020 The Moria refugee camp, two days after Greece's biggest migrant camp, was destroyed by fire. Thousands of asylum seekers on the island of Lesbos are now homeless AFP via Getty World news in pictures 9 September 2020 Pope Francis takes off his face mask as he arrives by car to hold a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 8 September 2020 A home is engulfed in flames during the "Creek Fire" in the Tollhouse area of California AFP via Getty World news in pictures 7 September 2020 A couple take photos along a sea wall of the waves brought by Typhoon Haishen in the eastern port city of Sokcho AFP via Getty World news in pictures 6 September 2020 Novak Djokovic and a tournament official tends to a linesperson who was struck with a ball by Djokovic during his match against Pablo Carreno Busta at the US Open USA Today Sports/Reuters World news in pictures 5 September 2020 Protesters confront police at the Shrine of Remembrance in Melbourne, Australia, during an anti-lockdown rally AFP via Getty World news in pictures 4 September 2020 A woman looks on from a rooftop as rescue workers dig through the rubble of a damaged building in Beirut. A search began for possible survivors after a scanner detected a pulse one month after the mega-blast at the adjacent port AFP via Getty World news in pictures 3 September 2020 A full moon next to the Virgen del Panecillo statue in Quito, Ecuador EPA World news in pictures 2 September 2020 A Palestinian woman reacts as Israeli forces demolish her animal shed near Hebron in the Israeli-occupied West Bank Reuters World news in pictures 1 September 2020 Students protest against presidential elections results in Minsk TUT.BY/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 31 August 2020 The pack rides during the 3rd stage of the Tour de France between Nice and Sisteron AFP via Getty World news in pictures 30 August 2020 Law enforcement officers block a street during a rally of opposition supporters protesting against presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus Reuters World news in pictures 29 August 2020 A woman holding a placard reading "Stop Censorship - Yes to the Freedom of Expression" shouts in a megaphone during a protest against the mandatory wearing of face masks in Paris. Masks, which were already compulsory on public transport, in enclosed public spaces, and outdoors in Paris in certain high-congestion areas around tourist sites, were made mandatory outdoors citywide on August 28 to fight the rising coronavirus infections AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 August 2020 Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe bows to the national flag at the start of a press conference at the prime minister official residence in Tokyo. Abe announced he will resign over health problems, in a bombshell development that kicks off a leadership contest in the world's third-largest economy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 27 August 2020 Residents take cover behind a tree trunk from rubber bullets fired by South African Police Service (SAPS) in Eldorado Park, near Johannesburg, during a protest by community members after a 16-year old boy was reported dead AFP via Getty World news in pictures 26 August 2020 People scatter rose petals on a statue of Mother Teresa marking her 110th birth anniversary in Ahmedabad AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 August 2020 An aerial view shows beach-goers standing on salt formations in the Dead Sea near Ein Bokeq, Israel Reuters World news in pictures 24 August 2020 Health workers use a fingertip pulse oximeter and check the body temperature of a fisherwoman inside the Dharavi slum during a door-to-door Covid-19 coronavirus screening in Mumbai AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 August 2020 People carry an idol of the Hindu god Ganesh, the deity of prosperity, to immerse it off the coast of the Arabian sea during the Ganesh Chaturthi festival in Mumbai, India Reuters World news in pictures 22 August 2020 Firefighters watch as flames from the LNU Lightning Complex fires approach a home in Napa County, California AP World news in pictures 21 August 2020 Members of the Israeli security forces arrest a Palestinian demonstrator during a rally to protest against Israel's plan to annex parts of the occupied West Bank AFP via Getty World news in pictures 20 August 2020 A man pushes his bicycle through a deserted road after prohibitory orders were imposed by district officials for a week to contain the spread of the Covid-19 in Kathmandu AFP via Getty World news in pictures 19 August 2020 A car burns while parked at a residence in Vacaville, California. Dozens of fires are burning out of control throughout Northern California as fire resources are spread thin AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 August 2020 Students use their mobile phones as flashlights at an anti-government rally at Mahidol University in Nakhon Pathom. Thailand has seen near-daily protests in recent weeks by students demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-O-Cha AFP via Getty World news in pictures 17 August 2020 Members of the Kayapo tribe block the BR163 highway during a protest outside Novo Progresso in Para state, Brazil. Indigenous protesters blocked a major transamazonian highway to protest against the lack of governmental support during the COVID-19 novel coronavirus pandemic and illegal deforestation in and around their territories AFP via Getty World news in pictures 16 August 2020 Lightning forks over the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge as a storm passes over Oakland AP World news in pictures 15 August 2020 Belarus opposition supporters gather near the Pushkinskaya metro station where Alexander Taraikovsky, a 34-year-old protester died on August 10, during their protest rally in central Minsk AFP via Getty World news in pictures 14 August 2020 AlphaTauri's driver Daniil Kvyat takes part in the second practice session at the Circuit de Catalunya in Montmelo near Barcelona ahead of the Spanish F1 Grand Prix AFP via Getty World news in pictures 13 August 2020 Soldiers of the Brazilian Armed Forces during a disinfection of the Christ The Redeemer statue at the Corcovado mountain prior to the opening of the touristic attraction in Rio AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 August 2020 Young elephant bulls tussle playfully on World Elephant Day at the Amboseli National Park in Kenya AFP via Getty

Local police spokesman Jagjit Singh said the matter was under investigation and no arrests had yet been made.
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Indonesia is taking steps to ban new palm oil operations after forest fires in the country last year were partly blamed on the industrys expansion, but producers warn the move could affect the economy.

President Joko Widodo has proposed a halt on granting new land for palm oil plantations. The country is the worlds top producer of the edible vegetable oil  a main ingredient in goods such as biscuits, shampoo and make-up.

It is the latest move by Mr Widodo aimed at reducing environmental damage caused by the industry and preventing annual smog outbreaks in Indonesia.

A forest fire in South Sumatra (Getty)

Palm oil concessions available at the moment are already adequate, Mr Widodo said in a statement. He urged producers to concentrate on using better seeds to increase their yields.

The demand for palm oil has soared in recent years, and plantations in Sumatra island and the Indonesian part of Borneo have expanded to meet demand, bringing huge profits to companies and tax revenues to the government.

The growth has been blamed for the destruction of tropical forests that are home to endangered species, and forest fires that occur every year due to illegal slash-and-burn clearances in the dry season.

Bu the Indonesian Palm Oil Association warned that palm oil is a mainstay of South-East Asias biggest economy, and supports 24 million jobs.

Drivers negotiate the roads amidst thick smog in Indonesia. (AFP)

Palm oil is a strategic sector which contributed $19 billion in exports in 2015, Tofan Madji, a spokesman for the group, told ABC news.

It contributes to economic growth, especially in remote areas.

Activists were cautious about the proposal, with Greenpeace Indonesia warning it would not be effective unless the Government introduced tough regulation rather than presidential instruction, ABC news reported.

Kiki Taufik, a Greenpeace Indonesia forest campaigner told ABC news that various parts of government would need to work effectively together for the ban to operate smoothly.

He told them: This is probably one of the hardest parts  lack of coordination among officials is common and it often leads to bad implementation of regulations.

Forest fires in 2015 destroyed more than two million hectares of forest throughout Indonesia, according to Nature. Aggravated by the El Nino weather pattern, the fires were among the worst the country has seen.
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A Chinese Buddhist monk who died away in 2012 has been covered with gold leaf and is expected to be used as a shrine.

Fu Hou was a devout Buddhist monk, who began studying Buddhism at the age of 13, and remained practising until he died at the age of 94, the Telegraph reports.

(Rex Features)

Following his decision that he wanted to be preserved after his death, Fu Hous body was treated by two mummification experts and placed in a jar.

Mummification and preservation is a treatment reserved for devout men, and it is believed that only the bodies of truly virtuous Buddhists will remain intact.

(Rex Features)

Three years after mummification, Fu Hous body was found to still be well preserved, and to have remained in the upright sitting position in which it was mummified.

The monks body has now been covered in gauze, laquer and gold leaf, and he is due to be placed in a glass case on top of a mountain so that he may inspire others to follow Buddhism.
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A teenage boy accidentally shot himself in the head with his father's gun while trying to take a 'selfie'.

Ramandeep Singh is undergoing treatment for his injuries in a hospital in Pathankot, in the Indian state of Punjab, but is expected to survive.

This accident comes after a series selfie-related injuries across India, including people being run over on train lines, falling to their deaths and even being attacked by elephants.

Deputy police superintendent Manoj Kumar said: "The boy's father and family said he was trying to take a selfie with his gun.

"We will speak to the boy when he is declared medically fit.

"We think that part of the blame obviously goes to the father for not keeping his loaded gun under lock and key at their home."

In January, Police in Mumbai identified 16 dangerous selfie spots in the city following an incident in which a man had to save a woman who fell into the sea while taking a photo.

World in selfies Show all 20 1 /20 World in selfies World in selfies Argentina World in selfies Australia World in selfies Brazil World in selfies Canada World in selfies China World in selfies France World in selfies Hawaii World in selfies Iceland World in selfies India World in selfies Indian Ocean World in selfies Italy World in selfies Japan World in selfies Malaysia World in selfies Mexico World in selfies Pacific Ocean World in selfies Russia World in selfies Saudi Arabia World in selfies South Africa World in selfies UK World in selfies USA

In the same month, a young man taking a selfie on top of the Reasi Fort in Kammu and Kashmir fell to his death.

And in April, a man was seriously injured by an elephant while attempting to take a selfie in front of a chained animal in Kerala.
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A ferris wheel at a newly opened amusement park in Thailand caught fire during a major thunderstorm.

The fire broke out at Bangkoks Dinosaur Planet theme park, which opened a month ago, when one of the pods on the parks 50-foot Dinosaur Eye caught alight at around 2.30pm on Saturday.

The ride was empty at the time of the fire, as operations had been stopped prior to the storm as part of Dinosaur Planets standard safety protocol.

Photos and social media posts showed the pod ablaze, with black smoke billowing into the air.

Fire services were quickly dispatched to the scene, and the park reported no one was injured.

The cause of the fire is still being investigated, but officials say it could be due to an electrical short-circuit. The rest of the park is open for business.
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Berlin has banned tourists from renting entire apartments through Airbnb and its competitors in an attempt to protect affordable housing.

With the help of large fines, the German city's authorities are hoping to protect the property supply and keep rents as low as possible.

After the success of the various online rental portals, the number of properties available for long-term rental periods had fallen markedly

But from 1 May, the new law entitled "Zweckentfremdungsverbot" bans the short-term let of entire apartments to tourists without a city permit.

If found flouting these rules, Berliners can be fined up to 100,000 (78,371).

The law was passed in 2014, but with a two-year transition period before coming into effect, which ended on April 30.

Following the implementation of the policy, non-city residents will be only allowed to rent out rooms via internet portals, not entire flats and houses.

 Shark infested Airbnb

Berlin's head of urban development, Andreas Geise, told The Local the law was "a necessary and sensible instrument against the housing shortage in Berlin".

He added: "I am absolutely determined to return such misappropriated apartments to the people of Berlin and to newcomers."

As a result of of the April 30 deadline, Airbnb listings dropped by 40 per cent in a month.

48 Hours In: Berlin Show all 4 1 /4 48 Hours In: Berlin 48 Hours In: Berlin 117841.bin AP 48 Hours In: Berlin 117842.bin Reuters 48 Hours In: Berlin 117843.bin 48 Hours In: Berlin 117844.bin

Airbnb spokesman Julian Trautwein said: "Berliners want clear and simple rules for home sharing, so they can continue to share their own home with guests.

"We will continue to encourage Berlin policy-makers to listen to their citizens and to follow the example of other big cities such as Paris, London, Amsterdam or Hamburg and create new, clear rules for normal people who are sharing their own homes."

He added that Airbnb "helps many Berliners pay their rent".
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A Muslim prayer hall on the French island of Corsica has been seriously damaged by a fire, which prosecutors have said could be a criminal attack.

No injuries have been reported following the blaze at one of the largest prayer halls in the islands capital Ajaccio on Saturday.

Police are investigating the incident as criminal after finding two separate sources of fire inside the hall.

French President Francois Hollande has promised a swift investigation into the blaze will take place.

Recommended Read more Muslim prayer hall sacked by mob on Christmas Day

If it is confirmed to be of criminal origin, those responsible must be rapidly identified and brought to justice, Mr Hollande said in a statement.

Any anti-religious act must not be tolerated.

The blaze comes just months after a separate Muslim prayer hall in Ajaccio was ransacked by a mob.

Protests erupted on the French island after firefighters were attacked on Christmas Day last year while responding to an emergency call from a deprived district of the city.

A French police officer stands in front of a Muslim prayer room after it was destroyed by a fire (AFP)

French forensics work in front of a Muslim prayer room after it was destroyed by a fire, suspected to be arson in Ajaccio (AFP)

Demonstrators reportedly shouted slogans such as Arabs get out and some of the crowd vandalised the prayer hall and set fire to books including copies of the Koran.

Several anti-Muslim attacks occurred in the weeks following the incident, including an attack on a Muslim butchers shop.

Following Saturdays blaze, Ajaccio mayor Laurent Marcangeli told iTELE news channel: This is unacceptable. Those sites are not sufficiently protected.

Abdallah Zekri, the head of the National Observatory Against Islamophobia told AFP, authorities should do everything to shed light on this incident in order to avoid an escalation of violence.

"It has been calm since the end of the year, but unfortunately certain ill-intentioned people want to inflame the situation," he added.

A police officer inspects a Muslim prayer room set on fire (AP)

French Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve issued a statement on Saturday expressing "solidarity with the Muslims of Corsica".

He also spoke of the "commitment of the government to protect all places of worship and to ensure freedom of worship throughout the territory".

In December, France saw the far-right Front National win the first round of its regional elections in Corsica for the first time.

The party was, however, largely defeated in a second round of run-off voting after widespread tactical voting by supporters of other parties.



Additional reporting by Reuters
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At least 32 people have been killed and up to 75 others wounded in a double car bomb attack claimed by Isis in Iraq, officials say.

A police officer said two parked explosives-laden cars detonated within minutes of each other, around midday in the southern Iraqi city of Samawah.

The first car exploded near government offices, while the second exploded minutes later at an open-air bus station about 60 metres away.

The officer said he expected the death toll to rise.

Unverified online photographs showed a large plume of smoke rising above the buildings, as well as burnt out cars and bodies on the ground at the site of one of the blasts, including several children.

Police and firefighters carried victims on stretchers and in their arms.

In pictures: The rise of Isis Show all 74 1 /74 In pictures: The rise of Isis In pictures: The rise of Isis Isis fighters Fighters of the Islamic State wave the group's flag from a damaged display of a government fighter jet following the battle for the Tabqa air base, in Raqqa, Syria AP In pictures: The rise of Isis Isis fighters Fighters from Islamic State group sit on their tank during a parade in Raqqa, Syria AP In pictures: The rise of Isis Isis fighters Fighters from the Islamic State group pray at the Tabqa air base after capturing it from the Syrian government in Raqqa, Syria AP In pictures: The rise of Isis Isis fighters Fighters from extremist Islamic State group parade in Raqqa, Syria AP In pictures: The rise of Isis Isis kidnapping A video uploaded to social networks shows men in underwear being marched barefoot along a desert road before being allegedly executed by Isis Getty Images In pictures: The rise of Isis Isis kidnapping Haruna Yukawa after his capture by Isis In pictures: The rise of Isis Isis kidnapping Khalinda Sharaf Ajour, a Yazidi, says two of her daughters were captured by Isis militants Washington Post In pictures: The rise of Isis Isis fighters Spokesperson for Isis Vice News via Youtube In pictures: The rise of Isis A pro-Isis leaflet A pro-Isis leaflet handed out on Oxford Street In London Ghaffar Hussain In pictures: The rise of Isis Isis fighters Isis Jihadists burn their passports In pictures: The rise of Isis Isis controls Syrian Aid A man collecting aid administered by Isis in Syria In pictures: The rise of Isis Isis controls Syrian Aid A woman collecting aid administered by Isis in Syria In pictures: The rise of Isis Isis controls Syrian Aid Local civilians queue for aid administered by Isis. Since it declared a caliphate the group has increasingly been delivering services such as healthcare, and distributing aid and free fuel In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraq crisis Iraqi security forces detain men suspected of being militants of the Isis group in Diyala province In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraq crisis Mourners carry the coffin of a Shi'ite volunteer from the brigades of peace, who joined the Iraqi army and was killed during clashes with militants of the Isis group in Samarra, during his funeral in Najaf In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraqi refugees An Iraqi Shiite Turkmen family fleeing the violence in the Iraqi city of Tal Afar, west of Mosul, arrives at a refugee camp on the outskirts of Arbil, in Iraq's Kurdistan region In pictures: The rise of Isis Isis leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi A photograph made from a video by the jihadist affiliated group Furqan Media via their twitter account allegedly showing Isis leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi delivering a sermon during Friday prayers at a mosque in Mosul. Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi declared an Islamist caliphate in the territory under the group's control in Iraq and Syria In pictures: The rise of Isis Islamic extremists destroying mosques in Iraq Shiite's Al-Qubba Husseiniya mosque explodes in Mosul In pictures: The rise of Isis Islamic extremists destroying mosques in Iraq Smoke and debris go up in the air as Shiite's Al-Qubba Husseiniya mosque explodes in Mosul. Images posted online show that Islamic extremists have destroyed at least 10 ancient shrines and Shiite mosques in territory - the city of Mosul and the town of Tal Afar - they have seized in northern Iraq in recent weeks In pictures: The rise of Isis Islamic extremists destroying mosques in Iraq A bulldozer destroys Sunni's Ahmed al-Rifai shrine and tomb in Mahlabiya district outside of Tal Afar In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraq crisis Iraqi security forces celebrate after clashes with followers of Shiite cleric Mahmoud al-Sarkhi, in front of his home in the Shiite holy city of Karbala, 50 miles (80 kilometers) south of Baghdad In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraq crisis Iraqi security forces arrest a follower of Shiite cleric Mahmoud al-Sarkhi after clashes with his followers in the Shiite holy city of Karbala, 50 miles (80 kilometers) south of Baghdad In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraq crisis Iraqi security forces arrest a follower of Shiite cleric Mahmoud al-Sarkhi at his home after clashes with his followers in the Shiite holy city of Karbala, 50 miles (80 kilometers) south of Baghdad In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraq crisis Iraqi security forces arrest a follower of Shiite cleric Mahmoud al-Sarkhi after clashes with his followers in the Shiite holy city of Karbala, 50 miles (80 kilometers) south of Baghdad In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraq crisis A vehicle burns in front of a home of a follower of Shiite cleric Mahmoud al-Sarkhi after clashes with his followers in the Shiite holy city of Karbala, 50 miles (80 kilometers) south of Baghdad In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraqi refugees An Iraqi woman holds her exhausted son as over 1000 Iraqis who have fled fighting in and around the city of Mosul and Tal Afar wait at a Kurdish checkpoint in the hopes of entering a temporary displacement camp in Khazair In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraqi refugees Displaced Iraqi women hold pots as they queue to receive food during the first day of the Islamic holy month of Ramadan, at an encampment for displaced Iraqis who fled from Mosul and other towns, in the Khazer area outside Irbil, north Iraq In pictures: The rise of Isis Isis fighters in Syria A militant Islamist fighter waving a flag, cheers as he takes part in a military parade along the streets of Syria's northern Raqqa. The fighters held the parade to celebrate their declaration of an Islamic "caliphate" after the group captured territory in neighbouring Iraq In pictures: The rise of Isis Isis fighters in Syria Isis fighters wave flags as they take part in a military parade along the streets of Syria's northern Raqqa province Reuters In pictures: The rise of Isis Isis fighters in Syria Isis fighters travel in a vehicle as they take part in a military parade along the streets of Syria's northern Raqqa province In pictures: The rise of Isis Isis fighters in Syria Fighters from the Isis group during a parade with a missile in Raqqa, Syria. Militants from an al-Qaida splinter group held a military parade in their stronghold in northeastern Syria, displaying U.S.-made Humvees, heavy machine guns, and missiles captured from the Iraqi army for the first time since taking over large parts of the Iraq-Syria border In pictures: The rise of Isis Isis fighters in Syria Isis fighters during a parade in Raqqa, Syria In pictures: The rise of Isis Isis fighters in Syria Fighters from the Isis group during a parade in Raqqa, Syria. Militants from the splinter group held a military parade in their stronghold in northeastern Syria, displaying U.S.-made Humvees, heavy machine guns, and missiles captured from the Iraqi army for the first time since taking over large parts of the Iraq-Syria border In pictures: The rise of Isis Isis fighters in Syria Isis fighters hold a military parade in their stronghold in northeastern Syria In pictures: The rise of Isis Isis fighters in Syria Isis fighters during a parade in Raqqa, Syria In pictures: The rise of Isis Isis fighters in Syria A member loyal to the Isis waves an Isis flag in Raqqa In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraq crisis Iraqi anti-government gunmen from Sunni tribes in the western Anbar province march during a protest in Ramadi, west of Baghdad. The United Nations warned that Iraq is at a "crossroads" and appealed for restraint, as a bloody four-day wave of violence killed 195 people. The violence is the deadliest so far linked to demonstrations that broke out in Sunni areas of the Shiite-majority country more than four months ago, raising fears of a return to all-out sectarian conflict In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraq crisis Iraqi security forces hold up a flag of the Isis group they captured during an operation to regain control of Dallah Abbas north of Baqouba, the capital of Iraq's Diyala province, 35 miles (60 kilometers) northeast of Baghdad In pictures: The rise of Isis Isis fighters in Iraq Isis fighters parade in the northern city of Mosul In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraq crisis Volunteers, who have joined the Iraqi army to fight against the predominantly Sunni militants from the radical Isis group, demonstrate their skills during a graduation ceremony after completing their field training in Najaf In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraq crisis Kurdish Peshmerga troops fire a cannon during clashes with militants of the Isis group in Jalawla, Diyala province In pictures: The rise of Isis Lieutenant General Qassem Atta speaks during a press conference Iraqi Prime Minister's security spokesman, Lieutenant General Qassem Atta speaks during a press conference about the latest military development in Iraq, in the capital Baghdad. Iraqi forces pressed a campaign to retake militant-held Tikrit, clashing with jihadist-led Sunni militants nearby and pounding positions inside the city with air strikes in their biggest counter-offensive so far In pictures: The rise of Isis A police station building destroyed by Isis fighters An exterior view of a police station building destroyed by gunmen in Mosul city, northern Iraq. Iraq's new parliament is expected to convene to start the process of setting up a new government, despite deepening political rifts and an ongoing Islamist-led insurgency. Iraqi President Jalal Talabani issued a decree inviting the new House of Representatives to meet and form a new government In pictures: The rise of Isis Isis fighters in Iraq Smoke billows from an area controlled by the Isis between the Iraqi towns of Naojul and Tuz Khurmatu, both located north of the capital Baghdad, as Iraqi Kurdish Peshmerga forces take part in an operation to repel the Sunni militants In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraqi refugees An elderly Iraqi woman is helped into a temporary displacement camp for Iraqis caught-up in the fighting in and around the city of Mosul in Khazair In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraqi refugees An Iraqi Christian woman fleeing the violence in the village of Qaraqush, about 30 kms east of the northern province of Nineveh, cries upon her arrival at a community center in the Kurdish city of Arbil in Iraq's autonomous Kurdistan region In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraqi refugees An Iraqi woman, who fled with her family from the northern city of Mosul, prays with a copy of the Quran AP In pictures: The rise of Isis Isis fighters in Iraq The body of an Isis militant killed during clashes with Iraqi security forces on the outskirts of the city of Samarra Reuters In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraq crisis Iraqi civilians inspect the damage at a market after an air strike by the Iraqi army in central Mosul EPA In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraq crisis Members of the Al-Abbas brigades, who volunteered to protect the Shiite Muslim holy sites in Karbala against Sunni militants fighting the Baghdad government, parade in the streets of the city AP In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraq crisis Shia tribesmen gather in Baghdad to take up arms against Sunni insurgents marching on the capital. Thousands have volunteered to bolster defences AFP/Getty In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraq crisis A van carrying volunteers joining Iraqi security forces against Jihadist militants. Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki announced the Iraqi government would arm and equip civilians who volunteered to fight AFP/Getty In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraq Fighters of the Isis group parade in a commandeered Iraqi security forces armored vehicle down a main road at the northern city of Mosul In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraq An Islamist fighter, identified as Abu Muthanna al-Yemeni from Britain (R), speaks in this still image taken undated video shot at an unknown location and uploaded to a social media website. Five Islamist fighters identified as Australian and British nationals have called on Muslims to join the wars in Syria and Iraq, in the new video released by the Isis In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraq Al-Qaida inspired militants stand with captured Iraqi Army Humvee at a checkpoint belonging to Iraqi Army outside Beiji refinery some 250 kilometers (155 miles) north of Baghdad. The fighting at Beiji comes as Iraq has asked the U.S. for airstrikes targeting the militants from the Isis group. While U.S. President Barack Obama has not fully ruled out the possibility of launching airstrikes, such action is not imminent in part because intelligence agencies have been unable to identify clear targets on the ground, officials said In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraq Militants attacked Iraq's main oil refinein Baiji as they pressed an offensive that has seen them capture swathes of territory, a manager and a refinery employee said In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraq Militants from the Isis group parading with their weapons in the northern city of Baiji in the in Salaheddin province In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraq A smoke rises after an attack by Isis militants on the country's largest oil refinery in Beiji, some 250 kilometers (155 miles) north of the capital, Baghdad. Iraqi security forces battled insurgents targeting the country's main oil refinery and said they regained partial control of a city near the Syrian border, trying to blunt an offensive by Sunni militants who diplomats fear may have also seized some 100 foreign workers In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraq Militants of the Isis group stand next to captured vehicles left behind by Iraqi security forces at an unknown location in the Salaheddin province. For militant groups, the fight over public perception can be even more important than actual combat, turning military losses into propaganda victories and battlefield successes into powerful tools to build support for the cause In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraq An injured fighter (C) from the Isis group after a battle with Iraqi soldiers at an undisclosed location near the border between Syria and Iraq In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraq Fighters from the Isis aiming at advancing Iraqi troops at an undisclosed location near the border between Syria and Iraq In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraq Fighters from the Isis group taking position at an undisclosed location near the border between Syria and Iraq In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraq Fighters from the Isis group inspecting vehicles of the Iraqi army after they were seized at an undisclosed location near the border between Syria and Iraq In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraq One Iraqi captive, a corporal, is reluctant to say the slogan, and has to be shouted at repeatedly before he obeys Sky News In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraq Iraqi captives held by the extremists Sky News In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraq Iraqi captives held by the extremists Sky News In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraq Militants of the Isis group force captured Iraqi security forces members to the transport In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraq Militants of the Isis group transporting dozens of captured Iraqi security forces members to an unknown location in the Salaheddin province ahead of executing them In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraq A major offensive spearheaded by Isis but also involving supporters of executed dictator Saddam Hussein has overrun all of one province and chunks of three others In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraq Militants of the Isis group executing dozens of captured Iraqi security forces members at an unknown location in the Salaheddin province In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraq Isis militants taking position at a Iraqi border post on the Syrian-Iraqi border between the Iraqi Nineveh province and the Syrian town of Al-Hasakah In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraq Isis rebels show their flag after seizing an army post AFP/Getty Images In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraq Isis militants waving an Islamist flag after the seizure of an Iraqi army checkpoint in Salahuddin Getty Images In pictures: The rise of Isis Iraq Demonstrators chant slogans as they carry al-Qaida flags in front of the provincial government headquarters in Mosul, 225 miles (360 kilometers) northwest of Baghdad. In the week since it captured Iraq's second-largest city, Mosul, a Muslim extremist group has tried to win over residents and has stopped short of widely enforcing its strict brand of Islamic law, residents say. Churches remain unharmed and street cleaners are back at work

Isis primarily holds positions in Sunni areas of the country's north and west, far from the mainly Shia southern provincies were Samawa is located. Such attacks are relatively rare.

The terror group claimed resonsibility for a bombing that killed at least 21 people and wounded many more, in an attack targeting Shia pilgrims on Saturday morning.

On Saturday, hundreds of supporters of the Shia cleric Muqtada al-Sadr stormed Iraq's parliament building in Baghdad, demonstrating against a government deadlock.

A state of emergency was declared in the capital as the unrest continued on Saturday afternoon. Security officials said entrances to the city had been shut as a "precautionary measure".
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Workers at a major Saudi construction firm have set fire to nine company buses in protest over thousands of sackings and their salaries not being paid.

Employees at Binladin Group have staged several demonstrations within Saudi Arabias Mecca region in recent weeks, with some claiming they have not received their wages for six months.

The attack on the company buses came after Saudi Al-Watan newspaper reported the company had laid off 50,000 foreign employees and issued them exit visas.

Spokesperson for Meccas Civil Defense Major Nayef al-Sharif said no injuries were caused by the fires, and that firefighters had put out the blaze.

Reports say the company, set up by the father of al-Qaeda leader Osama Bin laden, is in $30 billion worth of debt due to falling oil prices.

10 examples of Saudi Arabia's human rights abuses Show all 10 1 /10 10 examples of Saudi Arabia's human rights abuses 10 examples of Saudi Arabia's human rights abuses In October 2014, three lawyers, Dr Abdulrahman al-Subaihi, Bander al-Nogaithan and Abdulrahman al-Rumaih , were sentenced to up to eight years in prison for using Twitter to criticize the Ministry of Justice. AFP/Getty Images 10 examples of Saudi Arabia's human rights abuses In March 2015, Yemens Sunni President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi was forced into exile after a Shia-led insurgency. A Saudi Arabia-led coalition has responded with air strikes in order to reinstate Mr Hadi. It has since been accused of committing war crimes in the country. Getty Images 10 examples of Saudi Arabia's human rights abuses Women who supported the Women2Drive campaign, launched in 2011 to challenge the ban on women driving vehicles, faced harassment and intimidation by the authorities. The government warned that women drivers would face arrest. Getty Images 10 examples of Saudi Arabia's human rights abuses Members of the Kingdoms Shia minority, most of whom live in the oil-rich Eastern Province, continue to face discrimination that limits their access to government services and employment. Activists have received death sentences or long prison terms for their alleged participation in protests in 2011 and 2012. Getty Images 10 examples of Saudi Arabia's human rights abuses All public gatherings are prohibited under an order issued by the Interior Ministry in 2011. Those defy the ban face arrest, prosecution and imprisonment on charges such as inciting people against the authorities. Getty Images 10 examples of Saudi Arabia's human rights abuses In March 2014, the Interior Ministry stated that authorities had deported over 370,000 foreign migrants and that 18,000 others were in detention. Thousands of workers were returned to Somalia and other states where they were at risk of human rights abuses, with large numbers also returned to Yemen, in order to open more jobs to Saudi Arabians. Many migrants reported that prior to their deportation they had been packed into overcrowded makeshift detention facilities where they received little food and water and were abused by guards. Getty Images 10 examples of Saudi Arabia's human rights abuses The Saudi Arabian authorities continue to deny access to independent human rights organisations like Amnesty International, and they have been known to take punitive action, including through the courts, against activists and family members of victims who contact Amnesty. Getty Images 10 examples of Saudi Arabia's human rights abuses Raif Badawi was sentenced to 1000 lashes and 10 years in prison for using his liberal blog to criticise Saudi Arabias clerics. He has already received 50 lashes, which have reportedly left him in poor health. Carsten Koall/Getty Images 10 examples of Saudi Arabia's human rights abuses Dawood al-Marhoon was arrested aged 17 for participating in an anti-government protest. After refusing to spy on his fellow protestors, he was tortured and forced to sign a blank document that would later contain his confession. At Dawoods trial, the prosecution requested death by crucifixion while refusing him a lawyer. Getty Images 10 examples of Saudi Arabia's human rights abuses Ali Mohammed al-Nimr was arrested in 2012 aged either 16 or 17 for participating in protests during the Arab spring. His sentence includes beheading and crucifixion. The international community has spoken out against the punishment and has called on Saudi Arabia to stop. He is the nephew of a prominent government dissident. Getty

The Saudi government suspended the company from taking on further contracts in September 2015 after a crane collapsed in the city of Mecca, killing 107 people.

The company has not yet issued a statement about the protest, nor responded to accusations made against them by employees.
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Footage has emerged of the moment before Al Quds hospital in Aleppo was bombed, killing one of the last paediatricians left in the city along with 26 other staff and patients.

Dr Muhammad Waseem Maaz, who has been described as the areas most qualified paediatrician, can be seen on the footage seconds before the Medicins Sans Frontier-backed hospital was hit by air strikes from government forces.

The footage, obtained from the hospitals CCTV by Channel 4 News, shows Dr Maaz as he prepares to begin a night shift on the emergency ward on 27 April.

He can be seen on film leaving the intensive care unit and walking downstairs towards the emergency ward, speaking with a colleague in the corridor and disappearing from the CCTV seconds before the deadly blast.

In the wake of Wednesdays air strike, Medicins San Frontiers spoke out on social media stating it was outraged by the attack, adding that hospitals are not a target.

It is believed more than 700 doctors have died in the fighting over the past five years, with very few still working in Aleppo.

Further bombing two days after the Al Quds attack saw another hospital hit, as well as air strikes near several mosques that had suspended prayers amid fears of further bombardments, while a rebel attack near a mosque on Friday, as people were leaving from prayers, left heavy casualties.

In the past week, bombings in Aleppo have left more than 200 people dead, with 123 civilians killed in bombardments on rebel-held areas of the city and 71 killed in rebel attacks on government held areas.
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Every 10 minutes, on average, the drug scopolamine is administered to an unwitting victim in Colombia, rendering them impaired or unconscious for 24-plus hours, with the risk of brain damage or death when ingested in larger doses.

Many incidents occur in nightclubs or bars, where men perceived to be wealthy are targeted by young, attractive women.

That information is readily available for any traveller who knows where to look: the bulletin board of the US Overseas Security Advisory Council (OSAC).

Recommended Read more Foreign Office has new advice for British LGBT people going to the US

Other alerts issued by OSAC in the past few days include a warning of a surge in attacks on Western motorists in Angola, together with some lessons on defensive driving. Keep music off or at a reasonable level and maintain awareness of your environment beyond what is immediately in front of you, is just one line of the detailed instructions for staying safe.

Closer to home, and south of the US border, travellers are warned of the possible consequences of falling ill in the popular Mexican resort of Los Cabos. OSAC warns that private hospitals in the resort have obstructed needed medical evacuations, [given] monetary incentives to ambulances for delivering patients to specific facilities, and held patients at hospitals against their will pending payment.

Lonely Planet's best countries to visit in 2016 Show all 10 1 /10 Lonely Planet's best countries to visit in 2016 Lonely Planet's best countries to visit in 2016 Botswana Botswana celebrates fifty years of independence next year and is known for its array of wildlife. No longer the reserve of the rich, Botswana offers budget options such as community projects like Tsabong Camel Park and Moremi Gorge. Lonely Planet's best countries to visit in 2016 Japan The Japanese Yen is weak at the moment, making trips to this island nation more affordable. Japans cities might feel like something from the future but its countryside offers otherworldly landscapes, combining mountainous peaks with shimmering beaches. Lottie Davies  Lonely Planet Images Lonely Planet's best countries to visit in 2016 USA The National Park Service, which looks after Americas 59 national parks, is turning 100 next year. The government body maintains parks like Yellowstone, Yosemite, and the Grand Canyon. Mark Read  Lonely Planet Images Lonely Planet's best countries to visit in 2016 Palau Made up of more than 200 unspoilt limestone and volcanic islands covered in mangrove forests and surrounded by clear blue water, countries don't get much more idyllic than Palau. In 2014 its president, President Remengesau, was named a Champion of the Earth by the United Nations for his environmental work. Ippei Naoi  Getty Images Lonely Planet's best countries to visit in 2016 Latvia Celebrating 25 years of independence, little Latvia is set to take centre stage next year. Head to the countryside to explore crumbling medieval castles tucked away in the forests. Filip Fuxa  Shutterstock Lonely Planet's best countries to visit in 2016 Australia Always a popular destination but with imminent, and transformative, changes coming to beloved wilderness areas such as the Great Barrier Reef and the forests of Tasmania, now is the time to go. Catherine Sutherland  Lonely Planet Images Lonely Planet's best countries to visit in 2016 Poland The historic city of Wroclaw is next years European Capital of Culture and wildlife tourism is on the rise in Polands forests. New BA flights from London to Krakow have put the country on people's radar. Guy Vanderelst  Getty Images/ Flickr Lonely Planet's best countries to visit in 2016 Uruguay Dubbed the Switzerland of America, Uruguay offers great architecture and a growing foodie culture. For more bohemian vibes head to one of the fishing villages on the coast, where youll find empty beaches and great waves. Elojotorpe  Getty Images Lonely Planet's best countries to visit in 2016 Greenland Almost 80% ice-covered, Greenland has the worlds lowest population density and famously poor cellular coverage, making it an ideal destination for anyone wanted to escape the hubbub of modern life. If youre lucky you might catch the Northern Lights too. Lottie Davies  Lonely Planet Images Lonely Planet's best countries to visit in 2016 Fiji A remote island perfect for a tropical getaway. The long-awaited expansion of the Nadi International Airport next year will make the island more accessible.  Jongcheol Park/Eyeem/Getty Images

The inside information and degree of detail provided in OSAC alerts is richer than the travel advice offered by the authorities of other Western countries.

Indeed, where Washington DC leads, many other governments follow. Last week, the US mission in Stockholm issued a specific warning about the risk of an imminent attack, saying: Police are actively investigating a potential terror threat against Sweden. The warning was picked up and re-published by the foreign ministries of several Western countries, but not by the Foreign Office. Its travel advice for Sweden was last updated two months ago, and states: There is a general threat from terrorism. Attacks could be indiscriminate, including in places visited by foreigners.

A leading guidebook publisher has commended the approach taken by the US authorities. Hilary Bradt, founder of Bradt Travel Guides, describing the warnings as highly specific in both time and place, when violence is likely or tourists may become victims of targeted assaults or corruption.

In contrast, she said the Foreign Office gives too many warnings and says they are insufficiently nuanced.

The warnings are often of a blanket nature, warning travellers off a large area of a country in response to an incident, and then being very slow to lift the warning, thus frightening tourists away from developing countries that need them.

If the Foreign Office put out more useful, specific warnings, more travellers would probably take heed of their advice. At present I doubt if many do.

The Foreign Office said: We want to reduce the number of preventable incidents and help minimise the risk to British people overseas. We will give clear and appropriate information, and work with foreign governments and other partners where appropriate. For Colombia, its current travel advice also warns of criminals using scopolamine, with the drug administered through food, drink, cigarettes, aerosols or even paper flyers.

The Foreign Office has been conducting a consultation on how to improve its consular advice. The travel desk of The Independent urged the introduction of a risk index for each country, calculated from data such as the rate of road deaths, drownings and serious diseases, as well as the existing terrorism assessment. The Independent believes this would help travellers to make more rational decisions about where  and how  to travel.

The latest OSAC warnings are available at bit.ly/USintel
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From experiencing the thrill of adventure to taking amazing vacations at little or no cost, there are a lot of unique perks to being a flight attendant.

But the job comes with its challenges as well.

Delays and flight cancellations, 4am wake-up calls and sporadic hours, weekends and holidays spent working, and long work commutes top the list for many.

Flight attendants are also privy to a wide array of human behaviours, some of which would challenge anyone's people skills.

Here are some of the most trying work conditions flight attendants have been subjected to:

Poo smelly enough to land a plane

The BBC reports that in March 2015 a British Airways flight from London to Dubai was forced to turn around because of a "smelly poo".

Abhishek Sachdev, who was on board the flight, told BBC, The pilot made an announcement requesting senior cabin crew, and we knew something was a bit odd. About 10 minutes later he said 'you may have noticed there's a quite pungent smell coming from one of the toilets.' He said it was liquid fecal excrement. Those are the words he used."

A BA spokesperson said the situation posed a health and safety problem because only half the air is recycled and cleaned on an airplane.

Passengers were put up in a hotel overnight since the next available flight was 15 hours later, BBC reports.

Dangerously impatient passengers

In 2014, a passenger on a China Eastern Airlines plane who said he wanted to "get off the plane quicker" deployed the emergency slide after the aircraft landed at Sanya Phoenix International Airport.

The incident caused the aircraft to be delayed for two hours and reportedly cost about $16,000 in damages.

In April, a United Airlines flight attendant mysteriously pulled the same stunt.

 Brawl on plane

Exploding e-cigarettes

In March, a Delta Air Lines flight was delayed at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport after an e-cigarette belonging to a passenger ignited on board the flight.

While battery-powered portable electronic smoking devices are permitted on planes as long as they're not checked, the lithium ion batteries in e-cigarettes have shown a propensity to ignite if they are damaged.

People who make soup with the airline water

In response to the Quora question, What are the weirdest things flight attendants have seen in their line of duty? former flight attendant Heather Wilde says she's seen her fair share of things many people would consider weird.

Among the strangest were people who made soup using the airline water. "Guys, the water lines haven't ever been cleaned  ever," she says.

Animals left on planes

More than 700 international cabin-crew members revealed an extensive list of items they found on flights after passengers disembarked to Skyscanner in 2013.

Animals accounted for several of the more unusual items on the list, including a falcon, dried fish, a frog, a tortoise, and a parrot.

Flying pigs

Strange item requests

A flight attendant with the pen-name "Betty" writes in her online series Confessions of a Fed-Up Flight Attendant that the strangest things people have asked her for on a plane are actually fairly ordinary items. What's surprising is what some of these items would be used for.

Items requested include tweezers for pulling thorns out of a passenger's butt; a pen to clean ears with; a screwdriver to take the seat apart; and a cup, lid, straw, and knife to make a catheter.

Ambien zombies

Ambien (Rex/Shutterstock)

From streaking down the aisle totally nude to falling like an axed tree, when passengers consume an unfortunate mix of Ambien, which people take to sleep on planes, and airplane cocktails, it make even the most normal people do very bizarre things, Betty says.

These folks are sleeping, which means they think they are at home and safe in their beds. When they are home and safe in their beds they think it is perfectly acceptable to take off all of their clothes, she explains.

Alas, this is not acceptable behavior on a long-haul international flight.

Unfortunate accidents

Betty writes that passengers tend to get more inebriated on flights to Las Vegas. In his drunken state, one passenger passed out while he was in the restroom, fell backward, and ended up on the galley floor with his fly still down and his privates exposed.

After much debate between the attendants on the flight about what to do, they finally decided to get the long metal tongs that we use to serve bread in first class to move the exposed body part back into his pants! He didn't feel a thing, Betty writes.

Uncomfortable 'cat-cidents'

"I know more than one fellow flight attendant who has had the uncomfortable situation of having to tell a woman that she can't breastfeed her  cat! You read that right: Breastfeeding. A. Cat. And this isn't an isolated incident, Betty writes.

She says the cat-feeders' response is always the same: I'm just feeding my 'baby.'"

Spiders on a plane

Spider escapes during a flight

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Labours self-inflicted wounds over anti-Semitism could hardly have come at a worse time for Jeremy Corbyn. He already faces a tricky test in his first nationwide elections as Labour leader on Thursday. The Conservatives could push his party into a humiliating third place in the Scottish Parliament; Labour could be deprived of its majority in the Welsh Assembly and could lose more than 100 seats in council elections in England. The only beacon of hope for Corbyn was the likelihood that Sadiq Khan would oust the Tories in London by becoming the citys mayor. Now Labours debilitating row over anti-Semitism has put a question mark over that. Khan admitted yesterday that it is taking its toll and could harm his prospects.

Inevitably, Labours turmoil has become linked to Corbyns survival prospects as leader. Plenty of Labour MPs have never accepted the huge mandate he won from party members only eight months ago. Even before the current controversy, the air in Westminster was thick with talk of plots to remove him after the June EU referendum.

The Labour leader needs a victory in London to keep his critics at bay. His uncertain handling of the anti-Semitism row has fuelled doubts about his competence. The inquiry he set up on Friday is welcome, but should have been announced several weeks ago when the problem first emerged. Corbyn has a strong track record as an anti-racist campaigner but gives the impression of being a leader who acts reluctantly if it might offend his natural allies. But leadership sometimes requires exactly that  and a level of professionalism and competence he has not yet shown. If the grassroots members who flocked to Corbyns banner last year turn against him, it will not be because of his left-wing views but because they think he is not up to the job. Poor results on Thursday would help to build such a picture.

It is ludicrous to claim, as some Corbyn allies do, that the anti-Semitism row has been cooked up by embittered old Blairites, the Tories and right-wing newspapers. This controversy was stoked not by Corbyns enemies but his friend Ken Livingstone, who is unrepentant. Remarkably, he has apologised to Corbyn but not for his highly offensive claim that Hitler supported Zionism. Dismissing the problem as a few anti-Semitic tweets from a handful of people, as Diane Abbott argued yesterday, will not convince anyone that Labour is serious about tackling it.

Inevitably, the Conservatives have moved to exploit Labours woes, with Boris Johnson claiming that Khan is part of the same ideological continuum as Livingstone and Corbyn. But the Tories have nothing to crow about. From David Cameron downwards, they have fought a nasty and desperate campaign in London against Khan, a moderate Muslim, by attacking his alleged links to Islamic extremists. The links are tenuous. Indeed, Zac Goldsmith, the Tories mayoral candidate, has met one of the extremists linked to Khan, Suliman Ghani, who campaigned for the Tories at last years general election and fell out with Khan over his support for same-sex marriage. There are plenty of legitimate lines of attack to deploy against Khan, who nominated Corbyn as Labour leader before distancing himself from him and changed his mind to oppose a third runway at Heathrow. But the Tory campaign in London has crossed a line. Camerons commitment to One Nation seems to be put on hold at election time. It is grubby politics.

Both the Tories and Labour have big questions to answer about their commitment to stamping out racism in all its forms. If they carry on as they are, they will, like mainstream parties across Europe, risk repelling even more voters than they have already managed to lose.
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The EU In/Out debate has largely been focussed upon economics, which are imponderables, yet described as facts.

When we vote in general and in the referendum in particular we are doing something much more important. We vote for the political institution to which we wish to surrender our personal sovereignty and for them to then make laws that govern us. Democracy accepts that no one is an island, but that none of us can have two masters, such as the UK AND the EU. All else is smoke and mirrors designed to suppress national sovereignty and democracy.

The EU commissioners are in the same political position as the recently defunct Russian federation commissars. Self appointed and unelected yet both control the political agenda. The nationhood instincts of the people are subsumed to the greater bureaucrat comfort, but which for the EU does not include audited accounts. History suggests that the EU will go the same way as the Russian Federation and for the same reasons. The longer it takes the greater the collapse.

James Russell Lowell said that Once to every man and nation comes the moment to decide in the strife between truth and falsehood for the good or evil side. That moment is soon.

Bill Summers

What BHS tells us about care homes

Last week BHS went into administration. 11,000 employees stand to lose their jobs, while various previous owners of BHS have done very nicely, thank you.

There are portents here for the Care Home sector. Many of these businesses have been sucked dry by the huge sums extracted by their owners and directors. The owners have the cheek to blame the living wage for the current fragile financial state of their businesses.

When care homes cease to be financially viable, it's not just the employees who suffer. The elderly and vulnerable people for whom this is their only 'home' are the biggest losers.

Does anybody out there care?

Angela Comer

Clacton-on-Sea

Face it: Labour needs reform

It seems to me quite simple: if Naz Shah had revealed or had it been uncovered at selection the remarks she made - she would NOT have ended up as a Labour MP. The intervention by Ken Livingstone calling upon the authority of Adolf Hitler together with his suggestion that what she published was [only] "over the top", and following the Radio interview with Labour MP Rupa Huq who said Shah's antisemitic views were [only] "silly" demonstrates the reform that the Party desperately needs!

Richard Norrie

Chichester

The press revel in bad news for the Labour Party

Yes, the remarks of Naz Shah were naive and stupid and Ken Livingstones attempts to support her were clumsy and crass, but surely no one is suggesting that either of them is antisemitic in the true meaning of the word. Yet for the third day running the issue continues to receive front page attention. Why?

First, because it then allows Jeremy Corbyn to be depicted as a weak and indecisive leader. Second, it reminds the public that he is a close friend and ally of dangerous left-wing loose cannons like Ken Livingstone. Third, it takes attention away from a government faced with a very popular junior doctors strike, falling economic growth, an inability to find a buyer for Tata Steel, a rebellion over an ill-conceived academies policy and the problem of the unacceptable face of capitalism in the dock again, courtesy of the BHS pension fund.

How convenient! Oh, and there just happen to be important elections coming up on Thursday. The phrase a good time to bury bad news was coined at the time of 9/11. Its funny how the press, seemingly at will, always seem able to unearth, and run with, bad news about the Labour Party.

M.T Harris

North East Lincolnshire

Israel's existence is under constant threat

In all the airtime given to the debate about antisemitism and antizionism, most people who contributed seemed to agree that antisemitism was wrong, but that it was reasonable to condemn the so-called apartheid behaviour of the State of Israel, the only democracy in the Middle East.

These are the facts: When the State of Israel was formed, the Arabs were not expelled. Many chose to stay and nowadays roughly 21% of Israels more than eight million citizens are Arabs. The vast majority of the Israeli Arabs - 81% - are Muslims. Arabs in Israel have equal voting rights; in fact, it is one of the few places in the Middle East where Arab women may vote. Arabs currently hold ten seats in the Knesset. Israeli Arabs have also held various government posts. Arabic, like Hebrew, is an official language in Israel. At the time of Israels founding, only one Arab high school was operating, today, there are hundreds of Arab schools. Most Arab children attend these schools. If you attend a hospital in Israel, you will see as many Arabs as Jews, both as doctors as patients mingling peacefully. The sole legal distinction between Jewish and Arab citizens of Israel is that the latter are not required to serve in the Israeli army. This was to spare Arab citizens the need to take up arms against their brethren. Nevertheless, many Arabs have volunteered for military duty.

Israels existence nowadays is under constant threat from its neighbours and its apparently controversial actions must be seen in the light of it acting in its own defence. This tiny country is surrounded by those who wish to wipe it from the face of the earth. Of course, some of the acts of the citizens and government of Israel should be condemned. There is no country in the world which can claim that it and its citizens are perfect.

Amalia Michaels

London
Simon Coveney hoped Fine Gael could agree a deal with independents in the coming days

Minister for Agriculture and Defence Simon Coveney has said he expects a government will be in place by Thursday.

Mr Coveney told RTE he hoped Fine Gael can agree a deal with independents over the next few days.

The minister also called on other smaller parties to think about the role they could play in power.

A deal has been struck between Fine Gael and Fianna Fail to pave the way for the formation of a minority government after two months of post-election stalemate.

After weeks of negotiations, a draft agreement was finally reached on Friday evening.

The parties have established the framework of a pact to enable a Fine Gael-led administration to govern for the period covering the next three budgets in the Irish parliament.

Three previous attempts in the Dail to elect a Taoiseach in the wake of the election ended in failure.

The future of the last government's controversial water company Irish Water was a key factor in negotiations between Fine Gael and Fianna Fail.

The deal, the full contents of which have not been made public, requires the endorsement of the respective parties' parliamentary rank and file.

And even with that backing, Fine Gael will need to strike separate agreements with a range of independents before a workable government can be formed.
The flag of the Libyan Republic used by the National Transitional Council outside the Libyan Embassy in London.

The Irish naval vessel LE Roisin has left Ireland for search and rescue operations in the Mediterranean.

The ship departed Haulbowline in Cork at midday.

Commanded by Lieutenant Commander Ultan Finegan, the 57-strong crew has been completing pre-deployment training and preparing the ship for an extended deployment.

This is the first Naval Service mission to the Mediterranean under Operation Pontus in 2016.

The Defence Forces personnel that crewed LE Eithne, LE Niamh and LE Samuel Beckett last year rescued 8,592 people during deployments to southern Europe.

People smugglers continue almost year-round to launch their flimsy craft from the Libyan shore en route to Italy, Sicily, and Malta.

Many get into difficulties mid-voyage and are rescued by members of an international humanitarian aid mission coordinated by the Italian authorities.

LE Roisin is a first-of-class offshore patrol vessel. It is one of the youngest ships in the Naval Service fleet, and is named after Roisin Dubh, the embodiment of Ireland in the Irish poetic tradition.
The Belfry funds were six products invested in UK property, promoted and sold by AIB to customers from 2001 to 2006.

A former AIB private banking manager who sold property investments promoted by the lender is among a group of almost 350 people suing the bank over the funds' collapse.

Career banker Peter Tierney, who became a private banking manager with AIB in 2002, says he was strongly advised to invest in AIB's "Belfry" funds, which he funded with the help of a 75,000 interest-only "staff house loan" - secured on the title deeds of his family home - offered to him and his wife by AIB.

The Belfry funds were six products invested in UK property, promoted and sold by AIB to customers from 2001 to 2006. The first was a major success, generating a pre-tax return of almost 250pc for investors on their original 2001 investment, according to court papers filed by Tierney.

However, Belfry Funds 2 to 6 collapsed and are now the subject of a 50m lawsuit by aggrieved investors.

Last week a series of test or lead claims, including Tierney's, came before the Commercial Court where AIB and its co-defendants argued the claims were statute barred.

AIB claims that the plaintiffs, including Tierney, knew all material facts relating to the lending and leverage when they invested.

Tierney alleges that AIB categorised Belfry Funds 2, 3 and 4 on the basis that they were a 'medium-risk' product, despite what he says is the bank's stance that he knew or ought to have known that his own investment was "high-risk and leveraged".

The lawsuit is one of a series of investor actions being pursued through the courts.

Around 350 aggrieved investors issued proceedings against AIB and certain people connected to the Belfry funds, including technology entrepreneur Tony Kilduff and former head of AIB private banking John Rockett.

The investors, who are seeking up to 50m in compensation, allege negligence and breach of contract.

Last week the litigation had to be relocated to a larger court in order to accommodate members of the Belfry Investor Action Group, a pressure group set up by frustrated investors two years ago.

"This is a true David and Goliath story," said CKS Finance managing director Conor Sheahan, who is working with Belfry investors nursing losses.

"It is a deeply held financial and emotional hurt for these people," he added.

AIB declined to comment on the litigation.
For most Dubliners, and those travelling from beyond the Pale, the Blanchardstown Centre is a handy place to get all your shopping done without having to cross the M50.

Instead of going all the way into the city centre and negotiating all the hassle around car parking and driving restrictions, at Blanchardstown, customers can park in one of 6,000 car parking spaces and head into nearly every major retailer in the country.

In a way, that kind of attraction is what drove US investment fund Blackstone to offer between 920m and 950m to buy the centre from Stephen Vernon's Green Property. It's probably fair to say though that Blackstone's billionaire chief executive Stephen Schwarzman won't be popping into Debenhams to pick up a suit any time soon.

Blackstone, along with rival bidders the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board and Chartered Land, which was backed by Morgan Stanley, saw in Blanchardstown an opportunity to take an almost fully occupied and well maintained shopping centre with room for further development.

Blanchardstown was the biggest shopping centre in the country when it opened in 1993. While it is still plenty big, it also has huge development potential and this is exactly what Blackstone likes to do.

There is detailed planning consent for a 272,000 sq ft extension to the main centre including a big store spread over three floors, 17 smaller shops; a food court and an underground car park. The centre could theoretically double in size down the line depending on how things go. Blackstone, which loves to buy property, do it up, and sell it on, specialises in this sort of thing, although it rarely dabbles in shopping centres, preferring offices and hotels historically.

Assuming Blackstone now closes the deal, it will also mean that most of the biggest shopping centres in the country will be in foreign hands.

US firm Hines along with the private clients arm of UK bank HSBC own a majority stake in the Liffey Valley Centre, while UK property giant Hammerson and Germany's Allianz Real Estate expect to take control of the Dundrum Town Centre this summer after buying loans related to the centre last year. German fund Deka bought the Whitewater Centre in Kildare in March to take the biggest centre outside Dublin.

Does this matter? Not really. Much as we might like Irish property to be owned by the Irish, the reality is that the crash wiped out some of the country's biggest property owners. If overseas firms take care of the assets and improve them, nobody can complain.

It also reinforces the suggestion that Ireland is now seen as good as the likes of Barcelona, Edinburgh and Milan - a place that big international funds like to have some interest in.

The problem will be if Dublin starts to be compared to the likes of Paris, New York or London. That's what happened in the boom and should never happen again.

If it does, expect these funds to start selling. Fast.
Richard Barrett's Bartra Capital is believed to be bidding on a portfolio of valuable south Dublin sites being sold by Greg Kavanagh's New Generation Homes.

The portfolio is valued at around 250m. It is thought to contain sites in locations in Dublin including Foxrock, Killiney, Howth, Blackrock, Harold's Cross, Rathmichael, Saggart, Cabra, Baldoyle, Coolock, Finglas, Cabinteely and Dundrum. The La Touche Hotel in Greystones, the Europa site in Blackrock and Stanford House on Westminster Road are also thought to be part of the portfolio.

Other property groups believed to have expressed interest in the portfolio are Michael O'Flynn's construction group and Broadhaven, which is backed by Dermot Desmond.

Eastdil is handling the sale.

Richard Barrett is perhaps best known for his involvement in Treasury Holdings, the property development group he ran with business partner Johnny Ronan before Nama backed a move to wind it up in 2012.

Barrett now spends much of his time in China. The Mayo native has operated numerous businesses in the Far East and speaks Mandarin.

He launched Bartra early this year, outlining plans to invest more than 1bn in property and infrastructure-related ventures.

The group is putting 1.2bn to work in the healthcare, nursing homes, housing and renewables sectors.

Barrett has been particularly vocal on the issue of social housing in recent months, calling for the appointment of a social housing tsar to deal with serious shortages.

He reportedly submitted plans to Government to make social housing available earlier this year, though was quoted as saying that he and other firms could not move forward until they know what the new political regime will be.

While Bartra was founded by Barrett, the business is led by CEO Michael Flannery, ex-chief operations officer of CIE between 2012 and 2015.

Its finance director is Niall Doran, previously a senior executive with AIB who before joining the lender was head of corporate finance for the McNamara Group.

Kavanagh's New Generation Homes, meanwhile, is sitting on a vast amount of land in Dublin and its hinterland following an aggressive buying spree that started in 2011. The Arklow builder's backer is M&G, the investment group which manages 340bn in assets

Now New Generation is moving to sell some of these as Dublin faces down an acute property shortage.

In 2015, only 12,600 new houses were completed, against an estimated need for 21,000. This is placing huge pressure on the private rented sector and increasing demand for social housing.

Kavanagh's company is still in the market for new developments.

It recently emerged as underbidder on a six-acre waterfront site at Spencer Dock in the north Dublin Docklands, behind Johnny Ronan and Colony Capital.

The site was owned by Treasury Holdings before the company collapsed. It has planning permission for a 169-bedroom hotel, 340,000sq.ft of offices and 165 apartments.
Dublin-born tech entrepreneur Philip Berber has launched a new online funding platform that connects wealthy investors with social enterprise start-ups looking to raise money.

The CyberCorp founder - who in 2000 made 488m when he sold the share trading firm - has invested 700,000 of his and his wife Donna's money in establishing the platform, Enable Impact. He aims to help businesses with a social mission that also want to make a profit raise a total of 45m over the next three years.

"Most of the ventures seeking funding work in developing countries, bring innovation and sustainable business solutions. Impact investing creates the opportunity of both a financial return, as well a social, humanitarian, environmental or other benefit," said Berber.

According to research by leading US investment advisors Cambridge Associates, funds of under 90m that invested in this way between 1998 and 2010 returned 9.5pc to investors, compared to 4.5pc for funds invested in traditional businesses. Impact investment funds focused on emerging markets returned 9.1pc, with those invested in Africa returning 9.7pc.

When Berber founded Enable Impact last year, the platform had hundreds of start-ups and investors registered. However, it is now a more focused investment services company and funding platform, partnered with US broker-dealer North Capital and fully regulated.

It remains free for investors (who must for regulatory reasons be based in the US) to use, while entrepreneurs from anywhere in the world pay a fee to raise money.

"We still offer a free searchable database of companies and investors, but now focus on a smaller number of great businesses and help connect them with relevant investors.

"I'm back in the online investing business again - but this time for profit and purpose," said Berber.

It currently has 30 active investors, while three investments - in education, baby food and a charitable giving business - have closed. Another three businesses - in solar energy, medicine and education - are seeking investments of between 130,000 and 1.4m.

Expanding the venture to allow people outside the US to invest would depend on collaboration with global partners, Berber said.

The Ferrari owner and Formula One fan and his wife have a long track record in social enterprise and charitable works.

Since 2000, the couple has given $42m in donations and microloans in Ethiopia through their charity A Glimmer of Hope (which has partnered with USAid and the Dell Foundation) and a water charity also backed by Virgin businessman Richard Branson.
It is due to repay a "very expensive" 350m bond shortly and expects another upgrade from ratings agencies in the next 12 to 18 months.

Eir expects to make 10m in cash this year from the sale of chunks of its vast property portfolio.

The company has around 1,000 properties on its books and has earmarked many of these for sale as chief executive Richard Moat returns the telecommunications incumbent to a stable footing and continues to find savings opportunities.

Eir has already made around 2,500 redundancies in recent years as part of a massive restructuring plan designed to bring debt back to more manageable levels.

The current property sell-off includes Eir facilities on Dublin's Sandwich Street and at Temple Hill in Cork, chief financial officer Huib Costermans said.

"They are all properties we have vacated, located around the country. We are selling them individually rather than as a portfolio to make sure they attract local buyers when possible." Property sales will continue in 2018, Costermans added.

The company has reached a "turning point in terms of business performance", Moat told the Sunday Independent.

Having just reported its fourth consecutive quarter of revenue and earnings growth, it is also on the verge of cutting the cost of its debt.

It is due to repay a "very expensive" 350m bond shortly and expects another upgrade from ratings agencies in the next 12 to 18 months.

Eir will clear the 350m bond, which it pays 9.25pc interest on, either by issuing a new cheaper bond or by extending its loans. There has been an "amazing improvement in debt markets in recent weeks", Moat added "meaning there is a lot more appetite for potential refinancing which makes life much easier".

Moat said he could "understand people's frustration" at recently announced delays to the National Broadband Plan, which his company is bidding for. The government has said that the plan, which promises subsidised modern internet to 750,000 non-urban homes and businesses by 2020, will not start this year as intended.

The setback means that completion of the scheme may not happen until 2022 or later, 10 years after it was first launched.

Eir expects to have rolled out fibre broadband to 100,000 of the homes earmarked for the National Broadband Plan by the end of the calendar year. Critics have said the company is cherry-picking the easiest-to-reach homes contained in the scheme, making the project less viable.

Moat said he did not accept this. "I don't see that argument at all. If we build more, the burden is less on the taxpayer. The Department of Communications asked companies to make their intentions clear at the start and we did that. We're doing what we think is best for Ireland."
It might be just as well Mattress Mick has already bought up the domain names containing his immortal moniker for the countries in the Far East. Because global domination now seems a matter of 'when', not 'if'.

A new documentary on the eccentric Dublin businessman is to screen at the Hotdocs festival in Toronto next week and Mattress - or Michael Flynn as he introduces himself - couldn't be prouder.

"A lot of people think I'm made up, a corporate character, but obviously I'm not," he tells me over coffee in his Pearse Street stomping ground.

"A camera crew followed me around for three years and they've put this piece together. It's already been sold to Finnish television. We're just hopeful that one of the major networks will buy it up now. It's really about how one man survived the worst recession of our lifetimes."

Survived and thrived. His business woes and money problems are now in the past - for a while the banks withdrew his credit - and the mattresses are walking out the door again; he'll help you test them on the floor of the shop ("the men too, I don't care").

With each passing year the sideburns get more absurdly fecund (he's not allowed cut them at this point, they're part of the brand), the self promotion more brilliantly ironic (budding pop stars can only dream of his YouTube hits) and his fan bandwagon is now standing room only - thank you Stephen Fry, Roddy Doyle et al.

He has help with the videos from filmmaker Paul Kelly - "baldy Paul" - but of course nobody could invent this hallucinogenic composite of Saul Goodman, Del Boy and John McCririck. It was a lifetime in the making.

Mick grew up in the inner city where his Dad owned a fishing supply shop and his mother's family owned a pub called Smyths on St John Rogerson's Quay.

He went to school in Synge Street and then to work for the Royal Trust Company, a merchant bank, on Dawson Street, but moonlighted at a market stall in the Dandelion Market on Stephen's Green.

When his Dad died, however, the burden of running the family business fell on him. He began selling furniture and bottled gas and for a few years it went really well.

In his late 20s he opened a second shop and that was when things started to wobble. "I took my eye off the ball. I started to enjoy myself a bit too much. Leeson Street was just starting to take off. I was good with the ladies. The secret was: loads of bullshit. Also I wasn't a bad looking guy either, to be fair. I had the hair even then."

His first girlfriend died of cancer recently after reaching out to him shortly before she passed away, which he found very hard. They had both married other people in the meantime, but you never forget your first love, he tells me.

Video of the Day

In his 20s he was also engaged to be married to the daughter of a prominent Dublin family. "We bought a house out in Monkstown together and we had everything to do with the wedding booked. It was just five weeks away and the invites had been sent out. I felt that her family were taking control of my life. They had all the money and they didn't like what I did for work; it was fine when I was a banker.

"I'll never forget telling her. It was the hardest conversation of my life. I hurt her. I still loved her in my own way but I just didn't want to be controlled. It turned out ok in the end for her though. She married well."

She must be kicking herself when she sees the YouTube videos though (the latest features a Back To The Future themed song with the lyrics "I'll fly my mattress rocket to the matressy stars").

Handily for alliterative branding purposes, everyone in the Mattress family has a name that begins with 'M'. He eventually married Margaret, a Dublin woman, and they had a daughter Michelle, who is now a psychotherapist in England. Margaret and Mick had trouble having more children and after becoming involved with the Chernobyl Children's Project they decided to adopt a little Russian girl, Marina, who is now 20 and studying to be a personal trainer.

"I'll never forget the whole experience. The orphanage was so dilapidated. When we saw Marina's face it was just fantastic. You couldn't not take her. A lot of Americans in those years were going to Russia and finding kids to use their body parts - organ harvesting. We had to put their minds at ease on that score."

He is religious and goes to mass in the city centre in Whitefriar Street ("it's the fastest mass in Dublin"). He says he has no interest in doing the Eurovision but he does see himself as a sort of budding Michael O'Leary, capitalising on free publicity wherever he can find it.

He has registered Mattress Mick as a trademark now and the next plan is to licence it out to other furniture retailers around the country.

"It's not a franchise, but for companies who want to sell beds, they can licence the name. There is one in Cork and one in Kilkenny.

"They'll provide the merchandise and I'll provide the point of sale." And in lay person's terms, what does that mean? "It means there will be large cardboard cutouts of me. It will be a concession within their shop. Like, you know the way Brown Thomas has Helena Rubenstein within their shop?" I look at him, slightly dazed. "Exactly like that. Except, unlike Helena Rubenstein, I will make the odd appearance."

www.mattressmick.com and ShootAudition on YouTube.
Former FBD chief executive Andrew Langford is working on a secret FBD project outside the day-to-day affairs of the business, for which he is being paid 16,300 a month.

Chairman Michael Berkery said that at the time Langford resigned, the former boss was working on a "satellite project".

"At that time in July, Andrew and the company had another commercial project outside of the day-to-day management of FBD, I would say something of a satellite project, underway," Berkery told shareholders at FBD's agm on Friday.

"We agreed as a board, and we agreed as a remuneration committee etc, that Andrew had a contribution he could make, not in the day-to-day management of FBD.

"That project is underway, he is engaged to deliver it, and I will report at another time about that.

"That project is not involved on the floor or in the FBD head office, or directly here. That project has commercial benefit and value to the company and as shareholders I believe it is the right project to do, it is well worth doing and Andrew is the best person equipped."

However, Berkery added: "If between now and the end of this year . . . Andrew should take up full-time employment in any other sphere that (project) will come to an end immediately, and all payments will cease. We'll wrap up that project and we'll wrap up it up in advance of his parting."

Berkery said the company expects Langford to be able to complete the work within the time available.

FBD's annual report says that Langford "agreed to make his experience and services available to the company from 1 February 2016 to 31 December 2016 for a fee of 16,300 per month so long as he was not in full-time employment elsewhere".

Langford stepped down last July after seven years in the role of chief executive. The company swung to a loss of almost 4m in 2014, and lost 85.5m before tax in 2015, with the share price more than halving in the period from the middle of January 2014 to Langford's departure. At last year's agm, in May, Berkery gave Langford a strong vote of confidence, saying Langford had "the unequivocal support of the board". "It's the challenge that makes the man or the person, and I think he'll rise to the challenge," Berkery added.

Berkery was speaking about Langford's project during a raucous agm at which the FBD board came under fire from a disgruntled employee who was also a shareholder.

Speaking to the Sunday Independent after the meeting, FBD chief executive Fiona Muldoon would not reveal the details of Langford's project.

She told shareholders that the company's primary focus is on returning to profitability and that premium hikes are likely.

"That means we have to have full price adequacy, we must collect more in premiums than we pay out in losses. That does mean that premiums essentially have to go up until we are making more from premiums than we are paying in costs.

"It does have to be judged and it has to be judged in the light of what books are more profitable than others.

"We will judge it and we will judge it finely, and we are aware of our customer base and what they're going through, but FBD has got to protect its shareholders and it has got to return to profitability.

"I believe that FBD has broadly stabilised in the second half of 2015 . . . we have a clear strategy, it has been articulated, we continue to strengthen our customer base in the Irish agricultural and small business sectors, and we will pursue a single-brand consumer strategy under the FBD brand. We have a path to full-year profitability by 2017."

She said the company is not taking a "huge" amount of new motor insurance business, but that she was happy with the new business it had taken on.
The Revenue Commissioners moved last week to reassure us all that last year's sudden surge in corporation tax payments was not just down to one or two big multi-nationals paying more tax.

The Government expected corporation tax receipts last year to come in at around 4.5bn - but in fact they hit nearly 6.9bn. This had sparked suggestions that big firms such as Apple Inc might be tweaking their international corporate structures in the face of growing international criticism of tax planning and a European Commission probe.

According to the Revenue, the rise in business taxes was broad-based and reflected the general recovery in the economy. It turns out that 16,000 firms that paid no corporation tax prior to 2014 made contributions totalling 500m.

This figure is supposed to suggest that the recovery and the consequent tax take was very broad-based. But it seems a little strange.

An examination of the figures Revenue produced ultimately shows how vulnerable our economic model is when it comes to multinationals.

First, just 10 major foreign multi-nationals contributed a massive 40pc of our total corporation tax take (or 2.76bn). This was up from 37pc a year earlier. This means that those 10 global firms paid about 1.2bn more in tax here than they did in 2014.

Revenue also said that, despite this larger share paid by the top 10, the overall ratio of foreign multinationals to indigenous firms remained the same, at around 80pc foreign to 20pc indigenous.

It is extraordinary to think that while indigenous Irish businesses collectively paid 1.3bn in corporation tax last year, just 10 multinationals paid more than double that amount.

It highlights in the starkest terms our failure to develop indigenous Irish companies and our enormous dependence on foreign investment.

Some of those corporations, such as Intel or Apple, have invested billions of euro in Ireland. As we saw last week, even one of the world's greatest companies - Intel - is having to cut a few hundred jobs in Ireland. However, it has invested billions in machinery and manufacturing facilities. It isn't going anywhere.

But others such as Google, Facebook, Twitter or other technology firms by their very nature are much more mobile.

And what about those 16,000 firms that suddenly managed to make a profit in 2015?

This is really puzzling. It is hard to imagine that thousands of start-up companies all uniformly turned into profit last year. Similarly, it doesn't seem to make sense that longer-established businesses, which had struggled in the recession years, all returned to profit in the same year.

Perhaps some of them racked up big losses in the recession, which gave them tax loss credits, which in turn ran out last year.

It is reassuring to think the sudden rise in corporation tax didn't all come from one or two companies just having a good year. However, the figures show that of the 2.2bn in additional tax, 1.2bn of the increase did come from just 10 companies having a good year. We hope it continues.

Expanding Dalata gets ready for the hard bit

After spending more than 560m buying hotels last year, Dalata Hotel Group chief executive Pat McCann still has another 100m available to commit. It's quite a kitty.

Dalata acquired 15 hotels in Ireland and the UK last year alone.

The challenge for the group in recent months has been what to buy. Management told shareholders during the week that they expect to commit the rest of that 100m before the end of this year and would look at paying a dividend in 2017 - which would be pretty extraordinary, given that it only floated in 2014.

The board signalled at the AGM last week that it would not go for the Gresham or the former Burlington Hotel. Prices are looking higher now - and Dalata might have the cash, but it doesn't want to buy badly.

With more hotels set to close, such as the Ballsbridge Hotel in Dublin some time in 2018, the demand for hotel rooms in the capital looks likely to continue.

McCann is on the record as saying hotel prices will increase further, a comment that ran the risk of attracting the ire of Minister Michael Noonan, who delivered the 9pc reduced VAT rate for the sector.

Dalata is reaping the benefits of buying trading hotel businesses at cheap prices, which saw its profits hit 28.4m last year.

One option for the company is to look more at new builds than acquisitions. As well as the planned new build at Charlemont Street in Dublin, Dalata has its eye on a number of other development sites.

Buy a hotel and you get an income stream that very year, but you run the risk of paying too much. Build a hotel and the payback is longer in coming, but it could be greater in the long run.

In a way, getting this far this quickly required McCann and the board's credibility and experience to raise so much money and spend it well. Once the expansion bit is finished, Dalata will have to knuckle down to the tougher job of making its assets deliver.

Dalata shares floated at 2.50 in March 2014 and hit 5.50 earlier this year. They then fell back to around 4.20. Profit-taking may be behind much of the drop. Signalling a dividend for next year early on might go some way towards attracting a different kind of longer-term investor while also heading off further profit-taking at the pass.

It seems to have done the trick, as Dalata shares were up 5pc on the week.

Glanbia and Kerry both avoid the dairy squeeze

Two giants of the Irish food sector, Glanbia and Kerry, are both sticking to their 2016 full-year earnings guidance, after delivering fairly confident trading statements during the week.

Kerry's business is so diversified that currency movements and tough trading conditions in one market can be offset elsewhere. The business is so tightly managed that, despite tough trading conditions, it is sticking to its 6pc-10pc growth in earnings per share this year.

Glanbia is facing a tougher trading environment with the international slump in dairy prices and currency shifts. A euro that is increasing in value against other currencies hits the bottom line figures when they are translated back into euro.

Glanbia's investment in its dairy ingredients division is paying off, but its real growth story is dependent on the continued expansion and success of its consumer global performance nutrition division.

In the first three months of this year, it achieved high single-digit growth in its American-branded sales, but this was offset somewhat by selling less private label products. As long as Glanbia can keep growing those US-branded sales, cyclical challenges in other parts of the group won't hurt as much.

Consumer nutrition products is a tough, competitive business to be in, and Glanbia will have to work very hard on the ground to retain those private label contracts, see off competitors and find new acquisitions.

Meanwhile, at home dairy farmers are not happy. Some are struggling. After borrowing heavily to expand their herds, they are getting very worried about the price of milk. They are directing their ire at executive salaries across the industry.

Chief executive Siobhan Talbot could give them little comfort at the group's agm when she said things may get worse before they get better on milk prices.

Some farmers are questioning her 1.9m salary and also the 22pc rise in staff costs at Glanbia. Inevitably in an expanding global business with US employees and currency fluctuations, once you translate those costs back, the wage bill is going to rise.

Equally, farmers have done incredibly well out of the exponential growth in Glanbia's share price in recent years, much of which is down to the performance nutrition business in the US.

But try telling that to farmers facing bad weather - nothing is growing and they feel like it is them instead of their livestock placed in the crush.
Two days ago, the Government's outgoing Minister for Communications conceded a stark statistic: 300,000 rural homes and businesses will have to wait until 2019 for the National Broadband Plan process to begin.

Alex White didn't mean to put it like that. He was trying to reiterate that the state-subsidised rural broadband plan is still on track to eventually happen, even though construction now won't begin until the middle of 2017 at the earliest.

But there is now a level of anger around the issue that has not existed before. And the intensity of it appears to have taken government ministers and Department of Communications officials by surprise.

It really shouldn't have.

Demand for broadband is not the same as demand for a new road or rail line. These latter utilities can suffer a slower roll-out because they're not as central to so many societal changes in so quick a period.

Imagine if every State body and every major trading entity required citizens to switch almost all of their economic activity over to motorway-based travel in a five-year period.

It may seem a clumsy comparison, but this is quite close to what is happening in Ireland with broadband. Trading, shopping, registering and filing are now subject to online completion, both by choice and by diktat from state institutions.

In 2012, when the National Broadband plan was announced, fibre was a luxury. In 2016, it's a necessity. In 2019, it will be an economic emergency for those areas that don't have it.

But at that point, close to a million people - some 300,000 homes - will still not have access to fibre broadband under the State's timetable. And tens of thousands will still not have it until 2022, a full ten years after the plan was first announced.

So when Alex White says that the delay to the National Broadband Plan is actually only six months from the initial scheduled plan, he is correct. But the context now is very different to what it was in 2012 or even in 2014, when he first started working on the project.

People now see that they can't wait any more: not even one year, let alone three years or six years. If those in power don't fully appreciate this sensibility, they are getting a crash course through the ceaseless, intense public disquiet on the issue.

Against this background, last week's announcement of more delays was unfortunate timing. Department officials insisted that the delay had nothing to do with the absence of a new Minister or a new government. Instead, they said that the weight of regulatory and procedural compliance has caused a backlog in what they can achieve in the timeframe they have. The European Commission is peering over their shoulders, they say, and they just can't afford to leave anything to chance.

Adequate staffing resources, it is also hinted, may be a relevant issue here.

There is undoubtedly some truth to all of this. As maddening as the lengthy process seems, there are entities waiting in the wings to legally challenge the State-subsidised broadband rollout if the Government missteps in any way.

Over 30 regional wireless operators, for instance, do not support the National Broadband Plan because it will drive them out of business. Some have already warned of European legal challenges to the State rollout scheme.

(They would probably lose, given that the EU has indicated that 30Mbs is now the minimum broadband speed required for countries to get to. Most wireless operators currently can't offer this type of speed.)

Compliance issues aside, there are also basic engineering and construction practicalities that mean a full rural build-out will take a number of years. This is an infrastructure rollout that will need to reach into over 90pc (yes, it's that big) of Ireland's geographical terrain, which is not currently covered by adequate broadband.

There is no single contractor in Ireland that could do such a job in 18 months under the likely levels of resources (taxpayers' money) on offer through a government tender for the project.

This might change if the parameters of that tender were to shift.

For example, the State could offer more than the estimated 500m of public funds it is willing to put toward the scheme. Or it could offer ownership of the network to the winning tender bidder if it completed the rollout quicker than is currently planned.

But such options would cost the State dearly. Are we willing to consider the extra outlay? If not, it looks like we're stuck with the current five-year roll-out, starting next summer (assuming there are no more delays).

If there is a political dimension to the delay, it is that the Department of Communications has done the incoming government a significant favour. The last thing a new administration would want to announce is a delay in rural broadband rollout. For Department officials, it also has the added advantage of re-orienting political attention around the issue and clarifying the narrative.

Ultimately, this is our process. If we want to speed it up, we probably can. But there is no magic bullet. And many will now lose out.
'In countries like Greece, Spain and Portugal, almost half the young people are unemployed." So wrote distinguished scholar Ivan Krastev in the New York Times recently. Mercifully, he is utterly wrong.

It is very rarely stated, but there are actually some reasonably good things happening in many of the continent's labour markets and some of the bad things that are often touted by commentators are not as bad as they might appear at first glance.

For instance, employment growth between 2000 and 2014 was actually higher in the Eurozone than in the US, a country whose labour market is often lauded as being much better functioning than Europe's.

Another difference between Europe and the US is that the latter has experienced a very long-term decline in the share of low-skilled men who work, a subject that has been much agonised over and, among other things, has been blamed for the rise of populism, from the Tea Party movement to Donald Trump. By contrast, the available evidence across almost all EU member countries is that there has not been a similar decline in employment rates for low-skilled men over the long term (I'll return to this subject in a future column).

None of this is to say that there are not big problems in some European countries. Most southern European economies have appalling rigidities in their labour markets that benefit insiders and work against outsiders (usually younger people). But even here, there are some reasons for optimism.

Let's start with youth unemployment. There is, of course, too much of it in Ireland and in most other European countries, but it is nowhere near half of all young people, as Krastev claimed in his opinion article.

The reason this error is often made is because the youth unemployment rate, which is indeed close to 50pc in the countries mentioned, is misinterpreted. It should be said loud and clear that a 50pc unemployment rate does not equate with 50pc of people being unemployed. That is because the unemployment rate excludes the large proportion of people not in the labour force. In the case of young people, defined as those aged 15-24, a big majority has not even entered the labour force - most young Europeans are in education or training, investing in their futures.

Take Greece, the European country whose economy has suffered the largest contraction since the onset of the Great Recession.

According Eurostat, the EU's statistics agency, there were 160,000 unemployed Greeks aged 15-24 in 2015. According to the same source, there were over 1m Greeks of that age. Put another way, 15pc of young Greeks were unemployed last year.

The proportion in Spain was a little higher (19pc) and a little lower in Portugal (12pc).

But a much better way of measuring how young people are getting on in the world of work is the number who are 'Not in Employment, Education or Training' (known as the NEET rate). This includes the entire age group, not just the minority in the labour force.

This measure shows that Ireland has not been doing well by its youth - and that includes the pre-crash period.

While Ireland's standard unemployment rate suggested that we had joblessness licked in the years up to 2007, a deeper dig into the data tells a very different story. For instance, the jobless household rate was one of the highest in Europe, even during the high-growth boom years.

While the NEET rate was not nearly as bad as that of many other countries, it was only around the EU average up to 2007, as the first chart shows. That was despite jobs growing on trees. It is further evidence that we have a real problem with an excluded underclass in Ireland.

As always in recessions, the young suffer most, and given the bad starting point, Ireland's NEET rate soared when the crash came. It peaked in 2010. At almost 20pc, it was the highest among the EU 28 in that dismal year.

Thankfully, it has fallen sharply since then, even if, at 14.3pc last year, it was still the eighth-highest among the EU 28.

More widely, the good news is that the overall NEET rate across the 28 countries in the EU has been falling for three years. The bad news is that it is not falling fast enough - last year almost one in eight young people in Europe were neither earning nor learning.

If some labour market success is being achieved with the young across Europe, considerably more is being made with older folk. Another positive development in recent times in Europe, and Ireland too, is the rising proportion of older people staying on at work.

This is particularly encouraging owing to the costs associated with ageing. It is also good in itself - ensuring that people who have built up knowledge and skills continue to contribute, rather than retiring in their 50s to spend decades living leisured lives, which is not a sustainable way of doing things.

As the second chart shows, well over half of 55-64 year olds in Europe are now working, an increase of 40pc from 2002 when aggregate EU data were first compiled.

Further good news comes from the geographic extent of the higher employment rates for those in late middle age. Of the 24 member states reporting data from as far back as 1998, when the Labour Force Survey first included data by detailed age cohort, 22 recorded increases in employment rates among this age cohort. Ireland has followed the upward trend, and the employment rates for this age group hit an all-time high last year, at 56pc, just above the EU average.

Having started with a discussion of southern Europe, it is worth concluding there, and with Italy specifically. It is an economy that one struggles mightily to be optimistic about, and this column has long feared that it will eventually go Greek and end up bringing down the euro. But on the score of older worker employment rates, things have improved markedly in the 21st century - one of the rare good economic news stories coming out of Italy.

At the end of the 1990s, just over one in four Italians aged 55-64 was at work, reflecting the ease with which people could avail of early retirement packages - in many cases, older people I knew when I lived in Italy in the 1990s were actually financially penalised for staying on at work.

But things have changed, in part because there has been a realisation that making people retire earlier does not 'free up' jobs for younger people (believing that it does is a version of the 'lump of labour' fallacy that economics students are disabused of in their first term). As of last year, almost half of the cohort was working, and the employment rate continues to rise sharply. There is some hope for southern Europe.
A 94-year-old man who has been in a nursing home for three years has only 1.50 a week of his own money left to spend on himself after covering the cost of his care under Fair Deal - the State scheme set up to provide financial support to those in need of nursing home care.

John (not his real name) gets 256.60 into his hands each week - through his State pension and a small work pension. He also has savings of about 52,000 which he built up over his lifetime.

Under Fair Deal, you pay a contribution towards the cost of your nursing home care - with the State picking up the rest of the tab. The amount you pay depends on your income - as well as any assets, including savings, which you hold. You typically pay up to 80pc of your income towards the cost of your nursing home care. You also usually pay a percentage of the value of any assets you have.

John is paying 255.06 out of his weekly pension income of 256.60 to cover the cost of his care under Fair Deal.

That weekly rate includes the 80pc contribution of 205.25 from his pensions - and a contribution of 49.81 to reflect the charge on his savings. Of course, John could use his savings, rather than his weekly income, to cover the weekly charge of 49.81. However, he has chosen not to do so because he does not wish to see those savings gobbled up over time. He feels he needs those savings to pay for things which are not covered by Fair Deal - and to pay for his funeral bill when he passes away. John has already sold his home.

"My father could live for a good number of years yet and he needs his savings to give him some extra comforts in his declining years," said John's daughter. "Any expenditure in relation to clothing, prescriptions fees, some toiletries, newspapers, magazines, books, treats, presents and so on is taken out of those savings. We also have to ensure that there is enough money to pay for his funeral expenses whenever that unhappy day comes."

John is not alone in trying to use the small income he has to cover the entire cost of his care under Fair Deal - rather than to put his savings towards it. Many people try to cover the charge which Fair Deal puts on their savings or assets themselves - so that they will have something to pass onto their loved ones when they die.

Of course, there are merits to the Fair Deal scheme. For many people, the costs of staying in a nursing home are prohibitive and Fair Deal is their only hope of being able to stay in one. Some nursing homes charge as much as 1,500 a week for care. Without Fair Deal, the only other option for someone who needs nursing home care is to pay for the bills outright themselves. So Fair Deal can take a lot of financial pressure off people who need nursing home care - allowing them to use assets such as property or land to settle nursing home bills after they die.

However, Age Action believes that the rates that individuals must pay towards the cost of care under Fair Deal are too high. "The rates force people to sell family homes, reduce the value of assets built up over a lifetime and can put enormous pressure on the families of older people - as well as making the older people themselves feel guilty about family assets they'd hoped to pass on being diminished," said Justin Moran, head of advocacy at Age Action.

As well as contributing 80pc of your income, under Fair Deal you must also pay up to 7.5pc a year of the value of any assets you have (or 5pc a year if you applied for the scheme before July 25, 2013). Those assets can include savings, the family home (though there are limits to the extent that it can be used to fund the cost of care), land, property, stocks and shares. The first 36,000 of your assets (or 72,000 if you are married), will not be counted when deciding how much you should pay towards the cost of your care.

"Many people are paying the 7.5pc charge themselves - rather than having that charge against their home," said Eamon Timmins, chief executive of Age Action. "There is a mindset in Ireland of people wanting to leave a legacy to the family. There are a lot of emotional ties to the family home."

If you spend more than three years in a nursing home, no more than 22.5pc of the value of your family home can be used to pay for your care - or 11.25pc if you are a couple and your partner remains at home. In some cases, the same cap will apply to family businesses or farms.

As the three-year cap only applies to family farms in certain circumstances, farms can be put at risk when a member of the family signs up to Fair Deal. "The Fair Deal scheme has created significant financial difficulties for some farm families due to the potentially uncapped liability on family farms to pay for nursing home care," said Maura Canning, Farm Family and Social Affairs Chairperson with the Irish Farmer's Association (IFA).

When asked to comment about the concerns around the use of the family home and farm under Fair Deal, a spokeswoman for the Department of Health said: "The Fair Deal scheme is structured so that people don't have to sell their homes during their lifetime, and is based on the principle that participants contribute according to their means, so taking assets into account is valid in that context."

She also said that by international standards, Fair Deal is "very generous".

A spokeswoman for the Health Service Executive (HSE) said that the amount an individual must pay towards their nursing home bills is "based on the ability to pay".

The spokeswoman added that if your only assets are land and property, you can apply for a nursing home loan - and defer using these assets to pay for your care until you die.

Another problem being encountered by those who sign up to Fair Deal is the extra charges they are hit with when in a nursing home. Fair Deal doesn't cover the cost of everything - such as hair cuts, chiropody, physiotherapy and dental services.

Furthermore, residents are often being charged for things which they can't use, according to Timmins.

"We are seeing newspaper charges for people who can't read, and charges for social activities when people can't leave a bed," said Timmins. "We are getting some calls from people who say they're being charged for Mass."

Nursing homes themselves argue that the fees paid to them under Fair Deal are inadequate because they do not cover services essential to the health and wellbeing of nursing home residents.

"The fees payable to nursing homes under Fair Deal do not encompass the reality of the health and social care costs incurred to meet the day-to-day care and living requirements of persons requiring nursing home care," said Tadhg Daly, CEO of Nursing Homes Ireland.

Regardless of who is at fault here, nursing home residents only have the 20pc of the income which they have left (after paying the 80pc contribution under Fair Deal) to cover these additional costs. For someone who is relying on the State pension, that could be the equivalent of 50 a week - or less.

"The 20pc of your income that you're left with isn't enough for many people to get by on," said Timmins. "It has to go a long way. It's not enough to survive on with any dignity in the latter stages of your life."

It is time for change on this - and the other shortcomings around Fair Deal.
The long-standing model of car ownership has always seemed fairly straightforward. You buy or lease a new or used car. You own it, tax it and insure it. You are responsible for servicing it, repairing it and making sure it remains roadworthy.

This has always been the most widely accepted form of car use - until now. A new phenomenon, known as car sharing, is shifting the goalposts.

Similar to the traditional car rental model, car sharing allows customers to rent a car for much shorter periods of time, often by the hour. It's a business model that is growing in popularity, especially among those who only use their car infrequently or are seeking to be more prudent with their disposable income.

In fact, according to leading consulting firm Navigant, global car sharing services revenue is set to grow to $6.2bn by 2020, by which time it is expected that there will be as many as 12 million registered car sharing members worldwide.

So last week I went to the offices of GoCar, a car sharing company based in Santry, to meet Colm Brady, the company's managing director.

"GoCar is Ireland's first car sharing service," explains Colm. "We currently operate in Dublin and have 145 vehicles to choose from - 137 cars and eight vans.

"Business is growing steadily. Our customers are typically aged between 25 and 35 and generally rent vehicles for between one to three hours. We have also seen an increase in the number of families using GoCar to replace the family's second car that would normally sit unused for most of the week. We have one woman who books the car for an hour every weekday in order to collect her children from school. She doesn't really use a car outside of these times, so she doesn't see the need to burden herself with the costs of buying and keeping a car that ends up parked in her drive for over 90pc of the time," he adds.

Thinking about the rising levels of traffic congestion, the challenge of finding parking in the city and the ever-increasing costs of personal vehicle ownership, it's easy to see why this idea is catching on. Given the pressures on our infrastructure, car sharing looks like becoming part of the debate around the sustainability of our future urban centres.

"It has taken some time for the idea to sink in here in Ireland because of our unique mindset about ownership compared to other countries," says Colm. "As a nation we love to own stuff - and that goes for cars as well as property.

"Changing this mindset has definitely been our greatest challenge so far. But thankfully we are making steady progress in this regard. Members now see that we can provide a car at the end of their road or a van outside their place of work, which will be available for collection as and when they need it and without the financial burden or long-term commitment associated with having to own it," he adds.

While currently only available in Dublin City, the company has plans to expand into the suburbs in the near future, as well as into other cities across the country.

So how does it work?

"Those wishing to avail of the service join GoCar as a member. To take out membership, users have to be 21 years or older, have a full valid driving licence for two years or more and have a valid credit or debit card," explains Colm.

"Once signed up, a member gets an individual customer and PIN number, which they can use to book the time they wish to rent the car, as well as their preferred location and vehicle type, with reservations being made online or via our dedicated app 24/7.

"Members can rent a car or van for as little as an hour or as long as a week or even longer in special circumstances," he adds.

To explain further, Colm escorts me out to the forecourt of the company's offices, where a fleet of various types of cars and vans are neatly parked. All are low-emission vehicles. Members can choose from the GoCity range, which consists of a Ford Fiesta or Hyundai i20, the GoTripper range, which consists of a Ford Focus or Hyundai i30, and the GoVan range, which is made up of Ford Transit Connect vans. A new range is also due out soon, called GoExplore. This will include the more spacious Hyundai Tuscon, which Colm tells me will be ideal for family-type trips or longer journeys. Starting at 4.99 per hour for the GoCity and 45c per mile, it's easy to understand why this service is catching on.

Colm hands me a swipecard, and once I swipe this past the receiver on the car, the door opens automatically. A voice message in the car tells me the key is located in the glove compartment. Once I enter my unique PIN, the key is released from the keypad and I'm good to go.

"Easy as that," Colm says with a smile.

GoCar was initially set up as a pilot project in Cork in late 2008 with the support of Cork City Council.

"The Council even gave GoCar the use of three dedicated car parking locations in the city as part of the scheme, something that was pretty visionary at the time," insists Colm. "It was taken over for a while by a group of investors and later bought in 2012 by the current owners, Colm Menton and Eugene O'Reilly.

"Colm is a serial entrepreneur and part-owner of the Europcar rental business, while Eugene is well known as the Hyundai distributor for Ireland. With their knowledge of the transport sector, they both realised the potential of car sharing and were aware that there was a growing international trend towards car sharing," he adds.

Colm Brady himself is originally from Malahide. After school, he studied accountancy in Griffith College before getting a job in an auto parts distribution company. From there, he joined a specialist business consulting firm where he was focused on installing complex IT management systems.

A chance meeting with Colm Menton led to him being offered a job in his small but growing independent car rental business, Malone Car Rental. The company would later grow to become Europcar - and with 250 staff and a fleet of more than 6,500 cars it is now Ireland's third-largest car rental business. Colm eventually became the company's director of business development.

"In 2012, we began researching the possibility of starting a new business in the car sharing area and came across GoCar. The biggest challenge for the previous owners was in raising the capital needed to buy more cars. In Europcar, we had thousands of cars and a strong balance sheet - so it made sense for us to buy a business that was already up and running rather than start from scratch ourselves," he explains.

The company's big breakthrough came in late 2015, when the Government introduced new legislation to allow local authorities to designate spaces exclusively for car sharing purposes.

With Dublin City Council being the first to enact the legislation, GoCar could now move to places such as St Stephen's Green, Merrion Square, Lower Mount Street, Nassau Street, Mountjoy Square and Parnell Square, where the demand was high.

I ask Colm about the company's future.

"We are continuing to invest in technology and are now launching our new mobile booking app, which we believe will improve the overall customer experience by making it easier for members to find their nearest car locations as well as complete their booking and payment. In addition, we aim to double the size of our fleet, including the introduction of our first range of electric vehicles," explains Colm. "Our job now is to keep pace with our customers' ever-changing needs," he adds.

With increasing traffic congestion in our cities and the costs of owning your own car rising all the time, the concept of car sharing looks likely to become the new normal around the globe.

In Ireland, the initial vision of Cork City Council combined with the experience of a group of very smart entrepreneurs looks set to make it a reality here also.

For further information: www.gocar.ie
The cost of using your mobile phone in other EU countries will be slashed from this weekend

The cost of using your mobile phone in other EU countries will be slashed from this weekend.

From today, the cost of using your mobile phone in another EU country will be significantly less. Costs will now be capped at domestic rates plus a maximum of 5c per call, 2c per text and 2c for MB of data, said MEP Brian Hayes.

The reduction comes into force following an agreement reached last year that will see roaming charges in the EU abolished from June 15, 2017.

The cap makes roaming within the EU 75pc cheaper during the interim period, the European Commission has said.

Operators will now only be able to charge a small additional amount to domestic users.

The charges will end altogether on June 15 next year, meaning mobile phone users will pay the same price to make calls, send text messages and use data wherever they are in the EU, as if they were at home.

The new rules aim to prevent consumers receiving huge bills after downloading films or other data while travelling in Europe.

European Commission Vice President Andrus Ansip, responsible for the Digital Single Market, said the move was not only about money, this is about bringing down barriers in the Digital Single Market.

Commissioner Gunther H Oettinger, in charge of the Digital Economy and Society, said the agreement showed that the EU could deliver tangible results to improve the daily life of Europeans, adding that roaming charges will be soon old memories.

Consumers have been especially vulnerable to roaming charges since the smartphone market exploded and mobile data consumption soared.

So-called bill shock from holidaying in the EU affects millions of mobile users a year, according to research by comparison website uSwitch.
Joan Brady knows a bit about the inner workings of the media. The award-winning Irish journalist and broadcast producer began her career as a features writer and columnist for this newspaper and its sister paper, the Evening Herald. She then went on to work as a researcher and producer for some of RTE radio's most popular programmes such as the Gay Byrne Show, Today with Pat Kenny, Liveline and Drivetime, where she gained more insight into what goes on behind the scenes. Now, Brady draws on this experience for her first novel, The Cinderella Reflex.

The title and the plot are a nod in the direction of a bestseller called The Cinderella Complex by American psychotherapist Collette Dowling. Written in the 1960s, it was a hit in the 1980s and drew the conclusion that women, particularly otherwise intelligent women, fear independence and fail to secure their financial future because they subconsciously harbour the hope that their prince will come to rescue them and take care of all that.

Several decades later, despite all the progress for women in the intervening years, it seems that nothing much has changed for the two female protagonists, who at first appear so very different to each other.

Tess Morgan has been wandering the world for the past 10 years, nursing a heart that was broken by fellow journalism student Chris Conroy. Meanwhile, he has become a household name while Tess, now aged 30, has returned to Ireland to take up a lowly job as producer in a small local radio station. Tess has to deal with her dragon of a boss Helene and the massive ego of Ollie Andrews, "the talent" of the morning show she produces. Helene has risen to the position of executive producer, thanks to her married lover, Richard who also happens to own the radio station. She has been waiting years for Richard to leave his wife and kids but it is never the right time.

Ratings are falling and Helene and Tess try to come up with ideas to boost them, some with hilarious consequences until they get the news that the station is to be sold to entrepreneur Jack McCabe. Jack's smug PR, Paulina announces that they must all fight to keep their jobs. In the ensuing general mistrust and downright backstabbing, Chris Conroy comes back into Tess's life, ostensibly to help Tess. Chris, however has other Machiavellian plans for himself.

There are lots of twists and turns as the new regime puts their lives into perspective. Both women have to make huge decisions about their futures in this light-hearted yet well-crafted novel. The characters are believable and unusually, the reader actually feels sympathy for anti-heroine Helene, who has read The Cinderella Complex and begins to realise she is a classic case. A host of other colourful characters provide interest and perhaps a couple of real Prince Charmings. Brady never takes herself seriously in this hard to put down novel.
Mary Costello's much praised first book, The China Factory, a collection of short stories, was nominated for The Guardian first book award. This book is her first novel, the story of a lone Irish woman emigrant living in America in the middle of the last century. The novel covers Tess's life from when we first meet her as a child in a farmhouse in the West of Ireland in the 1940s as her mother is being buried until we last meet her, when she returns to the same farmhouse having lived most of her adult life in New York.

She has siblings, but they are incidental; the concentration is on the shy, passive Tess. She returns to school after her mother's funeral and is taunted by boys and a tinker girl who sticks out her tongue at her.

Tess returns the insult the following day and feels bad about it. Later, the tinker girl dies and Tess loses the power to speak. Her father wants her to help with the sheep but she makes a mess of it and he hurls abuse. The dog is her friend, as is the workman on the farm who is kind, and her voice returns.

She moves to Dublin at 20 and trains to be a nurse but fails to form even one lasting friendship. She has an image of herself cutting a solitary furrow through still blue water. Her older sister goes to work in New York and in 1962 Tess follows. But her sister moves to California with her husband, and Tess is again alone. She meets David, a lawyer originally from Dublin, and after a one-night stand he disappears and she is pregnant.

She calls her son Theo after Vincent Van Gogh's supportive brother. Her black neighbours are her friends. Tess feels shame at having the child "out of wedlock", but her happiest days are in the apartment on Academy Street in upper Manhattan, with the young Theo growing up. Ten years after Theo's birth she comes across a wedding photograph of Theo's father and his Peruvian air hostess bride and it is a kind of closure on that particular chapter.

She loves Theo but he doesn't much love her back. He moves out when he becomes a college student and at 28 he is a commodities broker engaged to a Jewish girl, a lawyer; later they have two children.

Coming from the library one day Tess gets mugged. Theo comes to visit during her recovery: "I wanted a strong mother. I had no father and you were always so afraid," he rails at her.

"I did my best," she meekly replies.

Loneliness and isolation are chief themes, as they were with George Moore and John McGahern, and one of the strengths of this novel is the consistency of Tess's character - but it is also a weakness.

Tess is passive throughout, things happen to her, she absorbs and moves on, slowly accepting and preparing for the next blow to fall. The worm never turns, the mouse never roars. Not even when Theo becomes a 9/11 victim at 37 - Tess's response is to find solace in reading and in her grandchildren.

In The China Factory, her memorable short story collection, there was something quite nasty, therefore truthful, about many of the characters and situations. Here things are so sifted as to sometimes make minimal impact. But Mary Costello is a very gifted writer and this is a beautifully written novel.
Jenny Diski, who died of cancer on Thursday aged 68, survived a bleak childhood and miserable youth to become one of the most inventive, original and disturbing writers of her generation, and a prolific author of novels, short stories, reviews, essays, travelogues and memoirs.

She described herself as "contrary-minded", delighted in breaking taboos and never recognised any boundaries to her imagination. When her first novel Nothing Natural, about a sado-masochistic sexual affair, was published in 1986, the poet Anthony Thwaite called it "the most revolting book I've ever read" and she was banned from the Islington feminist bookshop, Sisterwrite, on account of her heroine's predilection for being abused and beaten by a balding old sadist who turns up with a whip in a plastic bag. Yet its frankness and fearlessness, together with its powerful atmosphere of suspense, won her favourable reviews from many critics.

Of her blackly humorous Like Mother (1988), in which Diski used the disturbing conceit of a baby born without a brain, a child its mother christens Nony, short for "Nonentity", one reviewer confessed that after reading it, he had gone to bed "had nightmares, woke up, threw up, and have not been able to touch the book since".

Oedipal threesomes cropped up regularly, too. In Only Human (2000), God gets involved in a love triangle with Abraham and Sarah, while a reviewer in The Times suggested that its sequel, After These Things (2004), could be "God's first contender for the Bad Sex Award", with its torrid description of the nuptials between Jacob and Leah. "I wanted to retrieve the Bible from stupidity," Diski explained in an interview with The Daily Telegraph, "to take it back as an essentially human story."

Jenny Diski was often asked whether her novels were autobiographical - which they were in the sense that her central characters are often in abusive relationships and have difficulties with love and trust. Rather perversely, she saved her genuine memoirs for books that were ostensibly travelogues, Skating to Antarctica (1997) and the award-winning Stranger on a Train (2002), in which her travels provided a framework for vivid reminiscences about her experiences of rape, drugs and breakdowns, her alienation from her parents, her stints in "the loony bin", and her life-long feelings of isolation.

"What I experience with most people is my estrangement from them, the distance of mutually unique separation that words or touch never quite bridge," she wrote.

"Unlike cats, people interfere with my apprehension of reality, they muddy how I can know myself, confuse my understanding of how I am, which is centred around the notion that solitude is a state of perfection."

When Jenny Diski is at her "visceral best", one critic observed, "the reader can only wonder 'why isn't she screaming?' "

She was born Jennifer Simmonds on July 8, 1947, in London to parents who were children of East End Jews who had emigrated from Russia and Poland. Both had been married before and both had attempted suicide.

"The will to live was not strong in my family," she recalled.

Brought up in a flat on Tottenham Court Road, Jenny had all the material luxuries a child could want, but her parents quarrelled violently and sexually abused their daughter.

Her father, a professional conman and prolific adulterer, abandoned her and her mother several times before finally disappearing for good. The first time he left, Jenny was six and her mother had a nervous breakdown so severe that Jenny had to go into foster care for a while until her father came back.

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After he left for the final time, she recalled catching sight of him at Tottenham Court Road tube station, "and my mother chased him with the knife she kept in her handbag expressly for the purpose of killing him should they ever meet by chance. He outran her."

Her mother drifted into psychosis, and when they were no longer able to pay the bills the bailiffs came calling (Jenny was instructed to go barefoot about the flat, "in case the downstairs neighbours guessed we were carpetless"). She tracked down her father, who found her a job in a grocers, then in a shoe shop, and for a time she yo-yoed between her parents.

"The only way we got out of it was by me freaking out," she recalled later. Social services eventually paid for her to go to St Christopher, in Letchworth, Hertfordshire, a progressive boarding school from which she was soon expelled for sniffing ether stolen from the chemistry lab.

Aged 14, she was raped by a stranger who had lured her into a recording studio in Notting Hill. She ended up with her mother in a bedsit in Hove, where, after three days, she attempted suicide and was sent to a psychiatric hospital.

As the authorities pondered what to do with her, salvation came in the form of the novelist Doris Lessing, whose son Peter had been a friend of hers at school, and who offered her a room in her house in Camden.

For the next four years Doris Lessing became, in effect, her adoptive mother, although by Jenny Diski's account the relationship was a difficult one.

In coming to Britain from Southern Rhodesia in 1949, the future Nobel Prize-winning novelist had abandoned two of her own children and in her last memoir, In Gratitude, published last week, Jenny Diski described her as "the least motherly, least warm person I've ever known". When Jenny summoned up the courage to ask her: "Do you like me?" Doris Lessing accused her of emotional blackmail. "We never liked each other, really, from the word go,'' Diski recalled.

Before Lessing's death in 2013, the two writers reached an agreement not to discuss each other publicly.

Nonetheless, living in her house in Camden, Jenny found herself in the company of writers such as Alan Sillitoe, Naomi Mitchison, Ted Hughes, Arnold Wesker, Robert Graves and Christopher Logue, and claimed that listening to the sound of Doris Lessing's typing had given her an "implacable understanding of what it is to be a writer".

Diski's father died suddenly when she was 18, and she recalled that the next day her mother turned up at Doris Lessing's house "ranting that he was faking it to get out of paying her alimony. I couldn't bear to listen to her, so I went to Camden library. She followed, screaming hysterically. It was the last time I saw her."

The arrangement with the Lessings came to an end soon afterwards when Jenny jumped out of a bedroom window to avoid speaking to Lessing and her friends. She moved into a squat, though Doris Lessing continued to support her. For the next few years, she recalled, "I did psychiatric hospitals rather than university and tried to commit suicide off and on".

And, as she recalled in an article in the London Review of Books, "We smoked hash all day and into the night, injected methedrine, which was wonderful until you started to come down and discovered a side of depression darker than you'd ever dreamed of."

But in her early 20s a survival instinct kicked in: "I thought I could at least pretend to be an ordinary person, so I became a teacher."

After training alongside Ken Livingstone, she worked in a Hackney comprehensive and in 1976 married Roger Diski (his real name was Marks, but they opted to call themselves Diski), whom she had met when he was working on a magazine called Children's Rights and invited her to write an article.

They had a daughter and together they set up a free school in Camden for children who were getting into trouble on the streets. The marriage did not last.

After her first book, other novels followed in quick succession, including Rainforest (1987), Then Again (1990), Happily Ever After (1991), Monkey's Uncle (1994) and The Dream Mistress (1996).

She also started writing for the London Review of Books, becoming one of its star reviewers. Don't, a collection of her LRB essays, was published by Granta in 1998. Her last novel, Apology for the Woman Writing, was published in 2008.

In 1998 she met Ian Patterson, a Cambridge don and poet who became her partner, and she subsequently moved to Cambridge to be closer to him.

Initially she lived in the house across the street, but she eventually took the plunge and crossed the road, explaining that her cats had been getting confused.

In July 2014 she was diagnosed with lung cancer and given two or three years to live. She went on to write a regular column in the LRB about her diagnosis and treatment, also describing the experience in her last memoir, In Gratitude. An enthusiastic Twitter user, she gave her support to the junior doctors' strike in one of her last tweets.

Ian Patterson survives her with her daughter.

 Telegraph

Telegraph Media Group Limited [2022]
I can't think of any other film stars who have an entire museum dedicated to them, but Charlie Chaplin does. Two weeks ago, a plush cultural centre set in 14 hectares of rolling parkland opened not far from Montreux: Chaplin's World offers visitors an insight into the great man's work and life; there's lots of memorabilia, recreations of famous scenes, and exhibits demonstrating Chaplin's influence on comic successors like Woody Allen.

The museum's location is fitting: Charles Chaplin lived in Switzerland for 25 years after fleeing America to escape political persecution. But do his achievements really merit the homage of a vast, exclusive museum? After all, he died almost 40 years back, and began a slow slide off the Hollywood A-list more than 80 years ago. Unlike, say, his near-contemporaries Laurel and Hardy and The Marx Brothers, time has not been especially kind to Chaplin's work, which even at its best is underlain by mawkishness and arguably stands up less well than the films of his po-faced rival Buster Keaton.

Last year, I got a chance to assess Chaplin's merits when Metrodome kindly sent me copies of many of his films, which they have re-released on DVD and Blu Ray. And watching movies like Limelight, Modern Times, City Lights, The Kid, Shoulder Arms and A Dog's Life, I was struck by two things. Firstly, I was surprised by the subversive socialism that pervades practically every film he made: he was always on the side of the little guy, and constantly targeted fat cats and bosses. And secondly, I realised how fundamental Chaplin's work has been not only to film comedy, but to film itself. The connection to comics like Peter Sellers, Steve Martin and Woody Allen is obvious, but film-makers like Andrei Tarkovsky, Michael Powell, Billy Wilder and Jacques Tati have acknowledged his pre-eminence, and Federico Fellini called him "a sort of Adam, from whom we are all descended".

He might also lay claim to being the most famous person in the world ever, so ubiquitous was he in global cinema in the 1910s and 20s. And though his appeal slowly faded after the arrival of sound, by then he'd produced a staggering back catalogue of short films and features that would guarantee his immortality.

Chaplin's success is all the more inspiring when you consider his positively Dickensian childhood: he overcame great poverty and deprivation on his way to the top, and never forgot where he came from. That would be south London, specifically the borough of Lambeth, where Chaplin spent his childhood years.

He was born, in 1889, into the disorderly household of two music hall entertainers. His mother, Lily, danced, his father sang, but Charles Senior also drank, abandoned his wife and was dead by the age of 38. Lily had mental problems, and was in and out of asylums: young Charlie was sent to a workhouse at seven, and later endured what he'd called "a forlorn existence" at various paupers' schools.

Lily had encouraged his interest in the stage, and by the time he was 10, Charlie was earning a living with a clog-dancing troupe. He hated that, and turned to comedy, learning the ropes doing bits of business in music hall knockabout routines. In 1906, his older brother Sydney got him a job at Fred Karno's celebrated comedy company, and by 1910 Charlie had developed into an accomplished comic actor.

That same year he was chosen to go on a 21-month tour of America with Karno, whose troupe also included a callow young man from Ulverston, Lancashire with comic plans of his own. Stan Laurel would stay in America, and so would Chaplin. Charlie was initially dubious when he swapped the vaudeville stage for a film set, and a contract with Mack Sennett's Keystone Studios. He thought the Keystone comedies were "a crude melange of rough and tumble", but he was very interested in the possibilities of film-making, which he began surreptitiously studying.

In just his second film, Mabel's Strange Predicament, Charlie was cast as a drunken tramp, and assembled the costume that would become known the world over. "I wanted everything to be a contradiction," he explained many years later, "the pants baggy, the coat tight, the hat small and the shoes large. I had no idea of the character. But the moment I was dressed, the clothes and the make-up made me feel the person he was. I began to know him, and by the time I walked on stage, he was fully born."

Chaplin's Tramp was more fully formed in his next film, Kid Auto Races (1914), and quickly became a much-loved screen clown. Charlie had lots of ideas about how to develop him, grew tired of being ignored by his directors and soon began making his shorts himself. As his popularity grew, he moved from studio to studio demanding and getting ever bigger salaries: he would eventually join forces with Mary Pickford, Douglas Fairbanks and DW Griffith to found United Artists, an independent distribution company.

Chaplin now controlled all aspects of the creative process, writing, directing, producing and editing his films, as well as starring in them of course. And he was free to broaden the Tramp's appeal beyond the merely comic. Through the 1920s the 'Little Tramp' transformed from a pratfall merchant to a kind of tragic everyman, a social outcast with an incorrigible romantic streak who yearns to be taken seriously.-

He was oppressed by his poverty and insignificance, and often pretended to be wealthy. And he was also a ragged-trousered knight errant, who'd go to war with anyone if a lady's honour was at stake, an oddly graceful pugilist whose gallantry was doomed to failure. The tramp was lovable, you were always on his side, and Chaplin's films daringly mixed broad comedy and pathos. But they also touched on some pretty dark themes, from crime and prostitution to alcohol and drug abuse. They had a social conscience, but in America this marked Chaplin out as a socialistic troublemaker.

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For a time, of course, he was untouchable. Through the 1920s classic films like The Gold Rush and The Circus confirmed his status as the predominant comic film-maker of the age, but things grew more complicated with the arrival of sound.

Interestingly, Chaplin had the nerve to completely reject the innovation others were rushing to embrace. Convinced that the Tramp's mystique would be lost if he talked, he started working on a new silent film in 1928. That was a full year after the release of The Jazz Singer, and by the time City Lights was eventually released in December 1930, silent pictures were an anachronism.

Somehow, Charlie made it work, and his sumptuously filmed story of the Tramp's love for a blind flower seller became a critical success and an international hit. But by 1936, when Chaplin released Modern Times, a beautifully choreographed treatise on the fate of the individual in an industrialised society, silent films had become impossible sell.

You have to admire the sheer nerve with which Chaplin made his first 'talkie'. He was horrified by the rise of fascism, and in The Great Dictator (1940) he played both a tramp-like hero who's mistaken for a Jew, and the popinjay dictator Adenoid Heinkel. It was a big hit, but Hitler was not amused, and in still-neutral America, Chaplin was chastised for his to-camera speechifying at the film's end.

After the war, Chaplin's chickens finally came home to roost. FBI boss J Edgar Hoover had long been suspicious of Charlie's bleeding heart liberalism, and used scandals in the star's private life as a means of attacking him. Chaplin's fondness for much younger women was well known, and a paternity suit involving an actress 30 years his junior had attracted some nasty press in the early 1940s. And the gossip columnists, led by that fearsome harpy Hedda Hopper, were up in arms when the 54-year-old Chaplin announced that he'd be marrying 18-year-old Oona O'Neill.

Then, in 1946, after the release of his daring black comedy Monsieur Verdoux, in which he had a right old pop at laissez-faire capitalism, Charlie was openly accused of being a communist. Soon, the clamour became intolerable, and in 1952, Chaplin left America for good, perhaps the largest casualty of McCarthyism.

But the film-makers of Hollywood would continue to imitate him, and marvel at his unprecedented and unequalled achievements.

Disillusioned with America

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When Charles Chaplin arrived back in Europe in late 1952, he'd just put the finishing touches to Limelight, an intensely autobiographical film about a fading music hall star that flopped at the time and is now considered a near masterpiece. He moved with Oona to Manoir de Ban, a handsome estate overlooking Lake Geneva which was rapidly filled by their eight children. Through the 1950s he continued to be controversial, and indeed seemed to relish it, smiling for the cameras as he shook hands with Nikita Khrushchev and Zhou Enlai.

Chaplin was disillusioned and annoyed with America, and in 1957 released a film that attacked the dark direction it had taken. In A King in New York he played an exiled monarch who's reduced to doing TV ads when he arrives in Manhattan, and is then accused of being a communist. His output declined sharply after that, and he mainly concerned himself with re-editing his old movies. He and his family frequently holidayed in Waterville, Co Kerry, where a statue has since been erected in his honour. In a belated gesture of reconciliation, Chaplin was offered and accepted an Honorary Academy Award in 1972. He died at his home in Switzerland on Christmas Day 1977.
David Swift, who has died aged 85, swapped a lucrative career in business for a 10-a-week job as an actor.

His film credits included Travels with My Aunt (1972), The Day of the Jackal (1973) and Jack and Sarah (1995) and in 1972 he was Napoleon in the BBC's 20-episode adaptation of Leo Tolstoy's epic novel War and Peace.

He became most familiar, however, as the boozily cantankerous Henry Davenport, the womanising news-reader struggling with a mid-life crisis, in Drop The Dead Donkey. The sitcom, written by Andy Hamilton and Guy Jenkin, ran for six series and 64 episodes on Channel 4, from 1990 to 1998, and collected a total of 17 awards.

Set in the studios of Globelink, a fictional rolling television news station owned by a media tycoon who prizes ratings and sensationalism above responsible journalism, the series was filmed very close to transmission to ensure the jokes were as topical as possible. But for many fans it was the office politics rather than the satire that made the show so unmissable, as put-upon editor George Dent (Jeff Rawle) struggled to keep his staff and bosses happy.

Each episode was produced in just five days with the script changing right up to the last moment to incorporate breaking news.

Swift recalled the rehearsal process as "a bit like having open heart surgery without anaesthetic".

To make his character convincing, he invented his own back story: "He lives in a flat in Albany in St James's, London, close to actor Terence Stamp. He drives a drophead Bentley and goes off to his house in Wiltshire at the weekends."

It was, he admitted, "an enviable lifestyle, particularly as I only drive an old Honda."

The balding Swift wanted his character to wear an undetectable wig but, as he recalled, "they gave me a hairpiece that looked as obvious as the one Reginald Bosanquet wore. You could spot it moving."

Swift made Davenport's misery so compelling, he won the audience's sympathy.

David Bernard Swift was born in Liverpool on April 3 1931 to Jewish parents who owned a hire purchase furniture business in Bootle.

He was educated at Clifton College and Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge, where he read Law. After graduation he embarked on a business career with JP Jacobs, whose company supplied elastic to Marks & Spencer.

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In 1953 he married Jacobs's daughter, the actress Paula Jacobs. His younger brother Clive (best known as Hyacinth Bucket's husband, Richard, in Keeping up Appearances) had also become an actor and eventually Swift decided to join them.

During the 1970s and 1980s Swift had small roles in many TV series, including Going Straight, Bloomers, and Rising Damp, while on the West End stage he appeared in the Royal Shakespeare Company's Henry VI, Part 1 and as Frank Doel in 84, Charing Cross Road.

On the big screen his parts included Montclair in The Day of the Jackal (1973). Swift also took the title role in CBBC's Oscar Charlie (2001) and guest starred in Holby City (2002).

As well as acting, Swift became involved in television production, including co-founding, in 1969, Tempest Films. The company became the first to involve the radical journalist John Pilger in television and made Pilger's first television documentary The Quiet Mutiny (1970), for Granada's World in Action series, which brought protests from the US ambassador Walter Annenberg by shedding light on the increasingly mutinous atmosphere within the American Army in Vietnam.

David Swift, who died on April 8, is survived by his wife and by their son and daughter

 Telegraph

Telegraph Media Group Limited [2022]
Two artists and two deaths: one recent, one far in the past but still being commemorated today. The great music maverick Prince died at the tail-end of last week, as you presumably know. If you didn't come of age during a certain era, this probably didn't mean much to you. You'd maybe know who Prince was, in a vague sort of way, but that's about it.

For people between about 50 and late-thirties, though, it was a pretty big deal. Prince was a pretty big deal. I won't blather on here with the annoying contemporary thing of "oh this is so painful he meant so much to me I can't believe he's gone I'm literally crying tears of blood here as I write this" et cetera et cetera.

But I was a fan, for all that; I'd give his singles collection a whirl every few weeks. And while I wasn't a mad devotee, I could recognise the little fella's super-sized talent.

Was Prince a genius? Yeah, I think so - or as near as makes no difference.

He was remembered across a tonne of shows over the days following his death. I especially enjoyed the appreciation on The Dave Fanning Show (2FM, Sat-Sun 9am).

No better man, anyway, than the bould Dave to pay homage to Prince: he's not just an encyclopaedia of pop music, but he's a fan too: a guy you feel really gets this art-form, in the gut as well as the ears. He spoke with Irishman Neil Hickey, who puts together stages for outdoor shows: basically, as he put it himself, building things in fields.

Neil has been on tour with The Rolling Stones, U2, Madonna, a whole bunch of others - and Prince, who he described as "the most complete musician I've ever seen pick up an instrument (he would be) melding together with the instrument, just a wonderful, beautiful musician".

Prince's sense of timing on-stage, Neil added, "was amazing to watch(he was a) really great showman, mesmerising, just pure theatre He had that musicality that, even if he didn't like his music, you could see he was very gifted".

He finished by saying simply" "Prince was just great fun to watch." In some ways, no finer compliment can be paid to a performer."

And very nice, too, to hear Ed's Songs of Praise (Today FM, Sun 10pm) peppering a brillo 1990s retrospective with some of the man's songs from that decade. The 1980s was his really golden era, but Prince even at half-power still towered over almost everyone else.

Good night, sweet Prince and, of course, you know who wrote that. It comes from Hamlet, possibly the most famous - certainly the most studied and analysed - work of William Shakespeare.

The 400th anniversary of his death, last Saturday, has been and continues to be marked by a plethora of programmes and events. And where better to find out more about this cultural icon, very English but famous around the world, than on BBC radio - another cultural icon, very English and famous around the world.

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The BBC has a veritable Collected Works of Shakespearean programming going on at the moment, almost all of which can be heard on their website, most of which is as high-quality as you'd expect. For reasons of space, I'll mention just two shows here.

Selling Shakespeare (BBC World Service, Sun 11.30) looked at the Bard in connection with economics and business, both in Britain and abroad. He's a large part of the UK tourism industry, of course, but as critic Andrew Dickson discovered on a wide-ranging journey - Germany, India, America and elsewhere - Shakespeare is also a global "brand". Meanwhile, Shakespeare Speaks (World Service, Thur 4.20pm) took a more "traditional" approach to old Shaxberd and his works.

Presented by the great Robin Lustig - the veteran presenter of The World Tonight - aided and abetted by one Shakespearean actor and one English Literature lecturer, the show explored how we often quote Shakespeare without realising.

"A tower of strength", "To thine own self be true", "We few, we happy few", "Once more unto the breach", "Cowards die many times before their deaths", "Band of brothers"yeah, those are all his. (He pinched the last one off that WWII drama.)

Finally, a quick nod to Damien O'Reilly's Drivetime (Radio 1, Mon-Fri 4.30pm) report from Tehran on the difficulties, and opportunities, of doing business in Iran. O'Reilly is an underused talent in RTE, in my humble opinion. He's presented his own shows (things like the farming programme CountryWide, which airs on Saturday mornings), he's stood in for Joe Duffy on Liveline, he's done reporting like here - and he handles them all perfectly well.

A good, versatile broadcaster, and this was an excellent bit of journalism, which gave me insight into, and understanding, of an unfamiliar but fascinating place. Iran feels madly exotic in some senses, almost alien to us; in other, perhaps stranger, senses, they don't seem that different at all.
Maisie Williams used to enjoy being anonymous but now must be aware that people know her.

"It's quite irritating at this stage," remarks Maisie Williams with a flat resignation, folding her arms in faux defence. She blinks intentionally. "I've probably been asked 30,000 times, over and over and over, 'Is he dead? Is he dead? Is he dead?' It's getting you know... irritating."

She sighs and rolls her searing grey eyes. There's a beat of silence in the room.

"So," I ask slowly, "you know, now that we're on the subject is Jon Snow dead?"

A slow curling smirk feeds into a winsome giggle. "You couldn't leave it alone, could you?"

Whether the brooding, tousle-haired Jon Snow, played by Game of Thrones favourite Kit Harington, is dead or alive after multiple stab wounds by the treacherous hands of his Watch brethren at the end of season five, was anyone's guess. And this week's season six opener didn't exactly put the matter to rest.

Whatever the outcome, it's been a clever game of pop culture conjecture, concocted by HBO showrunners. Up there with 'Who Shot JR?' it's kept devotees ravenous and needing throughout the yawning 10-month hiatus between seasons.

And while by far the most disputed and contested, it wasn't the only cliffhanger at the end of season five. Daenery's situation is looking potentially catastrophic, finding herself alone in front the Dothraki's Khal Moro.

And what about Arya? "Yeaaaah," Maisie cries, curling a shoulder-skimming lock behind her ear. "What about Arya? Forget about the rest of them."

The vengeance-fuelled Stark lost her sight as punishment for killing Ser Meryn Trant and taking a face from the House of Black and White without permission. [For the uninitiated, that's a big no-no].

What fate lies in wait for the warrior? "If Arya possesses one trait, it's her incredible strength of spirit and resolve. There's very little that can take her down.

"She's already lost so many members of her family, her life as she knew it was ripped away at such a young age. Arya is a survivalist. And this is something she's going to have to battle through, it will be her greatest test. Will she push through, will she fail? Trying to survive without your eyesight, pretty difficult."

That's the gritted beauty when interviewing a seasoned Thrones veteran - lots of fey statements offering little reveal but just enough to keep our appetites sated.

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"I'm so glad we came to that conclusion, that climax, in the last season. I feel like people were saying, 'Why is Arya still sweeping floors, what's happening here?' Even I was thinking, 'What's going on here?' So I was happy when it built up to the betrayal.

"Now I feel like with this season, it's very jigsaw-like. Pieces are coming together, strands that you thought you'd never see intertwined are suddenly making sense. It's building towards something really big."

A series of Instagram selfies last summer with soothing gel packs under her eyes depicted a grim reality for the striking, elfin 18-year-old, thanks to Arya's new disability.

"Those damn blind contacts. They're really wide and quite thick, 16mm-thick, so I never got used to wearing them at all. They're really painful.

"But it's all been part of the challenge which I'm grateful for as an actress. I'm having to tap into my other senses. It's all part of a learning process. That's how I look at it."

It's three years since I first encountered Williams, a bushy-browed inquisitive adolescent, barely touched by the ravages of fame. Eager to entertain. All of five-feet tall. Absurdly assured, she possesses a hint of cockiness, intelligently combined with humble humour.

Today, that has matured towards an enticing candour, not to mention a fashion nous that has seen her hailed as a new style icon. And against the odds, despite her superstar stature, the self-effacement remains. She's as likeable as ever. Much like Arya.

Born in Bristol, the youngest of four children, she enrolled in a performing arts school in Bath. Dance was her initial passion. "I always wanted to be a dancer. Acting was definitely accidental. Dance, it was this immediate pull from a really young age."

At just 12 years old, she was offered the chance to audition for Arya. "It seems like a lifetime ago," she ponders.

"I was 12 and had no idea what I was letting myself in for and I didn't know what the show was going to become, no one did. I don't even think HBO predicted this. And then the first series got such a huge response"

Celebrity came thick and fast. And Williams took it in her stride.

"Initially it was very mild in the sense, if you were in a restaurant or in a shop, there's the 'I thought it was you', and that sort of spreads and then I'd take some pictures and focus back on my friends, and then take more pictures and back to my family.

"But you know, it was nice at a young age having that power to make someone's day by simply saying 'Hi' and posing for a picture. And I'm not saying that in an 'up myself way'. It's the character they love and by me being nice and cooperative, that's a good thing."

But fame wasn't always a good thing. The trolls came out in force on social media taking vitriolic stabs at her appearance and actions. "I'd think, 'How do you think you can get away with saying this to me? What is wrong with you?'

Her school attendance was affected by filming commitments and at 15, she decided to quit before her GCSE exams. Opinion was rife.

"A lot of people don't agree with my path but ultimately it's my path and my decision and it's only going to affect me. Thrones was too rare an opportunity to miss. And an unbelievable education in itself.

"I tried to do both but I was massively burned out. It was really difficult. There were times when I was trying to teach myself with textbooks but yeah, big struggle. I'm bright but without someone to guide you, it's an impossible task.

"This is what I want to do. I'm getting fantastic opportunities, this is my career. Maybe when it comes to a point where I want to change my career path - and as of now, I don't see that happening anytime soon - I'll go back and get my exams. And get a normal job."

Away from the bloody depredations of Westeros, her career is picking up steam.

A spirited four-episode guest arc on Doctor Who was well received while her first lead in last year's The Falling, Carol Morley's wistful descent into melancholic hysteria, offered a tantalising taste of what's to come.

She'll satisfy her newly earned Hollywood credentials in The Devil and the Deep Blue Sea alongside Jason Sudeikis and Jessica Biel and don gusseted corsetry for A Storm in the Stars, shot on the streets of Victorian Dublin and due for release later this year.

It's clear the actress has made all the right moves.

"For so long, I was worried about everything going south, and what would I fall back on because ultimately this wasn't going to last forever. But now, I've got maybe a bit more of a grip on it all. I look to the future and get excited about what I'm going to do next.

"I used to enjoy being anonymous, but now I have to be kind of conscious that people know me, know so much about me. It became scary for a while but I had time to get acclimatised."

Shrewdly understanding her platform, she's become something of a feminist voice for disaffected millennials. Though the responsibility joshes her nerves. "I sometimes really worry about speaking up about feminist subjects out of fear of being bashed on social media," she said in a recent interview. "But I've got a voice. I believe in equality and I know I have more power than the average person to reach people."

She acquired her own flat in Bath and another recent admission revealed a relationship. "He's not famous. I met him at school. And now he's my boyfriend. I guess you could say things are getting pretty serious."

And the red carpet style has traced a marked maturation and evolution. Couture confidence has usurped the awkward high street teen. Williams is moving at warp speed. What keeps her grounded to the soil?

"My family will always be that touchstone, no matter what is going on. There's no history of 'showbiz', for want of a better expression. It keeps everything within a certain perspective."

Additionally, her darling Thrones alum keep the faith within. Especially screen sister, Sophie Turner [Sansa Stark].

"We really came through this together. Neither of us had acted before and we've grown up with it. When I started out, she was my support system because it was scary and daunting."

Though being friends with the gamine red-head apparently has its downsides.

"When we're walking down the street, people just stop and stare as she walks past and then it's just me plodding along beside.

"Every year we've come back and she's like another foot taller. And I, well," she chuckles, glancing at the floor.

Their sisterly reunions could be numbered however. Only days ago, Thrones showrunners, David Benioff and DB Weiss revealed that season seven may have just seven episodes, while the eighth - and potentially last - season could have only six.

But now the new season has moved beyond George RR Martin's books, Williams admits an excitement to the unknown.

"The level of secrecy behind the show now is so intense because before if you really wanted to know what was going to happen, you could just read the books or go on fan sites.

"Now, it's a free for all. Everyone is at the same point. We've all caught up with each other so anything that happens will be a surprise.

"It's all really exciting."
Experts predict that if the current improvement in the economy continues, the numbers of returning Irish from abroad will inevitably put more pressure on property prices. Stock Image

More than 250 Irish people are returning to live and work in Ireland every week - ramping up further pressure on an already squeezed housing market, particularly for the under-40 age group.

With total immigration into the country now running at 5,775 a month, housing demands for those with young families - as well as singletons - is likely to escalate further over the coming months.

Experts predict that if the current improvement in the economy continues, the numbers of returning Irish from abroad will inevitably put more pressure on property prices.

But this week the Central Bank made it clear their controversial lending regulations are to remain in place - despite the guidelines making it impossible for many first-time buyers to get on the housing ladder.

While the Bank did indicate there may be scope for some review, the clear indication is that those without significant savings will still find it almost impossible to get a home loan.

It comes as figures also released this week show house prices in Dublin increased by 0.9pc in March - up 3.9pc compared to a year ago.

Outside the capital, prices fell by a marginal 0.2pc in March, but were 10.5pc higher compared to the previous 12 months.

Now, according to experts, an increase in the number of returning emigrants is heaping even further pressure on an already erratic housing market. The effect is most acute in Dublin and other main urban areas.

According to the Central Statistics Office (CSO), 60,600 people came to live and work in Ireland in 2014 - compared with 69,300 last year.

That means some 1,443 people are now entering the country every week.

Overall, the number of immigrants has risen by 27,500 in the past five years - from 41,800 in 2010 to 69,300 last year.

Data shows that more Irish men have returned home compared with women. Some in the under-40 age group coming back to Ireland are particularly affected by the strict Central Bank lending guidelines, which require house buyers to have a significant deposit.

Last year, the government announced plans to bring 100,000 emigrants home over the next two years.

Dr David Ralph, assistant professor of sociology at Trinity College Dublin, has warned that this could put a massive additional "strain" on the housing market.

"It's all well and good wanting Irish emigrants to return, but if you're adding extra pressure on an already incredibly creaking infrastructure, it poses more problems.

"We've already got a housing crisis in the capital and beyond.

"During the Celtic Tiger, returning emigrants were blamed for pushing up property prices and creating an extra strain on supply, therefore increasing prices.

"A large number of young people left the country in the past few years, but a sizable number are now returning.

"If we do attract this sort of phantom figure of 100,000 people, it's quite obvious that house prices and rents will go up even further."
Garda fear a massive "spectacular" is imminent to avenge the rising death toll on one side of the vicious gangland feud that has raged in Dublin since February.

Proposals that a mediator intervene to quell the deadly feud between the Kinahan drugs cartel and the Hutch gang based in the north inner city are now regarded as "impossible".

The feud has claimed six lives, five of the murders carried out by the Kinahan gang including one innocent bystander who was shot dead in a case of mistaken identity.

Sources said the silence from the Hutch gang is worrying senior officers who fear a spectacular similar in scale and size to the gun attack in the Regency Hotel is in the planning.

In the aftermath of the Regency shootings, there were hopes that a suitable intermediary could be found to stage some sort of intervention between both sides. However, senior sources say this is now impossible and the gang is in lockdown. "The stakes are too high. It has gone way beyond that now," said one source.

The murder of Michael Barr, a dissident republican suspected of sourcing the AK47s that were used in the Regency Hotel attack, has brought the New IRA into the equation.

Tensions have been further heightened by the imminent release from prison of a gangster who attacked Derek 'Del Boy' Hutch and who is thought to be aligned to the Kinahans. The murder of Derek Hutch's brother, Gary Hutch, by the Kinahan drugs cartel in Spain sparked off the feud last year.

Gary Hutch's associates avenged his murder by storming the Regency Hotel in February, killing a key Kinahan associate and, in the process, unleashing almost unprecedented levels of gangland violence on the streets of the capital.

Jamie Griffin, who is due to be released from prison later this month, was reportedly paid a bounty by the Kinahan gang to attack Derek Hutch in jail. The serious organised crime unit is on high alert in advance of his release as it is feared he may join the feud or become a target when he gets out.

The murders have had a chilling effect on communities in the north inner city where many of Hutch's associates live. There is a sense that anyone could be a target and no one knows who is next, said one source.

Reports claim one of Hutch's associates has reportedly been checking in and out of different hotels in Dublin in order to cover his tracks.

The Hutch associates have the murder of one Kinahan gang member on their hands. The Kinahan gang retaliated with a vengeance, murdering four men linked to the Hutch gang and one innocent bystander.

Eddie Hutch, a brother of Gerry 'the Monk' Hutch, was shot dead in his corporation flat and Noel Duggan, a friend of Gerry Hutch, was also murdered outside his home. Martin O'Rourke, a father of three who was an innocent bystander, was shot dead in a case of mistaken identity. Barr is believed to be the Kinahan's most recent victim. Gardai suspect the Kinahan gang are marking a wide circle of Gary Hutch's associates, moving in on those who are easy targets.

The government promised gardai "all resources necessary" to end the cycle of murders.

The Minister for Justice Frances Fitzgerald promised to back "extensive overtime to support them in delivering concentrated visible policing measures to tackle gang-related crime".

Dedicated armed support units are now patrolling parts of the capital, bolstered by armed checkpoints and intelligence operations aimed at disrupting gangland activity.
STANDING BY HER MAN: David Mahon pictured arriving at the Central Criminal Court in Dublin with his wife Audrey where he is on trial charged with the murder of Audreys son, Dean Fitzpatrick, in 2013. Photo: Collins

A missing daughter, a dead son, a husband on trial for murder. It reads like a script from a Hollywood movie, but it's the real-life story of Audrey Mahon, being played out in front of a jury at the Central Criminal Court.

She has been by her man, David Mahon's side, as he stands accused of killing her son, Dean Fitzpatrick.

The 45-year-old has denied murdering the father-of-one on May 26, 2013, a day after the deceased interfered with his bicycle to annoy him.

The 23-year-old received a single stab wound to the stomach outside the apartment Audrey shared with Mr Mahon at Burnell Square, Northern Cross in Malahide.

It is the prosecution's case that Mr Mahon intentionally stabbed Mr Fitzpatrick.

Mr Mahon has claimed it was an accident or suicide, telling gardai, "I didn't stab him, he walked into the knife" and "part of me thinks he (Mr Fitzpatrick) wanted it".

Deputy State Pathologist Dr Michael Curtis gave evidence that Mr Fitzpatrick died from a single stab wound to his stomach which was inflicted with moderate or considerable force.

Dr Curtis said the stab wound transfixed the aorta, the main blood vessel of the body, and stopped at the spine. The wound was about 14.5cm in depth, but could have been as little as 12.5cm.

He said his examination could not tell if the wound had been inflicted with a deliberate thrust of a knife or if Mr Fitzpatrick had "run on" to a knife being held by someone else.

Following Dean's death, Mr Mahon told gardai: "He's a little b*****d but I wish it were me dead. I thought that when Amy went missing it was the worst thing in the world and now this. How am I going to face Audrey."

Indeed, it is the spectre of Dean's missing sister, 15-year-old Amy, that has cast a long shadow over her family ever since she disappeared in 2008.

Dave and Audrey moved to Spain with her children, Dean and Amy, in 2004 and, according to Mr Mahon, it was "all happy family". He told gardai the couple were millionaires in Spain, and had seven or eight houses and bars. However, everything changed when Amy went missing.

The couple spent all their money looking for the teenager, and when they returned to Ireland a few years later Mr Mahon had to ask his dad for money for the flights home.

During his interviews with gardai, Mr Mahon's first concern was for his wife.

"I can't believe Dean's dead. This will kill Audrey. She took an overdose before," he told them.

He also highlighted the stress of Amy's disappearance, telling gardai the couple's sleeping patterns hadn't been great since she had gone missing, and sometimes he thought it was just "me and Audrey against the world".

He repeatedly voiced his concerns for his partner, telling gardai "the stress of this will kill her".

Amy's disappearance also deeply affected Dean. Detective Sergeant Eddie Carroll said Mr Fitzpatrick told medics he'd had problems with cannabis, cocaine and tablets since he was 11.

His notes on the young man's medical background, revealed Mr Fitzpatrick had self-harmed on at least three occasions. He had also expressed a death wish as he had feelings of guilt about his missing sister and had gained a psychological release by cutting himself.

His former girlfriend, Sarah O'Rourke, told the jury that a week prior to his death she had asked Dean to leave their home after she discovered he was selling tablets.

Mr Mahon has sat quietly in the dock for the duration of this trial, holding on to a walking stick and occasionally shifting in his seat. For the most part, he has been expressionless.

He has shown emotion on one occasion.

Last Wednesday, as the garda interviews with Mr Mahon were relayed to the jury, there was a reference to photographs of Amy, which were on the floor of his apartment.

There was also a joke certificate from Amy to Mr Mahon, which called him the "best boozer". Mr Mahon smiled, his face briefly lighting up. He then welled up thinking about his stepdaughter, who he described as "an angel".

He told gardai that Dean was "no angel", and was always pulling knives on him.

Mr Mahon spent the Saturday that Mr Fitzpatrick died "frenetically" trying to get in contact with him, the court heard.

There were 12 mobile phone calls from Mr Mahon to Mr Fitzpatrick between 9.40pm and 10pm on the Saturday night. There was also six calls to Ms O'Rourke.

There was evidence of a text message sent by Mr Mahon to Dean earlier in the day threatening to stab him.

The jury was told it had evidence of Mr Mahon's mood, with Ms O'Rourke saying he was "aggressive".

She said Mr Mahon phoned her on the Saturday night looking for Dean, and when she told him she didn't know where he was, he threatened to "stick a knife in her neck".

Taxi driver Karl O'Toole was in Mr Mahon's apartment when Mr Fitzpatrick arrived.

He said Mr Mahon accused Mr Fitzpatrick of taking a water bottle off his bike, and Dean admitted he'd done it to annoy him. Dean said he'd return the bottle the next day and got up and left.

Mr O'Toole said Mr Mahon followed him out of the apartment and when he came back he was holding a knife.

He said Mr Mahon was "very agitated" and said: "You've have to get me out of here. I have to go."

Mr O'Toole said they got into his taxi and he was "just driving". He recalled Mr Mahon asking him at one stage to stay off the motorways due to CCTV.

As they were nearing Balbriggan, Mr O'Toole said Mr Mahon told him: "Dean is dead" and "the knife went through him". He said he advised him to go to the gardai but "Dave was not really making any sense at all".

Mr Mahon went to Coolock garda station the next morning. During the interviews, he told gardai Mr Fitzpatrick had called up to his apartment and the pair were arguing.

He said Mr Fitzpatrick pulled a knife on him in the kitchen, but he took it off him and put it in his back pocket.

He said another friend, John McCormack, took Dean out of his apartment, and he followed them.

Mr Mahon pulled the knife from his pocket and said to Dean, "why are you pulling a knife on your auld fella".

He said Mr Fitzpatrick walked into the knife, and he knew he had nicked him, but Dean ran off and he "didn't think it was that serious".

He told gardai: "I didn't stab him, he walked into the knife."

He also told gardai he was "not a violent man" but was starting to doubt himself, asking, "did I push him?".

Mr Mahon said he next remembers being in a taxi with his friend Karl and throwing the knife out the window. Asked why he threw away the knife, he told gardai "don't ask me, I don't know why".

In his closing speech last Friday, prosecution counsel Remy Farrell said the jury must decide on Mr Mahon's intent: "was it his intent to kill him or cause him serious harm", or was it an accident or suicide as suggested by the defence?

Mr Farrell claimed Mr Mahon "cooked up" a story for gardai that it had been "an innocent accident" but minutes after Mr Fitzpatrick was stabbed he told Karl O'Toole: "Dean is dead."

Mr Farrell said the prosecution's case is that Mr Mahon was drunk, angry and agitated and he stabbed his stepson and then set about doing everything he could to "get away with murder".

The trial continues next Tuesday with closing arguments from the defence.
COSTLY: Irelands high legal fees have come under fire from government ministers, State agencies, businesses and insurers. Stock Image

Lawyers hiked up their prices last year at a time when the government was pushing through legislation originally intended to address high legal costs.

The cost of legal services rose by just over 5pc in a six-month period, according to figures compiled by the Central Statistics Office (CSO).

The increase came as the government was being heavily lobbied by the professional bodies for solicitors and barristers to water down legislation it promised would help reduce fees.

It also suggests the Troika's demands that Irish legal fees be brought "into the 21st century" may have fallen on deaf legal ears, while the rest of society was forced to endure its harsh austerity measures.

The legal services fees index put together by the CSO based on data from a small number of firms monitors the percentage by which prices rise or fall every three months.

The index shows that after a long period of largely static prices since 2010, prices for legal services rose by 1.3pc in the second quarter of 2015 and rose again by 4.1pc in the third quarter, and remained at that level until the end of year.

Whether the legal fees continued on their upward trajectory for the first three months of this year remains to seen in the 2016 figures.

But it was the first significant shift in legal prices recorded by the CSO since 2010.

Up to last year, movement in legal prices was marginal with the biggest increase recorded as 2.2pc in 2014, while the biggest decrease in prices was 1.2pc in 2013.

Of course, the latest price hike could be just a blip - as the Law Society suggested last week.

The CSO's data is based on a small sample of legal prices submitted by up to 20 firms with at least 10 employees on a quarterly basis. The prices include hourly rates for partners and for less senior solicitors, along with fees for conveyancing, litigation and other services.

The Law Society has been at odds with the CSO over its legal prices statistics and disputes the reliability of figures, which it says the CSO itself describes as "experimental" and needing "to be treated with caution".

However, if the rise in legal prices reflected in the CSO's figures is not "a blip", they confirm the European Commission's worst fears; that officialdom's appetite to reform the legal profession has been "tamed".

Since they were first scrutinised by the Troika, Ireland's legal costs have rung bells all the way to Europe.

In 2011, Istvan Szekely, the head of the so-called Troika overseeing the bailout programme, said the legal profession and its costs needed to be brought "into the 21st century".

Two years later, the Troika was still unhappy, noting in a draft report that other sectors had experienced "considerable cost adjustments" but legal services remained expensive.

The upshot of the Troika's dim view of Ireland's high legal costs was the Legal Services Regulatory Bill, pushed through by Alan Shatter when he was Minister for Justice in 2011, then watered down and diluted - thanks to a four-year legal lobbying offensive - into its eventual incarnation last December.

The legislation originally proposed a "one-stop shop" for barristers and lawyers to set up businesses with other professions - a measure intended to drive competition, lower fees and lower barriers to entry. But these and other measures didn't make it to the final draft. The Bar Council found aspects of the legislation "unconstitutional". The Attorney General's desire to move disciplinary responsibility for solicitors from the Law Society to the new independent legal regulator function was also thwarted. The Law Society retains financial and accounting oversight of solicitors.

In a country report on Ireland published earlier this year, the European Commission's analysts were sceptical about this supposedly reforming legislation, because of the concessions to the legal profession. "The proof of the pudding will be in the eating," it said. Much would depend on the new regulatory authority's ability to "assert its independence" and to "defend society at large from vested interests".

Critics of Ireland's high legal costs include the profession's biggest customers. They include government ministers, numerous State agencies, small businesses, High Court judges and insurers.

Michael Noonan, the Minister for Finance, said legal costs were driving up insurance premiums.

The Medical Protection Society, which indemnifies doctors, has blamed legal fees for driving up health costs for patients and insurance for doctors.

The Health Service Executive's head of legal services, Eunice O'Raw, herself a barrister, wrote a memo in 2012 saying that legal costs had been "inexplicably high".

"On occasion, brief fees demanded were of the order of 60,000 or 80,000. Such brief fees for single cases equate with the annual salaries of crown prosecution counsels in England and Wales."

The maxim goes that the customer is always right. According to the Law Society, the claims about high legal fees are simply wrong. Most firms are non-commercial small practices led by solicitors who saw their incomes drop by 43pc during the bust.

"Legal fees have been significantly impacted by the recession and have fallen substantially in recent years in response to intense competition within the profession and downward pressure from clients," the Law Society said in a statement to the Sunday Independent.

"Because it would infringe competition law, the Law Society does not provide a scale of estimated solicitors' fees." Charges are subject to the "normal market forces of supply and demand".

To finally debunk myths, we asked the Law Society if it would consider conducting its own detailed analysis of legal fees to settle the argument. The Law Society does not get involved in pricing - it leaves that to the free market. Perhaps it's a project for the new Legal Services Regulatory Authority, whenever the powers that be get around to setting it up.
One of the country's wealthiest businessmen has been funding the Social Democrats, the Sunday Independent can reveal.

Michael Chadwick, the non-executive chairman of construction supplies giant the Grafton Group, has pumped 21,000 into the fledgling party since it was established last year.

Mr Chadwick, who is worth an estimated 208m, has donated personally to the political campaigns of the three founding members - Catherine Murphy, Roisin Shortall and Stephen Donnelly.

He also made the maximum donations possible under strict Standards in Public Office (Sipo) rules to the party, and personally to all of the Social Democrats' candidates in the recent General Election.

Mr Chadwick made his fortune from his family-owned building materials company, which amassed huge profits during the property boom.

He managed to steer the Grafton Group, which is worth an estimated 2bn, through the worst of the recession and the international company is currently thriving.

The businessman made donations totalling 21,000 in a personal capacity rather than on behalf of the Grafton Group.

Mr Chadwick, who is due to retire from the company at the end of the year, was ranked 67th on the Sunday Independent 2016 Rich List.

The three founding members of the Social Democrats received 2,000 each from the businessman over the past two years.

Mr Chadwick made two donations of 2,500 this year and last year directly to the party, which is again the largest possible contribution permitted under law.

Each of the party's 10 other unsuccessful election candidates were also given 1,000 by the tycoon.

The Sunday Independent understands that former Limerick Senator James Heffernan also made a significant personal contribution of 16,000 to the party.

When a series of questions were put to the Social Democrats about the donations, a spokeswoman responded: "All donations received were given in a personal capacity and have been declared to Sipo in accordance with the regulations set out for political donations."

However, when it was pointed out that such a limited response was not in line with the party's stance on transparency in public office, full details of Mr Chadwick's donations were provided.

"All donations received in 2015 were declared to Sipo. According to Sipo unsuccessful candidates were required to submit details of donations by April 22, 2015, and all have done so. Successful candidates will submit details to Sipo at the end of 2016 as per the Sipo stipulations," a spokeswoman said.

"The party, as per Sipo regulations, will make the required returns at the end of 2016 as required by Sipo regulations," she added.

Mr Chadwick declined to comment on the donations.

It is understood Sipo will publish details in the coming weeks of donations received by candidates in the recent General Election.

Individual and party donations will be published later in the year.

All politicians are required to publish annually details of donations they have received.

The Social Democrats are also due to receive State funding for political parties after returning three TDs in the General Election and securing 3pc of the national vote.

With a government set to be formed in the coming week, the Social Democrats have decided to remain in opposition for the duration of the next Dail term and have turned down offers to enter government with Fine Gael.

However, the party insists they will be constructive in opposition.

The Labour Party is seeking to form a left-of-centre alliance with the Social Democrats and the Green Party in opposition. However, last week, Mr Donnelly insisted the party will not do business with Labour.

There are no public records showing Mr Chadwick previously donating to political parties and it is unclear why he chose to back the party.

The Sandymount-based businessman is due to step down from the Grafton Group at the end of the year.

He was appointed to the board in 1979 and served as executive chairman from 1985 to 2011, when he became non-executive chairman.

On announcing his retirement, Grafton Group chief executive Gavin Slark praised Mr Chadwick's "entrepreneurial leadership" and "outstanding stewardship" of the board.

"The board greatly appreciates that Michael Chadwick has agreed to remain as non-executive chairman until the end of the year, which will allow for a smooth transition," Mr Slark said.
A half-baked utility might not frighten politicians. But the clamour of citizens angrily demanding their money back may well chill them to the core. Getty Images

It was the night before the latest pointless vote for Taoiseach. Fine Gael TDs and senators gathered for their parliamentary meeting in their dedicated room on the fifth floor of Leinster House. Enda Kenny trundled in, working his way to the top of the room, a handshake here, a quiet word there.

The Fine Gael members settled in, expecting to hear from Kenny on the latest tortuous machinations with the Independents on their price for joining them in government. So there was surprise when Catherine Byrne, the party's parliamentary chairperson, announced an unexpected vote on water charges.

Hadn't we put all that to bed since they emerged wounded but walking from the general election, TDs wondered.

Byrne explained the party needed to solidify its commitment to water charges. Before they got on with the other business, she wanted all of those present to vote to show their support. It would be a show of strength when Fine Gael faced off Fianna Fail in the ongoing but going nowhere talks on how to form a minority government.

Having defended Irish Water in the trenches during the election campaign, Fine Gael parliamentarians weren't about to give up on it now. The motion passed by an overwhelming majority.

The news of the vote leaked back almost immediately to the Fianna Fail camp. "We were scratching our heads," a senior Fianna Fail figure said. "Why were they trying this brinkmanship before the talks even properly started?"

Even Kenny's loyalists struggled to understand his logic: "He was setting us up for a bigger fall by calling the vote," a Fine Gael minister said.

The next day's vote did not produce a Taoiseach. But Kenny edged ahead of Micheal Martin because not a single Independent backed the Fianna Fail leader for the top job. After weeks of stand-off, Martin had to end the posturing and accept supporting a Fine Gael-led minority government, albeit with conditions.

It was no secret that top of Martin's list of condition of government was likely to be Irish Water, the hated utility established under Fine Gael's then environment minister Phil Hogan, which came with 180m set-up costs and a further charge to the taxpayer in the form of quarterly water bills.

Martin brought his party into the General Election promising to abolish Irish Water and scrap water charges for five years.

Sticking to his promise wasn't just about saving face. Martin knew if he did not return to the Dail with charges suspended his party would be faced with near-daily votes tabled by Sinn Fein on abolishing them. He would be forced to vote for abolition and the government would fall.

"We weren't looking for a big victory over them. We just wanted a situation where the government would last beyond week one or two," a Fianna Fail source said.

Fine Gael knew this too. But to bow to Fianna Fail's demands would be a humiliation too far.

Armed with the overwhelming endorsement of his parliamentary party, Kenny made a show of facing down Fianna Fail on Irish Water and took it right off the negotiating table.

As the talks dragged on for the best part of three weeks in April, both sides were well attuned to the real politic.

On Kenny's side, Frances Fitzgerald, Michael Noonan and Simon Harris played the good cops. Leo Varadkar, Simon Coveney and Paschal Donohoe were the bad - countering the more flexible approach of their ministerial colleagues.

For the first few bouts, Fianna Fail's A-team still ran rings around them. Jim O'Callaghan, Charlie McConalogue, Michael McGrath and Barry Cowen were on orders to be at their most truculent best. "We gave them what they want but then they would come back for more the next day," one Fine Gael minister whined.

Fianna Fail, on the other hand, felt Fine Gael should be grateful. "We are the ones putting them into government but they didn't seem to get that," said a Fianna Fail source.

By last weekend, the deadlock on Irish Water was so entrenched that both parties began hinting at another general election. It turned out to be more brinkmanship. On Tuesday, they struck a deal.

Charges would be suspended for nine months, while a new "commission" prepares a report for the Dail on how Irish people should pay for water in the future. Unpalatable as this was, it was tolerable to Kenny and his team - if they didn't like what the commission had to say, the Dail could always vote against its findings.

To Fine Gael's dismay, the next day Fianna Fail came back looking for more. Now they wanted the commission to examine whether the utility should be abolished, and they weren't happy with the nine-month suspension for charges either.

Even Noonan, the sleeping giant, was roused to anger. The talks ended with the acting finance minister telling Fianna Fail where to go: "He said we weren't going to roll over and told them to go talk to Sinn Fein if [abolishing Irish] water was so bloody important," a talks source said.

Leo Varadkar weighed in on RTE Radio the next day, dismissing Fianna Fail's readiness to cause an election over Irish Water as "ridiculous".

It was a calculated gamble on Varadkar's part. After his considered outburst, he returned to the Fine Gael den braced for a kicking but instead drew praise. "It was accepted that it needed to be said," said a source.

Fianna Fail protested weakly. The next day, the negotiations finally moved on from Irish Water to issues such as housing. These were "mere formalities", sources said. By evening, a joint press release announcing a deal for the formation of a government circulated around the jaded media in-boxes.

The detail has yet to be revealed.

But delightful optics of a deal the day after a kicking from Varadkar went some way towards soothing the smarting hides of Fine Gael. Having pushed them into voting their allegiance to the very issue that he later offered up in sacrifice to Fianna Fail, Kenny left his troops swinging in the wind, more demoralised than ever, and further tarnished his own fast-discolouring reputation within the party.

Exasperated backbenchers are not the only ones who have taken it on the chin for Irish Water.

The fudge on Irish Water that allowed Fine Gael and Fianna Fail to form a minority government has won a reprieve for taxpayers on water charges. But it will also leave taxpayers waiting possibly many more years for a properly working and funded modern water infrastructure.

Both Fianna Fail and Fine Gael sidestepped the fundamental issue of how we pay for and protect one of the State's most precious resources, by tossing the hot potato on to a yet-to-be appointed commission that possibly won't report until the next government is through its almost certainly short reign.

Alan Kelly, the Labour acting minister who is left holding Irish Water as his acting Taoiseach conspired to do it down, declared grandiosely last week that Irish Water fudge was "the triumph of mediocrity over modernism".

Rising in the Dail, he said suspending or abolishing water charges was "political, economical and environmental sabotage".

Fianna Fail could have made a stand over issues such as mental health or rural Ireland but instead chose a charge that "costs householders on average 3 per week".

Then his piece de resistance: law-abiding people who paid their bills will have to get their money back. And Fianna Fail and Fine Gael would have to tell them when and how. Irish Water had told him that almost 70pc of householders had paid for water charges - a figure Irish Water won't confirm.

A half-baked water utility of uncertain future might not frighten the politicians. But the clamour of thousands of dutiful citizens angrily demanding their money back may well chill them to the core.

Micheal Martin came at it from the other direction: rather than refund the 950,000 people who did pay ("dangerous" and "risky"), the government would have to pursue those who didn't.

Either way, Irish Water refunds will most likely come back to bite both parties unless a fair solution is found.

The new Public Water Forum, set up under the auspices of the water regulator and chaired by Dr Tom Collins, will consider this consumer inequity at its next meeting later this month.

Its most recent meetings have ironically been taken up with writing to political groupings as part of a broader consultative approach to find out where each stands on the fundamentals of water: how we pay, public or private. The parties have until this month to respond.

The Department of the Environment has separately totted up figures on what abolishing Irish Water would cost last week.

The taxpayer would have to come up with 1.7bn to bung the short fall from borrowings in its 4bn capital investment plan. Abolishing water charges alone would cost 1.4bn in lost revenue over five years. Calling short the metering programme would mean that leaks would go undetected, delays to the repair system, and impact on the incentive to conserve water.

The political leaders have got much of what they wanted. Kenny will stay in power - until his colleagues think it is timely for him to leave -and Micheal Martin remains happily outside government, all thanks to his hard line on Irish Water.

After the General Election, Adrian Kane led a delegation of 10 trade union activists to a meeting with Fianna Fail's Timmy Dooley. They were fed up with the "language" being used by Fianna Fail to describe Irish Water.

Kane, a Siptu organiser for Irish Water employees, said: "what we asked them to do was to stop using inflammatory language in talking about Irish Water. Once you lower the tone with terms like 'shambolic' and 'bloated', you open the door for other people to disrespect the company from the ground upwards."

The union reps want a referendum to ensure water remains a public utility, a "polluter-pays" charging principle that targets those who use more than they need to. At that meeting, Kane said, they asked Fianna Fail to clarify its policy on water: "We have yet to find out what it is."
Min for Defence Simon Coveney and Chief of Staff of the Defence Forces Mark Mellett aboard the LE Roisin which left Haulbowine Naval Base for duty in the Mediterranean. Pic Michael Mac Sweeney/Provision

Acting Minister for Agriculture and Defence Simon Coveney has said he expects a government will be in place by Thursday.

Speaking in Co Cork today Mr Coveney (FG) said that he expects a deal between Fine Gael and Independents to be thrashed out in the next four days.

I think we will have a Government this week. If you are asking me to guess I would probably say on Thursday.

We cannot be sure and it could even be Friday.

The public are very impatient at this stage. They have been waiting a long time for a Government. We have been working very hard, night and day, to make that happen.

Mr Coveney was speaking as he inspected LE Roisin at Haulbowline Naval Base as the patrol ship became the fourth to be deployed to the Mediterranean to assist with migrant rescues off the north African coast.

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The Cork TD , who was part of the Fine Gael negotiation team during their discussions with Fianna Fail, said they had more or less concluded the deal.

I think both parties can live with it. Of course we are talking to independents who have shown a lot of patience throughout this process.

He appealed to smaller parties like Social Democrats and the Greens to be part of governing Ireland.

They have an opportunity to do it now. We want them to be part of the Government if they want to be.

We will accommodate their concerns and policies as part of that. But it is up to them.

They may, even at this stage, want to sit down and talk to us seriously about how they could help govern Ireland with us rather than simply work with us from Opposition.

I am talking specifically about the Green Party and the Social Democrats who I really would appeal to at a grassroots level as well as at an Oireachtas level, to think about the role they could play in Government with independents and Fine Gael.

I know it is difficult for them. The Social Democrats are a new party. This was their first election and they made it very clear, to date anyway, they want to be in Opposition to continue to build their party structures. I understand that.

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Likewise, with the Green Party, they will have three Oireachtas members now and it is difficult for their membership to get their head around going into Government when they were expected to be a radical voice from Opposition on Green Party issues.

He insisted that the focus really for the next 48 hours or so will be to work with independents

I think I have spent 70 hours of discussions with independents already at this stage.

We need to bring that to a conclusion now so that we can operate a minority Government but in a situation where it can function.

Mr Coveney also hit out at speculation over the future of acting Taoiseach Enda Kenny.

Papers will write what they will write. That is their job to speculate. But he has my full support. He has the partys full support actually.

Endas focus for the last number of weeks has been to take on the responsibility as leader of the largest party to put a Government together.

I think Fine Gael had a huge responsibility to do that. Otherwise we would go back to the polls again which I dont think is what people want.

His focus has been to put that Government together and to make sure that it can move ahead and solve peoples problems. That is now the focus of everyone in Fine Gael right now.

There might be a lot of chatter around leadership of Fine Gael outside of Fine Gael. But within Fine Gael the focus is very much on trying to put a Government together.
REPORT: Justice minister Frances Fitzgerald is preparing to publish the findings of the Commission of Investigation into claims of garda misconduct. Photo: Collins Photo Agency

A new garda whistleblower claim, that a suspect in a serious criminal case remained free despite several breaches of bail conditions, is being investigated by senior gardai, the Sunday Independent can reveal.

The whistleblower claims to have been targeted by senior members of the force for investigating the suspect.

The garda alleges the suspect breached bail conditions at least five times while awaiting trial.

The violations include drug possession, curfew breaches and driving without insurance. The suspect is also linked to the discovery of a viable pipe bomb which needed to be disposed of by the Army Bomb squad.

The garda whistleblower, who found the bomb, is currently facing disciplinary action over the discovery.

The garda made the complaint to Garda Commissioner Noirin O'Sullivan's office.

A senior officer was appointed to investigate the claims and the case is ongoing.

The Sunday Independent understands the allegations focus on a garda investigation into a known criminal.

The individual was arrested and charged with a serious crime but released on bail.

Local gardai believed the individual was selling drugs while he was on bail and mounted surveillance.

According to sources familiar with the operation, the surveillance was discontinued after a number of days.

Some time later, two gardai followed the suspect to a house believing he had broken his strict curfew conditions.

When they called to the home, the individual came to the door and told them to search a field in a nearby town. The gardai searched the field that evening but due to poor light could not find anything of relevance.

However, the following morning one of the gardai, the whistleblower, returned to the field in the daylight and discovered a long, cylindrical package wrapped in yellow tape.

Senior officers were alerted to the discovery and the Army Bomb Disposal Unit was called to investigate.

It emerged the package was a viable pipebomb which could have maimed the garda who made the discovery, or a member of the public who stumbled upon the device.

The garda was initially recommended for official recognition of their police work by their line manager.

Gardai also carried out a risk assessment of the garda who found the bomb due to concerns the garda had been targeted by the suspect who led the whistleblower to the device.

However, disciplinary action was later initiated against the garda over how the information was obtained from the suspect.

The garda also faces disciplinary action - which could lead to dismissal - for failing to have informed senior management before searching the field where the bomb was located.

The garda is also being reprimanded for using their private car and wearing plain clothes while investigating the site of the pipebomb.

It is claimed the garda's failure to follow procedure could have seriously injured themselves, other gardai and members of the public.

The whistleblower claims gardai received complaints about the same suspect being in possession of a firearm but the allegations were never followed up.

It is also alleged the individual was twice caught in possession of drugs while awaiting trial.

The whistleblower claims to be living in fear of the suspect and is seeking better protection from senior officers.

The garda's partner is also understood to have made a complaint to the Garda Siochana Ombudsman Commission (GSOC) about the lack of protection afforded to the whistleblower.

The names of those involved in the investigation cannot be revealed for legal reason and to protect the identity of the whistleblower.

A garda spokeswoman said: "An Garda Siochana do not comment on any investigation in relation to protected disclosure."

The allegations come as Justice Minister Frances Fitzgerald prepares to publish the findings of the Commission of Investigation into claims of garda misconduct by whistleblower Maurice McCabe.

Mr Justice Kevin O'Higgins's report was presented to the Department of Justice on Monday. It will be published following examination and advice from the Attorney- General Maire Whelan.
Members of the Gardai attend the scene of the shooting of Michael Barr at the Sunset House Pub in Ballybough, Dublin. Photo: Gareth Chaney Collins

The murder of New IRA man Michael Barr by members of the Kinahan drugs cartel will inevitably lead to bloody retaliation by the terror group which have already used a sophisticated under-car bomb to murder a prison officer in Belfast, according to northern sources.

The emergence of a dangerous "third force" in the murderous gang war has heightened fears that it is only a matter of time before more innocent members of the public are killed in the crossfire of an increasingly reckless blood feud.

Barr, from Strabane, Co Tyrone had been acting under orders from the group to set up a fundraising operation in Dublin - even though this meant receiving money from drug traffickers just as the Provisional and other dissident IRA groups have done in the past.

Barr was blamed by the Kinahan mob's representatives in Dublin for supplying the AK47-type assault rifles used in the Regency Hotel attack. Barr was also a known associate of the short stout Tyrone man wearing a flat cap who was pictured leaving the hotel along with a young Dublin associate of the Hutch gang dressed in women's clothes.

The Garda Special Branch, which had Barr before the Special Criminal Court on an IRA membership charge, has kept a lid tightly on the dissident groups, but northern sources say Barr was regarded as an important figure in the new incarnation of the IRA, known as the New IRA, and close to its leadership. The main concern of Special Branch and other gardai is that the group will import its bomb-making capabilities into the Republic to strike back at the Kinahan mob.

The group has re-engineered a magnetically attached under-car bomb that was originally used in the 1980s by republican groups the IRA and Irish National Liberation Army in the North. This type of device was used to murder the senior British Conservative politician and close aide of Margaret Thatcher, Mr Airey Neave, in March 1979. The device exploded as he was driving up the ramp from the underground car park in the House of Commons.

The bomb which killed prison officer Adrian Ismay (52) in Belfast on March 4 this year contained Semtex H explosive, which was imported into Ireland by the Provisional IRA from Libya and is now in the hands of the so-called dissidents. Mr Ismay died five weeks later after suffering horrific injuries to internal organs caused by metal fragments which were blown upwards into his body by the blast.

The Garda Special Branch is working very closely with the PSNI and the British Intelligence Service, MI5, to counter the growth of the New IRA group, but the murder of Mr Ismay showed the terror group is capable of counteracting the high levels of electronic surveillance and large number of paid informers deployed against it.

The prime target of the republican terror group, according to garda sources, is a man in his late 50s who is said to be directing the 'annihilation' campaign against the so-called Hutch gang on the northside of the Liffey.

This man was a close associate of David Byrne who was shot dead in the Regency Hotel attack on February 5. Gardai have told the Sunday Independent that this man has given orders for the Hutch gang to be 'wiped out' over the Regency killing.

While there is concern the republican group could bring their improvised explosive device (IED) skills to bear on the feud in Dublin, some gardai last week said they don't believe the group is strong enough to take on the Kinahan cartel.

One of the reasons Christy Kinahan relocated to Spain was to avoid being targeted by the Provisional IRA which carried out at least a score of murders of Dublin drug dealers in the 1980s onwards. This was done to force criminals to pay protection money to the 'Republican Movement'.

Kinahan and the other major criminal gangs in Dublin had always avoided direct confrontation with the republicans even though they could have easily assassinated its Dublin-based members. The murder of Michael Barr may have changed that, according to some garda interpretations of current events surrounding the 'feud' in Dublin.

The feud has come at a difficult time for the garda which has lost the bulk of its experienced detective cadre over the past decade. The strict implementation of the 2006 Morris Report recommendation, following the investigation of garda corruption in Donegal, that detectives no longer be allowed to handle informants has had a devastating effect on policing, according to senior sources.

The traditional role of the district and divisional detectives in nurturing and using criminal sources for intelligence gathering and covert penetration of the gangs has been replaced by centralised non-detective information-gathering units known as CHIS (covert human intelligence sources). Penetration of the drug gangs at high levels no longer exists, according to sources.

These sources also say that one proven method of tackling major organised gangs - by the use of 'accomplice witnesses', also known as 'supergrasses' to turn State evidence in return for reduced sentences - is not being used at all in Dublin. This was at the core of the major investigation that ripped apart the Gilligan gang in Dublin after the June 1996 murder of journalist Veronica Guerin. It was also used successfully against the Limerick gangs.

Sources have also told the Sunday Independent that the Criminal Assets Bureau is also having little or no effect on the major gangs.

The last annual report of CAB for 2013 shows that it made a loss in terms of the amount of money it costs to run and the amount of revenue it seized for the State. The total staff and administration costs for 2013 were 6.45m and the amount returned to the State in seized assets and tax was put at 5.4m.

Meanwhile, estimates by authorities in Spain suggest the Kinahan mob may be one of the first drug syndicates to be worth more than 1billion and is now a major force in western European crime.

Its associates include the north African mafias which have been responsible for dozens of murders in Holland in recent years, including the decapitation of a man whose head was left in a bucket on a pavement outside a kebab house in Amsterdam in March. Gardai believe that one of the hired assassins involved in this and at least one other murder in Amsterdam may have been in Dublin working for the Kinahan gang.

The North African gangs control the export of cannabis from countries like Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia where impoverished farmers are generally paid around 10 to 15 per kilo for cannabis which "retails" in western European countries for around 2,500 a kilo. The Kinahan gang is also believed to be linked to the rising Cape Verdean mafias who have made the south Atlantic holiday island - with a population of only around half a million - one of the main world hubs for cocaine smuggling.

The Cape Verde gangs have become major players in the drugs world in western Europe and the eastern seaboard cities of the United States due to their involvement in the South Atlantic cocaine trade. They are also heavily involved in trafficking Central and South American-produced heroin into the United States.

Most of the heroin imported into Europe from southwest Asia still comes via Turkish mafias who have long established links with British and Irish gangs. The Taliban in Afghanistan has again become one of the major suppliers of heroin in the world.
The regulator for nurses and midwives, which has been at the centre of controversy over delays in processing the registration of nurses from abroad who want to work here, has appointed a new chief executive.

Mary Griffin takes over the reins as chief executive of the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Ireland (NMBI), Bord Altranais from early June.

She was previously with another regulator CORU which oversees professionals such as social workers

A native of County Clare, she now lives in Dublin.

She said she is looking forward to tackling the bodys ambitious reform agenda.

The nursing regulator was recently strongly criticised by Tadhg Daly of Nursing Homes Ireland, who

said private nursing homes were facing a staffing crisis because of the delay in getting nurses from abroad through red tape in order to allow them to work here.

The most recent figures available from the NMBI, provided to NHI last week, state at the end of February 2,218 applications were awaiting processing.

 Of these, 581 are at an advanced stage in their registration process and we are calling on the nursing regulator to process such high volume of nurse applicants in as timely a manner as possible.

He added: Irish society is faced with a shortfall of suitably qualified nurses yet candidates with a willingness to work within our health services are faced with exceptionally prolonged and exaggerated delays in the processing of their applications. 

Commenting on the appointment Essene Cassidy, the nursing regulators President, said: Mary was instrumental in the establishment of a new patient-focused independent regulator and its delivery of governance and change.

 She brings significant and diverse experience to this role with NMBI. Her understanding of the public sector and the health system, along with her management expertise and insight, will ensure we can fulfil our statutory responsibility to protect the public, but also meet the needs of nurses, midwives and our wider stakeholder community into the future.
Elite gardai working with national units could soon be forced to work from prefabs when they have to vacate an office building in the coming weeks.

Harcourt Square houses specialist Garda units including the Special Detective Unit, the Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau, CAB, the Fraud Bureau and the National Bureau of Criminal Investigation, among others.

The Sunday World is reporting that real estate investment trust Hibernia REIT bought the site for 70m last year and the current lease on the building is due to expire next month.

Hibernia REIT plans to redevelop the site and last year received planning permission for the first phase of a redevelopment.

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Gardai will soon have to vacate the site and the Office of Public Works (OPW) has been asked to develop a new building where the national units will be based.

A development site on Military Road, near the Phoenix Park, has been recommended as the preferred site by a working group from OPW and Garda management.

However, that has yet to be signed off on and is unlikely to be ready for some time. In the meantime, gardai will have to be temporarily rehoused.

It is understood prefabs were one of the suggestions put forward for temporary accommodation of some units.

The Garda Representative Association (GRA) has expressed concern at some of the suggested sites.

Ciaran ONeill, who was elected President of the GRA at the annual conference in Killarney this week, is also the representative for specialist units based in Harcourt Square.

He said: The Garda Representative Association are aware that the lease on Harcourt Square is due to expire in May 2016.

"We have entered a consultation process at a very late stage and we have a number of concerns that will be raising in that process. We are concerned in respect of some of the proposed temporary relocation sites and the standard of accommodation that will be provided.

We have a particular concern that there is no budget allocation approved for the proposed new development that will permanently house the National Specialist Units in An Garda Siochana.
'HItman-for-hire' Essam Eid has criticised Sharon Lying Eyes Collins saying she doesnt deserve a second chance.

The former Las Vegas poker dealer has returned to his native Egypt where he has taken up a new job - as a cattle farmer.

Speaking to the Sunday World Eid said he couldnt believe Collins wanted a second chance.

Second chances are for people who admit what they have done, he said. Sharon never admitted what she did, so for her there should be no second chance. I admitted what I did, so yes I deserve a second chance.

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Collins, from Ennis in Co Clare, was sentenced to six years in 2008 for soliciting Eid to kill her partner PJ Howard and his two sons.

She was released from prison in 2012 after serving over four years of her sentence and is currently writing two books about her life.

Collins denied having ordered the triple hits through a 'hitmanforhire' website.

But Eid said he will never forgive Collins for her role in his downfall: I am still hurt over what happened to me in Ireland, but I am in Egypt now.

I am back with my family and my wife and when I wake up I have 15 acres of farm to take care of.

I lived in America for 32 years, but after I had a car accident last year and no-one visited me in the hospital I realised that I needed to leave.I can say I am now truly happy.

Collins contacted Eid via his Hitmen For Hire website, choosing as her pseudonym the title of the Eagles hit Lying Eyes  a song about a woman who chooses money over love.

She proposed that Eid arrange for Mr Howards sons to have a fatal accident and then kill the father, in what would be designed to look like a grief-stricken suicide.

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Collins paid 15,000 as a deposit for the contract, but the plot blew up in her face in September 2006 when Eid decided to blackmail the family  demanding 150,000 to cancel the assassination.

Robert Howard alerted police and Eid was caught in a surveillance operation which led to Collins. After his release from prison in Ireland in 2011, Eid was returned to the US, where he was given a 33-month prison sentence for his part in an almost identical scam.

In the American case Eid was convicted of extortion. He told the Sunday World: I admitted everything that I did, I am not a liar.

He continued: But Sharon, she has admitted nothing, but wants people to feel sorry for her. I do not feel sorry for her.

One day I might go back to Ireland, there is something in my head I have to do there, but I do not want to put it in the paper.

She knows what she did and she knows she didnt tell the truth. She has never faced up to her actions.

I dont know what kind of person that makes her  I would call her a money lover who deserves what she gets and didnt get what she deserved.
The Laois solider who took up arms against Isis and was arrested by Iraqi police is set to return to Ireland this week.

Joshua Molloy (24) had been in Syria since October after travelling to the war-torn country to fight the so-called Islamic State.

For nine months he had been pushing forward with Kurdish guerilla forces liberating Christian and Yazidi territory from fighters of the Isis.

"It was a static frontline position, similar to World War One," he told the Irish Mail.

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"Usually snipers from their village would engage us, or one of our guys would engage with them. Some of the Isis fighters were crazy and would open up, revealing their position, firing wildly.

"Night time was so tense, sometimes you can't see your comrade and you feel totally alone. We used to leave the villages and secure positions on the front line, doing guard duty for three hours. I didn't sleep for the first few nights."

Mr Molloy, a former pupil at Ardscoil na Trionoide in Athy, Co Kildare, saw the war in Syria as a humanitarian crisis.

"I felt this was was not just about the horrific crimes Isis was committing against people but it was also a war on their history, a sort of cultural genocide.

"They were just erasing Christian and Yazidi communities. It was brutal and ignorant," he said.

He was involved in the liberation of Sinjar in November last year - the area where thousands of Yazidi men and women were killed by Isis. It's also the region where women were kidnapped to be used as sex slaves, sold in markets in Raqqa and Mosuil.

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Mr Molloy, from Ballylinan, had served in the British army for four years before deciding to depart for Syria to help stem the rise of Islamic State.

He was arrested, along with two British soliders, by Kurdish authorities on 15 April after illegally crossing the Syrian border to return to Iraq.

The three were being held by the Kurdish Regional Government but, after negotiations involving the UK Foreign Office and representations by the Irish Department of Foreign Affairs, local authorities decided to free them.

He's currently staying in the Iraqi city of Erbil, before he continues his journey home.

However, the horrors of the way are still with him.

He described a particular night where he came within meters of the enemy in Tell Tamer.

"That night we were so close to them, one fighter was less than 50 metres from me. I could hear him shouting 'Allahu Akbar' as he was charging towards us.

"It was a failed assault on the village in front of us. The whole thing was just chaos and confusion and a lot of panicking, which is a symptom of a poorly trained militia.

"When I think about that now it sends a shiver up my spine," he said.

Defending the region's minorities was the main driving force behind his decision to move East. He had always been passionate about human rights and environmental causes.

He had no clear plan at the time and was ill-prepared for the frenzied pace of guerilla warfare.

"After four years of training as an infantry solider in the British Army, these tactics seemed insane to me. They seemed suicidal and useless but they had such determination to fight. I was impressed by their bravery.

He spent weeks training his ears to recognise the difference between outgoing and incoming fire and at times found the fight to be both "unpredictable and boring".

"It was boring because you get used to living in the environment and you don't think about the dangers any more. You start to feel invincible. Then something unpredictable happens, randomly without warning.

"On my first front line battle in Tell Tamer, I walked the same route five, maybe six, times a day. I was so comfortable, then one day bullets rained down on me from Isis fighters I hadn't observed. That sort of thing gives you a reality check. The comfort is taken away," he said.

As Mr Molloy and his unit pushed forward to the city of Shadaddi, where the corpses of Isis militants changed his fixed opinion on the profile of Isis fighters.

"I was under the myth that these guys want to die. I had the image in my head of suicidal fighters using their time on earth as a weapon. When I came over and got up close on them, they had individual first-aid kits and body armour... they clearly want to preserve their lives," he said.

Mr Molly left Syria after becoming exhausted and disillusioned with the war.

"The war is over for me because of the frustrating external factors that I'm powerless to change. The complex political situation there is forever changing, and after a while it just makes you weary.

"There's only so much you can do. My opinions on everything have changed now," he said.

"I went to help people over there and I did my best," he said.
Higher income taxes and cuts to vital public services such as health - that's the price the public will have to pay should the incoming government decide to do away with water charges, according to the former secretary general of the Department of Finance, John Moran.

Mr Moran, who served as finance minister Michael Noonan's most-senior official throughout the period in which Ireland's economic management was directly overseen by the EU/IMF/ECB troika, said while it was "open to Fianna Fail or anyone else to do away with water charges", the State's books would still have to be balanced.

The former Department of Finance chief told the Sunday Independent that he found the ongoing public debate between Fine Gael and Fianna Fail in relation to water charges and the future of Irish Water "disappointing" given all the other more important issues the country faced.

In a withering observation, Mr Moran noted the obligation on government to stay within the expenditure ceilings required by Europe had received little or no attention to date in the discussions over Irish Water's future.

He said: "The other thing that seems not be getting debated is the idea that government expenditure is actually controlled by the expenditure ceilings. So there's a cap on how much we can spend every year on what we do."

Mr Moran added that the original plan to charge people directly for their use of water allowed the Government to keep Irish Water off the State's balance sheet, thereby increasing the monies available to it within the expenditure ceiling to be used for other important infrastructure and for public services such as health.

On this, he said: "Now maybe somebody cleverer than us has found a way to do that in the new structure that they're talking about. But if they haven't, what it will mean is that within the envelope of expenditure, if we want to spend a billion euro on Irish Water or on the provision of water infrastructure, we will have to stop spending a billion euro somewhere else.

"By having it as a separate entity, funded in a way that allows the Europeans to say this is self-funding and should be able to invest and borrow money, we would free up headroom to spend on health and other places," Mr Moran added.

Should the incoming government decide to refund people who have already paid their water charges, it would need to take some 140m from the Exchequer as the money collected by Irish Water has already been spent.

Asked how the European Commission might react to efforts to row back on the establishment of Irish Water, the former finance chief said: "I think they'll understand there's a strength of feeling around this [water] that is disproportionate to the amount of money involved in terms of the actual cost of the charge to people's pockets, relative to the rest of the money they are paying anyway.

"They will probably hope that we can continue looking at the bigger-picture issues, and that this doesn't end up crowding out a structural reform that the commission insist on around Irish Water.

"In many ways what we're doing now is similar to what we were doing in the troika process. Hopefully, a proper third-party review will take place which won't go directly to government but will go instead to the Oireachtas to be debated," he added.

Mr Moran said the proposed establishment of an independent commission on Irish Water might now allow "the real facts" to emerge in the absence of what he termed "massive political debate".

"In some respects, what happened in the troika period when the meters could not be put in fast enough and the revenues needed to be raised, there was the temporary measure of the flat rate. In hindsight, it wasn't easy for people to understand in terms of where we needed to go.

"Now if there's a little bit of thinking about it, we would accept as we do with electricity and gas, that if water is properly metered, people should pay for it. Ultimately, that frees up money for other things. I really hope people are looking at the bigger picture in terms of the distribution of population and how do we fix the health system. We have to find ways to fairly allocate the cost of that across the population," he added.
Two Government ministers last night insisted that the almost one million households which paid water charges should be fully refunded if, as expected, the charges are abolished during the lifetime of the next government.

A number of Independent TDs, on whom Fine Gael will be relying to form a minority government, also called for refunds.

Acting environment minister Alan Kelly said: "In the end, if charges are abolished, people are entitled to a refund, otherwise Fine Gael and Fianna Fail will reward non-payers."

And acting arts minister Heather Humphreys also said households should be reimbursed if charges are ultimately abolished.

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Whatsapp Acting environment minister Alan Kelly: 'In the end, if charges are abolished, people are entitled to a refund, otherwise Fine Gael and Fianna Fail will reward non-payers.' Photo: Steve Humphreys

"If Irish Water is abolished and there is no more paying for water, to be fair to the people who paid, they should be refunded," Ms Humphreys told the Sunday Independent.

Independent Alliance TD Sean Canney said he will be raising the issue of refunds and more funding for group water schemes with Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny when he meets him tomorrow to discuss government formation.

His comments were supported by Kerry TD Michael Healy-Rae, who will also be central to Mr Kenny's bid to be re-elected Taoiseach.

Writing in today's Sunday Independent, Mr Kelly also launched a stinging attack on Fine Gael who he said will lead the first government in the history of the State to "reward lawbreakers" who did not pay their water bills.

"The impact of rewarding lawbreakers will have major implications for our country in future years," he writes.

"What next - will future governments just buckle under pressure about any tax or charge that's unpopular now?" he adds.

Even in Mr Kenny's own partym there are calls from ministers and TDs for households to be reimbursed if the Dail eventually votes to abolish water charges.

However, last night, acting transport minister Paschal Donohoe intervened to call on those who have not paid water bills to pay despite the looming suspension of charges.

Mr Donohoe insisted he opposes abolishing water charges and said he hoped to make this point once the Dail resumes.

"In the meantime, those who have not paid their bills under the existing regime should," he told the Sunday Independent.

In an interview in today's Sunday Independent, the former Secretary General at the Department of Finance, John Moran, warns that the abolition of water charges will lead to increased income taxes and cuts to vital public services, including health.

Referring to the consquences of abolishing direct water charges, he says: "Within the envelope of expenditure; if we want to spend a billion euro on Irish Water or on the provision of water infrastructure, we will have to stop spending a billion euro somewhere else."

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On Friday, Mr Kenny signed off on suspending water charges in return for Fianna Fail leader Micheal Martin supporting a Fine Gael minority government.

The agreement will see charges suspended for nine months while an independent commission reviews the payment scheme. An Oireachtas committee will examine the commission's findings.

The Dail will then vote on the commission's findings with the Fine Gael government bound to support the recommendations.

However, Fianna Fail does not have to support the commission's findings and is expected to vote against any legislation which would see water charges re-introduced.

With the majority of Dail TDs opposed to water charges, it is unlikely any vote on bringing back charges will pass.

The Sunday Independent also understands Fianna Fail TDs have been telling grassroot members they have affectively abolished charges despite only signing up to a temporary suspension.

Meanwhile, the Dail is expected to amend legislation to pursue around one million people who have not paid water charges. The Civil Debt law was introduced last year to help creditors, including Irish Water, recover debts by way of attachment orders.

In effect, though, it allows Irish Water to seek an attachment of earnings order for a deduction from a debtor's wages from the District Court.

It applies to debts of between 500 and 4,000. Social welfare recipients may also have deductions made from their payments. The new Dail is expected to lower the 500 threshold to 100.

So while the commission is preparing a report, and an Oireachtas committee, and eventually the Dail itself considers that report, Irish Water will be pursuing historical debts from an estimated one million people for a charge that will eventually be abolished.

In today's Sunday Independent, Mr Kelly says people are "being made fools of" and insists water charges will be suspended "indefinitely".

"Fine Gael and Fianna Fail will hide behind a commission whose recommendations won't see the light of day in this Dail. Meanwhile we are losing 1.4bn in investment with waste and water projects around the country being delayed or scrapped," he writes.

At Fine Gael's parliamentary party meeting last week, junior minister Michael Ring also warned that water charges will never return if they are suspended.

Mr Ring insisted if this happened, all those who paid should be fully reimbursed. His comments echoed those of jobs minister Richard Bruton, who also said refunds should be issued during an interview on RTE Radio One.

Fine Gael Wexford TD Michael D'Arcy told the Sunday Independent that if charges are abolished people should "get their money back".

"It will have a consequence for the Exchequer but that is a result of the Left winning the battlE on water," Mr D'Arcy said.

He also said people on group water schemes should be treated equally and not be expected to pay for water if the charges are abolished.

"It's only a matter of time till someone on a group scheme makes a legal challenge to having to pay while others don't," he said

Independent Alliance TD Sean Canney said he will be raising the issue of refunds and group water schemes with Mr Kenny when he meets him tomorrow to discuss government formation.

Independent Kerry TD Michael Healy-Rae also said he would like to see refunds if water bills are ultimately abolished.

Fianna Fail's official position is not to refund charges, however, Carlow Kilkenny TD John McGuinness believes people should get their money back.

"If the deal for government is that we suspend water charges and then the commission finds 'no more water charges' and the Dail decides it, then the people who paid [their water charges] should be repaid. You can't make fish of one and fowl of the other, that's my view," he told the Sunday Independent.

"I'm hoping the commission will do its work within a matter of months and then that matter will come to a Dail committee and to the Dail for a vote. If it goes the way the Dail is made up, then we'll presume that the water charges will be no more. In that case, I believe those who paid their water charges should be refunded," Mr McGuinness said. Then nightly sings the staring owl,: Tu-who;; Tu-whit, tu-who: a merry note,; While greasy Joan doth keel the pot.
In her lifetime Diana, Princess of Wales was the ultimate Vogue cover girl. Now, 19 years on from when she last graced its front, she has a royal successor after the Duchess of Cambridge took on her mantle.

The Duchess, who has proved before she is unafraid of comparisons with her husband's late mother, agreed to a fashion shoot to celebrate the magazine's 100th anniversary.

And for the first time the Duchess, 34, allowed a professional make-up artist to prepare her for the photographer, giving her a fresher, more youthful look. Vogue hired Sally Branka, who persuaded the Duchess to drop her usual black eyeliner and heavy blusher - with striking results.

The pictures were taken by Josh Olins, one of the world's leading fashion photographers, in a collaboration between British Vogue and the UK's National Portrait Gallery.

Two of his pictures will hang in the London gallery from today as part of the 'Vogue 100: A Century of Style' exhibition. Seven images, including the cover, will appear in the magazine's June issue.

The Duchess, who is patron of the gallery and will visit the exhibition on Wednesday, is the most senior Royal to appear on the cover of Vogue since Princess Diana, who featured four times including a posthumous appearance in October 1997.

But while Princess Diana turned to the magazine for advice before her wedding, the Duchess, who celebrated her fifth wedding anniversary on Friday, has taken rather longer to be persuaded to do a fashion shoot.

Mr Olins photographed her on the Sandringham estate in January, her outfits chosen after talks with Vogue fashion director Lucinda Chambers and editor Alexandra Shulman.

For the cover shot the Duchess wore a coat and hat by Burberry and a vintage hat from London boutique Beyond Retro. In the picture of her leaning on the gate, she wears a Petit Bateau top and Burberry trousers.

A spokesman for the Duchess said: "Vogue has been a leading champion of British portraiture. The Duchess was delighted to play a part in celebrating the centenary of an institution that has given a platform to some of the most renowned photographers in this country's history.

"She is incredibly grateful to the team at Vogue and at the National Portrait Gallery for asking her. She would like to thank Josh Olins for being such a pleasure to work with. The Duchess had never taken part in a photography shoot like this before. She hopes that people appreciate the portraits with the sense of relaxed fun with which they were taken."

The Princess Royal also appeared on the magazine's cover, in 1971. Queen Elizabeth, the Duke of Windsor, the Prince of Wales and Princess Margaret have also featured inside.

Mr Olins follows such famous names as Cecil Beaton, Norman Parkinson, Lord Snowdon, Patrick Demarchelier and Mario Testino in photographing royal family members for Vogue.

Ms Shulman said: "To be able to publish a photographic shoot with HRH The Duchess of Cambridge has been one of my greatest ambitions for the magazine.

"I'm delighted the Duchess agreed to work with us and the National Portrait Gallery, and as a result of this unique collaboration we have a true celebration of our centenary as well as a fitting tribute to a young woman whose interest in both photography and the countryside is well known."

Nicholas Cullinan, director of the gallery, said: "Josh has captured the Duchess exactly as she is - full of life, with a great sense of humour, thoughtful and intelligent, and in fact, very beautiful. We had fun in making and choosing these images, and I hope that comes across."

'Vogue 100: A Century of Style' runs until May 22 at the National Portrait Gallery, St Martin's Place, London

Telegraph Media Group Limited [2022]
I woke last Sunday preparing to drive the new Ford Mustang Convertible but felt that I had already spent the night with it. I had had this constant dream that we had roared up to our normal coffee stop and left Sam on the back seat. Nothing wrong there.

However, the dream turned bizarre when we came out with our supplies and saw a crowd gathered around the Mustang. There was the dog opening and closing the roof. It is fast and easy but what intrigued us and the crowd was the way he was able to not only push buttons but also turn the locking handle. Maybe we have been underestimating him.

Predictably, in real life, the Mustang convertible always draws great attention to itself. It looks the part and the fantasy, especially in the race red colour of the test car. The Convertible had the 2.3 Ecoboost engine rather than the V8 in the coupe I was driving a few weeks back. However, some of the brilliant sound has been artificially transferred to the 2.3 although you do feel rather a fraud, especially as I knew Steve McQueen's son was in town at the same time.

The texture roof of the convertible means that you will be even more wary of the places you will park the Mustang, but it does mean that it takes a lot less space from the boot. It folds with incredible speed and feels that bit more real. We both loved having the top off and Sam's nose twitches went almost out of control from all the senses that were rushing towards him. Of course the car is still impractical for any more than two adults, despite two large and comfortable seats in the rear. The convertible costs 55,000 but the test car had an additional 2,800 of extras on the top of a really good spec.

The last time I wrote about the Mustang, the writer and well-being journalist Edel Cush told me about hiring a Mustang for 100-a-day in Florida. Edel writes, "Best drive and the most fun experience of my holiday. We flew into Orlando, welcomed the newcomer, a Lady red convertible into the family and hit the open road of the Florida Keys, driving down to Cocoa Beach. With the throaty roar we sang along with my crew. My baby turned 18, with tunes of Happy Birthday in the background, the Commitments rendition of Mustang Sally belted foremost on the air waves. Who is the biggest kid? This is one of my dreams to come true. How could the day not be bright with a convertible Mustang for company, and memories of McQueen?". Ride Sally ride
Roisin was reunited with her dad thanks to 96fm

The moment an Irish woman introduced her family to her baby girl for the first time after flying home from Australia has been captured on video by an Irish radio station.

As part of their Pay Your Thrills campaign, Corks 96fm flew Roisin Griffin to Ireland as part of her wish to introduce her father to her little girl.

Roisins sister Ashling entered a competition on the station who sponsored the flights home for Roisin, her partner Marlee and their new baby.

The reunion would warm even the stoniest of hearts this Bank Holiday Weekend.
In reviewing the Irish period country house market, the variety of large houses with or without land available at the moment is quite surprising. In excess of the million-euro bracket there are over 30 such period properties on the market ranging from the magnificent Glin Castle in Limerick, Ileclash House in Fermoy and Castle Hyde in Cork at the pinnacle of the market, to the classical period house requiring total refurbishment and in some instances a rebuild, such as Bective Demesne in Navan and Ashfield Court in Laois.

The market for this genre of property is being dictated to by the unfortunate lack of qualified purchasers available. In many instances, it is a matter of a single party falling in love with a property and through close engagement with the vendor and purchaser agreeing a position resulting in a successful sale.

The country house market was without doubt the most severely affected by the financial collapse, with evidence of the savagery inflicted being expressed in terms of a 70-80pc decay. Nonetheless, every low has a high, and we are beginning to see a slow increase in superior properties in terms of quality of architecture, condition, location and amount of land attached to the house. All these factors are influencing how much of a return in value can be achieved, especially for a country purchaser. Where our city cousins are paying upwards of 500,000 for a 3-bed semi-detached, 97sqm property, this same healthy budget will get you a 5-bed detached, 395sqm property on a couple of acres - a lot more bang for your buck!

However, we must be cautious when discussing the country house market and comparing house sales in the urban realm. Some national commentary has described price increases in the order of 30pc, which usually applies to a more modern property on a reduced acreage of perhaps half-an-acre that has in competitive bidding risen from approximately 65,000 to 85,000. It is a more difficult to show the same uplift in properties valued above the 1m mark.

The property market has been a little sticky during the closing quarters of 2015 and the first quarter of 2016. There is a level of uncertainty which will continue until a new government is formed and the outcome of the Brexit referendum is known. As the market stands, I would make a call to all living in the city looking for exceptional value and aspirations for a classical country residence with some land: It's time to sell up and buy into the idyllic country dream.

Marcus Magnier is head of Residential, Development and Country Homes at Colliers
It was love at first sight. The moment those saucer-like brown eyes gazed into mine, I was smitten. And I felt this was going to be for life.

We met on January 4 this year, the day I arrived in Kampala, full of excitement and trepidation to volunteer with Hospice Africa Uganda, a charity whose mission is to ensure dying and seriously ill people in Africa have a peaceful and pain-free end of life.

My plan was to stay in Uganda for four weeks. I didn't bargain on still being here four months later. And I certainly didn't bargain on Pearl, and the way she would look at you, and the fact she would steal my heart.

Pearl is almost three years old. She is a tiny imp, bright as a button, and full of personality, mischief and fun. Her mum, Lydia, is 24 and unmarried, typical of so many young women in Uganda. Lydia got pregnant by Pearl's dad a second time last year and gave birth to Liam at the end of January. Again, typical in Uganda, Pearl's father is not around to support them.

Until Liam's birth, Lydia worked in the home of the founder of Hospice Africa and Hospice Africa Uganda, Dr Anne Merriman. 2014 Nobel Peace Prize nominee Dr Anne, who is almost 81, is an inspirational woman. She introduced palliative care to Africa in 1993 and over the last 23 years her charity has ensured that 27,000 people have had a dignified end to their life.

Dr Anne's house is full of love and activity. There are 10 dogs, six cats, and lots of visitors passing through. But best of all there is Ryan, aged 6, Vicky, aged 3, and Pearl, children of the girls who work there.

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I lived with Dr Anne for three months and it was joyful to come home from hospice in the evening - often stressed after a tough day on a home visit to a dying patient - to be met by three cheeky faces waiting to be entertained by "Jaja " Miriam. (Jaja means grandmother in Uganda. I now have them trained to call me "Aunt Miriam" instead)

As I settled into life here, I began to learn a lot about the country and the culture. I was shocked to realise that education was not free and I saw first-hand how parents struggled to pay school fees so they could give their children a decent chance in life.

For people in low-paid jobs, there are three priorities in life: to provide a roof over the family's head; to feed them; and to get the fees so the children can go to school. The children of the girls who work for Dr Anne are lucky because they have "sponsors" - through Dr Anne's network - who pay their school fees. The girls and their children are part of Dr Anne's extended 'family'. She loves and cherishes each one dearly and takes a huge interest in their welfare and education.

One of the issues I struggle with here is the fact that so many women are second-class citizens and they face huge challenges - discrimination, low social status, lack of money, and risk of HIV/AIDS infection.

Men expect their women to be docile and subservient. They generally make the decisions and are often proud and boast of the fact that they have cheated on their wives. I have heard how men are unwilling to use condoms and force themselves on their wives or girlfriends. Dreadful in a country where HIV/AIDS is still prevalent.

Sadly, many young girls sell sex for economic survival. It is common for girls to become sexually active at a much younger age than men, adding to the incidences of HIV/AIDS.

Teenage pregnancy is also high and poses a huge risk to the health of both the mother and the baby.

Pearl's mother is a bright, pretty, intelligent woman with a bubbly personality. Lydia has completed a catering course and at one stage worked in the kitchen of an international school.

Her mother died when she was very young and she was raised by her dad, a good man who did his best for his family.

Lydia has a dream, and that is to bring Pearl and Liam abroad to live. She feels she and her family will have more opportunities there.

I was honoured and chuffed to be asked by Lydia to be Pearl's godmother. She had both her children christened at St Denis's Shrine in Munyonyo on April 10 by a wonderful Polish Franciscan priest, Father Adam Mutebi.

I knew that, unlike in Ireland, where god-parents don't often play an active role in their god-children's upbringing, being Pearl's godmother meant responsibilities. There is an expectation that I will guide and mentor her, and assist in any way I can with her upbringing.

As part of this role, I have decided to pay for Pearl's education. She starts kindergarten in Savannah Nursery School in Makindye, Kampala, in June, when she turns three. I visited the school last week. It's a happy, cheerful place.

Financially, it is not going to be a huge drain. Her term fee will be around 120 and I will also pay for her school uniform and books. To put this in context, the most Lydia can expect to earn a month with her current skills is 70. There is no way she could pay for her children's education as well.

I will get Pearl's school reports every term and will closely follow her progress, even when I am back in Ireland. I am looking forward to seeing her blossom and do well.

I am doing this for several reasons. Not to show off or be praised or to be told I am great. First off, I love Pearl. Secondly, I am lucky that I am in the financial position to be able to pay for her school fees. Thirdly, I would hate to think that Pearl might end up in the situation that so many young women in Uganda fall into. I would love to help her so she gets a decent education and a good chance at life.

I am also helping Lydia with fees to do a night course in Tourism and Administration. I know that with the help and guidance, Lydia can make a real go of her life. She has the brains to do it.

Pearl is only one of thousands of children in Uganda who would flourish if they got the right start in life. I have already reared my own two children, now aged 26 and 24. They have been very lucky and blessed with their lives and they are very supportive of Pearl, their little "god-sister".

The last four months have been life-changing for me. My experience here has put lots of things into perspective. I am proud to be involved with a charity that is giving people the greatest gift of all - that of a peaceful end of life.

And I am proud to be taking a little bit of Uganda home in my heart. A little person called Pearl.

Hospice Africa Uganda has Give a Chance projects in the UK, Denmark and the USA which support young patients, and children of patients, in their education. It is planning to start Give a Chance in Ireland later this year. If you would like to help email miriamdonohoe@gmail.com
Are you one of the quarter of motorists who have had their romantic drive dashed by an unexpected puncture. The chances are up to 50 per cent that it occurred in an inconvenient location and there is a 23 per cent chance that it was after nightfall. Bye bye love, hello dirty hands.

With statistics suggesting that 72 per cent of women and 33 per cent of men won't, or can't, change their own tyre, Bridgestone has come up with a tyre that allows you to continue driving safely for 80km at up to 80km/h after a puncture.

The DriveGuard tyre is the first run-flat tyre that can be fitted to all cars on a wide range of rim sizes provided the vehicle is fitted with a Tyre Pressure Monitoring System, which has been a legal requirement since 2014.

A thicker sidewall and a new compound mix prevents the tyre from overheating and if driven carefully, it can be repaired.

A test day at Mondello demonstrated how safe handling can be retained when a big nail has punctured a sidewall. Bridgestone claims drivers are less likely to lose control even with a blowout if they are driving on a DriveGuard tyre. There is a premium of about 10-15 per cent on the price over regular Bridgestone tyres.
After years of decline, Cork Airport's fortunes are looking up with a new transatlantic service awaiting a permit to fly. But will it be competitively priced?

"Every time I fly home, I get emotional," says Hughie Walsh.

As Ireland approaches, my eyes well up. But to look out the window and see Cork City, my home town, beneath me would be... well, out of this world."

Walsh left Leeside in 1989. Today he runs his own flooring business just north of Boston and tries to get home at least once a year.

On or around May 13, the US Department of Transportation (DoT) will decide once and for all if the Irish-registered and licensed Norwegian Air International (NAI), a subsidiary of low-cost airline Norwegian Air Shuttle, is to be given a permit to fly to the US.

It's taken two years to get to this point with pilots' unions and some large American airlines lobbying against the granting of a permit. They argue that NAI won't create jobs in the US, but others say the objections are down to a fear that low-cost transatlantic air travel will change the market and increase competition - good for the consumer, not so much for existing carriers.

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On April 14, after lobbying by Irish bodies, the European Commission and Irish politicians (even Enda had a word in President Obama's ear when the bowl of shamrock was handed over in March), the US DoT proposed granting a permit to travel for NAI. However, interested parties were allowed 21 days to lodge support or objections before the final decision is made.

So how much could transatlantic air travel cost on the limited-frills airline?

"Well, if you look at our prices from London Gatwick to New York JFK at the moment, you'll see a direct flight is available for just 149 (192) and from Paris you can fly to JFK for 199 - we anticipate our price-structuring from Cork will be similar," Chase Burns, a public relations manager with Norwegian, told me this week. And he confirmed NAI are also in talks with other Irish airports, including Shannon, about operating from there too.

On the announcement of 'tentative approval', Champagne corks popped in rebel country but some are keeping the bubbly on ice. "We're not taking it for granted that the permit will be issued, but we're confident the right decision will be made," Cork Airport's managing director, Niall MacCarthy, tells Review.

Already Tourism Ireland officials in the US are planning campaigns to promote Cork as the perfect place to begin your Irish adventure.

But for the last seven years, Cork Airport has endured major difficulties. The construction of a new state-of-the-art terminal building coincided with the economic downturn. Cork, a member of daa (the Dublin Airport Authority), has run up debts of around 200m and passenger numbers declined from 3.25 million in 2008 to just over two million last year.

daa maintains that the massive debt is being serviced and doesn't impact directly on the running costs of the airport. Also Shannon Airport broke free of daa in December 2012 and secured a 105m debt write-off, allowing it to entice airlines with reduced landing charges. Cork took the hit. And tragedy struck on February 10, 2011 when six people died after their flight from Belfast crashed while attempting to land.

Now, after years of difficulties and heartbreak, Cork Airport's fortunes appear to be improving at last. "This year we expect passenger growth of just over 8pc overall. We also expect, all things going to plan, to boost passenger numbers by around 200,000 in 2017," explains MacCarthy.

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New airlines such as CityJet, Iberia Express, Flybe and NAI have given commitments to Cork Airport with a raft of new routes emerging.

CityJet now has a base there, flying directly to London City, while Aer Lingus Regional will fly direct to Southampton and Leeds-Bradford in the coming months. Aer Lingus will operate new flights to Dusseldorf this year, with new additional routes to Madrid (Iberia Express) and Menorca, Nantes and La Rochelle (CityJet).

"Additionally, Aer Lingus and Ryanair have increased flight frequencies. Next winter, Ryanair will be offering a combined increased capacity of 50,000 seats on their routes," says MacCarthy.

But it's the prospect of a red-and-white Boeing 737-800 aircraft touching down having arrived from Boston that's seen as the major game changer on Leeside. "It's been our ambition for years to have direct transatlantic access into Cork," explains Conor Healy, the chief executive of the Cork Chamber which has played a vital role in lobbying for the permit.

"It's vital now that interested groups officially register their support so that we don't get any surprises in May. The new transatlantic routes will change the way Cork will be marketed abroad and will be great for the business and tourism sectors here," he adds.

Initially, if the permit is granted, NAI would attempt to begin flights to Boston in August. The flights would originate in Barcelona but stop off at Cork to collect passengers before continuing to Logan Airport. In 2017, a route to New York will be added. But will the non-availability of US immigration clearance in Cork put passengers off? Not necessarily, says UCD professor of transport economics Aisling J Reynolds-Feighan.

"If the speed of passenger processing at Cork reduces the wait time and pre-flight delays, then the total journey time might be relatively similar to alternate routings through Dublin or Shannon. Dublin Airport recommends 3.5 hours check-in before transatlantic flights," she tells Review.

"Boston Airport estimates immigration processing to take an average of about 30 to 45 minutes so if check-in at Cork can be done in 90-120 minutes, then the lack of US pre-clearance services may not be such a disadvantage."

For Cork-based Eugene Murphy, the founder and CEO of new technology company Indeemo, being able to travel to the US for work from Cork will be welcome news.

"Having to drive to Dublin or Shannon and possibly book a hotel the night before in order to grab an early morning flight to the US means there's a lot of wasted time," he says. "With a direct flight from Cork, the US would literally be a 20-minute drive away. The ability to grab an early flight to Boston or New York, book in a few meetings and then be back at your desk for work the next morning would be transformational for Cork businesses."

Now the key is making this long-held dream a reality.
Dublin is seeking to become a 'turnaround' port for cruise ships by 2020, writes our Travel Editor.

This Tuesday, a cruise ship taller than Liberty Hall will dock in Dublin.

The 333m MSC Splendida, a vessel so large it has to reverse into the Liffey, will arrive around 7am. If you've never seen a ship this big, pop down. It's jaw-dropping.

This season, Dublin Port will host some 113 cruise calls - including Celebrity Silhouette, Disney Magic and National Geographic Orion.

Cruise tourism is growing at 20pc a year, the Port Company says. By 2020, its Alexandra Basin Redevelopment Project will allow the world's biggest ships to dock in Dublin (including Royal Caribbean's new, 362m Harmony of the Seas).

The behemoths will be able to berth as far upriver as the East Link - a sight that will add a whole new wow-factor to the cityscape.

Little by little, cruise stereotypes are being smashed. 35,972 Irish people took cruises in 2015 - up 14pc on the previous year, according to the Cruise Lines International Association. Clearly cruising isn't for everyone, but there's a lot more to it than buffets and blue rinses.

That makes the prospect of Dublin as a Home Port, where ships start and end journeys as opposed to simply visiting, all the more exciting. Such 'turnaround' ports attract more bed-nights and business, not to mention providing an option for local holidaymakers who don't wish to fly.

Dublin's coastal location, new cruise marketing agency and the city's hosting of the Cruise Europe Conference this June give it a head-start on other European cities. Challenges loom (most obviously, a shortage of hotel rooms), but this voyage has definitely begun.

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MSC now has an Irish website (msccruises.ie), as do Royal Caribbean (royalcaribbean.ie) and Celebrity (celebritycruises.ie), indicating just how seriously these giants are taking the Irish market. It's always worth checking Irish tour operators for deals, however - particularly for the Med in winter months.

Clickandgo.com has flights plus seven nights on MSC Splendida (above) from 499pp out of Barcelona between December and March, for instance. See e-travel.ie, sunway.ie and cruisescapes.ie for other deals. NB: All prices subject to availability.

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John Galligan (jgt.ie) is a Dublin-based travel agent who has made cruise holidays and bucket list trips a speciality. Deals for 2016 include a Rocky Mountaineer rail tour and five-star Alaskan cruise. Departing August 19, the 17-day trip is priced at 4,899pp and senior staff will accompany you throughout (the cruise ship is Holland America's MS Nieuw Amsterdam).

If you fancy departing from Dublin, Hapag Lloyd's Europa 2 (above) - rated one of the world's best small cruise ships - has a nine-night sailing to Hamburg in July from 4,631pp.

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TripAdvisor's No.1 ranked Irish hotel offers a special welcome on the shores of Donegal's Lough Eske, says Frank Coughlan.

Set the mood

There's just something about leaving the stresses of everyday life (bosses, children, dogs) behind and gliding up the gears as the motorway opens up ahead of you.

On this occasion, it's the M3 on a Friday afternoon. The SatNav is primed to tell us when we're within decent distance of Harvey's Point, the four-star hotel judged Ireland's best by TripAdvisor now for four years running.

Sitting with a certain majesty and discreetness on the shores of south Donegal's tranquil Lough Eske, it's a family establishment which has grown in scale and reputation as if by stealth.

The welcome is effusive but authentic rather than invasive or cloying. I like it already. Our roomy suite is lit by a setting sun that's twinkling on the lake outside.

You couldn't make it up.

Guilty pleasure

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I'm a man of simple tastes, but I couldn't resist the Twisted Irish Breakfast starter for dinner in the hotel's Lakeside restaurant: white pudding, spiced sausage, quail egg and bacon ice-cream. Bacon ice-cream! All wrong really, but so, so right.

My compliments to the chef, not only for his cheeky talent but his sense of humour too. The hotel's renowned Wine Experience - tastings tutored by a respected connoisseur and the restaurant manager - was not something that I had the opportunity to be guilty about (worse luck), but it does come highly recommended. You've been told.

Cheap kick

Harvey's Point is worth every one of its four stars, but its bar menu prices could compete very favourably with your uppity local. Mains come in at around 15 or under, and decent wine by the glass is competitively pitched.

And while you might come for the nosh or a tipple, chances are you'll stay for the music of Martin Jonathan. Normally the sight of an entertainer hauling his amps is my cue to retire. But not this time.

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The historically curious could do worse than visit the medieval Franciscan Abbey on the shores of the bay in nearby Donegal town. What bloody tales are secreted away in its ruins. Amazing what's under your nose when you look!

Insider intel

If Donegal sold itself with the same sort of brash self-belief that both West Cork and Kerry do, there would be traffic jams into the place every weekend.

But the truth is that even an afternoon leisurely motoring along the county's zig-zaggy share of the Wid Atlantic Way will open a world of breathtaking beauty, both coastal and inland. Rugged and bleakly magnificent, it is still Ireland's best kept secret.

Glitches

There are a number of options when driving from the east, but the most obvious and direct - through Fermanagh - can be a bumpy irritation. Lough Erne, tracking your journey starboard, has a myriad of inviting pitstops, however.

Get me there

Driving to South Donegal isn't the long-haul it used to be, and we were pleasantly surprised to have parked a little over three hours after setting out from Dublin on the M50.

Two nights' B&B with one dinner at Harvey's Point (074 972-2208; harveyspoint.com) starts from 105pps per night. It also offers weekend getaways including two nights' B&B with dinner from 299pps.

For more, see govisitdonegal.com or Uncover Donegal on Facebook.
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We have established that nationalism in general is eejitry taken to such extremes it becomes a form of evil. And in the case of our version of nationalism, perhaps the ultimate eejitry is that many of us would broadly agree in theory with a United Ireland if it wasnt for the nationalists themselves  they have contrived somehow to be the main obstacle to their own ambitions.
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Eoghan Harris Opinion Misery media fails to give due credit to the Taoiseach

Taoiseach Micheal Martin must drive his advisers mad. Unlike Leo Varadkar or Donald Trump, he never bigs up success stories such as the effect of Level 3 Plus on Covid or his visionary Shared Island project. Last Friday, Tony Holohan and RTE cheerleaders seemed to imply Level 5 was responsible for the improved Covid situation. Not so.
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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.
Congratulations to Bank of Ireland governor Archie Kane. Congratulations to Bank of Ireland boss Richie Boucher. Congratulations to Bank of Ireland director Kent Atkinson. Congratulations to Bank of Ireland director Fiona Muldoon. Congratulations to Bank of Ireland directors...

Congratulations were heaped on Bank of Ireland directors at the AGM last Thursday. Mostly by themselves. They boasted of the strong capital base, increased profits, the repayments to the State and the prospects of a dividend. It has been a great year for Bank of Ireland. The future is even brighter. Or so they said on Thursday when they gave themselves a great welcome at the annual meeting of misery in the O'Reilly Hall in University College, Dublin.

Such self praise is not shared by the cold-blooded stock market. The cold judge of company performance has given Bank of Ireland the thumbs down over the last 12 months. The share price stood at 37 cents a year ago. Last Thursday it had tanked by 30pc to just 26 cents. Not to worry. Such a sluggish performance in the share price did not put a brake on the giddy mood of the directors.

And God bless them. Why should such a dismal story have fazed the bankers squatting up on the podium last week? These guys are financial geniuses. Indeed, so brilliant are they that they received the unswerving support of the biggest shareholders, the Irish Government. The State, with its 14pc stake, voted full confidence in the directors. Even though the Irish State was the big loser in Bank of Ireland shares in the last year, the minister for finance told the directors to rock on.

Ponder for a moment the real reason why these directors deserve universal plaudits. It is hardly because the share price has been tanking. No, it is because most of them have, with masterly insight, personally avoided Bank of Ireland stock like the plague. They dodged the bullet. The register reveals that the bank's bosses have shirked the shares. When it comes to stock picking, these guys are on the button.

Take the governor, the super-rich Archie Kane, the man who eulogised the bank's mediocre performance on his watch last Thursday. Governor Kane holds 11,074 shares. Their value is just 2,879. Bully for Archie.

Archie, the canny Scot, is sharp as a razor. No point in Archie spending too high a percentage of his 500,000 annual remuneration on Bank of Ireland stock. In a few weeks Archie will have been in the driving seat for four years. His total remuneration will amount to just short of 2m. He was dead right not to show too much confidence in his bank. Three grand out of 2m is quite enough to waste on a floundering enterprise. Good thinking, governor.

Archie's pal, the UK- based Kent Atkinson, is chairman of the bank's group audit committee. Kent has only earned a pittance compared to Archie, just 102,000 a year from Bank of Ireland fees since his appointment in 2012. That's around 400,000 in total. But he is even shrewder than Archie. Kent holds just 2,000 shares in Bank of Ireland. Their value: 520 - enough to buy him a pair of expensive shoes in the City of London. Like Archie, Kent is hardly a pauper. He has held board positions on such lucrative spots as Coca Cola, Cookson, Standard Life and Telent (formerly Marconi). So it is a fair bet that Kent might just be able to afford more than 520 worth of shares. Kent has taken the informed decision of an experienced banker and bought a token, positively insulting, holding. He is not going to contaminate his personal portfolio with a dud.

Ditto many, but not all, of the other directors. Chief executive Richie Boucher holds more shares but he has benefited from juicy options in the past, allowing him to take up shares at attractive prices. Boucher is favoured by the bank in other ways. He earned 961,000 last year.

It is one of the big mysteries of Ireland's banking swamp how Richie Boucher survived the banking crash and remains at the top of the Bank of Ireland, commanding such a massive salary. It is an even bigger mystery why Richie's survival is supported by the Irish Government. Last Thursday Michael Noonan and the department of finance mandarins again voted Richie through for another year at the helm. They cast the State's 14pc holding four square behind Boucher, Kane and Kent Atkinson. They voted not only to give them all another year on vast salaries, but to endorse their stewardship of the bank.

Noonan's endorsement of Boucher is even more bizarre in light of the Bank of Ireland top brass's defiance of the Government's wishes in the last year. Not only is Boucher's 961,000 package in breach of the Government's own salary cap, but he and the board have openly defied Noonan's wishes. The minister has consistently called in the banks to pressurise them into reducing standard variable rates to borrowers. He has told them that they are causing huge concern to the Government and hardship to the citizens. Some banks, most notably Allied Irish Bank and Permanent TSB, have bowed to pressure and reduced their variable rates, albeit by far too little. Not Bank of Ireland. In the world of Kane, Kent and Boucher the minister is an interfering politician. It is their job to deliver profit, even when it means making life miserable for Noonan's citizens. They have eye-balled Noonan and refused point blank to reduce variable rates. Noonan has blinked.

Not only has the minister blinked, but his response has been craven. Last week, instead of voting against the board that has enriched itself while citizens and small shareholders suffer, he endorsed their greed. Worse still, he gave them the green light to retain variable rate mortgage rates at punitive levels. Noonan cast your holding and mine in favour of re-electing all the directors and approving their overblown salaries. By implication, he applauded their open contempt for the prospects for shares in Bank of Ireland.

When governor Kane was asked at the AGM why he had not used some of his vast wealth to buy more shares and show confidence in Bank of Ireland he responded that he and others complied with the minimum holding requirements for directors. He weakly pleaded that any director's investment was a personal choice and refused to comment further. He is technically right of course, but their personal decisions to shun the shares speaks volumes. Losing money in the ailing vehicle is for small savers. Every year at the AGM they are fed the same soothers of hollow thanks to the staff, the familiar bull about the overworked Richie, and the mantra about how well-placed the bank is to take advantage of the recovery.

The Irish people's shareholdings in Bank of Ireland and AIB are the point where politics and banking meet. It is a murky mixture. There is plenty of public posturing where minister and banker clash for the cameras. But the reality is reflected in the annual endorsement that the Government gives to its banking friends. It is further revealed in the directors' pathetic personal shareholdings, the barometer of their confidence in the bank, and in the continued existence of overpaid "public interest" directors who serve no purpose .

Bankers and politicians are still joined at the hip. We are being bombarded with promises of Dail reform. Even more pressing is the need for an end to the less visible political antics outside the Dail chamber. Banking reform has not even started.
Generations of neglect has taken its toll on Ireland's water supply and waste water disposal systems. The result is cryptosporidium, boil notices, service interruptions, dangerous levels of E. coli, high leakage rates, a looming supply crunch in the Dublin area, pollution of inland water bodies, untreated sewage discharged off coasts and high operating costs.

Numerous expert studies have concluded that the neglect is not sustainable and an engineer-driven national organisation to fix the system is required. Higher capital spending will be needed for several decades. Until recently, user charges were contributing no more than one euro out of every six spent on operations and investment. The outgoing government's plans to raise more from user charges and to entrust the rehabilitation of the water industry to a national, State-owned utility, have been consigned to limbo. Both the future structure of the industry and its financing will be considered afresh by a commission if the Fine Gael minority government goes ahead.

This fudge will come unstuck when the commission concludes that a State-owned national utility is the best option and that user charges, currently confined to commercial customers, contribute too little. It will be a challenge to identify commissioners likely to favour the return of responsibility to 31 local authorities. It will also be hard to ensure a recommendation that financing, current and capital, continues to be provided almost entirely by the taxpayers. The commission will draw attention to the existence of a Water Framework Directive adopted by the European Union 16 years ago and binding on Ireland. The directive, at Article 9, requires a shift towards greater user charges, including user charges for households.

The interpretation of EU directives is a matter for lawyers, but fortunately two senior counsels, Michael Collins and Garrett Simons, were engaged by Irish Water to consider the implications of the Water Framework Directive.

According to Arthur Beesley's report in the Irish Times on March 29 last, the lawyers concluded that "there is no possibility under European law for the State to suspend or scrap water charges".

Beesley continued: "The introduction of water charges by the last government means the State can no longer avail of a 'very limited' exemption in the EU water directive, they say. 'The benefit of the derogation has been lost for all time, and cannot be revived by seeking to reverse the decision to introduce charges,' the legal opinion states. The lawyers concluded that, 'In our opinion, the Irish State is obliged to continue to impose charges for domestic water services.'"

It is possible that one of the political parties opposed to domestic water charges has secured a legal opinion contrary to the conclusion of Messrs Collins and Simons. If such an opinion exists, it has not reached outgoing Environment minister Alan Kelly, who indicated in his Dail speech during the week that his legal advice coincided with that furnished to Irish Water and quoted above.

The ultimate authority on what EU directives actually mean is the European Court of Justice in Luxembourg.

It should be noted that the EU Commission can institute infringement proceedings at the European Court against any member state it deems in breach of EU directives. It has already done so in cases involving the Water Framework Directive.

To summarise: two issues have apparently been kicked to touch, the organisational structure of the water industry and the introduction of domestic charges. In neither case does there appear to be a plausible alternative to the substance of what the last government had (with great dithering) put in place. Nobody has an operational alternative to a national water board of some description, and domestic charges are required under EU law.

RTE's exit poll on election day found that just 8pc of the public identified water charges as an issue that influenced their vote. A Red C pre-election poll for The Irish Sun on February 18 identified the six most important issues as the economy/jobs, the health service, crime, flood prevention, housing and political reform. There was no mention of water and no other poll identified water as a prominent issue during the campaign.

Yet the ongoing scuffle between Fine Gael and Fianna Fail has been punctuated with assertions that the General Election two months ago was tantamount to a single-issue referendum on water. It was nothing of the sort, despite constant repetition of this claim by news anchors and talk show hosts.

Indeed, the prominence accorded to the water issue in recent years owes much to choices by the news media, notably RTE, to lead so often with stories about charges that, as Alan Kelly noted last week, were set to cost people 3 per week.

The (now suspended) household water charge was set at 260, offset by the 100 'water conservation' grant - to give a net cost of a flat 160 per annum. This coincides precisely with the cost of the annual TV licence fee, effectively a poll tax on households, since virtually every household is liable. The cost is as big an imposition as the water charge on poorer households, is unrelated to income or any other measure of ability to pay, but never attracts protest or objection from the left or indeed from any other quarter. In the past two years, motor insurance premiums have increased by more than the water charge.

There is no doubting the unpopularity of water charges, introduced after many tax hikes and spending cuts in the years from 2009 to 2013. In addition to the street protests, a substantial minority of households has declined to pay or to register for payment. But to pretend that this was the sole, or even a major, issue at the recent election is pure invention.

There should be no exoneration for the mishandling of the water issue by successive governments, not least in permitting the deterioration of the system now evident through the decades-long delay in taking action. The outgoing government has communicated poorly and permitted a minor issue to dominate the formation of its successor.

The water mess will resolve itself in time. There will be no alternative structure to the State-owned utility model, since none is feasible. Neither will there be an end to user charges for households unless the 28 member states of the European Union agree to repeal the Water Framework Directive - "Hey guys, let's scrap this Europe-wide directive, 8pc of the voters at an election in Ireland think it's important."

There will be an immediate Exchequer cost from the fudge over water, but it will not be the only one. The shopping list of the Independent deputies has yet to be revealed, but the Fianna Fail negotiators have been granted extra rent and mortgage interest subsidies and more health spending. The Budget in October will see a further postponement of the faltering attempt to stop the borrowing.

It is a constant of democracy everywhere that people demand better public services without offering to pay the taxes or charges that are implied. Opposition politicians succumb readily to temptation and encourage the electorate in the mistaken belief that this combination can be delivered. But when those in government also succumb, populism is elevated to the status of the preferred national political ideology.
In less than two months, the people of the UK will decide by referendum on whether Britain should leave or remain in the European Union in what Prime Minister David Cameron has said will be the vote to settle the European question in British politics. As one of the UK's closest trading partners, the impact of Brexit on Ireland could be substantial. It has been estimated that in a worst-case scenario Ireland could see a permanent loss of 3.1pc to GDP in 2030 and even in the best-case scenario the loss would still total 1.1pc GDP.

These potential developments are unlikely to weigh too heavily on the minds of those in the UK determined to leave the EU, but the sizeable Irish community there will be mindful of the impact here. Citizens from the Republic living in Britain are allowed to vote in June's referendum - the only EU country other than Commonwealth nations Malta and Cyprus granted this, and experts have said that their impact could win the fight for the Remain campaign. A recent online poll of nearly 25,000 Irish people revealed the country overwhelmingly supports Britain remaining in the EU. In such a tight race, hundreds of thousands of Irish immigrants could decide the referendum and Remain campaign groups are now trying to mobilise this demographic as polling day approaches.

The impact of Brexit on Ireland is so large due to the significant amount of Anglo-Irish trade. While the importance of UK trade to Ireland has fallen, Ireland still exports 16pc of its manufactured goods and 19pc of services to the UK. It currently imports 34pc of its goods from the UK and 18pc of its services. As a small, open economy, trade in goods is equivalent to almost 80pc of Irish GDP. Any barriers which disrupt that trade will involve significant costs.

It is also worth noting that, while some of the impact of Brexit on the UK is offset or bolstered by a significant saving from the EU budget, Ireland would actually find itself with an additional budget payment to make - other member states would need to cover the loss of UK net contributions. In 2030, Ireland's additional payment could total roughly 177m per year (0.1pc GDP). Some change in foreign direct investment flows is also likely.

There are also likely to be political implications, particularly in Northern Ireland. The most important issue to address would be the arrangements for a new border, although retention of the Common Travel Area would avoid the need to introduce passport controls, which would enable the continued free movement of people between the UK and Ireland. Arrangements would also need to be made to minimise the impact on cross-border trade.

So, what is likely to happen? An ICM poll out last Tuesday put Leave ahead on 46pc (+2), with Remain on 44pc (+1). A Survation poll last Wednesday put Leave up three points on 38pc (albeit still behind Remain on 45pc (-1)). A YouGov poll from Thursday had Leave ahead on 42pc (+3) and Remain on 41pc (+1).

The outcome will be close, but if you follow the money then the prospect increases that the UK will remain. The markets rallied, with the pound rising last week to a six-week high against the euro following comments by President Obama that the UK would move to the "back of the queue" in any free trade negotiations with the US post-Brexit. So while the Remain camp is arguably leading the economic argument thus far, the debate will be on shakier ground when it moves to the issue of immigration.
The Duchess is the most senior member of the Royal family to appear on the cover of the magazine since Princess Diana. Credit: Josh Olins/Vogue

The pictures were taken by Josh Olins, one of the worlds leading fashion photographers, in a collaboration between British Vogue and the National Portrait Gallery CREDIT: JOSH OLINS/VOGUE

The Duchess of Cambridge has been announced as a Vogue cover star to celebrate the British magazine's 100th anniversary.

The 34-year-old royal has posed for her first ever fashion photoshoot for the prestigious title to honour the milestone, and will appear on the cover of the June edition.

Catherine, who is married to Prince William, the Duke of Cambridge, agreed to the project because it is a collaboration between British Vogue and London's National Portrait Gallery, which she has been a patron of since 2012.

But while the mother-of-two is usually photographed in formal attire or glamorous evening gowns, the landmark series of seven portraits are a much more relaxed affair.

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In the images, which are both in colour and black and white and set in the Norfolk countryside, Catherine can be seen looking relaxed and happy in casual clothing, such as a striped long sleeved top and jeans, and a jacket and fedora style hat.

"To be able to publish a photographic shoot with HRH The Duchess of Cambridge has been one of my greatest ambitions for the magazine," Vogue Editor-in-Chief Alexandra Shulman said in a statement. "I'm delighted the Duchess agreed to work with us and the National Portrait Gallery, and as a result of this unique collaboration we have a true celebration of our centenary as well as a fitting tribute to a young woman whose interest in both photography and the countryside is well known."

Two of the images, which were shot by British photographer Josh Olins, are already on display at the gallery, while the rest of the series will be unveiled in the June edition of the publication.

A spokesperson for the Duchess added how honoured and thrilled she was to be part of the anniversary celebrations.

"Since 1916, Vogue has been a leading champion of British portraiture," they began. "(The Duchess) is incredibly grateful to the team at Vogue and at the National Portrait Gallery for asking her to take part. She would like to thank Josh Olins for being such a pleasure to work with.

"The Duchess had never taken part in a photography shoot like this before," they continued. "She hopes that people appreciate the portraits with the sense of relaxed fun with which they were taken."

Expand Close Princess Diana appeared on the front cover of Vogue in 1991. Credit: Vogue / Facebook

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Catherine follows in the footsteps of William's late mother, Princess Diana, who featured on the cover of Vogue three times during her life, and once more following her death in 1997 as part of a special tribute edition.
Model Kendall Jenner arrives for the White House Correspondents' Association (WHCA) dinner in Washington, D.C., U.S., on Saturday, April 30, 2016.

Kendall Jenner was starstruck for the first time after meeting President Barack Obama at the White House Correspondents' Dinner.

The model attended the event on Saturday, affectionately called Nerd Prom, which was the final dinner to be hosted by Obama at the White House before his presidential tenure is up.

The 20-year-old, who stunned on the red carpet in a low-cut Vivienne Westwood black dress, shook hands with Obama and revealed that he had a favour to ask of her. "He was like, 'Say hi to Kim and Kanye,'" she told People.com.

"I was like 'Okay.'"

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Confessing that she was starstruck for the first time when she met him, Kendall also said that her mother, matriarch and 'momager' Kris Jenner, was very proud of her.

"She's already Instagrammed it," she added.

"I know she's proud. She's all over it."

Despite the friendly conversation Kendall and Obama had upon meeting, the president seemingly had a joke at the model's expense during his speech.

"Kendall Jenner is also here. We had a chance to meet her backstage and she seems like a very nice young woman," he said.

"I'm not exactly sure what she does but I am told that my Twitter mentions are about to go through the roof."

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Meanwhile, Obama described being greeted by Prince George in his pyjamas as a "slap in the face" during his last speech as US President at the star-studded White House Correspondents' Dinner.

Mr Obama was in an ebullient mood during the dinner and drew laughs from the ballroom filled with journalists, politicians and celebrities, saying: "Last week Prince George showed up to our meeting in his bathrobe. That was a slap in the face."

It was Mr Obama's eighth appearance at the event and his last as president.

He said: "If this material works well, I'm going to use it at Goldman Sachs next year."

Expand Close President Barack Obama, Prince William, Duke of Cambridge and First Lady Michelle Obama talks with Prince George at Kensington Palace. Photo: Pete de Souza / Facebook

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"Earn me some serious Tubmans," he added, in reference to African-American abolitionist Harriet Tubman who it was announced last month would become the first black person to appear on US currency.

Mr Obama continued: "Eight years ago I said it was time to change the tone of our politics. In hindsight, I clearly should have been more specific."

And he acknowledged that the years had taken their toll. "I'm grey, grizzled ... counting down the days to my death panel."

But he pointed out that his approval ratings are up. "The last time I was this high I was trying to decide on my major," he said.
Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump speaks during a campaign rally at the Indiana Theater Sunday, May 1, 2016, in Terre Haute, Ind

Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton takes photographs with audience members during a campaign stop in Indianapolis, Sunday, May 1, 2016

The 2016 presidential campaign rumbled into Indiana on Sunday focused on Tuesday's critical primary, even as front-runners Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump itched to fully engage in the one-on-one battle they cast as inevitable.

But the underdogs in both parties made clear they had no plans to exit the race, at least until the Indiana results come in - and perhaps longer.

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"We're going the distance," Trump rival Ted Cruz said on ABC's This Week, arguing that Mr Trump will not be able to get the majority of delegates required to clinch the nomination. "We're going into Cleveland, and it will be a contested convention."

On the Democratic side, Bernie Sanders insisted that his path to the nomination depends on the unlikely prospect of flipping superdelegates who are now committed to Mrs Clinton.

Superdelegates can vote for either candidate. The former secretary of state is still 91% of the way to the nomination, according to The Associated Press. She is 218 delegates away from winning the 2,383 need to clinch the nomination.

"We have an uphill climb, no question about it," he said, before hopping a plane to Indiana to continue the contest.

And so the stalemate between the front-runners and their struggling rivals continued.

The frustration was dramatic on the Republican side.

Campaigning in Terre Haute, Indiana, Mr Trump again reiterated that he believes the Republican race is over, something he has been saying for days even though he has not secured the 1,237 delegates required to win the nomination.

He groused that Mr Cruz and Ohio governor John Kasich should still get out because they are forcing him into "wasting time" that he could otherwise spend raising "money for the Senate races".

That overt offer of fundraising is new for Mr Trump, incentive for Republican leaders to help push Mr Cruz and Mr Kasich out of the race.

Senior adviser Paul Manafort further telegraphed the message Sunday on CBS' Face the Nation, saying that Mr Trump is looking to strengthen ties to "leaders of the Republican Party and various committees to help raise money for them".

Mrs Clinton, in Indianapolis, did not bother mentioning Mr Sanders' name. Instead, she criticised Mr Trump for embracing economic policies that have left everyday workers behind. And she took aim at both Mr Trump and Mr Cruz for wanting to "slash taxes on the wealthy" and for using "dangerous" rhetoric about Muslims.

Mr Cruz was not surrendering to the delegate maths, even after a tough week in which former house speaker John Boehner called him "Lucifer in the flesh" and "a miserable son of a bitch".

Mr Cruz pointed out on several political talk shows that Indiana governor Mike Pence and former California governor Pete Wilson have endorsed him and that Mr Trump cannot get a majority of Republicans to back him.

The Cruz campaign has put an emphasis on Indiana and a loss here could be perceived as crippling to his campaign, which is perhaps why the candidate himself has shifted to talking about competing in next month's California primary and beyond.

Mr Trump dominated the talk show conversation on Sunday. On ABC, the first question posed to former CIA director and defence secretary Robert Gates was about what a Trump candidacy would mean for the nation's national security.

"I think based on the speech, you'd have somebody who doesn't understand the difference between a business negotiation and a negotiation with sovereign powers," Mr Gates, who has worked for both Republican and Democratic presidents, replied.

"He doesn't understand that there's a give-and-take in international relations that is different than in the business community."

On CBS, Senator Lindsey Graham, who has endorsed Mr Cruz even though he has said he loathes the Texas senator, said Mr Trump's foreign policy amounts to "isolationism. It will lead to another 9/11".

Mr Graham added on CBS: "Hillary Clinton is an incredibly flawed candidate, but she will mop the floor with Donald Trump."

Meanwhile, Mr Sanders was facing a new round of questions about why he was even still running.

"It's difficult, it's not impossible," Mr Sanders said on CBS's Face The Nation of his increasingly bleak challenge to Mrs Clinton.
A police officer from Florida has been fired and arrested after he was caught on video beating a handcuffed woman.

Probationary officer Akinyemi Borisade from Jacksonville, was captured on the footage repeatedly hitting 31-year-old Mayra Martinez on Wednesday at the Duval County jail. Ms Martinez, the employee of a strip club, had been detained after a disturbance at the club she had worked at.

At the jail, Mr Borisade struck Ms Martinez several times after she had tried to kick him. She then sat slumped next to a rubbish bin can as other officers looked on.

There are ways that this could have been dealt with without striking her, Undersheriff Pat Ivey told the Florida Times-Union.

The Jacksonville Sheriffs Office said it had both fired and arrested Mr Borisade, 26, who had been with the department for little more than a year.

When we see an officer do something like this, we have to respond quickly, Jacksonville Sheriff Mike Williams told reporters on Friday.

We are accountable to the community for how these officers act. They are accountable for their actions.

Reports said the incident had happened on Wednesday after officers were called to Scores Gentlemen's Club in after receiving complaints of Ms Martinez's behavior.

An employee said Ms Martinez consumed four shots of 100-proof liquor, according to the Times-Union, and decided to quit her job even though she had just starting working there. When officers arrived, she resisted and did not want to leave.

Ms Martinez was charged with trespassing and resisting the police.
For an organisation that so doggedly defends its reputation, Humfrey Hunter thought, the Church of Scientology seemed to have made a major mistake.

Mr Hunter was preparing to publish a book about the church  an expose written by the father of its leader. Last week he received a strongly-worded legal letter from the California-based group, threatening to sue if he releases the book as planned on Tuesday.

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Yet the churchs attempt to silence Mr Hunter has backfired spectacularly, he believes.

My phone has been ringing off the hook, said the former literary agent, who runs a one-man publishing house in London. The prospect of pitting father versus the son in court, with all the revelations that would entail, has tantalised those fascinated with the shadowy organisation.

Everyone wants to know about the story now, he said. They gave me an opportunity in sending me that letter. Now people cant wait to see what has got the church so angry.

The book is written by Ron Miscavige, the 80-year-old father of Scientology leader David. Entitled Ruthless: Scientology, my son David Miscavige, and me, the book promises to lift the lid on the inner workings of a religion to which Ron Miscavige introduced his son. The son rose to the very top, while Mr Miscavige became disillusioned, and fled in 2012.

In the book he details how his son went to great lengths to recruit Tom Cruise, the most high-profile celebrity Scientologist, and soon learnt to enjoy the trappings of wealth - while his staff live in poverty.

David lives like a prince, said Mr Miscavige. His staff, he said, live like indentured servants, at best.

He was deeply impressed with the public relations potential that Cruise could lend to Scientology, writes Ron, according to Radar Online.

To impress the star at the Scientology base, David orchestrated every detail of an elaborate welcoming celebration, Ron writes. He arranged for late Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbards personal chef to prepare dinner at the pool area, which was designed to look like a luxury sailing boat. But Cruise turned up four hours late and decided he wasnt hungry, which infuriated David.

The pair restored their bonds, however, and the younger Miscavige was best man at two of Cruises weddings  to Nicole Kidman, and Katie Holmes. Cruise remains a devotee, although following a series of high-profile and widely-mocked defences of the church, he now keeps his faith quiet.

And, despite the book is being kept under lock and key until Tuesday, lawyers for the church have lashed out at what they say are the books allegations.

They categorically deny that David Miscavige has an erratic and abusive management style, and that he seized power on the death of L. Ron Hubbard, in 1986, by outmaneuvering his rivals.

They say it is not true that rebellious members of the church are put in the Hole and subject to violence and depravity, and they deny that Gold Base  the Scientology headquarters 100 miles out of Los Angeles, where David Miscavige and other senior church figures live  is surrounded by a spiked fence pointing inwards.

They also deny that David Miscavige hired private detectives to follow his father after he left the California site.

In 2013, two private investigators gave taped confessions to the police that the church leader had paid them $10,000 a week to watch his father. When they saw Ron Miscavige stumble and clutch at his heart, they allegedly rang their handlers in a panic. David Miscavige telephoned them back immediately, and reportedly told them: If he dies, he dies.

Ron Miscavige initially wanted that to be the title of his book.

"I dont think they have actually even seen the book yet, said Mr Hunter. I certainly havent given them a copy, and neither have the US publishers. So its funny that they are already making these generic complaints.

In a statement the church said: Ronald Miscavige is seeking to make money on the name of his famous son. David Miscavige has taken care of his father throughout his life, both financially and by helping him in even the most dire circumstances.

Mr Hunter said that Mr Miscavige was motivated to write the book by the deep sadness he felt at losing his family. A father of four, three of his children are devoted Scientologists and only his elder son, also named Ron, has left the church.

It means a great deal to him, said Mr Hunter. His family  his son and two daughters  wont speak to him. Hes not a young man, and they are the closest relatives he has.

Tony Ortega, a leading expert on Scientology, said that the book was likely to hit the church hard because Mr Miscavige was a dearly-loved figure in the organisation.

Rons book is dangerous, because he was very popular, he said. And I think its going to be hard to ignore.

Scientology has been in crisis for years. More and more people are leaving, because David is just so ruthless.

All the people close to him say that David sees enemies everywhere. I suppose this book will just prove to him that there are snakes at every turn.

Ron Miscavige knows that he is putting himself firmly in the churchs crosshairs, and expects to be attacked by the loyalists. He accepts that the church will drudge up a 1985 accusation of attempted rape, which was later dropped for lack of evidence. He also accepts that they will retell how Mr Miscavige used to hit his then-wife Loretta, who he divorced in 1990. She died in 2005.

We didnt have a great marriage at all, he told ABC News, in an interview on Friday night to promote the book. We had strife, and there was some domestic abuse, which I dont feel good about, and I dont think you can make excuses for that, no matter what, or how much time goes by.

The church told the programme that Mr Miscaviges acts of domestic abuse are much more serious and frequent than he admits. The church said the memoir is filled with lies, and Monique Yingling, lawyer for the group, called the book a literary forgery.

And the title of the book, Ruthless, I mean, it couldnt be a falser description of David Miscavige, she said. Hes a very compassionate, kind person.

And as he prepares to publish, Mr Hunter was bracing himself.

It would all be brilliantly entertaining, he said. If it werent so sinister.

Telegraph Media Group Limited [2022]
ISIL ATTACK: Rescue workers help a woman outside the Bataclan theatre in Paris after last Novembers murderous attack by Islamic State terrorists. Photo: Thibault Camus/AP

The US-led bombing campaign against Isil will drive more jihadists to launch terror attacks in the West, a former militant who grew up in the UK has said.

Harry Sarfo joined the so-called Islamic State in Syria and appeared in one of its notorious propaganda execution videos before becoming disillusioned with the scale of brutality he saw and fleeing the group.

Speaking from the German prison where he awaiting trial on terror charges, Sarfo claimed that the use of air strikes by the US-led coalition is inspiring more followers to commit atrocities in places including mainland Europe.

"The bombing campaign gives them more recruits, more men and children who will be willing to give their lives because they've lost their families in the bombing," he said. "For every bomb, there will be someone to bring terror to the West. They know the West is scared to put boots on the ground. Even if that happens one day, they've got plenty of men waiting for Western troops to arrive. For them the promise of paradise is all they want."

Sarfo was born in Germany and moved to London as a teenager, where he went to college and later converted to Islam. He was radicalised back in Germany before joining the "caliphate" in April 2015. He was arrested upon his return to Europe three months later and has now been indicted on charges including being a member of a foreign terrorist group and violating German weapons laws.

German prosecutors say that Sarfo "declared himself prepared to fight in a special unit of the organisation" and was given specialist combat training handling automatic weapons. After leaving the unit in June 2015, he appeared carrying Isil's black flag in a video that called for Germans to join Isil in Syria, or attack "infidels" at home.

In an interview conducted over email via his lawyer, Sarfo says the bloody consequences of Isil' extreme interpretation of Sharia law drove him to turn his back on the terror group.

"I was training in the Islamic State's special force in Syria and around Raqqa, where women are totally covered and members of the Islamic State are armed with weapons such as Kalashnikovs, M-14s and M-16s," he said.

"Shops are closing when the call of prayer starts and open again once prayer is finished. There are checkpoints everywhere with bombardments nearly every day. I witnessed stonings, beheadings, shootings, hands chopped off and many other things. I've seen child soldiers - 13-year-old boys with explosive belts and Kalashnikovs. Some boys even driving cars and involved in executions.

"My worst memory is of the execution of six men shot in the head by Kalashnikovs. The chopping off of a man's hand and making him hold it with the other hand.

"Isil is not just un-Islamic, it is inhuman. A blood-related brother killed his own brother on suspicion of being a spy. They gave him the order to kill him. It is friends killing friends."

After an upbringing marked by poverty, displacement and crime that eventually landed him in prison with a known jihadist recruiter, Sarfo recalled the image of "people from all parts of the world reunited under one flag" as the key attraction to the group.

During his time in Raqqa, Sarfo described overhearing many discussions about attacks in Europe, saying he and other foreign jihadists were asked whether they would be prepared to carry out atrocities in the UK, Germany and "Dar al-Kufr" - the land of disbelievers. He insisted he declined, but it appears that many of his fellow Europeans had no such reservations.

Just months after he was questioned by recruiters in April, a group of militants exploited the refugee crisis to re-enter Europe and prepare for the massacres that would kill 130 people in Paris.

Ringleader Abdelhamid Abaaoud told a friend he was among 90 Isil terrorists who returned to the continent and gone to ground in preparation for further atrocities, possibly including the bombings that left more than 30 people dead in Belgium last month.

Europol estimates that up to 5,000 jihadists could be in Europe after returning from terrorist training camps and the agency's director has warned the continent faces its "biggest terror threat in more than a decade".

Sarfo moved from his hometown of Bremen to London as a teenager and went on to attend three colleges in the British capital, converting to Islam at the age of 20 after being introduced to the religion by friends and becoming a speaker to local "Muslim youth" himself.

After studying for courses in English, construction and housing, and gaining part time work at Royal Mail and Wickes, his time in the UK was cut short when he was forced to return to Germany to serve a prison sentence for a 2010 robbery.

In jail, he found himself in close quarters with a known jihadi recruiter linked with al-Qaeda, who taught him the "ideology of tajweed and jihad" before he joined a since-closed radical mosque in Bremen upon his release.

A failed attempt to travel to Syria on a supposed charity mission resulted in repeated arrests and Sarfo blames police treatment for his eventual decision to join Isil in early April 2015.

He said security measures that saw him forced to hand over his passport and ordered him to report to a police station twice a week as his home was repeatedly raided drove him into the hands of a jihadist recruiter. "I wanted to start a new life for me and my wife," he said.

"The police and the authorities destroyed it. They made me become the man they wanted."

Charlie Winter, a terrorism analyst, said blaming security services has become a "standard refrain" in the current discourse on extremism, especially "from individuals who are trying to blame others for the choices they have made".

Mr Winter, a senior research associate and terrorism analyst at Georgia State University, said that although police treatment and alienation may have compounded existing grievances, it alone would not cause someone to embrace Isil ideology.

"It's clear that Sarfo possibly had a terrible time," he said. "A troubled person, petty crime, prison, a charismatic radical teacher - that's a pattern that's being repeated time and time against, and it's not very surprising."

Isil has citied air strikes against its strongholds as the motivation for the attacks in Brussels and Paris, as well as the downing of a Russian passenger plane in Egypt.
Alexander Prokhorenko died after ordering an air strike on himself in Palmyra on 17 March 2016, Russian defence officials said

The body of a Russian special forces officer who ordered an air strike on himself after becoming surrounded by Isis militants in Syria has been returned home.

Senior Lieutenant Alexander Prokhorenko, 25, died last month during battles by regime forces and supporters to re-take the city of Palmyra.

Vladimir Putin awarded him the title of Hero of the Russian Federation and the Kremilin co-ordinated with Kurdish forces to recover and repatriate his body.

It arrived back in Moscow on Friday, the Russian defence ministry said.

Following special joint steps taken with the participation of representatives of the Syrian authorities and the Kurdish militia, the officers body has been delivered to Moscow, a spokesperson told Tass news agency.

Returning the body of Hero of the Russian Federationwas a matter of honour for the Russian Defence Ministry.

Lt Prokhorenkos funeral will be held on 6 May in the village of Gorodki, in Russias Orenburg region.

The 25-year-old had been tasked with guiding Russian air strikes on Isis targets during the advance on Palmyra, also known as Tadmur, by Bashar al-Assads forces last month.

Lt Prokhorenko was hailed as a national hero after he reportedly ordered Russian planes to target his position when it became surrounded by militants on 17 March.

The so-called Islamic State was driven out of the city 10 days later.

The Russian President posthumously awarded Lt Prokhorenko the title of Hero of the Russian Federation for courage and heroism in the performance of his military duties earlier this month.

Palmyra, famed for its ancient ruins, had been overrun by Isis in May last year and became a backdrop for a series of gruesome execution videos.

Russian special forces have been on the ground in Syria since Mr Putin launched an intervention in support of the Syrian regime last September.

Colonel General Aleksandr Dvornikov said they conduct ground reconnaissance for air strikes in remote area, as well as other unspecified tasks.

At least eight Russian servicemen are believed to have died so far in Syria, including two pilots whose helicopter crashed earlier this month, the pilot of a fighter jet shot down by Turkey and a marine killed by rebels during a mission to rescue him.

Two others were killed in mortar attacks and bombardment, while a 19-year-old soldier died in disputed circumstances at his air base in Latakia.

The United Nations and humanitarian organisations have raised concern about the death of civilians and opposition fighters in Russian air strikes, but the Kremlin insists it has been targeting Isis and terrorists
The 2016 presidential campaign rumbled into Indiana on Sunday focused on Tuesday's critical primary, even as front-runners Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump itched to fully engage in the one-on-one battle they cast as inevitable.

But the underdogs in both parties made clear they had no plans to exit the race, at least until the Indiana results come in - and perhaps longer.

"We're going the distance," Trump rival Ted Cruz said on ABC's This Week, arguing that Mr Trump will not be able to get the majority of delegates required to clinch the nomination. "We're going into Cleveland, and it will be a contested convention."

On the Democratic side, Bernie Sanders insisted that his path to the nomination depends on the unlikely prospect of flipping superdelegates who are now committed to Mrs Clinton.

Superdelegates can vote for either candidate. The former secretary of state is still 91% of the way to the nomination, according to The Associated Press. She is 218 delegates away from winning the 2,383 need to clinch the nomination.

"We have an uphill climb, no question about it," he said, before hopping a plane to Indiana to continue the contest.

And so the stalemate between the front-runners and their struggling rivals continued.

The frustration was dramatic on the Republican side.

Campaigning in Terre Haute, Indiana, Mr Trump again reiterated that he believes the Republican race is over, something he has been saying for days even though he has not secured the 1,237 delegates required to win the nomination.

He groused that Mr Cruz and Ohio governor John Kasich should still get out because they are forcing him into "wasting time" that he could otherwise spend raising "money for the Senate races".

That overt offer of fundraising is new for Mr Trump, incentive for Republican leaders to help push Mr Cruz and Mr Kasich out of the race.

Senior adviser Paul Manafort further telegraphed the message Sunday on CBS' Face the Nation, saying that Mr Trump is looking to strengthen ties to "leaders of the Republican Party and various committees to help raise money for them".

Mrs Clinton, in Indianapolis, did not bother mentioning Mr Sanders' name. Instead, she criticised Mr Trump for embracing economic policies that have left everyday workers behind. And she took aim at both Mr Trump and Mr Cruz for wanting to "slash taxes on the wealthy" and for using "dangerous" rhetoric about Muslims.

Mr Cruz was not surrendering to the delegate maths, even after a tough week in which former house speaker John Boehner called him "Lucifer in the flesh" and "a miserable son of a bitch".

Mr Cruz pointed out on several political talk shows that Indiana governor Mike Pence and former California governor Pete Wilson have endorsed him and that Mr Trump cannot get a majority of Republicans to back him.

The Cruz campaign has put an emphasis on Indiana and a loss here could be perceived as crippling to his campaign, which is perhaps why the candidate himself has shifted to talking about competing in next month's California primary and beyond.

Mr Trump dominated the talk show conversation on Sunday. On ABC, the first question posed to former CIA director and defence secretary Robert Gates was about what a Trump candidacy would mean for the nation's national security.

"I think based on the speech, you'd have somebody who doesn't understand the difference between a business negotiation and a negotiation with sovereign powers," Mr Gates, who has worked for both Republican and Democratic presidents, replied.

"He doesn't understand that there's a give-and-take in international relations that is different than in the business community."

On CBS, Senator Lindsey Graham, who has endorsed Mr Cruz even though he has said he loathes the Texas senator, said Mr Trump's foreign policy amounts to "isolationism. It will lead to another 9/11".

Mr Graham added on CBS: "Hillary Clinton is an incredibly flawed candidate, but she will mop the floor with Donald Trump."

Meanwhile, Mr Sanders was facing a new round of questions about why he was even still running.

"It's difficult, it's not impossible," Mr Sanders said on CBS's Face The Nation of his increasingly bleak challenge to Mrs Clinton.
Security officers and firefighters moments after an explosion outside the police headquarters in Gaziantep, Turkey (Depo Photos/AP)

A car bomb struck the entrance of a Turkish police station on Sunday, killing two policeman and wounding 22 other people, officials said.

Four civilians were among those injured in the blast at Gaziantep, according to the governor of the province Ali Yerlikaya.

The blast shattered the windows of nearby buildings.

The police station is close to offices for the governor and mayor. Gaziantep is also home to the offices of international aid organisations focused on the conflict in neighbouring Syria.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack. Turkey has suffered multiple bombings in recent months linked either to Kurdish militants or the Islamic State group.

May 1 International Labor Day demonstrations in Gaziantep were cancelled for security reasons, the private Dogan news agency reported.

Speaking in Ankara, the Turkish capital, Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu expressed his condolences and wished a speedy recovery to those wounded in "the heinous terrorist attack".

Police in Ankara, meanwhile, carried out anti-terror operations overnight and detained four suspected IS members allegedly planning to attack May Day demonstrators, the Anadolu Agency reported.

In Istanbul, police imposed tight security measures and used water cannons and tear gas on May Day demonstrators who sought to rally in non-designated areas.

In a separate incident on Sunday, four people were wounded after two rockets hit a car park and a house garden in Kilis, another town near the Syrian border, the Anadolu Agency reported. It said the Turkish military retaliated by firing at IS targets across the border in Syria, killing nine militants. I
The Reverend Daniel Berrigan, a Roman Catholic priest and peace activist who was imprisoned for burning draft files in a protest against the Vietnam war, has died. He was 94.

Berrigan died at Murray-Weigel Hall, a Jesuit healthcare community in New York after a "long illness", according to Michael Benigno, a spokesman for the Jesuits USA Northeast Province.

"He died peacefully," Mr Benigno said.

Berrigan and his younger brother, the Reverend Philip Berrigan, emerged as leaders of the radical anti-war movement in the 1960s.

The Berrigan brothers entered a draft board in Catonsville, Maryland, on May 17 1968, with eight other activists and removed records of young men about to be shipped off to Vietnam. The group took the files outside and burned them in rubbish bins.

The Catonsville Nine, as they came to be known, were convicted on federal charges accusing them of destroying US property and interfering with the Selective Service Act of 1967. All were sentenced on November 9 1968 to prison terms ranging from two to three-and-a-half years.

When asked in 2009 by America, a national Catholic magazine, whether he had any regrets, Berrigan replied: "I could have done sooner the things I did, like Catonsville."

Berrigan, a writer and poet, wrote about the courtroom experience in 1970 in a one-act play, "The Trial of the Catonsville Nine," which was later made into a movie.

Berrigan grew up in Syracuse, New York, with his parents and five brothers. He joined the Jesuit order after high school and taught preparatory school in New Jersey before being ordained a priest in 1952.

As a seminarian, Berrigan wrote poetry. His work captured the attention of an editor at Macmillan who referred the material to poet Marianne Moore. Her endorsement led to the publication of Berrigan's first book of poetry, Time Without Number, which won the Lamont Poetry Prize in 1957.

Berrigan credited Dorothy Day, founder of The Catholic Worker newspaper, with introducing him to the pacifist movement and influencing his thinking about war.

Much later, while visiting Paris in 1963 on a teaching sabbatical from LeMoyne College, Berrigan met French Jesuits who spoke of the dire situation in Indochina. Soon after that, he and his brother founded the Catholic Peace Fellowship, which helped organise protests against US involvement in Vietnam.

Berrigan travelled to North Vietnam in 1968 and returned with three American prisoners of war who were being released as a goodwill gesture. He said that while there, he witnessed some of the destruction and suffering caused by the war.

Berrigan was teaching at Cornell University when his brother asked him to join a group of activists for the Catonsville demonstration. Philip Berrigan was at the time awaiting sentencing for a 1967 protest in Baltimore during which demonstrators poured blood on draft records.

"I was blown away by the courage and effrontery, really, of my brother," Berrigan recalled in a 2006 interview on the Democracy Now radio programme.

After the Catonsville case had been unsuccessfully appealed, the Berrigan brothers and three of their co-defendants went underground. Philip Berrigan turned himself in to authorities in April 1969 at a Manhattan church. The FBI arrested Daniel Berrigan four months later at the Rhode Island home of theologian William Stringfellow.

Berrigan said in an interview that he became a fugitive to draw more attention to the anti-war movement.

The Berrigan brothers were sent to the federal prison in Danbury, Connecticut. Daniel Berrigan was released in 1972 after serving about two years. His brother served about two-and-a-half years.

The Berrigan brothers continued to be active in the peace movement long after Catonsville. Together, they began the Plowshares Movement, an anti-nuclear weapons campaign in 1980. Both were arrested that year after entering a General Electric nuclear missile facility in King of Prussia, Pennsylvania, and damaging nuclear warhead nose cones.

Philip Berrigan died of cancer on December 6 2002 at the age of 79.

Daniel Berrigan moved into a Jesuit residence in Manhattan in 1975.

In an interview with The Nation magazine on the 40th anniversary of the Catonsville demonstration, Berrigan lamented that the activism of the 1960s and early 1970s evaporated with the passage of time.

"The short fuse of the American left is typical of the highs and lows of American emotional life," he said. "It is very rare to sustain a movement in recognizable form without a spiritual base."

Berrigan's writings include Prison Poems, published in 1973; We Die Before We Live: Talking With The Very Ill, a 1980 book based on his experiences working in a cancer ward; and his autobiography, "To Dwell In Peace," published in 1987.
Elections in Anderson County: How to vote early and what to know

What to know about the 2022 general election and voting in South Carolina, which has passed new legislation to create a period for early voting.
Federal Bank , major commercial bank, reported standalone net profit of Rs.10.26 crore for the quarter ended March 31, 2016, registering decline of 96.34% yoy and 93.69% qoq. It's Net Interest Income (NII) for the quarter stood at Rs. 685.94 crore, clocking growth of 10.06% yoy and 13.34% qoq. Federal Bank , major commercial bank, reported standalone net profit of Rs.10.26 crore for the quarter ended March 31, 2016, registering decline of 96.34% yoy and 93.69% qoq. It's Net Interest Income (NII) for the quarter stood at Rs. 685.94 crore, clocking growth of 10.06% yoy and 13.34% qoq.

Gross non-performing assets (GNPA) for the quarter stood at 2.84% up 80 yoy, but down 31 qoq. Provisions at Rs.388.64crore were higher 876.97% yoy and 417.43% qoq.



For the year ended March 31, 2016, the bank reported net profit of Rs. 475.65 crore, witnessing decline of 52.71% yoy. It's NII for the current period of Rs. 2,504.24 crore was up 5.2% yoy.



Provisions during the period at Rs. 704.13 crore were higher by 559.61% yoy.

Gross non-performing assets (GNPA) for the quarter stood at 2.84% up 80 yoy, but down 31 qoq. Provisions at Rs.388.64crore were higher 876.97% yoy and 417.43% qoq.For the year ended March 31, 2016, the bank reported net profit of Rs. 475.65 crore, witnessing decline of 52.71% yoy. It's NII for the current period of Rs. 2,504.24 crore was up 5.2% yoy.Provisions during the period at Rs. 704.13 crore were higher by 559.61% yoy.

Result Highlights: (Rs. in crore)

Reported Results IIFL Estimates Variance (%) Standalone Revenue 685.94 606 13.19 Standalone Net Profit 10.26 291 [96.47]



Standalone EPS for the quarter stood at Rs. 0.06.



Bloomberg estimated the companys standalone net profit at Rs. 1,886.86 crore.



Corporate Action :



Federal Bank has informed BSE that the Board of Directors of the Bank have recommended a dividend of 35% i.e. Rs. 0.70/- per Equity Share on face value of Rs. 2/- each for the year 2015-16 (previous year 110% i.e Rs. 2.20 per Equity Share) subject to the approval of the members at the ensuing Annual General Meeting.



Stock Commentary:



Federal Bank Ltd ended at Rs. 45.95, down by 0.45 points or 0.97% from its previous closing of Rs. 46.4 on the BSE.



The scrip opened at Rs. 46.5 and touched a high and low of Rs. 47.1 and Rs. 44.55 respectively. A total of 9609221(NSE+BSE) shares were traded on the counter. The current market cap of the company is Rs. 7899.15 crore.



The BSE group 'A' stock of face value Rs. 2 touched a 52 week high of Rs. 79.73 on 03-Jul-2015 and a 52 week low of Rs. 41.35 on 12-Feb-2016. Last one week high and low of the scrip stood at Rs. 49.25 and Rs. 44.55 respectively.



The promoters holding in the company stood at 0 % while Institutions and Non-Institutions held 41.51 % and 56.86 % respectively.



The stock traded above its 200 DMA.






ICICI Bank, India's largest private sector bank, reported standalone net profit of Rs.701.89 crore for the quarter ended March 31, 2016, registering decline of 75.98% yoy and 76.74% qoq. It's Net Interest Income (NII) for the quarter stood at Rs. 5,404.51 crore, clocking growth of 6.4% yoy, but declining 0.89% qoq ICICI Bank, India's largest private sector bank, reported standalone net profit of Rs.701.89 crore for the quarter ended March 31, 2016, registering decline of 75.98% yoy and 76.74% qoq. It's Net Interest Income (NII) for the quarter stood at Rs. 5,404.51 crore, clocking growth of 6.4% yoy, but declining 0.89% qoq



Gross non-performing assets (GNPA) for the quarter stood at 5.82% up 204 yoy and 110 qoq. Provisions at Rs.3,326.21crore were higher 147.35% yoy and 16.95% qoq.



For the year ended March 31, 2016, the bank reported net profit of Rs. 9,726.29 crore, witnessing decline of 12.97% yoy. It's NII for the current period of Rs. 21,224.04 crore was up 11.47% yoy.



Provisions during the period at Rs. 8,067.81 crore were higher by 106.87% yoy.

ICICI Bank -Credit stress to stay:

The banks bottom-line was a big miss as compared to IIFL estimates. The banks provisioning for NPAs more-than-doubled to Rs 3,326 crore. In view of the Reserve Bank's asset quality review (AQR) directive, the country's largest private sector lender set aside Rs 3,600 crore as reserves for any potential shocks in the future.



ICICI Banks domestic credit growth moderated sharply to 16% yoy from 20% yoy in the preceding quarter. This was mainly caused by 4.5% qoq contraction in corporate portfolio, whose share declined to multiyear low of 35%. In order to strengthen the lending franchise, the bank has been focusing on selective highrated lending opportunities in this segment. Growth traction in retail segment (59% of banks domestic credit) continued to be robust at 23% yoy; within it, growth was resilient in home loans (up 23% yoy; 54% of this book) and vehicle loans (up 19% yoy; 17% of portfolio) and traction remained robust in credit cards/PL (up 44% yoy; 7.7% of portfolio).

Deposit growth was strong at 17% yoy with CASA deposits growing slightly ahead. Sustained strong traction in savings deposits was impressive and the SA ratio stood at a historic high of 32%. It has improved by 200bps in the preceding 24 months thus enhancing the liability franchise of the bank.

Result Highlights: (Rs. in crore)

Reported Results IIFL Estimates Variance (%) Standalone Revenue 5404.51 5726 [5.61] Standalone Net Profit 701.89 2315 [69.68]

Standalone EPS for the quarter stood at Rs. 1.21.Bloomberg estimated the companys standalone net profit at Rs. 31,880.57 crore.ICICI Bank Ltd ended at Rs. 236.6, down by 3.55 points or 1.48% from its previous closing of Rs. 240.15 on the BSE.The scrip opened at Rs. 240.1 and touched a high and low of Rs. 244 and Rs. 231.4 respectively. A total of 70485363(NSE+BSE) shares were traded on the counter. The current market cap of the company is Rs. 137586.31 crore.The BSE group 'A' stock of face value Rs. 2 touched a 52 week high of Rs. 337.35 on 06-May-2015 and a 52 week low of Rs. 180.8 on 26-Feb-2016. Last one week high and low of the scrip stood at Rs. 255.3 and Rs. 231.4 respectively.The promoters holding in the company stood at 0 % while Institutions and Non-Institutions held 65.43 % and 9.36 % respectively.The stock traded below its 200 DMA.
Stating that the country has experienced two successive years of poor rains, Union Agriculture & Farmers Welfare Minister, Radha Mohan Singh has said that immediately after the IMDs monsoon forecasts in April, 2015 recognizing the gravity of the situation, Government of India, in collaboration with State Governments, responded rapidly with a multi-pronged approach to mitigate the effects of the drought. The Minister has outlines various measures taken by the Government here today. These include among others,

The Central Research Institute for Dryland Agriculture (CRIDA), in collaboration with the State Agricultural Universities, prepared a Contingency Plan for 600 Districts to implement location specific interventions to sustain agriculture production. Weekly video conferences with State Governments to discuss rainfall patterns, supply of seeds, the impact of drought and other related issues were held. Weekly meetings of the Crop Weather Watch Group were also held. Adequate quantities of drought resistant seeds and seeds of low water intensive crops were made available.

The States took various measures like in-situ soil and moisture conservation, micro-irrigation and ground water re-charge. These steps ensured that in spite of two successive droughts, the overall agriculture production has not dipped and food stocks are adequate.

Drinking Water

There are 1.71 million rural habitations in the country. More than 25% of these habitations (441,390) are facing drinking water scarcity.

To address the situation the Governments have taken the following measures:

Repair/restoration of 738,650 hand pumps;

Addition of 1,076,961 meters of riser pipe to boreholes in order to access deeper groundwater reserves;

Establishment of 1,398 temporary piped water supply schemes;

Water trucking through tankers to 15,345 habitations ;

Hiring of 13,372 private bore wells to augment water supply; and

Commissioning of 44,498 new bore wells

The government has released Rs. 819.67 Crore under ARDWP to the States as the first installment for 2016/17. Further, the States have also been requested to utilise the Flexi Fund under the programme to mitigate scarcity of drinking water in drought affected districts.

The Government is closely monitoring the situation on a daily basis.

Food

The National Food Security Act (NFSA) is already implemented in all the drought affected States. Continuous persuasion with the States resulted in the number of States/UTs under NFSA increasing from 11 to 33 in the past year. At present all beneficiaries in drought affected States - are receiving food grains under NFSA at NFSA prescribed rates. Additional allocation of food grains has been made to Maharashtra and Karnataka States on their request.

The Mid Day Meal Scheme provides for serving of mid-day meals to eligible school children during summer vacations in areas declared to be drought affected by the State Government. The majority of the drought affected states have obtained financial approvals to serve mid-day meals during summer vacations in their drought affected districts/areas.

 Assistance to distressed Farmers

The Government enhanced the quantum of input subsidy (relief assistance to farmers) provided under SDRF/NDRF by 50% in April 2015. Further, the norms for assistance were also made more farmer-friendly by setting the threshold for assistance at a crop loss of 33% or above rather than the earlier threshold of 50%. Under NDRF, Rs. 10,275 Crore has been released to States, the highest assistance ever provided.

The Reserve Bank of India amended the criteria of crop loss from 50% to 33% in the guidelines for relief measures by Banks in areas affected by natural calamities All the State Governments were advised to take necessary steps, in coordination with Banks and District Level Coordination Committees (DLCC) to implement the amended guidelines so that relief is extended to farmers. Loans worth more than Rs. 15000 crore have already been restructured.

Insurance companies were proactively persuaded to make timely payment of insurance claims. Claims to the excess of Rs.13,000 crore have either been paid or are being settled expeditiously. This is more than double the amount paid out last year. States have also been requested to send the claims for the Rabi season urgently.

The Government of India has rolled out a new Crop Insurance Scheme called the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojna from Kharif 2016. The scheme has the lowest ever premium for the Farmer-1.5% for Rabi and 2% for Kharif. It has also enabled insurance cover to be provided for various risks that have hitherto been uninsurable. The scheme aims to increase the insurance coverage from 23% to 50% of the cropped area.

 Employment

The Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee has been strengthened as a concerted response to tackle agrarian distress and to meet the demand for work in drought affected areas, creating durable, income generating assets in the process. In the year 2015-16, States were asked to provide employment where needed, particularly in drought affected areas, with the assurance that the Government of India would make the required resources available.

In response to this, 13 States generated person days beyond their estimated labour budgets for the Financial Year 2015-2016. The financial commitments made to these states have been honoured. The programme achieved the following mile-stones:

i. 235 Crore person days have been generated in the last FY (49 days per household), which is highest in the last five years;

ii. The expenditure of Rs. 42,253.75 Crore in FY 2015-16 is the highest ever since the inception of the programme.

iii. More than 63% of the total expenditure was on agriculture and related works with a focus on Natural Resource Management (NRM) and water conservation.

The entitlement has been expanded from 100 to 150 days of work to households in drought affected regions. More than 20 Lakh households in these regions have availed this opportunity and exceeded 100 days of work.

In 2015-16, Rs. 33,000 Crore was initially allocated under MNREGA. This year, the initial allocation is Rs.38,500 Crore, and this will be further augmented based on demand from the States. On the 7th of April 2016, the Ministry directed all States to maintain the tempo of work from April to June, especially in drought affected regions. The Government is fully committed to ensure that the necessary resources are made available to meet the demand for work.

Livelihoods

Livelihood diversification is an essential part of the drought response strategy. Every block in the drought affected areas is being targeted for intensive work under the Deen Dayal Antyodaya Mission. This involves risk mitigation through the development of multiple livelihoods and by formation and support of self-help groups.

At least eighteen lakh young people from households who have completed 100 days of employment in any of the last two years will undergo skills training through Project LIFE (Livelihoods in full Employment).

Water Security and Drought Proofing

Under the Integrated Watershed Management Programme (IWMP), a series of activities have been undertaken to develop rainfed/degraded areas and wastelands. An amount of Rs. 1,064.23 Crore was released to drought affected States during 2015-16 for watershed related activities.

The Government has also undertaken pre-monsoon preparedness by advising the affected States on a series of short and medium term measures to conserve water received during the monsoon period and to better manage the demand for existing water resources.

In addition to these national actions, States have created district level plans which address local issues of availability of drinking water and fodder as well as the establishment of cattle camps and provision of food for those in need. For example, the State of Maharashtra has launched the Jalyukt Shivar Abhiyan in which village level plans have been prepared to renovate and rejuvenate water bodies to improve water security.
Government of Indias National LED programme - Unnat Jyoti by Affordable LEDs for All (UJALA) was launched today in Madhya Pradesh by Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh Shivraj Singh Chouhan and Union Minister for State (IC) for Power, Coal and Renewable Energy Shri Piyush Goyal, at a function held in Bhopal. The scheme is being implemented by Energy Efficiency Services Limited (EESL), a joint venture of PSUs under the Ministry of Power.

While addressing the gathering , Goyal said that with the launching of UJALA scheme in Madhya Pradesh today , energy revolution has begun and will transform the State. In the State, 3 crore LED Bulbs will be distributed in the next 6 months under the Scheme . People of Madhya Pradesh will get energy efficient 9W LED bulbs at an upfront payment of just Rs. 85 per LED bulb, Shri Goyal added. The Minister further stated that within just one year , 9 crore bulbs have been distributed under UJALA Scheme, which helped consumers to save Rs 5500 crore every year. UJALA will not only help reduce consumers their electricity bills but also contribute to the energy security of India. The UJALA scheme is being monitored in a transparent manner through a national dashboard (www.delp.in).

In his address, Shri Chouhan hoped that UJALA scheme will bring UJALA in the lives of everyone. He said that usage of LED bulbs will not only results in reducing electricity bills but also help in environment protection

The distribution of LED bulbs will happen through DISCOM offices, DISCOM bill collection centres, designated EESL kiosks, Weekly haat markets, etc. Consumers can buy these affordable LEDs by presenting any identity card. These bulbs come with a three year free replacement warranty in case of any technical defects. The luminosity of the 9W LED bulbs to be distributed in MP is of 900 lumens, which is the highest in the country. Each 9W LED bulb gives the same luminosity as compared to a 100W incandescent lamp, while consuming less than one tenth of power.

The function was graced by several ministers and MLAs of the MP government.

UJALA : Status Update :

As of now, EESL has distributed over 10 crore LED bulbs under UJALA programme and this has led to significant savings to the country and consumers who are using these bulbs.

Under Indias commitment to achieving 30-35% reduced carbon emissions, the country has recognized energy efficiency as a key mitigation strategy. Therefore, the government is committed to executing schemes like UJALA. State governments are voluntarily adopting this scheme and the scheme is already present in over 13 states. EESL would be starting distribution in more states within a month.

The UJALA scheme has played a significant role in creating awareness about energy efficient lighting. In 2014-15, the total number of LED bulbs that were distributed was mere 30 lakhs. The number of LED bulbs distributed in 2015-16 has crossed 15 crore, where 9 crore LED bulbs were distributed under UJALA and the remaining were contributed by the industry. For this year, the Government of India is confident of distributing an additional 20 crore LED bulbs. Sustained efforts under UJALA, coupled with industry support, will help the government achieve its objective of replacing 77 crore inefficient bulbs by March 2019.

Efficient domestic lighting is one of the largest contributors to energy savings globally and the distribution of 10 crore LED bulbs in India has led to savings of over 1,298 crore kWh annually. This number has also helped the country avoid capacity of about 2,600 MW. Most importantly, the country has benefitted from reduction of CO2 emission by over 1 crore tonnes annually.

LED bulbs consume half the energy as that of CFLs and one tenth as that of incandescent bulbs. UJALA is the largest non-subsidised LED programme in the world. The programme has led to significant savings to the consumers who are using these bulbs.
Sharada Dawar, a bhil tribal girl, was born visually impaired. But that did not stop her from working hard to achieve her goals.

Facebook

On Monday, Sharada, 24, went to meet the district collector of Alirajpur in Madhya Pradesh so she could return Rs 10,000 he had given her a few months ago to help her finish her studies.

Hard work and consistency landed Sharada a job as a probationary officer in the Bank of India. And, this daughter of a farmer residing in a village near Indore has made the country proud.

I returned the money to the collector because I got selected and thought the money could be used by the collector to help any needy for his/her studies, said Sharada.

Sharada had asked for collectors help when she was doing her graduation, and he had immediately handed her a demand draft of Rs 10,000.

Sharadas inspiring story has touched the heart of many and has been doing the rounds on social media.

The extremely proud collector added, she is now an example amongst the tribals of Jobat. I salute her self-respect.

Sharada, on the other hand, has been receiving congratulatory messages.

Many people from various places called me and congratulated me for my self-respect and success. Some senior officers of the administration and education department came to village to meet me and said that they will honour me, she said.

In fact, the proud residents of Jobat are planning to honour Sharada for her achievement.

In the next few days, we will organise a ceremony for Sharada, said Rajesh Bhil, a resident of Jobat and tribal leader.

Sharada and her achievements are an example for the entire country, even more, because she comes from Alirajpur, a place in India with one of the lowest literacy rates.

But she only proves, that nothing is impossible.
A patient who has earlier donated a kidney or is a close relative of a person whose organ was donated after death will get preference in allocation of deceased donor kidneys, according to new guidelines issued by the government.

The new policy aims to incentivise organ donation in India.

happykidney.blogspot.com

Director General of health services Dr Jagdish Prasad told TOI the new policy aims to incentivise organ donations.

As per the new norms, allocation of deceased donor kidneys will be based on points. A prospective recipient will get one point for each month on dialysis, and three points for each previous graft failure.

Recipients up to 18 years of age will get one to three points. But the maximum weightage, five points, is reserved for previous donors who themselves require a kidney transplant and for relatives of people who donated the organ in death. These points would be over and above other criteria.

Extra points have also been added for failed connectivity between the arteries and veins, which basically makes it difficult to conduct dialysis on certain patients. Similarly, patients with high panel reactive antibody, which is reflective of declining immunity levels, will get priority points.

Donor information should be listed on driving licenses.

nbcnews.com

Dr Saudan Singh, director of National Organ and Tissue Transplant Organisation, said the government was working on linking the driving licence application system with a pledge to donate organs. We have held meetings W with the ministry of road, transport and highways in this regard. The details on how to make it functional across states is being worked out," he said.

Singh said more than 1.4 lakh people died in road accidents last year. Two-thirds of them were potential cadaver donors. "Linking driving licence applications with organ pledges will help us tap into this source of organs for those who need it," he said.

People above the age of 65 are now eligible for kidney transplants.

slate.com

The new guidelines have also increased the maximum age of a prospective recipient from 65 to 75 years.

Dr S C Tewari, who heads the nephrology division at Fortis hospital, Vasant Kunj said this is needed since people now live longer. "I have many patients older than 65 who underwent kidney transplant and are surviving well even after six to seven years," he said.

Kidneys can be donated by both living and deceased donors. "In case of a living source, the donor is already decided for a specific recipient. For deceased donor source, which is scarcely available in the country, the recipient needs to be selected out of a large recipient pool. The new system will help streamline the utilization apart from promoting the cause of organ donations," Singh said.

According to Dr Harsha Jauhari, advisor to the health ministry on transplant programme, living donors constitute more than 90% of all donors for kidney transplants. "The ministry's move to incentivise cadaver donations will help increase the pool of organs available for such transplants," he said.

There is currently a shortage of 1.94 lakh kidneys every year.

At present, more than two lakh people require kidney transplant every year in India but officials say only about 6,000 are able to undergo the life-saving procedure due to paucity of organs.

The rest either survive on dialysis - which, in simple terms, means cleaning waste products from the kidney - or die without a transplant.
Earlier this week, a young Pakistani woman wrote a candid piece online about her premarital sex life in Islamabad. Alleging that Pakistanis watch more porn privately than any other nation in the world (she didnt quote her sources) while publicly maintaining a facade of piety, she took them to task for being a bunch of sexually repressed hypocrites. She didnt just dole it out, she was pretty forthright about herself. She listed the number of partners shed had (a dozen by the age of 19) and described the location of her trysts (cars, expensive hotel rooms, and once her boyfriends fathers office which had an attached bedroom  your surprise is not unmerited).

timesofindia

But she didnt have a great time because of all the secrecy, lies and subterfuge involved. And the fact that her partners were an unadventurous, boring lot.

She had the gumption to write all this under her own name: Zahra Haider. Miss Haider currently lives in Canada where she is dating non-judgmental, non-Pakistani men and having, by her own account, a fulfilling experience.

Meanwhile in her home country, the proverbial s*** has hit the fan. Her compatriots  most of them men, I must add  have spewed their fury, outrage and disgust in a stream of abusive tweets. Admittedly a few have also maintained that her private life is her own business. I wont go into what some have threatened to do to her but suffice it to say she has been denounced for all manner of sins. Shes a liar. Shes a slut. Shes brought shame to her family.

Shame to her name. Shame to the nation. (Funny how any number of factual reports of child abuse, gang rapes and honour killings dont bring the nation into disrepute but one womans personal views on sex between consenting adults disgrace us all.) No doubt its only a matter of time before Miss Haider is also accused of being a traitor. Obviously shes been put up to it for some vast but undisclosed sum by the enemies of our nation to show us in bad light. Obviously she should promptly pack her bags and shove off to the decadent, immoral West where she so clearly belongs. Were she not already there.

By far the weirdest accusation being hurled at her comes from a fervent supporter of Imran Khans opposition party, PTI. In a truly bizarre stretch of the imagination, this particular rant holds PML-N, the ruling party, responsible for the shame heaped upon the nation by Miss Haiders shocking disclosures. Why? Because she was once the class fellow of Maryam Nawaz, the Prime Ministers daughter. Yes, go figure.

Quite clearly, Miss Haider has become a lightning rod for all sorts of ugly prejudices, insecurities and anxieties. It is worth stressing that what she says in her article is hardly revelatory. We all know that theres plenty of pre- and extra-marital sex around, and has been forever. That we like to deny its existence for reasons of honour or propriety is no secret either. In providing her own evidence, Ms Haider has made clear the disconnect there. All shes asked for, really, is more openness and honesty.

I can see why her demand has discomfited many. Shes asking for a fundamental change in societal attitude, one that goes against millennia of custom and tradition. When that change involves women, men go ballistic. If any evidence were needed simply consider the bitter opposition to the Punjabs protection bill for women. But I suspect Miss Haiders real crime is that shes made so bold as to talk of her love life openly and worse, found her Pakistani lovers wanting.

The depressing fact is that men the world over resent outspoken, confident women. The Guardian newspaper recently ran a survey in Britain investigating online abuse experienced by its writers and discovered that female columnists, particularly non-white female columnists, were subjected to much greater, much nastier trolling than their male counterparts. Had Miss Haiders article been penned by a man, Im convinced it would not have generated half as much controversy as it has. But because shes a woman, and a desi woman at that, she must be put in her place. Misogyny is rampant everywhere but online it is out of control.

Though it pains me to admit it, Im not surprised by the viciousness. For that matter, Ms Haider couldnt have lived in Pakistan for 19 years and not known that. But she wrote it any way. So kudos to her.
Selfie craze turned near-fatal for a Class 10 student in Punjab who sustained serious injuries in the head after a gun he was holding 'accidentally' went off.

India Tops List As Country With 'Most Selfie Deaths In The World'

thehindu

"Ramandeep was clicking selfie with loaded gun at his house when the incident happened," Senior Superintendent of Police, Pathankot, Rakesh Kumar Kaushal said. He said the boy was initially rushed to a private hospital with the bullet in his head but was later referred to Ludhiana.

Kaushal said according to boy's parents, his father had gone out of home leaving behind his licensed gun which the boy took for clicking a selfie. The boy sustained serious injuries after the shot was accidently fired, he said.

Days After Two Drown To Death In A Selfie-Stunt, 15 Sites In Mumbai Declared 'No-Selfie Zone'

The Pathankot police have registered a case of accident. He said the family was in shock now but police would also investigate the entire incident.

Man Tries To Lure Elephant With A Banana To Click Selfie, Gets Whacked By Its Trunk Instead
The burnt remains of birds that could not fly, their nests with eggs and fledglings, and reptiles that were caught unawares in their holes, besides other animals that could not run away in time are all that is left in a four-hectare area of the Soor Sarovar Bird Sanctuary where a fire broke out on Friday, allegedly triggered by sparking from a high-tension wire passing over the protected forest area. The possibility of human carelessness has not been ruled out.

googlemap

Forest officials said that many birds, pythons, mangoose and rabbits that were trapped in the blaze died, though it is not possible to put a figure to it. Most of the deer, wild boar and neelgai, however, may have fled. The sanctuary, around 30 km from Agra, is home to roughly 1500 wild boars, 100 spotted deer, 100 neelgai, 700-800 porcupine. More than 15,000 migratory birds come here during winter months.

Forest fire spreads in 3 km area of Soor Sarovar bird sanctuary on Agra-Mathura border. pic.twitter.com/is7o3Ti27d  Anuja Jaiswal (@anujajTOI) 30 April 2016

The Soor Sarovar Bird Sanctuary, on the Delhi-Agra highway, spans an area of about 700 hectares. It also has the popular Keetham lake spread over 300 hectares. The sanctuary acts as a green buffer between the Mathura oil refinery and the Taj Mahal.

During summer, the Keetham lake becomes the favoured habitat of the comb duck, spot billed duck, lesser whistling teal; a variety of storks  painted, open bill, black-necked, woolly-necked herons  egrets, cormorants and the sarus crane.

agravisiter

It took the forest department and fire brigade more than five hours to douse the flames. According to officials, the fire started in the north-west part of the sanctuary near Keetham lake around 8.45 pm. By 2 am. officials added that there was some delay in battling the flames as fire brigade vehicles found it difficult to negotiate the narrow paths leading to the spot.

Anil Patel, deputy conservator of forest (National Chambal Sanctuary Project), blamed the overhead high-tension wires over the area for the inferno. "We have written several times to the electricity department to shift the cables, but to no avail. In summer, chances of sparks and fire incidents rise manifold," he added.

Sources said more than 12 minor fire incidents have been reported over the past five years. Most of them are suspected to have been set off by high tension wire sparks.

Patel said, "The forest area has suffered a major loss. We have received a confirmed report of a python being burnt in the fire. There were birds' nests and eggs laid in winter season. We are in the process of assessing the extent of damage."

downtoearth

Range officer Awadh Bihari said, "Three teams have been formed and are taking turns to take stock of the situation. As soon as we received the information, forest staff rushed to the spot. Villagers too came and assisted us."With the fire rapidly spreading, authorities became worried that it might pose a threat to the world's largest bear rescue centre, two km from the spot the fire broke out in. At present 217 sloth bears are lodged at the Agra Bear Rescue Facility, being run by Wildlife SOS.
As the country awaits disclosure on Prime Minister Narendra Modi's educational qualifications, Ahmedabad Mirror can reveal that Modi was an above average student and that he secured a first class as a post-graduate student of political science. A request made by Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal to the Information Commissioner Sridhar Acharyulu seeking details of Modi's education has led to much speculation on how Modi had fared in college, but records dug out by this newspaper reveal that he did quite alright, at least till the time he was a student in Gujarat. Kejriwal, who is nearly every day engaged in a skirmish with the Modi-led Union government, has also sought records of Modi's educational performance as a student of Delhi University.

bccl

The Central Information Commission (CIC) on Friday directed Delhi and Gujarat universities to provide information on Modi's educational qualifications. This followed Kejriwal's criticism of the CIC for obstructing critical information on the issue.

Kejriwal's inquiry is now being considered an application under the Right to Information and Acharyulu has directed the Prime Minister's Office to provide all information that has been sought. According to the information available with Gujarat University, Modi was an external student and completed his masters in political science with a score of 62.3 per cent in 1983. His subjects in the two-year course included European Politics, Indian Political Analysis and Psychology of Politics. The university, however, has no information about the prime minister's graduation. Modi completed his prescience from MN Science College, Visnagar.

timesofindia

The college, however, has no records of how Modi fared beyond the fact that he passed pre-science, which is a one-year course equivalent to class XII. Interestingly, while Modi was studying for his pre-science, his close political associate and Chief Minister of Gujarat Anandiben Patel was a second year MSc student of Inorganic Chemistry in the same college. In fact, they shared the same roll number  71. Delhi University and Gujarat University have consistently rejected RTI applications seeking information about Modi's degrees.

While Mirror has no information about how Modi fared as a student of Delhi University, his official web site claims he cleared his BA from DU in 1978. The Prime Minister's Office has consistently refused to furnish details of PM's educational qualifications demanded under RTIs so far. According to Gujarat University Vice-Chancellor M N Patel, Modi scored 237 marks scored 237 out of 400 in first year MA and 262 out of 400 in MA II. His total was 499 out of 800 marks. "The second year marks listed in the records mention that PM scored 64 (out of 100 marks)marks in political science, 62 in European and Social Political Thoughts, 69 in Modern India/ Political Analysis and 67 marks in Concept tool/s  Political Psychological and Social," he said.

The university had earlier refused to share information about Modi's educational qualifications citing two reasons: one, the university's inability to share details of alumni's personal details with a third party; and second that the information being older than 20 years could not be made available under RTI. "However, we shared the MA results with a copy of Modi's mark sheet with the PMO six months ago," Patel said. The prime minister's younger brother Prahalad Modi, who a national vice-president of All India Fair Price Shop Dealers' Federation, said that after completing pre-science from Visnagar college, Modi moved to Ahmedabad. "He used to operate a canteen in at a bus depot and simultaneously enrolled at the Shri Swaminarayan Arts College.

timesofindia

"However, he could not go to college regularly and his education suffered." PM's close friend and also an RSS worker, Mahendra Bhatt, said that even when Modi was pursuing his MA externally, he was disciplined academically. "He ensured he spent specific number of hours for curriculum reading every day. Apart from academics, he also made sure he read other material before going to sleep," said Bhatt. Gujarat Education Minister Bhupendra Sinh Chudasma on Saturday said all requisite records of the prime minister's degrees are available. "If and when any authorised institution seeks the information, we are ready to provide the mark sheets. But so far, no one has approached us," he said. Mirror correspondent saw copy of Modi's MA-II marksheet, but GU authority did not allow the correspondent to click a picture of the same.

bccl

Revealing an interesting coincidence, Principal of M N Science College in Visnagar K M Joshi stated that when Modi studied in Pre-Science in 1967, Chief Minister Anandiben Patel was a student in the same college enrolled in Master of Science course. "She was a second year MSc student of Inorganic Chemistry. Interestingly, while Modi's roll number was 71in Pre-Science, Anandiben's roll number was also 71in MSc class," stated Joshi.
The Nagin Dance. It's something men don't want to talk about, or even remember the awkwardness of. No one knows when it started, but the notion of dudes flailing about like snakes, while other dudes play an imaginary been is the trashy show-starter of weddings. Its the only dance you cant get wrong, even if the video of the drunk you performing it at a wedding, embarrasses you next morning.

Easy and flawlessly cringe inducing - the perfect weapon to embarrass others

Last week, the nagin dance was unleashed by incredibly enthusiastic protesters at a Public Works Department in Buldhana District, Maharashtra. According to media reports, these weren't any ordinary folks, but National Congress Party (NCP) workers who freaked out senior officials with the 'Nagina' OST and corresponding dance moves. They were reportedly protesting delayed road constructions, despite the PWD having received the road contract 4 years ago.

Roads near Chhatrapati Shivaji Market are in poor conditions,despite several complaints PWD didn't tke action: Local pic.twitter.com/plWYOrgUKU  ANI (@ANI_news) April 29, 2016

According to the Times of India, a Google search reveals over 4 lakh results for 'Nagin', many of which might be performances at weddings across Punjab, Haryana, and even Pakistan.

WATCH: Locals do 'Nagin dance' in PWD office in Buldhana (Maharashtra) as a mark of protest against PWD's apathyhttps://t.co/MCRWZI2OhX  ANI (@ANI_news) April 29, 2016

The dance move possibly got a pop culture debut from the Rishi Kapoor-Sridevi film 'Nagina' (1986): of an icchadhari (form-changing) snakewoman.

The Indian Tomb (1959)

The world is divided into two categories of people: those who have seen Debra Paget's divine snake dance and those who haven't. Dressed in nothing but jewel-like conical accessories, rather miraculously glued to her essentials, Hollywood's Ms Paget wiggles in a manner worthy of any Olympian gymnast. The show has over 2.3 million views and undeniably this para will add to the numbers.

Nagin (1954)

Man dole mera tan dole, the original Nagin song which stood at no 2 on Binaca Geet Mala's annual chart, brought the sound of the been to the masses. The truth is that the sound came from a clay violin, used by music director Hemant Kumar on the advice of his assistant Kalyanji (the other of Anandji), who also played it. Classically-trained Vyjayanthimala plays the pining lover seduced by the music.

Bride and Prejudice

A rare hilarious moment in this badly made Amritsari-version of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice is the riotous nagin dance by the incredibly supple Meghna Kothari.

Guide (1966)

Waheeda Rehman's discovery of life and its abandon via a cathartic dance in a snake charmer's colony has a bit of the nagin act too.

Hypnotising Their Human Prey + 9 Other Things Only 'Naagins' Can Do!
Three attackers drove up to a Bangladeshi Hindu tailor's shop on motorcycle, dragged him out and hacked him to death. Islamic State militants took credit for the murder. According to police official Abdul Jalil who spoke to witnesses, attackers fled after killing 50-year-old Nikhil Chandra Joardar outside his shop in Tangail, 80 km (50 miles) northwest of the capital Dhaka.

Islamic State militants later took responsibility, saying that Nikhil had blasphemed Prophet Muhammad, according to US-based monitoring service SITE. This is only days after Bangladeshi gay rights campaigner and his friend were hacked to death in Dhaka.

Attacks On Secular Writers Continue In Bangladesh, 5th Blogger Hacked To Death Since 2015

In the last few years, Islamist militants have targeted atheist bloggers, academics, religious minorities and foreign aid workers. Nikhils death is linked to a complaint against him for making a derogatory comment about Prophet Mohammad in 2012, for which he was jailed for a few weeks. Bangladesh denies an ISIS presence in the country, saying that home-grown militants groups are behind the attacks.

Shocking! American Blogger Avijit Roy Hacked To Death In Bangladesh
As More American Boots Hit the Ground in Syria, U.S. Parses Boots and Ground

By Zaid Jilani and Alex Emmons

May 01, 2016 " Information Clearing House " - " The Intercept " - After President Obama announced on Monday that he would deploy 250 additional special operations troops to Syria, State Department spokesperson John Kirby tried to deny that Obama had ever promised not to send boots on the ground there.

There was never this no boots on the ground, said Kirby. I dont know where this keeps coming from.

The problem for Kirby was that Obama has repeated the promise at least 16 times since 2013:

For instance, on August 30, 2013, Obama said: Were not considering any boots-on-the-ground approach.

On September 10, 2013, he said: Many of you have asked, wont this put us on a slippery slope to another war? One man wrote to me that we are still recovering from our involvement in Iraq. A veteran put it more bluntly: This nation is sick and tired of war. My answer is simple: I will not put American boots on the ground in Syria.

On September 7, 2014, he said: In Syria, the boots on the ground have to be Syrian.

After reporters pointed out the mistake, Kirby tried to walk back his claim by defining the phrase boots on the ground to exclude special forces.

When we talk about boots on the ground, in the context that you have heard people in the administration speak to, we are talking about conventional, large-scale ground troops, said Kirby. Im not disputing the fact that we have troops on the ground, and theyre wearing boots.

The new deployment will result in a six-fold increase to the 50 U.S. special forces troops already in Syria. There are also 4,000 U.S. troops in Iraq. The White House has insisted that its forces do not have a combat mission, and are deployed in an advise and assist capacity only, helping to train local militias that engage ISIS directly.

There is, as Kirby indicated, a distinction between a large-scale ground invasion and, say, a small group of advisers hanging back from the front. But the line between combat and assist missions is not always so clear.

In Iraq, when a U.S. special forces soldier was killed during a raid on an ISIS-held prison, the White House insisted that U.S. forces were only flying helicopters carrying Kurdish commandos, and that it was a unique circumstance. They refused to call the exchange combat, prompting outrage from veterans groups.

A second American soldier was killed in a rocket attack in northern Iraq last month, while guarding a U.S. base near Mosul. The White House called it an enemy action, not combat.

Advise and assist may also include providing targeting intelligence for U.S. airstrikes, according to Dan Grazier, a former Marine in Afghanistan and Iraq who is now a fellow with the Center for Defense Information at the Project on Government Oversight. With a force the size theyre talking about, theyre probably there to help provide fire support, Grazier said.

Some veterans are outraged by the administrations semantics.

It is a grossly silly assertion that American men and women who are participating in the killing and dying in Iraq and Syria, whether it be directly or indirectly, do not count as boots on the ground, said Matthew Hoh, who has served as a Marine and at the Pentagon and State Department. Boots on the ground, he said, is a phrase that serves as a dog whistle to those of us who have actually been to war.

Tyson Manker, a Marine Corps corporal during the invasion of Iraq, argues that the distinction between boots on the ground and special forces is meaningless to soldiers overseas. In a statement emailed to The Intercept, Manker wrote: To Obama, sure its meaningful. For the  Marines on the ground shooting and getting shot at, not so meaningful.

The Obama administration has company in Democratic presidential frontrunner Hillary Clinton. During a Democratic debate in February, Clinton said we will not send American combat troops back to Syria or Iraq. That is off the table. But we do have special forces.
Where are Marx and Lenin When We Need Them?



By Paul Craig Roberts



May 01, 2016 " Information Clearing House " - Marx and Lenin were ahead of their time. Marx wrote before offshoring of jobs and the financialization of the economy. Lenin presided over a communist revolution that jumped the gun by taking place in a country in which feudal elements still predominated over capitalism. In 21st century America capitalism has been unfettered from the regulations that democratized it and made it serve society. Today capitalism is being financialized with the consequence that its productive power is being drained into the service of debt. When I was a young man, an individual with one million dollars was very rich. Anyone with a few millions more was considered richer than rich. Today there are people who have thousands of millions of dollars. Few earned their billions by producing goods and services sold to consumers. The neoliberal economists, who prescribe economic policy not only in the West but also in Russia and China, incorrectly claim that money received is money earned. In fact, how did the Less-Than-One-Percent really get their thousands of millions? They got them through political connections and through purely financial transactions. When the Soviet Union fell apart as a consequence of hardline communists arresting President Gorbachev, well connected individuals in Russia and the Soviet province of Ukraine, especially those well connected to Washington and Israel, ended up with massive holdings that formerly were state properties. In the US billionaires result from bank lending for leveraged takeovers of companies. The takeovers produce riches for the takeover person from curtailing company pensions and using the companys cash to pay off the takeover loan. Often the company and its employees are ruined, but the takeover artist walks away with massive amounts of money. Manipulation of initial public offerings are another source of riches as are securitized derivatives. Classical economists, and Michael Hudson today, define these profits as economic rents, the income from which required no increase in real output to produce. In other words, these billionaire wealth gains are a form of parasitism based on exploitation and not on the production of real output. The gains result from draining income from production into the service of debt. Todays capitalist economies are far more dysfunctional than Marx supposed. For the past two decades Western economies have served no one but the very rich, and the exploited masses have submitted to their exploitation. The Western public may as well be slaves. There is no reason for a person to have thousands of millions of dollars. The money elevates the political power of individuals over the power of the electorate. Indeed, the money becomes the electorate. The money is used to purchase political control, which destroys representative government. Billionaires, such as Sheldon Adelson, George Soros, and the Koch brothers, use their billionaire fortunes to control the US government in their interests. A Republican Supreme Court has made this easier for them. The rise of financial power in Russia and China has created private power centers in those countries that, like the ones in the US, are independent of the governments. These power centers have the potential to capture the governments and to use public offices to further concentrate wealth in few hands. Privatizations in Russia and China will strengthen the independent power of narrow private interests as they have in Europe and the UK. Neoliberal economics guarantees that eventually private money controls the government. Oxfam, an international charity headquartered in Oxford, England, reports that 62 billionaires own half of the wealth in the world. It was Warren Buffett, one of the richest mega-billionaires, who said that his secretarys tax rate was higher than his. If governments do not rectify this, revolution will. But apparently voters wont, at least not in the US. Hillary represents the One Percent, as the

Clintons $153,000,000 in speaking fees attest, but the 99 percent are self-destructing by voting in support of Hillarys ambition to gain the presidency. Apparently, H. L. Mencken was correct, the vast majority of Americans are morons. http://www.marxist.com/sixty-two-billionaires-own-half-the-world.htm Dr. Paul Craig Roberts was Assistant Secretary of the Treasury for Economic Policy and associate editor of the Wall Street Journal. He was columnist for Business Week, Scripps Howard News Service, and Creators Syndicate. He has had many university appointments. His internet columns have attracted a worldwide following. Roberts' latest books are The Failure of Laissez Faire Capitalism and Economic Dissolution of the West , How America Was Lost , and The Neoconservative Threat to World Order .
Civilian Deaths In Syria Surge As Russian-U.S. Brokered Ceasefire Unravels By Thomas Gaist May 01, 2016 " Information Clearing House " - " WSWS " - More than 200 civilians, including 35 children, were killed as military violence erupted across Syria this week, leaving the ceasefire agreement brokered by US and Russian diplomats in February in tatters. The renewed fighting, the latest upsurge in a war that has already killed more than 400,000 people, is pushing Syria deeper into conditions of social collapse. Recent days have witnessed a catastrophic deterioration in the security situation, with violence across Syria soaring back to the levels we saw prior to the cessation of hostilities, and military forces displaying a monstrous disregard for civilians, according to UN human rights official Zeid Raad al-Hussein. Syrias social and health infrastructure has been devastated by more than five years of the US-orchestrated war for regime change. Almost half of Syrias ambulances have been destroyed; more than one-third of its hospitals no longer function; and the flow of pharmaceutical imports has slowed to a trickle, Debarati Guha-Sapir of the Centre for Research on the Epidemiology of Disasters said Friday. More than 346 medical facilities have been subject to strikes during the Syrian war, according to Physicians for Human Rights. On Wednesday, air strikes of unknown origin destroyed the Medicines sans Frontiers-linked (MSF) al-Quds medical center in Aleppo, killing at least 50 civilians and two MSF doctors. Both US and Russian military spokesmen denied responsibility for the strikes. The surging violence has centered on Aleppo, where some 250,000 civilians are trapped under siege conditions, living amid the ruins of a city already decimated by five years of war. Only one remaining commercial throughway, controlled by US-backed Islamist militias, connects the city to the rest of the country, and the population now faces stepped-up attacks from gunships and artillery. In contrast to the US media and the political establishments endless denunciations of Russias intervention in Syria, the essential cause for the breakdown of the cease-fire and slide back toward all-out civil and proxy war is the uncompromising determination of the US ruling class to overthrow the Assad government, toppling a crucial regional ally of both Russia and Iran and replacing it with an American puppet. On Monday, the White House announced that at least 250 US special forces soldiers would be deployed to Syria, a decision taken on the heels of the announcement of an additional 200 US ground troops to Iraq. In testimony to the Senate Armed Services Committee Thursday, US Defense Secretary Ashton Carter made clear that these are only preliminary moves in a much broader war plan. Based on the results weve had, and our desire to continue accelerating ISILs lasting defeat, we are conducting the next plays of the military campaign, Carter said. In the coming weeks, US-backed Iraqi national forces will leverage Apache attack helicopters in support of their offensive against the northern city of Mosul, where hundreds of US Marines are already carrying out artillery bombardments against surrounding villages. In Syria, US commandos are working to establish bases of operations that will enable further special operations deployments by US-aligned governments in Europe and the Persian Gulf. They will seek to train and equip motivated local anti-ISIS forces, especially among the Sunni Arab community, Carter said. Beyond Iraq and Syria, the US is preparing a range of counter-ISIS operations, including in South and Southeast Asia, Yemen and West Africa, Carter said. The US military aims to collapse ISILs control of Mosul and Raqqa by bringing to bear in support of them the full might of the US military, Carter said. The Pentagon, with full backing from the White House, is moving forward with the so-called US Plan B for Syria. As Pentagon spokesman Peter Cook declared on Monday, the US military will continue to look at every single opportunity we have, working with our local partners, to see how we can accelerate this campaign. American support for the ceasefire was, all along, a tactical maneuver, aimed at buying time for US forces to prepare a renewed push, under conditions where Russian-backed Syrian and Iranian forces have increasingly routed the US-backed insurgency, threatening to derail the regime-change operation launched by Washington in 2011. The escalation of US ground wars in Iraq and Syria, coming despite President Obamas repeated promises that the renewed US war in Iraq and Syria, launched in 2014 as Operation Inherent Resolve, would not see US boots on the ground, is being carried out with the backing of the entire Democratic Party establishment. The most recent escalations were hailed this week by both US Democratic Party presidential candidates Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders. Senator Clinton, who has previously criticized the White House for not waging a more robust war in Syria and demanded expansions of the US air and ground wars, including the establishment of a no fly zone, issued a campaign statement supporting the White Houses authorization of an expanded commando war in Syria. Last November, Clinton delivered a bellicose address to the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR), declaring that, in Syria, a more effective coalition air campaign is necessary, but not sufficient. Air strikes would have to be combined with ground forces, Clinton said, calling for a ground invasion to carve out safe zones along with the imposition of a no fly zone throughout Syrian airspace. In addition to a general expansion of US war-making throughout the Middle East, Africa and Asia, Clintons plan to defeat ISIS calls for expanded surveillance of social media globally. Senator Sanders own endorsement of the administrations policies makes clear that he is not in any sense running as an antiwar candidate, but rather as another imperialist politician. The president is talking about having American troops training Muslim troops, and helping supply the military equipment they need. I do support that effort, Sanders told media this week. The preparations for an expanded US ground war in Syria, whose full character will likely not be revealed until immediately after the 2016 US elections, are taking place amid US war preparations in Eastern Europe, the South China Sea and throughout Eurasia, that pose the growing threat of a third world war. Copyright  1998-2016 World Socialist Web Site - All rights reserved
Another Reason for Brexit: EU 'Was a CIA Project from the Beginning'

By Sputnik

May 01, 2016 " Information Clearing House " - " Sputnik " - In a recent piece for The Telegraph, commenting on President Obama's trip to the UK earlier this month to attempt to convince the island nation to vote against Brexit, Evans-Pritchard recalled that "Brexiteers should have been prepared for the shattering intervention of the US," since "the European Union always was an American project."

In fact, the journalist recalled, taking a look back through archival history, one finds that "it was Washington that drove European integration in the late 1940s,", and Washington that "funded it covertly under the Truman, Eisenhower, Kennedy, Johnson, and Nixon administrations."

Contrary to popular belief among some in Europe that the US may have viewed European integration as a threat, the project was in actually always seen as an "anchor to American regional interests alongside NATO," all the way back to its inception.

Evans-Pritchard recalled that the May 1950 Schuman Declaration, the proposal by French Foreign Minister Robert Schuman to create the European Coal and Steel Community, which "set the tone of Franco-German reconciliation  and would lead by stages to the European Community  was cooked up by the US Secretary of State Dean Acheson at a meeting in Foggy Bottom" (in Washington DC).

And it was the Truman administration "that browbeat the French to reach a modus vivendi with Germany in the early post-war years, even threatening to cut off US Marshall aid at a furious meeting with recalcitrant French leaders [if] they resisted in September 1950."

Truman's motive at the time was obvious, the journalist suggests. "The Yalta settlement with the Soviet Union was breaking down," and Truman "wanted a united front to deter the Kremlin from further aggrandizement" as the Cold War conflict began to gather steam.

As for the figure of Jean Monnet, the French economist and diplomat considered to be one of the founding fathers of the European Union, he "looms large in the federalist pantheon, the eminence grise of supranational villainy" among British eurosceptics, but "few are aware that he spent much of his life in America, and served as war-time eyes and ears of Franklin Roosevelt."

In fact, Charles de Gaulle, an opponent of supranational Europe and a staunch supporter of French sovereignty, "thought [Monnet to be] an American agent, as indeed he was in a loose sense." French historian Eric Roussel's voluminous 1,000 page biography of Monnet, yet to be translated into English, "reveals how he worked hand in glove with successive administrations."

Unfortunately, Evans-Pritchard writes, many Britons, and other Europeans, remain unaware of the declassified documents from the US State Department archives "showing that US intelligence funded the European movement secretly for decades, and worked aggressively behind the scenes to push Britain into the project."

For instance, "one memorandum dated July 26, 1950, reveals a campaign to promote a full-fledged European parliament. It was signed by Gen William J Donovan, head of the American wartime Office of Strategic Services, [the] precursor of the Central Intelligence Agency."

In fact, "the key CIA front was the American Committee for a United Europe (ACUE), chaired by Donovan. Another document shows that it provided 53.5 percent of the European movement's funds in 1958. The board [of the ACUE] included Walter Bedell Smith and Allen Dulles, CIA directors in the fifties, and a caste of ex-OSS officials who moved in and out of the CIA."

The archives, Evans-Pritchard adds, show that the CIA essentially "treated some of the EU's 'founding fathers' as hired hands," and even "actively prevented them [from] finding alternative funding that would have broken reliance on Washington."

 AFP 2016/ ADRIAN DENNIS

At the same time, the journalist notes, "there were horrible misjudgments along the way," with "a memo dated June 11, 1965 instruct[ing] the vice-president of the European Community to pursue monetary union by stealth, suppressing debate until 'the adoption of such proposals would become virtually inescapable'. This too was clever by half, as we can see today from debt-deflation traps and mass unemployment across southern Europe."

"In a sense," Evans-Pritchard notes, "these papers are ancient history." But "what they [do] show is that the American 'deep state' was in up to its neck" with the project which has now morphed into the 28-nation European Union.

"It is true that America had second thoughts about the EU once the ideological fanatics gained ascendancy in the late 1980s, recasting the union as a rival superpower with ambitions to challenge and surpass the US. John Kornblum, the State Department's chief of European affairs in the 1990s, says it was a nightmare trying to deal with Brussels," particularly on issues of military, security and defense policy.

At the same time, the journalist writes, Kornblum's view "is interesting, but it is a minority view in US policy circles. The frustration passed when Poland and the first wave of East European states joined the EU in 2004, bringing in a troupe of Atlanticist governments."

"We know it is hardly a love-affair. A top US official was caught two years ago on a telephone intercept dismissing Brussels during the Ukraine crisis with the lapidary words, 'f*** the EU'. Yet the all-pervading view is that the Western liberal order is under triple assault, and the EU must be propped [up]."

 AFP 2016/ RAMI AL-SAYED

This trifecta of threats, Evans-Pritchard argues, includes jihadi terror and the "string of failed states across the Maghreb and the Levant." They also (very debatably) include Russia and China, which are flexing their muscles and 'testing the US alliance structure'.

Ultimately, he argues, if the Brexit camp wants a real shot at success, it "should be laying out plans to increase UK defense spending by half to 3% of GDP, pledging to propel Britain into the lead as the undisputed military power of Europe," and to "bind this country closer to France in an even more intimate security alliance. These moves would at least spike one of Project Fear's biggest guns" ('Project Fear' being the slang for the 'Bremain' campaign).
UK Labour Party in Grip of Zionist Inquisition



By Stuart Littlewood May 01, 2016 " Information Clearing House " - " Dissident Voice " - The orchestrated smear campaign against pro-Palestine sympathisers sent me reaching for my pen. But Gilad Atzmon too was eyeing the Labour Partys crazed witch hunt for antisemites with misgiving and had already declared, in his usual robust way, that Labour under Jeremy Corbyn was not so much a party as a piece of Zionist-occupied territory. Writing in his blog about Corbyn and McDonnells servile commitment to expel anyone whose remarks might be interpreted by Zionist mafioso as hateful or simply upsetting to Jews, Atzmon concludes: Corbyns Labour is now unequivocally a spineless club of Sabbos Goyim [which I take to mean non-Jewish dogsbodies who do menial jobs that Jews are forbidden to do for religious reasons]. The Labour partys policies, says Atzmon, are now compatible with Jewish culture: intolerant to the core and concerned primarily with the imaginary suffering of one people only. These people are not the working class, they are probably the most privileged ethnic group in Britain. Corbyns Labour is a Zionist Occupied Territory It proves my theses that the Left is not a friend to Palestine, the oppressed or the workless people. I would have never believed that Jeremy Corbyn would engage in such colossally treacherous politics. I did not anticipate that Corbyn would become a Zionist lapdog. Corbyn was a great hope to many of us. I guess that the time has come to accept that The Left is a dead concept, it has nothing to offer. This writer too is shocked after signing up as supporter (though not a member) of the Labour Party with the express purpose of voting in the leadership election for that beacon of common sense, that staunch champion of high ideals, that great white hope who would start a revolution in British politics and sweep away the crap and corruption left behind by Blair and Brown. Boy, was I in for a disappointment! And the latest casualty in this ugly Zionist power-play is former mayor of London Ken Livingstone. In a heated public spat with one of the partys chief inquisitors, MP John Mann, he had the temerity to defend a female MP, Naz Shah, who had fallen foul of the partys antisemitism police for comments made on Facebook before becoming an MP. She had suggested that Israel be transferred to the United States. She apologised profusely, but Labours Israel lobby went ballistic after raking up this old remark. Had they forgotten that their hero, David Ben-Gurion, himself, was mad-keen on population transfer of Palestinian Arabs, that is? So whats to get excited about? Mann happens to be chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Antisemitism. One-sidedness is the name of his game. What seems to have generated greatest sound and fury is this observation by Livingstone: When Hitler won his election in 1932 his policy then was that Jews should be moved to Israel. He was supporting Zionism before he went mad and ended up killing six million Jews. Joan Ryan MP, Chair of Labour Friends of Israel, said: To speak of Zionism  the right of the Jewish people to self-determination  and Hitler in the same sentence is quite breathtaking. I am appalled that Ken Livingstone has chosen to do so. He should be suspended from the Labour Party immediately. It scarcely needs saying that Zionism may mean self-determination for the Jewish people but it has cruelly denied the Palestinians their right to self-determination for decades. Nevertheless Livingstone is suspended from the party after 47 years. President of the Board of Deputies of British Jews Jonathan Arkush can be relied on to put in his two-pennyworth on these occasions, and he didnt disappoint: Ken Livingstons comments were abhorrent and beyond disgraceful. His latest comments combine Holocaust revisionism with antisemitism denial, when the evidence is there for all to see. He lacks any sense of decency. He must now be expelled from the Labour Party. And on the suspension of Naz Shah, Arkush was in overdrive: If the Labour party is to re-establish its credibility on this issue, it needs to take four important steps forward: First, there must be a credible inquiry into the entire Naz Shah episode. Secondly, the party has to take effective measures to eradicate antisemitism wherever it occurs within its membership. Thirdly, the leader must make it clear that allegations of antisemitism are not to be dismissed as arguments about Israel. Fourthly, Jeremy Corbyn must now respond to our repeated calls for him to accept that his meetings with rank antisemites before he became leader were not appropriate and will not be repeated. Witch hunters balloon pricked Whether Livingstones claim that Hitler was a Zionist is correct, I know not and care not. He presumably checked his facts and was itching to score with this mischievous titbit. Whether that was a wise thing to do is a matter for idle chatter, not expulsion. Meanwhile Zio hotheads inside and outside the party would do well to pay attention to the The Jewish Socialists Group, which has some sound advice for them and sticks a pin in their not-so-pretty balloon with this measured statement: Antisemitism and anti-Zionism are not the same. Zionism is a political ideology which has always been contested within Jewish life since it emerged in 1897, and it is entirely legitimate for non-Jews as well as Jews to express opinions about it, whether positive or negative. Not all Jews are Zionists. Not all Zionists are Jews. Criticism of Israeli government policy and Israeli state actions against the Palestinians is not antisemitism. Those who conflate criticism of Israeli policy with antisemitism, whether they are supporters or opponents of Israeli policy, are actually helping the antisemites. We reject any attempt, from whichever quarter, to place legitimate criticism of Israeli policy out of bounds. Accusations of antisemitism are currently being weaponised to attack the Jeremy Corbyn-led Labour party with claims that Labour has a problem of antisemitism. This is despite Corbyns longstanding record of actively opposing fascism and all forms of racism, and being a firm supporter of the rights of refugees and of human rights globally. A very small number of such cases seem to be real instances of antisemitism. Others represent genuine criticism of Israeli policy and support for Palestinian rights, but expressed in clumsy and ambiguous language, which may unknowingly cross a line into antisemitism. Further cases are simply forthright expressions of support for Palestinian rights, which condemn Israeli government policy and aspects of Zionist ideology, and have nothing whatsoever to do with antisemitism. The JSG goes further and suggests that the attacks come from four main sources  the Conservative Party, Conservative-supporting media and pro-Zionist Israeli media sources, right-wing and pro-Zionist elements claiming to speak on behalf of the Jewish community, and opponents of Jeremy Corbyn within the Labour party. These groups make common cause to wreck the Corbyn leadership, divert attention from Israeli government crimes and discredit those who dare to criticise Israeli policy or the Zionist enterprise. In short, the JSG says what needs to be said and puts the witchfinder-generals firmly in their place. Of course, if Labour  or the Conservatives  truly wished to be squeaky-clean in matters of racism they would disband their Israel fan clubs (i.e. Friends of Israel) and suspend all who refuse to condemn Israels brutal acts of ethnic cleansing and other war crimes. If people holding public office put themselves in a position where they are influenced by a foreign military power, they flagrantly breach the Principles of Public Life. There are far too many Labour and Conservative MPs and MEPs who fall into that category. The Labour Party announced today it is considering reviewing its rules to send a clear message of zero-tolerance on antisemitism. For balance, why not match this with zero-tolerance of those who use the party as a platform for promoting the criminal Israeli regime and its continuing territorial ambitions? Go on, Labour, prove Atzmon wrong prove the party is not Zionist occupied territory. Stuart Littlewoods book Radio Free Palestine, with Foreword by Jeff Halper, can now be read on the internet by visiting radiofreepalestine.org.uk.
America is Supporting Al Qaeda:



Heavy Propaganda Rages in the Battle for Aleppo. The Terrorists are Portrayed as Freedom Fighters



By Prof. Tim Anderson May 01, 2016 " Information Clearing House " - " Global Research " - Heavy propaganda accompanies the strategic battle in Aleppo between the Syrian Army and its allies (Russia, Iran, Hezbollah and other militia) and the Saudi-Turkey-NATO backed terrorist groups (Jabhat al Nusra, Jaysh al Islam, Ahrar as Sham and ISIS). Fighting escalated in late April when the armed groups sent hundreds of mortars into Syrias second city, and the Syrian Army responded with its long awaited offensive. Western media now claim that Aleppos citizens are under threat from the Syrian Army, while Syrian sources show civilians, reeling from constant mortar attacks, demanding that the Army roots out all terrorist groups. In an attempt to claim the moral high ground, Washington uses proxy NGOs alongside proxy militia, to maintain the fiction that the Syrian Army does nothing but attack Syrian civilians. Prominent among these NGOs is The White Helmets aka Syrian Civil Defence, which has become a principal source of claims that Syrian and Russian planes are targeting hospitals. In fact The White Helmets, which claims to be independent, is a Wall Street creation, led by former British soldier James le Mesurier, co-funded by the US Government and embedded with the terrorist organisation Jabhat al Nusra, banned by the UN Security Council. Every attack on al Nusra is thus portrayed as an attack on civilians and clinics, or on emergency health workers. Much the same applies to Medicin Sans Frontiers (MSF), which funds al Nusra clinics (mostly without foreign volunteers) in several terrorist held areas. These links, including participation in sectarian executions, are well spelt out in a recent short documentary The White Helmets  al Qaeda with a Facelift, by Steve Ezzeddine: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8aAaReVn2I4 Background on The White Helmets has also been exposed in a series of articles by investigative journalist Vanessa Beeley, including White Helmets: New Breed of Mercenaries and Propagandists (Sept 2015) at 21st Century Wire: http://21stcenturywire.com/2015/09/01/white-helmets-new-breed-of-mercenaries-and-propagandists-disguised-as-humanitarians-in-syria/ The contradiction in US policy and practice was recently highlighted when the Syrian head of TWH, Raed Saleh, travelled to receive a humanitarian award, but was refused permission to enter the US and was sent back to Istanbul. The likely reason was Salehs notorious association with Jabhat al Nusra. Head of the US military General Martin Dempsey and Vice President Joe Biden admitted in 2014 that close US allies Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Qatar were financing ISIS, along with all the other armed groups, in an attempt to overthrow the government of Syrian President Bashar al Assad. ANNEX Professor Tim Anderson has provided us with an analysis of the propaganda campaign of the Western military alliance which is led by the Western media as well as so-called NGOs supported by corporate foundations. Below is the Communique Issued by the Fake Syria Civil Society Network. The latter fails to acknowledge that the opposition militants are largely made up of Al Qaeda affiliated entitities supported by US-NATO-Israel. Syria government forces with the support of Russia, Iran and Hezbollah are involved in a massive counter-terrorism operation against US-NATO supported terrorists. Below is the text of their Appeal to the International Community. Who is the self proclaimed international community? The US, UK, France, Germany, not to mention Saudi Arabia and Turkey, have been involved for almost two years in the routine bombing of Syria under a fake humanitarian mandate. These NGOs echo US foreign policy, They blame Bashar al Assad for the killings. They do not represent Syrian civil society. Amply documented, those killings are attributable to: 1) US-led bombings allegedly against the ISIS, which largely strike civilians and civilian infrastructure, including residential areas; 2) the atrocities committed by the ISIS and al Qaeda affiliates which are supported, financed and protected by the US-NATO coalition. Coalition mercenaries operate within the ranks of these terrorist entitiies. More recently, the US has sent special forces to provide training for al Qaeda freedom fighters. SPREAD THE WORD, COUNTER-PROPAGANDA IS A POWERFUL INSTRUMENT TO REVERSE THE TIDE OF WAR Michel Chossudovsky, Global Research Editor, May 1, 2016 To learn the truth about Syria, order Prof. Tim Andersons Book directly from Global Research (click image) * * * Text of the fake NGO Civil Society Group We are being left to die as the world watches. The people of Aleppo need the international communitys protection. In the past week, the Assad regime and its allies have escalated their bombings of civilian homes and hospitals across Aleppo, killing more than 200 civilians in the process. We, as representatives of Syrian civil society and humanitarian groups, strongly condemn the indiscriminate killing of civilians in Syria and demand civilian protection. Without the international communitys protection and concrete action to stop the bombs across Aleppo, where 250,000 people still remain, there is a very real chance that Aleppo will be entirely destroyed and more will die. The international communitys failure to prioritize our protection amounts to a death sentence. We are being left to die as the world watches.



In spite of the Syrian Cessation of Hostilities, one Syrian is being killed every 25 minutes. In Aleppo on Wednesday 27 April, at least 50 patients, medics and doctors were killed, including the last remaining Pediatrician of Aleppo, Dr. Wassim, after the Syrian regime bombed Al Quds hospital. Just two days earlier, on April 25, five rescue workers from the White Helmets were killed during regime airstrikes on Atareb, western Aleppo province. The attack came shortly after Russian airstrikes that killed ten civilians in Aleppo. A week earlier, the Syrian regime launched attacks in a marketplace in Maarat al-Numan in Idlib province that left dozens dead, including many women and children.



The Syrian regime is deliberately targeting civilians and hospitals. It is intentionally destroying medical facilities, schools, and marketplaces in an effort to bomb civilians into submission. People the Syrian regime cannot kill by air, it starves on land. Assads troops continue to besiege civilian towns across the country, where they impose deliberate starvation methods and confiscate medical relief items from aid convoys. As a result of these sieges, more than 18 cities and towns across Syria are under siege. But just one areaDier Ezzorreceives airdrops. For months, we have appealed to the international community to airdrop aid to all besieged areas, including to Homs and Hama. Our calls have gone unanswered.



We do not understand why we are being condemned to death when there are concrete steps that the international community could take to protect us. We appeal to the international community to prioritize our protection and do what it takes to stop the bombs across Syria. Help us save our Syria. More lives need not be lost. Signatories  Syrian Center for Media and Freedom of Expression  Independent Doctors Association   Baytna Syria  Union of Syrian Civil Society Organizations  Zaytoon  Peace and Justice for Syria   Dr Amer Masri  Alaa Basatneh  SAY  Zaad  Syrian Welsh Society  Rethink Rebuild Society   Syria Solidarity UK  Scotland4Syria  Help4Syria  Syrian Society in Nottinghamshire   Syrian Platform for Peace  Kurds House 

The original source of this article is Global Research Copyright  Prof. Tim Anderson, Global Research, 2016
The 19 northern governors came under criticism yesterday over their position that the Fulani should not be labelled as criminals, following alleged killings perpetrated by suspected Fulani Herdsmen.

The Yoruba socio-political organisation, Afenifere, asked the governors to bury their heads in shame over their position which came in the wake of the heat generated by the attack on Ukpabi-Ninbo community in Enugu State by suspected Fulani herdsmen, last Monday. The Ijaw Youth Council (IYC) also condemned the governors.

At their meeting in Kaduna, on Friday, the northern governors had taken a strong exception to the branding of perpetrators of crimes around the country as Fulani.

Speaking through its National Publicity Secretary, Mr. Yinka Odumakin, Afenifere told Sunday Vanguard: It (the northern governors position) is a sign of unfeeling, uncaring for any group today to come out and say that those who have been causing problems and killing people in the Middle Belt and the South are not Fulani herdsmen. They have killed in Agatu land, Enugu; a traditional ruler was killed in Delta State; they killed Chief Olu Falaes guard and also kidnapped Chief Falae himself. For some people to gather and call themselves northern governors, and have no sympathy for lives than to be defending the Fulani herdsmen, shows clearly that it is a tragedy of monumental proportion to be in the same country with these elements. You also begin to wonder if the blood of human beings runs in their veins because anybody that has human blood running in his veins will not come and say that Fulani herdsmen are not responsible. What nonsense.

I think the northern governors should bury their heads in shame. I do not think they are fit to be in the comity of civilized human beings. If the attackers are not Fulani herdsmen, where have they struck in the North-West? Why are their activities only in the Middle Belt and in the South? That is the question these northern governors should answer. When militants were blowing up pipelines in the South-South, were they not called Niger Delta militants? Do they want us to call them Yoruba herdsmen? Odumakin asked.

In the same vein, the IYC described the northern governors position as an affront on other nationalities.

The groups spokesman, Eric Omare told Sunday Vanguard that the governors stance was disappointing and a tacit support for criminality and Fulani herdsmen pillaging of their host communities.

The statement by the northern governors is disappointing and a tacit support for criminality and the ongoing Fulani herdsmen terrorism, Omare said.

If they are interested in peace in Nigeria, they ought to be more concerned about the implication of the activities of the Fulani herdsmen rather than a perceived insult on the Fulani race.

The IYC condemns the stand taken by the northern governors and calls on southern leaders to brace up for the challenges ahead.

Furthermore, we wish to state that part of the reason Boko Haram grew to become a national problem was the tacit support given to them by northern political leaders and this Fulani herdsmen terrorism is taking the same pattern; hence it must be taken seriously.
The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has approved N20 billion as bailout for the Kogi Government.

The state governor, Alhaji Yahaya Bello announced this on Sunday in Lokoja while addressing a rally held by Organised Labour to mark this years May Day celebration.

According to him, the N20 billion was the first tranche of the N50 billion applied for to clear salary arrears of the state and local government workers.

He blamed the delay in the release of the fund on the last administration, saying that the application submitted by his predecessor was shoddily done and fraught with irregularities. We had to start from scratch, he said.

We are glad to announce that our efforts have paid off. This week, we received approval to draw down on the first tranche of our Bailout Funds from the Federal Government.

This will amount to about N20 billion. We will draw down on the balance of about N30 billion as we meet the milestones for implementation of the first tranche, as set by the Central Bank of Nigeria, he explained.

Bello promised to fully expend the money on workers salaries, so as to guarantee industrial harmony.
Ekiti State Governor, Mr. Ayodele Fayose has commended workers in the country for their resilience in the face of biting economic situation, promising that the future holds better prospects for employers and employees.

In a message released to the press by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Idowu Adelusi in Ado Ekiti, Saturday; the governor noted that the prevailing economic situation must also not be allowed to cause disharmony between the organised labour and the government.

To my great workers in Ekiti State, I appreciate you. During our first term in office, you know we used to pay salaries before the 25th of every month.

When I came back into office in October 2014 and met the poor financial situation our state was plunged into by our predecessors, we still made efforts at being alive to our responsibilities by ensuring regular payment of salaries and other entitlements, until even when two months allocations from Abuja became grossly insufficient to pay a month salary.

Notwithstanding the dwindling allocations to the state, the huge debt obligations we inherited and the near zero industrial base of the state, which means poor internally generated revenue, we are still better.

Our administration has not hidden all necessary facts about our finances from labour and we cannot but appreciate your understanding and support in this critical period. All hope is not lost, as there is a silver lining ahead, he told workers.
The Federal Government has restated its commitment to the exploration of oil and gas in the Inland Basins, especially Chad Basin and the Benue trough.

The Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Dr Ibe kachikwu said this in a statement issued by Malam Garba Deen Muhammad, Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) Group General Manager, Group Public Affairs Division on Sunday in Abuja.

The statement said the NNPC through its Frontier Exploration Services and Renewable Energy Division (FESRED) had progressed reasonably with seismic acquisition activities in the Chad Basin frontier area. However, operations were suspended on November 24, 2014 due to insurgency.

A total of 1, 962 sq.km have been acquired and processed, interpretation is currently on-going at about 90 percent completion, and drilling activities will commence by the last quarter of 2016, it said.

According to the statement, the operation is being handled by the Integrated Data Services Limited (NNPC subsidiary) and BGP, a subsidiary of China National Petroleum Corporation. Kachikwu said that exploration in the Chad Basin was to increase the nations oil and gas reserves.

The decision to diversify our business portfolio is about all of us and about the future of our dear country, the vision is clear, and we are determined not to fail, Kachikwu stated, urging the private sector and
At least two unknown assailants have hacked a Hindu tailor to death in central Bangladesh, police say, amid a rise in attacks on religious minorities in the South Asian nation. Police officials said they were investigating whether Saturdays killing in Tangail was linked to religious groups suspected of a series of minority killings, or was tied to a family dispute.

They came on a motorcycle and attacked him as he sat on a roadside. They hacked him on his head, neck and hand, Aslam Khan, deputy chief of Tangail district police, told AFP news agency. The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL, also known as ISIS) group has claimed credit for the attack in a post online but the claim could not be independently verified.

Bangladesh is reeling from a series of attacks on members of minority faiths, secularists, foreigners and intellectuals in recent months, including two gay activists and a liberal professor in the past eight days alone.

Many of the killings have been blamed on or claimed by groups such as al-Qaeda or ISIL. Police said local Muslims had filed a complaint against Joarder, who owned a tailoring shop, to police in 2012 for making comments about Prophet Muhammad. He was charged with hurting religious sentiments and spent three weeks in jail. But the trial did not proceed after the complainants withdrew the charges, Abdul Jalil, the police chief of Gopalpur sub-district, told AFP.
The Chairman, Senate Committee on Rules and Business, Babajide Omoworare yesterday proffered a solution to the culture of budget padding in the country, in the wake of controversies trailing the 2016 budget.

Mr. Omoworare (APC/Osun East) said the solution lies in the setting up of a National Assembly Budget and Research Office.

The office, according to him, will enhance the budget scrutiny capacity of the National Assembly and also inject sanity, accountability and transparency into the nations appropriation system.

The senator made these views known while speaking on Rhythm FM, Abuja.

According to senator Omoworare, previous budgets were used by those who drafted the fiscal document to steal public funds.

After spending about five years now in the Senate, I make bold to say there is no budget that has come to us that has not been padded, he said.

The Osun senator, however, expressed gladness that the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari was able to see through the antics of those who prepared this years budget.

How do you explain an embarrassing situation where the Minister of Health, Professor Isaac Adewole found a different budget from the one approved by his office during budget defence or a discovery of about N200billion budget head duplications all due to sharp practices? he asked.

He also denied accusation that members of the National Assembly were not doing anything about the situation until now.

Omoworare said he has always been a voice against this practice but since he was initially in the opposition, the majority always prevailed.

I spoke against the bogus N7 billion Abuja City Gate, the First Lady Mission House and other monumental wastes injected into previous budgets, he claimed.

To have a holistic solution to this infidelity, I have proposed a National Assembly Budget and Research Office bill to enhance budget scrutiny capacity of the National Assembly, inject sanity, accountability and transparency into our appropriation system. When it is passed, it will give legal teeth to our budget scrutiny and research mechanism at the National Assembly.

He added that the bill has passed a second reading with overwhelming acceptance from senators.

Constitutionally and traditionally, budget should be a document of the legislature with liberty to tinker with and effect necessary adjustments, but endemic corruption in our system has always impeded this role of the lawmakers.
A state of high alert has been declared in the Iraqi capital Baghdad after protesters broke into the fortified Green Zone and stormed the parliament building, shortly after politicians again failed to approve new ministers. Saturdays development was the climax of weeks of political turmoil in Iraq that has seen MPs hold a sit-in, clash in the parliament chamber and seek to dismiss the speaker, halting efforts by Haider al-Abadi, the prime minister, to replace party-affiliated ministers with technocrats.

The unrest also coincided with a blast that targeted Shia pilgrims near Baghdad, killing at least 23 people. The Green Zone is the most secure part of the Iraqi capital, housing the parliament, the prime ministers office and embassies. You are not staying here! This is your last day in the Green Zone, shouted one protester as thousands broke into the central Baghdad area.

Protesters, many of them supporters of Shia cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, attached cables to the tops of heavy concrete blast walls that surround the Green Zone, pulling them down to create an opening, television footage showed. They then headed to parliament, where some protesters ran around the building and broke into offices, while others shouted peacefully, peacefully and tried to contain the destruction, an AFP news agency reporter at the scene said.

Security forces were present but did not try to prevent the demonstrators from entering the parliament building, the reporter said. Protesters pulled barbed wire across a road leading to one of the exits of the Green Zone, effectively preventing some scared lawmakers from fleeing the chaos. Protesters attacked and damaged several vehicles they believed belonged to parliamentarians, sources told Al Jazeera.
Happening live in Umuchu No peace for a wicked man Mr chukwudi mmaduakor from ibughubu Umuchu was arrested yesterday for allegedly killing of his 18 years brother mr chinecherem mmaduakor secretly in 2015 and buried him secretly with the help of his two friends from Akwa Ibom state, they buried chinecherem along ibughubu/Umunze bush.

The suspect (chukwudi mmaduakor) was arrested by Umuchu divisional police head quarter yesterday and after all the intelligent interviews by D.P.O (Mr Ojo Anthony Olusola- 09033339691) Mr Chukwudi mmaduakor confesses that he is the one that kill his brother chinecherem and he also took the police men to the bush where he buried him secretly since last year and his bones was Recovered. The said Chukwudi mmaduakor was transfer to HOMICIDE SECTION (SCID) Awka for more discreet investigation. What a wicked world Kudos to our D.P.O Mr Ojo Anthony Olusola and his teams. Pls lets thank them for this wonderful intelligent work for us. Thank u Sir
The Federal Government on Sunday in Abuja assured workers that it would tackle all socio-economic troubles facing the nation.

President Muhammadu Buhari gave this assurance at the 2016 May Day celebration with the theme: The Working Class and The Quest for Socio-Economic Revival.

The president, who was represented by Sen. Chris Ngige, the Minister Labour and Employment, said that the government would evolve solutions to the emerging threats to the well-being of Nigerians and the realisation of sustainable development.

For us whose main foreign exchange comes from oil, the global decline in the price of oil has further exacerbated our economic crises.

The resultant effect of this are noticeable in governments dwindling resources, reduction in operational capacities of most companies especially in the oil and gas sector, threats of workforce reduction by multinationals, among others.

These developments no doubt, have socio-economic implication for the economy as well as the working class.

I make no excuses, for this government of the APC is determined to tackle the socio-economic ills head-long, the president said.
Workers across Nigeria, united in anger and frustration over unpaid wages, seized the occasion of the May Day celebration to make demands, issue ultimatums and threaten showdowns with their state governments.

In Adamawa State, the state chairman of the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, Dauda Maina, told workers at a rally to mark the May Day celebration that the state government should address all the problems connected with salaries and wages of its employees to avert industrial dispute.

The labour leader lamented that almost half of the total Adamawa workforce are without salaries for the past four months. Other problems affecting Adamawa workers, according to the NLC chairman, were non-payment of salaries to over 900 junior staff employed by the health services management board since November 2014. Others are non-payment of salaries to medical and health workers in the past 5 months; delay in the payment of salaries of primary school teachers for the past 2 years; and non-payment of salaries of journalists under the employment of the state print and broadcast media.

In Plateau State, the NLC Chairman, Jibrin Banchir, asked the state government to pay the five months salaries owed civil servants of tertiary institutions and four months salary arrears of primary school teachers.

Lamenting the lack of government commitment to the plight of workers, Mr. Banchir said we have kept faith over the years, but unfortunately we have continued to be subjected to hardship and neglect.

Gov. Al Makura attends rally in mourning dress

In a move interpreted as a pre-emptive strike to checkmate workers angst, Governor Al Makura of Nasarawa State turned up at the May Day rally wearing a mourning dress. Attired in an all-black outfit, Mr. Al-Makura said he was mourning the attitude of workers towards his government.

The governor, who described an ideal labour force as drivers of good governance, noted that the union should not be seen as opposition to government. He noted that from inception, his government has been labour friendly, hence, the domestication of the N18,000 national minimum wage in the state.

Mr. Al Makura berated the workers for observing May Day on a Sunday, an action he described as irreverence to the Christian faith. He said the unions were unfair to Christians as the celebration stopped many from going to church.

Biometric problem in Kano

An ongoing biometric exercise was the major concern of workers in Kano State. The NLC Chairman in the state, Kabiru Minjibir, insisted that the biometric verification exercise was fraught with manipulations and should therefore be reviewed.

Speaking at a parade at the Sani Abacha indoor stadium, Mr. Minjibir cautioned government against using the exercise as a ploy to retrench workers.

He exonerated Governor Ganduje of being against workers and instead blamed a top official in his administration. The labour chairman said he believed the governor will revisit the exercise.

Members of the National Youth Service Corps who were also at the parade ground commended Governor Ganduje for paying their allowances every month despite the cash crunch facing the state.

60-day ultimatum to Okorocha

In Imo, the Ndigbo Unity Forum, an Igbo socio-cultural group, seized the occasion of the May Day to give Governor Rochas Okorocha an ultimatum of 60 days to pay workers outstanding salaries and allowances.

A statement signed by the President of the forum, Augustine Chukwudum, and made available to the News Agency of Nigeria in Enugu on Sunday accused Governor Rochas Okorocha of diverting bailout funds received from the federal government.

On South East, we observed that Gov. Rochas Okorocha of Imo state notwithstanding bailout funds that runs into billions that he received from the Federal Government that he still owes workers in the state many months of salary.

We demand that Gov. Rochas Okorocha should pay workers in Imo state their salary within sixty days, the group said.

The forum warned that coalition of civil societies would soon mobilise for mother of all demonstration in Imo, if the governor failed to heed to advice.

Similarly in Borno State, the NLC urged Governor Kashim Shettima to give top priority to workers welfare and demands.

Titus Abana, the states Chairman of the Congress, made the call at the May Day rally with the theme: The Working class, and the Quest for Economic Revival.

According to him, the 2016 May Day is coming at a time when Nigerian workers are experiencing the dark effect of bad leadership.

It is on this note that we decided to join our colleagues nationwide to commemorate the day despite the security challenges.

We want Borno government to focus on the workers demands, which include full implementation of the minimum wage, allowances for local government staff and primary school teachers.

Your Excellency, over the years you have been magnanimous in releasing a sum of N150 million to service gratuities of retirees on monthly basis, but for some months now the amount is not released.

The problem has continued to multiply because civil servants continue to retire and are not paid in time.

There is a need to also consider the upward review of pensions and also payment of pensioners outstanding balance of 142 per cent arrears.

The government should also implement the owner occupier housing system to enable our workers earned their own houses.

Some local government councils like Askira Uba, Biu, Hawul, Asikira and Chibok are yet to benefit from the N18,000 minimum wages, the government should please look into their issues.

Consequently, implementation of approved 30 per cent CONHESS to local government health workers is also still lingering which should be looked into, Mr. Abana said.

Source:PremiumTimes
The Nigeria Labour Congress has expressed anger with the nations political elite for allegedly acting irresponsibly and squandering the nations wealth.

The national president of the NLC, Comrade Ayuba Wabba, who spoke yesterday at a pre-May Day lecture in Abuja, cited the non-payment of workers salaries in many states as part of the acts of irresponsibility on the part of the political elite.

The NLC boss said workers have undeservedly been reduced to beggars by government.

We are told that the wealth of the world has more than tripled and yet, the welfare of the worker is nothing to write home about. From country to country, our interest has continued to be undermined, he said.

Let us not forget that throughout history, no employers of labour will willingly try to address the issues of decent pay for workers. It is through our collective struggle that we have been able to achieve what we have achieved.

Therefore, let us not be under any illusion that any government across the world will continue to give workers their entitlement without struggle.

This is the basis for commemorating the May Day which is to look at our collective struggle what we have been able to achieve and what obstacles still remain before us. If we understand this perspective, it will sharpen our response and unity because in unity lies our strength, Wabba said.

Lamenting the plight of Nigerian workers, he said: In a situation where a worker has not been paid for between four and 13 months, what do you expect from them?

To keep soul and body together, they have now resorted to begging. It is one of the worst situations we are passing through and therefore, we must continue to situate this argument within the context that our political elite have not been very responsible.

He also disagreed with the notion that Nigerias problems are as a result of inadequate resources to drive the economy.

The problem of Nigeria is not about resources, Mr. Wabba said. There are many countries around the world that dont have natural resources. Japan is one of them and we have seen how they have been able to transform their economy. But despite our numerous resources, our political elite have proven clearly that they are not interested in the welfare of our people.

The primary purpose of government anywhere in the world is the welfare and wellbeing of the people including their security. In all of this today, the totality of where we are is that we have failed and our leaders have failed to discharge their responsibility to the citizens of this country.

He, therefore, charged labour leaders and all progressive forces to continue to lead and provide quality options that we must force government to implement.

The NLC President said further that the congress has presented a formal demand for a new minimum wage to the government in conformity with laws and practice.

The law provides that after a circle of five years, the minimum wage must be reviewed because lot of issues must have taken place in the economy and very clearly, we know that a lot of things have happened, Mr. Wabba said.
President Muhammadu Buhari has extended condolences to the Sultanate, the Government and people of Sokoto State on the passing away of the Walin Sokoto, Ambassador Hamzat Ahmad, on Saturday.

In a letter to the Sokoto State Government, President Buhari described the late Walin Sokoto as a reputable public servant and a highly distinguished diplomat, who spent most of his life in the service of his country.

The President believes the demise of the former Nigerian Ambassador, who served in London and Washington DC, is a great loss to his community and the entire Nigeria, a statement by the presidency said.

I have learnt with deep shock and grief of the passing away of Alhaji Hamzat Ahmad (Walin Sokoto). His death is a great loss to Sokoto State, the diplomatic and business communities and to the Nigerian public service.

Alhaji Hamzat served meritoriously as a senior civil servant in the old Northern Nigeria Government and with the Federal Civil Service. In Lagos, he held the post of Principal Secretary to the then Head of State, General Yakubu Gowon, whom he served with diligence and loyalty.

Please convey my sincere condolences to His Royal Highness, the Sultan of Sokoto, his family and the good people of Sokoto State on the demise of their illustrious son, the President wrote.

He prayed that the Almighty God will grant the soul of the late Walin Sokoto a peaceful rest, and grant his family the strength to bear the loss.
Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, yesterday, assured that the 2016 Budget would be signed into law by President Muhammadu Buhari, this week.

According to him, the signing of the document would kick-start the implementation of the change agenda of the All Progressives Congress, APC, which would include completing all social projects that were abandoned by the last government.

Speaking at the The Platform, a programme held under the theme: Nigeria, what is in your hands? Tapping into out dead economy, looking beyond our oil driven economy, in Abuja, yesterday, the VP said the completion of power projects would be a priority and that current challenges facing Nigerians are temporal and resolvable.
The National Association of Resident Doctors of Nigeria (NARD) has postponed the commencement of its planned nationwide strike from April 25 to May 9.

According to the National President of the association, Dr Muhammad Askira, while addressing a news conference in Kano on Sunday, the decision to shift the date of the strike was taken after the extraordinary meeting of the National Executive Council of the association held on April 26 in Sokoto.

Askira said the NEC decision followed the genuine efforts and commitment by the Minister of Health and his management team as well as the intervention of the National Assembly to ensure amicable resolution of the dispute.

The NEC had also resolved to direct our branches in Osun, specifically LAUTECH Teaching Hospital Osogbo, to immediately suspend the seven month old strike.

This is to enable the implementation of the agreement reached with the Government of Osun on April 15 in Osogbo.

The national president,however, urged the Federal Government to ensure that all their demands were met as agreed during the negotiation meeting on April 11 to avoid industrial action.

We hope the Government will meet our demands before the expiration of the deadline so that the strike will be averted in the interest of the Country, he said.
A mosque under refurbishment has collapsed in Somalia, killing at least 15 people and injuring 40. It happened during Friday prayers as the building, in the capital Mogadishu, was packed with worshippers. Hundreds of people are reported to have been inside the building when it collapsed and some are still believed to be trapped under the rubble.

An engineer on the refurbishment project has been arrested on suspicion of negligence, local media report. Some media outlets report that worshippers were at prayer, while others say more than 100 people were pouring a concrete foundation after prayers when the structure collapsed.

Most of the dead were construction workers, the privately-owned Radio Shabelle reported. The state-owned Somali National News Agency said the incident took place in Dayniile district.

Heavy rains have fallen on the area over the past few days. The Somali government controls Mogadishu and other cities, but militants from the al-Qaeda-linked group al-Shabab dominate many rural areas. More than 22,000 African Union soldiers and police are deployed in the country to protect the government.

BBC.
The leader of South Africas opposition Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) party has launched his partys campaign for the upcoming local elections, promising to rescue citizens from poverty, unemployment and corrupt government. Around 40,000 people turned up at Orlando Stadium in Soweto on Saturday displaying massive support for fiery EFF leader Julius Malemas promises to seize white-owned land without compensation and nationalise the banks.

The huge turnout was a shot across the bows of the ANC, which failed to fill a similar stadium during the launch of its own manifesto in the coastal city of East London two weeks ago. We are not chasing the whites away. We are saying you have too much land. We want you here in South Africa, but 80 percent of the land belongs to us, Malema told the crowd.

The white minority still holds the vast majority of farmland as well as a disproportionate share of the countrys wealth. The EFF is capitalising on black discontent over the perceived lack of change under the ANC government since the end of apartheid 22 years ago. Malema, clad in the EFFs signature red overalls and beret, made many promises from free land, water and electricity for the poor to flushing toilets in all homes as he campaigned ahead of municipal elections in August.

Aljazeera.
In a post on his Facebook page, Omoleye Sowere the founder of the online news media, Sahara reporters accused Facebook of taking bribes from senate president Bukola Saraki to shutdown his personal page and promote a fake Sahara Reporters page named Saraha Reporters Rescue and sponsored by the senate president.

Omoleye lamented being locked out by Facebook for posting numbers of Senators loyal to Bukola Saraki while the fake page was kept online despite also posting numbers of the judge handling Saraki CCT trial. Sowore also alleged that Saraki was funding the Fake page as a reprisal for Sahara Reporters publications about the corruption trial faced by Bukola Saraki at the CCT.

See his post below:

Sahara Reporters has been at the forefront of media trial in the corruption case involving the senate president at the CCT. Some opinions have it that Omoloye Sowore and Sahara reporters are being funded heavily by some stalwarts of the APC who are after Saraki for deviating from the APCs choice of senate presidency to form alliance with the PDP which saw him come through as the senate president.

Bukola Saraki recently claimed in an open letter sent to Dele Momudu and circulated online that he is being politically hunted because he opposed a Muslim/Muslim ticket from the APC in the 2015 election. Indications point to the claims that the Muslim/Muslim ticket was meant to produce a Buhari/Tinubu ticket.

Sahara Reporters was obviously very vocal in the use of its platform to promote the candidate of the APC, president Muhammadu Buhari during the 2015 elections. Till date, Sahara Reporters publications are still skewed in sympathy with the APC. A position many readers see as bias and dangerous for professional journalism.

Saraha Reporters one-sided reportage has earned them a reputation many think will lead to the collapse of sound journalism in Nigeria. The founder, Sowore who came to fame via a video circulation online of his defiance to lateness exhibited by former minister of foreign affairs, Mrs Viola Onwuliri during her visit to Nigerians living in the United States during the Jonathans administration has somewhat deviated from his earlier activism spotlight to a derailing status of paid blackmailing and image laundering.

Recent Attacks by Sahara Reporters on Saraki are underscored by the fact that the authority to declare him guilty lies with the court at which he is currently undergoing trial. Many have opined that Saraki under the law is presumed innocent until declared guilty by certified court of law whose jurisprudence are insured by provisions of the Nigerian law.

As at the time of filling this report neither Facebook nor Saraki has responded to the allegations made against them by Sowore.

Source: Facebook
A judge in Colorado has sentenced a woman to 100 years in prison for cutting an eight-month-old baby from a strangers womb with kitchen knives, local media reported. The sentence included the maximum penalties for attempted murder and unlawful termination of a pregnancy, which Judge Maria Berkenkotter said on Friday reflected the brutality of last years attack.

A jury in February found Dynel Lane guilty of attempting to kill Michelle Wilkins by beating, stabbing and choking her after luring her to her home by posting an advertisement for maternity clothes on Craigslist, the online classified listings service. Prosecutors could not charge Lane with murdering the baby because a coroner found no evidence it had survived outside the womb.

Lane, 36, had faked a pregnancy for months, deceiving her husband David Ridley, whom she had told would be the babys father. You embrace your narcissistic fantasy to live the lie you created, and it was more important than my life and my daughters life, the Times-Call quoted Wilkins as saying on the witness stand. The court in Boulder heard that Lane had posted photos of herself online in which she had appeared pregnant and that she had sent Ridley ultrasound images she had downloaded from the Internet.

However, he had grown suspicious about her claims and pressured her to see a doctor, media reported. Lane lured Wilkins, 26 at the time, to her house in the city of Longmont, north of Denver, in March 2015. Prosecutors said that when Wilkins went into the basement to look at baby clothes, Lane hit her and tried to choke and smother her before cutting the baby from her womb, the Times-Call reported. She left Wilkins on the floor unconscious while she took the baby to a hospital with Ridley  who lived with Lane and her two daughters  saying she had suffered a miscarriage, media reported.n what was ruled to be an accident, the Times-Call reported.
A pair of California trucking company owners were arrested for cheating their workers compensation insurer out of millions of dollars.

Alvin Shin Chen, 54, and Fiona Xilin Chen, 46, both of La Canada Flintridge, Calif., were arrested this week at their home by detectives from the California Department of Insurance and charged with multiple felony counts, including workers comp insurance premium fraud for allegedly cheating their carrier.

The Chens, owners of Metro Worldwide Inc. and Pacific Coast Distribution, operate a trucking company in Long Beach and are accused of attempting to reduce their workers comp premiums by providing fraudulent information to their insurer regarding the number of their employees and what work those employees performed.

CDI detectives reportedly luncovered evidence indicating the Chens paid cash to employee truck drivers to avoid reporting them to the insurer and reduce their payroll tax obligation. Audits of the Chens records show they underreported their payroll by more than $4.7 million. As a result, the Chens allegedly cheated their insurer out of more than $1.6 million in workers comp premium.

Employers that cheat the system through premium fraud and tax evasion create an illegal marketplace advantage that costs Californias economy billions, Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones said in a statement.

The Chens were booked into the Century Station in Los Angeles and are held on $950,000 bail each. Arraignment is scheduled for April 29 in Los Angeles County Superior Court. The Los Angeles District Attorney is prosecuting this case.

Topics Carriers California Workers' Compensation Trucking
The Florida Supreme Court has ruled that the states mandatory attorneys fee schedule for workers compensation cases is unconstitutional under both Floridas and the U.S. constitution as a violation of due process.

The states top court also declined to rule in another case challenging the very constitutionality of the states reformed workers compensation system.

The attorneys fee schedule ruling came in the case of Marvin Castellanos, an injured employee who sued his employer Next Door Co. and its insurer, Amerisure. The high court noted that the issue has been raised in as many as 18 lower court cases.

The Castellanos court ruling said that the schedule, passed in 2009, is invalid because it eliminates the right of a claimant to get a reasonable attorneys fee, a right it says is a critical feature of the workers compensation law. The court said the statute violates due process by installing an irrebuttable presumption that whatever fee the schedule comes up with is reasonable and by not providing any way for a claimant to refute the fee.

In the Castellanos case, the attorney fee calculated under the mandatory sliding scale turned out to be $1.53 per hour for 107.2 hours. The claimants attorney had sought a fee of $350 an hour.

The ruling upends a lower court ruling and a finding by a Judge of Compensation Claims (JCC) that both upheld the schedule and the fee in the case.

The high court said that while the Legislature has said it intends the workers compensation system to deliver benefits to injured workers efficiently and quickly, in reality the system has become increasingly complex to the detriment of the claimant, who depends on the assistance of a competent attorney to navigate the thicket.

The court said that it is undeniable that without the right to an attorney with a reasonable fee, the workers compensation law can no longer assure the quick and efficient delivery of disability and medical benefits to an injured worker.

The court said it found the irrebuttable presumption, or inability of any claimant to challenge the fee, and not the particular fee, to be unconstitutional.

Stahl Case

The Castellanos ruling came down the same day that the Florida Supreme Court changed its mind and decided it does not have jurisdiction in another closely-watched workers compensation case brought by an injured nurse. The court had earlier said it would rule in the Stahl case that challenged the constitutionality of the entire Florida workers compensation system. The plaintiff questioned whether the workers compensation system has provided an adequate alternative for injured workers since its major overhaul in 2003. More specifically, the case asked if the elimination of a type of partial disability benefits by lawmakers was legal.

In the case of Stahl v. Hialeah Hospital, the court today said simply, After further consideration and hearing oral argument in this case, we have determined that we should exercise our discretion and discharge jurisdiction. Accordingly, we dismiss review.

The high courts decision to pass on Stahl means the First District Court of Appeals opinion in this matter, which upheld other elements of the workers compensation law, stands, according to state officials.

Complete Frustration

In the Castellanos decision, the court said the right of an injured worker to recover a reasonable prevailing party attorneys fee has been a key feature of the states workers compensation law since 1941. Through the 2009 enactment of a mandatory fee schedule, however, the Legislature has created an irrebuttable presumption that every fee calculated in accordance with the fee schedule will be reasonable to compensate the attorney for his or her services, the court said. The $1.53 hourly rate in this case clearly demonstrates that not to be true.

The court said that it did not view the absolute limitation from the point of view of the attorneys rights because the attorney always has the option to refuse representation. Rather, it viewed the conclusive irrebuttable presumption in the context of the complete frustration of the entire workers compensation scheme designed to provide workers with full medical care and wage-loss payments for total or partial disability regardless of fault and without the delay and uncertainty of tort litigation.'

The high court remanded the case to the JCC for entry of a reasonable attorneys fee.

According to the Office of Insurance Regulation, until the legislature addresses this decision, attorney fees will be evaluated under the reasonable award standard articulated in the Murray v. Mariner Health decision.

Topics Florida Legislation Workers' Compensation
If youre a conservative Republican, theres a decent chance that you believe in climate change.

Compared with two years ago that is.

Dont tell this to Rush Limbaugh or presidential hopeful Donald Trump. Although he seems to have warmed a tad to the idea of a changing climate lately, Trump has been known for poking fun at believers in myriad tweets, including one in 2012 stating: The concept of global warming was created by and for the Chinese in order to make U.S. manufacturing non-competitive.

A poll out this week from the Yale Program and Climate Change Communication states that conservative Republicans have experienced the largest shift in climate change believership of any political group with an increase of 19 percentage points over the past two years.

Forty-seven percent of conservative Republicans think global warming is happening, up from 28 percent two years ago, the poll shows.

More American voters understand that global warming is real, including conservative Republicans. The COP21 agreement (the carbon reduction agreement last year in Paris), the unusually warm winter, and media coverage have likely contributed to growing public awareness, lead-researcher on the poll Anthony Leiserowitz, a Yale University professor, said in a statement. Our studies also find that Pope Francis, with his call for climate action, has had an impact on the American climate change conversation.

On the opposite side of the spectrum, nearly all liberal Democrats (95 percent) think global warming is happening, the poll shows.

Could this mean that feelings on climate change will impact the upcoming election?

The poll shows that voters are more likely to vote for a presidential candidate who strongly supports taking action to reduce global warming, with registered voters three times more likely to vote for (43 percent) than against (14 percent) such a candidate.

MmmmBacon

And my vote for best climate change-related headline in recent memory is: How bacon sandwiches could help fight climate change.

An editorial report on the U.K. news website Independent addresses a Danish proposal for a red meat tax.

The Danish Council of Ethics wants food to be taxed in proportion to its impact on climate change.

So that would put a greater premium on cattle, for example, which are responsible for an estimated 10 percent of all global greenhouse emissions, with other meats to follow, the report states.

If nothing else the proposal is a reminder that climate change remains the greatest long-term threat to human prosperity and security  and we need policies that take it seriously, the report states.

Want a fun read on the impact of livestock on climate change? Check out the report embedded below.

Anti-Dirty Dozen

Twelve major corporations based or operating in the U.S. are voicing strong support for the Paris agreement.

The companies endorsing a statement organized by the Center for Climate and Energy Solutions, which encourages governments to hurry up and formally join the agreement, are: Berkshire Hathaway Energy; Calpine; HP; Intel; LafargeHolcim; Microsoft.; National Grid; PG&E; Rio Tinto; Schneider Electric; Shell; Siemens.

The statement, issued last week, reads in part:

The Paris Agreement on climate change is a landmark achievement  it establishes an inclusive, pragmatic and, hopefully, durable framework for progressively strengthening efforts globally to address the causes and consequences of climate change. We recognize the rising environmental, social, economic, and security risks posed by climate change. As businesses concerned about the well-being of our investors, our customers, our communities and our planet, we are committed to working on our own and in partnership with governments to mobilize the technology, investment and innovation needed to transition to a sustainable low-carbon economy.

The statement says the Paris agreement will help facilitate and strengthen the role of the private sector in the transition by: providing long-term direction; promoting transparency; addressing competitiveness; facilitating carbon.

Hurricanes

Not that anyone heres saying climate change is causing more, or fewer, hurricanes, but recent statistics compiled by the U.S. Census Bureau highlight just how many people and properties are exposed along Americas coastlines.

The North Atlantic hurricane season begins on June 1 and lasts through Nov. 30. The Census breakdown features factoids first by number and then an explanation of that number  similar to what youll see in the pages of Insurance Journal in the Declarations and Figures section.

185: The number of coastline counties along the Atlantic (129 counties) and Gulf of Mexico (56 counties) most threatened by Atlantic hurricanes.

59.2 million: The population as of July 1, 2015, of coastline counties stretching from Maine to Texas. In 2006 the population of these counties was 54.6 million, an increase of nearly 5 million in less than 10 years.

3,700: The number of miles of coastline from Maine to Texas.

3.3 million: The number of business establishments in 2013 in the coastal states stretching from Maine to Texas.

51.5: The percentage of U.S. homes that have an emergency evacuation kit. Roughly seven-in-10 households in the Miami and Tampa, Fla. metro areas had emergency supplies readily available in the event of an evacuation, while the Austin, Texas metro area had among the lowest rate of homes with an emergency preparedness kit.

18.3: The percentage of single-family homes that have a generator.

11: The number of years since the U.S. was struck by a major hurricane (Category 3 or higher). The last one was Hurricane Wilma in October 2005 over southwest Florida.

Ok deniers, have fun with that last fact in the comment section.

Past columns:

Livestock and Climate Change

Topics USA Texas Hurricane Agribusiness Climate Change Maine Politics
The Florida Cabinet has selected David Altmaier to be the states new insurance commissioner.

Altmaier, 34, is currently a deputy commissioner within the Florida Office of Insurance Regulation. He will replace Kevin McCarty, who is stepping down after 13 years on the job.

Altmaier was one of three candidates, all OIR employees, interviewed at a special Cabinet meeting today.

He was selected after members of the Cabinet could not agree at previous meetings or at todays on other candidates including Rep. Bill Hager; Jeffrey Bragg, a former federal insurance official; or Belinda Miller, who is OIR chief of staff.

Florida law requires that the governor and CFO must agree on the choice of an insurance commissioner, who can then be hired with the support of at least one other Cabinet member.

Attorney General Pam Bondi and Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam joined Gov. Rick Scott and CFO Jeff Atwater in supporting Altmaier.

The selection appears to end weeks of politics and a standstill between Scott and Atwater over the selection.

More than 70 people submitted applications for the position.

Altmaier, who at age 34 will be one of the youngest state regulators, will be paid $165,000. McCarty will remain with OIR for a two month transition period.

Who Is Altmaier?

Altmaier is a property/casualty specialist who has been with the Florida OIR since 2008. A Kentucky native, he is a 2004 graduate of Western Kentucky University where he majored in mathematics. He spent two years working in a Tallahassee insurance agency (Peggy Browning Insurance Agency) in customer service before joining the Florida OIR in September 2008 as an examiner in the property/casualty financial oversight unit. He has risen in the ranks in that department to become chief analyst in 2012 and director in 2014. Last March he was named OIRs deputy commissioner for P/C.

He has served on various committees of the National Association of Insurance Commissioners, including chairing the P/C Risk-Capital Working Group and the Capital Adequacy Task Force.

Over the past seven years working at OIR, he said he has developed a deep base of knowledge regarding Floridas property/casualty market. In his application, he cited his specific areas of expertise as including catastrophe reinsurance, reinsurance buying trends, residual markets, insurer accounting and reporting requirements, insurer capital requirements and insurance company examinations.

In addition to the knowledge I have obtained through my experience at the OIR, I have also developed skills and abilities as both a regulator and leader, he wrote in his application, citing his ability to communicate with senior level members and staff of the OIR and with elected officials.

My wide variety of experiences related to insurance regulation allows me to view complex problem from multiple perspectives and make regulatory decisions in a fair, appropriate, and deliberative manner, Altmaier wrote.

As part of his work at OIR, he spearheaded development of tools to monitor the resiliency of the states property insurance market in light of its exposure to catastrophic hurricanes.

In particular, the Offices development of these tools under my leadership resulted in the creation and implementation of one of the only catastrophe stress tests of its kind in the United States, he wrote.

In his cover letter with his application, the new commissioner said that through his work at OIR, he has developed a deep appreciation for the role insurance plays in the daily lives of Floridians.

Topics Florida Legislation Property Casualty
It was a Friday night in August 2011. Finance professionals were kept awake after Standard & Poor's (S&P) announced it was downgrading its rating on U.S. debt from AAA to AA+. The news sent shock waves across the world, and those vibrations were felt even more the following Monday, which left the market down over 6% by the end of the day. Yet, that market decline was benign compared to the individual beatings some stocks endured.

China was the next one on the chopping block. On Wednesday, May 24, 2017, rating agency Moody's downgraded the country's credit rating as growth slowed and debt increased. So, why do people care about this and what do these ratings mean?

Key Takeaways S&P's AAA rating is the highest assigned rating to any debt issuer and is the same as the Aaa rating issued by Moody's.

AAA ratings are issued to investment-grade debt that has a high level of creditworthiness with the strongest capacity to repay investors.

The AA+ rating is issued by S&P and is similar to the Aa1 rating issued by Moody's.

It comes with very low credit risk and indicates the issuer has a strong capacity to repay.

S&P Ratings

Standard & Poor's rates the debt of countries and companies based on letter grades. The firm creates its ratings based on information such as annual reports, news articles, and company management. Analysts from S&P determine the company's or country's financial situation and other determining factors.

The letter grades the company assigns range from A to D with pluses and minuses to indicate how likely a borrower will repay its debt. Higher ratings come with triple letters, and grades that come with a plus are better than those with a minus.

What Does AAA Mean?

S&P's AAA rating is the highest that can be assigned to any issuer of debt. It is the same as the Aaa-rating issued by Moody's. This rating is assigned to investment-grade debt that has a high level of creditworthiness. Debt issuers with the highest ratings have the strongest capacity to repay investors. Their strong financial positions give them the lowest chance of default.

The United States had a AAA rating up until 2011 when it was downgraded to AA+. As of May 2022, only a handful of countries had the strongest AAA rating, including Australia, Canada, Luxembourg, and Norway.

What Does AA+ Mean?

The AA+ rating is issued by S&P and is similar to the Aa1 rating issued by Moody's. This rating is of high quality and falls below the AAA ranking. It comes with very low credit risk, even though long-term risks may affect these investments.

The AA+ rating is considered one of the rankings for investment-grade debt. Because they are financially strong, investments that are rated with an AA+ rating have a strong likelihood of repaying their debts, making the chance of default very low.

In addition to Moody's and S&P, the other big rating agency is Fitch. These three rating agencies are the "big three" that investors analyze.

As of May 2022, the S&P rating for the United States still sat at AA+ with a stable outlook. The fact that the U.S.the world's largest economywent from AAA to AA+ for the first time in history was a really big deal. In terms of stature, the downgrade was painful. Moody's, on the other hand, continued to rate the country with an Aaa rating, citing a stable outlook as well.

Does the U.S. Still Have a AAA Credit Rating? Yes, according to DBRS, Fitch, and Moodys. DBRS has the U.S. rated at AAA with a stable outlook, Fitch rates the U.S. at AAA with a negative outlook, and Moodys rating for the U.S. is Aaa with a stable outlook.

What Is the Credit Rating of the U.S.? The U.S. credit rating is AAA according to two major credit reporting agenciesFitch and Moodys. S&P has the U.S. rated as AA+.

When Did the U.S. Lose Its AAA Credit Rating? The U.S. was downgraded from AAA to AA+ in August 2011 by S&P. The rating agency cited the declining predictability of policymaking.



The Bottom Line

Whether your investment holds an AAA or AA+ rating, the difference doesn't really seem to matter. The market was upset and emotional, and the result was a panic-driven day like the end of 2008.

What always matters in this game is valuation and patience. Sticking to the simple philosophy of buying an asset below its long-term intrinsic value will ultimately lead to satisfactory results. It's a philosophy that is indeed simple to understand, yet difficult to execute for most investors.
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Aer Lingus, Irelands national airline, has announced the launch of a direct route from Dublin airport to Los Angeles (LAX) starting May 4.

The Irish airline are inviting their customers to start in their own LA story with five flights direct from Irelands capital to LAX per week and prices starting from $342 / 299 (299 for travel from 1st September to 31st October).

The launch comes as part of Aer Lingus transatlantic expansion which also includes new routes to Newark, New Jersey and Hartford Connecticut from September 2016.

Whatever type of holiday youre after, Los Angeles, California, has it all from sipping cocktails at Santa Monica Pier to enjoying some family time in Disneyland, hiking in the Hollywood Hills or seeing stars on Hollywoods Walk of Fame. Fly from Irelands east coast to Americas west coast in just 11 hours direct and save time with U.S. customs and immigration pre-clearance at Dublin Airport before your departure.

To begin the official countdown to Aer Lingus inaugural flight from Dublin to LAX, the airline treated Dubliners to a LAXperience, flying Venice Beach street crew The Calypso Tumblers to Irelands capital for an exclusive performance on South King Street.

Aer Lingus brings the Calypso Tumblers to Dublin from Aer Lingus on Vimeo.

The group of dancers, acrobats, gymnasts and contortionists entertained the crowds with an upbeat street performance which displayed their incredible breakdancing, body bending and super-human strength. The crew have previously performed on Good Morning America and The Today Show in the US and also reached the semi-finals of Americas Got Talent Season 2.

For more information and to book flights to Los Angeles, visit www.aerlingus.com.
Two months before the famous Summer of Love in 1967, a thin 51-year-old Irishman named Peter Tyrrell walked into Hampstead Heath park in London, poured gasoline over his head, then lit a match and set himself on fire.

His body was so badly charred it would take a year before he was successfully identified.

His name, the authorities discovered, was Peter Tyrrell. A native of Ballinasloe, Co. Galway, he was one of 10 children raised in chaotic poverty.

In his memoir he recalls how six of us slept on the kitchen floor on an old mattress. There were no windows in the house and the floor was cobblestone because it was intended to be a stable...

Conditions were so bad that six of the 10 children were taken into what could only euphemistically be called care. Aged eight, Peter joined his three older brothers in the now notorious boys home of St. Josephs Industrial School in Letterfrack, run by the Christian Brothers. He would remain there until 1932.

What he saw and experienced, the sheer cruelty and despair, would haunt him for the rest of his troubled life.

As is now undeniable, extreme poverty was often criminalized by the authoritarian Ireland of the 20th century. People who were as poor and vulnerable as the Tyrrell's could quickly find themselves treated as non-citizens, targets of unrestrained contempt and abuse.

Founded on Fear is the name the book Tyrrell wrote about his life in Letterfrack. Written between 1957 and 1958, about 10 years before his death, he writes in the foreword that it is with deep regret that I find it necessary to tell my story.

That level of self-effacement tells you just how hard it must have been to put himself forward, and it also suggests that he anticipated being ignored, because people in his dire straits usually were in the Ireland of the period.

The manuscript went unpublished and reportedly languished for decades among the many papers of the late Irish Senator Owen Sheehy Skeffington, until it was eventually discovered by Diarmuid Whelan, an academic based at University College Cork who understood its importance as a social document and had it published in 2006.

Tyrrell wrote to Sheehy Skeffington in 1964, three years before his death, to inform him the book was just a prelude to establish his credentials. What he really wanted was to plan public demonstrations -- a prospect that was next to impossible in the theocratic Republic of the period.

But Tyrrell's story was one to cure deafness. Aged eight, shortly after his arrival at St. Josephs, Tyrrell saw for the first time small children being beaten with sticks. The beatings were intense and non-stop, he writes.

It is now Sunday morning and about 12 of us are lined up to be beaten in the washroom at the end of St. Michaels dormitory, he writes.

We are ordered to take off our pants. Walsh (one of the brothers) now goes to his room and returns with a stick. Its a new stick, which he cut a few days ago.

I am at the very end and I see others flogged before me. The Murtaugh boy is now beaten and he is screaming loudlyIts my turn next, after about six blows I manage to run away, down the stairs and into the bathroom.

Walsh now follows me down, he is hitting me on the head and the face and back, as I put up my right hand to ward off a blow he hits me a heavy blow on the arm. My arm is broken. I spend two weeks in the infirmary.

Breaking a child's arm was not seen to be grounds for dismissal in the Ireland of the period. Sexual abuse also went unpunished, with known offenders having all claims against them ignored.

Years later, after he was released, Tyrrell suffered from debilitating post traumatic stress disorder that blighted the rest of his life.

In 1939 he joined the British Army and was taken prisoner by the German Army toward the end of the war. The prison camp reminded him of the Irish industrial school.

The unhealthy color of the face, prominent cheek bones, sunken eyes and round shoulders. But unlike Letterfrack there is no ill-treatment. I have not seen or even heard of anyone being beaten, he wrote.

Life here... during the last months of the war is hard and unpleasant. Yet it is heaven on earth in comparison with life at Letterfrack.

Tyrrell is bluntly stating that the Nazis treated him better than the Christian Brothers did.

Ireland wasn't ready to listen to what had happened to him. Born in the revolutionary year of 1916 and dead as the Beatles and Flower Power promised love was all you need, the Ireland of 1967 wasn't prepared to give him a hearing.

In many places it still is not. The statistics speak for themselves, however.

One hundred and forty seven children died at Letterfrack while in the care of the Christian Brothers, mainly from physical abuse and neglect. The school was closed in 1974.
Irish rebel leader Padraig Pearse was born on November 10, 1879, and executed on May 3, 1916, in the wake of the Easter Rising. The more you study his life and work, the more elusive he becomes.

The poet W.B. Yeats, who knew Pearse reasonably well, famously thought him half-mad, a man flirting with the gallows tree.

In a letter to his sister, Yeats, who disavowed force of arms to achieve a united Ireland, wrote: Pearse I have long looked upon as a man-made dangerous by the vertigo of self-sacrifice. He has modeled himself on (Robert) Emmett.

But like many in the aftermath of the Rising, the Irish poet and his wider family saw their shock turn to anger when the British Army remorselessly executed each of the main insurrectionists one by one.

Like most Irish people their surprise at the evident madness of the Irish uprising was quickly surpassed by their revulsion at the overweening British response.

But there in the eye of the storm, from Easter week through to his last day alive on May 3, walked the mysterious figure of Patrick Pearse. He carried himself at all times, his contemporaries said, like a man in possession of secret knowledge, like the future moving through the present. It was as though he had somehow time-traveled to a far future date and saw his actions justified, his ideas vindicated and delivered on.

This was a knowledge that he could not have had on Easter week 1916, but he acted as though he did, and how his contemporaries felt about him and the Rising later largely depended on how much foresight they were willing to grant him.

Of course, the job of anchoring the Rising, of celebrating or diminishing its legacy, of saying what it meant and did not mean, is never-ending. It has been an argument amongst historians since the first Tricolor was raised on Easter Monday.

What is not debatable was the body count. About 54 percent of those killed in the Rising were civilians, another 30 percent were British military and police, 16 percent were Irish rebels, and 40 were children. More than 2,600 people were wounded.

It's a fact that most of the civilians that were killed died as a result of the British using artillery and heavy machine guns. The relentless shelling and the wildfires caused by incendiary shells left parts of inner-city Dublin impassible or in ruins.

The sheer scale of that bloodshed appalled Yeats, but Pearse rationalized it with his talk of blood sacrifice, in the kind of abstract militarist rhetoric that was actually widespread during World War I.

The old heart of the earth needed to be warmed with the red wine of the battlefields, he wrote in 1915. Such august homage was never before offered to God as this, the homage of millions of lives given gladly for love of country.

His messianic note is of its time but it is nonetheless disturbing. It leaves him open to Conor Cruise O'Brien's claim that Pearse saw the Rising as a Passion Play with real blood.

That is arguably true that he did, but there was more to it. The reason that debate over Pearse's character and true intentions have endured for a hundred years is that he has resisted every attempt made to diminish him.

Those who loathe him  and they are legion  must concede with those who admire him that he eludes every net which is cast to anchor his life and death. If he could baffle a poet as uncommonly attuned to a character and the cycles of history as W.B. Yeats he can baffle us all.

More than anywhere, his mystery is best captured by his portraits, each taken in profile, each capturing a weird light in his eye that suggests he is not quite of this world and not long for it. Even to look at his portraits is to be eluded.

But the central fact about him that his critics and even some of his admirers continually overlook is that it was not death that he sought but life, independent life for his own county.

He saw his death  and that of his fellow insurrectionists  as a price to be paid, a bargain to be struck, a sacrifice. It was a sacrifice that did not make a stone of the heart but would let it beat in unfettered freedom. To miss that, and many do, is to miss his challenge and his message.

We marvel at Pearse now the way we marvel at anyone who will put their life on the line in the service of a greater good. We marvel at his certainty too. How could he carry himself as though he knew he had achieved the independence for his nation that he had dreamed of?

What is most unsettling about Pearse is also what makes him so compelling: his foresight, his conviction, his willingness to put everything on the line for them.

A British soldier, who took part in some of the executions, said that Pearse whistled on his way to the firing squad. It was as if he knew something no one else did.

It always will be.

*Originally published in June 2017.

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The great-grandson of social activist, union leader and Easter Rising leader James Connolly warned crowds gathered in New York of the revision of the memory of the 1916 rebellion in Ireland.

Speaking at a 1916 centenary commemoration event organized by Friends of Sinn Fein, from the same stage where Connolly himself addressed American friends of Ireland on September 15, 1902, James Connolly Heron spoke of what he believes is the airbrushed approach to history in the way that this centenary has been celebrated in Ireland, condemning the PC-approach adopted by the Irish government which called on the public to remember not just the Irish Volunteers but the British soldiers that lost their lives during that Easter week.

He continued to say that he believed the mentality shown by the right-wing press in Ireland implied that England were simply putting manners on the Irish and making us more refined, as if our people were not living in the worst slums in Europe at the time.

Taking place in the Great Hall in Cooper Union in Manhattan, Connolly Heron claimed that by honoring everyone, we are honoring nobody in particular, suggesting that we should be proud of our freedom and not dismissive of it.

Images from last nights wonderful 1916 event in Coopers Union Hall in NY. pic.twitter.com/IuNUcDOQur  Gerry Adams (@GerryAdamsSF) April 29, 2016

Whereas this golden generation in the early 20th century Ireland sacrificed everything for the freedom of their country, this generation, he believes, now sacrifice their country for their lifestyle.

Joining Connolly Heron on the first day of this commemorative event was John Samuelson and Lorcan Collins in an evening devoted to the links between the labor movement and the Irish independence movement.

Collins, founder of the the 1916 Walking Tour in Dublin and co-author of The Easter Rising: A Guide to Dublin in 1916, also spoke of Connollys time in the US and his speaking tour which began in Coopers Union.

Condemning Trump as a man who pits the working class against each other through his incendiary remarks, Collins claimed that Connolly would truly have been a Bernie man.

In an insightful lecture on the labor leader who Collins claimed was behind the greatest workers defense force, possibly in the world, emphasis was also placed on the strong women in the Irish labor and freedom movements, in particular the great friend of Connollys Countess Markievicz; Rosie Hackett, who is now the only woman to have a bridge named after her across the Liffey, the other 24 all being named after men; and Margaret Skinnider, the Glaswegian teacher who spent her last paycheck on a rifle for the Irish cause.

Gerry Adams leads the singing of A Nation Once Again at last nights Coopers Union Hall event in New York pic.twitter.com/T7VxQFXpkj  Richard G McAuley (@richardgmcauley) April 29, 2016

With gender quotas now in place in Ireland to try and increase the number of female participants in politics, it seems that Irish women lost the equal footing they had during the Easter Rising. The cause of this could perhaps be seen in an interesting anecdote from Collins of Eamon de Valera, former Taoiseach of Ireland and Irish President, who would come into power later in the 20th century.

His own feelings towards women having an equal part to play in the future of Ireland can perhaps be seen in firstly his failure to collect the troops from Cumann na mBan to bring them to the place where his battalion were fighting during the Rising and his subsequent reply to Countess Markievicz in later years when she questioned why he never came to bring them down. When pressed on the matter, Dev supposedly responded by saying he wished he had, as it would have allowed him to take his men from kitchen duty!

President of Sinn Fein, Gerry Adams, was the final speaker of the second night of talks, which concentrated more on the question of Irish unity than on Connolly and the labor movement.

Admitting that a government will be formed in Ireland next week, but Sinn Fein will not be voting for it, Adams once again called on Irish Americans to use their influence for the end of partition in Ireland.

To those who fought for justice in Irish prisons & streets,how much easier wd it hv been if the Irish govt were on their side? @GerryAdamsSF  Michael Patrick MacD (@MickPaddyMack) April 29, 2016

Reflecting on comments made by the British that the Irish had some part to them play in them losing America, Adams said, Heres to the day they lose Ireland through the Irish Americans.

Joining Adams on the stage on Thursday April 28 was Christine Kinealy from Quinnipiac University and Sinn Fein politician from north Kerry Toireasa Ferris.
May 4, marks the death of 1916 Easter Rising Leader Micheal OHanrahan, among the 15 men court-marshaled by the British for their role in the Rising's organization and operation.

The Easter Rising, the rebellion which took place over the course of five days in Dublin in 1916 and forever changed the course of Irish history, may have led to the execution of its leaders. Now more than ever those who put their lives on the line for Irish independence are regarded as heroes.

Below Dermot McEvoy takes an in-depth look at the life of Micheal OHanrahan and his contribution to Irish history:

Micheal OHanrahan

Micheal OHanrahan was born in New Ross, County Wexford, and grew up in Carlow where he founded that countys first branch of the Gaelic League. With the death of his father in 1903 OHanrahan and the whole family moved to Dublin. He found employment in Dublin as a proofreader for an Irish language publisher. He joined Sinn Fein in 1909 and the Irish Volunteers in 1913. Like a lot of the 1916 leaders, he was very interested in literature and was the author of two novels, A Swordsman of the Brigade and When the Norman Came.

OHanrahan worked as a clerk for the Irish Volunteers at #2 Dawson Street. This may have been when he first came to the attention of the G-men of the Dublin Metropolitan Police (DMP). He lived in Phibsborough at #67 Connaught Street with his mother, eight sisters, and his brother, Henry, who also worked for the Volunteers. The DMP were suspicious that the Connaught Street address served as an arsenal for Volunteers weapons and munitions as well as a meeting place for seditious activities.

On Easter Monday, along with his brother Henry, he was with the force that occupied Jacobs Biscuit Factory. He was to be quartermaster in charge of supplies of this occupation and the titular number two in command behind Thomas MacDonagh. However, when John MacBride joined up with the rebels he naturally superseded both MacDonagh and OHanrahan because of his military experience during the Boer War. Except for some sniping, the week at Jacobs was relatively quiet.

On Sunday, April 30th, Nurse Elizabeth OFarrell brought the news of the surrender to Jacobs. Many of the rebels didnt want to surrender, but OHanrahan, according to one Volunteer, in his slow, calm and reasoned tone advised surrender. According to OFarrell Micheal OHanrahan and his brotherasked me if I would take charge of some silver (about 3 in all) they had in their pockets and convey it to their mother. This I consented to do. OHanrahan then marched the short distance with the rest of the Jacobs men to St. Patricks Park to surrender. Later, at Richmond Barracks the OHanrahan brothers were seen crying together, locked in each others arms. Although devastated by the defeat, OHanrahan said: We may go under and have to suffer the penalty, but in my opinion, Ireland is saved.

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At his court-martial, OHanrahan said: As a soldier of the Republican army acting under the orders of the Provisional Government of that Republic duly constituted I acted under the orders of my superiors. On basically no evidence, he was found guilty. This is doubly surprising because of all the rebel outposts in Dublin City Jacobs was probably the quietest, with the least blood being shed.

And this is where the callousness of the British is truly evidenced. They sent a courier to the OHanrahan house in Phibsborough with a message that Michael OHanrahan, a prisoner at Kilmainham, wished to see his mother and sisters before his deportation to England.

Two of his sisters, relieved that they knew of his whereabouts and that he was to be spared execution, went to Kilmainham to visit him. When they got there they ran into Kathleen Clarke who had just visited her condemned brother, Ned.

According to Clarke in her autobiography, Revolutionary Woman: Before leaving the jail, I saw two sisters of Micheal OHanrahan. They were members of the Central Branch, Cumann na mBan. I spoke to them and asked them why they were there. They said they had been sent for to say goodbye to Micheal. They had not the faintest idea he had been sentenced to death; they thought he had been sentenced to imprisonment, and perhaps was being sent to England. They thought that was the reason they had been sent for. Eileen, I said, he is being sent into the next world. This is a final goodbye. She screamed. I had given her an awful shock, but thought it better she should get it now than in Micheals cell. For Gods sake, Eileen, I said, control your feelings before you see him or you will unnerve him. She did; both sisters did, they were wonderful. They went through the interview with Micheal bravely, but Eileen went down in a dead faint as soon as she was outside the cell. I was so sorry for those girls, as Micheals execution was a thing they never anticipated.

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After his sisters left he made his will, received the sacraments, and asked Father Augustine, Father, I would like [it if] you saw my mother and sisters to console them. Father Augustine later said that OHanrahan was one of the truest and noblest characters that it has ever been my privilege to meet.

He was executed on May 4th between 4 and 4:30 a.m. and buried between Ned Daly and Willie Pearse at Arbour Hill. One-hundred years after his death Micheal OHanrahan remains one of the least known of the 1916 martyrs. His biggest sin was that he was known to G-men because they kept the Volunteer's headquarters on Dawson Street under surveillance. He will be remembered by his hometown of New Ross on the anniversary of his 140th birthday in January 2017 when a statue of him will be unveiled.

~~~~~~~~~~

Dermot McEvoy is the author of the "The 13th Apostle: A Novel of a Dublin Family, Michael Collins, and the Irish Uprising and Irish Miscellany" (Skyhorse Publishing). He may be reached at dermotmcevoy50@gmail.com. Follow him at www.dermotmcevoy.com. Follow The 13th Apostle on Facebook here.

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* Originally published in 2017.
Update 2pm: Disagreement is emerging between Fine Gael TDs on whether or not water charges will be reimbursed.

The party has agreed a three-budget deal with Fianna Fail and is expected to take office as a minority government this week. A vote will be held on Wednesday to elect a Taoiseach.

As part of the deal, water charges are being suspended for at least nine months and there are calls within Fine Gael for the fees to be reimbursed to those who paid.

Acting Environment Minister Alan Kelly said: "If charges are abolished, people are entitled to a refund."

And acting Arts Minister Heather Humphreys said people should be reimbursed if charges are abolished.

However, the party's Regina Doherty disagrees with reimbursing those who have paid.

"My mindset is about reintroducing the suspended charges, so my answer to (whether people who paid should be reimbursed) would be no. They are law-abiding citizens who abided by the law, and those who did not will be pursued," she said.

Deputy Doherty said she believed the water charges would be back within 12 to 18 months.

Fianna Fail's stance on refunds is not yet clear. Party negotiator Niall Collins said today: "All I can say is water charges have been suspended and it will be a matter for Dail Eireann to reinstate water charges if a vote is taken."

Earlier:

Anti Austerity Alliance TD Paul Murphy has questioned whether a Fine Gael-led minority government would be stable.

He also called for all those who paid water charges to be reimbursed, now that a suspension of at least nine months of charges has been negotiated between Fine Gael and Fianna Fail.

"We think anybody who paid water charges should now be refunded," he said.

"The amount set aside for the conservation grant for this year is about equal to what it would cost to refund everybody who paid for water last year, and the Government has to stop paying out that conservation grant now.

"Immediately, the charges should be scrapped, the arrears should be scrapped and everybody who paid should be refunded their money."

Meanwhile, Fianna Fail TD John McGuinness said the priority now needed to be the people of Ireland.

Deputy McGuinness said the new government needed to start easing the burden on struggling families.

"People's lives have been devastated. The banks have inflicted terrible pain on families, while they themselves were saved," he said.

"We need to look at actions that will ease the burden on families."
CrimTrac has awarded NEC Australia the contract to deliver Biometric Identification Services (BIS) in 2017, and ongoing management and support services for five years following.



The BIS project will deliver a national solution for facial recognition, transforming Australian law enforcement and national border security agency capabilities in fighting crime and protecting the Australian community.



Specifically, NECs facial recognition technology will assist policing for the purposes of identification, linking and solving crimes, and rapid identification using mobile capture devices, and will further enhance national border security.



Facial recognition offers a number of advantages over other biometric modes, such as identification at a distance using recorded video footage and images, as well as real-time identification capabilities.

CrimTrac has selected a proven platform that leverages NEC's global expertise in designing and deploying multi-modal biometrics in law enforcement and border security. NECs fingerprint and facial recognition technologies are used by more than 1000 customers in over 40 countries worldwide, including the Northern Territory Police.NEC has ranked first for accuracy and speed in three consecutive facial recognition annual benchmark tests conducted by the U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST).NEC Australia was able to offer CrimTrac a proven solution through our global partnership with the NEC Biometrics Centre of Excellence in Sacramento, California. Our proven solution is based on a state-of-the-art multi-modal biometrics platform that NEC developed for the US market, said NEC Australia Sales Director Chris Korte.The platform will replace CrimTracs National Automated Fingerprint Identification System (NAFIS), and make better use of already captured biometric data, such as existing police databases containing up to 12 million facial images and 6.7 million print sets.NEC Australias implementation of BIS will also enhance CrimTracs traditional biometric modes for identification including fingerprint, palm print and foot print data. The BIS project will lay the foundation for CrimTrac to integrate additional biometric modes in future.NEC Australias BIS project with CrimTrac is an important milestone in NECs global mission to orchestrate a brighter world by collaborating with partners to create a sustainable earth, safer cities and public services, efficient critical infrastructure, and a prosperous, equal, and active society.
Wake Forest Universitys Center for Innovation, Creativity and Entrepreneurship (CICE) has recognized several individuals as outstanding entrepreneurs.

Ricky Van Veen has been named as the winner of the 2016 Excellence in Entrepre-neurship award winner. Van Veen is co-founder of College Humor, a comedy brand website, and the video sharing site, Vimeo. He is a 2003 graduate of Wake Forest and started CollegeHumor.com in the fall of 1999 during his freshman year.

Bill Conner has been named the Russell D. and Elfriede Hobbs Faculty award winner. Conner was recognized for his advocacy of and support for Center for Innovation, Creativity and Entrepreneurship. Under his guidance, faculty passed the entrepreneurship and social enterprise minor in 2005. Since that time, 64 courses with entrepreneurship as a central theme have been added to the curriculum.

Lauren Miller and Olivia Wolff have been named winners of the Russell D. and Elfriede Hobbs Student Award for Entrepre-neurial Achievement (Commercial Venture). The pair received the award for UpDog Kombucha, a business that brews handcrafted kombucha, a fermented tea, and sells to students and the La Vie en Rose food truck. Miller is a junior and economics major. Wolff is a senior and health and exercise science major.

William Wang has been named the winner of the Chambers Family Fund Student Award for Entrepre-neurial Achieve-ment. Wang launched The Media, a student-run organization that aims to provide credible digital content within the Wake Forest community. He also established the iTunesU platform for WFU, providing video content including courses, news, interviews and promotional material. He is a sophomore majoring in business and enterprise management.

Arthur Willson has been named the winner of the ICE Student Award for Excellence in Innovation. Willson received the award for EZ Cork, an easy-open wine solution that uses an integrated loop to remove the cork from a bottle, and represented Wake Forest at the inaugural ACC InVenture Prize at Georgia Tech. He is a freshman.

Kurt Walker has been named the Lelia and David Farr Award for Excellence in Entrepre-neurship winner. Walker launched Spool, a group video sharing application, on the Apple App Store in September 2015. The app allows users to create a Spool, a short video or phrase, then submit a short, looping video around the theme of that Spool, which shows up on the feeds of the creators followers. Walker is a senior and computer science major.

Keshav Daga has been named the winner of the VentureWell University Innovation Fellow award. Daga founded Deacon Clean with a roommate in his sophomore year and served as the universitys Innovation Scholar as a junior. He is the recipient of the Orton Scholarship and a junior majoring in finance.

Hanesbrands Inc. has earned its seventh consecutive partner-of-the-year award from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agencys Energy Star program. The award recognizes continued excellence in energy conservation, carbon emissions avoidance and environmental sustainability. HanesBrands owns and operates production facilities and was recognized for a global energy management program that includes the following 2015 accomplishments: the construction of a 5.5 megawatt biomass-fueled heat-and-power plant to support operations in El Salvador and avoid energy derived from heavy oil; the initiation of an annual companywide global energy summit for executives, managers and engineers to plot achievement of long-term 2020 environmental performance goals; the addition of five additional plants achieving Energy Star Challenge for Industry recognition for reducing energy use by more than 10 percent; and the commitment to responsible produced cotton and energy efficient yarn processing. Since 2007, Hanes has reduced its energy use by 25 percent, water use by 31 percent and carbon emissions by 21 percent. Last year, Hanes derived 25 percent of its worldwide energy needs from renewable sources, including biomass, hydroelectric, geothermal and wind. Hanes is the only apparel company to ever be honored by Energy Star in the programs 25-year history.

Five new deans have been elected at Greensboro College. David Schram has been named the dean of the School of the Arts and is the Jefferson-Pilot Professor of Theatre. William MacReynolds has been named the dean of the School of Business and is an assistant professor of business administration. Daniel Malotky has been named the dean of the School of Humanities and is the Lucy H. Robertson professor of religion and philosophy. Jessica Sharpe has been named the dean of the School of Sciences and Mathe-matics and is a professor of biology. Rebecca Blomgren has been named the dean of the School of Social Sciences and Education and is the Jefferson Pilot Professor of Education. Each dean was elected to serve three-year terms through the 2018-2019 academic year. All five have served the past two years as founding deans of their respective schools by appointment of Lawrence D. Czarda, the president of Greensboro College. The five deans, who constitute the Academic Deans Council, recommended Rich Mayes, Jefferson Pilot Professor of Biology, to continue as dean of the faculty for a three-year term. Mayes has held that position by appointment for the past two years. Mayes also recently received the General Board of Higher Education and Ministry of the United Methodist Church Exemplary Teaching award. The award is presented annually to a full-time faculty member who demonstrates excellence in teaching; civility and concern for students and colleagues; commitment to value-centered education; and service to students, the institution, the community, or the church.

Allison Palmadessa has been named a winner of the Virginia Clarke Grey award. Palmadessa is an assistant professor of history at Greensboro College and has served on numerous committees including faculty affairs, scholastic standing, Title IX policy revision and teacher education. The award was established in 1994 by Virginia Clarke Grey-Backus, a member of the colleges Class of 1942, to recognize an exemplary junior faculty member. Candidates for the award are nominated yearly by the faculty of the colleges five academic schools, and the winner is chosen by the Academic Deans Council.

Association Management Group has been chosen to manage Bramblegate Association Inc., a 240-unit townhome condominium community on Bramblegate Road, just off Guilford College Road, in Greensboro. Association Management Group is a professional homeowner association managers group with five offices in North and South Carolina and will offer services including working with the volunteer board, assisting with contract negotiation and budgeting, managing maintenance issues and enhancing community communications. Compiled by Cindy Hodnett
Forsyth Tech participates in Small Business Week

Forsyth Technical Community College is participating in National Small Business Week, which runs through Saturday, the college said in a news release.

National Small Business Week recognizes the contributions of Americas entrepreneurs and small-business owners.

Sterritt wants a science building at Salem College

President Lorraine Sterritt of Salem College has a short wish list for her school.

She posted on Facebook picture of herself holding a sign saying, Before I die, I would like to build a science building for Salem.

Robinson praises class of 2016

Chancellor Elwood Robinson of Winston-Salem State University has congratulated the universitys graduating Class of 2016.

On his Facebook page last week, Robinson said he was proud of the graduating students.

Your passion, your drive and your hard work will serve you well as you go out into the world, he said.

WSSU will have its commencement ceremony at 9:45 a.m. May 13 at Bowman Gray Stadium.

Harris-Perry participates in Washington symposium

Melissa Harris-Perry, a political science professor at Wake Forest University and editor-at-large at Elle Magazine, spoke last week in Washington, D.C. on issues related to black women and girls.

Harris-Perry participated in the symposium titled Barriers and Pathways to Success for Black Women and Girls, which explored the condition and opportunities to improve the state of African American women, WFU said in a statement.

WFU names faculty director of Wake Washington

Katy Harriger, professor and chair of politics and international affairs, has been named faculty director of Wake Forest Universitys new Wake Washington program, which will combine academic and internship experiences in the nations capital, WFU said in a statement.

Scheduled to begin in the fall of 2017, the program will provide students with outstanding opportunities to explore what it means to be a citizen, a policy maker, and a leader, said Michele Gillespie, dean of the College.
RALEIGH  When you ask North Carolina voters to name the top election issue in state politics, the most common answer  unless we are in the midst of a recession  is education.

That answer makes good sense. North Carolina state and local governments combined spend more on education, from preschool to grad school, than on any other program or service. While we may disagree about how best to improve student learning, most of us see that goal as closely linked to the health of families, the growth of the economy and the strength of our republic.

Nevertheless, Id also like to see candidates for governor, legislature and local offices present and debate their views about the other major categories of government expenditure. One of them is transportation. North Carolina governments spend about $4.5 billion a year on transportation, with about 90 percent of it devoted to roads and bridges.

Over the past 10 years, there have been significant changes in state transportation policy, on both the spending side and the revenue side. Beginning under former Democratic governors Mike Easley and Bev Perdue, and then accelerating under current Republican Gov. Pat McCrory, North Carolina has changed its funding formulas and explored new ways for motorists to fund the roadways they use.

The single-biggest change occurred in 2013, when McCrory and the state legislature enacted the Strategic Transportation Investments law. It changed the way states, regions and localities set their priorities. Projects now compete with each other based on clearly stated goals such as reducing traffic congestion, increasing safety and moving people and freight more efficiently.

In practice, North Carolinas new Strategy Mobility Formula will have the effect of shifting scarce road dollars from projects that would have transported relatively few people to those that will transport lots of people. Thats good for North Carolinians as a whole  even those who may live in less-populous communities, because congested urban interstates can deter business locations or expansions and keep rural residents from accessing jobs, retail and other amenities in metropolitan areas.

North Carolina is on the leading edge of a national movement to rethink how transportation dollars are spent. A couple of months ago, the Congressional Budget Office released a study of federal transportation priorities. It found that if a rigorous cost-benefit test were applied to federal dollars, they would go more to adding interstate lanes in congested urban areas, repairing other highways in and around metros and repairing bridges on rural interstates, primary and secondary roads.

On the revenue side, policymakers have added hundreds of millions of dollars a year to North Carolina transportation budgets. The most significant change was last years decision finally to end the transfer of gas tax revenue from the Highway Fund to the states General Fund. That followed efforts during the late Easley and Perdue administrations to phase out similar transfers of gas and car tax revenue from the Highway Trust Fund. Legislators also increased some Division of Motor Vehicles fees and changed the way North Carolinas gas tax is calculated. The latter reduced tax collections in the short run but will allow them to rise more in the future in tandem with overall inflation.

Finally, the state reintroduced pay-for-use in roadways by constructing the Triangle Expressway, a toll road now in use along the southern side of the Raleigh-Durham metro, and contracting with a private firm to build and operate additional toll lanes on I-77 north of Charlotte.

Do North Carolina voters like the idea of paying tolls? Not according to a recent High Point University survey, which found 32 percent saying yes and 63 percent saying no. But that was actually the least-unpopular option for raising road revenue. Respondents disapproved of hiking gas taxes by a margin of 72 percent to 23 percent and overwhelmingly opposed charging motorists per vehicle mile traveled (87 percent to 10 percent).

These findings suggest the first priority should be to spend existing transportation revenues more wisely  something that North Carolina is already beginning to do. Stay on course.
Julie Grassel gives her husband, Mike Grassel, a kiss goodbye as she drops him off at art therapy class at the Donna Lexa Art Center in Waukesha. Credit: Michael McLoone / for the Journal Sentinel

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Mike Grassel loves Julie Grassel and Julie loves Mike. That's the way it is and that's the way it has been for more than 30 years.

And someday, Julie says, when they die and join each other in heaven, she will remind Mike of all that has happened.

Mike remembers some of it, though he remembers less than he once did, and in the years to come he will remember less and less.

As for now, he remembers meeting Julie on their first day of college, in a psychology class at University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. As for now, he remembers how it quickly became clear to them both that they would live out their lives together.

As for now, he can remember that in their sophomore year, as his mother was driving him to work on Interstate 94, a wheel came loose from an oncoming car, smashed through the windshield of their car and, without harming his mother, hit him in the head.

When he regained consciousness a week later, he didn't know who Julie was.

Julie stayed at Mike's side as he re-entered his life. He re-learned to walk. Re-learned to talk. Re-learned the simplest things. People asked Julie why. Even Mike asked her why. He was changed. The man she fell in love with was now a different man. She could go on with her life. Without him. No one would blame her.

Why not go on without him?

"I didn't even understand the question," Julie says. "I had made a commitment. Nothing changed for me."

In time, Mike returned to school, got his degree, he and Julie married, built careers, had a couple of kids  Stephanie and Nick  and settled down in Brookfield.

And then, about seven years ago, Mike began to forget. Connections in his brain came apart. Well-worn neural pathways came to confusing dead ends. Where once there was something, there was now a gap.

Mike was just 43 years old, and his doctor thought he might have early onset Alzheimer's disease.

The diagnosis was modified to progressive dementia, the result of his brain injury. But Mike's prognosis remained much the inevitable same as it had been for Alzheimer's.

He will forget.



Early onset Alzheimer's affects people younger than 65.

The Alzheimer's Association estimates that about 5% of the more than 5 million Americans with Alzheimer's have an early onset, sometimes called younger onset, form of the disease.

Many people who sustain a severe head injury never develop Alzheimer's disease or dementia. More research is needed to understand the link.

Mike and Julie have adjusted their lives so that Mike remains social and connected; they are very active in the array of programs offered through the Southeastern Wisconsin Chapter of the Alzheimer's Association.

To Mike's surprise, he has found a new passion.

Art.



On a recent evening, Julie drops Mike off at the Donna Lexa Art Center, located in a building behind the First Baptist Church in Waukesha.

Donna Lexa offers art classes to students with special needs: cerebral palsy, schizophrenia, brain injury, Down syndrome, stroke, autism, Alzheimer's.

The classroom smells like glue and markers. A riot of work hangs on all the walls and covers virtually every horizontal surface. Dolls hang in a set of windows that run the length of a wall and look out to a park across the street.

A dozen students, and about half as many volunteers and staff, sit around a table in the center of the room. The mother of one the students, Mary Green, has died. In grief, Mary has drawn a portrait of her mother on a sheet of cardboard and cut it out. The cutout sits on the chair beside her.

The room is already a blur of activity, but everything kicks up a notch when Mike comes in, wearing a T-shirt he's dyed with Packers green and gold. He goes around the room distributing hugs and compliments.

"That's really cool," he says. "Oh that's awesome. Wow, look at that!"

The windows darken. Wind pushes against them and there's a lashing of rain. The classroom is warm and bright and loud. Mike puts music on his phone. He gets people to sing with him. He gets them to dance.

Mike is working  more or less  on a landscape collage. By the time Julie comes to pick him up, he's only added a few things.

The dominant feature of Mike's landscape is a rainbow. Rainbows appear in a lot of his work. They stand for hope, he says.

That's what he's about, he says. Even now. Especially now. Hope.

"I almost died," Mike says. "I was gone and then I was there."

"It's all bonus," he says, and then he says it again.

"It's all bonus."
Milwaukee County Executive Chris Abele is setting his sights on addressing racial disparities during his second four-year term. Credit: Journal Sentinel files

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Milwaukee County Executive Chris Abele was re-elected in April to another four-year term, but a list of priorities he is setting out to accomplish  chief among them reducing racial disparities in jobs, education, wellness, incarceration and housing  will more than fill the time.

Less than four weeks after the election victory, Abele appeared relaxed in his Courthouse office as he discussed what lies ahead for county government in the next four years.

Working with the County Board to get an Office on African-American Affairs up and running tops his list.

The office will make county services more visible and active in neighborhoods where residents are predominantly African-Americans, particularly the 53206 ZIP code on Milwaukee's north side, Abele said.

That geographic area, he said, wraps around an unacceptable concentration of poverty. That will not surprise anyone since the city's African-American poverty rate of 38% is among the worst for U.S. cities, according to Abele.

But 67% of children in 53206 are living in poverty and the overall poverty rate there is 48%.

Milwaukee Ald. Khalif Rainey was a county supervisor last fall when the County Board approved the office. He said at the time that the office would focus "on issues that have crippled the African-American community." Those include high unemployment, low educational achievement, lack of access to health care and affordable, safe housing, Rainey said.

The county administers social programs that can improve their lives, according to Abele.

"We can add more job training programs there, targeted at people who need it the most," Abele said. "We can focus more housing services there. Invest in parks. Child support programs, including the Pathways for Fathers and Families program, will focus on 53206.

"I am asking all county department heads what they could do" to reduce racial disparities, he said.

At his post-election night gathering, Abele asked his supporters to hold him accountable at the ballot box in four years if the county does not positively affect life in these north side neighborhoods. "We're going to put a stake in the ground," he said at the time.

Abele will be in the 53206 ZIP code Monday for his inauguration and to highlight recent county-funded recreational improvements.

He will take the oath of office at Moody Park, 2200 W. Burleigh St., where the county spent $2 million last year to replace a pool and build a new community building. The ceremony begins at 10:30 a.m. Monday.

On May 18, the fledgling Office on African-American Affairs will hold a public meeting from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. inside Community of Grace Baptist Church, 1809 W. Atkinson Ave.

County staff at that meeting will discuss a recent evaluation of workforce development programs in all departments, said Nate Holton, Abele's deputy chief of staff.

After unanimously approving the Office on African-American Affairs in November, the County Board will consider a resolution this month to appropriate $300,000 for its initial budget, enabling Abele to hire a three-person staff.

The board already approved transferring a vacant grant writing job out of Administrative Services to the new office. That person will be responsible for pulling in additional funds to support the office's activities.

Apart from the office, some of the other projects and programs on Abele's priority list are familiar to the public: reopening the Tropical and Desert Domes at Mitchell Park Conservatory now that the Show Dome is open to the public, and planning for the future of the conservatory; repairing the facade of the Courthouse; continuing to plan for future construction of a new Criminal Courts building after the proposed demolition of the Safety Building; and eliminating chronic homelessness.

Juvenile corrections

One issue that remains on the front burner from last year  a promise to move Milwaukee youth out of the troubled Lincoln Hills juvenile prison in northern Wisconsin and return them to the county  likely will dominate administration and County Board discussions for many months to come.

Those transfers still need to be done as county officials scramble to find alternative treatment programs here that can accommodate the youth.

Momentum is building for a bus rapid transit route between downtown Milwaukee and the Milwaukee Regional Medical Complex in Wauwatosa.

Last June, Abele proposed this new transit service between the region's two largest job centers. The county, cities of Milwaukee and Wauwatosa and regional planners are attempting to put it on a fast track for completion in 2019.

Keeping to that ambitious schedule depends on reaching local consensus on a preferred route in time to meet a federal transit grant deadline in September, he said.

Voters hired Abele for a second four-year term in the April 5 spring election. He received 55% of the vote to defeat challenger state Sen. Chris Larson (D-Milwaukee), according to official results.

At a March 31 debate sponsored by WisPolitics.com, Abele pledged to complete the full term and said he would not run for governor in two years.

Abele, 49, was first elected in 2011 in a special election to fill the final year in Scott Walker's term after Walker was elected governor. Abele was re-elected in 2012 to a full four-year term.

Abele is a philanthropist and business owner. He is CEO of a real estate company, CSA Commercial, and managing director of a venture fund, CSA Partners.
With the upcoming retirement of Supreme Court Justice David Prosser, Gov. Scott Walker has a chance to set an example of a better way to select Supreme Court justices. Credit: Associated Press

Last week, after David Prosser announced he'll be retiring from the state Supreme Court at the end of July, I posted on Facebook and Twitter, "Shouldn't the next governor name Prosser's successor? Let the people decide!"

A snarky reference to the refusal of some GOP senators, including Wisconsin's Ron Johnson, to take up President Barack Obama's nomination of Merrick Garland to the U.S. Supreme Court, I was basically going for "cute," not "serious commentary." (Is that even possible on Facebook?)

It's received 20-plus likes, which is barely a tick; I can get more than that in 10 minutes if I post a photo of my dog lying on the couch. My liberal-leaning friends enjoyed it, my conservative-leaning pals, not so much, with one pointing out that the U.S. court appointment is for life and that it's not an election year for the governor of Wisconsin.

True enough, but I still think there's a serious point to be made here. Not that Walker should hold off making an appointment but that Senate Republicans who refuse to consider Garland are failing to do their duty. As many others have noted, the "people" elected Obama to a full term, not to whatever term GOP senators think he should serve.

The president did his job by nominating Garland to the seat left vacant by the death of Justice Antonin Scalia; I think the Senate should do its job by considering Garland and giving him an up-or-down vote.

But I also think this: The appointment processes in both cases  federal and state  is too political. On Friday, the Journal Sentinel ran an editorial asking Gov. Scott Walker to think a little more boldly and appoint a commission to come up with a slate of nominees from which the governor could choose, much like the Missouri plan used by a number of states.

Although it would buck a couple of hundred years of precedence, I think Obama could have done the same, and future presidents should. From what I've read, Garland would make a fine justice; better than many. But had Obama named a commission to give him several choices, the public might have been better served, and it might have lessened the political pushback from Republicans (OK, maybe not).

In Obama's case, there is a safeguard of sorts: The Senate must confirm or deny the appointment. Obama is not solely responsible for Scalia's successor; he shares that responsibility.

Walker doesn't have that cover. Walker doesn't have to rely on anyone for advice, let alone consent. Voters ultimately will confirm Walker's selection, but in the case of Prosser's replacement, not until 2020. And even if it were sooner, incumbency carries an awful lot of weight in the voting both.

The Editorial Board challenged Walker to think outside the usual political box. Too often in the past, Democrat and Republican governors have picked Supreme Court justices when vacancies occurred because of their political connections and loyalty.

And Wisconsin's primary method of filling court seats is just as rife with politics. Big money from partisan but unknown donors have resulted in recent elections for the state's highest court poisoned by name-calling and ugliness.

Yes, the election process has given the state some outstanding justices, such as the current and former chief justices, but it also has thrown up some clunkers who couldn't handle municipal court, let alone the Supreme Court.

Wisconsin deserves justices devoted to the law, not politics, as Prosser hinted at in his resignation letter to Walker. Walker could set an example and offer a less partisan way of selecting justices. That might even mitigate the governor's partisan reputation, something that he could point to with pride as his legacy (or in his next campaign).

The Missouri Plan isn't perfect, and maybe there are other plans out there that would work better. But it has the virtue of at least mitigating the weight of politics in the selection process. Walker should give it a chance.

Ernst-Ulrich Franzen is the Journal Sentinel's associate editorial page editor. Email: efranzen@jrn.com; Twitter: @efranzen1
Protesters lie in front of a garage Thursday to stop agents with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement from leaving the downtown Milwaukee building. Credit: Alyssa Pointer

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Immigrant advocates blocked garage doors for two hours Thursday morning at the downtown Milwaukee office of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to protest recent immigration raids in the city.

"This is a pragmatic action, not a symbolic one," said Christine Neumann-Ortiz, executive director of the immigration advocacy group Voces de la Frontera. "We're literally shutting down ICE."

The protest was part of the national "Not One More" campaign organized by the National Day Labor Organizing Network, which has orchestrated rallies and acts of civil disobedience in cities across the U.S. this spring. With Congress stalled on immigration reform and deportations under President Barack Obama surpassing 2 million, the labor network is calling on the president to issue an executive order halting deportations until reform legislation is passed.

More than 70 protesters marched on the sidewalk in front of the building, 310 E. Knapp St., chanting and waving signs with slogans such as "Keep Families Together" and "Not One More Deportation."

Ten of the advocates formed lines in front of each garage door, sat down and linked their arms together with plastic pipes. They included the niece, daughter and brother of Manuel Lopez, an immigrant who was arrested in an immigration raid May 27 and remains in the immigration department's detention center in Dodge County.

Police arrived around 7 a.m. Thursday, but no action was taken by authorities against the protesters, who disbanded around 9 a.m. No immigration department vans left the facility during the protest.

"We're declaring victory," said Leilani Lopez, a sister-in-law of Lopez. In the past, vans left for raids early in the morning, between 5 and 7 a.m., she said. "We succeeded in bringing attention to the cause."

Brianna Lopez, 11, said she was getting in the car to go to school when immigration agents showed up to arrest her father.

"The past three weeks have been really hard," she said. "I miss him so much."

Officials defend arrests

Immigration authorities have defended the Milwaukee arrests of 49 people in the past month, saying most were criminals who posed a danger to society.

"ICE fully respects the right of all people to voice their opinion without interference," said Gail Montenegro, speaking for the immigration department's Chicago office. "While we continue to work with Congress to enact common-sense immigration reform, ICE remains committed to sensible, effective immigration enforcement that focuses on its priorities, including convicted criminals and other public-safety threats."

Participants in Thursday's protest argued that many detainees had no criminal record, or their only crime was entering or re-entering the U.S.

"For ICE, every undocumented immigrant is a criminal," said Jonathan Zuniga, one of the activists blocking the garage doors.

Manuel Lopez, a lawful permanent resident who has lived in the U.S. since he was 8, does have a criminal record: He was convicted in 1997 of carrying a concealed weapon and in 2001 for possessing and delivering cocaine. Lopez's family said he was offered money to deliver a package, not knowing he was taking cocaine to undercover cops.

"But he turned his life around, learned from his mistakes and is now a role model for his children," Neumann-Ortiz said.

Antonio Ayala, who participated in the rally with his wife, Olga Perez, was arrested May 27 and spent three days in the Dodge County detention facility before being released on $5,000 bail. His criminal convictions were three drunken-driving cases more than 10 years ago. He now faces deportation.

"I have five kids here, one who is 6 years old," he said. "If I'm deported, my family will disintegrate."
An unsigned memo last October from within an agency of Scott Walkers administration blasted the then-proposed overhaul of the century-old civil service system, the State Journal reports. Credit: Rick Wood

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The sweeping changes to Wisconsin's civil service rules ushered in by Gov. Scott Walker and Republican lawmakers were strongly criticized within the administration when they were proposed last fall, the Wisconsin State Journal reported Sunday.

An unsigned memo last October from within the state Division of Personnel Management  an agency created just last year in Walker's budget  blasted the then-proposed overhaul of the century-old civil service system, the report said.

The State Journal, citing documents obtained through an open records request, reported the staff member who wrote the memo said such major changes to civil service rules had never before been made without a study.

The staffer questioned the plan to stop using civil service exams to fill state jobs and instead have applicants submit resumes, predicting that the change would make it harder to identify qualified applicants and weed out the non-qualified, and would lengthen the hiring process.

The memo also criticized the revised standards for disciplining and firing state workers.

Walker spokeswoman Laurel Patrick said by email that concerns raised in the memo were "significantly addressed" as the bill moved through the Legislature. Other staff members with the Division of Personnel Management also provided feedback on the proposal, Patrick said.

The bill was an important piece of legislation for Walker, who has rewritten the rule book on government employment in Wisconsin, most notably by gutting collective bargaining for most public workers.

Signing the civil service bill into law in February, Walker said it would update a slow and inefficient system, while retaining the principle of hiring based on merit rather than politics.

Critics have said the changes will open the door to cronyism.

Besides eliminating civil service exams, the new law will stop letting longtime employees avoid termination by bumping less-senior workers from their jobs and will greatly shorten the process for employees to appeal dismissal or discipline.
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By Thalif Deen | (Inter Press Service) |  

UNITED NATIONS, Apr 28 2016 (IPS)  Ten presidents and prime ministers from around the world will work together to resolve the growing global water crisis amid warnings that the world may face a 40 percent shortfall in water availability by 2030.



The pastoralists of Ethiopias Somali region are forced to move constantly in search of pasture and watering holes for their animals. Credit: William Lloyd-George/IPS

The figures continue to be staggering: despite improvements, at least 663 million still do not have access to safe drinking water.

And projecting into the future, the United Nations says an estimated 1.8 billion people  out of a total world population of over 7 billion  will live in countries or regions with water scarcities.

The crisis has been aggravated by several factors, including climate change (triggering droughts) and military conflicts (where water is being used as a weapon of war in several war zones, including Iraq, Yemen and Syria).

The High Level Panel on Water, announced jointly by the the United Nations and World Bank last week. is expected to mobilise financial resources and scale up investments for increased water supplies. It will be co-chaired by President Ameenah Gurib of Mauritius and President Enrique Pena Nieto of Mexico. The other eight world leaders on the panel include: Malcolm Turnbull, Prime Minister of Australia; Sheikh Hasina, Prime Minister of Bangladesh; Janos Ader, President of Hungary; Abdullah Ensour, Prime Minister of Jordan; Mark Rutte, Prime Minister of the Netherlands; Jacob Zuma, President of South Africa; Macky Sall, President of Senegal; and Emomali Rahmon, President of Tajikistan.

At a UN panel discussion last week, UN Deputy Secretary-General Jan Eliasson of Sweden said water lies at the nexus between sustainable development and climate action.

If the water service fee is beyond a households ability to pay, it is a human rights violation.  Darcey OCallaghan, Food and Water Watch.

Referring to the two extremes in weather patterns droughts on the one hand and floods on the other  Eliasson said one of his colleagues who visited Pakistan after a huge flood, remarked: Too much water and not a drop to drink.

When world leaders held a summit meeting last September to adopt the UNs post-2015 development agenda, they also approved 17 SDGs, including the elimination of extreme poverty and hunger and the provision of safe drinking water to every single individual in the world  by a targeted date of 2030.

But will this target be reached by the 15 year deadline?

Sanjay Wijesekera, Associate Director, Programmes, and Chief of Water, Sanitation and Hygiene at the UN childrens agency UNICEF, told IPS: As we enter the SDG era, there is no doubt that the goal to get safely managed water to every single person on earth within the next 15 years is going to be a challenge. What we have learned from the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) is that water cannot be successfully tackled in isolation.

He said water safety is compromised every day from poor sanitation, which is widespread in many countries around the world, particularly in South Asia and sub-Saharan Africa.

Currently, nearly two billion people worldwide are estimated to be drinking water which may be faecally contaminated.

As a result, UNICEF and others working on access to safe water, will have to redouble their efforts on improving peoples access to and use of toilets, and especially to end open defecation.

As we address water, sanitation and hygiene, we must also take into account climate change. Droughts, floods, and extreme weather conditions all have an effect on the availability and the safety of water, said Wijesekera.

He also pointed out that some 160 million children under-5 live in areas at high risk of drought, while around half a billion live in flood zones.

Asked how best the water crisis can be resolved, Darcey OCallaghan, International Policy Director at Food and Water Watch, told IPS the global water crisis must be addressed in two primary ways.

First, we must provide clean, safe, sufficient water to all people because water is a human right. Affordability is a key component of meeting this need. Second, we must protect water sustainability by not overdrawing watersheds beyond their natural recharge rate.

If we allow water sources to run dry, then we lose the ability to protect peoples human rights. So clearly, we must address these two components in tandem, she said.

To keep water affordable, she pointed out, it must be managed by a public entity, not a private, for-profit one. Allowing corporations to control access to water (described as water privatization) has failed communities around the globe, resulting in poor service, higher rates and degraded water quality.

Corporations like Veolia and Suez  and their subsidiaries around the worldare seeking to profit off of managing local water systems, she said, pointing out that financial institutions like the World Bank and regional development banks often place conditions on loans to developing countries that require these systems to be privatized.

But this is a recipe for disaster. Profits should not be the priority when it comes to providing water and sanitation services to people, said OCallaghan.

Asked if the public should pay for water, she said there is no longer any question that water and sanitation are both human rights. What the public pays for is water infrastructure upkeep and the cost of running water through the networks that deliver this resource to our homes, schools, businesses and government institutions.

The UN has established guidelines for water affordability three percent of household incomeand these guidelines protect the human right to water. If the water service fee is beyond a households ability to pay, it is a human rights violation.

One approach that has shown promise are public-public partnerships (PPPs). In contrast to privatization, which puts public needs into the hands of profit-seeking corporations, PPPs bring together public officials, workers and communities to provide better service for all users more efficiently.

PUPs allow two or more public water utilities or non-governmental organizations to join forces and leverage their shared capacities. PPPs allow multiple public utilities to pool resources, buying power and technical expertise, she said.

The benefits of scale and shared resources can deliver higher public efficiencies and lower costs. These public partnerships, whether domestic or international, improve and promote public delivery of water through sharing best practices, said OCallaghan.

The writer can be contacted at thalifdeen@aol.com

Via Inter Press Service
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By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) |  

Baghdad is under a state of emergency on Sunday a day after members of the Sadr Trend stormed the Green Zone and invaded the parliament building, briefly imprisoning parliamentarians in the chamber (and some in a basement) before letting them go. Some apparently were beaten as they left. Most of the protesters, though, were relatively peaceful and had been ordered to avoid violence by their leader, Muqtada al-Sadr. As at Tahrir Square in Cairo in 2011, of which the invasion of the Green Zone was a distant echo, they chanted peacefully, peacefully ( silmiyyah, silmiyyah).

When George W. Bush invaded Iraq in 2003 he established blast walls around central government offices, establishing a four square mile Green Zone (i.e. one that was safe and which the US controlled, with the rest of the country being a Red Zone; more or less, that situation never changed). The parliament building and Western embassies were in the Green Zone. I visited it in 2013. You enter through a narrow entranceway and can only really go in by foot (this measure stops car bombs from getting in). The security people who checked us in were international Ghana and Peru or something. I doubt they would die for the cause. There were Iraqi troops on the outside of the blast walls. Apparently some of them sympathized with the Sadr Trend and let the crowd pull down a couple pylons of the blast wall, after which they streamed in.

Who were the protesters? The Sadr Movement is particularly popular in East Baghdad or Sadr City, a dense slum where a plurality of Baghdadis live. The father of cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, Muhammad Muhammad Sadiq al-Sadr, was assassinated by Saddam Husseins secret police in 1998. Young Muqtada survived underground. He reemerged in 2003 to oppose the US military occupation of his country, forming the Mahdi Army, which more than once fought US troops. His was a movement of the poor and the street. After the US withdrew, al-Sadr adopted a lower profile. But now that President Obama has reestablished a US military command in the country, al-Sadr has come back out to protest the renewed US presence and the al-Abadi government, which the US props up.

What were they protesting?

The spoils system.

Now that Andrew Jackson is being taken off the $20 bill and his demerits and virtues are being debated, the spoils system is back in the news. He made enormous numbers of promises to his supporters about the goodies they would get if he won the 1828 election. He came in firing an unprecedented number of people from government jobs and filling those positions with member of his party. Win the election, you get the spoils.

A sitting President, James A Garfield, was assassinated in 1881 over the spoils system (his assassin had supported the party but wasnt rewarded as he thought he should have been).

Not until the Pendleton Act of 1883 was a nonpartisan civil service commission created, and the spoils system began to decline at least a bit. (In todays US government, sometimes the SES positions above GS-15 are given to political appointees, and of course the cabinet and sub-cabinet slots are all filled by political appointees; but this is a thin sliver of the upper bureaucracy, whereas most people who work in government offices have a career unaffected by the party in office).

So how is all this relevant to the storming of the Iraqi parliament?

The Bush administration in its years of military occupation of Iraq presided over the installation of an Iraqi spoils system more rowdy and rapacious than anything Andrew Jackson ever imagined. The Bushies and the UN put a parliamentary system in place, so that the parties that form the biggest coalition in the national legislature get to put forward a prime minister, who is appointed by the president. That prime minister then appoints a cabinet, with most cabinet ministers overseeing a ministry. The cabinet appointees came from the parties supporting the prime minister in parliament. Thus, the minister of housing might be from the Da`wa Islamic Party (the Islamic Call or Mission Party), a Shiite fundamentalist group drawn from whats left of the Iraqi middle class and typically led by laymen rather than clergy. The Ministry of Labor would then be packed with members of the Dawa Party.

Some of this spoils system is rooted in the Debaathification drive of Ahmad Chalabi, Nouri al-Maliki and other Shiite political entrepreneurs who wanted to fire Sunni Arabs from the Iraqi bureaucracy after the fall of Saddam Hussein. They tagged anyone who belonged to the Baath Party as unsuitable for government service, even down to school teachers. And, it wasnt just members of the party but people who had relatives who were members of the party. Most Baath Party members committed no greater crime than conformism (or maybe they wanted to travel; you had to be a member to get a passport). So Chalabi et al. got rid of some 100,000 Sunnis from their government jobs at a time when the Bushies ran the Iraqi state factories and other state-owned companies into the ground because they didnt believe in socialism. So the Sunnis were just made unemployed.

When Nouri al-Maliki reigned as Prime Minister 2006-2014, his spoils system became ever more corrupt and exclusive. The Sunni Arabs of Iraq were almost entirely excluded from spoils. Members of al-Malikis Dawa Party got fabulously rich off the countrys oil income. The corruption of his officer corps led directly to the collapse of the Iraqi army at Mosul in 2014, allowing Daesh (ISIS, ISIL) to take over 40% of the country. The sense of deprivation of the Iraqi Sunni Arabs who cooperated with Daesh also drove these events. You couldnt say he was a successful prime minister.

Iraq is what is called by political scientists a rentier state. That just means that the government gets an income (or rent) from external payments (in this case foreign purchases of its petroleum). Rentier states famously dont really need their people so much. In ordinary states like the US, a lot of politics is about how much the government will tax the people, and who will get the benefit of government services. In a Rentier state, there are no taxes. Politics is about how much the state officers have to share their bonanza with the people. Wise rentier states share liberally. Iraqs elite is not wise.

Al-Malikis successor, Haydar al-Abadi, was, like al-Maliki, a leader of the Dawa Party and continued the spoils system. Other parties complained that Dawa got the lions share of lucrative ministerial appointments (and therefore that the partys members got the good government jobs).

Muqtada al-Sadrs al-Ahrar Party (Party of the Free Ones; people complained when I called it the Liberty Party but that is what it amounts to) gained 36 seats in the 2014 parliamentary election and was given 3 cabinet seats. These appointments did not give the Sadrists much patronage.

But al-Sadr has only a tenuous relationship to the party, anyway. His power base is the poor Shiites of the slums, in East Baghdad, Amara, Basra and elsewhere in the Shiite south. Although Iraq is an oil country, you couldnt tell it by looking. I was there in 2013 and was shocked by how decrepit everything was. It was like a third world country, not like Dubai or Doha. I wondered where all that oil money could be going. If I wondered that, imagine what the slum dwellers think.

So beginning last summer the Sadrists began saying they were mad as hell and werent going to take it any more. They accused the party officials heading the ministries, along with many of the parliamentarians of essentially embezzling the countrys vast oil wealth.

By February al-Sadr had presented an ultimatum to al-Abadi to abolish the spoils system by appointing a technocratic cabinet. That is, the minister of health would be a high powered physician or hospital administrator, not a Dawa Party hack. Sadr brought 200,000 people into the streets of downtown Baghdad demanding this outcome. It wasnt only al-Sadr making this demandmany members of the smaller parties who felt that al-Dawa had gotten greedy joined in.

Al-Abadi at length acquiesced and presented a list of technocrats to head ministries. But cabinets have to be approved by parliament. When the speaker of parliament looked like he would go along with al-Abadi and al-Sadr, the parties that dominate parliament voted to remove him and replace him. They werent giving up their spoils so easily. But others in parliament did not accept this parliamentary coup, so there are now two speakers of parliament.

The members of parliament are so busy with other things (including international travel and residences abroad) that they cant easily get a quorum together to vote on al-Abadis technocratic cabinet, and it is not clear he could muster a majority for the measure. Parliament was trying to meet on Saturday when the angry people of the slums and run-down middle class neighborhoods made a breach in the blast walls around the Green Zone, which surround the parliament building and Western embassies, keeping them safe.

The Sadrists among them accused the parliamentarians of being thieves and of neglecting services for the poor. They also resent Irans influence with the al-Abadi government, and some chanted against Tehran from the floor of parliament.

Al-Abadi is trying to reestablish order and has declared a state of emergency.

But you cant imagine parliament forgiving him for presiding over this attack on their security, and some doubt he can remain prime minister. More important, the conflict brings into question the whole architecture of Iraqi governance put into place under American rule in 2003-11.

While this uprising of poor Shiites may seem a distraction to Americans of the fight against Daesh in the Sunni north, both situations derive from similar inequities. The spoils system deprived the Sunnis of a fair share in the oil wealth, just as it deprived the Shiite slum dwellers. The Sadr Trends relatively peaceful but dramatic breach of the Green Zone and the surrender of the Mosulis two years ago to Daesh are both protests of the deprived against the fat cats.

American pundits will find a way to make all this about sectarianism or Shiism or Islam. It isnt. Much of what is going on in Iraq is a form of class struggle. It turns out that Neoliberalism and the Rentier State havent, as some imagined, made Marx irrelevant. But it is also true that some of the work the Communist and Baath Parties used to do in Iraq back in the 1960s is now being done by al-Sadrs brand of puritanical slum Shiism.



Related video added by Juan Cole:

Iraq parliament stormed | DW News
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Human Rights Watch |  

An airstrike on April 27, 2016, that hit al-Quds Hospital and surrounding areas, killed 58 civilians, including medical staff and many patients, according to the Syrian Civil Defense, an opposition search-and-rescue volunteer group. On April 29, another airstrike hit a clinic in the opposition-held al-Marja neighborhood, injuring 10 people, according to the Syrian Civil Defense. First responders reached by Human Rights Watch said they knew of no military objective close to the hospital or the clinic.

As the cease-fire frays, Syrian civilians are again paying the price in blood, said Philippe Bolopion, deputy director for global advocacy. The UN Security Council should act immediately over the attack on al-Quds Hospital and demand an inquiry to determine who is responsible.

The Russian government denied responsibility for the attack on al-Quds Hospital. The US State Department blamed the Syrian government.

According to Bibars Mishal, a first responder with the Aleppo branch of the Syrian Civil Defense, airstrikes struck al-Quds Hospital, which is supported by the humanitarian organization Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF), at 10 p.m. on April 27. There were no military targets in or around the medical facility at that time, Mishal said.

It was such a painful sight, Mishal told Human Rights Watch from inside Aleppo city. We worked for 30 hours to get one small child out of the rubble. And people are still working to extricate others, even as the planes keep flying above our heads and firing.

Video of the carnage at the Aleppo strikes shot by opposition journalists showed a man carrying a dead child with severe head wounds. The video showed people digging others out from under rubble and fires burning in nearby buildings. According to a statement by MSF and the International Committee of the Red Cross, al-Quds Hospital had eight beds in their pediatrics unit and was the main center for referrals for sick children in opposition-held Aleppo.

The United Nations Security Council should immediately act in response to these attacks on medical facilities. Under international humanitarian law, medical facilities are afforded a special protection, while also retaining the general protections applied to civilians and civilian structures. The council should request that the UN secretary-general conduct an independent inquiry into the events within two weeks, identify who conducted the strikes, and evaluate the impact the attacks will have on access to health care in the area.

Security Council Resolution 2254, adopted on December 18, 2015, called on all parties to the conflict in Syria to immediately cease any attacks against civilians and civilian objects as such, including attacks against medical facilities and personnel, and any indiscriminate use of weapons, including through shelling and aerial bombardment.

Armed groups in opposition areas were also responsible for the death of civilians in government-held Aleppo city as they shelled civilian neighborhoods. According to the Syrian state news agency SANA, 16 civilian worshippers were killed and 41 injured in armed group shelling on a mosque on April 29, during Friday prayers in Aleppo city.

The Syria peace talks in Geneva have all but collapsed. The oppositions High Negotiations Committee suspended its participation on April 18, partly in protest over the renewed violence in Syria. Casualties had decreased since the cessation of hostilities was announced on February 26, but escalated again in the past two weeks. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported on April 30 a total of 244 civilians killed in Aleppo over eight days of airstrikes and shelling  140 of whom died because of airstrikes in opposition-held Aleppo  including 19 children and 14 women. The group also said that 96 civilians, including 21 children and 13 women, were killed in government-held Aleppo from shelling by armed groups.

The UN Security Council should impose an arms embargo that would suspend all military sales and assistance, including technical training and services, to all forces credibly implicated in serious violations in Syria, Human Rights Watch said. The council should also impose sanctions against officials from all sides who are shown to be implicated in the most serious abuses, and commit to a credible process to ensure criminal accountability for grave abuses by all sides. Human Rights Watch has repeatedly called on the Security Council to give the International Criminal Court a mandate in Syria.

Deliberate or reckless attacks against civilians and civilian structures committed with criminal intent are war crimes. The laws of war require that the parties to a conflict take constant care during military operations to spare the civilian population and to take all feasible precautions to avoid or minimize the incidental loss of civilian life and damage to civilian objects. Like other civilian structures, hospitals may not be targeted. Furthermore, they remain protected unless they are used to commit hostile acts that are outside their humanitarian function. Even then, they are only subject to attack after a warning has been given setting a reasonable time limit, and after such a warning has gone unheeded.

Via Human Rights Watch

-

Related video added by Juan Cole:

Channel 4 News: Aleppo hospital attack: CCTV footage shows Al Quds air strike in Syria
OMAHA -- With last years 50th anniversary celebration finished, Berkshire Hathaway Chairman Warren Buffett focused Saturday on the future, explaining to shareholders the advantages and challenges facing the free enterprise system and the $360 billion conglomerate he heads.

Im trying to think of very big deals that we can do in investments and operating businesses, Buffett said at one point during a five-hour question-and-answer session with Berkshire shareholders, held at Omahas CenturyLink Center.

He and Vice Chairman Charlie Munger said Berkshire has long-term advantages that give it more flexibility in dealing with problems that will hold other companies back.

Saturdays meeting marked 51 years since Buffett bought majority ownership of the business in 1965. Last year, an estimated 44,000 people attended the meeting, which Berkshire touted as a special event and encouraged shareholders to attend.

Although the in-person audience seemed somewhat smaller this year  there were some empty seats in the CenturyLink arena, and foot traffic in the adjacent convention center seemed less congested  the total audience this year was no doubt a record.

Thats because Buffett invited Yahoo Finance to live-stream the meeting on the Web for the first time, with the option of simultaneous translation into Mandarin. Buffett said he arranged the online version so more shareholders could see him and Munger at work and so business owners in other countries could become more familiar with Berkshire.

Yahoo did not have an immediate estimate of how many people watched the meeting online.

During the official portion of the meeting, shareholders voted 88 percent against a proposal by the Nebraskans Peace Foundation, which owns one Berkshire Class A share. The proposal called for Berkshire to report on the risks to the companys property insurance companies from climate change.

Buffett had recommended against the proposal, saying the insurance companies could raise prices or assume less risk if climate change started to cause significant property damage.

Outside of such a broad-reaching issue, Buffett discussed other issues in business more specific to Berkshire.

In response to a question from a shareholder from Bonn, Germany, Buffett said one of the biggest recent changes in business is the switch from push selling  advertising products and services to consumers  to pull selling, when consumers find what they want on the Internet.

Its a hugely powerful trend ... a big, big force, Buffett said, affecting the relationship between businesses and their customers. He cited Amazons record in providing ways for consumers to find what they want online, which disrupted the bookstore business and is threatening others.

It will disrupt more, Buffett said.

He said Geico, Berkshires auto insurance business, is adjusting to the change, although it still buys lots of advertising to push its products to new consumers. As more consumers began to shop for auto insurance online, Buffett said, we jumped in with both feet.

As Geico and other subsidiaries have conglomerated to form an increasingly disparate collection of businesses, Buffett said its very, very unlikely that an activist investor group someday would succeed in breaking Berkshire into parts in an effort to unlock hidden value.

The companys board of directors is ready to buy up Berkshire stock if it falls to a certain level, the companys businesses would be worth less if they were separated, and existing shareholders wouldnt support a breakup, he said. Its not a factor now, Buffett said.

He also attacked investment advisers and other helpers who collect fees and commissions from investors, saying pension funds, insurance companies and individuals would be better off putting money in low-cost mutual funds that simply follow the overall stock market, known as index funds.

In 2008 Buffett and an investment company, Protege Partners, made a 10-year, $1 million bet, with the money going to charity, on whether a simple Standard & Poors index fund would outperform a group of funds with professional managers who receive fees for making investment choices.

At the end of eight years, Buffett said Saturday, the index fund has gained 65.7 percent and the Protege fund has gained 21.9 percent.

He said the payments to such advisers act as a huge anchor on investment returns, and only a small number of financial managers make investment choices that outperform the overall growth by the American economy.

Meanwhile, Buffett said the companys reinsurance business  taking over property and casualty risk from other insurance companies in return for fees  is likely to be less profitable over the next decade than it has been the past decade.

Thats partly because other financial companies have entered the reinsurance business, adding to the supply of reinsurance available, although the demand isnt increasing.

Berkshire sold its 10 percent interest in Munich Reinsurance and 3 percent interest in Swiss Reinsurance because of that outlook, Buffett said, but Berkshires own reinsurance division should do well.

But Berkshire has more flexibility in its insurance operations, including its reinsurance operations, Buffett said. We have an extra string to our bow that the rest of the industry doesnt have.

Buffett said declining use of coal by U.S. power companies will continue, which reduces revenue that railroads such as Berkshires BNSF Railway will receive in coming years.

He called on Matt Rose, CEO of BNSF, and Greg Abel, CEO of Berkshire Hathaway Energy, to add comments to his responses to shareholder questions. Both used microphones from the floor of the arena in front of the stage where Buffett and Munger sat during the meeting.

Over the past 17 years, Buffett said, while the number of Berkshire shares has remained fairly steady, the companys operating profits declined five times and increased the 12 other years, from less than $1 billion in 1999 to a peak last year at $17.36 billion.

He said he expects the general upward trend to continue, although from year to year operating profits may decline or increase more or less rapidly.

Buffett said Berkshires operating earnings, which dont count investment results, dropped 12 percent in the first three months of 2016 compared with a year ago. Buffett cited declining railroad earnings and insurance results for the drop. Counting investments, net income was up 8 percent to $5.6 billion.

Buffett praised 3G Capital, a Brazilian investment firm that partnered with Berkshire in buying Kraft Heinz Co., for its ability to cut costs and improve profits.

He said he hasnt spotted any mistakes by 3G at Kraft Heinz and is watching whether brands or units that have seen cuts are seeing falling sales volume. Berkshire and 3G Capital acquired H.J. Heinz & Co. and in 2015 merged Heinz with Kraft Foods into a company with annual sales of $27 billion.

Cost cutting is sometimes necessary, he said. The ideal method is not to do it in the first place, but there are all kinds of American companies that are loaded with people that arent really doing anything, or are doing the wrong thing. If you cut that out, it should not really have any significant effect on volume.

World-Herald staff writers Cole Epley and Russell Hubbard contributed to this report.

Berkshire Hathaway Inc. owns the Omaha World-Herald.
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<p>Crime scene in Port Orchard on Tuesday. (MEEGAN M. REID / KITSAP SUN)</p>

SHARE The apartment where a woman was killed Tuesday. A few flowers lean against the door of the apartment of Amber Lynn Coplin on Wednesday in Port Orchard. Kalac

By Kitsap Sun Staff

PORT ORCHARD  Police in Oregon detained homicide suspect David Michael Kalac on Wednesday night, ending the search for the 33-year-old who Kitsap sheriffs investigators believe killed his girlfriend Amber Lynn Coplin, 30, in Port Orchard.

Her body was found Tuesday at their apartment after Kalac is believed to have posted graphic photos of her body online, saying he hoped to provoke police into shooting him.

Kalac was detained by deputies in Wilsonville, Clackamas County, about 20 miles south of Portland without incident after he turned himself in, according to reports.

Police in Wilsonville posted a photo of Kalac to their Twitter account at about 9:30 p.m., saying he gave himself up at 8:50 p.m. Two Kitsap sheriffs detectives arrived in Oregon to interview Kalac, the office reported.

The announcement of the arrest came shortly after local television stations showed police surrounding a house in Portland after receiving an unconfirmed report about Kalac. Coplins Ford Focus, the subject of search since Tuesday afternoon, was recovered earlier in the day near that neighborhood after a short chase with Portland police.

According to the Kitsap Sheriffs Office, Kalac had been living with Coplin at an apartment on the 4000 block of Madrona Drive SE.

Coplins body was found by her 13-year-old son, court documents state. The boy, who also lives at the residence, told investigators that Kalac and Coplin had been in a very loud argument late Monday. When the boy left Tuesday morning, his mother was in bed.

He returned home and assumed she was sleeping. When later she remained in bed, he called his father, who came over, found the woman unresponsive and called 911 about 3:30 p.m. Tuesday.

South Kitsap Fire and Rescue arrived and confirmed that Coplin was dead.

On the wall of the apartment, deputies found writing on a picture: she killed me first. Coplins purse had been dumped out, and on her license was written dead.

Kalac also sent text messages to a friend alluding to the crime, according to reports. Kalac has a history of felony assault and harassment, including a conviction in April for domestic violence against another woman, court documents show.

Neighbors interviewed by deputies said they heard a loud and violent argument late Monday coming from Coplins apartment, as well as loud banging and thumping noises from the apartment.

Coplins car, a 2001 gold Ford Focus, was missing. Portland police spotted a Focus and pursued it early Wednesday but did not apprehend the suspect, according to Detective Lt. Earl Smith, of the Kitsap County Sheriffs Office.

Coplins car was found about 4:30 p.m. Wednesday abandoned in Portland, the Kitsap Sheriffs Office said. It will be returned to Kitsap County.

According to court documents, investigators found the suspects phone number and saw that at 6:20 a.m. Tuesday, he sent a message to a friend stating: Youll see me in the news.  There will be no more me. Ever. Youll read about it. Thats all.

Graphic photographs were posted by an anonymous user on social media websites Tuesday. A news release from the Sheriffs Office confirmed that the images depicted the scene inside Coplins apartment.

The photos appeared to have been posted before the crime was reported. Text accompanying the pictures indicated that law enforcement and the media would know about the womans death once one of her family members found her body and declared an intention to commit suicide by cop.

Neighbors in the South Park apartment complex said they were stunned by the killing.

Marlene Fecto, 41, lives in the apartment next to Coplin. She said she was home at the time of the incident but didnt hear any commotion.

According to Fecto, the couple moved in a few months ago from another apartment in the neighborhood. They were quiet but not rude. They both seemed normal, she said, and that made the graphic reports of the crime even more disturbing.

To know I saw these people every day ... Fecto said. But then again, what does a murderer look like?

Other neighbors said the low-rent apartment complex has a bad reputation with high tenant turnover. For the most part, they said its a peaceful neighborhood to live in. Theres nothing bad about this place, said Kathy Price, who has lived there for five years. At night you can hear a pin drop.

Anyone who has any information about the case should call 911 or 360-308-5400.
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By Ed Palm

Mark Twain put it best: "If you pick up a starving dog and make him prosperous, he will not bite you. This is the principal difference between a dog and a man."

That's what came to mind when I read the recent report ("A shelter in need," April 13), and the ensuing editorial ("Safety at Sally's," April 17) regarding the violence and predatory behavior that plagued the Bremerton Salvation Army's new overnight shelter last winter.

This important community resource was long ago affectionately nicknamed "Sally's" and was given the recognition it richly deserves by Richard LeMieux with his 2009 book "Breakfast at Sally's." LeMieux recounts how Sally's sustained him in his time of need and how he found generosity and kindness among the homeless people he met there. LeMieux must have been heartbroken to learn that safety and security concerns may keep Sally's from opening its doors to the homeless next winter.

I was also reminded of a visit I paid in March to the Tacoma Rescue Mission. I was invited by retired Navy captain Dennis Sapp, who had taken umbrage to my column headlined "Coddling doesn't do vets favor" (Dec. 12, 2015). Sapp wanted me to know that he and Larry Geringer, a retired Air Force major, had started a program that challenges and doesn't coddle homeless veterans.

Five years ago, Sapp and Geringer established a Veterans Resource Center within Tacoma's shelter. Staffed by volunteers, and financed completely by donations, the center offers counseling and connects veterans with the state and federal resources available to them. Two years ago, with the support of the Mission's board, Sapp and Geringer took it a step further. They established a separate sleeping room for veterans.

The room is certainly smaller than Sapp and Geringer would like. It can house only 10 veterans at time, each of whom is limited to a 90-day stay. The contrast between this room and the Mission's general sleeping area, however, is striking.

On the day I visited the Tacoma Mission, the general sleeping area reminded me of the way I lived as an enlisted Marine embarked aboard Navy ships. The bunks were two-high and crowded together. They were also covered with packs and sleeping bags, the occupants having no secure place to store their belongings.

The veterans' room, however, reminded me of how we had to keep our barracks back in garrison. Access is controlled. The room was clean and neat as a pin, with more than adequate space between the bunks and drawers for personal items. The tile floor especially impressed me. It had recently been waxed and buffed. "This is their room. They take pride in that floor," Sapp told me.

The difference is that the veterans housed in that room earn the privilege. Sapp gave me a list of the rules they must sign off on and obey. It's a clean and sober facility, of course. They must agree not to bring in drugs, alcohol, or weapons. But paramount among the rules is the requirement to perform 20 hours of volunteer work per week for the mission. "We ask more of them because they are veterans," Sapp acknowledged.

This impresses me as a model that could be emulated by shelters in general. Able-bodied inhabitants should be required to contribute in some way. Veteran inhabitants could also be asked to pay back by taking charge. As Twain certainly understood, people feel good about themselves when they earn their own way, and they have a tendency to take it out on others when they don't feel good about themselves.

Sheltering only 10 veterans, of course, is a mere drop in the bucket. According to the latest count conducted by the Washington Department of Veterans Affairs, we now have 93 homeless veterans in Kitsap County. But, once again, we should perhaps take a cue from Sapp and Geringer. A year ago, backed by a $600,000 state grant, they established the Puget Sound Veterans Hope Center, the main goal of which is to create a Veterans Village.

A hint to our county's Veterans Advisory Board: Sapp said they would welcome partnering with Kitsap County.

As for the column that brought me to Sapp's attention, this is not a retraction. I still believe that not all veterans are "heroes" and that merely being a veteran does not entitle anyone to go to the top of the list when it comes to housing the homeless. And I still believe that some of the special considerations now afforded to veterans do amount to coddling and that the character and duration of one's service should count. But I have to acknowledge that the veterans Sapp and Geringer are helping at Tacoma's Rescue Mission are not being coddled. And they appreciate the help.

Twain would have approved.
Hunter Erb was diagnosed with multiple congenital heart defects when he was three days old.
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When it comes to crisis communications, there are some givens. Have a written plan in place. Hold drills and exercises, scheduled and unscheduled. Establish checklists rather than procedures. Trust your communications professional and empower that person to affect change in the midst of the crisis, preferably with no more than two steps in the approval process.

But what about social media?

Target's recent stance on mixed-gender bathrooms has created a social media maelstrom with the retailer getting blowback for its controversial policy. In cases like Target and other well-publicized corporate crises, social media should be leveraged by the organization in the eye of the storm.

Darrell Lankford, crisis communications expert and consultant for the Y-12 National Security Complex, advises embracing the electronic age "with glee" and getting information out quickly via social channels. Having served as chief spokesperson for three major nuclear utilities, including the Long Island Lighting Co., Lankford believes successful communication is a combination of accurate information and speedy delivery.

In fact, Y-12 was the first Department of Energy organization to use Twitter for crisis communications, according to Lankford, who recently addressed the Volunteer Chapter of the Public Relations Society of America.

"We had to develop a process for gathering, vetting, and distributing information, and social media fit the need," Lankford said. "We also focused on getting meaningful information out in less than 30 minutes."

According to Lankford, the major constant in crisis communications is how fast you can release information in an accurate and consistent manner. The key to effective crisis communications via social media is to establish your organization's social channels as the official source of information.

If you don't speak up and take control of the narrative, someone else will fill the gap for you.

It's crucial to get senior management's buy-in for using social media as a communications tool in crisis and emergency situations. CEOs are used to having all the answers, and they don't like to be caught off guard on the record. But the days of the ostrich are over. No more burying your head in the sand and stonewalling the media. Effective leaders must develop a level of comfort with public speaking during fluid situations despite a lack of information.

"Instead of making promises about outcomes, express the uncertainty of the situation and a confident belief in the process to address the issue," Lankford said.

Nonverbal communication plays a crucial role in today's visually driven news. When a crisis hits, it's your chief executive who must be seen on behalf of the organization. Your communications team can run the joint information center and interface with the media, but the public needs to hear from the person in charge.

In PR there's something called a "caring statement," which is just what it sounds like. It's what you say in the wake of the crisis about what happened. It has to be real, authentic, and from the heart. It will replay endlessly on the Internet, capturing your finest moment or your greatest humiliation for posterity.

I will never forget then-New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani's remarks in a global news conference in the chaos of 9/11. He was asked to estimate the number of people who had lost their lives.

"We don't know the exact number yet, but whatever the number, it will be more than we can bear," Giuliani replied, visibly shaken but strong in his demeanor.

With one sentence, Giuliani established himself as a true leader and an actual human being, someone who would tell the truth whether he had all the information or not. It was a brilliant stroke of public relations and one that could not have been staged.

All organizations are vulnerable to crises, especially in the current era of global terrorism and instantaneous media coverage. In the corporate world, crises are an inherent cost of doing business, whether it's litigation, liability or a tragic loss of life. Hope for the best, but prepare for the worst-case scenario. When and if the time comes, use your social media channels to disseminate accurate information in a timely manner.
SHARE Harold Black

After three unsuccessful attempts at preventing Pfizer from leaving the U.S. via an inversion, the Treasury finally wrote a rule specifically targeting the pharmaceutical giant and its specific merger partner.

The company abandoned its plan to relocate to Ireland. Pfizer could have figured out a way around the new rules, but stated that the Treasury would simply write more anti-Pfizer regulations.

In doing so, the Treasury essentially usurped Congressional authority and rewrote the law. This is an election year, so don't expect politicians to criticize the Treasury loudly lest they be labeled as aiding and abetting companies leaving the country.

The leading candidates for president in both parties have also advocated stopping inversions, casting them as "un-American." Nevertheless, companies will still leave given the high U.S. corporate tax rate.

For example, three multibillion inversions are still on the books. So unless the Treasury authors rules specific for every proposed deal, companies will continue relocating to lower-tax countries.

Calling such moves un-American is curious, since what is more American than seeking to lower one's taxes and regulatory burdens? Inversions can be thought of as the international equivalent of the ongoing competition among the states for commerce.

Delaware is the U.S. corporate regulatory and tax haven. Sixty-four percent of the Fortune 500 are headquartered in that state, as are 90 percent of IPOs. So is Delaware un-American because it enables firms to lessen taxes and regulations?

Moreover, lower-regulatory and lower-tax states such as Tennessee actively recruit businesses in high-tax states to relocate. Is this also un-American?

Economics is best understood when one asks, "What would I do?" Ask those people opposed to inversions: "What would you do if you were taxed at 35 percent, and could be taxed at 17 percent?" Also: "Would you repatriate dollars if they were taxed at 35 percent, or leave them abroad?"

Ironically, one benefit to the United States had Pfizer left is that the company would have been free to repatriate the $74 billion it holds abroad to invest and spend in this country. Currently, more than $2 trillion in cash is held overseas by U.S. firms in order to avoid the U.S. corporate tax.

One wonders why the administration doesn't call this hoarding un-American and have Treasury write some rules to make it illegal. Could it be that among the biggest hoarders are General Electric, Microsoft, Apple and Google  all friends of the administration? Just saying.

I've wondered if companies were allowed to invert, if the benefits from repatriated dollars would outweigh the revenue lost when the company leaves? A recent academic paper finds that inversions would actually increase U.S. tax revenues, mainly through the additional revenues stemming from the impact of repatriated dollars on the economy.

So the end result of a company leaving to reduce its taxes would be, ironically, more taxes flowing to the U.S. Treasury. Now imagine the tax windfall occurring from a lowering of the corporate income tax, and no double taxation on repatriated dollars
These are jars that my grandparents were given when they were married in about 1910. One the bottom they are signed "Loy-Nel-Art" and "McCoy." Can you tell me the history of these jars and their current value?

I will try. These are quite interesting, and they have a history that is wrapped up in the development of the American Art Pottery movement during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

The pair of vases in today's question (which should be about 6  inches tall) are from a pottery line that was designed by J.W. McCoy around 1906 and continued to be produced into the Brush McCoy era. J.W. McCoy named the line after his three sons  Lloyd, Nelson and Arthur  thus "Loy-Nel-Art."

These are brown underglaze slip decorated earthenware vases of a type that was made by some of the biggest names in American Art Pottery  including Rookwood, Weller, Roseville and several others. At Rookwood, where this type of ware was first made, it was known as the "Standard Glaze," and it originated with an artist named Laura Fry.

In 1883, Miss Fry discovered that if an atomizer was used to apply color to the clay body, it produced a more even glaze and one that could be shaded  in tones of brown, for example. Decoration was added using liquid colored clay, called "slip," and a product resulted that was popular with the American (and to a smaller extent, the European) public.

Of course American art pottery was so much more than this single product, but this one was widely accepted and is often found by current collectors. As I said earlier, many imitations of the Rookwood Standard Glaze were made, and one of these was the J.W. McCoy Co., which was founded in Roseville, Ohio in 1899 (not to be confused with the Nelson Mc Coy Pottery founded in Roseville in 1910).

Actually, this company has an early history marred by fire. The company burned in 1903 and was rebuilt by 1905. George S. Brush became the company's manager in 1909 after his pottery burned in 1908. In 1911 (some sources say 1913), the firm became Brush-McCoy. At one point they expanded to operate in the old J.B. Owens plant in Zanesville, Ohio, which was formerly a maker of brown slip decorated ware, but this facility burned in 1918.

Loy-Nel-Art was also produced in matte green, and both types were hand decorated with both embossed and incised decorations as well as underglaze slip painting. The backgrounds on the brown pieces tend to be very dark with little or no shading, which is the case with the two vases belonging to L.D. Shapes tend to be a bit conventional, and the artistry of the decoration does not come up to the Rookwood or even Weller or Roseville standards.

Brown glazed American Art Pottery is out of fashion at the moment, and even fine examples from Rookwood are down in price. However, the fact that L.D. has a pair of vases is much in her favor, and I feel these pieces have a current retail value in the $200 to $250 range.

Submit questions to Joe Rosson, c/o News Sentinel, 2332 News Sentinel Dr., Knoxville, TN 37921, or to rossoncrane@yahoo.com. Questions will only be answered in this weekly column.
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YOUTH CONCERT

More than 300 students will perform the Knoxville Symphony Youth Orchestra Association Spring Concert at 7 p.m. Monday, May 2, at the Tennessee Theatre. The concert is free and open to the public. It will feature performances from all five of the orchestras in the Association: Preludium, Philharmonia, Sinfonia, Youth Chamber Orchestra and the Youth Orchestra. The 32 graduating seniors will be recognized at this concert.

The Association's top group, the Knoxville Symphony Youth Orchestra, is a full symphonic orchestra led by Music Director James Fellenbaum. They will conclude the evening with Gliere's "The Red Poppy," the Nocturne movement from Georges Bizet's Carmen Suite No. 2, and Music from Star Wars by John Williams.

BOOK TALK

The Rev. Christopher R. Battle, Sr., pastor of Tabernacle Baptist Church, and Chris Woodhull, former Knoxville City Councilman, will discuss "Between the World and Me" by Ta-Nehisi Coates at noon on Wednesday, May 4, in the East Tennessee History Center auditorium, 601 South Gay Street, in this month's Books Sandwiched In, a series sponsored by the Friends of Knox County Public Library.

"Between the World and Me" is a letter that Coates writes to his adolescent son about how to be black in America. Coates tells his son, "This is your country, this is your world, this is your body, and you must find some way to live within all of it." Pivoting from the biggest questions about American history and ideals to the most intimate concerns of a father for his son, he offers a powerful new framework for understanding our nation's history and the current crisis.

The series continues on May 18 when the Hon. Pamela Reeves, U.S. District Court, discusses "Sisters in Law: How Sandra Day O'Connor and Ruth Bader Ginsberg went to the Supreme Court and Changed the World" by Linda Hirshman. On June 22, Dr. Annette Mendola, UT Department of Philosophy, will discuss "Being Mortal: Medicine and What Matters in the End" by Atul Gawande.

EAT LIKE IT'S 1982

Sweet P's Downtown Dive invites guests to celebrate the 34th anniversary of opening day for the 1982 World's Fair. The restaurant is offering 1982 prices on certain menu items today.

"Cherry Coke was introduced at the 1982 World's Fair, so it makes perfect sense to reduce its price to 50 cents for the day," said Chris Ford, founder and operator of Sweet P's Barbeque. "We're also offering Bud Light for $1 and Frito Pies for $2."

Ford, who owns the trademark for the 1982 World's Fair logo, also will award any customer who can complete a Rubik's Cube in 15 minutes or less a $15 Sweet P's gift card.

Sweet P's Downtown Dive is open from noon to 9 p.m. today at 410 W. Jackson Ave. Info: 865-281-1738.
SHARE Former Tennessee Education Commissioner Kevin Huffman in a 2014 Tennessean file photo. Huffman said the education department's role in choosing Measurement, Inc. was limited.(Photo: File Photo/The Tennessean)

By Jason Gonzales, USA TODAY NETWORK, The Tennessean

Tennessee officials knew of concerns about Measurement Inc.'s ability to fulfill its five-year, $108 million contract to administer the new online TNReady standardized test even before this year's failed rollout, according to documents and interviews with education officials in other states.

During the state's contract vetting process, the company's ability to oversee online testing at the level required by Tennessee was a concern. Measurement Inc.s online system was relatively untested at the scale the state was asking, the records and interviews show. Concerns about the company existed in at least one other state.

Connecticut officials in a 2014 Tennessee reference check first raised issues about the companys online testing platform known as Measurement Incorporated Secure Testing, or MIST.

"Their online test delivery system, MIST, has not been top notch," according to the documents used to vet the company in the contract selection process. "MIST has not been easily responsive to changes and additions, especially for innovative tests types or test accommodations."

Continue reading at The Tennessean.
SHARE Marty Velas

By Mary Constantine of the Knoxville News Sentinel

When Marty Velas left California to move to Knoxville, his West Coast friends questioned the decision. But he was excited to undertake his new job as developer of a craft beer brewing facility for the Copper Cellar Corp.  one of the first such in the area.

Twenty years later, Knoxville has approximately 10 breweries in operation, with more set to open.

"With tongue in cheek, I would tell my friends I was coming to Knoxville to do missionary work for the craft brewing industry. As it turns out that was true, and I am over the moon to see how it has grown," Velas said.

He's too modest to acknowledge the role he has played in the growth of the local brewing scene, but his position as co-director of the professional brewing science certification program for South College testifies to that investment.

When he left Copper Cellar Corp. after 19 years of service, he chose to stay here and open his own brewing facility, Fanatic Brewing.

"Marty Velas is the godfather of craft beer in East Tennessee. He did this first, and if it wasn't for him we wouldn't have what we have today," Zack Roskop said.

As the owner of Knoxville Brew Tours, Roskop's livelihood depends on the success of the city's breweries. He said festivals such as this weekend's Brewhibition  along with BrewFest, Brewers Jam, Winter Beer Fest and others  are important to the brewing industry by bringing beer lovers into town.

He also mentioned Matt McMillan as a force behind the growth of the local beer festivals. McMillan started BrewFest, one of the first beer festivals in Knoxville, and will soon open his own business, Hexagon Brewery.

"These festivals attract tourists, and the more tourists who come to Tennessee the better for all of our businesses, including mine," Roskop said.

Rob Shomaker and Don Kline are the creators of the Knox Beer Snobs (www.knoxbeer snobs.com) blog. It began as a way to keep track of the tasting notes on beers they bought from other states. The pair still pen beer reviews, but they also keep track of special beer events happening in the state.

"We have more beer available to us in terms of selection, and not just brands, than we have ever had. It's an exciting time to be a craft beer fan in Tennessee," Shomaker said.

Shomaker serves on the board of directors for the Tennessee Winter Beer Festival and Hops for Hope, a fundraiser for the Blount County Children's Advocacy Center, which is scheduled May 6 at the Lily Barn in Townsend.

He said beer festivals used to be a way for goers to see how fast they could consume alcohol, but that's no longer the case.

"It's interesting to see how the festival scene has grown and evolved and how people have gotten creative in terms of their approach to forming unique experiences for the patrons and for the brewers. It's great to see that transformation," he said.

It's also fair to mention the city of Knoxville's role in the growth of the beer industry.

Patricia Robledo, the city's business liaison, said there were a few hurdles to get over, including inspectors having to learn about the various craft brewery equipment, but once that was resolved, it opened the door to more growth.

"I think the good part is that the city is very supportive of entrepreneurs and new business models of all shapes and sizes. We are a progressive city that can evolve and adapt to new business models," she said.

Velas said he's grateful for the city's support of local breweries and the festivals.

"They have come to the realization that it's a positive influence on the community and promotes responsible consumption," he said. "Beer is a convivial beverage. I'm a firm believer in that. It brings people together and gets them to pause for a while and chat without looking to get loopy. You don't throw it back. It's something to savor and approach with more thoughtfulness than just an alcohol delivery system."
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The news is out: This year's Front Page Follies will honor Jean Ash, an unwavering supporter of the Society of Professional Journalists whose career in broadcast journalism ranged from local radio to international television.

The Follies, which skewers local newsmakers through songs and skits, will be at 6 p.m. Saturday, June 11, at the Knoxville Convention Center.

Sponsored by the Front Page Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, the annual event features a cash-bar reception, dinner and live and silent auctions along with the show.

Originally, the event included a mini-roast of the honoree, but Ash will be subjected to a more extensive roast later in the year, which will shorten Follies night.

The Follies' purpose is to fund scholarships for journalism and electronic media students at the University of Tennessee and Pellissippi State Community College. Those 2016 scholarships will be named for Ash, who was recognized as Tennessee's Associated Press Broadcaster of the Year and as a Knoxville YWCA Tribute to Women honoree while she worked as a news anchor and reporter for WIVK radio.

Later, she worked in Beijing for China Central TV and China Radio International. Since returning to Knoxville, she has led more than 50 tours of China.

Individual Follies tickets are $125; a table for 10 costs $1,000, with priority seating at $1,250 for a 10-top.

The Front Page Foundation also offers four levels of sponsorship, which include premier seating, a pre-event VIP cocktail party at 5 p.m., ads in the program, and pre-Follies publicity.

For information or tickets, visit www.frontpagefoundation.org, or call 865-776-8227.
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By News Sentinel Staff

KNOXVILLE  U.S. Rep. John J. Duncan Jr., R-Knoxville, has endorsed Donald Trump for the Republican presidential nomination, according to a news release posted Saturday on Trump's website.

According to the release, Duncan gave three reasons for supporting Trump  trade, immigration and fighting in the Middle East.

Trump said he was pleased to have the support of Duncan, "who is one of the most fiscally conservative members of the House. If more members voted like Rep. Duncan, we wouldn't be wasting trillions of taxpayer dollars in foreign countries."

Duncan, who has served in Congress since 1988, said in the release that the U.S. has leverage on foreign trade that hasn't been used, but "Trump will do that."

He said Trump will also enforce immigration laws because "our economy and infrastructure could not handle" the "hundreds of millions" of people who want to come to the U.S."

"Almost all Americans now believe it has been a horrible mistake to spend trillions fighting no-win wars in the Middle East," Duncan said in the release. "We must start rebuilding our own country. Donald Trump will do that."

Trump, who holds the lead in delegates for the GOP nomination, visited Knoxville in November and was greeted by a crowd of an estimated 5,000 people in the Knoxville Convention Center as well as dozens of protesters outside. He won the Tennessee presidential primary in March.

More details as they develop online and in Sunday's News Sentinel.
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Charles Koch, the Kansas billionaire known for funding right-wing causes with his brother David, created a stir last week by suggesting that Hillary Clinton might be a worthier candidate for president than any remaining of the Republicans.

"We would have to believe her actions would be quite different than her rhetoric, let me put it that way," he told an interviewer. "But on some of the Republican candidates  before we could support them, we'd have to believe their actions will be quite different than the rhetoric we've heard so far."

Is Koch right? Or is he causing trouble for Clinton as she works to seal the Democratic nomination? Joel Mathis and Ben Boychuk, the RedBlueAmerica columnists, debate the issue.

JOEL MATHIS

Charles Koch was right.

Oh, let's assume he was up to something devilish: He had to have known such comments would be seized by the Bernie-loving, Koch-brother-hating base of the Democratic Party and be used to try to harm Hillary Clinton's presidential candidacy. Sure enough, that's what happened.

But it didn't work: Clinton won four of the five states that held primaries on Tuesday and appears ready to clinch the Democratic nomination.

All that said, though, Charles Koch was essentially right: Clinton is probably the best candidate out there for most "never Trump" Republicans. Why do I say that? Because I already said it, back in early March, in this very column.

What I wrote then remains true: "Despite all the GOP's attempts to take down the Clintons over the last 25 years, the truth is that Hillary Clinton and her husband hail from the moderate wing of the party. They defend abortion, yes, but they've time and time again co-opted or signed onto conservative ideas ranging from welfare reform to Middle Eastern wars. She's even a darling of Wall Street!"

Full disclosure: I'm a liberal who likes what Bernie Sanders is selling  but I think Clinton is better suited to be president, precisely because she can better defend progressive achievements of the last eight years. So she's no Republican, whatever Sanders supporters say or the Kochs might hint.

But Donald Trump is the likely GOP nominee, one whose effect on the country and its government over the next four years are anybody's guess. If you're a conservative in the Burkean sense  that is, you'd like to conserve American institutions and keep them around for a while  Clinton is far more likely to leave behind a government and country recognizable to most Americans.

The coming election is likely to feature a woman who has spent most of her life in public service  she's flawed, yes, but has often been slandered along the way  versus a reality TV star with multiple bankruptcies under his belt.

How stark is the disparity? Even Charles Koch knows this is a good year to vote for the Democrats.

BEN BOYCHUK

Everybody gets the Koch brothers wrong, but the media most of all. It's embarrassing.

ABC News touted its interview with Charles Koch as somehow revelatory because he criticized Republican presidential candidates and didn't lambaste Hillary Clinton.

Big deal. It's much ado about little.

Fact is, Charles and his brother haven't "put a penny" into any of the Republican presidential candidates' campaigns because they typically stay out of primary elections, as he said during the interview.

But the odds that the brothers would put any pennies into Clinton's campaign are virtually nil.

The Kochs and their foundations generally support free-market candidates and causes. They favor free trade and open borders. They dislike excessive regulation of industry and the government's meddling in the financial markets. They're skeptical of the politicized science behind global climate change. To them, government-run health care is anathema.

Clinton likes what the Kochs dislike and dislikes what they like. It's pretty simple, really.

But the brothers confuse people because they're more libertarian than most Republicans. (In David Koch's case, he actually ran on the Libertarian Party ticket in the 1980 presidential election.) They favor same-sex marriage and the legalization of drugs. They're on the same page as the Obama administration when it comes to criminal justice reform.

Oh, and these big oil billionaires also happened to oppose the war in Iraq.

Yet ABC tried to portray Charles Koch as a cartoon caricature of a right-wing plutocrat who has spent hundreds of millions of dollars to buy elections over the past decade.

"People say you control the Republican Party because of all that money," ABC's Jonathan Karl said. (It wasn't a question so much as an assertion.)

"If I controlled the Republican Party," Koch replied, "we would not have a two-tiered system. We would not have a tax code that subsidizes the wealthy. We would get rid of all of that. So, obviously, I don't control anything."

That's the funny thing about billionaires and elections. Money isn't everything. Just ask Donald Trump. His campaign has raised about $49 million so far, while Clinton's has gathered $182 million for a contest she was supposed to win in a walk.

That may be why Charles and David Koch are saving their money. Trump is winning.

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.
On April 30, 1939, an RCA station began the first regular television programming, broadcasting President Franklin Roosevelt's opening of the New York World's Fair to 4,000 sets.

The New York Times was unimpressed with the new medium, opining in an editorial: "The problem with television is that people must sit and keep their eyes glued on a screen; the average American family hasn't time for it."

Those words are worth keeping in mind as another new medium prepares to launch: virtual reality.

Critics insist there will never be a large audience willing to sit with their eyes encased in goggles, immersed in a world no one else can see. Supporters say, if you haven't tried it, you don't understand.

Many people did experience a precursor to virtual reality several years ago thanks to IPIX, a company founded in Oak Ridge in 1986. It became an early internet darling, creating still images that allowed house hunters to take virtual home tours. The company's technology also could produce much more intense 360-degree video, and visitors to its offices could strap on headgear and go for a virtual wild ride that left Mr. Toad in the dust.

But IPIX was ahead of its time. The data required for immersive video overwhelmed any connection available a decade ago. The company survived the dot-com bust, but it later lost its contract with eBay and went bankrupt in 2006.

Now, though, the time is ripe for VR.

Virtual and "augmented" reality are poised to be "the next computing platform," writes industry analyst Ben Schachter. "The first half of 2016 will see the most significant progress on VR/AR ever."

In just 10 years, Goldman Sachs predicts, the market for VR hardware will be $110 billion, compared to just $99 billion for television. Oculus, the Facebook-owned producer of VR headsets, expects to capture a billion customers as its devices shrink to the size of sunglasses in a decade or so.

The potential for the news business is beyond imagination. Happily, the company that just bought the News Sentinel is pioneering those possibilities.

In 2014, Gannett and its Des Moines Register created "Harvest of Change," an experimental project that let VR visitors learn about agriculture by wandering a farm landscape and accessing videos and other information.

Last month, the company announced that its USA TODAY NETWORK soon would launch the first regularly scheduled VR news show. "VRtually There" will explore a range of topics and be targeted to people using Google Cardboard, the low-cost devices that turn smartphones into VR goggles.

"VR provides a unique opportunity to tell the stories of news in new and different ways," Niko Chauls, USA TODAY NETWORK's director of applied technologies told The Wall Street Journal. "The technology provides for a level of immersion and experiential storytelling like nothing else."

Imagine being able to peer into a headset and be transported to the floor of this summer's Republican National Convention, to a refugee camp on a Greek island, or to the sidelines at Neyland Stadium.

I don't know what role the News Sentinel will have producing VR content. But I can't wait to find out.
ASSOCIATED PRESS A statue of Andrew Jackson is shown in Jackson Square in the historic French Quarter of New Orleans on Feb. 14, 2006.

SHARE H.B. Linsley/Library of Congress via the Associated Press This image provided by the Library of Congress shows Harriet Tubman between 1860 and 1875. Treasury Secretary Jacob Lew has decided to put Tubman on the $20 bill, making her the first woman on U.S. paper currency in 100 years. Photo courtesy Women on 20s/TNS Above is concept art of Harriet Tubman on the $20 bill. U.S. Treasury via the Associated Press This file photo provided by the U.S. Treasury shows the front of the U.S. $20 bill, featuring a likeness of Andrew Jackson, seventh president of the United States.

If I didn't know better, I would have expected today's conservatives to love Harriet Tubman. After all, she was a pistol-packing black Republican who repeatedly risked her life to lead slaves to freedom. What's not to like?

But real life isn't that simple. Reaction to Treasury Secretary Jack Lew's plan to put Tubman's likeness on the front of the $20 bill sometime after 2020 clearly fell along racial and political lines.

Eighty-one percent of Democrats polled recently by SurveyMonkey support putting Tubman  who helped hundreds of slaves find freedom via the "underground railroad"  on the $20 bill, reported Politico, while 50 percent of Independents and only 34 percent of Republicans agree.

Among supporters of the Grand Old Party's frontrunner, Donald Trump, seven out of 10 opposed the plan, which would move Andrew Jackson  a war hero and populist, but also a Democrat and, let's face it, a genocidal racist  to the flip side of the $20 bill.

Trump himself called Tubman "fantastic" on NBC's "Today" show, but denounced Lew's plan to move Jackson to the back of the bill as "pure political correctness."

Why, I wondered, is it any more PC to put Tubman on the $20 bill than it was to put Jackson on it in the first place?

Trump proposed, "Maybe we do the $2 bill or we do another bill." His surrogate, Ben Carson, suggested the same idea earlier in the day on Fox Business.

But what, I wondered, do Trump and Carson have against Thomas Jefferson, who currently graces the $2 bill, in case you have forgotten  as most Americans probably have.

Why, I wondered, do Trump and Carson  who both say they love Tubman  love her only enough to want to put her on currency that hardly anyone ever sees?

Arguments about the past are feverish and never-ending because, as an old saying goes, they really are arguments about the future.

With that in mind, I am pleased to note that not all conservatives were unhappy with Treasury's move. "Given the sheer number of blows that Tubman struck for liberty," tweeted National Review writer Charles C.W. Cooke, "she belongs on the currency more than most. Good choice."

I agree. I have nothing against white males, dead or alive, but they didn't build this country alone. As much as the denial of uncomfortable history seems to be our national pastime, we Americans have more than one historical narrative to tell.

Jackson, who owned hundreds of slaves and shut down the national bank in the name of the common man's struggle against elites, always has been a controversial, larger-than-life figure, even in his own time.

But there is also a bracing irony to his forced relocation to the backside of the $20 bill. After all, as famous as he may be for his heroic victories as a general in the War of 1812, he also instigated the Trail of Tears, a series of forced relocations of Native Americans under his deplorable Indian Removal Act of 1830. Thousands died from exposure, disease and starvation along the route.

We should never try to erase history. We should try to put it into context. In that spirit, few life stories show more grit, courage and determination than Tubman's. After escaping slavery in Maryland, where she was born around 1822, she returned to the South more than a dozen times to lead friends, relatives and others to freedom. She also instructed dozens in how to make their own way to freedom.

During the Civil War, she served as a scout and spy for the U.S. Army, and led a raid on plantations in South Carolina that probably made her the first woman to lead this nation's troops into combat.

Before she died in 1913, she worked with Susan B. Anthony and others to become a leading advocate for the right of women to vote.

Traditionalists gripe at the inconvenience of having to get used to a new face on our currency. But until paper currency falls to the rising age of digital dollars, Tubman's likeness can remind us that America works best as a land of inclusion, not exclusion.
After decades of justified bipartisan bragging on Tennessee's fiscally conservative status, our state legislators enthusiastically embraced deficit spending this year on a somewhat bipartisan basis, blowing a $300 million-plus hole in budgets of state and local governments for the sake of political popularity.

For the same reason, Gov. Bill Haslam is highly unlikely to veto the bill repealing the Hall tax on investment income, even though he has repeatedly preached on the fiscal irresponsibility of taking such an action without a plan to replace the lost revenue.

There is no such plan, of course. On the last day of the session, legislators basically said to state and local governments that the tax will disappear in six years, so deal with it. The governor sent his two top aides, Finance Commissioner Larry Martin and Deputy Governor Jim Henry, to politely tell lawmakers late in the session that the amended version of SB47 was basically a fiscally stupid idea.

As the final week of the session began, the administration and legislative leadership had reached a somewhat complicated agreement on the Hall: The 6 percent levy would be cut to 5 percent in the coming year and, in future years, a "legislative intent" was declared to repeal another percentage point each year  if state revenue increases otherwise by 3 percent or more in that year.

This year, the state enjoyed a $600 million budget surplus. The first year of the tax cut could thus be easily absorbed, it was reasonably argued, and the language left wiggle room to accommodate unforeseen future fiscal and political realities.

Martin said the 3 percent trigger did not seem very wise. It would mean that, regardless of what happens, cutting the Hall would have priority over all other things that a 3 percent revenue bump could go toward  increasing teacher pay, for example, or the predictable annual increase in other education needs as enrollment goes up, the annual increases in medical costs that send TennCare spending up every year, a costly lawsuit  two are pending that could conceivably add multiple millions to education spending  or, well, any number of things we cannot imagine today.

But for the sake of political expediency, the administration was ready to ignore such concerns and go along, leaving the possibility of changing "legislative intent" to arguments in future years when further Hall reductions could be pitted against other priorities. That wasn't good enough.

The final version says the tax will be fully repealed, come hell or high water, in six years, barring the unimaginable possibility that legislators in the future will vote to repeal the tax cut now mandated and be accused of voting for a tax increase.

The governor, a billionaire in Forbes magazine's estimation, presumably is way up toward the top of the 200,000 Tennesseans paying the Hall tax  probably well into six figures as opposed to the statewide average annual payment of $266. But as a policy matter, he has set aside personal financial interest to oppose the plan as fiscally irresponsible for the businesslike operation of government.

Setting aside political interest, though, is another matter. A veto, which would stand since the Legislature has adjourned without an override session scheduled, would provide ammunition for opponents in any future political endeavor  a U.S. Senate race, maybe?  and would lead to a highly-publicized effort to pass the bill again next year that would doubtless succeed, even as he contemplates pushing a gas tax increase.

Two right-wing groups, Americans for Prosperity and Beacon Center of Tennessee, both claimed to have gotten more than a million views on sponsored videos against the Hall tax and to have contacted thousands of voters otherwise. With some justification, they claimed credit for putting the legislative train on track.

Only two Republicans  Reps. Bill Dunn of Knoxville and Steve McDaniel of Parkers Crossroads  had the political courage to vote against the bill, though a dozen or so dodged a vote one way or the other. Several Democrats voted for it; a couple dodged.

The governor has a dodge opportunity as well. He can let the bill become law without his signature, which would indicate that he does, indeed, have future political plans that outweigh pragmatic policy considerations. A veto would indicate he does not and stands on principle.

Read more from Tom Humphrey at "Humphrey on the Hill:"
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Oh, puhleeze, no!

The Trumpster is going to run a totally chauvinistic campaign against Hillary Clinton.

It's going to be, "She wouldn't be here if she weren't a woman," and, "She just wants to be the first woman president."

After the voters of Pennsylvania, Maryland, Delaware, Rhode Island and Connecticut voted for Donald Trump for the Republican presidential nomination, he said, "I think the only card she has is the woman's card."

Ever gallant, Trump continued, "She has got nothing else going. Frankly, if Hillary Clinton were a man, I don't think she would get 5 percent of the vote."

Clinton then responded.

Well, she said, "if fighting for women's health care and paid family leave and equal pay is playing the woman card, then deal me in.  We want America to be in the future business."

Not content with past gratuitous insults against Clinton, Trump added: "And the beautiful thing is women don't like her, OK?"

Oh, and do they like him? Seven out of 10 women say they have an unfavorable opinion of Trump.

We knew Trump adviser Paul Manafort's wink-wink-nod-nod assurance that Trump would soon switch to "presidential mode" would not happen. Indeed, Trump quickly assured the world that he had no intention of "toning it down."

Clearly, Trump and Clinton already have each other in their sights for the fall campaign. It's going to be as painful as we feared.

With Clinton's latest post having been secretary of state, we've been waiting to see how Trump will attack her on that front. We found out the day after Tuesday's primaries.

Outlining his foreign policy, Trump displayed a panoply of contradictions and vacuousness. He promised his foreign policy would be popular with all Americans, simple and focused on one factor  America, first above all else. Then he said the United States has not put Israel's interests first and foremost.

While Trump says he is the "only one who knows how to fix" America's problems, he offers no details.

Ah, now we're in territory Clinton knows well. But that debate is complicated and will show Trump up as a know-nothing on how the world works.

So much easier to swipe at Clinton as being a woman unqualified to be president. Says Trump, "Watching her on television  she just gives me a headache."

Trump has been successful in knocking out his rivals by exaggerating a personal trait and demeaning them for it. John Kasich has "disgusting" eating habits. Ted Cruz is a "liar." Jeb Bush had "no energy." It was "Little Marco." He didn't like Carly Fiorina's face. A bully, he dissed everyone in the race.

Now he's going after Clinton. For being just a woman in pantsuits.

For a man who insists the United States must be less predictable in foreign policy, Trump is oh, so, predictable.

Ann McFeatters is a columnist for Tribune News Service. She may be reached at amcfeatters@nationalpress.com.
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In the military, the simple phrase "perception is reality" is commonly used, often when someone needs to dismiss inconvenient facts. I struggle to think of a more foolish and destructive expression.

Why not just say that 2 + 2 = whatever I think it is? Or, more accurately for the military, whatever the commander thinks it is. Reality is reality, and it is incumbent on those in a leadership position to gather enough information so that perception is close enough to reality to be useful.

In my field of warfare, naval aviation, having a large difference between one's perception and actual reality will swiftly lead to a fiery death. In foreign policy, decay might come more slowly, but no less surely.

Perception: The U.S. military can and should be the best at everything.

Reality: This is impossible.

Although we spend massive amounts of money on keeping our military large, strong and on the cutting edge of technology, there are smart, innovative and determined people in other countries, too. We can find simple evidence of this in the fact that we now pay Russia to launch our astronauts into space. The spacecraft we pay to travel on  the Soyuz  was first designed in the 1960s by the Soviet Union.

Beyond that, though, it's simply logical that when the U.S. military builds an advantage in one area of warfare, others will not seek to compete in the same arena. They'll look for an area where they can build their own advantage and possibly counter the American one.

No one, for example, will catch up to the U.S. in building aircraft carrier battle groups. But anti-ship missiles and diesel-electric submarines may be effective counters to overwhelming U.S. superiority on the seas.

Perception: Other countries are either with us or against us.

Reality: They can be with us. Or against us. Or neither. Or both (maybe at the same time).

It's tempting to cast the world in black and white. It's easy and requires very little thought. It's also lazy and usually wrong. Right now, for example, in spite of the fact that the U.S. military is conducting wartime operations, there is not a single country that we can call an enemy.

The last year has been fascinating. The agreement to halt Iran's nuclear program was negotiated by all the permanent members of the United Nations Security Council, plus Germany. This, of course, includes Russia and China. Whatever you think of the Iran deal, the fact remains that Russia and China cooperated closely with the United States while Russia was still under heavy economic sanctions for its actions in Ukraine, and China was dredging up islands in the South China Sea in a direct challenge to U.S. interests in the Western Pacific.

Perception: America will always be a dominant power and world leader.

Reality: Maybe, but it depends on our choices.

The United States has been, in many respects, the leading nation in the world for several decades, partly because of the fact that the mid-20th century saw much of the world devastated by war.

At the same time, the U.S. government was investing in education, scientific research and national infrastructure on a scale never before seen.

Additionally, our values of freedom, personal choice and economic liberalism made us an attractive ally and friend for countries around the world, allowing us to more easily further our interests globally.

By now, much of the damage from the world wars has healed. Other nations have adopted elements of American success or even innovated beyond it.

There are calls to decrease spending in the areas of infrastructure and education. We resist incorporating innovative ideas that have seen success in other areas of the world and deny or ignore scientific findings that conflict with personal ideology. Others are speeding up while we may be slowing down, and the result is that we may be surpassed.

If we hope to maintain our position of strong leadership in the world, we must work harder to align our perceptions with reality. Let us be willing to learn, admit mistakes when needed, and always move forward.

Joshua Aisen is an officer in the U.S. Navy and 1999 graduate of William Blount High School. He is currently studying for a master's degree at Harvard University. The views in this article are his personal opinions and do not represent the U.S. Navy or the U.S. Department of Defense.
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A recent letter writer suggested the Second Amendment of the U.S. Constitution is proven necessary by the Overmountain Men and the Battle of Kings Mountain. Setting aside the fact that the Constitution had not been thought of, let alone adopted, at the time of the Kings Mountain battle, the author also restates a common misconception about the forces opposing the Overmountain Men. There was one British officer at Kings Mountain. The forces opposing the Patriot forces were entirely American Loyalists.

This was a battle in what some call the first American Civil War. Loyalist opposition was prevalent throughout the colonies and was particularly strong in the South.

Therefore, the nonexistent Second Amendment had no bearing on Kings Mountain.

Thomas J. McKay, Knoxville
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Recently I read another letter writer's accusations that conservatives don't care about the needy. This opinion is heard often. It would be helpful if it were understood that conservatives are frequently directly involved in caring for the needy, without the bureaucracy of the state or federal government. For centuries conservatives have been about the business of feeding and housing the poor, helping prisoners and those coming out of prisons, assisting immigrants and refugees, and establishing schools, hospitals, nursing homes and other care-giving organizations. There are conservatives who choose to live a self-sacrificing lifestyle in order to have more resources for those who are needier. Conservatives may feel that the government probably would not make as efficient a use of these resources. It would be good if liberals who depend upon the government to tax people to fund programs to meet needs did not make the mistake of accusing conservatives of not being caring. It might be helpful to read the book "Who Really Cares: America's Charity Divide" by Arthur C. Brooks, in which he reports evidence that political conservatives are, on average, more charitable than liberals.

Kathryn Hendrix, Knoxville
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As I read the article "$20 swap shortchanges Jackson, some say" I was struck by the willingness of some of those interviewed to ignore President Andrew Jackson's initiation of and support for the near genocide of the Cherokee Indians. It was so infamous it became known as the Trail of Tears. Is the News Sentinel going to interview any Cherokees about their thoughts? If not, would the newspaper consider doing so? The News Sentinel certainly is not required to give equal time or column inches to opposing points of view, but the moral horror of the forced Indian migration is worthy of the paper's attention.

Terry Edwards, Knoxville
Two of South Korea's three largest shipbuilders failed to clinch any new orders in the first quarter of the year, underscoring the protracted slump in the global shipbuilding segment, industry sources said Wednesday.

According to the sources, the country's big three shipyards -- Hyundai Heavy Industries Co., Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering Co. and Samsung Heavy Industries Co. -- received few orders during the January-March period. Only Hyundai Heavy clinched a 150 billion won ($129 million) deal to build two petrochemicals-carrying ships this month.

Lower oil prices have been leading to a drop in demand for new ships or offshore facilities, and Chinese rivals have scooped up a large slice of orders for smaller ships, in particular.

Major South Korean shipbuilders have been pushing for restructuring since last year to get over the unfavorable business conditions caused by falling demand and ship prices in line with the slowing world economy.

In line with a protracted industrywide slump, the shipyards have trimmed their order targets for the year by 20 percent.












Another massive reduction in the local shipbuilding workforce may come as most shipyards are still struggling with falling orders and mounting losses, industry sources said Friday.

Hyundai Heavy Industries, one of the country's top three shipbuilders, is set to announce its restructuring plans next week, which may include a 10 percent cut of its workforce, which would mean about 3,000 workers would leave the company.

Hyundai Heavy's local rivals are also expected to sharply reduce their workforces this year, with their subcontractors being forced to follow suit.

Samsung Heavy Industries has been implementing an early retirement scheme since last year, and Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering is working to streamline its business lines through a spin-off.

Hit by an industrywide slump and increased costs, the nation's big three shipyards -- Hyundai Heavy Industries, Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering and Samsung Heavy Industries -- racked up a combined loss of 7.7 trillion won last year.














Merchant blames policymakers for disrupting regional economy



By Kim Jae-won

GEOJE, South Gyeongsang Province  Okpo is a beautiful port in this southern island off which Admiral Yi Sun-sin defeated Japanese warships with his armada of Turtle Ships in the late 16th century.

Centuries later, Daewoo Shipbuilding and Marine Engineering (DSME) has produced a wide range of ships in the port, from warships and container vessels to drill ships, for more than four decades, creating jobs, providing orders for vendors and paying taxes to the municipal government, thus playing a key role in boosting the regional economy.

However, the heydays are gone because the shipbuilder is now under the control of creditors led by the Korea Development Bank which is pushing for a strong restructuring program, including massive layoffs. DSME promised to cut 2,000 jobs, or 15.4 percent of its workforce of 13,000 by 2018, as part of a self-rescue plan submitted to creditors.

The shipbuilder posted more than 5 trillion won in operating losses last year, hit hard by low orders for new ships and losses in the marine plant business. Last month, the nation's three largest shipbuilders  DSME, Hyundai Heavy Industries and Samsung Heavy Industries  won no orders, worsening a downturn in the sector.

Park So-hyun, a merchant who runs a gift shop in Okpo, is one of many residents here who bears the brunt of the failing fortunes of the troubled shipbuilder.
Korea will make a stronger push in restructuring financially-troubled shipping and shipbuilding companies, but the restructuring drive itself should be spearheaded by firms and their creditors, the country's top financial regulator said Tuesday.

"Last year, the overall value of ship orders clenched by local shipbuilders stood at US$10 billion. But this year, new orders have nearly dried up, overwhelming shipbuilders' ongoing self-rescue efforts," Financial Services Commission (FSC) Chairman Yim Jong-yong told a press briefing, also pointing out what he called worsening business conditions and little signs of recovery for the shipping industry as well.

The FSC outlined intensified restructuring measures for shipping lines and shipbuilders that include additional job cuts, wage reductions and sale of non-core assets.

The move comes as shipping and shipbuilding firms continue to perform poorly due to sharp declines in freight charges and ship orders amid oversupply and low demand. They have inked hefty losses in the years since the 2008 financial crisis.

Under its self-help plans announced last year, Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering Co. has sold 360 billion won ($313.3 million) worth of assets and cut 709 jobs. Its creditor banks will push forward stricter measures to help the company stay afloat, the FSC said in a statement.

Main creditors of Hyundai Heavy Industries Co. and Samsung Heavy Industries Co. plan to closely watch the companies' self-rescue steps, it added.












By Yoon Ja-young



Exports contracted 11.2 percent in April from a year ago, a steeper plunge than the previous month. Economists say there seems to be no sign of an immediate rebound.



According to the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Energy, the exports totaled $41 billion in April, which is 11.2 percent less than the previous year. After falling 19 percent in January  the biggest plunge in six years and five months  the decline in exports narrowed to 12 percent in February and 8.1 percent in March.



The ministry pointed out that negative factors such as the sluggish global economy, low oil prices and falling prices continued, while the number of working days  1.5 days fewer than in April last year, also led to the bigger fall.



China's shift in growth policy to its domestic market is also hitting Korea's exporters. Exports to China, Korea's biggest trading partner, dipped 18.4 percent in April.



Exports of mobile communication devices increased 3.2 percent, thanks to the launch of new smartphones such as Samsung Electronics' Galaxy S7 and LG Electronics' G5. Semiconductors, meanwhile, dipped 11.5 percent as prices continued falling due to oversupply.



Exports of automobiles fell 18.3 percent due to an economic recession in emerging countries. Oil products and petrochemicals also suffered a double-digit fall due to low oil prices.



Imports plunged 14.9 percent from a year ago, totaling $32.2 billion. As a result, the country saw an $8.8 billion surplus in trade, marking the 51st consecutive month.



"Conditions for exports aren't favorable in May either, due to the continued global economic slowdown, low oil prices, holidays in early May and risks in the shipbuilding sector," the ministry said.



It added that the government should strengthen monitoring of exports because downward risks were increasing, with international organizations turning pessimistic about the world economy and trade.



While Korea's traditional export items are struggling, newly emerging items continued to grow. Exports of organic light-emitting diodes increased 26.4 percent, and cosmetics grew 34.4 percent.



By region, exports to Vietnam grew 12.7 percent while exports to ASEAN countries increased 7.1 percent.



"To lessen risks arising from Korea's huge dependence on China's economy, there should be aggressive efforts to open up new markets, such as ASEAN countries or those in the Middle East," said Jo Gyu-rim, a researcher at Hyundai Research Institute.



"Southeast Asian countries are rising as new global production countries instead of China," he added.



Economists point to falling exports as the biggest stumbling block for the Korean economy.



"Even though the economic indices are partly improving, we can't say the economy is recovering," the LG Economic Research Institute noted in a report. "Due to the sluggish global economy and contraction in Korea's major exporting industries, exports, which determine the direction of the economy, aren't likely to improve. They will continue to contract."



While low oil prices helped businesses improve their profitability and households expand consumption on better purchasing power, such benefits will fade, according to the institute.



"As corporate profitability falls and demand for labor and improved wages slows due to sluggish exports, the domestic economy will lose vigor toward the latter half of the year," the institute added.




An annual charity bazaar prepared by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Spouses' Organization will be held Tuesday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Korea National Diplomatic Academy in Yangjae-dong, southern Seoul.

The bazaar features items and accessories collected by organization members from across the globe as well as specialty items from participating countries. The organization was founded in 1989 for public outreach and diplomacy.

This year's 28th bazaar is particularly noteworthy as it features over 40 participating countries_ the largest number in the past several years. Each country will offer items representative of its culture as well as food that will be cooked on site.

Also, a raffle will be held and the winning prizes include electronic and home appliances and hotel meal and accommodation vouchers to name a few.

The profit made from the bazaar is donated to low income families, children without parents, elderly citizens who live alone, and the mentally handicapped as well as to disaster-stricken regions. The organization regularly funds 70 needy families every month.

Admission is 1,000 won, and only cash is accepted for the purchase of items.

For more information, call (02) 571-5020 or email at dpbazaar@gmail.com.
Various lanterns are displayed during last year's Lotus Lantern Festival at Jogye Temple.

/ Courtesy of Yeondeunghoe Preservation Committee



By Park Jin-hai

The Lotus Lantern Festival, held in celebration of Buddha's birthday on May 21, will begin on Friday and run for three days.

The annual event, which draws 300,000 participants each year, will see more than 100,000 colorful lanterns light up central Seoul on May 6-8.

The Yeondeunghoe Preservation Committee held a lighting ceremony on April 20 with a giant lantern shaped like the Four Lion Three-story Stone Pagoda of Hwaeomsa Temple in Gwanghwamun Plaza ahead of the festival. The pagoda (national treasure No.35) is one of the two most uniquely-shaped stone pagodas in Korea along with Dabotap Pagoda of Bulguksa Temple.

The festival dates back to the Silla Kingdom (B.C. 57-935 A.D.) and was conducted as the Lotus Lantern Assembly in Goryeo Kingdom (918-1392). It continued as the Lantern Celebration (Gwandeung-nori) during the Joseon Kingdom (1392-1910).

The theme for this year's festival is youth. "This year's event has been organized to encourage the young people, who are increasingly losing hopes and dreams faced rising unemployment rate," said Hong Min-seok, a spokesman for the Yeondeunghoe Preservation Committee. "We included more activities for young visitors this year."

Counseling sessions from specialists and art therapy will be provided during the festival.

Last year, the festival was held under the theme of "Peaceful Mind, Harmonious World," marking the 70th anniversary of the nation's liberation from the Japanese colonial era (1910-45), and participants prayed for peace.

This year's Lantern Parade, the highlight of the festival, will extend its course from Dongdaemun, Jongno and finally to Gwanghwamun Plaza from 7 p.m. until 9:30 p.m., Saturday.

A large number of traditional North Korean lanterns, made by referring to North Korean documents, will join the street parade for the first time. As an increasing number of foreigners are interested in the festival every year, the committee will provide "Yeondeunghoe Global Supporters" or a youth volunteer group to assist festivalgoers. Some 2,000 foreigners who booked for the parade will also join the parade, holding lanterns they have made.

The parade will close up with Hoehyang Hanmadang, a post-parade celebration, which begins from 9:30 p.m., at Jonggak Intersection. All the participants will enjoy performances of Buddhist entertainers and dance together under the falling paper flower rain.

During the festival, a lantern exhibition will be held in Jogye Temple, Bongeun Temple in Samseong-dong, southern Seoul, and Cheonggye Stream, central Seoul. Traditional lanterns of various shapes, such as dragons, elephants, phoenixes, drums, turtles and lotuses, crafted by monks at nationwide temples will be on display until May 15.

On May 8, various traditional cultural events will be held in front of Jogye Temple, with booths providing Buddhist art, temple food and folk games to visitors.

The festival is designed to pray for the welfare of the community and achievement of personal wishes among Buddhists, and to reflect Buddha's teachings of compassion and wisdom every year. The lanterns mean the light, compassion and wisdom, and sharing them with others suffering in the world.

For more information, visit the festival's official website at www.llf.or.kr. Reservations are recommended via email at ipogyo@buddhism.or.kr and call to 02-722-2206 to watch the May 7 parade and participate in the May 8 lotus lantern-making competition for foreigners.
Fashion designer Ko Tae-yong

/ Courtesy of Beyond Closet

By Kim Jae-heun

Thirty-five year-old Ko Tae-yong is a well-known commercial fashion designer, who believes in making marketable clothes. Some dressmakers criticize Ko for his business-oriented mind but that's what made him a top-selling designer.

Ko was the youngest designer to join Seoul Fashion Week and it only took him a year to launch his brand "Beyond Closet" in 2008 after he graduated from the Catholic University of Korea. But he began studying fashion late when he transferred his major in his mid-20s.

"We were assigned to write a report after watching Seoul Fashion Week," said Ko during an interview with The Korea Times on April 18. "It's was not like the designer was giving a presentation and students could barely see the models (because they sat far behind in the back) but the show left me with a strong impression that lingered in my mind of models walking so coolly to such loud music.

"It was then I realized that I wanted to do this job."

The fashion designer chose "American classic" and "Preppy Look" as the basic themes of his brand, and put new twists on these different concepts every season. Beyond Closet started as a menswear company but now it has become a unisex brand.





Sketches from the collections of fashion designer Ko Tae-yong / Courtesy of Beyond Closet

The brand saw its biggest success when Ko accidentally made a sweat shirt with a dog-designed patch in the middle called "Gae-T," or "Dog T-shirt."

"I went to Dongdaemun market and saw a T-shirt with a dog print and letters written New York and Paris. I thought it would be cool to design the dog in graphic on a patch and attach it to the shirt.

"I personified the dog by putting a hunting cap on its head and made one more design like it to sell at Lotte Young Plaza. That was six years ago when rookie designers were given one hanger to sell 15 pieces as a pop-up event and Gae-T was something that I added at the last minute because I didn't have enough prints," Ko said.

All the participating designers at the venue said his Gae-T design would sell well and it did. There were no celebrities wearing his shirt for promotions nor did he pay for a product placement advertisement on television, but the shirt hit the jackpot. Teenagers loved the clothing, university student couples wore it together and it became popular among newlyweds. Now, it is the symbol of Beyond Closet.





Patch graphics of Beyond Closet's hit-product "Gae-T" or "Dog T-shirts" / Courtesy of Beyond Closet

This year marks the 10th anniversary of Ko's debut and he is opening a flagship store in Apgujeong-dong, Seoul, to present his collection. It has been his lifetime ambition to own a fashion house where he would have a store on the first floor and an office on the second.

"I got the inspiration from this Japanese designer store which had no sign and only his devoted fans could find it. The new shop will be for me and the people who like the Beyond Closet collection line," said Ko.

The fashion designer also collaborated with popular pop musician MIKA during his visit to Korea last February and Ko is now planning to open a food truck at JW Marriot Hotel in Seoul starting this month.

"I do all sorts of things because it's so much fun watching my ideas become real. My ultimate goal is to take both the underground and high-end market. I guess I am greedy," he said.
Markus Freitag, co-founder of Swiss bag brand "Freitag" / Courtesy of Freitag





By Kim Jae-heun





A new model of Freitag's tote bags New models of Freitag's tote bags

Swiss brand Freitag, best known for its eco-friendly, functional and water-repellent messenger bags, was popular years ago. However, the Freitag bag is hardly seen on the streets of Seoul anymore and people were starting to forget the brand. Markus Freitag, co-founder of the brand with his brother Daniel Freitag, visited Korea to revive its glory, last week.

"I don't think our products follow the trends and they are rather quality bags with functionality that can be used for a long time," said Freitag during an interview with The Korea Times, April 22. "We had our ups and downs but we are growing steadily. This is the pace before the next big step in Korea."

Markus and Daniel established the brand under their family name in 1993 when they were looking for a strong and practical messenger bag to wear while bike riding in Zurich. They noticed colorful lorries parked along the side of the road in front of their apartment and decided to make a bag out of old truck tarpaulins. The brothers used second-hand car seat-belt webbing for the carry belt and old bicycle inner tubes to finish the product's edge. Markus and Daniel were only 22 and 21 years old at the time.

"We had been interested in designing products but not bags. Daniel is graphic designer and I am display artist. It is already 23 years ago. Even today, we still don't realize what is happening in our life," Markus said.





An employee at Freitag works on a "Reference" line bag at its factory in Switzerland.

/ Courtesy of Freitag



After launching the brand in Korea in 2011, there are 21 multi-shops selling some 50 Freitag models now including 10 in Seoul. The product lines are divided into "Fundamentals" and the more elegant line "Reference."

Elisabeth Isenegger, a Freitag media representative, emphasized that depending on different regions or countries, the favorite bag models and colors vary. She also added that the color range of the bags does not follow any trends, but it is defined by the "truck tarpaulin fashion"of a decade ago.

"Sometimes people struggle to choose which design and color, even for an hour at the store. First they have to decide what bag they need, then color and the design.

"Sometimes people discuss about which bag to purchase on FaceTime with their friends and tell us that they cannot decide today so they will revisit tomorrow," said Markus.

However, he said the best-selling item now is its mobile-phone case for the iPhone and Samsung smartphones. Also the messenger bags are steady sellers as they are the classic design of the brand. Of tote bags and backpacks are gaining popularity.

The Freitags believe the inventiveness of their products and functionality with unique design are key factors for people to purchase their goods.

"The quality is not so bad. It lasts pretty long, depends on the age of the material. One can be ten years old and other can be five, we never know. Also we get letters from people that let us know our customers met each other because of our bag. It is communicating product. Not many brands have this characteristic," said Markus.

The bag brand has no plan of collaborating with local brands or artists but has launched a new clothing line using other eco-friendly materials like linen and other pieces being 100 percent biodegradable after they reached the end of their lifespan.

"The reason why we are trying to make a comeback in the Korean market is that Korean consumers are mature enough to care about the environment and they count on our brand value to remain nature friendly," they said.
The gap between the average wages of South Korea and China continued to narrow in 2015, industry data showed Sunday, apparently suggesting that South Korean products may be regaining their price competitiveness over their Chinese counterparts.

In 2015, the average minimum wage in China's five largest cities was 59.2 percent of South Korea's minimum wage, according to the data from the Korea International Trade Association (KITA).

The 2015 reading marks a large spike from 40.3 percent in 2010.

KITA said the average wage of Chinese workers may be up to as high as 70 percent of that of South Korean laborers, considering that employment in China requires higher costs for worker welfare programs than in South Korea.

The growing costs of employment in China may suggest growing opportunities for South Korean firms and their products, it noted.

However, they also pose a problem for many South Korean companies currently based in China.

"The companies (in China) must work to improve their productivity," an official said. "They may also need to set up a performance-based wage system to further improve their productivity." (Yonhap)
By Chung Hyun-chae



Smokers will no longer be allowed to smoke near subway exits, which were designated as no-smoking areas Sunday.



The Seoul city government has started enforcing the smoking ban within 10 meters from all subway exits in the city.



Previously, smoking was prohibited only near subway stations in six districts including Gangnam, Seocho, Gwanak and Yeongdeungpo.



"We have received a lot of complaints about smoking near subway stations," a city government official said.



According to a survey carried out from April 7 to 22, 10,529 people smoked near all subway exits between 7.30 a.m. to 11.30 a.m.



"We expect the smoking ban will help reduce damage from second-hand smoke," the official said.



The city government erected 8,000 no-smoking signs on the walls and stairs of all subway stations.



It also printed no-smoking signs on the sidewalks 10 meters from each subway exit to help people recognize the no-smoking areas.



The municipality will give smokers a three-month grace period until August 31, during which violators will not face punishment while the city authority carries out anti-smoking campaigns.



"We plan to continue to make persistent efforts to help smokers quit smoking by providing a counseling service and gadgets so that they can kick the habit," the official said.



When the grace period ends, people caught smoking near the subway stations will face a fine of up to 100,000 won.




By Yi Whan-woo



The ruling Saenuri Party and the main opposition Minjoo Party of Korea (MPK) will elect new floor leaders this week.



Three candidates  Reps. Na Kyung-won, Yoo Ki-june and Chong Chin-sok, a lawmaker-elect who served as senior secretary for political affairs during the Lee Myung-bak administration  are vying to become the ruling party's floor leader, which will be determined Tuesday.



Six MPK lawmakers  Kang Chang-il, Lee Sang-min, Noh Woong-rae, Min Byung-doo, Woo Sang-ho and Woo Won-shik  have joined the race after they were re-elected in the April 13 general election. The vote to choose the party's floor leader is scheduled for Wednesday.



For each party, a candidate must secure a majority of votes to win. If not, there will be a second-round of voting on the two top-ranked contestants.



The new floor leaders will begin their one-year term immediately after they are elected.



The two biggest parties must seek support from the People's Party in order to gain control over the 20th National Assembly, which will begin its four-year term on May 30.



The upcoming National Assembly will have three negotiation blocs  the Saenuri Party, MPK and the minor opposition People's Party.



The People's Party picked Rep. Park Jie-won, former chief of staff to late President Kim Dae-jung, as its floor leader last week.



The floor leaders of the three parties are expected to play central roles in choosing a parliamentary speaker and in forming parliamentary committees.



Internally, the floor leaders of the Saenuri Party and the MPK are expected to put top priority on settling prolonged factional strife until their leaders are chosen at national conventions, which may take place in June or July.



The Saenuri Party's Chairman Rep. Kim Moo-sung stepped down from the post to take responsibility for the defeat in the general election while its current floor leader Rep. Won Yoo-chul, a loyalist to President Park Geun-hye, gave up his bid to extend his leadership amid negative sentiment toward the mainstream pro-Park faction.



The MPK, led by interim leader Kim Chong-in, was defeated in most districts in its traditional stronghold of Gwangju, and North and South Jeolla provinces by the People's Party in the April polls amid an internal feud involving followers of its former chairman, Rep. Moon Jae-in.



In the Saenuri Party, Na, Yoo and Chong have also joined forces with Reps. Kim Jae-kyung, Lee Myoung-su and Kim Gwang-lim, respectively, and pledged to name one of these three as the party's chief policymakers if they win.



Their moves are a strategy to win votes in North and South Gyeongsang provinces, the Saenuri Party's traditional strongholds, as well as in North and South Chungcheong provinces that have been swing-vote regions in past elections.



Kim Jae-kyung won his fourth parliamentary seat in South Gyeongsang Province's Jinju-B district.



Lee Myoung-su and Kim Gwang-lim were elected for their third National Assembly term in Asan, Chungcheong Province and Andong, North Gyeongsang Province.



Na, the chairwoman of the National Assembly Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee, secured her fourth parliamentary term in Seoul's Dongjak-B constituency. She is regarded as a member of a minority faction.



Yoo of Busan's Seo-B district stressed cooperation between the party and Cheong Wa Dae, and claimed he was capable of handling the job. He served as maritime minister under Park from March to November 2015.



It remains to be seen whether he will gain support from the Park loyalists after announcing that he no longer wants to be affiliated with them.



He also defied Rep. Choi Kyung-hwan, a key figure of the pro-Park faction who asked him not to run in the floor leader election.



Chong of South Chungcheong Province's Gongju-Buyeo-Cheongyang district emphasized that he worked under Lee Myung-bak, Park's predecessor, and has not been linked to any factions.



All six contestants for the MPK primary are not affiliated with the pro-Moon faction.



There is speculation that they still need to gain support from Moon's supporters who will form the majority of the MPK's 123 lawmakers.




Civic groups, including the Asian Citizen's Center for Environment and Health, hold a rally to call for a

thorough investigation into Oxy Reckitt Benckiser at Gwanghwamun Square, central Seoul, April 25.

The boycott of the U.K. firm is gaining momentum as an increasing number of pharmacists take part in

it. / Yonhap



By Jung Min-ho

More pharmacists and Seoul's mayor have joined the boycott of Oxy Reckitt Benckiser, which makes humidifier disinfectants and sterilizers blamed for the deaths of more than 100 people in Korea.

Although the Korean Pharmaceutical Association decided not to boycott products of the U.K. firm, citing legal issues, many pharmacists here have joined.

Neulpeum Pharmacy at Gwanak-gu, southwestern Seoul, recently posted in its window a notice, saying it no longer sold Strepsils and Gaviscon from Oxy Reckitt Benckiser.

"The company sold its products, knowing its products' health posed health risks. As a result, people were victimized. The company should admit its fault, take responsibility for its action and compensate those harmed," it said.

Speaking to a local media outlet, Choi Chang-wook, head of the Busan Pharmaceutical Association, said hundreds of pharmacists in Busan had stopped selling Oxy products.

"We will continue to support the boycott until the company sincerely apologizes to the victims and compensates them," he said.

Likening the incident to the Sewol ferry disaster, Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon is also supporting the boycott.

During a live-cast on Facebook Thursday, he said the Seoul city government would stop using Oxy products.

"Such immoral companies must be punished accordingly to keep our society healthy," he said.

His support came after 37 civic groups, including the Asian Citizen's Center for Environment and Health, held a press conference in Seoul last week to call on consumers to join the boycott.

However, the boycott does not appear to be hindered sales much, because major retailers included the firm's products in recent sales promotions.

But after drawing massive criticism, Lotte Mart and Homeplus, major retailers in Korea, said Sunday they had decided to exclude Oxy products from their promotions, at least for now.

Meanwhile, prosecutors are digging deeper into whether Oxy Reckitt Benckiser recognized the health risks of their products before releasing them. The company's two sales officials and the president of its subcontractor are expected to be summoned on Monday for interrogation.

The Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office said it had already secured evidence that the company's high-ranking executives approved the sales of its humidifier disinfectants while knowing the health risks.

If the evidence is accepted in court, those responsible for the incident could face charges of causing death through willful negligence _ a more serious crime than accidental homicide, in which the criminal did not have any intent to kill.

The Ministry of Environment said Saturday that it would now recognize more people as victims of the company's products.

Previously, the government limited the damage scope only to those suffering from lung-related problems, recognizing 530 as official victims, 143 of whom are dead. But civic groups claim that 1,528 people were victims of the products, with 228 dead. The ministry is working to establish criteria for compensation.

Oxy Reckitt Benckiser said it would hold a press conference on Monday.
By Kim Jae-kyoung

China is on alert over North Korea's attempts to forge its bills, as counterfeit Chinese notes are being circulated among travelers and merchants in some cities on the border between the two countries.

Experts speculate that North Korea was in the frame as the counterfeiter, citing Kim Jong-un regime's struggles in the wake of recent economic sanctions supported by its closest ally China.

According to sources and reports by multiple Chinese media, Beijing suspects that Pyongyang is the origin of fake new 100-yuan bills that have recently been circulated in several Chinese cities, including Shaoxing in Zhejiang Province.

Following the report of the fake bills, Hong Kong-based Phoenix Television raised the possibility that the bills could have been distributed by North Korea.

Du Ping, a commentator for Phoenix, said that chances are that the isolated country could carry out "something unimaginable" to overcome challenges triggered by international sanctions.

The television network pointed out that counterfeiting is one of North Korea's "three killer weapons" along with drug trafficking and nuclear weapons.

In mid November, China introduced a new 100-yuan bill with upgraded security features in a bid to fight counterfeiting. The 100-yuan banknote is the largest denomination of the country's currency.

Experts say that there are three reasons why Beijing suspects Pyongyang might be behind the circulation of the counterfeit banknotes.

First, the repressive country is equipped with world-class counterfeiting technology to manufacture banknotes of advanced countries, including U.S. dollars and Japanese yen; and has a record of currency forgery.












South Korea and Japan reached the landmark agreement on the "comfort women" issue of wartime sexual slavery out of their own "self-interest" amid a need for cooperation to cope with North Korean threats, former U.S. Under Secretary of State Wendy Sherman said.

Sherman made the case in a recent article contributed to CNN, as she called for U.S. President Barack Obama to visit Hiroshima for the first time as a sitting American president since the U.S. dropped a nuclear bomb in the Japanese city.

She also said that Germany's path of post-war reconciliation with neighbors was "one of self-interest," adding that West Germany's first post-war chancellor, Konrad Adenauer, established common cause with former-enemy France as the two countries joined arms to face the Soviet threat.

"Recently, we have seen self-interest at work in Japan as well. Concerned with increased provocations and rising tensions in their backyards -- particularly from North Korea -- Japan and South Korea have finally come to a resolution of the 'comfort women' issue, a painful chapter of World War II," Sherman said.

In late December, Seoul and Tokyo reached the deal that centers on Japan's admission of responsibility for the wartime crime and plans to pay reparations to the victims. South Korea promised to end the dispute once and for all if Japan fulfills its responsibilities.












Lodz Mayor Hanna Zdanowska, left, poses with Choi Jae-chul, ambassador for climate change in Korea's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, at the ministry in Seoul on April 26. / Courtesy of the Polish Embassy



By Rachel Lee

Seoul has planned a successful city with a great quality of life despite high population density, a Polish mayor says.

Lodz Mayor Hanna Zdanowska believes what Korea has done to its cities after gaining independence in 1945 is a perfect solution.

"Seoul is green and focuses very much on quality of life, which makes me very happy and amazed," she told The Korea Times in Seoul on April 26.

Lodz, Poland's third biggest city located in the central part of the country, will host Expo 2022 with the theme "reinvention of the city."

The mayor was in Korea to promote the event as well as to seek more investment from Korean businesspeople.

With Polish Ambassador to Korea Krzysztof Majka, she met Korea's Ministry of Foreign Affairs Deputy Minister for Economic Affairs Lee Tae-ho, Ambassador for Climate Change Choi Jae-chul and Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy senior officials.

In the 19th century, Lodz was one of the world's fastest-growing cities along with Chicago in the U.S. But after World War II, followed by communism and the collapse of the textile monoculture, the city struggled for years with socioeconomic problems.

Nevertheless, Lodz has successfully revitalized itself, transforming old textile factories into buildings for various purposes like leisure and business. The restoration has made the city an attractive travel destination around the world.

"The old buildings in Lodz are very unique, historical and special," Zdanowska said. "Many of them are more than 150 years old, which is why we are trying to give a new life for various purposes like business. It's a great tool to be developed."

The mayor said diversity was the key to revitalizing the city.

"There are many combinations, many kinds of architecture and many different types of buildings," she said. "We have so much to rejuvenate and present. In that sense, diversity allows us also to introduce many various functions into the city structure."

Like the Korean capital, modern Lodz had also strived for a decent quality of life, because after all, people were all that mattered, the mayor said.

"Our city is not only green and has clean air, but it has also worked on so-called free-time industry to develop infrastructure so people can enjoy their time outside work," Zdanowska said.

During her four-day trip in Korea, Zdanowska held a business seminar "Lodz as a city of investments, education and revitalization," which showcased business opportunities with advantages, such as the city's location as a logistics and transport hub in Europe.

"We have talented young people and a good location, and there is a team of young, devoted people who are willing to take care of Korean investors," the mayor said.

"We coordinate the entire process of implementing foreign investment within our city."

On the last day of her visit, Zdanowska went to Daegu, where she signed a Letter of Intent on cooperation between the two cities, including economic and business cooperation, tourism promotion and scientific and academic exchanges.

"We didn't have any partners in Korea before, but from now on we are looking forward to working together for youth exchange as well as other fields like cultural exchange," Zdanowska said.
By Rachel Lee

South African Ambassador to Korea Nozuko Gloria Bam hosted a reception at the Millennium Seoul Hilton to mark her country's Freedom Day on April 27.

Freedom Day is the day the first non-racial democratic elections took place in South Africa in 1994.

"This year South Africa celebrates its 22nd National Day, which is of great significance because it marks the end of over 300 years of colonialism, segregation and white minority rule and the establishment of a new democratic government under the stewardship of late President Nelson Mandela and a new state subject to a new constitution," the ambassador said.

She said this year also marks the 24th anniversary of bilateral relations between Korea and South Africa, which she believes have grown steadily.

"Our two countries should further expand and improve bilateral trade, scale up two-way investment and give full play to the role of the Policy Consultative Forum and facilitate major cooperation projects in trade, investment, infrastructure, energy, communications and human resources," the ambassador said.
Georgian Ambassador Nikoloz Apkhazava, left, awards the Order of Honor to Rep. Rhee In-je of ruling Saenuri Party, Georgia-Republic of Korea Parliamentary Friendship Group chairman, for his significant contribution to strengthening bilateral relations.



/ Courtesy of the Embassy of Georgia


Brazil celebrates Olympic countdown



Brazil celebrated the 100-day countdown to the Rio 2016 Olympic Games in the heart of Seoul, Korea's capital city, on April 27.

Brazilian colors  yellow and green  illuminated the landmark N Seoul Tower in Yongsan-gu. Seoul is one of the many cities, along with New York; Tokyo and Rome, which marked the countdown.

"This means we are exactly 100 days away from the most important international sporting event, in which thousands of athletes from all over the world will participate

in a variety of competitions," Adriana Pereira, head of the economic, public diplomacy and press sections at the Embassy of Brazil, said.

"It is 100 days away from hoisting the flag bearing the five interlocking rings at our iconic Maracana stadium."

Pereira added, "Seeing the N Tower dressed in yellow and green to celebrate Rio 2016 and considering that Seoul was the host of the 1988 Olympiad, reminds us also of the ties of friendship and brotherhood that have united Korea and Brazil for over 50 years."

The Rio 2016 Olympic Games will begin at the Maracana Stadium in Rio de Janeiro on Aug. 5.



French Embassy plugs into hackathon'



The French Embassy is hosting a three-day "hackathon" at the Seoul National University on May 2-4.

Co-organized with the Goethe-Institut Korea and the university, the event begins with a symposium that includes six lectures that focus on the "theoretical approach of the digital economy and its impact on society."

The embassy said participants are expected to draw inspiration from the theories discussed to develop practical applications.

Peter Lee, a Korean game designer, entrepreneur and teacher, will moderate the hackathon.

Fifteen students or professionals from Germany's gamelab.berlin, France's Ecole Nationale du Jeu et des Medias Interactifs Numeriques and Korea's Seoul National University's Program for Information Science and Culture will take part.







Latin American films hit big screen



Six Latin American countries have combined to launch a Korean-first film festival that opened at the Hankuk University of Foreign Studies in Seoul, today.

The embassies of Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay and Venezuela have picked some top movies for the "2016 Latin American Film Festival" to increase understanding of the region, including customs, values and idiosyncrasies. The three-day event was co-organized with the university and will be held on its campus.

"This festival is a different idea of promoting culture because it is a door to show not just culture but also Latin American talent," Ecuadorian Ambassador to Korea Oscar Herrera Gilbert said.

He said this would be an opportunity to promote cultural exchange so "Korean people will welcome Latin films as we are welcoming Korean drama and films."

Six films  including Colombia's Del Amor Y Otros Demonios (2010), Paraguay's 7 Cajas (2012) and Peru's A Los 40 (2014)  will be screened with English subtitles, while two will have Korean subtitles, according to the Embassy of Ecuador.







Polish Day held in Seoul





Polish Ambassador to Korea Krzysztof Maika hosted a "Polish Day" at the Cheonggye Plaza in Seoul on May 1.

According to the embassy, the event was designed to promote the country's culture and language, and Polish products available in Korea  including cosmetics, pottery and sweets.

Students from the Polish Department at the Hankuk University of Foreign Studies gave performances showcasing Polish traditional costumes and folk dance.

Special booths were set up to present Polish literature that has been translated to Korean, including children's books and famous works of the Polish Nobel laureates Wislawa Szymborska and Henryk Sienkiewicz.










North Korea has sentenced a detained Korean-American to 10 years of hard labor for "spying" on the reclusive country, Agence France-Press reported Friday.

Kim Dong-chul was convicted of trying to steal classified military information from the North, the news outlet reported, citing China's Xinhua News Agency.

The 62-year-old was arrested on charges of espionage in October. He pleaded guilty and asked North Korea for leniency in an internationally broadcast press conference in March.

His detainment first became known in a CNN interview broadcast on Jan. 11, soon after North Korea conducted its fourth nuclear test.

Prior to his arrest, Kim lived in China near the North Korean border for 15 years and frequently visited the North Korean special economic zone of Rason.

The North's state media KCNA said authorities nabbed him as he was trying to receive a USB drive containing sensitive military information from a source in Rason.

The sentence, handed down by the communist country's Supreme Court, follows a similar one given to an American college student, Otto Warmbier, who was caught trying to steal a propaganda banner from a Pyongyang hotel. Warmbier was sentenced to 15 years of hard labor last month. (Yonhap)
North Korea made a false claim about the April 23 launch of its submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM), multiple government sources in Seoul said Sunday, saying the missile is presumed to have exploded in the air.

"It is believed that the SLBM that the North launched on the 23rd (of April) from the East Sea flew about 30 kilometers before exploding," a government source said, noting that the missile may have split into two to three pieces without any booster separation.

The 30 km is far below SLBMs' minimum range of 300 kilometers, the source added.

"One of the most convincing possibilities is that the North Korean military commanders and missile developers submitted fake reports to their leader Kim Jong-un, alleging the SLBM launch was successful," the source said. "The North's SLBMs have not reached the level where they can be deployed to deliver a nuclear bomb."

North Korea's media claimed on April 24 that it successfully launched an SLBM the previous day in the presence of leader Kim Jong-un that can greatly advance the fighting capability of its navy. It quoted Kim as saying that with the SLBM launch, the North now possesses a powerful nuclear weapons arsenal and a credible delivery system.

SLBMs, if launched underwater, are very hard to counter because such a missile cannot be detected until it is airborne.












/Yonhap



By Lee Jin-a

North Korea has had more than five mosaic murals of its two previous leaders Kim Il-sung and Kim Jong-il painted at sites including Pyongyang and South Hamgyeong Province ahead of the ruling Workers' Party's first congress in more than 30 years, according to local media.

The congress is slated for May 6, during which North Korean leader Kim Jong-un is expected to tighten his grip on power. Experts said the totalitarian country was stepping up efforts to idolize its leader ahead of the political event, and that the murals were part of this.

"One mural drawn on the wall of a hydroelectric power plant portrays Kim Il-sung and Kim Jong-il climbing Mt. Baekdu," said the North's state-run Korean Central News Agency.

Kim Jong-un inherited political power from his father Kim Jong-il, who died in December 2011, and Jong-un's grandfather Kim Il-sung founded North Korea.

Murals of the two smiling former leaders have also been drawn on the walls of textile factories in Pyongyang and at a state-owned farm in South Hamgyeong Province.
/Courtesy of Twitter



By Lee Jin-a

North Koreans living close to China learned about the recent mass defection of North Korean restaurant employees in China through phone calls with their "friends" in South Korea, even before the North's state media reported the incident, according to the Radio Free Asia (RFA).

The report reaffirmed widening loopholes in the reclusive nation's crackdown on illegal telecommunications with outside the world.

"My friend in South Korea told me about the mass defection through a phone call. I think they made a smart decision," the RFA quoted a North Korean as saying.

"If I'm given an opportunity, I will do the same. 10 out of 10 North Koreans wish to live in South Korea."

The RFA reported that the North Korean authorities had intensified surveillance of its people, but many people seemed to be unafraid.

Meanwhile, the North has beefed up its border control and ideological education to since the mass defection, according to Japanese journalist Ishimaru Jiro, citing information from his North Korea sources.

"The international community should raise its voice to protect the human rights of North Koreans because the state imposes severe punishment on relatives of North Korean defectors under the guilt-by-association system," he said.
By Yi Whan-woo

Officials and scientists in North Korea may have lied to the nation's leader Kim Jong-un that the country successfully test-fired a submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM) last week after a trial failed, according to South Korean military sources, Sunday.

Citing their analysis, the sources said the missile exploded in midair after it was launched from a 2,000-ton Sinpo-class submarine in the East Sea and traveled 30 kilometers.

After the test-firing, the Rodong Sinmun, the official newspaper of Pyongyang's Workers' Party, reported that the SLBM successfully separated its fairings and "proved an accurate operation of its nuclear detonator."

"It instead broke into two or three pieces after the explosion, which means the test failed," a source said on condition of anonymity.












By Rachel Lee



Sixteen North Korean defectors and seven ethnic Koreans from China have been indicted on charges of smuggling methamphetamine into South Korea, the prosecution said Sunday.



They are accused of smuggling about 810.7 grams of methamphetamine, which is believed to have been produced in North Korea, during a period of two years from February 2014, according to the Supreme Prosecutors' Office.



This is the first time that South Korea has confirmed the smuggling into the country of meth produced in North Korea.



The amount of the substance is estimated to be enough for about 27,000 people, according to prosecutors.



Among the suspects, a 53-year-old North Korean defector, surnamed Choi, allegedly smuggled 140 grams of meth from last December to February and sold 120 grams to defectors living in South Korea. Choi is believed to have bought the drugs from North Koreans near the Tumen River on the Chinese border.



Another North Korean defector, a 58-yeard-old man with the surname Cho, was arrested for allegedly buying meth from a 54-year-old ethnic Korean living in China's Dandong, and selling it to defectors in South Korea.



"We believe the meth was produced in North Korea and brought to South Korea through China," a prosecutor said.



Cho told investigators that he heard from Choi that he went to China to get North Korean meth.



Meth manufactured in Hamhung and Chongjin in the North's Hamgyong Province is usually either transported to Dandong or across the Tumen River through traffickers along the North Korea-China border, the prosecutor said.



Dandong, a border town across from the North, is known as a key transit point for North Korean drugs, along with other border areas including Sinuiju.



Prosecutors said details about the original drug manufacturers and the main distributors are yet to be established.



The investigation also found the use of the drugs spreading among some North Korean defectors in South Korea.



A 33-year-old female defector is suspected of injecting methamphetamine. The woman appeared on a television program one week after injecting the substance, investigators said.



Choi is also suspected of injecting meth to cure an "illness" with his 45-year-old wife and 29-year-old son.



North Korean meth is reportedly popular among drug users due to its long-lasting hallucinatory effects and its high level of purity. The price is known to be twice as high as meth produced in other countries.



A 30-year-old South Korean man has been arrested for allegedly selling fake North Korean meth with a false identity. He is suspected of selling the drugs at 500,000 won per gram, which he bought at half that price, the prosecutor said.



The suspects claim that people in North Korea have frequently used methamphetamine as painkillers due to a lack of available medicines. They also said the drugs have also been commonly used as gifts on special occasions.



The prosecution said some North Korean defectors said they didn't know that smuggling and injecting meth would be such a serious crime and called for proper education about the gravity of drug offenses for defectors.




By Chang Se-moon

My answer is yes. I will explain why, what happens then, and what South Korea should do now.

A July 9, 2015 article by Chris Pleasance, published in DailyMail.com of United Kingdom, states that Kim Jong-un had ordered the executions of 70 officials since taking power in 2011. There is no doubt that the number is higher by now.

Some of high profile executions include Jang Song-thaek who was once the second most powerful man in North Korea and was married to Kim's sister, and Army chief Ri Yong-Ho who was executed in 2012, but not before a firefight with North Korean soldiers dozens of whom were killed.

In July 2015, Ma Won-chun, the designer behind North Korea's new airport terminal in Pyongyang, was reported to have been brutally executed, allegedly because Kim was not pleased with the design for the new building,

U Dong-chuk who was first deputy director of the State Security Department, Kim Yong-chun who was first deputy defense minister, and Armed Forces Minister Kim Jong-gak reportedly are all missing or banished.

Among the most brutal execution was that of Hyon Yong-chol, former Military Minister, who was shot to death using an anti-aircraft gun allegedly after falling asleep during a meeting. Stories on high profile executions keep surfacing with no end in sight.












By Doug Bandow



The Middle East has turned hostile to Christians and other religious minorities. Among those at risk are Egypt's Copts.



Under dictator Hosni Mubarak the U.S. State Department called the status of religious liberty "poor" and noted that Christians and Baha'is faced "personal and collective discrimination." Attacks on Copts were common and perpetrators rarely were prosecuted.



Mubarak's overthrow led Copts to hope for a freer and safer Egypt. But under President Mohamed Morsi of the Muslim Brotherhood violence against Copts increased.



Morsi was not the only culprit. In one infamous case the military, then headed by Gen. Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, shot down more than a score of Coptic protesters.



Two years ago al-Sisi overthrew Morsi and eventually became president. Alas, the military used extreme brutality  killing hundreds of demonstrators on the streets of Cairo  to maintain control.



Coptic Pope Tawadros II publicly supported the coup. But the church remained as vulnerable as it was visible, and was targeted by angry Islamists. Dozens of churches were destroyed.



In January al-Sisi celebrated Christmas at a Coptic service and promised to rebuild churches that had been destroyed. So far, however, the government has delivered more promises than actions.



Mina Thabet of the Egyptian Commission for Rights and Freedoms complained that al-Sisi was no liberal and "doesn't care about religious freedom." Certainly he evidenced no interest prior to the coup.



Nor is the only problem attacks on churches (which have diminished). The State Department's most recent religious freedom report noted that Egypt's government did not recognize conversion from Islam, prosecuted people for religious defamation and blasphemy, including many Copts, and failed to respond to attacks on Christians. The lack of accountability "fostered a climate of impunity."



The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom warned: "Discriminatory and repressive laws and policies that restrict freedom of thought, conscience, and religion or belief remain in place. Egyptian courts continue to prosecute, convict, and imprison Egyptian citizens for blasphemy, and new government initiatives to counter atheism emerged during the year."



In February four teenage Copts were sentenced to five years in prison for a video directed against the Islamic State but treated as an attack on Islam. Al-Sisi may be consciously using ostentatious state piety to maintain power in a society hostile to religious minorities.



Even if Copts believe they remain safer under al-Sisi, they may have sold their liberty birthrate for what turns out to be a mess of security pottage. Copts live in the same unfree society as everyone else.



Coptic film critic Joseph Fahim wrote two years ago: "more than 40,000 arrests have been made since Morsi's overthrow, journalists have been prosecuted, artists have been censored, opposition voices have been violently silenced, dissented politicians have been witch-hunted, the Mubarak regime has successfully reassembled itself, institutional corruption has grown more rampant, the country has descended into further chaos and fear has become the prevailing sentiment of the day."



The State Department's 2015 human rights report on Egypt is a depressing read: "The most significant human rights problems were excessive use of force by security forces, deficiencies in due process, and the suppression of civil liberties. Excessive use of force included unlawful killings and torture. Due process problems included the excessive use of preventative custody and pretrial detention, the use of military courts to try civilians, and trials involving hundreds of defendants in which authorities did not present evidence on an individual basis. Civil liberties problems included societal and governmental restrictions on freedoms of expression and the press, as well as on the freedoms of assembly and association."



Many people simply disappear. The latest case to embarrass the government is 28-year-old Italian graduate student Giulio Regeni, who was investigating Egyptian labor unions. His mutilated body sustained the sort of torture typically inflicted by the security forces. The government initially blamed his death on a car accident.



Finally, Cairo currently is engaged in a systematic campaign to shut down organizations reporting on government abuses, including the anti-torture Nadeem Center. Two years ago I was a member of a delegation of lawyers who visited the Nadeem Center. Co-founder Aida Seif al-Dawla told us that torture was more pervasive then than at any point during the Mubarak era.



In short, Egypt is scary for anyone who dissents. Unfortunately, sustained repression has only encouraged radicalization and more terrorist attacks, leaving Coptic Christians even more vulnerable.



Coptic reliance on Egypt's al-Sisi increasingly looks like a bad deal. Now is the time to search for a new approach that doesn't sacrifice national liberty for sectarian security.



Doug Bandow is a senior fellow at the Cato Institute. He is a former special assistant to President Ronald Reagan, and author of "Beyond Good Intentions: A Biblical View of Politics (Crossway)."




Long-term plan missing in government's flip-flop policy



The government's decision last week to expand downtown duty free shops in Seoul and other areas is being met with criticism from within the industry. The Korea Customs Service plans to add four duty-free shops in Seoul and establish one each in Busan, the nation's second-largest port city, and Gangwon Province, venue of the 2018 Winter Olympic Games. This will bring the number of downtown duty-free shops to 27 as against 21 now.



The biggest problem is that the decision seems to have been put together hastily without proper consideration of market saturation. Seoul already has nine duty-free operators. In Gangwon Province, there is a problem of sustainability after the Olympics.



The government said its decision was based on catering to the China-driven tourist boom. A Korea Customs Service official said during a briefing that it was necessary to expand duty-free shops for foreign tourists on the back of the popularity of Korea's cultural content, or "hallyu," such as the KBS drama "Descendents of the Sun." But this does not fully explain why the government decided to increase the number of downtown duty-free shops only five months after it denied licenses to two existing duty-free operators, Lotte World Tower and SK Walkerhill. More duty-free shops is not a long-term response to attract more Chinese tourists.



The government's wavering on duty-free operations has already caused much confusion. Last year, the government adopted a policy to hold an open competition for duty-free licenses every five years as a way to reduce monopolies and improve the climate for newcomers. But last month, the government suddenly changed its stance and extended the licenses of duty-free stores from five years to 10 years.



The government's flip-flop policy and control over duty-free operators does not match the size of Korea's duty-free business, which has grown into the world's largest market of its kind. Sweden-based tourism industry research firm Generation Research said Korea's duty-free market reached $7.78 billion in 2014. China followed with $5.04 billion.



Global competition is building to catch up with Korean stores. Japan and China are rushing to build multiple downtown duty free shops to attract foreign tourists. Korea will not be able to stay ahead of Japanese and Chinese rivals with this kind of backward policies, which will hamper sustainable growth of the duty-free business.



Ultimately, the government's license system should be abolished to allow competition for all eligible companies.



In addition, the government should not rely on duty-free shops to promote Korean tourism. There is a widespread perception among Chinese tourists that there is not much to do in Korea besides shopping. The government should come up with ways to promote the various merits of what else Korea has to offer other than expanding shopping facilities.








An artist's rendition of Kuang-Chi's near-space vehicle, called "Traveler." / Courtesy of Kuang-Chi Science







Liu Ruopeng, chairman at

Kuang-Chi Science

By Lee Min-hyung

Korea's technology ecosystem, dominated by Samsung and LG, may become a double-edged sword for the growth of the nation's venture firms, said Liu Ruopeng, chairman of China's emerging technology company Kuang-Chi Science.

"The two tech giants are leading global technology trends, and cast a massive influence on establishing not just the global technology ecosystem, but the local IT and cultural environment," said the 33-year-old founder of the emerging tech firm, in an interview in downtown Seoul, last Tuesday.

He said this will limit opportunities for small companies to grow in size and expand their presence in the local economy, as Samsung and LG will keep searching for smaller, more specialized entities to find next revenue sources.

But the presence of such globally influential firms can also serve as a stepping stone for startups to grow bigger, once they establish a co-development ecosystem with the conglomerates.

"In China, no companies are as huge and influential as Samsung or LG, in terms of size and levels of technology," he said. "It is very hard for small firms to grow into such conglomerates. But Samsung and LG have set a successful example in Korea. I think they need to form a mutual development ecosystem with small firms to mitigate Korea's current tech environment that is heavily reliant on the two companies."





An artist's rendition of Kuang-Chi Solarship. The cargo aircraft enables trips to hard-to-get-to places where traditional aircraft cannot land. / Courtesy of Kuang-Chi Science



Under the partnership model, Korean small firms will be able to learn invaluable lessons that their Chinese counterparts cannot do, he said.

Liu grew up obsessed with science, especially physics and space, studying electrical and computer engineering at Duke University in the United States.

Upon finishing his doctoral degree, Liu and a group of his fellows established Kuang-Chi Science in Shenzhen in southeastern China in 2010.

Under the dream of "dedication to innovation that changes the world," the founding members have focused on developing new things that are highly innovative, such as a near-space vehicle, and flying cargo and smart surveillance airships.

Due to such outstanding feats, Kuang-Chi became the first company that Chinese President Xi Jinping inspected after he was elected in December 2012.



Chinese gov't's massive support on tech ventures

Liu stressed each government holds a key to foster more startups, thereby creating venture booms.

"The Chinese government gives incentives of up to 100 million yuan ($15.4 million) to a researcher who has studied abroad and brought home some research achievements," he said.

But the government subsidy is hugely different from venture capital investment, as venture capitalists or firms keep getting involved in how the invested firm does business. This will leave researchers less motivated to do research, according to him.

"The Chinese government, however, does not intervene in the research process, because they provide the incentives, guaranteeing freedom," he said.

The Chinese government is also encouraging researchers to register more intellectual property, granting incentives on those who have patents, even if they have nothing to do with the Chinese market.



Global Community of Innovation (GCI)

Kuang-Chi is also committed to creating a global research environment by forming the Global Community of Innovation (GCI), a research and development (R&D) group hiring more than 1,300 scientists or researchers from 12 countries including China, the United States and Hong Kong.

In particular, the company plans to establish an R&D facility, the Asia Innovation Design Center, in Seoul this year.

"We have discussed in detail over building the Asia Innovation Design Center in Seoul since the second quarter of last year," he said. "The official opening of the center will be around September or October."

He visited Korea to join the "2016 China Week" which held for three days from Apr. 25 at the Four Seasons Hotel in central Seoul.

"My Seoul visit is part of an effort to raise the awareness of the opening of the R&D facility," he said. "We are going to invest some $10 million in the project. Kuang-Chi will unveil more specific plans after signing a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency (KOTRA)."

The fundamental motto of the center is to make futuristic things into reality and turn them into a part of our daily lives, he said.

This is in line with Kuang-Chi's company vision, which is well-reflected in its major products _ including the Martin Jetpack.

In December 2014, Kuang-Chi acquired a 52 percent stake in New Zealand-based jetpack manufacturer Martin Aircraft Company.

The world's first manned jetpack can be widely used for rescue purpose, heavy transportation or even leisure needs from individuals, Kuang-Chi said.

But the company remained cautious over the timing of its commercialization, due to airspace regulations.

Another major product is the near-space vehicle, called "Traveler."

Kuang-Chi partnered with the New Zealand government over the launch of the Traveler.

The company signed a deal to test the space ship in New Zealand. In June last year, Kuang-Chi succeeded in launching the Traveler from Ashburton, on South Island of the country.

This has allowed the company to open the possibility of space travel, accomplish tests on maritime surveillance, high-speed wireless communication and optical monitoring, the company said.

Through Traveler, Kuang-Chi hopes to generate more tangible achievements in broader areas such as geographical mapping, meteorological and agricultural big data collection, cosmic imaging and aerial transportation.

The company also boasts its hybrid cargo aircraft, Solarship, which enables trips to some hard-to-get-to places where it is hard for traditional aircraft to land.

The airship has a series of eco-friendly features including aerodynamic design and propulsion system, utilizing buoyancy force as a key lifting force. It can carry a maximum load of 30 tons, the company said.

Amid the rising importance of cloud platforms, the company decided to launch Kuang-Chi Cloud, an airborne, big data collecting and managing device.

The Cloud, flying at an altitude from 1,000 to 2,000 meters, provides satellite-level monitoring services for less than one hundredth the cost, Kuang-Chi said. The device came amid rising demands for extensive coverage for big data in radius coverage of more than 30 kilometers.

"All of such innovative devices came from our open-minded, creative attitude," he said. "Even if Kuang-Chi is a China-based corporation, we started business targeting global markets.

"Startups or any entrepreneurs should not be bound by a certain market or country, but develop their ideas in a way to penetrate into wider markets."
By Lee Min-hyung

Samsung SDS is expanding its global profile in mobile authentication systems in collaboration with India-based banking system provider EdgeVerve System.

Samsung's IT service affiliate said Sunday that it had forged a partnership with the banking software provider, allowing Samsung SDS's biometric recognition system, Fast Identity Online (FIDO), to speed up its global penetration.

Under the deal, EdgeVerve will use FIDO with its core banking systems. The wholly-owned subsidiary of Infosys has a global foothold in transactional security systems in sectors such as banking, e-commerce and various financial services.

"The partnership is meaningful, because FIDO has been used for some limited areas including Samsung's mobile payment service, Samsung Pay," said an Samsung SDS official. "The deal will allow Samsung SDS to provide the reliable mobile security system to global clients in finance sectors where the highest level of security is required."

In particular, EdgeVerve is also expected to improve its finance security through the partnership, meeting growing demands for more secure mobile security.

The FIDO authentication solution uses fingerprint and facial recognition technology. Samsung SDS hopes to diversify its revenue streams by taking advantage of the partnership.

EdgeVerve, best known for its core banking product Finacle, is the market leader in global banking services for more than 540 million users in more than 80 countries.

"User authentication and mobile security are gaining more significance in an era of digital banking," said Kim Ho, chief of Samsung SDS' advanced mobile solution business division. "Samsung SDS's biometrics systems ensures simpler and more secure user authentication."

EdgeVerve President Andy Dey said the company would provide banking without passwords, whereby people could authenticate transactions by using flexible biometric options such as facial recognition and fingerprints.

FIDO was promoted at this year's Infosys Confluence, held for two days from Thursday in San Francisco. Infosys demonstrated the system to about 300 finance industry companies and organizations.

Samsung SDS previously teamed with French-based biometrics company Morpho to develop the mobile-focused authentication system. At this year's Mobile World Congress, the company unveiled its office security solutions, with FIDO at the center.

The key feature of FIDO is that it has converged fingerprint with face authentication, offering an industry-leading level of security, according to Samsung SDS.

The company previously clinched a contract to provide Singapore's military with the FIDO-based mobile Intranet infrastructure.
A battle is raging over one of the most fundamental aspects of San Diego Countys future: how folks get around.

Will commuters overwhelmingly continue to drive their cars to work, as theyve done for decades? Or will lawmakers fashion a public transportation system  consisting largely of bus, trolley and train lines  thats efficient and sexy enough to appeal to millennials and perhaps their parents?

In the latest clash, green groups have joined Republicans to oppose a countywide, half-cent sales tax that would provide millions of dollars for public transit and bike lanes but also lock in money for specific highway projects.

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With billions in transportation spending hanging in the balance, environmentalists have doubled down on their envisioned moratorium against expanding freeways. Theyre betting that public support will dramatically shift in favor of mass transit in coming years.

Sprawl development isnt going to work anymore, said Nicole Capretz, executive director of the San Diego nonprofit Climate Action Campaign.

It used to be that one or two organizations would care about freeway expansion. Now you have critical mass, where we all understand that its a huge driver of a lot of our problems, she said.

Conservatives are against the proposed levy because they either oppose new taxes or believe this one doesnt devote enough funding to roads and highways.

Its not enough on the things that touch most people, which is freeways and interchanges, said Tony Krvaric, chairman of the countys Republican Party.

We have a standing rule against any tax increase, he added. So we start in opposition.

The proposal has strong support from some of the regions Democratic elected officials, who emphasize that about 86% of the money collected would go to non-highway projects such as bus and rail lines, preservation of open space and discretionary money for cities.

This measure isnt for groups that want an all-or-nothing approach, but it will get us much closer to making more transportation options available for more people in the region, said San Diego City Councilman Todd Gloria.

While the tax proposal received a key approval Friday from the San Diego Assn. of Governments 21-member board, on which Gloria sits, the targeted levy could face an uphill battle.

If the county Board of Supervisors agrees to put it on the ballot, the measure would need two-thirds voter approval in November to become law. Polling by the association in recent weeks shows the publics backing for the measure ranging from 67.8% to 62.2%, with support waning as voters learn more about the proposal.

If the measure passes, it would bring in about $18 billion during the next four decades  accounting for about 28% of transportation funding that the regional agency obtains from the countys residents.

Perhaps more importantly, it would help cement the agencys hotly contested $204-billion, long-range regional transportation plan. Although the half-cent tax levy wouldnt fund any new road projects, it would create a fresh voter mandate for widening stretches of highway that have faced opposition, such as state Highway 94 heading into downtown San Diego.

If the measure fails, it would probably set up a showdown going into 2020, when the San Diego Assn. of Governments would update that regional transportation blueprint. The agency also could put forth a revised tax proposal that same year, timed to coincide with a presidential election, when typically larger voter turnout improves the chances for passage of tax increases.

A coalition of environmentalists, labor unions and social justice advocates is pushing for the face-off that could culminate in four years.

The group has attacked the half-cent tax proposal for not doing enough to address climate change or limit freeway pollution in urban neighborhoods. Specifically, they argue that the plan delays transit projects while prioritizing freeways in the near term.

Research has shown that this approach to transportation planning further burdens communities with air pollution and does not relieve traffic congestion in the long run, said Monique Lopez, a policy advocate with the Environmental Health Coalition in National City. We cannot afford to spend more money on old ways of planning.

In an attempt to win support for the tax levy, San Diego Assn. of Governments officials have signaled that the money in that proposal would help speed up public transit projects. Theyve also warned that if the initiative fails in November, the first thing to go will probably be the bus and rail lines.

If theres no new local money, then we probably have to cut a bunch of projects out of the plan, said Gary Gallegos, executive director of the agency. The roads wouldnt be cut out, but they would happen way later.

Agency officials also say the proposal was crafted to be politically viable.

If we put it all into [mass] transit, that measure wont win, Gallegos said. The guys in North County are not going to vote for it. It we made it all roads, that wouldnt win either.

The labor-environmental coalition has remained largely unconvinced. Instead, its members recruited San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer, a prominent Republican, to help kill the proposal.

Threatening to pull support for San Diegos nationally recognized and recently approved Climate Action Plan, which Faulconer backs, they have said the proposed freeway expansion projects would undermine efforts to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions outlined in the anti-global-warming framework. Thats because those efforts hinge on boosting the use of mass transit.

On Friday, Faulconer made a rare appearance on the San Diego Assn. of Governments board to vote against the half-cent tax proposal. The mayor, who declined to comment for this article, routinely sends an alternate to the agencys meetings.

Snubbing what would have been an unthinkably progressive funding measure a decade ago, the anti-freeway coalition hopes that defeating the tax proposal  and thus delaying the associations ability to fund its current transportation priorities  will only strengthen its position.

Public opinion is shifting away from the misguided concept that adding highway lanes will improve drive times, said Colin Parent, policy counsel for the nonprofit think tank Circulate San Diego.

The idea that highway expansions dont work and only add to congestion is becoming a more mainstream concept, he said. Its not just environmentalists who are recognizing a real problem with a highway expansion model.

joshua.smith@sduniontribune.com

Smith writes for the San Diego Union-Tribune.

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Two people were killed and another wounded Monday in a shooting at a Willowbrook liquor store, fire officials said.

The shooting occurred about 5 p.m. near 135th Street and Avalon Boulevard, about one block from the northwestern border with Compton, said Supervisor Bernard Peters of the Los Angeles County Fire Department.

Two people were found dead outside the liquor store, Los Angeles County Sheriffs Lt. Steven Tousey said. Around the corner, another person was found with a gunshot wound to the buttocks, Tousey said.

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The injured person was taken to the hospital in unknown condition.

KABC-TV Channel 7 reported that the shooting happened at a strip mall, and aerial footage broadcast by the station showed what appeared to be two bodies covered by white drapes outside a row of stores.

Its unclear what led to the shooting, which is being investigated by the Los Angeles County Sheriffs Department.

This article will be updated as more information becomes available.

For breaking news in California, follow @MattHjourno.
Los Angeles police shot and killed a man in Panorama City on Saturday night after he approached two officers with a knife in his hand, authorities said.

Two police officers responded to a call about a domestic dispute in a building near the intersection of Parthenia Street and Orion Avenue at about 10 p.m. Saturday, said Sgt. Greg Bruce of the Los Angeles Police Department.

They found a woman lying injured on the floor. As the officers called an ambulance for her, a man exited the bedroom and approached the officer with at least one knife in his hand, Bruce said. The officers then opened fire and shot the man dead.

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Its not clear how many knives he was holding or how many shots were fired, Bruce said. The investigation in the shooting is ongoing.

Its not clear how severe the womans injuries were, Bruce said. She was transported to a local hospital.

The man was in his 20s, according to L.A. County Coroners Investigator Selena Barros. His name is being withheld until his family can be notified, and no autopsy has been performed yet.

frank.shyong@latimes.com

Twitter: @frankshyong

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A top Los Angeles County sheriffs official has resigned amid mounting criticism over emails he sent mocking Muslims, blacks, Latinos, women and others from his work account during his previous job with the Burbank Police Department, the Sheriffs Department announced Sunday.

After previously saying that he had no immediate plans to discipline his chief of staff, Sheriff Jim McDonnell said in a statement that he had accepted Tom Angels resignation and intended to turn the controversy into a learning opportunity for his department employees.

This incident is one that I find deeply troubling, McDonnell said. Despite the Sheriffs Departments many recent efforts to fortify public trust and enhance internal and external accountability and transparency, this incident reminds us that we and other law enforcement agencies still have work to do.

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McDonnell said he would introduce random audits of employee email accounts and would meet with community groups to share thoughts and ideas about improving our understanding of the varied cultures and orientations and deepening our appreciation of the many ethnicities and religions that are part of the vibrant fabric of the population we serve. The department would also examine its training and existing policies for ensuring accountability and enhancing cultural and ethnic sensitivity, he said.

Angels resignation came after The Times published emails obtained under the states open records act. The forwarded emails prompted numerous civil rights advocates to call on the sheriff to discipline his chief of staff. By Sunday, the consensus was that Angel should step down or be fired.

Angel did not respond to messages seeking comment. He previously told The Times that he did not mean to embarrass or demean anyone. He said it was unfortunate that his work emails could be obtained by the public under the states records laws.

It is unclear what lasting effect, if any, the controversy will have on McDonnells standing among local civil rights advocates.

McDonnell was elected in November 2014 as an outsider promising to steer the agency past an era in which some deputies beat jail inmates and others were found to have singled out African Americans and Latinos in the Antelope Valley for harassment. He brought Angel, a veteran sheriffs official, back from Burbank as a key member of his reform administration.

Angels resignation was welcomed by many of the civil rights advocates who had called on McDonnell to act, though some said the sheriff should have done more sooner. McDonnell had previously said he was disappointed by the emails but didnt have plans to take action because Angel sent the messages while working for Burbank.

Salam Al-Marayati, president of the Muslim Public Affairs Council, said Angels resignation was not a moment to rejoice but to roll up our sleeves and help the sheriff develop a culture of partnership and accountability and transparency within his office.

Haroon Manjlai, a spokesman for the greater L.A. chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, said the sheriffs decision to accept his chief of staffs resignation sent an important message going forward.

Hopefully now, if incidents like these happen again, the precedent is to step down or be dismissed, Manjlai said. It promotes zero tolerance when it comes to any kind of xenophobic or insensitive behavior to any community.

Earl Ofari Hutchinson, president of the Los Angeles Urban Policy Roundtable, said the sheriff should have acted against Angel rather than wait for public criticism to build.

Youre not doing anything if your initial reaction is, Thats horrible, thats terrible, but theres nothing I can do or nothing I intend to do, Hutchinson said. This is your department. You are the man at the top, you set the direction, the tempo, the climate for the department. If you dont take action, what youre saying is the department doesnt care.

NEWSLETTER: Get essential California headlines delivered daily >>

Hutchinson, who last week called for an audit of all sheriffs employee emails, said he plans to monitor the email audits and push to make sure the results are made public.

Esther Lim, director of the Jails Project at the ACLU of Southern California, called McDonnells initial reaction a little passive.

When you have someone high up in the administration sending off inappropriate emails, and the sheriff is slow to respond, that communicates to the line staff that its a behavior thats OK, when its not, Lim said.

The uproar echoes recent controversies in other cities. In San Francisco and Ferguson, Mo., police officials who sent racially derogatory emails or text messages were placed on leave or fired.

Angels emails were sent in 2012 and 2013 when he was the No. 2 police official in Burbank. There, too, he had been brought in to reform an agency reeling from misconduct in its ranks, including allegations of brutality, racism and sexual harassment.

I took my Biology exam last Friday, said one of the emails, which The Times obtained from the city of Burbank under the states public records law. I was asked to name two things commonly found in cells. Apparently Blacks and Mexicans were NOT the correct answers.

Another email ridiculed concerns about the racial profiling of Muslims as terrorism suspects. A third included the subject line How dumb is dumb? and listed 20 reasons Muslim Terrorists are so quick to commit suicide, including Towels for hats, Constant wailing from some idiot in a tower and You cant wash off the smell of donkey.

Four of the emails contained strings of jokes that Angel received and then forwarded. A city spokesman said the other senders and recipients were redacted because they did not work for the city, and releasing their identities would be an invasion of privacy.

A fifth email was a short dialogue between Angel and another Burbank police official in which Angel asked what he called a trivia question: How many virgins do Muslims get in heaven?

Some who worked with Angel in Burbank defended him, calling him a respectful leader who comfortably interacted with different ethnic groups.

I saw nothing but the highest levels of conduct, said Burbank City Councilman David Gordon.

Angels departure will be a big loss for the sheriff, who as an outsider relied on him as a right-hand man to help sort out the 18,000-member departments inner workings.

Tom Angels career within the Sheriffs Department was extraordinary, said Brian Moriguchi, president of the union that represents sheriffs supervisors. He came back to help the sheriff rebuild from the previous administrations corruption and other problems, and he was well-intentioned and well-respected. But that doesnt excuse his conduct, either.

Twitter: @atchek

Twitter: @cindychangLA

Tchekmedyian writes for Times Community News.

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As millions of Orthodox Christians around the world prepare to celebrate Easter on Sunday and Jesus Christs resurrection, thousands across the Chicago area are flocking to a suburban parish to see what they believe to be a different miracle.

Since July, tiny droplets of fragrant oil have trickled down an icon of St. John the Baptist in front of the altar at Assumption Greek Orthodox Church in Homer Glen, a village southwest of Chicago. Parishioners believe that the oil has healing properties and that its origins are a blessing from God.

The first thing out of my mouth was, What do I do? said the Rev. Sotirios Sam Dimitriou, the parish priest. You dont expect anything like this. Its breathtaking. Its so powerful to see such an act of God before your eyes.

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Whether its an act of God or a chemical reaction, few in the Greek Orthodox community care. A rational explanation is irrelevant if what seems to be a supernatural event draws people toward God, clergy say.

We dont necessarily make official pronouncements on these things, said Bishop Demetrios, auxiliary bishop of Mokissos of the Greek Orthodox Metropolis of Chicago. We let the faithful believe it if they wish.... If it brings you closer to God, thats wonderful. If it doesnt, it doesnt.

The oil, which parishioners believe to be myrrh, exudes from the icons halo, wings, hands and beard and is collected by a reservoir of cotton at the icons base. Dimitriou regularly extracts the oil into a pitcher, then saturates cotton balls, which he seals in plastic bags for parishioners to take home and share with their loved ones. So far, he has handed out more than 5,000 samples  a handy way to track the flow of pilgrims.

But he has been reluctant to broadcast its origins. Instead, news of the icon has spread by word of mouth.

Reports of the oils healing effects have made their way to Dimitriou. One man reportedly went to the doctor concerning a blockage in his artery, but it had disappeared. Another reported being cancer-free after touching the oil.

The painter of the icon, Peter Mihalopoulos, said he believed the oil was why he was painting in his garage two days after a hip replacement.

And Dimitriou, who before the oil began to flow frequently passed out at the altar or in his office because of nerve damage, said he has not been hospitalized for his condition since September. He stopped taking his medication in January.

This is not the first time unexplained streaks of moisture have been spotted on an icon in the Chicago area.

An icon of Mary that appeared to be weeping has drawn huge crowds to St. Nicholas Albanian Orthodox Church several times since it began to emit moisture in December 1986. In 1994, parishioners at St. George Antiochian Orthodox Church in Cicero said they witnessed tears streaming from the eyes of Mary in an icon of the Virgin Mary and baby Jesus.

Dimitriou said the oil on St. John the Baptist, unlike the weeping icons, appears to come from everywhere but his eyes. He has been told that means the icon offers a sign of joy, not sadness.

The fact that its an icon of St. John the Baptist also sets it apart. John Price, a 20-year-old altar server, noticed the droplets of oil on the icon as he held a flickering candle during a Sunday service in July.

Sitting in the front chair that morning, his mother, Miki, noticed her son transfixed. When he told her later what he had witnessed, she immediately went back to the church to see for herself.

Thats my sons saint, and my son wants to be a priest, Miki Price said. It totally blesses me that John was the first to see it.

James Skedros, dean of Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology in Brookline, Mass., said that although icons dont exude oil every day, similar episodes have taken place across the U.S. There is no formal process in the Orthodox Church of authenticating such incidents as miracles, he said, but they are believed to hold significance.

Could the phenomenon be attributed to a reaction to the churchs environment? Of course, Skedros said. But what bishop wants to question the congregation, discredit a priest or doubt God?

Indeed, Demetrios sees the rivulets of oil and powerful perfume emanating from the icon as a blessing for a wounded congregation.

In 2007, the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese suspended a former priest over allegations he sexually abused minors in the early 1970s while he was a priest at Assumption, when it was located in Olympia Fields. The parish moved to Homer Glen in 2013.

God through this icon is somehow healing this parish from some serious hurt in its past, Demetrios said.

Helen Conits, who joined the parish last week, said the icon has offered her comfort and peace of mind. On Wednesday, she came to the church to be anointed with oil in the sacrament of holy unction and to pick up a cotton ball for her ailing father and her daughter.

I do believe in miracles, she said. I dont necessarily have to see it, but its nice. At a time when everything seems to be falling apart in the world and for us personally, its nice to see.

mbrachear@tribpub.com

Brachear Pashman writes for the Chicago Tribune.

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You can count coots again. Sandhill cranes, too.

You can drive the main refuge road without worrying that somebody with a gun  either an anti-federal militant or an FBI agent  will stop you. You can even walk into the Harney County Courthouse without having to go through a metal detector.

Less than three months after the end of the 41-day armed occupation that made this remote part of eastern Oregon a symbol of tension between the rural West and the federal government, a very welcome spring has arrived. The occupiers are mostly in jail, the Malheur wildlife refuge is mostly open, and the birds  and birders  are back.

Maybe Ill see a tundra swan, said a bashful man with binoculars walking on a golden evening alongside the refuges Benson Pond. But any birds will do.

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One of the occupiers on Jan. 15, in the early stage of the 41-day standoff at the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge in Oregon. The roads to the refuge, which had been closed after the occupation, have now reopened. (Joe Raedle / Getty Images)

Yet as good as it all feels to many people, virtually no one says they expect things to return to the normal they used to know.

We will not go back to exactly the way it was before, said Chad Karges, the longtime manager of the refuge. It will be a new normal.

For refuge employees, that means ongoing repairs and repainting for the headquarters and visitors center, which are expected to open in late July or early August, although roads are now open in the refuge. It means an even greater emphasis on building relationships with ranchers and other residents who have often been frustrated by the governments expanding presence in the region. It means making a point to acknowledge the tension and speaking carefully because a criminal investigation is underway that could last for years.

For the nearby town of Burns, it could mean political upheaval.

Time is the only way you know what the new normal is going to look like.  Chad Karges, Malheur National Wildlife Refuge manager

A recall petition is being circulated to remove the countys top elected official, Judge Steve Grasty. It is being led by a local man who has accused Grasty of muffling public speech about issues raised during the occupation. Grasty, who refused to allow the occupation leaders use county buildings to hold meetings, had announced his retirement before the militants took over the wildlife compound and demanded it and other federal land be transferred to county control. But his term lasts through this year.

In addition to the recall effort, on May 17, the same day Oregon holds its presidential primary, Harney County will hold a primary to fill Grastys seat and others on the county commission. Several candidates were motivated to run by the occupation, which they say raised important issues about the control of public land.

Candidates who have expressed support of the occupiers in some form are running for offices in other Oregon counties and at the state level. Signs supporting Bruce Cuff, who is running for governor with the slogan Oregon is a sovereign state! are sprinkled through Harney County.

Control of federal lands needs to be given to the state of Oregon so the counties to which that land belongs can manage it for the benefit of their citizens, the Republican says on his website.

Tom Schaefer, who is running for Grastys seat, said in an interview last week that he saw the impact of increasing federal regulation while working as a ranch hand across the West for many years and in the fencing business he now runs in Harney County. He acknowledged that he has contracts with the government but said he would be doing better if farmers and ranchers could operate with fewer restrictions.

The story remains the same wherever you go: The federal government is pushing people off the land; the jobs are just going away, Schaefer said. Im not in any way advocating a takeover of some building or something, but we need to have some push-back instead of just total cooperation. Thats not working.

When the armed occupiers took over Malheur on Jan. 2, few people felt the impact more acutely than the refuges 17 employees. Law enforcement urged all of them to leave for their own safety. Karges and his wife, whose work for the federal Bureau of Land Management sometimes intersects with his own, spent weeks in motel rooms, trying to do their jobs remotely.

One of us was either in the closet or the bathroom, so that were not walking over each others conversations on the phone, he said.

Karges, 52, has been in a supervisory role at the refuge since he arrived here in 1999. Before the occupation, he and his predecessor, Tim Bodeen, were seen as creative thinkers who helped develop trust among disparate groups based on shared concerns, like battling invasive carp and preserving rural communities.

Karges, who grew up on refuges because his father was also a refuge manager in the West, is a founding board member of the High Desert Partnership, a nonprofit started in 2005 that includes ranchers and conservationists. Their work has been held up as a model by Interior Secretary Sally Jewell. The partnership relies on guidance from Oregon Consensus, a program at Portland State University, to communicate in ways that emphasize common ground and build relationships.

It was tense when I got here, Karges said, referring to battles over refuge management and ranching that date to the 1970s. It was because of failed relationships for the most part. You cant get much done if everybodys upset with each other and everybody keeps using those same tools.

He said litigation too often was the first choice of various groups, including the government.

Relationships, thats the key to all of this, he added. With things like carp, with enough time and enough good minds working on it, youll figure those things out. Its the social dynamics that either make you succeed or fail.

Malheur is one of the more highly managed refuges in the West, with a complicated water system that stores and pumps runoff from Steens Mountain to serve the needs of more than 300 species of birds. Water use has long stirred debate in this arid region, but now there are new conflicts.

You have the election; you will have anniversaries, Karges said, referring to the occupation. You still have militia activity. Time is the only way you know what the new normal is going to look like. We can sit here and speculate a lot, but I think Ill just wait and see what it looks like.

william.yardley@latimes.com

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Arizona was solidly Donald Trump country in its primary last month, with Republican voters choosing the billionaire businessman by a 22-point margin.

But when party activists gathered in Mesa, a Phoenix suburb, on Saturday, it was Ted Cruz who walked away with most of the delegates.

The Texas senator won at least 35 of the 55 delegates up for election at the Arizona GOP state convention. All of them -- plus three other party officials who hold delegate slots -- must vote for Donald Trump on the first round of voting at the national convention in Cleveland this July.

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We dont feel this was a fair process.  Jeff DeWit, chairman of Donald Trumps Arizona campaign

But if Trump fails to win a majority of votes on that first ballot, Arizona delegates can vote for whomever they like. Flipping those votes is crucial for Cruzs strategy. In fact, its his only option because he is mathematically eliminated from winning the nomination outright during the primary season.

Cruz has proved savvy at the delegate hunt, and Arizona was no exception. His supporters credited the campaigns long-standing ground game.

You have a candidate two years out thats planning, said Michael Sussman, a contractor who specializes in electronic medical records. Cruz seems to plan for every contingency. And wouldnt you want a president to plan for every contingency?

The Cruz camp allied with Ohio Gov. John Kasichs team, offering nearly identical slates in an effort to consolidate the anti-Trump vote.

Kathy Petsas, who was elected as a statewide delegate, says she plans to vote for Kasich if theres a second ballot. She says she had no reservations about not voting for Trump even though he won her states primary.

Trump does not have a mandate yet, Petsas said, noting that though he did win the primary, he came short of winning a majority of votes.

Trump supporters cried foul over the voting process for 28 statewide delegates, where attendees used an electronic system to cast their votes via tablet, smartphone and computer. The process allowed campaigns to designate a slate of their preferred delegates; users could vote for one slate or pick and choose among nearly 700 candidates.

The Trump team said technical glitches led to some of their chosen delegates, including former Gov. Jan Brewer, not being included in their slate, leading to confusion. Trump came away with only two statewide delegates.

Jeff DeWit, who chairs Trumps Arizona campaign, said that middling result was incomprehensible in a state where for every one Cruz vote, there were two Trump votes. So somebody tell me how that happens.

We dont feel this was a fair process, he added.

Robert Graham, chairman of the Arizona GOP, brushed back the Trump teams accusation that the system was rigged against their candidate.

When people lose, they feel terrible. They wish they won, he said.

Follow @melmason on Twitter for news on politics.

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Patti Magnon grew up on the other side of the Rio Grande  in the adjacent Mexican city known as Nuevo Laredo.

But the border here has never been a barrier, and Magnon, who has lived on the U.S. side now for years, feels at home in both. Proud to be an American & a Catholic! proclaims her bio on Twitter. Love my Mexican heritage! An immigrant is not the same as an illegal immigrant.

These days, Magnon sometimes feels she has more in common with Americans elsewhere across the country than with Latino families here in Texas, and that started when she told people she was voting for Donald Trump.

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They bash you, said Gina Gil, whos also joined a small but enthusiastic group of people here on the border who like what Trump has to say  especially about immigration, a subject that, here on the banks of the Rio Grande, they feel they know as much about as anybody.

I find it insulting when people say people who follow Trump are uneducated, unintelligent, said Magnon.

Te aventaste! Gil exclaimed. You hit it.

Across the country, only a small minority of Latinos have backed Trump, and even here in Texas, a plurality of Latino Republicans voted for home-grown U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, who won the March 1 primary with 44% of the overall vote to Trumps 27%. Now as ever, most Latinos vote Democratic, and in Texas, where Latinos make up more than a quarter of the electorate, up to 71% of them backed Hillary Clinton, according to exit polls.

It was here on the border that Trump scored his biggest Texas victories, capturing Laredos Webb County, which is 95.3% Latino, and Zapata County next door (94%), as well as Terrell County (49 17.4% Latino Hispanic) and Hudspeth County (78%), which are farther west.

Its the hardworking people, said Miriam Cepeda, 24, a history major at the nearby University of Texas-Pan American who is leading Trumps campaign in the Rio Grande Valley east of Laredo. What she hears, she says, is a lot of resentment aimed at undocumented immigrants who receive government services. Those that pay the taxes and do what theyre supposed to say, Why do I have to pay?

Trump supporter Patti Magnon of Laredo, Texas, began life across the border in its Mexican sister city, Nuevo Laredo. (Ilana Panich-Linsman / For The Times)

Magnon and Gill voted for Trump in the Texas primary, plan to vote for him in the general election, and are waging their own kind of ad hoc citizens campaign, praising him on radio shows and online, recruiting friends and family.

The two women met last summer when Trump came here, to the Southwest borders third-most populous city, behind El Paso and San Diego.

Magnon drove her 7-year-old daughter, Allie, to the small local airport to see the real estate magnate. They were greeted in this majority Democratic, heavily Mexican American town by a crowd of opponents chanting into megaphones: Dump Trump!

See the most-read stories this hour >>

Both Magnon, 44, and Gil, 49, are former Democrats  working mothers with community college educations who say theyre alarmed about welfare fraud, illegal immigration and the rising costs of healthcare. Magnon almost lost her health insurance when Obamacare took effect. Gil seethed at paying an $800 penalty under the new federal healthcare law, but insurance would have cost even more.

Trump promised to run the country like a business and repeal Obamacare. They didnt think he was racist when he promised to build a bigger border wall to keep out Mexican rapists. They thought he was right  and were delighted to find that others around town agreed with them.

I was surprised other people in Laredo think like I do, Magnon said.

Gils father was an electrician, her mother a day-care worker. Raised on the south side of town near the river, she was a cheerleader in high school but was pregnant with the first of five children at age 16. She helped her husband start a bakery. But the union was not a happy one, and Gil eventually left, working multiple jobs, training as a paralegal, buying rental properties and businesses.

The tough-talking single mother relied on undocumented Mexican migrants to watch her children and run her businesses  but at least none of them were on welfare, she says. I could never have done it on my own, she said. Im not Wonder Woman. You have to keep your boat afloat.

She says she spent many years working so hard that the only time she saw her children was when she drove by her house and waved at them through the front window.

Gil still lives near the Rio Grande. Tooling around in her custom 2015 white Audi recently, she pointed to homes and businesses she had bought, all for cash. When she stopped to pick up her blood pressure medication, $71.75 for a months supply, she pointed to the button for the state welfare benefit, Lone Star, for those who are receiving state assistance.

Do I press Lone Star? Ha! she said, then paid out of her own pocket.

Gil called a local bilingual radio show recently to praise Trumps promises to crack down on welfare cheats.

Trump is right. Just because hes a billionaire  well, he worked hard for what he has, she said.

Unless someone stops the flow of illegal immigration and stabilizes the economy, Gil worries, Our kids are going to be working like psychos for the deadbeats.

Patti Magnon, with daughter Allie, 7, in Laredo, Texas. The family hasnt visited Nuevo Laredo, Mexico, in years for fear of violence. (Ilana Panich-Linsman / For The Times)

Magnon worries about many of the same things. She and her siblings spent their childhood in Laredos Mexican sister city, Nuevo Laredo. Her father worked for an import-export business, her mother for a chain of retail stores. The family had an extensive staff including a driver and housekeeping staff.

When Magnon was in high school they moved to Laredo, where she married 22 years ago and settled with her husband, an oil company manager, in a northern subdivision near the country club.

People say, Why do you say youre Mexican? Because my people are Mexican and American. People think were second-rate citizens and were not, she said. We come to the U.S. and have so much to offer other than were just illegals.

Magnon remembers visiting her grandmothers house by the river, where migrants would arrive wet and hungry. Her grandmother provided water, taquitos and coins to the temporary workers, who inevitably returned to their families in Mexico. Now, Magnon said, migrants who cross illegally seem to stay and apply for welfare, such as the federally funded Women, Infants and Children program (WIC), which provides food, healthcare referrals and nutrition education to low-income mothers with young children.

Gina Gil fears her children will have to work hard just to provide services for people who have immigrated illegally. (Ilana Panich-Linsman / For The Times)

Living in a border town, Ive seen how its changed, where the maids we have here, illegally, theyre not leaving. Theyre having kids here, they get Medicaid, food stamps, WIC. It is just unbelievable what they get, she said.

Magnon is deeply religious, and feels conflicted at times about how to best help immigrants.

When Laredo and other border cities saw an influx of Central American migrant families and children two years ago, Magnon drove to the local Greyhound station with donations. Theyre coming over here because [of] what theyre promised, Magnon said. But at the same time, who is going to pay for all the entitlement programs?

She hasnt crossed the border with her family in a decade due to the escalating violence in Mexico, and her youngest daughter has never crossed. A friends husband did, and was kidnapped and held for ransom.

Gina Gil feels that shes worked hard to make her own way, and that Donald Trump has too. (Ilana Panich-Linsman / For The Times)

That makes me so sad  because I have walked those streets, Magnon said, eyes tearing as she thought of her three girls. I want them to know where I was raised and their heritage.

When she hears Trump talk about building a wall to keep out those not legally entitled to enter the country, she isnt offended. Shes reassured: He said the Mexicans who are crossing are rapists and murderers. Well, hes right. Hes not talking about us. Hes talking about the illegals.

Both women see the New York businessman as the only one who can make a change.

Magnon voted for Hillary Clinton in 2008, but now considers her corrupt. She had high hopes for President Obama before she saw how he handled immigration and national security.

He always lets me down. Sometimes I think, Are you proud to be an American?

Trump, she said, made me feel safe. Hes that fighter. Hes so proud to be an American.

During breakfast not long ago at Eduardos, a Mexican steakhouse full of saddles and mounted deer heads, Gil stopped the Latina waitress to ask whom she was voting for, and what she thinks of Trump.

What Trump is saying is true, Teresa Castro replied.

The server said she works four days a week for $45, no benefits, and has struggled to care for her epileptic husband. She applied for Medicaid but was ineligible.

Were all in the same boat, Gil told her.

Gil and Magnon say they fear for their childrens future. Gil worries her kids will have to work as hard as she did.

Theyre going to live the same life I lived, she said ruefully.

The women picked up and prepared to join their families  Gils at a barbecue, Magnons at church.

Well, hopefully not, Magnon said. If Trump is elected.

Follow Molly-Hennessy-Fiske on Twitter

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Bernie Sanders fundraising drops in April

Sen. Bernie Sanders presidential campaign brought in just $26 million in April as contributions plummeted from earlier months, another sign of his fading candidacy.

The total was a little more than half the $46 million he raised in March. Sanders barely touched on the fundraising figure during a news conference at the National Press Club in Washington on Sunday, instead focusing on the $200 million his campaign has raised altogether since he announced a year ago that he would run for president.

We have shown we can run a strong, winning campaign without a super PAC and without being dependent on big-money interests, he said.

But Sanders trails Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton by a wide margin in total delegates with only about a dozen contests left, and last week he laid off hundreds of campaign workers and acknowledged that he is focused on influencing the party platform at its convention in July in Philadelphia.

Sanders again made the case that superdelegates, the party insiders who can vote for whomever they choose at the convention, should factor in their states popular votes, and which candidate has a better chance of beating Republicans in the fall.

Sanders trails Clinton by 275 pledged delegates but can count on the support of only 38 superdelegates, compared with 502 for Clinton, according to a count by the Associated Press. (The Sanders campaign says 42 superdelegates support him.)

Flipping party leaders who have committed to Clinton could be difficult. Clinton has been shoring up their support for years and many publicly announced their support of her before Sanders entered the race.

We must have the strongest candidate to beat [GOP front-runner Donald] Trump, or another Republican, and I think the objective evidence is that I am that candidate, he said.

Sanders repeatedly does better than Clinton in hypothetical general election match-ups that pit each of them against Trump, but such polls at this early stage of a presidential race are rarely indicators of Novembers outcome.

Sanders has criticized party rules that allow hundreds of superdelegates to vote for whom they want, but as the primary season draws to a close hes also begun to appeal to them and even promised that the national convention will be contested, though that appears unlikely.

It is virtually impossible for Secretary Clinton to reach the majority of convention delegates by June 14 with pledged delegates alone, Sanders said. She will need superdelegates to take her over the top at the convention in Philadelphia. In other words, the convention will be a contested contest.

With 546 pledged delegates up for grabs, Californias June 7 primary is the big prize left on the primary calendar. Sanders would have to win 65% of the remaining pledged delegates to secure the nomination before the convention.

That is, admittedly, and I do not deny it for a second, a tough road to climb, but it is not an impossible road to climb and we intend to fight for every vote in front of us and for every vote remaining, he said.
Its one thing for elected officials to declare war, essentially, on homelessness in Los Angeles, as they did at the beginning of the year, unveiling sweeping strategies to combat this intractable problem. Its another thing to find the money to put those plans into effect. Mayor Eric Garcettis proposed budget, the first since the citys Comprehensive Homeless Strategy was approved, sets aside $138 million for services and housing for homeless people. Thats four times what the city budget allocated last year for homelessness services. And it would be a welcome infusion of funding in a county of 44,000 homeless people, 26,000 of them in the city of LA. But as the City Councils Budget and Finance Committee began reviewing the mayors budget for the city this past week , they should keep this in mind: half of the proposed funding to fight homelessness depends on money from sources that have yet to materialize.

About $71 million would come from the General Fund and city departments and go toward an array of services, emergency shelters, and rental subsidies. However, the other $67 millionwhich would be put only toward housing for homeless people and affordable housingcomes from proposed fees and real estate sales. $20 million would come from so-called linkage fees on new development and $47 million would come from the sale of eight city-owned surplus properties. City officials call this a conservative estimate that takes into account the possibility that some properties will be sold out right and others may be developed into housing. The appraised total market value of all the properties, according to the city, is $86.5 million.

Both the linkage fee and the earmarking of city property for sale or development are enterprising approaches to generating revenue for housing for homeless individuals. They dovetail with the citys homelessness strategy and they demonstrate that elected officials are finally giving this issue the priority it deserves.

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The question is whether Garcetti and the council can make this funding stream happen. Linkage fees have not been popular with developers in the past. Garcetti, who has been promoting this idea for months, has said that some developers are now supportive. The fee, which can be levied on a broad range of development, from houses to commercial projects, is intended to mitigate the impact of the new development on affordable housing. San Francisco, Oakland, San Diego all have linkage fees. The revenue in this case would go to finance permanent supportive housing for the neediest of homeless people and affordable housing for low-income residents. An essential study on the fee is still in process and wont be completed for several months.

Garcetti has touted new sources of revenue before that did not come to fruition. In his state of the city speech last year, he announced that the city would raise $5 million for the Affordable Housing Trust Fund by collecting taxes from Airbnb for the first time. However, the city did not reach an agreement with Airbnb and hasnt collected the promised $5 million. It was a promise built on the belief that the city could overcome political obstacles which it failed to do.

What we hope, in this situation, is that Garcetti and the council members lobby developers and homelessness advocates hard to get their support and make this happen. And though ultimately it will fall to council members to approve the linkage fee, Garcetti shouldnt rely on the council to do all the heavy lifting here. He should use his bully pulpit to campaign for this fee. Much the way he pushed through groundbreaking earthquake retrofitting ordinances that initially made renters and landlords alike fret, he should do the same here.

As for the citys vacant and under-used sites, they have yet to be sold. On the sites where city officials choose to develop housing--whether affordable or permanent supportive--they may face opposition from residents in the community. Even though most of the properties are zoned for commercial, industrial, or public facility use.

The point is that none of these are done deals. And even if they were, it wouldnt take care of all the funding that the city estimates it needs--$1.85 billion over ten yearsto create sufficient housing and services for the homeless population. City and county officials are considering other revenue sources, including possible sales tax increases and general obligation bonds, that would have to be taken to the voters for their approval.

That said, the mayor and city council members should marshal their collective political will and make it clear that residents and developers alike must see that they have to be part of the solution if the problem of homelessness is ever going to be tackled significantly in Los Angeles. That means developers contributing by linkage fees to the creation of a desperately needed supply of affordable housing and that means residents accepting that getting homeless people off the streets means getting them into homes in their neighborhoods. If elected officials can make that message clear, then maybe they can get the funds for this housing effort.

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The heavily redacted Pentagon report on last years deadly attack on a Doctors Without Borders hospital in Kunduz, Afghanistan, affirms, as early accounts had suggested, that it was the result of a chain of errors, many of them avoidable. But because the deaths of the 42 civilians  doctors, staff and patients alike, some of them incinerated in their beds  were deemed to be unintentional, the Pentagon has decided the punishments for the perpetrators should be administrative, and that none of those involved will face criminal prosecution for their misdeeds.

That is inadequate. These deaths werent the result of a single error that led to dropping a bomb in the wrong place, which, although regrettable, also is inevitable in a theater of war. This attack, on a building complex that had been repeatedly reported to the military command as a hospital, lasted more than an hour, even as the crew of the AC-130 gunship expressed confusion over exactly what they were being asked to do, and uncertainty over the target. And the attack continued even though Doctors Without Borders contacted American officials within 12 minutes of its onset. Why did it continue? Because, according to the Pentagon report, which was released Friday, the military officials couldnt confirm for themselves that they were firing at a hospital, not a building full of Taliban fighters.

We wont pretend to substitute our knowledge for the Pentagons, but the militarys own report suggests serious violations of the rules of war. Gen. Joseph L. Votel, the head of the militarys Central Command, acknowledged Friday that the report found that troops involved did not comply with the rules of engagement in the law of armed conflict. Critics argue that such an egregious failure to follow the rules of engagement should have led to criminal charges, yet the Pentagons recommended response is administrative discipline  reassignments, letters of reprimand, stalled and possibly ended careers.

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Doctors Without Borders, Human Rights Watch and other international rights organizations have called for an independent investigation. Theyre right. As American forces continue to engage in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iraq, Syria, Somalia and, through the logistical support of Saudi Arabian bombers, Yemen, the U.S. government continues to feed the belief in parts of the world that, rather than being a force for stability and peace, it is heedless or reckless when it comes to protecting civilian lives. An internal review that determines, in effect, nope, we committed no crimes here, so move along, does not help.

President Obama should order an independent investigation into this horrific tragedy, and if that analysis recommends criminal charges against any of the troops involved, then the cases should be brought. To do otherwise is to flout justice, to work against the nations best interests and to feed cynicism about the Pentagons respect for its own rules of engagement.

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President Obama is pursuing two different strategies in two halves of Syria. One is working; the other is not.

Hes making progress in eastern Syria, where the United States is leading an expanding military campaign against Islamic State.

American airstrikes and efforts on the ground have taken a visible toll on the terrorist group. Its territory has shrunk, its finances are a mess, its recruitment numbers are down. U.S. Special Forces are training Syrian rebels with the aim of capturing Islamic States capital of Raqqah  maybe even before Obama leaves office.

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Last week, after years of resisting intervention in Syrias civil war, Obama announced that hes sending an additional 250 U.S. troops to eastern Syria, on top of 50 who arrived last year.

After years of resisting intervention in Syrias civil war, Obama announced that hes sending an additional 250 U.S. troops to eastern Syria, on top of 50 who arrived last year.

His rationale: These troops are part of the campaign against Islamic State, a direct threat to the United States, not the civil war against Syrian President Bashar Assad. Officially, those 300 U.S. troops arent on a combat mission; theyre coordinating local forces, collecting intelligence and finding targets for airstrikes. But they include special operations teams capable of killing or capturing Islamic State leaders  and some have already done so.

In western Syria, the more populous half of the country, its a different story.

Since 2011, the president has been saying that Assad must cede power to a transition government including the rebels who are fighting to overthrow him. Relying on diplomacy rather than force, Secretary of State John F. Kerry has worked doggedly to cajole the warring factions into a cease-fire and open peace negotiations.

For a while, it looked as if Kerry had succeeded. In February, Assad agreed to a cessation of hostilities, and for almost two months many Syrians enjoyed a respite from war.

But each time peace talks got underway in Geneva, Assads forces launched attacks on civilian areas  prompting opposition delegates to walk out in protest, as Assad knew they would. Some rebel units violated the truce as well, but on a smaller scale. Naturally, each side blamed the other for the breakdowns.

Kerry expected Russia, Assads most important ally, to help enforce the cease-fires and keep the negotiations on track. That didnt happen; instead, Russia continued its airstrikes in Syria  in some cases, attacking rebel units trained and equipped by the CIA.

Last week, Assads air force bombed rebel positions and civilian targets including two hospitals in Syrias largest city, Aleppo. His army is surrounding the city, the last major urban area held partly by rebel forces. If Assad takes Aleppo, the war in western Syria will largely be over, and the government will have won. (A partial cease-fire was announced Friday, but it covers only two small areas, and doesnt include Aleppo.)

So whats Plan B? Officially, there isnt one.

Obama has rejected every alternative hes been presented.

The problem with any Plan B that does not involve a political settlement is that it means more fighting, potentially for years, he said last month.

Thats true. But its also a straw man; the whole point of a Plan B would be to increase pressure on Assad to agree to a political settlement.

Heres one version of that kind of Plan B, long discussed by U.S. and Arab officials: Supply Syrian rebels with anti-aircraft missiles, so they can defend themselves against airstrikes.

That raises the danger that a portable anti-aircraft missile could fall into the hands of a terrorist group. So intelligence agencies have discussed installing devices that would disable the missiles if they were taken out of a designated area.

And there are other options between passivity and a ground invasion: more weapons, increased training and intelligence-sharing, a safe zone for refugees.

Syrias two wars are very different from each other. A strategy that makes sense in one half of the country may not in the other.

Still, its worth noticing that in eastern Syria, Obama has found a way to put U.S. troops on the ground without stepping onto the slippery slope he has always feared.

He has made it clear that there wont be a U.S. invasion or occupation  even though the enemy, Islamic State, is considered a direct threat.

In western Syria, Obama has long claimed he has only two choices: either minimal involvement or a full-scale ground invasion. His experience in eastern Syria, where his light footprint strategy is showing results, refutes that argument.

Diplomacy without force isnt helping Obama achieve his goal of a political settlement; that dream is slipping away even as Syrian civilians are being massacred. Its time for Obama to choose a Plan B  whether he likes it or not.

doyle.mcmanus@latimes.com

Twitter: @doylemcmanus

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If you want to discern my faith, dont look around my neck for a cross. Look at my Facebook page. I love a good Jesus meme.

One favorite features a classic painting of villagers staring heavenward. Jesus is coming, says the caption. Look busy. Another fave? Jesus doing a face-palm with the caption, Guys, I said I hate figs. These may seem like jokes from the darkest side of sacrilege, but they get a good laugh, a click of the Like button, and an approving prayer-hands emoji from progressive Christians like me.

In light of the anti-gay religious freedom bills recently signed into law in Mississippi and Tennessee, sharing a meme that substitutes figs for a pejorative the Los Angeles Times wont publish may not seem like much, but its a protest nonetheless. The same with posting the meme that says: Just once, the world would like to see Christians claim religious liberty compelling us to feed children or curb gun violence or combat cancer or anything remotely life affirming. Instead we use it to withhold wedding cakes Its a way of communicating that I refuse to fall for the right-wing con. Religious liberty legislation is not the stuff of protecting faith, but of pointing fingers.

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The old hippie folk hymn paraphrasing John 13:35 says: They will know we are Christians by our love. Not based on my news feed.

You have to understand: I work, socialize and post in circles where the only Sunday sacrament is brunch. I move mostly in the world of nones, otherwise known as the spiritual-but-not-religious.  Many of them dont look kindly on Christians; they dont even think they know any.

According to the Pew Research Center, none is the single most common religious identity among those born between 1980 and 2000. In the United States, the study projects, Christians will decline from more than three-quarters of the population in 2010 to two-thirds in 2050, while nones will increase from 17.1% to 25.6% in the same time period.

So I sometimes feel Im on the wrong side of history, and that makes me self-conscious about opening conversations about faith. But sharing posts, memes and tweets makes me feel like I might be able to, at the very least, let the nones know that Christianity isnt what they may think it is.

The schism in Christianity these days runs far deeper than arguing over the pros and cons of accepting offerings online, or whether or not playing Christian rock during services constitutes pandering to millennials. The Ku Klux Klan, it has been reported, wants you to start thinking of it as a Christian group. A recent Washington Post/ABC poll revealed that American Christians, more than the non-religious, are likely to support torture. And then theres good old Parson Donald Trump, bungling a Corinthians reference in one breath and condemning immigrants in the next. The old hippie folk hymn paraphrasing John 13:35 says: They will know we are Christians by our love. Not based on my news feed.

The Christian right in America has dozens of politicians and mega-pastors broadcasting its beliefs. Meanwhile, more moderate Christians hardly make the media radar. Into that void, were left with posting memes and retweeting comedian John Fugelsang: #Mississippi  The poorest state w/highest unemployment, most obesity and worst education just passed a law to protect themselves from gays.

Moderate and progressive Christian activism doesnt make headlines and its certainly not clickbait. The basic goodness in my corner of Christianity garners pretty much no mainstream media attention. Crazy gets more clicks, so the extremists get all the airplay. The progressive message needs a signal boost.

Once I started posting Jesus memes, I realized I wasnt facing anti-Christian bias on the part of my friends, but rather cluelessness. They had formulated their ideas about modern Christianity from what the media was telling them. To them, Christian equaled global-warming denier and homophobe. Was I one of those people, they wondered? They needed assurances that I didnt see faith and science as mutually exclusive, or even faith and common sense. It was up to me to inform them that I was down with Bill Nye, not Lou Sheldon.

Then things got interesting. Theyd quiz me: Those Christian business-owners who refused, on religious grounds, to make wedding cakes or pizzas for same-sex couples, What Would Jesus Do? My answer: Hed start baking. (Could we have foreseen the culture wars being waged on a battlefield of carbs?) So, yes, social media can be a useless time suck, but it can also be a crucible for creating understanding.

I am aware of how trivial a Gospel According to Likes may seem: Too personal, as if the message were tantamount to a spiritual selfie  lamentations from the Church of Me. I know that when I retweet @UnvirtousAbbey  For places where its easier to get a gun than a get a job, we pray  I may be merely affirming that I am not alone in my sadness about how my religion is being continually, devastatingly distorted.

If we want something to change, we start where we are, and where I am so often is online. The Bible says Judge not lest ye be judged. It doesnt say, Let Bible-justified cruelty, prejudice or downright nuttiness go unchallenged.

If I were to select just one social media message to communicate the outrage and sorrow I feel about the coopting of Christianity, which hashtag, meme or emoji would I choose?

Thats easy.

#JesusWept.

Lily Burana is a novelist and memoirist. She is at work on a book about her journey back to faith.

Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinion and Facebook
The eclectic mix of labor loyalists, gay rights advocates, antiwar protesters and political neophytes who gathered in a union hall here a few days ago may have never ended up in the same room together were it not for Bernie Sanders.

And they wondered whether they would ever come together again with this much excitement about a common goal.

As the prospect of the democratic socialist they adore winning the White House rapidly fades, Sanders supporters are scrambling to keep the movement he has built from fading like earlier liberal efforts have.

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It may not be easy lightning to contain.

Bernie Sanders is the glue that holds us together, said Phil Sanders, a gray-ponytailed onetime peacenik at the union hall rally here who has been protesting since Vietnam.

The activist, no relation to the candidate, is eager to see the movement that Sanders spawned continue to grow after election day. But he worries that the Sanders phenomenon will end up as more of a moment than a movement. Aside from supporting Sanders, he said, the different elements in the coalition are all off on different things, with passions as diverse as a $15 minimum wage and climate change.

Progressives have been here before. They went through it with Howard Dean, with Jesse Jackson, with Ralph Nader, with Jerry Brown. Each of those outsider candidates captured a populist enthusiasm during the race that energized millions, many of them altogether new to politics  but then struggled to keep it all intact once the galvanizing force of a presidential run was gone.

With that history in mind, a campaign behind the Sanders campaign is starting to take shape, with the goal of turning his passionate army into something that doesnt end after he delivers a barn-burning convention speech in Philadelphia  and then gets overshadowed by a general election in which he is unlikely to be on the ballot.

This is a hard conversation for many of us to have, said an open letter to Sanders written by Bronx teacher and union organizer Erik Forman, and signed by dozens of activists and academics, including Noam Chomsky. Weve been hurt before. ... We want this time to be different. Lets build something real together. Lets make not just a political revolution, but a social and economic revolution by building not just a campaign for president, but a lasting movement.

The letter lays out a plan for building a lasting advocacy organization that would rival the tea party or the National Rifle Assn. by leveraging Sanders massive donor network and grass-roots organizing operation to win local-level elections and push a progressive agenda. Other Sanders supporters are meeting in Chicago in June to map out a plan for continuing the fight.

The activists face some complicated choices. The first is whether they even want to stay in the Democratic Party, which many Sanders supporters complain is in thrall to wealthy donors and corporate interests and cannot be trusted.

Its been kind of hard for me to work with Democrats, said Amanda Marsh, 46, a longtime activist. That party would have to have a complete paradigm shift, and they would have to totally change for me to be a Democrat.

Its all familiar to Jackson, who warns against splitting with the party.

They have to decide if they want to expand the party, or break it to make their point, he said in an interview. Jackson and his supporters worked with the party for change after building the National Rainbow Coalition following his 1984 run for president.

The coalition-building lacked the thrill of Jacksons presidential campaigns, but he says it has helped push the Democratic Party left.

We took the position that we should reengage with Cuba, Jackson said. That is now law. We said there should be a two-state solution in the Middle East. Thats now law. (Neither is enshrined in law, though both are U.S. policy.)

Yet the ideals of the campaign often collide with the machinations of policymaking as leaders seek to keep their supporters motivated once an election is over, even one they win.

Dean, the former Vermont governor, said that became a problem for the network of activists President Obama harnessed once he was in office. In order to get anything done, you have to focus on nuance, and activists dont do nuance well, Dean said.

When Deans populist 2004 presidential campaign folded, many of its organizers channeled their energy into spawning a group called Democracy For America. Dean says it has been effective in pushing progressive policies, pointing to various fights in which it has mobilized large numbers of activists and marshaled substantial cash resources.

But for many Sanders supporters, such organizations are a poor replacement for the kind of passionate calling the campaign has become for them.

Theres definitely hope to coalesce into a larger movement, said Aaron Robinson, a stay-at-home dad who organized the event Thursday night at an International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers hall. The challenge at this point is what that direction will be.

Historians say the kind of broad-based, enduring movement that Sanders supporters envision rarely grows out of a presidential campaign, but it can happen. President Reagan rebuilt the conservative movement. Eugene McCarthy had his crusade against the Vietnam War.

Sanders movement is so broad, and its policy goals so diffuse, that it will be difficult to keep the momentum.

Bernie Sanders candidacy is a simple symbol for a whole range of concerns and commitments, said David Meyer, a professor of sociology and political science at UC Irvine. Once his candidacy is no longer around, it is hard for regular people to visualize it and harder for mass media to cover.

Usually, after the candidacy ends, public attention turns.

But some of the Sanders faithful say this moment feels different. This is the new Democratic base, said attorney Paul Logan. I dont think thats going to end, no matter what form it takes.

Some of the people drawn to Sanders will end up working to elect progressives to local office and Congress, predicted Kathleen Calhoun, 34, a freelance editor and Starbucks manager. If nothing else, she said, Sanders showed it was possible to mount a credible campaign from the outside, while attacking a political system dominated by the rich.

Thats a miracle, she said. Theres not been anybody like that.

evan.halper@latimes.com

joseph.tanfani@latimes.com

Tanfani reported from Indianapolis and Halper from Washington.

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The challengers trying to derail Donald Trumps march to the Republican presidential nomination detailed sharply different paths to a victory in Californias June primary as they made their pitches before state GOP delegates facing the unusual prospect of an election that matters.

Ohio Gov. John Kasich raised the banner of electability, insisting Friday that despite his long string of defeats, November voters in California and elsewhere would come to him in an electoral epiphany.

Texas Sen. Ted Cruz offered a pitch  involving the Delta smelt  tailored specifically for the Central Valley, where he hopes to amass enough delegates to deny Trump the nomination, tossing the decision to the summer national convention.

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But Trumps argument was by far the more clear-cut. As if he were the political reincarnation of the late Oakland Raiders owner Al Just Win, Baby Davis, Trump insisted that the point was a November victory  and that his campaign has proved hes a winner.

His speech at the three-day state GOP convention had almost nothing to do with California. But he pressed repeatedly Friday on the notion that his nomination is inevitable and that the partys chances in the fall depend on unifying in support of him.

The convention seemed to lean toward Trumps inevitability; no giant groundswell rose on behalf of Cruz, despite his red-meat speech that touched on the environment, immigration and the 2nd Amendment, or for Kasichs more laid-back approach.

Applause soared, however, at mentions by all three candidates of the need to defeat Hillary Clinton, the likely Democratic nominee. Each made the argument that he would best accomplish that goal, but Trumps giant delegate lead and the fact that polls suggest hes likely to grab the majority of the 172 delegates at stake in this state on June 7 have dampened expectations for the other two.

A USC Dornsife/Los Angeles Times poll taken in March had the New York businessman ahead of Cruz by 7 points, despite the months of organizing Cruzs campaign has put into the state. The poll was taken before Trump asserted command of the Republican race, however, and the immediate demand for both Cruz and Kasich this weekend was to somehow overcome the notion that its time for Republicans to rally around him.

In his Saturday speech, Cruz called on all Republican voters to join him, but his geographic target was obvious. Almost all Republican delegates here will be awarded by congressional district. Cruz hopes to pick off enough of them to deny Trump, in combination with anti-Trump efforts in other states, the 1,237 delegates needed to grasp the nomination before the convention.

Both Cruz and Kasich are mathematically unable to win the nomination outright themselves; their only hope is a chaotic convention floor fight.

The USC Dornsife/Los Angeles Times poll showed the Central Valley to be prime territory for Cruz. He won the support of 44% of respondents there  the only one of six geographic areas in the state not won by Trump.

Cruzs remarks were heavy with disdain for environmental rules that have denied water to California farmers in that area in order to protect endangered fish such as the Delta smelt. Since 2008, he said, 1.4 trillion gallons of fresh water has been diverted away from farmers because of a little 3-inch bait fish, he said. In my experience, 3-inch fish go great with cheese and crackers.

He suggested that it would be a win-win to send water to Central Valley farms while breeding the Delta smelt in fish farms.

You take the little fish. You put up a disco ball, you play some Barry White and you let nature take its course, he said, drawing raised eyebrows and laughter.

Cruz was fiercely critical of Trumps foreign policy, and specifically of remarks the New Yorker has made about his intention to be an independent force in negotiations between Israel and Muslim countries. The comments, he said, raised questions about Trumps fitness and judgment.

He declined to cede ground to Trump on border issues, pointing to his new endorser, former California Gov. Pete Wilson, whose backing of an anti-illegal-immigration measure in 1994 has weakened the Republican Party here.

Like Trump, Kasich offered little in the way of California specifics. It was a lost opportunity for Kasich, who is far behind both Trump and Cruz in delegate accumulation.

Kasichs speech Friday night was almost eccentric when it came to the task at hand: impressing important party leaders.

He opened with what was meant as a paean to the regular guys he grew up with near Pittsburgh, but that seemed to clang in a room full of GOP activists.

Ive been a Republican all my life, but you should understand something, he said. The Republican Party is my vehicle; it has never been my master.

He went through his standard pleas for voters to reward a candidate who has chosen not to live on the dark side of human nature and said America should not fall for pie-in-the-sky and unrealistic dreams.

While he maintained a sense of optimism, he acknowledged during a pre-speech meeting with reporters that his odds are long.

I didnt fall off a turnip truck on my way to California, he said. I know its tough.

It isnt working out right now, but you look at the national polls  when everybody gets to vote its a different story, he said, alluding to the fact that he alone among the Republicans is polling ahead of Clinton in general election matchups.

But the argument by Cruz and Kasich that they should be handed the nomination at the convention after losing most of the primaries and caucuses to Trump is a difficult sell. As the front-runner said Friday: Give me a break.

Trumps speech was relatively muted for him; he criticized a deal between Cruz and Kasich to divide their efforts in some future primaries as showing such ineptitude and such weakness. And he mocked the deals demise.

These are politicians, folks  they cant make a deal, he said. How are they going to deal with China? How are they going to do it?

Most of the time, however, Trump called for Republicans to unify around him. That is certainly happening elsewhere; his romping victories in the last six states to vote suggest a party that is swiftly coming to terms with his nomination.

There has to be unity in our party, he told delegates Friday.

But he added: That being said, would I win, can I win, without it? I think so.

The notion of a contested presidential primary in California added a bit of pizazz to the convention events, which also included a Saturday night speech by Carly Fiorina, newly named by Cruz as his running mate.

The candidates all delivered some form of genuflection to the state. Cruz said that his wife, Heidi, was born here, while Kasich brought up his honeymoon in San Francisco and the Big Sur.

All three also pledged to campaign seriously in this determinedly Democratic state in the fall  promises that are likely to be broken after June 7.

cathleen.decker@latimes.com

Twitter: @cathleendecker

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Metal robots skittered on their wheels, trying to push around blocks and dunk balls into tubes Thursday afternoon at Ensign Intermediate Schools gymnasium in Newport Beach.

The contraptions were controlled and operated by students across Newport-Mesa Unified for the school districts first-ever Robotics Competition and Showcase.

Almost 100 young engineers in grades 5-8 hauled their VEX robots  complete with wheels, claws and other gear  into the Ensign arenas.

Its a fun hobby, said Aiden Lewis-Grenz, an Ensign eighth-grader. And anyone can get into it.

Join the conversation on Facebook >>

According to Christie Darnall of the districts Educational Technology Department, the competition was held so that young robotics enthusiasts from Newport Beach and Costa Mesa could connect, collaborate and share ideas.

The events fifth- and sixth-graders all took part in one competition, where their plastic robots had to capture orange balls in one end of the arena and launch them into a scoring zone on the other.

The Andersen, Davis, Killybrooke and Newport Heights elementary school teams had three minutes to drop as many balls into the zone as possible.

By the end, Davis emerged victorious, taking first place, while Newport Heights came in second, Andersen third and Killybrooke fourth.

Besides building and operating their devices, many students said they have taken away other lessons.

You learn about teamwork because you have to work with your partner to put together all the pieces, said TeWinkle seventh-grader Christopher Newell.

Read the latest headlines from the Daily Pilot >>

The seventh- and eighth-graders  from Ensign and TeWinkle intermediate schools  took their robots into battle across the gym.

Their arena hosted several rounds of friendly competition, where four robots went head to head in each round.

The arena was half red and half blue. Two robots on the red side and two robots on the blue side had to capture as many blocks and balls of their teams color as they could.

The red objects rested on the blue side, and the blue objects on the red side. The teams needed to cross enemy lines to snatch their blocks and balls, leading to robot collisions as they all raced to finish first.

"[Our robotics club] hasnt gotten a chance to play with other people, so being able to try out our bot today was cool, said Brendan Picquelle, an Ensign eighth-grader.

Many students came representing their after-school robotics clubs, while others are from campus robotics classes.

--

Alex Chan, alexandra.chan@latimes.com

Twitter: @AlexandraChan10
The city of Glendale has a new sister city. This time, its Santiago de los Caballeros in the Dominican Republic.

Glendale City Council members approved the new agreement on Tuesday.

The Dominican Republic Consul General has an office in Glendale in the 500 block of North Brand Boulevard. It relocated about five years ago from San Francisco.

NEWSLETTER: Stay up to date with whats going on in the 818 >>

Dan Bell, the citys community relations coordinator, said the Consul General office had requested a closer relationship between Glendale and the Dominican Republic.

Also, Glendale served as a host city last July to the Dominican Republic team during the World Games of the Special Olympics.

"[It was] a great honor and a wonderful experience, Bell said.

The city also hosted teams from Armenia and Bonaire.

Then, a few months ago, councilman Vartan Gharpetian met with the General Consul, Celeste Pena.

We talked about issues in the Dominican Republic as well as in our country, and we were talking about which city would best to be in this sister city program, Gharpetian said.

Santiago de los Caballeros was brought up as a possible good match with Glendale because of the cultural, political, industrial and financial centers that they have, he added.

Gharpetian then requested that city staff work on a report about forming a sister city agreement with Santiago de los Caballeros.

Pena said both Glendale and Santiago de los Caballeros are communities with hard-working people.

"[For] the five years that weve been here, we have been witnesses of the hard work of the citizens of Glendale, and weve admired how thats been reflected in their prosperity and the well-being of the city, and, for us, it has been an example and it fills us with pride to be part of the community, she said through translator Ron Lizardo, communication director for the Consul office.

She added that residents of Santiago de los Caballeros are also known for being very loyal.

"[Its] known as the heart city, she said.

Cultural exchanges will be part of the new sister city arrangement as well as finding solutions to common challenges facing both cities.

Glendale already has sister city ties with seven other cities throughout the world  Higashiosaka, Japan; Tiaquepaque, Mexico; Rosarito, Mexico; Ghapan, Armenia; Goseong, South Korea; Gimpo, South Korea and Gyumri, Armenia.

To finalize the new sister city agreement, representatives from Santiago de los Cabelleros and the Dominican Republic Consul Generals local office will take part in a ceremony with local officials at 2 p.m. on Sunday in Central Park, 201 E. Colorado St., Glendale.

--

Mark Kellam, mark.kellam@latimes.com

Twitter: @LAMarkKellam
BACKPACKING

Workshop

Experts offer tips on backpacking in Southern California, including local information and how to choose gear.

When, where: 7 p.m. Thursday at the REI store in Woodland Hills, 6220 Topanga Canyon Blvd.

Admission, info: Free. (818) 703-5300.

HIKING

John Muir Trail

Get advice on planning and preparing for thru-hiking the John Muir Trail from Yosemite to Mt. Whitney.

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When, where: 6:30 p.m. Friday at the Adventure 16 store, 11161 W. Pico Blvd., Los Angeles.

Admission, info: Free, (310) 473-4574.

JOSHUA TREE

Night skies

Learn basic astronomy and observation techniques, then head into Joshua Tree National Park to observe the night sky.

When, where: 2-10 p.m. Saturday at Oasis Visitor Center, Twentynine Palms

Admission, info: $70. (760) 367-5535.

SAN PEDRO

Meet the grunion

Learn about grunion, the sardine-size fish that come ashore to lay their eggs, at the Cabrillo Marine Aquarium.

When, where: May 8. Museum opens at 8 p.m; grunion film at 9 p.m., then gather on the beach for the expected run. 3720 Stephen M. White Drive, San Pedro.

Admission, info: Adults $5 at the door, $6.27 online; $1 at the door for seniors, students and children; $2.05 online. Parking $3.50. (310) 548-7562.

Please email announcements at least three weeks before the event to travel@latimes.com.
The decades-old air courier service meets the sharing economy.

Name: Airmule-Express Shipping

What it does: Someone who wants to ship a legal item can hire a traveler with extra space in his or her bags to carry it to the desired destination for an agreed-upon fee. Correspondence, arrangements and payments are made through the Airmule app.

Available: In the App Store, requires iOS 6.0 or later. Compatible with iPhone, iPad and iPod touch. In Google Play, requires 4.1 and up.

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Cost: Free

Whats hot: Shippers can send goods faster and cheaper than using an overnight international carrier; travelers can make extra money. Most items are carried on flights between the U.S. and China, but you can check airmule.com/ship for available trips U.S. to International and Domestic and International to U.S. As more people begin to use the service, more options will become available. Airmule travelers are encouraged to inspect each item before accepting it and not to take anything that makes them uncomfortable. When the traveler gets to the airport he or she must follow the security and declaration rules of their departure and arrival countries. If they must pay custom fees, Airmule will repay the additional cost within 24 hours.

Whats not: The app is set up for shippers and travelers who already have profiles to initiate the transaction with little to no instruction. This can be frustrating if you want to browse before you buy. Heres a way to get more information  once you sign in, click the three white bars in the upper-right-hand corner to get to your account page. From there, click on Help to get to information such as How It Works, Shipments, Traveler, Airmule Message System and Customs Declaration to read the tips and rules.

travel@latimes.com
COLUMBUS, N.M.  As you drive into this dusty little village just three miles north of the Mexican border, you wouldnt guess that a bloody event here would have affected a world war and kept the towns name in the history books for more than a hundred years.

Just before dawn on March 9, 1916, Mexican revolutionary Francisco Pancho Villa ordered his troops to attack the sleeping town. It was a mistake; Villa was defeated in less than two hours.

But the U.S. militarys quick response made Columbus the first test of the fledgling American air force and contributed to Germanys defeat in World War I.

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This is the last time the United States was attacked by a foreign power  with boots on the ground, said Annette Schneider, a volunteer at the Columbus Historical Societys museum in the old railroad depot, one of the few buildings that remains from the time of the raid.

The raids centennial  and my curiosity  drew me to Columbus in March. I went because I wanted to know more about Pancho Villa, a general in Mexicos Revolution. Until I arrived here, though, I had no idea how the Columbus raid had influenced Americas future.

About 1,650 people live in Columbus now, but it feels much smaller, with buildings widely spaced along streets where horses look more at home than cars.

In 1916, though, Columbus was a going place, Schneider told me: a town of about 600 on the El Paso & Southwestern Railroad with three hotels, a bank, half a dozen stores, a lumberyard, a Ford dealership, a Coca-Cola bottling plant and its own newspaper.

It also had an encampment of about 400 soldiers from the 13th U.S. Cavalry stationed at Columbus to help protect the border during Mexicos revolution. Villa had expected a much smaller American force.

He got bad intel, said John Read, superintendent of Pancho Villa State Park, which adjoins the town.

By 1916 Villas army had shrunk from 20,000 to only about 450 men, and the United States  his onetime ally  had switched its support to a rival revolutionary.

Pancho Villa felt betrayed, Read said. Would Pancho Villa have raided Columbus if we hadnt gone against him? No.

Now the ragtag remainder of Villas army needed everything, he said. Villa figured we can hit this little military camp, and we can get horses and blankets and food and money  and some revenge on America too.

It was 4 a.m.  pitch-dark, Schneider said, sounding as if shed seen it happen. Villas raiders stormed into town from different directions, shooting, looting stores and starting fires. Terrified townspeople hid or fled.

One family managed to drive 30 miles north to Deming, N.M., even though the father was bleeding so badly from gunshot wounds that his wife had to take the wheel. They made it to a hospital in time to save him, and their bullet-riddled Dodge is on display in the state parks handsome exhibit hall.

The Villistas took it on the chin, Read said. The 13th Cavalry were really highly trained soldiers. Even the cooks, already up and working on breakfast for the troops, fought back, throwing boiling water at the attackers.

The raid left 18 Americans dead  10 townsfolk, eight soldiers. But close to 90 of Villas men were killed, largely by the cavalrys four machine guns. The guns fired 20,000 rounds during the hour-and-a-half fight.

American military response was blindingly swift. Gen. John Black Jack Pershing dispatched 10,000 troops by train from Ft. Bliss at El Paso to Camp Furlong at Columbus, making it temporarily the largest town in New Mexico.

The entire United States air force  all eight Curtiss JN-3 biplanes, nicknamed Jennies  was also sent to Columbus and began flying reconnaissance missions over Mexico.

All the planes were out of commission by the end of April but their presence made history: This was the first time the U.S. military had used airplanes in battle.

That makes Columbus the cradle of American air power, U.S. Rep. Steve Pearce (R-N.M.) told a cheering crowd this spring at the centennial commemoration of the raid.

Columbus is also where Germany lost World War I, historian Heribert von Feilitzsch said in a lecture later that day.

Germany had supplied Villa with money and ammunition in hopes of provoking a war between the U.S. and Mexico, Von Feilitzsch said. The idea was to distract America and prevent it from entering the war in Europe.

The plan not only didnt work, it gave the U.S. Army a real-world chance to train for World War I. It even changed how wars would be fought, Read said: This was the last true mounted cavalry action by the U.S. Army and the first U.S. military operation that used mechanized vehicles.

Gen. Pershings Punitive Expedition chased Villa around northern Mexico for the next 11 months but never caught him. Then the U.S. entered World War I, and troops were pulled from the border and sent to Europe. Villa survived until his assassination in Mexico in 1923.

Id read that there would be reenactors at the centennial, so I came to Columbus expecting to see a battle reenactment  the kind of thing that Civil War buffs stage at Gettysburg, Pa., and Antietam, Md.

There were enough soldiers in town that day 100 real ones in fatigues and black Stetsons from the 13th Cavalry, still stationed at Ft. Bliss, as well as hobbyists, military collectors and history buffs dressed in the 1916-style uniforms of the U.S. and Mexico.

But instead of a reenactment, what I saw was a recommitment to friendship across the border  something the town has done on

the second Saturday in March for the last 17 years and will again next year, said Norma Gomez, secretary of the Columbus Chamber of Commerce.

Its called the Fiesta de Amistad  a celebration of friendship  and its centerpiece is the arrival of the Cabalgata Binacional, when horsemen from Mexico and the U.S. gather at the border and ride the last three miles together into the heart of Columbus, carrying the flags of both nations.

It was as showy as any battle reenactment Ive ever seen  and a whole lot happier.

Some of the Mexican riders had dressed like Villas men, with sidearms, wide sombreros and bandoliers crisscrossed over their chests. A few shouted Viva Villa! and Viva Mexico! echoing the raiders in 1916.

But everybody smiled, and the crowd lining the highway into town welcomed the horsemen with cheers, applause, waves and a few fist-bumps.

Even one of Villas descendants was in town for the centennial. It was the first time anyone from his family had come, said Antonio Villa, who lives in Juarez, Mexico. How do they feel about Pancho Villa now, I wondered.

The young man smiled. We are very proud of him, he said. He was a big part of history.

Later that day, there were speeches, lectures on border history, rousing band music, Mexican folk dancers and homemade Mexican food dished up by local ladies in the towns small, park-like plaza.

Not everyone in town thinks a fiesta is appropriate to commemorate an act of war, however, even if its a fiesta of friendship. Richard Dean, president of the Columbus Historical Society, is one of the most vocal  and with reason: His great-grandfather, a shopkeeper, was killed in the raid.

Deans organization holds a separate memorial service on the March 9 anniversary of the raid. Attendees this year included descendants of victims as well as Helen Patton, whose grandfather, Gen. George Patton, first saw military action as part of the Punitive Expedition.

This is why organizers of the Fiesta de Amistad are careful not to say theyre celebrating the raid. Were just trying to make things better for everyone, said Gomez, who was one of the fiestas founders.

Opinions also differ about the state parks name. Dean objects to its being named after Pancho Villa. Its disrespectful, he said, akin to having a Bin Laden Park in Lower Manhattan.

Read, the park superintendent, takes a different view. The name does actually benefit both countries, he said. It helps reconcile a disaster for both sides.

travel@latimes.com

Explore the raids legacy

Pancho Villa State Park

Excellent bilingual displays explaining events in Mexico that led to the raid and the fierce U.S. reaction. Hanging overhead is a full-sized replica of a Jenny  the airplane first used by the U.S. in the hunt for Pancho Villa. The name of the park, dedicated in 1961, was approved unanimously by the New Mexico Legislature. The park includes Cootes Hill, near where Villa was spotted observing the raid; a 1902 customs house and a barracks that the troops used as a recreation hall. Info: 400 W. Highway 9, Columbus, N.M.; (575) 531-2711, www.nm

parks.com. The exhibit hall is open daily from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., year-round; 9 a.m.-noon on certain holidays. Park admission is $5 per car.

Columbus Historical Museum

This two-story frame building was the original depot for the El Paso & Southwestern Railroad, which made it possible for the U.S. Army to dispatch thousands of soldiers to Columbus within a week of Villas raid. Displays include a scale model of the town as it looked afterward, dozens of period photos, and medals and equipment used by U.S. soldiers. Info: (575) 531-2620, www.cnmhs.org. Open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. in winter, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. in summer; 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on weekends, year-round. The depot museum and the state park lie within the Village of Columbus and Ft. Furlong National Historic Landmark park, www.lat.ms/1Qlnrdr.

Annual memorial service

Held on the grounds of the depot museum every March 9, the date of Pancho Villas raid, to honor 18 Americans who were killed.

Fiesta de Amistad

Held annually on the second Saturday of March, the Festival of Friendship features the Remembrance Ride, also called the Cabalgata Binacional. Horsemen and women from Mexico and the U.S. meet at the international border crossing at Palomas, Mexico, then ride together three miles north to Columbus.

Deming, N.M.

Demings county museum includes a collection of pre-European-contact Mimbres pottery, along with antiques from every period of regional history that followed. Open 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday-Saturdays in summer, Free. (575) 546-2382, www.lunacountyhistoricalsociety.com.

If you go

THE BEST WAY TO COLUMBUS, N.M.

From LAX, American and Southwest offer nonstop service to El Paso, Texas, and American, Southwest and United offer connecting service (change of planes). Restricted round-trip airfare from $214, including taxes and fees. El Paso is 80 miles from Columbus, N.M.

WHERE TO STAY

Los Milagros Hotel (formerly Marthas Place Hotel), 204 Lima Road, Columbus; (575) 531-2467, www.marthasplacehotel.com. Five rooms ($49 single, $59 double, plus tax) and three RV sites.

Hacienda de Villa Motel, 220 S. Highway 11, Columbus; (575) 531-1000, www.haciendadevillamotel.com. Seven rooms; doubles from about $55.

WHERE TO EAT

La Casita, 309 Taft St., Columbus; (575) 531-2371

Patio Cafe, 23 Broadway, Columbus; (575) 531-2495

TO LEARN MORE

Discover Columbus, www.columbusnewmexico.com
From his office on a bend of the Rhine River, freight terminal boss Bernd Putens can see  and hear  the early stirrings of what China calls the New Silk Road.

The clang-clang of forklifts echoes through his building as 42 containers of cargo are unloaded at the Duisburg Intermodal Terminal, part of the worlds largest inland port.

The containers have just arrived on a train from Changsha, China, filled with electronics and other consumer goods, and will return carrying Land Rovers and other European products.

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They represent a bold effort by Chinese leader Xi Jinping to extend his countrys economic and political clout.

Until four years ago, there was no regular rail service linking China and Germany, and for good reason.

The tracks existed, but at nearly 7,000 miles, the distance is longer than a round trip between Los Angeles and Boston, and trains must switch gauges  a laborious, time-consuming process  as they pass from China into Kazakhstan, Russia, Belarus and Poland. Trains are twice as fast as sea shipment yet twice as expensive, so rail makes sense only for high-value products or goods with short shelf lives.

But two millenniums after traders began ferrying gems, precious metals, fabrics and spices on arduous overland routes linking the Far East with Africa, the Mediterranean and the Middle East, China believes the time is nigh for a modern Silk Road. Leaders in Beijing envision a 21st century version of the path trod by the likes of Marco Polo, starting with locomotives but quickly expanding to encompass roads, pipelines and other infrastructure.

By physically linking itself more tightly with Europe, the Middle East and Central Asia, China is aiming to create new markets as growth slows at home while deepening Beijings influence across Asia and as far away as the Middle East and Europe.

The effort is at the center of Xis signature political and economic policy initiative, called the Silk Road Economic Belt and 21st Century Maritime Silk Road.

For two years, Xi has been talking up the sweeping strategy  known collectively as One Belt, One Road, or OBOR  on his frequent trips abroad, while lining up financing plans at home and enlisting the participation of state-run and private companies.

With its expansive ambition, some observers have compared Chinas grand new endeavor to Americas Marshall Plan to rebuild Europe after World War II, a game-changing effort that revolutionized trade and recast many long-standing relationships.

It is expected to cost even more than the Marshall Plan, for which the United States spent the equivalent of slightly more than $100 billion in todays money.

With these initiatives, Beijing, and more particularly, the Chinese Communist Party, seeks to reinforce the emerging global narrative that China is moving to the center of global economic activity, strength and influence, Christopher K. Johnson of the Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies said in a recent paper analyzing One Belt, One Road.

Markus Taube, a professor of East Asian economic studies at the University of Duisburg-Essen, believes the initiative will strengthen Chinas economic and diplomatic leverage in Europe and provide a political and diplomatic counterweight against the U.S.

The more I think about [the strategy], the more it makes sense, he said.

But others are more skeptical, saying Chinas lofty language around One Belt, One Road masks myriad questions about how much money will be spent on the project and where, and who will benefit.

Its generated a lot of buzz, but no one is quite sure what it actually means, said Ian Storey, a senior fellow at the Institute of Southeast Asian Studies in Singapore.

Chinas government has set up a $40-billion fund to promote private investment in One Belt, One Road initiatives and is encouraging state-run banks to make loans for projects including power plants, ports, pipelines and railways  to be built overseas, in many cases, by Chinese companies. The Bank of China has announced plans to fund $120 billion of those projects from 2015 to 2019.

In January, the China-led Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank officially opened its doors, and the multinational institution is expected to finance tens of billions of dollars worth of projects that fall under the One Belt, One Road umbrella.

Chinese firms, eager to avail themselves of government financial incentives and align themselves with a key Communist Party priority, are scrambling to get on board and show theyre embracing One Belt, One Road.

Although massive ground-up infrastructure projects will take years to come to fruition, the ripple effects of the strategy are already being felt in places like Duisburg.

Xi visited the German city in 2014 to tout the rail project, and since then, interest in China-to-Germany freight has surged. Now Duisburg is receiving one train every day from China, including three to five a week from Chongqing, two a week from Wuhan and one a week from Changsha. There are also weekly trains to Hamburg from Wuhan and Zhengzhou.

Now it seems every [Chinese] city wants to send its own train, Putens said.

::

Germany is not the only country welcoming new rail service from the Middle Kingdom. In February, the first train to connect China with Iran arrived in Tehran after traveling 5,900 miles through Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan. The 39-wagon train carried $600,000 worth of clothing, shoes and bags.

China has also pioneered a 16,000-mile round trip between the cities of Yiwu and Madrid. The 82-car train left China full of Christmas decorations, crafts and trinkets, arriving in Spain just before Christmas 2014. The train returned to Yiwu last year hauling olive oil.

Although the train that arrived in Iran originated from Chinas eastern province of Zhejiang, Chinese officials believe land-locked western Chinese cities such as Urumqi  which is closer to Iran than to Shanghai  could benefit even more substantially from rail links through Central Asia. In that sense, One Belt, One Road is intended to correct an economic imbalance within China, helping goose the development of the nations western regions, which lag far behind their coastal cousins.

Although the arrivals of the first locomotives in places like Iran and Spain have been greeted with much fanfare, its not clear if they can blossom into vibrant transportation links and significantly boost trade.

Homayoun Jahani, an executive of the Iranian transportation company Pers, which was involved in arranging the train, said the 14-day journey to Tehran proved the train was a reliable vehicle and said plans were already underway to begin monthly service to the port of Bushehr.

But Masoud Daneshmand of the Iran-UAE Chamber of Commerce, said it was far from being a viable, hustling and bustling railroad.

In Duisburg, port spokesman Julian Boecker said operations have grown increasingly smooth since the first test train from Chongqing in 2011. One-way travel time, which took 18 days at first, now averages 11 to 13 days. Putens said customs clearance in Duisburg has been shortened from two days to two hours.

As we gained experience in cooperation, efficiency improved, said Boecker, especially in areas such as gauge changes. (While Europe and China have the same gauge width for their tracks, all former Soviet states have wider gauges, so trains have to be adjusted at those borders.) But with the trains now running at 600 miles per day, its reaching the limit.

One problem in Germany is that while there are plenty of Chinese goods coming in, finding enough cargo to ship back out hasnt been easy. Empty containers from China are piling up. Port managers are planning to rent a five-acre plot to hold about 2,000 of the metal boxes while Chinese shipping firms figure out how to handle them.

Some do go back full. In addition to Land Rovers, China-bound containers have been packed with Porsches, Audis, auto parts from Ford and Volkswagen plants, steel coils, specialized machinery and milk powder. (Jaded by food safety scandals, Chinese consumers pay handsomely for imported dairy products.)

Putens said his Chinese counterparts had recently requested refrigerated transportation for European wines.

Despite the growth, China rail freight accounted for less than 1% of all cargo handled at Duisburg last year. Thats small, said Boecker, but it is an important symbolic value.

The challenge now is to find better balance between inbound and outbound cargo, and to see if the line can sustain itself without government aid.

Theres economic interest on all sides to keep this rail route alive, said Boecker.

::

Taube, the professor at the University of Duisburg-Essen, said that for China, the initial volume of trade by rail isnt as crucial as the opportunities it opens up for economic development  and greater political clout  along the route.

The rail links are the skeletons, but the important flesh will be the industrialization zones along the tracks, he said.

The long-term vision, he believes, is for China to bring manufacturing to Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and other Central Asian countries as labor in China gets more expensive; at the same time, Beijing can build up its economic and diplomatic sphere of influence.

Tom Miller, a China expert with Gavekal Dragonomics, said developing transportation links through Central Asia will give China greater access to natural resources in the region, including oil. Diversifying Chinas sources of energy and the transportation routes will also make China feel more secure, he said.

Just weeks before the arrival of the train in Tehran, Xi became the first Chinese leader to visit Iran in 14 years, signing treaties on judicial, commercial and civil matters and pledging to boost trade  which stood at $52 billion in 2014  to $600 billion a year over the next 10 years.

China has announced similar headline-grabbing contract deals in countries including Pakistan and Kazakhstan.

Beyond securing more oil and other resources, Miller said China wants to use One Belt, One Road to boost trade with its western provinces and develop their local economies. And Beijing may be hoping to find new customers for some of its excess steel, cement, heavy equipment and rolling stock, among other things.

Chinas economy has been slowing, with growth dropping in 2015 to 6.9%, its lowest in several decades.

David Kelly, director of research at the Beijing-based consultancy China Policy, said the envisioned projects of One Belt, One Road are too big and would take too much time to provide any sudden economic benefits for China.

The strategy is not going to yield strong returns on investment for many years, he said.

Still, unlike many of Chinas earlier going out initiatives that saw Chinese firms encounter friction as they ventured to places such as Africa and South America in search of natural resources, One Belt, One Road is being approached with a greater degree of sophistication and patience, Kelly believes.

A lot of these ventures will be successful, he predicted. Theres already a smarter feel to a lot of the proposals.

julie.makinen@latimes.com

Times staff writer Makinen reported from Beijing and special correspondent Law from Duisburg. Special correspondent Ramin Mostaghim in Tehran contributed to this report.

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Gina Lopez is hardly the kind of person youd expect to support a presidential candidate who has endorsed vigilante death squads, made disturbing comments about rape, and vowed to kill his own kids if they ever took drugs.

As head of a prominent nonprofit focused on child welfare, education and the environment, she might be expected to back someone more moderate. But when Philippine voters head to the polls on May 9, shes casting her ballot for Rodrigo Duterte, the tough-talking, foul-mouthed mayor of the southern city of Davao.

What I like about him is that he is fearless  he does not care about anyone or anything, he does not say anything to pander to anyone. Its why he gets in trouble, said Lopez, chairwoman of the ABS-CBN Lingkod Kapamilya Foundation Inc., who says she met personally with four of the five candidates at the start of the campaign to decide who would get her support.

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Supporters of Rodrigo Duterte rally at a Manila campaign event. (Noel Celis / AFP/Getty Images)

After studying data and meeting everyone, I feel his personality is most suited to lead the country for now, she said. In order to make [things] happen, you need more than intelligence. You need a certain gutsiness and willpower and energy to make it happen.

Lopez is hardly alone. Over the last three months, even as Duterte has topped each offense with almost daily new outrages, opinion surveys show he has taken the lead among voters across all social classes and catapulted to the front of a five-way race. His supporters include upper-crust business leaders, streetwalkers and gay activistsstrange company for a candidate who has attracted howling denunciations from Human Rights Watch and other like-minded groups.

A late entry in the race to replace Benigno Aquino III, who like all Philippine presidents can serve just one six-year term, Duterte wasnt initially viewed as the favorite. Hes never held a national-level political office and had a relatively small campaign war chest. His rivals appeared formidable: two senators, the current vice president and a former Cabinet minister from Aquinos party who is the grandson of a former president.

Aquino has presided over a period of relative prosperity and stability. In the last few years, the Philippines  long considered a sick man of Asia  has seen its economy boom. In a country long rife with graft, his administration stepped up anti-corruption efforts, arresting a host of top officials, including Aquinos predecessor, Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. The chief justice of the Supreme Court was impeached.

This guy makes Trump look like an angel.  Lynn T. White III, Philippine political expert

But some say he hasnt gone far enough. And there have been high-profile blunders, including a deadly bus hostage crisis, a slow response to a devastating typhoon in 2013, and the death of 44 special forces troops in a botched terrorist raid. Roads in the capital, Manila, are clogged with traffic. Power outages plague the country.

Duterte, 71, contends that the country needs a man who will kick some butt  and hes the man to do it.

Hes pledged to solve crime and corruption in three to six months. Hes vowed to dissolve Congress if it gets in the way. Confronted with accusations that hes sanctioned death squads in Davao to carry out extrajudicial killings of suspected drug dealers and other criminals, hes responded by warning lawbreakers: I would kill all of you who make the lives of Filipinos miserable.

At the same time, he has unleashed a stream of comments, particularly about women, that have been nothing short of shocking. In widely reported remarks, he described himself as a womanizer with two wives and two girlfriendsand said he saves money by housing the girlfriends in a cheap boardinghouse. He also was quoted describing the gang rape and killing of an Australian missionary in a Philippine jail. The female victim, Duterte said, was beautiful, so he should have been first.

Supporters cheer Duterte, center in black shirt, as his campaign motorcade makes its way through the streets of Malabon. (Bullit Marquez / Associated Press )

Nevertheless, political analysts say they can understand Dutartes appeal.

People are eager to see transformational change. They feel that someone who will take the bull by the horns  that kind of executive is whats needed, said Gerard Finin, director and senior research fellow at the East-West Center in Honolulu who studies Philippine politics.

Enrico Trinidad, a former vice president of the Philippine stock exchange, described Duterte as an upright manager. With fewer resources than cities in metro Manila, Mayor Duterte has given the constituents of Davao all that they deserve  an efficient, incorruptible and compassionate government, said Trinidad, 56, who is now president of MOCYRI Holdings Corp., a real estate group.

Dutertes appeal comes in part from the fact that his ideology doesnt fit in a neat box. Hes against legalizing divorce, for example, but has said he would consider supporting same-sex marriage. Although many women find his comments offensive, he championed the adoption of a wide-ranging womens rights ordinance in Davao.

Its not just on the domestic front that Duterte is pledging bold action. He promised to take on China if the Philippines prevails in an international tribunal over claims in the South China Sea and Beijing doesnt abide by the decision or open talks.

I will ride a jet ski and plant the Philippine flag there in their port, Duterte said.

Although Washington and Manila are longtime allies, Duterte sees Uncle Sam as a less-than-reliable friend. Last year, before declaring his candidacy, he told visiting military attaches from both China and the U.S. that America would never die for us.

Such brashness has earned Duterte comparisons to a certain presidential contender in the United States.

This guy makes Trump look like an angel, says Lynn T. White III, an emeritus professor of politics and international affairs at Princeton University and author of a 2014 book, Philippine Politics: Possibilities and Problems in a Localist Democracy.

To be sure, Philippine voters have long been attracted to strongman-style leaders. Ferdinand Marcos, who was elected president in 1965 and later ruled the country as a dictator, campaigned as a World War II hero and as someone, White noted, who killed a man and advertised the fact. More recently, Joseph Estrada, who was president from 1998 to 2001, was an action-film star.

Duterte is far from having the support of a majority of Filipinos. A poll taken April 16-20 by the firm Pulse Asia showed him with 35% nationwide support, with Sen. Grace Poe at 23% and a pack of other candidates trailing. But in the Philippine election system, candidates dont need a majority  whoever gets the most votes wins.

Filipinos supporting other candidates say they fear Duterte could precipitate diplomatic and economic crises.

If he becomes president, the man cant control his mouth.... There could easily be an international diplomacy meltdown, said Carlos Celdran, an artist and activist in his mid-40s who is supporting a rival candidate.

But Trinidad, the former vice president of the stock exchange, said voters are willing to take a risk. At the end of the day, a majority of the Filipino people are fed up, and Duterte is their agent of change, he said.

julie.makinen@latimes.com

Times staff writer Makinen reported from Beijing and special correspondent DeLeon from Manila.

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Seven years ago, in the middle of the night, soldiers burst into the bedroom of Honduran President Manuel Zelaya. Still in his pajamas, the president was forced at gunpoint onto a waiting jet and flown to exile.

Then-Secretary of State Hillary Clinton was among many officials around the world who condemned the ouster of the democratically elected leader as a coup. She called for the full restoration of democratic order in Honduras.

Last month, the Democratic presidential front-runner appeared to hedge her position. She suggested that the Honduran soldiers had acted legally in their late-night raid because they were carrying out orders from the countrys supreme court.

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The national legislature in Honduras and the national judiciary actually followed the law in removing President Zelaya, Clinton said in response to a question in an interview with the New York Daily News editorial board before the New York primary.

Now, I didnt like the way it looked or the way they did it, but they had a very strong argument that they had followed the constitution and the legal precedence, she added.

Clinton, who served as President Obamas first secretary of State, also said the administration could not officially label the ouster a coup because that would have triggered a suspension of U.S. aid to a poor nation facing political upheaval.

Under U.S. law, however, only declaration of a military coup stops aid to a foreign government.

The Obama administration repeatedly called Zelayas removal a coup, while carefully avoiding the military coup designation.

Clinton may have meant to say military coup in the interview, since that was how the question was phrased to her. But she repeatedly said only coup, according to a transcript.

As she runs for president, Clintons record during her four years as the nations top diplomat is under fresh scrutiny, including her role during and after the 2012 attack on a U.S. diplomatic compound in Benghazi, Libya.

The FBI is also investigating whether she or her aides mishandled classified information by using a private computer server based in her home to pass thousands of work-related emails.

The appearance that she is shifting her position on the Honduras coup may expose Clinton to criticism on the far left, where she already has faced attacks from rival candidate Bernie Sanders. It also could hurt her with some Latino voters, whose support she needs to win in November.

The June 28, 2009, coup in Honduras  the first in Central America in nearly two decades  revived an ignominious practice that promoters of democracy in the region thought was dead.

It also highlighted the then-new Obama administrations seeming neglect of Latin America as the White House focused on other priorities.

The fallout threatened to drive a wedge between Washington and Latin American countries that wanted to see more unequivocal U.S. support for democracy.

The Clinton campaign last week denied that she changed her position on the coup, and argued that she helped isolate the post-Zelaya government in Honduras to force democratic reforms.

Hillary Clinton immediately and consistently denounced the removal of President Zelaya, Jesse Lehrich, a campaign spokesman, said Thursday.

Clinton helped lead an international charge to isolate the coup government, revoke the visas of those responsible, and slash foreign aid.

Her stance and work with regional allies helped pave the way for a political resolution that quickly led to a democratic election and the end of the coup government, Lehrich added.

Clinton accepted elections in Honduras several months after the coup, which gave the country a new president but never restored Zelaya.

In her 2015 memoir, Clinton is clear that she opposed the coup  a word she uses twice in three pages  even though she did not fight to have Zelaya restored.

No one wanted to see a return to the bad old days of frequent coups and unstable governments, she wrote in Hard Choices.

Soon after Zelayas ouster, wealthy Honduran businessmen and politicians who had opposed him and who had influential friends in Washington, including lobbyists and some members of Congress, mounted a campaign to defend his removal.

They used much of the same language that Clinton used last month, arguing that the coup plotters had acted with legal authority.

Neither the Organization of American States, the main regional governance body, nor former Costa Rica President Oscar Arias, the Nobel Peace laureate brought in to mediate the Honduran constitutional crisis, saw the ouster as legal.

Arias said defenders of the coup were distorting the Honduran Constitution to make their case.

Zelaya, a populist who took a turn to the left, prompted a constitutional crisis when he began efforts to hold a referendum on allowing presidents to run for reelection. Honduran law allowed only one term.

His critics feared Zelaya was trying to change the law to hold power indefinitely, following the lead of other leftist leaders in Latin America, including the late Venezuelan strongman Hugo Chavez and Nicaraguas Daniel Ortega.

Ironically, last year some of the Honduran politicians who engineered or backed Zelayas ouster supported a campaign to change the constitution to allow presidents to seek reelection.

tracy.wilkinson@latimes.com

Follow @TracyKWilkinson on Twitter.
Thirty-three lions rescued from circuses in Peru and Colombia are heading back to their homeland to live out the rest of their lives in a private sanctuary in South Africa.

The largest-ever airlift of lions will take place Friday and was organized and paid for by Animal Defenders International. The Los Angeles-based group has for years worked with lawmakers in the two South American countries to ban the use of wild animals in circuses, where they often are held in appalling conditions.

The lions suffered in captivity. Some were declawed. One lost an eye, and many were recovered with broken or rotting teeth.

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In a statement, the organization said the first group of nine lions will be collected in the Colombian capital, Bogota, on a cargo plane. It will pick up 24 more in Lima, the Peruvian capital, before heading to Johannesburg, South Africa. From there, theyll be transported by land to their new home at the Emoya Big Cat Sanctuary in Limpopo province, where they will enjoy large natural enclosures.

It will be hugely satisfying to see these lions walking into the African bush, Tom Phillips, Animal Defenders Internationals vice president, said Tuesday as he inspected the cages that will be used to transport the lions.

It might be one of the finest rescues Ive ever seen. Its never happened before, taking lions from circuses in South America all the way to Africa, he added. Its like a fairytale.

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The top leader of Mexicos notorious Gulf cartel has been arrested while shopping in south Texas, U.S. officials said Tuesday.

Juan Francisco Saenz-Tamez, 23, of Camargo, in Tamaulipas state, was indicted by a U.S. grand jury in September 2013 on charges of drug trafficking stretching from Texas and Florida to Washington, D.C., and the Eastern Seaboard.

Saenz-Tamez, who officials say rose through the ranks to lead the violent cartel, was captured Oct. 9 by federal agents while shopping in Edinburg, Texas.

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He is charged with conspiracy in the shipping of thousands of pounds of cocaine and marijuana across the U.S.-Mexico border and with money-laundering.

U.S. officials hailed the arrest as a sign of cooperation between law enforcement agencies in the two countries.

John M. Bales, U.S. attorney in Beaumont, Texas, called the arrest further proof that justice is prevailing in Mexico.

Michele M. Leonhart, administrator of the Drug Enforcement Administration, said Saenz-Tamez oversaw much of the violence and bloodshed that has plagued Mexico.

He moved steadily up the cartel ranks, working as a lookout, record keeper, plaza boss and finally its leader.

Saenz-Tamez made an initial appearance in court Tuesday. He is being held in Beaumont. Prosecutors said they hoped to seize up to $100 million in assets he acquired during his alleged drug enterprises.

If convicted on all charges, he will face a maximum of life in prison.

Jorge Chabat, a security expert at the Center for Economic Research and Teaching in Mexico City, said the Gulf cartel had weakened in recent years.

In terms of the criminal organizations in Mexico, its a cartel that is in decline, said Chabat, who said he had never heard of Saenz-Tamez. The truth is that this organization is not as relevant as it used to be.

The Gulf cartel, which is involved in moving marijuana and cocaine to the U.S. through the border city of Matamoros, has been locked in a brutal battle for control of northeastern Mexico with the Zetas cartel, which began as a Gulf cartel paramilitary wing but later split off.

At time same time, it has seen several of its top leaders arrested in recent years, including Jorge Eduardo Costilla Sanchez in 2012 and Mario Armando Ramirez Trevino in 2013.

Saenz-Tamez is among several suspected cartel leaders to be apprehended in recent months. The Mexican government this month arrested the suspected leader of the Juarez cartel, Vicente Carrillo Fuentes. A few weeks before that, Mexican authorities nabbed Hector Beltran Leyva, suspected head of the Beltran Leyva gang.

Times staff writer Kate Linthicum in Mexico City contributed to this report.

On Twitter: @RickSerranoLAT
How much fighting has to take place before a shaky truce in Syria is declared to have broken down?

A system of calm announced by the Syrian military may have restored a semblance of normality in some parts of the country Saturday, but in the divided city of Aleppo, residents described a state of terror for the ninth consecutive day.

Pro-opposition activists uploaded horrific videos of shell-shocked people emerging from the wreckage of buildings covered in a film of dust and blood.

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From morning until 1 in the afternoon, you had more than 20 air raids by the Syrian air force, said Bebars Meshaal, a member of the Aleppo Civil Defense unit, a rescue team that works in rebel-held areas of Syrias largest city.

Moments later, he said he had just heard a jet flying over the city to begin another bombing run.

Meanwhile, on the government side, many were afraid to leave their homes because of the rebels steady barrage of shells.

Pro-government media broadcast images of bloodied civilians receiving treatment while emergency crews struggled to put out fires ignited by the makeshift projectiles fashioned out of gas canisters.

Markets in Aleppo were nearly empty today, and I saw only a dozen people coming out to what is thought to be a safe area of the city, said an administrator of a pro-government Facebook page that focuses on news from the Aleppo region. There are many casualties among the people here, and official state media is downplaying the numbers to reduce the shock among the countrys citizens.

Reached via the WhatsApp messaging service, he declined to have his name published for safety reasons.

The sharp spike in fighting in and around Aleppo has killed more than 250 people since April 22, according to the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a pro-opposition monitoring group. The figure includes 148 people killed in rebel-held areas and 96 in government-held parts of the city.

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The main opposition delegation at peace talks in Geneva walked out in protest of the escalating violence. Even the usually optimistic U.N. special envoy to Syria, Staffan de Mistura, described the cessation of hostilities brokered by the United States and Russia in February as barely alive.

In a statement Friday, the Syrian army command said it was imposing the temporary calm in areas around the Syrian capital, Damascus, and in the northwestern province of Latakia in an attempt to bolster the truce. Yet Aleppo was conspicuously absent from the armys statement.

The citys reputation as the one-time industrial heart of Syrias economy has become a distant memory, as the fighting has rendered much of it a charred wasteland. Neither the government nor rebel factions have been able to take control of Aleppo, whose proximity to the Turkish border as well as symbolic importance make it a prize that could help deliver a wider victory.

The governments supporters argue that Aleppo should not be part of the truce because the Nusra Front, an Al Qaeda affiliate, is active there and in nearby areas. However, Rami Abdul-Rahman, who heads the Syrian observatory, lamented the uptick in fighting in Aleppo, which he contrasted with the relatively tranquil day people experienced in other parts of the country.

There was nothing in Latakia and Damascus, he said in a telephone interview Saturday. But in the case of Aleppo, it appears there is no will by Russia to stop the governments attack.

Russia, which deployed its warplanes in September to buttress Syrian President Bashar Assads flagging troops, has worked with the U.S. to push for a political settlement. However, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Gennadiy Gatilov told the Interfax news agency Saturday that Moscow is not going to put pressure on Damascus over Aleppo because the situation in Aleppo is part of this fight against the terrorist threat.

Syrian government media also spoke in the past week of an all-out battle to wrest control of the city. In a stern editorial Thursday, state newspaper Al Watan said it was high time to launch the battle to fully liberate Aleppo from the evil of terrorism.

Zeid Raad Hussein, the U.N. high commissioner for human rights, said the violence in Syria was soaring back to the levels we saw prior to the cessation of hostilities.

There are deeply disturbing reports of military build-ups indicating preparations for a lethal escalation, he said in a statement Friday.

Hussein also spoke of civilians who remained trapped in besieged villages, towns and cities, where they are at risk of starvation and have no access to adequate medical care.

Siege tactics have been regularly employed during the five-year conflict, which has killed more than 250,000 people, ravaged large parts of the country and spurred a flood of refugees fleeing to Europe.

The cessation of hostilities has granted humanitarian workers a rare opportunity to deliver aid to some hard-to-reach areas.

On Saturday, the International Committee of the Red Cross said it was able to deliver 70 trucks of aid to the Syrian towns of Zabadani and Madaya, where there were reports of starvation earlier this year because of a siege imposed by the government and its allies. Aid was also delivered to Fuah and Kefraya, two towns that remain surrounded by hard-line Islamist militants.

Aid workers have reached more than half the besieged communities in Syria, Jan Egeland, a special advisor to De Mistura, told a news conference in Geneva on Thursday. But he said, All of that may now be lost if the war continues as it is now, if the fighting and the violence and the bombardment of civilians ... of hospitals, of relief workers, continue.

U.N. officials have been pressing the U.S. and Russia to use their influence over Syrias warring sides to salvage the truce and restart negotiations.

The cessation of hostilities and the Geneva talks were the only game in town, Hussein said. If they are abandoned now, I dread to think how much more horror we will see in Syria.

Secretary of State John F. Kerry was headed to Geneva on Sunday to review efforts to reaffirm the cessation of hostilities with De Mistura and the Jordanian and Saudi Arabian foreign ministers.

Bulos is a special correspondent.

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It has been a difficult month for the Syrian air force and its Russian allies. In April alone, rebel forces claimed to bring down three aircraft: two Syrian jets and one Russian helicopter. Each incident sparked a frenzy of speculation about whether the opposition had obtained anti-aircraft missiles that could bring down planes, known as Man-Portable Air Defense Systems, or MANPADS.

The rebels had obtained a limited supply of the missiles from Syrian army depots and from the government of Qatar earlier in the war. They have long been asking the West to supply them with more.

As President Bashar Assads government and the Russians step up their airstrikes on rebel-held areas -- and civilian casualties mount  those calls have gained renewed urgency. But new technology might make MANPADS ineffective against Russian planes, while the risk that the weapons could ultimately be turned against the West remains.

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The U.S. has been reluctant to give MANPADS to the rebels, for fear the weapons could fall into the hands of extremist groups and be used against civilian airliners or Western military aircraft in other conflict zones. Critics have pointed to the caches of antitank missiles that made their way to hard-line and Islamist factions in Syria after the CIA gave them to select rebel factions. It only takes one stray MANPAD to sneak into Turkey and that would be a very bad thing, a U.S. official said, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss internal concerns about supplying the weapons.

Russia has been conducting more frequent airstrikes in northern Syria in recent days, particularly around the countrys largest city, Aleppo. The country has said it is targeting positions held by the Al Qaeda affiliate in Syria, Nusra Front, but U.S. intelligence officials believe Russia is targeting forces opposed to the Syrian government.

The pressure on the U.S. and its allies in the region to provide heavier weapons to opposition militias will increase if Russian-backed Syrian forces fully break the ceasefire, which has held in most of Syria for six weeks, the official said. Last month, the Wall Street Journal reported that the CIA is preparing a Plan B in case the ceasefire completely crumbles that involves supplying vetted moderate rebel fighters with MANPADS.

NEWSLETTER: Get the days top headlines from Times Editor Davan Maharaj >>

Gulf countries that have supplied the rebels with missiles, such as Saudi Arabia and Qatar, say that with Russias entry into the war on the side of Assads forces in September, the introduction of the weapons would swing the tide of the war in the rebels favor. We believe that introducing surface-to-air missiles in Syria is going to change the balance of power on the ground, said Saudi Foreign Minister Adel Jubair in an interview with Der Spiegel. It will allow the moderate opposition to be able to neutralize the helicopters and aircraft that are dropping chemicals and have been carpet-bombing them, just like surface-to-air missiles in Afghanistan were able to change the balance of power there.

That place is awash in MANPADS, Director of National Intelligence James R. Clapper told reporters in Washington on April 25. The regime had them, there are active procurement networks, black markets, whatever, he said.

Rebels have been unable to make more use of the missiles because of a lack of functioning batteries to power them. Once turned on, a MANPAD battery lasts only 30 to 90 seconds, and is extremely difficult to recharge without proper equipment, according to a report by the Small Arms Survey, a weapons monitor based in Geneva.

The rebels have largely countered airstrikes with flak traps, a World-War II-era tactic utilizing multiple machine-gun platforms placed along the path of jets or helicopters on bombing runs. In March, rebels affiliated with the Western-backed Jaish al-Nasr faction [Army of Victory] shot down a Syrian MIG-21 near the village of Kafr Nabudah, 25 miles northwest of the city of Hama, with the combined firepower of 10 machine guns, according to Mohammad Rashid, the spokesman of the group.

The opposition is not expecting that the West will change its mind about supplying them with weapons to fend off the mounting airstrikes. We do not expect any of the rumors [of being armed by the West] to come true, Major Bilal Al-Harba, a spokesman for the oppositions Homs Liberation faction, said in an interview on social media. If we get anything it will be from the regime, whether through fighting or by getting it from soldiers we bribe and who cooperate with us.

They are nonetheless increasingly providing their fighters with training in the use of MANPADS. Al-Harba is part of a faction that has been giving Free Syrian Army troops basic courses they would need to operate any missile they encounter.

It is not clear if these weapons would be effective against the Russian air force. The Russian planes are equipped with more sophisticated weaponry and avionics, and can strike their targets from a higher altitude than their Syrian counterparts and stay beyond the reach of the operational ceiling of MANPADS found in Syria. Most of the downed planes have been the low-flying jets and helicopters of the government, with older, overworked airframes from the 50s and 60s that have been mothballed by the worlds armed forces elsewhere.

New Russian technology could soon render MANPADS useless even against low-flying aircraft. New air units are being equipped with the President-1, a device that interferes with MANPADS guidance systems, Russian state news agency TASS reported, claiming that the effectiveness of this system was successfully demonstrated during the fighting for  Palmyra, the ancient city that was recently wrested from the hands of the extremist group the Islamic State.

At the same time, technological improvements that could limit the risk of extremists making use of U.S. MANPADS are still very flawed.

Using GPS, the missiles could be programmed to lock out users in certain locations, according to the Small Arms Survey report  but GPS satellites can take so long to recognize the location of the missile launcher that it might be too late to strike an approaching hostile aircraft. The missiles could also be locked with keys or codes  but keys can be taken, and codes divulged.

Mechanisms to limit who can use the weapons are usually defeated once the equipment is on the battlefield, Clapper said. This has historically been a cat-and-mouse thing, an action and reaction, you field one and they develop countermeasures and then they field another one that counters the countermeasures and it goes on, he said. What you always worry about is whatever capability you develop, having it fall into the wrong hands.

brian.bennett@latimes.com

Special correspondent Bulos reported from Amman and Times staff writer Bennett from Washington.

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Senator Chuck Schumer is vowing that comprehensive immigration reform will be achieved in 2017.

The New York Democratic senator voiced his bold declaration while speaking with volunteers at the recent CUNY/Daily News Citizenship NOW! hotline drive held at Manhattan's Guttman Community College.

"It lets more people in," added Schumer. "It takes people who are illegal and gives them a path to citizenship, no matter who they are."

The ever-optimistic Schumer soon turned his focus to gazing into the future, telling volunteers, "I'm supposed to become Democratic leader of the Senate in January. If I'm the majority leader, we're going to pass this very fast."

Immigration One of Presidential Election's Biggest Issues

Indeed, immigration continues to be one of the most talked about issues this election season, as evidenced by the record-setting 13,327 phone calls fielded by volunteers over the weeklong drive.

To date, the two parties couldn't be more divided on the issue, with Republican presidential front-runners Donald Trump and Ted Cruz both vowing to deport as many as 11 million immigrants, while leading Democratic candidates Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders have both pledged allegiance to reform legislation.

"I think this year it is more meaningful, because of what is going on in the country," said lawyer and Baruch College professor Allan Wernick, who runs the immigration legal services program at CUNY.

He later added, "I don't think on a national level we have seen anything like this in terms of anti-immigrant sentiment."

Record-Setting Number of Hispanics Eligible to Vote in 2016

A recent Pew Research Center found that a record-setting 27.3 million Hispanics will be eligible to vote in this year's presidential election, with 44 percent of all those voters being millennials. Such math doesn't seem to bode well for Republicans, particularly given a recent Washington Post/Univision survey found that 80 percent of Latinos have an unfavorable view of GOP frontrunner Trump.

Joining Schumer as politicians and dignitaries who made stops during the drive were state Sen. Jose Peralta (D-Queens), Councilwoman Vanessa Gibson (D-Bronx) and state Sen. Leroy Comrie (D-Queens).
A chief district court judge has sentenced a Colorado woman to 100 years behind bars for beating another woman unconscious and cutting her seven-month old fetus from her womb.

Dynel Lane sent shock-waves across the nation with the commission of her March 2015 crime, a grisly act she committed after luring her unsuspecting victim to her apartment with a Craigslist ad offering free maternity clothes.

Earlier this month, Michele Wilkins stood before Judge Maria Berkenkotter to painfully reflect on all the crime robbed her of and to ask that Lane be given the harshest punishment possible.

Judge Chastises Lane Before Handing Down Sentence

"They won't get to watch as she decides who she is or what she wants to do with her life," Berkenkotter scolded the 35-year-old Lane as she passed down her sentence. "Ms. Lane, you stole that from Michelle."

Lane was formally convicted last February of first-degree attempted murder and unlawful termination of a pregnancy by a Boulder County jury during a trial where prosecutors told the court she spent months faking her pregnancy.

At one point, Lane even sent ultrasound images she downloaded from the Internet to David Ridley, the man she claimed was the father. Later, friends even threw her a baby shower.

Grim and graphic testimony also showed Lane removed Wilkins' fetus with two kitchen knives. Leading up to the trial, prosecutors lamented they could not charge her with murder because Aurora Wilkins never took a breath of life.

Lane Plans to Appeal Conviction

Lane did not speak during the sentence hearing and her mother Carol DeHerrera told the court she never recovered from the accidental drowning death of her young son. She added her daughter's desperation to have another child "caused her to make this choice."

Lane's family and friends expressed condolences to Michelle Wilkins. They described Lane as a caring, loving person and a dedicated mother to her two daughters.

Public defender Kathryn Herold asked the judge to let Lane's sentences run concurrently and added she plans to appeal her conviction.
A scam artist posing as an 87-year-old woman's grandchild requested $6,000 worth of iTune gift cards and told the woman he was being held against his will, according to Pennsylvania State Police in Belfast.

The caller told the West Easton Borough woman he was her grandchild in Las Vegas, Nevada and was just involved in a DUI-related car crash. He went on to say he was being held against his will and needed the grandmother to buy 12 iTunes gift cards, totaling $6,000, for him to be set free.

The victim then purchased the cards and forwarded the card numbers to the caller. The victim contacted police after learning the grandchild was not in trouble.

Police said the calls occurred between April 1 to April 3.

A similar scam also occurred on March 31 in Plainfield Township with a caller posing as a phony lawyer. That victim also fell for the scam, spending $1,500 on the iTunes cards.

Slate Belt Regional police put out a news release warning the public of such telephone scams.

"The Slate Belt Regional Police Department warns all residents that these types of phone scams are becoming more prevalent," police said in the release. "Do not give any forms of identification or payment over the phone.

"Remember, if you receive calls requesting you personal information or payment for services that were never requested, do not provide anything to the caller. If you think it is a scam - it most likely is!"

Pamela Sroka-Holzmann may be reached at pholzmann@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow her on Twitter @pamholzmann. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook.
Pennsylvania Budget

The Pennsylvania House of Representatives.

(The Associated Press)

With all the interest in nominating candidates for president, Pennsylvania voters may have failed to notice what was missing on Tuesday's primary ballot, on the line for state legislative races.

Competition.



In the Lehigh Valley, only two state House races offered intraparty contests. One of those, the 183rd District, drew interest because of the pending retirement of state Rep. Julie Harhart. In the 131st District, state Rep. Justin Simmons fended off a Republican challenger, but he'll have nothing to sweat in the fall. Only two districts in the Valley will have contested general election races --the 132nd, held by Democratic state Rep. Michael Schlossberg, and Harhart's district.



The voters deserve better.



In fact, the need for public interest in elections has never been greater. Pennsylvania's inability to pass an on-time budget this fiscal year was only partly about taxes and spending decisions. The long stalemate between Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf and Republican majorities in the Legislature was made possible by lawmakers ensconced in "safe" districts through gerrymandering. They knew they wouldn't be called on the carpet by enough constituents to matter, or by credible election opponents.



With all 203 House seats up for grabs this year, 106 incumbents are shoo-ins for re-election, having no general election opponent. In the primary election, only 31 House members faced competition.



Pennsylvania is among the most gerrymandered of states. Redrawing congressional and legislative districts to protect incumbents and extend majority power is taking its toll. Voter apathy is perpetuated. Challengers are discouraged by daunting registration numbers and the inability to attract campaign money.



The net result is bad government. Incumbent protectionism neuters debate, problem-solving, compromise, reform and progress.



There is hope, however, that Pennsylvania could join a handful of states opting for independent commissions to oversee the remapping of districts every 10 years.



Last month state Sen. Lisa Boscola, D-Lehigh-Northampton, and state Rep. David Parker, R-Monroe, introduced bills to get this process in gear. The legislation calls for a state constitutional amendment, which requires approval of an identical bill by the Legislature in two consecutive sessions, and voter consent by referendum. Also last month, the Fair Districts PA Coalition was established to support this effort, with backing from Common Cause and the League of Women Voters. You can go to the Fair Districts PA website to sign a petition. You also can ask your city or borough council, township supervisors or county to adopt a resolution backing redistricting reform.



The bills proposed by Boscola and Parker are drawing bipartisan support. That's a good sign, even if it reflects the reality that a shift to a Democratic majority on the state Supreme Court -- which hears appeals to redistricting plans -- could act as a check on another Republican power play.



Regardless, the best way to achieve fairness is in the redrawing of districts, not fighting it out in court and settling for a lesser gerrymander. Thanks to Boscola and Parker for leading the way. We urge all representatives and senators to get behind this effort, to give voters a chance to weigh in on it before the 2020 Census.
The Island Dragway may be feeling a little more like an actual island.

New Jersey's plans to turn nearly 100 nearby acres in Independence Township into wetlands have raised concerns among leaders in Warren County, including the track's owner.

"They're taking perfectly good farmland and returning it to wetlands," said Melissa Milano, who also serves on the township land use board.

But the effects of a new swamp could be felt beyond the township.

The state Department of Environmental Protection acquired the 84-acre property off Alphano Road in 2011, according to property records.

The Warren County Mosquito Commission estimates it could cost between $10,000 and $27,000 to treat new wetlands proposed by the DEP for mosquitoes. (AFP/Getty Images)

That amount of new wetlands would become a breeding ground for mosquitoes. The Warren County Mosquito Commission estimates it would cost $10,000 to $27,000 to treat the new area.

The state's plan is

"really against our mandate to reduce mosquito populations," said Bob Duryea, an entomologist with the commission. "It's working the exact opposite of that. They're creating a mosquito environment."

Township officials' concerns are reminiscent of a similar fight two years ago when the DEP established another 28 acres of wetlands -- also adjacent to the dragway property -- as mitigation for development elsewhere.

The difference this time, Mayor Bob Giordano said, is that the state is taking it upon itself to return land drained for farming in the 1800s to its natural state.

"We have no control over it," said Jim Kelsey, another land use board member. "We can't deny it. They're just letting us know what they're doing."

Representatives from the Division of Fish & Wildlife presented their plans to the township April 18. A DEP spokesman did not return a request to elaborate on the state's intentions.

Giordano said the wetlands plan puts a squeeze on Independence Township's western side, while the east already falls under development restrictions from the water-protecting Highlands Act.

"This is the finest farmland that we have around here," he said. "It's great land for the farmers and they're taking that away from us."

Steve Novak may be reached at snovak@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @type2supernovak. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook.
A couple of polls have suggested that Ruth Davidsons Scottish Conservative Party might just edge ahead of Labour to become the official opposition in the Scottish Parliament. That is a truly horrible thought. Just imagine it, the timid, illiberal, centralising SNP opposed by David Camerons representative in Scotland. Their leaflets dont push the fact that they are Conservatives. They are trying to make their campaign all about Ruth, as if she is somehow the saviour of the union. That, of course, is an argument that does not stack up, as this video from the Scottish Liberal Democrats shows.

It was the Scottish Conservatives who pretty much kept the SNP in power during their first term of minority government.

Do we really want them, with their contempt for benefit claimants, nonchalance about inequality and poverty and disregard for human rights and civil liberties, as the official opposition to an SNP government that is already so fiscally conservative and illiberal?

Their claim to be the only ones who care about the union has been shown up to be a pile of hogwash by Nick Clegg. In an article originally published in the Times and now on the Scottish Liberal Democrats website, he said:

As the Holyrood elections get closer and closer, I have become increasingly bemused that Ruth Davidson and others have sought to claim that the Conservatives are somehow the authentic opposition to the SNP.

It jars starkly with my experience when governing alongside the Conservatives in Coalition in Whitehall for five years.

In that time, I witnessed an odd ambivalence in the Conservative Party towards Scotland: indifference one minute; confrontation the next.

My party frequently disagreed with the Conservatives on Scottish issues, which was perhaps unsurprising since the only Scots around the Coalition Cabinet table were Liberal Democrats.

Whether it was over the negotiations with the SNP on the referendum bill; the conduct of the government during the campaign; or the approach to devolution both before the campaign and in the weeks and months that followed the vote, Liberal Democrats consistently stood up for Scotland when it was of little interest to English Conservatives. Not a single senior member of the Conservative Party represented a Scottish seat.

My Lib Dem colleagues and I  in particular Michael Moore, Alistair Carmichael, Danny Alexander and Jo Swinson  had to go to great lengths to deliver real powers for Scotland.

David Cameron and George Osborne are brilliant tacticians  the general election result in England is evidence of that  but sometimes they can be too cunning for their own good.

Whenever Scotland was on the agenda I saw time and time again how they sought to secure short-term political advantage before the long-term interests of Scotland and the Scottish people.

Shortly after the Holyrood elections in 2011, when the SNP won a majority and therefore the mandate to hold the independence referendum, the Conservatives wanted to push ahead with it on their terms and their timescale, sending a clear message that the UK Government, and not the Scottish Government, was in charge.

In the Conservatives hands, the referendum would have become a confrontation between Holyrood and a beligerent Westminster government that refused to respect their mandate or accept the need to relinquish powers in any meaningful way.

It was the Liberal Democrat Scottish Secretary Michael Moore who stopped them, insisting that it was for the Scottish Government to put forward their plan and for the two governments to then work together. Michael was diligent and respectful throughout the negotiations over the referendum and made sure it would be fair, legal and decisive.

It was also Michael who oversaw what at the time was the greatest devolution of power  especially tax raising powers  to Scotland since the formation of the United Kingdom as part of the Scotland Act, something the Conservatives had previously displayed little interest in doing. The Liberal Democrats, by contrast, have argued for the devolution of power and for a federal United Kingdom for decades.

And dont be fooled by what has happened since the election: the new Scotland Act was drafted by Liberal Democrats in the Scotland Office before the election, based on the cross party work of the Smith Commission.

During the referendum campaign itself, it was Danny Alexander who co-ordinated the Governments efforts. In particular, he did a huge deal to expose the weakness of the SNPs economic case and to encourage businesses to speak out about the impact independence would have on them and their employees.

It was the morning after the referendum when the mask really slipped. As the result became clear, David Cameron and George Osbornes first reaction was to genuflect to their English backbenchers and antagonise Scottish voters by turning the debate immediately towards the divisive issue of English Votes for English Laws.

In doing so they gave the SNP the grounds to cry foul and helped to foster a sense of grievance among some English voters that the Conservatives would harness very successfully at the subsequent general election with their spine chilling warnings of what would happen if a weak Labour government was pushed around by Alex Salmond and Nicola Sturgeon.

Once again it was the Liberal Democrats who stood up for Scotland.

We vetoed their plans for a government commission on English Votes for English Laws and instead insisted that any commission should be cross-party and look at all aspects of devolution, not just the divisive issue of votes in Parliament. And it was the Liberal Democrats who insisted that the Devo Max reforms that we, the Conservatives and Labour had promised in the vow made shortly before the referendum would go ahead with no strings attached, instead of making them contingent on English votes as the Conservatives initially wanted.

On the afternoon of the referendum itself, I told David Cameron that while I understood he had some restive English MPs on his backbenches whom he had to deal with, big constitutional changes should be made on a cross-party basis, not just to suit the political needs of one party.

I was dismayed at the prospect that the politics of grievance in Scotland, exploited mercilessly by the Scottish Nationalists, could so quickly be supplemented by the politics of grievance in England, exploited mercilessly by the Conservatives.

Far from opposing the SNP, the Conservative party has alighted on the SNP as the perfect whipping boy to stir up their English voters, just as the SNP have always used the Conservatives to whip up their own voters in Scotland. The SNP and the Conservatives, whatever they might say about each other, now have a strong interest in talking each other up, not down.

The attitude I repeatedly found myself coming up against from senior Conservatives was that the politics of Scotland were Labours problem, not theirs. In fact, a situation where the SNP rules the roost in Scotland suits them just fine as it makes it virtually impossible for Labour to win a majority at a general election.

So dont buy Ruth Davidsons nonsense about the Conservatives being the real opposition in Scotland.Time and time again the Tories have put their own interests before those of the Scottish people.
This week, Lib Dem Home Affairs spokesperson Alistair Carmichael put down an Urgent Question to the Home Secretary after she all too casually said that the UK should leave the European Convention on Human Rights. Its clear that ,whatever the result of the Referendum, the Tories are desperate to have a big bonfire of all of our most basic rights. What they could object to about things like the right to privacy and freedom of expression is beyond me.

Anyway, Theresa May didnt bother to turn up to face Alistair. She sent Attorney General Jeremy Wright instead. He didnt really answer her question, prompting Alistair to say:

I am grateful to the Attorney General for that answer. I should make it clear that I hold him in the very highest regard; I enjoyed working with him as a Minister in the previous Government. But he is not the Home Secretary, and he should not be responding to the urgent question today. The Home Secretary was the one who could make the speech yesterday and she can, apparently, come and make a statement tomorrow. She should be here today. Yesterday she went rogue; today she has gone missing.

There is total confusion at the heart of Government policy. What the Attorney General has just said at the Dispatch Box contradicts clearly what has been said previously. Yesterday the Home Secretary said:

The ECHR can bind the hands of parliament, adds nothing to our prosperity, makes us less secure by preventing the deportation of dangerous foreign nationals  and does nothing to change the attitudes of governments like Russias when it comes to human rights. So regardless of the EU referendum, my view is this: if we want to reform human rights laws in this country, it isnt the EU we should leave but the ECHR and the jurisdiction of its court.

That contradicts what the Under-Secretary of State for Justice, the hon. Member for Esher and Walton (Mr Raab), who has responsibility for human rights, previously told the House at Justice questions and in a succession of Westminster Hall debates. On 30 June, he said:

Our plans do not involve us leaving the convention; that is not our objective[Official Report, 30 June 2015; Vol. 597, c. 426WH.]

Clearly, there has been a major shift in Government policy and this House should have been the first to hear about it. The Home Secretary tells us that she wants to remain in the European Union but leave the convention; the Under-Secretary of State for Justice wants to leave the European Union but remain in the convention; and the Lord Chancellor wants to leave the European Union, stay in the convention, but ignore the jurisprudence of the Court. Thank goodness we do not have the instability of a coalition Government any more.

It has been apparent for some time that everything in Government thinking is seen through the prism of the European Union referendum. Now it seems that the Home Secretary has taken that to the next level. She has an eye on the next electionthe Conservative leadership election.

To be a member of the European Union requires us to be a party to the European convention. How is the Home Secretarys speech yesterday consistent with that policy? The devolved settlements in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland all have the European convention hard-wired into them. They are required to abide by the convention. How can that be done if the United Kingdom as a country is no longer a party to the convention? Does the Attorney General, a decent man who genuinely respects human rights, honestly want to see his country and mine stand alone with Belarus against the convention?
ON MAY 27, 1923, the Most Rev Dr Harty said in Murroe: The men who died for Ireland died not for a party, but for the nation. Keep their names forever free from party strife. He was unveiling a memorial Celtic Cross to the men of East, Mid and West Limerick Brigades killed in action against British soliders in 1920-21.

Those words from a newspaper article in 1923 were read out by chairman of Murroe Historical Society, Tom Homes, before the arrival of President Michael D Higgins to plant an oak tree in the village.

The 20-foot sculpture by William Gaffney was the first in the country to be erected after the Civil War to commemorate Limerick men who died in the War of Independence. The names of Brigadier Sean Finn, Brigadier Sean Wall, Adjutant Patrick Ryan and Lieutenant John Frahill grace the monument.

Cut from a huge limestone block, it carries the inscription, Greater love than this no man hath, than a man lay down his life for his friend.

Crowds gathered upto an hour before the president was due to arrive. One lady with her walker, which she called her Merc, was there early to get a good vantage point. Shortly before high noon, with the sun high in the sky, he arrived in his Mercedes, accompanied by wife Sabina.

A round of applause went up as they were greeted and led to the stage. Denis Holmes, MC, said the parish is steeped in history and thanked President Higgins for making this another historic day. Happy Birthday was sung for President Higgins, who thanked the crowd for their good wishes in marking my miles in life.

How greatly uplifting it has been to witness how so many of our communities have taken the initiative to develop and deliver their own unique commemorations of the events of 1916. It has encouraged our communities to embrace this historic moment in a spirit of creativity and the reaction has been immense, said President Higgins, who thanked for Fr Simon Sleeman for inviting him and everyone for the warm welcome.

The planting, throughout 2016, of sixteen trees that will take root, grow and flourish within the community of Murroe, and will provide a profound connection to the past in the years and decades to come, is one such inspiring and imaginative commemoration, he said.

It is most apt that we plant this tree beside the Murroe memorial cross erected in 1923 to honour those from the Limerick Brigades who fought and died during the Irish War of Independence, and which today stands as a beautiful and fitting monument to the sacrifice of a generation.

In this important year weve been recalling the selflessness of the many men and women who aspired towards, and fought for, Irish independence. They may have differed in the ideals they emphasised, yet all of them, with their different ideas for the future of the nation, came together to pursue what they shared, a dream of independence.

At the very heart of republicanism lies the principle of participative citizenship. It is a concept based on an understanding of the accountable State as a shared responsibility, rather than an abstract entity, of an economy that is seen to serve all of the people in their sufficiencies rather that the insatiable consumption of the few. It is important that we remember and acknowledge that 1916 was about more than military or political actions. The leaders, in the best of their aspirations and writings, were inspired by the idea of creating a very different Ireland and they believed in a social as well as a national revolution in which every facet of Irish life could be improved, said President Higgins.

The Ireland we know today began its life as a courageous vision.

One hundred years later we are called to consider, in a new way, the ideals which inspired those men and women in 1916, to test them, retrieve them, add to them, and make our own new vision for a coming generation; honouring the memory of the men and women who fought for a free Irish State, and continuing the important work which they envisioned and for which so many were prepared to give up their lives, said President Higgins, who met with a number of relatives of the men whose names are engraved on the monument.

Thelma Reynolds, a niece of Patrick Ryan (Waller), travelled from Banagher.

I came down as a spectator to see the men being honoured, not expecting to meet President Higgins. He said it was a pleasure to meet somebody belonging to the men that the monument was for, said Ms Reynolds. Gobnait Wall Kelly, niece of Sean Well, was equally delighted to meet the man born in Limerick city and Sabina admired her father, Liams medal.

Tom Holmes  John Frahill was a granduncle  described President Higgins as a very learned individual with a thirst for knowledge. He wanted to see their names on the monument and I showed him, he said. Tom Seaver made a presentation of his book A 1916 Fingallian Rebel - a permanent reminder to the president of his visit to Murroe.
RENOWNED Limerick actor Kevin Kiely Jr is running his new play Prison of Oil over the next two weeks, which was received well at its opening show.

The new production stars actors Danny Lynch and John Murphy, and kicked-off at Limerick City Build, on Bank Place, this Wednesday.

Mr Kiely, who is the director and writer of the project, said that it examines what happens if one man is given a blank canvas of power".

The audience can expect to come into the theatre and they can expect to look at an artists studio. The whole play will take place within the confines of this painters studio. I would ask the audience, then, to go with us on a journey with this painter as he explores the potential of becoming a powerful man.

Young actor, Danny Lynch also performs in Kielys short film, The Cheese Box, which will make its world premiere at the Cannes Film Festival, next month.

He added that the play explores the innocense, which he said is seen with the presence of the teddy bear in the poster.

Danny is a very good actor, the director enthused, He will be playing the innocent one in the play.

He said that peoples illusion of power is the great mistake".

When people feel like they have the power, it is a very difficult time for the people who sit under that.

Kiely is producing the play through his Isleboro Productions, which also presented the recent interdisciplinary performance piece (Specifically. Being. Human.), which also took place in the City Build.

Tickets for the show, which runs until May 7, are 10. See https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/the-prison-of-oil-john-murph.
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Columnists Press Releases
Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) has published a two-page statement online confirming the groups withdrawal from the Yemeni port city of Mukalla that occurred one week ago. AQAP members and supporters have discussed the retreat on social media in the days since, but the organization did not officially comment until its statement yesterday.

AQAPs message is addressed to the people of Hadramout, the coastal province where Mukalla is located. The groups explanation illustrates, once again, al Qaedas concern with building and preserving popular support.

The al Qaeda branch claims it was necessary to leave Mukalla in order to protect the citys civilians.

We only withdrew to make the enemy miss the opportunity to take the battle to your houses and markets, and your roads and mosques, for those people do not care about the believers, the statement reads, according to a translation by the SITE Intelligence Group.

AQAP blames the Arab coalition that took over Mukalla for killing dozens of Muslims during its bombing campaign, which supposedly struck civilian institutions such as markets and a gas station. So when we saw this, we took the initiative to stop this evil plan and halt this dirty war, and we decided to fight our enemy as we want, not as they want, AQAP says of its withdrawal.

Mukalla fell to AQAP in early April 2015 and the jihadists controlled it for just over one year. During that time, AQAP says, the people of the region learned that the jihadists faith was pure and that governance under their version of sharia law was a boon for the region.

We have lived with you for a year, and so we knew you as our people, brothers, and loved ones, the message continues, according to SITE. We saw in you faith, morals, generosity, and sacrifice. Thus, magnified in you is your great position that history will not forget, for you have known us and found us to be your loyal sons.

AQAP says that it sought to implement sharia law in all of its comprehensiveness and mercy and, as a result, Hadramout enjoyed peace and security as the economy flourished.

AQAPs statement is consistent with the arguments previously made by Nasir al Wuhayshi in private correspondence. Wuhayshi, who was Osama bin Ladens protege prior to the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, was AQAPs emir until he was killed in a US drone strike in June 2015.

In a pair of letters written in 2012, Wuhayshi explained the benefits of the jihadists rule over southern Yemen, highlighting the popular support his men were able to build. Wuhayshis men were ultimately driven from their southern Yemeni strongholds in 2012, just as AQAP left Mukalla in April of this year. In both instances, however, the al Qaeda branch laid the groundwork for longer-term rule.

It was a period of time given to us by Allah, in which we enforced sharia for nearly one year, and we got to know people intimately, and they came to know us, Wuhayshi wrote to the emir of al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM), Abdelmalek Droukdel, on Aug. 6, 2012. People were able to see examples of fighters and emirs that they have never seen in their life before  an emir who eats with the poor, and sits with them on the same mat, an emir without doors, or servants, whom they can see in the street, mosque or market. And who quickly answers their demands, redresses the oppressed and gives rights back to their owners.

Wuhayshi continued: People knew to what extent we abide by the rules of sharia, and that this method of rule is fit for every era and place. They have also seen that justice would only be achieved in this way. The days we spent with them were our very best.

Similarly, AQAP says in its new statement that over the past year the people of Mukalla saw the forgiveness of Islam and the justice of sharia.

AQAP blames the Christian Crusader America for mobilizing the Arab coalition that forced the jihadists to retreat. The United Arab Emirates (UAE) allegedly acted as a hired gun in this battle. Curiously, the group does not mention Saudi Arabia, which has led the Arab alliance and its air campaign.

Thomas Joscelyn is a Senior Fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies and the Senior Editor for FDD's Long War Journal.

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A parliamentary committee of Indonesia's House of People's Representatives (Dewan Perwakilan Rakyat (DPR)) is reviewing and discussing a draft patent law.

The draft patent law has been placed in the 2016 National Legislative Program (Prolegnas) of the DPR as one of the prioritised pieces of legislation for 2016. The new patent law is expected to be enacted in the first half of 2016.

We highlight below some key points of the September 2015 draft amendment to the draft patent law.

No data exclusivity rules

The draft patent law provides that if an invention is related to genetic resources and/or traditional knowledge, the source of those genetic resources and/or traditional knowledge must be mentioned clearly and properly.

Subject matter not regarded as invention

Under the current law, rules and methods about computer programs are not considered as inventions. In the draft patent law, this has been amended to rules and methods that only comprise computer programs. This amendment opens the possibility of computer-related inventions being protected as patents.

One other subject matter added to those that are not regarded as inventions is discovery in the forms of (1) new use of a known product, and (2) new forms of existing compounds that show no increase of efficacy.

Substantive examination

The draft patent law provides that the substantive examination can be done by examiners and also by outsourced experts. The purpose is to increase the quality of the examination, and to provide a skilled workforce for fields that have not been controlled by examiners.

Compulsory licence and government use

The draft patent law provides more clarity on the ruling of compulsory licences and government use.

For compulsory licences, the new ruling will include, among other things, (1) reasons for the delay in providing decisions on compulsory licences; (2) new timeframe for decisions to grant or reject compulsory licence applications, (3) the state's approval to export patented products to other developing or less developed countries that are in need of certain pharmaceutical products due to endemic diseases by request of those countries, and (4) compulsory licences regarding semiconductor technology.

For implementation of patents by the government, the proposed amendment will limit the government's implementation of patents for domestic needs to non-commercial purposes.

The government's implementation of patents in connection with state defence and security includes firearms, ammunition, military explosives, interception, tapping, reconnaissance, encryption, or other processes and apparatuses for the state's defence and security. For urgent needs for the public interest, the government's use of patents will include (a) pharmaceutical and/or biotechnology products for endemic diseases; (b) chemical and/or biotechnology products in agriculture for food security; (c) veterinary medicines to tackle endemic pests and animal diseases; (d) processes and/or products to tackle natural disasters and/or environmental disasters.

Extension of Bolar provision

The draft patent law amends the number of years for a third party to use a patented invention for the purpose of carrying out tests, preparing for production, and seeking regulatory/marketing approval before the patent expires, from two years to three years.

Further amendments to the draft patent law are still possible at this stage, as the parliamentary committee is still open to comments on the draft patent law.

Daru Lukiantono Primastuti Purnamasari

Hadiputranto, Hadinoto & PartnersThe Indonesia Stock Exchange Building, Tower II, 21st FloorSudirman Central Business DistrictJl. Jendral Sudirman Kav 52-53Jakarta 12190, IndonesiaTel: +62 21 2960 8888Fax: +62 21 2960 8999www.hhp.co.id
A tanker that Libya's rival eastern government had been using to try to export oil in defiance of the Western-backed administration in Tripoli returned to the country on Saturday, after it was blacklisted by the United Nations, the state oil company said.



The eastern government's parallel oil company had hoped to sell the cargo of 650,000 barrels, but the United Nations measure required states to ban it from entering any port.



Two competing governments, one in Tripoli and one in the east, backed by armed factions have struggled for control of the North African OPEC state since 2014. The eastern administration has set up its own National Oil Corporation in parallel to the Tripoli-based NOC.



A U.N.-backed unity government, designed to replace the rival administrations, arrived in Tripoli last month and is attempting to assert authority over the whole country.



Western powers fear any attempt by the eastern NOC to export crude independently would undermine the Tripoli government and further fracture the country along regional lines.



"This episode is a clear warning to all ship owners and trading companies that oil exports from Libya by any other entity than the National Oil Corporation of Libya are illegal and will be stopped," the NOC Chairman Mustafa Sanalla said in a statement.



"The Libyan individuals behind this attempt risked splitting the country by their reckless actions."



The Distya Ameya tanker left Marsa el-Hariga port late on Monday and was blacklisted on Wednesday and then headed to Zawiya port in western Libya.



Sanalla said tanker would unload in the next few days. A source from Zawiya said bad weather was preventing the vessel from discharging its crude for the moment.



The eastern NOC claims legitimacy from the government and parliament based in eastern Libya, which received international recognition after armed opponents took control of Tripoli in 2014 and installed rival institutions there.



The new U.N.-backed unity government, which is an attempt to end the conflict, faces resistance from hardliners in both factions, whose rivalries steadily emerged following the 2011 uprising against Muammar Gaddafi.



A U.N. Security Council resolution last month said the new unity government had the "primary responsibility" for preventing illicit oil sales, urging it to communicate any such attempts to the U.N. committee overseeing Libya-related sanctions.



(Reporting by Ahmed Elumami; Writing by Patrick Markey; Editing by Ros Russell)






Highlights



* Earnings of $1.8 billion decreased 63 percent from the first quarter of 2015.

* Earnings per share were $0.43 assuming dilution.

* Cash flow from operations and asset sales was $5 billion, including proceeds associated with asset sales of $177 million.

* Capital and exploration expenditures were $5.1 billion, down 33 percent from the first quarter of 2015.

* Oil equivalent production increased 1.8 percent from the first quarter of 2015, with liquids up 11.5 percent and gas down 9.3 percent.

* The corporation distributed $3.1 billion to shareholders in the first quarter of 2016.

* Dividends per share of $0.73 increased 5.8 percent compared with the first quarter of 2015.



Exxon Mobil Corporation (NYSE:XOM) today announced estimated first quarter 2016 earnings of $1.8 billion, or $0.43 per diluted share, compared with $4.9 billion a year earlier. The impacts of sharply lower commodity prices and weaker refining margins were partly offset by strong Chemical results.



The organization continues to respond effectively to challenging industry conditions, capturing enhancements to operational performance and creating margin uplift despite low prices, said Rex W. Tillerson, chairman and chief executive officer. The scale and integrated nature of our cash flow provide competitive advantage and support consistent strategy execution.



The corporation is making steady progress on its investment plans. New project capacity additions drove liquids production up 11.5 percent in the quarter, or 261,000 barrels per day. Total Upstream volumes increased to 4.3 million oil-equivalent barrels per day, while capital and exploration expenditures were reduced 33 percent to $5.1 billion.



Chemical earnings increased 38 percent to $1.4 billion on stronger margins and higher sales volumes. The business is capturing increased specialty and commodity product demand along with significant cost benefits from both gas and liquids cracking advantages at our integrated sites. The Downstream segment earned $906 million as global gasoline demand remains relatively strong.



During the quarter, the corporation distributed $3.1 billion in dividends to shareholders.



First Quarter 2016 vs. First Quarter 2015



Upstream earnings declined $2.9 billion from the first quarter of 2015, to a loss of $76 million. Lower liquids and gas realizations decreased earnings by $2.6 billion. Sales mix effects decreased earnings by $100 million. All other items decreased earnings by $250 million, including lower gains on asset sales and less favorable tax items partly offset by lower expenses.



On an oil-equivalent basis, production increased 1.8 percent from the first quarter of 2015. Liquids production totaled 2.5 million barrels per day, up 261,000 barrels per day, while natural gas production was 10.7 billion cubic feet per day, down 1.1 billion cubic feet per day from 2015. Project ramp-up was partly offset by regulatory restrictions in the Netherlands, field decline and asset management impacts.



The U.S. Upstream operations recorded a loss of $832 million, compared to a loss of $52 million in the first quarter of 2015. Non-U.S. Upstream earnings were $756 million, down $2.2 billion from the prior year.



Downstream earnings were $906 million, down $761 million from the first quarter of 2015. Weaker margins decreased earnings by $860 million. Volume and mix effects increased earnings by $10 million. All other items, primarily favorable foreign exchange effects, increased earnings by $90 million. Petroleum product sales of 5.3 million barrels per day were 480,000 barrels per day lower than the prior years first quarter.



Earnings from the U.S. Downstream were $187 million, down $380 million from the first quarter of 2015. Non-U.S. Downstream earnings of $719 million were $381 million lower than last year.



Chemical earnings of $1.4 billion were $373 million higher than the first quarter of 2015. Improved margins increased earnings by $250 million. Favorable volume and mix effects increased earnings by $80 million. All other items, primarily lower expenses, increased earnings by $40 million. First quarter prime product sales of 6.2 million metric tons were 104,000 metric tons higher than last year's first quarter.



Corporate and financing expenses were $375 million for the first quarter of 2016, down $189 million from the first quarter of 2015 due to favorable tax items.



During the first quarter of 2016, Exxon Mobil Corporation purchased 9 million shares of its common stock for the treasury at a gross cost of $726 million. These shares were acquired to offset dilution in conjunction with the companys benefit plans and programs. The corporation will continue to acquire shares to offset dilution in conjunction with its benefit plans and programs, but does not currently plan on making purchases to reduce shares outstanding.


The opening of the offshore season in northern waters has seen specialist oil industry vessels return to Lerwick Harbor during April to support subsea development projects. This month has also brought the first cruise ship of the year to the Shetland port for what promises to be a record-breaking cruise season.



Lerwick Port Authority Chief Executive, Sandra Laurenson, commented: The positive signs are encouraging, after a fall in traffic during the first quarter. We expect the harbor to be busy servicing field developments west of Shetland through to September, albeit in a continuing depressed market. Our best-by-far cruise season yet  significantly up on last year  will run to October, with a high level of bookings already for 2017 and beyond.



An increase in ferry passengers between January and March is also a positive sign.



Offshore-related activity includes continuing support for BPs Quad 204 development with the planned installation of the Floating Production, Storage and Offloading (FPSO) vessel, Glen Lyon, and of the Clair Ridge topsides this summer.



Reduced operations in the oil industry generally and fewer cargo vessels and tankers impacted on traffic in the first three months, with arrivals down 2.4% at 996, and the tonnage of shipping lower by 13% at 1.9 million gross tonnes, compared to the same period in 2015. Cargo handled also fell by 13%, to 203,139 tonnes.



Ferry passengers on services between Lerwick and Kirkwall and Aberdeen increased by 4.5% for the quarter. However, the later start to the cruise season  April rather than March as last year  saw the total passenger figure down 2.5% at 20,982.



Fish landings added up 19,526 tonnes, valued at 15.3 million, up 10% on volume and 11.75% on value. They included 2,132 tonnes of white fish, valued at 3.2 million, down 2.5% on volume and 3.3% on value, with the price per tonne marginally down at an average of 1,524 per tonne. In the pelagic sector, winter mackerel showed recovery on the low landings of winter 2015.


The Next Technical Price Targets for Gold & Silver

I have pointed out earlier, gold is forming a possible short-term top. It is on the verge of completing a bearish Head and Shoulder pattern. The pattern is confirmed if gold closes below $1220/oz. The downside pattern target for this setup is $1138/oz.

If gold starts to rally and breaks out to the upside, then we should see the $1396 level be reached based on technical analysis.

I will open a new long gold position when the time feels right. With technical analysis strongly suggesting gold and silver have bottomed, New breakouts to the upside in metals and mining stocks can be bought.

On the other hand, silver has formed an almost perfect cup and handle pattern and has broken out of it. It has reached its first target objective; chances are that silver will either consolidate or pullback after having met its target or move up to $18.70/oz. levels, which is the pattern target of the Cup and Handle pattern formation. However, new buying is not advised at current levels due to a poor risk-reward ratio.

If you have not read the post about what the Silver COT data is warning us about be sure to read this short post: Click Here

If we take a look and monitor the gold/silver ratio closely, recently, the ratio had touched its resistance of the past 20 years. Every time the ratio has returned from the resistance, the minimum it has retraced is to the levels of 45.

There are no reasons to believe that it will be any different this time around. Hypothetically, if gold were to remain at $1236/oz. and if the ratio corrects to 45, silver will reach $27.5/oz., which is a 62% increase from current levels.

Hence, it is prudent to stay with silver for a better return compared to gold once price has a pause to regroup before the next rally.

How to Trade Gold & Silver Conclusion:

Buying gold and silver offer different rate of returns to the investors. If an investor is able to time both the precious metals, then the total returns will be astronomically high in the future.

My timing cycles provide signals both for the short-term and the long-term. The price action of both gold and silver along with my cycles have been showing VERY strong Cycle Skew, which I explain in detail in my book Technical Trading Mastery. This cycle skew is telling us that precious metals are now in a strong uptrend and is another confirming indicator that support much higher prices long term.

During the first half of a bull market trading price patterns and upside breakouts tend to work very well. Because interest in the sector is growing and more buyers continue to enter that market, price pattern breakouts are the last chance to get a position before price has its next rally higher.

I will continue to inform my subscribers of new swing trades, and even more importantly the long-term investing Set-It-And-Forget-It ETF trades to ride out the new bull and bear markets for massive profits.

Keep following me to know more at: www.TheGoldAndOilGuy.com

Chris Vermeulen

Join my email list FREE and get my next article which I will show you about a major opportunity in bonds and a rate spike  www.GoldAndOilGuy.com

Chris Vermeulen is Founder of the popular trading site TheGoldAndOilGuy.com. There he shares his highly successful, low-risk trading method. For 7 years Chris has been a leader in teaching others to skillfully trade in gold, oil, and silver in both bull and bear markets. Subscribers to his service depend on Chris' uniquely consistent investment opportunities that carry exceptionally low risk and high return.

Disclaimer: Nothing in this report should be construed as a solicitation to buy or sell any securities mentioned. Technical Traders Ltd., its owners and the author of this report are not registered broker-dealers or financial advisors. Before investing in any securities, you should consult with your financial advisor and a registered broker-dealer. Never make an investment based solely on what you read in an online or printed report, including this report, especially if the investment involves a small, thinly-traded company that isnt well known. Technical Traders Ltd. and the author of this report has been paid by Cardiff Energy Corp. In addition, the author owns shares of Cardiff Energy Corp. and would also benefit from volume and price appreciation of its stock. The information provided here within should not be construed as a financial analysis but rather as an advertisement. The authors views and opinions regarding the companies featured in reports are his own views and are based on information that he has researched independently and has received, which the author assumes to be reliable. Technical Traders Ltd. and the author of this report do not guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or usefulness of any content of this report, nor its fitness for any particular purpose. Lastly, the author does not guarantee that any of the companies mentioned in the reports will perform as expected, and any comparisons made to other companies may not be valid or come into effect.

Chris Vermeulen Archive

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Consensus Forming: China Heading Back Into Financial Crisis

Chinas historic post-2009 debt binge flew largely under the radar  fooling most observers into thinking the global economy was recovering rather than just re-leveraging.

Now Beijing is back at it, borrowing over $1 trillion in this years first quarter, buying up commodities and creating the illusion of global growth. But this time the scam hasnt gone unnoticed. Reporters, editors and money managers seem, at last, to be catching on. Some representative headlines:

George Soros warns of credit crisis in China

Chinese cities dive back into debt to fuel growth even as defaults rise

China debt climbs to US$25 trillion

Chinas banks cut bad debt buffer as profits flatline

Doug Noland, meanwhile, goes to the heart of the problem in last nights Credit Bubble Bulletin:

I recall an early-1998 Financial Times article highlighting the explosive growth in Russian ruble and bond derivatives. Not only had the insurance market for risk protection grown phenomenally, Russian banks had become major operators in what had evolved into a huge speculative Bubble in Russian debt exposures. That was never going to end well. There was ample evidence suggesting Russia was a house of cards. Yet underpinning this Bubble was the market perception that the West would not allow a Russian collapse. With such faith and the accompanying explosion in speculative trading, leverage and a resulting massive derivatives overhang, any break in confidence would lead to illiquidity, panic and a devastating bust. Just such an outcome unfolded in August/September 1998. From a recent Financial Times article: The [Chinese] market for pledge-style repos  short-term, bond-backed loans  is currently bigger than the stock of outstanding debt. Within this undramatic sentence exists the potential for a rather dramatic global financial crisis. And, to be sure, seemingly the entire world has operated under the assumption that Chinese officials (and global policymakers in general) have zero tolerance for crisis  let alone a collapse. So Credit, speculation and leverage have been accommodated  and they combined to run absolute roughshod. The Financial Times article includes a chart worthy of color printing and thumbtacking to the wall: Chinas Use of Bonds as Loan Collateral Rises Sharply. The pink line shows Onshore Market Bonds having almost doubled since mid-2011 to about 40 TN rmb ($6.17 TN). The Red Line  Pledge-Style Repos  has ballooned four-fold since just early 2014 to surpass 40 TN rmb. So basically, in this popular market for inter-bank borrowings, borrowing banks have pledged bond positions larger than the entire market as collateral for their (perceived safe) short-term borrowing needs. China has an historic Credit problem. It as well suffers from an unfolding money fiasco of epic proportions. My analytical framework attempts to differentiate the two, as each comes with its own set of (related) issues. A Credit Bubble is a self-reinforcing but inevitably unsustainable expansion of debt. Money (the contemporary variety) is a financial claim perceived as a safe and liquid store of nominal value. Importantly, systemic risk expands exponentially when risky borrowings are financed by an expansion of money-like instruments/financial claims. This typically occurs late (terminal phase) in the Credit Bubble Cycle.

If the critics of Chinas recent let-it-all-hang-out financial excess are right, a crisis of some sort is coming to a market near you. For instance, a fair bit of that Q1 $1 trillion went to boosting Chinese stockpiles  and therefore the price of  oil

and other commodities like iron ore. From More iron ore price madness as Chinas mom-and-pops pile in:

On Friday the Northern China benchmark iron ore price jumped to $65.20 per dry metric tonne (62% Fe CFR Tianjin port) bringing gains since Wednesday to 7.8% as commodity investment fever grips Chinese investors. Last week iron ore hit a 16-month high following an 11% jump over just two trading days according to data supplied by The Steel Index. The steelmaking raw material has enjoyed a 52% rise in 2016 and a 76%-plus recovery from nine-year lows reached mid-December. On the Dalian Commodities Exchange the price swings are much wilder. Despite a clampdown on rogue traders, higher margin requirements and trading fees, circuit breakers on Dalian iron ore futures to curb excessive price movement were triggered for the umpteenth time on Friday. Thats despite the exchange in northeast China temporarily upping the daily price change limit to 6%. The most traded contract ended Friday at its highs, exchanging hands for 462 yuan or $71.40 a tonne, duly up 5.97% on the day.

Based on supply/demand fundamentals, oil and iron ore remain in massive gluts. So when Chinas stockpiling ends  as it mathematically must  these markets will lose a lot of their exuberance. The question then becomes, how many speculators will default on their loans, and what kind of banking trouble will ensue? Thats unknowable, but its safe to assume, given the numbers involved, that the rest of the world will find it distressing.

So think of todays relative calm as the eye of yet another storm, and whats coming as a return to the hyper-leveraged new normal.

By John Rubino

dollarcollapse.com

Copyright 2016  John Rubino - All Rights Reserved

Disclaimer: The above is a matter of opinion provided for general information purposes only and is not intended as investment advice. Information and analysis above are derived from sources and utilising methods believed to be reliable, but we cannot accept responsibility for any losses you may incur as a result of this analysis. Individuals should consult with their personal financial advisors.

 2005-2019 http://www.MarketOracle.co.uk - The Market Oracle is a FREE Daily Financial Markets Analysis & Forecasting online publication.




A proposal to reduce the number of seats on the Martinsville-Henry County Economic Development Corp.s (EDC) board is not intended to harm the two partners in the organization that would lose seats, a board member said based on her perception.

At least one Martinsville City Council member disagrees.

I think the reason (for the proposal)  was to reallocate the (partners) resources to help the organizations achieve their goals, said Martinsville-Henry County Chamber of Commerce President Amanda Witt.

The proposal states that the EDC shall not reduce any services currently provided to either the City of Martinsville or the Chamber of Commerce/C-PEG as long as this agreement is in effect.

C-PEG is the Chambers Partnership for Economic Growth, an independent affiliate of the chamber that supports and helps fund efforts to boost the local economy.

Councilwoman Sharon Brooks Hodge said, though, that the proposal seems for all intents and purposes that the city will pull out of the EDC. With one less board seat, the city will have less influence on the organization  if it recently has had any, she reasoned.

Witt said that because she is not on the boards executive committee, she did not know the full details of the proposal and has not been told who prepared it or the exact reasons behind it.

Nobody from the EDC ever came and spoke to us (the council) about the proposal, Hodge said. Actually, weve never really had any dialogue (with the EDC) over the past year.

EDC President and Chief Executive Officer Mark Heath; board Chairman Chris Beeler, who is chief executive officer of Virginia Mirror Co.; and board Vice Chairman Tim Hall, who is the Henry County administrator, did not return phone calls for comment Thursday and Friday.

The EDC is the communitys leading business and industry recruitment organization. Along with the city and the chamber/C-PEG, the county and The Harvest Foundation are partners in the EDC and help fund it.

The city and the chamber/C-PEG each have two seats on the EDCs 10-member board. The proposal shows that effective July 1, the EDC aims to eliminate one of the citys seats and one of the chamber/C-PEG seats.

In exchange for giving up one of its seats, Martinsville will get to reduce its funding to the EDC from $219,500 to $100,000. That money represents what the city owes toward the Commonwealth Crossing Business Centre, a new industrial park under development on U.S. 220 South near the North Carolina line, the proposal shows.

It seems that the EDC is buying our board seat away from us, Hodge said.

Last week, the city council approved the funding reduction in a 3-2 vote as part of its budgeting process for fiscal 2017. Hodge and Mayor Danny Turner voted against the reduction, and Councilman Mark Stroud, Vice Mayor Jennifer Bowles and Councilman Gene Teague voted for it.

The citys two EDC board representatives are City Manager Leon Towarnicki, who also is the boards secretary, and Lisa Fultz, executive director of the West Piedmont Workforce Investment Board. Fultzs seat will be the one eliminated, Towarnicki has said.

When the council took its vote, Turner voiced concern about the EDC losing African-American representation on its board. Fultz is the only black person on the board. The other board members are white.

Hodge said she voted against the reduction not because of the money issue, but because the city will have to give up Fultzs seat.

Fultz being on the board is very important to some of us on the council, Hodge said, because there never has been an African-American on the board until now.

Having minority representation brings a different perspective to the board, she said.

The city once gave the EDC $400,000 per year but has reduced that amount twice in recent years. The councils approved drop to $100,000 is the third reduction. City officials have said they expect fiscal 2017, which starts July 1, will be extremely tight financially as city expenses are rising while there is little, if any, revenue growth.

Last summer, the council entered into an agreement with C-PEG enabling the latter to work to help Martinsville attract and retain small businesses, such as by providing mentoring services to such businesses, making them aware of other opportunities to receive assistance and creating activities to help draw new customers to uptown businesses.

C-PEG also manages the West Piedmont Business Development Center, a small business incubator uptown, and is researching whether the incubator should be expanded to other parts of the community.

The agreement was entered into after council members voiced concerns that the EDC might not be doing all it can to help Martinsville with small business development and retention. The council reallocated $60,000 from its allocation to the EDC  reducing it from $279,500 to $219,500  to pay C-PEG for its efforts.

The $119,500 less that the city is to provide the EDC in fiscal 2017 will enable the city to put those funds toward plugging some holes in its budget, Witt said to her understanding.

Towarnicki could not be reached late Friday afternoon for comment on how the money is to be spent.

However, Hodge said she believes the EDC proposed to allow the city to reduce its allocation if it gives up one board seat as retaliation against its partnership with the chamber.

At the least, it appears to me that the relationship has changed and were not a true partner anymore in the EDC, Hodge continued.

If that is the case, she said, she questions whether the EDC still will represent Martinsvilles interests in local economic development efforts, regardless of what the proposal says.

The city is focusing on small business and retail development because it lacks large parcels of vacant land that can attract industry.

In terms of recruiting small businesses, Hodge said, were getting more from the chamber than we are from the EDC.

Last June, the EDCs board was to hold a special meeting to consider proposed bylaw changes that in effect would have expelled the chamber and C-PEG from the organization, but the meeting was canceled after the city threatened to withdraw all of its EDC funding if the chamber and C-PEG were ousted, city officials have said.

According to the proposal, the annual $25,000 contribution from the chamber and C-PEG is to be discontinued effective July 1. At that time, the chamber and C-PEG are to have a joint appointee to the EDC board. The person can be anyone chosen by a joint decision of the two organizations.

Any attempt (in the future) to remove the remaining appointee of the City of Martinsville and/or the remaining appointee of the Chamber of Commerce/C-PEG shall require a unanimous vote of the EDC Board, the proposal states. This will be written into the bylaws.

Witt said plans are for her to be the chambers and C-PEGs sole representative on the board. The organizations seat that will be eliminated is held by City Attorney Eric Monday, who was appointed temporarily until they could find a permanent replacement for Drake Extrusion Chief Executive Officer John Parkinson, who resigned because he travels a lot for his job, she said.

The yearly $25,000 contribution from the chamber and C-PEG can be redirected toward other expenses, such as the second year of Startup Martinsville, Virginia, a boot camp-style program for entrepreneurs, according to Witt.

For us to be able to hold onto the money and put it toward the work were doing is a big deal to us, she said.

C-PEGs board will consider the EDCs proposal during a meeting later this week, she added. Therefore, the agreement is not yet final, at least from the chambers and C-PEGs prospectives.
Police are trying to locate a 14-year-old Christiansburg girl who was last seen by her family on Friday afternoon.

Austyn Hughes is described by authorities as 5 feet, 1 inch tall and weighing about 108 pounds, with long brown hair and blue eyes, wearing a white sundress with blue and white print.

A news release issued Saturday by the Christiansburg Police Department said Hughes is missing, possibly endangered, and may be accompanied by a 23-year-old man.

The man is approximately 6 feet, 2 inches tall and weighs 150 pounds, with blond hair and blue eyes, the release said.

Hughes left her home in Christiansburg around 5 p.m. Friday, her family told police.

They believe Hughes went voluntarily, and that she and the man may be traveling in a gold 2006 Chevrolet Malibu.

They were in the Salem area at some point last night, police said.

Anyone with information regarding the whereabouts of Hughes is asked to call the Christiansburg Police Department at 382-3131.
For the 13th year in a row, the annual CHILL Youth Rally taught area teens the importance of making good decisions.

The free event for youth in grades 6-12, which was held Friday at Patrick Henry Community Colleges Stone Hall, had the theme Reach for the Checkered Flag.

According to CHILL Coordinator Katie Connelly, the main attraction of the event is called a teen life maze. Upon entering the maze, the teens are assigned a job (for example, a criminologist) and given a card featuring details such as their gross monthly income, their education and experience and even the amount of vacation they receive each year.

As they go through the maze, they stop at different booths  for example, a re-enactment of a reckless party where participants are drinking and doing drugs. Once at the booth, they draw a consequence card  for example, a DUI conviction  and they have to deduct their legal expenses from their income.

Depending on their consequence cards, they are sent to a different booth  including the courthouse, the jail, and even the funeral home.

Its an opportunity for youth to experience different consequences without really having to go through it, Connelly said. Well do an evaluation at the end, and what we found out in years past was that it really opened their eyes to things they hadnt thought about before. Maybe itll stay in the back of their mind, and one day theyll be at that fork in the road  and something might pop back in their head.

After completing the life maze, the youth were treated to an after-party including free pizza, music, games and activities, all funded by a grant from the Virginia Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control.

All of the booths are staffed by area community members and even CHILL alumni, Connelly said, and thats one of the great values of the annual rally.

This is wonderful to have for the kids, but theres huge value in the adult/youth partnership that happens here, she said. Adults are not used to partnering with youth. Theyre used to directing youth, but not truly partnering with youth. This is a wonderful chance for both sides to get to work with each other so we have that intergenerational relationship.

Last year, Connelly said, a local school administrator commented to her that they had never seen so many adults gathered in one place for an event geared toward youth.

It was really special to hear that, Connelly said. Every year I come out and I look around and I think, Wow, all these people showed up again this year for our youth. I appreciate them.  It takes time to prepare and organize. They do it because they see in their workplace the need to educate the youth on certain issues. Instead of somebody preaching to a child about something, they can actually do it in a fun way, and (the youth) are more likely to remember it.

CHILL, which stands for Communities Helping Improve Local Lives, is a local youth movement started in 2002. Student members of CHILL meet monthly during the school year to plan events, the youth rally included.

Having CHILL alumni return to work at the rally and staff the life maze is rewarding, Connelly said.

 Theyre excited about coming back and being a part of it, she said. I love getting to see all of them come back, seeing CHILL alumni from ten years ago meeting CHILL alumni from two years ago.  Its kind of like a fraternity or sorority, where everybody has gone through the training and done the same things, so theres a bond.

This year was a particularly special one for Connelly; she is retiring from Piedmont Community Services, where she works as both community organizer and CHILL coordinator.

Im helping Amanda Hendricks, who is now going to be the CHILL coordinator, Connelly said. Weve been tag-teaming the rally to help transition her into it. Im retiring from working full-time, but Im going to continue to work with the CHILL partner board, which is a group of adults trying to support CHILL and raise money.  Our federal grant timed out in September 2014, and so now were going to be asking our community to help support our youth and keep CHILL in the community. We have some wonderful people that believe in CHILL, and were stepping out and hoping our community will back CHILL up.

At the kick-off for the rally, several community members briefly spoke to congratulate Connelly on her retirement, including Piedmont Community Services Prevention Director Bonnie Favero, Henry County Schools Superintendent Dr. Jared Cotton, Martinsville Police Chief Sean Dunn, Piedmont Community Services Director Jim Tobin, Henry County Board of Supervisors Chairman Jim Adams, Lt. Troy Easter with the Henry County Sheriffs Office, Martinsville Mayor Danny Turner and Martinsville Police Officer Coretha Gravely.

Favero dedicated the rally to Connelly, thanking her for her years of service and adding that we couldnt have done this without her.

Often, there are a few people  who seem to get big things done for the community, Dunn said. Katie, youre one of those people.  The energy, the passion, the enthusiasm is just so real, you cant help but feel motivated yourself.

Sponsors for the event include Monogram Loves Kids Foundation, MHC After 3 and Collinsville Printing. Partners include 21st District Court Services, Carter Bank and Trust, Charity League of Martinsville and Henry County, Citizens Against Family Violence, Henry County/Martinsville Health Department, Henry County Sheriffs Office, Martinsville Commonwealths Attorneys Office, Martinsville Family Medicine, Martinsville Police Department, Patrick Henry Community College, Piedmont Community Services, Stone Ambulance Service and YMCA.
On the occasion of May Day we republish the below May Day leaflet written by Lenin in 1904

Comrade workers! May Day is coming, the day when the workers of all lands celebrate Their awakening to a class- conscious life, their solidarity in the struggle against all coercion and oppression of man by man, the struggle to free the toiling millions from hunger, poverty, and humiliation. Two worlds stand facing each other in this great struggle: the world of capital and the world of labour, the world of exploitation and slavery and the world of brotherhood and freedom.

On one side stand the handful of rich blood-suckers. They have seized the factories and mills, the tools and machinery, have turned millions of acres of land and mountains of money into their private property. They have made the government and the army their servants, faithful watchdogs of the wealth they have amassed.

On the other side stand the millions of the disinherited. They are forced to beg the moneybags for permission to work for them. By their labour they create all wealth; yet all their lives long they have to struggle for a crust of bread, beg for work as for charity, sap their strength and health by back-breaking toil, and starve in hovels in the villages or in the cellars and garrets of the big cities.

But now these disinherited toilers have declared war on the moneybags and exploiters. The workers of all lands are fighting to free labour from wage slavery, from poverty and want. They are fighting for a system of society where the wealth created by the common labour will go to benefit, not a handful of rich men, but all those who work. They want to make the land and the factories, mills, and machines the common property of all toilers. They want to do away with the division into rich and poor, want the fruits of labour to go to the labourers themselves, and all the achievements of the human mind, all improvements in ways of working, to improve the lot of the man who works, and not serve as a means of oppressing him.

The great struggle of labour against capital has cost the workers of all countries immense sacrifices. They have shed rivers of blood in behalf of their right to a better life and real freedom. Those who fight for the workers cause are subjected by the governments to untold persecution. But in spite of all persecution the solidarity of the workers of the world is growing and gaining in strength. The workers are uniting more and more closely in socialist parties, the supporters of those parties are mounting into millions and are advancing steadily, step by step, towards complete victory over the class of capitalist exploiters.

The Russian proletariat, too, has awakened to a new life. It too has joined this great struggle. Gone are the days when our worker slaved submissively, seeing no escape from his state of bondage, no glimmer of light in his bitter life. Socialism has shown him the way out, and thousands upon thousands of fighters have thronged to the red banner, as to a guiding star. Strikes have shown the workers the power of unity, have taught them to fight back, have shown how formidable to capital organised labour can be. The workers have seen that it is off their labour that the capitalists and the government live and get fat. The workers have been fired with the spirit of united struggle, with the aspiration for freedom and for socialism. The workers have realised what a dark and evil force tbe tsarist autocracy is. The work ers need freedom for their struggle, but the tsarist govern ment binds them hand and foot. The workers need freedom of assembly, freedom to organise, freedom for newspapers and books, but the tsarist government crushes, with knout, prison and bayonet, every striving for freedom. The cry Down with the autocracy! has swept through the length and breadth of Russia, it has been sounded more and more often in the streets, at great mass meetings of the workers. Last summer tens of thousands of workers throughout the South of Russia rose up to fight for a better life, for freedom from police tyranny. The bourgeoisie and government trem bled at the sight of the formidable army of workers, which at one stroke brought to a standstill the entire industrial life of huge cities. Dozens of fighters for the workers cause fell beneath the bullets of the troops that tsarism sent against the internal enemy.

But there is no force that can vanquish this internal enemy, for the ruling classes and the government only live by its labour. There is no force on earth that could break the millions of workers, who are growing more and more class- conscious, more and more united and organised. Every defeat the workers sustain brings new fighters into the ranks, it awakens broader masses to new life and makes them prepare for fresh struggles.

And the events Russia is now passing through are such that this awakening of the worker masses is bound to be even more rapid and widespread, and we must strain every nerve to unite the ranks of the proletariat and prepare it for even more determined struggle. The war is making even the most backward sections of the proletariat take an interest in polit ical affairs and problems. The war is showing up ever more clearly and vividly the utter rottenness of the autocratic order, the utter criminality of the police and court gang that is ruling Russia. Our people are perishing from want and starvation at homeyet they have been dragged into a ruinous and senseless war for alien territories lying thou sands of miles away and inhabited by foreign races. Our people are ground down in political slaveryyet they have been dragged into a war for the enslavement of other peoples. Our people demand a change of political order at home but it is sought to divert their attention by the thunder of guns at the other end of the world. But the tsarist govern ment has gone too far in its gamble, in its criminal squan dering of the nations wealth and young manhood, sent to die on the shores of the Pacific. Every war puts a strain on the people, and the difficult war against cultured and free Japan is a frightful strain upon Russia. And this strain comes at a time when the structure of police despotism has already begun to totter under the blows of the awakening proletariat. The war is laying bare all the weak spots of the government, the war is tearing off all false disguises, the war is revealing all the inner rottenness; the war is making the preposterousness of the tsarist autocracy obvious to all and is showing everyone the death-agony of the old Russia, the Russia where the people are disfranchised, ignorant and cowed, the Russia that is still in serf bondage to the police government.

The old Russia is dying. A free Russia is coming to take its place. The dark forces that guarded the tsarist autocracy are going under. But only the class-conscious and organised proletariat can deal them their death-blow. Only the class- conscious and organised proletariat can win real, not sham, freedom for the people. Only the class-conscious and organised proletariat can thwart every attempt to deceive the people, to curtail their rights, to make them a mere tool in the hands of the bourgeoisie.

Comrade workers! Let us then prepare with redoubled energy for the decisive battle that is at hand! Let the ranks of the Social-Democrat proletarians close ever firmer! Let their word spread ever farther afield! Let campaigning for the workers demands be carried on ever more boldly! Let the celebration of May Day win thousands of new fight ers to our cause and swell our forces in the great struggle for the freedom of all the people, for the liberation of all who toil from the yoke of capital!

Long live the eight-hour day!

Long live international revolutionary Social-Democracy!

Down with the criminal and plundering tsarist autocracy!
SPRINGFIELD -- Long known as the home of cookies, cakes and everything great, the former home of Gus & Paul's on Sumner Avenue has been sold.

It's not the only change going on with a local landmark property. Workers are busy rehabbing the Bridge Street site of the future Springfield Innovation Center.

Here are five business stories you might have missed.

1)Former Gus & Paul's building in Springfield's East Forest Park sold, now being renovated

The longtime home of the landmark Gus & Paul's bakery and deli at 1207-1211 Sumner Ave. in the East Forest Park neighborhood has been sold for $190,000 to a Springfield couple with a business in Lawrence and its interior has been gutted.

2) 'Special sauce already here': Top Massachusetts official touts Springfield Innovation Center potential at groundbreaking

Those are the thoughts of Jay Ash, the Massachusetts Secretary of Housing and Economic Development. The facility at 270-280 Bridge Street will be a new home for Valley Venture Mentors, a new Innovation Cafe, office space, a video and recording studio and possibly have a rooftop deck.

3)Westfield Gas & Electric identifies new 'fiberhoods' for high-speed Internet expansion

Who are the people in your fiberhood? They are the people in Westfield lucky enough to have access to really fast internet through Westfield Gas & Electric. Folks in targeted sections of the3 city can save a month's subscription fee if they sign up by May 15.

4)Massachusetts economy grows in first quarter; but some unemployment measures still troubling

Our state is not hurt badly by the downturn in oil prices.

5)Grid operator: New England should have enough power to get through summer of '16

Energy use peaks on hot sunny days when air conditioning works overtime. Good thing those are days when output from the region's growing number of solar farms is high as well.
EASTHAMPTON -- "This is a wonderful opportunity for people to get together," said Paula Garcia, an Easthampton mother of three young children. "I come from Spain. It's amazing to see so many countries, and so many cultures, represented in this one small city."

Garcia and her family were among hundreds who turned out for the 9th annual Easthampton Elementary Schools Multicultural Festival, which was held at the Pepin school Friday evening.

"This is great. Half of Easthampton is here," said David Kutcher, seen with his wife Nicole and their five-year-old son. The downstairs gymnasium was filled with family-hosted food and activity booths. Children ran and played while adults socialized and worked as volunteers.

"My father came from Cairo," said Karima Rizk, mother of a first-grader at Center School. "This is koshary; it's an Egyptian street food. Here; try it!" "I am from Turkey," said Fatma Iyegel, whose table featured tiny sweet cookies. "Our family is from Puerto Rico," said Nellie Moldanado, who offered samples of chicken with rice. Parent Megan Frazier had prepared a rice and bean dish popular in the African country of Niger.

"I wanted to say that we're very happy with our public schools here," said Tom Sturm, whose wife Melissa Weinberger hosted a booth representing Jewish food and culture. "Our son loves the Pepin school."

Upstairs in the auditorium, a student multicultural dance troupe performed. The after-school dance program has been active since November, with Gaby Bustamante teaching children in kindergarten through fourth grade, thanks to a grant from the Massachusetts Cultural Council. The STARS residency program supports "students and teachers working with artists, scientists, and scholars."

Later in the evening, Jose Gonzales and Criollo Clasico took the stage. People danced, and laughing children formed a wild Conga line.

"We couldn't be happier," said Kasey Corsello, co-chair of the Easthampton Elementary Schools PTO and a member of the School Committee. "Everybody's having a wonderful time. We're so lucky to live in such a great community."

Bustamante, reached Sunday, said that when she wrote the grant for the dance program at her son's elementary school, she didn't anticipate that 57 children would sign up. She ended up forming three separate groups.

"The dance program was completely free of charge for families," she said. "I designed, choreographed, prepared the music, and designed the T-shirts, devoting far more time than I had originally anticipated. This has been one of the most fulfilling experiences for me, seeing their little faces light up, when dancing has given me so much joy. I hope this experience will be something that will grow with them."
Mattapan market drugs.jpg

Boston police raided a Mattapan market Saturday, April 30, and seized drugs, cash and ammunition. Two people were arrested at D&D Market, 734 Blue Hill Ave., and two were issued citations.

(Courtesy: Boston Police Dept.)

BOSTON - Police raided a Mattapan market Saturday and seized drugs, cash and ammunition.

Two people were arrested in connection with the raid on D&D Market at 734 Blue Hill Ave. shortly before noon.

Boston police say officers with the Mattapan Drug Control Unit and members of the Youth Violence Strike Force executed a search warrant after numerous tips through CrimeStoppers that drugs were being sold at the market.

Police seized a pound and a half of marijuana, packaging and smoking materials, $180 in cash and 23 rounds of .357 caliber ammunition.

Jamal Forrest, 39, of Hyde Park, is charged with intent to distribute marijuana, and Felucia Stevens, 33, of Dorchester, is charged with disorderly conduct, drinking in public and resisting arrest. Two others were issued citations for intent to distribute marijuana and firearms charges related to the ammunition.
NORTHAMPTON - The 25th annual marijuana advocacy festival, Extravaganja, drew thousands to the Three County Fairgrounds with live music and a tolerant atmosphere toward open consumption.

After 24 years, the event put on by the UMass Cannabis Reform Coalition had grown too large for its previous home on the Town Common in downtown Amherst, and the town denied the permit. Organizers said this year's event in Northampton was expected to bring in nearly 7,000 people.

Vendors selling glass pipes, vaporizers and other marijuana memorabilia encircled the crowd chilling out on the lawn and enjoying performances by bands like Roots of Creation and Shokazoba. As with previous Extravaganjas, many attendees were openly smoking marijuana.

City police were on-hand to supplement hired security, but organizers said officers were focused on making sure no one was selling drugs or using anything harder than marijuana. Northampton Police Chief Jody Kasper, in the run-up to the event, warned that it was not a "free for all" and marijuana possession is not legal.

Those who came out for the event were pushing for reform of drug laws, citing soaring incarceration rates, especially among non-violent offenders, and the revenue potential if marijuana were regulated and taxed.

Bill Flynn, president of the Massachusetts Cannabis Reform Coalition, said that as people become educated about marijuana and the cannabis industry, the national trend is toward legalization, "but it's not going to happen as easily and quickly as people think it is."

He resists the longstanding claim that marijuana is a gateway to drugs like heroin, saying it's actually the opposite: Marijuana use can lead people away from opiates and alcohol.

"I'm an athlete. I've had the injuries, I took the pills," said Flynn. "It made me sick."

Flynn said he's had trouble finding work for the past three decades because of a marijuana arrest. He said he was just trying to "take care" of his medical needs, but the consequences still linger.

"I'm ready to move on, but ... I've been held down," he said. "That needs to change, and I think people are understanding that."

Anders Warringer of Northampton performed songs about marijuana with the band Llama Lasagna. Their rendition of Bob Dylan's "Rainy Day Women #12 & 35" was a big hit with the crowd, who sang along with the familiar refrain "Everybody must get stoned."

"Enough people have been imprisoned for smoking a joint," said Warringer. "The terrorists keep terrorizing, and the leaders keep lying, and the haters keep hating and the planet's dying. ... I just think enough is enough. It's never killed a single person and alcohol and cigarettes kill people every day."

Several people interviewed by The Republican cited recreational marijuana legalization in Colorado as a positive step that Massachusetts can emulate.

As of 7 p.m. Saturday, Northampton police were not prepared to release any information about possible arrests or citations.
Donald Trump

Hundreds of people turned out to protest Presidential Candidate Donald Trump at a GOP convention in California on Friday. In this picture, Trump speaks during a campaign rally in Bridgeport, Conn., Saturday, April 23, 2016. (AP Photo/Michael Dwyer)

(Michael Dwyer)

CALIFORNIA  Hundreds of people turned out at a GOP convention in Burlingame, California, on Friday to protest the presidential campaign of Donald Trump, according to CNN.

Trump was scheduled to give a kickoff address at the convention, which runs through Sunday and is taking place at the Hyatt Regency San Francisco Airport.

Protesters allegedly clashed with authorities outside the building  throwing eggs at police and breaking down barricades that had been set up  before also trying to stop Trump from entering the hotel where the event was taking place.

One Trump supporter was allegedly harassed as he walked through the crowd, attempting to get to the hotel. Protesters pulled off his Trump hat, called him a racist, and kicked him; he was also reportedly hit in the back of the head, according to the Los Angeles Times.

Five people were arrested as a result of the protests on Friday.

Trump responded on Twitter on Saturday morning by calling the protesters "thugs" and "criminals": "They should be dealt with strongly by law enforcement!" he said.

There were many different political groups present during the protest, including members of Black Lives Matter, Code Pink, and supporters from both the Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders presidential campaigns, according to ABC News. Many of the protesters that appeared were allegedly there to protest Trump's "hard stance" on immigration.

No serious injuries were reported as a result of the protests.
Standing at her booth in the Baxter Hotel ballroom, Christina Gale, an "office Jedi" with Salient Technologies http://salient-tech.com/ , demonstrated the companys prototype customizable car and track toy to a crowd of excited young faces.

A motorized car, clipped onto the flexible plastic track, zoomed in wide, arcing loops and twists to the delight of the onlookers.

"We want to be thinking outside the box and take an idea, no matter how crazy it is, and try it," Gale said. "Its how we like to work and play."

By Lewis Kendall Chronicle Staff Writer

Full Story: http://www.bozemandailychronicle.com/news/dailyfeatures/maker-faire-draws-bozeman-s-artisans-tinkers-and-inventors/article_5744393c-b089-588a-a925-fffb38c43de9.html
Alzheimers and Parkinsons symptoms have been reversed in fruit flies following treatment with a drug-like chemical, says research published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Share on Pinterest Scientists are making progressing in techniques to protect nerve cells. The discovery, which centers around the protection of brain cells, could be a turning point in the fight against neurodegenerative disease, say the authors. Neurodegenerative diseases occur when groups of nerve cells in the brain die, making it difficult for a person to move and to think. According to Claire Bale, of Parkinsons UK, the symptoms of Parkinsons tend not to appear until 70 percent of nerve cells in the brain have already been lost. Unfortunately, current treatments are only able to tackle the symptoms of the condition  they cannot slow or stop the degeneration of these cells. Researchers led by Dr. Carlo Breda, of the laboratory of Prof. Flaviano Giorgini at the University of Leicester in the United Kingdom, wanted to gain a better understanding of how this kind of disease starts and how it progresses.

Reducing metabolites decreases the symptoms of neurdenegeration The team used the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster to investigate how metabolites in the kynurenine pathway contribute to a loss of nerve cells in Alzheimers disease, Huntingtons disease, and Parkinsons disease. Metabolites are substances produced during metabolism or other chemical processes in the body. Fast facts about Alzheimers The CDC report that Alzheimers is the sixth leading cause of death in the U.S.

in the U.S. In 2014, 84,767 people died because of Alzheimers

That is 26.8 deaths out of every 100,000. Learn more about Alzheimers The scientists showed that genetic and pharmacological strategies can be used to lower levels of toxic metabolites in the nervous system. The result was a reduction in a number of the symptoms of neurodegeneration. Previous studies have shown that certain metabolites are more common in people with neurodegenerative disease, and that they are poisonous to nerve cells. Genetic approaches have successfully prevented the activity of two critical enzymes in the kynurenine pathway, known as TDO and KMO. This reduced the amount of toxic metabolites and led to a decrease in nerve cell loss in Huntingtons disease in a fruit fly model. In the current study, the authors found that inhibiting these two enzymes led to an improvement in symptoms in the flies. This was due to increased levels of kynurenic acid. Kynurenic acid is a protective kynurenine pathway metabolite that counters the effects of the toxic metabolites. Prof. Giorgini, of the Department of Genetics at Leicester, explains that there is a fine balance between levels of good and bad metabolites in the kynurenine pathway. When neurodegenerative disease occurs, the balance shifts toward the bad. By inhibiting TDO or KMO, the scientists moved the balance back to good, he says. In flies with Huntingtons, inhibiting TDO or KMO meant that newer neuron cells were lost. Flies with Alzheimers or Parkinsons had a longer lifespan than expected, and they recovered some of their ability to move.
Breast cancer is the most common malignancy in Australian females; however, as the 5-year survival rate has increased to 90%, the quality-of-life outcomes are increasingly important when considering surgical management.

A Clinical Focus published in Medical Journal of Australia outlines the ways cancer specialists are looking toward the future when determining the best outcomes for their patients. Professor Andrew Spillane from the University of Sydney and President of Breast Surgeons of Australia and New Zealand explained that the focus of surgical management has undergone a major evolution.

"If the best treatment for breast cancer is thought of as a package of care, rather than a series of independent therapies, then understanding the multifaceted implications of each component allows for increased flexibility in delivery of care and a range of benefits for the patient," he wrote.

Improvements to surgical management and prevention include:

An increasingly common recommendation for chemotherapy before surgical treatment, with studies having shown this results in lower mastectomy rates, broader surgical options and less surgical morbidity.

The use of oncoplastic breast surgery, which combines the principles of breast oncological surgery with aesthetic techniques borrowed from plastic surgery.

The recommendation that women be offered immediate breast reconstruction when appropriate, which has been seen to improve quality of life and help women recover from the psychological trauma of surgery; however, uptake rates have remained low in Australia compared to other countries.

Increased information available to patients and their doctors about breast cancer risks from lifestyle choices, family history and previous hormonal exposures. This information gives women an opportunity to reduce risk factors, be monitored appropriately for their level of risk, and for those with a high level of familial risk, other preventive options can be discussed.

The recommendation that breast cancer patients should be managed by a multidisciplinary team, made up of representatives from the relevant medical, nursing and supportive care specialities, minimising the chance of any bias from individual specialists.

Article: What is new in the surgical management and prevention of breast cancer? Andrew J Spillane, Medical Journal of Australia, doi: 10.5694/mja16.00002, published 2 May 2016.
When determining whether or not treatment is futile, the overall benefit to patients is at the centre of a doctor's decision, according to research published in Medical Journal of Australia.

Professor Ben White and colleagues from Australian Centre for Health Law Research and Institute of Health and Biomedical Information at the Queensland University of Technology, the University of Queensland and the Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital found that determining futility of treatment at end of life was deeply subjective.

The researchers interviewed 96 Brisbane doctors from a range of specialities who treat adults at the end of life.

"Doctors' conceptions of futility focused on the quality and prospect of patient benefit. Aspects of benefit included physiological effect, weighing benefits and burdens, and quantity and quality of life," the authors wrote.

The doctors also discussed treatments that were considered medically futile but were justified for other reasons, including treatment that enables a patient to fulfil significant social roles (such as attending a wedding) or giving relatives the opportunity to gather and say goodbye to the patient.

Although futility is a familiar term, doctors commented that there was a high degree of variability as to how this term could be applied in a clinical setting.

As a result, the authors recommend that doctors be aware of the subjectivity of its definition when making end-oflife care decisions.

"Because doctors place patient benefit at the heart of futility, engaging with patients and their families about their values and goals is a critical part of decisions about limiting or stopping treatment," they wrote. In a linked editorial, Professor Ian Maddocks from Flinders University said doctors should focus on what can be done for patients, not what can't be done.

"I suggest that, when assessing further management in such situations, "utility" is a more appropriate term than 'futility'. Futility carries a sense of finality; you stop. Utility is not an absolute; it assesses usefulness over a range of applications and opportunities," he wrote.

By re-directing efforts to treatments that have 'utility', Professor Maddocks says the comfort and dignity of the patient and their grieving family will be maximised, which could benefit them by extending their days and easing the therapeutic relationship between patient and doctor.

Palliative care is an important component of utility in difficult medical situations, says Professor Maddocks. "From 25 years of experience, I judge most palliative care to be just good medicine and within every doctor's capability. It calls for kindness, attentiveness, comprehensive assessment of realities, awareness that specialist palliative care resources are available for difficult cases, and a personal confidence in the delivery of comfort care," he concluded.

Article: What does "futility" mean? An empirical study of doctors' perceptions, Ben White, Lindy Willmott, Eliana Close, Nicole Shepherd, Cindy Gallois, Malcolm H Parker, Sarah Winch, Nicholas Graves, Leonie K Callawa, Medical Journal of Australia, doi: 10.5694/mja15.01103, published 2 May 2016.

Editorial: Futility and utility, Ian Maddocks, Medical Journal of Australia, doi: 10.5694/mja16.00006, published 2 May 2016.
Lung cancer is the uncontrolled growth of abnormal cells in the tissues of the lungs. If not treated, lung cancer may spread to the surrounding tissues and other parts of the body.

Lung cancer is also known as lung carcinoma or bronchogenic carcinomas.

What are the Different Types of Lung Cancer?

There are two main types of lung cancer: non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and small cell lung cancer (SCLC).

Non-small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC) - It is a very common type of lung cancer and comprises almost 80% to 90% of lung cancers. There are three main sub-types of NSCLC: they are adenocarcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma and large cell carcinoma.

- It is a very common type of lung cancer and comprises almost 80% to 90% of lung cancers. There are three main sub-types of NSCLC: they are adenocarcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma and large cell carcinoma. Adenocarcinoma - Nearly 40% of lung cancers are adenocarcinoma. It is commonly observed in the outer parts of the lung tissue. Adenocarcinoma is found in both smokers and non-smokers population and is common in females than males. The subtype of adenocarcinoma is known as bronchioloalveolar carcinoma, which is commonly observed in women who do not smoke.

- Nearly 40% of lung cancers are adenocarcinoma. It is commonly observed in the outer parts of the lung tissue. Adenocarcinoma is found in both smokers and non-smokers population and is common in females than males. The subtype of adenocarcinoma is known as bronchioloalveolar carcinoma, which is commonly observed in women who do not smoke.

Squamous-cell Carcinoma - It constitutes approximately 30% of lung cancers. It is usually found in the middle section of the lungs, near the main airway, such as bronchus. This cancer mostly occurs due to smoking.

- It constitutes approximately 30% of lung cancers. It is usually found in the middle section of the lungs, near the main airway, such as bronchus. This cancer mostly occurs due to smoking.

Large Cell Carcinoma - They constitute about 9% of lung cancers. They are named as large cell carcinoma because the cancer cells are large, with large nuclei, more cytoplasm, and clearly visible nucleoli.

- They constitute about 9% of lung cancers. They are named as large cell carcinoma because the cancer cells are large, with large nuclei, more cytoplasm, and clearly visible nucleoli. Small-cell Lung Cancer (SCLC) - Around 10% to 15% of lung cancers is small cell lung cancer. They develop more quickly than NSCLC and show a positive response to chemotherapy.

The causes of lung cancer are-

Air pollution

Genetic factors

Rubber production and crystalline silica dust

Products of combustion (burning coal, incomplete combustion, coal gasification, soot, diesel engine exhaust)

Toxic gases such as methyl ether, sulfur mustard

Exposure to certain chemical substances such as asbestos, beryllium, nickel, arsenic and silica

Exposure to radon gas

Ionizing radiations (Gamma radiation, X-radiation, plutonium)

Passive smoking

Smoking

Lung cancer symptoms may not be evident until the lung disease is in its severe stage. Therefore, it is advisable to consult your physician if you have any unusual health complaints. The symptoms of lung cancer are-

Breathlessness

Fever

Loss of appetite

Weakness

Difficulty with swallowing

Coughing up blood

Voice change or being hoarse

Sputum color change

Clubbing of fingernails (unusual rounded appearance)

Pain in the chest, back and shoulders, not related to coughing

Repeated lung diseases such as pneumonia or bronchitis

Persistent and intense coughing

To diagnose lung cancer, initially, a chest X-ray is done if the person complains of lung cancer-related symptoms.

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If lung cancer is present, then further investigations will be conducted to know more about the nature and extent of the lung disease. These tests include-

Computerized Tomography (CT Scan ) - This test is usually done after a chest X-ray and it can help identify the cancerous area.

) - This test is usually done after a chest X-ray and it can help identify the cancerous area. Bronchoscopy - This diagnostic procedure helps the doctor to look inside the airways. Your doctor will place a thin tube, bronchoscope into your nose or mouth and then down the trachea. Bronchoscopy may feel uncomfortable, but it is not painful. During this procedure, the doctor may take lung tissues samples for biopsy.

This diagnostic procedure helps the doctor to look inside the airways. Your doctor will place a thin tube, bronchoscope into your nose or mouth and then down the trachea. Bronchoscopy may feel uncomfortable, but it is not painful. During this procedure, the doctor may take lung tissues samples for biopsy. Fine-needle Aspiration Biopsy (FNAB) - It is a diagnostic procedure largely done if the tumor is in the peripheral parts of the lungs. It is a safe and minor surgical procedure; it is contraindicated in situations when the tumor is close to the heart or any major blood vessels and in medical conditions like emphysema.

It is a diagnostic procedure largely done if the tumor is in the peripheral parts of the lungs. It is a safe and minor surgical procedure; it is contraindicated in situations when the tumor is close to the heart or any major blood vessels and in medical conditions like emphysema. Sputum Cytology - It is an evaluation of phlegm or mucus from the lungs (sputum). Microscopic examination of sputum is done to find out the presence of any unusual cells.

It is an evaluation of phlegm or mucus from the lungs (sputum). Microscopic examination of sputum is done to find out the presence of any unusual cells. Mediastinoscopy - In this procedure contents, examination of the mediastinum is done, mainly for biopsy. This test is recommended for the staging of lymph nodes in lung cancer.

In this procedure contents, examination of the mediastinum is done, mainly for biopsy. This test is recommended for the staging of lymph nodes in lung cancer. Thoracoscopy - This method involves an internal examination, biopsy or removal of the lung tumor. Thoracoscopy is done under general anesthesia.

This method involves an internal examination, biopsy or removal of the lung tumor. Thoracoscopy is done under general anesthesia. PET-CT Scan - It is called as positron emission tomography-computerized tomography. It is performed when the CT scan results show that your cancer is in its early stage. PET-CT Scan helps in detecting active cancer cells, which can help in the treatment of lung cancer.

Lung cancer is treated in various ways, depending on the type of cancer and how far it has spread in the body. The treatments followed for lung cancer include-

Surgery - It is an operation where the doctors cut out the cancerous tissue from the body. People suffering from early-stage cancer will usually undergo surgery to remove the tumor. There are three important types of lung cancer surgeries-

- It is an operation where the doctors cut out the cancerous tissue from the body. People suffering from early-stage cancer will usually undergo surgery to remove the tumor. There are three important types of lung cancer surgeries- Lobectomy: An affected lobe of the lung is removed

An affected lobe of the lung is removed

Pneumonectomy: Here, a lung is removed

Here, a lung is removed

Wedge Resection: A segment of the affected lung is removed

A segment of the affected lung is removed Targeted Drug Therapy - Targeted therapy interferes with the ways cancer cells function, for example, they may affect specific metabolic pathways of cancer cells. The advantage is that normal cells are not affected unlike conventional chemotherapy.

Targeted therapy interferes with the ways cancer cells function, for example, they may affect specific metabolic pathways of cancer cells. The advantage is that normal cells are not affected unlike conventional chemotherapy. Radiotherapy - It can be given as sole therapy or in combination with surgery or chemotherapy. During the initial stage of lung cancer, it is used to eliminate cancer cells completely. In advanced stages, it aims to slow down the progress of cancer and lessen its symptoms.

It can be given as sole therapy or in combination with surgery or chemotherapy. During the initial stage of lung cancer, it is used to eliminate cancer cells completely. In advanced stages, it aims to slow down the progress of cancer and lessen its symptoms. Chemotherapy- In this method, drugs are used to kill or retard the growth of cancerous cells. Chemotherapy aims to eliminate cancer cells and protect the healthy cells. These drugs can be given orally or intravenously, or sometimes both.

Ablation - This treatment is preferred if you cannot undergo surgery or radiotherapy. In ablation, the treatment is given directly into the tumor, destroying only the cancerous cells without affecting the nearby healthy tissues. It includes radiofrequency ablation and microwave ablation.

- This treatment is preferred if you cannot undergo surgery or radiotherapy. In ablation, the treatment is given directly into the tumor, destroying only the cancerous cells without affecting the nearby healthy tissues. It includes radiofrequency ablation and microwave ablation. Palliative care - Its objective is to improve the quality of life by reducing lung cancer symptoms without aiming to treat the lung disease. It controls symptoms like nausea and pain and assists to slow the progression of lung cancer to other parts of the body.

Prognosis

Lung cancer is often difficult to cure because of its late presentation. It accounts for 6.9 percent of all new cancer cases and 9.3 percent of all cancer-related deaths in both sexes in India. The survival of a patient depends on the stage of cancer he or she has. The overall 5-year survival rate is only 5 percent in developing countries; it is slightly better at 15 percent in the developed nations.

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In a BBC Arabic interview, Salah Echallaoui, head of the Muslim Executive in Belgium, said: "We must not allow preachers and religious instructors to be brought from countries that spread the ideology of religious extremism," adding that "Belgium cannot continue to accept people who call for religious extremism and for the exclusion of others." The interview aired on April 23, 2016.

Following are excerpts

Interviewer: There are 40 Jihadists out of every million people in Belgium, which is the No. 1 European exporter of Jihadists to Syria and Iraq.



Salah Echallaoui: Perhaps this is due to the religious liberties that exist in Belgium, and the lack of determination in dealing with the extremist ideological movements...

Interviewer: Are you calling for increased restrictions on religious liberties in Belgium, or what?

Interviewer: No, but the extremist religious ideology, which rejects pluralism, shared European values, and coexistence, must not exist in our country. For example, we must not allow preachers and religious instructors to be brought from countries that spread the ideology of religious extremism. Belgium cannot continue to accept people who call for religious extremism and for the exclusion of others. This is the responsibility of the political circles.

As Muslims, we must reinforce the moderate religious ideology, and the religious institutions that operate in the framework of coexistence, and of shared values. In addition, sister, the international problems must be dealt with, because they serve as a reason for religious extremism worldwide. There are problems and conflicts in the Middle East, and if they are not resolved - and this is the responsibility of the international community - this region will forever sow and export this ideology, the evil of which will reach Europe and elsewhere.

[...]

Interviewer: The people living in the Molenbeek neighborhood have specific complaints. They accuse you, as well as the government, of not caring about them, and not listening to their complaints. But they have one complaint that is directed explicitly at you. They say that you cooperate with the government and inform on them.



Salah Echallaoui: This is not true. It is not our role, as the Muslim Executive in Belgium, to act like the police or a security agency. It is not our job to inform on the Muslims or on anyone else. These accusations are false, and we reject them. Our organization has a religious role, which it has played for years. The state does not need the Executive organization to inform on [Muslims]. Whoever makes this claim should provide the truth. We refuse to be a tool used for informing on people.

[...]
By voice vote late Thursday, the Senate approved Gen. Lori Robinson to be commander of U.S. Northern Command. The command is responsible for preventing attacks against the United States.

She has been serving as commander of Pacific Air Forces in Hawaii. She joined the Air Force in 1982 after graduating from the University of New Hampshire.

Democratic Senator Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire says Robinson is a trailblazer with the dedication and experience to succeed at Northern Command.

The Senate also confirmed Army Gen. Curtis Scaparrotti to be the top American commander in Europe and Army Gen. Vincent Brooks to lead U.S. forces in Korea.
Outside agencies such as local county sheriffs need to handle the duties because of the deep-rooted control of the town marshals by leaders of a polygamous sect run by imprisoned leader Warren Jeffs, the U.S. Department of Justice attorneys said.

The recommendations are proposed punishment for the towns after a jury in Phoenix found in March that the towns denied non-sect followers of basic services such as police protection, building permits and water hookups.

A federal judge has set a four-day hearing in October to address the issue. Attorneys for the towns said the government is asking for unprecedented action that is unwarranted.

Justice attorneys say less severe remedies, such as assigning an outside monitor to the department, wouldn't be sufficient to change the culture. They say 30 percent of town marshals over the last 15 years have been decertified, including four chiefs since Warren Jeffs took over in the early 2000s.

It is not the first time authorities have called for elimination of the department  attorneys general in Utah and Arizona have been making similar calls for years  but this one has weight because it's the federal government and comes on the heels of the victory in the civil rights case.

The government is also asking a judge to assign an independent monitor to watch over municipal staff in Colorado City, Arizona, and Hildale, Utah, and have access to city meetings and documents.

"It's exactly what needs to happen," said Richard Holm, a government witness who left the sect in 2003 but still lives in the area. "To have the light of day shone on all those city council meetings and all that goes on there through open and independent set of eyes is very important."

Under the government's proposed punishment, Colorado City would also approve a plan to subdivide properties. The delay of that plan has prevented Utah from reassigning properties that are part of a church trust taken over by the state more than a decade ago after allegations of mismanagement.

Utah Attorney General Sean Reyes he backs the plan "if adequate law enforcement resources can be found as a replacement." Justice attorneys don't offer specifics about how it would work other than saying the towns would contract with outside agencies for policing and dispatch.

Hildale attorney Blake Hamilton said they'll fight against a proposal that is unwarranted.

"We're not talking about a pattern of civil rights violations like the deep South. We're not talking about people being raped and beaten," Hildale attorney Blake Hamilton said. "We're talking about people claiming religious discrimination."

The towns denied the allegations during the trial and said the government was persecuting town officials because it disapproves of their religion.

Colorado City attorney Jeff Matura said no town officer has been decertified by Utah or Arizona state policing agencies for at least eight years.

"The government is saying these officers should lose their jobs because of their religious beliefs," Matura said. "That's a pretty dangerous path to walk down."

The civil rights trial marked one of the boldest efforts by the government to confront what critics have long said was a corrupt regime in the two towns. The seven-week trial provided a rare glimpse into the communities that for years have been shrouded in secrecy and are distrustful of government and outsiders.

As part of a $1.6 million settlement, nine people in the communities will each receive $173,000. The towns and their water utility also will each pay a $55,000 civil penalty.

The towns were accused of doing the bidding of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, a radical offshoot of mainstream Mormonism, which disavowed polygamy more than 100 years ago.

The civil rights trial is one of several fights being waged by the government to rein in church activities.

Eleven church members are facing fraud and money laundering charges on accusations of orchestrating a multimillion-dollar food stamp scheme that diverted at least $12 million worth of federal benefits. The defendants, which include high-ranking leader Lyle Jeffs, have pleaded not guilty.

The U.S. Labor Department has a separate action against a ranch with ties to the church over a pecan harvest in which prosecutors allege children were forced to work long hours with few breaks.

During the civil rights trial, the Justice Department said town employees assisted the group's leader when he was a fugitive and took orders from church leaders about whom to appoint to government jobs.

They say local police ignored the food stamp fraud scheme and marriages between men and underage brides.

One woman who was denied a water connection testified that she had to haul water to her home and take away sewage for six years. A former sect member said police ignored hundreds of complaints of vandalism on his horse property because he was no longer part of the church.

"Given this determined, decades-engrained resistance to ensuring that its law enforcement officers adhere to the rule of law, no measure short of disbandment stands a realistic chance of bringing defendants' policing services into accord with the Constitution," Justice attorney said.
Brewvies in Salt Lake City sought the restraining order Thursday against state alcohol authorities as it faces a fine of up to $25,000 and possible revocation of its liquor license after undercover officers attended a screening of the R-rated antihero film in February.

The state contends the theater doesn't need a restraining order because alcohol officials have agreed to put their case on hold as Brewvies' challenge of the law plays out, according to court documents filed Friday.

Utah filed a complaint under the state obscenity law that's usually used to regulate alcohol at strip clubs but also bans serving booze during films with simulated sex or full-frontal nudity.

Brewvies says that law is vague and violates its right to free speech.

Brewvies attorney Rocky Anderson said Friday that alcohol authorities have used the law as a club, fining the theater for selling drinks at "The Hangover Part II" in 2011 and threatening punishment last year in connection with "Magic Mike XXL" and "Ted 2."

Anderson says the state's promise not to enforce the "Deadpool" complaint isn't enough.

"If there's some technical violation of this ridiculous statute they could be cited again," he said.

The star of the movie, Ryan Reynolds, has tweeted his support of the theater and donated $5,000 to an online fundraising campaign to help with legal bills.

The Utah attorney general's office says the state will defend the obscenity law and any changes to state liquor laws should go through the Legislature. State liquor officials declined to comment.

Utah's law is similar to an Idaho measure that lawmakers repealed this year when a theater sued after its liquor license was threatened for showing "Fifty Shades of Grey" while serving alcohol.
Uhuru Kenyatta put a flame to the biggest of 11 pyres of ivory tusks and one of rhino horn in a chilly afternoon. Overnight torrential rains that stopped midday had threatened to ruin the event and created a mud field around the piles inside Nairobi National Park.

"A time has come when we must take a stand and the stand is clear ... Kenya is making a statement that for us ivory is worthless unless it is on our elephants," he said.

The stacks of tusks represent more than 8,000 elephants and some 343 rhinos slaughtered for their ivory and horns, according to the Kenya Wildlife Service.

Kenya will push for the total ban on trade in ivory at the 17th meeting of the Convention on International Trade of Endangered Species to be held in South Africa later this year, said Kenyatta.

Kenya decided to destroy the ivory instead of selling it for an estimated $150 million. Some critics had suggested that the money raised from the ivory sales could be used to develop Kenya and protect wildlife. But Kenyatta said that Kenya wants to make the point that ivory should not have any commercial value.

Others said the burning will not end the killing of elephants because international gangs take advantage of Kenya's porous borders and corruption to continue the illegal trade.

Wildlife Authorities say illegal ivory smuggling in Africa increased after the 2007 temporary lifting of an international ban on the ivory trade. The CITES group allowed a once-off sale by African countries that had stockpiles of ivory from elephants that had died naturally or problem elephants killed by wildlife officials.

Botswana, Namibia, South Africa and Zimbabwe were granted a one-time exemption from a global ivory ban because of their thriving elephant herds.

But Kenya maintains that such sales, even though it is of approved ivory, fuel the ivory trade.
Retired Military Officials Are Finding High-Paying Jobs With the Saudi Government and Can Make up to 7-Figure Salaries Working for Other Foreign Governments

Retired U.S. military personnel cannot receive consulting fees or jobs from foreign governments without expressed approval...
Decades ago, serving in political office was a natural next step for those who served in the military.

Today, the veteran-turned-politician is a far rarer breed, at least at the national level. Stats show a steady decline in the number of veterans elected to Congress, raising concerns an important perspective increasingly is missing from the halls of Capitol Hill.

It's an alarm former Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel, a Vietnam veteran, rang at a networking event for vets on Capitol Hill last month.

"At a time when everything is hair-triggered, everything is nitroglycerin, and miscalculations can lead to a lot of trouble, we need veterans' input," he said, referring not only to the veteran void in Congress, but also the Executive Branch and beyond.

The 2012 election marked the first time in 80 years that neither major party presidential nominee had served in the military. Two years later, the 114th Congress was sworn in with the smallest proportion of veterans on record.

According to an October 2015 Congressional Research Service report, the high point was reached in the 92nd Congress (1971-72) when 73 percent of Congress had served in the military. Today, veterans make up 20 percent of the Senate and just 18 percent of the House of Representatives.Part of the reason is simply that, in the era of the all-volunteer force, far fewer Americans are veterans than during the post-World War II period.

"There are simply fewer veterans among the general population. Today, veterans only comprise about 9 percent of the adult population and after Vietnam, fewer members of the political elite looked to military service as a career path," said the American Enterprise Institute's Rebecca Burgess, co-author of a report examining veterans in public office.

Still, with Americans consistently ranking the military highly in public opinion polls, both political parties recognize the advantage a veteran candidate can bring. And there are exceptions to the trend-lines.

In 2012, solid victories by Arkansas' Tom Cotton, and Iowa's Joni Ernst, both veterans, helped the Republican takeover of the Senate. This year, Democrats heavily recruited Illinois Rep. Tammy Duckworth, a veteran, to challenge incumbent Sen. Mark Kirk.

Representatives from the Republican and Democratic congressional campaign committees would not specifically comment on their particular vet outreach efforts. But Sadie Weiner, spokeswoman for the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC), said: "It is definitely something we encourage and I think regardless of which political party, Americans recognize the qualities and leadership skills of those who served. Those are qualities which can translate into public office."

According to Andrea Bozeck of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, there are eight veterans running in open contests this year, including Nevada Senate candidate Rep. Joe Heck, an Iraq War veteran. In Colorado, Navy veteran Ryan Frazier, retired U.S. Air Force officer Darryl Glenn and Iraq War veteran Jon Keyser are battling each other for the opportunity to challenge Democratic Sen. Michael Bennet.

Veterans weighing a run do have resources at their disposal, like the nonpartisan Veterans Campaign, which gives training for veterans considering a campaign. It offers workshops focused on issues like how to "bulletproof" your service record and how to avoid being characterized as just a "veteran candidate."

Jon Soltz, an Iraq War veteran and chairman of Votevets.org, a veterans group that supports progressive candidates for office, said part of the problem is military service is often not conducive to running in the modern political landscape.

Soltz said long deployments often prevent servicemembers from establishing a presence in a community or district, which is critical in terms of fundraising and developing a public profile with voters.

"They are at a disadvantage because they do not have the political and financial connections at the grassroots level that non-veterans do. That said, being a veteran also gives you a lot of pluses in terms of being respected," he told FoxNews.com.

In order for more veterans to make their way into public office, they may have to start small.

AEI's Burgess believes state legislatures reflect a more complete picture of veterans in public service and can serve as a useful pipeline for future members of Congress.

Veterans serve in the state legislatures of every state, and of 7,383 state legislators, 1,040 have military experience -- 260 state senators compared with 780 state representatives, according to AEI.

As veterans of Vietnam and World War II retire, veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are slowly becoming more influential on Capitol Hill.

Although only one half of one percent of the U.S. population have been on active duty since those wars began, eight House members and two senators are serving in the Reserves, and six House Members and one senator are serving in the National Guard, according to the Veterans Campaign.

On Capitol Hill, veterans are even underrepresented among congressional staffs. Justin Brown, the founder of HillVets, told FoxNews.com vets account for approximately 3 percent of congressional staff members, a figure that reflects the high barrier they face.

"With two of the largest federal expenditures being defense and veterans - the two areas where we have a particular expertise, veterans are real assets to both the legislative and executive branches," he said. Hiring veterans "is not about charity or a jobs program," but about "taking their unique assets and skills and putting them to good use in government."

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Wade Spann remembers pushing into the city of Fallujah, Iraq, under cover of darkness on April 4, 2004, as an infantry assaultman with 1st Battalion, 5th Marines, bayonets fixed atop their rifles to send a clear message to the enemy insurgents within.

Thinking back on the assault that would become the largest urban battle since Vietnam, Spann, 33, marvels at the "all-out" nature of the fight and the courage of the troops who entered the city with unarmored Humvees and little previous fighting experience.

"We saw firsthand how 'wild, wild west' it was," he said. "We saw [rocket-propelled grenades] skipped across the roads towards us."

More than 120 Americans were killed in the two battles of Fallujah, 54 of them in a bloody nine-day span in November 2004 during the second battle, Operation Phantom Fury. Eleven prestigious Navy Cross medals were approved for actions in Fallujah, two of them posthumous.

In addition, Fallujah produced one of the most enduring and iconic images from the post-9/11 wars: journalist Lucian Read's photograph of a grievously wounded Marine 1st Sgt. Bradley Kasal emerging from what would become known as "Hell House," supported by two Marines. Kasal would receive the Navy Cross for his heroism on that day.

By impact, scope, and significance, Fallujah, experts argue, has earned its place alongside legendary Marine Corps battles from Iwo Jima to Hue City. So is it time that Fallujah, like those predecessors, be memorialized in the name of a Navy ship?

Jerry Hendrix, a retired Navy captain and senior fellow at the Center for a New American Security, has tried to make it happen. A former director of naval history for the Department of the Navy, Hendrix has submitted Fallujah as a ship name twice, most recently for LHA-7, an America-class amphibious ship that was ultimately christened USS Tripoli.

Hendrix said he would like to see two ships tasked with carrying Marines named for battles from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. But Fallujah, for him, is an obvious first choice.

"It's the first one that comes to mind," he said.

Another retired Navy officer, a well-known military blogger who goes by the pen name CDR Salamander, first proposed a USS Fallujah on his blog in 2010. Now, more than 11 years after the battle, he believes the time for a Fallujah namesake has more than come.

"We've been at war since, depending on where you draw the line, 2001. And our senior leadership has felt obligated to recognize political peers," he told Military.com. "There has yet been an effort to recognize some of the very heroic battles that this generation has been involved in."

Salamander, who asked that his real name not be used, expressed strong disapproval of Navy Secretary Ray Mabus' decisions to name recent ships after lawmakers, some living.

Controversy has followed Mabus' 2012 naming of the fifth Independence-class littoral combat ship after Democratic former Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, who was wounded in a 2011 mass shooting; the 2010 naming of the 10th San Antonio-Class amphibious transport dock after Democratic Rep. John P. Murtha, who died the same year; and, most recently, the announcement this year that the 70th Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer would be named for Democratic former Sen. Carl. M. Levin, a former Senate Armed Services Committee chairman who retired last January.

The naming of the USS John P. Murtha especially rankled among some Marines and sailors who had been offended by Murtha's opposition to the Iraq war and his public condemnation ahead of a trial of Marines accused of war crimes in Haditha, Iraq, in 2005.

"Fallujah has almost become a reference point to the fact that there are other things our leaders think are more important to name ships after," Salamander said. "I think that's part of it, the bigger picture. The smaller picture, is that the battle of Fallujah, if you were going to pick a battle, that would be in your top five, if not your top three, to pick from [for a ship name]."

Hendrix, who co-wrote a 2012 report for Congress on ship naming practices, maintained that breaches of ship-naming tradition are themselves tradition within the Navy.

"What we found ... is that nothing that Secretary Mabus had done is outside past precedent or past breaking of precedent," he said. "Perhaps the only thing that he could be criticized for is that he made so many exceptions in such a small period of time."

Mabus, Hendrix added, takes the duty of naming ships -- an exclusive purview of the secretary of the Navy -- very seriously.

"He thinks about it very carefully," he said. "But he also proceeds based on his vision and his agenda for the Navy."

Perhaps more crucial to understanding the hesitancy to christen a USS Fallujah is the region's recent history, Hendrix said.

Almost exactly nine years after Operation Phantom Fury, news came in January 2014 that Fallujah had fallen to al-Qaeda militants, a blow that prompted painful reflection among many who had fought there.

WIth that loss still fresh, Hendrix said, it may be too soon to mark the battle with a ship.

"The Iraq War has carried a lot of emotional baggage for people from both political persuasions. Getting people to come to grips with that, it just seems like we've too close to it," he said. "It's not like Iwo Jima, it's not like Tripoli where the situation has sort of stabilized. The sacrifices are deeply felt, and it doesn't seem like there's a lot of appetite at this time."

While the Navy did name a Ticonderoga-class guided missile cruiser after the Vietnamese battle of Hue City, another costly urban conflict in an war fraught with loss, the ship was ordered 19 years after the 1968 battle, Hendrix said, allowing the nation more time to process what had taken place.

But for Adel Abudayeh, a medically retired Marine staff sergeant who fought in Phantom Fury with 3rd Battalion, 1st Marines, Fallujah is about the troops who fought there bravely, not the battle's strategic significance or long-term outcome. Abudayeh, 32, lost his best friend in the battle and remembers a fog of war so intense that one day blended into another in the fighting.

"When we heard the news that Fallujah got retaken by the enemy, there was a whole bunch of people upset," Abudayeh recalled. "But you need to remember that we were tasked to go clear the city of insurgents ... and that's exactly what we did. It was never to conquer that city and hold it forever. I didn't care that [the enemy] took it back."

As the Navy looks to add more amphibious ships to the fleet in coming years, the secretary of the Navy will have multiple opportunities to revisit the possibility of a USS Fallujah. The Navy has yet to announce the name of LHA-8, the third ship in the new America class, planned to enter service in 2024.

A spokesman for Mabus, Navy Lt. Eric Durie, said the ship had yet to be named.

"Sometime before the keel laying or christening the Secretary will make his decision regarding the name of the ship," Durie said in an email to Military.com. "Once that decision is made, Congress is notified of the secretary's choice. Thirty days after this notification is made, the name may be publicly announced."

Hendrix suggested Fallujah might also be an appropriate name for one of the future L(X)Rs, a new class of 11 amphibious ships intended to replace aging dock landing ships. According to a congressional background briefing report, the Navy plans to buy the first of the ships in 2020. If we do see a USS Fallujah, he said, it's likely it will be in the next presidential administration.

It's important that still-young veterans of the Iraq War see their sacrifices memorialized with a ship, said Bart Skiba, a Marine veteran who deployed to Fallujah as a machine gunner with 3rd Battalion, 8th Marines in January 2005 as Phantom Fury was drawing to a close. Skiba, 30, now works for the Department of Justice and is studying military history at a graduate program at George Mason University.

"Marines, we know our history through battles. We talk to one another in a sense of what we have done as a collective. We talk about Chosin Reservoir, Iwo Jima, Belleau Wood," he said. "The Battle [of Fallujah], based on valor, tactics, the pure courage of the Marines, will go down in Marine Corps history. The Marines distinguished themselves."

Spann, the veteran of the first battle of Fallujah, agreed.

"I would love to have a ship named after that battle because it signifies some of the sacrifices the guys made, not only those who were killed, but those who were injured, and the families of the fallen," he said. "It's another battle streamer."

For Abudayeh, though, the real legacy of Fallujah is in the memories of the troops who fought there.

"Are they trying to let the world know what we're capable of? Sure, absolutely," he said. "If it's for us to remember the battle? We are never going to forget what happened there ... we don't need a ship for that."

--Hope Hodge Seck can be reached at hope.seck@military.com. Follow her on Twitter at @HopeSeck.

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KALAMAZOO, MI -- Gull Lake High School students celebrated Prom 2016 on Saturday, April 30.

The prom was held at the Kalamazoo Institute of Arts. It was a masquerade themed evening.

The Kalamazoo Gazette was there to photograph the prom-goers. If you have your own photos you'd like to have included in our photo gallery of the prom, email them to kznews@mlive.com.
KALAMAZOO, MI -- Hackett Catholic Prep students celebrated Prom 2016 on Saturday, April 30, starting with the traditional promenade at the school then moving to the Kalamazoo County Club.

This year's theme was "Sea of Dreams." The Kalamazoo Gazette was there to photograph the prom-goers. If you have your own photos you'd like to have included in our photo gallery of the prom, email them to kznews@mlive.com.
ANN ARBOR, MI -- Former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg's take on a hot-button issue for campuses across the country drew mixed reviews from those on hand for Saturday's University of Michigan graduation ceremony.

Bloomberg drew applause from the crowd for his criticism of how universities have shielded students from confronting difficult situations and issues through the use of buzzwords like safe spaces, code words and trigger warnings, noting that graduates should aim to resolve "conflicts through reason."

"The fact that some university boards and administrations now bow to pressure and shield students from these ideas through 'safe spaces,' 'code words' and 'trigger warnings' is, in my view, a terrible mistake," he said. "The whole purpose of college is to learn how to deal with difficult situations - not run away from them."

His next statement, however, was not as popular among students, taking aim at how safe spaces and "micro-aggression" insulate students from those holding different views.

"A micro-aggression is exactly that: micro! But in a macro-sense, one of the most dangerous places on a college campus is a safe space because it creates the false impression that we can insulate ourselves from those who hold different views," he said. "We can't - and we shouldn't try, not in politics, or in the workplace. In the global economy, and in a democratic society, an open mind is the most valuable asset you can possess."

The statement was met with scattered boos from the crowd, despite its alignment with Bloomberg's message of keeping an open mind and resolving differences and conflict through dialogue.

U-M President Mark Schlissel U-M President Mark Schlissel credited the graduating class for standing up for what they believed in during his remarks Saturday, providing several examples including student body president Cooper Charlton, who made mental health services for students a big focus of his work.

He also credited students for standing up against discrimination recently by denouncing the recent anti-Islam chalkings left on the Diag.

"I saw our students step up again a few weeks ago, when many of you denounced the anti-Islam chalkings on our Diag and offered support to your fellow students," he said. "You made us better by upholding one of the greatest values to which we aspire, and one that I agree with whole-heartedly: Discrimination has no place at the University of Michigan."

Bloomberg's speech didn't shy away from politics on a number of fronts, including political demagogues in the presidential race who offer "scapegoats or pie-in-the-sky promises," rather than practical solutions.

"Today, when a populist candidate promises free college, free health care and a pony, or another candidate promises to make other countries pay for our needs, remember: those who promise you a free lunch will invariably eat you for breakfast. If there were simple solutions to complex problems, we wouldn't have those problems."

Were Bloomberg's remarks on point or did they miss the mark?

Martin Slagter covers higher education for The Ann Arbor News. Reach him at mslagter@mlive.com or on Twitter.
Bay City Hall named one of Michigan's top historic restoration projects

The Bay City Commission votes to approve a recommendation to appoint William Branigan back onto the Planning Commission at its 7:30 p.m. meeting Monday, May 2.

(Yfat Yossifor | Mlive.com)

BAY CITY, MI -- Let's try this again: After the Bay City mayor complained about an amendment earlier this month that changed her recommendation to fill a vacant role on the city's Planning Commission, the position has reopened.

Jacob Hilliker, the candidate who the Bay City Commission appointed, amending Mayor Kathleen Newsham's original recommendation, declined to take the volunteer job following an April 18 vote.

At the commission's 7:30 p.m. meeting Monday, May 2, Newsham is again recommending real estate agent William Branigan, who has served on the Planning Commission for the past three years, fill the vacant seat.

In an email to The Bay City Times, Hilliker, a staff liaison for U.S. Rep. Dan Kildee, D-Flint Township, said since applying for the position last October, his personal circumstances have changed and he is no longer able to make the commitment that is needed.

"I wish the mayor and Bay City Commission the best in filling this vacant position," he said.

Newsham said she wanted to keep Branigan and attorney Richard Milster, who has also served on the Planning Commission for three years, on the board because the city is in the middle of rewriting the city's master plan -- the first complete overhaul of the plan in the past 15 years.

Commissioner Ed Clements, 8th Ward, amended her recommendation two weeks ago to appoint Millster and Hillicker, who he described as a "young guy who wants to be involved in his community."

Newsham called the amendment a "political move at a critical time."

While the mayor recommends an appointment to the Planning Commission, the City Commission makes the final decision through a vote, according to the City Charter. Similar practices are followed in other municipalities, including Traverse City.

Clements said he hasn't decided whether he will support Branigan's appointment.

"I have received a lot of input from residents, business owners and community leaders about the appointment and process," he said in a text message to The Times. "I want to weigh all that information I have before making a decision."

He said that he "hoped to speak with Branigan" before Monday's meeting.

Last October, when the city advertised vacancies for Branigan's and Milster's spots on the Planning Commission, five people submitted applications. In addition to Branigan, Milster and Hilliker, Rich Rytlewski, who works for the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, and former Bay City Commission President Lori Dufresne also applied.

Rytlewski said he could no longer make the commitment to the commission, withdrawing his application, according to Clements. That leaves Dufresne as the last remaining applicant.

After filling the vacancy Monday, there will still be one open spot on the Planning Commission, following the resignation of Christopher Hennessy, who's moving outside of the city. That opening will be advertised in the coming weeks, city officials said.
ARMADA TOWNSHIP -- Police are seeking information on the death of a man found lying in a ditch in Macomb County on Saturday.

State troopers were called around 11:30 a.m. Saturday to a location on Bordman Road in Armada Township, where the body was found.

Police on Sunday identified then man as a 21-year-old man from Kimball Township, a St. Clair County community about 24 miles from Armada Township.

The Macomb County Medical Examiner was scheduled to conduct an autopsy Sunday.

Police are asking anyone with information to call 855-642-4847 (855-MICHTIP). Tips can also be left anonymously via Crime Stoppers at 800-773-2576.
DETROIT, MI -- After suffering a severe setback in 2014, Detroit's Cinco de Mayo parade came back in 2015 without a peep of trouble.

And organizers are hoping for more of the same this year in the 52nd annual celebration of Mexican history and heritage in Southwest Detroit.

The parade steps off at noon from Patton Park at West Vernor Highway and Woodmere Street.

Floats, dancers, horses and other marchers will make there way to Clark Park along Vernor.

Marchers didn't quite make it to Clark Park back in 2014, when a fatal shooting halted the parade at Ferdinand Street.

The shooting was eventually ruled an act of self defense by the Wayne County prosecutor's office.

The incident left Southwest Detroit residents and business owners shaken and worried for the future of the annual parade, but the parade proved peaceful last year.

Organizers say the event pays tribute to the diversity of Southwest Detroit, while celebrating a milestone in Mexican history.

Cinco de Mayo commemorates the May 5, 1862 defeat of the invading French army by Mexican forces at Puebla.

The French defeat came as the Confederacy was seeking support from European leaders during the American Civil War.

The holiday is celebrated more broadly in the U.S. than it is in Mexico.
DETROIT, MI -- A driver who tried to flee police caused a crash on the city's west side Friday.

State police spotted a speeding Dodge Charger on M-10 near Glendale Avenue around 11 p.m. Friday and tried to conduct a traffic stop.

The driver initially pulled over, but then fled, according to state police.

When the man tried to drive through a red light at Wyoming and the I-96 service driver, his car was struck by a Chrysler 300 occupied by two adults and a teenager, police said.

None of those in the Chrysler were seriously hurt.

Two passengers in the Dodge suffered minor injuries and stayed at the scene, while the driver fled on foot.

State police are asking anyone with information to call 855-642-4847 or 248-584-5740.
FLINT, MI -- Bendle High School students packed the Sloan Museum on Saturday, April 30 for this year's prom.

Students toured the museum's Water Extreme Journey exhibit which also features Flint's water system history and explores the city's water crisis.

This week, the Flint Journal covered Bendle, Clio, Linden and Goodrich's proms.

The Flint Journal plans to cover nearly 30 proms across Genesee County this year helping families share memorable moments of their high schools students' big day.

Check out the slideshow above to see The Flint Journal's photos from the night. If you have pictures from Clio's prom that you would like to share, email them to flphoto@mlive.com.
St. Clair Shores, MI - Clio High School students were greeted by a cityscape theme as they boarded the Ovation Yacht in St. Clair Shores for prom 2016.

The students met at the high school and were chartered to St. Clair Shores on Saturday, April 30 where they boarded the yacht for the evening.

The Flint Journal plans to cover nearly 30 proms across Genesee County this year helping families share memorable moments of their high schools students' big day.

Check out the slideshow above to see The Flint Journal's photos from the night. If you have pictures from Clio's prom that you would like to share, email them to flphoto@mlive.com.
FLINT, MI -- More than 840 University of Michigan-Flint graduates -- a record number for the university -- crossed the stage Sunday, May 1 at the Dort Federal Event Center during the spring 2016 commencement ceremony.

The graduates come from a variety of backgrounds, but Chancellor Susan E. Borrego said it's their want to help their communities, their families, and better their own lives that all drove them to achieve.

Retired NASA astronaut Story Musgrave gave the keynote address Sunday for those graduating from the College of Arts and Sciences, School of Education and Human Services, School of Management, and College of Health Professions and Studies.

He urged the graduates to do what they are good at, pay attention to the details, but also continue to ask themselves what's next and what way they can expand their base of knowledge in the future.

Commencement speakers included Saydee L. Robinson during the morning session and Holly N. Kilburn Sunday afternoon.

Maize and Blue award winners -- the highest academic honor given out by the university to graduates -- include Robinson, Kilburn. Erica J. Benfield, Jamie N. Cole, Dalia Duzdar, Amged H. Eidelsafy, Melissa L. Miller, Alexandrea N. Rizo, Hana Sankari, Christopher R. Schwartz, Thomas G. Steele, Milton Straham III, and Daniel A. VanWingerden.
GRAND RAPIDS, MI - Grand Valley State University estimated its economic impact in Kent, Ottawa and Muskegon counties at $780 million in 2014-15, according to a recent study.

The Board of Trustees was informed Friday, April 29, that amount is up $50 million from $730 million in 2013-14.

"This study describes a total amount of goods and services sold in the the region and employment, due to the existence of Grand Valley State University," according to Matt McLogan, vice president of university relations.

Grand Valley employs more than 3,400 people and enrolls more than 25,000 students who spend money and pay taxes in the region.

The economic analysis, provided by the W.E. Upjohn Institute for Employment Research, finds the total estimated employment attributed to GVSU to be 11,418 people, up from 10,700.

McLogan said they conduct the annual analysis because they want the public to see and understand the value of GVSU to West Michigan, not just to its student families and employees.

"Our economic impact not only provides stability to the region but also it is a number that is ascending," he told the board during its meeting at the L. William Seidman Center on the Pew Grand Rapids campus.

"Many households in Grand Rapids and Holland and Muskegon areas actually have their breadwinner working in a company that provides goods and services to the university or serves our faculty, staff or students," he said.

On Friday, April 29, the board approved a $20 million project for an addition and renovations to the Performing Arts Center on the Allendale campus.

Related: GVSU investing $20M in Performing Arts Center addition, renovations

GVSU President Thomas Haas said other universities across the state and nation include the impact of their students and alumni salaries.

"This does not include the 47,000-plus alumni that we have in the Detroit county region," he said. "These numbers are pretty significant, but if you look at the alumni base that we have here in the tri-county region, it is even more illustrative.''

Board member Kate Pew Wolters said people tend to associate economic impact with the construction of buildings, rather than those that do business with university and their employees and students as consumers. She said both are important to the region's economy.

"I think people understand now that we are not just the college of the cornfield anymore," she said.

Some highlights of this year's report include:

 New construction and renovations are responsibly for funneling more than $75 million into the local economy in 2015, resulting in more than 1,500 trade and construction jobs.

 On the Allendale Campus, construction of the new $37 million Holton-Hooker Learning and Living Center, and a $7.8 million Recreation Center addition will be finished in August.

 Total faculty and staff salary in the area - $242.4 million

 Total estimated student expenditures in the area - $178.6 million.

 There are more than 102,000 GVSU alumni and nearly half are living or working in West Michigan's tri-county area.

For the entire Economic Impact brochure, visit the website.



Monica Scott is the Grand Rapids K-12 education writer. Email her at mscott2@mlive.com and follow her on Twitter @MScottGR or Facebook
GRAND RAPIDS, MI - West Catholic High School students dance the night away at their prom held at the Downtown Market in Grand Rapids on Saturday, April 30.

The "urban rustic under the downtown lights" prom theme combined an elegant setting with windows overlooking the city, and a campfire-inspired station for roasting marshmallows on gas flames for decadent s'mores.

The Grand Rapids Press was there to celebrate the special night with students as they socialized and danced the night away.

Prom season is underway in West Michigan through May, and we will cover as many as possible to highlight the annual rite of passage.
GRAND RAPIDS, MI - West Ottawa High School students arrived at their "Great Gatsby''-themed prom Saturday, April 30, in classic styles with a lot of the sparkle and dazzle the 1920s are known for showcasing.

Elegant clothes and one fun party sums up the night at downtown's Bridgewater Place.

MLive and The Grand Rapids Press was there to celebrate with them and capture moments from a night of mingling and dancing.

Prom season is well underway in West Michigan and we are covering as many as possible to highlight one of the most memorable of events in the life of a high school student.



Monica Scott is the Grand Rapids K-12 education writer. Email her at mscott2@mlive.com and follow her on Twitter @MScottGR or Facebook
GRAND RAPIDS, MI - Jenison High School students celebrated prom at the Public Museum with an amazing view of the Grand River and surrounded by the beauty of the artistic and cultural artifacts Saturday, April 30.

Students strolled around the museum in glamorous gowns and fashionable suits and tuxedos.

The Grand Rapids Press was there to celebrate the festive night with students and capture some special moments.

Prom season is underway in West Michigan through May, and we will cover as many as possible to highlight the annual rite of passage.

Monica Scott is the Grand Rapids K-12 education writer. Email her at mscott2@mlive.com and follow her on Twitter @MScottGR or Facebook
EDITOR'S NOTE: An update to this article is available here.

SAGINAW, MI - Police are investigating a suspicious death on Saginaw's West Side.

Michigan State Police Special 1st Lt. David Kaiser said a woman's body was discovered in the trunk of a car on Saturday, April 30. As of 9:02 p.m., state police troopers and the Saginaw Police Department's Major Crimes Unit were at the scene in the 1000 block of Monroe Street awaiting the arrival of the MSP Crime Lab to remove the body, Kaiser said.

Kaiser did not disclose any more details, apart from saying no one is in police custody.

A Saginaw News photographer at the scene said police had a red Chevrolet Lumina Euro sedan that was parked on Monroe St. cordoned off outside 524 N. Bond St. Area residents said the car had been parked there since Thursday.
Dr. Mohammad Ghali

JACKSON, MI - Widespread attention is focused on lead problems in Flint water, but all families should know lead poisoning is a risk even in places where water is safe and pure.

Lead is most dangerous for small children and pregnant women because it's a poison that interferes with development of young brains. It can lower IQ and cause behavior problems.

Exposure to lead most commonly comes not from water faucets, but from lead paint found in homes more than 38 years old.

When lead paint begins to chip or is disturbed by scratching or rubbing, dust containing lead falls to the floor. Children play on floors, and they can breathe or swallow contaminated dust on their fingers or toys.

Paint containing lead was outlawed in 1978, but cities including Jackson typically have many houses built earlier. Public-health reports in Michigan consistently identify older cities as the worst hotspots for elevated lead levels.

At the Center for Family Health, we use a simple finger-poke procedure to screen for lead in the blood of children at ages 1 and 2. The Centers for Disease Control and other medical authorities recommend testing for every child.

Lead is considered elevated if blood tests find 5 micrograms or more per deciliter. In Jackson County, there were 11,296 children under age 6 in 2014, and about 20 percent of them were tested. Lead was found above the 5-microgram level in 8.3 percent of the children tested.

When lead poisoning is discovered, the first and most important thing we want to do is remove children from the environment where they are exposed to lead. We also want to assist with nutrition. Good nutrition - especially iron, Vitamin C, calcium, more protein, and less fat - can fight lead. When lead levels are very high, a hospital therapy called chelation may be used.

Families living in houses with lead paint can take action to lower risks.

Jackson County's Health Department has information on the best way to clean up lead-paint chips and dust, and to keep houses lead-safe. The Health Department can also provide a special vacuum to remove fine particles. Some families qualify for a free inspection and lead risk assessment.

Here's the good news: The percentage of Michigan children with elevated lead levels has dropped significantly over 15 years.

A lot of attention had been paid to lead poisoning, and the effort has borne fruit. Taking steps to make sure our homes are lead-safe works to protect children.

- Dr. Mohammad Ghali, M.D., M.P.H., is a board-certified pediatrician at the Center for Family Health, 505 N. Jackson St. He has also served as medical director for the Jackson County Health Department.
Energy firms say Senegal and Mauritania's current oil and gas ventures will transform them into net exporters by 2020. By Spencer Platt (Getty Images/AFP/File)

01.05.2016 LISTEN

Dakar (AFP) - While petro-states reel from plunging oil prices and gas producers brace for American exports to hit the market, two west African nations are forging ahead with potentially massive extraction projects others might fear to touch.

Energy firms say Senegal and Mauritania's current oil and gas ventures will transform them into net exporters by 2020, betting on long-term demand and the eventual recovery of the slumped market, as well as their proximity to Europe.

Located off Africa's western extremity, three oil wells drilled by Scottish firm Cairn Energy have yielded a "significant resource base" in Senegalese waters, its chief executive Simon Thomson said in early April, confirming that work would begin on a fourth.

Meanwhile Texas-based Kosmos Energy has confirmed a single, very large pool of "high-quality gas" straddling the Senegalese-Mauritanian maritime border, and now plans to prospect for oil in the same area, the firm told AFP.

"We have excellent working relationships with both governments," said Kosmos spokesman Thomas Golembeski, describing four years of work that have yielded a predicted 20 trillion cubic feet of natural gas.

The discovery of that "threshold" amount -- considered the minimum for viable production -- after digging just four wells was an encouraging sign in a business where dozens can be drilled and all found completely dry, Golembeski said.

- 'Why rush?' -

The Senegalese government has stressed it will take "every measure" to ensure the projects are carried out in the "best interests of all current and future generations," President Macky Sall said in a recent speech.

Other nations such as Kenya and Tanzania are waiting for a better economic climate to exploit similar resources, said Nadine Kone of Oxfam International, a strategy she urged Senegal and Mauritania to heed.

"I don't see a clear vision for the use of this resource," Kone told AFP. Furthermore, "why rush with oil given where prices are now?"

World Bank country manager for Mauritania Gaston Sorgho told the Financial Times last month the project was potentially risky if not properly handled, with the Chinguetti oil field discovered 15 years ago in Mauritanian waters producing a fraction of what was hoped.

However, it offered a "huge opportunity" if the two governments were able to work together, Sorgho said.

Much remains to be done before the outcome is set: Cairn and Kosmos are negotiating with production firms to get the product out of the ground and onto the market, and attracting finance for such billion-dollar projects is "the real hard part", according to Wood Mackenzie analyst David Thomson.

"These projects are massive and they're very capital intensive," Thomson said, adding that although it could take time in the current circumstances, he believed both firms would nonetheless secure the funding required.

There was enough gas alone found so far to last for three decades, he added.

- 'Clear advantages' -

Kosmos' Golembeski said the firm believed demand will have risen by the time the gas site commences delivery, with ease of shipping to Europe a clear advantage on the export side.

"Demand for oil and gas will continue to increase over time as more and more people around the world move from rural areas into the cities and want the conveniences of modern life," he told AFP.

The states' 10 percent stakes in each of the projects will be more than welcome: both battle youth unemployment and persistent poverty, and are a long way from ensuring all their citizens have clean water, housing and access to education and health services.

Mauritanian economist Isselmou Ould Mohamed said his country had in 2005 signed up to the anti-corruption Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative.

"That considerably reduces the chances of large-scale corruption. (Mauritania) is required to reveal all the payments received from these companies, which in turn must report all payments made to the state," he told AFP.

Nonetheless, Oxfam's Kone believes the five-to-10 year window from exploration to sale is not enough to guarantee a legal framework to ensure the proceeds will be used correctly.

The two countries could look to the regional example of Ghana, she said, which has a dedicated fund from the proceeds of oil and gas directed to priority areas such as agriculture and education.

Kosmos also struck oil offshore there in 2007, and the west African countries are of a comparable size.

"The Ghanaian example is quite progressive because they were able to learn from several years of gold mining and the negative examples of Nigeria and other oil-producing countries," Kone said.
Award winning motivational speaker and Chief Executive Officer of Legacy and Legacy Albert Ocran has challenged graduates to move beyond the pity party and the formation of unemployed graduate associations to find their space in the world of unending opportunities.

According to the celebrated speaker and best author, the term graduate unemployment is technically impossible and an anomaly which should not be given prominence.

Mr. Albert Ocran made these submissions speaking to Ultimate News on the sidelines of a conference held by the Grace Fields Chapel in Kumasi on the theme Financing the kingdom through multiple streams of income.

He pointed out succinctly, I dont believe in graduate unemployment. I dont think you can go to the university become a graduate and then call yourself an unemployed graduate. The two dont go together.

Buttressing his point, he insisted that, everyone who has gone through tertiary education is equipped with enough tools to be able to chat a path for their lives.

Mr. Ocran sounded a word of caution to the Unemployed Graduates Association of Ghana (UGAG) and their leadership to discontinue what he described as their avenues of pity and playing to the pity dimension.

He asserted that until members of UGAG and their cronies take the bull by the horn and take advantage of what god has given them to create space for themselves, no solution to graduate unemployment can ever emanate from the group.

Charging them to take leadership over their destinies, he recounted that some of the people that we admire, out of nothing created the very entities that we admire.

On the overarching concern about difficulty in finding start up capital, Mr. Ocran insisted that all that was needed to launch out is the idea of an opportunity and the discipline to carry it out.

If you have money without ideas and discipline the money will leave you very quickly. But if you have ideas; with discipline and strategy money will come towards you, He stressed passionately.

Albert Ocran further advised nonetheless that graduates who still feel strongly about getting an employment should change their orientation and better position themselves in a manner that can create that needed space for them within the current job environment

The kind of positioning that is required to create space within the current work environment needs a different kind of thinking to make it, He noted.

His comments come as unemployment in the country stands at 5% suggesting that some seven hundred and fifty thousand (750,000) able Ghanaians live without a source of decent income.

To compound the situation, over seventy thousand (70,000) graduates turn out of the countries tertiary public and private institutions annually.

Out of this huge number, the public and private sectors are able to employ only five thousand (5000); a situation that has been likened to a time bomb of idle and youthful manpower waiting to explode.

As at the end of 2015, it was estimated by the conference of principals of private universities that close to 300 thousand graduates are still job-searching with the current graduates serving their national service yet to join the band.
N'Djamena (AFP) - The commander of a French anti-jihadist force in Africa's northern Sahel says Islamist insurgents are hitting soft targets elsewhere after losing the initiative in the region.

General Patrick Brethous said groups were now selecting easy targets beyond the reach of his Operation Barkhane because they had been outmanoeuvred on home turf.

"It's perhaps precisely because they are under pressure that they (jihadist groups) do that. They have no sanctuaries left, just a few hideouts in the far north," he told AFP in an interview at the headquarters of Operation Barkhane in Chad's capital N'Djamena.

Brethous cited a March 13 attack -- claimed by Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb -- in Ivory Coast's Grand-Bassam beach resort that killed 19 as an example.

Other recent attacks out of Operation Barkhane's range include another AQIM-claimed attack, the November 2015 raid on the Radisson Blu in the Malian capital Bamako that left 20 people dead, including 14 foreigners.

In January, 30 people were also killed, including many foreigners, in an attack on a top Burkina Faso hotel and a nearby restaurant in the capital Ouagadougou.

France's Operation Barkhane, launched in 2014, has seen 3,500 soldiers deployed across parts of five countries in the Sahel region -- Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali, Mauritania and Niger -- to maintain cross-border security following the ousting of jihadists from key towns in Mali's north.

It is the successor to a military intervention that freed Mali's vast, desolate north from the control of Tuareg-led rebels who allied with jihadist groups linked to Al-Qaeda in 2012.

Security, meanwhile, has been beefed up in Accra and Lome following a leaked intelligence report that indicated Islamist militants were likely to launch their next attacks in Ghana and Togo.

Brethous said that in northern Mali, where French troops helped to drive Islamist insurgents out of key towns in 2013, armed groups no longer had "structured combat units, except perhaps for Ansar Dine".

Three French soldiers were killed in northern Mali on April 12 when their vehicle struck a mine, bringing to seven the number of men killed among the ground and air forces deployed since August 2014, according to France's defence ministry.

"We are at war, we've taken a blow and there will be others," the general said, adding, however, that such isolated incidents gave a misleading impression of the overall gains being made.

"We don't communicate much about the number of bombs dropped, enemies eliminated. However, when there are deaths on our side, this is known. It can give the impression that we've just lost the initiative, but this isn't so," he said.

Improvised mines were now the main risk in the desert territory, where the Islamists still have explosives and money from trafficking rackets to pay young boys to lay the bombs, he added.

"The threat remains residual, but a nuisance factor is still there," he said.

Asked how 3,500 troops could cover an area the size of Europe, Brethous said he favoured staging attacks in the "third dimension", where ground troops backed by airborne intelligence could take Islamists by surprise.

"Three-D enables us to inform and then to guide ground units, from choppers to armoured vehicles to the pick-up trucks of our Nigerien friends (the army of Niger), to intercept columns or carry out operations with commando teams."

Squads of soldiers were sent "for entire weeks into the desert to be in contact with the population and deny the enemy any freedom of manoeuvre, and the ability to levy taxes, to recruit and to rest," he added.

"I alleviate (limited military resources) by concentrating efforts into major operations. This way, during an operation I have good means and I can surprise the adversary," he said.
N'Djamena (AFP) - With US and European support, African states threatened by Boko Haram are out to smash the militant Islamist group terrorising the region -- but a coordinated response is required if they are to succeed.

A regional offensive launched early last year against the group by Chad, and Nigeria under new President Muhammadu Buhari has seen Boko Haram driven out from numerous towns and villages that it controlled in northeastern Nigeria.

Two weeks ago, Nigeria's military said it would raid the group's Sambisa Forest stronghold on the Cameroon border. The group also has hideouts within nearby Lake Chad's huge maze of small islands and swampland.

Despite losing some ground in recent months the insurgents retain the capacity to launch attacks almost at will, notably via suicide attacks which require few resources.

British NGO Action on Armed Violence said earlier this week that Boko Haram attacks claimed three times as many victims last year as in 2014.

The group started wreaking havoc in Nigeria in 2009 and according to World Bank estimates has killed around 20,000 people, also sowing chaos and fear inside neighbouring Cameroon, Chad and Niger.

US and British troops will join the international coordination effort against the group, while Nigeria and France on Thursday signed an agreement on closer military cooperation, including intelligence sharing.

Nigerian Defence Minister Mansur Dan Ali saluted the deal as evidence of a "growing partnership" between Abuja and Paris.

An 8,500-strong multinational force has been drawn up to track the jihadists, but its deployment has been haphazard with little to indicate the extent of real progress.

Even so, the Nigerian general overseeing the force, Lamadi Adeosun, indicated Friday during a meeting with French Defence Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian that "much has been done and is still being done to win the battle and ultimately win the peace".

The Nigerian army is expected to launch an offensive in the coming days so as "to deny Boko Haram its traditional Sambisa sanctuary", according to Chad military sources in the capital N'Djamena.

Such an offensive has been in the offing ever since Buhari took office a year ago but has yet to materialise.

- Imminent action -

"The idea is to be able to announce at the next Abuja summit (on May 14) that this sanctuary no longer exists. That is a military and also a political imperative," says a source close to the president.

The summit will bring together leaders of Cameroon, Chad, Niger and Nigeria -- allied neighbours in the fight against Boko Haram -- as well as French President Francois Hollande and representatives from Britain and the United States.

Boko Haram leader Abubakar Shekau appeared in a video late last month and "he still seems to be the leader and is hiding out in the Sambisa Forest," according to a French military source.

The group is thought to number somewhere between 100,000 and 30,000. Its exact strength is hard to evaluate but the French source says that experienced fighters who have returned from Mali or Libya are no more than a small hard core.

The multinational force is preparing its own offensive along the border with Cameroon, Chad and Niger but time is of the essence with the rainy season approaching.

- IS link? -

The multinational force, whose HQ is at N'Djamena although each nation's contingent is under its own command, will have access to intelligence compiled by French and US drones and fighter planes -- but communications, transport and logistics hardware are in short supply.

Coordination is paramount.

"If they are not coordinated they will never be able definitively to curtail Boko Haram," a French military source warned.

General Adeosun says the international community should be doing more -- red tape has held up 50 million euros ($55 million) of EU aid -- and has asked for lifejackets and a consignment of flat-bottomed boats to take the fight to the enemy across the huge expanse of Lake Chad.

There are concerns Boko Haram may have received weapons via Libya from Islamic State through individual go-betweens, though Le Drian says that "for now we do not have proof of close links" between the jihadists.

On Saturday, Le Drian promised to do away with Boko Haram "barbarity" as he visited the Ivorian resort of Grand-Bassam, scene of a deadly March 13 attack blamed on an Al-Qaeda affiliate which killed 19.

"We are determined to fight together with the Ivory Coast authorities for our freedoms and against barbarity," said Le Drian a day after pledging to lift the French troop contingent in the country from 600 to 900.
Vice President Kwesi Amissah-Arthur has charged African Universities to accelerate the pace in charting their own identify, be innovative and re-orient themselves to meet the socio-economic, political and developmental needs of the times.

African governments must therefore, continue to prompt the universities and other Stakeholders to chart the appropriate policy direction.

Vice President Amissah-Arthur said this when he launched the second Africa Universities Summit at the University of Ghana in Accra.

He said African Universities must continue to be relevant by constantly re-inventing and maintaining their relevance to the aspirations of the people who finance their activities.

Vice President Amissah-Arthur said to whom much is given, a lot is expected.

They therefore require social orientation using the best means to achieve their goals.

He said in the face of the raging impact of globalization, Africa universities cannot afford to stand still.

They therefore need to avert the danger of being overtaken and consequently losing their relevance.

The Vice Chancellor of the University of Ghana, Prof Ernest Aryeetey appealed to African governments not to pursue policies that are inimical to revenue generation of the universities.

This he said stifles efforts by the Universities to be financially sound in confronting the challenges and impact of globalization on Africa Universities. The summit will end on Friday.
01.05.2016 LISTEN

Hardly had News Ghana, formerly SpyGhana, published my feature article sent to them with the recorded threatening voicemail message by the unknown Ghanaian resident in Britain attached when someone contacted me confirming the identity of the culprit. The web link below takes you to that publication.

http://www.newsghana.com.gh/threatening-voicemail-message-left-by-otumfuors-supporter-in-britain/

He is one of those three people that I suspected initially. He lives in Streatham, a suburb of London and goes by the name K.A. I have intentionally withheld his full name but his initials that no-one calls him by. I once mentioned his name to him on the phone when he called to spew his balderdash. I also mentioned him and then other suspects to the police.

This guy who relates to Dr Yaw Sarfo, the masquerading Kumawuhene Barima Sarfo Tweneboa Kodua as his senior brother, once lived in Accra Tiptoe. He was such a criminal that he collected monies from friends and neighbours and made a bolt for London without giving them their money back. He was once sent to jail at the Nsawam prisons.

This same person was once arrested. When he was about to be jailed, Kumawuhemaa Nana Abenaa Serwaah Amponsah who had just returned from abroad went to his rescue to save him from likely imprisonment.

His criminal activities are no secret to anyone living in and around Tiptoe in Accra. Because of his criminal activities, his best friend, Ron, in Accra, does no longer talk to him.

During his Ankaase family's private meeting on the Kumawu chieftaincy issues; deciding on who they should present as their candidate or select for the throne, he (K.A), had the nerve to insult his own uncle, Mr Osei Kwabena. His uncle put up a suggestion which did not please Kumawuhemaa and K. A's younger brother Dr Yaw Sarfo. K. A. then decided to not only castigate, but also, insult his uncle to his face and in front of other members of his Ankaase family.

Mr Osei Kwabena is the man who claimed on video posted on YouTube that his nephew Dr Yaw Sarfo was not fit, and is still not fit, to be Kumawuhene, because he is 3bo3 fa, dadie fa

Watch him via the following video link:



In London, this same person has borrowed money from a lot of people and other sources for purely obnoxious reasons. He went about telling people that the Kumawu Kodua Stool has a lot of money so he had borrowed a lot of money to purchase an expensive car for the use of his brother Dr Yaw Sarfo if he was elected Kumawuhene. He said he had shipped the car to Ghana and it's sitting in a garage.

He further declared they had gone to see Asantehene Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, arranged everything with him in closed-door and that surely, his brother would become Kumawuhene. He said this in advance and truly as said, on 24th February 2014, Asantehene and his dubious Asanteman Council collusively did exactly as predicted by this senior brother of Dr Yaw Sarfo.

Following his assertions, I put out two publications on my usual Ghana internet news portals (Ghanaweb, Modernghana and News Ghana, then SpyGhana). Check the underlying web links:

http://www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/features/Is-Asantehene-Once-Again-Influencing-Judges-to-Twist-Justice-303529

http://www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/features/Know-Why-He-Is-Adamant-305439

Now that things are not going according as envisaged by K. A., he thinks he must have someone (Rockson Adofo) to blame for his unfortunate circumstances hence the absurd criminal threats he has been issuing to me, leaving threatening voicemail messages on various phones for my attention of which it has been reported to the police with one of such messages now playing on News Ghana as indicated in the first paragraph of this publication.

This anonymous phone caller was once boasting to his friends in London that once his younger brother (Dr Yaw Sarfo) becomes Kumawuhene, he would go to stay in Ghana permanently. He would pay all the monies he had borrowed from friends and other sources and would also wallow in an ocean of wealth because the Kumawu Kodua Stool has loads of money.

He does not give a fuck about the poor state of Kumawu and her satellite townships and villages but what they will profit from as visionless individuals or else, they will not seek or aspire to allow Asantehene Otumfuo Osei Tutu II to play principal, but intransigently illegal, role, in the Kumawu chieftaincy dispute.

Once the lid covering the anonymous caller's identity has been blown off as stated above, let us wait to see what he can do. The case is in the hands of the police and they will surely get him.

The remaining three voicemail messages will be published.

I shall advise the reading public to always check all my three favourite publishing websites when I write about having put out vital information like a video recording or a true form copy of a document. I have noticed that some of them are able to reproduce such information for public consumption while others for unknown reasons  (technical or otherwise), are unable to.

None of my friends or fans is to contact him (K. A) for any reason. I shall use the British law to deal with him, as lawless and a threat to civilized societies as he is.

Rockson Adofo
01.05.2016 LISTEN

The third time lucky bells are ringing all over the country alerting Ghanaians to the political change that is coming, whether we like it or not. God has heard our supplications. God has answered our prayers hence the continuous ding dong, ding dong, sounding of the bells throughout the entire political landscape of the country.

The angels of God have started in the higher firmaments heralding Nana Akufo Addo as the new President of Ghana who has the wherewithal to save Ghana and Ghanaians from their current economic predicaments. It will soon be made manifest here on earth for all eyes to see.

Has anyone taken God on in a contest and won? Not as far as I am aware of. The Angel of the Morning Star (Satan) made an attempt but he failed miserably; he was defeated and cast from Heaven onto the earth according to biblical records.

President Mahama colluded with a septuagenarian Dr Kwadwo Afari Gyan, the then Chairman of the Electoral Commission, the Atuguba Supreme Court and some lawless members of the NDC in attempts to prove God a liar.

God had designated Nana Akufo Addo as the President but the mentioned persons condoned and connived with equally irresponsible forces in the country to rig the election 2012 in favour of President Mahama and the NDC.

God in order to prove to the world that President Mahama although is his creation, he was not His chosen one to be the President of Ghana, played the wait and see tactics. This tactfulness by God was to show to Ghanaians and the world that He, God, did not approve of presidential-candidate John Mahamas presidency. Simply put, John Mahamas coronation as Ghanas president was not from Him but from the Devil and his agents and assigns.

Consequently, John Mahama has been messing up the economy of Ghana to the utter detriment of about 99.9% of the nations population. He has been embezzling the nations funds for his personal use and that of his family, his cronies, NDC party gurus, NDC Government members and appointees and the entire team of his uncouth NDC radio phone-in serial callers and propagandists.

He has sunk the economy of Ghana through obvious shameless corrupt practices, practice of selective justice, empowering NDC members to become lawless to perpetrate lawless machismo with aim to intimidate people by reintroducing the culture of silence, that effective, but scary weapon, used by former President J. J. Rawlings to oppress Ghanaians for nineteen years during his rule of tyranny.

President Mahama has almost killed all the large, medium and small scale industries in Ghana through unprecedented power outages, although he prefers calling it load shedding, never encountered in the life of Ghana. In the wake of the dumsor, Ghanaians have seen redundancies, joblessness, armed robberies, unnecessary killings etc. in their lives multiplied manifold.

What else are we waiting for before we understand that the presidency of John Mahama is not from God but from the Evil One? For how long are we prepared to suffer this untold hardship before we kick him and his corrupt party out of power?

The Angels of God are leading the fight to boot President Mahama out of power come election 2016. Therefore, all Ghanaians who are truthful to themselves, know that Ghana has been plunged into an abyss by the clueless, incompetent and corrupt President Mahama with his NDC party, should please join the angels to effective the change for the collective benefit of all Ghanaians.

CHANGE IS COMING!!! With this change, official corruption, the bane of Ghanas prosperity will be the thing of the past! With this change, lawlessness, the practice of selective justice, one individual standing on top of Mountain Afadjato declaring that his decisions supersedes all court orders in Ghana shall be the thing of the past. With this change, State institutions will be made stronger to work for the benefit of all Ghanaians. With this change, stronger institutions but not stronger human monsters will arise to implement better policies that will impact the lives of Ghanaians positively. With this change, Nana Akufo Addo/Dr Bawumia will become the enviably non-corrupt leaders of Ghana who are full of vision, dynamism, and dedication to serve their people and nation in all honesty.

Change is coming to bring an old man who is selfless, full of integrity and ready to be at the service of his nation and people than a young man who is corrupt, selfish, myopic and ready to serve his stomach and that of only his family, cronies and his band of hooligans.

I dedicate this publication to all Ghanaians who have joined, are joining, and will join the angelic train of CHANGE IS COMING to liberate Ghana and Ghanaians from the shackles of slavery bound around our legs, hands and waists by President Yen ntie Obiaa John Dramani Mahama, the youth born after Ghanas attainment of independence on 6th March 1957.

Rockson Adofo
01.05.2016 LISTEN

Friends from the media, fellow brothers and sisters of our great Akatamanso family, ladies and gentlemen, you are all welcome. We invited you here this noon to set forward some factual differences between Dr. Alassane Ouattara, the president of Ivory Coast and Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, the two-time defeated flagbearer of the New Patriotic Party, NPP. Akufo-Addo has on several occasions told Ghanaians to take a look at the good works of the 74 year old president of Ivory Coast and also vote for him to become Ghanas president at the age of 72. He even made this unsubstantiated request last year when he visited UDS Navrongo campus. As intellectuals in this university we have gathered here to compare the two figures, submit their academic, public service and internal political records to certain profound chemical interrogations, and then take them through some litmus test. This will help us as students to know if Nana Addo can perform when elected as president of Ghana, God forbid, at the age of 72.

First of all, we will consider the juxtaposition of their academic credentials. In vivid brief, Dr. Alassane Outtara received a BSc. Degree in Business Administration from the Drexel Institute of Technology which is now called Drexel University, Philadelphia in 1965 with impeccable academic scores. He then obtained both his Masters Degree in Economics in 1967 and a PhD in Economics in 1972 from the University of Pennsylvania. Unfortunately, Akufo-Addo graduated from the University of Ghana, Legon in 1967 where he obtained BSc. Degree in Economics with a deplorable Third Class Division. He later gained admission into Oxford University but was sacked which his own pals said it was as a result of his drug use. We have also been told that he entered the Court of Inns, Middle Temple under a circumstances that was not clear because it was bizarre to see a Third Class student entering the Court of Inns, Middle Temple. In 1975, he was called to the Ghana Bar, when indeed; no one knows how and where he acquired his law certificate. Considering the above histories, one will have no choice than to conclude that the 71 year old presidential hopeful, when elected as president of Ghana, will perform abysmally.

Another interesting area to analyse is the public service records of the two politicians. Dr. Alassane Dramane Ouattara is an international icon owing to his admirable economic backgrounds. The astute economist worked with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in Washington, D.C from 1968 to 1973, and was later appointed a special advisor to the Governor and Director of Research between 1975 and 1982. He was then appointed a Governor of Central Bank of West African States in 1988. He led the Ivorians Inter-ministerial Committee for Coordinating of the Stabilization and Economic Recovery Programme under the IMF Structural Adjustment Programme in 1990 and was made the Prime Minister of Cote dIvoire in the same year. Finally, Dr. Alassane Dramane Ouattara was made Deputy Managing Director of the IMF from 1994 to 1999. He is well known as a hard-worker, keen on transparency and good governance. These portrayed the marks of a true personality who can assure his people of a tremendous output even in his 100s as a president.

Meanwhile, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo left the Middle Temple without even doing his pupillage to be certified and we all know the Middle Temple would not certify a candidate who failed to do pupillage. He joined Coudert and Freves, a US law firm based in France as an administrator from 1971 to 1975 and a junior member of the Chambers of U.V. Campbell from 1975 to 1979. He then co-founded Akufo-Addo, Prempeh and co. with Dr. Edmund Prempeh in 1979. In 2001, Akufo-Addo was appointed Minister of Justice and Attorney General by former President J.A. Kufuor under whos outfit NPP apparatchiks including K.T. Hammond sold GNPCs Drill Ship at US$ 24 million to defray a judgement debt of US$19.5 million to Societe Generale without the knowledge of or involvement of GNPC, and this was done based on Akufo-Addos advice as the Attorney General. Till date, Ghanaians do not know the whereabouts of the proceeds generated from the sale of the Drill Ship. It was not surprising when Akufo-Addo entitled the historic case between astute lawyer Tsatsu Tsikata and the State as Tsatsu versus Kufuor. His incompetence exhibited at the Ministry of Justice and Attorney General led to a bizarre reshuffle that sent him to the Foreign Affairs Ministry in April 2005 under the erstwhile President J.A. Kufuors administration. Before he left the Justice Ministry, dockets got missing for reasons known to the whole world. As if that was not enough, he connived with NPP cronies and looted government lands around Airport Residential areas, Cantoments, Ridge and many others. As a reputable lawyer he claimed to be, he was not able to rescue over 44 Ghanaians handcuffed on the Gambian territorial waters, en route to Europe to seek greener pastures in 2005. Several of them were slashed into pieces and others terribly tortured, yet Akufo-Addo did virtually nothing about the situation as a Foreign Affairs Minister. In 2007, he resigned as Foreign Affairs Minister to contest for the 2008 NPP flagbearer slot. Two official vehicles with registration numbers GT5621T (Nissan Patrol 4x4) and GT1983X (Toyota Land cruiser 4x4) were still in the hands of Akufo-Addo for twenty months after his resignation. In 2008 Akufo-Addo took a bribe of US$5,000 as part of the 129 Majority Members of Parliament and approved the sales of Ghana Telecom for no value for money. How can someone with these dubious scandals perform as a president at the age of 72? Alassane Ouattara is entirely different from Nana Addo when it comes to probity, transparency and accountability, beckon on selfless service to humanity.

In the final contrast, the indefatigable president of Cote dIvoire, Dr. Alassane Ouattara united the Rally of the Republicans (French: Ressemblement des Republicains, RDR) and the Democratic Party of Cote dIvoire (French: Parti Democratique de la Cote dIvoire, PDCI) of the great Rally of Houphouetist which helped him secure political power from Laurent Gbagbo of the Ivorian Popular Front (French: Front Populaire Ivorien, FPI) in the 2010 polls of Ivory Coast. In 2015, he again won 83.66% landslide victory for a second term as president with the PDCI. But Akufo-Addo failed on several attempts to secure political power with the NPP in Ghana. He has rather paradoxically ended up suspending people who do not side with him with illegal committees and clauses, and deployed invisibly troublesome forces which are always wielding deadly ammunitions at the partys headquarters. A regional chairman of the NPP was bathed with acid which eventually led to his death and an innocent man who was about to get married was also stabbed to death, all because of Akufo-Addos poor leadership and this truly amounts to incompetence. These pandemonium acrimonies are still on the rise that has led to the loss of several lives. Obviously, Ghana will never be safe under the leadership of Nana Addo as president.

Owing to the available facts and figures, one will understand why we, the leadership of TEIN, UDS Navrongo campus insists that Akufo-Addo will be a very terrible president as claimed by some of his own pals. And for a fact that Alassane Ouattara is performing as president of Ivory Coast at 74, it does not guarantee that Nana Addo can also perform as president in his 70s. Our litmus test on the two political apparatus proved that Nana Addos unprecedented horrible records cannot make him a promising president of Ghana which is already at the verge of transformation by H.E. John Dramani Mahama, the Joshua of our time. We, therefore, humbly call on him to rather unite his people and stop juxtaposing himself to the Ivorian leader, who is widely known for his chronicles in economic management on the African continent.

LONG LIVE TEIN

LONG LIVE NDC

LONG LIVE GHANA

..Signed..

Mordey David Yaotse Morgah, President (0241841599/0206260504)

Zachariah Peter, General Secretary (0242224629)

Nyaaba Baba Isaac, PRO (0546470067)
01.05.2016 LISTEN

My heart is always burdened with much sorrow and pain when I critically examine the high rate of incompetence of the various systems and institutions in the country. The question I usually ask is, will we ever get there? Will we ever get to the position where government officials will see their means in office as a service other than an opportunity to amass wealth? Will there ever be a time in the history of this country where civil and public servants would know that they owe their allegiance not to only their bosses in big suits and air conditioned offices but also to the Makola woman who sells pepper and cassava.

We have taken upon ourselves many attributes and titles; we call ourselves democratic, independence and republic. What is the essence of all these titles if the country is unable to portray any characteristic feature to qualify the reason why it is being called so? Or propablybly we are just using it for decoration?

I have in recent times come into a conclusion that Ghana before independence and under colonial rule was far better than now. In a country where bribery and corruption has become a norm other than a menace in society. In a country where a goat can be exchanged for justice. In a democratic country where brutalizing citizens can also be called defensive policing mechanisms. A country which has FREEDOM AND JUSTICE as its motor but her citizens are denied anything closer to justice. I sometimes wonder what would have been the situation of the country if it had a different motor other than this one.

So where are we actually gearing towards as an independent state in the twenty first century? My soul cries out loud for the youth of today and generations unborn. So will the souls of our founding fathers of the country also be in grief.

It is high time we take off our political and tribal spectacles, shun our religious differences and treat issues with national interest as paramount priority.

It will take keen efforts of brave people like you and I to revive the dead and lost soul of our motherland. Are we waiting till when we can no more see the shadows of Ghana before we begin to act? That would be totally unfair on our part as great citizens of this country. Why cant we convert our desires to do wrong to something worth mentioning and profitable? We shouldnt forget that Ghana is for all of us. We therefore do not need any angel to make it a safe haven for us. We need to work ourselves. We are one people striving to attain one goal, lets us come together in the best of our might to push the country to the lime light. We deserve the best and we can make those ourselves. ARISE AND BUILD.

RAYNOLDS NYARKO DARKWAH

UNIVERSITY OF GHANA -LEGON
Communications Manager of Challenging Heights Ghana, Pomaa Arthur, has admonished Ghanaian journalists to improve their coverage on social protection and child-sensitive issues.

She said media organisations needed to make social protection and poverty reduction relevant to the public by allocating more editorial space and airtime to such issues and making them a key feature of mainstream reporting.

Ms Arthur made the call when Challenging Heights, a Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) in Winneba organised a one-day media workshop on the theme, LEAP and its effects on child well-being, care and family cohesion.

The workshop was aimed at building the capacity of Ghanaian journalists on social protection interventions such as the Livelihood Empowerment Against Poverty (LEAP) programme.

Ms Arthur noted that social protection is an effective tool to prevent and fight poverty, promote pro-poor growth and make economic growth more sustainable.

She added that there was the need for the media to include the views of the less privileged including the problems and challenges they face and the solutions they feel are needed to reduce poverty in their reportage.

According to her, because the media plays an important role in creating greater public debate and awareness, journalists needed to be supported to develop their range of knowledge, skills and contacts to enhance the quality of their media content.

Ms Arthur urged the media to interact more with NGOs and Civil Society Organisations (CSO) to get themselves informed on issues related to social protection and identify key issues for their reportage as well as ideas which require research.

Journalists also need to scrutinise and hold governments, state bodies, politicians, donors, businesses and NGOs accountable for their actions on poverty reduction, thus acting as a force to increase the transparency and accountability of decision-making, said Ms Arthur.

The Advocacy Officer of Challenging Heights, Akua Boatemaa Duah, explained to the journalists the linkages between social protection and the quality of childrens care, social protection and the loss of parental care or family separation and how social protection influences decisions about foster or kinship care.

She explained that LEAP, a cash transfer system administered by the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection is helping to reduce poverty by increasing consumption and promoting access to services and opportunities among the extreme poor and vulnerable.

She said LEAP, despite its challenges, is making significant contributions in addressing poverty and vulnerability among the poor and poorest households in Ghana.

Social transfers such as LEAP can directly and immediately reduce the vulnerability of the young and the old and are an effective tool to fight poverty, she said.

Boatemaa Duah urged government to increase the amount of money given to beneficiaries to ensure that the intervention serves its purpose of alleviating poverty
Vaalwater (South Africa) (AFP) - Thirty-three lions rescued from circuses in Peru and Colombia set paw on the African veld for the first time Sunday after an epic journey by plane and truck.

The lions roared in unison as they arrived shortly after dawn at their new home on the 5,000 hectare Emoya Big Cat Sanctuary in the north of South Africa, where they will live out their lives.

Among the first out of their crates were brothers Junior and Bumbo from Columbia, who came out cautiously, sniffing the trees and grass and marking their territory.

After ambling up and down the fences of their enclosure, they charged playfully at each other and rolled in the dust.

"I am so grateful to have them here finally, it's a dream come true," said Savannah Heuser, 19, who runs the sanctuary with her mother.

"They have had a long journey but they are surprisingly calm. Some of them were agitated during the trip and they have some minor injuries, but nothing serious."

The lions arrived at Johannesburg's international airport late on Saturday afternoon after flying for more than 15 hours in what is believed to be the biggest airlift of its kind, and were driven through the night to Emoya.

"They have lived a life of absolute hell. They've been beaten and they've been starved," Jan Creamer, the president of Animal Defenders International (ADI), an animal rights charity that organised the flight, told reporters at the airport.

"They've been deprived of everything that makes life worth living for a lion. I believe we have brought them back to paradise, where they belong," she said.

ADI posted a picture on their Facebook page of a Colombian lion shortly after arriving at Emboya.

"Iron enjoys what is clearly a very satisfying rub against a tree, his first ever," the caption reads.

The lion enclosures are set in a clearing among natural bush and veld, each with trees, rocks, a hay bale and water filled troughs.

"The lion habitats will be steadily expanded over the coming months as the lions become familiar with their new life and are introduced to each other," said ADI.

The lions were bred in captivity and many have broken teeth or other ailments -- one is almost blind, another has lost an eye and most had their claws removed -- which would make it impossible for them to survive in the wild.

The lions were freed with the assistance of the authorities after the use of wild animals in circuses was outlawed in Peru and Colombia.

Twenty-four lions rescued in Peru then were driven from their temporary rescue centre to Lima airport to be picked up by a cargo plane that had brought another nine over from Colombia before taking off for Africa.

"The lions will be in their natural habitat for the first time in their lives," Creamer said. "They should fit right into that habitat. It's the best environment for them."

They will be fed game meat for their first meal at Emoya, which is already home to six rescued lions and two tigers.
01.05.2016 LISTEN

Sunday, May 1, 2016

Folks, when it comes to whipping up ethnic/tribal sentiments for political expediency in our kind of democracy, no one can claim to be innocent. That is why I have repudiated all those jumping on Ms. Dzifa Ativor for doing so, even if I have quickly disagreed with the rationale behind her urge. I am more than persuaded by happenings that no one doing politics in Ghana in our time is doing without the ethnic/tribal fervour.

Ms. Ativor is on peoples lips just because her utterance fits into their agenda for doing narrow and unproductive rabble-rousing. But there is more to this issue, especially when someone from the camp of narrow politics also plays the ethnic card but is glossed over in public discourse. Why should Ms. Ativor alone be dragged in the mud? Or is she being confronted because of her fear of being jailed by an NPP government, which might be seen as the motivation for making that utterance?

If you are wondering where I want to take you, just relax. The NPPs running mate, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, has gone the same way but hasnt been reacted to yet. Why is it so?

Lets bring everything up now. Speaking at Nyohini, in the Tamale South Constituency, Dr. Bawumia said many things wrapped around tribal politics, even if he set out to undermine President Mahama as a failure. Here are his own words as reported in the news:

My elders, my brothers, my sisters, in 2008 and 2012, we were told by the NDC that because John Mahama was a Northerner, we should vote for him. Indeed, John Mahama himself asked the people of the North to vote for him because he was from the North

My elders and siblings, if John Mahama is claiming that you should vote for him because he is a northerner, then I would like to remind you that I am also from the North as a grandson of Na Gbewaa and I am asking for you to vote for Nana Akufo-Addo and myself (See http://www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/NewsArchive/Mahama-has-failed-Bawumia-435227).

Oyiwa!! What is less tribal in Dr. Bawumias appeal than that of Ms. Ativor? The fundamental issue here is that Dr. Bawumia claims he is also from the North as a grandson of Na Gbewaa. Forget about the crutch he usedthe failure of President Mahama to fulfill electioneering campaign promises to the people of Northern Ghana. His message prop is that once he is also a Northerner, he should be voted for as Akufo-Addos running mate.

But here ends his political mischief. Will the Northerners vote for him to become the Vice President (a mere ceremonial office holder) when they already have the incumbent as the President, the fount of power in Ghana? Do they not know that Dr. Bawumia doesnt have any clout and will only be running errands given him by the power brokers in the NPP? Why will they discard the pith and go for the husk or the bark?

Playing this tribal card isnt going to help Dr. Bawumia and the NPP. It is no campaign message worth the voters bother. All the claims he made cant even stand. Do the people not see what the government has been able to do for them so far?

More importantly, why should the focus be on Northerners and Northern Ghana, not the entire country? By choosing to go this way, Dr. Bawumia seems detached from reality. Has he been monitoring happenings as President Mahama tours the regions? I urge him to wait for how he will be received in Northern Ghana.

In any case, his recourse to this kind of tribal politics speaks volumes but will not be heard by those thinking like him; but it has a negative sequel that will soon explode in their faces.

The hypocrisy that underscores Ghanaian politics will destroy our democracy. Tweeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeaa!!

I shall return
The General Secretary of the Public Utility Workers Union, Ato Bondzie Quaye has commended president Mahama for assuring workers the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) would not be privatised.

Speaking at this year's May Day celebrations in the Upper West regional capital, Wa, President Mahama stated that, "ECG is and will remain a wholly state enterprise."

However, in an exclusive interview with Joy News, Ato Bonzie Quaye said they hope that President Mahama will walk his talk this time round.

"It is not the first time we have heard this, but if he is saying it we have heard it and we believe it is so, then there will be peace for us, otherwise, those who have been contracted need to meet with the workers and iron out the little little things that we are not clear of," Mr. Quaye said.

He said the President has listened to them and was categorical that the Company won't be sold, but the rate at which bidders are pushing the agenda of concession is mind-boggling.

Workers want to know what is the concession that is being talked about regarding a takeover, he said, citing the management contract government did with Ghana Water Company which failed.

According to him, the President has repeatedly denied plans by government to privatize ECG and yet the posture and actions of government showed otherwise.

When asked what they want government to do, Mr. Quaye told Joy News reporter Rafiq Salam that, they want everything to be suspended as Ghanaians are very capable of managing it.

"Whoever is managing it that we find fault with were appointed by them [government]. If you think they are not performing well, change them," Mr. Quaye stated.

Story by Ghana | Myjoyonline.com | Abubakar Ibrahim | Email: [email protected]
01.05.2016 LISTEN

Koforidua, May 1, GNA - Madam Mavis Ama Frimpong, the Eastern Regional Minister, said the Government was ready to support the youth in agriculture in the Eastern Region.

She said agriculture, in all aspects, would be given the needed attention because it was one of the major keys to the successful growth of the economy.

Madam Frimpong gave the assurance when she presented farm produce and other items donated by the Seventh Day Sabbath Church of Christ (Shalom) to marginalised societal groups in various towns in Koforidua.

The groups include widows, physically challenged and orphans. The donation is an annual programmme by the church, with this year's being the 17th.

The items distributed to the 1,500 people include maize and rice, clothes, soap, slippers and wheel chairs valued at about 150,000 Ghana cedis.

Madam Frimpong said the government was considering to upgrade the fund set aside from the Common Fund for People with Disability (PWD) to improve their living standards.

Apostle Ephraim Kwaku Danso, the General Overseer of the Church, told the Ghana News Agency that the church was founded in September, 1986 and had 35 branches across the country.

He said the church aimed at instilling the gospel in its members and also helping the needy.

Mr Charles Oppong, a physically challenged person, who chaired the function, appealed to architects and developers to make modern buildings disability-friendly.

He called on the Government to consider reducing the school fees paid by PWDs at the secondary and tertiary levels in order not to become a hindrance to their education.

GNA
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By Robert Grattan

Houston Chronicle

HOUSTON  Oil service company Baker Hughes posted a $981 million loss in the first quarter of 2016, widening significantly from the same period a year ago, the Houston company reported.

Revenue for the quarter came in at $2.7 billion, down $1.9 billion or 42 percent from the previous quarter of 2015. The companys net loss grew to $981 million from $593 million in the first quarter of last year, up about 65 percent.

Baker Hughes attributed the declining profitability to low oil prices and its still-pending merger with industry rival Halliburton. The two companies agreed to a nearly $35 billion merger in November 2014 and the Justice Department has sued to block the deal. Most analysts now expect the merger to be scuttled.

We are retaining costs in our operating profit margins in compliance with the merger agreement. Additionally, the unique circumstances in which we are operating limit our ability to consider and action a broader range of measures required to align the company with the current and near-term market conditions, said CEO Martin Craighead, in a written statement.

Pennsylvania investigates earthquakes near fracking operations

NEW CASTLE, Pa. (AP)  The state Department of Environmental Protection is investigating whether fracking contributed to two small earthquakes near a western Pennsylvania drilling operation.

DEP spokeswoman Melanie Williams says Hilcorp Energy Co. stopped fracking at the Mahoning Township site at about noon Monday. That was about 12 hours after the U.S. Geological Survey recorded a magnitude-1.9 earthquake and about 10 hours before another quake of the same size was recorded.

A woman who answered the companys phone in New Castle on Thursday referred The Associated Press to a spokesman at the companys Houston headquarters who wasnt immediately available.

Williams says Hilcorp was fracking two wells on a four-well pad about 45 miles northwest of Pittsburgh when the first quake occurred.

There were no reports of property damage.

Report: Energy slump to take toll on midstream investment

By Robert Grattan

Houston Chronicle

HOUSTON  Lower prices and less drilling will mean almost $100 billion less in midstream investment over the next two decades, according to an analysis by an industry group.

The U.S. and Canada will require a total $546 billion in gas, oil and natural gas liquid infrastructure investment between 2015 and 2035, or about $26 billion annually, the Interstate Natural Gas Association of America said in an update to its infrastructure analysis released this week. The recent analysis revised downward a 2014 study by the group that forecast $30 billion in investment each year, or a total of more than $640 billion over 2014 to 2035.

We saw a need to reexamine infrastructure needs in light of significantly lower commodity prices, said INGAA President Don Santa, in a statement.

The most recent analysis offered both an optimistic and a worst-case scenario view of the markets through 2035. The headline figure of $546 billion and $26 billion per year is an average of the two cases.

In the most optimistic scenario, the global economy grows and commodity prices rise. Simultaneously, natural gas grabs a large share of the power generation market. In this scenario, the U.S. and Canada use about 130 billion cubic feet of natural gas each day, and new pipelines are needed to carry the fuel.

The most optimistic scenario means about $621 billion in new midstream infrastructure is needed through 2035, according to the report. About 60 percent of that investment is in natural gas, 30 percent in crude oil and the remainder in natural gas liquids.

In the less optimistic scenario, the global economy grows slowly and renewable power sources displace natural gas. Here, North America needs only $471 billion in infrastructure between 2015 and 2035.

Shell moving some jobs to Houston from New Orleans

By Associated Press

Shell says it plans to move some jobs from New Orleans to Houston as part of plans to cut its global workforce.

The company told The Times-Picayune of New Orleans that relocations this year would affect less than 5 percent of its New Orleans workforce. The oil company has about 1,900 workers based in One Shell Square in downtown New Orleans, so 5 percent translates to fewer than 95 jobs.

On Monday, the newspaper reported that Shell employed about 2,300 staff and contractors in New Orleans last year. That number is down to 1,900 this month.

The company started cutting jobs last year due to low oil prices. Shell seeks to eliminate 6,500 jobs worldwide.

Shell says it intends to maintain a presence in New Orleans over the long term.
Few topics generate more debate than income taxes. Whether frustration that they are too high, anger that theyre unfair, happiness that a refund check will be coming, or simply relief that theyre finally filed, most people have definite opinions on the matter. Election year politics add to the fray, as just about every candidate in both parties seems to have a plan that lets us pay a lot less while getting a lot more. (Spoiler Alert: It doesnt work that way!!) Individual income taxes are the largest source of funding for the U.S. government, accounting for more than 47 percent of revenues. The second-largest category is Social Security and Medicare payroll taxes, which is about 33 percent.

Every year, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) releases data regarding income tax returns and taxes paid. The latest available information is for 2014, and is based on a sample of returns filed through September 2014 which the IRS used to estimate overall totals. There are limitations to what can be done with the data, because it aggregates millions of returns into a few income categories which are not as helpful as they might be, but it does shed some light on the subject.

In 2014, almost 148.7 million individual income tax returns were filed. The total Adjusted Gross Income (AGI) for those returns was almost $9.7 trillion. By the way, AGI is essentially gross income minus adjustments one might qualify for such as contributions to Individual Retirement Accounts, alimony, moving expenses, or interest on student loans. Numerous other deductions and credits are subtracted from AGI (including medical expenses in some cases, charitable donations, state income taxes paid, and others) to get total taxes owed. While clearly oversimplified, thats the rough idea.

Wages and salaries totaled about 72 percent of the $9.7 trillion in AGI. Other notable categories of income include capital gains (6 percent), partnership and S corporation net income (6 percent), and taxable Social Security benefits (3 percent), among others. Exemptions amounted to $1.1 trillion, while overall deductions were $2 trillion. The standard deduction was very common (with almost 103 million returns going with that option). Large categories of itemized deductions included state and local taxes paid, medical and dental expenses, home mortgage interest paid, and charitable contributions. By the way, 36 million returns included deductions for charitable contributions in 2014, worth a total of nearly $190 billion. After credits and deductions were taken and the appropriate rates were applied, the total tax liability for 2014 stood at $1.4 trillion.

Looking at taxes paid by income group, the more than 46 million returns (which is about 31 percent of the total number) with AGI of less than $50,000 accounted for about 6 percent of the total tax liability. At the other end of the spectrum, the four million returns (about 3 percent of the total number) with AGI of $250,000 or more paid about $721 billion in taxes, which is 51 percent of total taxes paid. Another way to look at it is average taxes paid for each income category. For returns with less than $50,000 in AGI, the average tax liability per return was about $1,900. For returns with AGI of $250,000 or more, average taxes were about $180,000.

It is also interesting to look at the components of income and how they vary. As noted, wages and salaries amounted to 72 percent of the overall total AGI, and about 84 percent of people filing a return actually had a wage or salary. Of those in the $250,000+ AGI category, 88 percent earned wages or salaries, but they were only 53 percent of AGI. High-income returns also commonly had significant dividends and capital gains (signs of underlying financial assets) as well as large partnership and S corporation income. In other words, the highest earners tended to be owners of assets which were contributing substantially to income. A full 31 percent of returns with AGI greater than $250,000 indicated income from a partnership or S corporation.

Income taxes are designed to be progressive, meaning that those with higher incomes pay more of them. The data support that this is indeed the case. Although there are countless ways to argue the specifics of the tax code or the particulars of an individual situation, the bottom line is that about half of all Americans pay no federal income tax when credits and deductions are factored in, and the 3 percent of returns with the highest incomes account for more than half of the total tax liability. While improvements in income equity are a worthy social goal and a portion of the current disparity can be legitimately attributed to various arcane elements of the tax code, there are practical limits to how much can be achieved through tax reform without eroding incentives and inhibiting growth.

Dr. M. Ray Perryman is President and Chief Executive Officer of The Perryman Group (www.perrymangroup.com). He also serves as Institute Distinguished Professor of Economic Theory and Method at the International Institute for Advanced Studies.
A Midland man was arrested Wednesday for allegedly strangling a woman and threatening her and another man with a knife, according to court documents.

Kyle S. York, 24, was being held Friday on two $75,000 bonds for two first-degree felony charges of aggravated assault of a date/family/house member.

On April 23, deputies were dispatched to a residence on Brazos Street in reference to a disturbance. The female had fled to a neighbors house to escape York and deputies observed significant bruising on her face, neck and back, according to the affidavit.

The female stated that she and York had gotten into an argument outside the residence when he grabbed her by the neck and began to strangle her, according to the affidavit. The male complainant then intervened in the assault at which point both he and the female fled back into the residence, according to the affidavit.

York then pursued the two into the residence and retrieved two knives, according to the affidavit. York forced the male and female to sit on the couch and remain there under threat of death, according to the affidavit. The female eventually managed to flee to the neighbors residence, according to the affidavit.

If convicted of the two first-degree felonies, York could face life imprisonment.
There were more than 58,000 names on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial replica on display last week at the University of Texas campus in conjunction with the Vietnam War Summit being held at the LBJ Presidential Library. An accompanying exhibit includes photos of some of the fallen and missing service members whose names are on the wall.

These photographs put a face to the names inscribed on The Wall, said a sign. While they are just a small number of the over 50,000 names there, they represent the larger meaning of the Memorial. Each face gives us pause because it is a story, a life, a person, each of whom had a birthday, a family and friends and whom we now honor and remember.

Yes, there is something about putting a face with a name. Just above that sign, Air Force Lt. Col. Clifford Fieszel of Lubbock, posing on one knee in front of a fighter jet, stared back at me from sometime before Sept. 30, 1968, the day he became missing in action in North Vietnam at age 30.

As I read the sign, a woman walked up to me and asked if there are photos to go with every name. Sadly, there are not, but volunteers like Janna Hoehn have dedicated themselves to the task. There are about 12,000 photos left to find, including some from service members from around here. Hoehn needs your help.

I am trying to get a story out about the Faces Never Forgotten Program with the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C., Hoehn told me by email from her Hawaii home. We are trying to put a face with every name etched on the Vietnam Wall.

Hoehn got involved with this after she and her husband visited Washington several years ago.

Because Vietnam was the war that was going on while I was in high school, the first memorial on my list was the Vietnam Veterans Memorial wall, she said. Even though I never knew anyone killed in Vietnam, I wanted a rubbing of one of the names.

She chose a mans name at random and then tried to track down his relatives so she could send the rubbing in case they never made it to the wall. It took about six months, but she found a college photo of the man. Later, after hearing about the Faces Never Forgotten project, she submitted the photo and was asked if she could help find photos for 42 Maui residents whose names are on the wall. She was honored to do so.

I have always hoped I could to do something for the Vietnam veterans as the way they were treated when they returned, it was disgraceful. Here was my chance, she said.

And heres our chance.

My plea is this: If anyone is related, a friend or a classmate to any of the young men on the list I would very much appreciate hearing from you. Even if you dont have a photo but know which school any of these young men attended it would be helpful, Hoehn said.

You can see and search the photos found to date at www.vvmf.org/Wall-of-Faces. You can contact Hoehn at neverforgotten2014@gmail.com. In addition to posting the photos on the website, the photos are being collected by the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund for use in a planned education center at the wall in Washington.

The Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund announced last week that Oregon had become the 10th state in which photos have been found for all of the states names on the wall. Janna Hoehn, a dedicated Wall of Faces volunteer, helped find the final photo for Oregon, the organization said when announcing the milestone.

There is something about putting a face with a name.

Im just a kid whose attention was grabbed by Clifford Wayne Fieszels picture, someone who self-identified as Just a boy at school wrote in the remembrances section with Fieszels photo at the Wall of Faces website.

There are 3,418 Texans on the wall, and the search still is on for photos of 456 of them. Lets see what we can do to help Hoehn complete the important task of putting faces with all of our local names on the wall.

---

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
GAIL -- Melisa Hancock sidled up to her .22 rifle and took aim at the snake sunning in her fathers backyard.

She needed only one shot, no big deal for a native of these West Texas plains. And so she and her 83-year-old father, Buster Taylor, chuckled when he urged her to go Rambo on what was actually a piece of hose playing the role of the areas ever-present rattlesnakes.

Im the noisemaker out here, joked Taylor, a retired lawman. Earlier, he had been target shooting with small bottles of Tannerite, a compound that booms when hit.

Welcome to Borden County, population 676, perhaps the most gun-friendly locale in Texas. More than one-fifth of residents who are at least 21 years old have a license to carry a handgun. That far surpasses any other county - and the 1-in-20 rate for all of Texas.

This month, more than two decades after lawmakers agreed to allow the concealed carrying of handguns, Texas will cross the 1 million mark in residents with a gun carry license.

In a state with 27 million people, that might not seem remarkable. But recently passed legislation, such as a law to allow the licensed open carrying of handguns, has drawn new attention to the states fascination with weaponry.

In urban areas like Dallas and its suburbs, its a source of conflict and part of the cultural and political wars. In this county southeast of Lubbock, its a way of life. Pistols, rifles and shotguns are ubiquitous here, but Borden County isnt some modern-day OK Corral.

Firearms are seen more as a tool to handle varmints or ranch security than as a conversation piece. Residents would rather talk about their top-notch schools and close-knit community. And even some fervent gun owners just shake their heads at the Legislatures heated firearms debates.

Everybody out here is raised with a gun, Sheriff Benny Ray Allison said. You never know when you are going to have to use one - running across a snake or youre out here by yourself in the middle of nowhere.

Pretty much everybody I know has a gun.

Many more Texans in recent years have been getting a gun license, which is needed to carry a pistol. (Long guns can be carried without one.) The state Department of Public Safety was even forced this year to boost staffing to handle a statewide bump in gun license applications.

But Borden County isnt an obvious epicenter - for guns or anything else.

Tucked at the base of the West Texas caprock, the county was home to Comanche tribes and in some ways is still a vast expanse. On a recent evening, the only thing more immense than the wide-open terrain was a full moon that seemed to perch on Mushaway Peak.

Two stores line the main drag through Gail, the unincorporated town of 250 that serves as the county seat. Ranching, farming and oil drilling are king. The county is about the same square mileage as Dallas County - just with 2.3 million fewer people.

The 7-Eleven isnt on every corner, deadpanned County Judge Ross Sharp.

The remote, small-town life is part of the appeal. It also hints at the areas embrace of guns.

Joel Dennis raises sheep and cattle on a 5,000-acre spread - the Flying D Ranch - thats been in his family since the 1940s. The 71-year-old lived for a time in DeSoto, but the heavy traffic on a recent trip to Dallas reminded him of why I moved back.

He started working the ranch in his early teens - around the time he got his first gun. It was a 20-gauge shotgun, gifted in a deal to grant fishing rights on the ranch to a family in the county over.

Thats one of those things you never forget, he said.

Tending his flock, Dennis wore a pistol on his hip and kept a shotgun in his truck. Thats part of the routine in a land where coyotes roam and snakes lurk, he explained. He needs no license to carry on his property, which can also play host to hunters tracking deer and quail.

But he has one for when he ventures away from home - just in case.

I dont want to go into a situation where I feel helpless, he said.

Crime is uncommon in Borden County, according to state data. But Allison, the sheriff, is often a one-man department. And many of the ranches in the county are miles away from the highway, and even farther from his office.

Several residents said they took comfort in the knowledge that their friends and neighbors were probably packing.

Among them was Amanda Blissard, a 42-year-old Borden County native who serves up burgers and sweet tea at her Blue Paw Cafe in Gail. Asked if she had ever considered posting a no guns sign - as some businesses in Dallas and elsewhere have done - she just laughed.

The thought has never crossed my mind, said Blissard, who grew up shooting with her dad.

That view fits the conservative values in Borden County, dubbed by one local as Second Amendment country. But while Blissard said any talk there of the government taking away guns could get a whole new war started, that political battleground can seem like a distant fight.

If Borden County is to be known for anything, many would rather that attention center on its high-achieving school. Home to a still-gleaming facility built in 2012 for its 250 or so students, the school was one of 26 in Texas nominated this year for a national Blue Ribbon award.

And when it comes to guns, residents also stressed that education at home is paramount.

Taylor, the retired lawman, enjoys having people over to shoot on the range he built on his 40 acres. Quick to laugh, hes hailed as one of the towns more colorful characters. One sign on his property simply says, Keep Calm and Carry.

But when it came time to shoot, he got serious explaining the rules for his range. He recalled that when his kids took an interest in guns, he wanted to make sure they understood what a bullet could do to a person. So he had them watch a high-caliber round obliterate a gallon jug of water.

Their eyes would get about this big, he said, forming his hands into the shape of saucers.

Indeed, there are no easy stereotypes in Borden County.

Many enjoy hunting. Others - such as Sharp, the county judge - do not. Many have a license to carry. Many more do not. A few openly carry. Others cant imagine doing so. Some closely watch the legislative debates. Others - such as Dennis, the rancher - wish lawmakers time was spent elsewhere.

There are other issues that are important to Texas, he said.

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Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
Someone should sue the President for ...
Volusia County Sheriff's deputies are investigating an incident in which a pizza delivery driver was assaulted with pepper spray and had his car stolen.

Nicholas Mutchler, 22, a driver for Papa John's Pizza

Mutchler was making a delivery when incident occurred

Assailants acted as if they ordered the pizza, assaulted Mutchler as he waited for payment

Deputies say the incident occurred around 12:46 p.m. Saturday on the 800 block of Abbott Avenue in Deltona. Nicholas Mutchler, 22, a driver for Papa John's Pizza, was making a delivery when investigators say a suspect called out to him from across the street.

The suspect acted as though he ordered the pizzas. Mutchler reportedly met the suspect by his car, gave him the pizzas and awaited payment. The suspect reached into his pocket as if to get money, but instead pulled out the spray and used it on Mutchler.

The victim ran down the street calling for help. He told deputies he saw the suspect and two others get into his car and drive away.

Mutchler was taken to Florida Hospital Fish Memorial in Orange City as a precaution.

Deputies describe the stolen car as a 2014 Dodge Avenger with several stickers on the back window and a Florida State University license plate. It was last seen westbound on I-4 near Exit 101C (Sanford/Mount Dora, SR 46).

Anyone with information about this case is asked to contact the Volusia County Sheriffs Office at 911, 386-860-7030 or via Crime Stoppers of Northeast Florida, toll-free, at 888-277-TIPS. Tips can also be sent via text by texting TIP231 plus the message to CRIMES.
A road that has been promised for almost 30 years -- Poinciana Parkway -- is now officially open.

Poinciana Parkway is a 10-mile stretch between Osceola and Polk Counties.

Northern half opened Saturday

Remaining portion will open in the fall

The northern half of Poinciana Parkway from U.S. Highway 17-92 at Kinny Harmon Road to Marigold Avenue opened Saturday afternoon. The remaining portion from Marigold Avenue to Cypress Parkway is expected to open in the fall.

Irving Martinez has been living in Poinciana for nearly a decade. it frustrates him that until now there's only really been one way in and out.

"To get in and out of Poinciana in the afternoon-- atrocious," said Martinez. "Getting out in the morning, an hour just to get to Kissimmee."

In fact, Poinciana is often referred to as having one of the worst commutes in all of Florida.



Osceola County Expressway Authority officials hope that perception will change with Poinciana Parkway, a $140 million project.



The Parkway currently has two tolls. With an E-pass, the toll will be $1.75 North of Marigold Avenue and 50 cents if you're going North of KOA street.

All tolls will be charged electronically, but that won't go into effect until June 1st.

"When we actually designed this road we looked at the opportunity to go four lane versus two lane, Osceola County Commissioner Brandon Arrington said. Unfortunately the cost of going four lane immediately was just too high. And if we would've done that, that cost of construction would have also been added to the cost of your toll."

There are thoughts of extending the road over to State Road 532, connecting to I-4 and to the turnpike south of Lake Toho, as well.

"We are not stopping. This is not the only road we are doing, said Osceola County Expressway Authority Atlee Mercer. The Osceola County Expressway Authority is committed to building a beltway around in the urban growth area of Osceola County, very much mirroring the beltway around Orange County."

Despite the road only being two lanes and having tolls, Martinez says he's looking forward to burning some rubber on this new parkway.

"My daughters live in Orlando so this is a faster way," said Martinez. "Now they will be able to visit me because there is a faster way to Poinciana. Before they didn't even wanna try to come to Poinciana of the traffic."


An off-duty Orange County deputy and another man were injured Saturday night in Orlando after the deputy's gun was discharged during a struggle, according to the Sheriffs Office.

Off-duty OCSO deputy was involved in a crash Saturday night

Driver of the other car became belligerent with the deputy and charged at him

The deputy's gun went off during the struggle

It happened around 11 p.m. near Consulate Drive.

According to the Sheriffs Office, the off-duty deputy was driving his personal vehicle when he was involved in a minor crash.

The other vehicle fled the scene and the off-duty officer followed. When the deputy approached the other driver about the crash, the driver became belligerent and reached for his glove box.

The off-duty deputy identified himself as law enforcement and pulled out his gun, according to the Sheriffs Office.

The man charged at the deputy and attempted to take his gun. A struggle ensued and the deputys gun was discharged.

The suspect jumped back into his car and fled the scene.

The deputy suffered minor injuries from the struggle.

An uninvolved deputy working in the area saw the suspects vehicle traveling recklessly down southbound Orange Blossom Trail and attempted to stop him.

The suspect failed to stop and crashed into another car on Orange Blossom Trail, according to deputies. The suspect then fled on foot.

Hours later, the suspect arrived at Dr. Phillips Hospital with a gunshot wound. According to the Sheriffs Office, several units are at the hospital to secure the suspect as he is being treated.

This is a developing story, check back for updates.
Investigators say a man who was shot and killed by Orlando Police officers early Sunday morning had a fake gun.

OPD received reports of a man brandishing a weapon on OBT

Officers said they told the man to drop his weapon

Man refused, and officers opened fire, investigators said



It happened just after 2 a.m. near the intersection of Orange Blossom Trail and Carter Street. Orlando Police were responding to reports of a man walking up and down OBT with a chrome gun.

When officers arrived, they said they gave the man verbal commands to drop his weapon.

According to police, the man, identified Sunday night by Orlando Police as Charlin Charles, 25, refused and instead pulled out the gun again.

Two Orlando Police officers fired their weapons, striking Charles. He was taken to a hospital, where he died.

The officers were not injured.

Investigators said the gun Charles was carrying, pictured below, is a simulated firearm.



Witnesses said the officers fired about seven times.

Orange Blossom Trail from Conley Street to Long Street was closed during the investigation.

The Florida Department of Law Enforcement is conducting an investigation of the officer-involved shooting, which is standard procedure. Investigators said none of the officers were wearing a body camera.

On Monday, the Orlando Police Department identified the four officers involved in the incident:
Image source: SolarCity.

No business wants to create a solution in search of a problem, particularly in the slow-changing energy industry. Instead, businesses want to find solutions for problems that exist and create ways to make money off their solutions.

Enter the exigent problem California is facing: it has too much solar energy. First, who thought that would be a problem in the country's largest state? Second, why isn't there a solution if utilities and regulators knew this problem was coming? The short answer is that energy innovators weren't going to create and install solutions for solar energy's variability until they knew the utilities and regulators had recognized the problem.

What's going on in California

California has made a big push into renewable energy in an effort to meet a 50% renewable energy goal by 2030. It's built wind and solar plants rapidly over the past decade, which combines with hydropower to provide clean energy to the state. The problem is that solar energy, in particular, isn't created evenly throughout the day or year and that's a challenge for the grid.

In March, before peak air conditioner season in the state, there was so much solar energy on the grid that the California Independent System Operator had to tell some solar farms to shut down because there was too much energy for the grid to handle. And that could lead to a blackout.

It's not as if the solar energy being produced is somehow a surprise or that utilities don't know when demand is coming, but the mismatch between when clean solar energy is produced and when it's consumed has become a problem. At low penetration levels, solar energy doesn't create this problem, but in California they're starting to reach the "problem" level because there's so much sunlight.

The opportunity to build Grid 2.0

What's happening in California is solar energy creating a problem for the grid. It's not a lack of energy, but rather a lack of energy at the time that energy is demanded by customers. The secret to the electric grid is that each instant it has to send enough electrons to every customer to work correctly. A day, an hour, a minute, or even a second mismatch between supply and demand and the system falls apart.

Since sunlight only creates energy while the sun is out, but doesn't create any energy at night and is at less than optimal production with even a little cloud cover, it creates a challenge for grid operators. What the utility needs to do is find a way to move units of energy from when they're produced to when they're needed. Or another way of thinking of it is moving demand to when energy is produced.

Powerwall could be an energy storage solution utilities turn to. Image source: Tesla Motors.

The massive opportunity for energy storage

It seems obvious that energy storage should fill this gap in supply and demand for the electric grid. After all, we can see the problem coming a mile away, so why not build energy storage on a scale to save the grid from these problems?

The simple answer is that there hasn't been a financial driver of energy storage until very recently. Even today, there aren't a lot of ways to make money off owning an energy storage system in a home or business. For utilities, there's been no economic need or regulatory driver to deploy energy storage on a massive scale. Until now.

What we're seeing is the emergence of a market that Elon Musk saw when he announced Tesla Motors' Powerwall and Powerpack products. They could move energy from when it's produced to when it's needed in a relatively efficient manner. But regulators in states like California need to find ways to make energy storage economical for utilities and developers. It would clearly be valuable to have energy storage in place today, but until we got to the point where there was too much solar energy there wasn't much urgency for energy storage.

GTM Research recently noted that energy storage deployments rose 243% in 2015 to 221 MWh. And by 2020 they predict the market will be 1,662 MWh. There's an incredible opportunity in energy storage now that the problem has been identified.

Image source: SolarCity.

The demand side of the equation

Moving the supply of energy from one point in time to another is important, but so is moving demand. And that's something that's never really been done on a grand scale in energy.

The concept known as demand response is a budding business in energy with EnerNOC leading the charge. The company bids demand response into regional transmission organization PJM, so instead of utilities paying for wholesale power plants to produce more energy to meet demand they pay EnerNOC to reduce demand. The company just tells its partners to turn down the air conditioning or lighting or some other demand source. The effect is the supply and demand being matched, but this time the demand side is what's being adjusted.

Alphabet's Nest has a similar platform with Rush Hour Rewards. It works with utilities to compensate customers for turning down the air conditioning at peak hours. It's not widely used yet, but this is the kind of platform that could bring demand response to the next level.

California's problem will create solutions

Concepts like energy storage and demand response have been lurking in the energy background for years as potential solutions for problems that are on the horizon. But now that California has so much solar that it needs ways to move energy supply to different times of the day or reduce demand at certain times, we could see a real business model emerge.

That creates a major opportunity for companies like Tesla Motors, EnerNOC, Alphabet, and other energy innovators to provide solutions to the energy industry.

A secret billion-dollar stock opportunity

The world's biggest tech company forgot to show you something, but a few Wall Street analysts and the Fool didn't miss a beat: There's a small company that's powering their brand-new gadgets and the coming revolution in technology. And we think its stock price has nearly unlimited room to run for early in-the-know investors! To be one of them, just click here.

The article California Has Too Much Solar Power -- And That's a Good Thing originally appeared on Fool.com.

Suzanne Frey, an executive at Alphabet, is a member of The Motley Fool's board of directors. Travis Hoium has no position in any stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool owns shares of and recommends Alphabet (C shares), EnerNOC, and Tesla Motors. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days . We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy

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Image Source: Flickr user Jonathan C. Wheeler.

Crude oil prices continued to slump during the first quarter, spending much of the period below $30 a barrel. That's going to have a big impact on Devon Energy's first-quarter results, which are expected to arrive on Tuesday after markets close. What remains to be seen is how much those weak prices will impact the company's plans for 2016.

First, let's review

Devon Energy ended 2015 on a strong note after reporting fourth-quarter core earnings of $319 million, or $0.77 per share. That was actually slightly better than the prior quarter's result of $316 million, or $0.76 per share. However, among the biggest drivers of this strong performance were the company's oil and gas hedges, which added $11.59 per BOE to the company's realized price during the quarter, boosting it from $17.85 per BOE to $29.54 per BOE.

It just got real

Unfortunately, the bulk of the company's lucrative hedges rolled off when the calendar flipped to 2016. That's a problem because cash settlements from hedges boosted the company's revenue by more than $700 million last quarter, which was a large portion of its $1.1 billion in total sales. So, not only will the company not benefit from that cushion this time around, but the loss of the cushion is coming in a quarter where oil and gas prices were weakest.

Recognizing this, the company was proactive early on during the quarter, making some really tough choices. Those including cutting its dividend and capital budget by 75% while also going out and raising nearly $1.5 billion in new equity. While these moves bolstered the company's financial situation, it still has more work to do, and the company plans to unload a boatload of assets in order to fund its recent buying binge. However, the company has only completed one minor $200 million asset sale so far, leaving it well short of its goal to sell $2 billion to $3 billion in assets this year.

Clearly, the company needs to watch its pennies. So, while commodity prices have recently improved a bit, the tough first quarter could lead to some changes at the company; two in particular bear watching.

Look for changes to its capex budget

With oil and gas prices still relatively weak, Devon Energy could make another cut to its capex budget. That's something it hinted at last quarter, when it noted that,

[...] Should commodity price volatility continue, the Company's capital programs have significant flexibility because of minimal exposure to long-term service contracts, no long-cycle project commitments and negligible leasehold expiration issues.

Currently, the company plans to spend between $900 million and $1.1 billion on drilling capex this year. That's not enough spending to enable the company to maintain its production, let alone grow it as Devon has done in the past. Instead, production from its core assets is expected to slip by 6% this year. However, the company could decide to cut spending even further, allowing for an even larger decline in its production, which is what a number of its peers are doing this year.

Look for potential issues at EnLink

The weakness in the oil and gas market is also impacting cash flow at Devon Energy's MLPs, EnLink Midstream and EnLink Midstream Partners . In fact, EnLink's current financial guidance is based on oil and gas prices averaging $43.75 per barrel and $2.50 per million British thermal units, respectively, for the full-year. Those projections, however, proved to be very optimistic during the first quarter, which could impact EnLink Midstream Partners' ability to continue paying out distributions at its current pace. As things stand right now, the company's estimates mean that it would pay out 100% of its cash flow via distributions under those commodity price assumptions, or a 1.0 times distribution coverage ratio, while EnLink Midstream's coverage ratio would be slightly better at 1.1 times.

With their coverage ratios already tight, there's a very real possibility that the MLPs could cut their distributions, which would reduce the amount of cash Devon Energy would receive. That could have a meaningful impact on Devon, given that its midstream business generated $210 million in operating income last quarter, with most of this profit being attributable to its investment in EnLink Midstream.

Investor takeaway

Given where oil prices were, investors can expect Devon Energy to report a weak quarter. Further, those weak conditions have the the potential to force changes at the company and its MLPs. What's important is for the company to be proactive about making the necessary changes so that it doesn't repeat its key mistake from last year: growing for the sake of growth, only to pay a price for it when the oil market grew worse.

A secret billion-dollar stock opportunity

The world's biggest tech company forgot to show you something, but a few Wall Street analysts and the Fool didn't miss a beat: There's a small company that's powering their brand-new gadgets and the coming revolution in technology. And we think its stock price has nearly unlimited room to run for early in-the-know investors! To be one of them, just click here.

The article How Might the Abysmal Oil Market Impact Devon Energy Corp. This Quarter? originally appeared on Fool.com.

Copyright  1995 - 2016 The Motley Fool, LLC. All rights reserved. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
The Huawei Watch, may be the company's most recognizable product among American consumers. Source: Huawei

Chinese handset giant Huawei has bold ambitions: the firm hopes to sell more smartphones than Apple by 2019. And it's well on its way. The firm was the third-largest seller of smartphones last quarter, according to research firm IDC, shipping 27.5 million handsets on a global basis. Apple shipped nearly twice as many, but Huawei's growth was far more impressive, and the company is slowly closing the gap. As Huawei expands into additional markets, particularly the U.S., it could provide some tough competition in the years ahead.

Aiming for No. 1

In an interview back in February, Huawei's CEO Richard Yu told CNBC that the company wanted to be the second-largest smartphone vendor in the world within three years. Even more ambitious, by 2021, it hoped to be the largest. To do so, it would have to leapfrog both Apple and Samsung , which have consistently held the top slots for the last several years. In the first quarter of 2016, Samsung shipped nearly 82 million handsets, while Apple shipped just over 51 million.



Source: IDC.

Huawei came in a relatively distant third. But unlike Apple and Samsung, it experienced strong growth on an annual basis, with shipments rising 58.4% from the first quarter of 2015. Both Apple and Samsung, in contrast, saw their smartphone shipments fall on a year-over-year basis. Notably, Apple saw its shipments decline 16.3%.

Huawei courts Chinese and European consumers with affordable Android handsets

Huawei's recent success has been fueled by its smartphone strategy: The company offers powerful Android handsets at affordable prices. Most Americans aren't familiar with the company or its products, but Huawei's flagships often sport impressive hardware and innovative features (like its Mate S was the first Android phone to offer pressure-sensitive features on par with Apple's 3D Touch technology) that make them attractive to consumers in other markets. Meanwhile, its budget phones are sold at rock-bottom prices, but boast more than adequate internals.

Huawei's Honor 7 is a typical phone for the company. It retails for around $400, and packs a 5.2-inch display, speedy processor, fingerprint scanner, and 20-megapixel camera within its metal frame.

The combination of high-end specs at inexpensive prices has allowed Huawei to dominate the Chinese smartphone market. In the third quarter last year, Huawei overtook Chinese rival Xiaomi as the top seller of smartphones in the Middle Kingdom. But Huawei's success hasn't been limited to its home market. Also in the third quarter of 2015, Huawei emerged as the second-largest seller of Android smartphones in Europe behind only Samsung, according to research firm Kantar Worldpanel.

Major challenges lay ahead for Huawei

To achieve its targets, Huawei has been expanding into new markets: Earlier this year, it began selling some of its products to American buyers through Amazon.com.

But Huawei still faces significant challenges. In 2012, Congress labeled the company a threat to U.S. national security. A report from the House Intelligence Committee said the company, which also sells telecommunications equipment, was working as a spy for the Chinese government. That decree didn't cover Huawei's handsets, but the allegations could damage Huawei in its attempts to win the trust of American buyers.

Moreover, the Android market is highly competitive, and Huawei could find itself pressured by one of many other fast-rising vendors. Last quarter, Chinese firms OPPO and vivo emerged as the fourth- and fifth-largest sellers of smartphones globally, up from relative obscurity. Huawei itself emerged from almost nowhere in recent years to take the third spot, displacing Xiaomi (once seen as a major threat to Apple and Samsung) in the process.

Still, with its 8.2% global market share, Huawei has emerged as the definite third player in the smartphone market. It remains to be seen if the company can actually overtake Apple or Samsung, but it's certainly going to try.

A secret billion-dollar stock opportunity

The world's biggest tech company forgot to show you something, but a few Wall Street analysts and the Fool didn't miss a beat: There's a small company that's powering their brand-new gadgets and the coming revolution in technology. And we think its stock price has nearly unlimited room to run for early in-the-know investors! To be one of them, just click here.

The article This Chinese Company Thinks It Can Dethrone Apple's iPhone In Just 3 Years originally appeared on Fool.com.

Copyright  1995 - 2016 The Motley Fool, LLC. All rights reserved. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
At the age of 4, Leiliana Rose Wright died from horrific child abuse in Grand Prairie.

As shocking as the circumstances of her death are, given what we knew and when we knew it, our failure as a community to protect her is more shocking.

For years, Child Protective Services investigators have struggled, sometimes doing a little better or a little worse, but always struggling. We have long known why  low salaries and high workloads leading to constant caseworker turnover.

Its been reported that the CPS investigator assigned to Leilianas case had 70 other cases. Under national standards, he should have had no more than a dozen. Critical tasks went undone and critical actions untaken. With so many cases, tragic outcomes were inevitable.

When Texas does bring children into state care, the kids face new problems. Just this past December, a federal court found the states foster care system to be unconstitutionally unsafe because of high caseloads and a lack of foster homes. Recently we learned that children were sleeping in state office buildings or living in psychiatric hospitals because no placement was available.

Attracting more foster parents requires recruiting, training and supporting them as part of a professional treatment team. Right now, though, the state pays only 85 percent of the cost of providing services. In Fort Worth, the state has a model program called Foster Care Redesign that is producing great outcomes but with extra money from the community. So far the state wont commit to funding it statewide.

Very few of our state leaders have called for an increase in spending on child protection or foster care. In fact, shortly after the federal court decision, I predicted that lawmakers instinct will be to look for cheap solutions, such as replacing leadership or reworking our practice model.

The prediction recently came true. With Gov. Greg Abbott applauding, the head of the Texas Health and Human Services Commission announced the appointment of retired Texas Ranger Chief Henry Hank Whitman as the new top dog for CPS, saying, I cant think of anyone better than a Texas Ranger to protect our most vulnerable Texans, and going on to tout Whitmans strength as an investigator.

I have great respect for the Texas Rangers and wish Whitman the best of luck. If he is able to leverage his credibility to secure the resources CPS needs, his appointment will be a godsend.

As Leilianas case illustrates, though, being a great criminal investigator will be of little help to Whitman. The problem in Leilianas case wasnt that CPS couldnt figure things out. The problem was that CPS was too overwhelmed to act.

The announcement of Whitman also hints at a new law enforcement model and promises high accountability. Although this sounds reassuring, it would be counterproductive.

Child protection is primarily social work. Most cases involve neglect  mostly due to poverty, substance abuse and mental illness  not abuse. Because of this, providing real help to the family is the best course for the kids, and that means spending money.

Holding people accountable for not doing more than is humanly possible is an unfair and a punitive approach that leads only to increased burnout and higher turnover. We see that happening right now. Top leadership positions are vacant and morale is low.

Public servants feel unfairly blamed for the problems of their underfunded agency and are worried their heads will roll. Whoever is in the job will face the same intractable problems. Accountability simply doesnt work unless coupled with the resources to do the work.

Nevertheless, every three years or so, the state announces a new commissioner who is going to fix everything. We know better. We have been to this rodeo before. There are solutions, but they will cost hundreds of millions of additional dollars.

Knowing what we know, unless we as a community are willing to demand real action, we cant escape complicity in the death of the next Leiliana.

F. Scott McCown is a clinical professor of law and director of the Childrens Rights Clinic at the University of Texas at Austin.
The Texas economy  long a standout and a major source of Lone Star bragging rights  has gained national attention as the Texas Miracle. Over the past eight years alone, Texas annual job growth has exceeded the nations growth by a factor of four, with Texas adding jobs at a robust 2 percent, even in the face of a severe recession.

But much of that growth has been fueled by oil and gas, which is five times more important to our economy than to the nations. The recent price drop has been a body blow to our state. For the first time in 12 years, Texas job engine lags the rest of the nation.

Over the past year, oil and gas companies have shuttered more than 600 operating rigs, cut investment by more than $40 billion and slashed payrolls by 65,000, with the further ripple effect of 250,000 jobs lost in other sectors.

Yes, oil and gas still matter in Texas, which produces over a third of the nations oil. In 2014, the industry accounted for 13.5 percent of Texas economic output. Cutting that output by more than half takes a toll on Texas overall numbers.

The Texas Miracle, at least for now, appears to be on ice.

Thats not to say the Texas economy is not growing; some parts of the state are doing quite well. But hard times in the oil patch mean Houston and other oil-and-gas producing areas will continue to experience rough waters that will splash onto other parts of the state. And while Texas will still add another 1 percent to its jobs tally in 2016, that is less than the state is used to and less than the nation overall.

Still, unlike in previous oil and gas busts, Texas state finances remain sound for several reasons. First, our revenue structure is more diversified than 30 years ago. While still critical to the economy, oil and gas is a smaller player.

Second, much of the oil downturn was factored by the Texas comptroller into his official revenue forecast and by legislators into the states budget. Legislators last session left a $4.2 billion cushion in the general revenue fund and roughly $10 billion in the states rainy day fund. This sizable insulation will allow us to weather the downturn without the usual fiscal crisis. In addition, the state no longer heavily relies on severance taxes to cover basic state needs; most now are dedicated for other purposes.

Third, todays high production levels lessen the depth of the price crash. Texas oil production is about 50 percent higher than it was during the 1986 downturn and almost three times higher than it was in 2008. Natural gas production also is substantially higher.

Absent a national recession, Texas state finances are likely to remain in the black for the foreseeable future, even if oil prices continue to be weak.

What can we expect? The price of Texas oil is predicted to fluctuate while averaging less than $40 a barrel  about $10 below 2015s level. Natural gas prices are expected to hover near 2015 levels. Unable to make money at those prices, producers will continue to cut capital budgets, drill fewer wells, employ fewer people and produce less oil than in years past.

While oil and gas and related industries will continue to suffer, Texas also has a large energy-consuming economy helped by low energy prices, including new chemical plants and natural gas export facilities projects along the Gulf Coast. Other bright spots in the economy will be housing construction, service industries and health care.

While 2016 may be a challenging year in Texas, it is a testament to the economys underlying strength that the state has continued to add jobs as oil prices and drilling have slid to a third of what they once were.

Dale Craymer is president of the Texas Taxpayers and Research Association (www.ttara.org), a nonprofit organization of businesses and individuals interested in the state and local fiscal policies in Texas and the way those policies impact the economy.
Re: Exhibit A, Your Turn, April 25:

What an incredibly insensitive attitude. I have never been in a strip club, but logic tells me that these strippers are not doing this job because they love it. Not all women can be trained nurses or paralegals or well-paid secretaries.

These dancers are doing what they have to do to support themselves and probably their children. They are not slaves to the strip-club operators, and they should be paid every cent that they agreed to when they signed on.

Curtis J. Havel

What trickledown?

Re: Sanders appointment at the Vatican surely cant hurt, Kathleen Parker, Other Views, April 13:

Its curious that, when Republicans try to explain economic theory, they always use the trickledown, Reaganomics example. Kathleen Parker uses it to insult Bernie Sanders economic position by saying trickledown would have to be mandatorily applied for it to work. She was being sarcastic.

Shes also right. This Republican economic theory is not a theory. Its a delusion. What used to be the party of Lincoln has gone so far right that they are now the party of Reagan.

Mark Hall

They, too, toil

Every day, countless U.S. diplomats and their foreign affairs colleagues promote and protect American interests around the world, often endangering themselves to serve their country and promote democracy. Whether in embassies, consulates, international organizations or embedded in U.S. military units, they advance our policies, champion our commercial interests, assist our citizens overseas, and serve on the front lines in the war against terrorism.

A noble and increasingly dangerous profession, it continues to attract our best and brightest, but because so much of its work is done overseas, many Americans are unaware of the difference diplomats and foreign affairs specialists make in their daily lives.

To honor their many contributions to national security, economic development and job creation, the Senate in 1996 passed a resolution designating the first Friday in May of each year as American Foreign Service Day.

The Foreign Service Retirees Association of San Antonio has been active for more than 25 years. Among our members is St. Marys University professor James Creagan, who was posted to the Holy See and Brazil, and served as ambassador to Honduras when it faced destruction by Hurricane Mitch. San Antonio pitched in to help that country recover. Another member, Samuel Scott, worked for the U.S. Agency for International Development. All of the members have very different and exciting stories to tell. The group meets every other month for lunch to remember and to discuss global problems.

Janet Scott, Retired Foreign Service Group in San Antonio

Problem solved?

There has been much discussion regarding which restrooms transgendered people should be permitted to use. In many facilities, there are restrooms designated for men, women and family use. Why not designate the family use as family or transgender so that the privacy of all people can be preserved?

Judy Peterson, Boerne

Its a nonissue

Re: Favoring a minority, Your Turn, May 1:

Did it ever occur to the letter writer and others that these bathroom bills do absolutely nothing to prevent a predator from masquerading as a women to get into a womans bathroom? If they wanted to disguise themselves as a woman, they could do that right now, law or no law.

Although I cant say it has never happened, I do not recollect ever seeing it in the news.

I do not see this issue being a major argument for enacting such laws.

Dan Eaton, New Braunfels

Restroom open now

Unless we discriminate against LGBT persons, people worry that a man will put on a dress and gain access to a ladies restroom.

I wonder what keeps that from happening now while we are discriminating.

William Stavisky

Religious zealots

Re: Religious refusal laws about making discrimination legal, Kathy Miller, Opinion, April 24:

Ms. Miller correctly points out the danger of legislation motivated by religious belief. It opens a Pandoras box of discrimination toward all others of differing belief. The Founding Fathers had no such laws in mind when they wrote the Constitution. Just the opposite. It was freedom of religion and freedom from persecution for those beliefs that formed the foundation of their efforts.

An example of just how far religious zealots will go is the use of religion to justify a vote. Ted Cruzs statements, after winning the Texas and Oklahoma primaries was: God bless Texas and God bless Oklahoma. Phrased another way, Cruz was saying it was Gods will that gave him those primaries  egotistical at best, blasphemous at worst. One can only wonder what other things he would justify on the basis of his religion.

Ross Smith

Groupthink

Re: Appointments should reflect state diversity, Editorial, April 26:

This editorial is both racist and sexist. It is racist and sexist in that it indicates appointees to state offices should be selected on the basis of race and sex so as to reach some glorious diversity quota.

I realize this epistle will not move the Express-News Editorial Board or those who think like it. Such people practice groupthink, in which the individual is an undifferentiated component of some racial or sexual group and, thus, only the group characteristics of the appointee are of significance.

I, on the other hand, believe each individual is unique. Thus I am not a slave to racial and sexual statistics and quotas. My view is that an appointment should be made on the basis of the merits, competence and integrity of the individual, not some arbitrary group characteristics.

Richard McDonnell
Housing Secretary Julian Castro, a surrogate for Hillary Clintons presidential campaign, took aim at Bernie Sanders record on immigration during the senators former elected capacity as an Independent member of the U.S. House from 1991 to 2007.

Sanders "voted with Republicans to protect the Minutemen, a hate group that used military tactics against our community," Castro, a former San Antonio mayor, said in a statement rolled out by the Clinton camp March 8, 2016, the day that Sen. Sanders of Vermont won an upset victory in the partys Michigan presidential primary.

Clinton leveled a similar claim about Sanders and the Minutemen at a Democratic debate in Miami the next day; PolitiFact found her statement Mostly True. Unlike Castro, she did not call the Minuteman Project a hate group.

Democrats tend to support comprehensive immigration reform including possible citizenship for residents living in the country without legal permission. Sanders, an Independent, caucused with Democrats in the House and later in the Senate. So its arguably not helpful at the polls for him to be seen as supporting the Minuteman Project, which came into the spotlight in 2005 when its founders organized a volunteer stakeout of parts of the Arizona-Mexico border for the month of April.

More for you NWS predicts isolated strong, severe storms possibly on Monday

One of the co-founders of the Minuteman Project, Chris Simcox, parted ways with the project and established the Minuteman Civil Defense Corps in 2005. The remaining founder, Jim Gilchrist, was fired from the Minuteman Project in 2007, according to the Southern Poverty Law Center.

The groups spawned a network of chapters over the years, driven by a combination of growth and internal conflict over finances and other issues. Some chapters were not close to the border and focused on anti-immigration advocacy, while others voluntarily patrolled the U.S.-side of the border with Mexico.

Those patrols and confrontation with undocumented immigrants prompted then-President George W. Bush to disparage them as "vigilantes" and a former Mexican president to call them "immigrant hunters," the Washington Post reported in 2005 .

But the Minuteman Project and Minuteman Civil Defense Corps websites in 2005 and 2006 explicitly described their cause as "peaceful" and urged members to follow the letter of the law while patrolling the border, or risk discrediting their cause.

In the claim, Castro, like Clinton, was referencing a vote on an amendment to a 2006 appropriations bill. The amendment was proposed by Rep. Jack Kingston of Georgia in response to rumors that the U.S. Border Patrol had been telling the Mexican government where vigilante civilian border groups were stationed.

The 2006 CQ Almanac described it as follows : "Kingston, R-Ga., amendment that would bar the use of funds in the bill to provide a foreign government with information that relates to the operations or location of the Minutemen or other private volunteer border patrol groups along the U.S.-Mexican border, unless the information sharing is required by an international treaty."

On the House floor, Kingston explained , "What this amendment does is it clarifies Congress' position on a Border Patrol practice or a practice of the U.S. Government that tips off illegal immigrants as to where citizen patrols may be located. ... What my amendment does is simply says that the U.S. Government cannot tip off the Mexican officials as to where these folks are located."

At the time, Rep. Martin Olav Sabo, D-Minn., said he didnt oppose it because it essentially restated existing Customs and Border Patrol policy.

PolitiFact found that Clinton got Sanders vote right  he did vote with the GOP for the amendment, House records show  but downplayed what had been a bipartisan vote where 76 Democrats joined 216 Republicans in support.

But unlike Clinton, Castro described the Minuteman Project as "a hate group."

So, is the Minuteman Project a hate group  and did Sanders vote really protect them?

Requests for clarification from Castro led to Josh Schwerin, a spokesman for the Clinton campaign, reaching out via email and directing us to the Southern Poverty Law Centers list of nativist extremist groups . The SPLC was established in 1971 and is listed as an outreach partner by the FBI, according to the agencys website.

The SPLC list doesnt designate the Minuteman Project a hate group, unlike some other groups on their list of nativist extremists, which are marked with an asterisk to denote that they are both nativist extremist and hate groups.

We wondered what moves a group into hate-group territory. By phone, Mark Potok, a center expert, told us "the nativist extremist groups are a step towards the center."

"Basically, those are the groups which go beyond merely disagreeing with immigration policy and confront, personally, suspected illegal immigrants, or people who would help or hire them," he said, adding: "We don't list a group just for saying they think immigration levels ought to be lower."

Potok continued, "the thing to understand about our hate group listing is it's not based on criminality or violence. Its based on the ideology expressed by the group, on its website or by its leaders. We ask, does it demonize an entire group? Those are the hardest line groups we cover."

The SPLCs website defines hate groups as those that "have beliefs or practices that attack or malign an entire class of people, typically for their immutable characteristics."

Potok said that in 2006, the year the vote Castro referenced took place, nativist extremist groups were on the rise after beginning to emerge around 2005. Activity peaked in 2010, he said, when the center tallied 319 groups. In 2015, the SPLC counted only 17 such groups.

"A lot of these [extremist nativist groups] were spinoffs of the Minutemen groups," Potok said, "but not all."

Brian Levin, director of the Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism at California State University, said in a phone interview that Jim Gilchrist, one of the co-founders of the Minuteman Project, was receptive when Levin approached him to deal with neo-Nazi elements in the organization, and that differences of opinion on how to handle that issue contributed to the fissure creating the Minuteman Civil Defense Corps.

"Certainly there were entities in the border movement that were clearly racist hate groups, and certainly there were people who were in the Minuteman Project at the time who were, but I can tell you that [Jim] Gilchrist wanted those people excluded, and after I informed him, he took measures to do," he said.

In our research, we found that coverage of the projects offshoots has been dominated by several high-profile criminal cases that happened in the years between 2006 and today. In 2009, a former member of the Minuteman Civil Defense Corps murdered a Latino man and his 9-year-old daughter after breaking into their home, CNN reported . In 2013, Minuteman Project and Minuteman Civil Defense Corps co-founder Chris Simcox was arrested for child sexual molestation, according to Univision . These incidents have taken a toll on the reputation of the groups (for instance, in 2010, the NAACP referred to the Minuteman Project as "a nativist organization that has in the past been associated with the murder of migrant Mexican workers as part of its vigilante "border operations").

But it doesn't make sense to judge Sanders House vote on incidents that came after it occurred.

So what information on the project was available at the time of the vote?

A report from the Congressional Research Service, dated April 7, 2006, cited many potential problems that could arise with civilian border patrols, but also said that "apart from the widely reported incident involving Ranch Rescue [an extremist anti-immigration group that dressed in military gear and went looking for armed drug smugglers in 2002], there have been no credible reports of civilian border patrol organizations engaging in violence against migrants."

Some scholars of the Minuteman Project, like Leo Chavez, an anthropologist at UC Irvine who has written about the group, have suggested that press coverage and creating a spectacle were central to the groups purpose ("Although monitoring the U.S.- Mexico border was Gilchrists immediate objective, the larger goal was to use the "citizen patrols" on the border to draw attention to Gilchrists larger aim of influencing public opinion and federal immigration policy," he wrote).

Christopher J. Walker, an associate professor of law at Ohio States Moritz College of Law, echoed this view in an article in the Harvard Latino Law Review, writing , "More than anything else, the Minutemen seek media attention."

Todd Gutnick, communications director for the Anti-Defamation League, told us by email, "We have always referred to the Minutemen Project (of that period) as anti-immigrant extremists, who had racists/haters in their rank and file, but not specifically a hate group," when asked about the ADLs view of the Project circa 2006.

Sanders campaign policy director Warren Gunnels told us by email that Sanders "did not vote to protect the minuteman. This amendment simply stated what was already law at that time. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has never shared information with the Mexican government except when required by treaty."

Although Sabo said it didnt reflect a change in existing law, 106 out of 201 Democrats at the time still voted against it; 19 did not vote.

We reached out to Kingston for his perspective on the amendment.

"It wasnt an extremist group, they werent violent, they werent making threats, it wasnt anything like that at all," he said by phone. "It passed overwhelmingly. I may have spoken to Bernie about it at the time, I dont remember, but it wasnt an extremist position. To me, it was common sense."

"It was a minor vote. Ive gotten calls from a few other reporters that started a few months ago. I didnt even remember the thing itself until they started asking me about it," he said.

Our attempts to reach the Minuteman Project by phone and via its website proved unsuccessful.

Our ruling

Castro, a surrogate for the Clinton campaign, said: "Bernie Sanders voted with Republicans to protect the Minutemen, a hate group that used military tactics against our community."

Sanders, then an Independent in the House, voted with 75 Democrats to restrict the U.S. from alerting Mexico to Minutemen operations on the border. However, we didnt see any evidence that this since-weakened extremist group was designated a "hate group."

On balance, we rate this claim as Half True.

HALF TRUE  The statement is partially accurate but leaves out important details or takes things out of context.
Cracker Jacks Prize In The Box Will Now Be Digitized NPR

Buffett Says Derivatives Time Bomb May Elude Auditors Reviews Bloomberg

Listen Carefully for Hints of the Next Global Recession Robert Shiller, NYT

How to Prepare for the Next Recession NYT

The Next Global Boom  and Bust Simon Johnson, Project Syndicate

Where On The Titanic Would You Like Your Deck Chair, Maam? The Archdruid Report

Kingpins: OxyContin, Heroin, and the Sackler-Sinaloa Connection Addiction Unscripted (ST).

Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayers Compensation Soars 69 Percent to $42.1 Million Hollywood Reporter (Harry Shearer). Shearer: Most effective rebuttal to maximizing shareholder value nonsense.

Royal Bank of Scotland sucked into 1MDB probe FT

NC treasurers corporate board service poses ethical questions Charlotte News-Observer. And so it should!

Theres No Such Thing as a Free Rolex Zephyr Teachout, NYT. Apparently, former Governor Bob McDonnell is appealing his conviction for public corruption on the grounds that he has a First Amendment right to accept expensive vacations, a Rolex, a $20,000 shopping spree, $15,000 in catering expenses for a daughters wedding and tens of thousands of dollars in private loans.

Mossack Fonseca

EU Referendum: Poll shows Britain split 50/50  but higher turnout among older voters could tip country into Brexit Independent

China?

Japans Growing Poverty Defies Glib Explanations Bloomberg (ReSilc).

Syraqistan

Imperial Collapse Watch

McRaven does not know his place Sic Semper Tyrannis. More institutional decay.

Black Injustice Tipping Point

The Racist Roots of a Way to Sell Homes NYT. Contracts for deed are increasingly being used by investment firms that have bought thousands of foreclosed homes and want to sell them to lower-income buyers as is.  Contracts for deed make gouging possible, because unlike traditional mortgages, there is no appraisal or inspection to ensure that the loan amount is reasonable.

Larry Wilmores harshest burns in his White House correspondents dinner speech WaPo. Pretty sour mood, overall. And a lot of stone faces in the audience.

Obamas legacy: Politics of anger, fights, division McClatchy

The Selling of Obama Politico

2016

Warren Buffett: Trump? Hillary? Doesnt matter, well be fine CNBC

The Quiet American Slate. Excellent profile of Trump strategist Paul Manafort, and a good antidote to the Insiders link Yves posted from Politico yesterday. Manafort comes to play. So does his good buddy Roger Stone. And lets remember that normal Americans dont focus on the election til after Labor Day. Plenty of time for Manafort to do for The Donald what he did for Ukraines Yanukovych.

If Trump is nominated, the GOP must keep him out of the White House George Will, WaPo. These men will stay here: Kietel, Jodl, Krebs and Burgdorf. 

Clintonism screwed the Democrats: How Bill, Hillary and the Democratic Leadership Council gutted progressivism Salon

Mad as hell middle class independents shape presidential race on their terms Guardian

Workers wonder whether Bernie Sanders fight for them will really help them compete LA Times. I guarantee that Honey, can I compete? is a question thats not often asked at the typical working class kitchen table.

The most underappreciated fact of the election: Americans feel good about the economy WaPo. If you identify feeling good with consumer sentiment, yes.

Black Women Rally Behind Hillary Clinton WSJ

Donna Edwards skips Democratic Partys unity rally after primary loss WaPo

Stop sneering at Bernie Sanders Greg Sargent, WaPo

The revolution is not over: How Bernie Sanders can still win CNBC

How Bernie Sanders Can Squanderor ExpandHis Victory Alternet. Concern trolling.

Big Ammo: Clinton is raising money from gunpowder lobbyists and investors Medium

My Response To Being Attacked By Josh Holland In Raw Story Concerning #ExitPollGate Lee Camp. Discrepancies between exit polling and voting results in Democratic primaries.
If you think debacle is harsh, heres the Times front page (1:50AM, EST):

Perhaps the talking points have not been issued?

Iraq parliament stormed Deutsche Welle:

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Readers, normally Id put what follows in Links under Syraqistan, but since this is a major event, you might want a chance to talk about it. Please add thoughts and links in comments as the story develops.

Protests in Baghdad throw administrations Iraq plan into doubt WaPo. Lot of whistling past the graveyard quotes in here.

April 28: Vice President Joe Biden Visits Iraq Amid Political Turmoil Wall Street Journal. In the last few days, things have trended in a more stabilizing direction, one official said. So its actually a good time to be here.' April 29: Biden presses Iraq to not let political chaos upend gains AP

Hundreds of demonstrators stormed the heavily-secured Green Zone in Baghdad Reuters. Hundreds seems low. And although they broke down the concrete barriers in the Green Zone, the security services offered no resistance. So.

The initial breach was mostly peaceful, but around sunset security forces fired teargas and bullets into the air in an effort to stop more protesters from entering. Around a dozen people were wounded, police sources said. A United Nations spokesman and Western diplomats based inside the Green Zone said their compounds were locked down. A U.S. embassy spokesman denied reports of evacuation. Iraqi security personnel and Sadrs militiamen formed a joint force to control protesters movement, a source in Sadrs office told Reuters. Most protesters had evacuated parliament and some were preparing for a sit-in in its courtyard, he added. An army special forces unit with armored vehicles was dispatched to protect sensitive sites, two security officials said, but no curfew had been imposed. All entrances of Baghdad were shut as a precautionary measure to maintain the capitals security, another security official said. Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi has warned that the months-long political crisis prompted by his efforts to overhaul the cabinet could hamper the war against Islamic State, which controls vast swathes of northern and western Iraq.

Protesters storm parliament in Iraqs Green Zone Al-Masdar News

Iraq Shia protesters camp out after storming Green Zone BBC. Tactically, this is a Capitol occupation, along the lines of Madison, Wisconsin. So camp out suggests that the protesters are in this for the long haul.

Sadr followers dig in inside Baghdads Green Zone, political crisis deepens Reuters

Baghdad in State of Emergency After Supporters of al Sadr Storm Green Zone NBC and Baghdad Chaos: Protesters Topple Green Zone Walls, Storm Parliament (photo gallery) NBC

Who Will Rule Mosul? Foreign Policy. Just to show where our delusional foreign policy establishment was focusing.

* * *

Of course, it will be interesting to see how Who lost Iraq? plays out in election 2016. After eight years, Obama (and Clinton) own Iraq policy.
Corey Perrine/Staff (2) Jeff Foss fields a call Friday at the Rod and Gun Club in Everglades City. After over 40 years of ownership, the Foss and Bowen families have listed the late 19th century historic landmark and tourist attraction for sale. For more photos of the club, go to naplesnews.com.

SHARE Corey Perrine/Staff Bill Tost uses a blower to push debris away as Hortensia Bowen sits in a motorized cart Friday at the Rod and Gun Club in Everglades City. Foss talks about the fire that destroyed the original lodging in 1973. Newspaper clippings show the original edifice. Carol Foss talks on the phone as Piper Foss, 6 months, sits on a couch Friday, April 29, 2016 at the Rod & Gun Club in Everglades City, Florida. After over 40 years of ownership, the Foss and Bowen families have listed the late 19th century historic landmark and tourist attraction for sale. The asking price - $12 million - including most of the furnishings, according to co-owner Jeff Foss. Interested buyers can contact Investment Properties Corp. in Naples. (Corey Perrine/Staff) Estelle Branconier places cole slaw on a plate Friday, April 29, 2016 at the Rod & Gun Club in Everglades City, Florida. After over 40 years of ownership, the Foss and Bowen families have listed the late 19th century historic landmark and tourist attraction for sale. The asking price - $12 million - including most of the furnishings, according to co-owner Jeff Foss. Interested buyers can contact Investment Properties Corp. in Naples. (Corey Perrine/Staff) Related Coverage Throwback Thursday: Rod & Gun Club, 1950 Related Photos For Sale: Rod & Gun Club, Everglades City

By Laura Layden of the Naples Daily News

A piece of history is up for sale in Everglades City.

The Everglades Rod and Gun Club, one of the oldest buildings in the city, has officially been listed for sale, with an asking price of $12 million.

The listing brokers are with Naples-based Investment Properties Corp.

The lodge, 36 miles from Naples, has only traded a few times in its long and storied history.

The club, reminiscent of Old Florida and a throwback to simpler times, has been visited by at least five U.S. presidents and by famous actors, writers and musicians  from Burl Ives to Ernest Hemingway to Mick Jagger.

The historic property has been a filming location for several movies, including "Just Cause" and "Winds Across the Everglades."

The club's history dates to the 1870s, when William Smith Allen, Everglades City's founder and the area's first permanent white settler, built a house along what's now known as the Barron River.

The house laid the foundation for what would become the Rod and Gun Club.

After Allen retired and moved to Key West in 1889, George Storter Jr. bought the property, enlarged the house and entertained northern tourists who came to the Everglades by yacht to hunt and fish.

In 1922, Barron Collier, an advertising mogul and the founder of Collier County, purchased much of Southwest Florida, including Storter's property, which he converted into the private Rod and Gun Club.

He hosted international dignitaries and several U.S. presidents. He hired a famous chef and a skilled fishing guide to help lure guests.

"The property started as a homestead and over the years has become kind of an iconic building, really coming into its own when Barron Collier owned the property. It served as a place for entertaining his prestigious guests when they came to the area," said Robert Carroll, a broker-associate at Investment Properties Corp.

In 1972 the Bowen family from Michigan bought the club, and they continue to operate it as a restaurant and a hotel.

The owners and operators Patricia Bowen and Barbara and Jeffrey Foss declined to comment about the reasons for putting the property up for sale.

Patricia and Barbara are the children  and Jeffrey is the grandson  of the first generation of owners in their family. A family representative said that after owning and operating the club for so many years, the two women, who are in their 60s and 70s, are "just ready to retire."

The club sits on about 5 acres off State Road 29, 4 miles south of U.S. 41, in a city with a population of about 500.

"The unique thing about the property is it's very much the same as it was when the building was made into what it is in the '20s," Carroll said. "The family has done a very good job with the furniture, fixtures and equipment, keeping them very much to the appropriate period. The interior of the building is finished with cypress and pine and is, in my experience, unique to the area."

From the outside, the old white lodge may not appear to be so unique. But the inside takes visitors back to the 19th century, with antique furnishings, wooden floors, animal heads and stuffed creatures on the floors and walls and old maps and rifles on display, along with other historic memorabilia.

Since purchasing the club, the Bowen family has worked to restore it, though there's still more to be done. In an article written for VisitFlorida, the state's marketing agency, Patricia Bowen described what the club looked like before her family purchased it.

"The club was abandoned and ready to be condemned when my dad first saw it in 1970," she said. "But he was able to see beyond the shabbiness. He saw an authentic piece of Old Florida that was in danger of being lost forever. And he saw the potential to restore it to its original glory."

The property includes a 169-seat restaurant overlooking the Barron River, a public boat ramp, rental cottages, a swimming pool, a screened porch with water views and 800 feet of frontage along the river. It's where the annual "Blessing of the Stone Crab Fleet" is held every year for local fishermen before the start of the stone crab season.

The cabins offer 17 rooms for rent. At one time there were more than 90, including rooms in a wing that burned down in the 1980s, Carroll said.

The owners, he said, are serious about selling the property and are not just on a "fishing expedition" to see what kind of offers they can get.

"I think it has just been a good run and they're ready to sell it," he said.

While the property was only recently listed for sale, Marya Repko, president of the Everglades Society for Historic Preservation, said the owners have been interested in selling for a long time and would have already done it if someone had come along and offered them the right price.

"I would hope that whoever buys it buys it because they love the history of it," she said.

She would like to see the second floor, which is closed, restored so the main building can once again offer rooms for rent. She said it was the first building the city permitted.

Repko isn't worried about new owners demolishing the buildings on the property because it sits in the city's historic preservation district.

"I can't imagine the mayor, Sammy Hamilton, would allow it to be torn down," she said. "Fortunately as a city we control our own planning and zoning."

Terry Smallwood, the city's planning and zoning administrator, said City Council approval is required to make any significant changes or improvements to the property.

The rare property has been listed for sale on LoopNet, and the listing agents are spreading the word to the local brokerage community to make them aware of the opportunity.

"Having a property with the history and appeal of the Rod and Gun Club is almost unheard of in Southwest Florida," Carroll said.

Though marketing for the property has just begun, the listing agents have reached out to several local investors who have purchased and renovated other historical properties in Boca Grande and Cabbage Key.

"The optimal buyer for this property is someone familiar with the area. Perhaps somebody with a hospitality background and somebody who appreciates and really can run with what is already there," Carroll said.

Anyone who thinks they're going to raze the property is not the right buyer, and the owners want to be sure the property falls into the right hands, he said.

"The buyer is likely to come from a group of Naples residents who love and know the property and want to see it restored to its rightful place," Carroll said. "The Rod and Gun Club is a destination for day trippers and fishermen and history buffs, and there is a tremendous value-add opportunity for the right buyer."

Links: http://www.tourbuzz.net/public/vtour/display/503100?idx=1 http://everglades-rodandgunclub.com/
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Submitted By Wbn Marketing Llc

Bonita Springs  According to the Bonita Springs  Estero Association of Realtors (BEAR) Media Committee, activity in the Bonita Springs and Estero housing market saw a downshift in sales for March and overall for quarter one 2016. However, more inventory continues to come into the market for a positive outlook for buyers and sellers in the coming months. Overall, the median close price was 9 percent higher than 12-month ending March 2015. The average days-on-market remained stable.

Additionally, all signs are pointing to more overall stability in the market. "We're moving toward a more level market", stated Elizabeth Mancini, managing broker of Premier Sotheby's International Realty, Bonita Springs. "Evidence of this is seen with more year-round activity as opposed to just seasonal activity. This presents a good opportunity for sellers."

Jeff Tiefenbach, broker, Keller Williams Elite Realty, Bonita Springs agrees and notes the difference in buyers. "We're also seeing buyers who are looking to move to the area full-time have a more urgent need to buy now as opposed to those buyers looking for a part-time residence, and they are picking up the A+ properties quickly."

Regarding a five-month downshift in the market, buyers are still looking, but the rush to buy was not present in early 2016 as in past years. The downshift affected sales and pending sales because demand is catching up to inventory. Roger Brunswick, Broker-Associate with John R. Wood Properties stated, "The downshift in quarter one simply means that accrued demand is being satisfied."

What was also evident in quarter one was that traditional resales are in competition with new construction.

"Sellers have been frustrated by the longer sales cycle", stated D. Michael Burke, 2016 BEAR President and Team Leader, Team Michael Burke, Keller Williams Elite Realty, Bonita Springs. "In regards to new construction competition, sellers need to be mindful and realistic about their listing prices and the condition of the property. A pristine property that is well priced is the key to getting activity and an offer."

Also, while buyers are still proceeding with caution, the BEAR Media Committee agrees that buyers should not wait to make an offer on A+ properties, as those properties will continue to sell quickly through spring and summer.

The number of closed sales, including single-family homes and condos for 12-month ending March 2016, was 3,006 units as compared to 3,247 units for 12-month ending March 2015, a 7 percent decrease. Pending sales also saw a decrease of 17 percent with 2,676 units versus 3,223 units. The days-on-market in the Bonita Springs-Estero market, which was 72 days, continues to remain stable with a slight change from 77 days from 12-month ending February 2016. The 2016 March market report also showed 792 units of inventory for single-family homes and 732 units for condominiums.

The BEAR March 2016 Report shows these overall findings for both single-family and condominiums combined.

The numbers are in this order: 12-month ending March 2016; 12-month ending March 2015; Percent Change.

Pending Sales Units: 2,676; 3,223; -17%; Closed Sales Units: 3,006; 3,247; -7%; Median Closed Price: $300,000; $268,000; +12%; Average Days on Market: 72; 77; -6%; *Active Inventory as of March 31: 1,524; Month's Supply as of March 31: 6.4; 6.4; 0. *Active Inventory as of 3/31/2015 not available.

Founded in 1966, the Bonita Springs-Estero Association of Realtors Inc. (BEAR) is a local trade organization of over 850 Realtors and more than 120 affiliated industry members. BEAR is part of the National Association of Realtors and Florida Realtors, and provides its members with a wide range of services designed to educate and empower members and consumers alike through the opportunity to sell or purchase real property. It also provides the public with up-to-the-minute real estate reports, trends and information about the Bonita Springs and Estero real estate market.
Submitted McGarvey Development Co. is on schedule for the July 22 completion of a 185,945-square-foot, two-story middle and high charter school in Pembroke Pines, Florida that will accommodate 2,500 students.

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Submitted By Caffrey & Associates

McGarvey Development Company CEO John McGarvey announced the Estero-based firm is on schedule for the July 22 completion of a 185,945-square-foot, three-story middle and high charter school in Pembroke Pines, Florida that will accommodate 2,500 students. In addition to the Pembroke Pines school, McGarvey has completed construction of eight charter schools in the State of Florida.

"We're working on a very tight, very aggressive time frame," said McGarvey. "The biggest challenge we'll face from a construction perspective is getting the site work completed and the building enclosed before the beginning of rainy season. Getting construction completed by July 22nd is imperative. The new school year begins the second week in August and we need to turn the building over to Discovery Schools with plenty of time for furnishings and equipment to be installed."

McGarvey is using a concrete tilt-wall construction process to construct the Pembroke Pines school. Two-inch thick casting pads are being placed around the foundation footprint to provide a flat, level surface for pouring concrete wall panels. Once poured and cured, the panels are titled up onto the building's foundation and secured with sections of rebar steel that are embedded in the foundation. All of the floors and roofing system are precast concrete planks that effectively create a large concrete diaphragm.

"We have used the tilt-wall construction process in a wide variety of applications and it offers several advantages," said McGarvey. "First and foremost, it is a process that is ideally suited to the Florida environment. It offers greatly enhanced wind resistance and the all-concrete construction eliminates any issues with termites, bugs, or mold. Secondly, it is a construction process that offers tremendous expediency. The shell of the building will be enclosed relatively quickly using the tilt-wall process and allow us to focus our resources on finishing the interior of the building during rainy season."

With more than 35 years of residential and commercial development experience, McGarvey Development Co.is headquartered in Estero, Florida. McGarvey Development is the development arm of the McGarvey Companies, a vertically integrated company providing a full range of development and construction services to both commercial and residential customers. Online at mcgarveydevelopment.com.
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AJS Realty Group Inc.

Naples native Jeff Clapper has joined their team. Clapper has been named the group's senior associate of sales and leasing. He will be involved in all facets of commercial real estate services, including property management, investment sales, leasing and tenant representation. Clapper previously served as the leasing and acquisitions manager for Southwest Florida for Courtelis Co., an owner/developer of shopping centers. Most recently, he was senior associate at the Naples office of Equity Inc., a full service brokerage firm based in Ohio. Clapper brings extensive experience in retail, medical and office leasing, as well as property management and sales and acquisitions of investment properties.

KOVA Partners LLC

John Zizzo, CAM, has been named a property and association manager for KOVA Property Management. He will be responsible for managing a variety of areas within the division, including properties, vendors, tenants and associations. Originally from Chicago, Illinois, Zizzo holds a bachelor's degree from National Louis University. He has 15 years of experience as a real estate broker and property manager for Coldwell Banker Real Estate. Zizzo holds Florida Community Association Manager (CAM) and Florida Real Estate Sales Associate licenses and certifications in Broker Price Opinion Resource (BPOR) and Short Sales and Foreclosure Resource (SFR) from the National Association of Realtors. His expertise includes sales, property management, construction and real estate.

Stevens Construction Inc.

Scott Wells has joined the company as senior superintendent. Wells joins the company with more than 20 years of construction experience with a specialty in senior care construction. He previously served as senior superintendent for a construction management firm where he completed more than $400 million in commercial construction, including the 400,000-square-foot Terraces at Bonita Springs, a Santa Fe Senior Living Community. Wells will manage the on-site field supervision of commercial and health care projects, specifically handling inspections, safety meetings, daily job reports, cost reports and all tasks that are instrumental to the success of the project.

Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Florida Realty

Sales Professional Bob Fielder has joined the firm's Bonita Springs office. Fielder has earned the Graduate, Realtor Institute (GRI) designation and has been a real estate professional in Southwest Florida for 22 years. He has been awarded Gulfshore Life's 5 Star Top Agent for seven straight years and voted Best in Client Satisfaction from 2009 through 2015. He previously was associated with Re/Max Realty Group.

Florida Home Realty

Broker associate Bev LaLonde has earned the certification as a Resort & Second-Home Property Specialist (RSPS) from the National Association of Realtors. The RSPS certification signifies that LaLonde has advanced expertise in buying and selling properties used as second, pre-retirement, retirement or vacation homes. LaLonde has earned the Certified International Property Specialist (CIPS), Accredited Buyers Representative (ABR), Seniors Real Estate Specialist (SRES), and Certified Negotiation Expert (CNE) designations. She is also a member of The Institute for Luxury Home Marketing.
You may want to sit down.

Legal bills in a case over a $550 charge for public records have surpassed $100,000 and may well exceed $200,000 before all is said and done.

Collier County Clerk of Courts Dwight Brock has spent $121,000 on outside attorneys defending against a lawsuit brought by independent journalist Gina Edwards in 2014.

The bills will eventually fall to taxpayers and the public users of the clerk's services.

The case is in its final stages, as Brock's attorneys wrestle with Edwards' team over how much Brock's office will pay them. The figure could be as much as $80,000, an attorney for Edwards said.

Edwards filed the lawsuit, alleging Brock was overcharging for records sought as she investigated Brock's auditing practices.

Collier Circuit Court Judge Fred Hardt ruled Brock should have charged $1, not $350, for 350 emails requested by Edwards. The $1 represents the cost of a computer disk.

Hardt also ruled Brock could charge $1 a page for a copy of a 200-page audit manual that existed only in paper form. Edwards' attorneys argued the fee should be 15 cents per page.

Brock appealed the ruling on the emails and lost.

In all, Brock's office paid about 25 invoices to Woodward, Pires and Lombardo, the firm he usually hires for legal work, and Blount Law, the firm that handled the trial and appeal.

The first invoice came in January 2014 and the latest is dated April 4 of this year.

The most recent invoices indicate Brock's attorneys are researching appropriate legal fees in cases where there is a "split decision."

A Florida Supreme Court ruling earlier this month in a Jacksonville case makes it easier for citizens to recoup legal costs in public records cases, but Giovani Mesa, one of the attorneys working with Edwards, said she would have been in line for reimbursement anyway. "The case is really like a cherry on top," he said.

It will be up to a judge to determine the amount Edwards is entitled to for legal fees. Mesa estimated it to be around $75,000 to $80,000. Mesa expects a hearing on the fees to be held in about six weeks.

Brock says the case is about much more than the $350 for the emails.

His budget is made up partly of fees collected for things like recording documents and filing lawsuits. Charging for documents is one such source of income. Losing the ability to charge $1 a page would cut into his budget every year, he said.

His main reason for fighting in court was the charge for the printed manual, not the emails, he said.

"If that (the charge for the emails) had been the only issue, I would have been an idiot not to just give her the records," he said. "I still think I was right on that, but the court obviously disagreed. I wish I was perfect, but I'm not," Brock said.

Edwards' investigation centered on a review conducted by Brock of HOME, a nonprofit group set up to use government grants to refurbish houses for people of modest income.

John Barlow, vice president of HOME, ran unsuccessfully against Brock in 2012. Brock told county commissioners the review was done by an independent consulting firm, but after eventually receiving the documents, Edwards reported that Brock and his lieutenants were more involved in the report than he originally let on.

Now, in 2016, Brock again finds himself facing a political opponent. Collier County Commissioner Georgia Hiller has announced a run against Brock, who has been in office since 1992. One of Hiller's complaints has been Brock's spending on litigation.

The two will face off in the August Republican primary.

Edwards said her legal fees are going up even as attorneys discuss what those fees should be. "It just keeps running up the bill over here too. All of this is such a waste," Edwards said.

(Connect with Brent Batten at brent.batten@naplesnews.com, on Twitter@NDN_BrentBatten and at facebook.com/ndnbrentbatten)
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By Barbara Steinhoff, Community Contributor

Since the late 1800s, Florida has been a haven for spiritual pioneers searching for the "ideal life" in what many consider the ideal communal environment.

From the Cassadaga Spiritualist Camp in central Florida to Koreshan Unity in Estero to Kashi Ashram in Sebastian to Collier County's Ave Maria, WGCU's one-hour program explores the ideas behind each of these spiritual communities and attempts to answer the question: Did followers of these individual spiritual communities find heaven on Earth?

"Florida: Heaven on Earth" was produced by award-winning, Naples-based writer and producer, Lynne Howard Frazer and funded through a grant from the Florida Humanities Council with funds from the National Endowment for the Humanities.

"Our goal with this program," Frazer said, "was to examine the importance of a common ideology in the formation of successful communities."

In the film, Stetson University professor of religious studies Phillip Charles Lucas, who served as a humanities scholar to help guide the project, describes why Florida is conducive to spiritual communities. "It's a place where people come to retire. It's a place where people have a vision of a kind of ideal life, so people are drawn to Florida for that reason."

Spiritualists were drawn to central Florida in 1894 by "spirit guides" to establish the Cassadaga Spiritualist Camp. Now considered the oldest continuously active spiritualist center in the southern United States, Cassadaga's core belief is in the continuity of life and that those who pass into the "spirit world" can communicate with the living. The camp has survived for more than 100 years and is functioning in the 21st century with what Lucas calls "new age spirituality that's very eclectic."

Through two world wars, a depression and the current economic down turn, Cassadaga has adapted to meet the needs of its followers. The same cannot be said of the once-thriving Koreshan Unity in Estero. In the late 1800s, Cyrus "Koresh" Teed envisioned a "New Jerusalem, a city of 10 million that would usher in a new world order." The Koreshan lifestyle was based on Teed's believe that we lived inside the earth and that God was both male and female. He and his followers believed in celibacy, communism and equal rights for women.

For more than 40 years, the Koreshans lived along the Estero River developing their community to include a machine shop, boat-building operation and bakery. As Teed worked to incorporate his Koreshan community, he found himself embroiled in the politics of Lee County from disagreements over taxes to accusations of block voting. Tensions grew and as a result of a political fist fight, Teed was injured and eventually died. The community survived Teed's death and remained a vibrant ? but stagnant ? commune for another 30 years.

In the documentary, Lynn Rainard, professor of history at Tidewater Community College, said there are lessons to be learned from the Koreshans. "Other communities can learn from them. Both the mistakes they made?and the things they did right."

While the Koreshans believed that we live inside the earth, a group in Sebastian, Fla., known as Kashi Ashram, believes that the only religion is a religion of kindness. Founded in the mid-1970s by a Jewish homemaker from Brooklyn, N.Y., who received a visit from Jesus Christ who told her to "Teach all ways, for all ways are mine," this 80-acre community is home to more than 70 believers.

Kashi's focus on service recently inspired a partnership with the state of Florida to create an independent living center for low-income seniors known as "By the River."

In WGCU's documentary, Lucas said, "I think what ?By the River' is doing is very important, because I think baby boomers want something they believe in. Something that makes a difference in the world."

Known for their work with the elderly, homeless and hungry, and as a meditation and yoga center, Kashi's future will be dependent on how closely the community ties itself to its founder, the former Joyce Green who goes by the name Ma Jaya Sati Bhagavati, and more importantly, if the community is strong enough to sustain itself after she's gone.

The inspiration of one person's vision was the impetus behind South Florida's newest spiritual community: the town of Ave Maria in Collier County. In 2002, Tom Monaghan, founder of Domino's Pizza, was searching for a new home for a Catholic college when the Barron Collier Development Company offered to give him 750 acres and in return, the company would build a residential and commercial development around the new university. "I think it's God's will to do this," said Monaghan.

As the university began to build and the town around it took shape, Monaghan's vision was questioned. "Florida: Heaven on Earth?" explores those who questioned Monaghan's idea of a "Catholic community" and those who envision living in a community based on conservative Catholic teachings. Glenn Whitehouse, professor of religion and philosophy at Florida Gulf Coast University, describes the Ave Maria community as "a community for like-minded people of a certain Catholic bent."

What happens when the desires of those like-minded people to live in a spiritual community come up against the laws of the land, including fair-housing and civil rights, is explored in "Florida: Heaven on Earth?"

Since the 1800s, people have come to Florida to find their utopia. For some, that utopia is based on their spiritual beliefs. "Florida: Heaven on Earth?" explores the development of four spiritual communities, providing a look into what draws people to them and their impact on the state of Florida.

"Florida: Heaven on Earth?" is part of the statewide project examining "Community in Florida" and is funded by the Florida Humanities Council. WGCU-TV will air all of the Florida public television "Community" programs on Sunday, May 16 beginning with "Imagining a New Florida" at 3:30 p.m.; "Jacksonville Beach: Against the Tide" at 4:30 p.m.; "St. Petersburg: New Place in the Sun" at 5 p.m.; "Venice, Florida: Moving Forward by Looking Back" at 5:30 p.m. and "Florida: Heaven on Earth?" at 6 p.m.
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By Blair Anthony Robertson, The Sacramento Bee (TNS)

Cooking at home can be a rewarding endeavor and a lifelong pursuit. The more time and effort you invest, the more likely you are to reduce your flubs and minimize your disappointments.

Along those lines, we're always learning something, whether it's how to clean a cast iron pan (yes, soap and water is OK) or how to cook a steak (turn it frequently, or, hmm, start by freezing it).

But maybe you're just starting out and don't have the benefit of skills and years of trial and error. If so, you've probably made some of the mistakes listed below (or are about to make them). Even if you've been at it for years, surely there's something here you're doing wrong. How many kitchen missteps are you willing to own up to? In random order, here are 31.

1. You don't preheat your oven adequately. While preheating is not always necessary, it is crucial for many baked goods like cakes, muffins, pies and breads. To get the oven fully heated to 350 degrees Fahrenheit usually takes 20 minutes. Also, finishing a thick steak in the oven (after searing it on the stove top) mandates that the oven be preheated (usually to 450 F. Or maybe 160 F).

2. You don't check the interior temperature of the food you are cooking. If you want to make sure your dinner guests don't eat nearly raw chicken you just plucked off your backyard grill, use an instant-read thermometer and save yourself some grief. The federal government actually has a helpful temperature chart: foodsafety.gov/keep/charts/mintemp.html. The best instant read device is the speedy but pricey Thermapen.

3. You don't preheat your frying pan. Are your omelets a mess? Are your pancakes gooey in the middle? Do delicate foods stick to your nonstick pan? You're probably not patient enough heating it up. You can actually use an infrared thermometer to get it right. Cast iron pans are great, but they don't heat up evenly and take longer to get a balanced heat across the entire cooking surface.

4. You don't prep before you cook. Watch what happens in a professional kitchen. Before lunch or dinner service, prep cooks come in and get everything ready: They peel potatoes, chop celery, mince onions, slice tomatoes, peel garlic. Home cooks tend to do everything at once and the results can be chaotic. Prep, then cook. It's more relaxing and you're less likely to make mistakes.

5. You don't read recipes all the way through. This is similar to prep. You should understand the recipe before you dive in and start cooking from it. The better recipes are often complex and have recipes within recipes. There's also the issue of timing. It's crucial. Say you're making a chocolate mousse an hour before dinner guests arrive, only to read the final step: Chill said mousse for eight hours.

6. You don't let your meat rest after cooking. You're hungry. The kids are famished. Let's just pull those steaks off the grill and dig in. Wrong. The pros let their steaks rest at least 10 minutes before slicing to avoid the dreaded loss of juices all over the plate. Tent the steaks with foil, set your timer and leave them alone.

7. You use dull knives. OK, be honest. When was the last time you've had your knives sharpened? Dull knives are actually dangerous, especially for doing things like slicing onions. Here's a quick test: A sharp knife should easily cut through a sheet of paper. Sharpen your knives about once a month, depending on use. Hone your blades with a steel or a honing rod, before every use to realign the edge (which makes it feel sharper).

8. You don't use a cutting board. This one seems so basic we hesitated to include it, but it turns out that a lot of people use their counter tops to chop, slice and mince. That's a big no-no. It's bad for your knives and can potentially cause cross-contamination. Glass cutting boards also are a bad idea for your knives.

9. You avoid wood cutting boards because you think they trap bacteria. That's a myth. Keep your cutting board clean and oiled (with mineral oil), and it's very safe.

10. You don't pay enough attention to food safety. Over 100,000 people a year go to the hospital for food poisoning each year. The federal government has helpful guidelines to greatly reduce that risk: Clean, separate, cook and chill.

11. You don't label and date the food you refrigerate and freeze. Those fish sticks in the freezer won't last forever. Was it 2005 or 2007 that you stuck those things in there? Here's a food storage timing guide you should bookmark: foodsafety.gov/keep/charts/storagetimes.html. The one thing in your kitchen that won't spoil no matter where you store it? Honey. It might last for centuries.

12. You're not using a pressure cooker. Remember when bread machines were all the rage? And slow cookers? It may seem old school, but the best gadget you're not using is the pressure cooker. These days, it's a big hit with chefs using modernist techniques. It saves time (boiled potatoes in 10 minutes instead of 45), it's a green appliance (uses less energy) and in many cases the flavors are superior to other cooking methods.

13. You don't follow the recipe. Thanks to online comments on countless food sites, we see it all the time. People alter recipes, then complain the recipe is no good. They substitute ingredients, often unwisely. They leave things out. They skip steps. Stick to the recipe faithfully the first time and see what the writer is getting at before switching it up. See No. 5 and No. 27

14. You always cook from a recipe. Yep, while it's good to follow recipes and learn how ingredients work together, you're not really cooking until you go it alone and create your own dishes. A good book for understanding the fundamentals and creating your own recipes is "Ratio: The Simple Codes Behind the Craft of Everyday Cooking" by Michael Ruhlman.

15. You think baking and cooking are the same thing  just wing it. Sure, you can adjust the flavors or sauces and soups on the fly, and seasoning chicken, beef and poultry is more of a feel thing. But it's not that way with baking, where precision is paramount. You need to measure carefully and consistently. See. No. 16.

16. You don't use a kitchen scale. The most accurate way to bake and cook is to weigh the ingredients. More and more recipes, especially for baked goods, are providing weights in the list of ingredients. It's more precise than cups and spoons. "The Food Lab" mastermind J. Kenji Lopez-Alt, among others, is a proponent of digital scales.

17. You don't clean your cast iron pan with soap and water because you heard it will remove the (nonstick) seasoning, or polymerized layer, you worked so hard to achieve. Not true. Use it, wash it, dry it, then wipe it with a thin coating of oil while heating it for a few minutes and you're done.

18. You don't chill your chocolate chip cookie dough before baking. This is not the secret it used to be, thanks to a spate of recent articles celebrating this crucial step. Yes, your cookies will have better texture and flavor if you chill the raw dough for 24 hours before baking. This is the key step for excellent vegan chocolate chip cookies, too.

19. You don't use parchment paper. It's the best for cakes and cookies and makes cleanup a breeze. Take it from Martha Stewart.

20. You over-stir your pancake batter. This is a rookie mistake and can lead to pancakes as pleather. This is not like a cake batter, where you whip and/or mix at high speeds. Put the whisk away, grab a silicon spatula and stir, or fold. Gently. Just until the wet and dry ingredients are combined. Interestingly, this buildup of gluten does not happen to the same extent if you're making whole wheat pancakes. If that's the case, stir on with abandon.

21. You overcook your omelets. Here's a seemingly simple dish that actually requires great care. Browning the eggs alters the flavor for the worse. Learn the technique, practice and master one of life's little luxuries. Thomas Keller of the French Laundry advises using a pan at low heat and cooking the eggs until they are slightly underdone, with no color. For an unusual approach, try chef Daniel Patterson's poached omelet technique.

22. You buy things you could be making and make things you probably should be buying. Mayonnaise, almond butter, granola, cookies, salad dressing, soup? They're easy and better when made at home. Bagels? You probably need some mad skills, but it's doable. Beef, chicken and veggie broth? Best at home  if you've got time. Pizza? It can range from awful to decent at home, but unless you have an 800-degree oven (standard ovens only go up to 550 degrees F) you'll have a hard time getting that Neapolitan-style crust the way you want it. Drip coffee? Yes. Espresso? Unless you've dropped $2,000 on a decent countertop machine, leave it to the experts. A good resource: "Make the Bread, Buy the Butter: What You Should and Shouldn't Cook From Scratch" by Jennifer Reese.

23. You waste time boiling a pot of water for pasta. Old thinking was we needed plenty of water to keep the pasta circulating. There's a new way. Start with a saute pan of cold water and turn on the heat. You don't need much water and it takes less time and energy. This comes courtesy of food writer Harold McGee. nytimes.com/2009/02/25/dining/25curi.html?  r=0

24. You only turn your steaks once (because that's how you were taught). McGee and Lopez-Alt, among others, have shown that multiple turns is better, leading to more even cooking.

25. You thaw and marinate food on the counter at room temperature. The government's food safety guide calls it "one of the riskiest things you can do." Instead, thaw meat in the fridge. Same with marinating. If you thaw food in the microwave, cook it immediately.

26. You ALWAYS thaw your meat before cooking. OK, that's not necessarily a mistake and this one's a little esoteric, but it's interesting, courtesy of Modernist Cuisine. Freeze the steaks for 30 minutes, then sear over high heat in a pan (remember to preheat it adequately), then finish in the oven at the uncommonly low 160 degrees for 50 minutes, or until the interior of the steak reaches 133 degrees (yes, get out that instant-read thermometer).

27. You don't think about time and sequence before you start cooking. Let's say you've got four different dishes to pull together for dinner. Starting them haphazardly could lead to chaos. Start each recipe in the proper sequence and finish everything at the same time (remembering to rest that steak for 10 minutes). See Nos. 1, 3, 4, 5, 6, 12 and 23.

28. You're still soaking dried beans. This is a controversial one, because most recipes for dried legumes call for soaking, often overnight. But Russ Parsons, food writer for the Los Angeles Times, has long insisted that soaking does nothing to improve flavor and texture and only marginally decreases cooking times. If you want to do beans even faster, see No. 12.

29. You always brine, or never brine, your chicken, turkey and pork. Brining is big these days, thanks to advocates like the science nerds at Cooks Illustrated. Sure enough, brining can work magic on ho-hum boneless chicken breasts, giving them better texture and an infusion of flavor. But as McGee notes in "Keys To Good Cooking," his follow-up to the classic "On Food and Cooking," brining has its limitations: "They dilute the meat's own flavorful juices with tap water, and usually make the pan juices too salty for deglazing into a sauce."

30. You under-salt everything. Eric Veldman Miller, owner of V. Miller Meats in Sacramento, says the most common mistake home cooks make with steak is under-salting the meat. Be assertive. The salt brings out the flavor of the beef.

31. You overcook EVERYTHING. Last but not least, this may be the biggest blunder of all. Your pork chops have all the tenderness of a foam roller. Your steaks are dark gray and brutally dry in the middle. And that plate of mushy veggies, as "Joy of Cooking" puts it in the "Introduction to Vegetables" section, "is drained of all life force." The great tome goes on to advise home cooks to "do very little to them." Obliterating food is a sign of an insecure cook. With skill and experience comes an understanding of when food is cooked properly.
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By Tim Aten

Longtime Naples resident Linda Stevens rekindles the past by serving up shaved ice at her new Sandy Scoops ice cream parlor in East Naples.



It really brings back my childhood memories, Stevens said about Sandy Scoops, which she recently opened next to 21 Spices Indian restaurant in Sugden Park Plaza off U.S. 41 East.



Stevens dream revolves around a shaved ice machine inspired by her maternal grandfather, who she said put all of his 10 kids through Catholic high school by selling shaved ice during the summertime up North.



He really knew what he was doing. I loved the shaved ice so much, she said. Just doing it reminds me of my childhood and reminds me of summer.



Stevens especially remembers three flavors  grape, cherry and egg custard  of shaved ice, which is kind of like flavored snow. She has scores of interesting homemade syrup flavors at her local shop.

Shaved ice flavors include kids favorites such as bubble gum, cotton candy, Dreamsicle and watermelon, as well as root beer, mango, tangerine, Georgia peach and French vanilla. Stevens really kicks it up a notch with flavors such as Cajun red hot, Granny Smith apples, cookie dough, wedding cake and pina colada. She even offers sugar-free flavors: banana, cherry, strawberry, toasted coconut and orchid vanilla magic.



More than one flavor can be chosen for each $3 serving. Top your shaved ice creation with snow caps of sweet condensed milk or marshmallow fluff for an extra 50 cents.



"Some people don't know what shaved ice is. I'm trying to introduce it to everyone," Stevens said. "When someone comes in and orders an ice cream, I'll give them a sample of the shaved ice, if they haven't had it. They love it. It's already been a big hit."

Shaved ice is a good place to start, but its just the beginning of Sandy Scoops. The local ice cream parlor also serves warm Belgian waffle sundaes, banana spilts, shakes, malts and cold-brew iced coffee. Premium ice cream flavors include bananas Foster, salted caramel swirl, peanut butter cup, peanut butter and jelly, and even Guinness.

Kids are welcome to draw right on the dry-erase tabletops, and Sandy Scoops is hosting a special paint party at noon this Saturday.

Sandy Scoops, 4270 Tamiami Trail E., unit 19, is open 2 to 9 p.m. Monday through Friday, and 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. For information, call 239-300-0527 or go to Sandy Scoops' Facebook page.

For the latest in local restaurants coming and going, see Tim Atens In the Know columns archived at naplesnews.com/intheknow, and on Facebook at facebook.com/timaten.intheknow.
One of the whimsical lifeguard stands on Miami Beach. They were recently redone to reflect the sensibility of the city. (Ellen Creager/Detroit Free Press/TNS)

SHARE The Breakwater Hotel is one of the most photographed sights on Ocean Drive in Miami Beach. It dates from 1936. Bedecked with neon and across from Lummus Park, it is a beacon for visitors. (Ellen Creager/Detroit Free Press/TNS) It may look like a hotel, but the McAlpin is really part of the Hilton Vacation Club on Ocean Drive in Miami Beach. (Ellen Creager/Detroit Free Press/TNS) The Avalon on Ocean Drive, Miami Beach. (Ellen Creager/Detroit Free Press/TNS) The Park Central hotel on Ocean Drive is an iconic sight in Miami Beach. Designed by Henry Hohauser in 1937, the hotel was among the first ones renovated in South Beach in the late 1980s. It is currently closed for a $40 million renovation. (Ellen Creager/Detroit Free Press/TNS)

By Ellen Creager, Detroit Free Press (TNS)

MIAMI BEACH  With the energy of the sun and colors to rival a rainbow, Miami Beach architecture is happiness wrapped in doo-dads.

OK, I know. These are not the analytic words of a serious architecture buff.

Honestly, I don't know a doo-dad from a hole in the wall.

It's just that you don't have to be an architect to appreciate the city's Art Deco and Miami Modern sensibility. Real, curvy and a little zany, most buildings are in condition that would make their original architects proud.

"Before I moved to Miami Beach I thought it was just a party town, and it took me a little while to connect to the history and culture," says Amanda McMaster, marketing manager for the Miami Design Preservation League.

Now?

"Sometimes, it almost seems like it is its own country."

Today, Miami Beach glows with vitality. Artists, designers, celebrities, several variations of rich people, hotel developers, spring breakers and South American visitors all play here.

While some renovations remain, the city has come a long way from the dumpy shape it was in 30 years ago. Billions have been poured into this beachside city since the 1970s, says Daniel Ciraldo, the preservation league's historic preservation officer. That was when a handful of Miami Beach citizens ran to the rescue of teetering old buildings built between 1915 and the 1950s. They successfully argued that the one single thing that made the city special was the architecture.

They were right. Miami Beach's Art Deco District is not only on the National Register of Historic Places (www.nps.gov/nr/travel/geo-flor/39.htm), it arguably has evolved into one of the most delightful tourist spots in the world.

New arrivals may not exactly grasp what makes Miami Beach so appealing, other than picking up a sort of happy, comfortable feeling when they arrive. But one key is that everything is human scale here.

Among the clever architectural details of the bright Art Deco hotels and businesses built between the 1920s and '30s are ship-like railings, port holes, eyebrow window overhangs, odd-stepped ziggurat roofs and terrazzo floors.

Farther north in the Miami Modern area, where the buildings date from the 1940s to 1960, hotels and other buildings sport wild details such as huge expanses of plate glass, mosaic tile, fin walls, woggles and cheese holes.

Cheese what? Huh?

Obviously, you need more education.

So between your trendy alfresco dinners, bar hopping and beach sunning, here are a few suggestions of how to spend your Miami Beach moments:

On the beach: The whimsical, vivid lifeguard stations dotting the wide beach for miles have recently been updated to harken back to Miami style. And if you want to see a real tropical Art Deco gem, try the Beach Patrol Headquarters. It dates from 1936 (1001 Ocean Drive).

Drop into the Miami Historic Preservation League Visitors Center and its 2-year-old museum, 1001 Ocean Drive, open 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesday-Sunday (www.mdpl.org). There you can see the history of Miami Beach's boom-bust-boom days.

Have your picture taken in front of some of the sweetest cinematic hotels, the Breakwater (1936) and the Park Central (1937).

Take an organized or self-guided architecture tour. There are independent walking tours (such as www.artdecowalks.com or www.artdecotours.com) or seek out a tour through the Miami Design Preservation League (www.mdpl.org). League tours include self-guided audio tours, a guided 90-minute Art Deco tour, a MiMo (Miami Modern) tour, Miami Beach culinary-history tour, a Jewish Miami Beach tour, and a gay and lesbian Miami Beach tour. During the annual Art Deco weekend each January, there are 40 different tours involving everything from cocktails to the Mob.

THE HOTELS

When in Miami Beach, of course, you must stay at a historic hotel. This is harder than it seems. Even new buildings look vintage. And some buildings that say "hotel" on the outside actually aren't.

For example, the Raleigh Hotel on Collins Avenue was recently bought by fashion designer Tommy Hilfiger and will close in May to be turned into a private club. On Ocean Drive, walk by the cute McAlpin Hotel  but don't try to stay there unless you are a member of Hilton Vacation Club.

Another thing. Don't be surprised if your hotel has two names on the building. Because of historic preservation rules, "some hotels can't change names because it was part of the original hotel," McMaster says. A new Hampton Inn on Collins Ave. still says "The Claremont" on one side. The Ritz Carlton stills says "DiLido Beach" on one tower. The spire of the Hotel says "Tiffany" because it was once called the Tiffany Hotel.

"The owners wanted to be the Tiffany Hotel again, but Tiffany, the brand, wouldn't let them," McMaster says.

To confuse the issue further, hotels keep changing hands and changing names. With pedigrees more carefully noted than that of a French poodle at the dog show, hotels keep reinventing themselves. This spring, for example, Hyatt bought South Beach's Thompson hotel, formerly known as the Crown, originally known as the Lord Tarleton. Hyatt, for reasons known only to its marketers, plans to rename it "the Confidente.

MIAMI BEACH TIPS

Because this city is so popular (tourism in the greater Miami area rose to a record-breaking 15.1 million between fall 2014 and fall 2015), you will be fighting for elbow room at some points during the year here. Follow these three tips for a happier visit:

 Double-check what festivals and events are happening during your Miami Beach visit. For instance, don't be the person expecting a quiet romantic March weekend if the electronic music festival is booming. http://www.miamiandbeaches.com/events/annual-events

 Ask your hotel ahead of time if renovations are going on and the pool is open. So many hotels are being renovated that calling ahead can avoid unhappy surprises.

 Look at photos of your hotel. Many historic hotels that have been preserved and renovated still have fairly small rooms and elevators. That is part of the charm, but if you don't want that, either stay at another property or upgrade to a larger room.

Miami Beach may be only seven square miles and beribboned with seven miles of beach, but, as they say, good things come in small packages.



IF YOU GO

Getting there: Miami Beach is about 25 minutes from the Miami International Airport, about a $35 cab ride.

Stay: I'd recommend staying at a hotel away from busy Ocean Drive and instead on Collins Avenue around 17th Street. These hotels all are one block from the beach.

 National Hotel, 1677 Collins Ave. (www.nationalhotel.com, $225-up). Epic 1939 Art Deco hotel totally renovated in 2014.

 The Hampton Inn Miami South Beach (www.hamptoninn.com, $150-up). Historic hotel totally renovated in 2015.

 The Nautilus (www.sixtyhotels.com, $225-up.) Historic hotel just reopened after two years of renovations.

For more: Miami Beach Tourism: www.miamiandbeaches.com; Miami Design Preservation League: www.mdpl.org; Miami Modern on the North Shore: www.mimoonthebeach.com; City of Miami Beach, www.miamibeachfl.gov/visitors. If you see a building you like, look up its history. Many have been cataloged: www.ruskinarc.com/mdpl.
SHARE One of the eldest members of St. Demetrius Orthodox Church, Valentina Visan, receives a hug from one of the youngest, Dimitri Dimitrov, 8, after the conclusion of Pascha service, or Easter, at St. Demetrius Orthodox Church Sunday, May 1, 2016 in Naples, Fla. Many Orthodox churches base their Easter date on the Julian calendar, which differs from the Gregorian calendar that is used by many western countries and the rest of the Christian faith. (Luke Franke/Staff) Reverend Father Gleb McFatter sprinkles holy water during the blessing of the baskets ceremony to mark the end of the Passover fast and to celebrate Pascha, or Easter, at St. Demetrius Orthodox Church Sunday, May 1, 2016 in Naples, Fla. Many Orthodox churches base their Easter date on the Julian calendar, which differs from the Gregorian calendar that is used by many western countries and the rest of the Christian faith. (Luke Franke/Staff) Reverend Father Gleb McFatter serves communion to members of the congregation during the celebration of Pascha, otherwise known as Easter, at St. Demetrius Orthodox Church Sunday, May 1, 2016 in Naples, Fla. Many Orthodox churches base their Easter date on the Julian calendar, which differs from the Gregorian calendar that is used by many western countries and the rest of the Christian faith. (Luke Franke/Staff) Orthodox Christian worshippers celebrate Pascha, or Easter, at St. Demetrius Orthodox Church Sunday, May 1, 2016 in Naples, Fla. Many Orthodox churches base their Easter date on the Julian calendar, which differs from the Gregorian calendar that is used by many western countries and the rest of the Christian faith. (Luke Franke/Staff) Related Photos Photos: Orthodox Easter Sunday

By Ashley Collins of the Naples Daily News

Families dressed in their Sunday best to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ at St. Demetrius Orthodox Church in East Naples, where Easter Bunnies and candy-filled baskets were nowhere in sight.

Rather, the baskets were filled with meat, dairy and sweet bread, which rejoiced the resurrection of Christ and the end of fasting on Sunday.

"During the 40 days prior to Pascha, people are fasting. In the Orthodox Church, it's traditional to fast from all animal products," said Fr. Gleb McFatter. An exception to the rule is fish. "And then on Pascha, we break the fast and with that we break out the Easter baskets full of meat, wine, cheese, all the things we couldn't eat during Lent."

McFatter led the Pascha, or Easter, service, which is also known as the Feast of Feasts. He also blessed the baskets with holy water after the service, before parishioners took them home for their feasts.

For the past 15 years, Mary Kay Barsdate, 83, of Marco Island has attended services at St. Demetrius. She considers herself a cradle Orthodox.

"My parents were Orthodox, so I grew up Orthodox," Barsdate said. "Pascha is the most glorious day of the year. It's the basis of our resurrection. As a child, we had many traditions like the blessing of the baskets and we would take the baskets home to eat."

During the blessing, members of the church cracked open red-colored eggs. The color red symbolizes the blood Christ shed on the cross.

"It's the joyous celebration of Christ overcoming death and through his blood we have overcome death. You have the red outside and inside the egg, its white, symbolizing the resurrection of Christ with the brightness," McFatter said.

The Orthodox Church celebrates the resurrection of Jesus Christ later than the Catholic Church and most of the western world, which celebrated Easter on March 27.

The reason  many Orthodox churches follow the Julian calendar when determining the date of Pascha. Occasionally the two calendars coincide and Easter is celebrated on the same day.

Another reason  the church follows a centuries-old tradition set forth by the First Ecumenical Council, held in Nicea in 325 AD., which requires that Pascha takes place after the full moon following the Jewish Passover.

McFatter said there is a misconception about the Orthodox Church in America.

"I think it's important for Americans especially to understand that there is an Orthodox Church in America. A lot of times I speak to people, who first of all don't know what Orthodoxy is. Sometimes they confuse it with Jewish Orthodoxy. So you have to explain that there's Christian Orthodoxy and that all Christians were Orthodox for the first 1,000 years of Christianity," he said.

St. Demetrius and other Orthodox churches in the area, including the St. Paul Antiochian Orthodox Church and the St. Katherine Greek Orthodox Church, conducted various services on Holy Week, starting April 24, Palm Sunday.

"Many people ask, "What is an Orthodox Church?" We have many traditions and we live by what the faith has been declared to us not only in the Bible, but also in the life of the church and its traditions," said Rev. Joseph M. Shaheen of St. Paul's.

Rev. Fr. Philemon Patitsas of St. Katherine's said all Orthodox churches focus on three things.

"All Orthodox are one in dogma, what we teach about God necessary for salvation, one in ecclesiology, the teachings of what church is, and the same traditions, where we don't just say we're saved, we keep struggling our whole lives against sin," he said.

During the Sunday service at St. Katherine's, flowers were thrown, symbolizing the joy felt for the resurrection.

Patitsas said the flowers remain in the church for a week.

Next year's Orthodox Easters falls earlier on April 16.
This image released by Disney-Pixar shows the character Dory, voiced by Ellen DeGeneres, in a scene from "Finding Dory," opening nationwide on June 17. (Disney-Pixar via AP)

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By Paul Brinkmann, Orlando Sentinel (TNS)

ORLANDO, Fla.  Animal welfare activists and pet shop owners fear a wave of interest in tropical fish and the possible decimation of key species after the June release of Disney Pixar's "Finding Dory."

The cartoon movie is a sequel to 2003's "Finding Nemo," which had prompted a surge of cute orange clownfish being caught in the wild and sold at pet stores. Many parents and children, inexperienced with saltwater aquariums, bought a little Nemo fish and watched it die.

The new movie includes the return of absent-minded Dory, a cartoon version of a Pacific blue tang voiced by Ellen DeGeneres.

"I think we are facing the same problem, and it's even worse because the blue tang is really unsuitable for a home aquarium animal," said Teresa Telecky, director of wildlife at Humane Society International. "Blue tang live up to 50 years and get big, over a foot long, which would require a 180-gallon aquarium, the size of a couch."

Telecky said the Humane Society has asked to talk with Disney about the movie and its impact on the marine pet trade. Other groups such at the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals are urging families to buy plush-toy versions of Dory instead of the real thing.

Disney didn't provide answers to specific questions about its plans, but a spokeswoman said in an email that Disney's conservation team is working with the Association of Zoos and Aquariums on a program to support tang conservation. The company also said it is preparing educational materials "discouraging personal ownership of blue tangs."

The Marine Aquarium Societies of North America reported that marine biologists have talked to Disney about the storyline, particularly suggestions that blue tang can be raised in captivity. Raising blue tang from eggs or larvae in captivity is not possible yet, because captive-breeding efforts have failed.

The baby fish die in captivity because they don't eat normal fish food that other tropical fish in tanks eat, said Matthew DiMaggio, assistant professor at University of Florida and a leading researcher on blue tang.

"We knew this movie was going to come out, and we have been trying to raise them. But they are a challenge," DiMaggio said.

After "Finding Nemo," SeaWorld helped launch a program called Rising Tide, which attempts to raise blue tang and other marine ornamental fish in captivity. The program just scored a success with raising the first yellow tang in Hawaii and has improved breeding for the clownfish. But so far, the blue tang has only been raised to 22 days old in Florida laboratories at Ruskin and Fort Pierce.

In Orlando, aquarium supply store owner Marcye Sweeney vowed she won't sell any blue tang, aka Pacific palette surgeonfish.

"Thousands of clownfish died after 'Finding Nemo,'" said Sweeney, owner at Sea in the City. "People will tell you that you can set up an aquarium immediately and raise these fish, but they are generally wrong. It's not that easy."

She said she tries to educate customers about the needs of the animals.

"People will try to tell parents that they can put a small young tang in a small tank, but that's like having a greyhound living in a small apartment, or worse," Sweeney said.

Mike Bober, CEO of the Pet Industry Joint Advisory Council, said sales reports showed only a moderate increase in clown fish sales after "Finding Nemo"  contrary to many media reports and anecdotal accounts at the time. Bober said people interested in aquariums can research the right fish for them at MyRightFish.com.

Blue tang can be purchased online, and some online sales sites include a warning that large saltwater tanks are needed. One site advertised a small blue tang starting at $50, plus $30 for next-day air shipping from California.

Telecky said many Disney movies that feature animals result in enormous impact on those species, including Dalmatian puppies after "101 Dalmatians" installments.

"Their latest movie "Zootopia" has a cute fox in it, a fennec fox, which is native to Africa," Telecky said. "Sales of fennecs have taken off around the globe now."

In recent years, Disney has generally avoided animal welfare controversy, and the company consulted with renowned primatologist Jane Goodall when it opened Animal Kingdom in Orlando.

Telecky said Tuesday the Humane Society has reached out to Disney about public education for the Dory release, but formal talks have yet to take place.

Rene Umberger, executive director at Hawaii-based For the Fishes, said she and the Humane Society are organizing a publicity campaign.

"Without a concerted effort, there is a very real chance that species of fish could be wiped out, meaning near extinction in the wild," Umberger said. "The other concern is, fishermen use cyanide to capture these fish, which can damage the reef. The fishermen already report that they must go farther and farther out from land to find the blue tang, and the movie hasn't even come out yet."
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Gerard Fischer, Naples

See you in court

With regard to presidential "overreach," so often heard from opponents of President Barack Obama's immigration amnesty executive order, I came across a similar situation in the early 1930s.

President Franklin Roosevelt had felt it imperative to act on the economy without congressional consent or input, complaining that Congress acted too slowly (FDR's fellow Democrats controlled the House with 322 representatives and the Senate with 69 Democratic senators).

The Supreme Court struck down the National Industrial Recovery Act, the mighty government scheme to control and regulate business. The case involved a lowly poultry butcher in Brooklyn who was put out of business by being forced to comply with the Live Poultry Code that set wages and hours.

Do readers see similarities with Obamacare setting standards of medical insurance and minimum wage policies?

Chief Justice Charles Evans Hughes at the time said, "Extraordinary conditions (the Great Depression) do not create or enlarge constitutional power. ... Congress cannot delegate legislative power to the president to exercise an unfettered discretion to make whatever laws he thinks may be needed or advisable for the rehabilitation and expansion of trade or industry."

The same decision must also await Obama's edicts and executive orders; they are simply unconstitutional. Whatever his motive for fundamental change of the nation, the pushing for open borders or the takeover of the medical insurance industry, they are inconsequential. The court would have to reverse its own ruling from May 27, 1935.
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Howard Berger, Naples and Denver

Taxing statement

Jay Ambrose of Tribune News Service and frequent columnist in the Naples Daily news recently stated that "right now, people only pay Social Security taxes on income less than $118,500."

Wrong. Employees earning that amount and over do pay the tax. Unfortunately, those earning over that sum pay a lower rate than those below that amount. The rate is 6.2 percent for workers paid up to the cap of $118,500. The employer also contributes 6.2 percent.

For example: A wage earner paid $30,000 annually contributes $1,860 to Social Security; $118,500 pays $7,347. However, one who is paid $300,000 pays only $7,347; an employee earning $3 million also pays only $7,347, etc. In essence, therein lies the problem of immediate solvency for Social Security.

The solution is not raising the limit as indicated in the Ambrose column, but lifting the cap. The individual with a wage of $3 million would be paying $186,000. Such action would defer the impending Social Security financial crisis for at least an estimated additional 25 to 40 years.
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By Jb Holmes, Golden Gate Adjutant, VFW Post

"Fighting for the future" and "standing firm defending our principles" are quotes from Collier County students who participated in the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) Voice of Democracy and Patriots Pen essays on My Vision for America and What Freedom Means to Me.

Each year, nearly 40,000 high school students nationwide enter to win a share of the $2 million in educational scholarships and incentives awarded through the VFW's Voice of Democracy audio-essay competition. The VFW established the Voice of Democracy program in 1947 to provide students in grades 9-12 the opportunity to express themselves in regards to democratic ideas and principles.

High school students from across the country recorded audio-essays on this year's VFW theme: My Vision for America. The VFW has selected one winner from each state to qualify for the grand prize, a $30,000 scholarship to the college or trade school of his/her choice.

The essay contest encourages young minds to examine America's history, along with their own experiences in modern American society, by drafting a 300-400 word essay, expressing their views based on a patriotic theme chosen by the National VFW commander-in-chief.

The national first-place winner receives a $30,000 scholarship paid directly to the recipient's American university, college or vocational/technical school. Other national scholarships range from $1,000-$16,000, and the first-place winner from each state (VFW Department) wins a minimum scholarship of $1,000 and an all-expense-paid trip to Washington, D.C.

Voice of Democracy is open to students in grades 9-12 who are enrolled in a public, private or parochial high school or home study program in the U.S. and its territories, on the Nov. 1 deadline.

Students in grades 6-8 enter the VFW's Patriots Pen (PP) youth essay contest. The first-place winner from each state competes for national awards totaling $50,000. The national first-place winner receives $5,000 and an all-expense-paid trip to Washington, D.C.

Each year, more than 125,000 students enter Patriots Pen.

In Collier, all middle and high school students were invited to participate. Each school could only submit one essay for every 15 students. More than 650 essays from Collier County schools were entered into the Golden Gate VFW Post judging.

In January, 12 Collier County students were invited to a dinner at the Golden Gate Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) Post 7721 to read their essay entries in the VFW Voice of Democracy and Patriots Pen to the membership of the Golden Gate VFW Post 7721 and the Naples VFW Post 7369.

The first-, second- and third-place local winners of both the VFW Voice of Democracy and Patriots Pen read their winning essay entries. Eighty members of the public were issued special invitations to attend the event with an elegant dinner prepared by officers of the Golden Gate Post and served by the Golden Gate VFW Boy Scout Troop in full uniform.

The winners of the VFW essay from Collier County were granted cash awards of $200 for first place, $150 for second place and $100 for third place from the Golden Gate VFW Post and the Naples VFW Post for both contests. Additionally, the Golden Gate VFW Auxiliary awarded the winners with $100 for first place, $75 for second place and $50 for third place.

One of the Golden Gate VFW winners' essay went to the Florida state (VFW Department) level, representing Collier County, after winning in the VFW District 13 Southwest Florida contest. The state-level winners competed for a variety of scholarships, cash awards and an all-expense paid trip to Washington, D.C., to compete in the national competition for a $30,000 scholarship.

The grand-prize winner was announced on Feb. 29 at the VFW Legislative Conference in Washington, D.C.

Grayson Campbell, a senior at Covenant Christian School, was named the 2015-16 Voice of Democracy first-place winner. He was sponsored by VFW Post 10555 and the VFW Auxiliary in Panama City Beach in the Florida Panhandle. His speech on the 2015-16 theme, "My Vision for America," won him a $30,000 college scholarship, which he plans to apply toward college.

Readers can go to www.vfw.org/VFWDC2016 to watch the Parade of Winners in the Voice of Democracy and Patriots Pen audio-essay contest. Show your support for these patriotic teens by sharing their audio clips of their essay with your friends and family.

Together we can celebrate the next generation of proud Americans!

__ Golden Gate VFW Post 7721 is at 800 Neffs Way, the northwest corner of Pine Ridge Road and Collier Boulevard: 239-455-7721 or post7721@flvfw.org.
Two birth control methods recommended

Other Accutane side effects just as bad, if not worse

(NaturalNews) Zika might be dominating the headlines as the media and scientists publicize a possible link to birth defects, but a common acne drug can also cause severe birth defects and miscarriages, and many women are ignoring the warnings. The problem is so dramatic that countries like Canada have launched official programs to prevent pregnancy in women taking the drug. Given its dangerous potential, why is this drug still legal?The drug in question, Accutane, is manufactured by Roche and comes from a class of drugs known as retinoids, which can affect the way in which the body reads genes. Its generic name is isotretinoin. More than 13 million people are estimated to use Accutane globally each year.The drug is known to harm fetuses and reduce the amount of brain cells they generate. Precautions are typically taken to ensure that women who are currently pregnant or might become pregnant avoid the drug, but these programs have not generally been successful.For example, a recent study in thefound that among the women studied who take Accutane, 30 to 50 percent of them did not comply with the requirements of the program.The study's lead author, Dr. David Henry, said: "Poor adherence with the Canadian pregnancy prevention guidelines means that Canada, inadvertently, is using pregnancy termination rather than pregnancy prevention to manage fetal risk from isotretinoin."He added, "It appears that not all doctors and patients are sticking closely to the guidelines to prevent pregnancy during treatment with isotretinoin."Some of the damage it can cause to a fetus includes cardiac, central nervous system and craniofacial defects. It also causes a high possibility of miscarriage or the need for medical termination. Half of all isotretinoin prescriptions written in Canada are for females, and the average age of its users is 24, so it's easy to see why this is such a big problem.The Canadian program calls for two negative pregnancy tests to be shown before starting the treatment, and patients must be provided with informed written consent. In addition, it is recommended that they use two reliable methods of birth control throughout treatment, although the period of exposure actually extends beyond the time that treatment ends. According to patient records from nearly 60,000 women taking the drug between 1996 and 2011 in Canada, 1,473 pregnancies occurred, and 118 of them resulted in live births. Nine percent of those live births had congenital abnormalities.Moreover, the researchers found that only between 25 and 33 percent of women actually filled birth control prescriptions while they were taking the drug, which was the same rate as that noted prior to the implementation of the program. While this does not include people who obtained birth control pills outside of plan coverage or those who turned to intrauterine devices, it is still an alarming statistic.Numerous studies have shown a similarly poor performance in following the drug's pregnancy prevention guidelines in other countries.Retinoids have also been connected to schizophrenia and Alzheimer's disease. The World Health Organization has reported more than 700 cases of psychiatric problems that are linked to Accutane use, 84 of which are suicides or attempts at suicide.The drug has also been linked to other serious side effects , such as acute pancreatitis, hepatitis, sight loss, night blindness, internal skull pressure and psychosis.After being hit with a number of lawsuits, Roche decided to stop marketing the drug, but this falls quite short of doing the responsible thing and pulling the drug off the market altogether. As usual, it's all about the bottom line.Those who suffer from severe cystic acne are understandably eager to treat it, and thankfully there are a number of natural approaches that can be taken. Accutane's active ingredient is actually a synthetic form of vitamin A. The natural form can be found in foods such as carrots, goji berries, cilantro, broccoli, kale and sweet potatoes. Red palm oil is one of the best natural sources of vitamin A precursor beta-carotene. None of these foods will make you go crazy, kill yourself or give birth to a child with severe defects.As long as drug companies continue to push dangerous drugs on the masses, people who care about their health will need to make the effort to stay informed and research safer alternatives. The Natural Medicine, Healing and Wellness Summit is one good source for finding safe ways to treat various ailments.
Antihistamines prevent your muscles from healing

Natural remedies for hay fever

(NaturalNews) Hay fever affects around 7.8 percent of people over the age of 18 in the U.S., and worldwide, between 10 and 30 percent of the global population, according to the(AAAAI).Otherwise known as allergic rhinitis, hay fever is a common condition that can seem a lot like a cold, with sufferers experiencing sneezing, congestion, a runny nose and sinus pressure. Hay fever is caused by your body having an allergic response to airborne substances, for example, pollen. Depending upon the particular substance you are allergic to, you may experience hay fever at different times of the year, as reported bySome people also experience itchy eyes, a sore throat and even hives, and those that experience bad symptoms of hay fever will inevitably search for a way to alleviate the symptoms. But it seems that antihistamines, a popular treatment for hay fever , may actually cause problems with your body's ability to heal.According to the, antihistamines have recently been shown to cause drowsiness, in addition to blunting the body's ability to help muscles recover. Research from the University of Oregon has found that antihistamines blunt or limit the body's gene responses necessary for helping your muscles to recover after vigorous exercise.After you hit the gym, over 3,000 different genes work together to aid your body's recovery by boosting muscles and blood vessels. But if you suffer from hay fever and have taken a high dose of antihistamine, almost 27 percent of your gene response is blunted.Histamine is a substance that is found in your body and reacts to pollen, mold and other allergens. If you suffer from hay fever, it is likely that your body is producing too much histamine; that's when you can have uncomfortable allergic reactions. But histamines also work to relax your blood vessels and increase blood flow during post-exercise recovery.This latest study has found that there is a link between histamines and how your body changes after exercise. Professor John Halliwill explains, "We were looking for pathways associated with the growth of new blood vessels. ... We saw evidence of that, but we also saw gene expression associated with glucose uptake by muscles, restructuring of muscle in response to exercise, immune responses, and intracellular communications."The study found that antihistamines had no effect before workouts, and a low effect immediately after exercise had finished. However, three hours after a workout, 795 of the genes usually involved in muscle recovery responded with lower levels of expression If you are a sufferer of hay fever and want to avoid taking over-the-counter antihistamines, there are several natural home remedies you can try . You can take some very simple measures to limit your exposure to allergens, for example by avoiding the outdoors between 5 and 10 a.m., which are peak times for pollen.According to, there are certain essential oils that can also help alleviate your symptoms. Lavender is a natural antihistamine, and has strong anti-inflammatory properties that will help to treat most allergic reactions. Another option is peppermint, which has pain relieving, soothing and cooling properties, helping to open your airways and ease congestion. Use these essential oils topically or in a diffuser for best results.There is a great deal of evidence to support the use of homeopathic medicine instead of over-the-counter drugs, and treating hay fever using natural products can have better results  without the risk of interfering with your body's ability to heal.
A group of teenagers are being hailed for their honesty after they returned an envelope with $5,000 cash found near a bank parking lot in City of Industry.

While walking home after hanging out at the Puente Hills Mall, three friends and students at Wilson High in Hacienda Heights spotted something that piqued their interest: a little bag lying in the ground in the mall parking lot near East West Bank.

"We thought it was very strange and out of place so I slowly opened it," said 17-year-old Alfonso Herrera.

What they found was an envelope with about $5,000 in cash.

"I was expecting it to be nothing in there and I saw all the money and was like, 'Oh my God!' " said Cassandra Figueroa, 17.

"We started freaking out, like, 'What do we do?'" said Josh Lliteras, 17.

The teens briefly thought about keeping the cash, pondering on Disneyland passes, iPhones and other things they could buy. But as they started counting it, their conscious kicked in.

"That could have been someone's rent," said Figueroa.

After discussing what they should do, the friends decided to return the money. The bank was closed for the day so they turned the cash over to the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Industry station.

The sheriff's department honored the three teens with proclamations for doing the right thing.

"You guys could have easily divided the money three ways and nobody would've known," LA County Sheriff's Capt. Tim Murakami told the teens. "Since you guys are so honest, I need to be honest too: When I was 17, I don't know if I would've done what you guys did."

So far, no one has claimed the cash. There's an official waiting period, but once that is over, if no one has come forward, the money will be divided among the three teenagers.

The rightful owner of the money found can reach LASD's Industry Station at 626-330-3322.
The San Mateo County Sheriff's office is asking the public for help locating a 27-year-old Millbrae man who seemingly disappeared Thursday, and they consider his disappearance suspicious.

Keith Green was last seen Thursday at around 10:15 p.m. at his home. He left shortly after that, official said, opting not to take his wallet and his car with him.

The next morning, his cell phone was found by a hiker in San Francisco's Golden Gate Park.

His family and friends are worried about the young father, whom they said always put family first.

Anyone with information regarding Green's whereabouts is asked to call Det. John Carroll at (650) 259-2313.
An extra-alarm fire that left two firefighters hurt Saturday night in the Southwest Side Brighton Park neighborhood was suspicious, according to the Chicago Fire Department.

Firefighters were called about 8 p.m. to the blaze at the four-story mattress warehouse near the intersection of 48th Place and Christiana Avenue, fire officials said.

It was upgraded to a second alarm about 8:30 p.m. and a third at 9:15 p.m. before being put out at 10:45 p.m. The Chicago Fire Department was on the scene for about four hours, officials said.

Two firefighters suffered minor injuries. One was sent to Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn and the other to Holy Cross Hospital, officials said. They were treated and released, according to the department.

Chicago Fire Media tweeted Sunday afternoon that the blaze was found to be incendiary and suspicious in nature, and the investigation has been turned over to the CPD Bomb and Arson Section.
A DePaul student was sexually assaulted and robbed near the Loop Campus Friday night, according to a public safety alert sent by the university on Saturday.

The student was walking near Congress and Wabash at approximately 10:30 p.m., according to the alert. He was approached from behind and incapacitated with a noxious substance on a cloth, the alert said, then dragged into an SUV.

The student was then sexually assaulted and robbed, but was able to escape the vehicle before the offenders fled in an unknown direction.

Chicago Police could not immediately confirm the incident.
Navy Pier is getting its first-ever hotel.

Navy Pier and Mayor Rahm Emanuel announced the new project on Sunday, detailing plans to build a hotel on the east end of the iconic Streeterville landmark near Festival Hall.

The hotel will have five floors, more than 200 guest rooms, and will overlook Lake Michigan and the pier's South Dock, according to a release.

As we continue to reimagine the Pier for its centennial and beyond, we are thrilled with the prospect of a hotel to further enhance the Navy Pier experience, Navy Pier President and CEO Marilynn Gardner said in a statement. The hotel will provide a unique place to stay in Chicago year round  not to mention breathtaking and unparalleled views of the Pier, lake and city.

Construction will begin on the hotel in 2017, and is expected to create 300 construction jobs and 200 permanent jobs, the release said.

First Hospitality Group will oversee the development, which will be designed by architect Jackie Koo, who has designed several other properties including the Wit hotel. The project will cost an estimated $90 million, and is privately financed, according to the release.

The hotel is part of the multi-million dollar "Centennial Vision" redevelopment project for Navy Pier approved in 2013, aimed at drawing more tourists and trade shows to Chicago.

The project also includes the new, taller Ferris wheel that opens to the public on May 27, kicking off Navy Pier's centennial celebration.
Serving a double life sentence for killing the pregnant girlfriend of ex-Chicago Bear Shaun Gayle, Marni Yang is hoping new DNA tests will pave the way for her exoneration.

Lake County Circuit Court Judge Christopher Stride on Thursday signed an order for the testing of shell casings from the bullets used to kill Rhoni Reuter, 42, of Deerfield, who was seven months pregnant when she died in 2007.

I know her trial was highly watched, and the evidence seemed overwhelming, said Jed Stone, Yangs defense attorney. But we are on a truth-seeking mission.

Stone said he has retained a highly-respected DNA expert to attempt to extract touch DNA from the shell casings that Stone said could identify the real killer.

Assistant States Attorney Ari Fisz said prosecutors have no objection to Stones request.

Following her conviction in Lake County Circuit Court, Yang lost an appeal in the 2nd District Appellate Court and the Illinois Supreme Court refused to hear her case.

But Stone said Yangs first, direct appeal was limited to information used during the trial. Stone is now putting together a post-conviction petition, a collateral appeal that can bring in new evidence that wasnt heard at trial.

Reuter was pregnant with Gayles daughter when Yang shot her six times in Reuters Deerfield condominium on Oct. 4, 2007. Two of those bullets also struck and killed the unborn baby.

Prosecutors said jealousy was the motive that led Yang to kill Reuter.

During the trial, Gayle testified that he had a sporadic sexual relationship with Yang, including a meeting the night before Reuter was murdered.

Investigators focused in on Yang in 2009, when police wiretaps caught Yang talking about the murder to a friend.

Yang also had ordered two books explaining how to make a silencer for a handgun, and she went to a home improvement store to buy the necessary items the day the books arrived, according to testimony at trial.

Yang searched the Internet to find where Reuter lived, and wore a wig, dark sunglasses and a hooded sweatshirt as a disguise the day of the killing, according to authorities.

Police said she waited in the hallway outside of Reuters condo and opened fire when Reuter opened the door to leave for work.

The trial and Yangs conviction in 2011 drew national media attention and spurred a sensationalized TV re-enactment of the crime.

Yang is being held at the Dwight Correctional Center and is ineligible for parole if her remaining appeals prove unsuccessful.
President Barack Obama's daughter Malia will take a year off after high school and attend Harvard University in 2017, the White House announced Sunday.

Malia is the eldest of the Obamas' two daughters. She's 17 and a senior at the exclusive Sidwell Friends School in the District of Columbia.

She's set to graduate high school in June, then celebrate her 18th birthday on the Fourth of July.

Obama recently said he turned down an invitation to speak at Malia's high school graduation because his emotions would get the best of him.

Malia visited at least a dozen public and private colleges during her search, mostly on the East Coast.

Among them are six of the eight Ivies and a few with Obama family ties.

The president is a 1983 graduate of Columbia. The first lady graduated from Princeton in 1985. Malia's cousin, Leslie Robinson, is a sophomore forward on Princeton's women's basketball team. The president and first lady earned their law degrees at Harvard.

Mrs. Obama has said Malia wants to be a filmmaker, and many thought she would enroll at NYU's respected Tisch School of the Arts, which counts directors Martin Scorsese and Spike Lee among its alumni.

Malia spent last summer in New York City interning on the set of HBO's "Girls," the raunchy comedy-drama starring Lena Dunham. She decamped to California in the summer of 2014 to work as a production assistant on "Extant," a CBS sci-fi drama featuring Halle Berry.
President Barack Obama performed his brand of sharp-tongued comedy at the White House Correspondents' Dinner for the last time  wrapping up with "Obama out" and dropping the mic while the crowd cheered.

Obama's performance Saturday night proved he hasn't lost a step.

"If this material works well, I'm going to use it at Goldman Sachs next year," Obama quipped. "Earn me some serious Tubmans."

Obama drew plenty of laughs with his barbed remarks to a ballroom filled with journalists, politicians, and movie and television stars. It was his eighth appearance at the event and his last as president and he kidded about the pains of being a lame duck.

"Last week Prince George showed up to our meeting in his bathrobe," Obama cracked. "That was a slap in the face."

The president waxed nostalgic at times. "Eight years ago I said it was time to change the tone of our politics. In hindsight, I clearly should have been more specific."

And he acknowledged that the years had taken their toll. "I'm gray, grizzled ... counting down the days to my death panel."

On the other hand, he pointed out that his approval ratings are up. "The last time I was this high," he said, "I was trying to decide on my major." When he said he couldn't explain the rise in his popularity, two photographs of scowling presidential candidates appeared on ballroom screens: Donald Trump and Ted Cruz.

Obama took a few more swipes at the presidential race, noting that "next year at this time someone else will be standing here in this very spot, and it's anyone's guess who she will be."

After calling presidential candidate Bernie Sanders the bright new face of the Democratic Party, Obama contrasted the slogan "Feel the Bern" with one he said was rival Hillary Clinton's: "Trudge Up the Hill."

Republicans took most of Obama's humorous broadsides. "Guests were asked to check whether they wanted steak or fish," he told the diners, "and instead a whole bunch of you wrote in Paul Ryan."

Obama said of the billionaire businessman and real estate mogul leading the GOP race: "He has spent years meeting with leaders from around the world  Miss Sweden, Miss Argentina, Miss Azerbaijan."

He added: "And there's one area where Donald's experience could be invaluable, and that's closing Guantanamo  because Trump knows a thing or two about running waterfront properties into the ground."

Turning serious, the president thanked the White House press corps and praised a free press.

Obama took a few hits, too. Preceding his remarks was a tongue-in-cheek video tribute to his seven-plus years in office that contained highlights of his verbal gaffes  his reference to "57 states" and misspelling 'rspect" among them  as well as light-hearted moments.

Comedian Larry Wilmore, the evening's professional entertainment, began by saying, "It's not easy to follow the president." Then he proved his point, offering a series of jokes about the president, different media organizations and various presidential candidates that often were racially tinged and drew a mixture of laughter and groans.

"Welcome to Negro night," Wilmore said, and added that Fox News had reported that "two thugs" disrupted an elegant dinner, also mixing in critiques of CNN's viewership and MSNBC's firing of black anchors.

Wilmore said the president is showing signs that his time in office has been hard on him. "You came in here looking like Denzel, now you're going out looking like Grady from 'Sanford and Son.'"

As usual the Washington Hilton ballroom was a celebrity-spotters dream. Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders joined Vice President Joe Biden, Secretary of State John Kerry and other government officials taking a seat. Also on hand were Republican Party Chairman Reince Priebus, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich and former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg.

Trump, a regular in recent years, was absent this time, but a son and daughter-in-law, Donald Jr. and Vanessa Trump, were spotted on the red carpet.

Among the film and television performers at the event were Oscar winners Helen Mirren and Jared Leto, "Breaking Bad" actor Bryan Cranston, "Independence Day" stars Will Smith and Jeff Goldblum, actress Rachel McAdams, and "Night Manager" miniseries star Tom Hiddleston
One rider of a motorized scooter was killed and another was injured in a crash with a duck boat in Boston Saturday, police confirm.

Authorities confirm a woman in her early 20s was operating the scooter, with a male passenger riding behind her.

Both victims were transported to Massachusetts General Hospital, where the woman was pronounced dead. The passenger is expected to survive.

"Heart goes out to the family," said Morgan Ralph of Boston. "I heard she was young, so, you know, it's even tougher."

Including the driver, there were 30 people on board the duck boat at the time. They have been taken to the Boston Police Department for questioning.

Police say the incident appears to be a tragic accident. According to Boston Police Commissioner William Evans, both vehicles were apparently on Charles Street, turning right onto Beacon Street when the crash took place.

"We'll conduct an investigation to see why the contact took place here," said Evans.

The duck boat, named Fenway Fanny, is operated by Boston Duck Tours.

"We are still trying to learn what happened," spokesperson Cindy Brown said. "It is very early in the investigation. We are cooperating fully with Boston Police and everyone involved."

This is not the first deadly crash involving a duck boat. Back in September, a duck boat crash killed five people in Seattle. In May of 2015, a Texas woman was struck and killed by a duck boat in Philadelphia.
Gov. Dannel P. Malloy has received the 2016 John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Award for his public support of resettling Syrian refugees in the U.S.

Kennedy's grandson, Jack Schlossberg, presented the award to Malloy at a ceremony Sunday morning in Boston.

Malloy, a Democrat, was named this year's recipient for his vocal support of refugee resettlement. Schlossberg credits Malloy with taking a stand "against the hateful, xenophobic rhetoric" at a time when some governors and presidential candidates sought a ban on Syrian refugees.

Malloy announced three days after the Paris attacks that Connecticut would continue to accept refugees from Syria.

Schlossberg says that exemplifies JFK's vision of the United States as a nation that welcomes freedom-loving people who are persecuted or in need.
The father-in-law of slain North Texas fitness instructor Missy Bevers dropped off an apparently blood-stained shirt at a dry-cleaning business four days after the killing, according to a search warrant filed Wednesday.

Bevers, 45, died April 18 after she was attacked inside the Creekside Church of Christ in Midlothian. The mother of three had arrived at the church around 4 a.m. to prepare for her early-morning Camp Gladiator fitness class.

On April 22, Randy Bevers, 64, brought a white XXL women's long-sleeved shirt to the Dry Clean Super Center of Midlothian, according to the search warrant.

He allegedly told an employee the clothing had animal blood on it. Missy Bevers' sister-in-law later told NBC 5 the blood was from a dog fight that broke out in her kitchen.

Midlothian police say Missy Bevers father-in-law dropped off a shirt at a dry cleaning business that appeared to have blood stains on it, according to a search warrant filed Wednesday.

The employee contacted police to report the encounter and told them it looked as though someone had tried to clean the shirt before dropping it off, the search warrant says.

According to the warrant, the shirt may contain DNA evidence that could help with the investigation into Missy Bevers' death.

"We promised early on to follow every lead in this case, and this recent action reflects just that," Midlothian police said late Wednesday in response to the warrant affidavit. "If we feel we have information that is important for the public to know, we will release it as promptly as possible."

Midlothian police released surveillance video Friday afternoon showing a person of interest in the Missy Bevers case walking through a church on Monday morning, shortly before the married mother of three was killed.

Sister-in-Law Says Blood Was From Dog Fight

Kristi Stout, Missy Bevers' sister-in-law, told NBC 5 that her father, Randy Bevers, had to separate dogs that began fighting in her kitchen last week.

Stout said one of the dogs  a 13-year-old Chihuahua that belonged to her step-mother, Vikki Bevers  died in the fight.

"Carrying the dog from the house to the veterinarian clinic, it was bloody. So, therefore, blood on the shirt," said Randy Bevers.

His son, Brandon Bevers, joined him at the Midlothian Police Department to speak with investigators about the shirt, which the two called a "non-issue."

"I wanted to make sure that we get over here and put this fire out pretty quick, Brandon Bevers said. "This is such a non-issue that we wanted to address is fast."

Investigation Into Missy Bevers Killing

Several video clips released by Midlothian police show a person of interest  dressed in tactical gear  walking through different parts of the church just before Missy Bevers was killed.

Police believe Missy Bevers had only just entered the church when she ran into the person, whose identity remains unknown.

Midlothian police said they're investigating new leads with the help of the Arlington Police Department, ATF, FBI and the Texas Rangers.

Midlothian police say Missy Bevers father-in-law dropped off a shirt at a dry cleaning business that appeared to have blood stains on it, according to a search warrant filed Wednesday.

Kristi Stout said Friday a fund had been established for Missy Bevers' daughters. Donations to the Bevers Children Fund can be made at any Citizens National Bank of Texas location.

Oak Farms Dairy has offered a $10,000 reward for information leading to an arrest and grand jury indictment of the person or people responsible.

Anyone with information is asked to contact the department's tip line at 972-775-7624. Tipsters may be eligible for a cash reward and can also remain anonymous by contacting Ellis County Crime Stoppers at 972-937-PAYS (7297).
Dallas officers have arrested a man they say tried to kidnap and sexually assault an 11-year-old girl.

According to police, Corrine Dunn, 34, tried to lure the girl to the front of his apartment in the 1100 block of High Hill Boulevard.

Dunn grabbed the girl and took her into his apartment, police said.

"Dunn attempted to sexually assault the victim, but she was able to escape and police were called," the police statement said.

Dunn was arrested Saturday afternoon and held in the Dallas County Jail for felony aggravated assault, kidnapping, and resisting arrest, police said.
- Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick has been baptized in the Jordan River while visiting Israel with officials from different states.

Patrick tells the Austin American-Statesman (http://atxne.ws/1W0E2LH ) that he received a baptism during an eight-day trip he took with a delegation of seven Republican lieutenant governors, funded by a conservative policy organization, the State Government Leadership Foundation.

Patrick met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Israeli companies doing business in Texas.

He also went to the Sea of Galilee and the Western Wall.

Patrick has described himself as a "Christian first, a conservative second, and a Republican third."

AP-WF-05-01-16 1654GMT

Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick has been baptized in the Jordan River while visiting Israel with officials from different states.

Patrick tells the Austin American-Statesman that he received a baptism during an eight-day trip he took with a delegation of seven Republican lieutenant governors, funded by a conservative policy organization, the State Government Leadership Foundation.

Patrick met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Israeli companies doing business in Texas.

He also went to the Sea of Galilee and the Western Wall.

Patrick has described himself as a "Christian first, a conservative second, and a Republican third."
Dallas police say a man was shot in an attempted robbery near Trinity Groves early Sunday morning.

According to police, a couple was sitting in a car in the 300 block of Canada Drive when two men approached them and asked for a lighter.

One of the men got out a gun and opened fire, striking the man inside the car.

The couple drove to a parking lot on Singleton Boulevard to call for help.

The gunshot victim was taken to a hospital. His condition was not released.

Police said the suspected gunmen ran away before officers could find them.

At this time, no arrests have been made.
At the end of a long day at NBC 5, chief meteorologist David Finfrock heads to his oasis, his home in Cedar Hill.

His yard includes native grasses, bluebonnets, tall trees where birds sing and a creek. He landscaped it all.

"I don't go to work out in a gym," said Finfrock. "I get all of my workout here or down at our ranch."

Go inside and you step into the past. Finfrock enjoys maps almost as much as he enjoys tracking weather. His study and many hallways are decorated with maps from other centuries. One wall shows the different maps of Texas before it joined the United States.

"Here you can see a collection of how the map of Texas changed over the years... The shape, the number of counties," said Finfrock.

His collection also includes the paper maps he and Harold Taft would create for newscasts in the 1970's.

But there's something Finfrock loves more than his landscaping and his maps here... his wife Shari.

"About a year and a half after I got here [NBC5], I met Shari at a party," recalled David.

"David was the new member of the church choir," said Shari. "I didn't ever see him on TV until he asked me out, then I watched him on TV."

"We clicked immediately," said David. "We met - 5 months - to the day later - we were married."

The Finfrocks have two children, son Ryan and daughter Jennifer. In 2009, NBC 5 viewers learned about Jennifer's battle with Breast Cancer at age 34. At the time there was no family history of the disease.

"The next year, we did the big [Race for the Cure] walk together for breast cancer," said Finfrock.

"It's been eight years that she's a survivor now. And two wonderful grandchildren that she is able to raise and we are able to enjoy," said David Finfrock. "Just so thrilled everything is going so well."
A classroom in Vista received a visit from one of the country's last surviving Tuskegee Airmen Friday.

Lt. Col Robert Friend, 96, visited Beaumont Elementary in north San Diego County to share his story with students in teacher Judy Parkers fifth grade class.

During a sharing project at school, student Robert James Friend brought in pictures and told his class that his great-grandfather was a Tuskegee air pilot in World War II.

Tuskegee Airmen was a group comprised of pilots, navigators, bombardiers, and staff. They were the first African Americans service men allowed to fly for the U.S. military.

I thought that was super fascinating, Park said. We talked more about it I found out that he was able to come speak to our class, so we invited him.

Robert James invited his great grandpa to come share his experience with his classmates.

Park saw this as a great learning opportunity that would become a lifelong memory for her students. She said the kids were very excited to meet someone who played a meaningful role in history. The class did research on the Tuskegee pilots to prepare for Friends visit.

Its a huge honor to have him here, Park said.

Friends great-grandson read an introduction about his great-grandfather to his classmates before playing a video about the Tuskegee Airmen.

After the presentation, Friend shared stories about his experience as an airman and signed autographs.

Hes a wonderful man, said Robert James. Its such an honor to be related to a person that was in World War II.

Friend says hes very proud to say his great-grandfather was one of the first African-American pilots in World War II.
Authorities were searching for additional victims of a 20-year-old man accused of repeatedly sexually molesting a girl at his family's daycare center in Lake Elsinore.

Jacob Blas was arrested Thursday afternoon on suspicion of lewd acts on a child under 14 years old, forced oral copulation of a child, aggravated sexual assault of a child and exhibiting pornographic material to a minor.

Detectives received reports of the alleged abuse at the Rea Family Daycare, which is a single-family home on Bella Aliza, according to the Riverside County Sheriff's Department.

Investigators found evidence that the victim, whose identity was not released, was molested while under Blas' supervision in 2015, at which time the suspect lived on-site, authorities said.

Blas was taken into custody and is being held at the Southwest Detention Center in Murrieta in lieu of $3 million bail.

Detectives believe there may be more victims and were asking for parents to speak to their children if they attended the daycare facility within the last few years.

Riverside County Child Protective Services and the California Department of Social Services were alerted to the criminal investigation.

Anyone with information is asked to call 951-245-3300. If anyone prefers to remain anonymous, the Sheriff's tip line can be reached at 1-800-950-2444. City News Service contributed to this report.
Residents in the Washington, D.C. area have been warned to prepare for a potentially slow commute Monday after a CSX freight train carrying hazardous material derailed near a Metro stop, sending 14 cars off the tracks and spilling hazardous material.

The train derailed about 6:40 a.m. near the Rhode Island Avenue Metro station, according to CSX.

Sodium hydroxide leaked from one of the derailed tanker cars, CSX spokeswoman Kristin Seay said.

The tanker was carrying 15,500 gallons of the chemical; fire crews believe about half of that leaked onto the rail bed and ground underneath it, D.C. Assistant Fire Chief John Donnelly said.

The rail cars that did not derail have been moved to a staging area and crews are expected to work throughout the night to pump out the remainder of the sodium hydroxide from the tanker.

Sodium hydroxide is a highly corrosive chemical that can irritate and burn the skin and eyes, according to the CDC.

No injuries were reported and no evacuations were ordered.

No injuries were reported and no evacuations were ordered.

There is no estimate of how long it will take to clean up the spilled chemicals and upright the derailed trains, a spokesperson for CSX said at a news conference Sunday evening.

``We understand that this a significant inconvenience to commuters and to this community so we're working as quickly as we possibly can with safety as the first priority,'' CSX spokeswoman Melanie Cost said.

Another derailed tank car was leaking a non-hazardous calcium chloride solution. Common applications for the chemical include brine for refrigeration plants, ice and dust control on roads and the removal of water through chemical means.

A third derailed car was seeping ethanol from the base of a valve, Seay said. Officials worked to re-seal the valve, and the spilled the ethanol has been contained.

Donnelly said there was no danger to the public, and any fumes from the chemicals should not be a problem.

D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser said no trains will be officials have seen no issues with air or water quality.

News4s Mark Segraves reported an underground gas line was also ruptured during the derailment. Gas was turned off, and it is unclear how many people were affected by the closure.

Emergency crews set up a wide perimeter around Rhode Island Avenue and the road was shut down for a time after the derailment.

Rhode Island Ave. remains closed between 4th and 12th streets and the Rhode Island Avenue-Brentwood Metro Station is closed.

Metro service on the Red Line was suspended between the NoMa and Brookland stations.

Metro said it expects service to be back to normal by 5 a.m. Monday.

Crews were inspecting the tracks, which are used by CSX, the MARC commuter rail system and Amtrak. The Metro tracks are above and adjacent to the derailment site.

MARC service on the Brunswick Line, which runs from Washington to Brunswick, Maryland, with continuing service to Martinsburg, West Virginia, uses the tracks where the train derailed.

"Trains are very unlikely to operate past Silver Spring," MARC said in a statement.

Amtrak's Capital Limited service, which runs daily between Washington and Chicago, is currently unavailable.

Two people were onboard the train, an engineer and a conductor, but neither was injured, officials said.

It was not immediately clear what caused the derailment of the train, which was traveling from Cumberland, Maryland to Hamlet, North Carolina, when it derailed near 9th Street and Rhode Island Avenue. The train has three locomotives and 175 total cars, including 94 cars loaded with freight and 81 empty cars.

Photos tweeted by D.C. Fire and Emergency showed cars in a zigzag line across the tracks.

Chris Nellum said he lives nearby and his window looks directly over the tracks.

"I thought it was like a semi-truck coming toward the building, and when I looked out the window, I saw cars piling up," said Nellum, who had just moved in the night before. "So I'm not even used to hearing trains. It was jarring."

Part of Rhode Island Avenue was closed in both directions. Nellum said his girlfriend tried to leave the area and was told to stay put, but she eventually found a way out.

"She's an environmentalist so she is very concerned about whatever is leaking," he said.

Bowser said the Federal Railroad Administration would be the lead investigators into the derailment.
Two brothers are charged with murdering their parents at their San Jose home this past weekend, according to the Santa Clara County District Attorney, who also on Friday announced 17-year-old Omar Golamrabbi would be tried as an adult.

The teen is also alleged to be one of the authors of chilling messages found near his parents' bodies, according to prosecutors. NBC Bay Area has not named the high school student until now, as he had been considered a minor.

Like his brother, 22-year-old Hasib Golamrabbi was charged with the double murder of Golam and Shamima Rabbi, 59 and 57 respectively. They were found shot to death on Sunday in their Lucas Court home; prosecutors said Friday Golam Rabbi was shot more than a dozen times.

The younger brother entered a not guilty plea and his older brother did not enter a plea at their arraignment, according to Omar Golamrabbi's alternative defender Jessica Delgado. The older brother wore a yellow jumpsuit reserved for those in the mental ward. He was represented by Andy Guitierrez. The younger brother was arraigned in the hallway, and shielded from public view. Their next court date is set for May 5.

Prosecutors have not given a motive for the deaths. But they did indicate for the first time in court documents that there were two authors of black magic marker rants on the family's walls - and that the writing matched the handwriting of Omar Golamrabbi, who attended school on Monday as if nothing happened. The court documents do not state exactly what was written, only that there were "multiple sets of writing" that had been found in the home.

Sources who witnessed the aftermath told NBC Bay Area they saw a message that read: "Sorry my first killing was clumsy."

Prosecutors did not reveal who might have written the other messages.

In addition, prosecutors allege that the younger brother told police Hasib Golamrabbi had killed both parents, and then closed the garage door before they left to attend an Oakland anime convention on Saturday "to make sure that blood was not seeping out from inside the garage where his father had been killed to outside the house."

Apparently, there was a lot of blood.

"Golam was shot more than a dozen times. Sharma was shot once in the head," Santa Clara County Deputy District Attorney Matt Braker said after the arraignment.

For his part, Hasib Golamrabbi apparently admitted to shooting his father, but not his mother, court documents indicate. He also told police a stranger once assaulted him at the home and told him to commit the killing, court documents show. Omar Golamrabbi did not corroborate that with police.

"There are some unanswered questions in the case," Braker said, adding investigators are also looking into the motive.

The documents contradict the little bit that Hasib Golamrabbi told The Chronicle, in a jailhouse interview. NBC Bay Area also requested an interview with him, but he denied the television request, according to the sheriff's office.

The best thing if anyone wants to know what happened is to wait for the trial, Hasib Golamrabbi told the newspaper on Thursday.

I want everyone to know what happened, he told the Chronicle, but I cant say anything without a lawyer. Asked if his brother had anything to do with the brutal deaths, Hasib Golamrabbi told the paper: No, and thats all I can say. Hes innocent.

While prosecutors and police have remained tight-lipped about why two brothers would have killed parents that many in the Bangladeshi community have described as "soft and gentle," sources have told NBC Bay Area that the Rabbi elders did not agree with Hasib Golamrabbis sexual orientation.

Another, longer message written in marker near the parents' bodies, allegedly ended, "I cant be like you, telling a lie. I cant love someone without telling them," sources told NBC Bay Area.

The court documents mention nothing about the older son's sexual orientation.

At the same time the sons were being arraigned Friday afternoon, the funeral for both Rabbi parents was held. After the traditional Muslim juma'ah prayer, the burial for the Bangladeshi-born parents took place at the Five Pillars Farm Cemetery in Livermore.
A mother of six was arrested Friday after two toddlers were found chained and tied in the backyard of a Texas home late Thursday, authorities said.

Deputies went to the home Thursday night after a neighbor reported hearing a crying child and found the toddlers tied up in the backyard with no adults around. One was chained to the ground and another tied to a door with a dog leash, the Bexar County Sheriff's Office said in a statement.

"To describe this as disturbing is an understatement," sheriff's office spokesman James Keith told NBC affiliate WOIA. "This is a sick, disturbing, horrific crime."

The mother, Porucha Phillips, was taken into custody as she and another person came home Friday morning, the sheriff's office said.

The toddlers, 2 and 3 years old, were transported to a local hospital and the six other children are in the care of Texas Child Protective Services, according to the agency.
Fathom's Adonia set sail from Miami to Havana on Sunday afternoon, a historic voyage marking the first time an American cruise company has sailed from the United States to Cuba in decades.

The Adonia departed on a seven-day cruise from PortMiami at 3:30 p.m. and is scheduled to arrive at its first destination in Havana, Monday morning at 11 a.m. It will also make stop in Cienfuegos and Santiago de Cuba.

"And we're off! #cuba here we come. #travelDeep," the company tweeted before the inaugural journey. [[377741921, C]]

Fathom's 704-passenger Adonia luxury ship will operate bi-weekly cruises. The company said bookings will start at $1,800 per person and feature an array of cultural and educational activities, including Spanish lessons.

The Cuban government in March approved plans by Carnival Corp., Fathom's parent company, to begin sailing to the island nation out of Miami. [[376791581, C]]

"We made history in March, and we are a part of making history again today," said Arnold Donald, CEO of Carnival Corporation. "More importantly, we are contributing to a positive future. This is a positive outcome and we are extremely pleased. We want to extend our sincere appreciation to Cuba and to our team who worked so hard to help make this happen."

The Adonia returns to PortMiami at 7:30 a.m. on Sunday. [[372910211, C]]
A Florida Missing Child Alert has been canceled for a 13-year-old girl.

Rich Ann "Jada" Wallace was last seen in the 600 block of South State Road 7 in Margate around 5:30 p.m. Saturday. She had been reported missing by her mother Dennis Antoinette.

Wallace was found safe on Sunday, authorities confirmed.

The circumstances surrounding her disappearance have not been released.
A coalition of immigrant rights and labor groups are planning to march in Miami against the ``hateful rhetoric'' from Republican front-runner Donald Trump's presidential campaign.

The protesters will march more than a dozen blocks from the Government Center in downtown Miami to the Torch of Friendship, from 2-4 p.m. on Sunday, which is also International workers day.

Tomas Kennedy, a march organizer, says the march is meant to counter what he called ``the Trump effect'' that has ``taken over the media and silenced our voices.''

Among the organizations taking part are the Florida Immigrant Coalition, Florida New Majority, SEIU Florida, South Florida for Bernie and Women Working Together USA.
A woman pedestrian was killed and a companion was injured Sunday when they were hit by a stolen SUV that had spun off a collision with another vehicle in Brooklyn, police said.

Two suspects fled from the stolen SUV after it slammed into a 51-year-old Chooi Tan and a 57-year-old man walking near the intersection of East 94th Street and Avenue K in Canarsie, investigators said.

The driver of the stolen SUV lost control of the vehicle after it had crashed into another car at about 12:50 p.m., police said.

Tan, a Brooklyn resident, was taken to Brookdale University Hospital and Medical Center where she died from a head injury, police said. The other pedestrian who was hit sustained injuries that police said weren't serious.

The driver of the other car was also taken to the hospital.

The SUV was reported stolen on Friday.

No arrests have been made.

Police released surveillance video and stills of the suspects Monday.
A fire in an apartment house in the Bronx on Saturday sent seven people to area hospitals, one of whom was said to be in serious condition, fire officials said.

Four firefighters also received minor injuries while battling the 6:30 p.m. fire at 2736 University Avenue.

Information about the injured residents wasn't available.

Firefighters had the fire under control in one hour.

The cause of the fire was under investigation.
A pit bull named Luna Grey that was reported missing in the Bronx has been recovered, police said Sunday.

The dog was unharmed.

Detectives haven't yet determined exactly who set the pooch free from the pole she was tied up to outside a Fordham store, authorities said.

Luna Grey was reported missing Friday by her 22-year-old owner after he discovered the dog had been let loose while he was inside a store. Police say he paid $1,100 for his pet.

The dog was in the possession of a person who contacted the ASPCA, which brought the pooch to a Manhattan shelter, police said. She's set to be reunited with her owner.

Detectives are still trying to determine whether Luna Grey had been stolen.
A woman was killed and two young children were injured after a car collision in the Bronx, police said Sunday.

Officers responded to a 911 call about the accident in the Woodlawn Heights neighborhood at Webster Ave and East 233rd Street Saturday evening, according to police.

When officers arrived at the scene, they discovered Elizabeth Wimmer, 58, unconscious and unresponsive, according to police. EMS transported Wimmer to North Central Bronx Hospital where she was pronounced dead, according to police.

A 5-year-old and a 10-year-old who were sitting in the rear of the vehicle were taken to Jacobi Medical Center in stable condition, police said.

Authorities say a preliminary investigation shows a 2009 Honda CRV was traveling northbound on Webster Avenue when for unknown reasons the vehicle crossed the double yellow lines into the southbound lanes and hit the 2000 Saturn Sedan occupied by Wimmer and the two children.

The Honda driver was taken to Jacobi Medical Center in stable condition, according to police.

No arrests have been made. The investigation, which is being handled by NYPD's Collision Investigation Squad, is ongoing.
A Long Island woman was arrested on a charge of driving while intoxicated after crashing into a vehicle and fleeing the scene while three young children were inside her car, police said Sunday.

The 28-year-old was driving westbound on Connetquot Avenue in Central Islip Saturday afternoon in a 2006 Infiniti while three children - ages 3, 7, and 9 - were inside the car, according to police. The vehicle strayed into the eastbound lanes and crashed head-on into a 2015 Ford SUV, police said.

The woman fled the scene and continued driving westbound until she drove through a guard rail on the north side of Connetquot Avenue and crashed into a tree, according to police.

The woman was taken to Southside Hospital in Bay Shore, where she received treatment for a minor laceration to her forehead, according to police. She was later released from the hospital.

Police said the woman was arrested on charges including aggravated driving while intoxicated with a child passenger 15 years old or younger (Leandras Law), aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle and three counts of endangering the welfare of a child.

A 46-year-old female driver and a 14-year-old passenger in the Ford SUV were not injured in the accident, nor were the three children inside the 28-year-olds Infiniti, according to police.

The kids who were riding in the womans vehicle were released to family members following the crash, police said. Her vehicle was also impounded for a safety check.

The investigation is ongoing.
Police are asking for the public's help to identify a suspect who attacked and punched a 67-year-old man as he was heading into his home in Brooklyn.

Investigators released a photo of the suspect on Saturday.

Francis Ellis was attacked at 1:20 a.m. on April 23 on Herzl Street in the Brownsville neighborhood. He credits his son with stopping the vicious assault.

"If my son didn't come downstairs, I don't know what, he might have killed me," Ellis said.

Ellis said the assailant "came out of nowhere" and started hitting him.

His son Jarrod rushed outside when he heard his father shouting.

"I did what I had to do, to protect my father," he said.

"My son beat him up," Francis Ellis said.

The man then fled.

The motive for the attack is unknown.

Anyone with information about the suspect is asked to call the NYPD Crime Stoppers Hotline at 800-577-TIPS.
Protesters who attacked security forces and stormed the parliament in Iraq's capital disbanded Sunday, shortly after Iraq's prime minister ordered the arrest of the demonstrators whose actions sparked a state of emergency, NBC News reports.

Roads to and from Baghdad had reopened after security forces secured the breach of the heavily fortified Green Zone.

The protesters, who were responding to popular Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr's call to pressure the government to introduce reforms, left the parliament building on Saturday night and were holding a sit-in at the Saddam-era Grand Festivities Square, but retreated Sunday at al-Sadr's prompting.

Iraq has been mired in a political crisis for months, hindering the government's ability to combat ISIS  which still controls much of the country's north and west  or address a financial crisis largely prompted by the plunge in global oil prices.
A 29-year-old woman was killed and her passenger was injured after the scooter she was driving was struck by an amphibious sightseeing vehicle in downtown Boston on Saturday.



The crash happened around 11:30 a.m. right near public park Boston Common when the vessel, known as a duck boat, collided with the scooter.



The woman and her male passenger were taken to Massachusetts General Hospital, where the woman died from her injuries, according to Boston police Officer Rachel McGuire. The passenger suffered non-life threatening injuries, McGuire added.



There were about 30 passengers on the duck boat when the crash happened, McGuire said. There were no other injuries.



Started in 1994, Boston Duck Tours float on the Charles River and stop at Boston historical spots like Bunker Hill, Faneuil Hall and Trinity Church.



Bob Schwartz, a Boston Duck Tours spokesman, said in an email that the group is cooperating with police and trying to obtain video footage to see what happened.



The cause of the crash is under investigation. No further details were immediately available.



This is not the first mishap on the nation's roads and waterways involving duck boats.



A duck boat crashed into a charter bus, killing five passengers on the bus last year in Seattle. Two Hungarian tourists were killed in 2010 when a sightseeing duck boat was hit by a barge on the Delaware River near Philadelphia.



Also in Philadelphia, a Ride the Ducks vehicle struck and killed a woman in 2015 who witnesses say was crossing the street, distracted by her cellphone.

Attorney Robert J. Mongeluzzi, who represented the families of the victims of both duck boat accidents in Philadelphia, released a statement expressing his condolences for the victim of the Boston crash Saturday. He also called for an immediate federal moratorium on duck boat tour operations nationwide.

How many more people have to die in duck boat accidents before authorities realize they are deadly on land and in the water, Mongeluzzi wrote in a released statement. Through our experience representing victims of duck boat disasters weve determined they are fatally flawed; theyre death traps on the water due to their hazardous canopy design and on land they are engineered to restrict the peripheral vision of the operator, creating significant blind spots.



Duck boats were first used by the U.S. Army when it deployed thousands of amphibious landing craft during World War II that were known then by their military designation, DUKW. Once the war was over, they were used by civilian law enforcement agencies and also converted to sightseeing vehicles in U.S. cities. The DUKW designation was replaced with the duck boat moniker that is used by various tour companies.




A Montgomery County Wawa customer became a millionaire last week after buying a million-dollar lottery ticket at a North Wales outpost of the convenience store.



According to the Pennsylvania Lottery, the customer purchased a Match 6 ticket that netted $1.2 million in winnings at the Wawa store at North Wales and Horsham roads in North Wales.



A big-jackpot ticket was also sold across the state, at GoSunoco in Brownsville, Fayetteville County, according to the Pennsylvania Lottery. That ticket, a Cash 5 jackpot winner, was worth $800,000.



The North Wales winner's identity has not been made public.
Loved ones marched in the streets Saturday to honor and demand justice for a Philadelphia mother who was murdered nearly a year ago in front of her young daughter.

Operation Save Our City held a rally in Port Richmond for Stephanie Dzikowski. Dzikowski, 22, was found dead back on July 30, 2015 inside her home on Aramingo Avenue. Investigators say a suspect went inside her home and shot her execution-style while her 2-year-old daughter was nearby. Police say Dzikowskis fiance later discovered her body in their bedroom.

Neighbors told NBC10 they heard one gunshot from inside the home the night of Dzikowskis murder. One neighbor tried to chase the suspect who was able to get away. Surveillance video captured the unidentified man running on Aramingo Avenue moments after the shooting.

While police continue to investigate, no arrests have been made nine months later.

During Saturdays rally, loved ones called for an arrest in Dzikowskis murder as well as other unsolved deaths in the city while marching down the same route that her killer took as he fled. Dzikowskis father, Stephen Dzikowski, also attended the rally.

Im without a daughter and my granddaughter is without a mother, he said. It hurts me every day and rips my heart out not to see my daughter, knowing that she has a lovely daughter.

Police believe Dzikowski was targeted though her family and friends told NBC10 she didnt have any enemies that they knew of.

If you have any information on her murder, please call the Philadelphia police homicide unit at 215-686-3334, the police tip line at 215-686-8477 or text a tip to PPDTIP (773847).






Another Blue Cross Broad Street Run is in the books Sunday after more than 40,000 runners braved rain, wet roads and headwinds to compete in the 37th annual iconic Philadelphia 10-miler.

Sundays rain didnt stop 40,000 runners from racing in this years Blue Cross Broad Street Run. NBC10s Brandon Hudson recaps the rainy race.

The race kicked off on Broad Street near Fisher Avenue, in Logan, just about 8 a.m. The first athlete to make it to South Philadelphia's Navy Yard was Tony Noguiera, who competes in a wheelchair.

After the finish line, Noguiera, of Glen Ridge, New Jersey, said he "felt great," despite the damp conditions. The 48-year-old told NBC10 he just competed in the Boston Marathon and that he races Broad Street as a training race.

The first-place runner, 24-year-old Abebe Mekuria, ran the 10 miles in 48:43 with a pace of 4:52 per mile. Mekuria didn't stick around for the awards ceremony after the race, but talked briefly with NBC10's Lauren Mayk at the finish line.

"I'm feeling not too bad," Mekuria said.

Just behind Mekuria was Mathew Kiplagat, 33, of White Plains, New York, who ran the race in 48:51 with a 4:53 mile pace. In third was David Fuentes, 29, of Austin, Texas, with a total time of 49:28 and a pace of 4:56 per mile.

The leading woman to cross the finish line was the Delaware Valley's own Crystal Burnick, of Skippack, Montgomery County. Burnick, 27, finished the race -- her fifth Blue Cross Broad Street Run -- in 57:05, with a pace of 5:42 per mile. She placed 92nd overall.

Burnick's fiance, Bob Bacon, crossed the finish line minutes after her, racing to give her a post-race kiss.

"She always impresses me more and more, and this is just icing on the cake," Bacon said of Burnick. Bacon, 28, finished the race in 59:45, clocking a 5:58 mile and placing 193rd.

The first local athlete to finish the race was Justin Garrard, 29, of Philadelphia, who came in eighth place, finishing the race in 50:07 with a pace of 5:00 a mile, according to the Blue Cross Broad Street Run placings list. Darryl Brown, of Exton, Pennsylvania, is the only other local runner who placed in the top 10. The 33-year-old came in 10th, finishing the race in 51:23 with a 5:08 mile pace.

Not far behind Burnick was another Pennsylvanian placing second among women in the race. 23-year-old Emily Giannotti, of Ephrata, completed the 10 miles in 57:53 with a pace of 5:47 per mile. She finished 109th overall. Finishing third for women was Amanda Scott, 28, of Boulder, Colorado, who finished in 57:58 with a pace of 5:47 per mile. She finished 113th overall.

Of NBC10's Blue Cross Broad Street Run team, anchor/reporter Keith Jones ran the race in 1:34:01 and paced at 9:24 per mile.

NBC10 traffic reporter Jessica Boyington, who learned she'd be running on Team 10 in her first Broad Street Run just a few weeks ago, finished in 1:38:21, running a 9:50 mile.

Daniel Stamm, of NBC10's Digital Team, finished in 1:15:56, running a 7:35 mile.

Telemundo62's Christian Cazares ran a 13:08 mile, according to the Broad Street Run results page, finishing the race in 2:11:37. CSNPhilly's Marshall Harris also ran in the race, finishing in 1:24:28, with a pace of 8:27 per mile.

Runners made their way down Broad Street, around City Hall at mile five, and continued on through South Philadelphia into the Navy Yard.



The Blue Cross Broad Street Run is the largest 10-mile race in the United States.

Despite the dreary forecast with rain and cooler temperatures, as runners looked forward to the Sunday-morning race, they said they were still excited.



"This is a race I would run in the rain, wind sleet, snow. It's just a fun run," Fred Burke, a runner from Chicago, told NBC10. "I love the atmosphere and the energy."
It's so awesome when you have a beautiful, fun, and productive weekend, you get out and enjoy the town -- and you wake up to Sunday morning, when you still have a whole day before the regular work week kicks back into gear. You can continue yesterday's magic with a stroll along Adams for Adams Avenue Unplugged or head back to Little Italy for more of ArtWalk. For you dance maniacs, FNGRS CRSSD has another Sunday afternoon at Quartyard, Puscifer is at Copley Symphony Hall (which must make Irwin Jacobs' head spin), and Til-Two looks like they're in for an all-day bonanza of music. But, if you must know my pick for the night, Scott H Biram is bringing his punkin' country or country punk or outlaw country, or whatever the proper genre name that lets you know he sings with a twang, but isn't the pop or bubblegum country you might hear on the radio. So there. Go see Scott.

Sunday, May 1:

Mission Federal Credit Union ArtWalk @ Little Italy (Free, 11 a.m.-6 p.m.)

Adams Avenue Unplugged (Free, noon-7 p.m., various locations on Adams Avenue)

Art Alive 2016 Floral Exhibition @ San Diego Museum Of Art

Scott H. Biram, Jesse Dayton @ Casbah

Puscifer @ Jacobs Music Center's Copley Symphony Hall

Marlon Wayans - Scandal-less @ Balboa Theatre

Fighting Friction, Vulture Culture, Almost Monday @ Soda Bar

Batlords/The Last Years, Space Wax, Christ Killer, Doc Hammer, Midnight Eagle, Slowdraw the Hungry Eskimo, the Grids, Santa Ana Knights, the 105ers, Mother @ Til-Two Club

Hit the Lights, Seaway, Can't Swim, Boston Manor @ Voodoo Room, House of Blues

FNGRS CRSSD presents Brodinsi, Louisahh, Gener8ion, Virgil Abloh @ Quartyard

Rat Sabbath @ Bar Pink

The Strikers, Sawyer Family @ Tower Bar

Terminator Too: Judgment Play @ Belly Up (seated show)

Civic Youth Orchestra @ California Center for the Arts, Escondido

Chris Stapleton, Anderson East @ Humphreys Concerts By The Bay (SOLD OUT)

Cessation Pool, PATHOS, Afterlife Coach, Coast Red @ Che Cafe

Rodney Crowell (Trio) @ AMSD

Psychedelic May Day with Jetwash @ Winston's (5 p.m.)

Pants Karaoke @ The Hideout

Cardinal Moon, Levi Dean & the Americats, Brett Harris @ Sycamore Den

Adams Avenue Unplugged @ Ken Club

Adams Avenue Unplugged @ Lestat's

Adams Avenue Unplugged @ Java Joe's

Color Til Monday, Art of Decay, Sea of Trees @ The Merrow

Let's Break Up, Naked Naps (NC), Woodruff @ The Bancroft

Reggae Sunday @ U-31

Stellita @ Humphreys Backstage Live (10 a.m.-2 p.m.)

Funk's Most Wanted @ Humphreys Backstage Live (7 p.m.)

Jose Sinatra's OB-o-ke @ Winston's

Reggae Sunday @ Spin

Sunday Funday Karaoke @ 710 Beach Club

Rosemary Bystrak is the publicist for the Casbah, the content manager for DoSD, and writes about the San Diego music scene, events and general musings about life in San Diego on San Diego: Dialed In. Follow her updates on Twitter or contact her directly.
Its like a dream. You wonder if its going to happen, but yet its almost here.

Dianne Basher and her husband have never had a horse in the Kentucky Derby before, but on May 7th both of them will watch Danzing Candy race at Churchill Downs.

The Bashers and their partners, Ted and Leslie Aroney of Halo Farms (where Danzing Candy was bred), agree theyve already won. More people should get in this business, Ted Aroney said to laughs from his co-owners.

Danzing Candy, represented as DC on hats they had made up for the derby, is an unbelievable dream for the foursome.

When this horse took off and broke his maiden he was something special. He came back and won another allowance race really easy, Aroney said. We put him in the Grade two, San Felipe and he won that easy againSo we started really planning what you have to do for the Kentucky Derby.

The three-year-old colt has won three out of his last five races, including the Santa Felipe Stakes and a fourth place at the Santa Anita Derby.

Jims been around horses since he was 12 years old. He remembers horses that he watched in Santa AnitaHe was always around them, but he never owned a horse, Aroney said of Basher. Finallyhe said I want a derby horse. I said Jim you cant just get a derby horse. I said theres 20-some-odd-thousand horses born every year and only 20 get to the derby.

Having been around horses since he was around 12 himself, Aroney has owned horses for the last 50 years, but after decades of owning this will be his first Kentucky Derby too.

I think hes a 20 to 1 longshot bet for the Kentucky Derby, Aroney said. Bet on Danzing Candy.

Danzing Candy will leave San Diego on Monday for a week of training and acclimation before the derby next Saturday.

The Bashers and Aroneys have raced horses in partnership since 2012, but Danzing Candy is their first graded stakes winner as a partnership.
Evelyn Thomas served her country in Army National Guard and the Marines, but when she was stationed at Camp Pendleton the men whom she was supposed to be able to trust with her life betrayed her.

When I was stationed at Camp Pendleton thats when I was raped by four Marines when I was outed as a lesbian and I became pregnant, Thomas said.

Thomas was part of a group of women who joined a military sexual assault advocacy workshop at the American History Theater at the Womens Museum of California Saturday.

Speakers at the workshop discussed how to file claims, navigate veterans' medical centers and what survivors should expect.

This is not about being believed or not believed. This is about filling the forms out and following through, retired veterans advocate Susan Avila-Smith said. They signed a contract saying they would defend the country and part of that contract is we will take care of your medical needs.'

When Thomas joined in 1986, prior to Dont ask, dont tell, gay people like her were not allowed in the military. After her assault when she decided to keep the baby she said the abuse from her unit got worse.

Thats when a daily emotional, mental and physical abuse started to the point where my body couldnt deal with it. So my baby was delivered premature and he only lived for one day, Thomas told NBC 7. My child was Tajaman Thomas. Thats the name of my son, Thomas told NBC 7. This June 14th he would've been 26 years old."

The Department of Defense estimates there were more than 20,000 victims last year alone.

My child was innocent of this so I advocate for other men and women who do not have the courage yet to begin to share their story, Thomas explained.

People looking for more information or how to get help can visit Avila-Smiths website.
A building that collapsed amid heavy rains in Nairobi, killing at least 12 people and injuring at least 134, did not have an occupancy permit, officials said Saturday as they ordered its owner to turn himself in.

Details about the residential building emerged a day after its collapse on Friday, after which crowds of onlookers gathered to try to help pry victims from the rubble.

Police Inspector General Joseph Boinnet ordered the owner of the building to surrender himself to the police for questioning.

The building did not have an occupancy permit, which is a government requirement for all buildings, said Stephen Oundo, chairman of the National Construction Authority.

The Kenya Red Cross said 150 building units and adjacent homes were affected. Rescuers said they could hear voices of five people trapped in the building and said it will be difficult to remove the concrete slabs using heavy machinery without endangering those stuck in the rubble, said nominated legislator Johnson Sakaja.

Live TV footage showed the National Youth Service and firefighters removing stones by hand and a crowd cheering as a child was removed from the rubble. President Uhuru Kenyatta visited the scene.

Hours-long traffic jams caused by flooded roads delayed rescue teams trying to reach the scene, said Japheth Koome, Nairobi's police chief said. The 134 injured were rescued from the rubble, Koome said. Kenya is in the midst of its April-May rainy season.

Jacob Kiruma, who said he lived in the house adjacent to the one that collapsed, said the building was constructed "shoddily." The structure had been built in less than five months and the 126 single rooms were quickly occupied at a rent of $35 a month, Kiruma said.

Area legislator Stephen Kariuki said this was the second building to collapse in a year. He blamed the county government of failing to follow through with demolitions of buildings that were identified as unfit for human habitation.

Taking advantage of a high demand for housing in Nairobi, some property developers bypass building regulations to cut costs and maximize profits.

President Kenyatta last year ordered an audit of all the buildings in the country to see if they are up to code after eight buildings collapsed, killing at least 15 people. The report from the audit by the National Construction Authority found that 58 percent of buildings in the capital were unfit to live in. The majority of Nairobi's 4 million people live in low-income areas or slums.

The heavy rains have caused other fatalities. Four people died when a wall collapsed Friday in the affluent Hurlingham area and two people drowned when they were swept away by flood waters in the capital's industrial area, said Nairobi police chief Koome.
A Texas police chief vacationing in New York City intervened in a fight between an alleged thief and a store security officer on the street, and helped arrest the suspect, the NYPD said.

Sean Ford, chief of the Sunset Valley Police Department in the Austin area of Texas, says he was strolling along Fifth Avenue and headed to Central Park when he encountered a scuffle near 58th Street, in front of the Plaza Hotel.

Police said a store employee followed the suspect out of the Abercrombie & Fitch store after he allegedly swiped a fragrance bottle and chased him down Fifth Avenue.

The suspect was swinging at the employee and no one appeared to be helping, even as the struggle became more violent, Ford said.

"Everybody was standing around taking pictures," he said.

Ford's instincts kicked in and he helped break up the fight, holding down the suspect until police arrived, he said.

"I got the guy, told him I was a police officer and took him to the wall, held him there until NYPD could get there," Ford said.

"The officers that responded were amazing, as usual. Just what we would expect and what the rest of the nation looks up to."

The NYPD tweeted a message of thanks to Ford, who now says he feels a little bit more like a New Yorker.

"I probably would not have wanted to do it this way," Ford said, laughing. "But I'm glad I was there and then I got to meet some of the great guys from New York."

The alleged 26-year-old shoplifter was taken to the Midtown North precinct stationhouse on a larceny charge. He's expected to be arraigned overnight or on Saturday morning.
A local family is distraught after learning the man who killed an officer more than 40 years ago could be released from prison in several years.

U.S. Park Police Officer Raymond Hawkins was trying to thwart a robbery of a 7-11 in Oxon Hill, Maryland, on Dec. 23, 1971 when Charles Hopkins shot him from behind.

Hawkins died weeks later on Feb. 15, 1972.

"It's just a tragedy," said Hawkins' cousin Doug Bottamiller.

Hopkins was sentenced to life without parole, but he was recently awarded a new trial because of a flawed jury instructions. More than 100 other cases in Maryland have been affected by the same issue.

"We were devastated, again, it was something that we just could not believe," Bottamiller said.

Hopkins, now 64 years old, pleaded guilty to the murder this week and was sentenced to serve 65 years. Bottamiller said Hopkins apologized in court.

"It was surreal. Totally surreal."

Hawkins' relatives say Hopkins could be eligible for parole in five years.

The U.S. Park Police union said in a statement, "While the men and women of the U.S. Park Police do not like this arrangement, it was the best that could be expected, given the circumstances.'

"We'll always now be wondering and watching our back. You just don't know. People are crazy," Bottamiller said.
Kenyas president torched more than a hundred tons of ivory from about 8,000 animals on Saturday, sending a message that trade in animal parts must be stopped, according to NBC News.

"Kenya is making a statement that for us, ivory is worthless unless it is on our elephants," President Uhuru Kenyatta told dignitaries before setting light to the first of almost a dozen pyres.

The ivory piles, which included elephant tusks and rhino horns, would have been worth a fortune to smugglers.

The country, which staged its first such burning in 1989, is seeking a total world ban on ivory sales as poaching poses an increased risk to endangered species. The call for the ban has been backed by Ali Bongo, president of Gabon, which is home to the forest elephant.
A Dorchester man has been arrested on two outstanding warrants and firearm charges, according to the Boston Police Department.

Around 11 p.m. Saturday, officers noticed a man acting suspiciously on Woolson Street in Boston's Mattapan neighborhood.

Police approached the man, identified as 29-year-old Henry Cantos Barboza, and conducted a pat frisk. A loaded black .40 caliber Glock 27 firearm was found in the waistband of Barboza's pants.

Barboza did not have a valid license to carry the gun.

Barboza was arrested and charged with Unlawful Possession of a Firearm, Unlawful Possession of Ammunition, Carrying a Loaded Firearm, Possession of a Firearm with Obliterated Serial Number, and being an Armed Career Criminal.
Hundreds of runners took to the streets of Andover, Massachusetts, on Sunday to celebrate the life of Colleen Ritzer.

The annual Step Up For Colleen 5K began after the Danvers High School teacher was raped and killed by her then student- Phillip Chism.

Chism was sentenced to life in prison last December.

Family and friends remember the impact Ritzer had on the community by raising money for scholarships for teens who want to pursue careers in teaching.
Last week was a busy week when it comes to ransomware. New victims included a utility company, visitors to a toymakers website, pirates sailing The Pirate Bay and many more. Some cyber crooks are now demanding gift cards for ransom instead of bitcoin.

While it wasnt all bad news, there are new decryptors and detectors, the FBI published a new warning about the proliferation of increasingly sophisticated ransomware campaigns.

Utility company hit with ransomware

Lansing Board of Water & Light (BWL), a Michigan municipal utility, was hit with ransomware after an employee opened an email that had a malicious attachment. The ransomware spread, encrypting files on other computers on the internal network. BWL shut down its accounting system, email service for 250 employees and phone lines, including the customer assistance line for account inquiries and the line for reporting outages. Printers and other technology were also affected.

BWL General Manager Dick Peffley described the virus as brand spanking new, which is why up-to-date antivirus software didnt quarantine it. The utility company learned that only three antivirus solutions could even detect this variant of crypto-ransomware.

Trent Atkins, BWL Director of Emergency Management, added, This was a very sophisticated virus that blew right through a number of our security systems.

Peffley also said, In my time at the board of 40 years, Ive never seen anything like it. Our time keeping, phones, computers, printers, everything that it takes to do the administrative work that the BWL does right now is shut down.

At first BWL would not admit it was hit by ransomware, but later Peffley admitted the virus was ransomware. He declined to say what ransom was demanded allegedly because the Michigan State Police Crime Unit and the FBI were still investigating. BWL assured customers that no personal information has been compromised.

Toymaker website and The Pirate Bay serving up ransomware

Also last week, Malwarebytes reported the website for toymaker Maisto was serving up CryptXXX ransomware. That occurred a few days after Malwarebytes said The Pirate Bay was serving up Cerber ransomware via malvertising.

MalwareTech said there is a huge list of U.S. organizations, such as police departments, state governments and universities, showing up in a Cerber ransomware tracker.

NBC News took a look at police departments increasingly being hit with ransomwareeven if law enforcement agency victims are trying to fly under the radar and keep the infection out of news. One police chief admitted his department had still been running DOS when it became a ransomware victim.

4 new ransomware variants

Proofpoint researchers warned, The sheer number of new ransomware variants that have emerged in the wild in 2016 increases the chances that both businesses and individuals will encounter this type of malware.

Proofpoint focused on four specific new ransomware variantsCryptFile2, ROI Locker, BrLock and MM Lockerto highlight code reuse and the growing global ransomware market. MM Locker comes with an interesting message to convince victims there is no choice but to pay the ransom and how to prevent future infections.

Rise of the gift card ransom demand

After Blue Coat researchers discovered Dogspectus ransomware targeting Android devices and demanding $200 in iTunes gift cards, ransomware thugs must have liked the gift card ransom idea. A few days later, AVG malware analyst Jakub Kroustek discovered TrueCrypter ransomware that accepts $115 in Amazon gift cards or .2 bitcoin. Fortunately, BleepingComputer reported that victims can easily decrypt their files by clicking on the TrueCrypter pay button. The newly discovered Alpha ransomware demands $400 in iTunes gifts cards, but there is already a decryptor available for victims.

Detect OS X ransomware, decrypt CryptXXX and TrueCrypter

The ransomware week in review was not all bad news, such as the TrueCrypter flaw that victims can take advantage of to decrypt their files for free. Synack security researcher Patrick Wardle released RansomWhere?a generic OS X ransomware detector. Kaspersky updated its RannohDecryptor tool so it can now also decrypt CryptXXX ransomware.

The flipside is that ransomware is running so rampant and becoming so increasingly sophisticated that the FBI released a new warning. It also explained how ransomware can be delivered via malvertisting instead merely through email. The article includes tips on how to avoid becoming a victim in the first place.
News / Africa

by Staff Reporter

Provocation may have caused an illegal Zimbabwean immigrant to kill his two countrymen in 2011, Justice Phadi Solomon said, when passing sentence in a double murder case on Tuesday.The convict, Leornard Mpofu, was found guilty of killing Jonathan Moyo and Nthabiso Moyo with a knife on November 4, 2011 at Takotshane cattlepost in the Central District after a drinking spree.Mpofu was sentenced to 10 years in jail for each of the two murder counts.Justice Solomon ruled that the sentences run concurrently and be backdated to November, 2011 when Mpofu was first incarcerated. She added that Mpofu should be deported from Botswana as soon as he completes his sentence.Passing sentence, Justice Solomon said she took into consideration what the accused through his attorney Adebola Ajayi said in mitigation."The convict is an illegal immigrant from Zimbabwe who was not granted bail since 2011 after he was arrested, for the sole reason that he came to Botswana illegally," she said."The period he spent in jail has given him ample time to reflect on what he has done and be remorseful for his actions."The convict, Solomon explained, has been cooperating with authorities and attended all court sessions.He was provoked by the deceased who were harassing his girlfriend and reacted in the manner that he did."I have no doubt that alcohol influenced him to act in the manner he did," she added. "Although he came to Botswana illegally, he was a law abiding person and was gainfully employed as a herdsmanand he never had any brushes with the law before he committed these offences."Solomon added that she treated Mpofu as a first time offender who had not planned to go and commit the offences.Nancy Ebineng from the Directorate of Public Prosecutions (DPP) represented the state in the matter.Similarly, trouble seems to be following a 29-year-old man from Lerala who is charged with a murder he committed while on bail. Elija William is accused of killing his girlfriend, Maitumelo Moeng, in August 2013 at Morupule lands.A warrant of arrest was issued for William's arrest in September 2015 after he failed to appear in court as scheduled, for no valid reasons.In the latest case that is before Justice Zibani Makhwade, the state says William killed the grandmother of his new girlfriend by hitting her with a rod on the head in February this year.Justice Makhwade ruled that the accused should be remanded in custody until the finalisation of all his matters because it seems like he had the propensity to commit offences and miss court while on bail.Attorney Antonio Luanda represents the accused in the first offence while Keneilwe Jeremia from the Directorate of Public Prosecutions (DPP) represents the state.William is yet to be allocated another attorney in the second count. He is due in court in September.
News / Education

by Tinomuda Chakanyuka

SCHOOLS will open on Tuesday for the second term as earlier advised contrary to some information that has been circulating on social media platforms that Government has postponed the opening to Wednesday, an official said yesterday.Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education Dr Sylvia Utete-Masango said schools will open on Tuesday, 3 May as announced before."The dates have not changed and schools are opening on Tuesday. We lost a lot of learning time when schools closed early because of the Easter Holiday so we can't afford losing any more time. We need to make up for the lost time," she said.Dr Utete-Masango warned people against gullibly believing information circulating on social media platforms. She said people must use official communication channels that are used by the Government for reliable information."There are some mischievous people who create lies and post them on social media. Such sources of information must not be trusted. As a Ministry of Government we have official platforms that we use to communicate, not social media," she said.
News / Education

by Munyaradzi Musiiwa

MIDLANDS State University founding Vice-Chancellor Professor Ngwabi Bhebe will step down from the helm of the higher learning institution at the end of the year, it has been learnt.The Government has since advertised the post of the Vice-Chancellor which will soon be vacant. The university council chairman, Mr Canaan Dube is also leaving the institution almost at the same time with Prof Bhebe after almost 17 years."The Council of Midlands State University, in consultation with the Minister of Higher and Tertiary Education, Science and Technology Development, invites applications for the position of Vice-Chancellor," reads part of the advert which is already being run in the media.The institution has grown in leaps and bounds since its first enrolment in 1999 and has opened four campuses and learning centres in the country while plans are afoot to open new campuses in Lupane and Kwekwe as it proliferates its jurisdiction to outside Midlands Province.MSU now boasts of a total enrolment of nearly 23 000 students drawn from faculties of Commerce, Arts, Social Sciences, Natural Resources and Environment, Science and Law.Mr Dube told an inter-stakeholders interface meeting recently that they will not be renewing their contracts which will come to an end at the end of November."I wish to take this opportunity to inform you our valued stakeholders that both the Vice-Chancellor and myself having served this institution for over 17 years and as such it is time to take leave during the course of this year."We believe we have fought a good fight and this is thus far the Lord has taken us. The Vice-Chancellor's contract expires on 30 November while I will step down on 30 October and at this point we want to set it on record that we do not wish to renew our contracts," said Mr Dube.MSU started in 1999 with 400 students and has grown to become the largest university in the country in terms of enrolment. Prof Bhebe obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree in History and Geography from the University of Botswana, Lesotho and Swaziland (UBLS) in 1967. He received his Doctor of Philosophy degree in Imperial History from the University of London in 1972.A celebrated historian Prof Bhebe's academic employment dates back to 1974 when he lectured history at Faurah Bay College in Sierra Leone, and later at the University of Botswana, Lesotho and Swaziland (UBLS) as well as at the University of Zimbabwe from 1982.He served as professor of History at the University of Zimbabwe from 1988 to 1999, and also as external examiner at the universities of Botswana, Malawi and Zambia. Prof Bhebe is a researcher who has published extensively and has to his name several books as well as articles in internationally refereed journals.Prof Bhebe also served as chairperson of the University of Zimbabwe's History Department from 1989 to 1992, and in the Research Board from 1984 to 1991. He also served as senior proctor and ultimately Pro Vice-Chancellor of the same university from 1992 to 1995. In 1999, Prof Bhebe was appointed as founding Vice-Chancellor of Midlands State University.
Back to D.C.

Dinneen makes one final trip to nations capital

D.C. CREW  Front from left: Whittney McCamish, Natalie Aaseth, Emily Crabtree, Michelle Katzung, Aubrey Schlinger, Tali Wayne, Jennifer McKay, Gabby Muri, Gretchen Ramaker, Grace Johns, Rachel Collins, Maci Surat, Emily Prigge, Chris Stenzel. Row two: Nicole Frechette, Kylie Lembke, Wyatt Fitterer, Tyler Mithun, Justin Mortensen, Karter Sletten, Natalia Galindo, Lillian Bell, Lillie Nielsen, Braden Routh, Ben Lewer, Mercedes Dickerson, Madison Martin. Back: Payton Misgen, Randal Anhalt, Caleb Harpel, Kyra Possin, Pat Churchill, Georgia Dinneen, Taytum Ihrke, Sam Prigge. (Submitted photo)

By JIM LUTGENS

Editor/Publisher

Officially, Georgia Dinneen is retired from her job as an instructor at NRHEG High School.

But early this month, she was coaxed out of retirement for a few days.

As she has done 10 times since 2004, Dinneen accompanied NRHEG students and other chaperones on what has become the schools annual trip to Washington, D.C.

Our intention in the beginning was to go every other year, said Dinneen. This trip was our fourth year in a row.

After retiring last spring, Dinneen was asked by NRHEG Administration to go on one last trip to D.C.

Thats why I did it, she said. It was an especially enjoyable trip to me just because I got to spend time again with teenagers. They are what I miss most about retirement.

A total of 33 students made the trip this year, all reportedly well behaved  as usual  and interested in what they were seeing and doing.

The group had the same tour guide NRHEG has had nine of the last 10 years, a lady named Marisa Caviness, someone Dinneen calls an amazing lady.

One of the things she tells the students as they hurry from one historic site to another: Lets walk with a purpose!

And they do.

We cram a lot of things into a three-and-a-half-day trip, said NRHEG history teacher Pat Churchill, a chaperone the last several years. By the end of it you are so exhausted, but it is definitely a very rewarding trip. Its a great experience for the kids. To actually see these great historical sites and to hear the stories, it is a trip they will never forget.

Four NRHEG students were given the honor to participate in the wreath laying ceremony at The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier: Taytum Ihrke, Kyra Possin, Sam Prigge and Caleb Harpel.

The itinerary included:

Wednesday, April 6

 Pentagon Memorial - An outside memorial honoring those that were killed on 9/11 at the Pentagon

 Pentagon building tour - Given by military personnel; one of the largest office buildings in the world; both civilian and military personnel in this building

 The Air Force Memorial - A very simple but impressive monument

 Lincoln Memorial

 Vietnam Memorial

 Korean War Memorial

 FDR Memorial - Beautiful waterfalls; this memorial is very symbolic of the era when FDR was president

 World War II Memorial - Water fountains; also very symbolic

 Evening illumination tour of the Jefferson Memorial and the Martin Luther King Memorial (one of the newer memorials in D.C.)

Thursday, April 7

 The Library of Congress - Considered by some to be one of the most beautiful buildings in D.C.

 Met with Senator Amy Klobuchar in the Hart Office building; She talked to the students for a few minutes prior to her departure to Andrews Air Force Base where she was going to board Air Force One with President Obama

 Tour of The United States Capitol

 Gettysburg, PA - Gettysburg Civil War Museum; Gettysburg Battlefield; Various monuments including the First Minnesota Regiment Monument.

This is the first time in all 10 trips to D.C. that we have gone to Gettysburg, said Dinneen. It was a very interesting tour for the students and chaperones alike.

Friday, April 8

 Museum Day - Newseum

 Smithsonian Museums including: Air and Space, American History and Natural History

 Holocaust Museum

 Evening comedy performance at The Kennedy Center For The Performing Arts

Saturday, April 9

 Mount Vernon - Home of George Washington

It was raining, sleeting and snowing while the NRHEG group was there.

 George Washington Mansion located on the Potomac River

 Arlington National Cemetery Tomb of The Unknown Soldier; Watched the Changing of the Guard.

 Iwo Jima Memorial

Said Churchill, We have been so blessed to have such amazing kids go on this trip. They always represent NRHEG very well.

I have truly enjoyed all of the D.C. trips with our NRHEG students, said Dinneen. Weve taken close to 400 kids on this adventure and I still hear from students who went on this trip years ago and they comment on what a wonderful time they had and the great memories they made. Even this year, while we were in D.C., I saw Facebook posts of students from years ago saying they wish they were with us! I wish they were too.
News / Local

by Stephen Jakes

Intra-party conflict reportedly rocked the ruling Zanu PF structures in Bulawayo with some members suspected to be aligned to the Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa's Lacoste faction being blocked from holding a meeting at in Makokoba.Accotrding to Zimbabwe Peace Project on 26 March 2016, Zanu-PF intra-party experienced intolerance of diversity resulting in members aligned to Mnangagwa being barred from holding a meeting."Ziyaphapha district chairperson, Charles Nyama and fellow Lacoste faction supporters went to party offices in Makokoba intending to hold their meeting," said ZPP. "They found the place occupied by Nicodemus Ndebele leading G40 faction singing and chanting slogans supporting First Lady Grace Mugabe. There were about two hundred in attendance and violence was averted when provincial member Makheyi Dube stopped the meeting and people dispersed."
Champaign, IL (61820)

Today

Cloudy and becoming windy. High 77F. Winds S at 20 to 30 mph..

Tonight

Cloudy this evening with showers after midnight. Low 61F. Winds SSE at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 50%.
News / Local

by Stephen Jakes

A member of the Zimbabwe National Army in Masvingo has been accused of engaging into scandalously hijacking food distribution done by non governmental organisation.According to Zimbabwe Peace Project on 20 March 2016, Thompson Mawara (48), a maguta soldier of Ward 10 Centenary Growth Point was responsible for the distribution of beans and cooking oil from an NGO for orphans whose parents had died from HIV/AIDS."The food was offloaded at David Nelson Clinic in Centenary. Mawara announced that the food was going to be distributed on 22 March 2016. On the distribution day, two people were asked to produce Zanu-PF membership cards. But nobody else besides them had been asked for the cards," reads the report by ZPP. "They were also accused of not attending Zanu-PF meetings. They were told that the food was not from any NGO but Zanu-PF. They were ordered to go back home and get their Zanu- PF membership cards."ZPP said the two men went aside and informed one Hozo, a war veteran, who advised them to approach Mawara and ask for forgiveness.One of them refused to ask for forgiveness claiming that the accusations were false and they were told to wait until the distribution was done."After the distribution Mawara was called by Hozo to explain the matter. Mawara claimed the two were influencing people in Ward 10 not to attend Zanu-PF meetings so they were fixing them for that. He promised to discipline them at a later date," reads the report.
There is more to Gujarat than it just being a ministers model of development *coughs*. May 1 is celebrated as Gujarat Day since its formation in the year 1960. The state is, contrary to popular belief, more than just a dry state. Some of the best Indian monuments, food, folk dances belong to Gujarat and make it a beautiful jewel in Indias crown.If you want to experience one of its kind white desert, then it is the Rann of Kutch you have to visit. Sprawled over a humongous area, the rann is known for its salt, its colourful villages and people, its art (Kutchi embroideries anyone?) and now, it even has a three-month long touristy utsav to its name. For the adventurer in you, the rann is a must check on the wanderlust list.The Asiatic Lions live in the Gir forest, their only habitat in the world. Gir is the frontrunner when it comes to conservation efforts  numbers of the majestic beasts rose to 523 in 2015, a stupendous growth that brought them back from the brink of endangerment. This beautiful Gujarat forest is a must for the wildlife enthusiast as unlike other jungles, you are sure to spot the animal here.Gujarati food is known across the world for its unique taste and its popularity among vegetarian foodies is staggering. Be it that dhokla sitting calmly on your plate or undhiyu which is a mixed vegetable dish turned on its head or the grand assortment of farsaan (or snacks) that your friends ask for whenever you visit that aunt in Amdavad, the food is just delicious.When Amitabh Bachchan asks you to spend a few days in a place, you spend a few days in that place. However, you can take your pick from a wide range of places - the hills of Saputara, Somnath Temple, the pristine beaches of Diu, the UNESCO heritage site Rani-Ni-Vav or the Sun temple at Modhera, Gujarat is teeming with places worth a dekko.The state is the countrys largest producer of milk thanks to Amul. It is also provides more than half of the nations salt requirement.Mahatma Gandhi, Sardar Patel and the first Pakistani prime minister Mohammad Ali Jinnah, were all Gujaratis. Add historical sites like Dandi, Valsad, Sabarmati Ashram to the mix and it is a piece of our independence story packed in a single state.Who in the world doesnt know how to bust a few Garba and Dandiya moves? Make that no one. The two most vibrant dances belong to this state. Ask a Patel living in any part of the world how they stay connected to their roots and pat comes the reply, By doing Garba during Navratri.Those diamonds that are your best friends? It is highly likely that it has been polished to perfection by an expert in Surat. Gujaratis are key players in the multi-billion dollar diamond export business globally. Almost 80% of the diamonds sold across the world have been polished in Surat. Infact, the city has a few dedicated colleges for teaching diamond technology.Be it the Maharaja Sayajirao University in Baroda or the National Institute of Design in Ahmedabad, some of the countrys best colleges are situated here. IIM-A, IIT, NIFT, CEPT, Nirma University are just some of the premier varsities that attract students from all parts of the country. No wonder, it is referred to as students paradise by many.Almost all the serials produced for television have a Gujarati connect. It began years back when Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi was launched - the Virani khandaan changed how the urban Indian viewed TV's make-believe families. There are tons of serials that now take from the Gujarati culture and for some reason, the whole of India connects to them. Tarak Mehta anyone?It is no secret that the most successful businessmen of India are from Gujarat. Ambanis, Adanis etc are just some of the country's best 'baniya dimaags' that have done well globally. Call it the shrewd Gujarati mind when it comes to Mathematics or the level headedness of the many businessmen and entrepreneurs that are born here (namely, the Patels), Gujarat's people have always kept 'munafa' in mind.
New Delhi: Does right to privacy include right to delink from the Internet the irrelevant information, the Delhi High Court has asked the Centre and Google.



Justice Manmohan sought the responses of the Ministry of Communication and Information Technology (MOC & IT), Google Inc., Google India Pvt Ltd and IKanoon Software Development Pvt Ltd on a plea of an NRI seeking that he be "delinked" from information regarding a criminal case involving his wife in which he was not a party.



The petitioner has sought the relief saying it would affect his employment opportunities as companies often search about prospective employees on the internet and as the criminal case pops up on searching his name, it might give an impression that he was involved in it.



His petition has raised the question "whether data controllers or intermediaries such as Google, are required to delete information that is inadequate, irrelevant or no longer relevant if they receive a request for removal of such data".



The petitioner, in his plea filed through advocates Rohit Madan and Akash Vajpai, has said the criminal case involving his wife and his mother against each other pops up when his name is searched on the Internet.



"Petitioner got to know that anyone who searches his name on Google will find the aforesaid judgment (of the criminal case) on the second number of search result and consequently giving the impression to everyone that was involved in some sort of criminal proceeding in India," the plea said.



The plea has also said, "petitioner tried to contact Respondent 4 (IKanoon) and made a request for taking down the aforesaid judgment through letter dated January 25, 2016 as petitioner wanted this order to be expunged, from website of Respondent 4."



It also said that the petitioner had contacted Respondent 2 and 3 (Google Inc and Google India) and sent an email for removing the concerned Uniform Resource Locator (URL) from the search result.
With fires devastating around 1,900 hectares of forest cover in Uttarakhand, the Centre on Sunday pressed two Mi-17 helicopters into service to assist the officials of NDRF, SDRF and Army personnel fighting to contain the flames.In the morning two MI-17 helicopters were set to multiple trips to spray gallons of water in affected areas to douse the fires. Nearly 1,500 villages in Kumaon and Garhwal division are under threat and need to be controlled at the earliest, sources said."One MI-17 chopper was sent to Pauri and another stationed at Bhimtal near Nainital are being loaded with water collected from water bodies in the area. Soon, the helicopters will be pressed in to service to spray water over affected areas," Chief Secretary Shatrughna Singh said.Director General (Forests) and Special Secretary in Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change, SS Negi said, "Some people suspected to be involved in the fire incident were arrested in Pauri and other districts. They were handed over to the local police."He said, "Pre-fire alert will be given till June 30 in 16 states. I held a meeting with DG of forest survey of India and given pre-fire alert to Uttarakhand for assistance. Within one to two days, the situation will be under control."Meanwhile, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh reviewed the situation with Chief Secretary of the state and the concerned officers in MHA in the morning.He instructed his officials to monitor the situation and provide all assistance in controlling.The government is also seeking help from foreign experts to deal with the crisis. The director of Delhi's Fire Department is scheduled to visit the spot to assist a joint operation to control the fires that have blazing out of control over the last three months.The forest fires started on February 2 and the exact cause is yet to be known. Six people have been killed in the fires which also charred rare birds, species, herbal trees and medicinal plants.The worst affected areas where MI-17 helicopters will primarily spray water are Rudraprayag, Nainital, Chamoli, Pithoragarh, Pauri, Tehri, Uttarkashi, Almora. As per latest report fire is spreading to Jaunsar in Dehradun district and NDRF teams are having a tough time in bringing the blaze under control. (Photo courtesy: ANI)Two IAF choppers have also been sent to Nainital and Pauri districts, among the worst hit, to spray water over the burning forests, Raj Bhawan officials had said.Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan said Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) is rushing Aviation Turbine Fuel (ATF) re-fullers to replenish IAF choppers deployed to douse the massive fire in Uttarakhand."Spoke to Governor Uttarakhand; IOC rushing ATF re-fuellers to reach Haldwani and Srinagar by morning for firefighting by Air Force helicopters," he tweetedEnough funds have been made available to all affected districts besides required personnel and equipment to deal with any situation, they said.Since the beginning of forest fire season in the state in February, 922 incidents have occurred so far in which seven were injured and 1890.79 hectares of green cover being affected, said Principal Conservator of Forest B P Gupta.Concerned over the forest fires which are still raging, Governor KK Paul reviewed the rescue efforts underway via videoconferencing with officials in the field and asked them to speed up their efforts.NDRF companies assisted by expert teams and locals are conducting fire extinguishing and rescue operations in affected areas of Garhwal and Kumaon regions.IG Sanjay Gunjyal is coordinating with the NDRF, the district magistrates concerned and Principal Conservator ofForestto supervise the rescue operations.Locals are being encouraged to report a fire incident to the district magistrate concerned as soon as they sight it so that it can be controlled in time.The governor has doubled the number of personnel deployed to control the fires from 3000 to 6000 and asked all agencies including the SDRF, district administration and the rural population to contribute their bit in the exercise saying the forest department alone cannot accomplish the onerous task, Gupta said.Forest fires are natural during summer but this time they have occurred on a bigger scale as the fire season which normally begins by February 15 and ends by June 15, began on February 2.Former chief minister Harish Rawat has asked the governor to declare Uttarakhand as a fire disaster struck state and involve locals as much as possible in fire extinguishing efforts.The scale of fires this time has been bigger due to little or no rain during winter at most places.(With inputs from PTI)
New Delhi: Underworld don Chhota Rajan, deported to India after being caught from Bali in Indonesia in October 2015, continues to face death threat even inside the high security Tihar jail where he has been lodged, Delhi Police sources said.



They said an SMS was purportedly sent from the cell phone of Chhota Shakeel, a close aide of fugitive mob boss Dawood Ibrahim, to a senior Tihar jail official threatening to eliminate Chhota Rajan, prompting the senior officer to seek additional security for him.



The SMS was sent from mobile number 971504265138 to the cell phone of Tihar Law Officer Sunil Gupta, threatening 'The End' of Chhota Rajan very soon, sources said. A call had also been received on Tihar's landline number following the SMS after which Rajan's security has been enhanced.



The police has also been informed about the threat call. "How long will you save this dead pig from death, very soon I will do his the end," the message by "Haji Chhota Shakeel" said. A Special Cell officer confirmed the receipt of the message by the Tihar official without disclosing anything else.



Gupta had received the SMS in the morning of November 24 last year after which he brought the matter into the knowledge of higher ups and sought security for himself and his family, sources said. The matter is now being investigated by police.



After being on the run for 27 years, Chhota Rajan was arrested in Bali (Indonesia) on October 25 on a Red Corner notice of Interpol. He was deported and brought to India on November 6 for facing trial in various criminal cases registered against him in Delhi and Mumbai.



In New Delhi he was sent to 14-day judicial custody by a local court and lodged in the high-security Tihar jail on November 19. Rajan, once a Dawood Ibrahim confidante, has been brought to the country to face trial in over 70 cases of murder, extortion and drug smuggling.



Ever since his arrival, Rajan has been questioned by various investigating agencies. He has been making claims of having further evidence to nail India's most wanted terrorist Dawood Ibrahim and his links with Pakistan's external snooping agency ISI.
Salman's 'Aye Haye' about this newly wed couple bips:I don't want that salman get married. Karan:why so mean? Salman:arre I also don't want to #salmankhan #salman #beingsalmankhan #bipashakaranwedding #bipashakaran #beinghuman #bipashabasu #bipasha #karansinghgrover #bipashawedskaran #monkeywedding #karanwedsbipasha #bipashawedding #sultan #bollywood

A video posted by Salman Khan  (@salmankhanplanet) on Apr 30, 2016 at 7:42pm PDT
Tamil Nadu has always remained a hard nut to crack for the BJP. Since Independence, the BJP has opened its account only once in Assembly elections. In 2001, the saffron party won four Assembly seats in the state in an alliance with the DMK. In the next two Assembly polls - in 2006 and 2011 - the lotus failed to bloom in Dravida heartland.This time, the BJP is once again hoping to wrest at least Mylapore seat in Chennai back. It has fielded K Nagarajan in this Tamil Iyer dominated constituency. Some say at least 60,000 voters in this seat of 2.5 lakh voters are Brahmins. In the remaining three seats it won in 2001, the chances are bleak, claim party insiders.Out of total 234 seats in the state, the BJP has declared candidates for 168 seats. It has allotted 45 seats to Indiya Jananayaga Katchi, 24 seats to Akila Indiya Makkal Kalvi Munnetra Kazhagam and surprisingly one seat to Muslim Munnetra Kazhagam. The BJP is also supporting its Indiya Makkal Kalvi Munnetra Kazhagam (IMKMK) candidate in Thiruvallur.Tamilisai Sundararajan, the state BJP president and author of Prime Minister Narendra Modis biography in Tamil is contesting from Virugampakkam.During his Lok Sabha campaign, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had extensively toured Tamil Nadu trying to woo Dravidian voters. But, the BJP-led alliance - comprising Vijayakanth's DMDK, Dr Ramdoss' PMK, Vaiko's MDMK, IJK, New Justice Party and KMDK - managed to win just two seats, out of total 39 seats in the state. The BJP's Pon Radhakrishnan won from Kanyakumari and PMK's Dr. Anbumani Ramadoss won from Dharmapuri.However the alliance polled more votes than the main opposition party DMK in 2014 LS polls. The situation seems to have changed entirely in the last two years. All major Dravidian parties have shunned the BJP in the state by refusing to share seats with it. After being snubbed by even recent allies like PMK, DMDK and MDMK, the saffron party is now forced to go almost solo, sharing 25% of seats with minor and fringe parties to stay relevant.According to journalist Aravindan Neelakandan, the BJP has no strong strategy for Tamil Nadu. In an article for 'Swarajya' magazine, he wrote "Like Lord Hanuman who forgot his own strength, the ones who can accomplish this task sit bewildered. Every other day, a state BJP leader makes a statement inviting political prodigals to their camp, only to be shunned by the latter. This was not the party we knew in the 1980s and surely this is not the party that could conduct itself with an air of superiority in the state politics in the 1990s. What has gone wrong now?The harsh truths are these: Instead of positioning itself as a strong alternative to Dravidian politics, not just in rhetoric but also in words and deeds, the party has allowed itself to be swayed by Dravidian elements. For example, instead of nurturing its own band of leadership rooted in Hindutva ideology, BJP wasted time and effort in giving room to leaders like Thirunavukkarasar, a notorious party-hopper, who in turn filled the important posts of BJP with his own henchmen".But, BJP's problems are much bigger than this. It has failed to understand the complexities of Tamil politics. What may work in rest of India, will not work in Tamil Nadu. It requires a highly localised approach. Tamil politics is known for competitive populism. Even if it has now reached a saturation point. Unless the BJP comes out with an alternative to counter this, it can't hope to make an impact in state politics. The legend of Tamil Nadu journalism, the late RMT Sambandam had made these observations as far back as 1999. He had said that unless BJP invents a different kind of politics which is TN-specific, it will never reach a double digit figure in the state Assembly.All political pundits suggest the BJP should provide an alternative to Dravidian politics to win elections. But, only the BJP can invent that alternative. Till then, it will have to remain a fringe force in one of Indias key states.
News / Local

by Staff Reporter

A prominent Harare lawyer is demanding $2 000 from Nyaradzo Funeral Assurance Company for breach of contract after one of its bus drivers dumped mourners going to a funeral in Chivi, 25km before their destination.Masvingo Mirror reported that the mourners who were travelling for Clarah Chishamba's funeral were left at Shokoni Business Centre instead of Chishamba Village in Chivi where burial was to take place.The incident happened two weeks ago and the policy holder confirmed.Prominent lawyer and law lecturer, Caleb Mucheche who was part of the cortege told Nyaradzo Chief Executive Officer, Philip Mataranyika in a scathing letter that mourners were dumped in the rain and at night.He said the mourners were heavily drenched before small cars were organised to make trips to take them to the village."In a typical of adding insult to injury, the mourners were abandoned in the middle of the road at night in drizzle conditions and left stranded there whilst getting drenched in rain."The driver of the bus did not even have courtesy to mourners but unceremoniously ejected them from the bus in an undignified manner as if he was dealing with a bunch of common thieves at Mbare Musika," said Mucheche's letter.Mucheche said in the letter that he saw no reason why the driver could not take the bus up to village because the road was good although it was a dust road. He said many other vehicles to the funeral went up to the doorsteps.Mucheche said that vehicles had to be organised again to take mourners to the business centre where the Nyaradzo bus ranked.He argued that leaving mourners before their destination was a breach of contract by Nyaradzo. He said an extra $2 000 was incurred in costs to make alternative arrangements and demanded that Nyaradzo make this compensation within seven days or face a lawsuit.Nyaradzo had not responded to the letter of demand by the time of going to Press although it is understood that officials from the company visited the village.Mucheche said Nyaradzo awfully contradicted its motto which depicts the funeral service company as Sahwira Mukuru (Dependable Buddie) by dumping mourners by the road side."The breach of contract arose from the fact that Nyaradzo Funeral Assurance Company bus dumped mourners who were going to attend a funeral, 25km before the actual destination at Shokoni Business Centre instead of Chishamba Village in Chivi."Your company prides itself as Sahwira Mukuru but the events of April 7, 2016 leaves a lot to be desired and dents the image which your company has been trying to portray. If anything, one can say that your company dismally failed to walk the talk," said Mucheche.
A Hindu tailor was hacked to death by machete-wielding ISIS terrorists in his shop on Saturday in central Bangladesh, the latest in a series of brutal attacks on intellectuals, activists and minorities by the dreaded terror group in the Muslim-majority country.



Nikhil Chandra Joarder, 50, a resident of the Dubail village under Gopalpur upazila of the Tangail district, was hacked to death on Saturday afternoon.



"Three assailants entered Nikhil's house-cum shop and slit his throat," Gopalpur police station Officer-in-Charge Mohammad Abdul Jalil told reporters.



He said the assailants used a motorbike and fled the scene immediately after the murder. They left a black bag at the spot, which contained three to four bomb-like objects.



Asked about the possible motive behind the attack, Jalil told reporters that a case was filed against Nikhil in 2012 for making a "derogatory" comment about the Prophet of Islam.



He had been arrested for allegedly making the comments and then released. "It can be the reason for the murder," The Daily Star quoted Jalil as saying.



Meanwhile, US-based private SITE Intelligence Group said the Islamic State has claimed the killing.



ISIS' Amaq Agency reported the group's responsibility for killing the Hindu tailor for blasphemy in Tangail district in Bangladesh, it said in a tweet.



The local media reports said that Nikhil served three months of imprisonment in 2012 when he was arrested for commenting "derogatory comments" against the Prophet.



"We are trying to track down the killers and called CID (Criminal Investigation Department) to probe the murder...(But) I will tell you nothing about the incident until the investigation is finished," Tangail's district police chief Saleh Mohammad Tanvir told reporters.



There have been systematic assaults in Bangladesh in recent months specially targeting minorities, secular bloggers, intellectuals and foreigners.



In the recent attacks, a liberal professor was brutally hacked to death last Saturday by machete-wielding ISIS militants who slit his throat near his home in Rajshahi city.



Two days later on Monday, Bangladesh's first gay magazine editor was brutally murdered along with a friend in his flat in Dhaka by Islamists.



In February, a head priest was killed at a Hindu temple in an area bordering India, the first attack by the ISIS targeting the community.



Last year, four prominent secular bloggers were killed with machetes, one inside his own home.



In most of the cases, Islamic State or al-Qaeda in Indian Sub Continent claimed the responsibility.



Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, however, repeatedly denied existence of any foreign terrorist groups in the country and attributed the deadly attacks on homegrown extremists backed by main opposition outside parliament BNP and its crucial ally fundamentalist Jamaat-e-Islami.
News / Local

by Luthando Mapepa

AT least 22 Mount Selinda High School students in Chipinge who staged a demonstration against the United Church of Christ in Zimbabwe for confiscating a Toyota D4D belonging to the school last year were on Wednesday arraigned before the courts facing charges of public violence.Manica Post reported that the accused, Tendai Dube, Artwell Marwa, Marley Chiororo, Prosper Muzondi, Ronald Maparanyanga, Sydeny Maparanyanga, Raymore Machingura, Blessing Makamera, Yannick Bondo, Takanaka Kaneta ,Panashe Makotwe and 11 others appeared before Chipinge magistrate, Noah Gwatidzo, facing charges of public violence as defined in Section 36 (1) (a) of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act.However, the trial had to be adjourned to May 11, as some students told the court that they were waiting for their legal representatives who were still to arrive in Chipinge.According to the summons which this paper has in possession, it is alleged that on October 5, 2015 at and around 3pm, the accused had a meeting with the school headmaster, Mr Watson Bundwa, demanding the release of a Toyota D4D double cab truck, Registration Number ADI-8961 from the responsible authority (UCCZ).Prosecuting, Witness Nyamundaya, said two days later on October 7, at around 8pm, the accused allegedly went on to stage a demonstration at UCCZ offices -in Chipinge.It alleged that the accused persons were ferried from the school to Chipinge town in the school's UD truck.The court heard that they went to the church's offices armed with sticks and cameras singing songs of the Shona version Mwari Baba Wangu and Nhasi Pano Paita Chimoto.While there, five of the accused persons who were armed with sticks and camera allegedly entered into the office of the then vice-president of the church, Rev Godfrey Dhundu, while others remained outside singing.The accused were later addressed by the District Education Officer and the police. They were ordered to go back to school."The accused boarded a Gaza High School on their way back, but the bus had a break down at Tsuro Bus Stop. They were later ferried in their school bus to the school."On arrival, they grouped with other students and went to the deputy headmaster, Tarwara Chitombo's house. While at Chitombo's house, the accused stoned the outside bulb light with stones. They went on to damage the door of the house with the intention of injuring the deputy headmaster and his family."The accused also cut the security fence at the girl's dormitories, thereby disturbing peace, security and order at Mt Selinda High School," said Nyamundaya.He said on October 8, at around 6pm, the accused grouped again.They allegedly switched off the generator and went to Chitombo's house, thereby disturbing peace, security and order at the school."Police were summoned to attend the scene and the accused stoned the police vehicle resulting in police using tear smoke to bring the situation to normalcy. Property valued at $50 was damaged by the students," he said.
EOC head: Abortion for Zika legal

She was speaking yesterday at the NGC Bocas Lit Fest human rights seminar held at the National Library, Port-of-Spain.

Ive heard the Minister of Health (Terrence Deyalsingh) say he is not touching the issue and he is leaving the law as it is. The message I want to send out is that abortion is legal in Trinidad and Tobago for the therapeutic indication.

If you feel you are going to have a Zika baby that must affect your mental health, she said.

She continued: There is a clearance there for the doctors. Even if it is that the legislature does not want to act the Minister of Health can issue protocols. The problem is that the doctors do not want to have to face prosecution of doing the procedure and having the police charge you. Deyalsingh at a press conference two weeks ago said he was ending the discussion of abortion but, after Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley said the matter remained open for discussion, said that he was misquoted and he cannot stop a national discussion.

In a statement yesterday former Health Minister Dr Fuad Khan said the Health Minister needs to make his position clear on the ministrys agenda on abortion and described his statements about being misquoted as damage control. He also criticised Deyalsinghs decision to appoint himself as Director of Womens Health noting that this was a specialised position to be filled by an obstetrician/gynaecologist.

It is clear that the issue of abortion is a polarizing one in our society, as it is across the globe, and as such the Minister of Health should be taking a neutral approach in dealing with the matter. It is clear however, that Mr Deyalsingh has already made up his mind, and is now attempting to trivialize public debate as a way of silencing the voices of women who disagree with his selfish agenda, Khan added.

At the seminar yesterday, Chief Justice Ivor Archie, who was also on the panel, referred to the incident though he did not call Deyalsingh by name.

It disturbs me greatly when I hear a Government Minister attempt to shut down a conversation. You cant tell people what to talk about. Whether you like it or not it is an issue.

And the fact that it makes you uncomfortable...

suggests that it is something that we need to have a conversation about, he said.

Seebaran-Suite, also an attorney, said sexual and reproductive health and rights means a woman has the right to decide the number and spacing of children, have information and services around facility, right to contraception and right to access abortion.

She stressed it is a human rights issue and related to gender because it is a procedure only women need and it is prohibited.

She explained that in United Kingdom they have a provision where a woman can access abortion if her physical or mental health is affected - the therapeutic indication - as well as if pregnancy resulted in rape or incest or foetal abnormality indicated by doctors which is the issue with Zika right now.

Seebaran-Suite said the policy recommendation for this country is abortion on request as a private issue between a woman and her doctor up to 16 weeks and thereafter you must be able to prove foetal abnormality, serious affect to your health, the pregnancy having resulted from rape, failure of contraception, either mental status or diseased status.

Even if it is that the Government doesnt have the courage, they dont have the motivation or they dont have the - its an ethical issue not a moral issue - if they have not taken an ethical position that it is their responsibility to look at unsafe abortions at least they can issue protocols which define the therapeutic intervention to give the doctors clearance so that they will not have exposed themselves to prosecution, she said.

Seebaran-Suite said in approaching governments of all stripes about changing the law politicians respond we not touching that now because they are operating on the basis of getting as many votes as possible. She advised that politicians must feel the consequences at the polls if progressive legislation is not brought. She pointed out that studies abroad show that people do not want LGBT (lesbians, gays, bisexuals and transsexuals) people to be discriminated against.

I do not know what pacts they make with religious organisations.

They make pacts, she claimed.

Chairman of the Coalition Against Domestic Violence Diana Mahabir-Wyatt said issues such as rights to abortion and assisted suicide are determined by politicians fear of religious bodies all of which are dominated by men.

None of which have wombs, she added.

She said for a child born with microcephaly few fathers would stay around to support the child.

During the open forum, attorney Gregory Delzin said in the conversation about rights something that is lost is balancing of rights and the concept of the dignity of the human being.

Because when you speak about the right of a woman to abort a baby you also have to talk about the dignity of the human being, the dignity of the unborn child. When I hear people speak about a child not being entitled to live because I got Zika I get frightened...because you are reducing that life to a matter of convenience. You are reducing that life to a matter of management and you are taking away the question and issue of your own personal choices when you became pregnant, he said.

Panellist and human- rights activist Elizabeth Solomon said that dignity is defined by the human being and questioned how one balance insistence that women should not be allowed to abort but once a Zika microcephalic is born you have no systems in place to assist them.

In the open session, teacher Dike Ramdeen also spoke about protecting the most vulnerable which includes the unborn, children and the elderly.

Archie in turn questioned at what point does the unborn child become a person. He pointed out that the church spent time defending the unborn but once you born dont have a problem hanging you.
PC Rambo loses life in crash

However, the Canadian man, Johnny Bugen, together with two other occupants, Derrick Thomas and Ruben Gopaul, survived the accident. Up to yesterday, the three survivors remained warded at the Eric Williams Medical Sciences Complex, Mt Hope, in serious but stable conditions.

A police report stated that about 11.30 pm on Friday, Ramsawacksingh was driving a Nissan Almera along the north bound lane of the Uriah Butler Highway, where the car veered off the road and crashed into a utility pole. Ramsawaksingh, who was on pre-retirement leave, died instantly. The other occupants sustained multiple injuries and were rushed to the hospital at Mount Hope. The accident occurred in the vicinity of the Divali Nagar, in an area often referred to as a death stretch due to the number of lives lost there. Constable Moore, of the Chaguanas Police Station, is continuing investigations.

Ramsawaksingh, who was expected to officially retire in October, lived at Buen Intento Road, Princes Town with his wife Shaliza and their two adult sons, Keron and Kevie. Ramsawaksingh ( regimental number 10878) had more than 29 years in the TT Police Service and was last posted at the St Marys Police Post at Moruga.

Speaking to Sunday Newsday yesterday at his childhood home located at Pepper Village, Gran Couva, Ramsawaksinghs brother Wayne noted that the bereaved family was unsure of the circumstances of the death. Wayne added that following news of the death, family members learnt that Ramsawaksingh was on his way to drop off a Canadian at the airport where the foreigner was expected to board a flight.

Wayne said that his brother was very popular not only in their hometown Gran Couva but also in Princes Town where he lived.

Everyone knew Rambo around here (Gran Couva) and at Princes Town. The whole community is in shock. Rambo was very helpful, a very cool fella. I myself still cannot believe that he is dead. He has 29 years, or maybe more than that, in the service , Wayne said as he looked at a photograph of Ramksawaksingh in uniform. Ramsawaksingh has many nicknames among them Trevor, Redman, Blinkie and Singh.

As news of the tragedy spread in the Southern Division, Ramsawaksinghs colleagues too were trying to come to terms with the death.

We cannot function properly today because of the death. This is a hard one to swallow. Ask anyone in St Marys (Village, Moruga) about him. Everyone knew Blinkie, they knew Rambo. I believe he was the oldest constable in the division.

He loved the gym and was a very fit man, said a colleague.

Senior police confirmed that Ramsawaksingh went on pre-retirement leave in July last year and was expected to formally retire in October. He was expected to returned to the service as a Special Reserve Police officer after retirement.

Investigations are continuing
Deosaran: Help Govt secondary students

He made the recommendation at the launch of his latest book, Inequality Crime & Education in Trinidad and Tobago: Removing the Masks, at the Radisson Hotel in Port-of-Spain.

Noting the existing education system was fraught with inequities with respect to ethnicity, social class, gender, access to opportunity and place of residence, Deosaran challenged government to act on this proposal over a tenyear period.

They (governments) should do a pilot study over a ten-year period in which they can train teachers properly and take in the children who did not make the 90 per cent requirement at the SE A (Secondary Entrance Examination) to go to prestige schools, he said, predicting that students who students made 60 per cent and above would eventually excel at the CXC with the right guidance and interest.

Deosaran described as a tragedy, the fact that some 95 percent of open scholarships were given to students in the denominational system.

For poor, working class students that ladder has been broken, he said.

The former independent senator said, on average, 61 percent of East Indians go to university within three years after leaving school while only 34 percent of Africans do so.

Thirty-eight percent of students of mixed races attend university within three years of leaving school, Deosaran said.

He said statistics also have revealed that young African males along the East-West Corridor were more prone to unemployment and gun use.

All that reflects the failure of the secondary schools they attended, Deosaran said.

Deosaran said standards of performance of students in the Government secondary school system in relation to those under the denominational boards, reflected inequities in the system, which he felt could be resolved partly through proper teacher training to close the gap. He suggested, too, that local school boards, a statutory provision, be implemented for all Government secondary schools to ensure greater oversight.

They would have the powers to do what the denominational boards are doing, he said, adding that the existing system of local school boards has been implemented half-heartedly.

Deosaran also recommended an expansion by 100 percent the number of Form One places in secondary schools, now known as high-performing schools as well as a review of the Ministry of Educations examination system and secondary school placement policies.

The primary schools especially have become examination-congested and besieged by the tyranny of testocracy (too many tests), he said.
Point Fortin crowns Queen Keda

Keda Pascall won the Miss Point Fortin pageant, a major highlight of the boroughs annual celebrations, at Point Fortin East Secondary School last Friday night.

Tevene Cyrus-Tyson is the first runner-up and Jasenta Balchan earned the third spot.

Pascall, 28, also won the lions share of the category prizes copping Best Cultural Performance; Miss Photogenic; Best Evening Gown; Peoples Choice and Miss Congeniality.

The new queen told Sunday Newsday it was her lifes dream to win a beauty pageant and after many weeks of preparation her dream came true.

Chief coordinator of the pageant, Denzil James, described Pascall as focused, determined individual who gave her best in everything she did.

She was warm and friendly throughout the pageant having won the Miss Congeniality vote, he said.

Pascall captivated the audience specially with high energy flair in her swimwear and cultural portrayals.

The crowds reacted with loud applause each time she appeared on stage.

Keda Simone-Lewis won the prize for Best Physique; Balchan was named Most Improved Delegate; and the prize for Most Dedicated Delegate went to Cyrus-Tyson.

An Appreciation of Our Culture was the pageants them.

In the lead up to the competition, the eight finalists had to present video about Point Fortin, and many showcased various tourist attractions in the borough.

Despite the slowdown in spending by some companies, James said several businesses in the borough, among them Peiping Supermarket, Chloes Closet, The Beauty World of Onyx Lee, JCC Electrical, De Souzas Furniture and Appliance and Markie John and Sons, continued to support as sponsors, showing their confidence in the pageant.

While the contributions from the Point Fortin business community were good, there were challenges with pre-pageant promotion, he however observed, noting the delegates were not invited to take part in the launch of Borough Day celebrations the prior weekend.

Borough Day will be marked on May 7 with a parade of mas bands and steel-pan competition.
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News / National

by Stephen Jakes

Zanu PF leaders in Harare's Epworth area reportedly forced the residents at a meeting to denounce the MDC-T led council.According to Zimbabwe Peace Project on 31 March 2016, Zanu-PF supporters called people for a development meeting for small to medium scale enterprises, which was supposed to be officially opened by Harare Resident Minister, Miriam Chikukwa, at the Resource Centre in Ward 2, Epworth."People gathered to attend the meeting, which was not even known by the local authority. People were forced to denounce MDC-T and ZimPF. Zanu-PF supporters later argued among themselves over the planning of the meeting. The meeting had to be abandoned," ZPP reported."On 31 March 2016, a monthly meeting was held in Parkridge under Kuwadzana constituency with the residents. Committee chairperson, Tauya Mauya, started the meeting with Zanu-PF slogans and told the people that those who were not Zanu-PF should surrender their stands."ZPP said Susan Munjeyi (not real name) an MDC-T activist was identified as one of the people to lose her stand."She was seen attending a meeting with her MDC-T colleagues. At the time of going to print she had not had her stand taken but the threat still remains," reported ZPP. "On 31 March 2016, it was reported that Zanu-PF youths were putting up an office in Ward 13 in Chitungwiza that was just like the ones that were used as terror bases in 2008. It is also said that the same structure is there in Ward 16 Unit J in Chitungwiza. Though it is openly used for carpentry, the suspicion is that under cover the structure would have another covert use."
On Friday, the Burlingame streets erupted when Trump addressed California's GOP convention. There were protestors who shut down the streets and overlapped into the grounds near the Hyatt Regency hotel.

Most of the demonstration was thought to be peaceful, but many of the protestors resorted to flag-burning and egg-throwing.

"No hate in our state," they chanted, even as a few of them filed in with Mexican flags to protest against Trump's anti-immigrant policies.

The Burlingame police report that there were five arrests and one of them had a non-serious injury.

Many of the protestors tried to block Trump's entrance. When he arrived with his Secret Service entourage, he hopped over a fence so that he could come into the event space.

He cited the incident at the Republican convention, joking that he knew what it felt like to cross the U.S.-Mexico border.

"We went under a fence and through a fence," Trump said Friday. "And oh boy, it felt like I was crossing the border, actually."

The protest was the second huge demonstration against Trump. On Thursday night, he addressed 18,000 supporters near the Orange County Fairgrounds. Although there were loud cries against him and two patrol cars were damaged, nobody reported any major problems.

The Costa Mesa police arrested demonstrators but released 17 people on charges of failing to disperse.
Samsung has launched its Galaxy J5 (2016) and Galaxy J7 (2016) phones in South Korea.

The home-country launch comes nearly a month after the phone-maker launched the devices in China. Speculation has been rife that the two mid-range devices are slotted for international release. The phones have been listed on French and Spanish websites of Samsung but other countries in Europe are yet to receive the devices.

If listings and leak of specifications are anything to go by, Samsung is set to release Galaxy J5 (2016) and Galaxy J7 (2016) in India, Pakistan, Thailand and Vietnam as well. While some information about these devices reportedly cropped up on Samsung India website, no official announcement of release was made.

South Korean launch of the two phones is being seen as an indication that international launch is impending. However it has to be noted that the Galaxy J7 launched in South Korea has specifications different from the Chinese devices. Samsung had launched the phone in China with 3GB RAM and Full HD display. The South Korean variant has only 2GB RAM and features a 5.5-inch 720p display.

The smaller of the two devices, Galaxy J5 (2016), is powered by a quad-core processor and 2GB RAM. It features a 5.2-inch HD AMOLED display. Both devices have the same 13 MP f/1.9 aperture, 28mm autofocus rear cameras and a 5MP front camera.

Samsung is also planning to launch the Galaxy J3 (2016) in South Korea. The phone was launched earlier this month in India. The J series of phones are several notches below the flagship S series as they are aimed at the mid-segment market, which in countries like India and China is the biggest revenue generator.
News / National

by Tinomuda Chakanyuka

VISITING Togolese President Faure Essozimna Gnassingbe has expressed interest in fostering co-operation between his country and Zimbabwe in the area of wildlife conservation.President Gnassingbe was in the country where he officially opened the just ended 57th edition of the Zimbabwe International Trade Fair on Friday.Addressing journalists after touring Chipangali Wildlife Orphanage on the outskirts of Bulawayo yesterday, the Togolese President praised Zimbabwe's wildlife conservation programmes. His remarks fly in the face of critics who have been demonising Zimbabwe's wildlife management programmes and have also campaigned against wildlife exports from the country.President Gnassingbe said his country was in the process of rehabilitating its national parks and stands to benefit a lot through co-operating with Zimbabwe in the sector."Zimbabwe has a good wildlife management programme and I feel we can learn a lot from what you are doing here. We would want to establish co-operation with Zimbabwe to improve our own situation. In Togo we are working on rehabilitating our national parks. We recently had a big demonstration in the parks areas with the help of the UNDP as we are making efforts to rehabilitate our game parks," he said.President Gnassingbe said Togo's wildlife population had gone down over the years but was now on a recovery path and this could be enhanced through sharing ideas with countries like Zimbabwe with sound wildlife management programmes."In the past our wildlife was an important source of revenue but today Togo has less than 100 elephants because many were killed and some fled to neighbouring countries. So it is important for us to explain to our people the importance of preserving wildlife and we are open to learning from Zimbabwe," he said.President Gnassingbe commended officials at Chipangali Wildlife Orphanage for their project which he said was useful in wildlife conservation."I particularly liked the idea of an orphanage for animals. You take the animals in, give them necessary care then release them into the wild and you do it for no financial gain. I think you are doing something quite useful in preserving wildlife," he said.The Togolese President toured Chipangali Wildlife Orphanage where he was shown a number of animal species kept at the facility. He was accompanied by Vice-President Phelekezela Mphoko, Minister of Information, Media and Broadcasting Services Dr Christopher Mushohwe and Industry and Commerce Mike Bimha, among other officials from Togo and Zimbabwe.Some of the animals that the delegation was shown include antelopes, kudus, bucks, monkeys, birds of prey, snakes and lions among other animals species kept at the orphanage. Briefing the delegation on the operations of Chipangali Wildlife Orphanage before the tour, the director, Mr Kevin Wilson, said African countries should come up with homegrown solutions to their wildlife challenges.Mr Wilson also briefed the Togolese President of his organisation's involvement in conservation efforts in Togo where it worked with the World Bank in various programmes."We have been involved in lot of conservation efforts in your home area in Kumasi. We helped with some of the animals that had gone to Ghana and Nigeria and we enjoyed a great working relationship with authorities. As Africa I feel we need to look for local solutions to our problems and not look elsewhere," said Mr Wilson.Meanwhile, President Gnassingbe left Zimbabwe around midday yesterday for his home country Togo. He was seen off at Joshua Mqabuko Nkomo International Airport in Bulawayo by VP Mphoko and Ministers Bimha, Dr Mushohwe and Samuel Undenge (Energy and Power Development).Before departing, President Gnassingbe inspected the guard of honour mounted by the Presidential Guard. He was also treated to some traditional dances by a local dance ensemble.
New Delhi:

Within six months of announcing films policy, Uttar Pradesh has received 150 proposals for shooting in the state including Jolly LLB 2 and a Ayushmann Khurrana-starrer film.

We just had Bollywood star Salman Khan shooting his movie Sultan in UP and he has appreciated the facilities in the state. In all, we have 150 films proposals in queue for shooting in the state including Jolly LLB 2, UP Film Development Council, Vice-chairman, Gaurav Dwivedi told PTI.

He said that the proposals have come within six months of state coming with films policy.

We are giving subsidy in the range of Rs 1 crore to 3.5 crore. Recently, Sudhir Mishra completed shoot of his movie Dasdev in UP. His project qualifies for higher range of subsidy between Rs 3 and Rs 3.5 crore, Dwivedi said.

He said shooting for Khurranas film is expected to start in June-October period and Jolly LLB 2 in August-September.

When asked about subsidy for Sultan, he said that it was a only partial shoot hence did not qualify for incentive.

But Salman is impressed with facilities and opportunities in the state and has expressed interest to set up screen in about 5 cities of UP. This talks about improved infrastructure and prospects in the state, Dwivedi said.

Khan in his tweet on Saturday appreciated support of UP Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav, UP Film Development council for shoot of Sultan in Muzzafarnagars Morna town.

Dwivedi said that film director Anubhav Sinha and Anurag Kashyap have also submitted proposal for shooting their films in the state.

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Mumbai :

The supporters of separate Vidarbha led by its strong protagonist, former Maharashtra Advocate General Shreehari Aney, today hoisted a Vidarbha flag here and said they would intensify their movement for statehood to the region.

A number of pro-Vidarbha leaders and activists gathered at a private resort in Bajaj Nagar Square here and hoisted the specially prepared multi-colour flag as a mark of protest against the merger of the then Vidarbha, the Central Provinces and Berar into Maharashtra on May 1, 1960.

They also chanted pro-Vidarbha slogans. Similar flags were also unfurled at about 24 other places across the Vidarbha region.

On the occasion, Aney, whose remarks on separate Marathwada and Vidarbha recently sparked controversy leading to his resignation from AGs post, said the flag of separate Vidarbha is being raised on May 1 for last three years.

He said this year the movement for separate Vidarbha state has gained momentum since it has been strongly opposed by the ruling alliance partner Shiv Sena, besides MNS.

We are not apprehensive of any political party or group which is opposing the creation of Vidarbha state, but our fight will go on and it will be further intensified from day one of the commencement of winter session of state Legislature here in the second capital (of Maharashtra) in December, he said.

Till December, we are chalking out strategy to agitate for carving out Vidarbha from Maharashtra, Aney said.

He declined to comment on alleged remarks by Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray against him and said, Come what may we will maintain our discipline and decency in agitation.

Prominent members of pro-Vidarbha organisations, Vidarbha Economic Development Council (VED), Shetkari Sanghatana, Vidarbha Vikas Aghadi and other outfits also participated.

Former three-term MLA, Shetkari Sanghatanas Wamanrao Chatap, former Minister of State and Dalit leader Sulekha Kumbhare, ex-Director General of Police Prabir Chakraborty, former Chief Commissioner of Income Tax B Dharmik, Jan Manch president advocate Anil Killor, former Vice Chancellor of Nagour University Haribhau Kedar were among those present on the occasion.

The Shiv Sainiks, led by district president Satish Harde, gathered at HB Town in eastern part of city, raised pro-Maharashtra slogans and allegedly burnt an effigy of Aney.

The MNS, which is also opposed to creation of Vidarbha, organised a Maharashtra flag hoisting event adjacent to the Aneys programme at Bajaj Nagar Square.

In another development, four activists of Aam Aadmi party, which has extended support to Vidarbha state, climbed an 80-feet mobile tower of a private telecom company at Akashwani Square in favour of the separate statehood demand.

Sporting white caps with pro-Vidarbha state slogans painted on it, the youths wanted to draw the attention of political leadership over demand for Vidarbha.

However, no untoward incident was reported from any part of city in view of the events in support of and against the Vidarbha statehood issue.

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Islamabad:

Pakistan is still negotiating with the US to buy eight F-16 fighter jets despite difficulties in getting the USD 700 million deal partially financed by the American government, a top Pakistani official has said.

The purchase hit snags after US Congress withheld 60 per cent of the aid earmarked for subsidising the deal, which has been opposed by some American lawmakers and India.

Tariq Fatemi, Special Assistant to Pakistan Prime Minister on Foreign Affairs, responding to reports about the deadlock said the negotiations arent over yet.

He said Pakistans mission in Washington is currently in talks with members of the Congress to raise awareness of Islamabads views on the matter.

America understands how important a role these eight F-16s can play in the fight against terror, which is why the request was made in the first place, Fatemi was quoted as saying by BBC Radio.

According to the deal, Pakistan would have paid USD 270 million and the remaining USD 430 million was to come from the US.

There is strong opposition to provide subsidised arms to other countries in the US Congress, but Obama administrations offer of military aid to Pakistan still stands, Fatemi said.

Those opposing the deal argue that these jets can be used against India in the event of a war.

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New Delhi :

Keen to step up engagement in hydrocarbon sector with Iran, India has conveyed to the Persian Gulf nation that it was ready to clear nearly USD 6.5 billion of the dues for oil import from that country at the earliest, provided there was clarity on payment channel.

The message has been conveyed to Iran even as Prime Minister Narendra Modi is likely to visit the oil-rich country later this month.

Government sources said there has been a series of discussions at various levels both in Tehran and here and both sides were confident of resolving the issue soon.

We are working on clearing the dues to Iran and are hopeful that the issue will be resolved soon, they said.

Following lifting of sanctions against it in January under a historic nuclear deal, Iran had terminated a three-year-old system with India of getting paid for half of the oil dues in rupees and has been insisting on being paid in Euros for the oil it sells to Indian refiners.

It has also scrapped free delivery of crude oil to Indian refiners.

Officials said though Western sanctions against Iran were lifted, problems persist in banking channels due to which regular transactions were not possible yet.

Refiners like Essar Oil and Mangalore Refinery and Petrochemicals Ltd (MPRL) owe nearly USD 6.5 billion in dues to Iran.

Since February 2013, Indian refiners like Essar Oil and MRPL paid 45 per cent of their import bill in rupees to UCO Bank account of Iranian oil company.

The remaining has been accumulating, pending finalisation of a payment mechanism.

Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj had visited Iran last month during which they had conveyed to Iranian leaders that India wants to significantly ramp up engagement in oil and gas sector with that country.

The issue of the pending dues had also figured in the meetings.

Swaraj during her visit had conveyed to Iranian leadership that India wants to invest in joint ventures in oil and gas sectors in the Persian Gulf nation where foreign investors from major economic powers are rushing in to get early footholds after lifting of sanctions.

Following lifting of sanctions against Iran, India has been eying deeper energy ties with that country and has already lined up USD 20 billion as investment in oil and gas as well as petrochemical and fertiliser projects there.

New Delhi is looking to increase engagement with the sanction-free Iran by raising oil imports and possible shipments of natural gas. It also wants rights to develop Farzad-B gas field in the Persian Gulf discovered by OVL.

A deal for the field was not signed during Pradhans visit as Iranian Parliament, Majlis, is yet to approve the new Iran Petroleum Contract (IPC) under which the Farzad-B field is to be given to the OVL-led consortium.

The same was deterring New Delhi from claiming rights to invest nearly USD 7 billion in the biggest gas discovery ever made by an Indian firm abroad.

But after the lifting of sanctions, India is making a renewed pitch for rights to develop 12.8 trillion cubic feet of gas reserves OVL had found in 2008.

Pradhan also conveyed to the Iranian side that both countries must expand the basket of oil and gas trade.

He had also expressed Indias interest in importing LPG from Iran and said companies from both sides could discuss setting up of an extraction plant in Chabahar, if required.

Indias total crude import in 2015-16 was around 184 million tonnes.

Iran had in November 2013 offered free delivery of crude oil to Indian refiners as tough Western sanctions crippled its exports. With shipping lines refusing to transport Iranian crude for fear of being sanctioned, Iran used its shipping line for the delivery and did not charge for transportation.

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London:

Scientists have for the first time found that a gene known for producing red hair and pale skin may explain why some people appear more youthful than others.

It appears that variation in the gene, known as MC1R, is also related to differences in how old people look to other people - their perceived age, researchers said.

People carrying particular MC1R variants in their DNA look, on average, almost two years older than they are, researchers said.

For the first time, a gene has been found that explains in part why some people look older and others younger for their age, said Manfred Kayser from Erasmus MC University Medical Centre Rotterdam in the Netherlands.

Earlier studies had shown that a persons perceived age is influenced by a combination of genetic and environmental factors in roughly equal parts, researchers said.

Perceived age has also been shown to predict a persons health and mortality, suggesting that the age we perceive a person to be from the appearance of their face might also be related in important ways to a persons biological age and health, they said.

Researchers searched the genomes of more than 2,600 elderly Dutch Europeans for DNA variants associated with differences in perceived facial age and wrinkling as estimated from digital facial images.

The strongest hits for perceived facial age were for DNA variants in the MC1R gene. This finding was confirmed in two other large European studies, researchers said.

Individuals carrying particular MC1R variants looked almost two years older for their age. The association between these DNA variants and perceived age was not influenced by age, sex, skin colour, or sun damage, they said.

In addition to its role in skin colour, MC1R is also known to play a role in other biological processes, such as inflammation and DNA damage repair, researchers said.

The genes influence on these processes might be the reason it links to youthful looks, they said. The findings were published in the journal Current Biology.
Lifou:

Frances Prime Minister Manuel Valls will make a surprise visit to Australia for talks with Malcolm Turnbull after a French shipbuilder won a huge submarine contract, officials said today.

Contractor DCNS beat off competition from Japan and Germany to seal the USD 39 billion deal to design and construct 12 new conventionally-powered subs.

They will be a smaller version of Frances 4,700-tonne Barracuda, replacing Australias ageing diesel and electric-powered Collins Class submarines.

Valls is in the French Pacific territory New Caledonia before travelling to New Zealand today with officials in his delegation confirming that he will detour to Australia tomorrow.

As well as seeing Turnbull, he is expected to meet members of the DCNS team that put together the successful bid, the officials said. French President Francois Hollande hailed the decision as historic last week.

It marks a decisive advance in the strategic partnership between the two countries who will cooperate over 50 years, his office said in a statement. France has a long history of building submarines for export and analysts said it was the most capable contender.

A Japanese government-backed consortium led by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries and German group ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems had also been in the running.

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News / National

by Tinomuda Chakanyuka

THE son of suspended Harare mayor Councillor Bernard Manyenyeni, Jason Manyenyeni II, has been implicated in an alleged sexual assault case that sparked fierce protests at Rhodes University in South Africa in the past few weeks.According to the university authorities a case of sexual assault has since been opened with the police against Jason, a final year Bachelor of Laws student. Jason and another Zimbabwean Kudzi Nzombe are part of a list of 11 male students at the university accused of perpetrating sexual violence against female students.The list of the alleged sexual offenders was posted on Twitter on Sunday, 17 April with the hashtag " #rureferencelist " and has been circulating on social media since then. This sparked protests with angry female students stripping their clothes protesting failure by the university authorities to protect them from rape.The protesting students demanded, among other things, having the 11 students suspended from residences.According to sources at the university a group of furious female students pulled Manyenyeni out of his hall of residence and detained him overnight only to release him on Monday 18 April after police intervention.Rhodes University media liaison officer Ms Catherine Deiner on Thursday confirmed Jason's case but said the university had not charged him or any of his co-accused. She said Jason and the other 10 accused students remain bonafide Rhodes University students."I understand that a student has gone and opened a case against Jason. You can follow up with the police for further details because they are handling the case now. However, we have not suspended any of the accused students. We can't suspend a student without any evidence because we believe in the principle of innocent until proven guilty," she said in a telephone interview.Ms Deiner said the university could also not take any action on the matter which was now before the police."The normal procedure in such cases is they are brought before the Vice-Chancellor who then reviews the evidence who, when satisfied with the evidence then calls for a hearing of the case. In the case the Vice-Chancellor is seized with the case but can't act on it because a student has opened a police case and any action by us will jeopardise the case before the police," she said.South African Police Services (Saps) spokesperson for Grahamstown Captain Mali Govender confirmed that police were investigating sexual assault cases at Rhodes University.She, however, was not in a position to confirm if the reported cases involved Jason and his compatriot Kudzi."I'm out of office right now. I can confirm that there are sexual assault cases opened about two weeks ago but I'm not certain who the suspects and complainants are. In any case what normally happens is that we don't name any suspects of sexual assault until they have been charged. Our law does not allow us to do so," she said.Capt Govender said the cases have since been referred to the director of Public Prosecution, as per procedure, to assess the merit of the case before ordering continuation of prosecution."We are not going to rush and arrest any one of the accused. We have handed over the dockets to the director of Public Prosecution who will assess the merit of the case based on the available evidence before we continue with prosecution. If the director is satisfied that there is case we are then directed to continue with prosecution and that is when we will make arrests," she said.Jason's father Clr Manyenyeni said his family was going through a difficult time as a result of the case but expressed confidence that his son was innocent and would not be charged with rape. He also thanked Zimbabwean students at Rhodes University whom he said have stood by his son in the face of the accusations."My boy is very well behaved and I'm confident he didn't do anything wrong. He has been to the police twice assisting them with their investigation and he gives us regular updates. This is just a smear campaign against the boys. If you look at it most of the boys on the list are students who are doing well at the university. As a family we are going through a difficult time but I'm sure we will soon come out of it," he said.Accusations against Jason come at a time when his father is serving suspension on allegations of unprocedurally appointing former banker James Mushore as the city's Town Clerk.
Los Angeles:

Creed star Sylvester Stallone is all set to make his TV debut with a mafia drama series called Omerta. The 69-year-old actor is expected to portray a mob boss in Antoine Fuquas television adaptation of Mario Puzos novel, reported Ace Showbiz.

The show is adapted from Mario Puzos book of the same name. Its the final novel in the authors mafia trilogy that started with The Godfather and The Last Don.

Stallone is set to work with The Equalizer director Antoine Fuqua for the project.

The news comes just weeks after Fuqua signed a multi-year TV deal with Weinstein Co. The director is now gearing up for the release of his new movie The Magnificent Seven starring Denzel Washington and Chris Pratt.

Meanwhile, Stallone is expected to reprise his iconic role as Rocky Balboa in Creed 2 after he won a Golden Globe and received an Oscar nomination, thanks to the first movie.

His other films include Ratchet & Clank and Animal Crackers.
Johannesburg:

Thirty-three rescued lions that endured hell on earth at circuses in Colombia and Peru have been flown to South Africa to start a new life in a sanctuary, in the largest airlift of the big cats in history.

33 lions, 24 from circuses in Peru and nine from Colombia, rescued by US-based group Animal Defenders International (ADI) returned to their homeland after both South American countries banned the use of wild animals in circuses.

The long journey began on Thursday in Colombia where a caravan carrying the first nine lions departed the city of Bucaramanga for a 14-hour drive to Bogotas international airport. From there, they were loaded onto a cargo plane and flown to Perus capital to pick up the remaining 24.

Their flight to Johannesburg departed from Limas airport Friday evening. They appeared a little distressed but healthy after their long journey when they landed here yesterday. They will be shifted to 12,355-acre Emoya Big Cat Sanctuary in Vaalwater.

The ADI, which was behind the biggest of its kind operation, says almost all the lions have had teeth or claws removed at the circuses.

The lions will first be released into bonding camps, the largest enclosures the lions have ever known and where families will be reintroduced to one another and become familiarised with their new home. The second phase of the release is the construction of habitats 2.5 to 5 acres in size and with trees, platforms and watering holes.

Jan Creamer ADI President said: These lions have endured hell on earth and now they are heading home to paradise. This is the world for which nature intended these animals for. It is the perfect ending to ADIs operation which has eliminated circus suffering in another country.

Savannah Heuser, founder of Emoya Big Cat Sanctuary, said: The lions are returning to where they belong. This is their birth right. African sun, African night skies, African bush and sounds, clouds, summer thunderstorms, large enclosures in a natural setting where they can remember who they are. The Emoya Big Cat Sanctuary is on private land and already houses six other rescued lions and two tigers.

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Patna:

JNUSU president Kanhaiya Kumar was today shown black flags at a function here by two unidentified persons who were roughed up by his supporters before being detained by the police for questioning.

The two persons belonging to a little-known outfit Youth Swaraj - showed black flags to the JNUSU president, besides raising slogan of Bharat Mata Ki Jai while he was speaking at a function Azadi in S K Memorial hall here organised by AISF and AIYF.

Kanhaiyas supporters thrashed the two persons in the hall. Later the police took the duo into custody.

Police have detained two persons in this regard, Patna Senior Superintendent of Police Manu Maharaj told PTI.

The two detainees have been identified as Nitish Kumar, a resident of Sitamarhi district, and Manikant Mani, a resident of Samastipur district, the police said, adding that the two youths are said to be the members of RSS.

The JNUSU president, who was addressing the gathering when the incident occurred, said he was not scared of such elements who oppose him or try to distub his functions.

I am not scared of anything whether you hurl a shoe or a stone.... They want to disturb my programmes as they are uncomfortable with my questions, Kumar said.

Attacking Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Kumar alleged that he became the PM with the support of capitalists and cannot solve the problem of unemployment.

I am a PhD scholar who is the son of an Anganwadi worker. This itself proves that taxpayers money or subsidy given to JNU is spent and utilised properly, Kumar said, adding that people should not worry about wastage of taxpayers money as a large majority of people in the country want JNU like institutions.

Alleging that only capitalists get loans from banks, he said they do not repay loans and instead they fly to London overnight, a reference to the fugitive industrialist Vijay Mallya, who is in Britain after defaulting on a loan of over Rs 9000 crore.

Kumar was given a rousing welcome in the state yesterday. He was escorted by a posse of policemen at airport on his arrival from New Delhi and the JNUSU President moved with a convoy in the state capital.

Kanhaiya, who hails from Begusarai district of Bihar, is on a two-day tour of his home state and met both Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and RJD president Lalu Prasad Yadav yesterday.

Kanhaiya shot into limelight after he was arrested in a sedition case in connection with a controversial event in JNU.

He is currently out on interim bail.

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London:

In her first fashion photoshoot, Kate Middleton has donned a casual cow girl look in Vogues June edition to celebrate the fashion magazines 100th anniversary here.

The 34-year-old wife of Prince William will appear on the June cover of the magazine as part of her first fashion shoot, which took place in Britains Norfolk countryside near the royal couples country residence Anmer Hall in eastern England.

The shoot by photographer Josh Olins was in collaboration with Londons famous National Portrait Gallery, where two images are being displayed in the Vogue 100: A Century of Style exhibition.

Josh has captured the duchess exactly as she is - full of life, with a great sense of humour, thoughtful and intelligent, and in fact, very beautiful, Nicholas Cullinan, director of the National Portrait Gallery said. The Duchess of Cambridge, who has a keen interest in photography, has been patron of the National Portrait Gallery since 2012.

To be able to publish a photographic shoot with the Duchess of Cambridge has been one of my greatest ambitions for the magazine, Alexandra Shulman, editor-in-chief of British Vogue said.

The collaboration for the June edition had resulted in a true celebration of our centenary as well as a fitting tribute to a young woman whose interest in both photography and the countryside is well known, she added.

Royal portraits to have featured in the fashion magazine include Kates late mother-in-law Diana, Princess of Wales - who graced the cover four times. The duchess is to visit the exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery on Wednesday, Kensington Palace said.
New Delhi :

Flying out of IGI Airport here has got cheaper from today with the discontinuation of the development fee being charged from each passenger for the past several years. Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL), the joint venture company which runs the IGI airport, was allowed to levy Rs 100 per flight as Development Fee (DF) from passengers flying on domestic routes and Rs 600 from those flying to international destinations.

The airports tariff regulator Airports Economic Regulatory Authority (AERA) had in February issued an order directing DIAL to discontinue DF from May 1, after having allowed it to levy DF through a December 2012 order.

Citing the average monthly collection of Rs 30 crore as DF, the AERA had in its order in February said the total sanctioned DF amount of Rs 3,415.35 crore was likely to be recovered by April 30, 2016. To cover the financial gap in developing the airport, the allowable DF was determined at Rs 3,415.35 crore.

Last month, Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) had also asked all airlines operating from Delhi to refund the development fee charged from passengers flying out of the IGI Airport on the tickets booked for journey beyond April 30.

DIAL is a joint venture between GMR group, Airports Authority of India and Germanys Fraport AG.

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Mumbai:

Actress Kangana Ranaut gave her statement to police in connection with an FIR filed by superstar Hrithik Roshan that an online impostor has been sending e-mails under his guise to his fans, a police official said.



Cyber Crime Branch officials reached Kanganas residence in western suburbs, where the actress and her sister Rangoli gave their statements, the official said.



Their statements were recorded as witnesses in the impostor case filed by Hrithik. However, police refused to divulge any further details about their statements.



The FIR stated that a fake email-ID has been created and an impostor has been operating it under Hrithiks guise and misleading many of his fans, including Kangana.



Hrithiks lawyer had earlier claimed that since Kangana had not recorded her statement to assist in the probe, the proceedings in the legal battle between the two were stalled.



The two actors have been at loggerheads since the Queen star had hinted at Hrithik being her silly ex.



The feud between Hrithik and his Krrish 3 co-star turned nasty after they slapped legal notices on each other.



42-year-old Hrithik, who was the first to send the legal notice to Kangana, has demanded that she apologise in a press conference and clear the air about their alleged 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.

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Tehran:

Irans outgoing parliament approved a motion today to increase the capabilities of the countrys ballistic missiles, a military programme that has been ruled dangerous by the United Nations.

Tehran considers the missile programme an essential deterrent, citing the unprovoked attacks on its cities by former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein in the nations 1980-1988 war.

However the United States and other Western countries has said the Islamic republics missiles threaten the Middle East, particularly Israel. Tehrans clerical rulers do not recognise the Jewish state.

The motion was passed by the lame duck conservative-dominated parliament one day after election results showed that reformists had beaten them in polls.

Lawmakers said measures must be taken to develop and increase ballistic missile capability and short, medium and long range anti-aircraft capabilities.

The new parliament will be sworn in later this month. The ballistic missile programme was not covered by the

landmark nuclear deal last summer between Iran and the United States and other leading powers under which sanctions were finally lifted in January.

Under that agreement, Tehran agreed to place curbs on its atomic programme which the West accused Iran of using to develop a bomb. Iran has always denied the allegation.

However the testing of ballistic missiles just months after the nuclear agreement was struck last year has shown the limited reach of the accord as well as highlighting that Iran and the United States remain foes.

The United States hit Iran with fresh sanctions on the missile programme on January 17, just 24 hours after nuclear-related sanctions had been lifted under the deal with world powers.

Ballistic missile tests are considered a means for Irans military to demonstrate that the nuclear agreement will have no impact on its domestic defence plans.

But a UN panel said in December that tests conducted two months earlier breached previous resolutions aimed at stopping Tehran from developing missiles capable of carrying a nuclear warhead.

Iran, citing fatwas by the Islamic republics clerical rulers against pursuing atomic weapons, argues that its missiles would never be designed to carry the bomb.

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Ankara:

Turkish police today detained four suspected Islamic State jihadists who were allegedly planning an attack on May Day celebrations in the capital Ankara, the state-run Anatolia news agency said.

Initial investigations showed that the four were Syrian citizens who had been in Ankara for some time, the agency added, without giving details on the nature of the attack.

Turkey is on high alert after a string of attacks blamed on jihadists and Kurdish militants this year. Earlier today, two police were killed in a car bomb attack on the police headquarters in the city of Gaziantep.

Turkish authorities have blamed IS for the double suicide bombing on a pro-Kurdish peace rally in Ankara last October that killed 103 people, the bloodiest attack in the countrys history.

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Kuwait City:

Yemens government suspended today its participation in direct talks with Iran-backed rebels in protest at their takeover of a military base in the war-torn country despite a ceasefire, officials said.

But government representatives will remain in Kuwait where they will continue to take part in indirect talks through UN mediator Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed, delegates said.

We have decided to suspend direct talks with the rebels to protest continuing violations of the ceasefire that came into effect on April 11, a senior government official told AFP.

We call on the United Nations to act seriously to end these violations which threaten to undermine the peace talks, said the government official who declined to be named.

He said a session that had been scheduled for today afternoon would not take place, adding however that contacts will continue with the UN mediator and sponsors of the peace talks.

Yesterday, Yemens warring parties held their first face-to-face talks since the negotiations opened in Kuwait on April 21.

The UN envoy said these direct talks were productive and had touched on key issues.

But later yesterday, the rebels and their allies overran Al-Amaliqa base in northern Yemen after hours of clashes, tribal and military sources said, adding that the fighting caused casualties.

The sources said that the commanders of the 600-strong brigade, located in the rebel stronghold province of Amran since 2014, had chosen to remain neutral as pro-government forces, backed a Saudi-led coalition, clashed with the insurgents across Yemen.

The attack against Al-Amaliqa brigade torpedoes the peace consultations in Kuwait, Yemeni Foreign Minister Abdulmalek al-Mikhlafi, who heads his governments delegation in Kuwait, said on Twitter.

Mikhlafi said his delegation will take a suitable position towards the rebels crime against Al-Amaliqa base without elaborating. Yemens warring parties have repeatedly traded blame for ceasefire violations.

Government loyalists said they have recorded 3,694 ceasefire violations by the Huthis and their alliestroops fighting in support of former president Ali Abdullah Saleh. Meanwhile, the rebels accused government forces and the Saudi-led coalition backing them of 4,000 breaches.

The coalition in March 2015 launched a military campaign against the rebels, who have seized the capital Sanaa among other parts of the country. More than 6,400 people have been killed since then and around 2.8 million displaced.

Rebel spokesman Mohammed Abdulsalam wrote on Facebook yesterday that Saudi Arabia freed 40 Yemeni rebel prisoners, as part of a deal reached with the kingdom in March to calm the situation along the border.

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London:

Islamic State (ISIS) technicians are working to develop a Google-style driverless car that could navigate itself into a crowded area before detonating an explosive device, a NATO security expert has warned.

ISIS research and development department in the terror groups de facto Syrian capital, Raqqa, is believed to be producing the vehicles at the same time as US Internet giant Google attempts to perfect the same technology.

If successful, the invention could prove to be a major headache for security services in Britain and throughout Europe and North America, where self-driving cars are expected to become commonplace, Daily Express reported.

Thousands of driverless cars are expected to be on Britains roads within the next few years and there is a very real prospect jihadis could prey on the new technology to launch attacks in the UK.

Jamie Shea, NATOs deputy assistant secretary general for emerging security threats, said the Islamic extremists were using their bomb making factory in Raqqa to develop the technology. He said ISIS was using its technical expertise to play around with driverless cars in a worrying development.

Shea said: We are focusing very much on...Raqqa at the moment, where ISIL [ISIS] has its bomb making factory. It is not just Google that is producing the autonomous car, ISIS is also trying to do the same.

The technology would remove the need for suicide bombers and could help the death cult - also known by its Arabic acronym Daesh - cope with the dramatic drop in its numbers, which has seen its fighting force cut almost in half. The FBI has long argued autonomous cars could be used by criminals as lethal weapons.

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News / National

by Munyaradzi Musiiwa

AN injiva from Gweru allegedly brutally assaulted a man with a log and later shocked him with a stun gun after he caught him engaging in sex with his wife.Taviwana Mazuru (35) of Mkoba Village 13 went berserk and brutally assaulted his wife Joy Chitapa's alleged lover Paidamwoyo Patsiki (37) in Mkoba 15 last week whom he had found naked in bed with his wife.There was chaos and pandemonium when police from Mkoba One, who were armed with AK-47 rifles, at first took to their heels after Mazuru disengaged his stun gun when they attempted to arrest him.They only returned later after Mazuru informed them that he was not armed but he had a mere electric shocker.Mazuru alleged that on the said date, he went to his house at about 8pm where he found Chitapa having sex with a neighbour Patsiki in their matrimonial bedroom."What happened is that I left the country in 2014 for South Africa. I had not returned home since then but my wife would always visit. I returned home after my relatives and friends gave me a tip-off that my wife was now having an affair with my neghbour Patsiki," he said.Mazuru said when he got to the house Chitapa refused to open the door for him and he had to break a windowpane."I forcibly gained entry after breaking the window. Patsiki tried to escape but I tripped him to the ground and assaulted him using a log before shocking him with a stun gun. My wife called her sister Kundai who is a police officer at Mkoba One and she brought police officers to arrest me. The officers came armed with AK-47 rifles," he said.Mazuru was arrested but Patsiki and Chitapa later withdrew the matter before it was brought before the courts after Patsiki pleaded with the two that the matter would ruin his marriage.Patsiki refuted the allegations that he had a relationship with Chitapa."I am not aware of what you are talking about. I do not know the people that you were talking about," he said.However, Sunday News is in possession of love texts that Patsiki sent to Chitapa referring to her as his love.Chitapa could not be reached for comment but it is understood that she wrote an affidavit withdrawing the case before the area prosecutor.
New Delhi:

The Swaraj Abhiyan and the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) under the banner of Jai Kisan Andolan, today demanded an immediate emergency action on the use of the MGNREGA funds for water conservation to deal with the severe drought crisis that the country is reeling under.

The one immediate thing that the government can do is to declare a national emergency mission for the next two months where MGNREGA (Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act) is used liberally used all over the country for without any limitation of funds only and exclusively for water conservation, like for improvement of ponds and reservoirs.

In the long run we need to see this drought not merely as a natural calamity of this particular year, it has to be linked to agrarian crisis and water crisis. Therefore the long term solution would be bringing in changes in cropping pattern, irrigation pattern, to suit local conditions, said Yogendra Yadav, the national convenor of Swaraj Abhiyan.

The entire legal and administrative structure of drought management needed unification and sensitization so that drought relief is understood as duty and not charity, he said.

Yadav also stressed that the Crop Loss Compensation and the recent Crop Insurance should be merged into one scheme which is universal and covers every single farmer, every kind of damage in all seasons and provides adequate fallback for the farmers.

He also stressed on the need for setting up cattle camps in the wake of reports about cattle deaths, Cattle are dying and instead of useless debates about cow slaughter ban and the best thing would be to set up cattle camps and that has to be done in next ten days.

Director general of CSE, Sunita Narain put forth three-pronged action plan to combat the enduring crisis, augment water resources, revise and update the drought code and secure water for all times.

We demand a emergency action on the use of the MGNREGA funds for water conservation for the next months. It has be a war on water conservation. But this time with a difference, we need the money for employment to be used for effective asset creation which would mean building more water harvesting structures based on water planning, shutting off all non essential water use from watering lawns to hosing down cars and benchmarking water use and setting targets for reduced water consumption year on year, she said.

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Mumbai:

Kangana Ranauts lawyer has said his client will not succumb to pressure despite some common people trying to scare the actress away in her legal battle with Bollywood star Hrithik Roshan.



Kangana, 29, gave her statement to police yesterday in connection with an FIR filed by Hrithik that an online imposter had been sending e-mails under his guise to his fans and the actress.



My client Kangana Ranaut shall never succumb to any pressure. Some common people who had intervened had a fixed agenda of only scaring my client and hiding the truth, which could not happen, Kanganas lawyer Rizwan Siddiquee said in a statement.



The world including people from the film industry need to learn that in todays changing time no woman is scared of anything if she is fiercely determined, and has the truth by her side, he added.



Siddiquee rejected Hrithiks claim that Kangana was interacting with an imposter.



My client knows and is fully convinced that there is no imposter as had there really been one, then Hrithik himself would have immediately acted on my clients sister complaint which he received on his correct email id on the 25th of May 2014.



His own acts of commissions and omissions after receipt of the said emails from my clients sister, coupled with his blatant lies from time to time, speak volumes of his conduct.



The lawyer accused the Bang Bang! star of slut shaming Kangana to strengthen his case.



To have an edge over my client he has tried everything within his means including slut-shaming, changing his public relations team, obtaining private cyber report which was paid for by him and also by changing his lawyer. However nothing is going to help as Hrithik Roshan cannot change the facts of the matter.



Meanwhile, Hrithiks lawyers said they are happy the 29-year-old actress has finally recorded the statement with the police, something they believe she should have done earlier.

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Chandigarh:

Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar today announced that police personnel in the state would now be entitled to a weekly off.



Police personnel work round-the-clock on all days, which leads to stress. Keeping this in view, it has been decided to grant them a weekly off, Khattar said here.



The police force will also be strengthened with recruitment of an additional 7,200 personnel this year, he said after inaugurating the office of Gurgaon Police Commissioner and state Cyber Crime Branch in Gurgaon.



About 12,200 posts of sepoys and constables are lying vacant, which also increased the burden on other employees, he said.



To ease the pressure, the government will also appoint ex-servicemen below the age of 50 years as special police officers on ad hoc basis at Rs 14,000 per month, the Chief Minister said.



As many as 22 women police stations have been opened in different districts of the state. This year, 80 more women police stations would be set up at the sub-divisional level, Khattar said.



The Haryana Police Housing Corporation would construct houses for 3,060 personnel in the next three years, he said.



Crediting the police for maintaining peaceful atmosphere in Haryana, Union Minister of State for Defence Rao Inderjit Singh, who was also present on the occasion, said this was the reason why entrepreneurs prefer to invest in Gurgaon instead of Noida.



Haryana Public Works (Buildings and Roads) Minister, Rao Narbir Singh, urged police personnel to work in a fair and just manner without any fear of political pressure.



Haryana DGP K P Singh said that the state police had achieved new milestones while facing all kinds of challenges.

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Brussels:

The departure hall at Brussels Zaventem airport partly re-opened today, 40 days after suicide attacks claimed by the Islamic State group which killed 32 people, half of them at the air hub.

We are back to the familiar scene of our passengers in the departure hall, said Arnaud Feist, head of Brussels Airport, which operates Zaventem, at an opening ceremony.

Twin explosions killed 16 people there on March 22 and devastated the departure hall, shattering the buildings glass facade, collapsing ceilings and destroying check-in desks.

Today Belgian flags were displayed on each side of a stage put up for the ceremony, with the date of the attacks and written tributes to the victims.

The messages in several languages included Love beats hate and Violence will never be the answer. On the floor in front lay bouquets of flowers, candles, photos of the victims and messages addressed to them.

Some 400 passengers for only three flights were able to check in Sunday afternoon in the departure hall, still relatively quiet compared to its usual bustle before the attacks.

Symbolically the flights chosen were from Belgian carriers Brussels Airlines and Jetairfly TUI Airlines Belgium, to three sun-soaked destinations: Malaga, Palma de Mallorca and Lisbon.

We are the first here, we didnt know that would be the case, we heard it on the television this morning, 61-year-old Belgian Jeanine Lauwen told AFP.

Its a feeling of great sadness to be here, she said, looking at the floral tributes before checking in her suitcase for a flight to Malaga.

Zaventem airport was completely closed for 12 days after the March attacks and has progressively been restarting operations, though it is not expected to return to full capacity until June. From Monday, passengers will check in for flights at 111 desks in the departure hall and 36 others in temporary buildings.

Travellers have been asked to arrive three hours before their flights to allow time for extra police security checks at the entrance to the departure hall.

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News / National

by Staff Reporter

Thirty two trafficking female victims have arrived in Zimbabwe from Kuwait with one said to be pregnant.Over 200 Zimbabwean women who fell victim to human trafficking in Kuwait.Speaker of National Assembly Jacob Mudenda told reporters that 32 women who arrived aboard Emirates Airlines had brought nothing but their bodies back to Zimbabwe."They had to escape; so let me tell you that they brought nothing but their bodies back home since they had to escape from their employers, leaving everything behind in Kuwait," he said.The women had been taken to a safe house where they would undergo psychological evaluation and health screening before being released to their families.They were secretly whisked away from the airport.One of the women is reportedly pregnant.
News / National

by Staff Reporter

PRIMARY and Secondary Education Minister Dr Lazarus Dokora has vowed to bar Civil Service Commission officials from inspecting teachers.He branded them as unprofessionals who do not understand the functioning of the education system."We don't want these CSC officials anywhere near our schools" he told a Zimta conference in Victoria Falls."They have no business at all there. Just last week I had a meeting with their chairperson (Mariyawanda Nzuwah) where I made all my feelings quite clear, CSC inspectors simply have no business in my schools and I don't want them there."It cannot suffice that teachers be supervised by people who are not even professionals.They don't even understand the education system of the country hence it does not make sense for them to be dictating how teachers are supposed to conduct themselves professionally when they themselves are not professionals," said Dokora.In the past teachers used to be inspected by district education officers but CSC has taken over the mandate to inspect all civil servants arguing that they were the employer.
The recession that hit in 2008 took an almost incalculable toll on the local economy, leaving lost jobs, a financial system in shambles and thousands of people desperate for an opportunity. For many of them, that opportunity came at an often-overlooked place  the local library.

The recession sparked a wave of entrepreneurship. A recent report from the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor found that 27 million Americans were now starting or running new businesses, representing nearly 14 percent of the population. Beyond that, more than 50 percent of those polled believed there were good opportunities for starting a business, according to the report co-sponsored by Baruch College and Babson College.

Fairfield County has its fair share of incubators, accelerator programs and coworking spaces, inlcuding the B:Hive in Bridgeport, SoNo Spaces in Norwalk and the Stamford Innovation Center. But local libraries can provide comparable space and services at no cost.

Libraries turned outward following the economic turmoil as they recognized what was really happening in the community, according to Sari Feldman, president of the American Library Association. Led by qualified staff, libraries started connecting patrons to traditional resources, databases and research as well as rethinking existing programming and workspaces to engage the would-be entrepreneurial population.

These public institutions have become more proactive in terms of identifying trends, understanding needs and strengthening local partnerships. Though providing business resources and databases isnt new, many librarians recognized a shift in the way people use the information and materials  not just for consumption, but for action. Embedded in their communities, libraries have become hubs for small business and startup activity, she said.

Were really looking at how we can have more community engagement and be much more about improving the quality of life in the community, Feldman added. Beyond just the traditional library services, were taking a more active role.

Now many libraries have ascribed to the coworking concept in major ways: by providing quiet and collaborative workspace, hosting networking sessions, rethinking programming and expanding digital resources.

Libraries are kind of support systems and community networks at different life transitions, Feldman said. Connecticut has this real tradition around libraries and places high value on them.

A new economy

From Greenwich and Stamford to Darien and Norwalk, its maybe not surprising that local libraries worked with the community to develop services specific to a new economic climate. With a community full of financial services professionals, the Greenwich Library has greatly expanded its business resources over the last few years. Located on its main level, the Peterson Business Wing provides business materials and databases for patrons.

The staff provides help with business resources for people looking for something specific and not sure what resources to use, from Gale Business Insights for articles and product information, Reference USA for company history and competitor research, demographic statistics, grant databases, industry reports, investment analysis, rankings and more. In addition to its reference materials and databases, the public library has purchased Bloomberg and Money.Net terminals, which allow users to monitor and analyze markets with real-time data.

Programming has also played an integral role in the librarys transformation. In partnership with SCORE Fairfield County, the Greenwich Library does more than 14 business-focused programs every year with topics like email marketing, understanding financial statements and intellectual property. The library also hosts its own business programs and events regularly, from Simple Steps for Starting Your Business to Create Killer Marketing Content for Your Business.

The library is becoming more and more like a community service center as opposed to bookstore, said Yang Wang, assistant business librarian at the Greenwich Library. Thats why we need more programs, databases and e-books.

Finding jobs

Elizabeth Joseph, the coordinator of information and adult services at the Ferguson Library in Stamford, said they have also been able to better understand the needs and values of their community members in the developing entrepreneurial scene.

They noticed a large number of patrons were unemployed or under-employed and actively looking for jobs. So, in partnership with the Stamford Innovation Center, Fairfield County Business Council and SCORE, the Ferguson Library developed the Stamford Small Business Resource Center.

Nestled on the third floor of its main branch, the center opened two years ago thanks to funding from the First County Bank Foundation. In addition to its extensive collection of print and digital materials, it serves as a collaborative space for working, brainstorming and networking, in addition to offering private rooms for meetings and teleconferencing. Joseph said they have offered research assistance to more than 50 people working on their business plans in the space.

Through the center and its business programming, the library has also been able to refer more than 75 people to SCORE for further small-business mentorship, as well as reach around 700 people through its workshops and events.

Supporting small businesses and entrepreneurs is important to the vitality of the city, Joseph said. The more we support their goals and help them achieve success, the more we have a city that we want to live in and be proud of.

Meting space

Nearby Darien Library offers similar workshops for entrepreneurs and small-business owners, in addition to a widely popular business book club. Hosted every other month, the book club features general business titles and has become a destination for more than just book discussion. Its 25 regular attendees view the club as an opportunity to network with like-minded individuals, said Sally Ijams, head of knowledge and learning services at Darien Library.

Its most popular service for the business community, however, is meeting space. Patrons can book private rooms for two hours at a time, and Ijams said theyre constantly reserved for client meetings, phone conferences and collaborative sessions. The Darien librarys basic business services remain steadily popular, too. Patrons can use faxing, printing, copying and scanning center as they put together their business plans or pitch decks.

Like its counterparts in neighboring towns and cities, the Darien Library functions as a workspace where collaboration emerges as patrons work side by side. Through this shared work environment, business ventures have been formed, information exchanged and relationships developed.

Its one of the best parts of our job when two like minds meet at the library and go on to create something special, Ijam said. We dont see it every day, but when it happens, we know were doing something right.

Megan.Dalton@scni.com; 203-625-4411
Tyler Sizemore / Tyler Sizemore

A small section of Padanaram Road near the reservoir in Danbury was closed for a short time on Sunday afternoon because of an overturned car.

Police closed the road between Mountain Laurel Lane and Capitola Road around 12:30 p.m. and reopened it a few hours later.
For four decades, General Electric Co.  out of ignorance, out of callous disregard  blighted the Housatonic River by polluting it with PCBs.

Its been nearly four decades since the federal government banned PCBs, in 1977. But the damage is not leaving anytime soon. It may take another 40 years, maybe decades more, before the river  and its wildlife  are free of the woeful legacy GE left us.

It will be our children, and our childrens children that will be left paying the bill, said Judy Herkimer of the Housatonic Environmental Action League.

Herkimer and others gathered last week in Falls Village to participate in a meeting hosted by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to discuss the EPAs continuing fight to clean at least some of the PCBs out of the river sediment in Massachusetts  sediment that, when dislodged by heavy rains, flows south to Connecticut. The source of the river is in Western Massachusetts and the mouth is Milford and Long Island Sound.

PCBs are a probable carcinogen and can cause a variety of other health problems. Once in the environment, they stay, working their way through the food chain.

Some of the news is depressingly the same. The fish in the Housatonic River  especially trout, eel and pike  can accumulate such high levels of PCBs in their flesh that theyre not safe to eat. People can eat other fish from the river  bass, perch, bullhead  as long as its not more than once a month.

The state Department of Public Health and the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection have tried to spread the word about PCB contamination of fish. But Herkimer said at the EPA meeting that some people dont heed the warnings.

We talk to conservation officers, she said. They all say there are sustenance fishers on the river. The officers know those people are bringing food home to their families.

Nor is other wildlife immune. Rick Jacobson, director of the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protections wildlife division, said many species of waterfowl  especially mergansers and diving ducks  also have PCBs in their flesh. Any warning about not eating fish applies to the ducks as well, he said.

The only good news here is that there are a lot more fishermen than hunters, who sit in blinds, decoys anchored, waiting for a line of ducks to fly in.

The number of duck hunters in the state is small, Jacobson said, and only a fraction of those take waterfowl in the Housatonic.

In a 2000 settlement with GE, Connecticut, Massachusetts and the EPA, GE agreed to pay to dredge sediment from two miles of the river south of the GE plant in Pittsfield, Massachusetts, in a project that cost $250 million.

The EPA has now turned its attention to the rest of the river. While it plans to leave the PCB-laden sediment in Connecticut in place, it would like GE to remove or cap sediments in another 10.5 miles of the Housatonic in Massachusetts, a project that could take 13 years and cost $613 million. It issued a proposed permit for the work in June 2014.

GE objects. The company is now appealing the permits findings through an EPA administrative process. Once that ends, it GE is still unhappy, it can take the fight to the U.S. Court of Appeals. So it may take years before the EPA can issue a final permit and the work begins.

If there is one bright spot in this protracted, complicated story, it is that the Housatonic River restoration projects were paid for with $18 million in grants GE contributed as part of the 2000 settlement decree.

Connecticuts share  about $9 million  has preserved more than 200 acres of land along the river, built 4.5 miles of walking trails, restored fishing areas and riverine habitat and installed boat launches. Several towns in the area  Kent, Sherman, New Milford, Bridgewater, Newtown and New Fairfield  are homes to these projects.

Molly Sperduto of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, who has overseen this restoration work, acknowledged it does not, and cannot, address the vast problem of PCB pollution in the Housatonic.

Usually, you do the clean-up, then the restoration work, she said. This worked backwards. We got the money for the remedy long before the clean- up. But the work weve done will last a long time.

Contact Robert Miller at earthmattersrgm@gmail.com
News / National

by Thobekile Zhou

Foreign Affairs minister Simbarashe Mumbengegwi has dismissed claims that flamboyant businessman Wicknell Chivayo bought air tickets for stranded 32 females in Kuwait.He said government had already secured 25 tickets to bring back the women when Chivayo chipped in."The government of Zimbabwe takes its responsibility seriously to protect its citizens and by the time we got aid from Chivayo and Philip Chiyangwa, we had already secured 25 tickets for the girls" said the minister."So if that's not being serious enough, I don't know what is," he said.Mumbengegwi said government had assisted nearly 40 women to return back home from Kuwait, although this has not been publicised.Over 200 Zimbabwean women fell victim to human trafficking in Kuwait.
Members of the media invited to special viewing on Monday, May 2

TORONTO, May 1, 2016 /CNW/ - You can't always tell who is living in poverty or who needs help making ends meet. And more often than not, poverty is closer to you than you think. To promote awareness of this issue, The Salvation Army hosted an 'Open House' exhibit on Sunday, May 1.

But this was not a typical open house. Instead, we invited the public to walk through the home and see some of the challenges faced by a family impacted by poverty. We recreated the living circumstances, room by room, with plaques that detail statistics of poverty in Canada and highlight what The Salvation Army is doing to help. The 'Open House' featured hidden cameras to capture people's reactions. Through footage of the experience, The Salvation Army will develop video assets that will be used later in May to raise awareness about poverty in Canada.

On Monday, May 2, we are inviting members of the media to view the 'Open House' and have the opportunity to dialogue with and/or interview a representative from The Salvation Army. If you would like to make use of this opportunity, please attend the media day on May 2 from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. The 'Open House' will be located at 1327 Queen St E. in Toronto.

About The Salvation Army

The Salvation Army is an international Christian organization that began its work in Canada in 1882 and has grown to become the largest non-governmental direct provider of social services in the country. The Salvation Army gives hope and support to vulnerable people in 400 communities across Canada and more than 125 countries around the world. The Salvation Army offers practical assistance for children and families, often tending to the basic necessities of life, providing shelter for homeless people and rehabilitation for people who have lost control of their lives to an addiction. When you give to The Salvation Army, you are investing in the future of marginalized and overlooked people in your community.

News releases, articles and updated information can be found at www.SalvationArmy.ca.

SOURCE The Salvation Army

Image with caption: "Salvation Army 'Open House' exhibit about poverty highlights the fact that one in seven children go to school hungry. (CNW Group/The Salvation Army)". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20160501_C6511_PHOTO_EN_679351.jpg

Image with caption: "Salvation Army 'Open House' reveals hidden poverty in Canada, noting that one in five Canadians skip meals to make ends meet. (CNW Group/The Salvation Army)". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20160501_C6511_PHOTO_EN_679348.jpg

For further information: John McAlister, National Director of Marketing and Communications, The Salvation Army, Phone: 416-467-3186, Cell: 416-452-5116, Email: [email protected]
Human rights lawyer, Femi Falana has called on the All Progressives Congress led federal government to deliver its promised welfare prog...

Human rights lawyer, Femi Falana has called on the All Progressives Congress led federal government to deliver its promised welfare programme to Nigerians.Falana who lamented the hardship Nigerians are going through noted that electricity tariff had been increased even though there was no improvement in electricity supply.The Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) said if the FG can borrow to pay salaries then it should do same to fulfil its campaign promises.He stated this at the 2016 Pre-May Day Lecture with the theme, The fundamental Objectives and Directive Principles of State Policy, organised by the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC).Falana who was represented by Mr Ezenwa Nwagwu, the Chairman, Partner for Electoral Reforms also said that Nigerians were being forced to pay more for education, health, fuel and other essential social services.Since the Federal Government is in a position to borrow N600 billion every month to pay salaries, it should also borrow to fund the welfare programme promised by the APC.It is therefore suggested that the stolen wealth being recovered should be channeled towards the funding of a welfare programme for the people, he added.He called on the Federal Government to review the national minimum wage as it was long overdue in line with the law.According to him, government is under obligation to provide a living national minimum wage and ensure that condition of work is humane.He said that government must ensure that the health, safety and welfare of all persons in employment were safeguarded and not endangered or abuse.
News / National

by Staff Reporter

MDC-T leader Morgan Tsvangirai has assured the growing gay community that he wont drag them to court if he assumes power.Tsvangirai told reporters at Bulawayo Press Club on Friday that he would not in any way attempt to temper with their freedom as enshrined in the Constitution."I will not stand to persecute gays," he said."I know in our society gays are shunned upon and as far as I am concerned I am not gay, I don't support gays. I only want to say that I will not prosecute or persecute gays because in the Constitution they are given that right."There is a growing band of gays in the country.President Robert Mugabe is on record describing homosexuals as "worse than pigs and dogs."
The Minister of Defence, Alhaji Mansur Danali, on Saturday, said the Nigerian Army is set to destroy all camps and hideouts of members ...

The Minister of Defence, Alhaji Mansur Danali, on Saturday, said the Nigerian Army is set to destroy all camps and hideouts of members of the Boko Haram sect in Sambisa forest.Danali made the statement during an inspection tour of the construction site of a new army barrack in Gusau.According to him, the Nigerian Army is now at the verge of entering the forest and will soon flush out the insurgents terrorising some states in the northeast of Nigeria.He said since the beginning of the present administration, tremendous success had been recorded in the fight against Boko Haram as well as cattle rustling in the country.We have been working seriously, going round the world, collaborating with other countries in fighting terrorism at the national, regional and international levels, the minister said.Commenting on the barrack under construction, Dan ali said the project was expected to be completed within the next three months.He said that the project was part of the present administrations efforts to ensure the comfort of the military and other security agencies.You know, President Muhammadu Buhari is seriously concerned about the welfare of the Nigerian Army and other security agencies as we have noticed from the attention given to them lately, the minister said.Danali urged the contractor handling the project to ensure its speedy completion and also to do quality work.
Most Rev. Mathew Audu, the Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Lafia, Nasarawa State, on Saturday in Masaka wedded 109 couples and urged in-...

File Photo: Mass Wedding

Most Rev. Mathew Audu, the Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Lafia, Nasarawa State, on Saturday in Masaka wedded 109 couples and urged in-laws not to interfere in their affairs.Audu, who was on his third pastoral visit to St. Martin`s Catholic Church, Masaka, appealed to relatives of the new couples to allow them to build their marriages.As newly wedded couples, you must love each other just as Christ Jesus loved the church and died to set souls free.You must respect each others feelings; care for each other, share views and reason together in peace and unity.You must not allow a third party to come into your matter; always invite God to intervene in your case.Ensure that you are coordinated in all your dealings and make the word of God your standard, your pillar, your faith and your hope.If you can keep these entire commandments, your marriage will be perfect and other couples will want to copy from you, he said.The Bishop, who also confirmed 1,390 faithful, blessed 56 Eucharistic Ministers and 76 lectors, saying the blessing would strengthen their faith.He said that the confirmation and the blessings the members received would energise them to evangelise to people and win more souls into the kingdom of God.Audu said that confirmation in the Catholic Church was the sacrament which reaffirmed a persons status in the church.He advised the members who were confirmed to keep doctrines of the Catholic Church and ensure that they carried out responsibilities given to them diligently.The Catholic Church sees confirmation as a rite in which grace falls on the person confirmed as they announce their commitment to God and the Church, he said.Earlier, Rev. Fr. Jude Maigari, Parish Priest of the parish, said that the mass wedding was a culture imbibed by the church to enable couples with little finances wed in the church.He encouraged the couples to heed the advice given by the bishop saying it would help them to live in peace and harmony.
Vice President Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, SAN, has stated that over one hundred Nigerians will benefit from the technology and innovation plan ...

Vice President Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, SAN, has stated that over one hundred Nigerians will benefit from the technology and innovation plan of President Muhammadu Buharis government.Osinbajo who said Buharis administration is geared towards instituting a new culture of probity and accountability in governance stated that, its a new day in Aso Rock.Nigerias vice president revealed FG tech plans while speaking today at The Platform, a public engagement forum organized by the Covenant Church led by Pastor Poju Oyemade.Informing the forum of the Buhari presidencys for technology and innovation, he stated that government would be establishing an Innovation Fund this year which would deploy significant resources for the aim of creating opportunities to the youth to access fund for innovation and entrepreneurship.He highlighted other plans as follows: Establishment of technology innovation hubs across the country; 2 super hubs ( in Lagos and Abuja) and 6 regional hubs in the six geo-political zones in partnership some major technology companies; 65,000 young Nigerians to be trained in hardware and software services and in animation; to create a reservoir in technology capacity that can be exported annually abroad like the case of India; on June 23, 2016, Federal Government would launch a Presidential Technology Innovation Initiative targeted at 50 Nigeriansengaged in innovative start-ups to be mentored by major technology innovation companies bursary award to 100,000 STEM undergraduates developing their interest in programming, robotic and animation technology,in addition to deploying technology in the training of the 500,000 teachers that are expected to be employed under the socialinvestment of government this year, VPs Office to institute a literary prize in poetry and short stories during independence anniversary to encourage field ofhumanity/artsProf. Osinbajo also used the occasion to implore millions of youths in the country to join the vanguard for change under a New Tribe of Nigerians saying we must not blink, no shaking until we turn this country around.Earlier, the Vice President commended the conveners of the platform, Pastor Poju Oyemade and his team for their tenacity and unwavering belief in the nations development. He noted that the Platform has through the years become a foremost opportunities for ideas and intellectual innovations in Nigeria.
Several PDP governors have stated that Ekiti state governor, Ayo Fayose, is a potential Nigerian leader.

Several PDP governors have stated that Ekiti state governor, Ayo Fayose, is a potential Nigerian leader.The Peoples Democratic Party governors and others gathered yesterday in Ado-Ekiti, showered encomium on Governor Ayodele Fayose and branded him a potential future leader this came as the Taraba State Governor, Arch. Darius Ishaku, said Governor Ayodele Fayose plaid a significant role in his victory at the Supreme Court, after a dramatic loss at the Appeal Court.Also, his counterparts from Akwa Ibom and Abia States, Hon Emanuel Udom and Dr Okezie Ikpeazu, respectively, disclosed that Fayose has foretold them of their victory even before the election tribunals pronouncement, adding his support to their administrations has been monumental.The governors said this in Ado-Ekiti while attending the commissioning of some projects executed by the administration of Governor Fayose.
Former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar has urged Nigerian workers not to lose faith in the ability of the nation under the leadership of P...

Former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar has urged Nigerian workers not to lose faith in the ability of the nation under the leadership of President Buhari to surmount these odds.In his May Day message to Nigerian workers, the former Vice President also proposed a fairer deal for workers in order to reduce the frequency of strikes in the country, which he regrets takes a heavy toll on the economy.He said that notwithstanding the huge challenges the country and its people are facing, it will take the support of everyone working in tandem with the Buhari administration to lift the economy out of the doldrums.President Buhari alone cannot turnaround the fortunes of the country. It requires everyone  elected and appointed officials, the legislature and the judiciary, the public and private sectors and ordinary Nigerians  working together in faith and commitment to bring about the desired change, he saidThe APC chieftain argued that President Buharis anti-corruption crusade when combined with curbing wastages and profligacy will free much-needed resources to jumpstart the economy by investing in infrastructure and high jobs yielding sectors especially agriculture as proposed by the government.He reminded the workers that the envisaged better deal for them is intrinsically tied to increased productivity.With dwindling revenue from oil, it has become imperative for us to bake a bigger cake that will be big enough for all partakers. To achieve this, we need to be more creative as a government and more productive as a people.He maintained that observed that improved conditions of service for workers would help to reduce corruption and fraud among employees, pointing out that it is impossible to convince workers to make sacrifices while the public office holders live a life that is inconsistent with the economic realities of Nigeria.We all need to make sacrifices in line with the realities of the time. It is not enough to ask workers to make sacrifices while public office holders are ostensibly immune from it. Such a situation promotes industrial disharmony, he said.
The Army said yesterday that its men have cleared Doksa 1, 2 and 3 as well as Sabon Garin Doksa all in Borno State of the remnants of Bo...

The Army said yesterday that its men have cleared Doksa 1, 2 and 3 as well as Sabon Garin Doksa all in Borno State of the remnants of Boko Haram terrorists hiding in the area.The operation was conducted by troops of the 231, 331 Battalions, members of the Armed Forces Special Forces Battalion and some vigilantes.The army said the troops dominated the area with heavy artillery shelling against other registered locations of Boko Haram terrorists at Buga Dam, Golgore and Lariski villages.The Boko Haram casualties are enormous and troops have also intensified shelling other hideouts, the army said in a statement.Recovered during the patrol were one pick up van, several motorcycles, several bicycles as well as drugs, foodstuff and books.Other items recovered include a laptop, two mini laptop computers, four Dane Guns, three rifle magazines, a large quantity of ammunition, a Nokia mobile phone and SIM cards. They also rescued four women and two children.Besides, the 7 Division Strike Group Team B attached to 22 Brigade engaged Boko Haram terrorists in Yerwa and Kaluketu.They reportedly cleared an enclave called Abuja.Four suspected terrorists were killed in that operation.The claims could not be independently confirmed.
Fulani herdsmen from different parts of Nigeria have boasted that nobody can stop them from grazing their cattle in any part of the co...

The nomads, who spoke to newsmen under the auspices of the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association, dismissed the ultimatums given by different groups for the herdsmen to vacate the southern part of the country.This is despite the fact that groups, including foremost Yoruba farmers pressure group and ethnic militia, Agbekoya Farmers Association of Nigeria in the South-West; the Movement for the Actualisation of the Sovereign State of Biafra (South-East); the Independent Peoples of Biafra (South-East); and some ex-Niger Delta militants in the South-South, stated their readiness to defend their territories should herdsmen attack their communities again.Suspected Fulani herdsmen, who grazed their cattle from the northern part of the country to the southern part, had been accused of killing, raping and robbing members of their host communities.The Enugu incident, where several lives were lost, was the most recent.But the herdsmen, in separate interviews with newsmen on Saturday, noted that it was wrong for people to restrict their movement as the constitution guaranteed their movement into any part of the country.The Chairman, Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association, Plateau State, Mr. Nuru Abdullahi, said nobody could deprive Fulani herdsmen of their constitutional right of free movement.Abdullahi said, Why would they ask them not to go to the southern part of the country? It is their constitutional right to move freely as guaranteed by the laws of the land. What the various governments and security agencies should do is to prevent attacks and counter-attacks and such things that breed violence like cattle rustling and trespassing into farmlands.The Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria guarantees freedom of movement for every citizen of the country; this includes the right to live, work and carry out any legitimate activity in any part of the country. If and when you breach this freedom, then, the law should deal with you. So, asking anybody not to go to any part of the country is unconstitutional.Also, the Chairman, MCBAN, North-West Zone, Mr. Ardo Ahmadu Suleiman, warned against criminalising all Fulani herdsmen over the attacks.He said, We are law abiding citizens of Nigeria. The constitution forbids anybody or group from banning anybodys movement from one part of the country to another. We have been staying peacefully with tribes across the country for ages. Therefore, for anyone to say he wants to ban Fulani from entering their land is uncalled for.However, several socio-cultural and militia groups in the southern part of the country on Saturday stated their readiness to reject the invasion of their communities by Fulani herdsmen.Agbekoya gave the Federal Government a 14-day ultimatum to stop the incessant attacks by suspected Fulani herdsmen on farmers in Yorubaland even as it vowed to retaliate any attack on its members.The position of the group was made known by its National Publicity Secretary, Mr. Olatunji Bandele, in a telephone interview with one of our correspondents on Saturday.According to Bandele, if the Federal Government fails to act decisively within the stipulated time, the Agbekoya will have to defend its people with whatever means at its disposal.Bandele said the association held an emergency meeting last Thursday where it discussed the incessant onslaught by Fulani herdsmen against Yoruba farmers, especially in the Oke Ogun area of Oyo State.He stated that if the situation was not brought under control, the group would close down all markets in the South West; make sure that Fulani herdsmen do not enter any village in Yoruba land with their cows. And if they dare enter, they are doing it at their own risk.We have alerted Agbekoya South West warriors across Yorubaland to be battle ready in case the Fulani herdsmen do not heed our warning because this thing has continued for the past four to five years now.Bandele added, We have other security measures that we are taking but keeping to ourselves. If the Fulani herdsmen failed to heed our warning and they dare enter Yorubaland, they will be doing so at their own risk. We are waiting for the Federal Government to take decisive action.The deadline, he added, started to read from last Thursday.Asked if the group was now arming its members against the reported sophisticated fire arms of the suspected herdsmen, Bandele said, We are not bothered with whether they carry arms or not, we will deal with the Fulani herdsmen hands down. We have done it before. The Agbekoya fought a 14-month war with the military. That was in 1968/69. We have instructed our warriors. Anywhere they kill farmers again, we will move in.Asked what the association would do per chance any part of Yoruba land was attacked, he said, We will retaliate.The leader of MASSOB, Mr. Uchenna Madu, lamented that Igbo people had been talking and talking while they watched their people being killed. He stated that it was time for action to end killings by herdsmen.Madu said, The Fulani herdsmen are cowards. After the recent attacks, they ran away. If they mean business, let them wait for Ndigbo and we will engage them man-to-man.It will be demeaning to ask us if we have the capability to confront them.IPOB, another Igbo secessionist group which dismissed security agencies as failing to secure the people, alleged that Boko Haram had been disguising as herdsmen to attack parts of the country.The Publicity Secretary of IPOB, Mr. Emma Powerful, stated that the group would not be at the forefront of reprisals against criminal herdsmen in the region but would encourage those under attack to defend and retaliate in self defence.He said, The world is watching IPOB; the plan was for us to retaliate the attacks by Fulani herdsmen but we will not do so. Rather, we will ask those who are under attack to defend themselves or get killed.The international rule is that you have the right to self defence if your life is under threat; security agencies know that. Face whatever or whoever is going to kill you or you die.Another Yoruba group, Oodua Peoples Congress, said although the Yoruba were perceived as accommodating, the group would not sit by and pretend as if all was well.The National Coordinator of the OPC, Mr. Gani Adams, told one of our correspondents in a telephone interview that the attacks by Fulani herdsmen in the region had gone out of hand.Adams said, Nowadays, it is becoming too rampant in the South-West. Now, nobody is provoking the Fulani herdsmen; they are the ones taking laws into their hands, killing and maiming innocent people in their (victims) communities.These Fulani herdsmen may even be Boko Haram in disguise. If government is looking at this as if they are an influential tribe or race in Nigeria and that they cant tackle it, it may become a very serious security treat.We the Yoruba think that we are highly accommodating and that if a stranger who is living in our community has committed an offence, the law should take its own course. But I know for sure that the South-East will not allow their people to be maimed.
News / Regional

by Tinomuda Chakanyuka

MORE than 5 000 people registered for the Zanu-PF electronic party cards at the party's stand during the 57th edition of the Zimbabwe International Trade Fair that ended in Bulawayo yesterday.Zanu-PF was offering registration to members who wished to join the party.The party's commissariat department, which was in charge of the registration process, indicated that it was overwhelmed by the number of people wanting to join the party.People who registered with the party for the first time had their particulars automatically captured under their cells, wards, districts and provinces.Team leader of the Commissariat and Information and Communication Technology at the fair, Munyaradzi Katsande said the number of people who were coming to join was a sign that Zanu-PF was the party of choice in Zimbabwe. He said some of the people who registered were from outside Bulawayo."Our target was to register 5 000 people and we have surpassed that. We managed to register 3 420 new entries and over 2 000 either replaced lost cards or came for reprints."We had an average of over 1 500 people per day coming in to register for the party. The response speaks for itself that Zanu-PF is the party for the people and people love their party. We had people of all races coming in," he said.The Zanu-PF stand, dubbed the Home of Zanu-PF, won the best exhibit in the SMEs category at the just ended fair.Zanu-PF's department of Economic Planning and Business Development and Liaison was in charge of the exhibition where all the party's wings exhibited different facets of the party's activities and programmes.The party was exhibiting under the "Z concept" which also saw the stand being designed in a maze shaped like the alphabet letter Z.Zanu-PF director of Information and Publicity Steven Chidawanyika said the "Z concept" represented Zanu-PF, Zimbabwe, and the economic blueprint Zim Asset. He said by exhibiting at the fair the party was aiming at teaching people about the party's programmes and how they are designed to empower Zimbabweans."During the liberation struggle fighters had three functions that is fighting, education and production. We are continuing with the education function, that's why we are here."We want our people to know that this is their home, Zanu-PF is their home and even when you look at people who were visiting our stands you could tell that indeed they were at home."We have Zim Asset which we want people to understand and appreciate. It was originated by the party for the good of the people and the country at large," he said.Chidawanyika said by exhibiting at the fair Zanu-PF was not seeking to have an edge over other political parties."We are not doing this to impress or to show anyone that we are superior. We are doing this for our people. We are a party of the people, everything we do, we do it for the people," he said.Chidawanyika added that the party would continue exhibiting at the ZITF and plans were afoot to resume participating at the Harare Agricultural Show.Zanu-PF ran its exhibition under the theme "Towards Two Million Jobs . . . In a Vibrant and Sustainable Economy."The party also exhibited two mini-museums for the late Vice-Presidents Joshua Nkomo and Simon Muzenda. The theme for this year's edition of the ZITF was "Innovate-Integrate-Industrialise."
The Catholic Archbishop of Lagos, Most Reverend Alfred Martins, on Saturday urged President Muhammadu Buhari to urgently address the killi...

The Catholic Archbishop of Lagos, Most Reverend Alfred Martins, on Saturday urged President Muhammadu Buhari to urgently address the killings being perpetrated by suspected herdsmen in the country.In a statement on the incessant killings of farmers and the recent invasion of Ukpabi, Nimbo in Uzo-Uwani Local Government Area of Enugu State by herdsmen, Martins condemned the attacks and called on Buhari to fashion out lasting solutions to the lingering crisis.He also challenged the security agencies to bring the perpetrators of the dastardly acts to book.``The relevant law enforcement agencies, especially the police, should not treat the killings with kid gloves.``Their inability to curtail the excesses of these suspected herdsmen clearly sends the signal that they are above the law, he said.Martins tasked Buhari on the prevailing economic challenges, urging him to urgently introduce far-reaching palliatives to address the rot in the system and provide food for every Nigerian.He also urged the Federal Government to put an end to the lingering fuel scarcity and epileptic power supply.``The fuel scarcity has caused untold hardship to the long-suffering masses of the country who had voted them into power in anticipation of positive change, he said.The cleric called on the nations leaders to show empathy with the suffering masses by cutting down on unnecessary luxury and profligacy.He urged them to channel the nations resources appropriately to enhance the living standard of the citizens.The archbishop, while noting the complexities of challenges currently facing the country, however, urged Nigerians not to lose hope as God has not forsaken them.
A former Senator, who represented Kebbi South district in the Nigerian Senate, Danladi Bamaiyi, is dead. Mr. Bamaiyi was a senator betw...

A former Senator, who represented Kebbi South district in the Nigerian Senate, Danladi Bamaiyi, is dead.Mr. Bamaiyi was a senator between 1999 and 2003 during which he chaired the Senate Committee on foreign contracts verification.Family sources revealed that the late Senator died in the early hours of Saturday in Abuja after a protracted illness.He was a relation of a former Chief of Army staff, Ishaya Bamaiyi.The late senator is survived by a wife and three children.Incumbent Deputy Senate Leader, Bala Ibn NaAllah, who also spoke to our reporter prayed for the repose of the soul of the departed lawmaker and also condoled the family as well as the people of Kebbi State over his demise .
TEANECK - Weeks before she was stabbed to death in her driveway, teacher Suzanne Bardzell called police to report that her former boyfriend, ex-cop Arthur J. Lomando, was trying to get her fired, according to newly released police recordings.

"He's phoned my boss and is saying derogatory untruths about me," Bardzell says in a call she made to a Teaneck Police Department administrative line. "Part of the restraining order says that he should not contact certain people, including my work."

The call was made on Oct. 6, 2015. Bardzell, 48, was killed on Oct. 22. Lomando has been charged with murder and is being held on $5 million bail in the Bergen County Jail.

Isabel Shoukas, director of The Community School in Teaneck, called police on Oct. 9 as Bardzell sat in her office.

"He has a restraining order on him and he's not supposed to be contacting her or her work," Shoukas tells the police officer. "And he's continuing to do it."

Shoukas says on the tape that Lomando, 44, sent compromising photos of Bardzell to the private school and threatened parents and students might see the images.

"He forwarded more emails to me here at work with very personal pictures of this teacher (Bardzell) that are hers, taken at her home, have nothing to do with the school," Shoukas says.

"And he keeps threatening, 'Well, the parents aren't going to like this and the kids are going to see these pictures,' " Shoukas says. "I'm not sure what we should be doing about this."

At one point while on hold, Shoukas can be heard offering advice to Bardzell.

"You have to keep bothering them until they do something," she says.

Lomando was arrested Oct. 10 and charged with violating a restraining order. He was released after posting $10,000 bail.

Bardzell was killed 12 days later as she sat in her car, speaking with a friend on her cellphone. The friend later told police she overheard the alleged killer say, "I'm sorry to have to do this to you."

After the slaying, Lomando allegedly tried to kill himself by jumping in front of a train. Both his feet were amputated.

Teaneck police released the tapes via a judge's order after North Jersey Media Group filed a lawsuit seeking access to the recordings and other records.

The recordings were released to NJ Advance Media on Friday after the news organization filed an OPRA request.

Anthony G. Attrino may be reached at tattrino@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @TonyAttrino. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
HARRISBURG, Pa. -- John H. Estey, who previously chaired the Delaware River Port Authority (DRPA), was charged last week with wire fraud following an FBI investigation into lobbying in the Pennsylvania General Assembly.

Gov. Ed Rendell's chief of staff, John Estey, applauds as Rendell enters to deliver his yearly state budget address to a joint session of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives and Senate at the Capitol in Harrisburg, Pa., Tuesday, Feb. 6, 2007. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

Estey, 53, of Ardmore, was hired as a lobbyist to work for an undercover business created by the FBI, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office in Harrisburg.

Authorities say Estey in 2011 secretly agreed to pay $20,000 in campaign contributions to state assembly members to influence passing of legislation.

"When he was paid funds, Estey only passed through $7,000 in campaign contributions while secretly keeping $13,000," the attorney's office said in a news release.

Estey served as DRPA chair designee from 2004 to 2009 and chair from 2009 to 2011. He was also former Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell's chief of staff.

As governor, Rendell chaired a handful of DRPA meetings before turning the task over to Estey. Traditionally, New Jersey names the bi-state agency's chief executive officer; Pennsylvania picks the chairman.

According to pennlive.com, Estey is presently an executive from the Hersey Trust Company is expected to plead guilty to wire fraud. The report also cites court documents as saying Estey spoke with undercover agents about general assembly members who could control legislation that would be "beneficial to the business interests of the undercover corporation."

Estey's initial court appearance has yet to be set. Under federal statute, the maximum penalty he could face is 20 years behind bars, a term of supervised release and a $250,000 fine.

Ronald Levine, Estey's attorney, told the Associated Press, "My only comment is that Mr. Estey is sorry for the mistakes he's made ... He has resolved the matter with the government, and he looks forward to moving on with his life."

This case was investigated by the FBI, the Pennsylvania State Police, and the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation Division.

Greg Adomaitis may be reached at gadomaitis@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @GregAdomaitis. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
CAMDEN -- Rutgers Day was celebrated on the Camden campus of Rutgers University Saturday.

Camden Mayor Dana Redd and Rutgers--Camden Chancellor Phoebe Haddon kicked off the event by learning a few tai chi moves. World Tai Chi and Qigong Day is held the last Saturday of April, which happened to coincide with Rutgers Day this year.

The Paul Robeson Library at Rutgers Camden hosted a superhero-themed program, which encouraged children to create their own superheroes, explore superhero books and take superhero selfies.

The Camden Sophisticated Sisters Drill Team's performance drew a large crowd. Other popular events included creating a work of art by using a handshake mold, a frisbee toss game, and "Ask Abe," where you could speak with the United States' 16th president, Abraham Lincoln.

This was the first year events were held on the Camden and Newark campuses, an expansion of the free programs offered at the New Brunswick campus, to help observe the University's 250th anniversary.

This year's Rutgers Day drew 100,000 visitors at the University's three campuses, said a school spokesman.

Lori M. Nichols may be reached at lnichols@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @photoglori. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
Most wanted.jpg

Eddie Gonzalez and Scott Jones (submitted photos)

BRIDGETON -- The Cumberland County Sheriff's Office would like your help in finding two of their most-wanted fugitives.

Eddie Gonzalez, 33, is being sought on two Superior Court of New Jersey Family Court warrants for failure to appear. Gonzalez is described as a white male with Hispanic origin, 5-foot-6-inches tall, 150 pounds, with brown eyes and black hair. He has a tattoo on his right forearm "GABRIEL" and a tattoo on his left shoulder of a heart with "LUZ." His last known address was S 2nd St. in Millville.

Scott A. Jones, 25, is being sought on one Superior Court of New Jersey Criminal Court warrant for failure to appear. Jones is described as a white male, 5-foot-9-inches tall, 160 pounds, with green eyes and brown hair. He has a tattoo on his left arm of a Jack-o'-lantern with a crow. His last known address was Rainbow Trail in Pittsgrove Township.

Sheriff Robert A. Austino asks anyone who comes in contact with these individuals to call the police immediately. You should contact state or local police, or the Cumberland County Sheriff's Department TIP-LINE at 856-451-0625.

If you know the whereabouts of this individual, share this information anonymously by downloading the CCPOTIP App at the Android or iPhone Store and choosing Cumberland County Sheriff's Department, submitting an anonymous tip via text to 847411 with CCSONJ and your tip in the message line or going to the Cumberland County Prosecutor's Facebook page and clicking "submit a tip" and submitting a tip to the Cumberland County Sheriff's Department.

Citizens are reminded not to approach, confront, or detain these fugitives.

Don E. Woods may be reached at dwoods@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @donewoods1. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
-- The Essex County Prosecutor's Office on Saturday identified the man who was

on North Munn Avenue as a 20-year-old city resident.

Tyree Scott was pronounced dead at University Hospital around noon Friday, according to Chief Assistant Prosecutor Thomas Fennelly.

The investigation was active and ongoing, Fennelly added.

A prosecutor's office spokeswoman on Friday confirmed the death was a homicide.

Further details were not immediately released.

Noah Cohen may be reached at ncohen@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @noahyc. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
-- The Essex County Prosecutor's Office was investigating a deadly shooting on Isabella Avenue in the city's West Ward Saturday night, authorities said.

Chief Assistant Prosecutor Thomas Fennelly confirmed investigators with the prosecutor's office Major Crimes Task Force were handling the homicide probe.

Fennelly said additional details were not immediately available shortly after the shooting.

The slaying came a day after a 20-year-old Newark man was shot and killed on North Munn Avenue.

At least 27 homicides were reported in the state's largest city this year, according to an NJ Advance Media tally.

Noah Cohen may be reached at ncohen@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @noahyc. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
NEWARK -- At the start of Shawn Custis's home invasion trial last month, an Essex County jury watched a "nanny-cam" video of an African-American man severely beating a woman in front of her 3-year-old daughter before fleeing their Millburn residence.

But the jurors will soon learn that after township police arrived at the scene on June 21, 2013, the video kept rolling and Millburn Detective Collin McMillan was captured uttering racial slurs about the suspect, including referring to him as a "monkey."

That revelation has pumped the issue of racism into one of New Jersey's most high-profile cases in recent years, allowing the defense to raise questions about the police investigation that led to the charges against Custis, who is African-American.

Legal experts said the video portions containing the racial epithets, as described to them by a reporter, could have a significant impact on the jury in weighing the evidence in the case and the detective's role in the investigation.

Given "the extent of racial bias in the criminal justice system," many jurors will likely be upset over McMillan's racial slurs and Custis could be acquitted, according to Rutgers-Newark law professor Louis Raveson.

"With such powerful evidence of bias, it could easily lead this jury to find the defendant not guilty, simply because everybody's fed up with the police not doing what they're supposed to do and allowing their personal and racist attitudes to infect the job that they do," Raveson said.

But former Union County Prosecutor Ted Romankow said jurors should convict Custis if they're convinced he is the attacker in the "nanny-cam" video and put aside the issue of the detective's racial bias.

"I don't think they should use that as an excuse to find the defendant not guilty," Romankow said. "Otherwise, they're rewarding the defense by saying that the police officer was prejudiced and therefore we're going to let an assailant go free."

"That would be another injustice," Romankow added.

Romankow, the former Union County prosecutor, said McMillan's racial bias alone should not affect the jury's deliberations, but jurors should consider whether that bias impugned the integrity of the evidence.

The defense could argue that, as a result of McMillan's prejudice, the evidence was not properly collected, Romankow said.

"Did he do something which would affect the evidence itself?" Romankow said. "That's what the defense is trying to show...that he's prejudiced and therefore he somehow did something to the evidence."

"Whether they can prove that is another story though," he added.

But beyond the Custis trial, incidents such as the one involving McMillan's racial slurs exacerbate tensions between police and communities of color, and validate feelings that some police officers are racially biased, according to Kami Chavis, a professor at the Wake Forest University School of Law in North Carolina.

"What we're really talking about - the heart of the issue - is we're talking about legitimacy and confidence and fairness and equity and, when you see things like this, it undermines all of that," Chavis said.

"It's becoming very difficult to ignore the role that bias plays in the criminal justice system."

Bill Wichert may be reached at bwichert@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @BillWichertNJ. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
News / Regional

by Tinomuda Chakanyuka

The Zanu-PF Bulawayo youth league has begun mobilisation of youths and funds for the one million men march in solidarity with President Mugabe.Over 100 000 youths are expected to come from Bulawayo to join scores of youths from other nine provinces in Harare for the march whose date is yet to be announced. The march is being organised by the party's women and youth leagues to show support for President Mugabe.Acting Zanu-PF Bulawayo youth chairperson Anna Mokgohle told Sunday News last week that the province had set a target of raising about $50 000 in preparation for the historic event. Mokgohle said committees to spearhead preparations for the march had been put in place and were already carrying out their assigned tasks."Yes, we have started mobilising youths for the march through our commissariat department. Our teams are going around the city mobilising youths and educating them about the march and its significance. We are basically targeting every young person in Bulawayo, not only Zanu-PF youths and we are encouraging everyone to participate in the march," she said.Added Mokgohle: "So far we have put in place committees and they have already started working on their different areas. Our budget is $50 000 and the fundraising committee has started approaching local businesspeople and well-wishers to assist us raise this amount."Mokgohle said the $50 000 will cater for the travelling and food costs. She said the youths travelling to Harare for the march will do so by rail."The plan is to travel overnight on the eve of the march, take part in the event and travel back to Bulawayo on the same day. That way we won't incur many costs that will overshoot our budget," she said."The march is aimed at showing the country and the rest of the world that Zimbabwean youths are fully behind President Mugabe and his leadership. Any youth who believes in the President and his policy is welcome to join the march."
News / Regional

by Tatenda Gapare

MPOPOMA High School has started selling tickets for its fundraising dinner meant to raise money for the expansion of the school.School Development Committee chairman for Mpopoma High Mr Jonah Chisirimunhu said the tickets were now available at the school. The dinner will be held at the school on Saturday.The tickets are going for $25 for individuals and organisations, with low rates for those buying tables to accommodate 10 people. Single tickets are going for $10 while double tickets (two) are going for $15."I advise people to start buying their tickets early. They can buy them at the school and for those who want the tickets but cannot access them because they stay far, we are there to deliver them. They can contact the school," he said.Mr Chisirimunhu said the function is meant to raise money to fund a number of projects such as computerisation of the library, construction of A-level double-storey block, construction of an administration block, refurbishment of laboratories, purchase of a generator, drilling of a borehole and purchasing of a mini-bus.Mr Chisirimunhu appealed to parents, the business community and former students to support the initiative."I ask people to kindly support the school as we want to expand it. Anyone or any company is welcome to buy the ticket to join us, even the members of the community," he said.
Opinion / Columnist

Listening to Tsvangirai is like listening to a five year old telling a joke way out of his depth of comprehension and thus lose track of the punch-line and yet goes on to laugh totally unaware what he said does not make an sense!"We are preparing to participate in the 2018 elections and we are very categorical about it," Tsvangirai told journalists at the Bulawayo Press Club on Friday night."What we are saying is that when we go to that election, it must give the people the confidence that the election will not be usurped like the 2013 one." OK we definitely want free and fair elections; go on!"We are participating in the 2018 elections and we are very confident that obstacles that were placed in our way before will be removed by the time we go to the polls."Implementing the reforms during the GNU was a relatively easy task because MDC had the majority in parliament and cabinet, had the backing of SADC and Mugabe had his hands tied behind his back since he had agreed to the reforms by signing the 2008 GPA. Sadly MDC failed to get even one reform implemented. Not one!Now that the GPA has expired and Zanu PF has more than a commanding two thirds majority in both parliament and the senate the task of getting meaningful democratic reforms implemented now is a real challenge. If implementing the reforms during the GNU was climbing an anthill it is climbing Mount Everest now! So Tsvangirai's "very confident" claim to have the task done is clearly the five year old in him talking although he has no clue what he is talking about!Last year, 2015, MDC-T Secretary General, Douglas Mwonzora told New Zimbabwe that the party will force Zanu PF "kicking and screaming" to implement the reforms before the end of the year. It was MDC-T doing what they know best posturing and grand-standing with no end product. We are nearly half way through 2016 and still not even one meaningful reform has been implemented!Tsvangirai and his MDC friends should have implemented the raft of democratic reforms agreed in the 2008 GPA designed to end the Zanu PF strangle hold on Police, ZEC, Public Media, Judiciary, etc. freeing them to carry out their public duties freely and effectively. MDC failed to get even one meaningful reform implemented in five years of the GNU. SADC and other people warned MDC leaders of the critical importance of the implementing the reforms but they paid no heed.MDC did not see the need to implement any reforms because the party was confident of winning the elections "regardless of any Zanu PF election shenanigans", Tsvangirai latter admitted. MDC had grossly underestimated Zanu PF's ability to rig elections!If anyone thought that Tsvangirai and his MDC friends had learnt an important lessons about implementing reforms after Zanu PF went on to blatantly rig the July 2013 elections; he/she was wrong, MDC learnt nothing. Since the rigged elections MDC has grudgingly accepted that for free and fair elections the nation must implementing reforms but trust the five-year old in Tsvangirai to get totally confused on which reforms to implement.Instead of sticking with the structural reforms agreed in the 2008 GPA, MDC-T has been wittering about electoral law reforms! MDC have been calling for ZEC to take over control of the voters roll from the Registrar General, for example. Without the structural reform necessary to ensure ZEC's independence it is obvious Zanu PF will still interfere with the compilation of the voters roll as before."As an electoral management body official, it is good news as it reflects a vote of confidence in the electoral reform processes done so far. We have taken charge of the voters' roll from the registrar general," commented ZEC Official, Qhubani Moyo."We have also introduced marker pens and not ink dipping. We are preparing for biometric voter registration. That is how far we have gone so far, but we still have a few more things to do and we are happy that people are already happy."The comment must be dismissed with the contempt it rightly deserves. As ZEC Official he should know the 2013 elections were blatantly rigged under the noses of ZEC officials. The number of Polling Stations were increased from 2 000 to 9 000 just two day before polling day. There is no doubt that even ZEC was surprised with that move since some of the additional Polling Station had no ZEC officials!If ZEC was serious about making sure the elections were free, fair and credible then why did the Commission allow the elections to go ahead without a voters roll? Even to this day, nearly three years after the July 2013 elections there is still no complete voters roll.What is required to restore confidence in ZEC are the structural reforms designed to end the presidential powers to appointment and firing of commissioners, starve ZEC of funds, etc. and restore its independence and accountability. None of the reforms Moyo is talking about here will restore ZEC's independence and accountability in any way!What the people of Zimbabwe must understand is that we cannot afford yet another rigged election in 2018 because that will mean the economic meltdown we are currently facing will continue. Only a government elected in free, fair and credible elections will have the mandate to tackle the teething national problems of mismanagement, corruption and lawlessness and will have the confidence of the international community that Zimbabwe is now stable and law abiding nation they can do business with.However, if we are going to have free, fair and credible elections, it is the people themselves who must take up the challenge from the inapt opposition parties to demand the full implementation of the 2008 GPA reforms BEFORE the next elections.
WASHINGTON (AP)  The House committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol has issued a subpoena to Donald Trump. The nine-member panel sent a letter to the former president's lawyers on Friday, demanding his testimony under oath by mid-November and outlining a series of corresponding documents. The decision by lawmakers to exercise their subpoena power comes a week after the committee made its final case against the former president, who they say is the "central cause" of the multi-part effort to overturn the results of the 2020 election. It remains unclear how Trump and his legal team will respond to the subpoena, if at all.
Today

Sun and clouds mixed. High 84F. Winds SSE at 10 to 15 mph.

Tonight

Partly cloudy this evening followed by increasing clouds with showers developing after midnight. Low near 75F. Winds SSE at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 40%.

Tomorrow

Scattered thunderstorms in the morning. Partly cloudy skies late. Potential for severe thunderstorms. High 81F. Winds SW at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 40%.
Today

A mix of clouds and sun. High 84F. Winds SSE at 10 to 15 mph.

Tonight

Partly cloudy skies this evening will give way to occasional showers overnight. Low around 75F. Winds SSE at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 40%.

Tomorrow

Partly to mostly cloudy skies with scattered thunderstorms in the morning. Potential for severe thunderstorms. High 81F. Winds SW at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 40%.
Although the college officially turned 50 last month, Iowa Western Community College marks the beginning of the schools celebration of its golden anniversary with an event this afternoon.

Iowa Western  along with the Hawkeye, Eastern Iowa, Kirkwood and Des Moines Area community colleges  was designated by the State Board of Education on March 18, 1966. All of the states 15 community colleges were officially organized in 1966. Iowa Western began its history in both Council Bluffs and Clarinda.

The college offers an overview of its historical milestones at its special anniversary website, iwcc.edu/50. Some of those highlights include:

 Iowa Westerns first vocational programs in Council Bluffs were automotive mechanics and printing, offered to seven students at Thomas Jefferson High School. The colleges total enrollment was 1,215 for the 1966-67 school year.

 Athletics in 1967 was held at the Clarinda campus, a former junior college, where the Iowa Western Blue Jays played mens basketball, baseball, track, golf and tennis.

 The colleges first commencement ceremony in 1968 had 160 graduates.

 Ashley, Fremont and Lewis Halls were built in Council Bluffs in 1971. Dodge Hall, Hoover Hall, and the Kanesville Center joined them in 1972.

 Iowa Western adopted the Reiver as its mascot in 1972. Athletics came the next year with baseball, basketball and track in Council Bluffs.

 Six dormitories and a community building began construction in Council Bluffs in 1974.

 Buena Vista University began its classes on campus in 1977.

 Clark and Looft halls construction began in 1981, while KIWR  The River radio station  began broadcasting that year.

 Semesters were adopted instead of quarters in 1988.

 Following Robert Loofts retirement in 1987, Carl Heinrich took over through 1994, when Dan Kinney, the colleges current president, became the third leader of Iowa Western.

 The Clock Tower was designed and constructed by students in 1996, and The River adopted an alternative rock format.

 Stuart Hall was built in 1998, and the Kanesville Arena joined in 2000. The Arts Center was built in 2001, while the Aviation Technology Center opened in 2003.

 The new Cass County Center in Atlantic and Page-Fremont County Center in Shenandoah opened in January 2005. The Shelby County Center moved to its current location in Harlan in 2009.

 Kinney Hall, the newest academic building, was completed in 2015.

A resolution honoring Iowa Western, and the states other community colleges, was passed by the U.S. Senate on March 1. The text congratulates and commends the community colleges for developing and sustaining accessible and quality higher education opportunities for all Iowans and their service to Iowa and the United States.

Over the past year I have had the opportunity to visit with educators and students at many of our Iowa community colleges throughout the state, Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, said in a statement. I have been consistently impressed by their work in their communities to prepare students for a competitive job market.

Added Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa: Iowas community colleges have the flexibility to adapt to the needs of local students and local employers. Im always impressed when I learn of a unique partnership between a community college and a local business born out of a local need.

Sundays anniversary celebration at Iowa Western will open its doors at 12:30 p.m., with festivities beginning at 1 p.m. A free lunch of hot dogs, chips and drinks will be provided.

A presentation is scheduled to begin at 1:15 p.m. including a proclamation by Mayor Matt Walsh, followed by remarks by Iowa Senate Majority Leader Mike Gronstal, Iowa Western Board of Trustees President Doug Goodman and Bob Laubenthal, the colleges longtime attorney.

Performances will be offered by the Reiver Cheer Team as well as the colleges mens and womens music ensembles. Self-guided tours of campus will show off the colleges facilities, with giveaways offered along the way.

The day will conclude with free admission to a band concert at 3 p.m. at The Arts Center. Free admission will also be offered to a Reiver track meet, the Region XI championships, with the mens decathlon beginning at 2 p.m. and the womens heptathlon at 2:10 p.m.

The college plans to continue its anniversary celebration at Homecoming on Saturday, Oct. 15.
A flyer created by City Hall about Tuesdays voter referendum on a bond to finance the construction of a new headquarters for the Council Bluffs Police Department was sent home to parents in the Council Bluffs Community School District, prompting concern from a former mayor of Council Bluffs.

Ronald Cleveland, a former City Council member who acted as mayor in 1978, told The Daily Nonpareil on Friday afternoon that he was concerned voters werent getting the full message about the proposed bond issue.

The flyer created by the city government was titled Building a Safer Future for Council Bluffs and broke down the estimated cost and impact on taxpayers. It stated, The need is beyond question. The flyer also stated that building the station in the downtown area would grow the $20 million project to nearly $30 million.

Cleveland said he believes the flyer supports the bond issue, encouraging voters to approve the project in Tuesdays special election. He expressed concerns about the rising cost to live in Council Bluffs.

I just think its all one-sided, and I dont think its fair, Cleveland said. The other side of the story is this is going to wind up putting another tax burden on the people who have homes.

Diane Ostrowski, the districts chief communications officer, said a flyer was sent home to families April 25 using Peachjar, an electronic platform for sending home handouts. Other flyers recently sent home, for example, to Bloomer Elementary School families include an autism support walk, summer camp information and a drawing contest.

We utilized our normal e-flyer distribution to help ensure that our families know about the upcoming election, similar to how we would notify them of other events or activities in the community, Ostrowski said. We have given our families similar information about school elections in the past in the effort to create awareness for the election itself.

The city carefully reviewed the document before distributing it to the public, including with legal counsel. Mayor Matt Walsh said he has no doubt the flyer meets legal standards.

The law says that we can educate and not advocate, Walsh said. That flyer is 100 percent educational. There is no where on the flyer that requests a vote either for or against. It just talks about the bond issue, what the money would be used for and what it would do to peoples tax rates if it passed.

Walsh added that he believes Cleveland is spreading substantial amounts of misinformation in an attempt to make sure the bond issue doesnt pass because of Clevelands opposition to increasing taxes. He said the city can educate its residents to help them be informed voters.

If there is an ethics problem, its not on the part of the city, Walsh said.

Cleveland filed a separate complaint earlier in the week with the Iowa Public Information Board about a missed meeting notice connected with the citys efforts to discuss the police station. The city is working with the IPIB to address that concern, which isnt connected with the worries about the city-produced flyer.

Council Bluffs voters will be asked Tuesday whether they want to approve the bond issue, which would cost the average homeowner, based on an average home valuation of $103,000 in the city, an estimated $2.47 per month. Police officials have said the facility at the Pottawattamie County Courthouse is inadequate and a new station is needed.
SHENANDOAH  An application for Tarkio College to reopen as a two-year institute of higher learning has been submitted to the Missouri Department of Higher Education.

Tarkio College had operated in northwest Missouri  about a 30-minute drive from Hamburg or Shenandoah  in Tarkio, Missouri, from 1883 to 1992, according to the city.

Robert Hughes, a graduate and now president of the college, said the reopening was made possible after the college property was donated to its alumni association. Tarkio College currently operates as a center for professional continuing education.

Twenty-nine acres of the campus itself and 11 buildings were gifted to the Tarkio College Alumni Association by Heartland Educational Institute that inherited the land when the college ceased operating in 1992, Hughes said.

The college closed, according to a 1991 New York Times story, after earning the distinction of holding the highest loan default rate in the United States. The liberal arts college ended up owing more than $22 million to the federal government after dealing loans and grants to ineligible students.

Two pieces of property  the gymnasium and Woodruff Apartments  were not included in the gift to the alumni association, Hughes said. The gym was converted to a community fitness center and the apartments were in too much disrepair.

The Department of Higher Education will look at our assets when evaluating whether we are approved, he said, adding that having debt-free building provides the college with stability.

The initial goals of the alumni association, while waiting for states approval, are to renovate Rankin Hall and the Thompson Learning Library. Rankin Hall will be used as an administration building and for celebratory functions. The three-storied Thompson Learning Library will be used for classes.

Hughes said a fundraising firm out of Kansas City has been hired to help raise funds for various improvements that need to be made to the campus.

If granted approval, Hughes said the college would like to begin offering classes as soon as possible. With a four-month application process, that could be as early as January 2017.

We are excited, Hughes said.

Until the college is approved by the state, Hughes said it shouldnt market itself. However, he said extensive studies have been done to see what was needed in the region. Fifty school districts within 60 miles of Tarkio were asked what their students needed for higher learning.

We were pleased with the responses, and they were all very helpful, Hughes said. We even formed an advisory committee consisting of area high school guidance counselors that will continue to help us throughout this process.

What is needed, said Hughes, is a two-year general studies program that allows students to obtain an associates degree and easily transfer to a four-year college if that is what the student desires. This allows the student to remain at home as a way to save money as well as a way for nontraditional students to obtain further education.

The college has no desire to compete with Iowa Western Community College or Northwest Missouri State University, Hughes said. The goal instead is to offer programs not found in other area colleges, such as agriculture management, community emergency preparedness, health care administration and public administration.

Eventually, Tarkio College may even add programs like welding and windmill technology.

Our goal is to start small and grow slow, Hughes said.

The college would like to have an open admissions program where students are allowed to try out college to see if its a good fit. Such an open policy is typical of junior college and community colleges.

Studies have shown that there are good students in college who werent good students in high school, Hughes said. I was one of them. I was average at best, but I did very well in college and graduate school.

This weekend, the college planned to hold a campus cleanup. The college is also planning a homecoming celebration June 24 through June 26, where the alumni association will celebrate its ownership of the campus.

Missouri has only one other independent two-year school, Wentworth Military Academy and College, according to the state Department of Higher Education. Missouri has 24 independent four-year colleges and universities, as well as 14 public two-year colleges and 13 public four-year colleges.

An effort to reopen the institution as a two-year, degree-granting college has been underway since shortly after the college was shuttered, with costs consistently providing a barrier to the efforts.

The St. Joseph News-Press reported in 2014 that Heartland Educational Institute  a local nonprofit group  took control of buildings after the college went bankrupt with plans for either a technical school or a womens prison. The Tarkio Academy, a school for juvenile delinquents, was operated from 1995 to 2004 on the campus.

After the youth home closed, a Florida oil executive had planned to transform the Tarkio College campus into a science-focused private college, according to an Associated Press report in 2006. The Shenandoah Valley News said the college reopened in 2012 as a continued educating institution that does not provide academic credits.
Iowa West, not taxpayers, should foot the bill for new police HQ

Back in the 1970s, while on a trip to the state capitol to visit with my brother  then executive director of the Associated Counties of Iowa  we generally crafted legislation that would bring gaming to Council Bluffs. The key element was to bring tax relief to the city and counties across Iowa.

Fast forward 46 years. The police department needs a new $20 million facility, and the mayor spent $40,000  prematurely, I might add  to the county for a special election on May 3.

I have a suggestion for all to read, and that is the guidelines laid out for Iowa West. Take note, Mr. Pete Tulipana (CEO of IWF). Step up to the plate; write the City a check for the $20M that would cover the new police facility.

The money that IWF receives is casino money. Remember how that was going to reduce our taxes? IWF has millions of dollars lying around, and its time the public demands it be used as was intended. Public safety should always be number one.

With all the increases in utilities, late fees and the filing of liens against property owners, we dont need any more taxes. The mayor and city council want a possible $20M liability that will affect every household in our city with higher property taxes, while the fat cats at IWF sit on the sidelines, amused by the lack of action.

Unless IWF comes up with the $20M, vote no on May 3.

Remember, this is casino money that was promised to reduce taxes, not for IWF to play with.

Ronald E. Cleveland, Council Bluffs

Former mayor of Council Bluffs

CBPD needs more space

Six years ago, if anyone were to ask me about the condition of Council Bluffs police station, having no reason to think otherwise, I would have said the station was just fine. Maybe it was, or maybe, I simply hadnt been to the station enough times to know the difference.

Ask me the same question today, and I wouldnt hesitate to say the Council Bluffs Police Department is in dire need of a new facility. What changed my mind?

As part of my company responsibilities, with security clearance and background check investigations, I regularly began going into our local police station. It didnt take long to tire of the constant parking issues, cramped reception area and lack of privacy to perform work.

The lobby became my least favorite place to be. After years of frustrating visits, I found a business solution and rarely have to go into the station. The Council Bluffs Police Department staff, however, experiences these environmental concerns every day.

For business reasons, I frequent other police departments throughout Iowa, Nebraska, Minnesota, Colorado, Illinois, Kansas, Missouri, South Dakota, Wisconsin, California and Virginia. Each time I go into one of these departments, I cant help but compare their facilities to the facility in Council Bluffs.

If I ranked these nationwide police facilities, first to last  based on accessibility, aesthetics, functionality and available technology systems  without question, the CBPD facility would rank last.

This is not to say all of the other police stations were easily located with an accessible entrance, or were pleasing to the eye with functioning floor plans and plenty of space, nor did they all have accessible technology. Not all stations met these criteria; however, the Council Bluffs Police Departments facility lacked all of the criteria.

A police station is much more than a space and should be the core of any municipality, especially with respect to the continuous growth of the City of Council Bluffs. Twenty-four hours a day, the police station houses individuals who service our community. As a progressive community, it is our responsibility to provide the members of our police department a functioning work environment.

This decision to move forward with the proposed state-of-the-art police headquarters is upon us. If you doubt the Council Bluffs Police Department has outgrown their current space, please make the time to see for yourself before you cast a vote on Tuesday, May 3.

Jeanie Waters, Council Bluffs

Give the folks in blue our support

I will be voting for the police bond issue Tuesday. Our city charter suggests that public safety is our priority; however, I say this with some reservations. I gave my written communications to most of the committee in their public open house and filled out their survey with the expectations they would respond as advertised with no response.

The associated costs and measurements of crime-fighting have been an age-old question. I am surprised and glad the police department has made projections out for 20 years or so and suggests there will be more associated costs for the development of this building and the department, regardless of what site is chosen. This is a first, since most departments usually do not make this effort.

This is in contrast to many other issues that I have mentioned before that have offered little measurable rate of return on investments for this community, which, for example, has supported: streetscaping, airport, the MAC, art, beautification of the library, economic development projects and so forth.

So, lets give the folks in blue our support.

Sam Irwin, Council Bluffs
CURTIS  Nebraska Governor Pete Ricketts and University of Nebraska President Hank Bounds will deliver commencement addresses at the Nebraska College of Technical Agriculture in Curtis on Thursday, May 5. The ceremony will be at the Curtis Memorial Community Center, 301 Garlick Avenue, Curtis.

Nearly 80 associate degrees and one-year certificates will be conferred during the 1:30 p.m. ceremony, some to students in multiple majors or

certifications.

NU Regent Bob Phares of North Platte will bring greetings from the University of Nebraska Board of Regents.

University of Nebraska-Lincoln ChancellorElect Ronnie Green will provide remarks on behalf of the Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources where Green has served as vice chancellor since 2010. Green, who assumes the UNL chancellorship duties on May 8, will assist NCTA Dean Ron Rosati in conferring graduation degrees.

Commencement participants will include presentation of colors by the Curtis American Legion Post No. 95, national anthem sung by Taylor McQuade, of Curtis, and invocation and benediction by NCTA students Michelle Conneally, Grand Island, and Desarae Catlett, Broken Bow.

Grand marshals are NCTA faculty members Joanna Hergenreder and Bridger Chytka, both assistant professors in animal science.
He was raised in a bar and brothel near Clark Air Base in the Philippines. George Hipple  now well-known in North Platte for his photography  arrived in America via Texas in 1971, at the age of 12.

Hipples mother, Connie, knew if she didnt do something, her son would not have the opportunity for a better life.

I quit school in the sixth grade because my goal in life was to become a pool shark, Hipple said. I have to credit my mother with having the foresight to try to give me a better life. When youre from a third-world country, the United States of America looks like the ultimate in opportunity for everybody.

Hipple bounced around, living with his mother for a couple of years. He then went to live with his sister and her husband, who was stationed in Omaha at Offutt Air Force Base. When his brother-in-law and sister were transferred back to the Philippines, Hipple then went to live with a cousin in upstate New York. Through his high school years, he went to four different high schools in three different states.

After graduation, Hipple moved back to Omaha.

I got into bull riding, so I was working construction to pay for the bull riding, Hipple said. At one point, Id won some money at a rodeo and bought camera equipment with it. Thats how I got my start as a photographer.

Hipple would take pictures as he traveled the rodeo circuit and would sell his pictures to the other rodeo participants.

I got an offer to work at a weekly newspaper, Hipple said. Paul Hammel hired me at the Papillion Times. He saw me at a county fair and saw me with a camera and asked me if I wanted to start taking pictures for them.

When Hipple saw the first print come out in a darkroom, he said he knew he had found his calling as a photographer. Hipple was invited to take photos at a Nebraska Huskers football game; there, he met Nick Carlson, who was the sports editor at the Telegraph at that time.

He told me he was moving on and wanted to know if I was interested in working for the Telegraph, Hipple said. Looking at my portfolio from back then  I still have it  I wonder why Keith [Blackledge] hired me.

Hipple sent his resume to Blackledge, who was the editor of the Telegraph, and followed that up with a phone call about every other day.

I bugged him enough he put me on a train for an interview, Hipple said. [He said,] well keep you here for a week to see if youll fit in. After about the third day, he offered me the job here as photographer.

In November 1984, Hipple began an 11-year stint at the Telegraph.

It was a dream come true for me, Hipple said. I thought Id stay here for two years.

In April 1985, Hipple married his wife, Diana. In 1986, the Hipples took in two of Georges nieces, who were 8 and 9 years old.

We had gone from being married for about a year and all of a sudden we had two kids, George said. I knew what it was like to have to be moved around and passed around, so when the decision was made for me to take my nieces, I told them they were staying with me for good, to give them that stability.

Since then, George and Diana had two kids of their own, Jad and Geona. In 1995, Hipple left the Telegraph to start his own business so he could have the freedom to follow his childrens school activities. The children are both married now, with Jads wedding taking place a couple weeks ago in North Platte.

I love North Platte, Hipple said. I love what Im doing, I love where Im at.

As Hipple manned the counter this week at his photography studio at 105 W. Sixth St., a customer came in to pick up some photos.

This is what I love about being here all these years, Hipple said. I took this ladys graduation pictures a number of years ago and now shes picking up her daughters graduation pictures today.

Hipple said he is proud of what he has accomplished and humbled to have had the opportunity afforded him in the United States, particularly in North Platte.
Public health departments across the state are working to develop a statewide plan to better serve veterans.

Theyre asking for feedback through a series of Community Conversations. On May 4, the West Central District Health Department will host a Community Conversation for family members of post-9/11 veterans and active service members.

During Community Conversations, a focus group will discuss the needs, strengths, opportunities for assistance and services for veterans and family members in the area.

A meal will be provided and participants will receive a gift card in thanks for their ideas and suggestions toward the improvement of services for veterans and their families.

The Community Conversation will be take place from 5:30-7 p.m. on May 4 at the West Central District Health Department conference room, 105 N. Dewey.

Those who wish to participate are asked to contact Janet Livingston, West Central Health Department veterans coordinator, at 308-221-6823 or livingstonj@wcdhd.org by May 3.
The Chinese mainland and Taiwan should strengthen cooperation in fighting telecom fraud to safeguard the rights and interests of victims and bring all who commit fraud to justice, a mainland spokesman said Wednesday.

These crimes have caused tremendous economic loss as well as physical and psychological harm to people on both sides, An Fengshan, spokesperson for the State Council's Taiwan Affairs Office, said at a news conference.

"We'll handle the cases in strict accordance with the law and protect the property safety and legitimate rights and interests of people across the Strait," said An, referring to an investigation of 45 Taiwan suspects who were deported from Kenya to the Chinese mainland for their involvement in telecom fraud two weeks ago.

The deportation sparked debate about the legal jurisdiction rights of judicial organs on the mainland over the repatriated suspects in Taiwan.

"The so-called 'statement' by Taiwan's legislative body is completely groundless, confusing truth and falsehood with disregard for the victims' rights and interests," said the spokesman in response to a request for comment on protests against the deportation.

"It conveyed an obvious message of 'one country on each side' with designs to cause confrontation and destroy the status quo across the Strait," he said, adding the move is against the will of people on both sides and damaged the foundation for cross-Strait cooperation in cracking down on crimes and for the development of cross-Strait relations.

A delegation from Taiwan arrived in Beijing on April 20 to discuss the cases of the 45 Taiwan suspects with mainland police.

Members of the delegation visited Beijing's Haidian District detention center, where the suspects are detained, to see how they are treated on the mainland, according to An.

"We'll fully protect the legal rights of all suspects and assist their relatives in visiting them," the spokesman added.
While events celebrating Indiana's 200th anniversary of statehood are happening in all 92 counties this year, the bicentennial moment is perhaps experienced best in the city at the governmental, business and literal center of the state.

Indianapolis, home to some 850,000 Hoosiers and another 1 million in its metropolitan area, has been ground zero for many of the finest and worst moments of Indiana history  from Civil War heroics to 1920s Ku Klux Klan rallies, the world-famous 500-mile auto race to multiple State Fair disasters.

A visit to Indiana's capital city may be the best way to learn about the state's past and get a glimpse of its future.

Conveniently, many of the city's top historical sites are located downtown and within reasonable walking distance.

Start at the Indiana Statehouse, 200 W. Washington St. (Free; tours hourly from 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Monday-Friday, 10:15 a.m.-1 p.m. Saturday), the center of Indiana state government since 1825 when the capital was moved from Corydon, on the Ohio River, to a small settlement along the White River near Fall Creek. Nestled amid soaring skyscrapers is the state's third permanent capitol building, erected on-time and under-budget in 1888, and restored to its original glory in the late 20th century.

The Statehouse is home to the primary offices for all three branches of Indiana government: legislative, executive and judiciary. Visitors can tour the House and Senate chambers, the courtrooms where oral arguments are heard by the Indiana Supreme Court and Court of Appeals and sometimes even the suites used by the governor, lieutenant governor, secretary of state, state auditor, state treasurer, attorney general and state superintendent of public instruction.

A blue stained-glass dome hovers over the rotunda at the center of the building, while outside the landscaped grounds feature monuments to both famous Hoosiers and hardworking ones. On the west side of the Statehouse, construction is in progress on Bicentennial Plaza, a parklike area with art and fountains aimed at promoting civic participation during the state's third century.

The adjacent Indiana State Library, 315 W. Ohio St., has a well-stocked Indiana gift shop, as well as thousands of books, more than a million photographs, extensive state newspaper archives and genealogical records for Hoosiers to search.

Continuing west is the earth-toned Eiteljorg Museum of American Indians and Western Art, 500 W. Washington St. (Adults $13, Children $7; Open 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Saturday, 12-5 p.m. Sundays), and the glass-fronted Indiana State Museum, 650 W. Washington St. (Adults $13, Children $8.50; Open 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Saturday, 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Sundays).

The state's past, from prehistory to yesterday, comes alive through exhibits, art, objects and even a retro arcade in the state museum located in White River State Park on Indianapolis' Central Canal, which is itself a monument to the hubris of 19th century Hoosier politicians who believed borrowing money to build canals would improve state commerce more effectively than railroads.

The state museum on Saturday opened its "Indiana in 200 Objects" exhibition, showcasing the history of the state through items used, made by or important to Hoosiers. Among the rare documents set to go on display are original copies of the 1787 Northwest Ordinance, which was the first United States law covering the land that would become Indiana, and the Congressional resolution admitting Indiana to the Union on Dec. 11, 1816.

Nearby the "Indiana Experience" at the Indiana History Center, 450 W. Ohio St. (Adults $7, Children $5; Open 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday) uses technology and performers in period costume to put you in 1816 Corydon to witness debates over statehood, slavery and the first Indiana Constitution.

The giants of that era, and military heroes throughout Indiana's history, are rendered as statutes surrounding the Indiana Soldiers' and Sailors' Monument, 1 Monument Circle. The massive, 285-foot tall monument, on the site of what originally was the governor's residence, is open for free tours from 10:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Wednesday-Sunday, but the Circle is used as a gathering and meeting place for residents and visitors 24 hours a day. It's also the source of Indianapolis' "Circle City" nickname.

More of Indiana's military history is on display in the museum at the Indiana War Memorial, 51 E. Michigan St. (Free; 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Wednesday-Sunday). The neoclassical structure, built to honor veterans of World War I, features an inspiring 110 ft. tall Shrine Room with WWI artifacts and walls listing the names of all Indiana soldiers to fight in the Great War.

If reading about history instead of visiting it is more your style, walk on the Indianapolis Cultural Trail to the recently renovated and expanded Indianapolis Public Library, 40 E. St. Clair St. (Free; 10 a.m.-8 p.m. Monday-Wednesday, 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Thursday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Friday and Saturday, 1-5 p.m. Sunday). It has hundreds of thousands of circulating items, as well as archival material on the state and city in its Indianapolis Special Collections Room.
VALPARAISO  Five children were among six injured in a Friday night crash that resulted in a 40-year-old Valparaiso woman arrested on charges of operating a vehicle while intoxicated.

U.S. 30 at Linwood Avenue was shut down for three hours following the crash.

The five children, between ages 9 and 13, were transported to the hospital as was a driver of a vehicle that was traveling westbound on U.S. 30. One of the children was later airlifted to a Chicago hospital. Their condition was not known as of Saturday evening, Valparaiso police said.

Police responded to the rollover crash at 9:30 p.m. Friday night at Linwood Avenue and U.S. 30. Based on the initial investigation, police said it appears a vehicle turning northbound onto Linwood Avenue from eastbound U.S. 30 was struck by the vehicle traveling west on U.S. 30. The vehicle turning northbound contained five children plus the driver, who was arrested on the drunken driving charge. The driver was not injured in the crash, according to police, who said most of the passengers in her vehicle were not restrained with a seat belt.

Police said Saturday night they continue to investigate the crash and additional charges are possible.
MERRILLVILLE  It's been shot down twice before, but Clerk-Treasurer Eugene Guernsey thinks Merrillville voters should be asked again if they would support transitioning to a city structure.

Guernsey said he would like to see a city status referendum on a future ballot.

That already occurred in 1990 and 2002, and voters rejected city status each time by about a 2-1 margin.

It isn't known if or when a new city status question would be put on a ballot. There are several steps that must occur before that happens, including circulating a petition which must be signed by an amount of Merrillville registered voters equal to 10 percent of the Merrillville residents who voted in the last secretary of state's race, according to information provided by Guernsey.

He hasn't yet sought signatures for a petition. He said an initial step he wants to take in the matter is forming a committee of residents interested in exploring the city status referendum.

Other than Guernsey, it appears the city status proposal hasn't been reviewed by other town leaders.

Town Manager Bruce Spires said Merrillville officials haven't had discussions about the matter or taken any action on it.

Town Council President Richard Hardaway said he also hasn't talked about it with Guernsey. Hardaway said he isn't taking a position on pursuing a city structure now. He said if a city status referendum appears on a future ballot, he would support what the voters decide.

Guernsey said becoming a city wouldn't change the amount of funding Merrillville receives. He said one of the biggest differences would be the municipality would have a mayor in place, and the town manager position would be eliminated.

Although there are differences between the town and city structures, the effectiveness of either form of government will depend upon the citizens and officials of Merrillville, a report from Guernsey states.

Guernsey said Merrillville has been successful as a town, but he thinks the municipality could achieve greater accomplishments as a city.

I'm proud of Merrillville, he said.

He said a mayor would provide additional representation for residents, and he thinks Merrillville needs a strong leader to enhance the community. Guernsey said neighboring municipalities, such as Hobart and Crown Point, have thrived under the leadership of Mayor Brian Snedecor in Hobart and Mayor David Uran in Crown Point.

Guernsey said he has no intention of running for mayor if Merrillville became a city.

Residents interested in joining Guernsey's committee can contact the clerk-treasurer's office at (219) 769-3501.
MUNSTER  Plenty of stout souls came out for Dark Lord Day on Saturday to partake of their favorite brew and a bevy of entertainers despite a steady downpour.

The release of 3 Floyds Brewing Co.'s sought-after, Russian-style imperial stout was once again a popular event, although fans came for much more than the Dark Lord beer.

Joe Herz, from Highland Park, Illinois, and his four friends waited in line about an hour to 90 minutes to get into the event and were waiting in a separate line for about an hour to sample some of the Dark Lord beer.

"We come every year just to get our Dark Lord imperial stout that we love and just to hang out with all the beer fanatics like ourselves," Herz said.

Herz said they like all the 3 Floyds' beers.

"To be honest, the Dark Lord isn't even my favorite of theirs," he said. "It's just getting together with all the fans and just swapping beers with all the people in line is really the best part."

An assortment of different styles of craft beer were scattered next to the line of people entering the event. Many carried beers in their backpacks and had cups to sample the different types people brought with them.

"It's the people and the sharing of beers that this is all about," said Herz's friend, Andy Dahlman, who has been attending the event for eight years.

Herz and his friends paid $200 apiece for the tickets which used to go for $30. The tickets now, however, are all-inclusive and include four bottles of Dark Lord, one bottle of a rare Dark Lord variant, and a commemorative tote bag of $40 worth of food and drink vouchers. Three Floyds values the package at $210  and a side benefit, people don't have to carry as much cash with them.

Herz considered it a wash.

"It's a good day for us  except for the weather."

Many of the people who made it into the event were gathered under a large white tent as music blared around them. Nearby, several people were lined up to have the "3 Floyds Alpha King" comic book signed by 3 Floyds President Nick Floyd, writer Brian Azzarello, and illustrator Simon Bisley. Floyd worked with the two men, whose credits include "Batman" and other notable comics, on the creation of the comic book.

Dark Lord Day drew fans of all ages.

Louis Cox, 27, came in to town from Columbus, Ohio, to travel to the event with his father, Sam Cox, of Crown Point.

"It's a good time to get out and hang out with friends and meet new people and share beers," said the younger Cox. He also said it was good to come out and support a local business.

Sam Cox said it is the first time he has visited the event and was looking forward to trying the beer.

"We all have designated drivers," he added.
GARY  Former President Bill Clinton at a rally here Saturday said his wife is a "changemaker" and if elected president could have the chance to change the U.S. Supreme Court.

Clinton campaigned for his wife Saturday at the Centennial Building , 504 Broadway, in advance of Tuesday's primary.

"She's the best single changemaker I ever met in my life and you want a changemaker," Clinton said.

Clinton was greeted by a crowd of enthusiastic supporters who waited in the rain before being escorted inside to see him speak. He was accompanied by former Indiana U.S. Senator and Governor Evan Bayh who was introduced by Mayor Karen Freeman-Wilson.

Clinton said that his wife is a bridge builder, but one has to "know when to stand your ground and when to find common ground."

He said a stand your ground point has to do with the appointment to the U.S. Supreme Court. Clinton said President Obama should get a hearing on his nomination of Judge Merrick Garland to the court.

He said whether Obama does or not, there is a good chance that the next president could have one or two more appointments to the Supreme Court.

"We need a Supreme Court that will expand voting rights, not suppress them," he said. "A Supreme Court that will expand labor rights, not take them away. That will expand women's rights and the interests of children."

Clinton also spoke of the need for "sensible gun safety regulations."

"There's too many people being killed by people with no background checks and with no mental health checks," he said.

He spoke of his wife's plans to get rid of student debt and about reintegrating people who have served time for non-violent crime back into society.

"She believes that if people have served a reasonable amount of time for a non-violent offense we should not waste their lives and the contributions they can make to America's future," Clinton said. "We should give them education, training, place them in a job. Not let them be discriminated against. Give them a chance to start again so we can all rise together."

Gary resident Sadie Sheffield said she thought the former president gave a "wonderful speech" and enjoyed his speaking about the change his wife could bring.

"I do like the fact that (Hillary Clinton) is out for all people not just some of the people," Sheffield said.
HOBART  The city has removed many vacant mobile homes from the Cressmoor Trailer Park, and now Hobart officials are focusing attention on occupied units in the facility.

Hobart Sgt. Ron Russo told the Board of Public Works and Safety he has received information about potential issues involving several occupied mobile homes in the park at 615 W. 37th Ave., including mold on walls, no running water, no furnaces and sewage problems.

Russo asked the board to authorize in-depth interior and exterior inspections of about 40 mobile homes there to determine if they are habitable, and the panel unanimously granted that request.

If we have to take more out, we'll take more out, Mayor Brian Snedecor said of mobile homes in the park.

It wasn't immediately certain who owns the mobile homes. Hobart officials said at least some of them could be owned by the occupants.

The trailer park was recently acquired by a new owner, Northern Indiana Regional Development LLC, but no representatives for the park attended the recent meeting.

Jack Klug, the former owner of the Cressmoor Trailer Park, in March told the board he rented lots there, but the mobile homes are owned by other individuals.

City Attorney Anthony DeBonis said inspections could occur immediately if owners of the units permit them. If they don't, administrative warrants would be needed to complete the examinations, he said.

Attorney Dan Sawochka, who represents Northern Indiana Regional Development LLC, couldn't be immediately reached for comment.

During an April 6 board meeting, Sawochka said the group has every intention of working with the city to clean up the property and provide a safe place to live for those who reside there.

City Councilman John Brezik said the new owner has been cooperating with the city.

Concerns about the condition of the occupied mobile homes came about while city officials have been working to remove vacant units.

The board last month approved removing 21 empty mobile homes there, and 19 of them have been removed so far, Russo said.

Some of the empty units were damaged in fires. Other problems include mold, broken skirting and broken and boarded up windows. Some doors to the abandoned mobile homes weren't secure, and there were concerns the condition of the empty residences could have attracted vermin and stray animals in the park.

Hobart officials are documenting all the time and expenses the city has devoted to addressing the park. A bill will be sent to the owner of the facility. If necessary, the city will lien the property to recoup money spent on cleanup efforts.
VALPARAISO  The city will host a groundbreaking ceremony on Wednesday to celebrate the Vale Park West Pathway.

The Vale Park West Pathway project will extend the current Vale Park Pathway from Valparaiso High School west approximately a half mile, ultimately connecting more than 700 homes located west of Campbell Street. This missing link is considered a valuable addition to the citys 16-mile pathway system. The $1.6 million project (including engineering, land acquisition, and construction) is funded through a federal grant from the Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement program, with a 20 percent match coming from the Redevelopment Commission.

"It's a critical link to bring residents from the northwest side into the city's pathways system," City Engineer Tim Burkman said. "I think a lot of people will enjoy it once its completed."

Burkman said its biggest significance is its positive impact for not only those 700-plus homes but because development is still coming to that part of the city.

Mayor Jon Costas called the project a significant addition to the city's pathway master plan.

"I think eventually it will pave the way for the development of the land around it," he said.

The project is scheduled for completion in October.

Wednesday's groundbreaking ceremony will begin at 1 p.m. at the current west end of Vale Park Road just west of Valparaiso High School. Parking is available along Vale Park Road and adjacent neighborhood streets.
The Valparaiso Lions Club will hold its White Cane Drive on Saturday and Sunday. Members will be outside of K-Mart and Strack & VanTil's on US. 30 collecting donations for club projects. Eyecare and spectacles for the needy, low vision devices for the visually impaired, care bags for hospice patients, local scholarships and other community projects will be funded with the proceeds. Sigma Chi fraternity from Valparaiso University helped the Lions by collecting donations outside Walmart last week. Help the Lions Help the blind.
If you feel like someone is watching over your shoulder, don't feel paranoid. The politicians aren't out to get you. They're out to "get" you.

They want to know what you're thinking, what you're wanting out of life, what direction you want the nation to head. They want to understand you. Most of all, though, they want your vote.

Indiana is focused on history during its bicentennial year, something we've been featuring at nwi.com/history. But we're also at a unique point in our state's history in Tuesday's primary election.

Hoosiers vote late in the primary process, and the presidential race is usually decided by this point. In 2008, Indiana saw Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton crisscrossing the state. Clinton, you'll remember, was at Bronko's in Crown Point when she downed "the shot seen 'round the world." That famous photo brought the world's attention to Northwest Indiana. It's on one of The Times' historic front pages.

This year, we're seeing presidential candidates from both major parties racing from one corner of the state to the next to get Hoosier votes in races that are still up for grabs.

Sunday night, for example, Republican Ted Cruz is scheduled to appear at the LaPorte Civic Auditorium. Other candidates and their supporters  including former President Bill Clinton in Gary on Saturday  have been popping up in the Region, too. This is an exciting election year.

Republican Gov. Mike Pence, facing a tight re-election battle with Democrat John Gregg, waited until Friday to endorse a presidential candidate. It shouldn't have come as a surprise he's finally backing Cruz.

Philosophically, Cruz is the candidate most like Pence. They're both social conservatives. Pence, remember, signed legislation this year that forbids women to seek abortions even when the fetus isn't viable.

Pence signed the Religious Freedom Restoration Act last year, only to backpedal when business interests and legislative leaders concerned about a tourism backlash pressured him to do so. That pretty much trashed any presidential aspirations Pence might have held.

Pence showed Hoosier hospitality to Donald Trump, Cruz and Ohio Gov. John Kasich when each visited, but he didn't bestow his blessing on any of them until Friday.

It was telling when Lake County Councilman Eldon Strong said he would support Trump  the true wild card in the Republican race  if he wins the party's nomination. "I'm a Republican," Strong said.

This comes even as Trump redefines what it means to be Republican. Trump is belligerent as well as brash, and he has upset women and minorities. That's not the way to broaden the GOP base.

The Republican establishment isn't fond of Trump and is looking forward to the prospect of a brokered convention, one in which Trump doesn't have enough nominees locked in to guarantee himself the nomination.

If Trump wins Indiana, hopes for a brokered convention would dim. He has been on a roll in recent primaries, and an Indiana win would make it more difficult to deny him the nomination.

The WTHR/Howey Politics Indiana Poll released April 22 showed Trump leading Cruz, 37-31 percent in Indiana, with Kasich getting 22 percent despite focusing his efforts elsewhere.

Cruz, meanwhile, named former foe Carly Fiorina his running mate Wednesday, far earlier in the process than normal. It's widely seen as a desperate move to gain attention and support.

On the Democratic side, Clinton leads Sanders 48-45 percent in Indiana, according to the same WTHR/Howey poll. There are enough undecideds to make both presidential races go either way.

Sanders last week started laying off staff, a sign he might be getting better at math. Hillary Clinton has the nomination just about sewn up, but that isn't finished yet. So Indiana has a role to play in the Democratic presidential game, just as it did in 2008.

A Clinton win would solidify her race to the nomination and help her become more centrist. Running against a self-described socialist pulls her to the left and feeds polarization between the two political parties that could affect the general election outcome.

Sanders might even quit the race if Clinton wins Tuesday. He recently began saying his campaign is about raising awareness of social issues, so he could drop out of the race and still say he's accomplished his goal.

My prediction for the primary on Tuesday: Many Democrats and independents who lean toward the Democratic side will vote for Trump, hoping he will win the Republican nomination, because they see it as easier for Clinton to defeat Trump than Cruz because of Trump's many controversial stances.

But people in Northwest Indiana remember Trump's casino, and how he left Indiana. That will work against him. And the perception of Indiana as a state of religious fundamentalists fuels the polls that say Cruz will win Indiana on Tuesday.

One question is whether this election will draw out Democrats and independents in big numbers. My guess is yes. Early voting has been busy, Secretary of State Connie Lawson said. As of Thursday, 110,442 Republican ballots had been cast and 68,012 Democratic ballots.

Tuesday night, we'll see what the outcome of this crazy presidential primary season is for Indiana, and for the nation as a whole. I'll host a live chat at nwi.com if you want to join in. You can also tweet with the #nwipolitics to contribute your observations. I also suggest you keep Wednesday's copy of The Times for posterity.

This is history, folks, so drink it up.
Scientists, policy makers and the public must work together more closely to tackle urban health risks and make cities more liveable, experts agreed at a forum in east China's Xiamen on Thursday and Friday.

The event, organized by the Urban Health and Wellbeing Program of the International Council for Science, gathered an international mix of scientists in atmospheric, medical, social and computer sciences, as well as representatives from science funding organizations, local municipalities and NGOs.

"The challenges urban planners are confronted with are immense and require intelligent solutions and support from complex systems modelers," said Franz Gatzweiler, executive director of the program.

With Gatzweiler warning that the outcomes of those models are not easily understood, communicated and implemented, the delegates found common ground on the need to involve local people in modeling urban health issues and generate and communicate scientific knowledge in a way that can usefully inform policy choices.

Participants in the forum also agreed on collaborating in the design of a training program and a model project in China.

"The unmatched speed and scale of China's urbanization make the country a living laboratory for urban health research," said Zhu Yongguan, director general of the Institute of Urban Environment under the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS).

Common urban health threats include air pollution, infectious diseases, and lifestyle conditions such as obesity and cardiovascular disease. Rapid urban environmental change combined with climate change is another real threat, causing thousands of premature deaths every year.

Over half of the world's population lives in cities, and it is increasing by about 2 percent annually. More than two billion urban dwellers are expected to be added over the next three decades.

The Urban Health and Wellbeing Program is co-sponsored by the Inter-academy Medical Panel and United Nations University, and based at the CAS Institute of Urban Environment in Xiamen.
SPRINGFIELD  When it comes to state income taxes, Illinois is something of an outlier.

Of the 43 states that tax personal income, Illinois is one of only eight that charge residents the same rate regardless of how much they earn. As the Democratic-controlled General Assembly and Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner continue to labor over passing a budget for the current year and addressing the states long-term deficits, theres a renewed push to overhaul the tax structure.

Doing away with the flat income tax could go a long way toward helping the state ease its chronic fiscal woes, tax policy experts say, but they have some concerns about the graduated income tax proposal currently under consideration at the Capitol.

Before lawmakers can introduce a system that taxes wealthier residents at a higher rate, theyll have to approve a proposed amendment to the state constitution by three-fifths majorities in the House and Senate and win voter approval at the ballot box in November. The deadline for lawmakers to approve amendments is this week.

Contingent on approval of the amendment, Rep. Lou Lang, D-Skokie, has proposed a new structure that would lower taxes for more than 99 percent of taxpayers while raising the rate on individual income of more than $1 million from 3.75 percent to 9.75 percent. The plan would bring in an additional $1.9 billion in annual revenue, supporters estimate.

Don Fullerton, a tax policy expert and the associate director of the Institute of Government and Public Affairs at the University of Illinois, said the states flat tax is a little bit of an anachronism.

Its normal to have some kind of graduated rate, said Fullerton, who worked in the U.S. Treasury Department under President Ronald Regan.

In general, its a good idea to consider when the state is short on revenue, he said, adding that a graduated system eases the burden on lower-income taxpayers while drawing in more revenue from those who have more disposable income.

That said, Fullerton believes the upper end of Langs proposal may be asking too much.

Kim Rueben, senior fellow at the Urban-Brookings Tax Policy Center in Washington, agrees on both counts.

Having a graduated income tax makes sense, but I would think that you dont necessarily want to immediately go to one of the most graduated income taxes that we see in the country, Rueben said.

Langs proposal would lower the rate from 3.75 percent to 3.5 percent for individuals earning less than $100,000 a year and families earning less than $200,000. The rates would be 3.75 percent on individual income between $100,000 and $500,000 and family income between $200,000 and $750,000, 8.75 percent on individual income between $500,000 and $1 million and family income between $750,000 and $1.5 million, and 9.75 percent on income above those ranges.

Rueben said it might make more sense to have a smaller increase at the top of the scale and also raise rates on individuals earning between $100,000 and $500,000.

Youre leaving a fair amount of money that should probably be taxed, she said.

Critics of Langs plan, most notably the Illinois Chamber of Commerce, argue that rates would hurt the many small businesses that pay taxes at the personal rather than the corporate rate.

The Tax Foundation, a conservative-leaning group based in Washington, held a news conference at the Capitol last week to announce that the proposal would drop Illinois from 23rd to 48th on its state business tax climate index.

Lang was quick to respond that nearly three-quarters of Illinois business pay at the personal rate and that more than 90 percent of them earn $200,000 a year or less, meaning theyd see a tax cut under his plan.

Matt Gardner, executive director of the left-leaning Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy, said adopting a graduated income tax would go right to the heart of the states budget woes.

Theres a chronic revenue need, and anything that raises substantial revenues is going to make it easier for the states budget process going forward, Gardner said.
President Obama poked fun at himself and the state of politics during his final White House Correspondents' Dinner as President Saturday night.

"It is an honor to be here at my last, and perhaps the last White House Correspondents Dinner," he said.

The President made light of the election season with jokes aimed at candidates on both sides, including Democrat Bernie Sanders who attended the event.

Obama also took shots at several New York leaders, including Mayor Bill de Blasio for a controversial joke he made at last month's Inner Circle show with White House contender Hillary Clinton.

"I was a little late tonight," Obama said, addressing de Blasio and Clinton. "I was running on CPT, which stands for jokes white people should not make."

He also spoke candidly to former Mayor Michael Bloomberg, who was in the audience.

"Mike, a combative, controversial New York billionaire is leading the GOP primary and it is not you," Obama said.

Comedian Larry Wilmore delivered the keynote comedic address at this year's dinner.

He scored laughs with many of his jokes  but fell flat with this one  in a room full of journalists:

"I gotta be careful picking on you, Mr. President," Wilmore said. "A couple of years ago during this dinner, you were, like, killing Osama bin Laden. Remember that? Who are you killing tonight? Can't be print journalism, that industry's been dead for a while now, right?"

The President also talked about Donald Trump's absence  and the struggle to appoint Chief Judge Merrick Garland to the Spreme Court.
Workers here in the city and around the world are marking May Day with rallies and marches supporting of workers' rights.

Activists gathered for a rally in Union Square, despite the wet weather. They are marching about a half mile South to Washington Square Park.

Today's event was held to honor International Workers Day, but demonstrators are rallying on behalf of other issues such as immigration reform and the Black Lives Matter movement.

We spoke to a protestor who says these rallies are especially important during an election year.

"We believe that election is only secondary to the primary struggle that's in the streets, the struggle is not gonna end just because another person wins, you know, whether it's Bernie, Hillary or Trump, we know that the struggle is going to be ongoing for us, it's not going to change overnight," said Melanie Dulfo with the International Migrants Alliance.

Today marks the rally's 10th year.
Something wicked this way comes in a new season of Penny Dreadful. Lorraine Bracco joins Dice as an overlord named Toni. And Sharon Horgan shows off her pre-Catastrophe chops in Dead Boss.

Whats on TV

PENNY DREADFUL 9 p.m. on Showtime. Tis better to have loved and lost  oh, never mind. Season 3 opens with a gloriously disheveled Vanessa (Eva Green) living in lowered circumstances as the bells of London toll for the death of the poet Alfred, Lord Tennyson. But a new evil has come to town, and his name is Count Dracula. Patti LuPone returns to the show, this time as Dr. Seward, an American therapist who might be Vanessas only hope for salvation. (Image: Ms. Green)

THE OPEN MIND 3:30 p.m. on World. Anita Earls, the executive director of the Southern Coalition for Social Justice, talks about voter suppression at the polls.

WILD TALES (2015) 5:35 p.m. on Starz Cinema. If it bleeds, it leads: A model boards a plane and enters a kind of Twilight Zone reunion involving her former boyfriend, a musician who was delivered a soul-crushing critique. A waitress in a greasy spoon with a rat problem realizes that a customer is responsible for the demise of her family. And a crazy case of road rage resembles a standoff between the Road Runner and Wile E. Coyote. Each of the six tales in this film anthology by the Argentine director Damian Szifron  an Oscar nominee for best foreign-language film  begins on a savage note. How they end is kind of up to the viewer. Its a mad, mad social Darwinian world, churning with men and women who, whether pushed a lot or just a little, are all eager to do the worst to one another, Manohla Dargis wrote in The New York Times. (Image: Erica Rivas)
Allison Jill Siegel, a daughter of Marjorie K. Slater of Nyack, N.Y., and David A. Siegel of Tarrytown, N.Y., is to be married May 1 to Michael Thomas McCullick, the son of David A. McCullick of Santa Rosa, Calif. Cantor Beth Hancock is to officiate at Perona Farms in Andover, N.J.

The bride, 28, works in Manhattan as a human resources analyst for Medidata Solutions, a company that provides software for clinical trials. She graduated from Binghamton University.

Her father is a telecommunications consultant in Tarrytown specializing in selling toll-free services. Her mother is an executive search consultant in Nyack, helping businesses find candidates for senior positions.

The groom, 26, is a petty officer first class in the Navy Reserves in the Bronx. He was on active duty from 2008-14 and was deployed to the Baltic region and South America for narcotics and counterterrorism missions. He is also a student at New York Institute of Technology in Manhattan.
Dunja Simunovic and Victor Ross Dupont were married April 30 at Cherry Hill in Central Park in Manhattan. Jerrod Lakoff, who is the grooms godfather and a Universal Life minister, officiated.

The bride, 31 and the groom, 33, met at the University of Pennsylvania, where she received a masters degree in architecture, and he received an M.B.A.

The bride is the chief operating officer in Brooklyn for New Lab, a space that allows companies in robotics and other high-tech fields to share resources and improve methods of manufacturing. She graduated from Emerson College. She is the daughter of Josip Simunovic and Nada Simunovic of Raleigh, N.C.

The groom, 33, is an analyst at Arena Investors, a hedge fund in Manhattan where he focuses on investing in debt and credit opportunities, like distressed commercial and industrial loans. He graduated from the University of Chicago. He is a son of Mary K. Dupont of West Chester, Pa., and Yves R.R. Dupont of Heuvelton, N.Y.
Julia Connors Lorenzet, the daughter of Lisa C. Connors and Donald J. Lorenzet of Rye, N.H., was married April 30 to Jacob Alexander Oher, a son of Susan L. Oher and James M. Oher of New York. Jarrod Gaither, who was ordained by the American Fellowship Church, officiated at the University Club of Chicago.

The couple met at Lake Forest College in Lake Forest, Ill., from which the bride graduated. The groom transferred after his sophomore year to DePaul, from which he graduated.

Mrs. Oher, 27, is a brand strategist in Chicago for Havas Worldwide, an advertising agency with headquarters in Paris.

Her father is a senior vice president, group account director at MullenLowe, an advertising agency in Boston. Her mother retired as a senior regional coordinator for the Jones Group, the New York apparel and footwear company.
Dr. Natasha Nikhil Desai, a daughter of Varsha N. Desai and Nikhil V. Desai of Diamond Bar, Calif., was married April 30 to Sameer Singh, the son of Kamla Mona Singh and Jay J. Singh, both of Anaheim Hills, Calif. Raj M. Desai, a cousin of the bride who became a minister for the occasion of American Marriage Ministries, officiated at the Mandarin Oriental hotel in Las Vegas.

The bride, 33, is a sports-medicine and emergency-medicine physician at NewYork-Presbyterian/Columbia hospital in New York. She graduated from U.C.L.A. and received a medical degree from George Washington.

Her father, an electrical engineer, works at the Santa Ana, Calif., office of General Electrics aviation division, where he works with parts suppliers on meeting quality requirements. Her mother is an ultrasound technician at Kaiser Permanente South Bay Medical Center in Harbor City, Calif.

The groom, 34, is a senior associate in New York with KPMG, the international accounting and consulting firm, where he advises pharmaceutical companies about regulatory and health-care compliance. He graduated from the New School in New York and received a law degree from Seton Hall.
The Rev. Daniel J. Berrigan, a Jesuit priest and poet whose defiant protests helped shape the tactics of opposition to the Vietnam War and landed him in prison, died on Saturday in the Bronx. He was 94.

His death, at Murray-Weigel Hall, the Jesuit infirmary at Fordham University, was confirmed by the Rev. James Martin, editor at large at America magazine, a national Catholic magazine published by the Jesuits.

The United States was tearing itself apart over civil rights and the war in Southeast Asia when Father Berrigan emerged in the 1960s as an intellectual star of the Roman Catholic new left, articulating a view that racism and poverty, militarism and capitalist greed were interconnected pieces of the same big problem: an unjust society.

It was an essentially religious position, based on a stringent reading of the Scriptures that some called pure and others radical. But it would have explosive political consequences as Father Berrigan; his brother Philip, a Josephite priest; and their allies took their case to the streets with rising disregard for the law or their personal fortunes.
Down the hall came Inmate No. 78764-053, a fist of a man diminished by the loss of the $2,500 suit and the $800 shoes he had just been forced to exchange for a jumpsuit, following a guard to his cell.

First night in federal prison, and he was already headed to solitary confinement, his case too notorious for him to mingle safely with the others. He remembers the cell being clammy and dark. It made him think of Rikers Island, where his father had been held after being arrested when Pedro was 11. But this was a few grades higher: the Metropolitan Detention Center, in Sunset Park, Brooklyn, a windowless cage looming over New York Bay.

From the next cell came a voice, pricking him out of his numbness:

Hey, Espada! Hang in there. Youre the senator, right? the voice said. My mother voted for you.

Senator, he was: Pedro Espada Jr., once the third-most powerful man in New York State. And senator he remains  even today, three years into a five-year sentence for stealing money from a nonprofit.

There are a lot of senators in Americas federal prisons these days. In May, three more corrupt New York State lawmakers are expected to join the jumpsuited ranks, three more cautionary tales from a State Legislature with no apparent shortage of them.
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Police in a small county on the China-Myanmar border claim to have cracked seven major drug trafficking cases and seized more than 220 kg of narcotics over the past month.

The intercepted narcotics included 186 kg of methamphetamine, 9.4 kg of heroin and 27 kg of opium, the public security bureau of Menglian County in southwest China's Yunnan Province said in a press release on Saturday.

Twenty-three suspected drug dealers were arrested, it said.

In a single case cracked in mid April, 120 kg of narcotics were seized.

On April 8, police in Menglian County stopped a man and a woman from transporting 26 kg of methamphetamine to central China's Hubei Province.

In collaboration with police in the neighboring Guizhou Province, anti-drug authorities in Menglian seized 9.4 kg of heroin and arrested 10 dealers on April 18.

The cases are under further investigation, the statement said.

Cross-border drug trafficking is rampant in Menglian of Pu'er City, which has a population of about 130,000.
This fall, the Jewish Museum will present what its billing as the first United States exhibition devoted to the work of Pierre Chareau, a French Modernist who for decades fell out of the mainstream history of art and architecture.

The show, Pierre Chareau: Modern Architecture and Design, is scheduled for Nov. 4 through March 26, 2017, and is the third exhibition in the museums design trifecta, which began in March with Isaac Mizrahi: An Unruly History and continues on May 6 with the opening of Roberto Burle Marx: Brazilian Modernist.

Chareau (1883-1950) was a prolific designer and art collector in France, and best known for his Maison de Verre (Glass House), a landmark building in Paris created in 1928 in collaboration with the Dutch architect Bernard Bijvoet and the metalworker Louis Dalbet.

He also owned works by artists like Picasso, Mondrian and Modigliani  but sold them when he fled Nazi persecution and moved to New York, where he worked in exile in the 1940s. In 1950, Chareau proposed a solo show of his work at the Museum of Modern Art and was turned down. He died that same year.
As Mr. Cao approached adolescence, political tensions in China were escalating, culminating in the Cultural Revolution of 1966-76. Schools were closed for several years.

Image Credit... China Children's Press & Publication Group

The young Mr. Cao traveled the country as part of the dachuanlian, a movement in which young activists were encouraged to meet and spread the message of revolution. But as the student groups known as the Red Guards rampaged, wreaking havoc on the lives of intellectuals, officials and others, Mr. Cao said he was one of many students who held back.

I was only 12 or 13 at the time, so we didnt do much, he said. We werent violent.

All we did was wear red armbands and write dazibao, he added, referring to the big-character posters that spread political messages during the period.

Before long, though, Mr. Cao returned to Jiangsu and resumed his classes. As part of the larger upheaval, some of the top Chinese language and literature teachers in nearby Suzhou and Wuxi had been sent to work at his rural school.

As a result, he said, The Cultural Revolution years were the best education I received.

Later, as the movement was winding down, he enrolled at Peking University, where he is now a professor of Chinese language and literature. He published his first short story for children in the late 1970s and has not stopped writing since. By his own count, his publications number more than 100 works: novels, academic texts, short stories, essay collections and picture books.

The chaotic years of the Cultural Revolution form the backdrop for many of his stories. His 2005 book Bronze and Sunflower, for example, concerns the friendship of a girl, Sunflower, who follows her father from the city to the countryside, where he has been sent to do hard labor, and Bronze, a boy unable to speak whose parents are impoverished villagers.
The Atlanta Symphony Orchestra made its Carnegie Hall debut in 1971, four years after Robert Shaw had taken charge as music director.

Mr. Shaw, who died in 1999 at 82, would lead the Atlanta Symphony a dozen times at Carnegie Hall during his acclaimed 21-year tenure with the orchestra.

So, it was appropriate that on Saturday night, the exact day of his centennial, the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra and Chorus, conducted by the music director Robert Spano, paid tribute to Mr. Shaw with a program offering impressive performances of Jonathan Leshnoffs Zohar, in its New York premiere, and Brahmss A German Requiem, a score Mr. Shaw revered.

The orchestra has made fairly regular appearances at Carnegie over the years, unlike the Utah Symphony which, before Friday night, had not performed at the hall in 41 years. After a financially precarious period in recent times, worsened by the recession, that orchestra has been on a roll. Under the dynamic leadership of Thierry Fischer, now in his seventh season as music director, the ensemble has been attracting audiences, donors and crucial government support. For this concert, the orchestras 75th anniversary, the mood in the hall was celebratory. Gary Herbert, the governor of Utah, as well as Mitt Romney attended. Crews from two Utah television stations came to report the big news. The inspired players excelled in an ambitious program that featured the New York premiere of Andrew Normans Switch, one of several recent Utah Symphony commissions.
John Beltran found his muse in a graffiti-covered New York City that was broke, dirty and dangerous. He used to tag along as his father, a numbers runner and loan shark, made his rounds in El Barrio and the South Bronx in the 1970s. The streets were a revelation to him, a child who spent his days drawing pictures from the Encyclopaedia Britannica. Suddenly, what he saw in books couldnt compete with what he found on walls.

Decades later, Mr. Beltran  now known as SinXero  is a mixed-media artist, painting abstract works whose textures reflect the crumbling buildings of his childhood and whose colors draw upon the rich palette of aerosol art. Picasso had Guernica, I had the Bronx, Mr. Beltran, 46, said. What happened in Guernica affected Picasso and he painted that. Why cant the socioeconomic situation I grew up in  the economic collapse of the Bronx  be part of what surfaces in my painting?

That realization has fueled not only his personal work but also his determination to convert drab walls on commercial strips and side streets into alfresco galleries. Over the last three years he has enlisted street artists from New York and beyond to brighten the urban landscape. Last week, the graffiti artist Chris Ellis, who is known as Daze, painted a wall on Westchester Avenue in the Bronx that was made famous by the artists Seen and Duster in the 1983 graffiti documentary Style Wars.

To Mr. Beltran, this urge to create is not so different from what he saw as a child, when young graffiti artists had few outlets apart from walls and subway trains. He didnt go to museums growing up. And even though he attended the High School of Art and Design, his stay was short-lived because of frequent fights and the threat of the Decepticons, a fearsome gang that preyed on teenagers in the 1980s.
He noted the seven officers, a chief and the two captains  including one who is being tried separately  who have been charged. And you dont have a packed courthouse? Mr. Ferraiuolo said. Most people who come to sit and watch, he said, are retired. And that is a sin and Im not going to sugarcoat that.

Even though the unions sent reminders to members to attend to show support, Mr. Ferraiuolo said some officers were unaware of the trial, including some who work on Rikers Island.

Of those who have shown up, some have expressed skepticism that the officers would be treated fairly.

Mr. Rodman, who is already upset with the court over his conviction, said the judge was derided in some circles as A.D.A. Barrett, as in assistant district attorney, for his tendency to side with the prosecution.

Justice Barrett seems firm, with a sense of humor, about order in the courtroom. At one point, he admonished defense lawyers for theatrics before the jury and at another time instructed supporters in the courtroom to try not to make any outbursts or grunts with the jury present. The judge also chastised a prosecutor for arriving late.

During the trial, events unfolding outside the courtroom have crept in.

Since the trial began in March, news has surfaced of a corruption inquiry by the Federal Bureau of Investigation into Norman Seabrook, the head of the union that represents the citys correction officers, who was in the courtroom for the first day of testimony.

Mr. Ferraiuolo was called away from the trial last month when a correction officer was arrested in the assault of a prisoner inside a holding cell at the courthouse. Mr. Ferraiuolo had just detailed in an interview six cases of urine being thrown at other correction officers in one week in March  the same provocation the officer said caused him to beat an inmate with his radio.
Mr. Gatlings exoneration will be the 20th time in the last two years that the Conviction Review Unit has helped to clear defendants found guilty in Brooklyn of crimes they did not commit. Charles J. Hynes began a similar effort as the district attorney in 2011, but when his successor, Ken Thompson took office in 2014, he renamed the unit and put his support squarely behind it. The review unit initially focused on cases connected to one detective, Louis Scarcella, whose alleged misconduct has called into question nearly 50 murder cases. But as news of the units work has spread, its reach has widened to include cases like Mr. Gatlings.

Mr. Gatlings ordeal began on Oct. 15, 1963, when a man armed with a shotgun burst into the home of Lawrence Rothbort, an artist who lived on Bedford Avenue with his wife, Marlene, and their two children, a 6-year-old boy and an infant daughter. According to police reports and, later, testimony at trial, the man demanded money from Mr. Rothbort. When the artist refused, the gunman shot him in the chest.

During the investigation, suspicion first fell on Mr. Gatling when one of the Rothborts neighbors, a felon named Grady Reaves, informed the police that he had seen Mr. Gatling in the area just minutes after the shooting. When Mr. Gatling was interviewed by detectives in the 80th Precinct (which was later absorbed by another precinct), he told them that he had been paying his rent at the time  a fact that his landlord eventually confirmed. A few hours into the interview, Mr. Gatlings lawyer called the station house, but the detectives told him that he could not see his client until the questioning was complete, court papers say.

Image Mr. Gatling in a portrait taken while he was in prison.

That same evening, Mr. Gatling, who was 6-foot-1, was placed in a lineup with three notably shorter men. Mrs. Rothbort was called in to identify him, but did not pick him out, even though, court papers say, the detectives directed her to focus on the tall one.
Rather mediocre, one reviewer wrote on Yelp. Others were less kind.

My friend saw this idiot tonight after a fight with her boyfriend, a second reviewer, Tiffany B. of Savannah, Ga., wrote.

A third, Suz A. of Manhattan, warned, STAY AWAY & DONT WASTE YOUR MONEY.

The reviewers on Yelp  where everyone is a critic with up to five stars to bestow or withhold  were not complaining about the usual staples: an overcooked steak, or poor service, or a botched pedicure. They were writing about a woman named Samantha, whose business on East 59th Street is more personal in nature. She is a psychic.

Yelp reviews of psychics apply a modern lens to an age-old practice. People have claimed for centuries to have psychic powers, and their methods  and, for some, their schemes  have not changed appreciably over time. Nor has a business model that has gotten by on word of mouth and storefronts and signage that seem exotic.

But times have changed. A psychic on East 37th Street in Midtown Manhattan, one Yelp reviewer wrote last year, begged me to write nice reviews so she can get more clients. When the reviewer posted negative comments instead, she wrote, she begged me to take them down.
Tech:NYC has no set agenda yet. But its approach, said Julie Samuels, the executive director, will be to work early with city, state and federal officials on issues that affect tech companies, before laws are passed. Some broader issues like taxes, schools and affordable housing also help determine whether people want to work and live in a city.

New York is in a competition to be where start-ups are going to locate and bigger tech companies are going to grow second and third offices, Ms. Samuels said.

The new organization arrives at a time when the path ahead for the local tech economy is uncertain. New York, it seems, has become fertile ground for start-ups, but has very few breakout winners.

There have been some notable failures. In the last two years, Fab, an e-commerce marketplace for designer furniture, housewares and other merchandise, and Quirky, an online network for inventors, both collapsed, losing hundreds of millions of dollars for venture investors.

Silicon Valley venture firms suffered some of the biggest losses on those New York start-ups.

In January, Foursquare, a social app that uses location technology, raised $45 million, but at a price that cut its valuation nearly in half. And the Gilt Groupe, a fashion e-commerce service, was sold to the Hudsons Bay Company, the department store conglomerate that owns Saks Fifth Avenue, for $250 million, about quarter of its onetime valuation.
To love and to honor, to cherish and to obey. These verbs do not rank high on Hiros skill set or in her vocabulary. A capable New York marketing executive with a hip wardrobe, a blinkered emotional life and various substance-abuse issues, Hiro has decided to return to the abusive home she fled and disrupt her little sisters calamitous marriage. This is a move that even her easygoing therapist characterizes as a big, huge, self-destructive mistake. Guess she wont be angling to catch the bouquet.

Leah Nanako Winklers Kentucky, co-produced by Ensemble Studio Theater, the Radio Drama Network and Page 73, is a riff on the family play, the homecoming play, the coming-of-age play and also occasionally a musical, with Ms. Winklers own compositions facing off against contemporary Christian rock. (The devotional pop is livelier; Ms. Winklers music, with lyrics like These people have shaped you/These people are horrible, is cleverer.) The style is what a naturalistic play might look like after several pitchers of juleps.

The show begins in highish dudgeon as Hiro (a nicely choleric Satomi Blair) explains her plans to her schlubby therapist, Larry (Curran Connor). Then its wheels up and whiskey downed as Hiro confronts her violent father (Jay Patterson), doormat mother (Ako) and born-again sister (Sasha Diamond), a sunny sort given to insist, Jesus is awesome! (No wonder Hiro sinks enough anti-anxiety meds to mellow a rhino.)

While avoiding her maid-of-honor duties, Hiro finds time to carouse with high school friends and beds a former crush (Alex Grubbs). That bridesmaids, the grooms family, a grandmother and a talking cat also crowd the Ensemble Studio Theaters petite stage suggest that Ms. Winkler is not the sort of playwright to be cowed by thoughts of budget or square footage.
The 1996 law signed by President Clinton threw out that New Deal remnant and replaced it with Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, or TANF. The new program created work rules and time limits. Poor people could still receive government cash, but for no more than two consecutive years and for no more than a total of five years. Instead of receiving an unrestricted dollar flow from Washington, states were now given block grants, fixed sums totaling $16.5 billion a year. The states had plenty of leeway on how to spend the money. They could also tighten the five-year limit; some chose to let the clock run out on the poor after only a couple of years.

To conservatives, the changes qualified as virtually a spiritual rebirth: faith in the power of work and not in what they viewed as a debilitating culture of dependence. To liberals, though, the new arrangement presaged misfortune. A leading liberal Democrat, Senator Edward M. Kennedy of Massachusetts, denounced the new law as legislative child abuse.

For a while, the Jeremiahs seemed to be losing the argument. Welfare rolls shrank, and then shrank some more. Having once approached 14 million, the number of people benefiting from TANFs federal money and related state funds shriveled year by year, hovering around four million in 2015. In the first few years of TANF, hundreds of thousands of welfare mothers found jobs. Poverty rates declined. So did hunger among children. One year after signing the 1996 legislation, Mr. Clinton confidently told an audience that its fair to say the debate is over  we now know that welfare reform works.

But did it?

Things went swimmingly at first, principally because the American economy was humming in the late 90s. The long haul told a different story. An economic slump at the start of the 21st century cost many of those newly employed mothers their jobs. Times got much rougher in the severe recession of 2007 and 2008. The safety net that TANF was supposed to provide began to look highly porous.

National poverty rates remain stubbornly high, staying in recent years at 15 percent. While initially effective in getting people off welfare, the system proved far less nimble at making them financially sound. Even when they found jobs, the wages tended to nudge them barely above the poverty line. And, all too often, they had a hard time staying employed when the economy soured. The poorest are usually ill prepared to flourish in a world where the technology and service industries are increasingly dominant.
 Flash

Kenyan police are deporting 77 Chinese telecom fraud suspects, including 45 from Taiwan, to the Chinese mainland.

Chinese telecom fraud suspects deported from Kenya get off a plane after arriving at the Beijing Capital International Airport in Beijing, capital of China, April 13, 2016. [Photo/Xinhua]

The first 10 people were repatriated on Saturday and the remaining 67 on Wednesday, the Ministry of Public Security (MPS) has confirmed. It is the first time that China has repatriated such a large group of telecom fraud suspects from Africa.

In recent years, syndicates led by suspects from Taiwan and based in Southeast Asia, Africa and Oceania have been falsely presenting themselves as law enforcement officers to extort money from people on the Chinese mainland through telephone calls, according to Chinese police.

In one case cited by the MPS in a statement, a person surnamed Yang from Duyun City of Guizhou Province was cheated by a syndicate, led by a Taiwan suspect, of 117 million yuan (US$18.1 million) in December 2015.

Victims in other cases included migrant workers, teachers, students and elderly people from the Chinese mainland, and some of them committed suicide under the pressure of their economic losses, according to the statement.

The MPS said judicial organs on the Chinese mainland have legal rights of jurisdiction over the repatriated suspects.

Mainland police will investigate Taiwan suspects in strict accordance with the law and keep Taiwan authorities informed, the statement added.

The 77 suspects are from two telecom fraud syndicates. On Nov. 29, of 2014, Kenyan police arrested 48 people from the Chinese mainland and 28 from Taiwan over telecom scams. On April 8 of 2016, 19 suspects from the mainland and 22 from Taiwan were apprehended on similar charges.

In the past few years, police from the mainland and Taiwan have arrested more than 7,700 suspects, about 4,600 of them from Taiwan, in 47 joint operations to fight telecom frauds based in Southeast Asia.

However, in many of the cases handled by Taiwan judicial organs, Taiwan suspects were not brought to justice and victims on the mainland were unable to retrieve their lost money, An Fengshan, spokesperson for the State Council's Taiwan Affairs Office, told a news conference on Wednesday.

Quite a few Taiwan suspects were released as soon as they were returned to Taiwan and some resumed their wrongdoing soon after, An said.

"They have caused a tremendous loss to people on the Chinese mainland... triggering strong discontent," according to the spokesperson.

An said the office's director Zhang Zhijun informed Taiwan's mainland affairs chief Andrew Hsia about the repatriation on Tuesday.

The legal rights and interests of the repatriated Taiwan suspects will be guaranteed in accordance with the law, he said.

"Judicial departments from Taiwan are welcome to visit the mainland to explore ways of strengthening cooperation between the two sides in cracking down on such international telecom fraud," said the MPS.
Even as Mr. Sanders delivered a stem-winding speech about the cost of trade deals, many union members in the crowd who did not work for Carrier said they were personally doing fine.

Mr. Wittes plant, owned by Dana Holding Corporation, plans to grow to 900 hourly workers from 535 in the next few years, according to Tom Herendeen, president of the United Steelworkers Local 903, who also attended the rally. Were doing great, he said. We have a lot of new business coming in.

Carriers decision to lay off 2,100 workers at two factories gained national attention in February when a video of an executive icily delivering the news to workers generated more 3.5 million views.

Mr. Trump took to criticizing the company and threatening high tariffs that he promised would force Carrier to reverse itself. Theyre going to call me and say, Mr. President, Carrier has decided to stay in Indiana, he told the crowd.

His protectionist policies, which go against decades of Republican orthodoxy, have brought the issue of trade and its potential costs to workers to the fore of the presidential race. Hillary Clinton has backed off her earlier support of the Trans-Pacific Partnership deal, and during a visit here she vowed to take on China for dumping steel.

Because the loss of manufacturing jobs has many factors and predates the latest international trade deals and the rise of China, economists say that steep new tariffs, such as those promised by Mr. Trump, will not restore jobs.

Mr. Hicks, the Ball State economist, predicted that Indiana will have 125,000 new openings in manufacturing jobs, in part because of retirements, each year in the next decade. By way of comparison, he wrote in a blog post, we will only have 70,000 high school graduates per year.
WASHINGTON  Malia Obama, the older daughter of President Obama, plans to attend Harvard University beginning in the fall of 2017, the White House announced on Sunday, waiting until her father leaves office to begin her college career.

Malias much-speculated-upon decision, announced in a news release after months of official silence from the White House about her college search process, will make her the latest in a long line of presidential children to attend the elite university in Cambridge, Mass. Both of her parents attended law school there.

The President and Mrs. Obama announced today that their daughter Malia will attend Harvard University in the fall of 2017 as a member of the Class of 2021. Malia will take a gap year before beginning school, the White House said in a statement.
That would be Mr. Trump. Mr. Khare said he was not especially drawn to anything about Mr. Trump or his ideas. Whether he will succeed or not, I dont know, he said. But he said he could not deny the will of so many voters. There is a revolution going on here, he added.

Voters may be starting to share Mr. Trumps reasoning that he would deserve the nomination even if he fell short of 1,237 delegates. A recent NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll found that more than six in 10 Republicans believe the nominee should be the candidate with the most votes even if he does not have the support of the majority of delegates. Still, Mr. Trumps campaign is moving to nail down the delegate commitments he would need to get a majority.

With the Indiana primary potentially a make-or-break moment for stopping Mr. Trump, Mr. Cruz can only hope the campaign once again takes an unexpected turn. Trump is very popular in our state, said Alec L. Poitevint II, a longtime Republican leader in Georgia and previously a Rubio supporter, but now uncommitted. He will be a bound delegate on the first ballot, but he has not yet been assigned to a presidential candidate. And if he is required to vote for Mr. Trump, who won Georgia with 39 percent of the vote?

Fine with me, he said.
As in any national election without an incumbent president, the candidates are painting a not-so-pretty picture of America: The country is going to hell, bluntly asserts the Republican front-runner Donald J. Trump.

The Democratic challenger, Senator Bernie Sanders, isnt much kinder and even Hillary Clinton is starting to focus more on challenges than successes.

To many voters, the message is: The economy is terrible, the social fabric is disintegrating and America is losing respect around the world.

Certainly, problems abound. The recovery from the 2008-9 recession has been uneven and is characterized by widening income inequality; wages for the average working family have stagnated for decades. Racial tensions in some places have worsened, suicide rates are up, terrorism is on the rise, Russia and China are threatening and the political system is dysfunctional.
BRASILIA  They were idealists, united in the struggle against Brazils military dictators.

As democracy flourished, so did their careers. One of them, Paulo Ziulkoski, became the leader of an association of Brazilian cities. The other, Dilma Rousseff, rose even higher, becoming the president of Latin Americas largest country.

But their friendship soon fell apart. During a contentious meeting with the nations mayors in 2012, Ms. Rousseff rejected pleas for a share of Brazils soaring oil revenues. After the room erupted in jeers, Mr. Ziulkoski said, she stormed up to him, poked a finger in his face and humiliated him with a string of expletives.

I never imagined a president could utter such words, Mr. Ziulkoski said, noting that dozens of mayors have abandoned Ms. Rousseff and her party. To Mr. Ziulkoski, the public dressing down was the kind of rupture that symbolized the beginning of the end for her administration.

As Ms. Rousseff wages a last-ditch battle to stave off impeachment and save her presidency, she has accused her rivals in Congress of creating turmoil, saying they are orchestrating a coup detat to oust her.
MANILA  Ten sailors from Indonesia who had been held hostage in the Philippines for more than a month were released on Sunday, officials from both countries said.

President Joko Widodo of Indonesia said during a televised address in his country on Sunday night that the sailors were in good condition and would be flown to Jakarta immediately.

The 10 men were kidnapped on March 26 from a tugboat that was passing through the pirate-infested waters of the southwestern Philippines. Indonesian officials said shortly afterward that ransom had been demanded from the sailors company, but there was no confirmation from either country on Sunday that money had changed hands.
DHAKA, Bangladesh  The police detained three men early Sunday in connection with the killing of a Hindu tailor, the latest in a series of hacking deaths in the country. Islamist militants are believed to be responsible for most of the killings.

The police in the Tangail district, where the tailor was killed around noon on Saturday, also recovered a bloodstained shirt that they believe one of the killers removed as he fled, Mohammad Aslam Khan, a senior police official in the district, said in a telephone interview. The police in Tangail, in central Bangladesh, have no idea who committed the attack, Mr. Khan said.

The tailor, Nikhil Chandra Joarder, 52, died after three people attacked him with sharp objects outside his shop in Gopalpur, an area in Tangail, the police said.

Mr. Khan said the detained men were Rafiqul Islam Badsha, 50, the secretary of the local affiliate of Jamaat-e-Islami, an opposition party and the countrys largest Islamist party; Jhontu Mia, a local activist with the Bangladesh Nationalist Party, another opposition party, which has held power in the past; and Moulana Aminul Islam, the principal of the local madrasa.
I think that was a wonderful piece of true consumer democracy, he said, recalling the episode. He added that companies must appreciate that they face a backlash if they speak out on the issue of British membership of the union.

Many already seem to have gotten his point.

Concerns about taking sides on this divisive issue are prompting a significant number of high-profile companies to lie low. They worry that expressing any opinion about staying in the bloc or leaving could lead to backlash from customers or shareholders who hold the opposing view, or even split their own boardrooms.

That reticence is creating a challenge for the government of Prime Minister David Cameron and other groups campaigning to keep Britain inside the bloc. They had hoped that unambiguous support from businesses would highlight the economic risks to Britain of breaking away from the European Union and help persuade wavering voters to oppose withdrawal.

Many British companies have a direct interest in staying, particularly if they import from or export to the blocs single market of around 500 million people, to which Britain currently has automatic access. Multinational businesses that have made Britain an important hub for their European and global operations are similarly concerned. Other companies fret that a vote to leave would destabilize financial markets.
BAGHDAD  After a day of sleeping, praying and even swimming in the Green Zone, the government citadel historically off limits to ordinary Iraqis, protesters began leaving Sunday evening on orders from the man who had sent them: Moktada al-Sadr, the influential Shiite cleric.

In a statement issued from the holy city of Najaf in southern Iraq, Mr. Sadr directed his followers to leave the Green Zone in an orderly fashion, to chant for Iraq and not a sect, and to help clean the space they had occupied.

A day earlier, hundreds of protesters demanding an end to corruption stormed the fortified Green Zone in dramatic scenes that hinted at revolution. But by Sunday evening the episode had become something less: an affirmation of Mr. Sadrs sway over the street, but one aimed at pressuring the government to enact promised reforms rather than bringing it down.

The question in the days ahead is whether Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi, who is Shiite, and the rest of Iraqs ruling elite can come together to form a new cabinet of capable ministers, and not loyalists to a party or sect, something that Mr. Sadr has demanded and Mr. Abadi has promised.
Despite these well-documented atrocities, more than 30 years after the end of military rule some people in Brazil seem comfortable speaking in support of the military regime. During an anti-government protest last year, old ladies held signs that read: Why didnt they kill them all in 1964? and Dilma, its a pity they didnt hang you at the DOI-CODI. At family dinners and in taxicabs, you can hear talk of how things were better when the generals were in charge.

Brazils political class is caught in a huge corruption scandal. The government, led by the left-wing Workers Party, is unpopular, and Ms. Rousseffs removal from office looks imminent. Under these conditions, it seems it has gotten easier to be an advocate of the far right, praising convicted torturers as if they saved the country from much worse terror.

Mr. Bolsonaro, who represents the state of Rio de Janeiro, is the most public face of this movement. He has been advocating for a return to military rule for more than 20 years but these days his message is finding new resonance. He was re-elected by his widest margin yet in 2014, and hes the favored possible presidential candidate among rich Brazilians for the 2018 election, capturing 15 to 23 percent of their votes in recent polls. But he is hardly alone.

Alongside other conservative politicians, he belongs to the powerful BBB caucus  short for bullet, beef and Bible, since they represent the interests of security forces, agribusiness and evangelical churches. Not all of the caucuss members are wistful for the days of the military regime  at least not openly  but they seem to prefer right-wing dictatorship to democratic government run by the left. One congressman wears a military uniform to work and refers to the 1964 coup as a democratic revolution.

Authoritarian nostalgia now seems to be a trend. Mr. Bolsonaro says that what Brazilian people miss most are the moral values of the military: There was decency and respect for the family. Things today are disgraceful, he said in an interview with a news website, specifically mentioning the legalization of marijuana as one of the many moral failings of todays Brazil.
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Chinese Premier Li Keqiang (R) meets with Japanese Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida in Beijing, capital of China, April 30, 2016. (Xinhua/Yao Dawei)

China on Saturday made requirements on improving bilateral relations and urged Japan to take concrete actions, during Japanese Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida's first official visit amid discord of the two countries.

China-Japan relations went through twists and turns in recent years. Bilateral relations are improving with a fragile foundation. The two countries should keep a grip on the right direction of bilateral relations with a due sense of responsibility, said Chinese Premier Li Keqiang.

Li met with Kishida in downtown Beijing on Saturday afternoon, after Kishida's talks with Foreign Minister Wang Yi and his meeting with State Councilor Yang Jiechi respectively.

Li said China is willing, in the spirit of taking the history as a mirror and looking into the future, to make joint efforts with Japan to strengthen political mutual trust and promote bilateral relations back to the track of normal development.

He stressed that no ambiguity or vacillation is allowed when it comes to the matters of principle concerning the political foundation for the normalization of China-Japan relations.

The Japanese side should stick to the path of peaceful development, and match deeds with its words that China's peaceful development is an opportunity, Li said.

He urged Japan to really pursue a positive China policy, adhere to the four political documents between the two countries, and appropriately handle the sensitive elements having fundamental impacts on bilateral relations.

The four documents refer to the China-Japan Joint Statement inked in 1972, the China-Japan Treaty of Peace and Friendship of 1978, the China-Japan Joint Declaration of 1998, and the joint statement on advancing strategic and mutually-beneficial relations in a comprehensive way signed in 2008.

Premier Li said Japan should create a favorable atmosphere for the gradual resumption of bilateral dialogue and cooperation mechanism and the trilateral summit among China, Japan and the Republic of Korea (ROK), and help improve the sentiment of people of each other and enhance people-to-people exchanges.

China, Japan and the ROK restarted the trilateral leaders' meeting in last November, ending a period of diplomatic deadlock due to heightened regional tensions. The three countries take turns to host the meeting and this year the chair goes to Japan.

Li also called on the two countries to strengthen cooperation in all areas to benefit the two peoples.

Kishida said the Japanese side, in the spirit of the four political documents, is willing to adhere to the consensus with China that the two countries are each other's cooperative partner rather than threats.

He said Japan is willing to pay mutual respect, strengthen mutual trust, control disputes, and advance the bilateral relations initiated by elder leaders of the two countries and build a Japan-China relations facing toward the future.

Kishida spoke highly of China's economic structural reform and voiced willingness for further comprehensive cooperation with China.

During the talks with Kishida on Saturday morning, Foreign Minister Wang Yi made a four-point requirement on improving China-Japan ties.

Firstly, in politics, Japan should stick fast to the four political documents between the two countries, face up to and reflect upon history and follow the one-China policy to the letter, Wang said.

No ambiguity or vacillation is allowed when it comes to this important political foundation of bilateral ties, he stressed.

Secondly, in terms of its outlook on China, Japan should translate into concrete actions its consensus with China that the two countries are cooperative partners rather than a threat to each other, according to Wang.

Japan should take a more positive and healthy attitude to the growth of China and stop spreading or echoing "China threat" or "China economic recession" theories, said Wang.

Thirdly, in terms of economic exchanges, the Japanese side should establish the concept of win-win cooperation, discard the outdated idea that one side cannot do without the other side, or one side depends more on the other side.

Instead, Japan should enhance equal-footed and pragmatic cooperation with China based on mutual benefit, Wang said.

Fourthly, in terms of regional and international affairs, the two sides should respect each other's legitimate interests and concerns, and communicate and coordinate with each other in a timely fashion, said the minister.

Japan should cast aside the confrontation mentality and work with China to maintain peace, stability and prosperity in the region, added Wang during the talks.

There is still a lack of trust between the two sides although China-Japan relations have shown signs of improvement, Wang said, stressing the root cause for twists and turns in bilateral ties is Japan's outlook on history and China.

Kishida's visit to China is of positive significance, Wang said, calling on the Japanese side to demonstrate sincerity, square its words with deeds and put bilateral relations back on the track of sound development with concrete actions.

Next year marks the 45th anniversary of the normalization of China-Japan diplomatic ties; and the year after next, the 40th anniversary of the signing of China-Japan Peace and Friendship Treaty. Wang said these are important opportunities for the improvement of China-Japan relations.

Kishida highlighted that China's development means opportunities for Japan, saying the Japanese side commends China for its positive role and contribution in many international and regional affairs.

As the world's third- and second-largest economies, Japan and China shoulder more responsibilities for the development and prosperity of Asia and beyond, Kishida said.

The Japanese side would like to reaffirm that China and Japan are partners rather than threats to each other, he said, noting Japan is willing to follow the four political documents and the four-point principled agreement between the two countries.

On the basis of reflecting upon history and pursuing peaceful development, Japan stands ready to join the Chinese side in building mutual understanding and trust, expanding exchanges and cooperation across the board, said Kishida.

He expressed willingness to work with China in properly managing differences and crises, and broadening the positive dimension of bilateral relations to build a Japan-China relationship in the new era.

Kishida also thanked China for its sympathy with and assistance to Kumamoto Prefecture, which was hit by earthquakes in mid-April.

Kishida is paying an official visit to China from Friday to Sunday, the first since he took office over three years ago, and the first by a Japanese foreign minister in four and a half years.
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Seven members of a force entrusted with securing a Chinese oil company have been freed from abduction by the rebel Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM)/northern sector in West Kordofan State, the authority said on Saturday.

The seven security guards of China Petro Energy company were abducted in March 2015 in Al-Dabkar area in West Kordofan State, according to Sudan's National Intelligence and Security Service.

The rebels later moved the hostages to Jalad area in South Kordofan State, where there is a command center for the movement in the state's western mountains.

An official statement said the security forces at the different fronts would remain alert and active to deter the outlaws and prevent their bloody and terrorist acts and their repeated violations of human rights.
When Martin Welc asks his real estate classes at Saddleback College if one agent should represent both the buyer and the seller in a negotiation over a house, the students widely disagree.

We ask them: Dual agent or double agent? said Welc, co-chairman of the colleges real estate program, in encouraging the students to play devils advocate. We look at all of the pros and cons. We say, Can this be done?

It is done, but the controversy over its fairness to buyers and sellers goes beyond a homework assignment. Real estate agents, lawyers and consumer advocates all have opinions about it. Now a rift involving whats known as dual agency has reached the California Supreme Court.

Those on both sides of the argument know the high courts decision in the case  pitting a Malibu homebuyer against brokerage Coldwell Banker  could shake up the industry.

There is a great deal of concern about this ruling in the California real estate community, said Bob Hunt, a San Clemente agent and a director of the California Association of Realtors, of the appellate courts conclusion. It runs counter to the way  rightly or wrongly  that agents and brokers have thought things were.

A FINE LINE

A dual agent must walk a fine line, careful not to favor the buyer or seller. There are details that cannot be shared  for example, the agent cant tell the buyer the seller is frantic to unload the house because of a divorce or job change. Nor can the agent share with the seller how much the buyer privately said shes willing to pay.

Lee Stimmel, a San Francisco attorney who opposes double-ending deals, said the rules create a conflict of interest for the lone agent, who must serve two masters as a superhuman.

But as Hunt and many other agents see it, a dual agent, privy to whats motivating each side, is in a position to more swiftly and efficiently get a deal done.

Hiring a real estate salesperson is not the same as buying a burger, the association says in court papers. It is all about the relationship  The real estate salesperson is the equivalent of a therapist, a bartender, a friend.

In California and many other states, the law mandates that a broker must have a fiduciary responsibility to clients. But laws in about two dozen states have allowed agents to act as facilitators or transaction brokers without fiduciary loyalties, according to a report on Inman, a real estate industry site, titled Buyer and Seller Beware: Your agent may not represent your best interests.

THE CASE

At the core of the case before the state Supreme Court is a discrepancy about the size of a Malibu manse.

Hong Kong multimillionaire Hiroshi Horiike bought the Tuscan-style home overlooking the Pacific Ocean for $12.25 million in cash in 2007. A high-profile listing agent provided him with a brochure stating the house had 15,000 square feet of living space, but county records said the residence actually was under 9,500 square feet.

The difference in square footage was complicated by Malibu using a different metric than elsewhere, extending the measurements to garages and other spaces beyond the primary residence.

Both Horiikes agent and the listing agent worked for Coldwell Banker, so the brokerage was the dual agent of the buyer and seller, as confirmed in the disclosure forms Horiike signed.

A couple of years later, when seeking a permit to remodel a room, Horiike discovered the house wasnt as large as he thought. In 2010, he sued the listing agent, Chris Cortazzo, and Coldwell Banker, stating they violated their fiduciary duty to him. (He did not sue his own Coldwell Banker agent, however.)

The jury disagreed that the listing agent had a fiduciary duty to the buyer or that the broker was liable for a breach of fiduciary duty based on the agents acts.

Horiike prevailed on appeal. The justices found that Cortazzo did not add a handwritten note of advice to hire a qualified specialist to verify the square footage of the home to a visual inspection disclosure, as he had done with a previous prospective buyer.

A trier of fact could conclude that although Cortazzo did not intentionally conceal the information, Cortazzo breached his fiduciary duty by failing to communicate all of the material information he knew about the square footage, the justices wrote in their decision.

They also stated, When a broker is the dual agent of both the buyer and the seller  the salespersons acting under the broker have the same fiduciary duty to the buyer and the seller as the broker.

And they cited a finding in another case about confusion in the industry:

Salespersons commonly believe that there is no dual representation if one salesperson represents one party to the transaction and another salesperson employed by the same broker represents another party to the transaction. The real estate industry has sought to establish salepersons as independent contractors for tax purposes and this concept has enhanced the misunderstanding of salespersons.

FRIENDS OF THE COURT

Some compare a dual agent to an attorney representing opposing sides in a legal claim, which is not allowed.

Use common sense  you have fiduciary duty to both. How do you do that? Could you be a lawyer for both? said Stimmel, the San Francisco lawyer.

Besides, he said, it gives the real estate industry a bad reputation: Most real estate agents are honest, and I dont think they understand how much their integrity is undermined by dual agency.

Hunt maintains that a real estate deal isnt necessarily adversarial; instead of winding up with a winner and a loser, as in a court proceeding, the goal is to satisfy both sides.

Other agents add that often the seller can benefit because a dual agent will reduce the commission; the standard 6 percent doesnt have to be split with a buyers agent.

The National Association of Exclusive Buyer Agents, which opposes double-ending deals, has filed an amicus  or friend of the court  brief before the state Supreme Court. The California Association of Realtors has filed its own brief, asking the court to reject the appellate ruling and uphold the jurys verdict.

As both sides watch closely, It is certainly possible that dual agency, as it is now commonly practiced in California, will become untenable, Hunt wrote in an article for RealtyTimes, a trade site.

The high court could add further rules or disclosure requirements. But, noting that the state generally has been strict about matters involving fiduciary duty, Stimmel hopes the argument over double ending doesnt end there.

If any state is going to stop it, he said, its going to be California.

Contact the writer: mkalfus@ocregister.com
In July 2014, the Stanton City Council unanimously approved Measure GG, placing it on the November 2014 ballot.

If passed, the measure authorized the city to impose an additional 1 percent sales tax, raising the sales tax within the citys 3.2 square mile boundary to 9 percent. It was Stantons second tax hike ballot initiative in two years. In 2012, Stanton voters rejected Measure J, a proposal to increase the utility tax rate to 7.5 percent from 5 percent.

Measure GG was contentious right from the start, as both sides waged a spirited election campaign. The campaign in support of the measure included an extensive list of police, fire and community leaders as well as the unions and their campaign focused on the potential loss of public safety should the measure fail.

Those against the measure included prominent business leaders and the conservative Lincoln Club of Orange County. Their argument focused on the fact that if the measure passed, Stanton would have the highest sales tax in Orange County (exceeding the average sales tax of 8 percent), and the resulting loss of local sales and jobs.

That November, voters in the city with a population of 39,000 approved Measure GG by 55 percent  of the 4,600 people who voted.

According to the city, all revenue attributable to the sales tax increase will remain in Stanton and replace funds taken by the state. The increase, it is projected, will produce $3 million in annual revenue and would allow the city to fill a $1.8 million budget deficit and more. Since these funds were raised as a general tax, all funds, including the extra $1.2 million, would go into the citys general fund and therefore can be used to fund any city program or service.

Despite the passage of Measure GG, those against the sales tax increase continued their fight  succeeding in gathering the necessary signatures to place an initiative repealing the measure on this Novembers ballot.

Both the Register, in a 2015 news story, and a Wall Street Journal opinion column from last month stated that the repeal measure on the November ballot has bipartisan support, including former Stanton Mayor Sal Sapien, a Democrat, and, once again, the Lincoln Club of Orange County.

The Stanton City Council is calling on voters to reject the repeal initiative and allow the 9 percent sales tax to remain in effect. With the Lincoln Clubs offices being in Newport Beach, the City Council is portraying its involvement as wealthy outsiders meddling in the affairs of the local, hard-working middle class folks. This perception has little to do with reality, as the column in the Wall Street Journal stated There is a class battle going on in Stanton, but its the towns own [City Council members] who are representing the rich and powerful.

Further, the column in the Wall Street Journal argues that the city of Stanton did not need the additional revenue generated from the sales tax increase to cover vital city services, but to continue to pay the significantly above average compensation and benefits of city workers.

According to an analysis from the 2012-2014 period when Measure GG was being considered, Stanton had 91 employees, who earned an average annual compensation of approximately $167,000. Those city employees can be broken down into three main groups. There were 21 firefighters earning an annual compensation average of $213,000. There were 44 sheriffs earning $182,000 each and the remaining 26 city workers (includes clerical staff, up to city manager) earned an average of $105,000.

Stanton is just one of many local governments that have granted annual wage and benefit increases and now have unsustainable compensation costs. Rather than admit they have a spending problem and need to cut costs, especially compensation and benefits, local governments continue to pass on their problems to the taxpayer through increased fees and taxes in hopes that revenue increases can cover their runaway expenses.

Politicians seem to believe that California businesses and taxpayers can always pay more. They simply ignore the mass exodus from the state of businesses, top paying jobs and high net worth retirees.

Californias future will remain at great risk as long as taxpayers and voters continue to condone the lack of accountability and leadership at the local and state government.

Lamonts column covers regional, state and national issues. During his 40-year media career, he has been a media company publisher and CEO. He can be reached at ilamont@lbregister.com.
Even as Orange Countys then-treasurer was making wrong-way investment bets with public money and illegally skimming millions into county accounts, the county got a clean bill of financial health from its auditor.

Even as Bell was paying enormous salaries and giving dubious loans to insiders, the city got a clean bill of financial health from its auditor.

And now, as Placentias No. 2 finance manager stands charged with embezzling $4.3 million from under official noses, city leaders fault their auditor for failing to detect theft.

There have been numerous examples of financial scandals in California local governments, each accompanied by expressions of shock from officials, fingers pointed at auditors and vows to more vigilantly guard taxpayers money.

A raft of financial and auditing reforms was proposed in Sacramento to help accomplish that after Bell officials were accused of looting millions from the small citys treasury in 2010. But of seven bills pushed by then-state Controller John Chiang and others, just two became law.

The state auditor was empowered to start a high-risk local government audit program, and the state controller to appoint certified public accountants to examine agencies that failed to provide audits themselves. But proposals to greatly expand the controllers power to investigate counties, cities, special districts and joint-powers authorities were shot down when agencies protested that theyd get stuck paying for the extra oversight.

Experts say more can be done to protect the public purse, including simple, inexpensive steps that would enhance safeguards and make what allegedly happened in Placentia far harder to pull off.

They include adding the elements of surprise and secrecy, such as keeping top managers in the dark about the focus of financial probes to lessen the potential for interference or cover-ups. Some of the strategies were pioneered locally in Laguna Niguel, later embraced by Mission Viejo, and adapted by Yorba Linda and Pasadena. But theyve failed to catch on statewide, or even countywide.

Public agencies in Orange County spend close to $2 million every year on mandated, outside financial audits. Despite what many officials believe, such audits arent designed to ferret out fraud. They essentially check one set of numbers provided by officials against other sets of numbers also provided by officials, and sample internal controls.

Rich Kikuchi, managing partner with Placentias auditor, Lance, Soll & Lunghard, said his firm did exactly what it was supposed to do. But he believes governments should do more.

Im hoping that, out of all this, the public and city officials will really come to understand the need to have an internal-type audit, a watchdog-type audit, said Kikuchi. To keep people on their toes, it needs to have an element of surprise. When I put myself in the shoes of a mayor or city council member, thats what Id want. That would help me sleep at night. But thats not what a financial audit is.

NO SURPRISE

In fact, experts generally agree, the type of audit required from local agencies is of limited value.

Its primary goal is to determine if financial statements are materially correct  or correct within reason  and comply with generally accepted accounting principles. Thats an important certification demanded by outside financial parties and those who lend cities money.

At the heart of such annual reviews are the financial statements, numbers supplied by the agencies themselves. The reports provide a snapshot of the citys books at years end. To ensure the citys numbers are correct, financial auditors look at documentation, reconcile account balances, ask questions and examine internal controls. But importantly, according to Kikuchi and other government auditors, there are no surprises involved.

Audits happen at the same time every year. Appointments are scheduled months in advance. Managers have plenty of time to prepare and get their books in order.

What many citizens and governing board members think is an audit is most certainly not what financial auditors are engaged to perform, Kikuchi said.

Bell was the ultimate example of that. As Mayer Hoffman McCann  then Bells Irvine-based financial auditor  stressed at the time, its extremely hard to fully vet an agency thats determined to hide questionable or illegal transactions.

Mayer Hoffman McCann conducted at least 17 audit procedures designed to address fraud risk in Bell, said Bill Hancock, the companys president, in a statement after the corruption was finally exposed.

At every step of its probe, city officials misrepresented and gave false audit evidence that concealed the abuses, Hancock said. Such collusion raised broad, profession-wide issues concerning fraud risk in financial statement audits  which we believe the current standards do not completely reconcile.

Ultimately, Mayer Hoffman McCann paid $350,000 in fines and investigative costs to the state Board of Accountancy for failing to detect the abuses. It no longer does municipal audits in California.

There was hope for major reform in Bells wake. The state controller began to collect and publish pay data for thousands of public agencies. The finances of high risk agencies came under greater review. Audit firms provided more training to staffers. And Controller Betty Yee published internal control guidelines to help agencies avoid the problems that befell Bell.

But those guidelines  to assist local agencies in establishing a system of internal control to safeguard assets and prevent and detect financial errors and fraud  are voluntary.

And, as Placentias experience suggests, embezzlement can still continue with relative ease over the course of many months, and perhaps years, without being detected.

SURPRISE!

Laguna Niguel was a leader in adopting key reforms before the Bell scandal erupted.

The seeds of the tighter controls were planted after Orange County Treasurer Bob Citrons risky investments led to the countys $1.64 billion bankruptcy in 1994. The push intensified five years later when the Yorba Linda City Council accused its top manager of doling out $600,000 in unapproved bonuses.

Outside auditors didnt detect that things were amiss in either case.

Laguna Niguel responded by developing extra layers of examination, allowing auditors to work directly with elected council members rather than city management, and incorporating new elements of unpredictability.

Each year, auditors gather personnel files for the city manager, top city brass and other selected employees. They compare payroll records  what the workers were actually paid  to City Council resolutions on what they should have been paid. Auditors check car allowances, bonuses, vacation cashouts and salary adjustments to make sure everything adds up and is authorized.

In addition, each year, the mayor and mayor pro tem pick two areas that will get a deeper review of internal controls. Those might be scrutinizing transfers in and out of the citys bank accounts to be sure theyre legitimate, examining how cash is handled in the Recreation Department or examining investment transactions for irregularities.

The mayor and mayor pro tem communicate with auditors directly, which makes it harder for staffers to cover their tracks, or bury unpleasant findings.

That sort of audit-within-the-audit is very unique, said Rod Foster, Laguna Niguels city manager, who has worked in Colton, Chino, Hesperia and Upland. I dont even know what those are until the report comes out.

The city also changes audit firms every five years to keep the watchdogs and the staff from getting too cozy. This year, Laguna Niguel is asking its new auditor, rather than city employees, to prepare reports required by the state controllers office.

Taken together, the reviews and changes in reporting responsibilities mean more outside eyeballs on the citys books, which enhances accountability, said finance director Stephen Erlandson.

Those type of extras cost more, but not much. The basic financial audit for a city of Laguna Niguels size  total revenue of $46 million, population 65,000  is $39,000. With the extra work, Laguna Niguel expects to pay $45,000, Erlandson said.

The more rigorous system was developed under former finance director Cheryl Dyas, who took the blueprint with her to Mission Viejo, where shes now administrative services director. In the wake of the Placentia embezzlement case, her City Council wants to examine more ways to avoid similar problems.

Ideas include a rotating operational and financial review of individual departments, and will be discussed at the next City Council meeting, she said.

Big agencies, like the County of Orange with its $5.6 billion budget, have an internal auditor to do this kind of work. Over the years, the job has been handled with varying levels of zeal. Current auditor-controller Eric Woolery has ruffled feathers in county management with an aggressive style. He has no apologies.

Detecting fraud is very difficult, almost like finding that needle in a haystack, he said.

There are so many different forms. You can have something like Placentia, where an employee seems to go rogue; you can have more sophisticated scheme where employees set up a dummy vendor and make payments to it, which through the system looks very legit. To anyone auditing from outside, it would look like a normal payment.

One defense is promoting a culture of shared responsibility, in which all staffers are encouraged to report what doesnt seem right. The county received 346 tips on its fraud hotline last year. Other agencies might consider starting one, Woolery said.

The best defense for fraud is the internal control system, he said. Practices and segregation of duties to make fraud more difficult. Elements of surprise in high-risk areas like petty cash  so no one knows its coming.

The biggest frauds are always committed by managers overriding the system.

Contact the writer: tsforza@ocregister.com
With her massive win last month in New York, followed up with several other triumphal processions through the Northeast, Hillary Clinton has, for all intents and purposes, captured the Democratic nomination. And given the abject weaknesses of her two most likely opponents, Donald Trump and Ted Cruz, she seems likely to capture the White House this fall as well.

So the question now becomes: How does Hillary govern? She may win a decisive victory over a divided, dispirited Republican Party, but she will not return to the White House with much of the aura that surrounded President Obama. As feminist writer Camille Paglia has pointed out, she is widely distrusted by the majority of Americans, including younger women. Older feminists may worship her as the incipient queen, Paglia notes, but few others seem ready to kowtow.

Instead, Clinton will enter the presidency more disliked and distrusted than any incoming executive in history. Her trajectory, notes Paglia, has more in common with that of Richard Nixon, whose persistent scheming and ample intellect allowed him to win in 1968, another year marked by intense political divisions.

Alternative one: Obama third term

When Bill Clinton entered the White House in 1992, he did so as the standard-bearer for New Democrats of the Democratic Leadership Council, a pro-business, pro-individual responsibility faction that captured control of the party from its labor and grievance industry old guard. When I worked for the Progressive Policy Institute, the DLCs think tank, in the early Clinton years, many powerful interests  greens, feminists, minority advocates, trade unions  opposed many of the Arkansans policy innovations, ranging from welfare reform to NAFTA.

But the party that former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton now inherits is not hers, it is Barack Obamas. In the Clinton years, Democrats competed, and sometimes won, in Republican strongholds in Appalachia and the South. After Obama, these areas are, for the most part, solidly GOP, while the Democratic Party has become increasingly dependent on its heavily minority, and young, urban base along the coasts. As a result, there is little need for, or interest in, appeasing the less urbanized, more conservative voters across the country.

Energy and land use are two areas where Clinton may be able to pick up the Obama mantle. Despite Clintons fundraising among fossil fuel firms, which has netted some $3 million, she has continually won established environmental support from groups like the League of Conservation Voters. She can be counted on to advance Obamas green agenda.

In effect, she will be tempted to support the mounting Environmental Protection Agency onslaught on power generators. This will hurt many Rust Belt economies but wont do much damage to party strongholds like Manhattan or the Bay Area. The Department of Housing and Urban Developments escalating campaign to force middle-class suburbs to accept more poor people and high-density housing may undermine the dreams and aspirations of millions of middle-class Americans, including many minorities, but could appeal to the urban developers who now can continue their ethnic cleansing of attractive inner-city areas.

Hillary, no stranger to following the political breezes, could simply serve as the heir to the Obama legacy, in effect, giving him a third term. She could prove to play Stalin  ruthless, unlikeable but politically savvy  to advance the presidents progressive program. There are signs of this, for example, in such things as her turn against the Keystone XL pipeline, after tentatively embracing it as secretary of state, or her rejection of the Trans-Pacific Partnership. She might, under pressure from the Sanders forces, also agree on the platform plank for a ban on fracking, which would end our drive toward energy self-sufficiency, as well as deeply wound many economies, particularly in Texas, Oklahoma and Appalachia.

Triangulation: Clinton third term?

Hillary Clinton has been forced left by the growing radicalization of her party. Its as if John Kasich and John McCain suddenly decided that they needed to sound like Donald Trump on immigration and Ted Cruz on religion. Yet, the big question is whether she will shift to the center, as her husband did, when she actually holds the reins of power.

But triangulation requires a strong and determined opposition, as Bill Clinton faced after 1994 with a GOP controlled House run by Newt Gingrich. In states where the Republican Party has, for all intents and purposes, ceased to exist as a serious political force, such as here in California, moderation tends to be drowned out by the incessant yammering from the social justice warriors and environmental zealots. Gov. Jerry Brown, for example, is most often challenged not by Republicans but those from his left who want, if anything, more extreme economic and environmental policies.

If this years election ends up with a total wipeout of the Republicans, Clinton would have little reason to move to the center. After all, you cannot triangulate between Right and Left when the Right has all but evaporated. If Hillary wants to reprise Bill, she should hope the GOP does not completely disappear as a political force.

One other, and particularly troublesome, barrier to triangulation could be the growing concentration of power in the executive branch under President Obama. Clinton has already made it clear she happily will rule by decree if the recalcitrant Republicans in the House refuse to go along with her ideas. With the bureaucracy allied with the progressive cause, and a judiciary that also increasingly embraces a centralist ideology, she may not need to appeal to Republicans or moderates at all, at least to get her program through.

Ultimately, this may all depend on the economy. President Obamas ratcheting up of federal housing and environmental powers has taken place amidst a gradually improving economy, particularly in his base coastal states. This has also been key to Gov. Browns ever more draconian environmental stance. Prosperity, at least among the gentry, tends to let regulators ignore the economic consequences of their decisions.

What matters most may be expediency  and money

Hillary Clinton is often castigated for her supposed lack of basic principles. Yet, her opportunism could benefit the country more than the kind of narcissistic posturing that has dominated the Obama years. If the economy weakens, for example, she might not want to put more screws on businesses, and certainly will not threaten to persecute the financial interests who have financed her campaign, not to mention the Clinton Foundation.

Unfortunately for her, many of the consequences of Obamas policies may force her hand. The president has delayed many of the more challenging parts of Obamacare, leaving it to Hillary to cope with cancellations, rising fees and other problems. Clinton will also be forced to deal with rising suburban resistance to HUD policy which, under the principle of disparate impact, will try to force diversity and density on communities which do not discriminate but remain not dense enough or diverse enough to meet the demand of regulators.

She will also have to cope with other residues of the past eight years  for example, rising crime, growing race tensions and a rapidly deteriorating foreign environment. The new President Clinton may have to cope with mass unemployment in the energy belt and among manufacturers, as the administrations greenhouse gas policies begin to get implemented. Whereas Obama benefited from the fracking boom that he never quite embraced, Clinton may reap the full weight of the political and economic ramifications from ending the practice.

Whether these realities  a direct threat to Democrats in many states and districts  will lead Clinton to adopt more pragmatic approaches is not yet knowable. But at the end of the day, arguably, our best hopes for the first woman president revolve around her profound opportunism and political common sense, which could lead her to a more pragmatic, and ultimately far less damaging, approach than now seems all too likely.

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 newest book is The Human City: Urbanism for the Rest of Us.
SANTA ANA  A Santa Ana police commander stood nearby, but Sergio Villa, whos lived in the city for several decades, spoke his mind about interactions sworn officers have had with the community.

They speak in a very rough manner, Villa, 60, said in Spanish. Everybody is afraid of the police. I dont trust them because of the way they act. They should be more sensitive with the Latino community.

Uncensored comments such as Villas were exactly what organizers of a community-oriented policing forum last week were seeking.

The gathering at the Delhi Center in the citys southeast was the fifth and final meeting scheduled by neighborhood leaders and police Cmdr. Ken Gominsky for feedback to restore the policing model to its more robust days.

Under Police Chief Raymond Davis in the 1970s, Santa Ana was one of the nations leading proponents of community-oriented policing, which emphasizes proactive over reactive law enforcement and partnerships with civilians, said Ed Day, director of Chapman Universitys Earl Babbie Research Center.

In one sense, it was back to the future. The officer walking the beat  police would be located within the communities, Day said. Santa Ana was really at the cutting edge, but it went away a bit when it ran into budget issues.

Coming out of the recent recession, the city crafted a five-year strategic plan that calls for a community-oriented policing survey to be sent to residents. The survey will be informed by the five forums held across the city since the start of the year and focus groups that Chapman University plans to conduct in June.

We got an academic partner because we wanted to make sure people knew it wasnt the Police Department putting their spin on what the community wanted, Gominsky told several dozen attendees at the forum Wednesday.

Santa Ana experienced a five-year high in shootings during the first two months of 2016, many of the incidents gang-related, but the effort wasnt spurred by an uptick in crime.

Neighborhood groups including West End Community Oriented Policing, Connect-to-Council and Windsor Village Neighborhood Association spearheaded the forums because a couple of meetings last year run by top brass didnt engage residents, said Chris Schmidt, an organizer with West End Community Oriented Policing.

Meanwhile, some residents arent even aware the policing model exists, Schmidt added.

Part of the strategic plan is to build community-oriented policing back to where the community is partnering with police again, reimplementing those programs, he said.

In breakout groups, residents last week voiced their concerns and desires as Schmidt and other neighborhood leaders took note. They plan to pass comments along to Chapman University.

We ask for an officer who will speak Spanish, and they send someone who speaks English and they yell at us, Daniela Cervantes, a decadelong Santa Ana resident, said in Spanish.

Theyve been talking about body cameras, so when you have interaction its all recorded so its not just he-said, she-said, said Thomas Gordon, 50, a resident since the 1960s. Why hasnt that been implemented? Because I think the cameras would make everybody more accountable.

In 1974, Santa Ana saw the highest percentage increase in crime of any major city in the U.S.

But with Davis community-oriented policing strategies, including hiring more officers, the city by 1976 had the nations greatest decrease in crime, said neighborhood activist Dylan Thompson.

Contact the writer: 714-796-7762, jkwong@ocregister.com or on Twitter: @JessicaGKwong
Bill Cook gazes upon fields of strawberries and, in his minds eye, he sees thousands of his Marine brothers leaving for Vietnam, never to return.

He also sees hallowed ground  and an opportunity for healing, homecoming and honor.

Since the 1999 closure of El Toro Marine Corps Air Station, Cook and fellow veterans have gone from silently hoping for a veterans cemetery at the abandoned base, to suggesting one, to fighting for one. Its been a 15-year battle of shame on all of our parts.

We were wolves crying in the wilderness, Cook says, and nobody listened. We had to jump up and down.

Today, there are two proposed sites. Yet the saga is now marked by political infighting and distrust.

Passions grew so hot at a recent Irvine City Council meeting that one elected official, Christina Shea, walked out midway through Councilman Jeff Lalloways criticism of a land swap for the proposed cemetery.

GIVING THEIR ALL

County voters approved building a Great Park on the old base in 2002. Thats when residents, lawmakers and park architects should have considered the military bases legacy and made a veterans cemetery a top priority.

Within a year after its opening in 1943, El Toro was the largest Marine air station on the West Coast. Before the end of World War II, the base had 1,248 officers and 6,831 enlisted personnel.

During the bases 46-year tour of duty, hundreds of Marines shed blood training in and around the base. More than a hundred died.

This is our Gettysburg, Cook says as he scans the base for the old air control tower and realizes its already been torn down.

The worst crash on the base claimed the lives of 71 Marines and 12 Air Force crew members. Shortly after midnight on June 25, 1965, an Air Force C-135A transport left El Toro for Okinawa on its way to Vietnam.

Four miles from the El Toro control tower, the plane inexplicably hit Loma Ridge and burst into flames.

Cook, a retired Marine sergeant with a masters degree in business administration and a TetVet license plate, pokes the toe of his shoe in the dirt at one of two sites he believes should be under consideration. He looks down and says he has a simple wish  to be buried in the soil he considers hallowed.

At the City Councils April 12 meeting, Cook emphasized that it took a quarter-century before the veterans cemetery at Fort Ord on the Central Coast broke ground.

He says he knows widows who are keeping husbands ashes waiting for a local veterans cemetery.

Cook, president of a company that manages archaeological compliance, says El Toro land is unique. This is the last place they stood on before being shipped out, Cook says of the men and women who trained at El Toro. This was the last bit of American soil.

TROUBLED SITE

The latest cemetery fracas involves two sites. Both are about 125 acres. Both are on the old base, a critical factor for many veterans.

One site, owned by the city, is on the north side of the base near Irvine Boulevard. The other site is owned by developer FivePoint Communities and sits on the south side near I-5.

Cook and his Orange County Veterans Memorial Park Foundation prefer the second site; they say it is near ready and believe it could open within a year.

Until six months ago, the city site was the only one under consideration. It has been in the bureaucratic pipeline for state veteran cemeteries for two years. In January 2014, then-Assembly member Sharon Quirk-Silva introduced a bill asking the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs to help fund cemetery construction. A few months later, Irvine council members agreed to donate the land for a cemetery.

Since then, Irvine has put up $100,000 and the California Department of Veterans Affairs has kicked in $500,000 to pay for feasibility studies.

But the city location is troubled.

Some residents complain the site is too close to a new high school. Others say a cemetery messes up the areas feng shui, or spacial harmony, and may put off Asian homebuyers. The area also is chock-full of pipes, old buildings, concrete taxiways and, Cook says, ground contamination.

But with some irony and a healthy dose of leatherneck humor, Cook shrugs. His buddies wont mind any of those issues.

Still, Cook says, most veterans prefer the second site, which FivePoint developers offered in December. The land is easily accessible, visible from I-5 and  most importantly  chock-full of nothing but strawberry plants. The Marine says it could open in a year.

In contrast, Lalloway estimated the city site could not have its first interment for three to five years.

COUNCIL BATTLES

During the three-hour council hearing on April 12, dozens of speakers split on the merits of the FivePoint site vs. the city site.

Rather than an either-or scenario, Cook suggests keeping the city plan in place but adding the FivePoint property as an alternate plan.

All council members but Shea shot down the idea as dangerous. In a recent interview, Lalloway said, I dont want any delays. Weve been working on it for two years.

But Lalloway also cracked open the door for reconciliation. If the city site doesnt work out, he said, the FivePoint site could be Plan B.

Cook asks, why wait? We have 132,000 veterans in Orange County and more are coming because we dont seem to be running out of wars.

The Marine from Mission Viejo has a point. The City Council should do whatever it takes to get a veterans cemetery open as soon as possible. Its a matter of honor.

Contact the writer: dwhiting@ocregister.com
With the pivotal Indiana presidential primary only two days away, and the decisive California contest still six weeks off, many Republican officials are already privately writing off 2016. Amid the wreckage of the turbulent 2016 nominating season, they still have a challenge in front of them: handicapping which of the two flawed finalists will cause the least long-term harm to their Grand Old Party.

The conventional wisdom has been that Donald Trump is the bigger menace than Ted Cruz. Certainly, several swing-state Republican senators up for re-election in November worry about The Donald at the top of the GOP ticket more than they fear the presence of The Ted.

For some, however, there are other benefits in nominating Cruz. These are not, let me hasten to add, factors Cruz would boast about during a debate with Hillary Clinton. All of them start with the assumption  one bolstered by mock matchups in the polls  that the former secretary of state will trounce either Trump or Cruz in November. But who do Republicans want to go down in flames with?

If its Trump, establishment Republicans can simply walk away from the carnage. They dont have to vote for him; they dont really have to vote for anyone. Jeb Bush tried to negotiate this delicate ground while talking Thursday with CNN correspondent Jamie Gangel, Jebs first interview since dropping out of the race and endorsing Cruz.

Im a Ted Cruz supporter because I want to support a consistent conservative that actually could win, Bush said. I dont think Donald Trump could beat the Democratic nominee. He added that if Trump is the partys standard-bearer, well lose the Senate and well lose the presidency in a landslide.

After Gangel noted that it didnt sound like Jeb would vote for Trump, he parried by saying, I hope I wont have to be faced with that dilemma.

Do you think theres a case to be made for Republicans voting for Hillary Clinton if he is the nominee? she asked.

No way, Jeb replied.

But he didnt commit to voting for Trump, either. In other words, there is a rationale for Ted Cruz that goes beyond the belief that Trump harms down-ticket candidates more. Its that Trump presents good-government Republicans with a moral quandary  vote for Hillary or stay home. To Jeb Bush, and many other Republicans, this is an untenable choice. Ted Cruz presents a more manageable problem, one faced by voters many times before: hold your nose and vote for the proverbial lesser of two evils.

Okay, thats one reason. Heres a second. Ted Cruz has made the lives of congressional Republicans miserable. If hes the Republican nominee in November, and he blows it against someone Republicans consider easy pickings, the spell will be broken. No more mindless filibusters, pointless government shutdowns, and headlong charges over the Cliffs of Insanity, a.k.a. show votes to defund Obamacare.

Republican regulars, you see, actually hate Ted. They have much more personal antipathy for him than for Hillary. They dont want to hear Cruzs voice again when this campaign is over, let alone see him in the White House. Lucifer in the flesh is how former House speaker John Boehner described him recently. I have Democrat friends and Republican friends, Boehner added. I get along with almost everyone, but I have never worked with a more miserable son of a b- in my life.

And maybe, such Republicans hope, after he loses the presidency, Washington politics will lose its allure for The Ted. That brings up the final, and most interesting, reason that a cadre of the GOP establishment would prefer Cruz. His defeat might drive a silver-tipped stake through a pernicious theory that just wont die among movement conservatives. This dubious idea is that Republicans have been losing national elections because theyve been nominating closet liberals, squishy moderates, and fellow travelers instead of true conservative champions like Ted Cruz.

Cruz pushes this line often. Its his main rationale for running. He was selling it as early as October 2014, less than two years after he arrived in the Senate.

We need to look to history and what works and what doesnt, Cruz said then, and the one thing is clear is if Republicans run another candidate in the mold of a Bob Dole, or a John McCain, or a Mitt Romney  we will end up with the same result, which is millions of people will stay home on Election Day.

If we run another candidate like that, he added, Hillary Clinton will be president.

This is not a new idea. Its been around since Barry Goldwaters time, and was proffered on behalf of Ronald Reagan in every national election from 1968 to 1984. It was even used in 1988, both for and against, two-term Reagan administration veep George H.W. Bush. It has sometimes been cited as a kind of mantra to justify losing. In your heart, you know hes right, went the 1964 Goldwater slogan. After a campaign in which the Arizona conservative joked about lobbing a nuclear weapon into the mens room at the Kremlin, Goldwater critics  including liberal Republicans  came back with clever rejoinders, including In your head, you know hes wrong and In your guts, you know hes nuts.

Thats how a wide swath of Republicans view Cruz. Undeterred, hes now using the Dole-McCain-Romney argument against Trump. To be fair, questioning Trumps conservative bona fides is no stretch. But as a thought experiment, the Republican establishment is looking at the other side of Cruzs argument. What if Republicans nominate a candidate whose right-wing credentials are impeccable, lets say a certain freshman senator from Texas? Suppose this arch-conservative nominee loses in a landslide. What then?

Their hope is that it would be the end of Ted Cruz, and the end of this fanciful notion that the Republican Party somehow isnt conservative enough.

Carl M. Cannon is executive editor of RealClearPolitics.com.
A battle is heating up over an effort to impose price controls on prescription drugs in California. While proponents of a ballot measure, known as the California Drug Price Relief Act, argue that their proposal will reduce health care costs, they ignore the many negative consequences it will have on patients health and economic freedom.

The initiative, which will be considered by voters in the November election, would mandate that state agencies pay no more for drugs than the lowest prices paid by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs for the same products. The pharmaceutical industry, naturally, is not happy about this threat to its business model and profitability, and has reportedly amassed a $100 million war chest to fight the measure. The industry contends that the VA receives discounted prices by limiting the amount of prescriptions it covers, and that applying these preferential prices to a larger population would be unsustainable for pharmaceutical companies.

Everyone likes the sound of cheaper drug prices, and many would not shed a tear for cutting the profits of the big, bad pharmaceutical companies, but setting below-market-rate prices for drugs would work out no better than rent control has in making housing affordable to the masses in San Francisco, creating similar shortages and other unintended consequences. It will only lead to less innovation and a diminished supply of drugs.

Consider that it frequently takes more than 10 years and costs an average of $2.6 billion to bring a drug to market, not to mention additional post-approval research and development costs of $312 million, according to a report published in March by the Tufts Center for the Study of Drug Development. Moreover, only about 10 percent of drugs in development that make it to Phase I clinical trials are eventually approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

Significantly diminishing the opportunity to recoup these R&D costs and make a profit would reduce the incentive to invest in the drugs in the first place, and many fewer medicines would be developed as a result. It is much more difficult to place a cost on the suffering of people who never receive treatment because government regulation delays its availability or prevents remedies from ever being created.

In order to reduce the cost of drugs without the harmful economic side effects, we should be eliminating the regulations that unnecessarily raise the cost of producing medicines, retard drug development and cause people to languish and die while awaiting the approval of the FDA bureaucracy.
BURLINGAME  A day after Donald Trumps chaotic visit to the California Republican convention, Sen. Ted Cruz delivered his pitch to delegates, declaring he is all in to win the Golden State after receiving a wholehearted endorsement from former Gov. Pete Wilson.

Never has the California Republican primary election been so critical to the future of our nation, Wilson said, painting Cruz as a conservative in the mold of former President Ronald Reagan.

Cruz pledged to wage an intense fight for delegates throughout the state.

I can tell you right now were going to spend more money in California than we raise, Cruz said. Were going to be competing for all 172 delegates in California in all 53 congressional districts.

The streets outside the Hyatt Regency were quiet Saturday, a far cry from the turbulent scene Friday when several hundred protesters blocked Old Bayshore Highway near San Francisco International Airport, forcing Trumps motorcade onto a Highway 101 service road behind the hotel.

Like Trump and Ohio Gov. John Kasich, both of whom addressed the convention Friday, Cruz touted himself as the partys best shot to beat Hillary Clinton, who is close to clinching the Democratic nomination, in November.

Trump, the front-runner, is closing in on the 1,237 delegates he needs to sew up the nomination before the Republican National Convention in July. Recent polls give him a big lead in California.

Cruzs running mate, Carly Fiorina, flew in Saturday after a day of stumping in must-win Indiana and gave a brief speech punctuated with digs at Trump, then rushed out to fly back to Indiana. She brought the crowd to its feet after a series of zingers aimed at the front-runner, mocking his insistence the previous day that he essentially had the nomination sewn up.

The 30-yard line aint a touchdown. The 20-yard line aint a touchdown. The 5-yard line aint a touchdown. It aint a touchdown until its a touchdown, Fiorina said, adding: Im sorry, you cannot just throw an R on your jersey and say you believe what our party stands for.

The Associated Press

contributed to this report.
One of the ongoing stains on the integrity of the University of California system is its publicly funded labor institutes. They are union-controlled think tanks that are about engaging in left-wing political activism rather than balanced thinking. They churn out one-sided studies that provide fodder for union political objectives. Their most recent efforts gave cover to Californias decision to boost the minimum wage to $15 an hour by 2022.

Its not enough such institutes exist at UCLA and Berkeley. Now, a similar institute may be headed to UC Irvine. Recently, labor leaders, the UC Irvines law school Dean Erwin Chemerinsky and community advocates, such as former state Sen. Joe Dunn, came together and began working to establish the UCI Community and Labor Project, wrote the Orange County Employees Association general manager Jennifer Muir, in a Register column last month.

Universities are rightly home to varying ideologies and research. But its wrong to publicly fund a think tank that engages in bald-faced advocacy for one particular group. Union leader Muir found it disturbing that Assemblyman Matt Harper, R-Huntington Beach, introduced Assembly Bill 2302 that merely urged the UC regents to refrain from forming such a center at Irvine.

Dont we want our young people to be exposed through the educational system to various ideas about how to address these issues? Muir asked. Im guessing the universitys world-class economics and political-science departments can handle the task of evaluating various labor-related policies. But its really disturbing to suggest these think tanks provide various ideas about anything. They provide ideas with the union stamp of approval.

Far from what should be expected from academia, the institute doesnt even hint at a non-partisan agenda and regularly not only trains union organizers (presumably for political purposes) but also authors biased studies, wrote the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Associations legislative director David Wolfe, in a letter supporting the Harper bill.

Note the people behind this effort: labor leaders, community activists, a labor-allied former legislator, state labor lobbyists. Check out the advisory board at the UC Berkeley Labor Center. Virtually every member has a union affiliation. As Harper rightly notes, they are partisan operations.

Lets say a powerful business organization convinced a legislature in a conservative state to fund studies and research that advanced their political aims. What would we say about that? Everyone has a right to do advocacy work. But should taxpayers fund it? Should it carry the imprimatur of a prestigious state university system?

Its no surprise the Democratic-controlled committee rejected Harpers effort. Strangely enough, the legislative analysis and the UC lobbyist said they werent aware of plans to expand the institute to Irvine. But a California Federation of Teachers official echoed what Muir said  the gears are in motion to start such a think tank in Irvine.

State funding has been controversial, but the institute still receives direct public funding. Its also dismaying seeing UCs reputation sullied by such priorities. But the real problem is the nature of the research  and the effect it has on political debates across California.

A new study found that a quarter of the regions workforce would see a 20 percent pay bump if Santa Clara County upped the minimum hourly wage to $15 by 2019, according to a report last week in a San Jose business publication. The county paid $100,000 to  you guessed it  a labor institute to provide such a rosy prediction. The study gave like-minded elected officials political cover.

I first came across the institutes in 2010 when the Berkeley institute produced a study suggesting that public-sector workers receive lower overall compensation than private-sector workers, despite their exceedingly generous pensions. I consulted experts and was astounded by its shortcomings. Take a look at the titles of institute studies. They drip with union bias.

California unions have myriad financial privileges. The state automatically deducts dues payments from public members. Workers must join the union to keep their jobs. Unions are the most powerful lobbies in Sacramento. If they want to produce research that backs their point of view, good for them. But why should taxpayers fund it? Why should the UC system lend credibility to a union group that promotes policies that force it to raise tuition and cut back on education services? Why should Orange County be forced to host one?

Steven Greenhut is Western region director of the R Street Institute. He was a Register editorial writer from 1998-2009. He is based in Sacramento. Write to him at sgreenhut@rstreet.org.
Dozens gathered in Anaheim on Sunday morning for the annual May Day march in support of International Workers Day and immigrant rights. The international rally, held every year on May 1, began at Pearson Park, and demonstrators marched to Anaheim City Hall.

The march emphasized the upcoming presidential election, and voter registration areas were available. Anaheim police officers monitored the crowd, but there were no reports of disruptive incidents.

We pride ourselves in having peaceful demonstrations, said Ada Briceno, a founder of Orange County Communities Organized for Responsible Development, a nonprofit group that helped organize the march.

Thats what our goal is: to highlight our issue but remain peaceful. Were workers and community members and really want to see change happen.

In Los Angeles, hundreds of May Day marchers chanting slogans and carrying signs  and at least one Donald Trump pinata  took to the streets Sunday calling for immigrant and worker rights and decrying what they see as hateful presidential campaign rhetoric.

It was one of several events in cities nationwide to call for better wages, an end to deportations and support for an Obama administration plan to give work permits to immigrants in the country illegally whose children are American citizens.

We want them to hear our voices, to know that we are here and that we want a better life, with jobs, said Norberto Guiterrez, a 46-year-old immigrant from Mexico who joined families, union members and students marching through downtown.

Demonstrators called out Trump for his remarks about immigrants, workers and women.

Around the world, union members have traditionally marched on May 1 for worker rights. In the U.S., the annual events have become a rallying point for immigrants and their supporters since massive demonstrations in 2006 against a proposed immigration enforcement bill.

In Seattle, hundreds of people marched through the Central District to downtown to advocate for immigrant and worker rights. Steve Wilske, the assistant police chief, called the afternoon march very successful.

The event was followed by an unpermitted protest by dozens of anti-capitalist demonstrators that became unruly. Police reported being struck by sticks and batons and seeing some property damage, including broken windows at a residential building.

In San Francisco, marchers rallied at Fishermans Wharf for immigrant and worker rights and to demand justice for several men fatally shot by police.

The Associated Press

contributed to this report.
In 2003, when California was in a world of hurt over workers comp rates, employers exiting the state, and the recall of Gov. Gray Davis, we saw a huge amount of sale/leaseback activity from national corporate occupants.

Aquatics-Lasco Bathware, Akzo Nobel, Johnson Controls, Smurfit Stone, Parker Hannifin, Illinois Tool Works, Limbach, and many others, sold manufacturing locations in Southern California and leased them back from the owners. Why, you may be wondering?

The two core reasons in 2003-2005 that prompted many national companies to sell their locations and lease them back were real estate values and the business climate in Southern California. By selling the locations when the market was at its value peak and leasing back for a three- to five-year time frame, the companies maxed the real estate equity and could decide at the lease expiration whether to stay in California or consolidate into another location. Some stayed, but many left.

In my opinion, another perfect storm is approaching that could portend another round of sale/leasebacks  this time from closely held owners of real estate.

Commercial real estate values have eclipsed all-time highs in Southern California and there is a real imbalance between available properties and demand for available properties  aka an owners market.

So, under what conditions should a company consider a sale/leaseback?

Equity is needed for expansion: When a bank wont loan money to an expanding business and there is equity in the companys real estate, a sale and lease back can provide much needed expansion capital  at todays capitalization rate  and avoid moving the company out of the location.

An acquisition: I was just asked to prepare a broker opinion of value for a company that acquired another. Along with the business purchase came the real estate. The company is not in the real estate business and leases its other locations. A sale/leaseback would allow the company to sell the real estate, take the proceeds, defray the acquisition cost and leave the operating unit intact.

A business transition within five years: If a business and location owner foresee a sale of the business within the next five years, now could be a great time to dispose of the real estate (while values are high) and lease back. The business sale then would not be encumbered by the location. Certainly, if the new owner of the business wanted to remain in the location, a lease with the new building owner could be affected.

A flight to quality: I worked with a national company a few years ago that sold and leased back for five years. Their belief was real estate values had peaked and they wanted a more upscale location within five years. The structure allowed the company to achieve its goals. By the way, the company couldnt have planned the timing ANY better  a sale in 2005 (high for sales) and a new lease in 2010 (low for leases)  BINGO!

Allen Buchanan is a principal and commercial real estate broker at Lee & Associates, Orange. He can be reached at 714.564.7104 or abuchanan@lee-associates.com. His website is www.allencbuchanan.com
1999 seems so long ago. But as Fight Club still shows, were living in a world the late 90s wrought. Its not just the world of masked young anarchists making good on Fight Clubs radical ethos, just as opposed to the security state as to Starbucks. Its also the world of Fight Clubs reactionary vision  the masculine independence and solidarity salvaged from a profound sense of bitterness and betrayal around the contemporary social contract.

Fight Club is fiction because it dreams of an impossible future  one that can transcend politics by fusing together the radical and the reactionary into a new alternative culture. Here in real life, were fully stuck with politics, as evinced by the inability of the most anti-capitalist of Bernie Sanders supporters and the most anti-globalist of Donald Trump supporters to find common cause. Therefore the alternative political and cultural Right, so pivotal in fueling Trumps rise, has come into sharp focus this election season all on its own.

Under and behind and inside everything this man took for granted, Fight Clubs narrator says of his stereotypical smug office boss, something horrible had been growing. Thats as good a distillation of the alt-right prophesy as any. But in spite of its often painfully accurate critiques of our shambolic and enervated social mainstream, the neoreactionary Right ultimately offers just as much of a fantasy as Fight Club. Where Fight Clubs limitation is an aggressive innocence toward the possibility of transcending politics by uniting ideologies, the alt-right too readily indulges the naive idea that we can transcend our Americanness, tapping back into forms of civilization that belong definitively to the Old World and not the New.

Smart critics of the underground Right recognize this. In the New York Times, Ross Douthat suggests that the official intelligentsias permanent and increasing leftward tilt has helped dramatically increase the appeal of explicitly reactionary ideas to a strange crew of online autodidacts. Ironically, the more the Left seems to push for a more European U.S., the more the Rights unwanted stepchildren are tempted to embrace a Europeanized America in an older and opposite sense  more monarchist and aristocratic, more virile and fertile, more Catholic or Anglo-Saxon.

Is there a way, Douthat asks, to make room for the reactionary mind in our intellectual life [] without making room for racialist obsessions and fantasies of enlightened despotism? So far the evidence from neoreaction is not exactly encouraging. Yet its strange viral appeal is also evidence that ideas cant be permanently repressed when something in them still seems true.

Theres something to that idea, to be sure. On the other hand, its appeal is evidence that rising generations are losing a handle on how we Americans, right back to our very point of origin, are different from Europe not just in degree but in kind. The American innocence and cynicism that emerges from this fundamental break within Western civilization is made plain in the way that notions which are dangerous weapons in the Old World are safe toys in the New. (Think of the philosophy of Martin Heidegger, which manifested in cultish reactionary fascism in Europe but hippy-dippy bourgeois spiritualism across the pond.) Certainly todays Left isnt helping us keep this genuine kind of American exceptionalism at the forefront of our political imagination. But the collapse of a sound education in how vastly we differ from Europe  such as Alexis de Tocqueville provides  is probably a much bigger factor.

Nevertheless, neither liberal progress projects nor historical and sociological ignorance can alone make America fertile ground for the forces of neoreaction, which so often cut in the deepest of ways against the grain of our instincts, habits, mores and experiences. The alt-right is most likely condemned to a life as one of many varieties of conceptual extremism that run free in America without ever becoming triumphant, or even popular. Pressed to the limit of mental health by the speed, uncertainty and competitive conformity of everyday life, we Americans do tend to throw our hopes into promises of complete unity and ultimate verity laid bare by direct personal experience. The prospect of a return of the Wests repressed inconvenient truths may flatter the neoreactionaries sense of propitious perspicuity. But its their potential as a refuge in splendid marginalization that marks their strongest sales pitch.

Fight Clubs hush-hush Project Mischief scaled up fast into the world-historical Project Mayhem. No matter how penetrating in their disillusioned dissection of our enfeebled insanity, todays far-right heirs to Tyler Durden will find it a lot harder to get out of Americas basement  online and off.
BEIRUT  Nearly 30 airstrikes hit rebel-held areas of Aleppo, Syria, on Saturday as government forces try to wrest control of the city; meanwhile, a temporary calm declared by Syrias military took effect around Damascus and in the northwest.

It was the ninth day of deadly bombardments in Aleppo, which has borne the brunt of increased fighting that has all but destroyed a February cease-fire and killed nearly 250 people since April 22, a monitoring group said.

The governments campaign in Aleppo also contributed to the breakup of peace talks in Geneva, which the main opposition walked out of last week.

The Syrian army announced a regime of calm, or lull in fighting, late Friday, which Syrian President Bashar al-Assads government said was designed to salvage the wider cease-fire.

While that appeared to mostly hold in and around the capital and parts of northwest coastal province Latakia, the bombing continued in Aleppo, which was excluded from the plan.

Anas al-Abde, president of the Turkey-based opposition Syrian National Coalition, accused the government of violating the February truce daily. The opposition was ready to reinstate the wider truce, but reserved the right to respond with force to attacks, he said.

Both sides have accused each other of truce violations.

The Syrian army did not explain in any detail what military or non-military action the regime of calm would entail. It said it would last for 24 hours in the capital Damascus and its suburb Eastern Ghouta and for 72 hours in rural areas around the northern city of Latakia.

At least five people were killed in Aleppo early on Saturday in airstrikes believed to have been carried out by Syrian government warplanes, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.

Aleppo, Syrias largest city before the war, has been divided for years between rebel- and government-held zones. Full control would be a huge prize for the Assad regime.

Of the 250 casualties since April 22, 140 were killed in bombardments by government-aligned forces and 96 by rebel shelling. Forty children were among the dead, according to the observatorys tally.

The United Nations has called on Moscow and Washington to help restore the cease-fire to prevent the complete collapse of talks aimed at ending the five-year conflict in which more than 250,000 people have been killed and millions displaced.
Re: Teachers unions trying to take back O.C. board [Opinion, April 26]: Gloria Romeros article is spot on regarding the efforts of Sthe California Teachers Association to defeat re-election of Board of Education Trustees Kenneth Williams and Robert Hammond. California teachers unions have long opposed charter schools. This is partly because charter school teachers are not mandated to pay union dues if they so elect, and with charters, parents have the option to enroll their child in the school they feel is in the childs best interest regardless of geographical location. Your vote is truly your voice. Support the re-election of Williams and Hammond.

Bob Gast

Irvine

  

I thank Gloria Romero for challenging teachers union opposition to the re-election of Robert Hammond and Ken Williams. I join Gloria in urging the voters to re-elect not only Hammond and Williams but also support the candidacy of Zonya Townsend (District 4), who is also an advocate of parent choice.

As a teacher of 32 years (retired), Im also concerned by teachers union tacit support for Common Core in California. There is widespread recognition by this is a national takeover of public education. Both the NEA and the AFT have expressed opposition. The New York teachers organizations have been particularly outspoken. Karen Lewis, head of the Chicago teachers union, delivered a stinging indictment of Common Cores impact on minority and disadvantaged students.

I urge CTA and local teachers unions to investigate Common Cores objectives to use standardized tests for evaluation of teacher performance.

Linda Cone

Yorba Linda

  

Great stuff by Ms. Romero, as usual. I think the Teachers for Local Control can easily shorten their organizations title to read Teachers for Control. It would fit on posters easier and be more to their point.

Bud Carbonaro

Lake Forest

  

Its no surprise that Gloria Romero is back behind the keyboard, this time concerned that parents and educators might tell the truth about private, for-profit charters and exercise their democratic right during the Orange County Board of Education elections. Thousands are organizing to prevent the corporate takeover of our public schools in Orange County. They want oversight and accountability for all schools  including charters.

O.C. voters should be concerned that a recent UCLA Education Policy study released on March 16, 2016  a first-ever analysis of school discipline records for the nations over 5,250 charter schools  shows a disturbing number suspend large percentages of their African American and special needs students at highly disproportionate rates compared to white and non-disabled students.

Other evidence of misdealing, misappropriating and even manipulating average daily attendance to maximize funding are becoming more common. The real victims of this taxpayer-funded experiment are our students and their stolen education.

We believe all Orange County voters  parents, teachers and students  will stand together to defend public schools against policies that lead to discrimination and segregation. We will work to defeat those corporate reformers who look to replace the control of our local community school boards with corporate charter boards no longer accountable to the taxpayer or voter.

We trust voters will reject the profiteers and corporate privatizers and instead will support candidates who believe in and support Orange Countys public schools, true taxpayer accountability and public transparency.

Susan Mercer

Santa Ana

president, Santa Ana Educators Association

Houses of the holy

Re: Diocese works to trim price tag of renovating iconic Christ Cathedral [News, April 23]: I would like to thank the Register for their article regarding the cost of renovations on the Christ Cathedral complex. Until very recently, the vast majority of Catholics in the diocese have been purposefully kept in the dark about the renovation costs, therefore I am not at all surprised to learn what I long suspected: Christ Cathedral is a money pit and the diocesan staff tasked with financing the renovations are wholly unqualified to do so.

You can bet the diocese is gearing up for another round of fundraising so they can extricate themselves from their boondoggle.

Steven Hall

Garden Grove
Re: Anaheim should stand against Trumps divisive rhetoric [Opinion, April 25]: Ironically, Anaheim City Councilwoman Kris Murrays failed anti-Trump resolution exemplifies the rampant political correctness that Donald Trump has decried these past several months. By launching an inflammatory and emotion-driven attack on him, she inadvertently makes his point. According to the Register article, her proposed resolution condemns the divisive rhetoric of presidential candidate Donald Trump as contrary to the fundamental principles of the constitutions of California and the United States. Ignoring for the moment the fact that her own resolution can easily be considered divisive, by whose account are Mr. Trumps comments divisive?

Does his eschewing of illegal immigration divide us? Maybe it divides those who respect the law from those who would ignore it. Are we divided by his suggestion that we must figure out how to glean radicalized Muslim immigrants wishing us harm from the many good people of that faith? The U.S. Constitution may not permit immigrant exclusion on the basis of religion, but I dont think it prohibits thorough vetting based on nation of origin. Maybe those ideas divide the people who want to keep America safe from those who are naive about terrorism. Funny, I dont recall the Anaheim City Council speaking out about the myriad divisive remarks made by other politicians every day.

Jim Santagata

Coto de Caza

  

Kris Murray does not seem to understand her job description as an elected councilwoman of Anaheim. She was elected to conduct city business, and to do so in a legal and ethical manner that best serves the interests of Anaheim and its citizens. She was not elected to be the morality watchdog for the current presidential campaign, nor to decide for others what our vital guiding beliefs are. Like so many politicians, she assigns her own morality to others. If Ms. Murray wants to campaign against Donald Trump, thats her right, but she needs to do it on her own time and let the citizens of Anaheim speak for themselves this coming November.

Scott Larson

Placentia

  

I dont like Trumps rhetoric either but it is out of place for a city to have considered taking such a political stance. Let the voters determine if his rhetoric is representative of whom they should vote for. It isnt for the city to take a side, as Ms. Murray most certainly has.

I dont see her taking a stance against Bernie Sanders position on socialism, which is clearly a historically proven disaster. Nor do we see her lambasting Hillary for her wanting to continue policies that are bankrupting all of our great nation. This is a personal attack by Kris Murray against a candidate she does not like. Anaheim has no business taking any action on her personal political attack dressed up as a moral resolution.

Mike Noggle

Irvine

  

Re: Police cruiser smashed in post-Donald Trump rally protest in Costa Mesa, 18 arrested [News, April 29]: I was amazed at the fiasco in Costa Mesa on Thursday at the Trump rally. Watching adults act like 2-year-old children that did not get their way, smash windows and stomp on police cars and bloody someones nose because he was wearing a pro-Trump cap. It feels like we are moving toward Third World country status. As a veteran, and I am sure that many other veterans will agree, the question arises in our minds: Why did we risk, and many sacrifice, our lives for the country that we love so very much to see it all come down to where people are willing to destroy public property to show how angry they are at our government? Or are they doing this for their own recognition? Probably the latter.

The media call it a protest. Actually, it was a riot. You can protest without destroying property, and I realize that many Americans are angry with what our government is not doing. We all have the right to express our opinions and concerns, but, for goodness sake, let us not go to extremes where violence endangers human lives or destroys public property (that we all have paid for with our taxes).

Maybe these demonstrators with all this built up energy should be arrested and placed on a rock pile with a 30-ounce hammer to make sand, but then there would probably be more demonstrations because that would be inhumane to actually make someone pay for their actions with hard work.

I also am unhappy with the establishment, but I dont burn down buildings or tear up the community in which I live. Wise up, people, and dont let this wonderful country slide further toward a Third World demise.

Curt Gillette

Placentia
WESTMINSTER  As the North Vietnamese took control of Saigon on April 30, 1975, Tony Huu Thai Tang watched the only home he had ever known fade from view.

Thanks to his role as an officer in the South Vietnamese Air Force, he secured a helicopter ride out of the war-torn country, eventually making his way to a new home in Santa Ana.

I was one of the lucky ones, Tang said.

Many of his fellow soldiers were sent to re-education camps, while hundreds of thousands of civilians dared boat rides across rough seas to escape the Communist regime.

Saturday, 74-year-old Tang was dressed in a smart gray suit. He stood with his daughter, watching his grandson run down a hill at Sid Goldstein Memorial Park.

Forty-one years ago today, I left, he said. And now they are here, living in freedom.

Tang joined a couple of hundred people at the parks Vietnam War Memorial  with its ever-burning flame and statues of American and South Vietnamese soldiers side by side  for a ceremony to mark the anniversary of the fall of Saigon. It was one of several local events that took place Saturday and in the weeks before, during what has come to be known as Black April.

On Saturday, veterans donned uniforms and marched, carrying American and South Vietnamese flags. Women wore traditional Vietnamese dresses, carrying elaborate wreaths of flowers to honor the fallen. Religious leaders lit incense, and local dignitaries spoke, leading the crowd in a cheer of Freedom for Vietnam.

The sacrifice is so great and priceless that no words could describe the loss, said Khoa Do, a community leader who hosted the ceremony. We have never forgotten April 30.

Le Mai of Westminster and Lan Duog of Los Angeles attended the ceremony together, as they do every year. The veterans, who are in their mid-70s, also spent eight years together in a re-education camp.

I lost my country. I lost my government. I had nothing after that, Duog said, recalling how life changed for him after April 30, 1975.

The military yells and music at Saturdays ceremony took him back to his days as a young soldier, he said, helping him to remember those he lost and those who still fight for freedom back in his native country.

The ceremony was spiritual for 50-year-old Alan Tang Vinh Thanh.

Before Saigon fell, Thanhs family had already fled from Communism once, as his father skirted forced conscription in the Chinese army by bringing his wife and 10 children to Vietnam.

But as 9-year-old Thanh watched South Vietnamese soldiers get stripped of their uniforms and sent to camps on April 30, 1975, he knew his whole world was about to change again.

He remembers his family turning over their money and property, as they were forced to live off government vouchers. Three years later, he escaped on a boat to Malaysia with an older sister and her newborn son. Their parents stayed behind, living out their lives in Vietnam.

Thanh lives in Huntington Beach with his wife and three children. He said hes always looking for ways to help his kids connect to their heritage and to the community around them, and he felt that connection on Saturday.

I can feel their energy, Thanh said, looking to his fellow refugees who are now doctors and engineers, parents and great-grandparents. He said, Its very uplifting.

Contact the writer: 714-796-7963 or bstaggs@ocregister.com
Drought-weary Californians breathed a sigh of relief because another March Miracle series of storms soaked much of the northern half of the state. Sadly for the people of the Golden State, their relief is mostly misplaced. The state reported that the statewide snowpack is only 87 percent of normal and El Nino was mostly a disappointment. Farmers on the west side of the San Joaquin Valley will receive only 5 percent of their allocation from the Central Valley Project this year. It looks like we are heading into the fifth year of a historic drought.

The surging rivers feeding a few reservoirs and the snowpack in parts of the Sierras will be a short-term help, but until California water policy changes, the inevitable dry years will send the state back into an unnecessary crisis. It doesnt have to be this way. Policy should be easier to change than the weather. Californians shouldnt need to depend on miracles to ensure an adequate water supply.

In my 2012 book, Eureka! How to Fix California, I made a series of recommendations for California regulators and politicians that would ensure a more efficient distribution of California water. I argued that bureaucrats and legislators should get out of the business of controlling the distribution of water and price because the blunt instrument of regulation inevitably leads to inefficiencies, waste and favoritism that privileges politically favored entities over the public.

I also noted that California water prices needed to rise to encourage conservation, and that everyone  farmers, businesses, families and government agencies  should pay the same price for water so they all had the same incentive to treat it with the respect it deserves.

Ultimately, I stressed that California needs a robust, comprehensive water market, because historys verdict is clear: There is not a more effective, fairer or less-coercive way to allocate a scarce good than by having it trade in a free market. At the same time, I pointed out that our forests, bays, rivers and marshes already share the burden of drought with us and cannot afford any additional deprivation. Government should maintain set-asides to meet environmental water needs.

This legislative session, California could take an important step toward creating a true water market to meet the needs of cities, farmers and the environment with the Open and Transparent Water Data Act (Assembly Bill 1755). Its hard to solve a problem when we dont have all the facts and this bill would make all the facts available to everyone.

The legislation creates a statewide, online water data information system that would integrate existing federal, state and local water and biological data. It would also provide data on water transfers and create an entity to serve as a clearinghouse for all of those numbers. AB1755 would establish data sharing and documentation protocols as well, making the information more consistent and meaningful to everyone accessing it, including private entrepreneurs who could use this open data resource to develop new services (i.e., a water market).

This bill comes on the heels of the Sustainable Groundwater Act of 2014, which mandates new data reporting on use and availability from groundwater users; and Senate Bill 88, which will require surface water users to report to the State Water Resources Control Board how much water they are diverting.

California is moving in the right direction with this reporting, but what good will it do if no one knows how or where to access the data? Thats where AB1755 ties everything together and puts the states water users in a position to benefit from a more robust and transparent water market.

Once AB1755 becomes law, water managers can use the universal, instant data to make better decisions regarding water transfers. Individuals, farms and private companies can access the data to give them a real-time understanding of water supply, demand and price. These public data are a necessary condition of a rational water market in the state. It is urgently needed.

Even with the Open and Transparent Water Data Act in place, California would have a ways to go. But if government would knock down the complex rules and pricing requirements that stifle the market, California could use the bills data and quickly see benefits. Market signals would spring to life and incentivize conservation. Buyers and sellers could profitably transfer water as they found the best and highest use for the commodity.

The Open and Transparent Water Data Act is part of a market-driven solution that could guarantee a supply of this most critical commodity and give some relief to stressed-out Californians who head into winter every year with their fingers crossed. Droughts are a fact of life, but water shortages dont have to be.

Arthur B. Laffer is founder and chairman of Laffer Associates, was an adviser to President Ronald Reagan and is a co-author of An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of States (Wiley, 2014).
Youre traveling across the desert, feeling parched and looking dirty. You take a long drink of water from your canteen, then wash your face with the rest. As youll discover before you die of thirst in a day or two, you just made a huge mistake.

Outside of cartoons, nobody is this stupid. But people make the same kind of mistake all the time, putting their current happiness (vacations, flat screens, new cars) way above their future well-being.

Economists call this kind of irrationality present bias. And according to a National Bureau of Economic Research study, it and other biases are holding back millions of Americans from saving enough money for that ultimate future need: retirement. How much money? Try $1.7 trillion on for size. Thats 12 percent of the $14 trillion in U.S. individual retirement and 401(k) accounts.

Another error economists worry about is exponential-growth bias. This is the failure to realize how savings compound over time. Save $100 at a 7 percent rate of return, and youll have only an extra $7 next year. But the gains compound year after year. In 10 years, your investment will nearly double and be growing at $14 a year. In another 10 years, it will almost double again and be yielding $27 a year.

Some people have a hard time wrapping their heads around this concept. They think of money as growing in a linear way, by more or less the same amount each year. And that makes saving and investing seem much less attractive than the trip to Cancun or the 40-inch television.

The researchers looked at survey data to try to figure out how many people are afflicted by more serious versions of these two biases. To find their exponential-growth bias, people were asked to predict how much an asset would increase over time. About seven in 10 underestimated its growth.

To test their present bias, respondents were asked such questions as: Would you rather receive $100 today or $120 in 12 months? For those not interested in waiting, the survey raised the stakes: What about $130 in 12 months? After analyzing the answers, researchers classified 55 percent of people as present biased on money matters.

What do a bunch of math problems and hypothetical questions have to do with the real world? The study, which appears in the NBERs Bulletin on Aging & Health this week, found there was a strong relationship between respondents biases and their retirement account balances. The more biased they were, the less theyd saved in a 401(k) or other account. The connection held up even after researchers controlled for income, education, intelligence and financial literacy.

If somehow you could eliminate these two biases, retirement savings would immediately jump 12 percent.

Of course, its not easy to wipe away irrational behavior. (Weve all streamed another Netflix episode rather than go to sleep, knowing full well wed regret it in the morning.) It may help, however, simply to be aware of your own shortcomings. The study tried to measure self-awareness and found a link to higher retirement savings. In other words, if you know youre prone to doing something stupid, you may be more likely to ask for help. Or sometimes you can essentially trick yourself into doing the right thing: For example, to combat present bias, you might agree to have your 401(k) contribution automatically increased not now but early next yearjust as your annual raise (assuming you get one) goes into effect.

Then you can rely on that other shortcoming many of us share: forgetfulness.
For the first time in more than four years the national trend in agricultural land values has turned around.

For the first time in more than four years the national trend in agricultural land values has turned around.

The price of Irish farmland is now on the increase, finds leading independent global property consultants Knight Frank Ireland in a new national annual survey.

In the midlands area which covers the counties of Meath, Westmeath, Offaly, Longford and Laois. There were 43 reported sales in 2011, up from the 2010 total of 39 sales. The average price paid for land in 2011 has increased by a significant 15.7%, rising to 9,587 per acre from the average price in 2010 of 8,286. There were a further 6 sales successfully completed for undisclosed sums.

In the 20 to 49 acre category, 10,221 per acre was paid in 2011, up from the previous years average of 9,556 per acre. The survey included 22 sales in this category. There was an additional sale of 23 acres in Co Meath not included, as its sale price was undisclosed. A residential farm on 30 acres, Clonad, Portlaois, Co. Laois, sold for 415,000.

An average price of 8,963 per acre was paid in 2011 in the 50 to 99 acre category, based on the 12 reported sales. This is an increase from the 2010 average price of 7,600 per acre. There were 3 additional sales with undisclosed sales prices  63 acres, 50 acres and 74 acres, all in Co. Meath. Cullentra House, Longwood, Co. Meath on 78 acres sold for 910,000.

There were 3threereported sales in the 100 to 199 acre category with an average price in 2011 of 9,609 per acre, well up from the 2010 average of 7,982. Additionally, 186 acres in Co. Westmeath sold for an undisclosed sum. Coolamber Manor, Co. Longford on 150 acres, which was sold by Knight Frank Ireland privately, has also not been included in the survey.

In the 200 plus acre category, there was just one sale with 280 acres in Co. Westmeath. This was sold for an undisclosed amount, so was not included in the survey.

Agricultural land prices have increased by as much as 14.7% nationally for the year 2011, reports Robert Ganly of Knight Frank Ireland, a turnabout that he says is highly promising for the Irish farming economy.

Prices were found to have risen significantly in nearly the whole of Ireland for holdings of all sizes, with the exception of Dublin and surrounding counties Kildare and Wicklow.

In its national survey on agricultural land prices, carried out annually by Knight Frank Ireland and published last week, it was found that the average price paid for agricultural land across the entire country in 2011 was 10,064 per acre.

This represents an overall national increase of 14.7% over the past 12 months, based on the national average price of 8,776 per acre paid in 2010, which saw some price stabilisation in parts of the country. Prices had risen in some counties, but the price of land dropped on average by 9.3% nationally in that year.

Again this year most of the farmland was purchased by farmers, with some even buying back, at a so-called discounted price, land that they had sold during the boom. Over the entire country, approximately 9,400 acres changed hands during 2011.

The Southeast region, counties Kilkenny, Wexford, Carlow and Waterford, recorded the highest increase on average at 33.5%, with land rising to 9,725 per acre in the past 12 months from the 2010 average of 7,287 per acre, despite decreases in smaller holdings.

This is the 19th annual survey commissioned by property consultants Knight Frank Ireland, which is renowned as one of the countrys top specialists in farms, agricultural lands, stud farms, estates and country houses.

The Knight Frank Ireland 2011 survey findings were based on a total of 391 agricultural land properties advertised of which 161 sales were completed. However, the survey is based on 142 of these, as 19 sales prices were undisclosed and therefore could not be included.

Commenting on this latest agricultural land price survey, Robert Ganly, head of Residential & Country at Knight Frank Ireland, said that its very positive news for Irish agriculture. An increase of 14.7% in the national price of farmland is very significant and highly promising for our farming economy going forward.

The re-emergence of farmers back in the marketplace with the majority of properties having been bought by farming families over the past 12 months is indicative of a strengthening agricultural economy.

Looking forward, Mr. Ganly noted that farming incomes and returns have improved much over the past 12 months with the outlook for agriculture good. 2011 was generally a good year for farming in Ireland and hopefully this positive trend will continue throughout this year, with further strengthening of land values.
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Students in Marion County, Florida, will have to use restrooms and facilities based on their birth sex rather than their gender identity after the school board approved a transgender bathroom ban.

The measure, which passed 4 to 1 on Tuesday, comes as localities and states across the country have considered and passed similar bans.

Transgender students shouldn't be able to choose which restroom they can use, said school board member Carol Ely, the Ocala Star-Banner reported. "I thought about it and that's reverse discrimination," she said.

Some entertainers and companies announced that they wouldn't do business in North Carolina after the state enacted a law that, among other things, limits individuals to using bathrooms conforming to the gender on their birth certificates. Last week, a federal court in Virginia ruled that a transgender student could sue his school district for discrimination after he was barred from using the boys' restroom.

In Florida, the ACLU warned Marion County officials that such a bathroom ban would violate Title IX "and constitutional equal-protection principles."

"When transgender students are required to use separate facilities, it does not go unnoticed by other students," Daniel Tilley, the LGBT rights staff attorney for the ACLU of Florida, wrote in a letter to the school board. "Being separated from other students in this way would be damaging to anyone, but it is especially harmful for transgender children."

According to the measure, single-sex bathrooms and locker rooms designated for girls are restricted to people "who are biological females." The same goes for facilities designated for boys and people "who are biological males."

Students who want to use alternative facilities "shall always be offered comparable facilities, as required by law," the measure states.

School board member Nancy Stacy described the court ruling in Virginia as "another example of an overreaching federal government," the Star-Banner reported.

The measure also states that transgender individuals are "not a protected class" under the school district's policies.

A local parent appeared before the school board two weeks ago to complain that his son's privacy rights were violated because he wasn't comfortable using the same facilities as a transgender student, who was born female and now identifies as male, the Associated Press reported. The school district had been allowing transgender students to pick bathrooms for about two months.

Conservative legal group Liberty Counsel represented the parent, Harrell "Hal" Phillips and his son, who the organization described as "devout Christians who believe strongly in both biblical modesty and constitutional privacy."

Phillips's son was "extremely upset" that a transgender student was using the boys' bathroom, the group wrote. "This was a place where he has a reasonable expectation that he will not encounter the opposite sex. This deeply violated his religious beliefs of personal modesty and his constitutional rights to privacy."

Tilley of the ACLU wrote that the ban could put federal funding for the district at risk. He also wrote that transgender children "are at heightened risk of stress and victimization by other children and adults."

"Prohibiting transgender students from accessing restrooms that correspond to the gender they live every day is both severely detrimental to those students and also prohibited by federal law," he wrote.

***

Elahe Izadi is a general assignment national reporter for The Washington Post.
NEW YORK (AP)  Whole Foods is prepping for the launch of its hipster new grocery chain. But shoppers wont be able to get a tattoo with their cheese just yet.

The company says its 365 chain will have a minimalist layout, affordable prices and third-party vendors who set up shop inside the stores. That generated fanfare earlier this year when news outlets noted the chains website said the vendors might include sellers of body care products, record shops and even tattoo parlors.

But Jeff Turnas, president of 365 at Whole Foods, said last week that there are no plans for tattoo parlors, and he doubts that there will be. He said the example was given to illustrate that 365s partners could include any number of possibilities.

I think the point of it is that its going to be diverse  its not going to be just food, he said.

Turnas said press coverage about the potential tattoo parlors sparked excitement among his employees, who started asking if they would be able to use their employee discounts for tattoos.

The first 365 store is slated to open in Los Angeles on May 25.
Punjab CM Parkash Singh Badal announces sops for lawyers

Chandigarh

oi-PTI

Chandigarh, May 1: In a bid to woo advocates ahead of state assembly elections slated next year, Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal on Saturday announced enhancement of life insurance amount for them and provide them flats or allot suitable land for construction of their housing societies in Mohali.

The amount of life insurance will be increased from Rs 4.80 lakh to Rs 10 lakh and the Advocate General has been directed to complete the formalities in this regard at the earliest, Badal said at a function organised by the Bar Council of Punjab, Haryana and Chandigarh to hand over the licenses to 200 advocates.

Enhancement of insurance amount has been a major demand of the legal fraternity. The ordinance with regard to the enhanced limit of life insurance amount would be issued soon so that the benefit could reach them, he said.

Apart from this, the Chief Minister also announced flats or suitable land for the construction of housing societies for lawyers in Mohali will be given. The Chief Minister also said the government has set up judicial complexes in the state at a cost of Rs 220 crore.

Punjab government has initiated Advocate Welfare Fund for which the state contributed Rs 1 crore as corpus fund.

Speaking on the occasion, President of Punjab and Haryana Bar Association Harpreet Singh Brar thanked the chief minister for being generous to the legal fraternity.

PTI
Delhi Police continue crackdown on Pasonda gangs

India

oi-PTI

New Delhi, May 1: Continuing its crackdown on migrant criminal gangs, Delhi police have arrested seven robbers of Pasonda, a village in Uttar Pradesh which borders north-east Delhi, and solved 35 cases.

Over the past two months, they have busted at least three gangs with the arrest of seven robbers and cracked 35 cases registered in Delhi-NCR region.

The gangs from Pasonda in UP's Ghaziabad district have gained such infamy that even the Special Cell, Delhi Police's anti-terror arm, and the Crime Branch, keep a tab on criminals from there, a senior official said.

He said said the village has been producing robbers and snatchers for decades. The Pasonda gangs usually begin their days in the wee hours when they head for Delhi on scooters, usually in groups of 20-30. Once here, they split in groups of two.

They are known to target men and women on morning walk. Once the target has been identified, the park their scooters and start walking or jogging with the target. Initially, they simply ask their victims to hand over their belongings. If they refuse or offer resistance, they are threatened with knives and occasionally beaten up.

They are usually done by 9 am after which they head back to Pasonda. For years, they have been targeting morning walkers in south Delhi, south-east Delhi, east and northeast Delhi, said the official.

The recent crackdown was initiated after Alok Kumar Verma took over as Delhi Police chief and instructed officers to be tougher on those committing street crimes and offences which affect people on a daily basis.

For the last few years, police have been slapping the stringent Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) against the members of Pasonda gangs, but it is difficult to say how much it has helped, he said. In 2014 and 2015, Delhi Police arrested over 40 Pasonda robbers.

In April last year, the Special Task Force of Delhi Police had arrested four members of a Pasonda-based gang who imitated the motorcycle-borne thieves of popular Bollywood movie Dhoom.

PTI
Bihar: Nitish Kumar swears in as CM for 8th time; Tejashwi Yadav to be Dy CM

Yet another setback for Nitish as 15 JDU Panchayat members join BJP in Daman & Diu

JD(U) to form alliance in UP Assembly polls: Tyagi

India

oi-PTI

Varanasi, April 30: Nitish Kumar-led Janata Dal(U) on Sunday, May 1 said it will forge an alliance in Uttar Pradesh to contest the 2017 assembly elections and disclose its partners in the coming months.

"JD(U) will form a coalition in Uttar Pradesh to contest the 2017 assembly elections.The names of the coalition partners would be disclosed in coming some months," JD(U) National General Secretary and Rajya Sabha MP, K C Tyagi told a press conference here today.

He also said Bihar Chief Minister and Janata Dal(U) president Nitish Kumar will be visiting here on May 12 to address the party's workers convention and exhort party workers to prepare themselves for the 2017 assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh.

Earlier, the Bihar CM was to visit on May 4 and address the workers' convention at Cutting memorial school ground but it has now been shifted to a college in Pindra area.

PTI
Amitabh Bachchan reveals he had to get stitches after he cut a vein on his leg

Kangana records statement with cops in Hrithik's FIR

India

oi-PTI

Mumbai, Apr 30: Actress Kangana Ranaut on Sunday gave her statement to police in connection with an FIR filed by superstar Hrithik Roshan that an online impostor has been sending e-mails under his guise to his fans, a police official said.

Cyber Crime Branch officials reached Kangana's residence in western suburbs, where the actress and her sister Rangoli gave their statements, the official said. Their statements were recorded as witnesses in the impostor case filed by Hrithik.

However, police refused to divulge any further details about their statements. The FIR stated that a fake email-ID has been created and an impostor has been operating it under Hrithik's guise and misleading many of his fans, including Kangana.

Hrithik's lawyer had earlier claimed that since Kangana had not recorded her statement to assist in the probe, the proceedings in the legal battle between the two were stalled. The two actors have been at loggerheads since the "Queen" star had hinted at Hrithik being her 'silly ex'.

The feud between Hrithik and his "Krrish 3" co-star turned nasty after they slapped legal notices on each other. 42-year-old Hrithik, who was the first to send the legal notice to Kangana, has demanded that she apologise in a press conference and clear the air about their alleged 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.

PTI
Mumbai: Gathering of 5 or more, loud speakers, illegal processions banned for a fortnight from Nov 1

Amitabh Bachchan reveals he had to get stitches after he cut a vein on his leg

Fire breaks out at industrial estate in Mumbai, no one hurt

Man claims to have hacked Dawood Ibrahim's call details, to share details with PM Modi

India

oi-Avinash

Ahmedabad, May 1: A man from Vadodara has claimed to have hacked the call details of India's most wanted terrorist Dawood Ibrahim which he will hand over to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

As per a report in Dainik Bhaskar, Manish Bhangore has claimed that he has the blue print of many of Dawood's big projects and that the gangster is planning to transfer his black money from India to Dubai.

Bhangore has ascertained that the details he has gathered are correct, and says, "if my evidences are proven false then execute me. I have a lot to with me which I can only hand over to PM Modi."

(Dawood on his death bed? Underworld don is suffering from life-threatening disease)

He however has claimed that police commissioner is telling media that his claims are fake.

"When first I gathered the information against Dawood, police officials with Vadodara police encouraged me. But, when I met police commissioner, then I was asked meaningless questions. He wanted to demoralise me. I tried contacting Prime Minister's Office also, but could get through. At last I faxed them that I want to meet PM Modi.

(Dawood Ibrahim is perfectly fit, says aide Chhota Shakeel)

I've risked my life to collect this 'crucial information," Bhangore was quoted as saying by Bhaskar.

Meanwhile, Bhangore's father is upset with the apathy of police towards the efforts of his son.

"The courage that my son has displayed is not shown by everyone," he said.

OneIndia News

For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications

Story first published: Sunday, May 1, 2016, 17:22 [IST]
5-year-old dies after being attacked by pack of dogs in MP

MP unions to file caveat in SC over quota

India

oi-IANS

By Ians English

Jabalpur, May 1: Hailing the Madhya Pradesh High Court's verdict nullifying reservation in promotions, workers' unions here on Sunday said they would file a caveat in the Supreme Court.

Madhya Pradesh Adhikari-Karmachari Sanyukt Morcha covenor Arun Dwivedi and Tritiya Varg Shaskiya Karmchari Sangh general secretary Lakshminarayan Sharma welcomed Saturday's verdict.

Sharma told IANS that a workers' meet will be called to discuss the next step and a decision will be taken about filing the caveat. He said they would not wait for the government to file the caveat in the apex court.

He said the Madhya Pradesh government should take inspiration from Uttar Pradesh that complied with the apex court's order to provide promotion on the basis of equality.

Madhya Pradesh High Court on Saturday struck down reservations for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes in government job promotions through an order that affects over 30,000 employees and officers with possible implications in other states.

The division bench set aside promotions under the 2002 Madhya Pradesh Public Service Rules -- that reserve 16 percent posts for Scheduled Castes and 20 percent for Scheduled Tribes in promotions -- saying they violated Supreme Court guidelines.

IANS


With AQI of 259, Delhi's air on day before Diwali least polluted in 7 years

Delhi LG and CM greet people on Diwali, ask people to be mindful of pollution

Next car-free day in Northwest Delhi on May 22: AAP

India

oi-PTI

New Delhi, April 30: Delhi government has decided to organise the next 'Car-free Day' in North-West Delhi on May 22 but the venue is yet to be decided.

The government has been organising car-free day on 22nd of every month on different road stretches with an aim to encourage people to use public transport and reduce rising pollution level in the national capital.

"We will organise next car-free day in North-West Delhi on May 22," Transport Minister Gopal Rai said. However, location of the event is yet to be identified, he said.

The event, promoted by the Transport department, could not be held on April 22 as all the officials were busy with implementation of second phase of odd-even car rationing scheme, which ended today.

PTI
Fact Check: Images falsely shared with claim that it is chopper that crashed in Uttarakhand

Over 130 NDRF men deployed to combat Uttarakhand forest fire

India

oi-PTI

New Delhi, May 1: NDRF has deployed over 130 personnel as part of multiple fire fighting teams to combat the raging forest fire in the jungles of Uttarakhand that have destroyed about 2,269 hectares of jungles in several districts and claimed at least seven lives till now.

The teams of the specialised National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) have fanned out in 13 affected areas of three districts of Pauri Garhwal, Almora and Chamoli to tackle the massive blaze.

"Our teams are working in 13 sectors in coordination with the officials and personnel of the state fire and forest department.

"The teams have been instructed to adopt the conventional method of cutting the fire line and containing the fire.

[Uttarakhand forest fire: Indian Air Force choppers deployed to douse fire]

"We are using fire beaters and green bushes to cut the fire from spreading. About 135 personnel as part of multiple teams are working in Uttarakhand at present," NDRF Director General O P Singh told PTI.

He said while in Chamoli the NDRF is working in Pakhi and Gopeshwar areas, in Almora the teams are working in areas like Binsar, Someshwar, Bikisen, Siplakhet and Dhauladevi. Each team is covering an area of 8-10 sq km, the DG said, adding additional NDRF teams have been kept in standby near here in Ghaziabad.

The force also saved a house in which a family of four lived from the blaze in the hilly area of Mehlchori in Pauri district. Singh said he is in constant touch with his team leaders working in the state.

Earlier today, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh held discussions with the Chief Secretary and other officials of the state government on the situation arising due to the forest fire and offered all assistance from the Centre.

The Home Minister had yesterday spoken to Governor K K Paul, who briefed him about the situation in the hill state.

Mi-17 choppers of the IAF have also been sprinkling water in Nainital to control the forest fire.

Seven persons have been killed so far. Pauri, Nainital, Rudraprayag and Tehri are among the worst-hit districts.

PTI
India always views war as last resort, but... : PM Modi to armed forces in Kargil

PM Narendra Modi got first class in MA from Gujarat University: VC

India

oi-PTI

Ahmedabad, May 1: Amid the raging row over Prime Minister Narendra Modi's educational qualification, the Gujarat University on Sunday, April 1 shared details of his MA degree saying he scored 62.3 per cent as an external student of the varsity.

The details were shared by the Gujarat University after the Central Information Commission directed it to provide the same to Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, who had recently criticised the functioning of the transparency panel.

"Narendra Damodardas Modi passed his MA in Political Science in 1983 with first class, securing 499 out of 800 marks, which comes to 62.3 per cent as an external student," Gujarat University's Vice Chancellor M N Patel said today. [Make public Modi's educational qualification: Arvind Kejriwal]

Kejriwal, in a letter to CIC in response to an RTI application seeking details of his electoral photo identity card (EPIC), demanded that while he was ready to share information sought by RTI applicants, the CIC must also order disclosure of educational qualifications of the PM.

After Kejriwal's letter, the CIC had on Friday ordered Delhi University, from where he pursued his Bachelor of Arts (BA) course, and Gujarat University, from where he completed his MA, to reveal details of his education qualifications.

Vice Chancellor Patel said he has not received any order of CIC till now, but he came to know about it from media, and will give the details to concerned applicants if he receives the order.

"The details (of Modi's degree) were sought through several Right to Information (RTI) applications filed before the university, but we were not in a position to share the details under the RTI Act on technical grounds," Patel said.

"The details of marks can only be provided to the candidate himself, and we do not provide details of university records beyond 20 years," he said. When asked about the details of Modi's BA degree, Patel said they do not have it. "Modi did his MA as an external candidate.

He secured 237 out of 400 marks in MA first year, and 262 out of 400 marks in MA second year," Patel said giving the details.

"The breakup of marks in second year MA shows that Modi obtained 64 marks in political science, 62 marks in European and social political thoughts, 69 marks in modern India/political analysis, and 67 marks in political psychology," he said.

PTI
Rajan faces death threat from Chhota Shakeel while in Tihar

India

oi-PTI

New Delhi, May 1: Underworld don Chhota Rajan, deported to India after being caught from Bali in Indonesia in October last year, continues to face death threat even inside the high security Tihar jail where he has been lodged, Delhi Police sources said.

They said an SMS was purportedly sent from the cell phone of Chhota Shakeel, a close aide of fugutive mob boss Dawood Ibrahim, to a senior Tihar jail official threatening to eliminate Chhota Rajan, prompting the senior officer to seek additional security for him.

The SMS was sent from mobile number 971504265138 to the cell phone of Tihar Law Officer Sunil Gupta, threatening 'The End' of Chhota Rajan very soon, sources said.

A call had also been received on Tihar's landline number following the SMS after which Rajan's security has been enhanced.

The police has also been informed about the threat call. "How long will you save this dead pig from death, very soon I will do his the end," the message by "Haji Chhota Shakeel" said.

A Special Cell officer confirmed the receipt of the message by the Tihar official without disclosing anything else.

Gupta had received the SMS in the morning of November 24 last year after which he brought the matter into the knowledge of higher ups and sought security for himself and his family, sources said. The matter is now being investigated by police.

After being on the run for 27 years, Chhota Rajan was arrested in Bali (Indonesia) on October 25 on a Red Corner notice of Interpol.

He was deported and brought to India on November 6 for facing trial in various criminal cases registered against him in Delhi and Mumbai. In New Delhi he was sent to 14-day judicial custody by a local court and lodged in the high-security Tihar jail on November 19.

Rajan, once a Dawood Ibrahim confidante, has been brought to the country to face trial in over 70 cases of murder, extortion and drug smuggling.

Ever since his arrival, Rajan has been questioned by various investigating agencies. He has been making claims of having further evidence to nail India's most wanted terrorist Dawood Ibrahim and his links with Pakistan's external snooping agency ISI.

PTI
Fact Check: Images falsely shared with claim that it is chopper that crashed in Uttarakhand

On PMs guidance how Devbhoomi Uttarakhands Temples will be developed

Uttarakhand forest fire: Indian Air Force choppers deployed to douse fire

India

oi-Shalini

Dehradun, May 1: Around 1,900 hectare forest area was engulfed with fire in Uttarakhand, on Saturday, April 30. Uttarakhand government decided to send MI-17 Indian Air Force helicopters with the help of NDRF , SDRF and the Army personnels to douse the flames.

According to media reports, fire claimed six lives and the identified deceased are three women and one child. Almost total of 1890.79 hectare area of green cover was destroyed. Chamoli, Pauri, Rudraprayag, Tehri, Uttarkashi, Almora, Pithoragarh and Nainital were the worst-affected districts.

Three NDRF team and one company of SDRF team were busy in dousing flame in affected areas like Nainital and Pauri.

"Government has provided enough funds to the affected districts of the state," said Raj Bhawan officials. [Mi 17 choppers to spray water over burning forests in U'khand]

"One MI-17 chopper has been deployed in Nainital region for collecting and sprinkling water from the water bodies in the area to douse the burning flame," said Chief Secretary, Satrughan Singh.

Meanwhile, Rudraprayag region is also taking help of rescue team to douse fire in forest areas. Another chopper is also sent in Pauri to douse the flame in similar way.

Worried over the fire situation in forest area, KK Paul, Governor of the state is reviewing the situation with the help of video conference to the douse the flame while coordinating with the rescue operational teams.

While informing media, Prakash Javedkar Environment, Minister said "Government has taken it up very seriously.They (DG) are taking meetings and guiding local forces.6000 officials have been deployed for fire fighting operations."

"On Saturday,April 30, We have already granted Rs 5 crore and we will regularize it upto expenditure utilisation immediately.From today we have started trial run of pre-fire alert.We are deploying it right away on trial basis," Javedkar added.

Here are some Tweets:

Srinagar, U'Khand: Carried out an air sortie this morn,visibility is low so we landed back-Sushil Yadav (Pilot,IAF) pic.twitter.com/Wtmb9KivYr  ANI (@ANI_news) May 1, 2016

WATCH: IAF's chopper MI-17 takes off from Nainital to drop water in areas affected by Uttarakhand forest fire.https://t.co/dYPKVUvMCt  ANI (@ANI_news) May 1, 2016

These choppers will lift water from lake & will use it to douse flames in affected areas: Raza Abbas (SDM, Srinagar) pic.twitter.com/gSt45wkfHH  ANI (@ANI_news) May 1, 2016

Srinagar, Garhwal: IAF's 11-member team begins fire fighting operations to douse #UttarakhandForestFire today pic.twitter.com/NCIUkjObM9  ANI (@ANI_news) May 1, 2016

OneIndia News
How lion manages to be the king, without being the strongest or biggest

33 rescued lions arrive in South Africa in airlift

International

oi-PTI

Johannesburg, May 1 (AP): The roars of lions filled the cargo section of Johannesburg's OR Tambo International Airport as 33 lions rescued from South American circuses landed in South Africa where they will be released into a bush sanctuary for big cats.

It was the largest airlift of lions in history, said Jan Creamer, president of Animal Defenders International, which carried out the operation yesterday.

"These lion have suffered tremendously," Creamer said as the lions in crates were loaded onto trucks. "They lived in small cages on the backs of trucks for their entire lives. Some of them had their teeth bashed in with steel pipes in circuses in Colombia and Peru.

Some of them had their claws removed ... It is a wonderful feeling to bring them back to their home." Nine of the lions were surrendered by a circus in Colombia. The remaining 24 were rescued in raids on circuses in Peru by the animal defence group and officials enforcing a crackdown on wildlife trafficking.

The lions will be placed in quarantine in enclosures at the 5,000 hectare Emoya Big Cat Sanctuary in Vaalwater in northern South Africa, started three years ago by a single mother and her teenage daughter.

The 33 lions will be monitored by a vet for their first weeks in Africa. They will then be introduced to each other in a one hectare bonding enclosure. Many of the lions were never allowed to have direct physical contact with other lions and have never been together without a fence or a cage separating them.

Due to their poor physical state, the lions will never be able to hunt again and will have to be cared for with food and water for the rest of their lives.

Emoya will feed the cats with game meat which it buys in bulk. The enclosures will be fitted with drinking pools, platforms and toys to ensure the lions don't become bored and will be steadily expanded as they become familiar with their new life, Heuser said.

Emoya, in an area with a mix of habitats including mountainous regions, rolling grasslands, forests, cliff caves and river gorges, has a strict non-breeding policy, Heuser told The Associated Press.

Female lions may receive contraceptive medications so they can remain with their mates, while males may undergo vasectomies to make sure than no lions are bred in captivity.

"The animals have no conservation value whatsoever. Many of them have been inbred," she said. "When we are sure that no breeding will take place, we allow males to interact with females. By then a pattern will have emerged ... and we will know which lions can be placed together."

PTI
Fact Check: Did Trump thank Musk for welcoming him back to Twitter

Donald Trump calls California protesters 'thugs, criminals'

International

oi-IANS

By Ians English

Washington, May 1: Republican hopeful for the US presidency Donald Trump said those who protested against him in the California Republican Party were convention thugs and criminals, the media reported.

"The 'protesters' in California were thugs and criminals. Many are professionals. They should be dealt with strongly by law enforcement!" Trump wrote on his Twitter account on Saturday, April 30.

The New York magnate, leader by a wide margin in the Republican primaries for the presidential candidacy, made that comment about demonstrations in the town of Burlingame near San Francisco, during which hundreds of protesters clashed with police.

The presence of demonstrators forced Trump, who was taking part in the California GOP convention that ends on Sunday, to enter the hotel by the back door.

"That is not the easiest entrance I've ever made. We went under a fence and through a fence. Oh boy, it felt like I was crossing the border, actually. I was crossing the border, but I got here," said Trump, who has made his controversial remarks about building a wall along the Mexican border one of the planks of his campaign platform.

The disturbances came after at least 20 people were arrested following protests at another electoral event of the likely GOP candidate at Costa Mesa in Southern California.

"I'm protesting because I want equal rights for everybody," 19-year-old Daniel Lujan told the Los Angeles Times.

Lujan was one of the hundreds of people - mostly Latinos, according to the newspaper - filling the streets to protest against Trump.

IANS
 2008-2022 One News Page Ltd.

All rights reserved.

One News is a registered trademark

of One News Page Ltd.
by  Graham Pierrepoint



Hes been a mainstay of the print and online press the world over these past few months, and it really hasnt been hard to see why  Donald Trump, real estate tycoon and former boss of The Apprentice, has been running one of the most outspoken, controversial and seemingly unstoppable campaigns for the US Presidential nomination that anyone will have seen in recent history. Some may argue that the mogul has breathed new life into the primaries by courting such media circuses  while many remain concerned as to just how far his campaign trail will take him.

Trump has succeeded in creating several headlines since first stepping up the podium some months ago, and after a couple of media-happy stumbles and continued wins in crucial primaries, he remains at the front of the Republican race for the White House at the time of writing  which many Republicans have shown much concern for. Many Republicans are concerned about the image that Trump is portraying regarding their party, while others are deeply worried that his divisive comments on rape, abortion, immigration and border controls with Mexico may allow the Democratic candidate an easy way into the top job in the Oval Office. Certainly, there has been much discourse over whether or not Trump will be able to represent a number of key audiences that he may have alienated himself from during his campaign trail.

However, Trump remains confident  far ahead of the end of the finding for nominations, he has been described by the New York Times as believing that he will be able to win the country over without the need for support from the party representatives who have spoken out against him. Ideally were going to be together, [] I think were going to win even if were not together. There are some people I honestly dont want their endorsement, the tycoon was quoted as having said during a Republican Party convention in California.

Win or lose, Trumps campaign will have been one that will go down in history as memorable, if for all the most divisive of reasons  and it will remain to be seen if the mogul can convert the US public to his cause should he achieve the first goal of Republican nomination for US President in the months to come. As Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton appears to continue to pull away from Bernie Sanders, he may well have a battle on his hands that the media will relish.
Julie Geissler was nowhere near the Department of Motor Vehicles on election day April 5, but the agency was brought up repeatedly by prospective voters in the town of Tilden.

Geissler, the town clerk, said three would-be voters went to the DMV to update their drivers licenses so they would have a valid photo ID they could show to vote. She said the prospective voters had moved and their addresses were incorrect.

The DMV changed the records but didnt reissue drivers licenses with the correct addresses.

We cant register them to vote, Geissler said.

She said she talked with the state Government Accountability Board at 7 p.m. election night. She pointed out voters were trying to do the right thing, but DMV didnt deliver.

The GAB said to me, Get ahold of your legislators. I have a feeling that they are very well aware of the situation, Geissler said.

Then there was the man who had moved from New York City to Tilden, but hadnt updated his voting information. That was accomplished, but the man didnt have a valid photo ID that could be accepted by poll workers.

He did have a passport, but that was back in New York, Geissler said.

Not every town had problems on election day.

People seemed to be very accommodating, Lafayette Town Clerk Sandra Harvey said about voters showing valid photo IDs.

She said the need to show a photo ID has been on the news, and the town placed a sign with that information on the front door of the town hall so voters were aware.

We didnt really have any problems, said Kris Fitzsimmons, clerk of the village of Lake Hallie. Our biggest issue was voter turnout was higher than expected.

Clerk Bridget Givens said the photo ID law didnt cause a problem in Chippewa Falls, but she had to turn away voters because they lacked proof of residence.

What you can show to prove your residence is very specific under Wisconsin law.

We cant take a auto insurance bill. Cant take a credit card statement, Givens said. But if someone can show their utility statement on their phone, thats acceptable. However, it must be a utility bill that starts no more than 90 days before registration is made.

What is taken are: a bank statement; a paycheck; a check or a document issued by a government; an employee ID card with a photo, but it can not be a business card; a real property tax bill or receipt for this year or the year before the election; and, for homeless voters, a letter from an organization that gives services to the homeless.

There are other ways to show residence, but they can be complex. The GAB said one is a picture ID from a university, college or technical school plus a fee receipt; or the same picture ID coupled with an on-campus listing given by the school to the municipality that shows U.S. citizenship.

A residential lease also counts, but not if the prospective voters submits it by mail.

Geissler reported on election day an hour was spent helping one newly married woman whose utility bills and bank statements go under her husbands name.

We wanted to register (her). We needed documentation that she lives at that address, Geissler said.

Some voters were creative. We registered five people (on April 5) using their fishing licenses, she said. All had receipts from their licenses, so their registrations to vote were allowed.

However, Geissler said new fishing licenses issued in a credit card form will have the name of the angler but not their address, meaning they will not be acceptable to be used to register to vote.

Geissler said 47 people registered to vote on April 5 in Tilden. They were among 650 people to vote. Tilden voters got one of three ballots, because the town is divided among the Bloomer and Chippewa Falls school districts and Districts 7 and 13 for the Chippewa County Board.

She said shes always found it odd that voters generally skip elections involving the town board, which makes decisions that affect residents everyday lives. But those same residents want to vote in a presidential election, which is actually decided by the Electoral College.

She said according to the U.S. Census Bureau, 1,200 people in Tilden are eligible to vote.

Geissler doesnt expect the Tuesday, Aug. 9 primary will be as big as a draw as April 5, but does expect an even larger turnout for the Tuesday, Nov. 8 presidential election.

She expects more than 700 people will vote Nov. 8. She hopes voters will do their homework before they get to the polls and that the state will help to explain whats needed to vote.

I am concerned when people do what everyone thought they were supposed to do, and still can not be registered to vote, Geissler said.
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MADISON  The personnel agency in Gov. Scott Walkers administration privately blasted changes to the states civil service days after they were proposed, telling his office the overhaul would slow hiring, turn away qualified job applicants and trigger more lawsuits against the state, public records show.

Documents obtained under the states open records law by the Wisconsin State Journal include a memo that sharply critiques a version of the civil service bill passed by Republican legislators and signed by Walker in February.

Walker has touted the law as a signature achievement, and one critical to modernizing the state workforce. It was among the most bitterly contentious proposals of the 2015-2016 legislative session, with Democratic lawmakers and other critics saying it dismantles Wisconsins century-old safeguard against political patronage in the state workforce.

The memo shows the proposal was deeply controversial even among some in Walkers own administration.

The unsigned memo  one of dozens of documents released to the newspaper under the records law  is dated Oct. 16, or 15 days after the bill was introduced. It is labeled as coming from the state Division of Personnel Management, or DPM, a new human resources agency created by Walker and the Legislature last year.

The document undercuts several key contentions from backers of the measure, including that it will streamline and expedite the hiring of state workers. And it raises questions about the speed with which lawmakers planned to pass the law.

Even human resources professionals in the state who have a solid understanding of the functioning of the civil service system cannot fully predict the outcomes of these amendments, the memo says. Changes of such significance have never been made to the civil service system without being preceded by a study involving subject matter experts.

Notwithstanding such unpredictability, it is reasonable to forecast that hiring in the state generally will take longer (under the proposed changes) than it does under the current statute.

The memo questions the bills shift to a resume-based hiring system for state employees, predicting it will increase the number of qualified applicants inadvertently turned away and the number of unqualified applicants who inappropriately reach the interview stage.

It also decries the laws new standard for what is just cause to seriously discipline or fire a state worker, saying it is unclear, limits the agencies in being able to administer discipline and creates the potential for increased litigation.

Almost always pushback

Walkers office initially asked to meet with the State Journal on Friday to discuss the memo but later declined to do so. The office did not answer emailed questions about whether Walker personally reviewed the document and what, if anything, was done in response to it.

The bills sponsor, Assembly Majority Leader Jim Steineke, R-Kaukauna, said he read the memo for the first time last week when it was provided to him by the State Journal. Steineke maintained such criticism of major change within state agencies isnt surprising.

Any time youre making changes to agency procedures, theres almost always pushback, Steineke said.

The law, effective July 1, replaces civil service exams, formerly the gateway to the state job-application process, with a resume-based system.

It requires that state agency layoffs be based on job performance instead of seniority, extends the probationary time for new hires, specifies what is just cause for employees to be immediately terminated and centralizes the hiring process within the Department of Administration.

Steineke said the just cause provisions in the law are an improvement on previous law, which didnt define what that meant.

Steineke also dismissed the memos assertion that a resume-based system would bog down the hiring process. He noted the law imposes a 60-day timeline for the state to make offers to applicants to fill open positions, a requirement that previously did not exist.

The private sector has no problem sifting through resumes in a timely fashion, Steineke said.

The Division of Personnel Management is a newly created arm of the Department of Administration. It was formed last year through the 2015-2017 state budget as a successor to the Office of State Employment Relations. Like its predecessor, the division provides human resources support and oversees the civil service system.

The divisions creation was viewed, at the time, as a bid to put state hiring more tightly under the governors control.

Should have raised red flags

Sen. Jon Erpenbach, D-Middleton, has been among the most vocal critics of the civil service changes. Erpenbach called the DPM memo pretty significant and said someone in Walkers office dropped the ball by not relaying it to Steineke or other lawmakers.

The office you just created is telling you this is a bad bill, Erpenbach said. It should have raised red flags all over the place, and it didnt.

Steineke said a staffer with the governors office told him the DPM employee who wrote the memo no longer works for the agency. It was not clear who the DPM staffer is or how that employee became separated from the agency.

Department of Administration spokeswoman Laurel Patrick said in a statement that several division staffers provided feedback on the civil service bill, and one of them later left for another job in state government. Patrick said the concerns raised in the memo have been significantly addressed but declined to explain how or name the author of the memo.

DPM is now working directly with state agency human resource directors to implement these reforms, Patrick said.

The laws Senate sponsor, Sen. Roger Roth, R-Appleton, said in a statement that his office adjusted the bill based on input from state agencies, including the personnel division.

However, some other individual comments indicated a resistance to change or lack of understanding of the important reforms we needed to make, Roth said.

Records provided after law signed

The memo was provided to the State Journal as part of a larger response to a December public-records request, which sought recent communications from state agencies to Walkers office regarding proposed legislative changes to civil service requirements. At the time of the request, the Assembly had passed the bill but the Senate had yet to vote.

The State Journal received the records April 1, seven weeks after Walker signed the bill into law.

The memo questions who will review the flood of resumes from job applicants under the law, which requires applicants to submit them for all positions in the classified service, which includes the vast majority of civil service jobs.

A state law that predates the civil service law makes the division responsible for collecting resumes and screening them to determine applicants eligibility for the position. The division then forwards resumes from eligible applicants to the respective state agencies so they may review them further.

The memo also criticizes the measures changes to reinstatement, the process by which an employee has the right to be re-appointed to their former job  or certain other state jobs  without a competitive process within a certain time frame, if they are separated from the job for reasons other than delinquency or misconduct.

The law significantly curtails reinstatement rights for state workers, shortens the time frame in which it can be applied, and permits it to be used only for employees who were laid off.

Two amendments to the measure were adopted after the date of the memo. They dont change most of whats criticized in the memo, with at least one exception.

One of the amendments softened a provision in the bill that would have required an open hiring process for positions to which a state executive would be transferred or re-assigned. The memo criticized the original provision, saying the ability to transfer or re-assign executives without opening up the hiring process is a critical aspect of managing state government.
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The Philippines, officially the Republic of the Philippines, is an archipelagic country in Southeast Asia. It is situated in the western Pacific Ocean and consists of around 7,641 islands that are broadly categorized under three main geographical divisions from north to south: Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao. The Philippines is bounded by the South China Sea to the west, the Philippine Sea to the east, and the Celebes Sea to the southwest. It shares maritime borders with Taiwan to the north, Japan to the northeast, Palau to the east and southeast, Indonesia to the south, Malaysia to the southwest, Vietnam to the west, and China to the northwest. The Philippines covers an area of 300,000 km2 (120,000 sq mi) and, as of 2021, it had a population of around 109 million people, making it the world's thirteenth-most populous country. The Philippines has diverse ethnicities and cultures throughout its islands. Manila is the country's capital, while the largest city is Quezon City; both lie within the urban area of Metro Manila.
Five Casinos Get OCR Seal of Approval in April 2016

Published May 1, 2016 by Mike P

Five new entrants have achieved the OCR Seal of Approval after proving their quality over many months. Check out the new casinos here.

Five online casinos have been awarded the OCR Seal of Approval for April 2016. After scoring more than four stars and exceling at gaming, trust, security, and various other factors, LaRomere, Diamond Reels, Casino Cruise, Vegas2Web, and Platinum Reels are the latest sites to attain this honour.

LaRomere Casino

LaRomere Casino is a gaming destination where players can encounter video slots from the proven duo of BetSoft and Rival, which have been responsible for games like Weekend in Vegas, the Tipsy Tourist, At the Copa, Candy Cottage, and Tycoon Towers. Alongside the slots, LaRomere Casino players can also indulge in blackjack and roulette while playing on their smartphone or tablet.

Diamond Reels Casino

Powered by RealTime Gaming (RTG), Diamond Reels Casino is a site that can be accessed by download, instant-play, or mobile, thereby letting players to choose the most suitable method for them. After registering with Diamond Reels, players have hundreds of games to play across the categories of online tables, video slots, progressive jackpots, video poker, and various speciality games.

Casino Cruise

Casino Cruise goes to great lengths for its players by combining the gaming software from four fantastic developers, including NetEnt, NextGen, Microgaming, and Playn GO. This quartet has been responsible for the release of titles like Guns N Roses, Psycho, Thunderstruck 2, Cloud Quest, Rage to Riches, Starburst, and Bridesmaids. Meanwhile, it is possible to play for even more in progressive slots like Mega Moolah and Hall of Gods.

Vegas2Web Casino

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The presidential primaries are a long way from over, but theyve already produced an unhappy paradox: Both parties appear headed toward nominating the two most unpopular candidates in the country.

Donald Trump, the Republican front-runner, has accomplished an unprecedented feat: More than two-thirds of voters say they cant stand him. In the same unpopularity contest, Hillary Clinton, the likely Democratic nominee, is runner-up: more than half the voters dont like her. Ted Cruz, who still has a shot at the GOP nomination, is almost as unpopular as Clinton.

In every major poll conducted since February, all three leading candidates are underwater: more voters view them unfavorably than favorably. The negative numbers are driven mostly by partisan animosity. Republicans are divided over Trump, and Democrats are divided over Clinton  but voters in each party are united in disliking the other sides front-runners by roughly 90 percent in each case.

When the Pew Research Center asked voters how good a president each candidate would make, the results were striking: 67 percent of Democrats said they thought Trump would make a terrible president. Almost as many Republicans, 58 percent, said they thought Clinton would be terrible in the White House.

Weve never seen numbers like this before, Carroll Doherty, Pews chief political pollster, told me.

And that has troubling implications for the next president, no matter who he or she turns out to be. After an election, presidents must bridge the partisan divide to get much done. But no need to wait for inauguration day 2017. We already know how this is going to turn out: Were pre-polarized.

Its easy to forget, but in 2009 Obama arrived at the White House with a massive 68 percent positive rating in the Gallup Poll, including 41 percent of Republicans. Eight years earlier, the newly elected George W. Bush enjoyed a 63 percent positive rating, including 37 percent of Democrats.

The honeymoon didnt last, but the numbers meant that these presidents at least had the benefit of the doubt from most independent voters and a significant minority in the other party. They both had a base of popular support from which to negotiate with Congress. But thats unlikely to happen this time.

With the next president already held in record low esteem, both parties will be tempted to follow the strategy example set by Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell during Obamas presidency: constant confrontation, instead of bipartisanship, to heighten the chance of gaining ground in the next election.

We worked very hard to keep our fingerprints off [Obamas] proposals, McConnell explained [to The Atlantic, in 2011]. The only way the American people would know a great debate was going on was if the measures were not bipartisan.

Most voters still tell pollsters they want Congress and the president to work together and get something done, of course. But that sentiment never seems to be powerful enough to overcome partisan distaste for the other side. Political scientists call this affective polarization  meaning the two sides just dislike each other more.

Whatever you call it, it produces the central political frustration of our time: political parties that see little reason to cooperate, and plenty of reasons to fight.

Is anyone pushing back?

Last week, a bipartisan group called No Labels unveiled a hopeful centrist program: a glossy catalog of sensible policy ideas, complete with poll numbers to show that each has wide public support.

Among the proposals: Allowing Medicare to negotiate with drug companies to lower prices, which gets 82 percent support. Passing a no budget, no pay law to withhold Congress paychecks if a federal budget isnt passed, which gets 81 percent support. Increased funding for childcare and early education; 79 percent support.

The group has assembled a centrist problem solver caucus in Congress, with almost 80 members drawn equally from both the parties.

Were trying to disrupt the dysfunction, said former Sen. Joseph I. Lieberman, the Connecticut Democrat who chairs the organization along with former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman, a Republican.

How do we encourage members of Congress and the next president to take these risks? Part of it is to say there is more support for these ideas than you think, Lieberman said. The next president has to ask: Whats my goal here? Do I just want to get re-elected, or do I want to build a record?

The group has a practical side, too. Its raising money to protect centrist members of Congress from being knocked out of office in primary elections.

Its a worthy effort. But the hill they are climbing looks steeper than ever  because in the presidential campaign each side is already demonizing the other. That will make it even more difficult for the next president to bring the two parties together after January 2017.
The following editorial appeared in the Wisconsin State Journal on Wednesday, April 27:



Antigo police just demonstrated in a powerful and reassuring way that trained officers near schools can stop deadly shootings.

Officer Andy Hopfensperger responded in split seconds Saturday night when an 18-year-old former student of Antigo High School started firing a rifle at other teenagers as they left the schools prom, authorities said.

Hopfensperger was patrolling the school parking lot with another officer when he heard the attack begin. Hopfensperger quickly ended the threat by shooting the assailant, Jakob E. Wagner, who pointed his weapon at police, according to the coroner. Wagner was injured and later died at a hospital.

Many questions remain, including where and how Wagner got the gun that, according to police, he carried to the school on a bicycle, using it to shoot and injure two students before Hopfensperger intervened. Police also are investigating the shooters motive.

But this much is clear: Hopfensperger is a hero. And the presence of law enforcement at or near Wisconsin schools can deter senseless and terrifying attacks.

All of Madisons high schools have armed police officers on site. All Madison middle schools have security assistants. All Madison schools have safety plans and security cameras.

Antigo High School has had a police liaison officer since 1997, according to the citys website. Many school districts across Wisconsin similarly partner with law enforcement to discourage crime, drug use and bullying. Thats money well spent.

Every school district should have a close relationship with local law enforcement.

Hopfenspergers quick action may have prevented a slaughter.

Gov. Scott Walker on Monday praised Antigo police and called for more attention to bullying in schools, following reports the shooter had been taunted. Thats a welcome suggestion, though Wisconsin schools have done a lot in recent years to highlight and discourage bullying in the wake of previous incidents that ended with violence.

The governor discouraged limits on firearms. You wouldnt have hunting here if rifles were banned, Walker said. The governor can rest assured the state isnt about to ban rifles for hunting.

What our governor and Legislature should focus on instead is ensuring that existing gun laws are enforced  and that loopholes are closed. All firearm purchases, including at gun shows and online, should require background checks.

The origin of the Antigo shooters gun is unclear. But this isnt: More firearm owners should lock up their hunting rifles and equip their handguns with trigger locks. A couple of simple gun locks could have prevented the school shooting death of a principal a decade ago at Weston High School, about 60 miles northwest of Madison on the edge of Sauk and Richland counties.

Some state lawmakers have suggested arming teachers to defend against school attacks and allowing citizens with permits to carry concealed guns into school. That isnt justified and would create more chaos during an emergency. Unlike civilians, police officers get intensive training on how and when to safely use firearms.

The Antigo case shows law enforcement is best able to respond to and stop threats.
Dare Oladimeji

The Lagos State Police command has paraded a 31-year-old fraudster, Dare Oladimeji. The fraudster narrated how he hacks into phones and transfers money from an account linked to the sim in the phone, even if the phone is locked by its owner.

Oladimeji, a footballer who in 2016 returned to Nigeria from Dubai where he played football for ALAIN FC, was recently apprehended by operatives of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad, Ladipo, Lagos after he withdrew N200, 000 from one of his victims account in the Idi-Oro area of Lagos.

While being paraded on Saturday, the suspect told newsmen that he learnt how to hack into bank accounts from Google chrome.

I work on sim cards to get money. When I lay my hands on any sim card, I would slot it into any small phone that is not android. When that is done, I would press a code which brings out the list of banks the owner of the sim uses.

For example, if the person is using GTB, I will proceed with the normal code of *37*100#. If the person has money , we would use it to buy recharge card to confirm how much the owner has, through the debit alert that would pop in to reveal the balance.

 Thereafter, we would transfer the money into donors accounts, from where we would withdraw the money.

Locking of phones with password does not stop me from hacking into any account, as long as I can lay my hands on the sim card. All I need to do is to remove the sim and slot it into a small phone.

The only thing that can prevent me from hacking into account through phone is when the SIM card itself is locked. But most people dont lock their sim cards, they only lock their phones. You can only beat me to the game if you lock your sim card because only the owner knows the password.

The father of three explained that he ventured into crime after he lost all the money he brought from Dubai.

When I came back from Dubai in 2016, I brought N7 million , out of which I gave one Mr Shola N5 million for a genuine business with NUPENG.

Unfortunately, the man died. I decided to venture into this business which is a small version of yahoo yahoo because I didnt want to go into robbery. At Idi-Oro, there are pick pockets .

When they snatch phones from victims, they would throw the sim cards away. What I do is to go looking for these sim cards and continue from there.



Nobody taught me the skill. I learnt it from google chrome. This is just common sense. But I regret my action because I have brought shame to my children he added.
An Abuja-based music producer and photographer, Mr Nasiru Ali, popularly known as Kozzographa, on Sunday threatened to sue the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for wrongly calling him a fraudster (Yahoo boy).

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Ali was among 10 suspected internet fraudsters paraded on May 17 by the EFCC operatives.

The EFCC personnel raided suspects residence at Favour Land Estate, Life Camp, Abuja.

According to the EFCC, they were arrested following a tip-off by an anonymous source.

The agency said that the suspects would be charged to court as soon as investigations were concluded.

But Ali in a petition to the EFCC Acting Chairman, Ibrahim Magu, on May 31 demanded a compensation of N100 million and an unreserved apology for arresting him wrongly and giving libellous information to the public about him.

The musician, through his lawyer, Mr Pelumi Olajengbensi, said that he would drag the EFCC to court for refusing to retract the negative publications about him after a seven-day ultimatum.

He lost a contract of five million naira with United Global Resolve for Peace (UNGREP), which he had been interviewed for and hitherto offered unequivocally because the contractors became disturbed and concerned by the publication thus doubtful of his reputation.

He has been ostracised by his colleagues and associates as well as senior associates who usually refer to him for jobs in the past, thereby losing their trust and reference.

He has been bombarded with a barrage of calls from friends and family members calling his reputation to question while expressing their disappointment and indicating their intention to cut all connection with him forthwith.

His relationship with his intended life partner has been irreparably strained by the negative publicity generated by the unlawful arrest, particularly the publication on your media platform on same matter.

The publication has led to close clients taking their jobs off him and taking them to other persons thereby amounting to great level of loss and in some cases varying level of indebtedness, Alis lawyer stated in the petition to EFCC.

Ali also claimed in the petition that his health and psychology had been affected following the Gestapo way he was arrested and assaulted by the commission operatives .

He said that the men that raided his home were dressed in black with no means of identifying them as officers of the EFCC.

The petitioner had given the EFCC seven days to meet his conditions or face legal action.
Reprinted from The Civil Arab



A statue of the late South African leader, Nelson Mandela, has been unveiled in the Palestinian city of Ramallah.

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Five days ago, the Palestinian people received a gift from the people of South Africa. Last Tuesday, a massive 6-meter tall bronze statue of Nelson Mandela was unveiled in Ramallah. (That's about 20 feet to us Americans.) The occasion was met with much fanfare, and the ceremony was led by the current president of the Palestinian Authority, Mahmoud Abbas.

Many seek to compare the current situation in Palestine to the history of South Africa. And there are, for sure, many similarities. Israel acts in much the same fashion as the Afrikaner regime of South Africa did. It segregates populations based on race/religion. It offers elevated governmental services and benefits to Jews. It allows Jews from anywhere in the world to gain immediate citizenship while denying the right of native Palestinian refugees to return. It builds separate roads for settlers. Its whole national identity is predicated upon belonging to a certain racial group. Israel is effectively an apartheid state. The analog to pre-1994 South Africa is clear.

We Palestinians, on the other hand, haven't yet gotten the South African message. Since Oslo, we have been fighting over imaginary borders, land swaps, and false power. In the meantime, the Palestinian Authority (a creation of the corrupt Oslo Accords) has been acting as the security and logistics subcontractor of the Israeli occupation for over 20 years. (We shouldn't forget that before the PLO of Yasser Arafat, Saeb Erekat, and Mahmoud Abbas accepted the horrific Oslo agreement of 1993, organic Palestinian leaders like Hanan Ashrawi, Faisal Husseini, and Haidar Abdel Shafi rejected the same terms -- some say even better -- in 1991 in Madrid.)

From a Palestinian point of view, the Oslo agreement was a total surrender. It marked our acceptance of an Israeli state based on racial supremacy and the existence of settlements. It also signaled a willingness to accept potential self-determination (which, of course, has not arrived yet) on less than a quarter of our homeland. In short, by signing Oslo, we Palestinians accepted Zionism. We, or at least the PLO leadership, became Zionists. Unsurprisingly, that was a bad idea. Also, as it turns out, our complete surrender wasn't enough for Israel, as settlements, aggression, and apartheid have only continued. This should surprise no one, as colonizers generally seek no less than the complete removal and/or extinction of their subjects. It is not part of the colonial recipe to accept "coexistence."

Nelson Mandela would have never participated in the capitulation displayed by Palestinian leaders dating from 1993 until today. He would have asked for better. He would have urged that we actually speak the language of black South Africans, demanding equal rights in all of our homeland, pushing for one secular democratic state, rejecting all forms of racial supremacy. This is the language the world understands. It is the language of universal civil and political rights. It is the language of freedom. The language of victory. Sadly, our current crop of Palestinian leadership hasn't learned the first word of it.

As a Palestinian, I am excited to see Mandela arrive in my homeland. I hope his legacy follows, because it's not there yet. Yes, Israel has been acting like apartheid South Africa for some time. But we Palestinians have not yet started to act like the black South Africans who found justice.

Mr. Mandela, our leadership doesn't deserve to look at you. I apologize that it was Mahmoud Abbas who welcomed you into our beautiful land. We surely had better choices.
See original here

The event also featured Greece's former finance minister, Yanis Varoufakis. He discusses his role in the country's financial crisis in his new book, "And the Weak Suffer What They Must?: Europe's Crisis and America's Economic Future."

Chomsky is a world-renowned political dissident, linguist, author and institute professor emeritus at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where he's taught for more than half a century. He spoke at the Brooklyn Public Library at an event hosted by Live from the NYPL.

During an event Tuesday night, Noam Chomsky was asked about Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders and said he considered him more of a "New Deal Democrat" than a radical extremist, as some have portrayed him. Chomsky said Sanders' positions on taxes and healthcare are supported by a majority of the American public, and have been for a long time. He added that Sanders has "mobilized a large number of young people who are saying, 'Look, we're not going to consent anymore.' If that turns into a continuing, organized, mobilized force, that could change the country -- maybe not for this election, but in the longer term."

Transcript



This is a rush transcript. Copy may not be in its final form.

NOAM CHOMSKY: Well, Bernie Sanders is an extremely interesting phenomenon. He's a decent, honest person. That's pretty unusual in the political system. Maybe there are two of them in the world, you know. But he's considered radical and extremist, which is a pretty interesting characterization, because he's basically a mainstream New Deal Democrat. His positions would not have surprised President Eisenhower, who said, in fact, that anyone who does not accept New Deal programs doesn't belong in the American political system. That's now considered very radical.

The other interesting aspect of Sanders's positions is that they're quite strongly supported by the general public, and have been for a long time. That's true on taxes. It's true on healthcare. So, take, say, healthcare. His proposal for a national healthcare system, meaning the kind of system that just about every other developed country has, at half the per capita cost of the United States and comparable or better outcomes, that's considered very radical. But it's been the position of the majority of the American population for a long time. So, you go back, say, to the Reagan -- right now, for example, latest polls, about 60 percent of the population favor it.

When Obama put through the Affordable Care Act, there was, you recall, a public option. But that was dropped. It was dropped even though it was supported by about almost two-thirds of the population. You go back earlier, say, to the Reagan years, about 70 percent of the population thought that national healthcare should be in the Constitution, because it's such an obvious right. And, in fact, about 40 percent of the population thought it was in the Constitution, again, because it's such an obvious right. The same is true on tax policy and others.

So we have this phenomenon where someone is taking positions that would have been considered pretty mainstream during the Eisenhower years, that are supported by a large part, often a considerable majority, of the population, but he's dismissed as radical and extremist. That's an indication of how the spectrum has shifted to the right during the neoliberal period, so far to the right that the contemporary Democrats are pretty much what used to be called moderate Republicans. And the Republicans are just off the spectrum. They're not a legitimate parliamentary party anymore. And Sanders has -- the significant part of -- he has pressed the mainstream Democrats a little bit towards the progressive side. You see that in Clinton's statements. But he has mobilized a large number of young people, these young people who are saying, "Look, we're not going to consent anymore." And if that turns into a continuing, organized, mobilized -- mobilized force, that could change the country -- maybe not for this election, but in the longer term
Supremely Broken Process...

When people hear the word SUPREME, many visualize superior, the highest, or the best.

Our highest court in the US is called the Supreme Court. You would think the process to appoint Justices would be supreme also. Instead, we have an elected congress and representatives that don't do what they are elected to do and they want to play partisan politics. Many of these politicians are incumbents (multi-term politicians like Mitch McConnell).

These politicians often say that they are supporting the intent of our founding fathers. Grant you, some of their ideas are pretty old and bias. However, we know the constitution isn't perfect, since we have made many constitutional amendments that we had to fight for...that today seem like common sense. I wonder what the constitution would have looked like if those that wrote it were made up of a diverse society that we have today (instead of a group of white men).

I believe that most people would agree that the intent was to evolve our constitution and not stagnate it or use it to support a particular political party or support religious bias. If we find flaws in the constitution and in our legislation, then we have an obligation to fix them for the betterment of our country and its people.

For this reason, I believe we need to change the process for nominating a Supreme Court Justice and add a term limit for those that are appointed.

My thoughts...

1) The Supreme Court justices should be limited to a 9-year term. The term should be equal to the number of justices on the Supreme Court, but no longer than 10 years. In this way, a justice is appointed each year. If we discover that a justice has a strong bias or radical views that was not expected, then we know that they will be limited to one 9-year term and not a life-term.

2) Today, the President submits nominees to Congress. I recommend that we limit Congress to 30 days to accept or deny each nominee from the time the President nominates an individual.

3) The President can submit any number of nominees. Minimum of 3, if the first 2 are denied. The President can nominate 3 individuals at the same time or stagger the nominations depending on the situation. The President can acknowledge his preference for Justice if multiple nominees are submitted to Congress.

4) Congress must approve a nominee before the outgoing Supreme Court Justice term ends. Failure to do so, will result in the President choosing the next Supreme Court justice without Congress approval from those that were nominated. The President must nominate a minimum of 3 individuals for SCOTUS. If all are denied, then the President can appoint the next Supreme Court Justice from those that were nominated.

5) If a Supreme Court Justice dies before the end of their term, then Congress has 90 days to confirm a nominee from the current sitting President (at the time of the justice death). The current sitting President must provide at least 3 nominees. If Congress does not chose a nominee before a new President takes office, then the President (at the time of the Justice death) can determine which candidate is their preferred nominee in the event Congress denies all 3 nominees or does not confirm any. This is to avoid political bias and indecision.
Would any serious thinker in the field of foreign affairs dismiss the



7th grade backpacks deposited in front of the doors leading into the testing chamber

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Two days before Obama's pen christened the Every Student Succeeds Act, the bill's principal author, Lamar Alexander, urged his colleagues on the floor of the Senate to support the new legislation stating, "It will end the federal Common Core mandate. It explicitly prohibits Washington from mandating or even incentivizing Common Core or any other specific academic standards." 3 This is a curious statement considering that Alexander is the "political godfather" of the Common Core and its regimen of mandated testing.4

In the summer of 1983 Alexander, then the governor of Tennessee, was invited to vice president George H.W. Bush's Kennebunkport compound to be personally briefed by President Reagan's Secretary of Education Terrel Bell on A Nation at Risk, a report on the state of America's public education system that Bell had commissioned. Alexander would learn:

Our Nation is at risk. Our once unchallenged preeminence in commerce, industry, science, and technological innovation is being overtaken by competitors throughout the world ... the educational foundations of our society are presently being eroded by a rising tide of mediocrity that threatens our very future as a Nation and a people If an unfriendly foreign power had attempted to impose on America the mediocre educational performance that exists today, we might well have viewed it as an act of war... We have, in effect, been committing an act of unthinking, unilateral educational disarmament.

The Governor would also learn from the report that:

Standardized tests of achievement (not to be confused with aptitude tests) should be administered at major transition points from one level of schooling to another... Salary, promotion, tenure, and retention decisions should be tied to an effective evaluation system that includes peer review so that superior teachers can be rewarded, average ones encouraged, and poor ones either improved or terminated ... The Federal Government has the primary responsibility to identify the national interest in education. It should also help fund and support efforts to protect and promote that interest. 5, 6, 7

Alexander came to believe that A Nation at Risk was "the most significant action of the United States Department of Education." 8

Within a year of the report's release, Tennessee became the first state in the nation to institute a merit pay plan for teachers, and Alexander enrolled Tennessee in a pilot program on "state-by-state comparison of student achievement" that Education Week warned "could lead to the first nationwide testing program." 9

In 1986 he chaired a study group for Reagan Education Secretary William Bennett that produced a report titled, The Nation's Report Card: Improving the Assessment of Student Achievement. It advocated an expansion of the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), a government program begun in 1964 "to test a sample of students in reading, writing, mathematics, and other subjects on a regular basis." 10 In order to better "to keep track of what our children know and can do," the report recommended that NAEP expand to test students in science, technology, history, geography, and civics so that individual states can compare their scores nation-wide. The report called for the federal government to fund the expansion. 11

Also in 1986, Alexander, then Chair of the National Governors Association, released a report that was prompted by the worry over international economic competition and the consequences of low academic performance of American students. Titled Time for Results: The Governors' 1991 Report on Education, the publication called for merit pay, establishing a link between teachers and student performance, the "collect[ion] of statewide information on the process and outcomes of schooling," school choice, and state takeover of schools "that fail to meet performance standards." 12 * Education scholar Chester Finn thought so highly of Alexander's report that he labeled it "second only to A Nation at Risk as the most important education document of the 80s." 13

In 1988 Alexander, along with corporate titan Louis Gerstner (the corporate godfather of the Common Core), attended an Education Summit of business leaders hosted by FORTUNE magazine that "called for a complete restructuring of the school system" which included school choice. In her article on the summit for Fortune magazine, Nancy Perry wrote:

IT'S LIKE Pearl Harbor. The Japanese have invaded, and the U.S. has been caught short. Not on guns and tanks and battleships -- those are yesterday's weapons -- but on mental might. In a high-tech age where nations increasingly compete on brainpower, American schools are producing an army of illiterates. Companies that cannot hire enough skilled workers now realize they must do something to save the public schools. Not to be charitable, not to promote good public relations, but to survive. 14

After the summit Bush appointed Alexander to his newly established Education Policy Advisory Committee to guide the president on "reforming the education system" through "innovation" and "accountability." 15

That same year Alexander was tapped to serve on the board of Louis Gerstner's New Century Schools project, a "$30-million program aimed at encouraging schools to 'take risks' to develop 'fundamentally new learning environments,'" which include school "choice" and "accountability." 16 Gerstner's New Century Schools project was in line with the school reform agenda adopted by the nation's Business Roundtable (Gerstner was a member of this Roundtable), a major participant at the President's 1989 Education Summit that called for "robust assessments" and "rewards and penalties for performance." 17, 18

In 1991, President Bush made Alexander his Education Secretary. Mark Pitsch writes in Education Week that the day after his confirmation as Secretary, Alexander "strode into the White House to present President Bush with a strategy " [Alexander] later called "the American education agenda for the rest of this century." 19 This "strategy" was Alexander's America 2000 and it called for a set of national standards in Math, English, Science, History and Geography that "represent what young Americans need to know" as well as a "nationwide examination system tied" to those standards. It demanded that annual report cards "be issued on how schools, school districts and states are doing." It also called for school choice and merit pay.20

In an effort to create 535 new schools to be funded by corporations to serve as models for "reach[ing]the national education goals, including World Class Standards (in all five core subjects) for all students, as monitored by the American Achievement Tests and similar measures," Alexander's America 2000 created the New American School's Corporation. Louis Gerstner was appointed as one of the board of directors.21, 22

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"Kenyan park rangers piled up thousands of elephant tusks and rhino horns to burn on Saturday (April 30)," reports Reuters, "sending a message to poachers and smugglers that their trade will be stopped."

Well, no. The message this operation sends to poachers and smugglers is "we're driving the price up for you -- make hay while the sun shines."

It's simple economics: When rangers burn 105 tons of ivory and a ton of rhino horns, they reduce supply versus demand.

Sure, the poachers and smugglers who got CAUGHT take a hit to the wallet, but the others can now jack up their prices. The near-term opportunity for increased profit means they'll send out more hunting teams and smuggle more product until the demand differential the government action created dissipates, supply and demand come back into equilibrium, and prices settle down.

If governments are serious about reducing poaching and smuggling, and saving shrinking populations of elephants and rhinos, there's a simple and nearly foolproof way to go about it: Instead of fattening the bank accounts of poachers and smugglers, auction off harvesting rights to ivory from elephants and horns from rhinos who have died natural deaths.

The buyers of those harvesting rights will, in their own self-interest, get very good, very quickly, at protecting their investments. They'll hire their own rangers to keep poachers and smugglers at bay. And they'll do so at their own expense instead of milking taxpayers.

Does this ersatz "privatization" get the job done? Yes. As CBS News's 60 Minutesreported in 2012, some African species which are endangered or extinct in their original habitats are thriving under private ownership in the United States. The owners profit by selling limited hunting privileges in numbers that don't stop the herds from growing. Animal rights activists dislike the practice, but there's no doubt it's successful if the lone goal is increasing an endangered species' numbers.

As a libertarian, I support real privatization of, well, everything -- no government involvement; preferably, no government. In a free society, wild animals would constitute a source of profit to the owners of the lands they roam, and would therefore be deemed worthy of protection by those owners (which might be cooperatives or communities rather than individuals or corporations).

We can let markets work, or we can make ourselves feel good by letting governments burn ivory and horns while the world's elephant and rhino populations continue to dwindle toward zero.
Reprinted from Reader Supported News

Poor Hillary. She just doesn't get it. Neither do the Very Important People who back her. Call it arrogance, willful blindness, or rotten judgment, their collective failure to understand Bernie Sanders and those of us who support him could cost Clinton the presidency -- not to Bernie, but to Donald Trump.

To understate the case, a victory for bully-boy Trump would not be good news. Not for the planet. Not for women. Not for Mexicans, other Latinos, and blacks. Not for Muslim-Americans. Not for Jewish-Americans. Not for immigrants facing deportation. Not for disaffected white working-class men, whom he would inevitably betray. Not for the poor, whom he despises as losers. Not for the different or disabled. Not for the Supreme Court. And, not for those of us committed to continue our fight for a democratic socialist revolution.

On foreign policy, he will run well to Hillary's left. His open support for improved relations with Russia and China, his skepticism toward NATO, which I share, his iffy opposition to the no-win war in Iraq and French-led intervention in Libya make him appear far more realistic than the hawkish Hillary. But he favors torture whether it works or not. He revels in targeted assassinations far more than do Obama and Clinton. He speaks too easily about using nuclear weapons. And he's too xenophobic, simplistic, reckless, and unpredictable to be allowed anywhere near the CIA, the Pentagon, or the nuclear button.

Hillary is bad enough. Look at her history as an imperial warmonger long before the neo-cons backed her. Listen to her self-righteous avowal of "American exceptionalism," which is just another form of too much nationalism. But, like her or not, she has shown herself more cautious, circumspect, and open to dissuasion by allies than Trump would ever be. She is indeed the lesser evil.

Trump has already sharpened his tongue against her, calling her "Crooked Hillary" and promising a devastating campaign against her supposed foreign policy strengths as well as her personal unpopularity, which easily rivals his own. I still don't think he can win, but she would be a fool to underestimate him. This is especially true because he poses a threat that takes us into a very dark realm.

By spouting his off-the-cuff racist, religious, and nationalist bigotry, Trump has opened wide the door to America's venomous Ku Kluxers and other white supremacists, violent skin-heads, and Christian nationalists with all their armed militias. He has even begun to extend his hand to Europe's neo-fascists, welcoming a visit and endorsement from Matteo Salvini, leader of Italy's racist and anti-immigrant Northern League. Trump is still showing caution about getting too close to other of Europe's neo-Fascists, many of whom have shown caution about getting to close to him. But, stay tuned.

In the meantime, Sanders understands that Hillary will almost certainly win the nomination and has once again promised that he would vote for her against Trump or any other Republican. He is playing nice, but he will not play dead. Asked on the Today show about Trump calling Clinton crooked, he condemned it as "an ugly statement." But pressed on whether his own attacks on Hillary for taking money from Wall Street did not imply that she was crooked, he simply smiled. "In that case," he said, "the entire United States government is crooked."

He has also refused to call on his supporters to back Hillary, explaining -- quite correctly -- that he did not have the power to demand that they fall in line behind her. She would have to win them over, he said. How? He has told her quite clearly.

"We are in this campaign to win," he told a crowd of students at Purdue. "But if we do not win, we intend to win every delegate that we can so that when we go to Philadelphia in July, we are going to have the votes to put together the strongest progressive agenda that any political party has ever seen."

This is Bernie's price. If Hillary refuses to pay it -- as she is now doing by using her party apparatchiks to stand in the way of a truly progressive platform -- she will lose many who voted and worked so enthusiastically for him. Some of us may put clothespins on our noses and vote for her, even as we build a movement to oppose much of what she or Trump would do as president. Others will vote for the Greens. A few will vote for Trump, damned fools they. And no one knows how many will write in Bernie's name or just stay home. The choice is now Hillary Clinton's, and she appears to be making the wrong one.

Reader Supported News is the Publication of Origin for this work. Permission to republish is freely granted with credit and a link back to Reader Supported News.
Just like in 2008, it's all coming down to the super delegates. Obama's win was secured when 2/3 of the superdelegates decided that he would be the better Democratic candidate for president. In order to restore democracy and prevent the Democratic Party from committing hari kiri, the super delegates should vote to give Bernie Sanders the Democratic presidential nomination in 2016.

If Obama represented "hope and change" on immigration, climate change, and health care; Sanders represents the future of the party through bold foreign and domestic policy positions that have brought him ahead or close in national polls. His hark back to FDR-style politics -- including investment in infrastructure, schools, and people -- and his flat rejection of the neoliberal and neocon politics practiced by Hillary Clinton and her family has led to a new electoral energy. Bernie's politics and his candidacy must represent our future.

So say Democrats, with whom he polls a majority after almost an unbelievable rise (although thanks to a corrupt political, media and corporate establishment that benefits Clinton more than any politician ever, Sanders has only 45 percent of the pledged delegate count.) So say the young generation who have often voted for him in 7:1, who represent the future of our country. So say independents, a category that describes more citizens than either major political party, who seek a candidate opposing rampant militarism and unfair trade policies.





But the superdelegates aren't listening. To be fair, some never were.

Back in November, three months before the first vote had been cast, at least 359 of the 712 had already aligned themselves with Clinton, versus just 8 with Sanders. Clinton claimed 500. Now the gap is 520 to 39, with the rest undecided. But it's important to note that, as has been broadly said, they can change their mind at any time. And, at their best, they are protection against the voters choosing someone profoundly flawed. Today we have such a candidate: one out of touch with the populus and her party; who has plummeted in trustworthiness and the polls as voters learn more about her; one potentially facing indictment from the FBI for violating the Espionage Act; and one with many secrets relating to her family foundation, her emails, and her speeches. Superdelegates, step up.

First, let's explain that superdelegates will most likely determine the election. It would take Hillary Clinton amassing 69 percent of the remaining pledged delegates to gain the nomination without superdelegate support. Sanders would need 98 percent. Neither scenario is likely.

In contrast, assuming a 50-50 split in remaining delegates, Sanders would need 72 percent -- 6 percent more than Obama in 2008 -- to clinch the nomination. But the situation isn't comparable. Hillary's weaknesses are far greater in the current political climate. Also, Obama had four times as many debates scheduled at more watchable times and much more fair media coverage. But we'll explore the details of what should be their rationale later "

THE SUPERDELEGATE MENTALITY

Let's start with the basics. Are superdelegates' support today at all representative of voters and caucusgoers in the Democratic primary? No. Pledged delegates, awarded close to proportionally based on the popular vote or caucus activity, have split 55 percent to 45 percent for Hillary.

Yet she has a full 88 percent of those who have voiced support in states that have voted. On average, by state, the superdelegates have pledged 37.5 percent more support than pledged delegates, which are a good approximation of the popular vote. Let's take an example. If the popular vote as represented by pledged delegates was split 50-50, that state would have 87.5 percent of their declared superdelegates supporting Clinton. (Undeclared superdelegates are excluded from this calculation, which relies on numbers from the week of April 21.)

In fact, in 41 of the 43 U.S. states and territories that have voted, superdelegates have a bias towards Clinton (the only two exceptions, Mississippi and Arkansas, have just 5 and 4 such votes). With the nine states with the most pledged delegates, the average is 40 percent. Washington state superdelegates pick Clinton a whopping 73 percent more than the caucus-goers chose.

It's inexplicable. Except that it's not. The majority of superdelegates are candidates for office (with others being lobbyists). The average Senate seat costs over $10 million, with the average House seat coming in at $1.7 million. The Democratic National Committee helps with campaigning and fundraising. Run by former Clinton 2008 co-chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz, it has made numerous decisions broadly viewed as helping Clinton, while hurting democracy and Sanders.

Clinton is now cranking up donations from the wealthy and corporations, breaking Democratic precedents, and relying on unethical practices in an attempt to take full, unprecedented advantage of that link. Her joint fundraising committee, the Hillary Victory Fund, raises funds for 33 state parties.

Her aggressive fundraising is unusual as: 1) presidential candidates usually enter agreements with their parties committees only after they win the nomination, 2) it takes full advantage of the McCutcheon vs. FEC Supreme Court decision and a later Congressional provision to accept checks of up to $353,400, and 3) it accepts money from lobbyists despite President Obama's decisions not to do so.

Clinton has also engaged in bizarre practices (in what's been described as laundering) as donations are sent back to the state parties then back to the DNC where they work for her. She's used it to court small donors even as she maxes out of many (nearly 60 percent for her vs. 2.3 percent for Sanders). The Sanders campaign has questioned this practice. Public Citizen's Craig Holman said it is "offensive, and it should be illegal." The recent Democracy Spring and Democracy Awakening protests identified money in politics as the top threat to democracy. How can Clinton be viewed as someone who will fix it?

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).
Reprinted from Smirking Chimp

Harry Truman famously kept a sign on his desk that read: "The buck stops here." ("Buck" is a disused term for "accountability," not money.) What Truman's phrase meant -- it says a lot about the state of things that it needs to be explained -- was that he, like the captain of a ship, accepted responsibility for everything that happened under his watch.

With Barack Obama, there's nary a buck to be found. To paraphrase the 1970 movie "Love Story," working for the United States government means never having to say you're sorry.

Days before Obama took office in 2009, Obama signaled that federal workers who break the law would have nothing to worry about. During his campaign he'd promised to prosecute the CIA and military personnel who tortured Afghans, Iraqis and other Muslims under orders from Bush and Cheney. People who voted for him expected him to follow through. The CIA torturers were worried sick. Their victims looked forward to seeing justice served.

Breaking his pledge, Obama issued the monsters a "get out of jail free" card. There wouldn't even be an investigation, much less indictments. "We need to look forward as opposed to looking backwards," he said. The new president traveled to Langley to reassure the torturers everything would be cool. ("I will be as vigorous in protecting you as you are vigorous in protecting the American people.") He even cooperated with the Republicans who approved of torture to pressure other countries not to file charges against U.S. torturers.

After 9/11, Americans asked themselves: why do they (Muslims in general, foreigners in particular) hate us?

No need to ask that one anymore.

One telltale sign that the government is engaged in a cover-up is timing: when it releases a report just before the weekend news blackout, you know something nasty is afoot. Obama's latest whitewash, dumped online Friday, is the Administration's attempt to drown its responsibility for one of the most heinous acts of mass murder in years in 3,000 pages of spin, dissembling and circular logic.

On October 3rd, an AC-130 fixed-wing gunship -- a fearsome array of high-caliber weaponry best described as a hovering battleship -- unleashed an hour of hellfire on a Doctors Without Borders hospital in Kunduz, northern Afghanistan, killing 42 doctors, staffers and patients, and wounding many others. The facility was completely destroyed. MSF (the French acronym for the group) pulled out. There is no longer any high-quality trauma care available in a major city in an active conflict zone.

It is now universally acknowledged that the attack was a mistake.

At the time, however, the Pentagon lied and denied. "Collateral damage," they first said -- they were aiming at something else. For an hour. Over and over. Then they said the Taliban were firing at U.S. forces from inside the hospital. (Never happened.) Next they blamed Afghan forces for calling in the airstrike. (They couldn't have, and didn't.) Finally, they admitted it was U.S. Special Forces.

Ultimately the new commander of NATO and U.S. forces in Afghanistan issued an actual apology on March 22nd. "They hit us six months ago and are apologizing now?" spat Zabiullah Niazi, an OR nurse who lost his eye, one finger and the ability to use his hand, in the attack -- and, like the other victims, has yet to receive compensation.

The heavily-redacted 3,000-page report issued Friday by the Pentagon "describes a mission that went wrong from start to finish," according to The New York Times. What stands out is the Americans' obsession with protecting themselves at all cost, all others be damned -- an attitude that has characterized the post-9/11 War of Terror.

"Even after Doctors Without Borders informed American commanders that a gunship was attacking a hospital, the airstrike was not immediately called off because, it appears, the Americans could not confirm themselves that the hospital was actually free of Taliban," reports the Times. "'Immediately calling for a cease-fire for a situation we have no SA' -- situational awareness, that is -- 'could put the ground force at risk,' an American commander [said]." If you're trying not to hurt innocent people, prudence dictates that you hold fire until your target is positively identified. Here, as usual in U.S. war zones, the default mode was to keep firing no matter what.

This is reckless disregard for human life writ large. So who will be held accountable?

"The punishments for the attack will be 'administrative actions' only, and none of those being disciplined will face criminal charges because the attack was determined to be unintentional" The punishments include suspension, removal from command and letters of reprimand, which can seriously damage or end a career."
Jonathan Levy was bored. His girlfriend was busy with National Novel Writing Month. He sulked. "Make friends," she said, shooing him away.

The reasonable step, he notes with a laugh, would have been to join a kickball team or volunteer crew or any one of Portland's many social organizations. Instead, he launched a new religious congregation for neo-pagan Druids.

Plenty of Druids live in Portland, Levy said, but pagans tend to stay under the radar. Some worship privately. Friends organize their own rituals within their social circles. Groups share event information on closed Facebook pages. Levy instead became passionate about creating a welcoming congregation that advertised and invited newcomers to holiday rituals. The solution: opening a local chapter of Ar nDraiocht Fein (typically called "ADF" because few can pronounce the full name).

"There was a spiritual loneliness here," he said. "It feels more complete to do this worship with a lot of other people."

In the two years that have passed, Levy has done more than make friends. He's created a family. A motley, Faerie Song-singing, homemade-wings-wearing family. Some come from conservative Christian backgrounds. Levy's parents were atheists. Some honor Celtic gods and goddesses, others Hellenic or Roman deities. One is more drawn to Wicca than Druidism but enjoys the company.

Members of the congregation have different reasons for loving the ADF, which has groves in 43 states and emphasizes fellowship, public worship and scholarly research about pagan traditions. A common thread uniting them is a feeling of acceptance.

"Coming here is like coming home," Amber Reed said recently, at a gathering to commemorate Beltane, a May Day celebration of fertility. She wore blue lipstick to the event, and a black corset cinched her waist.

"These people have become my family," added Glenn Spice, the son of a Midwestern pastor. Spice, who dressed in wide, wiry homemade wings for the Beltane ritual, has known Levy and the others less than eight months.

Back home, he'd never let his spirituality see sunlight. Here, in the rain, he helped welcome visitors so no one felt alone.

As members of the ADF group, called the Columbia Protogrove, Spice and Reed helped conduct the Beltane ritual, which the group observed this year at West Hills Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, a church tucked into the Southwest Portland forest. Their May Day celebration was a week early so as not to interfere with personal observances at home.

The group members believe that through songs and offerings they open doorways to a sacred space -- one where they can engage with their ancestors, deities and nature spirits. At the Beltane ritual, it was Reed's job to offer roses to Aengus MacOg, the Irish god of love. Her husband, David McCarley, who wore a floor-length green cape, offered perfume to the Aine, queen of the faeries. Later, Arin Hembd, in cargo shorts and blue feathered wings, led visitors through meditation: "You walk through his gates and now stand in between the worlds, a place where you can communicate with the kindreds. Now open your eyes. Here we are in-between the worlds."

After making offerings of whiskey, butter and perfume to appease other-worldly entities, the revelers ventured outside for the maypole dance. Under a steady rain, members of the protogrove sang the Faery Dance song: "Dance, dance in the warm sunlight / All my brothers dance and sing / Dance around the faery ring". Laughter abounded despite the damp, with Levy hunched in the center holding up an unsteady pole.

Back inside the church 20 minutes later, Reed joked to her guests: "It's hard to sing about warm sunlight when, well..." She gestured to the window.

"Irony is very Oregon," someone offered, and the group roared.

-- Melissa Binder

mbinder@oregonian.com

503-294-7656

@binderpdx
Environmental work remains: Along with guest opinion writer Wallace Kaufman, I celebrate our nation's environmental success stories and some of his optimism. But his suggestion that our environmental problems have fixed themselves, or will in the future, is naive and dangerous.

We only have clean air in most American cities because the environmentalists he castigates raised the alarm, stubbornly lobbied Congress to pass the Clean Air Act, and then fought to enforce it. We have clean water for much the same reasons. We only see eagles, ospreys, hawks and pelicans in our region because Rachel Carson and others raised the alarm about DDT and got it banned. And a number of species have only recovered due to the Endangered Species Act and the hard work of government and environmentalists.

Currently the alarm is being raised with regard to climate change, and it is warranted. We're in for trouble, and we'll only reduce the ill effects of climate change if we listen to, and act on, those warnings.

Steve Cook

Southwest Portland
Term limits and lobbyists: An April 27 letter to the editor alleges that legislative term limits would make lobbyists more powerful. This claim has no basis in reality and can be debunked by looking at decades of campaign finance records.

Each time lobbyists and their clients have gotten involved in a term limits campaign, they've given money to whichever side wanted to prevent, weaken or abolish term limits. If lobbyists stood to benefit from term limits, why would they be so desperate to block it? Jack Abramoff, the former Washington, D.C., mega-lobbyist, has admitted that lobbyists oppose term limits because it severs their ties with corrupt politicians.

"When I was a lobbyist, I hated the idea that a congressman who I had bought with years of contributions would decide to retire," Abramoff said. "That meant I had to start all over again with a new member, losing all of the control I'd bought with years of checks."

Term limits have the same effect. They make lobbyists' lives harder, not easier. By weakening lobbyists' grips on politicians, term limits make government more responsive to the people.

Nick Tomboulides

Washington, D.C.

Tomboulides is executive director of U.S. Term Limits.
Dr Rosanna Rahman

PhD, Pharmacology

Postdoctoral Research Fellow in Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School

Rosanna Rahman did not treat her PhD as a 9 to 5 job. Her working day lasted more like 12 hours, with few weekends off. Such was her determination to complete her thesis within a three-year time frame.

She declined distractions such as teaching positions, arguing that in the long run, The time devoted to demonstrating can push your PhD into a fourth, fifth or sixth year, and the money made from teaching doesnt cover the additional tuition fees and living expenses, you end up losing far more money than you gain.

It was a grilling degree, Rosanna says, and looking back, wishes shed taken a break between finishing her PhD and starting her next position. I was pretty burned out. It took a while to recover.

Given the huge demands a PhD poses, Rosanna has one overwhelming piece of advice to PhD students to ensure the efficient completion of their project: Write. Write. Write.

Rosanna was exploring whether catechins, a compound found in green tea, was effective as an acute treatment for stroke patients. I started researching and writing my introduction from the first day of my PhD and, as soon as I finished an experiment, I wrote it up. It meant that at the end of the PhD, I didnt go through that crazy, crippling time I saw many other students go through. I basically compiled everything together, tidied it up and handed it in.

Rosanna explains that writing early and writing often is more than a time management technique, but a great boost to the quality of the thesis. Your understanding of your topic increases exponentially when you write. So if you are writing from early on, you become smarter sooner in the process, and you can apply that knowledge to the rest of the PhD.

She adds that in her research group, students would routinely contribute to one anothers papers, even just a few paragraphs. It was a practice that at once got students writing, familiarised them with the process of publishing, and ensured a very productive department.

Now, as a research scientist at Harvard Medical School, she points out that academia, only gets more competitive. Her tip: Apply for any grant or scholarship you can. Even if its just a $500 travel grant. Employers want to see that you have a track record of securing funding, and there may not be too many other opportunities to demonstrate this during your PhD.
Anyone who has children has heard the saying, When I was young, we did things this way and we turned out just fine. As more research is done, standards and habits to keep our babies and children safe often evolve from generation to generation.

Thats why Covenant HealthCare is offering free trainings for grandparents and caregivers that will be hosted at the CAN Council.
Just weeks after the Michigan State Board of Education (BOE) began engaging the public in an open, honest and completely transparent statewide survey about how schools should handle gay and transgender students https://www.michigan.gov/mde/0,4615,7-140-37818_44099-378932--,00.html, 31 Republican state representatives in the GOP-controlled House signed a joint resolution designed to legislatively end the input.

Joint Resolution HH http://legislature.mi.gov/doc.aspx?2016-HJR-HH was submitted to the House Education committee on April 19, 2016.

It proposes an amendment to the state constitution of 1963, amending sections 3 and 7 of article VII to eliminate the state board of education, superintendent of public instruction and state board for public community and junior colleges.

It should be noted that the joint resolution was signed only by Republican lawmakers. Therefore it shouldnt be a surprise to anyone in the 98th House District that state Rep. Gary Glenn, Michigans Freshman Legislator of the Year and Judeo-Christian president of Midlands homophobic American Family Association of Michigan, was one of the proud co-sponsors.

Whats not transparently mentioned anywhere in their purely partisan joint resolution is that the education board is an independent, non-partisan body elected by voters in Michigan. By law, https://www.michigan.gov/mde/0,4615,7-140-5373-10506--,00.html, the BOE isnt obligated to get approval or feedback from the Legislature before soliciting comments from their community stakeholders.

To circumvent that minor constitutional technicality, these 31 duly elected Republican representatives of We the People conservatively propose that the Governor shall appoint a director of a State Department of Education.

The director they decided, shall be the principal executive officer of the State Department Of Education, which shall have powers and duties provided by law.

According the GOPs joint resolution, The legislature shall provide by law for the establishment and financial support of public community and junior colleges which shall be supervised and controlled by locally elected boards.

LOL! Remember, these are the very same Republican overlords who voted for the late night Gag Order campaign finance bill that Midland lawmakers Sen. Jim Stamas and Reps. Gary Glenn and Kevin Cotter sent to Gov. Snyder to be signed in January.

Public Act 269 of 2015 prohibits public bodies like school boards, municipal governments, city councils and county commissions from distributing information on ballot proposals like changes to the comeback state Constitution to interested voters 60 days before an election.

For the last four months, local government and school officials throughout Michigan have been expressing their collective concern that the GOPs latest gag order agenda could prevent them or their staff from explaining important issues like a completely unnecessary education amendment to confused citizens in November.

Thankfully none of the Michigan Legislatures constitutionally conservative religious liberty legislation introduced in the last five years has been able to manage, manipulate, or existentially change human sexuality, marital fidelity, gender identity or altruistic family values in Pure Michigan.

Do you recall what happened to the residents in Mid-Michigans largest city the last time Gov. Snyder used his powers and duties provided by law?

The GOPs latest efforts to control and direct what your kids and grandkids learn in Michigans taxpayer supported public schools clearly demonstrate that Republican state representatives dont really care what their constituents think.

Is what you did or didnt vote for in the last election working for you yet? You wont be able to change the outcome if youre not registered to vote in November.

Eric Anders is a concerned constituent living in Midland.
A week ago Saturday, Clare-Gladwin Regional Education Services District Superintendent Sheryl Presler presented readers with an in-depth look at why voters in Clare and Gladwin counties should consider supporting a 1-mill tax hike for 10 years to support the RESDs Career and Technical Education program.

For one thing, the Clare-Gladwin program is at a disadvantage because it currently does not receive any millage support, while programs in area counties do. That, Presler said, puts Clare-Gladwin students at a disadvantage.

Over time, weve employed several strategies to cut expenses when revenues havent kept up, and every time, its resulted in fewer opportunities for students. Weve also increased class sizes and eliminated funds for supplies, tools and equipment, technology, student field trips, student competitions and continuing education for teachers. Its a tribute to our teaching staff that weve been able to offer quality instruction despite the mounting barriers they face. The millage request represents a chance to see what our kids and our staff can do without their hands tied behind their backs; we believe the impact on our students, our schools, our communities and the local economy will be a profound game-changer in Clare and Gladwin counties, she wrote in the Op-Ed piece.

CTE offers programs including construction trades, culinary arts, criminal justice, automotive technology, digital media, health occupations and education occupations. Presler said before budget concerns forced their suspension, the district also offered a host of in-demand programs, including welding, graphic design, pre-engineering and others. And there also is a need for agri-science and manufacturing programs in the community, but those are not possible, either, due to budget constraints.

So voters on election day Tuesday have a tough choice to make. If they vote against for the millage, they will be voting against potential new educational opportunities for Clare-Gladwin county students and most likely will make their property less valuable, since quality education is such an important factor in where people choose to live. If they vote yes, they will be paying more in taxes but also open the door to new opportunities for students and most likely increase the value of their property.

Decision time is Tuesday. Lets see a large turnout so that the will of the people is clearly heard.
When it comes to planning vacations, or buying anything that can break, my wife and I know all about bad luck.

Not that we are complaining. The truth is we have been blessed in many, many ways, and have always been given the means to deal with whatever bad luck comes our way. Its actually funny for us to look back at our track record with mechanical devices and vacations and see how often things have gone awry.

Perhaps you have had similar experiences in your life. Lets see if thats true.

Our vacations over the past several years seem to almost always include some type of weather-related adventure. A few years ago, we drove to Ohio for a couple of days and drove home in a blizzard  three-plus hours of white knuckle travel. That scenario repeated itself just a couple of weeks ago, when we made a return trip to Ohio only to drive back to Michigan in whiteout conditions on U.S. 23 north of Ann Arbor. The snow didnt let up until we reached Saginaw, and most of the drive was at 30-35 mph on a two-track road made by the snow.

But snow isnt the only weather element we have faced. A couple of years go we traveled up to north of Harrisville to enjoy a peaceful time in a rented house on the lake. The quiet in the house was suddenly jolted by a warning coming from my wifes phone  a tornado had touched down just to the west of us and was heading our way. We quickly went into the bathroom  we thought it would be the safest room to be in  to wait out the storm. Fortunately, it missed us by about a mile.

And if once were not enough, we also ran into a severe storm with a tornado last year on another trip through Ohio (and, yes, we are getting the impression we are not supposed to visit that state). We felt like we were storm chasers, but in reality the storm was chasing us. Again we were spared, which is one of the reasons we continue to count our blessings.

The other issue we face is with mechanical things. I could go on and on with this list, but here are just a few from the past couple of years. We buy a refrigerator and the ice maker quits working. We buy a new oven and the control board stops working. We buy a relatively new used car and the transmission goes out four months after it goes off warranty. We travel up north on another vacation and open the sun roof to enjoy the day. The sun roof, which we hardly ever use, refuses to close, instead popping back open every time we try to close it. We buy a lawn mower and after only three years it blows a head gasket, costing half of what we paid for it new to get it fixed. We buy new windows, and one of them refuses to open so that we can clean both the inside and outside pane.

Get the picture? There are more, trust me. And yet through it all, my wife and I have never been hurt, never been stranded in the middle of nowhere, never had a fire or accident or anything else seriously go wrong due to all of this bad luck (knock on wood!). So, really, perhaps these mishaps arent bad luck after all. Maybe they are just inconveniences, or better yet, Gods plan to keep us safe and humble. Yep, looking back on it all, we truly do have a lot to be thankful for.

Jack Telfer is editor of the Daily News.
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.

Alma

Joshua Wayne Ritter Krentz, 32, DWLS on Feb. 25, 45 days in jail with credit for nine days, $175 fines and costs, vehicle immobilized (MC).

Bay City

Daniel Phillip Vega, 52, OWI on Dec. 18, 93 days in jail held in abeyance with credit for one day, $675 fines and costs, nine months probation, may not use or possess drugs or alcohol, subject to random drug and alcohol screening, may not enter bars, attend counseling as directed (MC).

Coleman

Nicholas Michael Sweebe, 30, second-offense DWLS and fail to stop and identify at the scene of a traffic crash on Jan. 3, 30 days in jail with credit for two days to be served on work release if available, $1,225 fines and costs, vehicle immobilized (MC).

Coleman

Matthew John Vanderbush, 35, attempted second-degree retail fraud on Dec. 13, six months in jail with credit for one day to be served on house arrest with a tether, $800 fines and costs, $199.99 restitution, six months probation, may not use or possess drugs or alcohol, subject to random drug and alcohol screening, may not enter bars, attend counseling as directed (MC).

Freeland

Justin Scott Brown, 51, attempted third-degree retail fraud on Dec. 14, one day in jail with credit for time served, $200 fines and costs, restitution left open (MC).

Lake

Jeremy Robert Tigner, 33, driving with no or multiple licenses on Feb. 8, 90 days in jail with credit for 20 days (MC).

Midland

Calvin Martin Bogel, 36, East Pine Street, second-offense domestic violence on Feb. 22, one year in jail held in abeyance with credit for one day, $975 fines and costs, 15 months probation, not to be involved in any assaultive, threatening, intimidating, violence, aggressive, disorderly or abusive behavior toward any person, may not use or possess drugs or alcohol, subject to random drug and alcohol screening, may not enter bars, attend counseling as directed (MC).

Amber Nicole Contreras, 25, Swede Road, marijuana use and allowing DWLS on Oct. 27, 45 days in jail with credit for 26 days, $650 fines and costs (MC).

Don Eugene Courtney, 55, Rumbaugh Lane, assault and battery on April 10, 2015, 93 days in jail with all but 14 days held in abeyance with credit for one day, $875 fines and costs, one year probation, not to be involved in any assaultive, threatening, intimidating, violence, 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 (MC).

Joshua James Creasman, 32, West Buttles Street, disorderly conduct on April 19 and April 20, 30 days in jail with credit for two days (MC).

Kyrah Nicole Dillahunty, 18, West Wackerly Road, marijuana possession and DWLS on April 17, 180 days in jail for the first count and 93 days in jail for the second count with credit for one day each, driver license suspended (MC).

Jeremiah Daniel Greenwood, 27, Oakridge Drive, allowing DWLS on Jan. 10, $400 fines and costs (MC).

Hannah Joy Hintz, 25, Hedgewood Drive, OWI on July 5 and domestic violence on March 25, 93 days in jail with credit for 24 days (MC).

Andrew Charles Neil, 30, Lemke Street, impaired driving on Jan. 23, 93 days in jail held in abeyance with credit for one day, $775 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).

James Anthony Novak, 23, East Beamish Road, impaired driving on Dec. 6, one day in jail with credit for time served, $775 fines and costs (MC).

Anthony Starion Parham, 20, Isabella Road, false pretenses on Nov. 13, receiving and concealing stolen property on Nov. 25, third-degree retail fraud on Jan. 30 and March 17, 93 days in jail with credit for 44 days for the first offense and 87 days in jail with credit for 38 days for the second offense, 85 days in jail with credit for 36 days for the third offense, 82 days in jail with credit for 33 days for the fourth offense, $265.25 restitution (MC).

Christopher Michael Pnacek, 27, East Letts Road, DWLS on Feb. 9, $975 fines and costs (MC).

Leia Kai Riley, 41, Cypress Street, allowing DWLS on Feb. 15, $250 fines and costs (MC).

Janelle Marie Rupkalvis, 22, Joshua Lane, impaired driving on Dec. 12, two days in jail with credit for time served, $600 fines and costs (MC).

Ronita Ann Snyder, 59, South Woodcock Road, impaired driving on Dec. 22, seven days in jail with credit for two days, $675 fines and costs (MC).

Mount Pleasant

Kendall Richard Kingbird, 21, attempted fail to report accident on Feb. 11, $200 fines and costs (MC).

Saginaw

Vance John Heinz, 53, DWLS and fail to stop at traffic accident scene on Feb. 25, $600 fines and costs (MC).

Sanford

Britney Sue Evans (Teague), 25, DWLS on Feb. 12, $600 fines and costs (MC).

Randall James Ludwig, 38, third-degree retail fraud on Jan. 1, 93 days in jail held in abeyance with credit for one day, $775 fines and costs, $183.67 restitution, one year probation, may not use or possess drugs or alcohol, subject to random drug and alcohol screening, may not enter bars, attend counseling as directed (MC).

Shepherd

Tyler James McCray, 30, attempted fail to comply with sex offender registry on Jan. 15, two days in jail with credit for time served, $200 fines and costs (MC).

Standish

Andrew David Southwell, 21, marijuana use on Dec. 26, 90 days in jail suspended with credit for one day, $600 fines and costs, nine months probation, driver license suspended for six months, may not use or possess drugs or alcohol, subject to random drug and alcohol screening, may not enter bars, attend counseling as directed (MC).

Elsewhere

Shawnda Nicole Gaines, 44, Grand Blanc, no proof of insurance on Feb. 16, $210 fine (MC).

Daurel Arvis Tolbert, 18, Flint, expired plate on Feb. 14, $125 fine (MC).
Dear Abby: I am 54. My daughter is 25 and married with two kids. Her dad and I have been divorced for almost 10 years. Three years ago, I met a wonderful man. After dating for about a year, we were married. It's been heavenly; I love my life.

My problem is my daughter. She's angry that I remarried. She told me she should be first in my life. She no longer calls me Mom and now calls me by my first name when she talks to me, which isn't often. I am no longer allowed to be around her or my grandchildren.

I am heartbroken. I feel like she expects me to choose between my husband and her. Abby, she is married and has her own family. I was very lonely until I finally found happiness. I don't want to be cut out of her life and I have no intention of leaving my husband. Please tell me what to do. -- HEARTBROKEN IN SOUTH CAROLINA

Dear Heartbroken: For your own emotional well-being, accept that you have an immature, selfish, resentful daughter who is determined to punish you for going on with your life. Much as you might wish to, you can't change another person. You can, however, change yourself by looking straight ahead and toughening up your hide.

That your daughter would punish her children by depriving them of a grandmother who loves them for the reason she has is disgraceful. My advice is to move on, and if you're "stuck," talk about it with a licensed mental health counselor.

Dear Abby: My wife and I are board members of a local club. Yesterday we attended a special board meeting intended to resolve an issue within the club. Prior to the meeting, my wife and I agreed that we were against the proposed action. After much discussion, a voice vote was taken and I ended up casting the only "no" vote.

I feel betrayed because my wife told me one thing and then did the exact opposite. How do I move past this resentment? It's difficult to have a rational discussion with her because she easily becomes angry and emotional. -- DAVID IN FLORIDA

Dear David: Calmly ask your wife why she changed her vote after having agreed she would vote in sync with you. Then let her explain. And in the future, be prepared ahead of time to vote your conscience without support from her.
DEER CREEK  Mike Wurmnest jokes that he is a 1950's model, which puts the Central Illinois farmer directly into the Baby Boomer category of those born between 1946 and 1964.

While his farming experiences are markedly different from those of his grandfather, father and his own adult children, he notes there also are many parallels:

Wurmnest rented his first land when he was a senior in high school in 1968 and went directly into the profession after graduating from Illinois State University.

His father faced the challenges of farming through the Depression of the 1930s; Wurmnest tackled the 1980s. There were tough years in the 80s, and farmers had to readjust, he said. That decade also included two of the three droughts during his career  in 1983 and 1988. The next one was in 2012.

Both generations have had to deal with weather challenges. At 5 p.m. March 30, 1938, the family farm was nearly destroyed by a tornado.

The tornado that touched down south of Pekin, Tremont and Morton nearly wiped out this farm, Wurmnest said. It destroyed barns, machinery sheds and hog houses.

His father, Emil, 27 at the time, was milking cows when the tornado struck and the building exploded around him.

Since 1950, the year Wurmnest was born, 186 tornadoes have touched down in this part of Tazewell County. Among them was a November 2013 tornado that killed six people, injured many and destroyed homes near Washington, about 10 miles from the Wurmnest farm.

In contrast, both generations also experienced some motivational growing seasons.

2014 was very good for growing crops, he said. Entire fields averaged more than 250 bushels an acre, noted Wurmnest, who grows about 1,150 acres of corn and soybeans annually.

He attributes some of the increase in yields for his generation to the development of hybrid corn seed.

Now we average between 200 and 250 bushels an acre, he said.

50 years of change

The influence of the Baby Boomer generation on agriculture has been remarkable, said Paul Lasley, Extension sociologist with Iowa State University. Not only have those born from 1946 to 1964 contributed to a wide variety of innovations, but Lasley said his generation has taken those innovations and made them work.

That first wave of Baby Boomers is turning 70 this year, and just think about all they have seen, he said.

Lasley said Baby Boomer farmers have lived through several significant events, including a boom in land prices triggered by the Russian grain deal in the 1970s, the farm crisis of the mid-1980s and a robust farm economy over the last five years.

They really have seen the best of times and maybe the worst of times, he said.

He said it would be nearly impossible to list all the changes in farm machinery, livestock, agronomy, economics and anything else associated with agriculture.

In the mid 1960s, Lasley said, John Deere stopped making the two-cylinder tractor. Around that time, the moldboard plow gave way to new tillage equipment.

We saw many advances in machinery after World War II, when these farm kids starting coming back from the war with all the new ideas they had seen, he said. It really started the demise of general farming and pushed us into specialization.

The boom in technological advances has made farmers more efficient. Yields have increased dramatically. Hogs are raised indoors and fed ethanol co-products.

Ethanols influence

The demand for corn in ethanol production has had one of the biggest impacts on Wurmnests years as a corn grower. His grain hauling trailer has the farm name and the words Ethanol, the pollution solution painted on it.

He has seen changes in corn prices over the years.

I remember $7.50 corn. Today it is $3.33, he said on a March day when the price dropped 16 cents following a USDA report of high corn planting intentions.

Soybeans also have evolved as markets have expanded. For Wurmnest's father, soybeans were a hay-type crop for feeding livestock. Now the markets are many and the yields have increased considerably from 40 bushels an acre when Wurmnest starting farming, to averages now closer to 60.

During Wurmnests career, he also has seen changes in the way soil is tilled. Strip tillage works well on his land. The family has added more grassed waterways and buffer strips over the years to prevent soil erosion on their rolling land.

One notable change from his fathers career is the amount of physical labor required in livestock and cropping operations.

Wurmnests father, born in 1911, was in the first generation to use tractors instead of horses.

And Wurmnest has seen the evolution of cab comfort and crop monitoring technology. Precision farming tools, including real time kinematics (satellite navigation), are among advancements Wurmnest enjoys.

He still comes home tired in the early spring after a day of installing tile. His wife Diane, retired after more than 32 years at Caterpillar, helps him with the tiling. Last year, the wet weather reminded him that good drainage improves profits in the long run.

It started raining on June 7. I remember that day, he said. It was the first year all the time Ive been farming that it really hurt our corn yields.

The 65-year-old father of three adult children and three grandchildren said the generation following him are active in off-farm careers and easing into farming more slowly than he did.

The boys still have jobs in town, he said, noting they will transition into the business when the time comes.
BLOOMINGTON  As more competitors enter the high-speed internet market in the Twin Cities, Central Illinois Regional Broadband Network is secure in its niche but still growing.

Five years after it was established through a $15.3 million federal grant, CIRBN  now a not-for-profit agency controlled by a group of local government bodies  continues to expand, serving more public entities and businesses with fiber-optic broadband connections.

"I joked with the guys when they wrote the grant that Central Illinois can be kind of limiting, but Central Illinois can mean a lot of different things to different people," said CIBRN Executive Director Mark DeKeersgieter.

CIRBN now stretches at least as far as Wenona in the north, Mahomet in the east, Atlanta in the south and Eureka in the west. The company serves more than 65 businesses, hospitals, libraries, municipalities and school districts, with the possibility of more expansion on the way.

While many Central Illinois communities have no fiber-optic providers other than CIRBN, Bloomington-Normal is an increasingly competitive market: MetroNet plans to install fiber-optic infrastructure for residential customers; Level 3 Communications LLC will install infrastructure to serve State Farm pending Normal City Council approval Monday; and Comcast continues to expand fiber-optic service, which is currently available in Illinois only in Chicago.

DeKeersgieter said that while CIRBN and MetroNet are likely to compete for business customers, CIRBN has no plans to move into residential service.

Such a plan would need approval from CIRBN's management board, which represents the city of Bloomington, town of Normal, Illinois State University, McLean County Unit 5, Heartland Community College and the city of Pontiac. Normal City Manager Mark Peterson serves as chairman.

"I don't see CIRBN in the next 10 to 15 years moving into a residential environment," Peterson said. "We just don't have the capital, and that's a whole different customer service model."

DeKeersgieter noted that CIRBN serves some homes indirectly; other companies buy service through CIRBN's fiber-optic infrastructure and sell it to residents, including Heartland Cable, which serves 800 homes in Minonk.

CIRBN has focused instead on expanding its footprint. The company, which already serves Normal-based Unit 5, Bloomington's District 87 and host of rural school districts, recently brought on Flanagan-Cornell Unit 74.

DeKeersgieter said a recent change in federal law made that process easier by allowing districts to receive reimbursements for high-speed internet rather than traditional connections, including fax machines and landline phone service.

"(Flanagan-Cornell) was the first K-12 public school district we added after the grant closed (in late 2013), so that was a big accomplishment for us," he said. "One of the major initiatives when President Obama first originally introduced the funding for this was to get rural schools connected so they had the same learning opportunities as a kid in a big city."

CIRBN also recently added service in Pontiac along Old Route 66 and on Deerfield Road. Many major employers are located on Old Route 66, and Deerfield Road is expected to host future economic development.

"We've already been in talks with the company that's going to own the hotel and the company that's going to build the hotel" coming on Deerfield this year, said DeKeersgieter.

Peterson said he sees the network as "a huge asset" for economic development and for existing CIRBN customers.
BLOOMINGTON  Whether a multimillion-dollar hotel development in downtown Bloomington would succeed depends largely on how many rooms it would book, but local experts say predicting that number isn't clear-cut.

Two consultants hired by the city to evaluate the feasibility of such a project use an average occupancy rate of 69 percent, a figure comparable to what the Bloomington-Normal Marriott Hotel and Conference Center in Normal sees.

But it's not that simple.

The McLean County market's overall average occupancy rate last year was about 57 percent, but the number jumps to a little over 70 percent when only higher-end hotels are surveyed. None of those estimates is any less accurate than another because each reflects different comparisons, said Jeff Pritts, general manager of the Marriott since it opened in uptown Normal in October 2009.

"They're different ways of slicing the same pie," he said.

And predicting where those numbers will go in the future also is a matter if differing opinions.

Rodney Brittain, president of the Bloomington-Normal Hotel and Lodging Association and manager of the new Hyatt Place Hotel in uptown Normal, said demand from State Farm inflated hotel occupancy numbers in recent years, but that is changing.

Brittain sees the new trend "as having been steady to somewhat of a little bit of a decline."

Mayor Tari Renner said the overall hotel market isn't as important as the fact that the hotel under consideration would be downtown.

Whether there are 3,100 or 3,200 hotel rooms in Bloomington-Normal will have very little difference on the overall market, he said. What matters is the location of those hotels.

"Right now, we are one of the only metro cities in the Midwest where you cant even rent a single room in the downtown. First hotels in downtowns usually create their own markets, especially if theyre next to a convention center the equivalent of our (U.S. Cellular) Coliseum.

Bloomington-Normal Convention and Visitors Bureau Director Crystal Howard cites a 57 percent average occupancy rate in 2015 for 3,194 rooms across McLean County  up from 52 percent in 2014. That's based on reporting by about 36 of 43 hotels, including less expensive ones serving smaller communities like LeRoy and Chenoa.

While those figures are based on the percentage of bookings for all available rooms, Pritts said the hotel industry bases occupancy rate calculations on "comp-sets" (competitive sets), which are groups of hotels seen as competitors with comparable amenities and service levels.

"You can interpret them in a hundred different ways," said Pritts.

"In my comp-set, which is a lot of those premier hotels, for 2015 we were in the upper 60 (percent occupancy rate range), and the rest in my comp-set was in the low 70s," Pritts said.

"They (others in his comp-set) beat me in occupancy because my (room) rate is a lot higher," he said, noting the Marriott's average daily room rate of $102 is higher than the others in the $80 range. "We're the only four-diamond hotel south of Chicago. That kind of puts us in a whole different plateau than a lot of the other hotels."

A 2014 hotel feasibility study conducted by Chicago-based HVS Consulting and Valuation Services analyzed the market potential for a hypothetical $47.3 million 150-room, select service hotel with a 20,000-square-foot conference center in downtown Bloomington. It was not attached to a specific proposal.

When East Peoria developer Jeff Giebelhausen approached the city with a plan to broker a hotel proposal, the city hired Chicago-based SB Friedman Development Advisors to vet the feasibility of his plan for a $50 million, 129-room downtown hotel and conference center.

Giebelhausen's group, Bloomington Downtown Redevelopment Partners LLC, hopes to attract a hotel developer to rehab the historic Commerce Bank and Front 'N' Center buildings in the 100 block of North Center Street into a brand-name hotel with four restaurants/bars.

In the block across Madison Street to the west, the developer in Giebelhausen's plan would build a 250-space parking deck and a building housing a 12,000-square-foot conference center above a new Commerce Bank branch. The two blocks would be linked by an elevated walkway over Madison Street.

Both consultants concluded the total development cost of the property would exceed market value and some form of public-sector support would be needed. In the case of Giebelhausen's proposal, $8.8 million to $11.2 million in assistance such as property and sales tax abatements would be needed from the public sector.

HVS assumed the hotel would have an average occupancy rate of 69 percent, a number Friedman used for its own calculations. HVS assumed an average daily room rate of $125, but Friedman's report on the Giebelhausen plan put it at $129 to $150.

Friedman plans to conduct its own occupancy rate study before issuing a final report.

For his project to go forward, Giebelhausen must tell the city by May 31 who his developer would be, what hotelier would operate it and what financial commitments he has from investors and lending institutions.

"I think there is validity in the HVS numbers, the ones that aren't estimated, because of the comp-set used. That is who that hotel is going to compete with," said Pritts.

Brittain disagreed, saying the HVS sample size is too small.

"They're just taking the top-tier only, which is going to give you a lot higher numbers," he said. "It's going to look more appealing to investors. That's the reason for the variance in numbers."

HVS Consulting used data from an industry analysis group, Smith Travel Research, that found the average occupancy rate for the Twin Cities' 11 top-tier hotels fluctuated from 71 percent in 2001 to as low as 61.4 percent before bouncing back up to 74.3 percent in 2012.

State Farm played a role in that, too.

"In 2012, State Farm started a new mission that brought a large number of external consultants to the market, leading to a significant increase in room night demand during weekdays," HVC noted.

That inflated the hotel occupancy rate and was "a great piece of business" for the Marriott and other local hotels, Pritts said.
Bloomington-Normal

Seen/Unseen; through May 6, Jan Brandt Gallery, 1106 W. Bell St., Bloomington; paintings by Lyle Salmi; viewing by appointment at janbrandtgallery@gmail.com; reception, 7-9 p.m. May 6.

Three Visions  Patterns-Shadows-Nature; 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Sat., May 6-28, Eaton Gallery, 411 N. Center St., Bloomington; photography by Mary Jo Adams, Ken Chiu amd Ken Kashian. Reception: 5-8 p.m. May 6, 9 a.m.-2 p.m. May 7.

The Earth, worn; through May 6; Heartland Community College Joe McCauley Gallery, Instructional Commons Building Room 2507, 1500 W. Raab Road, Normal; prints by Lisa Lofgren; free; 309-268-8620.

HCC Annual Juried Student Art Exhibition; through May 6, Heartland Community College Library in Student Commons Building; various media.

ISU University Galleries; noon-4 p.m. Mon., 9:30 a.m.-7 p.m. Tue., 9:30 a.m.-4 p.m. Wed.-Fri., noon-4 p.m. Sat.-Sun., Uptown Station, 11 Uptown Circle, Normal; rotating exhibits in three galleries; free; 309-438-8321.

2016 ISU Student Annual; through May 8, ISU University Galleries, see above; juried show open to all ISU students.

IWU Merwin and Wakeley Galleries; school hours, noon-4 p.m. Mon.-Fri., 1-4 p.m. Sat.-Sun., 7-9 p.m. Tue.; 302 E. Graham St., Bloomington; rotating exhibits; free; 309-556-3391.

Richard Hull; May 5-27, IWU Merwin Gallery, see above; paintings and drawings. Artist talk, 4 p.m. May 5, room 218 of Ames School of Art.

Tolerance of the Unexpected; May 5-27, IWU Wakeley Gallery; mixed-media works. Artist gallery walk, 5 p.m. May 5.

McLean County Arts Center; 10 a.m.-7 p.m. Tue., 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Wed.-Fri., noon-4 p.m. Sat.; 601 N. East St., Bloomington; rotating exhibits, sales, rentals, art classes and lectures; free; 309-829-0011.

Bravo Charlie Alpha; through June 11, McLean County Arts Center, see above; paintings by Kevin Goodrich. Artist reception, 5-7 p.m. May 6.

Emerging Illinois Artists 2016; through June 11, McLean County Arts Center, see above; juried show of 34 works by 20 Illinois university MFA students. Artists' reception, 5-7 p.m. May 6.

The Lay of the Land; May 6-June 10, McLean County Arts Center, see above; paintings by Tony Rio. Artist reception, 5-7 p.m. May 6.

McLean County Museum of History; 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Mon.-Sat. (until 9 p.m. Tue.), 200 N. Main St., Bloomington; permanent and rotating exhibits; adults $5, seniors $4, students, children under 12 and members free; 309-827-0428.

Challenges, Choices and Change: Making a Home; McLean County Museum of History, see above; new permanent exhibit exploring experiences of people from around the world who made McLean County their home.

Mary Jungels-Goodyear; 9 a.m.-9 p.m. Mon.-Thu. 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Fri.-Sat., 1-5 p.m. Sun., through May 31, Normal Public Library Art Gallery, 206 W. College Ave., Normal; prints; 309-452-1757.

Prairie Aviation Museum; 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Sat., noon-4 p.m. Sun., 2929 E. Empire St., Bloomington; permanent and rotating exhibits and displays with aerial history themes; adults $5, ages 6-11 $3, 5 and under free; 309-663-7632.

Central Illinois

U of I Krannert Art Museum; 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Tue.-Sat. (until 9 p.m. Thu. during fall and spring semesters), 2-5 p.m. Sun., 500 E. Peabody Drive, Champaign; paintings, porcelain, historical artifacts, traveling art exhibits; $3 donation suggested; 217-333-1861.

Spheres of Influence: African Vessels from the KAM Collection; through May 15, Krannert Art Museum, see above; 24 ceramic pots from regions across Africa.

Amity Township Museum; 1-3 p.m. first Sun. of month or by appointment, 510 Main St., Cornell; Amity Township Museum; 1-3 p.m. first Sun. of month or by appointment, 510 Main St., Cornell; displays and artifacts relating to history of Cornell and Amity Township; free; 815-358-2973.

Eureka College Burgess Hall Art Gallery; 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m. weekdays and by appointment on weekends, third floor of Burgess Hall, Eureka College, Eureka; rotating exhibits; free; 309-467-6866.

Simpkins Military History Museum; 1-5 p.m. Tue., Thu., Sat., or by appointment; 605 E. Cole St., Heyworth; permanent and rotating military history exhibits; free (donations accepted); 309-473-3989.

The Vietnam War 50th Anniversary; through Nov. 30, Simpkins Military History Museum, see above.

Dickson Mounds Museum; 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m. daily, 10956 N. Dickson Mounds Road, Lewistown; displays, special exhibits; free; 309-547-3721.

Lincoln Heritage Museum; 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Mon.-Fri., 1-4 p.m. Sat., Lincoln Center at Lincoln College, 300 Keokuk St., Lincoln; Lincoln-era items, audio-visual displays, tours, exhibits, more; adults $7, children/tours $4; 217-735-7399.

Contemporary Art Center of Peoria; 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Tue.-Sat., Riverfront Arts Center, 305 S.W. Water, Peoria; rotating exhibits in two galleries; free; 309-674-6822.

Peoria Art Guild; Foster Arts Center, Harrison and Washington streets, Peoria; rotating exhibits, gift shop; free; 309-637-2787.

Peoria Riverfront Museum; 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Mon.-Wed. and Sat., 10 a.m.-8 p.m. Thu.-Fri., noon-5 p.m. Sun., downtown riverfront Peoria; permanent and rotating exhibits, planetarium shows, Giant Screen Theater and events; $8-$11; 309-686-7000.

Figures of Strength: Artworks by Sculptor Nita Sutherland; through July 10, Peoria Riverfront Museum, see above; 30 works by Peoria artist, including sculptures, prints, drawings and a painting.

American Spirits: The Rise and Fall of Prohibition; through May 30, Peoria Riverfront Museum, see above; touring exhibit featuring 100 Prohibition-era artifacts; $3 in addition to regular museum admission.

Museum of the Gilding Arts; 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Mon.-Sun., April-Oct., and 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Mon.-Sun., Nov.-March, 217 N. Mill St., Pontiac; displays, history and hands-on exhibits dedicated to the art of gilding and gold beating; free (donations welcome); 815-842-1848.

Pontiac Community Art Center; 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Mon.-Fri., 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Sat.-Sun., 103 W. Madison St., Pontiac; rotating exhibits; 815-844-5831.

Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library & Museum; 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Mon.-Sun., 212 N. Sixth St., Springfield; Lincoln-themed exhibits, historical displays, special events, more; adults $12, seniors and students $9, ages 5-15 $5, under 5 free; 217-558-8844.

Unfinished Work: The Taper Collection in the Limelight; through May 15, Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library & Museum, see above; new items from Lincoln-themed collection.
The Mexican-American War of 1846-1848 will be forever overshadowed by the immensities of the subsequent Civil War. Yet the earlier war, which ended 13 years before the great and bloody contest over slavery began, is not without immensities of its own, particularly when it came to the acquisition of vast new territories.

Today, the Mexican-American War is generally understood as a land grab by expansionist-minded Americans under the thrall of Manifest Destiny. It ended with the U.S. obtaining from a politically divided and overwhelmed Mexico what would become the states of Arizona, New Mexico, Nevada and Utah, and most of California.

Fifty-eight men from McLean County served in the war as members of the 4th Illinois Volunteer Infantry Regiment, Co. B. About 50 years after the wars end, local historian Ezra M. Prince wrote a brief history of Co. B, basing much of it on correspondence with several surviving veterans.

McLean County was responsible for raising one company (about 100 men) for the 4th Illinois. Leading the effort was Gen. Asahel Gridley, who would go on to make a personal fortune selling and speculating on railroad land, and in the process play a paramount role in the development of McLean County. Despite his rather ignominious record in the Black Hawk War (the very extent of his scant military experience), Gridley was somehow commander of the local militia, hence the officious title of general.

At any rate, as Gridley called a public meeting for June 13, 1846 to get enough recruits to fill a regimental company. The patriotic rally was held Center and Market streets in downtown Bloomington, a site now occupied by a municipal parking deck.

At this gathering Gridley played the role of the pompous patriot. He urged the young men to enlist in the service of their country attacked by the ruthless Mexican barbarians, recounted Ezra Prince. Go and fight the battles of your country as I have done, concluded Gridley. Glory awaits you. Our hearts are with you.

David Davis (he wouldnt be Judge Davis for another two years) was in the crowd. Many northern members of the Whig Party, Davis included, opposed the war, viewing it as little more than a bald-faced attempt to expand American slavery. They wanted me to make a speech, but I told them I wasnt going to enlist and wouldnt make a speech, Davis was purported to have told Bloomington plow maker Abram Brokaw, who was standing next to him during Gridleys pitch.

English-born John Moore, a McLean County farmer who at the time was serving as lieutenant governor, was next to speak. Prince described Moore as a large, portly man, red-face, sandy hair  honest, plain, blunt, and direct, both in speech and action.

Gen. Gridley has urged you to go to the war, Moore told those gathered. I am going to say to you all, Come with me. And indeed, the lieutenant governor (and future state treasurer) fought in the war as a first lieutenant and then lieutenant-colonel.

In Bloomington, 102 men joined Moore for what they believed were six-month enlistments.

The night before they left for Springfield to begin the formal process of organizing the regiment, around a dozen Co. B recruits terrorized Bloomington abolitionists for opposing the war. The men, who got full of whiskey, first stopped at Rev. Levi Spencers residence in the 200 block of East Front Street (about where A. Gridley Antiques is located today). They smashed in doors and windows and defiled the house with rotten eggs. The good reverend and his family were fortunate to escape out the back door.

By the next morning peace had returned to the city. This was seven years before the arrival of the first railroads to Bloomington, so in order to get to Springfield, the McLean County volunteers piled into farm wagons for the jarring, jolting and jostling ride to the state capital.

Once in Springfield the McLean County contingent learned that enlistments had to be no less than a full year. That was news enough to induce some men, who already had their fill of soldiering, to return home. It was also said that a number of prominent McLean County men traveled to Springfield to convince sons and nephews to come home. All of this activity cut the companys strength nearly by half, and the remaining 58 McLean County recruits were supplemented by more than 40 others from additional Illinois counties.

By the fall of 1846 the 4th Illinois Volunteer Infantry Regiment found itself in the Mexican town of Camargo on the Rio Grande River, having just missed a chance to participate in U.S. Gen. Zachary Taylors victory at Monterey. At Camargo, the 3rd and 4th Illinois regiments suffered terribly due to poor water and related sickness.

In a letter written in December 1846 to his father-in-law William Perrin Walker, David Davis noted the wars deadly turn for the McLean County volunteers. They have been treated worse than dogs and one half either die, or return home, emaciated and with constitutions wholly broken down, he wrote.

Elements of the 4th Illinois led by Lt. Col. John Moore participated in the siege of Veracruz that ended with the surrender of the Gulf of Mexico port on March 29, 1847. Some 8,500 soldiers under the command of U.S. Gen. Winfield Scott then began moving inland toward Mexico City. On April 18, 1847 the Americans engaged a larger enemy force at Cerro Gordo Pass.

The Battle of Cerro Gordo was a crushing defeat for the Mexicans, and the 4th Illinois played a key role. Situated on the American right flank, the 4th was part of a group that cut its way through chaparral and over a mountain to attack Gen. Antonio Lopez de Santa Annas army from the rear. In the subsequent rout of the surprised and quickly overwhelmed enemy, 4th Illinois soldiers stumbled upon Santa Annas hastily abandoned private carriage. Inside the carriage was a trove of war booty, including the generals artificial cork leg.

With the one-year enlistments coming to an end, the 4th Illinois soon vacated the field and made its way to New Orleans where the campaign-weary troops mustered out on May 26, 1847. Co. B suffered no battle deaths, though as noted a number of men died from disease or camp-borne ailments.

Strangely, Santa Annas artificial leg is now held in the collections of the Illinois State Military Museum in Springfield, this despite protestations for its return by the Mexican government. The leg is even on public display in a recreated Cerro Gordo carriage scene in the museums Patriots of the Heartland exhibit.
SpaceX has gone through a tough battle in winning a U.S. military contract, but finally, they emerged victorious. According to reports, SpaceX has won its first significant U.S. military contract worth $83 million to launch a satellite into space come 2018.

SpaceX Wins Over Pentagon In Sending A Satellite Into Orbit

The Wall Street Journal reported that SpaceX has finally received their first U.S. military contract and it is a huge deal. The U.S. Air Force awarded Space Exploration Technologies Corp. a.k.a. SpaceX an $82.7 million deal to launch a satellite into the orbit in 2018. The goal of the satellite launch is to support the Global Positioning System used by the military and consumers for navigation.

Per the report, SpaceX's bidding is 40 percent lesser than the Pentagon's offer. It is the first Pentagon's competition in over a decade, but SpaceX beats them by offering a much lower price.

The Air Force announced the award late Wednesday. Meanwhile, Lt. Gen. Samuel Greaves commander of Space and Missile System Center disclosed that they received two offers but did not identify the bidder. However, he announced that SpaceX bid was 40 percent lesser but SpaceX declined to comment.

ULA Backed Out In The Bidding

United Launch Alliance or ULA was among the bidder. However, per the report, ULA backed out last year due to the lack of Russian-made engines and other concerns hindering them to give a fair competition.

"ULA wanted nothing more than to compete, but unfortunately we were unable to submit a bid for this GPS III launch service," a spokeswoman said on Thursday. According to Engadget, the U.S. Air Force awarded a contract for 26 rockets to ULA way back in 2014.

Elon Musk believed that SpaceX had a better offer but it wasn't even allowed the chance to bid. He filed a lawsuit to block the contract and alleged that one of the officials in charge of awarding the deal was handed a cushy job at the ULA.

Well, Musk has now earned a U.S. military contract because finally, SpaceX is awarded the satellite luncheon in 2018. Are you happy for SpaceX? Share your thoughts below.
Our constantly shifting society has given birth to diverse and unconventional relationships. This is why Hallmark has released new Mother's Day 2016 cards that will not just showcase moms as homemakers, but also modern-day family structures.

Hallmark Cards creative director Lauren Benson said the company decided to sell Mother's Day 2016 cards that symbolize the diverse types of relationships in our present society, USA Today reported. Now, customers can purchase Mother's Day Hallmark cards that highlight the LGBT community, stay-at-home fathers and divorced parents.

Millennials Targeted

BrandSimple Consulting founder Allen Adamson said diverse cards are a win for millennials. Why? Because these younger groups are more vocal when it comes to their support for same-sex relationships, the news outlet added.

Marketing professor Barbara Khan of the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School said the youth will not buy greeting cards that they cannot relate with. Hallmark's inclusive move for this year's Mother's Day 2016 celebration will likely attract more buyers and further grow the company's reach.

You can check out and purchase the new Mother's Day 2016 cards on Hallmark's official website. You can also buy them from select Hallmark Gold Crown stores and retailers globally that offer Hallmark cards.

Hallmark made over 1,100 cards just in time for this year's Mother's Day 2016 celebration, which falls on May 8, Sunday. With so many varieties to choose from, buyers will not have a hard time looking for a card that will touch the recipient's heart.

More Special Offers For Mother's Day 2016

Hallmark, established in Missouri by Joyce Hall in 1910, began making Mother's Day cards in the early 1920s. This month, Hallmark also announced the Mother's Day Hallmark Signature, which features cards with meticulous and sophisticated designs alongside abridged but sweet messages.

According to PR Newswire, Hallmark Signature cards are handmade and have embossed or foiled letterings and designs. It also comes with crafty embellishments like fabrics, beads and gems, among others

In line with the Hallmark Signature cards, the company urges people to use the hashtag #NoOrdinaryMom across social media platforms to honor the efforts of their mothers. The hashtag is meant to promote the celebration of mothers across around the world for Mother's Day 2016.

Hallmark Partners With Rokkan For Mother's Day 2016

For Mother's Day 2016, Hallmark also partnered with creative organization Rokkan for a new campaign that will pop up on participating TV, radio, digital and social channels. The campaign focuses on the emotional bond of a mother and her daughter, as well as how that connection shifts as time passes, PR Newswire wrote.

Hallmark and FTD Flowers also collaborated for the creation of a perfect Mother's Day gift. Buyers can now choose from eleven bouquets that feature pretty and artfully arranged flowers.

The collections all come with a tag that reads "Mom is another word for love," PR Newswire reported. You can purchase them on FTD's official site.
The most awaited film for 2016, "Captain America: Civil War" was already released in some countries. While the United States still wait for it, reports claim the superhero flick already earned almost $40 million.

'Captain America: Civil War' Earns $40M In Two Days

There is no doubt that every Marvel fan wants to witness the Avengers fighting against each other in "Captain America: Civil War." This has been confirmed with the total earnings it made worldwide.

According to Forbes, "Captain America: Civil War" is playing in 30 territories and it has already made $38.7 million worldwide. This amount could still grow over the weekend. "Captain America: Civil War" may follow or even surpass the success of "Avengers: Age of Ultron" and "Iron Man 3."

'Captain America: Civil War' Film Review

"Captain America: Civil War" did well in theaters and it never failed to impress Marvel fans. For those who haven't watched the film yet, proceed with caution because there are spoilers ahead, but we will try to minimize it so you will still enjoy when you watch "Civil War.".

"Captain America: Civil War" includes most of the Avengers and they are split down in the middle due to their different perspectives about the Sokovia Accords. The fighting scenes, the drama and the short bursts of comedy from Ant-Man and Spider-Man make "Captain America: Civil War" a versatile film. In fact, CNET believes that "Civil War" is the best Avengers movie at the time.

"Captain America: Civil War" A Personal Battle For Cap And Iron Man

The Russo brothers were successful in giving "Captain America: Civil War" viewers mixed emotions because it's not easy to point fingers who, between Cap (Chris Evans) and Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.), is the bad guy. Moreover, "Captain America: Civil War" is a personal battle for Steve Rogers and Tony Stark.

It's given that Cap will stand beside Bucky Barnes a.k.a The Winter Soldier despite his criminal records because the latter is his best friend. While Iron Man has started to give up his ego and work with Cap, he learned that The Winter Soldier was behind his parents' death. This definitely made the "Civil War" a personal battle for Cap and Iron Man as they fight against each other for people dear to them.

"Captain America: Civil War" has the right amount of drama, action and comedy that will surely move the fans. "Civil War" also introduces Spider-Man and Black Panther, who will surely steal your attention.

Are you excited to watch "Captain America: Civil War?" You should not miss it. "Captain America: Civil War" will hit the big screens on May 7.
Killings and dismemberment of albinos in Malawi have been alarmingly rising in the past two years. This has prompted United Nations (UN) expert Ikponwosa Ero to call for action as she revealed that albino limbs and other body parts are sold at a high price to witchcraft doctors.

Surge of Killings & Dismemberment Of Albinos In Malawi

Ero, the UN's independent expert on human rights and albinism, told the Daily Mail that the albinos in Malawi are facing total extinction if violence against them would not be addressed promptly. She revealed that the police has already recorded more than 65 cases of violence against people with albinism starting late 2014, most of which include killings and dismemberment.

Ero stated that the surge of killings and dismemberment of albinos in Malawi "constitutes an emergency, a crisis disturbing in its proportions." The UN expert urged the Malawian government to take action as soon as possible to prevent the "systematic extinction" of people with albinism in the country.

Albinos In Malawi Are 'Money,' Limbs Used For Witchcraft

Ero attributed the surge of killings and dismemberment of albinos in Malawi to the culture of using albino limbs for witchcraft. She divulged that the full set of body parts of people with albinism is sold for more than 50,000 to witchcraft doctors in Tanzania, a neighboring country of Malawi.

Ero, who conducted a 12-day assessment of the treatment of people with albinism in the southeastern African country, also disclosed that she is particularly alarmed that the albinos in Malawi are tagged as "money" by passers-by. "Even in death, they do not rest in peace as their remains are robbed from graveyards," the UN expert revealed.

Albinos In Malawi Fear For Their Lives

According to CNN, the total population of albinos in Malawi is about 10,000. The body parts of people with albinism are believed to bring wealth and prosperity. This has been the reason why albinos in several African countries are regularly killed or dismembered alive.

Ero said that albinos in Malawi, including family members of people with albinism, are living in fear of attack. She added that most of them cannot sleep peacefully and have restricted their movement.

"We talk about protecting wildlife while not even prioritizing efforts in protecting people with albinism, Ero opined. "They are an endangered people group facing a risk of systemic extinction over time if nothing is done."

How can the Malawian government solve violence against people with albinism? Share your thoughts below.
A California Muslim student, who lives a few miles from the site of the deadly San Bernardino shooting, received the symbol of teenage acceptance after she was crowned prom queen at Fontana's Summit High School last month. The Muslim prom queen attributed her victory to her non-Muslim friends who campaigned for her by wearing hijabs.

The Muslim Prom Queen's Win Is A Symbol Of Teenage Acceptance

The 17-year Muslim prom queen, Zarifeh Shalabi, told The New York Times that her win is a symbol of teenage acceptance because she was able to prove that not all Muslims are "something to worry about." She also added that she was elected because her fellow students see her as a friend and not as a threat.

The Muslim prom queen admitted that when she found out that her non-Muslim friends nominated her for prom queen, she was more concerned about getting permission to participate the event than the idea of winning the crown. She disclosed that she had to incessantly convince her mother, who later consulted her uncles, aunts and friends from a local mosque before giving her the permission to join the prom.

The Muslim Prom Queen's Friends Wore Hijabs To Support Her

The Muslim prom Queen's mother, Manal Haifa, said that she has been worried that Zarifeh would become a victim of anti-Muslim backlash after the San Bernardino shooting last December. They live just a few miles from the scene of the terrorist attack that claimed the lives of 14 people.

But Zarifeh's non-Muslim friends do not see her as a threat. Sarahi Sanchez, a friend of the Muslim prom queen, said that they nominated her because they saw it as an opportunity to do something good and represent something good. "This was a way to prove we don't have problems with bullying or racism," Sanchez stated.

Zarifeh, who was raised in a household of observant Muslims and has been wearing hijab throughout her high school years, received an overwhelming support from her non-Muslim friends and fellow students. On the day of the school election for prom queen, her non-Muslim friends wore colorful hijabs while carrying balloons printed with "Don't be a baddie, vote for the hijabi."

What can you say about Zarifeh's prom queen win? Share your thoughts below.
British Education Secretary Nicky Morgan was recently slammed by head teachers during the National Association of Head Teachers (NAHT) annual conference as she defended the government's plans for the "mass academization" of schools in the United Kingdom. Morgan stressed that the controversial academization is the government's position.

Head Teacher's Industrial Action

Head teachers were vocal about their stand regarding the government's plans forcing all schools to become academies by 2022. According to The Guardian, the head teachers could take industrial action after 95 percent of almost 500 primary school head teachers passed a motion that "no schools should be forced to become an academy."

"Academies: to be or not to be, that is the question," Kim Johnson, a head teacher of an academy in Kent said. "A question you must be free to answer for yourself. No school should be compelled to convert."

'Mass Academization' In The U.K.

The policy for the "mass academization" of schools in the United Kingdom had faced widespread cirticisms from teachers, head teachers, Labor, Conservative and Liberal Democrat MPs, as well as local government leaders from all those parties. But Morgan underscored that more autonomy due to the forced academies program would help raise education standards, Daily Mail notes.

Morgan also added the "dual system" practice would be less efficient, compared to a compulsory model for running schools in the country. However, critics said the policy would just replace local authorities with centralized Whitehall control, as per The Independent.

Primary Schools Assessment System

Aside from the "mass academization," head teachers also slammed the government's implementation of the new primary school assessments system that have contradictory guidelines. NAHT general secretary Russell Hobby said the government made a serious mistake in implementing the policy.

"Testing has a role to play in the assessment of children but the poorly designed tests and last minute changes we have seen this year do not add value to teaching," Hobby said. "Increasingly, parents and teachers agree that high-stakes statutory tests can actually make it harder to find out what children are really learning and to improve their education."

Morgan, however, told the head teachers at the NAHT annual conference that the new primary school tests were not about passing or failing the test. She also urged parents not to join the planned boycott on May 3 as educators protest at the new assessments policy.

"This is not about pass or fail, this is about knowing how children are making progress at the end of their primary school years," Morgan said.

The Effects Of "Mass Academization"

Meanwhile, the government's plan to force all schools to become academies has uncertain benefits. NAHT leader Kim Johnson also highlighted the fact that the "mass academization" policy is expensive, noting that smaller schools could suffer, BBC News reports.

"I will happily persuade my colleagues of the merits of autonomy and freedom," Johnson said. "But I have doubts about forcing every school in England to convert to academy status. The cost of this initiative is high and the benefits are uncertain. Smaller schools could suffer."

Johnson also added that the government should focus on what's happening inside the classrooms instead of structural reforms. Due to the negative criticisms, the Department of Education was disappointed, stressing the government only wanted to ensure every child has access to an excellent education they deserve.

So, what do you think about England's "mass academization?" Share your thoughts below and follow Parent Herald for more news and updates.
We noted in a report this week that Carl Icahn was singing Apple's praises last year. He told the Financial Times that "Every 50 years, you get a company like this that has everything going for it. I feel so secure with Apple that if it goes down, I just buy more, I don't worry." A year later and the first sign of trouble for Apple in China and Icahn ran for the exit; So much for his little song and dance. Yet what's troubling is that he characterized the problem in China in a way that represented a total disconnect to how Apple currently views their business in China.

Billionaire investor Carl Icahn, who was among Apple's largest outside shareholders, said on Thursday that he called Apple's CEO today to tell him that he no longer held a position in the company. When asked at what price point would he buy back into the stock, Icahn told the CNBC host that it wasn't about a price point, it was about China's crackdown on Apple's services and the dark cloud that it creates. Icahn added that "Beijing could come in and make it very difficult for Apple to sell there."

To make matters worse, Ian Bremmer came on CNBC the following day to throw gasoline on the fire  on the issue of China's crackdown on Apple. Ian Bremmer is the president and founder of Eurasia Group, a political risk research and consulting firm with offices in New York, Washington, London, Tokyo, Sao Paulo, and San Francisco. Bremmer is an American political scientist specializing in U.S. foreign policy, states in transition, and global political risk.

Ian Bremmer told CNBC in a report titled "Why Apple's China Problem is likely to get much, much worse," that China was very likely to limit Apple's access to the country's consumer base.

Goldman Sachs analyst Simona Jankowski wrote in a report Wednesday following the company's disappointing second-quarter earnings release. "It bears watching whether the recent ban of Apple's iTunes and iBooks stores in China has broader implications for how friendly the environment remains for Apple to grow its business in the country." This from an analyst who was pounding the table for Apple just weeks ago and singing its praises. She knew of China's crackdown on Apple at the time she was praising Apple on one side of her mouth. Why was it a factor only after Apple reported their financials? It really does appear that Goldman Sachs was suckering their clients into buying Apple shares prior to the report while they were actively shorting the stock.

So how can anyone take Goldman Sachs analyst Simona Jankowski or Carl Icahn comments on the China crackdown seriously when they apparently had other motivating factors at play? What Icahn stated was rather a huge leap in light of the facts emanating from Apple's Financial Conference Call.

Yesterday we posted a report on Tim Cook's opening statement and below you'll read about Tim Cook's view of trends in China that derived from the Q&A session at Tuesday's financial conference.

In yesterday's report we point out that Tim Cook was thrilled to talk about the success of Apple Pay in China "The reach of Apple Pay also continues to expand following a very successful launch in China in the March Quarter "

In the segment below you'll read about Apple opening another 5 Apple Stores in China this quarter.

China's crackdown on iTunes at the moment is limited in its scope and it appears to be a cultural conflict on the types of content being available. That's something I'm sure Apple will be able to work out with government authorities. Some may call that censorship, but some of the content that's acceptable in North America today is clearly not acceptable in China and rightfully so.

But a conflict on cultural grounds didn't stop China approving Apple Pay from being launched in their country nor did they deny Apple building permits to build another five stores and employ hundreds of local workers. So this crazy leap that China's crackdown on a cultural basis is going to somehow be a dark cloud over Apple's business in general going forward isn't believable with what we know to be the facts today.

Q&A with Apple's CEO On China

Question from Cross Research; Shannon Cross Co-Founder

Q: The question in general was roughly as follows; Tim, could you talk about what's going on in China. I know that the Greater China revenue was down 26%. Could you talk about the trends you're seeing there and how you're seeing its playing out.

A: If you take Greater China, we include Taiwan, Hong Kong and Mainland China. The vast majority of the weakness in the Greater China regions sits in Hong Kong.

Our perspective on that is that it's a combination of the Hong Kong dollar being pegged to the U.S. dollar and therefore it carries the burden of the strength of the U.S. dollar and that has driven tourism, International shopping and trading down significantly compared to what it was in the year ago.

If you look at mainland China, that I am personally very focused on, we're down 11% in Mainland China on a reported basis. On a constant currency basis we're only down 7% and the way that we really look at the underlying demand  if you look at there, we're only down 5%. And keep in mind that that's down 5% on a comp a year ago that was up 81%.

And so as I backup from this and look at the larger picture, I think that China is not weak as has been talked about. I see China as  we may not have the wind at our back as we once did  but it's a lot more stable than what I think is the common view of it.

And so we remain optimistic on China. We opened seven stores there during the quarter. We're now at 35 [Apple Stores]; we'll open five more stores this quarter to achieve 40. And the LTE adoption continues to rise there  but it's got a long way ahead of it.

So we continue to be really optimistic about it. And so we would just ask folks to sort of look underneath the numbers at the details in them, before concluding anything."

At the End of the Day

At the end of the day, the comments about Apple's problems in China appear to be greatly exaggerated at the moment. Cook even asked the analysts to look at the details beneath the numbers before concluding anything. But of course it's just easier to cast doom on Apple because that's the easier headline to create.

Cook noted in his opening statement that we covered yesterday that none of the sales for the iPhone SE model had made it into the reported quarter. Which country was leading with pre-orders for the new iPhone? Yes, China  with over 3.4 million orders.

Cook was never asked about the crackdown on iTunes in China and that's unfortunate because this issue could have been clarified leaving Icahn to dream up some other reason for dumping Apple's stock. So unless Apple is hiding something materially important that will come back to bite them in the future, Cook has made it very clear that he remained optimistic about China and that growth would return to that market.

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Its difficult for me to say which day of this tour itinerary is my favorite. But today is surely among them. (Is any day actually not?)

We went out on the Sea of Galilee this morning, and Jack Welch, Brent Top, and I spoke briefly to the combined bus groups on a boat floating on a very calm lake.

Then we went to Magdala, a new favorite spot of mine. A superb site-specific guide  a woman from South Africa  showed us around the area. Marvelous.

Then we went to the so-called Primacy of Peter, a small church set amid beautiful grounds right on the shore of the lake. This is a traditional site for Christs first Galilean meeting with the apostles after his resurrection.

Next came Capernaum, another of my very favorite places in all of Israel. (Heres the main reason why: http://www.deseretnews.com/article/700038919/Capernaum-bears-witness-of-Christ.html?pg=all)

Then to Bet Shean, a huge and spectacular Greco-Roman city  like Jerash, in Jordan, one of the ten cities of the so-called Decapolis  that also plays a role in the Old Testament. It is, for example, the place where the bodies of King Saul and his son Jonathan were hanged on the city wall after their deaths at the hands of the Philistines in the mountains of Gilboa.

After Bet Shean, instead of returning to Tiberias as we usually do, we continued southward to stay in the Jericho Resort Village, in territory controlled by the Palestinian Authority. Its the best hotel weve stayed in on this trip since we left Jordan. Maybe the best of the trip altogether. Im enormously pleased to see this sort of facility in Palestinian territory. And Im happy that its right next door to an old favorite site  the ruins of the hunting place of the eighth-century Umayyad caliph Hisham. We wont have time during this trip to revisit that fascinating site, but I now know that a very comfortable new hotel stands immediately next door to it, which gives me ideas.

Another fun thing: After settling in at the hotel and having dinner, we went over to visit a very nice tourist shop by the Mount of Temptation. Its only been open for about 2.5 weeks. Im not much of a shopper, but it was impressive. And, uncharacteristically, we laid out an impressive sum (for us, anyway), on Palestinian-made glassware. I feel especially good about it because Im happy to do something to support the Palestinian economy here in Jericho. Im glad to see such facilities beginning to appear.

Posted from Jericho, Palestine
Ive fallen a bit behind in my (already rather perfunctory) trip journal, so heres an attempt to catch up:

We began yesterday with a visit to the Wadi al-Hammam, the Valley of the Doves, which begins at Magdala, just below the cliffs of Mount Arbel. This was almost certainly the valley through which Jesus would have walked between Nazareth and Capernaum. As usual, we had the place pretty much to ourselves, along with some cows and calves.

Then we visited Tabgha (Arabic for a meal), the name of which is a corruption of the original Greek Heptapegon (or Seven Fountains). Its the traditional site of the miracle of the loaves and fishes.

On the traditional Mount of Beatitudes (one of the prettiest places in Israel), I offered a few remarks to my group on the first part of the Sermon on the Mount.

Then we visited the waterfalls at Banias (named after the Greek god of wild places, Pan) and, following lunch amid very atypical flowing streams and greenery, went to another of my favorite places, Caesarea Philippi, where Jesus asked Peter Whom do men say that I, the Son of Man, am? and spoke to him of the keys of the kingdom, the sealing power, and the gates of Hell (or, better, Hades). I love this place, because the physical setting helps to understand the relevant scriptural passage in Matthew.

From Caesarea Philippi, we drove past the Crusader-era Ayyubid fortress of Nimrod and through the Druze villages of the Golan Heights up to the top of Mount Bental. From there, standing beside a United Nations observation post, we looked out over Syria and back toward Mount Hermon and Lebanon. I delivered a very basic summary of Islamic history to all three bus groups there, trying to put the current crises in the Middle East (and particularly in Syria) into context.

Driving back to Tiberias via the village of Bethsaida (the original home of Peter, Phillip, and Andrew), we closed the evening with a fireside at which Jack Welch, Brent Top, and I spoke. (The LDS sabbath in Israel is on Saturday, but Church policy doesnt currently allow us to hold sacrament services ourselves, so this fireside was an attempt to do something sabbath-like. Of course, most of the day was already quite sabbath-consistent.)

One of the great pleasures of this particular trip is having our longtime friend and colleague Louis Midgley along on our bus. As we drove up and down from the Golan Heights, he shared with us some of his passionate expertise on figs andolives and their use as scriptural imagery. Perhaps relatively few are aware that, along with his professional career in political philosophy and his strong interest in philosophical theology and Mormon subjects, he is also a very serious amateur horticulturalist. Lou recently turned 85, and hes remarkably vigorous. Its a delight to have him with us.

Posted from Jericho, Palestine
Photography was not permitted in the Celts exhibit. The picture of the torque is from the National Museum of Ireland in Dublin. The picture of the Gundestrup Cauldron is from Wikimedia Commons.

The Gundestrup Cauldron is a silver bowl about 27 inches in diameter. It is heavily decorated on both the interior and exterior with scenes from Celtic mythology. Its about 2100 years old and it was found in a bog in Denmark 1891. Its normally on display in the National Museum of Denmark in Copenhagen.

The Cernunnos pendant I often wear in ritual is modeled after one of the scenes on the Cauldron. Whether this deity is actually Cernunnos is impossible to say with certainty, though I think He is, both from the (very limited) historical evidence and from my own UPG. I have wanted to see the Cauldron in person ever since I began wearing the pendant, and when I heard it would be in Edinburgh during our trip I made plans to see it.

The Gundestrup Cauldron is part of the Celts exhibit, a collection of artwork by people who are generally considered Celts. It covers about 2500 years of time, from the earliest mention of Celts to the present. My experience of the Cauldron was amazing, magical, and holy. But first I want to talk a little about the Celts exhibit as a whole.

The Celts Exhibit

Celtic refers to language and culture, not a bloodline. If youre not familiar with that concept, the introduction on the Celts Wikipedia page provides a nice summary. The introduction on the National Museum of Scotland website says:

The idea of a shared Celtic heritage across ancient Europe retains a powerful hold over the popular imagination. But many common ideas about the people known as Celts are in fact more recent re-imaginings, revived and reinvented over the centuries.

The collection is beautiful and powerful. In addition to the Gundestrup Cauldron, it includes the Battersea Shield, numerous gold torques, an ancient musical instrument called a carnyx, various stone carvings, statues, jewelry, and other objects. Whoever put the collection together did an outstanding job of telling the story of the Celtic peoples through the artwork they created.

The interpretations, though, leave much to be desired  particularly the short films running on continuous loops at key points in the exhibit. The worst showed examples of Celtic knot work and then claimed it was derived from Greek and Roman art. Now, I was at Bru na Boinne two days earlier  I saw the carvings on the stones at Newgrange, Knowth, and Dowth. Those stones were not carved by Celts, but they were there when the Celts and Celtic culture arrived in Ireland and Britain. To my eye, the Celtic knot work owes more to the stone carvings than to any borrowing from Greece and Rome.

The impact of the Romans on Britain (and through Britain, on America) is huge, but it is not the only influence. Both historically and religiously, I could have done with a lot less talk about Rome in an exhibit on Celts.

But thats a minor complaint  I still greatly enjoyed the exhibit. The Celts exhibit is at the National Museum of Scotland in Edinburgh through September 25. Museum entry is free  the Celts exhibit is 10 and tickets are available online. We visited on a Wednesday morning and crowds were very small  I imagine that will change on weekends and in the summer.

The Gundestrup Cauldron

The Cauldron is what I came to Edinburgh to see. Its located about halfway through the exhibit in its own area. When I saw the entrance, I turned my back  I wanted to finish looking at the nearby artifacts, then give the Cauldron my full attention. When I was ready, I turned around and saw the Cauldron for the first time with my own eyes.

I got nothing.

Dont misunderstand  its beautiful. Its bigger than I had imagined, and the relief artwork is deeper and more pronounced. I found the Cernunnos panel and was surprised that it was on the inside of the cauldron  I knew the artwork was on both the interior and exterior, but for some reason I had assumed that panel was on the outside. Some of the other panels I recognized, some I had never seen even in pictures. It was beautiful, but it carried no more magic for me than any of the other pieces in the museum.

I didnt know there was also a panel in the bottom of the cauldron. It wasnt part of the original design  it was added after a hole developed in the bottom of the bowl. Whatever the Gundestrup Cauldron was used for, it was a working tool, not a display of wealth (well, not only a display of wealth). I looked down into the Cauldron, examining the patch panel, then my eyes moved to the smooth silver of the bowl itself.

And then the magic hit me.

I had it wrong all along. The artwork doesnt make the Cauldron sacred. The Cauldron  the bowl, the working part of the vessel  makes the artwork sacred. This is a vessel of the Earth, made from metals of the Earth, made by people of the Earth. The magic of the Gundestrup Cauldron flows up, not down. While it invokes the Gods and heroes depicted on its sides, it does so to honor them, not to draw on their power.

It was overwhelming. I wanted to drink from the Cauldron, but I didnt have to physically consume anything to be filled with its magic, its power, and its holiness. I dont know how long I stood there taking it all in.

Eventually it was time to move on. The exhibit wasnt crowded, but there were others who wanted close access to the Cauldron and while I was honored to share this experience with my traveling companions, I didnt particularly want to share it with strangers.

Im reluctant to draw sweeping conclusions based on this one experience, particularly in light of the experiences I had and the work I did in Orkney. But if nothing else, this serves as a reminder that magic and holiness can often be found in ordinary places, even (especially) when surrounded by extraordinary beauty.

If you can get to Edinburgh before the end of September, go see Celts, and experience the Gundestrup Cauldron for yourself.
Patna: Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) President Lalu Prasad Yadav, upon his return to Patna from Delhi on Monday, much to the chagrin of Janata Dal  U leader and Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, admitted that the unification of the 'Janata Parivar' was not possible before the Assembly elections in Bihar slated to be held in November this year.

Agreeing with the Samajwadi Party (SP) leader Ram Gopal Yadav who had earlier said that it was not possible to complete the merger process of the six 'like-minded' parties before the Bihar Assembly polls due to certain technical reasons, the RJD chief said that the official merger was just a matter of time but at this time the two parties, the RJD and the JD-U, would contest election with a clear seat-sharing understanding to stop the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) from coming into power.

"There is no doubt about the merger which is on the right track. However, it seems it will not take place before the state elections in Bihar," the former Chief Minister who has been barred by the Election Commission from contesting any election due to his conviction in the fodder scam, told the reporters.

Yadav said that the JD-U and the RJD have already reached agreement on seat sharing and there were only a handful of seats where talks were on for possible adjustments.

This comes just hours after Nitish Kumar, during his Janata Durbar on Monday, maintained the merger was on track and people must not read too much into Ram Gopal Yadav's statement since he did not have the final word on the issue.

JD-U state President Vashisht Narayan Singh also stuck to the party memo not to admit that the merger talks had failed.

"Mr. Yadav (Ram Gopal) has made some very valid points but one should not conclude that the merger process was off the track. These things do take a lot of time so one should not rush to any judgment," Singh said.
South Korea President Arrives In Tehran For Historic Visit

05/01/16

Source: Press TV

South Korean President Park Geun-hye has arrived in the Iranian capital Tehran for a historic visit to strengthen political and economic relations between the two countries. Park landed in Mehrabad Airport on Sunday for a three-day official visit together with representatives from some 236 South Korean companies and organizations. She was welcomed by Iran's Industry, Mines and Trade Minister Mohammad Reza Nematzadeh.



South Korean President Park Geun-hye was welcomed by Iran's Industry, Mines and Trade Minister Mohammad Reza Nematzadeh upon her arrival in the Iranian capital, Tehran, for a historic visit, May 1, 2016. (IRNA Photo)

(photo by

South Korean President Park Geun-hye was welcomed by Iran's Industry, Mines and Trade Minister Mohammad Reza Nematzadeh upon her arrival in the Iranian capital, Tehran, for a historic visit, May 1, 2016. (IRNA Photo)(photo by Islamic Republic News Agency



The South Korean president will meet with President Hasan Rouhani on Monday in the first meeting between the two countries' leaders since the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two governments in 1962.

The two presidents are expected to discuss on a wide range of issues, from energy and infrastructure to developments in the Middle East and the Korean Peninsula. The two sides will reportedly seal deals worth over 10bn.

South Korea is eager to participate in Iran's development projects and expand economic cooperation to communication technology, information, healthcare and culture.

This comes in a series of visits by world leaders to Tehran after the implementation of a nuclear agreement, dubbed the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), which was reached between Iran and the P5+1 group of countries in July 2015.





South Korean President Park Geun-hye at a meeting with Iran's Industry, Mines and Trade Minister Mohammad Reza Nematzadeh (photo by

South Korean President Park Geun-hye at a meeting with Iran's Industry, Mines and Trade Minister Mohammad Reza Nematzadeh (photo by Islamic Republic News Agency



Iran and the five permanent members of the UN Security Council - the United States, France, Britain, China and Russia - plus Germany started to implement the JCPOA on January 16.

After the JCPOA went into effect, all nuclear-related sanctions imposed on Iran by the European Union, the Security Council and the US were lifted. Iran, in return, has put some limitations on its nuclear activities.

The nuclear agreement was signed on July 14, 2015 following two and a half years of intensive talks.

South Korea has been a major importer of Iran's crude oil. It sharply increased its crude oil purchase from Iran after the sanctions were removed.

Last year, South Korea imported US$2.20 billion worth of crude oil from Iran, down 51 percent from the previous year and far lower than $9.36 billion in 2011.

However, in the first three months of this year, South Korean imports of Iranian crude jumped 17.6 percent on-year to $629 million, with the volume reaching 22.85 million barrels.
Riverside County sheriffs deputies were searching for a man suspected of robbing a San Jacinto business at gunpoint on Saturday, April 30, authorities said.

Deputies received a report of a robbery around 5:15 p.m. at a business in the area of North State Street and North Ramona Boulevard, according to Riverside County sheriffs Deputy Armando Munoz.

When deputies arrived, they were told that the man had gone into the business, shown a handgun and demanded money, Munoz said. The man fled the business with an undisclosed amount of cash.

Sheriffs deputies were still investigating, Munoz said, and searching the area for the suspect shortly after 7 p.m.

Sheriffs officials are encouraging anyone who may have information about the suspect or robbery to contact investigators at the San Jacinto Police Department at 951-654-2702.

Contact the writer: agroves@pressenterprise.com or @AlexDGroves on Twitter.
Big changes are in the works at Mount Palomar Winery, which could soon add a three-story hotel, an 1,800-seat amphitheater, dozens of villas, a wine cave and an island that can be booked for weddings.

Owner Louis Darwish has been working on the plans since he bought the property in 2006. The county recently moved the project forward when it approved the additions and a noise ordinance exemption for the amphitheater, which will be nestled in a valley on the other side of a ridge near the winerys bistro.

Slotting the venue, which will be one of the largest in Temecula Wine Country and southwest Riverside County, in a valley may help lessen noise impacts in other parts of the region, which includes homeowners who have complained in the past about noise from wineries disturbing their evenings.

The topography of this land is phenomenal, said Kris May, the winerys operations director.

Darwish said the villas, which will be built in the first phase of the project, and the hotel should help him compete against wineries that are offering three or four weddings a weekend. Right now, hes only able to offer one a day at his property, and he cant offer the wedding parties on-site accommodations, which send people to wineries Old Town Temecula, the Pechanga Resort & Casino or Murrieta for lodging.

The addition of the island, which was sketched out after the county nixed a 2-acre lake because of state water considerations, also should help the propertys wedding and special-event business, which accounts for about half of the winerys revenue.

The project was approved under the Wine Country community plan, a framework that was drafted to give the area a uniform set of guidelines to help foster growth. Getting the project approved was a coup for Darwish, 72, but he said hes not focused on how it will help him or his business, which has been honored for its white and red table wines.

This is a project for all Wine Country, he said. We want to support our neighbors.

His neighbors  wineries such as Ponte, Wilson Creek and South Coast  have been making upgrades to their properties in recent years, and wineries to the south off De Portola Road have grown into a legitimate complement to the more established operations off Rancho California Road.

The combined efforts of the wineries, Darwish said, should help the region as it evolves from an area known as a weekend destination into a haven for vacationers, who may stay for days at a time.

Thats why the amphitheater is important, May said. People need things to do if theyre going to be there for a week, and big-name concerts at an amphitheater at a winery may fill that need.

Its something you see in Los Angeles or New York, she said.

Danny Martin, a winery appraiser who serves on the Rancho California Water Districts board, said he is happy for Darwish but added that there have been some grumblings since the countys approval.

Martin said some of his Wine Country clients have expressed concerns about the project because of the potential for noise issues and the additional traffic on Rancho California Road.

Darwish and May said the plans conform to the new guidelines approved by the county.

Countless traffic studies

Thats already been addressed, May said. We had to do countless reports about noise and traffic.

In the noise exemption approved by the county, there is language that calls for monitoring and there is a cap of 52 shows a year. In addition, all shows are required to end by 10 p.m., which is the same curfew for other parts of the region.

Darwish has not announced dates for when he might start construction on the additions, which could generate an additional 300 jobs for the region. He said hes still in the process of talking with prospective investors and partners.

The addition of a new hotel and amphitheater in Wine Country was cheered by Visit Temecula Valley, the regions convention and visitors bureau.

We definitely support that and anything else the businesses can do to enhance the Temecula Valley experience, said marketing manager Annette Brown, who said the region hosts around 3,000 weddings a year.

A couple of years ago, Darwish caused a stir in Wine Country by proposing a high-density housing development on a corner of his acreage, but he has completely abandoned those plans because of concerns expressed by the community and county officials.

Contact the writer: 951-368-9698 or aclaverie@pressenterprise.com
A fire at a 5,000-square-foot church prompted the closure of a portion of Highway 74 in Homeland on Saturday night, April 30, according to initial reports.

The fire was reported about 8 p.m. at a building in the 31400 block of Highway 74, according to a Riverside County Fire/Cal Fire news release.

UPDATE: Investigators looking into cause of fire that gutted church

About 45 firefighters went to the two-alarm blaze. Southern California Edison was also there to deal with an electrical hazard of some kind.

It wasnt immediately clear on Saturday what the cause of the fire was or how much the church had been damaged.

The stretch of Highway 74 where the building that caught fire was located was shut down in both directions, officials say. The California Highway Patrol was directing traffic through the area. The road was reopened shortly before 9:40 p.m.

This is a developing story. Check back for additional details.

Contact the writer: 951-368-9693 or agroves@pressenterprise.com
If the fire that gutted Community First Church of God in Homeland this weekend was a test of faith, the churchs leaders say theyve come out stronger than ever.

We lost a building, but the building is not the church, Pastor Mike Gratzke said Sunday evening. Our faith has not been burned at all.

He said he had been getting calls all day long from church leaders across the country showing their support, while Pastor Rocky Moore said the approximately 75-member congregation was pulling together.

Its been a rough day, but through this is when the people of our church come together and persevere, Moore said.

Gratzke said church leaders met Sunday at his house and came up with a plan for moving forward. The church will rebuild at its current location, he said, where it has stood for about 25 years.

Were not going to build on the past. Were going to start new, he said.

Meanwhile Sunday, investigators  including a canine trained to smell petroleum-based products that can start fires  were at the scene trying to determine how the fire started.

The fire was reported about 8 p.m. Saturday at the church at 31371 Highway 74, in the community of Homeland between Hemet and Menifee. About 45 firefighters responded, as did Southern California Edison crews. Highway 74 was closed until about 9:40 p.m. No one was injured.

A rooftop cross on the front of the church still stands, though partly scorched and at a tilt, and the roof over a rear entrance remained intact, but the rest of the roof between those sections was destroyed. Inside, the church was filled with charred pews and debris from the collapsed roof.

Debris and mud in the rear parking lot Sunday morning attested to the volume of water used to extinguish the blaze. The smell of wet wood lingered.

Because the fire occurred at a house of worship, the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives is leading the investigation into what happened.

Six to eight ATF investigators were there Sunday, spokeswoman Meredith Davis said via email. They will dig down to the slab, and those findings will dictate the course of the investigation.

Additionally, the ATF brought in an accelerant detection canine and handler from the Los Angeles Fire Department.

The fire can char or consume evidence of a crime, Davis wrote. The fire suppression efforts may also dilute a product so that it is not detectable to the human nose. We smell in parts per million, whereas canines smell in parts per quadrillion.

Gratzke said if the community wants to show its support, everyone is welcome to attend the next services on Sunday, May 8. The time and location are yet to be determined, but people can call the church at 951-926-1345 to find out later in the week.

Moore said the church across the street, New Life Fellowship, has offered to let them hold services there, and they are thinking of holding tent services in the parking lot.

He said the church is a Christian church with a free or open style of worship.

You can be quiet, or a hallelujah guy like me, Moore said.

Aaron Englehart lives in a fifth-wheel trailer behind the back parking lot. He said he has attended the church for about four years, and he volunteers to do maintenance and help out where I can.

Im distraught, Englehart said Sunday morning. But at the same time we will rebuild.
Laura Densmore is a co-founder of the Salute to Veterans Parade. She has seen them all.

On Saturday morning, April 30, as the 11th annual edition of the parade was getting started in downtown Riverside she manned her post near the review stand and pointed out a bit of history.

This is the first time weve had rain, said Densmore.

The clouds looked threatening and the crowd was a little sparse but a few hundred people lined Market Street as the Patriot Guard Riders, the first of some 100 units scheduled to take part in the parade, led things off a little after 10 a.m.

Although the skies were overcast there was nothing more than a few brief spells of drizzle during the parade. Densmore did say the pancake breakfast scheduled for 7 a.m. was hit by an early morning shower.

We had some rain in the morning but we made the best of it, said Cheryl-Marie Hansberger, a member of the parade committee.

Once the procession got underway it included bagpipers from the UC Riverside Pipe Band, fire engines from the City of Riverside Fire Department and representatives from all the branches of military service.

Riverside resident Rear Adm. Allen E. Boot Hill, a highly decorated fighter pilot who served in Korea and Vietnam, was this years Grand Marshall.

As the 1st Marine Division Band from Camp Pendleton marched its way down Market Street, 4-year-old Hudson Reynolds of Riverside stood at attention and saluted the Marines. Tyler Reynolds, 40, Hudsons father, stood next to Hudson as the band filed past and turned on 10th Street, near the end of the mile-and-a-half parade route.

I do not have a military background but my father was a United States Marine in Vietnam and my grandfather was in World War II in the Coast Guard, said Tyler Reynolds. A lot of our family and friends are U.S. veterans so we all come out here to support them.

And I want to pass that on to my little son. Make sure that he respects them and pays tribute to these guys.

U.S. Rep. Mark Takano, D-Riverside, state Sen. Richard Roth and Riverside Mayor Rusty Bailey all attended the parade. And Riverside Councilman Mike Gardner participated on his Segway.

Riverside has been a military town since before World War I, said Gardner. So our community has been very supportive of the military for years. The military has helped the community grow. Oranges and the military are what made Riverside.

Densmore, a former member of the Riverside City Council helped initiate the parade with her husband, Bill, who served in the Coast Guard and was Riverside Countys Veterans Services officer for 34 years.

Riverside is military because of March Air Force Base, said Densmore. You know our Chamber of Commerce has a military affairs committee. Theres a lot of people that ended up in Riverside because they were based here. They just happened to stay.

Contact the writer: 951-368-9682 or tsheridan@pressenterprise.com
A teen has been arrested, an ambulance doused in petrol and paramedics abused by revellers after a house party in Sydneys south-west officially turned feral overnight.

Emergency services were called to the party in Rossmore at around 11.30, after reports that a 14-year-old boy had fallen into a bonfire; it was later established that his injuries occurred when he threw petrol onto the blaze.

Ambulance and NSW Rural Fire Service officers arrived at the scene and an attempt was made to treat the boy, who suffered facial burns, but when attempts were made to extinguish the bonfire, party-goers rebelled.

Police were called for backup, and an 18-year-old was arrested, after a group of teenagers allegedly poured petrol over an ambulance that had been left at the scene.

Fire crews were called to hose down the affected vehicle, and a NSW Ambulance representative later said:

Both the paramedic and the ambulance vehicle which responded to this incident were able to return to duty. As this matter is the subject of an ongoing police investigation we will not be providing further comment at this time.



The 14-year-old was taken to Westmead Hospital, while the 18-year-old has been charged with malicious damage, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison. He is expected to face court later this month.

Source: Fairfax.
Harm reduction proponents, rejoice: a proposed pilot run of pill-testing at music festivals may be closer to fruition, as the pair behind the idea have revealed theyve been in high-level talks with several state police departments.

But, still, theres been no progress in New South Wales  where they originally planned to roll out the program at Splendour In The Grass and the now-defunct Stereosonic.

The Canberra Times report physician David Caldicott explained last week how far the discussions had gone, saying There are very senior police supporting us currently. There are very senior politicians supporting us currently.

We are now working out how we can have a system in place for the forthcoming festival season.

Caldicott also confirmed the progress wasnt just talk, with funding for the program apparently already in the pipeline. Still, the states in question werent named.

This news comes on the tail of two suspected overdoses at Groovin The Moo in Maitland, which left a 15-year-old in a critical condition.

On those incidents, Caldicott said the fact that people got sick there, the fact they were so young, obviously emphasises the ongoing need for this.

Even the experts have underestimated the nature of the market. It is absolutely going to be far worse next season.

Of course, the NSW state government has been consistently adamant that such programs would increase drug use and wouldnt really help anyone but suppliers. And theyd still be illegal there, anyway.

If these trials do kick off elsewhere  and if their results are as positive as many, many experts believe em to be  then maybe, just maybe, Australia could embrace a new way of dealing with a very serious problem.

Source: Canberra Times.

Photo: Tao Jones / Groovin The Moo / Facebook.
Amy Schumer has declared that she is done taking photos with fans after a dude, clearly without any sort of chill, approached her on the street and scared the shit out of her after a show in South Carolina.

The comedian was walking down the street in Greenville on Saturday, having performed there the night before, when the man approached, in front of his family, and got a little too aggressive in asking for a photo.

Schumer snapped a photo of the guy in question, seemingly unaware that hed gotten up in her personal space, and shared it on Instagram, explaining what had happened. She said:

This guy in front of his family just ran up next to me scared the shit out of me. Put a camera in my face. I asked him to stop and he said no its America and we paid for you this was in front of his daughter. I was saying stop and no. Great message to your kid. Yes legally you are allowed to take a picture of me. But I was asking you to stop and saying no. I will not take picture with people anymore and its because of this dude in Greenville.

Later, on Twitter, Schumer explained that: Ill still take pictures with nice people when I choose to if its a good time for that. But I dont owe you anything, [so] dont take if I say no.

Source: NY Daily News.

Photo: Team GT / Getty.
The York man who led a one-night spree of robberies and attempted robberies that ended in a fatal shooting was sentenced to life in prison on Friday.

Jeffrey A. Reid Jr., 29, was sentenced by York County Judge Harry M. Ness to life in prison on charges of first-degree murder in the shooting death of Dashaun Davis. He was also convicted March 10 of robbery, conspiracy, prohibited possession of a firearm, and two counts of attempted robbery.

Jeffrey A. Reid.

According to testimony at trial, Reid led a crime spree on July 19, 2014 with several other people in an attempt to get money to leave town.

They attempted several robberies on the 600 block of West Philadelphia Street and the 200 block of Union Street before finding Davis in his car.

York County First Assistant District Attorney Jennifer Russell said after trial this was not a random shooting, and one of the members of Reid's "robbery crew" was texting Davis as a distraction.

Though Reid was not the one who pulled the trigger, Russell said he was the ringleader of the spree and should be held accountable for Davis' death.

The one who is accused of pulling the trigger, Naquan Coakely, 24, is awaiting the outcome of a competency examination before his case can go to trial.

Two others in the group who previously pleaded guilty to attempted robbery and conspiracy were sentenced Friday, as well.

Dashaun Davis.

Shonique Smith-Hanna, 26, is looking at 30 to 60 months of confinement, and Malik C. Williams, 20, was sentenced to 4 1/2 to 9 years behind bars.
Nearly a week after a controversial Donald Trump rally and an opposing student demonstration hit campus, West Chester University of Pennsylvania interim president Chris Fiorentino is defending his decision to allow the frontrunner to appear there, invoking the school's history of political showcasing and the need to challenge student beliefs in an era of political correctness on campus.

In an interview with radio's Dom Giordano of Philadelphia on Saturday, Fiorentino said the Trump rally was a "great opportunity to challenge our students," and that while many expressed anger at Trump's message, "one of the basic tenets of our democracy is free speech and that's one thing we need to establish and maintain."

Fiorentino faced a strong backlash from students at the university, located in suburban Philadelphia, after announcing the Trump rally days before it took place Monday, on the eve of the Pennsylvania primary.

The event drew thousands of Trump supporters to the campus and hundreds of protesters, some backing Democratic presidential candidate, senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.).

And while members of the two groups sparred verbally for much of the afternoon under a building police presence that included officers in tactical gear, there were no initial reports of injuries or arrests.

But there was clearly frustration, and much of it was directed at Fiorentino and the administration's decision to allow the Trump campaign to hold an event there. Students in the anti-Trump crowd said they felt the campaign and candidate ran counter to the university's "ethic of civility," and went beyond free speech to hate speech.

In response, Fiorentino said Saturday that the Trump campaign contacted the university and asked to rent its field house for the event. Fiorentino said political figures from Barack Obama to George W. Bush have all done similarly in the past.

Fiorentino also said that while the university took steps to ensure the physical safety of students and staff during the Trump event, it was not there to ensure their "emotional safety" as well.

The interim university president told Giordano that he believes institutions of higher learning should not be ideological "safe zones" for students, but rather places where students are exposed to competing and conflicting schools of thought.

It's a controversial sentiment, but one shared by many others both inside and outside of academia. This after a year of near constant conflict on college campuses nationwide and debates about colleges as "safe zones" where politically correct atmospheres are rigorously cultivated.

"I disagree with what's happening on a lot of college campuses. I don't think our responsibility is to protect the established views of our students ... these students need to be challenged in their beliefs. That's the whole point of an education," Fiorentino said.

He added, "I'm frustrated with what I hear about on other college campuses, with visitors and guests like Condoleezza Rice and others having been uninvited because of their views."

But some West Chester University students said the views expressed by Trump's campaign are incendiary and dangerous, not just controversial or unpopular.

Among the protesters, Mike Peterman, a veteran of the War in Afghanistan and a student, said he was deeply concerned about what he sees as the "racial component" of Trump's campaign and criticized its visit to a campus with its own racial issues.

"We don't want hate on our campus and we already have racial hatred here. There's been issues for a couple of years now and they've been putting Band-Aids on it," he said. Online records list the college as 80 percent white and 10 percent African American.

Chloe Neal, another student protester and herself a victim of campus sexual assault, said Trump's campaign signaled a move in the wrong direction on how similar issues are talked about publicly.

"There's been a lot of heat in the last year on the subject of sexual assault here and this is directly related to the things this man [Trump] is saying. He supports the breakdown of women and the disrespect of women which feeds into that. And that's very alive on our campus."

On Saturday, Fiorentino acknowledged concerns like these, saying "We have African American students who continue to face racism and we continue to have problems of bias against gays and lesbians. These are real issues that are out there and these are issues that are important to us. But we need to be both sensitive to the issues and we need to try to establish a culture of civility on our campus, but at the same time we can't ignore what's going on in the world around us."

He added, "What I said to students on Monday is Donald Trump is probably going to win the Republican primary in Pennsylvania, and so this is not just an issue of him being here on Monday. If there are issues around his candidacy and his views, these are issues with the overall society and you can't hide from what's going on in society while you're in college ... If you come in hoping to have a safe space for four years and then go out into the world, what have we done to prepare you for the challenges you're going to see out in the world?"

Fiorentino also disagreed with characterizations of Trump's message as hate speech, but said free speech protects the use of offensive or vile language, too.

"You think back to the march on Skokie by the KKK in an earlier time. Free speech tends to fall on the side of allowing things to happen rather than stifling them," he said.

"The principle of free speech is something we have to guard carefully, and we made the judgment that we were going to proceed with this [Trump event]. He's a presidential candidate, and if the Sanders camp or Hillary Clinton's camp would have approached us, we would have welcomed them, too."
A former circus lion peers from inside a cage during their arrival at OR Tambo International airport in Johannesburg, South Africa, Saturday, April 30, 2016. Thirty-three lions rescued from various circuses in Peru and Colombia are heading to Johannesburg live out the rest of their lives in a private sanctuary in South Africa, organized and paid for by Animal Defenders International. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe)
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ISSUES....

Inside, confidential and off the record

Washington's wildest party



I reported on Washington's biggest party for journalists.

Now I'm an outcast.



During last year's White House Correspondents Dinner, I remember nodding along with my television set when Christi Parsons, a reporter for the Chicago Tribune and Los Angeles Times and The White House Correspondents' Association President gave her opening remarks.

I think of this as a rite of spring, Parsons said , a time when we recommit ourselves  as a group, publicly  to the common purpose that brings us all together: The fight for openness, transparency and press freedom for ourselves and people everywhere.

What I've come to discover in the year since those lofty, inspirational remarks were delivered is that while White House reporters make their living doing the important work of asking tough questions of others, they don't often enjoy having tough questions asked of them.

I know this because I asked those very questions.

I covered the White House Correspondents' Association's annual dinner for a decade as a reporter for Politico, the Washington Examiner and mediabistro's FishbowlDC website, and I watched it grow from a relatively tame event during the George W. Bush administration into what it is nowadays: A nearly week-long affair that brings in an endless parade of celebrities, corporate sponsorships and related parties (two dozen at this point).

And I was as much of a partaker in the fun and frivolity as anyone. I'd grab up free swag as if I was a contestant on Nickelodeon's Super Toy Run game show. I'd clamor for selfies with celebrities. I'd try to hit up as many parties as possible, just to  I'm not totally sure  say that I did ?

And when the inconvenience of having to do my actual day job (that is, journalism) reared its head, I'd inevitably glamorize the whole spectacle by asking such hard-hitting questions as, Are you excited to meet Justin Bieber? and Who did you party with last night?

But, like an ice cream vendor, if you hang around the sweet and sugary stuff long enough, you're eventually going to need a major detox if you ever want to live with yourself. For me, that urge to self-cleanse came in 2014.

I left my job at Politico at that time to work on my first documentary,  Nerd Prom: Inside Washington's Wildest Week , and what I initially intended to be a rather simple, innocent portrait of an interesting event turned into a critical look at Washington's biggest annual event as my reporting inevitably revealed some ugly truths. What was billed as a celebration of journalism, political correspondents and college scholarships was nothing more than a fabulous business, marketing and branding opportunity for endless entities.

The film paints an unflattering picture of the dinner and its related festivities, but not in a sensational or irresponsible way. And that's just not director's pride speaking: The Association's previous president, Christi Parsons, told me after viewing the movie that, while she didn't share all of the film's viewpoints, there was nothing in the movie that was factually inaccurate. On Twitter, former White House correspondent Joe Curl called the film  tough but fair . One former White House Correspondents' Association president told me recently that The thing you need to know about your movie is: It could have been so much meaner.

Still, blowback came.

I received emails from the Association's lawyer telling me that I had, despite my efforts at fairness, taken cheap shots by pointing out that the Association spends more on CEO compensation than program services, a practice almost unheard of in the world of nonprofits. But the truth is the truth, and the facts about the Association's spending were backed up by reporting published in The Washington Post , the Washingtonian and the nation's leading charity watchdog, Charity Navigator.

When the movie premiered in Washington last April, White House correspondent Bill Press asked during the subsequent Q&A whether I'd ever eat lunch in this town again; and, drawing upon my history of gossipy coverage of the dinner that I copped to in the film's first five minutes, bluntly wondered: Aren't you the last one to criticize other reporters? (As it happens, I still eat lunch in this town  but some invitations I used to count on have now begun to vanish.)

When the film recently screened at a film festival, one former White House Correspondents' Association president told me during a Q&A that the film had, in many respects, tarred and feathered the good work of White House correspondents and the Association itself.

So audacious was my turn to serious journalism that both Press (in a post-screening Q&A) and the Daily Beast's Lloyd Grove (in his review of the film) accused me of simply acting. Washington's appetite for born-again journalism, it seems, has its limits.

The ripple effects have extended beyond the simple film itself. I recently joined the White House press corps in covering daily White House press briefings only to find that many of the people I used to be friendly with now brush past me with a glare. It's an uncomfortable feeling  a what is he doing here? aura that hangs like a dark cloud over less prestigious reporters, and, in my case, outcasts.

It's been hard not to notice being ostracized and ridiculed by many associated with the dinner for the simple task of doing the very thing that the weekend is supposed to celebrate: Journalism. Some of the White House correspondents who sat down for interviews with me for the film now no longer return my emails and phone calls, regardless of the topic.

It's been a year since the film came out, but I'm sad to say that not much has changed. I recently contacted every board member and officer of the White House Correspondents' Association in anticipation of this year's dinner to ask for an interview about the Association's practices and less than half got back to me. And, due to personal or scheduling conflicts, none were able to talk. The Association's executive director said she was too busy planning the dinner to answer any questions. (To her credit, the Association's current president, Carol Lee of the Wall Street Journal, and The Association's lawyer took significant time to answer a number of my questions by email).

Journalists ought to stand up for rigorous reporting, even if it is at their expense. We always hear that reporters have the thinnest skin of all, but this character trait ought to be filed under room for improvement instead of standard operating procedure. After all, journalism's most important trait is its commitment to exposing the truth in the full. If we can't commit ourselves to doing that, what's left about the profession to celebrate?

If there is one common response I get to my film, it is that the film's final moments  an extensive and exhaustive account of why the work of White House correspondents is important, under attack and worthy of our support  are among its most powerful. It is a call to action to support journalism, transparency and access  the very things that the White House Correspondents' Association's mission statement (which, by the way, qualifies it as a 501c3 nonprofit thanks to its charitable and educational objectives) espouses explicitly: To promote excellence in journalism and educate the public about the field of journalism and the process of reporting about the White House.

As the nation's eyes descend upon the Washington Hilton this Saturday to watch the Association's annual dinner, I hope that Americans overlook the glitz and glamour in order to pick up on  and rally behind  this important cause.

And the Association that throws that very dinner? They ought to embrace that cause as well.
Philippine Airlines currently serves only one destination in Europe, which is London's Heathrow Airport. According to PAL President Jaime Bautista, the carrier is studying possible destinations in Europe in anticipation of the arrival of the Airbus A350 aircraft.





"We will be able to fly to new destinations in Europe when we take delivery of our Airbus 350, which will be in 2018," said Bautista. "But as early as now, we are already conducting a study on which of the destinations in Europe we'll fly to."





Bautista identified the four European cities on the sidelines of a press conference to announce the launch of flights to Philippine Airlines' 44th international destination: Saipan. The national flag carrier will begin twice weekly flights to its latest destination beginning on June 15.





Although Spain was not included in the short list of European destinations, a Spanish website is reporting that Philippine Airlines has opted to fly to Barcelona, rather than Madrid if it decides to launch flights to Spain.





According to the website, Philippine Airlines plans to take advantage of the growing traffic between Manila and Barcelona with the aim of launching non-stop flights by 2018. Industry insiders in Spain indicate that PAL's studies reveal that there is more traffic between Manila and Barcelona, compared to Manila and Madrid.





However, the studies also reveal that the current volume of traffic between Manila and Spain does not make a route feasible at the present time. But if the current growth trend on the route persists into the future, the airline could reach a break-even point within a few years.





Meanwhile, Philippine Airlines recently finalized the purchase of six A350-900 aircraft from Airbus in France after signing a memorandum of understanding to acquire the aircraft earlier this year. PAL also holds an option to acquire an additional six aircraft. The carrier intends to operate the aircraft on non-stop flights to the United States and new destinations in Europe.





The Airbus A350 will become the new flagship of Philippine Airlines' long-haul fleet. The aircraft, which will be configured in a spacious three-class layout will carry more than 300 passengers, while providing a 25 percent reduction in fuel consumption. The aircraft is also expected to lower maintenance costs considerably.





"We are pleased to finalize this important order and are now defining the final layout for the aircraft," said Bautista. "With the A350, we will introduce a whole new level of comfort for long haul flights, with more personal space in all classes, a quieter cabin and the very latest on-board amenities. At the same time, we will benefit from the A350's enhanced efficiency and ability to fly non-stop on even our longest sector from New York to Manila, all year round."




Man accused of slashing another at Center City hotel

A 24-year-old man was arrested and charged with attempted murder and related offenses Saturday after he allegedly slashed another man with a razor inside the Embassy Suites hotel in Center City, police said.

Tyress Salmon, of the Bronx, is accused of stabbing another 24-year-old man inside a room of the hotel on the 1700 block of Benjamin Franklin Parkway, about 1 a.m.

The victim told officers that he had gotten into an argument with Salmon about one of them "not getting ready fast enough to go out to a club," a police report said. The report didn't say who wasn't ready.

The victim told police that he and Salmon then began fighting, and that Salmon slashed him across the neck with a razor, police said.

Medics transported the victim to Hahnemann University Hospital in stable condition.

Police said Salmon was taken into custody at the hotel. There were several witnesses to the incident, but they had fled before officers arrived, police said. - Julie Shaw

Kensington man arrested

after standoff

A Kensington man was arrested Saturday after he allegedly barged into his neighbors' house then barricaded himself in his own home, police said.

Antonio Burgos, 45, of the 3400 block of Crystal Street, was charged with burglary, criminal trespass, and criminal mischief, police said.

A 24-year-old woman who lives next door to Burgos told police that she heard gunshots outside her home about 2:50 a.m. and that Burgos then forced his way into her home through the back door with what appeared to be a gun in his hand.

Police said the woman screamed, then fled out her front door. Her husband, who had been outside, told police he went into their house and saw Burgos flee out their back door and return to his own house.

A police SWAT team was called in when Burgos barricaded himself inside his house. About an hour later, the SWAT team forced its way into Burgos' home and took him into custody without incident, police said.

No one was injured.

Burgos was not charged with any gun offenses. Police said no gun was found on him.

Police also are not certain whether he was the person who was reportedly firing shots on the block. - Julie Shaw
The Final Take

Epic Rides and its merry band of mountain bikers took to the City of Prescott to kick off the 2016 Whiskey Off-Road, and stoke is high for three days of bikes, music, and party - the key ingredients to an Off-Road Series weekend. With a flurry of Day 1 activity, including the 15 mile beginner ride, pro men's and women's fat tire crits, and free community concerts with headlining jams from Phoenix-based, The Haymarket Squares, the stage has been set for the 13th Annual banger on Whiskey Row.A shotgun blast from the Prescott Regulators & their Shady Ladies set the Pro Men to the crowd-lined streets for some fat tire street racing.The men's field bombs down Goodwin Street during the Fat Tire Crit Friday.Todd Wells is going fast these days and starts the weekend with a win.The women make their way to speed down Goodwin during the Fat Tire Crit Friday night.Stan's NoTubes - Pivot rider Rose Grant leads Evelyn Dong into an early corner.Evelyn Dong was untouchable, and took the win by a healthy margin.Sierra Nevada suds and The Haymarket Squares bring a good day to a close.Pro Women Top 5:Pro Men Top 5:Sometimes keeping it simple is the key. High spirits for days from the cool cats of Coaster Culture, who'll be klunking their way through the 50 Proof ride. Cheers gents.
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President Obama ended his final White House Correspondents Dinner with what was the coolest exit by a president in history. The President said, Obama out, dropped the mic and walked away from the podium.

President Obama has always had a serious cool factor working, but he was in rare form at the WHCD. Without having to run for reelection, or worry about governing beyond his final months in office Obama let loose.

The President compared Hillary Clintons appeals to young people to your grandma trying to use Facebook. He got in bundles of jabs at Donald Trump. Most of his humor was aimed at himself, and his buddy movie with John Boehner was a true highlight, but in the end, it was the Obama mic drop that will be remembered.

A president who rode into office on a wave of cool is going out the same way. With his approval ratings on the rise, there has never been a better time for Barack Obama to drop the mic at let everyone know who the man has alway been.

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President Obama was in top form and got in a killer joke about Hillary Clinton being the next president at the White House Correspondents Dinner.

Full video of Obama speech:

https://youtu.be/ZD9YvgTtQWE

Obama joked, Next year at this time, someone else will be standing here in this very spot, and its anyones guess who she will be. The President got in a jab at himself and his promise that eight years ago, he promised to change the tone of American politics. The President added, I should have been more specific.

Video of Obamas Clinton joke:

Obama: Next year someone else will be here, and "it's anyone guess who she will be" #WHCD https://t.co/6OZtrfIwim https://t.co/w9u1yCIqQv  CNN Politics (@CNNPolitics) May 1, 2016

President Obama got in a jab at the birthers by claiming that he has so much older now that he is waiting for his Obamacare death panel. Obama said that since he will be a lame duck in six months, Congress will reject his authority and Republican leaders wont take his phone calls. The President said, This is a curveball. I am going to have to get used to it.

Obama pointed to Senate Republicans in the audience told security to bar the doors, and Judge Merrick Garland to come out so that we could do this right now. Obama joked about toddler Prince George meeting him in his bathrobe, and called it a slap in the face and a breach of protocol.

Later, the President joked about Michelle Obama jumping the White House fence and being brought back by security.

President Obama joked about his approval ratings and said, The last time I was this high, I was trying to decide on my major.

Obama joked to RNC Chairman Reince Priebus congratulations on the Republican nomination process. Its all going great keep it up.

President Obama called Bernie Sanders the bright new face of the Democratic Party, and said, Bernie, you look like a million bucks or to put in terms you understand 37,000 of twenty-seven bucks each.

Obama said that he was he was hurt that Bernie was distancing himself from him and said, Thats just not something you do to your comrade.

President Obama was on his A game, and his delivery was top notch. Nobody was safe from the Presidents jokes. Hillary Clinton, Bernie Sanders, John Kasich, Ted Cruz, and Donald Trump all felt the bite of Obamas jokes.

The President was loose, and this years WHCD has undertones of being a goodbye. This was President Obamas last White House Correspondents Dinner. It was also one of his best.

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It is impossible to escape the conclusion that a century-and-a-half after the bloodiest war in American history, in which some 750,000 men on both sides died, the South is still fighting for its peculiar institution.

The difference today is that the disenfranchised include not just blacks, but women, Latinos, gays, lesbians, transgenders, and Muslims  really anyone who happens not to be a certain type of Christian. In fact, it has become grimly apparent that the only demographic who come under the category people are Fox News white Christian Americans.

It scarce needs be said that this is a depressing state of affairs so long after the issue was settled with the collapse of the Confederacy, which had been founded in defense of slavery, in 1865. But the strong support given Donald Trump by white supremacists, Neo-Nazis and the KKK (a Lot of What He Believes, We Believe), all demonstrate a continuing devotion to the imagined racial superiority of white Europeans.

It could be argued that the adage that The South Will Rise Again was untrue from the first time it was uttered. Slaves were freed, but what replaced slavery  the Jim Crow era  kept black Americans disenfranchised and therefore helpless before the law. What Union troops gave at Gettysburg, Lincolns Last full measure of devotion, was given in vain after all, because in a real real sense, the South never fell.

In a study titled Whose Heritage? Public Symbols of the Confederacy, the Southern Poverty Law Center looks at continued devotion to the Southern cause across the states that once joined to defend slavery.

Following the Charleston massacre, the Southern Poverty Law Center launched an effort to catalog and map Confederate place names and other symbols in public spaces, both in the South and across the nation. This study, while far from comprehensive, identified a total of 1,503.*

Their list includes:

718 monuments and statues, nearly 300 of which are in Georgia, Virginia or North Carolina;

109 public schools named for Robert E. Lee, Jefferson Davis or other Confederate icons;

80 counties and cities named for Confederates;

9 official Confederate holidays in six states; and

10 U.S. military bases named for Confederates.

As we have just seen, the University of Louisville will at long last remove a Confederate monument erected in 1895 to honor Kentuckians who died in defense of slavery.

Some Southerners today will claim these monuments and holidays, and the flag of the Confederacy as part of their heritage, but that very heritage is one of slavery, and as the SPLC puts it, one that conceals the true history of the Confederate States of America.

[T]he argument that the Confederate flag and other displays represent heritage, not hate ignores the near-universal heritage of African Americans whose ancestors were enslaved by the millions in the South. It trivializes their pain, their history and their concerns about racism  whether its the racism of the past or that of today.

There can be no debate as to the causes of the Civil War, that it was fought in defense of slavery. We have the unimpeachable source that is the words of the original Confederates themselves:

The SPLC cites the Mississippi declaration of secession:

Our position is thoroughly identified with the institution of slavery  the greatest material interest of the world.

And the South Carolina Declaration of causes for secession,

A geographical line has been drawn across the Union, and all the States north of that line have united in the election of a man to the high office of President of the United States, whose opinions and purposes are hostile to slavery.

Should there be any remaining doubt why a war was fought, Alexander Stephens, the Confederacys Vice President, in the Cornerstone Address of March 21, 1861, told his audience that,

[T]he new [Confederate] Constitution has put at rest forever all the agitating questions relating to our peculiar institutionsAfrican slavery as it exists among usthe proper status of the negro in our form of civilization. This was the immediate cause of the late rupture and present revolution.

To applause, he went on to say,

Our new Government is founded upon exactly the opposite ideas; its foundations are laid, its cornerstone rests, upon the great truth that the negro is not equal to the white man; that slavery, subordination to the superior race, is his natural and moral condition.

Alabama just celebrated Confederate Memorial Day  the fourth Monday of April. Alabama Secretary of State John Merrill echoed Stephens words when he asked, Are you going to take a bulldozer to the monument and forget what people fought for to preserve a way of life that makes us special and unique?

Merrill, under pressure for his remarks, later tried to claim his way of life has to do with some imaginary and apparently unique spirit of the Confederate soldier rather than slavery, but there was nothing unique about the Confederate soldier other than his service in defense of the Souths peculiar institution of slavery.

These are facts to which there can be no contestation. If the Civil War had anything at all to do with so-called states rights the only right in question was that of owning slaves. Today it includes disenfranchising the descendants of those slaves and others who through sheer genetics dont rate as special and unique.

This makes the Confederate flag  any version of the Confederate flag  a symbol of past slavery and continuing oppression, and no claim to heritage can be free of that stain. The unfortunate fact is that even were we rid at last of the symbols of the Confederacy, we would not be free of the hate that inspired them in the first place.
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By Alana Wise and Megan Cassella

WASHINGTON (Reuters)  As Donald Trump moves closer to clinching the Republican presidential nomination, he has offered lavish praise for Bernie Sanders, who faces increasingly slim chances in his battle with Hillary Clinton in the Democratic race.

Trump has begun calling for Sanders to run as an independent if he does not win the Democratic nomination and said he may borrow talking points from Sanders speeches criticizing Clinton to use in a possible matchup with the former secretary of state in the Nov. 8 general election.

He said some things about her that were so incredible  incredible  and so incredibly bad, Trump said on Tuesday after sweeping five Northeastern primaries, adding Sanders had been telling the truth.

Yet data and interviews with Sanders supporters suggest that winning over large numbers of them may be difficult for the New York billionaire businessman.

Even though Trump, 69, and Sanders, 74, a U.S. senator from Vermont, emphasize some common themes such as criticism of Wall Street and international trade agreements, there is only limited crossover appeal between the two candidates, according to Reuters/Ipsos data.

Among voters who back Trump, just 12 percent said Sanders would be their second choice if Trump were not in the race, only slightly higher than the 7 percent who said Clinton would be their next pick.

Sanders supporters were even less willing than Trump backers to consider crossing over. Just 8 percent of Sanders supporters said they would vote for Trump as their second choice, roughly the same as the portion of voters who listed Trumps Republican rivals Ted Cruz and John Kasich as their second choice.

Sanders supporter Joseph Hayes, 37, of Oregon, still has hope for his candidate. But if it comes down to Trump or Clinton, Hayes said it was an easy, if unpleasant, choice.

I would have to vote for Hillary. Reluctantly so, but I would, he said.

People who outwardly back both Sanders and Trump are even more of a rarity. Donor rolls show just over two dozen voters willing to support both Trump and Sanders financially.

I think Bernie Sanders is too poor to be bought, and I think Donald Trump is too rich to be bought by special interests, said Royce Gourley, a real estate investor, who gave $2,500 to Sanders and $2,700 to Trump, Federal Election Commission filings show.

OUTSIDER APPEAL

But Trump could find an opening as both he and Sanders have gained strong followings among voters looking for an outsider candidate who will shake up the Washington establishment.

Both have made significant inroads among laborers and union members who support their opposition to U.S. trade agreements, including the Trans-Pacific Partnership, which critics say threaten U.S. jobs.

But the two are far apart on many issues, especially immigration. Trump has proposed building a wall on the U.S. border with Mexico and has proposed a temporary ban on Muslims seeking to enter the country.

Sanders has called such proposals crap and often criticizes what he calls inhumane deportation programs.

For Sanders supporters like Dave Berry, 62, of Tacoma, Washington, the wooing may pay off as voters weigh the decision to stick with their party or stir things up in Washington.

I will probably put a check in Trumps column (in the general election), Berry said of a possible Trump-Clinton general election contest.

He said he did not think the former reality TV star could win, but felt good about making Clinton uneasy about her prospects of securing an easy win.

One risk for Clinton is Sanders voters who may sit out the election or choose a third-party candidate if their favorite is not on the ballot.

Valerie Benson, 80, of Cleveland, said that if it came down to Trump against Clinton, I dont know that I would vote for anybody then.

(Editing by Caren Bohan and Peter Cooney)
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Hillary Clinton reached out to Bernie Sanders during an interview on CNNs State Of The Union. Clinton praised Sanders for the good things that his campaign has done. She also said that she looks forward to working with Sanders on the platform, and promised that the Democratic platform will be progressive.

Video:

Former Sec. of State Clinton said, I certainly look forward to working with Senator Senators in the lead up to the convention in the lead up to the platform that will represent the Democratic Party. It will be a progressive platform. Ive run on a progressive agenda. I really welcome his ideas and his supporters passion and commitment, because the most important thing for us is to win in November. There is no more important goal, and I was pleased when Sen. Sanders said the other day that he is going to work tirelessly seven days a week to make sure that Donald Trump is not president and I really welcome that because that has to be our primary objective.

Clinton heaped praise on Sen. Sanders for all he has done and said that she knows how it feels to lose a primary. She said that she is going to be aggressive in reaching out to Sen. Sanders supporters, Im going to be aggressive in reaching out to Sen. Sanders supporters, but we have so much more in common, and we have far more in common than they do with Donald Trump or any other Republican.

Clintons statement that she is going to work with Sen. Sanders on a progressive platform for the Democratic Party is one of the things that the Sanders campaign has wanted. Since his defeat in the New York primary, Bernie Sanders has been changing the tone of his campaign and his staff has been privately suggesting that the battle for the nomination is over.

What Democrats are witnessing are the first steps in a courtship between the Democratic Party and the Bernie Sanders movement. There is no doubt that Clinton will be aggressive in courting Sanders supporters. There is also little doubt that the voters who supported Bernie Sanders will never support Donald Trump, who is the opposite of everything that they believe in.

Judging from the direction and tone of the Democratic primary, Democrats are going to draft a very progressive platform. I suspect that the platform will be more progressive that President Obamas platforms in 2008 and 2012, and his platforms were quite liberal.

There are always a few loud supporters of the losing candidate who never want to give up until the bitter end, but those voices are a tiny minority. Democrats are unifying, and their attention is turning towards beating Donald Trump in November.

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Republicans are going to live to regret making a deal with Ted Cruz to stop Trump. During an interview on ABCs This Week, Sen. Ted Cruz dumped gasoline on whats left of the Republican Party and lit the match.

Video:



ABC Breaking News | Latest News Videos

Transcript via ABCs This Week:

RADDATZ: Speaking of that, there are GOP party leaders who are saying enough is enough and that the prolonged fight is helping Secretary Clinton. In Colorado, a state where you got all the delegates, former state party chairman Dick Wadhams told the Washington Post, People just want this thing to be over with and we need a nominee. CRUZ: Martha, I recognize that that that will be echoed by the media. I mean listen, the medias given Donald Trump 2 billion dollars of free airtime. What I can tell you is that people want a clear and meaningful choice. You know, Hillary and Donald Trump, they are flipsides of the same coin. They agree on issue after issue after issue. Whether its Planned Parenthood, both Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump say Planned Parenthood is terrific and they support taxpayer funding. Whether its Obamacare, both Hillary and Donald support the individual mandate in Obamacare. Whether its guns, both Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump supported Bill Clintons ban on many of the most popular firearms in America. Or whether its foreign policy, where both Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump want to be neutral between Israel and the Palestinians. And both Hillary and Donald say that they would keep this Iranian nuclear deal in place. I dont think we want to nominate have the general election bet be between two rich, New York, big government liberals. Instead, the way we win is we provide a clear contrast, we paint in bold colors, not pale pastels and the difference between Carly and me on the one side and Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump I think couldnt be clearer. RADDATZ: So so you believe a Trump presidency would be the same as a Clinton presidency? CRUZ: I think a Trump presidency would be a disaster. It would continue us on the same roads. Listen, Trump believes in government. Donald and Hillary are Washington insiders. Both of them have gotten rich using government power to further their personal interest. And if youre fed up with the corruption in Washington, Donald and Hillary have been enmeshed with that.

The toxic message that Cruz is sending to non-Trump Republicans is that Donald Trump is just like Hillary Clinton, so if Trump is the nominee, dont bother to show up and vote.

Republicans made a deal with the devil when they got behind Cruz to stop Trump. The problem for the GOP is that Ted Cruz will also destroy their party. He will do it in a different way than Trump, but the result will be the same. John Boehners comments earlier this week about Cruz should have been taken as a warning to the Republican Party.

If Republicans nominate Trump, he will likely lose in the fall, and then go back to his world of Fox and Friends appearances and reality television. The decision to elevate Ted Cruz to the level of national party voice is going to have long-term consequences. If Republicans lose in 2016, it is a guarantee that Cruz will run for president again in 2020. By making Ted Cruz the man to stop Trump, the GOP has earned themselves four more years of Cruzs abuse of the Senate to run for president.

The Texas devil wants to be paid, and the cost is going to be the Republican Party.

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Determining the custody of children is often the most emotionally fraught issue divorcing parents can face. In Minnesota, the courts key concern when making a custody determination is the best interests of the child. But what does that mean? Parents may have their own ideas about what is in a childs best interests, but "the best interests of the child" is not a meaningless phrase. It is what those in the legal profession refer to as a "legal term of art." This means that though we mean all different sorts of things when we say something is in someones "best interests" when were having a casual conversation, in law it has a particular meaning when applied to a particular situation, (ie, a custody determination). So what is that particular meaning? When the Court wants to know what is in a childs "best interests," what kinds of things does it consider? As well see, the meaning of what is in a childs "best interests" has developed over time for many reasons, such as changing cultural attitudes of the roles of mothers and fathers, psychological research on childrens developing brains, and many more.

The history of the custody determinations in Minnesota is an interesting one. The words "best interests of the child," first appeared in the 1895 case of Flint v. Flint, 63 Minn. 187, 189 (1895). The concept was discussed in subsequent cases, yet not specifically defined or universally applied. Generally, prior to 1969, Minnesota, like many other states, employed the "tender years doctrine" in determining custody. This doctrine presumed that custody of children under the age of seven should automatically go to the Mother, due to traditional notions of gender roles at the time. However, in 1969, that doctrine was abandoned, and the first traces of the best interests standard were adopted by the Minnesota legislature. In 1974, the legislature amended the custody statue to list nine specific factors and one catch-all factor. Over the next decade, factors were added and amended, but the changes were not radical. For years, Minnesotas 13 best interest factors remained largely the same as they were in the 1970s.

On August 1, 2015, after much debate and consideration by a Custody Dialogue Group, Minnesota Statute  518.17 received a complete overhaul. The statutes best interest factors were completely re-written and paired down to 12. Nine additional clauses were added which, while not specifically factors to be considered in a best interests determination, are intended to govern a Courts application of the best interest factors when making a determination in custody matters. This post will provide an introduction to the 12 best interest factorsfuture posts will explore each factor individually, as well as the nine additional clauses.

The best interests factors found in Minnesota Statute  518.17 are as follows:

1. A child's physical, emotional, cultural, spiritual, and other needs, and the effect of the proposed arrangements on the child's needs and development;

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2. Any special medical, mental health, or educational needs that the child may have that may require special parenting arrangements or access to recommended services;

3. The reasonable preference of the child, if the court deems the child to be of sufficient ability, age, and maturity to express an independent, reliable preference;

4. Whether domestic abuse, as defined in section 518B.01 , has occurred in the parents' or either parent's household or relationship; the nature and context of the domestic abuse; and the implications of the domestic abuse for parenting and for the child's safety, well-being, and developmental needs;

5. Any physical, mental, or chemical health issue of a parent that affects the child's safety or developmental needs;

6. The history and nature of each parent's participation in providing care for the child;

7. The willingness and ability of each parent to provide ongoing care for the child; to meet the child's ongoing developmental, emotional, spiritual, and cultural needs; and to maintain consistency and follow through with parenting time;

8. The effect on the child's well-being and development of changes to home, school, and community;

9. The effect of the proposed arrangements on the ongoing relationships between the child and each parent, siblings, and other significant persons in the child's life;

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10. The benefit to the child in maximizing parenting time with both parents and the detriment to the child in limiting parenting time with either parent;

11. Except in cases in which domestic abuse as described in clause (4) has occurred, the disposition of each parent to support the child's relationship with the other parent and to encourage and permit frequent and continuing contact between the child and the other parent; and

12. The willingness and ability of parents to cooperate in the rearing of their child; to maximize sharing information and minimize exposure of the child to parental conflict; and to utilize methods for resolving disputes regarding any major decision concerning the life of the child.

Whereas the previous statute included consideration of a childs "primary caretaker," the updated statute focuses on the role both parents have to play in a childs life. Because of this, while the previous statute seemed geared toward one parent being awarded physical custody, the new statute creates more leeway for a joint physical custody award.

Though there is no stated presumption in favor of joint physical custody in the new statute, judicial officers are divided over whether the language of the statute, especially factor 9, create a de facto presumption regardless. As the statue is so new, not many cases have made their way to the Minnesota Court of Appeals or Minnesota Supreme Court for judicial interpretation of the factors to provide insight into what they mean and how they should affect custody determinations. This is a developing area of law, and family law attorneys  understanding of how to apply these new factors will evolve as judicial interpretations shape the legal landscape.

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Donald Trump's damage to the Republican Party, although already extensive, has barely begun. Republican quislings will multiply, slinking into support of the most anti-conservative presidential aspirant in their party's history. These collaborationists will render themselves ineligible to participate in the party's reconstruction.

Ted Cruz's announcement of his preferred running mate has enhanced the nomination process by giving voters pertinent information. They already know the only important thing about Trump's choice: His running mate will be unqualified for high office because he or she will think Trump is qualified.

Hillary Clinton's optimal running mate might be Sen. Sherrod Brown of Ohio, a pro-labor populist whose selection would be balm for the bruised feelings of Bernie Sanders' legions. Running mates rarely matter as electoral factors: In 2000, Al Gore got 43.2 percent of the North Carolina vote. In 2004, John Kerry, trying to improve upon Gore's total there, ran with North Carolina Sen. John Edwards but received 43.6 percent. If, however, Brown were to help deliver Ohio for Clinton, the Republican path to 270 electoral votes would be narrower than a needle's eye.

Republican voters, particularly in Indiana and California, can, by supporting Cruz, make the Republican convention a deliberative body rather than one that merely ratifies decisions made elsewhere, some of them six months earlier. A convention's sovereign duty is to choose a plausible nominee who has a reasonable chance to win, not to passively affirm the will of a mere plurality of voters recorded episodically in a protracted process.

Trump would be the most unpopular nominee ever, unable to even come close to Mitt Romney's insufficient support among women, minorities and young people. In losing disastrously, Trump probably would create down-ballot carnage sufficient to end even Republican control of the House. Ticket splitting is becoming rare in polarized America: In 2012, only 5.7 percent of voters supported a presidential candidate and a congressional candidate of opposite parties.

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At least half a dozen Republican senators seeking re-election and Senate aspirants can hope to win if the person at the top of the Republican ticket loses their state by, say, only four points, but not if he loses by 10. A Democratic Senate probably would guarantee a Supreme Court with a liberal cast for a generation. If Clinton is inaugurated next Jan. 20, Merrick Garland probably will already be on the court  confirmed in a lame duck Senate session  and justices Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Anthony Kennedy and Stephen Breyer will be 83, 80 and 78, respectively.

The minority of people who pay close attention to politics includes those who define an ideal political outcome and pursue it, and those who focus on the worst possible outcome and strive to avoid it. The former experience the excitements of utopianism, the latter settle for prudence's mild pleasure of avoiding disappointed dreams. Both sensibilities have their uses, but this is a time for prudence, which demands the prevention of a Trump presidency.

Were he to be nominated, conservatives would have two tasks. One would be to help him lose 50 states  condign punishment for his comprehensive disdain for conservative essentials, including the manners and grace that should lubricate the nation's civic life. Second, conservatives can try to save from the anti-Trump undertow as many senators, representatives, governors and state legislators as possible.

It was 32 years after Jimmy Carter won 50.1 percent in 1976 that a Democrat won half the popular vote. Barack Obama won only 52.9 percent and then 51.1 percent, but only three Democrats  Andrew Jackson (twice), Franklin Roosevelt (four times) and Lyndon Johnson  have won more than 53 percent. Trump probably would make Clinton the fourth, and he would be a tonic for her party, undoing the extraordinary damage (13 Senate seats, 69 House seats, 11 governorships, 913 state legislative seats) Obama has done.

If Trump is nominated, Republicans working to purge him and his manner from public life will reap the considerable satisfaction of preserving the identity of their 162-year-old party while working to see that they forgo only four years of the enjoyment of executive power. Six times since 1945 a party has tried, and five times failed, to secure a third consecutive presidential term. The one success  the Republicans' 1988 election of George H.W. Bush  produced a one-term president. If Clinton gives her party its first 12 consecutive White House years since 1945, Republicans can help Nebraska Sen. Ben Sasse, or someone else who has honorably recoiled from Trump, confine her to a single term.

George F. Will is a Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist for the Washington Post.
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Prince probably never thought of himself as a public employee, but it turns out that the main beneficiary of his decades of hard work will be the government. The Heritage Foundations Rachel Greszler explains:

Although Prince has one full sister and five half-siblings, Princes family members will not be his biggest heirs. Both the federal government and Minnesotas state government will assess so-called death taxes or estate taxes on Princes assets, taking away more than half his estate. Between his physical assetscash, investments, home, etc.and his future royalties, Princes estate has been estimated to be between $300 and $500 million.  The combination of Minnesotas top death tax rate of 16 percent, plus the federal governments 40 percent rate, means that over 50 percent of Princes estate will go to the government.

Prince left no surviving offspring, so perhaps he wouldnt have cared much. As Ms. Greszler points out, however, many small business owners are not so lucky. Also, note Minnesotas absurd estate tax rate of 16%. The estate tax, which kicks in at just $1.6 million, is one reason why so many are leaving the state.
Politico reports that the White House and its allies are about to commence a new campaign to get a hearing and a vote for Judge Merrick Garland. Theyre calling it the 9-9-9 campaign: nine states, during nine days, to push for a court with nine justices.

The nine states are ones where Democrats think they might be able to pick up Senate seats this Fall. In addition, to the usual suspects  New Hampshire (Kelly Ayotte), Wisconsin (Ron Johnson), Pennsylvania (Pat Toomey), Ohio (Rob Portman) and Illinois (Mark Kirk)  and Iowa, home of Senate Judiciary Committee chairman Chuck Grassley, the 9-9-9 campaign will target Arizona (John McCain), North Carolina (Richard Burr), and Missouri (Roy Blunt).

9-9-9 isnt really about getting Judge Garland confirmed, or even getting him a hearing. As Politico says, it represents an unspoken acknowledgment that the Supreme Court fight is less about actually trying to get Garland on the bench before November, and more about turning the Republican resistance into a campaign issue to maximize GOP losses in the Senate, and even in the House.

This has always been the case. The question is whether the Democrats will succeed.

Theres little doubt that voters in the nine states targeted favor a hearing for Garland. In Pennsylvania, for example, a poll by Hart Research shows that 56 percent support Garland getting a hearing, with 37 percent opposed, according to Politico.

But will opposition to a hearing cause Pennsylvanians to vote against Sen. Toomey? The Hart Research pollster says that among independents, Toomey risks turning as much as 16 percent of the electorate against him by joining in the Republican obstruction of Judge Garland. Exactly what this statement means is anyones guess.

Focus group testing suggests that the risk posed to Sen. Toomey and others by standing fast against Garlands nomination is minimal. Julie Pace of Associated Press reported:

I sat in on some focus groups this past week with both swing voters and Republican voters, and some of the questions they were asked were about the Supreme Court nomination of Merrick Garland. And this was a real reality check for anyone in Washington who thinks that this issue is really animating voters across the country. I was so struck by how these voters seemed comply uninterested in the nomination fight. Among the swing voters, not one of them said that this was something that would really impact their vote in the fall. And even among the Republican voters who felt like this nomination should wait until the next president, almost none felt like this was an issue that was going to affect their vote either in the presidential race or in their Senate race.

9-9-9 is an effort to overcome this lack of interest. The campaign may succeed, but it doesnt seem well tailored to reach swing voters. According to Politico:

[The organizers] will be holding press events, some with workers like nurses and janitors saying theyd be fired if they showed up to work and did their jobs, some with business leaders and law school deans calling attention to the effects of the continued vacancy on the Court and the prospect of more 4-4 decisions. Other allied groups  including the Service Employees International Union, Planned Parenthood and Voto Latino  will also be organizing set events, which will include a town hall in Iowa to turn up the heat on Grassley. In Ohio, where theyre hoping to create a problem for GOP Sen. Rob Portman, Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown will be leading a roundtable with mothers on the court issue, and Rep. Tim Ryan will be doing a separate press event.

I doubt that Senators Portman, Grassley, and the other seven are counting on support from the SEIU, Planned Parenthood, and Voto Latino.

Politico states that the[se] efforts dont have a clear dollar amount behind them. This may be Politico-ese for no one really wants to fund this.

Herman Cain would be justified in thinking that his slogan deserves better than to be lifted by this crowd.
Nebraska attorney Dave Begley follows up on his report on the appearance of James Hansen to support his proposal at the annual Berkshire Hathaway shareholder meeting. Dave reports:

The climate change resolution put forth by Dr. James Hansen was defeated but it gathered slightly more than ten percent of the vote.

In other business, Warren Buffett discussed the $3.6 billion capital investment MidAmerican Energy is making in windmills. His business philosophy is very important to understanding this topic. When he and Charlie Munger started, they purchased businesses that were not capital intensive. Think Sees Candies.

As they grew, large companies that fit their criteria were much more scarce so they purchased a railroad and utilities. From their point of view, the federal government is giving them essentially free money via federal tax credits to generate consistent cash flow. Thats the low capital model. Buffett said as much and he is not one to turn down free money passed out for the purpose of satisfying the political goal of reducing carbon emissions.

One shareholder complained bitterly about the price their Nevada utility paid consumers for excess electricity generated from roof top solar panels. Munger responded that their company can generate or purchase power at $0.03 kwh so it made no sense to be forced to pay $0.10 kwh to consumers for the fungible commodity. End of discussion.

One of the speakers on behalf of the resolution was Jane Kleeb of Bold, Nebraska (photo at left with me). She led the fight resulting in the cancellation of the Keystone XL pipeline that was to run through the Nebraska. Millions of dollars were lost here.

I completely disagree with her views but, in my opinion, she is one of the most effective politicians in the state and I admire her for that. Kleeb is a perfect example of how the left so often wins political fights. TransCanada and the proponents of the pipeline simply blew it. We conservatives need to win these grassroots fights.

On the political front, the question was put to Buffett as to how his businesses would do under either a Trump or Clinton presidency. Warren was indifferent as to who won the race. He has seen it all and he can adjust to anything. The Republic will not be destroyed if Trump wins.

One shareholder asked Buffett a rather pointed question regarding Berkshire-Hathaways ownership of Coca-Cola. The sugar water was accused of causing not only obesity but also death. Buffetts reply was masterful. He said that he drinks the product in moderation and really enjoys it. Charlie Munger piped in that whenever such accusations are made, one needs to look at the benefits as Warren did in his analysis. I could not agree more.

Warren Buffett is absolutely hilarious. He told the story of how he visited Shelby, Nebraska native and former Ford Motor president Arjay Miller on the occasion of his one-hundredth birthday. Miller told him that four times as many women were over 100 than men. This caused Warren to quip that maybe he should consider a sex change operation but since Charlie is older at age 92, he should go first. Munger was the perfect straight man and said nothing.

The last questioner asked Buffett where he got his sense of humor. He replied that was just how he sees the world. Munger said that if one views the world accurately, one has to consider it humorous because its ridiculous.
At his press conference with Prime Minister David Cameron on April 22 in London, President Obama took up the subject of Churchill. I love Winston Churchill, love the guy, Obama asserted, and it wasnt the phoniest thing he had to say at the press conference. That was reserved for the subject of the United Kingdoms continued membership in the European Union. The issue is to be put to the Brits in a referendum on June 23.

Cameron had called on Obama to support Camerons case against withdrawal. Obama obliged in the style to which we have all grown accustomed in the course of the past eight years. I thought Obamas performance was patronizing, threatening and otherwise offensive. Obama even somehow managed to pull a race card from the deck. It was quite a performance (video below).

Obama has prevailed in the popularity contests that led to his election, but I dont think Obama has ever persuaded anybody on the merits of anything. How did his case to the Brits go over?

Over at the Washington Examiner Daniel Hannan reports that Barack bombed in Britain. Hannan describes the Obama way: [T]he president came to London to tell us to vote to stay in the European Union. He didnt hint or suggest or imply. He told us bluntly that, if we left the EU, wed go to the back of the queue when it came to signing trade deals with Washington.

Here is the heart of Hannans column:

[A]lthough people admire Obama, they hate being hectored. The presidents choice of vocabulary  when is the last time you heard an American say back of the queue?  made Brits wonder whether he was reciting lines drawn up in Downing Street. In other words, they suspected that David Cameron was using foreign leaders to bully and threaten his own country. In any case, back of the queue is not the sort of thing you say to a friend. Outside the Westminster bubble, the general reaction was: Were not at the back of the bloody queue when you need allies in your wars[.] Nor, more to the point, did people believe the president. The US and the EU are currently negotiating a lumbering agreement called the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP). Note that it isnt even called a free trade deal, because it is at least as much about regulation and standardization as it is about liberalization. Because TTIP involves the US and 28 EU states, it is slow and limited. Many European states want to protect their agriculture, textiles, audio-visual sectors and so on. As Ted Bromund of the Heritage Foundation puts it: Negotiations with Britain could be completed faster than other pending U.S. negotiations, because the kind of trade treaty the U.S. should seek with Britain is different from the all-encompassing large-bloc Agreements the Administration has pursued in the Pacific and the Atlantic. The French may have a problem with Hollywood blockbusters. The Brits dont. Where the commentariat saw, or affected to see, two national leaders talking about serious matters, the general population saw a racket: The same racket that has led to the tax-free employees of various international bodies telling them how important the EU is. They saw two back-scratching politicians who, though they might represent different countries, form one caste. They resented being told that they werent good enough to govern themselves. Theres nothing wrong with expressing your opinion about another countrys politics. I do it all the time. But people bridled at the idea that Mr. Obama was telling Britain to do something that America would never countenance. Whats that phrase from the Declaration of Independence? He has combined with others to subject us to a jurisdiction unacknowledged by our constitution and foreign to our laws. The following day, Ted Cruz wrote a beautifully judged piece in the London Times, saying that it was up to Britain to vote as it wished, and that if it opted to leave the EU, America should grasp the opportunity to put a genuinely liberal free trade deal in place instead of the corporatism of TTIP. Thats surely how one ally speaks to another.

Obama loves Churchill so much that he knows that he can be gulled by a patently absurd story demonstrating his ignorance of him. And Obama has the best interests of the Brits at heart, just as he does all our allies.
A civic group has expressed concern over the lingering energy crisis and the burden the situation has inflicted on Nigerians.

For weeks, Nigerians have grappled with problems associated with acute scarcity of petrol, as they stayed in long queues at filling stations in search of the commodity.

The scarcity comes at a time Nigerians agonize with the high tariffs imposed early this year by the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission, NERC, as well as the declining electricity supply .

The group of young Nigerian professionals under the aegis of the Oak Leadership Initiative, OLI, which focuses on Nigerias leadership rebirth, said on Friday that its members were worried that successive governments have failed to find lasting solutions to the problem.

The convener of the group, Emrys Ijaola, said the situation has become even more worrisome as the massive energy crisis has worsened the huge economic burdens its members, like most Nigerians, have had to grapple with since the crisis began.

President Muhammadu Buhari, as the Minister for Petroleum Resources, must take full responsibility of the situation and ensure the immediate resolution of the energy crisis, rather than resort to unending apologies to Nigerians, Mr. Ijaola said in a statement in Abuja.

It is ironic and a big shame that the long queues at petrol stations across the country have become a permanent feature of our cities in a country that is reputed to be the one of the worlds leading producers of oil.

It is sad that the government has not been able to fulfil its various promises to end the crisis, despite the problems the crisis has generated, including the apparent constriction of the economy, he added.

The group blamed the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC; the Department of Petroleum Resources, DPR and the Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency, PPPRA for failure to effective discharge their supply, distribution, monitoring and regulatory functions.

Outside Abuja and Lagos State, the group noted that fuel was sold at discretionary prices fixed by the marketers, because the DPR and the PPPRA have all abandoned their monitoring and regulatory functions, with consumers compelled to buy at any price.

Mr. Ijaola said the petrol scarcity further compounded the problems associated with the poor generation and distribution of electricity and the high electricity tariffs imposed on consumers.

He said the long-term solution to the fuel crisis remained sanitizing the oil and gas industry, security of oil facilities and the establishment of more refineries, including modular refineries as opposed to the present massive importation of petroleum products.
The Chairman of Transnational Corporation of Nigeria, Transcorp, Tony Elumelu, says the company is ready to take over and revive some moribund gas fields in the Niger Delta region.

Mr. Elumelu made this known in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria on the sideline of Transcorps 10th Annual General Meeting in Calabar.

He said that the company had commenced discussion with Nigerias state petroleum firm, NNPC, in this regard.

According to him, the project aims to realise the companys objective of improving the countrys economy while also making profit.

We are not relenting. We are in discussion with NNPC to see whether we can take over and run the idle gas plants. We have the capacity to do this.

Our thinking is that instead of having these moribund gas fields in the Niger Delta lie idle, let some power generating companies that have the resources such as Transcorp Power, take them over.

We can revamp them, produce gas and use it to improve our power generation and get the country realise its present target of 10,000 megawatts of electricity, he said.

Mr. Elumelu said that Transcorp Power was poised to improve access to electricity in the country and ensure that small and medium scale industries had the capacity to produce more and boost the economy.

Power generation and consumption is a problem in Nigeria today and if we can improve electricity generation, that will help to check the shortfall and boost the economy.

The chairman noted that the poor performance in the power sector had affected Transcorps operations.

According to him, the company needs no fewer than 300 megawatts of electricity daily.

On the companys performance in 2015, Mr. Elumelu said that while the companys earnings declined marginally, it recorded growth in profit and maintained a strong asset base.

Our total asset is growing at 19 per cent. It grew from N170.8 billion to N202. 9 billion.

Gross earnings declined marginally by one per cent to N40.8 billion as against N41.3 billion in 2014.

But the groups operating profit grew from N13.6 billion in 2014 to N15.03 billion in 2015, a 10 per cent growth, he said.

(NAN)
The Federal Government has restated its commitment to the exploration of oil and gas in the inland basins, especially Chad Basin and the Benue Trough.

The Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Ibe Kachikwu, said this on Sunday in a statement issued by the spokesperson of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, Garba Deen Muhammad.

It said the NNPC through its Frontier Exploration Services and Renewable Energy Division, FESRED, had progressed reasonably with seismic acquisition activities in the Chad Basin frontier area.

According to the statement, operations have to be suspended on November 24, 2014 due to insurgency.

It added that eight phases out of the planned 12 phase project which was expected to cover 3,550 sq.km, had been acquired at the time of suspension.

A total of 1, 962 sq.km have been acquired and processed, interpretation is currently on-going at about 90 per cent completion, and drilling activities will commence by the last quarter of 2016, it said.

It further explained that the seismic activities were carried out with due regard to environmental protection in accordance with international standards and best practices.

According to the statement, the operation is being handled by the Integrated Data Services Limited (NNPC subsidiary) and BGP, a subsidiary of China National Petroleum Corporation.

Mr. Kachikwu said that exploration in the Chad Basin was to increase the nations oil and gas reserves.

He stated that it would add value to the hydrocarbon potential of the Nigerian Inland Basin, provide investment opportunities, boost the economy as well as create millions of new jobs.

The decision to diversify our business portfolio is about all of us and about the future of our dear country, the vision is clear, and we are determined not to fail, Mr. Kachikwu stated.

He urged the private sector and venture capitalists across the globe to partner with NNPC in planned Special Purpose Vehicles to profitably harness the enormous energy resources in Nigeria.

(NAN)
The Nigerian Army on Sunday announced that soldiers killed 9 members of the Boko Haram during a pre-emptive strike in Borno State.

The Army spokesperson, Sani Usman, said troops from 3 Battalion, 22 Brigade launched the strike around Wunbi Kala Balge Local Government Area.

The strike was carried out after the military obtained information that the insurgents were planning an attack against troops and civilians in Wunbi, Mr. Usman, a Colonel, said.

He said six soldiers sustained gunshot injuries during the battle. The injured are responding to treatment at the hospital, he said.

The military also recovered several types of guns, grenades and ammunition from the terrorists whose activities have caused the death of about 20,000 since 2009.
An organisation led by the Sultan of Sokoto, Saad Abubakar, has described as absurd and unfortunate the widespread insinuation that Fulani herdsmen are responsible for the attacks on villagers in Benue, Enugu, Nasarawa and other parts of the country.

The Jamaatu Nasril Islam (JNI), a coalition of several Islamic groups in Nigeria, stated this on Sunday.

The Sultan is the head of the JNI.

In the statement, signed by Khalid Aliyu, the organisations secretary-general, the JNI said it was shocked by the attacks.

Mr. Aliyu later told PREMIUM TIMES on telephone that the the JNI statement could be attributed to Sultan Abubakar.

Jamaatu Nasril Islam (JNI) received with great shock and deep concern the news of incessant killings and maiming of innocent lives and the destruction of public and private properties, the statement said.

Of particular concern are the brutal murders of people in Agatu-Benue State, Nnibo-Enugu state and some parts of Nasarawa state.

It is indeed alarming that within few weeks, deadly attacks were reportedly unleashed while the perpetrators go un-arrested. JNI therefore condemns in strong terms these repeated heinous attacks and once again calls on the relevant security agencies to brace up to the trends, in order to put a stop to this ugly tide, as human lives are sacred and must be seen to be treated as so.

The JNI said the attacks were criminal in nature and should be treated as such.

The repeated heinous acts of attacks are crimes against the citizenry and the perpetrators are therefore criminals and must be treated so.

It, however, said the attacks were not carried out by Fulani herdsmen.

It is indeed absurd and most unfortunate that certain groups or people ascribe the incidence on ethnic and/or religious premise and to whimsically apportion blame in order to batter the gradual restoration of peace and security in Nigeria, it said.

The JNI, which commiserated with the victims of the attack, also called for concerted introspection and commitment by relevant agencies to take proactive and effective measures in addressing this pernicious problem.

Nigerians have condemned the attacks, and affected communities have blamed security agencies for not protecting them against their attackers who they said were herdsmen.

Many Nigerians have also blamed President Muhammadu Buhari for not acting strongly enough to condemn the attacks and arrest the perpetrators.

Nobel Laureate, Wole Soyinka, who criticised the presidencys response, stated that I have yet to hear this government articulate a firm policy of non-tolerance for the serial massacres that have become the nations identification stamp.

The JNI, however, absolved the herdsmen, mainly of Fulani ethnicity, of involvement in the attacks.

The JNIs claim is contrary to that of a leader of the Fulani herdsmen who admitted to PREMIUM TIMES that his people carried out the attack in Benue as a retaliation to the murder of some of their leaders

Well, the Commissioner of Police, Enugu State has debunked the rumours, likewise the Inspector General of Police has also debunked the insinuations over those being blamed, the JNI said.

Read the JNIs full statement below:

PRESS RELEASE

JAMAATU NASRIL ISLAM (JNI) CONDEMNS THE HEINOUS REPEATED ATTACKS IN NIGERIA AND CAUTIONS ON RUMOURS SPREADING

Jamaatu Nasril Islam (JNI) received with great shock and deep concern the news of incessant killings and maiming of innocent lives and the destruction of public and private properties. Of particular concern are the brutal murders of people in Agatu-Benue state, Nnibo-Enugu state and some parts of Nasarawa state. It is indeed alarming that within few weeks, deadly attacks were reportedly unleashed while the perpetrators go un-arrested. JNI therefore condemns in strong terms these repeated heinous attacks and once again calls on the relevant security agencies to brace up to the trends, in order to put a stop to this ugly tide, as human lives are sacred and must be seen to be treated as so.

JNI and indeed all Nigerians, view the fall out of these repeated attacks, particularly the taking up of arms against other citizens as another trend of insecurity that portends grave danger to the Nation. We must not forget so soon the adverse effect of the so called Boko Haram group, that claimed the lives of many thousands innocent lives. Hundreds have been abducted, the males forced into insurgency and the females into slavery. Millions more are wallowing in Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camps in Nigeria and in Refugee Camps in neighbouring countries. Public and private properties worth trillions of Naira have been destroyed.

We therefore call for a thorough investigation by appropriate agencies in order to fish out the evil perpetrators, bring them to justice and forestall re-occurrence. The repeated heinous acts of attacks are crimes against the citizenry and the perpetrators are therefore criminals and must be treated so. It is indeed absurd and most unfortunate that certain groups or people ascribe the incidence on ethnic and/or religious premise and to whimsically apportion blame in order to batter the gradual restoration of peace and security in Nigeria. Well, the Commissioner of Police, Enugu State has debunked the rumours, likewise the Inspector General of Police has also debunked the insinuations over those being blamed.

We must thus be cautious of packaging crimes on religious and ethnic garments. Crimes are abominable and whoever commits them is criminal. Security agencies should brace up in being proactive and utilize maximally intelligence reports in order to nip-in the board possible eruptions of security problems within and around communities.

Painfully, His Eminence, the Sultan of Sokoto and President-General, JNI, Alhaji Muhammad Saad Abubakar, CFR, mni, on behalf of Nigerian Muslims, condoles the families of those who lost their lives and sympathies with all affected victims, and also calls for concerted introspection and commitment by relevant agencies to take proactive and effective measures in addressing this pernicious problem.

His Eminence the Sultan and President-General of JNI, extends profound condolences to the families of the affected victims, government and people of states that lost their loved ones in the unfortunate happenings.

Dr. Khalid Abubakar Aliyu

Secretary-General
Workers across Nigeria, united in anger and frustration over unpaid wages, seized the occasion of the May Day celebration to make demands, issue ultimatums and threaten showdowns with their state governments.

In Adamawa State, the state chairman of the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, Dauda Maina, told workers at a rally to mark the May Day celebration that the state government should address all the problems connected with salaries and wages of its employees to avert industrial dispute.

The labour leader lamented that almost half of the total Adamawa workforce are without salaries for the past four months. Other problems affecting Adamawa workers, according to the NLC chairman, were non-payment of salaries to over 900 junior staff employed by the health services management board since November 2014. Others are non-payment of salaries to medical and health workers in the past 5 months; delay in the payment of salaries of primary school teachers for the past 2 years; and non-payment of salaries of journalists under the employment of the state print and broadcast media.

In Plateau State, the NLC Chairman, Jibrin Banchir, asked the state government to pay the five months salaries owed civil servants of tertiary institutions and four months salary arrears of primary school teachers.

Lamenting the lack of government commitment to the plight of workers, Mr. Banchir said we have kept faith over the years, but unfortunately we have continued to be subjected to hardship and neglect.

Gov. Al Makura attends rally in mourning dress

In a move interpreted as a pre-emptive strike to checkmate workers angst, Governor Al Makura of Nasarawa State turned up at the May Day rally wearing a mourning dress. Attired in an all-black outfit, Mr. Al-Makura said he was mourning the attitude of workers towards his government.

The governor, who described an ideal labour force as drivers of good governance, noted that the union should not be seen as opposition to government. He noted that from inception, his government has been labour friendly, hence, the domestication of the N18,000 national minimum wage in the state.

Mr. Al Makura berated the workers for observing May Day on a Sunday, an action he described as irreverence to the Christian faith. He said the unions were unfair to Christians as the celebration stopped many from going to church.

Biometric problem in Kano

An ongoing biometric exercise was the major concern of workers in Kano State. The NLC Chairman in the state, Kabiru Minjibir, insisted that the biometric verification exercise was fraught with manipulations and should therefore be reviewed.

Speaking at a parade at the Sani Abacha indoor stadium, Mr. Minjibir cautioned government against using the exercise as a ploy to retrench workers.

He exonerated Governor Ganduje of being against workers and instead blamed a top official in his administration. The labour chairman said he believed the governor will revisit the exercise.

Members of the National Youth Service Corps who were also at the parade ground commended Governor Ganduje for paying their allowances every month despite the cash crunch facing the state.

60-day ultimatum to Okorocha

In Imo, the Ndigbo Unity Forum, an Igbo socio-cultural group, seized the occasion of the May Day to give Governor Rochas Okorocha an ultimatum of 60 days to pay workers outstanding salaries and allowances.

A statement signed by the President of the forum, Augustine Chukwudum, and made available to the News Agency of Nigeria in Enugu on Sunday accused Governor Rochas Okorocha of diverting bailout funds received from the federal government.

On South East, we observed that Gov. Rochas Okorocha of Imo state notwithstanding bailout funds that runs into billions that he received from the Federal Government that he still owes workers in the state many months of salary.

We demand that Gov. Rochas Okorocha should pay workers in Imo state their salary within sixty days, the group said.

The forum warned that coalition of civil societies would soon mobilise for mother of all demonstration in Imo, if the governor failed to heed to advice.

Similarly in Borno State, the NLC urged Governor Kashim Shettima to give top priority to workers welfare and demands.

Titus Abana, the states Chairman of the Congress, made the call at the May Day rally with the theme: The Working class, and the Quest for Economic Revival.

According to him, the 2016 May Day is coming at a time when Nigerian workers are experiencing the dark effect of bad leadership.

It is on this note that we decided to join our colleagues nationwide to commemorate the day despite the security challenges.

We want Borno government to focus on the workers demands, which include full implementation of the minimum wage, allowances for local government staff and primary school teachers.

Your Excellency, over the years you have been magnanimous in releasing a sum of N150 million to service gratuities of retirees on monthly basis, but for some months now the amount is not released.

The problem has continued to multiply because civil servants continue to retire and are not paid in time.

There is a need to also consider the upward review of pensions and also payment of pensioners outstanding balance of 142 per cent arrears.

The government should also implement the owner occupier housing system to enable our workers earned their own houses.

Some local government councils like Askira Uba, Biu, Hawul, Asikira and Chibok are yet to benefit from the N18,000 minimum wages, the government should please look into their issues.

Consequently, implementation of approved 30 per cent CONHESS to local government health workers is also still lingering which should be looked into, Mr. Abana said.
The Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, has said the National Assembly will not support the creation of grazing reserves anywhere in the country.

Addressing journalists on Sunday after a meeting of the South East governors and stakeholders in Enugu, Mr. Ekweremadu said that there was no bill on the creation of grazing reserves before the National Assembly.

He said the purported bill for the creation of grazing reserves was a hoax, adding that the press should stop such rumours.

There is no such proposal or bill on the creation of grazing reserves either in the Senate or House of Representatives.

Nobody is considering it; not even at the executive level. I do not think they are considering it but we will not support it even if it has been considered, he said.

Mr. Ekweremadu said that the meeting was convened in reaction to the attack on the people of Uzo Uwani by suspected herdsmen.

He said that the meeting reviewed all that happened since then and thanked all stakeholders who had shown sympathy to victims of the attack.

On the absence of Imo and Anambra governors, Mr. Ekweremadu said: The South East governors proposed to meet today to review these matters but regrettably, the message did not get to Imo and Anambra governors.

So you can see mainly the PDP governors are here. So, they had to review the matter and more importantly, ensure that every governor will be in attendance in the next meeting.

The meeting is rescheduled within the week where all the governors are expected to be in attendance, he said.

Mr. Ekweremadu said that the meeting looked at a more regional approach to curbing the menace of the herdsmen so as to ensure that it did not happen again.

We are looking at a concrete and more coordinated approach on how to protect our people from this carnage, he said.

Also speaking, Governor Dave Umahi of Ebonyi said that there was no disunity among governors in the South East zone.

Mr. Umahi said that the governors would take a cursory look at the federal budget, when signed into law, so as to ensure that the zone got what was due to it.

He said that the governors would ensure the rehabilitation of federal roads in the zone if such arrangements were captured in the budget.

I am sure the Federal Governments budget is not yet signed. So when it is signed, it will be the duty of all zones to start agitating for attention, Mr. Umahi said.

Mr. Umahi, Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State and Governor Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia attended the meeting.

(NAN)
ActionAid Nigeria has called on the Federal Government to fulfil its primary purpose of ensuring the security and welfare of the people, adding that the government must ensure multinationals and big companies pay their fair share of tax.

In a statement issued by the organisation to commemorate the 2016 Workers Day, the anti-poverty agency observed that, It is no longer news to Nigerians that the countrys economy is in dire straits and previous administrations did not do enough to put it on a firm footing. The peoples expectation of the current administration is to revamp it. And one way it can do so is to ensure that the country runs a fair tax regime, especially with the revelations brought to the fore by the Panama Papers.

According to the secretary of the organisations Board, Ojobo Ode Atuluku, This years Workers Day comes at a time when Nigerians are grappling with multiple issues that have visited immense hardship on the citizenry. In particular, workers at both the Federal and States levels are being owed arrears of salaries and pensions, and due to the interconnectedness and dependencies of our family systems, this has further aggravated poverty across the land.

Ms. Atuluku, who is also the Country Director of the organisation, further observed that, To make matters worse, epileptic and often non-existent electric power supply has combined with the continuing petrol scarcity to introduce a dimension of suffering to the lives of Nigerians that defies easy description. And perhaps the worst of all is the now frequent incidents of attacks by herdsmen that have led to the loss of many souls.

Moreover, she added: Without mincing words, it must be said that the country is ailing and many citizens have the impression that the Government of the day has not got its priorities right.

In the light of the foregoing, Ms. Atuluku said ActionAid Nigeria is calling on the Federal Government to take cognisance of Section 14(1) (b) of the Constitution, which states: The security and welfare of the people shall be the primary purpose of Government.

She explained that, ActionAid Nigerias Board is concerned that while the citizens have been patient with the Government on the time it needs to fix the economy, the length of time people will make sacrifices, and the time they would wait before such sacrifices begin to yield dividends is beginning to look indeterminable.

The period of grace for the Government to set things right with the economy is enough. It is time that the Federal Government make public its plan to fix the economy.

She also said that the poverty rate in the country is unacceptably high and that the rate of inequality in the country is not only high but also a triggering factor for the state of conflict and insecurity being experienced in different parts of the country, the pro-poor agency called on the government to prioritise tackling of inequality and discrimination within the polity.

The organisations Board further stated: Regardless of whatever electioneering campaign promises were made prior to the emergence of the current operators of Government, it is incumbent upon them to fulfil the primary purpose of Government as defined by the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, which they swore to uphold. No other activity should have supremacy over the security and welfare of the people. As such, issues such as security of lives, the prompt and timely payment of workers salaries and pensions must be given priority as failure to do so will have ripple effects across the country.

Addressing the administrations approach to tackling the menace of corruption, the Board of ActionAid called for a holistic approach to the fight against corruption that would include reform in strategic sectors including the judiciary.

The Board observed that, There is need for a deep judicial reform to stop criminals and corrupt persons taking advantage of the system. In addition, we must caution that a proper anti-corruption action cannot be haphazard and unstructured. It must be systematic, process-driven, and above all based on the rule of law. In this regard, we urge the Government to carry along organised Labour, who are well-placed to offer useful guidance in exposing where processes, especially in the civil service, may have gone wrong.

According to the Board, While the fight against corruption has been intensive, it must begin to have meaning to people in the reinvestment of recovered funds for development purposes.

The organisation added that, In addition to ensuring that Ministries, Departments, and Agencies fully comply with the Freedom of Information Act 2011, ActionAid further calls on the Government to work with organised Labour and Civil Society Organisations to provide necessary protection for whistle-blowers who may wish to come forward with sensitive information that can be helpful in anti-corruption cases.

Lastly, on the occasion of this years Workers Day, ActionAid reiterated its position that, if Nigeria is serious about national development, women must be fairly represented at all political levels; they must have legislation-backed access to own and use land, and there must be improved funding for safe girl-child education.
The Federal Government on Sunday in Abuja assured workers that it would tackle all socio-economic ills that have troubled the nation.

President Muhammadu Buhari gave this assurance at the 2016 May Day celebration with the theme: The Working Class and The Quest for Socio-Economic Revival.

Mr. Buhari, who was represented by Chris Ngige, the Minister Labour and Employment, said that the government would evolve solutions to the emerging threats to the well-being of Nigerians and the realisation of sustainable development.

For us whose main foreign exchange comes from oil, the global decline in the price of oil has further exacerbated our economic crises.

The resultant effect of this are noticeable in governments dwindling resources, reduction in operational capacities of most companies especially in the oil and gas sector, threats of workforce reduction by multinationals, among others.

These developments no doubt, have socio-economic implication for the economy as well as the working class.

I make no excuses, for this government of the APC is determined to tackle the socio-economic ills head-long.

According to the president, development must be sustainable for it to benefit society in general.

He said it was, therefore, the responsibility of those in power to align themselves with the working class who make development possible, by generating and sustaining the momentum of positive change.

He said that the present administration would continue to seek the cooperation of labour, so that together, we can attain the enviable heights of progress in our beloved country.

This administration shall effect positive change in the lives of the average Nigerians, to ensure that the downtrodden are elevated.

Most importantly, we will fight the intense pain of corruption which has enriched the very few to the detriment of the majority of Nigerians who groan under the overwhelming weight of poverty resulting from corruption.

In this fight against corruption, I need you all to be very willing partners.

Fighting corruption in the Public Service in particular, requires the workers to play major roles by cooperating with the government.

The president also assured workers that the issues and request raised were already being considered and would be made public in the near future.

I request your cooperation and understanding, as partners in progress.

The need to ensure a conducive atmosphere devoid of incessant industrial action becomes paramount to avoid loss of man hours and accordingly promote high productivity.

I further assure you that working together, this administration will protect workers rights and shall promote incentives for great productivity and hence, greater posterity, Mr. Buhari said.

(NAN)
Nigerian workers on Sunday in Abuja decried the recent recruitment of Permanent Secretaries from outside the civil service.

Bobbio Kaigama, the President of Trade Union Congress of Nigeria, stated this at the 2016 May Day celebration. The theme of the celebration was, The Working Class and the Quest for Socio-Economic Revival.

We wish to state that the recent appointment of Permanent Secretaries from outside the Civil Service contravened the relevant provisions of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Mr. Kaigama said.

This is capable of doing collateral damage to the system. The ill-advised policy, if not stopped now, is capable of killing the morale of senior civil servants who have served their fatherland meritoriously for decades.

This because they can no longer aspire to rise to the peak of their career.

Mr. Kaigama urged the Federal Government to discontinue the practice while those already recruited particularly those above 60 years, should be disengaged.

He said it was common knowledge that the civil service is the engine room that oils the wheels of government to ensure efficient and effective service delivery to the people.

So, it is very important that the service is equipped with requisite tools to enhance productivity, in addition to providing welfare packages to boost the morale of Civil Servants.

That is why we are also calling on the Federal Government to ensure that illegal extension of the tenure of permanent secretaries is also addressed.

He cited Public Service Rule 020810 which stipulates that retirement age in the civil service shall be 60 years of age or 35 years of pensionable service whichever comes earlier.

He said that labour had information that some other permanent secretaries who would soon retire, were warming up to apply for extension and advised President Muhammadu Buhari not to grant such requests.

Mr. Kaigama also called on the Federal Government to quickly settle all outstanding arrears owed civil and public servants.

He said the outstanding arrears include salary arrears, promotion arrears dating back to 2007, 1st 28 days in lieu of hotel accommodation, duty tour allowance, mandatory training allowance for 2010, burial expenses and repatriation allowance, among others.

We are worried that the sum provided for the settlement of these arrears under the Service Wide Vote in the 2016 Budget is inadequate and has even been slashed by N28.5 billion by the National Assembly.

We, therefore, demand that the federal lawmakers should retrace their steps on this issue and approve what was voted for the outstanding benefits of civil servants in the interest of industrial peace and harmony in the country.

The Federal Government on its part, should also as a matter of urgency, prepare a supplementary budget to capture the balance of indebtedness to Public Servants so that the matter can be put behind us.

Against this background, we call on the Federal Government to address the issues in the interest of the service, Mr. Kaigama said.

(NAN)
Nigerias organised labour on Sunday in Abuja called on the Federal Government to constitute a tripartite committee to discuss the proposed N56,000 new national minimum wage.

Ayuba Wabba, the President of the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, made the call at the 2016 May Day celebration with the theme: Working Class and The Quest for Socio-Economic Revival.

The NLC and the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria, TUC, had on Tuesday submitted a formal proposal of N56,000 new National Minimum Wage to the Federal Government.

Mr. Wabba said that the tripartite committee should comprise government (federal and state), the organised private sector, and labour.

During the last May Day, we had stated that as soon as the new government to be sworn in on May 29, 2015 settled down, we would table a proposal for a new National Minimum Wage demand.

The National Minimum Wage Act which former President Jonathan signed into law in April 2011 has a five year re-opener clause for new negotiations to review the new minimum wage.

In fulfilment of the above provision, we recently submitted a N56,000 proposal as new minimum wage to the Federal Government.

Our proposal of N56,000 is just N4,000 more than the figure we put out for negotiation in December 2008, which was N52,000.

This represents our awareness about the prevailing economic situation in the country, he said.

Also speaking, the TUC President, Bobbio Kaigama, said the present economic hardship and its attendant effects on workers had made nonsense of the National Minimum Wage of N18,000.

He said that the N18,000 National Minimum Wage had been operational for over five years and called for an upward review of the existing minimum wage to N56,000.

This has become necessary as the present one formally lapsed on 24th March, 2016.

Indeed, even before we submitted our proposal, we had expected the Federal Government to appoint a committee to handle the issue.

We anticipate that no state governor would dare claim that his state cannot afford the increase.

Each state government should be proactive and look inwards to the states bountiful alternative sources of income rather than relying only on statutory monthly allocations from the federation account.

He called on the Federal Government to start the negotiation for a new National Minimum Wage, adding that any further delay would be counterproductive.

(NAN)
The Chairman of the Edo State Council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, NUJ, on Sunday called for an urgent upward review of the national minimum wage.

Mr. Osakwe made the observation in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria in Auchi, as part of activities to mark this years Workers Day.

His call comes days after the Nigeria Labour Congress and the Trade Union Congress asked the federal government to increase the minimum wage to N56,000.

The journalist described the current national minimum wage of N18, 000 as a non-living wage, which was now too small to accommodate the daily needs of workers.

He said that the N18, 000 minimum wage was no longer realistic, because of the high cost of living in the country.

The N18, 000 minimum wage is not in tune with the current economic realities.

Increasing the minimum wage of workers will adequately cater for the needs of the workers, he said.

The NUJ official, therefore, urged the National Assembly and the Executive arm of Government to carry out a periodic upward review of the minimum wage in the country, to keep it in pace with economy realities.

The National Assembly should as a matter of urgency, carry out a periodic upward review of workers salaries in the country.

The present N18, 000 minimum wage has been consumed by the high cost of living, hence the need for an upward review, he added.

According to the National Minimum Wage Act, the national minimum wage is to be reviewed every five years.

The current N18, 000 national minimum wage law was enacted in 2011.

(NAN)
The Nigeria Police Force has deployed two helicopters to Ogun State to help in the rescue of a kidnapped former education minister, Iyabo Anisulowo.

The spokesperson of the police in Ogun, Muyiwa Adejobi, said the helicopters will help in ensuring the Mrs. Anisulowo is rescued alive.

The former minister and senator was abducted on Wednesday while returning from her farm in Sawonjo, Yewa South Local Government Area of Ogun State.

PREMIUM TIMES had exclusively reported how the kidnappers demanded a N200 million ransom to set her free.

Mr. Adejobi, who briefed journalists on the rescue effort, said the helicopters arrived Ogun State on Saturday and were already being used to patrol suspected hideouts of the kidnappers. He said high profile police chiefs led by the Assistant Inspector General of Police, Zone 2 Command, Bala Hassan, were part of the rescue efforts.

The Ogun State Police Commissioner, Abdulmajid Ali, who spoke on behalf of the rescue team, said all efforts would be made to ensure she is rescued alive and her abductors arrested.
The absence of the Lagos State governor, Akinwunmi Ambode, at Onikan Stadium on Sunday annoyed workers who had turned out in their hundreds for the May Day rally.

Dozens of affiliates of the Nigeria Labour Congress and the Trade Union Congress marched round the stadium before Olabowale Ademola, the Lagos State Head of Service, who stood in for Mr. Ambode.

Idowu Adelakun, the NLC Chairman, Lagos State, said he felt very bad at the governors absence.

This government promised us a government of inclusiveness, but for the governor not to be here today, I dont think its inclusive, Mr. Adelakun told journalists after reading from his prepared speech.

It was to be Mr. Ambodes first May Day rally since he was sworn in as governor on May 29 last year. He was also absent at last years Independence Day rally.

In contrast, Mr. Ambodes predecessor, Babatunde Fashola, never failed to attend the workers rally during his eight year rule, even when it coincided with his wedding anniversary.

So its unfortunate and its unexpected of a person of Akinwunmi Ambode, Mr. Adelakun said.

The relationship (between the governor and the workers) has been very cordial. As you are aware, the governor too had been a worker, hes the former Accountant General of Lagos State.

So we have been working together. Hes not a new man to us. For him not to come here today, he did that for the best reason known to him, which is not the best for him.

The workers, however, admitted that Mr. Ambode had not defaulted in the payment of salaries as well as other workers entitlements.

In his address, Mr. Adelakun said the labour movement reject any planned privatization of water supply in Lagos State.

Past experience has shown that all public corporations and enterprises purportedly privatized by the federal government had not yielded any positive fruit, said Mr. Adelakun.

Consequently, we as labour movement say an unequivocal No to privatization of water in Lagos.

Mr. Adelakun commended the state government for the payment of pension from 2009  2013 to the mainstream of the civil service and urged the payment of gratuities of parastatals and agency workers from 2005  2010.

In addition, we also demand that the government look into the payment of pensions of retired workers of agencies and parastatals from 2009 to date. This will serve as motivation to serving officials who will be sure that their livelihood will be secured after retirement.

The theme for the 2016 Workers Day is The Working Class and The Quest for Socio-Economic Revival.

Akeem Kazeem, the Chairman of Trade Union Congress of Nigeria, Lagos State Council, said Lagos is among the states that show visible signs of development.

Without mincing words, I am saying this authoritatively that most of the linkages to (siphon) money in Lagos State have been blocked simply because we have a governor who was once an effective and efficient public servant, said Mr. Kazeem.

Before now, we are talking of multiple taxation in Lagos State; but now if you pay your Land Use Charge in time, you are entitled to 15 per cent rebate.

The then palliative inner roads are now witnessing tremendous changes even with street lights, almost 140 roads every three months.

Mr. Ambode said the Lagos success story has been due to dedication and commitment of its workforce.

All over the world, the worker is recognized as the most important factor of production, said the governor, whose speech was read by Mrs. Ademola.

As a government, we appreciate workers and make bold to declare that they are the makers of history. Every day we say Lagos is working but I am here to tell you that Lagos is working because the workers are doing the right things at the right time.
The Federal Government has condemned calls by some individuals and groups in the south-east geo political zone for herdsmen to leave the region.

The Minister of Science and Technology, Ogbonnaya Onu, stated this on Sunday at Uburu, Ohaozara Local Government Area of Ebonyi.

He was addressing journalists on the outcome of the All Progressives Congress, APC, South-East stakeholders meeting.

According to him, the call is uncalled for as President Muhammadu Buhari has directed relevant agencies to take appropriate actions in halting the killings by suspected herdsmen.

This situation is not pleasing to anybody but the Federal Government is desirous to achieve a peaceful, strong and united nation.

The government appeals to south-easterners especially youths, not to take laws into their hands as a result of the development.

The people should exercise patience, as the president has categorically condemned the herdsmens actions and directed that no effort should be spared in checking the situation.

The Igbos are known globally to be peace loving and abhorrers of violence, as I enjoin them to maintain such virtue, he said.

The minister said that the meeting involved elected APC leaders, national leaders, members of the National Working Committee, NWC, and other stakeholders from the zone.

We discussed ways of consolidating on the partys achievements and making it stronger because we want to start winning elections in the zone.

We also discussed the disputed issue of state chairmanship of the party, as it will be resolved very soon, he said.

Mr. Onu also urged Nigerians to be patient with the president on the 2016 budget assent, noting that he wanted to get things right.

The president made promises to the nation; to ensure adequate security for the citizens, rapidly develop the economy, check unemployment, ensure the observance of the rule of law, among others.

The budget estimate reflected all these promises but what was returned to the president did not conform with his intentions.

He then demonstrated his resolve to ensure that things are done correctly, as continuing with the old ways of doing things has visible and dire effects, he said.

(NAN)
The Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, in Sokoto State says it will build 3,050 housing units for civil servants in the state.

The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the state Chairman of the NLC, Aminu Umar, disclosed this in Sokoto on Sunday at the 2016 May Day Celebrations.

Mr. Umar, who was represented by his deputy, Abubakar Malami, said that the houses will be built in partnership with some private estate developers.

So far, about 100 hectares of land had been acquired by the company on which the houses would be built including other facilities like clinic, mini market and schools, among others.

Therefore, I will like to solicit for your continued cooperation in order to help us achieve the set goals of improving the welfare of workers, he said.

He commended the state government for ensuring the regular payment of salary and the payment of arrears of gratuities to retired civil servants in the state.

The chairman extolled the existing cordial relationship between labour unions and the state government. He further acknowledged the desire and commitment of the state government to improve the lot of the civil servants in the state.

However, he appealed to the state government to look into the plight of retired teachers and workers of local government councils, as well as salary disparity between secondary and primary school teachers.

Mr. Umar further urged the state government to implement consolidated salary for legislative staff, as well as introduce a special media salary scale, among other demands.

Governor Aminu Tambuwal, who was represented by the Secretary to the State Government, Bashir Garba, said that no society can develop without a functional, robust, motivated and dedicated civil service.

Mr. Tambuwal also pledged to sustain the prompt payment of salary and pensions, as well as uplift the general welfare of the citizenry.

The governor urged the civil servants to reciprocate the gestures of the state government by being disciplined, dedicated to their duties and more productive.

(NAN)
Angry workers in Ogun State on Sunday accused Governor Ibikunle Amosun of criminal violations of the law, pointing at his failure to remit deductions made under the Contributory Pension Scheme. The law establishing the scheme demands that deductions be remitted within seven days, but the workers said that has been observed in breach so far for 67 months.

The Chairman, Trade Union Congress of Nigeria, Ogun State Council, Olubunmi Fajobi, made the declaration at the commemoration of the 2016 May Day celebration and rally held at Moshood Abiola International Stadium, Abeokuta.

Mr. Fajobi, speaking while the governor was on his seat at the rally, chose not to mince words on the special day as he decried the governors failure to faithfully run the scheme. He pointed out that failure to remit deductions within seven days was a serious offence under the contributory pension law.

We wish to voice out again that the state government should heed to our demand for the suspension of the contributory pension scheme. This demand is borne out of the fact that government has continuously not shown commitment to faithfully run the scheme, Mr. Fajobi said.

The congress leader advised that since uncertainty has pervaded the scheme, government should therefore save the future of the workforce by returning Ogun workers to the old scheme until such a time government is ready to finance the scheme appropriately.

Why should government continue to violate its own law? Failure to remit fund deducted to Pension Fund Custodian through PFAs within seven (7) days is a serious offence under the CPS law. Unfortunately, Ogun State Government has failed to remit CPS fund for 69 months, Mr. Fajobi lamented.

Similarly, the congress said considerable number of the workforce currently received less than half of their salary(NET) monthly, while the government pockets the remainder through failure to remit as instructed to cooperative societies, creditors especially banks as well as safe-keepers among others.

Public servants are respected based on their credibility and credit-worthiness but the reverse is the situation now. We therefore plead with the government to assist its workforce to regain their lost credibility by immediately commencing payment of full salary, the chairman said.

The TUC seized the occasion of the May Day celebration to appeal to the governor to review the cases and reinstate on compassionate grounds all the retired or dismissed workers of the Ministry of Education.

A bewildered Governor Amosun in his reply expressed shock that the workers were showing no gratitude to him for paying one month full-salary out of the nine months salary arrears he is owing.

He urged the workers to instead be prayerful, just as he gave assurance that, their welfare would remain paramount to him. Mr. Amosun disclosed that his government was battling a debt crisis of N65 billion but boasted that by the time he leaves office, he would not be owing a penny. He did not say how he would do that.
For the New World Order, a world government is just the beginning. Once in place they can engage their plan to exterminate 80% of the world's population, while enabling the "elites" to live forever with the aid of advanced technology. For the first time, crusading filmmaker ALEX JONES reveals their secret plan for humanity's extermination: Operation ENDGAME.

Jones chronicles the history of the global elite's bloody rise to power and reveals how they have funded dictators and financed the bloodiest warscreating order out of chaos to pave the way for the first true world empire.

Watch as Jones and his team track the elusive Bilderberg Group to Ottawa and Istanbul to document their secret summits, allowing you to witness global kingpins setting the world's agenda and instigating World War III.





to Ottawa and Istanbul to document their secret summits, allowing you to witness global kingpins setting the world's agenda and instigating World War III. Learn about the formation of the North America transportation control grid, which will end U.S. sovereignty forever.





Discover how the practitioners of the pseudo-science eugenics have taken control of governments worldwide as a means to carry out depopulation.





View the progress of the coming collapse of the United States and the formation of the North American Union.

Never before has a documentary assembled all the pieces of the globalists' dark agenda. Endgame's compelling look at past atrocities committed by those attempting to steer the future delivers information that the controlling media has meticulously censored for over 60 years. It fully reveals the elite's program to dominate the earth and carry out the wicked plan in all of human history.

Endgame is not conspiracy theory, it is documented fact in the elite's own words.




TEL AVIV, Israel, May 1, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Kuang-Chi, a Shenzhen-based technology conglomerate, is launching an international innovation fund based in Israel to invest in companies worldwide. The "Kuang-Chi GCI Fund & Incubator" will be the first Chinese fund of its kind, combining investment in early to mid-stage Israeli and global companies with incubation by Kuang-Chi. The newly established fund has an initial mandate of $50 million which is planned to grow to $300 million within the next three years.

GCI refers to the Global Community of Innovation initiated by Kuang-Chi. It brings together innovators from all over the world and turns science fiction and human dreams into reality by delivering "the future" to the world. Kuang-Chi will make its full corporate resources, from sales and marketing to technology collaboration and joint development, available to the companies in which it invests.

Founded in 2010 by five distinguished Chinese scientists who returned to China after earning advanced degrees at Duke, Oxford, and Cambridge universities, now Kuang-Chi is a global innovation group with operations from China to North America, Europe, Africa and Oceania. Kuang-chi has applied for more than 3,000 patents worldwide in the areas of metamaterials, photonics, satellite technology, aviation, and robotics in the past five years alone.

Among its holdings, the group is a main shareholder of KuangChi Science Limited (00439.HK), Solar Ship Inc., Martin Aircraft Company (ASX:MJP), biometrics pioneer Zwipe, and communications group HyalRoute. Acting through public companies, private holdings and research institutes, the group's value exceeds $10 billion.

Kuang-Chi will also announce investments in local Israeli technology companies that are joining GCI, led by a sizable investment in a leading Israeli technology company. Dr. Ruopeng Liu, the group's chairman, stated, "Israel has unparalleled capabilities to offer the world. You share with Kuang-Chi a special mindset and vision. We intend to invest in the best local companies in the fields of biometrics, communications, robotics, and AR, and to take them to the next level commercially and technologically."

Kuang-Chi's longtime partner in Israel, Indigo Global, will represent and manage the GCI Fund & Incubator's activity. Dorian Barak, managing partner of Indigo Global, stated, "Kuang-Chi is one of the most important technology companies in the world today, combining the best of the Shenzhen tech ecosystem with China's scale and development vision. Dr. Liu and his team have developed a unique and successful model to partner with leading innovators in a range of fields, which affords enormous resources to the companies in which they invest. Kuang-Chi isn't merely a financial investor for their enormous technological resources, distribution networks, and design and product development capabilities to benefit the companies selected for the China-based accelerator. We at Indigo are very excited to manage the platform in Israel with a view to expanding the model globally."

A senior Kuang-Chi delegation led by Dr. Liu, including representatives of Chinese media outlets and company executives, will visit Israel in early May to formally announce the fund and to meet with high-level government officials and industry leaders. The talks will end with a launch event at the offices of leading Israeli law firm ERM Law. ERM senior partner Amnon Epstein commented, "It is a great pleasure to welcome such an important Chinese technology company and we look forward to continued collaboration with Kuang-Chi in Israel".

Inquiries:

Kuang-Chi: xiaokelan@kuang-chi.com +86 181 2625 4673

Indigo Global: vicki@indigog.com +972(9)8322526

SOURCE KuangChi Science
SYDNEY, May 2, 2016 /PRNewswire/ --

Connect Your Systems, Processes, People and Things to Ride the Wave of Digital Transformation

Newgen Software, a leading global provider of Business Process Management (BPM), Enterprise Content Management (ECM), Customer Communication Management (CCM), and Case Management solutions, today announced its participation in the 2016 edition of CeBIT Australia scheduled to take place from 2nd to 4th May at Sydney Olympic Park. At the event, Newgen will exhibit solutions that are shaping the business technology landscape across 20+ verticals, by driving Digital Transformation.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20130912/638839 )



Speaking on the occasion, Manojit Majumdar, Vice President Channel Sales - Newgen Software said, "The changing business environment demands enterprises to adapt quickly to the dynamic technology landscape. Organizations are not only required to delight their customers beyond expectations but also to create infinite businesses by ensuring the availability of whatever the work demands, anytime and from anywhere. Simultaneously, enterprises also need to ensure minimum turbulence with their legacy systems while adopting the new age best practices and technologies."

He added, "Newgen connects the systems, processes, people and things of your business in innovative ways to give you agility of a new age business and yet perform with maturity & experience."

A key highlight at the exhibition will be the presence of Newgen solution experts at booth# A13. Newgen knowledge leaders will showcase technologies that can digitally transform businesses across industries by automating a wide range of mission-critical business processes - from account opening and loan origination in the banks to accounts payable in the shared services and e-governance in the public sector.

Newgen has been providing software solutions to the banking industry for more than 20 years now and has developed solution accelerators for Customer Onboarding, Consumer and Commercial Lending, Trade Finance, Payments etc. These will also be discussed in detail, by the Newgen leadership team.

About Newgen

Newgen Software is a leading global provider of Business Process Management, Enterprise Content Management, Customer Communication Management and Case Management, with a global footprint of 1300+ installations in over 61 countries with large, mission-critical solutions deployed at the world's leading banks, insurance firms, BPO's, healthcare organizations, government, telecom companies and shared service centers.

Some of our Asia Pacific customers include AstraZeneca, East West Bank, Sacom Bank, TienPhong Bank, Axis Bank, Strides Arcolab, Liberty Insurance, Dai-ichi Life Insurance.

To know more, please visit http://www.newgensoft.com

Media Contact :

Asif Khan

Asif.khan@newgensoft.com



SOURCE Newgen Software Technologies Limited
TEL AVIV, Israel, May 1, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Kuang-Chi, a Shenzhen-based technology conglomerate, is launching an international innovation fund based in Israel to invest in companies worldwide. The "Kuang-Chi GCI Fund & Incubator" will be the first Chinese fund of its kind, combining investment in early to mid-stage Israeli and global companies with incubation by Kuang-Chi. The newly established fund has an initial mandate of $50 million which is planned to grow to $300 million within the next three years.

GCI refers to the Global Community of Innovation initiated by Kuang-Chi. It brings together innovators from all over the world and turns science fiction and human dreams into reality by delivering "the future" to the world. Kuang-Chi will make its full corporate resources, from sales and marketing to technology collaboration and joint development, available to the companies in which it invests.

Founded in 2010 by five distinguished Chinese scientists who returned to China after earning advanced degrees at Duke, Oxford, and Cambridge universities, now Kuang-Chi is a global innovation group with operations from China to North America, Europe, Africa and Oceania. Kuang-chi has applied for more than 3,000 patents worldwide in the areas of metamaterials, photonics, satellite technology, aviation, and robotics in the past five years alone.

Among its holdings, the group is a main shareholder of KuangChi Science Limited (00439.HK), Solar Ship Inc., Martin Aircraft Company (ASX:MJP), biometrics pioneer Zwipe, and communications group HyalRoute. Acting through public companies, private holdings and research institutes, the group's value exceeds $10 billion.

Kuang-Chi will also announce investments in local Israeli technology companies that are joining GCI, led by a sizable investment in a leading Israeli technology company. Dr. Ruopeng Liu, the group's chairman, stated, "Israel has unparalleled capabilities to offer the world. You share with Kuang-Chi a special mindset and vision. We intend to invest in the best local companies in the fields of biometrics, communications, robotics, and AR, and to take them to the next level commercially and technologically."

Kuang-Chi's longtime partner in Israel, Indigo Global, will represent and manage the GCI Fund & Incubator's activity. Dorian Barak, managing partner of Indigo Global, stated, "Kuang-Chi is one of the most important technology companies in the world today, combining the best of the Shenzhen tech ecosystem with China's scale and development vision. Dr. Liu and his team have developed a unique and successful model to partner with leading innovators in a range of fields, which affords enormous resources to the companies in which they invest. Kuang-Chi isn't merely a financial investor for their enormous technological resources, distribution networks, and design and product development capabilities to benefit the companies selected for the China-based accelerator. We at Indigo are very excited to manage the platform in Israel with a view to expanding the model globally."

A senior Kuang-Chi delegation led by Dr. Liu, including representatives of Chinese media outlets and company executives, will visit Israel in early May to formally announce the fund and to meet with high-level government officials and industry leaders. The talks will end with a launch event at the offices of leading Israeli law firm ERM Law. ERM senior partner Amnon Epstein commented, "It is a great pleasure to welcome such an important Chinese technology company and we look forward to continued collaboration with Kuang-Chi in Israel".

Inquiries:

Kuang-Chi: [email protected] +86 181 2625 4673

Indigo Global: [email protected] +972(9)8322526

SOURCE KuangChi Science
SPRINGFIELD, Ill., May 1, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The following was released today by the Illinois State Rifle Association (ISRA):

It was inevitable  the Mark Kelly/Gabby Giffords medicine show rolled into the Illinois Capitol with a wagon-load of gun control snake oil to peddle to the General Assembly. "Buyer beware" is the ISRA message to legislators who dare answer the call of the gun control faithful.

Mark Kelly  astronaut turned gun control evangelist  adeptly talks out of both sides of his mouth when it comes to the issue of private firearm ownership. On one hand, Kelly claims to be a "gun owner," yet, on the other hand, he lauds Hawaii for that state's supposed control of so-called "gun violence." However, he forgets to mention that very few Hawaiians are even allowed to own firearms. Kelly proudly describes himself as a "supporter" of the 2nd Amendment, yet he is quick to trumpet Hillary Clinton as the candidate with the "best" platform on gun control. Let us not forget that Clinton supports "Australian-style" gun control which, if implemented in the U.S., would effectively nullify the 2nd Amendment. Under the Clinton/Kelly plan, better than 90% of the firearms owned by American citizens would be banned and confiscated. Kelly is nothing short of a slick sideshow hawker bent on exacting penance from law-abiding gun owners.

In recent days, Kelly has been in Springfield stumping for his latest assault on lawful gun owners  the "Gun Dealer Licensing Act." The purpose of this bill is to make it more difficult for lawful citizens to acquire firearms by making it extremely difficult for legitimate firearm dealers to stay in business. If enacted, HB1016 would allow Chicago Machine bureaucrats to harass federally-licensed firearm dealers across the state. Kelly claims that his bill would crack down on so-called "bad apple gun dealers." In reality, Kelly's bill would give lawful firearm retailers a whole host of new regulations and technical requirements to inadvertently violate.

"Legislators would do well to ignore Kelly's dealer harassment scheme," commented ISRA executive director, Richard Pearson. "The legislature has never deemed it necessary to issue state licenses to firearm retailers in the past, and there's certainly no impetus to do so today. It's clear that Kelly and his pals in the general assembly are determined to regulate, intimidate, and eventually eliminate lawful firearm retailers. This type of legislation doesn't sit well with Illinois firearm owners. Any legislator who supports Kelly's scheme will be outed and then subjected to scrutiny by his or her gun-owning constituents."

"We really don't need carpetbaggers like Mark Kelly and his wife popping into Springfield to tell us how to run our state," continued Pearson. "The fact that Kelly and spouse are here to muscle Illinois gun owners is an insult to every citizen of the state. It's time for Kelly and Giffords to pack up their wagon and head back to New Jersey or Arizona or Outer Space or wherever they're claiming to be from these days."

The ISRA is the state's leading advocate of safe, lawful and responsible firearms ownership. For more than a century, the ISRA has represented the interests of millions of law-abiding Illinois firearm owners.

WEB SITE: http://www.isra.org

SOURCE Illinois State Rifle Association

Related Links

http://www.isra.org


PHILADELPHIA, April 30, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Attorney Robert J. Mongeluzzi, expressing his deepest sympathies over the loss of life today in Boston following a fatal accident involving a duck boat and a motor scooter, called yet again for an immediate federal moratorium on duck boat tour operations nationwide.

"How many more people have to die in duck boat accidents before authorities realize they are deadly on land and in the water," stated Mr. Mongeluzzi. "Through our experience representing victims of duck boat disasters we've determined they are fatally flawed; they're death traps on the water due to their hazardous canopy design and on land they are engineered to restrict the peripheral vision of the operator, creating significant blind spots."

On July 7, 2010  two young tourists on a Ride The Ducks (not the owner-operator of the Boston tour boat) Delaware River cruise were killed in an incident that sparked international controversy over whether the amphibious boat with a checkered past could safely operate. He and his team from Saltz, Mongeluzzi, Barrett & Bendesky, P.C., who represented the families of the victims in the 2010 duck boat tragedy, now represent the victim in the May 8, 2015 death by duck boat of tourist pedestrian Elizabeth 'Liz' Karnicki, PhD. She was struck and killed by a Ride the Ducks duck boat while crossing a Center City Philadelphia street with her husband, Dr. Daniel C. Karnicki, during their visit to Philadelphia. The wrongful lawsuit brought by Mr. Mongeluzzi's firm seeks to hold Ride the Ducks responsible for the preventable tragedy, and to ensure the safety of other unsuspecting, defenseless citizens.

SOURCE Saltz, Mongeluzzi, Barrett, & Bendesky, P.C.
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
Bhubaneswar, April 27 : A minor fire broke out due to electrical short-circuiting in the chamber of Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik in the state assembly building on Wednesday. No loss of life or damage to documents was reported.

Director General of Police K.B. Singh, who rushed to the chief minister's chamber, said an electrical short circuiting from the digital clock on a set-top box of a television set in the office started the fire.

He said the general electrical division would inquire into and pinpoint the cause of the fire. Fire Department personnel managed to douse the fire quickly.

Patnaik was not in the room when the fire broke out. He is scheduled to arrive here from New Delhi on Wednesday.

Since the house is in session, Speaker Niranjan Pujari and other members, including some ministers, rushed to the spot to take stock of the situation.

"The fire started from the set-top box of a TV. Senior officials and many other staff were present there at the time of incident. Only a portion of the plywood and the TV has been damaged," said BJD legislator Debasis Nayak.

Nayak said no document in the chamber was damaged.
Kolkata, April 28 : West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who undertook a massive rally in south Kolkata's Jadavpur on Thursday ahead of the crucial fifth phase of assembly polls, took a swipe at the opposition for seeking imposition of "curfew" on people's movement during poll dates.

"Public has to come out and vote. They are not being able to move out... what is this? They are just imposing section 144 (prohibitory orders) to restrict movement. Since they (opposition) are scared that they can't win, they are saying impose curfew.

"After destroying Bengal, they are asking Delhi (read Election Commission) to impose curfew. People will snatch their own democratic rights... ," Banerjee said at a rally in Sulekha Crossing.

Imposition of prohibitory orders, a standard operating procedure on the poll date, was strictly implemented by the Election Commission during the fourth phase of the assembly election on April 25.

Several Trinamool candidates including ministers had then lashed out against the poll panel and the central forces for "excesses" and putting curbs on the normal life of the people.

Draped in her signature white saree with a blue border, Banerjee showcased her charisma and appeal as thousands of supporters responded to her slogans of "Thanda Thanda cool cool, abar ashey Trinamool" and "Trinamool Zindabad".

Braving the humid weather, hundreds sported Trinamool merchandise and posters and banners. The party flags fluttered in slight drafts of air as Banerjee energetically walked through urging people to vote for Trinamool candidates in the fray in the fifth phase, including she herself.

Terming Jadavpur, Kasba, Tollygunge and Rashbehari constituencies in the city her favourite and "lucky" area, Banerjee sought to tap into public sentiment.

In the 1984 general election, Banerjee became one of India's youngest parliamentarians ever, beating veteran CPI-M leader Somnath Chatterjee, from the Jadavpur Lok Sabha Constituency.

"Whenever I go through this area I turn nostalgic. People had sent me to parliament from here," she said.
Auckland, April 30 : President Pranab Mukherjee on Saturday invited New Zealand investors and entrepreneurs to participate in the "Make in India" initiative.

"New Zealand has made tremendous progress in dairy development, food processing, communications and information technology, clean energy and water, disaster management, biotechnology, healthcare and services, to mention a few," Mukherjee said in his speech during a banquet hosted in his honour by New Zealand Governor General Sir Jerry Mateparae after his arrival here from Papua New Guinea earlier in the day.

"We would very much like to enhance our bilateral co-operation in these areas, learn from the successful experience and practices of New Zealand and collaborate with you in creating new and innovative products and technology," he said.

Stating that India looked forward to new partnerships with New Zealand in areas of common interest, he said: "We invite investors and entrepreneurs from New Zealand to join Indian counterparts in the 'Make in India' initiative of my government."

Mukherjee said that bilateral relations between India and New Zealand gained a new momentum since the visit of New Zealand Prime Minister John Key to India in June, 2011.

"In 2013, our bilateral trade crossed $1 billion," he said.

"However, given the relative size of our economies and the wide convergence of interests in many areas, we both agree that the present level of trade and investment needs to be vigorously advanced in order to realise its substantial potential."

The president sought India's cooperation in reforming the UN Security Council (UNSC) and said that India stood ready to shoulder greater responsibilities in the international arena.

"In the United Nations Security Council, New Zealand has addressed issues of global security and highlighted the challenges faced by smaller states," he said.

"The impressive support that New Zealand garnered in last year's UNSC election revealed both the quality of your diplomacy and the trust that other countries have placed in you. We look forward to enhanced cooperation between our two countries both in the regional as well as global context."

Referring to the Indian diaspora, Mukherjee said that New Zealand was home to more than 170,000 people of Indian origin.

"Our people to people contacts are growing. Indian students are increasingly opting for higher studies in New Zealand and we are seeing enhanced tourist flows in both directions," he said.

Mukherjee's is the first ever presidential visit from India to New Zealand.

According to the New Zealand country strategy paper, its goal is to have India as a core trade, economic, and political partner.

The president's visit is aimed at realising that goal, Jaideep Mazumdar, joint secretary (South) in the ministry of external affairs, said at a media briefing in New Delhi ahead of the visit.

New Zealand supports India's aspirations for permanent membership of the UN Security Council.

People-to-people ties between India and New Zealand have traditionally been close.

The number of Indian students in New Zealand has grown exponentially over the last few years to about 23,000.

Last year, 43,000 Indian tourists went to New Zealand and from the New Zealand side there were about 25,000 tourists to India.

Apart from its strengths in agriculture and dairy farming, New Zealand has certain unique high technology skills and strengths as well.

Security systems in the Indian parliament, Hindustan Aeronautics or the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) among other locations are developed and installed by a New Zealand company.

While the Mumbai Police uses amphibious boats which are manufactured by a New Zealand company, the Coast Guard of India uses jet propulsion engines in their patrol boats that are manufactured by a New Zealand firm.

Air cargo handling systems, conveyor belts and even the design of several malls in India has been done by New Zealand companies.

New Zealand also has great technological abilities in cold storage supply chain management and post-harvest technologies, which are of interest to India .
Gurgaon, April 30 : A seven-year-old girl was raped by unidentified people here, police said on Saturday. She was shifted to a Delhi hospital as her condition deteriorated.

The minor lives in the shanties in an urban area under Sushant Lok police station.

The girl, who lives with her parents, went missing from her house on Friday night. She was later found badly hurt nearby.

"She was rushed to Gurgaon hospital but later shifted to Delhi's Safdarjung hospital as her condition deteriorated," Inspector Gaurav Phogat, chief of Sushant Lok police station, told IANS.

Her father and mother work in the houses nearby.

Unknown people have been booked under various sections of IPC, including Prevention of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.

Police said they were investigating the incident and several teams have been formed to trace the culprits.
Washington, May 1 : Republican hopeful for the US presidency Donald Trump said those who protested against him in the California Republican Party were convention thugs and criminals, the media reported.

"The 'protesters' in California were thugs and criminals. Many are professionals. They should be dealt with strongly by law enforcement!" Trump wrote on his Twitter account on Saturday.

The New York magnate, leader by a wide margin in the Republican primaries for the presidential candidacy, made that comment about demonstrations in the town of Burlingame near San Francisco, during which hundreds of protesters clashed with police.

The presence of demonstrators forced Trump, who was taking part in the California GOP convention that ends on Sunday, to enter the hotel by the back door.

"That is not the easiest entrance I've ever made. We went under a fence and through a fence. Oh boy, it felt like I was crossing the border, actually. I was crossing the border, but I got here," said Trump, who has made his controversial remarks about building a wall along the Mexican border one of the planks of his campaign platform.

The disturbances came after at least 20 people were arrested following protests at another electoral event of the likely GOP candidate at Costa Mesa in Southern California.

"I'm protesting because I want equal rights for everybody," 19-year-old Daniel Lujan told the Los Angeles Times.

Lujan was one of the hundreds of people - mostly Latinos, according to the newspaper - filling the streets to protest against Trump.
Dhaka, May 1 : The Islamic State (IS) terror group has claimed responsibility of killing a Hindu tailor in Bangladesh's Tangail district.

According to jihadi threat monitoring portal SITE Intelligence Group, Nikhil Chandra Joarder, 50, was hacked to death in Gopalpur on Saturday, bdnews24 reported.

Police said unidentified assailants on motorbikes killed Joarder in front of his tailoring shop at around 12.30 p.m.

"Three youths arrived at the shop of Nikhil. They took him to a nearby road saying they need to talk to him. Then they hacked him indiscriminately and fled after confirming his death," a police official said.

He was killed in a manner similar to that of several bloggers, rights activists and university teachers.

Nikhil earlier served three-month in jail in a case over slandering of Prophet Muhammad.

Several people including, foreign nationals, bloggers, human rights activists and university teachers were hacked to death in the last one year.

In most of the cases, Al Qaeda or the IS have claimed responsibility.
Ankara, May 1 : A police officer was killed and 13 people were injured on Sunday in an explosion near the main police station in the Turkish city of Gaziantep.

The blast hit the southern city, 10 km from the Syrian border, at about 9.30 a.m.

Nine policemen and four civilians were injured in the suspected car bomb attack, state-run Anadolu news agency quoted Governor Ali Yerlikaya as saying.

Private broadcaster CNN Turk reported that the blast occurred in front of the barriers of the headquarters.

Footage from CNN Turk broadcaster showed pieces of a wrecked vehicle near the station gates and several ambulances and fire brigade trucks at the scene of the blast.
Ballia (Uttar Prdesh), May 1 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday pledged to ensure a better life for the poor, saying his government was "for the poor".

"This is a government for the poor. Whatever we do will be for the poor," the prime minister said here, launching the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana.

"We have worked a lot on labour related issues," he added.

The scheme will provide free LPG connections to five crore women belonging to Below Poverty Line (BPL) families between 2016 and 2019.

He said schemes "must be made for the welfare of the poor not keeping in mind considerations of the ballot box".

The prime minister greeted the workers, or shramiks as he described them, on the occasion of May 1, Labour Day.

"I laud the hard work of all shramiks and appreciate their role in the progress of India. In this century, our mantra should be: All shramiks of the world, let's make the world one. Unite the world."

Modi is in Uttar Pradesh on a day-long visit.

He will visit Varanasi later in the day and distribute e-rickshaws and interact with its owners. He will also a scheme for environment-friendly e-boats at the famous Assi Ghat.

"These will help bring down pollution," Modi tweeted earlier.
Mumbai, May 1 : Manoj Bajpayee visited the traffic control room of Mumbai Police here to personally meet and thank traffic constables.

The actor went to observe their work pattern, which has over the years shown remarkable results.

In his upcoming film "Traffic", Manoj plays a traffic constable who spearheads a situation where a harvested heart has to be delivered to a patient in Pune for transplant, weaving his way through the heavy traffic in Mumbai.

"Mumbai in itself is a very challenging city where controlling traffic is concerned. It is a monstrous task to manage the traffic of Mumbai," Manoj said in a statement, during his visit to the traffic control room on April 28.

He added: "Whenever I travel, people say that even though the city has narrow roads, Mumbai doesn't face as much of traffic related problems as witnessed by other cities".

The 47-year-old also credited the traffic department and the officers "who have effortlessly systematised Mumbai's traffic".

He also gave a salute to the traffic constables and police officers for their selfless contribution in serving the nation and its citizens.

Manoj vowed to contribute in accordance with his capacity to provide jackets to the members of the Mumbai traffic police department.

Talking about the film, Mumbai's Additional Commissioner of Traffic Police Sunil Paraskar said: "I have seen the trailer already and I feel it is one of the best films, not for its glamour or anything. I look at it from a very different point of view, the human interest point of view. It is one of the wonderful films, my best wishes to 'Traffic'."

"Traffic" is an emotional thriller based on a road trip from Mumbai to Pune which is based on a true story. The film revolves around transportation of a harvested heart for a heart transplant case, chasing a strict deadline. During the mission, the cast of the film faces numerous difficulties, traffic being one of them.

The film also stars Jimmy Shergill, Divya Dutta and Sachin Khedekar.

"Traffic" is directed by late Rajesh Pillai, produced by Deepak Dhar of Endemol India and presented by Foxstar studios.
Sundernagar, May 1 : Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh on Sunday launched 'Rajiv Gandhi Digital Student Yojna' here in this town in Mandi district, said an official statement.

The chief minister launched the scheme by giving away laptop computers to 86 students who achieved distinction in Classes 10 and 12 examinations.

The government will provide 10,000 laptops to the toppers of the Himachal Pradesh Board of School Education with an outlay of Rs.18.32 lakh, the statement said.

Virbhadra Singh said the state government was endeavouring to provide quality education to the students.

He said more than 1,000 schools have been opened or upgraded during the last three years, besides 24 industrial training institutes (IITs) and two engineering colleges.

The chief minister said 29 colleges have been opened during this period, taking the total number of colleges to 94.

Chief parliamentary secretary and local legislator Sohan Lal said the priority of the state was to provide basic education to all the children at their doorstep.

More than 30 schools have been either opened or upgraded in Sundernagar alone, he said.
Mumbai, May 1 : Actor Manoj Bajpayee, who has had a mix of hits and flops in his over two-decade-long career in showbiz, says he owns the success and failure of his films and feels it's his responsibility to promote a film even when it doesn't do well at the box-office.

"I make myself available for the film promotions, come what may. I have seen actors, who after knowing that their film is not that good, start backing out. Owning a film -- that's the biggest thing an actor can do," Manoj told IANS.

"You can make mistakes and owning a mistake is the great thing which says you are ready to learn. I own my mistakes, I own my films whether they are good or bad. I make myself available for the promotions," he added.

Manoj will next be seen as a traffic constable in the film "Traffic".

The emotional thriller is based on a true story of a road trip from Mumbai to Pune. The film revolves around transportation of a harvested heart for a heart transplant case, chasing a strict deadline. During the mission, the cast of the film faces numerous difficulties -- and traffic is one of them.

Asked whether he did any preparations for his role in the film, Manoj said: "I don't prepare myself to be a constable... I prepared myself to be that human being who is wearing that uniform. It was very personal and very organic. I didn't really have to prepare myself for this."

Directed by late director Rajesh Pillai, "Traffic", which also stars Jimmy Shergill, Divya Dutta and Sachin Khedekar, is slated to release on May 6.

The film is produced by Deepak Dhar of Endemol India and presented by Fox Star Studios.
Islamabad, May 1 : Pakistan on Sunday maintained that the proposed sale of F-16 fighter jets by the US to Pakistan was still under discussion between the two countries.

Commenting on media reports regarding the cutting of financial subsidy for the sale of the aircraft by the US, Foreign Office spokesman Nafees Zakariya observed that coordinated efforts were needed at international level to tackle the menace of terrorism, Dunya News reported.

Asserting that the responsibility to eliminate terrorism cannot be placed on one country, the spokesman said Islamabad and Washington were cooperating in the fight against terrorism.

He further said that provision of F-16s to Pakistan will enhance its anti-terrorism capability.
?Kalvari?, the first of the Scorpene class submarines, being built at the Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Ltd Mumbai (MDL), went to sea for the first time today. This marks the commencement of sea trials ... Image Source: IANS News

?Kalvari?, the first of the Scorpene class submarines, being built at the Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Ltd Mumbai (MDL), went to sea for the first time today. This marks the commencement of sea trials ... Image Source: IANS News

?Kalvari?, the first of the Scorpene class submarines, being built at the Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Ltd Mumbai (MDL), went to sea for the first time today. This marks the commencement of sea trials ... Image Source: IANS News

Mumbai, May 1 : 'Kalvari' (Tiger Shark), the first of the six French Scorpene class submarines being built at the Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Ltd for the Indian navy, went to sea for the first time on Sunday, an official said here.

The submarine sailed out at about 10 a.m. under her own propulsion for her first sea trial, off the Mumbai coast.

During the sortie, a number of number of preliminary tests on the propulsion system, auxiliary equipment and systems, navigation aids, communication equipment and steering gear were performed, the official said, adding various standard operating procedures were also validated for this new class of submarines before she returned to harbour in the evening.

Over the next few months, the submarine will undergo a barrage of sea, surface, diving, weapons, noise trials, etc testing her to the extremes of its intended operating envelop.

Later, she will be commissioned into the Indian Navy, giving a major boost to the 'Make In India' initiative of the government.

She is part of the ongoing project for constructing six Scorpene class submarines, in collaboration with DCNS of France, which will include transfer of technology to MDL.

In April 2015, Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar had directed that all-out efforts be made to complete the project on schedule after which teams from MDL, Indian Navy and DCNS worked round-the-clock on it.

The submarine was undocked on pontoon on April 6, 2015 in Parrikkar's presence, underwent vacuum tests and battery loading at Naval Dockyard before returning to the MDL for completion of the basin trials and harbour acceptance trials phase.

The state-of-art features of Scorpene include suerpior stealth to launch a crippling attack on enemies with precision-guided weaponry, including torpedoes, tube-launched anti-ship missiles both underwater and on surface.

The Scorpene submarines are designed to operate in all areas including the tropics, and encompass all means and communications to ensure interoperability with other components of a Naval Task Force.

They can undertake multifarious missions like anti-surface warfare, anti-submarine warfare, intelligence gathering, mine laying, area surveillance, etc.

The submarine class are built from special steel capable of withstanding high-yield stress with high tensile strength that allows them to bear high hydrostatic force and enable deep diving for enhanced stealth.

She was built according to modular construction principle, which divides it into a number of sections and building them in parallel.

The complexity of the task can be gauged from the fact that it involves laying around 60 km cables and 11 km pipes in extremely congested and limited spaces inside the submarine.

The Scorpene is equipped with weapons launching tubes (WLT), and its weapons can be easily reloaded at sea with special handling and loading equipment.

The array of weapons and complex sensors fitted on board the Scorpene are managed by a high technology combat management system.

India joined the elite submarine building nations on February 7, 1992 with the commissioning of the first indigenously-built sub, INS Shalki at the MDL. It is still in service.

The MDL has constructed different types of warships including Leander and Godavari class frigates, Khukri class corvettes, Delhi and Kolkata class destroyers, Shivalik class stealth frigates, 1241 RE Missiles boats, Shalki class subs, P-15B class destroyers, the first of which was launched in April 2015, and the P-17A class stealth frigates, a follow-up on the P-17 stealth frigates.
New Delhi, May 1 : India is set to participate in a multinational maritime exercise in the strategically important South China Sea, which will have the US, Japan, Russia, Australia and China along with other countries as participants.

The participants of the exercise, to be held in Brunei, include Singapore, Indonesia, Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia, Myanmar and South Korea. It is being held at the South China Sea.

An official statement said it is part of the Indian Navy's endeavour to "enhance maritime security in the Indo-Pacific".

The exercise is a multinational exercise on maritime security and counterterrorism under the aegis of ASEAN Defence Ministers' Meeting Plus, or ADMM Plus consortium.

The current edition will commence at Brunei and culminate at Singapore, with various drills and exercises in the South China Sea.

"Indian Navy and the navies of ASEAN countries have a mutual interest in promoting peace and prosperity in the Indian Ocean and the Western Pacific, given our shared maritime security interests," the statement said.

The statement added the exercise is aimed at enhancing mutual understanding with respect to maritime security issues and streamlining drills on counter-terrorism operations at sea.

INS Airavat, amphibious warship, arrived at Brunei on Sunday.

The exercise will conclude on May 9.

The ship which has been indigenously designed and developed, was inducted in Indian Navy in 2009, and has a lift capability of 500 troops, 10 tanks and 11 Combat Trucks, which allows her to be effectively tasked for a variety of missions ranging from amphibious operations to humanitarian assistance and disaster relief (HADR).

The ship also has an integral helicopter.

India has been a regular participant in maritime exercises conducted by the ADMM countries.
Kolkata, May 1 : Over 81 percent of the around 1.24 crore electorate cast their votes on Saturday for 53 constituencies in the fifth and penultimate phase of the West Bengal assembly polls, the Election Commission said.

Polling was held for 31 constituencies in South 24 Parganas and 18 in Hooghly districts besides four in South Kolkata.

The overall voting percentage was 81.66, the EC said in a statement here on Sunday.

The poll percentage in Hooghly was 82.52, in South 24 Parganas 83.14, and in the four Kolkata South constituencies, 65.10.

The highest voter turnout of 89.57 percent was recorded in Patharpratima constituency of South 24 Parganas, while Kolkata Port constituency saw the lowest turnout figure of 63.25.

The star south Kolkata constituency of Bhabanipur, from where chief minister Mamata Banerjee is seeking re-election, polled 66.76 percent. Banerjee is facing a challenge from Left Front backed Congress candidate Deepa Dasmunshi and Bharatiya Janata Party nominee Chandra Kumar Bose.

In Hooghly district, Singur - famous for the Tata Motor's abortive bid of rolling out the Nano small car from a plant there - saw 84.28 percent polling.

In Bhangore of South 24 Paganas district, where former CPI-M leader Abdur Rezzak Mollah is in fray on a Trinamool Congress ticket, saw 87.91 of the voters expressing their choice.
New Delhi, May 1 : The union home ministry on Sunday sent a four-member expert team to Uttarakhand to look into the forest fires in the state and submit its report within a week after taking stock of the situation.

The team comprises Santosh Kumar, executive director of the National Institute of Disaster Management; S.P. Vashist, deputy inspector general of forests under the ministry of environment and forests; K.C. Wadhwa, special director at the Centre for Fire Explosives and Environment Safety; and G.C. Mishra, director of Fire Services, Delhi.

"The team will submit its report to the home ministry within one week after taking stock of situation," a ministry statement said.

Assuring that the situation was under control, the statement said: "About 6,000 people from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), state police, forest staff and volunteers are deployed there.

"Three Air Force helicopters including an Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH) and two MI-17 helicopters with Bambi bucket have also been deployed to assist the local administration," the statement said.

It said Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh spoke to Uttarakhand Governor K.K. Paul regarding incidents of forest fires that began 88 days ago and have so far destroyed nearly 3,000 acres of forest cover.

"The Centre is providing all necessary assistance to Uttarakhand to control the forest fires and help in containing the damage," the statement said.
With TelephonePakistan.com, calls to Pakistan now cost as little as 2.8/min.

TelephonePakistan.com has great news for everyone making calls to Pakistan! The international calling website now offers more affordable rates for Voice Credit calls to mobiles in this country as well as for Monthly Plans. With TelephonePakistan.com, calls to Pakistan now cost as little as 2.8/min.

Voice Credit rates have never been lower! Calling a mobile in Pakistan used to cost 4.5/min, but this price now dropped to 3.9/min, which is also the rate for calling Pakistani landlines. The rate for sending an SMS stays the same: 3.

As far as Monthly Plans are concerned, things got even better! Pakistan 500, offering 500 minutes to both landlines and mobiles in Pakistan, used to cost $16.99/month, but it is now only $14.49/month. For Pakistan 1000, offering 1000 minutes to any number in Pakistan, customers used to pay $33.99/month, but this plan now costs only $28.99/month. By choosing a Monthly Plan, users benefit from the best rate to call Pakistan: only 2.8/min.

TelephonePakistan.com offers a wide variety of calling options, to suit every need. Customers can call from:



any phone, through the use of local or toll free access numbers;

any computer, through the Web Call application;

any smartphone, as TelephonePakistan.com offers a free app, for both iOS and Android devices, called KeepCalling.

Beside Voice Credit and Monthly Plans, TelephonePakistan.com also offers Mobile Recharge, a service through which customers can recharge mobile phones anywhere in the world. The process is fast and secure and the credit reaches its destination instantly. The mobile operators available for recharges to Pakistan are Ufone, Telenor, Jazz, Warid Telecom, and Zong.

On review websites, customers point out the low rates and the high quality offered by TelephonePakistan.com. A Pakistan 1000 user says, It's worthy to work with this company. Very nice and clear and easy to call.

About TelephonePakistan.com:

TelephonePakistan.com is an interactive website designed by KeepCalling, a global telecommunications company registered in 2002 in USA. Presently, KeepCalling provides its services to hundreds of thousands of consumers and businesses, with a focus on customer satisfaction. KeepCalling has been listed by Inc 5000 as one of the fastest growing companies in the USA for 5 consecutive years. In 2015 the company registered a revenue increase of over 200% from 2011 to 2014.
Dutch Bros' Annual Drink One for Dane Event Let's make the largest impact yet for Drink One for Dane. Together, we can make a difference to end ALS.

Dutch Bros annual Drink One for Dane Day is Friday, May 6. On this day, all Dutch Bros locations will donate proceeds from the days sales to the Muscular Dystrophy Association, MDA.

Over the past nine years, Dutch Bros has joined forces with their communities to donate over $1.7 million to MDA to benefit Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, ALS, research and family services, donating $506,000 just last year. May 6 will celebrate 10 years of partnering with MDA in hopes of finding a cause and a cure for ALS, a disease that impacts so many lives.

It is really unimaginable that we have been doing Drink One for Dane for 10 years now, said Travis Boersma, Dutch Bros Co-founder. The progress that has been made in ALS research is inspiring, but there is still a long way to go.

ALS is a disease that affects the parts of the nervous system that control muscle movement. There is currently no cure for ALS, and the disease is fatal - most people who are diagnosed will typically lose their battle within three to five years.

We want to thank Dutch Bros and all of the baristas for everything they have done for MDA and to fight ALS, said Amanda Haidet-Phillips, MDA Scientific Program Officer. It is important to know that there is not a cure yet and there is still a lot of progress that needs to be made. So, lets move forward as we celebrate Drink One for Dane and do everything we can to end ALS.

Drink One for Dane day will forever hold a special place in the Dutch Bros world  as we lost one of the companys co-founders, Dane Boersma, in 2009 because of this incurable disease. Dutch Bros will continue to honor the legacy of a man who was known to inspire and love everyone around him, and to fight until there is a cure.

I hope everyone will join us and stand together against ALS, said Travis. In the words of Dane, Lets make this day bitchin!

ALS is a disease that touches the lives of many in Dutch Bros and their communities. All 262 locations in seven states will donate proceeds from May 6 to support family, friends, co-workers and neighbors who are or have been affected by this disease. Together, we can make a difference to end ALS.

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About Dutch Bros Coffee

Dutch Bros Coffee is the countrys largest privately held, drive-thru coffee company, with over 260 locations and over 5,000 employees in seven states.

Dutch Bros serves specialty coffee, smoothies, freezes, teas and a private-label, Dutch Bros Blue Rebel energy drink.

The rich, proprietary coffee blend is handcrafted from start to finish. Every ingredient is measured, every process timed, and every cup perfected.

With a mission of, Making a Difference, One Cup at a Time, Dutch Bros donates over $2 million annually to nonprofit organizations and local causes selected by local owner-operators.

Dutch Bros. Coffee is headquartered in Grants Pass, Ore., where it was founded in 1992 by Dane and Travis Boersma, brothers of Dutch descent.

To learn more about Dutch Bros, visit http://www.dutchbros.com, like Dutch Bros Coffee on Facebook or follow @DutchBros on Twitter.

Contact: Jen Wheatley, pr(at)dutchbros(dot)com, 541.226.7787
Saepio will host its bi-annual Client Advisory Board meeting on May 3, 2016 on the Country Club Plaza in Kansas City, Missouri. The meeting brings together Saepios top clients to share key learnings and shape the future development of Saepios marketing platform, MarketPort.

Clients attending the upcoming meeting bring unique perspectives from a range of industries, including healthcare, retail and manufacturing. During the meeting several clients will present on their use and experience with the Saepio MarketPort platform. Clients will also have the opportunity to gain insight into program best practices with a presentation from keynote speaker Tim Harmon, Principal Analyst of Forrester Research. The day will conclude with an interactive review of the Saepio product roadmap where clients can provide feedback.

The Saepio Client Advisory Board was created in 2012 and has well received. We have had great success creating an environment in which clients can listen and share best practices on how to use the platform, said Brian Hartley, VP of Client Services at Saepio. We consider our clients our most trusted adviser, as their input has shaped our product and vision over the years and will continue to well into the future.

Saepio believes their clients are at the heart of what they do every day, and the Client Advisory Board is just one way they get the most beneficial feedback, keep client relationships a priority and advance the technology to its highest potential.

About Saepio:

Saepio empowers marketers to plan and execute meaningful and engaging marketing campaigns across distributed networks and around the globe  ensuring local relevance, brand consistency, speed to market and significant cost savings. The worlds best known brands turn to Saepios powerful software platform and extensive portfolio of support services to automate the marketing process, eliminate redundancy and ensure that all marketers connected to the brand  whether global, distributed, franchise, VAR or chain store marketers  have the assets and tools they need to quickly customize and execute campaigns. To learn more about Saepio, visit http://www.saepio.com.
Fidelco Guide Dog puppy-in-training Igor takes the driver's seat

Suburban Subaru of Vernon announced the results of its Share the Love, Share the Vision campaign to support Connecticuts own Fidelco Guide Dog Foundation. Subaru of America and Suburban Subaru presented a check for $56,215.92 to Fidelco in support of its life-changing mission to breed, train and place its unique breed of German Shepherd guide dogs for men and women who are blind.

The funds were raised during Subaru of Americas eighth annual Share the Love event, during which each customer who bought or leased a new Subaru could select from a list of charities to receive a donation of $250 from Subaru of America. Suburban Subaru chose Fidelco Guide Dog Foundation as its hometown charity.

It takes two years, 15,000 hours and $45,000 to produce and place each Fidelco guide dog, and theyre given at no cost to our clients, said Fidelco President and CEO Eliot Russman. Thanks to Subaru of America, Suburban Subaru, and its customers, a blind client will receive a life-changing guide dog partner. Were excited to make another telephone call with the great news, We have a Fidelco guide dog for you.

Peter Krause, President of Suburban Subaru remarked, The work Fidelco does is epitomized by the experience of one of their military veteran clients. He shared that, because of his Fidelco guide dog, he can now take his daughter to the school bus stop. Little things like this make all the difference. Greater freedom and mobility are created through the Fidelco Guide Dog Foundation.

More than half of Suburbans customers chose to designate Subarus donation to Fidelco, resulting in a remarkable fundraising success.

This year, Subaru of America will donate nearly $20 million to participating charities, a record total in the eight-year history of the campaign. Subaru of America has donated almost $65 million to charity through Share the Love events.

Since its founding in 1960, Fidelco remains the only Connecticut-headquartered guide dog school. The non-profit organization relies solely on the gifts and generosity of individuals, foundations, corporations and civic organizations to help it to Share the Vision. For more information, please visit http://www.fidelco.org.

About Fidelco Guide Dog Foundation

Fidelco Guide Dog Foundation is an internationally accredited nonprofit with locations in Bloomfield and Wilton, CT. The nonprofit provides the highest quality German Shepherd guide dogs to people with vision loss.

Fidelco has placed more than 1,400 guide dogs throughout North America. Each guide dog takes two years, 15,000 hours, and $45,000 to produce  yet all services are provided to clients at no cost. Fidelco relies solely on the generosity and financial support of individuals, foundations, corporations, and civic organizations.

Fidelco pioneered the In-Community Placement model in the United States, a process which allows guide dog users to be trained by professional instructors in the communities where they live and work. Fidelco clients receive 24/7 support for the entire working life of their guide dog  typically 10 years.

For more information, visit http://www.fidelco.org.

About Suburban Subaru

Suburban Subaru is conveniently located at 14 Hartford Turnpike, Route 83 in Vernon, CT on the Manchester/Vernon line and proudly sells and service Subarus in the greater Hartford, CT area.

Thanks to its strong commitment to customer satisfaction, Suburban Subaru is a charter member of Subaru's prestigious Chairman's Roundtable, a President's Club Award recipient, and also a Stellar Performer Dealer.

Suburban Subaru is a proud member of the krausecars.com family of dealerships, selling and servicing automobiles in greater Hartford for almost 30 years.

About Subaru of America, Inc.

Subaru of America, Inc., is a wholly owned subsidiary of Fuji Heavy Industries Ltd. of Japan. Headquartered at a zero-landfill office in Cherry Hill, N.J., the company markets and distributes Subaru vehicles, parts and accessories through a network of more than 620 dealers across the United States. All Subaru products are manufactured in zero-landfill plants and Subaru of Indiana Automotive Inc. is the only U.S. automobile production plant to be designated a certified wildlife habitat by the National Wildlife Federation. For additional information, visit media.subaru.com.
Dr Stephan Sauter - Inventor of the Worlds smallest Bible Wearing a Nano Bible Pendant lets me keep the words of my faith close to my heart and makes me feel more connected and reassured.

Nano Jewellery, the makers of the worlds smallest Bible, and award winning Nano Bible has today confirmed that the exclusive cross pendants are now available in America.

The unique Nano Bible crosses and pendants are made using the finest quality decorative precious metals and house the entire wording of the King James version of the Old and New Testament on a 4mm by 4mm nano chip. All 860 pages of the Bible are delicately encased in a choice of 18 karat gold polished titanium, or polished titanium, after being created by an electron beam. Guaranteed to be 100% water resistant, only medical grade titanium is used in the manufacturing process of these exquisite and sought after pieces.

We are excited and honoured to share the joy of this novel nanotechnology with people across America, stated Serial Entrepreneur and Business Leader, Jurgen Mennel, and award winning Professional Photographer and Businessman, Sean Weidemann, who have brought the Nano Bible to the United States.

All items in the range are meticulously crafted in state-of-the-art dust-free cleanroom environments and are shipped from the U.S. together with certificates of authentication. We are so confident in the authenticity of the Nano Bible that we have also brought a mini microscope to market which provides focus adjustable 60 times magnification, which is perfect for reading, the Nano Bible on the sophisticated nano chip.

Created by inventor Dr. Stephan Sauter, previously a research scientist at global technology giants Siemens and Infineon, Sauters beliefs saw him develop the Nano Bible.

The word of God has always provided me comfort as I go through life. Creating the Nano Bible has enabled me to keep the meaningful words and messages close to my heart, proudly held in place around my neck with natural leather. I hope that with the launch of the Nano Bible in America, more people can feel the reassurance I feel by the word of God worn so close to my heart, expressed the inventor.

Nano Bibles are now available in seven languages; English, Latin, Portuguese, Spanish, Russian, French and Mandarin. Ideal for occasions including Weddings, Christmas, Easter, First Holy Communion and Confirmation, or simply as a beautiful and meaningful gift, the Nano Bible is a must-have piece for those who Believe, or are looking for a symbolic gift for a loved one or themselves.

Background:

Nano Jewellery was established in 2009 bringing affordable and stylish nanotechnology to the masses in the form of the Nano Bible crosses and pendants containing the text of the King James Old and New Testament. Please visit our website http://www.nanobible.com You are invited to join our online communities https://www.facebook.com/minikinjewelry/ and https://www.instagram.com/nano_jewelry/
TEHRAN, Iran (AP)  Iranian moderates and reformists who support last year's landmark nuclear deal have won the largest number of seats in parliament following runoff elections, marking a shift away from hard-liners and boosting moderate President Hassan Rouhani as he looks to secure a second term in office.

The results released Saturday on state television failed to give the moderate-reformist camp an outright majority in the 290-seat chamber, however. They will now likely try to attract support from dozens of independent lawmakers whose political leanings vary depending on the issue at hand.

There were 68 seats being contested in runoff elections held Friday in 55 constituencies around the country. Residents in the capital, Tehran, did not take part in the second-round balloting because moderates won all 30 seats there outright in first-round voting in February.

The reformist and moderate list claimed 37 seats in Friday's vote, giving them a total of 143 seats in the assembly  just two seats shy of 50 percent. They are followed by hard-liners, with 86 seats, and independents, with 61. Twenty-two hard-liners and nine independents won seats in the runoff.

Mohammad Reza Aref, head of the moderate-reformist bloc, welcomed the victory, saying "our priority is engagement with other factions rather than confrontation," the semi-official ISNA news agency reported.
We Americans are a fractious lot. We have been arguing with each other from the very beginning, with the depth and seriousness of our disagreements rising and falling like the waves of a restless ocean.

Its not surprising. After all, this nation was cobbled up from a collection of strong-minded folks whose personal ideas of liberty, equality, and the pursuit of happiness collided with others. The wonder is that we have been able to hold such a diverse society together.

It almost came apart in the middle of the 19th century and it took a bloody Civil War to stitch it back together. But the strain has shown ever since, with periodic eruptions over race, creed, class, ethnicity, and political philosophy.

Those divisions are all a-boil in the current political contest. One senses that the primaries have been going beyond the normal excesses of an electoral process. There is real, deep-seated anger in this campaign and few people are trying to tone it down.

For a change, it appears that the Democrats main argument will not be over a candidate, but the party platform. There is a strong tide running in favor of reviving some New Deal programs. The Sanders campaign has stirred up hope for strong government intervention and Clinton is sure to pick up the most practical of them.

The Republican conclave is another matter. While Trump has a strong lead in primary votes, there are enough Rubio, Carson, and uncommitted delegates hanging out that might swing another way. Ted Cruz has taken a pasting in the latest round, but he is not one to yield just because he is losing. He will do whatever it takes to win.

The teasing question in all this is a perennial one: will we finally break down the two-party system? In the main, it has served us well, but recent fractures in both have prompted some chin stroking.

Can Sanders be as graceful in defeat as Clinton was eight years ago? Will traditional conservatives walk away from the messy coalition that will no longer serve them as obediently as in the past?

Sanders has been an unlikely contender, but his career-long tirade has touched a nerve this time around, especially among young voters and some veteran New Dealers. Will he settle for nudging the party into activism or, like Ralph Nader in 2000, help assure a Republican win, either by running as an independent or failing to bring his followers into the fold?

The Republican dilemma is of deeper concern. Both Trump and Cruz have energized racists, nativists, and fundamentalists who may not be willing to regroup under the GOP establishment tent. And, quite frankly, many of the white shoe crowd who accepted their service but not their convictions, would like to be rid of them.

Some thoughtful people in the party are anticipating a major split, one that might lead to a reorganization akin to the one that which created the Republican Party out of the remains of Free Democrats and the Whigs.

Early on, the newly minted Republican Party had to quiet the Know-Nothings, a religiously intolerant wing. It is somewhat ironic that they now have to deal with several strands of bigotry which have been given tacit approval by their leading presidential candidates.

There is wide dissatisfaction across both parties. There is a conviction that government is owned by wealth and privilege, not its citizens; that its foreign policy is set for corporate rather than national interests; that voting rights are being curtailed for those most in need of representation.

We dont need a revolution in this election; we need to refocus our existing government to benefit all of its constituents, not just those able to purchase its service.
The TV magazine. Its driven readers to the phone and email. Weve read and listened to your comments.

Over the past several weeks we have tallied and discussed your thoughts. Changes which appear in todays issue reflect your feedback.

After hearing what you had to say, weve made changes that answer a majority of the complaints while still keeping some changes that many of our readers agree were improvements.

-- We have returned the columns of channel numbers down the left side of the grids. These will be added to the Prime Time grids that run in the paper daily too.

* We have added grids for daytime morning and afternoon programming. These new grids will have 20 channels broken out by day, an increase from six in the previous book. It also includes more premium channel listings.

-- We have added additional space for movie listings so that more can be run. Movie listings will be listed alphabetically. Listing movies by day/time meant the elimination of premium channels, all movies listed as 2.5 stars or less, and the elimination of many descriptions. The alphabetical listing will allow much more information to be listed.

Those who prefer to pick their movies based on the day/time they air, can do so with the grids -- which now also include leading actors, lesser theatrical releases and made-for-TV films.

Ive really enjoyed speaking with so many readers. The real lesson learned here is that while many newspapers have done away with their TV magazines in this cable/satellite era, many readers here still utilize the feature. The TV magazine obviously has many passionate and dedicated users.

Please give this new version a chance. Thanks for all of your comments.

Circulation Award

Congratulations are in order for Jill Henderson, our co-director of circulation -- operations, who was named the Outstanding Circulation Executive of the Year by the Central States Circulation Managers Assn., a professional organization comprised of circulation management people for daily and weekly newspapers in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wisconsin.

The award is given annually to someone active in the organization, who exemplifies what every circulation executive aspires to be and is innovative, a thinker, a doer, a promoter, able to motivate, a friend to and a leader of his/her peers. Ms. Henderson is secretary/ treasurer of the organization.

Jill and her staff do an amazing job day-in and day-out of delivering your paper in spite or all kinds of challenges. While it probably didnt even figure into the recent award, her crew has born the brunt of sorting out problems with our new printer while still getting papers to you as efficiently as possible.

I believe that all of our management team is deserving of awards, but its good to see Jill get the recognition. Joe Schaechter, her associate in charge of circulation sales and marketing, received the award in 2012.
For any aspiring entrepreneurs, Basson said to make sure you have a product or idea that retailers want to sell and consumers want to buy.

1 hour ago
Michael P. Melaniphy has resigned as President and CEO of the American Public Transportation Association, effective April 29. APTA Vice President-Member Services Richard A. White is Acting President and CEO until a permanent replacement is selected.

APTA said, in a statement, that Melaniphys resignation comes after consensus between the APTA Executive Committee and Melaniphy, who had come under fire after the New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority, expressing extreme dissatisfaction with both the organization and Melaniphy, discontinued its Transit Member status.

APTA Chair Valarie J. McCall said Melaniphys resignation and the appointment of an Acting President and CEO mark a new chapter of dynamic leadership for APTA, the premier association for the public transportation industry in North America. The change in leadership will spark and encourage all APTA stakeholders, from APTA members to coalition partners, to step forward with their thoughts and suggestions for improving the association at all levels. APTA will conduct a national search and ensure that this process will be transparent as we work to appoint the next President and CEO. APTA is welcoming constructive input to make the association as transparent and open as possible.

Richard White previously served as APTAs chair (2004-2005) and has a distinguished career in public transportation. He has held top management roles at New Jersey Transit, the Bay Area Rapid Transit in San Francisco and the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority in Washington, D.C.

Now that Melaniphy is out of the picture, there has been speculation that the New York MTA could return to the APTA fold, provided that several key changes take place. Among the NYMTAs complaints is that no so-called Legacy Systems (NYMTA, NJ Transit, SEPTA, CTA, MBTA, PATH, BART, MUNI, PATCO, etc.) or commuter rail systems have voting representation on the APTA Executive Committee. NYMTA Chairman Tom Prendergast called this unconscionable.
Global Research, May 1, 2016

By Dr. Meryl Nass

On March 29, 2016 the White House issued a press release on its new heroin initiative. The Washington Post described how much Obama proposed to do. The long list of fixes and new public-private partnerships relate almost exclusively to treatment. The 1 billion dollars, Obama said, will treat tens of thousands of addicts.

Additional treatment is desperately needed, but the money wont go far. The White House and RAND said in 2014 that the US had 800,0002.4 million heroin addicts. Treatment requires many months, or years, and costs tens of thousands of dollars per person. The new funding will support less than 10% of those needing treatment.

Speaking at the National Prescription Drug Abuse and Heroin Summit in Atlanta, Obama  called addiction a heartbreaking issue thats costing lives and devastating communities across the country.

But he said: Im very optimistic that we can solve it.

Yeah right. Till you get it off the street, bro, you aint done shit.

And can you be as glib, Mr. President, at explaining why you completely left out efforts to reduce the US heroin supply?

From Wired, we learn that Obama ended (yes, ended) Afghan opium eradication soon after taking office:

In 2009, in one of his first major war policy decisions since becoming president, Barack Obama oversaw an end to U.S. poppy eradication Without American support, Afghan government counter-narcotic operations withered to a merely symbolic scale. Kabuls agents would raze one acre of a 10-acre plot and call it eradicated.

And thats when the US heroin epidemic really took off, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse:

Aerial poppy eradication is off the table, according to the State Department, and the US no longer supports Afghan national counter-narcotics efforts. Hello?

Mr. President: Please explain how and why you pulled the wool over the eyes of the American people by claiming the Taliban are in charge of Afghan opium? Why didnt you tell the truth: that they tax the acreage used to grow the crop? (As do anti-Taliban militias in areas they control.) This is akin to property taxes.

Somebody else actually buys the opium, converts it to heroin, and brings it to the US, where it sells for over 1,000 times what the Taliban received in taxes.

Who, Mr. President, collects the big money? Who buys the opium harvest, protects the movement of opium, its conversion to heroin, and ships it over here, undetected? Last I heard, the US installed much of the Afghan government and patrolled a lot of poppy fields. Afghanistan is where between 75% and 93% of the worlds illicit opium is grown each year, on 500,000 (undisturbed) acres.

Funny how after spending 100 billion dollars on Afghan reconstruction, over $8 billion on opium eradication, and several trillion dollars on our 15 year Afghan war, the acreage under poppies has only expanded. Funny about that.

Funny, too, is that big question mark why are we still in Afghanistan? I thought we went to get Bin Laden. Well, hes history.

Can someone explain our military objective for Afghanistan? How do we justify this longest war in the 240 year history of our nation?

Writing about the Afghanistan war in National Defense magazine in 2009, Lawrence P. Farrell noted,

Seldom do we hear or read a discussion of what the political objective should be or even whether anyone has articulated the political aims for the use of military force in that country.

In 2010 General Petraeus was interviewed for the Council on Foreign Relations about this. He claimed that our militarys operational objective [was] nation-building, euphemistically called counterinsurgency

Nation-building? Back during the Vietnam war, we used a different expression to say the same thing: We had to destroy the village in order to save it. During the Vietnam war, most US heroin came from poppies grown in Southeast Asia.

Some of this heroin arrived in the US on military planes, inside the body bags of fallen soldiers. It was loaded onto planes at US military bases in Vietnam, and unloaded at military bases in the US. Somebody in the government knew what was going on.At fourteen years into the Afghan war, in October 2015, USAT reported,

The president said he does not believe in endless war, but there remains an opportunity to forge a stable country that can prevent the emergence of future threats, an effort in which more than 2,200 Americans have given their lives.

Face it. The expressed reasons for our continuing adventure in Afghanistan are smoke and mirrors, nothing more.

Vietnam was a war in which the number of US soldiers who had lost their lives was oft-repeated as a justification to keep the war going. Vietnam was another war with fuzzy objectives, supposedly fought for a discredited Domino Theory. But perhaps there are good reasons why the lessons of Vietnam seem to have been ignored.

Few people know that Afghanistan hides immense underground wealth. But first it must be wrested from the Afghans. Heroin aside, two financial blockbusters are just waiting to be tapped.

1. The value of Afghanistans mineral wealth was estimated at one trillion dollars by NPR, and at 3 trillion dollars by Bloomberg. This almost certainly impacted Russias failed takeover of Afghanistan.

Afghanistan, with certainty I can say, in 20 years is going to be a mining country, Paul Brinkley, head of a Pentagon group called the Task Force for Business Stability Operations, tells NPRs Rachel Martin. That is going to happen.

2. Pipeline construction, which has been on the table for the last 20 years, would move oil and gas from the Caspian basin to the Arabian Sea. The regions proven gas and oil reserves are huge, and equal to those in the US. To finally reach the ocean, an oil or gas pipeline must cross through Afghanistan, or else through Iran.

From The Diplomat comes a telling quote:

It is, therefore, little surprise that some experts contend that the country is not transitioning from war to peace, but rather from military conflict to resource conflict.

Obama needs to forge a stable country to prevent pipelines from being tapped or blown up, and protect future mining operations.

3. Dont forget that Afghanistans half million acres of poppy fields generate heroin worth roughly $200 billion dollars on the street, year after year. Unlike minerals and gas, this is a truly renewable resource.

Is the Afghan warthe longest American warjust about opium, minerals and pipelines? I could be missing some of the picture. Maybe I have oversimplified things. But phenomenal resources, still untapped, have to count as the lurking, almost-never-discussed elephant in the Afghan war room.

If the US government had reasonable political and military objectives, wouldnt the government have provided a coherent account of its objectives by now? In the absence of any meaningful explanation for this war, the only reason we remain there, with no prospect of getting out, is to secure control of Afghanistans resources for the US. Or, more correctly, for the oligarchs who control US policy and who will reap the benefitswhile the people of the US (and Afghanistan, much more so) pay the costs.

FACT: the land under poppy cultivation has tripled since the US entered Afghanistan in 2001, helped by US spending for wells, roads and reconstruction..

FACT: Ground was broken for Afghanistans first gas pipeline in December 2015.

Connect the dots. As the pipeline project grows, so will our military commitment.

But there is one little bright spot. It is a Presidential election year, and the candidates do have to answer questions. Im going to try and put their feet to the fire. Will you do the same?

Ask the Presidential candidates to explain what we are doing in Afghanistan.

Who owns Afghan mineral rights? Who is invested in Afghan pipelines?

Will the next President change course, and get seriously behind drug interdiction and eradication in Afghanistan? How will the US government act to get Afghan (and all) heroin off our streets? How many soldiers must continue to die to protect the right to loot Afghanistan?

The huge tide of addiction blows right back from our rapacious Afghan policy. Over 10,000 Americans were lost to heroin in 2014. Deaths continue to climb. In my state, Maine, deaths from heroin surpassed deaths from prescription drugs for the first time in 2015.

Even children of the rich and powerful are being fed to the demon heroin. Will the costs of our Afghan policy ever be too high for our policymakers to bear?

Authors note: The 2 earlier pieces I wrote regarding the heroin epidemic are here and here and they add to these ideas and documentation. My mentors in this effort are Peter Dale Scott, Alfred McCoy, Michel Chossudovsky and Sibel Edmonds. Thanks also to William Edstrom for reminding me we can fight back.

Originally published on Apr. 08, 2016
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The Athens-Clarke County Commission approved the purchase of land to move Athens-Clarke County Fire Station No. 2 to a new location on Cleveland Road this month, less than two miles from its original location on Atlanta Highway.

The plan to move has been years in the making but has not been without controversy.
Paws & Relax, a de-stress event hosted by The University of Georgia Libraries, will take place at five different locations on May 4 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Dogs and puppies of all kinds, from Pomeranians to poodles, will make an appearance to relax students during finals week.
UGA sorority Kappa Alpha Theta's gifts displayed on a table in their home in Athens, Georgia, on Friday, April 29, 2016. The boquets and accompanying papers, which are signed on the back by members of the sorority, will be given to each respective sorority and are in memoriam of the four UGA students killed and the one student hospitalized due to a car wreck in Watkinsville, Georgia, on the night of Wednesday, April 27, 2016. Multiple sorority and fraternity houses have voiced solidarity with UGA Greek Life and the entire UGA community as they navigate this trying time. (Photo/Casey Sykes, www.caseysykes.com)
It's campaign season, which means it's time for greasing the palms and shaking hands  an ocean of sweaty, germ-ridden, open hands just waiting to "press the flesh" with a candidate.

You probably have heard by now that presidential candidate Donald Trump does not shake hands. In his 1997 autobiography, he laments that "the more successful and famous one becomes, the worse this terrible custom seems to get."

You may be surprised to learn that George Washington also shared Trump's viewpoint. When presented with an open hand, President Washington would respond: "Sir I do not take the hand" and reportedly offered a slight bow in respect.

Are handshakes on the way out? A few years ago, the Journal of the American Medical Association called to ban handshakes from hospital environments. With rising rates of hospital-acquired infections, pressing palms together is an unnecessary risk. A study in the American Journal of Infection Control revealed a fist bump transferred only one-20th of the germs of a handshake. A high-five only transmitted half the germs.

Personally, I don't see much fist bumping going on in healthcare. And doctors high-fiving each other in the hospital would certainly raise eyebrows. Imagine this scenario: "Hello, Mr. Smith. I'll be your cancer surgeon today. Now give me some knuckles."

Some leading infectious disease experts suggest health workers eliminate all except the most essential contact with patients. This means no handshakes, no hugs and even no fist bumps. But sometimes all a lonely patient needs is a little personal contact to reconnect them to humanity.

It's probably only a matter of time until we bow to each other as in many Asian customs. Maybe we are one good pandemic away from this being the new normal? But Americans are a touchy-feely bunch most of the time. This will be a tough, if not impossible, transition.

President Obama already has largely adopted the fist bump. Would a Trump presidency move us one step closer to shunning handshakes?

I once met a man in the wilderness of Colorado who insisted we shake with our left hands.

"The left hand is closer to the heart," he said.

I have always remembered that handshake and tried to make each one a warm and disarming gesture going forward. A handshake is your physical signature in a way. And although it can convey an ocean of meanings, it can also transmit an ocean of bacteria.

To shake or not to shake? That is the question. And I have no answer.

Dr. Derrick Adams is a board-certified dermatologist and the medical director of Vita Dermatology and Laser Institute, a division of Lassen Medical Group in Red Bluff. His office can be reached at 528-8482.
Simpson University students attend their outdoor spring commencement ceremony Saturday.

SHARE Amber Sandhu/Record Searchlight Denise Knox, 57, sings with the crowd at Simpson University's commencement ceremony Saturday. Amber Sandhu/Record Searchlight Many Simpson students decorated their caps for their graduation ceremony. Amber Sandhu/Record Searchlight Simpson University students at the outdoor spring commencement ceremony.

By Amber Sandhu of the Redding Record Searchlight

More than 230 graduates were handed their diplomas at Simpson University's outdoor spring commencement ceremony on a windy Saturday morning.

This year's graduation included traditional undergraduates, and graduates from the School of Education, A.W. Tozer Theological Seminary, the School of Adult Studies, also known as the ASPIRE program, and the School of Nursing.

With a breeze blowing, students held onto their decorated caps as they walked toward their seats.

Jeremiah Cooney, 21, who graduated with a degree in music, decorated his cap by taping a coffee cup to it. He said there was no particular reason to why he chose to go with that specific decor. "I had some Starbucks this morning, so I just stick it on there," he said.

Psychology major Megan Ayala, 22, said she was inspired by Pinterest, and decorated her cap with a quote from television character Dr. Cristina Yang of "Grey's Anatomy." Ayala's cap had painted flowers with a white bow, and a quote that read, "We have to dance it out. That's how we finish."

For some students graduating, this day didn't come easy.

Denise Knox, 57, of Redding, had worked as a Certified Nurse's Assistant in hospice care before she decided to go back to school to pursue a college degree. The mother of five always knew she wanted to return to college, but life had taken different turn for her. She become widowed 10 years ago, and while her four older children had moved out, she was still raising her 11-year-old son and a granddaughter.

She initially thought about attaining a nursing degree, but said it turned out to be a "hard road" for her, so she switched her major to Organizational Leadership instead.

"It's the best thing I ever did for myself," she said. "Going to school really opened up my eyes to a lot of things."

She said her children were all very excited for her, and she hoped she was setting a good example for them. "In any stage of your life, you can move forward," she said.

This year's keynote speaker was Dr. Walt Mueller, founder and president of the Center for Parent/Youth Understanding, a nonprofit organization based in Elizabethtown in Pennsylvania that focuses on bridging the cultural-generational gap between parents and teenagers to build strong families.

"On this special and wonderful day I want you to remember, you have your whole life ahead of you and it won't come close to being what you want it to be," he said. "And that's just fine."
SHARE Bryana Nicole Almond Date of birth: Jan. 6, 1991 Vitals: 5 feet, 2 inches; 120 pounds; brown hair, blue eyes Charge: Robbery Johnny Paul Bass Date of birth: March 29, 1962 Vitals: 6 feet; 180 pounds; brown hair, blue eyes Charge: Manufacture of controlled substance Ursula Sue Reynolds (a.k.a. Bell) Date of birth: June 28, 1967 Vitals: 5 feet, 3 inches; 145 pounds; brown hair, brown eyes Charge: Felon with firearm Eric Lee Cooley Jr. Date of birth: Aug. 19, 1966 Vitals: 6 feet; 150 pounds; brown hair, green eyes Charge: Burglary

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 594 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 at 530-243-2319 or at www.scsecretwitness.com/home/submit-a-tip.

Anyone with information also can call SHASCOM at 245-6540. The feature appears Sundays in the Record Searchlight's Northern California section and on Redding.com.
Bernardino Hernandez runs his own company from his apartment in Mexico City. Hernandez was born in Mexico and brought to the U.S. illegally by his parents when he was 2. Unable to work legally after graduating from UC Davis, he went back to Mexico and has found success. His UC Davis diploma hangs on the wall behind him. (Cindy Carcamo/Los Angeles Times/TNS)

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By Cindy Carcamo, Los Angeles Times

MEXICO CITY  Six years ago Bernardino Hernandez boarded a plane to Mexico City with not much  his high school yearbook, a printer and his college copy of Thomas Mores Magician, a novel about creating a utopian community in 16th-century Mexico.

He had recently graduated from the University of California, Davis, but he felt limited by his lack of legal status in the United States. Hernandez was 21 years old and unsure whether hed ever reach his potential in a country that hed called home since he was a toddler but that now wouldnt allow him to work legally.

Before he departed, his disapproving father gave him $1,000 in cash but warned him, I wont pay for a coyote to bring you back.

No need.

Though he gave up on his American dream in the U.S., he is now living it in Mexico.

Hernandez, 27, is at the helm of a translation company he launched last fall, leading a team of 15 linguists who offer services in nearly two dozen languages to multiple businesses, including eight transnational companies.

He regularly travels to the U.S.  as a business executive. Until recently he had been a high-level manager for a Fortune 100 company. His career in Mexico allowed him to save enough money to attend university in Canada, where he earned his masters degree.

Ive traveled to more places in the U.S. while living in Mexico than while I was living in the U.S. Im glad I did leave, he said. I wanted to find my own way.

Hernandez is one of more than 500,000 people ages 18 to 35 who have returned to Mexico since 2005 after spending significant time in the U.S., said Jill Anderson, an independent researcher and activist in Mexico City who has studied the phenomenon.

Although some were deported, others, like Hernandez, voluntarily returned. They are often called los otros dreamers, or the other dreamers.

Hernandezs success story runs counter to the much-told narrative of hardship and challenges many so-called Dreamers  people brought to the U.S. at a young age and who stayed illegally  face upon returning to their place of birth after growing up American.

Only a small percentage excel, Anderson said, but those who do are increasingly involved in a tight network, taking leadership roles and helping other former Dreamers. Their success is not a reflection of Mexico, but of their determination to clear hurdles in their path, she said.

I think it speaks to the amazing potential of this population, said Anderson, who co-wrote a book, Los Otros Dreamers, on the subject. They are definitely beating the odds, and I think its because they are determined to do it no matter where they land  despite the violence, despite the corruption and impunity that plagues many Mexican communities.

Initially, it didnt come easy for Hernandez, who mistakenly believed that his U.S. education would automatically give him a leg up in Mexicos job market. As he struggled, he looked at his parents, still living in California, and what they accomplished as inspiration.

A free-falling economy in the mid-1990s and minimal education had prompted Emilio and Sira Hernandez to strike out for the United States. The couple left Oaxaca, taking Hernandez, 2 at the time. They followed the harvests for farm work until settling in Santa Maria, along Californias Central Coast.

Eventually they arrived at their American dream, renting and buying enough land to start their own large vegetable farm, selling tomatillos, squash and other produce.

Hernandez led a comfortable life in Santa Maria, excelled in school, lettered in high school cross country. If he worked hard, teachers and his parents told him, he could accomplish anything.

I remember pledging allegiance to the American flag when I was a kid. I didnt even know the Mexican national anthem, he said. For me, I was more American than Mexican.

But slowly, Hernandez grew cynical. In high school, he soon discovered he didnt qualify for most scholarships because of his legal status.

His parents could foot the bill for his undergraduate studies at UC Davis, where he earned a bachelors degree in international relations and Spanish, but he would have to pay for his masters at the schools Latin American studies program. He couldnt because he couldnt legally work.

It was 2010 and Hernandez had no way to legalize his status. It would be two more years until the Obama administration announced an immigration program that gave young people like him a work permit and reprieve from deportation.

Hernandezs feelings of disaffection with the U.S. are common among the Dreamer diaspora, Anderson said.

They realize that they did everything right, and they still couldnt take advantage of that sort of mythical American dream, she said.

When Hernandez arrived in Mexico City, he quickly realized that his American lifestyle of eating all the time and renting an apartment in a hip neighborhood, Condesa, was too expensive in the megalopolis he now called home. He scaled down, moved to a more affordable neighborhood and shopped at open-air markets instead of chain grocery stores.

He eventually started to exploit his bilingual skills, approaching English-language schools to work as an instructor.

He learned he could make more money on his own and eventually left, taking his clients with him. He built such a large network of clients that he was once again able to live like an American: going out to dinner and nights out on the town with friends.

Still, his sights were on something more. He saved up and scored a scholarship for a masters program in modern languages and Latin American studies at the University of Alberta in Edmonton, Canada. After two years in school, he had the option to stay in Canada and become a resident there.

He declined, wanting to return to Mexico to take advantage of what he said was a burgeoning startup scene.

Christina Weidemann, who attended university and worked with Hernandez in Canada, said her friends ambition and smarts arent the only reasons for his success.

He has the sense for taking advantage of being familiar with both cultures so perfectly, she said. When he is together with North Americans, his attitude changes and so does his personality. And when he is together with Mexicans, speaking Spanish with Mexicans, he changes in a way. He can adapt very well to both environments. I think thats a huge advantage.

His ability to seamlessly navigate both work cultures, paired with his university degrees, helped him land a job as a translation contractor at Johnson Controls, a Fortune 100 company that produces automobile parts. He became something of a liaison linking American and Mexican workers within the company.

I was able to communicate, for example, Mexicos business and learning needs to the U.S. headquarters, because often most of the programs or business models are U.S.-centric and do not consider the business culture in Mexico, he said.

After only eight months, he worked his way up to management. It led to an opportunity to travel for business, and he was granted a U.S. business and tourism visa in January 2015.

A month later, he flew for the first time to the U.S. for a business trip to Florida. The U.S. Customs and Border Protection agent at the airport did a double take when he looked at Hernandezs profile on the computer.

What are you here for? the agent asked.

Business, Hernandez said and smiled  very much aware of the irony of the situation.

He was taken to another area and questioned about where he had lived in the U.S. when he was in the country illegally, but he was eventually let go.

Hernandez called his family from Miami to let them know he was stateside.

They didnt believe me, he said and smiled.

In November, he launched a startup called QuickTrans, which is something of an Uber in that it pairs translators, transcribers and interpreters with companies seeking those services. Some of his linguists are dreamers too. Hernandez runs the outfit from his kitchen table at home. His UC Davis diploma hangs on a wall above.

He has traveled to the U.S. at least half a dozen times. The second time, he made a side trip to Californias Central Coast.

He landed in Los Angeles and rode Amtrak to visit his siblings in Santa Maria  a trip he often made when he attended summer school at UCLA.

They greeted him with a big poster that read Welcome back home.

Its funny, he thought to himself. Its not home anymore.



2016 Los Angeles Times

Visit the Los Angeles Times at www.latimes.com

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
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David Haddon, Redding

Sunday's feature on the murderers at Louisiana's Angola Penitentiary who mentor young offenders sent there by the courts conceals a striking back story. Why on earth would courts send young offenders to be mentored by lifers guilty of murder?

When Warden Burl Cain arrived at Angola 20 years ago, it was the most violent prison in America. Bloody and sometimes fatal assaults against inmates and staff were frequent. He saw the problem as one of instilling morality in the prisoners.

In his Sept. 9, 2015, article in the Atlantic Monthly, Jeffrey Goldberg wrote: "Burl Cain, in short, used Christ to pacify Angola." Cain enlisted the aid of New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary to set up a ministerial program at the prison. The Baptists, in turn, helped finance the prison's vocational program when it was threatened by federal budget cuts. And now some of the graduates of the ministerial programs are sent as missionaries to help pacify other prisons.

Himself a Christian, Cain welcomes any religion that teaches positive moral conduct because, as warden, he sees his primary duty as keeping the peace in the prison. But it comes as no surprise that at Angola, Louisiana, the primary peacekeeper is not Warden Cain, but the Prince of Peace, Jesus Christ.
Two-dollar tacos and tallboys at Tallboy Tacos, free ribs at Porkchop and more things to do in Chicago on Monday, May 2.

EAT

National Barbecue Month (free!)

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941 W. Randolph St. 312-733-9333

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The West Loop restaurant celebrates by giving all dine-in customers a free quarter-slab of ribs through Saturday and doling out a free mason jar of barbecue sauce and a free barbecue pork or chicken slider to all diners throughout the month. 11:30 a.m.-midnight.

Paleo Dinner

Grange Hall Burger Bar

844 W. Randolph St. 312-491-0844

Ricky Hirsch discusses founding Think Jerky as part of a dinner including bacon-wrapped dates, grass-fed burgers, chocolate pudding pie and two cocktails. 6-9 p.m. $65. Tickets: eventbrite.com

DRINK

Most Interesting Monday

Tallboy Taco

325 W. Huron St. 312-488-4917

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Dos Equis has retired the Most Interesting Man in the World, but you can toast his accomplishments with a $2 Dos Equis tallboy and $2 tacos. Come before 1 p.m. to catch live mariachi band tunes. 11 a.m.-10 p.m. No cover.

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900 N. Michigan Ave. 312-833-9149

Eat. Watch. Do. Weekly What to eat. What to watch. What you need to live your best life ... now. >

The menswear brand provides shoppers with a style guide for picking out suits, dress shirts, pants and T-shirts, and clothes are shipped directly for free. 10 a.m.-7 p.m.

Bonobos. (Photo courtesy of Peter Tsai)

'Trash'

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New American Folk Theatre presents the Midwest premiere of Johnny Drago's dark comedy about a faded B-movie star living with her mother who sees the chance at a comeback when a handsome stranger shows up from Hollywood. 7:30 p.m. $10-$20. Tickets: newamericanfolktheatre.org

'Trash' at The Den Theatre.

HAPPY HOUR OF THE DAY

Oyster Bah (1962 N. Halsted St. 773-248-3000) offers half-price oysters and $4 Anchor Steam pints from 5-6 p.m.

Want to learn how to brew beer or make an excellent cocktail? Click here for classes in Chicago.
The IPO is expected to bring handsome fees for the selected banks at a time when billion-dollar listings have become scarce

Vodafone, the countrys second largest mobile operator, has appointed six bankers to raise about $2.5 billion (Rs 16,500 crore) through an initial public offering this year, which could well make it the countrys largest IPO in rupee terms.

Sources said Deutsche Bank, HSBC and ICICI Securities would be the book-running lead managers while Bank of America Merrill Lynch (BofAML), UBS and Kotak Securities would be the global coordinators for the offering.

It is expected to be a combination of offer-for-sale and issuance of fresh equity, said an investment banker aware of the development. The issue is targeted for the last quarter of 2016, he added. The parent will dilute about 10 per cent of its equity in Vodafone India.

In 2010, Coal India had raised Rs 15,199 crore in the primary market, which was the largest issue in the country.

The names for the bankers were finalised after pitches in London early last week, also by Goldman Sachs, Citi and Axis Bank. The IPO is expected to bring handsome fees for the selected banks at a time when billion-dollar listings have become scarce.

Vodafone plans to use the proceeds to buy additional spectrum and further expand its operations across Indias crowded telecom market led by Bharti Airtel.

New player Reliance Jio is also expected to launch its 4G services this year.

Vodafone Indias listing has been awaited since it first spoke about it in 2011. The IPO is expected at over $20 billion valuation for Vodafone India, said another investment banker familiar with the plans. Bharti Airtel had a market value of Rs 1.45 lakh core ($21.9 billion) on Friday.

Vodafone entered India in 2007 when it acquired a majority stake in Hutchison Essar, a deal that cast it in a dispute with the tax authorities. It is not clear if an IPO will help in resolving tax cases filed against the company in Indian courts and one that is in arbitration in London.

Vodafone Group has a wholly-owned subsidiary Vodafone India since 2014 after 100 per cent foreign direct investment was allowed in telecom. This also brought down its need for an IPO. Marten Pieters, former chief executive officer at Vodafone India, was disappointed that he could not come out with the companys IPO due to tax disputes.

The Indian market has over a billion mobile subscribers and the potential for data use is one of the highest in the world. Mobile phone operators have been spending heavily in setting up fourth-generation (4G) mobile broadband data networks to meet expected demand.
Telecom Commission approves high base price of Rs 11,485 cr per Mhz for 700-Mhz frequency; no decision taken on proposed standard spectrum usage charges of 4.5%

In a big blow to major mobile players, Telecom Commission, the highest policy-making body of the Department of Telecommunications (DoT), has approved Telecom Regulatory Authority of India-recommended base price of Rs 11,485 crore per Mhz across India for 700-Mhz frequency as well as auction of all available spectrum.

If all available spectrum is sold during the auction, expected to happen by September this year, the government could earn Rs 5.36 lakh crore.

Operators have termed the base price for 700-Mhz band as highly expensive. Analysts have predicted lukewarm response to the auction because of high base price. This frequency is being auctioned for the first time in India and is considered an efficient band for 4G/LTE services.

In its meeting on Saturday, the Commission also liberalised payment norms for the service providers after auction of spectrum.

Under the new norms, operators who get spectrum in higher frequency bands - above 1-Ghz like 1,800-Mhz, 2,100-Mhz, 2,300-Mhz - will have to make 50 per cent upfront payment and the rest in 10 years after a two-year moratorium. Earlier, operators had to pay 33 per cent as upfront payment after winning spectrum in the auction process.

For spectrum below 1-Ghz band such as 700-Mhz, 800-Mhz and 900-Mhz, companies will have to pay 25 per cent upfront and the remaining in 10 years after a two-year moratorium.

This, however, will have to be placed before the Cabinet for a final approval.

According to estimates in the Budget for 2016-17, the government would earn Rs 55,000 crore (Rs 550 billion) from the spectrum auction in the current financial year.

Hemant Joshi, partner, Deloitte Haskins & Sells LLP, For the next spectrum auctions, the government is offering spectrum in bands like 700-Mhz and 2,500-Mhz for the first time, apart from 800-Mhz, 900-Mhz, 1,800-Mhz, 2,100-Mhz and 2,300-Mhz bands. TRAI has recommended a base price of Rs 11,485 crore per Mhz for the 700-Mhz premium band which is almost four times the price of 1,800-Mhz band (Rs 2,873 crore for pan-India 1 Mhz spectrum). Hence, an operator will have to pay Rs 57,425 crore ($8 billion) for a pan-India 5 Mhz block of 700-Mhz spectrum, he said.

The demand for the spectrum is unlikely to be high as the operators have still not used the spectrum from last auction. With the debt of Rs 3.5 lakh crore ($53 billion), the telecom Industry is highly indebted and operators might not bid aggressively and may bid only for circles where they are in need of spectrum, Joshi added.

There was no decision on spectrum usage charges in the meeting. DoT will seek the opinion of Attorney General on the issue before taking a decision.

DoT had proposed to cut spectrum usage charges (SUC) at flat rate of 4.5 per cent. The policy change, if implemented, will help incumbent operators including Bharti Airtel, Vodafone and Idea Cellular, which pay a much higher SUC rate compared with the proposed one.

Currently, SUC is calculated on weighted average formula and operators pay a SUC of three to eight per cent of their adjusted gross revenues to the government. The SUC charges also depend on when the spectrum was acquired or whether it was allotted administratively.

This proposal, however, will also mean some revenue loss for the government.

Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI) has been demanding a uniform SUC rate of three per cent and a gradual one per cent charge.

SUC was earlier linked to quantum of spectrum holding of an operator in range of three to eight per cent of their adjusted gross revenue (AGR). After evaluating impact on the exchequer, government in January 2014 decided to cap SUC at five per cent on spectrum that was to be procured for future auction. The SUC collection was at 4.8 per cent level at that time.

Existing telecom operators were asked to pay the weighted average of their existing SUC (on old rate of three to eight per cent), and five per cent if they acquire new spectrum.

Trai has already recommended a uniform rate of 3 per cent SUC. However, the recommendation faced stiff opposition from Reliance Jio, which holds pan-India broadband wireless access (BWA) spectrum on which only 1 per cent SUC is imposed.

The government had then asked all BWA holders, including Aircel and Airtel to continue paying 1 per cent on BWA. But they were asked to pay 5 per cent of AGR on all spectrum they will purchase in future.

The 700-Mhz band is considered to be good for offering broadband and 4G services. It is in demand for long-term evolution (LTE) deployment because of its efficiency and high penetration inside buildings. As it has a lower frequency, it provides wider coverage, reducing the number of towers needed to set up the LTE network and cutting down capital expenditure.

But leading telecom players such as Bharti Airtel and Vodafone have expressed concern over the high reserve price of spectrum suggested by Trai.

Many analysts have also said the auction would not generate a huge interest as telecom players are already hard pressed for funds in a competitive sector.

Operators have been saying that the ecosystem for 700-Mhz band - low-cost handsets, network equipment - was not ready yet. According to estimates, the cost of delivering mobile services in the 700-MHz band is about 70 per cent cheaper than 2,100-MHz.

Largest-ever spectrum sale

Auction of all available spectrum as per Trai recommendations approved

Govt could earn Rs 5.36 lakh crore from total spectrum sale

Companies winning spectrum in higher frequency bands - above 1-Ghz like 1,800-Mhz, 2,100-Mhz, 2,300-Mhz - to make 50 per cent upfront payment and rest in 10 years after a 2-year moratorium

In earlier auctions, companies were given option to make 33 per cent upfront payment

For spectrum below 1-Ghz band such as 700-Mhz, 800-Mhz and 900-Mhz, companies will require to pay 25% upfront and rest in 10 years after a 2-year moratorium

Challenge for 4G-friendly 700-Mhz band
The supporters of separate Vidarbha led by its strong protagonist, former Maharashtra Advocate General Shreehari Aney, on Sunday hoisted a 'Vidarbha flag' in Nagpur and said they would intensify their movement for statehood to the region.

A number of pro-Vidarbha leaders and activists gathered at a private resort in Bajaj Nagar Square in Nagpur and hoisted the specially prepared multi-colour flag as a mark of protest against the merger of the then Vidarbha, the Central Provinces and Berar into Maharashtra on May 1, 1960.

They also chanted pro-Vidarbha slogans.

Similar flags were also unfurled at about 24 other places across the Vidarbha region.

On the occasion, Aney, whose remarks on separate Marathwada and Vidarbha recently sparked controversy leadingto his resignation from AG's post, said the flag of separate Vidarbha is being raised on May 1 for last three years.

He said this year the movement for separate Vidarbha state has gained momentum since it has been strongly opposed by the ruling alliance partner Shiv Sena, besides MNS.

"We are not apprehensive of any political party or group which is opposing the creation of Vidarbha state, but our fight will go on and it will be further intensified from day one of the commencement of winter session of state Legislature here in the second capital (of Maharashtra) in December," he said.

"Till December, we are chalking out strategy to agitate for carving out Vidarbha from Maharashtra," Aney said.

He declined to comment on alleged remarks by Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray against him and said, "Come what may we will maintain our discipline and decency in agitation."

Prominent members of pro-Vidarbha organisations, Vidarbha Economic Development Council, Shetkari Sanghatana, Vidarbha Vikas Aghadi and other outfits also participated.

Former three-term MLA, Shetkari Sanghatana's Wamanrao Chatap, former Minister of State and Dalit leader Sulekha Kumbhare, ex-Director General of Police Prabir Chakraborty, former Chief Commissioner of Income Tax B Dharmik, Jan Manch president advocate Anil Killor, former Vice Chancellor of Nagour University Haribhau Kedar were among those present on the occasion.

Meanwhile, the local Shiv Sena unit protested the movement for separate state and unfurling of the 'Vidarbha flag' by Aney.

The Shiv Sainiks, led by district president Satish Harde, gathered at HB Town in eastern part of city, raised pro-Maharashtra slogans and allegedly burnt an effigy of Aney.

The MNS, which is also opposed to creation of Vidarbha, organised a Maharashtra flag hoisting event adjacent to the Aney's programme at Bajaj Nagar Square.

In another development, four activists of Aam Aadmi party, which has extended support to Vidarbha state, climbed an 80-feet mobile tower of a private telecom company at Akashwani Square in favour of the separate statehood demand.

Sporting white caps with pro-Vidarbha state slogans painted on it, the youths wanted to draw the attention of political leadership over demand for Vidarbha.

However, no untoward incident was reported from any part of city in view of the events in support of and against the Vidarbha statehood issue.

In Yavatmal, the 'Vidarbha flag' was hoisted at Loknayak Bapuji Aney's statue near Nagar Bhavan where supporters of statehood to Vidarbha gathered to press for their demand.

Vidarbha Rajya Andolan Samiti district chief Ajay Chamdiya on the occasion set BJP's election manifesto on fire at Datta Chowk.

Former MLA Vijaya Dhote and others hoisted black flag at Netaji Chowk to register protest against state government.

Meanwhile, a youth, supporter of Vidarbha statehood cause, allegedly smashed window panes of few buses at the local bus stand and was later arrested by police under relevant IPC sections.
Jawaharlal Nehru University Students University president Kanhaiya Kumar was on Sunday shown black flags at a function here by two unidentified persons who were roughed up by his supporters before being detained by the police for questioning.

The two persons belonging to a little-known outfit -- 'Youth Swaraj' -- showed black flags to the JNUSU president, besides raising slogan of 'Bharat Mata Ki Jai' while he was speaking at a function 'Azadi' in S K Memorial hall here organised by All India Students Federation and All India Youth Federation.

IMAGE: Unidentified men waving black flags as they protest against JNUSU president Kanhaiya Kumars visit in Patna on Sunday. Photograph: PTI

Kanhaiya's supporters thrashed the two persons in the hall. Later the police took the duo into custody.

"Police have detained two persons in this regard," Patna Senior Superintendent of Police Manu Maharaj told PTI.

The two detainees have been identified as Nitish Kumar, a resident of Sitamarhi district, and Manikant Mani, a resident of Samastipur district, the police said, adding that the two youths are said to be the members of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh.

The JNUSU president, who was addressing the gathering when the incident occurred, said he was not scared of such elements who oppose him or try to distub his functions.

"I am not scared of anything whether you hurl a shoe or a stone.... They want to disturb my programmes as they are uncomfortable with my questions," Kumar said.

Attacking Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Kumar alleged that he became the PM "with the support of capitalists" and cannot solve the problem of unemployment.

Criticising those who say that tax-payers' money or Subsidy being provided to the JNU is a waste of public money, Kumar said that there is a "conspiracy" to "defame" the premier academic institution of the country.

"I am a PhD scholar who is the son of an Anganwadi worker. This itself proves that taxpayers' money or subsidy given to JNU is spent and utilised properly," Kumar said, adding that people should not worry about wastage of taxpayers' money as a large majority of people in the country want JNU like institutions.

IMAGE: JNUSU president Kanhaiya Kumar addressing a meeting of Azadi organised by AISF and AIYF in Patna on Sunday. Photograph: PTI

Alleging that only capitalists get loans from banks, he said they "do not repay loans and instead they fly to London overnight", a reference to the fugitive industrialist Vijay Mallya, who is in Britain after defaulting on a loan of over Rs 9,000 crore.

Kumar was given a rousing welcome in the state on Saturday. He was escorted by a posse of policemen at airport on his arrival from New Delhi and the JNUSU President moved with a convoy in the state capital.

Kanhaiya, who hails from Begusarai district of Bihar, is on a two-day tour of his home state and met both Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and Rashtriya Janata Dal president Lalu Prasad Yadav on Saturday.

Kanhaiya shot into limelight after he was arrested in a sedition case in connection with a controversial event in JNU. He is currently out on interim bail.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Sunday paid floral tributes at the 'Hutatma Smarak' in Mumbai to mark the 56th 'Maharashtra Day'.

IMAGE: Maharashtra Day marks the creation of the current iteration of the state of Maharashtra that occurred some 56-years ago . Photograph: Sahil Salvi

Fadnavis was accompanied by Mumbai Mayor Snehal Ambekar and Mumbai Corporation of Greater Mumbai (MCGM) Commissioner Ajoy Mehta.

IMAGE: The flag hoisting ceremony begins the commemorative celebrations that mark Maharashtra Day. Photograph: Sahil Salvi

The 'Hutatma Smarak' located in south Mumbai, was built in memory of the Joint Maharashtra Committee, which played a key role in formation of Maharashtra as a separate state.

IMAGE: Governor C Vidyasagar Rao and state Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis share a light moment amidst the pageantry. Photograph: Sahil Salvi

In Nagpur, the second capital of Maharashtra, state Energy and District guardian Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule, called for conserving water for the future.

IMAGE: Governor C Vidyasagar Rao inspects the guard of honour as part of the Maharashtra Day celebrations. Photograph: Sahil Salvi

Speaking after unfurling the Tri-colour at the Kasturchand Park ground and taking salute of the combined Parade, Bawankule stressed the need for saving every drop of water in the backdrop of severe drought conditions in Marathwada and other regions.

IMAGE: Maharashtra Day marks the creation of the current iteration of the state of Maharashtra that occurred some 56-years ago. Photograph: Sahil Salvi

Nagpur Divisional Commissioner Anup Kumar, Commissioner of Police S P Singh, District Collector Sachin Kurvey were present on the occasion.

IMAGE: The States Reorganisation Act, 1956, defined boundaries for states within India on the basis of languages . Photograph: Sahil Salvi

In Thane, neighbouring Mumbai, District guardian Minister and Shiv Sena leader Eknath Shinde also hoisted the Tri-colour at the Saket Parade ground.

IMAGE: A state-of-the-art fire tender moves out as part of the ceremonial proceedings. Photograph: Sahil Salvi

Raking up the border issue between Maharashtra and Karnataka, Shinde said those "Maharashtrians" living in border areas (of Maharashtra but in Karnataka) want to be part of Maharashtra.

IMAGE: The state police force move out in unison. Photograph: Sahil Salvi

"They (residents in borders areas) have been agitating since long to come into Maharashtra. People of Maharashtra are supporting them," he added.

IMAGE: The female police march band shows they are in step with their male counterparts . Photograph: Sahil Salvi

In Nashik, Divisional Revenue Commissioner Eknath Davle hoisted the Tri-colour at the police parade ground. He inspected a parade by city and rural police.

IMAGE: Members of the Fire Department march out as a statute of Shivaji looms in the background. Photograph: Sahil Salvi

BJP MP Harishchandra Chavan, local MLAs, Nashik mayor and top civic officials attended the event.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday launched a Rs 8,000 crore scheme to provide 5 crore free LPG connections to poor families as he attacked previous governments for just paying lip service to reducing poverty.

IMAGE: PM Modi distributing free LPG connections to the recipients, under the 'Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana' . Photograph: PIB Photos

Calling himself 'Shramik No.1' (Worker No.1), he listed out initiatives taken by his government for the welfare of labourers.

The launch coincided with May Day and Modi attacked previous governments for doing little for the poor. "Policies made by previous governments were not keeping in mind the welfare of poor but only ballot boxes," he said.

Poverty, he said, can be eradicated only if poor are empowered, given resources and opportunities as well as education, jobs, houses, drinking water and electricity.

He questioned the policies pursued by the previous government for poverty eradication, saying poverty has only increased during past years.

"We are working to fight poverty," he said, adding that under the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana, free LPG connections will be provided in name of women members of BPL households.

In the first year, 1.5 crore such connections will be released and the target of 5 crore will be completed in three years, he said, comparing it to the just 13 crore LPG connections provided in 60 years of independence.

"In my first speech in Central Hall of Parliament after BJP government came to power (in 2014), I had said my government is dedicated to poor.

IMAGE: T he beneficiaries, targeted at 5 crore, will receive the LPG connections within three years . Photograph: PIB Photos



"Whatever this government does will be for the benefit of the poor and for the welfare of poor," he said as he listed out various labour-friendly initiatives, including raising minimum pension to Rs 1,000 and introduction of labour identification number.

Also, the maximum wage that entitles bonus to workers has been raised to Rs 21,000 from Rs 10,000 per month previously, while the bonus limit too has been doubled to Rs 7,000.

Provident fund portability has been provided to help utilise the Rs 27,000 crore of retirement benefits lying unused because of workers changing jobs or cities.

The prime minister said that his visit to Ballia to launch the Ujjwal Yojana had nothing to do with the Assembly polls in Uttar Pradesh due next year. "We have not come here to sound the poll bugle. That is for the people to do," he said.

IMAGE: Prime Minister Modi address the crowds . Photograph: PIB Photos

Modi said he had visited Jharkhand and Madhya Pradesh to announce such schemes where no elections were to be held. "I went to Haryana to launch the 'Beti Bachao, Beti Padao' scheme .... as the male-female ratio there had dipped," he said.

"I chose Ballia to launch the Ujjwala Yojana because there were very few people with gas connection here. Eight out of 100 families have gas connection here," he said, adding that the eastern part of India -- from eastern UP and Bihar to Assam, the northeast, West Bengal and Odisha, has to be developed to root out poverty from the country.

Modi said earlier the MPs used to get 25 gas connection coupons to be distributed in their constituencies each year and there were reports that some used to sell these coupons.

"But, now I want to provide gas connections to five crore families by 2019 when we would celebrate 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi," the prime minister said.

Maintaining that 1.10 crore families have given up LPG subsidies, he said in all these years, only 13 crore families across the country had gas connection and added that his government has given three crore connections in one year itself.

IMAGE: Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressing at the launching ceremony of the 'Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana', at Ballia, Uttar Prades . Photograph: PIB Photos

Modi said his government has made several changes in the labour laws and labour relations to provide social security to millions of workers across the country.

He said the minimum guaranteed pension now has risen to Rs 1,000 per month, compared to a meagre Rs 15 or Rs 100 earlier. Similarly, positive changes have been made in laws or rules relating to bonus and provident fund, he said.

Labour laws have been rationalised and a Labour Identity Number is now being given to the workers to ensure their social security, besides insurance, healthcare and pension to construction workers, the prime minister said.

Modi said he had last year pledged to electrify 18,000 villages where even an electricity pole has not reached so far, in next 1,000 days.

Uttar Pradesh, he said, has given many prime ministers to the country and he was fortunate that the state has accepted him.

The state had 1,529 villages where even electricity poles had not reached. In 250 days since the scheme was launched, 1,326 villages have been electrified and power supply started, he said adding the remaining villages would be covered soon.

He asked people to pledge not to pollute river Ganga to protect the environment and heritage.
Two bomb blasts in the southern Iraqi city of Samawa on Sunday killed at least 33 people and wounded more than 50, security and medical officials said.

IMAGE: Civilians gather at the site of a car bomb attack in Samawa, south of Baghdad, Iraq. Photograph: Alaa Al-Marjani/Reuters

"The hospitals have received 33 dead," a senior official in the Muthanna health department, which covers Samawa, said. An officer in Muthanna Operations Command confirmed the toll.

They said at least 50 people were also wounded in the blasts in Samawa, 230 kilometres (145 miles) south of Baghdad.

"Two car bombs went off in town. The first one was at around midday near a bus station in the city centre," a senior police officer in Muthanna province said.

"The other exploded about five minutes later, 400 metres from the spot of the first explosion," he said.

Samawa is the capital of Muthanna and lies deep in Iraq's Shiite heartland and such attacks there are rare.

Muthanna also borders Saudi Arabia and a vast Iraqi desert that connects the troubled province of Anbar with the south.

IMAGE: Civilians gather at the site of a car bomb attack in Samawa, south of Baghdad . Photograph: Alaa Al-Marjani/Reuters

A car bomb just outside Baghdad on Saturday killed at least 23 people, according to security and medical sources.

That attack targeted Shiite faithful walking to the northern Baghdad shrine of Imam Musa Kadhim, the seventh of 12 imams revered in Shiite Islam.

The Iraqi capital remains on high security alert for a whole week as the faithful walk from all over the country to commemorate Imam Kadhim.

The Islamic State jihadist group, which considers Shiites heretics, almost systematically attempts to target pilgrims marching to holy sites during Iraq's many religious commemorations.

But there was no immediate indication that the attacks in Samawa specifically targeted Shiite pilgrims.
Halloween is nearly here. Find out when Trick-or-Treat is happening in Martinsville.

The leaves are changing, the evenings are getting cooler and excitement is building as Halloween draws closer.
SBA honors Cordell's owners

The U.S. Small Business Administration has named Jason and Joy Beard of Cordell's as the 2016 Small Business People of the Year for the Abilene area.

Cordell's is a specialty gourmet shop that carries various types and flavors of oils, spices and specialty foods from around the world. They also offer cooking classes and catering services for special events.

"Jason and Joy Beard of Cordell's are being honored for their achievements as successful entrepreneurs, whose innovation and determination have helped boost the economy of our state and contribute to our nation's economic growth. We look forward to honoring them during Small Business Week," said Calvin Davis, SBA's Lubbock-West Texas district director.

United honors top team member

The United Family, which operates United Supermarkets and Market Street in Abilene, recently honored Kenneth Weise as an outstanding team member at the company's 11th annual Leadership Awards dinner.

Weise, produce manager for the Market Street at 4450 Buffalo Gap Road, was named Team Member of the Year for the Abilene Region. Weise has been with the company for more than three decades and continues to work in the produce department he started in 32 years ago.

"Kenneth's leadership shows in the quality of his department and in the performance of his team members," said Mark Yowell, regional vice president for The United Family. "He is always willing to help out a fellow employee when they are in need, making him an all-around great team member and very deserving of this award."

FFIN to make presentation

First Financial Bankshares is scheduled to make a presentation to the investment community at 10:05 a.m. Monday at the 2016 Gulf South Bank Conference in New Orleans.

F. Scott Dueser, chairman, president and CEO; J. Bruce Hildebrand, executive vice president and CFO; and Troy Fore, president of First Financial Bank Mortgage Division, will discuss the company's recent operational and financial results and its strategic direction.

A live webcast of the presentation is available at wsw.com/webcast/gsbc3/ffin. A replay will be available after the event.

Schmidt completes certification course

Teresa Schmidt, of Abilene, recently completed the Modular Education Program for Activity Professionals I, which qualifies activity professionals who work specifically with the elderly.

The program follows the curriculum established by the National Certification Council of Activity Professionals. Schmidt is a 2002 graduate of Abilene High School and attended Cisco College.

Haskell National Bank recognized

Haskell National Bank, which has locations in Haskell and Abilene, recently received a rating of five stars from BauerFinancial, a bank rating and research firm.

The rating is the highest available from BauerFinancial. Haskell National Bank has maintained a rating of five stars for the past 96 quarters and has been named a Sustained Superiority Bank.

City staff to answer business questions

Texas Tech Small Business Development Center Abilene will conduct a workshop in which Abilene city staff will answer questions about small business from 6-8 p.m. Tuesday in the Texas Tech Training Center, 749 Gateway St., Suite 301. To make a reservation, call 325-670-0300.

Taylor County gets safety award

The Texas Association of Counties Risk Management Pool recently presented a 2015 Safety Award to Taylor County in recognition of workplace safety and controlling Workers' Compensation claims. Thirteen Texas counties received the award this year.

CNG/LNG awareness training next week

Duplicate CNG/LNG awareness training sessions for first responders will be conducted May 10 and 11.

The Railroad Commission of Texas, West Texas Energy Consortium, Sweetwater Economic Development, AMP CNG and Sweetwater Fire Department are sponsoring the sessions.

The use of CNG and LNG continues to increase in the West Texas area and on Interstate 20.

The sessions will be from 7-10 p.m. May 10 and 9 a.m. to noon May 11 in the Nolan County Coliseum, 1699 Cypress St., Sweetwater.

RSVP by Friday to susan.shifflett@rrc.texas.gov or by calling 713-628-9915. A light meal will be provided.

Texas Alliance offers e-internship

The Texas Alliance of Energy Producers has launched a program providing college students the opportunity to complete an internship online without the need for significant travel or time away from campus.

The inaugural e-internship has been awarded to Logan Lewis, a petroleum engineering undergraduate student at The University of Kansas. Lewis will complete his online internship with Alliance Executive Vice President John Tintera.

The e-Internship program entails weekly professional, online meetings and routine assignments specifically tailored to students' field of study or interest.

The program also will include regular evaluations and reviews, as with any traditional internship.
Built in 1898, the house at 641 Chestnut St. seemed at first glance long past its usefulness in March 2014 when bought by Laramy Mayfield and John-Mark Woodard.

But the couple saw past the long vacant house's bowed north wall, sagging floors and obvious deterioration because of a "lack of love." Laramy recognized the history it embodied and its distinct architecture, quality bones and neglected craftsmanship.

"The man who built the house was a carpenter, and the fireplace mantle has a lot of detail," Mayfield said.

What started as a modest, two-room, hall-and-parlor house has grown to a 970-square-foot residence with the additions of a dining room, kitchen, bathroom and porch over the decades.

The fact that the house  with its cedar shingles, beadboard and other wood  still stands "shows that wood can stand the test of time," Mayfield said.

In the past two years, the house's exterior has been transformed with a tin roof, slate black paint, refurbished fish-scale shingles on the gables and even a white picket fence.

Interior transformations are extensive too, including correcting the bow, leveling the house, redoing the walls, installing vintage light fixtures and crafting new kitchen cabinets to match the one cabinet that was left. Almost all of the work has been done by Mayfield and Woodward.

The couple's house is one of 12 receiving the Beautiful House award from the Abilene Preservation League during its annual Heritage Stewardship Luncheon at 11:45 a.m. May 5 at the Hunter Welcome Center at Abilene Christian University. Laura and Terry Browder, owners of the Sayles Ranch Guesthouses, also will be honored for their preservation and economic development efforts in a historic neighborhood.

"It's worthwhile to give people a pat on the back for taking care of their houses," said Bill Minter, APL executive director.

The Beautiful House award is based solely on the exterior of the house, said Karen Camp, chairwoman of the APL's selection committee.

Some of the recipients have maintained the original look of their historic houses over the years, while others are newer owners who have tackled renovations that continue to preserve the original style, Camp said.

The APL members make recommendations for the award, and the group also entertains nominations from the general public. The APL tries to select houses of varying sizes and from different older neighborhoods, Camp said.

The award helps to inspire others  especially young people  in seeing what is possible in renovating older houses, Minter said.

"A lot of young couples are doing this because it's affordable to buy an older house and renovate it," Minter said.

Individuals who take care of their houses result in transforming and revitalizing whole neighborhoods.

"Over time we've realized that historic preservation is not one big event. It's smaller processes over time of people joining together in keeping up their own houses and properties," Minter said.

Mayfield and Woodard's house is the oldest recognized this year by the APL. Mayfield's love of a historic house is not surprising, given that her mother, Amy Mayfield, and grandmother, Beth Ham, also are past recipients of the Beautiful House award for their care of historic residences.

"Several other family members live in older houses, and it's in my blood," Mayfield said.

Following are profiles of the 12 Beautiful House award winners, based on homeowners' information on an APL questionnaire.

1102 SAYLES BLVD.

Owners: Betty and Jerry Gayden

Year built: 1926

Builders: B.A. and Merle Duffy

Favorite interior features: Its history, large rooms with tall ceilings, layout of rooms that flow smoothly together and original floors and windows

Favorite landscape/lot feature: Sits on a hill

Original unique features: The windows in the front part of the house, front porch area, veranda, basement coal chute, metal kitchen cabinets, the six, nine-foot metal fluted columns and light fixtures on the front porch and south side patio.

Best thing about the neighborhood: The historic significance of the neighborhood and the friendly neighbors who enjoy their homes and maintain them.

Most recent renovation: The kitchen was remodel and a second bathroom added in 2003.

Distinctive features: The house has had only two roofs. The first was made by the Edwards Tin company in 1926. After storm damage, the roof was replaced with a W.F. Norman Metal Tile roof that withstood damage in the April 2012 hailstorm that destroyed many roofs in the area.

1302 SAYLES BLVD.

Owners: Bonita and Louis Williams

Year built: 1928

Builders: Ruth and Albert Goodloe

Architect/Designer: David Castle

Favorite feature of the house: The house has a unique Craftsman/Prairie School design and was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1992.

Favorite landscape/lot features: Location on Sayles Boulevard and the lot's mature pecan and oak trees

Original unique features: All the interior of the house is original except for the bathroom and kitchen updates and still looks like the original house plans. The front porch and exterior of the house have been maintained.

Best thing about the neighborhood: The neighbors and the sidewalks

Most recent renovation: Interior and exterior renovations are ongoing.

1102 OLDHAM LANE

Owners: Kevin and Rebekah Porter

Year built: 1941

Favorite interior features: The foyer with the beautiful staircase, the front living room with crown molding and original hardwood floors

Favorite landscape/lot feature: The 15-plus pecan trees from when the property was a working pecan orchard

Original unique features: The solarium, which has three walls of floor-to-ceiling windows, and the fireplace

Best thing about the neighborhood: Although located in the middle of town, there is room to roam, play and be loud. Also like being close to the park and Lytle Lake.

Most recent renovations: The kitchen and all the bathrooms were updated in 2013.

Distinctive features: The house has charm, character and beauty and holds many memories, including hosting fancy parties and weddings.

2042 S. 8TH ST.

Owners: Misty and Nathan Lowry

Year built: 1932

Favorite interior feature: Sitting room attached to the master bedroom because of the natural light from the window

Favorite landscape/lot feature: The large lot and backyard, which give the kids room to run and play

Original unique feature: The walls are all concrete block

Best thing about the neighborhood: We love our neighbors and the community culture in the area.

Most recent renovation: The house has been completely remodeled within the last 12 months.

3442 S. 10TH ST.

Owners: Angie and Dr. Rob Wiley

Year built: 1925

Favorite exterior feature: The backyard is a great retreat and place to entertain.

Favorite landscape/lot features: The large front and backyard space around the house. The front yard was landscaped to give the house a friendly first look.

Original unique features: Stone columns on the front porch, single-pane windows, staircase, nails and floors

Best thing about the neighborhood: The well-maintained cottages on Albany Street, wonderful neighbors, how each house has a story, the quietness of S. 10th Street and the tall, tranquil trees along the streets

Most recent renovations: The gutters were replaced and the exterior painted in summer 2015. Other recent updates include a new fence and grilling area in the backyard, remodeling two upstairs bathrooms and kitchen remodel by the previous owners.

Distinctive features: The big porch and original floors

1541 N. 21ST ST.

Owner: Mrs. John Henderson

Year built: 1924

Builder: M.E. Rosser

Favorite exterior feature: The cupola on the garage and the balcony

Landscape/lot feature: The house originally was on a double corner lot until it was bought and split in 1953

Original unique feature: The balcony

Best thing about the neighborhood: The old neighbors

Most recent renovation: The addition of a carport

1001 VICTORIA ST.

Owner: Frances E. Zuber

Favorite exterior feature: The rock and iron gates and fences, which originally were installed by the builder

Favorite interior feature: Hardwood floors and original light fixtures that came from Italy to hang in the extra high ceilings

Best thing about the neighborhood: The neighbors and the quiet

Most recent renovation: Painted the exterior and remodeled the bathroom

442 MERCHANT ST.

Owners: Susan and Larry Chapman

Year built: 1926

Favorite interior features: Hardwood floors, very livable and not a cookie-cutter house

Landscape/lot feature: Property located in original town plots

Original unique features: Bricks and hardwood floors

Best thing about the neighborhood: Being centrally located in Abilene and close to downtown

Most recent renovations: Roof replaced and trim repainted after 2012 hailstorm. Additional updates include the plumbing and the concrete on the sidewalk, driveway and porch.

942 VICTORIA ST.

Owner: Martha Gail Waldmann

Year built: 1924

Favorite interior feature: The space and coziness, yet roomy enough to raise six children plus foster children

Landscape/lot feature: Sits on double lot close to schools. Also, the land was awarded by the adjunct general of Texas on Dec. 17, 1850, to J.R. Herndon, who fought at the Battle of San Jacinto. The neighborhood is called Lakeside Addition, although there is no lake nearby today.

Original unique features: Wood floors and light fixtures in the living room

Best thing about the neighborhood: The quietness and the opening of the charter school and Martinez Elementary nearby

Renovations: In 2003 made a downstairs bedroom and bathroom, refinished the floors and added HVAC and laundry

1042 HIGHLAND AVE.

Owners: Lynda and Jack Gilbreath

Year built: 1923

Architectural style: Mission/Spanish Revival

Favorite interior feature: The house is historic, yet full of life and beauty.

Favorite landscape/lot features: Two courtyards and brick walkways

Original unique features: Light fixtures, single-pane windows and fireplace with Italian tiles

Best thing about the neighborhood: The different mix of people from different income levels

Most recent renovation: Replaced the original red clay barrel tiles

Distinctive features: The loggia, which is a south-side courtyard on South 11th Street, has faux painting of plaster walls and two pairs of arched French doors. The walls were painted by the same artist who worked on the Paramount Theatre.

1725 SYCAMORE ST.

Owners: Sue Ann and Joseph McDonald

Year built: 1929

Favorite exterior feature: Back wall of the property has cast-iron detail

Favorite interior feature: The sunroom and overall uniqueness

Original unique features: Original tub and honeycomb flooring, hardwood floors, stair railing and cast-iron design found throughout the property

Best thing about the neighborhood: The history of the area, the other homes nearby and Dixie Pig is just down the street

Most recent renovation: Inside aviary

Distinctive features: When originally built  before the road was later added  there were horse stables and a laundry room in the backyard. The house has lots of character.

641 CHESTNUT ST.

Owners: Laramy Mayfield and John-Mark Woodard

Year built: 1898

Builder: Daniel Williamson

Favorite exterior feature: The fish-scale shingles

Favorite interior feature: The 12-foot ceilings, original hardwood floors and original mantel

Favorite landscape/lot feature: The large size, the white picket and privacy fences

Original unique features: The exposed, original wood walls in the kitchen and bedroom

Best thing about the neighborhood: The proximity to downtown Abilene

Most recent renovation: Restoration work has been ongoing all over the house, most recently in the kitchen

Distinctive features: Feel fortunate to have all the original woodwork, doors and claw-foot tub
Lubbock food writer Angelina LaRue has produced a wonderful full-color cookbook, 'The Whole Enchilada: Fresh and Nutritious Southwestern Cuisine' (Pelican, $27.95 hardcover).

LaRue includes about a hundred Tex-Mex and southwestern recipes, and nearly half of them are accompanied by compelling color photos. Several even have step-by-step illustrations.

The author says Mexican food 'can often get a bad rap for being calorie-packed, cheese-heavy meals,' and some of her recipes do fall into that category.

'But,' she adds, 'the majority of recipes that make up the book will allow you to pair loads of colorful fruits and vegetables with healthy protein for scrumptious meals you can enjoy every day.'

A few of the ones that especially caught my eye were shrimp ceviche shooters, fresh fiesta salad, green chile chicken enchiladas, and migas.

Pass the grilled avocado salsa, please!

Ransom Canyon: Best-selling Amarillo novelist Jodi Thomas has two more books in her West Texas-based Ransom Canyon series out already this year, with another one due in August.

'Rustler's Moon' (HQN books, $7.99 paperback) was published in January, with 'Lone Heart Pass' hitting bookshelves in April. They are the second and third novels in the series, which began last summer with 'Ransom Canyon.' The fourth book, 'Sunrise Crossing,' is scheduled for release on Aug. 30.

Thomas' books are considered in the 'romance' genre, but they are really just good, strong, fast-moving and uplifting tales that can be enjoyed by men as well as women.

I zipped through 'Rustler's Moon,' featuring a museum curator who gets death threats, and I look forward to picking up 'Lone Heart Pass' soon.

Check out Jodi's website, jodithomas.com.

Preacher's Home: 'Original Cyn' by Sylvia Dickey Smith (White Bird Publications, $18.99 paperback) is a novel about a Baptist preacher, the Rev. Wilburn Carter, and his wife, Cynthia, who prefers her nickname 'Cyn' but that's just not a name Wilburn can bring himself to call her, for fairly obvious reasons.

Wilburn is driven to build a bigger church and make a name for himself in the state denomination, but Cyn is feeling there should be more to life than trying to please him and the ladies of the church.

And, then, just as Cyn is working up the nerve to stand up for herself, she is stunned when a deep, dark secret manifests itself and plunges the church and the Carter family into chaos.

Maybe it's because I grew up in a preacher's home, but I couldn't put this one down. I started reading it one evening and finished it the next day.

About 120 pages into the book comes the shocking scene that changes everything.

Smith, who lives near Austin, is a former pastor's wife herself. Read more about her and her other books at sylviadickeysmith.com.

Glenn Dromgoole's latest book is 'More Civility, Please.' Contact him at g.dromgoole@suddenlink.net.
A first anniversary of an tragic event was noted last week, one that, for most Americans, has come and gone from memory.

But not for Madan Jung Shah and Sophia Rani Shah, those who support the work of Global Samaritan Resources and the residents of Nepal, where more than 8,000 were killed, more than 20,000 injured and hundreds of thousands were made homeless in the 7.8 magnitude earthquake there April 25, 2015. It was that country's worst natural disaster in more than 80 years.

Disaster struck far, far away for us, but compassion linked two diverse countries.

What do you know about Nepal? Besides Kathmandu being that mystical destination for those wanting to get way, way away from it all? That it's home to Mount Everest, the world's highest point, and to 250 peaks of more than 20,000 feet. The highest point in the contiguous United States, Mount Whitney, peaks at 14,505 feet.

Nepal is an end-to-end country, shaped much like Tennessee. It's a greatly underdeveloped land of about 28 million. More than 81 percent of the people are Hindu. Just over 1 percent are Christian, yet Madan speaks to how the work of Christians there and those around the world have helped in recovery efforts.

The Shahs briefly were in Abilene last week, a stop on a journey that began in Phoenix, which has a large Nepali population, he said, and Boston, where the couple have made a great U.S. contact in Marian Noronaha.

Madan and Sophia were guests of Danny Sims, who with Ben Gray and others, traveled in June to Nepal to meet Madan and to provide drinking straws and six water purification systems.

What a visit that was. Danny's smartphone is filled with competing photos of destruction and faces of smiling people. Despite the disaster and sometimes difficult relations between Christians and more fervent Hindus, Danny said he was impressed by the joy of the people.

"They do more with so much less, so joyfully," he said.

This is a story of the world as it really is. Most of us try to relate to what goes on beyond our borders and across oceans, but these links, these relationships, tell a true tale.

The Shahs probably know more about the U.S. than we do about Nepal. They know our country is not perfect but they know there is so much good here.

Madan was smart enough to trim his beard for this trip. Though he is not tall and wore a western-style shirt and a ballcap, his skin tone and dark features are, you know, the kind that make us alert. It's the times we live in.

Sophia, the day I met her, was dressed beautifully is a blue sari that perfectly matched the Texas sky.

Together, they are sweet. Polite to a fault. Madan insisted I go first, in or out.

So about that day last year.

Madan and two others were driving near Kathmandu. The quake struck and the road  everything  swayed back and forth, he said. His hands made that motion as he spoke. In places the road cracked open.

They were able to return home to Tikapur and though communication was disrupted, he was contacted by a pastor in the Gorhka district. Come help us, his friend asked. The church  "everything"  has collapsed. We have no food or water.

I cannot, Madan said. My family is here. We are terrified. We can pray for you.

His 7-year-old son, as they prayed, told his father that he should go help. Sophie nodded her approval.

A van was loaded with whatever they could think of  their own clothes in plastic bags, some money, water, food  rice, lentils, noodles. Three traveled more than 400 miles  10 hours it took  to their destination on roads that were not good before but in even worse shape after the earthquake.

They found, of course, great destruction. People standing in open areas or under trees. Crying. The good news was the weather was warm; the bad news is it rained hard that first night. Their tent was soaked (Madan joked that's one way to find out it's not waterproof). But for many others, it was worse. Some held the corner of large pieces of plastic all night so that women and children could be sheltered.

People still were buried in collapsed buildings. The aftershocks included one of 6.9 magnitude the second day and 7.3 on May 12, killing even more people  those who had taken shelter in partially collapsed buildings because they had nowhere to go.

Madan's job was to link people who could help with supplies and food.

A year later, he said, recovery is slow and people not fortunate to be in a tent camp still are sheltered by plastic. But that plastic is shredding. (By now, the death total is closer to 9,000, and 3.5 million were said to have been made homeless).

Danny breaks in. Understand this, he said. Madan is not a lone ranger. He knows everyone; he is a hub, a gift. The pastors of the many small, independent churches scattered in this country turn to him, and he can set the wheel in motion.

So it makes sense that someone who knows someone who knows someone who knows someone else put Danny and Madan together. Danny said he has found a true friend. The affection, I observed, is mutual.

Madan, who's 38, works at a church. He told stories of the challenges  churches and schools located however partially on public land being ordered torn down by those who oppose Christianity. Yet, he has stories of cooperation.

Danny recalled a Hindu man verbally assaulted their group because Madan was talking to a Hindu woman, asking her if he could help. Madan ignored the ranting but when he finished speaking to the woman, he turned to the angry man and held out his hand, palm up. And quietly stood there.

The man soon hushed, lowered his head and walked off. This was not a scene from the new Marvel Comics movie, but some kind of real superpower. It's the power of good will.

A year later, there still is much work to be done in Nepal. The only international airport is in Katmandu. The border with India at times has been closed for security reasons. Nepal is landlocked  no ships can dock.

And so Madan asked us again for help. First, prayer. Then for our support through donations.

When the Shahs return, they will have been gone a month. The kids are staying with family.

They will leave the United States, a land those in other countries believe offers limitless opportunity. They will talk of Texas  the wide open ranges and our "mountains," good roads and food trucks. Madan could not find a salsa that was too hot.

Nepal, though, is their home.

"The United States, it is a nice to be here," he said. "Americans are friendly and generous, but God has called us to our country."

The earthquake was tragic, he said, but "I thank God to allow it happen in Nepal. Many people have come to know the Lord. The Christian community did much to help. Christians all over the world."
Jerry Ann Mosher has spent more than 20 years as a teacher's aide with the Abilene Independent School District. And it's becoming harder and harder for her to make it one more year.

Mosher has seen just about everything that can happen inside a classroom, from the greatest triumphs to the heaviest struggles, and she honestly believes she wouldn't want to be doing anything else, she said.

She would like to get a bit more money, though. Pay for Mosher and the plethora of paraprofessionals like her employed at the district  from aides to cafeteria workers and bus drivers to janitors  has been a particular shortcoming in the district, according to the local chapter of the Texas State Teachers Association, known as Education Abilene.

'I don't break $20,000 per year,' Mosher said, adding the figure she does earn includes additional opportunities she takes on within the district like working various sporting events. 'I do whatever I can to pull in whatever money I can to help me make ends meet.'

Her financial plight is fairly standard in the district she's called home for so long. In fact, compared to a number of other like districts in the 2014-15 school year, Abilene ISD paid the lowest average salary to in-class helpers and interpreters.

Using data from the Public Education Information Management System, Education Abilene was able to determine Abilene has paid the least, on average, to these employees for the last five recorded years.

In 2014-'15, TSTA says, Abilene ISD averaged $16,090 pay for paraprofessionals and classroom aides, which includes deaf education interpreters. Midland ISD was the next highest at a $17,159 average.

Highest that school year in the comparison was Ector County ISD, which paid $18,291 on average. Other districts included were Lubbock, San Angelo and Amarillo.

The news isn't as bleak for those support staff working outside the classroom in Abilene.

Auxiliary employees, like bus drivers, cafeteria workers, secretaries and maintenance staff averaged $25,937 in 2014-15, the second highest of the six districts compared. And the district actually paid the highest average among the districts both in 2011-'12 and 2012-'13 before Lubbock ISD increased its average.

Mark Grose, president of Education Abilene, said the goal is to increase all of those averages while also making sure the district doesn't ignore the other personnel earning salaries.

'Our goal is to have every employee of the district earn a living wage and know they're valued enough that we are able to keep the good ones,' Grose said. 'The paraprofessionals aren't just in the classroom. They're everywhere  on buses, in the cafeterias  and the impact they have on our children ... is huge.'

Some say you can, some say you can't

At the April agenda review session, Texas Association of School Boards consultant Ann Patton provided one way the district could help encourage competitiveness in the market, but it's costly.

While Patton's presentation focused primarily on teachers, she called for a 2 percent increase to the salaries of almost all district personnel, including the aides and workers Education Abilene is concentrating on this spring.

Patton's proposal was expensive, though, and even she realized the district couldn't afford the entire $3 million price tag to raise everyone's salaries all at once. So, according to Executive Director of Finance Melissa Irby, the district could look to increase one particular subset of employee in the first year of a multiyear rollout.

Which employees the district will look to raise first has yet to be determined this early in the budgeting process, she said.

'We all know how much this is going to cost,' Irby said. 'We'll have some savings from retirements and resignations. The hope is we'll have some savings there to cover the cost of some of the pay increases.'

Irby's difficulty is more timing of the proposal than anything else. She's currently hamstrung with both a projected flat enrollment  though she said it could actually decrease again  and 2016-'17 being the second year of the legislature's biennium. That means a flat to slight increase in funding from Austin, but nothing like she'd need to institute Patton's full proposal.

She's projecting state revenue to the district to rise about $275,000 next school year, barely a blip on the radar considering the school district's expenses are projected to top $132 million this school year.

It's a conundrum for the finance department, she said.

'We have to keep the lights on, but we also have to pay,' she said. 'Right now, we're looking at phasing (the increases) in We won't be able to give what we want to give, but we'll be able to give them something. And it's not just about our current employees. For recruitment purposes, we want to offer a competitive wage. We need to be a little more competitive.'

The Classroom's Lifeblood

Jessica Crow-Tucker, a special education teacher at Madison Middle School, is fully aware of just how special her classroom aides are. They keep her from having a complete meltdown every day at school.

'My classroom does not function without the aides,' she said. 'Some of the students have disabilities so severe, without the aides, it's impossible for me to do my job. When they're out, my whole routine changes. I'm the teacher, but I can't take care of 12 special needs children by myself.

'The aides deserve double pay. Without them, the teachers would be at a complete loss.'

Crow-Tucker also experienced firsthand just how important the professionals outside the classroom can be in the lives of her children. While students without disabilities simply take for granted the work of janitors and cafeteria workers, her students sometimes need even those people to work on the skills they're attempting to learn.

Simple social interaction, she said, is important. So she was beyond pleased earlier this year to learn the kitchen staff at Madison made it their mission to interact with each of the special needs students every day. They greet the students by name while they're in line and guide them each through the process of getting their meals.

There's nothing forcing these employees to do it, she said. They just do it anyway.

Kathy Abbott, who is the classroom teacher working most days with Mosher, said her main concern is that the school district and the public in general are not aware of what the aides do. And this confusion on their roles may play a role in their lack of pay.

Abbott said the aide does a lot in her room, but one of the key features is the maintenance of class discipline, either through her own actions or those done by her helpers.

In the end, she said, having the second set of eyes, the second set of ears and the second set of hands helps keep order and learning happening throughout the day, the week, the month and the year.

'I had to beg for them (the aides), Abbott said. 'They help with everything. If I'm sitting with a child, the aide can take over the entire class. And the opposite is true, where the aide can work one on one with the child so one child isn't taking all of my attention if I'm teaching.'

Signing For More, Riding For More

Crystal Porter spends her school days sitting with students who cannot hear. As an interpreter, she's literally the ears for some of the deaf students.

It's not as easy as taking a few American Sign Language courses and jumping into a classroom, though. And that's where paying more money to aides could help Abilene.

Porter not only has to be able to understand what the teacher is saying, she also needs to be able to relay that information to her charges with perfect accuracy. So when difficult concepts like scientific terms start coming her way, it's not easy to succeed, she said.

For example, photosynthesis is the process by which plants convert sunlight into food. But there isn't a sign for that word, Porter said. So she made one up.

'You have to research, but we also aren't the teacher,' she said. 'We don't know the (Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills), all of that teacher stuff. We don't know what they want their students to know and what they need to pass the tests, but the teachers at the same time don't know the students.'

While Porter is still able to do her job despite low annual pay, Gordon Hayes simply couldn't make it work anymore. Currently a bus driver for the district, Hayes actually joined Abilene ISD as a classroom aide in October 2010.

Hayes spoke out about the low pay at a recent school board meeting, blaming it for his need to leave the classroom. Once he did, though, the money situation simply hasn't improved. In fact, he said his wages are paltry and well below the poverty line after health insurance premiums are taken into consideration.

The low pay has forced him to turn off the family's cellphones. He's now on food stamps to help keep food on the shelves. He's seen his utilities shut off due to inability to pay. Hayes is struggling right now, and a little bump in salary may not make much of a difference, he said.

'The only reason we do not live on the street or in a homeless shelter is that our home is paid for out of a gift from my wife's grandparents' estate,' Hayes said in a letter to the Reporter-News. '(That's) a savings that has been totally depleted. That will change if I am unable to come up with the money to pay our real estate taxes.

'If AISD wants to keep dedicated, qualified paraprofessional employees, things have got to change. Otherwise, they will continue to see paraprofessionals who have second, sometimes even third, jobs just for the convenience of living indoors with utilities and the basic necessities of life.'
Thursday is the National Day of Prayer for our nation. President Harry Truman signed a joint resolution with Congress in 1952 to establish it, and President Ronald Reagan amended the resolution in 1988, designating the first Thursday of every May as the National Day of Prayer.

Shirley Dobson, wife of Dr. James Dobson, has been the chairperson for the past 25 years. Every year, an honorary chairman is selected. This year, Dr. Tony Evans, a well-respected evangelical leader from the Dallas area, is the honorary chairman. Dr. Evans is a pastor, best-selling author and frequent speaker at Bible conferences and seminars throughout the nation. Dr. Evans has served as the senior pastor of Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship for more than 36 years,

Here is a part of Dr. Evans prayer for our nation:

'Dear heavenly Father. We come to You today as a humble people desperate for Your supernatural intervention on behalf of our beloved nation. First, we thank You for all the blessings You have bestowed on our land, blessings that have allowed us to bring so much good and benefit to not only our own citizens but also to the rest of the world. The very ideals upon which this country was founded were based on biblical truths, no matter how some try to rewrite history to deny that very fact today.'

Let us take advantage of Thursday's National Day of Prayer and pray in our different ways that God will bless, heal and protect our nation. Our country is in a big mess! We need God's help, guidance and protection. The word of God states in II Chronicles 7: 14: 'If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.'

The American people needs to get involved in prayer. The liberals, the homosexuals, the lesbians, the same-sex marriage group, the 'anti-Christian' are constantly at work. Their voices are constantly heard. Their agenda is to wipe out Christianity in America. Two, 3, 4 percent of Americans are homosexual and this small percentage is running the show. More than 85 percent of Americans believe in God but 15 percent or less of Americans are taking away the Bible and crosses from our land. That is ridiculous!

Prayer always has been used in this country for guidance, protection and strength  even before we were a nation or a handful of colonies. The Pilgrims at Plymouth relied on prayer during their first hard winter. Our Founding Fathers also called for prayer during the constitutional convention. In their eyes, our recently created nation and freedoms were a direct gift from God. And being a gift from God, there was only one way to insure protection  through prayer.

During World War II, as American troops landed on the beaches of Normandy, President Franklin Roosevelt called for our nation to unite in prayer. He also offered a prayer to prepare each citizen for the road ahead. The president prayed: 'Let our hearts be stout, to wait out the long travail, to bear sorrows that may come, to impart our courage unto our sons whosesoever they may be. And, O Lord, give us faith. Give us faith in thee.'

Today, the need for prayer is as great as ever. Our nation again faces battlefields, terrorism, along with an epidemic of broken homes, violence, sexual immorality and social strife. 'Pray without ceasing' is stated in I Thessalonians 5: 17. Prayer needs to be a daily occurrence.

There are many books on prayer which can help you with your prayer life. Here are a few titles to consider:

'The Power of Praying Together,' by Stormie Omartian

'The Power of Prayer in a Believer's Life,' by Charles Spurgeon

'How to Pray,' by John Wesley

'The Power of Simple Prayer,' by Joyce Meyer

'The Power of an Ordinary Prayer,' by Michael W. Smith

'Discovering the Power of Prayer,' by Max Lucado

'Release The Power of Prayer,' George Muller

'Don't Just Stand There, Pray Something,' by Ronald Donn.

If you need help in praying, I suggest you recite the following short prayer: 'God, You are good and powerful. Thank You for life, family, health, friends, food, clothing, home and work. Help me to be a better person, and forgive my sins. Protect and bless my family and America. Protect our firemen, policemen, and military people. Give courage and wisdom to our local, state, and national leaders. Amen.'

It is important to pray daily. Make it a priority on your schedule. God does hear prayers.

Jesus, the Son of God, prayed often; we should follow his example.

Joe Alcorta is a professor of Spanish at Hardin-Simmons University.
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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
Iranian President Hassan Rohani has welcomed the success of the moderate-reformist bloc in the second round of parliamentary elections.

Speaking on May 1 at a ceremony marking workers day, Rohani congratulated voters for choosing the best in the April 29 runoff elections and the original vote in February.

Reformist and moderate politicians allied with Rohani won 42 percent of the total seats, short of an absolute majority.

But their conservative rivals were outnumbered for the first time since 2004.

There will be 133 reformists and 125 conservative deputies in the 290-seat legislature. The remaining seats went to independents and minorities.

A record number of 17 women, nearly all reformists, will become lawmakers, one more than the number of clerics.

Although the female lawmakers represent only 9 percent of the total, there are only nine conservative women in the outgoing chamber.

The second round of voting took place in constituencies where candidates failed to get 25 percent of votes cast in the first round.

The Iranian parliament has no direct control over major policy matters, but it can back the policies of Rohani to bolster the economy.

Based on reporting by AP, AFP, BBC, and Reuters
Iraqi military forces reported success in a final offensive to retake the predominantly Turkoman town of Bashir from Islamic State fighters.

Kurdish officials said on April 30 that Kurdish Peshmerga forces and Shi'ite paramilitary forces backed by U.S.-led, coalition air strikes had entered the northern Iraqi town after first surrounding it.

"Bashir village is surrounded and 80 percent has been cleared," the Kurdistan Region Security Council said on social media.

Street fighting was also reported between the Iraqi forces and IS militants.

Iraqi officials said Bashir was used by IS fighters in March to launch what officials said was a chemical attack on the nearby town of Taza that killed at least three people and injured many others.

Turkoman units from Iraq's Shi'ite Hashed al-Shaabi (Popular Mobilization) militia group were also taking part in the assault on Bashir.

Kurdish forces say they also regained control of the Albu Mafraj and Mazargay Imam villages south of Kirkuk.

Based on reporting by AFP and NRTTV
Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbaev has evoked the Ukraine conflict as protests continued over the Central Asian government's decision to privatize large tracts of state-owned agricultural land.



Nazarbaev on May 1 warned of the dangers of national disunity, citing political, social, and economic turbulence in Ukraine, where a pro-Western government has fought Russia-backed separatists in the east of the country following Moscow's annexation of Ukraine's Crimea territory in 2014.



"Ukraine, the second-biggest ex-Soviet state, today has an economy which is half the size of Kazakhstan's," he said in a speech on the occasion of the country's National Unity Day holiday.



"Because there is no unity, no sense of purpose, no tasks are being solved, [people] are busy with other things: fighting, killing, brawling," added Nazarbaev, who has ruled Kazakhstan since the fall of the Soviet Union.



Meanwhile, protesters in the cities of Kyzylorda and Zhanaozen on May 1 staged demonstrations against government plans to auction off public land to private owners beginning on July 1.



Witnesses said several protesters in Kyzylorda were detained by police, though several of the protesters were invited to air their grievances to local officials at a theater in the city.



The activists told Serik Kozhaniyazov, deputy head of the Kyzylorda region, that citizens deserved a say in how state-owned land is managed. Kozhaniyazov replied that the planned privatization is legally sound and necessary because those managing the lands are not caring for them properly.



In Zhanaozen, a witness told RFE/RL's Kazakh Service that dozens of protesters rallied in the southwestern city's central square on May 1, chanting: "No land sales."



The woman, who identified herself only as Tilektes, said the city's mayor, prosecutor, and police officers arrived on the scene and warned the demonstrators that their rally was unauthorized.



Zhanaozen was the site of deadly protests in December 2011, when police shot dead at least 16 people and injured more than 100 others during a crackdown on demonstrators after a more than one-month long strike by oil workers.



Hundreds of Kazakhs in several cities since April 24 have rallied against the privatization plan amid rumors that foreigners would be allowed to purchase the land.



The government says foreigners will only be allowed to lease agricultural land, and authorities have warned that it is a crime to spread "false information about land privatization."



On April 26, Nazarbaev vowed to "punish provocateurs" who are disrupting social order by spreading disinformation about pending land sales.



He has defended the plan, insisting that foreigners will only be allowed to rent agricultural land under 10- to 25-year leases.



Nazarbaev has kept a tight lid on dissent during his reign over the country, which is the second-largest exporter of hydrocarbons in the former Soviet Union after Russia.



Slumping oil prices, however, have triggered a slide in the country's currency, sparking public protests over the past year both in Astana and the Central Asian nation's economic hub and largest city, Almaty.

With reporting by Reuters
One Ukrainian soldier has been killed and several troops wounded in Ukraines east, the Ukrainian government said on May 1.

Both Russia-backed separatists and Kyivs forces in eastern Ukraine agreed to observe a cease-fire with the start of the Orthodox Easter and May Day holidays.

The cease-fire was supposed to go into effect at midnight on April 30.

Oleksandr Motuzyanyk, a spokesman for Ukraine's operation in the east, said that separatists shelled the armys positions overnight at several locations, including the suburbs of Donetsk.



The separatist mouthpiece Donetsk News Agency reported shelling by government forces prior to the midnight deadline.

The two-year war has now killed more than 9,300 people as the sides trade blame for violating the truce.

Based on reporting by AP
A few years after his victory in Brown v. Board of Education, Richmond attorney Oliver W. Hill Sr. stopped by Elizabeth Coopers home near Westhampton Elementary School.

Cooper didnt want her daughter, Jane, to travel 5 miles to school each day to the all-black Carver Elementary when she could walk 4 blocks to the white school.

But Hill was there to tell her that the other black parents who were to have joined her in a federal suit had dropped out  and to ask if she was willing to be the sole plaintiff.

Looking at their faces, I really didnt want to disappoint either one of them, Jane Cooper Johnson said in a 2003 Voices of Freedom interview, recalling how the next day she encouraged her mother to persevere.

I really didnt understand the magnitude of what we were asking, Johnson said, although that soon would become clear.

In 1961, Johnson and her mother would prevail in their three-year fight against the segregated Richmond school system. By then a 12-year-old eighth-grader, Jane Cooper became the first African-American to enroll in Westhampton Junior High School and at Thomas Jefferson High School the following year.

The encyclopedic struggle for civil rights has been waged by Virginians from all walks of life in the 150 years since the close of the Civil War  from crusading newspaper editor John Mitchell, who was born a slave, to the young girls who challenged their unequal schools.

Some are boldface names who made the history books; others are remembered only as the small-print plaintiffs who risked their safety to challenge Jim Crow laws in Virginia.

***

Most notably reshaping the states political climate was a grandson of slaves. L. Douglas Wilder, who grew up in segregated Church Hill, became the first African-American to be elected governor of Virginia and the first elected in any state since Reconstruction.

Since he left office in 1994, Wilder has remained a political force in Richmond. In 2004, he became the first popularly elected mayor of the city in almost 60 years, and he is shaping the debate for this years mayoral election.

But Wilder was not the first black mayor of Richmond. That accolade belongs to Henry L. Marsh III, who was elected to the position by council members in 1977 before the approval of direct voter elections.

Marsh, who also served 23 years in the state Senate, was Wilders roommate at Howard Universitys law school.

Howard was a training ground for young lawyers who would attack segregation at its weakest link  the separate-but-equal doctrine that the U.S. Supreme Court had upheld, according to Hill, who died in 2007.

Everything was separate, but nothing was equal, Hill said in a Voices of Freedom interview, which is archived by Virginia Commonwealth University Libraries.

With law partner Spottswood William Robinson III, Hill and other attorneys challenged the Supreme Courts Plessy v. Ferguson decision of 1896 that allowed segregation.

Hill recalled the day he received a call from 16-year-old Barbara Johns, who had led students on a walkout of their dilapidated Moton High School in Farmville.

He was reluctant to take on the case at first because his law firm was handling a similar suit, he said, but we didnt have the heart to turn them down.

The Moton case, Davis v. County School Board of Prince Edward County, was consolidated with other cases and decided in the 1954 Brown decision, which struck down state laws that established separate public schools for black and white students.

But the Brown ruling was flawed, Hill said, because it contained no remedy for ending segregation.

The year after the ruling, a cross was burned on the front lawn of Hills Richmond home.

Hill worked for fair housing in the Kennedy administration and in the mid-1960s returned to private practice as a partner with Marsh and Samuel W. Tucker.

On behalf of the state NAACP, the firm took on a New Kent County case that would extend the impact of the Brown ruling drastically.

Calvin C. Green was a Richmond teacher and New Kent resident who filed suit on behalf of his children. He argued the countys freedom-of-choice plan had kept the school system segregated by requiring students to petition to change schools. Some black students did transfer to the white school, but no white students chose to attend the black school.

That placed the burden of integration on black students, Greens suit said.

In 1968, the U.S. Supreme Court agreed and issued a ruling that required active integration rather than merely prohibiting segregation.

***

Before those barriers began to fall, segregation was being fought on other fronts in Richmond.

In 1960, students from Virginia Union University staged sit-ins that led to the desegregation of downtown department stores. They became known as the Richmond 34, for the number who were arrested for protesting the whites-only lunch counters.

Of course, segregation did not end.

Twenty years later, a federal appeals court sided with Richmond dentist Thomas Wright Jr. and his wife, Barbara, who had bought a home in the Salisbury subdivision in Chesterfield County but then were denied admission to Salisbury Country Club.

Willie Lanier, the former All-Pro linebacker for the NFLs Kansas City Chiefs and a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame, and his family also were denied admission to the club, but they moved out of the neighborhood.
An Omaha amateur historians quixotic effort to rewrite the story of one the most famous photos in American history has prompted a reaction  and possibly a correction  from the U.S. Marine Corps.

The Marine Corps has launched a review of the iconic Iwo Jima flag-raising photo, Marine Maj. Clark Carpenter confirmed Friday, while declining to provide other details.

That review is headed by a three-star general and is tasked with examining all elements of the photo, including the identities of the men pictured, according to a source close to the review.

The inquiry could erase and rewrite one of the most hallowed facts of Marine Corps history: the names of the six men long identified as flag raisers.

Since 1947, those flag raisers  John Bradley, Harlon Block, Rene Gagnon, Ira Hayes, Franklin Sousley and Michael Strank  have been undisputed, regarded with the same certainty by Marines and military historians as the rest of us know the flag they are raising is red, white and blue.

The flag raisers who survived World War II  Bradley, Gagnon and Hayes  became household names in postwar America, and all six have been honored in war memorials, statues, postage stamps, songs, and in Flags of Our Fathers, a best-selling book by James Bradley, John Bradleys son, that became a Clint Eastwood-directed movie.

There is just one problem: The official history is wrong, an Omaha amateur historian who runs a Marine website has long argued.

The World-Herald first revealed Eric Krelles theory in a 2014 article that detailed his case that the identities of the flag raisers were mistaken.

He and an Irish amateur historian named Stephen Foley spent months examining hundreds of other photos and film footage taken in the minutes before and after that famous photo was snapped by Associated Press photographer Joe Rosenthal atop Iwo Jimas Mount Suribachi on Feb. 23, 1945.

Using photo analysis of clothing, weapons, facial features and finally a lone strap hanging off a helmet, Krelle made the case that John Bradley, the most famous flag raiser, wasnt actually in the photo at all.

Who was? A completely unknown Marine private named Harold Henry Schultz, Krelle says.

People can hold onto what they have always known in the past, Krelle said in 2014. But to me, the photos are the truth.

Krelle declined to comment Friday about the Marine Corps investigation, citing a confidentiality agreement he signed with a third party.

Harold H. Schultz left the Marine Corps at the end of World War II and after he was awarded a Purple Heart. He moved to Los Angeles and became a U.S. Postal Service employee. He married late in life and never had children. He attended Marine Corps reunions and kept a small scrapbook of his time in the war. He died in 1995, having never breathed a word about the famous photo on Iwo Jima or his potential place in American history, his stepdaughter Dezreen MacDowell said in 2014.

Two years ago, when presented with this alternative version of a long-established history  with the argument that Schultz was in the iconic photo, and Bradley wasnt  veteran military historians expressed doubt as well as an unwillingness to publicly dispute the Marine Corps version of events. Several flat refused to look at Krelles research. One said he would rather go fishing.

That interest level is sure to change with the news that the Marine Corps has opened an investigation into the identities of the flag raisers. Its the first and only time the Corps has done so since 1946, when the family of Harlon Block, a U.S. congressman and a public outcry prompted the military to act.

Until that point, the Marine Corps had identified the sixth flag raiser as Hank Hansen, and cited as evidence affidavits signed by the three surviving flag raisers swearing that Hansen was in the photo.

But in January 1947, the Marine Corps announced the result of that first investigation: Block was in the photo, and Hansen wasnt. The surviving flag raisers signed new affidavits. Official Marine Corps history was changed. The updated six names were literally etched in granite at the base of monuments depicting the famed flag raising.

James Bradley declined an interview request on Friday afternoon. In 2014, he looked at Krelles research but said it failed to convince him that his father wasnt pictured in the famous photo. He noted that John Bradley, a famously reticent man, would have likely loved the chance to remove himself from the photo.

Listen, I wrote a book based on facts told to me by guys who had actually been there. Thats my research. Thats what I trust, he said.

Theres no known timetable for when the military will release its findings.
The ballot for the Ashland Town Council election Tuesday will consist of familiar faces  three of the four candidates currently sit on the governing panel of the Hanover County locality and the fourth served as campaign manager for a recently elected member on the Board of Supervisors.

George Spagna, who also serves as mayor; Steven Trivett; and James Foley are current council members. Spagna and Trivett are each seeking another four-year term. Foley was selected to serve as an interim council member this year after Faye O. Prichard was elected to the Hanover Board of Supervisors, and he is running to complete the remaining two years on the term.

Kathy Abbott is making her first run for public office but has dabbled in county politics after working as Prichards campaign manager and has been involved with community projects.

Councilman Ned Henson is not seeking re-election and, because of the staggered term system used in Ashland, the seat held by James D. Murray isnt up for election until 2018.

That means four people are running for the same number of seats. The candidates are universally concerned with the same issues  namely, addressing the effects caused by a recently passed measure that will limit the length of stays in motels and hotels as well as the systemic issues that preceded the ordinance, protesting a third track through the town that is being studied as part of a federal high-speed rail project, and following through on renovation plans for the Ashland Theater and Carter Park Pool.

Spagna said he would like for the town to continue to offer excellent services without raising taxes or accruing long-term debt and revitalize corridors including downtown and Main Street.

Trivett called the potential for a third track through Ashland the biggest single threat to the town.

Some take comfort that it may take years for enough tax money to be stacked up to push that rail through Ashland, but if the future of Ashland matters, then input and actions matter today, Trivett said.

Foley said the council paid off the last of the towns debt during his previous term, and he favors taking on medium-term debt that would pay for theater and pool completions more quickly than a pay as you go plan.

I am very fiscally conservative, but this a rare opportunity to accomplish big things in a fiscally sound manner, Foley said.

Developing a more diverse economy and developing ways to attract more businesses, tourism and visitors to Ashland are among Abbotts priorities. She also said the town has to look at addressing the future of the Town Hall.
A series of several crashes involving 20 vehicles occurred Sunday morning on northbound Interstate 95 in Spotsylvania County, injuring nine.

The first crash occurred at approximately 11:43 a.m. on I-95 northbound at the 120.6 mile marker, according to Virginia State Police. The series of crashes began with a two-car crash that slowed traffic. Following that crash, state police determined that a total of four separate crashes occurred.

The crashes were broken down into one crash with seven vehicles, two separate crashes involving 10 vehicles and the last crash involved three vehicles for a total of 20 vehicles, according to police.

As a result of the crashes nine people were transported to three area hospitals. The extent of the injuries did not appear to be life-threatening, according to the release.
HARRISONBURG  Repeated appeals for Republican unity werent enough to stop a bitter floor battle for presidential delegates Saturday at the Virginia GOP convention in Harrisonburg, where supporters of Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas used their overwhelming numbers to secure 10 of 13 delegate slots up for grabs.

Supporters of front-runner Donald Trump  who won the states March 1 primary with almost 35 percent of the vote  cried foul early and often, accusing the establishment of defying the will of Virginia voters by packing the slate with Cruz supporters.

The personal loyalties of the Virginia delegation could quickly become moot if Trump gets the 1,237 delegates he needs to win the nomination outright. But if Cruz, who finished third in the Virginia primary, successfully forces multiple rounds of voting this summer at the national convention in Cleveland, a significant portion of Virginias votes could swing to Cruz.

The Cruz-friendly slate passed by a 1,033-858 margin of raw votes.

Former Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli, who is leading the Cruz campaigns national hunt for delegates and will serve as a Virginia delegate in Cleveland, said the convention showed Cruzs superior ability to organize the grassroots.

This is a competition. And they are incapable of competing effectively on the ground, Cuccinelli said of the Trump campaign.

More than 2,500 party officials and activists attended the convention, held in an arena on the campus of James Madison University. In an unofficial round of cheering for the three remaining candidates, Cruz drew the loudest roar, followed by a little less noise for Trump and virtually none for Ohio Gov. John Kasich.

Cuccinelli said the Cruz campaign had the numbers to take all 13 delegates, but allowed three Trump slots as a compromise and olive branch.

Corey Stewart, Trumps Virginia campaign chairman, called it a screw-you branch.

Stewart, a Prince William county supervisor, was denied a spot on the delegate list, which he said was an attempt by Cruz forces, particularly Cuccinelli, to embarrass the Trump campaign.

It just shows no respect for the supporters of Donald Trump who won the primary, Stewart said. And its destructive to the party.

Trumps first-place finish in the primary guarantees hell receive 17 of Virginias 49 delegate votes on the first ballot at the July national convention in Cleveland. If no candidate were to win the nomination after the first vote, Virginia delegates would be free to vote for the candidate they personally support.

Cruz supporters were elected to five of six delegate slots already decided at two smaller, district-level meetings. The rest of the 33 delegates from Virginias 11 congressional districts will be elected at meetings later this month.

In other convention action, RPV Chairman John Whitbeck was elected to another four-year term, successfully fending off a challenge by former state Senate candidate Vince Haley.

Cynthia Dunbar, a former member of the Texas Board of Education, defeated Suzanne Obenshain, the wife of Sen. Mark R. Obenshain, R-Rockingham, in a race to represent the state as committeewoman on the Republican National Committee.
BENTON, Debra "Debbie" Price, 56, of Mechanicsville, went to be with the Lord on April 29, 2016, after a long fight against a terminal illness. Debbie was preceded in death by her mother, Nancy Lee Price; aunt, Mary; and Paw-Paw. She is survived by her daughter, Kelley Benton Fleenor; father, James Ray Price; her cousins, Kristie Kelley Moore, Gregory and Ashley; three cherished childhood friends, Candy and Charlotte, aka "Ya-Ya sisters," LeeAnn "Ween"; and Debbie's companion, James Stanley. Debbie was a dedicated employee who worked for the State of Virginia for 38 years. She attended Atlee Community Church, enjoyed life to the fullest and appreciated the simple things with her daughter, friends and animals. A Celebration of Life gathering will be held from 5:30 to 8 p.m. on Wednesday, May 4, 2016, at the Mechanicsville Chapel of Bennett Funeral Home, 8014 Lee Davis Rd. In lieu of flowers, please send donated supplies to your local SPCA in her memory.
More than 50 countries have adopted modernized air traffic control (ATC) systems, and senior officials at every one have said that the benefits of separating from government control have vastly outweighed the challenges of putting the new system in place.

Rapid technology upgrades and changes, the ability to recruit skilled engineering talent, and the predictability and availability of adequate financial capital were all common reasons for reform.

The private sector possesses the innovative technologies and management techniques for accomplishing the enormously sophisticated job of efficiently routing passenger and cargo flights, but no government agency can overcome the financial and political challenges to do it.

Richmond International Airport is a significant driver of the economy for central Virginia. A 2008 study concluded that visitors to the region passing through RIC generated nearly $400 million in economic impact during 2007, a number likely even greater today. So ATC reform is critical not only to improve the safety of commercial air travel but also to grow our local jobs.

***

In most of Europe, nongovernmental organizations have been safely and efficiently guiding aircraft at major airports like London Heathrow for nearly two decades. Meanwhile, even with congressionally authorized acquisition privileges and a unique personnel system, American air traffic control has only fallen farther behind.

A recent National Academy of Sciences review concluded that the Federal Aviation Administration does not possess the technical expertise to develop an air navigation system as modern as those routinely deployed by companies in the private sector. After decades of trying, the government has proven that it isnt able to effectively update our ATC operations.

In 1994, I joined the Clinton Administration to help lead an effort to modernize our countrys air navigation system. At the time, I thought that a properly managed government agency could do almost as good a job as the private sector.

I was wrong.

Several of my colleagues from the Clinton administration have reached this same conclusion, including former Virginia Gov. Gerald Baliles, a nationally recognized expert on our nations aviation system who served as chairman of the 1993 Commission to Ensure a Strong Competitive Airline Industry. Baliles joined six other former senior administration officials in authoring a recent letter to members of Congress asking them to adopt air traffic control reform.

As I stepped into the role of associate administrator for research, development and acquisitions of the Federal Aviation Administration, the modernization program was already years behind schedule and billions of dollars over cost. By 1998, after four years of reorganizing the FAAs 2,500-member engineering workforce, re-scoping technical requirements, and modifying numerous contracts, we managed to deliver more than $6 billion in new ATC equipment.

Despite our incremental success, I became convinced that the FAA would never be able to update and maintain a modern ATC system. It turns out that a federal agency simply cant keep up with the pace of technology change given all of the constraints and challenges that exist in government.

The FAA has tried and tried again (and again), but our nation still has an antiquated ATC system. I know from my own experience that its not for lack of trying, but its not going to get any better if we do nothing.

***

Transitioning to a not-for-profit company to oversee ATC operations (much like a public power or telecommunications utility) is a significant undertaking, but we know the benefits it holds from seeing what has taken place in other countries. The longer we put this off, the more we will fall behind.

The not-for-profit model guarantees a reliable source of funding to move from an outdated, stove-piped system architecture to a modern, integrated, wireless telecommunications architecture that can accommodate the cyber-security threats and the unmanned air systems present today and in the future.

While our skies are safe today, the number of air passengers has increased for the sixth consecutive year, putting extraordinary stress on our ATC system. We are seeing these increases across the country, including a 4 percent increase at RIC. As other countries can attest, the new model can keep costs down, reduce delays, and enhance safety. The FAA will retain its oversight responsibility, letting us maintain the highest safety standards in the world while enjoying modern, reliable air navigation.

Virginias economy is continuing to expand despite country-wide challenges, with an expected growth rate of about 2 percent in 2016. To protect or increase this growth rate, we need RIC to remain a key cog in our regions economic success. Supporting ATC reform is one way to help achieve this goal.

Opponents fighting progress are shills for the status quo. We run the risk of eroding our leadership in the skies and continuing to fall behind other nations. The House of Representatives has approved a measure that includes air traffic control reform. We now need our leaders in the Senate, including Sens. Mark Warner and Tim Kaine, to help fix our antiquated ATC system. Congress should act now to adopt important ATC reforms before we face a real crisis.
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By SA Commercial Prop News

We disagree with the assessment. They are not giving us enough credit for managing our economy, Gordhan said on Thursday at the launch of the Black Business Council at Gallagher Estate.



South Africa disagrees with rating agency Moodys downgrade of South African financial institutions, says Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan.

We disagree with the assessment. They are not giving us enough credit for managing our economy, Gordhan said on Thursday at the launch of the Black Business Council at Gallagher Estate.

The ministers criticism follows Moodys Investors Service downgrading by one notch the senior debt and deposit ratings of five South African banks namely: Standard Bank of South Africa, Absa Bank Limited, FirstRand Bank Limited, Nedbank Limited, and Investec Bank Ltd. The announcement was made on Wednesday.

Gordhan said rating agencies were shown up for their inadequacies during the global economic meltdown of 2008.

They want to paint us with the same brush, he said, referring to crisis in the Eurozone. Last month, the credit rating agency cut the long-term credit ratings of six Eurozone countries including Italy and Spain.

We have an excellent credit record in South Africa, general government debt this year is 39% - well below the median of 44%. We are doing well compared to our peers, explained Gordhan.

Gordhan said the rating agency had not read governments national budget, which for the first time reached R1.06 trillion.

The minister said the agency had demanded that countries manage their debt and that when growth did not happen, it then demanded growth. You cant have both, he explained.

According to Moodys, the downgrades are part of its global assessment of the systemic support levels incorporated in banks' deposit and debt ratings. It said that the rating action was not driven by deterioration in the standalone financial strength or the financial performance of the banks, and that it concluded the rating agency's review for downgrade of the banks initiated on 10 November 2011.

The South African Reserve Bank on Wednesday came out in support of the banks, saying South African banks were sound, well capitalised, profitable and providing investors with acceptable returns.

"The five banks weathered the global financial crisis well, have no exposures to the Sovereign debt crisis of certain troubled European countries and remain largely focused on the Rand-based South African economy," said the central bank
Its been seven months since Faagutu Kelekolio was murdered in cold blood on a cattle farm at Faleula Uta.

Mrs Kelekolio was 49 years of age when she passed away and she left pain and sorrow in her family.

How she left was unexpected, and we were in total shocked when we heard about what had happen, said Ferelini Kelekolio.

Ferelini is the fourth daughter of Mrs Kelekolios eight children.

She spoke highly about her mother and how shes slowly accepting the fact that she is gone.

I already forgive whoever did it, she said.

Although it was hard, hurt and pain but I have told myself to forgive, Ms Kelekolio added.

Police contact has all but stopped and Ms Kelekolio said the last time they spoke with them was January of this year.

They havent visited our family since, she added.

According to Ms Kelekolio, her whole family was taken to the police station for questioning as were her younger brothers.

It was my father who they suspected for my mothers murder, said Ms Kelekolio.

Ms Kelekolio said her father was shocked about what had happened.

He is not capable of doing something like that, she added.

Mrs Kelekolio was savagely stabbed during the early hours of Sunday morning 6th September 2015.

Her body was found by young men who went to fetch some coconut leaves for their Sunday umu.

A witness who spoke to Samoa Observer seven months ago, said the woman was found naked with injuries on her cheeks, from what I saw, it looked like the murderer stabbed her with a knife. I think the person even used some rocks during the attack to inflict further injuries.

The police media officer Sua Muliaga Tiumalu said police are still investigating the matter and no suspect has been found.
Samoa celebrated World Day of Safety and Health at Work last Thursday.

However judging by the results of an inspection into 231 workplaces, there was not a lot to celebrate in terms of standards being well met.

Sixty five percent of workplaces did not even reach more than 50 percent of the total Occupational Health and Safety standards.

Chief Executive Officer of M.C.I.L. Peseta Margaret Malua admitted this is a challenge for Samoa.

In the evening, the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Labour jointly with the Accident Compensation Corporation and other sponsors, hosted a Stewardship Award Ceremony at the Tanoa Tusitala Hotel.

The Awards presentation is one way to challenge our workplaces to integrate Occupational Safety and Health into their workplaces, she said.

[By] raising awareness of safety and health at work, and taking appropriate action, we can prevent future accidents, injuries and deaths.

Twelve winners from different sectors  hospitality, manufacturing, construction, retail, food and beverage, public bodies and State Owned Enterprises, Gas and Petrol suppliers received awards on the night.
Its been seven months since the 40 year old mother was found naked and dead in a cattle farm at Faleula -Uta and her killer is nowhere to be found.

The matter is still under police investigation and the evidence is starting to wear out but there is still no suspect.

The Police Media officer Sua Muliaga Tiumalu, said yesterday, that the Faleata police post are handling this matter.

Unfortunately, there is still no update on the suspect.

The death of the 40- year old mother was a totally surprise to her husband and her children.

Another unsolved homicide is the death of the elderly mother who was found dead at her house at Faleasiu earlier this year.

According to Sua he said the investigation is being referred to Apia CID to investigate.

Sua said Faleolo police are also bringing in people from Faleasiu for interviews that may have link to the death of the elderly mother.
The Commissioner of Fire and Emergency Services Authority (F.E.S.A.), Lelevaga Faafouina Mupo said that the investigation report about the tank explosion at Matautu is now out of their hands.

We have done our parts and the final report has now been submitted to the Disaster Management Office as usual procedures before the final copy,he said.

I cant give (you) or release further information in relates to the report but I believe were at that close to it completion.

It was not possible to get a comment from Disaster Management Office.

The Disaster Management Office (DMO) is responsible for ensuring the ongoing co-ordination, development and implementation of disaster management programmes and activities in Samoa.

However, previous report has suggested a mixture of petroleum and diesel may have caused the tank explosion sparked by welding works.

Prime Minister, Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi said if there was only diesel in the tanks, nothing like that could have happened.

It is important to note that welding works were also done on the other (two) tanks but it (the explosion) happened here (on the third tank), said Tuilaepa.

Its suspected that there was a mixture of diesel and petrol but that has not been confirmed and I am waiting on rest of the reports. Once we have them, then we will assess exactly where the problem arose because we dont know if it (the mixture of fuel) started from here or from Fiji.

So that is another area the petroleum agency needs to look into because its insured and it costs a lot of money.

Tuilaepa said it is important to have insurance for fuel supplies considering the possibility of loss of profit.

We have to be careful and be clear of what might have caused the fire and bearing in mind that one person lost his life from it, we need to ensure safety measures for the future.

Because I tell you if it had happened to one of the bigger tanks, the explosion wouldve been worse and the fire would be hard to put out. According to an earlier statement from Managing Director of the Petroleum Products Supply responsible for the tanks, Fanene Samau Sefo, the maintenance work was legal and had a permit.

An employee from the company lost his life during maintenance work at the fuel tanks. They started work from the first tank, second and it was the third and last tank where the incident happened, he said.

I cannot go into details about what might have caused the fire because there is an investigation into it.

We are extremely saddened by the loss of an employee and we extend our condolences to his family and loved ones.
The President of French Polynesia has said that he welcomes the prospect of an agreement between Air Tahiti Nui and the Polynesian Airlines.

This could lead to the possibility of flights to other parts of the world.

However, Tagaloa Edouard Fritch is more interested in finding a permanent solution for the project.

That permanent solution may need to take into account his views on governments running an airline.

The President said from his experience its been proven to be very difficult for a government to run an airline.

He said the private companies are always encouraged to come in while government is there to offer support.

A Memorandum of Understanding between Polynesian Airlines and A.T.N. was signed last year to open Samoa up to Asia, North America and Europe directly. And during the title bestowment of Tagaloa, Prime Minister Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi told the President he was anxious to work together with the Air Tahiti airline.

I hope we can have some kind of agreement of regular flights between our countries to improve our contact, said Tuilaepa.

Remember in the past we had more direct contact and I hope to revive and resume that.

Tagaloa welcomed the request from Tuilaepa. We are discussing it and also asking New Zealand to join us to find a solution for a good and permanent project, said the President.

Its not a new project; it existed in 1970 with an old (airline) company. Im positive that this project can be built if we have the will to do it. This will enforce our relationship in the South Pacific and it shows that interest in economic development and mainly for tourism. Tagaloa also pointed out the intention to go through other Pacific islands.

This is the key. This airline can make a better development and make a better relationship between our countries.

Furthermore, a smaller plane of 140 seats would be an ideal start for the flights to San Francisco or Los Angeles considering the population in the Pacific.

Tagaloa was due to depart from Samoa yesterday afternoon.
I go with the shape of the car. That's my inspiration  a lot goes into it. There's a lot of pacing, color-coordinating. There's a lot of trial and error.  Robert Vanderslice

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The City Council will hold a special session before Mondays regularly scheduled meeting to garner public input on the need for and spending plan of a potential sales tax to benefit public safety. The workshop will start at 5 p.m. in City Council Chambers, 970 E. Ventura St. When the meeting moves into its regular session at 6:30 p.m. one of the items to be considered by the council is placing a sales tax on the November ballot to benefit public safety.

In recent months Mayor Martin Hernandez and Councilman John Procter have been addressing groups about a tax to replace the failed November 2014 Measure F. The half-cent sales was expected to raise $1.6 million annually with 50 percent benefitting police and fire and road repair splitting the balance. Mondays special community meeting will precede the later discussion by the council about placing a new sales tax on the November ballot. The council will have to discuss the tax mechanism, special tax vs. general tax, which requires different levels of approval as well as spending guidelines as well as the use of such revenue. By law a special sales tax must be used for the state use; it requires 67 percent of the vote for passage. A general tax can be passed by a simple majority but does not have mandated oversight; the city can appoint a spending oversight committee. Santa Paulas present sales tax is 7.5 percent. Some residents reported receiving a pre-recorded phone poll Thursday consisting of four questions. The poll referred to a 1 percent or $.01 cent sales Santa Paula public safety tax and asked if a measure being considered by the Ventura County Transportation Commission  a half-percent sales tax  would make voters less likely to support a tax measure benefiting Santa Paula. There have been council discussions of splitting any such tax between police, fire and youth recreation programs. A special meeting held Friday at 2 p.m. regarding the future of the Santa Paula Fire Department was filmed and is being shown on Time Warner Cable Channel 10 according to schedule. The meeting is also available to view on the citys website. For a copy of the agenda and reports visit http://www.ci.santa-paula.ca.us/agenda/index.htm and click on May 2, 2016 for the download.
A local radio talk show host and an FMU history professor recently argued about the LGBT bathroom issue. The conservative (we know which one that was) said he thinks being LGBT is a personal choice. The liberal used the civil rights card to justify a man (by birth) using a womans bathroom. I wish the talk show host had stayed with the issue of civil rights.

Lets address it as a civil rights issue. One out of every 200 Americans is LGBT. Common sense told us to protest the civil rights of some minorities when we addressed biases toward blacks in the 1960s. But does that set a precedent that bashes the rights of 199 to placate one person? Where are the civil rights of a young girl, or a woman, who does not want to share her bathroom with a 21-year-old man, a male classmate, or a male of any age? How about the civil rights of so many parents who are appalled with this? Where are the civil rights of the religious who object to LGBT? I think they are still a majority.

The will of the majority should give law. Where the law of the majority ceases to be acknowledged, there government ends. It is the duty of a minority to conform with the will of the majority. If you agree with any of these opinions, have your medium contact Thomas Jefferson. They are opinions he gave before and after the Bill of Rights was written. I think he knew more about the intentions and expectations of our founders than we do.

Companies and individuals punishing states that are against LGBT using opposite gender bathrooms might be guilty of some breach of the law. This treatment of innocent citizens, workers and their economy is abhorrent. Some brilliant attorney might find a proper litigation against them. At the very least, there might be a cause of action against stores that allow a man to enter the bathroom where your daughter is when the stated law is against it, or when there is no state law. Can that store pass codes and enforcement to stay open if it is not in compliance with current laws?

I dont think anybody will disagree that the majority is against LGBT individuals using a bathroom other than one designated for their sex at birth. If any believe this is not true, the remedy is to put it to a vote. By the way, that idea also came from Thomas Jefferson. Privacy is one of our most cherished possessions. Lets keep it that way.

JIM HARRIS

Florence
News reports suggest the United States will respond to last week's chemical weapons' attacks in Syria with targeted military strikes. But despite the looming U.S. involvement and the growing crisis in the region, most Americans know relatively little about the country or its history. From its ancient cities to the current conflict, here are five cultural facts about Syria. Dangerous Tourist Destinations: Photos 1. The Syrians About 23 million people live in Syria, and the majority of those people, about 74 percent, are Sunni Muslims. Another 12 percent of the population is made up of Alawites, a sect of Shia Muslims. Despite being a minority, Alawites have dominated the government for decades; President Bashar al-Assad is an Alawite. About 10 percent of the population is Christian, and another small percentage is made up of Druze, a mystical religious sect with elements common to several monotheistic religions. (In Photos: Amazing Ruins of the Ancient World) Whereas most people in Syria speak Arabic, about 9 percent of the population -- mostly in the northeast -- speak Kurdish. 2. Ancient history Syria has been a cradle of civilization for at least 10,000 years. It was home to the ancient majestic city of Ebla, which flourished from 1800 B.C. to 1650 B.C. A vast trove of 20,000 cuneiform tablets unearthed in the city provided an unprecedented look at everyday life in Mesopotamia at the time. Since then, it has been part of the major empires of history: At various times, the Egyptians, Assyrians, Chaldeans, Persians, Macedonians and Romans ruled the region. 3. Notable places The biggest cities in the country -- Aleppo, in the northwest, and Damascus, in the southwest -- are truly ancient. Damascus was first mentioned in an Egyptian document dating to 1500 B.C. Carbon dating from archaeological sites near Tell Ramad, just outside of Damascus, suggests that site has been occupied as far back as 6300 B.C. Aleppo may be one of the oldest continuously occupied cities in the world: There is evidence of human inhabitance of the area from about 6000 B.C., and because the city was along the Silk Road, it saw bustling trade for centuries. (Photos: Survival of an Ancient Civilization in Syria) 4. Modern history For nearly four centuries, Syria was part of the Ottoman Empire. Along with what is now Lebanon, Syria came under French control after the Ottoman Empire collapsed in 1918, and became an independent country in 1946. Because the area was once one territory, Syria has traditionally tried to exert influence over Lebanon, and from 1976 to 2005, Syrian troops occupied portions of Lebanon, ostensibly to protect Lebanon from outside threats. (Demonstrations in Lebanon successfully removed Syrian presence in the country after the assassination of Lebanon's Prime Minister Rafic Hariri.) Hafez al-Assad, the current president's father, was in power from 1971 until his death in 2000. The elder Assad violently squelched dissent and killed thousands of people in a crackdown on the Muslim Brotherhood in 1982. The current president Assad assumed his position after his father's death.

4. Modern history For nearly four centuries, Syria was part of the Ottoman Empire. Along with what is now Lebanon, Syria came under French control after the Ottoman Empire collapsed in 1918, and became an independent country in 1946. Because the area was once one territory, Syria has traditionally tried to exert influence over Lebanon, and from 1976 to 2005, Syrian troops occupied portions of Lebanon, ostensibly to protect Lebanon from outside threats. (Demonstrations in Lebanon successfully removed Syrian presence in the country after the assassination of Lebanon's Prime Minister Rafic Hariri.) Hafez al-Assad, the current president's father, was in power from 1971 until his death in 2000. The elder Assad violently squelched dissent and killed thousands of people in a crackdown on the Muslim Brotherhood in 1982. The current president Assad assumed his position after his father's death. NEWS: Why Chemical Weapons Cross the 'Red Line' 5. Current conflict The civil war was set in motion after President Bashar al-Assad violently suppressed pro-democracy demonstrations in 2011. Rebel groups began to organize to oust Assad. However, those groups have increasingly been composed of Islamist factions, making the United States wary of assisting them. In February 2012, several world leaders condemned the massacre by government forces of 300 people in the city of Homs. The United Nations estimates that about 100,000 people have been killed in fighting so far, with millions displaced by the conflict. In August of last year, President Barack Obama said, "a red line for us is we start seeing a whole bunch of chemical weapons moving around or being utilized. That would change my calculus. That would change my equation." After several reports of small-scale use of chemical weapons, on Aug. 21, opposition forces say that the government had used chemical weapons in an attack that killed more than 300 people and affected thousands of others in the Damascus suburb of Ghouta. On Aug. 26, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said there was strong evidence that the government had indeed used chemical weapons. This article originally appeared on LiveScience.com. More from LiveScience.com: Fight, Fight, Fight: The History of Human Aggression 7 Strange Cultural Facts About North Korea 8 of the World's Most Endangered Places Copyright 2013 LiveScience, a TechMediaNetwork company. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

About 23 million people live in Syria, and the majority of those people, about 74 percent, are Sunni Muslims. Another 12 percent of the population is made up of Alawites, a sect of Shia Muslims.

Sept. 22, 2011 -- After 26 months in an Iranian prison, held on charges of espionage and trespassing, Americans Shane Bauer and Josh Fattal arrived in Oman, freed after what started as a hiking trip and turned into an international incident. Upon their arrival, they were joined by family members as well as Sarah Shourd, a fellow traveler who had previously been released. The Iranian government jailed them on charges of crossing the border into Iran as they were traveling through a relatively safe region of northern Iraq, an accusation the trio flatly rejects. Furthermore, Iranian officials accused Bauer, Fattal and Shourd of infiltrating their nation as agents of the U.S. government. The hikers and the U.S. government also roundly deny the spy charges. Did the hikers choose a dangerous part of the world to go on vacation? No doubt about it. Although the hiking trio is by no means responsible for the ordeal they suffered, Iraq, even within the relatively calm Kurdish region to the north, can be a dangerous place for travelers. But it's not the only high-risk vacation destination that lures adventurous travelers. SCIENCE CHANNEL: Top 10 Weird Laws From Around the World

Libya What did you do over your summer vacation? For most college-age students, the answer usually involves summer classes, an internship or maybe a road trip. But that wasn't enough for 21-year-old University of California-Los Angeles student Chris Jeon. After an internship with BlackRock, an asset management firm, Jeon journeyed to Libya after flying into Egypt from his L.A. home during intense fighting between Libyan rebels and the forces loyal to fugitive Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi. For the truly immersive experience, Jeon didn't simply lounge around a ritzy hotel far removed from the fighting. Rather, Jeon, who could not speak a word of Arabic, joined up with the rebels. For their part, the rebels have welcomed him, and even gave him an Arabic nickname: Ahmed El Maghrabi Saidi Barga, a compilation of names of local tribes and areas. BIG PIC: Libya Rebels Take Control

Burma Nestled between India and China, this little-known tropical getaway offers pristine jungles, scenic mountain views and white-sand beaches. There is one drawback, however. This otherwise inviting landscape is also home to one of the most brutal and enduring authoritarian regimes to carry over from the 20th century. Burma, also known as Myanmar, was ruled by a brutal military junta from 1962 until 2010. Last year, Burma held an election, widely considered to have been fraudulent and undermined by corruption, to produce its first elected leader in also 50 years. Even with the superficial transition to democracy, the Burmese leadership is considered among the most corrupt and repressive governments in the world. Political oppression and an abysmal human rights record haven't stopped hundreds of thousands of tourists from venturing into the Southeast Asian nation. SCIENCE CHANNEL: Top 10 Most Popular Videos From "An Idiot Abroad"

North Korea For a country that has been compared to Mordor, it's no surprise that American tourists are few and far between. But there are those who venture into the Hermit Kingdom; some 2,000 Westerners visit every year. Contrary to popular belief, Americans can legally travel to North Korea, though proper documentation is required from the North Korean government and those who enter the country without it do so at their own risk. According to the U.S. State Department, punishment for an offense could include heavy fines and prison sentences that include hard labor. Tourists who are welcomed, however, won't find the full resort experience when they arrive. Their whereabouts will be closely followed and each group has state-appointed attendants to ensure no tourist strays from the group.

Mexico For decades, cities in Mexico like Acapulco and Tijuana, border towns easily accessible to Americans in the southwestern United States, were synonymous with tequila-fueled revelry south of the border. Now, however, these once-vibrant tourist towns have a different reputation entirely. With escalating violence among Mexico's powerful drug cartels, these cities have lost their allure to most -- but not all -- American tourists. While tourism has taken a hit as a result of the violence that claimed nearly 40,000 lives in the past five years, vacationers looking for more than a little R&R are still flocking to these destinations despite the danger. This isn't to say all of Mexico is dangerous for tourists, of course. The U.S. State Department this year issued a travel advisory singled out the following states: Tamaulipas and Michoacan, as well as parts of Sonora, Chihuahua, Coahuila, Sinaloa, Durango, Zacatecas, San Luis Potosi and Jalisco. NEWS: Skateboarding a Circle Around Morocco
Since Yasser Arafat died in Percy Hospital in Paris of uncertain causes in 2004, rumors have swirled that the Palestinian leader may have been assassinated. A new medical report lends considerable credibility to those claims: Investigators determined that Arafat's personal effects and his body, which was exhumed in 2012 for examination, contained extraordinary amounts of radioactive polonium-210, a lethal poison. PHOTOS: Historic Mysteries Solved CSI-Style In the carefully worded report, scientists from the University Centre of Legal Medicine in Lausanne, Switzerland, concluded that despite the years since Arafat's death and the quality of the specimens examined, "the results moderately support the proposition that the death was the consequence of poisoning with polonium-210." (The 13 Oddest Medical Case Reports) This latest report about polonium in Arafat's remains confirms the results found by scientists earlier this year. An article published in the medical journal The Lancet in October reported that significant amounts of polonium were found on Arafat's toothbrush, underwear and other personal items. Proof of assassination? A growing number of experts believe this is incontrovertible proof that Arafat was assassinated. "Yasser Arafat died of polonium poisoning," Dave Barclay, a British forensic scientist, told Al Jazeera. "The level of polonium in Yasser Arafat's rib ... is about 900 millibecquerels (unit of radioactivity). That is either 18 or 36 times the average, depending on the literature." NEWS: Was Hugo Chavez Murdered? Polonium is a soft, silvery-gray metal that was discovered by Pierre and Marie Curie in 1898; Marie named the element after her beloved native Poland. It has some industrial applications, such as eliminating static electricity in machine processes and as a heat source in satellites. Polonium's dark history Arafat isn't the only international figure believed to have been assassinated with polonium: Alexander Litvinenko, a Russian political dissident, was living in London in 2006 when he suddenly fell ill. Tests eventually revealed that polonium was not only in Litvinenko's body, but was also found throughout the restaurant where he had dined the day he first developed symptoms of radiation poisoning. Though the evidence that Arafat was killed by polonium continues to mount, it's not clear who might have killed him. Leading suspects include political rivals within the Palestinian community or Israeli authorities, a claim that Israel has repeatedly denied -- no evidence has emerged that links Israel to Arafat's death. Suha Arafat, widow of the Palestinian leader, received a copy of the Swiss medical report on Tuesday (Nov. 5). "When they came with the results, I'm mourning Yasser again," she told Al Jazeera. "It's like you just told me he died." Additional reports are expected soon from French and Russian scientific teams, who were also given specimens of Arafat's personal items and bodily tissues to examine. More From LiveScience: 5 Lethal Chemical Warfare Agents 10 Historically Significant Political Protests The 9 Most Bizarre Medical Conditions Copyright 2013 LiveScience, a TechMediaNetwork company. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

A Palestinian posts a poster showing late Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat in West Bank city of Nablus, on Nov. 11, 2012, marking the eighth anniversary of Arafat's death.

Nov. 28, 2012 -- The remains of Yassir Arafat, the Palestinian leader who died in Paris in 2004, have been exhumed following allegations that the 75-year-old succumbed not to a stroke, according to hospital records, but rather was poisoned. Arafat's death was an event "surrounded by contention and mystery," as described by the New York Times. Though results of forensic tests aren't expected for another three months, identifying the culprits if foul play were determined to be the cause of Arafat's passing will be impossible. In other words, a conclusive result might only deepen a historical mystery. The Arafat inquiry might not yield conclusive results, but forensic scientists have proven effective at reaching hundreds of years back into history and coming back with answers.

The most direct parallel to the Arafat case in U.S. history would be the exhumation of President Zachary Taylor that took place in 1991. Taylor, the 12th president of the United States, died while in office, the second president to do so, and the cause of death was never established. Over 100 years after Taylor's death in 1850, one historian hypothesized that Taylor was assassinated by poison. Forensic tests showed that Taylor wasn't poisoned after all, but likely died of cholera or severe gastroenteritis.

A parking lot might seem like an odd final resting place for an English royal, but human remains found at a car park in Leicester may be King Richard III. Richard III died in combat in 1485, and the skeletal remains found at the parking lot do show signs of battle trauma. Results of DNA analysis following the exhumation are forthcoming. MORE: Battle-Bruised Skeleton May Be Richard III

The Danish astronomer Tycho Brahe died in 1601, yet his name made its way into the headlines recently after his remains were exhumed to clear up a 400-year-old mystery. Brahe, the first astronomer in history to describe a supernova, died 11 days after the onset of a sudden illness despite a history of good health. One theory suggested that Brahe had in fact succumbed to mercury poisoning by his assistant, astronomer Johannes Kepler, or at the order of Danish king Christian IV, who was incensed that Brahe allegedly carried on an affair with the king's mother. A team of forensic experts was able to disprove mercury poisoning as the cause of death, but couldn't conclusively determine what did take Brahe's life. MORE: Danish Astronomer Not Poisoned

One of the most famous cold cases in history was that of Anastasia Nikolaevna, daughter of tsar Nicholas II. In 1918, Anastasia and the rest of her family were brutally assassinated at the height of the fever of revolution that turned Russia into a Communist state. For nearly 100 years after her death, however, rumors persisted that Anastasia had escaped the fate that had befallen the rest of her family. Several cases of Russian women claiming to be the princess emerged in the decades that followed. The discovery of a mass grave in 1991 seemed to bolster the claim after the remains were identified as belonging to the tsar's family, with two of the children seemingly absent. In 2007, a grave in Yekaterinburg, Russia, was discovered and two years later proven to be the final resting place of the two young royals. SEE ALSO: Royals Lost and Never Found

Given that she's the subject of the most well-known portait in history, Lisa Gherardini might have a recognizable face, but her remains have proven trickier to identify. In September, Italian researchers exhumed the remains of the woman believed to be Leonardo da Vinci's inspiration for Mona Lisa. Her final resting place is a grave beneath an altar at the Convent of St. Orsola. Born in 1479, Gherardini was belonged to a noble family and married the wealthy merchant Francesco del Giocondo. She died in 1542, at age 63, according to church records. Work at the site wrapped in October and results of DNA analysis are expected early next year. SEE MORE: Mona Lisa Coming Back from the Grave?

A nearly 400-year-old murder mystery involving the most powerful family of the Florentine Renaissance, the Medicis, was solved forensic anthropologists in 2010. Francesco I de' Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany, and his second wife, Bianca Cappello, died just hours apart following 11 days of agony from what was then a mysterious illness. His brother, Cardinal Ferdinando, depicted here, was suspected of orchestrating the deaths. Ferdinando had been at risk of being excluded from the succession and never accepted his brother's wife at court. Analysis of the remains of the fallen Medicis, however, shows that malaria in fact was responsible for the deaths of Francesco and Bianca. MORE: Medici Family Cold Case Finally Solved

Ned Kelly might not be a household name in the United States. But in Australia, he has a reputation akin to American outlaw heroes like Billy the Kid. Famous for robbing banks, holding up towns and engaging in shootouts with authorities, Kelly killed three police officers before the law caught up with him in 1880. Sentenced to hang, Kelly was executed that same year. His body, however, was tossed into a mass grave an lost to history. A skull believed to belong to Kelly was stolen in 1978 but reemerged decades later, sparking an investigation into whether it was in fact Kelly. DNA analysis verified that the remains did belong to Kelly after all. MORE: Body of Infamous Aussie Outlaw Found

Did former Chilean President Salvador Allende take his own life before troops stormed his presidential palace in 1973? Or did he die in a gun buttle, as some of his leftist supporters have suggested? As the New York Times reports, a court order to exhume Allende's body last year answered that question once and for all. The forensic evidence, however, only led to further disputes. The remains showed that two shots felled the former Chilean leader, one of which was fired by an assault rifle and the other possibly by a smaller gun. Although the official autopsy concludes that Allende died using the AK-47 given to him by Fidel Castro, conflicting determinations allege that Allende was assassinated and later shot again to make the death look like a suicide.
The digital currency known as Bitcoin may be getting its own ATM in the United States. The machine would allow Bitcoin holders to withdrawal money in the form of US dollars or add cash to their Bitcoin account. How Bitcoin Became A Legit Virtual Currency Las Vegas-based Robocoin, who opened the first Bitcoin ATM last year in Vancouver, Canada, is behind this latest endeavor. The company wants to install machines in Seattle and Austin by the end of February. Robocoin CEO Jordan Kelley told CNN that he hopes the ATMs will help the digital currency shed its mystique and association with illegal activities. "We're trying to move Bitcoin, put it in the mainstream, bring it to the masses," he told CNN. "To do that, some things have to go by the wayside, and one of them is anonymity." 7 Shocking Things You Can Buy with Bitcoin But Jeff John Roberts of Gigaom said if you're waiting for Bitcoin ATM to come to a location near you, "Don't hold your breath." Robocoin announced last year that it would install Bitcoin ATMs in New York and Los Angeles, but so far hasn't. The problem, Roberts said, could be that the machines need to comply with money transfer laws that require purchasers are able to verify their identity. In Vancouver, the ATM has a biometric scanner. Like most ATMs, this one will also charge a small transaction fee. Credit: ANDY CLARK/Reuters/Corbis

Mark Zuckerberg May 15, 2012 -- Happy birthday, Mark Zuckberg. The Facebook founder and chief executive officer turned 28-years-old Monday. It's a big week for Zuckerberg, whose company is primed to launch the most anticipated IPO of the year -- a move which could value Facebook at nearly $100 billion. The average S&P 500 CEO in America is twice Zuckerberg's age, according to the Associated Press. Zuckerberg is at the forefront of a new generation of young, tech-minded CEOs who have found their fortunes and major successes as other 20-somethings are still getting their feet wet in their chosen careers. Here we take a look at other young, notable entrepreneurs whose success came well before their first gray hair.

David Karp At age 25, Tumblr founder David Karp created a fast-growing international social media, blogging platform. Using money he acquired as a software consultant, Karp began Tumblr in 2007, when other blogging platform had already been widely available. As Karp mentioned in an interview the TechCrunch, Karp saw an opportunity to create a medium for digital postings that were more substantial than a tweet but less verbose than a full blog post. Tumblr has since taken off among users, and Karp has since built a fortune for himself, with an estimated $40 million in funding. NEWS: Occupy Wall Street: Why It Chose Tumblr Follow DiscoveryNews on Tumblr

Gurbaksh Chahal No one could ever accuse Gurbaksh Chahal of being an underachiever. By the time he reached 25 years old, Chahal, now 29, had already successfully founded and sold two companies, the first of which he began at age 16. Chahal even became a millionaire the same year he legally became an adult. And he wasn't done yet. Chahal currently is at the helm of RadiumOne, an online advertising company that "harnesses social interaction data to fuel new audience expansion." His net worth is upwards of $100 million.

Matt Mullenweg Anybody who's ever read, written or commented on a blog has probably at some point run into Wordpress co-founder Matt Mullenweg's handiwork. The now 28-year-old Mullenweg helped start Wordpress in 2003 and dedicated himself full-time to the platform beginning in 2005. According to VentureBeat, WordPress today is behind around 15 percent of the highest-trafficked site on the Internet. Mullenberg today has a net worth of around $40 million.

Naveen Selvadurai Foursquare's Naveen Selvadurai probably wasn't looking to make a fortune when he and co-founder Dennis Crowley devised the social GPS-tracking site. Instead, he intended to use it simply to explore New York City. Founded in 2009, Foursquare now supports some 20 million users. Selvadurai at 28 has also amassed a fortune estimated to be around $80 million.

Andrew Mason At 31, Groupon CEO Andrew Mason might seem like a senior relative to other entries in this slideshow, but Mason's success derives from a company he helped found in his late 20s. In November 2008, Groupon launched as a means of connecting urban residents to local merchants. The site began by offering users the ability to collectively buy into a discount from a local merchant in the Chicago area. The business model took off, leading Groupon to expand beyond Chicago and spawning a number of copycats. Groupon's seemingly overnight success led it to become one of the fastest company's in history to reach the billion-dollar valuation mark, thanks in no small part to Mason's contribution.

Pete Cashmore At age 26, entrepreneur Pete Cashmore has an estimated net worth of $80 million. Cashmore amassed his fortune by making a name for himself with a website that follows the kinds of products created by these other entrepreneurs on this list: Mashable.com. Started in 2005 when Cashmore was a teenager living in Scotland, Mashable.com is now among the highest-trafficked blogs online and Cashmore boasts one of the most popular feeds on Twitter.

Justin Kan Justin Kan is the face of what might be the most popular live-streaming website online: Justin.tv. However, the 28-year-old Kan's successful site can also be credited to cofounders Michael Seibel, Emmett Shear and Kyle Vogt. The four hatched the site in 2007, with Kan beginning a constant video stream from a webcam attached to his hat. Broadcasting his life through a never-ending stream over a period of eight months spawned the term "lifecasting."
A Stanford professor has presented a plan to power all of the Golden State's energy needs with renewable energy by 2050.

"If implemented, this plan will eliminate air pollution mortality and global warming emissions from California, stabilize prices and create jobs -- there is little downside," said Mark Z. Jacobson, the study's lead author and a Stanford professor of civil and environmental engineering, in a press release.

NEWS: Renewable Energy Will Power NFL Stadium

It would take 25,000 onshore 5-megawatt wind turbines, 1,200 concentrated solar plants, 15 million residential rooftop photovoltaic systems, 72 geothermal plants, 5,000 wave devices and 3,400 tidal turbines.

After that initial investment, though, the researchers say the plan would save about $103 billion per year in health costs per year, and about $48 billion per year in climate change costs (such as coastal erosion and extreme weather damage).

The study, published in the journal Energy, is the second of its kind. The authors wrote a similar plan for New York, and are working on plans for all 50 states. The reports propose using technology that is currently available.

VIDEO: Using Magma to Create Energy

"Like New York, California has a clear choice to make: Double down on 20th-century fossil fuels or accelerate toward a clean, green-energy future," said Anthony Ingraffea, a Cornell University engineering professor and study co-author.

Most of California's energy now comes from oil, natural gas, nuclear power and some coal. The breakdown of the alternative-energy plan would be 55.5 percent from solar, 35 percent from wind and the remainder from a combination of hydroelectric, geothermal, tidal and wave energy.

BLOG: Gassy Cows Emit More Methane Than Oil Industry

For backup, the plan recommends a grid management system that would shift times of demand to match timing of power supply as well as providing oversize capacity.

The plan would not, however, eliminate the "moo factor:" air pollution from cows.

Photo: Thinkstock
Ten million years after the world's largest mass extinction, a lineage of animals thought to have led to dinosaurs took hold in Tanzania and Zambia, according to new research.

The study, published in the latest Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, reveals how the end-Permian mass extinction 252.3 million years ago permitted a significant reorganization of terrestrial animals living in the southern part of the supercontinent Pangea.

Out of this chaos emerged the dino predecessors, which likely ushered in the Dinosaur Age.

There were losers, such as fat lizard-looking Dicynodon, which sported a short tail and a turtle's head. It completely bit the dust after the huge extinction event, which led to the disappearance of 90 percent of all life on the planet.

On the winners' side were silesaurs, which were plant-eaters very closely related to dinosaurs.

"In Tanzania, the main silesaur that we find is called Asilisaurus kongwe," co-author Kenneth Angielczyk told Discovery News. "Asilisaurus was about the size of a medium dog, like a golden retriever, and they tended to have long thin limbs."

Yet another fossil find was Nyasasaurus parringtoni, a Labrador retriever-sized animal with a 5-foot-long tail.

"Nyasasaurus is either the oldest known dinosaur or the closest known relative of dinosaurs, but we can't completely rule out either option because the material is rather fragmentary," said Angielczyk, who is Associate Curator of Paleomammalogy at the Field Museum of Natural History.

Angielczyk and his colleagues unearthed these creatures over the course of seven fossil-hunting expeditions in Tanzania, Zambia and Antarctica. The researchers created two "snapshots" of four-legged animals about 5 million years before the mass extinction event and 10 million years after it.

The cause of the great die-off remains a mystery, with intense volcanic activity, a meteorite strike and extreme global warming all being possible candidates.
For the citizens of Egypt, for the Muslim Brotherhood, for the country's military, history seems to be repeating itself, with mass protests, violence and political upheaval gripping the country. With nearly 900 dead following four days of unrest and more casualties expected in the coming week, Egypt may be on course for "an incurable cycle of violence," as Michael Wahid Hanna, a senior fellow at the New York-based Century Foundation, told USA Today.

NEWS: Citizen Journalism App Inspired by Arab Spring

How did Egypt find itself it a state of turmoil all over again? We'll start where the last revolution ended:

Feb. 11, 2011  Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, under intense pressure from nationwide demonstrations against his 30-year rule, steps down, ceding control of government to the military. The protest against his authority began in January as part of a wave of unrest across the Middle East and North Africa that would become known as the Arab Spring.

Feb. 25, 2012  The previous year has seen occasional flare ups of protests and criticism of the military's political transition. Multistage, parliamentary elections beginning in November 2011 are held with the Muslim Brotherhood claiming nearly half of the available seats in the lower house.

June 16, 2012  Following a first round of voting in presidential elections held the previous month, the Muslim Brotherhood's Mohammed Morsi emerges the victor in a run-off against Ahmed Shafiq, who served as the prime minister under Mubarak. Two weeks later, Morsi takes the oath of office.
Over the past few months, dozens of environmentalists in Iceland have staged a high-profile protest against a road scheduled to cut through an area of volcanic rock on the Alftanes peninsula, not far from the capital of Reykjavik. It is only one of countless eco-protests in the world, but the campaign has made international news, because some of the protesters claim the proposed road would disturb the habitat of elves who live among the rocks. PHOTOS: Six Mysterious and Famous Cryptids Elves and fairies are closely related in folklore, and though elves specifically seem to have sprung from early Norse mythology, by the 1800s fairies and elves were widely considered to be simply different names for the same magical creatures. Polls find that over half of Iceland's population believes in elves, or at least doesn't rule out the possibility of their existence. But why do so many Icelanders believe? The passed-down tales are just part of the picture. Iceland's concept of the natural world takes on a mystical tone; pair that with environmentalism, the want to preserve this mystical world, and magical creatures almost make sense. (5 Real-Life Examples of Fairy Tales Coming True) In the book "Icelandic Folk and Fairy Tales" (Iceland Review Library, 1987), folklorists May and Hallberg Hallmundsson explain how the Icelandic conception of nature is intimately tied to its folklore of elves and fairies. "Icelanders are generally very attached to their country, perhaps more so than most other peoples ... It is a love for the land itself in its physical presence, for its soil, mountains, streams, valleys, and even its fire-spewing volcanoes and frozen wastes of ice," the authors write. "To the Icelanders, the land was never just an accumulation of inanimate matter - a pile of stones here, a patch of earth there - but a living entity by itself. Each feature of the landscape had a character all its own, revered or feared as the case may be, and such an attitude was not a far cry from believing that it was actually alive." The Strange History of Santa's Little Helpers That life spirit said to inhabit the hills and streams of this island nation has come to be personified as elves and other magical beings. While it's easy to mock such folk beliefs as backward or antiquated, most cultures profess a belief in supernatural or magical beings, including demons, angels, ghosts and genies (djinn). These elves, like the fairies of early British lore, have many human qualities and may exact revenge if mistreated or disturbed. Elves and fairies are believed to live in their own separate, hidden world and generally ignore humans, but must be treated with respect; to do otherwise invites anything from mischievous pranks to child abduction by elves. This wouldn't be the first ecological protest to involve diminutive magical beings.

Folklorist Andy Lechter, in his "Folklore" journal article "The Scouring of the Shire: Fairies, Trolls, and Pixies in Eco-Protest Culture" (October 2001), describes ecological protests involving fairies that are very similar to the current controversy in Iceland. "Fairies have inspired a counter-cultural movement. The 1990s in Britain were marked by large and dramatic public protests against a government-sponsored programme of road building, and ... opencast quarrying," Lechter writes. Top 10 Animal Mysteries and Myths Explained "A distinctive protest culture flourished in response to this, combining the politics of direct action and an anarcho-travelling lifestyle, with a definite neo-pagan sensibility. This culture adopted an important fairy mythology which placed protesters within an almost fairytalelike struggle between the benevolent forces of nature and a tyrannical and destructive humanity." Lechter notes, "In this animistic view, the natural world ... is threatened by human encroachment. Protesters see themselves as aided by, or aiding, these nature spirits. Here, the forces of nature, which include fairies, are regarded as benign, as opposed to humanity, which is seen as malign, corrupt, and divorced from nature." (Science Fact or Fantasy? 20 Imaginary Worlds) The evoking of fairies and elves in the struggle to preserve natural areas not only captures the public's romantic imaginations but also taps into deep pre-existing social and cultural concerns about environmentalism. The theme of threatening new changes and the idea that modern ways disrupt the natural order of things are universal, and appear explicitly in many classic literary works. Perhaps the most famous is J.R.R. Tolkien's "Lord of the Rings" saga, in which the idyllic Hobbit homeland, the Shire, is threatened by dirty, polluting industrialization at the hand of evil wizard Saruman. The overcoming of peace and nature over-threatening change is a key theme in Tolkien's books, and conveys a powerful message of environmentalism. PHOTOS: Eruption of Iceland's Grimsvotn Volcano It's easy to exaggerate the conflict and to caricaturize the protesters as crazy, lava-hugging environmentalists who are willing to be arrested to stop an imaginary elf village from being bulldozed. But disturbing the fairies is only one of several reasons offered by the protesters for why the road construction should stop; many challenge the legality of the road (the lava fields were officially protected in 2009, and may or may not remain so today), whileothers lament the impending destruction of a culturally significant local landmark (with or without resident elves). Some Icelanders truly believe in elves, and many do not. Some of the eco-protesters in Great Britain, Iceland and Scandinavia are genuinely concerned about disrupting fairy villages, and some aren't. To most of them, it doesn't really matter; the important point is that the world's attention is drawn to what they see as an illegal and immoral destruction of pristine land. Whether the road through the lava rocks will be completed remains to be seen, but if the protesters and elves can't resolve the situation, the legal system surely will. More from LiveScience: Image Gallery: Amazing 'Fairy Circles' of the Namib Desert Top 10 Beasts and Dragons: How Reality Made Myth Images: One-of-a-Kind Places on Earth Copyright 2014 LiveScience, a TechMediaNetwork company. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. This story originally appeared on LiveScience.

A painted "elf door" leans against rocks near the Icelandic town of Selfoss. Belief in the unseen runs high in Iceland.

Ever wonder what scientific category of animal Bigfoot or the Loch Ness Monster fit into? The answer: Cryptids. Cryptids is the larger classification for animals unknown to science. Cryptozoology is the term for those who study -- or go in search of -- these creatures. Take a look at (or perhaps imagine) some of the most famous cryptids.

Bigfoot Whether you call it Bigfoot, Sasquatch or Yeti, this ape-like cryptid has eluded science since -- well, since science began trying to confirm its existence. As with most cryptids, the legend goes back centuries to native populations who told stories of large, ape-like creatures wandering the woods. For primatologists such as the very famous Dr. Jane Goodall, these accounts are proof enough. But scientific belief in Bigfoot has suffered from notable hoaxes, from fake casts of giant feet to doctored videos. Most recently, in 2008, the "body" of a supposed Sasquatch was found to be nothing more than faux fur and rubber feet. If Bigfoot does exist, sightings suggest that the creature would weigh several hundred pounds and be between 6 feet and 10 feet tall. And, regardless of whether or not this cryptid exists, there's no denying the loyal following, fan base and flat-out believers who have devoted their lives and research to Bigfoot. NEWS: Bigfoot

Ogopogo Also known as NHaatik, or the Demon of the Lake, the legend of Ogopogo first appeared in Native American folklore. Ogopogo makes his (or her) home in Okanagan Lake in British Columbia, Canada. As with most cryptids, its home territory makes it extremely difficult to find. The lake itself is large and deep, nearly 84 miles long and 860 feet at its deepest point. The Canada's British Columbia tourism website, whose motto just happens to be "Super, Natural" claims there are, on average, six Ogopogo sightings each year. If you're one of the lucky few to glimpse the famous monster, it's said to resemble a cross between a giant snake with the head of a goat or horse. Or, if you're a dinosaur buff, some say Ogopogo resembles a plesiosaur. Despite its "monstrous" reputation, Ogopogo has quite the following of beloved fans. The city of Kelowna has commemorated the creature in everything from art to parade floats. Above, Ogopogo is pictured selling apples in an ad from the 1920s. NEWS: Loch Ness Monster-Like Animal Filmed in Alaska?

Loch Ness Monster Is that a ripple in the water or the famous Nessie of Loch Ness, Scotland? It's a question cryptozoologists have been asking for decades since the first modern-day sighting of one of the best-known cryptids in the world. You've heard it all before. Loch Ness in Scotland is extremely large -- 22 miles long and more than 700 feet deep. So tracking down physcial evidence has proved difficult, even with modern technology. While it's said there are recorded sightings of Nessie as far back as the 6th century, it's generally accepted that the term "Loch Ness Monster" made its modern debut in 1933. Famous photos, such as "The Surgeons Photo" fueled the search -- and the hoaxes. Despite numerous sonar and other attempts to prove the existence of Nessie, there has never been any conclusive scientific evidence found. The only proven fact about the Loch Ness Monster is its ability to bring in tourist dollars. These days you can take a 3-D movie tour of the Loch or rent a boat to take out on your own adventure in search of Nessie. PHOTOS: Sea Monsters Real & Imagined

Cadborosaurus Cadborosaurus willsi, or Caddy, is one of the famous North American sea serpents, named for Cadboro Bay in Canada. Sightings of a similarly described creature have been reported from Alaska to Southern California. Other names include Pal-Rai-Yuk, Klematosaurus, Sarah the Sea Hag, Saya-Ustih, Hiyitlik, Tzarta-saurus, Sisiutl, Penda, Amy, Kaegyhil-Depguesk and Say Noth-Kai. The Cadborosaurus is often described as having a long snake-like body with flippers and a camel-like head. Several creatures matching this description have reportedly been caught over the years. Many "sea serpent" finds have turned out to actually be Giant Oarfish, the largest bony fish known to man. Some photos, such as the one pictured above from 1907, were never definitely identified as anything more than a "sea serpent." One of the most famous accounts of "Caddy" is from 1937 when one was said to have been found in the stomach of a whale. Photos and flesh samples were taken of the "creature." Alas, the samples were lost to science and the photos have proven to be inconclusive -- with some scientists saying the specimen was actually a fetal baleen whale.

Champy "Champ" the resident lake monster of Lake Champlain, N.Y., pictured above, bears a striking resemblence in history and a similarly devoted following with other North American sea/lake cryptids. Legend has it that the first sightings date back to the Native American tribes that lived in the region. Sightings were abundant in the 19th century and continue to this day, according to the Lake Placid/Essex County Visitors Bureau, which encourages Champ sightings with its "Board of Champ Sightings" and even an annual "Champ Day" the first Saturday each August in Port Henry. The mythical, or perhaps real, creature has generated enough adoration that between 1981 and 1983, Lake Champlain's bordering states of Vermont and New York enacted legal protections for Champ.
Giant sloths were eaten by a population living in Uruguay 30,000 years ago, suggesting humans arrived in the Americas far earlier than previously thought, according to a new study. The discovery, along with other recent findings, strengthens the theory that people arrived in South America via ocean crossings long before humans might have walked into North America from northeastern Asia, during the end of the last glacial period around 16,000 years ago. The study was published in the latest Proceedings of the Royal Society B. These brave individuals apparently did not shy away from big game either, with giant sloth being at the top of the menu. PHOTOS: Sloths Pose For Conservation "If our interpretation is correct and the sloths were consumed, they might have been an interesting source of meat because of their very large size," lead author Richard Farina told Discovery News. Giant sloths could grow to 15 feet and are estimated to have weighed between 2-4 tons. Farina, a paleontologist at the University of the Republic in Uruguay, and his team analyzed over 1,000 bones excavated at a site called Arroyo del Vizcaino near Sauce, Uruguay. The bones belonged to at least 27 individuals, mostly from the giant sloth Lestodon. Radiocarbon dating suggest the site and bones date to 30,000 years ago. The researchers determined that several of the giant sloth bones feature deep, asymmetrical marks consistent with those produced by human stone tools. A stone, shaped like a scraper tool and found at the site, shows signs of wear from probable use by humans, according to Farina. VIDEO: 3 Extinct Animals Making A Comeback He added that there is no evidence that the bones were part of a river deposit or some other nature-made collection. Virtually all of the bones belonged to large, meaty adult giant sloths, which again suggests human may have been eating them. A natural collection of sloth bones likely would have included individuals representing multiple age groups.

When the sloths were alive, the landscape would have featured a "stream going through gently rolling grasslands," he said. The site today is somewhat similar. Just last month, another team of researchers in nearby Brazil brought together artifacts -- including cave paintings and ceramic art -- from Serra da Capivara national park in Brazil's northeastern Piaui state. The oldest artifacts date to 30,000 years ago. Franco-Brazilian archaeologist Niede Guidon, who worked on the project and has led explorations of Piaui's interior, said that, in light of the findings from Uruguay and Brazil, she believes that it is time to reconsider how and when the Americas were first populated. Could These 10 Animals Be Resurrected? Piecing together the latest evidence, she believes that humans came to South America at least 30,000 years ago, and possibly much earlier, by water. "130,000 years before the present, Africa suffered from a very dry climate, which was the origin of the deserts (there)," she said. "People tried to find food in the sea, and the streams and winds (flow) from Africa to the northeast of Brazil. It is possible to think that some boats arrived at the coast of Piaui." To this day, these same water and wind currents benefit cruise ships coming into Brazil. PHOTOS: Faces Of Our Ancestors The indigenous people from Piaui and surrounding regions had ancestors with "dark skin (and) their hair was black, but smooth and not curly," Guidon said. Visitors to Uruguay will soon be able to see the Arroyo del Vizcaino artifacts.

A recreation shows a giant sloth, which could grow to 15 feet and weigh 2-4 tons.

Sloths are so photogenic that they have been recruited to serve as animal ambassadors for Suriname, a country in northern South America. The laid back animals are also helping out The Guiana Shield, a tropical wilderness region known as The Guiana Shield. Rebecca Field, video production manager at Conservation International, made this effort possible by traveling to Green Heritage Fund Suriname, which is essentially a sloth orphanage run by Monique Pool. Field said, "When we arrived at her house, we quickly became 'slothified' -- a term Monique came up with to describe her situation. It means "overwhelmed by sloth."

Sloth in a bowl, anyone? Life was not always so happy for this little guy. Kevin Connor, media manager for Conservation International, told Discovery News that sloths like this, before their rescue by Pool, "had gradually been migrating into one forest patch, an undeveloped area of the city that was finally being cut down."

When exposed to human kindness, the natural friendliness and curiosity of sloths often is evident. Here, the sloth looks to be reaching out to the viewer, but this would have really been the photographer, Becca Field.

Sloths frequently form bonds with humans. Like primates, sloths will sometimes cling to humans similar to the way that infants do.

Russ Mittermeier, seen here, is the president of Conservation International. He and others are interested in Suriname. Connor explained its importance. "This country, roughly the size of Florida, contains 25 percent of the world's remaining intact forest."

The word "sloth" is synonymous with laziness, but these animals are just conserving precious energy reserves when they lounge around like this. Leaves are their main source of nutrition, but leaves provide little energy and can be difficult to digest.

This sloth seems to be looking at the camera, but it is likely interacting with Field. She said, "Since the day I first laid eyes on a sloth, I have been obsessed. How could I not be? They're adorable, gentle, slow-moving creatures with irresistible smiles."

As an ambassador for Suriname, helping to draw attention to the nation's wildlife, this individual has much to be proud of, as evident in this photo. Connor explained, "Monique's organization, along with CI, is working to show the value that these animals have as a tourist attraction in order to get them their own park in the region."

"Sloths -- being, in my opinion, the cutest of all forest dwellers -- make great ambassadors for the forests of the Guiana Shield," Field said. "Like all of us, they depend on the forest to survive and thrive. They spend virtually all their time in the treetops -- eating, sleeping and even giving birth in the trees. The more time I spent with them, the more I learned firsthand why it is so important we conserve areas like the Guiana Shield."

Sloths seem to love positive attention and will respond with all sorts of cute poses. Here an individual tilts its head affectionately for Field.
A Cretaceous gang - made up of a large, long-necked dinosaur; a raccoon-size mammal; and a crocodilelike creature - plodded toward a freshwater lake during the Early Cretaceousperiod 118 million years ago, leaving their footprints behind in a sedimentary band of earth.

It's possible that the animals satiated their thirst at different times, but left their track marks all in the same area, the researchers said.

The ancient track marks were discovered at Angola's Catoca diamond mine, the fourth-largest diamond mine in the world. The mammalian tracks are a particularly rare find, as most warm-blooded animals at that time were no larger than rats, and this one appears to be larger, researchers said. [See Photos of the Ancient Footprints in Angola]

"Mammals evolved from very small-sized individuals," said Marco Marzola, a paleontologist with the PaleoAngola Project, an international program investigating vertebrate paleontology in Angola. "The first mammals were the size of a squirrel or even smaller, like a mouse. They evolved to become bigger in size, but only after the time of the dinosaurs."

Geologist Vladimir Pervov, who works for the Sociedade Mineira de Catoca, first spotted the 69 animal tracks in December 2010. In addition, 18 dinosaur tracks, likely from a sauropod, and one with preserved skin impressions, were found in two nearby tracks.(Sauropods were long-necked dinosaurs and the largest animals ever to walk the Earth.)

But the ground is hard and cold in December, making the tracks difficult to study. Pervov contacted the scientists working on the PaleoAngola Project, who then asked representatives for the diamond mine to help them preserve the footprints.

"Incredibly, the society of Catoca stopped all activity in that sector of the mine," Marzola told Live Science. "(They) renounced potential income from their own mine just to promote science - to promote vertebrate paleontology in Angola and in Africa."

Eight months later, in July 2011, a team of paleontologists came to the mine to study the fossilized prints. Ripple marks in the stone surrounding the fossils suggest a shallow lake may have attracted the animals - the first record of Cretaceous vertebrates in inland Angola,the researchers said.

Mammal marks The mammal tracks, about 30 to 35 in total, provide a rare glimpse of the raccoon-size creature. It had five fingers and five toes, with digits up to 0.6 inches (1.5 centimeters) long, on its hands and feet. As on humans, its longest digit was in the middle, Marzola said.

The mammal also walked like a human and a bear - that is, using most of the foot - instead of walking on its toes, like a cat or dog, or on a hoof, like a horse. The digits show blunt tips, suggesting the mammal did not have claws, Marzola said.
Many Americans only think of witches and witchcraft around Halloween. But in many countries belief in witches is common, and black magic is considered part of everyday life. In Africa, witch doctors are consulted not only for healing diseases, but also for placing (or removing) magic curses or bringing luck - much like many psychics and fortunetellers in America.

Over 100 graves have been dug up in the West African country of Benin, looted by grave robbers seeking body parts for use in magic rituals.

A 2010 Gallup poll found that belief in magic is widespread throughout sub-Saharan Africa; on average 55 percent of Africans believe in witchcraft.

Though graves are the most common source of bones, organs and limbs, in the past few years albino children and adults in Africa have been attacked and killed for their body parts. The belief and practice of using body parts for magical ritual or benefit is called muti.

Muti hunting was featured in the 2009 South African science-fiction film "District 9," in which the hero's body parts were sought after by a local warlord who believed that the limbs would give him magical powers. Muti murders are particularly brutal, with knives and machetes used to cut and hack off limbs, breasts, and other body parts from their living victims. Many of the albinos were beheaded, their heads carefully collected and preserved as gruesome good luck charms or for use in rituals.

Throughout most of history, medical knowledge of anatomy was poor and indirect, partly because of fear and taboos against cutting open corpses. The Renaissance brought an emphasis on practical, real-world knowledge, which necessarily meant examining and cutting up the dead.

In Europe, the rise of early medical centers created a strong demand for dead bodies; a few cadavers were made available by royal decree, usually the bodies of condemned criminals. In the 1700s, in fact, dissection was a punishment for serious crimes.

By 1720, theft from graveyards was common in London, England, and grave robbers (or "resurrection men," as they were known) were making a profit digging up bodies and selling them to anatomists and doctors. Among the most infamous of these criminals were Irish grave robbers and murderers Brendan Burke and William Hare, who committed sixteen murders and sold the bodies to a well-known London anatomist in 1828.

By the 1900s most grave robbing in the West had ceased, though as the incidents in Benin demonstrate the practice lingers where belief in magic is common.

Photo: iStockPhoto
More than 50 geoglyphs with various shapes and sizes, including a massive swastika, have been discovered across northern Kazakhstan in Central Asia, say archaeologists.

These sprawling structures, mostly earthen mounds, create the type of landscape art most famously seen in the Nazca region of Peru.

Discovered using Google Earth, the geoglyphs are designed in a variety of geometric shapes, including squares, rings, crosses and swastikas (the swastika is a design that was used in ancient times). Ranging from 90 to 400 meters (295 to 1,312 feet) in diameter, some of them are longer than a modern-day aircraft carrier. Researchers say that the geoglyphs are difficult to see on the ground, but can easily be seen from the sky. [See Photos of the Amazing Geoglyphs in Kazakhstan]

Over the past year, an archaeological expedition from Kazakhstan's Kostanay University, working in collaboration with Vilnius University in Lithuania, has been examining the geoglyphs. The team, which is conducting archaeological excavations, ground-penetrating radar surveys, aerial photography and dating, recently presented its initial results at the European Association of Archaeologists' annual meeting in Istanbul.

Many of the geoglyphs were made of earthen mounds, although one example, a swastika, was made using timber.

Archaeological excavations uncovered the remains of structures and hearths at the geoglyphs, suggesting that rituals took place there, said archaeologists Irina Shevnina and Andrew Logvin, of Kostanay University, in an email to Live Science. Ancient tribes may also have used the geoglyphs to mark ownership of the land, the researchers noted.

"As of today, we can say only one thing - the geoglyphs were built by ancient people. By whom and for what purpose, remains a mystery," said Shevnina and Logvin.

Why they're builders used geometric shapes is also a mystery, although the swastika is an ancient symbol found throughout Europe and Asia.

While Peru's Nazca Lines are the world's most famous geoglyphs, archaeological research suggests that geoglyphs were constructed in numerous areas around the world by different cultures.

For instance, in the Middle East, archaeologists have found thousands of wheel-shaped structures that are easily visible from the sky, but hard to see on the ground. Also recently in Russia, archaeologists excavated a geoglyph shaped like an elk, which appears older than the Nazca Lines.

Ancient geoglyphs have also been reported in many other countries, including the United Kingdom, Brazil and even the Southwestern United States. The introduction of high-resolution Google Earth imagery over the last decade has helped both professional archaeologists and amateurs detect and study these enigmatic structures.

More from LiveScience:

12 Strangest Sights on Google Earth Image Gallery: Amazing 'Fairy Circles' of the Namib Desert Image Gallery: The Nazca Lines of Russia Copyright 2014 LiveScience, a TechMediaNetwork company. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Article originally appeared on LiveScience.
Conspiracy theorists, start your engines: On the wind-blown steppes of central Asia, in an isolated corner of Kazakhstan, there's a large pentagram etched into the Earth's surface. And now an archaeologist has revealed the source of the mysterious structure.

The five-pointed star surrounded by a circle, located on the southern shore of the Upper Tobol Reservoir, shows up vividly on Google Maps. There are almost no other signs of human habitation in the area; the closest settlement is the city of Lisakovsk, about 12 miles (20 kilometers) to the east.

The region surrounding Lisakovsk is riddled with ancient archaeological ruins. Bronze Age settlements, cemeteries and burial grounds - many of which have yet to be explored - dot the windswept landscape. (10 Strangest Sights on Google Earth)

What is this bizarre symbol, measuring roughly 1,200 feet (366 meters) in diameter, doing on the side of a desolate lake in northern Kazakhstan? Naturally, many online comments have already linked the site with devil worship, nefarious religious sects or denizens of the underworld.

It certainly doesn't help that, upon zooming into the center of the pentagram, viewers will see two places highlighted by previous visitors to Google Maps: One spot is called Adam, the other, Lucifer - a name often linked to Satan.

The pentagram is an ancient symbol used by many (non-Satanic) cultures and religious groups. It has been adopted by the Mesopotamians, Pythagoreans (followers of Pythagoras, the ancient Greek mathematician), Christians, Freemasons and Wiccans.

The Kazakh pentagram certainly isn't the first odd discovery gleaned from Google Maps. Etched onto the desert floor of New Mexico are two large diamonds surrounded by a pair of overlapping circles. This is reportedly the site of a hidden bunker belonging to the Church of Scientology, according to the author of a book on the religious group.

Deep in the Gobi Desert, viewers of Google Maps can find a Yagi antenna array, a device that looks like a giant piece of cracked glass but is used for atmospheric research. And in a remote corner of Nevada, there's an enormous KFC advertisement, featuring the smiling face of Colonel Sanders.

Though it's difficult to discern from an aerial photograph exactly what the Kazakh pentagram is, Emma Usmanova, an archaeologist with years of experience working in the Lisakovsk area, has an answer.

"It is the outline of a park made in the form of a star," Usmanova told LiveScience. The star was a popular symbol during the Soviet era (Kazakhstan was a part of the former Soviet Union until its dissolution in 1991). Stars were often used throughout the Soviet Union to decorate building facades, flags and monuments. (Indeed, several online comments had suggested the site is an abandoned Soviet-era campground.)

The star in the lakeside park is marked by roadways that are now lined with trees, Usmanova explained, which make the star shape even more distinct in aerial photos. Additional images of the site, now abandoned and overgrown with weeds, can be seen at englishrussia.com.

Follow Marc Lallanilla on Twitter and Google+. Follow us @livescience, Facebook & Google+. Original article on LiveScience.com.

Top 10 Conspiracy Theories Revealed Gallery: The 10 Strangest Places on Earth Google Earth: Photos Reveal Mysterious Sand Dune Shapes Copyright 2013 LiveScience, a TechMediaNetwork company. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Nepal may install ladders on Mount Everest's Hillary Step, the final rock wall which climbers have to scale to reach the summit, in a bid to ease congestion, the government said Monday.

Expedition organizers announced last week that extra ropes would be fixed on congested ice walls like the Hillary Step, where mountaineers have faced frustrating delays in the past.

Now Nepal's tourism ministry says it is considering going one step further in a move that it says would improve safety and end logjams.

"There is a traffic jam at the Hillary Step during the main climbing months between April and June, so for the safety of mountaineers we are considering fixing ladders there," ministry spokesman Mohan Krishna Sapkota said.

He said officials are yet to decide on a timeline for the proposal.

"It will be a difficult task to fix the ladders, but we are considering it for the future," he said.

Concerns that there is too much traffic on the "roof of the world" were highlighted last summer by a brawl between a group of European climbers and local guides on the slopes.

The fight erupted when the Nepalese asked the mountaineers to wait while they fixed ropes on an ice wall for climbers. The Europeans refused, saying they were free to ascend since they did not need to use the ropes.

In addition to fixing extra ropes at various spots deemed "danger zones," Nepalese authorities have said they will station soldiers and police at Everest base camp whom climbers can approach in the event of any trouble.

The 12-meter-high (40 feet) Hillary Step is named after Sir Edmund Hillary, who, with Tenzing Norgay, scaled the peak for the first time in 1953.

More than 300 people have died on Everest since the first successful summit.
A nursery of bizarre-looking dinosaurs known as therizinosaurs has been found in the Gobi Desert in Mongolia. The nesting colony contained at least 17 clutches of eggs. "Not only is this the largest colony of nonavian theropods, but this is the best documented site," said study co-author Yoshitsugu Kobayashi, a vertebrate paleontologist at Hokkaido University in Japan, who presented the findings here at the 73rd annual Society of Vertebrate Paleontology conference. The finding suggests the odd little creatures were social animals. PHOTOS: Dinosaur Feathers Found in Amber Oddball dinos Therizinosaurs, which lived about 70 million years ago, sported huge, round guts; stumpy legs; a long neck; and a turtlelike head and beak. Despite being members of the carnivorous group known as theropods - which includes the deadly king of the predators Tyrannosaurus rex - the waddling dinosaurs were herbivores. They also had enormous Edward Scissorhands-like, three-digit claws that may have been used to grasp branches and scrape up plant material, similar to the way bamboo-eating pandas do today. Kobayashi and his colleagues discovered the nest while in southeastern Mongolia in 2011. On the last day of their trip, they decided to leave the area they were excavating known for therizinosaur bones to instead examine another bone bed nearby. "There aren't many bones from this formation, so we didn't expect to find anything good," Kobayashi told LiveScience. As the sun was setting, a guide pointed out an eggshell, and the team soon found one nest site right next to their car. Further investigation revealed four more nest sites. The following year, they returned and excavated a total of 17 clutches, for a total of about 75 eggs. Hatched youngsters The eggs were round, with about a 5-inch (13 centimeters) diameter and rough outer shells. Based on size analysis and the species found in nearby areas, the team concluded that therizinosaurs laid the eggs. The animals would have been about 220 lbs. (99 kilograms) when full-grown. None of the eggs harbored dinosaur embryos. However, many of them had holes with eggshells inside, as if a baby dinosaur had poked a hole in the top of the egg and the broken shells had fallen back inside. The presence of eggshells inside the eggs suggested that most of the baby dinosaurs had hatched. 10 Unbelievable Dinos That Really Existed That finding, in turn, indicated the adults must have guarded the eggs to protect them from predators, Kobayashi said. Communal animals The finding bolsters the notion that therizinosaurs were social animals that hung out together. "We have some very intriguing evidence of mass congregation in therizinosaurs," said Lindsay Zanno, director of the paleontology and geology research laboratory at the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences. "We have several mass-death quarries," said Zanno, who was not involved in the study. "So the question for us is, what does that represent in terms of their ecology? Did they live in herds, or were they gathering periodically?" The new finding suggests the animals at least gathered together for nesting, Zanno told LiveScience. More From LiveScience: Image Gallery: Dinosaur Daycare Image Gallery: 25 Amazing Ancient Beasts Avian Ancestors: Dinosaurs That Learned to Fly Copyright 2013 LiveScience, a TechMediaNetwork company. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Therizinosaurs lived about 70 million years ago, and despite being members of the carnivorous group known as theropods, the these odd-looking dinos were herbivores.

Jurassic Dino Nesting Site Jan. 23, 2012 -- The oldest known dinosaur nesting site, dating to 190 million years ago, has been unearthed in Golden Gate Highlands National Park, South Africa. The extraordinary site, described in the latest Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, includes multiple dinosaur nests, eggs, hatchlings and the remains of adults for this species, Massospondylus. Project leader Robert Reisz, a professor of biology at the University of Toronto Mississauga, told Discovery News that the dinosaur was herbivorous. Like its sauropod relatives, it had a very small head and an extremely long neck. The hatchlings walked on all fours, but adults were bipedal. "The transition from four legs to two during an individual's lifetime is a very unusual growth pattern that we rarely see in animals, but we do see it in humans," Reisz said. "The largest articulated skeleton of this animal was about 6 meters (19.7 feet) in length, but they probably grew even larger."

Dinosaur Nest The discovery provides evidence for "nesting site fidelity," according to Reisz, "as it looks like these dinosaurs liked this place and returned to it repeatedly to lay their eggs." It's also the oldest evidence in the fossil record for a highly organized nest, with eggs carefully laid in a single layer. Reisz and co-author David Evans, an associate curator of vertebrate paleontology at the Royal Ontario Museum, are shown here standing next to a nest in plaster at the site. Plaster protects the excavated nest, just like the broken bone in a human. The plaster cover is later removed in the lab for research. Reisz said clues about the nest are difficult to interpret, but what's known so far is that "the nests seem to be fairly shallow because all the eggs are in one layer," he said. "We do not know if the nests were covered by vegetation or if they were buried because the nature of the sediments preclude the preservation of plant fossil remains. It is quite possible that the mother guarded the nests." Nest guarding today is fairly common among living reptiles, such as crocodiles. It's also now known "that the hatchlings stayed around the nesting area long enough to at least grow to double in size." NEWS: Nest Full of Baby Dinosaurs Found

Adult Massospondylus Skull, Complete Embryo This photo compares the size of the skull of an adult next to the skeleton of an entire tiny embryo. The researchers believe each Massospondylus mother laid a lot of small eggs, at least 35, which was a probable survival strategy. "There were large and small meat-eating theropod dinosaurs around at the time Massospondylus lived, Evans told Discovery News. "The smaller, more agile predator called Coelophysis, was much smaller than adult Massospondylus, but would have been a threat to the hatchlings and juveniles." So far, the researchers have found 10 dinosaur nests at the site, but they suspect many more are still embedded within the South African cliff. They predict many other nests will be eroded out in time, as the natural weathering process continues.

Dinosaur Embryo Close-Up This close-up of a Massospondylus embryonic skeleton reveals that the head was pushed out of the egg after death. The scientists suspect gases produced by decay caused this to happen. They also think the site was so well preserved because the dinosaur moms chose to lay their eggs in what was then, back in the Early Jurassic Period, a wet spot at the edge of a river. Reisz explained, "Periodically there was an unusually wet season and this area was flooded, drowning the unhatched eggs and embryos, and covering the nests with very fine sediment. Yet this turned out not to be such a horrible disaster for paleontologists." South Africa appears to have been a hotspot for Massospondylus, with other possible nesting sites for this dinosaur probably in existence. So far, however, the one at Golden Gate Highlands National Park is the only nursery to yield complete clutches, with eggs containing embryos, Evans said. He added that similar evidence for large-scale nesting among dinosaurs exists, for dinos such as duck bills and sauropods, but that evidence is about 100 million years younger than this South African site. NEWS: Dino-Era Disaster: Multiple Drowned Toothy Birds
An incredibly rare 19th century postage stamp, a tiny one-cent magenta from British colonial Guyana, sold for a world record US$9.5 million at a New York auction on Tuesday.

It took just two minutes for an anonymous collector on the phone to seal the deal after quick-fire bidding opened at US$4.5 million in a packed room at Sotheby's in Manhattan.

The auction house had valued the tiny specimen of British colonial memorabilia at $10-20 million, an estimate which it said was vindicated by the sale price.

"The stamp has just sold for approximately US$9.5 million, which means it has set a new world record price for a stamp," announced David Redden, the auctioneer and Sotheby's director of special projects.

The previous auction record for a single stamp was $2.2 million, set by the Treskilling Yellow in 1996.

Made in 1856 in Guyana and measuring just one by 1.25 inches (2.54 by 3.18 centimeters), the stamp is octagonal, printed in black ink and bears the initials of its past owners on the back.

Redden told AFP that the one-cent magenta has a "wonderful aura" which made it "almost the Mona Lisa of stamps."

He said he "did not know" whether the new owner would add their own initials to the back.

Encased in glass, the stamp dates back more than 150 years and has passed through great collections, now breaking a world record price four times since 1922.

Last bought by convicted murderer and American multi-millionaire John du Pont in 1980, it was last seen in public in 1986, before going on display at Sotheby's in the build-up to Tuesday's sale.

The auction house says the stamp is the only surviving example of a one-cent magenta, so rare that it is missing even from the British royal family's philatelic collection.

"This is the most expensive object in the world by weight," Redden told AFP, marveling that it's " just a tiny piece of paper."

Colonial Guyana depended on supplies of stamps from England, but when a shipment was delayed in 1856, the postmaster commissioned a contingency supply.

The only surviving example of the one-cent variety was rediscovered in 1873 by Vernon Vaughan, a 12-year-old Scottish boy living with his family in British Guyana.

He found it among some family papers and added the stamp to his album. Vaughan then sold it to another collector for a few shillings, and the stamp made its way to Britain in 1878.

It was bought by French Count Philippe la Renotiere von Ferrary, perhaps the greatest stamp collector in history, and later donated to a museum in Berlin.

After World War I, France seized his collection as part of war reparations due from Germany and sold the stamp in 1922 at auction to Arthur Hind, a textile magnate from New York.

Hind paid a then-record US$35,000 for the stamp. It sold for a second record of US$280,000 in 1970 and was bought in 1980 by the late du Pont for a third record of US$935,000.

In a case that shocked the United States, du Pont shot dead Dave Schultz, an Olympic gold medal freestyle wrestler, at his estate in Pennsylvania in 1996 and died in prison in 2010.

The stamp is being sold by his estate. It had been on show at Sotheby's in London, Hong Kong and New York.

Current-day Guyana, which won independence from Britain in 1966, is a small but poor nation of about 700,000 people.

The previous record for any philatelic auction was US$4 million, set in 1993 by the Bordeaux Cover, which includes both of the "Post Office" stamps issued by British colonial Mauritius.
A lake larger that Lake Superior once brought life to an area of south-central Africa that now hosts only a salty desert. The long-gone Lake Makgadikgadi filled in a huge expanse of northern Botswana near the wildlife paradise of the Okavango Delta, the world's largest inland river delta.

In its prime, the 90,000 square kilometer (35,000 sq. mi.) lake would have boasted the second largest surface area of any inland body of water after the Caspian Sea.

Prehistoric Africans must have been perplexed when the lake drained away thousands of years ago. Rich fishing and hunting grounds shriveled as the water evaporated or escaped into the Zambezi River.

ANALYSIS: African Groundwater Discovery May Slake Thirst

Nineteenth century European explorers noted the ancient shorelines etched on surrounding hillsides and realized that a massive lake once filled the area. But they didn't know exactly how large the lake was or what had caused its demise.

More recent geological sleuthing revealed the rise and fall of Lake Makgadikgadi.

The mega lake fluctuated in size between approximately 1.8 million years ago to possibly as recently as 8,500 years ago, until it finally disappeared, Joel Podgorski of the Institute of Geophysics in Zurich, Switzerland told Discovery News. Podgorski's study of the lake's ancient boundaries will be published in the October issue of Geology.

Podgorski used magnetic imaging of the lost lake region to determine its ancient shorelines. His study also found a massive lost inland delta, or mega-fan, beneath the vanished lake. A biological paradise, similar to the modern Okavango Delta, may have first been drowned by the mega-lake, then dessicated when the water drained.

Populations of animals in the two small lakes remaining in the Makgadikgadi region may be remnants of the ancient lake's ecosystem.

"Molecular dating of catfish and crocodiles points to paleo-Lake Makgadikgadi having existed as a connection between now separate populations of these species," said Podgorski. "One could presume that the lake hosted a sizable wildlife population much as the nearby Okavango Delta does today," said Podgorski.

Shifts in the Earth's crust eventually caused the rivers that fed Lake Makgadikgadi to change course. The lower Zambezi River captured the water that once flowed into the mega-lake.

As recently as 1952, earthquakes have altered the flow of rivers in the region. A magnitude 6.7 quake in '52 changed the water flow in part of the Okavango Delta.

Geologic activity also flattened out the ground beneath the lost lake, making it shallower and hastening its evaporation.

PHOTOS: World's Largest Salt Flat

The lake dried up and left behind one of the world's largest salt pans. A salt pan consists of the minerals left behind after a body of water evaporates. The Salar de Uyuni in southern Bolivia is one example. The Black Rock Desert in Nevada, home to the Burning Man festival, is an example of an ancient lake that dried up leaving only alkali flats, a desert ecosystem similar to a salt pan.

IMAGE: Kubu Island, Makgadikgadi Salt Pans (Stefan Huchler, Wikimedia Commons)
Archaeologists working in Peru have discovered 25 well-preserved quipus, an ancient string-based device used to solve mathematical problems and to assist in record-keeping. The find was made in the archaeological complex of Incahuasi, south of Lima, Alejandro Chu, reports Peru This Week. The items were found in ancient warehouses, or kallancas, and not in a funerary context as is the norm, making this a rather unique find. The placement of the quipus suggests they were used for administrative purposes. Incahuasi was one of the most important strategic cities built by the Incas in the valley of Lunahuana. PHOTOS: The Hunt for Lost Cities Quipu (also called "khipus" or "talking knots") typically consisted of colored, spun, and plied thread or strings from llama or alpaca hair. They aided in data collection and record-keeping, including the monitoring of tax obligations, census records, calendrical information, and military organization. The cords contained numeric and other values encoded on knots in a base-10 positional system. Some quipu had as many as 2,000 cords. The Khipu Database Project describes quipus and how they worked: Most of the existing khipu are from the Inka period, approx 1400  1532 CE. The Inka empire stretched from Ecuador through central Chile, with its heart in Cuzco, a city in the high Andes of southern Peru. Colonial documents indicate that khipu were used for record keeping and sending messages by runner throughout the empire. There are approximately 600 khipu surviving in museums and private collections around the world. The word khipu comes from the Quechua word for "knot" and denotes both singular and plural. Khipu are textile artifacts composed of cords of cotton or occasionally camelid fiber. The cords are arranged such that there is one main cord, called a primary cord, from which many pendant cords hang. There may be additional cords attached to a pendant cord; these are termed subsidiaries. Some khipu have up to 10 or 12 levels of subsidiaries. Khipu are often displayed with the primary cord stretched horizontally, so that the pendants appear to form a curtain of parallel cords, or with the primary cord in a curve, so that the pendants radiate out from their points of attachment. When khipu were in use, they were transported and stored with the primary cord rolled into a spiral. In this configuration khipu have been compared to string mops. Hair Reveals Ancient Peruvians Were Stressed Out Each khipu cord may have one or many knots. Leland Locke was the first to show that the knots had numerical significance. The Inkas used a decimal system of counting. Numbers of varying magnitude could be indicated by knot type and the position of the knot on its cord. Beginning in the 1970's, Marcia and Robert Ascher conducted invaluable research into the numeric significance of khipu, and developed a system of recording khipu details which is still in wide use today among khipu researchers. More recently, researchers such as Gary Urton have recognized the depth of information contained in non-numeric, structural elements of khipu. Regrettably, many of these quipus were destroyed by the Spanish conquistadors in the 16th century, making this recent find all the more precious. Article originally appeared on iO9.

The quipu was an Incan calculating device.

June, 18, 2012 -- Slashing through jungles searching for lost cities may be a thing of the past, now that a team from the University of Houston has developed a way to peer through even dense foliage to find signs of hidden ruins. The team used a laser-based light detection and ranging (LIDAR) system to find ruins blanketed by the forest in eastern Honduras. In 1526, conquistador Hernan Cortes heard tales of a white city, la Ciudad Blanca, hidden in the forests of Honduras. Explorers have searched the forest, called La Mosquitia, for centuries in vain. The LIDAR system may have found what generations of treasure-seekers overlooked. The system used more than four billion laser pulses to map La Mosquitia, the largest wilderness area in Central America. The image shows what looks like a central courtyard surrounded by structures. No one has ventured into the area yet to confirm the observations. And if this really is the legendary city, no one knows anything about the mysterious structure except that it exists. So it looks like the days of Indiana Jones are not yet over; there is still a job for machete-wielding adventurers to go out and find lost cities. And throughout history archeologists, explorers and thieves have trudged through the wilderness endeavoring to do just that.

Copan On the other side of Honduras from the recently discovered ruins, the Mayans built Copan, a city that some call the Athens of Mesoamerica because of its exquisitely carved sculptures. After 2000 years of occupation, the political structure of the city collapsed in the 800's A.D., possibly due to overpopulation and environmental collapse. Pollen samples show that farms around Copan had crept up the steep surrounding hillsides. This not only reduced the amount of wood for buildings and cooking fires, it also left the denuded slopes open to erosion and landslides. The area was never completely abandoned, but many of the finely carved statues fell and were buried in sediments from the nearby river. Some of the statues now now bear scars from where plows scraped against them as locals continued to work the land. Other carved stones from the region were re-purposed as building materials in the dwellings of the local farmers. The former beauty of the city was largely forgotten after the Spanish conquest. A few explorers sent back tales of the intricate artwork during the 19th century, including writer and diplomat John Lloyd Stephens and illustrator Frederick Catherwood. Their book "Incidents of Travel in Central America, Chiapas and Yucatan" helped to popularize the ruins and turn it into an international tourist destination. While exploring the region, Stephens reportedly bought all of the ruins of Copan for $50, though he never capitalized on his investment.

Troy Copan suffered a slow slide into oblivion, but other lost cities died violent deaths. The blind poet Homer told of Troy, the great city-state laid low when Menelaus, king of Mycenean Sparta, went looking for revenge. Menelaus led a coalition of Greeks against Paris, the Trojan prince who kidnapped Helen, Menelaus' fantastically beautiful wife. By the end of Homer's tale, Greeks hidden in a wooden horse had sacked Troy, and Helen was on a ship bound for Greece. The ancient tales of Homer were thought to be nothing more than legends until until 1865 when English archaeologist Frank Calvert followed ancient clues to Hisarlik, Turkey. He dug a few trenches and uncovered artifacts that convinced him he was on the trail of Homer's heroes. Calvert's initial discoveries were soon overshadowed when he teamed up with the impetuous German amateur archeologist, Heinrich Schliemann. Schliemann gouged through the artifacts and sediments of later settlements with a speed and lack of care that left modern archeologists aghast. He even tried to recapture the beauty of Helen by dressing his own young wife in gold and jewels discovered at the site. But for all his recklessness Schliemann found enough evidence to convince the world that Troy had been found. More recent geological studies and archeological excavations have confirmed that the site may well have been the ancient battlefield where Achilles was brought to heel, Odysseus lost his way, and Hector found that chariots can be a real drag.

Knossos Homer wasn't the only Greek with stories of lost cities. In 360 B.C., Plato wrote about Atlantis. The philosopher wrote that, although Atlantis had conquered many lands, it was brought to ruin in a single day and night. No one has ever proven if Atlantis ever existed or to which ancient civilization it referred. One of the top contenders is the Minoan civilization on Crete, which was destroyed in a single cataclysmic day. The Minoans, named for their king Minos, held sway over trade in the Mediterranean during the Bronze Age. But in the second millennium B.C. a volcano on the nearby island of Santorini unleashed one of the largest eruption in human history. Earthquakes and tidal waves leveled the Minoan capital of Knossos and deluged the island's farmland. The Minoans never recovered but their memory persisted in the region. The Romans remembered the island as the home of Minos and minted coins on the island depicting the Minotaur, the mythological bull-headed man who stalked Theseus in Minos' labyrinth. By modern times, the civilization itself had been lost in the labyrinth of time until Arthur Evans, an English journalist and scholar, appeared on the scene in the early 1900's . Before he could start digging, Evans had to help bring about peace between Crete's Muslim and Christian populations as the island struggled for independence from the Ottoman Empire. Evans used his power as a journalist to decry the massacres each side perpetrated and to influence the British Empire to step in and enforce order. Once the bloodshed had ended, Evans' workers uncovered an elaborate network of workrooms, living quarters, storerooms, and administrative centers. The sprawling complex was adorned with brightly colored frescoes. The British School at Athens offers a virtual tour of the site. ANALYSIS: Who Invented the Toilet?

Pompeii Volcanoes destroyed more than one city in the ancient Mediterranean. In 79 A.D., the Roman historian Pliny the Younger observed and recorded the cataclysmic eruption of Mount Vesuvius as it engulfed Pompeii. He watched his uncle Pliny the Elder sail with the Roman navy across the Bay of Naples in a doomed rescue attempt from which the Elder would never return. The city, along with many of its inhabitants, was entombed in ash for more than a thousand years. In Pompeii, it wasn't just the lava that was hot. Graffiti found near the town's center from around the time of the eruption labeled the city as Sodom and Gomorrah, referring to the cities of sin destroyed in the Old Testament of the Bible. The city's sexual proclivities were such that after its rediscovery many of the city's wall frescoes were censored or hidden away from the prudish eyes of the public. In 1599, after the accidental discovery of Pompeii during a construction project, architect Domenico Fontana may have reburied or used plaster to cover wall frescoes that were too hot for the Renaissance, including depictions of the god Priapus with his giant engorged phallus. In 1819, the king of Naples had the erotic art of Pompeii locked away and only allowed adults to view the images. It wasn't until the year 2000 that the works were re-opened for public viewing.

Machu Picchu The ancient world of Homer and Plato has passed into memory, along with many of the ancient Seven Wonders of the World. In 2007, a new set of wonders was inaugurated by means of a global vote. One of those wonders was Machu Picchu. The ruined site high in the mountains of Peru was built by the Incas in the mid-1400's, but was largely forgotten after disease and civil war left the Incan Empire vulnerable to Spanish invaders. American historian Hiram Bingham is generally credited with alerting the outside world to Machu Picchu's existence after an 11-year old boy led him to the site on July 24, 1911. When he arrived, there were indigenous people living amongst the ruins, so it can't be said that he discovered the site. It may be that he wasn't even the first foreigner to walk amongst the perfectly cut, jigsaw-like blocks of stone that make up parts of the Old Peak, the Quechua translation of Machu Picchu. Bingham may have been beaten by a German businessman, Augusto Berns, who seems to have been looting the site in 1867. Berns had set up a sawmill at the base of the mountain below Machu Picchu and used it as a base to pilfer artifacts to sell in Europe. An old map led historical detectives on the trail to uncover the robber of Machu Picchu. No one knows exactly what or how much Berns made off with. PHOTOS: Giant Prehistoric Animal Mounds Found

Ciudad Perdida Augusto Berns at Machu Picchu was one of the many thieves who have sought to line their pockets by pilfering from the past. In the mountains near Santa Marta, Colombia, La Ciudad Perdida, Spanish for the lost city, lives up to its name. The city once housed up to 8,000 people and was the center of the Tairona civilization. It was mostly abandoned around the time of the Spanish conquest. The descendants of the Tairona kept quiet about the city to outsiders, although they continued to visit it themselves. The indigenous people's secret was safe until tomb raiders found the city in 1972 and began selling the Tairona's gold treasures and ceramics on the black market. The city was lost to the outside world again in 2003 when eight foreign tourists were kidnapped by the Marxist guerrilla group, the National Liberation Army. The guerrillas demanded investigations into human rights abuses by the government. By 2005 the area had been pacified and tourists were allowed back in.
Offshore wind farms may become seal hunting grounds, new research shows.

As the number of offshore wind farms continues to grow, the farms may affect both seals and their prey, the finding suggests. However, it remains uncertain whether the effects will be helpful or harmful, scientists added.

Wind farms are banks of wind turbines that harness the wind's energy to produce electricity. Those located offshore can take advantage of mighty coastal winds to generate substantial amounts of power in a renewable manner. For instance, Denmark currently gets about 30 percent of its electricity from wind power.

To learn more about the potential environmental impacts of these wind turbines, scientists tagged harbor seals and gray seals on the British and Dutch coasts in the North Sea. Each tag was glued onto the fur on the back of a seal's neck, and carried a GPS tracking device to monitor that seal's every movement.

Intriguingly, upon analyzing the GPS data, the researchers found three harbor seals moved "in a very striking grid pattern," said lead study author Deborah Russell, a marine ecologist at the University of St. Andrews in Scotland. [Image Gallery: Seals of the World]

The scientists found these three seals were part of a group of 11 seals that swam within two active offshore wind farms - Alpha Ventus off the coast of Germany, and Sheringham Shoal off the east coast of England. The grid patterns of the seals' movements showed how the animals swam in straight lines between wind turbines.

"We could actually pinpoint where the wind turbines were by looking at the paths the seals traveled," Russell told Live Science.

The scientists also saw both gray and harbor seals visiting offshore oil and gas pipelines. Researchers observed two harbor seals in the Netherlands following sections of pipeline on multiple trips lasting up to 10 days each.

The researchers suggest these man-made structures may act like artificial reefs that shelter potential prey, making the areas attractive hunting grounds for the seals. "This is the first time marine mammals have shown use of these artificial structures for foraging," Russell said.

It remains uncertain what the environmental consequences of offshore wind farms will be for seals and their prey. If these farms increase the total amount of prey available for seals, "then the effects may be positive overall," Russell said. "However, if they are simply concentrating existing prey and making them vulnerable to predation to animals such as seals, that could deplete the populations of those prey."

In the future, the scientists would like to tag more seals to find out what percentage of the animals forage at offshore wind farms and pipelines, to show how much these artificial structures affect the seals' environment.

The scientists detailed their findings online July 21 in the journal Current Biology.

More from LiveScience:

Gallery: California's Deep-Diving Elephant Seals The 12 Weirdest Animal Discoveries Top 10 Craziest Environmental Ideas Copyright 2014 LiveScience, a TechMediaNetwork company. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Article originally appeared on LiveScience.
A volcano in western Indonesia has erupted eight times in just a few hours, "raining down rocks" over a large area and forcing thousands to flee their homes, officials said Sunday. Mount Sinabung has been erupting on and off since September, but went into overdrive late Saturday and early Sunday, repeatedly spewing out red-hot ash and rocks up to eight kilometers (five miles) into the air. NEWS: Volcanic Lightning: How does it work?! Several thousand people left their homes overnight, taking the total number of those who have fled since the volcano rumbled to life to around 12,300, said the national disaster agency. "People panicked last night as the eruption was accompanied by a loud thunderous sound and vibrations. Then it started raining down rocks," said local government official Robert Peranginangin. "They ran helter-skelter out of their homes and cried for help." NEWS: Volcanic Lava Viewed from Space He added there were no known casualties from the latest eruptions. The volcanology agency raised the alert level for the volcano, on the northern tip of Sumatra island, to the highest point on a four-stage scale, meaning a hazardous eruption is imminent or under way. National disaster agency spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho said the government was calling for people living within five kilometers (3.1 miles) of the volcano to leave their homes. NEWS: Giant Underwater Volcano Discovered in Indonesia Sinabung, one of dozens of active volcanoes in Indonesia which straddles major tectonic fault lines known as the "Ring of Fire", erupted in September for the first time since 2010. In August five people were killed and hundreds evacuated when a volcano on a tiny island in East Nusa Tenggara province erupted. The country's most active volcano, Mount Merapi in central Java, killed more than 350 people in a series of violent eruptions in 2010.

Lightning strikes as Mount Sinabung volcano spews ash and hot lava, at Simpang Empat village in Karo district, Indonesia's North Sumatra province.

Ring of Fire In 2008, 72 volcanoes erupted around the world -- that's a lot of fire, and slightly above average. 2009 got off to a fast start, too, with Mount Redoubt letting loose in Alaska, Japan's Mount Asama raining ash on Tokyo and an undersea volcano in Tonga breaching the surface and growing an island. But none of these is likely to break into our list of Top 10 Volcanoes in Geologic History. Most of these come with signs that read "Danger: Keep Back at Least One Continent." But if this list of past catastrophes teaches us anything, it's that the biggest, baddest volcanoes can erupt anywhere and at any time. And they will again -- it's just a matter of when.

10. Ontong-Java Plateau, South Pacific This is the biggest volcano you've never heard of. When it erupted 125 million years ago, it covered a region of the south Pacific Ocean the size of Alaska with basalt, in some places as much as 30 kilometers thick. It was so big, the eruption itself is thought to have lasted 6 million years. Scientists call this type of volcano a large igneous province (LIP). They are highly mysterious, and appear to form when huge amounts of hot magma well up from thousands of miles deep in the mantle, near Earth's core. There's a lot of debate as to whether LIPs erupt in huge explosions, or just ooze out in massive sheets of lava. Either way, mass extinctions have a tendency to occur whenever one of these things go off, so it's probably a good thing we've never seen one in action.

9. Mount St. Helens, Washington, USA May 18, 1980, was a bad day in Washington state. Silent for over 100 years, the picturesque 9,677-foot peak had by late April grown into a bloated, trembling blister of rock and magma. And like a blister, it popped early on a Sunday morning, rocketing fiery ash out to the north at close to the speed of sound. The eruption killed 57 people and did almost $3 billion in damage when all was said and done. It also lopped 1,314 feet off the height of the mountain, which was reduced to a smoldering crater. This was the most deadly volcanic eruption in Unites States history -- and it was just a pipsqueak, really.

8. Grimsvotn, Iceland Nothing says "explosion" quite like the mixing of searing hot magma with ice from a glacier. It's a common circumstance at Grimsvotn, a volcano buried underneath the Vatnajokull glacier in eastern Iceland that last erupted in 2004. Each time Grimsvotn erupts, huge amounts of liquid build up under the glacier until the pressure becomes so great that the water literally lifts up the glacier and escapes in catastrophic floods, called "jokulhlaups." You don't want to be around for a jokulhlaup. The flood that came after the 1996 Grimsvotn eruption discharged 50,000 cubic meters of water per second, making it briefly the second-largest river in the world. But that kind of thing doesn't faze Icelanders  these are the same folks who once sprayed seawater on a lava flow to keep it from engulfing a nearby harbor town.

7. Mauna Kea, Hawaii, USA Given the violent company it's in, Mauna Kea is pretty chill. Dormant for the last 4,500 years, it was never much of an exploder even in its heyday. That's because the lava that comes out of volcanoes in Hawaii is a low-viscosity basalt -- it tends to ooze and flow like a river. Shown here with snowy peaks in the foreground, the mountain has erupted a lot of lava over the eons. It is only 13,796 feet above sea level, but from its base at the bottom of the Pacific, it measures 33,476 feet high, making it the tallest mountain in the world. Its upper reaches used to have enough snow for skiing (and further back, glaciers).

6. Krakatau, Indonesia In 1883, humanity witnessed what scientists call a "caldera-forming eruption" in Indonesia. In plain English, we call that a mountain blowing itself apart. At 200 megatons of explosive power, the eruption was four times more powerful than the biggest nuclear bomb ever detonated. Since the volcano and island were one and the same, there wasn't much left after the explosion rocked the Sunda Strait and sent 100-foot-high tsunamis and scalding ash flows ashore up to 25 miles away. In the ruined void the volcano left behind, a new island has been growing back (through a series of much smaller eruptions) and is now around 1,000 feet high.

5. Ra Patera, Io, Jupiter's Moon Thanks to space exploration, the list of greatest volcanoes can no longer be restricted to Earth. In 1979 the Voyager space probe made a shocking discovery -- Jupiter's moon Io was pock-marked with active volcanoes. Voyager's snapshot of Ra Patera was the first discovery of an active extraterrestrial volcano, though the bigger vents Loki and Pele were discovered soon after. But it didn't make sense. Io is about same the size as Earth's moon, which long ago froze in the vacuum of space. So why was it still active? As scientists soon learned, Jupiter's intense gravity was tugging on Io's innards, creating such heat that the moon was literally disemboweling itself, spewing sulfur-rich lavas all over the surface of the moon, and out into space.

4. Santorini, Greece Look at the small group of five islands known as Santorini, and it's clear something bad once happened there. In fact, the islands all were one, until an eruption bigger than Krakatau blew the place apart about 3,600 years ago. Ash deposits 100 feet thick have been found 19 miles in all directions from the caldera. Shown here is a wall of the volcano where you can see layers of ash, lava flows, pyroclastic deposits and other volcanic products. The ancient eruption is thought to have spawned the tales of the "Lost City of Atlantis" and perhaps even hastened the collapse of the Minoan civilization on the nearby island of Crete.

3. Olympus Mons, Mars The biggest volcano in the solar system is also the quietest. It's the size of Arizona, and close to 90,000 feet high, but this gentle giant hasn't erupted in millions of years. When it did it was probably a lot like Mauna Kea, leaking rivers of liquid rock rather than exploding into the Martian skies.

2. Tambora, Indonesia Between dozens of volcanoes, the biggest earthquakes in the world, and devastating tsunamis, Indonesia has a lot of geology to worry about. And Mount Tambora, a huge volcano on the island of Sumbawa, is no exception. The mountain produced a gargantuan eruption in 1815 that produced an ash cloud so big, it canceled the summer of 1816 in North America and Europe. The eruption also killed between 70,000 and 90,000 people, making it the deadliest in human history. And the No. 1 volcano in geologic history is ... (you saw this one coming) ...
A fierce battle erupted Monday for control of the main airport in rebel-held eastern Ukraine, just hours after president-elect Petro Poroshenko vowed he would not let the country become another Somalia.

Ukrainian fighter jets and combat helicopters struck the terminal building at Donetsk airport to try to dislodge separatist gunmen who seized the complex, triggering heavy gun battles.

It was the most forceful action by the Kiev government in its battle to crush a bloody pro-Moscow insurgency that has raged in the industrial east since early April, threatening to tear apart the former Soviet state.

Plumes of thick black smoke rose from the airport complex as the sound of explosions and heavy gunfire rang out throughout much of the day, AFP correspondents at the scene said.

Scores of gunmen had stormed the airport in an apparent show of defiance against Poroshenko, the Ukrainian magnate who claimed a resounding victory in Sunday's presidential poll.

Ukraine's election chief confirmed Poroshenko as the president, saying his 54 percent of the vote and 41-point lead over the second-place holder were unassailable with only a tenth of the ballots left to count.

"We can now already draw a fairly important conclusion: there will be no need for a second round. On May 25, 2014, a new president was elected in Ukraine," election chief Mykhailo Okhendovskyi said.

Poroshenko has moved swiftly to stamp his authority as Ukraine's new leader, and the country's former master Moscow said Monday it was ready to work with him.

The 48-year-old billionaire and former cabinet minister said Ukraine would press on with its offensive against the insurgents who now control about a dozen cities and towns, despite Russia warning it would be a "colossal mistake."

"There are no talks with terrorists," said the centrist pro-Western tycoon known as the chocolate king for his confectionary empire.

"Their goal is to turn Donbass (east Ukraine) into Somalia. I will not let anyone do this to our state and I hope that Russia will support my approach."

Sunday's vote was seen as the most important in Ukraine's post-Soviet history as it fights to stay united after months of turmoil and avert economic collapse.

But the insurgency, which has already cost at least 150 lives, thwarted polling in much of the east and rebels have defiantly refused to recognize the result.

'Pragmatic Dialogue'

Russia, which has been threatened with a new round of Western sanctions if it meddled further in Ukraine after its seizure of Crimea in March, said however it was willing to work with the new leaders.

"We are ready for pragmatic dialogue, on an equal footing, based on respect for all agreements, in particular in the commercial, economic and gas spheres," Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said in Russia's first reaction.

"As the president (Vladimir Putin) has said, we respect the result of the choice of the Ukrainian people."

Rebels have rejected dialogue with Poroshenko, with Donetsk separatist leader Denis Pushilin saying talks were only possible if Russia mediated and calling for a prisoner swap and a withdrawal of Kiev's troops.

But despite their efforts to thwart the vote, observers with the Organisation for Cooperation and Security in Europe said the election "largely upheld democratic commitments" and provided the new leader with legitimacy despite the problems in the east.

While turnout was strong across the capital Kiev and the more pro-European west on Sunday, voting was largely blocked in Donetsk and Lugansk, two regions that make up 15 percent of the electorate.

'Courageous Ukrainians'

The election commission said voting had been suspended by militants in 24 of Ukraine's 213 constituencies.

"The people of Kiev who have been killing innocent civilians in the south and east, who cares who they choose as president," Donetsk resident Galina said as she handed out newspapers near a regional adminstration building now overrun by rebels.

But US President Barack Obama praised "courageous Ukrainians" for voting in the face of the militant threat.

The ballot was called after Kremlin-allied president Viktor Yanukovych -- his corruption-stained regime long a source of discontent -- was ousted in February in the bloody climax of months of protests sparked by his rejection of a historic EU pact.

Putin responded by seizing Crimea and threatening to invade the rest of Ukraine to "protect" the country's ethnic Russian community, raising the prospect of all out war on Europe's doorstep.

But Russia said last week it had started withdrawing from Ukraine's border around 40,000 soldiers whose presence had raised deep Western suspicions and prompted NATO to send additional fighters to former Soviet satellite states.

In addition to the political and security challenges ahead, Poroshenko will have to adopt painful austerity measures that world lenders are demanding in return for $27 billion (20 billion euros) in aid to prevent bankruptcy.

He will also have to negotiate with Russia over key gas supplies after the Kremlin said it would cut shipments by early June if Kiev does not pay a bill.
Archaeologists in Poland say they have discovered a skeleton with a brick stuck into the mouth - evidence that the subject was believed to be a vampire.

Dated to the 16th-17th century, the grave was unearthed during excavations in the town of Kamien Pomorski, in northwestern Poland, the Kamienskie.info website reported.

In addition to the brick, which was wedged so violently into the mouth to knock out the upper teeth, the skeleton featured a leg with a hole likely made from a puncture. This would suggest the leg had been staked to the ground to prevent the individual from rising from its grave.

Photos: Mummy Stash Found in Italian Church

"A piece of debris brick in the mouth and a pierced thigh indicate this is a vampiric burial," Slawomir Gorka, the archaeologist who led the dig, said.

People feared that those accused to be vampires would rise from their graves like zombies. In some cases, to kill the undead creatures, they placed a stone or brick into the mouth so that the vampire would starve to death.

According to Gorka, such vampire-slaying rituals were common in local graves between the 13th and 17th centuries.

Indeed, it's not the first time that "deviant burials" have been unearthed in Poland and across eastern Europe.

Last year, Polish archaeologists found a grave near the town of Gliwice filled with skeletons whose severed heads were placed atop their legs.

Did Zombies Roam Medieval Ireland?

Such burials appear to be common in Slavic regions for people accused of vampirism, although alternative hypothesis suggested the skeletons were simply victims of an execution.

Deviant burials are often linked to Black Death-related cemeteries and to medieval ignorance of how diseases spread.

Mass graves were often reopened to bury corpses during epidemics, exposing bloated bodies with blood seeping out of the mouth and with a hole in the shroud used to cover their face.

Medieval Skeletons Found at Florence's Uffizi

Medieval people, not knowing what happens to bodies after death, believed that "vampire" individuals spread the plague by chewing on their shrouds after dying.

In a time before germ theory, the stone in the mouth was then used as a disease-blocking trick.

Image: The "vampire" skeleton unearthed in Poland. Credit: Kamienskie.info
On a flight from Reykjavik bound for New York last Thursday, an unruly passenger was zip-tied and duct-taped to his seat as well as across his mouth. According to a report by CNN.com, flight staff restrained the passenger who was "hitting, screaming and spitting at other passengers, while yelling profanities," the airline spokesperson told CNN. The use of duct tape and plastic zip-ties as restraints was standard protocol for the airline.

Can airline staff legally restrain unruly passengers aboard flights? The answer is yes. If the passenger is jeopardizing the safety of crew or other passengers and received warnings to cease their behavior, and/or the passenger is/has committed a crime, flight personnel may restrain the passenger.

With no police in the air, airline staff are responsible for flight safety. If a passenger becomes unruly and use of force or restraint is necessary, flight crew and even other passengers themselves have worked together to keep troublesome fliers under control. Once the passenger has been restrained, local authorities are contact by flight staff to take over upon landing.

Although reports of airline misconduct certainly resonate with passengers, a report from NASA's AMES Research Center detailing instances of disruptive customers on flights show just what airline staff have to put up with on a bad day. Within the reports, flight attendants in particular have dealt with everything from dog attacks, passenger violence, theft and more. In response, passengers have been restrained and even handcuffed for the duration of flights.

As shown by the flight aboard Iceland Air, international flight crews are also able to detain passengers. Transportation bureaus in nations outside the United States provide their own guidelines for dealing with such troublemakers. Transport Canada, for example, has a brochure (PDF) for how flight crew should deal with unruly passengers, explaining that "use of force" should be the last available option and describing how attendants can collect evidence if a crime has been committed.

Private associations of airline personnel also issue their own guidelines to crew members for dealing with disruptive fliers. The U.K. Flight Safety Commission, for example, assembled an extensive guide (PDF) for dealing with problem passengers, including tips for preventing an incident and detailing different approaches for different situations.

When flight crew do resort to restraining passengers physically, it tends to be for extreme situations, as was the case with the Iceland Air flight. Last September, a passenger aboard a United flight was restrained with belts after repeatedly sexually harassing and attempting to assault women aboard the flight. The following month, a drunk man coming off a 50-day bender was restrained aboard a flight after attempting to open the airplane door during descent.

Flight crew can be equipped with handcuffs or other restraints, but the Iceland Air flight wasn't the first time that attendants have had to get creative. In 2008, a woman bound for a flight to North Carolina was duct-taped after she began physically assault crew and other passengers, and ankle cuffs failed to restrain her sufficiently.

Although these episodes may make the situation appear as though disruptive customers are increasingly common, according to the Federal Aviation Administration, instances of unruly passengers have decreased to 131 in 2011, down from a high of 330 in 2004.

Photo credit: Andy Ellwood/Tumblr
To supporters,the Keystone XL oil pipeline from Canada to the United States is a crucial component of the nation's energy future, one that would help free Americans from dependence upon Middle East oil. To detractors, it's an environmental nightmare that would contribute excessively to greenhouse gas emissions and climate change. But either way, the project still faces an uncertain future -- as well as questions about what its actual impact would be, if it ever is built.

The pipeline's prospects met a big setback on Tuesday evening, just a few days after the U.S. House of Representatives approved its construction, when legislation to authorize the pipeline's construction narrowly failed in the U.S. Senate.

Supporters fell short just one vote, 59-41, to get the 60 needed for passage. And even if next year's Republican-controlled Congress eventually approves the pipeline, supporters would have to muster 67 votes to override a possible veto by President Barack Obama, who last week strongly reiterated opposition to the project.

If you haven't been following the issue closely, at this point, you may be wondering: What actually is the Keystone XL pipeline, and why is it so controversial?

The proposed 1,179-mile-long pipeline from Alberta to Nebraska, which a Canadian company called TransCanada would spend $8 billion to build, would transport up to 830,000 barrels of crude oil -- most of it Canadian. But it would also pick up as much as 100,000 barrels along the way from the Bakken formation in North Dakota and Montana. From Nebraska, some of the oil then would be routed to refineries in the Midwest, while the rest would flow through another set of pipelines to other refineries in Texas along the Gulf Coast.

Keystone XL's genesis was in 2005, when TransCanada proposed a massive project that would connect the Canadian oilfields with refineries on the Gulf Coast of the United States. But the path to completion has been difficult.

A portion of the proposed pipeline, which would have gone through the Sand Hills region of Nebraska, had to be rerouted due to state politicians' and the Obama Administration's concerns that it might contaminate the Ogallala Aquifer. In 2012, TransCanada decided to go ahead separately with the southern portion of its plan, which it dubbed the Gulf Coast Pipeline Project, as it applied for federal government permission to build the cross-border section, which became known as Keystone XL.

But environmental organizations, frustrated by a political logjam in Congress that blocked action on climate change, had decided to fight Keystone XL and pressed President Obama to block it.

Probably the most controversial part of Keystone XL is that it would transport crude oil extracted from the massive deposits of oil sands, also known as tar sands, which lie under the forests of northeast Alberta.

The hydrocarbons are in the form of bitumen, which has the consistency of peanut butter and has to be separated from the sand with massive amounts of water and then heated or else diluted with lighter oil to get it to flow through pipes. The energy to power that process has to come from other fossil fuels, an expenditure that adds to the eventual carbon output from refining the crude and burning it in car engines.
Press Release

April 30, 2016 CROWDSOURCING: PEOPLE'S POWER OVER TRAFFIC - GUINGONA THE PUBLIC should be given the chance to help the government consider solutions to traffic woes in Metro Manila and other congested cities. Thus said reelectionist Senator Teofisto "TG" Guingona III, who noted that transportation officials should be open to "crowdsourcing" suggestions on how to improve vehicular and pedestrian traffic regulations in metropolitan areas. "People who spend hours in their cars or commute daily are in a good position to share their observations and offer suggestions. They should be given the chance to be heard, and there should be a suitable and appropriate platform for their suggestions to be conveyed to government officials," said Guingona, who is up for reelection to a second term in the Senate. In the 16th Congress, Guingona authored the proposed Crowdsourcing Act of 2013, which would have allowed netizens, social media users, and all those with internet access to participate before, during, and after the lawmaking process. This way, lawmakers can be guided by their very own constituents on how to improve proposed legislation. The bill, Guingona had said, would have paved the way for "effective and reasonable participation at all levels of social, political, and economic decision-making." He noted, "Crowdsourcing is an expression of the belief that despite our geographical separation, people can still participate in national affairs through the borderless world of the internet." Guingona said transportation officials should consider a "social experiment" that harnesses the power of the internet in finding solutions to urban traffic woes. He said the national government has nothing to lose by listening more attentively to the very people who endure traffic daily either as motorists, passengers, or commuters. "Actively solicit suggestions from the public using the internet. In the same manner, every proposed regulation should be posted online first, so that people may comment on them and offer their thoughts. Let us use emails and blogs and online chat rooms and other available avenues to consult stakeholders regarding traffic issues," Guingona said. Under Guingona's proposed Crowdsourcing Act, people will be allowed to comment on pending bills, which will all be made available online. At the same time, lawmakers may be accessed online during periods of interpellations and debates. Guingona was the only one out of 24 senators who voted against the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012. He also questioned before the Supreme Court on the legality of some provisions of the said law. In his petition, Guingona said, "Our people, especially those in social media, should not be forbidden from expressing their thoughts and opinions in cyberspace, whether critical or not, for fear of being labeled as cyber criminals." In suggesting the crowdsourcing of traffic solutions, Guingona noted a number of good suggestions from the public on how to deal with problem, including the construction of more bridges crossing the Pasig River to decongest EDSA and C-5 traffic; the use of more double-decker buses on EDSA; the use of elevated platforms at bus stops and removing steps from buses so that people can get on and off only at designated stops; and making transport officials more accountable for "colorum" violations. "There are many other quick solutions that can be considered, but people should be given the platform to air their constructive criticisms and to propose solutions. Crowdsourcing should be encouraged and promoted," Guingona added. Another solution for consideration, he said, is further devolution of some transport regulatory functions to local governments, including enforcement of rules on franchising and out-of-line violations, or even registration violations. Allowing local government to put up their respective "flying squads" can help extend the reach of the law, Guingona said. This will also allow local government to have additional sources of legitimate revenues, from the imposition and collection of fines and the payment of penalties, Guingona added.
Press Release

April 30, 2016 BONGBONG MARCOS SAYS PRAYERS GIVE HIM STRENGTH,

CLEARER FOCUS Vice Presidential candidate Senator Ferdinand "Bongbong" R. Marcos, Jr. today bared that prayers give him strength and a clearer focus to help him through the rigors of the political campaign as it winds up to the homestretch. In a statement, Marcos said prayers are an important component of his life because no matter how good his plans are or how noble his intentions are, he cannot succeed without spiritual blessings. "And that is why it brings us back and humbles us once again to remember that we in the end must do God's work; that we--especially those who are in public service----must remind ourselves that we must be in sync with God's hands, His eyes, His ears, and His heart," Marcos expressed. Marcos said the prayers of his supporters and the people he meets in the campaign trail also remind him to pursue with more vigor his vision for a better future paramount and most especially for the entire Filipino nation. "The greatest, most noble cause that we know of is to do God's work and God's work is to help our fellowmen. Those are the teachings that we have been given; those are the teachings that we should never forget," said Marcos. Marcos admitted though that he, like many of those who are immersed in secular concerns, sometimes have little time for spiritual matters. "But with the support being given to me, I am always reminded on why we do what we do, why in fact we work hard, and why in fact we pray--and that is to do the greatest good for the community and for the glory of the Almighty," he enthused. Apart from seeking support for his Vice Presidential bid, Marcos has also been spreading his call for national unity. He warned that it would be difficult for us to surmount the problems besetting our country unless we Filipinos unite and work together towards a better future for all of us.
Press Release

April 30, 2016 Recto: Next prexy must put red tape in hit-list Next to crime, red tape is another scourge that the succeeding President needs to put on top of government's "hit-list" to put the country back in order. "If the next President has a hit-list in the anti-crime campaign, he or she must also draw up a hit-list to cut down red tape in government transactions," Senate President Pro-Tempore Ralph Recto said. "For starters, the next President may consider extending the validity of motor vehicle registration and drivers' license as part of efforts to improve the ease of doing business in the Philippines," the senator added. Citing a report issued by the World Bank last October, Recto noted that red tape costs the country P140 billion in opportunity losses annually. The same report ranked the Philippines at a low 95th among 189 economies in overall ease of doing business. As one way of cutting red tape, Recto said the next administration must study proposals to limit the number of times that an ordinary citizen has to go to government agencies to get licenses and transact business. "There is, for example, a proposal in the Senate to increase the validity of the registration of new cars to more than five years, and drivers' license from three years to five or six years," Recto said. "The benefits of having their validity extended are obvious from the holder's point of view. Wala nang red tape. Walang pila," he added. Recto stressed that extending the expiry dates on licenses and registration is "the best anti-red tape app."" "It is commonsensical and costs nothing. Dumarami ang sasakyan, di naman dumarami ang Land Transportation Office (LTO) branches na pwede mong pagdalhan ng kotseng irerehistro." "We haven't seen an increase in the number of LTO field offices that is commensurate to the tremendous rise in the number of vehicles," he said. Recto said concerns that a longer validity of permits will cut government income have no basis. "Eh kung gagawing two years ang rehistro, e di i-multiply mo lang ng dalawa. Kung 3 years, eh di by three. Basta ang importante, wala nang annual pilgrimage sa LTO. Ang lisensya, kung apat na taon, eh di i-adjust mo by 25 percent ang formula. Pero ideally, there should be a reduction in fees. May premium in paying forward," Recto said. He said adjusting existing pollution checks before a car can be registered will have to be made once the life of a car registration is lengthened by law. "Kaya ang gusto natin ay find the sweet spot that will lengthen the effectivity without sacrificing safety and roadworthiness," Recto said. Recto describes the LTO, which issues the permits, "as one big government cash machine." In 2013, its income rose to P17.2 billion, or a 17 percent jump from the P14.7 billion it earned in 2012. The reason, Recto explained, can be traced to the steady increase in the number of motor vehicle registrations, from 7,138,000 in 2011 to 7,690,038 in 2013. "Simply put, more than half-a-million vehicles were added in two years," Recto said.
Press Release

May 1, 2016 GUARDIANS ENDORSE CHIZ FOR HIS STRONG ANTI-POVERTY PLATFORM For having the clearest anti-poverty platform, independent vice-presidential candidate Sen. Francis "Chiz Escudero has received the endorsement of the Makabansang Unifikasyon ng Guardians, Inc. (MUG), a grassroots organization fighting to alleviate the plight of the poor. MUG is the umbrella organization of all Guardians Brotherhood associations in the Philippines with chapters in various countries around the world. Its membership is estimated at around 11 million and most of them are active and retired police and military personnel. Among the group's advisers are former Philippine National Police Chief Avelino Razon Jr., and retired PNP General and former Customs Deputy Commissioner Danilo Lim, who is also the national chairman of the Reformed Armed Forces Movement (RAM). Alex Quillope, chairman of MUG's board of governors, said they picked Escudero because he has the "clearest anti-poverty platform" among the candidates for the second highest post in the land. "Senator Chiz has the clearest platform on fighting poverty, and his focus on 'walang maiiwan sa kapatiran' is in line with the aspirations of our members and the basic principles and objectives of the Guardians Brotherhood," Quillope said. Quillope called on all Guardians to rally behind Escudero and "support his candidacy to the last drop of our blood." "This is not only as our sacred fraternal duty and for the benefit of our members, but more importantly, as responsible citizens for the benefit of the entire nation," Quillope said. Aside from a clear platform, Quillope said the Guardians are also impressed with Escudero's track record as a legislator, his strong stance against corruption and tough but legal approach to crime and terrorism. "It is clear to us that Senator Chiz is the most prepared candidate for vice president, not only because of his qualifications, but because of his track record, and his commitment to the poor and oppressed, which comprised many of our members is manifest, and tried and tested," Quillope said. In response, Escudero said he "whole-heartedly accepts" the endorsement as he thanked the Guardians for their "strong support, faith and solidarity with our aspirations to fight poverty from the roots." Escudero is running under the platform of "Gobyernong may Puso," which is anchored on rapid and inclusive growth, poverty alleviation, transparent government, and global competitiveness.
Press Release

May 1, 2016 Speech of Senator Loren Legarda

2016 World Environmental Law Congress in Brazil

29 April 2016 | Supreme Court of Rio de Janeiro Excellencies, Fellow Parliamentarians, Ladies and Gentlemen, Good morning and thank you for this opportunity to make an intervention for this session. Exactly a week ago, on Earth Day, 175 nations, including the Philippines, formally signed the Paris Agreement on Climate Change at the United Nations Headquarters in New York. Now, we await the affirmation of commitments through the completion of ratification or accession processes of each country. The Philippines has joined calls for the early entry into force of the Agreement by ensuring that at least 55 nations representing 55 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions will ratify the Agreement within the year. To date, at least 15 nations have ratified the Paris Agreement. These successes in the global arena bring hope for the future, even as we know that much of the grueling work needs to be done in our respective countries and communities to translate these international commitments into national policies and, eventually, into local action that will directly provide positive impact on people's lives. More than two decades ago, the Philippine Supreme Court, in a landmark decision that upheld the concept of inter-generational responsibility, said: "The day would not be too far when all else would be lost not only for the present generation, but also for those to come--generations which stand to inherit nothing but parched earth incapable of sustaining life." These words are no longer prophetic as we begin to feel the adverse impacts of climate change, environmental degradation, biodiversity loss and ecosystems decline. Farmers in my country have become restless as they seek for food and subsidies. Their lands are drying up because of the drought brought by the extended El Nino, making it impossible for them to grow anything. It is lamentable that the very people who till the land so that others may have their share of rice on their tables, are now begging for food. The Philippine Congress was not remiss in providing the legal framework to address environmental concerns. Numerous laws have also been introduced not just to demand accountability for environmental issues but also to provide impetus to incorporate environmental concerns into planning and policy making. We have enacted landmark environmental laws that have been hailed as model legislation--Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act, Ecological Solid Waste Management Law, Renewable Energy Law, Climate Change Act, Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Act, and the People's Survival Fund Law, among others. In my capacity as the Chair of the Senate Committee on Finance, we were able to transform the national budget into one that is climate-adaptive and disaster-resilient. We have mainstreamed provisions that ensure that the implementation of government programs would contribute towards building resilience. However, the plan of action not only lies on the legislator. It is not only limited to the crafting of laws and policies. It requires the involvement of all branches of government. Political will is needed to translate laws into local action, with measurable gains. Holding government, businesses and the public at large to greater accountability for their actions is expected; but more than that, we need for these laws and the circumstances that led to their passage to be appreciated by everyone. Effective enforcement emanates from everyone's understanding and appreciation of responsibility and accountability. It is in this light, considering the Philippine Senate's oversight function to review the implementation of laws that have been passed, that I proposed in the Senate for an environmental audit covering the performance of relevant national agencies and local government units in relation to their enforcement of environmental laws, regulations and compliance guidelines to identify where implementation can be supported and how to remove barriers to implementation. Fortunately, we have willing partners. Our Commission on Audit has done an assessment of disaster risk reduction and management practices in light of the tragedy brought about by Typhoon Haiyan. Our government auditors have been tasked to train their objective lens and keen eye for details on environmental matters as these affect the financial statements of government, businesses and individuals. The country's Office of the Ombudsman has also taken a significant step towards achieving full implementation of the 15-year old Ecological Solid Waste Management Law. It launched theSolid Waste Management Law Voluntary Compliance Program, a program comprised of two phases. Phase 1 was to assess our local government units as to their compliance with the provisions of the law. It has now entered the Phase 2 of the program, which is the filing of cases against non-compliant LGUs. From this example alone, we are able to understand that the implementation process is holistic and involves all actors. In closing, I wish to stress that the success of any law lies on the completion of the multi-faceted public policy process, from the initial phase of crafting laws to the implementation stage. It encourages the involvement of stakeholders and it is a concerted effort. Even as it seems that as legislators, our work is done once we pass a law, we must take that extra effort to monitor the implementation. Each of us is responsible in keeping our planet healthy, clean and safe for future generations. We all live in one Earth. Climate change is in our midst and the message is quite telling: We do not own the planet. We are mere dwellers and stewards of the Earth. We must all work towards building a sustainable community, one that respects the abundance of Mother Nature and corrects the misconception that natural resources are infinite. We need to veer away from consumptive practices; greed must cease. I repeat, inter-generational responsibility needs to move from being an idea, an abstraction, to a plan of concrete and urgent action. The time to act is now. Thank you.
California Highway Patrol /

Two people were killed early morning in a traffic collision on eastbound Interstate 80 west of Lagoon Valley Road in Vacaville.

According to the California Highway Patrol, a 28-year-old unidentified female, who was driving a 2001 Honda Accord while allegedly intoxicated, allowed her car to drift onto the right shoulder, where it collided with a parked 2016 Jeep SUV. Three passengers were inside the Jeep, while the Jeeps driver was standing outside the vehicle on the passenger side. The driver had apparently pulled over to the shoulder and stopped for several minutes because they were feeling ill.
A three-way race for an open seat on San Francisco Superior Court includes two well-known figures in city politics, and a past president of San Francisco La Raza Lawyers Association.

San Francisco Police Commissioner and civil rights attorney Victor Hwang, mayoral adviser and former prosecutor Paul Henderson, and civil litigator Sigrid Irias are vying to replace Judge Ernest H. Goldsmith, who retired last month.

Hwang and Hendersons candidacies have generated lots of interest at City Hall. Hwang helped get Mayor Ed Lee elected, while Henderson now works for Lee as his deputy chief of staff for public safety. The mayor has endorsed both of them. Hwang is also the fiance of Ivy Lee, chief of staff to Supervisor Jane Kim.

Hwangs career runs the gamut. He started as a trial attorney in the Los Angeles Public Defenders office, where he spent four years. He subsequently worked at the Asian Law Caucus for four years and at Asian Pacific Islander Legal Outreach for seven years, most recently as its deputy director. He also served as a San Francisco prosecutor from 2007 to 2014, primarily in charge of hate crimes and human trafficking cases. Hwang said he has taken close to 100 cases to trial.

High-profile cases

Hwang has worked on some high-profile cases. He helped represent the family of Kuan-Chung Kao, a Taiwanese American man fatally shot by a Rohnert Park police officer in 1997. Hwang alleged the officer incorrectly assumed Kao was a martial arts expert because he was Asian. The city settled the case for $1 million in 2001.

He also helped represent former San Quentin prisoner Eddy Zheng, a Chinese immigrant whose efforts to fight deportation after spending 19 years in prison for a crime he committed when he was 16 became a cause celebre. Officials withdrew the deportation order last year after Gov. Jerry Brown pardoned him.

Hwang has been criticized for serving as co-chair of the political committee behind the 2011 Run, Ed, Run campaign to convince Lee  then the interim mayor  to run for a full term.

The committees fundraising efforts were criticized as violating election laws. District Attorney George Gascon conducted a preliminary investigation into the committees activities and concluded there was insufficient evidence to pursue a criminal investigation.

Hwang dismissed the criticism as politically driven. I believe qualifications should dictate who wins this race. Not politics, Hwang said. I am the candidate who brings the most experience.

Diversity platform

Henderson is a former deputy district attorney and a top aide to Lee. A San Francisco native who is African American and gay, he is running partially on the platform that the judiciary needs more diversity.

Henderson worked in the district attorneys office from 1995 to 2011, including two years as co-manager of the trial division and four years as chief of administration. In 2011, he ran a short-lived campaign for district attorney, withdrawing shortly after former Mayor Gavin Newsom appointed then-Police Chief Gascon to the position. He also served as a fill-in judge on Alameda County Superior Court hearing civil cases.

Henderson said he tried 46 cases to verdict. He has also been involved in some of the citys major criminal justice policy decisions. Early in his career at the district attorneys office, he spearheaded a change to soften the offices three strikes policy to provide greater discretion in whether to seek a life sentence.

At the mayors office, he was the point person in Lees effort to remove Ross Mirkarimi as sheriff after he was charged in connection with bruising his wifes arm. In recent months, he helped craft a package of police reforms intended to rebuild confidence in the San Francisco Police Department after fatal police shootings of minority men.

Henderson said that what sets him apart is his experience and activism outside of the courtroom and in the courtroom developing policies I believe have improved the criminal justice system.

Political outsider

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If Hwang and Henderson are intertwined in San Francisco politics, Irias is the opposite. A native San Franciscan, she has worked for 28 years representing clients in personal injury cases, insurance coverage disputes and business litigation. She has also served as a fill-in judge on San Francisco Superior Court, and as president of San Francisco La Raza Lawyers Association in 2012.

Most of Irias cases went to arbitration. In one such case, she defended a company that was being sued for $77 million because it allegedly breached its marketing agreement. A panel of arbitrators rejected most of the claims and instead awarded $6.5 million, Irias said.

Other cases include representing a young Honduran immigrant in deportation proceedings, and successfully defended elderly officers of the Polish Club against claims that they mismanaged the nonprofit.

Despite her outsider status, Irias has the endorsement of one high-profile former judge: former state Supreme Court Justice Cruz Reynoso.

I am careful and thoughtful. I work very hard, Irias said. And, she added, I am very careful and cognizant of the need for a fair and unbiased judiciary.

All three candidates have previously applied to the governor for a judicial appointment. The Bar Association of San Francisco, which reviews each candidate, gave Hwang its highest rating of exceptionally well qualified, and said Henderson and Irias were well qualified, its second-highest rating.

If no candidate wins at least 51 percent of the vote, the top two vote-getters will face each other in November.

Emily Green is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: egreen@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @emilytgreen
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Raychel Young woke up early Saturday morning, placed her photography portfolio full of high-resolution prints of marijuana flowers into a large yellow envelope and headed to San Franciscos Regency Ballroom.

She talked to hiring managers, alongside an estimated 2,500 other eager applicants who passed through the ballroom throughout the day, hoping to embark on new careers in the marijuana industry at what event organizers called the largest cannabis industry job fair ever.

Thirty-two companies, ranging from industry-focused magazines to dispensaries to cannabis-based data and technology startups, attended the Join the GreenRush event, searching for candidates to fill jobs as budtenders, cultivators, delivery drivers, marketers and even software developers, in order to meet their expanding needs for workers as the market for legal marijuana continues to grow across California and several other states.

The event was the inaugural job fair for GreenRush, a technology and marketing company that connects already legal medical marijuana users with cannabis delivery systems, a sort of Eat24 of the marijuana industry.

With cannabis as the nations fastest-growing industry, there are a large number of positions opening up that we need to fill, said Jude Ignatius, event coordinator and director of operations at GreenRush. Its an exciting venture.

Young, 19, from Foster City, showed off her portfolio in hopes of snagging one of those positions, specifically as a photographer for a cannabis sales company.

Job growth

The industry is growing in my own backyard, Young said. And with that growth there are an increasing number of jobs in the industry that people wouldnt typically think of, she said.

For example, photographers are necessary because its important in delivery for people to see the quality theyre going to get before they order, Young said.

David Drake, CEO of Cannabis Reports, a cannabis data and technology company based in Berkeley, said he has seen no shortage of candidates for cannabis-focused tech jobs, an area of work in the industry people also might not typically think of.

These tech workers can build websites, develop cannabis-friendly applications and do much of the same work that is seen in other new companies.

Ive been overwhelmed, Drake said. I had about 200 applications for one position within 48 hours of posting it online.

Despite success finding candidates online, Drake chose to attend the job fair because he said its a great way to meet passionate members of the cannabis community. He expected to fill several positions throughout the day.

Outside of the event, a line to enter the door went down Van Ness Avenue and wrapped around part of the block through mid-afternoon, with small crowds gathering inside around three rows of tables and a stage where informational sessions were held.

Tickets were an aptly priced $4.20, but free codes for tickets were available online.

Many attendees showed up to the job fair specifically to make connections and get into the industry before an initiative that would legalize recreational use of cannabis in California is expected to appear on the November ballet, where it is likely to pass.

Arianna DeTomasi, 20, of South San Francisco, was one of those people. She was looking to get into the industry in any way she could.

I think businesses are about to boom, DeTomasi said. I want to get in now, rather than later.

Drought Map Track water shortages and restrictions across Bay Area Updated to include drought zones while tracking water shortage status of your area, plus reservoir levels and a list of restrictions for the Bay Areas largest water districts.

Pat and Luke of Schneider of Sunnyvale were also hoping to get into the business before possible legalization.

The husband and wife showed particular interest in the edible cannabis industry, which they see becoming increasingly more popular among the aging Baby Boomer generation, especially as legalization picks up.

If California goes, the rest of the country will probably eventually go, Pat Schneider said. You really want to be at the forefront.

Ahead of legalization

Ignatius said the possible legalization would open up a lot more jobs for the industry, but that it wasnt the main reason for the event.

Its the elephant in the room, Ignatius said. Its the looming outcome that everyone is anticipating. But the timing of the event isnt predicated on legalization. Its predicated on the very real staffing needs in the Bay Area right now, with the system as it exists.

Ignatius said officials in the medical marijuana industry have already started to beef up infrastructure and employee numbers for what could ultimately become an over $10-billion-dollar industry, depending upon legalization outcomes.

With legalization, obviously the industry is going to expand, he said, and we only expect staffing challenges to increase exponentially.

Kevin Schultz is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: kschultz@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @KevinEdSchultz
Catholic Charities of Santa Clara County was one click away from danger  a threat that has been costing businesses hundreds of millions of dollars.

The email that arrived the morning of March 1 struck Anna Perez, a receptionist at the San Jose nonprofit, as harmless: Dear Customer: The attached document is a transaction payment confirmation from GlobalMarketing Ltd. Thank you for your business. We appreciate it very much.

But exactly 57 seconds after Perez opened the compressed file, a series of strange actions started taking place on the organizations network.

Her Windows desktop connected with a server in Ukraine and downloaded a piece of powerful, malicious code  just like an automatic software update. Except in this case, it was ransomware, a devious type of virus that encrypts files in such a way that only a criminal hacker holding the key can unlock them. Typically, a digital extortionist charges between $200 and $10,000 to decrypt the files, often asking for payment in bitcoin, a virtual currency which is hard to trace.

At Catholic Charities, the malware began encrypting files on the receptionists machine almost immediately. But the nonprofit was lucky: It had been testing a device from Darktrace that scans the network for unusual behavior  like a desktop in San Jose contacting a server in Ukraine.

A Darktrace analyst in New York City swiftly noticed that something was amiss and alerted the charitys information-technology staff. A colleague disconnected Perezs computer from the charitys network. A few of the files on the computer had been encrypted but no real harm was done.

When ransomware isnt caught early, it can be extremely costly. From January to the end of March, the FBI received reports of more than $209 million in losses due to such attacks. Two large complaints accounted for most of that amount.

In some cases, the FBI has even recommended that ransomware victims who havent backed up their files pay up rather than try to crack the encryption. In February, Hollywood Presbyterian Medical Center administrators paid digital ransomers about $17,000 to gain back control of their network.

Darktrace, a cybersecurity startup with headquarters in San Francisco and the United Kingdom, does not think it  or anyone  will be able to identify the sender of the suspicious email.

Id be really surprised if  you traced back the attackers and (they) were actually in the same country, said Dave Palmer, the director of technology for Darktrace, referring to the Eastern European origins of the attack. They could have just as easily been American citizens that were using infrastructure in Romania, or Ukraine.

Ransomware often contains code that frequently changes the location of the servers it connects to, making it hard to trace. Thieves sometimes place hostile code for short periods on machines paid for with stolen credit cards, quickly moving between legitimate providers before any malicious activity is reported.

Youll be gone 14 hours later, Palmer said. So it doesn't matter if the feds track you down, because youve already moved on. Its just quite a neat way of not really worrying about the law enforcement side of things.

Gangs that typically use the type of ransomware that attacked the charity often just email entire lists of potential victims, said Palmer.

Nonprofits, schools and municipalities  organizations traditionally without big budgets for cybersecurity  are especially vulnerable.

Catholic Charities has an annual budget of about $35 million, according to Will Bailey, its director of information technology, who said it spends roughly $600,000 on IT. That mostly goes for salaries of Bailey and several other full-time staff members.

Air Quality Tracker Check levels down to the neighborhood Ratings for the Bay Area and California, updated every 10 minutes

That team is responsible for more than 500 employees and 300-plus devices. Some work remotely, while others are spread out in churches and offices from San Jose to Gilroy.

In September, the Arc of Winnebago, Boone and Ogle Counties, an Illinois nonprofit, reportedly paid a $700 ransom in bitcoin in order to rescue 10 computers and an in-house server.

And last week, a public utility in Lansing, Mich., had its email, phones, printers and other equipment shut down by ransomware, according to the Lansing State Journal.

Had the infection spread beyond that one desktop PC at Catholic Charities, the nonprofit could have spent thousands of dollars restoring its files, Bailey said.

If it hadnt caught it and stopped it in its tracks by taking the machine offline, he said, Who knows what could have happened?

Sean Sposito is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: ssposito@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @seansposito
Decades ago, Yahoo was the place techies aspired to work, with a powerful reputation as a pioneering guide to the World Wide Web.

These days, employees are fleeing the tech giant. Its core business, including its home page and Yahoo mail, is in decline. It has more than 1 billion monthly users, but growth has been incremental at best. Yahoos board and CEO Marissa Mayer face an uncertain future, because the entire team could be overthrown in a proxy battle led by activist investor Starboard Value this summer.

Few companies are serious about buying Yahoos core business, according to a person familiar with the matter. The reason: Yahoo wants too high a price.

Some telecommunication and media companies, such as Comcast and Fox, may be open to exploring a deal, but will only do so if private-equity firms join them, the person said. Comcast and 21st Century Fox did not return requests for comment.

Not one of them is interested in buying the company alone, said the person. They think its overpriced.

Yahoo has not publicly discussed how much it wants for its core business, but tech news site Recode reported that the figure is $10 billion. Most analysts estimate Yahoos worth in the $6 billion to $8 billion range.

Eric Risberg/Associated Press

The $10 billion number is like wishing for the stars, said Martin Pyykkonen, an analyst with Rosenblatt Securities. I just dont see that as an achievable kind of range.

The deadline for placing a bid is April 11, and Yahoo is working to narrow down 40 potential buyers, the Wall Street Journal reported. Yahoo declined to comment on both the Recode and Journal reports.

Blunting the risk

Some bidders may want to team up with private-equity firms to reduce the financial risk in case the purchase ends up being a failure. And if buyers hold out until the last minute, they may get a better deal, because Yahoos business is continuing to decline, analysts said.

Yahoo is a potential strike of gold, if the company that acquires it can figure out how to get the gold out of the rock, said tech industry analyst Jeff Kagan, who has done consulting work for Verizon and Sprint. Yahoo has been unable to do that for years. Its there, but just because the acquisition is made doesnt mean it will happen.

Mayer has been working on turning around the business since 2012, with mixed results. She focused the company on mobile, video, social and native advertising, spending more than $2 billion on promising acquisitions. While sales in those categories rose to $1.7 billion last year and represented about one-third of overall sales, Yahoos adjusted earnings have continued to decline.

But analysts say that media and telecommunication firms may be interested in Yahoos ad technology and its more than 1 billion monthly visitors. Under Mayers leadership, Yahoo has purchased mobile analytics firm Flurry, video advertising business Brightroll and others. As telecommunication companies look for revenue beyond data and service plans, selling ads to run with content could boost their businesses.

KAREN BLEIER/AFP/Getty Images

Data mining

Flurry, which tracks usage across 800,000 apps, could provide rich data that companies like Comcast could sell to its advertisers, said Neil Doshi, analyst with Mizuho Securities USA Inc. Comcast has a partnership with AOL, but could end it if the company bought Yahoo, Doshi said. Comcast has very little on the mobile front today, Doshi said.

Verizon executives have said they would be interested in looking at a deal, but its unclear where the company is in that process. Verizon purchased AOL for $4.4 billion last year, and some analysts believe that if AOL combined with Yahoo, Verizon would widen its user base and cut costs by consolidating the sales staff. A Verizon spokesman declined to comment.

SoftBank, which owns Sprint and is a major stakeholder in Yahoo Japan, may also be a potential buyer, analysts said. SoftBank did not immediately return a call seeking comment.

Other potential buyers could be private-equity firms. But Pyykkonen is skeptical whether they would bid on Yahoo, especially since the business is in decline.

When private-equity firms purchased troubled online advertising company DoubleClick in 2005 for $1.1 billion, its problems lay in its management, not its technology, he said. The firms were able to turn DoubleClick around in two years and sell it to Google for $3.1 billion. Yahoo is a different case.

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I dont think Yahoos technology is leading-edge any more, Pyykkonen said. They are not irrelevant, but they are less relevant than they used to be.

Proxy battle

Potential buyers may also want to wait and see what happens with the proxy battle, as Starboard Value tries to overthrow Yahoos board.

Starboard nominated nine people to the board last week. Shareholders will get to vote on that slate during Yahoos annual meeting this summer. Starboard has pushed for Yahoo to sell its core business, and Yahoo says it is exploring that option, so its possible that the two sides could come to an agreement before the shareholder meeting. But Starboard wants new leadership at Yahoo and so far, the board has publicly supported Mayer.

Pyykkonen said he was bullish on Yahoo in the early 2000s, wearing purple on the day the company released its earnings reports. Now, he is encouraging investors to sell their stock.

They are not growing, Pyykkonen said. They are actually contracting. Who wants a contracting business?

Wendy Lee is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: wlee@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @thewendylee
As California forests face another dry summer, firefighters around Lake Tahoe are deploying high-tech mountaintop cameras to spot lightning strikes and the first wisps of smoke before wildfires blaze out of control.

By summer, a network of at least 10 automated cameras will be scanning the heavily forested mountains of the Tahoe Basin and sending back steady streams of images in both the visible and infrared frequencies.

And more cameras are coming, said Graham Kent, director of the Nevada Seismological Laboratory at the University of Nevada, Reno, where the camera network was developed.

Kent sees the cameras as a key to modernizing firefighting techniques everywhere in rough mountain country. Catching a blaze early before its flames spread would save money and lives, and eliminate or reduce the need to send large numbers of fire crews and armadas of trucks and planes, fire experts say.

Last year alone, California forest fires cost $423 million to fight, according to Cal Fire. Across the country the U.S. Forest Service spent more than $1.2 billion fighting fires on its national forests, and those totals are expected to grow as summers grow hotter and drier in this era of climate change.

The old style of firefighting is like storming the beach at Normandy, Kent said, but if you can run a smaller crew on a fire really early, and with their special tools, then it can be more like a situation for the Special Forces.

The first four fire cameras began operating around the Tahoe Basin two years ago, Kent said, and by last year there were eight. This year there will be 10 in the Tahoe Basin and 11 more around the area if we can crank it out, he said.

The instruments, controlled from remote dispatch centers, can tilt, zoom and swivel 360 degrees on command to detect fires and follow them if they spread.

Mac Heller, a fire dispatcher for the Tahoe Basin Management Unit that combines both the Eldorado and Tahoe national forests, recalled one hot evening the summer before last when he was off-duty and the sky over the Sierra was filled with lightning flashes.

Only four cameras were operating in the Tahoe Basin, Heller said, and although he was off-duty, he picked up an image from one of them on his personal laptop. It showed smoke amid the trees at Spooner Summit, a popular hiking area above Lake Tahoes eastern shore.

I called the dispatch office, Heller said, and as soon as they spotted it, they sent a really small suppression crew  they needed only about 20people  but they got a line around that fire fast, and it had only burned about half an acre.

Drought Map Track water shortages and restrictions across Bay Area Updated to include drought zones while tracking water shortage status of your area, plus reservoir levels and a list of restrictions for the Bay Areas largest water districts.

But who knows how long and how far that Spooner Fire would have burned in the next day or so if it hadnt been for the camera, he said. It could have needed a couple of tanker planes, and a helicopter, and maybe six engines, and who knows how many firefighters.

Kent and the Tahoe Prosperity Center, a regional community organization, are leading a campaign called AlertTahoe to raise $2 million for 15 more cameras, which would be set up to allow the public to follow the images on home computers, Kent said.

A similar Web-based network of fire cameras, called AlertSoCal, is also operating at 16 mountaintop locations in Southern California, according to Frank Vernon, a research geophysicist at the Scripps Institute of Oceanography.

Vernon and Kent described the two networks at a recent meeting of the Seismological Society of America in Reno.

David Perlman is The San Francisco Chronicles science editor. Email: dperlman@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @daveperlman
It was the ultimate American political scandal, and it unfolded in headlines across the nation for more than two years.

The Chronicles front page from May 1, 1973, covers fallout from the Watergate break-in and President Richard Nixons steps to overhaul his staff.

President Nixon told the nation last night he had no knowledge of political espionage or attempts to cover it up in the Watergate case but that he would accept full responsibility for what happened, the New York Times story on The Chronicles front page read. The president went on television and radio to explain his feelings after he received the resignations of three top staff members who have been implicated in the case.

We know now that Nixon was lying, and the scandal would engulf his presidency until he resigned from office on Aug. 9, 1974, 15 months after this paper hit the streets. At the time of publication, however, the president was taking a strong stance and deflecting blame.

As the president accepted the responsibility and pledged every effort to achieve justice in the case, he alleged wrongdoing or coverup attempts on the part of those he had delegated to run his 1972 presidential campaign and those he appointed to investigate the matter during the campaign, the story read. And he implied that his own election officials, in the Watergate espionage, were attempting to stop wrongdoing by the Democrats.

Top O the Top of the News: Stag-hunting with hounds has become a corporate venture in France. Page 17. That country had really gone to the dogs.

See more front pages: Go to SFChronicle.com/covers to search a database of hundreds of Chronicle Covers articles that showcase the newspaper's history.

More from the Archive The Vault Home of the San Francisco Chronicle's archive and more than 150 years of journalism covering the Bay Area and beyond.

Chronicle Covers is a yearlong project highlighting one classic Chronicle newspaper page from our archive every day for 366 days. Library director Bill Van Niekerken, art director Danielle Mollette-Parks, producer Michelle Devera and editorial assistant Jillian Sullivan contributed to the project. Tim ORourke is the executive producer and editor of SFChronicle.com. Email: torourke@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @TimothyORourke

(Click to enlarge)




In my travels, Ive encountered many people who are searching for a solution to their discontent. They often find that solution, theyve told me, on a path that leads to outdoors experiences.

In many of these cases, it is camping that can be the portal to a happier life. The key, Ive found, is to share campfire time with the people you care for most and then wake up refreshed at the launch point for your favorite adventures.

These rewards help explain why more than 1 million households in North America started camping last year, according to an independent study released last week. Forty-four percent of the new campers were Millennials (ages roughly 12 to 34), 18 percent African Americans and 11 percent Hispanics.

Research suggests that there is a flattening effect among millennials, where many of the differences observed between ethnic groups are much less pronounced among these younger campers, according to the study, part of the 2016 North American Camping Report by the Cairn Consulting Group, an independent market research firm. It was funded by Kampgrounds of America (KOA), which tracks outdoor trends for its marketing research.

African American and Hispanic campers are not only camping more than ever before, but they are enthusiastic about the benefits, stating it allows them to spend more time with friends and family, reduce stress and be more physically active, the report said.

The release of the surveys findings comes as the National Forest Service has begun opening many campgrounds for this weekends start of the trout season on mountain streams, and ahead of Sundays opening of all trail camps in the Santa Cruz Mountains.

The survey reported several significant findings:

Why we go: Those who have camping trips planned this year said that spending time with family and friends (67 percent) and exploring new areas (64 percent) are the most impactful reasons for getting outdoors, with little or no difference among ethnic groups.

More trips planned: Among those who camp, respondents project a 25 percent increase in trips this year (compared with 9 percent last year).

Millennials driving change: One in 5 new campers are African American, which is being driven primarily by millennials, the study found, and, New Hispanic campers are also highly likely to be millennial (64 percent), representing one of the fastest growing segments among campers.

Still connected: A vast majority of campers do not disconnect from technology; 88 percent use their cell phones, 76 percent go online, and 41 percent check email, the study said. African Americans are most likely to bring along a variety of electronics while camping, including smartphones (80 percent), and they are most likely to demand Wi-Fi availability at a campground, which they use to look up information about the local area, trails and campgrounds.

Destinations: The top three 2016 camping destinations (with multiple answers allowed) are U.S. national parks (52 percent), state parks (49 percent) and beaches/coastal areas (42 percent), the study found.

Renovation complete

In the Santa Cruz Mountains, Chris Pereira of State Parks took a trail crew into Big Basin Redwoods State Park and constructed a new lookout deck at Berry Creek Falls; installed 106 new steps, a new 60-foot wood walkway and several rock walls; cleared downed trees; and last week reopened the great hike to Berry Creek Falls. Meanwhile, at the access at Rancho del Oso at Highway 1, the temporary summer bridges over Waddell Creek could be installed in the next week, Pereira said. We had them in last month, but then we had that big rain and had to take them out, he said. When the bridges are in, it opens the great mountain bike trek from Rancho del Oso to a set of bike racks, from which you can lock up and walk a half mile to Berry Creek Falls.

Striped bass relocation

Destination, Bethany Reservoir: For the next six weeks, striped bass will be netted out of Clifton Court  the forebay for the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta pumps for the California Aqueduct  and transported and planted into Bethany Reservoir near Brentwood, the Department of Fish and Wildlife reported. When the delta pumps suck juvenile salmon into Clifton Court, the small fish are vulnerable to predation by the striped bass that live there, the agency said. Opponents have argued that the problem could instead be solved by shutting down the delta pumps when salmon migrate through the area, and then during the rest of the year by adding fish screens at Clifton Court.

Youth education

How Oregon does it: In response to your column the other day highlighting the need for outdoor education, I remembered that Oregon has a program for all school-age kids. Every sixth-grader heads to Outdoor School for at least three days and usually four. Private schools will sometimes fund kids heading out every year. They also have high school students attend as counselors. Its a terrific Oregon tradition to get kids outdoors and learning about their environment and to bond with other classmates.  Mitch Levine

Parks equal spending

The National Park Service released a study last week, courtesy of Alex Picavet of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area, that reported 24.3 million visitors last year to the Bay Areas 10 national park sites, including Alcatraz, the Presidio, Fort Point, Sweeney Ridge, Marin Headlands and Point Reyes National Seashore. They spent $735 million to support their visits. In turn, that supported 9,389 jobs with a cumulative benefit to the local economy of $897.9 million.

Sightings

Marin badger: Many can venture across thousands of miles and never see a badger. At Point Reyes National Seashore, Mike Warren, with Bill Anderson and Peter Crook (all familiar names as park volunteers), got the sighting of a lifetime when a badger crossed the road. We were on Sir Francis Drake near South Beach, driving to the lighthouse to do our weekly volunteer maintenance work, reported Warren. We were able to pull over, and Bill, from the back seat, grabbed a shot (photograph). A first for me.

Fuzzball hatchlings: In the next few weeks, keep an eye out for hatchlings, Elynor and Bill Schuppel remind. At Mission Bay in San Francisco, they saw a mallard with nine little fuzzballs and recounted this poignant encounter: The simple nest, just some soft grasses, was in a planter on a pedestrian walkway, not 20 feet from the busy and noisy Third Street bridge over Mission Creek. The babies had to climb to a ledge from the nest, and then hover a moment, before free falling to the water 12 feet down. Mama duck was carrying on all the time until the nine tiny creatures were in the water with her. What a demonstration of trust and instinct. It was amazing and beautiful.

Strange encounters of the sea lion kind: Sea lions, as they hunt sportfish for food, continue to be encountered in strange places. At the Russian River in Sonoma County, Peter Hollingsworth saw a big sea lion at the Hacienda Bridge, 20 miles from the ocean. In the delta, near the Port of Stockton, Randy and Linda Welch reported they were heading out in their boat when they sighted a sea lion, 150 miles by water to the entrance to the bay.

Tom Stienstra is The Chronicles outdoor writer. Email: tstienstra@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @StienstraTom
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White House hopeful Sen. Ted Cruz looked into the sea of 600 key activists at the California Republican convention Saturday and said, I have to say, this has been a remarkable week.

That depends how one defines remarkable. His lunchtime speech came at the end of a tumultuous week for the Texas senator, when two 11th-hour moves designed to revive his campaign, in which he badly trails GOP front-runner Donald Trump, were widely panned. Plus Trump crushed him in five East Coast primaries Tuesday.

Now, as the last of the remaining GOP candidates to address the three-day convention Saturday  Trump and Ohio Gov. John Kasich spoke Friday  Cruz needed to win over the party activists so he could have enough grassroots energy to carry him to victory in Californias June 7 primary.

GOP primary in states hands

Doing so could prevent Trump from winning enough delegates to secure the nomination before the partys national convention in Cleveland. Beating Trump on a second or later ballot is the only chance for Cruz or Kasich to win the nomination, as they are mathematically unable to collect the 1,237 delegates needed for a first-ballot nomination. But its an uphill climb. In California, Cruz trails Trump in an April Field Poll by seven percentage points and more than twice as much in others, according to an average of recent major polls by RealClearPolitics.com.

California is going to decide this Republican primary, Cruz said Saturday. Whoda thunk it? Year after year, yall are used to being treated by Republicans like an ATM to take your money and spend it in other states. Were going to spend more money in California than we raise in California.

In a well-structured 25-minute stump speech that included a couple of localized nods to California water and immigration issues, Cruz made the case for why he is a more measured choice than Trump, who might explode at the latest Twitter storm.

Cruz defended himself as a true conservative, not someone who  as he said Trump has done  made campaign contributions in years past to California Gov. Jerry Brown, Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom and state Attorney General Kamala Harris. Cruz cast himself as part of a new generation of Republican leaders who protect the Constitution and who stand and fight for the Judeo-Christian values that built this nation.

Im going to cut your taxes

Cruz indirectly called out Trump as a trade protectionist, saying the billionaires proposal for a 35 to 45 percent tariff on imports from China would trickle down to every American who is a consumer.

That policy would send us into a recession, if not a depression, Cruz said. I think Californians are taxed too much already. Im going to cut your taxes.

On immigration, Cruz positioned himself at odds with most Californian voters  but totally in sync with his Saturday audience  by opposing a pathway to citizenship (amnesty in his words) for people in the country illegally.

Introducing Cruz Saturday was his newest endorser, former California Gov. Pete Wilson. Wilson appeals to many longtime Republicans  like those in the room Saturday who gave him a standing ovation. But in many ways, the party is trying to shake the part of the Wilson legacy that might appeal most to Cruz voters.

In 1994, Wilson won re-election on the back of Proposition 187, which called for denying government services to people in the country illegally. The measure passed, but most of its provisions were struck down by courts. The backlash to the state party from Latinos was brutal and continues today.

In his 1984 presidential re-election, Ronald Reagan won 45 percent of the Latino vote in California. But since Wilsons Prop. 187 commercial  with its ominous signature line, They keep coming  Republicans have become virtually nonexistent in California politics.

In 2010, nearly two decades after the campaign that offended Latino voters, a survey by the Latino Decisions polling firm found that 84 percent of California Latinos said they were concerned that Wilson was the campaign co-chair for then-GOP gubernatorial nominee Meg Whitman.

Cruz is not anti-immigrant, Wilson said Saturday. He, as am I, is for legal immigration of the kind that has made this country great. And I might point out that he is hardly anti-Latino.

In a strike at Trump, Wilson said, We cant afford a wild card when it comes to the president who will be making critically important Supreme Court appointments.

Cruz backers hope the speech erases some of the missteps from this remarkable week.

Trying to divvy up states

Last Sunday, the Cruz and Kasich campaigns said they would divvy up three states that vote before California, giving each a one-on-one shot at Trump  which presumably would give each a better chance. Under this concept, Cruz would focus on more conservative Indiana, which votes Tuesday, while Kasich would concentrate on the slightly more left-leaning electorates in Oregon and New Mexico.

But the poorly conceived alliance, as it was dubbed, seemed to crumble within hours as Kasich declined to tell Indiana voters to back Cruz.

On Wednesday, Cruz tried to deflect attention from Trumps overwhelming victories in five eastern states by naming former Hewlett-Packard CEO Carly Fiorina as his vice presidential running mate.

On Saturday, Cruz said he chose her because she understands the domestic economy, understands where jobs come from.  (She is) someone with good judgment that is sober and stable and level-headed and not likely to make rash and hotheaded decisions, a clear poke at Trump.

However analysts, including many Republicans, widely mocked the move not only as delusionally presumptuous because it was made after it became mathematically impossible for Cruz to win enough delegates to secure the nomination, but also because Fiorina brought little to the ticket.

She has no geographic or political constituency and had a disastrous record as a chief executive, firing 30,000 workers at HP and watching the companys stock plummet, analysts say. And for those who say she could help in Californias primary, she doesnt have much of a network of supporters in the state, despite her highly visible  but unsuccessful  2010 run for U.S. Senate in California.

Ultimately, after losing to incumbent Democratic Sen. Barbara Boxer by 10 points in a landslide year nationally for Republicans, she whooshed out of the state just as fast, moving to Virginia.

During a 20-minute Saturday evening speech at the convention, Fiorina showed that she still excelled at tossing zingers. She said she suspended her presidential campaign this year when she didnt see a path forward. I actually wish John Kasich would get the memo. In California, she said, A vote for John Kasich is a vote for Donald Trump.

Fiorina said some think that because Trump talks tough hes going to change the system. But Donald Trump isnt going to challenge the system. Donald Trump is the system. He will protect it, he will preserve it, and he will use it to his own benefit, which is what he has done his whole life.

Listening to the three top candidates cleared up confusion for some this weekend, but left others even more frustrated.

Not where we need to be

James Motteler remained discouraged after hearing Cruzs speech Saturday. Though the Scotts Valley (Santa Cruz County) resident likes how Cruz harkens back to some of former President Reagans conservative themes, he is uncomfortable about Cruzs stand on immigration. Motteler volunteers at an East San Jose Head Start program with many Latino families and said the senators position is not where we need to be as a party. Hes leaning toward Kasich now.

Orange County resident Barbara Ramos came to the convention this weekend undecided, maybe leaning toward Trump because I thought he seemed so assertive in what we should do. But she left supporting Cruz after hearing him Saturday. He just seemed to have more to say about the issues. Trump really didnt say much about the issues.

Joe Garofoli is The San Francisco Chronicles senior political writer. Email: jgarofoli@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @joegarofoli
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The May Day march Sunday in Oakland was all about the issues  there wasnt a representative of any issue that didnt show up.

Close to 1,000 people waved signs, banged drums, wafted incense, chanted, speechified, blocked streets and generally marched in the Fruitvale district to raise awareness for everything from workers, housing and immigrant rights to the danger of presidential candidate Donald Trump.

Were here to fight for equal rights and equal pay and to fight against all forms of social injustice, said Theo Domingo, 27, as he displayed a sign urging people to Vote 4 Trump in getting his ass kicked.

Domingo, who meant it both literally and figuratively, explained how seeing Trump at the California Republican convention stirred him up.

I (used to think) he was cool, but now hes chastising Muslim and Mexican people, he said. That really got me pissed off.

Also demonstrating were members of the protest group Black Lives Matter, the Oakland Workers Collective and several self-professed communist organizations, including the Progressive Labor Party, whose members were reminding observers about how they reinvigorated mundane May Day marches in the 1970s.

In San Francisco, hundreds of workers with the International Longshore & Warehouse Union marched along Fishermans Wharf in support of immigrant workers rights and to demand justice for people of color shot by police.

In Oakland, there were folks carrying Palestinian flags, people wearing Cesar Chavez T-shirts and traditional Aztec dancers banging drums and burning incense.

The marchers, including all ages, met in the Fruitvale Plaza area of Oakland, where they were inspired by speakers on a flatbed truck who led the crowd in chants.

Dozens of police officers blocked traffic in the area and attempted to manage the crowd, which by midafternoon had moved onto 35th Avenue and International Boulevard, which was briefly blocked. Oakland police urged motorists to avoid the area, but no arrests were reported.

The march meandered peacefully through the Fruitvale district and ended in San Antonio Park a little after 3 p.m.

Marcher Chelsea Charlea said her pinata depicting Oakland Mayor Libby Schaafs head with an electrode in the brain could come in handy if people start getting antsy as the night rolls on.

Her brain is controlled by money and by profit, Charlea said. People are going to smash it later to get their feelings out.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Evan Sernoffsky and Peter Fimrite are San Francisco Chronicle staff writers. Email: esernoffsky@sfchronicle.com, pfimrite@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @EvanSernoffsky, @pfimrite
Jailene Medina grew up in a lowrider community.

My dad owned a 1964 Impala, said the John OConnell High School senior, referring to the classic car thats often refurbished to lower its center of gravity. We used to cruise a lot in different cities.

So when Medina  who likes to get involved in her San Francisco Mission neighborhood  was a freshman, she pitched the idea to organize a car show, one that could raise funds for the high school. Little did she know it would end up rallying a community, while revitalizing some of the culture she had missed since moving away from her dad.

On Sunday, the small, 350-student tech high school held the event for the third year in a row. The Give Something Back Car Show, in partnership with the San Francisco LowRider Council, was its biggest one yet, with more than 100 classic cars, souped-up motorcycles and bicycles, student-led and neighborhood-run booths, and Latin dancing.

As the sun reflected off the school blacktop and several rows of slick, painted lowriders, hundreds from the community and beyond came to check out the scene, teens photographing the autos, toddlers dancing or slurping aguas frescas and adults tailgating under canopied tarps.

This is a hobby; we do it every weekend, said Armando Alvarado and his wife, Kathleen, who entered their 1968 Impala Super Sport in the show.

The Alvarados are part of the Padrinos, one of the car clubs that was part of the event. Classic lowriders from other individuals and clubs, including Friscos Finest and the New Temptations, were entered as well, from a Chevy Caprice Classic white station wagon to a gold-tinted Cadillac Brougham. The couple, who drove in from Livermore, said they had heard this was a fundraiser and thought it would be good for the school.

Its a nice way for us to spend time with friends, Armando Alvarado said.

Medina said she relied on her connections in the community and help from the LowRider Council to assemble the collection of cars and booths that made up the event. Individuals or groups paid $20 per car or $15 per bike to enter, while neighborhood booths  like Missionero clothing and Current Culture Design, selling T-shirts and other apparel  paid $50 for a spot. Other booths were student-run, selling food items like nachos, tacos and sodas.

We really wanted to focus on the students, and push them to get booths to make money for their class, Medina said. The organizers said the funds from each booths sales would go toward all of the enrichment services that the school district doesnt pay for, like prom, senior breakfast, field trips and class T-shirts. The rest of the money from the event goes to the after-school program.

It has been fantastic to see the kids taking leadership roles and organizing the community, John OConnell Principal Mark Alvarado said of Medina and freshman Devianna Roca, who will take over when Medina graduates. Alvarado said the family event has gotten bigger every year, especially in terms of student involvement. Next year, he said, theyll have to expand outside of the current lot; there are too many submissions to fit inside the fence. The fact that theyre from this neighborhood is particularly endearing.

Alvarado also said the whole LowRider Council crew is from the neighborhood as well, so this idea made sense from the start.

When Jailene pitched me on it, I just said, I love it, what do you need? said Alvarado.

Though the principal was quick to celebrate the local involvement, the show has gotten big enough that car fans from outside the community have heard about it as well.

My kids have gotten into cars lately, said event-goer Brian Sauer, who came over from the Western Addition. This is a great chance to look at them up close.

Medina will move on to City College after graduation, so shell be close by to help at next years event. Still, shes confident Roca is the right person to take over.

Shes a good friend, part of the lowrider community, and shes a smart girl, said Medina of the freshman. She wants to help her community and build connections. This is the perfect thing.

For Roca, organizing an event this large is no small feat, but shes not concerned; all of this is second nature. I go to multiple car shows, and grew up that way, so I know what its supposed to feel like, Roca said.

In this case, that meant plenty of socializing, Latin music, Aztec dancers and other cultural traditions.

We burn copal to bless the cars, said Medina, explaining that its something her ancestors did, which is why they continue the custom.

And, if the success of the car show is any indication, it works. Every year weve done that, and its never rained. Just beautiful, sunny skies. Its incredible.

Amanda Gold is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: agold@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @AmandaGold
SAN DIEGO  The highest-ranking Navy officer charged in the sprawling Fat Leonard bribery and contracting fraud scheme was sentenced to more than six years in federal prison Friday, the longest term handed down so far in the scandal.

Cmdr. Michael Vannak Khiem Misiewicz, 48, pleaded guilty earlier to one charge of conspiracy and one charge of bribery. Prosecutors said that for nearly two years, he accepted gifts, travel, stays at fancy hotels and the services of prostitutes  all paid for by Leonard Glenn Fat Leonard Francis, the owner of a port servicing company that supplied Navy ships across the Pacific.
NEW YORK  The Rev. Daniel Berrigan, a Roman Catholic priest and peace activist who was imprisoned for burning draft files in a protest against the Vietnam War, died Saturday. He was 94.

The Rev. Berrigan died at Murray-Weigel Hall, a Jesuit health care community in New York City after a long illness, said Michael Benigno, a spokesman for the Jesuits USA Northeast Province.

The Rev. Berrigan and his younger brother, the Rev. Philip Berrigan, emerged as leaders of the antiwar movement in the 1960s.

The Berrigan brothers entered a draft board in Catonsville, Md., on May 17, 1968, with seven other activists and removed records of young men about to be shipped off to Vietnam. The group took the files and burned them in garbage cans.

The Catonsville Nine, as they came to be known, were convicted on federal charges accusing them of destroying U.S. property and interfering with the Selective Service Act of 1967. All were sentenced on Nov. 9, 1968 to prison terms of at least two years.

The Rev. Berrigan, a writer and poet, wrote about the courtroom experience in 1970 in a one-act play, The Trial of the Catonsville Nine, which was later made into a movie.

As a seminarian, the Rev. Berrigan wrote poetry. His work captured the attention of an editor at Macmillan who referred the material to poet Marianne Moore. Her endorsement led to the publication of his first book of poetry, Time Without Number.

The Rev. Berrigan traveled to North Vietnam in 1968 and returned with three American prisoners of war who were being released as a goodwill gesture. He said that while there, he witnessed some of the wars destruction and suffering.

After the Catonsville case had been unsuccessfully appealed, the Berrigan brothers and three of their co-defendants went underground. Philip Berrigan turned himself in to authorities in April 1969 at a Manhattan church. The FBI arrested the Rev. Berrigan four months later at the Rhode Island home of theologian William Stringfellow.

Philip Berrigan died of cancer in 2002 at age 79.

The Rev. Berrigans writings include Prison Poems, published in 1973; We Die Before We Live: Talking with the Very Ill, a 1980 book based on his experiences working in a cancer ward; and his autobiography, To Dwell in Peace, published in 1987.
WASHINGTON  President Obamas daughter Malia will take a year off after graduating high school in June before attending Harvard University in 2017, the president and his wife said Sunday.

Harvard encourages admitted students to defer for one year to travel, pursue a special project or activity, work, or spend time in another meaningful way.

Malia, the eldest of the Obamas two daughters, is a 17-year-old senior at Sidwell Friends, an exclusive private school in the District of Columbia that helped educate another first daughter, Chelsea Clinton, in the 1990s. Malias younger sister, Sasha, 14, is a freshman at Sidwell. Malia is set to graduate high school in June. She turns 18 on the Fourth of July.

Obama has spoken publicly about dreading the day when Malia leaves for college, and the decision for Malia to take a gap year could keep her closer to home as her family prepares for another major transition next year, leaving the White House and returning to normal life. Obama plans to live in Washington for a few more years so Sasha can finish high school. The president and his wife, Michelle, still own a home in Chicago.

The first lady has said Malia wants to be a filmmaker. Malia spent last summer in New York City interning on the set of HBOs Girls, starring Lena Dunham. She spent the summer of 2014 in California working as a production assistant on Extant, a now-canceled CBS sci-fi drama that starred Halle Berry. Malia has also had internships at the Smithsonians National Zoo in Washington.

Both of my daughters are wonderful people. Malias more than ready to leave but Im not ready for her to leave, Obama told Ellen DeGeneres during an appearance on her talk show. Shes one of my best friends. Its going to be hard for me not to have her around all the time, but shes ready to go. Shes just a really smart, capable person and shes ready to make her own way.

Malia visited at least a dozen public and private colleges during her search, mostly on the East Coast. Six of the eight Ivies were among them, including her parents alma maters.

The president is a 1983 graduate of Columbia University, and Mrs. Obama graduated from Princeton in 1985. The president and first lady earned law degrees at Harvard.

Malia also checked out UC Berkeley, Stanford, New York University, the University of Pennsylvania. Barnard, Tufts, Brown, Yale and Wesleyan.
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A set of leaked photos purport to show gun-toting female assassins in the employ of Mexican drug cartels.

RELATED: Masked assassins for the Juarez Cartel in Mexico shown holding guns in leaked photos

The Mexican outlet El Blog del Narco published the photos last week, showing women apparently associated with cartels posing  some masked, others in various states of undress  with assault rifles, tigers, liquor and trucks.

Despite a heavily masculine image, Mexico's cartels have long counted women among their ranks from those managing funds to those spilling blood.

RELATED: Video shows suspected drug smugglers climbing U.S.-Mexico border fence in Arizona

Federal police arrested Guadalupe Fernandez Valencia in February in Culiacan. Authorities have accused Valencia, known as "La Patrona," of being a financial operator for Sinaloa cartel leader Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman.

In October, authorities in Chihuahua captured Ana Marie Hernandez, known as "La Muneca." She fled Texas in 2013 after pleading guilty to charges that she smuggled drugs for the Juarez and Sinaloa cartels.

And, in September, authorities apprehended Melissa Margarita Calderon Ojeda, also known as "La China."

Ojeda is the alleged leader of the Damaso cell of Los Antrax, an enforcement arm of the Sinaloa cartel.

RELATED: More than 100 undocumented immigrants captured in Texas after crossing U.S.-Mexico border

Cartel members and associates have been known to flaunt their wealth and weapons on social media, sometimes leading to trouble with the law: Jose Rodrigo Arechiga-Gamboa  a high-ranking enforcer for the Sinaloa cartel known as "El Chino Antrax"  was arrested in the Netherlands on Dec. 30, 2013, after months of sharing his exploits online.

jfechter@mySA.com

Twitter: @JFreports
Uber is settling a discrimination suit by blind passengers with an agreement to carry the passengers guide dogs in their vehicles and to fire drivers who refuse, advocates for the blind said over the weekend.

The suit, filed by the National Federation of the Blind in September 2014, said many Uber drivers have refused to take passengers with dogs.

For example, the suit said, one Uber driver agreed by phone to take two passengers to a home in Menlo Park, but when he arrived and saw a guide dog, he shouted, No dogs, and sped away. Another driver locked a Sacramento passengers guide dog in the trunk, the suit said, and Uber tried to charge cancellation fees to some blind passengers after its drivers refused to transport them.

Uber denied discriminating and said it had a policy of accommodating passengers with disabilities. Uber also argued that, as a ride-hailing service that merely connects drivers and passengers, it wasnt covered by laws that require taxis and other transportation services to carry a disabled passengers service animal.

But a federal magistrate in San Francisco refused to dismiss the suit last year, leading to a settlement before the case was scheduled for trial. With court approval, it will be the first nationwide settlement of a disability suit against such a company, advocates said.

The agreement announced Saturday requires Uber to tell drivers about their obligation to carry guide dogs, the advocacy groups said. They said Uber will also be required to dismiss any driver who knowingly violates that policy a single time, or violates it for any reason more than once.

Uber will also pay the plaintiffs legal fees, in an amount yet to be determined.

Uber and similar services can be a great asset to the blind when they are fully and equally available to us, Mark Riccobono, president of the National Federation of the Blind, said in a statement.

Michael Hingson, one of the blind plaintiffs, said in a statement through his lawyers that he was looking forward to being able to use the Uber services when Uber makes the changes needed to fix its discrimination problem.

Larry Paradis, executive director of the nonprofit Disability Rights Advocates and a lawyer for the passengers, has said his organization is also negotiating with Ubers competitor, Lyft, without filing a suit. He said Lyft passengers have reported similar problems.

Robert Egelko is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: begelko@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @egelko
David Paul Morris/SFC

VACAVILLE (BCN)



One person was killed and a driver suffered life-threatening injuries early this morning after a crash on eastbound Interstate Highway 80 in Vacaville, according to the California Highway Patrol.



Around 5:30 a.m., CHP officers responded to a report of a crash on the highway, west of Lagoon Valley Road, according to CHP spokesman Officer Dave Harvey.



Officers determined a Honda Accord traveling in the highway's eastbound lanes struck a Jeep SUV that was stopped in the right-hand shoulder, Harvey said.



One person inside the SUV was killed, according to Harvey.



Two others inside the SUV suffered injuries and were taken to a hospital. The extent of their injuries was not immediately known.



The driver of the Honda suffered life-threatening injuries and was also taken to a hospital, Harvey said.



CHP officials are investigating the incident and suspect drugs or alcohol as a factor in the crash, according to Harvey.
















Top 100? In San Francisco and the Bay Area that barely covers the best of the best restaurants. This year's top 100 Restaurants magazine features all of Michael Bauer's reviews of the best restaurants across the Bay Area. This 21st edition includes 19 new restaurants as well as many of the great establishments Bay Area diners have loved for years. Each page features Michael's review as well as detailed information on the cuisine, specialties, seating, prices and other important data that help you choose the perfect venue for a romantic evening, a business dinner or a great Sunday brunch.



San Francisco Chronicle subscribers that receive the print edition will receive the Top 100 magazine as part of their subscription on Sunday, May 1st.
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Three decades after her first visit to Tokyo, ceramicist Rae Dunn made her way back to the city  and it was even more magical than she remembered. Weeks after her return home, earlier this year, the Emeryville artist is still on what she calls a Tokyo high.

There is a sense of rhythm to the city where everything just seems to flow naturally like a choreographed dance, she says. The people are very polite, gracious and generous. You ask for an inch, and they give you a mile.

Two fellow artists accompanied her on the recent trip  a creative reboot of sorts that she documented on Instagram (www.instagram.com/raedunnclay). Everything is impeccably designed and merchandised, right down to a simple pack of Kleenex or a stick of gum, she says.

Anh-Minh Le is a freelance writer. Email: travel@sfchronicle.com

Market report: The Oedo flea market is quite possibly my favorite flea market in the world. Everything is meticulously laid out and beautifully displayed in an orderly fashion. Youll find authentic Japanese tools, ceramics, papers, fabrics, housewares, objects  and I love the fantastic selection of boro textiles. Okyo International Forum, 3-5-1, Marunouchi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo.

Shop talk: Shed That Roared is a tiny store that sells canvas and leather bags, as well as aprons, that are all handmade in their even tinier atelier. The designs are simple and clean, and the attention to detail is phenomenal. www.raregem.co.jp/str

Good eats: Ame-Tsuchi, a petite seven-seat restaurant/sake bar, is enchanting and delightful. In a very intimate setting, the owner-chef cooked our group a nine-course meal right in front of us, serving a different sake with each course. Simply delicious, everything is fresh and seasonal. Reservations are a must. 1-35-7 Nakacho, Meguro 153-0065, Tokyo. www.ame-tsuchi.com





Fashion speak: Akira Minagawa is the designer behind Mina Perhonen, a fashion brand that is charming, colorful and has a magical avant-garde flair. We visited two of his three Tokyo stores and spent hours and hours in them. The more we looked, the more we saw, the more we wanted. www.mina-perhonen.jp

Material goods: In the headquarters and flagship store for Fog Linen Work, simple and elegant linen clothes and home products are designed and sold. The beautifully austere four-story building is airy, spacious and sparse. 5-35-1 Daita Setagaya Tokyo Japan 155-0033. www.foglinenwork.com

Artful excursion: Mashiko is a small pottery village just north of Tokyo and home to around 400 potters. The museum there, Mashiko Sankokan, is the former residence and workshop of master potter Shoji Hamada and is a must-see destination. 3388 Mashiko, Mashiko Town, Haga-gun, Tochigi. www.mashiko-sankokan.net

On the street: The five-intersection crosswalk called Shibuya Crossing is a unique Tokyo experience. All of the traffic lights turn red at the same time, and thousands of pedestrians cross the street from every direction in organized chaos, like an army of ants on a mission. This is famously known as the scramble and is truly a magnificent sight.
What if the worlds greatest magician and the creator of the worlds greatest literary detective teamed up to solve crimes? It didnt happen when Harry Houdini met Sir Arthur Conan Doyle in 1920, but it does happen in the new light drama Houdini and Doyle, premiering Monday, May 2, on Fox.

The series is set in 1901, some 19 years before the two actually met, but this isnt the History Channel (for that matter, the History Channel isnt much of a history channel). Houdini (Michael Weston, House) is in England, engaged in an ongoing but friendly debate with Doyle (Stephen Mangan, Episodes) about the veracity of spiritualism, faith healers, miracles and the like.

Although Doyle, as a physician, is a man of science, he believes in the supernatural, in part because he harbors hope that his wife, Touie (Louise Delamere, The Bible), whos in a coma and seemingly without hope of regaining her health, may be available for a chaw and a chat from time to time after she passes over.

Houdini delights in proving to Doyle how various paranormal events are faked. But no matter how indisputably Houdini debunks the paranormal, Doyles faith is unshakable.

Their ongoing debate is amusing, of course, but its also a version of the kind of repartee that fictional crime solvers often engage in. The only difference is that instead of poking fun at each other about doughnut consumption or a nonexistent love life, our two crime solvers tease each other about the supernatural.

The London coppers, especially Horace Merring (Tim McInnerny, Outlander) have little patience with a pair of civilians working with them, and Doyle and Houdini have better things to do themselves. But when a nun is murdered, apparently by the ghost of another nun, Doyle and Houdini have no choice but to get involved. However, they are required to have a real cop with them at all times. That would be Constable Adelaide Stratton (Rebecca Liddiard, Man Seeking Woman), who was previously relegated to an office in the basement and not allowed to do actual police work.

The mysteries at the respective centers of the two episodes made available to critics are engaging enough, but its the interplay among Doyle, Houdini and Stratton that holds our interest. Houdini, the brash Yankee (by way of Hungary) traveling with his mother, Doyle the unfailingly polite husband and father, trying to keep a stiff upper lip about his wifes prognosis for the sake of their two young children.

The 10-episode series was created by David Hoselton (House) and David Titcher (The Librarians) and is a U.S., Canadian and British co-production. Somewhere among the three countries, someone seems to have dropped the authenticity ball because the sets look like sets, rather than the gritty, rain-soaked streets of London at the turn of the 20th century. Whats more, youd swear modern cleaning methods must have been invented, given how nice and crisp all the costumes seem to be.

Were willing to suspend disbelief on these scores, as well as overlook historical revisionism about when our protagonists really met, because Houdini and Doyle is a pleasantly entertaining counterbalance to Foxs darker Monday night drama, Gotham.

David Wiegand is the TV critic and an assistant managing editor of The San Francisco Chronicle staff. Follow me on Facebook. Email: dwiegand@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @WaitWhat_TV

Houdini and Doyle: Drama. Premieres 9 p.m. Monday, May 2, on Fox.
ANKARA, Turkey  A car bomb struck the entrance of a Turkish police station Sunday in the southern city of Gaziantep, killing two police officers and wounding 22 other people, according to the state-run Anadolu Agency.

Four civilians were among those injured in the explosion, according to Gov. Ali Yerlikaya of Gaziantep province. The blast shattered the windows of nearby buildings.

The police station is close to offices for the governor and mayor. Gaziantep is also home to the offices of international aid organizations focused on the conflict in neighboring Syria.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack. A Turkish interior ministry official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said investigations were ongoing.

Turkey has suffered multiple bombings in recent months linked either to Kurdish militants or the Islamic State group.

Speaking in Ankara, the Turkish capital, Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu expressed his condolences and wished a speedy recovery to those wounded in the heinous terrorist attack.

Police in Ankara, meanwhile, carried out anti-terror operations overnight and detained four suspected Islamic State members allegedly planning to attack May Day demonstrators, the Anadolu Agency reported.

In Istanbul, police imposed tight security measures and used water cannons and tear gas on May Day demonstrators who sought to rally in non-designated areas. One man died after being run over by a water cannon vehicle, according to local media.

Turkey, which is facing both growing blowback from the conflict in Syria and renewed conflict with Kurdish militants, has seen a rise of deadly attacks across the country. In the past year, more than 200 people have been killed in six major bombings.

In a separate incident Sunday, eight people were wounded after four rockets hit Kilis, another town near the Syrian border, the Anadolu Agency reported. Three Syrians were among the injured.

The news agency said the Turkish military retaliated by firing at Islamic State targets across the border in Syria, killing nine militants.
MANILA  Abu Sayyaf militants have freed 10 Indonesian crewmen who were seized at sea in March in the first of three attacks on tugboats that have sparked a maritime security alarm, officials said Sunday.

The Indonesians appeared to be in good health when they were dropped off Sunday at the house of Sulu provinces governor in the town of Jolo, said the towns police chief, Junpikar Sitin. The 10 men were then brought to a Philippine military camp and arrangements were under way to turn them over to Indonesian officials.

Jolos mayor, Hussin Amin, welcomed the release of the Indonesians, but said he did not know whether a ransom had been paid.

If this big release came in exchange for money, those who paid are supporting the Abu Sayyaf, he said. This money will be used to buy more firearms and will be utilized as mobilization funds by these criminals.

Indonesian President Joko Jokowi Widodo thanked the Philippines and the many parties in Indonesia who cooperated to secure the release of the hostages.

At a televised news conference at a presidential palace in the West Java province city of Bogor, Jokowi said the government was continuing to work for the release of four other Indonesians who were taken hostage by suspected Abu Sayyaf militants in a separate incident last month.

A Philippine army officer who has been helping to deal with kidnappings by the Abu Sayyaf said a rebel commander from the Moro National Liberation Front, which has signed a peace deal with the Philippine government, helped negotiate with the Abu Sayyaf for the release of the 10 Indonesians.

After the Indonesians were kidnapped at sea in March, suspected Abu Sayyaf militants separately attacked two other tugboats and snatched four Indonesians and four Malaysians who are believed to have also been brought by speedboats to the militants jungle bases in Sulu, a predominantly Muslim province about 600 miles south of Manila.

Alarmed by the successive attacks, Indonesias Jokowi said last week that his government would host talks with Malaysia and the Philippines to boost security in waters bordering the three countries.

Abu Sayyaf gunmen beheaded a Canadian hostage in Sulu last Monday after they failed to receive a huge ransom.

Philippine troops launched an offensive against the Abu Sayyaf after the beheading, and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has vowed to help the Philippines bring the killers to justice.

More than a dozen foreign and local hostages remain in the hands of the Abu Sayyaf, including another Canadian and a Norwegian who were kidnapped last September, and a Dutch citizen who was kidnapped more than three years ago.
1 Iran election: Iranian moderates and reformists who support President Hassan Rouhani and last years landmark nuclear deal have failed to secure a majority after parliamentary runoff elections but the bloc will retain the highest number of seats, followed by hard-liners and independents. State TV announced the results for the remaining 68 contested seats on Saturday, the day after the runoff was held. The new assembly, which will convene next month, will be far friendlier to Rouhani, but his supporters will have to ally with independents  whose views vary depending on the issue  to push through legislation. Thirty-seven seats were won by moderates or reformists in the runoff. The bloc needed to win 40 for an outright majority in the 290-seat chamber.

2 Helicopter crash: Emergency crews pulled the wrecked fuselage of an Airbus EC-225 helicopter out of the sea Saturday off western Norway after a crash that killed all 13 people on board. As aviation experts searched for answers about Fridays crash, a somber Prime Minister Erna Solberg, Norwegian Crown Prince Haakon and Crown Princess Mette-Marit met with the victims relatives in the western city of Bergen. The helicopter was carrying workers from an offshore oil rig in the North Sea before it went down on Turoey, a small island outside Bergen.
Silver Fern Farms, New Zealand's largest meat processor, will hold a special meeting of shareholders on its planned tie up with Chinas Shanghai Maling Aquarius, despite saying it "is of no benefit" and risks being "disruptive" to the deal.

The meeting will be called after Silver Fern received a request from some of its farmer shareholders.

The Dunedin-based meat processor is preparing for the meeting in accordance with the Companies Act and the company's constitution after receiving a request from John Shrimpton and Blair Gallagher, representing a group of 80 shareholders, it said in a statement.A meeting between the board and Shrimpton scheduled for today was cancelled by Shrimpton late last week.

Silver Fern received approval in October from shareholders for the partnership with Shanghai Maling, which it expects will allow it to pay off debt and provide it with funds to upgrade plants and pursue its strategy of selling more, higher value branded products. Shrimpton believes the proposed deal wasn't properly approved by shareholders and has asked for the meeting to allow shareholders to reconsider it, the company said.

"The board considers that convening a meeting along the lines requisitioned is of no benefit to the company or its shareholders and is not an effective use of the companys management and financial resources," Silver Ferns said in its statement. "It risks being disruptive to satisfaction of the remaining conditions to the investment by Shanghai Maling, to the relationship with Shanghai Maling, and ultimately to the company itself, our shareholders and shareholder value."

The Overseas Investment Office is assessing the application from Shanghai Maling which it received in October and expects to make a decision ahead of Shanghai Malings June 30 deadline.

The deal involves Shanghai Maling Aquarius, a unit of China's state-owned Bright Food Group, taking 50 percent ownership of the meat processor in return for $261 million of cash, a special dividend, and funds to bankroll the cooperative for seven years.

The New Zealand First party has been campaigning against the move, claiming last week that there was a shareholder revolt against the sale. The party last month lodged complaints about the proposed sale with the Financial Markets Authority and the Companies Office's Registries Integrity and Enforcement Team, claiming the meat processor had provided shareholders with misleading information on the state of the companys accounts and that the notice of meeting was structured so the deal was not deemed a significant transaction, lowering the level of shareholder support needed for it to be approved.

Silver Fern said it believed the investment by Shanghai Maling was approved by shareholders in compliance with all relevant laws, regulations and the company's constitution and it's legally bound to complete the investment once remaining conditions are satisfied.

The restructure of the company has already been completed and the only substantive step remaining once conditions are satisfied is for new shares to be issued, it said.

BusinessDesk.co.nz

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STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- A 21-year-old man and a teen were arrested for allegedly breaking into a house in Mariners Harbor and stealing jewelry, an NYPD spokesman said.

A teenager and a 21-year-old man were arrested for allegedly breaking into a house in Mariners Harbor and stealing jewelry, an NYPD spokesman said.

Bilal Curry, 21, of Holland Avenue, is facing felony burglary charges in connection with the April 11 incident, police said.

The identity of the 15-year-old boy is being withheld because he is a minor.

According to police, Curry, the teen and a third person who police have not yet apprehended, allegedly broke into a house near Northfield Avenue and Martineau Street at around 4 p.m., removing jewelry from a bedroom, police said.

The suspects were recorded on the victim's home surveillance system, police said.

Curry and the 15-year-old were arrested Friday and each charged with two counts of burglary and criminal mischief, court records show.

They were scheduled to be arraigned Saturday in Criminal Court in St. George.
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. - It's the first Sunday of May, and that means it's the day that New York City turns over its roads to cyclists as part of the 39th annual TD Five Boro Bike Tour -- a 40-mile ride that winds its way through each of the boroughs, ending on Staten Island.

Here is a rundown of information both cyclists and motorists will want to know for traveling around Staten Island on Sunday.

STREET CLOSURES

The Staten Island roads listed below will be closed to car traffic from 7:45 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. on Sunday:

Bay Street, between New York Avenue and Hylan Boulevard

Hylan Boulevard, between Bay Street and Edgewater Street

Edgewater Street, after it becomes Front Street

Hannah Street, between Front Street and Bay Street

Bay Street, between Hannah Street and Richmond Terrace

VERRAZANO BRIDGE

The Staten Island-bound lower level of the Verrazano Bridge will be closed from 2 a.m. to 6 p.m. The upper level of the bridge will remain open in both directions.

STATEN ISLAND FERRY

There is no charge to ride the State Island Ferry, and boats depart every half hour on weekends. The trip is about 25 minutes long.

Bike New York, the nonprofit behind the event, states on its website that expanded Sunday morning Staten Island Ferry service is being provided to ensure that those cyclists traveling from Staten Island arrive in Lower Manhattan on time.

For those driving to Staten Island before getting on the ferry, be aware that, due to construction, parking is limited near the St. George Terminal. Bike New York offers parking tips on its website.

The event route begins in Lower Manhattan, heads north through Central Park, and continues to Harlem and the Bronx before returning south along the East River on the FDR Drive. Cyclists then cross into Queens, and from there into Brooklyn, riding over the Verrazano Bridge and onto Staten Island. The event ends with a festival at Fort Wadsworth.

SHARE YOUR PHOTOS

If you're participating in the Bike Tour, or watching the participants buzz by, snap some photos -- and share them with our readers. Do so by tagging your images on Instagram and/or Twitter with the #SILive hashtag.
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- A development company has filed plans with the city Department of Buildings to construct a five-story building on Prospect Street in Stapleton with first-floor retail space and community facilities and 44 upscale apartments, many with terraces, above.

The proposed project -- with parking for 33 cars -- can be built as-of-right under the existing C4-2 commercial zoning.

"The neighborhood is going to gentrify," said Ahron Kirzner, one of the partners in Prospect JV Developments LLC.

"We're also counting on the fast ferry coming to Stapleton, down the road," he added.

New construction is already underway at Lighthouse Point on the St. George waterfront, where the Triangle Equities mixed-use project includes a 12-story residential tower with some 116 rental units, 20 percent of them designated as permanently affordable housing for New Yorkers earning 60 percent or less of the area median income.

The Prospect Street project in Stapleton is more modest in size, with 44 rental units. Upscale one- and two-bedroom apartments are planned, and no studios, developer Kirzner told SILive.com.

The project involves merging three separate tax lots into one lot, and tear-downs of the vacant homes at 84 and 86 Prospect Street.

"We can offer terraces and nice-sized apartments," Kirzner said, predicting that the units will be priced "about 15 percent lower than those now renting at URBY, the 900-unit residential complex nearby on the Front Street waterfront that includes 35,000 square feet of ground-floor retail space.

The application to build the five-story building -- filed last month -- has been assigned to a DOB plan examiner, an agency spokesperson told SILive.com.

It could take up to six months to get the Prospect Street project plans approved, said Kirzner.

Last month, an historic home on residential Van Duzer Street in Stapleton was torn down by a developer.
2016 SkS Weekly Digest #18

Posted on 1 May 2016 by John Hartz

SkS Highlights... El Nino to La Nina... Toon of the Week... Quote of the Week... He Said What?... SkS in the News... SkS Spotlights... Coming Soon on SkS... Poster of the Week... SkS Week in Review... 97 Hours of Consensus...

SkS Highlights

Can the Republican Party solve its science denial problem? by Dana Nuccitelli garnered the highest number of comments among the articles posted on SkS during the past week. The article was originally posted on the Climate Consensus - the 97% Guardian blog maintained by Nuccitelli and John Abraham where it generated a lengthy and quite contentious comment thread. Click here to access the Guardian article and comment thread.

El Nino to La Nina

Withering drought and sizzling temperatures from El Nino have caused food and water shortages and ravaged farming across Asia, and experts warn of a double-whammy of possible flooding from its sibling, La Nina.

The current El Nino which began last year has been one of the strongest ever, leaving the Mekong River at its lowest level in decades, causing food-related unrest in the Philippines, and smothering vast regions in a months-long heat wave often topping 40 degrees Celsius (104 Fahrenheit).

Economic losses in Southeast Asia could top $10 billion, IHS Global Insight told AFP.

The regional fever is expected to break by mid-year but fears are growing that an equally forceful La Nina will follow.

That could bring heavy rain to an already flood-prone region, exacerbating agricultural damage and leaving crops vulnerable to disease and pests.

El Nino dries up Asia as its stormy sister La Nina looms by Satish Cheney, Phys.org, Apr 29, 2016

Toon of the Week

Hat tip to I Heart Climate Scientists

Quote of the Week

"Loss of oxygen in the oceans is one of the serious side effects of a warming atmosphere, and a major threat to marine life," said Matthew Long*, who is the lead author of the study. "Since oxygen concentrations in the ocean naturally vary depending on variations in winds and temperature at the surface, it's been challenging to attribute any de-oxygenation to climate change. This new study tells us when we can expect the effect from climate change to overwhelm the natural variability."

*National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR)

It May Soon Be Too Late to Save the Seas by Jeff Nesbit, Climate/US News & World Report, Apr 27, 2016

He Said What?

The coal industry is being destroyed, he* says. And its scary to me because electricity is a staple of life  like potatoes were to the Irish. And Obama has largely destroyed reliable, low-cost, affordable electricity in America.

*Robert E. Murray, chairman of the Murray Energy Corporation

A Crusader in the Coal Mine, Taking On President Obama by Jad Mouawad, Energy & Environment, New York Times, Apr 30, 2016

SkS in the News

Consensus on consensus: a synthesis of consensus estimates on human-caused global warming , Cook et al, Environmental Research LettersVolume 11, Number 4, Apr 13, 2016 has generated a slew of articles in the media and blogosphere. A list of those articles will be published as SkS News Bulletin #1 later this week.

SkS Spotlights

The Carbon Pricing Leadership Coalition brings together leaders from across government, the private sector and civil society to share experience working with carbon pricing and to expand the evidence base for the most effective carbon pricing systems and policies.

The Coalition is a voluntary partnership of national and sub-national governments, businesses, and civil society organizations that agree to advance the carbon pricing agenda by working with each other towards the long-term objective of a carbon price applied throughout the global economy by:

strengthening carbon pricing policies to redirect investment commensurate with the scale of the climate challenge;

bringing forward and strengthening the implementation of existing carbon pricing policies to better manage investment risks and opportunities; and

enhancing cooperation to share information, expertise and lessons learned on developing and implementing carbon pricing through various "readiness" platforms

The Coalition will collect the evidence base, benefiting from experience around the world in designing and using carbon pricing, and use this input to help inform successful carbon pricing policy development and use of carbon pricing in businesses. It will also deepen understanding of the business and economic case for carbon pricing. In that role, it is developing pathways for use by companies, investors and governments that will illustrate plausible outlooks under a variety of carbon pricing policies and timelines. Finally, the coalition will work to bring together government and business in leadership dialogues that identify and address the most pressing issues, and in doing so, accelerate the use of carbon pricing around the world.

Coming Soon on SkS

Peabody coal's contrarian scientist witnesses lose their court case (John Abraham)

(John Abraham) Handy resources when facing a firehose of falsehoods (Baerbel)

(Baerbel) Scientists are figuring out the keys to convincing people about global warming (Dana)

(Dana) Consensus on Consensus (AndyS)

(AndyS) Deep sea microbes may be key to oceans climate change feedback (Howard Lee)

(Howard Lee) 2016 SkS Weekly News Roundup #19 (John Hartz)

(John Hartz) 2016 SkS Weekly Digest #19 (John Hartz)

Poster of the Week

SkS Week in Review

97 Hours of Consensus: Myles Allen

Myles Allen's bio page & Quote source
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Despite a late-week trend of cold, muggy weather in the Carlisle area, local runners and walkers arrived in full force for the 5th annual Race Against Racism 5k at the YWCA of Carlisle.

The race, which started and finished at 301 G St., was one of several YWCA-hosted events held throughout South Central Pennsylvania  a collective initiative supporting efforts to end racism in the region.

This event is an opportunity to engage the community in not only the healthy aspect of doing a 5k walk and run, but more importantly about the message of taking a stand against racism, said Carlisle YWCA Executive Director Robin Scaer. We are very much about helping others understand that we really need to advocate for the underserved community and the individuals who dont have the same opportunities as the majority of the community.

This year, the race attracted 203 competitors. Carlisle YWCA Fund Development Director Trisha Grace saw this strong turnout as a reflection of the communitys support of the races message.

I think that this is a really fantastic showing, especially with the weather we have had over the last few days, Grace said. (The race) attracts a wide spectrum of the community to get together about the fact that race still matters in our community. I think that is the most attractive and appealing thing about this event.

The event, partnered with local Go Girls Go clubs, also welcomed around 40 girls learning about running and participating in the race.

We have two things going here today  both of our missions: eliminating racism and empowering women and girls, Scaer said. So it is really one of our hallmark events.

Chris Wasko of Middlsex Township was the first male finisher and overall winner of the race, finishing in an unofficial time of 20:03. The first finishing woman was Michelle Bollinger, with a time of 20:25.

It feels fantastic (to participate), Wasko said. It is a great race for a great cause. It is always nice to support the nonprofits in the area who do so much for the community  especially the YWCA and YMCA.
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Liberal Senators Sean Edwards and Dean Smith have broken party ranks to back superannuation tax reform, improved parental leave, and other measures to reduce the number of women retiring in poverty.

On average Australian women retire with half as much super as men.

As previously flagged, the final report from a Senate Inquiry into women's economic security in retirement released on Friday found the single biggest driver of the super gender gap is women's lower average lifetime earnings.

It also found the super gender gap is forecast to narrow very little over the next 40 years. This is due to a continued over representation of women in low-paid, casual or part-time jobs, and their increased likelihood of taking a career break to care for children.
The owner of a Sydney 7-Eleven has been fined more than $200,000 after a court found he short-changed two migrant employees almost $50,000 and falsified records.

Harmandeep Singh Sarkaria, who owns and operates the Blacktown 7-Eleven fuel outlet, underpaid two Pakistani staff $49,426 and routinely made false entries to the head office payroll system about the number of hours they had worked, the Fair Work Ombudsman found.

One of the workers was underpaid a total of $43,633 in the two years to March 2014. The ombudsman found the two workers were often paid the equivalent of $10 an hour, instead of the legal wage of $22 an hour and up to $29.27 an hour on weekends.

Mr Sarkaria made false entries to 7-Eleven's payroll system that gave the impression the employees had only worked 10 hours a week when they had in fact worked significantly more. He also gave Fair Work investigating the underpayments false time and wage sheets.
She'd had enough of the 24/7 work, not seeing her two young sons, even missing her grandmother's funeral.

But when we talked this week, she was still jetlagged after pulling the plug on all of it, putting her family on a plane and jetting home.

Johnson, 33, climbed the ladder of Big Law until she reached a pretty sweet place, making $540,000 ($US400,000) a year at Squire Patton Boggs and slaying legal dragons as a senior associate in its Qatar office. She specialized in international disputes.

But more important, she'd had enough of being one of the few women in the upper ranks of her white-shoe law firm. She'd had enough of hitting or exceeding all her targets and being told she didn't need a bonus. She'd had enough of being told she had to work harder after advising on a case in between contractions as she was in labor.

"I encountered blatant gender discrimination, sexual harassment, and a very clear glass ceiling," Johnson wrote in a Reddit post that started out being about her new idea -- creating a boy version of the American Girl dolls, called Boy Story -- but quickly became about her experience as a woman in a huge law firm.

"Having a baby apparently makes you worth less as a lawyer," she said.

Her former law firm didn't see it that way. Angelo Kakolyris, a spokesman for Squire Patton Boggs, said in an email that 13 of the 29 lawyers promoted to partner globally this year were women. He added that during the period when Johnson was in Doha, there were four partners in the office, two of whom were women. Throughout the firm's Middle East practice, he said, one woman made partner the year she was on maternity leave; another was made partner the year after she was on maternity.

"We were disappointed to see the comments made by Ms. Johnson and strongly disagree with these comments, particularly with her assessment of the firm's policies toward women," he said. "We are committed to a firm culture that promotes full and equal participation, advancement and retention of women."
HARRISBURG  A solid majority of Pennsylvania Republicans elected as delegates to the GOP's presidential nominating convention in Cleveland say they intend to vote for the candidate who won a thumping primary victory in their state  Donald Trump.

The ballot didn't tell voters which candidate the delegates support, and the 54 people who were elected can vote for whomever they want. It's an unusual system that raised the prospect that the Pennsylvania contingent could be decisive in depriving Trump of the nomination by scattering to his rivals despite his victory in the state.

That appears unlikely.

A canvass of the winners by The Associated Press after Tuesday's primary found that 40 of the 54 intend to vote for Trump, propelling him closer to the support he needs to win the nomination on the first vote at the convention in July.

About two-thirds of those 40 were Trump supporters from the start; the rest said they would support him because he won their congressional district. Four are expected to vote for Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, nine are uncommitted and one is waiting for a final tally in her congressional district.

Several Trump supporters reported getting significant logistical help from Trump's team during their own campaign to become delegates. Trump took 57 percent of the Republican vote statewide and won all 67 counties, and the strength of that performance also has delegates committing to him.

"On all ballots, I will vote for Donald Trump," said James Klein, a delegate-elect from central Pennsylvania. "It's Trump or consequences, Donald or the door."

What some of the other 53 elected delegates had to say:

FIRMLY UNCOMMITTED

Mary Ann Meloy ran as an uncommitted delegate and plans to remain that way for now. The Pittsburgh resident says the state's rules were drawn up to give her latitude to take into account events leading to the convention, including Trump's considerable support in western Pennsylvania.

"There are just so many things that can happen in this world between now and July when we take that first vote," said Meloy, a semi-retired public affairs consultant who has held several appointed posts in state and federal government. "I really prefer to wait."

"Truly uncommitted" delegate Gordon Denlinger, a former state lawmaker who is now a managing partner of a venture capital firm, said he'll give great weight to how his district in the heart of Amish country voted  Trump won it with 44 percent.

But he's also weighing factors such as electability, leadership and adherence to conservative principles

NOT GOING TO SWITCH

Wayne Buckwalter ran for delegate on a promise to vote for Trump, and he said he'll stick with that candidate no matter what.

He said the Trump campaign's organization impressed him from its first contact in November, providing advice and help circulating petitions and printed matter to hand out at the polls.

"I've been saying for months I will vote for Trump in the first through the last ballot," said Buckwalter, an estate and trusts lawyer from suburban Philadelphia.

"The way the Pennsylvania system goes, the only thing people are bound by is their morality," he said. Will he ever switch from Trump? "Never."

THE PEOPLE HAVE SPOKEN

Scott Uehlinger, a retired CIA operations officer and retired naval officer, did not emphasize his support for Trump during the campaign, instead promising to cast his vote however his district voted. Like the rest of Pennsylvania, his district went for Trump.

"The people's choice was Trump, and I have no problem with it," said Uehlinger, who lives near Allentown in eastern Pennsylvania.

THE INEVITABLE WINNER

Jim Vasilko, a construction company owner in Johnstown, likes Trump's views on trade and immigration, and ran as a delegate committed to vote for Trump at the convention. Vasilko has a hard time envisioning a contested convention.

"The way I look at it is, he is ahead by millions of votes and hundreds of delegates and to sit there and try to deny him the nomination is just asinine," Vasilko said. Trump "says out loud what the rest of us feel."

CRUZ OVERTURES

Delegate-elect Rick Morelli has been called a couple of times recently by the Cruz campaign  including by the candidate's wife, Heidi  "asking a couple questions, stating the fact that their campaign would like to stay in touch."

The software salesman from Sugarloaf in northeastern Pennsylvania believes "there will be shenanigans" from those who want to nominate others, but that won't sway him from supporting Trump "the whole way through."

THE OTHER 17

Pennsylvania will also send 17 other people to the convention who will be bound to vote for Trump, as the statewide winner, on the first ballot.
Horace Ward was his high school valedictorian, graduated with honors from Morehouse College in Atlanta in only three years and earned a master's degree from Atlanta University. But when he applied to the University of Georgia's law school in 1951, he was reflexively rejected because of his race, his qualifications notwithstanding.

With the support of Thurgood Marshall and others, Ward later sued, challenging the university's policy of racial exclusion. The suit was eventually dismissed as moot by then he had gone to another law school, outside Georgia but it laid the groundwork for the university's desegregation a decade later.

Judge Horace Ward.

After graduating from Northwestern University's law school, in 1979 he was named Georgia's first black federal judge. His swearing-in took place in the same courtroom where his lawsuit seeking admission to the university had been thrown out.

Ward, 88, died Saturday in Atlanta. His death was confirmed by the University of Georgia, which awarded him an honorary law degree two years ago. Sharon Lane, his former legal assistant, said the cause was heart failure.
The High Court will hear a challenge on Monday and Tuesday to Australia's new rules for electing senators. If the case succeeds, it will have the impact of a sledgehammer on the 2016 election. Planning for a July 2 poll would need to be set aside, and the government forced to think again about Senate voting.

Under the prior system of electing senators, voters marking their ballot paper above the line were only allowed to indicate their support for one party. That party then controlled how the voter's preferences were distributed. Backroom deals meant that a person could end up electing someone they had never dreamed of supporting.

The new system changes this by asking voters to indicate a preference for at least six parties. Preferences are then allocated accordingly, producing a vote that reflects the genuine choices of the voter.

Optional preferential voting for individual candidates below the line has also been introduced. Previously, a voter wishing to indicate a preference for candidates, rather than political parties, had to order every single candidate. This could involve numbering more than 100 boxes, and not surprisingly almost no one did this. Now, voters can indicate a preference for candidates by numbering 12 boxes or more.
You might recall that the Papua New Guinea supreme court ruled last week that the detention centre the Rudd government opened on Manus Island was unconstitutional and illegal. It's not as though this was new information - PNG PM Peter O'Neill had explicitly declared his intention to have the camp closed during his official Australian visit in March - but for some reason the government appear to have assumed he was kidding, or that they'd be able to shut the struggling country up with more funding to keep the place open if they started making any serious noises about it. In any case, they were evidently surprised as all get out when the ruling came down, because there's still no clear plan for what's happening to the 850 men currently detained on Manus. And you could ask the detainees themselves, except that the camp was put on lockdown and authorities confiscated their phones. You know, as people do when they're definitely doing the right thing. Immigration Minister Peter Dutton had a car wreck of an interview with Karl Stefanovic in which he assured viewers that the government had been expecting this outcome "since late last year" before revealing that yeah, he had no idea what to do about it.

Since then he's confirmed that Christmas Island (which, technically, is part of Australia) is off the table, among a bunch of other options that don't exist. Duffer's List of Non-Options So far Dutton's suggested that refugees would be able to settle in PNG except that the PNG government has already ruled that out, since the cost of settling already-unwanted people was O'Neill's main reason for wanting the camp closed in the first place. He also suggested that the refugees would be able to return to their home country which, if they've been found to be refugees, Australia can't legally allow since that would be considered refoulement. It's a massive breach of international law to send people who've fled a country back when a government is well aware that those people will face persecution for doing so although, admittedly, that hasn't stopped us before. Isn't that right, Sri Lanka? Duffer also floated that the Manus Island refugees could be resettled in a "third country". The problem is that this isn't an option that exists, since the disaster that was the government's $55 million deal with Cambodia that resulted in the dubious resettlement of two people before Cambodia went "thanks for the money, bye!").

In other words, there are two options. One: they come to Australia, which Dutton and Turnbull have insisted they won't do since we can't be "misty eyed" about things like human lives. Two: the only actual option: send them to Australia's detention centre on Nauru. And why might the government be reticent to not talk too much about that particular horrorscape at the moment? The N Word

The Australian government has made clear that what happens on Nauru is a matter for the local government, and the local government has made clear that what happens to refugees is of no interest to them. We've already seen victims of rape ignored - indeed, threatened with being charged for "making false complaint" - and Australia's duty of care hasn't even involved taking their own medicos seriously, as when they chose to ignore advice to bring one victim of rape to Australia for treatment in a case which is currently before the Federal Court. Meanwhile gay refugees are being beaten without any official intervention since homosexuality is illegal on Nauru, and the government of President Baron Waqa is considered so corrupt that the NZ government has just suspended funding for the Nauru judicial system since the government is no longer bound by the rule of law. And what treatment is available for refugees who self-harm? Why, they're fined for attempting suicide So it's hard to interpret everything above as saying anything other than that Australia have washed their hands of the people trapped on Nauru, and that the Nauru government has zero interest in their wellbeing beyond the money that Australia spends on preventing them from leaving.

And, as of Friday, a man is dead. The man, known officially only as Omid because giving him a full name might make him seem like a fully formed human being, was married and 23 years old. He set himself alight during a visit to Nauru by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. He was treated in the inadequate facilities on Nauru for a day, before being belatedly flown to Brisbane where he died in hospital. This is what our government is doing to people. This is how we deal with the question "what's Australia's responsibility to people seeking safety?" What we could do instead

And there's a solution. It's complicated and messy and will involve other nations, but there's a solution. In the short term it involves stopping attempting to bribe failed states to take people for whom we don't want to take responsibility, and bringing asylum seekers to Australia where - at the very, very least - we can be certain they are protected by the rule of law. In the longer term, it would require changing the conditions for claiming asylum so that people can ask for our help without making a dangerous sea voyage. And that should be doable since both sides of politics are definitely, honestly so very, very determined to stop deaths at sea and are not just using feigned concern about drownings as an excuse to make people who come by boat ineligible for protection - right? It would require us to create a regional solution for displacement, sort of exactly like the one that's already in place (the Bali Process) which Australia has done little-to-nothing to support over the last decade beyond using it's anti-people smuggling aspects as a legally-flimsy justification for turnbacks.
This is the 13th superhero film in eight years set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, that fantastical screen realm where comic books are converted into bountiful currency.

That's an awful lot of square-jawed heroes (a heroine, Captain Marvel, isn't due until 2019), ground-shaking battles and self-satisfied wisecracks from Robert Downey jnr's billionaire in a battle suit, Tony Stark/Iron Man.

Superheroes get down to business with multiple thrilling dust-ups in Captain America: Civil War. Credit:Marvel

But just as this tangle of franchises has started to stagnate, thanks to the slightness of last year's Avengers: Age of Ultron and that Thor sequel no-one can remember anything about, Anthony and Joe Russo's first-rate feature provides invigorating action and genuine contemplation.

Captain America: Civil War is an engaging superhero movie that actually ponders the human cost of doing all that cool stuff.
The awful truth about Florence Foster Jenkins doesn't fully emerge until we're well into Stephen Frears' exuberant if predictable bio-pic.

We've experienced Florence's musical evenings with their extravagant tableaux vivants. Naturally, she stars in these, kitted out in horns and ropey wig as the Valkyries' head girl, or hovering ominously above the stage with fluffy white wings as the Angel of Inspiration.

Florence Foster Jenkins (Meryl Streep) and St Clair Bayfield (Hugh Grant) in a scene from the movie Florence Foster Jenkins.

We've also been treated to her unshakeable Pollyana-ism, which bathes her world in sweetness and light, and we just about comprehend the loving but unorthodox relationship between her and her unfaithful husband, St Clair Bayfield (Hugh Grant). But we haven't heard her sing  or rather, try to sing, exhibiting an uncanny talent for hitting the ear right where it hurts most.

It's a role made for Meryl Streep, who dons a fat suit, along with a glazed, ecstatic air. You fancy that she dare not let her gaze deviate from all that's best in life lest she be overwhelmed by the unpalatable reality lurking just out of sight. Her speaking voice is a histrionic warble, as if she's always trying to project straight to the back of the hall.

This is the second  and broadest  of two films about Florence, an American heiress who died in 1944 after using her wealth and influence over artistic New York to stage a series of self-financed recitals.
A ban on mobile phones, flowers that take 12 months to plan and canapes that avoid parsley, for fear it gets stuck in guests' teeth ... No, this isn't a list of the most demanding oligarch bride before her wedding, but rather the directives of American Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour to the team she counts on to create the most fashionable party of the year.

The annual Met Gala, held every May and this year on May 2, sees the world's most important celebrities, models, socialites and designers descend on New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art for what has become known as the Oscars of the fashion world. The careful negotiations involved in dressing VIPs for the red carpet are notorious (Wintour famously once vetoed Madonna's outfit because it bared her nipples), but the exact nature of the meticulous behind-the-scenes preparations has been a mystery.

Rihanna captured by the cameras in The First Monday in May. Credit:Madman

Until now. A film directed by Andrew Rossi, The First Monday in May, which opens in Australia on May 12, will show for the first time how Wintour curates everything from the table-and-chair configurations to the aesthetic of the canapes  even rolling up her Chanel sleeves to pick up litter mere minutes before the ball starts.

Wintour is as exacting about the food as she is her staff's commitment to the $A17 million party, according to the New York Post, which spoke to caterers and organisers familiar with the Met Gala. She's banished bruschetta from the menu for fear of crumbs landing on a dress. Meanwhile, Stephanie Winston Wolkoff, head of events at Vogue until 2009, says she split the stitches from her caesarean section after having to return to work soon after the birth of her daughter to finish the frenzied preparations.
FOOTAGE FETISHIST: ERICH VON STROHEIM "TOTAL FILM-MAKER"www.melbournecinematheque.orgAustralian Centre for the Moving Image, Wednesday 4 May.

Even as World War I drenched Europe's fields, Erich von Stroheim was already in Hollywood, the Viennese son of a Jewish merchant (the von was a fictional addition) playing a Prussian army officer in 1917's Old France. The aristocratic martinet became an archetypal role of sorts for von Stroheim, and when his directing career was cut short at the end of the silent movie era he continued to play it for other directors, most notably in Jean Renoir's 1937 humanist classic Le Grande Illusion (4 and a  stars, G, 114 minutes). An acquaintance is forged between two refined WWI aviators, the German fighter pilot von Rauffenstein (von Stroheim) and his French conquest de Boeldieu (Pierre Fresnay) based on mutual respect and standing, but even as the men discover bonds that transcend the conflict, duty and ritual demand that they must confront each other at the prison camp where both, in different ways, are held captive by roles they must play out to their unnecessary ends.

Eric Von Stroheim in "La Grand Illusion".

HUMAN RIGHTS ARTS & FILM FESTIVAL

www.hraff.org.au

Australian Centre for the Moving Image, Thursday 5 to Thursday 19 May.

The wide-ranging screen program for this year's Human Rights Arts & Film Festival includes several strong short film strands. The titles grouped under Love + Intimacy include Benjamin Cleary's Stutterer (4 stars, 18+, 13 minutes), the recent Academy Award-winner for Best Live Action Short Film which reaches with great empathy into the life of a severe stutterer. Greenwood (Matthew Needham), faced with meeting an online friend, reveals multiple ages of communication  Greenwood is a typographer  and their vital human breadth. In the War + Conflict selection look for Swedish director Nils Bergendal's German Shepherd (, 18+, 10 minutes), a beautifully hand-crafted animated memoir about David Paul, a child of Jewish refugees from Poland who challenged his mother's enmity towards Germans by becoming a regular visitor to Berlin and building friendships there. Pessimistic about human nature, Paul brings genuine self-discovery to his obsession with the Holocaust.
COMMUNITY Charity organisation Actors Benevolent Fund puts on The Gab, a fundraising night featuring stories of showbiz shenanigans and backstage antics from luminaries such as Helen Dallimore, Jonathan Biggins, Mary Coustas, Ray Martin, Simon Burke and Simon Tedeschi. 7.30pm, Belvoir, 25 Belvoir Street, Surry Hills, $25, facebook.com/actors.benevolentfund. Think pink for the Mother's Day Classic fun run and walk. MUSIC Hear the soaring vocals of Katie Noonan as performed with British ensemble Brodsky Quartet as they bring to life the words of Australian poet Judith Wright for With Love and Fury. The program includes compositions from Noonan, Carl Vine, Iain Grandage and Richard Tognetti. 7.30pm, City Recital Hall, 2 Angel Place, city, $65, cityrecitalhall.com.

Vocalist Katie Noonan performs with the Brodsky Quartet. Tuesday May 3 FILM Animal lovers can get up close and personal to creatures great and small with David Attenborough's Virtual Reality (until July 18), two natural-history documentaries designed for the immersive technology. First Life delves into the realm of extinct sea creatures, while Great Barrier Reef Dive explores an aquatic world of corals, fish and reef sharks. Suitable for ages 13-plus. 10.30am, 12.30pm and 3.30pm, Australian Museum, 1 William Street, city, $15-$20, ticketek.com.au. MUSIC Detroit rapper Danny Brown puts on a Groovin the Moo sideshow playing tracks from his acclaimed 2013 album Old, which Spin called "the most daring record he could've made".

7.15pm, Metro Theatre, 624 George Street, city, $69.90, ticketek.com.au. Wednesday May 4 FOOD For Aussie Wine Month, ARIA hosts a Women of Wine dinner with a four-course menu matched to drops presented by leading lights Samantha Connew, Corrina Wright, Gwyn Olsen and Sue Bell. 7pm, ARIA Restaurant, 1 Macquarie Street, city, $250, 9240 2256. TALK Fashion stylist Nicole Bonython-Hines chats about how to stay stylish whether busy or on a budget as she shares her tips for how to best choose key pieces. The discussion is free but a $10 donation to Bonython-Hines' charity of choice, Youth Off the Streets, is requested.

7pm, Imperial Hotel Paddington, 252 Oxford Street, Paddington, free, conversationclubsydney.weebly.om. Thursday May 5 MARKETS Have an urban lunchtime picnic as yearly shopping pop-up Markets in May (Thursdays until May 19) launches with the Beaches Markets selling smoked meats, bread, olives, pickles, nougat and more. The next two markets are hosted by Brewery Yard Markets and Blak Markets. 11am-2pm, Martin Place forecourt, city, free, localmarketguide.com.au. ART Drop by the opening night of Future's Past (until May 22) to view Berlin photographer Sven Marquardt's striking black-and-white images as they are presented in Australia for the first time for the Head On Photo Festival.

6-9pm, Ambush Gallery, Central Park, 28 Broadway, Chippendale, free, ambushgallery.com. Friday May 6 ART Enjoy some outdoor art at the Western Sydney University Sculpture Exhibition (until June 5) as works sprinkle its Campbelltown campus. Visitors are invited to vote for their favourite piece to decide who wins the people's choice crown. 9am-5pm, Western Sydney University Campbelltown Campus, Narellan Road, Campbelltown, free, 4620 3450, macarthur.com.au. DANCE Fans of contemporary dance can see the newly commissioned works competing to take out the top prize in the Keir Choreographic Award (until May 7).

8pm, Carriageworks, 245 Wilson Street, Eveleigh, $35, carriageworks.com.au. Saturday May 7 COMMUNITY The Buddha's Birthday Festival (until May 8) aims to spread a message of peace with a timetable of multicultural performances, a kids' corner and a vegetarian food fair. 9am-6pm, Tumbalong Park and Palm Grove, Darling Harbour, free, darlingharbour.com. MUSIC Sydney Philharmonia Choirs and Squabbalogic come together to present Leonard Bernstein's rarely performed 1953 Tony Award-winning work Wonderful Town (until May 8) starring Virginia Gay and up-and-comer Georgina Walker as the musical's heroines.

8pm, Sydney Opera House, $49-$109, 9251 3115, sydneyphilharmonia.com.au. Sunday May 8 OUTDOORS The national Mother's Day Classic fun run and walk is on again to raise cash for breast cancer research. Throw on a bright pink outfit and choose between the four-kilometre walk and run, a seven-kilometre walk or an eight-kilometre run. 6am-noon, The Domain, Art Gallery Road, city, $50-$60, mothersdayclassic.com.au. FOOD Spoil mum for all her hard work at the Mother's Day Ferris Wheel High Tea, an unusual gourmet affair where guests can dine on finger sandwiches, chocolate eclairs, tiramisu and more as they take in the harbour views from the Luna Park Ferris wheel.

3.30-5.30pm, Luna Park, 1 Olympic Drive, Milsons Point, $280 for a carriage of four people, thedecksydney.com. LOOKING AHEAD NEXT WEEK The 1980 cult film starring Olivia Newton-John was the inspiration for Xanadu The Musical, a firmly tongue-in-cheek tale about a Greek muse descending from the heavens to California. After debuting on Broadway in 2007, a local production is playing at Hayes Theatre, where the cast will hit the venue's tiny stage on roller skates. May 12 to June 12, Hayes Theatre Co, 19 Greenknowe Avenue, Potts Point, $60, 8065 7337, hayestheatre.com.au.
It's much cheaper doing an undergraduate law degree, which is Commonwealth subsidised. But for students at the University of Melbourne, which only offers generalist undergraduate degrees, this isn't an option. However, Melbourne does offer a mix commonwealth-supported places and full-fee spots for the JD program, and year 12 students with an ATAR of 99.9 are guaranteed a CSP in the Melbourne JD. Those with a lower mark are guaranteed a full-fee paying place. Medical students pay more again. Local students without a CSP pay a whopping $270,331 at Melbourne University for a four-year doctor of medicine. Why would someone pay $53,464 to do a two-year master of journalism at Melbourne University, given the poor prospects for work in journalism? Students can take out a government FEE-HELP loan whose limit this year is $124,238. But that still leaves students with $146,093 to find. Unless they have very wealthy parents they'll have to take out additional loans or try to win bursaries.

For all other courses the FEE-HELP loan limit for 2016 is $99,389. But as shown, universities can charge more than the government loan limit. The Charles Sturt University website tells potential postgraduate students that they shouldn't "be put off the cost of study" because they have the option to defer their fees through fee-help. But that's not much comfort when you still have a whopping bill to pay. There are professionals who want to upgrade their qualifications. The University of Western Australia's doctor of clinical dentistry, which already requires a dental degree, costs $115,198. In 2010, it was $79,955. This may help to explain why some dentists charge so much. Are students getting value for money? There is nothing that annoys postgraduates more than when universities devise masters by coursework programs, and make students sit in classes with undergraduates for some subjects. This is a particular problem in business faculties, which have endless lists of postgraduate courses ranging from certificates to master's degrees.

When writing for The Australian Financial Review, Third Degree heard rivers of complaints from postgraduate business students about sharing their classes with undergraduates Third Degree also wonders if students are getting value for money when paying to do courses such as online MBAs. The key element of an MBA is to do face-to-face networking. How can students do this if they never meet their fellow students? And, if universities want students to share their work experiences, which are an important aspect of MBAs, then studying an MBA online is silly. You can't replicate workplace scenarios sitting at a computer. You're not talking to anyone and taking in their body language. Paying big fees may also be bad value if students are unable to get work after graduation. The reason students embark on professional postgraduate studies is to obtain a qualification to work in their chosen field. Why would someone pay $53,464 to do a two-year master of journalism at Melbourne University, given the poor prospects for work in journalism? Mind you, a two-year master of convergent media at the University of Western Sydney costs $57,440.

Or why would a JD seem attractive? There are so few jobs for lawyers at the moment, a fact confirmed by a lawyer Third Degree spoke to recently. She did her JD at RMIT, is working as a lawyer and is now doing further study to specialise. The Chronicle of Higher Education has been reporting over the past couple of years that law graduates have sued their US universities for saying that job prospects were good when they weren't. Perhaps some Australian graduates may follow in the footsteps of their US counterparts. Other issues also emerge. If students are incurring big debts to do postgraduate degrees, then they may be unwilling to work for legal, medical and other community centres and groups. Their aim will be to chase the big pay packet to pay off their tuition debts. And for the same reason, postgraduates maybe unwilling to work in research, which is often only offered on fixed term contracts. Even without the big fees, many of these graduates who already have a first degree are probably itching to get out of university. Many would have studied for more than seven years. There are still other issues. Obviously the richer the student the more opportunity they have have to study at a Group of Eight university. Those universities just become even more elitist.
What North Americans refer to as civilization is trending toward a watershed when it comes to terms with death. Not that we particularly desire that confrontation, but it is the way of things.

The Supreme Court of Canada last year reached the appropriate, and obvious, conclusion: Citizens should have the right to die  without having to battle their own government.

Our Supreme Court, however, has yet to come face to face with the inevitable, even though residents in several states have challenged theocratic-minded legislative majorities and made inroads regarding individuals right to die.

Justin Trudeau, Canadas new Liberal prime minister, last month introduced the nations first physician-assisted suicide legislation. While the term suicide is not part of the legal jargon, it limits the assistance to the incurably ill, institutes a 15-day waiting period and terms it as medical assistance in dying.

The religious right in this countrys state legislatures and in Congress, as expected, bandied about their tired expressions of outrage about such laws being contrary to Judaeo-Christian traditions and government overstepping its moral bounds. But thats more about political control than individual freedom.

In these United States, California has taken the lead in the right-to-die movement following legislative and court victories in Oregon, Washington, Vermont, New Mexico and Montana. Gov. Jerry Brown last October signed the law which takes effect June 1, allowing residents facing terminal illness to get a prescription for lethal medication.

Californias law is based on Oregons 1997 Death with Dignity Act. That permits physicians to prescribe lethal drugs for those who other doctors have determined are terminal with less than six months to live.

In the Pennsylvania legislature, S549, sponsored by Democratic State Sen. Daylin Leach of Delaware County, languishes in the Senate Judiciary Committee. Given the legislatures Republican majority and the theocratic leanings of many in that group, any right-to-die related bills can expect a similar fate.

But its past high time for Americans to have a civilized conversation about the end of life and individuals right to choose the quality, even the timing, of their death.

In Pennsylvania, any right-to-die initiative faces an acknowledged uphill battle. Religious objections to individuals choosing when and by what means they wish to end their own lives can be ingrained among members of evangelical, Protestant and Roman Catholic congregations. But such objections do not justify the imposition of their moral codes on those seeking a dignified end of their own choosing.

Stan Goldberg, professor emeritus at San Francisco State University, a cancer survivor and bedside hospice volunteer, best expressed the sense of things: What I believe is disingenuous is when someone who views their own death as beyond a distant horizon suggests how someone who is about to cross it should die. So the next time someone adamantly opposes a persons right the die, ask the question, But are you dying?

William Parkinson has spent more than 48 years as a reporter and editor at newspapers, the Associated Press and United Press International in this country and abroad. Hes mad about cats  and words. His column appears on Mondays. Email him at wparkinson@cumberlink.com.
About one in five Australians aged 45 to 75 are at high risk of heart attack or stroke, but close to one million are failing to take the recommended life-saving medications, a new study has found.

The research led by Australian National University Professor Emily Banks and funded by the Heart Foundation and the National Health and Medical Research Council found thousands of lives could be saved if those aged 45 and over visited their general practitioner for a full risk assessment.

Those deemed to be at high risk of having a heart attack or stroke could more than halve their chances if they took the appropriate mix of medication to lower blood pressure and cholesterol.

Professor Banks said coronary heart disease was the biggest killer in Australia, but the study was the first to calculate the level of risk for heart attack and stroke in the population.

"We know about 45,000 die from heart attack or stroke every year, that's around one every 12 minutes, and about 100,000 have a heart attack or stroke every year, that's about one every five minutes, what we didn't have was this picture of risk," she said.
Presenting a Melbourne-led study on the device, Auckland stroke neurologist Alan Barber said it was "the most significant advance in stroke care in the last 20 years".

And it has been shown to double a major stroke patient's chance of survival and increase their prospects of living independently again from 39 per cent to 72 per cent when combined with an existing clot-busting drug.

Expanding access to a revolutionary stroke treatment that has improved the quality of life of survivors would mean many more would be able to live independently again, a medical expert says.

"It costs Australia billions. But for every five people you treat with clot retrieval, one more will go home able to function as an independent person, and there is one less person who is left severely dependent," Professor Barber said, speaking before he addressed the Australian and New Zealand College of Anaesthetists annual meeting in Auckland on Sunday.

But the technique is resource intensive and must be performed soon after the stroke. It requires specially trained radiologists, stroke doctors and anaesthetists to be ready to operate within six hours.

It is understood that the Royal Melbourne Hospital, Monash and the Austin Hospital are all able to administer the treatment to major stroke patients.

"It's all well and good if you live in Parkville but this treatment needs to be provided equitably to everybody and it can't be provided at every single hospital, it's just not possible, there aren't people to do it and it's too expensive," Professor Barber said.

He said doctors at regional hospitals needed to be trained to administer the traditional clot-busting drug, Alteplase, to the patient and then get them on a plane to Royal Melbourne Hospital within six hours to give patients their best chance at recovery.
Defunct Wollongong bakery Betta Maid has been fined $63,000 for selling unsafe food and breaching hygiene standards.

A NSW Food Authority spokeswoman said it was pleased with last week's decision in Wollongong Local Court, in relation to 10 charges it had brought against Betta Maid, which operated out of the Wollongong suburb of Unanderra.

The company was fined a total of $63,000, plus $20,000 in court costs, in relation to selling unsafe food and non-compliance with general hygiene requirements of the Food Safety Standards.

The charges were brought against the company in response to the Food Authority's investigation into a salmonella outbreak in 10 aged care facilities on the South Coast and in the ACT between January and March 2015.
The reproductive lives of mice have been extended by scientists in research that boosts the possibilities of older women, or those who have undergone chemotherapy, to conceive.

While it is early days the research team  Dr Dave Listijono and Dr Lindsay Wu at UNSW, and the University of Queensland's Professor Hayden Homer  says the results are very encouraging. Their findings were presented at the inaugural Australian Biology of Ageing Conference, hosted by the University of NSW.

Pregnancy after chemo may also be a possibility Credit:Getty Images

Dr Listijono said it was extremely rare for mice to reproduce after 12 or 13 months. But the mice in their study still fell pregnant at 16 to 17 months  the equivalent of the late 40s in human years.

Professor Homer said "the reproductive clock for women starts ticking down after 35". But the new research suggests "there's a possibility that even when the effects of ageing have already set in, you could potentially reverse some of that".
Frank Margan 19312016

Journalist, author, winemaker and restaurateur Frank Margan was a pioneering hero of modern Australian food and wine: a tireless rebel from an age when wine meant sherry and anything else was plonk or strangely foreign.

Frank Margan tasting one of the family's wines. Credit:Liam Driver

Margan was born in Sydney's south-west on November 26, 1931. His mother, Madelaine, urged him to try something safe and join the water board as a clerk. Margan lasted until lunch, when he took off, never to return.

He went instead to work in a pawn shop, where he learnt more about the hard end of life and the worth of things. But what he really wanted was to play jazz trombone and become a journalist. He wrote to nearly every newspaper, and every one rejected him except the Daily Mirror, which had published a story he wrote at the age of 15.
James Packer's Crown Resorts has told planning authorities it cannot shift the 275 metre-tall casino and apartment tower back from the waterfront site, because under gaming legislation it has been guaranteed the site.

This is despite the City of Sydney and numerous leading architects urging the Planning Assessment Commission, the final arbiter on the massive project, to relocate the tower toward Hickson Road, in order to create a contiguous waterfront parkland.

At its public hearings last week the PAC heard numerous submissions from the public, the Australian Institute of Architects and two former government architects.
He's been bankrupted, banned and jailed but now convicted fraudster Stephen Larkin has hit upon the jackpot - a court-sanctioned fraud which has enabled him to "legally" plunder the bank accounts of his victims.

On top of this, the 76-year-old former veterinary surgeon and one time BRW rich-lister is facing more than 100 criminal charges of knowingly making a false statement by nominating another person as being responsible for dozens of traffic offences while driving his unregistered and uninsured car.

Colleen Vickers and her husband Colin in their antique and auction business Vickers & Hoad in Waterloo. Credit:Kate Geraghty

According to court documents, there is almost no road rule that Larkin has not broken. He disobeyed no stopping signs, sped through red lights, was caught on speed cameras, drove in bus lanes, roared through school zones and failed to pay tolls.

To avoid paying the multitude of fines, Larkin signed statutory declarations claiming that the habitual offender was Michael Geoffrey Oliver.
A woman injured during a deadly Bankstown shooting on Friday was an innocent bystander, police have revealed, as detectives continue to hunt for the wanted gunman across two states.

Known Sydney crime figure Walid "Wally" Ahmad was gunned down at a Bankstown shopping centre on Friday, and two others, including a 32-year-old woman, were injured.

Homicide Squad detectives on Sunday released a statement saying the woman had not been involved in the shooting.

"Initial inquiries have led police to confirm the woman injured in the incident was an innocent bystander, and was sitting at a coffee table nearby when she was shot in the leg," police said.
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Barnaby Joyce is facing a political backlash in his rural seat of New England from horse owners, breeders and stud farmers crippled by one of the worst quarantine failures in recent history.

In 2007 an outbreak of horse flu brought the local horse racing industry to a standstill, leaving hundreds of people involved in breeding, selling, transporting and training horses without incomes and facing mounting debts.

National Party leader and Deputy PM Barnaby Joyce, on a muster in 2010, is facing a political backlash in his rural seat of New England from horse owners, breeders and stud farmers. Credit:Peter Rae

Nine years later, a class action waged by 587 people and businesses is about to come to a head just weeks out from the federal election, with mediation starting on Tuesday ahead of a likely court battle due to start on June 6.

But while Mr Joyce's New England electorate is regarded as horse country, plaintiffs in the case feel the Nationals' leader had buried his head in the sand by failing to discuss the issue.
Bangkok: The crime-fighting mayor favoured to win the Philippine presidential elections has denied being corrupt after allegations emerged he had more than $US4.2 million ($5.5 million) in a bank account that he had failed to declare.

Rodrigo Duterte, who continues to lead opinion polls despite rape jokes and profanity-laden speeches, admitted he had money in the account but declined to reveal how much.

"If you say ill-gotten, I have none of that," Mr Duterte, 71, told reporters as he campaigned for the May 9 election. "I've been mayor [of Davao] for 22 years. Did you see any case of corruption?"

Mr Duterte, who has been linked to vigilante death squads, built a reputation as an incorruptible scourge of crime in Davao, a southern city once known as a murder capital but now considered one of the nation's safest urban areas.
Washington: Donald Trump Sunday repeated his claim that Hillary Clinton is using the "woman's card" to win the Democratic nomination for president. The claim has inspired the Democrat to issue an actual 'woman' card.

The Republican front-runner said April 26 that the only thing Clinton, a former secretary of state and US senator, had going for her in the race to succeed President Barack Obama was her gender.

Trump stood behind his remarks on Sunday. "I'm my own strategist. I like what I said," Trump said on Fox News Sunday. "The only card she has to play is the woman's card," he said. "If she were not a woman, she wouldn't even be in the race."
Notary Public LA-Notary.net Celebrates Its 14th Anniversary

LA-Notary.net is celebrating their 14th Anniversary, which commemorates 14 Great years in business. This is a huge milestone for the Anaheim, California-based Notary Public business, which has provided Notary Public to General public since 2003.

LA-Notary.net got its start in 2003 when founder Muhammad Wazeer saw a need for Notary Publics.

One of the earliest challenges LA-Notary.net faced was finding foot traffic.

While every business of course faces challenges, some, like LA-Notary.net are fortunate enough to enjoy real successes, wins and victories too. Once such victory came when Achieved goals in the first two years.

Muhammad Wazeer, Owner at LA-Notary.net was also quoted when discussing another big win. One of the high points of LA-Notary.nets history so far was recognized by major financial institutes and major loan processing companes.

LA-Notary.nets Founder, Muhammad Wazeer says Were delighted to be celebrating our 14 Year Anniversary. I believe the secret to getting this far in business today is Customer First.

LA-Notary.net currently consists of 2 employees and has big plans for the upcoming year. One of their core objectives is be successfull and helpfull .

LA-Notary.net would also like to thank friends, customers and all its partners for their well wishes on this happy occasion.

More information on the business can be found at http://www.LA-notary.net

La-notary.net, can assist clients in notarization of following documents.

Grant Deeds, Quit Claim Deeds, Trust Deeds, Health Documents, Travel Documents, Power of Attorney, Living Trusts, Last Will &Testament, Vehicle Verification and Title Transfer, Guardianship, Refinance, Identification Affidavits, Survey Affidavits, Occupancy Affidavit, Signature or Name Affidavits, Compliance Agreement, Correction Agreement, Child Custody Agreement and Adoption Papers, Traffic School Test, Many other Documents, Etc..

In State of California Notary Publics cannot give legal advice.and also Notary Publics are not attorneys or lawyers.

for questions, please contact http://www.LA-notary.net or call 714-229-1322
For city money, South Bend apartments allot 40% of rooms to poor tenants

The need for reasonably priced one- and two-bedroom units is dire in the city. Many renters are older and disabled residents who live alone.
Algiers, May 1, 2016 (SPS) - Algeria welcomed Saturday the United Nations renewed commitment for a fair, lasting and mutually acceptable political settlement, enabling the Sahrawi people to exercise their right to self-determination, said Foreign Affairs Ministry in a communique.

Algeria takes note of UN Security Council resolution 2285 (2016) on Western Sahara which, on the whole, falls within the framework of the coherence of the organizations doctrines in terms of decolonization and its peacekeeping operations, while noting the motives of the five countries which didnt give their approval to this text, according to the communique released following the adoption by the UN Security Council of a resolution in which it extended the mandate of the United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO) until 30 April 2017.

Algeria welcomes the Security Councils decision to renew the MINURSO mandate for a period of one year and recognize the urgent need for this mission to be re-established in the fullness of its duties, said the source.

Algeria underlined the responsibility of the Security Council in keeping international peace and security and expects that measures will be taken as soon as possible to enable MINURSO to fully accomplish its mandate, whose crowning achievement is the organization in Western Sahara of a free self-determination referendum, without administrative or military constraints.

In this regard, Algeria notes with satisfaction the firm and opportune reaffirmation of support of the Security Council and international community to UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon as well as his personal Envoy Christopher Ross and his special Representative, head of MINURSO Kim Bolduc, said the source. (SPS)

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Oran (Algeria), May 1, 2016 (SPS) - Prime Minister, Abdelkader Taleb Omar, arrived Saturday in Oran, Algeria, to participate in the celebration of the International Workers Day held under the theme "total solidarity with Saharawi people ".

The Prime Minister was accompanied by a large Saharawi delegation including members of the National Secretariat of the Polisario Front, SADR government, and Sahrawi executives representing various national institutions.

Mr. Taleb Omar was greeted upon his arrival at Oran airport by the Wali of Oran, Abdelghani Zaalane, Secretary General of the Union of Algerian Workers, Abdelmajid Sidi Said, and President of the People's Assembly of Oran, Chani Abdelfatah.

The General Union of Algerian Workers has dedicated the celebration the of International Workers Day this year for solidarity with the Saharawi people which reflects the commitment of Algeria to the just Sahrawi cause, it should be recalled. (SPS)

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Luanda, May 1, 2016 (SPS) - As part of his farewell visits at the end of his duty as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the S.A.D.R to Angola , MALAININE SADIK, was received in audience by Mr. FERNANDO DA PIEDAD DOS SANTOS, President of the Angolan National Assembly.







After expressing the profound gratitude of the people and Government of SADR to the Republic of Angola for its continued solidarity with the just cause of the Sahrawi people, the Sahrawi Ambassador informed the Angolan Speaker of the latest developments of the struggle of the Sahrawi people.



For his part, Mr. FERNANDO DA PIEDAD DOS SANTOS, reiterated the unwavering support of Angola and its people for the legitimate struggle of the Sahrawi people, under the leadership of its sole and legitimate representative-the POLISARIO Front- for his imprescriptible right to self-determination and independence and for the completion of the liberation of his Homeland, the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic. Appreciating the commitment of Africa alongside the Saharawi people, the Angolan High Responsible expressed the wish to see the international community showing more solidarity with the Sahrawi people and intensifying its efforts to enforce the rights of the latter to live free and independent in his Homeland.







Highlighting the historical ties of friendship and solidarity between the two peoples in their common struggle under the leadership of their vanguard - the POLISARIO Front and the MPLA (Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola), Mr. DA FERNADO PIEDAD DOS SANTOS stressed the urgent need to strengthen them further in the common interest of both countries, for the progress and prosperity of the two brotherly peoples and for peace and development of our continent.

At the conclusion of this meeting, MALAININE SADIK made a statement widely reported by the Angolan media, in which he renewed recognition to this brother country for its solidarity with the Sahrawi people and expressed satisfaction of the Government of the S.A.D.R regarding the existing fraternal relations between the two countries and the two brotherly peoples. (SPS)

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Oran, May 1, 2016 (SPS) - President of the Republic Abdelaziz Bouteflika on Sunday has hailed the position of the General Union of Algerian Workers (UGTA) in favour of just causes around the world and the right of peoples to self-determination.

In a message marking the International Workers' Day, read on his behalf by the adviser at the Presidency of the Republic, Mohamed Benamar Zerhouni, President Bouteflika underlined that the choice of the Central Union (UGTA) "to celebrate the Labour Day under the theme 'Solidarity with Sahrawi People' shows the clear commitment of your organization, like all Algerian people, to supporting just causes around the world, and to defending the principle of peoples' rights to self-determination."

"This decision shows the Central Union's faithfulness to its founding principles and its history, as being one of the key players in the national liberation movement to regain Algeria's independence and sovereignty," said the Head of State.

"How could it not support this cause on such symbolic day and in the month when the Polisario Front was created as the legitimate representative of the Sahrawi people, who are still being denied their right to self-determination," said the President of the Republic.

"This position, which does it credit, is backed by the United Nations, which has included Western Sahara in the list of non-self-governing territories since 1963," added the Head of State. (SPS)

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In a study earlier this month, American Express Open determined Connecticut to rank next to last nationally in the economic clout wielded by women-owned businesses.

In one small corner of the economy, women are making strides to the corner office  but those who have made it there admit the industry has miles to go.

Earlier this month, the founder of Stamford-based Troy Insurance Paul Troy transferred the business to his longtime employee Allison Gagliardi, with Troy having run the property and casualty insurance agency for more than a half-century. It was a remarkable run of longevity in an industry that since the late 1990s has withstood the advent of Internet-based brokers, efforts by carriers to cut out the middlemen and, above all, a decided lack of interest in the business by many children of agency owners reaching their graying years, posing the problem of finding a successor for their agencies.

For a career that offers an element prized by many women and men alike  the ability to adjust a working schedule to mesh with ones personal life while having equity ownership  insurance agencies nevertheless remain largely in the hands of men. Gagliardi joined in 1984 for a promised six-month stay before starting studies to become a paralegal, only to stick around.

It was getting time for me to move on, and Paul pulled me into his office and said, I think youre good at this, Gagliardi recalled.

In her early years with Troy, Gagliardi commuted from Stratford and said Paul Troy went out of his way to emphasize that she should put more-than-equal emphasis on her home life as her professional.

Gagliardi now gets the keys in a cottage industry that has seen women beginning to push open the door, and which remains a growth industry nationally, with insurance agencies and brokers seeing a 5 percent increase in revenue to $80.5 billion, according to estimates by the U.S. Census Bureau. Gagliardi is one of four women elected this year to the board of the Professional Insurance Agents of Connecticut association, along with Marissa Barbera, of Charter Oak Agency in Darien, and Loretta Lesko, of the DiMatteo Group in Shelton, who replaces Teri Walsh, of Sachs Walsh Insurance in Westport, as president of PIACT.

Kim McGillicuddy, who is senior vice president of commercial sales in the Norwalk office of First Niagara subsidiary Pierson & Smith, is the chairman-elect of PIACTs rival trade group, the Independent Insurance Agents of Connecticut. Known as the Big I in the industry, the trade group has had one woman in its top slot dating back to 1899  Mary Pursell of the Abbate Insurance Agency in New Haven, who remains on the Big I executive committee today.

Walsh started out in the business in Chicago in her fathers agency before moving to Connecticut in the 1980s and seeking out an agency owner who would promote the prospects of women. She found that in Arthur Sachs, and late last year bought out her partner.

There is only a small percentage of women in ownership roles in the independent insurance agency arena, Walsh said. The number increases slowly. ... I knew I would not feel satisfied as an employee, but wanted the opportunity to own an agency and direct its course.

I feel that woman are definitely the minority of agency owners throughout (the) insurance industry, agreed Barbera of Charter Oak. It has always been very male-dominated  especially at the owner level.

Gagliardi recalls her father counseling her to never depend on another person for her financial well-being, having grown up the third of four sisters in the Shippan section of Stamford, where she lives today with her spouse Jack Condlin, who is CEO of the Stamford Chamber of Commerce. Gagliardis daughter-in-law, Cara Condlin, has the same professional balancing act today, as well, in her own role as a Troy Insurance agent, balancing the job with bringing up two young children.

If Troy Insurance has a new face at the helm in Gagliardi, it is a familiar one to its longtime customers. As Troy Insurance looks to add more, Gagliardi indicated she will make ample use of her three-decade apprenticeship under the firms namesake founder.

Paul was very good at what he did, and I think locally people knew him and respected him  he was involved in so many community things, Gagliardi said. I think its important, even though the ownership has changed, that its very seamless. ... You dont change the way weve always operated.

Alex.Soule@scni.com; 203-964-2236; www.twitter.com/casoulman
A 21-year-old man has been charged on suspicion of terrorism linked to Syria.

Mubashir Jamil, from Belmont Road, Luton, was arrested on Wednesday in his home town.

He was charged on Sunday with the preparation of terrorist acts in that he attempted to travel to Syria, the Metropolitan Police said.

Jamil will appear in custody at Westminster Magistrates' Court on Monday.
A young woman is fighting for life after a horrific double stabbing in south London this morning.

The woman, 22, and her 15-year-old brother were knifed after an intruder allegedly entered a flat in Vauxhall in the early hours.

They were found with stab injuries in the Tyers Street flat and taken to hospital after police were called at about 3.45am.

The London Ambulance Service tweeted: Last night we responded alongside @LambethMPS @LDNairamb to a horrific double stabbing. Patients taken as priority to a Major Trauma Centre.

The woman remains in a critical condition, while the boys injuries are not thought to be life-threatening.

A 26-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder.

A Metropolitan Police spokesman said: Detectives from Lambeth CID are investigating and enquiries into the circumstances of the attack are ongoing.

Officers are keeping an open mind as regards a motive.

Any witnesses or anyone with any information can call Lambeth CID via 101 quoting ref 1213358/16. To give information anonymously, contact Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 or at crimestoppers-uk.org.
A young man was seriously injured after he was shot near Wembley Stadium in the early hours of this morning.

Emergency services rushed to the scene after the man was gunned down in Grove Way at about 4.30am.

Three men were arrested after a fight broke out when police and paramedics arrived to treat the victim.

The man, aged in his mid-20s, was taken to a north London hospital where he remains in a serious condition.

A Met Police spokesman said: Three men were arrested for affray in connection to this incident.

They are currently in custody at a north-west London police station.

"Enquiries continue. Officers from Brent investigate."

Anyone with information is asked to call police on 101.
A young man is fighting for his life in hospital today after being seriously assaulted in Lewisham town centre.

The victim, aged in his 20s, was attacked in Molesworth Street, just off Lewisham High Street on Saturday night, police said.

Paramedics rushed the man to a south London hospital, where he remains in a critical condition.

Officers were called to the scene at 9.40pm by the London Ambulance Service.

A police cordon remained in place for more than eight hours as officers investigated the assault.

A Metropolitan Police spokesman said: No arrests have been made and enquiries are ongoing.

Anyone with information is asked to call police on 101.
T he so-called Croydon Cat Killer could go on to target humans if they become bored of slaughtering animals, an expert warned today.

Criminal psychologist Dr David Holmes said the killer is a sadist who "enjoys" the act of murder - and could yet escalate their violence.

Up to 50 pets across London are believed to have fallen victim to the killer, with the RSPCA today confirming 20 have "undoubtedly" been slaughtered by a human.

Cases have so far been reported in areas including Croydon, Richmond, Kingston, Streatham and Tottenham Hale during the past three years.

In almost all of the cases, the cats have been left decapitated, without a tail or have other knife wound injuries.

Dr Holmes, a criminal psychologist from Manchester Metropolitan University, told the Standard: "This is not the work of a 10-year-old. This is not the work of someone who may grow out of it.

This is someone who does not care about what they are doing or have any type of sentiment. This is someone who enjoys it.

They may move onto humans. They may suddenly decide they are not satisfied with that level of killing and move on up to humans.

He will feel empowered by knowing the sentence for killing animals won't be long. But this may give him confidence to go on and target humans.

Im always a bit worried about prolific animal killers and their potential for it to escalate further.

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In all the cases reported to the RSPCA and the South Norwood Animal Rescue and Liberty which first warned of a killer, there has been a lack of blood at the scene, prompting questions as to whether the killer is taking the animals away to conduct the slaughter.

The RSPCA said 20 cats which they have conducted post-mortem examinations on had all suffered a form of blunt trauma which could only be causes at the hands of person.

Mike Butcher, chief inspector of the RSPCA's special operations unit, said he had never seen anything of this scale and gravity in his 44 years with the company.

He said: The hard fact is there is someone cutting animals up with a sharp knife and that person needs catching.

It is not normal for people to want to cut animals up if they are alive or dead, so there cant be many people out there who want to do that.

We have had 20 cats that have been confirmed as being mutilated by the human hand after death. Anything above those 20 is speculation.

There are one or two characteristics of the killings that are linked, for example the position they are placed in and the head and tail being cut off.

Victim: Lulu is believed to have been killed by the Croydon Cat Killer

Both SNARL and the RSPCA said they do not believe the killer, who has so far gone undetected, is smart, but has avoided being caught because they are choosing areas which are not monitored by CCTV.

Boudicca Rising, from SNARL, said: We will catch them, absolutely. We have new information coming in all the time.

Weve had a couple of weekends where we have gone from one body to another and sometimes you feel like you are following in the killers footsteps. But the most important thing is catching them.

This is the first case of its kind being investigated in this way in the UK  the RSPCA and the Metropolitan Police dont normally work with third party organisations like us.

Despite being at the forefront of the investigation to catch the killer, Ms Rising said she still finds what she is confronted with disturbing.

She added: The impact on the owners is devastating - there were a few that made me cry.

Im a cat lover so picking up bodies is awful but we have to do it to catch this person.

Anyone with information is urged to call police or SNARL on 07961 030064 or 07957 830490.
T wo people have been rescued from a huge blaze at a restaurant in west London.

Dozens of firefighters battled the fire near to Ealing Common for almost three hours.

Bystanders posted photos on Twitter of smoke billowing into the sky above the eatery in Woodgrange Avenue.

London Fire Brigade sent eight fire engines and 58 firefighters and officers to tackle the flames, which spread from the cafe to the two floors above.

Smoke billows into the sky above the restaurant / Twitter / @ScottJonesy

Firefighters rescued two people from flats above the restaurant using a ladder.

A London Fire Brigade spokesman said: Fire crews from Acton, Ealing, Chiswick, Park Royal, Hammersmith and Wembley fire stations attended.

The cause of the fire is not known at this stage.

Police assisted with road closures in the area.

Ealing officers tweeted: Uxbridge road by Ealing Common W5 is currently closed in both directions due to a fire.

Fire crews brought the blaze under control at around 8am and will remain at the scene damping down.
L ondoners were treated to glorious sunshine on the Bank Holiday weekend as signs of spring finally began to emerge.

The capital basked in milder temperatures and enjoyed clear blue skies for the second day running on the long weekend.

The clear conditions sparked delight among Londoners making the most of their three days off.

Lauren O'Callaghan tweeted: "That's it London. Keep up the good weather! #Pimms #London #sun".

And Rawiri James added: "See, London - wasn't that hard was it?? #Spring #Londonsun #weeeekends".

But forecasters warned the good weather could be temporarily halted on Bank Holiday Monday, with a washout expected for much of the country before conditions improve again later in the week, when temperatures are expected to be warmer in London than in Istanbul.

Sophie Yeomans, a forecaster at the Met Office, said: Most areas will be turning incredibly cloudy.

"It will turn hazy and the cloud will start to thicken through the day, with some rain arriving.

"Rain will move into central and south-eastern areas through Sunday afternoon, reaching the south-east by the evening."

Temperatures will reach highs of around 13C in the north and 17C in the south.

Monday will see a cloudy start for most areas, before a band of rain moves across the country from the west, with "blustery" winds. Temperatures are expected to peak at 16C in the south-east.
F our London boroughs are among the five local authorities to have raised the most from litter fines of anywhere in Britain since 2010.

Enfield topped the list as it raked in 1.5million from fining people for littering during the period.

The money raised by the north London borough is 150 times the national average of 10,000 for the period.

Figures obtained by the Sunday Times under the Freedom of Information Act showed that Hillingdon, Newham and Islington are also in the top five. Maidstone in Kent raised the second highest amount from fines during the period.

The top five: Enfield Maidstone Hillingdon Newham Islington

In Enfield, teams charged with clamping down on litter are known as "the Black Watch".

Members of one community clean-up organisation run by residents separately from the council claim they have found a whole Dyson vacuum cleaner and a Mercedes-Benz exhaust on their travels.

The borough's cabinet member for the environment, Daniel Anderson, told the Sunday Times: "We make no apology for targeting those who drop litter, adopting a zero tolerance approach.

It is essential that a strong uncompromising message is sent out that makes it abundantly clear that littering is not normal and anyone who sullies our environment should be treated with the contempt and disdain that they truly deserve.
S hadow cabinet minister Diane Abbott has today denied Labour has a problem with anti-Semitism and claimed the party has fallen victim to a smear.

Unite general secretary Len McCluskey also dismissed the controversy as "mood music" being exploited by political enemies in a bid to oust Jeremy Corbyn as leader.

Mr Corbyn announced an independent review and pledged to tighten party codes of conduct in a bid to put a lid on the row - which has seen MP Naz Shah and close ally Ken Livingstone suspended over alleged anti-Semitic comments.

But he faced calls from Israeli politicians and diplomats to give a more "unequivocal" condemnation and warnings - including from the party's London mayoral candidate Sadiq Khan - that the party would be punished in the May 5 elections.

"It is a smear to say that the Labour Party has a problem with anti-Semitism. It is not fair on ordinary Labour Party members," Ms Abbott - the shadow international development secretary - told BBC1's Andrew Marr Show.

Diane Abbott speaking on the Andrew Marr show (Jeff Overs/BBC/PA Wire ) / Jeff Overs/BBC/PA Wire

"Two hundred thousand people have joined the Labour Party. Are you saying that because there have been 12 reported incidents of hate speech online, that the Labour Party is somehow intrinsically anti-Semitic?"

Mr Livingstone's comments - for which he has declined to apologise in a string of media interviews - were "extremely offensive" but he had been suspended within 48 hours like all those accused, she said.

Opponents have accused Mr Corbyn of acting too slowly to deal with incidents - most notably Mr Livingstone's assertion, while defending Ms Shah, that Hitler was a Zionist before he "went mad and ended up killing six million Jews".

Ken Livingstone on Hitler on LBC

Mr Corbyns allies warned critics they had no chance of ousting him as leader.

Ms Abbott added: "If people are intent on having a leadership election then we may have one," she said.

"But I have to say that if Jeremy is on the ballot then Jeremy wins. All the polling shows that he is as popular with Labour Party members now as he was when he was first elected."

An angry Mr McCluskey - whose union is the party's biggest donor - said Mr Corbyn was the victim of "a cynical attempt to manipulate anti-Semitism for political aims".

"The idea that there is an anti-Semitic crisis within the Labour Party is absolutely offensive but it is being used in order to challenge Jeremy Corbyn," he told Pienaar's Politics on BBC Radio 5 Live.

"Once the mood music of anti-Semitism dies down, then next week and the week after there will be another subject. "

He said MPs would be "stupid" to move against Mr Corbyn as he was "mobbed like a film star" by party members wherever he went.
L ondon would be a happier place if people were allowed to take drugs with impunity, a mayoral candidate claimed today.

Self-confessed hippy Lee Harris, 79, joined the race for City Hall to campaign for the legalisation of the drug as party CISTAs (Cannabis Is Safer Than Alcohol) candidate.

The grandfather-of-three, who is just three months shy of his 80th birthday, owns a head shop on Portobello Road called Alchemy, and attended the first rally to legalise cannabis in Hyde Park almost 50 years ago.

Cannabis is Safer than Alcohol Party mayoral candidate Lee Harris

And ahead of next weeks mayoral election, Mr Harris told the Standard: London would be a happier place if cannabis was legalised. If people smoke cannabis, they will drink less.

Drinking is a terrible problem in this country and there is so much violence attached to it.

We want to legalise, regulate and tax cannabis so that people dont have to go to the black market. But like tobacco and alcohol, there should be an age limit.

Lee Harris: 'Campaigning just gets you utterly high' / Cannabis is Safer than Alcohol

If marijuana was legalised, the youth wouldnt be able to get hold of it because it would be sold on licensed premises.

There is a whole new world for us to deal with out there  social media, technology. Cannabis can chill us out and heal us.

Mr Harris, a South African who fled his homeland because of Apartheid, believes that legalising cannabis could raise up to 2 billion in tax, which could be spent on hospitals and youth projects.

He said: Why let all that money go into the black market? Making it legal would eliminate the black market. We want a safer London.

There are too many drug dealers driving around in flash cars.

Mr Harris is also campaigning for greater transparency in property ownership, the reorganisation of the capitals transport system and to encourage Londoners to generate electricity in their own homes using renewable energy sources.

Mr Harris, who lost his wife eight years ago to lung cancer, also believes that psychedelic drugs such as LSD and MDMA should be legalised and regulated.

Describing how he was feeling ahead of Thursdays election, he said: Campaigning just gets you utterly high.

Labours Sadiq Khan and Conservative Zac Goldsmith are the favourites to replace Boris Johnson when London goes to the polls on Thursday.
K ensington Palace today released adorable new photos of Princess Charlotte to mark her first birthday tomorrow.

The set of four personal photographs were snapped by the Duchess of Cambridge at the family home in Norfolk.

As the Princess is pictured looking pensive with a bow in her hair, the photos provide an intimate glimpse into the lives of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and their two children.

The photos were accompanied by a message from the Duke and Duchess on the Kensington Palace Twitter account.

Playing out: Princess Charlotte at home in Norfolk / The Duchess of Cambridge

"The Duke and Duchess are delighted to share new photographs of Princess Charlotte," it said.

Princess Charlotte photos

"The Duchess took these pictures of her daughter in April at their home in Norfolk.

"The Duke and Duchess are happy to be able to share these family moments, ahead of their daughter's first birthday.

At home: the photos of Princess Charlotte were snapped by the Duchess of Cambridge / The Duchess of Cambridge

We hope that everyone enjoys these lovely photos as much as we do.

One of the new photos shows Charlotte in a pink cardigan with a white collar, worn over a soft pink floral dress, as she sits on the floor at home gazing at the camera with big blue eyes similar to those of her brother.

Another shows a grinning princess wearing the same attire, with a pink clip pinning her hair to one side, as she pushes a colourful baby walker full of alphabet blocks outside on the lawn, a determined look on her face.

Birthday girl: Princess Charlotte / The Duchess of Cambridge

A third photograph shows her leaning on a wooden chair, this time wearing a cream cardigan over a blue dress with a blue ribbon clip in her hair.

And a final photograph shows Charlotte's startling resemblance to George as she clambers on a wicker chair, playfully glancing back towards the camera.

Princess Charlotte - In pictures 1 /106 Princess Charlotte - In pictures HRH The Duchess of Cambridge PA KENSINGTON PALACE/AFP via Getty Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge and Prince William, Duke of Cambridge depart the Lindo Wing with their newborn daughter at St Mary's Hospital on May 2, 2015 in London, England. The Duchess was safely delivered of a daughter at 8:34am this morning, weighing 8lbs 3 oz who will be fourth in line to the throne Getty Images AFP via Getty Images Princess Charlotte joining in a national applause for the NHS as people across the country showed their appreciation for all NHS workers who are helping to fight the coronavirus with Prince Louis and George PA Princess Charlotte pictured at Kensington Palace in the first of three images released to mark her fourth birthday HRH The Duchess of Cambridge Princess Charlotte arrives for her first day of school Getty Images Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge and Princess Charlotte of Cambridge at a children's party for Military families during the Royal Tour of Canada on 29 September 2016 in Victoria, Canada Getty Images Cheekily looking out from behind Kate as she arrives for school PA Meeting Helen Haslem, the head of the lower school at Thomas's Battersea PA Princess Charlotte runs with a flower in the third picture released to mark her fourth birthday HRH The Duchess of Cambridge Princess Charlotte pictured playing at the Cambridge's their home in Norfolk in the second of three images released to mark her fourth birthday HRH The Duchess of Cambridge Prince George gives his little sister Princess Charlotte a kiss . This photograph was taken by the Duchess of Cambridge in mid-May at Anmer Hall in Norfolk HRH The Duchess of Cambridge Princess Charlotte on her first day of nursery at the Willcocks Nursery School HRH The Duchess of Cambridge Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge and Prince William, Duke of Cambridge depart the Lindo Wing with their newborn daughter at St Mary's Hospital on May 2, 2015 in London, England. The Duchess was safely delivered of a daughter at 8:34am this morning, weighing 8lbs 3 oz who will be fourth in line to the throne John Stillwell/PA Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge and Prince William, Duke of Cambridge depart the Lindo Wing with their newborn daughter at St Mary's Hospital on May 2, 2015 in London Getty Images The announcement of the birth of Prince William, Duke of Cambridge and the Duchess of Cambridge's second child outside Buckingham Palace on May 2, 2015 in London Getty Images People take photographs of the official announcement of the birth of Prince William, Duke of Cambridge and the Duchess of Cambridge's second child at the gats of Buckingham Palace on May 2, 2015 in London Getty Images A general view of crowds gathered at Buckingham Palace after the birth of the new princess on May 2, 2015 in London Getty Images Princess Charlotte of Cambridge is pushed in her silver cross pram as she leaves the Church of St Mary Magdalene on the Sandringham Estate after her Christening on July 5, 2015 in King's Lynn Getty Images Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge and Princess Charlotte of Cambridge arrive at the Church of St Mary Magdalene on the Sandringham Estate for the Christening of Princess Charlotte of Cambridge Getty Images Princess Charlotte of Cambridge is pushed in her silver cross pram as she leavesthe Church of St Mary Magdalene on the Sandringham Estate for the Christening of Princess Charlotte of Cambridge on July 5, 2015 in King's Lynn Chris Jackson/Getty Images Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge and Prince William, Duke of Cambridge stand as Prince George of Cambridge looks into Princess Charlotte of Cambridge's pram as they leave the Church of St Mary Magdalene on the Sandringham Estate after the Christening of Princess Charlotte of Cambridge on July 5, 2015 in King's Lynn Matt Dunham/Getty Images Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, Princess Charlotte of Cambridge and Prince George of Cambridge speak with Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby, as they leave the Church of St Mary Magdalene on the Sandringham Estate after the Christening of Princess Charlotte of Cambridge on July 5, 2015 in King's Lynn Matt Dunham/Getty Images Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, Princess Charlotte of Cambridge and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall leave the Church of St Mary Magdalene on the Sandringham Estate for the Christening of Princess Charlotte of Cambridge Chris Jackson/Getty Images Princess Charlotte of Cambridge is pushed in her silver cross pram as she leavesthe Church of St Mary Magdalene on the Sandringham Estate for the Christening of Princess Charlotte of Cambridge on July 5, 2015 in King's Lynn Mary Turner/Getty Images Princess Charlotte of Cambridge plays with a teddy as she is seen at Anmer Hall earlier this month taken by Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge in Sandringham in November 2015 HRH The Duchess of Cambridge The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge with their two children, Prince George and Princess Charlotte, in a photograph taken late October 2015 at Kensington Palace in London PA Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge and Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, with their children, Princess Charlotte and Prince George, enjoy a short private skiing break on March 3, 2016 in the French Alps, France Getty Images Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, President of the Football Association, is given an England shirt for Princess Charlotte during a visit to the England Women Senior Team at The National Football Centre at St. George's Park on May 20, 2015 in Burton-Upon-Trent Getty Images Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, Charles, Prince of Wales, Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, Princess Charlotte of Cambridge, Prince George of Cambridge, Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh watch a fly past during the Trooping the Colour, marking the Queen's 90th birthday at The Mall on 11 June 2016 Getty Images Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, Princess Charlotte of Cambridge and Prince George of Cambridge watch a fly past during the Trooping the Colour, marking the Queen's 90th birthday at The Mall on 11 June 2016 Getty Images Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, Princess Charlotte of Cambridge and Prince George of Cambridge watch a fly past during the Trooping the Colour, marking the Queen's 90th birthday at The Mall on 11 June 2016 Getty Images Zara Tindall, Anne, Princess Royal, Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, Charles, Prince of Wales, Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, Princess Charlotte of Cambridge, Prince George of Cambridge, Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, Prince Harry, Queen Elizabeth II Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh and Sophie, Countess of Wessex watch a fly past during the Trooping the Colour, marking the Queen's 90th birthday at The Mall on 11 June 2016 Getty Images The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge with their children Prince George and Princess Charlotte as they arrive at Victoria International Airport, in Victoria, Canada, on the first day of their official tour of Canada PA William, The Duke of Cambridge, Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, Prince George, and Princess Charlotte visit Canada Mark Large/Daily Mail The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, Prince George and Princess Charlotte arrive at 443 Maritime Helicopter Squadron,Victoria, British Columbia, Canada on 24 September 2016 Mark Large/Daily Mail Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge and Princess Charlotte of Cambridge at a children's party for Military families during the Royal Tour of Canada on 29 September 2016 in Carcross, Canada Getty Images Princess Charlotte of Cambridge at a children's party for Military families during the Royal Tour of Canada on 29 September 2016 in Victoria, Canada Getty Images Prince William, Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, Prince George and Princess Charlotte arrive at a children's party at Government House in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada on 29 September 2016 Reuters The Duchess of Cambridge with their children Prince George and Princess Charlotte at a children's party for Military families at Government House in Victoria during the Royal Tour of Canada PA Princess Charlotte of Cambridge at a children's party for Military families during the Royal Tour of Canada Getty Images Princess Charlotte of Cambridge at a children's party for Military families during the Royal Tour of Canada Getty Images Britain's Princess Charlotte plays with balloons at a children's party at Government House in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada Reuters Princess Charlotte of Cambridge plays with a dog named Moose at a children's party for Military families during the Royal Tour of Canada on 29 September 2016 in Carcross, Canada Getty Images Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge and Princess Charlotte of Cambridge at a children's party for Military families during the Royal Tour of Canada on 29 September 2016 in Victoria, Canada Getty Images Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge and Princess Charlotte of Cambridge at a children's party for Military families during the Royal Tour of Canada on 29 September 2016 in Victoria, Canada Getty Images Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge and Princess Charlotte leave from Victoria Harbour to board a sea-plane on the final day of their Royal Tour of Canada on 01 October 2016 in Victoria, Canada Getty Images Princess Charlotte leaves from Victoria Harbour to board a sea-plane on the final day of their Royal Tour of Canada on 01 October 2016 in Victoria, Canada Getty Images Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, Prince George of Cambridge, Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge and Princess Charlotte leave from Victoria Harbour to board a sea-plane on the final day of their Royal Tour of Canada on 01 October 2016 in Victoria, Canada Getty Images Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, Prince George and Princess Charlotte on 01 October 2016 PA Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge and Princess Charlotte of Cambridge arrive to attend the service at St Mark's Church on Christmas Day 2016 in Bucklebury, Berkshire Getty Images Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge and Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, Prince George of Cambridge and Princess Charlotte of Cambridge arrive to attend the service at St Mark's Church on Christmas Day 2016 in Bucklebury, Berkshire Getty Images Princess Charlotte of Cambridge leaves following the service at St Mark's Church on Christmas Day 2016 in Bucklebury, Berkshire Getty Images Princess Charlotte pictured in Norfolk, England (April 2017) HRH The Duchess of Cambridge The Duchess of Cambridge beckons the bridesmaids and pageboys, including Prince George and Princess Charlotte towards a waiting car following the wedding of her sister Pippa Middleton to James Matthews at St Mark's Church in Englefield, west of London, on May 20, 2017 AFP/Getty Images The Duchess of Cambridge, Princess Charlotte of Cambridge, Prince George of Cambridge and Prince William, Duke of Cambridge look out from the balcony of Buckingham Palace during the Trooping the Colour parade on 17 June 2017 Getty Images Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, the Duchess of Cambridge, Prince George of Cambridge and Princess Charlotte of Cambridge view helicopter models H145 and H135 before departing from Hamburg airport on the last day of their official visit to Poland and Germany on July 21, 2017 in Hamburg, Germany Getty Images The Duchess of Cambridge carries Princess Charlotte of Cambridge as they arrive with Prince William, Duke of Cambridge and Prince George of Cambridge on day 1 of their official visit to Poland on July 17, 2017 in Warsaw, Poland Getty Images Prince William, Duke of Cambridge and the Duchess of Cambridge with their children Prince George and Princess Charlotte arrive at Warsaw airport to start a 3 day tour on July 17, 2017 in Warsaw, Poland Getty Images The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge's 2017 Christmas card photograph Getty Images Princess Charlotte on her first day of nursery at the Willcocks Nursery School HRH The Duchess of Cambridge Princess Charlotte arrives at the Lindo Wing after the birth of his Prince Louis on April 23, 2018 GC Images Prince George and Princess Charlotte at the wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle PA Princess Charlotte plants a kiss on her newborn baby brother Prince Louis in this adorable snap taken by their mother HRH The Duchess of Cambridge Princess Charlotte of Cambridge and Britain's Prince George of Cambridge hold hands with their father, Britain's Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, as Britain's Prince Louis of Cambridge is carried by Britain's Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge on their arrival for his christening service at the Chapel Royal, St James's Palace, London on July 9, 2018 AFP/Getty Images Princess Charlotte playing as her father, the Duke of Cambridge, takes part in the Maserati Royal Charity Polo Trophy at the Beaufort Polo Club, Downfarm House, Westonbirt, Tetbury PA Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, (2R) and Britain's Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, (L) and their three children Prince Louis of Cambridge (2L), Princess Charlotte of Cambridge (C) and Prince George of Cambridge (R) posing for a photograph at Anmer Hall in Norfolk in the Autumn of 2018 Matt Porteous via AFP/Getty Images Princess Charlotte pictured at Kensington Palace to celebrate her 4th Birthday HRH The Duchess of Cambridge Princess Charlotte on a family visit to The Duchess of Cambridge Back to Nature Garden co-designed with Adam White and Andree Davies at the 2019 RHS Chelsea Flower Show in London Matt Porteous via PA Princess Charlotte of Cambridge and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge having fun together after the inaugural Kings Cup regatta hosted by the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge on August 08, 2019 in Cowes Getty Images Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge and Princess Charlotte greet people as they leave the St Mary Magdalene's church after the Royal Family's Christmas Day service on the Sandringham estate Reuters Charlotte arriving for her first day of school at Thomas's Battersea in September 2019 PA Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge and Princess Charlotte greet people as they leave the St Mary Magdalene's church after the Royal Family's Christmas Day service on the Sandringham estate PA The Duke of Cambridge, Prince Louis, Princess Charlotte and Prince George taken in Norfolk (2019) by the Duchess of Cambridge PA Princess Charlotte smelling a bluebell at their home in Norfolk in Spring 2019, which was referred to by the Duchess in the 'Happy Mum, Happy Baby' podcast with Giovanna Fletcher. PA Princess Charlotte makes an appearance on The Big Night In paying tribute to frontline key workers during the coronavirus pandemic BBC Kensington Palace The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and their children, Prince Louis, Princess Charlotte and Prince George attend a special pantomime performance at London's Palladium Theatre, hosted by The National Lottery, to thank key workers and their families for their efforts throughout the pandemic PA

The young royal was introduced to the public on the day of her birth, May 2 2015, and like her older brother Prince George the images of the tiny infant were captured by the world's media.

She was named Charlotte Elizabeth Diana in tribute to her grandmother Diana, Princess of Wales and her great-grandmother the Queen.

The Prince of Wales had said he hoped his new grandchild would be a girl and she seems to have delighted the whole family.

Prince George turns one 1 /20 Prince George turns one Prince George's birthday The family enjoy some time at the Sensational Butterflies exhibition at the National History Museum Prince George's birthday Baby Prince George celebrates his first birthday today Prince George's birthday Prince George celebrates his birthday at the Natural History Museum (Picture: Getty) Prince George's birthday Prince George is first pictured with his parents outside the Lindo Wing of St Mary's Hospital in London AFP PHOTO / LEON NEAL Prince George's birthday A close-up of the young prince as he left hospital John Stillwell/PA Wire Prince George's birthday George with his parents after his Christening by the Archbishop of Canterbury at the Chapel Royal in St James's Palace John Stillwell/Getty Images Prince George's birthday Prince William with son George at the Christening AP Photo/John Stillwell Prince George's birthday The Duchess holds her son as she arrives for an official engagement in New Zealand Daily Mail Prince George's birthday Prince George clings to his mother during their tour in New Zealand in this picture taken in April AFP PHOTO Prince George's birthday The young prince plays during his trip in New Zealand Anthony Devlin/PA Wire Prince George's birthday Prince George is enthralled by animals on a trip to Taronga Zoo in Sydney Chris Jackson/Getty Images Prince George's birthday Prince George bites down onto a gift given to him on the trip to the zoo David Gray/Getty Images Prince George's birthday Prince George also got his hands on a fluffy toy at the zoo REUTERS/Chris Jackson Prince George's birthday The Duke, Duchess and Prince arrive in Australia together after visiting New Zealand in April AFP PHOTO/WILLIAM WEST/AFP/Getty Images Prince George's birthday The Royal family return home after their trip - with George dressed in a natty red cardigan Chris Jackson/Getty Images

Charlotte's privacy has been carefully guarded by the Cambridges and during the past year she has only been seen in public on one other occasion, her christening.

Big brother George stole her limelight on that day by standing on tiptoe to peer into her pram and chatted to the Queen, who bent down to speak to her great-grandson.

But she has only been seen in a handful of pictures to mark events like six months after her birth, her first Christmas and most recently in a group picture with the Queen's other great-grandchildren and youngest grandchildren to mark the monarch's 90th birthday.

Despite appearing in a few official photographs the clothes Charlotte wears have attracted huge attention on social media.

Princess Charlotte turns one

Lauren Greene and Chrissy Diaz blog about the clothes of the young Princess and her brother George on their website princegeorgepieces.com - providing information for the growing fans of William and Kate's children.

Charlotte has been photographed a number of times in floral dresses, matched with cardigans and the royal bloggers believe this repetition is an attempt to stop her becoming the focus of the fashion world - like Kate has become to an extent.

The clothes that are chosen for the Princess to wear are also making a statement far beyond the fashion world.

Ms Diaz believes Kate is making a "commentary on the monarchy" with the clothes picked for her daughter, adding: "While there's a decision to remain fresh there's also a sense of tradition."

The evidence for this the pair say is in the fact the children's look has been drawn from what past members of the royal family have worn, notably the Prince of Wales and William when they were both small children.

With the princess fourth in line to the throne she will be an important figure in the monarchy in the years to come.

In recent decades the siblings of future monarchs - Princess Margaret and Prince Harry - have been more carefree and more likely to break conventions.

But it remains to be seen what type of character the latest edition to the royal family will have.
S tudents are calling for sanitary towel bins to be included in the men's toilets at universities.

The move is aimed at ensuring biologically female transgender students who use the facilities do not face discrimination.

Equality rights campaigners at three leading universities - Southampton, Cardiff and Birmingham - are now calling for the changes, the Mail on Sunday reported.

Chris Hall, from Universities UK's Equality Challenge, told the paper: "Trans staff and students should be consulted to understand their requirements. It's important institutions are supportive."

But Norman Wells, of the Family Education Trust, labelled the calls "madness".
A British Airways passenger feared fighter jets were about to shoot us down as they intercepted her flight over Hungary.

Sabrina Fawaz said her she was "terrified" when two Hungarian Air Force jets closed in on the BA plane on Saturday afternoon.

The flight from Dubai to Heathrow had lost contact with air traffic controllers, meaning it entered the countrys airspace unannounced.

Mrs Fawaz, who was travelling with her husband, told Mail Online: I was just looking out and my husband said look at that plane.

It's difficult to describe the feeling. You immediately imagine something's wrong in the plane and you're not aware of it or something's wrong on the ground.

She added: My mouth went dry and I went hot and hold. It was terrifying. I thought it was ready to shoot us down.

The two jets were scrambled and flew beside the BA plane after it was detected by the Hungarian defence ministry.

According to air safety protocols, pilots must make contact with air traffic controllers when passing from one country's airspace to another.

When the BA jet failed to do so Hungarian authorities reportedly issued their highest alert and the pair of fighter jets were sent to identify the aircraft.

The Gripens fighter jets reportedly took off at 12.55pm, before returning to base when the BA flight made contact with ground control.

A BA spokesman said: "Communication was quickly restored with air traffic control and the flight landed normally at Heathrow."
S tarbucks is reportedly facing a $5 million (3.4 million) lawsuit over claims it puts too much ice in its cold drinks.

The coffee giant is said to have been accused of falsely advertising drinks because they do not contain the marketed amount of liquid.

Stacy Pincus, from Illinois, has alleged that the cup contains as little as half as much liquid as claimed because of the space taken up by ice cubes, the US website TMZ reported.

But Starbucks dismissed the claims. A spokeswoman told the Evening Standard: We are aware of the plaintiffs claims, which we fully believe to be without merit.

Our customers understand and expect that ice is an essential component of any iced beverage.

If a customer is not satisfied with their beverage preparation, we will gladly remake it.


The second day of the competition in the USA vs. Italy Friendship Challenge proved nearly fruitless for the visitors, but with Hannah Millers third-place finish in the race saved face somewhat for the visitors.

With incredibly sunny Italian skies overhead, the USA-Italy Amateur Friendship Challenge concluded on Sunday (May 1) and though uneventfully on the racetrack, at least for the visitors, every moment was cherished and will forever be remembered by all the participants.

With all the events contested in the four-race competition, the Italians prevailed with three wins to the Americans' one, which came from a heads-up drive by Dein Spriggs.

USA Team Captain Joe Pennacchio said of the Friendship Competition, We couldn't be happier with the races and hospitality shown to us and we expressed special thanks to track, (Ippodromo di Agnano) owner Pier Luigi DAngelo, who went overboard making us welcome.

Hannah Miller led the Americans with a third-place finish with 31.5 points and received a trophy to mark that occasion. The competition point leader was Italys Ciro Ciccarelli, who finished with 60.5 points.

You really have to drive the horse. They need lots of help at the start and in the turns, and if your horse breaks [stride], you are disqualified. So I was careful, Miller explained.

The Italians drove like a team and did a lot of blocking to clear their better horses, added USA team member Steve Oldford. Ciro had the best showing by winning two races.

We had a great lunch after the competition with all the drivers and our new friends and enjoyed the 67th edition of the Gran Premio Lotteria Di Agnano, which was won by Oasis Bi, who was driven to victory by Johnny Takter, Jimmys brother.

(NAADA)
The North Platte Natural Resources District continues building toward its goal of returning its share of water to the North Platte River, per guidelines in Nebraskas Integrated Management Plan.

It recently announced a $750,000 grant from the Nebraska Environmental Trust to install telemetry units that will help increase water efficiencies.

Early last week, it received $900,000 from the Nebraska Natural Resources Commission that will be used to permanently retire ground water irrigated acres.

We were lucky to receive $900,000 for the North Platte Natural Resources District, NPNRD General Manager John Berge said Wednesday morning. This is in addition to the $750,000 grant from the Nebraska Environmental Trust. This is a huge step toward a total of $3.75 million we anticipate using in the total program to return our share of water to the river. According to Berge, the multi-year effort has three components: establishing regulations, creating incentives, and permanently retiring ground water irrigated acres.

Berge emphasized that acre retirement will be voluntary. The focus will be on ground close to a stream or the river, which will result in a quick return to that body of water. The goal is 70,000 to 100,000 acre-feet of water.

We know of 40,000 to 50,000 acres that would qualify for the retirement program, Berge said. They will be scored on importance to the overall project, such as the amount of irrigation, cropping, and impacts of a permanent change.

The incentive payment is $3,750 an acre, Berge explained. The NRD will not own the real estate. The owner will not irrigate the land, but can still use it.

Uses include dryland crops, grazing and haying. In addition, the NPNRD will provide access to other benefits through cost share projects. These could include fencing, seed, and water sources for livestock.

We think its a good deal for us in meeting our obligations to the Integrated Management Program, Berge said, noting the value of irrigated acres versus dryland acres, and providing a fair value for the water.

He said the land owner would experience economic benefits, through the up-front payment, as well as reduced expenses. The process is estimated to reach a zero cost per acre in about 10-12 years, for getting water back to the river.

In response to concerns regarding taxation, Berge said that is partially addressed by limiting the number of retired acres, and the relatively low cost. He said the intent is to not have a devastating impact on city and county tax revenues.

Were very excited about the program, and expect to do great things with it, Berge said from his office in a telephone interview.

According to Berge, the NPNRD will submit another application for the July distribution of NRC funds. We already have a lot of applications, he said.

The NRC distributes the grant money annually, but because the system was still being formalized in July last year, it scored projects in December to cover 2015, which are being funded now. The regular distributions will be made in July in the future.
The Old West Balloon Fest Executive team is seeking volunteers to help plan this years event. They will be having their first community meeting on Monday, May 16 at 6 a.m. at the Monument Grill in Gering. They on placing all volunteers into groups to begin preparation for Labor Day Weekend 2016.
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Ireland United States Minor Outlying Islands United States of America Uruguay, Eastern Republic of Uzbekistan Vanuatu Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of Viet Nam, Socialist Republic of Wallis and Futuna Islands Western Sahara Yemen Zambia, Republic of Zimbabwe
Western Nebraska Community College celebrates the launch of the Colleges 90th Anniversary May 4 at 5 p.m. on the front lawn of the Scottsbluff Campus. The launch coincides with the annual End of the Year BBQ at WNCC. A short program begins at approximately 5:30 p.m. where the 90th Anniversary logo will be unveiled and the Scottsbluff/Gering United Chamber of Commerce will present a certificate.
Jake Higgens, News Channel Nebraska reporter out of Norfolk, reported this week that TransCanada is delaying maintenance on the Keystone I pipeline in Cedar County, Nebraska, because of the recent 16,800 gallon spill in South Dakota.

According to News Channel Nebraska, TransCanada buried pipe that wasnt completely round during the initial build, knowing it would have to be replaced later. I am sorry, but this is hard to believe. TransCanada, who wants us to believe they build the safest pipelines in the world, actually put defective pipe in place knowing it would have to be dug up and replaced later? Who would do that?

Replacement of the four sections of pipe in Cedar County was supposed to start in June, but TransCanada has pushed that back to October and suggested that date may be pushed back even further. TransCanadas Mark Johnson informed the county commissioners of this delay, saying it was non-emergency maintenance.

Higgens reported that the reason for the delay was because of the recent spill in South Dakota. What does this actually mean? Can TransCanada not deal with two repairs at the same time? Is it that they want to only shut down the pipe once and do all repairs at the same time? At what point in time does non-emergency maintenance turn into emergency maintenance?

I am sure they have their reasons and equally sure they dont want another spill any more than Nebraskans do, but if the story is correct and TransCanada knowingly put pipe in the ground in Cedar County that was imperfect, knowing it would have to be replaced, in how many other areas did they do the same thing?

Folks, this is a big pipe, 30 inches in diameter, with over 20 million gallons a day of primarily diluted tarsands (DilBit), under a thousand pounds of pressure per square inch, traveling just above our underground water. TransCanada will tell you it is just crude oil, that DilBit is crude, but it is not.

Simply ask the folks along the Kalamazoo River in Michigan who lost their homes when a million gallons of this toxic DilBit gushed out of a ruptured seam in an Enbridge pipeline. Oddly enough, U.S. Department of Transportation Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA), had told Enbridge to perform maintenance on those seams in 2005. Enbridge delayed the maintenance and five years later in 2010 a six-foot wide rupture occurred and for 17 hours this stuff poured into Talmadge Creek then into the Kalamazoo.

Now, with the recent TransCanada Keystone I pipeline spill in South Dakota, and TransCanada publicly announcing it is delaying needed maintenance in Nebraska, the Michigan story seems it could be repeating itself here.

And where is PHMSA? Where is Sen. Deb Fischer, who only a month ago was touting the passage of her new Safe Pipeline Act, saying, For families, consumers, workers, and businesses across our nation, the safety and security of our extensive pipeline network must remain a top priority. The bill we passed today will enhance the safety of these pipelines through stronger congressional oversight and necessary improvements to PHMSA.

I suggest Sen. Fischer gets PHMSA involved in this matter immediately. She says they now have stronger congressional oversight, and I cant think of a better time to use that new power. The facts are clear. Keystone I leaks. TransCanada admits to having defective pipe in Cedar County. And we have a new Safe Pipe Act Fischer says will make safety a top priority.

Come on TransCanada, our good neighbor to the north. Shut down this pipe and get it repaired immediately. In my narrow way of thinking, non-emergency maintenance can easily turn into emergency maintenance when ignored as Enbridge did or delayed as in the Cedar County decision.

And where is the Nebraska Public Service Commission on this? They just hired a new top pipeline regulator, Scott Coburn, in April. What does he think of the maintenance delays? He should have a unique perspective on this, as he is a former employee of both Enbridge and TransCanada.

Okay readers, you got me, and yes, there are a lot more questions than answers in this piece, mostly because this story is just developing. Well be asking these same questions to all parties so we can better understand why TransCanada would reportedly put defective pipe in the ground and then delay repairs.

Stay tuned, as they say.
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Big decisions loom for baby boomers. One of the biggest is what to do with the money theyve socked away in their company-sponsored 401(k) plans.

Should you cut ties with your former company and move your money to an IRA? Or is it better to leave it where you are familiar with the options and comfortable with its safety?

Much is at stake. Boomers are retiring at a rate of 10,000 a day. In 2014, an estimated $325 billion was withdrawn from 401(k) plans as they retired. Thats projected to reach $500 billion in a few years, according to Cerulli & Associates, a Boston research firm.

Still, many havent thought much about what to do with the 401(k).

One choice is to do nothing. Most employers will allow that money to stay there. They will just not be making new contributions, says Paul Taghibagi, senior partner at Los Angeles-based Signature Estate & Investment Advisors.

There are some pros and cons to doing that, he says. If you leave the money there, the assets are protected from claims from creditors. If you roll it over to an IRA, that is not necessarily the case.

Taghibagi cites another reason to leave it: If you leave your job between 55 and 59, there is no 10 percent withdrawal fee from your 401(k), as there would be with an IRA. And people are not required to take a minimum distribution after age 70 if they are still working.

Marina Edwards, senior retirement consultant at Willis Towers Watson, says companies are starting to encourage employees to leave their 401(k)s unchanged when they go.

It is a mutually beneficial arrangement, she says. The employees have access to low-cost mutual funds. The benefit for the employer is there are more 401(k) assets. They can bargain for lower-cost investments.

Dont leave it, others say. Its your money, take it with you, dammit, says Scott Puritz, managing director of Rebalance IRA in Bethesda, Md.

We believe this is the best practice in this modern American economy, where job changing is the norm and where the average worker will have at least seven jobs during their career.

As you are leaving your current employer, on that exit interview, on the last day, you should start the process of your 401(k) rollover, he says. The benefits are multiple: You have your money all in one spot. You have control, which is important from a psychological point of view. It allows you to lower your costs and get the appropriate level of asset allocation.

Here are some other things to consider:

Retirement income flexibility

One big drawback to the 401(k) is the lack of flexibility when it comes to withdrawals. Most plans dont allow regular distributions like, say, a pension or an annuity.

I advocate that people have some level of guaranteed lifetime income and some money they can draw down, says Steve Vernon, adviser with the Institutional Retirement Income Council.

If you decide an annuity is a good idea, see if your 401(k) offers annuities. Right now, most of them dont. So you would have to roll some of your money into an IRA.

An income guarantee is a strong reason to transfer out of a 401(k), says Matthew Sadowsky, director of retirement and annuities at TD Ameritrade.

If you are worried about market volatility, you have guaranteed growth, he says. If you are worried about outliving your income, you have guaranteed income, he says. Many 401(k)s dont offer that guaranteed growth. If you are living off your 401(k), when they run out, they run out.

It doesnt always have to be an all-or-nothing strategy, says Catherine Golladay, vice president of 401(k) participant services at Charles Schwab. Within the vast majority of 401(k) plans, you do have the ability when you retire to withdraw part of your funds and leave the rest invested in the 401(k).

Fees

These vary widely, depending on the size of the company.

Puritz says his firm does a cost analysis for perspective clients. With a small number of exceptions, we see fee structures of 2 to 3 percent a year. Thats astronomically high, he says. There is a misconception that the 401(k) is a great place. Large organizations do run efficient programs. But its a tale of two cities. In companies with 1,000 employees or less, the cost structure goes way up.

More investment options

In a 401(k) you only have so many options, Sadowsky says.

Those options have been determined by your plan. If you roll it over into an IRA, there are many choices.

That gives you the opportunity to better hedge and diversify, he says.

Consolidation

Often people have several 401(k) accounts at past jobs. An IRA is an easy way to consolidate them.

Simplicity, familiarity, safety

There are other advantages to leaving your money in your company-sponsored 401(k).

It is convenient and easy. They are familiar with the 401(k) plan and familiar with how it works, Golladay says.
Field trips were some of the best parts of being in school  taking little breaks away from the daily grind to explore something or somewhere outside of your everyday experiences. Google Arts and Culture aims to capture a little bit of that magic with an app that lets you explore paintings and other artifacts up close, as well as find out more about the artists and museums around the world. Plus, theres no shushing or scolding about getting too close to the exhibits.
Kathy Haake sat on a short brick wall in the Chesterfield Amphitheater and relaxed after her 5K walk. The 61-year-old retired teacher joined about 800 other volunteer walkers on a sun-splashed Saturday in mid-April to raise money for lung cancer research.

Her motivation can be found on the buttons on her bright orange shirt.

My daughter is my hero, reads one. Forever 21, reads another, this one with a smiling picture of Allison Haake before she died from lung cancer in January 2007.

When she was diagnosed just a couple of months earlier, the first question from the doctors was a predictable one:

Do you smoke?

Allison, who was in college in Chicago at the time after graduating from Pattonville High School in 2003, was not a smoker. She didnt spend much time around second-hand smoke. Her cancer had nothing to do with tobacco.

But just like the version of lung cancer that hits smokers, hers was nasty and moved fast.

This is why the Haakes walk.

Kathy, and her husband Joe, also 61, first joined a walk for a cancer organization two years after their daughter died. But soon they found out that none of the money they raised that year went to lung cancer research.

Lung cancer is the biggest killer of all the cancers. It kills twice as many women as breast cancer does, for instance. And yet, compared to other cancers, it lags in research funding.

Heres how a New York Times analysis in 2008 explained how national cancer research dollars are divvied up:

The big loser in the cancer funding race is lung cancer. It is the biggest cancer killer in the country, yet on a per-death basis receives the least (National Cancer Institute) funding among major cancers. In 2006, the NCI spent $1,518 for each new case of lung cancer and $1,630 for each lung cancer death, according to data from the institute and the American Cancer Society.

Thats not to say there isnt a lot of money spent on lung cancer research  $285 million in 2013 by the National Cancer Institute  but that based on how many people have it, and how many people it kills, it fails in comparison to other cancers.

Part of that is that the squeaky wheel gets the grease. Organizations fighting to cure breast cancer, for instance, have developed tremendous national followings and that helps encourage more research funding.

Thats why the Lung Cancer Connection formed in St. Louis in 2009.

The Haakes, who live in St. Charles, have participated in every one of the organizations fundraising walks, starting at Creve Coeur Lake and following it as it grew to Chesterfield. This year, Team Allison had about 56 members hoping to raise about $4,000. The walk itself had a goal of $80,000.

When Allison died, Joe, who is an environmental scientist at Boeing, was haunted by a simple question.

Why did she get lung cancer?

He started researching everything he could and found that the answers continue to elude scientists. Certain forms of lung cancer can hit young, healthy people who dont smoke, and nobody particularly knows why.

This is the reality of many cancers. Some have clearly identifiable causes  smoking, drinking, the human pappillomavirus, environmental causes such as asbestos or coal dust. Others appear out of nowhere, with no explanation, and add nagging questions to the anxiety and fear that comes with any cancer diagnosis.

The Haakes and their fellow walkers hope that in doing their part to bring attention to lung cancer, they can get some donors to see beyond smoking and see the smiling face of a college student who wanted to be a teacher like her mom.

The first question when you hear that somebody has lung cancer should not be did you smoke? Kathy says. She points to the button with the picture of her daughters blonde-streaked hair and radiant smile. This is the face of lung cancer.
Rep. David Jolly, R-Fla., probably deserves the Don Quixote Award for tilting at the most gigantic windmill looming over Capitol Hill. But we think he deserves credit for shining a light on a topic his colleagues probably would prefer the public never knows about.

Jolly says he is sick of the fact that your elected representatives in Washington spend 20 to 30 hours a week effectively working as telemarketers even as they collect $175,000 salaries from taxpayers. They take time out each workday from conducting the peoples business in the Capitol, then walk across the street, sit down at a bank of phones and start dialing for dollars.

Both parties maintain private offices just off the Capitol grounds where tiny booths are equipped with phones and computer terminals. Members of Congress must meet fundraising quotas not just for their own re-election campaigns but also for their parties. The grind is relentless, and there are penalties for failure.

Its a measure of how sick the campaign-finance process has become in America and why reform is so badly needed. Incumbents enjoy a built-in advantage over challengers because of the automatic stature their elective office brings them. They also enjoy access to a massive party fundraising machine through these call centers  access that challengers dont get. But it comes at a price.

Jolly recently told CBS News 60 Minutes that party officials told him upon arrival in Washington his first order of business was to raise $18,000 a day simply by calling people. Members are given a script at their call center, along with a list of talking points individualized for each potential donor.

He said the House schedule is arranged to accommodate the fundraising schedule. You never see a committee working through lunch because those are your fundraising times, he said.

Jolly says hes no longer allowed in the GOP call center because he refuses to meet his quota. Hes now running to fill the Senate seat being vacated by Florida Sen. Marco Rubio after his failed GOP presidential bid.

Federal law prohibits the use of taxpayer property for campaign-related activities. Members of Congress cannot phone donors or overtly campaign for re-election using their own offices. Thats why access to the call centers is so important to them.

It is a cult-like boiler room on Capitol Hill where sitting members of Congress frankly, I believe, are compromising the dignity of the office they hold, Jolly told 60 Minutes.

Eight representatives  Democrats and Republicans  have signed on as co-sponsors of Jollys bill, nicknamed the Stop Act, which seeks to ban members of Congress from personally asking for money from donors.

Jollys under no illusion about the dismal chances of getting it passed. But he deserves credit for exposing taxpayer-funded telemarketing for what it is.
This is still in the proposal phase and has not been debated yet. I think this is the first step in a process that should occur.
Later this month, an exciting group exhibition entitled Between The Lines will be opening in Dubai, United Arab Emirates at The Mine Gallery.

Curated by Rom Levy, the exhibition will be featuring brand new works from: Andrew Schoultz, Kenton Parker, RETNA, Andrew Faris, Paul Insect, BAST, eL Seed, Jenny Sharaf and Word to Mother.

If you are in the area, the show will be opening on May 11th at 6PM @ Warehouse 38, Street 8A, Al Quoz 1 in Dubai. The buyers preview list can be requested at [email protected]



Since people first began painting on cave walls, the line has been the simplest element of art. As a mode of mark marking it doesnt remain static, but holds an infinite potentialof velocity, of direction, of connection, of form. Against the noise of todays overly decorative urban art scene, then, it makes sense to return back to where it all began: to the purity of line.

The line is at once a road and a horizon. Between the Lines considers the space in between. Bringing together an international group of artists, it surveys the landscape of a movement that started in the grimy backstreets of Paris, London, New York, and LA but has since exploded to become a worldwide phenomenon. Today the lines between contemporary art and what was once called street art are increasingly blurred and difficult to distinguish. The lineup includes heavy hitters and fresh new blood alike. Despite their humble beginningsand very often an aversion to getting sucked into the commercial art machinemany of these artists have been welcomed into the upper echelons of the art worldits fairs, auctions, as well as its museums and other institutions.

Still, this is a show that doesnt forget its roots, with many of its participants having honed their craft not only in art schools but also in the streets. The myriad figural and typographic styles on show are deeply grounded in their urban origins but have evolved over time to develop their own unique figural and typographic languages. Take the colourful geometry of Andrew Faris new aesthetic landscape art in which the digital seems to erupt into the physical or Andrew Schoultzs who implies a sense of alluring fantasy and whimsy  a crossroads vaguely familiar to the modern world. Almost all of the artists are showing for the first time in the Middle East, yet the influence of the region can be felt in the hieroglyphics and Arabic calligraphy that, along with black letter, and Native American scripts, informs RETNAs characteristic style.

It makes perfect sense to show these artists here in Dubai. Just as urban contemporary art itself draws upon and connects multiple movements, Dubai is a cosmopolitan, multiracial node linking Europe, Asia, and Africa, with all these diverse influences reflected in its culture. Its also a city that looks to redefine public space and bring the outside inside even as it is constantly remaking itself. Like the city and like the line, the movement continues to evolve, using its high-profile platform to advocate for personal freedom, social change, and an expansion of awarenessall to the largest audience that any art movement has ever reached. Even as the works in Between the Lines celebrate this urban facet of contemporary art, they not only demystify but repoeticise the streets.
RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, N.C., May 1, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Envisia Therapeutics today announced that eight posters have been selected for presentation at the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology's (ARVO) Annual Meeting being held May 1  5, 2016 in Seattle, WA. ARVO is the largest gathering of eye and vision researchers in the world, attracting over 11,000 attendees from more than 75 countries. The theme of the ARVO 2016 Annual Meeting is Research: A vision for hope.

"ARVO continues to be the preeminent venue for scientific exchange in ophthalmology and we are very pleased to be able to present a comprehensive array of data from our pipeline programs," said Benjamin Yerxa, PhD, President of Envisia Therapeutics. "We are incredibly proud of the progress we have made and welcome the opportunity to showcase that progress at this world renowned meeting."

Details related to Envisia presentations at ARVO are as follows:

Sunday, May 1, 2016

Poster #A0164: Extended Release of anti-VEGF Biologics from Biodegradable Hydrogel Implants for the Treatment of Age Related Macular Degeneration

Exhibit Hall, AMD and Anti-VEGF Therapy, 1:30pm  3:15pm, Sunday, May 1, 2016

Presented by Gary Owens, MS  Principal Scientist, Analytical Sciences

Tuesday, May 3, 2016

Poster #A0374: Completed 28-Day and Ongoing 12-Month Safety and Efficacy Evaluation of ENV515 (travoprost) Intracameral Implant in Phase 2 Study

Exhibit Hall, Glaucoma Clinical Studies/Pharmacology, 8:30am - 10:15am, Tuesday, May 3, 2016

Presented by Dr. Thomas R. Walters, MD  Texan Eye/Keystone Research, Austin TX

Poster #A0370: Design and Development of ENV515 Intraocular Applicator for Intracameral Injections of ENV515 Glaucoma Extended Release (XR) Therapy

Exhibit Hall, Glaucoma Clinical Studies/Pharmacology, 8:30am - 10:15am, Tuesday, May 3, 2016

Presented by Tomas Navratil, PhD  Senior Vice President, Development

Poster #C0078: Precision Size and Shape Extended Release Intravitreal Dexamethasone Implants

Exhibit Hall, Diabetic Retinopathy and Steroids, 8:30am - 10:15am, Tuesday, May 3, 2016

Presented by Sanjib K. Das, PhD  Sr. Principal Scientist, Research

Poster #B0191: A 6-Week Toxicity and Toxicokinetics Study of a Single Bilateral Intracameral Administration of ENV905 (difluprednate) Ophthalmic Implant in New Zealand White Rabbits

Exhibit Hall, Drug Delivery, 3:45pm  5:30pm Tuesday, May 3, 2016

Presented by RiLee Robeson  Manager, Nonclinical Development

Poster #B0201: In vitro and In vivo Sustained Release of Dexamethasone from a PRINT Microparticle Suspension

Exhibit Hall, Drug Delivery, 3:45pm - 5:30pm, Tuesday, May 3, 2016

Presented by Melissa Sandahl , MS  Scientist, Research

Poster #B0207: Sustained Release Biodegradable Formulations for Intraocular Delivery: Extended Release of Hydrophilic APIs and Combination Products

Exhibit Hall, Drug Delivery, 3:45pm  5:30pm, Tuesday, May 3, 2016

Presented by Janet Tully  Senior Scientist, Analytical

Thursday, May 5, 2016

Poster #A0099: A 6-Week Ocular Pharmacokinetic Study of ENV905 (difluprednate) Intracameral Implant or Durezol in the Albino Rabbit

Exhibit Hall, Cornea Disease Therapy, 8:00am  9:45am, Thursday, May 5, 2016

Presented by Rozemarijn Verhoeven, MS  Executive Director, Nonclinical Development

ABOUT ENVISIA THERAPEUTICSEnvisia Therapeutics, formed by Liquidia Technologies in 2013, is a privately held biotechnology company focused on the development of novel ocular therapies. Envisia is leveraging the unique and powerful properties of the PRINT technology to develop therapies for a variety of ocular conditions, beginning with ENV515 for glaucoma. ENV515 is a novel, extended-release formulation of a marketed prostaglandin analogue with the potential to significantly limit disease progression and vision loss through improved product performance and patient compliance. In January 2015, the company initiated a phase 2a clinical trial to investigate the safety and tolerability of ENV515 in patients with glaucoma.

Envisia is located in Research Triangle Park, North Carolina. For more information, please go to www.envisiatherapeutics.com.

To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/envisia-therapeutics-to-present-at-arvo-2016-annual-meeting-300260562.html

SOURCE Envisia Therapeutics
Essex, CT (PRWEB) May 01, 2016

Essex Yacht Sales announces a new marketing alliance with renowned custom wooden boat builder and designer Rockport Marine, of Rockport, Maine. Under the terms of this alliance, Essex Yacht Sales will proudly offer Rockport Marine's exceptional RM26 classic New England day boat and the new RM44 Express.

RM26

Above the water, the sweeping sheer and tumblehome of the RM26 speak to the traditions of Maine boatbuilding. Below the water, the V-hull and Volvo Duoprop outdrive provide a comfortable ride throughout her range up to 28 kt. The RM26 has a cold-molded wooden hull. The composite center console may be raised at the touch of a button to reveal the 200 HP Volvo diesel below. With her aluminum framed T-top and large, round-fronted dodger, there is protection from sun and spray.

RM44

The new RM44 blends a moderate-V, hard-chined hull shape with classic tumblehome, advanced wood composite construction for great strength and extreme durability, a variety of propulsion options, and thoroughly modern mechanical and electronic systems. The RM44 maintains a distinctive, classic look, capturing the tradition of New England boat-building and sea-faring.

At 44' LOA and 14' beam, the RM44 offers generous accommodations for four, with a queen-size forward stateroom and queen-size mid-berth. Custom-built by local craftsmen in Maine, the RM44 will fulfill the requirements of the most discerning and demanding owners.

Essex Yacht Sales, in conjunction with Rockport Marine, will present complete information on the 26' and 44' boats at the Connecticut Spring Boat Show, Brewer Essex Island Marina, Essex, Connecticut, from May 13 to 15. Design staff from Rockport Marine will be on hand to meet prospective clients and discuss the bespoke design services offered to owners.

About Essex Yacht Sales, LLC

Essex Yacht Sales is a newly formed Yacht brokerage, with more than 25 years' experience in distinctive Motor Yachts, including Grand Banks and Eastbay and many other fine builders. Located at Brewer Dauntless Shipyard in the heart of Essex village, Essex Yacht Sales is ideally placed to serve the more than 23 million residents living within 50 miles of Long Island Sound. The company is noted for providing personalized, concierge-level services to discerning clients.

More information about Essex Yacht Sales is online at http://www.essexyachtsales.com

About Rockport Marine Inc.

Rockport Marine Inc. is a premier wooden yacht builder, designer and service yard in Rockport, Maine. Founded in 1962 by Luke Allen, and now in the third generation of family ownership, Rockport Marine specializes in new construction, restoration, and design work for a wide variety of boats, from traditional plank-on-frame to modern wood-composite vessels. Rockport Marine offers design services for yacht owners and support services for yacht designers throughout the industry. The facility also provides storage, metal fabrication, and boat hauling.

More information about Rockport Marine is online at http://www.rockportmarine.com.

About the Connecticut Spring Boat Show

More information is online at http://www.ctspringboatshow.com

Read the full story at http://www.prweb.com/releases/2016/05/prweb13381911.htm
A French security guard looks at arms at Agban gendarmerie camp during French Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve and French Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault visit, in Abidjan, Ivory Coast, March 15, 2016. REUTERS/Thierry Gouegnon

GRAND BASSAM, Ivory Coast (Reuters) - France will nearly double the number of troops it has in Ivory Coast, the defense minister said on Saturday on a visit during which he laid flowers at the site of an attack on tourists that killed 19 people.

Jean-Yves Le Drian placed a bouquet on the beach in Grand Bassam, a resort town 40 km (25 miles) from Abidjan, where gunmen shot swimmers and sunbathers before storming hotels last month, an attack claimed by Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb.

Four French citizens were killed.

Le Drian said France, the former colonial power, would increase its contingent of troops in Ivory Coast to 900 from 550.

"We need to reinforce coordination in an intelligence capacity at the same time as in an intervention capacity in the whole of West Africa," the defense minister said.

(Reporting by Loucoumane Coulibaly; Editing by Makini Brice and Robin Pomeroy)
By Branko Filipovic

BELGRADE (Reuters) - Hundreds of Serbian opposition supporters rallied in Belgrade on Saturday demanding a nationwide recount of last weekend's election ballots, the resignation of the election commission or a re-run of the vote, claiming fraud and irregularities.

Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic, who wants to take Serbia into the European Union, won Sunday's election with 48.24 percent of the vote, roughly unchanged from 2014. But his Progressive Party's majority in parliament was reduced as more parties attained the five percent vote threshold needed for seats.

Left-wing and ultra-nationalist opposition parties teamed up on Saturday to protest in front of the election commission office, chanting "We want our votes" and "This is fraud".

The Democratic Party of Serbia and Dveri (DSS/Dveri), an ultra-nationalist alliance, fell below the five percent threshold needed to enter parliament by a single ballot after a recount overnight on Thursday of around two percent of votes.

The recount was marred by heated arguments between DSS/Dveri activists and members of the election commission.

Scattered abuses were reported during Sunday's vote but international observers said fundamental freedoms were respected - although there was biased media coverage, undue advantage for incumbents and a blurring of state and party activities.

A partial re-run of voting at 15 polling stations will take place on Wednesday, May 4, following irregularities, but the election commission has not agreed to a nationwide recount.

"Every single ballot is a cornerstone of democracy and must be defended as such," Boris Tadic, Serbia's former president and the head of the Social Democrats, told the crowd.

The partial re-run could reinforce Tadic's leftist alliance's position and secure DSS/Dveri's entry to parliament.

It could also push the leftist alliance below the threshold, giving Vucic's conservative Progressives a more comfortable majority.

(Writing by Aleksandar Vasovic; Editing by Ros Russell)
Marcus Luke Tucker, 36, was found dead near Lake Ellesmere on Anzac Day.



A man has been arrested over the murder of Marcus Tucker, whose body was found dumped near a Canterbury lake a week ago.

Police on Sunday arrested a 51-year-old man and charged him with Tucker's murder. A 31-year-old woman has been charged with conspiring to assault and accessory after the fact.

SAM SHERWOOD/FAIRFAX NZ Police want sightings of a Nissan Cefiro seen travelling between this Ruskin St house in Addington, and Leeston.

They will appear in the Christchurch District Court on Monday.

The arrests came after armed police swarmed a car in Wairakei Rd, Bryndwr, and a house 500 metres away in Bishopdale on Saturday night.

READ MORE

* Christchurch home searched in Marcus Tucker homicide inquiry

* Police comb through ditch in whodunnit Lake Ellesmere homicide inquiry

* Homicide victim Marcus Tucker previously kidnapped over drug debts

SAM SHERWOOD/FAIRFAX NZ Police examine a house in Midhurst St, Bishopdale.

Police started a homicide inquiry after Tucker, 36, was found burnt, wrapped and dumped in Drain Rd near the shores of Lake Ellesmere, Doyleston, 40 kilometres south of the city, on Anzac Day morning.

Tucker had a history of minor offending, and several sources have confirmed his links to the drug world.

Since the arrests, police started a fresh scene examination at a house in Bishopdale's Midhurst St. Detectives appeared to be focussing on a garage at the back of the property.

MYLES HUME/FAIRFAX NZ Tyre marks show where the Nissan Cefiro mounted the kerb in Wairakei Rd, Bryndwr, before a man and woman were arrested in connection with the murder.

Residents said it was a "trouble house" that police had frequented regularly over the years. A woman who had lived there for many years recently died.

A neighbour, who would only go by the name Paul, said armed police swooped on the house about 9pm Saturday. Police told him and neighbours to stay inside while they surrounded the property.

"It was very scary, it happened so suddenly."

STACY SQUIRES/FAIRFAX NZ Police divers search for clues in Lake Ellesmere, metres from where after Marcus Luke Tucker's body was found.

A detective spoke to him on Sunday, and asked if he had noticed unusual activity at the house in previous weeks. He had been away, so was of little help.

The house is 500 metres from a section of Wairakei Rd where armed police stopped a car and "a person of interest" about 9pm Saturday. Detective Inspector Tom Fitzgerald said it was not a pursuit.

The connection between the Wairakei Rd incident and the Midhurst St property was unclear, but Fitzgerald confirmed they were linked to the investigation.

Residents said a Nissan Cefiro mounted the kerb and stopped on the footpath before police dog handlers and the armed offenders squad moved in.

The road was closed between Grahams Rd and Springbank St.

Nearby resident Hannah Ainslie heard police over a loud speaker saying "drop your weapon and put your hands on your head".

"The dogs were going nuts and we could hear men yelling," she said.

"We were expecting gunshots but never heard any."

Police continued to examine a house in Ruskin St, Addington during the weekend. At one stage they turned several street lights off to carry out "testing", understood to be luminol testing for blood. Neighbours were also asked to switch off their lights.

Police told the landlord on Friday the tenants were at the police station and "no-one's allowed to come back to the house".

Fitzgerald asked for any sightings of a grey 1994 Nissan Cefiro travelling between Ruskin St and Leeston, about 40km southwest of Christchurch, on the evening of Sunday, April 24 or the morning of Monday, April 25.

"These arrests have been the result of a hard working and highly skilled team of investigators," Fitzgerald said.

"This has been a challenging inquiry, but my staff have worked tirelessly throughout the week to ensure the family of Mr Tucker have some answers."

He said he wanted to thank the community for its "support and understanding so far".

"We've received an excellent response from them in terms of information throughout our investigation."

Anyone with information can call police on (03) 363 7400 or anonymously via Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
Come rain, hail or shine you will find self-confessed Mayor of Brookfield New World Jeff Henwood out in the carpark tending to his kingdom.

The affable and delightful 43-year-old grocery trolley assistant last weekend celebrated his 25th anniversary of working at the supermarket, a mammoth milestone which he is proud of.
A Tauranga surf lifesaver has landed himself in hot water with Australian authorities after allegedly discarding a salad out of a moving vehicle.



Australian media have reported, Kane Jacob Sefton, 17, one of New Zealands top surf lifesavers has pleaded guilty to wilful damage in relation to an incident which occurred at Alexandra Headland, Australia.
Update 8.43pm: Police have yet to release the name of the pilot whose glider crashed this afternoon in Tauranga.

Bay of Plenty Police District Command Centre Senior Sergeant Karl Konlechner says police werent releasing the pilots name until family members had been notified.
For as long as she can remember, George Wythe High School senior Holly Saliba has been interested in preserving the environment, endangered animals and the worlds ecosystem.

As a youngster, she regularly visited family in Florida, where she became enamored with Manatees, large and endearing aquatic creatures also known as sea cows. Her interaction with the roly-poly mammals sparked her lifelong interest in science.

Her love for science paid off last week when she received a $9,000 scholarship from the Council of Women, which established a scholarship essay contest for high school junior and senior girls planning to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering or math (STEM).

As one of five scholarship winners, Saliba was honored during a reception hosted by Gov. Terry McAuliffe and first lady Dorothy McAuliffe at the Executive Manson in Richmond last week. The five scholarship recipients were from five geographic regions across Virginia; Saliba represented Southwest Virginia.

She was one of 500 young women from across the commonwealth who submitted essays focusing on their vision for a future STEM career.

The Governor and I understand that if we are to build a workforce of the future, it is important that we also advocate for more girls and women to excel in these high demand STEM fields, the first lady said. An innovative program like the STEM essay contest is just one tool we can use to build awareness of the great career pathways our students are pursuing in every region in Virginia.

In her winning essay, Saliba talks about her discovery and love for manatees, how much she enjoyed the I Wonder Why book series, her six summers at a camp along the coast of North Carolina, how her high school science classes inspired her, and her passion for the environment.

I remain open to the limitless career options available to me, but am confident that I am embarking upon a path that will fulfill my purpose in life to contribute to the protection of our environment, whether it be through research, development, or implementation of groundbreaking policies and procedures, she wrote.

Saliba, the daughter of Laura Wilson and David Saliba, plans to attend James Madison University and pursue a degree in earth science with an emphasis on environmental studies. At GWHS, she is a member of the art club. Outside of school, she likes to hike and has played the piano for nine years. She also works as a lifeguard at the Wytheville Golf Club pool.

She said she was surprised when GWHS Principal Dante Lee called her to the office to tell her she received the scholarship.

Only five girls in Virginia get it, so I didnt really have high hopes for it, so it was amazing, she said.

In Richmond, the governor shook her hand and congratulated her.

He said how great it was that we were all going into STEM careers, she said. I talked more with his wife. She asked me about what career field I was interested in going into and where I was and said congratulations.

After the reception at the governors mansion, Saliba and the other scholarship recipients were honored at the Virginia House of Delegates.

To contact Millie Rothrock, call 228-6611, ext. 35, or email mrothrock@wythenews.com.
ITHACA, N.Y. -- Ithaca police discovered a meth lab and stolen property inside a shed on a vacant business lot early Sunday morning, but no charges have been filed yet, according to police spokesman Jamie Williamson.

Police arrived in response to a possible meth lab on the 700 block of West Buffalo Street around 12:25 on Sunday morning. They conducted a search of the area and found "numerous" components of materials used to create methamphetamine, including liquid meth oil and other "precursors" for the drug's production.

Also discovered in the shed was a large amount of property officers believe was stolen from the Ithaca area. The property was collected, and officers are now trying to find the property's rightful owners.

Ithaca police ask that anyone with information call the Ithaca Police Department.
DANIEL BERRIGAN

The Rev. Daniel Berrigan, right, and defense lawyer William M. Kunstler talk with newsmen after Berrigan and eight other Catholics were sentenced to two years to three-and-a-half years in prison in Baltimore, Md., on Nov. 9, 1968. Berrigan died Saturday.

(AP Photo)

SYRACUSE, N.Y. -- The Rev. Daniel Berrigan, a poet and peace activist who taught at Le Moyne College and attracted international attention with his protests during the Vietnam War, has died.

Berrigan died Saturday at Murray-Weigel Hall, a Jesuit health care community in New York City after a long illness.

The Rev. Daniel Berrigan listens to comments regarding activism during a gathering celebrating the 50th anniversary of Le Moyne College in 1996.

Berrigan grew up on a farm near Syracuse and became a Catholic priest. From 1957-1963 he taught theology at Le Moyne College in DeWitt. While there he founded International House, student-run, social advocacy group. He also spent four years at Cornell University as the assistant director of Cornell United Religious Work.

Berrigan made headlines when he went to North Vietnam in 1968 to bring home the first three U.S. prisoners of war.

Later in 1968 Berrigan and his brother Philip, who was also a priest, attracted national attention as "the Berrigan Brothers." They and seven other Catholic protesters, known as the Catonsville Nine, used homemade napalm to burn draft records they had taken from a Maryland selective service office.

The brothers were later sentenced to several years in prison. Daniel Berrigan spent four months living underground before he was captured by the FBI.

The brothers also formed an interfaith coalition against the Vietnam War. In the 1980s they began the Plowshares Movement, damaging nuclear warhead nose cones at a GE plant and pouring blood on important documents and records.

The two were featured on the cover of Time Magazine in 1971.

Daniel Berrigan remained a prolific poet and writer throughout much of his life. His first book of poetry, "Time Without Number," won the Lamont Poetry Prize in 1957.

Philip Berrigan died in 2002. Another brother, Jerome "Jerry" Berrigan of Syracuse, who was an activist and well-known CNY educator, died last year at age 95.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
SYRACUSE, N.Y. -- The family of a woman shot and killed by Syracuse police in February has filed a notice of claim against the city that alleges, among other things, that Sahlah Ridgeway was taken to a far-away hospital instead of the one closest, allowing her to bleed to death en route.

The notice of claim was filed April 18 by New York City lawyer Fred Lichtmacher and was obtained by the Post-Standard | Syracuse.com this week. It alleges "wrongful death; assault; battery; negligent hiring, training and retaining; negligent entrustment; negligence; intentional infliction of emotional distress" and other damages.

Syracuse police said Ridgeway brandished a sawed-off shotgun when an officer shot and killed her. Family members and Lichtmacher have said they have not reviewed an autopsy, but Ridgeway's mother said she saw her daughter's body and that she was shot four times.

Syracuse police declined to comment through spokesman Detective George Hack. The police department does not typically comment on pending litigation.

The notice names the City of Syracuse as defendant and identifies police officers and "unknown ambulance workers" for their alleged roles in Ridgeway's death.

"A Syracuse Police Department Officer ... shot her multiple times, without any legal reason to use any force, much less the excessive and deadly force they employed," the notice states. "After the shooting, as (Ridgeway) lay bleeding and screaming in pain and fear, the officers dragged her, face down in the snow to an ambulance."

The notice alleges Ridgeway should have been brought to a nearby hospital but instead "bled out" en route to a hospital 10 to 15 minutes away. Police said after the shooting that Ridgeway was brought to Upstate University Hospital, which is about 2 1/2 miles from Ridgeway's apartment on the 1300 block of Butternut Street.

Sahlah Ridgeway, 32

Lichtmacher

A review of recent news releases from Syracuse police notifying the public about shootings shows that most shooting victims are brought to Upstate University Hospital.

St. Joseph's Hospital is about a mile from Ridgeway's apartment, though most shooting victims that arrive there arrived by private vehicle of their own accord, according to the recent news releases.

The notice of claim makes no mention of the gun Ridgeway allegedly brandished at officers, but it said officers were not justified in their use of deadly force against her.

"(City) employees and agents intentionally inflicted emotional distress on (Ridgeway) by dragging her face down through the snow after unjustifiably shooting her," the notice reads.

The notice of claim preserves the right to sue for Ridgeway's family. It did not specify the amount of money her family is seeking.

Police arrived at Ridgeway's apartment complex at 1313 Butternut St. around 8:30 p.m. on Feb. 12 in response to a drug-dealing complaint. Syracuse police officer Darrin Ettinger stayed at the front of the building when fellow officer Jeremy Decker ran to the rear. There he saw a group of people, including one woman carrying a shotgun, police said.

The woman, later identified as Ridgeway, fled toward the front of the building and Decker alerted Ettinger via radio, police said. That's when Ettinger ordered Ridgeway to drop the weapon multiple times, police said, and then he shot her.

The officers were placed on administrative leave.
SYRACUSE, NY -- In a community in which franks and coneys are a big deal -- from Heid's to Hofmanns -- Bob Luongo truly earned his title as Syracuse's "Hot Dog King."

In this 1994 photo, Bob Luongo serves up hot dogs from his longtime location at Chase Lincoln Plaza on South Salina at West Fayette streets in downtown Syracuse. Luongo, aka Bob Barker, diedApril 29 at age 76.

Bob Luongo, aka "Bob Barker," died Friday at age 76.

He started the Bob's Barkers Hot Dog Stand 36 years ago. With his family, he operated mobile carts in such locations at the Chase Lincoln Plaza on South Salina Street downtown, outside the Carrier Dome and on Irving Avenue near the University Hill hospital complex. In recent years, he sold dogs outside the Home Depot and later the Gander Mountain store in Cicero.

He had operated a permanent, or 'brick and mortar' location at 3718 New Court Ave. in Lyncourt.

His trademarks were fast and friendly service and a big straw cowboy hat, making him one of the most recognizable sidewalk vendors in town.

"Bob was the real pioneer in the hot dogs," rival Frank Greiner, of Frank's Franks hot dog truck, said in a feature published on syracuse.com last year.

Bob Luongo, of Bob's Barkers hot dog fame, had a life-long love of dancing. In this 2011 file photo, he is seen tap dancing with Ronnie Spengler, of Liverpool, during the Jazz in the City event in Armory Square.

Luongo was not just hot dog royalty. He also answered to the title "Jitterbug King," stemming from the time he was crowned the New York State Jitterbug Dance Champion in 1957. He kept up with dancing, including tap dancing, and served as a judge in the local "Dancing with Our Stars" contests in Syracuse.

He was also named the 2016 Onondaga County Senior Citizen of the year.

Services will be will be 8:45 a.m. Wednesday, May 4, at the Thomas J. Pirro Funeral Home, 3401 Vickery Road, followed by a funeral Mass at 10 a.m. in St. Cecilia's Church. Read the full obituary.

Don Cazentre writes about food, beverages, restaurants and bars for syracuse.com and The Post-Standard. Contact him by email, on Twitter, at Google+ or via Facebook.
There's more to editorial cartoons than the presidential campaigns. For example, Walt Handelsman, of Tribune Content Agency, and Mike Ramirez, of Creators Syndicate, zeroed in on North Carolina's bathroom privacy law. And President Barack Obama is blamed for plenty, overinflating the economy, debt, world chaos, Obamacare and failure foreign policy.

Now, we turn to politics. Chan Lowe takes a page from the ending of the movie "Thelma and Louise." This time, he draws a convertible labeled Ted & Carly 2016 speeding off a cliff. David Horsey, Jack Ohman and Handelsman, of Tribune Content Agency, take their swipes at the John Kasich and Ted Cruz pact. Donald Trump, of course, gets a fair share of attention.
Mercedes has been amongst the worst hit by the diesel ban as more than ten vehicles from the automaker's line-up cannot be sold in Delhi since they house motors larger than 2.0-litre capacity.

German automaker, Mercedes-Benz has proposed shifting its entire range of diesel passenger and commercial vehicles to run on biodiesel. This proposal comes in the wake of the Delhi diesel ban that disallows sales of diesel vehicles with engines larger than 2,000cc. The interim ban was initially slated to end on March 31, but, was extended till further notice.

"Mercedes has given me a letter that they can use 100% biodiesel in their cars and buses," road transport and highways minister Nitin Gadkari said. He went on to add, "Mercedes India chief has told me that the standards which we have prescribed for biodiesel can be easily used to power their motors".

The authorities are expected to issue a notification on the matter soon. Nitin Gadkari said he was already in talks with the petroleum ministry to make bio-diesel available at petrol pumps. He also mentioned that other manufacturers, such as JCB had proposed a similar move. The switch to biodiesel will help keep the emissions in check. It is a cleaner source of energy as compared to standard diesel and is renewable as well.

Mercedes has been amongst the worst hit by the diesel ban. More than ten vehicles from the automaker's line-up cannot be sold in Delhi since they house motors larger than 2.0-litre capacity. The biodiesel proposal may allow the automaker to resume sales in the capital. Mercedes has been vocal about its displeasure with the ban and went on to say it had been difficult to get investments as well. You can read the detailed report here.

Source: CarDekho.com
Frank Zorc

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By Nicholas Samuel of TCPalm

VERO BEACH  Frank Zorc, a well-known taxpayer advocate and community activist in Vero Beach died April 26 in Bethesda, Maryland, where he was visiting family, said his son, Tom Zorc.

Community activism, kindness and an ethic for hard work are just a few things his family remembers about the 84-year-old longtime Vero Beach resident, who died from a stroke and Parkinson's disease, Tom Zorc said. Frank Zorc suffered the stroke on March 31 in Bethesda.

His son remembers the advice his father would tell all nine of his children about hard work: "If you work twice as hard as the next person and twice as long, you'll accomplish twice as much."

Frank Zorc is known for being an activist and homebuilder, Tom Zorc said.

His biggest accomplishment was establishing and building St. Francis Manor of Vero Beach, an independent living facility that has provided low-cost housing to Indian River County residents for the past 40 years, Tom Zorc said.

Indian River County Commissioner Tim Zorc said about his uncle, "He saw the need of seniors who lived on a fixed income; their housing options were very limited."

The construction of St. Francis Manor was completed without federal or state money, Tom Zorc said. He said many contractors and tradesmen pitched in and provided services at a reduced cost or for free, as they believed in his father's vision and understood the need for affordable housing in Vero Beach.

And when someone's car would break down, Tom Zorc said his father would either put them in a hotel overnight or invite them into his house.

"My dad would pull out $100 from his wallet and give it to them," Tom Zorc said.

During the 1980s and 1990s, Frank was an advocate against the idea of using taxpayer money to pump sand to renourish beaches in Vero Beach, according to Tom Zorc.

"He was pushing for a referendum. He didn't believe we should be using taxpayer money to renourish beaches when it only benefits those who purchased buildings too close to the beach," Tom Zorc said.

Frank Zorc also is known for winning a lawsuit in 1998 against the city of Vero Beach for violating the Sunshine Law.

Zorc leaves nine children, 53 grandchildren and 15 great-grandchildren.

Visitations will be held 2 to 4 p.m. May 6 at the Strunk Funeral Home, 917 17th St., and 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. May 6 at St. Helen Catholic Church, 2085 Tallahassee Ave., both in Vero Beach.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 6 p.m. May 7 at St. Helen Catholic Church, according to Strunk Funeral Home officials.
Tracey Stephens (standing) of the Rural Domestic Preparedness Consortium, instructs Fellsmere city officials, members of the Indian River County Sheriff's Office and business leaders about the subject of agroterrorism in February in Fellsmere. (CONTRIBUTED PHOTO FROM UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA-DAVIS)

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By Lamaur Stancil of TCPalm

FELLSMERE  It's a terrorism threat few are talking about, but here they're taking steps to prepare for it.

It's called agroterrorism, and it would strike Americans by contaminating food supplies.

Fellsmere Police Chief Keith Touchberry said he didn't want to pass on an opportunity for his officers and agricultural business leaders in the community to learn more about it.

"If you think about all we have here in the Fellsmere area, it's good for us to partner with the agriculture industry and make them aware of who they need to contact if they notice anything suspicious," Touchberry said.

Most talk about terror targets during the years has revolved around large gatherings of people or heavily used modes of transportation. But as the United States uncovered more about al-Qaida's plans after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, explicit plans were found that involved attacks on food and water supplies, federal officials said.

That's why the Department of Homeland Security created a group called the Rural Domestic Preparedness Consortium, which provides free instruction to rural law enforcement agencies on a plethora of topics. One of the courses is agroterrorism, which is taught by Tracey Stevens, a member of the University of California-Davis' Western Institute for Food Safety and Security.

"People aren't aware of it, but the U.S. is one of the largest food exporters in the world," Stevens said. "We talk about terrorism and think about people first, but forget about food and agriculture."

Stevens taught the course in February in Fellsmere to about 16 people, including deputies of the Indian River County Sheriff's Office. The goal is to bring together people in the agriculture business to help them recognize chemical and biological threats. The course teaches them about the local, state and federal authorities they should work with if they spot something, such as those involved in public health, environmental health and emergency responders, she said.

Also in attendance was Mike Dean, director of security risk management at the Florida Organic Aquaculture, which opened a shrimp farm in Fellsmere two years ago.

"Our footprint in the industry is small right now," Dean said. "But as our production increases, we'll have to consider that we'd be a target."

Fellsmere City Manager Jason Nunemaker said besides the aquaculture business, there's citrus growers, livestock owners, farmers growing watercress and arugula, tree farms and sod providers in the area.

Stevens' course is designed to increase awareness about the threat of agroterrorism, which could happen with a terrorist using a drones to strike a farm with chemical or biological contaminants.

Food is a terrorism target based on how many people are involved in its production, Stevens said.

"The food that reached you was grown, packed and shipped beforehand," she said. "Some disgruntled employee could be involved in something on a small scale, but that's how terrorism starts."

Fellsmere is enrolling in other courses through the consortium on other topics, such as encouraging rural law enforcement to build better relationship with church leaders and schools.

AGROTERRORISM DEFINED

Agroterrorism is the deliberate introduction of a disease agent into livestock or the food chain to create fear in a society or undermine its economy.

Officials said farms are vulnerable because they tend to lack on-site surveillance and the security to prevent unauthorized access.

Education for first responders and the agriculture industry is key for preparation in case an agroterrorism event happens.

Source: Rand National Research Defense Institute
Martin County Sheriff Community Policing Deputy Joseph Angelico (left) and Special Operations Sgt. Micah Skowronski (right) on search a third day for 30-year-old Hobe Sound nurse Tricia Todd on Saturday off Southeast Dixie Highway in Hobe Sound. Todd was reported missing Wednesday after she failed to pick up her 2-year-old daughter. Members of local law enforcement and community volunteers continue to canvass the Hobe area in search of Todd. To see more photos, go to TCPalm.com (MOLLY BARTELS/TREASURE COAST NEWSPAPERS)

By Nicholas Samuel of TCPalm

MARTIN COUNTY  Detectives plan to travel to North Carolina early next week to interview the ex-husband of a Hobe Sound woman missing since early Wednesday morning, Sheriff William Snyder said.

"We've talked with him by phone, and he has been cooperating. We're sending a team of detectives to interview him," Snyder said of Tricia Todd's ex-husband, Steven Williams. "The goal is to eliminate people from suspicion."

For the past several days, the Martin County Sheriff's Office gathered 40 to 50 personnel using all-terrain vehicles, four-wheelers, boats and bloodhounds to help search for Todd, 30, who has been missing since early Wednesday morning, Snyder said.

The sheriff said deputies have forensically examined areas within a 5-mile radius near the ex-husband's home and car, and near Todd's home and car.

"There's no evidence of foul play," Snyder said. "We don't ever want to sit back and say we wish we had done one more thing. We're exhausting every possibility."

Deputies have no new information or any leads regarding Todd's disappearance and said her disappearance is extremely suspicious.

"She hasn't been showing up for work," Snyder said of Todd, a nurse at Treasure Coast Hospice. "Detectives are working around the clock. We're still out here."

Family friend Michelle Rocker said more than 100 community members met Saturday afternoon at the Algozzini Hawaiian Store, 11335 S.E. Federal Highway, to help with search efforts.

"People kept coming in groups of 10," Rocker said. "We're are blown away by the support of the community."

Rocker said community members will conduct another search from 3:30 to 7 p.m. Sunday starting at the same location.

Those interested in searching for Tricia Todd should join the Facebook group "Volunteers to help search for Tricia Todd."

At the time of her disappearance, Todd's car, a white Dodge Neon, was parked near her brother's home in Hobe Sound, where she was staying, Sheriff's reports said. Her keys and purse were left in the vehicle, but her cellphone and wallet were gone.

Todd and Williams both share custody of their 2-year-old daughter, who was staying with Williams on Tuesday night. That night, Williams called Todd because their daughter wasn't feeling well, and Todd brought her some medication, Snyder said.

When Todd didn't pick up her daughter Wednesday morning as planned, Williams dropped the toddler off at a baby sitter because he had to get back to his Air Force base in North Carolina.

Snyder said the baby sitter took the daughter to the home of one of Todd's brothers Wednesday night. Her family members were worried when she didn't pick up her daughter, so they called the sheriff's office.

Anyone who sees Todd or has information on her disappearance should call 911 or Sheriff's detectives at 772-220-7060.
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) recently visited the ancient Syrian city of Palmyra to assess the damage and destruction done to it when it fell under the control of the Islamic State terrorist group (ISIS).

Though the city, a world heritage site, has been considerably damaged, it still continues to retain its integrity and authenticity, affirmed UNESCO.

"Palmyra is a pillar of Syrian identity, and a source of dignity for all Syrians," said UNESCO Director-General Irina Bokova. "UNESCO is determined to ensure the safeguarding of this and other sites with all partners as part of broader humanitarian and peace building operations."

Taking stock of the situation, a team of archaeological experts examined both the museum and archaeological site of Palmyra. It was found that most of the statues and sarcophagi that were too large to be removed for safekeeping were defaced and smashed, their heads severed and their fragments left lying on the ground.

"We still don't know about the underground damage and the looting because of the mines planted by the Islamic State, but we can say that 80 percent of the archaeological architecture is undamaged," said Maamoun Abdulkarim, head of Syria's Directorate-General of Antiquities and Museums.

He added that it would take at least six years to restore the remains of Palmyra to its original beauty and glory.

"Tourists who will visit Palmyra in the future will enjoy the historical city as they used to, even with the terrorism wounds that will leave scars," assured Abdulkarim.

Restoration work to the city is already underway. The experts who have undertaken this mission, escorted by U.N. security forces, have determined emergency measures to stabilize and safeguard the cultural structures and buildings.

They have also identified the requisite work that goes into the mission in terms of documenting, evacuating, safeguarding and restoring the site as much as possible. Matching and documenting the parts of destroyed statues and other sculptures is already in progress.

Palmyra, often referred to as an oasis in the Syrian Desert, was once a key tourist destination until the Syrian conflict broke out in 2011.

Further, Islamic State terrorists took over Palmyra in May 2015, taking lives, creating havoc and causing significant destruction to the city. The terrorists were finally driven away by the army of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in March 2016.

The assessment of the Syrian city's damage quotient was carried out by UNESCO in April 2016. The team who visited the heritage site observed a minute of silence for all the victims who were murdered in the amphitheater, which was used by the terrorists for public executions.

A full report on the cultural site will be delivered by UNESCO at the World Heritage Committee's annual meeting in July in Istanbul, Turkey.

Photo: Varun Shiv Kapur | Flickr

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Zircon crystals, the oldest pieces of rock on the planet, were likely formed in craters left behind when asteroids hit a young Earth, instead of through plate tectonics as earlier believed, according to researchers.

As rocks form over a period of time, they let geologists track Earth's history via inferences about climate variations, where water first appeared and even where life sprouted from. However, just how far back researchers can go is determined by the zircon crystals they have.

Zircon crystals that naturally occur are about as wide as a human hair and more than 4 billion years old. The planet itself is slightly a little older than that at 4.5 billion years old. Some 15 years ago, researchers revealed that there was water on the Earth's surface during the crystal formation, but 10 years ago, researchers argued that tectonic plate movement was probably responsible for the formation of zircon crystals.

Now, evidence points out that plate tectonics did not occur when the Earth was young. So, where did zircon crystals come from?

According to geologists, from space. Specifically, they formed in massive impact craters left behind when asteroids peppered the planet.

For a study published in the journal Geology, researchers gathered zircon crystals from the Sudbury impact crater in Ontario, Canada, collecting thousands of samples from the largest impact crater on the planet and the second crater to be confirmed nearly 2 billion years old.

At the Swedish Museum of Natural History, the samples were analyzed and were found to be indistinguishable in composition from older, more ancient zircon crystals.

"There's a lot we still don't fully understand about these little guys but it looks like we may now be able to form a more coherent study of Earth's early years," said Gavin Kenny, the study's first author and doctoral researcher at Trinity College Dublin's School of Natural Sciences.

He recently presented their findings at the yearly Lunar and Planetary Science Conference held in Texas, meeting a research group, which two years ago studied the timing of the asteroid impacts on a young Earth and suggested that the impacts may be able to explain how old ancient zircon crystals are. Needless to say, the other research team was pleased to hear that they were in the right direction.

Photo: Ryan Somma | Flickr

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Tim Peake was able to successfully drive a remote robot from the International Space Station (ISS), giving hope that astronauts can someday control systems remotely in other worlds.

On April 29, the British astronaut performed a challenging task of driving a robot rover named Bridget across a sandpit that resembles the Martian surface. The interesting thing is, the big sandpit is located on Earth, in Stevenage, near London to be exact.

Although Peake encountered some problems during the experiments, he was able to attain his goals.

The Project

The Project called Multi-Purpose End-To-End Robotic Operation Network (Meteron) supports the operation of space Internet, such that it aims to direct surface robots in real time with the controller up in orbit.

Part of the experiment is to look for painted targets in a dark room that looks like one of the caves on Mars.

Peake's Difficulties

Peake was able to drive the robot and explore the simulated cave for two hours before looking for the targets. However, it was not a completely smooth ride as the astronaut encountered obstacles along the way.

The biggest problem Peake encountered was time as his commands had to be transferred back to Earth and go through numerous other communication channels before they finally reach the robot. This means that each and every direction coming from Peake faced some forms of delay.

Aside from that, Peake's transmission link was said to have dropped out several times. He also had some technical problems with his laptop.

Despite such obstacles, Peake was able to successfully drive Bridget around and find the UV-lighted targets.

"Not only did @astro_timpeake find four confirmed targets, he parked Bridget neatly next to the Brian rover!" tweets the European Space Agency (ESA) Operations.

Success, Overall

Personnel at ESA Operation in Germany told Peake that all of the ground staff are proud of him and that he was able to find the targets, with one even marked twice due to software reboot.

Peake thanked everyone for the support, acknowledging the amount of work that many people put into this. He was glad everything went fairly smoothly.

The experiment marks the possibility that someday an astronaut in orbit may stay above the Red Planet and guide a surface rover in areas where engineers usually avoid.

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In the event of a nuclear emergency, Belgium is arming its citizens with iodine tablets. The measure comes months after the ISIS-linked plot to build a dirty bomb" and the spying done on a top nuclear scientist, which was revealed in a surveillance video obtained by Belgian authorities.

Iodine, which helps limit radiations effects on the body including a buildup in the thyroid, will be made accessible to the countrys 11 million residents, revealed health minister Maggie De Block Thursday before reporters.

Triggering the initiative were the emergency measures employed in the wake of the 2011 Fukushima nuclear fallout in Japan. Part of it, too, was the discovery that a senior researcher at a Belgian nuclear center  which creates a substantial portion of the worlds radioisotope supply  has been spied upon by a terrorist group.

The hidden filming of the scientist was discovered Nov. 30 during a raid at the home of ISIS-linked suspect Mohamed Bakkali, who has since been charged with involvement in the Paris bombings that killed 130 and wounded hundreds.

The secret film was recorded by Khalid and Ibrahim El Bakraoui, two brothers who figured in the March bombing attacks in Brussels.

"We will provide iodine pills in the whole country, announced De Block, clarifying that it is not done over safety concerns on the countrys own nuclear plants.

Originally, officials had planned giving away tablets to communities near Tihange and Doel nuclear plants. Now the wider distribution includes the whole country, which approximates the size of Maryland.

A day after Belgiums announcement, the Dutch government followed suit and ordered 15 million iodine pills for those residing near nuclear plants  a key move amid concerns over aging reactors across the Belgian border.

The pills will be distributed to children under age 18 as well as pregnant women living within a 62-mile radius of a nuclear plant, Dutch health ministry spokesperson Edith Schippers told AFP.

While The Netherlands only has one nuclear power plant located in the southwest, the iodine pill distribution will cover people situated in border areas near the Emsland plant of Germany and the two Belgian plants.

Schippers added that they will emulate how the Belgians will make the pills available, whether at pharmacies or local health centers. Even workers, tourists, and visitors will have a share of the supply in preparation for a potential nuclear event.

A week earlier, Germany asked that the 40-year-old reactors of Tihange and Doel plants be shut down until outstanding security issues have been resolved. Belgium rejected the request, who stood firm that the plants are subjected to rigorous safety standards.

The Chernobyl nuclear power plant disaster recently marked its 30th anniversary, still haunting the health of affected and surrounding areas and the overall situation in Ukraine, Belarus and Russia.

Photo: George Monet | Flickr

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The loan had become controversial in 2014 as Cairn had not disclosed extending of loan to its new parent Group.

New Delhi: Vedanta Group firm THL Zinc Ltd has sought a rollover of a controversial USD 1.25-billion loan taken from the conglomerate's cash-rich oil explorer Cairn India in July 2014. The loan, which was extended for two years at floating rate of 3 per cent plus LIBOR, was to be repaid by July 2016.

"CIHL (Cairn India Holdings Ltd), which is a 100 per cent subsidiary of Cairn India, has received a request from THL Zinc for the rollover of the loan and a sub-committee comprising two independent directors have been constituted to review the said rollover request," Cairn India CFO Sudhir Mathur said in an investor call, transcript of which was made public on Friday evening.

The loan had become controversial in 2014 as Cairn had not disclosed extending of loan to its new parent Group. It came to light only in the analyst call in July 2014 but not before USD 800 million out of the total loan of USD 1.25 billion had already been disbursed.

Mathur said the committee of independent directors "would be going into the details of this rollover request and we will get back to you one way or another what decision of the directors is."

In September 2015, London-listed Vedanta Resources Plc, the parent firm of Vedanta, said the USD 1.25-billion loan was used to repay USD 800 million of principal and USD 450 million in interest on another inter-company loan. In June last year, it proposed merging Cairn India with Vedanta Ltd. If the proposed merger goes through, it could mean that the USD 1.25 billion loan is written off.

When an analyst asked if cash reserves can be lent to the promoters without going to minority shareholders, he said, "I think there was no law which prevented this loan from being given." Under the new Companies Act, companies need to take shareholder nod for related party transactions.

Mathur said the independent directors committee would seek advice on all these elements. "They would be going into details of this extension, this rollover terms to be changed if any. We will get back to you one way or the other," he said.

Mathur, however, did not say Vedanta is seeking rollover for how many years. Asked if the parent group has sought additional loan, he said, "There is no request and we do not foresee any request for incremental loan."

Cairn had a cash balance of Rs 19,500 crore at the end of March 31, 2016. In 2014, it had used its cash to buy back shares that helped Vedanta gain greater control of the firm. It bought 36.7 million shares for Rs 1,225 crore and extinguished them, resulting in promoter shareholding rising from 58.76 per cent to 59.90 per cent.

Vedanta group shareholding would have gone up to 64.53 per cent, had Cairn been able to buy all the 170.9 million share it had intended to buy back for up to Rs 5,725 crore. It could not as Cairn share traded higher than Rs 335 offered. Mathur said, "All the interest (on the USD 1.25 billion loan) that was to received from THL Zinc has been received."
Friends are thought to be companions who make us feel better in times of sorrow and pain, and researchers say they literally serve as painkillers. The more friends one has, the higher the tolerance for pain, according to research.

A study conducted by the University of Oxford in England showed that having more friends increases pain tolerance due to increased endorphin levels in the brain. Endorphin serves as a natural painkiller in the body and is responsible for positive feelings. The chemical is also better painkiller than morphine.

Doctoral student Katerina Johnson and evolutionary psychology professor Robin Dunbar sought to prove early theories that endorphins do not only make you feel good, but they also help you tolerate physical pain.

"Social behavior and being attached to other individuals is really important for our survival  whether that is staying close to our parents, or our offspring or cooperating with others to find food or to help defend ourselves," Johnson said.

To be able to know the correlation between a large social network and pain tolerance, the researchers asked 101 participants aged 18 to 34 to answer a questionnaire that evaluates the participants' frequency of meeting their friends on weekly and monthly bases. The test also looked into the personalities, stress levels and fitness of the participants.

To prove the theory, the researchers instructed the participants to do a wall squat. They asked them to lean their backs on the wall while positioning their legs at a 90-degree angle. The participants could stay in that position as long as they could.

The wall squatting served as an indirect method for the researchers to gauge the endorphin activity in the brains of the participants.

The activity revealed that both sexes having many friends had higher tolerance for pain. It also showed that meeting friends on a monthly basis proved to be a vital factor of the link between the pain tolerance and bigger social networks compared to a weekly basis.

Additionally, the controlled stress levels, fitness and personality were seen to improve pain tolerance on an average of one to four minutes if there had also been an increase in the next layer of contacts with seven to 12 friends.

Those who practice good fitness routine endured the pain longer, but surprisingly they belong to a smaller peer group. The researchers speculate that the fitness enthusiasts already satisfy their socializing needs in the gym.

"Both exercise and socializing trigger the endorphin system," said Johnson.

The researchers also found that those who have high stress levels have smaller social networks, though there's a small correlation to tolerance for pain.

The researchers noted that even though their study supports earlier evidence of endorphin linked to social interactions, it is not clear what makes the difference among individuals.

According to Johnson, it's not known whether the relationship between increased pain tolerance and large social networks is caused by the endorphin dampening the pain or the fact that people with greater endorphin levels  and higher pain tolerance  happen to enjoy social interactions and having more friends.

Lauri Nummenmaa of Aalto University, Finland, said the study could be used to further explore more avenues of endorphin system linking to people socializing.

"Those [kinds] of experiments are needed to really nail down what is going on," Nummenmaa said.

The study was published on April 28 in the journal Scientific Reports.

Photo: Andrew Mager | Flickr

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Dole Food Company officials knew about the listeria problems at their salad plant in Springfield, Ohio more than a year before the factory closed in January, a report from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) found.

The FDA's inspection report found that the surface tests at the Ohio plant tested positive for listeria nine separate times in 2014 and 2015, prior to the FDA's testing in January.

Craig Hedberg, an environmental health sciences professor at the University of Minnesota's School of Public Health, said that a persistent contamination could indicate a problem with sanitation.

Early this year, a listeria outbreak affected multiple states in the United States. It was traced to the Dole plant in Ohio where the packaged salads are made.

On Jan. 22, Dole issued a product recall on all salads packaged at the Springfield plant with the following brand names: Dole, The Little Salad Bar, Simple Truth, President's Choice, Fresh Selections and Marketside. The operations at the plant were also temporarily suspended.

"Those FDA reports deal with issues at our plant that we have corrected. We have been working in collaboration with the FDA and other authorities to implement ongoing improved testing, sanitation and procedure enhancements, which have resulted in the recent reopening of our Springfield salad plant," said Dole in a company statement.

The plant resumed operations on April 21.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said in January that it had received reports about the listeria cases as early as July 2015. The investigation started in September but it was only in January this year that the source was discovered.

To date, four people have died due to the listeria outbreak, which sickened 33 individuals in the United States and some as far off as Canada. Everyone who was sickened was hospitalized.

Dole said in a statement that the U.S. Department of Justice has contacted them in connection with the listeria outbreak. The company said it will be cooperating with the federal agency to address any more concerns.

On a similar note, the DOJ also started investigating Blue Bell Creameries in January for the alleged mishandling of an ice cream contamination issue. The event is associated with 10 listeriosis cases wherein three people died because of complications after eating Blue Bell frozen treats.

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It's been 10 years since Google launched its language translation service, Google Translate, on April 28, 2006.

Since then, Google Translate has grown in leaps and bounds, from two languages to 103, while sticking to its main goal of making the world a more accessible place by breaking language barriers.

The makers say that through the company's first 10 years, the service has become an established go-to tool after Google improved its features by understanding the needs, listening to what people had to say, speaking to them, holding active conversations, and even setting up the Google Community in 2011, which sought help from language enthusiasts to improve the translation quality.

Of the 500 million users worldwide, 92 percent stay outside of the U.S., which generates translation of more than 100 billion words a day. The most common language translation happens between English and Arabic, Spanish, Portuguese, Russian, and Indonesian. Brazil tops the list of countries that are largely dependent on the digital linguist.

The service has come a long way from only typing out a word or a phrase and waiting for the screen to throw up the translation. It now has added features which make life so much easier. There's the Word Lens which shows instant translation (in 28 languages) of the words picked off the street sign boards and food menus, along with another app that makes bilingual conversation (in 32 languages) possible by recognizing the language when you are speaking.

Of course, the company has thought of countries with poor or no Internet connectivity. For them, Word Lens translates signs and menus offline both on Android and iOS, while typed text gets translated offline only on Android for now.

If your device is still without this app, head straight to Google Play Store to install the handy little app because you never know when you're going to need it.

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Google's deal with the National Health Service (NHS) will allow artificial intelligence units to access as many as 1.6 million private patient records, a new report has revealed.

The data-sharing agreement, according to New Scientist, which first unmasked its true nature, would give Google's DeepMind unrestricted access to sensitive data that the Royal Free NHS Trust has.

Patient Confidentiality And Informed Consent

As early as 2014, Google has partnered with several scientists to understand human health. But this present partnership with the UK NHS goes far beyond what people expect from the tech giant.

The NHS houses information from three major hospitals under its control in London namely Chase Farm, Barnet, and Royal Free.

Last February, Google announced that it would be collaborating with the NHS for app development. The Streams app, Google said, would simply aid hospital personnel to monitor their patients with kidney diseases.

"This is not just about kidney function," said Sam Smith from the health data privacy group MedConfidential. "They're getting the full data."

With the agreement, Google would be able to look at all the patient records that pass through all these hospitals each year, along with sensitive details of abortion, drug overdose, and even HIV status.

The agreement also allows Google to look at patient information from the past five years that the NHS has submitted to the Secondary User Service (SUS) database, which serves as a centralized record of all UK hospital treatments ranging from emergency departments to critical care.

Since DeepMind would have continuous access to all patient information including everyday hospital activity ranging from who visits the patient to details of radiologic and pathologic tests, many are questioning whether they have the choice to opt out.

Would the NHS ask for patients' informed consent? Would the NHS give the patients the chance to opt out?

With the SUS data collection, patients can simply write their doctor about opting out. This does not, however, cover data gathered during present admission and discharge.

Several days ago, more than a million patients decided to opt out of Care.data scheme for fears that their sensitive information would be made available beyond the scope of clinical care. The concerns stemmed from the agency's inability to allow patients to undertake an informed consent. This has forced the Health & Social Care Information Centre to change its name to NHS Digital.

Google's Defense

Google said getting the entire patient information is necessary because there is no specific dataset for kidney disease patients. Streams would not be an effective monitoring app without all the patient data.

To defend the agreement [PDF], Royal Free NHS Trust explained that data provision is within the bounds of strict information governance rules and would only be used for direct clinical care.

In addition, Google cannot use all gathered information for any of its other business ventures and that data would be under the care of a third-party contractor. DeepMind is also bound by the agreement to delete all data copies as soon as the agreement expires on September 2017.

Patient Rescue

The agreement also stated that to ensure all medical personnel follow the guidelines set by the UK's National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, DeepMind would use Patient Rescue, a platform that would give data analytics to NHS hospitals by using streams of data from other hospitals.

With this real-time patient information analysis, DeepMind can support doctors in making clinical diagnosis. By funnelling a wealth of patient information, DeepMind is expected to assist doctors by predicting possible illnesses an individual may have.

Patient Rescue can scan through the millions of data in its system to help predict if the patient has an illness in its early stages. Based on this, doctors can then request for some tests to see if disease prediction is accurate.

Smith said DeepMind's data collection would allow it to build a generic algorithm about any disease it chooses.

David Clifton of the Computational Health Informatics Lab at University of Oxford said that machine learning tools are already in place in four hospitals under the Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.

Clifton explained that these AI systems would be helpful in terms of detecting an infectious outbreak before it gets worse. Downplaying the concerns on patient confidentiality, Clifton said that AIs were not developed to replace doctors and nurses.

"It's about how can we bring the attention of medics to the right place," Clifton said.

Predicting health outcomes have been previously employed by doctors to help them make clinical decisions whether a treatment option would benefit a patient or not.

Misplaced Concerns

Ross Anderson of the University of Cambridge said there should be no concern over breach of confidentiality. Google has a good track record of data security and privacy so there is nothing to worry about.

"If learning about adverse health outcomes helps them to predict patients at risk, then this is a perfectly reasonable way to make money," said Ross.

Ross added that the concern should be shifted to the fact that Google might hold monopoly in health analytics.

UK Life Sciences minister George Freeman echoed the same concern and said NHS should be more careful.

"Healthcare is going digital in the 21st century with huge benefits to patients," said Freeman. "But NHS patients need to know their data will be secure and not be sold or used inappropriately, which is why we have introduced tough new measures to ensure patient confidentiality."

Google said there are no commercial plans for its DeepMind's data mining services and that the existing pilots covered by the agreement are free.

With the tight competition in artificial intelligence development, it seems Google is leading the pack in health analytics.

However, Google is not off the hook yet as healthcare experts, along with government tech leaders, would assess how DeepMind processes NHS information in a meeting slated next month.

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The mosquito-borne Zika has not been thought as a killer virus and was known for causing almost no symptoms in infected individuals. Those who do show symptoms often only suffer from rashes, headaches, muscle aches, and sometime conjunctivitis at worst.

As the virus continues to infect thousands of people, however, symptoms that were never seen before such as brain defects in children born to infected mothers have been noted. Some of the pregnant women who get the virus also experience miscarriages and having babies who died soon after birth.

As more cases of the disease emerge, it appears that Zika can be fatal even among adults. In Colombia, for instance, three adults have died of Zika-linked Guillain-Barre syndrome in February. The autoimmune disease affects the nerves of the body causing muscle weakness and sometimes even paralysis.

Now, the U.S. has reported another case of Zika death. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Puerto Rico Department of Health revealed on Friday that a 70-year-old Puerto Rican man died because of complications from Zika virus in February.

The patient contracted the virus and received treatment for symptoms but he returned to the hospital a few days after recovery with symptoms of a bleeding disorder. He was diagnosed with immune thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP), a disorder marked by the immune system attacking the platelets that play a role in blood clotting.

"As an elderly man, this individual did have some underlying health conditions, but they were not life-threatening and not likely to have led to his death," said CDC epidemiologist Tyler Sharp.

Sharp said that this is the ninth reported case of bleeding linked with Zika. The five cases in French Polynesia and Suriname survived but three in Colombia did not.

The incident showed that the Zika virus is not as harmless as it was once thought. The symptoms and complications that may arise can be particularly dangerous for certain individuals including the elderly and those who already have existing conditions.

"Although Zika virus-associated deaths are rare, the first identified death in Puerto Rico highlights the possibility of severe cases, as well as the need for continued outreach to raise health care providers' awareness of complications that might lead to severe disease or death," the CDC said.

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Samsung may have equipped the latest Galaxy S7 and S7 edge devices with a premium metal build and a water-resistant material, but it apparently missed one detail that is now at the center of a wave of complaints.

Users have been reporting that the home button of their devices seems to be prone to heavy scratches, while the rest of the handset's body remained intact and in good condition.

The issue was also discussed in detail by the folks at Phone Arena. According to the publication, the home button on the Galaxy S7 and S7 edge devices which they have been using in the office is all covered in scratches. What makes it even more peculiar is the fact that the devices were used in cases at all times, and have never been subjected to any form of physical abuse.

The report was even supported with some photos which show the notable damages sustained on the home button of the S7 and the S7 edge devices.

Some users even said that their handsets came with a scratched home button out of the box.

Despite the damage, it doesn't seem like it has any effect on the performance of the fingerprint scanner, which can be accessed via the same home button. However, it may be quite annoying for some users to find that their $800 handset already bears some scratches. It's even more annoying for those who claim that they've always handled their devices with the best of care and made sure that their devices have never endured any accidental drops.

It's not clear whether Samsung used a specific type of material to protect (or not protect) the home button of its devices. The issue doesn't seem to be isolated to the latest flagships since it also seemed to have affected the company's flagship last year. The same scratches were reportedly seen on the Galaxy Note 5 which, unlike the Galaxy S7 and S7 edge, started to appear several months later.

For comparison's sake, devices from other OEMs with fingerprint scanners that are embedded in the home button were also evaluated. These include iPhones, Huawei P9, LG G5, and the latest HTC 10. So far, none of these devices showed the same scratch-prone issues that were found on the home button of Samsung's latest flagships.

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Hairstyle choice could be a deciding factor driving balding in women, a new study reveals. Fortunately, the condition may be entirely preventable.

Women who pull their hair back tightly may be accelerating hair loss, according to researchers from John Hopkins University. This includes braids, dreadlocks, weaves, tight ponytails and extensions.

"Hair is a cornerstone of self-esteem and identity for many people, but ironically, some hairstyles meant to improve our self-confidence actually lead to hair and scalp damage," Crystal Aguh, assistant professor of dermatology at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, said.

Traction alopecia, or hair loss due to tension at the hair root  was found to be made more common by hairstyles marked by stretching of the hair. This is the most common type of hair loss among African-American women, affecting roughly one-third of the demographic.

Traction alopecia can easily be prevented, and treatment is available, if patients start on a plan early.

"We have to do better as care providers to offer our patients proper guidance to keep them healthy from head to toe," Aguh stated in a press release.

Chemical straightening of hair increases the damage caused by these hairstyles, researchers determined. This treatment weakens the hair shaft, which can result in breaking. Extensions, especially those in which adhesive is applied directly to the scalp, can also damage hair, leading to hair loss. Use of heat to straighten hair, such as blow drying and the use of flat irons, could weaken hair, leading to thinning and balding as well, researchers stated.

Frequent wearing of wigs, or even wig caps, could damage hair, resulting in additional thinning. However, caps made of satin may be better on hair than such pieces made from nylon or cotton.

Researchers advised that weaves and extensions should only be worn for six to eight weeks, and braids should be loosened after two to three months.

People wearing their hair in a naturally relaxed state, or gathered together into loose buns or updos, were found to be least at risk for hair loss. Untreated hair was found to be better at sustaining damage done to it during styling.

Study of how hairstyles can lead to traction alopecia was profiled in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology.

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It's okay for parents to give children apple juice or their favorite beverage for mild cases of dehydration, says a new Canadian study.

Gut-related conditions like gastroenteritis are not uncommon among children, but while they are easily cared for in developed countries, at least 2 percent of them may have to be hospitalized because of the severity of the condition and serious dehydration.

Dehydration, which is usually caused by diarrhea, can lead to severe water loss and electrolyte imbalance with a wide range of symptoms such as decreased output of urine, dizziness, low blood pressure and rapid breathing.

One of the first steps of treatment for gastroenteritis is dehydration recovery. Some health experts, however, frown upon certain drinks like apple juice due to their high sugar content that, they contend, may exacerbate water loss.

The new Canadian study suggests that apple juice may turn out to be beneficial for children experiencing vomiting and mild dehydration.

In the single-blind randomized trial, the researchers worked with 647 children between the ages of 6 months to 5 years old admitted in a tertiary pediatric hospital in Canada from October to April from 2010 to 2015.

Following the standard protocol on oral rehydration, the researchers gave 323 of these children the drink of their choice or half-strength apple juice while the rest received the conventional apple-flavored electrolyte maintenance solution. The researchers then instructed the parents to continue with what the children were drinking upon discharge until vomiting and diarrhea had subsided.

During the follow-up on 644 children, the team found that there was no significant difference between the frequency of diarrhea and vomiting, as well as rate of hospitalization between the two groups.

However, at 17 percent, the incidence of treatment failure among children who drank apple juice or their preferred beverage was less, compared to 25 percent of kids who had the electrolyte solution.

Further, only 2.5 percent of apple juice drinkers required intravenous rehydration as opposed to the 9 percent who drank the electrolyte solution.

Although the study didn't fully explain these statistical differences, it could be because not all children like the taste of electrolyte solution.

"I've bought commercially available electrolyte solutions in the past and often seen first-hand the challenges of getting a child to want to drink them," said Dr. Stephan Freedman, University of Calgary pediatrics associate professor and one of the co-authors.

If the child continues to avoid these electrolyte solutions, the emergency department may be left with no choice but to use IV treatment.

Nevertheless, parents should take note that these data were conducted on children with mild dehydration. If the problem is more severe, it's best to have the child evaluated by a health care provider. This may also be necessary if the parent doesn't know how to effectively handle gastroenteritis and its symptoms.

Based on the study however, the researchers hope doctors will become more "patient-centered" in treating those with mild diarrhea.

"Sometimes it's more important we promote the successful consumption of liquids than being rigid on what we're allowing them to consume," Freedman said.

The study was published in JAMA on April 30.

Photo: Geoff Peters | Flickr

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Physicians normally require fasting to patients before heading to a clinic for cholesterol testing; however, a new guideline revealed that patients can already have their bloods tested without fasting.

A new study headed by Dr. Borge Nordestgaard from the University of Copenhagen, Denmark, suggests that fasting or not fasting before blood testing do not have significant effect on the results of the lipid profile, which includes LDL (bad cholesterol) and HDL (good cholesterol), total cholesterol, and triglycerides.

The international group of experts analyzed 300,000 individual data drawn from a wide number of studies such as those gathered by the Nurses' Health Study, the Heart Protection Study and the Copenhagen General Population Study.

The researchers measured the cholesterol and lipids of the participants who did not fast before cholesterol testing and found no significant changes in the levels of substances being tested in blood chemistry.

According to Nordestgaard, this simple change in the procedure of cholesterol testing could help patients, clinicians and laboratories just like what they did in Denmark last 2009 where they began using non-fasting blood tests for cholesterol levels.

"To improve patient compliance with lipid testing, we therefore recommend the routine use of non-fasting lipid profiles," said researchers.

The findings were highly recommended by large number of international experts from Australia, Europe and United States.

"These recommendations represent a joint consensus statement from the European Atherosclerosis Society and European Federation of Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine," Nordestgaard said.

The researchers noted that those who have high triglyceride levels; are recovering from pancreatitis; are taking medications that can cause high triglycerides, must still undergo fasting phase before doing a cholesterol test.

Fasting Or Not Fasting

Doctors require patients to do fasting before blood tests, but it is not clear how "fasting" can really affect the results.

It is known that fasting gives a more accurate assessment of blood tests. Patients who need to have their blood drawn for a cholesterol testing must fast for at least eight to 12 hours.

According to cardiologist Samia Mora from the Center for Lipid Metabolomics at the Brigham and Women's Hospital, people spend most of their days in a non-fasting state, meaning the cholesterol test done after fasting state doesn't give a clear picture of what the "normal" level of cholesterol is.

The new guidelines were published April 26 in the European Heart Journal.

Photo: Alisha Vargas | Flickr

 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Stress is one of the major causes of sickness, not only among adults but also children. According to a study, stressful days could make kids more prone to nightly asthma attacks.

A study headed by Dr. Caroline Horner from the Department of Pediatrics at the Washington University School of Medicine and St. Louis Children's Hospital, Missouri revealed that kids who experience stressful days have an increased risk of experiencing nocturnal asthma.

The study involved 46 children with asthma, along with their caregivers, who were tracked down for 12 weeks. The children were asked to complete a questionnaire that sought to know how their day was and what they felt for the duration of the day.

The children responded by selecting from "good," "very good," "bad" and "very bad." The part where they needed to rate their feelings was filled by encircling either "happy" or "sad."

The caregivers also answered a 42-item questionnaire that sought to know the nighttime awakening of the children due to asthma or other causes.

"The global question was really how was your day, based on things that would happen routinely that might add up to being stressful," said Horner.

The researchers also looked into the medications used by the children for their asthma such as prednisone and albuterol. Data on school absences, physician's visits and personal information on family, job and finances were also provided by the caregivers.

After 12 weeks of tracking and analyzing the responses of the children and their caregivers, the researchers found that 60 percent of the kids who participated in the study had episodes of nighttime awakening caused by asthma while 80 percent had at least one episode of nighttime awakening due to other causes.

The results of the study found that those kids who reported to use asthma controller more frequent had experienced more episodes of nighttime awakening.

The children also reported an overall "good" and "very good" day and only 2 percent of the days were reported to be "very bad." Nocturnal asthma, regardless of the drugs taken within the day, was reported to have occurred on the days rated to be "bad," "very bad" and "good."

The study also revealed that children who had nocturnal asthma on the previous night and had taken either prednisone or albuterol had more days of absences and visits to their pediatrician compared to other weekdays.

"If you rated your day as anything other than very good, you were twice as likely to awaken with asthma symptoms," said Horner.

Kids waking up at night due to asthma may have experienced stress, which may then activate a steroid responsible for "mast cells" or immune cells in the lungs. These cells release histamines, triggering an allergic-reaction-like response.

The study was published in The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology.

Photo: Ben Francis | Flickr

 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Mutual fund houses have filed draft papers with markets regulator Sebi to launch as many as 35 New Fund Offers (NFO) in the first four months of the year. (Representational image)

New Delhi: To tap the growing demand from retail investors, mutual fund houses have filed draft papers with markets regulator Sebi to launch as many as 35 New Fund Offers (NFO) in the first four months of the year.

Retirement, fixed maturity plan (FMP), equity and debt are some of the themes for which mutual fund houses have filed the applications. In addition, mutual fund houses are eyeing overseas stock exchanges for investment purpose.

Sundaram Mutual Fund filed papers for a scheme (Sundaram World Brand Fund) that will invest in equity and equity related instruments listed on overseas stock exchanges across the world, while Reliance MF approached Sebi for launching a Korea-focussed fund in Indian markets.

Interestingly, many mutual fund companies submitted papers with Sebi for launching plans with Hindi names so that investors in rural areas understand the objectives of the schemes in a better manner. The move is seen as moving away from the old tradition of English names for investment schemes.

'Bal Vikas Yojana', a scheme aimed at saving for children's future, Kar Bachat Yojana, a tax saving fund, 'Bachat Yojana' and 'Nivesh Lakshya' both fixed income schemes, are some of the launch schemes filed with Sebi by Mahindra MF and Reliance MF.

"Our idea is to explain the investment opportunities to customers in our priority markets in their own language starting with the product names," Mahindra AMC MD and Chief Executive Ashutosh Bishnoi said.

Since the beginning of the year, draft documents for 35 NFOs have been submitted with the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi). Of these, 16 draft offers have been filed in last month alone.

According to market participants, MF houses are rushing towards Sebi to launch new schemes on account of growing demand from retail investors for such products as well as robust response received from investors in the recent fund launches.

There has been a growing demand from retail investors for mutual fund products as the investors base touched a record high of 4.76 crore at the end of March. A total of 191 draft papers were filed last year with the capital markets watchdog.
I invented ATM and all I earned was $15 for it! Says the man who invented it

Your friendly neighbourhood ATM is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year. The next time you go to withdraw some cash, remember to send a silent thank you note to the inventor of ATM who got a paltry $15 for his game changing invention.

Its all about your stars. Mark Zuckerberg created Facebook and is now worth an estimated $50 billion. On the other hand, James Goodfellow invented a game changer machine which is used millions of people around the world every day and it got him nothing. Facebook is useful just for social life but ATM has become a necessity for many of us. In fact, on the eve of the 50th anniversary of his invention, the 79-year-old told Guardian Money that he earned just $15 from the patent, and has not made a penny more from it since.

You can imagine how I feel when I see bankers getting 1m bonuses. I wonder what they contributed to the banking industry more than I did to merit a 1m bonus. It doesnt make much sense to me, but thats the way of the world, Goodfellow told Guardian Money.

Goodfellow came up with a groundbreaking invention that spawned several industries and generated billions of pounds, and I got nothing, so whos going to want to follow in James Goodfellows footsteps and get $15 if they have a fantastic success?

Comparing Goodfellow with Zuckerberg is a no brainer. While Zuckerberg has secured a place on the Forbes list of billionaires and a multimillion-dollar portfolio of property and land in California, New York and Hawaii, Goodfellow has had to settle for a three-bed house in the Scottish town of Paisley.

On the other hand everybody throughout the globe knows Zuckerberg and his famous website while nobody save a few academically oriented fellows can recall Goodfellow or associate him with ATM.

Back in the mid-1960s Goodfellow was working as a development engineer for Glasgow firm Kelvin Hughes, part of Smiths Industries, and had been charged with devising a way to enable customers to withdraw cash from banks when Saturday opening ended. Most people working during the week couldnt get to the bank. They wanted a solution. The solution was a machine which would issue cash on demand to a recognised customer, he recalls. I set out to develop a cash-issuing machine, and to make this a reality I invented the pin [personal identification number] and an associated coded token.

This token took the form of a plastic card with holes punched in it. The patent documents proposed a system incorporating a card reader and buttons mounted in an external wall of the bank, and stated: When the customer wishes to withdraw a pack of banknotes from the system he simply inserts his punched card in the card reader of the system, and operates the set of 10 push-buttons in accordance with his personal identification number. Aside from the cards with punched holes, that pretty much describes todays ATM.

After Goodfellow successfully demonstrated the methodology by producing a model, the go-ahead was given for prototypes to be built, and the first Chubb-branded machines were installed at branches of Westminster Bank (later to become NatWest) in 1967. Goodfellow received an OBE in 2006 from the United Kingdom government for services to banking as patentor of the personal identification number.
"We will carry out a national mobilization against these coup plotters because we can no longer allow one more death," the Bolivian Labor Union warned. | Read More
Humanitarian, wildlife conservationist and actress Jacqueline Fernandes was invited to speak at the European Parliament in Brussels, early this week. The actress, who has been associated with the NGO called Habitat for Humanity, for the past five years, spoke on housing and human development.

Jacky, who is actively involved with the Habitat for Humanitys project  to build homes for flood affected families in Tamil Nadu- addressed about 60 people, including members of the European Parliament, policymakers, diplomats and the media.

The star, who is the face of the relief project, made headlines when her Bollywood friends came forward to support the initiative by making substantial donations. Jacqueline admitted that she was a little nervous to attend the conference, but managed to wow the panel over with her speech.

The Housefull 3 star went on to say that speaking at the conference was one of her proudest moments.
Nine foreign funds have acquired more than 4.4 million shares, or a combined stake of around 3 percent, in one of Vietnam's biggest mobile retailers -- The Gioi Di Dong (Mobile World Group).

The funds, including the US's Chambers Street Global Fund and Thailand's Thanachart Securities Pcl, bought the shares from British Virgins Islands-incorporated CDH Electric Bee Limited, Vietnam Securities Depository reported on Friday.

The deal was reportedly worth around VND334 billion (US$14.8 million) in total.

Electric Bee, which bought nearly 20 percent of the company in 2013, now owns a stake of 5.27 percent, following several sales over the years.

Reports by market research firms and The Gioi Di Dong suggested the company now controls around 30 percent of Vietnam's mobile retail market with 646 stores around the country.

The retailer, which also runs a chain of 91 home electronics stores and online sale services, reported revenues of more than VND9.6 trillion ($425.6 million) in the first quarter, an increase of 75 percent from the same period last year.

Its online sales doubled to VND680 billion ($30.14 million) in the first three months, or around 7 percent of the total revenues, according to the company's new data.

In a January report, London-based market research company Euromonitor named The Gioi Di Dong as Vietnam's biggest online retailer with a market share of 10 percent, local media reported. It was followed by Germany's Rocket Internet with popular e-commerce businesses Lazada and Zalora, and tech giant FPT.
Nguyen Thi Anh Ngoc who had exposed illegal sand mining in Dong Nai Province. Photo: Le Lam

Police in the southern province of Dong Nai have suspended two officers involved in the unlawful arrest of a woman who had exposed illegal sand mining activities.

Truong Quoc Hieu, deputy police chief of Nhon Trach District and Nguyen Van Son, a senior investigator, were suspended pending review of their misconduct.

Dong Nais Internal Affairs Committee on Thursday ordered Nhon Trachs Party unit to investigate and punish those involved in the arrest of Nguyen Thi Anh Ngoc.

Last September, Ngoc, 34, who owned a shrimp farm on Thi Vai River in the district, repeatedly reported to local police about the rampant illegal sand mining from the river. Police allegedly did not take any action.

On September 5, she called the police again informing that a company was extracting sand on the river. Three hours later, some officers came to the site.

The officers promised to file a report but only after pulling ashore some of the sand-transporting boats.

Ngoc reportedly asked them to make the report right away with her as a witness, fearing the case could be ignored again.

The police said Ngoc was overacting and that it was not her responsibility. Ngoc reportedly screamed and yelled at the police.

On February 26 and 27, four rangers of Long Thanh Forests Management Board in Nhon Trach District came to Ngocs shrimp farm. They damaged her hut, claiming it was built illegally.

Ngoc filed a complaint to local police, accusing the rangers of attacking her after she exposed the illegal sand mining.

On April 19, local police summoned her for questioning. Soon after she came, she was arrested and taken to Nhon Trach District's police station.

Nhon Trach police said she would be detained for resisting officers on duty."

Ngoc was detained for four days.

On April 23, she was released. Dong Nai police apologized to her and said they had dropped the case against her.

This all came after Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc ordered the police to review the case, following media reports that the whistle-blower was unfairly arrested.

In an unexpected move, several days after her release, Nhon Trach police said they will still fine Ngoc VND2.5 million (US$112) for "resisting officers."
Former American soldier Neil Hannan visits the grave of Nguyen Thi Son, a Vietnamese woman he rescued in the Vietnam War in 1968. Photo: An Dy/Thanh Nien

Neil Hannan knew he was about to walk a very thin line between life and death when he arrived in central Vietnam in late February 1968, at the age of 19.

But the young soldier did not know that he would have to carry along haunting memories of the war even after half a century later.

Hannan, now 67, recalled that r ight after his arrival at Chu Lai Airport, he was immediately taken to a base of the US Armys 196th infantry brigade in Quang Nam Provinces Thang Binh District.

I was really shocked by what was happening around, he said.

The number of people being killed and injured just kept rising for both sides.

On the third day, his unit began to move to a village where he could hear painful moans.

Hannan said he rushed into a small house that was burning and found a little girl. She had a severed foot and blood was everywhere.

Two adults in the house were horrified when seeing an American soldier with a gun. But Hannan said his worried look might have calmed them down.

He said he did not think twice and quickly carried the girl to his base for treatment.

Nearly half a century later, in 2010, Hannan decided to travel all the way to Vietnam to visit the former battlefield in Quang Nam, together with other vets from the same brigade.

After many efforts, he managed to find the person that he had helped rescue during the war.

At Nguyen Thi Son's house, he cried when hugging her. They recalled memories of the war and the time when they first met.

After returning to the US, H annan often saved money from his meager pension and farm work to send to Son and helped her repair her small house and cover medical costs.

Despite being weak due to long time illnesses, my younger sister had motivation to live for two more years, said Sons brother Nguyen Van Phung.

Neil Hannan shows pictures of him and Son's relatives. Photo: An Dy

She passed away in late 2012, at the age of 57.

"I let Neil know and he was very sad, Phung said.

In 2015, Hannan visited Sons grave and was really moved by the image of her mother, 94-year-old Luu Thi The, sitting by the grave.

He has been visiting the mother regularly, bringing gifts and medicine to her.

The veteran said he felt like he owed her a healthy daughter.

May Lis Carlsen, a Norwegian nurse who accompanied Hannan to Vietnam in a recent trip in March , said she was deeply moved by his story.

It could be a very common story during and after the war but the most important thing is that Neil has returned and did what he wanted, because most American soldiers did not have a similar, she said.

Returning from the war, besides injuries, illnesses and difficulties in making a living, they have also suffered from post traumatic stress disorder that can affect the rest of their life, she said.

Hannan knew the terrifying memories of the war may never leave.

But that day in March, sitting next to the grave of the woman he had saved, he finally found some rare moments of peace.
Police officers try to arrest an alleged meth smuggler in Lang Son Province on April 29, 2016. Photo: Thanh Tung

A man allegedly carrying one kilogram of methamphetamine was arrested in the northern province of Lang Son Friday evening after firing several gun shots at police in an attempt to escape.

Police said they initially signaled Tran Ba Duc to stop his car for speeding, but he fled, shooting his gun at the officers chasing him.

After his car hit a house and flipped, he continued to run on foot and hid in a local house.

The police arrested him after a couple hours.

Police seized one kilogram of methamphetamine that Duc dropped during the chase.
Authorities in the southern town of Vung Tau will erect hundreds of signs warning beachgoers not to swim at night following a series of incidents in which swimmers were caught in dangerous rip currents, VnExpress reported.

The local government convened a meeting Tuesday to discuss measures to reduce the number of such mishaps in Vung Tau, where 23 people have drowned since 2014 and more than 550 others were rescued in last year alone.

In the latest case, on March 18, a married couple was found struggling in the water between Thuy Tien and Long Cung beaches. Local residents rushed to rescue them but only managed to pull the wife ashore.

The dead body of the husband was later recovered by fishers, who cast nets to find his body.

Four days earlier, a Swedish man drowned after he was caught in a rip current and could not be saved by CPR.

The Vung Tau government said it will soon put up the waning signs and deploy more lifeguards to the beaches around the clock.

Currently, guards work until 6 p.m. on most days, making it hard to monitor and help swimmers in the evening.
A photo supplied by local police shows the stolen dogs transported in a taxi on April 29, 2016 in Quang Nam Province. Photo credit: Nguoi Lao Dong

Quang Nam park rangers have arrested a man in a gang accused of stealing 16 dogs after they pulled over a taxi in the central province.

Nguyen Van Vinh, 23, confessed that he and two others, with an electrocution gun, had stolen the dogs in Dong Giang District on Friday.

They hired a taxi to transport the dogs to Dai Loc District for selling. The cab was pulled over by park rangers on the National Highway 14B.

Vinh was handed over to the police for investigation.

Police are hunting for his two accomplices who were on a motorbike driving behind the taxi and managed to escape when the taxi was stopped.

Dog theft remains a problem in Vietnam and is driven by the unregulated dog meat trade.
A banner commemorating the earlier murder of a university professor in Bangladesh. Radical Islamists have carried out a series of religious killings in the country, targeting minorities and secular Muslims. Photo: AFP

Three assailants sped up to a Bangladeshi tailor's shop by motorcycle on Saturday, dragged out the Hindu owner and hacked him to death, police said, in an attack claimed by Islamic State.

Police official Abdul Jalil, quoting witnesses, said the attackers fled the scene after killing 50-year-old Nikhil Chandra Joardar outside his shop in the town of Tangail, 80 km (50 miles) northwest of the capital Dhaka.

Islamic State militants claimed responsibility for the killing, saying the tailor had blasphemed Prophet Mohammad, the U.S.-based monitoring service SITE said.

The attack came days after a Bangladeshi gay rights campaigner and his friend were killed in a similar manner in a Dhaka apartment.

Islamist militants have targeted atheist bloggers, academics, religious minorities and foreign aid workers in a series of killings that dates back to February 2015 and has claimed at least 20 lives.

International human rights groups say a climate of intolerance in Bangladeshi politics has both motivated and provided cover for perpetrators of crimes of religious hatred.

Police said they were investigating whether Joardar's killing was connected to a complaint made against him for making a derogatory comment about Prophet Mohammad.

He was in jail for a few weeks in 2012 but released after the complaint against him was withdrawn, said Jalil.

The Islamic State and a group affiliated to al Qaeda have issued similar claims of responsibility in the past, but the authenticity of Saturday's statement could not be immediately verified.

Three people, including a local Islamist party leader, have been picked up for questioning, police said on Sunday.

The Bangladeshi government has denied that Islamic State or al Qaeda have a presence in the country of 160 million people. Police say home-grown militants groups are behind the attacks.

Western security experts doubt that there are any direct operational links between Islamic State, based in the Middle East, and militants operating on the ground in Bangladesh.

But they do say that claims and statements of support for militant attacks through their propaganda channels allows them to create the impression of being in league together.

Human rights activists have urged mainstream politicians in Bangladesh to abandon sectarian hostilities that date back to the 1971 war of independence, and to engage in a constructive dialogue that would deprive Islamist extremists of cover for their attacks.
China has rolled out a value-added tax (VAT) system across all industries that previously had a business tax, in the most ambitious overhaul of its tax regime in three decades.

The world's second-largest economy is stumbling through its slowest growth in a quarter century but is continuing with tough reforms in its transition to a services-oriented economy from one powered by manufacturing.

The government first began experimenting with a VAT in 1979 and started applying the tax to specific sectors in 2012. The final four sectors to adopt a VAT on Sunday are construction, property, finance and life services - which includes food and beverage, healthcare and tourism industries.

Premier Li Keqiang had said the reforms would be adopted by May 1 in his work report at the annual parliament in March.

A business tax directly taxes businesses, whereas a VAT - sometimes known as a goods and services tax - is borne by the end consumer, reducing the burden on companies which are facing rising costs and a slowing economy.

Consumers will pay varying levels of VAT, depending on the industry, China's Vice Minister Shi Yaobin told a news conference in April. Most of the services sector was previously subject to a business tax rate of either 3 or 5 percent.

The government hopes the reforms will cut firms' tax burdens by more than 500 billion yuan ($77.23 billion) this year, part of a broader push for "supply-side reforms" aimed at cutting red tape and scaling back the role of government in business to allow market forces greater room to flourish.

China's 2016 government deficit is set to rise to 3 percent, up from 2.3 percent in 2015, primarily due to the discrepancies created by tax cuts for business, Premier Li had said.

Local governments are set to be worse off under the new tax scheme, as they were previously highly reliant on revenue from the business tax.

Revenues from the VAT will be shared between China's central and local governments, with each receiving 50 percent, the Ministry of Finance said on its website on Saturday.

China's services sector accounts for more than 50 percent of the economy.
Hema Malini had met with an accident in Rajasthan last year, in which a four-year-old girl was killed and four others were injured.

Mathura: Actor-turned-politician Hema Malini had a narrow escape as two vehicles in her cavalcade collided with each other under Highway police station area here, police said.

"MP Hema Malini is safe," SP City, Mukul Dwivedi said. The accident took place when the BJP MP was going to Deen Dayal Upadhyay Veterinary University and Gau Anusandhan Kendra to inaugurate a function.

"One of the vehicles in the MP's cavalcade suddenly applied the brakes, halting the movement of the other vehicles. Meanwhile, a speeding car entered into the fleet and brushed past the vehicle carrying the MP," Sanjai Govil, BJP leader, said. The stray vehicle fled the spot thereafter, he added.

The Bollywood actor had met with an accident in Rajasthan last year, in which a four-year-old girl was killed and five others were injured, including Hema Malini.
Daniel Berrigan, a Jesuit priest, poet and peace activist who was imprisoned for burning draft files to protest the Vietnam War, died on Saturday at 94, a Jesuit magazine reported.

Berrigan died at the Murray-Weigel Jesuit Community in New York's Bronx borough, America magazine said. It did not give a cause of death.

A passionate critic of U.S. involvement in Vietnam, Berrigan gained worldwide attention in 1968 when he, his younger brother Philip, who was a Josephite priest, and seven other Catholics seized draft records from a Selective Service Office in Catonsville, Maryland.

The group doused the files with homemade napalm in a parking lot outside the draft office and torched them while joining hands in prayer.

"It was Philip who came up with the idea," Berrigan told America in 2009. In the library of Georgetown University in Washington, "a friend found a copy of the Green Beret manual with instructions for making napalm from soap chips and gasoline," he said.

The Berrigans were convicted in a federal trial and released on their own recognizance in 1970. They then went into hiding and refused to show up for jail.

Berrigan was arrested by FBI agents and sent to federal prison. He was released in 1972.

Asked by America if he had any regrets, Berrigan said: "I could have done sooner the things I did, like Catonsville."

In 1980, the Berrigans and six others broke into a General Electric nuclear missile site in Pennsylvania, and damaged warhead nose cones and poured blood onto documents and files.

Berrigan also protested the Gulf War, the Kosovo War, the U.S. invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq, and abortion. At 92, he took part in the Occupy Wall Street movement in New York's Zuccotti Park, Jesuits Magazine said.

Berrigan was born into a German-Irish Catholic family in Virginia, Minnesota. He joined the Jesuit order in 1939 and was ordained a priest in 1952.

He wrote more than 50 books, and his first volume of poetry, "Time Without Number," won the Lamont Prize in 1957. Berrigan also wrote a play, "The Trial of the Catonsville Nine."

Philip Berrigan died in 2002.

Asked in the interview with America magazine for an inscription for his gravestone, Berrigan said: "It was never dull. Alleluia."
A senior Palestinian official Saturday demanded an apology from Eurovision song contest organisers after the Palestinian flag was among a list of banned banners at next month's event in Sweden.

Palestine Liberation Organisation second in command Saeb Erakat made the demand in a letter addressed to the president of the European Broadcasting Union, Jean-Paul Philippot.

"The Eurovision song contest this year will be held in Stockholm, Sweden, the first EU member state in Western Europe to officially recognise the State of Palestine," Erakat wrote.

"Your decision is totally biased and unacceptable.

"We call upon you to immediately revoke this shameful decision. It's also equally necessary for the European Broadcasting Union to apologise to Palestine and to millions of Palestinians around the world."

Organisers of the annual contest have already come under fire from Spain, which condemned a ban on the Basque regional flag.

"It is a constitutional, legal and legitimate flag and the Spanish government will defend it whenever needed," Deputy Prime Minister Soraya Saenz de Santamaria said Friday.

Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Garcia-Margallo spoke to Madrid's ambassador in Sweden "so that he could immediately tell the organisation that it is a constitutional flag and cannot be in that list", a ministry spokeswoman has said.

Eurovision has apologised to Spain and blamed the publication by mistake of a draft version of its flag policy listing banned banners, including that of the Islamic State group.

Under Eurovision rules, regional flags or those belonging to federated states, or including commercial, religious or political messages, are all banned.

Those that are allowed are the flags of countries taking part in the contest and any other UN member state, as well as the EU flag and the rainbow banner that represents the LGBT movement.

Eurovision spokesman Dave Goodman told AFP that "the flag policy is not aimed against specific territories or organisations, and certainly does not compare them to each other".
Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Chief Public Affairs Office and army colonel Noel Detoyato gives a press statement regarding on the execution of a Canadian hostage, John Ridsdel by Abu Sayyaf militants in the southern Philippines, inside the military headquarters in Quezon city, metro Manila, Philippines April 26, 2016. REUTERS/Romeo Ranoco

Islamist militants in the southern Philippines released 10 Indonesian hostages on Sunday, ending a month-long ordeal during which a kidnapped Canadian held by the same group was beheaded after a ransom deadline passed.

The chief of police on Jolo island said the hostages, who were crew of a Taiwanese-owned tugboat intercepted by Abu Sayyaf rebels, were delivered to the local governor's home at around 0500 GMT then taken to an army base.

"They appeared tired but were in high spirits," said Police Superintendent Junpikar Sitin.

Police and military officials said it was unclear whether or not a ransom was paid for the men. The Philippines rarely publicises such payments, but it is widely believed no captives are released without them.

The fate of four other hostages from Indonesia held by a different Abu Sayyaf faction is unknown. Indonesia's foreign ministry had no immediate comment on Sunday's release of the 10 detainees.

Abu Sayyaf, a formidable and brutal militia known for amassing tens of millions of dollars from the ransom business, is now holding 13 people, among them four Malaysian seamen and Japanese, Netherlands, Canadian, Norwegian and Filipino citizens.

John Ridsdel, 68, a former mining executive, was executed on Monday by the Abu Sayyaf, which kidnapped him and three others from a resort last year. His head was found in a bag a few hours after the deadline passed and a torso was discovered two days after.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau called it "an act of cold-blooded murder" and has urged countries not to pay ransoms. The price for his life was 300 million pesos ($6.41 million).

Philippine President Benigno Aquino has vowed to devote all his energy to eliminating the group before he steps down in two months.

But the group's network is deeply entrenched and efforts to flush out its fighters have proved to be a big challenge for the 2,500 Philippine troops engaging them.

The lucrative business has allowed Abu Sayyaf, whose name translates as "Bearer of the Sword", to invest in high-powered boats, weapons and modern communications equipment. With poverty and joblessness rife, it is able to recruit with ease.

Foreign ministers of the Philippines, Indonesia and Malaysia are due to meet in Jakarta this week to discuss ways to work together to secure key shipping routes in the waters between the three countries.
Greens Minister Shane Rattenbury will lead his party's defence of Canberra's light rail line as part of new candidate portfolios to be announced on Monday.

The party's five lead candidates for the expanded ACT Legislative Assembly will each speak on six portfolio areas, with Mr Rattenbury's in part matching his current ministerial portfolios.

The Greens candidates for 2016, with the five lead candidates in front from left: Caroline Le Couteur, Veronica Wensing, Shane Rattenbury, Michael Mazengarb, and Indra Esguerra. Credit:Jamila Toderas

They include education, transport and infrastructure, justice, sport and recreation, industrial relations and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander affairs.

In an opinion piece on Saturday, Mr Rattenbury said the city to Gungahlin tram had been "heavily politicised" by the Liberal opposition. He said the tactics were designed to assist a negative campaign led by Opposition Leader Jeremy Hanson for the October 15 election.
Last seen in Baby, Taapsee Pannu has ventured into wedding planning since last year. The actress invested in a company called The Wedding Factory with her sister and a friend. Alongside her film projects, she juggles a quite a handful of offers to host wedding functions. But who knew this investment would land the actress in a scary spot! She recently encountered a fan from Kolkata, who initially approached her with a business contract.

A close source to an actress reveals that, A guy from some company in Kolkata, who call himself the biggest fan of Taapsee stalked her by sending out to her a business deal for her company The Wedding Factory. The fan was also adamant about meeting her in Kolkata for the deal.

The actress completely ignored the situation. Later, things worsened when the same guy called her with a film offer. On the work front, Taapsee Pannu has just finished Shoojit Sircars Pink opposite Amitabh Bachchan and Ghazi alongside Rana Daggubati.
American Express has now paid no net income tax in Australia in eight years. EBay persists with its financial structure entirely contrived to shirk out of paying tax but Google  lights, trumpets, drum-roll  has finally flagged it will close down its central tax avoidance artifice.

Yes, multinational profit reporting season is upon us. All those December year end companies are filing and the early signs are that shame is proving only a partially effective form of corporate regulation. Shame, it seems, depends on the capacity for executives and their auditors to feel it, and in the case of eBay, Amex and the big audit firms, it doesn't seem they do.

The financial statements for EBAY Australia and New Zealand Pty Ltd show revenue of $40 million for 2015, a fraction of the real income the group makes running Australia's dominant online auction sites eBay and Gumtree.

The billions that this company has raked in from Australians over the years is booked straight to Switzerland, perhaps Germany too; it is impossible to tell by reading this pitifully thin and illusory set of accounts, audited by PwC. EBay's costs, as usual, are relentlessly lobbed into the Australian operation, so its salary bill was $21 million last year, just over half of its the bogus income figure.
The Australia Council, the nation's peak arts body, "is one major cut away from no longer being able to operate", a leading arts industry figure has said in the lead-up to a federal budget that offers a real prospect of such a fate.

Esther Anatolitis, director of Regional Arts Victoria, told Fairfax Media that major cuts "would be disastrous for the nation's arts and culture".

The director of Regional Arts Victoria, Esther Anatolitis, said the Australia Council for the Arts had been crippled by funding cuts. Credit:Teagan Glenane

"And yet, you can't help but wonder whether that's been the intention of the government all along: to ... replace strategic arts investment with discretionary funding, where politicians instead of artists get to determine what art is," Ms Anatolitis said.
He was "as sophisticated as James Bond", as sharp-eyed as David Bailey, and for a while there, the women of Melbourne were putty in his viewfinder. So why haven't we heard more about Henry Talbot?

One of Australia's leading fashion photographers of the 1950s and '60s, Talbot helped to redefine modern womanhood with images that captured the changing times. Breaking out of the studio, he staged his shots against bridges, factories and in one case, the backside of a racetrack, horse poo and all. Sharply dressed models perched atop ladders, stepped out in ski gear or busted go-go moves against the unlikely backdrop of the Altona Petrochemical plant. It was the 1960s, man, and Henry Talbot was bearing witness.

The model wears a white bikini and white cotton lace cover; her assistant bears a parasol and a worried expression. 1961-1966 (detail). Henry Talbot Fashion Photography Archive

Born Heinz Tichauer in Germany in 1920, Talbot developed an early taste for image-making when his parents gave him a Rolleiflex camera as a bar mitzvah gift. He went on to study graphic design in an inter-war Germany that led the field, but as the Nazis tightened their grip, his worried parents sent him to England. Refuge there proved short-lived and in 1940, he was declared an enemy alien and shipped off to Australia on board the Dunera.

Later, during a stint in the Australian Army, he met fellow German refugee Helmut Newton. When the pair set up a Melbourne studio in 1956, their European sophistication and game-changing imagery swept the local fashion world off its modestly heeled feet. Clients including Vogue Australia, Sportscraft and the Australian Wool Board aligned themselves with the studio's fresh, modern vision.
Apart from Methodists, Cannes gets most of the rest. In July 2013, a man in a motorcycle helmet with an automatic pistol walked into a room at the Carlton Intercontinental Hotel and boosted 103 million ($150 million) worth of jewellery and watches belonging to the London-based, Russian-born Israeli billionaire Lev Leviev, the largest theft of jewels in French history. The jewels were to be part of an exhibition that had not yet opened; the thief struck just before the jewels were to be placed in secure display cases. The three security guards were unarmed (as most are by law in France), and the robber was gone in about a minute.

The Festival de Cannes kicks off next week and it will bring to the city of many sins a full collection of professional sinners: jewel thieves, hookers, bag-snatchers, pickpockets and pimps. Or to quote Hedley Lamarr from Blazing Saddles: "Rustlers, cut-throats, murderers, bounty hunters, desperados, mugs, pugs, thugs, nitwits, halfwits, dimwits, vipers, snipers, con men, Indian agents, Mexican bandits, muggers, buggerers, bushwhackers, hornswogglers, horse thieves, bull dykes, train robbers, bank robbers, ass-kickers, shit-kickers and Methodists."

Petty crime has never been so low in Cannes, the deputy mayor said a few years back, after some unpleasantness during the film festival. That's true: it's the major crime you have to watch out for.

This was out of film festival time, but there were two others during that year's festival: a single necklace worth $US2.6 million ($3.4 million) lifted from the Hotel du Cap, the swankiest hotel on the Riviera, and a week earlier, a safe ripped out of the wall in the Novotel, netting $1 million in Chopard baubles. The security, in most of these cases, was a joke.

The rich and famous clog the red carpets of Cannes ... a fact advertised to the crime world by frequent celebrity events. Credit:Getty Images/Pascal Le Segretain

If you know your movies, you're liking Cary Grant as John Robie for this crime, and indeed the Carlton Hotel was the one Hitchcock used in To Catch a Thief in 1955. It's almost too perfect: perhaps Danielle Broussard, the teenager played by Brigitte Auber in that film, is back on the rooftops of Cannes, aged 75. More likely, said Interpol, quoting another movie, it was the gang of ex-Yugoslavs known as The Pink Panthers, ex-soldiers who are credited with a series of huge robberies in the past 20 years. A case for Inspector Clouseau, n'est ce pas?

The attraction of Cannes for thieves isn't just obvious; it's flaunted on the TV news around the world each May. The red carpet footage of gorgeous women in gorgeous jewels brings the cognoscenti, not just of the film world but of the criminal world too. The temptation to make the obvious joke here is resistible, but it is true that some of them are the same people, albeit at different levels. Cannes attracts only the greatest thieves, some of whom have their yachts moored in the bay. It's particularly attractive to Russian and Arab billionaires, some of whom sail in and load their boats with "yacht girls", who can make a lot of money during the festival's 10 days.

In fact, if you want to get to the top parties in Cannes, become a high-class hooker with a broad taste in men: you could make up to $US40,000 a night "the hard way", according to a man who was close to the action.
Tuna sashimi with watermelon. Credit:Pat Scala "I thought we'd get a team together, do it and then disband, but when we were done Gerry said, 'Do you want to keep it going?'. He saw the value in what we'd created, even before he'd perceived the financial value in it." Based on the BBC natural history series, Walking with Dinosaurs became the biggest live touring show in the world in 2010. "We outsold Madonna, Pink, AC/DC," Tilders says proudly. "But it wasn't as financially successful as people thought  it did great turnover but it was very expensive." Receipt for lunch with Sonny Tilders at Punch Lane Credit: The rights to that stage show  developed by CTC for Dreamworks Animation, the studio behind the Dragon films and TV series  are now owned by a Chinese meatpacking company, which Tilders admits he finds a "disconcerting" thought (and not just because his household is vegetarian).

Already, the market has been flooded with cheap knock-offs of the velociraptor suits CTC created for the show, but he's hopeful that's as far as the infringements will go. "We're a little company that does everything; that's the secret sauce that will protect our IP [intellectual property]," he says, before adding ruefully: "I say that to make myself feel comfortable." The late Dutch Tilders. Puppetry can do all the things you can't do with people. We're lunching at Punch Lane in the city, a small, welcoming timber-rich venue that feels like a cross between an old-school bar and a small theatre-district restaurant in New York. He hasn't been here before, but suggested it after a couple of his colleagues brought some visiting Americans here. "They loved it," he says. "They're from LA, and they don't have anything like this."

A Velociraptor makes its presence felt at the Jurassic World exhibition at Melbourne Museum. We order a couple of entrees  tuna sashimi for him, house-marinated artichoke for me  and a couple of mains. The wallaby holds a certain novelty appeal. "I'm personally brave enough," he says, "but as it will be recorded against my name maybe I should go for something less controversial." He chooses barramundi; I opt for the marsupial. Everything is very good, though the wallaby doesn't quite leap off the plate as I'd hoped it might. Tilders is a puppet maker by training, having graduated from the Victoria College of the Arts, but when he got the call from Harvey he was working on the Star Wars films in Sydney. "I made a bunch of really boring, second-string green diplomats," he says. "I spent weeks programming the Nimordians' few words of dialogue." Though his creatures ended up delivering most of their lines off-screen, it was, he says, "great fun". He treasures in particular the moment he sat in George Lucas' office after hours, wearing an alien mask and demonstrating how it would work.

"I was a couple of feet from him, looking through these little slots, knowing he couldn't see me, and just staring at him." He would never have dared scope out the man they called The Creator on set, he admits, "because you're too cool, and he probably doesn't want to be stared at anyway". The first model Tilders remembers making was Lucas-inspired, too  an R2D2 crafted in his year 9 wood-turning class  but by then he was already addicted to puppets and making things. "Mum was an art teacher, and we used to go to Bali each year. I remember seeing, when I was about six, this barong dance  the barong is this benevolent lion-headed god in Balinese theatre  and it scared the hell out of me. But I also found it incredibly exciting that you could make this thing out of wood and as soon as you moved it even slightly it came to life." By the time he was in his teens, he had a closet full of masks and puppets. Equally formative was the fact he was allowed to take apart all his toys. "In fact, I would say I was encouraged to. I always said that one day I would put them all together again to make a different toy, and Mum knew I wouldn't. But ultimately I have, I suppose  it just took me 25 years to do it." His father was the legendary bluesman Dutch Tilders, but Dutch and Sonny's mother, Loma, split when Sonny was four, and he barely knew his father until he was 19.

"I saw him once, when I was in Grade 5, and he came in and gave me a few albums," he says, adding that the transaction took place in the schoolyard because his mother didn't want Dutch around, and Dutch didn't want to push it "because he realised that he'd done wrong, to coin a phrase out of a blues song". Sonny was in his late teens when one day his father called him. "He said 'Sonny', in this deep, rustic voice, 'It's your old man'. I said, 'Oh, I was going to give you a call', in my completely not-deep rustic voice  that skipped a generation." Dutch was playing down the road from where Sonny was living. He invited his son to come along to the show. "I was terrified I wouldn't like his music," says Sonny, who had never listened to those albums his old man had given him. "What if I don't like it?" As a kid, he'd answered the inevitable "what does your dad do" question by saying "he's a blues guitarist", though neither he nor the kids asking had any real idea what that meant. "Later I started to wear it as a bit of a badge of honour but still thought, 'He'd better be a good one'." That night he discovered he was. "I loved it," Sonny says. "He was fantastic live."

After that they'd regularly catch up for a beer in St Kilda, and it would have stayed like that had it not been for Sonny's wife Paula. "She met him and thought, 'My God, this man is an insane character, I want to do a documentary on him'." She enlisted Sonny as her sound and camera guy; they travelled with Dutch to gigs around the country, and through the interviews she conducted  through the questions he would never have asked of his own accord  he came to know his father, who died from cancer in 2011. "I was so glad of that, because he could have died being just someone I knew in a pub." There's no chance Sonny Tilders' own kids will grow up not knowing their father. "They come to the workshop and stroll around as if they own the place," he says. "They take it for granted that their dad has a kind of curious job." But it's one that has its frustrations as well as its rewards. King Kong cost north of $30 million to stage in 2013, and received mixed critical reviews (though its six-metre tall leading man was universally praised). Mooted international seasons have not yet eventuated, though Tilders remains upbeat about its prospects. "There's a whole reworking of the script and the songs, putting the focus more on the core [human] love story," he says.

Tilders with Kong at the Regent Theatre in Melbourne in 2013. He was in New York in February to present this new-look Kong to 130 potential investors, and he thinks it went well. And even if New York doesn't work out there's a decent chance Germany might. Either way, he says, this Kong will be "more in that traditional musical vein" than was the show that played in Melbourne. "There was a lot of criticism that people didn't come out humming the tunes," he says. "I didn't get that at first. But I do now." The bill, pls
A close friend of a refugee who died after setting himself alight on Nauru has slammed a delay in specialist medical treatment, claiming the Turnbull government is responsible for the man's death.

The criticism comes amid doubts over the operation of the government's offshore detention facilities, after the company that is expected to take over the current contractor, Broadspectrum, ruled out future involvement in the controversial centres.

A 23-year-old Iranian refugee died on Friday at a Brisbane hospital after waiting more than a day to be airlifted from Nauru after setting himself alight. It is understood his name was Omid.

A fellow refugee on Nauru who identified himself as Arman said he was one of Omid's best friends. He said refugees were angered by the death "because Omid could be alive if they sent him to Australia more soon".
Sai Dharam Tejs Supreme is hitting the screens on May 5. Anil Ravipudi is the director. Says Sai, I am playing a cab driver. This is the third time that Sais movies feature Chiranjeevis remixed song.

It is not compulsory to have a Chiranjeevi garus song, but the producer and director wanted to put it. When they insisted, I couldnt say no and it definitely helps to get good openings, adds the actor.

I know whenever I dance to a remix song of my uncle, people compare it with the old one, so I try to live up to their expectations. I cant match up to Chiranjeevi garu ever, but at the same time we dont spoil it, he adds.

There was a major accident during the films shooting in Rajasthan and actor Ravi Kishan was seriously injured. He proved how strong an actor should be and I learnt a lot from him. He is a big star in Bhojpuri and has also acted in Hindi films, and he showed us how an actor should be dedicated to his work. He comes back in just 20 days and participated in shooting; he is really an inspiration to all young actors.

Talking about his five-year journey in the industry, he says, Its been a beautiful journey. I learnt a lot and as a person too I changed completely. I was impatient from my college days, but now I have learnt to be more patient. It also taught me how life should be and how to respect others. I am now a more matured person, he says. My family always supported and encouraged me. There were lows and highs, but I always took inspiration from my uncle Chiranjeevi, he says.

Being a celebrity comes with its own share of problems. When the news appeared that Sai Dharam Tejs bodyguard was involved in some case, I was shocked. How can I appoint a bodyguard? At the same time I was happy that my name appeared on Page 1, otherwise it usually comes in the film page, he says.

Then there was the rumour that he was dating Regina Cassandra. I am used to this kind of news and have learnt that it is part and parcel of a celebritys life, he says.

I am a normal human being like any other person and I have proposed to many girls but it never worked out. They are now calling me and asking me about this new girlfriend (Regina), laughs Sai.

The actor informs that he has three upcoming projects. While Thikka is almost complete, he has two more projects, with director Gopichand Mailineni and director B.V..S Ravi.
"Unfollowing is the best," said Cassidy, 31. "I think that social media is so pervasive in our everyday life that it can be easy to forget that it is entirely optional. You can get into a cycle of being irritated and not remember that you don't have to participate."

For Masterson, 43, the value of social media is that it brings together all sorts of voices and opinions that he may not otherwise hear. But if he decides one voice is too shrill, too self-promotional or too dull, he will declutter. "It's a party, and I get to select the guests," he said. "I can just eject someone if they're not being a good guest."

Noah Masterson, a Web marketing manager in Austin, Texas, is like the Marie Kondo of Twitter. He keeps it tidy. "I just unfollowed about 20 people to get down to an even 400," he said. "It felt really good."

She recently unfollowed a political journalist on Twitter, not because she objected to his tweets, but because she didn't like the vitriolic debates those tweets sometimes incited. "It got a little ugly over there," she said, "and I didn't have to participate. Anyone who seems to be using their Twitter handle to pick fights, I'm not interested."

In any political season (but let's be honest, in this one especially), there is a certain agony in listening to or reading or having your eyeballs assaulted with other people's certainty, their rightness, their righteousness, their links. The current pull to unfollow and unfriend may be stronger than ever.

But there are so many awkward dynamics that can arise, because rarely is the severing of these social ties a stealth act. Those who have landed on your cutting-room floor can learn of the shunning in any number of ways. That's why the subtler function of muting someone, offered by Facebook and Twitter, is popular: Mutees have no way of knowing they've been tuned out. The posters keep posting and posting, having no idea that they are trees falling in the forest without anyone there to hear the thud.

Not surprisingly, there are dozens of apps and digital products that can help you keep track of who your real friends are. I plugged into the Unfollow for Twitter app, which, according to its creator, Andrew Saubert, of Hamburg, Germany, has logged some 30 million user sessions. The app informed me who, among those I follow on Twitter, doesn't follow me back. The purpose of this service is to let me know whom I should unfollow out of spite.

Can you believe that grown-ups with, presumably, all the worries, stresses and responsibilities of adult life could allow themselves to be bothered for even one second by the notion that someone (most likely a virtual stranger, if not a literal one) would opt to avoid their tweets?
Before Queensland became a state, while it was still part of colonial New South Wales, an enterprising ex-convict, William Horton, opened an inn.

In the Darling Downs township of Drayton, Horton dreamed of establishing the finest inn in the area, one that catered to the variety of travellers who made their way through the region.

The Royal Bull's Head Inn.

For the less wealthy folk there were squatters' quarters out the back, but for those with a few pounds to spare, the Royal Bull's Head Inn offered glorious rooms with straw mats and maid service.

"It was very early days in the settlement," chairwoman of the Toowoomba National Trust, Stephanie Keays, says.
The Labor Government is targeting the "wrong end of the evening" with drinking precinct legislation, with Griffith University research proving drinkers consume alcohol before they go out, not while they are in late night drink precincts.

It shows the Labor Government was wrong to focus on winding back trading hours in late night precincts, the Opposition's deputy leader John Paul Langbroek said on Sunday.

Drinkers get 'primed', before heading to late night drinking precincts: Griffith University research. Credit:Jenny Evans

Mr Langbroek said educating drinkers  part of the LNP's superceded Safe Night Out strategy  was always an important part of the LNP's plan to tackle heavy drinking.

"One of the central tenets of the Late Night Strategy that we have been proposing is making sure that as well as 'banning and scanning', we had people being educated so we could see a change in the culture," Mr Langbroek said.
Every week up to 500 tonnes of Australian bananas are thrown out because they're considered "unsuitable for specific supermarket guidelines".

The fruit is perfectly fine to eat and packed with nutrients but these bananas are just a little too big, straight, curved or bruised for the supermarket giants.

Robert Watkins noticed that when he threw out the bananas deemed unsuitable, the animals that would flock to eat them weren't going for the ripe ones. Credit:Robert Rough

In 2010, second-generation farmer Robert Watkins, dissatisfied with throwing out all the Lady Finger bananas he'd put so much love and hard work into, decided to do something about it.

A big believer in sustainability, Mr Watkins started noticing that when he threw out the bananas deemed unsuitable, the animals that would flock to eat them weren't going for the ripe bananas.
The model for the gold ring that Jewish workers gave to World War II hero Oskar Schindler has been donated to a Melbourne museum.

Louis Gross, son of the late Jozef Gross, who made the ring and its lead prototype, has told how the item was almost thrown out after Jozef died.

Louis Gross holds the lead model his late father, Jozef Gross, used to make the gold ring fellow Jewish workers gave to Oskar Schindler late in World War II. Credit:Penny Stephens

In an emotional scene in the 1993 movie Schindler's List, labourers in Schindler's armaments factory hand him the ring as thanks for saving their lives.

In real life, before the labourers were liberated in early May, 1945, Jozef Gross had used an oxy-acetylene torch to make the ring prototype from a lead pipe at the factory in Brunnlitz, in today's Czech Republic.
Police in WA will wear cameras for the first time in an effort to reduce attacks on officers and to fight crime and anti-social behaviour.

Around 300 officers in Perth and Bunbury will be fitted with body-worn cameras in a six-month trial that will begin in the South West on Monday.

A police officer fitted with the new cameras, with Police Minister Liza Harvey looking on.

Officers in Perth will start using the Breon Defence Systems cameras in early June.

Similar technology is already used by officers in Queensland, South Australia, NSW and the Northern Territory.
The newborn goat however didnt last and has been handed over to the Veterinary Services Department.

A farmer was shocked when a newborn goat had a face of a human baby. The pictures of the goat were shared by Ibrahim Basir, 63, and people claim that it is a fawn- which is a mythical fusion of goat and human. The goat was born in the the village of Felda in southern Malaysia.

The newborn goat however didnt last and has been handed over to the Veterinary Services Department.

(Photo: Screen grab)

The villagers offered Basir money for the carcass but he decided to give it to the department so they can carry out an research on the strange looking goat.

He was initially shocked when he found that his goat has given birth to a kid that had human facial features of a baby.

Bair was informed by his farmerworker , Jamaludin Abdul Samad, 50 that the newborn goat had some looked like a human infant.

(Photo: Screen grab)

"When I went to check, I was quite shocked but fascinated too as its face, nose, short legs and even the condition of its soft body seemed like that of a human baby, whereas the light brown fur covering its whole body resembles that of a goat, " Basir told Mirror.UK.

However the creature didnt have any umbilical cord

Click here to watch the video:
Its Obamas last one.

On Saturday night, President Barack Obama took the stage at the annual White House Correspondents Dinner at the Washington Hilton to deliver his final presidential simulacrum of a stand-up routine. (Obama is opening for actual comedian Larry Wilmore, the Comedy Central host.)

During Obamas routine, he went after Donald Trump.

Yet again.

You know I gotta talk about Trump! the president told the crowd of journalists, Hollywood celebrities, and politicians. Is this dinner too tacky for The Donald? What could he possibly be doing instead? Is he at home eating a Trump SteakWhats he doing?

The president threw in some requisite jokes about Hillary Clinton, Bernie Sanders, Ted Cruz, and John Kasich. He also knocked the national media for the massive attention (and free air time) it has afforded Trump.

I hope yall are proud of yourselves, Obama said. [The Donald] wanted to give his hotel business a boost, and now were praying that Cleveland makes it through July.

The full Obama routine included a John Boehner cameo.

At the 2011 WHCD, President Obama famously skewered (current Republican presidential frontrunner) Trump. The real estate mogul had publicly jumped on the birther-movement bandwagon, and the White House had released Obamas long-form birth certificate shortly before the dinner. (Trump would claim credit for forcing its release.)

So the president had his retaliatory fun with The Donald for the first time around.

Donald Trump is here tonight! the president began. I know that hes taken some flak lately. But no one is happier, no one is prouder, to put this birth certificate matter to rest than The DonaldThats because he can finally get back to focusing on the issues that matterlike, did we fake the moon landing? What really happened in Roswell? And where are Biggie and Tupac?

The New Yorker reported last year that Trump vowed that very evening in 2011 to have the last laugh and get back at Obama and the crowd of political and media elites who mocked and laughed at himperhaps even pursue the Presidency after all, no matter how nihilistically or absurdly, and redeem himself. (For his part, Trump says that this is a false narrative.)

It could have been worse for Trump that year. After all, Obama could have joked about murdering him with a predator drone.

The Trump campaign did not immediately respond to The Daily Beasts request for comment on Obamas latest jabs.
Calls by a top member of the ruling party of Turkey for an Islamic constitution to replace the secular basic law in place in the country, a NATO member and crucial U.S. ally, have been rejected by politicians from all stripes, including President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, himself a pious Muslim. But as Erdogan is trying to avoid a debate that could harm him politically, the question remains: How should the relationship between state and religion be defined in a country with a 99 percent Muslim population?

Turkeys current constitution, which enshrines the principle of secularism in Article 2, was drawn up under military rule in 1982. All parties in Ankara agree that a completely new text should be written to give Turkey a more modern and more democratic outlook.

Erdogan is trying to convince Turks to also change the form of government from the current parliamentary to a U.S.-style presidential one, with himself at the helm. The opposition says his real aim is absolute power without the sort of checks and balances that limit executive excesses elsewhere, amid speculation in the media that a referendum on a new constitution could be called this year. Erdogan cannot be sure that a majority of Turks would accept a presidential system in such a vote, with some polls saying support for his plan is as low as 35 percent.

That is why remarks by Parliamentary Speaker Ismail Kahraman about the need for an Islamic constitution came at a bad time for Erdogan. Kahraman, a member of Erdogans ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), told a conference in Istanbul on April 25 that secularism should not even be mentioned in the planned new constitution. We are an Islamic country, Kahraman said. There has to be a devout constitution.

Secularist opposition leaders as well as AKP politicians and Erdogan himself immediately spoke out against Kahramans idea. Opposition leader Kemal Kilicdaroglu called on Kahraman to resign. Erdogan said he supported secularism as a system in which the state keeps the same distance to all faith groups, including atheists, and where all faith groups are under the protection of the state. Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said the AKPs draft for a new constitution would include a liberal understanding of secularism. Eager to get the unwanted controversy off the agenda, Davutoglu said the matter was closed as far as he was concerned.

The biggest reason why Erdogan and Davutoglu want the issue to go away is that Kahramans statement opened old wounds. Ever since coming to power in 1982, the AKP has faced accusations of nurturing a secret plan to turn Turkey into an Islamic theocracy. During its tenure, it abolished the long-standing ban of the Islamic headscarf in universities and state institutions like parliament. The AKP says Turkeys traditional secular elites for decades used secularism as a tool to suppress more observant Muslims and keep them away from the levers of power.

Some observers saw Kahramans suggestions as an AKP trial balloon to see whether Turks were ready for a more Islamic system. The Yeni Akit newspaper, an Islamic daily close to Erdogan and the AKP, said the new constitution should define Islam as Turkeys state religion. Kahraman was receiving strong support from Muslim groups, the newspaper reported.

But many Turks are less enthusiastic. Rejection of calls to bring Turkeys constitution into line with Islamic rules is not limited to diehard secularists. Even many devout Turks (are) likely to be queasy about this, Howard Eissenstat, a specialist on Turkey at St. Lawrence University in Canton, New York, tweeted about Kahramans statement. Eissenstat pointed to polls showing that only a minority of 12 percent of Turks want their country to be ruled by Islamic law and that 90 percent think womens decision to cover their hair should be voluntary.

Abdulkadir Selvi, a newspaper columnist who often reflects the thinking of the ruling party, says the debate triggered by Kahraman was the thing the AKP had feared most. Writing in the Hurriyet daily, Selvi said the debate rekindled old suspicions at a time when Erdogans group was trying to get the public behind its plan for a presidential system. The AK Party does not want to engage in a debate about a devout constitution, he wrote, even though the party was discussing whether to insert a reference to Islam into the new basic law.

Tactical considerations aside, Turkey needs a frank debate about what secularism means in a 21st-century Muslim country, some observers say. Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, the republics founder, saw Islam as a reactionary force preventing the countrys march into the modern age and wanted to remove religion from the public sphere. An unofficial anti-Islam state ideology was in place until the AKP and Erdogan took power 14 years ago.

Nuray Mert, a writer for the opposition Cumhuriyet newspaper and one of the most respected intellectuals in the country, says the Kahraman statement offers Turks a chance to have a conversation about the character of their state. Everybody should discuss what secularism is for them, why they like it or why they dont like it, she wrote.
During his lifetime, Rudyard Kipling seemed like a man who could do no wrong. Like his contemporary Mark Twain, he possessed the enviable ability to appeal to both children and adults. Critics loved him, too, and so did his fellow writers. Henry James said, Kipling strikes me personally as the most complete man of genius (as distinct from fine intelligence) that I have ever known. In 1907, at the age of 41, he won the Nobel Prize for literature.

Kipling, though, made one big mistake. He was an unabashed fan of colonialism, and that enthusiasm put him on the wrong side of history and tarnished his reputation beyond repair. Today he is known as the man who coined the phrase the white mans burden, and that, sadly, is all most people know of him.

He is back in the news now only because a movie made from his stories in The Jungle Book is posting such huge profits that Disney has already announced plans for a sequel. And yet, even here, inspired by a movie and a book that has nothing to do with colonialism or the superiority of Anglo-Saxon civilization, Kipling has again suffered the sort of ritual beating usually reserved for disgraced dictators and unapologetic eugenecists.

One recent story online bore the headline Rudyard Kipling Was a Racist Fuck and The Jungle Book is Imperialist Garbage. Another, slightly less virulent story was entitled How Disneys New Jungle Book Subverts the Gross Colonialism of Rudyard Kipling.

This has been going on for a long time. In 1942, George Orwell called out Kipling as a prophet of British imperialism. If anything, thats too tame a tag. Huckster, pitchman, shillall better descriptions. Because there is no denying that Kipling wrapped himself in the Union Jack and sold the idea of a British empire as hard as he could for as long as he could.

But even Orwell refused to condemn Kipling outright, first because Orwell hated the pious liberals who hated Kipling more than he hated Kipling, but second because he grudgingly admired Kipling. Indeed, he goes so far in his Kipling essay as to ardently defend Kipling against those who accused him of being a fascist. He was an imperialist who truly believed that English values would civilize the world. But that did not make him a fascist. It just meant that he was, if anything, a sort of deluded idealistmisguided and too often shortsighted (Orwell again: Kipling never understood the money end of colonialism, never saw that it was a system not merely of superciliously civilizing people but of ripping them off as well), but an idealist all the same.

None of this would matter, to Orwell or anyone else, if Kipling had not been a great writer. There is good reasonbeyond the fact that its in the public domainwhy Hollywood has tackled The Jungle Book stories no less than three times. The stories of Mowgli and his animal brothers are enchanting (and the Mowgli stories account for only about half of The Jungle Book). They read not like stories that someone made up but like fables handed down through the generations. They never try to do too muchthey certainly never strain for any high-minded moralbut they are utterly satisfying, even on repeated encounters, as any adult who has read them aloud to a child can attest.

Certain critics, however, typified by those who posted the screeds mentioned above, have no patience with complication. In their accounting, the bad in Kipling always outweighs the good, and in The Jungle Book or Kim, they are content to see nothing but tales of colonialism, racism, and a love of power for its own sake.

You dont need to be a Kipling zealot to see how far short this condemnation falls of any true assessment. You only need to read the stories themselves to see that they do not support such analysis.

It is worth noting here that readers in India and Pakistan share few of the reservations Westerners harbor regarding the poster boy of colonialism. He is often even taught in schools in those countries.

The Jungle Book stories were not written by Colonel Blimp. They are not propaganda. They have no agenda. And they are not, in fact, even very optimistic at heart. If anything, Kiplings tales quietly but inescapably leave their readers with a chilly view of lifenasty, poor, brutish, and short (except for elephants, who live practically forever). First and last, the Mowgli stories condemn all humans as foolish, superstitious, mean-spirited, and full of hubris, specifically for our propensity to assume superiority over the animal kingdom.

Animals, excepting monkeys, elicit Kiplings respect. Humans, certainly adult humans, rarely do. The family in Rikki-Tikki-Tavi, the only whites to appear in the stories, are helpless twits who, were it not for the eponymous mongoose, wouldve all been murdered by cobras. And yes, Mowgli has the ability to stare down almost every animal he meets, but as his teachers Baloo the bear and Bagheera the leopard constantly remind him, that is not much of a talent given that he has so much else to learn from animals and a long way to go before hes learned it.

The saddest part of the Mowgli stories, though the author doesnt trumpet it, is that Mowgli is a boy with no culture of his own. He knows he cant run with the wolf pack that raised him, and his human kin expel him from their village and threaten to kill him (Id be willing to bet that Kipling spends more time skewering human stupidity than almost any other authorhe was obsessed with it.)

But great as it isand certainly redder in tooth and claw than the usual childrens bookThe Jungle Book is nonetheless still a childrens book. It shows only one or two facets of Kiplings genius. To truly appreciate how great he was, you must read the short stories, which are not only wonderful tales (The Man Who Would Be King, The Strange Ride of Morrowbie Jukes) but just as often brilliant psychological studies that Chekhov might have envied. To cite but one example: it takes a special kind of genius to successfully invade the mind of a childHenry James and Faulkner could it, and Jean Stafford, too, and so could Kipling. Baa, Baa, Black Sheep, the vaguely autobiographical story of an English brother and sister sent home from India to live with an aunt, is one of the most claustrophobic, heartwrenching stories I know, and all its power derives from the fact that it never leaves the little boys head: the entire reality of the story, complete with childish misunderstanding, is his, and if any story ever delivered the reader straight back to those horrors of childhood that weve spent a lifetime repressing, its this one.

None of this will matter, though, to those who never pass up an opportunity to happily dismiss Kipling as a jingoistic fool who wrote a lot of bad poetry. Theyll just keep telling us how awful he is. Perhaps they take some grim satisfaction in feeling superior to those in the past who made bad choices when it came to politics and world affairs. Perhaps they cant see that judging people in history by modern standards is a useless pastime.

The truth is, Kipling wrote a lot of ill-conceived garbage and he wrote a lot of truly wonderful fiction as well, and its usually not at all hard to tell the difference. Even when it is, the effort is justified. Pondering how a writer so good could occasionally go so wrong forces us to contemplate how all of us, even the most enlightened, can be swayed and deluded by the assumptions and beliefs that hold sway in the times in which we live. But doing that requires that we understand that in Kiplings shoes, we might have made the same mistakes. And what fun is that? Certainly not as much fun as digging him up every generation or so and beating him like a pinata.
The prime accused, Manjunath (34), was a service engineer at the same company, Actis Technologies, where the victim worked. (Representational image)

Bengaluru: A six-member gang was arrested for murdering a security guard Ram Charitra Mukhiya (55) on the premises of a company in Domlur 2nd Stage on March 27.

The prime accused, Manjunath (34), was a service engineer at the same company, Actis Technologies, where the victim worked. The other accused are Manjunaths associates Balamurugan, 22, Partiban Raj, 20, Raju, 31, Vijay, 35 and Ravichandran, 31. Two others, Arun and Suresh, are on the run, the police said. While four accused are from Srirampura, two are from Tamil Nadu.

Despite his involvement in the crime, Manjunath continued to work at the office for four days and went on leave from the fifth day. As there was no forced entry, the police suspected the role of insiders. A special team was formed and it arrested the prime accused, Manjunath.
Celebrities are often castigated for stepping into the political arena, but that hasnt stopped many from putting their names and reputations on the line in an effort to support vital social, environmental, and global causes. Perhaps no A-lister has done more in this regard than Leonardo DiCaprio.

The Oscar winners foundation has been the tip of his spear in his fight against climate changea mission thats included a 2007 documentary (The 11th Hour), a forthcoming non-fiction Netflix series produced with his The Revenant director Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu, as well as countless appearances at the UN, global environmental summits, and protest marches (such as the 2014 one he joined in NYC). And, as evidenced by a new IMAX documentary out this Friday, hes now being joined in that enterprise by a fellow Oscar-winning Hollywood luminary increasingly compelled to take political stands: Jennifer Lawrence.

Directed by Toni Myers and narrated by Lawrence, A Beautiful Planet is a rapturous 46-minute portrait of Earth from the perspective of the stars, all of it shot by the crew of the International Space Stationan orbiting, solar-powered home to a collection of astronauts hailing from, among other countries, America, Russia, Italy, and Japan. From this cramped zero-gravity locale, where passengers sleep in floating cots, exercise for hours a day in order to maintain muscle strength, drink out of pouches, and work as a team to keep the facility organized and operating smoothly, the planet below provides an endless array of visual wonders. Be it hurricanes forming as menacing funnels, clouds streaking across the surface, or radiant lights emanating from major metropolitan regions, the film affords an unprecedented larger-than-life view of our home in all of its rapturous, terrifying glory.

Theres an underlying method behind this aesthetic magnificence: namely, to call attention to the planets evolving make-up thanks to climate change.

In panoramas of the drought-plagued California coast, of smoke cascading out of the burning Amazon rainforest, or of the shrinking arctic glaciers, A Beautiful Planet highlights the ways in which pollution, greenhouse gases, and fossil fuels are altering Earths compositionand thus threatening our magnificent, vulnerable world. Meanwhile, its portrait of multinational men and women coming together for a unified endeavor aboard the International Space Station suggests a hopeful way forward for humanity, one in which cooperation might help us overcome the sorts of barriers that are most starkly visualized by an aerial shot of Korea, where the South is awash in light and, directly across the border, the North is engulfed in darkness.

A Beautiful Planet compellingly marries its sensory splendor to a were-all-in-this-together, save-the-planet social agenda. And as such, it functions as yet another high-profile example of Lawrences mounting interest in taking stands on issues about which shes passionate.

Lawrences political activism began in earnest in 2014, when her private accounts were hacked and her nude photos were leaked online to the likes of Reddit, Twitter, and Tumblr. In response, she vigorously slammed this crime as emblematic of our contemporary exploitation-happy culture (especially when it comes to women). As she told Vanity Fair later that year, It is not a scandal. It is a sex crime. It is a sexual violationJust the fact that somebody can be sexually exploited and violated, and the first thought that crosses somebodys mind is to make a profit from it. Its so beyond me. I just cant imagine being that detached from humanity. I cant imagine being that thoughtless and careless and so empty inside.

Then, in the wake of the Sony email hacking scandalwherein The Daily Beast revealed that she had been compensated less than her male co-stars on American HustleLawrence candidly addressed Hollywoods stark wage gap. In a lengthy online letter, she confessed that, though she might have been partly to blame for that disparity (simply by not negotiating as strongly as Christian Bale, Bradley Cooper, and Jeremy Renner), she also suspected she, and women in general, had been conditioned to behave in a manner that put them in positions of weakness vis-a-vis their male counterparts. While Lawrence caught considerable flak for her desire to openly engage with the matter, it further established that the actress (who was only 24 at the time) was comfortable using her stature to confront hot-button topics of equality, discrimination, and abuse.

No surprise, then, that the news item on everyones mindthis falls presidential election, and the role Donald Trump may play in our nations futurewas also a subject about which Lawrence was happy to discuss.

Speaking with Vogue last November, Lawrence didnt sugarcoat her opinion of the potential Republican nominee, asserting, My view on the election is pretty cut-and-dried: If Donald Trump is president of the United States, it will be the end of the world. And hes also the best thing to happen to the Democrats ever. Of course, every other public figure has by this point commented on the stunning candidacy of the NYC real estate blowhard. Yet even so, few command the spotlight quite like Lawrenceand, as a result, have as much to possibly lose by doing so.

Whether such proclamations are emblematic of a deliberate shift to be more outspoken, or are merely indicative of a young woman feeling confident about who she is and what she believes, they reveal Lawrences desire to wield her power for principled means. Consequently, A Beautiful Planet is not only a stirring, IMAX-sized celebration-cum-cautionary-tale about Earth and its in-need-of-protection fragility (lest were forced to find distant new worlds to inhabit), but also another step forward in its narrators evolution into one of Hollywoods most forcefuland influentialliberal voices.
Donald Trump cut to the chase after his big wins Tuesday night: Frankly, if Hillary Clinton were a man, I dont think shed get 5 percent of the vote. The only thing shes got going is the womens card.

Which is a hell of a thing to say after almost 250 years of American presidential candidates implicitly playing their mens cardsperhaps no one more so than Trump himself, whose campaign rests largely on tough guy assertiveness and machismo bloviating. For many of his supporters, his appeal is very much that hes a white man.

Dont believe me? Try to imagine a woman of color running for president on his playbook. Trumps attitude coming from a woman or minority would make that person even more beloved by Trump supporters, one person tweeted me. Which is not only incorrect but preposterous.

First of all, I cant think of a single woman of color in American politics today who would back the sorts of ludicrous attacks on women and people of color that Trump supports. I cant name one woman of color who wants to ban Muslims from entering the United States, summarily round up and deport 11 million undocumented immigrantslet alone who habitually calls other women like dogs and fat pigs.

But even some Trump-ian woman of color Trump were to exist, its impossible to imagine her suffering the same landslide of critiques as Trump and yet emerging similarly unscathed. Women and people of color are simply held to a higher bar in our society. When youre the only white woman in the corporate board room or the only black man in the legislature, youre under constant pressure to prove that youre as smart and qualified as everyone else and that you deserve to be there. Its a bar white men are simply presumed to meet.

Thats the very definition of privilegewhich is not just about where you come from, but whats assumed about you the moment you walk in a room. And we know from study after study that the sexism and racism baked into American culture means that women and people of color are presumed less thanless than qualified, less than talented, less than deserving.

Try to imagine a woman of color skating by in a presidential primary with Trumps thin soup of policy ideas. Imagine a white woman candidate reading a meandering, inconsistent and impractical foreign policy speech off a teleprompter. Imagine a black male candidate asserting he doesnt need to give specifics on his policy proposals or how hell get things done because people should just trust him. Imagine a woman of color saying she only likes the soldiers who dont get captured.

You know as well as I do they would be laughed out of politics.

Meanwhile Trumps entire appeal is based on hyper-masculinity and machismo. He critiques Clinton, saying its always drama with her and she doesnt have the strength for the job while he calls his Republican opponents names like little Marco and low energy Bush. He brags about his hot wife and how rich he is. Hand size innuendo aside, Trump is literally and figuratively boasting that he is the biggest guy in the room and as president will be the biggest guy in the world and will Make America Great Again because hes great.

To buy into Trumps candidacy, you have to buy into the Trump persona because, lets be honest, theres nothing much else to go on there.

And his appeal is most directly to those who feel they have nothing else to go on themselvesmostly working-class white men who feel somehow that the ever-so-modest increase in rights for women and people of color in America has somehow meant less rights and opportunity for white men such as themselves. These voters would not, very simply, vote for a woman or person of color because thats who they implicitly blame for their lot in life. Data have shown that, among white voters, higher levels of racial resentment correspond with higher support for Trump.

When Trump bases his entire campaign against political correctness, hes implicitly evoking opposition to those who traditionally support political correctnessnamely people of color and women. Its no coincidence that Trump is running to succeed the first black president while running against the first major woman candidate. As Jamelle Bouie noted in Slate, this doesnt feel like change to these voters as much as an inversion: the end of a hierarchy that had always placed white Americans at the top, delivering status even when it couldnt give material benefits.

These Trump supportersclearly not all, maybe not even most, but definitely manyare arguably the same people who think that racism against African-Americans isnt really a problem in America today but believe in the myth of reverse racism against white people as a growing danger.

The impossibility of it aside, Trump supporters would never vote for Trump if he were a woman of color because they see women and people of color as a symptom of if not the actual cause of Americas problems today. These voters are clinging desperately to their white maleness and to their white male candidate.
The family of a Navy officer accused of espionage has launched a counter-attack on the military, accusing officials of painting a sensationalized tale of his activities through press leaks and of withholding evidence that might be used against him in a trial.

On Sunday, the family of Lt. Cmdr. Edward Linn created a website accusing anonymous U.S. officials of feeding journalists a conventional, easy-to-digest, sensationalized tale of espionage, misdirection, and sexual perversion.

Promising to take back the narrative, the family insisted that Lin is innocent of the alleged crimes with which the government has charged him. He is no spy for Taiwan or any other foreign country, the website states.

Lin, 39, worked in and around military reconnaissance aircraft and had extraordinary access to information about highly-classified equipment that the U.S. uses to spy on its adversaries. He was arrested in Hawaii on September 11, 2015. U.S. officials, who insisted on anonymity to discuss Lins case, have told The Daily Beast that he is accused of sharing classified information with Taiwan, the country of his birth, and possibly China.

Officials also said that Lin, who became a naturalized U.S. citizen in 1998, may have been compensated for his spying with sexual favors. Lin is accused of hiring prostitutes and adultery, crimes under military law.

But Lins defenders say he has been unable to see all of the evidence the military believes proves his guilt.

Almost nine months after the government placed Eddy behind bars in pre-trial confinement, his defense team is still asking the government to release evidence, the website states. Meanwhile, the government charged Eddy with a litany of crimes that peddles a narrative fit for a spy novel--espionage, falsification of an official document, failure to report a foreign contact, as well as prostitution and adultery.

A Navy spokesman declined to comment on the Lin familys allegations. We have no response at this time out of respect for the ongoing judicial process, the rights of the accused, and to ensure the process is fair and impartial, Lt. Cmdr. Tim Hawkins told The Daily Beast. The military judicial system, like the civilian justice system, is based on the principle that a person is considered innocent until proven guilty.

The site offers no specific information to refute the specific allegations against Lin. But it accuses the military of hiding behind a veil of secrecy, apparently in an effort to make it difficult for Lin to defend himself.

The government has characterized his case as a national security case, a sly move that allows the government to control the information--or disinformation--that it shares with Eddy's family, his colleagues and the news media, the website states. Lins defenders say that the opaqueness of the events that have transpired since his arrest have made it difficult to communicate with him about the case or to use information from the case to obtain a lawyers and craft a defense strategy.

Lins supporters also allege that the Navy had tried to discourage them from proceeding with a defense at all.

Initially, Navy officials told us that the government wanted to resolve the case quickly and quietly, and discouraged us from seeking a civilian defense counsel or community support. It was only after we ignored this guidance and hired an experienced former military judge advocate to represent Eddy that we started to see the government's case for the house of cards that it is.

On Friday, the Navy Times reported that Lin had hired a former Air Force lawyer, Larry Youngner.

Last week, a report on Lins case was forwarded to Adm. Philip S. Davidson, the commander of U.S. Fleet Forces, who will make the ultimate decision on whether to proceed to a court-martial. That report was supposed to have been delivered the previous week, and the delay suggests that negotiations for a deal or some charge besides espionage may be underway, military law experts said.

That Lins family would attack the governments case before officials have even decided whether to proceed to a court-martial also suggests that militarys case may be weaker than it appears.

The Daily Beast previously reported that the military may be trying to avoid a public trial. One sign is that Lin was held in pretrial confinement for eight months, an unusually long time, military law experts said, before the military announced charges against him last month.

The military is normally very conscientious about making sure the trial process moves quickly, said Michel Paradis, a military law expert and fellow at the Center on National Security. Service members have very clear rights under the Uniform Code of Military Justice to have any criminal accusation dealt with promptly.

A defense official, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss Lins case, told The Daily Beast, I wouldnt be surprised if this ends in a plea.

A court-martial could be administratively burdensome for the prosecution. Military lawyers would have to get permission to introduce classified information from any agency or department whose secrets might be aired in a public trial. At a minimum, lawyers would have to get permission from the Navy, and potentially any intelligence agencies that developed or also use the equipment found on the aircraft, experts said.

Lin could also try to introduce classified information in his defense that the military wants to keep secret, a strategy known as gray mail that is intended to encourage the government not to bring espionage charges.

--Nancy A. Youssef contributed additional reporting.
Ever aspired to marry into royalty? Maybe you have your eyes fixed on the now depleted pool of eligible English princes? Or you have imagined that you are the lost offspring of an important European monarch? Well, perhaps you are. A study published in the journal Nature Genetics and covered in the Telegraph has revealed that half of the population of Western Europe is descended from a single Bronze Age chieftan. We can only speculate as to who this man was or how much power and technology he possessed, but, according to this new research, he fathered a dynasty of elite men and left an indelible mark on the population of the world.

The study used data harvested by the 10000 Genomes Project to sequence the differences between the Y chromosomes of over 1,200 men from populations around the world. The Y chromosome is only passed from father to son; thus, by tracing mutations in the Y chromosomes, researchers could compile a family tree.

Oddly, the research showed that within a few generations there was an explosive increase in the number of men carrying a certain kind of Y chromosome. Dr. Yali Xue of the Welcome Trust Sanger Institute observed that this phenomenon occurred only in males and that the many branches of the bush-like family tree they compiled originated at the same point.
Before they knew his name, they called him Roofman. He would cut holes in the roofs of chain stores and fast-food restaurantsusually a McDonaldsthen drop down through the ceiling and rob the startled employees. Sometimes hed come in through the back wall, slipping in through a hole of his own making, only to pop out in the kitchen or storeroom; but it was mostly the roof and so the name quickly stuck.

The employees he held up were usually teenagers paid minimum wage working the morning shift or wearily closing up shop for the night, getting the days take ready to be counted. They didnt have much incentive to try to stop Roofman; in any case, he was known for his gentle demeanor, without fail described as politein one oft-repeated example, even insisting that his victims put on their winter coats so that they could stay warm after he locked them all in a walk-in freezer.

An official spokesperson for McDonalds offered perhaps the simplest explanation of the ongoing crime spree: Roofman was just very brand loyal.

But there was more to it than that. Hidden inside the repetitive floor plans and the daily schedules of these franchised businesses, Roofman had found the parameters of a kind of criminal Groundhog Day: a burglary that could be performed over and over in different towns, cities, and statesprobably even different countries, if hed triedand his skills would only get better with each outing. In a very real sense, he was breaking into the same building again and again, endlessly duplicating the original crime.

For Roofman, it was as if each McDonalds with its streamlined timetable and centrally controlled managerial regime was an identical crystal world: a corporate mandala of polished countertops, cash registers, supply closets, money boxes, and safes into which he could drop from above as if teleported there. Everything would be in similar locations, down to the actions taking place within each restaurant. At more or less the same time of daywhether it was a branch in California or in rural North Carolinaemployees would be following a mandated sequence of events, a prescribed routine, and it must have felt as if he had found some sort of crack in space-time, a quantum filmloop stuttering without cease, an endless present moment always waiting to be robbed. It was the perfect crimeand he could do it over and over again.

For Roofman, it must have looked as if the rest of the world were locked in a trance, doing the exact same things at the exact same times of dayin the same kinds of buildings, no lessand not just in one state, but everywhere. Its no real surprise, then, that he would become greedy, ambitious, overconfident, stepping up to larger and larger businessesbut still targeting franchises and big-box stores. They would all have their own spatial formulas and repeating events, he knew; they would all be run according to predictable loops inside identical layouts all over the country.

With overconfidence came carelessness, and after committing an estimated 40 burglaries in a little less than two years, Roofman was caught. He was arrested and sent to North Carolinas Brown Creek Correctional Institution. Now the police finally knew his name and backstory: Roofman was Jeffrey Manchester, a former U.S. Army reservist with a peculiar eye for spatial patterns. But as quickly as they locked him up, he broke out, escaping from Brown Creekthe first person ever to do soby hiding underneath a delivery truck. He was carried to safety by the easily memorized and predictable schedule of a package-delivery van.

Manchester made a beeline for nearby Mecklenburg County, North Carolina, where hed been told by his fellow inmates that sentences for commercial burglary were not as severe as in surrounding areas. There, his architectural proclivities took an especially bizarre turn. His (second) arresting officer, Sergeant Katherine Scheimreif of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department, spoke to me about how it all unraveled.

When Scheimreif and the Charlotte Police found him again, Manchester had been living for several months inside an apartment of his own making, disguised behind a bicycle display in the walls of Toys R Us. He had actually burrowed so far into the wall that he ended up in an abandoned Circuit City next door. There, he constructed an even more elaborate home for himself, tucked beneath a stairwell. It was a twenty-four-hour burglary headquarters hidden inside the walls of an American chain store, taking his brand loyalty to a strange new level of spatial intensity where ever-more-elaborate plots could be hatched.

Scheimreif referred to Manchesters unlikely abode as his little spider hole, and my first reaction was to assume that this was a condescending analogy, a cops put-down, as if comparing Manchester to vermin or to a bug. To an extent, it wasbut Scheimreif was also being amusingly literal. Manchester had been sleeping on Spider-Man-themed bedsheets, with Spider-Man film posters tacked up on his makeshift walls, surrounded by DVDs stolen from the childrens toy store next door. This pirate of space-time, ritualistically breaking his way into identical commercial moments across the country, convinced of his own genius, had constructed for himself the escapist bedroom of an 11 year old.

But Manchester didnt stop there. He also installed his own, parallel surveillance network inside the Toys R Us, using stolen baby monitors to spy on the movements of guards and employees, looking out for rhythms, patterns, and times of weakness as he planned his next blockbuster caper. He would just watch the baby monitor and know exactly when everyone was coming and going, Sergeant Scheimreif explained to me. It was a more sophisticated version of his old days as Roofman.

Everything in these businesses is so procedurally organized, she pointed out. They put the money away at the same time; they cook the fries at the same time. These corporations organize things like this for a reason, but theyre not thinking about these other kinds of people.

A McDonalds or a Toys R Us is designed to facilitate a specific retail sequence in which customers enter, choose their goods, stand in line, and pay. But Sergeant Scheimreifs other kinds of people have discovered something like a parallel world hidden inside all of this: these sequences also entirely accidentally contain a kind of countersequence, a crime nestled in the buildings lulls and blind spots. Its the flip side of all those regularized floor plans, daily schedules, and employee rhythms. Its the same dots connected to make a different picture.

With his own surveillance network in place, Manchester made perhaps his best discovery of all: he could actually rearrange and interfere with the buildings rhythms until they began to form the pattern he was waiting for. Indeed, Manchester had become so attuned to his Toys R Us, Sergeant Scheimreif added, that he actually began changing its security system and changing the schedules of the employees. No longer content simply to wait for the perfect moment to show itself, as he once did at McDonalds, he was now rescheduling guards and store managers alike in order to engineer the right circumstances into existence, as if assembling a puzzle. Then he struck.

These elaborate preparations for the worlds most ambitious takeover robbery of a childrens toy store were thwarted, however, by an event outside the perfect world Manchester had created. An off-duty sheriffs deputy unexpectedly arrived, throwing off his meticulously arranged plans. Roofman resorted to violence, punching the female deputy, stealing her gun, and fleeing the premises.

For the police, a slew of random details began falling into place. An earlier false alarm at the toy store had been blamed on a rodent, but suspicions had nonetheless been raised. The Charlotte-Mecklenburg police had already searched the abandoned Circuit City next dooreven tugging on an odd piece of drywall that was an entrance to Manchesters burrow. His bizarre hiding spot was now soon discovered.

While going back through his case, including a review of his behavior at the Brown Creek Correctional Institution before he made his escape, Sergeant Scheimreif found that Manchester had apparently spent a lot of time in his cell drawing up plans for his future dream home. Not a mansion on a tropical island or a fantasy castle somewhere in the Alps, his dream house included a maze of trap-doors and what Sergeant Scheimreif called escape holes. It was everything he seemed to want a building to bewith near-infinite ways of getting from one room to another and no upper limit on the places he could hide.

Secret passages, escape holes, apartments hidden in the walls, and makeshift entrances sliced down through ceilings: this was the architectural world Roofman lived within and moved through, a universe of spatial possibilities tucked away deep inside our own. Sergeant Scheimreif laughed and deadpanned, He definitely had a different way of looking at things.

Excerpted from A Burglars Guide to the City by Geoff Manaugh, published by Farrar, Straus and Giroux, LLC. Copyright  2016 by Geoff Manaugh. All rights reserved.

A Burglars Guide to the City is out now from FSG Originals. Geoff Manaugh wishes to thank Douglas McGray and Pat Walters for their editorial feedback on an intermediary version of this text.
Enough of the heavy stuff. We covered battles from 216 BC to 1916 here, but not a lot thus far about some of the personalities who made these battles, the generals and admirals of military history. Let us change direction and talk about somebody everyone thinks they know: General George S. Patton.

Now a word about heroesfrom a man who has worked for a few who are thought of as such, and calls several others friend. Almost no man or woman who becomes known as a hero can live up to that title. With a vanishingly few exceptions none can withstand the scrutiny, just as most of us could not. The majority demonstrate that they are, or were, quite human, and often the products of their own eras. This occurs, if not in their own time, then in the long decades that come later where young historians working on their PhDs swarm like sharks induced into a blood-based frenzy.

Once I was one of those sharks. Sorry. But at least now I have something interesting to pass to you.
The children belonging to different age groups were suffering from septic shock, complication of infection (Photo: Video grab)

New Delhi: Union Minister JP Nadda, on Sunday, announced an investigation into the deaths of 12 mainly mentally and physically disabled children at a government-run home amid fears they were given toxic water or food.

The children, many of them reportedly orphans, were raced to hospital in the last two weeks in Rajasthan after going into septic shock at the home outside the tourist city of Jaipur.

Three other children are fighting for their lives in a critical condition, according to the Hindustan Times newspaper on Sunday.

Health and Family Welfare Minister J P Nadda said he dispatched a team to probe "the causes of water and food contamination" in a bid to "prevent such incidents in the future".

Nadda said 12 had died at the home for disabled people, with doctors and other officials saying last week that almost all of them were children.

"The five-member team will include a senior paediatrician, epidemiologist and microbiologist and will reach Jaipur today," Nadda said in Sunday's statement.

"A detailed report in the incident is expected shortly," he added.

According to the Hindustan Times, around 200 children, aged from six to 15, live at the Jamdoli government home, with about 10 to 15 sharing a bedroom each.

For every one million people in India, there are only three psychiatrists and even fewer psychologists, according to the WHO.

A doctor at the hospital in Jaipur, where some 15 children were initially admitted, said they were suffering from "septicaemia and septic shock".

"These were mentally handicapped and physically disabled children. The immunity of such children is usually lower than their normal, healthy counterparts. Their bodies find it tough to cope," medical superintendent Ashok Gupta told reporters last week.
Polly Wilson, a first-grade teacher at Crockett Elementary School in Bryan, recently received a $500 classroom assistance grant from the Texas Retired Teachers Foundation. Wilson is one of 15 teachers in Texas who received a grant, and she is the first to receive a grant from the group in Bryan-College Station. She plans to use the money to expand the book collection for the Crockett Mobile Library, which allows students to continue reading during the summer by delivering books to them.
Sunday

Unity Spiritual Center of the Brazos Valley, 4016 Stillmeadow Drive, Bryan, will have services at 10:30 a.m. Call 324-9857 or unityspiritualcenterbv.org.

Trinity Baptist Church, 1070 N. Harvey Mitchell Parkway in Bryan, will host Awana Clubs for children ages 3-12 from 5 to 7 p.m. The meetings will consist of scripture memorization, games, a light meal and a short devotional. Club meetings will continue at 5 p.m. every Sunday during the school year. 571-1404.

Faith United Church (UCC), 2901 Austin's Colony Parkway in Bryan, celebrates the sixth Sunday after Easter with 9:15 a.m. Sunday study, 10 a.m. fellowship, and 10:30 a.m. worship. Pastor Karl's message is, "After Jesus, What's Left?" Faithuccbryan.org.

St. Francis Episcopal Church, 1101 Rock Prairie Road in College Station, will celebrate Holy Communion at 8 a.m. (Rite 1) and at 10:30 a.m. (Rite 2). Adult Sunday school meets at 9 a.m. and will continue studying the doctrine of resurrection. Children's chapel meets at 10:30 a.m. Contact the church for information about additional services and classes during the week. 696-1491 or stfrancisbcs.org.

First Christian Church, 900 S. Ennis St. in Bryan, will gather for worship at 10:45 a.m. The Rev. Jesse Myers' sermon topic will be "Believe in the Lord Jesus," based on Acts 16:11-15 and Philippians 2:1-11. The Disciples Men are hosting an all-church breakfast at 8 a.m. Sunday school classes for all ages begin at 9:30 a.m. and a nursery is available. Youth groups meet at 3 p.m. 823-5451 or firstchristianbcs.org.

Saint Andrew's Episcopal Church, 217 W. 26th St. in Downtown Bryan, will offer Holy Communion Rite I service at 7:30 a.m. At 11 a.m., we will celebrate our annual parish picnic in Tanglewood Park and conduct an outdoor service. All are welcome. Standrewsbcs.org. 822-5176.

Unitarian Universalist Church of the Brazos Valley, 305 Wellborn Road, will have a special blessing of the animals service by the Rev. Aaron Stockwell at 10:30 a.m. All animals must be current on vaccinations and leashed or caged; stuffed animals and pictures of animals that are deceased or unable to travel are welcome. 696-5285.

Covenant Presbyterian Church, 220 Rock Prairie Road in College Station, will worship at 10:30 a.m. The Rev. Caressa Murray will preach on "Rerouting." Classes for all ages meet at 9:15 a.m., followed by coffee and fellowship. 694-7700 or covenantpresbyterian.org.

Mount Nebo Missionary Baptist Church, 3610 Plainsman Lane in Bryan, will have Sunday school classes for all ages at 9:15 a.m. and morning worship service at 10:30 a.m. 846-4753.

Monday

First Baptist Church, 2300 Welsh Ave. in College Station, will host its weekly bible study on Mark, 1 Peter and 2 Peter at 7 p.m. 779-7700.

First Baptist Church Bryan, 3100 Cambridge Drive in Bryan, will host its weekly Bible study fellowship session at 6:55 p.m. BSF is an international, interdenominational women's study group. This year's topic is The Life of Moses; there is also a children's program. Bsfinternational.org.

Tuesday

Eagle's Nest Praise and Worship Ministries will be opening a free prayer line from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. The prayer line number is 775-1513, and calls will be answered by a trained prayer ministry associate. The prayer line is coordinated by pastors Gary and Sheila Jones.

Wednesday

Faith United Church, 2901 Austin's Colony Parkway in Bryan, invites men of all ages to Wednesday morning coffee and guy talk at 10 a.m. All are welcome. Faithuccbryan.org.

Faith United Church, 2901 Austin's Colony Parkway in Bryan, will host a Wednesday study about Paul's life and journeys at 6:30 p.m. All are welcome. Faithuccbryan.org.

Saint Andrew's Episcopal Church, 217 W. 26th St. in Downtown Bryan, will host a meeting of the Rector's Book Club at 6:15 p.m. The book selection is The Secret Chord: A Novel by Geraldine Brooks. Standrewsbcs.org. 822-5176.

Covenant Presbyterian Church, 220 Rock Prairie Road in College Station, will host a "Onederful Wednesday" dinner at 5:30 p.m., followed by a program at 6:15 p.m. presented by the Covenant Day School and the Covenant Children's Center. All are welcome; please RSVP for the dinner. 694-7700 or covenantpresbyterian.org.

Thursday

Saint Andrew's Episcopal Church, 217 W. 26th St. in Downtown Bryan, invites all to a Feast of the Ascension - Holy Eucharist at 12:15 p.m. Standrewsbcs.org. 822-5176.

Friday

Saint Andrew's Episcopal Church, 217 W. 26th St. in Downtown Bryan, will have First Friday Open Doors from 5 to 8:30 p.m. There will be a guided tour of the church's historic stained glass windows at 6 p.m., and the Jane Long Middle School band will perform in the parking lot at 6:30 p.m. All are welcome. Standrewsbcs.org. 822-5176.
More than 2,500 members of the Texas A&M Corps of Cadets stepped off Saturday morning as part of the 40th Annual March to the Brazos benefiting the March of Dimes.

The 18-mile march, which begins at the Texas A&M Quad and finishes at the Texas A&M Beef Center near the east bank of the Brazos River, raised a record amount for the nonprofit. This year, cadets raised $130,000 through fundraising efforts and donations, up $15,000 from last year.

"This year is special because it's 40 years of partnership between the Corps and March of Dimes, and most importantly $3 million total [over 40 years] has been raised after this year," said Mark Maltsberger, chair of the board of the Bryan-College Station March of Dimes.

Maltsberger, a former Corps member from the class of '97, said the connection between the Corps and the March of Dimes is personal.

In 2010, as Maltsberger was working the march on behalf of the nonprofit, his wife went into premature labor with their third child. The funds raised by the March of Dimes helped his son become the healthy child he is today.

"Due to the funds raised, as a father I know I directly contributed to my third child being born, and it's something amazing," he said. "I try and stress to cadets that the money they're raising here is for their own children some day.

"Most of the cadets are between the ages of 18 and 22 and aren't thinking about that yet, but when their baby is in [the intensive care unit] they'll start thinking about it," he said. "That's where we get some of our alumni donors. It's amazing how many people are touched by the March of Dimes, how many of these cadets were actually born prematurely and are here today because of the March of Dimes."

Once they made it to the beef center, cadets rested under the shade of oak trees, enjoyed lunch and mingled with each other and visiting Houston Texans cheerleaders.

"Once you get out here, it's the most fun part of the day because of the transition of leadership," said class of 2017's Spencer Old of Company D2.

Old said it was surreal that in just a few months he would be at the top of the pyramid.

"It's a cool event and it's the end of the year, so it signifies that we're finally done and finals are coming up," he said. "I'm about to be a senior, and it's exciting to think I get to put on the boots soon. It means I've made it through the year."

It wasn't just Corps members taken by the Aggie spirit Saturday.

Though he hasn't marched the full distance since 2008, 87-year-old Ted Baglin of Santa Rosa, California, came for the 35th year to participate in a portion of the march with Company E1. Baglin, a Navy veteran, who has lived in various Texas cities never attended Texas A&M. He's never even lived in Bryan-College Station.

"I came to work in Texas and got brainwashed by the Aggies," he said. Baglin said he was drawn to support Texas A&M and the cadets because of the Aggies he met while living in Texas.

Reveille briefly accompanied Baglin, who was dressed in a handmade Aggie T-shirt touting his 35 years of participation, his camouflage pants held up by a white belt and shining Texas A&M belt buckle.

"I love the spirit of Aggieland and have so many friends from all these years," Baglin said. "I could write a book about it."
Police said Selvakumar, an autorickshaw driver, resident of Kanniyamman Nagar in Vanagaram, and his wife Anandhi, decided to close down the septic tank by filling it with rubble.

Chennai: In a bizarre accident, a couple buried their seven-year-old-child alive after she tripped into the now defunct septic tank, which they were closing permanently in Vanagaram near Maduravoyal, on Saturday.

The child which was blowing bubbles with soap water had tripped into the 2X2 ft septic tank. Police said Selvakumar, an autorickshaw driver, resident of Kanniyamman Nagar in Vanagaram, and his wife Anandhi, decided to close down the septic tank by filling it with rubble since they had come under the coverage of sewer connections by metro water.

They left open the lid of the septic tank in the morning, and went to bring rubble and mud from the neighbourhood to cover the pit. They noticed their daughter, Rohitha, (7), who was playing with their son was missing for sometime since they started filling the pit. They went looking for her in the neighbourhood in vain.

After a frantic search, Selvakumar spotted the soap bubble bottle, which his daughter was playing with earlier in the day. He hurried himself into the pit and searched only to find the lifeless body of his daughter from the pit.

The body was retrieved with the help of Fire and Rescue Services Personnel, and was moved to Kilpauk Medical College Hospital by Maduravoyal Police for a postmortem.

The pit was at least 8 ft deep, and the child must have been engrossed in playing. The pit must have had obnoxious gases which would have been the reason the child could not raise any alarm post its fall.

She must have swooned soon after she fell into the pit. The couple also did not notice her inside the pit since it was a narrow pit which was dark in its depth, said a senior police officer privy to the investigation.
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Compiled By Laura Osterfeld, Public Service Librarian for HCPL

Here are details about some of the new books at the Henderson County Public Library.

Fiction

"The Witches of Cambridge: A Novel" by Menna van Praag (romance)  Amandine Bisset has always had the power to feel the emotions of those around her.

It's a secret she can share only with her friends when they gather for the Cambridge University Society of Literature and Witchcraft. Amandine treasures these meetings but lately senses the ties among her colleagues beginning to unravel.

If only she had her student Noa's power to hear the innermost thoughts of others she might know how to patch things up.

Unfortunately, Noa regards her gift as a curse. So when a seductive artist claims he can cure her, Noa jumps at the chance, no matter the cost.

But Noa's not the only witch in over her head.

"A Criminal Magic" by Lee Kelly (scifi/fantasy)  It's 1926 in Washington, D.C., and while Anti-Sorcery activists have achieved the Prohibition of sorcery, the city's magic underworld is booming.

Joan Kendrick, a young sorcerer from Norfolk County, Virgina, accepts an offer to work for D.C.'s most notorious crime syndicate the Shaw Gang when her family's home is repossessed.

Alex Danfrey, a first-year Federal Prohibition Unit trainee with a complicated past and talents of his own, becomes tapped to go undercover and infiltrate the Shaws.

Through different paths, Joan and Alex tread deep into the violent, dangerous world of criminal magic, and when their paths cross at the Shaws' performance venue, despite their orders and despite themselves, Joan and Alex become enchanted with one another.

"A Disguise to Die for: A Costume Shop Mystery" by Diane Vallere (mystery)  No sooner does former magician's assistant Margo Tamblyn return home to Proper City, Nevada, to run Disguise DeLimit, the family-owned costume shop, does she get her first big order.

Wealthy nuisance Blitz Manners needs 40 costumes for a detective-themed birthday bash.

As for Blitz himself, his Sherlock Holmes is to-die-for  literally  when, in the middle of the festivities, Margo's friend and party planner Ebony Welles is caught brandishing a bloody carving knife over a very dead Blitz.

For Margo, clearing Ebony's name is anything but elementary, especially after Ebony flees town. Now Margo is left to play real-life detective in a town full of masked motives, cloaked secrets and veiled vendettas.

Nonfiction

"Moving Mountains: Praying with Passion, Confidence, and Authority" by John Eldredge  Moving Mountains offers a hopeful approach to prayer that is effective, relational and rarely experienced by most Christians.

It shows you how to experience the power of daily prayer, learn the major types of prayers, including those of intervention, consecration, warfare and healing and to discover the intimacy of the cry of the heart prayer, listening prayer and praying scripture.

Things can be different, and you personally have a role to play with God in bringing about that change through prayer.

It may sound too good to be true, but this is your invitation to engage in the kind of prayers that can move God's heart as well as the mountains before you.

"One Dough, Ten Breads: Making Great Bread by Hand" by Sarah Black  With just a few ingredients, one's own two hands and this book, even a novice baker is well on the way to making artisan-style breads.

Baking instructor Sarah Black starts with the simplest "plain white" dough, then makes small changes to ingredients, proportions and shapes to take the reader through 10 "foundation" breads from baguettes to ciabatta to whole-wheat pain de campagne to sourdough.

Notes and teaching moments, shaping instructions, clear step-by-step photography and additional recipes build on this foundation to create new and varied breads that will appeal to bakers of all skill levels.

Hours, bookmobile

The Henderson County Public Library's hours are 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 1:30 to 5 p.m. Sunday.

Patrons can access their library account at hcpl.org.

This week's bookmobile schedule:

Monday: Aislynn Village, 1:45-2:15 p.m.; Independent Living Apartments, 2:30-3 p.m.; Fair Acres, 3:15-3:45 p.m.

Tuesday: Colonial Assisted Living, 12:30 p.m.; The Olive Branch, 2:45-3:15 p.m.; Dixon Street Apartments, 4:15-5 p.m.

Wednesday: Redbanks Towers, 1-2:30 p.m.; 840 N. Adams St. Apartments, 3:30-4 p.m.; Niagara, 4:15-5 p.m.

Thursday: Pleasant Pointe Apartments, 1-2 p.m.; Henderson Manor, 3:15-4 p.m.; Fagan Square, 4:15-4:45 p.m.
Here are details about some of the new books at the Henderson County Public Library.

Fiction

'The Moon in the Palace' by Weina Dai Randel (Historical)  A concubine at the palace learns quickly that there are many ways to capture the Emperor's attention. Some present him with fantastic gifts such as jade pendants and scrolls of calligraphy, while others rely on their knowledge of seduction to draw his interest. But young Mei knows nothing of these womanly arts, yet she will give the Emperor a gift he can never forget. Mei's intelligence and curiosity, the same traits that make her an outcast among the other concubines, impress the Emperor. But just as she is in a position to seduce the most powerful man in China, divided loyalties split the palace in two, culminating in a perilous battle that Mei can only hope to survive.

'Somewhere Out There: A Novel' by Amy Hatvany (Fiction)  Natalie Clark knew never to ask her sensitive adoptive mother questions about her past. She doesn't even know her birth mother's name. Now Natalie's own daughter must complete a family tree project for school, and Natalie is determined to unearth the truth about her roots. Brooke Walker doesn't have a family. Having grown up in a state facility and countless foster homes, Brooke survives the only way she knows how, by relying on herself. So when she discovers she's pregnant, Brooke faces a heart-wrenching decision: give up her baby or raise the child completely on her own. Scared and confused, she feels lost until a surprise encounter gives her hope for the future.

'The Brotherhood of the Wheel: A Novel' by R.S. Belcher (Horror)  A small offshoot of the Knights Templar has returned to the order's original mission: to defend the roads of the world and guard those who travel on them. Theirs is a secret line of knights: truckers, bikers, taxi hacks, state troopers, bus drivers, RV gypsies  any of the folks who live and work on the asphalt arteries of America. They call themselves the Brotherhood of the Wheel. Jimmy Aussapile is one such knight. He's driving a big rig down South when a promise to a ghostly hitchhiker sets him on a quest to find out the terrible truth behind a string of children gone missing all across the country. The road leads him to Lovina Hewitt, a skeptical Louisiana State Police investigator working the same case and, eventually, to a forgotten town that's not on any map and to the secret behind the eerie Black-Eyed Kids said to prowl the highways.

Nonfiction

'The Rarest Bird in the World: The Search for the Nechisar Nightjar' by Vernon R.L. Head  In 1990, a group of Cambridge scientists arrived at the Plains of Nechisar in Ethiopia. As they were gathering up their findings, a wing of an unidentified bird was packed into a brown paper bag. Experts were mystified. After much discussion, a new species was announced: Nechisar Nightjar, or Camprimulgus Solala, which means 'only wing.' And so birdwatchers like Vernon began to dream. Twenty-two years later, he joins an expedition of four to find the rarest bird in the world.

'Half-Earth: Our Planet's Fight for Life' by Edward O. Wilson  Half-Earth argues that the situation facing us is too large to be solved piecemeal and proposes a solution commensurate with the magnitude of the problem: dedicate fully half the surface of the Earth to nature. If we are to undertake such an ambitious endeavor, we first must understand just what the biosphere is, why it's essential to our survival and the manifold threats now facing it. In doing so, Wilson describes how our species, in only a mere blink of geological time, became the architects and rulers of this epoch and outlines the consequences of this that will affect all of life, both ours and the natural world, far into the future. Half-Earth provides an enormously moving and naturalistic portrait of just what is being lost when we clip 'twigs and eventually whole braches of life's family tree.'
Visakhapatnam: Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Sunday said the Andhra Pradesh government is taking all steps to promote Vizag as a health tourism destination to attract foreign patients.

"The city has excellent medical facilitates with natural beauty and also has hills on one side and sea on another. It has all the facilities to promote health tourism," Naidu said after inaugurating a super-speciality hospital in Visakhapatnam.

The state government has given lands for 28 corporate hospitals to establish their units here and 15 are now functioning. Naidu also said his government had asked the remaining hospitals to start their work within the stipulated time, otherwise it will take back the lands.

Stating that medical treatment expenses in the country are very low compared to foreign countries though medical facilities are same both in India and abroad, he said several patients were visiting the country for treatment due to the facilities and low expenses.

Apollo Hospitals Group Chairman Pratap Reddy said the 250-bedded hospital has ultra-modern laboratory facilities and latest modalities for imaging and diagnostics. He further said the group will also establish 100 bed cancer hospital with "latest technology" in the same premises within six months.
SHARE MIKE LAWRENCE / THE GLEANER Hunter Bond demonstrates his Hulu Hoop skills at Saturday's Henderson County Family YMCA Healthy Kids' Day. The free community event featured a Bounce House, RiverCity Clowns, CATCH activities, YMCA Tae Kwon Do, YKids Yoga and Healthy Snacks, April 30, 2016. MIKE LAWRENCE / THE GLEANER Henderson County Family YMCA Tae Kwon Do students perform a demonstration during Saturday's Healthy Kids' Day event featuring a Bounce House, RiverCity Clowns, CATCH activities, YKids Yoga and Healthy Snacks, April 30, 2016. MIKE LAWRENCE / THE GLEANER Brooklyn Beaver, 4 years-old, enjoys a sucker while RiverCity Clown Sparkles paints her face at Saturday's Henderson County Family YMCA Healthy Kids' Day. The free community event featured a Bounce House, CATCH activities, YMCA Tae Kwon Do, YKids Yoga and Healthy Snacks, April 30, 2016. MIKE LAWRENCE / THE GLEANER People attending Saturday's Henderson county Family YMCA Healthy Kids' Day, April 30, 2016.

By Beth Smith of The Gleaner

Rosie Bottoms had a unique offer for people attending the YMCA's Healthy Kids Day.

"You need a shoe shine," said the RiverCity Clown. She would then turn on a flashlight and shine it at your feet. The response is what every clown wants  a smile, a giggle.

Rosie and her team were a popular group Saturday as hundreds of children and their parents shook off the rainy day blues at the annual community event held at the Henderson Family YMCA on Klutey Park Plaza Drive.

"This is a free, local event which gives families the opportunity to see what resources are out there in our community," said Annette Garrison, Health and Wellness coordinator for the YMCA.

Garrison said Healthy Kids Day is an effort to encourage kids and their parents to be more physically fit.

"The obesity rate is so high in our country, and we want kids to be more active," she said.

Those agencies represented at the kids health day include the Henderson County Cooperative Extension Office  which provided a healthy snack and recipes for healthy snacks  the Girl Scouts, Health Source, the Henderson Police Department, the Henderson Area Arts Alliance and the Henderson Fire Department, among others.

Children could see a demonstration by the YMCA Tae Kwon Do program, jump in a bouncy house, get their fingerprints taken by the police department, get their faces painted and get balloon animals or objects made by RiverCity Clowns.

There were snacks, drinks, prizes and a lot of information pertinent for parents wanting to raise healthy children.

"We've been doing this at least 15 years," Garrison said. "It has grown each year, and I love the opportunity to provide this for our kids and families."

Rohdene Rollins, with the Henderson County Extension Office, was providing information to parents and children about healthy eating.

"Today, I'm handing out healthy (snacks). I've prepared pineapple power bites. It has all kinds of good things in it for us and not the bad things," she said. "I have the recipe" for those interested.

Rollins said what she liked about events such as Healthy Kids Day is "families coming together. Parents bringing their kids and helping them make healthy choices."

Jill Stallings brought her 7-year-old daughter Sarah to Saturday's activity.

"She got something at school talking about the (Healthy Kids Day) and she wanted to come ... so we decided to come to the Y and have fun," Stallings said. "I like seeing all of the groups in the community come together and you get to meet different people from the different organizations and get information about programs that you didn't know existed."

"I wanted to just have fun," Sarah Stallings said.

Nibby Priest with Vaughn Insurance was providing information about health insurance and answering questions about Kynect. "There's a lot of concerns that people have ... we're here to answer any questions people might have."

"This isn't the first year we've participated," Priest said. "What I like about events like this is, this is an opportunity to really interact with the people of Henderson," he said. "They learn that we are real people, and we do want to help."

Danielle Anguish, the children services manager at the Henderson County Public Library, was talking to those attending Healthy Kids Day about the library's summer reading program and other activities taking place.

"We've done this about three years, and it's a good (event) for kids, especially because our summer reading program's theme is 'On your mark! Get set! Read!' So we're really promoting healthy kids, physical fitness and encouraging them to get moving. So this is a perfect venue."

Greg Gibson with the Henderson Area Arts Alliance was on hand to talk to people about Rapunzel, which is coming to the Henderson Fine Arts Center in June.

"We're very happy to be part of the healthy kids event," Gibson said. "We are all about kids, and we're promoting Rapunzel which is our latest Missoula Children's Theater production. Any time we have the opportunity to be in front of children, we're all about that, because children are a big part of our mission."
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Doug Schuessler, Henderson

Barbara Barr in a recent letter (4-13-16) railed against homosexual marriage, no-fault divorce, legal abortion, and socialist programs. All these are legal in this country.

Ms. Barr doesn't have to marry a woman, doesn't have to get a divorce, and doesn't have to get an abortion. Seems she wants other people to live by her standards which might work for her, but they certainly infringe on other peoples' legal freedoms.

As far as her stand against social programs, let me ask which programs she wishes to cut  Social Security, Medicare, or food stamps for the poor? Incidentally, many military families receive food stamps. Does she want to deprive the working poor who work for minimum wage of food stamps? If Ms. Barr is a senior citizen, she will receive much more in Social Security than she paid into the system. Has she ever tried paying a medical bill without Medicare picking up the lion's share?

Who was the most famous Socialist ever? How about Jesus who said sell all your goods and give the proceeds to the poor (Mark 18:22). People who don't want other people to share in our country's prosperity should study the Golden Rule.

Too many religious folks like to cast the first stone in stark contrast to what Jesus said (John 8:7).

I would never tell Ms. Barr how to live. Why does she feel she has to tell us?

In closing let me say our country was not founded on the word of God (the Bible). Our founding fathers explicitly stated this was to be a country not ruled as a theocracy. As long as everyone has the right to choose a religion or no religion, we'll fulfill the founding fathers' desires.

I suggest you move to Saudi Arabia or Iran if you wish to live under the rule of a holy book.
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Roy N. Pullam, Henderson

There are some things as apparent as Rush Limbaugh would be in a day-glo thong. Our election process is not working, and Citizens United was a horrible decision made by our Supreme Court. If money equates speech, then Warren Buffett would never have to shut up, ever. When each party spends a billion dollars in a general election, it reminds us that there is more money spent than sense.

No teacher can tell his/her students that they can be presidents unless his/her last name is Gates. Abe Lincoln would still be splitting logs had the financial demand being existent for success during his time. Instead of the sign that said during the nineteenth century "No Irish or dogs need apply," today those signs might say if you don't have the buck, you are out of luck.

People are sick of it. 18% voted in the last general election in Kentucky. 6% percent voted in Indiana in the last primary. The reason is simple; voters can't see how their vote can change anything. I have an idea that I feel would be the ideal solution. Pass an amendment that would fix the length of the elections in this country from Labor Day until the election in November. Then limit the campaign expenditures to two years of the salary the office grants the winner. This would bring back the person to person contact and limit the horrible negative commercials. These laws are already in effect in other countries. We should not be chauvinist enough to think that all the good ideas can only come domestically.

I do not think such an amendment would ever come from Congress. It would have to begin in the states. Once it became obvious that the idea promises good and lasting reform, it would cross the country like a prairie fire. If we are to save this democracy from the oligarchy it is rapidly becoming, the time is now.
Mississippi River levels impacting Burlington tourism, barge transport

The problem is especially dire on the Lower Mississippi, where low water-level barriers are restricting corn and soybean shipments to New Orleans.
NORWALK  The Lockwood-Mathews Mansion Museums Education Program is launching its third annual writing competition titled, Rocking History: A Century of Change at the Lockwood-Mathews Mansion, for students attending Fairfield County schools.

The Lockwood-Mathews Mansion Museum/Ernest Hemingway/Young Writers Competition will begin on May 4 through June 10 and celebrate the museums 50th Anniversary with an awards presentation that will take place at the museum, at 295 West Ave., on Oct. 29 at 2 p.m. Competition winners will be notified by mid-September. There will be a cash prize awarded for first place and prizes awarded for second and third place.
NORWALK -- Connecticut may be the "land of steady habits," but when it comes to municipal leaders, most mayors and selectman face the biennial possibility of being fired by voters.

Norwalk is poised to become the 29th out of 169 cities and towns to give its chief executive four years in office.

"A four-year term makes abundant sense," said Bill Fitzgerald.

As chairman of Norwalk's bi-partisan Charter Revision Commission, Fitzgerald and six other members spent the winter investigating mayoral term lengths for the City Council.

Commissioners unanimously supported giving future mayors two additional years in office.

"A new mayor would have arguably a learning curve," Fitzgerald said. "And to spend the first year learning and the second year running for re-election I don't think gives the mayor sufficient time to learn the position and to be judged on his or her performance."

Current Mayor Harry Rilling, a Democrat, agreed. And Rilling added that appointed commissioners of key budgeting, planning and zoning bodies enjoy four year terms, which can complicate a new mayor's job.

"Until you get people who share and will promote your vision on some boards and commissions, things don't necessarily move forward as quickly as you'd like them to," Rilling said.

The commission forwarded their recommendations to the council April 5.

The latter has scheduled a public hearing Monday and will vote May 24 on whether to place the mayoral term change on November's ballot.

If embraced by voters, the change would impact whomever wins the 2017 mayoral contest.

Rewriting the charter

Norwalk City Council President Bruce Kimmel wants the charter change.

Asked if a majority of city residents will back it, Kimmel said: "That's a good question. I hope so, but I'm not sure."

Edward Musante Jr., president of the Greater Norwalk Chamber of Commerce, is optimistic. That group has been interested in giving mayors more time in office for years.

"Any good planning effort in terms of municipal development really requires long term vision, strategy and execution," Musante said.

But, he said, prior to Rilling, Norwalk's mayors "have wanted to shy away from it. It can look self-serving."

"Our sense was if you can get charter revision going it was going to (be supported by voters)," Musante said. "The problem was getting it going."

Several years ago then-Mayor Richard Moccia, a Republican who served in office for eight years before losing to Rilling in 2013, proposed a lengthier term, then backed off.

"Let's put it this way I just didn't seem to have much support from the council on it," Moccia said. "And it was my first term in. I said, 'You know what? I've got a lot of things I want to deal with.' When I found there was opposition I let it go."

Moccia recalled there was public support for the change.

"When I went out in public people would tell me, almost to a one, 'Geez, you gotta run again'?" Moccia said.

Dumping the 'doozies'

Veteran Councilman Douglas Hempstead, himself a former mayoral candidate, said the four-year term has always been backed by the business community.

"I've never heard a public outcry for it," Hempstead said, adding given the "mood of this country" regarding politicians he will be surprised if the charter change survives.

Hempstead agreed that the extra years give mayors an opportunity to make and implement "tough decisions."

But he also wondered if having to face voters every two years has helped impose fiscal restraint within city government.

"No matter the mayor, Norwalk is a pretty responsible, fiscally conservative city," Hempstead said. "And that's been under Republican and Democratic mayors. I don't know if that's been part of the success the fact you're accountable every two years. In a four year term you can throw out a couple of heavy tax increases, and by the third and fourth year not (raise taxes)."

Hempstead said he is also worried about voter turnout in non-mayoral elections given the Charter Revision Commission did not recommend similarly lengthening council members' terms from two to four years.

Kimmel said one concern is that four years is a long commitment when it comes to running for council and could dissuade candidates.

He also said maintaining voters' ability to shake-up the council ever two years might not be a bad idea.

"We've just had two real doozies (members) on the council and it was tough enough living with them for two years," Kimmel said.
Hubballi: They are fleeing to Bengaluru, Mangaluru and even Goa. The drought having made their lives miserable in villages, thousands of farmers are flocking to the railway stations and bus stands in Hubballi, Gadag, Bagalkot and Dharwad, hoping to find work in cities and feed their families.

Several poor farmers are even travelling ticket-less to leave their villages, forcing the authorities to conduct raids on the trains.

Eranna Karadikolla, 35 who was forced to leave his drought-prone Hirevaddatti village in Mundaragi taluk of Gadag district ,is now working as a construction labourer in Bengaluru, along with his wife and brother.

They have been living in a makeshift hut provided by the contractor at the construction site as they can't afford to pay the high rent demanded for a house in the city. As many as 30 families from the village have moved to either Bengaluru or Dakshina Kannada in search of work owing to the drought, he explains.

"We have no work in our village as the crops have dried up in the absence of rain. So our entire family moved to Bengaluru two months ago," says Erranna. He now earns Rs 450 a day and his wife, Rs 150 in the city. But even this is hardly enough to run his family due to the high cost of living , he laments. Thirty-three year old dalit farmer, Anand Chahwan , from Hiremagi village in Hungund taluk of Bagalkot district now works in a farmhouse with his wife and two children near Varthur in Bengaluru. He left his viillage as his jowar and maize crops withered causing him a loss of over Rs 30,000.

"My family is at least served two free meals a day here by our employer. We have been working at the farmhouse for wages of Rs 12,000 a month. There is also no drinking water problem here unlike back home where we had to dig lakes and rivers to fetch water," says Anand.

"I have sold my cattle due to drinking water scarcity and shortage of fodder and am now working for a private company as a delivery boy in Bengaluru, says farmer Mahesh Kharjagi of Shirahatti in Gadag district, who hopes to return home in June when the monsoon arrives to begin sowing his four acre farmland.
NORWALK -- In about four years, high school enrollments in the city are expected to mushroom almost 13 percent above last year's student population.

And things are already critical as is.

"We're bursting at the seams," said school board member Mike Barbis.

As co-chair of the facilities committee, he and his team are in charge of devising a long-term plan to keep Norwalk schools up-to-date with the town's burgeoning population of children.

So far, the board has devised two possible long-term solutions to the overcrowding: opening a new pre-kindergarten this August and implementing kindergarten- to eighth-grade schools.

"There has been a long-term perception that Norwalk has not invested in school buildings to the extent necessary for a significant period of time," said Superintendent of Schools Steven Adamowski.

The facilities study released this January showed several Norwalk elementary and middle schools above capacity, at 108 and 104 percent. The average Connecticut school is about 75 percent full. And the state's ideal for a schools' maximum capacity is 90 percent.

"The kids are just jammed everywhere," said Barbis.

Trailer classes

The 12 elementary schools are the most crowded compared to the middle and high schools, although that bubble of kids is expected to travel up the pipeline, causing crowding in the secondary schools.

"At elementary schools is where we're really pressed against the wall," said Michael Lyons, chairperson for the Board of Education.

The most crowded of the schools are Jefferson, Silvermine, Kendall and Columbus.

In the 2014 study, the projected percent usage of Jefferson Elementary School in 2015 was 159 percent. The school already has about 400 students in portable classrooms.

"You're basically going to class in a trailer," said Barbis. "I don't think most of us went to school in trailers and that's probably not the ideal environment for us to be educating our students."

The portable classrooms have a 20-year expiration date and a few years ago, Barbis said they had to get a face lift.

"We found that some classrooms had horrible leaks and mold," he said. "We don't use them in the summer and they were sitting there with mold."

He also said instead of reserving classrooms for music and art purposes like most do, many local schools have devised "Art in the Cart," wheeling art and music supplies to various classrooms.

At Kendall Elementary, board members have reported the hiring of extra teacher's aides to compensate for the overwhelming number of children.

But all of these "solutions," said Barbis, "they're all short term. They're less than ideal and they're not really what you want."

'Swing spaces'

This August, a new pre-kindergarten space of eight classrooms that includes a mix of special needs programming and standard curriculum will be opening at the Roosevelt Center.

"We have a number of instances where the pre-schools are currently located, where we have classes above the class size guidelines," said Adamowski.

Thought the pre-kindergarten will be opening this August, the board is looking even further down the line. A committee is in the beginning stages of a plan to enact some of the proposals outlined by the facilities study.

The committee received $2.5 million in the capital budget to study and design some of the proposals outlined in the study.

It presented several potential combinations of buildings and schools to provide more space for the students, including reopening Nathanial Ely Elementary School in South Norwalk, building an elementary school on Ponus Ridge Middle School property or adding a middle school building on Naramake Elementary School land.

The proposal also included an alternative plan that would involve buying the defunct St. Phillip's Catholic School and attaching it to the neighboring Tracey Elementary School for a K-8 program.

"It's designed to solve two problems: high enrollment, and also it provides what many people feel is a better model," said Lyons about K-8 programming, which combines elementary and middle schools under one roof. Both the centralized pre-kindergarten and the K-8 plans "kill two birds with one stone," he said.

In addition to being considered a good learning model, Adamowski said that school structure "relieves enrollment pressure at both the elementary and middle school level."

The committee is trying to juggle these options with the repair of existing schools -- the study showed Jefferson Elementary School, West Rocks Middle School and Columbus Magnet School in need of renovations, Barbis said.

To do so, they'll have to create "swing spaces" said Barbis, while those buildings are being renovated.

The committee would like to hold some public hearings, Barbis said, to get community input. After that, they would present the plan to the board, which would then get put to vote.

The board also seeks to get approval for partial state reimbursement for the construction of the new buildings. The state deadline, June 30, means it's likely the board won't be applying until next year.

Adamowski says these changes, while no small tweak, are of utmost importance.

"So we don't run out of space, so we're not overcrowded, so we can offer optimum education for our students," he said. "That's a community responsibility."
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Linkedin Richard Horstman (The Jakarta Post)  Sat, April 30 2016

In March, the Alila Manggis resort, set on the tranquil east coast of Bali, hosted a 5-day artists-in-residency program titled Bridging the Artistic Realm, culminating with the opening of an exhibition, Art Builds Bridges, which will run until May 27.



The show features paintings, photographs and sculptures by four international artistsJames Wilkins, Laila Azra, Michael Daube and Silvana Sutantoalong with four works by primary school students from the United World College of South East Asia (UWCSEA), which is based in Singapore.



Curated by Wilkins, and featuring a grouping of smaller and larger works; the exhibition supports the UWCSEAs Global Concerns Bali Bridges initiative.



Bali Bridges Global Concerns is a service project created by UWCSEA that has a curriculum combining education, philanthropy and service. Bali Bridges was founded to support the non-profit Whidya Asih foundation, which was established in 1975.



Widhya Asih supports communities living on or under the poverty line by sponsoring children through their early years of education to university as well as running seven childrens homes and community development programs.



UWCSEA established its partnership with Widhya Asih in 2006, providing material support to improve existing facilities in the childcare centers.



The event came to fruition after a discussion with Alila Manggis GM [general manager] Hemal Jain, art and charity event organizer Henny Scott, an Indonesian resident of Singapore whose son attends UWCSEA, said. Alila Manggis has been a supporter of Bali Bridges events in Singapore for four years and we wish to do more together. There is a good fit, combining art and philanthropy at Alila. With an increasing number of visitors to East Bali, it is important to increase their exposure to arts and culture.



Hemal expressed a similar sentiment. We believe in giving back to the community and are excited by this collaboration of art and the art of giving. We are proud to bring the culture of art and philanthropy back to East Bali.



Participating artist Michael Daube, who is also founded CITTA, a charity that empowers at-risk communities across the world by creating schools, hospitals and womens cooperatives, described some of his work in Bali. During our stay, each artist offered morning and evening classes to Alila guests in watercolor and photography.



Daubes The Myth of Er, a blue mouth-blown glass form made from voice-sound patterns, linked together and hanging down into a pond, was flexible, organic, flowing-and an exhibition highlight.



I loved working with the children, both from Singapore and Widhya Asih orphanage in Singaraja North Bali, to produce some very fun murals upon the orphanages exterior walls, Michael added.



Art Builds Bridges is the debut exhibition of Indonesian photographer Silvana Sutanto, who is the recipient of numerous prestigious regional and international awards.



Silvanas excellent black-and-white photographic studies of nature and wildlife have taken her to the farthest corners of the planet.



On display at the exhibition were her Storm of Wings, which captured the moment when hundreds of birds set off in flight, and Zebra #18, which presents a herd of zebras riverside, offering their distinctive black and white stripes as the key visual feature.



Inspired to explore the unknown, artist Laila Azra created Brother 1, 2 & 3expressive oil paintings that added dynamic color and abstract flowing forms to the diversity and strength of the exhibition.



Meanwhile, US artist (and part-time Bali resident) James Wilkins exhibited a number of luminous digital images printed on aluminum, his subject matter ranging from abstract geometric forms to Zen-inspired compositions of nature.



The best art works are constantly humming their message into the mind of the audience. Like a mantra that repeats itself subconsciously, the power of art is unceasing, Wilkins said.



On facilitating workshops with Alila guests, he adds: The sharing of a few simple skills can open the floodgates of many artworks for individuals who may now be set free from being stopped.



Of the four works donated and done by UWCSEA students, A Random Group of Objects, in its simplicity of composition and forms, was a delightful addition to the show.



A portion of the proceeds from the sale of the larger pieces will be donated to Whidya Asih, while the proceeds from the sale of the smaller works by the four artists will go to the foundation.

Alila Manggis Bali

Buitan, Manggis, Karangasem, Bali

Telp: +6236341011

alilahotels.com/manggis

@alila_manggis

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Linkedin Simon Tay and Lee Chen Chen (The Jakarta Post) Singapore  Sat, April 30 2016

Indonesia is making every effort to ensure that the terrible fires and haze that occured last year will not recur. The reassurance was given at the recent third Singapore Dialogue on Sustainable World Resources (SDSWR) by Nazir Foead who heads the newly created Peatland Restoration Agency (BRG).

This is the clearest indication yet by a senior Indonesian official of the priority given to this issue by the administration of President Joko Jokowi Widodo.

Given that fires have recurred since 1997-1998 and worsened in the last two years, some may cynically dismiss this as merely nice words on paper that is not fire-proof. But we believe that Indonesia is undergoing a critical sea change in attitudes towards addressing this problem.

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Linkedin Rosalia Sciortino (The Jakarta Post) Bangkok  Sat, April 30 2016

The exploitation, abuse and enslavement of low-skilled migrant workers in Southeast Asia continues. This makes only more blatant ASEANs failure to enforce the Declaration on the Protection and Promotion of the Rights of Migrant Workers signed in 2007.

The resolution to the deadlock  stemming from the opposition of destination countries, particularly Singapore and Malaysia  would commit ASEAN member states to align their immigration and labor laws and improve migrants working and living conditions.

But how can protection for low-skilled migrants be achieved when discrimination against them lies at the core of ASEANs double standard approach to migration?

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Nainital: A Mi 17 chopper of the IAF began water sprinkling operations in Nainital on Sunday to control raging forest fires which have destroyed 2269 hectares of forested area across Uttarakhand, even as another chopper engaged for the same mission failed to take off due to low visibility.

The chopper, which has the capacity of carrying 3000 litres of water, is collecting water from Bhimtal lake and making sorties of Almakhan, Kilbari and Nalena areas of the district to douse the fires, Principal Conservator of Forest and nodal officer BP Gupta told media.

Read: Uttarakhand forest fire: IAF deploys Mi-17 chopper, PMO assures help

However, another IAF chopper engaged for the same purpose in Pauri has not been able to take off due to low visibility, Pauri District Magistrate Chandrasekhar Bhatt said.

The chopper has collected water from Shrinagar dam but will make a sortie over areas where fires are active only when visibility improves, he said.

WATCH: Latest visuals of #Uttarakhand fire, 5 districts affected as fire spreads across 1900 hectares of forest areahttps://t.co/cn7kviBKr6  ANI (@ANI_news) May 1, 2016

However, with the two choppers pressed into service and all security agencies besides locals involved in fire extinguishing operations the situation is likely to be brought under control in a couple of days, the PCF said.



Seven persons have been killed due to forest fires, which have spread to sparsely populated remote hill areas.

WATCH: IAF's chopper MI-17 takes off from Nainital to drop water in areas affected by Uttarakhand forest fire.https://t.co/dYPKVUvMCt  ANI (@ANI_news) May 1, 2016

Pauri, Nainital, Rudraprayag and Tehri are among the worst hit districts, Gupta said but hoped with all agencies activated the situation was bound to improve.

Three companies of the NDRF, one of SDRF besides PRD and homeguard personnel are currently engaged in the operations, he said.

Read: Rajnath Singh reviews forest fire situation in Uttarakhand

With the MeT department predicting a significant fall in day temperatures after May 2, forest fires may get under control after a couple of days, he said but added that the administration will have to remain alert for the next 35 days to prevent fresh forest fire incidents.
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Linkedin Tama Salim (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Sat, April 30 2016

Indonesia has indicated it will not take on any irregular migrants from an Australian-funded detention center in Papua New Guinea (PNG) that will be shut down by Port Moresby for being unconstitutional.

Canberra has a long-standing policy of sending unregistered migrants that arrive by boat to processing centers on Papua New Guineas Manus Island and to the Pacific nation of Nauru. Applicants who are deemed legitimate refugees are offered resettlement in PNG or Cambodia, but not admitted to Australia.

The Australian policy was dealt a blow on Wednesday when the PNG government ordered that the Manus Island facility be closed after the supreme court ruled it was unconstitutional and illegal.

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Linkedin Suherdjoko (The Jakarta Post) Semarang, Central Java  Sun, May 1, 2016

The National Counterterrorism Agency (BNPT) has warned of the growing efforts by radical movements to spread their views through social media.

The agencys deputy director for terrorism prevention, protection and deradicalization Maj. Gen. Abdul Rahman Kadir said the number of radical sites amounted to around 15,000.

One of the radical groups whose existence has become more alarming is the Islamic State [IS]. As a new global terrorist power, the IS is striving to recruit young people as its members, said Rahman.

Several recent terrorism cases showed that the terror perpetrators were aged between 20 and 30 years, he added.

Rahman said recent terrorist incidents included those in Paris, Brussels, Lahore and the bomb and gun attack on Jl.Thamrin, Central Jakarta, in January.

The Thamrin attack was perpetrated by young people and it was terrorist propaganda spread by radical groups via the cyber world that had influenced those young people to commit the crimes.

Many radical sites have used Islam to mask their crimes as their content contradicts Islamic values. The radical movements now have a new pattern; they are getting smarter to benefit from information technology, said Rahman.

The counterterrorism official was speaking at the opening of a dialogue entitled Preventing the spread of radical and terrorist views and IS influence held at the Military Area Command (Kodam) IV/Diponegoro in Semarang, Central Java, recently.

The BNPTs terrorism prevention director Brig. Gen. Hamidin said the radical sites had created terrorists who were radicalized via the internet.

They can learn how to create a home-made bomb or other terrorist actions on the internet, he said.

Hamidin further explained that the internet had revealed new groups other than the 21 radical groups known to have affiliated with IS.

Ansor Youth Movement (GP Ansor), the youth wing of Indonesias biggest Islamic organization Nahdlatul Ulama (NU), says it has built up the Ansor Cyber Army (ACA) to fight against radicalism and terrorism in the cyber world.

We are preparing ACA to attack the campaigns of radical groups in social media, GP Ansor chairman Yaqut Cholil Qoumas said.

He said cyber technology allowed all issues to develop on social media. Unfortunately, radical groups such as IS often used this technology as a propaganda and campaign tool.

That was why GP Ansor had instructed all elements of Ansor and Barisan Ansor Serbaguna (Banser), the NU youth wing, to fight against the radical groups propaganda, which threatened the unity of the Republic of Indonesia, via the cyber world, Qoumas said.

We, the Ansor members, have always been willing to fight against radical groups both in the written and cyber world, he asserted.

Qoumas explained the radical groups had continued to boost their campaigns. Citing an example, the Ansor leader mentioned the installing of banners and other attributes emblazoned with messages that called for the establishment of the Khilafah Islamiyah (Islamic Empire), which occurred in areas of NU support.

Theyre conducting a huge campaign; thus, we have to fight it on an equally big scale, said Qoumas. (ebf)
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Linkedin Stuart Graham (Associated Press) Johannesburg  Sun, May 1, 2016

The roars of lions filled the cargo section of Johannesburg's OR Tambo International Airport Saturday evening as 33 lions rescued from South American circuses landed in South Africa where they will be released into a bush sanctuary for big cats.

It was the largest airlift of lions in history, said Jan Creamer, president of Animal Defenders International, which carried out the operation.

"These lion have suffered tremendously," Creamer said as the lions were loaded in crates onto trucks.

"They lived in small cages on the backs of trucks for their entire lives. Some of them had their teeth bashed in with steel pipes in circuses in Colombia and Peru. Some of them had their claws removed. ... It is a wonderful feeling to bring them back to their home."

Nine of the lions were surrendered by a circus in Colombia. The remaining 24 were rescued in raids on circuses in Peru by the animal defense group and officials enforcing a crackdown on wildlife trafficking.

The lions will be placed in quarantine in enclosures at the 5,000-hectare (12,355-acre) Emoya Big Cat Sanctuary in Vaalwater in northern South Africa, started three years ago by a single mother and her teenage daughter.

The 33 lions will be monitored by a vet for their first weeks in Africa. They will then be introduced to each other in a 1-hectare (2.47-acre) bonding enclosure. Many of the lions were never allowed to have direct physical contact with other lions and have never been together without a fence or a cage separating them.

Due to their poor physical state, the lions will never be able to hunt again and will have to be cared for with food and water for the rest of their lives. Emoya will feed the cats with game meat which it buys in bulk.

The enclosures will be fitted with drinking pools, platforms and toys to ensure the lions don't become bored and will be steadily expanded as they become familiar with their new life, said Savannah Heuser, who started Emoya with her mother.

Emoya, in an area with a mix of habitats including mountainous regions, rolling grasslands, forests, cliff caves and river gorges, has a strict non-breeding policy, Heuser told The Associated Press.

Female lions may receive contraceptive medications so they can remain with their mates, while males may undergo vasectomies to make sure that no lions are bred in captivity.

"The animals have no conservation value whatsoever. Many of them have been inbred," she said. "When we are sure that no breeding will take place, we allow males to interact with females. By then a pattern will have emerged ... and we will know which lions can be placed together."

Emoya was opened in 2012, when Heuser was 16. The sanctuary's first cat, a lion rescued from Cairo called Chanel, arrived in June 2013. The sanctuary is currently home to eight big cats, including two Siberian tigers.

The lions are part of 100 animals that were rescued in Peru. Bears, monkeys, birds and other native wildlife have been relocated to sanctuaries in Peru and a tiger has been sent to a new home in Florida. (**)
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Linkedin Fadli (The Jakarta Post) Batam  Sun, May 1, 2016

A recent operation by the Batam, Rempang and Galang (Barelang) Police have highlighted the extent of an issue afflicting those areas, namely online prostitution.

The Barelang Police arrested 10 women allegedly involved in online prostitution activity, which offered commercial sex services via the Internet. The police also named three people suspects in the case.

The Barelang Polices head of crime and investigations unit, Comr. Memo Ardian said the online prostitution was discovered following their investigation into the growing problem of sex services offered on the internet, one of which was on the Cewek Panggilan Batam (Batam Call Girls) site. A number of suggestive pictures of women, which contained pornographic elements, were displayed on the site.

The polices information and technology team then tracked down the whereabouts of the site and it was found that it operated in Batam, said Memo. The police carried out the arrests on April 25, he added.

Memo said the 10 young women arrested were commercial sex workers operating online while the three other people named suspects allegedly played roles as cashier, procuress and broker in the business.

We will investigate consumers of their sex services. We have got phone numbers from their books, said Memo.

The police chief further revealed the online prostitution operators received orders from their customers, who were mostly Singaporean and Malaysian residents and other visitors, by phone. Most of the customers knew what services were offered on the site, he said.

It was further revealed that after reaching an agreement with the procuress on the type of prostitute they wanted and their prices, the customers would arrange a meeting venue to which the prostitutes would be brought.

The online prostitutes were offered at various prices, starting from Rp 500,000 (US$37.89) for short time and Rp 1.5 million for a whole-day booking.

Most of their customers are residents of our neighboring countries and other outsiders. We are still investigating the case, said Memo.

He said the suspects would be charged with violating the Criminal Code on prostitution and Law No.11/2008 on electronic information and transactions (ITE).

An NGO activist concerned with women and childrens protection, Retno Permatasari, welcomed the polices actions against online prostitution in Batam.

We hope the measures can be taken against not only one site but also against all online prostitution businesses currently operating. Weve seen it [online prostitution] take place in more than one place, said Retno.

She said the majority of customers using the online prostitution services were men from Singapore and Malaysia, who spent their weekend in Batam.

The commercial sexual workers are organized by prostitution groups but some of them offer themselves individually via social media, said Retno. (ebf)
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Linkedin Bassem Mroue (Associated Press) Beirut  Sun, May 1, 2016

The Syrian government launched new airstrikes Saturday on insurgent-held neighborhoods in Aleppo while rebels shelled government-held parts of the northern city, as a truce in other parts of the country appeared to be holding on its first day.

Contested Aleppo, Syria's largest city and former commercial center, has been the scene of intense shelling and air raids, killing nearly 250 civilians over the past nine days, according to the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

The surge in fighting has caused the collapse of a two-month cease-fire brokered by the US and Russia. It also has raised fears of an all-out government assault on Aleppo.

The International Committee of the Red Cross warned that the intensification of fighting threatens to cause a humanitarian disaster for millions of people. A statement issued late Friday said four medical facilities on both sides of the city were hit earlier that day, including a dialysis center and a cardiac hospital. ICRC appealed to all parties in the conflict "for an immediate halt in the attacks."

"There can be no justification for these appalling acts of violence deliberately targeting hospitals and clinics, which are strictly prohibited under international humanitarian law," said Marianne Gasser, head of the ICRC in Syria. "People keep dying in these attacks. There is no safe place anymore in Aleppo."

"For the sake of people in Aleppo, we call for all to stop this indiscriminate violence," Gasser said.

Friday's attacks on the medical centers came after government airstrikes damaged a main hospital supported by Doctors Without Borders late Wednesday, killing more than 50 people, according to the international aid group.

Syrian opposition activists said Saturday's airstrikes on Aleppo killed four people and wounded many others, mostly in the neighborhood of Bab al-Nairab.

The Observatory and the Local Coordination Committees, another activist-run group, reported more than 20 separate air raids on rebel-held parts of the city, where an estimated 250,000 people remain.

State media said rebel shelling of government-held parts of Aleppo killed one man and wounded others.

Aleppo-based activist Bahaa al-Halaby said warplanes and helicopter gunships are launching very "intense bombardments."

Another activist in the city, who spoke on condition of anonymity out of safety concerns, said schools have been ordered closed in rebel-held parts of Aleppo.

Aleppo was excluded from a brief truce declared by the Syrian army on Friday. The truce went into effect after midnight Saturday in the capital Damascus and its suburbs as well as the coastal province of Latakia. Activists said the truce appeared to be holding in both areas on Saturday.

Anas al-Abdeh, the head of the opposition Syrian National Coalition, told reporters in Turkey that Aleppo should not be excluded from the truce. He added that his group has asked US officials to contact Russia in order to make the government to stop its operations in the northern city.

"The United States noticed that the regime is not abiding by the truce," al-Abdeh said, without elaborating.

US Secretary of State John Kerry is leaving for Geneva on Sunday, where he plans to hold meetings the following day with the UN envoy to Syria to discuss efforts to halt the violence and increase deliveries of humanitarian aid to besieged communities. Kerry spoke to Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on Friday.

Government supporters say Aleppo should not be part of the truce brokered by the US and Russia because al-Qaida's branch in Syria, known as the Nusra Front, is active there and in nearby areas.

In neighboring Lebanon's capital, Beirut, more than 100 people marched in the city center to protest Syrian government attacks, mainly those on Aleppo, calling them "war crimes." Lebanon is split between supporters and opponents of the rebellion against Syrian President Bashar Assad.

In Damascus, ICRC spokesman Pawel Krzysiek said that despite the difficult situation in Aleppo, which hinders humanitarian operations in the city, aid deliveries elsewhere continued. Humanitarian convoys entered separate areas besieged by rebels and government forces, he said.

The convoys, a joint operation between the ICRC, the United Nations and the Syrian Arab Red Crescent, began delivering aid to Madaya and Zabadani  two mountain resorts near Damascus that have been besieged by government forces.

Krzysiek added that 20 other trucks entered the northwestern villages of Foua and Kfarya, which are being besieged by insurgents.

The ICRC delivers food parcels and wheat flour, medicines, bed nets, crutches and anti-lice shampoo to all locations, he said.

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said on its Twitter account Saturday that the aid delivery in the four areas will be large enough to serve 61,000 people.

____

Associated Press writers Albert Aji in Damascus, Syria, and Matthew Lee in Washington contributed to this report. (**)
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Linkedin thejakartapost.com (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Sun, May 1, 2016

Workers rights NGO Migrant Care says Indonesian workers are still facing restrictions in expressing their opposition to the vulnerability and oppression they face in their workplaces.

The NGO said in a statement issued to mark International Labor Day, or May Day, which is celebrated across the world every May 1, that Indonesian workers cannot enjoy freedom to celebrate May Day despite the government making it a public holiday for the past two years.

Through statements conveyed by its officials, the Indonesian government has tended to narrow the celebration of the International Labor Day into merely a ceremonial event. In fact, May Day must be celebrated as a declaration on the political stance of workers over the conditions they face, Migrant Care said in a statement on Sunday.

It further said the governments acknowledgement of International Labor Day was not automatically accompanied by the fulfillment of the rights of Indonesian workers either at home or abroad.

Up till now, Migrant Care said, the government continued to produce policies, which were against labor rights, such as unfair wages, restrictions on labor union activity and union busting.

Although it had ratified the 1990 International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of their Families since 2012, the NGO further said the government had not yet changed the paradigm of its worker migration management policy, which was exploitative.

Until today, the group said, the government had continued to produce discriminative policies on the placement of Indonesian migrant workers, especially female workers who worked as migrant domestic helpers. The government also allowed private parties to monopolize the recruitment and placement of migrant workers, which led to the neglect of their rights and had the potential for the criminalization of migrant workers.

Indonesias bureaucratic culture, which operates a corrupt worker migration management, has also contributed to the high cost of migration, which could lead to human trafficking, said Migrant Care.

The governments neglect of the rights of the countrys migrant workers could be seen in the Manpower Ministrys reluctance to maximize the states protection role in the process of replacing Law No.39/2004 on the placement and protection of migrant Indonesian workers abroad with a draft law on the protection of Indonesian workers abroad (PPILN).

Migrant Care said it seemed the Manpower Ministry was very conservative in responding to the PPIPLN bill.

It can be seen from their rejection of the inclusion of non-discriminatory principles and the rights of migrant workers, which are stipulated in the Migrant Worker Convention [which has been ratified through the issuance of Law No.6/2012], the group said.

It further said the governments discriminative attitude could also be seen in its insistence on implementing the Zero Migrant Worker road map, which was gender biased, discriminatory, and violated human rights and the Constitution. The road map showed the governments reluctance to bear its responsibility for protecting its citizens, especially women, who wanted to work abroad as migrant domestic helpers.

If the Indonesian governments conservatism on migrant worker protection initiatives continues, and at the same time the countrys worker migration management is still conducted as business as usual, the vulnerability and oppression of Indonesian migrant workers will remain and even get worse, said Migrant Care. (ebf)
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Linkedin Rizal Harahap (The Jakarta Post) Riau  Sun, May 1, 2016

Officers from the Riau Polices special crime investigations unit have arrested two traders of rare and protected species parts in Bukit Pedusunan, Kuantan Singingi regency, Riau.

The Riau Polices special crime investigations deputy director Adj. Sr. Comr. Ari Rahman Nafarin said it was suspected that the two wildlife traders, identified only as Herman, 54, and Andri, 45, had long been members of an international wildlife trade syndicate. They could evade arrest for so long because the police had difficulty in getting evidence on the suspects, he added.

Ari said the police managed on Friday to arrest the two traders after they were entrapped by a police officer who pretended to be a customer for their wildlife products. After two days of negotiations, he said, they agreed to show the wildlife parts they were willing to sell.

Right after our personnel saw the evidence, they were arrested, said Ari in a press conference on Saturday.

The police chief further explained that from the two suspects, they confiscated several pieces of evidence, comprising a tiger skin, which was still in the preserving process, several sheets of dried snake skins, one set of tiger bones, one set of bear bones and two bird skulls. They were worth a total of around Rp 100 million (US$7,577.20).

The police said all of the wildlife products were hidden in a place behind of Hermans house. What the purpose of the tiger skin and bear bones was remained unknown. Ari said the police would question traditional medicine experts to find out.

It was the first time for the Riau Police to confiscate a tiger skin. Previously they had seized several tusks of wild elephants.

Where the two suspects got the wildlife parts also remains unknown. Ari said they were suspected of violating Law No.5/1990 on the conservation of biodiversity and its ecosystem, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison and Rp 100 million in fines. From their preliminary investigation, he said, the police concluded that Herman and Andri were just buyers, not wildlife hunters.

From their statements, we will pursue the hunters, said Ari, adding that the investigators would also investigate other wildlife parts the two suspects had traded before.

Wildlife crime  Personnel of the Riau Polices special crime investigation unit show bits of tiger skin in the course of being preserved and other skins they confiscated from two wildlife organ traders. The tiger skin sells for between Rp 50 million (US$3,788.60) and Rp 100 million on the black market. (thejakartapost.com/Rizal Harahap)

Osmantri, the World Wildlife Funds (WWF) wildlife crime team (WCT) coordinator for central Sumatra, said Herman had long worked as a protected-wildlife trader on the black market, he was known as Man Bobok.

He further said Herman was only a wildlife buyer and he had carried out this profession for at least the last five years. Apart from Riau, wildlife lovers in West Sumatra and Jambi knew Man Bobok well and his network spread across the three provinces.

He played a key role in the chain of wildlife trading crime, said Osmantri.

Based on information obtained from WCT informants in the three provinces, Herman had bought tiger skins from wildlife hunters several times.

Ari said wildlife products bought by Man Bobok were from forest areas in Kuantan Singingi, Kampar and Indragiri Hulu regencies and conservation areas on the Riau-Jambi and Riau-West Sumatra borders. The Jambi Natural Resources Conservation Agency (BKSDA) had long targeted Herman and continued to follow the case to discover tiger and other protected species hunts in the province.

On the black market, a piece of tiger skin of less than 150 centimeters in length can sell for between Rp 50 million and Rp 70 million. Meanwhile, a piece bigger than 180 cm sells for more than Rp 100 million. Most tiger skins are sold to domestic consumers. Dried tiger bones are sold at Rp 2 million per kilogram and are mostly sent to China, where they are processed into powder for the mixture of Chinese traditional medicines. It is widely believed tiger bones can boost male vitality. (ebf)
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Linkedin Agus Maryono (The Jakarta Post) Cilacap  Sun, May 1, 2016

Indonesian police and troops are tightening security on Nusakambangan prison island in Cilacap, Central Java ahead of the next round of drug convict executions.

An exact time and date have yet to be announced, but Central Java Police chief Insp. Gen.Condro Kirono said on Saturday that police were ready to carry out the executions.

Its just a matter of time; the executors are ready. What I am doing is making sure that everything is well prepared, Condro said after inspecting the venue and readiness of police executors on the prison island.

The Central Java Police headquarters has also provided doctors and spiritualists to check the physical and mental health conditions of the convicts, Condro said.

The law and human rights minister has confirmed the next batch of executions will be carried out, adding that all technical preparations, including the venue of the executions had been prepared.

We are waiting for the order to do so, Mulyanto, the custodial division head of the Central Java office of the Law and Human Rights Ministry, toldThe Jakarta Post.

Attorney General HM Prasetyo said earlier that a list of the convicts to be executed had been made, but has not released the list.

Filipino excluded

Philippines national Mary Jane Fiesta Veloso has been excluded from the list of the third round of executions prepared by the Attorney Generals Office (AGO), as legal procedures continue in a separate but related case in her country.

Amid outrage from human rights activists worldwide and governments, Indonesia executed 14 drugs convicts last year.

Veloso was on the execution list last year but was granted a stay of execution because her alleged boss had been arrested in the Philippines, and the authorities there requested Indonesian assistance in pursuing the case.

According to the AGO, there were 64 drug convicts on death row as of 2015. To date, 14 drug criminals were executed in separate rounds on Jan 18 and April 29 last year, with six and eight people in each batch, respectively.

Nusakambangan island is located in the Indian Ocean, separated by a narrow strait off the southern coast of Java. The island is notorious for its maximum security prisons, home to convicted murderers, terrorists, drug traffickers and those convicted in high-profile corruption cases. It is also known as execution island because the island is the central location for carrying out capital punishment around Java. (dan)
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Linkedin Jim Gomez (Associated Press) Manila, Philippines  Sun, May 1, 2016

Abu Sayyaf militants have freed 10 Indonesian tugboat crewmen who were seized at sea in March and taken to a jungle encampment in the southern Philippines, officials said Sunday.

The Indonesians appeared to be in good health when they were dropped off Sunday in front of the house of Sulu province's governor in the town of Jolo, said the town's police chief, Junpikar Sitin. The 10 men were then brought to a Philippine military camp, where arrangements were to be made for them to be turned over to Indonesian officials.

Jolo's mayor, Hussin Amin, welcomed the release of the Indonesians, but said he was unaware whether a ransom had been paid.

"If this big release came in exchange for money, those who paid are supporting the Abu Sayyaf," he said. "This money will be used to buy more firearms and will be utilized as mobilization funds by these criminals."

An army officer who has been helping to deal with kidnappings by the Abu Sayyaf said a rebel commander from the Moro National Liberation Front, which has signed a peace deal with the Philippine government, helped negotiate with the Abu Sayyaf for the release of the Indonesians.

The hostages were escorted down from a jungle encampment in Sulu and left outside the home of the governor, who fed the freed captives, said the army officer, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to talk to reporters.

The 10 Indonesians were taken by the militants at gunpoint from a tugboat in March. Four other Indonesian crewmen, who were snatched on board another tugboat last month, remain in captivity.

When asked whether ransom was paid, the army officer said he was unaware of any ransom payment, but added that it was hard to imagine the Abu Sayyaf freeing hostages without receiving money.

Abu Sayyaf gunmen beheaded a Canadian hostage in Sulu last Monday after they failed to receive a huge ransom by a deadline they had set. Philippine troops launched an offensive against the Abu Sayyaf after the beheading, and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has vowed to help the Philippines bring the killers to justice.

More than a dozen foreign and local hostages remain in the hands of the Abu Sayyaf, including another Canadian. (**)
Patna: JNUSU president Kanhaiya Kumar was on Sunday shown black flags by two youths at an event here after which they were roughed up by his supporters even as he sought to target saffron groups for the incident.

The two youths, who belonged to a little-known outfit 'Youth Swaraj', were later detained by the police for questioning.

Raising 'Bharat Mata Ki Jai' slogan, they showed black flags to the JNUSU president while he was speaking at a function 'Azadi' organised by AISF and AIYF at S K Memorial hall here.

WATCH: Kanhaiya Kumar's supporters beat up man after he showed black flag to Kanhaiya during his speech in Patnahttps://t.co/2nrmG3pMHK  ANI (@ANI_news) May 1, 2016

"I am colour blind. When they show black flags they look saffron to me," Kanhaiya said, adding, "they are not liking my words because this is a part of an attempt to blur the line between 'Desh bhakti' and 'Modi bhakti'," an unfazed Kanhaiya said.

The JNUSU president, who was addressing the gathering when the incident occurred, said he was not scared of such elements who oppose him or try to disturb his functions.

Read: Mumbai civic body workers have offered to pay my fine: Kanhaiya

"I am not scared of anything whether you hurl a shoe or a stone.... They want to disturb my programmes as they are uncomfortable with my questions," Kanhaiya said.

Kanhaiya's supporters thrashed the two persons in the hall. Later the police took the duo into custody.

"Police have detained two persons in this regard," Patna Senior Superintendent of Police Manu Maharaj told PTI.

The two have been identified as Nitish Kumar, a resident of Sitamarhi district, and Manikant Mani, who belonged to Samastipur district, the police said, adding that the two youths are said to be members of RSS.

Attacking Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Kumar alleged that he became the PM "with the support of capitalists" and cannot solve the problem of unemployment.

The student leader, who hails from Begusarai district of Bihar, is on a two-day tour of the state and met both Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and RJD president Lalu Prasad yesterday.
Chennai: In a high-level shuffle in police department, the Election Commission (EC) on Saturday ordered K. P. Maghendhran, heading the training division, to take charge as DGP-Elections and specifically asked him not to report to DGP Ashok Kumar, the state head of police force. The EC also brought in Karan Singha, ADGP, as new intelligence chief.

I took charge today itself. Met some officers. I am asked to take care of the election process, said Maghendhran when this newspaper contacted him.

In a communication, Chief Secretary K. Gnanadesikan quoting an EC order, said all field officers in Tamil Nadu handling any election-related arrangements/ works should report only to Maghendhran.

Karan Singha, now heading the CB-CID, has been asked to take charge as ADGP, Intelligence, in the place of Inspector-General of Police, K. N. Sathiyamurthy.

While Ashok Kumar will look after everything other than election-related issues, Sathiyamurthy has been placed in vacancy reserved category till elections are over.

The EC also changed the Superintendent of Police of Thanjavur, N.M. Mylvahanan and posted R. Sudhakar, Deputy Commissioner, Ambattur, in his place.

Similarly, Rupesh Kumar Meena, DC, Anna Nagar has been posted as SP, Erode, in the place of M. R. Sibi Chakravarthi. The commission transferred five district collectors on Saturday. Kakarla Usha, MD, Tamil Nadu urban infrastructure financial services ltd, has been posted as Karur Collector, in the place of T. P. Rajesh. T N Venkatesh, MD, Co-optex, has been transferred as Tiruvarur Collector, replacing M. Mathivanan.

Pooja Kulkarani, state project director, Sarva shiksha abhiyan, has been posted as Tiruvannamalai collector, in the place of Gnanasekaran. C Samayamoorthy, Director, Employment and training, is the new Tirunelveli Collector, in the place of M Karuanakaran. S. Swarna, CMD, Tamil Nadu Urban Finance and Infrastructure Corporation Ltd, will be the new collector of Pudukottai vice S. Ganesh.
Australian national falls multiple stories to his death at Patong high-rise

PHUKET: An Australian man is dead after falling multiple stories to his death from a Patong high-rise last night, an apparent accident that was witnessed by the mans sister-in-law, police reported.

deathaccidentshomicidepolice

By Darawan Naknakhon

Sunday 1 May 2016, 11:04AM

Police Major Patapi Srichai of Kathu Police was alerted to the incident at 11.37pm last night (April 30), and reported to the scene, a high-rise residential property on Patongs Rat-Uthit 200 Pi Rd.

Police photographed the scene, near a swimming pool on the propertys third floor, noting the lifeless body of a foreign man who had sustained multiple broken limbs, and was wearing black T-shirt, shorts and in a face-down position in a pool of blood.

The deceased was named as Mr Jamie William Brown, a 30-year-old* Australian national who stayed in a room on one of the propertys upper floors.

Police questioned a *woman with a western name*, who was named as an in-law of the deceased, who police said lived in the same room together, but did not elaborate further.

The woman reported that she had and Mr Brown were in the room together at about 11.20pm last night when she said Mr Brown went out onto the balcony to photograph fireworks taking place outside.

She said that he was leaning over the railing dangerously, and she warned him to be careful before going into the bathroom to take care of personal business.

When she emerged from the bathroom 10 minutes later, she said she saw him hanging over the railing clinging on with his hands, and then rushed to try and help him back up, but that he was just too heavy and she didnt have enough strength to pull him back up.

"He slipped, right before her eyes, she said, before she then rushed, in panic, to the first floor to notify someone of the incident," Pol Maj Patapi reported

Police questioned the security guard of the property who confirmed that he was the first to discover Mr Browns body upon vaguely hearing a crashing sound on the third floor.

Police inspected the room of the deceased and did not report anything unusual. The body of Mr Brown has been transported to Patong hospital for further inspection.

*It has not been verified whether the deceased had already reached his 30th birthday this year or not, as his birthday coud not be verified at the time of press.

**Police named the woman, whose name and age have been omitted from the story by editors.








Ghostinium Phuket brings Hollywood creatures to life at new attraction

THRILLER: Phuket is home to various exotic species, but until recently, Tyrannosaurus rex, pterodactylus and giant gorilla were not among them. Everything changed in early April when the Ghostinium animatronic centre opened at HomeWorks in Central Festival East.



By Anton Makhrov

Sunday 1 May 2016, 05:37PM

The person behind this project is Vadim Gostev who has decades of experience in creating lifelike creatures and visual effects for movies. The dinosaurs are surrounded by painstaking detail: running lava, stars, planetoids and more. Brought to life by cutting-edge technology, they move, breath, throb and stir in the most natural way. That is what makes modern blockbusters so realistic, and that is whats hiding inside Ghostinium Phuket.

Mr Gostev confirms that some of the creatures he brought to Phuket represent a true Hollywood level of technology  the pterodactylus is fully identical to the one from Jurassic Park. Others are also close relatives of those you have seen on the screen.

The centre has been designed to represent an alien spaceship that landed in Phuket after centuries of collecting rare species from around the galaxy for contemporary humans to learn more about them.

As soon as you go through the door, two humanmother-tongue. After stepping over a flow of boiling lava, you meet a giant spider in its nest. Dont be scared when it starts crawling towards you, it does not bite (its less fortunate prey can be seen in the web).

The acoustics in the rooms are impressive, intense artistry that makes your heart soar. Even understanding that the beast is not real doesnt help: the appearance and movements of the dinosaur are so realistic that they immediately appeal to the unconscious. It takes some time for the rationale of your mind to kick in and override the instinct to run.

In further rooms, more amazing creatures are waiting. These include a giant snake, a prehistoric crocodile, a pterodactylus and an absolutely charming Triceratops. The tricorn is so captivating that you are even ready to petoids welcome you and tell about their mission. Moving from one room to another, you encounter various species, from Earth and far beyond. The first ones are three dancing aliens, singing a song in their alien language, which is actually Kazakh, Mr Gostevs it. If you have a chance to do so, you will discover that the creatures at Ghostinium not only look, but also feel real. Mr Gostev explains that both natural and composite materials were used to create the animals. The giant King Kong is dressed in yak wool and 200 yaks had to contribute to make the ape so realistic.

The overall tour around the spaceship takes about 30 minutes, and on your quest you will see way more than listed above. Dont let us tell you too much and spoil the quest.

Ghostinium Phuket is located on the second floor of Central Festival East (next to homeWorks). The venue is open to the public Tuesday to Sunday, from noon till 8pm. During its promotion period tickets are sold at B400 (adult) and B300 kids. For more information and updates, please go to facebook.com/ghostiniumphuket
Inmates cook up a future at London jail

UNITED KINGDOM: With its leather chairs, glass tables and London prices, The Clink seems like any other restaurant. But the cutlery is plastic, the kitchen knives are kept locked up and the view from the window is of barbed wire.



By AFP

Sunday 1 May 2016, 10:00AM

The Clink restaurant inside Brixton Prison uses plastic cutlery. Photo: Alice Ritchie/AFP

Located inside Brixton Prison in south London, The Clink lies behind three security gates in a courtyard ringed by high fences, and is staffed by inmates serving lunch each day to up to 120 members of the public.

Prison is the worst experience of my life. This has saved me, its kept me sane, said Matt, a trainee in the kitchen for the past nine months.

Outside, the 45-year-old ran his own construction business. Inside, he prepares dishes such as sesame coated duck breast with bok choy, priced at 14.95 (B756).

Today, Matt is one of half a dozen white-clad cooks taking part in a master-class with Gilles Quillot, head chef at the French embassy in London.

I was a bit nervous at the idea of coming into a prison, as you would imagine, said Quillot, as he showed one of the trainees how to prepare white asparagus.

But I have to say that the guys have been absolutely fantastic... Ive already offered a job to one or two!

Quillot was visiting ahead of the upcoming Gout de France (Good France) event, when The Clink will join restaurants around the world in a celebration of French food promoted by the French government.

To be a good cook, its simple  you have to enjoy giving to others, he said. So cooking is obviously a good idea for rehabilitation.

The Clink is one of four such restaurants run by a charity which aims to give inmates the skills and qualifications needed to start a new life when they are released.

They claim to have cut re-offending rates from about one in two prisoners nationally, to one in eight graduates.

But for many trainees, the scheme is as much about helping them survive their time inside.

Built in 1819, Brixton is one of Britains oldest prisons with former inmates including Mick Jagger  in 1967 following a drugs bust  and the notorious London gangsters, the Kray twins.

These days the jail is focused more on getting its 800-odd low-risk prisoners ready for release, sending some out into the community every day to work.

Prison governor Giles Mason says the restaurant, which opened in 2014, is a really good part of what we do at Brixton  and insists that no risks are taken when it comes to public safety.

The tables are neatly laid with black plastic cutlery, and the knives in the kitchen have to be signed in and out. There is no alcohol, and customers have to leave their phones and laptops outside.

You dont feel like youre in a prison when youre in here, said Mohammed, a 23-year-old waiter who is working towards a qualification in hospitality.

Another waiter, Jamie, is a roofer by trade who has been in and out of 17 prisons in the last decade.

He said his experience serving the public has boosted his confidence. Ive given myself a second chance, he said.

Quillot praises the well-equipped kitchen, but rehabilitation efforts at Brixton are hampered by the prisons age, with inspectors reporting cramped and often grim conditions.

Its horrible, said Lancelot, as he expertly rolls risotto balls to make arancini. Thats why I love it in here. I get away from all the animosity out there.

Before he was sent to jail, the 59-year-old ran his own takeaway business serving traditional West Indian food.

Goat curry was his speciality, and he grins at the memory of it. This is really out of my comfort zone! he laughs, holding out a ball of rice. But Im gettin perfect.

He looks over to watch Quillot plate up a starter of pan-fried scallops over a bed of broad beans and chorizo.

The trainee cooks jostle each other to try the dish, but Lancelot makes a face. Not my kinda thing, he said.
Hyderabad: The Telangana state government on Saturday did away with the mandatory one-year rural service for MBBS graduates. Rural service will now be restricted to PG students according to a government order issued in the evening.

The MBBS batch of 2010 which passes out this year will not have rural service. MBBS graduates had protested against the rural service, saying it was disrupting their studies for the PG examinations. Every year, 2,950 doctors used to head for rural service.
Rawai luxury condos for rent

Friday 28 October 2016, 04:39PM

JFTB Real Estate Phuket: luxury 1 and 2 bedroom condos for rent in Rawai available for holiday or long term rental. An oasis style of life in Phuket with hotel facilities and professional hospitality management. Apartments are beautifully decorated and fully furnished with access to all the facilities, including 2 pools, fitness, library, sauna, gardens
Three candidates seek two spots in District 5 House race

Three candidates are running for two seats representing District 5 in the state House: Kahden Mooney, Byron I. Callies and incumbent Hugh Bartels.
Varanasi: Accusing the erstwhile Congress governments of pursuing "vote bank politics", Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday took pot-shots at Nehru-Gandhi family and reached out to the numerically significant Nishad community in Uttar Pradesh as he launched solar-powered boats for plying on river Ganga.

"India has launched seven satellites to augment the GPS system. With the kind of politics going on in our country and massive work being done, it came to our mind that let's name it (the solar-powered boat project) after Pandit Deendayal Upadhyay or Shayma Prasad Mukherjee (the RSS icons).

"You have already seen how many schemes are named after one family. We also felt tempted to name the project after those who belonged to us. But this Modi is made of a different stuff. I named it Naavik (boatman). I did not name it after any of my family members or any leader. I have given a name, which gives immortality to the fishermen community," Modi said.

Launching 11 solar-powered "e-boats" at the Assi Ghat, the Prime Minister said that the step is in line with his government's focus on making long-term interventions to empower the poor in their fight against poverty and climb up the ladder, which was not the case during previous governments.

"Unfortunately politics in our country took a direction in which policies were always made to strengthen vote bank. The focus was that the vote bank should remain strong, irrespective of whether the poor, the citizens of the country, get empowered or not or the country is strengthened or not.

"Earlier when something was talked about our Nishad brothers, the price of diesel was brought down by one rupee or so in the hope that they will cast their vote in favour. But we have made schemes, which empower the poor to fight and defeat the poverty themselves. We are working in that direction," he said listing a number of other schemes.

Reaching out to the backward fishermen and boatmen communities (kevat, nishad, machchuara) and addressing them as "brothers", the Prime Minister said his government is "for the poor".
WILTSHIRE, ENGLAND  Sir James Dyson, the British designer and engineer, sporting a voluminous thatch of silvery hair, stood in his office one recent afternoon, clutching a device that he contends could change bathroom routines forever.

There has been zero innovation in this market for over 60 years, said Dyson, 68, a billionaire who was knighted in 2006.

Millions of people use contraptions daily that are hideously inefficient, waste their time and are causing them long-term damage, he said. We realized that we could  and should  sort this situation out.

He triumphantly held up what appeared to be a sleek black and pink plastic doughnut on a stick. Four years, 100 odd patents and 600 prototypes later, I think we might have found the answer.

Known as the Dyson Supersonic and unveiled in Tokyo last week, the device is his response to a question many never thought to ask: Is it possible to make a better hair dryer?

This may not seem like a big deal. A few burned scalps and frizz issues aside, people have been doing just fine with the standard hair dryer for decades. But, as Dai Fujiwara, a Japanese fashion designer who collaborated with Dyson on an Issey Miyake runway presentation, wrote in an email, Because everyday life is too common, people rarely realize there is a problem.

Dyson, Britains best-known living inventor, is the Steve Jobs of domestic appliances. He has built a fortune from making otherwise standard products seem aesthetically desirable, in the process persuading untold numbers of consumers that they really, really want cordless and bagless vacuum cleaners, air purifiers, bladeless fans and even household robots.

His inventions are disruptive  beautifully so, said Terence Conran, the British restaurateur, retailer and furniture designer. Who would have imagined that a bagless vacuum cleaner could become a highly covetable status symbol? He has made other businesses think differently about how to use design, creativity and innovation.

Dyson said 103 engineers were involved in the creation of the Supersonic, which included the taming of more than 1,625 kilometres of human hair tresses and 7,000 acoustic tests as teams tackled three core issues: noise, weight and speed.

Projects at the Dyson research facility are kept under lock and key from virtually all outsiders  as well as many within the walls itself.

Ed Shelton, a design manager for the Supersonic, said: It was the hardest project Ive ever worked on. Beyond having to crack the science of hair, weve had to tackle a highly subjective user psychology.

Trust me when I say there are many more approaches and angles to blow-drying than vacuuming in the world. British women want volume. Japanese women want straightness. No one wants hair damage. And then we had to create a fleet of robots specifically to test that over and over again.

The company says the key to the Supersonic is its high-speed 13-blade motor. About the size of a quarter, the motor is small enough to fit in the base of the hair dryer handle, rather than in the conventional motor position at the top of the device, a shift that creates its unorthodox streamlined esthetic.

The smaller motor allows for high velocity flow but not pressure, the company says, which is how temperatures shoot up on traditional hair dryers and users burn themselves if the dryer is too close to the head.

The company says the positioning of the motor in the hand also limits the so-called dumbbell effect of old-guard models, where top-heavy weighting can cause arms to ache. Weighing just 370 grams, the new structure allows for a longer silencer tube and smaller fan, cutting down drastically on noise.

Coupled with the high motor speed, the fusion of new technologies gives rise to Dysons claims that the sound waves can operate at an ultrasonic level  in other words, at frequencies higher than the upper audible limit for humans. It also has magnetic heatproof nozzles and intelligent heat sensors to prevent hair burn.

As with any other Dyson device, research and development didnt come cheap: The investment, including a state-of-the-art hair laboratory, reached 50 million euros (about $72 million (Canadian.)).

As a result, the Supersonic will retail at $399 when it arrives in the U.S. in September (no Canadian details announced), a price at stark odds with the low-priced high-volume business model that has traditionally defined the competitive hair dryer market.

Hair dryers sold by Amazon retail for $12.99 to $219.98.

Still, Dyson has a convincing track record in persuading fans to pay hundreds of dollars on domestic status symbols that spend most of their working lives in the cupboard under the stairs or next to the dog basket.

But there have been expensive failures along the way, like its washing machine, which the company no longer makes. More recently, some of Dysons boldest claims have been called into question by critics like the University of Westminster in London.

This month the university released research suggesting that Dyson Airblade hand dryers spread 60 times more germs than standard air dryers, and 1,300 times more than standard paper towels, although the assertion was one that the company emphatically and repeatedly rejected.

This all does feel a lot more personal than usual, Dyson said. Which I suppose makes me a little nervous. But actually, I have found everything we are learning with the Supersonic very exciting. Its the start of a new push into this sector for us. Though I cant tell you more than that.

What he can say is that the company is set to spend 1.5 billion euros (about $2.2 billion) investing in technology and recently announced the development of four new portfolio sectors. While bullish, he also knows that not all his 21st-century inventions can be winners.

I actually believe that success teaches you nothing; failures teach you everything, he said. One hundred new products are in the pipeline in the next four years around the world, he added.

The hair dryer is just the beginning.

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These women all have different things to say, but each hem, from the Toronto composer to the brilliant lawyer to the young Quebecoise, have strong voices that compel you to listen.

The Dead Man, By Nora Gold

Eve is a middle-aged Toronto music therapist and composer who is obsessed, in the full stalker-y sense of the word. The object of her ruminations is Jake, who lives with his family in Tel Aviv and is an authority on Jewish music. They had a 17-day relationship in Jerusalem almost six years ago and exchanged emails for the next five months. Then Jake called it quits. Eve has returned to Israel seven times since then and each time she has called Jake five or six times from a pay phone, just to hear his voice, without speaking a word. As the novel opens, Eve is on a flight to Israel, wondering if she will ever put this relationship behind her. Golds second novel offers fascinating glimpses of life in Israel and the world of music academia  and an unforgettable journey into obsessive-compulsion.

The Goddess of Fireflies, By Genevieve Pettersen, Translated by Neil Smith

If your teenage years involved Nintendo, punk rock, eight-hole Doc Martens, SunnyD mixed with vodka, shoplifting and sex, this novel about a Quebecoise girl living in Chicoutimi will surely resonate. Catherine narrates her story matter-of-factly, delivered with the familiar teen hallmarks of insecurity, bravado and recklessness. The book opens on her 14th birthday at the family home, with a pool out back and flower beds out front. But soon her parents split up and she goes to live in a condo with her mother. At her new school, Catherine finds ready access to the street drug mesc, or PCP, with tragic results. This novel was published in French in 2013. Translator Neil Smith (author of Boo and Bang Crunch) has served this work well.

The Opposite of Everyone, By Joshilyn Jackson

Paula Vauss is a tough divorce lawyer with a hole in the bottom of her soul, largely the result of growing up in foster care after her irresponsible mother, an itinerant storyteller steeped in Hindu mysticism, is sent to jail. Paula feels she owes her mother a debt, karmic or otherwise, so for the past 16 years has been sending her money each month. But as our story gets underway, the most recent cheque is returned, along with a cryptic message from her mother saying she is dying. Soon, Paula gets another surprise, in the form of a younger sibling she didnt know existed. He wants to find his birth mother and Paula decides she must help, even if it turns out her mother is dead. This is Jacksons seventh novel, once again an exploration of the enduring themes of family, faith, secrets and redemption.

The Butchers Hook, By Janet Ellis

London, in the mid-1700s, is the setting for Ann Jaccobs story. Her parents (bully father, sickly mother) are pressing her to wed the dreadful Simeon Onions, but she fancies Fub, the butchers helper, and daydreams of them entwined in passionate embrace. Ann is a heroine unlike any weve met before in historical fiction  prickly, amoral, opportunistic, determined to eke what happiness she can from life, even if it means spilling a bit of blood. This ambitious first novel is by a former host of a popular BBC childrens show (when it was released in the UK earlier this year, much was made of the decidedly macabre bent of the plot, definitely not suitable for the wee ones).

Whos That Girl?, By Mhairi McFarlane

This pure, unadulterated chicklit by a Nottingham writer may fill the bill if youre looking for hours (at 535 pages, quite a few hours) of escapism. The plot: heroine Edie finds herself in the midst of scandal when a bride catches her in the arms of her groom. Both are colleagues at the London advertising agency where Edie works, so she decides to quit rather than face the shaming certain to ensue. Instead, her boss sends her to her hometown of Nottingham to ghostwrite a memoir on behalf of Elliot Owen, a hot young actor whos in town to film a low-budget cop thriller. Edie moves back to the family home with her dad and judgmental vegan sister and gets set to work with Elliot. Their collaboration begins badly, in accordance with the strict rules of rom-coms, but after many twists and turns, romance comes into view.

All the Single Ladies: Unmarried Women and the Rise of an Independent Nation, By Rebecca Traister

Traister interviewed about 100 experts, friends and colleagues for this compulsively readable social history of singletons. She shows and tells. The telling involves her thesis: that when women have had options other than marriage, massive societal upheaval has often followed  the abolition of slavery; suffrage; temperance; enlightened policy in the realms of labour and education. The showing comes through illuminating and often frank interviews with 30 women conducted over the past six years, case studies in what it means to be single in the early years of the 21st century. At the end, she catches up with each of the women weve met, to find out where they are now, for better or worse.

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No rap album release is complete without a wild party to match. On Friday night, Drake and his OVO crew took over Toronto nightclub La Vie Complex to celebrate the launch of VIEWS. From Drizzy's impromptu performance to a surprise appearance by Justin Bieber, we were there to bring you the inside scoop from inside the exclusive VIP section.

10:00 p.m.: The doors at La Vie Complex on Richmond St. W. dont open for another half-hour, but theres already a crowd of eager Drake fans lined up on the street. The VIEWS album launch party was supposed to be top secret, but Torontos a big city with a small-town rumour mill, and word has obviously leaked out. The clubs bouncers look like they know its going to be a very long night.

10:30 p.m.: Club bouncers are usually an unpleasant bunch, but you can tell theyre especially high on power tonight. They get to dangle the keys to the hottest party in town over the masses heads. The line outside is practically down the block, and the only way to bypass it is to be very young and very beautiful. Or, for those of us over the age of 25, to slip them some cash.

11:00 p.m.: Inside, La Vie is split into two distinct environments, mirroring VIEWS. The first floors theme is winter, manifested by OVO owl ice sculpturesand snowflake decorations hanging from the ceiling. The VIP section is upstairs, where the theme is summer. You cant set foot in the summer area without a special wristband (or, alternatively, a great set of fake breasts to smooth things over with security).

Event planner Catriona Smart of Coco & Cowe succeeded in making an otherwise cookie-cutter club look like a tropical tiki bar, complete with cocktails in VIEWS-branded coconuts and fruity popsicles.

Bottles of Remy Martin 1738 (the booze maker sponsored this party) are danced to booths by parades of pretty bottle-service girls who wave sparklers and neon signs with the numbers 1, 7, 3 and 8 above their heads.

11:30 p.m.: The party is raging, but still no sign of Drizzy. This isnt all too surprising, as hes known to not showing up to clubs before 1 a.m. I cant blame him. My feet hurt and Ive had untold amounts of cognac spilled down my back.

Midnight: Drakes mom is here. Bless her soul. She must really love her son to want to spend her Friday night in a club. If I were her, Id be at home sleeping or watching Netflix.

12:17 a.m.: Drake is here! Earlier than expected, too. His crew reports that hes in a particularly good mood. The entire VIP section loses its cool and dozens of phones appear in the air, desperate to capture the man of the hour. Drakes personal security team indulges fans for a grand total of five minutes before shutting down anyone trying to take a photo. They arent kidding: they will escalate from purposely putting their hand in front of shots to physically pushing phones away in a matter of seconds.

1:00 a.m.: The VIP section still hasnt regained its composure. Forget about Drake, the most entertaining part of the night is watching partiers try to convince his security team that they know the rapper and should be allowed into his booth. Very few people succeed. Behind a wall of bouncers, Drake sips Ace of Spades champagne straight from the bottle and pours Remy Martin for friends.

2:15 a.m.: This is why you never leave a party early. Drake, champagne bottle still in hand, decides to perform on the main floor. Needless to say, the place goes wild. Theres screaming. Theres crying. Theres pushing and shoving. Drake raps for almost 30 minutes, including a performance of Meek Mill diss track Back to Back, as faux snow falls from the ceiling.

2:20 a.m.: Whos that scrawny kid in the oversized white sweatshirt hugging Drake? Its Justin Bieber sporting a newly shaved head (no more dreadlocks, thank God).

Drake tells the crowd to make some noise for Bieber and talks up his album. Bieber bows down to the screaming crowd a few times before making a quick exit to Drakes booth in the VIP section. There he sits on top of a banquette, looking alternately completely out of it and lip-synching to his own songs. His eyes look glassy and I cant help but feel bad for the guy. More than one person whispers that he doesnt look well.

3:15 a.m.: Drake goes one way and Bieber goes the other. The crowd cant decide who to follow and, before you know it, theyre both gone. All thats left is the smell of cigarette smoke and pot. Its time to go home.

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The so-called sharing economy has given the world taxi companies like Uber and accommodation companies like Airbnb.

It is hailed as modern, progressive and unstoppable. Even Toronto Mayor John Tory, a notorious fogey, is a fan.

But as Tom Slee writes in his authoritative new book Whats Yours is Mine, the original idea, however laudable, has turned into something far darker.

Or as he puts it: The sharing economy is extending a harsh and deregulated free market into previously protected areas of our lives. The leading companies are now corporate juggernauts themselves.

Slee is no techno-Luddite. He works at a Waterloo software company. He has a PhD in theoretical chemistry. He is comfortable with digital technology and sympathizes with the idea of sharing economic goods and activities.

Sometimes, it makes more sense to borrow your neighbours power drill rather than go out and buy one yourself.

When the notion of the sharing economy burst on the scene a few years ago, it was widely embraced. Digital technology would link those needing services to those who could provide them  and avoid the cash nexus. What could be better?

Environmentalists praised the notion as did Internet aficionados and critics of capitalist excess.

A 2010 book called Whats Mine is Yours: The Rise of Collaborative Consumption, became for many the Bible of the new movement.

One enthusiastic reviewer called that book a paean to the power of the people and their continual innovative uses of technology to cut out the middleman and independently create socially and environmentally useful projects.

By contrast, Slees book is a step-by-step rebuttal of that rosy view.

He describes the evolution of ride sharing, from its hippy-like origins  when drivers exchanged fist-bumps with their passengers and fees were voluntary  to the Uber of today, a $62.5-billion (U.S.) giant that operates in 60 countries worldwide.

Uber enthusiasts, he writes, attribute its success to technology. But the real reason Uber thrives is that it avoids paying many of the costs borne by regulated taxi services, including insurance and mechanical fitness tests.

More important, and again unlike regulated taxi firms, it is not required to provide services to everyone, such as those using wheelchairs.

When Uber enters a city, Slee writes, it usually offers bonuses to its drivers and discounts to its customers.

Over time, as it captures more of the market, these incentives are scaled back. In the end, Uber ends up raking in as much revenue as regulated taxi fleet owners, yet faces lower costs.

Does deregulation of taxi services benefit consumers? Slee looks at Seattles experience in the pre-Uber era and concludes it did not. In that citys case, deregulation led to higher prices and worse service.

Does it benefit drivers? Not really, says Slee. Uber describes its drivers as self-employed entrepreneurs. But in reality, they are bound by rigorous company rules and subject to Uber discipline.

In some cases, as in the regulated taxi industry, drivers lease their cars from Uber.

Accommodation sharing, too, is not always what it purports to be. Airbnb claims to connect those needing hotel space with ordinary people willing to rent out an apartment or extra room.

The reality is that in some cities almost half of Airbnbs hosts have multiple listings  that is, they are in the landlord business.

Yet unlike regular bed-and-breakfast operations, Airbnb landlords are not required to adhere to government health and safety rules.

Nor, to the dismay of some neighbours, are they subject to zoning bylaws.

Big hotel chains get along with Internet companies like Airbnb just fine  and in at least one case have invested in them.

But small inns and regular B&Bs suffer from the competition.

In spite of all of this, Slee is a wary optimist. He writes that the principles behind the idea of a sharing economy are still valid. He suggests that those interested in the concept work with cities, which have a history of non-commercial collective action, rather than with venture capitalists.

Most of all, he urges that technology be put in perspective. Digital gimcracks may be seductive. But they alone solve nothing.

If technologists were prepared to accept that technology can play a helpful but secondary role in social movements, he writes, we might get somewhere.

Thomas Walkoms column appears Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday. Whats Yours is Mine is published in Canada by Between the Lines.

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OTTAWACanadas electronic spies are concerned reporting too many details about serious privacy breaches could reveal too much about the agencys highly secretive surveillance and cyber-defence activities, the Star has learned.

The Communications Security Establishment has been in a yearlong spat with privacy commissioner Daniel Therriens office over reporting material privacy breaches.

The spy agencys reluctance comes despite government-wide regulations requiring all serious privacy breaches  those that potentially could cause serious harm to an individual, or involving a large number of Canadians  to be disclosed to the independent watchdog.

As with all (government) departments and agencies, CSE is required to report material privacy breaches to the Office of the Privacy Commissioner, CSE spokesman Ryan Foreman wrote in a statement.

However, we do continue to discuss the most effective manner to report material privacy breaches when they occur in the operational space, in a matter that safeguards the sensitive nature of information related to CSEs mandated activities.

Documents obtained by the Star show that discussion has been going on since at least January of last year.

In a letter sent to a senior Treasury Board employee, released under access to information law, Therrien took aim at a proposal to provide only limited information to his office about privacy violations at CSE.

A report that does not state the number of breaches does not give the Office of the Privacy Commissioner enough information to have a clear discussion with the institution in question, Therrien wrote. The expertise of the Office of the Privacy Commissioner can not, therefore, be put to use.

A change in Treasury Board policy under the previous Conservative government requires all federal departments and agencies to report material privacy breaches to the commissioner and the Treasury Board.

As the single largest repository of Canadas top secret information, CSE certainly handles sensitive information. The agency is a member of the Five Eyes alliance, a group of closely aligned security and intelligence agencies in the U.K., U.S., Australia and New Zealand.

The alliance was shaken by revelations from whistleblower Edward Snowden in 2013, who pulled back the curtain on those countries mass surveillance capabilities and tools. In the wake of those disclosures, the normally press-adverse CSE has been more open about its mandate and the steps it takes to protect Canadians privacy.

Since 2007, CSE has kept a single database for all privacy violations, from the mundane to the serious. Every year, a small team at the CSE commissioners office, an arms-length review body, reviews privacy violations self-reported by the agency.

William Galbraith, a spokesman for CSE commissioner Jean-Pierre Plouffe, said that his office has been in discussions with Treasury Board and Therrien about CSEs privacy breach reporting.

Galbraith said the 12-person office already examines privacy infractions, and its important to avoid duplication in reviewing CSEs activities.

The CSE commissioner has spoken with the privacy commissioner on this issue, recognizing that (Therriens) mandate covers all government departments and receives reports for breaches, and also noting that (Plouffes) mandate is specific to CSE and includes examination of compliance with the law including the Charter and the Privacy Act, Galbraith wrote in a statement.

But Therriens letter noted that while the CSE commissioner reviews the legality of CSEs actions, the expertise to investigate privacy breaches is housed in the privacy commissioners office. Therrien is not an outsider on these questions, having served as a senior Department of Justice lawyer responsible for intelligence and law enforcement agencies.

Plouffe reported earlier this year that CSE illegally, if inadvertently, transmitted Canadian metadata to a Five Eyes partner. The mistake, which CSE says did not identify any specific Canadians, was reported by the agency to the commissioner, not uncovered by Plouffes team themselves.

Documents tabled in Parliament earlier this month show that reporting serious privacy breaches has varied widely between government departments.

Treasury Board President Scott Brison, who is responsible for enforcing the government-wide reporting, vowed in an interview with iPolitics that Ottawa will do better on reporting the infractions.

Its an area that we will work with the (privacy commissioners) office and with departments and agencies to understand fully what we can do to improve results and were seized with (the issue), Brison told the outlet.

The details about what each side is proposing in the debate between CSE and Therriens office remain secret. Details only emerged through multiple documents, obtained by the Star over the course of several months, from Treasury Board, CSE and the privacy commissioners office.

In statements to the Star, all three organizations said they continue to discuss the matter and hope for a resolution in the near future.

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A Brampton couple have been found guilty in the bizarre family-entangled killing of their pregnant sister-in-law.

Jurors returned their verdicts Saturday afternoon. They began their deliberations Thursday morning.

They found Mandeep Punia, 39, not guilty of second-degree murder, but guilty of manslaughter in the death of her brothers wife, Poonam Litt, 27, in the extended familys Brampton home on Feb. 4, 2009.

They found Punias husband, Skinder, 45, guilty of being an accessory after the fact of manslaughter for dumping Litts body on a rural Caledon property, then returning to cut off her clothes and burn the body in an attempt to destroy evidence.

A sentencing hearing has been scheduled for May 27.

Litt disappeared when her husband, Manjinder Litt, was in India with his mother. He has been left to raise the couples young daughter, now 9, with the help of his mother. All three have since moved to Winnipeg where some of their relatives live.

Jurors heard of the torture Manjinder Litt went through as he tried for three years to get the truth from his sister, husband and father, Kulwant Litt, the only three adults in the house at the time his wife was reported missing.

Mandeep Punia told police and her brother that Poonam had handed their then 2-year-old daughter to her to look after when Poonam went to work at 9 a.m. on Feb. 5.

But in closing arguments, Punias lawyer, Bob Richardson, agreed that the evidence supported the Crowns theory that Litt never left the house and was killed after she got home from work on Feb. 4. Her purse, keys, wallet, coat, hat and gloves were all found in the house.

But Richardson, and Skinder Punias lawyer Peter Copeland, argued there was no reliable evidence that Mandeep Punia killed Poonam.

They noted the only evidence heard by jurors during the lengthy trial came from Mandeeps father, Kulwant Litt, 67, who began telling people his daughter stabbed Poonam in the neck with a box cutter during an argument about a pre-marital relationship Mandeep had had.

On the witness stand, he told jurors he made up the story and that nothing had happened to Poonam inside the house the night the Crown says she was killed.

Crown Kelly Slate said Kulwant Litts story was far too detailed to be a lie fabricated only so he could convince his son that Poonam was dead and he could remarry, and to reclaim his place as the head of the household.

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The Toronto and Region Conservation Authority is betting on a breakwater to stop one of the citys most popular summer destinations from washing away.

The Toronto Islands have long been victim to erosion caused by waves and winter storms, but in recent years the problem has gotten worse  stabilization of the Scarborough Bluffs and the creation of the Leslie Street Spit have limited the amount of sand and soil carried by the current to feed the island.

We essentially started to starve the islands of a source of sediment to sustain itself, said Ethan Griesbach, a project manager with the TRCA.

According to a report from the conservation authority titled the Gibraltar Point Erosion Control Project, erosion on the islands has been documented in the area since 1879.

Significant storm damage in the 70s led to several possible solutions, but only short-term attempts to solidify the shoreline were used.

If its not stopped well lose more real estate, said Warren Hoselton, the islands park supervisor. The trees are what bind the soil. Once you get beyond them to pure sand, erosion happens even faster.

Hoselton said a severe storm in 2004 nearly caused a washroom on Gibraltar Point to tumble into the lake and some limestone boulders were placed there to act as armour from erosion.

While the amount of land thats washed away varies each year, Griesbach said some studies the TRCA has done show if the damage isnt stopped, Gibraltar Point could be severed in two sometime in the next 20 years.

To make sure that doesnt happen, the TRCA has teamed up with the city to build a 550-metre long breakwater that will stand about 2.5 metres above water level.

Griesbach said the projects dimensions might change slightly after consultation from stakeholders and the public, but he added that great effort has gone into making the underwater wall almost unnoticeable.

We want this to blend into its surroundings and almost not be seen at all, he said. When people are along the shoreline we dont want them to see just a wall . . . We want them to still have that natural feel where they can still see the lake.

Andrew Simpson has watched the island wash away for years from his kayak.

Last year, he estimates, he paddled around the island 65 times. During one of his first days on the water this season, he took pictures of significant damage to the shoreline.

Theres a dune thats almost eaten away until its a bit of a cliff face, he said, describing a scene with fallen trees and pipes that have been exposed.

Over the last couple of years you can see the shoreline rapidly receding.

Simpson said he has concerns about a breakwater ruining the look of one of the islands few natural beaches, but agrees the problem needs to be solved soon.

The islands are pretty precious for the city, a pretty unique kind of public space, and if its melting back into the lake thats a cause for concern, he said.

Griesbach said the TRCA plans to start building the breakwater next year and added hes proud to play a part in stopping the islands from losing ground to the lake once and for all.

Im pretty happy we have some funding to move forward and build something thats going to protect these islands for future generations.

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More than 160,000 Toronto students have access to free or low-cost breakfasts and snacks as part of a national network of school nutrition programs that is fuelling learning and healthy eating habits across the country.

But when schools out for summer, those programs go on hiatus, too.

We all know about the summer learning loss and the need to keep kids on par academically over the holidays, says Susan Wright, a former Ontario regional director for Breakfast Clubs of Canada, one of two national charities that marshal corporate donations for school programs.

But what about the nutrition loss?

For Wright, the answer is Summerlunch+, a new initiative that aims to teach healthy eating to children in local day camps through nutritious meals prepared and served by area youth.

The program will also offer trips to local farms, where kids will learn more about where their food comes from.

After researching the concept for the past year, Wright is set to pilot the program this July and August in Thorncliffe Park, a neighbourhood with the highest proportion of children in the city, and one of Torontos most diverse and economically challenged areas.

This complements very much what we do in the summer camps, says Ahmed Hussein, executive director Thorncliffe Park Neighbourhood Office, which runs camps for about 300 kids ages 7 to 17.

The students hired to help run the program will learn cooking skills and the kids receiving the food will learn more about nutrition, he adds.

Tabassum Dana, one of four parent co-ordinators at Thorncliffe Parks school nutrition program, says any opportunity to extend healthy eating into the summer months would be a welcome addition to the community.

Its a great thing. Food fuels the body and the mind, she says. The more people we get involved, the better.

Summerlunch+ will offer daily meals consisting of two servings of fruit and vegetables along with grain, protein and dairy items.

It might be a vegetable wrap with yogurt sauce, or fruit smoothies and a bagel, Wright says. We are trying to be creative while introducing kids to nutritious, local food.

At least once a week, she is hoping to provide a hot meal  perhaps a soup or stew  or even baked vegetable samosas.

Wright has enlisted the volunteer help of Lisa Slater, a trained chef and retail food expert who has worked with high-end organic grocer Whole Foods for the past 14 years, to help source nutritious food at affordable prices.

Local celebrity chef Anthony Rose, a member of Wrights board of directors, will help with recipes and a Summerlunch+ cookbook for campers and the community.

Wright is hoping to use the staff kitchen at Thorncliffe Park Public School and hire 10 local high school students through the Toronto District School Boards Focus on Youth summer employment program as apprentice cooks to prepare the food. She plans to employ a university or college student studying nutrition or culinary arts through Canada Summer Works to supervise the kitchen.

Wright has raised $65,000, including $45,000 from Presidents Choice Childrens Charity and $10,000 from Morguard Properties, which owns the East York Town Centre shopping mall.

The money will help fund the estimated 10,000 meals, two field trips, cookbooks and a project evaluation.

My goal is to work collaboratively with all Toronto communities where there is a strong interest to provide healthy food and nutrition education to kids, Wright says. And then I want to take it to other cities across the country.

Second Harvest, in partnership with Sodexo Canada, has been providing free lunches to various free or low-cost summer camps in the Toronto area since 2000. The food service company uses a centrally located Sodexo kitchen and volunteers to prepare daily boxed lunches (sandwich, fruit and drink) and snacks (cookies, fruit cups) delivered by a Second Harvest truck. The collaboration will deliver lunches to about 1,600 campers at 16 locations this summer, a Second Harvest spokeswoman says.

Wright praises the Second Harvest-Sodexo Feeding Our Future program for helping children who might otherwise not be able to attend summer camp because they cant afford to bring a lunch.

But the focus of Summerlunch+ is to educate children of all economic backgrounds about healthy eating while providing local student employment, she says.

Part of the plus in my program is to partner with local organizations working towards the same goals  improving access to and education about healthy food, she says. Thorncliffe Park needs more primary health care and way better access to healthy food. And thats the sort of thing I would like to work on with others in the community to provide in the long term.

Some food facts

In the United States, President Barack Obama is lobbying Congress for money to ensure the countrys 22 million children served by free and reduced-cost school meal programs continue to be fed during the summer. Obamas plan to give eligible families an electronic benefit card for groceries worth $45 per child for each month school is out could cost $12 billion over 10 years.

Canada is the only G-8 country without a national school food policy that supports the consistent and nutritious delivery of food to children. Prime Minister Justin Trudeaus Liberal government has promised to develop a national food strategy and a national poverty reduction plan.

Thorncliffe Park has the highest birth rate in the city. Almost one-quarter of the population is under age 14, compared to the Toronto average of 15 per cent.

Some 65 per cent of Thorncliffe Park households have after-tax incomes below $50,000.

Thorncliffe Park has higher levels of diabetes and high blood pressure than the Toronto average and less access to healthy food stores and regular family doctors.

Eating well from a young age can reduce physical and mental health problems later in life. The healthier kids are when they are young, the healthier they are when they are adults, says Susan Wright, founder of Summerlunch+.

Summerlunch+ aims to provide free or low-cost lunches to 300 children ages 7 to 17 as part of local camps this summer.

Nutrition by the numbers

1 in 3 Toronto children have difficulty accessing nutritious food.

22: Percentage of the school year that has to be re-taught due to summer learning loss.

66: Percentage of the Grade 9 achievement gap in reading attributed to summer learning loss.

2X Children gain body mass index nearly twice as fast during the summer as during the school year.

Source: Summerlunch+ summerlunchplus.com

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The global aftershocks of the so-called Panama Papers are only beginning to be felt. More revelations are expected in the weeks ahead, and this will only add to the uproar.

The prime minister of Iceland has already been dumped. Other government leaders have been embarrassed. Several countries have announced inquiries into the secretive world of offshore tax evasion. And public anxiety about the corrupt coddling of the worlds superwealthy 1% is showing signs of turning into red-hot anger.

But we shouldnt be surprised. Its not as if we didnt already know that the worlds political and business elites frequently cheat and steal, that our governments are swindled out of trillions of dollars of revenue and, as a consequence of this greed, the vast majority of people suffer from a painful culture of austerity so these freeloaders can get richer. We already knew that.

However, it is the disgusting detail contained in this weeks revelation of leaked documents that is so revolting  and, of course, the appalling fact that so much of this is technically legal.

With their own interests in mind, politicians and business leaders in many countries have worked quietly in the dead of night to make this so. The result is that, more than ever, taxes now appear to be primarily for the little people.

The documents come from an influential Panama-based law firm. They include 11.5 million internal records disclosing the financial secrets of heads of state, billionaires, drug lords, celebrities and others.

This weeks highlights were eye-popping. There were links to 12 current or former heads of state and government. And the documents revealed a suspected billion-dollar money-laundering ring involving friends of Russias president, Vladimir Putin.

The files were first leaked to a German newspaper, which then turned them over to the Washington-based International Consortium of Investigative Journalists. This organization partnered with 100 newspapers and TV news organizations in 76 countries  including the Toronto Star and CBC News in Canada.

The massive leak was the biggest in history, far more than what was revealed by global whistleblowers such as Julian Assange and Edward Snowden. The files are still being analyzed and it will take many more weeks for the reporting to be complete. In the struggle to hold the powerful accountable, the leak highlighted the awesome power of 21st-century whistleblowers to expose illegality.

What is also striking is the powerful role of the global news media in bringing this story to the publics attention. This was an unprecedented alliance among competitive news organizations, which was kept confidential for more than a year in an industry where that is rarely possible. It also shows the determination of many journalists to go where politicians fear to tread.

In spite all of the huffing and puffing of our political leaders, little has actually been done to eliminate corruption from global governance. If anything, these revelations reinforced the suspicion that many political and business leaders conspire together to protect offshore tax havens.

It is striking that it was barely five years ago that a noisy, disorganized movement initially called Occupy Wall Street burst into public view. It began in New York City, spread through the United States and then to Canada and Europe. It protested income inequality and the corrupting influence of money in politics. That was when the privileges of the 1% first came under popular scrutiny.

Although the organization itself eventually splintered and was denigrated by many conservative media, its energy and momentum is still evident. It is a driving force in the climate change movement and a prime motivator behind the remarkable appeal of Bernie Sanders in the Democratic presidential race.

Micah White, a co-founder of the Occupy movement, believes the Panama Papers has real potential for becoming a catalyst for change. The leak makes it abundantly clear that the people in every country face the same globalized enemy, he wrote this week in The Guardian.

Regardless of where you live, he wrote, the truth is that the ultra-rich wield their wealth to maintain a stranglehold on power while simultaneously hiding from the taxman.

Now that this can of worms has been pried open, it will be up to the rest of us to keep the pressure on our political leaders. It isnt apathy but anger that the Panama Papers should trigger.

Tony Burman, former head of CBC News and Al Jazeera English, teaches journalism at Ryerson University. Reach him @TonyBurman or at tony.burman@gmail.com .

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Most of us know Scotch Tape simply as that handy item we use every day without a second thought. But what makes it work? Why is it so easy to unroll but hard to remove once it sticks?

These were easy questions for Carl A. Dahlquist, who died in Minnesota on March 31 at age 102. The scientist played a significant role in developing the indispensable household and office product.

Described by his son Jim as a rock star of adhesives in a recent obituary in the Minneapolis Star Tribune, Dahlquist researched and developed various tapes and glues during his long career at 3M, the giant St. Paul-based corporation that has produced and marketed Scotch Tape since the early 1930s.

Carl was the first researcher to clearly examine the connection between the physical properties of pressure-sensitive adhesives and their performance, 3M scientist David Yarusso said in a company statement last week when Dahlquists death was announced.

During his long career, Dahlquist distinguished himself as a main player in the field. He was held in such high esteem by his peers that an industry organization, the Pressure Sensitive Tape Council presents an annual award bearing his name to an outstanding scientist working in the field.

He even has a scientific principle named for him.

His meticulous research using techniques that were groundbreaking for that time helped him identify a universal criterion for the softness of the adhesive material in order for it to be tacky, wrote Yarusso, who currently works in 3Ms Corporate Research Materials lab.

The rest of the adhesion science community dubbed this the Dahlquist Criterion and it is still widely referenced today.

Part of Dahlquists research refuted a previously held belief that tape will stick better to a rough surface than to a flat one because the tiny peaks and valleys offer more grip. Instead, Dahlquist asserted, a perfectly flat surface increases adhesion because the entire area is covered, not just the peaks.

Of Swedish descent, Dahlquist hailed from Kanabec County, a central Minnesota farming community with a large Scandinavian population, and his career path didnt lead him too far from home. After a degree in engineering from the University of Minnesota  with minors in chemistry and microbiology  he was hired by 3M in 1943.

Scotch Cellulose Tape was still in its infancy when Dahlquist joined 3Ms Central Research Department. He conducted research into improving the product and guided its evolution into the transparent multi-purpose tape we know today.

Carl has had a lasting impact on generations of scientists through his internal 3M and external publications about his work, Yarusso wrote of Dahlquists extensive output over the years  from the estimated 20 technical papers he published to the nine patents his research netted for 3M.

He also helped the U.S. in its space race with the Soviet Union. In the early 1960s, when NASA was in the midst of its Mercury project, there was some trouble with protective ceramic tiles peeling off the spacecraft during the re-entry process. NASA reportedly turned to Dahlquist, who promptly shipped a pot of super-adhesive glue to Cape Canaveral.

Among other products, Dahlquist was involved in developing vibration damping tape  a soft, thick aluminum foil-like tape used to reduce or dampen noise and absorb vibrations from machinery or appliances. Chemically engineered to work in extremely cold conditions, the product is widely used today, especially in the aerospace and transportation industries.

In 1968, Dahlquists research in adhesives technology led to his induction into 3Ms prestigious Carlton Society, which honours the companys most accomplished scientists.

While he officially retired from 3M in 1979, after 36 years in the lab, he continued to work as a valued part-time consultant for the company over the next two decades  primarily in the area of biological adhesion  before stepping down permanently at age 89.

He was also extremely approachable and eager to consult with younger scientists both during his career and in his retirement when he continued to consult at 3M, Yarusso recalled.

So the next time you reach for that plastic tape dispenser with the tartan design, remember the years of research and development Dahlquist and his colleagues conducted in order to get the Scotch Tape format just right for everyday use.

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In 2006, a former BJP legislator was doing the usual do you know who I am routine with a young Superintendent of Police recently posted in Davangere. A tight slap on his face -- in front of hundreds of his own supporters as well as opposition party workers  taught him a lesson: dont take a pretty woman for granted, especially one in uniform.

The politician, the disgraced former Lokayukta Bhaskar Rao and his son Y. Ashwin, whose scandalous racket she busted, and the shady characters involved in the recent PU exams paper leak case are among the many worthies who will be relieved at the news that Deccan Chronicle broke on Friday: Sonia Narang, currently Deputy Inspector General of Police, CID, will soon be gone from Bengaluru, on deputation to the National Investigation Agency.

Meet the fearless, 2004-batch IPS officer for whom all are equal before the law. Actually, dont try, its quite hard to pin her down for a meeting. It took me over two weeks, and a constant stream of messages and follow-ups, before I found myself face-to-face with her.

Clad in a crisp, off-white saree, she welcomed me, smiling, into her office at the CID premises on Palace Road. For an officer widely known to be a tough cop, she is surprisingly soft-spoken. Thats perhaps the Punjabi kudiness, born of her Chandigarh origins. But the Punjab University gold medalist in Sociology exudes charisma, and authority.

The CID headquarters was abuzz with officers walking in and out of her cabin, interrupting our conversation several times, bringing to her notice the latest developments in the PU exam question paper leak case. She greeted them all with a smile, heard them out, and quietly gave her instructions. When I did get a chance to slip in a question, I couldnt help asking what drove her to take on cases that other officers would rather avoid. "I thrive on challenges," she replied.

That she does, from morning to evening every day, dealing with the most high-profile cases in the city that could reduce anybody to a bundle of nerves. Still, as the work day ends, she slips with ease into another pivotal role  mother to her two young children. And wife to another IPS officer  Ganesh Kumar who is currently posted in the Bureau of Immigration in Bengaluru, after a stint in Bihar. Narang met Kumar, her senior, while she was on probation in Mussoorie in 2002, and married him three years later.

Her face lit up at the mention of her kids, Shaurya and Aditi. What does she tell them about her work? I never actually told them, she says, They would see me leave home everyday in my uniform and they knew. The biggest challenge, in fact, is to ensure neither she nor they brought up her work while they are together. She does not want the pressures of her job to tell on her relationship and time with them.

Instead, she lets them overwhelm her with their stories of the day. They pounce on me the moment I walk into home. Aditi, who is in pre-school, always has stories to tell. And she demands that Im all ears, she says excitedly, Shaurya, on the other hand, waits to tell me that he saw me on television! And like every devoted mom, she becomes a playmate, watching their favourite cartoons with them, taking them out for ice-cream treats and playing her favourite game  Ludo!

Being one of the city police forces leading officers has meant one thing  sacrifice. This summer, her children will have to do without their annual vacation in Chandigarh, because of the PU paper leak case. But she might be able to make up for it in Delhi. Ill find some time she says, but it wont be more than a week. Well, officer, were sure you will find new challenges in Delhi, but dont get addicted to that city. Come back to Bengaluru soon!
In January 1998, photographer Charles ORear was driving from his home in Napa Valley to his girlfriends house north of San Francisco when he stopped to take a photograph. Millions have seen it but probably never imagined it was real.

The green of the rolling hill and the bright blue of the Sonoma County sky looked too saturated to be true. Many viewers thought the image was computer-generated when it debuted in 2001 as wallpaper for Microsofts XP operating system.

Microsoft chose the Bliss pic, as its now known, in 2001 from a catalogue of photos by Corbis, which owned the rights after buying out a stock photo agency founded by ORear and photographer Craig Aurness.

ORear wont say what he was paid for the photos use  but he got on an airplane to deliver the original himself after FedEx said it was too valuable to ship, the Los Angeles Times reported.

The former National Geographic photographer used Fuji Velvia, the most intense colour-positive film at the time, but didnt digitally enhance the image. ORear says that after the photo became famous a U.S. Agriculture employee emailed him to say that the field had been fertilized with manure from a nearby dairy farm to grow oats and rye, before being used as a cow pasture. He says that fact, together with the film, accounted for the brilliant green.

ORear, 74, married that girlfriend, Daphne Larkin, and they live in Napa Valley in Northern California.The Bliss photo was retired at the same time as Windows XP in 2010. Microsoft still owns all the rights.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

You first worked at the Kansas City Star and then the L.A. Times, but quit after two years because they turned down all your story ideas. Where was your next stop?

After a miserable two-year stint as a staffer at the Los Angeles Times, I began shooting for Western Airlines. I was hired to go with the (1968 U.S.) Olympic team on a Western Airlines flight to Mexico City.

The first story you pitched to National Geographic in the 70s  and that they accepted  was about Napa wine country?

My strengths have been my resourcefulness and my ideas, so my first proposal to NG was a village in Alaska which had been built by emigrants from Russia. I proposed Napa Valley to NG about the same time but the magazine did not accept alcohol advertising, therefore we wont publish stories about alcohol, said the then-editor. In 1978, the magazine published a story about Bordeaux (wine) and then I was dispatched back to Napa Valley to make my story.

What was your favourite assignment for National Geographic?

Among my 25 years with the magazine, a few stand out. Those include six months in Vancouver, plus a year in Indonesia and many trips around the globe. A memorable time with Maggie Trudeau was one highlight, but more than that was time with real people  the villagers of rural Russia, or rural Louisiana, rural France, rural Turkey.

Any Bridges of Madison County moments? (Im only kidding about this one.)

How bout Maggie?

You know that in the movie the National Geographic photographer played by Clint Eastwood has an affair with the married character played by Meryl Streep? It wasnt just dinner and wine  that would be too dull, right?

It wasnt dull, I assure you! I can say I got to know more than one first lady rather well. I spent a couple of days with Lady Bird Johnson (but that time it was only dinner and wine) photographing her for a NG story about wildflowers. Dinner at the LBJ ranch in Texas was memorable in a very different way.

What do you do now?

Im enjoying every moment of not working  Also, I spend time pursuing companies, publications, television networks who use my copyrighted photos without payment.

Is there a downside to being known primarily for taking the Bliss pic?

Cant think of one downside. Im reminded that my gravestone will not refer to my 25 years with NG, but that I actually made the famous Bliss photo!

How many times a week are you asked about it?

Several times a week. Most often I get emails from students around the world who are writing about famous photographers. Not too bad, eh?

Bliss and 250 other photos are featured in ORears most recent book, Napa Valley: The Land, the Wine, the People. Microsoft has given the photographer permission to sell prints of the Bliss photo.

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Its a time-honoured tradition for politicians to deny any interest in the vice-presidency. But this year, with the possibility of Donald Trump as the https://www.thestar.com/news/world/uselection.html Republican nominee END , they really mean it.

Never, said Chris Schrimpf, a spokesman for Gov. John Kasich of Ohio, who is still running against Trump. No chance.

Hahahahahahahahaha, wrote Sally Bradshaw, a senior adviser to Jeb Bush, when asked if he would consider it.

Scott Walker has a visceral negative reaction to Trumps character, said Ed Goeas, a longtime adviser to the Wisconsin governor.

Or, as Sen. Lindsey Graham put it, Thats like buying a ticket on the Titanic.

A remarkable range of leading Republicans, including Gov. Nikki Haley of South Carolina and Sen. Jeff Flake of Arizona, have been emphatic publicly or with their advisers and allies that they do not want to be considered as Trumps running mate. The recoiling amounts to a rare rebuke for a front-runner: Politicians usually signal that they are not interested politely through back channels, or submit to the selection process, if only to burnish their national profiles.

But Trump has a singular track record of picking fights with obvious potential running mates like Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida, who has indicated a lack of interest in the vice presidency generally and has yet to reconcile with Trump publicly. Haley and another potential pick, Gov. Susana Martinez of New Mexico, have sharply criticized Trump at recent party gatherings and do not want to be associated with his sometimes-angry tone, according to advisers and close associates who have spoken with these Republicans.

Several Republican consultants said their clients were concerned that Trumps unusually high unfavourable ratings with all voters and his unpopularity among women and Hispanics could doom him as a general election candidate and damage their own future political prospects if they were on his ticket.

Still, elected officials do have a way of coming around to the vice presidency, and Trump said in an interview Saturday that he was in the early stages of mending fences and building deeper relationships with leading Republicans. And in a sign of growing acceptance that Trump is their likely nominee, several Republicans made it clear that they would join him on the ticket because they think he can win, or because they regard the call to serve as their duty.

Newt Gingrich, the former House speaker, as well as Sen. Jeff Sessions of Alabama and retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson, said in interviews that they would consider joining the ticket if Trump offered. Two governors, Chris Christie of New Jersey and Mary Fallin of Oklahoma, have also told allies that they were open to being Trumps running mate.

If a potential president says I need you, it would be very hard for a patriotic citizen to say no, Gingrich said. People can criticize a nominee, but ultimately there are very few examples of people turning down the vice-presidency.

Trump, who could well become the presumptive Republican nominee on Tuesday by winning the Indiana primary, is just starting to mull vice presidential prospects and has no favourite in mind, he said in the interview. Trump said he wanted someone with a strong political background, who was well respected on the Hill, who can help me with legislation, and who could be a great president.

He declined to discuss potential picks in any detail, but he briefly praised three governors as possible contenders  Kasich, Christie and Rick Scott of Florida  and said he would also consider candidates who were women, black or Hispanic. (A spokeswoman for Scott said he was focused on being governor.)

Asked if he was surprised about the array of Republicans who are uncomfortable being his running mate, Trump said: I dont care. Whether people support or endorse me or not, it makes zero influence on the voters. Historically, people dont vote based on who is vice president. I want someone who can help me govern.

A cross-section of leading Republicans agree that his most sensible choice would be an experienced female governor or senator, given that he would most likely face Hillary Clinton in November and need support from a majority of white women to offset her strong support among blacks and Hispanics. Yet Clinton is ahead of Trump with white women by double-digit percentages, according to a recent CBS poll.

The pool of Republican women in major offices is relatively small, and Trump has alienated some of them. Haley denounced him for not quickly disavowing support from former Ku Klux Klan leader David Duke, and Martinez has criticized his remarks about Hispanics.

Both governors endorsed Rubio for president; a Martinez spokesman said she isnt interested in serving as vice president, while a Haley spokesman declined to comment.

There are some Republicans who wouldve said yes to running with Romney or McCain or Bush but would say no to Trump, said Curt Anderson, a Republican strategist, referring to the partys last three presidential nominees. The issue is, no one knows what were dealing with here. Is it possible that Trump faces a historic landslide loss? Sure. Is it possible he beats the hell out of Clinton? Sure. No one knows  no one has predicted Trump right for a long time.

Even Fallin of Oklahoma, who has not ruled out running with Trump, has expressed uncertainty about what he would be like as a leader, according to close associates who have spoken to her. Fallin, in a brief statement, would not discuss Trump, but said the nations challenges were too great for business as usual political solutions. Any discussion of other service I might be asked to offer to my country is flattering but premature, she said.

David Winston, a veteran Republican pollster, said Trumps first challenge in finding a running mate was lowering his unfavourable ratings of 60 per cent or more, because prominent politicians would not want to join his ticket if he cannot turn those figures around. Winston dismissed the notion  put forward by some Trump advisers  that the candidate could improve his ratings by picking a woman, a Hispanic or other figure with demographic appeal.

He simply wont be able to convince any top-tier candidate to run with him if he cant get those unfavourable numbers down, Winston said.

Trumps best hope may be Republican enmity for Clinton, some Republican strategists said. They predicted that Trump would ultimately have more options than his skeptics might assume because Republicans will ultimately unify in June and July with a deep and shared determination to beat her, and the traditional thrill of being considered for vice president could then kick in.

I think he may have more choices than many people would suspect, because a lot of people will be flattered to be asked, said Russ Schriefer, a Republican adviser to the Romney campaign in 2012 and to Christie during his 2016 presidential bid.

Schriefer emphasized that he had not talked to Christie about the vice presidency, but other Christie confidants said he supported Trump strongly and would be willing to consider the No. 2 spot. A Christie spokesman, asked about the governors willingness, pointed to Christies response about the vice presidency at a recent news conference, where he said he would evaluate the offer for any position in government.

As a political novice, Trump will be widely judged on whom he chooses  and how and why he chooses the person  because voters and other Republican leaders will look to his pick to evaluate his priorities for the kind of advisers he would want as president.

This is a big deal because its the first major decision hell be making as the nominee, and its important that the American public see his decision-making process and how he goes through making such a big decision, said Scott W. Reed, the U.S. Chamber of Commerces senior strategist.

Other than elected officials, Trump also said he was open to people with deep national security experience  which some Republicans think should be his top criterion.

What Donald Trump needs is the most experienced, most qualified foreign policy mind in Washington, and somebody that would immediately bring calm to the choppy political waters that always seem to be around him, said Joe Scarborough, a former Republican congressman from Florida who now hosts Morning Joe on MSNBC. He suggested Robert M. Gates, the former defence secretary, but was more circumspect when asked if he was willing to be Trumps running mate himself.

I definitely have a lot of strong opinions about who it should be. (Not me!!), wrote Scarborough, who served on the House Armed Services Committee and who has a good relationship with Trump.

Other Republicans were more open about joining Trump on the ticket. Sessions, who is advising Trump on foreign policy, said he would send his personal tax information to the Trump campaign if it wanted to vet him. Carson, who was a Republican presidential candidate and battled with Trump before dropping out and endorsing him, said he would prefer to remain an outside adviser to Trump, but added that he was willing to join the ticket if he would bring something that other people wouldnt bring.

For others, the singular experience of being vice president in a Trump administration is still hard to imagine. Buttonholed on Capitol Hill last week, two prominent Republican senators, Tim Scott of South Carolina and Susan Collins of Maine, almost giggled when asked if they would be Trumps running mate.

Im not waiting by my phone, Collins said.

Scott, whose appeal as a black Republican could be an advantage for Trump, repeatedly sidestepped whether he would be willing to run with Trump. Finally, asked if he would not rule himself out, he replied, Im not ruling myself in.

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WEST PALM BEACH, FLA.In October 1987, Ivana Trump sat at her mahogany desk at the Trumps Castle Hotel and Casino in Atlantic City where she commuted each day from New York by helicopter and mused about the possibility of being married to a presidential contender.

I wouldnt like it. I treasure the family privacy too much, the Czech-born former model told a Palm Beach Post reporter visiting her elegant office, but he makes the decisions.

He being Ivanas then-husband of 10 years, Donald, who years later said his current run for the presidency had its roots that fall in a GOP activists Draft Trump movement.

I never say never, Ivana said at the time about her husbands political aspirations. He is 41 now. Who can say in 10 years what he will do?

It took 28 years, not 10, for Trump to decide to run. By then, worrying about her familys loss of privacy was left to Trumps third wife, Melania.

In the meantime, the ever-buoyant Ivana, now 67 and a grandmother of eight, has reinvented herself many times personally, professionally and, due to a series of plastic surgeries, even physically.

The 1992 divorce from Trump over his public dalliances with actress Marla Maples, who would become Trumps second wife and mother of their daughter, Tiffany, became a vicious public circus. In a deposition, Ivana claimed Trump raped her during an argument, a claim she later denied.

The battle would have sent a lesser woman slinking off to obscurity.

But Ivana, a former competitive skier, went for the gold.

And got it, in a settlement estimated at $14 million (U.S.) to $20 million plus custody of the couples three children: Donald Jr., now 38; Eric, 32; and Ivanka Trump Kushner, 34.

Suddenly, Ivana didnt have to answer to her ex-husband.

Represented by the William Morris Agency, Ivana began a dizzying series of media appearances and business deals, her buttercream blond bouffant appearing in ads for Coors Light, Pizza Hut, Kentucky Fried Chicken and the Milk Campaign.

In 1992, she published a racy roman a clef about a Czech-born beauty and her wealthy hotelier husband called For Love Alone, although critics dubbed it For Revenge Alone. She also wrote a divorce guide, in which she urged spurned women to take his wallet to the cleaners.

She even appeared as herself in The First Wives Club movie with Goldie Hawn, telling divorced women dont get mad, get everything. (Although Ivana was actually a second wife, having been married in the early 1970s to Austrian skier Alfred Wiklmayr.)

Ivana, now a bona fide businesswoman, became one of the first sellebrities, selling her high fashion and jewelry lines on TV home shopping networks. She owns property in St. Tropez, Miami, New York and London.

A 1995 rebound marriage to Italian businessman Riccardo Mazzucchelli lasted two years, then Ivana seemed to follow in Trumps footsteps by dating younger partners.

As always, she was in on the joke.

She starred in a 2006 dating show called Ivana Young Man.

Im very energetic. I dont want to worry about a bad back and bad knees, she told Oprah Winfrey. Younger guy gives you a little bit of the edge because its just more of the energy, which I definitely need.

In 2008, Ivana, then 59, tied the knot with 35-year-old Italian model-actor Rossano Rubicondi in a ceremony that reportedly cost $3 million in front of 23 bridesmaids, 300 guests  and her now-friendly ex-husband.

The Palm Beach Daily News reported that the groom entered to the theme from Rocky. During the ring ceremony, he repeated in accented English the phrase but a small token as a small butt token. After which, the wedding party retreated into a reception room named for the brides second husband.

Perhaps it surprised no one when the marriage ended four months later.

Even into her seventh decade, Ivana has continued to seek the spotlight.

At age 60, she stripped down to her underwear on U.K. television for Celebrity Big Brother, seeming to affirm that if you believe youre a beautiful and glamorous older woman, so will everyone else. Or that with enough confidence, you can delude yourself into thinking it.

But who are we to argue with an almost-70-year-old woman who says her three boyfriends keep her busy?

Since Trump launched his presidential campaign, Ivana has seemed to wobble on her stilettos.

In January, she was reportedly scolded by the Trump campaign for questioning Melania Trumps ability to be first lady.

She was excoriated earlier this month after discussing immigration with the New York Post, a subject with which she, as an Eastern European immigrant, is familiar.

As long as you come here legally and get a proper job ... we need immigrants, she said. Whos going to vacuum our living rooms and clean up after us? Americans dont like to do that.

And to the inevitable question, she confirmed that her former husband has no problems with the size of his, er, hands.

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A rare and finely preserved skull unearthed in Argentina belonged to a dinosaur with a drooping head, far bigger eyes and keener hearing than some of its more evolved relatives, providing new clues about this group of lumbering plant-eaters.

The discovery of the skull and part of the neck led paleontologists to announce on Tuesday in the journal PLOS One the naming of a new dinosaur, Sarmientosaurus musacchioi.

The fossil is from a dinosaur that was part of a group known as titanosaurs, and is considered modest in size, about 40 feet (12.2 metres) long and 10 tons in weight, in contrast to some others in that grouping. About two elephants worth, estimated Matthew C. Lamanna, an assistant curator at the Carnegie Museum of Natural History in Pittsburgh.

Titanosaurs were plant-eaters with long necks and long tails that could be as small as a cow or as big as a house. While much is known about them, researchers still do not know much about their brains because so few skulls have been found.

This group, to me, theyre quite mysterious, Lamanna said. By combining data from these different discoveries, were gradually building up a picture as to what the biology of these animals was like. In other words, what makes the largest land animals of all time tick?

Meanwhile, in a paper published last week in the journal Science, a second group of paleontologists described the remains of a baby titanosaur, noting its quick growth in a couple of months to the size of a large dog. Its bones had the same proportions of an adult, which suggests that young titanosaurs were quickly on their feet after hatching and fending for themselves.

For almost all known titanosaurs, paleontologists have fossils of parts of the body such as leg bones that are taller than a person, but no pieces of the skull, which consisted of bones that were thinner, more delicate, and less likely to fossilize.

For Sarmientosaurus, which lived about 95 million years ago, scientists have the opposite: almost all of the head, which was about a foot and a half long, and part of the neck, but nothing from the rest of the body. Paleontologists including Ruben D.F. Martinez of the National University of Patagonia in Argentina found the skull in 1997.

For a while, it was not clear what kind of dinosaur it was.

With CT scans, the scientists could study the skull in detail, including some defining characteristics seen in the few other titanosaur skulls that have been found. In other ways, Sarmientosaurus was unlike other titanosaurs, with a broad snout and fatter teeth.

It also had very large eye sockets, suggesting better-than-average eyesight, and an inner ear structure that appears tuned to low-frequency sounds. Maybe to track predators, said Lawrence M. Witmer, a professor of paleontology at Ohio University and another of the authors of the PLOS One paper. Maybe to track the movement of its own herd.

Curiously, from the scattered skull data, the more evolved titanosaurs appeared to have worse eyesight and hearing, Witmer said.

The orientation of the inner ear also suggests that Sarmientosaurus typically held its head pointing downward at a 45-degree angle. The scientists infer that it foraged on plants near the ground.

The head of titanosaurs is totally key to understanding them as living animals. Lamanna said.

Sarmientosaurus brain was the size of a plum or a lime. Its pretty small, Witmer said. You try not to judge him, but its a pretty small brain.

On the other hand, perhaps brains are overrated. Titanosaurs survived for tens of millions of years and lived on every continent, thriving in particular in the Southern Hemisphere. The lime-size brain of Sarmientosaurus was adequate, Witmer said. They were an extremely successful group.

In the Science paper, Kristina A. Curry Rogers, a professor of geology and biology at Macalester College in Minnesota, and her colleagues describe 17 bones that were excavated in Madagascar in 1993. Curry Rogers came upon them in drawers at Stony Brook University in Long Island, where they had been misidentified as crocodiles.

Her doctoral thesis research had been describing a Madagascar titanosaur named Rapetosaurus  Rapeto is a mischievous giant in Madagascar folklore  and these bones looked like miniature versions of what she had worked with years earlier. I just happened to be the right person to be looking at them, she said.

Titanosaur embryos had previously been found at a nesting site, but baby dinosaurs are rare. This is surely the smallest out-of-the-egg sauropod, Curry Rogers said.

Closer study confirmed this was a young Rapetosaurus.

Slicing thin sections of the bones and looking at them under a microscope, the scientists could see lines that indicated how big the dinosaur was at hatching  about 7.5 pounds. When it died, 39 to 77 days later, it had grown to 14 inches tall and about 90 pounds, the scientists estimated.

Comparing the bones with fossils of other Rapetosauruses, the scientists found that baby Rapetosaurus looked like a miniature adult. That suggests that the baby dinosaurs were not being fed by the parents, but were already on their feet and foraging. The microscopic structures of the leg bones also indicated that they were already bearing weight, adding evidence to the argument.

With a robust skeleton, a baby Rapetosaurus might have been able to jump, trot and roll on the ground in ways that its parents would not have been able to. Theyre kind of overbuilt for life at small size, Curry Rogers said.

The bone structure also hints at the babys demise  starvation in a region prone to droughts.

Kenneth J. Lacovara, a paleontologist at Rowan University in New Jersey who was not involved in either study, said the research highlighted how much modern technology like CT scans have added to the study of dinosaurs.

Those are great examples of paleobiology, said Lacovara, the discoverer of Dreadnoughtus, one of the leviathan titanosaurs. Now I think were getting to the point where were functioning more like biologists than geologists.

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MANILAGina Lopez is hardly the kind of person youd expect to support a presidential candidate who has endorsed vigilante death squads, made disturbing comments about rape, and vowed to kill his own kids if they ever took drugs.

As head of a prominent non-profit focused on child welfare, education and the environment, she might be expected to back someone more moderate. But when Philippine voters go to the polls on May 9, shes voting for Rodrigo Duterte, the tough-talking, foul-mouthed mayor of the southern city of Davao.

What I like about him is that he is fearless  he does not care about anyone or anything, he does not say anything to pander to anyone. Its why he gets in trouble, said Lopez, chairwoman of the ABS-CBN Lingkod Kapamilya Foundation Inc. She said she met with four of the five candidates at the start of the campaign to decide who would get her support.

After studying data and meeting everyone, I feel his personality is most suited to lead the country for now, she said.

Over the past three months, even as Duterte has topped each offence with almost daily new outrages, opinion surveys show he has taken the lead among voters across all social classes and catapulted to the top of a five-way race. His supporters include business leaders, streetwalkers and gay activists  strange company for a candidate who has been denounced by Human Rights Watch and other like-minded groups.

A late entry in the race to replace Benigno Aquino III, who like all Philippine presidents can serve just one six-year term, Duterte wasnt initially viewed as the favourite. Hes never held a national-level political office and had a relatively small campaign fund. His rivals appeared formidable: two senators, the current vice president and a former Cabinet minister from Aquinos party who is the grandson of a former president.

Aquino has presided over a period of relative prosperity and stability. In the past few years, the Philippine economy has boomed. In a country long rife with graft, his administration stepped up anti-corruption efforts.

But some say he hasnt gone far enough. And there have been high-profile blunders, including a deadly bus hostage crisis, a slow response to a devastating typhoon in 2013, and the death of 44 special forces troops in a botched terrorist raid. Roads in the capital, Manila, are clogged with traffic. Power outages plague the country.

Duterte contends that the country needs a man who will kick some butt  and hes the man to do it.

Hes pledged to solve crime and corruption in three to six months. Hes vowed to dissolve Congress if it gets in the way. Confronted with accusations that hes sanctioned death squads in Davao to carry out extrajudicial killings of suspected drug dealers and other criminals, hes responded by warning lawbreakers: I would kill all of you who make the lives of Filipinos miserable.

At the same time, he has unleashed a stream of shocking comments, particularly about women. In widely reported remarks, he described himself as a womanizer with two wives and two girlfriends and said he saves money by housing the girlfriends in a cheap boardinghouse. He also was quoted as describing the gang rape and killing of an Australian missionary in a Philippine jail. The female victim, Duterte said, was beautiful, so he should have been first.

Enrico Trinidad, a former vice-president of the Philippine stock exchange, described Duterte as an upright manager. With fewer resources than cities in metro Manila, Mayor Duterte has given the constituents of Davao all that they deserve  an efficient, incorruptible and compassionate government, Trinidad said.

Dutertes appeal comes in part from the fact that his ideology doesnt fit neatly in a eat box. Hes against legalizing divorce, for example, but has said he would consider supporting same-sex marriage. Although many women find his comments offensive, he championed the adoption of a wide-ranging womens rights ordinance in Davao.

Its not just on the domestic front that Duterte is pledging bold action. He promised to take on China if the Philippines prevails in an international tribunal over claims in the South China Sea and Beijing doesnt abide by the decision or open talks.

I will ride a jet ski and plant the Philippine flag there in their port, Duterte said.

Although the U.S. and the Philippines are longtime allies, Duterte sees the U.S. as a less-than-reliable friend. Last year, before announcing his candidacy, he told visiting military attaches from both China and the U.S. that America would never die for us.

Philippine voters have long been attracted to strongman-style leaders. Ferdinand Marcos, who was elected president in 1965 and later ruled the country as a dictator, campaigned as a Second World War hero. More recently, Joseph Estrada, who was president from 1998 to 2001, was an action-film star.

Filipinos supporting other candidates say they fear Duterte could precipitate diplomatic and economic crises.

If he becomes president, the man cant control his mouth . . . There could easily be an international diplomacy meltdown, said Carlos Celdran, an artist and activist who is supporting a rival candidate.

But Trinidad, the former vice president of the stock exchange, said voters are willing to take a risk. At the end of the day, a majority of the Filipino people are fed up, and Duterte is their agent of change, he said.

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Donald Trump doubled down on his claim that Hillary Clinton is using the womans card to win the Democratic nomination for president, saying she wouldnt be in the race if she were a man.

The Republican front-runner has had pushback from womens groups, columnists and on social media since saying on April 26 that the only thing Clinton, a former secretary of state and U.S. senator, had going for her in the race to succeed President Barack Obama was her gender.

He stood behind his remarks on Sunday. Im my own strategist. I like what I said, Trump said in interview on Fox News Sunday. The only card she has to play is the womans card, he said of Clinton. If she were not a woman, she wouldnt even be in the race.

Trump focused on his probable general-election foe after winning five Republican primary contests on April 26. If Hillary Clinton were a man, I dont think she would get 5 per cent of the vote, he said.

Clinton took the attack in stride, saying that if fighting for womens health care and paid family leave and equal pay is playing the woman card, then deal me in. The comment was adopted as a Twitter hashtag, #DealMeIn, and she has used the woman card as a fundraising meme.

Uphill Fight

Trump appears to have an uphill fight to win women voters. Gallups daily tracking poll for March showed hes viewed unfavourably by 70 per cent of U.S. women and 58 per cent of men, and that his unfavorability rating with women has been climbing.

Trump angered many women when he said Fox News journalist Megyn Kelly had blood coming out of her wherever after she asked him, during a candidates debate in August, about derogatory comments hed made about women over the years.

Trump is clearly taking on a strategy that is marginalizing women, Stephanie Schriock, president of Emilys List, a pro-choice political action committee, said on ABCs This Week on Sunday. Women voters are going to decide this election. And what women voters are looking for are candidates who are supporting equal pay, who are fighting for minimum wage, who are talking about paid family leave.

The real estate mogul said on Sunday that Clintons rival for the Democratic nomination, Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders, has said worse about the former first lady. Trump added that he plans to co-opt some of that rhetoric.

Sanders in March said he thought Clinton was unqualified for the Oval Office because she accepted super-PAC money from Wall Street and voted for the war in Iraq. He later backtracked, saying the former New York senator was both qualified and unqualified. In a sense its both, Sanders said on the campaign trail on April 8.

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BAGHDADIraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi on Sunday ordered authorities to arrest and prosecute protesters who attacked security forces, lawmakers and damaged state property after breaking into Baghdads heavily fortified Green Zone to protest delays in reform plans.

Al-Abadis statement came a day after hundreds of angry anti-government followers of influential Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr tore down blast walls and poured into the parliament building, exacerbating a long-simmering political crisis. Late Saturday, al-Abadi toured inside the parliament building, walking past damaged furniture.

Videos on social media showed a group of young men surrounding and slapping two Iraqi lawmakers as they attempted to flee the crowd, while other protesters mobbed lawmakers motorcades. Jubilant protesters were also seen jumping and dancing on the parliaments meeting hall tables and chairs and waving Iraqi flags.

The protesters eventually left the parliament Saturday night and rallied at a nearby square.

Al-Sadr and his supporters want to reform the political system put in place following the U.S.-led invasion in 2003, in which entrenched political blocs representing the countrys Shiites, Sunnis and Kurds rely on patronage, resulting in widespread corruption and poor public services. The major blocs have until now stymied al-Abadis reform efforts.

On Sunday, protesters vowed to continue their sit-in inside the Green Zone until their demands are met.

We are fed up, we are living a humiliated life, Rasool Hassan, a 37-year old father of three told The Associated Press from inside the Green Zone where thousands gathered in Saddam-era Grand Celebration Square. Well leave here only when the corrupt government is replaced with another of independent technocrats that serves the people not the political parties, Hassan added.

We need new faces not the old ones, said female protester Shatha Jumaa, a 58-year old surgeon. Jumaa, who identified herself as a secularist, said she wanted the current government dissolved and replaced by a small interim administration whose job would be to amend the constitution and to prepare for an early national election.

Iraq has been mired in a political crisis for months, hindering the governments ability to combat Daesh (also known as the Islamic State group)  which still controls much of the countrys north and west  or address a financial crisis largely prompted by the plunge in global oil prices.

Iraqi security forces initially responded by tightening security across the capital, sealing off checkpoints leading to the Green Zone and halting traffic on main roads heading into the city, according to the Baghdad Operations Command.

Alarmed by the latest development, the UN mission to Iraq said it was gravely concerned. It issued a statement condemning violence against elected officials and urging calm, restraint and respect for Iraqs constitutional institutions at this crucial juncture.

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ANKARA, TURKEYA car bomb struck the entrance of a Turkish police station Sunday in the southern city of Gaziantep, killing two police officers and wounding 22 other people, according to the state-run Anadolu Agency.

Four civilians were among those injured in the explosion, according to Gov. Ali Yerlikaya of Gaziantep province. The blast shattered the windows of nearby buildings.

The police station is close to offices for the governor and mayor. Gaziantep is also home to the offices of international aid organizations focused on the conflict in neighbouring Syria.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack. A Turkish interior ministry official, who spoke on condition of anonymity in line with government practice, said investigations were ongoing.

Turkey has suffered multiple bombings in recent months linked either to Kurdish militants or , also known as the Islamic State group.

May 1 International Labor Day demonstrations in Gaziantep were cancelled for security reasons, the private Dogan news agency reported.

Speaking in Ankara, the Turkish capital, Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu expressed his condolences and wished a speedy recovery to those wounded in the heinous terrorist attack.

Police in Ankara, meanwhile, carried out anti-terror operations overnight and detained four suspected Daesh members allegedly planning to attack May Day demonstrators, the Anadolu Agency reported.

In Istanbul, police imposed tight security measures and used water cannons and tear gas on May Day demonstrators who sought to rally in non-designated areas. One man died after being run over by a water cannon vehicle, according to local media.

Turkey, which is facing both growing blowback from the conflict in Syria and renewed conflict with Kurdish militants, has seen a rise of deadly attacks across the country. In the past year, more than 200 people across the country have been killed in six major bombings.

In a separate incident Sunday, eight people were wounded after four rockets hit Kilis, another town near the Syrian border, the Anadolu Agency reported. Three Syrians were among the injured.

The news agency said the Turkish military retaliated by firing at Daesh targets across the border in Syria, killing nine militants. It was not possible to verify the agencys claim.

Kilis, where Syrian refugees outnumber locals, has been hammered by cross-border fire since mid-January. There have been a total of 18 fatalities in that period.

The wider province of Kilis borders areas in Syria that are contested by Kurdish factions, Daesh militants and rebels fighting to topple Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

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ALBUQUERQUE, N.M.An Arizona State University law student has been crowned Miss Indian World.

Pageant officials say 25-year-old Danielle TaSheena Finn was announced the winner Saturday night at the 33rd Annual Gathering of Nations at the University of New Mexico arena in Albuquerque.

Finn, of Porcupine, N.D., and a member of the Standing Rock Sioux tribe, was chosen from among 24 native American women from different tribes and traditions.

As Miss Indian World, Finn will travel around the world to native and indigenous communities for a year.

The pageant closed three days of festivities at whats considered North Americas largest powwow.

The event draws more than 100,000 competitive dancers and spectators from across the U.S. and parts of Canada and Mexico.

Nineteen-year-old Chezney Martin, of Six Nations Reserve, Ont., was first runner-up.

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This week, a new study found widespread workplace abuse facing Chinese restaurant workers in Toronto. The story revealed the seedy underbelly of a food service industry that many of us take for granted when we treat the family to a night out, but what do we know about the workers who bring us the food we put on our tables at home?

At nearly every stage of food production, from picking to packing to plating, there are appalling stories of vulnerable and precarious employees who barely earn enough to buy the food they serve.

Right now, in an industrial plaza tucked in the shadow of Torontos Gardiner Expressway, there is another story breaking that exposes the legislative shortcomings that are failing workers even further down the food chain.

A group of 12 Tibetan produce pickers, working for Fresh Taste Produce out of the Ontario Food Terminal, are one week into a strike as they fight for their very first collective agreement. Almost every one of them is a refugee, who came to Canada after a decades-long flight from persecution that left their families stateless. They are not people who are accustomed to having the law on their side but their stories are similar to many people who seek asylum and new opportunities in Canada.

These immigrant workers start their warehouse shifts while the city sleeps, sorting the produce you find at your local big box grocery store for wages that range from $14 to $17 an hour. Some have worked there for 19 years. Without a union, many havent had a raise in nearly a decade and all of them earn wages well below the other workers at the terminal who benefit from union protection.

Last November, these workers took the bold step of voting to join a union.

It was a process that they rightly expected to end with a contract but, after five months of seeking wages, benefits and pensions on par with their counterparts, they are still without a first contract. Their only recourse was to go on strike, while the law allows their indifferent employer to simply bus temp agency workers past them to do their jobs.

The use of replacement workers undermines what little leverage the law gives employees and the hardship of strike pay wears at their resolve. With no automatic mechanism to bring both parties to an arbitrated settlement, callous employers can simply play the waiting game. That is what happened at Crown Metal Packaging, which left striking workers dangling on a North York picket line for over two years.

It is a frequent scenario that illustrates just how little Ontarios outdated labour laws can do to remedy the dramatic power imbalance that exists between well-heeled company owners and the increasingly precarious employees who work for them.

While in principle, most workers in Ontario have the right to associate for the purposes of collective bargaining; in practice they face barriers at every step of the process, not to mention bullying, intimidation and harassment from their employer.

Since the mid-1990s, Ontario has seen a dramatic growth in income inequality. During that time, anti-union legislation has given employers in the public and private sectors more confidence and scope to undermine the influence of employees over their working conditions by subverting their ability to join a union and collectively negotiate at the bargaining table.

It is time to restore balance and fairness to Ontario workplaces.

For the first time in over 20 years, the Ontario government has opened up the laws pertaining to employment standards and labour relations across the province. In doing so, it has given hope to many Ontario workers, like the 12 Tibetan refugees who are standing up to Fresh Taste Produce. They work alongside unionized employees whose superior salaries and job security provide daily evidence that union membership can be a pathway out of poverty.

One of the Fresh Taste workers recently said, Before the union, we were worried about losing our jobs, but now we know that we can support each other and we have the confidence to stand up for our rights.

He and millions of other Ontario workers are counting on the Wynne government to overhaul the Labour Relations Act and make it fair for everyone.

Chris Buckley is president of the Ontario Federation of Labour.

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Mumbai: Terming the decision to award the Nobel Peace Prize to Pakistani activist Malala Yousafzai political, spiritual leader Sri Sri Ravi Shankar on Saturday said that he would never accept the award. He was in Latur on Saturday to review the drought situation in Marathwada when he made the statement.

I believe in working and not in being honoured for my work. We should always honour only those who deserve it and I am totally against honouring Malala Yousafzai with the prize and it is of no use, he said.

The guru is on a visit to drought-hit areas and went to Latur on Saturday where his Art of Living organisation is working towards restoring rivers. He said, The government has to work towards a sustainable model and should take appropriate steps towards the rising farmer suicides in the state. I also appeal to farmers of the state to not commit suicide as that is not the ultimate solution for all the problems arising out of drought.

The spiritual leader met members of several organisations where he stressed on adopting measures to prevent families of farmers from falling prey to distress, which, according to him, is one of the major causes of farmers committing suicide, which in turn causes suffering to their kin.
Weve known for a year and a half that Ontario bungled the introduction of its costly new welfare case management system, known as SAMS. The program has been plagued with technical problems that led to tens of thousands of errors in calculating benefits, privacy breaches and documents that had to be shredded.

Now it turns out that the woman in charge, Community and Social Services Minister Helena Jaczek, was warned directly that there were significant problems with the system before it was launched back in November, 2014. Nonetheless, the government went ahead anyway  a move that eventually cost $52 million in fixes on top of the systems $240 million pricetag.

The new information comes courtesy of The Canadian Press, which obtained documents about the introduction of SAMS through a Freedom of Information request. According to CP, they show that about 10 days before the system was launched, the minister received an email that included a memo from the leader of the team in charge saying that things werent going smoothly.

I would be remiss if I did not acknowledge that there have been significant challenges both with the development of the solution and with site readiness, said the memo from Martin Thumm. It went on to say the problems were not unexpected given the scale of the initiative.

This wasnt just a routine screw-up. It had a direct affect on tens of thousands of the most vulnerable people in the province, the 446,000 who receive regular social assistance through Ontario Works and another 464,000 on disability benefits.

Thousands received no benefits, or cheques for as little as $5. Another 593 were issued overpayments that had to be sorted out later at the cost of considerable disruption in the lives of the recipients. Then documents were sent out that breached privacy laws and as many as half a million tax documents were issued with wrong information  and had to be reprinted at a cost of $175,000. It was a litany of failure.

Late last year, Auditor General Bonnie Lysyk said in her annual report that top officials in Jaczeks ministry knew there were problems with SAMS before launch, but rolled it out regardless. Asked about that, the minister said at the time that nobody told me.

The newly unearthed internal memo puts the lie to that. At the very least, Jaczek was told directly that there were problems, and had a chance to intervene before the system was put into operation. Theres no evidence that happened.

Ontario taxpayers have paid for all this fumbling, with the cost of SAMS swelling by more than 20 per cent (or $52 million) just to get it running smoothly.

At the same time, the governments reputation has taken a well-deserved hit. Warning bells were sounding, but apparently no one at the top was listening carefully enough. This is the kind of thing that voters remember.

Correction - May 4, 2016: This article was edited from a previous version that mistakenly said 17,000 overpayments were issued as a result of SAMS system defects. In fact, 17,000 overpayments were prepared in the system but only 593 overpayments were actually issued.



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People on Ubers band-wagon simply accept that apps are here to stay and that it is the future. But this easy, lazy point of view  that progress is unstoppable  is a shallow perception. Why should we throw our hands in the air and accept that whatever progresses is necessarily good?

Inventing gadgets is not progress and we should not be in a race to come up with more and more stupid ideas to produce products that we dont really need. After all, do we really need an app to order a drink before we arrive at the bar? Do we need an app like Yo, whose only purpose is to send a simple Yo to your contact? (This app has actually secured $1 million in seed funding!)

There is even an app that actually advertises itself as doing nothing  just press the button and see what happens  nothing! Why? To generate unimaginable wealth for a few while disrupting the livelihoods of many without contributing anything substantial to society.

One could argue that, while the need is debatable, ride hailing apps like Uber do offer users a handy service  another way to flag a cab. Fair enough. Whats not fair is the way some multi-billion dollar companies have muscled their way into traditional business areas.

Rather than following existing laws and regulations, corporations such as Uber and Air BnB are the regulators of their industries. Like the tail wagging the dog, they can call their own shots because they not only have the financial wherewithal but also the political clout to do so.

For example, when New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio wanted to cap the number of Uber drivers in his city, Uber called on its digital rolodex of millions of users to block the proposal. Wherever they meet opposition, they hire high-powered former political operatives to influence legislators to accept their unscrupulous business practices, or simply to turn a blind eye to their brazen flouting of the law. Thus technology trumps traditional business practices.

But electronics without ethics is not progress and it would behoove politicians and business people alike to examine the disruptive strategies of these rogue businesses. Once these Corporations eliminate traditional cab companies and destroy the hotel industry, there will be no easy way back to protecting the public or the workers, the legitimate stakeholders of the industries they serve.

Transportation rules, regulations and bylaws have been debated over, finessed and fine-tuned over many years to have arrived at a system that keeps the public safe and ensures that workers are protected. In Toronto, MLS has established stringent rules and collects hefty license fees from drivers to operate taxicabs in the city. The system isnt perfect but it works. And if it works then all those that want to participate must follow the same rules.

If foreign mega-corporations are allowed to disrupt traditional business practices, we will ultimately have to go back to square one and re-invent the wheel establishing new rules, while we ride in the wild west of private uninsured cars operating illegally in our streets.

Susan Hoffman, Toronto

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Re: Editorial Cartoon, April 28

Editorial Cartoon, April 28

I felt insulted by the Theo Moudakis cartoon that compares Bombardier to a terrorist who executes hostages when they do not obtain a ransom payment.

I dont remember seeing anything like this when Canada and Ontario governments gave billions to bail out the automotive industry, or when the federal government provides humongous amounts of subsidies to the petroleum industry.

After all, Bombardier supplies 2000 jobs to the Quebec economy. But it also generates an additionnal 12,000 jobs from suppliers and partners all over Canada.

Tonight all Quebec separatists must feverishly thank you for your work. This is the type of emotionally biased situation that they need to rekindle the nationalist fervor.

Hubert Ricard, Orford, Que.

This cartoon by Theo Moudakis is the best in a long time. It shows the utter hypocrisy the Canadian government imbues as it struts around on the world stage.

First off, I dont remember the Canadian government sending Robert Fowler or Louis Guay on any mission for the good of Canada to Niger. I remember Mr. Guay as a cranky supervisor and I do remember sending my tax money to save them despite the denial of Stephen Harper.

Second it looks like Bob Rae blew it again. A fine gentleman but an icon of the political morons lecturing at Harvard.

Are these terrorists really Islamic Al Qaida or are they highwaymen that pray on adventurous middle-aged white men going to places they ought to have avoided?

Lastly we have Bombardier, a French family owned company that has sucked dry Canadian taxpayer money from Toronto who gladly send our jobs to Mexico. The underlying threat of separation is still there should we cut off the taps.

Our sidewalks are pulverized but our mayor graciously still sends our cash for phantom streetcars that dont exist to a provincial government who plays around with the mafia.

Bryan Charlebois, Toronto

Who let this cartoon get by? The juxtaposition of these two news items isnt amusing in any way. Its completely inappropriate given that a hostage was beheaded. This is awful. Shame on the Star.

Paul Stothers, Mississauga

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Patna: Violence broke out at Sri Krishna Memorial Hall after two youths showed black flag to JNUSU president Kanahiya Kumar and raised Bharat Mata Ki Jai slogan while he was addressing an Azaadi meeting in Patna on Sunday.

The two youths before being detained by police were brutally thrashed by Kumars supporters. Reacting to the incident Kanhaiya Kumar said, They get uncomfortable when I speak the truth or raise questions. Even if they throw stones or hurl shoes at me I will not stop from speaking truth. He however after the event condemned the violence. He said, I condemn assault on persons waving black flag and shouting slogans at the Azaadi meeting.

Kanhaiya Kumar who was arrested on charges of sedition in February was visiting Bihar for the first time after being released from Tihar Jail last month.

He said, When I speak of Azadi I speak about equality in education and freedom from unemployment. I also talk about minimum wages.
The Medical Council of India notifications issued in 2010 and 2012 to hold Neet for medical and dental college admissions stipulated that reservation of seats for the respective categories will be done as per prevailing laws. (Representational image)

Hyderabad: With the Supreme Court ordering repeatedly that the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (Neet) would cover all medical and dental college seats countrywide, confusion prevails over the status of state-level reservation quotas.

The Medical Council of India notifications issued in 2010 and 2012 to hold Neet for medical and dental college admissions stipulated that reservation of seats for the respective categories will be done as per prevailing laws. There was no specific mention of the reservation quota in individual states  each state has its own specific quota requirements. Tamil Nadu has 69 per cent reservation which is protected by the 9th Schedule of the Constitution, Maharashtra 52 per cent while Karnataka, AP and TS have 50 per cent.

In AP and Telangana, the 50 per cent quota includes the 4-per cent for Muslims.

Besides, each state has its own pecularities. The Reddy community is in the general category in TS and AP, but is listed as a Backward Class in Karnataka. It is not clear if a student from the Reddy community from AP or TS can claim reservation in Karnataka. Similarly, Muslims get four per cent quota in TS and AP. It has not been clarified in the Neet order if a Muslim student from TS and AP can claim a seat in the general pool in.

Now, the MCI said private college management should participate in the national pool for Neet by submitting 15 per cent of their seats. College managements and parents of medical aspirants have no idea how the 85 per cent of seats would be filled.

Now, out of 100 seats in a private college, half the seats form part of the convener quota for merit students. There is a 35 per cent management quota, and a 15 per cent is NRI quota. The MCI has not said how these quotas will be adjusted.

Legal experts wait to see how states react

Legal experts are waiting to see how the Medical Council of India goes ahead with a common nationwide admission process when each state has its own set of rules. High Court advocate S. Sriram, who has studied Medical Council of India matters, pointed out that so far there was no clarity with regard to the reservation and admission process. He said, While a common entrance test and transparent admission process is welcome, hasty implementation of a policy that lacks clarity would only create confusion among students.

Maintaining that special status accorded to TS and AP has to be looked into while bringing them under the purview of Neet, Mr Sriram said, The requirements of the Presidential Order and the implications of Section 95 of the AP Reorganisation Act need to be looked into.

The Presidential Order provides for regional equalities for students between TS and AP. Dr N Appa Rao of the Indian Medical Association, who secured a stay of the Neet notification in 2011-12, said local students would suffer if both government did not resist Neet.

He said a majority of students in the two Telugu states are strong in the biological science stream whereas students from northern states are better prepared in physics and chemistry. This could render the results askew. He reminded that in 2012, the then AP High Court had stayed Neet in undivided AP after considering the fact that the provisions in the MCI notification for Neet were in violation of the special status granted to the state.

Telangana Private Medical and Dental Colleges Association president C. Lakshmi Narasimha Rao said the group will hold its own entrance test this year to fill B category seats.Vice-chairman Syed Azaz-Ur-Rahman of the Shadan Educational Society, which runs the Shadan Medical College, said, We and Owaisi Medical College made admissions based on Eamcet rankings without conducting a separate test, though we have the right to hold the test.

This time we await the final outcome of the hearings on Neet in the Supreme Court. He said, We are told that state rankings will be awarded by taking state as a unit in the results of the Neet.
Pench national park or tiger reserve is known world over as home to 'Mowgli'. (Photo: Facebook/Pench National Park)

Bhopal: Madhya Pradesh forest department is considering a proposal to fell over 550 trees to make way for a tiger safari in its Pench national park, known as home to 'Mowgli', a fictional character and protagonist in English writer Rudyard Kipling's 'The Jungle Book'.

The forest department has started working on a project to create tiger safari in the park straddling Seoni and Chhindwara districts of the state. It has been proposed to erect a boundary wall which would require pruning of shrubs and felling of 556 trees, according to an order issued by Pench national park's authorities.

However, the plan has got stuck for want of permission of Delhi-based National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA). The decision to cut 556 has, however, been criticised by wildlife activists who termed it as a violation of rules.

"We are against the creation of tiger safari inside Pench national park. There has been continuous cases of tiger deaths in Madhya Pradesh. The state government instead of taking steps towards protection of tigers is trying to reduce the green cover and increasing people's activities. The NTCA must reject this plan," said Ajay Dubey, on whose petition Supreme Court had in 2010 banned tourism inside tiger reserves.

Pench national park or tiger reserve is known world over as home to 'Mowgli'-- a man-cub said to have been spotted there. The park, sprawling over 758 square kms, is located on the southern boundary of Madhya Pradesh, bordering Maharashtra.

It has 299 sq kms core area of Indira Priyadarshini Pench national park and the Mowgli Pench Sanctuary. The remaining 464 sq km is the buffer area.

There are six tiger reserves in Madhya Pradesh--Kanha, Bandhavgarh, Panna, Bori-Satpura, Sanjay-Dubri and Pench-- which have about 257 big cats. While the tiger population in the country was estimated at 1,706 in 2010, it had risen to 2,226 in 2014.

Madhya Pradesh ranks third--after Karnataka and Uttarakhand--in tiger population in the country.
A solid majority of Pennsylvania Republicans elected as delegates to the GOPs presidential nominating convention in Cleveland say they intend to vote for the candidate who won a thumping primary victory in their state  Donald Trump.

The ballot didnt tell voters which candidate the delegates support, and the 54 people who were elected can vote for whomever they want. Its an unusual system that raised the prospect that the Pennsylvania contingent could be decisive in depriving Trump of the nomination by scattering to his rivals despite his victory in the state.

That appears unlikely.

A canvass of the winners by The Associated Press after Tuesdays primary found that 40 of the 54 intend to vote for Trump, propelling him closer to the support he needs to win the nomination on the first vote at the convention in July.

About two-thirds of those 40 were Trump supporters from the start; the rest said they would support him because he won their congressional district. Four are expected to vote for Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, nine are uncommitted and one is waiting for a final tally in her congressional district.

Several Trump supporters reported getting significant logistical help from Trumps team during their own campaign to become delegates. Trump took 57 percent of the Republican vote statewide and won all 67 counties, and the strength of that performance also has delegates committing to him.

On all ballots, I will vote for Donald Trump, said James Klein, a delegate-elect from central Pennsylvania. Its Trump or consequences, Donald or the door.

What some of the other 53 elected delegates had to say:

___

FIRMLY UNCOMMITTED

Mary Ann Meloy ran as an uncommitted delegate and plans to remain that way for now. The Pittsburgh resident says the states rules were drawn up to give her latitude to take into account events leading to the convention, including Trumps considerable support in western Pennsylvania.

There are just so many things that can happen in this world between now and July when we take that first vote, said Meloy, a semi-retired public affairs consultant who has held several appointed posts in state and federal government. I really prefer to wait.

Truly uncommitted delegate Gordon Denlinger, a former state lawmaker who is now a managing partner of a venture capital firm, said hell give great weight to how his district in the heart of Amish country voted  Trump won it with 44 percent.

But hes also weighing factors such as electability, leadership and adherence to conservative principles

___

NOT GOING TO SWITCH

Wayne Buckwalter ran for delegate on a promise to vote for Trump, and he said hell stick with that candidate no matter what.

He said the Trump campaigns organization impressed him from its first contact in November, providing advice and help circulating petitions and printed matter to hand out at the polls.

Ive been saying for months I will vote for Trump in the first through the last ballot, said Buckwalter, an estate and trusts lawyer from suburban Philadelphia.

The way the Pennsylvania system goes, the only thing people are bound by is their morality, he said. Will he ever switch from Trump? Never.

___

THE PEOPLE HAVE SPOKEN

Scott Uehlinger, a retired CIA operations officer and retired naval officer, did not emphasize his support for Trump during the campaign, instead promising to cast his vote however his district voted. Like the rest of Pennsylvania, his district went for Trump.

The peoples choice was Trump, and I have no problem with it, said Uehlinger, who lives near Allentown in eastern Pennsylvania.

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THE INEVITABLE WINNER

Jim Vasilko, a construction company owner in Johnstown, likes Trumps views on trade and immigration, and ran as a delegate committed to vote for Trump at the convention. Vasilko has a hard time envisioning a contested convention.

The way I look at it is, he is ahead by millions of votes and hundreds of delegates and to sit there and try to deny him the nomination is just asinine, Vasilko said. Trump says out loud what the rest of us feel.

___

CRUZ OVERTURES

Delegate-elect Rick Morelli has been called a couple of times recently by the Cruz campaign  including by the candidates wife, Heidi  asking a couple questions, stating the fact that their campaign would like to stay in touch.

The software salesman from Sugarloaf in northeastern Pennsylvania believes there will be shenanigans from those who want to nominate others, but that wont sway him from supporting Trump the whole way through.

___

THE OTHER 17

Pennsylvania will also send 17 other people to the convention who will be bound to vote for Trump, as the statewide winner, on the first ballot.

(AP)
A New York congressional candidate is accusing one of his rivals of submitting fraudulent signatures on nominating petitions required to get on the ballot for the Democratic primary.

New York State Assemblyman Keith Wright has asked a state Supreme Court judge to review the petitions of his opponent, Adam Clayton Powell. The two Democrats are vying for outgoing Rep. Charles Rangels position. Rangels district includes parts of upper Manhattan and the Bronx.

Wright is asking the judge to nullify the petitions and knock Powell off the June 28 primary ballot.

In court papers last week, Wright alleges Powell committed or knew of acts of fraud and deceit in his petitions that were submitted to the New York City Board of Elections. He argues that Powell submitted signatures from people who are not registered Democrats or residents of the district. State election laws require that candidates in party primaries submit signatures only from people who are registered to vote in the same party.

Powells spokesman, Michael Oliva, said Wrights allegations are false.

Hes obviously afraid of Adam Powell, and thats why hes doing it, Oliva said of Wright. Instead of doing the hard work, he wants to cheat his way in court.

(AP)
Waves of campaign staffers are being dispatched to battleground states. Advisers are starting to consider locations for a splashy convention rally in Philadelphia. An army of lawyers is scrutinizing more than two dozen possible vice presidential picks.

Though she has yet to clinch the Democratic nomination, Hillary Clinton and her team are taking early steps into a general election campaign. Aides are working under the assumption that Republican front-runner Donald Trump will be her opponent.

Six months before the presidential election, theyre looking beyond primary rival Bernie Sanders and preparing their candidate and party for what may be a hard-fought  and personally ugly  fall campaign.

Starting this week, Clinton campaign employees are heading to battleground states across the country, among them Ohio, Florida and Colorado. Democrats are also eyeing the possibility of making a run at traditionally Republican-leaning states such as Georgia, North Carolina and Arizona, calculating that Trumps penchant for controversy could put minority and female voters in play.

Everybodys got their game face on, said Rep. Tim Ryan, D-Ohio, who was going to South Dakota on the weekend to campaign for Clinton.

Aides from the primary are getting general election marching orders. Simone Ward, political director of the campaign committee for Senate Democratic races, will run Clintons Florida operation. Emmy Ruiz, who led a crucial Nevada primary win for Clinton, will handle Colorado. Mike Vlacich led New Hampshire operations in the primary and will do the same in the fall.

The sooner you can get up and running the better, said Dan Pfeiffer, who advised President Barack Obama. On the Republican side, Trump has not built anything resembling the sort of field operation it takes to win.

Plans are also beginning to take shape for a convention that will prominently feature Obama, Vice President Joe Biden, Michelle Obama, Bill Clinton and the vice presidential nominee. Its not clear, however, what role Sanders will have.

Taking a page from Obamas 2008 convention address at Mile High Stadium in Denver, former Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell, a close Clinton ally, is urging the campaign to hold a major speech  perhaps even Clintons acceptance address  outside Independence Hall, where the Constitution was signed.

Clintons campaign has started the internal search for a running mate, though people familiar with the process say that effort is in an early stage.

A team of lawyers is poring through information about a lengthy list of Democrats, among them Labor Secretary Tom Perez, Ohio Sen. Sherrod Brown and Virginia Sen. Tim Kaine. Other names mentioned by party insiders include Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren, Minnesota Sen. Al Franken, New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker and Housing Secretary Julian Castro. No final decision is expected until Republicans hold their convention.

The search for a running mate is being overseen by campaign chairman John Podesta and Clinton confidante Cheryl Mills, both of whom will help cull the list down to a handful of names in the coming weeks. Clinton advisers are debating whether its more important to select a strong liberal champion from the Rust Belt to woo Sanders backers and cut into Trumps advantage with working-class white men, or to acknowledge her support among minority voters with a more history-making pick. They note that Clintons  and her husbands  personal chemistry with the eventual choice will be a key factor.

Clinton has begun broadening her message against Trump, calling for the party to unify around her and shying away from nearly all mention of Sanders.

Her team anticipates that Trump will use gender-based attacks against Clinton, probably resurrecting his criticism from earlier this year on her husbands sexual history. This week, her campaign spent days highlighting  and raising money from  Trumps comments that Clintons political success was due to her playing the womans card.

An all-but-settled Democratic race also allows Clinton to raise money and cut primary spending on ads. Shes planning a spree of lucrative fundraisers in New York, Michigan, California and Texas next month and has no ads running in coming primary contests.

Priorities USA Action, a super PAC backing Clintons candidacy, is preparing to spend $90 million on television ads attacking Trump in seven states starting June 8  the day after the California primary. An additional $35 million is being reserved for digital ads aimed at bolstering Clintons coalition of black, Latino and younger voters. The group says they could go on the air sooner, if the dynamics of the race change.

Emilys List, an advocacy organization that backs female Democratic candidates, has hired a New York ad agency to help market to millennial voters, a group that Clinton has struggled to win over in the primaries. The effort is testing messages attacking Trump and aimed at motivating young women to come out for Clinton, as part of a $20 million project to elect the first woman as president.

Millennial women are outraged by Donald Trump, said Denise Feriozzi, the groups deputy executive director. Its our job to turn that outrage into votes.

(AP)
New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio says a widening corruption probe wont have an impact on his decision to run for re-election.

De Blasio tells WNYC radio in an interview Friday that he will absolutely run for a second term next year.

The Democrat steadfastly insists that he and his team did nothing wrong while federal and state investigators look into his campaign fundraising apparatus.

While several of his aides and political groups have been subpoenaed by prosecutors, de Blasio hasnt been accused of wrongdoing.

The probe began after a criminal referral from the lead investigator at the state Board of Elections.

De Blasio has accused the board of conducting a politically motivated witch hunt. The investigator was appointed by Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo, a frequent de Blasio rival.

(AP)
French Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault recently announced his country plans to host a Mideast peace conference to advance a final agreement between Israel and the PA (Palestinian Authority). He stated that both sides are far apart and he is acting in good faith to bridge the gap.

The Prime Ministers Office has responded to the latest French initiative, explaining a final agreement will only be achieved through direct negotiations. The official statement reads; Israel adheres to its position that the best way to resolve the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians is direct, bilateral negotiations. Israel is ready to begin them immediately without preconditions. Any other diplomatic initiative distances the Palestinians from direct negotiations.

(YWN  Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
Once again, a public school in Yerushalayim that is funded by Israels Ministry of Education is in the news, this time for inviting family members of terrorists to address students. The school bills the slain terrorists as shahids, martyrs who died for the cause. The schools funded by the state ministry use these funds to inculcate a hate for the State of Israel in the students, many growing up to become the next generation terrorists.

Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu has ordered an inquiry into whether activity at a school in the eastern Jerusalem neighborhood of Jabil Mukhaber  which invited parents of terrorists who had committed attacks to appear before pupils  constitutes incitement; the Prime Minister has contacted Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit on the issue.

(YWN  Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
A prison parole board recently rejected a request for early release on good behavior from former President Moshe Katsav. Mr. Katsav has served 4.5 years of his seven-year term and was seeking to wipe one-third for the sentence for good behavior as is customarily done.

As a result of the parole boards decision, what remains is a presidential pardon, which President Reuven Rivlin is currently weighing, Ynet reports. The report adds that Mr. Katsavs family and attorney report his mental state has deteriorated considerably since the parole board turned down his early release request.

Mr. Katsav is serving a sentence after being convicted of assaults against women.

(YWN  Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
Two Israeli Bedouins were reportedly abducted and later released while in Turkey. The two, cousins, residents of Rahat in southern Israel, are medical students. The families received a ransom demand on Thursday and turned to Israel Police and the Foreign Ministry.

Israel Radio reported the abduction of the two and the ransom demand to their families asking for $200,000 for their safe return. On Shabbos the families were informed the two were released after being held for a number of days and could be found at a Turkish police station. The report states they were released before the ransom was paid.

(YWN  Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
Scrambling to resuscitate a nearly dead truce in Syria, the Obama administration has again been forced to turn to Russia for help, with little hope for the desired U.S. outcome.

At stake are thousands of lives and the fate of a feeble peace process essential to the fight against the Islamic State group, and Secretary of State John Kerry has appealed once more to his Russian counterpart for assistance in containing and reducing the violence, particularly around city of Aleppo.

Kerry spoke at length on Friday with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov to that end, and had been hoping to meet with Lavrov soon, according to U.S. officials. Kerry was scheduled to arrive in Switzerland late Sunday for talks with U.N. envoy Staffan de Mistura, Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir and Jordanian Foreign Minister Nasser Judeh, and planned to return to Washington on Monday.

But Lavrov was not expected to be in Geneva, complicating Kerrys efforts to make the case directly to the Russians for more pressure on their Syrian government allies to stop or at least limit attacks in Aleppo.

The State Department said Kerry, in his meetings, would review ongoing efforts to reaffirm the cessation of hostilities nationwide in Syria, obtain the full humanitarian access to which the Syrian government committed and support a political transition.

Specific, viable options to achieve those broad goals are limited, and Fridays announcement of a new, partial cease-fire that does not include Aleppo underscored the difficulty Kerry faced.

U.S. and other officials described that initiative, brokered mainly by Russia and the United States as co-chairs of the International Syria Support Group, as a reinforcement of the February truce, now largely in tatters, that they hope to extend from Damascus and the capitals suburbs and the coastal province of Latakia to other areas.

This is an agreement within the task force, but certainly on the part of the U.S. and Russia that there would be a reinforcement of the cessation of hostilities in these specific areas as a start, with the expectation that this  would be then extended elsewhere, State Department spokesman Mark Toner said.

Syrias state news agency said Sunday that the military had extended its cease-fire around Damascus for 24 more hours.

For Aleppo, the U.S. is considering drawing up with the Russians a detailed map of the city that would lay out safe zones. Civilians and members of moderate opposition groups covered by the truce could find shelter from persistent attacks by Syrian President Bashar Assads military, which claims to be targeting terrorists.

One U.S. official said hard lines would delineate specific areas and neighborhoods. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the matter publicly.

It was not immediately clear whether Russia would accept such a plan or if Moscow could persuade the Assad government to respect the prospective zones. Some U.S. officials are skeptical of the chances for success, but also note that it is worth a try to at least reduce the violence that has wracked Aleppo for the past week, with hundreds killed and thousands wounded.

Kerry discussed the deteriorating situation in calls over the past days with de Mistura and the head of a Syrian opposition negotiating committee. We are working on specific initiatives to de-escalate the increased fighting and defuse tensions and hope to make tangible progress on such initiatives soon, State Department spokesman John Kirby said in a statement.

For the administration, Fridays announcement about the partial cease-fire is largely a means to measure the commitment of the warring parties to the concept of a truce that could lead to serious peace talks.

Its a test for the Russians and for the regime, as well as for the Syrian opposition, Toner said.

The administrations problem is that the Russians, the Assad government and the opposition backed by the U.S. and its partners have all failed that test in the past.

In particular, the administration has been routinely disappointed that Russia has not lived up to pledges that U.S. officials think it has made. From the start of the conflict, the administration has sought numerous times for Moscow to use its influence with Damascus to bring about an end to the violence and to advance a political transition. At each turn, those hopes have been dashed with Russia continuing, and even increasing, its support for Assad.

U.S. officials concede there is little to suggest that will change.

(AP)
Chennai: DMK chief M. Karunanidhi has ended speculation about his health by touring around the State to campaign for the party and declared in a TV interview he would become the

Chief Minister again, in an obvious message to voters that it would be the usual fight between him and AIADMK supremo J. Jayalalithaa for the seventh consecutive time.

Rather than being a message to Stalin or his supporters, the DMK patriarch seems to be carrying a message to voters that the DMK has a strong Chief Ministerial candidate in him to take on the charismatic Jayalalithaa and they could trust him to rule the State again.

A section of DMK senior leaders feel that is would be risky to field DMK treasurer M.K. Stalin against a strong leader like Jayalalithaa and voters would trust the DMK only if the 27-year-old political rivalry is continued for this elections, considering the stakes for DMK, which could face a tough time, if it lost to AIADMK in consecutive Assembly elections.

People of the state are used to the battle between the two leaders since 1989 when Jayalalithaa led a faction of AIADMK and emerged as the opposition leader.

A sudden discontinuation of the status quo battle could jolt voters who may think twice about supporting the party, if a new leader is pitted against an established AIADMK supremo.

However, party leaders declined to comment on the choice of Karunanidhi for Chief Minister, instead of fielding Stalin, who is working hard for the partys victory. A functionary said, The question of choosing between Thalaivar and Thalapathy does not arise. Karunanidhi is the party leader and he is also the Chief Ministerial candidate and Stalin has accepted it. Raising such questions are an attempt to create an impression there are differences in the party.

Declaration of Kalaignar as Chief Minister does not mean that Stalin cannot take on Jayalalithaa. Political analyst Govi. Lenin said there was no need for DMK to anoint Stalin as Chief Minister now and Karunanidhi has the capability to

defeat AIADMK. Karunanidhis is healthy, he is campaigning in a vehicle, addressing public meetings and staying at different places during his campaign. His memory is sharp. Even if Karunanidhi becomes Chief Minister, Stalin will be deputy CM and carry out administrative works.
Threat: HSBCs falling profits are likely to put pressure on its dividend, analysts say

HSBCs profits are expected to have plunged by more than half to $3 billion (2 billion) for the first three months of the year after it suffered huge declines in its investment banking arm.

The banks falling profits are likely to put pressure on its dividend, analysts said.

It is pledging to pay out more this year than the 51 cents per share it paid last year, and the crash in profits could threaten this.

The dire profits expected by some analysts compare with $7 billion for the same quarter this time last year.

As well as huge falls in investment banking revenues, HSBC is being hammered by weak loan growth in Hong Kong.

Ian Gordon, an analyst at broker Investec, said HSBCs global banking and markets division, the investment bank, would do particularly badly in Tuesdays results.

We expect a lower contribution from every business unit, but with the most pronounced year-on-year impact within global banking and markets, primarily Europe, and within retail banking and wealth management, mainly in Hong Kong, he said in a note to clients.

HSBC is also facing a bill of 1.5 billion over three years to implement new ring-fencing rules designed to insulate banks from another financial crisis and could say this week that it has paid almost 200 million as a first instalment.

Banks have to separate their investment banking divisions from their retail banks by 2019 so that in the event of a crisis, risky City trading does not damage everyday depositors.

Lloyds Banking Group disclosed that the rules were also starting to cost it money. Finance director

George Culmer told investors last week that the rules had cost the bank 30 million in the first quarter.

It will spend 70 million this year and 300 million over the next three years, he said, despite Lloyds being almost entirely a retail bank. As much as 97 per cent of its activities are allowed to be carried out by a ring-fenced bank.

The reforms are part of changes recommended by Sir John Vickers, who headed an independent commission on banking.

HSBC non-executive Jonathan Symonds told a House of Lords Committee last year that the banks ring-fencing costs were likely to be more than 1.5 billion in total.

Our current estimates are around 1.5 billion, he said. They are incremental costs, so they will not include any of the hundreds and thousands of people who are currently employed devoting their time to implementation issues.
Metals tycoon Sanjeev Gupta is seeking a $1billion (684million) war chest to rescue the UK arm of Tata Steel and has lined up investment bank Macquarie as a backer.

Sources revealed that the entrepreneur behind Liberty House, who recently bought two Scottish steel mills from Tata, has privately calculated that he will need about $1billion in working capital to keep the various sites operational.

The jobs of thousands of steel workers are hanging in the balance ahead of tomorrows deadline for initial bids.

Seeking financial support: Metals tycoon Sanjeev Gupta

Tata has told more than 190 suitors they have to submit letters of intent for the business, which are aimed at identifying the serious players.

Port Talbot was put up for sale last month by the Indian conglomerate, which decided to pull out of the UK altogether after rejecting a 100million rescue plan because it was unaffordable.

If a buyer cannot be found it would mean up to 7,000 staff and contractors at the South Wales plant will lose their jobs.

At least three firms have publicly expressed an interest and are racing to submit their letters of intent in time for Tuesdays deadline.

Liberty House has said it will submit a letter of intent to Tata Steel on time. It has formed a team of advisers that include Jon Bolton, a former director of Tata Steel who is also chairman of the UK Steel trade association.

Lead adviser Macquarie Capital, along with a number of other backers, are believed to have offered financial support to help Gupta towards his $1billion target.

Gupta is thought to want to convert at least one of the Port Talbot blast furnaces to a cheaper electric arc furnace which is able to recycle steel.

Tony Pedder, chairman of Sheffield Forgemasters, has set up a consortium called Albion Steel, which is also mulling an offer. Pedder is a former executive of Corus, which evolved into Tata UK.
As criticism of Vodafone's dire customer service rumbles on, The Mail on Sunday hears from a whistleblower who reveals what users long suspected  that employees are encouraged to soothe them rather than solve their complaints.

A long line of Vodafone customers are locked in an ongoing battle with the network to right a multitude of wrongs.

The charge sheet is exhaustive  wildly inaccurate bills, charges for random premium rate calls and texts, phones disconnected and customers overcharged for upgrades.

Calling time: A whistleblower says that Vodafone staff face the sack if they dont secure high ratings. Right: our story from last month

In frustration, readers have been led in their droves to contact The Mail on Sunday.

But among the steady stream of emails is one from a person working for the mobile phone giant, who reveals that staff are under pressure to bat away complaints and instead focus on appeasing callers to boost satisfaction ratings.

The company uses a 'net promoter score' system to track staff performance, which involves sending a survey to customers after a phone call or online chat. Another reader has referred to these separately as 'silly questionnaires'.

People who rate the company highest are said to be 'promoters', they will recommend the network to friends and family. Those who respond with middling scores are 'passives', while critical customers are called 'detractors', who could damage the brand by dissuading potential customers.

Vodafone is the most complained about telecoms company among pay-monthly customers, according to figures released by communications regulator Ofcom, which is investigating its complaints handling.

CASE STUDY - I COULDN'T MAKE CALLS FOR TWO MONTHS On hold: Vodafone did not let Ashton Sassoon quit her contract even though she could not make any calls on her phone Ashton Sassoon has endured nothing but problems with Vodafone after starting a 44-a-month contract in January. For two months the 22-year-old could often not make or receive calls on her iPhone 6, despite the phone showing full signal. Callers were told her number was unavailable. Ashton, an account executive from Bushey, Hertfordshire, visited local stores to complain, had her handset and SIM card replaced, spoke to numerous customer service advisers and wrote a long letter to the chief executive of Vodafone UK  Jeroen Hoencamp. Eventually she was offered a refund of just 6 by someone in the flying start department. After further calls this rose to a 50 credit, and now 100. Ashton says: Even though Vodafone wasnt keeping its end of the contract, I was informed there was no way I could exit the two-year plan without a fee. I was strung back and forth between the technical and porting department  both shifting the blame on the other. Customer service was of no help and would advise me to do things I had already done. A spokeswoman for Vodafone, addressing Ashton as Mr Sassoon, admitted customer services could have done more, but said: The nature of mobile technology means we cannot guarantee network service at all times. If a customer cannot use our services for three days or more, we will refund that proportion of line rental.

But despite the deluge of criticism, the whistleblower says that for staff, persuading customers to believe all is fine is more important than getting to the bottom of their problems.

Call centre workers face losing their jobs if their promoter score is not high enough.

The employee says: 'All Vodafone cares about right now is the net promoter score. Staff are rated on this survey it sends out after a call or web chat. Well, actually, on the first question only: 'How would you rate Vodafone to a friend?'

'My manager says we want customers to have a good experience on the phone so Vodafone will get higher ratings. I have been told to stop solving problems and just make the customer happy on the phone.

'I cannot work for Vodafone much longer. I want to help customers and fix problems with accounts.

'We have a high turnover of staff due to agents getting fired because of their promoter score  these are agents that are good at solving problems.

'The only staff that don't get fired are ones that have a great promoter score  but do nothing for the customer.'

Suspicion over Vodafone's approach to service problems is already rife among customers.

Mrs Moorcock, from Reading, tried to cancel one of the numbers on her account, but continued to be charged for it, while a different number that she still used was cut off. It took hours of phone calls to rectify basic problems.

She says: 'I hope the calls have been recorded because each and every one of the advisers I spoke to made promises they didn't deliver. I wonder if this is the way they are trained  to reassure the customer but actually not to do anything.'

Jacqui Narvaez-Jimenez, who is struggling with a dispute over data charges, laments losing contact with the one employee who seemed genuinely willing to help.

Vodafone customers complain of inaccurate bills, charges for random premium rate calls and texts, phones disconnected and customers overcharged for upgrades.

She says: 'I have wasted hours on the phone. Once I had a really nice chap who managed to sort out a few things. He gave me his name and extension but when I asked to speak to him again I wasn't allowed and then he left, allegedly.'

Meanwhile, a former Vodafone store manager writing on employer review website Glassdoor says: 'Vodafone Retail is going through a transformation to ensure that it can remain competitive.

'However, it is one hell of a bumpy road with it seemingly unable to land anything well.' Writing in a post entitled 'There is a better life' he continues: 'Number porting was a mess and numbers were being lost...customer service is atrocious, staffing levels are too low...management will use action plans to try and get performance as opposed to understanding why things are not landing.

'They never nail anything and things are always done on the cheap.

'Other support departments are unhelpful and more interested in their own KPI [key performance indicators], pretending they care about customers, but the reality is they are treating them appallingly.

'It's been the most complained about network for five quarters...I could go on but you get the gist. If you are a workaholic that enjoys getting verbal from customers all day, then it is for you.'

Other employees  both former and current  who posted messages on Glassdoor appear satisfied with their pay, perks and colleagues, but take issue with internal management style, systems and how performance is measured.

Problems at Vodafone surfaced after the company 'upgraded' its IT system in 2014, mixing up accounts in the process and drawing attention to a fragmented and disorganised business structure.

From reader feedback, it seems that its UK and overseas contact centres pass customers back and forth, but seem to share little information.

It also does not provide an email address for complaints, with a spokeswoman saying: 'We don't find email to be the most effective way to deal with queries.'

The result is that unhappy customers have to repeat their problem each time they phone or use Vodafone's web-chat service.

Vodafone says it has recruited 600 customer service advisers in six months  400 of them UK-based  and has invested millions of pounds in further training. It says it always aims to resolve complaints effectively 'first time'.

NOTE EVERYTHING AND DON'T GIVE UP - HOW TO TACKLE VODAFONE GRIPES DOCUMENT problems. If your signal or internet connection fails repeatedly, or if a handset does not work, keep a log of what happens and when. You must give Vodafone a chance to repair the phone but if problems recur you will need evidence to fall back on if you want to exit a contract penalty-free. RECORD dates and times of contact. Keep correspondence. WRITE a letter of complaint if matters are not addressed promptly. Keep a copy and get proof of delivery. Write to: Customer Relations Manager, Vodafone, The Connection, Newbury, Berkshire RG14 2FN. DEMAND a deadlock letter. You need this before going to an arbitrator. You must give Vodafone eight weeks to solve an issue. But if the company says no agreement can be reached it may give you a deadlock letter earlier. GO TO the Communications Ombudsman. It will weigh up the evidence and decide an outcome it deems fair to both sides. Visit ombudsman-services.org/communications. If you disagree with its verdict you can still make a court claim. See gov.uk/make-court-claim-for-money. REPORT your complaint to the communications watchdog Ofcom. It cannot help with individual queries but relies on the public to decide whether a firm is unfair to its customers. It then has the authority to issue fines and demand a company clean up its act. Visit ofcom.org.uk or call 0300 123 3333. FLAG a dispute over debts you are being chased for that you do not owe. Write to Vodafone and the debt collector to say that you do not owe the money and keep a copy of the letter. Finally, leave a notice of correction on your credit file  which can be accessed via Experian, Equifax or Callcredit  to say these debts are disputed. If the dispute is sorted in your favour, Vodafone must straighten out any inaccuracies on your credit file.

A spokeswoman apologises to those experiencing issues and says: 'To reassure you that progress is being made, we measure satisfaction across all areas of interaction with our customers.

'Every month we invite our customers to rate how well we have done for them.

'Every month we get more than 250,000 individual pieces of feedback that we can link to individuals, teams and managers to change processes and improve performance. This has improved by 40 percentage points since the end of December.'

While Vodafone works to address its internal mess, customers should be organised and patient. Many have been told their complaint would be 'escalated' to a manager, who was too busy to speak, but would call them back. Those calls were never made.

The advice is to log everything, keep evidence and don't give up.

WHICH OF VODAFONES MANY DEPARTMENTS HAS OFFERED TO HELP YOU? Along with Vodafones multiple billing and service issues, customers have suffered the inevitable corporate mumbo-jumbo. Some bizarre phrases have been used in speaking to customers  including for a simple request to be re-pushed, that a refund became stuck and the popular promise for complaints to be escalated. But even worse is the list of different departments you say complaints have been directed to. Here are the names of teams you have described, and how we imagine you might prefer to label them.* Administration Department (Paper Aeroplane Makers) Back Office Team (Headless Chicken Headquarters) Billing Team (GCSE Remedial Maths Branch) Contracts Department (Venus Flytrap Department) Escalation Team (Sinking Sand Team) Emergency Department (most would know this as a hospital) Upgrades Team (Downgraded Experience Squad) Porting Department (Losing Numbers Speciality Division) Ordering / Delivering Department (You order, we dont deliver) Technical Team (We talk technology, but not to customers) Resolutions Team (No Clear Solutions Wing) Customer Relations Team (Bad Relations Team) Flying Start Department (Belly-Flop Department) Service Operations Team (Service-Malfunction Subdivision) Complaints Team (Overwhelmed Imaginary Unit) Investigation Team (Given up and gone home) Transfer of Ownership Team (Transfer of Responsibility Arm) Tariff Team (Pick a number, any number. Doesnt matter anyway, probably wont be the one appearing on your bill) Warehouse and Sorting Department (Where?house and Mix-up Office) Connections Team (Twiddling thumbs team) Pre-disconnection Team (bare-faced debt chasers) *Just a light poking Vodafone, we know many of you are working very hard
Outspoken: Sir Vince Cable has not gone quiet since losing his seat as an MP

When he was Business Secretary, Sir Vince Cable launched an investigation into the last major High Street collapse  at Comet  and following the BHS debacle he is now calling for Ministers to be given powers to take firmer action against former directors in such cases.

Cable has also been making his voice heard over the question of the EU referendum.

He is a pro-European and he has issued stark warnings of 'messy outcomes' if the result of the vote is not crystal clear one way or the other.

Speaking about BHS, where former boss Sir Philip Green is accused of running it down before its sale last year, Cable says events should not go unchallenged.

'In quite a lot of cases there's a feeling of extreme frustration, that although this isn't fraud it's very, very bad behaviour,' he says. 'The taxpayer is left with a bill and you don't have satisfactory mechanisms for dealing with it.'

Cable's views will be taken seriously because of his involvement with the situation after the collapse of Comet.

Amid suggestions that its private equity owners had walked away with tens of millions of pounds in profit from the administration, Cable launched an investigation.

But the outcome was unsatisfactory, he argues  with a report being produced that involved no action and could not be published.

'It's a peculiar system, governed by legal processes, not done in a very open and democratic way. Even when you had criticism of directors it was difficult for the Secretary of State to wade in.'

He is critical of Green's tenure at BHS, saying the collapse 'reflects very badly on his custody'. Cable adds: 'Morally and ethically he should be making good the deficit in the pension fund.'

The Liberal Democrat lost his Twickenham seat a year ago, but he has not gone quiet.

He has intervened over Tata Steel UK  pointing out the necessity of sorting out its pension problems before a sale could be contemplated  and he has been outspoken on the subject of executive pay.

And Cable has spoken in five debates on the subject of the EU referendum in the last fortnight.

'The scenario not too many people are talking about is a very, very close result on a low turnout, so it has low legitimacy,' he says.

'If there is a 51/49 vote for Brexit on a 50 per cent turnout, Parliament isn't going to allow Brexit on that basis. There could be messy outcomes where the way forward isn't at all clear.'

Despite that he says he is 'reasonably optimistic' that the Remain side will win, but adds that it has not been all plain sailing.

'One has to acknowledge the Brexit campaign has had the best tunes. The idea you are controlling immigration has got through. The Brexit people have had the wind behind them and Cameron and Osborne have had their troubles.'

He has noticed a generation gap among voters. 'With young people the In vote is overwhelmingly strong. For pensioners, Brexit tends to come through,' he says.

There could be messy outcomes where the way forward isn't at all clear - Vince Cable

Cable now has several academic roles, as a professor at the LSE, the University of Nottingham and St Mary's University in Twickenham.

He has written a book  entitled After The Storm  about the financial crisis and he works as a director of several small businesses.

Although he says he is unlikely to stand for office again, he is chairing a new tax policy group for the Liberal Democrats and remains an influential figure on issues concerning the steel industry, executive pay and other matters.

He is backing calls by Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell to implement a crackdown on executive pay by making it a requirement that staff get involved with the process. Cable describes this as a potential 'big game changer'.

At the moment companies only have to report on whether they have consulted staff  and few do.

Cable adds that he would like to see shareholders be more open about what they are doing to control soaraway pay packages.

'One small thing would be to make it an obligation on institutional shareholders to declare how they voted and publish it,' he says.

On the subject of steel, he launches into a surprising defence of European state aid rules. Many say these get in the way of governments trying to prevent the collapse of big employers like Tata Steel UK.

Crisis: Cable has intervened in the Tata Steel sale which has been held up by a pension deficit

The rules  intended to encourage fair competition across the EU  stop governments from subsidising favoured industries.

Cable says: 'Firms come the whole time to tell government to put in money  particularly in the steel industry.

'You would be faced with vast open-ended commitments if you got a bidding war between member states. It is very much in our interest that there's a disciplined system.'

Cable does not want to give too much away about the Liberal Democrats' new tax policy group, but two things interest him.

'We need to shift the burden of tax away from equity on to debt,' he says. That means a possible further crackdown on companies like those in private equity which take on huge loans and deduct the interest costs from their profits to reduce their tax bills.

He adds that he would like to bring back tax relief on capital gains tax, which was abolished by the Coalition.

Cable says the move would encourage long-term investment by allowing people to pay lower CGT if they hold on to an investment.
We do like to be beside the seaside and never more so than on a Bank Holiday, says payments firm Worldpay, whose analysis shows that Tenby, in Wales, will benefit most from the long weekend.

Based on Bank Holiday card transactions in May last year, Worldpay said takings in cafes, pubs, restaurants and tourist attractions in the resort in Pembrokeshire could be seven times higher than on a normal weekend.

Two more seaside towns, Great Yarmouth in Norfolk and Skegness in Lincolnshire, see the second and third largest rise, with spending three times higher than on an average weekend, suggesting that even the slew of washout Bank Holidays has failed to dampen British optimism.

Hot spot: Worldpay said takings in cafes, pubs, restaurants and tourist attractions in Tenby could be seven times higher than on a normal weekend

Dave Hobday, managing director of Worldpay UK, said: Like many people, Im praying the weather forecasters are wrong and were treated to something a bit more like a weekend in May than the snow thats predicted.

But every cloud has a silver lining and, as our data has shown in the past, bars and restaurants with the foresight to market themselves as a refuge from unseasonal weather could find themselves very busy this weekend.

Worldpays analysis of the recent Easter break showed restaurants and pubs tend to benefit from bad weather, as people planning a weekend outdoors change their plans at the last minute.
Chennai: CPI National Secretary D Raja on Sunday charged the NDA government with taking "anti-working class" measures in the name of reforms, one example of which was to try and "privatise PSUs like the banking sector".

"BJP government is trying to change the labour laws in the name of reforms and they are taking all anti-working class measures. The Modi government wants to privatise Public Sector Undertakings, including banking sector to serve the interest of corporate houses," Raja said.

"Now the working class has to fight all anti-working class policies of the Modi government," he said.

Referring to RBI Governor Raghuram Rajan's "one-eyed king" remarks, Raja said though BJP ministers have criticised him over it, "his (Rajan's) comments explain everything. The economy is in a bad shape now".

Taking a dig at DMK and AIADMK, he said both the parties have "failed" the people of Tamil Nadu and new voters were looking forward for an alternative in the form of People's Welfare Front, of which his party is a constituent.

"DMK criticises AIADMK for failing people and AIADMK criticises DMK for failing people. But both parties have failed the people. It is time to move forward for another level of development and this People's Welfare Front-DMDK-TMC combination is a viable alternative," he said.

"I think people of Tamil Nadu, particularly new voters look forward to this front for a change and alternative," he said.

On increase in the fuel prices yesterday he said, "We condemn the increase in fuel prices. The Modi government has increased the prices of diesel and petrol. Whenever there is a fall in prices in the international market, it's not shared with the people in the country. This we condemn," he said.
Discounts: Your Business Community founder Ted Wigzell

The founders of a new business group, Your Business Community, claim they are rapidly poaching members from the Federation of Small Businesses, including former chairman John Allan.

At the FSBs annual meeting in March, Allan was replaced by the groups former policy director, Mike Cherry.

Allan was suspended from the FSB after he was accused of helping a young woman to carry out escort services from a London hotel.

Allan denied the claims and the FSB later lifted the suspension. Allan has threatened legal action against the FSB as a result.

YBC co-founder Ted Wigzell, who was previously chairman of the Central London branch of the FSB, said: John Allan is happy for me to confirm that he has joined. Hes introduced a few members as well.

The role we are giving him is community leader. We will have a series of those around the country  people that business people look up to. People respect his opinion.

Based at a charitys office in Canary Wharf, London, YBC launched in late 2014. Co-founder Paul Kelly, who was chairman of the FSBs West London branch until 2014, said: We saw that there were gaps in the support that the FSB had, particularly in the South East.

YBC now has about 1,500 members. Wigzell said: We are seeing people moving over from the FSB massively. Weve got a benefit where you can have 1,000 business cards for 25. Thats what excites people, that we can negotiate discounts like that.

He added: The Business Show at ExCel in London [which takes place next week] is massive  theres about 25,000 attendees. We will run YBC Street and get a huge discount. Where it would normally cost at least 3,000 to exhibit, our members can do it for as little as 350.

Kelly said: It all boils down to the personal relationship which were trying to build. We think were a refreshing change. We can do things quickly. Weve turned around new benefits in a couple of weeks.

The founders are aiming to appeal to a younger generation of entrepreneurs than the existing business groups.

Wigzell said: There are literally kids in school starting businesses now and, with the best will in the world, if we feel the FSB, the British Chambers of Commerce and the Institute of Directors are old fashioned, what do they think?

Kelly said: Were trying to find the right people to head different areas of the team They need more of an understanding of what the business person requires.

'If you go back to Business Link, the Government service, most of the advice was from former bank managers. What do they know about running a firm?

Wigzell said: The Business Growth Service has gone as well. If youre starting out theres nowhere to go really and actually a whole load of predators.

'Without naming names, theres a member of ours who regularly goes to Birmingham for training, paying 2,000 every six months. I said, Why do you do it? She said, I get lots of free stuff. Its not free.

We hear horrifying stories of people paying obscene sums of money to get nothing.

Paul Horan, a health and safety consultant who was a member of the FSB for 20 years but has now joined YBC, said: I believe that people like Ted Wigzell have got a new impetus. The FSB is an outdated model that doesnt really represent small businesses.
Dehradun: Deposed Chief Minister Harish Rawat on Saturday asked Uttarakhand Governor K K Paul to take cognisance of a sting operation video against him, claiming it carries enough evidence to prove there was a "criminal conspiracy" by BJP and Congress "backstabbers" to topple an elected government.

Rawat said he has been ready for any probe from day one as he knows he is innocent but the "so-called sting CD should be investigated in entirety and not in bits and pieces."

The CBI has initiated its preliminary investigations into the sting operation in which Rawat was purportedly seen talking to middlemen in a bid to strike a deal with rebel Congress MLAs.

The agency questioned the journalist allegedly involved in the sting operation at its headquarters in New Delhi on Friday as part of its preliminary enquiry.

Alleging that the reputation of the journalist who made the CD has always been under suspicion, Rawat said a close analysis of the content of the CD in totality puts it beyond doubt that there was a "criminal conspiracy jointly hatched by BJP and Congress backstabbers" to topple an elected government in Uttarakhand.

Reading out transcripts of the CD as it appeared on social media at a press conference here, Rawat said names of Vijay Bahuguna, Saket Bahuguna and Kailash Vijayvargiya had been mentioned in the CD as people involved in the plot to throw him out of power.

Questioning the antecedents of the journalist who had made the CD, Rawat alleged dozens of cases had been lodged against him during the tenure of a former BJP chief minister on the basis of which a red corner notice had also been issued against him.

"Why doesn't the BJP show the courage of instituting a probe against the man who made the CD. His reputation has always been under a cloud of suspicion," he said.

Claiming that he was innocent, he said the CD was made to "malign him - a fact corroborated by its timing exactly six months before the state was to go to polls."

However, he said he was ready for any probe and will cooperate with any impartial inquiry into the sting CD.
Though Prime Minister Narendra Modi spent crores of rupees on creating Swachh Bharat it seems that MPs sitting close to him were not following the basics of hygiene and civic sense.

PIB chases news

Dipa Karmakar, 22-year old, has created history by becoming the first Indian woman gymnast to qualify for the forthcoming Rio Olympics. While the young athlete is receiving all-round accolade for her achievement and even met the Union minister for development of Northeast region (DoNER) Jitendra Singh, who lauded her for the achievement, the Central governments publicity arm, i.e. the Press Information Bureau, it seems was oblivious of the meeting.

While the meeting took place on April 21, the PIB issued a press release only on April 25, which was carried by all newspapers on April 26. While the faux pas left officialdom red-faced, it seems only a medal-worthy performance from the Tripura girl in the Olympics will make for prompt reporting!

A vote against Swachh Bharat

Our elected representatives have been known to indulge in various fetishes while hard at work in their respective houses. While MLAs in Karnataka were filmed watching porn during Assembly proceedings, fiddling with mobiles and tabs is a very common phenomenon among MLAs of various states and even our MPs.

However, this week a senior MP from Bihar, who is known for his love for khaini (chewing tobacco), was witnessed spitting the residue near his seat in the Rajya Sabha. Though Prime Minister Narendra Modi spent crores of rupees on creating Swachh Bharat it seems that MPs sitting close to him were not following the basics of hygiene and civic sense.

Empty firefight

The fire that destroyed thousands of rare specimens at the National Museum of Natural History at Mandi House, New Delhi, has once again brought the issue of the national capitals preparedness to handle such tragedies into focus. For a population of 167.88 lakh, the city reportedly has only 58 fire stations. In its report, the CAG said that in the 11th and 12th Five-Year Plans, the Delhi fire service (DFS) had proposed to increase its fire stations to 70. But the DFS was only able to add three stations in five years.

Interestingly, while Rs 199.99 lakh had been incurred in the name of awareness campaigns, the details of these campaigns were not made available to the CAG. The gossip doing the rounds is whether the Aam Aadmi Party government would provide all the required information to the auditor about DFS expenditures, which is directly under its own control, so that effective measures can be taken to prevent fires in the city.

Good luck for BJP

Newly-nominated Rajya Sabha member and Bharatiya Janata Party leader Subramanian Swamy is being described as partys Brahmastra (the most powerful weapon in the Hindu mythology) against the Congress in Parliament. His very first debut speech in Parliament (a day later when he took the oath) lasted less than a minute as angry Congress MPs trooped into the well of the House as he named the Congress president while talking about AgustaWestland bribery case. It only led to war of words between the Congress and BJP leadership.

Dr Swamy is considered by many as a bitter critic of the Congress. Dr Swamy, an eminent lawyer, is already fighting the National Herald case, in which the Congress high command had been named. Incidentally, Dr Swamy took oath on a Tuesday (Mangalwar), which his supporters and followers on Twitter, saw as a sign that his nomination will only bring mangal (good luck) to the BJP.

Avenging humiliation

Cornered and marginalised for long in his party for his acerbic voice on scams and scandals, Biju Janata Dal vice-president and Orissa minister for excise Damodar Rout was seething with anger, desperately looking for an opportunity to avenge his humiliation.

On April 27, when the second phase of the ongoing Budget Session of Orissa Assembly began, Dr Rout stood up during the Zero Hour to say something.

Sensing that Dr Rout could embarrass the party in the Assembly by reiterating the alleged involvement of a ministerial colleague in a chit-fund scam Speaker Niranjan Pujari did not allow him to speak.

At this, the septuagenarian leader immediately retreated to his Assembly chamber. The television reporters who always chase Dr Rout to get some good sound bytes immediately rushed to him for his comment on Mr Pujaris decision.

It may be my misfortune that I was not allowed to speak. But I cannot ask him why he did not give me the chance to speak.

The Speaker has all prerogatives to decide who will speak and who will not. I feel myself most unlucky, he said. Television channels ran the news titled: All is not well in the ruling BJD. Senior leader Damodar Rout unhappy over not being allowed to speak in the Assembly BJD divided over chit-fund scam

The Opposition Congress and Bharatiya Janata Party leaders immediately seized the opportunity to attack the BJD. They said the BJD is afraid of Dr Rout as he would have exposed some more leaders of the ruling party involved in the chit-fund scam.

The cafe stroke

Ever heard of a cafe suffering from a heat stroke? The recently opened Sheroes Hangout, a cafe being run by acid-attack survivors in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, has a glaring notice put up on its locked gates. It reads: Due to heat stroke, the cafe will open only between 5 pm and 10 pm. The cafe, which is being run in an open veranda was inaugurated by Uttar Pradesh chief minister Akhilesh Yadav on Womens Day on March 8.

Mr Yadav had visited the first Hangout Cafe in Agra last year and was so impressed by the concept that he offered the proprietors a chance to open another outlet in Lucknow. A food joint being run by Uttar Pradesh tourism was promptly handed over to acid-attack survivors and the cafe got going, but as soon as the mercury started rising, customers started staying away. Even acid-attack survivors who run the cafe are finding it tough to bear the heat and hence the heat stroke notice.

One of the girls who works in the cafe explained the gaffe and said, It is actually the system here that is suffering from a heat stroke. We repeatedly told the officials that the cafe should be covered with air conditioners but they gave it to us as though they were giving alms to a beggar. If the cafe finally shuts down, one should not be surprised  after all people (read cafes) do die of heat stroke.

A credibility crisis

Several players in Kashmirs unsettling politics are suffering from credibility crisis and, in order to come out of these, they generally play to the gallery. You will find them always ready to milk any source of potential advantage even if trifling in nature. Once the heartbeat of many Kashmiris for being an irate and outspoken advocate of their political aspirations, Abdul Rashid Kabuli, a former member of the Lok Sabha, seems to be among those caught in this bizarre situation.

Mr Kabulis political journey began as a student leader owing allegiance to pro-Independence camp. Elected to Jammu and Kashmir Assembly a couple of times with active support from Kashmirs pro-plebiscite Mirwaiz family, he switched sides and joined mainstream National Conference and was twice elected to the Lok Sabha from Srinagar on its ticket. With the Kashmiri separatist campaign bursting into major violence in 1989-90, Mr Kabuli found himself politically uprooted.

His joining Bharatiya Janata Party later on came as a rude shock even to his admirers. Though he quit the saffron party before long, his aaya ram, gaya ram attitude and oscillation between extremes ruined his credibility as a politician.

The 80-year-old now heads the one-person political outfit J&K National Democratic Front and his credibility has suffered to the extent that last week he was seen circulating his daughters wedding invitation cards with an acknowledgement note from Mudasir Iqbal Cheema, an official at New Delhis Pakistan high commission, stating his willingness to attend the reception if permitted to travel to Srinagar by the Government of India. But Mr Kabulis stunt found no takers.
Austin, Texas: A grandmother and four of her grandchildren were killed and another person was missing in floods in Texas caused by storms that unleashed tornadoes, damaging hail and torrential rains on several central United States' (US) states, officials said on Saturday.

The flood victims in Palestine, Texas, 100 miles (160 km) southeast of Dallas, escaped a house where flood waters had reached the roof line and were then swept away, Palestine police Captain James Muniz said. "They were able to get out but they were washed away," he said, adding their bodies were recovered on Saturday.

Those killed were identified as Jamonicka Johnson, 6, Von Johnson Jr., 7, Devonte Asberry, 8, Venetia Asberry, 9 and Lenda Asberry, 64, the city said. Palestine police took the bodies to Tyler, Texas, for autopsies, officials said. A man, about 30 years old, remained missing elsewhere in Anderson County, according to the sheriff's office.

Seven homes were evacuated and temporary shelters were established, officials said. The city received 7.5 inches (19 cm) of rain in less than an hour, which caused the floods. "I don't recall ever seeing this much water rise so fast and in such a short period of time," Palestine Mayor Bob Herrington said in a statement where he also offered condolences to the family of the five victims.

The National Weather Service issued a flash flood watch extending from east Texas into much of Mississippi and a severe thunderstorm watch for New Orleans and the southern Louisiana region. "Strong to severe thunderstorms are expected today into this evening across the lower Mississippi Valley, Tennessee Valley, Ozarks and the Ohio Valley," it said.

Strong winds in the Houston area downed trees and cut power lines, the service said. As of 10:30 a.m. local time, more than 4,200 customers in the region were without power, CenterPoint Energy reported. There were seven reported tornadoes from the storm system on Friday in Texas and Oklahoma, it said. A twister caused damage to several structures and ripped through mobile homes in Ninnekah, about 50 miles (80 km) southwest of Oklahoma City, local news reports said.
Yemen\s government temporarily suspended Sunday its participation in talks with Iran-backed rebels in protest at their takeover of a military base and continued ceasefire violations, officials said.

"The delegation of the republic of Yemen has suspended its participation in Kuwait talks because of the continued violations by rebels and their takeover of Al-Amaliqa base," foreign minister and head of delegation Abdulmalek al-Mikhlafi said on Twitter.

He said the suspension will last "until guarantees for compliance were provided", without providing details.

A spokesman for Mikhlafi told AFP that the government delegation has suspended its participation in both "direct and indirect" talks taking place in Kuwait.

"The suspension will continue until guarantees are provided that the rebels will stop their ceasefire violations and withdraw from the base," Mane al-Matari told AFP.

A statement by the government delegation called on the UN envoy, Kuwait and other Gulf states and countries backing the peace process "to apply pressure on the other side to comply with peace requirements."

The United Nations said it was informed by the government delegation that it will not attend a round of talks scheduled for later Sunday.

UN envoy Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed said he made contacts with members of both delegations and that he had received assurances that they would continue to try to resolve their differences but without face-to-face meetings.

Huthi rebel spokesman Mohammed Abdulsalam however criticised the Yemeni government\s decision.

"Those who don\t want peace  are the ones who create false justifications and reasons to obstruct," the talks, Abdulsalam wrote on Twitter.

On Saturday, Yemen\s warring parties held their first face-to-face talks since the negotiations in Kuwait began on April 21.

The UN envoy said these direct talks were "productive" and had touched on key issues.

But later Saturday, the rebels and their allies overran Al-Amaliqa base in northern Yemen after hours of clashes, tribal and military sources said, adding that the fighting caused casualties.

The sources said the commanders of the 600-strong brigade at the base, located in the rebel stronghold province of Amran since 2014, had "chosen to remain neutral" as pro-government forces, backed a Saudi-led coalition, clashed with the insurgents across Yemen.

"The attack against Al-Amaliqa brigade torpedoes the peace consultations in Kuwait," Mikhlafi has said on Twitter.

Yemen\s warring parties have repeatedly traded blame for ceasefire violations.

Government loyalists said they have recorded "3,694 ceasefire violations by the Huthis and their allies"  troops fighting in support of former president Ali Abdullah Saleh.

Meanwhile, the rebels accused government forces and the Saudi-led coalition backing them of 4,000 breaches.

The coalition in March 2015 began a military campaign against the rebels, who have seized the capital Sanaa among other parts of the country.

The UN says that more than 6,400 people have been killed since then and around 2.8 million displaced.

SOURCE: AFP
London: In a yet another incident of hate crime against Sikhs in US, a Sikh man was pulled off from a bus and detained for nearly 30 hours after being heard speaking in Punjabi. A fellow passenger has allegedly falsely accused him of making a terror bomb threat. According to The Independent, Daljeet Singh, who is originally from India and was recently granted asylum in the US, was taking a Greyhound bus from Phoenix, Arizona, to Indianapolis, Indiana.

Mr Singh began talking with another co-passenger, Mohammed Chotri who was an immigrant from eastern Pakistan, where Punjabi is commonly spoken.

According to a complaint filed by Mr Singh and the Sikh Coalition, a woman on the bus reported to police that the two men were acting weird, speaking Arabic, and discussing a bomb.

Police also removed Ms Singhs turban and distributed mug shots of him without his turban to local media. After being interviewed by the FBI the duo were let off and no charges were filed. The only crime I committed was wearing a turban, having a beard, and speaking in a different language to another brown man on a bus, Mr Singh said.


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Back when the Social Security system was first set up, the average age a person lived to was about equal to when benefits started to be handed out.

Put another way, the system was designed so that about half the people in it died before they would collect any money. We were also birthing new workers faster than the old ones were retiring. So a larger and larger base of workers was funding the retired ones.

These facts and others helped make the system fiscally sound.

But as we are all aware, the system now has a lot more people living into retirement than dying before it. They are living longer on top of that (my Mom, who recently turned 93, thought she'd live a long time  but not that long). And there are fewer people of working age relative to those retired than there used to be.

We're not alone in this problem. In fact, almost all of the industrialized nations have the same issues  most of them have it even worse than we do. Trust me, Angela Merkel didn't let all those refugees into Germany only because of her kind heart. She saw this as a way to make up for the fact Germans just don't seem to like having babies (otherwise known as future workers) anymore.

That's why I think we should have a door. Something nice. Solid wood construction with some decorative molding. Maybe paint it red to make it stand out.

What's with the door, you might ask. Well, there are a lot of people (including a few noisy ones running for president) who want to build a wall to keep folks out of the country. My door would go into the wall so we could let some folks in.

You see, I like the idea that we attract the hardest working, most energetic, smartest people from around the world and have them work here.

Hold on, you might say. They will take American jobs away. Well, yes and no. Indeed they will work here, but they will also consume here. Thus they both take jobs and create jobs. Most studies I've seen seem to indicate it's about a wash. Plus, if they are not here being hardworking and brilliant, they'll be in their home country being hardworking and brilliant. I'd rather there be competition living here paying our taxes than somewhere else competing against us.

And don't worry, it is a door. You can open it for whom you want and close it when you need to. I don't want terrorists or drug lords here anymore than you do. Fortunately, the vast majority just want a chance to provide their families a better future, much like my great-grandparents did when they came across the oceans not that long ago. We are fortunate. After all these years, people all over the world continue to see us as the land of opportunity.
BELOW: A graphic representation depicts renovated Wichita Falls City Council chambers. An approximately $500,500 project will make the room ADA-compliant, modernize seating, overhaul restrooms on the first floor and add improved technology. Renderings by Harper Perkins Architects Inc.

SHARE Rendering by Harper Perkins Architects Inc. A graphic representation depicts renovated Wichita Falls City Council Chambers. An approximately $500,500 project will make the room ADA-compliant, modernize seating, overhaul restrooms on the first floor and add improved technology. Rendering by Harper Perkins Architects Inc. A graphic representation depicts renovated Wichita Falls City Council Chambers. An approximately $500,500 project will make the room ADA-compliant, modernize seating, overhaul restrooms on the first floor and add improved technology. Rendering by Harper Perkins Architects Inc. A graphic representation depicts renovated Wichita Falls City Council Chambers. An approximately $500,500 project will make the room ADA-compliant, modernize seating, overhaul restrooms on the first floor and add improved technology.

By Claire Kowalick of the Times Record News

A much-needed City Council chambers upgrade is in the works for the city of Wichita Falls.

A resolution on the council agenda for Tuesday's meeting will be considered to authorize a bid to Trinity Hughes Construction for $278,500 for the first phase of renovation. This first phase will focus on the room renovation and the next phase will focus on the audio/visual control room and other technology.

Information technology director for the city, Blake Jurecek, presented design ideas to council and staff at a work session Feb. 10.

"It's going to have a more modern look and feel. We're going to take it out of the 1960s and bring it into today," he said.

Mayor Glenn Barham said the remodel was a win all around because it was a budget-neutral item for the city.

The total $500,500 project will be funded though payments the city receives from the Public, Education and Government Channel Funding program.

A regulatory mandate states that the local cable company (Time Warner Cable) for a region provide the municipality a channel to show government meeting and information. The cable company then returns 1 percent of their revenue to fund the production of shows on this channel. The city is allowed to use these funds for certain capital equipment and improvements.

The city receives quarterly payments (about $11,000 per month) from TWC to provide technology and equipment that benefit residents. Funds have already been used to construct a video production studio at the Wichita Falls Police Department Training Center.

Jurecek said the most important changes for the chambers are to make it compliant with the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA), modernize the seating and decor, and improve the audio/visual control room equipment.

City staff worked with Harper Perkins Architects Inc. on the design and out of three choices, council members and staff preferred the first, which includes only moderate changes to the layout of the room.

The council seats will be lowered from 18 inches to 10 inches and a 10-foot ramp will be added to make council seating ADA accessible, 76 seats will be available for visitors, and there will be an overhaul to the first-floor restrooms.

Demolition and asbestos abatement is planned to begin May 18 and continue through the summer. During construction, city council meeting will be held at the Multi-Purpose Events Center. Jurecek said they hope to hold meetings in the renovated chambers by the first meeting in August.

In other matters, the council will consider five resolutions:

A resolution authorizing the city manager to execute a Memorandum of Understanding with the Wichita Falls Independent School District (WFISD) for public improvements related to the construction of the Career and Technical Education (CTE) Building.

A resolution awarding a bid and contract for $310,922 to Duke Holding Company Inc. for the annual concrete street rehabilitation project.

A resolution to apply for $29,351 for the Bulletproof Vest Partnership Program.

A resolution to execute agreements with regional public transportation providers receiving Federal Transit Administration (FTA) support for the purchase of fuel, and amending the 2015-2016 budget accordingly.

A resolution to apply for and accept a Bus/Bus Facilities: Section 5339 Grant from the FTA to purchase four 35-foot low-floor transit buses.
Patrick Johnston/Times Record News Sen. Craig Estes speaks to a group of about 50 people gathered Saturday at the P.E.T.S. Low Cost Spay and Neuter Clinic.

SHARE Patrick Johnston/Times Record News Wichita Falls City Councilor Stephen Santellana (arm raised) answers a question posed about how to work toward getting laws enforced that prevent dog fighting and other animal rights issues Saturday morning during a discussion with Sen. Craig Estes at the P.E.T.S. Low Cost Spay and Neuter Clinic.

By Patrick Johnston, patrick.johnston@timesrecordnews.com

A Wichita Falls state senator praised local efforts to protect animals during a discussion Saturday morning at P.E.T.S. Low Cost Spay and Neuter Clinic.

Republican Sen. Craig Estes reminded the group that while it may not seem like efforts are going far enough at the Legislature when it comes to the laws and regulations, he and other lawmakers are working incrementally toward long-term goals.

"Sometimes, you don't get everything you want," Estes said. "Sometimes you get half a loaf, which is good. Then you go back and try to get the next half a loaf the next time."

About 50 people attended the event sponsored by the Texas Humane Legislation Network, a grass roots, nonprofit animal welfare organization that has primarily focused on lobbying for animal protection at the Texas Legislature since 1975.

Estes urged the group to be formulating suggestions and begin proposing them to the Legislature now, preferably through a phone call or a personal letter.

"The conversations during the interim are critically important," Estes said of the breaks between legislative sessions. "If you're not working on things you want to work on right now for next January and start working on them instead in January, it's way too late. That five months (of the legislative session) goes by so fast."

The senator answered questions from the audience regarding puppy mills, dog fighting and what the Legislature is doing to ensure they are enforced.

"You have to realize that a lot of times we'll pass a law, but then whatever state agency that is affected writes the rules for the law," Estes said. "Sometimes there's a disconnect there."

He gave an example of drones and concerns by people that their privacy may be violated in their backyards by people photographing them with drones.

"Now, as drones have become more and more prolific and more popular, we'll go back in and tweak that law over the years," he said. "It's the same way with the puppy mills bill. It may not be perfect, but you go in and try to tweak it.

"At the end of the day, it's a long, slow process. ... You have to pass incomplete legislation and vow to work on it in the future."

Estes said he didn't currently have any animal rights legislation that he was working on personally but was willing to listen to concerns they had.

One person from Weatherford brought up a case they are working on currently. He said a man was sent to prison for a while and came back to get his animals once he was out of jail, but they had been adopted out to three families already.

The man was threatening toward the staff members of the agency and later figured out he could file an open records request for the names, addresses and phone numbers of the families to go get his dogs back and "steal them."

The person wanted to figure out if there was any legislation that could be passed to protect the families that adopt animals in these situations, much like there is for what an individual checks out from the library.

"We'd have to look at that. Open records requests are like holy grail," Estes said before asking his regional coordinator to write down the idea. " ... That's something I never thought of before though."
It may be true, as Mark Twain once wrote, that "broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the Earth all one's lifetime."

But if contemporary filmmaking is to be believed, planting seeds in new lands can still result in some pretty nasty farming accidents.

A prime example opens this week. "A Hologram for the King," starring Tom Hanks, debuts Wednesday at the Tribeca Film Festival and then opens Friday in theaters around the country. Directed by Tom Tykwer ("Run Lola Run") and based on a Dave Eggers bestseller, it is a modest release, at least by modern Marvel standards; indeed, its story of a dispossessed American sales executive would seem like so many midlife crises pictures that have come before.

Yet "Hologram" is about a man who heads to the alien sands of Saudi Arabia to revive his flagging career, only to encounter some international-sized bumps; as the film plays out, it reveals itself to be the latest but by no means last of a new breed.

On screens everywhere, it seems, Americans are leaving their homeland  for reasons of necessity, opportunity or desperation  and dropping into exotic places. Sometimes they're in Afghanistan, joining a fraternity of unmoored journalists (Tina Fey's "Whiskey Tango Foxtrot"), finessing singing competitions (Bill Murray's "Rock the Kasbah") or even observing military high jinks (Brad Pitt's "War Machine," out in the fall).

Other times, they've headed to Fallujah, to deal weapons (Miles Teller and Jonah Hill's "War Dogs," out this summer). In certain cases, they've traveled to Latin America, to goose elections (Sandra Bullock's "Our Brand Is Crisis").

Although the settings can be different, these Americans-abroad movies tend to share markings:

A person savvy at home is given a comeuppance when traveling abroad.

There is almost always a colorful but wise driver  the foreign fixer is to the American-abroad film what Morgan Freeman is to God movies.

Soldiers are often featured characters, but civilians are most often the focus; these are films mainly set in war zones, but they're not war films.

And there is nearly always a scene where a person goes out to truly understand the local culture, only to be startled by the poverty or violence encountered, making one wonder where such a person lived before, and if such a place lacked access to CNN.

More than most subgenres in Hollywood, these Americans-abroad films come from a good and less profiteering place. These are movies of globalized ambition, but in the best way, designed to shed light. Where corporate Hollywood executives are looking to colonize other parts of the world, these filmmakers simply hope to understand it. Where presidential candidates try to exploit otherness, these movies seek to dialogue with it.

"People travel more; we meet people from more places than ever. Yet this experience doesn't seem to be reflected in our culture," Tykwer said. "How they're handled in our politics is abstractly, from a distance. The separation of cultures that seems active in daily politics does not resonate with personal experience. So we're trying to break that separation, that way of being kept at a distance. Because otherness isn't as scary anymore."

And yet questions exist. Are noble ambitions tantamount to good results? It's an issue many centuries old, at least since Ferdinand and Isabella sent Columbus out exploring: Is looking beyond one's borders a recognition of a wider world or an attempt to impose dominance on it?

Certainly, at a time when one can decry Hollywood for becoming ever narrower in its concerns (by looking ever higher to the superhero heavens), it's hard to be too cynical about a movie that takes modern realities  or an actual, more Earth-bound foreign culture  into account.

"The film works against the first draft tropes of a very mysterious and, let's face it, odd place," Hanks said of the depiction of Saudi Arabia in "Hologram." "If we do it right, it's a brand new world."

He has a point  these films offer fresh, dramatic opportunities, and educational ones as well.

Yet one still can't help feeling a little uncomfortable at these movies, nagged by the sense that so much foreign experience is coming through the lens of Americans, that to understand a distant land one must have both corn-fed movie star and a jingoistic pair of glasses, no matter how much its lenses may fog up along the way.

American film characters have been hopping to foreign, conflict-ridden places for a long time; for example, William A. Wellman's 1938 World War I veteran-goes-to-China tale "Men With Wings."

So the idea is not new. But the current crop is bigger and born of different factors. This is likely a result of global conflicts and the ever-present globalization. But it is also the product of something more specific: a child of two cinematic genres.

The war picture has always been a staple of filmmaking, with brothers forced to band together in places where they are frequently not welcome.

And then there is the tradition of the American who quickly gets in over his or her head in another country. This subgenre reached perhaps its quantitative if not creative peak in the 1980s, with films such as Roman Polanski's "Frantic" and, more campily, the Anthony Edwards-starring "Gotcha!" The Cold War offered itself up for friction and paranoia  Edwards stepping into East Berlin got him killed, even if the mysterious agent of danger was Linda Fiorentino, and even if she turned out to be only from Pittsburgh.

If today's films are generally more wry and world weary about the dangers, they nonetheless fall into the same cautionary bucket: Picking up a passport and flying to an exotic location could really get you killed.

These pictures pose risks for filmmakers as well. They are not easy movies, almost always pitched between laughter and tears. The fish out of water is an inherently comedic character. Yet the reason many of these characters go to foreign countries, and the fates that stalk them once they arrive, are often far from funny.
This year marks the 100th anniversary of the U.S. National Park Service. PBS is airing a six-part Ken Burns documentary on the history of the parks.

Though most Americans have heard only of the big wilderness parks, there are 407 national parks in total.
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Berlin

A national convention by a populist German party was overshadowed Saturday by clashes between leftists and police, who temporarily detained more than 400 demonstrators in the southern city of Stuttgart.

Protesters shouted "Refugees can stay, Nazis must go!" as some 2,000 members of the Alternative for Germany party arrived at the convention center Saturday morning.

The protesters also temporarily blocked a nearby highway and burned tires on another road leading to the convention center. Some 1,000 police officers were on the scene to prevent clashes between nationalist party members and leftist demonstrators.

At the convention itself, party leaders tried to play down differences over the party's ideological orientation  in particular, its disputed closeness to the far-right party NPD or to the PEGIDA movement, which has been organizing weekly rallies against Muslims across Germany. The nationalist party, known by its acronyms AfD, has been growing in popularity and political influence as it campaigns on an anti-Islam platform.

It advocates tougher controls on asylum-seekers and has faced criticism for its comments, including an interview in which party leader Frauke Petry suggested police could shoot refugees trying to enter Germany.
Seoul, South Korea: After four years of top-level reshuffles, purges and executions, Kim Jong-Un will formally cement his unassailable status as North Korea's supreme leader at a landmark ruling party congress this week.

The first gathering of its kind for nearly 40 years is really a coronation of sorts -- recognising the young 33-year-old leader as the legitimate inheritor of the dynastic dictatorship started by his grandfather Kim Il-Sung and passed down through his late father Kim Jong-Il.

"This congress means everything for Kim Jong-Un," said John Delury, a North Korea expert at Yonsei University in Seoul.

"It is the most public, historic setting in which he can demonstrate that he is fully in charge, and that everyone follows his orders," Delury said.

"Nominally, it's for the party, but really this congress is for Kim," he added.

Kim wasn't even born when the last congress was held in 1980 to crown his father as the heir apparent to founding leader Kim Il-Sung.

When his own turn came, following the death of Kim Jong-Il in December 2011, there were numerous doubters who suggested the Swiss finishing school graduate lacked the survival skills needed for the Machiavellian world of North Korean power politics.

But he proved them wrong, purging the party, government and powerful military of those seen as disloyal, and displaying a ruthless streak that notably led to the execution of his powerful uncle, and one-time political mentor, Jang Song-Thaek.

Policy pivot

He also adjusted his father's "songun", or military first policy, to a "byungjin" policy of pursuing nuclear weapons in tandem with economic development.

The nuclear half of that strategy has dominated the run-up to the party congress, starting with a fourth nuclear test in January that was followed by a long-range rocket launch and a flurry of other missile and weapons tests.

"The objective of all that was clear from the start," said Victor Cha, Korea Chair at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS).

"It was a race to have a credible nuclear deterrent in place, as a crowning achievement, before the congress opens," Cha said.

But there was an embarrassing stumble in the home straight, with the failure in recent weeks of three separate efforts to test fire a powerful, new mid-range ballistic missile capable of striking US bases on the Pacific island of Guam.

Nuclear test prologue

One final act might still play out before the party gathering begins on May 6, with many predicting a fifth nuclear test to underline the North's status as a genuine nuclear power.

Then, once the congress gets underway, comes the question of what, beyond Kim's leadership qualities, the gathering will seek to spotlight.

The optimist's scenario is that, with a confirmed nuclear deterrent in the bag, Kim will announce that the North's security is ensured and the focus can now switch to the other half of his "byungjin" strategy -- economic development.

"The key is not whether such a strong North Korean deterrent force is a reality, not even whether Kim believes it, but whether he will set out this position as the philosophical basis for a new direction in policy," said Robert Carlin, a visiting scholar at the Centre for International Security and Cooperation in California.

In his very first public address, at a military parade in April 2012, Kim had said he was determined that North Koreans would "never have to tighten their belts again".

The need to raise living standards has been a constant refrain of his annual New Year addresses, although analysts note that they have been largely devoid of any specific policy initiatives.

So while the party congress does provide the platform for a genuine policy shift, it can just as easily become a stage for tired, self-congratulatory rhetoric that offers little in the way of change.

New, young leaders?

Whatever the tone, the content of the speeches, especially Kim's keynote address, will be closely scrutinised as will any personnel changes, with analysts looking for a younger crop of officials to take over leadership positions.

The North's chief diplomatic ally, China, which has become increasingly frustrated with Pyongyang's refusal to restrain its nuclear ambitions, will be among the closest observers.

"Any North Korean rhetorical emphasis on living standards and peaceful development over nuclear chest-thumping and threats... will be interpreted by Chinese state media as evidence that things are moderating," said Adam Cathcart, a University of Leeds specialist on China-North Korea ties.

"There may also be more willingness to work with newly-promoted officials who are somewhat younger and presumably more pragmatic," Cathcart said.
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Albany

It's difficult to predict what your household bills will be by 2030. But your natural gas bill likely will have barely budged.

While natural gas hydrofracking is banned in New York and two massive gas pipeline projects hit the rocks last month, the state is benefiting from an ongoing gas boom in Pennsylvania and West Virginia that many experts believe will keep prices in the Northeast low for years.

The impact of cheap gas is rippling through the state and its economy.

More than four million homeowners have enjoyed heating bills lowered by hundreds of dollars as average gas utility prices last year sank to levels not seen since 2002.

And since power plants fired by natural gas produce an ever-increasing share of the state's electricity, by January 2016 average power rates paid by homeowners were the lowest in nearly a decade.

Last year, plants that used gas made 44 percent of the state's electricity, compared to just 35 percent in 2009.

"Low gas prices are certainly a benefit to consumers," said Gavin Donohue, president of Independent Power Producers of New York, an Albany-based lobbying group that represents plant owners. "Every report I've seen says we are going to see low gas prices for years."

But Donohue also warned the state should not grow overdependent on any fuel source for its electricity, including gas. "We have to watch our fuel diversity mix carefully. California had an energy crisis a few years ago based on natural gas overdependence," he said.

State energy planners are counting on the gas glut lasting through at least 2030 from a tide of hydrofracked gas flowing northward from the Marcellus Shale, according to the state 2015 Energy Plan released last summer by the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority.

Residential gas rates in New York are projected to grow by a meager 0.7 percent annually through 2030 as the fossil fuel industry continues its "success in tapping the nation's extensive shale gas resource," the report stated. "With its nearness to the Marcellus Shale basin, New York should participate in prices lower that those experienced from 2000 through 2010 and more similar to those of the last few years."

That report also assumed that new gas pipelines linked to the Marcellus would expand in New York and elsewhere, although such projects, like the recently denied Constitution and suspended Northeast Energy Direct pipelines, have provoked growing public opposition in the state as residents object to potential environmental and health effects.

New pipelines "will enhance the state's access to supplies to meet future loads and will be critical to ensuring reliable, competitively priced supplies to New York in the future," according to the report.

That outlook is the polar opposite of the praise heaped on Gov. Andrew Cuomo last month after the state Department of Environmental Conservation denied the Constitution project on environmental grounds.

"New York doesn't need more pipelines," said Anne Marie Garti, a founding member of the grassroots group Stop the Pipeline and an attorney volunteering with the Pace Environmental Litigation Clinic. "New York City and most of the state is already awash in fracked gas from the Marcellus."

Cheap gas is causing pain for others in the state. With electric prices so low, upstate nuclear power plants are having trouble competing, and a renewable energy strategy pushed by Cuomo includes a $270 million subsidy to keep nuclear plants  and their jobs  afloat through 2030.

On the shores of Lake Ontario, owners of the James A. FitzPatrick nuclear power plant are blaming low prices on a decision to close the plant by January 2017, regardless of whether Cuomo's subsidy program is adopted.

And low prices are also putting a dent into the budget of the New York Power Authority, which sells electricity from the state's massive hydropower system along the Niagara and St. Lawrence rivers, and from several smaller downstate fossil fuel power plants.

Last year, the authority had a $135 million budget shortfall in its power sales as the price of wholesale electricity  the price that plant owners are paid to place power into the state grid  also hit a record low.

The 2015 average wholesale price was $44.09 per megawatt hour (equivalent to the power needed to power 1,000 average homes), lower than the previous low of $45.28 in 2012 and less than half the price in 2008, according to the New York Independent System Operator, which took over the grid in 1999.

And prices continue to plummet this year, from $36.42 in January, to $34.02 in February and $30.68 in March, according to NYISO figures. That means power plant owners that month got about half of what they received for their power two years ago.

The hit from falling prices comes as the Power Authority takes on the budget for the money-losing state canal system, which loses about $90 million a year.

Authority staff is "forecasting that prices will continue to be at much lower levels across all markets than they have seen historically," authority CFO Gerard Vincitore told board members in December according to authority minutes.

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Asked about the financial impact on NYPA from taking on the canal in a dawning era of lower power prices, the authority confirmed to the Times Union that canal expenses will be covered from authority power sales.

"Economic development programs will be funded first before the Canal Corp.," according to a NYPA statement. "Low natural gas prices have the effect of lowering the revenue associated with the portion of power that is not currently sold in a long-term contract and NYPA does not depend on that revenue for providing essential, reliable and safe electric service for New York."

Renewable energy from wind and solar is also being pressed by lowered prices to draw investment, and Cuomo's clean energy standard is proposing a $2.4 billion subsidy for new and additional producers through 2030, when he wants the state to get half its electric power from renewables.

Karl Rabago, executive director of the Pace Energy and Climate Center, said inexpensive gas is not necessarily the enemy of renewable energy.

"Low prices make people work harder, and competition is good," he said. Low prices on natural gas can free up investment capital to help finance other energy projects.

"We can take the cheap gas, but invest the savings in making a better system ... Policy makers have to be aware of the issue of overdependence," said Rabago. "But cheap natural gas is definitely tough on coal, tough on nukes."

New York is already more dependent on natural gas than other northeastern states. Natural gas accounts for 36 percent of all energy used in the state, more than any of the eight other states in the region, including Pennsylvania, where the gas boom is under way, according to a January 2016 report by the Northeast Gas Association, an industry group.

That reliance is even more pronounced when it comes to gas used to make electricity. In New York, 56 percent of electrical generating capacity is fired by gas, compared to 44 percent in New Jersey and just 27 percent in Pennsylvania.

And the Marcellus boom should continue its roar in coming years. In 2015, Pennsylvania and West Virginia produced about 16 billion cubic feet of natural gas  enough to completely power nearly 200,000 average homes for a year.

According to the American Gas Association report, that output is expected to grow to 25 billion cubic feet in coming years, or enough to power some 350,000 homes.

bnearing@timesunion.com  518-454-5094  @Bnearing10
Albany

Attorney General Eric Schneiderman declared Saturday that he has jurisdiction over Rensselaer County District Attorney Joel Abelove in the fatal police shooting of a suspected drunken driver two weeks ago.

The attorney general's unprecedented declaration came as Gov. Andrew Cuomo issued an executive order Saturday giving Schneiderman authority to probe "all unlawful acts or omissions or alleged unlawful acts or omissions by any law enforcement officer ... arising out of, relating to or in any way connected with the death of Edson Thevenin on April 17, 2016."

On Friday, the attorney general's office sent letters to the Rensselaer County District Attorney's Office and Troy police demanding that they turn over their investigative files in the case. The request followed reports that two bystanders who witnessed the shooting were not asked to testify in front of the Rensselaer County grand jury that cleared Sgt. Randall French, who fired eight rounds at Thevenin, of any wrongdoing. Police officials said French lawfully opened fire when Thevenin's vehicle pinned his legs against his police cruiser following a brief chase.

At least one of the witnesses took cellphone video of part of the incident, though it is unclear if the video captured the shooting or its aftermath, according to a person briefed on the investigation.

Approached by the Times Union on Saturday, both of the men who witnessed the shooting refused to speak with reporters.

The attorney general's intervention caps a two-week showdown between Schneiderman and Abelove, who has challenged an executive order signed last July by the governor giving the attorney general jurisdiction to investigate incidents in which unarmed civilians are killed during encounters with police.

On April 22  five days after Thevenin was killed  Abelove announced the grand jury would not charge French.

Schneiderman filed a lawsuit against the prosecutor on Wednesday, claiming Abelove "flagrantly violated" the executive order last week when the county office presented evidence to the grand jury.

Abelove has not said why he did not put the civilian witnesses in front of the grand jury. It is unclear whether Abelove gave immunity to French, who testified in front of the panel.

Spokesmen from the district attorney's office and Troy police could not be reached for comment on Saturday.

Troy Police Chief John Tedesco has said French followed his training and the law when he fired his service weapon eight times, killing the 37-year-old Watervliet man. The shooting took place at about 3:15 a.m. April 17 on Hoosick Street near the Collar City Bridge, after Thevenin's vehicle was boxed in by two police cruisers following a brief chase that police said began when he fled a traffic stop.

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Police said the stop was prompted by French's suspicion that Thevenin was driving while intoxicated.

Thevenin was shot through his windshield after, police allege, his vehicle pinned French against his police cruiser. Thevenin was not armed with a weapon although the police chief said Thevenin's vehicle was a weapon.

Schneiderman's office said it had told Abelove it would investigate the case but the DA then presented the case to a grand jury without notifying the attorney general.

A person briefed on the case who was not authorized to comment publicly said a Troy business owner took cellphone video of at least part of the incident, though it was unclear if it captured the shooting. On Friday, the man confirmed Abelove did not ask him to testify before the grand jury.

A second witness, who lives in Cohoes and recently took a civil service exam to become a police officer, like the business owner has hired an attorney.
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Albany

Three weeks before the November 2014 elections, a $100,000 check was deposited into a usually sleepy upstate campaign fund, the Ulster County Democratic Committee, from an entity called 71-85 Lewis Ave. LLC.

Over the next week, six-figure sums were then transferred to the campaign account of state Sen. Cecilia Tkaczyk, who was facing a tough re-election battle as her party fought for control of the Senate. The money was part of massive fundraising effort by New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio that is now part of sprawling federal probe.

As voters went to the polls that year, the individuals behind 71-85 Lewis Ave. LLC remained anonymous  thus making it impossible to know what matters they might have before New York government. In campaign filings, the company was listed incorrectly at a Manhattan address, and little other information was available.

Like several other anonymous givers in recent elections, the limited liability company was not principally housed in New York, but in Delaware, a state where the laws provide such anonymity to businesses' corporate founders that some tax experts compare it favorably to the Cayman Islands.

Last year in the Hudson Valley, two six-figure gifts from an unknown Delaware firm helped swing a local race to a Republican. Last month, a shadowy $50,000 given in a key state Senate special election on Long Island helped a Democrat gain what appears to be a narrow victory.

In each case, the Delaware LLCs do not appear to have ever given money in New York elections before, and have not since.

A 1996 state Board of Elections ruling means New York is uniquely vulnerable to such giving. The so-called "LLC loophole" in state election law allows limited liability companies to give six-figure donations  more than twenty times the $5,000 limit for corporations  to party committees, sums that can then be funneled in unlimited amounts to candidates. State Senate Republicans in Albany have blocked Democrats' efforts to close the LLC loophole legislatively.

The linked issues of corporate havens, tax avoidance and money laundering have gained new attention recently because of the "Panama Papers," a set of 11.5 million leaked documents detailing confidential information about 214,000 companies associated with a Panamanian law firm. The U.S. Treasury Department is expected to soon issue rules requiring banks to seek the identities of people behind shell companies who are their account holders.

Indeed, in one important way, according to Gary Kalman, executive director of the Washington D.C.-based Financial Accountability and Corporate Transparency Coalition, the corporate formation laws are actually tougher on businesses in places like Panama and the Cayman Islands than in the United States. Those with accounts in those countries are outside the reach of U.S. subpoena power, but those nations actually do make some effort to require the listing of a company's owners that benefit from the companies ("beneficial ownership") or direct them.

"In a world of electronic information, and an age of leaks, you could argue that those places are less secure than the United States," Kalman said.

In the U.S., many states do not require any such listing of beneficial ownership information  something that can make it difficult for law enforcement, much less the general public, to determine the companies' owners.

"In both Delaware and New York, the government can have no idea who owns a company," said Heather Lowe, legal counsel and director of government affairs at Global Financial Integrity, a nonprofit that promotes transparency in the world financial system. "There's nothing to subpoena."

In 2015, de Blasio did impose new disclosure requirements for shell companies buying or selling property in the city. That came in response to a New York Times series investigating the use of high-end real estate transactions by legally troubled foreign buyers. Still, experts say loopholes remain.

Delaware, the on-paper home of roughly half the nation's companies, has more corporate entities than human residents. It reaps a tax windfall from the many that choose to reside there, and some experts say its corporate disclosure requirements are among the country's least transparent.

"People tend to choose Delaware because it's incredibly easy to set up a corporation," Lowe said. "I can put in my info, and an hour later have (an entity) created with an expedited fee. Then I could make a campaign contribution the same day."

Indeed, Delaware has a thriving industry of generically named businesses, such as "The Corporation Company," that exist to act as the companies' in-state contact. The largest of these companies serve as the legal address for hundreds of thousands of businesses. Delaware is also appealing because companies can transfer tax liabilities from the state where they actually do business to a holding company in Delaware, where they do not have to pay taxes on certain income.

The state has taken some legislative action, and declares on its state website that, "Delaware is not a secrecy haven, any more than any other state or the United States itself. Indeed, Delaware has done more than most states to ensure proper transparency."

But experts say secrecy still reigns.

In 2014, the $100,000 gift to Tkaczyk, a freshman senator, came amid a flurry of huge donations and transfers arranged by a team organized by de Blasio. The mayor, who says he favors campaign finance reform, led a massive fundraising effort to retake control of the state Senate.

A de Blasio campaign spokesman refused at the time to identify the essentially anonymous LLC donor.

De Blasio's 2014 election efforts are now under federal investigation. U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara's office is looking into how money raised by de Blasio's team was funneled through several largely dormant upstate county committees to Senate Democratic candidates, including Tkaczyk, a tactic that potentially circumvented state contribution limits. An attorney for de Blasio's fundraising efforts says those tactics are entirely legal and common.

The LLC that gave the $100,000, 71-85 Lewis Ave., was formed in Delaware in 2013 and lists little identifying information. Though the company is principally housed in Delaware, it also incorporated in New York in March 2014, and listed its processing address at an office suite in Brooklyn that houses many other real estate companies.

More information became available about the company in 2015: A lease transaction filed that year identified developer Mike Kohn as the "authorized signatory" to rent a large religious facility at 71-85 Lewis Ave. in Brooklyn on behalf of the LLC, according to New York City property records.

In March 2015, another LLC housed in Delaware, called 553 Marcy Avenue Owner, gave a $50,000 donation to de Blasio's nonprofit lobbying operation. Bharara's office is also probing the millions in donations to de Blasio's lobbying nonprofit, which is in the process of shutting down. Marcy Avenue's owner is unidentifiable from Delaware business records, but Kohn is listed as "manager" of that company in New York City property records.

Now that Kohn's ties to the gifts are known, his business before government can be scrutinized.

At the time of the nonprofit donation in 2015, Kohn was lobbying the New York City Planning Commission, Crain's New York Business recently reported. Kohn did not return a phone call to his firm, Alliance Private Capital Group.

As the Times Union reported last Monday, de Blasio's chief fundraiser, Ross Offinger, procured a publicly untraceable $50,000 donation to help Senate Democrats last month win a key Long Island district, a seat previously held by ex-Senate Majority Leader Dean Skelos.

On April 7, the $50,000 went to the operating account of the Nassau County Democratic Committee, which spent and donated heavily to support Democratic Assemblyman Todd Kaminsky, a former federal prosecutor, for the Senate seat. Kaminsky appears to have narrowly edged his GOP opponent, and the win on the Republicans' Long Island stronghold puts Democrats on the precipice of taking control of the Senate in November.

The donation is listed in the state Board of Elections database as coming from A&J Contracting, a little-known firm incorporated in Dover, Del. in 2012. It appears to have no phone number in Delaware, no website and no other record of business dealings in the state.

It was one of the largest gifts given to the Nassau Democrats so far this year.

A spokesman for the county party said the $50,000 had been raised by Offinger, the fundraiser both for de Blasio and his lobbying nonprofit. Because it had been wired to the party's account, there was no signature on a check indicating who was behind the gift, the spokesman said. Offinger was paid $14,000 on March 23 by the Nassau Democrats for fundraising.

"I really don't have a comment on specific donors, but I'm proud of the work we did in Nassau County," Offinger told the Times Union.

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Asked if he thought such essentially anonymous donations should be allowed, Offinger said, "I really don't have a comment on that."

With Offinger serving as a fundraiser, a number of major New York union and real estate interests that are identifiable gave heavily to the Nassau Democrats in the waning days before the special election.

Offinger also solicited campaign donations as part of de Blasio's 2014 efforts to retake the state Senate.

Perhaps the strangest example of huge Delaware LLC giving came last October, when a limited liability company identified in public records with a misspelled name and an incorrect address poured hundreds of thousands of dollars into a race for Clarkstown town supervisor in the Lower Hudson Valley.

The spending on behalf of Republican candidate George Hoehmann helped him score an upset victory over six-term Democratic incumbent Alex Gromack. Hoehmann won about 55 percent of the vote in the Rockland County town.

On Oct. 7, Board of Elections records show a $108,000 donation from the "Institute for Municipal Safety Research LLC" to the Reform Party, and on Oct. 9, $109,000 to the Rockland County Republican Committee. The parties then spent heavily to help Hoehmann.

In 2012, the incorrectly spelled Delaware limited liability company called "The Insititue (sic) For Municipal Safety Research" was formed. Its registered agent is listed as The Corporation Company. The LLC has no phone number or website, and it's not clear what income-producing business it's involved in.

The untraceable donations have ties to Hoehmann's campaign, and to Republican Westchester County Executive Rob Astorino, who rebranded an existing political party he had created into the Reform Party in 2015. The LLC's $108,000 gift is the only donation ever taken in by the Reform Party.

Astorino, the GOP's candidate for governor in 2014 and a likely contender in 2018, has said he knows the identity of the donor  and has encouraged the person to come forward  but has refused to disclose the name himself.

The fact that the LLC was misspelled in Delaware incorporation records made it difficult for the media to locate the incorporation filing  and that's not the only difference between what's in Delaware incorporation records and what was disclosed on the state Board of Elections website.

The address of the LLC is currently listed in state elections records not in Delaware, but on a third-floor suite in the Westchester Financial Center in White Plains, which is the same address as the law firm of Garvey, Tirelli & Cushner.

One of Garvey, Tirelli & Cushner's partners is Lawrence Garvey, who doubles as chairman of the Rockland County Republicans. In November, Garvey declined to say who was behind the mysterious LLC donation. "I'll have to speak to the client about that," Garvey said.

Asked about the irony of a party called the Reform Party funding its spending through an anonymous donation, Garvey emphasized via email that the donation "is not anonymous." "The donor is the LLC," Garvey explained. "This is 100 percent appropriate, legal and normal."

Douglas Kellner, the Democratic co-chairman of the New York State Board of Elections, said that the board's enforcement of election laws  such as rooting out an LLC that is merely a straw donor set up to give a gift  is hampered because LLC paperwork can create a dead end. Kellner acknowledged this could be the case in potentially pursuing the sources behind the Reform Party and Kaminsky contributions.

"What's the basis for a subpoena there?" Kellner said. "You can't do a subpoena just because there's no beneficial owner in the corporate records." Kellner, an attorney whose practice focuses on real estate and international and commercial litigation, said he believes New York's transparency laws for corporate formation are no better than Delaware's. One solution, he said, would be to pass a law in New York to require those that give campaign donations disclose their true, human identities.

cbragg@timesunion.com  518-454-5303  @chrisbragg1
Offenders will be slapped a fine of 5,000 if they are found flying drones near the restricted area. (Representational Photo: AP)

Norfolk: In a bid to block pilots from spying on the British royals, Queen Elizabeth II has banned drones from flying at Sandringham.

According to a report in the Daily Mail, the ban covers 20,000 acres of land at Sandringham in northern Norfolk.

The Queen feared that pilots may launch an unmanned attack on the royals by carrying a bomb or other chemical explosives.

A drone costing about 1,000 can easily carry 3kg [6 lb 9oz] of explosives, Tristan Haskins, who owns aerial photography firm, was quoted as saying.

According to the ban, flying drones in the area measuring 1.5 miles around Kate and William's home in Kensington will be considered as a criminal offence.

The rule will also bar photographers from clicking aerial photographs of the royals, their private parties and gatherings.

Offenders will be slapped a fine of 5,000 if they are found flying drones near the restricted area.

These prohibitions are similar to the ones near military bases, government and defence offices and airports.
THE ISSUE:

A hepatitis drug's high price highlights much of what's wrong with pharmaceuticals in America.

THE STAKES:

Who is Congress really serving  the industry or the people?

More Information To comment: tuletters@timesunion.com or at http://blog.timesunion.com/opinion See More Collapse

It starts mildly enough, so mildly that people might not even realize they have it. In a few weeks, what symptoms there might be  fatigue, loss of appetite, a bit of jaundice  go away. But the disease remains, quietly doing damage for years, leading in some cases to cirrhosis and cancers of the liver, brain damage and death.

The good news is that there is a cure for hepatitis C. Medicines were approved in 2013 and 2014.

The bad news? Well, that's where things get infuriating.

It starts with a reluctance among some insurers to cover the cure until people get sick enough. That was the practice of seven New York health insurers until this past week, after Attorney General Eric Schneiderman threatened legal action. One holdout remains  Capital District Physicians Health Plan, which insists it really does want to settle.

But it's not just private insurers; New York's Medicaid program had a similar policy until last week, too. The change in policy, though, won't take effect for a month. And only some Medicaid clients are affected; those in Medicaid managed care programs may not get the cure early in the disease's progress.

What's behind all this? Is it all about insurer profits and money savings for the state at the expense of people's health?

No doubt that's part of it. The drugs aren't cheap  $84,000 to $94,500. At full price, curing all 200,000 New Yorkers with Hepatitis C would cost more than $17 billion.

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But there's a deeper issue: Why are these drugs, and so many others, so expensive? The pharmaceutical industry would have us believe its prices need to be so high to cover all the research and tests to develop those drugs, and to pay for all the other research drug companies do that goes nowhere.

Oh, it also pays for the $230 million Big Pharma spent last year lobbying Congress  the most of any industry, according to the Center for Responsive Politics. That money  plus millions more in campaign contributions  seems to make the high price of drugs palatable to our elected representatives, and the industry's reasoning easy to swallow.

And so we get cures that the average individual cannot afford and that insurance companies and government health programs balk at covering. We get a market in which a hedge fund wiz buys the manufacturing license for an antiparasitic drug and jacks up the price by more than 5,000 percent, then scoffs at a shocked  shocked  Congress.

It's time that Congress did more than express its indignation in press releases. It should demand the industry justify its prices with real evidence. And it should do some calculations of its own, such as how much taxpayer-funded research and education and training of doctors and scientists drug companies benefit from. It should consider emulating other countries that hold down their citizens' drug costs with price controls, and stop forcing Americans to foot the bill for all those profits and political largesse.

And it had better open its eyes, because in case it hadn't noticed, citizens are sick. And voters are sick and tired.
Lawrence County Council adopts increased budget for 2023

The final total for next years budget was adopted at $28,405,574, an increase of 3.5% from the approved budget for 2022.
JACKSON COUNTY LEGISLATIVE CHAIR CRYSTAL WILLIAMS LEADS A CABAL OF LOCAL POWER BROKER LADIES HOPING THAT EVERY CRITICISM AGAINST THEIR VAPID, WORTHLESS AND INEFFECTUAL POLITICS LEADS TO SOMETHING AKIN TO A RAPE CHARGE!!!

"In the neo-puritan world, all conservatives are an awkwardly worded tweet away from being branded a homophobe, a racist, a sexist, an Islamophobe or worse. Progressives force assumptions upon anyone who disagrees with their political and social agenda."

Again, it's worth noting that Jackson County Legislator Crystal Williams has kept an exceptionally low profile at recent meetings of the Mayor's Citizen Task Force on Violence where she could actually do some good and coordinate efforts with Jackson County's anti-crime programs.

CRYSTAL AND HER TINY CLICK OF LADY POLITICOS ARE PLANNING TO USE FAUX WOMEN'S RIGHTS ADVOCACY TO TRY AND TAKE BACK MISSOURI FROM REPUBLICANS!!!

WILL CRYSTAL AND THE MISSOURI DEMOCRATIC PARTY POWER PLAY STAY WINNING . . . ARE WOMEN THE KEY TO WINNING BACK THE MISSOURI GENERAL ASSEMBLY?!?!

It's not "girl power" it's something that's a lot darker and not nearly as much fun.To wit . . .To be fair, without the "legitimate rape" foible of her opposition, Sen. Claire McCaskill would be enjoying her private jet in the Hamptons somewhere and not the Beltway.Maybe this is what Trump was talking about whenI'm not sure, too busy checking his hot wife.I doubt he would want to be included in this discussion but Conservative author Jack Cashill noted this tactic in his latest book . . .Sadly, despite our years of supporting some of the better female politics in Kansas City . . . Our community has been smeared with the sexist, misogynist tag because we dare reveal the Crystal is one of the worst politicos ever to hold office in Kansas City . . .And we've all seen how much this blog community adores bikini and lingerie models . . . There's really no way we could ever "hate women" at least not those who actually do their jobsflutter their eyes for the camera.But I digress . . .Think about this . . . In years on the Legislature . . .I'll wait for an answer.Sadly, rather than working on property tax complaints . . . Dealing with the disaster at the jail . . . Or maybe asking more questions about that silly vaporware toy train to Meth Town . . . Crystal is spending her time as a champion of women's rights and Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign.But here's where it gets worse . . .Here's a look at a recent effort the coordinated Missouri Democratic effort that has been blessed and earned support among denizens of Crystal's Greater Kansas City Women's Political Caucus . . .Some of these broads are hot so they deserve consideration but for the most part it's a shameless political ploy that's more about branding than issues, representation or even women's rights.So here's the question . . .We could talk about bad behavior among the GOP but the reality is the Democratic Party dudes have had problems of their own as well.Either way, gender identity politics and love letter media coverage crafted by political hacks, often using mentally unbalanced people as pawns seems to be the plan for victory in upcoming elections for a vicious set of local ladies hoping to help Hillary and a great many other ladies win power, influence and money under the guise of equal rights.Developing . . .
CHECK FIRST WORD FROM KANSAS CITY PROTESTERS AGAINST CAPITALISM, POLICE AND THE PRISON INDUSTRIAL COMPLEX!!!

"As momentum builds toward the May 1st Alabama prisoner strike and the September 9th national prisoner work stoppage, Kansas City workers, ex-workers, ex-prisoners, unemployed, under employed, and students gather to celebrate May Day Eve. After an early dinner in the park they hold a noise demonstration outside the county jail and then head to Power and Light to raise awareness about this holiday that is widely celebrated in every country in the world except for the US, Canada, and Australia."

New Statesman: The sad slide of the American middle class

















Continuing our TKC local alternative media mission . . . The mainstream newz attempts to offerThis morning at TKC . . .From Citizen Media . . .Juxtaposition and a realization that these kinds of protest will only increase as the American middle-class fades . . .Agree or not, it's important to realize these kind of protests are gaining a foothold in the American discourseThe Democratic Party has moved further to the left than anyone would had ever imagined and many unabashedly advocated socialism during the campaign primary. Meanwhile, the GOP is embroiled in an outright struggle against the party system status quo in an attempt to find a leader more firmly committed to populist rage against immigration and political correctness . The traditional ideals of the modern American political system are in decline and this kind of May Day direct challenge to the system continues to gain, ground, exert political force and shift the conversation.You decide . . .
Independent non-government sources that are privy to the negotiations between Greece and its creditors have confirmed that there has been significant progress in the past 24 hours. The sources claim that provided all sides show the necessary flexibility, then the impasse may be overcome at the upcoming Eurogroup on 9 May.

According to these sources, the Greek government has presented a plan where it will accept a mechanism of automatically correcting public finances, should there be any deviations from the bailout program targets. This plan calls for across-the-board cuts in all ministries, three months after these deviations are confirmed. The government may also take alternative measures, should it decide to exempt a specific ministry from these cuts.

The Greek government's plan has created positive reactions from the European side, while the IMF remains reserved. As such a lot of consultations and negotiations will take place until the Eurogroup in order to iron out the differences and reach an agreement.

Source:tovima.gr

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
Najaf, Iraq: Two bomb blasts in the southern Iraqi city of Samawa on Sunday killed at least 33 people and wounded more than 50, security and medical officials said.

"The hospitals have received 33 dead," a senior official in the Muthanna health department, which covers Samawa, said. An officer in Muthanna Operations Command confirmed the toll.

They said at least 50 people were also wounded in the blasts in Samawa, 230 kilometres (145 miles) south of Baghdad.

"Two car bombs went off in town. The first one was at around midday near a bus station in the city centre," a senior police officer in Muthanna province said.

"The other exploded about five minutes later, 400 metres from the spot of the first explosion," he said.

Samawa is the capital of Muthanna and lies deep in Iraq's Shiite heartland and such attacks there are rare. Muthanna also borders Saudi Arabia and a vast Iraqi desert that connects the troubled province of Anbar with the south.

A car bomb just outside Baghdad yesterday killed at least 23 people, according to security and medical sources. That attack targeted Shiite faithful walking to the northern Baghdad shrine of Imam Musa Kadhim, the seventh of 12 imams revered in Shiite Islam.

The Iraqi capital remains on high security alert for a whole week as the faithful walk from all over the country to commemorate Imam Kadhim.

The Islamic State jihadist group, which considers Shiites heretics, almost systematically attempts to target pilgrims marching to holy sites during Iraq's many religious commemorations.

But there was no immediate indication that the attacks in Samawa specifically targeted Shiite pilgrims.
A serious incident took place on Good Friday, when a Turkish patrol boat threatened to arrest a Greek fishing boat in the Greek sea waters. The episode started when a Turkish patrol boat warned a Greek fishing boat to leave the area near the Greek island of Inousses claiming it was in Turkish waters.

The captain refused and the Turkish boat threatened to arrest the crew.

The Greek coast guard was unable to defuse the situation, but when the Greek navy gunboat Krateos arrived on the scene the Turkish patrol boat retreated after negotiations.

The incident was relayed to the Greek military and political leadership and was estimated as very serious. Meanwhile, 6 Turkish fighter planes violated Greek airspace on Good Friday in the northeast, central and southeast Aegean.

Turkish F-16 fighter jets flew over the isles of Makronisi and Anthropofagoi.

Source: protothema.gr

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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Wall Street Exchange, a leading money exchange service provider in the UAE and a member of Emirates Post Group, has reported a 10 per cent growth in its remittance business for 2015.



The chief marketing and support services officer of Wall Street Exchange, Sultan Al Mahmoud said: We recorded a substantial 10 per cent growth in the total value of remittance in 2015 compared to 2014. This indeed reflects the trust and confidence the customers continue to place on Wall Street Exchange.



The top five expatriate nationalities in the UAE remitting money using Wall Street Exchange were Indians, Bangladeshis, Filipinos, Pakistanis and Sri Lankans.



One of the primary reasons for growth in remittance is the increase in the number of expatriates sending money to their respective home countries. The weakening of various currencies against the US dollar encouraged more expatriates to remit money. Few currencies reached their lowest level, benefiting the expats by getting higher exchange rate, Al Mahmoud said.



The ease of reaching our exchange centres and innovative kiosks, our highly efficient service, and our best currency exchange rates were among the main drivers for more people to come to Wall Street Exchange. They also found it convenient to use our multiple range of services such as credit card and utility bill payments when remitting money to their countries, he added.



India took the first place on the list of Top 10 remittance receiving countries, with an estimated remittance of $72.2 billion in 2015, followed by China ($63.90 billion), and the Philippines ($29.7 billion), according to the World Bank Groups Migration and Remittances Fact book 2016. Pakistan was placed eight on the list with remittances of $20.1 billion, while Bangladesh took the 10th slot with $15.8 billion of money received.



The World Bank report placed the UAE in the top 10 migrant destinations which included the United States of America, Saudi Arabia, Germany, Russia, United Kingdom, France, Canada, Spain and Australia.



Al Mahmoud expects Wall Street Exchanges remittance business to record higher growth in 2016, referring to the statement issued by the UAE Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation that states over 252,000 new work permits have been issued in the first two months of 2016.



We positively see the trend being sustained as people continue to remit money. Despite the lower oil prices, the economy in the UAE is growing and with Expo 2020 within reach, more job opportunities will be available, he concluded. TradeArabia News Service
Iran's oil exports to South Korea have more than quadrupled to 400,000 barrels a day since international sanctions were lifted in January, Oil Minister Bijan Zanganeh was quoted as saying on Sunday by the Shana news agency.



Iran, whose exports to South Korea were less than 100,000 barrels a day before sanctions were lifted, has since worked to quickly boost its output. It has focused on selling to its traditional customers in Asia, but has also shipped cargoes to Europe.



According to data from Energy Aspects, global imports of Iran's crude rose in March to 1.90 million bpd, from 1.51 million bpd in February.



Zanganeh also said Iran and South Korea were working to resolve difficulties in transferring payments for the oil sales, alluding to the continued reluctance of international banks to enter the Iranian market.



Most international sanctions were lifted in January under last year's nuclear deal, including those targeting the oil sector, but some US sanctions and a US trade embargo remain in place. - Reuters
Emirates has expanded the network of destinations served by its flagship A380 aircraft with the launch of new scheduled services to Taipei and Prague, becoming the first and only airline to operate an A380 into these two cities.



The A380 service from Dubai to Taipei, Taiwan, landed at 16:50 local time and the second A380 service launch today landed in Prague, Czech Republic, at 13:25 local time.



Both aircraft were greeted by traditional water cannon salutes and the VIPs, Emirates executives, media and industry partners on board both flights attended ceremonies in the arrival airports.



Emirates has grown demand for its services on both routes and together with the increasing popularity of the Emirates A380 experience among customers, the airline made the decision to deploy one of its fleet of 77 A380 aircraft on each route.



Taipei was introduced as a daily Boeing 777 service in February 2014 and Emirates has since transported nearly 450,000 passengers between the city and Emirates Dubai home.



The Prague-Dubai route was launched in July 2010 with a daily A330 service and Emirates has since carried over 1.1 million passengers between the two cities.



Taiwan is a significant market for Emirates and we have witnessed a strong and steady growth in demand since our start of services in 2014. We are committed to cultivating the market through continuous investment and we are confident that the launch of our new A380 service will open up further opportunities in business and tourism between Taiwan and other countries, said Thierry Antinori, Emirates executive vice president and chief commercial officer.



We are pleased to add Prague too to our list of more than 40 A380 destination cities and introduce our innovative, best-in-class onboard product and renowned service to Czech customers. Czech travellers now have more opportunities to connect seamlessly with Emirates 150-plus destinations around the world, through one single stop in Dubai.



We are grateful for the support that our partners, the airports and the local authorities in both Taiwan and Prague have provided to make it possible for us to bring our A380 into these markets. Operating a higher capacity aircraft supports tourism and trade and helps serve the healthy and growing demand from leisure and business travellers on both routes. Emirates is committed to Taiwan and the Czech Republic and we are proud to offer our iconic Emirates A380 experience to our customers travelling to and from Taipei and Prague. We look forward to many more years of cooperation with both cities, he added.



The Emirates Dubai-Prague-Dubai route operates as EK139 and EK140, served by an A380 aircraft that can accommodate 519 passengers in a three-class configuration, with 429 spacious Economy Class seats on the main deck and 76 fully flat-bed mini-pods in Business Class as well as 14 First Class Private Suites on the upper deck.



For travellers to Taiwan, flights EK366 and EK367 will be served by the new two-class configuration offering a total of 615 seats: 58 in Business Class and 557 in Economy Class. - TradeArabia News Service


Dhaka: Bangladesh police on Sunday detained three persons, including one from fundamentalist group Jamaat-e-Islami and an activist from opposition BNP, in connection with the killing of a Hindu tailor who was brutally hacked to death by machete-wielding ISIS militants.

Nikhil Chandra Joarder, 50, a resident of the Tangail district, was hacked to death on Saturday by three assailants who entered his house-cum shop and slit his throat.

Three persons, including an activist of key-opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party and a local leader of fundamentalist Jamaat-e-Islami, have been detained in connection with the murder, police said.

"They have been detained today for questioning in connection with Nikhil Chandra Joardar's murder yesterday as part of the investigation," Tangail's additional superintendent of police Mohammad Aslam Khan said.

Hours after the murder, US-based private SITE Intelligence Group posted a statement saying the Islamic State has claimed responsibility for the attack.

ISIS' Amaq Agency reported the group's responsibility for killing the Hindu tailor for blasphemy in Tangail district in Bangladesh, it said in a tweet.

The local media reports said that Nikhil served three months of imprisonment in 2012 when he was arrested for blasphemous comments.

Police said the people in the neighbourhood feared he might have drawn the Islamists wrath owing to his earlier comments.

"We are trying to track down the killers and called CID (Criminal Investigation Department) to probe the murder," said Tangail's district police.

There have been systematic assaults in Bangladesh in recent months specially targeting minorities, secular bloggers, intellectuals and foreigners.

In the recent attacks, a liberal professor was brutally hacked to death last Saturday by machete-wielding ISIS militants who slit his throat near his home in Rajshahi city.

Two days later on Monday, Bangladesh's first gay magazine editor was brutally murdered along with a friend in his flat in Dhaka by Islamists.

In February, a head priest was killed at a Hindu temple in an area bordering India, the first attack by the ISIS targeting the community.

Last year, four prominent secular bloggers were killed with machetes, one inside his own home.

In most of the cases, Islamic State or al-Qaeda in Indian Sub Continent claimed the responsibility.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, however, repeatedly denied existence of any foreign terrorist groups in the country and attributed the deadly attacks on homegrown extremists backed by main opposition outside parliament BNP and its crucial ally fundamentalist Jamaat-e-Islami.
It is unfortunate that Mr. Gallup is not aware that of the deaths caused by the 9/11 attack, many of the people killed were of different religions and nationalities, including 28 Muslims. The Muslims in this country did send aid, supplies and money to the families of the victims.

All of them. They tried to do many more things, but were met with hostility and hate and violence, so they pulled back. Also, there was at least one killing of an Indian Sikh in Arizona, that night. All that the killer knew was that he was different.

Hate and rage is a slippery slope to fall down. It is impossible to keep hate trained on just one group or religion. I would hope that Mr. Gallup will learn to understand this.

Rick Siegert

Albany (April 25)
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, May 1

As testimonies of farmers distress from drought-hit regions of Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Telengana and Rajasthan were unfolded in the national Capital on Sunday, experts and activists during a national consultation expressed concern over the way the recent prevailing crisis has been handled while calling for a concrete drought-relief policy and political will to tackle such agrarian crisis.

To carry and implement the results of the consultation to the worst drought affected areas of the country, Jai Kisan Andolon of Swaraj Abhiyan and farmers organisations and unions led by Yogendra Yadav have decided to undertake a 10-day padyatra in Marathwada and Bundelkhand from May 21.

In the coming days, the group plans to form Relief Committees in all tehsils/districts so that local initiative and participation increases in drought management and mitigation. In this, students and youth will be mobilised to visit and help people of drought affected villages.

The consultation highlighted that 54 crore farmers and rural people constituting two-fifth of the population of the country living in 13 states are in the grip of drought; many for consecutive years. People are battling for drinking water. Food is frugal and subsistence. Thirsty and hungry domestic cattle have been released and are dying nomadic deaths. Farms are fallow. Life and Livelihood has come to a standstill.

Over the last one year, Swaraj Abhiyan-led farmers movement has been highlighting the deplorable conditions of affected people in drought-hit regions and even communicated to governments calling for urgent measures. But, the response from the governments and the Centre has been far than desirable, noted activists.

Among various ssession held, national president of Swaraj Abhiyan and leading sociologist Prof Anand Kumar chaired session titled Perspectives on Drought while there were vocal voices and activists who narrated the plight of farmers and cattle in affected regions.

The consultations concluded with environmental activist Sunita Narain, farming, food and trade policy expert Devinder Sharma and national convener of Jai Kisan Andolon Yogendra Yadav discussing steps that have to be taken at all levels for mitigating the impact of drought.

Innovations and action plans such as traditional and localised water conservation, change of agricultural pattern and switching over to climate resilient traditional cereal, pulse, oilseed, vegetable and horticultural crops were some of the suggestions.
Manjit S. Kang

Before the Green Revolution of 1968, India was pejoratively said to have a ship-to-mouth existence. Punjab was at the forefront of ushering it in, and has been, along with Haryana and western UP, the workhorse in ensuring food security to the nation. In the process, Punjab has paid a heavy price; it has depleted its precious resources  underground water and soil minerals. Farmers are in distress, as farming is not a profitable business. Reports of farmer suicides continue apace.

According to a survey, 40 per cent farmers wish to quit farming.This is basically the fallout of short-sighted policies on agriculture across decades. For the sake of short-term food security, long-term sustainability was neglected. Lured by MSP for rice and wheat, Punjab farmers adopted the current monoculture of rice-wheat cropping pattern and abandoned crop diversification.

Prof. M.S. Swaminathan had issued the following warning in January 1968, which seems to have gone unheeded: Exploitative agriculture offers great dangers if carried out with only an immediate profit or production motiveThe initiation of exploitative agriculture without a proper understanding of the various consequences of every one of the changes introduced into traditional agriculture, and without first building up a proper scientific and training base to sustain it, may only lead us, in the long run, into an era of agricultural disaster rather than one of agricultural prosperity.

Today, Punjab is not a picture of prosperity. Many states have surpassed Punjab. During 2011-12, the per capita income in Punjab was Rs 78191, which was much lower than that of Tamil Nadu (Rs 84058), Maharashtra (Rs. 87686), Haryana (Rs 109227) and Goa (Rs 192652). The main culprit is the lack of far-sighted, visionary policies to ensure sustainability of agriculture and the environment.

I searched for Punjab's current Agriculture Policy and found only a draft titled, Agriculture Policy for Punjab, dated March 22, 2013. The 58-page policy statement is woefully inadequate. It never sets any timetable, nor tells who is to do what, nor lists any expected outcomes. The policy statement is vague and non-specific. In fact, there is no new recommendation or policy action in it!

The policy statement was found to be totally silent on such significant issues as women empowerment, crop insurance, rural development and farmer suicides. The policy statement did recommend addition of another bureaucrat to the already top-heavy administration. Here are some suggestions to counter the crisis.

Improve rural economy

The majority of Punjab's population (62.5 per cent) is rural so rural development must be the core of an agricultural policy. Under the current scenario, primary production of all foodgrains, pulses, oilseeds, fruits and vegetables primarily occurs in villages; however, their storage, milling, processing, packaging and distribution takes place in the cities. This is in stark contrast to the situation in Europe and North America.

Villages must have industries based on primary agricultural production and must manufacture products that are of use in agriculture and animal production in villages and markets in the cities. The storage, grading, processing and packaging of all or most of the agricultural commodities should be based in villages to add value to the primary produce, to enhance the income of the producer and create employment in the rural communities. Rural areas should be provided Internet facilities at much cheaper rates than cities. This should help create knowledge-based "Techno-villages" in Punjab.

Agricultural sectors and associated industries should be located in the villages. These are: grain storage, milling, processing, packaging and distribution; seed production, packaging, storage and distribution and horticultural production under plastic, packaging and marketing.

To augment farmers' income, rural tourism needs to be given impetus. The government should provide up to 80 per cent matching funds for building village-based tourist resorts and youth hostels and for upgrading homes for bed-and-breakfast in selected villages near historical sites.

Swaminathan Commission Report

Only a few days ago, 10 years after submission of the recommendations of the historic National Commission on Farmers (NCF), MS Swaminathan, while speaking at an event, called for a comprehensive policy support to revitalise agriculture and shared the vision of the National Commission on Farmers (NCF). At the same event, General Secretary of the All-India Kisan Sabha,Hannan Mollah, urged the government to implement the report in the face of increasing agrarian distress.

Crop diversification

Some 50 years ago, Punjab's cropping intensity was only 120 per cent but now it is 190 per cent. With the lower cropping intensity, a balance between water extraction and aquifer recharge could be maintained. According to noted rice expert, GS Khush, climate change is expected to exacerbate the water problem, as Himalayan glaciers, which supply water to Punjab's rivers, are retreating. He indicated that in 1985 less than 5 per cent of the wells were unsustainable, but by 2005 that number had increased to more than 60 per cent and that if this trend of aquifer depletion continued, Punjab's groundwater might be entirely exhausted in the next 15 to 20 years. He suggests crop diversification to be the single most important intervention and advocates that area under rice can be reduced from 2.7 million hectares to about 1.5 million hectares and that hybrid maize can be the alternative, as it is emerging as a food-security crop because of its rising demand as a livestock feed.

Debt protection

To prevent suicides, farmers must be provided just compensation. Those who get burdened by debt must be given debt counselling to prevent possible suicide. There should be a law that would allow a debt-ridden farmer to file for bankruptcy in extreme situations.

Training agricultural scientists

The PAU faculty was highly diversified in the 1960s and 1970s. A large number of faculty members were trained in the US, Canada, Australia, or England. However, currently there is much inbreeding, with more than 95 per cent faculty having received their basic and doctoral degrees from PAU. For novel ideas to be infused into the educational system, training in advanced countries is a must. The state government should provide regular funding for sending Assistant Professor-level scientists for receiving at least one-year post-doctoral training in cutting-edge technologies in advanced countries.

Henry Ford once said, If you always do what you've always done, you'll always get what you've always got. Business as usual will not help solve the agrarian problems.

The writer is a former Vice Chancellor, Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana; and Adjunct Professor, Kansas State University, Manhattan (USA)
Dinesh Manhotra

Tribune News Service

Jammu, April 30

A woman hailing from the Akhnoor tehsil de4livered a newborn in a bus after she was referred to SMGS Hospital by doctors of Sub-District Hospital (SDH), Akhnoor, on Friday evening.

The authorities even failed to arrange transportation for Nisha Devi, who was suffering from acute labour pain. Her family had to board a private bus wherein she delivered a baby. Nisha is wife of Vakil Chand, who himself is a basic health worker in the Health Department.

Fortunately, a pharmacist, Bharat Bhushan Bhagat, serving in the Health Department, who was standing near the bus acted swiftly and carried the normal delivery and saved both mother and child.

Meanwhile, Health Minister Bali Bhagat constituted a two-member inquiry committee comprising the CMO and the Deputy CMO.

The inquiry committee has been asked to submit the report within four days, Bhagat said, adding that strict action would be taken in this incident.

The incident has exposed the ailing health sector in J&K. Director Health Services (DHS), Jammu, Dr BS Pathani, however, sought to downplay the incident. Both ambulances sanctioned for Sub-District Hospital, Akhnoor, had gone to shift the patients so transportation could not be provided to the pregnant woman, he said.

Notwithstanding claims of the authorities, as per the Janani Suraksha Yojana (JSY) of the NHM, it is mandatory on part of the authorities to arrange transportation for a pregnant woman in case she has to be referred to another hospital in case of any complication.

According to the official figure, there is a fleet of 540 functional ambulances in the Jammu region only and officially every hospital is equipped with required ambulances. It is widely alleged that most of the ambulances are misused by doctors and other staff.
Tribune News Service

Dehradun/New Delhi, May 1

As the raging forest fires continue to engulf vast swathes of land across Uttarakhand, the Indian Air Force today began operations to control the situation even as the Centre said it was taking the incident very seriously with all possible firefighting measures.

An Mi-17 chopper made several sorties in Nainital district sprinkling water lifted from a lake to douse the raging forest fires in Almakhan, Kilbari and Nalena areas. Low visibility, however, prevented a second chopper from being deployed in Pauri district for the operations in the hill state. The forest fires have so far killed seven persons, destroyed 2,269 hectares of forested land and spread to sparsely populated remote hill areas.

Teams of the specialised National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), meanwhile, have fanned out in 13 affected areas of three districts of Pauri Garhwal, Almora and Chamoli to tackle the massive blaze.

WATCH: IAF's Mi-17 v5 lifts water from Bhimtal (Nainital) & sprays it over areas affected by #UttarakhandForestFirehttps://t.co/cZVI0O9ts1  ANI (@ANI_news) May 1, 2016

Home Minister Rajnath Singh reviewed the situation and held discussions with the Uttarakhand Government officials. He also offered all assistance from the Centre.

With choppers pressed into service and all security agencies, besides locals, involved in firefighting operations, the situation is likely to be brought under control in a couple of days, Principal Conservator of Forest (PCF) BP Gupta said.

With the MeT Department predicting a significant fall in day temperatures after May 2, forest fires may come under control after a couple of days, he said, but added that the administration will have to remain alert for the next 35 days to prevent fresh forest fire incidents. Since the beginning of the forest fire season in the state in February, 922 incidents have occurred so far.

Forest fires are natural during summer but this time they have occurred on a bigger scale as the fire season, which normally begins by February 15 and ends by June 15, started early on February 2. (with PTI inputs)

In Rajasthan, the highest temperature of 46.5C was recorded at Phalodi town in Jodhpur district, followed by Sri Ganganagar (46.3), Churu (46), Bikaner (45.8), Barmer (45.2) and Jaipur (43.3).
Auckland, May 1

Friendship between India and New Zealand will continue to strengthen, President Pranab Mukherjee said on Sunday.

"Friendship between two countries will continue to strengthen in the years to come to mutual benefit of our peoples," President Mukherjee said in a tweet on his visit to New Zealand.

Mukherjee visited the War Memorial Museum at New Zealand's capital Auckland where he laid a wreath at the Hall of Memories of World War II heroes.

The President also visited the Marshall Islands before his New Zealand sojourn.

"India and Marshall Islands have traditionally enjoyed warm and cordial relations based on goodwill and mutual understanding," Mukherjee said in the tweet, extending greetings and felicitations to the government and people of the country on the occasion of their Constitution Day.

He also met New Zealand Governor General Sir Jerry Mateparae at the Government House.

The aim of the President's visit to New Zealand is to have India as its core trade, economic, and political partner.

New Zealand supports India's aspirations for permanent membership of the UN Security Council.

People-to-people ties between India and New Zealand have traditionally been close and the number of Indian students in New Zealand has grown exponentially over the last few years to about 23,000.  IANS
Port Moresby, April 29

The mood went sombre as President Pranab Mukherjee, the supreme commander of Indian armed forces, arrived at the historic Bomana cemetery in Papua New Guinea (PNG) to pay his respects to the fallen World War-II soldiers, including from India.

80-year-old Mukherjee walked up to a pillar erected in memory of the troops killed during World War-II while fighting along with the British forces.

This was the second engagement of the Mukherjee, who arrived here yesterday on the first ever state visit from India to this largest island in the Pacific.

Immediately after meeting the Governor-General of PNG, Sir Michael Ogio, President drove to the war cemetery to lay a wreath on the pillar.

As he placed a wreath, a Papua New Guinea Defence Force (PNGDF) band sounded the "Last Post," signifying the end of the troops' journey in life. A minutes' silence was observed in their memory after which Mukherjee went around the cemetery.

The cemetery contains 3,824 Commonwealth burials of the second World War out of which 699 of them unidentified. Around 250 of the unidentified soldiers are from undivided India who were fighting along with the British and allied forces.

Indian High Commissioner to PNG Nagendra Kumar Saxena has been extensively working on the role of Indians during the World War.

During the banquet hosted by the Ogio in honour of the President last night, the Governor General also said the linkages between the two countries go back to the second world war where Indian servicemen, some 615 brave sons who were part of the British Army and Allied Forces, fought and died in PNG.

"Their mortal remains lie buried in war cemeteries throughout the country," he said.

The troops were fighting the Japanese forces who had landed at Lae and Salamaua in March 1942 with Port Moresby as their chief objective. PTI
Muktsar, May 1

Ahead of the crucial 2017 assembly polls in Punjab, Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal targeted the AAP and Congress over their stand on the SYL canal issue, alleging that both parties were planning to "rob" the state of its due share of water.

Calling upon people to safeguard waters of the state, he claimed that plans were being made to turn Punjab into a desert, and added that if the farming sector was destroyed, the state would be crippled.

Congress and AAP are both "enemies" of Punjab's peace and prosperity and are charting plans to "rob" the state of its due share of water, he said.

He charged Congress with "illegally" providing water from Punjab to states like Haryana and Rajasthan which have no right over it.

Recalling that former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi had laid foundation stone of SYL at Kapoori village, Badal said state Congress chief Amarinder Singh had praised her for the step at the time and even gifted hera silver hoe and bowl.

He said the Akali Dal had organised a rally against the move during that time, and has fought for Punjab's share in water ever since.

Hitting out at AAP, Badal said the new affidavit favouring SYL that the Delhi Government filed in Supreme Court was a "political stunt".

He said Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's "anti-Punjab" stance had been reflected in first affidavit.

Badal alleged that Kejriwal had a soft corner for Haryana as he hailed from that state, which is why it would not be wise to expect him to take Punjab's side.

He said peace, harmony and development have always been the priorities of the SAD-BJP government and would remain the main agenda in the Assembly election too.

"In the forthcoming assembly elections Shiromani Akali Dal and Bharatiya Janta Party's main issue will be peace, harmony and the unprecedented development the government has ushered in state," Badal said here.

He said projects worth Rs 12,000 crore had been started in the state to provide basic amenities like drinking water, roads, street lights and sewerage etc.  PTI
New Delhi, May 1

Hawaii's loss may turn out to be Ladakh's gain. After protests in Hawaii in the US against the proposed Thirty Metre Telescope (TMT) project, the largest to be built, alternative sites are being explored, which includes Hanle, in Ladakh.

The project, aimed at exploring the universe, was to come up at Mauna Kea in Hawaii. But protests by the locals and indigenous population had stalled the project.

"The construction was expected to start on Mauna Kea, Hawaii in 2015. However, it is now stalled due to the recent decision of the Supreme Court of Hawaii revoking the construction permit on procedural grounds.

"The State of Hawaii agencies are working on the permit process following the prescribed procedure by the court. TMT is pursuing the matter in consultation with the University of Hawaii (land lease holder) and other agencies. It seeks to construct TMT on Mauna Kea which is the preferred choice," said Bacham Eswar Reddy, Programme Director.

However, given the importance of the project, in terms of finance and its scientific value, the project partners are also looking at alternate sites, both in the northern and southern hemispheres. These include sites in Chile, Hanle, Ladakh and others which are all being evaluated for technical and logistical suitability.

"It is expected that on-site civil work on the project may be delayed by about 18-24 months. However, work on telescope and observatory subsystems continues across the partnership," Reddy added.

India is a 10 per cent partner in the TMT project, which includes China, Japan, Canada and the US. On the Indian side, the project is being handled by the Ministry of Science and Technology and Department of Atomic Energy.

If the programme comes to India, it will open several doors.

"The project is expected to improve employment opportunities for the local people besides development of the region. TMT being the largest optical and infrared telescope in the northern hemisphere will strengthen the domestic programme of the country in this field and lead to several discoveries, which will inspire future generations.

"The project will also help develop state-of-the-art high end technologies and expertise in the country," an official of Ministry of Science and Technology said.  PTI
Zamboanga, May 1

Ten Indonesian sailors abducted by Abu Sayyaf Islamic militants were freed in the southern Philippines on Sunday after five weeks in captivity, Philippine Police said.

Unknown men dropped off the 10 tugboat crewmen at the home of provincial governor Abdusakur Tan Jnr on the remote island of Jolo during a heavy midday downpour, Jolo police chief Junpikar Sitin told AFP by telephone.

"The report (of their release) is confirmed. They were there. I saw them," Superintendent Sitin added.

The condition of the former captives was not immediately known, though Sitin said the group ate lunch at the Governor's home.

They were abducted on March 26 by gunmen described by Philippine authorities as members of the Abu Sayyaf, a small group of militants based on Jolo and nearby Basilan island, which is accused of kidnappings and deadly bombings.

The militants are reported to have sought a ransom, but Sitin said he was unaware that any had been paid. Abu Sayyaf does not normally free hostages unless a ransom is paid.

The Indonesians were freed six days after Abu Sayyaf members beheaded a Canadian hostage, John Ridsdel.

Philippine President Benigno Aquino vowed Wednesday to neutralise the Islamic militants after Ridsdel's decapitated head was left outside a government building on Jolo.

The authorities said the group is still holding 11 other foreign hostages -- four Indonesians, four Malaysians, another Canadian, a Norwegian, and a Dutchman.

Abu Sayyaf is a radical offshoot of a Muslim separatist insurgency in the south of the mainly Catholic Philippines that has claimed more than 100,000 lives since the 1970s.

It is believed to have just a few hundred militants but has withstood repeated US-backed military offensives against it, surviving by using the mountainous, jungle terrain of Jolo and nearby islands to its advantage.

Abu Sayyaf gangs have earned many millions of dollars from kidnapping foreigners and locals since the early 1990s.

Although Abu Sayyaf's leaders have pledged allegiance to Islamic State, analysts say they are more focused on lucrative kidnappings-for-ransom than setting up an Islamic caliphate.  AFP
Gaziantep, Turkey, May 1

Two police officers were killed and 23 persons wounded in a suicide car bomb attack on police headquarters in the south- eastern Turkish city of Gaziantep, the governor and police sources said, in one of two attacks on security forces on Sunday.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility but security sources said police raided the home of a suspected Islamic State militant believed to have carried out the attack and detained his father for DNA tests and questioning.

Turkey has suffered attacks recently both from Kurdish militants and Islamic State fighters, raising uncertainty at home and among NATO allies about spillover of conflict from neighbouring Syria.

The Gaziantep-based suspect is believed to have detonated a bomb-laden vehicle just outside the gates of police headquarters on a street housing several other provincial government buildings whose windows were smashed.

"The father of a suspect who is believed to have carried out the attack has been detained. We have records of the suspect's links with Islamic State," a security source said.

A Turkish flag was hung on the side of the police headquarters building. Many shops were severely damaged.

Shopkeepers and municipality workers cleaned streets covered with rubble strewn by the blast felt across the city.

Police, who cordoned off the area and increased security measures across the city, removed the pieces of a wrecked vehicle and collected body parts thought to be belonging to the perpetrator from the scene.

Nineteen police officers and four civilians were wounded in the attack, a statement from Gaziantep governor Ali Yerlikaya's office said. One police officer died at the scene and a second in hospital, a security source said.

MULTIPLE THREATS

Several hundred miles eastwards along the same border, in the town of Nusaybin, three Turkish soldiers were killed and 14 others wounded in an armed attack by Kurdish militants, an army statement said.

Turkey is facing security threats on several fronts. As part of a US-led coalition, it is fighting Islamic State in neighbouring Syria and Iraq and battling Kurdish PKK militants in its southeast, where a 2-1/2-year ceasefire collapsed last July, triggering the worst violence since the 1990s.

Turkish military sources said on Sunday drones from the US-led coalition, drawing on intelligence from Ankara, had struck an Islamic State explosives depot in the northern Syrian town of Dabiq. Two Islamic State militants outside the building were killed and several others were thought to have been inside.

The province of Gaziantep, bordering Islamic State-held Syrian territory, is home to a large Syrian refugee population and there have been several police raids on suspected Islamic State militants there over the past months.

A wave of suicide bombings this year, including two in its largest city Istanbul, have been blamed on Islamic State, and two in the capital Ankara were claimed by a Kurdish militant group. The Sunni hardline group, which usually claims responsibility for its attacks has never done so in Turkey.

Last week a female suicide bomber blew herself up next to a mosque on a busy street in Turkey's fourth largest city of Bursa, wounding eight people.

Turkey has also faced attacks from far-left groups, mostly on police and security forces.  Reuters
Johannesburg, May 1

Thirty-three rescued lions that endured hell on earth at circuses in Colombia and Peru have been flown to South Africa to start a new life in a sanctuary, in the largest airlift of the big cats in history.

The 33 lions, 24 from circuses in Peru and nine from Colombia, rescued by US-based group Animal Defenders International (ADI) returned to their homeland after both South American countries banned the use of wild animals in circuses. The journey began on Thursday in Colombia where a caravan carrying the nine lions departed the city of Bucaramanga for a 14-hour drive to Bogotas international airport. From there, they were loaded onto a cargo plane and flown to Perus capital to pick up the remaining 24.

Their flight to Johannesburg departed from Limas airport on Friday evening. They appeared a little distressed but healthy when they landed here yesterday. They will be shifted to 12,355-acre Emoya Big Cat Sanctuary in Vaalwater.

The ADI, which was behind the biggest-of-its-kind operation, says almost all lions have had teeth or claws removed at the circuses.

The lions will first be released into bonding camps, the largest enclosures the lions have ever known and where families will be reintroduced to one another and become familiarised with their new home. The second phase of the release is the construction of habitats 2.5 to 5 acres in size and with trees, platforms and watering holes.

ADI chief Jan Creamer said: These lions have endured hell on earth and now they are heading home to paradise. This is the world for which nature intended these animals for. It is the perfect ending to the ADIs operation which has eliminated circus suffering in another country. PTI
Stuttgart, Germany, May 1

Delegates from Germany's anti-immigration party Alternative fuer Deutschland (AfD) or Alternative for Germany on Sunday backed an election manifesto that says Islam is not compatible with the country's constitution and calls for a ban on minarets and the burqa.

The AfD, set up just three years ago, has been buoyed by Europe's migrant crisis, which saw the arrival of more than one million, mostly Muslim, migrants in Germany last year. The party has no lawmakers in the federal parliament in Berlin but has members in half of Germany's 16 regional state assemblies.

Opinion polls give AfD support of up to 14 per cent, presenting a serious challenge to Chancellor Angela Merkel's conservatives and other established parties ahead of the 2017 federal election. They rule out any coalition with the AfD.

In a raucous and highly emotional debate on the second day of a party congress, many of the 2,000 delegates cheered calls from the podium for measures against "Islamic symbols of power" and jeered a plea for dialogue with Germany's Muslims.

"Islam is foreign to us and for that reason it cannot invoke the principle of religious freedom to the same degree as Christianity," said Hans-Thomas Tillschneider, an AfD lawmaker from the state of Saxony-Anhalt, to loud applause.

Merkel has said freedom of religion for all is guaranteed by Germany's constitution and has said on many occasions that Islam belongs to Germany.

"ISLAM IS NOT PART OF GERMANY"

Up to 2,000 left-wing demonstrators clashed with police on Saturday as they tried to break up the first full AfD conference. About 500 people were briefly detained and 10 police officers were slightly injured, a police spokesman said.

The chapter of the AfD manifesto concerning Muslims is entitled "Islam is not a part of Germany". The manifesto demands a ban to minarets  the towers of a mosque from where the call to Muslim prayer is made  and the burqa, the all-encompassing body garment worn by some conservative Muslim women.

In Sunday's debate one delegate's call for greater understanding drew jeers and loud whistles.

"I call for a differentiation and urge everybody to visit their local Muslim communities and initiate a dialogue," said Ernst-August Roettger, a delegate from the northern city of Lueneburg.

He was speaking in support of an amendment that called for acceptance of everybody's religious freedom and for the party not to regard all Muslims as extremists. Delegates rejected the amendment.

Germany is home to nearly four million Muslims, about five per cent of the total population. Many of the longer established Muslim community in Germany came from Turkey to find work but those who have arrived over the past year have mostly been fleeing conflicts in Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan.

Last month the head of Germany's Central Council of Muslims likened the AfD's attitude towards his community to that of Adolf Hitler's Nazis towards the Jews.  Reuters
DHAKA, May 1

Three assailants sped up to a Bangladeshi tailor's shop by motorcycle on Saturday, dragged out the Hindu owner and hacked him to death, police said, in an attack claimed by Islamic State.



Bangladesh Police detained three people, , including one from fundamentalist Jamaat-e-Islami and an activist from opposition BNP, in connection with the killing.

Police official Abdul Jalil, quoting witnesses, said the attackers fled the scene after killing 50-year-old Nikhil Chandra Joardar outside his shop in the town of Tangail, 80 km (50 miles) northwest of the capital Dhaka.

Islamic State militants claimed responsibility for the killing, saying the tailor had blasphemed Prophet Mohammad, the U.S.-based monitoring service SITE said.

The attack came days after a Bangladeshi gay rights campaigner and his friend were killed in a similar manner in a Dhaka apartment.

Islamist militants have targeted atheist bloggers, academics, religious minorities and foreign aid workers in a series of killings that dates back to February 2015 and has claimed at least 20 lives.

International human rights groups say a climate of intolerance in Bangladeshi politics has both motivated and provided cover for perpetrators of crimes of religious hatred.

Police said they were investigating whether Joardar's killing was connected to a complaint made against him for making a derogatory comment about Prophet Mohammad.

He was in jail for a few weeks in 2012 but released after the complaint against him was withdrawn, said Jalil.

The Islamic State and a group affiliated to al Qaeda have issued similar claims of responsibility in the past, but the authenticity of Saturday's statement could not be immediately verified.

Three people, including a local Islamist party leader, have been picked up for questioning, police said on Sunday.

The Bangladeshi government has denied that Islamic State or al Qaeda have a presence in the country of 160 million people.

Police say home-grown militants groups are behind the attacks.

Western security experts doubt that there are any direct operational links between Islamic State, based in the Middle East, and militants operating on the ground in Bangladesh.

But they do say that claims and statements of support for militant attacks through their propaganda channels allows them to create the impression of being in league together.

Human rights activists have urged mainstream politicians in Bangladesh to abandon sectarian hostilities that date back to the 1971 war of independence, and to engage in a constructive dialogue that would deprive Islamist extremists of cover for their attacks.  Agencies
Berlin, May 1

The two teenagers suspected of carrying out a bomb attack on a gurdwara in the German city of Essen wanted to cause maximum casualties by detonating the explosives inside but were unable to break into the Sikh temple, investigators have said.

"It was a matter of great luck that a major catastrophe was averted," a police spokesman said.

An explosion ripped through the entrance hall of the Nanaksar Satsang Sabha Gurdwara on the evening of April 16, shortly after it hosted a wedding ceremony.

Most of around 200 wedding guests, including children, had left the gurdwara to attend a reception in a nearby hall when the bomb went off.

A 60-year-old suffered serious injuries and had to be hospitalised while two 47- and 56-year-old men had minor injuries. The injured included the 'granthi' (priest) on whom the whole pane of glass had fallen due to the impact.

New information on the attack given by the North Rhine Westphalia interior ministry on Thursday showed that the 16-year-old secondary school students Mohammed B and Yussuf T wanted to detonate their self-made bomb, a fire extinguisher filled with explosives, inside the gurudwara.

But they could not break into the gurudwara through the entrance door and they set off the explosion at the entrance.

The bomb was so powerful that the explosion caused severe damage to the building.

Mohammed B had presented himself as "Kuffr killer" (killer of infidels) on his Facebook profile in November last year and displayed jihadi symbols, regional newspaper Westdeutsche Allgemeine Zeitung (WAZ) reported.

The newspaper said it had on November 27 reported about Mohammed B's intention to kill "non-believers believers" and carried on its website screen shots of his Facebook profile.

Mohammed B had also glorified the terror attacks in Paris on November 13 and derided its 130 victims on his updated facebook profile, the report said.

The report said that it has information that the two men had contacts to two mosques in the city.

Security authorities are alarmed by the terror attack and they are trying to establish whether the two men are linked to a jihadi terror network, it said.

Immediately after the attack, Mohammed made contacts with a 16-year-old Salafist in Wesel in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia, the report said.  PTI
Islamabad: Pakistan is still negotiating with the US to buy eight F-16 fighter jets despite difficulties in getting the $700 million deal partially financed by the American government, a top Pakistani official has said. The purchase hit snags after US Congress withheld 60 per cent of the aid earmarked for subsidising the deal, which has been opposed by some American lawmakers and India. Tariq Fatemi, Special Assistant to Pakistan PM on Foreign Affairs, responding to reports about the deadlock said the "negotiations aren't over yet". PTI

Six killed in US flash flooding

Houston: At least six persons, including a 64-year-old woman and her four great-grandchildren, were killed in the US state of Texas following flash flooding, the worst in the area in 59 years. The woman and her four great grandchildren were found dead after they were swept by fast-moving flood waters in the eastern Texas city of Palestine on Saturday. Officials announced a sixth fatality on Sunday. PTI

Nepal records first successful mountain summit

Kathmandu: Nepal on Sunday recorded the first successful summit to a mountain above 8,000 metres when 30 mountaineers climbed Mt Annapurna after the deadly avalanche of 2014 and last year's great earthquake. With this first summit in the spring season, Nepal is now hopeful of more successful expeditions on other mountains. Altogether 30 climbers, including 14 foreigners and their 16 Sherpa guides reached the summit of the Mt Annapurna. PTI

Three held for Hindu tailors murder in Bangladesh

Dhaka: The Bangladesh police on Sunday arrested three men, including a member of the fundamentalist Jamaat-e-Islami and a journalist, for the murder of a Hindu tailor by Islamic State militants in the latest attack on secular writers and minorities in the Muslim-majority nation. Two cases have also been filed over the killing of Nikhil Chandra Joarder, 50, who was hacked to death by three assailants on Saturday in central Bangladesh's Tangail district. pti
Washington

A US navy commander was sentenced to 78 months in prison for accepting paid travel, sex service and concert tickets from a Malaysian defence contractor in exchange for classified information. Michael Vannak Khem Misiewicz, 48, was also ordered to pay $100,000 in fines and forfeit $95,000 in proceeds from the fraud scheme. IANS

Beijing

Work begins at Tibets plant China has started construction of its biggest hydropower plant in Tibet costing over $3 billion. The Suwalong hydropower project at the junction of Mangkam county in Tibet and Batang county in the Sichuan province has a design capacity of 1.2 GW and will be able to generate about 5,400-GWh electricity a year when completed in 2021, official media reported. PTI

Beijing

China, Japan to mend ties

China and Japan agreed to step up efforts to improve their relations frozen over rival claims on a group of islands as the Foreign Ministers of the world's second and the third-largest economies held rare talks after a gap of over four years. On a fence-mending visit, Japanese Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida held talks with Chinese counterpart Wang Yi. PTI
Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has signed his first business resolution which aims to ease the administrative burden faced by enterprises, improve transparency and government officials accountability for 2016-2017 with vision to 2020. VnExpress International presents the key points of the resolution.

By 2017, Vietnam aims to achieve business environment on par with the average of Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, and Thailand, known as the ASEAN-4. The Resolution 19, signed on April 28 by the Prime Minister, eyes to allow Vietnam to catch up with ASEAN-4s average in indicators in World Economic Forums subindex of efficiency enhancers.

Ministries and chairmen of provincial peoples committees are directly accountable to the Prime Minister on the results of implementing the resolution. By May 30, they are to submit specific programs and action plans for the resolution.

Completing legislation

Under the resolution, Vietnam will complete regulations on requirements for business investment according to the 2014 Investment Law as well as Enterprise Law circulars. Any cumbersome, unnecessary and ultra vires conditions shall be removed.

In particular, by July, Ministry of Justice, Government Office and other relevant agencies shall issue regulations to combine investment procedures with those for land, construction, procurement and environment. There should be a common understanding of the term business operation requirements and all procedures should be simpler and faster.

Reduced red tape and increased monitoring

Government agencies are to publicize all administrative procedures that have been standardized in the National Database by June 30.

Time required to set up a new business will be down to three days. Procedures like submitting an application form and collecting results will be digitalized. Information will be shared among state agencies and linked to the national and ASEAN one-door portals in order to reduce bureaucracy, heading towards paperless procedures.

Specifically, Ministry of Finance will apply information technology in at least 95 percent of tax procedures; tax refunds will be made public while ensuring that 100 percent of tax refund applications are checked and 100 percent of complaints submitted by taxpayers are resolved within the timeframe required by law.

Vietnam Social Insurance, in coordination with Ministry of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs will develop a mechanism to connect enterprise information, whereby enterprises will have a single code. They will also be allowed to use e-signatures in all transactions with state agencies as well as with other businesses.

Also, procedures regarding social and health insurances will be simplified. The social insurance database of all provinces will be digitalized and connected while making efforts to create an online platform to submit insurance forms.

Citizens and businesses will also be able to send recommendations and feedback on administrative matters online or by mail. Heads of relevant agencies will be responsible for resolving such matters.

Additionally, Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Vietnam Lawyers Association, business and professional associations will independently monitor the quality of administrative service and provide recommendations for improvement to the government. They will also study to develop a ranking to measure how much various ministries, government agencies and provinces are trusted by the business community.

Implementation of the resolution will be closely monitored. ISO quality system will be applied to assess operations of state administrative agencies. Any official who causes inconveniences to citizens or businesses will face severe consequences.

Customs clearance

Rate of specialized inspections of imported goods at customs clearance will be reduced from the current 35 percent to 15 percent by the end of 2016. Specifically, only goods imported on a commercial scale will have to be inspected. Vietnam will conduct specialized inspections in line with international rules as well as push for active recognition of famous brands and goods originating from countries noted for strict quality control like Europe, the U.S. and Japan.

The Vietnam Automated Customs Clearance System (VNACCS/VCIS) will be completed and improved. Criteria for channeling goods as red and yellow for customs declaration will be made public. Vietnam also aims to reduce the proportion red or yellow channel checks. Furthermore, Ministry of Science and Technology is to resolve issues surrounding double checks involving a certificate of conformity and checks of individual imports.

Management of import and export goods is to be digitalized.

Land issues

Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment is to complete revisions to procedures for registration and transfer of asset ownership by December 2016.

There will also be a proposal to make public any land that is unused or sub-let at industrial zones, economic zones and export processing zones. Enterprises, especially small and mediums sized ones, should be able to easily access land. New policy to encourage concentration will prioritize development for large-scale concentrated agricultural production.

New regulations regarding issuance of land use right certificates and land auctions are set to make the process faster and simpler.

Additionally, Vietnam will develop a national database on residents, land and businesses.

Contractual disputes and bankruptcy proceedings

Ministry of Justice and Supreme Peoples Court will complete regulations under the 2014 Civil Procedure Code and the 2014 Bankruptcy Law to simplify the process for contractual disputes and bankruptcy proceedings.

On a national business portal, information will be available on businesses undergoing bankruptcy proceedings, along with the list of arbitrators.

Regarding international disputes, Ministry of Foreign Affairs will push for Vietnams partners to recognize the countrys market regulations to protect the rights of Vietnams enterprises.

Construction permit

Ministry of Construction will develop the procedures for issuance of construction permits to make the process faster and cheaper. Verification procedures for fire safety, environmental impact assessment and construction design will be merged.

Food safety

Ministry of Health will revise procedures for food safety inspections to include risk management. Food safety will be checked mainly after clearance instead of simultaneously and during production process, instead of checking finished shipments.
OKLAHOMA CITY  Critics of a proposal to raise the tax on cigarettes by $1.50 a pack to shore up the states Medicaid system say the plan would not generate the revenue projected.

David Sutton, a spokesman for Phillip Morris USA, said the measure, if passed, would result in some Oklahomans driving to surrounding states with lower taxes to make cigarette purchases. Oklahoma would have the highest tax rate among states in the region if the $1.50 is added, he said.

When residents purchase cigarettes out of state, they take gasoline, grocery and other dollars with them, which reduces revenue to the state in the form of lost sales taxes, Sutton said.

We dont have any data or evidence to show people will drive across state lines with an increase in the cigarette tax, said Carter Kimble, Oklahoma State Department of Health director of state and federal policy.

Convenience stores nationally take in 32.7 percent of their revenue on in-store sales of cigarettes, according to the National Association of Convenience Stores.

Mike Thornbrugh, a spokesman for Tulsa-based QuikTrip, said the increase would give tribal smoke shops a competitive advantage. Tribes collect the tax under a compact with the state, but receive a significant rebate in return, he said.

For fiscal year 2015, the total tax collected by tribal shops was nearly $66 million, said Paula Ross, Oklahoma Tax Commission spokeswoman. The state rebated slightly more than $45 million to the tribes from cigarette sales, Ross said.

We dont believe tribes are using the rebate money to undercut the prices for cigarettes based on a survey of consumers, Kimble said.

The Oklahoma Health Care Authority has proposed rate cuts of up to 25 percent to Medicaid providers. A plan supported by health care providers, such as hospitals and nursing homes, would raise the cigarette tax by $1.50 to lessen the blow and perhaps increase rates.

Numerous groups have been lobbying lawmakers to pass the tax increase, saying without a funding source, hospitals and nursing homes will close and some doctors will refuse to take Medicaid patients.

Legislative leaders say they do not have a super majority in both houses to pass the tax outright, but say it is possible the votes exist to put the measure on the ballot for a statewide vote.

The last cigarette tax increase passed in 2004 by a vote of 53.35 percent to 46.65 percent. State Question 713s passage increased the tax by 80 cents.

A $1.50 increase on cigarettes would generate about $182 million annually, said Nico Gomez, CEO of the Oklahoma Health Care Authority.

We know it costs 3.5 times more to take care of a smoking-related illness in our program, Gomez said. This tax makes sense from the point of offsetting the cost of taking care of a smoking-related illness in the Medicaid program.

Sutton said the states already receive money from the tobacco industry through the Master Settlement Agreement to cover the costs of smoking-related illnesses.

A component of the formula is tax-paid sales volume, he said. If that goes down, the amount the state receives through the MSA could also go down, Sutton said.

Since 1999, the state has received $1.32 billion through the MSA, said Tim Allen, a spokesman for State Treasurer Ken Miller.

The MSA payment formula is very complicated, but it is based on national sales and market share, and no single state actions will make an appreciable difference on settlement payments, said Tracey Strader, executive director of the Oklahoma Tobacco Settlement Endowment Trust. The organization invests the settlement payments and uses the earnings for programs to reduce tobacco use and other health issues.

Senate Appropriations Chairman Clark Jolley, R-Edmond, said policymakers cant build a budget based on the assumption the tax increase will pass a vote of the people. Jolley said the goal of any increase should be to get people to quit smoking, not to raise revenue.

Lawmakers expect to have $1.3 billion less in crafting a fiscal year 2017 budget in part due to tax cuts, a drop in energy prices and an inability to reign in tax credits and incentives given to generate economic activity.

Craig Jones, Oklahoma Hospital Association president, said lawmakers need to be courageous in their decision-making to find a funding source for Medicaid.

Postponing a decision until November when the measure could wind up before voters would have serious consequences, Jones said.
OKLAHOMA CITY  The first budget bills may get a vote in the House in about a week as lawmakers begin to deal with what has been the elephant in the room all legislative session  a record $1.3 billion revenue hole.

House Appropriations and Budget Committee Chairman Earl Sears said the governors office along with Republican leadership in both chambers agree on some legislative approaches that will take the form of bills likely to be heard the second week in May.

The session is required to end by May 27, and leaders have discussed concluding a week early.

There is an effort to minimize cuts to priorities like education and health care in the new spending plan for the fiscal year beginning July 1.
Next week SBS begins a new Scandi-noir thriller, Follow the Money, depicting how corporate greed corrupts humanity.

The 10 part series, known in Denmark as Bedrag, features dialogue in Danish, English and Swedish. It premiered in Denmark in January and in the UK in March.

SBS will premiere this with a double episode.

Follow the Money is a Danish crime thriller which journeys into the dark world of economic crime in the banks, on the stock exchange and in the board rooms. This series exposes how greed, ambition and the desire to build a dream life affect the rich, poor, and corrupts humanity as a whole.

Follow the swindlers and speculators, the corporate moguls and criminals as they commit crimes in their hunt for wealth.

Episode One:

Police detective Mads is called out to investigate a body that has washed ashore. At first glance, this looks like an unfortunate accident, but the case implicates the upper ranks of one of Denmarks most successful energy companies, Energreen. Meanwhile former car thief Nicky is trying his best to stay on the straight and narrow when a new colleague, Bisme, tempts him with a chance to make some quick cash.

9:30pm Thursday May 12 on SBS.
NB: Story refers to finale plot.

Lost remains one of the most ground-breaking dramas of the last decade.

It was filmed on location with a multicultural cast, it had a cinematic score, there were flashbacks that saw characters U-turn from hero to villain, episodes where principal characters went unseen for a week, and foreign language with subtitles used in primetime US television. The 2004 series seemingly did it all.

But as writer Javier Grillo-Marxuach recalls, the show barely knew what it was when ABC Network greenlit what would become the most expensive Pilot in their history.

Head of ABC Lloyd Braun had an idea for CastAway meets Survivor which JJ Abrams and Damon Lindelof would eventually develop, adding supernatural elements. But even they hadnt worked out the details when the project was fast-tracked into production.

For Lost to be greenlit from an outline and ABC to release the money for a fuselage to be barged to Hawaii, without a script was humongous! Grillo-Marxuach recalls.

He worked on the series for its first 2 seasons, writing and co-writing 7 scripts including House of the Rising Sun, All the Best Cowboys have Daddy Issues, & Hearts and Minds. He recalls a Writers Room where the shows universe was created and rules were broken -including during production.

They didnt know what the show was going to be, he says.

The flashbacks werent even conceived when the Pilot was written. They were something that the room came up with after the Pilot was finished.

JJ said At the end of the Pilot they find a hatch! But Damon asked Whats the hatch and JJ said I dunno, mystery box!

So Damon didnt want to put the hatch in until they knew what it was. Thats why it didnt show until Episode 10.

You cant kill the white guy

Before Matthew Fox had been cast, there were plans for Michael Keaton to appear briefly as Jack and be killed off. He would still do press for the series with the death to serve as a big twist.

But I told them, Youre killing a white male who has a profession as a doctor, one of TVs traditional professions. You cant do that!' he insisted.

Then the network sent them notes that said You cant kill the white guy. So it was re-written with Jack as the main character and he stayed in the series.

For the In Translation episode he wrote the backstory for Jin-Soo Kwon (Daniel Dae Kim) visiting Suns (Yunjin Kim) in Seoul.

It was exceptional to write an hour of TV where more than 30% of it was entirely in Korean and subtitled. That was something very special for American network television, he says.

The next year Heroes was doing it with their Japanese characters and other shows were doing flashbacks and flash-forwards. We werent inventing the moves but we created a show where we could do a lot of them.

Lost also helped reignite serialised television, adopting weekly cliffhangers that broke away from current TV hits CSI and Law and Order which were not asking audiences for such commitment. It was a renewed trend that served others such as Desperate Housewives and Prison Break well.

How does your past life keep coming back to you?

The flashback device enabled writers to force the audience to rethink their characters: Kate (Evangeline Lilly) was a fugitive on the run, Locke (Terry OQuinn) had been wheelchair-bound and Hurley (Jorge Garcia) had won the lottery.

It was a flashback show, a soap opera, a cop show, a fugitive show, a lawyer show, a doctor show, a con artist show, Grillo-Marxuach explains.

We were coming up with incredibly varied backstories for characters. Originally we thought everything would take place on the island. Then we realised the show was about who you can be when you pretend to be anyone. But how does your past life keep coming back to you?

Everybody fantasises about living on a desert island. And everyone fantasises about what they would do if they faked their own death.

It spanned genres and it allowed us to work in so many different genres to reveal so many different characters.

The first season of Lost especially was a rollercoaster ride, that youre lucky to have once in a lifetime. It was something that in order to be a part of its creation, you had to embrace chaos.

If you look at the matrix of things that could have gone wrong there are 10 million ways that this should have been a disaster. And there is one way that it could have been the amazing first season of television that it wound up being. We were able to grab the bolt of lightning and spear it into the eye of the needle to get to what we did. And win an Emmy for Best Series.

The island is not purgatory

After his two seasons, Grillo-Marxuach never watched the show again until its infamous finale at the end of Season 6. After so much mythology and supernatural elements, viewers were ready for answers. Debate still rages over whether the pay-off was worth the wait, but Grillo-Marxuach insists the religious ending was not a depiction of Purgatory.

The island is not purgatory. They all died, he declares.

There was never a conversation in the writers room where we settled on purgatory. We never intended it to be purgatory.

There was a grace note at the end of the final episode that because the characters had such a significant experience on the island they all waited for each other to transcend. But that doesnt mean the island itself was purgatory. Everything that happened on the island happened in reality.

So was he personally satisfied with what he viewed?

I dont know! It was very emotional, I guess! he laughs.

Michael Emerson (Benjamin Linus) was supposed to be a 6 episode guest star in the second season and 7 years later hes still around. That was weird!

We had an idea, but Im not going to tell you what it was, that was a working-hypothesis of what the island was, for the 2 years I worked there. I was surprised that the people who ran the show punted on forever defining what the island truly was. I dont know what their train of thought was or why they decided to never specify it. I thought that would have brought a lot of closure to a lot of people who stuck with it.

Despite being so forward on the inner-workings of Lost, Javier Grillo-Marxuach refuses to spill on what that original plan, as discussed in 2004, was.

There is a code of honour. If they decided to punt on that I cant second-guess them. The show has given me a lot and it would be really dishonourable for me to say This is what its supposed to be.

But its not Purgatory.
An affiliate deal between TEN and WIN could be announced as early as this week, according to media reports today.

The Australian tips TEN will agree to a deal with WIN for less than 40 per cent of its gross revenue.

AFR notes Nine will increase its advertising spend on Southern Cross radio assets, including the Hit Network and Triple M, by as much as $10 million.

Deutsche Bank analyst Entcho Raykovski estimated Southern Cross will reap a $50m-$60m revenue increase after signing with Nine.

Southern Cross is still expected to negotiate with TEN for northern NSW as Nine already provides its feed in the area through NBN.

Southern Cross is affiliated with Seven West Media in Tasmania and does not have licences in Western Australia. Nine would be reliant on WIN taking its signal in those areas, and could be relegated to the regional networks West Digital Television, which is a joint venture with Prime Media Group.
German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier has urged to take a chance of truce in eastern Ukraine during the Easter and May holidays, an Ukrinform correspondent in Germany reports.

"Both sides should not miss the chance and should prevent the escalation of violence. Otherwise, the situation will get out of control and people will die again," the Minister said, noting that he welcomes the agreement on truce during the Orthodox Easter and May holidays, reached by the Trilateral Contact Group in Minsk.

Steinmeier called on all parties to the conflict to strictly adhere to the agreement.

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Vietnam Pieta statues have been created to call on South Korean government to take responsibility for atrocities during Vietnam - American War.

Korean-Vietnamese Peace Foundation released on April 30 Vietnam Pieta  the Last Lullaby to commemorate 41 years of the end of Vietnam - American War in Vietnam and to call on the government of South Korea to take responsibility for massacres of innocent Vietnamese by South Korean mercenary troops during the war.

One will stand in Binh Hoa commune in Vietnams central province of Quang Ngai, where 50 years ago South Korean troops massacred 420 civilians. In South Korea, the statue will stand in Jeju island.

"Vietnam Pieta" will stand at Binh Hoa commune, Binh Son district, Quang Ngai province. Photo by: P.T

The statues have been created by two Korean artists, Kim Seo Kyung and Kim Eun Sung, to comfort the souls of mothers and unnamed new-born babies killed in the massacres in Central Vietnam. The two artists are known for the Statue of a Girl of Peace which symbolizes Korean young women forced to work as Japanese military sex slaves during World War II.

"Vietnam Pieta" shows a woman holding her baby tight. With eyes closed as if asleep, the baby clenches her hands, which are tiny compared to its head.

Cast in bronze, Vietnam Pieta weighs 150 kg, is 150 cm high and 70 cm wide. It rests on a base weighing close to 450 kg.

Kim Seo Kyung casting the "Vietnam Pieta". Photo by P.T

In December 1966, over 400 civilians (including 269 women, 104 elderly and 174 children) of Binh Hoa commune, Binh Son district, Quang Ngai province were massacred by South Korean troops. In 1990, local people and government built a memorial to commemorate the atrocity.
Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc said at a meeting today: whoever is behind [the mass fish deaths] has to be brought to light, there must be no cover ups.

On May 1, Phuc, two deputy prime ministers Vu Duc Dam and Trinh Dinh Dung and representatives of relevant ministries met with provinces affected by mass fish deaths in Ha Tinh province.

Phuc called the mass fish deaths a serious environmental occurrence and urged government agencies to work together and prevent similar environmental disaster from ever happening again.

Solutions to the problem have to based on the spirit not to leave [affected] citizen hungry, he added.

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc (standing) at the meeting today in Ha Tinh. Photo by D.H

Representatives of affected provinces requested the government to soon answer on the cause of the deaths as well as provide a clear support policy for fishermen, leaving no room for speculation.

Hoang Dang Quang, Quang Binh provincial Party Chief, said: We request the government to soon announce the safe fishing zone for fishermen. Currently, we dont know how to answer people.

Phuc echoed the request, adding that the governments conclusion on the cause of mass fish deaths must be concise and science based with no cover ups for any violators.

As of April 25, 70 tons of mostly demersal fish have died in Ha Tinh, Quang Binh, Quang Tri and Thua Thien-Hue, according to official reports from the provinces.

According to a statement by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment on April 27, there are two hypotheses to explain the mass fish deaths. One is toxic chemicals released by human activities. Another is an abnormal natural phenomenon that causes algae to rapidly bloom, commonly known as a red tide. Scientists, led by Ministry of Science and Technology, are still investigating the incident.

The hypotheses have been met with opposition from many experts.

Local fishermen have since faced problems selling their produce as consumers fear the fish might be poisoned. To support the fishermen, the government has decided yesterday to buy all fish caught offshore. Additionally, affected provinces have been ordered today to inspect seafood safety one to twice daily.
Linda Katehi has been embroiled in several controversies in her tenure as the chancellor for University of California, Davis. One of the most notable events was the pepper spray incident that involved peaceful student protestors on campus. This is on top of numerous allegations including mismanagement of university funds.

UC Davis's provost Ralph Hexter has been called on to become the interim chancellor of the university, USA Today College noted. Before Katehi was ousted as chancellor, she was placed on forced but paid leave as she is investigated over violations of UC Davis' policies. The suspension led to two weeks of student sit-ins and rallies. The protests even went on social media with student rallyists posting their pleas online and hashtagged it with #FireKatehi.

UC Davis Chancellor Linda Katehi placed on investigatory administrative leave https://t.co/EYQGSjmYVA  The Sacramento Bee (@sacbee_news) April 28, 2016



UC Davis President Janet Napolitano who caught wind of Katehi's controversies from the university's community members put the latter on leave, Los Angeles Times reported. Katehi is being independently investigated on allegations including alleged misuse of student funds, nepotism and hiring social media experts to erase negative posts on the internet about the infamous pepper-spraying incident in UC Davis.

Furthermore, Katehi is also to answer why she accepted to be a board member of the DeVry Education Group and textbook publisher John Wiley & Sons despite being a UC Davis chancellor. Katehi resigned from her position at DeVry in March this and issued a letter of apology to students, Huffington Post shared. She was no longer part of John Wiley & Sons since 2014.

According to the new interim chancellor Hexter, working with Katehi was inspiring but he was disappointed over the events. UC Davis officials and even politicians have called for the ex-chancellors resignation, CBS Local noted. Students who were calling for Katehi to resign also hoped for her not to be restored to her position.
Vietnam's ambassador to the U.S. Pham Quang Vinh has asked the U.S. to open arms trade to Vietnam and recognize Vietnam's market economy status, which will be "a favorable background for the upcoming visit to Vietnam by President Barack Obama," according to a statement on the Embassy's website.

"Vietnam calls on the US to totally lift the arms embargo on Vietnam and believes that this element of barrier of the past should be removed to reflect the full normalization of our relations started two decades ago and the current level of our comprehensive partnership," said ambassador Pham Quang Vinh at the Viet Nam War Summit at the Lyndon Baines Johnson Presidential Library in Austin, Texas, April 28.

"A new era has begun", the Ambassador said, "the countries top leaders affirmed the principle of respecting each others political institution, independence and sovereignty".

He has raised "concern over recent developments" in East Vietnam Sea and said Vietnam supports the maintenance of peace, maritime security, unimpeded commerce and freedom of navigation in the area. "All countries concerned must abide by international law, especially the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), resort to peaceful resolution of disputes, refrain from actions that raise tensions, implement fully the DOC and work for the early conclusion of the COC."

The ambassador said Vietnam and the U.S. "will continue our bilateral cooperation in defense and security areas, as outlined in the two countries' Joint Vision Statement on Defense Relations (June 2015) and the Defense Cooperation MOU (2011), including in the area of maritime security, search and rescue, disaster relief, and peace-keeping".

President Obama is expected to make his first visit to Vietnam this month. "The two sides are making every effort of preparations to ensure the visit a success, which will further strengthen our two countries' relations," said the Ambassador.

He said U.S assistance in innovation and start-up, and in dealing with climate change and sea level rise in the Mekong delta are priorities. Vietnam is also working with the U.S. in "the area of civil nuclear energy". "We have been able to talk also on issues of differences, such as human rights," he said.

In terms of war legacy issues, Vietnam "expects the U.S. to give more assistance to Vietnam, in both funding and technology, in the clearance of UXO and dioxin remediation, including new projects such as at the Bien Hoa airport." They have prioritized the joint settlement of war consequences, such as unexploded ordnance clearance, detoxification, and health care for people exposed to agent organge/Dioxin, the diplomat added.

Bilateral trade between Vietnam and the U.S. has rocketed by 90 times over two decades, from USD500 million in 1994 to USD45 billion in 2015. The ambassador said the figure is expected to increase after the member countries of the Trans-Pacific Partnership finish ratifying the deal.

Currently, Viet Nam is the ASEAN nation with the biggest number of students (19,000) in the U.S. More than 500,000 U.S. tourists came to this Southeast Asian country last year.

Last year, General Secretary of Vietnam's Communist Party Nguyen Phu Trong made "the first-ever, historic visit" to the U.S., in which the General Secretary and President Obama met at the Oval Office and issued a Joint Vision Statement on strengthening further the two countries' comprehensive partnership.
STAR FILE PHOTO

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By Staff Reports

Three Los Angeles-area residents were arrested in connection with an investigation into drug sales in Ventura County, authorities said Saturday.

James Piano, 40, and Osvaldo Sanchez, 27, both of Canoga Park, were suspected of selling drugs to county residents, and detectives saw them involved in illegal drug activity, the Ventura County Sheriff's Office said. It was learned that Piano had an arrest warrant related to not complying with his parole terms, authorities said. Sanchez was also on parole, authorities said.

Investigators said they followed Piano to a parking lot in the 16000 block of Saticoy Street in Van Nuys about 7 p.m. April 22 and arrested him in connection with the warrant. He was with Justin Marine, 41, of Winnetka, at the time of the arrest, authorities said. Marine was found to be on probation, so detectives said they searched the vehicle the men were near, as allowed under the probation terms, and recovered about 1.5 pounds of methamphetamine and a loaded handgun. Marine was arrested on suspicion of possession for sales of a controlled substance, authorities said.

Sanchez was arrested at 2:36 p.m. Tuesday at his workplace in Canoga Park. Detectives later served a search warrant at his home in the 21000 block of Saticoy Street and found three-quarters of a pound of methamphetamine and a quarter of a pound of heroin, authorities said. About $25,000 was recovered and determined to be proceeds from drug sales, authorities said.

Sanchez and Piano were being held without bail in Los Angeles County jail on suspicion of parole violations, with criminal charges pending investigation, authorities said.
SHARE Steve Bennett David Grau

By Kathleen Wilson of the Ventura County Star

First-time candidate David Grau has narrowed the fundraising gap between him and incumbent county Supervisor Steve Bennett after strong results in the first four months of the year, campaign finance filings show.

Grau's campaign for the 1st District seat on the Ventura County Board of Supervisors has reported raising close to $61,000 since January. That topped the approximately $47,000 reported by Bennett over the period.

That puts Grau about $24,000 behind Bennett in total contributions reported to date, according to financial statements. Grau lagged by close to $40,000 at the end of last year.

The odds are still stacked against Grau because he's taking on an incumbent, but his fundraising totals are impressive, said Herb Gooch, professor of political science at California Lutheran University in Thousand Oaks.

Gooch said fundraising is most important when there's a big imbalance, which is not the case so far in the race.

Still, for Grau to win, he would need to attract a lot of new voters in addition to the coalition of business and agricultural interests backing him, Gooch said.

"Steve wins very consistently," Gooch said.

With the campaign entering its final weeks before the June 7 election, Grau's total over the campaign now stands at roughly $143,000, while Bennett topped $167,000.

Many of Grau's contributions have come from agricultural and business interests, including contractors, partners in Anterra Energy Services and ranchers. He is also supported by fellow members of the Ventura County Taxpayers Association.

Grau is a former chairman of the taxpayers group who helped lead an unsuccessful effort to phase out the county pension system. He is promoting a pro-jobs agenda.

Bennett is known mainly for leading the successful drive to require voter approval for development of farmland and open space. Such measures are expected to be on the ballot for renewal until 2050 in November.

Bennett is heavily backed by retirees, who accounted for close to two-thirds of the contributors in his report for the first four months of the year. Others include writers, health care professionals, government employees and an Amgen executive.

Endorsements posted on the candidates' websites also shed some light on who is supporting the candidates' election bids, although some don't live in the Ventura-based district and could not vote.

Bennett has been endorsed by labor unions, the Ventura County Democratic Party, and Democratic officeholders on the state, federal and local levels. Grau has been endorsed by the Ventura County Republican Party.

Both candidates are endorsed by individuals aligned with their causes.

Local officeholders also are listed as supporters for both. Bennett has more who live within the Ventura-based district.

Spending has been minimal so far, but Gooch expects it to heat up in the final weeks. Both men have spent about $50,000, well under the voluntary cap of $200,000. Each has reported a cash balance in the neighborhood of $100,000.

The winner of the four-year term will take office in January. The 1st District spans the Ojai Valley, Ventura, part of Oxnard and coastal communities north of Ventura.

County Recorder site, view records.
STAR FILE PHOTO

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By Megan Diskin of the Ventura County Star

With black ribbons across their badges during several upcoming ceremonies, local law enforcement officers will remember peers killed in the line of duty.

Simi Valley police officers plan to travel to Sacramento for the California Peace Officers Memorial Ceremony on Monday. The event is in its 40th year, and the Ventura County Sheriff's Office typically sends members of its honor guard, authorities said.

In Simi Valley that day, a proclamation will be presented to the City Council recognizing May 15 as Peace Officers Memorial Day, Simi Valley police said. In 1962, President John F. Kennedy claimed the week of May 15 as National Police Week, Simi Valley police said.

During that week, Simi Valley police will tie blue ribbons to the antennas of their patrol cars and encourage residents to do the same.

At the start of the month, sheriff's patrol cars will also start carrying the blue ribbon in show of support, said sheriff's Capt. Garo Kuredjian.

The Ventura County Sheriff's Office will hold a ceremony at 10 a.m. May 19 at the fallen peace officers monument outside the Ventura County Government Center in Ventura, Kuredjian said. Helicopters will fly over in a missing-man formation, he said.

All of the names of fallen peace officers in Ventura County are engraved on the monument. Ventura police Cmdr. Tom Higgins said Ventura officers usually attend that ceremony to remember the officers their agency has lost.

Oxnard police will shut down C Street on Wednesday for a 10:30 a.m. ceremony to honor seven city officers who have died on duty. Speeches from Police Chief Jeri Williams and the daughter of Officer James Jensen Jr., who died in 1996, are planned.

The Santa Paula and Port Hueneme police departments also will hold ceremonies during the memorial week. Members of the community were welcome to attend each of these events.
In April, the United States Embassy to Haiti announced more funding for the ongoing needs of Haitian households suffering from the effects of the El Nino-induced drought, bringing U.S. contributions to $21.9 million USD over the last six months.

The U.S. Agency for International Development, or USAID, began working to mitigate the risks of drought-induced hunger and malnutrition in October 2015. To date the U.S Government has provided $21.9 million to address emergency needs for food, nutrition, and water in all the drought-affected departments of the country: North-East, lArtibonite, Centre, West, and South-East.

This includes: $7.4 million to the World Food Programme for cash and food transfers to 100,000 people, and $1.2 million to UNICEF to treat 37,800 children who could be diagnosed with Severe Acute Malnutrition.

Emergency food aid funding of $11.8 million, also included, to partners CARE, Action Contre la Faim, and World Vision, which plans to support at over 135,000 people, in addition to the 102,000 already served by USAID and Haitian governments Kore Lavi social safety net program, through which participants receive cash for assets, and food vouchers to purchase locally sourced, nutritious food.

USAID provides $1.3 million for increasing clean water supply and sanitation in the South-East department, one of the hardest hit by drought, migration from the Dominican Republic, and recent cholera outbreaks. This sum includes: $900,000 to Solidarites International, $250,000 to UNICEF, and $160,000 to International Organization for Migration.

Finally, the United States contributed $200,000 to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA) for drought, migration, and cholera response coordination across and among all organizations and the government.

U.S. Ambassador to Haiti Peter Mulrean reiterated that: The U.S. stands steadfast with Haitian families to provide for their emergency food, nutrition, and water needs. We also continue to work to strengthen Haitis future capacity to prepare for and withstand shocks, including by boosting agricultural production and closing food gaps for those most vulnerable to weather, political and price shocks."
KRISTIE AKIN/SPECIAL TO THE STAR Moist ti leaf is prepared and braided to make a lei during a workshop Saturday at the Beatrice Wood Center for the Arts in Ojai.

SHARE KRISTIE AKIN/SPECIAL TO THE STAR Jeanette Vasquez, of Port Hueneme, uses her toes to hold the end of the braided-style ti leaf lei during Saturday's workshop in Ojai. KRISTIE AKIN/SPECIAL TO THE STAR Instructor Nani Edgar wears an example of the braided-style lei while helping participants create their own, using large, moist, ti leaves, during Saturday's workshop in Ojai. KRISTIE AKIN/SPECIAL TO THE STAR Sylvia Edgar (right) leads participants in a traditional Hawaiian chant used by hula dancers when they are placing a lei on themselves before a performance.

By Anne Kallas, Special to The Star

The harmonious Oli Lei chant rose through the trees surrounding the Beatrice Wood Center for the Arts in Ojai, blending with the songs of the ubiquitous swallows, as about 40 women learned about traditional hula and lei making.

But before starting on creating the first lei Saturday, Sylvia Edgar, a Kuma Hula  or master teacher of Hawaiian dance  instructed the class.

"Clear your minds of any worries when chanting the Oli Lei. You don't want to make the lei when you're upset. You want to clear your mind. Otherwise, you end up with all of your worries in your lei and all over you," Edgar said.

The Ojai hula, chant and lei-making workshop offered a glimpse into the rich tapestry of oral and dance tradition of Hawaii.

As Edgar explained, there was no written language in Hawaii until the 1820s, when missionaries introduced the concept of recording events.

"The oral tradition was passed down. It was very dear to keep these traditions, to keep track of genealogies and various conflicts," Edgar said. "The missionaries wanted to write everything down. But Hawaiians have very good memories. The traditions of hula go forward and backward."

Edgar said the sacred dance was first outlawed after the missionaries arrived, and then westernized. Instead of the traditional dances, which are accompanied by chants or songs, the customs were used to greet people visiting the islands.

"I have total respect for those dances. This was what my family was learning during that era. There was a time when my father wasn't allowed to do the dances," Edgar said. "But there was a renaissance in the 1970s when they brought back the Hawaiian culture. I happened to be learning hula then."

Edgar was dubbed a Kuma Hula when she was 15. She operated a hula school for 13 years in Ventura before deciding to travel around California teaching the art for a few years.

Her daughter Nani Edgar, who helped with the workshop, now operates the school Hula Halau O Puananiha'aheo, 2727 E Main St., Ventura, where Sylvia Edgar still teaches.

As she sat on the patio of the Beatrice Wood Center for the Arts, overlooking the Upper Ojai Valley, Sylvia Edgar said: "I love Ojai. It's very deep and has a beautiful spirit  mana  which attracts many artists. I come to Ojai to fill my spirit."

A student at Nani Edgar's school, Mae Toft-Sharp, of Ventura, said she came to the workshop to further her study of Hawaiian culture.

"I'm Danish, but I grew up in Hawaii. I'm an artist, and my parents were musicians. I've studied the Hawaiian language and mythology," Toft-Sharp said.

Tess Pitzer came to the workshop with her mother, Sally Pitzer, who studies hula with Rona Koe, who has her own school and was helping the Edgars with the workshop.

"I actually grew up on Maui," Tess Pitzer said, adding that the class reminded her of her early years.

Sally Pitzer said that for her, one of the biggest misconceptions about hula was: "It looks easy, but it's not at all. It's a lot of work. A lot of hulas don't get performed commercially. People think of hula as a performance at luaus, but it's much more than that. I love this workshop. It's giving me a dose of Hawaii that I desperately need."

The workshop was offered on the last day of April so participants could wear their leis on Sunday  May 1 is known as Lei Day in Hawaii.

The group finished the workshop by learning a Hula Kahiko, the most ancient and solemn form of hula dance.

Sylvia Edgar explained that learning the dances and chants and making the leis all must be done in a spirit of calm.

"Hawaiians live in the moment," she said. "They are growing taro, going fishing and doing hula. A lot of time, we want you to be centered, to know whether your actions are righteous or not."

As the class prepared to make twisted ti-leaf leis to wrap around their heads for the next phase of the workshop, Edgar explained some of the traditions of the plant.

"When I need a little protection or strength, I place some ti leaves in my pocket or bra before I go out," she said before demonstrating how to create the garlands.

For information about programs at the Beatrice Wood Center for the Arts, call 646-3381 or visit http://www.beatricewood.com. For information about Nani Edgar's hula school, go online to http://www.puanani.org or email nanigurl805hula@gmail.com.
JOSEPH A. GARCIA/THE STAR Team members make the most of their two minutes to hammer in as many nails possible during Saturday's competition at Lowe's in Oxnard.

SHARE JOSEPH A. GARCIA/THE STAR Margaret Reifer, of the Hammerheads team, signs a wooden stud before the start of Saturday's competition at Lowe's in Oxnard on Saturday. The team was runner-up. JOSEPH A. GARCIA/THE STAR Members of the Band of Sisters, Priscilla Covarrubias (from left), Stephanie Janney, Loretta Nolan and Valerie Chhim, have a team photo taken before the start of the Saturday's competition at Lowe's in Oxnard. The team won the competition. JOSEPH A. GARCIA/THE STAR Hammerheads team member Jeri Nieberding (left) cheers for fellow team member Raini Steffen during Saturday's competition. JOSEPH A. GARCIA/THE STAR Band of Sisters members Valerie Chhim (from left), Stephanie Janney, Priscilla Covarrubias and Loretta Nolan celebrate after winning Saturday's competition. The team hammered in 48 nails.

By Alicia Doyle, Special to The Star

How many 3-inch nails can you hammer into a wooden stud within two minutes?

Ten teams of four were put to the test Saturday during a ladies-only hammering competition in the Lowe's parking lot in Oxnard.

The contest  She Nailed It!  was held in the spirit of charity, to raise money for affordable homes through Habitat for Humanity.

"For us to be successful and provide more opportunities for affordable homeownership, we need a breadth of support across the community," said Steve Dwyer, of Thousand Oaks, executive director of Habitat for Humanity of Ventura County. "We appreciate the fact that we can reach out to such great ladies who want to support families so they can also afford a home."

Saturday's event was sponsored by Habitat for Humanity, Bank of America and Lowe's.

Each team had a fundraising goal of $1,000, which will go toward Habitat for Humanity's homebuilding project on Trinity Lane in Santa Paula.

"We're building eight homes out there for low-income families," said Rachel McIver, programs and communications manager for Habitat for Humanity of Ventura County. "These homes are all built by volunteers."

Saturday's competition was also a kickoff for Women Build Week, which is sponsored by Lowe's and concludes Saturday with Women Build Day at the Trinity Lane development.

Before the contest began, Lisa Robinson, a sales manager for Lowe's in Oxnard, read a statement by Larry Stone, chairman of Lowe's Charitable and Educational Foundation.

"Lowe's involvement with women build is much more than a financial arrangement; it is a reflection of our commitment to address the nationwide issue of substandard housing," Robinson read. "We are helping to build homes everyone can take pride in."

Diana Gleason, market president for Bank of America in Ventura and Santa Barbara counties, said, "We can all partner in the community to make a difference."

Gleason, of Ventura, put her words into action on Saturday as a contest participant on the Bank of America team.

"We've had a long-standing partnership with Habitat for Humanity, and we're very excited to continue that partnership," Gleason said.

Mary Lingua, a retired engineer from the Navy, was on a team called She Nail Polished It. She also serves on the development board of Habitat for Humanity.

"I love Habitat ... for giving families an affordable home that's theirs," said Lingua, of Somis. "It's not a handout; it's a hand up, so you help them to become stable people in the economy."

Saturday's first-place winners of the Golden Hammer were the Band of Sisters, a team made up of women in the Air Force who hammered 48 nails. Second place went to the Hammerheads, who hammered 47 nails and received the Silver Nail award.

Valerie Chhim, of Port Hueneme, was on the winning team.

"It feels awesome. We didn't even practice," Chhim said. "We've never done anything like this before, so this was fun and exciting, and especially to be able to fundraise and donate for such a good cause like this."
STAR FILE PHOTO Oxnard's state-of-the-art Advanced Water Purification Facility on Perkins Road.

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By Gretchen Wenner of the Ventura County Star

It's been busy around Oxnard City Hall lately. Here's a brief peek at some of what's been going on.

FINANCE DANCE CONTINUES

Oxnard's annual financial report has been delayed yet again, this time until mid-June.

The report, originally scheduled for a December release, has been pushed back multiple times as auditors encounter problem after problem.

In the meantime, city administrators face increasingly hostile employee labor unions as negotiations drag on while questions remain about the city's true financial condition.

IRS LURKING

The audit firm recently providing the update on its delayed financial report also slipped additional news into the picture: the Internal Revenue Service is auditing Oxnard. City officials have so far not made public the nature or extent of the review.

Separately, there has been some expectation the California State Controller's Office might audit the city.

And speaking of audits, City Manager Greg Nyhoff last week told the City Council the federal Housing and Urban Development Department has been back auditing the city. When Nyhoff arrived in June 2014, several scathing HUD reports quickly surfaced regarding long-standing problems. This time, Nyhoff said, while auditors found four issues in need of a fix, they also found the city much improved.

RECYCLED WATER DELAYED

In March, elected officials, growers and others gathered at Oxnard's Advanced Water Purification Facility to cheer the delivery of recycled water to agricultural users east of city limits.

Delivery has been delayed, however. Technical issues involving connections to a borrowed pipeline have temporarily stalled the effort, which never reached the full expected flow of roughly 5 million gallons a day.

The fix is expected to take at least two more months  likely longer  as an alternate connection goes through required hydraulic analysis, said Susan Mulligan, general manager of the Calleguas Municipal Water District, which owns the pipeline.

When the connection is back online, the ultrapure recycled supply will go mostly to the Pleasant Valley County Water District, which serves farmers on the Oxnard Plain south of Camarillo.
Santa Paula Police Chief Steve McLean, shown earlier this year, was among those attending a Thursday meeting to discuss the growing problem of homelessness in Santa Paula. STAR FILE PHOTO

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By Claudia Boyd-Barrett, Special to The Star

The number of homeless people in Ventura County has dropped overall, but not in Santa Paula.

Last week, government officials, social service workers, business people and concerned community members gathered at the Santa Paula Railroad Depot to discuss what's being done to help the city's homeless  and what else is needed.

Santa Paula has bucked the trend of declining homeless numbers across the county this year. Ventura County's annual homeless count in January found 56 people living on the streets in Santa Paula. That's more than double the 20 people counted in 2015.

Problems caused by homeless people in the city are a burden to the police department, Santa Paula Police Chief Steve McLean told the gathering of approximately 40 people. About 1 in 10 calls to the police department directly involves the homeless, he said.

"They're a problem," said McLean, adding that most of the calls involve nuisances such as loud arguments, strange behavior and bike thefts, although sometimes a homeless person is violent. "The problem is not the fact that somebody's homeless. The problem is the fact that someone has a mental illness and can't help themselves."

McLean said most of the 56 homeless people counted are men with a mental illness or substance addiction. Many have criminal records, he said. Most are chronically homeless, which means they have been on the streets for at least a year.

Santa Paula does not have a homeless shelter, and although some services are available there is no single place where the homeless can go to get help. The chief and others at the meeting said Santa Paula needs a "one-stop" center where the homeless can get all their needs met in one location, including food, shelter, health care and mental health screenings.

Other speakers came from the county's Behavioral Health Department, public health care agency and the Continuum of Care, which helps coordinate and direct funding for homeless efforts countywide.

Continuum of Care coordinator Tara Carruth said the group is working to prioritize help to the most vulnerable homeless people in the county and to get them into housing. The challenge is finding homes for them, said Renee Higgins, chief of operations for ambulatory care with the Ventura County Health Care Agency.

Higgins said there are many more homeless people in Santa Paula than the count suggests because the survey relies on a narrow definition of homelessness. Under the definition her agency uses, ambulatory clinics in Santa Paula served more than 1,000 homeless patients last year, she said.

Many students in the local school district also experience homelessness. Eva Hernandez, a counselor with the Santa Paula Unified School District, said the district has identified 703 homeless families and noted that students who are homeless fall behind at school.

"The impact is immense on their academics," Hernandez said. "We see it all the time."

The district has only $10,000 to help homeless students, she said, adding that a local office where families can go to get information and services is needed.

The meeting Thursday was sponsored by faith groups, businesses, residents and public safety leaders who have formed Santa Paula Project H.O.P.E. (Helping Ourselves Progress Efficiently). Event organizer Pam Marshall said the group plans to hold another meeting in the summer about mental health.

"We're trying to get the conversation started," she said. "We hope to collaborate and hopefully get some housing, maybe get some more programs. This section of the county is kind of overlooked."
CONTRIBUTE PHOTO/STATE PARKS

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By Cheri Carlson of the Ventura County Star

Rumors made a Malibu cave famous and now graffiti has closed it to the public.

Corral Canyon Cave high up in Malibu Creek State Park became known as Jim Morrison Cave after a rumor started that Morrison of The Doors used to go to the cave.

Many say the truth is that Morrison likely was never there. But over the past few years, photos of the cave  now painted bright pink and coated in graffiti  went viral on social media.

"In two years, it has become the destination to go and tag," said Craig Sap, district superintendent for California State Parks.

Starting Monday, it will be closed to the public. Officials say the closure order was necessary to protect the area and its natural resources.

The public only will be barred from the sandstone cave and the surrounding bare rocks, which are located off the Backbone Trail and about 150 feet from the Mesa Peak Fire Road.

As photos of the "Jim Morrison Cave" spread, the graffiti kept getting worse, despite several arrests for felony vandalism, officials said.

A stream of people head up there  so many that there's a traffic jam waiting to get into the cave, Sap said.

(Click on the image below to see the closure order.)

The cave also is near the site where authorities say an illegal campfire sparked a November 2007 blaze that burned 4,900 acres and destroyed 49 homes.

State Parks plan to put up closure signs in a parking lot several miles up Corral Canyon Road, along the fire road leading to the cave, as well as at the cave itself.

Rangers also will be in the area to talk to hikers. Officials hope that will reduce the number and frequency of people going to the cave.

The closure will only impact that one small area and 99.9 percent of the park will be open to the public, Sap said.

Anyone who violates a closure order can be cited, removed from the area, or arrested, officials said.

"After a period of time when we know we have stemmed the tide" of visitors, the park will pay to have the graffiti removed from the cave, Sap said.
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Donald Trump's damage to the Republican Party, although already extensive, has barely begun. Republican quislings will multiply, slinking into support of the most anti-conservative presidential aspirant in their party's history. These collaborationists will render themselves ineligible to participate in the party's reconstruction.

Ted Cruz's announcement of his preferred running mate has enhanced the nomination process by giving voters pertinent information. They already know the only important thing about Trump's choice: His running mate will be unqualified for high office because he or she will think Trump is qualified.

Hillary Clinton's optimal running mate might be Sen. Sherrod Brown of Ohio, a pro-labor populist whose selection would be balm for the bruised feelings of Bernie Sanders' legions. Running mates rarely matter as electoral factors: In 2000, Al Gore got 43.2 percent of the North Carolina vote. In 2004, John Kerry, trying to improve upon Gore's total there, ran with North Carolina Sen. John Edwards but received 43.6 percent. If, however, Brown were to help deliver Ohio for Clinton, the Republican path to 270 electoral votes would be narrower than a needle's eye.

Republican voters, particularly in Indiana and California, can, by supporting Cruz, make the Republican convention a deliberative body rather than one that merely ratifies decisions made elsewhere, some of them six months earlier. A convention's sovereign duty is to choose a plausible nominee who has a reasonable chance to win, not to passively affirm the will of a mere plurality of voters recorded episodically in a protracted process.

Trump would be the most unpopular nominee ever, unable to even come close to Mitt Romney's insufficient support among women, minorities and young people. In losing disastrously, Trump probably would create down-ballot carnage sufficient to end even Republican control of the House. Ticket splitting is becoming rare in polarized America: In 2012, only 5.7 percent of voters supported a presidential candidate and a congressional candidate of opposite parties.

At least half a dozen Republican senators seeking re-election and Senate aspirants can hope to win if the person at the top of the Republican ticket loses their state by, say, only four points, but not if he loses by 10. A Democratic Senate probably would guarantee a Supreme Court with a liberal cast for a generation. If Clinton is inaugurated next Jan. 20, Merrick Garland probably will already be on the court  confirmed in a lame duck Senate session  and justices Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Anthony Kennedy and Stephen Breyer will be 83, 80 and 78, respectively.

The minority of people who pay close attention to politics includes those who define an ideal political outcome and pursue it, and those who focus on the worst possible outcome and strive to avoid it. The former experience the excitements of utopianism, the latter settle for prudence's mild pleasure of avoiding disappointed dreams. Both sensibilities have their uses, but this is a time for prudence, which demands the prevention of a Trump presidency.

Were he to be nominated, conservatives would have two tasks. One would be to help him lose 50 states  condign punishment for his comprehensive disdain for conservative essentials, including the manners and grace that should lubricate the nation's civic life. Second, conservatives can try to save from the anti-Trump undertow as many senators, representatives, governors and state legislators as possible.

It was 32 years after Jimmy Carter won 50.1 percent in 1976 that a Democrat won half the popular vote. Barack Obama won only 52.9 percent and then 51.1 percent, but only three Democrats  Andrew Jackson (twice), Franklin Roosevelt (four times) and Lyndon Johnson  have won more than 53 percent. Trump probably would make Clinton the fourth, and he would be a tonic for her party, undoing the extraordinary damage (13 Senate seats, 69 House seats, 11 governorships, 913 state legislative seats) Obama has done.

If Trump is nominated, Republicans working to purge him and his manner from public life will reap the considerable satisfaction of preserving the identity of their 162-year-old party while working to see that they forgo only four years of the enjoyment of executive power. Six times since 1945 a party has tried, and five times failed, to secure a third consecutive presidential term. The one success  the Republicans' 1988 election of George H.W. Bush  produced a one-term president.

If Clinton gives her party its first 12 consecutive White House years since 1945, Republicans can help Nebraska Sen. Ben Sasse, or someone else who has honorably recoiled from Trump, confine her to a single term.

George Will's email address is georgewill@washpost.com. He writes for The Washington Post Writers Group.
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Some politicians are known for throwing a punch. Ted Cruz has developed a knack for becoming a punch line.

Cruz's critics  including everyone from media commentators to late-night talk show hosts  are ridiculing the Texas senator for picking Carly Fiorina as a running mate despite the fact that Republican voters have yet to pick him as their nominee.

One of the best digs came from Conan O'Brien, who quipped that since Cruz recently lost a string of primaries, Fiorina was now "a heartbeat away from never being president."

At the very least, many political observers agreed, the gesture was desperate and cynical.

It was neither. In fact, it was brilliant. Anyone who doesn't see that is missing something. Make that 10 things:

1. Cruz clearly knows how to change the subject after a series of losses and get the media's attention focused back on him. It's a skill the senator might have picked up from Donald Trump, who always managed to change the script whenever he lost a primary to Cruz.

2. Fiorina has attributes that make her a strong pick. She is a gifted communicator, understands business and nullifies the canard that Republicans are anti-women. She could also help Cruz win votes in the crucially important state of California, where she used to live and where she won a GOP Senate primary in 2010.

3. While it's true Fiorina dropped out of the race because she lacked the support to stay in, the same thing can be said of 13 other GOP presidential hopefuls  all men. And yet this wouldn't prevent them from being mentioned as viable running mates. In fact, some have been.

4. Sure, this is an unconventional move. But in this unconventional year, where the usual assumptions of how politicians and voters behave are getting shredded, why should Cruz adhere to the traditional rules of picking running mates?

5. The senator is good at the nuts and bolts of politics. He put together a strong ground game to win Iowa and many other contests. It's one reason he has survived this long in the GOP's version of "Game of Thrones."

6. Cruz has a long-term strategy. He is focused not on polls but on what happens at the Republican National Convention in Cleveland. If he can deny Trump the 1,237 delegates needed to secure the nomination on the first ballot, he has a shot of convincing enough Trump delegates to defect for him to win on the second ballot. Fiorina could help, if those delegates like the idea of, to borrow a phrase, getting two for the price of one.

7. In a campaign that has been steeped in narcissism, voters might like the idea of electing a team. Now that Cruz has chosen his running mate, perhaps he should introduce voters to his picks for the top four Cabinet positions: secretary of state, defense secretary, treasury secretary and attorney general.

8. It's obvious Fiorina gets under Trump's skin, as have other strong women. Hillary Clinton gets to Trump, who recently said the likely Democratic nominee was "shouting." So does Megyn Kelly, the Fox News anchor whom Trump has often bad-mouthed. And Fiorina has the same effect on Trump, who last fall attacked the former Hewlett-Packard CEO on her looks.

9. Cruz likely remembers how that particular skirmish did not go well for Trump. Fiorina crushed the front-runner in a GOP debate with a stinging 36-word response that demonstrated strength, restraint and class. Polls taken afterward showed most Republicans thought Fiorina won the matchup.

10. And finally, there is a very real possibility that, with Fiorina back in the picture and taking frequent shots at Trump, the billionaire blowhard will be distracted and pulled off his game. Maybe he'll become newly obsessed with attacking Fiorina. Or maybe he'll make more boneheaded statements like he did recently when he accused Clinton of playing the "woman's card" and insisted the only reason she is doing well in this election is because of her gender.

Cruz's campaign slogan insists voters can "TrusTed." With his latest move, his supporters should trust that he knows what he is doing. If the objective is to flip the script and flummox the front-runner, Fiorina is a smart choice at the right moment.

Ruben Navarrette's email address is ruben@rubennavarrette.com. He writes for The Washington Post Writers Group.
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My phone: Keep out!

We now live in a digital age where technology has changed the way we look at our lives and security. Our old laws are no longer relevant; new legislation is inevitable. We should be paying attention to what the new laws will look like and how they will affect our privacy rights.

Senators Dianne Feinstein and Richard Burr have drafted legislation that would require technology companies to build ''back doors'' to the encryption within their products with the intention of assisting law enforcement. This proposed legislation seems to ignore the fact that our digital world does not exist only in America. Nothing will stop hackers from entering our realm of privacy and picking and choosing which tidbits of our lives they wish to use for either good or evil.

There are pivotal moments in a nations history that determine the path we are to go down. I believe this is one of those issues that will set a new precedent. Im not convinced the FBI is being transparent or truthful in its claim that it is only interested in using back door features to unlock the iPhones of criminals.

Rather than having our politicians and government agencies working together to unlock our digital privacy, I want to see them work together to protect it. I want to be assured that in the future, no agency or hacker will be able to access my personal life via technology. I do not feel my private life should be analyzed or entered through a "back door" without my consent.



Jaime Lojowsky, Ojai
. . .
White Wall

HEALDSBURG, CA: A thick blanket of fog rolls into the Russian River Valley near Healdsburg, California. Channeled by the river, the fog creeps up the river valley and spills into the Russian River Valley growing area allowing the production of some of Californias most storied Pinot Noir.

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Lines of washing dry as people cook at centre, at a gas station which has turned into a makeshift camp at the northern Greek border point of Idomeni, Greece on Apr 30, 2016. (Photo source AP/Gregorio Borgia)

VIENNA: Austria and Germany said on Saturday (Apr 30) they were in talks with the European Union's executive body to extend temporary border controls brought in last year to help stem the migrant flow.

The measures - triggered in case of "a serious threat to public policy or internal security" - are due to expire on May 12.

"I can confirm that we are having discussions with the EU Commission and our European partners about this," Austrian interior ministry spokesman Karl-Heinz Grundboeck told AFP.

Member states must "be able to continue carrying out controls on their borders," German Interior Minister Thomas de Maiziere said in a written statement to AFP.

"Even if the situation along the Balkan route is currently calm, we are observing the evolution of the situation on the external borders with worry".

His Austrian counterpart, Wolfgang Sobotka, said checkpoints along the Hungarian border had been reinforced in late April after "a rise in people-smuggling activity".

"The introduction of a coordinated border management system with our neighbouring countries after the [May 12] deadline expires would be the first step in the direction of a joint European solution," Sobotka said.

The remarks came after German media had reported that several EU states were urging Brussels to extend the temporary controls inside the passport-free Schengen zone for at least six months.

The EU allowed bloc members to introduce the restrictions after hundreds of thousands of migrants and refugees began trekking up the Balkans from Greece towards western and northern Europe last September.

Austria, Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany and Sweden have all clamped down on their frontiers as the continent battles its biggest migration crisis since the end of World War II.

"We request that you put forward a proposal, which will allow those member states who consider it necessary to either extend or introduce the temporary border controls inside Schengen as of May 13," the six countries said in a letter addressed to the EU, according to German newspaper Die Welt.

A source close to the German government told AFP the letter would be sent on Monday.

The European Commission, which did not comment on the matter, is due to give its verdict on May 12 on whether Greece has done enough in recent weeks to protect the EU's external borders.

In case of a negative assessment, the executive could give the green light for an extension of the border controls.

The influx of people fleeing violence and poverty in the Middle East and elsewhere has put a huge strain on the bloc's 28 members.

While the flow via the Balkans route has slowed to a trickle after countries shut their borders, governments fear that the migrants will seek out new routes into the EU.

More than 26,000 migrants have already landed on Italy's shores so far this year after setting off from Libya.

The arrivals have prompted Austria to announce plans to reinstate border controls - including a 370-metre (1,200-foot) fence - at the Brenner pass in the Alps, a key transport corridor between northern and southern Europe.

The move has sparked protests at the checkpoint in recent weeks and caused friction between Vienna and Rome.
Workers move materials outside the departure hall at Brussels airport on April 22, 2016 during a visit of the parliamentary inquiry commission AFP/Francois Lenoir

BRUSSELS: The departure hall at Brussels airport, hit in March by a deadly double suicide bombing claimed by the Islamic State group, will partly reopen on Sunday (May 1), the management said.

The twin explosions on Mar 22 killed 16 people and devastated the departure hall, shattering the building's glass facade, collapsing ceilings and destroying check-in desks.

The airport was completely closed for 12 days after the attacks and has progressively been restarting operations, though it is not expected to return to full capacity until June.

"After a reopening ceremony, passengers from three flights on Sunday afternoon will be able to check in in the departure hall," airport management said in a statement on Saturday.

From Monday, passengers will check in for flights at 111 desks in the departure hall and 36 others in temporary buildings.

"The airport capacity is rising to at least 80 per cent of the number of passengers before the attacks," the statement said.

Travellers have been asked to arrive three hours before their flights to allow time for extra police security checks at the entrance to the departure hall.

A total of 32 people were killed and more than 300 wounded in coordinated suicide bombings at the airport and a metro station in central Brussels in Belgium's worst ever terror attacks.
The temples architecture is built in a typical Vietnamese architectural style.

Tranh temple, or Mandarin Tuan Tranh temple in Tranh Xuyen village has a legend. Once upon a time, there were two giant snakes in the Tranh River who disturbed local people.

One day the snakes kidnapped the wife of Mandarin Tuan Tranh. Furious, he asked the King of the River to punish and expel the snakes from the river. The King granted his request and the river returned to being peaceful. Local people built the temple to express their gratitude to the Mandarin, who is now the Tranh River Genie.

The first temple built beside the Tranh River dates back to the time of the

Hung Kings, the founders of Vietnam. In the 19th century under the Nguyen Dynasty, the temple was upgraded with intricate carvings and decorations. The statue of Mandarin Tuan Tranh was enlarged.

Because of repeated floods and erosion, in 1935 local people built a new temple in Tranh Xuyen village. In the late 1960s, the temple was moved to a sport about 300 meters from the first temple. Nguyen Tat Trong, Deputy Director of the Tranh Temple Relic Management Board, said since then the temple has undergone 4 restorations:

It is an ancient temple with a 3-door gate, a front hall, a main hall and a back hall. This is a wooden temple with outstanding carvings in the Nguyen dynasty style (1802-1945). On the left of the temple are a guest house and a stone lake. Though the temple was moved three times, local people managed to preserve the statue of the Mandarin and other sacred statues.

The temple organizes two festivals a year. The first festival is held between the 10th and 20th day of the second lunar month. The second festival is held from the 20th to the 25th day of the 8th lunar month. The temple welcomes a large number of visitors and pilgrims each year.

Mr Trong said, In addition to the two main festivals, the temple hosts another big party in the 5th lunar month, which recreates the banquet offered by the Mandarin. During the party, ceremonial singing is performed, including 36 songs for going into a trance ritual.

Mandarin Tuan Tranh died in Lang Son province. Artists and other residents of the two provinces participate together in the festivities dedicated to the Mandarin.

Nguyen Van Thanh, Head of the Culture and Information Department of Ninh Giang district, said "Our two localities have a very close relationship. The festivals allow people of Hai Duong province to better understand the cultural attractions of Lang Son.

Visitors from Lang Son learn more about our culture. During the festivals, we organize popular folk games like wrestling, cock fighting, and tug of war".

In 2009, the temple was declared a national historic heritage. In recent years, Ninh Giang authorities and residents have paid greater attention to preserving and promoting Tranh Temples historical value.
The Virginia Military Institute: The Virginia Military Institute is the nations oldest state-supported military college, founded in 1839 in Lexington, Virginia, located at the southern end of the Shenandoah Valley. VMI offers qualified young men and women a demanding combination of academic study and rigorous military training that exists nowhere else, and grants B.A. and B.S. degrees in fourteen disciplines within the general fields of engineering, science, and liberal arts.

The Institutes emphasis on qualities of honor, integrity, and responsibility contributes to its unique educational philosophy. In every field of endeavor, whether its leadership in business, industry, public service, education, the professions, or careers in the military, success comes early to a high number of VMI graduates.

There may be no other college experience in America so proud of its product: citizen-soldiers prepared both for civilian and military leadership and service to their nation in times of need.

In other words, VMI is not the everyday college experience. It is more: more challenge, more physical expectations, more mental and leadership development  more. VMI graduates enter an elite society of successful alumni, prepared to face the challenges ahead, promote justice, watch out for one another, and exceed expectations of those around them.
The acting chairman of Ghanas main opposition party says it's united in its determination to wrest power from President John Dramani Mahama in the upcoming elections, but backers of the New Patriotic Party say infighting may have eroded its prospects.

Freddie Blay became acting chairman after the NPP suspended its chairman, Paul Afoko, over an alleged breach of the party's constitution; he is challenging the move in court. Nyaho Tamakloe, a prominent member of the NPP, called the appointment of Blay, formerly of the Convention People's Party, a "fundamental mistake."

Blay has no business whatsoever in the NPP, and indeed all our woes are coming from that man," local media quoted Tamakloe as saying. He alleged that Blay had "destroyed" the CPP, and said that "until Freddie Blay is kicked out of the NPP, we have no future."

Most conflicts 'resolved'

Blay disagreed, saying the NPP planned to win this years poll despite the National Democratic Congress' power of incumbency.

I am a team player," Blay said. He contended that the NPP presidential candidate, Nana Akufo-Addo, was "campaigning hard and letting Ghanaians know what is happening in this country. He is adding his voice to the high voice of Ghanaians against the ineptitude, the corrupt government and incompetent leadership of President Mahama and his NDC party.

Weve resolved most of those so-called conflicts that one perceives the party to be bogged down with," Blay added. "Let me emphasize that. We are more united than what people may think."

The governing NDC has rejected accusations that it is to blame for the opposition partys woes. Supporters of the NDC say the NPP needs to look itself in the mirror after indefinitely suspending its chairman and its general secretary, Kwabena Agyapong.

Meanwhile, the NPP has expressed concern about voter registration in Ghana, saying a new list should be compiled before the elections because the current one is bloated with noncitizens and minors. If the problem isn't resolved, the bloated register will undermine the integrity of the polls, the NPP contends.

We are definitely not happy. ... Irrespective of that, our foot soldiers are ready and working hard and seeing to it that nothing untoward happens further. Be it as it may, we are definitely not happy with the register which would be used for the election, Blay said.
This is the fourth story in a five-part series on road chaos in South Africa.

An SUV surges down Johannesburgs M1 highway, its interior filled by the industrial, pounding sound of American metal band Rage against the Machine.

Hey! Hey! Sleep now in the fire! screams vocalist Zack de la Rocha.

The driver sings along.

Its just past 10 on a Friday night, and the highway is electric with light and noise from speeding cars. Its been another hot day, and a light drizzle causes steam to rise from the asphalt in thin, silver wisps.

Businessman Robert van Rensburg (not his real name) is at the wheel  with the alcohol from five beers and three tequilas pulsing through his veins.

Hes well over the legal alcohol intake limit to drive, so van Rensburg is committing a crime. Not that hes worried.

You always get away with it," he says. "If a police van or even a metro police car stops you, you know you can either talk your way out of it, or you can bribe your way out of it.

Van Rensburg tells how police recently stopped him at a roadblock after hed consumed quite a few beers. He says he told a police officer he didnt want to blow into the breath analyzer, the device designed to measure the alcohol content of his breath, because he didnt trust the machine.

Van Rensburg continues: Then [the officer] said, OK, but if you dont want to take the test, then how are we going to do this? Then [I just said], Heres my license, and with the license [I] give him a few hundred rand.

After paying the bribe, he says, the policeman waved him on, and he continued driving to another party.

Few convictions

Every year, the police arrest thousands of people in South Africa for allegedly driving under the influence of alcohol.

But according to research by the Justice Project, a nongovernmental organization that monitors implementation of the countrys laws, only 6 percent of suspects are ever convicted of the crime.

This is because of factors like drunken drivers bribing the police to lose dockets, blood-alcohol test results taking years to process, and a huge backlog at state laboratories. Magistrates then abandon the cases.

The state says about 14,000 people are killed in road crashes in South Africa annually. Independent analysts put the toll at between 20,000 and 25,000, because unlike the government, they include victims who die in hospitals up to 30 days after a collision.

Whatever the true numbers, the authorities maintain that alcohol is a factor in almost 60 percent of all road crash fatalities in South Africa.

Crazy driving

At a bar filled with raucous men celebrating a bachelors party, people drink shooter after shooter. The inebriated groom-to-be is nearly naked, clothed only in a rainbow-striped Mexican sombrero and a grubby nappy.

Van Rensburg smiles at the scene, and describes his good job, supplying an assortment of goods and services to various government departments.

He speaks of his wife  a good person, sometimes a bit boring  and his two kids  the 16-year-old gives me hell with all her boyfriends, he laughs.

He lives in a typical middle-class suburb, in a house with three bedrooms and a swimming pool.

Van Rensburg later nonchalantly says he drives under the influence of liquor all the time.

Basically, its all a blank. Whatever you do, the way you drive  you dont remember much, he adds.

He says its often his unlucky passengers who inform him of his recklessness.

They come the next day and they say, Phew, the way you were driving last night, it was crazy. You skipped [traffic lights]; you went over these humps....' 

His BMW a write-off

Van Rensburg recalls being involved in several collisions.

One night after a drinking session he says he collapsed into bed next to his wife.

She woke me up; she said: Whats all this blood on you? I was like: Blood? What? I dont know. And I carried on sleeping."

The next morning he awoke to find his car smashed in his garage.

Id obviously injured myself by crashing on my way home, says van Rensburg, shrugging his shoulders.

He acknowledges its a miracle that hes never collided with another car  as far as he knows.

But van Rensburgs own vehicles havent been so fortunate.

I wrote off a BMW once. I went over a pavement at a T-junction. I think I was busy on my cellphone.  Id been drinking brandy.

He says he abandoned the wreck and began to walk home, only to be confronted by the police. He denied being the driver of the vehicle.

I said the guy who was driving was my friend, but he ran away. I stuck to this story and then eventually [the police] even took me home, van Rensburg says.

I never heard from the police again. I didnt have to make a statement to them  nothing. I just got a tow truck to take the Beemer to the scrapyard in the morning.

Concerns 'fade fast'

Van Rensburg emphasizes that another reason he and others drink and drive is South Africas poor public transport system.

There are no late-night buses or trains. There are taxis, but van Rensburg says theyre too expensive, and even if they were cheap, taking a taxi isnt practical in South Africa.

You can take a taxi home, but what about your vehicle? With the crime in South Africa, you cant leave your car in the middle of nowhere. Next day you come there, your car will be gone.

Van Rensburg says he does sometimes worry that hell injure or even kill others, or himself, when driving under the influence. But when he starts drinking again, these concerns fade fast.

You take that risk. You dont even see it as a risk. You just think, OK, I have to get home now. Its not even a consideration, he admits.
Ghanas opposition National Democratic Party has chosen former first lady Nana Konadu Agyeman-Rawlings as its presidential candidate at the partys national delegates congress Saturday in the capital, Accra.

National Democratic Party supporters say the former first lady's popularity could pose a significant challenge to incumbent President John Dramani Mahama in the November 7 general election.

NDP General Secretary Mohammed Frimpong says Agyeman-Rawlings is the best candidate to deliver the change Ghanaians demand.

The entire country is clamoring for her return onto the political landscape to give to Ghanaians what she has done and knows best in terms of mobilization, women empowerment, and so on and so forth. That is why the NDP followers throughout the country had unanimously decided to endorse her as our presidential candidate for the 2016 election, said Frimpong.

Former president Jerry John Rawlings, who is the founding father of the ruling National Democratic Congress expressed support for his wife before she was overwhelmingly endorsed by the NDP as the partys presidential candidate. It remains to be seen if the former president will also support his wife against incumbent President John Dramani Mahama from the NDC.

Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, presidential candidate for the main opposition New Patriotic Party congratulated the former first lady.

Local media quoted Nana Addo as saying, Her wealth of experience in Ghanaian politics should put her in good stead to help steer and shape the nature of our political discourse from one of attrition, personality attacks and negative preoccupations to an issues-based campaign, hinged on the competition of policies and ideas ... That is how the public interest of our nation can be best served. The NPP and I welcome her into the race for the Presidency and wish her well.

Anti-Mahama alliance possibe



Addos warm remarks prompted suggestions the two opposition leaders and their parties will form an alliance to challenge Mahama and his governing NDC in the presidential, parliamentary and local elections.

But NDP general secretary Frimpong says the partys focus is not on forming an alliance with any other opposition party before the polls.

Alliance ahead of the election is not in our agenda, that I can tell you for sure, said Frimpong. But the point is that we are all bent on seeking for change [and] there is a very strong determination for change ... and that is why probably the NPP flagbearer and our just endorsed flagbearer will share this common opinion for the need of change.

The NDP was unable to register Nana Konadu Agyeman-Rawlings as the partys presidential candidate with the Electoral Commission of Ghana in the last election, despite endorsing the former first lady at the delegates congress in 2012.

We had very strong disrupters in the 2012 election, and just as we were preparing to file her flagbearership with the electoral commission, there was a very elaborate conspiracy to scuttle this attempt, and that is what happened ... And therefore, nobody could base her performance or would be performance on the 2012 election because after all she did not participate, said Frimpong.

But critics say the NDP should resolve an internal power struggle, rather than blame outsiders for the partys challenges.

Frimpong says the former first lady will play a key role in preventing Mahama from winning the presidential vote in the first round of the poll. He predicted Agyeman Rawlings would be the kingmaker on who becomes Ghanas next president.

Its becoming quite prominent that Ghanaians feel a female must be given a chance. And the record of probity and accountability in governance was [regarded] very high in their tenure and has slumped now to a very abysmal level ... With all these considerations coupled with her drive towards mobilization to eliminate poverty, and disease and illiteracy, all these go to create fond memories in the population ... Therefore, comparing with three other contenders ... We can say that it would be very difficult just to think that there can just be one run-off.
A Bangladeshi newspaper reports three people have been detained in connection with the hacking death of a 50-year-old Hindu tailor.

The Daily Star said Sunday one of the detainees had sued Nikhil Chandra Joardar in 2012 for his "derogatory comments" about the Prophet Muhammad.

The Islamic State (IS) group has claimed responsibility for the attack on the tailor in central Bangladesh, the U.S.-based monitoring organization SITE Intelligence Group said.

At least two machete-wielding assailants appeared in front of Joardar's tailoring shop in Tangail districts Dubail village and attacked him around noon Saturday, authorities said. The men fled on a motorbike.

According to SITE, IS claimed to have killed Joardar because he had blasphemed The Prophet Muhammad.

In 2012, Joardar was beaten up by local Muslims who alleged he had abused the prophet in a comment.

Following complaint from Muslims, Joardar was arrested and spent about a month in jail. The attack on him with machetes resembles the previous killings of the [secular] bloggers and activists, Aslam Khan, a local police official, told VOA by phone.

We are going to investigate if his killing had any connection with the incidents of 2012.

Police have not confirmed if any militant group was involved in this killing, Khan added.

Joardars killing Saturday marks Bangladesh's fifth fatal hacking case in April in which Islamist extremists are suspected to have been involved.

After a law student known for his secular views was hacked to death in early April, a university teacher was killed in a machete attack. On Monday, two LGBT rights activists, one of whom was a U.S. embassy employee, were murdered in Dhaka by a machete-wielding gang.

IS claim refuted

IS has claimed responsibility following several killings of secular bloggers and activists. Authorities in Bangladesh, however, have maintained that the Sunni terrorist group has no foothold in the country and local home-grown militants engineered all of the killings.

Saturday, Bangladeshs home minister, Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal, said the ISs claim it killed Joardar was baseless.

Home-grown militants are the killers here. The claim that Islamic State is behind such killings is a part of conspiracy, Kamal said.

Earlier in the week, referring to the series of killings, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said that they were being engineered by the opposition alliance led by Khaleda Zias Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and its ally, Jamaat-e-Islami.

Top leaders of BNP, however, have dismissed the charge by Sheikh Hasina.

For political reasons, the (Hasina-led) government is shielding the criminals behind these killings and slapping the blame on the opposition alliance. BNP has no connection with terrorism and such killings, Nazrul Islam Khan, a national standing committee member of BNP, told VOA.

Former university professor Ajoy Roy, father of Bangladeshi-American secular blogger Avijit Roy who was hacked to death by Islamist militants in Dhaka last year, alleged that the government is not aggressively investigating the cases of the past killings.
Many of us yearn for a wise, empathetic doctor who knows us, and our loved ones, inside and out.

Even better, though, is a primary care physician who belongs to a good medical practice, notes Consumer Reports.

What does a good practice look like? The Peterson Center on Healthcare and researchers at Stanford Universitys Clinical Excellence Research Center worked together to answer that question. The most successful ones shared these characteristics:

Extended hours. SureCare Medical Center in Springboro, Ohio, offers extended hours starting at 7 a.m. during the week and on Saturdays at 8 a.m. Doctors take turns working the late shift and on Saturdays. Knowing that the office opens early helps patients avoid trips to the emergency room, says Joseph Garland, D.O., one of the medical centers six physicians.

Careful about over-treating. At Northwest Family Physicians in Crystal, Minnesota, a six-physician office, the emphasis is on spending time with patients and understanding the case, not necessarily rushing to tests. If a patient has back pain but theres no sign that they need surgery, theres no point in sending them for an MRI before trying medication and physical therapy, explains James Welters, M.D.

Open to complaints. Patient gripes are as valuable as compliments, according to the Peterson Center-Stanford study. At most places, complaints go to a manager or a complaint department and die, Welters says. At Northwest Family Physicians, a team of nurses, managers, lab technicians, physicians and care coordinators meets every few weeks to review all patient comments and complaints.

One-stop shopping. Top practices perform some relatively minor procedures that other practices often refer out, such as skin biopsies and injections for joint pain. Consumer Reports notes that they also try to arrange for specialists to come into the office.

Like-minded specialists, and only as needed. When they send patients to specialists, they think hard about who theyre referring them to. You want specialists who share your attitude and philosophy, says Nayana Vyas, M.D., of Family Physicians Group in Kissimmee, Florida, so patients dont end up with too much or too little care.

Two-way communication. The best practices actively follow up  through phone calls, repeat visits or emails  to make sure, for example, that patients take their medications as directed and that they are seen soon after they are admitted to the hospital, Garland says.

A team approach. Physicians at top practices embrace teams that include an array of health care providers, including nurses, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, nutrition counselors and social workers. We have a team approach, Vyas says. Its similar at Northwest Family Physicians. One of our mantras is the doctor cant do it all, Welters says. In his office, everyone who sees the patient, from the receptionist on up, asks questions about what patients need, from lab tests to a flu shot.

A fair workplace. Physicians in high-performing groups were not compensated primarily on how many patients they see  and thus how much money they make for the practice. At Northwest Family Physicians, we have a quality bonus program, Welters says. If the teams reach certain targets in quality and patient satisfaction, everyone gets a bonus.

Spend wisely. High-scoring doctor groups tend to avoid expensive, high-tech devices  such as the newest bone density scanner  in part because that can push doctors to order unnecessary tests to recoup the costs of the fancy equipment. Instead, responsible practices focus on the kind of technology that encourages efficiency, such as electronic medical records.
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry arrived in Geneva Sunday in an urgent bid to revive a U.S.-Russian brokered cease-fire that has all but fallen apart as Syrian government forces intensified their attacks, especially in Syrias largest city, Aleppo, over the last 10 days.

U.S. officials said Kerrys top priority is to end the violence in Aleppo and return the whole of Syria to a durable cessation of hostilities that will enable the peace process to resume. To achieve that, the top U.S. diplomat has called for Russias help to persuade the Assad government to stop the attacks.

These are critical hours. We look for Russia's cooperation, and we obviously look for the regime to listen to Russia and to respond," Kerry said as he went straight from the Geneva airport into a meeting with Jordans Foreign Minister Nasser Judeh.

The hope is we can make some progress, Kerry said at the start of the meeting.

Watch video report from VOA's Zlatica Hoke:

The Syrian military on Friday said it would impose a temporary regime of calm in the areas around Damascus and in northwestern Syrias Latakia province, but the order did not include Aleppo.

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said attacks on Saturday continued to take a heavy toll on civilians in the city, where activists say nearly 250 people have been killed in the past 10 days.

On Sunday, the group said 859 civilians have been among the 3,116 people documented killed in the conflict during the month of April. It said 410 of those died in raids by Syrian and Russian warplanes and helicopter gunships.

Reports from Syria said fighting appeared to subside in much of the country Sunday.

Kerry is pushing for Syrian forces to stop their attacks on Aleppo altogether, in keeping with the terms of the cease-fire.

In telephone calls to U.N. Special Envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura and the leader of the Syrian Opposition High Negotiations Committee, Riyad Hijab, Kerry said the cease-fire must include Aleppo.

The Assad government has sought to justify its attacks on the city, saying they target rebels of the terrorist al-Nusra front who have been hitting government-controlled areas with rocket and artillery fire.

U.S. officials dismiss the Assad governments claims as false, saying the attacks have predominantly targeted innocent civilians and moderate groups, all in violation of the cease-fire.

Proximity talks to end the 5-year conflict ground to a halt last week, prompting de Mistura to call for the United States and Russia to intervene.

Russian officials have backed the Syrian militarys claim that the attacks on Aleppo are an anti-terrorist operation.

Kerry said he is outraged by the air strikes, including one Wednesday at a hospital supported by the group Doctors Without Borders, where children and medical staff were among those killed.

Russia has an urgent responsibility to press the regime in Syria to abide fully by the cessation of hostilities, Kerry tweeted last week. In a conversation with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, Kerry called for Moscow to help contain and reduce the violence.

State Department officials say they are working on specific initiatives to de-escalate the fighting and hope to make progress on them soon. Analysts say proposals could include establishing safe zones within Aleppo.

Kerrys efforts are complicated by the fact that Lavrov is not scheduled to be in Geneva to meet with him.

Russian General Sergei Kuralenko told Russian news agencies that talks are under way to halt the Syrian bombardment of rebel strongholds in Aleppo.

Kerry was due to meet with his Saudi counterpart and de Mistura on Monday before returning to Washington.

IN PICTURES: Deadly attack on hospital


Iraqi firebrand Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr, whose followers stormed Baghdad's heavily fortified International Zone Saturday to shut down parliament, has in recent months mounted an increasingly visible campaign to pressure the government to move forward with promised reforms.

In March, Sadr first called on Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi to act on promises to address government corruption and cronyism by replacing current ministers with technocrats - experienced leaders without political affiliation.

So far, Abadi has been unable to gain sufficient legislative support for his reform measures, prompting Sadr's followers to stage weekly rallies to pressure the Abadi government into action.

On Saturday, protesters vented their rage, climbing over blast walls to rampage through the parliament building's main chamber.

Sadr, the 42-year-old charismatic scion of one of Iraq's most prominent Shi'ite families, was himself a victim of sectarian violence, as Saddam Hussein sought in the 1990s to fortify his Ba'ath Party's hold on Iraqi daily life. Sadr's revered father, Ayatollah Muhammad Baqir al-Sadr, and two of his three brothers were assassinated in 1999. Saddam denied responsibility.



The younger Sadr first gained international visibility as an outspoken critic of the 2003 U.S.-led invasion that toppled Saddam. His so-called Army of the Mahdi was subsequently linked to repeated sectarian violence in the capital, which only began to wane as U.S. officials announced plans to withdraw U.S. combat forces from the country in 2011.

Washington Post reporter Liz Sly, who witnessed Saturday's confrontations, described Sadr's outward goals as part of a push to stop graft and bring good government to the divided country, widely seen as rife with political corruption.

But she also noted, in comments to U.S. public television, that Sadr, who has maintained a low profile in recent years, is competing for power among other militias as general elections loom in 2018. She said "most people are putting [Saturday's events] into the context of a bit of early election campaigning."
Hundreds of followers of Iraq's mercurial Shi'ite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr set up camp overnight near Baghdad's parliament, hours after breaking into the government-controlled Green Zone and storming the building.

"We assure our people that the situation in Baghdad is under the control of the security forces, and I call on the demonstrators to withdraw and protest peacefully, and not to encroach upon the public and private properties, which are the property of all Iraqis," Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi said in a statement Saturday.

As night fell, the demonstrators set up tents inside the Green Zone, which houses government ministries, the parliament and foreign embassies, including the U.S. Embassy.

U.N. and Western diplomats said their compounds remained on lockdown later Saturday.

Arab media reported that the U.N. and several foreign embassies were evacuating personnel, but VOA could not independently confirm the reports.

The Washington Post reported that members of parliament, many of whom live in the Green Zone, went into hiding, and some left the country.

The U.S. Embassy denied reports Saturday of an evacuation or that it was sheltering Iraqi officials.

Shwan Dawoodi, a Kurdish lawmaker, told the Post they were scared for their lives. ... Whats happening in the streets is terrifying, he told the newspaper by phone. He said he was attacked as he left parliament.

Demonstrating for months

Supporters of Sadr had been demonstrating outside the Green Zone for months, responding to their leader's call to put pressure on Abadi to follow through on months-old reform promises, including replacing politically appointed ministers with nonpartisan technocrats.

Sadr had warned in a televised speech earlier in the day that a popular uprising or revolution would take place to put an end to corruption in the government.

WATCH: Related video of demonstrators

But the storming of parliament occurred after a session of parliament had failed to reach a quorum to vote on a Cabinet reshuffle proposed by Abadi. Some ministers were approved earlier in the week despite disruptions by dissenting lawmakers.

Iraqi security forces fired tear gas at one entrance of the zone but appeared to be largely standing down as protesters marched through the area.

Shortly after protesters broke into the Green Zone, Iraqi security forces "declared a state of emergency in Baghdad," Iraqi military spokesman Brigadier General Saad Mann said.

On Saturday, Iraq President Fuad Masoum urged the protesters to be calm and law-abiding. He called on the protestors "not to harm the lawmakers and employees, not to touch the public and private properties, and to evacuate the (parliament) building."

Masum also called for an emergency meeting of political leaders Sunday.

He urged "the prime minister, speaker and leaders of parliament blocs to come up with the desired reshuffle and implement the reforms to fight the corruption."

Unprecedented breach

The occupation of the parliament was an unprecedented security breach, although the Green Zone has often come under mortar attacks at various times in the years since U.S. forces ousted Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein.

The capital was already on high alert Saturday because of the planned Shi'ite pilgrimage to Kadumiya early next week.

Also Saturday, a suicide bomber driving a car near a group of Shiite Muslim pilgrims outside of Baghdad exploded in an attack that killed at least 17 people and wounded nearly 40 more, police said.

Police officials at the scene said the bomb attack targeted the pilgrims walking into Baghdads holy Kadhimiyah shrine, but other officials said the bomber was targeting a nearby open-air market. It was not immediately clear which of the two accounts was accurate.

No one immediately took credit for the bombing, but Islamic State has claimed responsibility for similar attacks in that past that have targeted Shiite pilgrims near Baghdad.

Several days ago, U.S. Vice President Joe Biden met top Iraqi leaders during a visit to Baghdad to discuss the political situation and military operations inside the country to defeat Islamic State militants.
With "Holy Fire,'' fireworks and solemn Masses, Orthodox Christians around the world celebrated Easter on Sunday, commemorating the day followers believe that Jesus was resurrected more than 2,000 years ago.



Roman Catholics and Protestants marked Easter in March, in accordance with the Gregorian calendar. Eastern Orthodox churches celebrated Easter this week, using the older Julian calendar.



Russian President Vladimir Putin and Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev attended an Easter midnight Mass in Moscow's Christ the Savior Cathedral. Patriarch Kirill of Moscow, head of the world's largest Orthodox Church, officiated at the service, attended by some 5,000.



In Greece, the faithful attended Easter Mass holding candles lit with "Holy Fire'' from the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem. The "Holy Fire,'' coming from the Edicule, the small chamber marking the site of Jesus' tomb, is held by the faithful to miraculously light candles as a message to the faithful from heaven.



The fire was transferred to Greece by plane and, as custom dictates, welcomed at Athens airport with the honors due a visiting foreign head of state, before taken across the country by plane so it could reach the furthest parishes before midnight Sunday.



The "Holy Fire'' was also transported to Russia and other Orthodox nations.



Fireworks are an essential part of the festivities, despite official disapproval from the Greek Orthodox Church. On the eastern Greek Aegean island of Chios, two parishes in the village of Vrontados stage a spectacular mock war with a hail of fireworks, drawing visitors from across the country.



Perhaps surprisingly, no one was injured in the barrage of fireworks aimed at each church's towers in Chios, but a man was seriously injured in Crete after falling from a high pole while helping set up another tradition, the burning of a Judas effigy.



But not all was unified in the Orthodox world.



In Ukraine, the second largest Orthodox country, a recently agreed armistice between the government and Russian-backed separatists in the east was violated just as it was going into effect. One Ukrainian soldier was killed and several troops wounded, a government spokesman said, adding that separatists had shelled its positions overnight at several locations, including the suburbs of the rebel stronghold of Donetsk.



And in the Middle East, the cradle of Christianity, Christians are a minority with often difficult relations with the Muslim majority. Tensions, with often deadly consequences, are prevalent in Egypt.



Elsewhere in the region, the Islamic State has targeted Christians, as well as Muslims unwilling to follow its extreme interpretation of Islam, for prosecution.



"We lift up in prayer the members of the Orthodox community who have been persecuted for their faith and subjected to unspeakable acts of violence, and we seek the release of those who have been kidnapped,'' U.S. President Barack Obama said in a statement. "We remember those who have been driven from their homelands and who have seen their religious institutions desecrated or destroyed ... [and we] pledge to continue our work to ensure that all people are able to live in peace, justice, and freedom.''
U.S. President Barack Obama was the main attraction as journalists, politicians and celebrities attended the annual White House Correspondents' Dinner Saturday night in Washington.

It was a chance for Obama to poke fun one last time at himself as well as his friends, enemies, the media and Congress.

The president described himself as "gray, grizzled ... just counting down the days to my death panel."

Critics of his program for universal health care -- Obamacare -- had wrongly predicted death panels would decide the fate of seriously ill patients.

'Next year'

In a reference to the upcoming presidential election, Obama said, "Next year at this time someone else will be standing here in this very spot, and it's anyone's guess who she will be." Of course, Democrat Hillary Clinton is the only woman in the race.

WATCH: Related video from annual dinner

In another reference to Clinton, who has reportedly made millions of dollars from speeches to various high-powered businesses, Obama said, "If this material goes well, I'm going to use it at Goldman Sachs next year."

Republican candidate

The notoriously thin-skinned Donald Trump -- the Republican presidential candidate who leads in delegate counts so far -- did not attend the dinner.

Trump was in attendance last year, but was reportedly not amused by the jokes the president directed at him.

Obama said this year, "They say Donald lacks the foreign policy experience to be president. But in fairness, he has spent years meeting with leaders from around the world: Miss Sweden, Miss Argentina, Miss Azerbaijan."

The president was referencing Trump's role as a co-owner of the Miss Universe contest.

Many political and administration figures were in attendance at the black-tie affair, including Vice President Joe Biden, Secretary of State John Kerry, U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter, International Monetary Fund head Christine Lagarde and Bernie Sanders -- the other Democratic presidential hopeful.

Among the many film and television performers at the event were Oscar winners Helen Mirren and Jared Leto, actors Bryan Cranston, Will Smith and Jeff Goldblum, singer Aretha Franklin, actress Emma Watson, and the producer of the ABC-TV hit Scandal Shonda Rhimes, along with the stars of the show -- an American political thriller -- Kerry Washington and Tony Goldwyn.

Obama ended his remarks with "Obama, out," and then deliberately dropped his microphone, a gesture that has come to symbolize someone who is indisputably victorious.

Obama was a tough act to follow, but comedian and host of Comedy Central TV's The Nightly Show With Larry Wilmore, was up to the challenge, delivering funny and controversial remarks.

Mexico reference

Wilmore also targeted Trump, joking that next year the dinner will be called "Donald Trump presents a luxurious evening paid for by Mexico."

Trump has famously promised, if elected, to build a wall between the U.S. and Mexico to thwart immigration and to force Mexico to pay for it.

Wilmore's most controversial remark was his use of a derogatory term for black people. Its use in reference to the president prompted much discussion by news pundits and will undoubtedly be the subject of more discussion in days to come.

The dinner, a long-running tradition organized by the White House Correspondents Association, has morphed from being a relatively low-key gathering of journalists and their sources from around town into a much-anticipated televised event.

But the dinner -- part of a weekend of events -- also draws an annual chorus of condemnation from critics who say that laughing and partying with sources is not conducive to hard-hitting journalism.

It also is an event that helps fund scholarships and awards that recognize journalists.

PHOTO GALLERY: Related photos of White House Correspondents Association dinner
Household pollution kills more than 4 million people each year.

Most of these fatalities are in the developing world, mostly in Africa. Many people die from inhaling smoke from cooking over wood or coal stoves.

Solar cookers could be the answer, and a pair of inventors in South Africa have made some improvements to the technology.

Ground zero for the initiative is the SunFire company in Johannesburg.

Moving a big metal frame with a panel of 48 mirrors attached to it, Sunfires solar power technologist Crosby Menzies describes the contraption.

It is four square meters of mirrors, six to eight meters in length; it is quite a large cooker. We are very pleased to have built the first one in South Africa, Menzies says.

Menzies partner, Zander van Manen, tilts the mirrors with a lever, until they are bouncing sunlight off another slab of mirrors, up to a point under a frying pan.

Within two minutes, the sunlight heats the pan to a point that its contents  sausages and onions  are sizzling away.

Generates heat

Menzies says the Sol4 solar cooker is special because it generates extreme heat very fast.

In four minutes you will have boiling water. So it is actually comparable to cooking on gas or electricity, he says.

Menzies says the device is much friendlier than other solar cookers, which force people to stand in the hot sun.

The Sol4 allows users to cook in the shade, on a table, with only the mirrors being exposed to the sun.

Menzies says wherever he has demonstrated his solar cookers people have doubted they work until they see the sun cooking their food, and the word is spreading.

"We have got literally hundreds of them going out in South Africa. We have got a project coming up in Mali, a project in Ethiopia, and another project in Uganda. I have just come back from (demonstrating the Sol4 in) Zambia. The technology really is viable. A lot of people still do not know that it works and we are working as hard as we can to change that, he says.

Menzies says the major attraction for people is that preparing meals with the sun means they no longer have to collect firewood and buy expensive coal or paraffin to cook with. Therefore, they are much less likely to develop potentially fatal respiratory diseases.

Versatile

Menzies says the Sol4 is also able to cook for many people at once.

Being that it is so big, it is not the kind of model that you want to move around too often. It is more of a permanent installation, and the places where we see a permanent need for cooking day after day are schools, orphanages, old age homes, or anywhere where there is a need for large-scale cooking: soup kitchens, church groups," he says.

Van Manen, Menzies partner, says the cooker only works if the sun is shining. But he adds he is working on something he calls a magic stone, a slab of compressed salt, to address the issue.

This would be at the end of the day our 'battery.' ... What this will do is it will take the stored sunlight, and it will store it as heat. And you can then put it in a heat-retaining bag or in a heat-retentive space, and then whenever you need it at night you can take it out and it will actually radiate heat where you can then cook on or boil water, van Manen says.

"Essentially you would end up with a mobile hot plate, Menzies adds.

For now, each cooker costs more than $2,000, putting it far out of reach of most Africans. But Menzies says NGOs across the continent are stepping in to finance Sol4s for vulnerable groups.
Taiwan's ruling party on Saturday strongly condemned the deportation of 32 Taiwanese to China from Malaysia on suspicion of telecommunications fraud, and the outgoing cabinet said Malaysia had acted "under pressure" from Beijing.

The case comes weeks after 45 Taiwanese in Kenya, in another alleged telecom fraud case, were forcibly deported to China, an incident which also drew protests from Taiwan.

Taiwan's cabinet said in a statement it had tried in vain to have the 32 suspected Taiwanese sent back to the island, but "under pressure from China", Malaysia deported the individuals to China on Saturday, without elaborating.

Accused of crimes

In total, 97 people were deported to China including 65 mainland Chinese, China's state-run Xinhua news agency said. The suspects are implicated in 100 cases in 20 provinces, accused of crimes related to feigning to be public security authorities.

"Since all victims are Mainland Chinese and at present, it appears no Taiwanese were scammed and in addition, because these cases involve organised crime, China requested Malaysia send back all 97 victims to Mainland China to ensure smooth investigations, stolen goods are recovered, justice is administered according to the law and the legal rights of victims are upheld," Xinhua wrote in a commentary.

Overseas telecom fraud is rampant and cross-straits offenders will not be allowed to get away with their crimes, Xinhua quoted An Fengshan, the Chinese State Council's Taiwan Affairs Office, as saying.

Telecom fraud allegations

On April 15 another group of Taiwanese suspected of telecom fraud by Malaysian and Chinese authorities were deported back to Taiwan and are being held there on suspicion of committing "serious crime".

China has said Taiwanese have been heavily involved in telecom fraud in China and have caused huge losses.

Taiwan's ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) in a statement said China's "unilateral and tough action" in the latest deportation was "completely unhelpful to bilateral relations".

"Any of our nationals who commit crime abroad should be escorted back to Taiwan and face trial here," it said.

Strained relations

The cases have strained relations between the two sides ahead of the presidential inauguration of Taiwan's Tsai Ing-wen of the independence-leaning DPP on May 20.

Beijing sees self-ruled Taiwan as a wayward province to be taken back by force if necessary, particularly if it makes moves toward independence. It wants Tsai to stick to the "one China" policy agreed upon with the outgoing China-friendly Nationalist government.

Since Tsai and the DPP won Taiwan's presidential and parliamentary elections by a landslide in January, Beijing has been stepping up pressure on the self-ruled island.
The roars of lions filled the cargo section of Johannesburg's OR Tambo International Airport Saturday evening as 33 lions rescued from South American circuses landed in South Africa where they will be released into a bush sanctuary for big cats.



It was the largest airlift of lions in history, said Jan Creamer, president of Animal Defenders International, which carried out the operation.



"These lion have suffered tremendously,'' Creamer said as the lions were loaded in crates onto trucks.



"They lived in small cages on the backs of trucks for their entire lives. Some of them had their teeth bashed in with steel pipes in circuses in Colombia and Peru. Some of them had their claws removed. ... It is a wonderful feeling to bring them back to their home.''



Nine of the lions were surrendered by a circus in Colombia. The remaining 24 were rescued in raids on circuses in Peru by the animal defense group and officials enforcing a crackdown on wildlife trafficking.



The lions will be placed in quarantine in enclosures at the 5,000-hectare (12,355-acre) Emoya Big Cat Sanctuary in Vaalwater in northern South Africa, started three years ago by a single mother and her teenage daughter.



The 33 lions will be monitored by a vet for their first weeks in Africa. They will then be introduced to each other in a 1-hectare (2.47-acre) bonding enclosure. Many of the lions were never allowed to have direct physical contact with other lions and have never been together without a fence or a cage separating them.



Due to their poor physical state, the lions will never be able to hunt again and will have to be cared for with food and water for the rest of their lives. Emoya will feed the cats with game meat which it buys in bulk.



The enclosures will be fitted with drinking pools, platforms and toys to ensure the lions don't become bored and will be steadily expanded as they become familiar with their new life, said Savannah Heuser, who started Emoya with her mother.



Emoya, in an area with a mix of habitats including mountainous regions, rolling grasslands, forests, cliff caves and river gorges, has a strict non-breeding policy, Heuser told The Associated Press.



Female lions may receive contraceptive medications so they can remain with their mates, while males may undergo vasectomies to make sure that no lions are bred in captivity.



"The animals have no conservation value whatsoever. Many of them have been inbred,'' she said. "When we are sure that no breeding will take place, we allow males to interact with females. By then a pattern will have emerged ... and we will know which lions can be placed together.''



Emoya was opened in 2012, when Heuser was 16. The sanctuary's first cat, a lion rescued from Cairo called Chanel, arrived in June 2013. The sanctuary is currently home to eight big cats, including two Siberian tigers.



The lions are part of 100 animals that were rescued in Peru. Bears, monkeys, birds and other native wildlife have been relocated to sanctuaries in Peru and a tiger has been sent to a new home in Florida.
A new U.S. political survey signaled Sunday that Donald Trump, the front-runner for the Republican presidential nomination, is surging ahead in the crucial Midwestern state of Indiana, where party voters are holding the next nominating contest on Tuesday.

The NBC News/Wall Street Journal/Marist poll showed Trump with 49 percent support among Republicans in the state, compared to 34 percent for Texas Senator Ted Cruz, a conservative firebrand, and 13 percent for John Kasich, who governs the neighboring state of Ohio.

Last chance for Cruz, Kasich?

U.S. political analysts view the contest in Indiana, a politically conservative state with vast expanses of farmland and industrial centers, as possibly the last chance for Cruz or Kasich to stop Trump, a billionaire real estate mogul, from virtually clinching the Republican nomination.

Trump, a one-time television reality show host who has never held elective office, already holds a substantial lead over his challengers in the race to win a majority of delegates to July's Republican national convention where the party's nominee to run in November's national election will be picked.

Trump scored convincing wins in the last six state nominating contests, in his home state of New York and five nearby states in the northeastern U.S. He cannot clinch the nomination with a win in Indiana, but it would push him closer to securing it, with just nine states yet to vote in the next five weeks after Indiana, and, more importantly, continued momentum.

"If we win Indiana, it's over," Trump said this week as he campaigned in the state.

Cruz on Trump



Cruz acknowledged that he needs to halt Trump's march to the nomination, saying, "We're at the edge of a cliff and staring down."

Cruz, who delights in sparring with Democratic and Republican leaders alike in the halls of Congress in Washington, appeared on Sunday's news talk television shows to try to make the case that Trump and the leading Democratic contender, former U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, are both Washington insiders who would not be able to alter the capital's fractious political divide. Cruz called them both "New York liberals."

Cruz described Trump and Clinton "flip sides of the same coin. Behind the Donald Trump mask is Hillary Clinton," claiming that he supports many of the same policies she does.

Trump rebuffed the claim, saying, "Yes, I'm a conservative. But at this point, who cares? We've got to straighten out this country."

Cruz predicted that Clinton would easily defeat Trump in a hypothetical match-up in the November election, but declined to disavow support for him if he wins the Republican nomination.

Democratic camp



Clinton, the country's top diplomat from 2009 to 2013, is trying to become the country's first female president. She is significantly ahead of her sole challenger, Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders, in the contest for the Democratic nomination, but has yet to clinch a majority of the delegates to the party's July national convention.

The NBC poll showed her with a 50-46 percent edge over Sanders in Indiana ahead of the Democratic primary there.

Clinton, the wife of former President Bill Clinton, told CNN she does not consider herself to be the party's presumptive nominee yet, but said she is "on the path" to claiming it.

The winner of the November election will succeed President Barack Obama when he leaves office in January.
Fukushima council workers take radiation measurements. A. Caliz / J. Tles

Being right in the place where it all happened. Getting close to the pain of the victims. Walking among a disaster caused by a catastrophe. And even approaching the nuclear power plant at Daiichi Fukushima. El Pais Semanal has traveled there, five years after the tsunami that hit the northeast coast of Japan and set into motion a nuclear accident that saw 100,000 displaced from their homes and around 20,000 people lose their lives. The feature article that has been published today in Spanish, and that will appear in English on Monday, is accompanied by a 10-minute documentary, which has been recorded in virtual reality and that can be seen on the EL PAIS website and via the new EL PAIS VR app.

EL PAIS is taking a step further in its commitment to take the reader to where the story is happening

[Click here to see the video in virtual reality. If you are navigating via a mobile device, download the YouTube app to see it correctly. You can also see this report by downloading the EL PAIS VR app.]

With the emergence of this technology, which until now had been used mostly for videogames or for commercial ends, EL PAIS is taking a step further in its commitment to take the reader to where the story is happening. Fukushima, contaminated lives is the first feature article from EL PAIS that uses narration in virtual reality.

The story, recorded with a 360-degree field of vision, allows for a complete panoramic view of the action, and includes three-dimensional graphics on some of the locations. During 10 minutes, the user can explore the abandoned towns in the exclusion zone, from which inhabitants had to flee on March 11, 2011. The majority have still not been able to return and are living in prefabricated barracks or with their families. Throughout the video, the viewer will see the victims of this tragedy, entering into the homes destroyed by the earthquake, visiting the provisional houses where the evacuees live, will see a recreation of the accident with graphics and will also sail on board the Rainbow Warrior, the flagship of environmental campaigning group Greenpeace, just 1.5 kilometers from the Daiichi Fukushima nuclear plant, accompanied by the former prime minister of Japan, Naoto Kan.

This journalistic project takes the reader to a place that would normally be very difficult to access, mainly due to the dangers of the high levels of radiation that remain.

This journalistic project takes the reader to a place that would normally be very difficult to access, mainly due to the dangers of the high levels of radiation that remain. The sensation of actually being there alongside the protagonists  in this case the victims of the catastrophe  amplifies the experience. Dozens of ghost towns receive the visitor on entering the exclusion zone. Open houses and ransacked drawers remind the viewer of the pain of the 70,000 people who have been unable to return to their homes. The devastation is in contrast with the sense of ordered resignation of the victims. Everything is quiet around the nuclear plant.

The video took a week to shoot, but the post-production process and the creation of a new application with which to view it took more than two months. With Fukushima, contaminated lives, EL PAIS VR is born, a new channel from which the newspaper will launch journalistic content narrated in virtual reality. The application can be downloaded on iOS and Android operating systems, and will host all of the new videos that are launched.

How to watch the video in virtual reality

There are three main ways to watch Fukushima, contaminated lives in virtual reality. The most simple, but less spectacular, is via the EL PAIS YouTube channel. The best way to do this is to open the video via the YouTube app on your smartphone or tablet, and enjoy the experience moving your device around according to the area you want to see. It is recommendable to do so standing and wearing headphones.

If you have an Android phone and Cardboard glasses (available on the internet), YouTube also gives you a virtual reality option, via which you can place the phone within these glasses.

If you are viewing the video from a computer, you can use the mouse and cursor to drag the screen 360 degrees. In all cases, be sure to have a good Wi-Fi connection in order to enjoy the best image quality.

The second option consists of downloading the EL PAIS VR application, which is available on Android and iOS and allows for two different views: by moving the device around, or by attaching it to Cardboard glasses. This application will also host future stories.

The third option consists of using latest-generation virtual reality glasses, such as Samsung Gear (for smartphones from this brand) or Oculus Rift (which connect to the computer). This offers the most complete of all the experiences via which you can watch this video, and those that will be published by EL PAIS. In all cases, wearing headphones is recommended in order to enjoy a more complete experience.

English version by Simon Hunter.
A car bomb explosion outside police headquarters in the southeastern Turkish city of Gaziantep has killed at least two police officers and wounded at least 22 other people, a local governor said.

Turkish media quoted Gaziantep regional governor Ali Yerlikaya as saying many of those wounded in Sunday's blast are police officers.

Video footage shown on NTV - a private media organization - showed the chaotic aftermath of the explosions outside the police building as bystanders looked on at broken glass and debris, and ambulances raced to the scene.

Gaziantep is the sixth largest city in Turkey with a population of 1.5 million and is located about 55 kilometers from Islamic State controlled territory along the Syrian border. The city serves as a major hub for refugees fleeing the war in Syria.

While there was no immediate indication as to who carried out the attack, jihadists have already carried out two similar attacks in Istanbul this year.
Militant group al-Shabab attacked and recaptured a town in Somalias Middle Shabelle region early Sunday morning, killing 22 Somali soldiers, an official told VOA on condition of anonymity.

The militants claimed that they had killed more than 32 soldiers including a senior military officer in the town of Runirgood, a day after the town had fallen to government forces.

The commander of Somalia's 12th sector, Mohamed Mohamud Sanay told VOA his soldiers were ambushed and eight of them were killed, while his forces killed 12 al-Shabab militants. The commander said a senior officer was wounded and is now missing.

A Somali official who asked not to be named told VOA the death toll among soldiers was 22 and 10 others were missing and feared to be captured by the militants.

Suicide car bomb



Witnesses say the militants used a suicide car bomb in the assault and seized at least three military vehicles.

The Somali commander Mohamed Mohamud Sanay said his forces managed to caputre Runirgood Saturday without the help from AMISOM, the African Union troops in Somalia.

He said the plan was "his forces take the town and AMISOM forces come with reinforcement, but that reinforcement did not come.

AMISOM and the top Somali military commanders bear the responsibility for todays failure, because there is lack of cooperation between the two forces, he said.

In 2011, AMISOM and Somali national Army forced al-Shabab out of areas south of Mogadishu, but the militants still control some rural areas and carry out deadly attacks in the capital and other areas in central and southern Somalia.
The first known death from the Zika virus on U.S. territory was reported Friday as lawmakers left Washington for a weeklong recess. Neither house of Congress has approved funding to combat Zika, despite increasingly dire warnings from U.S. health officials.

It was the death of an elderly man in Puerto Rico, a U.S. territory, that marked an ominous milestone for the Zika virus in the United States. A Zika infection usually is not life threatening, but it may spread from a pregnant woman to her child and cause microcephaly and other severe conditions.

This is a public health emergency. That is what our public health experts have told us, said White House spokesman Josh Earnest late last week.

The White House has requested nearly $2 billion in emergency funding to target the mosquito that carries Zika and promote the development of a vaccine. The Republican-led Congress has yet to act, saying more information is needed.

We should at least have a plan from the administration for how the money is going to be spent, said Republican Senator John Cornyn. There is no plan; it is a blank check.

Democrats note Congress approved larger sums with relative speed to fight Ebola and the H1N1 flu.

If they will not give the experts the resources they need to combat Zika, what do they propose? asked Democratic Senator Harry Reid. We could ask the Zika mosquitos  the Zika-carrying mosquitos, we could ask them: 'Do not breed this year.'

Do your job, Congress

There is a public health menace, said House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi. There is a crisis. We have a responsibility to protect the people from it. Do your job, Congress.

With no new funds on the immediate horizon, the Obama administration is transferring unspent money intended for Ebola to the fight against Zika. Republicans say the maneuver buys time for a better understanding of how future funds will be spent.

We are going to stay on top of this. We need to find a vaccine, said House Speaker Paul Ryan. About $600 million is out the door. We still need answers to questions about where it is going.

The White House insists the transferred Ebola money is insufficient and time is of the essence.

We cannot fund the fight against Zika a few months at a time, Earnest said. In order to effectively, for example, develop and test and manufacture a vaccine that can be used to protect more than 300 million American citizens, that is a multiyear effort that we are talking about. And that is an undertaking that the private sector will have to commit to.

U.S. officials believe the Zika-carrying mosquito could spread to at least 30 U.S. states. Devastating birth defects, already reported in Brazil and elsewhere, would likely follow.
Hundreds of people demonstrated in Vietnam on Sunday against a Taiwanese firm they accuse of causing mass fish deaths along the country's central coast, with some also blaming the government for a sluggish response to a major environmental disaster.

Though an official investigation has found no links between the fish deaths and a $10.6 billion coastal steel plant run by a unit of Taiwan's Formosa Plastics, public anger against the company has not abated.

Hundreds gathered in Hanoi holding banners that said: "Formosa destroying the environment is a crime" and "Who poisoned the central region's waters?"

Others said: "Formosa out of Vietnam!" and took aim at the government for being aloof in what it now describes as one of its worst environmental disasters.

Demonstrators

Demonstrations are rare in Vietnam and uniformed and plainclothes police are usually quick to suppress them. On Sunday they cleared traffic to allow demonstrators to do a lap of a big lake in the heart of Hanoi.

Huge numbers of dead fish have appeared at farms and on beaches since April 6, impacting 200 km (124 miles) of coastline in four provinces, with no known cause.

The environment minister has demanded Hung Nghiep Formosa Ha Tinh dig up its waste pipe at the steel project to enable government to monitor its discharge.



The government's initial probe said the cause could be "red tide", when algae blooms and produces toxins, or a release of toxic chemicals by humans.

What has stoked public anger was a comment by a Formosa official who said Vietnam had to choose between catching fish and shrimp and building a modern steel industry.

"Here is Vietnam's territory and there shall never be any case in which a Formosa steel plant has the right to tell the Vietnamese people to choose," protester Cao Vinh Thinh said.

Several hundred

Several hundred protesters marched in Ho Chi Minh City, the economic hub, according to multiple accounts on Facebook, which is used by 30 millions Vietnamese.

State-controlled media has not reported any of the demonstrations.

Social media and witnesses said protests also took place in central Quang Binh province on Friday, with fishermen throwing fish on the highway after failing to sell their catch. The accounts could not be verified by Reuters.

The government on Saturday ordered the trade and agriculture ministries to help buy seafood caught during deep-sea fishing.
May 1st or May Day was observed in many countries Sunday with workers and activists marching in the streets and gathering in city centers to honor laborers all over the world.

This year, the day fell on Sunday. But that did not dampen the resolve of those who rallied in support of workers' rights.

In the United States, thousands of people rallied at events around the country for immigrant and worker rights. Activists also spoke out against what they see as hateful presidential campaign rhetoric.

Police used pepper spray to beat back rowdy May Day protesters in the northwestern city of Seattle. Police arrested nine people and five police officers were hurt in the fracas, officials said.

Seattle Mayor Ed Murray blamed the "senseless violence" on a "different crowd" from those who attended a peaceful May Day observation earlier Sunday.

In Los Angeles, some May Day demonstrators carried Mexican flags and signs that said "Dump Trump," a reference to Donald Trump, the front-running Republican presidential candidate who wants to build a wall between Mexico and the U.S. to stop illegal immigration.

Higher wages, better conditions

From Moscow to Madrid, workers shouted their demands for higher wages, better conditions and more job security as many countries battle economic uncertainty and high unemployment.

French and Turkish police fired tear gas at protesters as tensions erupted in both of those countries.

Thick clouds of tear gas hung above the Place de la Nation square in Paris where youths in balaclavas and ski masks hurled cobblestones and bottles at black-clad riot troops shouting: "Everyone hates the police."

Police estimated some 17,000 protesters marched throughout the French capital for a rally riding a wave of anger against planned labor reforms set to come before the French parliament Tuesday. Ten people were arrested.

Turkish police and protesters clashed in Istanbul as several dozen people tried to reach the city's Taksim Square, where festivities were banned.



Workers across Asia called for higher wages and better working conditions in their rallies.

In South Korea, tens of thousands of people protested the government's labor reform plans. Labor leaders said a bill being pushed by President Park Geun-hye and her conservative Saenuri Party would make it easier for companies to lay off workers.

In Malaysia, trade union president Abdullah Sani criticized the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) agreement, saying unions fear its effects on workers. The TPP is a multilateral free trade agreement, led by the United States, and signed by 12 countries in February. It is undergoing a two-year ratification process.

In Indonesia, workers called for higher wages to improve the quality of their lives. Indonesia has nearly 111 million workers, but almost half of them are low-skilled laborers.

In Taipei, thousands of protesters from different labor groups called for raising the minimum wage and shorter working hours.

Garment factory workers rallied in Cambodia.

May Day coincided with the Orthodox Easter in Russia this year.



A cease-fire was set to begin Sunday in Ukraine, which also celebrated the start of the Orthodox Easter and May Day holidays.

A Ukraine official said three people were killed in fighting Sunday in the country's east, including the suburbs of rebel stronghold Donetsk, despite the agreement.

And in the United States, thousands of people were expected to rally at events from New York to Los Angeles for immigrant and worker rights. They also planned to speak out against what they see as hateful presidential campaign rhetoric.

Thousands of people took to the streets across major cities in Latin America to celebrate May Day and demand social improvements in their countries.



In Chile's capital, Santiago, demonstrators held marches days after the country's constitutional court struck down a bill that would give workers more rights to negotiate with employers, one of the key issues of labor reforms that President Michelle Bachelet has been pushing. Some protesters later clashed with riot police, who used tear gas and a water cannon truck to disperse the crowd.

In Bolivia, President Evo Morales signed several decrees to benefits workers across the Andean nation. One of them raises minimum wages, a move highly rejected by the country's private sector.



Thousands of demonstrators gathered in Mexico City to mark Labor Day and demand better working conditions. Union members marched through Paseo de la Reforma, one of the main avenues in the city, carrying banners and flags.

In Brazil, embattled President Dilma Rousseff used a Labor Day appearance in Sao Paulo to rally support against efforts to impeach her. The president announced to tens of thousands of backers that she will beef up a flagship social program, reduce the impact of income tax on the middle class and build another 25,000 new low-price homes.

A key vote on her impeachment proceedings is scheduled within two weeks in the Brazilian senate.
Baghdad teetered on the edge of political chaos Sunday. The city is in a state of emergency, protesters have occupied parts of the once-secure International Zone (IZ), lawmakers have run away and the military is on high alert.

Protesters led by Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr crowded the streets in front of the countrys now-empty Parliament and gathered in what is known as the Zones Celebration Square.

By Sunday evening, the protesters temporarily ended their demonstration and started to withdraw from the area.

A statement from Sadr's office said the move was made out of respect for a major Shi'ite pilgrimage.

Lawmakers fled Saturday after protestors stormed into the parliament.

About 60 lawmakers, mostly from the minority Kurdish and Sunni parties, flew out of the capital for Irbil and Suleymania, in the northern autonomous Kurdish region.

It was dangerous for all of us, one parliament official told VOA, speaking on condition of anonymity out of fear of retaliation. Some lawmakers were beaten, he said.

The official said thousands of protesters were still in the so-called International Zone Sunday, parked outside the major government buildings.

WATCH: Related video of protesters in the International Zone

Normally only those with special badges are allowed into the secured area, which is also home to many foreign embassies and the United Nations.

It is dangerous, the parliament official said. At any time, the protesters could attack any embassy, any institution they want, or abuse anybody passing by.

It seems al-Sadr wants to keep them inside the IZ so he can force the government to do what he wants, the official said.

Political unrest

The parliament takeover was the culmination of weeks of political wrangling and increasing instability, and came just days after U.S. Vice President Joe Biden visited Baghdad.

White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest said the visit was a good indication of U.S. continued support for Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi's efforts to unify Iraq and confront the Islamic State (IS) group.

But the visit was not enough to stave off the deepening political crisis.

Sadr has been demanding a new government of technocrats.

Abadi, who had also promised reform, had been unable to deliver any real change as political parties, unwilling to let go of their political power, blocked the majority of his list of candidates.

The prime minister on Sunday walked through the ransacked parliament building, and called on Interior Minister Mohammed Salem al-Ghabban to bring the attackers to justice.

Deadly violence also continued in Iraq Sunday, with Islamic State claiming responsibility for bombings that killed more than 30 people in the southern city of Samawah

Unrest growing

But even as political blocs have fought to maintain their positions and all the trappings of power, the anger in the Iraqi street has been growing for the past year over the lack of basic services, security, and the vast government corruption and political patronage.

Sadr, a firebrand cleric sometimes described as a Shiite nationalist, has managed to capitalize on that anger and frustration.

Al-Sadr has the power of the people. One speech and he can deliver thousands of people to do what he wants. It is the power of the populace, the parliament official said. Al-Sadr is capable of running and leading the anger within each Iraqi person.

One high-ranking Iraqi military official, also speaking to VOA on condition of anonymity, said that Sadr had many young Iraqis, including Sunnis and Christians, on his side.

The Institute for the Study of War describes Sadrs power grab as a de facto political coup.

But the military official said Prime Minister Abadi was still in control of the Iraqi military and running the country.

Rival Shi'ite powers

Yet, the military official warned that powerful rival Shiite powers in Baghdad were not comfortable with Sadrs attempted power grab. He said members of the notorious Badr Brigade militia, which is strongly allied with Iran, were beginning to converge on the capitals center.

The possibility for intra-Shiite violence in Baghdad is high, and Baghdad residents said they are unsure of what will happen next.

There is also concern that IS could take advantage of the turmoil to ramp up its attacks. Iraqi security forces closed off all entrances to the city Saturday.

Resident Mahdi Makhmour, who lives outside the IZ, said the city streets were empty Sunday morning and many roads were still blocked, partly because of the start of a three-day Shiite religious celebration in the capital.
United States Ambassador to Zimbabwe Harry K. Thomas Jr. says Washington is willing to engage with Harare though his country will continue to push for reforms that Zimbabweans themselves are demanding from their government.

In an exclusive interview with VOA Studio 7 reporter Blessing Zulu, Ambassador Thomas says targeted sanctions are not the reason Harare has failed to access international credit lines, but its failure to pay arrears.

Who is Harry Thomas Jr.?

Mr. Thomas has been Ambassador twice before and has had extensive experience in developing countries, including in Zimbabwe where he served as Labor/Political Officer from 1989 to 1992. Having held a number of the most senior positions in the Department, he also is well known for his leadership abilities.

Previously, Mr. Thomas served as U.S. Ambassador to the Philippines (2010-2013), Director General of the Foreign Service and Director of Human Resources (2007-2009), and Executive Secretary of the Department (2005-2007). Prior to that, he was U.S. Ambassador to Bangladesh (2003-2005), attended the Senior Seminar at the Departments Foreign Service Institute (2002-2003), and was Director for South Asia on the National Security Council Staff (2001-2002).

He also served as Director and Deputy Director of the Departments Operations Center (1998-2001), and Political Officer at U.S. Embassy New Delhi, India (1995-1998). Mr. Thomas earlier assignments with the Department included serving as Operations Officer in the Operations Center, as Special Assistant to the Under Secretary for Political Affairs, Staff Assistant to the Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs, Political/Economic Officer at U.S. Consulate, Kaduna, Nigeria, and as Consular Officer at U.S. Embassy Lima, Peru.

Zimbabweans Christian him Tapiwa

Ambassador Thomas says some Zimbabweans who have been interacting with him have given him a Shona name, Tapiwa, meaning we have been given or gift. Typical of the Zimbabwean culture the name also comes with a totem - Mhofu or Eland. Totems among some African ethnic groups serve as an account of a lineages history and character. Totems should not be consciously consumed by a member of the clan.

Q: Blessing Zulu

Ambassador, we understand you met with Mr. (Morgan) Tsvangirai of the opposition M-D-C, what was the meeting all about?

A: Ambassador Thomas

Thank you Blessing. Our policy is to meet with everyone, government officials, we met with the President (Robert Mugabe), foreign minister, the environmental minister, the finance minister, the reserve bank governor and now we are starting to meet with the opposition. We met with Mr. (Tendai) Biti, Mr. (Welshman) Ncube, Mr. (Dumiso) Dabengwa, and this is part of our rotation of normal things diplomats do, meeting everyone. Clearly I knew Mr. Tsvangirai when he was a trade unionist when I was here before, so it was good to reconnect. But, it was just to learn about what his aspirations were for his party, as well as the people of Zimbabwe.

Q: Blessing Zulu

Are you also engaging leaders of the non-government organizations, or CSOs?

A: Ambassador Thomas

Yes! Maybe a month or so ago, we met with many leaders of civil society, and those were the first, before we met anyone in the opposition, we met them. And what weve asked them is to tell us, what they hope for the future for Zimbabwe, in terms of democracy, human rights, as well as economic opportunity investments, so we are looking forward to hearing from them. We dont want this to be a top down exercise.

We want civil society organizations to tell the United States as well as other international actors, how to assist them, and then we can make an assessment.

Q: Blessing Zulu

Talking about economic engagement ambassador, it is not likely that, for example, the arrears clearance plan for Zimbabwe will succeed, without the complete support of the U.S., because of what Harare calls restrictive provisions under the Zimbabwe Democracy and Economic Recovery Act (ZIDERA). As the U.S. are you going to block Zimbabwe from accessing loans from the IMF?

A: Ambassador Thomas

Well, thank you for that. Let me be clear, Zimbabwe is not eligible for loans from the international financial institutions because as you know, it stopped paying before 1999 and that made Zimbabwe ineligible. And that has nothing to do with ZIDERA. We do encourage economic reform, we would like to see economic reform. We were very encouraged with our meetings in Lima (Peru), well have to see what happens in May, but there is a long way to go before there will be any discussion of money and disbursement. We have to see as of other members of these organizations what Zimbabwes complete plans are, how they intend to implement those plans and structure their reforms. So its premature to talk at this point, about new lending until we see what the government will do. We are encouraged by the fact that they want to do it, but now we have to see what they are going to do.

Q: Blessing Zulu:

But more recently, Senator Bob Corker, Chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee wrote a letter to the U.S. Secretary of the Treasury, stating that the current law requires the president to make a number of certifications including the restoration of the rule of law in Zimbabwe, satisfactory election conditions in that country, equitable legal and transparent land reform. Are these not some of the issues that you should also be looking at?

A: Ambassador Thomas

Well, that is what the Senate would like. Clearly, I work for the President of the United States who has made his position clear on the need for economic and governance reform, we are not going to get into a list or tit-for-tat, that will be counterproductive, but we would like to see government reform as well as economic reform.

Q: Blessing Zulu:

What are you doing to promote trade between Harare and Washington, say involving business people from the two countries?

A: Ambassador Thomas

Yes, as you know, my illustrious predecessor Ambassador (Bruce) Wharton brought a delegation to the United States last year, also, through the Corporate Council for America in February of this year, Zimbabwean business persons went to Addis (Ababa, Ethiopia) to meet with business persons. I think also your deputy Reserve Bank Governor was part of that meeting. The World Economic Forum will take place in August and September in Rwanda. We are encouraging the Zimbabwe business persons to go there. Thereve been a number of American companies, not many, but several that have inquired about businesses here. We can only tell them what is going on, and of course, American businesses make their own decisions. But we would clearly like to see American businesses give Zimbabwe a look.

Q: Blessing Zulu:

Ambassador, there was a recent article in Zimbabwes government-leaning, Sunday Mail newspaper, saying that the United States government is blocking transactions, blocking thousands of institutions and individuals, as part of an elaborate plan to influence Zimbabwes 2018 elections. Your take?

A: Ambassador Thomas

Nothing can be further from the truth. Our sanctions are on 98 individuals, 68 companies. If that, one of those listed companies or individuals are trying to enact transactions that is when ZIDERA takes place. Clearly we are not trying to block Zimbabwean people, the average person is able to send remittances to Zimbabwe. I think the challenge Zimbabwe has as a dollar economy, is that you have to perform as a dollar economy, that means higher standards, that means lack of corruption, that means open transparency, that means being able to remit your funds, but in no way are we trying to effect regime change.

Q: Blessing Zulu:

Talking about the issue of democracy in Zimbabwe, are you happy with what you are seeing on the ground?

A: Ambassador Thomas

Well, its quite complex, Blessing. What we are trying to do is work with all parties, including the ruling party to ensure that the constitution passed in 2013, is fully implemented. This is a constitution that all parties agreed to and we would like to see it implemented because this is what the Zimbabwean people have said they would like. Recently there have been a march in support of Itai Dzamara on his one-year anniversary of his disappearance that was allowed without violence. And the MDC was able to go to court with a court order and had a march without violence. There are comedians as you know, plays, theatre going on. I think the question is not what we are seeing, its the Zimbabwean people are seeing and what they would like to see. Clearly we want to see the law enforced in terms of farms, commercial, and we are very concerned when there is a violent take-over of farms. We are very concerned when we see reports that there would be conservancies taken over. We are very concerned when we see reports that social media may be monitored or censored, or people charged with crime for expressing their freedom of speech. We are very concerned when we hear that the gay community may be blocked. We are very concerned when we dont see a follow up on sexual assault or domestic abuse charges, or that people have to pay kickbacks for employment in public and private sectors. All those issues have been raised by the Zimbabwean people who are most affected by that.

Q: Blessing Zulu:

Talking about the land reform ambassador, some officials in the government (Harare) are saying that America reneged on its pledge to provide $75 million every year for the first 10 years of the country's independence. The pledge was allegedly made when nationalists were negotiating for a political settlement at Lancaster House. What happened to that pledge?

A: Ambassador Thomas

Well, I have never heard of that number. Lancaster House, United States and Britain, did pledge and did provide funding for the initial 10-years. But what you have to look at is that the United States in the intervening 36-years has provided over $2.6 billion to Zimbabwe. We continue to be the largest donor by far. Right now you have a terrible drought going on, we are giving $55 million to stem the drought. The challenge people have in getting food, the food insecurity again we are the largest donor in that. We are doing many things that I would hope that is highlighted. Yesterday (last week) was World Malaria Day, the United States has given over $14.5 million to combat malaria in the last 10-months. Last week I was privileged to go to Matabeleland North to Gwanda to see real work on the ground, where we are working to provide dams to people, to help prevent mother to child transmission of HIV/AIDS through proper breast feeding. Food distribution. All those things have been gifts of the United States people. Clearly you yourself know that we have built a lot of the teachers colleges, helped to add to University of Zimbabwe. In fact in that 10-year period you are talking about in one year we gave $100-million to the department of education for the construction of buildings. So our assistance have been long and deep and remain that way. We are so excited about President Obamas Washington Mandela program, where so many fellows are able to come to the United States from Zimbabwe. We think our programs are wide and deep and effect change. Changing lives, not only in the HIV/AIDS-affected communities but facilitating scholarships, awarding fellowships, having these robust programs that really impact the average person on the ground.

Q: Blessing Zulu:

But there have been complaints Ambassador that there has been a lot of politicization of over this food issue. Are these complaints reaching your desk?

A: Ambassador Thomas

I have not had any directly. We have a monitoring program that is very strict for the $55 million that we will be donating through the World Food Program, and we monitor that at all times. When we announced our initial donation of $35 million, I was quite clear to the media and the public that if they have any specific complaints, they should come to me directly or Stephanie (Funk) our very able USAID Director. If we get any complaints on that, clearly we will act.

Q: Blessing Zulu:

Lastly, Ambassador, talking about the issue of the humanitarian crisis in Zimbabwe, we have heard that there is also a bit of donor fatigue, though USAID said that it is happy that Washington has been responding to the crisis. You have been to some rural areas to assess the food situation. What is the situation like?

A: Ambassador Thomas

Well, I can only speak for the United States government. I said we have increased our aid from $35 to $55 million to combat food insecurity, and when you look at the World Food Program, the World Health Program, and the UN Agencies, the US government also contributes 20-30% of funding to each of those agencies, so I believe the United States, or the American people have been extremely generous in trying to assist the people of Zimbabwe. I know that our colleagues in Brazil are donating rice that other countries are donating what they can, but I cannot speak for them.

Q: Blessing Zulu:

The U.S. is also building a new embassy in Zimbabwe, but we have also seen some European Embassies relocating to South Africa. Why is Zimbabwe a priority?

A: Ambassador Thomas

Well, our new embassy complex Blessing, shows the great commitment by President Obama and the American people to Zimbabwe. Its a $180 million facility, we are going to be hiring about 700-locals, $32 million is devoted to their salaries. These should be three to four year jobs, its going to be a beautiful facility because the exterior is going to pay tribute to Zimbabwe by looking like the Great Zimbabwe. We think that the multiplier effect on the economy, which is the largest construction job Harare has seen in many years, will be tremendous. So we are very excited, most of our buildings end up being LED gold and silver, and we hope that this will show our commitment to the environment. We are also pleased that our project manager is a woman, our architect is a woman, it shows our commitment to gender equity, and the fact that we are going to break through any glass ceiling. We plan on having Zimbabwean students shadow our workers on occasion, we have already provided donations to a school that is near our facility and well look to see other ways in which we can assist but this is, again, another example of the longstanding commitment the American people have had for the Zimbabwean people.

Q: Blessing Zulu:

Lastly, there was a question here from my good friend, a Zanu-PF MP and chairman for Parliaments Foreign Affairs Committee, Mr. Kindness Paradza, who said the new ambassador must prioritize the removal of targeted sanctions in Zimbabwe.

A: Ambassador Thomas

Well, again, as weve said, that is the decision for our president, for our Congress and that will be dependent upon economic performance, and governance, human rights. And that is extremely important. There must be accountability. You cant see funding without accountability. Elimination of corruption. Those are things that we will have to weigh as we move forward. But please remind our honorable member of parliament that we will continue to be by far the largest donor. I am sure hell appreciate that.
Zimbabweans on Sunday castigated the government for failing to provide jobs and protect its people saying this has forced some of them to go to other countries to seek greener pastures where they sometimes work in horrendous conditions like 32 women who returned home from Kuwait on Saturday.



Ordinary people, experts and some opposition parties told Studio 7 that poverty levels in Zimbabwe have reached alarming proportions and this is forcing people to do anything an effort to eke out a living.



Movement for Democratic Change secretary-general, Douglas Mwonzora, said in that process Zimbabweans ended up being taken advantage of by unscrupulous people like what happened to the 32 women who were enslaved and sexually abused in Kuwait.



"Its desperation that forced these women to travel to Kuwait, that desperation was created by Zanu PF, it was created by President Robert Mugabe," said Mwonzora.



He said Zimbabweans would not be traveling abroad in search of jobs if Mr. Mugabe and his party had fulfilled their promise to provide 2.2 million jobs in the run-up to the 2013 general elections won by Zanu PF.





Economic commentator, Masimba Kuchera, said while people were supposed to carefully consider jobs offers in foreign countries, locals were in such a desperate situation that they could take an offer anywhere.



He said it was worrying that government was failing to discharge its mandate of protecting citizens at home and abroad.



"It unfortunate they have allowed such a thing to happen. I think the government must be able to ensure that its people are safe wherever they are," said Kuchera.



Harare resident, Memory Mbondiya, also said that it was sad that locals were abused and treated like slaves in other countries because the government was failing to provide jobs.



She claimed that government was responsible for all the serious problems Zimbabweans find themselves in and said she believed the situation was more serious than what is being reported.



"We can't celebrate the return of these few women, how about others still stuck in Kuwait, what is their condition  We want the government to take action and bring them back home," Mbondiya said.



Another Harare resident, Denford Ngadziore, was equally angry with the government's failure to create employment for citizens.

He said human trafficking syndicates were taking advantage of Zimbabweans desperate situation to recruit and market them abroad.



"Zimbabweans are desperate for survival. Zanu PF and Mugabe are responsible for the Kuwait mess. He must apologize or resign," said Ngadziore.



Employers Confederation of Zimbabwe president, Josphat Kawema, told workers at an International Workers Day event in Harare on Sunday that in as much as industry wanted to employ people, it can no longer do so as it was almost dead and buried.



Kawema said as a result most people were poor and hungry. "When you are hungry you end up doing anything including stupid things," he said.



But for another Harare resident, Yvone Musarurwa, some people in Zimbabwe are surviving in worse conditions than those in Kuwait.

She said it was puzzling that the government had allowed commercial sex workers to operate freely while criminalizing street vending.



A total 32 Zimbabwean women that had been trafficked to Kuwait were brought home by a parliamentary delegation led by National Assembly speaker, Jacob Mudenda.



They were welcomed at Harare Airport by several government ministers, including Foreign Affairs Minister, Simbarashe Mumbengegwi, who said the government was committed in protecting its citizens at home and abroad.



Mumbengegwi made the comments despite the fact that his government had failed to pay for travel costs for all the 32 women back to Harare.



He admitted that the International Organization for Migration had bought air tickets for 25 women while a Zimbabwean businessman paid for the reminder.



"Its sad that government could not even transport the ladies home," said Ngadziore.
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Mikayel and Karen Vardanyans provided 136 million AMD support for the overhaul of the Myasnikyan statue, which was in unsafe state of disrepair

Believe me, as a representative of a country which uses the Schengen system very often, it is quite important. Vardanyan

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An urgent debate requested on "The military hostilities between Armenia and Azerbaijan".

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Armenian Revytech, global technology leader SAP and financial services software specialist SAP Fioneer sign a cooperation agreement

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The Baylor Singing Seniors choir will present A Tribute to Broadway at 5 p.m. Sunday at First Baptist Church of Woodway, 101 Ritchie Road.

The fee concert will feature 70 years of favorites from the American stage and screen, including songs from George M!, Funny Girl, The Sound of Music, Music Man and more.

The choir will be accompanied by Anita Allen on piano, Walter Raynaud on percussion and Greg Wallace on flugelhorn.

HWF preview party

Historic Waco Foundation will have an Attic Treasures preview party from 6 to 9 p.m. Thursday at 4318 W. Waco Drive, between Guitar Center and Mardel in Brazos Place Center.

Guests will have the opportunity to shop the new, used, vintage and antique merchandise before the sale starts Friday.

Cost is $40, which will include a catered meal from Georges Restaurant.

For reservations, call 753-5166.

Youth theater camp

Waco Childrens Theatre is accepting applications for its 25th annual summer performing arts camp, which begins June 6.

The camp features instruction in all areas of performing arts and culminates with performances by the children, ages 6 to 18.

Performances of The Lion King and The Jungle Book will be held June 17-19 at Lee Lockwood Scottish Rite Library and Museum.

The Broadway musical Guys and Dolls will be performed by the teen campers June 25-30.

To register, call Linda Haskett at 776-0707.

Rotary Club

Rotary Club of Waco will meet at noon Monday at the Lions Den, 1716 N. 42nd St.

Brenda Shuttlesworth, executive director for Waco Habitat for Humanity, will talk about the Waco Habitat ReStore.

Cost is $10 for lunch catered by Uncle Dans Barbecue.

For more information, call 776-2115.

Tea party at library

Waco-McLennan County Library will have a free Mothers Day tea party event at 10:30 a.m. Monday at the Central Library, 1717 Austin Ave.

Children can bring their mothers and grandmothers to enjoy the tea exhibit and leave with a special gift.

For more information, call 750-5941 or visit www.wacolibrary.org.

Holocaust service

Greater Waco Interfaith Conference, in conjunction with the Congregation Agudath Jacob and Temple Rodef Sholom, will observe Yom HaShoah, Holocaust Remembrance Day, with a 7 p.m. service Thursday at Temple Rodef Sholom, 1717 N. New Road.

The event is open to the public.

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.
The thousands of shoppers who head to downtown Waco every week may swoon over the rusty silos at Magnolia Market, the tastefully weathered wood furnishings at The Findery and the exposed pink brick at the Backyard Bar and Grill.

But the broken sidewalks? Not so much.

Its very neat that theres a rustic feel thats been preserved, said Joel Moore, a Southern California pastor who was walking north on Sixth Street back to his car after shopping at Magnolia on Friday afternoon. But there are still some things that are flat-out dangerous. . . . I said to my wife, Be careful of that sidewalk. 

The sudden popularity of the area has goaded downtown and city leaders to find ways to accelerate the rebuilding of downtown sidewalks, many of which are now nonexistent or deteriorating.

The Tax Increment Finance Zone board is considering a new policy that could help. The TIF board approves funding to help developers install public amenities such as sidewalks and lampposts, but typically only at the given property and its adjacent right of way.

Under a proposal from Waco city staff, the TIF board would approve enough money for developers to rebuild the entire block of sidewalks that connect to their property.

The goal is to create pedestrian connections among the islands of activity in downtown, including RiverSquare Center, Austin Avenue and the area around Magnolia, said City Center Waco executive director Megan Henderson, who backs the proposal. Across the Brazos River, the goal would be to connect the shops of Elm Avenue to the river, she said.

We need to have good sidewalks and transit connectivity and improvements that create places to convene, Henderson said. It feels so different in areas where there are bad pedestrian amenities. Its a disincentive to develop when the sidewalk is narrow, theres no on-street parking and its dark.

The new sidewalk policy would be part of a new direction for the TIF Zone, which funds central city improvements by diverting a share of tax revenue from properties in the zone.

Henderson said its time to see TIF funds more as a means to build infrastructure for a pedestrian-friendly downtown, rather than as simply an incentive for developers.

Its not a reward, not a bonus for individual businesses, she said. What weve been doing is treating sidewalks like theyre a front porch, a place where customers get to stand outside, like its an amenity for the property. . . . You need a sidewalk to be able to explore downtown. To have the experience of going downtown and walking around, you need connective sidewalks.

The TIF board discussed the sidewalk issue and other possible policy changes at a retreat earlier this month but hasnt yet made a decision. In the meantime, the board already has taken a step toward building the pedestrian network Henderson describes.

In March, the TIF board voted to give Magnolia an additional $650,000 to rebuild two blocks of lighted, landscaped sidewalk along Sixth Street between the silos and Mary Avenue  the area where Moore was walking Friday. The project also involves burying overhead utility lines.

At the same meeting, the TIF board approved an extra $220,000 for the developers of Altura Lofts at 214 S. Sixth St. for enhanced sidewalks, street trees, alleys and lighting.

Henderson said it was a quick and cost-effective way to build a much-needed pedestrian connection between the Magnolia area and the Austin Avenue retail corridor.

The popular understanding was that those projects were given additional money, but thats false, she said. The city has identified projects that need to be done for an overarching public purpose. . . . That is the city piggybacking on Magnolias contracting ability.

Mayor Malcolm Duncan Jr. said he agrees with the principle of using TIF funds to build out a seamless network of sidewalks in downtown, though hes still studying the details.

The concept of doing that makes a lot of sense as long as we can agree on the priority of corridors, Duncan said. I see a lot of people walking (in downtown), and Im not sure weve made it easy for them. I think every study weve done says walkability is a key ingredient to a successful downtown.

Sam Brown, who owns several blocks along Elm Avenue with his sister, Cathy Turner, said the new approach to sidewalks would benefit development there.

Patchwork problem

I love the sound of that, Brown said. What I hate is where you have a new sidewalk, then a destroyed sidewalk  its just a patchwork.

Brown inherited a portfolio of old buildings from his father, Douglas C. Brown, who had a vision for Elm Avenues resurgence. But the elder Brown was a critic of the policies of the TIF Zone, saying private developers wouldnt come to areas like Elm until the public infrastructure such as sidewalks was built first.

I dont necessarily agree with the way my dad approached it, that you have to have the infrastructure before the project, Sam Brown said. Projects are not always cookie-cutter. If someone wanted to buy four blocks to do one huge project, theres no point in the city going in and redoing the sidewalks, only to have to tear them up.

But Brown said the block-at-a-time approach would be a happy medium between public and private investment.

Brown said he hopes the money developers get for off-site sidewalk improvements wouldnt be counted against their overall TIF funding.

That wouldnt happen, said Assistant City Manager Cynthia Garcia, who presented the sidewalk proposal at the TIF retreat. But Garcia proposed a new way of calculating the total funding related to new developments.

Currently, the TIF board helps fund a fraction of the total project cost  usually between 5 and 15 percent, depending on how City Center Waco scores it for various criteria, such as how well it advances historic preservation, tax base growth and downtown vibrancy.

Garcia proposed that the TIF board and city staff work together to determine how much public money a project needs to be financially viable, then fund that gap if the project is seen as desirable.

City staffers say that could mean less funding for a project in the booming retail area along Interstate 35, but more for a project in a more challenging business environment such as Elm Avenue.

I do think it makes sense to say, But for this incentive, will this project happen?  City Manager Dale Fisseler said. If they dont need these funds, its better to spend the money on a more difficult project that needs the help.
St. Marys Catholic School in West received a $2,500 donation from Americas Farmers Grow Communities, sponsored by the Monsanto Fund and directed by local farmer Tommy Kutscherousky Sr. of McLennan County.

The donation will help St. Marys fulfill needs in the school library, and purchase needed camera equipment for the students and development department. St. Marys library has limited space and lacks room for new books, according to a news release.

The grant will fill the gap left from another grant, and allow St. Marys to eliminate outdated computers and replace that space with new book shelves. The school will purchase iPads for student use in the library.

Having the iPads would allow more students to take the Accelerated Reader (AR) tests or do research for papers and projects, according to the release.

Camera equipment

The donation will also allow St. Marys to purchase needed camera equipment. The equipment will allow students to film classroom projects, and allow the schools development department to capture service provided by students to the community.

St. Marys School has always provided an excellent Christian education to the children of West, Kutscherousky said. I will always support St. Marys in whatever way I can.

For six years, Americas Farmers Grow Communities has collaborated with farmers to donate more than $22 million to more than 8,000 community organizations across rural America.

Winning farmers direct donations to nonprofit groups to help fight rural hunger, purchase life saving fire and EMS equipment, support ag youth leadership programs, buy much needed classroom resources, and more.

Americas Farmers Grow Communities partners with farmers to support local nonprofit causes that positively impact farming communities across rural America. Grow Communities is one program in the Americas Farmers community outreach effort, sponsored by the Monsanto Fund.

Scholarships

Other programs include Americas Farmers Grow Ag Leaders, which encourages rural youth to remain in agriculture and provides $1,500 college scholarships to high school and college students pursuing ag-related degrees and Americas Farmers Grow Rural Education, which works with farmers to nominate rural school districts to compete for $10,000 and $25,000 math and science grants.

Visit www.AmericasFarmers.com for more information.
The stories were different but their endings remained the same Friday as friends shared tales of Frances Welchs humor and contagious laugh during her retirement party at the Doris Miller Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Waco.

After more than 41 years as a blind rehab specialist, Welch worked her last day Friday, between celebrations of her time serving more than 5,000 veterans.

Welch said she strategically planned her retirement for the end of April because the swimming pool where she lives opens in May.

Im going to swim every day, she said. I love to swim and I did find out old people dont swim much, so its like having a private pool.

Doug Young, Waco VA assistant director of resources, said veterans during the years have always responded well to Welch.

She has a natural empathy and natural teaching style, Young said.

Young said he has never known a more compassionate person.

Welch said she has been blessed to have lived two different lives: one sighted and one blind. She was 15 when she lost her eyesight.

Part of my job was teaching cooking. I taught living skills. Years and years ago, it was much more difficult because the men, as the majority of veterans are, would say, Cooking is a womans work. Now, its not a womans world anymore. Men have to take care of themselves, she said with a laugh. Ive always felt like, make it fun, rather than just learning. Make it fun for them.

Blind Rehab Unit chief Chris Bosley said while completing the exit performance review, Welch asked what the rating was for doing a job well.

Bosley replied, fully successful.

Welch then asked what rating is above that, to which Bosley said, outstanding.

Welch said, Thats what I want, Bosley said. Francis you are outstanding.

Barry Francis, another blind rehab specialist, told the crowd at Welchs retirement party he remembered his first conversation with Welch.

He had just been hired. He was living in New York at the time and called the office to get some information about his new position. Welch answered the phone.

Francis said he was feeling good about being selected for the position and must have sounded as proud as he was feeling.

She says, I think maybe you were the only applicant,  Francis said, laughter erupting in the room. Shes always kept me very real.

Welch said everyone says retirement is the time to travel, but not for her. About a year ago, she adopted a Yorkshire terrier she calls Bugsy and she doesnt plan on leaving him to travel.

Hes like our baby, and we treat him like our baby, she said.

Blind rehab specialist Sheri Battles said when she came to the Waco office three years ago fresh out of school, she was nervous about working alongside Welch, who had so many years of experience than her.

After the first class, Battles said she confessed to Welch that she had been worried about messing up in front of someone so experienced.

She recalled Welch laughing, then saying that she, too, had been nervous working with someone fresh out of school and probably joining the staff with a different set of talents.

Best laugh

Everyone who knows Francis knows she has the best laugh, Battles said.

Welch said she will miss everything about the job except the paperwork. She said she loves all the staff, has worked with some good people through the years and has continued to stay in contact with many no longer working there.

A lot of people get bored doing the same thing over and over, year after year, but I never get bored because every patient is different, she said. They all have different stories, different learning potential. Their life is different. Every day and every person is different. It just keeps me going. I really think its been a wonderful, wonderful career. However, I wish I was one of those people who really looked forward to retirement.

A lot of people count down the days, and I havent been one of those at all. I dont know what the future is going to bring. I may be bored to death and wish I was still out there.

Neighbor Harvey Meredith said he has been friends with Welch for a few years and occasionally makes her a Reuben sandwich.

Meredith said he has had the opportunity to watch Welch teach other vision impaired veterans how to cook, and she has an amazing talent.

Its been a real enlightening experience, he said. Her youth was robbed from her you know. Her whole career, whatever she had planned for herself and her life came to a screeching halt. Think of what that would do to anyone at such an early age. Im sure she had to go through some traumatic experiences and face up to the reality of such a catastrophic event in her life, but shes so upbeat and shes fun and she loves to laugh. You never hear her ever get down in the dumps about herself. I think that we could learn so much from her.

To live in total darkness and to be able to be so upbeat is just absolutely remarkable, I think, Meredith said.
When Killeen resident Carson Pearce was 4 years old, he and his mom watched as a big U.S. Air Force propeller plane flew overhead. He told her, Mommy, someday Im going to fly one of those. Now 59, the retired Army aviator did indeed go on to fly it  and much more.

Pearce was unwavering in his pursuit of that goal. By the time he was 13, he worked as a busboy on weekends to pay for flight lessons; at 17, he had his license. But Pearce wanted to fly helicopters, so when he turned 18 in 1975, he joined the Army. In spite of a big reduction in manpower as the Vietnam War was winding down, he was accepted into the Army Warrant Officer Training Program. A year later, he had his bars and wings. He was assigned to Fort Hood.

He flew UH-1 helicopters from Vietnam that still had bullet hole patches in them, Pearce said. Serving in the 2nd Squadron, 1st Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Armored Division, his first division commander was George Patton Jr. He was an inspiration to me, he said.

Carson flew with combat-experienced veterans who showed him the ropes. I relied heavily on their experience, he said. That greatly shaped my aviation career. He served as a lift pilot flying in the nap-of-the-earth, a low-altitude technique that minimizes enemy detection and allows the safe transport of troops. In addition, he was the race relations equal opportunity officer.

In 1979, Pearce left Fort Hood and moved to Fort Richardson, Alaska (now merged with Elmendorf Air Force Base). He left active duty and joined the Alaskan Army National Guard, becoming an active-duty guardsman. As before, he had multiple jobs, including pilot, training officer and later, safety officer.

Pearce ended up raising his family in Alaska. His wife, Rebecca Sue (Johnson), took care of their three children  in spite of the sometimes harsh conditions  while Pearce amassed around 5,000 hours of flight time.

Although he didnt serve in combat, his job was often dangerous. The weather was the big enemy in Alaska, he said. The weather changes minute to minute.

Danger on every flight

In addition to the climate sometimes causing havoc, Pearce would at times find himself at the end of a risky situation. Once, when he was about 20 minutes from landing, he spotted an airplane that had just crashed into a mountain right at the base of a massive glacier. Pearce set the helicopter down on the precipice of the mountain. The crew chief crawled down the slope and pulled the pilot out to safety. For his actions, Pearce received the Sikorsky Helicopter Rescue Award.

Flying for humanitarian aid

In 1986, Pearce took leave of the National Guard for a year and moved his family to Ethiopia, where he was a helicopter director for famine relief with a Swiss humanitarian agency. He transported everything from medical supplies to aid workers. It was a rewarding experience, one that helped charter a course for our kids on what they would eventually become, he said.

Then, in 1994, he flew as part of a project for NASA, depositing the robot, Dante II, in an active volcano for scientific research on Alaskas Mount Spurr, the tallest volcano in the Aleutian Arc. A forerunner of artificial intelligent remote vehicles such as Sojourner (the Mars Pathfinder rover which landed in 1997), Dante II was 10 feet long, 8 feet wide and weighed 1,700 pounds with a 10-foot mast. It crawled on eight legs, transmitting data while receiving instructions by satellite.

As it was exiting after five days, Dante broke a leg. Pearce and his crew attempted to extract it, but dropped it due to a severed cable. In spite of this, the project was termed a success, with NASA collecting important data. The event was filmed by CNN.

Pearce retired in 2004, after a combined 28 years of service. He moved to Killeen in 2007. He took a job with Texas State Technical College in Waco in 2008 and today serves as the schools Aerospace Division director.

Every skill he learned in the military  and in his missionary work  ties into his career today, he said, including customer service, organization and communication between students and faculty.

Its been a lot of fun, Pearce said. Never despise anything you do because youll use some aspect of it in later years.

Not everyone can serve in combat, but those who dont contribute in countless ways, according to Pearce. I have giant respect for men and women in combat, he said. But for every combatant you have, there are approximately seven people supporting him.

And thats a heck of a lot of support.

Voices of Valor, which features stories about Central Texas veterans, runs on Sundays. To suggest a story about a Central Texas veteran, please email voicesofvalor@wacotrib.com.
Most anniversaries celebrating colleges and universities reflect on the accomplishments, milestones, challenges and, yes, hopes of many who contributed to their institutions successes and that of their students. As a relatively new faculty member at McLennan Community College, I deem myself lucky to share this milestone on occasion of MCCs 50th anniversary this year.

While some in our community might not have had the opportunity to know how MCC started and the challenges it overcame to evolve to where it is today, the fact is MCCs history goes back to the era of civil rights in the 1960s and the profound notion of equal opportunity  in this case, opportunity for an education, a career and a life of success and happiness. It was during this tumultuous time that MCC became the first junior college in Texas to embrace the term community as part of its name and identity.

That word community, as former MCC President Dennis Michaelis argues, reflects this institutions mission and vision  an institution by the community, for the community and, judging from its students, definitely of the community.

While its important to highlight and give credit to those like Henry V. Griffin, chairman of the MCC board of trustees, and Dr. Wilbur Ball, first MCC president, for stewardship, vision, tenacity and can-do attitude, none should ignore the role of the community on which MCC bases its name. In 1965 our community made the dream of a community college a reality at the polls. They reaffirmed that idea in 2006 through a $74.5 million bond proposal expanding a campus with a burgeoning enrollment.

As Dr. Ball noted during his presidency, Community colleges offer more to their citizens than four-year universities.

While MCCs 50th anniversary is a time for celebration, its also a time for taking a hard look at where the institution is going, how it intends to carry out its mission and whether it has the necessary resources, qualified faculty and agility to ensure success. As part-time faulty, I can attest to the diligence, vision and forward-thinking of MCCs management. This drive is not new but rather smartly recalibrated and recharged so the ship can sail into the next 50 years broadening the prospects of its student passengers, many of them from our area.

Indeed, I see the MCC anniversary as a bridge to an even brighter future. And yet, as I talked with a constellation of sources  MCC retirees and elders from the community  their memories indicate this spark for self-improvement and new goals has always been present. Thats why we, community members of all stripes, should be very proud to have a community college such as MCC.

By the way, many individuals in our community have changed the lives of MCC students. Many benefit from the scholarships MCC offers, even amidst dwindling resources from the state. Consider the MCC Foundation and its dynamic director, Harry Harelik. Its first major fund-raising back in 1990 generated $4 million, allowing MCC to grant scholarships. And former Waco Mayor and school board president Malcolm Duncan Sr. and his wife Mary Ruth in 1995 established a scholarship fund to ensure finances wouldnt stand in the way of any dedicated student pursuing a college education at MCC. Other prominent supporters of Duncans program included Clifton and Betsy Robinson; the late Paul Meyer and his wife, Jane; and the late Bernard and Audre Rapoport.

Thats real grassroots community activism at work, Waco-style. And thats why the name McLennan Community College means something for those in the know who understand our future is in our students.

David Oualaalou is a global affairs analyst, blogger, author and professor. He is author of the newly released More Than a Handshake: The Ambiguous Foreign Policy of the United States Toward the Muslim World.
Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller, embroiled in one controversy or another since his inauguration in January 2015, is instantly recognizable: The brim of his broad white hat defines the visual outlines of his political persona and is part of a concerted effort on his part to create a memorable and marketable image.

And a lot of time, he succeeds. The intentional and less-desirable publicity Miller has received is a facet of his visual and literal associations with rodeo.

Miller is for sure the most easily identified Texas agriculture commissioner in recent memory, but only in part because of his savvy marketing. Miller has recently faced national scrutiny and ridicule for reportedly using state funds to participate in a rodeo in Mississippi and to allegedly receive a pain-relief injection common to rodeo competitors called the Jesus Shot in Oklahoma.

It is no accident that Millers political career is tied to his participation in rodeo or that he has drawn on his rodeo identity to market his image. Rodeo and the beef industry share historical ties, dating to when Texas was at the center of a nascent American cattle culture. From the first informal rodeos, where makeshift arenas corralled a diverse group of cattle workers for ranch audiences, the men at the center of rodeo were the same men at the center of the beef trade.

Professional rodeo did not become a nationally popular spectacle till after World War II. Young ranch men such as Harley May from Alpine returned from war to enroll in agricultural colleges  and many brought rodeo with them.

May and a group of his young veteran college peers inaugurated the National Intercollegiate Rodeo Association. By the late 1950s, May was president of the first national rodeo governing body, the Rodeo Cowboys Association, which organized the existing regional rodeo patchwork and brought professional rodeo to a national audience  all the while using his agricultural education to grow a successful cattle operation.

Men like May used their agricultural educations to make both beef and rodeo successful businesses. In the process, rodeo became a staging ground for conservative politics as it mobilized a celebration of ranching tradition alongside a policy agenda that favored the growth of large cattle operations.

In fact, since the 1950s, there have been connections between conservative politicians and professional rodeo. May specially honored Republican President Dwight Eisenhower at the first National Finals Rodeo in 1959. Ronald Reagans Secretary of Commerce, Malcolm Baldrige, died while competing in a rodeo during his time in office. And Sid Miller is a lifetime member of the Houston Rodeo and was crowned a world champion calf-roper in 2004.

Rodeo has doubled in popularity over the past 40 years, paralleling the growth of industrial beef, which concentrates huge numbers of cattle on feedlots, or confined animal-feeding operations. The problem with rodeos popularity, however, is that it has made cattle ranching serve as a visual and cultural shorthand for agriculture.

It is true that cattle are by far the largest agricultural commodity in the state. But this fusion of agriculture with beef obscures the diversity of agricultural products and producers in Texas. The high economic impact of beef is wildly disproportionate to the states geography: only five Texas counties account for almost 90 percent of the cattle industry.

Millers heavy emphasis on his rodeo identity as his main public relations wheelhouse continues this disparity in the eyes of Texans who may not be aware of the actual and potential diversity of agriculture in the state. Professional rodeo has been cleverly shaped over time to reproduce the myth of conquest of the West, gradually erasing critical contributions from black, indigenous and Mexican influences to produce the spectacle we now witness.

In mixing ranching with agriculture, we similarly dismiss the historical contributions of enslaved cotton laborers, freed black horticulturists, women subsistence farmers and independent farmers. Today, Millers rodeo image makes it hard to see  and support  the farmers of Texas who live beyond the five counties that make up the vast majority of what counts for Texas agriculture. Its time we get out from under the big hat and contribute to the health of all Texas producers, in all their complexity.

Jeannette Vaught, a lecturer in American studies at The University of Texas at Austin, is author of Rationalizing the Rodeo: Animal Agriculture and Taming the American Environment.
Mark Shaw, 55, a business manager for The Johnson Group who also rehabilitates houses, is challenging Waco City Council incumbent Wilbert Austin, 76, to re-election. Shaw is making his second bid to represent District 1, having come in third in a four-way race in 2004 that saw veteran educator LaRue Dorsey win the council seat over both Austin and Shaw. In this Q&A with the Trib editorial board and staff writer J.B. Smith, Shaw discusses the importance of public education in city affairs; welcoming the label of Republican conservatism in this council race; and last years feuding between Councilman Austin and some neighborhood leaders over the lack of restrooms in a neighborhood park. Rev. Austin, who has served on the council 10 years, declined to be interviewed by the editorial board, insisting he was too busy. District 1 encompasses not just East Waco but the Timbercrest neighborhood, parts of far South Waco and neighborhoods around McLennan Community College and Texas State Technical College. Election Day is May 7.

Q You were a bright young prospect for public service when you ran in a four-way Waco City Council race in 2004. When you failed to win, you vanished from the public square till this February. Where have you been?

A I fought the impulse to run till the very last minute. I didnt want to get into the race. Im extremely busy because Im already in the community working. Im one of the few investors who will buy houses, fix them up and resell them in East Waco. I believe in it. I really enjoy it. Ive probably done about a hundred. I have a crew that works with me. I subcontract out, but I do a lot myself. Ive kind of always done it on the side, but in 2015 I incorporated. The business is called Nice Investments. I have these homes all over, but I like the older homes of East Waco and Ive fought to slow the cycle of tearing down residences because I think thats a part of having affordable homes.

Q You were in the pawn business, werent you?

A Still am. The Johnson Group is a holding company and they have a real estate portfolio. They have a roofing company, a furniture outlet and a lot of other things, but Ive mainly focused on the pawn side because thats what I know. But I love all of it.

Q Youve said the political climate has changed a lot since your last appearance in a City Council race. How so?

A Texas has always been a conservative state, but a lot of people dont really know what conservative means. So when just by chance someone said to the newspaper, Hey, Mark Shaw is running (for Waco City Council) as a Republican  well, I never meant it to work out that way, but thats OK because Im proud to be a conservative. A conservative to me means living within your means. Whether you make $700 a month or $2,000 a month or $3,000 a month, if you live within your means on whatever money you have, thats conservative. So if Im in the city and Im representing my community on the City Council, I want the city to also live within its means. Thats a conservative agenda. At least, thats my take on it.

Q Well, when I interview people in East Waco on Election Day, sure, some might agree with you on the Noah Webster definition of conservative. But some equate conservatives as enemies of the African-American and minority communities that make up much of District 1.

A Part of that is not really understanding. I mean, we [African Americans] were Republicans long before it was fashionable to be Republican. As far as the Republican Party goes  and I dont really want to get into this issue too much  but if it had not been for Abraham Lincoln and so many other Republicans of that era, I dont know where wed be today. I cant say that switching parties during the Kennedy era did that much for the minorities. I understand how people feel about it, but the real issue is: Can I do this job? Can I do what the community needs? I mean, look at what we have now in East Waco. Are we willing to settle for that or are we willing to risk a change for something that is positive for the community?

Q You make a good case for conservatism  living within your means, being fiscal-minded, expecting government to do the same. One strong point Prosper Waco makes is that, sure, raising the minimum wage might be nice, but its far more important that one learn financial literacy and the importance of thoughtfully investing and saving and building upon the money you do make. How do you impress that message on people in your community who might get the wrong idea when they hear that youre conservative?

A It all has to do with how you approach it. People often say, I need more, I want more. A lot of people dont understand how many resources they actually have. There are different ways to get fresh fruits and vegetables, for example. Theres an organization for that. Im not saying someone should go and get in a soup line, but if people do a little bit of homework, there are programs out there that can help make your budget balance out. And my phone is on. Call me and, if I have an answer or a resource for you, thats how we need to do it.

Q So this Republican identity wont be a hindrance in the area of town where youre campaigning?

A Well, I dont think it hurts me at all. As I say, thats who I am. Im not going to come in and pretend Im somebody Im not. Im not going to do any under-the-table deals, including the situation at the Hood Street park where we have police on overtime standing in the park. Lets look at a budget that works for the entire city where all the parks have the proper facilities and they are lighted and monitored and they work like any other park. No special treatment for East Waco or any other part of Waco.

Q When you announced this council run, you said you wanted to see more economic development in East Waco. That prompted your opponent to claim credit for the development of the Rapoport Academy, Lula Janes and the new city firehouse.

A Well, the Rapoport Academy development really predates a lot of my opponents work. And I dont want the fire department mad at me, but did we really need that fire department right there in East Waco? Ill pass on that. I know we had a study and we needed to move fire stations. I mean, its a nice fire station with a gym and kitchen and all, but lets be real: We got one right here on Columbus Avenue. And as a conservative, Im saying there was really nothing wrong with the one we had. And Rev. Austin really didnt have anything to do with that new fire station. He had no influence on that at all.

Q From our perspective, the correct answer to that question would have been: How much does a firehouse have to do with economic development anyway?

A As far as Lula Janes goes, I like it, Ive been there, Ive eaten lunch there and Im all for it. But if thats your record  Lula Janes and a firehouse  then were in trouble. Have you been down Elm Street often?

Q Well, yes, as a matter of fact.

A And does it look pretty improved?

Q Well, Lula Janes makes a big difference with a going concern right there.

A Yeah, but out of 18 blocks, you have one new business. Look, I think my opponent has done his part but, like with our Congress, if we keep re-electing the same people and expecting something different, its never going to happen. And I pledge, if elected, if I dont get the job done, you wont have to worry about me running again because I wont. I have a mission to make a positive change in this community. And if I cant do the job, Hey, see you later.

Q I remember when Wilbert Austin was running against Lawrence Johnson years ago, time after time, and Austin was always saying, Well, we need to get some businesses down on Elm Street and we need a drug store and a grocery store and a post office. And Lawrence Johnson would say, Its not that easy. We dont have that much say on whether a grocery store moves in. Theres only so much we can do. And I suppose thats what Wilbert would say now that hes in the job. What would you do that would be any different? I mean, you have 7,000 people in East Waco. Most of those people shop at the Bellmead H-E-B and its going to be hard for anyone to compete with that. Its a mile and a half from those people.

A But I dont shop at H-E-B and not everybody shops at H-E-B.

Q Yes, but the point is that, with 7,000 people, the demographic profile is not very high. You have some middle-class folks there, but you have more lower-income people and Elm Street is not a major corridor anymore. Youre involved in the business community. How would you convince a business to open up there?

A I like H-E-B, nothing wrong with it, but look at Whole Foods. Its not necessarily the easiest to get to and theyre darn sure not the cheapest, but people fight to get there. I think specialty stores, something like that, can be part of the success.

Q You might make a good point about specialty stores. What Im saying is that some of these stores youre talking about would only be convenient to a couple thousand people [if placed in East Waco].

A District 1 is by far probably the most diverse district. This year Ive had more Hispanic buyers than all others buying property in East Waco. So why couldnt we have a restaurant there, an ice cream parlor, a drug store or a cleaners? Im not saying we need a big-box retailer but we do need businesses in the community that will support the community so that we can have some pride and places to go and places to shop and places to eat. I dont have all the answers, but I do know if you dont have pride in the community, its end of game.

Q What was your take on the payday lending ordinance passed by the City Council this year?

A [Payday lending] is really loan-sharking and I am totally opposed to that.

Q Youre in the pawn business. Isnt that regulated?

A Very regulated.

Q Whats the maximum you can loan at?

A Its a staged scale for pawn shops, so if you came to a pawn shop and you wanted to borrow $1,500, 18 percent APR is all we can charge. So if you want a payday loan or title loan, the way they get around that is that its not necessarily interest but a fee. Thats part of the trick to it  and I dont think thats fair. When you print up a contract like they do and its 10 pages long and you need bifocals to read it, I dont know whether thats a fair way to do business. So I would be opposed to that.

Q Recently some folks in East Waco began pushing for installation of restrooms at East Waco Park [401 Hood St.], something Rev. Austin has said he refuses to allow because of the possibility of illicit activities and the fact the park draws crowds and creates parking problems.

A Bathrooms in the parks? Absolutely. And every park.

Q Even if they cost something like $100,000?

A We got two officers, two dogs, two trucks on overtime sitting right there on Turner Street (watching over the park). Which is the better way to spend your money?

Q But the city has a policy that neighborhood parks dont have bathrooms, only regional parks such as Cameron Park.

A I disagree. I dont want my 5-year-old  well, I dont have a 5-year-old  but I wouldnt want him running behind a tree or a house. I want him to go to the bathroom. I want him to have water too. Id like a water fountain.

Q What about the issues of keeping those bathrooms maintained and nefarious activities out of them?

A Its 2016. Are we going to go hide in a box and concede we dont know how to go to the bathroom without police monitoring us? Or are we going to say, We need to do whats right for the community. We have to have bathrooms. We have them in Cameron Park. Are you saying if its in East Waco, they dont know how to go to the bathroom?

Q Well, the logic is that if its a neighborhood park, people can walk home.

A No, I disagree. I think they need bathrooms and water fountains. I wont change on that. Not only is it safe and sanitary but its a necessity.

Q The city has become increasingly involved in efforts to help Waco Independent School District in bolstering economically disadvantaged neighborhoods and the academically struggling schools in those neighborhoods. Is that the proper role for the city?

A Till we get our inner-city schools to the next level, they need all the support they can get. If I can get you through high school, if I can get you through college, if I can get you through trade school, if I can get you into business, you are more valuable long term to the city and your community as opposed to paying for drug treatment or incarceration later. If we can help promote goodwill, thats what the city needs to be doing.

Q The 100th anniversary of the Jesse Washington lynching is fast approaching, something that reflects badly on this city a century ago. How should we commemorate this tragic occasion?

A It was a horrific event. We can apologize but, you know, it has to be something that is real. I cant anticipate that happening in 2016, but the event itself is etched into so many minds and hearts. We have to bring it to the forefront and have an open discussion about it. We have to have a fair apology and then we have to move on. What keeps bringing it up is the fact some people feel like were still there and that we havent progressed.

Q What are the top things people ask you about?

A I think most people feel like the current councilman is just out of touch with the community. A lot of people want to know whats happening in the community because theyre interested in how it will impact them. By no means do I have all the answers to that, but I tell people if I dont have an answer, I will get them the answer. I may not be able to do the job myself, but I will give you 100 percent and do everything I can to make sure those changes are positive for our community. Ill do my best to represent my district as a key part of Waco.

Interview condensed and edited by Bill Whitaker.
The following companies are subsidiares of PPG Industries: AIPCF V Texstars Blocker Inc., AkzoNobel, Alpha Coating Technologies LLC, Alpha Coatings Inc., Broad Range Development Limited, CG Holdings Manufacturing Co., Centro de Investigacion en Polimeros S.A. de C.V., Chemfil Canada Limited, Chorlton Trade Paints Limited, Comercial Mexicana de Pinturas S.A. de C.V., Comex, Comex Industrial Coatings S.A. de C.V., Consorcio Comex S.A. de C.V., Cristacol S.A., Cuming Microwave Corporation, Deutek SA, Dexmet Corporation, Dexmet Holding Corporation, Distribuidora Kroma S.A. de C.V., EPIC Insurance Co. Ltd., Eberle Design Inc., Empresa Aga S.A. de C.V., Ennis Canadian Holding Company, Ennis Paint Canada ULC, Ennis Paint Netherlands Holdings LLC, Ennis Paint U.K. Holding Company Limited, Ennis Traffic Safety Solutions Pty Ltd, Ennis-Flint, Ennis-Flint Inc., Foshan Bairun Chemicals Co. Ltd., Fpu Industrial S.A. de C.V., Grupo Comex S.A. de C.V., Hemmelrath Automotive Coatings (Jilin) Co. Ltd., Hemmelrath International Trade (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Hodij Coatings B.V., Homax Products, Industria Chimica Reggiana I.C.R. SPA, Johnstones Paints Limited, Kalon Investment Company Limited, Kalon South Africa Proprietary Limited, Karl Woerwag Lack-und Farbenfabrik GmbH & Co. KG, Masterwork Paint, MetoKote Corporation, MetoKote Mexico Holdings Inc., MetoKote UK Limited, MetoKote de Mexico S. de RL de CV, Milamar Coatings LLC, OOO Tikkurila, PPG A P Resinas S.A. de C.V., PPG AC - France SA, PPG ALESCO Automotive Finishes Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., PPG Aerospace Materials (Suzhou) Co. Ltd., PPG Architectural Coatings (Puerto Rico) Inc., PPG Architectural Coatings Canada Inc./PPG Revetements Architecturaux Canada Inc., PPG Architectural Coatings Ireland Limited, PPG Architectural Coatings Italy S.r.l, PPG Architectural Coatings UK Limited, PPG Architectural Finishes Inc., PPG Asian Paints Private Ltd., PPG Business Services S.A. de C.V., PPG COATINGS SINGAPORE PTE. LTD., PPG Canada Inc., PPG Cetelon Lackfabrik GmbH, PPG Cieszyn S.A., PPG Coatings (Hong Kong) Co. Limited, PPG Coatings (Kunshan) Co. Ltd., PPG Coatings (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd., PPG Coatings (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., PPG Coatings (Thailand) Co. Ltd., PPG Coatings (Tianjin) Co. Ltd., PPG Coatings (Wuhu) Company Ltd., PPG Coatings (Zhangjiagang) Co. Ltd., PPG Coatings B.V., PPG Coatings Belgium BV, PPG Coatings Danmark A/S, PPG Coatings Deutschland GmbH, PPG Coatings Europe B.V., PPG Coatings Nederland BV, PPG Coatings S.A., PPG Coatings South Africa (Pty) Ltd., PPG DYRUP S.A., PPG Deco Czech a.s., PPG Deco Polska sp. z.o.o., PPG Deco Slovakia s.r.o., PPG Deutschland Business Support GmbH, PPG Deutschland Sales & Services GmbH, PPG Distribution S.A.S., PPG Europe B.V., PPG Finance B.V., PPG Finland Oy, PPG France Business Support S.A.S., PPG France Manufacturing S.A.S., PPG Guadeloupe SAS, PPG Hemmelrath Lackfabrik GmbH, PPG Holdco SAS, PPG Holdings (U.K.) Limited, PPG Holdings Argentina USA LLC, PPG Holdings Latin America USA LLC, PPG Iberica S.A., PPG Iberica Sales & Services S.L., PPG Industrial Coatings B.V., PPG Industrial do Brasil - Tintas E. Vernizes - Ltda., PPG Industries (Korea) Ltd., PPG Industries (Singapore) Pte. Ltd., PPG Industries (UK) Ltd, PPG Industries Argentina S.R.L., PPG Industries Australia PTY Limited A.C.N. 055 500 939, PPG Industries Colombia Ltda., PPG Industries Delfzijl B.V., PPG Industries Europe Sarl, PPG Industries France S.A.S., PPG Industries International Inc., PPG Industries Italia S.r.l., PPG Industries Kimya a Sanayi VE Ticaret AS, PPG Industries LLC, PPG Industries Lackfabrik GmbH, PPG Industries Lipetsk LLC, PPG Industries Middle East FZE, PPG Industries Netherlands B.V., PPG Industries New Zealand Limited, PPG Industries Ohio Inc., PPG Industries Poland Sp. Z.o.o., PPG Industries Securities LLC, PPG Industries de Mexico S.A. de C.V., PPG Investment (Singapore) Pte. Ltd., PPG Italia Business Support S.r.l., PPG Italia Sales & Services S.r.l., PPG Japan Ltd., PPG Kansai Automotive Finishes Canada LP, PPG Kansai Automotive Finishes U.K. LLP, PPG Kansai Automotive Finishes U.S. LLC, PPG Luxembourg Finance S.aR.L., PPG Luxembourg Holdings S.aR.L., PPG Management (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., PPG Packaging Coatings (Suzhou) Co. Ltd., PPG Paints Trading (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., PPG Performance Coatings (Hong Kong) Limited, PPG Powder Coatings (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., PPG Refinish Distribution Limited, PPG Romania S.A., PPG Reunion SAS, PPG SSC Co. Ltd., PPG Switzerland GmbH, PPG Trilak Korlatolt FelelosseguTarasasag (PPG Trilak Kft.), PPG Vietnam Co. Ltd., PRC-DeSoto Australia Pty Ltd., PRC-DeSoto International Inc., PT. PPG Coatings Indonesia, Painter's Supply, Paintzen, Peintures de Paris SAS, Plasticos Envolventes S.A. de C.V., Polymeric Systems Inc., ProCoatings B.V., ProCoatings BV, Protec Pty Ltd, Reno A&E LLC, Revocoat France SAS, Revocoat Holding SAS, Revocoat Iberica SLU, Revocoat S.A.S, Road Infrastructure Investment Holdings Inc., SEM Products Inc., Sealants Europe SAS, Sierracin Corporation, Sierracin/Sylmar Corporation, Sigma Marine & Protective Coatings Holding B.V., SigmaKalon (BC) UK Limited, SigmaKalon Group, Sikar (Shanghai) Trading Co. Ltd., Spraylat International Ltd, Texstars LLC, The Crown Group Co., The Crown Group Inc, The Homax Group, Tikkurila Group, Tikkurila Oyj, Tikkurila Sverige AB, Traffic Safety Intermediate LLC, Traffic Safety Parent LLC, VF Specialty Products LLC, Vanex Inc., Vernisol S.p.A., VersaFlex Acquisition Corp., VersaFlex Inc., VersaFlex Intermediate Holdings LLC, Versaflex, Viasa S.A. de C.V., Whitford, Whitford B.V., Whitford Corporation, Whitford Jiangmen Ltd., Whitford Ltd. (HK), Whitford Ltd. (UK), Whitford Pte. Ltd., Whitford S.r.l., Whitford Worldwide Company LLC, and Worwag Coatings.

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Groups discussions range from school, product and restaurant recommendations, to the best school holiday activities, influencing the sales and reputations of local businesses. Rachel Chappell - with her children Zara, 4, Ella, 11 months, and Scarlett, 6 - started a group to help her make connections with other mums. Credit:Dallas Kilponen A post from a mother in one such group about her child being diagnosed with autism was swamped with support and recommendations. A post about bad experience for example, at a nail salon or restaurant, gets deleted because of defamation laws but the damage to the brand is often already done. Some posts are public safety alerts, with a post on "Attempted abductions in Coogee Area this week", receiving more than 100 shares and 50 comments from worried local mums. One in a series of three posts Huggies paid to have shared on the Eastern Suburbs Mums Facebook page. Credit:Facebook

Consumer power In another sign of big business taking notice of their influence, Ryde District Mums, which has more than 2800 members, has partnered with real estate group McGrath to hold community events, and with women's fitness club Fernwood to offer special discounts. Community chatter about favourite local services has seen a car washer be booked out six to eight weeks in advance, and a hairdresser with a home salon enjoy a steady stream of new, local clients. "If you're a new mum in a new area, if can be stressful and isolating. The group pulls down walls and helps form friendships," said Rebecca Lee, an admin of Ryde District Mums. "Mums are looking for local businesses they can trust, an electrician, a hairdresser, and feel in touch with the community."

Facebook groups such as North Shore Mums, Hills District Mums and Inner West Mums have launched websites with a local business directory, charging from $50 for a social media shout-out, to $1000 for prime advertising space. Inner West Mums charges a business $130 a year for a listing in its directory. "All the mums want to hear from other mums. As mums are the decision makers of households...businesses want to advertise straight to the mums," said Inner West Mums founder Anita Vitanova. "If you advertise in the local newspaper it can cost $1000 for a third of a page, but if you advertise to Inner West Mums...it's $130 a year and straight to your target market." Social media marketing professional Tiphereth Gloria, herself a mother to an 18-month-old girl, said the groups were out of their infancy and maturing rapidly, looking for lucrative opportunities.

She said while "mum bloggers" had gained a large following, Facebook groups were successfully using "local-ness" to their advantage. "They end up having a lot of influence through the collective. It's the collective that offers the power, hence a lot of businesses are interested in communicating with the women directly," she said. "The interest goes both ways. I know a maternity hospital was approached by a Facebook mums group asking if they wanted to sponsor the group and get a mention." About 70 per cent of parents are part of an online-based parenting support network, website, forum or app, according to new research by breast pump manufacturer Medela. It also found 70 per cent were attracted by its 24/7 availability, while only 5 per cent cared about the relative anonymity it offered.

Conversation starters When Natasha Stewart created Mum CFOs in April last year, it was less about communicating with mothers nearby, and more about a common topic.



"It was bit of a joke between my husband and I that I was the 'mum CFO' of our marriage. I was always the one looking at getting us more financially ahead," she said. "I just wanted to open a conversation...a forum where everyone felt it was a safe house to discuss budgeting, saving, electricity plans, investing." It seemed Ms Stewart had answered the call of other "mum CFOs" everywhere, with the page now hosting more than 6500 members and running paid-for pinned advertising posts, which run in high demand.



"We're booked two months in advance at the moment. It's a really potent advertising strategy because it's a very captive audience."

Rachel Chappell, founder of the North Shore Mums Facebook group and website, said she rejected nearly half of the 100 requests to join the group each day because profiles looked suspicious or were missing too much information. Advertisers on the website include the Sydney Opera House, Chatswood Chase and private schools such as Barker College and Loreto Normanhurst. "We're very strict on not allowing business Facebook posts outside the set times twice a month. Even if someone says, 'found an amazing painter for $2000', we would delete that," she said. "There's no way of knowing if they're affiliated. We don't want to be a free ad board. We want genuine recommendations." More than just business
Diane Livingstone and her son, Theo Kavouklis, who was abducted by his father and taken to Greece. Johnstone was born Theo Kavouklis in Darwin, 1997. His father, Nick Kavouklis, and his mother, Diane Livingstone, separated soon after. In 2001, Nick took Theo to Kalymnos for a six-week "holiday". He did not bring him back. Theo Johnstone, who now lives with his family in Perth. Because Australia and Greece are signatories to the Hague convention, which governs international child abductions, Nick was charged with kidnapping  then released on a surety of $5000.

Livingstone was desperate. She told one newspaper that of 14 Australian custody applications made in Greece within seven years, only two abducted children were returned. 60 Minutes reporter Liz Hayes during an interview. She hatched her plan. An abduction advisory service called Hug-Ur-Kids put Livingstone in contact with Trojan Securities International, an Arkansas-based recovery firm. Nick Kavouklis, posting about his son Theo on Facebook. Credit:Facebook

In September of 2002 she slipped into Athens with a Trojan agent. Two more agents arrived the next day. They established a base at motel on the nearby island of Kos. The sting happened on a Friday. By then, Trojan operatives had been tracking their juvenile target in Kalymnos for days. They waited until Theo  with his young cousin and his grandmother Athanasia  stopped to look in a shop window. Nick Kavouklis displaying his tattoo of his son, Theo, as a young boy. Credit:Facebook But before they leapt into action, Livingstone reportedly thrust a camera at one of the agents. "This is for 60 Minutes," he recalled her saying in a 2002 interview with The Age. "The TV crews weren't there at the time, it was just us getting footage for them," the agent said. Crucially, Greek authorities were involved  and Livingstone had Greek court orders on her side. While local police refused to help, officers from nearby Rhodes restrained Athanasia as Livingstone snatched Theo. It was a police car that drove mother and son to the speedboat. This vessel took them to Kos, where they flew to Athens, then London and, eventually, Australia.

Johnstone does not recall every detail. Yet there are moments he'll never forget. As they raced away his mother ripped off her disguise, then tried to calm him. Finally he recognised her. He cursed, he swore  all in Greek. He'd forgotten how to speak English. "He [Nick] kind of brainwashed me," Johnstone says. "To make me think that he's done the right thing  and she's done the wrong thing.

"He thinks what he did was right. He wanted me to see his side of the family, and show me the Greek way of things. That's what European males are like, especially when they have a son. Their sons are everything." It was tough at first. Johnstone started school a year behind the other kids. He went to counselling once a week. His family was in hiding, but they didn't tell him that. He considers Diane's husband, Peter Johnstone, his real father: "We don't share the same blood but he's my dad." Diane and Peter got together when Theo was two. They share one biological daughter, and everyone lives together in Perth. To outsiders, these four have always been "the Johnstone family". Theo made it official when he turned 18, taking the Johnstone surname.

He is especially close to his mother. Johnstone is unequivocal when asked if she was right to use a child recovery agency: "Definitely. One hundred per cent ... I couldn't be happier. "I think about what my life would be like if Mum hadn't pulled this off. I think about it quite a lot." He trails off. Nick has returned to Darwin. He's seen him once since 2002. It was awkward, Johnstone says. There was a time Nick caused a scene at his school, according to Johnstone. As he recalls it, there was an explosion of texts on his phone alerting him to the arrival of his biological father. Nick was demanding to see his son. When informed he had moved on, Johnstone says, he accused the students of lying.

He ignores Nick's Facebook posts. One displays a tattoo of his son, frozen in time as a little boy. Another has him holding a fresh catch, declaring he'd love take Theo fishing again. "Pete is the one who takes me fishing," Johnstone explains. "I don't want any of that stuff. I don't want you to buy me back. I just want you to say sorry." Johnstone believes his parents spent around $200,000 to retrieve him. He doesn't know how they afforded it but he's sure it was a huge burden. In 2002 it was reported that Livingstone took out a loan to finance the operation. Livingstone, now known as Diane Johnstone, confirms this to Fairfax Media. She says the program paid her a "small fee" but it was "nowhere near" the rumoured amount of $70,000. She denies Nine paid the recovery agents directly. The Nine network declined to comment. Geoff Day, founder of the recently-closed Hug-Ur-Kids, put Livingstone in contact with Trojan Securities International.

"Recovery is not cheap [in many cases]," he says. "There's surveillance, you've got to locate them, there's paperwork through the embassies. You look at bribes, depending on what country you're in. It's not as cut and dry as people think." Johnstone says his family relates to the plight of Sally Faulkner. In April, the Brisbane mother was arrested in Lebanon with four 60 Minutes crew and two recovery agents. "Mum my knows what that lady's feeling right now. It's exactly what happened to me. The dad wants the children and he's done the wrong thing. Now the lady's been caught out doing exactly what my mum did. "There should be an agreement made up. From what I've heard, [Ali Elamine, the father, is] not letting the kids leave for some time ... the kids should be free." Johnstone has never seen his 60 Minutes episode because it's not online. He knew a journalist would track him down. He wasn't worried. He's worked through his stuff. Today, he feels grateful: for his mates, his plumbing job, and for what his Mum and Dad  he's referring to Pete  did back in 2002.
Australia faces a "perilous" water security future from climate change even as the Turnbull government eyes budget cuts to water programs and CSIRO halves climate investment, Rob Vertessy, the outgoing head of the Bureau of Meteorology, says.

Reservoirs in the Murray-Darling basin are now close to their lowest levels since the Millennium Drought and Tasmania is also facing "serious" issues", Dr Vertessy told Fairfax Media on Friday, his final day as the bureau's chief.

"Water shortage is a problem and climate change is going to be intensifying the drought and flood cycle," he said, noting that water demand is increasing. "Australia faces a really perilous water security challenge in the future."

The bureau's boss bows out just days before the federal budget on Tuesday will reveal whether the government axes funding for programs set up under the National Plan for Water Security. Begun in 2007 by then prime minister John Howard, the 10-year, $10 billion program funded a range of water policies, with almost $450m going to the bureau.
The Large Hadron Collider - the world's biggest, most powerful particle accelerator - is going to be out of commission for a few days. Scientists are blaming a weasel.

No, they're not using old-timey slang to accuse their fellow researchers of subterfuge. It was an actual weasel.

The Large Hadron Collider is used to smash fast-moving particles into one another.

"The #LHC will be down for at least a week because a weasel chewed into a 66kV transformer near LHCb, causing an LHC-wide power cut. #CERN," a Tweet from scientist Becky Douglas announced.

Arnaud Marsollier, head of press for the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN), told The Post in an email that the LHC had been put on standby mode due to "technical issues in the last 24 hours, including a power cut (likely due to the passage of a small wild animal on a 66 kV/18kV electrical transformer.)"
Lawyer Katie Richards was making $150,000 as legal counsel for the mining arm of multinational General Electric. Her days were hectic, her responsibilities huge.

"I was working around the clock in an unhappy working environment chained to a desk and really unhappy," she says.

"I was responsible for the mining contracts  negotiating them, dealing with legal issues and conducting international risk committee meetings."

Once burn-out set in, Richards knew it was time to act on that niggling idea to go her own way. She took a few weeks off to refresh before taking a practice management course so she could run her own law firm.
Scrolling endlessly on Instagram might be a time suck for most people, but for beauty businesses those pretty square pictures can mean big dollars.

No one knows that better than Anna Ross of nail polish brand Kester Black and Chelsea Bagan of nail art salon Trophy Wife.

Anna Ross and Chelsea Bagan credit Instagram for their success. Credit:Simon O'Dwyer

"I feel like Instagram was the beginning of my business," says Bagan, who now boasts 35,000 followers.

"I was just doing it as a hobby and I had grand ideas that it could be something. Then a friend recommended that website Three Thousand do a story on me, so that night I set up a proper account and then it flowed on from there."
By West Kentucky Star Staff Apr. 30, 2016 | 01:31 PM | PADUCAH, KY

A two-vehicle crash Saturday afternoon in McCracken County injured one person.

According to the McCracken County Sheriff's Department, the crash happened just after noon on Saturday near I-24 and John Puryear Drive. Deputies say 52-year-old Jerry W. Jones of Murray had exited off the westbound off ramp from I-24 and crossed the northbound lane of traffic on John Puryear Drive. He was waiting to make a left turn in the crossover lane.

Terry Collier, 51, of Paducah, had also exited the westbound off ramp of I-24. Collier told deputies he did not see Jones sitting in the crossover lane, and proceeded to make a left-hand turn. Colliers car struck the rear of Jones car.

Jones was transported to Baptist Health for minor injuries.
By West Kentucky Star Staff May. 01, 2016 | 06:58 AM | CALLOWAY COUNTY, KY

A two-vehicle crash Saturday morning in Calloway County left one person dead and another facing charges.

According to the Calloway County Sheriff's Office, the wreck happened around 7:30 am between Hwy 121 and Hwy 80 on Airport Road. Deputies said Eric J. Duffy was driving north on Airport Road when he fell asleep, ran off the road and struck a driveway culvert. Police said his vehicle then rotated into the southbound lane of traffic and collided with a southbound vehicle driven by Carolyn Morris.

Morris was pronounced dead at the scene.

Duffy was arrested for driving under the influence and taken to the Calloway County Detention Center.
By West Kentucky Star Staff Apr. 30, 2016 | 07:07 PM | LAND BETWEEN THE LAKES, KY

Off-road enthusiasts will travel to Turkey Bay's off-highway vehicle area at Land Between The Lakes, for the 19th annual Jeep Jamboree, May 13 and 14.

Turkey Bay is one of 33 Jeep Jamboree locations nationwide, and is considered to be a family oriented four-wheel-drive adventure destination.

We look forward to the Jeep Jamboree each year, said Kyle Varel, manager at Turkey Bay. Event coordinators, trail guides, and participants always seem to be the friendliest people on the trails. Its great to catch up with folks who return, and to meet new Jeep enthusiasts every year.

The event caters to every level of off-road expertise. Seasoned guides will assist each Jeep operator and their passengers as they navigate their way through the courses.

Turkey Bay features wooded trails, challenge obstacles, and supports other off-highway trail adventures.

Jeep drivers must pre-register at www.jeepjamboreeusa.com to participate.

For more event information, visit https://jeepjamboreeusa.com/trips/land-between-the-lakes/ .
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By Jim Waters

Apr. 29, 2016 | LEXINGTON, KY

By Jim Waters Apr. 29, 2016 | 11:36 AM | LEXINGTON, KY

I recently stood in Philadelphia's Independence Hall, where 55 delegates gathered in May 1787 to create the U.S. Constitution and form a new government.



While that hallowed room is filled with desks and other period fixtures, the only original piece of furniture is the chair occupied by future President George Washington while presiding over the convention.



Businessmen, merchants, shippers, farmers, scientists and physicians were framers of the document that would set their new nation on a path toward unprecedented freedom and prosperity.



If doctors were included in framing the foundation of this nation's success, you will have a hard time convincing me that Madisonville dermatologist Bill Smith, M.D., is somehow unfit to serve on the board overseeing the troubled Kentucky Retirement Systems.



Smith, who served his country for nine years, rising to the rank of lieutenant commander in the U.S. Navy, full commander in the Navy Reserve and served a tour as a flight surgeon with the Marine Corps, founded his practice in 2000, which has grown into a multimillion-dollar operation.



Smith while building his practice has studied state and local retirement systems, including helping Madisonville successfully address challenges that threatened that city's firefighter pension plan a few years ago.



For Smith, the solutions to saving and fixing arguably the nation's worst government-run pension fund are not political. Rather, they involve doing the math and abiding by Kentucky's Constitution and its statutes.



He strongly believes that decades spent ignoring Kentucky law requiring actuarial analyses of proposed benefits and benefit enhancements before they're granted has been a primary contributor to the decline of the state workers' retirement fund  from being 74 percent funded a decade ago to currently containing only about 17 percent of the funding needed to cover future retirement benefits.



KRS bureaucrats want you to believe that the major contributor to Kentucky's pension crisis is underfunding by the legislature and  as they occasionally admit  unproductive investments.



They vehemently oppose Smith's appointment by Gov. Bevin to their board because the doctor's made it known that the malady is the result of enhancing benefits beyond available funding or a strategy to develop one beyond the biennial budgetary shakedowns of the General Assembly.



When it comes to enhancing benefits, for instance, the potential purchaser of a house or car must demonstrate he's got funding  either in terms of up-front cash or the ability to make payments  beforehe's allowed to move in or drive off the lot.



Smith posits the system is unsound because its leadership has performed like a buyer who purchases a house he can't afford then goes to his employer and demands a raise because he's "underfunded."



This seems the model of choice for too many Frankfort politicians, who've offered new and increased benefits without the required actuarial analysis or the funding. Instead, they just add that amount to the funding to the state's annual Actuarially Required Contribution (ARC). Then, when Frankfort doesn't meet that obligation, detractors claim the system is underfunded.



It's appalling that William Thielen, the retirement system's overpaid and ineffective executive director, dismisses the statutorial requirement for solid analysis of what benefits cost before they're granted as no longer acceptable.



I sat on the second row at the most recent meeting of the state's Public Pension Oversight Board during which Sen. Jimmy Higdon, R-Lebanon, tried to make the case to Thielen that the legislature can no longer vote for benefit enhancements without at least an estimate regarding their future costs.



Thielen claimed such costs are "indeterminable."



"Indeterminable?"



He knows that Smith, once he's seated, will ask the questions, do the math and figure out what's really going on in that huge retirement system.



No wonder Thielen obsessively opposes Smith's appointment to the board to whom he answers.



Jim Waters is president of the Bluegrass Institute, Kentucky's free-market think tank. Reach him at jwaters@freedomkentucky.com. Read previously published columns at www.bipps.org.
LATEST POLL SHOWS NORTH CAROLINA VOTERS SUPPORT TRUMP, CLINTON, AND HB 2

A new Civitas poll reveals how voters in NC currently feel about leading presidential and statewide candidates, including strong support for Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton, and the Public Facilities Privacy & Security Act (HB2).

Civitas President Francis De Luca said, This is our first statewide poll of all likely voters in 2016 and this months results show that in the contest for president, while Republicans have not solidified behind a nominee, their voters have also not consolidated around candidates at the top or down ballot races in North Carolina. On the Democrat side, presumptive nominee Hillary Clinton is far less popular than her main rival and performs worse in head-to-head matchups against the two leading Republican candidates. In local North Carolina politics, voters still support the efforts of the governor and the legislature in passing House Bill 2, Public Facilities Privacy & Security Act, and oppose the actions the city of Charlotte took in passing its original ordinance.

He continued, It should go without saying, but it is only April, November is a lifetime away in political time, and the legislature just started its short session. As the turbulence in this election cycle continues, I expect to see more swings in voters attitudes.

The poll surveyed 600 likely voters, 30 percent on cell phones. The margin of error was plus/minus 4 percent. The survey was taken April 23-25, 2016.

To view all questions and results, click here.

Cross tabs available here.

Civitas conducts the only regular live-caller voting in North Carolina, and we are the only organization offering independent, nonpartisan data on current opinion. In our more than a decade of polling we have provided vital insights on what North Carolina voters truly think of the leaders and issues facing the state and nation.

For more information, or to schedule an interview with Civitas President Francis De Luca, email Demi Dowdy at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or call919.747.8059.
Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 01/05/2016 (2367 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

HALIFAX  Eight residents of nursing homes in Nova Scotia have died since 2008 due to violence from other residents, according to government records  five more than were previously revealed, raising questions about why most of the deaths were never publicly disclosed.

The list of death reports provided through freedom of information includes deaths at six homes at locations around the province, with some having multiple incidents.

Documents obtained through the freedom of information law are substantially redacted and offer only scant details about the incidents, such as a witness calling out Hey, hey, hey before observing a 71-year-old man fatally push an 81-year-old last September at Parkstone Enhanced Care residence in Halifax.

Dr. Matthew Bowes, Nova Scotia's chief medical examiner, is seen in Halifax on Friday, April 29, 2016.THE CANADIAN PRESS/Andrew Vaughan

Another report from May 2009 at Glen Haven home in New Glasgow says, medical recordsdescribe an altercation at the home during which the deceased was pushed.

For licensed practical nurse Rhonda Church, who has worked in the provinces nursing homes for 35 years, the previous lack of disclosure of five of eight cases is a problem.

We need the public to know exactly why and how these things are happening in our long-term health care facilities, said Church in an interview during a Nova Scotia Nurses Union meeting last week.

She says the public should also be told what staffing levels were, what exactly the resident mix was on the unit, and what information staff were receiving to help prevent escalation of aggression caused by dementia or mental illnesses.

Janet Hazelton, the president of the Nova Scotia Nurses Union, argues that without public disclosure  similar to the annual reports prepared for Ontarios chief coroner  citizens dont know the extent of a problem.

I think people need to understand there are risks. Some of those cases, when its resident-to-resident (violence) its often because of a lack of staff, she said.

Dr. Matthew Bowes, the provinces chief medical examiner, says when death is determined to be the result of violence under the Fatalities Inquiries Act it is referred to police as a potential homicide and it is up to police to announce details.

The list of deaths includes two incidents at Mountain Lea Lodge in the Annapolis Valley in March 2012 and August 2008; one at Glen Haven Manor in New Glasgow in May 2009; one at the Harbour View Haven in Lunenburg in July 2011; one at the Harbourstone Enhanced Care in Sydney last September; one in Arborstone Nursing Home in Halifax in October 2011; and two at the Parkstone Enhanced Care in Halifax.

Halifax police news releases informed the public of the two cases at Parkstone, where sudden pushes led to deaths in 2013 and last September, and a death at Arborstone, where a resident fell backwards after being pushed.

In the other five cases, the relevant police forces say they decided not to proceed with investigations, meaning no release was issued and the stories never surfaced.

Bowes says it is likely the aggressors are people with dementia-related aggression, but adds he cannot be certain because his governing legislation doesnt allow him to release the medical condition of the people who cause the death.

Asked if a public inquiry should be recommended in any of these deaths, similar to well publicized inquests undertaken by the Ontario and Manitoba coroners offices, the medical examiner said it doesnt appear to be necessary in Nova Scotia.

If a public system is reasonably diligent, I dont think hard about a judicial inquiry. I only think hard about it if they (government) are completely ignorant or in denial about an issue, he said.

Our health care system does have an awareness of falls of the elderly as an issue, whether accidental or homicidal I suppose.

Bob Lafferty, director of monitoring and evaluation in the Health Department, said his department doesnt publicly release deaths because there doesnt appear to be an intent to kill.

Often times these cases may not be violent. They (residents) push them (other residents) out of way and  it may not be a level of violence, he said.

His agency carries out an internal inquiry under the Protection of Person in Care Act, however when provided through a freedom of information request most details are removed.

Short summaries in the reports obtained through freedom of information say underlying problems at the facilities played a role in the deaths, such as a lack of details in care plans and a failure to make use of the challenging behaviour expert the province has made available.

Hazelton argues the lack of public discussion adds to a lack of momentum for reforms that other provinces are already exploring or funding.

She says the province and nursing homes should move more quickly on recommendations such as those put forward by the Community Governed Organizations task force last fall, a group that included nurses, representatives from the province, the Alzheimer Society, and nursing homes.

It called for additional training to the front-line staff on ways to identify aggression and de-escalate outbursts, and comments that access to the training is not equitable due to limited resources.

Meanwhile, high-profile public inquests and recommendations from a committee formed by the Ontario chief coroner has helped fuel some steps, says Candace Chartier, chief executive of the Ontario Long Term Care Association.

She said shes pleased the Liberal governments last budget will provide $10 million a year for three years for programs that can help reduce aggression and other behavioural problems.

I favour a system of transparency. The more we know about whats happening in long term care, the more we can learn about why it happened, she said.

It puts more eyes on the issues.

Follow @mtuttoncporg on Twitter.
Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 01/05/2016 (2367 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

One woman was rushed to hospital after a suspicious blaze on Manitoba Avenue Sunday morning.

Emergency crews were called to the 1200 block of Manitoba Avenue after a Winnipeg Transit driver called the fire in shortly around 11:30 a.m.

All nine occupants of the triplex managed to get out of the home. The woman who was rushed to the hospital was suffering from smoke inhalation. She was in unstable condition.

MIKE DEAL / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS A house fire in the 1200 block of Manitoba Ave. sent one person to hospital in unstable condition while eight other residents were checked at the scene and released. Unknown cost of damage, fire investigators have not ruled out arson yet.

The eight other occupants were treated at the scene and released.

When we arrived, the whole back of the building was well-involved. It appears to be an addition, said Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service district chief Morris Semkowski.

Semkowski said arson investigators and the Winnipeg Police Service were still trying to determine the cause of the blaze.

Semkowski didnt have a dollar figure in terms of damage but figured the house would not be salvageable.

Alex Forrest, president of the United Firefighters of Winnipeg, said the fire is considered suspicious. Its one of about a dozen suspicious fires reported over the past week across the city. Saturday night alone, there were five or six garbage-bin fires that Forrest said were likely arson.

MIKE DEAL / WINNIPEG FREE PRESSA house fire in the 1200 block of Manitoba Ave. sent one person to hospital in unstable condition while eight other residents were checked at the scene and released. Unknown cost of damage, fire investigators have not ruled out arson yet.

Were getting a perfect storm here, because in the next week were going to have very warm temperatures on top of some very dry conditions in the city of Winnipeg, so we are bracing ourselves. Were very concerned with the number of arsons that were seeing, he said.

He said reports of arson are cyclical in Winnipeg and seem to be more common in the spring.

It just seems that thats been a rite of passage for Winnipeg, because if you go back 30 years, you will see that theres always been arson problems in the spring, especially when theres very nice weather (and) people are outside. Its just been a very unfortunate part of Winnipegs past, Forrest said.

The reason that it makes it more concerning now is because now were getting some of the driest conditions weve seen in years, he added.

Its up to property owners and residents to be diligent about checking their properties and reporting anything suspicious, he said.

MIKE DEAL / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS A house fire in the 1200 block of Manitoba Ave. sent one person to hospital in unstable condition while eight other residents were checked at the scene and released. Unknown cost of damage, fire investigators have not ruled out arson yet.

 with files from Katie May
How could Prince die without a will? He didnt amass a $250 million estate just through exceptional musical talent. He was also a shrewd businessman. Two years ago, Prince took control of his musical catalog and related copyrights, and negotiated a new contract with Warner Bros. His estate will reap at least $100 million on royalties alone over the next few years.

Prince was extremely hands-on with the business side of music. He shunned attorneys, preferring to deal directly with record studios and concert promoters, and made a point of controlling his legacy. It was part of his persona. Prince fought to remove his songs from YouTube and cut deals directly with digital music providers.

Yet he neglected to decide what would happen to his estate after death, leaving behind unanswered questions instead of a plan. Who will control his vault of unrecorded music? Where will his fortune go? Prince died unmarried and without living parents, and his only child died shortly after birth. Surviving family members include a sister and five half-siblings. Observers expect a will contest, and additional claims against the estate are likely. One thing is certain: Attorneys will benefit lavishly, as will the federal government and the state of Minnesota. His heirs  whoever they are  will pay a hefty estate tax that could have been minimized with a sensible estate plan that included charitable giving.

Amazingly, it is not unusual for the rich and famous to die without a will. Jimi Hendrix, Pablo Picasso, Bob Marley, Howard Hughes, Sonny Bono and Abraham Lincoln all died without a will. Lincoln was the first president to die without a will even though he was an attorney. Some sources estimate that more than 55 percent of adult Americans do not have a will or estate plan. Only 41 percent of baby boomers (ages 55 to 64) have a will. Only 32 percent of African-Americans have one, and only 26 percent of Latinos.

Procrastination goes a ways toward explaining why so many of us fail to invest the time to create an estate plan  tomorrows always a better day to confront ones mortality. On a more earthly level, its uncomfortable to decide who will be in charge or who will benefit upon ones death. As an estate planning attorney, I often hear clients express fear of giving offense. If I pick my son Johnny to be in charge of my business, wont Beth be angry?

Some also cite cost as a barrier. But estate plans arent expensive, particularly compared with the trouble they ward off.

In California, a perfectly acceptable will is one thats drafted completely in your handwriting with your signature at the bottom. You dont even need a notary. Or you can hire an attorney, wholl probably cost less than you imagine and can help you sort out any thorny family issues, like planning for a disabled child or parent. An attorney can also minimize tax consequences and maximize the money your heirs get.

If you die without an estate plan, on the other hand, your loved ones could well end up in probate court. The American Bar Association estimates that probate proceedings cost Americans up to $2 billion per year, of which nearly $1.5 billion is paid in attorneys fees.

Estate plans are not just designed for death; when done right, they also provide for delegating authority to someone to make medical or financial decisions should we become incapacitated. If Prince did not even have a simple will, its unlikely he bothered to execute an advanced health care directive  a serious oversight given that he was a devout and active Jehovahs Witness with clear beliefs about blood transfusions and other medical procedures.

In this one area, dont be like Prince  or Pablo Picasso or Abraham Lincoln. If you do not have a will or estate plan, get busy. Plan for taxes. Decide who will be in charge. Decide who gets what. Decide not to let the government, or attorneys, get your inheritance.
The Fish n Fun event will be held June 4 at Edgewater Park in Beaver Dam.

This annual event is for children 4 to 12 to learn the basics of fishing, boat safety and receive a free rod and reel. Pre-registration is required. Check-in begins at 8:30 a.m. and the program wraps up around 1:30 p.m. after everyone attending is served a free lunch.

Children will learn basic fishing techniques, the use of various baits and lures, knot tying, casting, boat safety and fishing regulations. There will also be demonstrations of fish cleaning and taxidermy.

All registered children receive a free rod and reel setup for fishing including the bait. A light lunch of hot dogs, chips, and refreshments is served to all children and their parents or guardians. Also, everyone will receive a free piece of birthday cake in honor of Beaver Dams 175th Birthday.

Registration is now open and is by phone or email only. Call 356-1200 or email info@bdlia.org. Give the childs name, age and a contact phone number. There is no fee, but all children must be pre-registered, there is no on-site registration. Children are to be accompanied by a parent, grandparent or guardian.

Fish n Fun is a joint program of the Beaver Dam Lake Improvement Association, the Beaver Dam Bass Anglers and the City of Beaver Dam Community Activities and Services. It is supported by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources and made possible by donations made to BDLIA.
Stop talking while Im interrupting you! Im going to sue you for saying that! We have to put a stop to these kinds of rallies! You cant say things like that if it hurts someones feelings! Youre opinion doesnt matter here! We wont allow you to behave like that! You shouldnt even be allowed to exist! Such books should be banned!

There are so many ways we try to define and restrict thoughts and behavior in the bubble we construct around ourselves in order to create the world after our own image of the way we think things ought to be. This most often leads to intolerance, conflict and even war. Freedom is dangerous, but it is the only sane way to grow into the future and the fullness of what humanity can become.

Abraham Lincoln has shared these words with us: Those who deny freedom to others deserve it not for themselves and under a just God cannot long retain it.

Since 1993, World Press Freedom Day has been annually celebrated on May 3. The General Assembly of the United Nations appointed this day in response to the Seminar on Promoting an Independent and Pluralistic African Press, which took place in Namibia two years earlier. This seminar addressed the need for media freedom in African nations in order to promote democracy and economic development.

It may seem strange that such a day was not established much earlier, based upon the work of the United Nations at its inception in 1948, wherein Article 19 of the Universal Declaration on Human Rights declares the all persons have the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers.

America was founded upon the principle of freedom. Throughout the years, there have been major movements that have pushed the envelope of this freedom to discover its full extent: emancipation of slaves, woman suffrage, union organization over against industry, child labor laws, LGBT rights, redefinition of marriage.

How ironic in our day, especially in America, that we seem to be at loggerheads with this concept. Our college and university campuses generate headline after headline of intolerance, most often expressed between differences between liberals and conservatives. The lack of civil discourse in our political campaigns reflect the extent of how difficult it is for us to let someone else express a complete thought without being interrupted or shouted down or insulted. This impolite conversation carries over into media coverage by commentators, analysts and guest experts on the plethora of subjects we are subject to in 24/7 news coverage. Even religious communities, within Christianity especially, but also between major faith systems, draw battle lines to keep them at odds with fellow travelers on the spiritual path.

Parker Palmer in his book Healing the Heart of Democracy has sage advice for us as we hope to move forward as a nation and as a world. In his words:

We must understand that we are all in this together;

We must develop an appreciation of the value of otherness;

We must cultivate the ability to hold tension in life-giving ways;

We must generate a sense of personal voice and agency;

We must strengthen our capacity to create community.

Surely easier said than done. We have our work cut out for us. However, we are up for the challenge. We are called upon for the responsibility. We are worthy of the promise.
The Columbus FFA Alumni hosted their annual Fun Night and scholarship fundraiser March 26 at Harold and & Loris Club 60.

Auction items were donated by the following businesses: Johnson Sales, Mid-State Equipment, Vita Plus, Farmers Implement, Ziegler Ag Equipment, Sassy Cow Creamery and Duffy Grain. Chapter member families also donated various baked goods. Over $650 was raised.

The Columbus FFA Alumnis next event will be selling food and snack items at Wedels Auction on Highway 60 on May 14.
The Columbus/Fall River Food Pantry serves Columbus and Fall River residents, by appointment only, on Thursdays from 4 to 6:45 p.m. The pantry is located in the back of the Columbus Area Senior Center, 125 N. Dickason Blvd.

Local churches help run the pantry on a rotating basis. If youre in need of assistance in May, call Wisconsin Academy at 484-3129. If your call is not answered, leave a message with your name and phone number. Messages will be checked daily.

For the remainder of the year, the pantry rotation is as follows: June, New Testament Baptist Church, 920-350-9889; July, Olivet Congregational UCC, 623-5140; August, Columbus United Methodist Church, 623-3625; September, Wisconsin Academy, 484-3129; October, New Testament Baptist Church, 920-350-9889; November, Faith Lutheran Church, 623-3610; and December, Olivet Congregational UCC, 623-5140.
Responding to a new state law permitting concealed carry of knives, the Portage Common Council prohibited all knives -- including Leatherman and Swiss Army knives in city buildings.

The action is similar to what the Portage Common Council did following the passage of Wisconsins concealed carry gun law was passed.

The ordinance was approved on a 6-3 vote Thursday with vocal dissension from Council members Bill Kutzke, Dennis Nachreiner and Marty Havlovic.

The opposition wanted more consideration for those who commonly carry pocket knives.

Not only do a good share of people carry something like, but there are a good number of employees that might carry them throughout the day for work, said Nachreiner, who briefly held up his Swiss Army knife to make a point.

Common Council member Doug Klapper also held up his Leatherman pocket knife to highlight the fact many people carry such items. Klapper, however, voted with the majority.

Klapper said he trusted the Portage Police Department to act with discretion on when to enforce the rule.

Council member Monfort agreed.

We have to look at the spirit of the thing, Monfort said. We kind of have to just go with it and consider that no one is going to get in trouble for carrying a Leatherman or Swiss Army knife because, in reality, it would be kind of stupid.

Portage Police Chief Ken Manthey, for his part, said that the ordinance as written was problematic and rewriting it to allow common pocket knives would probably be a good idea.

The states new law -- which repealed Wisconsins ban on switchblade knives also permitted persons to carry any concealed knife unless the person is prohibited by law from possessing a firearm.
Antigo police just demonstrated in a powerful and reassuring way that trained officers near schools can stop deadly shootings.

Officer Andy Hopfensperger responded in split seconds on April 23 when an 18-year-old former student of Antigo High School started firing a rifle at teenagers as they left the schools prom, authorities said.

Hopfensperger was patrolling the school parking lot with another officer when he heard the attack begin. Hopfensperger quickly ended the threat by shooting the assailant, Jakob E. Wagner, who pointed his weapon at police, according to the coroner. Wagner was injured and later died at a hospital.

Many questions remain, including where and how Wagner got the gun that, according to police, he carried to the school on a bicycle, using it to shoot and injure two students before Hopfensperger intervened. Police also are investigating the shooters motive.

But this much is clear: Hopfensperger is a hero. And the presence of law enforcement at or near Wisconsin schools can deter senseless and terrifying attacks.

All of Madisons high schools have armed police officers on site. All Madison middle schools have security assistants. All Madison schools have safety plans and security cameras.

Antigo High School has had a police liaison officer since 1997, according to the citys website. Many school districts across Wisconsin similarly partner with law enforcement to discourage crime, drug use and bullying. Thats money well spent.

Every school district should have a close relationship with local law enforcement.

Hopfenspergers quick action may have prevented a slaughter.

Gov. Scott Walker praised Antigo police and called for more attention to bullying in schools, following reports the shooter had been taunted. Thats a welcome suggestion, though Wisconsin schools have done a lot in recent years to highlight and discourage bullying in the wake of previous incidents that ended with violence.

The governor discouraged limits on firearms. You wouldnt have hunting here if rifles were banned, Walker said. The governor can rest assured the state isnt about to ban rifles for hunting.

What our governor and Legislature should focus on instead is ensuring that existing gun laws are enforced  and that loopholes are closed. All firearm purchases, including at gun shows and online, should require background checks.

The origin of the Antigo shooters gun is unclear. But this isnt: More firearm owners should lock up their hunting rifles and equip their handguns with trigger locks. A couple of simple gun locks could have prevented the school shooting death of a principal a decade ago at Weston High School, about 60 miles northwest of Madison on the edge of Sauk and Richland counties.

Some state lawmakers have suggested arming teachers to defend against school attacks and allowing citizens with permits to carry concealed guns into school. That isnt justified and would create more chaos during an emergency. Unlike civilians, police officers get intensive training on how and when to safely use firearms.

The Antigo case shows law enforcement is best able to respond to and stop threats.
Firefighters rescuing trapped police officers from elevator

By: Feng Qian

(Scroll down for video) A group of police officers publicly thanked the members of a fire department after firefighters rescued them from a broken elevator, police in Missouri said.

On Wednesday afternoon, 12 Kansas City police officers were trapped in the broken elevator before being rescued by the Kansas City Fire Department.

The incident unfolded as the police officers were training in the police academy. The 12 officers squeezed into the elevator, and it stopped due to the heavy load.

At first, police officers tried to rescue their colleagues, but after being unsuccessful, the fire department was called. The fire department said in a statement that the firefighters were very happy to help out their brothers.

A photo of the rescue operation was uploaded on Facebook and Twitter, where it quickly went viral. None of the twelve police officers were injured.

A spokesperson for the police department said that although everyone is physically safe some egos were seriously injured.
Ducks (illustration)

By: Wayne Morin

(Scroll down for video) An elderly man was charged with animal neglect after allegedly keeping a large number of live ducks in a small van, police in Iowa said.

Iowa City police have arrested 69-year-old Francis Prohaska, after being accused of abusing 62 ducks by keeping them in a small van.

Prohaska was charged with one count of animal neglect. If convicted, he faces up to 30 days in prison. On Monday night, Police received a call, reporting a bad smell coming from a U-Haul van.

Police found 19 dead ducks among 43 live birds in the van that was parked outside 1201 North Dodge Street. The ducks were locked inside cages that were stacked on top of one another. The ducks were all covered in feces and feathers.

The ducks did not have access to food or water. The surviving ducks were handed over to the Iowa City Animal Care Center, where they are being examined and fed.
Christy and Kelly Allred

By: Mahesh Sarin

(Scroll down for video) aThanks for knocking me up,a were the words on a manas birthday cake.

A husband and wife went out to celebrate his birthday when he received a birthday cake that revealed that he and his wife are expecting another baby.

Christy and Kelly Allred of Riverton, Utah, already have five children together. All of them are boys. When Christy learned that she was expecting her sixth child, she decided to reveal the news to her husband with a birthday cake.

Christy called the restaurant beforehand and asked for the special message to be added to the birthday cake.

After dinner, a waitress brought out a piece of cake for Kelly with the words athanks for knocking me upa written in chocolate syrup next to it.

After reading the message, Kelly said a5 timesa referring to the five times he got her pregnant. However, Christy insisted that he read the message again until he figured out what she was trying to say.

When he finally figured out that she was pregnant again, he smiled and people at the restaurant congratulated the couple on the newest addition.

According to Christyas Facebook page, the couple has been married for 15 years.
Ice coffee (illustration)

By: Feng Qian

A woman has filed a lawsuit on behalf of millions of Americans against Starbucks.

Stacy Pincus wants $5 million from Starbucks for people who drank their ice coffee or ice tea in the past 10 years.

She claims that Starbucks fills its cups with too much ice. She feels that this is unfair because customers are only getting half of the fluid that they are paying for, according to the lawsuit.

Attorneys Steven Hart with Hart, McLaughlin & Eldridge of Chicago, Illinois, are reportedly representing Pincus in the case against Starbucks.

The company advertises their drink sizes as Tall, 12 ounces, Grande, 16 ounces, Venti, 24 ounces, and Trenta, 30 ounces.

However, Pincus claims that Starbucks only gives the customers half of the amount of ice coffee or ice tea, and the rest is filled the ice.

The company charges more for iced drinks than for hot drinks and makes higher profits off of them. Previously, the iced tea was its most profitable product, the lawsuit states.

Starbucks said that ice is an essential component of every iced drink, and therefore, the lawsuit is without merit.

However, Pincus said that the company can use bigger cups, fill it with the promised amount of fluid and then add the ice.
Police Campaign Sees 1,400+ Stopped Across Wales For Not Wearing Seatbelt

This article is old - Published: Sunday, May 1st, 2016

More than 1,400 people across Wales were caught not wearing their seatbelt during a recent two-week campaign.

Between 7th and 21st March all four Welsh police forces, led by North Wales Police, carried out their Seatbelt Campaign to raise awareness amongst drivers and passengers of the dangers of not wearing seatbelts in the event of a collision.

In North Wales 146 people were stopped for not wearing a seatbelt. The results are up slightly on the 140 who were found not to be wearing seatbelts during the 2015 campaign.

Elsewhere across Wales, 958 were stopped by Dyfed Powys Police, 347 by South Wales Police and 46 by Gwent Police.

Speaking about the campaign, Sergeant Alun Davies from North Wales Polices Roads Policing Unit said: Wearing a seatbelt when driving or as a passenger can save lives, but it is disappointing that 1,497 people still chose not to buckle up and put themselves and others at risk.

Not wearing a seatbelt is considered one of the Fatal 5  we have a robust strategy around enforcing the Fatal 5 offences which are failing to wear a seat belt, drink and drug driving, dangerous and careless driving including unnecessary risk taking, speeding and using a mobile phone while driving

The risk of being seriously injured or killed rises dramatically if a decision is taken to commit a Fatal 5 offence and I want people to be aware of the devastating affect it can have and make a conscious decision not to take any chances.

During the 2015 campaign 1,257 people across Wales were stopped by police for not wearing their seatbelt. There were 140 in North Wales, 360 in the South Wales Police area, 41 in Gwent and 724 in the Dyfed Powys Police area.

Sergeant Davies added: It is the responsibility of the driver to ensure that everyone being carried in the vehicle is correctly restrained so please ensure that everyone who gets into your vehicle is belted up safely.

Our aim is to save lives and prevent families from having to deal with the aftermath of a collision in which someone is not wearing a seatbelt.

Seatbelts are vital to the safety of you and your passengers and we will continue to take a pro-active approach all year round to educate motorists and enforce seatbelt laws. Please always wear your seatbelt  its not worth the risk.

Susan Storch, Chair of Road Safety Wales said: Putting on your seatbelt is such a simple act to carry out before your journey, especially when youre twice as likely to die in a crash if you dont. Road Safety Wales will continue to work with partners to educate the public that failing to wear a seatbelt can be a fatal decision even on short, familiar trips and those at low speeds.

Further information on seatbelt usage and how you can keep you and your family safe, can be found here.
Wrexham Training Provider Receives Award For High Quality Training Services

This article is old - Published: Sunday, May 1st, 2016

Wrexham Council training provider, Itec, has received an award for its high quality training services.

Itec received the award from Wales Trade Union Congress (TUC) Cymru for delivering mobile technology training to union members.

The award was presented to the Wrexham team at a ceremony held recently in Llandudno.

Bernice Waugh, from Wales TUC, presented the award and commented: Wrexham Itec met the Wales TUC sixteen good practice criteria for working with unions. Wrexham Itec showed that they considered union learners in the design and delivery of the courses.

She added: The award is intended to be a beacon of quality for union learning reps, and the many learners who will go through the union learning route. Congratulations to all the staff at Wrexham Itec who worked hard to make the courses a real success.

The unions first became involved when workers in the Housing Service identified that they were having difficulties with the introduction of hand held devices to the the repair services.

Marie OMara, UCATT (the construction union) project manager said: The introduction of mobile technology to streamline the repair service was extremely daunting for some of the workforce. Some people were really struggling with the devices.

With the support of managers, Marie, with union learning reps and Claire Betteley from Wrexham Itec spoke to operatives about courses to support the introduction of the new technology. The courses were a great success and the learners received Essential Skills Wales Certificates alongside building their skills and confidence in using the new devices.

Speaking about the course, one of the learners said: The tutors geared the course around us and they were really flexible with all our work commitments.

Wrexham Councils Lead Member for Education, Michael Williams, said: Id like to congratulate the team at Itec on winning this award. Itec are passionate about inspiring others to learn and achieve and its great to see that this has been recognised by the TUC.

Its clear that staff from the Housing Service have been enthused by the training and I would encourage others to take advantage of the opportunities and support that Itecs mentors can provide. It will benefit not just them as individuals, but their whole organisation.
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) - Students from FAMU and FSU donned their caps and gowns this weekend.

Florida A & M University celebrated their rattlers with a commencement ceremony both Friday and Saturday. This morning's address was given by Florida Commissioner of Agriculture, Adam Putnam.

In his speech he commended the work from FAMU professors and challenged students in education majors to match that success. Putnam went on to encourage students in STEM education to pursue opportunities in the sunshine state, all while commending the class of 2016 for their hard work and accomplishments.

Students weren't the only ones being recognized at FAMU's graduation today.

Dr. Vivian Wright Wilson honored as a distinguished graduate and parent of FAMU. Wright first worked at FAMU, but would later graduate from the university to go on and work in the school system. A few years ago, Wilson was diagnosed with a brain tumor, but after undergoing brain surgery she went back to FAMU for her PHD. Dr. Wilson was honored for her service to the community along with her daughter and five grand kids who also graduated today from FAMU.

Meanwhile at Florida State University, commencement ceremonies continued through Saturday. International weather and climate expert, Marshall Shepherd addressed the 2016 graduates, encouraged them to take control over their success and serve others in the process.

Graduation festivities continue on Sunday beginning with the FSU College of Law at 11 AM.
You should buy a loose-leaf vaporizer. Maybe one of the four we review here, maybe something else. But you should experience the delights of these little electronic gadgets, which gently bake the intoxicating oils out of ground-up cannabis flower without singeing them enough to make smoke that damages your lungs and makes you cough. If we sound bullish about these four, it's mostly because they're all better than primitive, analog smoking devices.





For people who understand that Android devices function poorly compared to their Apple-made competitors, and also just kinda feel gross in your hand PAX 2, $279, paxvapor.com.

The Pax 2 does for vaporizers what the iPod did for tunes. It's that slick, that intuitive and that handy. This small, silver, aluminum tubenearly identical in size to a switchbladeis the follow-up to the original Pax, which has moved a half-million units.

The PAX 2 is small, light and discreet. Just hold the tube to your mouth and inhale from the narrow slit on the edge of the black rubber atop the business end. We originally had trouble figuring out how to turn it off (just tap the single button on top again, duh) but once you've mastered the patterns of button-pressing to activate and to adjust the temperature, you really can't find fault with this device.

For people with exceptionally tidy studio apartments filled with nice things; the minimalists and the perfectionists K-Vape Micro-DX, $200, kandypens.com.

The K-Vape Micro-DX from Kandy Pens is small and lightabout the size of a fat Sharpie and lighter than an iPhone. And yet, for portable vaporizers, it also has a huge oven and far more control options than its competitors.

This unit's largest-on-the-market oven (it holds more than a half-gram) doesn't take many fills to give a good buzz. While not everyone loves the complexity of 80 temperature settingsfrom 350 to 430 degreespros will appreciate the ability to fine tune every sesh to that particular strain. Starting low and gradually increasing the temp also allowed for greater product utilization, giving us vaped herb with oh-so-close-to-burnt-black-but-still-brown leftovers.

It took us a few guesses to figure out that the on/off switch requires five presses within three seconds to activate, but it heats to 400-ish in a really quick 30 seconds, while remembering your last setting.

The unit itself is a matte plastic-y black, making it feel like that cool-ass flight-simulator joystick your geek friend who now works for Microsoft loved as a kid. The heating element is near the middle instead of the bottom, allowing the K-Vape Micro-DX to stay no more than warm to the touch.

One problem: We can't figure out how to clean the screen attached inside the mouthpiece. Alcohol soaking didn't work. Replacements are available for $20 online, but a lifetime warranty isn't all that impressive if you're tied in to proprietary replacements.

For the thrifty and the perma-baked, a device you could use all day on the river and not get super-bummed if it accidentally gets doused Zeus Smite, $104.53, torontovaporizer.ca.

Canada's largest retailer of vaporizers has a new house brand, Zeus Smite, which retails for only $129Canadian! As of press time, that works out to just $104.53 American, with free shipping to boot.

The Zeus Smite is a big-boy vape, about the size of a pack of cigarettes. There are slide-open compartments on top and bottom. The top one holds ground-up flowerit's a narrow, deep compartment, and you'll need the little metal tool to manage it. The bottom one holds a rubber mouthpiece that screws on to the top. With the mouthpiece on, the vape looks like a little walkie-talkie. There's only one button, which adjusts between three temperatures. On the highest setting, you can feel some heat radiating off the anodized aluminum case.

The big advantage of the Smite, beyond price, is the super-smooth draw and a battery that's slow to charge through an old-fashioned AC adapter but has a long life, up to three hours in our experience.

For tobacco smokers and dabbers, plus people who keep a Leatherman on their keychain V2 Pro Series 7, $169.99, V2cigs.com.

Ever wanted to vape loose-leaf cannabis and tobacco juice on the same unit? Now, you can.

Yes, the V2 Series 7 allows you to ingest loose-leaf cannabis, THC oil and good ol' nicotine. All you do is pop in a different cartridge, which connects to the top with a gentle magnet. (A third attachment, which allows it to cook wax, is not yet available.) That makes the Series 7 the most versatile loose-leaf-capable vape on the market.

The device is light and sleekit handles like a light saberand the battery will last through several switch-outs. The oven switches temperatures automatically based on the cartridge loaded, but it did seem to run a little hot on the loose-leaf, producing a harsher mist that normal. The oven is also smallplan to refill if you're going to be out for a while. That's not a deal-breaker for us given the versatility, but we'd prefer a different device for loose-leaf only.

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WWeek 2015
Sky and Anne Sky of Sky Research, Inc. in Ashland. Their company is named in a U.S. Army corruption investigation.

An Associated Press story making the rounds today follows up on a stunning corruption case first reported by the Eugene Reigster-Guard. The story concerns an ongoing corruption case involving an Ashland-based defense contractor and a contracting official with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

The contractor, Sky Research, Inc., is owned by Skythat's his full legal nameand his wife, Anne Sky, pictured. Their attorney has denied the allegations in a statement, saying the case laid out in two recent federal search warrant applications by U.S. Army criminal investigators was based on "rumor and speculation."

The basics of the investigationwhich has not yet produced criminal charges or a civil complaintare laid out in the July 21 Register-Guard story:

Sky Research has received some $160 million in federal contracts since 2004.



The most shocking allegation in the investigators' affidavits is that Hodgson favored Sky Research not only because of his close personal friendship with its owner, but because Sky repeatedly hired female employees for Hodgson and encouraged them to let Hodgson pursue them sexually.

In the affidavit, Hodgson admits to sexual relationships or encounters with three Sky employees: Tracie White, Meggan Pickner and Cindy McClaughlin. Several women confirmed those relationships in court documents.

The court files contain much more detail than the AP and Register-Guard stories. For example, the following excerpt from the affidavit of Special Agent Lindbom shows how just how close Hodgson was to Sky and the company's employees:

Lindbom also interviewed a Sky Research employee who believes she was fired because she didn't sleep with Hodgson:



Sky Research may not have been the only company Hodgson approached in this way.

Indeed, the affidavit cites a series of emails between Hodgson and Cynthia Liu, president of Engineering Remediation Resources Group, Inc., another Corps of Engineers contractor based in California and with an office in Portland.

Liu emailed the following to Hodgson on Feb. 19, 2011, the affidavit says:

Hodgson replied on Feb. 20:

Liu's reply, Feb. 20:



Hodgson's reply, Feb. 22:

Liu's reply, Feb. 22:



The investigator's affidavit says Liu equivocated on the question about the nature of her relationship with Hodgson:



WWeek 2015
I dont wear a white lab coat or mess around with test tubes like they do on the science channel TV shows, but Ive made an important discover
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The Israeli-German relationship experienced problems over the weekend as it ran over a political pothole. The German weekly Der Spiegel published that the German government was weighing the possibility of withdrawing from Chancellor Angela Merkel's obligations to maintain Israel's security and right to exist as Germany's top priority.

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Senior politicians from the governing parties told the weekly that the German government has the impression that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is taking advantage of Germany's obligations to Israel and that his government's current policies in the West Bank are making finding a solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict more difficult without contributing to the preservation of Israel's Jewish and democratic character.

Even 71 years after the Second World War, any damage such as this in relations is overly charged. For all these years, with the cloud of history hovering above, Germany has taken pains to fund a significant portion of Israel's security expenditures.

Netanyahu and Merkel (Photo: Reuters)

In exchange for its financial contributions, the German government apparently expected to receive better treatment by Netanyahu and a larger influence on his policies. According to Der Spiegel, it did not receive this.

Submarines, ships, missilesand guilt

Just a fortnight ago, a new peak was reached in German-Israeli security relations: the commander of the Israeli Air Force (IAF), Maj. Gen. Amir Eshel, received an extraordinary honor from Berlin when he was awarded the Bundeswehr Gold Cross of Honor from the German ambassador to Israel, Dr. Clemens von Goetze, and the commander of German Air Force Inspector Gen. Karl Mullner. According to an IAF statement , the ambassador stated when awarding the medal, "Our two air forces operate more closely and in a more trustful way than ever in times characterized by normal security challenges."

Beneath the diplomatic statements and against the background of the political tension between Merkel and Netanyahu's offices as revealed over the weekend, the medal revealed a small amount of Israel's most important security relationship with a foreign country besides the United States.

INS Rahav (Photo: IDF Spokesperson)

Germany (then West Germany) and Israel's security relationship began in the 50s, largely against the background of and following processes that led to the Reparations Agreement. Initially, these relations were kept secret, and only after the establishment of official diplomatic relations in 1965 did they become public.

Over the years, these relations included the exchange of military information and providing weapons, principally, but not exclusively, from Germany to Israel. In recent years, the trend of Israeli weapon sales to the German army, particularly to the air force, has grown. This trend included the leasing last year of enormous Eitan drones to Germany in the amount of millions of dollars.

Thus it was last year when the deal to purchase four German patrol ships by the Israeli Navy was signed, at a price of 1.8 million shekels, a third funded by Germany. These are the largest, most powerful and most advanced warships in the IDF's fleet. Officially, their objective is defending the gas rigs, but, in practice, the Navy can apparently use them for a variety of defensive and offensive purposes, both in times of war and peace.

The Navy of course received an additional, significant piece of German industry: the submarine fleet that it controls today. This consists of five submarines, three of which are the relatively older Dolphin model, received at the end of the 1990s and beginning of the 2000s. Two additional submarines were added in the last yearthe INS Tanin and INS Rahav at a cost of half a billion dollars each. The two of them are more than ten times more stealthy underwater than their predecessors. In another three years, a sixth German submarine is to join them.

Aboard the INS Rahav (: ", :  )

X

In recent years, the European media have reported that Israeli companies were selling to Germany defense systems for airplanes in trilateral and quadrilateral deals with additional countries. According to foreign reports, one may add to those Germany's purchase of advanced Spike missiles, produced by Rafael Advanced Defense Systems, for use by local land forces.

Training together aerially

The security connection between the countries also includes operational knowledge. In the last decade, joint training by the IDF and the German armed forces has increased, particularly between the air forces, including joint fighter plane exercises over the Mediterranean. In the last year, it was even agreed for the first time that Israeli combat helicopter pilots would travel to Germany for training, which will include training on the German Tiger helicopters, and a reciprocal German delegation will undergo similar training on Israeli fighter helicopters.

Sources in the IAF noted the importance of cooperation with Germany. Head of Helicopters Air Division Brig. Gen. Yaron Rozen stated last year on the IAF's website, "From an historic perspective, there is extraordinary importance to the very existence of cooperation, for professional meetings between the air forces and particularly for personal relationships between German officers and Israeli officers."

Maj. Ayalon of the Air Division added, "In recent years, the significant development of cooperation has begun, including joint learning at every level, squad exchanges, joint training and courses, operational dialogue, dialogue on topics of maintenance, and expanded dialogue on training issues."
President Reuven Rivlin will consider the possibility of granting clemency to former president Moshe Katsav in the coming days amid claims of severe deterioration in his health. In 2010, Katsav was convicted of rape and sentenced the following year to seven years imprisonment.

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Close associates of Katsav, including his family and his attorneys, publicized information which support claims of the extreme deterioration of his mental health.

His family and attorneys have posited that the decline seriously intensified following a decision taken by a parole board last month which rejected his appeal to reduce his sentence by a third. The parole board issued strong criticism of his personal behavior and subsequently justified their decision.

Moshe Katsav and his wife Gila (Photo: Yaron Brenner)

There is no doubt whatsoever in the hearts of the committee members that the release of the prisonerwith his denying that he committed any crime and with his not underoing any treatment during his prison termwould constitute a real blow to public faith, the committees letter read.

Katsav decided against appealing the parole boards decision, since he apparently fell into a deep depression and claimed that he had lost all faith in the legal process relating to his release.

The information regarding his mental health was communicated to Rivlins office alongside two clemency requests for Katsav. The first was submitted by Katsavs wife, Gila, while the second was by Katsav's lawyer, Zion Amir.

New requests are expected to be filed in the coming days by Katsavs defense team in which the rapid deterioration of his mental stability over the last few weeks will be cited as grounds for his early release.

President Reuven Rivlin (Photo: Eli Mandelbaum)

According to a senior official, requesting amnesty from the president is unconventional shortly after the parole board has already ruled on the case. However, the Basic Law: The President of the State's clause 11 grants Rivlin the power to award clemency: "The President of the State shall have power to pardon offenders and to lighten penalties by the reduction or commutation thereof." He may exercise this power in light of new evidence deemed to warrant the use of clemency.

In the majority of cases, this power is only used in circumstances involving the severe health deterioration of a prisoner. Indeed those privy to the circumstances of Katsavs health conditions, which they claim are bordering on madness, believe that a pardon could possibly be granted.

Legal officials confirmed that clemency appeals will indeed be submitted shortly by Katsavs lawyers, which will first be reviewed by Minister of Justice Ayelet Shaked.

Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked (Photo: Motti Kimchi)

The officials expressed confidence that Rivlin would view the appeals positively if accompanied by a certified psychiatric evaluation which would attest to Katsavs mental regression.

Prior to the release of the parole boards decision, reports that Shaked and Rivlin had expressed their support for Katsavs early release began to circulate. The Presidents Residence however, denied such reports: The president did not express support for granting clemency to Katsav. The president will discuss this subject and will make clear his position if and when it becomes necessary to do so in the same manner that he handles all other appeals for clemency brought before him.

Shaked was equally unequivocal when she stated over a month ago that she has no intention of becoming involved in the parole board's proceedings: The board, which conducts its proceedings independently and is headed by a judge, takes into account many criteria according to the law such as, inter alia, public risk, behavior in prison, rehabilitation of the prisoner and more. Confession and regret do not constitute criteria (for early release) according to law, but they are obviously considered by the board with respect to the prisoners ability to be rehabilitated.
Following the leak of document that banned the Palestinian flag , amongst others, from the Eurovision Song Contest on May 14, the organizers have apologized and released a revised wording of the policy. However, the new document continues to ban the same flags.

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The original firestorm-provoking document was posted on the website of Global Arena, Eurovision 2016's Stockholm venue. As only the flags of Eurovision-participating countries, UN member states, and the EU, only with rainbow flags, were permitted, all others, particularly those of disputed territories, were banned.

The document included a list of examples, and residents of the Basque Country and Kosovo took umbrage with their flags appearing above the ISIS flag (which was marked as 'strictly prohibited'). The PLO even wrote to the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), Eurovision's organizers, demanding an apology.

Original flag policy (screenshot from globearenas.se)

On Saturday, a new flag polic y was published, this time on Eurovision's website. This time, it is but one page, and no examples are given. The policy remains unchanged, however, though the wording is now more concise.

The flag policy explains in a preamble that it exists "to ensure the Eurovision Song Contest remains a non-political event."
ISTANBUL - Turkish police fired tear gas and sprayed water at protesters and detained several people when scuffles broke out in May Day celebrations in Istanbul with some protesters trying to get to the main Taksim square which was closed by authorities.

Security was tight across Turkey's biggest city which was twice hit this year by attacks blamed on Islamic State. About 15,000 police were deployed for May Day celebrations while police scanned the streets from helicopters overhead.

A 57-year old male was killed in an accident after he was run over by a police water truck while trying to cross the street, broadcaster CNN Turk reported.
A Hamas operative from Gaza was indicted on state security endangering charges on Sunday at the Be'er Sheva District Court.

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Midhat bin-Fauzi Abu Snima, 24, who was arrested over a month ago, faces 18 charges, including contact with a foreign agent, conspiring to commit murder, attempted murder, conspiring to pass along sensitive information to the enemy with the intention to harm state security, undergoing illegal military training, membership and activity in an unlawful organization, and several weapons offenses.

The indictment provides a glimpse into the recruitment and training process of the Hamas military wing, the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades, as well as into the thriving smuggling tunnels business between the Gaza Strip and the Sinai Peninsula.

Hamas fighters (Photo: AFP)

In 2012, after the end of Operation Pillar of Defense, Abu Snima and others launched rockets at an IDF post and fired mortar shells towards the Kerem Shalom Border Crossing.

In addition, Abu Snima participated in Hamas's military training, trained with different kinds of weapons, and underwent both theoretical and practical training in sniping, among others.

The indictment details Abu Snima's training period, which began in 2009 when he underwent a month-long military training for beginners with the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades. During the training period, the defendant, along with 30 others, underwent physical fitness training, learned how to take apart and reassemble a weapon, trained in shooting, learned how to camouflage himself, and more. He also underwent an advance course on operating a PK machine gun, used to fire at jeeps with a light armor, civilian vehicles, and low-flying aircraft.

A Hamas smuggling tunnel (Photo: AP)

The defendant was also a joint-owner of a smuggling tunnel, which brought him a good profit. For his share of the tunnel's ownership, he received a monthly pay of $2,000.

In 2014, Abu Snima bought a share in a smuggling tunnel for $7,000. The tunnel, running from Rafah in Gaza to the Egyptian Rafah, was one kilometer long. The tunnel was destroyed at the end of last year by Egyptian forces flooding it with water.

From 2014 until it was destroyed, the defendant and his partners smuggled military uniforms for Hamas's commando unit, as well as weapons including three bags of AK-47 (Kalashnikov) rifles (each with some 30 rifles), 10 boxes of ammunition and some 35 pipes weighing a total of 50 kilograms used in the manufacturing of rockets.
An IDF officer filed a complaint with the police on Sunday, claiming he was attacked by Jewish settler youth when he arrived at the outpost of Khavat Gal near Hebron with his team to survey illegally-built structures.

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The officer, who serves as the Israeli Civil Administration's infrastructure officer, said the attackers pushed him and called him a "gentile" and a "dog." He was unharmed in the incident.

A police patrol car arrived at the scene, and the Judea and Samaria District Police opened an investigation into the incident. No suspects have been arrested at this time.

IDF troops at Khavat Gal (Photo: TPS)

Meanwhile, the residents of Khavat Gal, which is near Kiryat Arba, claimed that that the Civil Administration was "initiating provocations targeting us."

The Nahala Movement, which supports the settling of Jews in all areas of the Land of Israel, said that "at 1:25pm, two men in civilian clothing came to the neighborhood, which is located east of Kiryat Arba, and started walking around a house being built there. The construction workers asked them who they were and why they were there, but they didn't answer and refused to identify themselves. Several minutes later, one of them began taking work tools worth thousands of shekels, without any warrants or identification. The construction workers objected to that, and a minor confrontation broke out. It was then that the two rushed to call the police.

"Later, the Civil Administration issued a statement to the press according to which uniformed officers were attacked. The photos clearly show them in plain clothing."

Civil Administration officers at Khavat Gal (Photo: TPS)

The movement further said that "after the Civil Administration forces were done loading their truck with construction materials from the house, they took additional equipment from the yard of another house, which was built five years ago, doing this with no explanation other than 'We are doing what we see fit.'"





Finally, the Nahala movement stated that Khavat Gal was an approved neighborhood of Kiryat Arba and that the house in question was apparently "built outside the building line."

The Civil Administration is the Israeli governing body that operates in the West Bank. While formally separate, it was subordinate to the IDF and the Shin Bet.
LONDON  Senior officials in the British Labour Party are fighting back against charges there is anti-Semitism in the party's ranks ahead of Thursday's vote for a new mayor of London and other posts.

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Labour legislator Diane Abbott said Sunday the party is being unfairly attacked by its political enemies while union leader Len McCluskey said the controversy is being exploited by Labour's rivals.

"It is a smear to say that the Labour Party has a problem with anti-Semitism. It is not fair on ordinary Labour Party members," Abbott said. "Two hundred thousand people have joined the Labour Party. Are you saying that because there have been 12 reported incidents of hate speech online, that the Labour Party is somehow intrinsically anti-Semitic?"

British Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn (Photo: GettyImages)

Abbott, who helps set the party's international development policies, spoke on the BBC's widely viewed Andrew Marr talk show as the debate over Labour's attitudes dominated political news in the final days of electioneering. The airwaves were filled with commentators debating whether the frequent criticism of Israeli government policies from Labour members had crossed over into anti-Semitism.

The issue flared up in the last week when Labour legislator Naz Shah was suspended for posting anti-Israel material before she was elected to Parliament. That prompted former London Mayor Ken Livingstone to defend her by saying that Nazi leader Adolf Hitler had been a Zionist early in his political career.

Labour member and former London mayor Ken Livingstone (Photo: Reuters)

Livingstone was quickly suspended from his role on the party's executive council, but his provocative comments led Labour party leader Jeremy Corbyn to set up an independent review of anti-Semitism and other racism within the party, which was soundly defeated in last year's general election by Prime Minister David Cameron's Conservatives.

Labour Party mayoral candidate Sadiq Khan, who is leading in pre-election polls, said the comments have made his path to victory tougher.

"I accept that the comments that Ken Livingstone has made make it more difficult for Londoners of Jewish faith to feel that the Labour party is a place for them," he told The Observer newspaper.

The party was also criticized because of Corbyn's past links to Interpal, a controversial British charity said by US officials to be backing extremist causes.

In April, Interpal helped sponsor a festival in Gaza in which students presented a skit that showed a young Palestinian pretending to stab two Israeli soldiers.

Conservative Party legislator Eric Pickles, Britain's special envoy for post-Holocaust matters, told the Daily Mail that Corbyn has failed to renounce the "repugnant" group.

Corbyn's office released a statement Sunday defending his involvement with the group, which he said was recognized by the UN Relief Agency and the British Charities Commission.

The statement said Corbyn has supported Interpal's humanitarian work and in 2013 toured Gaza on an "Interpal backed" humanitarian trip that included a Conservative and a Liberal Democrat legislator.

Corbyn himself has been avoiding the media's questions about the issue, and a video of him trying to dodge reporters went viral in the United Kingdom. The video shows a Sky News reporter asking Corbyn about the anti-Semitism scandal in his party. Corbyn doesn't respond, and tries to enter a building - but is unable to open the door.

Labour leader Corbyn trying to escape reporters' questions about anti-Semitism scandal

X

Meanwhile, in an interview with the BBC, Israel's ambassador to London, Mark Regev, called for Corbyn to distance himself from Hamas.

"The left has a wonderful, proud history of fighting anti-Semitism, but we have seen some language over the last two or three weeks which is very concerning," Regev said.

"They have the right to criticize the Israeli government, Israeli citizens do it every day," Regev noted. "It is not about criticizing this or that Israeli policy, it is about the demonizing and vilification of my country and its very right to exist."

Regev lamented that "too many peope of the progressive side of politics who have embraced Hamas and Hezbollah," both of which he said are anti-Semitic organizations.

"If you are progressive, you are embracing an organization which is homophobic, which is misogynistic and which is openly anti-Semitic  what is progressive about that? There needs to be an unequivocal message from the leadership saying there is no solidarity with anti-Semites," Regev concluded.

A recently released report showed that the number of hate crimes in Britain increased over the past year. According to the report, some 1,000 anti-Semitic incidents were registered - a 25 percent increase from the year before. The number of violent attacks against Jews jumped 50 percent, while there has been a drop in the number of hate crime indictments.

"This data should alarm those responsible for enforcing the law: they are failing British Jews badly," said Gideon Falter, the chairman of the Campaign Against anti-Semitism which issued the report.
BERLIN - A German government official denied on Sunday a magazine report which said Berlin might end its unconditional support for Israel due to Chancellor Angela Merkel's increasing frustration with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's policies.

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Germany has for decades felt duty bound to support Israel because of the murder of six million Jews by the Nazis in the Holocaust.

But Der Spiegel reported that senior government officials are concerned that Netanyahu is exploiting Germany's friendship for his own political ends and believe Berlin should adopt a more critical stance.

Asked to comment on the report, a government official told Reuters: "The guidelines of German Middle East policy have not changed."

German Chancellor Merkel and Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu meet in Berlin (Photo: AFP)

A spokeswoman for Merkel declined to comment and referred to the government's regular news conference on Monday.

Merkel has said repeatedly that the building of Jewish settlements on land Palestinians want for a future country is counterproductive for the goal of establishing a peaceful and lasting two-state solution in the Middle East.

In its report, Der Spiegel cited concerns that the creation of a fully independent Palestinian state next to a democratic and secure Israel was becoming increasingly unlikely.

"Israel's current policies are not contributing to the country remaining Jewish and democratic," Norbert Roettgen, a member of Merkel's Christian Democratic Union and chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee in the Bundestag, was quoted as saying. "We must express this concern more clearly to Israel."

The magazine also quoted a senior official of Merkel's junior coalition partner, the center-left Social Democrats (SPD), as criticizing Netanyahu.

"The perception has been growing in the German government that Netanyahu is instrumentalising our friendship," Rolf Muetzenich, SPD deputy floor leader in the Bundestag lower house of parliament, told the magazine.

The United States, Israel's chief ally, and the European Union both consider Israeli settlements in the West Bank to be illegal.

With US efforts to broker a two-state solution in tatters since 2014 and Washington focused on this year's election, France has been lobbying countries to commit to a conference that would get Israelis and Palestinians back to negotiations on ending their conflict.
Over 5,000 teenagers, members of the youth groups HaNoar HaOved VeHaLomed (The General Federation of Students and Young Workers in Israel) and Dror-Israel (educational movement), marched in Tel Aviv on Sunday afternoon to mark May 1, the International Workers' Day.

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This year, the thousands of teenagers marched alongside representatives of workers unions, under the banner of the fight against exploitation of teenagers, youth, and pensioners in the work market.

Marchers waved red flags and staged scenes demonstrating exploitation in the work force.

Photo: Motti Kimchi

The march ended at the Histadrut (General Organization of Workers) building in Tel Aviv, where certificates of appreciation were awarded to leading and new workers unions.

"You are the harbingers of the social change," said Histadrut chairman Avi Nissenkoren. "We all need to have a more equal society. You are the future generation that represents this change and we're paving the way for you. When I see you, I believe in a better future for the State of Israel."

Histadrut chairman Avi Nissenkoren (Photo: Motti Kimchi)

Nissenkoren said May 1 was "a holiday that represents solidarity and cooperation. We are making a clear statement here: We will bring forth social change. It's in our hands."

Nissenkoren said among the Histadrut's recent achievements are "raising the minimum wage in NIS 1,000 and leading a change in the employment of contractor workers," and promised "to make sure those with disabilities are recognized and accepted as equals. We will act and fight for working men and women to make the same pay for the same job. Our duty is also to take care of pensioners, because they're part of us."

Photo: Motti Kimchi

Esther Ebit, 17, from Lod, spoke about the establishment of the workers union at the Burger Ranch restaurant she works in. "In a reality where teenagers are treated as a cheap, available work force, it's very easy to violate our rights and disregard us. In such a reality, my union protects me. Thanks to joint efforts by HaNoar HaOved VeHaLomed, the union, and the chain's management - Burger Ranch is now a better work place."

Photo: Motti Kimchi

Nur Suwad, 21, a Bedouin resident from northern Israel, spoke about joining HaNoar HaOved VeHaLomed. "Before arriving at my high school, I was working in horrible conditions, and it was only when I got to the school that I realized I was nobody's slave and no one can exploit me. I told the representative of HaNoar HaOved VeHaLomed in the Histadrut that when I worked as a night watch, I was exploited. After a three-year legal battle, I won. Fighting exploitation is hard work, I know it firsthand."

May 1, the International Workers' Day, was established at the 1889 Second International conference in Paris. The date was chosen in commemoration of the 1886 Haymarket affair in Chicago, when four demonstrators were killed by police after a dynamite bomb was thrown at the officers during a rally that was part of a general strike for the eight-hour workday. Countless others were wounded and arrested. Eight of the leaders of the strike were condemned to death, with four actually executed.
As a young boy, wrote Stephen Pollard in last weekends Telegraph. I used to think my grandma very strange. In her bedroom she kept a suitcase, packed and ready for use at a moments notice. Just in case, shed tell me when I asked where it was that she was always waiting to go to. You never know when theyll turn on the Jews.

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At the time, Pollard didnt understand what she meant, since Jews in Britain were integrated and thriving. Lately, though, as the anti-Semitism coming out of the British Left chills him to the bone, he has begun to understand her better.

Over the weekend, Britain found itself in turmoil. It was no longer possible to hide the shame. Anti-Semitism has reared its head from within the bastions of the Left.

There were telltale signs along the way. But its easy to live in denial. What with Ken Livingstone, the former Mayor of London who was suspended from the Labour party and is at the center of the current commotion, acting as official host to the anti-Semitic Muslim preacher Yusuf al-Qaradawi.

Labour member and former London mayor Ken Livingstone (Photo: Reuters)

Other Muslims warned him that his actions will encourage other Muslim extremists. It made no difference to him. Al-Qaradawi, they told him, is an anti-Semite and a supporter of Hitler. He paid them no mind. So why is anyone surprised now that Livingstone is continuing down the same path?

The current wave began when Alex Chalmers, then Chairman to the Oxford University Labour Club, resigned in protest due to anti-Semitic markers that started creeping up among other club members. It was the clubs decision to support Israeli Apartheid Week, which translates into additional support to Hamas and more lecturers who peddle anti-Semitic brainwashing rhetoric that broke the camels back.

It wasnt contained in the headlines, though. Editorials also began to concern themselves with the issue. The Guardian, the Lefts flagship newspaper, tried to tiptoe between what it considered anti-Semitism and anti-Zionism, obviously seeing the latter as legitimate.

Labour anti-Semitism scandal British Labour Party denies anti-Semitism in its ranks Associated Press MP Diane Abbott claims 'it is a smear to say that the Labour Party has a problem with anti-Semitism,' while union leader Len McCluskey says controversy is being exploited by Labour's rivals ahead of elections. British Labour Party denies anti-Semitism in its ranks

But therein lies the proof, since even in its present incarnation, most of the British Left is in denial. There is no difference between denying Jews individual rights, which is the definition of anti-Semitism, and denying Jews the right to define themselves as a collective, which amounts to anti-Zionism. And there is no difference between demonizing individual Jews and demonizing the Jewish State.

There is, of course, a need to distinguish legitimate criticism of the policies put forth by any Israeli government from the invalidation of Israels right to exist, as there is a need to distinguish between criticism and demonization. But the Left is having trouble differentiating between the two, and in fact has long since crossed any and all red lines in the matter. Dont say occupation, since those supporting the current anti-Zionist and anti-Semitic rhetoric arent against the settlements. Theyre for Hamas and Hezbollah.

This isnt coming from the fringes, either. Its the story of the leader of the Labour Party Jeremy Corbyn. At present, he is having trouble handling the anti-Semitic crisis plaguing his party, while continuing to claim that he is against all forms of racism, including anti-Semitism, despite never having recanted his publicly-declared sympathy for Hamas and Hezbollah, two organizations intent on the annihilation of the Jews.

British Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn

But thats Israels doing, certain members of the Left might tell you. Theres something to that. But it isnt because of the real Israel. Its because of the Israel they choose to describe. A child murdering community, as Mark Steel wrote in The Independent. If this is Israel, then it truly has no right to exist. But this isnt Israel. It is a blood libel.

During the first year of the British-American invasion of Iraq, more children were killed, even relatively speaking, than during all the years of the Israeli-Arab conflict. But Steel and his friends from the Left would rather make Israel a child murderer while innocently claiming that anti-Zionsim isnt anti-Semitism.

Adding to this is The Lancet, a prestigious British magazine that provides a platform for declared anti-Semites masquerading as human rights activists, despite their source material being the right-wing anti-Semite David Duke.

So there is a problem. The British Left is just in denial over it.

The upside to the current disturbance lies in the fact that a discussion is being conducted at all, in which clear-headed and brave opinions are also heard. But this is only the beginning.

It is doubtful that the British Left will realize that the demonization of Israel and denying of Jews and Jews alone the right to self definition are the basis out of which the renewed anti-Semitism grows.

This insight hasnt seeped in yet. And so the British Left is in for a long and arduous withdrawal process. One that it will doubtfully see through.
A report from Knight Frank - Australian Student Accommodation  The Investment Opportunity  claims current purpose built student accommodation (PBSA) is greatly underserving the growing number of tertiary students in Australia.

Continued growth in the number of foreign students attending Australian universities is a main factor the accommodation shortage.

According to Knight Frank, Australia is currently undersupplied by nearly 300,000 PBSA beds.

Undersupply of PBSA bed spaces is currently estimated at 290,525 nationally. In simplistic terms there are 290,525 higher education students studying in Australia without access to a PBSA bed space, and thus renting accommodation privately, Paul Savitz, Knight Frank associate director, research and consulting.

Often these are apartments or share houses close to city centres and transport nodes, consequently occupying much-needed key worker and low-cost housing in the major cities across Australia, said Mr Savitz.

Knight Franks report claims the majority of the student accommodation undersupply is across Melbourne (86,686), Sydney (74,763), Brisbane (36,689) and Perth (23,554).

By the end of 2020, Knight Frank projects this national undersupply figure to increase by 39% to 404,700 as the rate of full-time higher education student growth continues to outpace the development of PBSA bed spaces, and the number of mobile students, as a proportion of the total, increases on trend, Savitz said.

As a result of limited supply of quality and affordable PBSA, Australian Institutions are reliant on the private rented residential market.

While the PBSA shortage may not be great news for universities and their students, Savitz said if policy makers are willing to tweak some planning controls it could become a lucrative investment path.

The UK PBSA market has now matured into a sector where the transaction of assets and land has averaged close to 2 billion annually over the past five years, with investment activity reaching record levels of over 5 billion in 2015.

"Traditional commercial property sectors are reliant upon demand derived from the market and potential occupiers at any one time  a measure which has historically proved relatively volatile; particularly within emerging property sectors.

In contrast, the student accommodation sector benefits from a more stable, tangible and certain demand source  the Australian higher education student population. And demand is rising as this population grows.
Susan Lloyd-Hurwitz was responding to Westpac's announcement that it will stop lending to foreign residential property buyers, the latest major bank to take such a measure.

Lloyd-Hurwitz told Australian Financial Review, We're yet to see the impact that will have on financing but we work closely with a lot of our purchasers and they get a lot of notice from us as to when they're going to need the money.

Sale to foreign buyers are thought to make up 20-30% of Mirvacs total sales. However, some of these buyers use cash while others use global banks or their own lenders. Foreign buyers looking to borrow in Australia, in order to build a credit profile, is a relatively new phenomenon.

"I'm not denying if there is no financing from Australian banks for foreign buyers it wouldn't change customer behaviour," Lloyd-Hurwitz said.

"We'd have to work harder with them to go back to where we were a few years ago when they weren't relying on domestic financing."

She added, "We haven't seen any systemic difficulties in getting capital out of China, we haven't seen any problem with valuations. It's absolutely business as usual."

The one major bank that hasnt announced a halt to lending to foreigners, NAB, has said it will continue to review foreign loan applications on a case-by-case basis.
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Patna: JNUSU president Kanhaiya Kumar was on Sunday shown black flags by two youths at an event here after which they were roughed up by his supporters even as he sought to target saffron groups for the incident.

The two youths, who belonged to a little-known outfit 'Youth Swaraj', were later detained by the police for questioning.

Raising 'Bharat Mata Ki Jai' slogan, they showed black flags to the JNUSU president while he was speaking at a function 'Azadi' organised by AISF and AIYF at S K Memorial hall here.

"I am colour blind. When they show black flags they look saffron to me," Kanhaiya said, adding, "they are not liking my words because this is a part of an attempt to blur the line between 'Desh bhakti' and 'Modi bhakti'," an unfazed Kanhaiya said.

The JNUSU president, who was addressing the gathering when the incident occurred, said he was not scared of such elements who oppose him or try to disturb his functions.

"I am not scared of anything whether you hurl a shoe or a stone.... They want to disturb my programmes as they are uncomfortable with my questions," Kanhaiya said.

Kanhaiya's supporters thrashed the two persons in the hall. Later the police took the duo into custody.

"Police have detained two persons in this regard," Patna Senior Superintendent of Police Manu Maharaj told PTI.

The two have been identified as Nitish Kumar, a resident of Sitamarhi district, and Manikant Mani, who belonged to Samastipur district, the police said, adding that the two youths are said to be members of RSS.

Attacking Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Kumar alleged that he became the PM "with the support of capitalists" and cannot solve the problem of unemployment.

The student leader, who hails from Begusarai district of Bihar, is on a two-day tour of the state and met both Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and RJD president Lalu Prasad yesterday.
New Delhi: A youth allegedly shot at a newly married woman outside her residence and then killed himself with the same gun at east Delhi's Geeta Colony area on Saturday night.

The incident took place around 9 PM when the 25-year-old woman was walking back from her parents' house to her in-laws' residence in New Lahore Colony locality, a senior police official said.

She had reached her destination when the man called her from behind and as she turned back, he pumped three bullets in her chest before shooting himself in his forehead in full public view, he said.

Both were rushed to a hospital where doctors declared the man dead and the woman was admitted in serious condition, he said.

Following which a case was registered at Geeta Colony police station, the official said.

The woman, a beautician, had got married few days ago, he said.

Prima facie investigators suspects this to be a case of a love affair gone wrong but none of the woman's relative could identify the youth.

No suicide note was recovered from the youth and a probe is on, the official added.
Zee Media Bureau/Sumit Channa

New Delhi: Ophthalmologists have warned women against the usage of poor quality eye makeup as it can result in blepharitis, which is a chronic eye condition.

Using these adulterated products makes a person more susceptible to various eye problems. Doctors also say that other than the eye makeup, one should also refrain from overuse of computers.

The most common eye infection due to adulterated eye makeup products is blepharitis, which can lead to inflammation of the eyelid.

Blepharitis can also cause swelling of eyelids, red eyes and may also lead to various other eye complications. It is a chronic condition that is difficult to treat so it is better to take precautions.
Delhi: There may be a Punjabi music angle for clinching AgustaWestland helicopter deal, as per a media report.

As per a report in Mail Today, Christian Michel, the Italian middleman who visited India for the controversial VVIP chopper deal, had floated a media company to export Punjabi music CDs from India.

However, the company was never used for the purpose but was started to be used for obliging former officials at the Ministry of Defence.

The report says that by obliging MoD officials, Michel would in return get inside information about the chopper deal from the officials.

As per investigations, the company was just a shell or a frontal company.

The website quoted ED sources as saying that Michel with the help of one RK Nanda had floated the company named Media Exim and lot of funds were pumped into this firm.

The money to this company came from Michel's Dubai-based company Global Services FZE, the report further adds.

The shell company was reportedly run from an office in Safdarjung Enclave flat in South Delhi and after it was discovered that the company was fake, the ED officers initiated move to attach the property.

The facts were supposedly revealed when Michel's driver was nabbed and questioned by ED officials.

Meanwhile, Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar on Sunday said that he will place all facts along with the detailed chronology about the chopper deal before Parliament on May 4.

The deal for the choppers went off track in 2013 when Italy arrested the head of Finmeccanica, which owns AgustaWestland, for paying bribes to secure the deal.

An Italian court, which convicted AgustaWestland chief Giuseppe Orsi, had reportedly described how the firm paid bribes to top Congress leaders to bag the Rs 3,600 crore deal.
New Delhi: After blocking India's bid at the UN to ban chiefs of terrorist outfit Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) and Jama'at-ud-Da'wah, Chinese may be willing to reconsider their stand on dreadful terrorists Mumbai attack mastermind Hafiz Saeed and Pathankot attack conspirator Masood Azhar, believes senior BJP leader Subramanian Swamy.

Swamy, who strongly advocates cordial relations between China and India, took to Twitter on Saturday evening and wrote, Chinese may be willing to reconsider stand on Hafiz and Azhar. I was informed today. They need 'additional evidence' which is easy to give.

Chinese may be willing to reconsider stand on Hafiz and Azhar, I was informed today. They need "additional evidence" which is easy to give  Subramanian Swamy (@Swamy39) April 30, 2016

Defending its decision to once again block India's bid at the UN to ban Azhar, China had said that it acts on such issues based on facts and rules in an "objective and just manner".

When asked about China's reported last minute move putting a technical hold on India's submission which Indian officials say was armed with strong evidence of the JeM's terror activities and its role in the Pathankot attack, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hong Lei had said that China "supports UN playing a central and coordinating role in international cooperation against terrorism".

"We always deal with the listing issue (banning militant groups and their leaders) under the UNSC committee established under resolution 1267 based on facts and relevant rules of procedures in an objective and just manner," he had said.

This is not the first time China has blocked India's bid to get Pakistan-based militant groups and leaders proscribed by the UN.

The UN had banned the JeM in 2001 but India's efforts for a ban on Azhar after the 2008 Mumbai terror attack also did not fructify as China, one of the five permanent members of the UN group with veto powers, didn't allow the ban apparently at the behest of Pakistan again.

(With PTI inputs)
Patna: A man was brutally thrashed by JNU president Kanhaiya Kumar's supporters on Sunday because he had shown black flags to him.

Reportedly, the man was beaten up by Kanhaiya's supporters as he had shown flag flag during Kanhaiya's speech.

The incident took place at Patna's SKM Hall when Kanhaiya was addressing a gathering.

Two persons have been arrested in connection with the incident.

Kanhaiya Kumar is an accused in sedition case. He is currently out on interim bail.
Jammu: Days after National Security Advisor Ajit Doval's successful trip to China, the armies of both the nations on Sunday held meetings of their senior commanders to enhance cordial relations as well as to boost efforts to maintain peace along the Line of Actual Control (LAC).

The meetings, held on the Chinese and the Indian side, coincided with the International Labour Day on Sunday. They have agreed to uphold the treaties and agreements signed between the two nations.

The meetings took place at Chinese BPM Hut of Moldo and TWD Garrison in Eastern Ladakh, PTI reported citing a defence spokesman.

"The delegation parted amidst feeling of friendship and commitment towards enhancing the existing cordial relations and maintaining peace along the LAC.

"Both sides also sought to build on the mutual feeling to uphold the treaties and agreement signed between the governments to maintain peace and tranquillity along the LAC," the spokesman said.

At Moldo, the Indian delegation was led by Major General Sudhakar Jee and the Chinese delegation by senior Col Zhan Peng Zhung and at TWD, Lt Col RC Barthwal, SM and Col Song Zhan Li led the Indian and Chinese delegations respectively.

The meetings were marked by saluting the National flags by both sides. It was followed by the ceremonial address by both delegation leaders, the spokesman added.

The meetings come close on the heels of Doval's visit to China in April amid negativity over Beijings blocking of Indias bid in the UN to ban Pakistan-based JeM chief Masood Azhar.

During his visit, both sides agreed to adhere to peaceful negotiations to settle the vexed border issue and reach a fair, reasonable and mutually acceptable solution.

During the annual 19th round of boundary talks in Beijing, Doval and his Chinese counterpart Yang Jiechi discussed ways to resolve the dispute which has bedevilled the relations between the two countries.

Both the officials had an extensive, deep and candid discussion on the 3,488 km-long Line of Actual Control (LAC), which remains undemarcated resulting in tensions between the two sides.
Ahmedabad: Considering that any information on the fugitive underworld don Dawood Ibrahim can prove substantial for India, a man from Gujarat's Vadodara has claimed that he has hacked the call details of 1993 Mumbai bomb blasts mastermind which he will hand over to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

As per a report in Dainik Bhaskar, Manish Bhangore has claimed that he has the blue print of many of Dawood's big projects and that the gangster is planning to transfer his black money from India to Dubai.

Ascertaining that the details he has gathered are correct, Bhangore says, if my evidences proven wrong then execute me. I have a lot to with me which I can only hand over to PM Modi.

Howver, Bhangore has alleged that Police Commissioner E Radhakrishanan is telling media that his claims are false.

When first I gathered the information against Dawood, police officials with Vadodara police encouraged me. But, when I met police commissioner, then I was asked meaningless questions. He wanted to demoralise me. I tried contacting Prime Minister's Office also, but could get through. At last I faxed them that I want to meet the PM.

I've risked my life to collect this 'crucial information, Bhangore was quoted as saying by Bhaskar.

Meanwhile, Bhangore's father is upset with the apathy of police towards the efforts of his son.

The courage that my son has displayed is not shown by everyone, he said.
Jaipur: Acting Chief Justice of the Rajasthan High Court Ajay Rastogi on Sunday backed Chief Justice of India (CJI) TS Thakur's appeal to increase the number of judges in order to handle the "avalanche" of litigations, and urged the government to resolve the matter.

In an exclusive interview to ETV News head Jagdish Chandra, Justice Rastogi said the issue of shortage of judges in the judiciary is a long pending one.

"High courts are lacking the judges. Chief Justice of India has been taking up the matter of vacancies for a long. Government must now resolve this matter," he said in ETV's popular 'The JC Show'.

"There is no discrimination in appointments even though it takes a bit of time. Very soon the judges will be appointed in the Rajasthan HC. Collegium has cleared. Some of them are retired," he added.

Last week, Chief Justice of India (CJI) TS Thakur made a poignant appeal to increase the number of judges, to which Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who was present at the event, assured him of the government's intervention.

"It is not enough to criticise, you cannot shift the entire burden to the judiciary. If you compare performances of our judges to the other countries, we are head and shoulder above them. Speeches have been made in past, people have spoken in conference, there's been debate in Parliament. But I think nothing really appears to be moving," CJI Thakur had said at the Joint Conference of Chief Ministers and Chief Justices on April 24.

In response, Prime Minister Modi said that he understood the Chief Justice's concern and added that that going forward, he hoped that the Government and the Judiciary could work together to find solutions to these issues.
Dehradun: Uttarakhand fires have destroyed nearly 1900 hectares of forest land in 13 districts since February. At least six have died so far. Now, to douse the fire, IAF's chopper MI-17 will drop water in affected areas. Here are all the updates.

- IAF in action over Uttarakhand helping local authorities in controlling forest fires

- Pre-fire alert to be given till June 30th in 16 states including Uttarakhand: SS Negi

- Air Force and Army on alert. 1800 hectares of area affected, 11-1200 fire cases: SS Negi,DG (Forests) and Special Secy, MoEF

- Some notorious elements involved have been caught in Pauri and other districts setting forest afire, have been handed over to police: SS Negi

- I held a meeting with DG of forest survey of India, have given pre-fire alert to Uttarakhand for assistance: SS Negi

- Within one to two days, the situation will be under control: SS Negi, DG (Forests) and Special Secretary, MoEF

- We have taken complete precautions. NDRF teams working there. A home ministry team is also to arrive there: SS Negi

- Home Minister Rajnath Singh instructs MHA officials to monitor situation and provide all assistance in controlling fire

- HM Rajnath Singh reviewed fire situation with Chief Secretary of the state and the concerned officers in MHA this morning

- Due to refuelling of IAF's Mi-17 v5, operation for areas affected by Uttarakhand forest fire will be conducted from Haldwani army camp

- Carried out an air sortie this morn, visibility is low so we landed back, says Sushil Yadav (Pilot, IAF)

- The chopper and crew is ready, we are just waiting for weather to clear up, then we'll start fire fighting operations: Sushil Yadav

- These (IAF's MI-17) choppers will lift water from lake and will use it to douse flames in affected areas, says Raza Abbas (SDM, Srinagar)

- IAF's 11-member team begins fire fighting operations to douse Uttarakhand forest fire (Srinagar, Garhwal)

- IAF's chopper MI-17 takes off from Nainital, will drop water in areas affected by Uttarakhand forest fire (see pic below)

- The Prime Minister`s Office (PMO) on Saturday sought information on fires in forests in Uttarakhand from the state government and assured all possible relief.

- Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Saturday spoke to Uttarakhand Governor K.K Paul over the issue of fires in forests on the state, and assured that Centre is providing all necessary assistance to control the fire.

"Spoke to Uttarakhand Governor Shri KK Paul regarding the incidents of forest fires in the state. NDRF teams have already been sent," Singh said in a tweet.

"The Centre is providing all necessary assistance to Uttarakhand state to control the forest fires and help in containing the damage," he added.

- The National Disaster Response Force deployed three teams earlier on Saturday to control forest fires in Uttarakhand that have destroyed nearly 1900 hectares of forest land in 13 districts since February.

- The NDRF teams are equipped with water tankers, floating pumps and medical setup to assist the rescue operation.

- The teams will be posted at Almora, Pauri and Gauchar in Chamoli districts.Locals have been told to report a fire incident to the concerned district magistrate as soon as they spot it.

- Pre-fire alerts listing possible fire points over the next seven days in forest areas are being made available on the forest department website.

- Besides ravaging forests, the fire has killed four people, including two women, in Uttarkashi and a woman and her child in Nainital district.

- Two others were reportedly burnt in separate incidents in Nainital and Chamoli districts.Authorities had to close National Highway 58 that connects Badrinath for hours on Thursday after the forest fire could not be controlled.

- Paul has asked officials to scale up operations to control the fire.He has ordered deployment of additional staff and allocation of Rs. 5 crore to meet out the immediate financial needs required to control the fires.

- Deposed chief minister Harish Rawat has written to Paul urging him to declare Uttarakhand a `forest fire-ravaged` state.
New Delhi: A Parliamentary committee has expressed "anguish" over shortage of faculty in higher education institutions, including Central Universities, IITs and IIMs, terming it as the "biggest handicap" in developing and maintaining the standard of education in the country.

Observing that the situation continues to be "grim" with no improvement appearing imminent, the panel has suggested beginning the hiring process before a post falls vacant. In order to make teaching more attractive, it has also suggested that the faculty should be encouraged to undertake consultancy.

In a report tabled earlier this week, the Parliamentary Standing Committee on HRD headed by BJP MP Satyanarayan Jatiya, voiced concern over "acute" shortage of faculty in higher education institutions across the country.

The panel said it was informed that the total number of sanctioned teaching posts in Central Universities is 16,600 out of which 2,376 are for the position of Professors, 4,708 Associate Professors and 9,521 Assistant Professors. Of the positions lying vacant 1,277 are for the post of Professor, 2173 Associate Professor and 2,478 Assistant Professor.

In the IITs, the committee said in its report, the minimum qualification for a faculty member is PhD and there is a shortage of such candidates. It noted that institutes were engaging faculty on contract basis to tide over the shortage.

"The committee is anguished to find out that right from well established Central Universities to those set up recently, State Universities as well as private universities, premier institutions like IITs, NITs and IIMs, this problem has emerged as the biggest handicap for the development and growth of Higher Education vis-a-vis maintaining the quality of education," the panel said.

It further observed that the situation continues to be "grim" with no improvement foreseen in the near future.

Either our young students are not attracted towards the teaching profession or the recruitment process is a prolonged one with too many procedural formalities, the panel said.

Asking the Department of Higher Education in the HRD ministry to assume a proactive role, the panel suggested that the recruitment process should start well in advance before a post is vacated.

It also advised the ministry to work in tandem with the institutes to "have this exercise on yearly basis and recruitment must be done in advance so that shortage does not develop into crisis."

The panel also said to make the teaching profession more attractive, "the faculty should be encouraged to undertake consultancy and given start-up financial support."
Delhi: National Security Adviser AK Doval has expressed his satisfaction over Pakistan's five-member Joint Investigation Team (JIT) team's visit and intent in April to collect evidence against those accused of carrying out Pathankot terror attack, as per a media report.

India Today Group quoted sources as saying that in an informal conversation with five former Pakistan High Commissioners at the Prime Minister's Office on Friday, Doval said, "I was quite satisfied with the interest the JIT showed and also the assurances they gave us on the basis of the evidence that we provided them that they would be able to take effective action against culprits."

Moreover, the report also quoted sources as saying that the NSA had assured the delegation that PM Narendra Modi was genuine in his desire to have good relations with Pakistan.

He is reported to have added that efforts being made were not "for posturing or to score diplomatic points".

However, Doval made it clear to former high commissioners that "Pakistan has to deliver by controlling terrorists and it has to stop bleeding India. It has to abandon the path it had been following in the past."

As per the report, sources said that former high commissioners had pointed out concerns that existed in some circles about Doval's hawkish approach towards Pakistan.

They apparently cited Doval's "offensive defence" posture in a speech which went viral on YouTube in 2014.

The NSA supposedly replied that he was not the NSA when he had given that speech.

Explaining that basic doctrine of any security mechanism by a country was to ensure that there is a deterrence against those who are trying to harm the country, Doval said that such a doctrine was only meant "to warn the offending country that there will be a cost and a retaliation", as per the report.

Meanwhile, on April 28, government had told told the Rajya Sabha that Pakistan had been clearly told that it should allow an Indian probe team to visit that country in connection with Pathankot terror attack as reciprocity was the principle on which Pakistan's JIT was allowed to visit here.

Minister of State for External Affairs Gen VK Singh had also insisted that the meeting between the Foreign Secretaries of the two countries here recently was "no formal talks".

Acknowledging that the Pathankot attack has served to stress once again the centrality of India's concerns regarding cross-border terrorism in ties with Pakistan, the former Army Chief-turned-minister, had however, defended the bilateral engagements saying it was for the first time in the history that country had showed a "cooperative attitude" after a terror attack.

In their first formal bilateral meeting after Pathankot attack, Foreign Secretaries of India and Pakistan had held talks on April 26 focusing on a range of sticky issues including probe into the strike and Kashmir, which Pakistani side asserted was the "core issue".

Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar and his Pakistani counterpart Aizaz Ahmed Chaudhry, in India to attend the Heart of Asia conference, had met after which the Pakistani side said its Foreign Secretary "emphasised that Kashmir remains the core issue that requires a just solution in accordance with UNSC resolutions and wishes of Kashmiri people."

(With PTI inputs)
Delhi: Delhi: National Security Adviser AK Doval reportedly told a delegation of five former Pakistan High Commissioners that Prime Minister Narendra Modi was genuine in his desire to have good relations with Pakistan, as per a media report.

India Today Group quoted sources as saying that NSA had said that efforts being made were not "for posturing or to score diplomatic points".

On the other hand, he is said to have expressed his satisfaction over Pakistan's five-member Joint Investigation Team (JIT) team's visit and intent in April to collect evidence against those accused of carrying out Pathankot terror attack.

The report quoted sources as saying that in an informal conversation with former Pakistan High Commissioners at the Prime Minister's Office on Friday, Doval said, "I was quite satisfied with the interest the JIT showed and also the assurances they gave us on the basis of the evidence that we provided them that they would be able to take effective action against culprits."

At the same time, Doval made it clear to former high commissioners that "Pakistan has to deliver by controlling terrorists and it has to stop bleeding India. It has to abandon the path it had been following in the past."

As per the report, Doval explained that basic doctrine of any security mechanism by a country was to ensure that there is a deterrence against those who are trying to harm the country.

He supposedly added that such a doctrine was only meant "to warn the offending country that there will be a cost and a retaliation", as per the report.

Meanwhile, on April 28, government had told told the Rajya Sabha that Pakistan had been clearly told that it should allow an Indian probe team to visit that country in connection with Pathankot terror attack as reciprocity was the principle on which Pakistan's JIT was allowed to visit here.

Minister of State for External Affairs Gen VK Singh had also insisted that the meeting between the Foreign Secretaries of the two countries here recently was "no formal talks".

Acknowledging that the Pathankot attack has served to stress once again the centrality of India's concerns regarding cross-border terrorism in ties with Pakistan, the former Army Chief-turned-minister, had however, defended the bilateral engagements saying it was for the first time in the history that country had showed a "cooperative attitude" after a terror attack.

(With Agency inputs)
Ahmedabad: At a time when several rumours about Prime Minister's educational qualifications are doing the rounds in political circuit, a report claims that Narendra Modi was an above average student and that he secured a first class as a post-graduate student of political science.

A report in Ahmedabad Mirror reveals that till the time Modi was a student in Gujarat he did quite alright.

As per the information available with the Gujarat University, Modi was an external student and completed his masters in political science with a score of 62.3% in 1983. His subjects in the 2-year course included European Politics, Indian Political Analysis and Psychology of Politics.

The university, however, has no information about the PM's graduation. Modi completed his prescience from MN Science College, Visnagar, the report states.

However, it could not be ascertained by the college about how Modi fared beyond the fact that he passed pre-science, which is a one-year course equivalent to class XII.

The second year marks listed in the records mention that PM scored 64 (out of 100 marks)marks in political science, 62 in European and Social Political Thoughts, 69 in Modern India/ Political Analysis and 67 marks in Concept tool/s  Political Psychological and Social, Ahmedabad Mirror quoted Gujarat University Vice-Chancellor M N Patel as saying.

A day after the CIC had directed Delhi University and the Gujarat University to provide information on degrees earned by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Aam Aadmi Party said he should have given details of his academic qualification immediately since the PM tweets even on a minor issue and wondered if anything was "fishy".

The Central Information Commission had yesterday directed Delhi University and the Gujarat University to search and provide information on degrees earned by Modi to Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, who had criticised the functioning of transparency panel.

(With PTI inputs)
New Delhi: Amid controversy over alleged corruption in Rs 3,600-crore AgustaWestland VVIP chopper deal, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is all set to question former IAF chief SP Tyagi, along with his two brothers on Monday.

According to Times Now, Tyagi would be confronted today with fresh evidence and documents obtained by CBI.

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) had earlier summoned Tyagi in connection with the its money laundering probe relating to the case.

This was the first time that the ex-Chief Of Staff of the Indian Air Force was summoned by the central agency.

The summons to Tyagi were issued under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).

However, CBI had questioned Tyagi earlier in the same case and he had then denied any wrongdoing.

On Saturday, former Deputy chief of Indian Air Force JS Gujral was quizzed for 9 hours by the investigative agency probing the case. Gujaral was one of the many senior officials who were part of the meeting in 2005 to decide the height ceiling for the choppers.

Sources indicated Tyagi's questioning is necessary in the light of a recent judgement of a Milan (Italy) court which had sentenced Italian defence and aerospace major Finmeccanica's former chief Giuseppe Orsi and the former CEO of the firm Bruno Spagnolini on corruption charges in the sale of a dozen AgustaWestland helicopters to India for VVIP purposes.

The allegation against the former Air chief is that he allegedly reduced the height of the VVIP helicopters so that AgustaWestland could be included in the bids.

He took over as the Indian Air Force chief on December 31, 2005 and retired from service in 2007.

ED had registered a PMLA case in this regard in 2014 and named 21 people including Tyagi in its money laundering FIR.

It had also arrested Delhi-based businessman Gautam Khaitan and had also filed a charge sheet last year.

ED is probing the case in which 70 million Euros (about Rs 360 crore) were allegedly paid as kickbacks.

The agency had earlier submitted that Khaitan was on the board of Chandigarh-based company Aeromatrix which was allegedly a front firm for the financial dealings in the chopper deal.

On January 1, 2014, India scrapped the contract with Finmeccanica's British subsidiary AgustaWestland for supplying 12 AW101 VVIP choppers to the Indian Air Force (IAF) over alleged breach of contractual obligations and charges of paying kickbacks to the tune of Rs 423 crore by it for securing the deal.

In view of the corruption charges, India has also barred Finmeccanica and its group companies from participating in any new programme of the defence ministry.

The central agency has also issued Letters Rogatory (judicial requests) to ten countries in this case.

VVIP chopper deal probe major set-back for Congress president Sonia Gandhi?

Right from the beginning of the probe, the ruling BJP has been making allegations of involvement of top leaders of the Congress in the chopper deal.

The VVIP chopper deal relates to a 2010 decision of the the UPA government to buy 12 helicopters from Italian manufacturer, Finmeccanica, a unit of AgustaWestland.

CBI, in 2013, had registered a case in connection with alleged bribes paid by the firm to Indians to clinch the deal for 12 helicopters to ferry VVIPs, including the President and the then prime minister.

Recently, firing a fresh salvo at Sonia Gandhi over the VVIP chopper scam, BJP had even claimed the then defence minister AK Antony had objected to relaxations extended to AgustaWestland regarding field trials but was "overridden", and suggested that the Congress chief was behind it.

However, there is so much circumstantial evidence to show that the role of Congress bigwigs was there in the approval of contract and its operationalisation.
New Delhi: Taking a dig at Congress, the RSS on Sunday wondered who would have thought a ghost of a scam will come all the way from Italy to haunt its president Sonia Gandhi and dared the party to tell the country who 'Signora Gandhi' is as mentioned in an Italian court.

"The people of the oldest party insist that Signora should not be linked to a particular name. But someone has betrayed the country. Who is it? Bribe-givers are behind bars. Who are the bribe-takers," the Hindu nationalist organisation said in its mouthpiece 'Panchjanya'.

Attacking the Congress over corruption in the AgustaWestland chopper deal, it further said, "Thousands of people fear that a certain political party mired in corruption may resort to riots to deflect the nation's attention from its leaders."

Without naming Sonia Gandhi, the editorial said,"No one had thought the ghost of a scam will come all the way from Italy to haunt Signora."

It also said that the Congress camp is "rattled" by the presence of some new faces in Rajya Sabha, In an apparent reference to BJP leader Subranian Swamy.

The editorial dares Congress to reveal the mystery behind "Signora Gandhi", adding, "It's sad that with Signora, the name of (Mahatma) Gandhi, whom the nation reveres, was also defamed in an Italian court".

The Italian court has described this Signora as the "driving force" behind the helicopter scam, it said.

The editorial said people can see through the veil and "Signora has to come out in the open now".

"Signora will have to come out in the open now....Is Signora bigger than the party? Is she bigger than even Gandhi?" it said.

(With PTI inputs)
Kottarakara: Eyeing the May 16 Assembly polls, BJP on Sunday said the time has come for the saffron party to open its account in Kerala Assembly.

While addressing an election rally here for the Assembly polls, Union minister Rajiv Pratap Rudy said, "Time has come for the doors of Niyama Sabha (state assembly) to open for BJP MLAs."

The saffron party, which has so far not succeeded in sending even a single MLA to the state assembly, is launching an all out battle to woo the electorate.

Top BJP national leaders led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be addressing a series of election rallies from this week.

"Though he was not an astrologer or soothsayer, the writing on the wall was clear that BJP would open its account and the next government would that be of the BJP," he said.

Attacking the Congress led UDF and CPI(m) led LDF, he said the Congress at the national level had come to a naught and the Communist party's reign was not only over in India, but all over the world.

Referring to the Congress- CPI(M) understanding in the West Bengal elections, he said while the two fronts?fight each other in Kerala on ideological differences, they are however, friends in West Bengal.

Asking party workers not to be disheartened, Rudy said BJP which started off with two MPs in the 1984 Parliamentary elections, emerged as the single largest party with 284 MPs and had over 400 MPs in both houses of Parliament presently, besides over 2,000 MLAs.

BJP government is ruling in Goa, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Chattisgarh, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Jharkhand, Punjab, Haryana and in J&K, where it was part of the coalition government, he said.

Union Health minister J P Nadda said it was not the people who had failed the state, but the leaders.

About 50,000 IT professionals from Kerala were working in Bengaluru, instead of Kerala as there are no IT hubs here.

Good construction workers are in Saudi Arabia and Dubai and no development was taking place in the state, he alleged.
Pune: Hopes turned into despair for the family of a four-year-old boy who was rescued today from a 200-feet borewell in Mandanwan village but died on his way to a city-based government hospital, a medical officer said on Sunday.

Sunil More, son of a labourer, fell into the borewell while playing yesterday.

The rescue operations, conducted by a team comprising 27 National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) personnel, fire brigade and police officials, lasted for over 30 hours as they extricated the boy at around 7.45 PM.

According to Deputy Commandant Sacchidanand Gawade of NDRF's 5th battalion, Sunil was unconscious when rescued but his pulse was on, following which he was first rushed to a private hospital in the village.

However, as his condition deteriorated he was being transferred to state-run Sassoon Hospital in Pune but died midway.

"He has been declared dead on arrival and his body will be sent to postmortem," a Resident Medical Officer on duty at Sassoon Hospital told PTI tonight.

Earlier, Gawde said, "We had to dig a parallel hole to the borewell. During the exercise, the rescue team had to face a daunting task as a solid rock was found underneath and it led to the delay."

According to Gawade, after digging vertical at around 22 feet, the rescuing team dug horizontally to reach to the boy, who was stuck at 20 feet into borewell and eventually he was pulled out.

"Even though, his lower part of the body was freed from the horizontal tunnel, the rescue team had faced hardships while freeing his upper part of the body as his neck was trapped against a rock," he explained.

The oxygen was being pumped inside the hole to make sure that Sunil did not face any difficulty while breathing.


Pathankot: In a bizarre incident, a 15-year-old boy had a narrow escape from death after he sustained bullet injury in his head while taking a selfie with his sister along with a revolver pointed at his forehead.

The untoward incident happened at the house of the teenager which is situated at Shiv Nagar here on Friday night.

Ramandeep Singh was a student of class 10 of Guru Harkishen Public School.

Senior Superintendent of Police, Pathankot, Rakesh Kumar Kaushal said, Ramandeep was clicking selfie with loaded gun at his house when the incident happened," ANI reported on Saturday.

With bullet stuck in his head, critically injured Ramandeep Singh was shifted to a hospital in Ludhiana.

The incident occurred last night when Ramandeep was trying to take a selfie on his mobile phone with the licensed .32 bore revolver while pointing the weapon to his head.

The revolver belonged to Ramandeep's father Gurkirpal Singh who is a property dealer.

The Pathankot SSP also informed that according to boy's parents, his father had gone out of home leaving behind his licensed gun which the boy took for clicking a selfie. The boy sustained serious injuries after the shot was accidently fired

Meanwhile, the Pathankot police have registered a case relating to the accident.

Recently, a college girl fell into the swirling Arabian Sea while clicking a selfie off a rocky part of the Mumbai beach and a youth who plunged into the water to save her were both swept away.

Similarly, in Jammu and Kashmir's Reasi district, an attempt to take a selfie atop a fort proved fatal for a youth as he fell backwards and died.

According to Priceonomics, India is home to the highest number of people who have died while taking photos of themselves, with 19 of the worlds 49 recorded selfie-linked deaths since 2014.
Dhaka: Bangladesh police on Sunday arrested three men, including a member of the fundamentalist Jamaat-e-Islami and a journalist, for the brutal murder of a Hindu tailor by machete-wielding ISIS militants in the latest attack on secular writers and minorities in the Muslim-majority nation.

Two cases have also been filed over the killing of 50-year-old Nikhil Chandra Joarder, who was hacked to death by three assailants who forcibly entered his house and slit his throat yesterday in central Bangladesh's Tangail district.

One of the cases was filed over the murder of Joarder and another over bombs seized from a bag left by the assailants.

Police arrested Badsa Miah, Jamaat secretary of Gopalpur municipal unit, local BNP activist Jhantu Mia and a local journalist and Gopalpur Press Club's Vice-President Aminul Islam for the murder.

"They have been detained for questioning in connection with Joardar's murder as part of the investigation," Tangail's additional superintendent of police Mohammad Aslam Khan said.

Hours after Joarder's murder, US-based SITE Intelligence Group in a statement said that the Islamic State (ISIS) group has claimed responsibility for the attack.

ISIS' Amaq Agency reported the group's involvement in the killing of the Hindu tailor for blasphemy, it said in a tweet.

Media reports said Joarder had served three months in prison in 2012 for blasphemous comments.

Police said his neighbours feared Joarder might have drawn the wrath of the militants for his controversial comments.

"We are trying to track down the killers and called CID to probe the murder," police said.

There have been systematic assaults in Bangladesh in recent months, especially targeting minorities, secular bloggers, intellectuals and foreigners.

Last Saturday, a liberal professor was hacked to death by ISIS militants who slit his throat in Rajshahi city. Two days later, Bangladesh's first gay magazine editor was murdered along with a friend in his flat in Dhaka by Islamists.

In February, the head priest of a Hindu temple was killed in an area bordering India. It was the first attack by ISIS militants targeting the community.

Last year, four prominent secular bloggers were killed, one inside his own home.

In most of the cases, Islamic State or al-Qaeda in Indian Sub Continent have claimed the attacks. But the Bangladeshi government has repeatedly denies that jihadist groups were behind the spate of bloody attacks.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has often denied existence of any foreign terrorist groups in the country and has attributed the deadly attacks on homegrown extremists backed by the BNP, the main opposition outside parliament, and its ally Jamaat-e-Islami.
New Delhi: Known as the smallest and coldest planet in our solar system, Pluto came into focus in July, 2015, through NASA's New Horizons' Pluto flyby.

New Horizons is forever at work conducting probes into the numerous phases of the dwarf planet, thereby giving space enthusiasts an insight into the progressing evolutions that the planet goes through.

It is all courtesy New Horizons, that NASA is able to provide viewers with amazing discoveries. Be it icy volcanoes that adorn the planet or the activity of its five moons, New Horizons spacecraft bears testimony to the fact that the dwarf planet is loaded with surprises.

In its latest release, NASA has shared an image of Pluto that puts it in a global perspective. This means that it has released Pluto's updated global map in a panchromatic version.

As per NASA, the map of Pluto, produced by the US space agency includes all resolved images of Plutos surface acquired between July 7-14, 2015, at pixel resolutions ranging from 18 miles (30 kilometers) on the Charon-facing hemisphere (left and right edges of the map) to 770 feet (235 meters) on the hemisphere facing New Horizons during the spacecrafts closest approach on July 14, 2015 (map center). The non-encounter hemisphere was seen from much greater range and is, therefore, in far less detail.
Varanasi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is visiting the temple town of Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh, on Sunday took a break from his hectic life by a taking a boat ride on Ganga river in the lap of the nature.

Ganga is at its best in Varanasi when its serpentine course softly touches the shores of this temple town, reminding its residents the divine power it holds and for which scores of people from across the country visit her here to pay their obeisance so they could cleanse their souls.
Varanasi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to visit his Lok Sabha constituency Varanasi on Sunday where he will launch solar-powered boats for plying on river Ganga apart from distributing 1,000 e-rickshaws.

The Prime Minister took to Twitter to confirm his schedule. In a series of tweet he wrote:

In Varanasi will distribute e-rickshaws & interact with beneficiaries. Will also meet prominent citizens of Kashi. Looking forward.  Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) May 1, 2016

Particularly excited to launch a scheme for environmentally friendly e-boats at Assi Ghat. These will help bring down pollution.  Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) May 1, 2016

The e-boats will also bring down operational costs thus ensuring higher incomes for those who earn their livelihoods through such boats.  Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) May 1, 2016

The Prime Minister will arrive at the Babatpur airport from New Delhi by a special aircraft and will leave by helicopter for Ballia in eastern Uttar Pradesh to launch the Pradhanmantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY).

Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana will be launched in Ballia. The scheme provides LPG connections to 5 cr women beneficiaries from BPL families.  Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) May 1, 2016

The PMUY scheme aims to provide free LPG connections to about five crore families living below poverty line across the country.

From Ballia, the Prime Minister will fly back to Varanasi where will preside over a function to distribute 1000 e-rickshaws to beneficiaries at Diesel Locomotive Works (DLW) ground.

Modi will then visit "Jnana Pravaha", a centre of cultural studies and research, in Samne Ghat area. The centre was founded in 1997 by city-borne philanthropist Bimla Poddar, who was conferred with Padma Shri last year.

The Jnana Pravaha boasts of a museum with rare artefacts belonging to ancient and medieval ages, a library equipped with rare books and manuscripts and a handicraft atelier where artisans churn out exquisite specimens of brass, copper and Ashtadhatu (alloy comprising eight metals).

The Prime Minister will thereafter head to the Assi Ghat on river Ganga, where he will launch 11 solar-powered "e-boats".

Widespread use of motorboats, mostly powered by diesel, has been a cause of concern in view of the alarming pollution level in the holy river. The introduction of "e-boats" is being seen as a remedial measure.

This will be the Prime Minister's third tour of his parliamentary constituency since January this year.
Varanasi: Accusing the erstwhile Congress governments of pursuing "vote bank politics", Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday took potshots at Nehru-Gandhi family and reached out to the numerically significant Nishad community in Uttar Pradesh as he launched solar-powered boats for plying on river Ganga.

Following are PM Modi's top ten quotes at the event:

"India has launched seven satellites to augment the GPS system. With the kind of politics going on in our country and massive work being done, it came to our mind that let's name it (the solar-powered boat project) after Pandit Deendayal Upadhyay or Shayma Prasad Mukherjee (the RSS icons)."

"You have already seen how many schemes are named after one family. We also felt tempted to name the project after those who belonged to us. But this Modi is made of a different stuff. I named it Naavik (boatman). I did not name it after any of my family members or any leader. I have given a name, which gives immortality to the fishermen community."

"Unfortunately politics in our country took a direction in which policies were always made to strengthen vote bank. The focus was that the vote bank should remain strong, irrespective of whether the poor, the citizens of the country, get empowered or not or the country is strengthened or not."

"Earlier when something was talked about our Nishad brothers, the price of diesel was brought down by one rupee or so in the hope that they will cast their vote in favour. But we have made schemes, which empower the poor to fight and defeat the poverty themselves. We are working in that direction."

"E-boats will help bring down pollution, ensure higher incomes for those who earn their livelihoods through such boats."

"This nation, our government and our banks, they are all for the poor."

"Our experience during Jan Dhan Yojana brought out the richness of the poor. And it is really satisfying to work day and night for the poor."

"Steps taken by Centre are fully devoted to freeing poor from the clutches of poverty and making them self-sufficient."

"Through Pradhan Mantri Mudra Yojana, we asked banks to give loans without guarantee as this country is for poor, banks are for poor."

"There was a time when a MP used to get 25 gas coupons, and people used to queue up outside their house to ask for gas connections. They (previous government) used to give 25 gas connections, we decided that we'll provide gas connections to over 5 crore families in 3 years"
Dehradun: Deposed Uttarakhand Chief Minister Harish Rawat on Sunday virtually accepted his presence in a sting video, but said that meeting a journalist was not a crime.

"Is meeting a journalist a crime? If one of the MLAs who had not been technically disqualified by that time talked to me, how does it matter? Do we block any channels in politics?" Rawat told reporters.

Since the video had come into public domain, he had insisted that the sting CD of him was "fake".

"If someone says he was lying, it is possible other person was also lying," Rawat said on alleged sting operation.

"Did I say I needed MLAs or offered cash at any point of time?," Rawat added, as per ANI.

Claiming innocence, Rawat said if the CD contained evidence of him having made an offer in cash or kind in exchange for the support of disgruntled MLAs he was ready to be hanged in public.

Alleging that the sting operation and the CBI probe into it were part of a "criminal conspiracy" by BJP to topple an elected government, he dared Prime Minister Narendra Modi and party chief Amit Shah to put him in jail if he is found in the wrong.

"If any evidence is found against me like me offering money or post to anybody, hang me at Clock tower," he said, as per PTI.

Clock tower is a busy chowk in the heart of the town.

However, from what the deposed chief minister said it was clear that a meeting did take place between him and the journalist who made the sting CD.

"Why should anyone spend Rs 15 crore for me. The man (journalist) was saying something meaningless to while away my time and I said something to while away his. How does it matter? We keep saying things like this on a daily basis. Does that mean they should be used against us?" Rawat said.

The sting CD made by the editor-in-chief of a private news channel and circulated by the nine Congress rebels, who created a political crisis in the state by siding with opposition BJP in the state Assembly, purportedly shows Rawat negotiating a money deal with the journalist to buy the support of MLAs who had revolted against him.

(With Agency inputs)
Dehradun: The Director of Delhi's Fire Department is scheduled to visit Uttarakhand on Sunday to extend his support to douse down the fire which has destroyed around 1,900 hectares of forests in the hill state, ANI reported.

Meanwhile, the government has decided to press two MI-17 helicopters into service as NDRF, SDRF and Army personnel struggled to douse the flames which have claimed six lives till now.

A total of 1890.79 hectares of green cover have been destroyed this fire season which had an early start on February 2 due to a dry winter.

Chamoli, Pauri, Rudraprayag, Tehri, Uttarkashi, Almora, Pithoragarh and Nainital are the worst-affected districts.

While three NDRF teams and one SDRF company are busy dousing the flames in different parts of the state, two IAF choppers have been sent to Nainital and Pauri districts, among the worst hit, to spray water over the burning jungles, Raj Bhawan officials here said.

Enough funds have been made available to all affected districts besides required personnel and equipment to deal with any situation, they had said.

"One MI-17 chopper has been stationed at Bhimtal near Nainital right which is being loaded with water collected from the waterbodies in the area and begin spraying water over affected areas from tomorrow," Chief Secretary Shatrughna had Singh said.

Uttarakhand forest fire: Indian Air Force deploys 11-member team with Mi-17 helicopter to control the fire pic.twitter.com/LVY9ZMD0IR  ANI (@ANI_news) April 30, 2016

Another IAF chopper sent to Pauri will operate in similar fashion, a Raj Bhawan official had said.

According to officials, with forest fires still raging three NDRF teams have been deployed in Almora, Gauchar and Pauri and one team of SDRF in Nainital to extinguish the flames.

Rudraprayag forest division is also taking help from the Army for fire fighting operations especially along the highway.

The casualties due to forest fires, which have spread to sparsely populated remote hill areas, have risen to six with another life claimed in Nainital district on Friday evening. The deceased include three women and a child.

Worried over forest fires which are still raging in different parts of the state, Governor KK Paul reviewed the rescue efforts underway via videoconferencing with officials in the field and asked them to speed up their efforts.

Dehradun:Uttarakhand Governor KK Paul holds meeting with distt officials on forest fire through video-conferencing pic.twitter.com/vGyM9xq7dF  ANI (@ANI_news) April 30, 2016

NDRF companies assisted by expert teams and locals are conducting fire extinguishing and rescue operations in affected areas of Garhwal and Kumaon regions.

IG Sanjay Gunjyal is coordinating with the NDRF, the district magistrates concerned and Principal Conservator of Forest to supervise the rescue operations.

Locals are being encouraged to report a fire incident tothe district magistrate concerned as soon as they sight it so that it can be controlled in time.

Forest fires are natural during summer but this time they have occurred on a bigger scale as the fire season which normally begins by February 15 and ends by June 15, began on February 2.

Former chief minister Harish Rawat has asked the governor to declare Uttarakhand as a fire disaster struck state and involve locals as much as possible in fire extinguishing efforts.

Since the elected government of Uttarakhand has been dismissed by the Centre, the Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh spoke to the state Governor KK Paul assuring him Centres assistance to control forest fires and help containing the damage.

Pre-fire alerts listing possible fire points over the next seven days in forest areas is being made available on forest department's website www.Forest.Uk.Govt, an official release here said.

Meanwhile, Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan said Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) is rushing Aviation Turbine Fuel (ATF) refullers to replenish IAF choppers deployed to douse the massive fire in Uttarakhand.

"Spoke to Governor Uttarakhand; IOC rushing ATF refuellers to reach Haldwani & Srinagar by morning for firefighting by airforce helicopters," he tweeted.
Cooch Behar (WB): Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Sunday came down heavily on the Trinamool Congress and Left Front saying there was no difference between the two regimes.

The TMC came to power five years ago with a promise of 'parivartan' but West Bengal saw no change as law and order situation continues to be poor, Singh alleged.

Earlier Left Front used to attack people and now TMC is doing the same, he claimed.

"Ma, Mati, Manush are not safe in this state," the senior BJP leader said while addressing an election meeting here in Cooch Behar district where polls will be held for the last phase on May 5.

However, he said, things will change. "You note down the names of the anti-social elements who attack people. It is our duty to keep you safe under democracy," the Union Home Minister said.

He said if the people bring the BJP to power in the state, it will stop the "existing bomb making industry".

Singh asked the gathering about availability of drinking water, schools, teachers, hospitals, doctors or medicines in their areas.

The people replied in the negative to all the questions.

Singh then said, "Do you want such a government anymore? We want to change this situation."

Referring to the Agusta Westland chopper deal scandal, he alleged that top Congress party leaders were involved in it and the Left Front has forged an alliance with this party.

He mocked at the alliance saying, "Kerala me ladai aur Bengal me sagaai" and claimed that they joined hands not for politics, but only to grab power.

A large section of the gathering was of Greater Cooch Behar Peoples Association (GCPA) supporters. They attended the meeting with flags of their organisations.
Chandipur (WB): Claiming that a section of police officials have "unleashed terror" on people at the behest of the Election Commission, Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee on Sunday warned them of "consequences" if she is voted to power again.

"Those responsible will have to face the consequences. Election Commission's duty is to ensure free and fair poll, but they have unleashed terror with the help of a section of police officials," Banerjee alleged, addressing an election rally here in Midnapore district.

Referring to officers who were appointed to important posts like that of Kolkata Police Commissioner and District Magistrates and SPs under instructions from the poll panel, the West Bengal Chief Minister said, "If someone thinks by getting power for 15 days, he will do anything, then he is mistaken."

Banerjee had in 2014 reinstated some officers who had been removed by the EC during the Lok Sabha polls, after the poll process got over.

Claiming she had got the "confirmation" about securing a majority in the Assembly polls, five phases of which are over, Banerjee said she had taken note of who had done what and also those who had worked "impartially".

"Enough is enough. I am gentle to those who are good, but if anybody shows red eyes to me, then he will have to face the consequences," she said.
Bogota Colombia deported top Peruvian crime lord Gerson Galvez, a day after arresting the man described as the new version of Mexico's Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman.

Galvez, also known as Caracol (Snail), was arrested in a restaurant in the western city of Medellin, Colombia's defence ministry said late Saturday.

He was then handed over to Peruvian authorities yesterday because of his "dangerousness" and flown back to his home country, Colombian national police chief Jorge Nieto told a press conference.

As he was escorted toward an awaiting Peruvian air force plane, Galvez repeatedly told journalists he had "the right to be presumed innocent."

Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos congratulated his national police on Twitter, describing Galvez as "one of the most feared crime capos in the region."

Galvez "is described by Peruvian police and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime as Latin America's new 'Chapo' Guzman," the Colombian defence ministry said.

The jailed Mexican drug lord, who formerly headed the powerful Sinaloa cartel, was captured in January after months on the run.

According to a wanted notice from Peruvian police, Galvez is "violent and aggressive" and headed a network "dedicated to extortion, aggravated robbery, illegal drug trafficking" and other assorted crimes.

Peru had placed a USD 150,000 bounty for information leading to his arrest.


Miami: The first US cruise ship bound for Cuba in 50 years was set to sail from Miami on Sunday and give travellers a taste of local art, music and dance in a festive offshoot of the restoration of diplomatic relations.

The Adonia, a vessel from the Carnival cruise's Fathom line, was set to raise its anchors at 3:30 pm (1930 GMT) with some 700 passengers aboard.

It is scheduled to sail into the port of Havana tomorrow, its first stop on a visit to the communist-run island.

The voyage is the first of what Carnival says will become weeklong cruises to Cuba twice a month, with the goal of promoting cultural exchange between the two countries following a warming of ties that began in December 2014 and culminated last year with the restoration of full diplomatic ties.

"Fathom offers a truly historic opportunity for travel to Cuba: a chance to help build new bridges to a rich and vibrant culture that, until now, most US travelers have only seen in photographs," the cruise ship web page says.

Uncertainty over whether the cruise would take place was cleared up only last week, when the Cuban government of Raul Castro lifted restrictions for seaborne visits of Cubans to and from the United States, opening a door for Cuban-Americans born on the island to board the ships.

At first, keeping in mind Cuban restrictions imposed when the island's Communist regime feared a landing of anti-Castro militants, Carnival refused to accept reservations from such people.

This quickly resulted in charges of discrimination and a firestorm of criticism.

Carnival, the world's leading tour ship operator, eventually relented and began to allow reservations from Cuban-born customers. But its conditions to start the visits were for Cuba to allow its citizens to sail freely.

Cuba ultimately relented after intense negotiations as part of the normalization process, which culminated in a visit to Cuba by President Barack Obama in March.

But as the restrictions were lifted so recently, few people of Cuban origin were expected to be on the first cruise ship today.

Adonia has scheduled cultural activities in its ports of call in Havana, Cienfuegos and Santiago de Cuba, such as meetings with artists, musicians and business owners, as well as dance classes and guided tours.

This is important because full-scale regular US tourism to Cuba is still banned under the US trade embargo, which remains in force despite the diplomatic thaw.

So Americans can travel to communist Cuba only for cultural, academic, sports-related or religious events.

Carnival is the first cruise line company to win permission from both governments to offer trips, which ended after the Cuban revolution of 1959.

The cost of a ticket on the cruise ranges from USD 1,800 to USD 7,000 per person.

Regular flights from the US to Cuba are expected to begin later this year.
Tehran: Iran's official IRNA news agency reports that President Hassan Rouhani has welcomed the success of the moderate-reformist bloc in parliamentary runoff elections.

Speaking today at a ceremony marking workers day, Rouhani congratulated voters for "choosing the best" in both Friday's runoff elections and the original vote in February.

The bloc fell three seats short of a majority in the 290-seat legislature, but emerged with the largest parliamentary faction with 143 seats. Hard-liners secured 86 seats and independents won 61.

The moderate-reformist camp supports Rouhani and backs the nuclear deal signed last year with world powers. Their parliamentary successes could boost Rouhani's own chances in presidential elections scheduled for next year.
Aleppo: Russia said Sunday it was working to freeze fighting in Syria's Aleppo as US Secretary of State John Kerry was due in Geneva in a bid to restore a nationwide ceasefire.

More than a week of fighting in Syria`s second city has killed several hundred civilians and left a UN-backed peace process hanging by a thread.

Concern has been growing that the fighting in Aleppo will lead to the complete collapse of a landmark ceasefire between President Bashar al-Assad`s regime and non-jihadist rebels that was brokered by Moscow and Washington.

On Saturday Moscow said it would not urge Assad`s forces to halt air raids on the war-ravaged city as they were targeting jihadist groups not covered by the ceasefire, which took effect in late February.

But on Sunday, after Washington called on Russia to push its Syrian ally to end the strikes, the head of Moscow`s coordination centre in Syria said talks on a freeze had begun.

"Currently active negotiations are underway to establish a `regime of silence` in Aleppo province," Lieutenant General Sergei Kuralenko was quoted as saying by Russian news agencies.

He said that a freeze in fighting in Eastern Ghouta, a suburb of Damascus, had been extended by another 24 hours to the end of Sunday and that another freeze was holding in northern Latakia province."We are calling on all sides interested in establishing peace in Syria to support the Russian-American initiative and not to allow a regime of silence to be disrupted," Kuralenko said, speaking from Russia`s Hmeimim air base in Syria.

Kerry was due to arrive in Geneva later on Sunday for talks with UN envoy Staffan de Mistura and the Saudi and Jordanian foreign ministers on reviving the ceasefire.

In calls to De Mistura and the lead Syrian opposition negotiator on Saturday, Kerry expressed "deep concern" about Aleppo, which has suffered some of the worst fighting in a war that has killed more than 270,000 people and displaced millions.

Kerry made clear that ending the violence in Aleppo and returning ultimately to a durable, nationwide ceasefire was a top priority, spokesman John Kirby said.

At least 253 civilians -- including 49 children -- have died in shelling, rocket fire and air strikes in both sides of the divided city since April 22, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitoring group.

Early on Sunday the provincial capital`s rebel-held east was eerily quiet after days of bombing, an AFP correspondent said, with the last air strike there at around 1:00 am (2200 GMT Saturday) local time.

There were no reports of fighting in the city`s regime-controlled west, the Observatory said.

Air strikes did hit several rebel areas on the city`s northwestern outskirts, after rebel shelling of the city`s west and regime bombing north of the city in the night, the Observatory said.

The Syrian army said Sunday it was extending the freeze in fighting in Damascus and Eastern Ghouta to 1:00 am Monday (2200 GMT Sunday).

The same "freeze" was set to hold until 1:00 am Tuesday in Latakia, a regime stronghold.The fighting has dampened hopes that the ceasefire could finally lay the groundwork for an end to Syria`s five-year conflict.

Peace talks last month in Geneva failed to make any headway, though De Mistura has said he hopes they can resume "during the course of May".

Concern has also been growing for the battered residents of Aleppo, once Syria`s main economic hub.

On Saturday many terrified residents fled a new wave of air strikes on the city`s east saying the violence had become unbearable.

Online on Sunday a hashtag demanding an end to the violence -- #AleppoIsBurning -- continued to spread on social media, with protests planned this week around the world.

The escalating violence in the city -- which has been divided since 2012 -- has also hit medical centres.

Four medical facilities were hit Friday on both sides of the front line, the International Committee of the Red Cross said.

And a raid on Wednesday hit a hospital supported by Doctors Without Borders and the Red Cross as well as nearby housing, killing 30 people and sparking an international outcry.

Syria`s conflict erupted in 2011 after the brutal repression of anti-government protests and has since escalated into a complex, multi-faceted war.
Paris: French and Turkish police fired tear gas at protesters as tensions erupted in both countries during May Day rallies Sunday, while thousands marched across the globe for the annual celebration of worker`s rights.

From Moscow to Madrid, workers chanted demands for higher wages, better conditions and more job security as many countries battle economic uncertainty and high unemployment.

Thick clouds of tear gas hung above the Place de la Nation square in Paris where youths in balaclavas and ski masks lobbed cobblestones and bottles at black-clad riot troops shouting: "Everyone hates the police."

Police estimated some 17,000 protesters marched throughout the French capital for a rally riding a wave of anger against planned labour reforms set to come before parliament on Tuesday. Ten people were arrested, while one demonstrator and one officer were lightly injured in the scuffles, police said.

The May Day rally was the second protest against the reforms in a week to descend into violence led by troublemakers known as "casseurs" (breakers) who actively seek confrontation with security forces.

"We will respond with the greatest of determination to these troublemakers... the attacks and violence against security forces are unacceptable," said French Prime Minister Manuel Valls on Sunday.

While the government hopes the reforms will reduce chronic unemployment of about 10 percent, critics believe they threaten hard-won workers` rights by making it easier to lay off people in lean times.

The government has already watered down the bill but this has failed to calm the anger among students and workers.

"Withdraw, withdraw the labour law. Not amendable, not negotiable," protesters chanted.In Istanbul, police clamped down on unauthorised protests at a time of particular tension after a succession of deadly attacks this year in Turkey blamed on jihadists and Kurdish militants.

Around 25,000 police were on duty, cordoning off the central Taksim Square and releasing volleys of teargas and water cannon on those trying to make their way to the protest hotspot, an AFP photographer said.

In the flashpoint area of Okmeydani, masked radical leftists threw Molotov cocktails and firecrackers at police and created burning barricades out of junk.

The office of the Istanbul governor said that 207 people were detained around the city for trying to march on Taksim. It said that 40 Molotov cocktails, 17 hand grenades and dozens of fireworks were seized.

In a separate incident, a man in his 50s was killed when he was run over by a police water cannon vehicle.

Hundreds of labour and union activists took part in an officially-sanctioned rally elsewhere in the city.

Meanwhile, Turkish police detained four suspected Islamic State jihadists who were allegedly planning an attack on May Day celebrations in the capital Ankara, the state-run Anatolia news agency said.

International Workers` Day was started in Chicago in 1886 by a union demanding an eight-hour work day and is now celebrated around the world.In Moscow around 100,000 workers joined a May Day parade on the city`s Red Square, waving Russian flags and balloons near the Kremlin walls, police said.

The carefully choreographed parade took place amid an economic crisis brought on by Western sanctions over Ukraine and low oil prices.

Hundreds of thousands marched in Cuba at a rally condemning a campaign to "destabilise" leftist governments around Latin America.

"This May 1 is also a day to condemn the manoeuvres aimed at... reversing the gains achieved in social policy in our America and destabilising the leftist and progressive governments in power," Ulises Guilarte, the secretary general of the Workers` Central Union of Cuba, told a massive crowd on Havana`s Revolution Square.

Thousands marched in Madrid with banners proclaiming: "Against budget cuts and for retirees."

In Austria, embattled Chancellor Werner Faymann faced jeering and boos as he addressed around 80,000 people in Vienna, a week after the government`s disastrous defeat at the hands of the far-right in a presidential ballot.

In South Korea, planned labour reforms have also sparked anger among workers, and tens of thousands protested against the bill.

Labour activists say the reforms being pushed by President Park Geun-Hye and her conservative Saenuri Party will make it easier for companies to sack workers.

"Let`s fight together against the evil bill!" activists and union members chanted during a protest in Seoul.
STEPANAKERT, APRIL 30, ARMENPRESS. Azerbaijan's criminal behavior only strengthens the determination of the people of Artsakh to build and develop their independent and free state as the guarantor of its security and peaceful existence. Acknowledgment by the international community of this fact, and, as a result of it, the international recognition of the NKR will put an end to the ongoing attempts of Azerbaijan to destroy Artsakh and eliminate its people, and ensure peace and security in the region. Armenpress reports the statement issued by the Foreign Ministry of NKR:

On April 30, 1991, 25 years ago, the operation "Ring" began with a massive shelling of Getashen and Martunashen, which became a prelude to the subsequent full-scale military aggression of Azerbaijan against the Nagorno Karabakh Republic. During the operation, the Armenian villages were at first surrounded by the interior forces of the USSR Ministry of Internal Affairs and the Soviet Army. And afterwards, the Azerbaijani OMON and militia entered those villages under the pretext of passport checks, but in fact for murder, robbery, terror against the Armenian population, followed by deportation.

The operation "Ring" became the continuation of a series of Armenian pogroms and ethnic cleansing in Sumgait, Baku, Kirovabad and other settlements of Azerbaijan, as well as in the villages of Northern Artsakh in 1988-1991, which were intended to strangle at its birth the national liberation struggle of the Armenians of Artsakh and deprive them of their homeland. The Azerbaijani authorities did not conceal that they considered the operation "Ring" as the beginning of a large-scale deportation of all Armenians from Nagorno Karabakh.

As a result of the operation, during which tanks, combat helicopters and artillery were used, more than two dozen villages of Northern Artsakh and Shahumyan, Hadrut and Shushi regions were completely devastated and destroyed. Almost 10 thousand people were deported, more than 100 killed and several hundred taken hostage. The fate of many of them still remains unknown.

25 years later, on the night of April 2, 2016, the Azerbaijani authorities unleashed yet another aggression against the NKR, which as in 1991, was accompanied by numerous violations of international humanitarian law and war crimes committed against the civilians and soldiers of the Nagorno Karabakh Republic, including targeted shelling of peaceful settlements, killings of civilians, as well as the mutilation and ill-treatment of the dead bodies.

However, both in 1991, and now all the attempts of the Azerbaijani authorities to intimidate and break the people of Artsakh, to suppress their strive for freedom and, eventually, to deprive them of their homeland, resulted in a complete failure.

Azerbaijan's criminal behavior only strengthens the determination of the people of Artsakh to build and develop their independent and free state as the guarantor of its security and peaceful existence. Acknowledgment by the international community of this fact, and, as a result of it, the international recognition of the NKR will put an end to the ongoing attempts of Azerbaijan to destroy Artsakh and eliminate its people, and ensure peace and security in the region.
Volkswagen revealed this week that its top executives would be paid a total of 63.2 million euros for 2015 despite a massive loss incurred from the cheating controversy

German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble said he didn't understand how Volkswagen bosses could defend their bonuses after a huge emissions-rigging scandal plunged the carmaker into global turmoil, according to an interview with Die Welt published Sunday.

The criticism comes after Volkswagen revealed this week that its top executives would be paid a total of 63.2 million euros ($72 million) for 2015 despite a massive loss incurred from the cheating controversy.

"I can't understand how you can steer a major DAX (German stock exchange) company into a crisis that threatens its very existence, and then defend your own bonuses in a public debate," Schaeuble told the German daily.

"It shows that something is not right," he added.

After widespread outcry, VW's supervisory board announced that it would freeze 30 percent of the executive board members' annual bonuses for 2015 for possible payout three years later, depending on the performance of the group's shares.

Debate has been raging for weeks in Germany over whether VW's top execs are morally entitled to performance-related bonuses after warning of a bout of belt-tightening in the wake of the engine-manipulation scandal.

Volkswagen was forced to recall vehicles around the world after it admitted it had installed so-called "defeat devices" aimed at cheating emissions tests into 11 million diesel engines.

The carmaker unveiled a loss of 1.58 billion euros for last year after setting aside 16.2 billion euros in provisions to cover the potential fines, lawsuits and recall costs it foresees from the scandal.

It was the auto giant's first loss since 1993.
The federal government has reacted to a landmark court case in New Brunswick on inter-provincial trade barriers by backing the spirit of the decision and committing to a "comprehensive renewal" of the agreement that governs trade across provincial borders.

"The federal government remains committed to working with provinces and territories to strengthen Canada's internal market, including through a comprehensive renewal of Canada's Agreement on Internal Trade," Stefanie Power, a spokesperson for Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada said in an email.

Yesterday provincial court Judge Ronald LeBlanc ruled that the restrictions on bringing alcohol into New Brunswick from other provinces for personal use violates the Canadian Constitution's free-trade provisions.

Gerard Comeau of Tracadie, N.B., had been charged with unlawfully bringing in 14 cases of beer and three bottles of liquor from Quebec, where he could buy them at a lower price than in his home province  New Brunswick law limits the amount people can bring in to one bottle of liquor or wine, or 12 pints of beer.

When Comeau was charged with breaking that law, the Canadian Constitution Foundation threw its weight behind the case, providing Comeau with the legal expertise needed to mount a successful defence.

'Groundbreaking decision'

Arnold Schwisberg, a Toronto lawyer with an expertise in fighting trade barriers between the provinces, joined the legal team. He described yesterday's ruling as a "bold decision" that takes the law "in a new direction."

"Judge LeBlanc's decision is groundbreaking," he said. "No judge has ever ruled before that section 121 (of the Canadian Constitution) does in fact exist for the purpose of creating a free trade zone in Canada."

Schwisberg says that he expects the case to be appealed to a higher court and predicts it will someday end up being heard in the Supreme Court of Canada.

Story continues

"In our case the ramifications of this decision aren't limited to simply the cross-border movement of liquor," he said. "This decision arguably affects how we deal with eggs and dairy products, wheat products in Canada."

"This decision has the potential to affect the very commercial fabric of our country," he added.

Modifying internal trade agreement

Conservative MP Dan Albas, critic for Interprovincial Trade and Labour Mobility, said that because trade between the provinces is protected by the constitution, the federal government should refer the case to the High Court now to ensure the issue is settled properly.

"I hope this case puts heat on the federal, provincial and territorial governments to come to a consensus and see a new agreement on internal trade," said the MP for Central OkanaganSimilkameenNicola. "I also hope that provinces back away from spending lots of money to protect their provincial monopolies."

Albas's private member's Bill C-311, which became law in June 2012, made it legal for people to bring wine across provincial borders subject to import regulations in the destination province.

He says it is time for all parties in the House of Commons to get together and modify the Agreement on Internal Trade, signed in 1994, to finally end trade barriers within Canada.

The federal government's reaction to yesterday's ruling seems to suggest that the Liberals are keen to bring Canada's laws up to date.

"The Government of Canada is supportive of more open domestic markets that promote competitiveness and growth of Canadian businesses, including the interprovincial trade of alcohol," said Power, a spokesperson for Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada in a statement.
By Sharon Bernstein BURLINGAME, Calif. (Reuters) - Protests erupted in California for the second day in a row on Friday against U.S. presidential candidate Donald Trump, who is moving closer to winning the Republican nomination after a string of victories this week. The billionaire businessman was forced to halt his motorcade and go through a back entrance to a hotel to give a speech to the California Republican convention and avoid several hundred loud protestors gathered outside. "That was not the easiest entrance I've ever made," Trump told the gathering in Burlingame, south of San Francisco, after weaving around a barrier and clambering across a road to get to the venue. "It felt like I was crossing the border actually." Demonstrators, some of whom held Mexican national flags, at one point rushed security gates at the hotel and police officers had their batons out. The mogul had already drawn protests in California, with chaotic scenes on Thursday outside a Trump rally in Costa Mesa. Anti-Trump protesters smashed the window of a police patrol car and blocked traffic and some 20 people were arrested. Protests have become common outside rallies for Trump who has earned ardent critics, as well as support from Republican voters, for his rhetoric against illegal immigration. His campaign abandoned a rally in Chicago last month after clashes between his supporters and protesters. He has accused Mexico of sending drug dealers and rapists across the U.S. border and has promised to build a wall and make Mexico pay for it. Trump, who described himself this week as the party's presumptive nominee, would take a large stride toward knocking his Republican rivals out of the presidential race if he wins the Indiana primary next week. On Friday, he said he is approaching the 1,237 delegates needed to clinch the nomination. Trump, who has run as a political outsider and only recently started making inroads to the Republican establishment, called for the party to band together behind him. But said he could win the White House without them if needed. "There should be and there has to be unity. Now with that being said, would I win, can I win without it? I think so, to be honest," Trump told the convention. His speech drew applause, though not the fervent reception of his usual campaign rallies. INDIANA FIGHT Trump's main rival, U.S. Senator Ted Cruz, on Friday picked up the backing of Governor Mike Pence of Indiana in a rearguard battle to damage Trump's chances. "I'm not against anybody, but I will be voting for Ted Cruz in the upcoming Republican primary," Pence said on an Indiana radio show. Cruz, from Texas, is trailing the former reality TV star in the Midwestern state after losing to him by a wide margin in all five Northeastern states that held nominating contests on Tuesday. A CBS poll earlier this week found Trump with about 40 percent of support in Indiana, compared to 35 percent for Cruz. The poll had a margin of error of 6.6 points. Other polls have also shown Trump ahead. The Republican front-runner was in California ahead of its June 7 primary, when the most convention delegates of the Republican nominating cycle will be at stake. After his speech, Trump made a similarly unconventional exit out of the hotel via the back door. Cheryl McDonald, 71, of Discovery Bay, said she had to pass through protesters to get inside the hotel. "They were yelling. I think the only words they know in the dictionary are profanity," said McDonald, who said she is a Trump supporter. (Reporting by Doina Chiacu and Timothy Ahmann in Washington and Brendan O'Brien in Milwaukee; Writing by Emily Stephenson; Editing by Richard Valdmanis and Alistair Bell)
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A Russian jet fighter intercepted a U.S. Air Force reconnaissance plane on Friday in an "unsafe and unprofessional manner" over the Baltic Sea, the Pentagon said, and CNN reported the Russian pilot did a barrel roll over the U.S. plane. The U.S. Air Force RC-135 plane was flying a routine route in international airspace when it was intercepted by the Russian SU-27 fighter, the Pentagon said, in the latest in a series of similar incidents between the U.S. and Russian militaries. The Russian fighter came within about 100 feet (30 meters) of the American plane as it performed the dangerous, high-speed maneuver, CNN reported, citing two U.S. defense officials in the Baltic Sea region. "This unsafe and unprofessional air intercept has the potential to cause serious harm and injury to all aircrews involved," Pentagon spokesman Commander Bill Urban said in a statement. "More importantly, the unsafe and unprofessional actions of a single pilot have the potential to unnecessarily escalate tensions between countries," he said. Earlier this month, Russian jets buzzed a U.S. guided missile destroyer, the USS Donald Cook, in the Baltic Sea. A photo released by the Pentagon appears to show the Russian jet passing at an extremely low altitude over the ship's bow. "There have been repeated incidents over the last year where Russian military aircraft have come close enough to other air and sea traffic to raise serious safety concerns, and we are very concerned with any such behavior," Urban said. Russia accused the United States of intimidation by sailing the Cook close to Russia's border in the Baltics and warned that the Russian military would respond to any future incidents. NATO plans its biggest build-up in Eastern Europe since the Cold War to counter what the alliance considers to be a more aggressive Russia. The Baltic states, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, which joined NATO in 2004, have asked the alliance for a permanent presence of battalion-sized deployments of allied troops in each of their territories. A NATO battalion typically consists of 300 to 800 troops. Moscow denies any intention to attack the Baltic states. (Reporting by David Alexander and Idrees Ali; Writing by Eric Beech; Editing by Mohammad Zargham and James Dalgleish)
By Hadeel Al Sayegh and Tom Arnold DUBAI (Reuters) - Qatar's sovereign wealth fund is reducing its focus on investments in Europe and placing more of its money with external managers following an internal review, sources familiar with the matter told Reuters. Qatar Investment Authority, estimated by industry tracker Sovereign Wealth Fund Institute to hold $256 billion (175.2 billion) of assets, is known as an aggressive investor in high-profile European assets such as the Shard skyscraper and Harrods department store in London, as well as Credit Suisse and Volkswagen . But its review, which follows sharp falls in the prices of some of the European assets and a plunge in oil and gas prices that slashed Qatar's export revenues, led to an understanding that QIA is "overcommitted" in Europe and should put less emphasis on direct investment, the sources said. Instead, the QIA is placing more money with external managers, who have been told that investments should be spread out globally but particularly in Asia and the United States. The sources, who are familiar with QIA because of close business links to the fund, declined to be named because of commercial sensitivities. A public relations agency representing QIA said the fund had no comment. The sources said one of the reasons for changing strategy was the poor performance of QIA's investments in German carmaker Volkswagen and London-listed commodities trading house Glencore . Shares in Volkswagen, in which QIA is the third-largest shareholder with a 17 percent stake worth around $13 billion at market prices, are down 52 percent from their March 2015 peak after the company was caught cheating on diesel emissions tests. QIA owns 9 percent of Glencore, a stake worth about $3 billion at market prices, according to Thomson Reuters data. Glencore's shares are down 49 percent from their 2015 peak because of concern over its ability to cope with low global metals prices. In the wake of these debacles, "QIA's days of glitzy investments are numbered," said one of the sources. The sources said, however, that there was no indication that QIA would reduce its existing stakes in big European firms such as Volkswagen and Glencore. The secretive fund does not disclose many details of its asset allocations around the world. Last September, it opened an investment office in New York and said it planned to invest $35 billion in the United States over the next five years. Two of the sources said QIA was keen to strengthen its involvement in "responsible investing", a style of asset management which emphasises protecting the environment, consumers and human rights. Norway's sovereign wealth fund, the world's biggest, has been focusing on responsible investing; the Norwegian parliament decided last year that the fund would divest from firms that derived more than 30 percent of their turnover or activity from coal. (Editing by Andrew Torchia and Clelia Oziel)
English Finnish

Sponda Plc Press release 29 April 2016 at 13:10

Sponda wins gold in Finlands Nordic Startup Awards

Spondas Mothership of Work (MOW) won the gold medal in Finlands Nordic Startup Awards in the Best Office Space category. The winner was chosen from five finalists by a jury consisting of eight people and by votes cast in a public poll.

Communities named as participants in the Best Office Space category have received recognition for their help and services to the startup community and have succeeded in creating an environment that supports innovation. The award criteria included companies/individuals in the office space, culture and environment, service and support, community activity, price and lease term.

Were extremely happy with the win, its an honour to be representing Finland in such great company. The greatest thanks goes out to MOW members, who have made our journey to the Nordic final possible, says Nina Ruotsalainen, MOW Captain.

MOW is a communal cowork hub developed by Sponda. It is designed for freelancers and companies doing creative expert work in Helsinki city centre, at Pieni Roobertinkatu 9. MOW's versatile facilities and services were developed in co-operation with the target group and cater to the users' needs, adding convenience to working and strengthening communality.

Nordic Startup Awards have been organised since 2012, and it is carried out annually in two rounds. First, national finals are held in each country, after which the national winners, such as MOW, will move on to the Grand Finale. This year, it will be held in Iceland at the European-wide Startup Awards on 31 May.

Sponda Plc





Additional information: Pia Arrhenius, SVP, Corporate Planning and IR, tel. +358 40 527 4462

Sponda Plc is a property investment company specialising in commercial properties in the largest cities in Finland. Spondas business concept is to own, lease and develop retail and office properties and shopping centres into environments that promote the business success of its clients. The fair value of Spondas investment properties is approximately EUR 3.7 billion and the leasable area is around 1.2 million m2.
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Iraq's top leaders on Saturday called on the protestors who broke into the parliament in central Baghdad to leave the building and preserve the public properties.

"We assure our people that the situation in Baghdad is under the control of the security forces, and I call on the demonstrators to withdraw and protest peacefully, and not to encroach upon the public and private properties, which are the property of all Iraqis," Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi said in a statement.

Meanwhile, President Fuad Masoum urged the protestors to be calm, law-abiding and self-restraint.

He also called on the protestors "not to harm the lawmakers and employees, not to touch the public and private properties, and to evacuate the (parliament) building."

"We also call on the prime minister, speaker and leaders of parliament blocs to come up with the desired reshuffle and implement the reforms to fight the corruption," Masoum said.

"We consider ending the quota system of the political parties and Iraqi factions is an undelayable mission at all," said Masoum, referring to the political system created following the U.S.-led invasion in 2003, according to which Iraq's resources and control would be divided among the political parties representing Iraq's ethnic and sectarian factions.

Abadi was supposed to appear before parliament earlier Saturday to present the remainder of his Cabinet reshuffle, but the session was postponed until next week for lack of quorum.

In the afternoon, thousands of followers of Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr broke into the heavily fortified Green Zone and took control of the parliament building and surrounding areas, while dozens of lawmakers, officials and employees tried to escape the government district.

The demonstrators broke into the main gate of the government district, many jumping over the barbed wired fences into the zone that houses major government offices, including the parliament and some foreign embassies.

The protesters were well-controlled by their leaders who shouted with loudspeakers that their move inside the Green Zone must be peaceful and the security forces are their brothers not enemies.

Footage aired by local media showed dozens of four-wheel drive vehicles, said to be carrying lawmakers and government officials who were trying to escape the zone, were crowded in long lines at other entrance of the zone near the Tigris River.

Storming the Green Zone came minutes after Sadr delivered a televised speech from the holy Shiite city of Najaf, in which he rejected the latest approval of partial cabinet members presented earlier by Abadi.

"Any minister in the Iraqi government is not our candidate and represents only his government," Sadr said, confirming that he and his followers "will not participate in any political process that includes quota system."

He said that all the political blocs decided to vote on their loyal ministers under the title of political technocrats.

"All those political blocs decided to kill the real reform movement through today's parliament session," Sadr said, referring to the parliament session which failed earlier in the day to achieve quorum due to deep division by the political blocs over the new candidates presented by Abadi for his new cabinet.

Some political blocs and politicians apparently have been resisting the reforms because there is a lack of trust among the political parties who see that such reforms, or part of them, are marginalizing their factions from the political scene which originally was built on power-sharing agreements.

Sadr's discontent with the partial cabinet reshuffle, which was part of Abadi's reforms, was seen as a signal for his followers to increase pressure on the parliament by storming the Green Zone.

A series of failed reform measures have paralyzed Iraq's parliament and the government as the country struggles to fight the Islamic State (IS) militant group, which seizes swathes of territories in northern and western Iraq. The country is also in dire need to respond to an economic crisis sparked in part by a plunge in global oil prices.
OMAHA, Nebraska, April 30 -- Warren Buffett, Berkshire Hathaway's chairman and chief executive, said on Saturday that derivatives remain a potential "time bomb" in financial markets.

When answering a question about the derivatives exposure of the banks in Berkshire's portfolio, Buffett said he was not worried about the company's investment in Bank of America or Wells Fargo, but the level of derivative exposure at large banks remains "a great danger" if there's a discontinuity in the financial markets.

"Derivatives are still dangerous on a large basis," Buffett said at the company's annual shareholder meeting, often known as Woodstock for Capitalists, held at the CenturyLink Center in downtown Omaha of Nebraska, noting that a major attack on the country that severely disrupts the financial system would reveal dangerous derivative positions.

"It's still a potential time bomb in the system," he warned, adding that Berkshire will never engage in dangerous derivative positions involving collateral. In the past, Buffet has described derivatives as "financial weapons of mass destruction."

Buffet also said the company would not think about investing in largest banks. "If you take the 50 largest banks in the world, we wouldn' t even think about probably 45 of them," he said.

The annual meeting was livestreamed to the public on Saturday for the first time in Berkshire's history and it was also translated into Mandarin in real-time, indicating the company's increasing interest in China. Around 40,000 investors all around the world came to Omaha to attend this year's meeting, about 3,000 of which were from China, according to local media.

The highlight of the annual gathering was the Q&A session, in which Buffett and his partner Charlie Munger took questions from shareholders, analysts and journalists about everything ranging from Berkshire, the stock market, the economic outlook to investment philosophy for around six hours.
Chinese tourist agencies and local authorities are hoping that lectures given to tourists ahead of the May Day holiday can avoid the unruly behavior for which the country's travelers and sightseers have become notorious.

In recent years, Chinese tourists' misdeeds ranging from brawling on flights to defacing landmarks at home and abroad have made headlines, sparking angry discussion over the disparity between their bulging wallets and their behavior.

In Wuhan, capital of Hubei Province, Wanda Xinhangxian International Travel Agency gave clients who paid for a group trip to Thailand during the holiday a lesson in etiquette. "Don't rush to take your luggage before the airplane stops. Don't waste food on the buffet table. Don't be noisy at scenic spots. Don't point at Buddhist sculptures...," read promotional material.

The company's Yao Hui said the lessons were required under a directive from provincial tourism authorities.

"Tour guides must repeat the basics, such as no littering and no scrawling on landmarks," Yao said.

Hubei authorities are also watching incoming tourists as the province is a popular tourist destination known for natural wonder including the Three Gorges and Wudang Mountains.

Last week, the provincial tourism department launched a campaign encouraging sightseers to send photos and videos of misbehaving tourists to its WeChat account, promising to name and shame anyone whose identities can be verified in the images.

A cleaner, who wished to be identified by her surname Lin, in a public bathroom at a scenic spot in Wuhan, said she awaits the influx of tourists during holiday seasons with dread.

Lin complained that she is generally unable to take a break during an eight-hour holiday shift because of many toilet users' bad habits. "Some don't even flush the toilet properly," she said.

China rolled out a national tourism law in 2013. As well as regulating tourist behavior, it also covered wrongdoing by tour guides and business owners around tourism sites. This too has made headlines.

In one high-profile case from October 2015, the coastal city of Qingdao lost face as a tourist destination after a traveler ordered a dish of prawns that appeared to be priced at 38 yuan (5.8 U.S. dollars) on the menu, but was later told the price tag was for each prawn.

To solve similar disputes, Guizhou Province on Thursday opened specialist courts at 12 tourist attractions.

In Shandong Province's Qufu, the birthplace of Confucius, officials have promised that tour guides will be blacklisted for dodgy practices including coercing tourists to make purchases from shops or asking shops for kickbacks.
American girl Claire Fuschi had never dreamed of hosting a conference in front of an audience of 1,300, let alone hosting the conference in Mandarin Chinese.

Fuschi, 16, a sophomore at Chicago's Walter Payton College Prep High School, was selected to host the opening ceremony of the three-day 9th National Chinese Language Conference (NCLC) held on Thursday in Chicago, the U.S. state of Illinois.

In a red dress and high-heel shoes, Fuschi looked confident and elegant on the stage. "On behalf of all the American students learning Chinese, I would like to thank our Chinese teachers. Thank you for all the hard work," she said in fluent Putonghua, or standard Mandarin Chinese.

Hours before the ceremony, Fuschi, or Fang Tingting, a Chinese name adopted by her, was busy preparing for the speech at the Confucius Institute in Chicago, which was located on the first floor of Fuschi's school.

Word by word, Fuschi followed her teacher Jane Lu's instruction carefully. "It is the first time I'll be a host, let alone host in Chinese, I feel very nervous," Fuschi, or Fang told Xinhua, with sparkles of excitement in her eyes.

Fuschi, who has been learning Chinese for almost 11 years, is among the 120 students at the high school who choose to learn Chinese as their foreign language in public schools. In the greater Chicago area, the number of students who enroll to learn Chinese has reached 13,000 this year.

Lu, who is also the director of the Confucius Institute in Chicago, noted that the institute was the first one in the United States that primarily focuses on Chinese language teaching for American students in public elementary and high schools.

When Fuschi was at her first grade in elementary school, her mother got her enrolled in a Chinese language class. "My family was very supportive. Since then, I've always loved learning Chinese," said Fuschi, adding that she hoped to use the language in her future job.

"The number of students learning Chinese have boomed since the institute first opened in 2006," Lu said. "Some kids are learning out of pure interest; others, especially their parents, think the language can be an important skill for future career."

Lu's words were echoed by many other educators attending the Chinese Language Conference. Josette Sheeran, President and CEO of Asia Society, believed that U.S.-China trade has become a major factor that boosts the heat of Chinese language learning in the United States.

"Bilateral trade between the U.S. and China has grown by 30 billion dollars each year. In 1992, when China first sent its diplomat to the WTO, the entire U.S.- China trade is only 30 billion dollars. This is an extraordinary relationship with great potential," said Sheeran at Thursday's opening ceremony.

For the past ten years, Asia Society has accomplished partnership with the Confucius Institute in building Chinese language learning course network in 100 districts and 28 states in the United States, reaching as many as 400,000 American kids.

"Now is China's moment in the world to emerge, and the language is key to understand not only China's today, but also China's history, and the way it thinks," Sheeran said.

For Fuschi, other than using Chinese in future job, the more pressing task on her to-do list is to pay a visit to China next year.

The exchange trip Fuschi will attend next summer is co-organized by the school and the Confucius Institute. Since it was founded in 2006, the institute has invited more than 7,500 American presidents, principals and teachers to visit China; and sponsored more than 11,500 American high school students on their summer camp tour in China.

"I'm very excited about the trip. I expect to learn a lot, be impressed by the sites and be able to talk to people in Chinese," said Fuschi.

Steven Koch, Deputy Mayor of Chicago, referred students like Fuschi as the "ambassadors" that bridge cultures and communities.

"We are tremendously proud of our Chicago public school students who are doing the important, sometimes difficult work of learning Chinese language and culture," said Koch.

"They are going to be future ambassadors of Chicago to China, and bring together the ties that we all know are very much important," he said.
Providing Psychological First Aid Following a Disaster

PFA doesn't rely on skills of a professional mental health provider, but rather, engages the skills that most of us already have.

Companies with emergency response plans know the importance of having that plan in the event of an emergency. Considerable time and effort went into thoughtfully assessing the types of disasters that could possibly occur and putting different response scenarios on paper. Your safety team conducted a review of your plan, and with a few tweaks, it worked. You think you're ready, but are you? How resilient will your employees be in the aftermath of a disaster? Does your plan include offering psychological first aid (PFA) to support your employees? If so, have you designated a provider to offer that?

What is Psychological First Aid?

In a nutshell, PFA is a supportive intervention for immediate use in the aftermath of a disaster. It was developed by the National Center for PTSD in 2006 and has since spread to many agencies, governments, and localities throughout the United States and internationally.

PFA is an evidence-informed approach built on the concept of human resilience to help peoplefrom children to adultsin the aftermath of a disaster, act of terrorism, or even a personal crisis. It's designed to reduce stress symptoms caused by those traumatic events and to foster short- and long-term functioning and coping. It also connects survivors to additional services. It's understood that survivors affected by those events will experience a broad range of early reactions that can cause enough distress to interfere with coping and recovery.

Your emergency response plan likely includes a compulsory hot wash or critical incident stress debriefing period. While PFA addresses many issues involved in debriefing, it is not debriefing. Nor is PFA counseling. PFA doesn't rely on skills of a professional mental health provider, but rather, engages the skills that most of us already have. It is used in settings where trauma is found because it is an approach that recognizes reactions and behaviors associated with the stress caused by the traumatic event rather than diagnosis and treatment of it.

This article originally appeared in the May 2016 issue of Occupational Health & Safety.
Colombia deported top Peruvian crime lord Gerson Galvez on Sunday, a day after arresting the man described as the new version of Mexico's Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman. Galvez, also known as Caracol (Snail), was arrested in a restaurant in the western city of Medellin, Colombia's defense ministry said late Saturday. He was then handed over to Peruvian authorities because of his "dangerousness" and flown back to his home country, Colombian national police chief Jorge Nieto told a press conference. As he was escorted toward an awaiting Peruvian air force plane, Galvez repeatedly told journalists he had "the right to be presumed innocent." Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos congratulated his national police on Twitter, describing Galvez as "one of the most feared crime capos in the region." Galvez "is described by Peruvian police and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime as Latin America's new 'Chapo' Guzman," the Colombian defense ministry said. The jailed Mexican drug lord, who formerly headed the powerful Sinaloa cartel, was captured in January after months on the run. According to a wanted notice from Peruvian police, Galvez is "violent and aggressive" and headed a network "dedicated to extortion, aggravated robbery, illegal drug trafficking" and other assorted crimes. Peru had placed a $150,000 bounty for information leading to his arrest.
Yemen's government temporarily suspended Sunday its participation in talks with Iran-backed rebels in protest at their takeover of a military base and continued ceasefire violations, officials said. "The delegation of the republic of Yemen has suspended its participation in Kuwait talks because of the continued violations by rebels and their takeover of Al-Amaliqa base," foreign minister and head of delegation Abdulmalek al-Mikhlafi said on Twitter. He said the suspension will last "until guarantees for compliance were provided", without providing details. A spokesman for Mikhlafi told AFP that the government delegation has suspended its participation in both "direct and indirect" talks taking place in Kuwait. "The suspension will continue until guarantees are provided that the rebels will stop their ceasefire violations and withdraw from the base," Mane al-Matari told AFP. A statement by the government delegation called on the UN envoy, Kuwait and other Gulf states and countries backing the peace process "to apply pressure on the other side to comply with peace requirements." The United Nations said it was informed by the government delegation that it will not attend a round of talks scheduled for later Sunday. UN envoy Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed said he made contacts with members of both delegations and that he had received assurances that they would continue to try to resolve their differences but without face-to-face meetings. Huthi rebel spokesman Mohammed Abdulsalam however criticised the Yemeni government's decision. "Those who don't want peace ... are the ones who create false justifications and reasons to obstruct," the talks, Abdulsalam wrote on Twitter. On Saturday, Yemen's warring parties held their first face-to-face talks since the negotiations in Kuwait began on April 21. The UN envoy said these direct talks were "productive" and had touched on key issues. But later Saturday, the rebels and their allies overran Al-Amaliqa base in northern Yemen after hours of clashes, tribal and military sources said, adding that the fighting caused casualties. The sources said the commanders of the 600-strong brigade at the base, located in the rebel stronghold province of Amran since 2014, had "chosen to remain neutral" as pro-government forces, backed a Saudi-led coalition, clashed with the insurgents across Yemen. "The attack against Al-Amaliqa brigade torpedoes the peace consultations in Kuwait," Mikhlafi has said on Twitter. Yemen's warring parties have repeatedly traded blame for ceasefire violations. Government loyalists said they have recorded "3,694 ceasefire violations by the Huthis and their allies" -- troops fighting in support of former president Ali Abdullah Saleh. Meanwhile, the rebels accused government forces and the Saudi-led coalition backing them of 4,000 breaches. The coalition in March 2015 began a military campaign against the rebels, who have seized the capital Sanaa among other parts of the country. The UN says that more than 6,400 people have been killed since then and around 2.8 million displaced.
AFP News

Ukraine on Sunday denounced as dangerous lies suggestions from Russia that it was preparing to use a "dirty bomb". Its western allies also dismissed the allegations from Moscow, just hours after Russia went public with the claims. In conversations with his British, French and Turkish counterparts, Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu conveyed "concerns about possible provocations by Ukraine with the use of a 'dirty bomb'", Moscow said. Russia did not mention the alleged "dirty bomb" allegation in its statement following Shoigu's call with Pentagon chief Lloyd Austin. "If Russia calls and says that Ukraine is allegedly preparing something, it means one thing: Russia has already prepared all this," President Volodymyr Zelensky said in a video address on social media. "I believe that now the world should react as harshly as possible." Earlier Sunday, Ukraine's Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba denounced Moscow's claims as "absurd" and "dangerous". "Russians often accuse others of what they plan themselves," he added. A British defence ministry statement said Defence Secretary Ben Wallace had "refuted these claims and cautioned that such allegations should not be used as a pretext for greater escalation". And in Washington, National Security Council spokeswoman Adrienne Watson dismissed Moscow's "transparently false" claim. "The world would see through any attempt to use this allegation as a pretext for escalation," she added. - 'Vile strikes' - Russia also announced Sunday that it had destroyed a depot in central Ukraine storing over 100,000 tonnes of aviation fuel. Kyiv's energy operator meanwhile said scheduled power cuts had been introduced in the Ukrainian capital due to Russia's repeated strikes on the nation's power network. The blackouts started from 11:13 am (0813 GMT) with consumers in Kyiv divided into three groups "disconnected for a certain period of time", energy company DTEK said. DTEK reiterated calls for residents to use electricity "sparingly" and for businesses to limit their use of external lighting. More than one million Ukrainian households have lost electricity following recent Russian strikes, according to the Ukrainian presidency, at least a third of the country's power stations having been destroyed ahead of winter. Zelensky condemned the "vile strikes" in comments late Saturday, after Russian attacks caused power cuts across the country. - 'Save your strength' - In the southern Ukrainian city of Kryvyi Rig, deputy mayor Sergiy Miliutin was dealing with emergencies and power outages from his underground bunker, used as a venue for a children's martial arts competition. "I've reached a point where I just survive on my drive. You have to stay level-headed and save your strength. No one knows how long this will all last," he told AFP. The intensification of Russian strikes on Ukraine, particularly energy facilities, came after the bridge linking the annexed Crimea peninsula to mainland Russia was partially destroyed by an explosion earlier this month. It was another major setback for Moscow's forces, battling to contain a Ukrainian counter-offensive in the south and east of the country. French President Emmanuel Macron said Sunday that it was for Ukrainians to decide when "peace is possible", in comments made in Rome at the start of a peace summit. Ukraine reported three deaths in an overnight Russian artillery strike in the Toretsk area, a governor of the eastern Donetsk region said. Inside Russia, two lines of defence have been built in the border region of Kursk to deal with any possible attack, a local governor said on Sunday. On Saturday Vyacheslav Gladkov, the governor in the neighbouring Russian border region of Belgorod, said the construction of defence structures had begun. Gladkov said two civilians had been killed in strikes there Saturday, and that 15,000 people had been left without electricity. - Kherson evacuations - Meanwhile Ukraine's SBU intelligence service said it had detained two officials of Ukrainian aircraft engine maker Motor Sich on suspicion of working with Russia. The SBU said management at the company's plant in Ukraine's southern Zaporizhzhia region -- partly controlled by Russian forces -- had colluded with Russian state-owned defence conglomerate Rostec. The suspects had supplied Russia with Ukrainian aircraft engines that were used to make and repair attack helicopters, the SBU said. In the southern Ukrainian region of Kherson, which Russia claims to have annexed, pro-Moscow officials on Saturday urged residents to leave "immediately" amid a "tense situation" at the front. Kherson, the region's main city, was the first to fall to Moscow's troops and retaking it would be a major prize in Ukraine's counter-offensive. A Moscow-installed official in Kherson, Kirill Stremousov, told Russian news agency Interfax on Saturday that around 25,000 people had left Kherson city to the left bank of the Dnipro River. Ukraine has denounced the removal of residents from Kherson, describing them as "deportations". bur-imm/raz/jj/lcm
Police in a small county on the China-Myanmar border claim to have cracked seven major drug trafficking cases and seized more than 220 kg of narcotics over the past month.

The intercepted narcotics included 186 kg of methamphetamine, 9.4 kg of heroin and 27 kg of opium, the public security bureau of Menglian County in southwest China's Yunnan Province said in a press release on Saturday.

Twenty-three suspected drug dealers were arrested, it said.

In a single case cracked in mid April, 120 kg of narcotics were seized.

On April 8, police in Menglian County stopped a man and a woman from transporting 26 kg of methamphetamine to central China's Hubei Province.

In collaboration with police in the neighboring Guizhou Province, anti-drug authorities in Menglian seized 9.4 kg of heroin and arrested 10 dealers on April 18.

The cases are under further investigation, the statement said.

Cross-border drug trafficking is rampant in Menglian of Pu'er City, which has a population of about 130,000.
Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and PAP candidate Murali Pillai meeting residents during a walkabout in Bukit Batok. (Photo: Safhras Khan/Yahoo Newsroom)

Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong implied that there has been no change in Singapore Democratic Party (SDP) chief Chee Soon Juans character and urged Bukit Batok voters to consider the commitment, characteristics and track record of the candidates when going to the polls in the by-election.

Lee, who is also secretary-general of the ruling Peoples Action Party (PAP), said this during a doorstop interview after touring the ward with the partys candidate, Murali Pillai, on Saturday morning (30 April).

Accompanied by Deputy Prime Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam and other PAP Members of Parliament (MPs), including Rahayu Mahzam, Low Yen Ling and Alex Yam, they spent the morning mingling with residents of the ward.

Highlights of the walkbout in Bukit Batok. (Video by Nurul Amirah)



Lee said that he had read in a media report that Chee, the SDPs by-election candidate, was not sorry for his past actions.

He said Chee was proud of his past record and crazy history but has also tried to say that he has changed - and has even pointed out that good people make mistakes and deserve a second chance.

But before that (he) needs to recognise that something went wrong and (he has to) put it right In his case, if nothing has gone wrong, theres nothing to put right. Then how could he have changed? said Lee.

He also reiterated the point made by Grace Fu, the Minister for Culture, Community and Youth, at a PAP rally on Friday (29 April), where she urged residents to consider the character and experience of the potential MP when casting their vote.

Accoring to Lee, Murali has the right values, a proven track record as a grassroots leader and his commitment to serving the areas residents is beyond doubt.

PM Lee greeting a resident as Murali looks on. (Photo: Safhras Khan/Yahoo Newsroom)



Lee raised his concerns over Chees ability to manage the needs of Bukit Batok residents, pointing to the fact that the SDP leader has not worked full time in a long while.

Story continues

Now he says he is going to work full time for the residents. Easy to say but what is he going to bring to convince voters?

"Partly his record, partly his ability and partly his character,  said the prime minister.

Lee, who watched the SDP rally on Friday via a live stream, said he noticed that all of the speakers lambasted former Bukit Batok MP David Ong, whose resignation from office in March - over a personal indiscretion - triggered the by-election.



And then Chee comes along and says (in his speech) that you must not hit somebody who is down and that it is very bad to do so.

"This is hypocritical. You get your guys to say all the bad things then you come along and look majestically and say that we must not hit someone who is already down. Unfortunately, that is in his (Chees) character, said Lee.

When asked about his sentiments after touring Bukit Batok, Lee said that he is happy with what he is seeing and hearing about Murali.

He added that Murali has been working at the ward from 16 years ago and that residents remember him for all the hard work he has done in the past.

He stands a good chance, otherwise, I wouldnt have fielded him in Bukit Batok, said Lee.
By Stine Jacobsen and Ole Petter Skonnord OSLO (Reuters) - A helicopter ferrying passengers from a Norwegian oil platform crashed in the North Sea on Friday, apparently killing all 13 people on board, rescue officials said. The 11 passengers and two crew on the flight from the Gullfaks B oil platform, operated by Norway's Statoil , were all Norwegian except for one British and one Italian national, according to the Rescue Coordination Centre for Southern Norway. "The helicopter is completely destroyed," it said. After several hours searching for survivors, 11 bodies were found and the remaining two people were presumed dead. Norway and Britain suspended commercial flights of the type of helicopter involved in the crash, an Airbus Helicopters H225 Super Puma, a workhorse of the offshore oil industry. Airbus later said the grounding had been extended to the whole commercial fleet, 70 percent of which is used to support the global oil industry from the Gulf of Mexico to Asia and Africa. Plumes of smoke rose from the scene in a stretch of sea with many small islands and debris could be seen on the rocks. Several witnesses told Norwegian media they saw the rotor blades separating from the helicopter while still in the air. "While I looked up, the rotor (blades) loosened and disappeared towards the north," John Atle Sekkingstad told the website of local paper Bergens Tidende. "After that, the helicopter turned north and I saw fire at the top of the helicopter, where the rotor had been attached. It caught fire before it crashed." The main body of the aircraft was lying under water, while its rotor was found on a rocky outcrop about 200 to 300 metres (220-330 yards) away, state broadcaster NRK said, quoting the rescue centre. Oil worker Chris Andersen told NRK: "I saw the rotor separate ... It was horrible. There was a huge explosion that you could physically feel. You felt the vibrations." The area, just west of Bergen, Norway's second-largest city, has frequent helicopter traffic to and from offshore oil installations. Weather conditions on the day were normal. Norway's king and the prime minister expressed their condolences to the families of the victims. "You are not alone in your sorrow," Prime Minister Erna Solberg, dressed in black, said in an address to the nation. PRODUCTION, FLIGHTS HALTED Statoil halted production at the Gullfaks B platform, a visibly upset company executive told a news conference. "This is one of the worst accidents in Norwegian oil history," said Arne Sigve Nylund, Statoil's head of production in Norway, adding that the helicopter passengers worked for different companies, but were all on assignments for Statoil. "This is a heavy day ... Some of our colleagues will never come home," he said in a trembling voice. It was the second-worst Super Puma accident after a 2009 crash off Scotland in which the rotors also detached, killing 16 people. Investigators cited a catastrophic gearbox failure. Tracking service Flightradar24 said the helicopter in Friday's crash dropped 2,100 feet (640 metres) in the last 10 seconds. Formerly known as the Eurocopter EC225LP Super Puma, the aircraft is a long-range helicopter widely used in the oil and gas industry, as well as for VIP flights and search and rescue. Eurocopter changed its name to Airbus Helicopters in early 2014. Imposing a temporary ban on commercial flights using the same type of helicopter, the Norwegian Civil Aviation Authority said it was too early to determine the cause of the crash. Airbus Helicopters, a subsidiary of Airbus Group , pledged full support for the investigation, which will be carried out by Norway with assistance from investigators based in France and Britain. Norway said late on Friday it had found the two "black box" flight recorders, one capturing data and the other recording cockpit conversations, and would send them to Britain, which has experience of handling several recent helicopter incidents. The crash deals a blow to an offshore industry already suffering weak demand due to low oil prices and puts the Super Puma back in the spotlight after a series of problems in the UK. In 2012, Super Puma fleets were grounded after a pair of controlled ditchings that were later linked to gearbox cracks, prompting Airbus Helicopters to carry out modifications. In 2013, four people died when an earlier version of Super Puma ditched off the Shetland Islands, off northern Scotland, in an accident blamed on crew. The last helicopter crash in the Norwegian oil industry, in 1997, involved a Super Puma in which 12 people died. Airbus Helicopters said it had no information so far to link the latest crash to earlier accidents. The helicopter that crashed on Friday had been granted extended flying hours, or delayed maintenance, twice in 2015, an aviation authority official told Norwegian daily VG. The flight was operated by Canada-based CHC Helicopter, owned by U.S. private equity firm First Reserve. CHC confirmed that the life of a previous gearbox fitted to the helicopter had been extended, but said the gearbox fitted at the time of the crash was new. It said the aircraft was fully compliant with Norwegian rules at the time of the accident. "The main gearbox in the aircraft in question, which has at all times been fully airworthy and compliant, was subsequently replaced in January 2016," said CHC's head of safety and quality, Duncan Trapp, in an emailed statement. (Additional reporting by Terje Solsvik, Nerijus Adomaitis, Cyril Altmeyer, Tim Hepher; Writing by Gwladys Fouche; Editing by Alistair Scrutton, Robin Pomeroy, G Crosse)
The human gut is a complex and amazing system, and the more we learn about it, the more amazed we are. It turns out
LONDON, April 30 (Reuters) - Britain's opposition Labour party has launched an inquiry into how to tackle anti-semitism after suspending former London mayor Ken Livingstone days before it contests elections in London, Scotland and Wales.

Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn - a close ally of party veteran Livingstone - said in a statement late on Friday that he would propose a new code of conduct explicitly banning anti-semitism and other forms of racism.

"There is no place for anti-semitism or any form of racism in the Labour party, or anywhere in society," he said.

Labour suspended Livingstone on Thursday after he said Hitler was "supporting Zionism" when he proposed in 1932 that Jews be moved to Israel. Livingstone served as mayor from 2000 to 2008.

Labour has been struggling to pull together after Corbyn, from the party's hard-left, swept into the leadership in September on a wave of enthusiasm among younger members for change and an end to 'establishment politics'.

Polls suggest its current candidate for London Mayor, Sadiq Khan, is on course to defeat his Conservative opponent Zac Goldsmith on May 5, but that Labour risks losing ground in a series of elections elsewhere in Britain.

British media reported again on Saturday that Corbyn could face a leadership challenge if the results are especially bad.

Goldsmith, in a BBC radio interview on Saturday, said Khan was "part of the same movement in the Labour party" as Livingstone and had not been clear enough in his condemnation of anti-semitism until recent weeks.

"You need to be very clear on these issues not to ride two horses. Until the mayoral campaign began, Sadiq Khan has not been anything like as clear on this issue as he has been in recent weeks," Goldsmith said.

Khan called Livingstone's remarks about Hitler appalling and pressed for him to be suspended.

Labour's inquiry into anti-semitism will be led by Shami Chakrabarti, the former head of civil rights charity Liberty. She (Munich: SOQ.MU - news) will consult Jewish and other minority groups on what counts as anti-semitism and racism, and how to deal with allegations.

Livingstone denied his remarks were anti-semitic, and said supporters of the Israeli government frequently used the charge to silence criticism of its policies. (Reporting by David Milliken; Editing by Richard Balmforth)
SANTIAGO, May 1 (Reuters) - The Antucoya copper mine, located in northern Chile (Stuttgart: 704599.SG - news) and controlled by Antofagasta (LSE: ANTO.L - news) Minerals, halted operations on Sunday after a worker died from a fall while inspecting one of the mine's installations, the company said.

Production was suspended while the accident was being investigated, a spokeswoman for the company said.

"All operations have stopped ... they will return to normal tomorrow," the spokeswoman said.

The mine produced close to 12,000 tonnes of copper in the first three months of this year.

Antucoya is owned by Antofagasta Minerals and Marubeni Corp . Antofagasta Minerals is a unit of Antofagasta Plc (Other OTC: ANFGF - news) .

(Reporting by Felipe Iturrieta; Editing by Peter Cooney)
Local Govt Apologized after Horrific Video of Demolition Crews Violently Striking Villagers in S China Goes Viral Online

Local government apologized on a press conference held on Saturday after a footage of demolition crew striking villagers in Haikou city, south Chinas Hainan province. The government announced that 7 crew members involved have been detained, and their team leader surnamed Wang has been dismissed.

In the horrific footage, the demolition crew were seen cornering and striking villagers with sticks, and women were heard wailing.

The site of the ongoing demolition in Haikou, south China's Hainan province

According to report from www.hinews.cn, the villagers sold the farmland to outsiders for construction. The demolition crew were there to tear down these illegal buildings when the collision in the video took place.

The footage went viral online, thrilling and raging web users as it circulates. Many of the netizens believe that the local government needs to exert more severe punishment on the demolition crew members.
By Sarah Marsh HAVANA (Reuters) - Britain's Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond on Friday praised Cuban President Raul Castro for embracing the realities of the modern world after a meeting with the Communist leader that marked a further step in Cuba's thaw with the West. He is the first British Foreign Secretary to set foot on the Caribbean island since its 1959 revolution, and his visit follows one by U.S. President Barack Obama in March. Hammond said he had a "long and interesting discussion" with Castro about the octogenarian leader's push to update one of the world's last Soviet-style command economies. "He is espousing a programme of gradual change, embracing the realities of the world we live in," Hammond said in an interview at the British ambassador's residence in Havana. "I was very struck by the fact that he described the Internet as the reality of our world, spoke positively about the benefits the Internet could bring." Cuba still has one of the world's lowest Internet penetrations with access expensive and restricted. The state says it wants to expand access and has been installing Wi-Fi hotspots throughout the country. But change is slow and critics suggest the government fears losing control of media and seeing new avenues of political opposition open up. Castro has vowed to "update" Cuba's socialist model but market-style reforms have been implemented haltingly and even reversed in some areas. A Communist Party Congress this month proposed little new to tackle the country's economic woes. "Castro is seeking to position himself in the middle between those who are resisting change and those who want much faster, more radical change," said Hammond, adding that Britain hoped to foster reforms through cooperation in certain sectors. The Foreign Secretary said the government recognised its financial services sector was underdeveloped. "Castro said to me directly 'we lack management expertise in banking services' and this is an area where the UK (United Kingdom) has something very clear to offer," he said. The main sectors where Britain sees opportunities for its companies to do business in Cuba were financial services, tourism and renewable energy, Hammond said. Challenges to doing business in Cuba remain however, he said, not least due to the U.S. trade embargo. "We have also had discussions with the U.S. about the challenges for British and other European banks in doing business with countries that face U.S. sanctions," said Hammond. "There are some problems here but we are working through them with the U.S. and hope to make progress in a way that will enable British businesses to do more business with Cuba." Exports of British goods to Cuba rose 32 percent in 2015 compared with the previous year but the government deems there is scope for growth as other European countries export far more to the island. (Editing by James Dalgleish)
By Ted and Siefer BOSTON (Reuters) - Connecticut Governor Dannel Malloy was honored on Sunday by the family of John F. Kennedy for embracing Syrian refugees at a time when other U.S. leaders sought to turn them away. The Democratic governor was presented the Profile In Courage award at the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library in Boston, alongside the Syrian family he personally welcomed to his state. Malloy invited the refugee family to settle in Connecticut a week after the November 13 attack by Islamic militants that killed 130 people in Paris. At least one of the attackers is believed to have held a Syrian passport, although the authenticity of the document has been questioned. The attack prompted governors in more than half the U.S. states to oppose the settlement of Syrian refugees. Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump called for a complete ban on Muslims entering the country. When I saw that, I decided to raise my voice and to make clear that not all Americans think all people should be barred at the door because of religion or from where they come, Malloy said in his speech. I accept this tremendous award on behalf of the good people of this nation who said, Not in our land. It was the first public event attended by the refugee family  a mother, husband and five-year-old son. In a halting speech in English, the mother, Fatema, thanked Malloy and the United States. This country is our future. We love this country. We will work to defend it and improve it, said Fatema, who wore a headscarf. The familys surname was withheld because of concerns about the safety of their relatives in Syria. Fatema acknowledged that the family had received a less friendly reception from some people, whom she said had formed the wrong idea about Muslims based on the attacks in Paris, San Bernardino, California and elsewhere. I tell them that those people ... are not bad Muslims; they are not Muslim at all, she said. Since the familys arrival, about 75 Syrian refugees have been settled in Connecticut, with another 250 slated to arrive, Malloy said. U.N. mediator Staffan de Mistura has said up to 400,000 people have been killed as a result of the Syrian civil war and the U.N puts the number of Syrian refugees abroad at 5.8 million. President Barack Obama said on Thursday he expected the United States would meet a goal to admit 10,000 Syrian refugees before the end of the 2016 fiscal year, despite delays and opposition from critics concerned about security implications. The State Department reported on March 31, halfway into the fiscal year, only 1,285 Syrians had been admitted into the United States. Malloy received the award from John Schlossberg, the grandson of the late president Kennedy. Whether Irish or Chinese, Jewish, Japanese or Latino, our newest neighbors have all too often been greeted by a chorus of ignorance, Schlossberg said. (Editing By Frank McGurty and Andrew Hay)
POTSDAM, Germany (Reuters) - Migrants should no longer be able to get to Germany and Europe via the Balkan route, German Interior Minister Thomas de Maiziere said on Friday, adding he was concerned refugee numbers would rise with people now coming to Italy by sea from Libya. "It's clear that the Balkan route is a thing of the past and no longer will or should be a place again from where people will be waved through to Germany and Austria and to the centre of Europe," he said at a joint news conference with Austrian Interior Minister Wolfgang Sobotka in Potsdam near Berlin. "Now the issue is alternative routes ... we are of course concerned that we'll get rising refugee numbers again as they come via Libya and Italy," he added. De Maiziere said he agreed with Austria that the situation at Italy's northern border should not replicate the situation on the Balkan route last year. Austria has said it might reintroduce border controls at the Alpine Brenner pass to keep migrants from coming from Italy and Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi has said Austria's plans to build a fence there were "shamelessly against European rules". Sobotka said the measure was necessary to prevent the route from turning into a major corridor for migrants seeking to reach northern Europe after they arrive to Italy through the Mediterranean from Libya and other north Africa nations. "What we have demonstrated is that the rule of law, the essential measure for us is that we want to register people who come to Austria, that our borders are not overrun," Sobotka said. He added: "This border management that has been in place since February is effective and we have applied this on the border with Hungary ... and we are preparing for this on the border with Italy." De Maiziere and Sobotka both piled pressure on Italy to take responsibility. "What is happening at the Brenner border crossing lies first and foremost in the hands of Italy," de Maiziere, said, adding that on the issue of border controls, states were working together but still needed a few more days to reach a European solution. (Reporting by Reuters TV; Writing by Michelle Martin and Joseph Nasr; Editing by Balazs Koranyi)
BERLIN (Reuters) - Germany will ask the European Commission to allow an extension of temporary border controls within the Schengen zone of passport-free travel beyond mid-May, Interior Minister Thomas De Maiziere said on Saturday. Germany and some other European Union members have introduced temporary border checks to control or halt record flows of migrants fleeing conflicts in Syria, Iraq and elsewhere and travelling to western Europe via the Balkans. Germany took in more than one million migrants last year. But the number of arrivals has slowed significantly after border clampdowns were imposed by Austria and other countries along the migrants' main Balkans route northwards from Greece. "Even if the refugee situation has eased at internal borders along the West Balkan route, we look with concern at the developments on the external borders of the Union," De Maiziere said in a statement. Berlin will therefore ask the European Commission, the EU's executive arm, to allow the border controls to be extended beyond May 12 when the legal basis for the current measures expires, he said. A German government official said the request was a joint initiative by Germany, France, Austria, Belgium, Denmark and Sweden and the letter would be sent to Brussels on Monday. "Member states must continue to have the flexibility and option to conduct border controls at their internal borders in cases when it is necessary," De Maiziere said, adding such measures were required to guarantee a certain level of safety. A European Commission source told Reuters that Brussels was leaning towards giving its green light to the request and to allow an extension of the border checks until November. The numbers of migrant arrivals to Germany has dropped to less than 200 daily in recent weeks from more than 2,000 daily in January. At the height of the refugee crisis last autumn, more than 10,000 migrants arrived in Germany on some days. In her weekly podcast, German Chancellor Angela Merkel urged EU member states to avoid seeking national solutions to European problems, adding that she would fight to uphold EU citizens' right to freedom of movement and residence within the bloc. Merkel has been critical of border closures within the EU and is instead banking on an EU-Turkey deal that took effect early April and gives Ankara political and financial benefits in return for taking back refugees and migrants who have crossed to Greece en route for Germany and other west European states. (Reporting by Michael Nienaber, Holger Hansen, Andreas Rinke; Editing by Gareth Jones)
By Ahmad Ghaddar LONDON (Reuters) - An Indian-flagged oil tanker is returning to Libya, the North African country's rival oil corporation said on Thursday, after its failed first attempt to export crude oil led to the ship being blacklisted by the United Nations Security Council. The Distya Ameya tanker is heading to the western Libyan port of Zawiya, said Nagi al-Maghrabi, chairman of the National Oil Corporation (NOC) set up by Libya's rival eastern government in parallel to the Tripoli-based NOC. The Tripoli NOC is recognised internationally as the legitimate seller of Libyan oil. Magrabi told Reuters he would continue to fight for the right of the eastern NOC to export crude, describing the situation as "a legal issue and we will work on it." The Tripoli NOC and its international backers say that if the eastern government succeeds in its long-held aim of selling oil independently, it would undermine a U.N.-backed unity government that arrived in Tripoli last month and put the political and economic future of Libya at risk. The U.N. Security Council Libya sanctions committee blacklisted the Distya Ameya on Wednesday after receiving a request from the Libyan U.N. ambassador Ibrahim Dabbashi. This requires states to ban it from entering any port. The ship left Libya's Marsa el-Hariga port late on Monday carrying 650,000 barrels of crude and was currently near Malta. A source close to the situation said the cargo was to be offloaded at Zawiya and processed for use within the country. Deepak Shetty, director general of shipping with India's Ministry of Shipping, said he had told the vessel's operator and the charterer to instruct the captain not to discharge the cargo "at all, anywhere." "They will follow the U.N. guidance which will come to them through us," Shetty said. "They are now staying put ... no oil will be discharged even if the charterer wants them to. They will wait for the U.N. to tell us where the vessel will have to go." However, the U.N. spokesman's office in New York said the U.N. Libya mission was not involved in the issue at all. Under U.N. Security Council resolutions adopted since 2014 on the illicit export of Libyan oil, it is up to states - not the United Nations - to direct designated vessels "to take appropriate actions to return the crude oil, with the consent of and in coordination with the Government of Libya, to Libya." (Additional reporting by Nidhi Verma in NEW DELHI, Libby George in London, Michelle Nichols and Louis Charbonneau at the UNITED NATIONS and Aidan Lewis, writing by Jonathan Saul and Michelle Nichols, editing by Dale Hudson and Marguerita Choy)
By Tom Bergin LONDON (Reuters) - When Barclays Plc sold a fund management business to U.S. financial group Blackrock Inc. in 2009, the larger-than-expected $15.2 billion (10.4 billion) price tag was not the only good news for the British bank's investors. The way Barclays structured the sale -- by booking part of the proceeds in Luxembourg -- allowed it to do something not possible under most tax systems: generate a tax loss from a tax-exempt transaction, a Reuters analysis of previously unreported company filings and statements shows. The move has helped Barclays to earn billions of dollars almost tax free. The entirely legal deal is the latest example of the ways in which some companies are able to benefit from tax regimes that regulators around the world are trying to crack down on so they can raise more tax revenue at home. The small European state of Luxembourg is among those coming under scrutiny for its tax regime that local authorities and lawyers say is a legitimate way to attract business. Barclays' tax loss was made possible because it sold its Barclays Global Investors (BGI) business tax free in Britain, but had part of the sale proceeds -- $9 billion in Blackrock shares  paid to a subsidiary in Luxembourg. That way, Barclays was able to offset the risk of the shares losing value, something not normally possible in a tax-free deal. A rise would have netted Barclays profits. When instead the shares fell, Barclays used the loss to claim a tax deduction in Luxembourg that was not available in the UK. Barclays' subsidiary in Luxembourg, one of Europe's smallest states with just half a million people, lost $2.6 billion when the Blackrock shares fell, but has earned almost double the amount virtually tax free since 2012, partly by offsetting some of the Blackrock loss. Barclays spokeswoman Candice MacDonald said the structure of the BGI sale was not aimed at securing a tax reduction but intended to secure a simpler and more certain tax treatment and avoid volatility in the banks regulatory capital. Blackrock declined comment. Tax advisers say there is nothing wrong with companies organising their affairs to take advantage of generous tax treatments offered by different countries. It would be very odd to criticise that or say its inappropriate, said Neal Todd, tax partner at Berwin Leighton Paisner. If governments arent happy with the law, they should change it. TAILS YOU DON'T LOSE The European Commission is investigating whether Luxembourg has broken EU rules by not applying its tax rules appropriately, offering companies an unfair tax advantage. Last year it said the state did break those rules in a deal with carmaker Fiat. The Grand Duchy, a founder member of the bloc, says it is making itself an attractive financial centre using only legitimate means. Barclays is not part of the EU investigation, since the structure of the BGI sale involves using an unusual law in a straightforward manner rather than any inappropriate interpretation of the rules. The bank is one of hundreds of companies which lawyers say have benefited from Luxembourg's little-known 'Heads you win, tails you dont lose' tax treatment of significant shareholdings which Reuters reported on in 2013. http://reut.rs/1dKmKcG The treatment runs counter to the symmetry principle fundamental to most tax systems: where profits are taxable, losses are tax deductible, but if a gain or income is tax-exempt, corresponding losses cannot reduce tax on other income. What some politicians say sets Barclays apart is that, like all UK banks, it got significant support from taxpayers during the financial crisis. The government offered more than 600 billion in credit to the banking sector through support schemes and bought stakes in some banks, enabling them to pay their debts to others like Barclays. TAXPAYER SUPPORT Campaigners like Molly Scott Cato, member of the European Parliament for the Green Party, say this makes Barclays' tax savings unacceptable. They should have greater social responsibility after the financial crisis that we are all still paying for, she said. She also said the Grand Duchy's tax rules should not deviate from international norms like the symmetry principle and help companies shift profits and losses. It is creating an uneven playing field, she said. The Luxembourg Ministry of Finance did not respond to requests for comment but has previously denied using tax rules to unfairly attract investment and jobs. Barclays has said it does appreciate the taxpayer support it and peers received and it adopted a set of tax principles in 2013 that ensures it behaves in a socially responsible way. These principles bar artificial tax planning. Tax lawyers in Luxembourg say no other EU country offers the same asymmetric treatment of share sales and credit the law with making Luxembourg an attractive location for holding companies. Scott Cato and others say the Luxembourg law should be scrapped, but tax lawyers say it is very difficult for the EU to force countries to change laws covering income and capital gains taxes, since bloc rules give national governments sole responsibility in this area. FROM PROFIT TO TAX LOSS The sale delivered significant windfalls for senior Barclays executives although none of them benefited from the Luxembourg structure, because their gains were assessed under their personal income tax systems. Bob Diamond, the head of investment banking who would later go on to lead Barclays group, netted gains of $33 million, according to a 2009 bank filing. His deputy Richard Ricci was also one of the largest shareholders in BGI, but the head of BGI, Blake Grossman, was the largest beneficiary, as the second-largest shareholder in BGI after Barclays. In all, minority shareholders in BGI  mainly BGI and Barclays executives  received over 500 million pounds from the sale of BGI, according to Barclays 2009 annual report. The possibility that Barclays could benefit from the law was not a given when the bank began courting buyers for BGI in early 2009. Analysts predicted a $10 billion price tag but Barclays agreed a $13.5 billion sale to Blackrock on condition it accepted around half the money in shares, then trading at $180 each. The risk for Barclays was that, if those shares fell in value by the time the bank came to sell them, then the BGI windfall might not end up as large as it hoped. When the deal went through in Dec. 2009, Barclays sold BGI to Blackrock for $6.6 billion in cash and shares now worth almost $9 billion, thanks to a Blackrock share price jump to $227 each. Barclays told Blackrock to issue those shares not to BGI's UK owner Barclays Global Investors UK, but to a recently created Luxembourg company called Barclays BR Holdings Sarl. When Barclays decided to sell its shares in Blackrock in 2012, the U.S. asset managers stock had fallen back to $160. Even at this share price, the BGI sale had netted Barclays a profit of well over $10 billion, but the bank now had a paper loss of $2.6 billion in Luxembourg, filings show. And being Luxembourg, that loss was deductible against other income. Much of tax loss from the Blackrock share sale remains because Barclays also generated other tax losses from investments held in Luxembourg, the Barclays spokeswoman said. Barclays had no branch network and only 14 staff in Luxembourg. But it structured some of its most profitable deals so that it could also report large profits there. In the three years since selling the Blackrock stake, Barclays has made profits of 2.4 billion pounds in Luxembourg, its filings show. The tax it paid on this income totalled 24 million pounds. (Editing by Philippa Fletcher)
By Conor Humphries and Padraic Halpin DUBLIN (Reuters) - Acting Irish Prime Minister Enda Kenny took a major step towards forming a new government after nine weeks of deadlock on Friday when he secured the agreement of the country's second largest party to facilitate a minority administration. Under the deal Fianna Fail will abstain in key votes, leaving Kenny's Fine Gael just six votes short of the 58 needed to pass legislation. The party has been in talks with independents for weeks and senior members have voiced confidence they can secure their backing. "Fine Gael and Fianna Fail have reached a political agreement to facilitate a Fine Gael-led minority government," the parties said in a joint statement. The two parties will finalise the text of the agreement and each has to approve it, they said. The agreement will last for three annual budgets, meaning the minority government would last until October 2018, a source familiar with the arrangement told Reuters. It includes an agreed policy framework on issues such as taxation, public sector pay and housing. Ireland joined a growing list of EU countries suffering political paralysis on Feb. 26 when voters angry at the meagre benefits from a brisk economic recovery ousted the coalition government but failed to pick a clear alternative. Since then Kenny has failed in three parliamentary votes to be re-elected. "It has been a tortuous, long and difficult, at times, process," Fianna Fail negotiator Michael McGrath told reporters after announcing the deal. Talks with independent deputies were scheduled for later on Friday evening. Wednesday is the earliest date a vote could be scheduled in parliament to re-elect Kenny as prime minister. Fine Gael and Fianna Fail are both centre-right and differ little on policy but have been bitter foes for decades, tracing their rivalry back almost a century to Ireland's civil war. The impasse has so far had little effect on Europe's best-performing economy but analysts say a weak minority government could paralyse efforts to tackle bottlenecks in housing and infrastructure that threaten to choke the recovery. Many analysts also believe the government will be shorter-lived than envisaged, a view shared by one Fine Gael politician given that Friday's deal hinged on the incoming administration temporarily suspending charging households for water use, which triggered protests and was a major issue in the election. "If Fianna Fail are insisting in having their way on the very first issue, I don't think this will last very long. I don't see much trust there," Fine Gael lawmaker Michael D'Arcy told national broadcaster RTE earlier in the week. (Reporting by Conor Humphries; Editing by Mark Trevelyan)
ROME (Reuters) - Italy and Austria on Thursday played down tensions that flared after Austria said it might reintroduce border controls at the Alpine Brenner pass to keep migrants from coming from Italy. A day after Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi said Austria's announced plans to build a fence at Brenner was "shamelessly against European rules", Austria's new Interior Minister Wolfgang Sobotka said he had come to Italy "to calm tempers". Both Italy and Austria are members of the European Union's Schengen open-border zone, but free movement has been jeopardised by the reimposition of controls at some key crossings by countries affected by the migrant influx. "There will be no wall," Sobotka told reporters after meeting his counterpart Angelino Alfano. "If and only if it is necessary will we introduce more controls (at Brenner) by slowing traffic and trains ... but circulation will be guaranteed." Any toughening of border controls at the Brenner Pass would slow traffic on an important route from Italy to Germany, Italy's top trading partner. Hundreds of thousands of migrants fleeing war and poverty in the Middle East and Africa have crossed the Mediterranean to Italy since 2014, and Austria has said Rome must stop them from travelling on towards northern Europe. On Wednesday, Austria outlined plans to erect a 370 metre-long fence at the Brenner Pass, which is the busiest route through the Alps for heavy goods vehicles, but Sobotka said on Thursday it would be used only to "channel" people and was not a barrier. Austria's governing coalition of Social Democrats and the conservative People's Party announced the fence plan after the anti-immigration Freedom Party's candidate secured a record share of the vote in Sunday's presidential election. "We worked to save the right to circulate at Brenner, to clarify issues and avoid a crisis with Austria," Alfano told reporters after the meeting. "There's no need for any kind of barrier at Brenner." Sobotka told Alfano that "preparations are under way in case there is an extraordinary surge of migrants", Alfano said. Sobotka said as many as a million migrants in Libya were poised to cross the sea to Europe this year. Italy says the true figure is much lower, but arrivals are expected to surge during the summer months. Some 27,000 migrants have arrived in Italy by boat this year, the Interior Ministry says, and the coastguard said 600 were rescued on Thursday. Alfano defended Italy's handling of Europe's biggest migration crisis since World War Two, saying police were now fingerprinting all migrants in "hotspots" co-managed with the EU. But Alfano also said for the first time that Italy might have to create closed holding centres for migrants who are not seeking asylum or who do not qualify for it, so they can be repatriated. "In Europe and obviously not only in Italy, there have to be some centres in which irregular migrants must wait to be repatriated without being able to escape," Alfano said. (Reporting by Steve Scherer, Philip Pullella and Gavin Jones; writing by Steve Scherer; editing by Andrew Roche)
By Lisa Barrington BEIRUT (Reuters) - Syria called local truces near Damascus and in a northern province on Friday but no halt to combat on the main battlefield in Aleppo, after a surge in fighting the United Nations said showed "monstrous disregard" for civilian lives. A new "regime of calm" would begin from 1:00 a.m. on Saturday and last one day in the capital's eastern Ghouta suburb and three days in the northern countryside of the coastal province of Latakia, the army said in a statement. But by excluding the city of Aleppo, scene of the worst recent violence, the narrow truces were unlikely to resurrect a ceasefire and peace talks that have collapsed this week. In the worst recent attack, an air strike destroyed a hospital in a rebel-held area overnight on Wednesday-Thursday. The French charity Medecins sans Frontieres, which supported the hospital, said on Friday the death toll had risen to at least 50, including six medics. A Syrian military source said Aleppo was excluded from the newly announced truces "because in Aleppo there are terrorists who have not stopped hitting the city and its residents ... There are a large number of martyrs in Aleppo, which is why the situation is different there". Russia's Interfax news agency quoted the officer in charge of a Russian ceasefire monitoring centre as saying the truces meant all military action would cease in the covered areas. Damascus described the truces as an attempt to salvage a wider "cessation of hostilities" agreement in place since February. That ceasefire, sponsored by Washington and Moscow, allowed peace talks to start but has all but completely collapsed in recent days along with the Geneva negotiations. Violence was "soaring back to the levels we saw prior to the cessation of hostilities," said United Nations human rights chief Zeid Ra'ad al-Hussein. "There are deeply disturbing reports of military build-ups indicating preparations for a lethal escalation," Zeid said in a statement that described a "monstrous disregard for civilian lives by all parties to the conflict". "I DREAD MORE HORROR" The United Nations has called on Moscow and Washington to help restore the ceasefire to prevent the collapse of peace talks, which broke up this week in Geneva with virtually no progress after the opposition walked out. "The cessation of hostilities and the Geneva talks were the only game in town, and if they are abandoned now, I dread to think how much more horror we will see in Syria," Zeid said. The United States said on Friday that it was in discussions with Russia to renew the cessation of hostilities and was seeking a halt to fighting in Latakia and eastern Ghouta as a test case before trying to extend ceasefires throughout the country. "We are in touch with the opposition and it is our expectation they will comply," State Department spokesman Mark Toner said of the Latakia and Ghouta ceasefires. Asked why the United States did not try to get a halt to the violence in Aleppo, Toner said, In part it is a recognition that Aleppo is very complex and the fighting around there is indeed alarming. We need to start somewhere and were going to start with Latakia and east Ghouta. Aleppo, Syria's largest city before the war, has been divided for years between rebel and government zones. Full control would be the most important prize for President Bashar al-Assad, who has been fighting to keep hold of his country throughout a five-year civil war. U.N. mediator Staffan de Mistura has said that up to 400,000 people have been killed. Since Russia joined the war last year with air strikes against Assad's enemies, battlefield momentum has shifted in the government's favor. Hundreds of thousands of people still live in rebel zones of Aleppo, and the countryside to the north includes the only stretch of the Turkish-Syrian border still in the hands of Assad's main opponents, Arab Sunni Muslim rebel groups. Opposition groups have accused the government of deliberately targeting civilians so they would abandon the area. "The aim of what is happening in Aleppo now is to put pressure on us to accept the smallest demands and conditions proposed by Bashar al-Assad," chief opposition negotiator Asaad al-Zoubi said in an interview with Al Jazeera television. "The truce which they are talking about today is so the regime can prepare its forces again, especially because it failed to take control of Aleppo." The leader of the opposition High Negotiations Committee, Riyad Hijab, wrote to U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon accusing the government of "horrifying daily massacres" and "the besiegement and starvation of cities, towns and villages". He demanded the U.N. Security Council force Assad to stop. Rebels have targeted government areas with aggressive shelling, which Damascus has said is proof that they are receiving weapons from abroad. AIR STRIKES, SHELLING Commenting on the hospital air strike, International Committee of the Red Cross spokesman Ewan Watson told Reuters in Geneva, It is unacceptable ... But it is up to an investigator and it is for a court to take that decision on whether it is a war crime or not. Late on Friday, the organization issued a statement calling for an immediate halt in the attacks, saying another four medical facilities on both sides of the frontlines in Aleppo had been damaged extensively. It said dozens of people had died and were injured in "another day of relentless fighting in Aleppo today." It said the four healthcare facilities that had been hit were Al Marjah polyclinic, the Bustan Al Qassar polyclinic and Shawki Hill Dialysis Centre and the Ibn Rashid Cardiac Hospital. There can be no justification for these appalling acts of violence deliberately targeting hospitals and clinics, which are prohibited under International Humanitarian Law," Marianne Gasser, head of the International Committee of the Red Cross in Syria, said in the statement. "People keep dying in these attacks. There is no safe place anymore in Aleppo. Even in hospitals. For the sake of people in Aleppo, we call for all to stop this indiscriminate violence. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a British-based monitoring group, said air strikes and government shelling had killed at least 142 civilians including 21 children in rebel areas in the past eight days, while rebel shelling of government areas had killed 84 civilians including 14 children. The Observatory said at least 11 civilians were killed on Friday in rebel areas and 13 in government areas. In the rebel-held zones, more were trapped under fallen buildings destroyed in helicopter strikes. Bebars Mishal, a civil defense chief working in rebel-held areas of Aleppo, told Reuters there were a number of air attacks in the morning, many of them around mosques in rebel-held areas. Mishal said one hit a clinic in Aleppo's Al-Marja district. Syrian state media said a number of people had been killed and wounded and fires started during shelling of government-held quarters in Aleppo, which included a hit on a mosque as people were leaving Friday prayers. (Additional reporting by Omar Fahmy and Lesley Wroughton; Writing by Peter Graff and Andrew Hay, Editing by Peter Millership, Toni Reinhold)
KIEV (Reuters) - At least four civilians were killed and several wounded by explosions at a village checkpoint in rebel-controlled territory in eastern Ukraine on Wednesday, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) said. There were conflicting accounts of the incident. A news agency linked to Russian-backed separatists, quoting a senior rebel official, said six people were killed, including a pregnant woman and her unborn child, as a result of shelling from Ukrainian armed forces. The Ukrainian military denied that, saying it had not returned fire despite being attacked by rebels in the area. Fighting between the separatists and Ukrainian government troops has increased sharply despite calls to observe a year-old peace agreement, according to the OSCE. The February 2015 Minsk ceasefire deal failed to completely halt the conflict that is now in its third year. Both sides accuse the other of violating the terms of the truce -- which includes a pullback of heavy weapons -- and casualties among soldiers or civilians are reported almost daily. Twenty Ukrainian soldiers were reported killed in March -- the army's highest monthly death toll since August. In April, 17 Ukrainian troops have been killed so far. (Reporting by Natalia Zinets, writing by Matthias Williams, editing by Angus MacSwan)
Democratic Unionist leader Arlene Foster says next week's election in Northern Ireland is a choice between her and Sinn Fein's Martin McGuinness for First Minister.

She is so determined to keep the job, she's taken her campaign to Rathlin Island, the most northerly part of Northern Ireland.

She said: "Right across the UK at the moment, we're having elections, in Wales and in Scotland, and they're looking to become First Minister of their respective countries as well so Im no different to Nicola Sturgeon, I want to go back as First Minister."

Her main challenge comes from Mr McGuinness, a former IRA commander, who says there's no reason why he couldn't hold the office.

He said: "The north has been open to me as Deputy First Minister and I travel right throughout the country.

"I've built up many new friendships with people within the Unionist community and within the Protestant churches.

"I don't think people out there are fixated by that at all."

But 18 years after the Good Friday Agreement, other political parties argue there are more important issues on the agenda for Northern Ireland.

David Ford, leader of the cross-community Alliance Party, said: "The reality is the only difference between First Minister and Deputy First Minister is who gets to shake the Queen's hand first when she comes on a trip.

"Its time they stopped squabbling about that kind of point and got on with delivering for the people of Northern Ireland."

Mike Nesbitt, who is leading the Ulster Unionist Party fight-back, added: "If we were in England, Scotland, Wales or the Republic of Ireland, I think you would have to have a pretty solid track record for the electorate to say 'we're going to give you a third term' and the DUP and Sinn Fein do not have a solid track record."

The SDLP is so keen to see change, the nationalist party had crossed the sea and set foot on Rathlin before the First Minister.

The new SDLP leader, Colum Eastwood, said: "The last nine years of the DUP and Sinn Fein have been nine years of failure, nine years of stagnation, nine years of no delivery.

"I think this is a huge opportunity for people to make a very loud call to say 'it's time for change' and I think people will do that."
Cheerwine

Cheerwine

After a century as a Southern icon, the Internet is helping one soda go national.

Cheerwine is a soft-drink icon in parts of the South  it's a beverage that is synonymous with Carolina and irreplaceable in the minds of the beverage's many fans.

However, finding a bottle of the cherry cola is nearly impossible in other regions, a fact that causes major problems for Cheerwine devotees.

"You have to understand that Cheerwine has a huge cult following," Cheerwines vice president for marketing, Tom Barbitta, told the New York Times in 2011, "and the people who love it are fanatics. One of them described it to me as 'adult crack.'"

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Cheerwine was launched in 1917, in Salisbury, North Carolina by general store owner L. D. Peeler.

In the 99 years since its inception, the soda has stayed in the family. Today, L.D. Peelers great-grandson Cliff Ritchie the CEO and president of Cheerwine's parent company, Carolina Beverage Corporation.

Cheerwine can now be purchased in specialty markets across the US such as Cost Plus World Market, as well as at independent retailers and restaurant chains with roots in the South.

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However, the Internet has completely changed how the beverage is bought and sold. While Cheerwine only entered Southeastern states such as Kentucky and Tennessee in the last 10 years, today, customers can purchase the beverage online no matter where they live.

"Cheerwine's reach extends far beyond the traditional distribution channels  many people order Cheerwine online and customers have been bringing Cheerwine to their shelves on their own from New York to California and many stops in between," Joy Ritchie, Cheerwines head of marketing, told Business Insider.

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Scrolling through social media and looking up some of the brand's most notable partnerships, it becomes clear that a major part of Cheerwines appeal is its strictly Southern credentials.

The company calls the drink the "Nectar of North Carolina," with the slogan "Born in the South. Raised in a glass." Its the official soft drink of the National Barbecue Association.

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Old country store Cracker Barrel and sister chain Holler and Dash both serve up the beverage, while North Carolina-based Krispy Kreme sells a Cheerwine doughnut during the summer months.

Canton, Ohio-based Old Carolina Barbecue solidified its Carolina credentials when it became the first restaurant chain in Ohio to offer Cheerwine as a fountain drink in 2010.

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New York Citys trendy Southern restaurant Root & Bone serves up the beverage, calling it a "true Southern delicacy" on Instagram.

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Indie country band The Avett Brothers, a group founded in Charlotte, North Carolina, have repeatedly partnered with the brand for benefit concerts. Basically, to be a fan of the regional favorite indicates an automatic Southern stamp of approval.

Of course, Cheerwine lovers say that they dont love the beverage because of its North Carolina roots (or at least, not purely for its Carolina roots).

Cheerwine

Cheerwine

"People not from the south may not understand the draw of Cheerwine, but there is nothing else like it, and we've tried it all," reads one five-star Amazon review from a customer who moved from North Carolina to Arizona and could no longer find Cheerwine. "It's not just cherry soda; it's how it's made, the taste of the water, the smells in the air that all flavor the ingredients in a way that can not be reproduced."

According to the company, it's these loyal fans that have helped Cheerwine grow beyond its dedicated Carolina market.

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"Few soft drinks can count on a following as loyal as Cheerwine's, where fans are proud to be ambassadors, feel personal ownership of the brand, and share its values," says Ritchie.

Cheerwine will likely never be as big as Pepsi or Coca-Cola (though the company has teamed up with Pepsi in certain markets to bottle and distribute the beverage).

However, in an era when consumers are increasingly turning away from soda, a loyal customer base is something many of the biggest names in the soft drinks business lack  even if many of these customers have to shop online if they want to get their Cheerwine fix.

NOW WATCH: Here's What Happens To Your Brain On Caffeine

See Also:
MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia said on Saturday it had sent a fighter plane on Friday to intercept a U.S. aircraft approaching its border over the Baltic Sea because the American plane had turned off its transponder, which is needed for identification. The Pentagon said the U.S. Air Force RC-135 plane had been flying a routine route in international airspace and that the Russian SU-27 fighter had intercepted it in an "unsafe and unprofessional" way. CNN reported that the Russian jet had come within about 100 feet (30 metres) of the U.S. plane and had performed a barrel roll. "All flights of Russian planes are conducted in accordance with international regulations on the use of airspace," the Russian Defence Ministry said in a statement. "The U.S. Air Force has two solutions: either not to fly near our borders or to turn the transponder on for identification." Friday's incident underlines rising tensions between Russia and the United States over eastern Europe. NATO has said it plans its biggest build-up in the region since the Cold War to counter what the it considers to be a more aggressive Russia. The Baltic states, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, which joined NATO in 2004, have requested higher and permanent presence of the alliance, fearing a threat from Russia after it annexed the Crimea peninsula from Ukraine in 2014. The Kremlin denies any intentions to attack the Baltic countries, but it has often said that they have become an aggressive "Russophobic kernel" pushing NATO towards a consistently anti-Russian course. "We are already starting to get used to the insults of the Pentagon regarding alleged 'unprofessional' manoeuvres when our fighters intercept U.S. spy planes at the Russian border," the defence ministry said in its statement. (Reporting by Lidia Kelly; Editing by Robin Pomeroy)
By Christian Lowe and Dmitry Solovyov MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russian President Vladimir Putin told his space officials to raise their game on Wednesday after he flew thousands of kilometers (miles) to watch the inaugural launch of a rocket from a new spaceport, only for it to be called off. With moments to go before the launch of an unmanned Soyuz rocket, officials had to postpone it early on Wednesday morning because a fault was uncovered with the rocket. They rescheduled for 24 hours later, but there was uncertainty about whether the second attempt would go ahead. The episode was the latest problem to beset Russia's space program, which Putin aims to revive as part of his push to restore Russia's military and technological might after years of post-Soviet neglect. "The fact is there is a large number of hitches. That is bad. There should be an appropriate reaction," a stern-looking Putin was shown saying on state television at the Vostochny cosmodrome, hours after the launch was scrapped. Delays and corruption have blighted work on the new cosmodrome, while this month a European Space Agency launch in French Guiana, using a similar Russian Soyuz rocket, was delayed by technical problems. Problems with Russian space rockets are worrisome not just for the Kremlin but also for the United States space program. Since it retired its space shuttle, NASA depends on Russia to fly its astronauts to the International Space Station. Russian news agencies later quoted state space commission sources as saying that a new attempt to launch the rocket from Vostochny would be made exactly 24 hours after the original one, at 0501 (0201 GMT) on Thursday. SPACE TOURISTS Russia pioneered manned space flight when it fired Yuri Gagarin into space in 1961. But since the collapse of the Soviet Union its space program has had to retrench for a lack of cash. For years it filled gaps in its budget by taking paying tourists into space. The Vostochny spaceport, in the remote Amur region near the border with China, was the flagship project in Putin's planned $52 billion investment in space exploration up to 2020. The first civilian rocket launch site on Russian territory, it is intended to phase out Russia's reliance on the Baikonur cosmodrome that Russia leases from ex-Soviet Kazakhstan. Several people involved in building the Vostochny spaceport are under criminal investigation for embezzlement, workers went on strike over pay arrears, costs overran, and the project missed its scheduled completion date last year. Speaking at the meeting with officials at Vostochny on Wednesday, Putin said he was satisfied to note that the cosmodrome was now in working order. He said the technical glitch was to do with the rocket system, not the launch-pad, and that Russia still led the world in many aspects of space technology. But he added that if suspects in the criminal investigation were found guilty, "then they will have to swap their warm bed at home for a prison bunk." (Reporting by Vladimir Soldatkin; Editing by Dmitry Solovyov, Dominic Evans, Toni Reinhold)
TAIPEI (Reuters) - Taiwan's ruling party on Saturday strongly condemned the deportation of 32 Taiwanese to China from Malaysia on suspicion of telecom fraud, and the outgoing cabinet said Malaysia had acted "under pressure" from Beijing. The case comes weeks after 45 Taiwanese in Kenya, in another alleged telecom fraud case, were forcibly deported to China, in an incident which also drew protests from Taiwan. Taiwan's cabinet said in a statement it had tried in vain to have the 32 suspected Taiwanese sent back to the island, but "under pressure from China", Malaysia deported the individuals to China on Saturday, without elaborating. On April 15 another group of Taiwanese suspected of telecom fraud by Malaysian and Chinese authorities were deported back to Taiwan and are being held there on suspicion of committing "serious crime". China's Ministry of Public Security has said Taiwanese have been heavily involved in telecoms fraud in China and have caused huge losses. Taiwan's ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) in a statement said China's "unilateral and tough action" in the latest deportation was "completely unhelpful to bilateral relations". "Any of our nationals who commit crime abroad should be escorted back to Taiwan and face trial here," it said. The cases have strained relations between the two sides ahead of the presidential inauguration of Taiwan's Tsai Ing-wen of the independence-leaning DPP on May 20. Beijing sees self-ruled Taiwan as a wayward province to be taken back by force if necessary, particularly if it makes moves towards independence. It wants Tsai to stick to the "one China" policy agreed upon with the outgoing China-friendly Nationalist government. Since Tsai and the DPP won Taiwan's presidential and parliamentary elections by a landslide in January, Beijing has been stepping up pressure on the self-ruled island. (Reporting by J.R. Wu; editing by Andrew Roche)
By Louis Charbonneau and Michelle Nichols UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - In a divisive vote, the U.N. Security Council on Friday extended for a year a peacekeeping mission in disputed Western Sahara and demanded urgent restoration of its full functionality after Morocco expelled international civilian staff. Rabat's retaliation against the mission, known as MINURSO, came after United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon referred to Morocco's 1975 annexation of Western Sahara after colonial power Spain's withdrawal as an "occupation." The U.N. has said the expulsions have crippled the mission The U.S.-drafted resolution asked Ban to report back within 90 days on whether the mission's functionality had been restored. It does not threaten any punitive measures against Morocco if the mission remains understaffed. Several council members said the resolution should have gone further in demanding the restoration of MINURSO's full strength. Highlighting the disappointment at its contents, the text received 10 yes votes, just one more than the required minimum, along with two against and three abstentions. Venezuela and Uruguay opposed it, while Russia, New Zealand and Angola abstained. "It should not have been like this," New Zealand's U.N. Ambassador Gerard van Bohemen told the 15-nation council. "The resolution should have stated the reality, that the expulsion of the civilian component has seriously compromised the mission and its ability to discharge its mandate." A split vote on a mandate renewal for a peacekeeping mission is rare. Mission mandates are usually approved unanimously. U.S. Ambassador Samantha Power said the weeks of haggling over the wording of the resolution on MINURSO's extension, one of the council's most heated annual battles, was even more difficult this time. "This year's mandate renewal was challenging and contentious," she said. "That is an understatement." Moroccan U.N. Ambassador Omar Hilale said Morocco would study the resolution. He did not address reporters' questions about whether Rabat will accept restoration of full civilian staffing levels. "The important thing for us is that the military component should work well and we have already committed ourselves to provide them with all their needs," he said. The Sahrawi people's Polisario Front independence movement wants a referendum on the idea of an independent Western Sahara. Morocco has said it would only grant autonomy. While the resolution does not explicitly call for a referendum, it "reaffirms" previous resolutions calling for a plebiscite. Polisario's U.N. representative Ahmed Boukhari said the resolution was a "step in the right direction but it is not enough." He blamed veto power France for preventing the council from threatening punitive measures against Morocco if it refused to let MINURSO restore full staffing. French Ambassador Francois Delattre said the resolution was balanced. The controversy over Ban's "occupation" comment, made during a visit to refugee camps for Sahrawi people in southern Algeria, is the worst dispute between the United Nations and Morocco since 1991, when the international body brokered a ceasefire to end a war between Rabat and rebels fighting for independence in Western Sahara. MINURSO was established at that time. (Writing by Louis Charbonneau; Editing by Toni Reinhold and James Dalgleish)
Sky News

A job boasting free housing, a daily commute that may involve a jet boat, and working in one of the world's Unesco heritage sites is struggling to find applicants. New Zealand's Department of Conservation (DOC) has been forced to widen its search for a new biodiversity manager in Haast, on the remote coast of the South Island, after only receiving three applications, according to reports. Filled with mountain ranges, beaches and forests, parts of the heritage site are only accessible by helicopter or jet boat and about 200 people live there.
By Mohammed Ghobari CAIRO (Reuters) - The Yemeni government suspended direct peace talks to end the country's civil war on Sunday after the Houthi movement and its armed allies seized a military base north of the capital Sanaa, two members of the official delegation to the talks said. The Houthi assault killed several of the soldiers defending the Umaliqa base. Unlike most of Yemen's soldiers, those at Umaliqa had refused to take sides in the war between the Iran-allied Houthis and the Saudi-backed government. The Houthis had tolerated this neutrality until they launched a surprise push into the facility in Amran province and seized its large cache of weapons at dawn, local officials said. "We have suspended the sessions indefinitely to protest these military actions and continued violations of the truce," one member of the government delegation to the Yemen peace talks in Kuwait told Reuters. The delegate declined to be named, citing rules on media commentary at the U.N.-sponsored peace talks. Abdel-Malek al-Mekhlafi, Yemen's foreign minister and the government's top delegate to the negotiations in Kuwait, said in the Houthi assault had "torpedoed" the talks. "We will take the appropriate position in response to the Houthi crime at the Umaliqa base in Amran for the sake of our people and country," he wrote on his official Twitter account, without elaborating. Houthi spokesman Mohammed Abdul-Salam dismissed the delegation's protest. In comments posted on his official Twitter account he accused the government of "wasting time" and "fabricating excuses" to continue the war. Buttressed by a truce which had been largely holding since April 10, the talks in Kuwait had been inching ahead in recent days and the Houthis said Saudi Arabia had on Saturday released 40 Yemeni prisoners. For its part, Yemen's Houthi-run state news agency Saba accused the mostly Gulf Arab coalition and Yemeni government forces of violating the truce 4,000 times, saying shelling, bombing raids and warplane overflights had raised tensions. The war has killed at least 6,200 people and unleashed a humanitarian crisis in the already impoverished country. Yemen's army has split, and military bases and commanders have mostly taken either the Houthi or the government side. (Writing by Noah Browning and Katie Paul; Editing by Gareth Jones and Nerys Avery)
YEREVAN, APRIL 28, ARMENPRESS. President of the Republican Party of Armenia (RPA) and the Republic of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan told during the meeting of RPA Executive Body that three preconditions must be met for resuming talks on Nagorno Karabakh conflict settlement. Armenpress reports RPA spokesperson and Vice President of the National Assembly of Armenia Eduard Sharmazanov told the reporters about this after the meeting of the Executive Body. He clarified that the three preconditions are the installation of monitoring mechanisms, addressed statements by the international community, and guarantees that Azerbaijan will not unleash another aggression and terrorism against the people of Nagorno Karabakh.

For now, its early to speak about the resumption of negotiations. When military operations still go on, when they have not been stopped entirely, when Azerbaijan violates both the 1994 ceasefire agreement, signed with Nagorno Karabakh and Armenia, and the verbal armistice agreement reached in Moscow, it is early to speak about resumption of negotiations. The Republic of Armenia remains the security guarantor of the people of Nagorno Karabakh. The conflict must be solved when the people of Nagorno Karabakh implement their right to self-determination, and no one can reach a comprehensive solution without official Stepanakert, the Vice President of the National Assembly stated.

He informed that during the Executive Body meeting of the party Serzh Sargsyan introduced the results and details of his recent meetings, as well as the situation on Karabakh-Azerbaijan contact line. Domestic political issues were discussed, but the key topic of the discussions was issues referring to foreign policy.
COLUMBUS, Ohio -- The smokescreen worked. Well, kind of.

Though five-star defensive end Joshua Kaindoh of Bradenton (Fla.) IMG recently released a top four that consisted of Ohio State, Notre Dame Penn State and Michigan, he announced his commitment to Maryland on Saturday.

Recruits are always finding new ways to shock the world in recruiting, and Kaindoh did something new: He fake eliminated a program (Maryland) so the world would get off that program's track, then committed to it.

Interesting.

But the smokescreen only kind of worked because recruiting experts were predicting that Kaindoh would eventually announce in favor of the Terrapins even after they were eliminated from his list.

The 6-foot-6, 256-pound prospect accumulated more than 30 scholarship offers before narrowing his list, including ones from Alabama, Arizona, Baylor, Clemson, Florida State, Georgia, LSU, Maryland Miami (Fla.), Michigan State, Oregon, Tennessee, USC and many others.

Rated the No. 1 weakside defensive end in the 2017 class in the 247sports composite rankings, Kaindoh goes to school at a powerhouse in Florida but has technically decided to stay home for college.

Before Kaindoh trimmed his list on April 21 to remove Maryland, it was a shock because the Terrapins were high on his list. It all makes sense now considering Kaindoh transferred to IMG from Essex (Md.) Our Lady of Mount Carmel.

Ohio State has two commitments from IMG prospects in four-star cornerback Marcus Williamson and five-star safety Isaiah Pryor. The Buckeyes also signed four-star defensive lineman Malik Barrow from IMG in the 2016 class.

The Buckeyes 2017 recruiting class currently has 13 members and is rated in the 247Sports composite rankings the No. 1 overall group in the country. Landing Kaindoh would have been a huge step in Urban Meyer's quest to secure his first top-rated recruiting class at Ohio State.

Ohio State likely only has one spot in the 2017 class for a defensive end, and it will probably still recruit Kaindoh.

But the Buckeyes are also interested in five-star weakside defensive end Chase Young of Hyattsville (Md.) DeMatha Catholic, who is rated the No. 2 weakside defensive end in the country in the 247SPorts composite rankings, behind only Kaindoh.
1) Predict and react to market shifts

Netflix started back in the late nineties as a way to rent DVDs without late fees, but they knew they couldnt do that forever as technology was moving fast. Knowing how fast DVDs had made VHS tapes obsolete they had to be ahead of the curve. Knowing that streaming was the next technology they implemented it even before most Americans had the bandwidth to use the service. Now they are the leading streaming service available.

Takeaway

Never be stagnant always look for ways to improve and what may be lurking on the horizon.

2) Make moves based on data

Netflix success may seem like luck but every single decision they have made was methodical and based collected data. They had been compiling data on everything from viewer preferences and habits to how long episodes were watched before they were skipped. With all of that, they were able to actually calculate the exact show people wanted to see. So when they approached Kevin Spacey about starring in the now critically acclaimed House of Cards, they were able to tell him they knew people would watch with zero risk of a flop.

Takeaway

Make note of products and services your members are using and create new ones in accordance to identified trends.

3) Culture is key

Apart from the services that they are known for providing, in the technology industry all over Silicon Valley they are known for something else. That is the famous Netflix culture doc that was created in the early days of the company. Titled, Netflix Culture: Freedom & Responsibility, it has a unique take on who and what run a company.

Takeaway

What you learn from this slideshare is dependent on what aligns with your current culture, but everyone can benefit.

4) Personalization

Anyone who has ever finished a show on Netflix after a 9-hour binge watching spree knows the agony of having nothing to watch. It was long until Netflix started suggesting shows based off of past viewing habits. This not only increase viewership, but also overall membership by creating a free suggestion service out of something they already had.

Take away

You know your members; their needs and wants. Leverage that knowledge to provide more services they could benefit from.
Ray McGovern on Active Hope at Berkeley's Unitarian Church, 4-29-16 by DJ Mouse

Ray runs down Hillary's email scandal, the criminal drone assassination program, bogus Panama Papers 'expose' and his work with Veteran Intelligence Professionals for Sanity as part of the Unitarian Church forum Active Hope: Going Foreward.

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...an excerpt of his 4-19-16 Middle East Online article 'Is Hillary Clinton Above the Law?'...(similar to some of of last night's speech recorded here)

For technical commentary on this issue, I turned to a specialist VIPS colleaguenamed WilliamBinney... 'This is worse that the compromise of predominantly lower-level data by Bradley (now Chelsea) Manning and gives insight into planning at the highest levels in Washington  something that even all the torrent of data exposed by Edward Snowden could not provide.Reports that Clinton instructed subordinates to delete the security classification line on sensitive reports and email them to her, suggests a total disregard for the need to protect classified information and arrogance in deeming herself above lawful regulations governing the handling such data.

We might as well have had an in-place mole at the highest level of our government.The FBI/Department of Justice would have already indicted lesser officials for less. Certainly, Clinton is receiving special treatment."
MANILA - Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte on Wednesday told the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) and those who filed a complaint against him on account of his alleged offensive remarks on rape to go to hell.





"Human rights? Idemanda ako? You go to hell! You go to hell! That's my... Human rights? You go to hell!" Duterte told a cheering crowd.The PDP-Laban presidential candidate added that he will not answer the summons of the CHR and will merely throw it away.Duterte admitted that he may have a foul mouth, but said no one can question his actions as he was merely exercising his constitutional right of freedom of expression."You know, this is a democracy. There is a Constitution. Ang pinaka-importante, cardinal rights... freedom of expression!" Duterte said."It is a sacred right. Nobody can question my mouth!" he added.________________________________________________Gabriela to Duterte: Womanizing and flaunting it is an affront to womenBy Gabriela Women's Party (GWP)Presidential candidate and Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Dutertes statements and actions that denigrate women run counter with Gabriela and Gabriela Womens Partys principle of upholding respect for women.Womanizing and treating women as objects are an affront to women and it should not be flaunted. These reek of machismo, reinforces the societys low regard of women and consequently increases womens vulnerability to violence and abuse. This is both distasteful and unacceptable.Gabriela and Gabriela Women's Party reiterate the call to all candidates especially those running for the highest position, including and especially Duterte to refrain from making statements and committing acts that are offensive to women.Those setting their sights on ruling the country must impose upon themselves, the highest standards towards uplifting society's views on women and helping ensure the protection of women from abuse.We urge Duterte and other candidates to delve into platforms and discuss women's and people's issues rather than employ derogatory statements and actions that malign women.________________________________________________Gabriela to Duterte: Apologize, rape is no laughing matterBy Voltaire TupazMANILA, Philippines  The progressive women's group Gabriela called out presidential bet Rodrigo Duterte for joking about rape in a viral video."Sexual abuse is not a joke nor something to be trivialized in a joke, especially by one running for public office, and the highest post in the land no less. Duterte should apologize for making fun of rape," Gabriela vice chairperson Gert Ranjo Libang told Rappler on Sunday, April 17."Rape is a serious crime not just against women but against humanity," Ranjo stressed.In the video, posted on Saturday, April 16, Duterte is seen speaking about an Australian missionary who was raped in Davao City."All the women were raped so during the first assault, because they retreated, the bodies they used as a cover, one of them was the corpse of the Australian woman layminister. Tsk, this is a problem. When the bodies were brought out, they were wrapped. I looked at her face, son of a bitch, she looks like a beautiful American actress. Son of a bitch, what a waste. What came to mind was, they raped her, they lined up. I was angry because she was raped, that's one thing. But she was so beautiful, the mayor should have been first. What a waste."Women took to social media to lambast the mayor for his comment, noting that trivializing the crime perpetuates the "rape culture"."This is by far the best, clearerest example and understanding of what is meant by the phrase 'rape culture'... Watch and listen. Sexual assault, rape, and violence are trivialized, made into jokes, it becomes the 'norm' straight from this 'mayor'," feminist artist Nikki Luna said in a Facebook post."Perhaps he was saying to the rapist, how dare (you) rape her? Hindi mo man lang ako pinauna (I should have been first). Owing to his self-admission as a womanizer. Yes, it was a bad joke and I apologize for not presenting myself as his writer of jokes. But a persons sense of humor should not be made an issue when there should be other things more important things to discuss," lawyer Bruce Rivera said in a Facebook post.But for Gabriela, rape is among the important women's issues that Duterte should take seriously."We challenge him to use his campaign to promote issues that will elevate the condition of women and their families."The incident Duterte referred to in the video seemed to be the 1989 hostage-taking by Felipe Pugoy, an inmate of the Davao City Police Office. Pugoy had taken hostage of missionaries who had visited the DCPO to preach, including an Australian woman named Jacqueline Hammil.Duterte said he ordered the shooting of the hostage-takers.________________________________________________Groups file complaint vs Duterte for violating Magna Carta of WomenBy Patricia Lourdes VirayMANILA, Philippines  Several women's groups on Wednesday filed a complaint against Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte before the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) for allegedly violating the Magna Carta of Women (RA 9710).The presidential aspirant recently drew flak over his remarks about an Australian lay minister rape victim."As a public official, an incumbent Mayor of Davao City, and now seeking to win the highest position of the land, Mr. Duterte is expected to be an exemplar of a respectable, law-abiding citizen. Instead, he arrogantly flaunts his power over these women and diminishes their worth as human beings," the complaint read.Among the complainants were representatives of the Coalition Against Trafficking in Women - Asia Pacific, the World March of Women - Pilipinas, Purple Action for Indigenous Women's Rights, WomanHealth Philippines, Kasarian-Kalayaan, and Sagip-Ilog Pilipinas.The groups asked CHR Chairman Jose Luis Martin Gascon to investigate if Duterte has violated the rights sanctioned by the Magna Carta of Women through his controversial rape remark.On Tuesday, several women's groups released a statement condemning the remarks of Duterte despite his apology."Mayor Duterte, it is not okay to disrespect women. Even if they disagree with you. It is not okay to violate a woman's dignity," the statement read.The camp of Duterte had issued an apology over his "rape joke" and said that the presidential aspirant had no intention of disrespecting women or rape victims.Meanwhile, Commission on Elections Commissioner Rowena Guanzon is set to propose a reform on election rules to emphasize gender sensitivity and gender equality.________________________________________________Duterte charged at CHRby Iza Iglesias / William B. DepasupilSeveral womens groups filed a complaint against Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte at the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) on Wednesday for violating Republic Act 9710 or the Magna Carta of Women.The Women Against Duterte movement, composed of a coalition of womens rights advocates, environmental and workers groups led by Ana Maria Nemenzo of Woman Health Philippines, Jean Enriquez of World March of Women, Judy Pasimio of Katutubong Lilak and Josua Mata of Sentro filed the complaint.According to the groups, Dutertes disrespect of women during his speeches have been well-documented.They cited an uproar caused by the mayors statements about the rape and killing of Australian missionary Jacqueline Hamill.To make the rape of a woman who was later killed a laughing matter, and to treat women as playthings to be taken advantaged of constitute an affront to us and all women, the groups said.As a public official, an incumbent mayor of Davao City, and now seeking to win the highest position of the land, Mr. Duterte is expected to be an exemplar of a respectable, law-abiding citizen. Instead, he arrogantly flaunts his power over these women and diminishes their worth as human beings, they added.CHR Chairman Jose Luis Martin Chito Gascon personally received the complaint.The commission, he said, will ask Duterte to reply to the complaint.The groups noted that they are not supporting any particular candidate but they just wanted to point out that Dutertes statements encourage a culture of rape and disrespect of women.The CHR also expressed grave concern over the mayors trivialization of rape in his statements.Officials of the commission said it is their role to investigate and make Duterte accountable for his statements.As monitor of the States compliance with Cedaw, the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women, it is the commissions role to monitor how the State and State actors perform the obligation of condemning discrimination against women in all its forms and in pursuing all appropriate means and without delay a policy of eliminating discrimination against women, the CHR said in a statement.At the onset, and prior to the formal consideration of the case as filed, the commission reiterates its previous issuances on the trivialization of rape. It reiterates that rape and accounts of rape should never be trivialized and dismissed. Rape is one of the gravest forms of violence against women; it is an act of violence and aggression that is gender- specific in character which hurts, humiliates, subjugates and degrades women. Trivializing rape and considering accounts of rape as mere jests contribute to rape culture and to the perpetration of violence against women, it added.The commission said it is the states obligation under Cedaw and the Magna Carta of Women to eliminate all forms of discrimination against women and to observe due diligence in respecting, protecting and fulfilling womens human rights to non-discrimination and to the enjoyment of equality.Candidates, most especially those seeking the highest office in the land, are reminded to be cautious in making statements that wittingly or unwittingly undermine the rights of women, the CHR added.InhumanAn official of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) also joined the widespread condemnation of Duterte.Commissioner Rowena Guanzon also on Wednesday said Dutertes pun about the rape and murder of Hamill was inappropriate and inhuman.And Rodrigo Duterte, a presidential candidate, makes a disgusting joke about it, talking about rape and murder victim Jacqueline Hamill, an Austrialian missionary, who was taken hostage in Davao City prison, as if she was not a human being, Guanzon pointed out.The commissioner said as chairman of the Comelecs Gender and Development Committee, she will propose a Code of Conduct for candidates and will push for reforms in election rules to emphasize gender sensitivity and gender equality.________________________________________________Joma Sison eyes ceasefire, return to Philippines if Duterte winsBy Thea Alberto-MasakayanMANILA  Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) founder Jose Maria Sison sees the possibility of a ceasefire between communist rebels and the government if Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte wins the presidency.Sison, who has been in exile in The Netherlands since 1987, said returning home is also an option under a Duterte administration.This comes after the New Peoples Army (NPA) handed over five policemen to Duterte on Tuesday, nine days after the cops were abducted.As chief political consultant of the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP), Sison said he talked to Duterte on Tuesday to thank him for helping in the negotiations for the release of the cops and to discuss plans for peace talks.We talked about the need to resume the peace negotiations and release the political prisoners unjustly imprisoned by the Arroyo and Aquino charged in violation of the Hernandez political offense doctrine and the Joint Agreement on Safety and Immunity Guarantees, Sison told ABS-CBN News in an online interview.We have good vibes because he was my student in Political Thought at the Lyceum of the Philippines, Sison added, recalling his ties with Duterte before martial law was declared in 1972.Sison claimed Duterte promised to set a meeting if he wins.The mayor said that if he wins, we would meet as soon as possible abroad and then in the Philippines, said Sison.He said they also agreed that a ceasefire can happen even while comprehensive agreements on social, economic and political reforms are being worked out.I will come home as soon as there is a sure basis for the ceasefire and the resumption of peace talks. I might even come home for a visit as early as June to witness the oath-taking of Duterte, if he wins or if he is not cheated, said Sison.Sisons homecoming plans also include attending the launch of TIBAK, a new film about his stint as Kabataang Makabayan (KM) leader. He said Duterte was once a member of the KM.KM was a radical student movement set up in 1964. Its leaders, including Sison, would later establish the CPP and the NPA. Many KM members went underground after martial law was declared in 1972, and it is still an underground revolutionary organization until today.Endorsement for DuterteSison clarified that he has not endorsed Duterte, because the NDFP is not supposed to interfere in the elections of the ruling system.He, however, heaped praises on the Davao mayor.He is the most open to coalition government of national unity, peace and development, said Sison.The communist leader also cited Dutertes good ties with the rebel movement.I can see the track record and good qualities of Duterte. He has been very cooperative with the revolutionary movement in ways beneficial to the people, said Sison.Sison said he has not communicated with other presidential candidates this month but has met various emissaries since August 2015, within the same parameters of peace negotiations that I have talked to Duterte.________________________________________________Gabriela urges Duterte team to help stop bullying after criticism of rape jokeBy InterAksyonMANILA, Philippines -- The womens group Gabriela has sought the help of the campaign team of Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte to end a cyber campaign against the organization that followed its criticism of the presidential candidates joke about the rape of an Australian missionary who died during a hostage crisis in 1989.The bashing of Gabriela, one of, if not the, largest and most prominent womens advocacy organizations in the country, came after Duterte dismissed the groups demand for him to apologize for joking about the multiple rape suffered by Jacqueline Hammill before she was killed during the hostage crisis at a Davao jail.Video footage of part of Dutertes April 12 speech during a rally at the Amoranto stadium, he recalled how he was angered on hearing of Hamills multiple rape and then quipped, Pero napakaganda. Dapat, ang mayor muna ang mauna (But she really was beautiful. The mayor should have been first)."The joke has earned the tough talking Duterte widespread criticism here and abroad, including from the Australian and American ambassadors, but has apparently done nothing to dampen his popularity.In an open letter addressed to Duterte's campaign team, through his spokesman Peter Tiu Lavina, Gabriela vice chair Gert Ranjo-Libang said: Numerous individuals and groups claiming to be Duterte supporters are waging a cyber campaign to discredit Gabriela and Gabriela Womens Party. We are now subjected to cyber bullying by spreading malicious and incorrect facts about our organization.She also noted that the campaign appeared to be partly orchestrated because the content and graphics are the same.Ranjo-Libang said the bashing has affected their ability to respond to the many requests for assistance from women seeking its help.In particular, she said the inbox of Gabrielas Facebook page, which is meant to receive requests for help, is now flooded with spam messages. This keeps us from immediately responding to people who are expecting our support.These actions of persons and groups who purport to support Mayor Dutertes candidacy, deny victims who seek our urgent assistance, she stressed.The attacks on Gabriela appear to have spiked following the appearance of Valentina Berden, one of the elderly farmers who were arrested and charged over the violent April 1 dispersal of protesters in Kidapawan City, before the Senate committee on justice and human rights.For example, the comments section of InterAksyon.coms report on Berdens testimony before the committee on April 20 included statements by people whose profile pictures showed them to be Duterte supporters asking why Gabriela, the Catholic church and the Commission on Human Rights, all of whom criticized the Davao mayor for the rape joke, appeared not to be helping Berden.Gabriela was, in fact, among the many organizations that supported the Kidapawan protesters, who were demanding government relief from a devastating drought, and continue to support similar protests that have spread throughout Mindanao.However, Gabrielas appeal to Lavina is apparently not enough to appease a number of Duterte supporters who continued to bash the group in comments accompanying a copy of the open letter it posted on Facebook.Gabriela, which counts more than 200 womens organizations across the nation, was founded in 1984 as the General Assembly Binding Women for Reforms, Integrity, Equality, Leadership, and Action. In 2003, it launched the party-list Gabriela Womens Party.In Davao City, the group is known to have worked closely with Duterte in advocating for womens rights and welfare. In fact, Gabriela Representative Luz Ilagan, who hails from Davao, is running for councilor under a pro-Duterte coalition.However, this has not spared Ilagan from being attacked by Duterte supporters, which include calls not to vote for her.________________________________________________Trillanes to Duterte: Who gave P197M on your bday?By People's JournalSENATOR Antonio Trillanes IV yesterday insisted the people should know where the P197 million deposited in the BPI account of presidential candidate Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte on his 69th birthday on March 28, 2014 came from.Who gave the P197 million? asked Trillanes.The senator said the amount was part of at least P211 million wealth of Duterte not declared in his Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Networth (SALN), which is a ground for his dismissal from government service.In his 2014 SALN, Duterte declared a networth of P21,971,732.62 with assets of P22,971,732.62 and liability of P1 million, a personal loan from a certain Samuel Uy.If his allegations were not true, Trillanes then dared Duterte to issue a waiver specifically to his BPI account at Julio Vargas Ave. in Pasig City.The senator added that Duterte should not hide his wealth if it was legally obtained.Nagpapanggap siyang mahirap. Niloloko niya ang tao pero may daan-daang milyon siya sa bangko na nakapangalan sa kanya, said Trillanes.According to Trillanes, on his 69th birthday on March 28, 2014, eight cash deposits totalling P197 million were credited to Dutertes bank account in the BPI Julia Vargas branch through interbank transfers.The eight deposits consisted of P55,131,747.32; P41,721,035.62; P16,852,832.94; P16,852,782.94; and four P20-million transactions.Trillanes said he obtained the information from various sources.As mayor, Duterte receives a monthly pay of P78,946 (Salary Grade 30).
May Day Call To Action - On May Day We Vote In The Streets For Justice! March for Legalizaton, Housing, Education, and a Living Wage! No More Raids! No More Deportations! No More Gentrification! No More Police Violence - Black Lives Matter!May Day Bay Area Regional Rally & March in OAKLAND! Organized by the Bay Area May Day CoalitionSunday, May 1st12pm Rally at Fruitvale Plaza1pm March to San Antonio Park and stay for resource fair and closing program- Bring food, picnic items, and plan to stay at San Antonio Park!- This event IS FAMILY FRIENDLY!----------------------------------------Call to Action: On May Day 2016, We Vote in the Streets for Justice!We, the Bay Area May Day Coalition, call on all immigrant, labor, and community of color organizations to endorse and mobilize for May 1st and May 2nd, 2016.In the Bay Area our communities face increased state and economic violence. Only by building a mass movement in the streets that unites all of our struggles can we win our fight for justice and dignity. This May Day, its our day to vote! To endorse this call to action, please email Baymaydaycoalition [at] gmail.com . Please also fill out this form:Points of UnityUPHOLD WORKER AND STUDENT RIGHTSWe demand respect for all workers rights: living wages and employee benefits, and an end to labor trafficking and wage theft. We demand empowering and free education, including ethnic studies programs, and for campus Graduate Student Workers to earn fair wages.LEGALIZATION FOR ALL UNDOCUMENTED MIGRANTS, IMMEDIATE END TO DEPORTATIONSWe demand a clear path to legalization for all and an end to deportations and detentions. Regardless of skill, background, history of criminalization, sexuality, or gender identity, all migrants and their families have the right to freedom of movement and to live together in dignity.SUPPORT THE STRUGGLE OF BLACK COMMUNITIES AGAINST STATE VIOLENCE IN THE U.S.We march for Black Lives, Black Power, and Black Resistance. We support Black-led struggles against state violence and for self-determination. We stand with trans people of color against state violence.BRING OUR LOVED ONES HOME FROM PRISONS, JAILS, AND DETENTION CENTERSWe march against all forms of state violence, including those inherent to systems of policing, imprisonment, and surveillance that primarily target Black, Brown, and poor communities. We march for the freedom of our loved ones locked in cages and for the families of those killed by the police.BUILD AND DEFEND STRONG AND HEALTHY COMMUNITIESWe demand access to meaningful work, guaranteed and comfortable housing, free and sustainable healthcare, and environmentally sustainable communities. We demand real solutions to reverse the effects of climate change that endanger us all globally but especially poor people and people of color.END U.S. MILITARY AGGRESSION & CAPITALIST POLICIES THAT FORCE MIGRATIONMore than 200 million people have been forced to leave their country of origin because of war, environmental degradation and unequal trade policies. We say: No More! End US military aid. End US imperialism and support for colonial governments.----------------------------------------Endorsed by: Endorsed by: Oakland Sin Fronteras, Bay Area May Day Coalition, East Bay Immigrant Youth Coalition (EBIYC), Mujeres Unidas y Activas (MUA), AROC: Arab Resource & Organizing Center, Anti-Police Terror Project, Oakland Education Association (OEA), AFSCME 3299, School of the Americas Watch  SF (SOAW-SF), School of the Americas Watch  East Bay (SOAW-East Bay), United Educators of San Francisco, Bay Area Latin American Solidarity Coalition (BALASC), Interfaith Movement for Human Integrity, East Bay Immigration Interfaith Coalition, Socialist Organizer, Pangea Legal Services, Marcha Patriotica - Colombia, Jewish Voice for Peace - Bay Area, Workers World Party, Alameda Peace and Freedom Party, UAW 2865, Worker's Voice/La Voz de los Trabajadores, Student Labor Committee at UC Berkeley, MEChxA de UC Berkeley, XMC: Xicana Moratorium Coalition, Bay Peace, ASPIRE, 67 Suenos/AFSC SF, AYPAL, Save Midtown, Anakbayan East Bay, Chinese Progressive Association, East Bay Organizing Committee, Ella Baker Center for Human Rights, Viet Unity, CARECEN SF, Critical Resistance Oakland, Latin American Club at Berkeley City College, Interfaith Movement for Human Integrity, Mechxa de CCSF, Migrante Northern California, Anakbayan East Bay, Bayan USA, Gabriela SF, ICHRP- International Committee for Human Rights in the Philippines, League of Filipino Students, CARACEN  SF, Causa Justa  Just Cause
Trump Crosses The Border: Youth & Workers Speak Out In California by Labor Video Project

Donald Trump had to cross the border in Burlingame to get into the California Republican party state convention. He faced up to 1,000 youth and workers who were protesting and demanding that he get out of California.
Kentucky Derby & Kentucky Oaks Contender Updates: Reddam Racings likely Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (GI) favorite Nyquist got his first feel for Churchill Downs Sunday morning at 8:30 when he jogged once around the big oval under exercise rider Jonny Garcia. He appeared to handle it just the way hes handled everything else in his brief career  with a winning style.

Trainer Doug ONeills champion-2-year-old-turned-blossoming-sophomore-star went trackside with a pony steered by assistant trainer Jack Sisterson, passing through the six-furlong gap and on about his business on a sloppy and sealed strip as easy as can be. He finished up in short order and headed right back to Barn 41, which will be his home through at least next Sunday.

He jogged today and hell jog tomorrow, said ONeill, who besides Nyquist has nine other Thoroughbreds and a pony ensconced on the Churchill backstretch. The trainer also has brought Reddam Racings Land Over Sea for Fridays Longines Kentucky Oaks (GI) and has six additional stakes picked out this coming week for six of his other runners.

ONeill said owner Paul Reddam would be in from California on Wednesday.

He wants to be here for the Derby draw Wednesday night, he said.

OTHER KENTUCKY DERBY NOTES

BRODYS CAUSE/CHERRY WINE  Trainer Dale Romans reported that his two Kentucky Derby hopefuls, Brodys Cause and Cherry Wine, exited their five-furlong breezes Saturday morning in good order. Both horses walked the shedrow Sunday morning and are scheduled to jog on the main track Monday.

CREATOR/GUN RUNNER  WinStar Farms Creator and Winchell Thoroughbreds and Three Chimneys Farms Gun Runner galloped a mile and half Sunday morning after the renovation break for trainer Steve Asmussen.

Exercise rider Carlos Rosas was on Gun Runner, and exercise rider Abel Flores was on Creator.

As is his routine before a Saturday race, Asmussen will work the colts Monday. An easy half-mile, he said. Same thing theyve done the week of (a race) all year.

DANZING CANDY  Trainer Cliff Sise Jr. reported that Danzing Candy exited his five-furlong work on Saturday at San Luis Rey Downs training center in good order and walked the shedrow Sunday morning.

Halo Farms, Jim and Dianne Bashors Danzing Candy is scheduled to arrive at Churchill Downs on Monday afternoon after catching an early morning flight out of Southern California. Sise, who will travel commercially, also is expected to arrive in Louisville on Monday afternoon.

Danzing Candy will get acquainted with the Churchill surface Tuesday, Sise reported.

DAZZLING GEM  Trainer Brad Cox reported that Dazzling Gem came out of his five-furlong workout of 1:00.40 in good order and that he just walked Sunday morning. The Misremembered colt is 24th on the list of potential Kentucky Derby starters and would need several defections to make the field.

DESTIN/OUTWORK  There wasnt much shaking on the schedule for trainer Todd Pletchers Derby duo of Destin and Outwork Sunday morning, other than an amble around the shedrow on Barn 40. Both colts had worked Friday morning, then jogged Saturday and  in the conditioners usual pattern  this was their off day.

Destin had accomplished his five-furlong drill in 1:01.20, while Outwork had gone in 1:01 two days ago. Both appeared to be taking their steps toward Derby 142 in smooth and steady fashion.

Touch wood, Pletcher said. I dont think either of them will have any issues with the crowd come Saturday. They seem to have handled it all well so far and Im expecting the same ahead. Well paddock them throughout the week and give them every chance to be comfortable.

DISCREETNESS  Xpress Thoroughbreds Discreetness, 26th on the Kentucky Derby leaderboard, walked the shedrow at trainer Jinks Fires barn.

Should Discreetness make the Derby field, he would be ridden by 55-year-old Jon Court.

Court started the Spring Meet in rousing fashion Saturday night, winning the first two races on the program. The two victories boosted Courts Churchill Downs win total to 498 and his career total to 3,965.

EXAGGERATOR  It was a very quiet Sunday morning at the Keith Desormeaux barn, as almost all of them are. The trainer had worked his Derby colt Exaggerator on Saturday (1:02.60) and walking was in order on a pretty morning in Louisville.

He came out of his work fine, the 49-year-old conditioner said, and hell walk today. Hes used to that.

The native of Louisiana Cajun country has established a Sunday routine at his stable that has been in place since he became the boss and hung out his own training shingle. Barring something extraordinary, it is always a day off, or a day of rest, for all concerned.

When I first started doing this on my own, he said, I said why does this have to be a seven-day-a-week job? I understand that it is a seven-day-a-week responsibility, that these animals have to be fed and cared for every day and, of course, we do that. But that doesnt mean that they  or we  have to work seven days.

My horses are given every Sunday off. So is my help. I like to go to church on Sunday and theres time for that. Some of my help does, too. It is a routine now at the stable and it works well for all of us.

We go by this creed: If you cant get em fit in six days, you probably shouldnt be doing this.

FELLOWSHIP  Jack of Better Farms Fellowship, No. 21 on the Kentucky Derby leaderboard, was an early bird Sunday at Churchill Downs. The colt jogged on the main track in the first set at 5:45 a.m. with exercise rider Brian OLeary aboard.

It was just an easy day of jogging, Norm Casse, son of trainer Mark Casse, said. He will back in the 8:30 set tomorrow and will gallop.

When the younger Casse was asked if there was a Plan B for Fellowship if he didnt get into the Derby field, he responded: I dont think we really discussed that yet. I think he is training so well, maybe the Preakness is on the table. We will enter [Wednesday] and wait to see how it goes.

LANI  Koji Maedas Lani paid a visit to the starting gate near the conclusion of his 35 minutes on the track Sunday morning.

With exercise rider Eishu Maruuchi aboard, Lani came on the track shortly after 8:30 during the training time reserved for Kentucky Derby and Kentucky Oaks contenders. Lani made four circuits of the track, a combined walk and jog for the first lap, jogging the second, galloping a mile and a half and then walking to the starting gate for his schooling session.

He did pretty well at the gate. It was another good day, said Keita Tanaka, agent for Maeda. It is routine when we go to a new track to do gate practice. He will probably go one more time before the Derby.

Lanis extended time on the track is nothing new for him.

Back home in Japan, he usually will walk for 30 minutes before going to the track, Tanaka said. We cant do that here because it is so confined (in the area around the stakes barn).

Trainer Mikio Matsunaga is scheduled to arrive in Louisville on Monday and jockey Yutaka Take on Friday.

Take had flown in from Japan to work Lani on Wednesday and returned to Japan the next day.

Take got the week off to a good start early Sunday when he won the Emperors Prize (GI) at Kyoto on Kitesan Black.

MAJESTO  Grupo 7C Racing Stables Majesto jogged in the mile chute and then galloped a mile and a quarter under exercise rider J.J. Delgado before the morning renovation break.

Runner-up in the Florida Derby (GI) in his most recent start, Majesto still is in need of a rider for the Derby.

I wanted to get (Javier) Castellano, trainer Gustavo Delgaro said of the rider who was aboard Majesto in his past two starts but who is committed to ride Destin for Todd Pletcher in the Derby.

But I understand, Delgado said with a shrug. Javier has won a hundred races for Todd and six for me.

MOHAYMEN  Shadwell Stables Mohaymen had his second walk day following a half-mile work on Friday.

Everything is good here, trainer Kiaran McLaughlin said. He will go back to the track tomorrow.

Junior Alvarado, who has ridden Mohaymen in all six of his starts with five victories, has the Derby mount.

MOR SPIRIT  Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert, who had flown back to California following Mor Spirits work last Tuesday, arrived back in Louisville late Saturday night and was on hand to watch his charge gallop 1  miles under regular exercise rider George Alvarez during the special 8:30 a.m. training time. The Santa Anita Derby (GI) runner-up is expected to have his final workout Monday morning.

It has been 20 years since Baffert saddled his first Kentucky Derby runner and nearly pulled off the upset when Cavonnier finished second by a slim margin. Since that time he has won four Derbys, including last year with the heavily favored American Pharoah, who went on to become the sports first Triple Crown winner in 37 years. Baffert is feeling a lot less pressure this time around.

Were just the opening act this year, quipped Baffert, as he visited with several members of the media Sunday morning.

MO TOM  G M B Racings Mo Tom, with exercise rider Mario Garcia aboard, galloped about a mile-and-a-quarter Sunday after the renovation break. The colt also schooled at the starting gate.

Mo Tom, trained by Tom Amoss, will be racing for the first time since finishing fourth, with a troubled trip, in the Louisiana Derby (GII). Amoss said he has no concerns about the six-week spacing between Mo Toms final prep race and the Kentucky Derby. Since 1929, two Kentucky Derby winners  Animal Kingdom in 2011 and Needles in 1956  were racing for the first time in six weeks.

The placement of these prep races has a lot to do with when youre going to run next, and any trainer worth his salt can keep a horse fit, even for this extra distance for eight to 10 weeks if he has to, Amoss said. So its a non-factor.

Also, Amoss is confident that Derby Day hoopla, which has bothered many horses over the years, will be a non-factor for Mo Tom.

He has a very laid-back personality, which is great, he said. I dont think hes going to be a horse the crowd is going to bother in any way, shape or form. Were going to have 150,000 out here. Im good with that.

MY MAN SAM/SHAGAF  The Chad Brown-trained duo of Sheep Pond Partners, Newport Stables and Jay W. Blighs My Man Sam and Shadwell Stables Shagaf each jogged one mile at 8:30 a.m., their first day back to the track after timed workouts Friday.

Even though there are several more accomplished horses in the field  and Brown even acknowledges this upcoming quote is a Derby cliche  the trainer insists he wouldnt trade these two for anyone else in the field in light of how theyre coming up to the race.

My Man Sam finished an impressive second in the Blue Grass Stakes (GI) breaking from the outside post 14 and having to circle the field eight-wide into the stretch.

Hes a hard tryer, a brave horse, a strong-willed little horse, Brown said. Hes not afraid of anything. You put him in any situation and hes very willing.

His previous efforts and his disposition gives Brown reason to believe that jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. will have the valuable option of leading My Man Sam wherever he finds daylight, whether its between horses or up the rail.

Just being around him, hell chase you out of his space or if he sees another horse walking around him in the shedrow he might challenge him. He doesnt care if the other horse is bigger than him.

The talent and tenacity displayed by My Man Sam emerged as a bit of a surprise to Brown, who was frustrated by the colts lack of focus when he first came to the barn as a 2-year-old.

I thought hed be a nice horse but I never thought hed be a Derby-caliber horse, Brown said. He got a late start for mental reasons. He was very unfocused in the summer. Originally he was sent to me as a turf prospect. I breezed him on the turf at Saratoga and I didnt like the horse on the turf. So we just stuck to the dirt and gave him some time.

It took him a long time to get his gate card and stuff like that. He just wasnt all there. But he put it all together late in the fall and had some good workouts that led us to believe this horse was going to be OK.

We werent thinking a mile-and-a-quarter dirt horse, by Trappe Shot and kind of small. But when we got him around two turns he really exploded and opened our eyes up to what we had. Sometimes that happens with horses. They all develop at different stages.

The emergence of My Man Sam as a serious 3-year-old stands in stark contrast to his stablemate, Shagaf, who inspired Derby dreams from his debut, a six-length win at Aqueduct.

To get an 88 Beyer and run a 9 Ragozin going a mile on the dirt the first time you ever run, in November of your 2-year-old year, I dont know if any horse in America did that, Brown said. Its a big number first time out in the fall. Since then he hasnt really moved forward, numbers-wise, but hes had some excuses along the way and Im willing to give him a pass because the horse looks really good right now.

Chief among those excuses was a muddy track in New York for the Wood Memorial (GI), which resulted in a lackluster fifth as the favorite.

Shagaf uncharacteristically dropped back almost immediately and made only a minor move into contention without ever seriously threatening the winner, Outwork.

He caught a muddy track he just didnt like and he didnt get away from the gate, Brown said. When he did get a little momentum going he had to stop. Nothing really worked out for him that day and were taking the approach of just drawing a line through that race.

The effort was especially disappointing because Brown had seen improvement in Shagaf after his winning effort in the Gotham (GIII), a trend that has continued since arriving in Louisville.

Im not sure this horse liked Florida, he said. He just never was quite the same down there as he was in New York. After the Gotham we left him in New York and the horse really started to pick up his weight again and he just started to train more consistently. He was really coming into the Wood in fine shape before it rained. Since the Wood theres been more improvement, more consistency; hes gaining weight, getting stronger. The horse breezes by himself now; he was always one that needed company. Hes had two fabulous works here at Churchill, by himself, effortlessly.

You can debate his numbers and how fast he runs but, to me, the horse is really peaking right now.

OSCAR NOMINATED  Ken and Sarah Ramseys Oscar Nominated, winner of the Spiral Stakes (GIII) at Turfway Park in April, jogged 1 1/2 miles shortly after 6 a.m. at the Trackside Training Center.

Trainer Mike Maker said the Kittens Joy colt came out of his timed work Friday in good order and that he was pleased with how well his charge had taken to the Churchill Downs surface in advance of his first start on dirt.

If he doesnt win I dont think the surface will be an excuse, just the competition, he said.

Oscar Nominated made his first six starts on turf, including a win in the $50,000 Black Gold Stakes at Fair Grounds, before taking the Spiral at 23-1 over Turfways synthetic Polytrack.

Maker and the Ramseys have teamed up with two previous Derby starters by Kittens Joy  Deans Kitten (14th in 2010) and Derby Kitten (13th in 2011). Another Ramsey starter by their prize stallion, Charming Kitten (ninth in 2013), was trained by Todd Pletcher.

SUDDENBREAKINGNEWS  Samuel F. Hendersons Suddenbreakingnews had an easy first day back to the track following his five-furlong workout Friday. Under exercise rider Ramiro Gorostieta, the Mineshaft gelding jogged a mile and visited the paddock after the renovation break.

He looks good, trainer Donnie Von Hemel said. He came bouncing off the racetrack. He probably thought he needed to do more.

Prior to starting his morning exercise, the Southwest Stakes (GIII) winner stood patiently for several minutes and appeared nice and calm as he watched the other horses on the track. Von Hemel thinks Suddenbreakingnews mind will be one of his advantages as the crowds and excitement build each day leading up to the Kentucky Derby.

Hes a cool customer, Von Hemel said. That will definitely help him out. Hes a gelding, so he doesnt have amore on his mind.

TOMS READY  G M B Racings Toms Ready, exercise rider Emerson Chavez aboard, jogged a mile Sunday before the renovation break for trainer Dallas Stewart. The colt also schooled in the paddock.

It was a good situation where we worked him Friday, didnt have to train in the mud yesterday, Stewart said. All he had to do was jog in the mud today, go to the paddock, relax a little bit.

Toms Ready, who finished second in the Louisiana Derby (GII), will be racing Saturday for the first time in six weeks. I dont see a problem with it, Stewart said of the spacing between races. Were really able to stick some solid, hard training in, and he handled that. We havent backed up at all.

Stewart, who will be participating in his fifth Kentucky Derby, finished second twice with longshots  Golden Soul in 2013 and Commanding Curve in 2014. Toms Ready, who was a 30-1 shot in the Louisiana Derby, will be a longshot Saturday, but that doesnt matter to Stewart.

Were going for the win. he said. Were not here to participate. Were going for the money. This is the situation. Im trying to win it, and if hes good enough, hell win it, because hes ready. So forget all about this Lets just be in the damn race. Thats not what Im all about.

Its a horse race, and you need to be ready for it. Thats why the works have been stiff. Its just been steady and strong the whole six weeks.

TROJAN NATION  The Street Cry colt Trojan Nation, who will be known as The Maiden when he comes to Kentucky this week to run in Derby 142, galloped a mile and one half for trainer Paddy Gallagher at his Santa Anita headquarters Sunday morning.

In six career starts thus far, the bay has gotten close several times but has yet to have a picture taken, thus the moniker. While more than a few non-winners have tried their luck over the years at the mile and a quarter of the race usually filled with high achievers, only three who never have rung the bell beforehand have finished first  and that most recent time it happened was 83 years ago.

But that will not hinder the good, old college try with the colt from owners Julie Gilbert and Aaron Sones, trainer Gallagher and rider Aaron Gryder come Saturday with the chance to become rich and famous all in one fell two-minute swoop.

Trojan Nation will be airlifted from Los Angeles to Louisville Monday with exercise rider and right-hand man Andy Durnin following in transit. Gallagher has a flight lined up for Tuesday.

WHITMORE  When asked to describe Whitmore Sunday morning, trainer Ron Moquett had just one word happy. The Arkansas Derby (GI) third-place finisher looked even happier after he jogged one mile and galloped one mile during the special 8:30 a.m. training time under Laura Moquett, wife of the trainer.

Moquett will be making his second consecutive Kentucky Derby start after saddling Far Right to a 15th-place finish last year. When asked how things are different this time around, Moquett said, Its easier this time. I know what to expect more. Last year was like going to a new place and having to figure out where everything is, like wheres the bathroom.

KENTUCKY OAKS NOTES

CARINA MIA  Three Chimneys Farms Carina Mia, 17th on the Kentucky Oaks leaderboard, galloped after the renovation break under exercise rider Penny Gardiner for trainer Bill Mott.

The filly is scheduled to work Monday morning, Mott indicated.

We have until Tuesday to make a choice, Mott said of whether to enter the Oaks and hope for defections, or enter Fridays $200,000 Eight Belles (GII).

CATHRYN SOPHIA  Cathryn Sophias trainer John Servis reported by text that the daughter of Street Boss was scheduled to leave Keeneland by van for Churchill Downs at approximately 11:15 a.m. today.

Cash is Kings Cathryn Sophia, winner of her first four starts before finishing third in the Central Bank Ashland (GI) on April 9 at Keeneland, is expected to arrive at Churchill Downs around 1 this afternoon and be housed in Barn 43.

DOTHRAKI QUEEN  Magdalena Racings Dothraki Queen, 16th on the Oaks leaderboard, had a walk day at trainer Kenny McPeeks barn.

DREAM DANCE  Stoneway Farms Dream Dance jogged 1 1/8 miles under exercise rider Joel Dominguez before the renovation break.

Trainer Neil Howard, who saddled 2000 Kentucky Oaks winner Secret Status, picked up his 301st Churchill Downs victory Saturday night when Tanzen won the sixth race.

GO MAGGIE GO  Mike Tarps Gulfstream Park Oaks (GII) winner Go Maggie Go jogged two miles on the Churchill Downs main track with exercise rider Tammy Fox in the irons after the renovation break for trainer Dale Romans.

LAND OVER SEA  The Fair Grounds Oaks (GII) winner Land Over Sea took an easy tour of the Churchill Downs oval Sunday morning at approximately 9 oclock with exercise rider Jonny Garcia aboard. It was her first sample of the historic Louisville track and  though the strip was sloppy and had been sealed in advance of the morning activity  she paid no attention to it.

Trainer Doug ONeill  who Saturday will saddle the Kentucky Derby favorite in Nyquist  will give rider Mario Gutierrez a leg up on Land Over Sea Friday when she goes for glory in the $1,000,000 Oaks.

The Churchill Downs race will mark the sixth track the daughter of Bellamy Road has tested in what will be her ninth career start. Shes been out of the money only once so far for owner Paul Reddam and appears likely to be among the favorites for the Run for the Lilies.

LEWIS BAY  Alpha Delta Stables Lewis Bay, convincing winner of the Gazelle Stakes (GII) at Aqueduct last month, jogged one mile at about 7 a.m.

Shes doing great trainer Chad Brown said. When I handicap the race, I see a handful of horses that can win it but she is one of that handful. Ive been impressed with several of the Oaks fillies this week watching them train here. Its a wide-open race.

When Brown hangs out on the outside rail in the mornings he follows more than just his own charges, especially on days leading up to big events such as the Derby or Breeders Cup.

I always like to see what Im running against, Brown said. It doesnt affect how I prepare but it helps me to handicap the race. It gives me a feel for the level of competition for that race. Also I might pick up a couple of things about how another trainer is preparing for a situation that I can learn from. Im always open to a different way of doing things.

MARQUEE MISS  Trainer Ingrid Mason, aboard her stable pony, escorted multiple stakes winner Marquee Miss to the track for the first time since a Friday workout for an easy one-mile gallop.

The filly, who is sitting at No. 18 on the Kentucky Oaks leaderboard, is more likely to make her next start in the Eight Belles Stakes (GII) on the same Friday card.

MO DAMOUR/RACHELS VALENTINA  Trainer Todd Pletchers duo of Rachels Valentina and Mo dAmour continued on their path to Fridays $1 million Kentucky Oaks (GI) with simple one-mile jogs Sunday morning at Churchill Downs.

Both fillies were dressed out in their pink saddle cloths and their white bridles for their leg-stretching during the special 15-minute session starting at 8:30 that is reserved for the Oaks and Kentucky Derby horses. Rachels Valentina had her regular exercise rider  Amy Mullen  attached for the exercise, while Mo dAmour was partnered by Hector Ramos.

The bred-in-the-purple Rachels Valentina  shes by top sire Bernardini out of champion and recent Hall of Fame inductee Rachel Alexandra  will be among the favorites for the nine-furlong testing that normally points out the best 3-year-old filly in the land.

John Velazquez rides Rachels Valentina, while Joel Rosario has the call on Mo dAmour.

MOKAT  JK Racing Stables Mokat jogged one mile and galloped 1 1/4 miles under Martin Ruiz during the 15-minute Oaks and Derby training session.

I was really happy with her today, trainer Richard Baltas said. She warmed up real fast, galloped really nice, got over the surface good. She was just a lot looser today. Overall Im very happy if she stays this way and she might even get better.

Flavien Prat, the second-leading rider at Santa Anita Parks winter meet, will be aboard Mokat for the third straight time. Baltas likes that Pratt understands the fillys preferred style and blamed a misjudged ride for her only off-the-board finish in four starts this year.

She cant run up close, the trainer said. She wants to get her feet underneath her and then she makes her run. Her one bad race the jockey moved to soon on her. He thought there was no speed in the race and he put her on the lead and that just didnt work. Flavien knows her and I like the way he rides her. He knows she cant be up in it from the beginning.

Hes a good rider  strong, with a good head on his shoulders, and a strong finisher. Hes got a big future.

NICKNAME/ROYAL OBSESSION/TAXABLE/TERRA PROMESSA  Trainer Steve Asmussens Kentucky Oaks hopefuls galloped a mile-and-a-half Sunday before the renovation break.

Exercise rider Carlos Rosas was aboard LNJ Foxwoods Nickname and Stonestreet Stables Royal Obsession. Exercise rider Abel Flores was on Stonestreets Terra Promessa and Winchell Thoroughbreds Taxable.

The fillies will have half-mile workouts Monday, Asmussen said.

PAOLA QUEEN  Grupo 7C Racing Stables Paola Queen galloped a mile and a half under exercise rider J.J. Delgado before 7 oclock over a sloppy track.

Runner-up in the Gulfstream Park Oaks (GII) in her most recent start, Paola Queen is 15th on the Oaks leaderboard. No rider has been confirmed for the daughter of Flatter.

VENUS VALENTINE  Rosemont Farms Venus Valentine galloped a mile and a half Sunday morning under exercise rider Maurice Sanchez for trainer Tom Amoss. The filly will school in the starting gate Monday, Amoss said.

Shaun Bridgmohan, who rode Venus Valentine in an allowance/optional claiming race on turf in January at Fair Grounds, has picked up the mount for the Oaks. Corey Lanerie rode her in her past two starts  a fifth-place finish in the Fair Grounds Oaks (GII) and a victory in the Rachel Alexandra (GII). But Lanerie, who won the Central Bank Ashland (G1) on Weep No More, will be riding that filly in the Kentucky Oaks.

WEEP NO MORE  Ashbrook Farms Weep No More walked the shedrow at trainer Rusty Arnolds barn a day after working a half-mile in :49.60.

It worked out well, said Jack Bohannan, assistant to Arnold. Today was a good day to walk. She came out of the work good and will jog once around probably early Monday to get it done and get back in the barn.

Source: Churchill Downs
The face of the NRL's stance against domestic violence, Raiders legend Alan Tongue, stood in front of eight senior representative players during the week and delivered a sobering message.

"One in three women have experienced domestic violence. I have three daughters and that statistic scares me," he told the likes of Corey Parker, James Maloney and Kiwi Ferns captain Serena Fiso.

It's why the NRL's announcement  in unveiling a series of additional resources towards eradicating domestic violence, on top of what they have done with Our Watch, White Ribbon and Rape and Domestic Violence Services Australia  is so important.

City Origin skipper Wade Graham was among the eight who were listening to Tongue on Wednesday and was instantly alarmed by the statistics.

"I have three sisters so potentially one of them is at risk," Graham told NRL.com.

"At the end of the day it's not good enough as a society. Hopefully by making people more aware of how common this thing is, it will help find an end to it.

"It's certainly something that's not good enough as a whole and the more we can do to help and fix this situation the better."

Tongue has spearheaded previous NRL campaigns involving bowel cancer and helped the Wests Tigers in their pilot program involving social etiquette last year. Now with the NRL stepping up their 'Voice against Violence' his focus has shifted.

"We now have a really good vehicle  that vehicle being rugby league  in the way we can get across our junior players and junior and regional footy clubs to have this conversation and to raise awareness," Tongue said.

With the likes of Jillaroos veteran Ruan Sims, Fiji's Eloni Vunakece and Papua New Guinea's Stanton Albert joining Tongue at Rugby League Central, he believes the combined show of support will only help strengthen the cause amongst the international game.

"It's a really powerful statement and stance that everybody has come together to make. These people have different backgrounds, are from different cultures and are from different sides of Australia, New Zealand and Pasifika," Tongue said.

"They're saying, 'You know what? We're going to do our part in our area and our communities to say this isn't the culture we should have around violence against women'.

"Domestic violence doesn't discriminate. It doesn't matter whether you're rich or poor, or your black or white, or what god you believe in. It affects us all. It's happening far and wide and we now have a great way of engaging with our younger generations."

Along with a new website and commercial, there will also be a new grassroots program targeted at young males aged 16-18 that will be rolled out in 60 different communities over the next three years.

The program was initially tested at ACT's West Belconnen junior club as well as the Indigenous All Stars with positive results. The next stops for the initiative are Tamworth and Nelson Bay.

"There's basically two components to [the workshops]. The first thing is we actually use rugby league skills and activities which are relevant to rugby league to help raise awareness around domestic violence," Tongue said.

"We then come indoors and we do an interactive session with the guys around raising an awareness and understanding what it is and what are the forms of domestic violence and what's unacceptable.

"The feedback has been really good post those first workshops so far and we're always getting better I feel every time we deliver it.

"We are continually working with our partners to make sure our messaging is relevant and applicable to them as well as being remembered by the junior players."

More information on the NRL's Voice against Violence
Surface meltwater draining through and underneath Greenland's tidewater glaciers is accelerating their loss of ice mass, according to a Dartmouth study that sheds light on the relationship between meltwater and subglacial discharge.

The findings appear in the journal Annals of Glaciology.

Greenland has the potential to contribute six to seven meters of global sea level rise predominantly through ice mass lost out of large tidewater glaciers. The study's findings will be used in modeling how water influences glacier melt, glacier flow and glacier stability and to predict global sea level rise for Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change reports.

"Our results show meltwater from these glaciers is playing a larger role in glacier stability than previously thought," says lead author Kristin Schild, a doctoral student in Dartmouth's Department of Earth Sciences. "A clearer understanding of subglacial hydrology at tidewater outlet glaciers is important for understanding the mechanisms controlling fluctuations in ice flow and submarine melt as well as gauging the impact of rapid freshwater delivery to the fjord system."

Media reports about glacial melting are common, but less attention has been paid to how glaciers are losing mass. Surface meltwater can exploit weaknesses in glaciers, fracturing and weakening the ice as it drains to the bottom. Water under glaciers decreases the friction between the ice and rock, causing the glaciers to move faster. When fresh meltwater exits the glacier into the ocean, it brings warm saltwater to the glacier terminus, which causes melting of the glacier from below (submarine melting). Once this freshwater hits the surface of the ocean, it helps disintegrate the melange (recently calved icebergs and sea ice) that stabilizes the glacier terminus. Tidewater outlet glaciers discharge most of the Greenland Ice Sheet's mass through iceberg calving, submarine melting and meltwater runoff. While calving can be observed in person and with remote sensing observations, it is difficult to assess melting within and below glaciers and how the meltwater is discharged.

The Dartmouth team studied a fast-flowing West Greenland tidewater glacier, using time-lapse photography, modeled runoff estimates and ground and satellite imagery to determine how much of the glacier is experiencing melt and when meltwater exits the glacier and enters the fjord. The timing between melt onset and when the meltwater emerges shows how the meltwater travels through and below the glacier.

Their results show that multiple intense plumes of sediment-rich meltwater can occur across a glacier's terminus, which hasn't been documented previously, and can increase calving and melting; sediment plumes can break apart the melange, which weakens the stability of the glacier terminus; and meltwater is being stored under the glacier, which can speed up the glacier's velocity.
Work by an internationally renowned University of Rochester professor may offer an alternative to the way in which researchers have approached some photonics applications.

Photonics applications rely greatly on what physicists call nonlinear optics -- the different way in which materials behave depending on the intensity of light that passes through them. The greater the nonlinearity, the more promising the material for real-life applications. Now a team, led by Robert W. Boyd, Professor of Optics and Physics at the University of Rochester and the Canada Excellence Research Chair in Quantum Nonlinear Optics at the University of Ottawa, has demonstrated that the transparent, electrical conductor indium tin oxide can result in up to 100 times greater nonlinearity than other known materials.

"This result is a game-changer for photonics applications," said Boyd. "It rests on the core of what I've worked on for over 30 years at Rochester. I find it very rewarding that even after all this time there are still fundamental questions to be answered in the field of nonlinear optics."

The result will be published online by the journal Science on Thursday, April 28, 2016.

Photonics uses light to transmit information. Photonics also uses light to perform logical operations, just as electronics does with electrons. A key aspect to being able to exert control over light is to be able to control a specific property -- the refractive index -- of the material that is transmitting the light.

Tweaking the refractive index of a material, which leads to light travelling faster or slower, is the key way in which photonics applications control light. When the refractive index is different for different light intensities, the material is described as being optically nonlinear.

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When a pulse of light is sent through the material, the refractive index changes according to that intensity. The refractive index of the material is changed for only a few femtoseconds -- a few millionths of a billionth of a second. For some potential applications, it is possible to send a second pulse through the material before it has time to recover for the first pulse. This second pulse then "sees" the material as having the refractive index as modified by the first pulse.

In general though, it is the quickness with which the material recovers as well as the range of values that the refractive index can take -- how strongly nonlinear the material is -- that makes this system particularly attractive to photonics applications.

Boyd, his PhD student at Ottawa, M. Zahirul Alam, and then research associate Israel De Leon (currently a professor in Monterrey, Mexico) were able to improve on the previous record for optical nonlinearities by a factor of 100. This improvement took place because these researchers exploited the unusual optical properties of a material that occurs under certain conditions, what is known as the epsilon-near-zero region.

"It was surprising that showing such a strong optical nonlinearity in a known metal was this easy," said Boyd. "This material has been around for many years, but until now the community had overlooked the potential that the 'epsilon-near-zero' region of materials offered."

"The optical nonlinear response that we have observed introduces a new paradigm in nonlinear optics," said De Leon, now a professor at Tecnologico de Monterrey, Mexico. "The common knowledge had always been that nonlinear effects are tiny compared with the linear ones; but in our work we have measured a nonlinear response that is 170% larger than the linear response."

The result opens the door for more careful study of this region of materials, with a view to finding a material that can offer just the right properties for certain photonics applications.

The 'epsilon-near-zero' region for this material is linked to light of a specific frequency, roughly a wavelength of 1.2 micrometers. This wavelength is of interest because it is in between that of visible light and light of wavelength 1.5 micrometers. This wavelength is of particular interest to optical communications, which uses devices such as fiber optics to transmit information in light.

It is possible that changes in the chemical composition of the material could lead to a change in the frequency at which epsilon near zero occurs, thus bringing this frequency closer to that used by optical communications.
For the first time, scientists studying stool transplants have been able to track which strains of bacteria from a donor take hold in a patient's gut after a transplant. The team, led by EMBL with collaborators at Wageningen University and the Academic Medical Centre, both in the Netherlands, and the University of Helsinki, Finland found that compatibility between donor and patient likely plays a bigger role in these transplants than previously thought. The study, published today in Science, could help make stool transplants a valid treatment option for more conditions than they are currently applied to.

"Ultimately, the goal is to move from a stool transplant to something more manageable, such as a pill," says Simone Li, who carried out the work at EMBL. "Our work shows that this is likely going to be a personalised bacterial cocktail, rather than a one-size-fits-all solution."

Stool transplants -- also known as faecal microbiota transplants -- involve taking microbes from the poo of a healthy donor and transferring them to the patient's gut. The hope is that this will help to restore health to patients suffering from conditions where the normal balance of microbes in the gut gets skewed. The approach has been very successful for treating recurrent Clostridium difficile (C. diff) infections -- which can cause life-threatening cases of diarrhoea, and are becoming a serious problem in hospitals and healthcare institutes. But for other conditions, like ulcerative colitis, stool transplants have proven much less effective. The current study, led by Peer Bork and Shinichi Sunagawa at EMBL, could help improve those odds. The trick, the scientists say, is to look beyond what species of microbes are in a person's gut, to what strains of each species.

Most people have E. coli in their gut, for instance, but different people have different strains of this species -- and some of those strains can cause health issues. By distinguishing between different strains, the EMBL scientists were able to track if the microbes in a patient's gut after the treatment were their own or came from the donor.

They found that after a stool transplant, new strains of microbes from the donor were more likely to colonise a patient's gut if the patient already had that species. This implies that if doctors can match donors to patients, the chances of the treatment being a success could improve considerably. Looking at strains rather than species of bacteria could also make the therapy effective in conditions where it isn't currently working.

"With this method, we can really see if, for example, an antibiotic-resistant strain is replaced by a non-resistant one," says microbiologist Willem de Vos, who led the work at Wageningen University and the University of Helsinki, "so it could help to design stool transplants to work in other conditions beyond C. diff."

The study builds on a clinical trial that looked into the use of stool transplants as a treatment for metabolic syndrome, run by Max Nieuwdorp at the Academic Medical Centre in Amsterdam. Although based on data from only 10 people, the work already provides strong indications that donor-patient compatibility is more important than assumed: transplants from one donor led to very different outcomes in three different patients.
Research to be published in Science on April 29, 2016 shows how cash-hungry patent trolls are squelching innovation when the American economy depends on it more than ever. What should be done?

The new study, co-authored by Professor Lauren Cohen of Harvard Business School, Professor Umit Gurun of the University of Texas at Dallas, and Dr. Scott Duke Kominers, a Junior Fellow at the Harvard University Society of Fellows, examines the sharp rise in patent litigation in the United States during the past decade, with 2015 marking one of the highest patent lawsuit counts on record.

In theory, the rise in patent litigation could reflect growth in the commercialization of technology and innovation, as lawsuits increase proportionately as more and more companies turn to intellectual property (IP) protection to safeguard their competitive advantages. In reality, however, it's a very different story. The authors point out that the majority of recent patent litigation has been driven by "nonpracticing entities" (NPEs) -- firms that generate no products but instead amass patent portfolios just for the sake of enforcing IP rights.

Cohen, Gurun, and Kominers discuss new, large-sample evidence adding to a growing literature that suggests that NPEs--in particular, large patent aggregators--on average act as "patent trolls," suing cash-rich firms, seemingly irrespective of actual patent infringement.

Patent trolling has a negative impact on innovation activity at targeted firms. Cohen, Gurun, and Kominers estimate that after settling with NPEs (or losing to them in court), companies on average reduce their research and development (R&D) investment by more than 25 percent. These results, Cohen, Gurun, and Kominers say, indicate a need to change U.S. intellectual property policy, particularly to screen out trolling early in the litigation process.

Although since 2010 the U.S. Congress has considered more than a dozen bills aiming to reduce patent trolling, most of the proposed policy changes focus on after-the-fact punishments for bringing lawsuits that are declared to be frivolous (or "extraordinary") after court proceedings.

For example, H.R. 9, the "Innovation Act," which is currently on the docket, provides for mandatory fee-shifting for patent lawsuits that the courts determine are not "reasonably justified." In reality, however, the average costs of patent litigation are large ($1 million to $4 million) and the process is drawn out. Even with the prospect of post-trial fee shifting, patent litigation targets may thus find it cost-effective and less disruptive to simply settle with NPEs, even in unfounded lawsuits. According to the authors, this is not a sufficient solution.

So what should be done? Cohen, Gurun, and Kominers say that policies should screen out trolling at or before the time of patent assertion. The authors recommend advance review procedures that would provide preliminary evaluation as to whether the plaintiff's infringement claims are reasonable and whether the asserted patents are of high quality. Such advance review could cripple trolling, they conclude; pre-litigation review can separate good NPEs (and, more generally, good patent lawsuits) from bad. Legitimate infringement claims will be encouraged, whereas trolling will be screened out. This would greatly benefit innovative companies and help them propel the U.S. economy to greater heights.
New research at the Pediatric Academic Societies 2016 Meeting suggests that to predict -- and possibly prevent -- severe asthma attacks in a community, physicians can look for clues in social media.

For the study, "The Twitter Asthma Pulse: Using Real-Time Twitter Data to Prospectively Predict Asthma Emergency Department Visits or Hospital Admissions in a Population," researchers collected tweets posted between October 2013 and June 2014 and narrowed them down to the 3,810 that mentioned asthma attacks and that originated in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. During the same time period, incidence of asthma-related emergency department visits and hospitalizations across the region area were recorded.

When the number of asthma-related tweets increased in a given week, the researchers found, the number of asthma emergency department visits or hospitalizations increased proportionally during the following week.

"If the number of asthma-related tweets increased by 20 in a given week, for example, we would expect asthma-related emergency department visits or hospitalizations to increase by 12 in the following week," said lead researcher Yolande Mfondoum Pengetnze, MD, medical director at Parkland Center for Clinical Innovation (PCCI), a non-profit research and development corporation in Dallas. "This is an important finding that can change the way health departments and other healthcare stakeholders monitor asthma activity in a community."

Currently, Dr. Pengetnze said, asthma activity in a community is usually measured after emergency department visits or hospitalizations already have occurred.

"By using real-time Twitter activity," she said, "health departments could actually anticipate asthma ED visits or hospitalizations in the following days and possibly intervene before some of them occur. For instance, a notification might be sent by the health department when there is an increase in asthma-related tweets in the community, giving people with asthma a heads-up to take necessary precautions, like avoiding exposure to asthma triggers or being more assiduous in taking their asthma medications." In turn, she said, this could help prevent some asthma flare-ups, improve people's health and decrease the number of asthma-related emergency department visits and hospitalizations.

"We live in the era of Big Data," said study co-author Sudha Ram, PhD, referring to increasingly immense sets of information that lends itself well to analysis revealing patterns of human behavior. "Our research is innovative and unique because it harnesses the power of Big Data from social media and other sources to address the problem of anticipating emergency department visits for a chronic condition, in this case asthma, in close to real-time conditions. We believe this work paves the way to address signal extraction and prediction for other chronic conditions and goes beyond current work that mostly looks at infectious conditions."
<p>Heidi Schermerhorn-Wagner<span></span></p>

Just five years ago, Anna's only friend was the tree she was bound to by a man's necktie. She was 28 pounds of hopelessness - heartworm positive, too weak to stand on her own, worn out from too many litters. Animal control officers in Union County, South Carolina, found her like that. Then Heidi Schermerhorn-Wagner found her at the shelter. This photograph was taken on April 21, 2011 - the day they met.

Dodo Shows Odd Couples Dog And Wild Dolphin Play Whenever They See Each Other

Heidi Schermerhorn-Wagner

"I just knew that no matter what I was going to help her," Schermerhorn-Wagner tells The Dodo. Over the next five years, Schermerhorn-Wagner would nurse Anna back to health, chase away the demons from her past and give her every reason to live.

Heidi Schermerhorn-Wagner

Anna gave it all back a hundredfold. In fact, she inspired her new best friend to found a rescue called Boxer Butts & Other Mutts that very year. "Because of her, over 3,000 dogs' lives have been changed," Schermerhorn-Wagner says. But Anna was changing too. One day, she was diagnosed with bone cancer in her right front leg. Radiographs revealed it had spread to her lungs. Doctors said she might live another three to six months.

Heidi Schermerhorn-Wagner

But they didn't count on all the reasons Anna had to live. It's been a year and a half since that diagnosis. Anna still comforts and cares for every foster dog who arrives at the family home. "Most of them are on death's door and she will not leave their side," Schermerhorn-Wagner says. "Even on her bad days she continues to try to take care of others." Earlier this week, Anna was having a bad day. She lay on the front porch, feeling weak and listless, the disease still very much haunting her bones. Izzy, the family cat, approached her and tenderly licked Anna's face. For more than half an hour. "Anna had also helped take care of Izzy when she suddenly got really sick a couple of years ago," Schermerhorn-Wagner says. "It seemed Izzy remembered and did her best to comfort Anna." Yes, Anna. You've got friends now.

Heidi Schermerhorn-Wagner
The last known picture of this missing dog has touched hearts around the world .

Fluffy Cat Wants To Sit On His Dad At All Times

Writing in a Facebook post , Holzbach says she found the dog's owner, an 89-year-old man identified only as Calvin.

Since The Dodo first wrote about the dog seen cuddling a tattered teddy bear, more information has emerged - thanks to followups from Yvette Holzbach, a volunteer with Forgotten Dogs of the 5th Ward .

The Houston resident told her the dog was among several he had rescued from the streets of his neighborhood over the years.

But the dog ran away.

"He told us that he was a dog that did not want to be contained," she wrote in the post. "He was forever jumping the fence and he could do nothing to keep him in. One could see where he had attempted to close up holes or raise areas of the fence. But he said that a while back his dog disappeared."

That was around the time Holzbach was passing through the neighborhood. She spotted the dog with his unlikely stuffed companion.

"When I first saw this dog lying on this tattered and torn soft toy my first reaction was, 'Oh how cute is that?'" she wrote on her Facebook page. "Reality sunk in once I started taking the picture. Here is a stray dog taking comfort in a worn-out, discarded toy."

But Holzbach couldn't take this dog with her that day. The rescue didn't have the space.

She kept returning to the area, searching for the dog. But he was gone. Along with his toy.

More than a month after the image was taken, the dog has still not been found.

"I hope that by posting the picture awareness has been raised to the plight of the street dog," Holzbach wrote. "We are facing an uphill battle and we can only hope that there will come a time when no dog will have to struggle to survive on the street."

Through her rescue, Holzbach tries to save as many dogs from the streets and shelters that she can.

If you have any information on where this dog may be, get in touch with Forgotten Dogs of the 5th Ward through its website or by sending an email to info.5thward@gmail.com.

And consider supporting the group's mission to leave no dog behind.
A curious leopard entered a family's home earlier this week - but before anyone was injured they managed to lock him in a room in the basement. The family quickly alerted local police, who, in turn, called upon Wildlife SOS, which sent a team of five rescuers to retrieve the trapped animal. By the time they arrived, 4,000 people had gathered outside the home in New Agra, India, to witness the rare occurrence.

Wildlife SOS

Rescuers cut a hole through the wall in order to tranquilize the leopard without opening the door and allowing him to escape. They inserted a camera through the hole to locate the leopard.

Dodo Shows Dodo Heroes Woman Devotes Her Life To The Stray Dogs Of Bali

This browser does not support the video tag. Wildlife SOS

The stressed leopard also examined the hole, sticking his paw through the wall to try to reach his rescuers.

This browser does not support the video tag. Wildlife SOS

Four hours had passed by the time the team, led by a veterinarian, had managed to clear the crowds, drill the hole, tranquilize the leopard and bring him to Wildlife SOS's rescue center for observation and treatment. "Rescue operations can be dangerous and need careful planning in order to ensure the safety of the animal as well as the people," Dr. Illayaraja, the veterinarian on the scene, said in a statement. "The leopard is a 4-year-old male that had sustained minor injuries on its forehead during the ordeal, for which it is receiving treatment. We are planning on releasing it back into its natural habitat, once it has recovered."

Wildlife SOS
Recommendations   Exceptional  Excellent Very Good Availability information is based on distributor records. Wines might not be in stock at every listed store and might be sold at additional stores. Prices are approximate. Check Winesearcher.com to verify availability, or ask a favorite wine store to order through a distributor.



(Goran Kosanovic/For The Washington Post)

These selections from Andrew Stovers Vino50 portfolio represent the variety of wines now being produced all across the United States. Wine country is not just California anymore. Its everywhere.

 D.M.

Galen Glen Stone Cellar Gruner Veltliner 2014

  

Lehigh Valley, Pa., $20

Galen Glens flagship wine is textbook gruner, by which I mean delicious. It features the classic flavors of lemon grass, white flowers and stones, with a limpidity that makes it easy to drink while disguising the refreshing acidity. Galen Glen also produces a reserve gruner veltliner available only from the winery, and, yes, it is even better. Alcohol by volume: 13 percent.

Distributed by Siema: Available in the District at Cleveland Park Wine and Spirits, Wagshals Deli. Available in Maryland at Grand Cru, Wine Source in Baltimore, Lakefront Wine & Spirits in Frederick, Wishing Well Liquors in Easton, Wooden Keg Liquors in Hagerstown; on the list at Brew D Pub in Frederick, Out of the Fire in Easton. Available in Virginia at Little Washington Winery Tasting Room & Shop.

Galen Glen Stone Cellar Zweigelt 2014

  

Lehigh Valley, Pa., $20

I had tasted Galen Glens gruner before, so I knew it was good. But I was skeptical of the zweigelt because even many examples from its native Austria are under-ripe, giving the wine a pronounced flavor of caraway seed. But this zweigelt is silky and ripe, with blueberry and cherry flavors. It brings out my antisocial side, because I dont want to share it. ABV: 13 percent.

Distributed by Siema: Available in the District at Cleveland Park Wine and Spirits. Available in Maryland at Grand Cru, Wine Source in Baltimore, Lakefront Wine & Spirits in Frederick, Wishing Well Liquors in Easton, Wooden Keg Liquors in Hagerstown; on the list at Brew D Pub in Frederick. Available in Virginia at Little Washington Winery Tasting Room & Shop.

Breaux Vineyards Jolie Blonde Seyval Blanc 2014

  1/2

Virginia, $15

Anyone who has been following local wines as long as I have will recognize seyval blanc as one of the French-American hybrid grape varieties the East Coast wine industry was built upon while winegrowers were trying to figure out how to ripen the classic vinifera varieties. Breauxs Jolie Blonde gives us reason to celebrate those varieties and be glad they havent all been planted over to chardonnay. This is crisp and bright, with flavors of stone fruits and white flowers. Lovely, indeed. ABV: 13.9 percent.

Distributed by Siema: Available in the District at Cleveland Park Wine and Spirits. Available in Maryland at Cranberry Liquors in Westminster, Cork 57 in Bethesda, Fenwick Beer & Wine in Silver Spring, Hair o the Dog in Easton. Available in Virginia at Breaux Vineyards in Purcellville, Locke Store in Boyce, on the list at Bastille in Alexandria, Wine Kitchen in Leesburg

Old Westminster Winery Andrew Stovers Somm Cuvee 2012

 

Maryland, $35

Old Westminster has been gaining acclaim since its debut releases in 2012. Stover crafted this blend of merlot, syrah, cabernet franc and petit verdot with winemaker Lisa Hinton. Its a stylish, savory wine with dark fruit flavors and a hint of herbs on the finish. ABV: 13.5 percent.

Distributed by Siema: Available in the District at Centrolina Mercato, Wagshals Deli, on the list at Ankara, BOE, Radius Pizza. Available in Maryland at Old Westminster Winery. Available in Virginia at Little Washington Winery Tasting Room & Shop, Planet Wine & Gourmet in Alexandria, Unwined (Alexandria, Belleview).

Sawtooth Vineyards Riesling 2014

 

Snake River Valley, Idaho, $15

Riesling thrives in the Pacific Northwest, especially the Columbia River Valley in Washington, the Willamette Valley in Oregon and the Okanagan Valley in Canadas British Columbia. Add Idahos Snake River Valley to that list, as Sawtooths ever-so-slightly-off-dry version attests. ABV: 13.3 percent.

Distributed by Siema: Available in the District at Cleveland Park Wine and Spirits, Whole Foods Market (Foggy Bottom); on the list at Charlie Palmer Steak, Provision 14. Available in Maryland at the Bottle Shop in North Potomac, Cranberry Liquors in Westminster, Cork 57 in Bethesda, Fenwick Beer & Wine in Silver Spring, Highland Wine & Spirits, Pinky & Pepes Grape Escape in Gaithersburg, Scott Brothers Wine and Spirits in Annapolis, on the menu at Friscos in Frederick. Available in Virginia at Bon Vivant Market in Smithfield, Little Washington Winery Tasting Room & Shop, Whole Foods Market (Arlington, Fairfax, Tysons); on the list at Fish Market, Geranio, Union Street Public House in Alexzandria, Market Table Bistro in Lovettsville.


Sommelier and wine consultant Andrew Stover, left, with Texas winemaker Kim McPherson at a tasting event held last year at the State Department. (From Andrew Stover)

The most exciting development in American wine since the turn of the latest millennium has been the dramatic growth in the number and quality of wines produced in the other 47  states other than California, Oregon and Washington. Wine lovers in the Washington area and its suburbs have a new reason to celebrate that trend with the arrival on our retail shelves of gruner veltliner and zweigelt from Galen Glen winery in Pennsylvanias Lehigh Valley.

Thats right: Pennsylvania. Not Austria, where gruner and zweigelt thrive, but somewhere much closer to home. There are smatterings of gruner in California, Oregon, New York and Maryland, and Ive read about experimental plantings of zweigelt in the Hudson Valley of New York and in Virginia. The Galen Glen wines, including a delicious Riesling, are simply outstanding.

[5 wow-factor American wines]

Galen Glen was founded in 1995 by Galen and Sarah Troxell, who converted their sixth-generation family farm to vineyards. Galen tends the vineyards while Sarah, a former chemist, makes the wines. Their daughter, Erin, holds a masters degree in enology and viticulture from SupAgro in Montpellier, France, and recently accepted the position of vineyard manager at Bedell Cellars on Long Island.

Galens previous career as a mechanical engineer took him on frequent trips to Germany, where he fell in love with Riesling. Once the family farm pulled him back to Pennsylvania, planting Germanic grape varieties also matched the family heritage. And the Lehigh Valley is far enough north that the climate resembles the Riesling-friendly Finger Lakes of New York more than it does the milder Mid-Atlantic.

An article in Food & Wine magazine about the popularity of gruner veltliner from Austria persuaded the Troxells to add the variety in 2003. They say they were the first to plant gruner east of the Rocky Mountains. Other winemakers were skeptical, Sarah recalls.

Our winery peers thought we were crazy to grow a variety no one knew and, worse yet, would be difficult for customers to pronounce, she says. We can all now be glad the Troxells didnt listen.

Galen Glen is the latest addition to Vino50, a portfolio of artisan domestic wines that is the product of a partnership between Siema Wines, a Springfield, Va., distributor and importer, and Andrew Stover, a 38-year-old sommelier and restaurant consultant in the District. In 2008, Siemas owner, Emanuele Gaiarin, approached Stover, seeking to improve Siemas portfolio of domestic wines. Stover, then sommelier at Oya downtown, had attracted media attention by featuring wines from Texas, Arizona and Michigan, using a D.C. regulation allowing restaurants to direct import wines that are unavailable through distributors.

Vino50 launched in 2009 with about 30 wines from five states. With the addition of Galen Glen, the portfolio boasts more than 150 wines from 14 states. The winery list includes McPherson Cellars in Texas, Sawtooth Winery in Idaho, Chateau Grand Traverse in Michigan and Long Islands Bedell. Closer to home, it includes Virginias Breaux Vineyards and Gadino Cellars, as well as Big Cork Vineyards and Old Westminster Winery in Maryland. At Old Westminster, Stover blended his own Somm Cuvee with winemaker Lisa Hinton. And he created a label of inexpensive wines called Shindig at New Yorks Brooklyn Oenology with winemaker Alie Sharper.

Last fall, Stover stretched his reach overseas and added Ridgeview sparkling wines from England to Siemas portfolio.

Stovers star has risen with the growing national interest in local wines. Last year, Wine Enthusiast named him one of 40 Under 40 Tastemakers influencing the U.S. wine trade. This year, Modern Luxurys DC Magazine featured him as one of Washingtons men of style for fashion and for promoting stylish cutting-edge wines.

As the wine distribution sector consolidated with several mergers over the past decade, Stover and Gaiarin saw a niche opportunity for the small, energetic Siema.

Sommeliers and retailers may have heard about up-and-coming U.S. wine regions, but there was no source for them to acquire the wines, Stover says. The wholesale industry favors large wineries and big brands.

He also has tapped into the restaurant market for craft goods and local, farm-to-table cuisine. He acknowledges that the latter was a tough sell.

I want to work with these so-called farm-to-table places and get them to put their money where their fork is, so to speak, Stover says. Its all this talk about local food but rarely local wine. Thats been changing in the last seven years, and Id like to think Ive been part of that paradigm shift. But its still challenging to make these places think of local wines.

Next time youre shopping for wines, ask your retailer for something out of the ordinary. You might hear Andrew Stovers name mentioned.


Jesse Williams, Regina King, Rosario Dawson and Kerry Washington capture their own moment at the Bloomberg News and Vanity Fair party after the White House correspondents dinner on Saturday night. (Dimitrios Kambouris/VF 16/WireImage/Getty Images)

Mercurys in retrograde, Baghdad is falling (again), but Joe Biden is here, in the foyer of the French ambassadors mansion, and so are platters of doughnuts on a bed of Cocoa Puffs and Lucky Charms. Vive lAmerique!

Biden, fresh off his first and last White House Correspondents Association dinner as veep, was all smiles and hugs and handshakes, but he never made it into the maze of parlors, halls and anterooms, which were stuffed with the most random assortment of power players: GOP strategist Steve Schmidt conspiring with Homeland star Damian Lewis, distractingly short Jared Leto breezing by International Monetary Fund Managing Director Christine Lagarde, and a real queen (Rania of Jordan) mingling alongside a fake queen (Helen Mirren, who politely declined your selfie because she was simply tired of taking them, thank you).

[For Obamas final correspondents dinner, the obvious targets: Trump, Cruz and himself]

The Vanity Fair-Bloomberg News after-party, hosted by Graydon Carter and Michael R. Bloomberg, was a much livelier event than the one preceding it: a cramped and dolorous affair of duck confit and petite filet in the gut of the Washington Hilton. But even in the drizzle, everything in this 1910 Tudor Revival residence on tony Kalorama Road NW was plush and glowing.



House of Cards actor Michael Kelly with Vice President Biden at the Bloomberg News and Vanity Fair party. (Dimitrios Kambouris/VF16/WireImage/Getty Images)

Kerry Washington and Shonda Rhimes took a timeout on a raspberry-colored settee by a rain-streaked front window.

We just this year got an au pair! said an old white guy, who looked important, under an oil portrait of another white guy, the Marquis de Lafayette.

Off the tented terrace, Obamas right-hand woman, Valerie Jarrett, strode into the incandescent glow of Vanity Fairs makeshift portrait studio, where a crew triggered theatrical fog, flipped on a couple of fans and flung silver confetti into the air for effect. Earlier in the evening, protesters shouted outside the Hilton: Aleppo is burning while the media is watching!

[ The 2016 White House Correspondents' Association Dinner: The fashion, the fights, the parties, the jokes, the guests ]

Take heart, sons and daughters of the revolution! Bernie Sanders did not wear a tuxedo to the dinner, and he did not attend this party of millionaires and billionaires, who were getting drunk amid artwork from Versailles.



CNNs Don Lemon and Fox Newss Megyn Kelly at the party. (Dimitrios Kambouris/VF16/WireImage/Getty Images)

Gayle King and Larry Wilmore. (Dimitrios Kambouris/VF16/WireImage/Getty Images)

Its my favorite party of the year, Hillary Clinton confidante Huma Abedin said to the French ambassador, Gerard Araud.

F--- the White House correspondents dinner, Hillary Clinton said in 2011, according to Mark Leibovichs book, This Town.

The dinner. Painful! The clogged escalators, the perfumed body odor, the dark night of resistance. Joy Behar had to pass the time by playing solitaire on her iPhone at her table. But it was a reason to have parties afterward, so let us continue.

[President Obamas best lines at the correspondents dinner]



Andrea Mitchell has a laugh at the MSNBC after-party. (April Greer/For The Washington Post)

Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson, left, chats with actor Jeff Goldblum and Emilie Livingston at the MSNBC party. (April Greer/For The Washington Post)

Ironically, a fight erupted at the U.S. Institute of Peace. A Fox News reporter and a Huffington Post reporter exchanged blows there during MSNBCs after-party, for reasons that are surely petty. Maybe he should think about his life choices, the HuffPo guy said of his foe. Shouldnt we all?

[Nerdy fight breaks out at WHCD after-party between Fox News and Huffington Post reporters]

There was a string quartet at the Onions party at the Newseum. There were also cardboard cutouts of Biden, a slide show of Biden photos on every TV and an ice sculpture of Biden riding a motorcycle. There was a bowl of condoms in the bathroom with a handwritten note  on stationery from the Pussycat Saloon in Winnemucca, Nev.  that read:

Grab a couple of these and meet me at Number One Observatory Circle for some hot and heavy action.  Diamond Joe

Diamond Joe didnt show at the Onions party. (That would have been something.) He stayed for a solid hour at the French ambassadors, though, where the parlor game  sorry, salon game  was guessing which Castro twin was which. The congressman? The secretary of housing and urban development? Did we just step on the toes of the future vice president? We may never know.

[How Helen Mirren won the correspondents dinner before it even started]

Gayle King was looking for somebody. Oprahs not here, dear. Everyone else seemed to be looking for the Broad City chicks, because they were probably having more fun (and they probably had spare weed).

All over the place: Bryan Cranston, Connie Britton, Tom Hiddleston, Michelle Dockery, Megyn Kelly, Rachel McAdams, Ed Burns and Christy Turlington Burns, who must be the best-looking late-40-somethings on the planet.



Edward Burns, Christy Turlington Burns and Rosario Dawson at the party. (Dimitrios Kambouris/VF16/WireImage/Getty Images)

Queen Rania of Jordan greets John F. Kerry and Teresa Heinz Kerry at the party. (Dimitrios Kambouris/VF16/WireImage/Getty Images)

The Pelosis. Poor Reince Priebus. The Obama faithful, for one last go-round: John F. Kerry, Samantha Power, Susan Rice, Shaun Donovan, Tina Tchen, Reggie Love, Ashton Carter.

Neve Campbell and another woman were comparing iPhone photos of their children. The back of Sela Wards white dress had a mesmerizing gold zipper. There was a preponderance of models and of Leon Wieseltiers hair.

Gay Talese, in a pink-striped shirt, voyeured from a corner of the foyer.

There was a barbecue buffet with Carolina vinegar and Tennessee mesquite sauce.



From left, Damian Lewis, Michelle Dockery and Tom Hiddleston at the party. (Dimitrios Kambouris/VF16/WireImage/Getty Images)

Darren Criss took a turn at the piano in the dying hours of the party. (Dimitrios Kambouris/VF16/WireImage/Getty Images)

The music evolved from Sinatra to Prince and Bowie, but no one danced. Then, after 2 a.m., mophead Glee star Darren Criss sat at the piano in the salon dhiver and banged out Total Eclipse of the Heart and Seasons of Love, the song from Rent, which opened on Broadway 20 years ago this week. The dregs of the party wailed along, though they were pitifully rusty on the lyrics.

How do you measure/measure a year?

(In drone hits? In delegates? In Trump fits? In flutes of bubbly?)

I know a city that glories in its marvelous zoo, wrote Daniel Berrigan, the activist Jesuit priest who died hours earlier in the Bronx at 94. The animals seem not so much content . . . as resigned.



Actress Jaimie Alexander arrives at the MSNBC after-party. (April Greer/For The Washington Post)

In the 3 oclock hour in Woodley Park, the birds chirping at the approaching dawn, David Brocks after-after-party was getting weird. Guests kept calling the lefty political operatives house the white palace. There were drawings of Bill Clinton on the walls. There was a 20-foot painting of a naked woman near the entrance. There was a table with shot glasses of Johnnie Walker, black and green labels. A spiral staircase led to a second level with shrimp and another spiral staircase led to a third level with a bed heaped with pillows and people. One man on the staircase wondered aloud whether the party would turn into, you know, a party.

Not until 7 a.m., said his companion, which is both too late and too early, especially in Washington, especially without Diamond Joe, especially as Aleppo burns.

Read more:

The best lines from Obamas White House correspondents dinner speech

Did Larry Wilmore bomb or slay at the correspondents dinner? Yes.

The night the White House upstaged White House correspondents weekend

[The single best joke told by every president, from Obama to Washington]

Helena Andrews, Jessica Contrera, Emily Heil, Maura Judkis, Roxanne Roberts and Ben Terris contributed to this report.
Wildlife advocates say the numbers of American shad journeying from the Atlantic Ocean to spawning grounds in the Susquehanna River each year could climb to 2 million over the next 50 years as a result of a deal struck this week with the owner of Conowingo Dam.

In an agreement with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Chicago-based Exelon Corp. agreed to do more to help shad and river herring migrate over the dam straddling the river between Harford and Cecil counties in Maryland. The company will increase the capacity of a fish lift that carries them 100 feet from the dams bottom to its top and also will trap fish and drive them upstream by truck.

The agreement is part of Exelons efforts to renew its federal license governing dam operations for the next 50 years and comes after years of discussion about how to help the fish migration.

Fish and Wildlife Service officials called the plan a once-in-a-generation chance to help more migratory fish bypass the Conowingo and a series of other dams.

Were anticipating the fish populations will grow over time, and the needs for fish passage will grow, said Sheila Eyler, a project leader with the services Mid-

Atlantic Fish and Wildlife Conservation Office. But apart from the federal licensing process, we dont have a mechanism to come to a dam owner and ask them to do something.

The numbers of shad, herring and other fish that successfully bypass the Conowingo and other dams along a 60-mile stretch of the river are at their lowest since the 1980s.

Hundreds of thousands of shad and herring passed the Conowingo as recently as 2000, but those numbers have dwindled to less than 15,000 shad the past two years and less than 1,000 herring each year since 2003.

The numbers fall further beyond each of three dams between the Conowingo and the spawning grounds near Harrisburg, Pa., Eyler said. Officials estimate only 30 to 40 percent of the migratory fish are able to successfully pass the Conowingo, and other dams have similarly poor passage rates.

Researchers say 43 American shad completed the journey from the Atlantic to the Susquehanna spawning grounds last year.

The goal is to get 2 million shad and 5 million herring beyond all the dams.

Were very far off from where we need to be, Eyler said. We have a long way to go.

Migratory fish such as shad and herring once were abundant in the Susquehanna and other rivers along the East Coast, spawning as far upstream as New York portions of the river before overfishing and dam construction devastated the populations. Construction of the Conowingo was completed in 1928.

As the dams toll on the fish populations became apparent, fish elevators  such as fish ladders that aid jumping salmon along the Pacific coast  were built as a remedy.

There are two fish lifts at the Conowingo. Currents created at the mouths of the elevators encourage fish to swim into basins that are then lifted upward into the reservoir behind the dam.

One lift built in 1991 carries fish up and over the dam. An older lift on the west side of the dam does not carry fish to the top but reaches a parking lot on the Harford County side. For now, if it is used, it is only to gather fish to use in research.

The newer lift was built amid pressure from wildlife and conservation advocates the last time the Conowingo was applying for a license from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission in 1980. That license expired last year, opening the door for a similar effort on behalf of the fish.

Exelon officials submitted an application for a new 50-year license late last year. But instead of going through a legal battle with the Fish and Wildlife Service over fish passage, the company opted to voluntarily withdraw the application and work toward an out-of-court settlement, Exelon spokeswoman Deena OBrien said.

We decided this is probably the best of both worlds, OBrien said, with wildlife advocates getting their say and Exelon getting a relatively quick resolution.

The company agreed to install larger basins that can carry more fish and to carry two of the basins at a time, instead of just one. The elevators hoppers currently are overloaded by other species of fish that are more plentiful and can reproduce anywhere, leaving little room for shad and herring.

Migrating fish carried by the smaller lift will be gathered and driven upstream to help boost the population of fish that grow up to return to the Susquehanna.

Exelon officials did not respond to a question about exactly how much the effort would cost, but OBrien said in a statement that the company plans to invest millions of dollars.

Conservationists said they are pleased with the agreement.

For the shad, the stakes are high, said Ann Swanson, executive director of the Chesapeake Bay Commission. I applaud [Exelon] for agreeing to try. Energy is important, and so are fish.

No quick rebound in the shad and herring populations is expected, though. It takes five years for shad to reach maturity and return to the spawning grounds.

It also will be at least a few years before Exelons efforts begin. Its licensing application is being delayed while a study explores the Conowingos ability to trap sediment flowing downstream. The Conowingo has long helped keep Chesapeake Bay waters clear and clean by trapping nutrients and sediment, but it has reached its capacity for collecting those materials.

Eyler said that could mean nothing will change for the shad and herring until 2019 or later. But Fish and Wildlife Service officials nonetheless called the agreement a victory.

We think its going to be really good for the fish, Eyler said. We think its going to be really meaningful over 50 years.
higher education

Ill. gives $600 million to colleges. Too late?

Illinois lawmakers have agreed to funnel $600 million into the states public colleges and universities to keep them afloat through the summer, but after 10 months of starving the schools of money, it might be too late to reverse the damage.

Universities in Illinois have not seen any money from the state for nearly a year as the Democratic-controlled General Assembly and Gov. Bruce Rauner (R) locked horns over the state budget. The governor made passage of the $36 billion budget conditional on changes in collective-bargaining rights for public employees and worker compensation to revive the states slumping economy, business-friendly moves that lawmakers refused to back. The impasse resulted in rounds of layoffs and credit downgrades, and it threatened to shutter at least one school.

After several unsuccessful attempts to restore some funding to the universities, the General Assembly approved a stopgap spending bill at the end of April that the governor then signed into law.

This legislation doesnt solve our budget crisis or help our economy grow, but it does represent a first step toward compromise between Democrats and Republicans, Rauner said.

 Danielle Douglas-Gabriel
Protesters from Westbard neighborhood of Bethesda rally in parking lot at Westwood shopping center April 8 to protest planned construction of up to 1,200 new townhouses and apartment units. (Bill Turque/The Washington Post)

The 70 or so protesters from Bethesdas Westbard community who gathered at the steps of the Montgomery County Council building last week were in no mood to hear from their council representative, Roger Berliner.

I come here, quite frankly, not because I share your point of view, because I do not. And Im sorry with respect to that, Berliner (D-Potomac-Bethesda) said, triggering a cascade of boos and jeers.

You dont represent us, a few yelled.

Its corruption! This is corruption! cried one woman.

They were drawn to Rockville by the prospect of as many as 1,200 new townhouses and high-rise apartments in their southwest Montgomery neighborhood, about a mile from the District line. It is part of a plan by developer Equity One, which bought the 1960s-vintage Westwood Shopping Center and some surrounding properties in early 2014. The company wants to modernize the shopping strip, converting it into a town center with housing, dining and civic space.

The group, called Save Westbard, says the project will burden crowded schools and roads. They charge that Equity One and the county have colluded to impose an unwanted urban vision on a place they had expected to remain traditionally suburban. The council is expected to give final approval to the plan Tuesday.

[Proposed Montgomery zoning rules look to a more urban county]

Berliner tried to continue. I believe this plan will enhance the community. I believe . . . As the boos rose up again, he retreated to the council office building.

Disputes pitting residential neighborhoods against government and developers flare regularly in Montgomery, Marylands largest and wealthiest county.

But the Westbard sector plan  the 30-year land-use blueprint that includes the Westwood project  has tapped new depths of anger and resentment. To some in the community, its a local manifestation of the mean-spiritedness and incivility on display in the nations presidential contest.

Theres a little bit of the Trumpification of America  that its okay to be mean and nasty to each other, said Timothy Tutt, senior minister at the Westmoreland Congregational United Church of Christ, where supporters and opponents worship. Tutt said he supports the project because it will increase affordable housing in an area that has next to none.

Berliner, who led a council effort to cut the size of the Equity One project nearly in half, said it has been the worst experience of his nine-year council career.

Were living in an age where theres no trust of any aspect of government, he said. The vitriol that has been expressed is the most Ive ever experienced.

The turmoil in Westbard is a reaction to the transition underway in other parts of Montgomery and communities across the country: from sprawling, car-dependent suburbs covered with asphalt parking lots to more densely populated town centers where people drive less, walk and bike more, and perhaps live closer to where they work.

Montgomery County planners and lawmakers embraced the approach in a 2014 overhaul of the zoning laws. Known variously as new urbanism, smart growth, infill or transit oriented development  it is intended to contain sprawl, cut the use of fossil fuels and attract an emerging generation of millennials who will be paying most of the taxes for the next 30 to 40 years.

[Battle over future of Westbard shows few signs of abating]

Westbard opponents said they welcome a modernized shopping center. But with downtown Bethesda and Friendship Heights two miles away, theyre not interested in the rest of it.

Renovate? Upgrade? These are great things. No one is prepared for urbanization, said Cara McVie, who lives in the Springfield neighborhood near the shopping center.

Essentially they want to build downtown Bethesda, said Jeanne Allen, a leader of Save Westbard.

Michael Berfield, executive vice president of Equity One, said he is confident that Allens is a minority view.

Ive never done anything like this where Ive gotten 100 percent support, Berfield said.

The plan has produced rifts in Westbard-area communities such as Sumner, Somerset, Springfield and Kenwood. An umbrella group of leaders from 19 neighborhood associations, the Citizens Coordinating Committee on Friendship Heights, has endorsed the downsized version of the project.

But Save Westbard, which claims to represent 70 percent of households in the area, says it is still an unwarranted density dump. It wants to retain the current zoning, which would allow an additional number of houses, but far fewer than the revised plan. Opponents assert that the Friendship Heights committee, active for more than 30 years, is out of touch and captive to a regulatory process controlled by developers.

The group marched through the shopping center on successive days last month. On social media it has unveiled The Westbard Papers, the fruits of a public-records request with emails between planners and attorneys for Equity One. While they show nothing improper, they do depict the hand-in-glove closeness with which land-use attorneys and county planning staff sometimes operate. Those same attorneys are regular contributors to campaigns of County Council members.

State campaign finance records show that since 2009, Berliner has accepted $1,850 from Barbara Sears, an attorney for Equity One. They also list $2,250 from Robert Brewer, who represents Capital Properties, which wants to put another high-rise near Park Bethesda, the apartment building it owns on Westbard Avenue. The donations are a fraction of the $421,000 Berliner raised during that period.

We are not doing this because Equity One wants it, Berliner said in an open letter to the Westbard community last month. We are doing this because we believe that Equity Ones investment in our community, on this vastly reduced scale, will benefit our community.

Save Westbard has pounded Berliner. Allen, a leader of the group, suggested in a Facebook post last week that Berliners recent visits to Cuba and China as part of a county delegation for development have influenced his anti-suburban thinking.

Cultures where people are not packed on top of one another have longer and higher quality of life, wrote Allen, founder of the Center for Education Reform, a nonprofit that promotes charter schools and other market-based approaches to education. She was an unsuccessful Republican candidate for the Maryland House of Delegates in 2010.

Not only that, suburbs breed generous people, she said. They have community meetings and fundraisers in their homes (on streets where people can park) . . . support families in need (like when a parent is ill), using their car (that awful invention).

Veteran neighborhood activists said Save Westbards all-or-nothing stance is unproductive.

Just a group of naive activists, said Somerset Mayor Jeffrey Slavin. Johnny-come latelys with unrealistic expectations. He said most of the communities are very pleased with Berliners revisions.

County officials said Equity One will give the area new parks and tree cover and, over time, restoration of Willett Branch, a stream flowing through the heart of the Westbard site.

The councils vote Tuesday will end only the latest chapter in the debate over urbanization. Later this year, it will take up plans for development in downtown Bethesda and Lyttonsville, a community west of Silver Spring along the route of the Purple Line that has begun construction.
A 30-year-old man was fatally shot Saturday in Northeast Washington, and a 67-year-old man was arrested and charged in the death, D.C. police said.

Police said that Leo Hackett was killed in the 800 block of 21st Street NE and that Wilbert Whitaker was arrested and charged with second-degree murder.

Police said the killing appeared to be domestic in nature, but they did not describe any relationship between the men. They listed both as residents of Northeast.

The killing was the citys 37th in the first four months of this year, a small increase over the 34 during last years first four months. But it is significantly lower than the homicide toll for the last four months of last year, which was 55.

If the current pace continues, the total for the entire year would be 112, well below last years 162 and far closer to the total for 2014, which was 105.
Metro halted rail traffic or slowed train speeds at 10 locations in April after federal inspectors found track defects that could have caused derailments and other problems, according to federal safety reports.

All of the tracks are now back in normal use after repairs were made, officials said. But the documents, obtained by The Washington Post, disclose new examples of problems that Metro overlooked until the Federal Transit Administration took over safety oversight of the agency in October.

On April 10, for example, federal safety inspectors checking the system as part of a safety blitz found incorrectly fastened rails along more than 38 feet of pocket track on an aerial structure east of the Stadium-Armory Metro station at a junction of the Orange, Blue and Silver lines.

Metro inspectors had overlooked the defect  which could cause a derailment  in nine visual inspections in the preceding month, federal officials said. A pocket track is a stretch of rail where trains can be parked off the main line.

Other problems described in the reports or by federal officials included the following:

Washingtons Metro came into the world 40 years ago full of promise. It was a rail system of the future. Then, reality set in. (Lee Powell/The Washington Post)

Most Metro employees knowingly ignore requirements for setting handbrakes on rail cars in the yard, thus increasing the risk of unintended train movements.

Metro trains have run red lights five times since the FTA took over safety oversight, and the FTA called such overruns a pervasive and serious problem.

The total number of safety defects identified by the FTA has tripled, to 680, since an interim report in mid-April, mainly because of problems found during the blitz begun in March.

The FTA has begun 47 safety investigations since October, including of a derailment Wednesday in the Shady Grove rail yard and of the recent smoke incidents along the Red Line.

[Electrical problems cause another horrible commute for Metro Red Line riders]

Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx said the federal reports offer new evidence of the need for Metro to take aggressive steps to repair deteriorating equipment and intensify the commitment to safety among managers and workers. One document is a 25-page PowerPoint briefing and the other is a five-page fact sheet.

Asked in an interview why Metro had not identified the track defects before the FTA review, Foxx answered simply, They werent looking.

He continued: Our teams have been in that system for several months, but really the rate of inspections in these months has been more than theyve had for quite some time. That in itself is troubling.

Asked whether Metro was simply not doing the inspections, or instead was failing to do them thoroughly, Foxx answered, Yes  implying that both were true.

Metro said it addressed all of the track defects identified by the FTA within 24 hours or less.

We are working side by side with FTA on its safety inspections and have taken immediate action to address all items that are safety critical, Metro spokeswoman Sherri Ly said.

[Safety blitz find problems with fire extinguishers, emergency exits at Metro ]

Foxxs remarks Friday came days before the expected release of the National Transportation Safety Boards final report into the Jan. 12, 2015, smoke incident at LEnfant Plaza that killed one person and sickened scores of others.

Over the past year, Metros leaders have faced withering criticism over their stewardship of the agency, but Foxx also has faced questions about his decision to give the FTA responsibility for overseeing Metros rail safety.

Last fall, NTSB Chairman Christopher A. Hart urged Foxx to give primary responsibility for Metros safety to the Federal Railroad Administration, which has a long history of overseeing safety of the nations railroads.

But Foxx has maintained that the FTA is better suited for the task, despite its relative inexperience with safety oversight.

Foxxs comments  together with his appointment Thursday of three experienced safety officials to Metros board  appeared designed to highlight his commitment to Metro safety prior to the release of the NTSB report.

He also said he had no desire to rehash past disagreements, emphasizing that the FTA team includes personnel from many Transportation Department agencies, including the FRA.

I think this issue is so urgent that we need to get past fighting the last war, Foxx said.

[Foxx, saying no more excuses for Metro, replaces 3 board members]

Several problems found

In the track-safety portion of the blitz, federal inspectors found problems at three locations that qualified as black conditions  meaning the track could not be used until repairs were made.

In addition to the junction near the Stadium-Armory station, they found that the rails were too far apart in five spots in the West Falls Church and Alexandria rail yards.

Speed restrictions  lowering the maximum speed to 15 miles per hour, according to federal officials  were imposed after problems were found at or near six stations: West Hyattsville, Wiehle-Reston, Fort Totten, Silver Spring, Mount Vernon Square and Suitland. They also were found in the Branch Avenue rail yard.

The problems ranged from broken bolts and defective rail ties to major engine burns on the track.

The FTA is at odds with Metro over whether it is necessary to set at least two handbrakes for six-car or eight-car trains when the trains are temporarily out of service, such as when they are parked in a rail yard overnight.

Metro rules provide for such handbrakes to be set  a process that requires about two to three minutes per brake  in emergency situations or when trains are in storage. But most Metro employees think that overnight parking does not qualify as storage, which they view as something that happens over a longer term.

The FTA said it found that practice unacceptable because of the risk that trains could roll around in a yard and cause an accident.

Its very important in railroading and transit to properly secure equipment, an FTA safety official said.

Metro said the practice will be reviewed by the agencys newly appointed chief safety officer, who starts May 9.

The FTA called red-light overruns a significant safety concern and said Metro was not sufficiently engaged with monitoring its front-line employees to ensure that trains stop when theyre supposed to.

[Why do Metro train operators keep running red lights?]

It also said Metro train operators consistently feel pressure to rush through routes  a clear sign that Metro is placing a higher priority on meeting schedules than ensuring safety.

Metro said its new safety officer will review the red-light issue and added, In the meantime, a number of steps have already been taken to mitigate red-signal incidents including changes in operating procedures, safety stand-downs, signage and additional training.

The safety blitz uncovered far more defects than the FTA identified in the initial four months of its oversight.

In mid-April, acting FTA administrator Carolyn Flowers told a congressional hearing that the FTA had found 229 defects and urged 66 remedial actions.

As of Tuesday, the numbers had leapt to 680 defects and 409 open-remedial actions.

The defects include such shortcomings as defective ties, expired fire extinguishers and failure of train operators to wait three seconds before opening doors at stations.

The remedial actions include steps as minor as replacing a nonfunctioning lightbulb in a tunnel and as major as retraining a train operator.

The new safety investigations launched by the FTA include the fire-smoke incident March 14 at the McPherson Square station and a red-signal overrun Feb. 3 at the Smithsonian station.

Foxx demurred when asked whether Metros safety problems were worse than other transit systems, saying he didnt want to get into comparisons.

He said a lack of investment and overdue maintenance plagued systems throughout the country, but he said that didnt excuse Metro.

It is a significant problem, but that should not take anybody off the hook with this issue with Metro, Foxx said.
Supporters of Ted Cruz dominated a slate of delegates that Virginia Republicans chose Saturday at their state convention, further demonstrating the Texas senators mastery of the delegate-selection process.

Of the 13 national delegates picked by party activists here, 10 are Cruz supporters and three support Donald Trump. The tally represents the biggest chunk up for grabs of the 49 total delegates who will represent the state at the national convention in Cleveland this summer.

Despite bruising primary losses around the country, Cruz is betting that Trump will not make it to the 1,237 delegates needed to clinch the partys nomination, and he is working to woo delegates who would be loyal to him at a brokered convention.

Cruz came in a distant third in Virginia in the March 1 primary but had enough supporters among the 2,610 party activists who filled an arena at James Madison University on Saturday to win critical delegates.

Ken Cuccinelli II, a Cruz surrogate and former Virginia attorney general, boasted that they could have picked up even more if they wanted to.

1 of 53 Full Screen Autoplay Close Skip Ad  Presidential hopeful Ted Cruz on the campaign trail View Photos The Texas Republican, the first major presidential candidate to formally declare a bid, is one of the last three GOP candidates left in the race. Caption Looking back at the Texas senators presidential bid. May 3, 2016 Sen. Ted Cruz speaks with his wife, Heidi, by his side during a primary night campaign event in Indianapolis. Cruz ended his presidential campaign, eliminating the biggest impediment to Donald Trumps march to the Republican nomination. Darron Cummings/AP Wait 1 second to continue.

This was an olive branch, he said after the final vote. If we wanted a 13-zero slate we could have had one.

Trump doesnt see it that way. His campaign team wanted a slate that reflected the primary outcome, but not enough activists agreed.

Mr. Trump just wants a fair allocation of delegates. We won the state handily over Senator Cruz, Trump senior adviser Ed Brookover said before the final vote.

In the end, he accepted the result. The convention voted. We certainly accept the votes. We most look forward to everyone working together this fall to beat Mrs. Clinton, he said.

The delegates include Cuccinelli; Virginia Thomas, wife of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas; national committeewoman-elect Cynthia Dunbar; Del. Kathy J. Byron (Bedford); Del. Timothy D. Hugo (Fairfax) and Subba R. Kolla of Loudoun County, who is the states first Indian American delegate to a national convention.

Im really excited, said Kolla, a supporter of Marco Rubio before he dropped out of the race. My community is looking for that. We are grateful for the Republican Party who recognizes Indian Americans.

Yet the process exposed how much Trumps presence in the race has transformed the political landscape.

At one point, the crowd booed Cuccinelli for supporting Cruzs delegate-selection strategy. Im not sure how many times you have to sue President Obama to show youre not a part of the establishment, he said from the stage.

Earlier in the day, Corey Stewart, the chairman of the Trump campaign in Virginia, lashed out at the state GOP for leaving him off the slate.

He said the party bowed to the will of Jim Beamer, chief lobbyist for Dominion and a member of the nominations committee. Stewart has tangled with the utility giant over environmental issues in Prince William County, where he is chairman of the Board of County Supervisors.

What this shows is RPV is a big rotten, corrupt organization that has been bought off by Dominion Virginia Power, Stewart told The Washington Post.

A Dominion spokesman, David Botkins, said: Jim Beamer is a man of impeccable integrity and honor and is at the convention in his role as a private citizen. The allegations sound unusually harsh and disgruntled about both Jim and Dominion.

In an emptying arena, Del. Robert G. Marshall (Prince William) noted the seeming violation of democratic principles in a process where the candidate with fewer votes can come out on top. He was a Ben Carson supporter and is now undecided.

Im waiting until all the blood stops flowing and then Ill go with whoever is standing last, he said.
The Rev. Daniel Berrigan, right, with the Rev. Philip F. Berrigan, his brother, throw matches atop burning draft records in Catonsville, Md., to protest the Vietnam War.

1968 The Rev. Daniel Berrigan, right, with the Rev. Philip F. Berrigan, his brother, throw matches atop burning draft records in Catonsville, Md., to protest the Vietnam War. AP

The radical priest, who was instrumental in forming the Plowshares Movement, a group of pacifists often arrested for acts of civil disobedience, dies at 94.

The radical priest, who was instrumental in forming the Plowshares Movement, a group of pacifists often arrested for acts of civil disobedience, dies at 94.

The radical priest, who was instrumental in forming the Plowshares Movement, a group of pacifists often arrested for acts of civil disobedience, dies at 94.

The Rev. Daniel J. Berrigan, a writer, teacher and longtime peace activist whose repeated acts of civil disobedience put him at odds with his government and the Roman Catholic Church but made him a major figure in the radical left of the 1960s and 1970s, died April 30 at a Jesuit residence at Fordham University in the Bronx. He was 94.

The cause was a cardiovascular ailment, said the Rev. James Yannarell, a priest affiliated with the Fordham Jesuit community.

In May 1968, Father Berrigan, his brother and fellow priest Philip Berrigan, and seven other activists entered a Selective Service office in Catonsville, Md.

They gathered hundreds of draft files, lugged them outside and, with a recipe of kerosene and soap chips taken from a Green Berets handbook, burned them to ashes. The Catonsville Nine, as they became known, were arrested, and in a five-day trial in October 1968, they were found guilty of destruction of government property.

Father Berrigan wrote a play about the event, The Trial of the Catonsville Nine.

Our apologies, good friends, he wrote, for the fracture of good order, the burning of paper instead of children, the angering of the orderlies in the front parlor of the charnel house. We could not, so help us God, do otherwise.

Daniel J. Berrigan marches with demonstrators in New York in 1982. (Marty Lederhandler/AP)

The judge sentenced Father Berrigan, then 47, to three years in federal prison. Philip Berrigan, who had been charged in earlier protests, received a longer sentence.

In 1970, after the appeals ran out, Father Berrigan refused orders to report to federal prison in Danbury, Conn. He went underground, on the lam from safe house to safe house, and spent four months dodging an FBI manhunt. After many false leads, he was caught on Block Island, off the coast of Rhode Island. Days before he was captured, he spoke at a church in Philadelphias Germantown neighborhood, saying, We have chosen to be branded peace criminals by war criminals.

He ultimately served two years in prison.

Father Berrigan was a willing recidivist who was first arrested in 1967. His rap sheet would eventually be filled with arrests and convictions from protests at weapons laboratories and at the Pentagon.

Daniel Joseph Berrigan was born May 9, 1921, in Virginia, Minn., the fifth of six sons of a pro-union father and a mother who opened her home to the poor.

In 1939, Berrigan entered the former St. Andrew-on-the-Hudson Jesuit novitiate near Poughkeepsie, N.Y.

During his years of theological training, he wrote poetry and taught at Catholic high schools, preparing for a career of teaching or pastoring. He was ordained in 1952.

The Rev. Daniel J. Berrigan in 1968. (AP)

In the mid-1950s, he taught at Brooklyn Preparatory High School in New York. From 1957 to 1962, he taught theology at Le Moyne College in Syracuse, N.Y.

Over the decades, Father Berrigans forays into the academy also included stints at Cornell University, Loyola University New Orleans, DePaul University and the University of California at Berkeley.

During the Vietnam War years and after, he believed that universities had become tools of the government, military and corporate giants.

With no conventional ministry, Father Berrigan operated for more than 40 years out of a small commune known as the West Side Jesuit Community on West 98th Street in Manhattan. He aligned himself with Dorothy Day and the pacifist Catholic Worker Movement and formed a friendship with Thomas Merton, the Trappist monk who was also moving away from conventional priestly piety by condemning U.S. involvement in Vietnam.

In 1968, Father Berrigan traveled with Howard Zinn, the liberal political activist and historian, to North Vietnam in a successful effort to bring back three captured U.S. pilots. Father Berrigan was affiliated with several Catholic antiwar groups and later ministered to AIDS patients.

In 1980, he and his brother Philip were instrumental in forming the Plowshares Movement, a loose coalition of pacifists who were often arrested for acts of civil disobedience at military bases and other sites, including a nuclear-missile facility in Pennsylvania.

Among those jailed was actor Martin Sheen, who has said, Mother Teresa drove me back to Catholicism, but Daniel Berrigan keeps me there.

In 1965, Cardinal Francis Spellman, a supporter of the Vietnam War, told Father Berrigans Jesuit superiors to get the agitator out of New York City. Berrigan was sent to South America, but seeing the conditions in the slums of Peru and Brazil made him more militant, not less. He believed that the Catholic Church too often sided with the rich, and he criticized a U.S. foreign policy that included the sale of weapons to rightist military regimes.

Father Berrigan took aim at his fellow Jesuits when he wrote Ten Commandments for the Long Haul (1981).

The Jesuits are masters of invention, he wrote in his provocative manifesto. They come out of the culture, they know how to take its pulse, try its winds and trim their sails. Nothing extravagant, nothing ahead of its time, nothing too fast. Consensus! Consensus!

Father Berrigan wrote more than 40 books, including a 1987 autobiography, To Dwell in Peace. He wrote numerous volumes of poetry, including Time Without Number (1957), which won the Lamont poetry prize, and Prison Poems (1973).

His brother Philip died in 2002. Survivors include a sister.

In a 2008 interview in the Nation magazine, Father Berrigan echoed a line of Mother Teresas that spiritual people should be more concerned about being faithful than being successful.

The good is to be done because it is good, not because it goes somewhere, he said. I believe if it is done in that spirit it will go somewhere, but I dont know where. . . . I have never been seriously interested in the outcome. I was interested in trying to do it humanely and carefully and nonviolently and let it go.

Colman McCarthy is a former Washington Post columnist.


Gabriela Esparza, her back to the camera, hugs her mother and sister at Friendship Park. (Sandy Huffaker for The Washington Post)

SAN DIEGO  Gabriela Esparza has a standing date on most Saturdays to talk to her mother, on a schedule that never changes. She drives down Interstate 5 and turns off into a sprawling wildlife habitat bounded by the beach and Pacific Ocean and an 18-foot galvanized metal fence that stretches as far as she can see.

She makes her way toward a small yard surrounded by steel mesh and waits until 10 a.m., when a U.S. Border Patrol agent opens a heavy gate. Her mother is on the other side, in Tijuana, Mexico, waiting to see her daughter through the checkered grate, perhaps to touch her fingertips. They stay as long as they can, until another family needs a turn or the agent in charge warns, five more minutes, and the gate is locked shut at 2 p.m.

This pen is Friendship Park, the only federally established binational meeting place along the 2,000-mile border between the United States and Mexico. For seven years, this meeting through the mesh was as close as Esparza, 23, could get to her mother and sister.

This weekend was different. Esparza and her 2-year-old son, Leonel, stood in line Saturday with others chosen to participate in a celebration of Childrens Day in Mexico. For only the third time, the emergency door on this portion of the border fence would open, and five families would have three minutes each to embrace.

To arrive at this moment, Esparza underwent a background check by the Border Patrol and then a second vetting by the nonprofit Border Angels, a migrant-advocacy group that started the brief open-border meeting in 2013. She crossed the desert with her mother when she was 8 to join her father, who already was in California. When Esparza was 16, her sister needed gall-bladder surgery, and lacking affordable medical options in the United States, her mother took her back to Mexico for treatment.

Without papers, they couldnt get back in.

That left Esparza needing to live with relatives. After President Obama announced his executive order for young, undocumented immigrants in 2012, she got an employment card, but she cant leave the United States.

Her long hours working at a company that leases cellphone towers left her little time to think about this reunion, where nearly a hundred people were gathered to watch her hug her mom.

Esparza closed her eyes and swallowed. It was the day before her birthday, but this was more than a birthday present, she said, tugging at the sleeve of her burgundy sweater. Its a blessing.

Still, she was nervous. Less than 30 seconds for every year apart.

Before a crowd of reporters and photographers, three Border Patrol agents and Rep. Juan Vargas (D-Calif.) lifted the doors bulky, rusted lock and pulled  hard  to get it to slide open.

May there never be a wall

Esparzas journey joins her to tens of thousands of Latino families that have convened through the fence at Friendship Park, a place whose story changes depending on who is telling it.

To the community organizations that have fought to keep it open, Friendship Park is a space for intercultural exchange: shared communions, drum circles, even yoga classes across an increasingly fortified divide. It is a wish for immigration reform on physical display.

To the Border Patrol, Friendship Park is a goodwill gesture. Once accessible at all hours, it was closed when a secondary border fence was built in 2009, then reopened in response to protests.

And to the families that arrive week after week, many from distant parts of the state and without the necessary documents to freely cross the border, a trip to Friendship Park is best described as agridulce, the Spanish word for bittersweet.



First lady Pat Nixon visits Friendship Park in 1971. I hope there wont be a fence here too long, she said that day. (National Archives and Records Administration)

The park has transformed since the summer of 1971, when then-first lady Pat Nixon walked up to threads of flimsy barbed wire and asked her security escort to cut an opening.

Nixon stepped easily into Tijuana, to the cheers of a crowd. This inaugurated Friendship Park, a spot so chosen for an obelisk marking the boundary established at the end of the U.S.-Mexico war in 1848. There are now 276 such monuments across the border; the one on the edge of San Diego was the first.

May there never be a wall between these two great nations, said the first lady. Only friendship.

On Saturday, 45 years later, the political figure at the fence was Vargas, the California congressman. Im here to support the families that have been broken up, he said, evoking President Ronald Reagans 1986 amnesty act. The current immigration system is very cruel. You cant separate children from their parents.

The weekend before the Childrens Day event, there were no TV crews or politicians at Friendship Park. For a while, there was just one woman who arrived minutes after the gate opened.

Wearing a long turquoise dress, high-heeled pumps and sparkling jewelry, she walked straight to where the silhouetted outlines of a man awaited her. This was Rosalina Ascencio Leon, 43, here to see her deported husband.

Neither made a big show of the reunion. Leon was a regular; she had been here last month. They started talking as if they were standing in their kitchen.

About a half-hour later, Leon was joined by a man visiting his wife, then by a couple pushing a stroller. By noon, a handful of families  one with collapsible lawn chairs  had stationed themselves by the fence and were peering into the other side.

Julian Rodriguez, 33, held his 6-month-old daughter up to the fence. His sister in Tijuana poked a finger through the mesh to meet the babys tiny thumb.

Its like having a piece of chocolate and not being able to eat it, said Maria Teresa Fernandez, a local photographer who has been documenting the border for 15 years.

Sonia Roman, 35, studied her fathers face and decided he looked better than the last time. The first time, I couldnt even cry, she said. I was just in shock. He was so skinny and aged. In my mind, I thought he was going to be the same as when he left.

It was only the second time she had seen him since a speeding ticket turned into three months at a detention center, which turned into him resignedly signing his own voluntary departure almost a decade ago.

Back then, Francisco Hernandez, now 52, was working construction across the South and was rushing home to Pomona, Calif., when a police officer pulled him over, ran his name through the system and discovered that he didnt have papers.

Now a two-hour drive and 30-minute hike had brought Roman a few inches of metal away from a father she barely recognized.

I dont know whats worse, Roman said. Would I rather not have to see him through the fence, where we cant even touch or hug, or should I be thankful that I can see him at all?

Leon, who had been standing at the mesh in her high heels for two hours, walked away from her husband in tears. We broke up, Leon said. He dont want to wait for me.

Leon had crossed into the United States when she was 16 years old. It was easy, she said. Now its hard. After her sisters ex-husband tried to run her over with a car, she obtained a visa reserved for victims of crimes on American soil. But it required her to wait two more years before she could visit Mexico without the risk of losing the visa.

And now, the couple had concluded, that was too long for a marriage to survive through the fence.

The border here is actually two fences. The first real barrier between San Diego and Tijuana was constructed as part of the Clinton administrations Operation Gatekeeper in 1994, using steel airstrip landing mats from the Vietnam War. By 2009, a second fence was built parallel to 13 miles of the firsts 44-mile length. It is now crowned with razor wire and has stakes reaching into the ocean. A sophisticated network of motion sensors and surveillance cameras detects any movement that could indicate an illegal crossing.



The western end of the U.S.-Mexico border fence extends into the ocean. (Sandy Huffaker for The Washington Post)

All this has curtailed migrant activity in the area, where three decades ago the apprehensions comprised nearly half the nations total. It is estimated that 6,000 migrants have died attempting to cross the border since Operation Gatekeeper, which has reduced illegal entries by about 75 percent.

The latter figure is recited with pride by the agents stationed at Friendship Park, a coveted assignment among the detail because of the reprieve it offers from scouring empty mountains. Fluent in Spanish, the agents share an easy rapport with the visitors, all the while governing access to their families.

Agent Frank Alvarado, who grew up in San Diego, recalled that as a kid, you could buy tacos through the fence. Now he patrols it, charming tourists and talking superhero comics with one visiting 11-year-old boy.

He rejected the common refrain that Friendship Park is like a jail.

People say its sad, but most of the time you see tears of joy, Alvarado said. Its a very festive area. Who wouldnt want to work where its always a party?

Ill take you to eat churros and chamango, Hernandez promised his daughter, if she ever could visit Tijuana. Theres a really good place here.

Juan Suarez, 50, whispered to his 11-year-old son through the barrier: I love you, okay? Behave, okay? Well be together soon.

The boy lingered as his father walked away, his small hands clutching the tall fence. Behind Suarez, an agent told another visitor: Five minutes.

1 of 8 Full Screen Autoplay Close Skip Ad  Friendship Park, where separated loved ones meet at the U.S.-Mexico border View Photos Tucked into San Diegos Border Field State Park, the area is the only federally established binational meeting place along the 2,000-mile border. Caption Tucked into San Diegos Border Field State Park, the area is the only federally established binational meeting place along the 2,000-mile border. Aug. 24, 2006 U.S. Customs and Border Protection agent Rodney Feige shows his horse to Mexican nationals along the U.S.-Mexico border fence at Border Field State Park near San Diego. Sandy Huffaker/Getty Images Wait 1 second to continue.

A door opens and shuts

Three minutes, Enrique Morones, the founder of Border Angels, repeated to the crowd on Childrens Day. Each family is going to have three minutes to hug.

The lock on the gate finally gave way with a groan, to cheers and applause.

The families were lined up, and Alvarado checked their names off a list. Sergio Graciano Paredes? he said. No response. Sergio? Doesnt look like Sergio is here.

The 19-year-old had driven for an entire night from the Bay Area to San Diego, only to be stalled on the wrong highway exit. His father, who traveled for more than a day by bus to arrive in Tijuana from central Mexico, was already waiting for him on the other side. But it was past noon, and the event was starting.

Alvarado shrugged. Thats what the alternate is for. A family who had been on the waiting list was ushered forward.

The door on the fence opened to reveal a canopy of cameras and microphones hovering over a wide-eyed elderly woman.

She was the mother of the first participant standing across the lawn on the U.S. side. As the daughter started walking toward the opening, the onlookers quieted to a hush.

The rest of the event proceeded in virtual silence. The Border Patrol agent who held the door turned her gaze to the sky, blinking back tears.

I wanted to run, Esparza later recalled of when her turn had arrived. The distance felt so long, and everyone was watching.

But then, there her mother was, clutching Esparzas head, kissing her cheek. Her sister was there, too, putting her arms around Leonel.

Stay strong, Esparza sobbed.

Three minutes, and she felt a mans hand on her shoulder. It was Morones, telling her time was up.
Investigators work the scene of an accident involving a Duck Boat on Saturday in Boston. (Jonathan Wiggs /AP)

A woman and four of her grandchildren were killed, and another person was missing, in floods in Texas caused by storms that also unleashed tornadoes, hail and heavy rains in several central U.S. states Saturday.

Those killed in the flooding in Palestine, Tex., were identified as Jamonicka Johnson, 6; Von Johnson Jr., 7; Devonte Asberry, 8; Venetia Asberry, 9; and Lenda Asberry, 64, the city said.

 Reuters

MASSACHUSETTS

Woman struck, killed by Boston duck boat

A 29-year-old woman was killed and her passenger injured after the scooter she was driving was hit by an amphibious sightseeing vehicle in downtown Boston on Saturday.

The crash happened about 11:30 a.m. near Boston Common when the vehicle, known as a duck boat, hit the scooter.

The woman and her male passenger were taken to Massachusetts General Hospital, where she died of her injuries, said Boston police Officer Rachel McGuire. The passenger suffered injuries that were not life-threatening , McGuire added.

 Associated Press

Girl killed, second hurt when theyre thrown from ride: A teenage girl was killed and another injured when they were ejected from a whirling ride at an El Paso church carnival. The girls were at a parking lot carnival when they were hurled from a spinning ride called Sizzler just before 7 p.m. Friday. A 16-year-old died of her injuries, and a 15-year-old girl suffered injuries that were not life-threatening.

More than 1 million goldfish, minnows dumped into lake: Tempe, Ariz.,officials dumped about 1.2 million goldfish and minnows into Tempe Town Lake on Friday. They say the fish will serve as a natural insect control for midge flies larvae.

 From news services
BEST THING THAT HAPPENED TO REPUBLICANS

There's a growing  if reluctant  consensus within the party that Donald Trump will be its presidential nominee. Many in the party have good reason to think that: Trump has won 50 percent of the pledged delegates that have been up for grabs, and he needs to win just slightly more than 50 percent of the delegates remaining to clinch the nomination. That means the only hope for his rivals, Ted Cruz and John Kasich, is to drag the nominating process out to a contested convention in July. The thinking among the growing number of Republicans is that a contested, contentious convention may not be worth its pain given Trumps rivals slim chances at the nomination. The party should instead regroup for the general election battle, they say. Given Trumps unpopularity with the greater public, refocusing on the general election as soon as possible might be the prudent thing to do.

BEST THING THAT HAPPENED TO DEMOCRATS

The Democratic establishment showed that its candidates can win. Tuesdays I-95 presidential primary also brought with it several high-profile Democratic congressional primaries, including two U.S. Senate races in Pennsylvania and Maryland. In both races, party elites preferred candidates faced down tough primary challengers, and in both races the preferred candidates won. Washington Democrats took the victories as a sign that their opinions still carry weight among voters in this outsider-driven election. But the looming question for Democrats is this: At what cost did their victories come? In Pennsylvanias Senate primary, for example, the Senate Democrats campaign arm spent more than $2 million to get its candidate through.

 Amber Phillips
An Ivory Coast's gendarme looks at people walking past him on the beach Saturday. France will boost the number of soldiers deployed in the African nation, ramping up efforts in a region facing the threat of Islamist militancy. (Issouf Sanogo/AFP/Getty Images)

germany

Left-wing protesters clash with police

German left-wing demonstrators clashed with police in Stuttgart on Saturday as they tried to break up the first full conference of the anti-immigration party Alternative for Germany, where Chancellor Angela Merkels policies came under attack. Buoyed by the migrant crisis, the AfD has upended German party politics.

Police counted as many as 2,000 protesters, some of whom burned tires and hurled stones and fireworks to try to stop the AfDs congress from going ahead. The violence began around dawn, and clashes continued for several hours. Police used pepper spray and threatened to use water cannons to stop the protesters. About 500 were detained, police said.

The congress started late.

 Reuters

BANGLADESH

Tailor is hacked to death outside shop

Three attackers hacked a 50-year-old Hindu man to death in front of his tailoring business, police said. The slaying of Nikhil Chandra Joardar occurred in Tangail district, about 60 miles northwest of the capital, Dhaka.

A latest online poll shows the number of Britons who want to stay in the European Union has risen over the past four weeks. (Toby Melville/Reuters)

Saleh Mohammad Tanvir, chief of the district police, said the killing was similar to recent attacks on rights activists, a university teacher and secularist bloggers. The Islamic State and an al-Qaeda affiliate have claimed responsibility for some of those attacks. There were no assertions of responsibility for Saturdays killing, however.

Abdul Latif, a local government official, said Joardar had been arrested in 2012 after a local religious school teacher accused him of making derogatory remarks about Islam.

 Deutsche Presse-Agentur

IRAN

Moderates win more seats in parliament

Allies of Iranian President Hassan Rouhani won the most seats in run-off parliamentary elections held Friday, according to preliminary results reported by the Iranian Labor News Agency.

The pro-Rouhani moderate-reformist Hope bloc won at least 37 seats, the Tehran-based semiofficial news agency said. Independent candidates gained 15 seats, while the conservative Principlists garnered 13 seats.

The run-off continues the setbacks for the conservatives who have dominated parliament for a decade. If the latest results are confirmed, the moderate-reformists will have 120 seats in the 290-seat legislature, the Principlists 90 seats, independents 75 seats and religious minorities five.

 Bloomberg News

Collapsed building in Kenya did not have occupancy permit: A building that collapsed amid heavy rains in Nairobi, killing at least 12 people and injuring at least 134 in the Kenyan capital, did not have an occupancy permit, officials said Saturday as they ordered its owner to turn himself in. Details about the residential building emerged a day after its collapse on Friday.

Al-Qaeda affiliate in Yemen pulls out of port city: Yemens 

al-Qaeda branch on Saturday confirmed that it had withdrawn from the Yemeni seaport of Mukalla. About 2,000 Yemeni and Emirati troops advanced into the city last Sunday, local officials and residents said, taking control of its maritime port and airport and meeting little resistance.

France to boost troop count in Ivory Coast: France will boost the number of soldiers deployed in Ivory Coast to 900 from 500, ramping up military efforts in a region facing the threat of Islamist militancy. Al-Qaeda has killed more than 70 people since November in assaults targeting hotels in Mali, Burkina Faso and Ivory Coast. The group, whose main regional branch operates out of northern Mali, has pledged to launch more attacks on countries that support French military action.

More Britons want to stay in E.U., online poll says: The number of Britons who want to stay in the European Union has risen over the past four weeks, according to an online poll by market research company Opinium Research for the Observer newspaper. About 42 percent of those surveyed wanted to remain in the E.U., up three percentage points from the last comparable poll on April 2, while 41 percent wanted to leave, down from 43 percent earlier, the newspaper said.

Egypt sentences group to prison for 2013 attack: An Egyptian court has sentenced 20 people to life in prison for storming a prison in the Suez Canal city of Port Said in January 2013. In his Saturday ruling, Judge Mohammed Saeed Cherbany of Port Said Criminal Court said the defendants had been backing evil people in the execution of the crime. Thirty other defendants were sentenced to prison terms of 10 or five years. The verdicts will be appealed.

Lions rescued from circuses land in South Africa: In the largest airlift of its kind in history, 33 lions rescued from South American circuses landed at Johannesburgs O.R. Tambo International Airport Saturday evening. The lions will be placed in quarantine in enclosures before being released into the 12,000-acre Emoya Big Cat Sanctuary in Vaalwater, in northern South Africa.

 From news services
Jim Roumell is president of Roumell Asset Management.

Americans are being conned into believing that U.S. corporations are hampered by outsize tax rates that undermine their competitiveness. Tax inversions, whereby U.S. multinational companies merge with foreign companies to re-domicile in the partnering companys low-tax home country, are the logical result of oppressive U.S. corporate tax rates. Or so the story goes. Notwithstanding the complexity of international taxation issues, Ive been analyzing U.S. corporate income statements for 30 years, and the reality is that taxes have never been lower for large U.S. corporations, while their profit margins have never been better. Yes, our statutory tax rate is high, but U.S. multinationals never pay retail.

Corporations contribution to paying the nations bills has steadily declined. In the 1950s, they contributed roughly one-third of all federal tax revenue. Today, that figure is down to 10 percent. Corporate income taxes averaged 4.6 percent of gross domestic product in the 1950s and 3.7 percent in the 1960s but have hovered near 2 percent since the 1990s. A review of corporate income statements makes clear that U.S. multinational corporations (not small- and middle-market companies) are paying a far lower percentage of their pre-tax income in taxes compared to even the early 1990s.

In 1993, Coca-Cola reported $3.2 billion in pre-tax income and paid $997 million, or 32 percent, in income taxes. In 2015, Coca-Cola reported $9.6 billion in pre-tax income and $2.2 billion, or 23 percent, in income taxes. In 1994, Merck reported pre-tax income of $4.4 billion and paid $1.4 billion, or 32 percent. Last year, it reported 17 percent of its pre-tax income in taxes. In fact, the financial statements of large corporations show that they often pay a third less in income taxes compared with even 25 years ago. When it comes to taxes, theres never been a better time to be a U.S. multinational. On the other hand, its not a great time to be the federal government of a developed nation that needs to fund its operations, on which these corporations so critically depend.

Its also incorrect to suggest that U.S. corporations are competitively disadvantaged compared with our peers in the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. Although the United States 35 percent statutory corporate tax rate is the second highest among OECD members, its effective corporate rate (after allowing for deductions, credits, depreciation and tax-advantaged foreign domiciles) falls in line with those of other developed economies. According to the Congressional Research Service, the weighted effective corporate tax rate (accounting for different tax systems and the relative sizes of the economies among these nations) for OECD nations overall is 27.7 percent, and in the United States its 27.1 percent. Similarly, the CRS estimates that corporate taxes among OECD nations equal 3 percent of their GDP on average, significantly more than the 2 percent of GDP paid by U.S. corporations. In its 2014 report on corporate taxation, the CRS concluded: Corporate tax receipts in the U.S. have been below the OECD average since 1997, and before that they fluctuated closely around the OECD average.

Some politicians suggest that were sending U.S. companies out onto the global battlefield to compete with one arm tied behind their backs. House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) said, Our current corporate tax is the second highest in the industrialized world, which kills American jobs and puts American companies at a competitive disadvantage. But Ryan regularly uses the misleading statutory corporate tax rate, instead of the effective rate, in trying to make the case that were strangling companies by taxing them too much.

To be clear, presidential hopeful Bernie Sanderss ideas on taxation are not the solution. According to the Tax Foundation, Sanderss plan to raise more than $13 trillion in additional tax revenue over 10 years would result in a huge drop in our countrys economic output. Sanders blithely dismisses the estimate by the foundation and others that U.S. GDP would likely drop by a staggering 10 percent if his tax ideas were implemented. To put a 10 percent drop in perspective, its 2.5 times the GDP decline experienced in the recent financial crisis, which sent the unemployment rate to above 10 percent. If Ryan and his allies believe we need to further coddle the goose that lays the golden eggs, Sanders and his supporters want to kill it.

By all means simplify, broaden the base and reduce the economic distortions of the corporate tax code. However, the federal government cannot afford to collect less revenue. Since World War II, the government has collected roughly 19 percent annually in tax revenue from all sources, as a percentage of GDP, vs. the average of the past five years of 15.8 percent. Federal spending is currently in line with the postwar average of about 20 percent of GDP, but it stands to dramatically rise as the bill for an increasingly older society comes due. Thus, the corporate contribution toward financing the nations health, education and welfare cannot drop any lower. Historically, paying ones bills was a conservative idea, and its a good one.

U.S. multinational corporations disproportionately benefit from the nations infrastructure and research and development expenditures because they increase company revenue and improve efficiency. These corporations also disproportionately benefit from military spending, because they own more property and capital that need to be protected from enemies. Their income taxes are already at all-time lows, and, according to the Bureau of Economic Analysis, their operating margins are the highest on record since 1965. And some want to abandon the homeland now? That some U.S. corporations want to escape paying their fair share undermines our countrys civic senses of duty and responsibility. Interestingly, we havent seen other OECD nations companies, with the same effective tax rates, attempt inversions.

The Treasury Department was correct to effectively end inversions. But the story doesnt end there, because other schemes are being imagined. We need to end the industry of lobbyists whose sole purpose is to carve out loopholes for U.S. multinational corporations that render our statutory tax rates moot.
According to Supreme Court observer John P. Elwood, Justices Clarence Thomas, left, and Stephen G. Breyer have noted that the high court is cautious about accepting cases, even when it has a full complement of members. (Jacquelyn Martin/AP)

The ways in which Justice Antonin Scalias sudden death are altering the current Supreme Court term have been widely chronicled.

But it appears the absence of Scalia will be felt on the courts work next term, as well.

[Scalias death flips dynamics of Supreme Court]

The number of cases the justices have accepted has fallen, meaning that a docket that in recent years has been smaller than what is traditional is shrinking still.

The court has accepted only six cases since Scalia died Feb. 13. The number is low compared with the average, Scotusblog.com editor Amy Howe said at an event last week reviewing the Supreme Courts work.

And none of the cases that the court has accepted for the term that begins in October approach the level of controversy that have marked the dramatic rulings of recent years.

[Liberals prevailed in courts important rulings, but it may not last]

A panel of court experts assembled by the Constitutional Accountability Center last week offered a number of reasons for the reduced workload.

But they boiled down to a reluctance of the ideologically divided eight-member court to take on an issue in which it might not be able to provide a clear answer.

First, a reminder of the enormous leeway the justices have in setting their agenda.

An outraged citizens vow to fight an injustice all the way to the Supreme Court comes to pass only if the Supreme Court consents.

With a few exceptions of cases the court is mandated to consider, justices are unencumbered as they cull through the thousands of petitions seeking review. In recent years, only about 70 or so cases receive writs of certiorari  cert grants signaling that the justices will review the decision of the lower court.

It takes the approval of four justices to schedule a case for full briefing and oral argument. The court makes those decisions all year  it could announce on Monday that it has accepted more cases  but generally those granted after January are placed on the courts docket for the term that begins the following October.

So there is plenty of time for the court to pick up the pace. But based on whats in the pipeline, Howe suggested that there could be plenty of lulls in the courts schedule.

If Senate Republicans hold true to their pledge not to hold hearings or a vote on President Obamas nomination of U.S. Circuit Judge Merrick Garland to fill Scalias seat before the election, the court will enter the next term one justice down. And if a lame-duck Senate after the election does not consider him, it would be sometime in the spring, at the earliest, before the court is back to full strength.

[Fight over Scalia seat the beginning of a long battle for Supreme Court]

John P. Elwood, a Washington lawyer and Supreme Court specialist, said having an extra member matters.

He watches the Supreme Courts docket as closely as anyone, writing a column for Scotusblog about the cases the court considers at its private conferences and which seem likely to be granted.

He said there seem to be a number of defensive denials, meaning neither side of the ideologically split court wants to take some cases because of uncertainty about how it will turn out, or whether the court will be able to reach a decision.

The court already is a defensive enough institution, Elwood said. He said that Justices Clarence Thomas and Stephen G. Breyer have noted that the court is cautious about granting cert in the best of times.

They have said essentially, You cant screw up by not taking a case, you can only screw up by taking a case,  Elwood said. And now theres one more reason not to take a case: that the court may blow up and not be able to decide the thing.

Sherrilyn Ifill, president and director-counsel of the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, said the apparent slowdown is another consequence of waiting to fill Scalias seat.

It is a rebuttal to all of these sanguine statements that we can have eight justices and it just doesnt matter, well just kick the can down the road, she said.

[Reality of divided court: split decision and search for compromise]

Ifill often disagrees with the decisions of the conservative court but said that everyone agrees this is a branch of government that actually gets the job done. She added: I think the court is trying to be prudent and not be a participant in its own demise by not taking these cases it cant decide.

Brianne J. Gorod, the Constitutional Accountability Centers chief counsel, said justices know that if the issue is an important one it will probably come back in a year or two, when hopefully there will be a ninth justice.

Andrew J. Pincus, another Washington lawyer who practices before the court, agreed with this analysis but said it is the wrong approach for the court to take.

This sounds a little self-interested, Pincus began, but he said the court has a wrongheaded view about the frequency with which issues appear before it, and a complete misperception of the real world impact of lower-court decisions that are out there for a long time that people in the real world have to comply with.

But if it is easy to detect a slowdown in the courts grants, it is more difficult to identify which cases the court might have taken if at full strength.

The court makes those decisions in secret. No vote total is announced and rarely is an explanation given.

So there can only be speculation about which cases are skipped because the court is divided, or which the justices agreed the lower court got it right and there is no work for them to do.
Senior Labour Party figures, including leader Jeremy Corbyn, are fighting back against charges of anti-Semitism in the partys ranks before Thursdays vote for a new mayor of London and other posts.

Corbyn used a May Day rally to say that the party is absolutely against anti-Semitism in any form after a tumultuous week that focused attention on the partys attitude toward Jews instead of its campaign efforts.

Labour legislator Diane Abbott said Sunday that the party is being unfairly attacked by its political enemies.

It is a smear to say that the Labour Party has a problem with anti-Semitism. It is not fair on ordinary Labour Party members, Abbott said. Two hundred thousand people have joined the Labour Party. Are you saying that because there have been 12 reported incidents of hate speech online, that the Labour Party is somehow intrinsically anti-Semitic?

Abbott, who helps set the partys international development policies, spoke on the BBC as the anti-Semitism debate dominated the final days of electioneering. The airwaves were filled with commentators debating whether the frequent criticism of Israeli government policies from Labour members had crossed over into anti-Semitism.

The issue flared up in the past week when Labour legislator Naz Shah was suspended for having posted anti-Israel material before she was elected to Parliament. That prompted former London mayor Ken Livingstone to defend her by saying that Nazi leader Adolf Hitler had been a Zionist early in his political career.

Livingstone was quickly suspended from his role on the Labour Partys executive council, but his comments led Corbyn to set up an independent review of anti-Semitism and other racism within the party.

Labour mayoral candidate Sadiq Khan, who is leading in polls, said the comments have made his path to victory tougher.

I accept that the comments that Ken Livingstone has made make it more difficult for Londoners of Jewish faith to feel that the Labour party is a place for them, he told the Observer newspaper.

The party was also criticized because of Corbyns past links to Interpal, a British charity said by U.S. officials to be backing extremist causes.

In April, Interpal helped sponsor a festival in the Gaza Strip in which students presented a skit that showed a young Palestinian pretending to stab two Israeli soldiers.

Corbyns office released a statement Sunday defending his involvement with the group, which he said was recognized by the U.N. Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East and the British Charity Commission.
After months of tensions, the political crisis in Iraq escalated with anti-government protesters storming into parliament. This is why they are protesting. (Claritza Jimenez/The Washington Post)

After months of tensions, the political crisis in Iraq escalated with anti-government protesters storming into parliament. This is why they are protesting. (Claritza Jimenez/The Washington Post)

Carrying the tents, pillows and blankets they had brought for what many expected to be a longer sit-in, supporters of Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr streamed out of Baghdads fortified Green Zone on Sunday, a day after they had broken in, ransacking parliament and demanding reform.

Akhlas al-Obaidi, a protest organizer, delivered the message of Sadrs wishes to the crowd: Go home to give political decision-making a chance. She said protesters would be back Friday to make a major stand and vowed they would keep up the pressure.

The pullback by Sadr gives Iraqs embattled prime minister, Haider al-Abadi, some breathing space, but the task ahead of him is a thorny one. The cleric has called for an end to the quota system that apportions Iraqs cabinet positions along sectarian lines and is demanding a technocratic government. But such changes would probably be obstructed at every turn by those who think they would lose power.

Parliament descended into chaos during earlier attempts by Abadi to reshuffle his cabinet. Now the prime minister needs to get lawmakers to vote on his list of candidates at a time when many are incensed over Saturdays security breach, which saw them fleeing from protesters who attempted to block their way and beat them on their way out.

[Weve had enough: Baghdad protests challenge Iraqs Abadi]

1 of 34 Full Screen Autoplay Close April 30, 2016 Skip Ad  Photos from the scene as protesters storm the Iraq parliament in Baghdad View Photos Demonstrators climbed over blast walls surrounding Baghdads highly fortified Green Zone and could be seen streaming into the parliament building. Caption Demonstrators climbed over blast walls surrounding the capitals highly fortified Green Zone and could be seen streaming into the parliament building. May 1, 2016 Followers of Iraqs Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr shout slogans at Grand Festivities Square within Baghdads Green Zone. Thaier Al-Sudani/Reuters Wait 1 second to continue.

Abadi met on Sunday morning with the president, the speaker of parliament and other political leaders to try to steer the country out of turmoil. A statement released afterward said they planned intense meetings in the coming days to work on reforms.

Can he achieve a reshuffle? The answer is no, said Kirk Sowell, an analyst based in Amman, Jordan, and editor of the Inside Iraq Politics newsletter. Sadr knows that. Its all a game.

Before they left the Green Zone, the protesters presented their demands: Create a technocratic government or they will demand the ouster of the prime minister, the president and the speaker. If that doesnt happen, they will demand early elections, and if all else fails, they will storm the headquarters of political leaders.

We are going out, but we will come back, Obaidi said. One other reason to withdraw, she said, was because of the upcoming commemoration of the death of an 8th-century imam, Musa al-Kadhim. The anniversary falls on Tuesday, and Shiite pilgrims are walking from all over the country to visit his shrine in Baghdad. That plus the breach of the Green Zone has put a major strain on Baghdads security services.

Before their withdrawal, the demonstrators dug in at a square that Saddam Hussein once used for his military parades, chanting from the presidential viewing platform. Arches formed of crossed swords, held by hands said to be molded in the shape of the former dictators, stand on either side.

[Protesters in Iraqs Green Zone do some sightseeing as they wait for reforms]

We are your servants, Moqtada was daubed in mud on one hand. For 13 years, many Iraqis have been unable to visit this area, walled off from the rest of the city and home to parliament, ministries and embassies.





But protesters ripped down some of the blast walls Saturday and pushed through cordons. A day later, many enjoyed what was for some their first sight of some of the citys most famous landmarks. They milled around the saucer-shaped Monument to the Unknown Soldier, built to commemorate the dead in the Iran-Iraq war. They posed for pictures next to flowers and manicured bushes.

Saddam Hussein allowed us here, but not this regime, said 33-year-old Salah Hassan, a fighter with Sadrs militia Saraya al-Salam, a reincarnation of the Mahdi Army, responsible for thousands of attacks on U.S. troops during the Iraq War. Behind him swimmers splashed and dived in an ornamental fountain.

We entered here to hunt the thieves, he said of Iraqs politicians.

No one can arrest any one of us or touch any one of us, because if they do that, it will escalate and turn against them, said Maher al-Khafaji, 25, a protester. Moqtada al-Sadr ordered a peaceful demonstration, but if they attack us, we will defend ourselves.

Although the majority of protesters are Sadr supporters, some of those demonstrating in the Green Zone on Sunday were not. Street protests against a lack of services and rampant corruption began last summer, initially organized by secular activists.

We cant compete with their size, said Bidoor al-Jarrah, a 53-year-old theater director with an Iraqi flag draped over her shoulders. But we planted the spark.

She said she was happily surprised that the protesters had managed to break through and said she hoped it would lead to some changes.

After packing the square Saturday night, demonstrators had dwindled to the hundreds in the heat of Sunday afternoon. But some were arriving with supplies for a longer sit-in. We have everything we need. Well be there for as long as it takes, said Ahmed Majid, 25, carrying shopping bags and a blanket.

If Sadr says stay for 20 years, we will stay for 20 years, said Kamil Ghazi, 33.

But Sadr didnt, and the protesters moved out peacefully after his order came at dusk.

The cleric has a strong following among Baghdads urban poor and farther afield in the southern provinces. After taking a step back from politics, he has burst back onto the scene by calling out his supporters to demand reform. He has described Saturdays events as the beginning of a revolution.

Abadi has been trying for months to bring in a supposedly technocratic government, with his aims broadly aligning with those of Sadrs. But he has been hamstrung by a parliament that does not want to see change.

Sadrs saying that hes supporting Abadi, but in reality, hes undermining Abadi, Sowell said. Its all about Sadr positioning himself at the center of things.

I dont think hell manage to get any cabinet changes, said Shiite politician Mowaffak al-Rubaie. Other blocs wont vote for them, he said, because it implies that their ministries are incompetent and corrupt.

Roads into the capital were reopened Sunday, but security officials have expressed concern that Islamic State militants could capitalize on the turmoil.

[In the fight against the Islamic State, Iraqs leader begins to look shaky]

At least 23 people were killed when two car bombs exploded Sunday in the southern city of Samawah, the Associated Press reported, citing security and health officials.

Mustafa Salim in Baghdad and Erin Cunningham in Istanbul contributed to this report.

Read more:

Iraq is broke. Add that to its list of worries.

It was a childrens soccer game. Of course he knew he was going to kill children.

U.S. military chief pays quiet visit to Iraq post where Marine died

Todays coverage from Post correspondents around the world
The Pentagons final report into last Octobers deadly US airstrike on a Doctors Without Borders (MSF) hospital in northern Afghanistan is a brazen whitewash. The protracted attack by an AC-130 gunship on the medical facility in Kunduz killed 42 civilians, some of whom were burned alive in their beds, and others mowed down as they attempted to flee.

General Joseph Votel, commander of US Central Command, told a press conference yesterday that the attack on the MSF hospital was not a war crime because it had not been intentional. He claimed that neither the gunship crew members nor the Special Forces on the ground directing the attack knew they were striking a medical facility.

The report blamed the deaths on human errors compounded by process and equipment failures. None of those involved will face a court martial or criminal charges. Instead, 16 American military personnel have been punished with administrative actions that range from suspension and removal from command to letters of reprimand. None have been named, and some are still active in overseas war zones.

The Pentagons account of events on the night of October 3 is riddled with contradictions. The AC-130 supposedly took off early without the crew being briefed and without a database being uploaded to the aircrafts computers that would have identified the Kunduz hospital as a protected building. MSF had previously provided coordinates to the US military, and the hospital was marked with the organisations insignia.

The report claimed that the hospital had been mistaken for the intended targetthe National Directorate of Security building that had been taken over by Taliban forcessome 400 metres away. The aircrafts data link failed and it came under fire, forcing it to move to a safe distance. The coordinates provided by Afghan ground forces supposedly directed the aircrafts weapons at an empty field, forcing the crew to rely on visual identification.

At 2:08 am, the AC-130 gunship, which is armed with 40mm and 20mm cannons as well as a 105mm howitzer, began its devastating attack. Within minutes, MSF personnel contacted the American military saying they were under fire, but the onslaught continued.

According to the Pentagon report, the Special Forces commander on the ground finally called off the attack at 2:38 amhalf an hour later. A MSF inquiry based on eyewitness statements found the assault continued for between 60 and 75 minutes, clearly contradicting the Pentagons claims.

Moreover, the Pentagon report itself concluded that the hospital was not being used by the Taliban as a base of operationsnegating Afghan government allegations to the contrary. No one was firing or carrying out hostile acts from the hospital. Yet the Special Forces commander on the ground ordered the attack anyway in violation of rules of engagement that authorise airstrikes only to protect US or allied forces.

At his press conference, General Votel justified the attack by declaring that the American aircraft was operating in an extraordinarily intense combat situation in which it was trying to support Afghan troops. At the same time, he claimed that it was often not possible for trained operators to tell if fire was coming from a particular building or location.

The Pentagons account is simply not credible. If the aircraft was plagued by equipment failure and the crew had difficulty identifying the target, why was the mission not simply aborted?

Doctors Without Borders has reiterated its call for an independent inquiry. MSF President Meinie Nicolai told the media: Todays briefing amounts to an admission of an uncontrolled military operation in a densely populated urban area, during when US forces failed to follow the basic laws of war...

There are questions here, on the self defence called in by the troops, even though it was a quiet evening. Why didnt they call off the operation if they had such a malfunctioning system, they had a duty to take precautions, and they had doubts about the target? Nicolai said.

John Sifton, Asia policy director of Human Rights Watch, told the New York Times that the failure to bring criminal charges was inexplicable. He said that the Pentagons assertion that no war crime had been committed because the attack was unintentional was flatly wrong, pointing out that recklessness or negligence did not absolve someone of criminal responsibility.

In reality, the Pentagons elaborate account of human errors and equipment malfunctions stinks of a carefully contrived cover-up. A far more straightforward explanation is that the US military deliberately targeted the hospital either to assassinate a particular high-value individual, or to destroy a facility that treated everyone, including wounded Taliban fighters.

The chief responsibility for what is clearly a war crime rests not just with the immediate operational commanders but with the Pentagon top brass and the Obama administration. Hundreds of civilians have been slaughtered as a result of indiscriminate drone attacks in Pakistan, Afghanistan, Yemen and other countries.

Moreover, in nearly a decade-and-a-half of war in Afghanistan, the Pentagon has routinely denied responsibility for civilian deaths. It has acknowledged such crimes only when, as in the case of the Kunduz hospital, the evidence is overwhelming. In the wake of the Kunduz slaughter, the US military provided a so-called condolence payment of $6,000 to the families of the dead and $3,000 to injured victims.

The Pentagons whitewash of the airstrike on the Kunduz hospital is in marked contrast to the immediate US condemnation of an alleged Syrian government attack on a MSF hospital in the city of Aleppo on Wednesday. At least 27 patients and staff were killed in the attack.

US Secretary of State John Kerry said that the US was outraged by the attack. Without waiting for facts and details, he declared that it appears to have been a deliberate strike on a known facility and follows the Assad regimes appalling record of striking such facilities.

Kerrys denunciation of the Aleppo attack simply underscores the crimes of the Obama administration for which no one has been held accountable.
Ten Indonesian sailors held hostage by Abu Sayyaf Islamic militants returned home Sunday after being freed in the southern Philippines, less than a week after the gunmen beheaded a Canadian captive.

About five weeks after being abducted, the 10 tugboat crew turned up outside the house of the provincial governor on the remote Philippine island of Jolo.

They flew back to Jakarta later the same day, arriving on a private plane at an air force base before being driven away in a minibus without speaking to reporters.

Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi said they would undergo medical checks before being sent home.

"Our prayers have been answered," Rahmat Mansyur, brother of freed hostage Wawan Saputra, told AFP in Indonesia's South Sulawesi province.

"A few days ago when the kidnappers beheaded a hostage we were very worried, but now we heard he is safe we feel so blessed."

Officials did not say if any ransom was paid for the 10 Indonesians. Abu Sayyaf does not normally free hostages unless a ransom is paid.

There has been a recent upsurge of kidnappings in the strife-torn southern Philippines, and the Indonesians' release came just six days after Abu Sayyaf beheaded Canadian tourist John Ridsdel, for whom they had demanded a $21 million ransom.

Authorities said the group is still holding at least 11 foreign hostages -- four sailors from Indonesia and four others from Malaysia, a Canadian tourist, a Norwegian resort owner and a Dutch birdwatcher.

- 'Hope and pray' -

Provincial governor Abdusakur Tan Jnr on Jolo hailed the "good news" of the men's recovery after they were brought to his home by unidentified men during a heavy midday downpour.

On learning who they were, the politician's guards let them in and they were fed before being turned over to the police.

"We hope and pray that the others may also walk freely away from their captors," Tan said.

Philippine President Benigno Aquino vowed Wednesday to neutralise the militants after the Canadian retiree's head was left outside a government building in Jolo.

Story continues

The fate of the other hostages remained unknown even as artillery and military aircraft bombed suspected Abu Sayyaf positions on Jolo in the past week.

The small group of militants is based on Jolo and nearby Basilan island and is accused of kidnappings and deadly bombings.

The 10 Indonesian sailors were abducted off the southern Philippines on March 26 as their tugboat pulled a barge from Borneo island.

Filipino authorities later described the kidnappers as members of the Abu Sayyaf, a radical offshoot of a Muslim separatist insurgency in the south of the mainly Catholic country that has claimed more than 100,000 lives since the 1970s.

Abu Sayyaf is believed to have just a few hundred militants but has withstood repeated US-backed military offensives against it, using the mountainous jungle terrain of Jolo and nearby islands to its advantage.

Abu Sayyaf gangs have earned many millions of dollars from kidnapping foreigners and locals since the early 1990s.

Although its leaders have pledged allegiance to the Islamic State group, analysts say they are more focused on lucrative kidnappings-for-ransom than on setting up a caliphate.

Jakarta will host a meeting of foreign ministers and military commanders from Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines on Thursday aimed at discussing joint naval patrols where the sailors were abducted.
U.S. Sen. Barbara Mikulski reflects on the primary election as, for the first time in nearly four decades, her name wasn't on the ballot. The race for U.S. Senate will be an historic one as the long-time senator leaves her seat. Now, GOP nominee Kathy Szeliga will take on Chris Van Hollen in the general election.
The J.D. Power 2016 U.S. Insurance Shopping StudySM shows a relationship between online presence and premium growth among leading insurance providers. The study, now in its 10th year, measures auto insurance shopping, purchase behavior, and purchase experience satisfaction among customers who recently purchased car insurance. The study measures satisfaction in three factors (in order of importance): Price, Distribution Channel, and Policy Offerings.



According to SNL Financial, direct premiums written (DPW) in the personal lines auto insurance market in the United States increased by approximately 4.7% to $199 billion in 2015, with much of that growth coming from new business generated by direct writers.





Insurance Shopping photo

Direct writers have invested heavily in digital channels to increase the functionality and ease of using their websites, which has clearly created an advantage for direct distribution relative to traditional agency distribution in some respects and has supported agency distribution in others, said Greg Hoeg, vice president of U.S. insurance operations at J.D. Power.



Online Shopping Gains Importance

Consumers shopping for insurance providers often look for them online: the study shows that 74% of shoppers use insurer websites or aggregators for obtaining quotes and researching information. While nearly half of shoppers obtain a quote via insurer websites, only 25% actually purchase their policy online; 50% close the purchase through direct contact with an agent; and 22% do so by phoning a call center.



The study also shows that agency writers quote nearly as many shoppers on their website as they do through their agency channel (38% vs. 40%, respectively). However, only 10% of agency writers new business is closed on the website. In efforts to improve online close rates, some insurers are offering online shoppers virtual chats with a representative or agent.



While many consumers want to shop online, they often still want to talk to someone when they buy their insurance to make sure they are getting the right coverage or have questions about their policy answered, said Hoeg. Insurers need to focus on the delicate balance of providing an easy shopping experience while providing product differentiation and professional service.



Fewer Auto Insurance Customers Shopping

Since insurance premium prices are remaining flat or trending downward, customers seem to be shopping less. The study finds that fewer auto insurance customers are shopping for a new insurer, with 33 shops per 100 policies in 2016, compared with 39 in 2015. Among those who are shopping, only 30% actually switch, the same pace as a year ago. Customers who switch are saving an average of $356 on their annual premiums, which is less than the average $388 savings for those who switched in 2015.



With more price competition and smaller savings, there simply is not as much motivation for most customers to switch, said Hoeg. Many policyholders see insurance as a price-differentiated commodity, and shoppers are opting to remain with their incumbent insurer as they find the savings offered by competitors is not as great as they had expected, or as much as they saved the last time they switched.



Overall Satisfaction Slips; Erie and Liberty Mutual Lead Field

Satisfaction with the purchase experience among customers who recently bought a new policy drops to 826 (on a 1,000-point scale) in the 2016 study from 833 in 2015. Young shoppers have the highest adoption rate of online-only quoting, with 29% of those born between 1965 and 1994 getting their price quotes exclusively online. Only 17% of customers born before 1946 are getting their quotes only through online channels. Close rates are more than 1.5 times higher when shoppers get quotes on insurer websites and use the assisted online options, compared with overall close rates through the website.



Erie Insurance and Liberty Mutual rank highest (in a tie) among auto insurers in providing a satisfying purchase experience, each with a score of 853. This marks the fourth consecutive year Erie Insurance has ranked highest in the study. The Hartford ranks third (850), followed by American Family (845) and Automobile Club Group (840).



About the Study

The 2016 U.S. Insurance Shopping Study is based on responses from more than 17,000 shoppers who requested an auto insurance price quote from at least one competitive insurer in the past 9 months and includes more than 50,000 unique customer evaluations of insurers. The study was fielded in April, July, and October 2015, and January 2016.





Story continues

Consumer Tips

Based on the study, J.D. Power offers the following consumer tips:

Look for car insurance websites that provide clear information about policy options and about how your premium will be calculated.

If an insurance website makes it easy to contact an agent directly, that might indicate a service-oriented company.

Compare policies and premiums on several websites, record the information, and develop a list of questions to ask your agent.

Ask your agent about ways to lower your premium.



Additional Research:

Abstract:

The J.D. Power 2016 U.S. Insurance Shopping Study shows a relationship between online presence and premium growth among leading insurance providers.

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While youre busy lavishing praise and presents on your mom on Mothers Day, give her the gift of knowledge: Share with her this story, as well as these other fun Mothers Day facts.

$62,985: Annual salary you would have to pay someone in 2015 to perform the tasks mothers do at home, according to calculation by Insure.com.

14: Hours per week the average mom spends cooking.

84.5 million: Total number of mothers in the U.S.

2 billion: Number of mothers in the world.

2: Number of babies moms in the U.S. give birth to, on average.

84.4: Percentage of Americans who intend to celebrate Mothers Day this year.

$4.2 billion: Amount consumers plan to spend on jewelry for Mothers Day gifts, according to the National Retail Federation.

$4.1 billion: Estimated tab for special outings, like dinner or brunch.

Related: What I Really Want for Mothers Day: Priceless

$2.4 billion: Amount expected to be spent on flowers.

$21.4 billion: Americas total estimated spend on celebrating Mothers Day.

$172.22: Average amount that Americans will spend for Mothers Day, down from last years record-high of $172.63.

$133: The amount the average male spends on Mothers Day gifts, compared with the $214 that the average woman spends.

68: Percentage of people who plan on calling their mother on Mothers Day  which equals about 122.5 million phone calls, more than any other Sunday throughout the year.

7,300: Average number of diaper changes a mom does by a babys second birthday.

26.3: Average age at which a mother had her first child in 2014, up from 24.9 in 2000.

4.3: Babies born each second worldwide.

Related: Why We Spend Less on Dads Than Moms

69: Highest recorded number of children born to one mother. The woman was married to a Russian peasant and lived in the 18th century. She gave birth to 16 pairs of twins, seven sets of triplets and four sets of quadruplets.

15: Highest recorded number of sets of triplets that one woman has delivered. The busy mom was Maddalena Granata, who lived in Italy between 1839 and 1886.

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5 years, 7 months and 21 days: Reported age of the youngest mother ever to give birth. The girls name was Lina Medina and she gave birth in May 1939 in Peru.

72 years: Age of the oldest mother to give birth. She was an Indian woman named Omkari Panwar, who already had five grandchildren. She had twins.

71 centimeters: Height of the worlds smallest mom, Stacey Herald, who stands at just 2 4. Shes given birth to three babies, even though she received warnings from doctors that she was too small to carry a child.

71.12 centimeters: The longest recorded baby was 71.12 cm and weighed 22 pounds.

22 pounds, 8 ounces: Heaviest recorded birth weight for a baby.

Top Reads from The Fiscal Times:
HackerOne Jobert Abma

Jobert Abma, the 25-year-old cofounder of a hot startup called HackerOne, has been breaking into computers since he was 13.

And he's been been getting into hacking scrapes with his cofounder and best friend Michiel Prins for almost as long.

Growing up in the Netherlands, Abma gave Prins an unusual graduation present: the user name and password to a local TV station that did a regular news broadcast about the school.

The duo then took control of the TV station and ran their own broadcast on live TV instead.

"The TV station was not amused," Abma tells Business Insider.

The teachers blamed Prins, who was a year older than Abma, for the hack, and "he never told them that I was to blame," Abma says. Prins wound up having to do 25 hours of community service washing windows, but "thats what best friends are for."

The two were so good at hacking that Abma's internet provider noticed. It sent a letter to his parents saying, "We think you have a virus installed on your computer because there's all this weird traffic coming from your systems. My parents were like, 'We dont have a virus. We have a son,'" Abma recalls.

But the turning point for the pair came when they were in college together at Hanze University of Applied Sciences in the Netherlands.

During Abma's freshman year, the two were looking into the software the school used to manage homework assignments and grades. They found a hole that allowed them to access everyone's grades.

HackerOne cofounder Michiel Prins

They told the software vendor about the hole and never heard back, Abma recalls. (As a rule, software companies don't automatically respond to every unknown person who contacts them claiming to have found a bug.)

So they reported the hole to the university. The school contacted the company and it fixed the hole. The university was so impressed, it hired the pair to do a bigger vulnerability test on that software for the university.

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"We made so much money on that contract that we could pay for our college tuition," he says. "We were going to college and at the same time working for the university."

Hanze loved their work and published their research. The software company, he recalls was less than pleased. "We got a cease-and-desist letter."

Making $10,000 a week in college

Because of all of this, and the potential trouble they could get in, "our parents forced us to start a company," he said.

But getting customers was a struggle at first. "As you can imagine, no one is going to trust two college kids with their security," Abma says.

HackerOne Jobert Abma

So, they came up with a challenge, telling prospects that if they couldn't break into the company within 60 minutes they would buy the whole company cake.

"But if we can hack into the company, then we want to have a meeting and talk about what was wrong and see how we can help you," he says.

People loved the cake challenge. "We spent our nights and weekend hacking and it was the best introduction we ever had to a lot of big companies in the Netherlands," he says.

Soon they had contracts from the government, large banks, and insurance companies.

"That was a very exciting time. We were 19 and 20 years old. And we were making roughly $10,000 a week just the two of us," he says. "For two college kids, that was a very large amount of money."

Inspiration for HackerOne

With this background, the two moved to San Francisco and cofounded HackerOne along with Merijn Terheggen and Alex Rice, the former head of product security at Facebook.

HackerOne is a website where companies can ask hackers to attack them, and then pay fees based on the holes found. The scarier the hole, the bigger the fee. (HackerOne takes a 20% cut.)

These are called "bug bounty" programs.

The idea is to put good-guy hackers on the company's payroll so they can find problems before the bad guys do.

Many big tech companies run their own bug bounty programs, like Facebook, Google, Microsoft, Mozilla, Uber, Yahoo.

But HackerOne gives any company access to a screened pool of qualified, safe hackers. It also offers software that allows them to manage any software holes the hackers find so they can fix them. Its customers include everyone from big tech companies to startups, including the Department of Defense, GM, Slack, Twitter, Yahoo, and Uber.

$7 million in bounties paid

HackerOne has helped companies discover 21,000 verified vulnerabilities since it was founded in 2012 and it has paid out over $7 million in that time, it says.

HackerOne CEO Marten Mickos

It's growing like crazy as companies realize the value of having access to their own friendly army of hackers.

The startup has 500 customers and about about 50 employees and has raised $34 million in funding.

That means the amount of money hackers earn via the site is accelerating. For instance, it only took 12 weeks for hackers to earn the last $1 million worth of bounties. HackerOne had paid out $6 million in bounties in February and that number was up to $7 million by April.

HackerOne is not only bug bounty startup. Bugcrowd, CrowdSecurity, and Synack are some others.

However, HackerOne gained some notice when it landed Marten Mickos as CEO last year. He's well known in the software world a the former CEO of Eucalyptus and MySQL, and he sold both of those companies for big bucks  Eucalpytus

An extra $80,000 this year

Even though Abma has a day job as a cofounder of HackerOne, he's still a hacker at heart.

HackerOne Jobert Abma

He still spends some nights and weekends participating in the bug bounty programs. Most companies pay between $500 and $1,000 per qualified hole found.

But fees can go far higher. Google, for instance, pays up to $20,000 for the nastiest bugs. Others pay even more.

Abma has made an extra $80,000 in the last 8 months on bug bounties, he says.

His goal is to earn an extra $100,000 in 2016, which he's on track to do, he says.

His average bounty is $4,000 per bug, with his largest payout being $30,000, he tells us. Those are some seriously nasty holes.

There are 2,600 hackers in the system who have found at last one qualified bug, HackerOne says, and Abma says he's not one of the top 100. He says he ranks in the top 3%.

That means that there are quite a few bug bounty hackers earning more.

"There are some hackers making $200,000 a year," Abma says, and about 20 making $100,000 annually, he says. "I know someone who is going for $500,000 this year as his personal goal. Hes capable."

Most of these hackers are not doing bounties as their full-time gig either, but they have "a normal day job. Most of them are in tech, they are a software engineer or do computer security. They do this as a second income. It's a very nice addition to most peoples salaries."

For Abma, it's all about helping companies while helping others earn extra money while enjoying the extra cash himself.

"I can buy an upgrade to business class when I travel, dine very luxuriously, and my wedding ring was slightly more expensive than I would otherwise be able to pay," he says.

"Some people use it to pay for their college tuition or to finance their mortgage. We're normal people and hackers are super important to the future of the internet," he says.

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During his speech at the 2016 White House Correspondents' Dinner, host Larry Wilmore told the assembled journalists and politicians that no one could know for sure when the United States would see another sitting black president in the Oval Office after Barack Obama's tenure was over.

"They're not even going to let Morgan Freeman be president in movies for a while," Wilmore, host of The Nightly Show with Larry Wilmore on Comedy Central, said.

Not one to let the opportunity go to waste, Wilmore marked the occasion by toeing the line with his trademark dry, racial humor. Below is just a sampling of the jokes that were sure to have white audience members squirming in their chairs

1. From his very first sentence, audience members should have known what they were in for.

"Welcome to Negro Night. Or as Fox News would call it "Two Thugs Interrupt Elegant Dinner." - Larry Wilmore #WHCD

2. ... and then he hit us with the #AllLivesMatter reference

"Obama's hair is so White, it says 'All Lives Matter'..." - @larrywilmore

3. He pitted Andrew Jackson against Ben Carson

Did Larry Wilmore just say jiggaboo at Pres Obama last @washingtoncorrespondentsdinner @CNN @larrywilmore Im howlin!pic.twitter.com/FjaX1YQbln

4. There was no way Hillary Clinton was going to escape unscathed...

"Bernie has been hanging with Killer Mike, or as Hillary Clinton would say, 'Super Predator Mike'." - @larrywilmore at #WHCD

5. ...or Bill, for that matter.

"At #WHCD, @larrywilmore takes a jab at @BillClinton while complimenting @FLOTUS: https://t.co/gPSaIby3Ik https://t.co/u75Rfiib0a"

6. MSNBC also got dragged, in what was arguably one of the darker jokes of the evening.

"MSNBC got rid of so many black people, I thought Boko Haram was running the network." #WHCDpic.twitter.com/jKKQ8M7gt4

7. Wilmore capped off his speech by dropping the N-word on national television

Larry Wilmore: "Keeping it 100: Yo Barry, you did it, my ni**a." #WHCDpic.twitter.com/9yzc98PFI5 https://pbs.twimg.com/media/ChVxZV0WkAAFcxw.jpg:large

Watch Wilmore's full speech below:
By Sayed Sarwar Amani KANDAHAR, Afghanistan (Reuters) - Afghan security forces have been battling to push back Taliban fighters seeking to cut off the capital of the southern province of Uruzgan, officials said on Sunday as army units worked to clear roadside bombs from the main highway into the town. The insurgents have in the past month stepped up their offensive aimed at taking control of Uruzgan, which straddles one of Afghanistan's main opium and gun-smuggling routes. NATO commanders view the rural province as a key battleground as, if it fell, the Taliban could use it as a springboard to launch attacks on Helmand and Kandahar further to the south. The Taliban is seeking to isolate the provincial capital Tarin Kowt from outlying districts and over the past week has been fighting Afghan forces for control of the road between the town and Shawali Kot in Kandahar province. The battle has added to the pressure on stretched security forces engaged in heavy fighting from Helmand in the south to Kunduz in the far north. A spokesman for the Afghan army's 205th Corps said troops had reopened the route but the situation was still unstable and the road was threatened by improvised explosive devices (IEDs) planted by the insurgents. "We launched a counter-attack that inflicted heavy casualties to the Taliban and reopened to the highway but it is heavily mined and our engineers are working to clear IEDs off the road," army spokesman Mohammad Mohsen Sultani said. Underlining the extent of the threat, General Abdul Raziq, the Kandahar police chief who gained a fearsome reputation fighting the insurgents in his home province, has joined the battle, according to Zia Durani, a spokesman for the head of Uruzgan's provincial police. Brigadier General Charles Cleveland, spokesman for the NATO-led Resolute Support mission in Kabul, said the situation in the province was "serious" although there did not appear to be any immediate prospect of Taliban victory. "We're watching it closely and there is concern about Uruzgan," he said. "We don't think either the province of Uruzgan or the provincial capital Tarin Kowt is about to fall but we're watching it closely," he said. 'TALIBAN ARE EVERYWHERE' Uruzgan neighbors the Taliban heartlands of Helmand and Kandahar and is among the least-developed areas of Afghanistan, with only 8 percent of the population having access to electricity. Its mix of flat and mountainous terrain has been fertile ground for insurgents who fought Australian, Dutch and U.S. troops for years. So far no additional foreign troops have been sent to bolster the defense, as they were in Helmand earlier this year, and coalition aircraft have not carried out air strikes in support of Afghan troops fighting the Taliban, Cleveland said. But the fighting in Uruzgan underlines how difficult ensuring security in remote areas has been for the Western-backed government in Kabul, which is estimated to control only about two-thirds of the country. "The Taliban have not been defeated. They are everywhere," said provincial council chief Abdul Karim Khademzai. "Apart from one district, all roads from the district centers to the provincial capital have been cut off and the government only control the provincial capital," he said. The districts of Deh Rawod, to the west of Tarin Kowt and Khas Oruzgan, to the east, have long been targeted by the insurgents, who say they have control of large parts of the province and now threaten Tarin Kowt. "If the provincial center is captured and liberated, it will inevitably be a huge blow for the enemy as they will lose their only toehold in the province," Mullah Aminullah Yousuf, identified on the Taliban's website as the insurgent official in charge of Uruzgan province, said in an interview on the site. With the annual opium harvest now in full swing, Taliban tax collectors have been raising funds from local farmers, who depend heavily on the crop but as fighting has intensified, life has become increasingly difficult, said Amanullah Hotaki, a local tribal elder. "In some districts where the Taliban are in control, food prices have gone up, there are no hospitals, people die on the way to Kandahar to get treatment," he said. (Writing by James Mackenzie; Editing by Pravin Char)
Paris (AFP) - Air France-KLM's board of directors on Sunday appointed Jean-Marc Janaillac, the current head of French transport group Transdev, as the group's new chief executive following the surprise resignation of Alexandre de Juniac.

"The board has decided that Mr Janaillac will be co-opted as a group director when Mr de Juniac leaves office on July 31 at the latest. He will then be appointed chairman and chief executive officer of Air France-KLM," the board said in a statement.

The appointment of 63-year-old Janaillac was widely anticipated but French media had expected the announcement to come on Tuesday at the earliest.

De Juniac announced his departure on April 5 to take charge of aviation industry group IATA by the end of July.

He helped Europe's second biggest airline group return to profit last year for the first time since 2008, but his four-year spell at the helm was also marked by acrimonious relations with pilots.

In its statement on Sunday, the French-Dutch airline praised successor Janaillac's "knowledge of the airline industry and its customers".

"His capacity for dialogue with employees and other group stakeholders will enable him to meet the challenges that the Air France-KLM group faces," it added.

The airline's return to profits came after a major restructuring to boost productivity and a 2014 strike by Air France pilots that was one of the longest in the company's history.

The results marked a boost in fortunes for Air France after images of two of its executives, their shirts ripped by staff in an angry protest over redundancies, made world headlines last October.

Management in January unveiled a new 2017-2020 growth plan that will include 1,600 voluntary departures by the end of next year, according to union sources.
By John Davison BEIRUT (Reuters) - Nearly 30 air strikes hit rebel-held areas of Aleppo on Saturday as a temporary "calm" declared by Syrias military took effect around Damascus and in the northwest. It was the ninth day of deadly bombardments in Aleppo, which has borne the brunt of increased fighting that has all but destroyed a February ceasefire and killed nearly 250 people in the northern city since April 22, a monitoring group said. It also contributed to the break up of peace talks in Geneva, which the main opposition walked out of last week. The Syrian army announced a "regime of calm," or lull in fighting, late on Friday, which Damascus said was designed to salvage the wider ceasefire. A number of rebel groups appeared to reject the "regime of calm," however. "We won't accept any kind of... regional ceasefires," a statement from a number of groups including Jaysh al-Islam, which controls areas east of Damascus, said. It said the main armed opposition as a whole reserved the right to respond to attacks on rebel factions in any part of the country, and criticised the United States for not doing enough to stop government bombardments. The lull in fighting around the capital and parts of northwest coastal province Latakia, announced by the army, appeared to hold through most of Saturday but the bombing continued in Aleppo which was excluded from the plan. Anas Al Abde, president of the Turkey-based opposition Syrian National Coalition, accused the government of violating the February truce "daily." The opposition was ready to reinstate the wider truce, but reserved the right to respond with force to attacks, he said. All sides have accused each other of truce violations. The United States said it was working on "specific initiatives" to reduce the violence in Syria and sees stopping the bloodshed in Aleppo as a top priority, a U.S. State Department spokesman said on Saturday. In a statement detailing calls U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry has made over the past two days with UN Special Envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura and with Riad Hijab, chief coordinator of the main opposition HNC bloc, State Department spokesman John Kirby said Kerry had made clear the United States wanted Russia to apply pressure to the Assad government to get it to stop "indiscriminate aerial attacks" in Aleppo. Kerry is travelling to Geneva on May 1-2 to discuss the Syrian conflict with his Jordanian and Saudi counterparts as well as de Mistura, the State Department said on Saturday. The Syrian army did not explain in any detail what military or non-military action the "regime of calm" would entail. It said it would last for 24 hours in the capital Damascus and its suburb Eastern Ghouta and for 72 hours in rural areas around the northern city of Latakia. At least five people were killed in Aleppo early on Saturday in air strikes believed to have been carried out by Syrian government warplanes, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. Aleppo, Syria's largest city before the war, has been divided for years between rebel and government-held zones. Full control would be a huge prize for President Bashar al-Assad. Of the 250 casualties since April 22, 140 were killed in bombardments by government-aligned forces and 96 by rebel shelling. Forty children were among the dead, according to the Observatory's tally. "A BIT QUIETER" Observatory director Rami Abdulrahman said government-held areas of Aleppo were "a bit quieter today," but that rebels were still firing shells intermittently. State news agency SANA said at least one person had been killed by rebel shelling on government-held neighbourhoods. Latakia and Ghouta were quiet with only some lower-level violence between rival rebel groups outside Damascus, Abdulrahman said. A resident of Western Ghouta, which is under government siege, said shellings appeared to have ceased around the capital in the hours after the start of the lull at 1 a.m. (2200 GMT on Friday). "There has been no military activity and no sound of bombardments in nearby areas, no sound of shelling or of warplanes," Maher Abu Jaafar told Reuters via the internet. "It's the opposite of last night, when there was a lot of bombing and the sounds of rockets and shells." Syrian helicopters later in the day dropped barrel bombs southwest of Damascus but outside the area where the lull in fighting was meant to take place, the Observatory said. Abu Jaafar said he heard several explosions. The United Nations has called on Moscow and Washington to help restore the ceasefire to prevent the complete collapse of talks aimed at ending the five-year conflict in which more than 250,000 people have been killed and millions displaced. Agencies have continued to deliver aid in the west of the country, but say that access is not regular enough and that many Syrians in need still cannot be reached. The International Committee for the Red Cross said aid had begun to enter the towns of Zabadani and Madaya, where there were reports of starvation earlier this year due to a siege by government forces and their allies. Trucks simultaneously entered al-Foua and Kefraya in the northwest province of Idlib, which are surrounded by insurgents. (Additional reporting by Omar Fahmy in Cairo and Tim Ahmann in Washington; Editing by Robin Pomeroy, Marguerita Choy and Bernard Orr)
By Tina Bellon STUTTGART, Germany (Reuters) - Members of the anti-immigration party Alternative for Germany (AfD) on Sunday backed an election manifesto that says Islam is not compatible with the constitution and calls for a ban on minarets and the burqa. Set up three years ago, the AfD has been buoyed by Europe's migrant crisis, which saw the arrival of more than one million, mostly Muslim migrants, in Germany last year. The party has no lawmakers in the federal parliament in Berlin but has members in half of Germany's 16 regional state assemblies. Opinion polls give AfD support of up to 14 percent, presenting a serious challenge to Chancellor Angela Merkel's conservatives and other established parties ahead of the 2017 federal election. They rule out any coalition with the AfD. In a raucous debate on the second day of a party congress, many of the 2,000 members cheered calls from the podium for measures against "Islamic symbols of power" and jeered a plea for dialogue with Germany's Muslims. "Islam is foreign to us and for that reason it cannot invoke the principle of religious freedom to the same degree as Christianity," said Hans-Thomas Tillschneider, an AfD lawmaker from the state of Saxony-Anhalt, to loud applause. Merkel has said freedom of religion for all is guaranteed by Germany's constitution and has said on many occasions that Islam belongs to Germany. "ISLAM IS NOT PART OF GERMANY" Up to 2,000 left-wing demonstrators clashed with police on Saturday as they tried to break up the first full AfD conference. About 500 people were briefly detained and 10 police officers were lightly injured, a police spokesman said. The chapter of the AfD manifesto concerning Muslims is entitled "Islam is not a part of Germany". The manifesto demands a ban to minarets - the towers of a mosque from where the call to Muslim prayer is made - and the burqa, the all-encompassing body garment worn by some conservative Muslim women. Germany is home to nearly four million Muslims, about five percent of the total population. Many of the longer established Muslim community in Germany came from Turkey to find work, but those who have arrived over the past year have mostly been fleeing conflicts in Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan. Last month the head of Germany's Central Council of Muslims likened the AfD's attitude towards his community to that of Adolf Hitler's Nazis towards the Jews. Although the AfD aimed to broaden its political agenda during the congress, members hardly debated on domestic issues, such as taxation and social welfare. The party's leadership has proposed the introduction of an income tax bracket system and the abolition of inheritance taxes, which experts say would benefit high earners. The head of Germany's DGB confederation of trade unions, Reiner Hoffmann, sharply criticized the AfD's program. "Their alternatives are nothing but simple, dull and inconsistent," Hoffmann said in a speech at an DGB event in Stuttgart to mark Labour Day. He said the AfD was not only conducting a hate campaign against refugees, but also aiming for a tax policy that was against the interests of workers. (Additional reporting by Michael Nienaber in Berlin; Editing by Gareth Jones)
Jason Rezaian

Journalist Jason Rezaian made an appearance at the White House correspondents' dinner Saturday night.

Rezaian, 40, is a California-born Iranian-American who worked as The Washington Post's bureau chief in Iran's capital before he was arrested on accusations of espionage in July 2014.

Rezaian's wife, Yeganeh Salehi, who is also a journalist, was arrested with him, and freed three months later.

Rezaian was convicted and jailed for nearly two years. He was released last January.

President Barack Obama honored Rezaian at last year's correspondents' dinner, but this year, Rezaian addressed Obama  and an audience of his peers  directly.

"This is a big, intimidating room, but I can say that it beats solitary confinement," Rezaian quipped.

During his confinement, Rezaian had become a symbol of the importance of press freedom  a bulwark of American democracy that is far less valued in more hostile regions of the world.

Obama met Rezaian and Salehi at the State Department shortly after his release last year. The two met again on stage at the Washington Hilton hotel Saturday where Obama took another opportunity to underline the importance of journalistic freedom.

"Free press is once again why we honor Jason Rezaian," Obama said. He applauded Rezaian's courage in enduring his imprisonment. "This year, we see that courage in the flesh," Obama added.

Rezaian will spend the next year as a Nieman journalism fellow at Harvard University, according to The Boston Globe.

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Berlin (AFP) - Berlin has begun restricting private property rentals through Airbnb and similar online platforms, threatening hefty fines in a controversial move meant to keep housing affordable for locals.

The German capital fears that the growing trend of people letting out apartments to tourists through sites such as Airbnb, Wimdu and 9Flats is cutting into a limited property supply and driving up rents.

From May 1, the city-state will enact a new law known by the German mouthful of "Zweckentfremdungsverbot", or prohibition of improper use.

It is "a necessary and sensible instrument against the housing shortage in Berlin," said Andreas Geisel, Berlin's head of urban development.

"I am absolutely determined to return such misappropriated apartments to the people of Berlin and to newcomers," he said.

Rents in Berlin shot up 56 percent between 2009 and 2014, although at around 10 euros per square metre this year, they are relatively low compared to other major European cities.

Given that it is more profitable to rent out whole apartments for short holiday lets, some investors are holding on to apartments for such rentals rather than having long-term tenants.

San Francisco-based Airbnb.com -- short for the business's original name AirBed & Breakfast -- is the biggest of several sites that allow people to offer and find such rental accommodation worldwide.

While Berlin has become one of Europe's top travel destinations, with 30.2 million overnight stays last year, the Airbnb trend has also impacted the local hotel industry.

According to research firm GBI, the private online bookings represent a "parallel market of an additional 6.1 million" overnight stays a year.

- 'Denouncing neighbours' -

The new law was passed in 2014 and provided for a two-year transition period that ended on April 30, after which owners are only allowed to rent out rooms via such portals, not entire flats or houses.

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Offenders can face fines of up to 100,000 euros ($113,000).

To catch them, the city has even appealed to the "civic spirit" of its residents and asked them to anonymously report any suspected misuse online.

Tim Boening, a 41-year-old artists' agent who rents out a loft in the trendy Kreuzberg district, said he wasn't shocked by the new law, given the practices he has witnessed.

There is, for example, "the nice couple with two small apartments who move in together into a bigger place and keep the two apartments to rent them out on Airbnb," he told AFP.

"I don't think that's good, it should be stopped," he said, as these apartments are not available to "normal" tenants.

Marika, 48, couldn't agree less and is furious about the change, having long rented out four apartments near the centre of Berlin via Airbnb.

She believed that the city is making Berliners pay for its failed housing policy while serving the needs of the hotel industry.

"This is unfair, we are forbidden from doing our work," said Marika -- not her real name.

The only impact, she argued, would be that some groups, especially families, will simply stay away.

She was especially angry about the request to turn in offenders, saying that "in Germany, of all places, maybe we should reconsider this kind of thing," in reference to the Nazi and former East German communist dictatorship in which denouncing others was common practice.

- Berlin's positive image -

Airbnb Germany said "Berliners want clear and simple rules for home sharing, so they can continue to share their own home with guests".

The practice differs from other types of accommodation "and helps many Berliners pay their rent," spokesman Julian Trautwein told AFP in a statement.

"We will continue to encourage Berlin policy-makers to listen to their citizens and to follow the example of other big cities such as Paris, London, Amsterdam or Hamburg and create new, clear rules for normal people who are sharing their own homes."

Wimdu has meanwhile filed a suit, arguing the law breaches the constitution of the city-state of Berlin.

And the owners of start-up 9Flats said they had sold the brand to a Singapore company.

"We face a law in Berlin that would drive us into bankruptcy," its boss Roman Bach told the daily Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung.

Several property owners who use Airbnb have formed the "Apartments Allianz" to push back against the charge they are evil capitalists growing rich on the backs of fellow Berliners.

Rather, they say, they have offered "an attractive, varied range of beautiful and individual apartments", and have through their personal hospitality "significantly contributed to a positive image for Berlin".

They say they are "not international players, but working in Berlin for Berlin".
Bernie Sanders held a press conference in Washington, D.C., on Sunday to mark one year since launching his presidential bid, vowing to take his fight for the Democratic nomination to the superdelegates currently supporting frontrunner Hillary Clinton.

Its a tough road to climb, Sanders told reporters at the National Press Club, but not an impossible one.

In a scene reminiscent of the sparsely attended, April 30, 2015, press conference on Capitol Hill where he formally announced his run, the Vermont senator said that those superdelegates supporting the former secretary of state ought to rethink their pledge  particularly in states where he won handily.

I would ask the superdelegates to respect the wishes of the people of those states, Sanders said.

Overall, Clinton has the support of 520 superdelegates, while Sanders, the self-described democratic socialist, has all of 39  despite winning 17 primaries and caucuses in every part of the country.

Sanders pointed out that although he won Washington states Democratic caucuses by 46 points (73 percent to 27 percent) and 25 of the states 36 pledged delegates, Clinton has the support of 10 of Washingtons Democratic unpledged superdelegates.

We have zero, he said. Obviously, we are taking on the entire Democratic establishment.

Sanders on Capitol Hill after announcing his run for president, April 30, 2015. (Photo: Jacquelyn Martin/AP)

Clintons lead over Sanders in pledged delegates is 1,645 to 1,318.

Lets be clear, Sanders said. It is virtually impossible for Secretary Clinton to reach the majority of convention delegates by June 14  the end of the primary season  with pledged delegates alone. She will need superdelegates to take her over the top at the convention in Philadelphia. In other words, it will be a contested convention.

He urged the superdelegates to consider which Democratic candidate would have the best chance of winning in November. And based on virtually every national and state poll over the last several months, Sanders said, that would be him.

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I would be the stronger candidate, he said, noting that it would be a disaster if Donald Trump or some other rightwing Republican were to become president of the United States.

Bernie Sanders at a news conference at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C., on Sunday. (Photo: Carlos Barria/Reuters)

Sanders also said superdelegates should consider the youthful enthusiasm hes injected into the Democratic Party, drawing a total of more than 1.1 million people to his rallies and a record 7.4 million individual campaign contributions  statistics that Sanders says prove his nomination would not only secure the White House but also help Democrats win down-ballot races in the fall.

The energy and excitement in this campaign is with the work we have done, Sanders said. This is an important reality that superdelegates cannot ignore.

Which is why the Sanders campaign is prepared to take its case  and its message  through the presidential primaries in California and Washington, D.C., in June and to the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia in July.

Sanders began the press conference noting that last year on this date, he trailed Clinton by at least 60 points in national polls. Now, the Vermont senator said, hes nearly pulled even with Clinton in many of those same polls  even leading her in some.

When we started, we were considered to be a fringe candidacy, he said. That was then, today is today.

And while Sanders reiterated to reporters that he would do everything in his power to stop Trump from becoming president if he ultimately loses the Democratic nomination, he was in no mood to talk about his campaigns legacy.

I hope my legacy will be that I was a very good president, Sanders said.

At that 2015 press conference to announce the launch of his presidential campaign, Sanders was even more bullish.

Were in this race to win, he said.


President Obama joked, Youve got to admit it, Hillary trying to appeal to young voters is a little like your relative who just signed up for Facebook. Dear America, did you get my poke? Is it appearing on your wall? Im not sure Im using this right. Love, Aunt Hillary. Its not entirely persuasive.
Americans frequently rail against the soaring costs of prescription drugs and demand that drug costs somehow be reined in.

Just last week, members of the Senate Special Committee on Aging berated several top executives of the Valeant Pharmaceutical company for driving up the prices of two blood pressure and heart drugs, Nitropress and Isuprel, by 212 percent and 525 percent, respectively.

Related: Obama Administration Will Press Medicare Doctors to Use Cheaper Drugs

The outgoing CEO, Michael Pearson, admitted that the company had been too aggressive in acquiring the drugs and jacking up their prices and that, in hindsight, I regret pursuing those types of transactions.

The Obama administration recently unveiled a pilot project that could save Medicare and consumers billions of dollars in costly cancer drugs by encouraging oncologists to use high quality but less costly alternative drugs. The goal would be to eliminate existing financial incentives for doctors and other specialists to prescribe newer, more costly drugs when less expensive drugs would be just as good.

But as the Obama administration has quickly learned, powerful political, industry and medical profession interests are arrayed against the proposed rule change drafted by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), and the fate of the plan is very much up in the air.

Huffington Post reported late last week that influential Republicans and Democrats in the House have drafted letters to Acting CMS Administrator Andy Slavitt raising objections to the proposed rule change and urging that it either be temporarily shelved or pulled altogether.

Related: Ignoring Warnings, Drug Companies Hike Prices By 10 Percent

CMSs proposed Medicare drug experiment would unnecessarily disrupt care for the sickest seniors who depend on Medicare, including those with cancer, macular degeneration, rheumatoid arthritis, neurological disorders and primary immunodeficiency disease, the GOP letter states in demanding that the proposal be rescinded. House Budget Committee Chair Tom Price of Georgia, Rep. John Shimkus of Illinois and Rep. Charles Boustany Jr. of Louisiana were among those signing the letter.

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House Democrats including Rep. Richard Neal of Massachusetts subsequently sent a letter to the administration expressing concerns about the administrations attempt to lower drug prices, but it stopped short of calling for the withdrawal of the proposed rule, which was published in the Federal Register March 11, and awaits final action.

We support the Administrations goal to reform the health care delivery system by rewarding high value patient care and innovative approaches to meet this goal, the Democrats said. However, we have concerns about the proposed payment model and its potential for unintended effects on beneficiaries and the physician community. We have important questions that CMS should resolve before finalizing the parameters of this demonstration.

At present, Medicare Part B pays doctors and hospital outpatient departments the average sales price of a drug, plus a 6 percent add-on. While doctors typically base their choice of drugs on which ones they feel are most effective for treatment, their fees and add-on charges are considerably higher when they choose the most expensive drugs.

Related: Extreme Rise in Some Drug Prices Reaches a Tipping Point

Under one approach being explored by the administration, physicians would be reimbursed by Medicare for a drugs average sale price plus 2.5 percent, as well as a flat daily payment of $16.80. A second approach would link reimbursements to a drugs effectiveness for different uses. The goal is to force physicians to think twice about prescribing newer and costlier drugs and at least consider prescribing a less expensive alternative.

What this does is evens out the difference between the less expensive drugs and more expensive drugs, according to a Department of Health and Human Services official

Not surprisingly, however, the CMS proposal is getting strong push back from the medical profession and patient advocates who fear that the proposed overhaul might force doctors to allow price concerns to cloud their judgement in treating patients  especially in the treatment of cancer victims with new and much costlier drugs.

It is inappropriate for CMS to manipulate choice of treatment for cancer patients using heavy-handed reimbursement techniques, Dr. Allen Lichter, chief executive officer of the American Society of Clinical Oncology, a professional group, told The Wall Street Journal.

Related: New Tech Tools Beat the High Cost of Prescription Drugs

Moreover, PhRMA, the leading lobbyist for the major U.S. pharmaceutical companies, views the proposal as a threat to their profits in bringing out new, advanced drugs to replace existing ones. Allyson Funk, a spokesperson for the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA), said recently, "Proposing sweeping changes to Medicare Part B drug reimbursement without thoughtful consideration and stakeholder input is not the right approach and puts Medicare patients who rely on these medicines at risk."

The proposed rule change has strong backing from some patient advocate groups, but until now, House and Senate Democrats have had little to say about it. But Big PhRMA and the medical community has been making considerable headway on Capitol Hill, according to Huffington Post, and House Democratic leaders felt compelled to circulate a letter of their own to keep their members from signing onto the much stronger GOP letter.

Members are outlining their concerns, but this letter is in furtherance of getting an effective rule in place under the current timeline, Drew Hammill, a spokesperson for House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi of California, told Ryan Grim and Jeffrey Young, authors of the Huffington Post article. This in no way is an effort to slow down or undermine the administrations efforts. Hammill confirmed his comments in an email to The Fiscal Times on Friday.

Related: Drug Company Profits Soar as Taxpayers Foot the Bill

The administration for now, at least, appears to be pressing ahead with its proposal, although Republican lawmakers including Price and Boustany, who are both physicians, appear determined to block it. The policies in the proposed Part B model were developed with no input from outside experts and those with real-world experience, Price and Boustany said in their letter.

However, the administration disagrees. Americans from all walks of life have felt the impact of the high cost of prescription drugs, and it continues to be a prime driver of spending across the health care system, Benjamin Wakana, a Department of Health and Human Services spokesperson, said on Friday.

The administration's Part B proposal seeks to deliver better value for consumers and Medicare, while ensuring that doctors and patients continue to have access to life-saving drugs. That's why the proposal enjoys support from a diverse set of voices - from AARP to the American Academy of Family Physicians to the former head of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services under George W. Bush.

Top Reads from The Fiscal Times:
Brussels (AFP) - The departure hall at Brussels' Zaventem airport partly re-opened Sunday, 40 days after suicide attacks claimed by the Islamic State group which killed 32 people, half of them at the air hub.

"We are back to the familiar scene of our passengers in the departure hall," said Arnaud Feist, head of Brussels Airport, which operates Zaventem, at an opening ceremony.

Twin explosions killed 16 people there on March 22 and devastated the departure hall, shattering the building's glass facade, collapsing ceilings and destroying check-in desks.

On Sunday Belgian flags were displayed on each side of a stage put up for the ceremony, with the date of the attacks and written tributes to the victims.

The messages in several languages included "Love beats hate" and "Violence will never be the answer." On the floor in front lay bouquets of flowers, candles, photos of the victims and messages addressed to them.

Some 400 passengers for only three flights were able to check in Sunday afternoon in the departure hall, still relatively quiet compared to its usual bustle before the attacks.

Symbolically the flights chosen were from Belgian carriers Brussels Airlines and Jetairfly TUI Airlines Belgium, to three sun-soaked destinations: Malaga, Palma de Mallorca and Lisbon.

"We are the first here, we didn't know that would be the case, we heard it on the television this morning," 61-year-old Belgian Jeanine Lauwen told AFP.

"It's a feeling of great sadness to be here," she said, looking at the floral tributes before checking in her suitcase for a flight to Malaga.

Zaventem airport was completely closed for 12 days after the March attacks and has progressively been restarting operations, though it is not expected to return to full capacity until June.

From Monday, passengers will check in for flights at 111 desks in the departure hall and 36 others in temporary buildings.

Travellers have been asked to arrive three hours before their flights to allow time for extra police security checks at the entrance to the departure hall.
At least 32 people were killed on Sunday, May 1, in two suicide bomb attacks claimed by Islamic State in the southern Iraqi city of Samawa, reports said. At least 75 were left injured by the bombings, which took place outside a government building and at a bus station nearby. Islamic State took responsibility for the bombings, which it said were carried out against a group of special forces. Samawa lies about 225 km (140 miles) south of Baghdad. Credit: YouTube/Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty
ted cruz

Sen. Ted Cruz wouldn't answer whether he'd support Republican presidential frontrunner Donald Trump if he captures the party's nomination  even when the question was posed to him nine times in a row on Sunday.

During a "Meet The Press" interview, moderator Chuck Todd pressed Cruz repeatedly to answer whether he would support Trump, should the real-estate mogul become the Republican presidential nominee.

"I'm going to beat him," Cruz said after Todd pressed him to answer.

Because of Trump's sizable delegate lead, Cruz and Ohio Gov. John Kasich cannot mathematically capture the number of delegates needed to secure the Republican presidential nomination during the first rounding of voting at the Republican National Convention in July. Still, both campaigns are fighting to deny Trump the 1,237 delegates needed to secure the nomination.

When the Texas senator asserted that members of the media wanted him to "surrender to Donald Trump," Todd pushed back.

"It's not about the media. Senator, it's about the numbers. Republican voters are the ones rejecting you. It's not a media conspiracy," Todd said.

"Well, actually, with all due respect, the media has given 2 billion [dollars] in free advertising to Donald," Cruz shot back, an apparent reference to a New York Times report that delved into Trump's free-media exposure.

Throughout the interview, the Texas senator maintained that Todd's line of questioning was an irrelevant media conspiracy perpetuated by "partisan Democrats" in the media.

Still, Todd relentlessly pressed Cruz to answer.

"Why won't you answer this question straightforward, black and white?" Todd said.

"I am going to beat Donald Trump, and we are going to a contested convention," Cruz said.

"All right, so let the record show, you have not taken a position on whether you can support Donald Trump if he's the nominee," Todd said.

"And let the record show you tried very very hard to get me to commit to supporting Trump," Cruz said.

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NOW WATCH: 'It's pure political correctness: Trump on Tubman on the $20 bill





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May 1 marks the 75th anniversary of Citizen Kane, one of the most admired and influential films of all time. There are clear parallels between the title character and the powerful newspaper baron William Randolph Hearst, who tried to block the films release. But Kane fans may not be aware of all the other off-camera struggles, including multiple threats of lawsuits and a smear campaign against Orson Welles.

Variety chronicled all the events leading up to the (much-delayed) May 1, 1941, debut, and the struggles that continued afterwards for Welles and distributor RKO.

Jan. 13, 1941: RKO planned the world premiere on Feb. 14. But according to Variety Archives, Hearst threatened a court injunction to prevent the release of Citizen Kane. RKO prexy George Schaefer met with Hearst attorneys and the script was put under a legal microscope as they searched for anything that might be considered libelous to Hearst. Schaefer said he had given no serious consideration to the idea of withholding the film. Even so, Hearst told his 17 newspapers that they were forbidden to mention RKO, outside of ads. Since newspaper ads were the key to marketing a film in those days, this was a serious handicap.

Feb. 26: Instead of ignoring RKO, Hearst decided to shame the company. A European producer named Joseph Ermolieff won a $7,000 decision against RKO; it was a minor court ruling that most newspapers ignored. However, all Hearst papers ran the story on the front page, lambasting both the studio and president Schaefer. In addition, Variety said Kane was scheduled to open in two days but not a single playdate has yet been set for the film. William Randolph Hearst is reported bringing added pressure on the RKO directorate to shelve the film.

March 12: Welles announced that he would sue RKO to force the films release. According to his attorney Arnold Weissberger, Welles contract specified that the picture must be released within three months of delivery. (Welles claimed it was delivered Feb. 1, but RKO said it was later.) RKO cancelled press previews of April 7, but vowed the picture would get roadshow engagements within a month in L.A., N.Y. and Chicago. The film would bow in two theaters in each city, One house to be on a two-a-day reserved-seat policy and the other with continuous runs.

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CLICK IMAGE FOR LARGE PREVIEW

April 10: The film was so hot that Variety decided not to wait for the official trade review date, and ran a lengthy film preview of the movie. The unsigned piece raved that it was a pictorial masterpiece and a landmark. The article also added subtle support of RKO, saying the film could do sensational business if allowed to run its natural course and that the film was not disrepectful to its central character. The films budget was estimated at close to $1 million.

April 16: The official Citizen Kane review was even more enthusiastic, hailing it as triumph. New York-based reviewer John C. Flinn Sr. correctly predicted that it would inspire other directors to become even more creative.

April 23: RKO began booking dates for the film in major cities. Hearst tried to stir up the American Legion, Veterans of Foreign Wars and other patriotic groups over Welles alleged communist leanings. Hearst reps also persistently asked the draft board why Welles hadnt been inducted into the military. Hearst dailies refused ads for the film and Variety reported harassment of Welles by Hearst photogs at Palm Springs trying to get personal pictures.

May 1: The film opened at the Palace in New York, May 6 in Chicago, and May 8 at El Capitan in L.A.

May 28: Orson Welles was classified 1-B by the draft board, due to bronchial asthma.

Oct. 16: Five months after its L.A. debut, a Hearst newspaper ran its first ad for Citizen Kane  sort of. The L.A. Times and The News ran ads promoting the films new engagement at the Hawaii Theater in Hollywood, but the Hearst-owned Herald-Express and Examiner carried ads that only stated Starts Tomorrow. Big Screen Attraction! See it from the beginning. Hawaii Theatre. The movie title, studio and director were never mentioned.

Oct. 29: Daily Varietys eighth anniversary edition summed up the past year at the L.A. boxoffice. The highest-grossing engagement, running 32 weeks at the Carthay Circle, was Fantasia, with $264,000 (average $8250 a week). Citizen Kane at the El Capitan got a mild play at roadshow prices for a total of $36,500 on the seven-week engagement (average $5214 a week). The film ended up with an OK boxoffice total, but public enthusiasm never matched the critics ecstasy.

March 4, 1942 After the Feb. 26 Academy Awards at the Biltmore Hotel, weekly Variety said the evenings big upset was the near-washout of Kane (nine nominations and only one win, for the the screenplay by Welles and Herman Mankiewicz). In those days, 10,000 members of various guilds voted on the final Oscar ballot, though most were not Academy members. How Green Was My Valley was the big winner, with five Oscars out of 10 nominations. The unnamed Variety reporter theorized that the results were due to the 6,000 extras who got to vote on best picture: The mob prefers a regular guy to a genius.

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Will Cliffs Natural Resources 1Q16 Results Justify Recent Rally?

(Continued from Prior Part)

Asia Pacific Iron Ore division

Cliffs Natural Resources (CLF) will operate its Asia Pacific Iron Ore (or APIO) segment until its sold out. The remaining life left for this operation is less than three years. The APIO segment directly competes in the seaborne iron ore market with iron ore giants such as BHP Billiton (BHP), Rio Tinto (RIO), Vale (VALE), and Fortescue Metals Group (FSUGY).

The seaborne iron ore prices have been resilient since the start of 2016. The strong imports from China (YINN) (FXI) amid higher steel prices is helping seaborne prices. The benchmark seaborne iron ore prices have risen 23% in 1Q16. Thus, realized prices for the APIO segment are expected to be higher than the 4Q15 price of $33.7 per ton.

More reduction in costs

On the other hand, costs could benefit from the depreciating Australian dollar against the US dollar as well as lower freight costs. While cash costs per ton for the APIO segment were $34.30 per ton in 2Q15, they were just $26 per ton in 4Q15. The reduction was mainly due to reduced mining and administrative costs.

Guidance

Cliffs expects 2016 sales volumes for its APIO segment to be 11.5 million tons, which is flat year-over-year (or YoY). The product mix is expected to be 50% lump and 50% fines. The management commented that out of 11.5 million tons, 9 million tons will be mined while the remainder will be sold from the companys work-in-progress inventory, which should improve the companys cash costs and lower its inventory levels. However, investors should note that while there is a limited scope for cash improvement in this division apart from currency depreciation, the downside to seaborne prices could be substantial.

Investors who dont want to invest in individual companies can invest in ETFs such as the SPDR S&P Metals and Mining ETF (XME), which gives diversified exposure to the metals and mining space. CLF forms 3.6% of XME.

Story continues

Continue to Next Part

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Bogota (AFP) - Colombia deported top Peruvian crime lord Gerson Galvez on Sunday, a day after arresting the man described as the new version of Mexico's Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman.

Galvez, also known as Caracol (Snail), was arrested in a restaurant in the western city of Medellin, Colombia's defense ministry said late Saturday.

He was then handed over to Peruvian authorities because of his "dangerousness" and flown back to his home country, Colombian national police chief Jorge Nieto told a press conference.

As he was escorted toward an awaiting Peruvian air force plane, Galvez repeatedly told journalists he had "the right to be presumed innocent."

Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos congratulated his national police on Twitter, describing Galvez as "one of the most feared crime capos in the region."

Galvez "is described by Peruvian police and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime as Latin America's new 'Chapo' Guzman," the Colombian defense ministry said.

The jailed Mexican drug lord, who formerly headed the powerful Sinaloa cartel, was captured in January after months on the run.

According to a wanted notice from Peruvian police, Galvez is "violent and aggressive" and headed a network "dedicated to extortion, aggravated robbery, illegal drug trafficking" and other assorted crimes.

Peru had placed a $150,000 bounty for information leading to his arrest.
Singapore Democratic Party chief Chee Soon Juan. (Photo: Yahoo Newsroom)



By Simon Vincent



Enter: Chee Soon Juan driving his daughter to school, as a tender piano score plays in the background.

Then, a shot of the Singapore Democratic Party (SDP) leaders pensive reflection in the rear-view mirror.

I understand your worries. I know your hardship. I see your pain. I know because Ive listened to you. I know because Ive spoken with you. I know because I live among you, says a Dr Chee in the background of the Youre Not Alone Bukit Batok by-election campaign video launched on 21 April.

In the video, Chee is seen greeting Singaporeans and telling them to have a nice day. The whole set-up is mawkish and aimed at humanising  again  a politician with an image problem.

The persistence of memory  distorted or not

A day after the video went out, Lina Chiam, wife of veteran opposition politician Chiam See Tong said on Facebook that she and her husband would like to clarify that Dr. Chee did not seek nor receive permission to include Mr Chiams image in the recent issue of the SDPs newsletter, The New Democrat.

The most telling sentence was: Mr Chiam has not given his endorsement to any candidate for the upcoming Bukit Batok by-election. It spoke volumes in its terseness.



As Singaporeans would know, Chee has been accused of ousting Chiam from the SDP and taking over the party. Chee has, along with other party members, disputed this claim.

Whatever the truth may be, this much is certain: The Chiams words reignited the controversy.

When asked about the statement, Chee told reporters: I just want to be able to focus on this campaign and what we can do for Bukit Batok. Everything else is just a distraction. And if we ask people its just not helpful to them when they go about their daily lives.

Its a fine response. However, in his battle for hearts and minds, too much of Chees persona is tied to a line of footnotes about his chronic image as a practitioner of confrontational politics and, at worst, an unhinged personality.

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The line, it appears, is a fuse ready to be lit at any moment from both sides of the political divide, opposition and, naturally, the establishment.

On 18 April, former Prime Minister and current Emeritus Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong - in a blatant attack - resurrected the infamous loudhailer incident in which Chee shouted at him in public. The context for Gohs Facebook post, oddly, was a Business Times article that was re-released as part of the publications retrospective Top 40 section.

Chee speaking at the SDPs first rally for the Bukit Batok by-election on 29 April. (Photo: Joseph Nair/Yahoo Newsroom)



A respite

In the 2015 General Election, a hitherto largely unknown side of Chee was on display. Senior Research Fellow at the Institute of Policy Studies (IPS) Tan Tarn How argued in an article for IPS Commons that the resurgence and embrace of Chee had a large part to do with social media.

Tan pointed to the Behind the Man video released on 31 August 2015 and the number of views it generated. This short video has gone viral with over 255,000 views on (filmmaker Tay Bee Pins) YouTube channel, as of 8 September. The comments left by views are largely supportive, he wrote.

The video, he said, humanised Chee. In the past, before the era of social media and against the backdrop of a compliant mainstream media, it was difficult for him to channel these aspects of himself  or any other sympathetic messages  directly to people and for them to share it quickly and widely with others.

Given the filtered lens of a mainstream media with largely only one perspective, Tan said it was difficult to know if Chee is a different man today than in the past, or whether he was truly a confrontational politician.

Quite astutely, he pointed out that we do not know what the original man was like.

Flogging a dead horse



This question is becoming less and less important, as Chees problematic image has persisted up to the upcoming Bukit Batok by-election.

During the GE2015 hustings, Chees fellow candidates almost always mentioned how badly the image of Chee has been skewed. In the build-up to the election, Teacher Thinker Rebel Why, a book edited by SDP candidate Jaslyn Go, was released. It contained accounts of Chee from various segments of society and essentially served as a corrective on Chees image.

In her essay, Chee Soon Juan: The Barbarian at the Gate or a Gadfly, Constance Singam indicates that, through its control over Singapores sociopolitical norms, the Peoples Action Party (PAP) has engineered a docile citizenry, averse to a diversity of views, and cast Chee as a troublemaker.

Linking Websters definition of a gadfly as a person who stimulates or annoys especially by persistent criticism and Socrates reputation as a gadfly in the service of truth, Singam casts the SDP leader as a tragic hero.



Whether Chee has truly suffered from being grossly misinterpreted matters little, though, as old controversies get raised in his new skirmish with the PAPs Bukit Batok candidate Murali Pillai.

The fact of the matter is that a gadfly lurks around Chee himself. It pokes at his current veneer and reminds people that perhaps an unscrupulous man lurks beneath.

Politically speaking, the truth of the gadflys buzzing has become secondary to the viability of Chee at the SDPs masthead.

As Chee and his party members, in turn, respond to aspersions cast on his image, they indicate that his rehabilitation is a dead horse being flogged.

If Chee loses the Bukit Batok contest, despite the advantage of the by-election effect, the SDP might have to re-evaluate its leadership.

The writer is a former writer for Six-Six News. He was part of the election team for GE2015. He has written for various news portals such as Mothership and The Independent Singapore. Follow him on Facebook. The views expressed are the writers own.


Seoul (AFP) - After four years of top-level reshuffles, purges and executions, Kim Jong-Un will formally cement his unassailable status as North Korea's supreme leader at a landmark ruling party congress this week.

The first gathering of its kind for nearly 40 years is really a coronation of sorts -- recognising the young 33-year-old leader as the legitimate inheritor of the dynastic dictatorship started by his grandfather Kim Il-Sung and passed down through his late father Kim Jong-Il.

"This congress means everything for Kim Jong-Un," said John Delury, a North Korea expert at Yonsei University in Seoul.

"It is the most public, historic setting in which he can demonstrate that he is fully in charge, and that everyone follows his orders," Delury said.

"Nominally, it's for the party, but really this congress is for Kim," he added.

Kim wasn't even born when the last congress was held in 1980 to crown his father as the heir apparent to founding leader Kim Il-Sung.

When his own turn came, following the death of Kim Jong-Il in December 2011, there were numerous doubters who suggested the Swiss finishing school graduate lacked the survival skills needed for the Machiavellian world of North Korean power politics.

But he proved them wrong, purging the party, government and powerful military of those seen as disloyal, and displaying a ruthless streak that notably led to the execution of his powerful uncle, and one-time political mentor, Jang Song-Thaek.

- Policy pivot -

He also adjusted his father's "songun", or military first policy, to a "byungjin" policy of pursuing nuclear weapons in tandem with economic development.

The nuclear half of that strategy has dominated the run-up to the party congress, starting with a fourth nuclear test in January that was followed by a long-range rocket launch and a flurry of other missile and weapons tests.

"The objective of all that was clear from the start," said Victor Cha, Korea Chair at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS).

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"It was a race to have a credible nuclear deterrent in place, as a crowning achievement, before the congress opens," Cha said.

But there was an embarrassing stumble in the home straight, with the failure in recent weeks of three separate efforts to test fire a powerful, new mid-range ballistic missile capable of striking US bases on the Pacific island of Guam.

- Nuclear test prologue -

One final act might still play out before the party gathering begins on May 6, with many predicting a fifth nuclear test to underline the North's status as a genuine nuclear power.

Then, once the congress gets underway, comes the question of what, beyond Kim's leadership qualities, the gathering will seek to spotlight.

The optimist's scenario is that, with a confirmed nuclear deterrent in the bag, Kim will announce that the North's security is ensured and the focus can now switch to the other half of his "byungjin" strategy -- economic development.

"The key is not whether such a strong North Korean deterrent force is a reality, not even whether Kim believes it, but whether he will set out this position as the philosophical basis for a new direction in policy," said Robert Carlin, a visiting scholar at the Centre for International Security and Cooperation in California.

In his very first public address, at a military parade in April 2012, Kim had said he was determined that North Koreans would "never have to tighten their belts again".

The need to raise living standards has been a constant refrain of his annual New Year addresses, although analysts note that they have been largely devoid of any specific policy initiatives.

So while the party congress does provide the platform for a genuine policy shift, it can just as easily become a stage for tired, self-congratulatory rhetoric that offers little in the way of change.

- New, young leaders? -

Whatever the tone, the content of the speeches, especially Kim's keynote address, will be closely scrutinised as will any personnel changes, with analysts looking for a younger crop of officials to take over leadership positions.

The North's chief diplomatic ally, China, which has become increasingly frustrated with Pyongyang's refusal to restrain its nuclear ambitions, will be among the closest observers.

"Any North Korean rhetorical emphasis on living standards and peaceful development over nuclear chest-thumping and threats... will be interpreted by Chinese state media as evidence that things are moderating," said Adam Cathcart, a University of Leeds specialist on China-North Korea ties.

"There may also be more willingness to work with newly-promoted officials who are somewhat younger and presumably more pragmatic," Cathcart said.
Havana (AFP) - Hundreds of thousands of Cubans marched Sunday in the country's annual May Day rally, which condemned a campaign to "destabilize" leftist governments around Latin America.

The communist island traditionally holds enormous, festive demonstrations to mark International Workers' Day, which this year comes at a turbulent time for the left-leaning governments that have dominated the Latin American political scene for more than a decade.

"This May 1 is also a day to condemn the maneuvers aimed at... reversing the gains achieved in social policy in our America and destabilizing the leftist and progressive governments in power," keynote speaker Ulises Guilarte, the secretary general of the Workers' Central Union of Cuba, told a massive crowd on Revolution Square in Havana.

As examples, he cited Brazil, where President Dilma Rousseff is facing impeachment proceedings she condemns as a "coup"; Bolivia, where President Evo Morales recently lost a referendum to allow him a fourth term amid a scandal over whether he fathered a love child; and Venezuela, where President Nicolas Maduro's opponents are seeking to oust him in a recall referendum.

The leftist parties that have governed most of Latin America since the 2000s have stumbled lately as the region's economies have slowed.

The left recently suffered election defeats in Argentina, where conservative President Mauricio Macri won office in November, and Venezuela -- Cuba's key regional ally -- where the ruling Socialists lost the legislature by a landslide in December.

Cuban President Raul Castro presided over the rally on the capital's iconic square, which state media said drew 600,000 people.

Guilarte also repeated Castro's call for the United States to lift its more than half-century embargo on Cuba and return the "illegally occupied territory" of the US naval base at Guantanamo Bay, major sticking points in the old Cold War foes' rapprochement.
By Ian Simpson

(Reuters) - Daniel Berrigan, a Jesuit priest, poet and peace activist who was imprisoned for burning draft files to protest the Vietnam War, died on Saturday at 94, a Jesuit magazine reported.

Berrigan died at the Murray-Weigel Jesuit Community in New York's Bronx borough, America magazine said. It did not give a cause of death.

A passionate critic of U.S. involvement in Vietnam, Berrigan gained worldwide attention in 1968 when he, his younger brother Philip, who was a Josephite priest, and seven other Catholics seized draft records from a Selective Service Office in Catonsville, Maryland.

The group doused the files with homemade napalm in a parking lot outside the draft office and torched them while joining hands in prayer.

"It was Philip who came up with the idea," Berrigan told America in 2009. In the library of Georgetown University in Washington, "a friend found a copy of the Green Beret manual with instructions for making napalm from soap chips and gasoline," he said.

The Berrigans were convicted in a federal trial and released on their own recognizance in 1970. They then went into hiding and refused to show up for jail.

Berrigan was arrested by FBI agents and sent to federal prison. He was released in 1972.

Asked by America if he had any regrets, Berrigan said: "I could have done sooner the things I did, like Catonsville."

In 1980, the Berrigans and six others broke into a General Electric nuclear missile site in Pennsylvania, and damaged warhead nose cones and poured blood onto documents and files.

Berrigan also protested the Gulf War, the Kosovo War, the U.S. invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq, and abortion. At 92, he took part in the Occupy Wall Street movement in New York's Zuccotti Park, Jesuits Magazine said.

Berrigan was born into a German-Irish Catholic family in Virginia, Minnesota. He joined the Jesuit order in 1939 and was ordained a priest in 1952.

He wrote more than 50 books, and his first volume of poetry, "Time Without Number," won the Lamont Prize in 1957. Berrigan also wrote a play, "The Trial of the Catonsville Nine."

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Philip Berrigan died in 2002.

Asked in the interview with America magazine for an inscription for his gravestone, Berrigan said: "It was never dull. Alleluia."

(Editing by Jacqueline Wong)
Newly released video shows precisely what happened during a 2013 incident in which Chicago police officers claimed a local reverend hit them with a car, eventually charging her with attempted murder.

The video, courtesy of CBS Chicago, paints a much different picture of what happened to Rev. Catherine Brown, who is black, after her run-in with Officers Jose Lopez and Michelle Morsi-Murphy on May 13, 2013. The clip reveals it was the officers' vehicle that caused the collision. Officers involved can clearly be seen laughing, hitting her car with a metal rod, drawing and pointing firearms, hitting her and using pepper spray.

According to CBS Chicago, Brown said the beating was the result of a traffic dispute after the officers drove down an alleyway heading to her driveway. In her account, the officers immediately escalated what should have been an innocuous traffic maneuver into a full-on screaming match involving firearms and profanity. Brown attempted to drive away, but the driver of the Chicago police vehicle rammed her.

"Beat me down to my underwear, pulled my skirt off me," Brown told the station. "They beat me with the sticks and hit me with their boots in my head."

The reverend was eventually charged with attempted murder after Morsi-Murphy said Brown's car had dragged her down the street, causing the officer to be hospitalized. The charges were later dropped, although Brown was convicted of a misdemeanor charge, reckless conduct.

ABC 7 reported Brown is suing the department.

In 2015, the Department of Justice began a major investigation of the Chicago Police Department over extensive allegations of excessive force and other misconduct. The probe seeks to discover whether the fatal police shooting of 17-year-old Chicago resident Laquan McDonald, which resulted in protests and a $5 million settlement, is tied to "racial, ethnic or other disparities in officers' use of force, and its systems of accountability," NBC 5 reported.
NAIROBI (Reuters) - The death toll from a collapsed six-storey building in Nairobi has risen to 16 from 12, the Kenya Red Cross said on Sunday, but officials declined to be drawn on how many more people might be still under the rubble. The 198-room building in Huruma in eastern Nairobi collapsed on Friday night after heavy rain and rescue work was continuing on Sunday. President Uhuru Kenyatta, who visited the site of the collapse, told officials "to undertake an immediate survey of all the houses in the area to find out those which are at risk of collapsing". He also ordered the arrest of the owners of the building, which had been condemned by the authorities. "Those people who have died in Huruma have died an unnecessary death. That death is a product of corruption. And that is what we must fight in Nairobi," legislator Johnson Sakaja said during Labour Day celebrations in the capital. The Kenya Red Cross said in a statement 16 deaths had been confirmed and 135 people injured and treated for their injuries. "Search and rescue operations are ongoing to rescue survivors that may still be trapped under the rubble," it said. Neither the Kenya Red Cross nor the National Disaster Operation Centre - which is leading the rescue operation - would be drawn into giving an estimate of how many people may still be under the rubble. On Saturday, Nairobi County Deputy Governor Jonathan Mueke said the building that collapsed, and several others in the area, had been put up without their approval. Heavy rains have led to building collapses in the past in poor neighborhoods of the Kenyan capital, which residents have usually blamed on shoddy or illegal construction. (Reporting by George Obulutsa; Editing by Alison Williams)
April 30 (Reuters) - The emergency manager for the cash-strapped Detroit Public Schools said on Saturday the district would run out of money to pay employees after the fiscal year wraps up on June 30, the Detroit News reported.

Steven Rhodes, a former federal bankruptcy judge, told the newspaper that the $48.7 million in supplemental funding approved by the Michigan legislature last month would allow paychecks for all employees only through the end of June.

He urged state lawmakers to approve a $715 million rescue plan that would create a new Detroit Education Commission, with broad authority to control new school openings for the next five years.

Without passage of the reform package, "there will be no funds available to pay any of our employees - those teachers on a 26-pay cycle included," Rhodes, who began running the district in March, said in an email to the Detroit News.

"There also will be no funds available for the District to conduct Summer School or provide the year-round special education services that a number of our students rely on."

The Detroit News said word of Rhodes's warning had come from Ivy Bailey, interim president of the Detroit Federation of Teachers. Rhodes had told her earlier in the day about the inability to meet payroll after June.

Bailey told union members in an email that she was "outraged" about the news, the newspaper said.

"When Judge Steven Rhodes informed me of this today, I insisted that we meet on Monday with DPS leadership and financial officials to develop a solution to this problem," Bailey wrote, the Detroit News reported.

Rhodes did not respond to a request for comment. The Detroit public school system is the largest in Michigan, with 45,786 students, and has been under state control since 2009.

Rhodes said this month that nearly $64 million in debt payments were sinking the school district, underscoring the need for a long-term solution by state lawmakers.

(Reporting by Ian Simpson; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama)
donald trump

Donald Trump appears to be pulling away from Sen. Ted Cruz in a key state the senator has called "absolutely pivotal."

A new NBC/Wall Street Journal survey of Republican primary voters in Indiana released Sunday showed Trump with a 15-point lead over Cruz in the Hoosier State. Ohio Gov. John Kasich received 13% support.

The poll is the latest in a slew of surveys that have found Trump expanding his lead in Indiana.

A Fox News poll conducted in mid-April found Trump with 41%, compared to Cruz's 33%. Kasich also garnered 13% in the Fox News poll.

With only a handful of Republican-primary contests looming, it is mathematically impossible for Cruz and Kasich to win the number of delegates needed to secure the nomination on the first round of voting at the Republican National Convention in July. Now, both campaigns are attempting to deny Trump the necessary 1,237 delegates needed to capture the nomination.

Cruz has fought particularly hard to win the Hoosier State, which is seen as demographically more favorable to him than other remaining primary states.

Last week, the Texas senator announced an alliance with his GOP rival Kasich. The Cruz campaign asserted that Kasich would be pulling resources and ads from Indiana in order to allow Cruz to consolidate Republican voters casting ballots against Trump.

But the message from Kasich's camp was less clear, as the governor said he was not encouraging supporters not to vote for him.

"I've never told them not to vote for me," Kasich said during a campaign stop at an Philadelphia diner. "They ought to vote for me. But I'm not over there campaigning and spending resources."

Cruz also chose Indiana as the state to announce his vice presidential running mate, former Hewlett-Packard CEO Carly Fiorina, should Cruz secure the nomination.

At least some polls show Cruz still within striking distance of Trump. The Real Clear Politics average of recent polls puts Cruz behind Trump by only four points.

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Still, Cruz already appears to be looking past the state in some ways.

After briefly touting Indiana Gov. Mike Pence's tepid message of support, Cruz on Sunday bestowed the title of the most important upcoming primary contest on another state.

"California is likely to decide this entire battle," Cruz told CNN's Jake Tapper.

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Donald Trump

It's been one of the top political conversations of the last two weeks: Is Donald Trump "pivoting" or not?

Paul Manafort, Trump's new top campaign aide, suggested people would be seeing a new Donald Trump. Trump even gave a speech where he read from a prepared text and referred to his chief primary opponent as "Senator Cruz."

But then Trump returned to the rambling and the insults and the nicknames, calling Cruz "Lyin' Ted" again and railing against John Kasich's "disgusting" eating habits. This led some to conclude there had been no pivot, and maybe even that Trump was incapable of pivoting  he just couldn't help himself.

Don't be confused. There has been a pivot. It's just not quite the pivot the press has been expecting.

Trump is in a particular phase of the campaign right now, one in which his key task is to help anti-Trump Republicans reach the acceptance stage of grief  to decide that handing the nomination to Trump is a less-bad idea than trying to deny him the nomination.

Pivoting toward Republican acceptability doesn't require changing his whole persona, and it doesn't even require laying off the insults. He can still be Donald Trump  only a little less.

The way you can tell Trump has pivoted toward acceptability is the sharp decline in the number of days the lead political story has been, "Can you believe Donald Trump said that?!" His last truly outrageous episode was when he promoted a tweet including unflattering photos of Ted Cruz's wife. That was all the way back on March 23  39 days ago.

Donald Trump Ted Cruz

When I say Trump has not been outrageous in more than a month, I am using the word "outrageous" in a particular way. Certainly, Donald Trump has said many things in the last 39 days that would outrage many people, from saying Hillary Clinton can only win by playing the "woman's card," to retelling a false and offensive story about an American general putting down an Islamist rebellion in the Philippines by using bullets dipped in pig's blood.

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But these things are not necessarily outrageous within the context of the Republican Party, where large majorities of voters agree with Trump's call for a temporary ban on Muslim immigration. And even establishment figures like former House Speaker John Boehner mock Clinton for leaning on her gender.

What Trump has avoided of late are comments that give Republicans heartburn: Failing to take a clear stance on whether the KKK is bad, for example.

Trump's foreign-policy speech last week contained very little detail, and what details it did contain were sometimes contradictory. But this, too, indicated the pivot. By giving a speech that simply wasn't very interesting, contained no new outrage lines to dominate a day of cable news, and even included many standard Republican foreign-policy bromides, Trump sent the message that he was becoming a candidate you could bring to dinner without scandalizing your in-laws.

Sen. Bob Corker, the chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee and perhaps the establishment-iest Republican in the Senate, praised the speech, calling it "very thoughtful." He signaled his displeasure with Sen. Ted Cruz's efforts to wrest the nomination from Trump despite trailing in delegates.

If Corker can get to acceptance, many other Republicans will follow, and Trump will be the Republican nominee. Once Trump has the nomination locked, then you can expect his next pivot  toward the political center.

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Cairo (AFP) - Egyptian police stormed the headquarters of the journalists' association in central Cairo Sunday and arrested two journalists for incitement to protest, judicial sources and the head of the union said.

"This is the first time that police have stormed the headquarters of the association," its head Yahiya Kallash told AFP, adding that journalists Amr Badr and Mahmud el-Sakka were arrested.

A judicial source said the pair had been wanted by the prosecution service for alleged incitement to protest in violation of the law.

Badr heads the website Babawet Yanayer which is opposed to President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi. Sakka works for the same organisation whose Arabic name means January Gate in a nod to the January 2011 uprising.

On Friday, Badr had written on his Facebook page that police had raided both his and Sakka's home.

The following day Badr announced that the pair had started a sit-in in protest at the headquarters of the union.

Sakka had announced on Facebook plans to join an April protest against a decision by the government to hand over to Saudi Arabia two Red Sea islands.

According to rights group Amnesty International, Egyptian security forces arrested hundreds of people ahead of planned protests last month.

In July 2013, Sisi, then the army chief, overthrew Egypt's Islamist president Mohamed Morsi and began a deadly crackdown on his supporters.

Authorities have since banned all but police-approved rallies and overseen a crackdown that has left hundreds of Morsi supporters dead and thousands imprisoned.

Several secular and leftist activists who spearheaded the 2011 uprising against longtime strongman Hosni Mubarak have also been jailed.
By Tom Hals

WILMINGTON, Del, May 1 (Reuters) - Energy Future Holdings Corp, the largest power company in Texas, marked the two-year anniversary of its $42 billion bankruptcy by essentially hitting the reset button and unveiling on Sunday a new Chapter 11 exit plan.

The plan comes after investors withdrew their support last week for acquiring Energy Future's crown jewel, its Oncor power distribution business. That deal, valued at up to $20 billion, was led by Energy Future's creditors and Hunt Consolidated Inc of Dallas, and was meant to fund the prior bankruptcy exit plan.

Energy Future's bankruptcy has been among the largest ever in the U.S. and has been marked by complex legal battles. The company filed for bankruptcy on April 29, 2014 and said at the time it anticipated exiting bankruptcy in 11 months.

This time, the company is seeking an even quicker schedule to exit Chapter 11 and asked for a hearing to confirm its new plan on Aug. 1.

Like the original plan, Energy Future proposes spinning off its power plants and retail electricity business to senior creditors. Unlike the prior plan, the new plan allows those creditors to take control of those assets without waiting for a deal for the Oncor side of Energy Future's business.

Under the new plan, creditors of the Oncor side of Energy Future could take control of the distribution business, or it could be sold.

Hunt Consolidated and the investors could still pursue their plan to acquire Oncor, according to a statement from the privately held business.

The Hunt-led deal for Oncor was approved by the Public Utility Commission of Texas, but with conditions that made the potential returns less attractive. Hunt and the investors have asked the commission to reconsider its ruling.

Oncor owns the largest network of power lines in Texas, reaching 3.3 million homes and businesses. NextEra Energy Inc of Juno Beach, Florida, briefly pursued a deal for Oncor in 2015.

Energy Future was forced into bankruptcy by weak electricity prices that left it unable to service its debt, much of it taken on to finance a leveraged buyout of what was then known as TXU Corp by KKR & Co, TPG Capital and an affiliate of Goldman Sachs.

(Reporting by Tom Hals in Wilmington, Delaware; Editing by Alan Crosby)
By Hadeel Al Sayegh and Tom Arnold

DUBAI (Reuters) - Qatar's sovereign wealth fund is reducing its focus on investments in Europe and placing more of its money with external managers following an internal review, sources familiar with the matter told Reuters.

Qatar Investment Authority, estimated by industry tracker Sovereign Wealth Fund Institute to hold $256 billion of assets, is known as an aggressive investor in high-profile European assets such as the Shard skyscraper and Harrods department store in London, as well as Credit Suisse and Volkswagen.

But its review, which follows sharp falls in the prices of some of the European assets and a plunge in oil and gas prices that slashed Qatar's export revenues, led to an understanding that QIA is "overcommitted" in Europe and should put less emphasis on direct investment, the sources said.

Instead, the QIA is placing more money with external managers, who have been told that investments should be spread out globally but particularly in Asia and the United States.

The sources, who are familiar with QIA because of close business links to the fund, declined to be named because of commercial sensitivities. A public relations agency representing QIA said the fund had no comment.

The sources said one of the reasons for changing strategy was the poor performance of QIA's investments in German carmaker Volkswagen and London-listed commodities trading house Glencore.

Shares in Volkswagen, in which QIA is the third-largest shareholder with a 17 percent stake worth around $13 billion at market prices, are down 52 percent from their March 2015 peak after the company was caught cheating on diesel emissions tests.

QIA owns 9 percent of Glencore, a stake worth about $3 billion at market prices, according to Thomson Reuters data. Glencore's shares are down 49 percent from their 2015 peak because of concern over its ability to cope with low global metals prices.

In the wake of these debacles, "QIA's days of glitzy investments are numbered," said one of the sources.

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The sources said, however, that there was no indication that QIA would reduce its existing stakes in big European firms such as Volkswagen and Glencore.

The secretive fund does not disclose many details of its asset allocations around the world. Last September, it opened an investment office in New York and said it planned to invest $35 billion in the United States over the next five years.

Two of the sources said QIA was keen to strengthen its involvement in "responsible investing", a style of asset management which emphasises protecting the environment, consumers and human rights.

Norway's sovereign wealth fund, the world's biggest, has been focusing on responsible investing; the Norwegian parliament decided last year that the fund would divest from firms that derived more than 30 percent of their turnover or activity from coal.

(Editing by Andrew Torchia and Clelia Oziel)
FRANKFURT (Reuters) - Deutsche Bank has "serious" and "systemic" failings in its controls against money laundering, terrorist financing and sanctions, according to a confidential letter by the UK's financial regulatory agency, the Financial Times reported.

The watchdog agency, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), has now ordered a separate independent review, the FT reported the letter as saying. The FCA declined to comment.

"Our overall conclusion was that Deutsche Bank UK had serious AML (anti-money laundering), terrorist financing and sanctions failings which were systemic in nature," the FT quoted the FCA letter, dated March 2, as saying.

"Effective senior management engagement and leadership on financial crime had been lacking for a considerable period of time."

Deutsche Bank said it is cooperating with regulators to fundamentally reform its anti-financial crime programme.

"We understand the importance of this issue and are committed to and engaged in fixing it", a company spokesman said in an emailed statement on Sunday.

In late 2014, the FCA had put Deutsche Bank's London office under enhanced supervision owing to concern about the bank's governance and controls. Enhanced supervision procedures are normally kept private and can follow fines.

Following its review, the FCA ordered a so-called skilled persons report - also called a Section 166 report - to assess remedial work Deutsche must now carry out, the FT reported.

Deutsche Bank's new chief executive, John Cryan, who took over in July, has embarked on a deep restructuring of the bank, which includes an overhaul of governance procedures.

Cryan announced in November a review of its know-your-client mechanisms and its vetting procedures when taking on new clients. It has also suspended taking on new customers from 109 countries which it has defined as high risk, compared with 30 countries it had earlier classified as too risky.

The report on the FCA letter comes days after a public squabble among members of Deutsche Bank's supervisory board and the ejection of the board's member tasked with clearing up past scandals.

Germany's biggest bank, struggling to extract itself from regulatory and legal tangles that have already cost it billions of dollars, announced late on Thursday the resignation Georg Thoma, a top financial lawyer who headed the supervisory boards Integrity Committee.

(Reporting by Arno Schuetze)
Michelle Obama in Jason Wu on Inauguration Day. To close out her time as first lady, Michelle Obama called on one of her favorite designers: Jason Wu. While at the White House she greeted her successor Melania Trump without her coat on revealing a short-sleeved midi-length dress belted at the waist. She paired it with pumps. For the outdoor ceremony she put on a matching jacket in the same red material and slipped on some high suede boots. (Photos: Getty Images)

Being the first lady comes with a lot of responsibility. And while being a trendsetter certainly pales in comparison to the weight of attempting to curb the childhood obesity problem in the United States or getting kids moving, dressing fashionably is part of the job. A few years into her husbands presidency, Michelle Obama has already set herself apart from her predecessors, bringing a modern edge  and even J. Crew  to the White House. Shes also a political dresser, conscientiously picking labels to fit with occasions, from wearing a custom Vera Wang gown for a state dinner hosting Chinese President Xi Jinping and Tadashi Shoji when Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and his wife Akie Abe came to Washington to Missoni in Italy and Preen in England.

Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest for nonstop inspiration delivered fresh to your feed, every day.
Miami (AFP) - The first US cruise ship bound for Cuba in half a century set sail from Florida on Sunday, marking a new milestone in the rapprochement between Washington and Havana.

The Adonia, a vessel from the Carnival cruise's Fathom line, raised its anchors and departed from Miami, the heart of the Cuban diaspora in the United States, around 4:00 pm (2000 GMT).

The ship -- with 700 passengers aboard -- is scheduled to glide into the port of Havana on Monday, its first stop on the communist-run island.

"To be a part of truly making history and preparing for an even more positive future for everyone is one of the greatest honors any company can have," Carnival Corporation chief executive Arnold Donald said.

The voyage is the first of what Carnival says will become weeklong cruises to Cuba twice a month, with the goal of promoting cultural exchange between the two countries following a warming of ties that began in December 2014 and culminated last year with the restoration of full diplomatic ties.

"Fathom offers a truly historic opportunity for travel to Cuba: a chance to help build new bridges to a rich and vibrant culture that, until now, most US travelers have only seen in photographs," the cruise ship's web page says.

Uncertainty over whether the cruise would take place cleared up only last week, when the Cuban government under Raul Castro lifted restrictions for seaborne visits of Cubans to and from the United States, opening a door for Cuban-Americans born on the island to board the ships.

Carnival initially refused to accept reservations from such people because of Cuban restrictions first imposed when the island's Communist regime feared landings by anti-Castro militants.

The cruise line's policy prompted charges of discrimination amid a firestorm of criticism.

Carnival, the world's leading tour ship operator, eventually relented and began to allow reservations from Cuban-born customers. But its conditions to start the visits were for Cuba to allow its citizens to sail freely.

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Cuba ultimately backed down after intense negotiations as part of the normalization process, which culminated in President Barack Obama's visit to Cuba in March.

- 'Always wanted to visit' -

Lifting the restrictions only very recently limited the number of Cuban-born passengers on the cruise ship Sunday.

Among them was Isabel Buznego, 61, who left the island when she was five and was returning for the first time.

"My dad wanted to come because he had never been able to come, but he passed away," she said. "So I'm coming in his name. That is why I have so many different emotions, but I am mostly happy."

Another passenger, Regina Patterson, 58, from Delaware, said she wanted to travel on the cruise because it was historic.

"And it is a place I always wanted to visit," she said of Cuba. "I want to see how they live, the music, what they eat, and shopping, shopping, shopping!"

Adonia has scheduled cultural activities in its ports of call in Havana, Cienfuegos and Santiago de Cuba, including meetings with artists, musicians and business owners, as well as dance classes and guided tours.

That is significant because full-scale regular US tourism to Cuba is still banned under the US trade embargo, which remains in force despite the diplomatic thaw.

For the time being, Americans can travel to communist Cuba only for cultural, academic, sports-related or religious events.

Carnival is the first cruise line company to win permission from both governments to offer trips, which ended after the Cuban revolution of 1959.

The cost of a ticket on the cruise ranges from $1,800 to $7,000 per person.

Regular flights from the United States to Cuba are expected to begin later this year.
Dubai (AFP) - Five years after the killing of Al-Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden, the network he founded is far from dead even if it has suffered a series of setbacks.

Replaced as the preeminent global jihadist power by the Islamic State group, Al-Qaeda nonetheless remains a potent force and dangerous threat, experts say.

With last year's Charlie Hebdo massacre in Paris and a wave of shootings in West Africa, Al-Qaeda has shown it can still carry out its trademark spectacular attacks.

And in Syria and Yemen its militants have seized on chaos to take control of significant territory, even presenting themselves as an alternative to the brutality of IS rule.

By the time US special forces killed bin Laden in Pakistan on May 2, 2011, the group he founded in the late 1980s had been badly damaged, with many of its militants and leaders killed or captured in the US "War on Terror".

Dissention grew in the jihadist ranks as new Qaeda chief Ayman al-Zawahiri struggled in bin Laden's place, until one of its branches, originally Al-Qaeda in Iraq, broke away to form the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL).

After seizing large parts of Iraq and Syria in 2014, the group declared an Islamic "caliphate" in areas under its control, calling itself simply the Islamic State.

IS has since eclipsed its former partner, drawing thousands of jihadists to its cause and claiming responsibility for attacks that have left hundreds dead in Brussels, Paris, Tunisia, Turkey, Lebanon, Yemen, Saudi Arabia and on a Russian airliner over Egypt.

- 'Media war machine' -

Its self-declared "emir" Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi has won pledges of allegiance from extremist groups across the Middle East and beyond, with especially powerful IS affiliates operating in Egypt's Sinai Peninsula and in Libya.

Jean-Pierre Filiu, a Paris-based expert on Islam and jihadist groups, said IS has been especially effective at using new technology to surpass its less tech-savvy rival.

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"Al-Qaeda propaganda has become invisible on social networks thanks to the media war machine that Daesh has managed to successfully create," Filiu said, using an Arabic acronym for IS.

"Al-Qaeda has lost everywhere to Daesh, except in the Sahel" desert region of northern Africa, he said.

William McCants, of the Brookings Institution in Washington, agreed that Al-Qaeda had lost some ground to IS, but said the organisation has recovered.

"Al-Qaeda has a strong showing in Syria and in Yemen," he said.

In Syria the group's local affiliate, Al-Nusra Front, is one of the strongest forces fighting President Bashar al-Assad's regime, holding large parts of the northern province of Idlib.

The local branch in Yemen, Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), has meanwhile seized significant territory in the south and southeast as the government struggles against Iran-backed Shiite insurgents who have taken the capital Sanaa and other areas.

AQAP suffered a setback last week when Yemeni troops recaptured the key port city of Mukalla it occupied for more than a year.

- Attacks in Paris, west Africa -

But AQAP remains the key jihadist force in Yemen with thousands of members compared with only several hundred affiliated with IS, McCants said.

AQAP, considered by Washington to be Al-Qaeda's most well-established and dangerous branch, has also claimed responsibility for one of the group's most important attacks abroad in recent years.

In January 2015 gunmen stormed the Paris offices of satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo with assault rifles and other weapons, killing 12 people in an attack claimed by AQAP.

Another branch, Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM), has carried out assaults on hotels and restaurants in Mali, Burkina Faso and Ivory Coast since November that have left dozens dead, including many foreigners.

The attacks in west Africa "have reasserted the regional presence of AQIM and shown its expanding reach," New York-based intelligence consultancy The Soufan Group said in March.

"AQIM has used the attacks to challenge the influence of the Islamic State, to demonstrate and build its local support and to show that it is united after earlier damaging divisions," it said.

The International Crisis Group also argues that although IS has reshaped the jihadist landscape, Al-Qaeda "has evolved" and its branches in North Africa, Somalia, Syria and Yemen "remain potent, some stronger than ever".

"Some have grafted themselves onto local insurrections, displaying a degree of pragmatism, caution about killing Muslims and sensitivity to local norms," said the Brussels-based think-tank.

Al-Qaeda chiefs in Yemen and elsewhere have condemned IS for some of its actions, including bombings of Shiite mosques.

- 'Jihad will last decades' -

The United States clearly still sees Al-Qaeda as a key threat, pursuing a vigorous drone war against the group in Yemen.

The strikes have killed many senior operatives, including Al-Qaeda's second-in-command Nasir al-Wuhayshi in June 2015. In March a US strike on an AQAP training camp in Yemen killed at least 71 recruits.

Writing for French news website Atlantico in early April, former intelligence officer Alain Rodier said that while IS may have stolen the spotlight, Al-Qaeda may be in a better long-term position.

By rushing to declare its caliphate and establish its rule, IS has made itself an easier target, with thousands of its supporters killed in air strikes launched by a US-led coalition and by Russia.

Its harsh rule has also alienated potential supporters, while groups like Al-Nusra have instead sought to work with local forces in areas under their control.

"The death of Al-Qaeda's founding father in no way meant the end of his progeny," Rodier wrote. "This jihad will last for decades."
Washington (AFP) - Ahead of the five-year anniversary of the killing of Osama bin Laden, CIA chief John Brennan said Sunday that taking out the head of the Islamic State group would have a "great impact."

US special forces killed Al-Qaeda founder bin Laden in Pakistan on May 2, 2011.

As his agency live-tweeted the events as they unfolded five years ago, the CIA director warned that Al-Qaeda remained a threat and that IS was not just an organization but a phenomenon.

"We have destroyed a large part of Al-Qaeda. It's not completely eliminated. So we have to stay focused on what it can do," Brennan told NBC's "Meet the Press" talk show.

"Now, with the new phenomenon of (IS), this is going to challenge us for years to come," he added.

Asked if removing IS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi from action was as important as the Bin Laden get, Brennan, who does not often do interviews, was direct.

"He is important, and we will destroy ISIL; I have no doubt in my mind. We have to remove the leadership that directs the organization to carry out these horrific attacks," he said, using an alternate acronym for the IS group.

"If we got Baghdadi, I think it would have a great impact on the organization. And it will be felt by them," he added.

"But this is a large, not just organization, it's a phenomenon. We see it not just in Syria in Iraq, we see it in Libya, Nigeria, and other countries. We're going to have remain very focused on destroying all elements of the organization."

Using the hashtag #UBLRaid, the CIA live-tweeted the raid on bin Laden as if it were happening Sunday, tweeting updates that included the famous picture of President Barack Obama and other high-ranking US officials watching matters unfold from the Situation Room.

"3:39 pm EDT - Usama Bin Ladin found on third floor and killed #UBLRaid," read one tweet.
BANGKOK (Reuters) - Japan's foreign minister arrived in Bangkok on Sunday aiming to reaffirm economic ties after Japanese investments in Thailand slumped last year amid political concerns as well as stiff competition emerging from more nimble neighbors. Japan has historically been the largest investor in Thailand, Southeast Asia's second biggest economy, which it sees as an important production base. However, Japanese investments in Thailand nosedived by 81 percent last year, according to official data, something analysts say mirrors concern about Thailand's economy which continues to struggle under prolonged military rule. Increased competition from the region's newer economies, such as Vietnam and Myanmar, is posing another threat to foreign investment in Thailand. Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida told a news conference after meeting his Thai counterpart at the beginning of a two-day visit that Thailand remained an important stakeholder. "Thailand is a stakeholder that Japan cannot be without as many big and medium-sized Japanese firms from over 4,500 companies are based here," Kishida told reporters. Japan still came top in foreign direct investment (FDI) in Thailand last year, with total investments approved valued at more than 144 billion baht ($4.13 billion). A senior Japanese diplomat, who wanted to remain anonymous, said Thailand's military government was keen to allay Japanese fears on potential political obstacles to investment. Thailand has been ruled by a junta since the military took power in a May 2014 coup. The junta has promised a swift return to democracy but has pushed back a general election now expected to place in mid-2017. The military government, led by General Prayuth Chan-ocha, has struggled to revive Thailand's export-dependent economy. The country has seen a fresh wave of small, anti-junta protests over the past two weeks ahead of an Aug.7 referendum on a draft constitution that critics say will enshrine military power. Kishida's visit to Bangkok kicks off his tour of the region including Myanmar, Laos and Vietnam. It follows his visit to Beijing where China and Japan both expressed willingness to improve strained relations over conflicting territorial claims in the East China Sea. ($1 = 34.8900 baht) (Reporting by Amy Sawitta Lefevre; Additional reporting by Juarawee Kittisilpa; Editing by Clelia Oziel)
Paris (AFP) - France will reject the ambitious TTIP transatlantic trade pact if it endangers the future of French agriculture, President Francois Hollande warned Sunday.

"We in France have to defend a certain number of principles" and be "extremely vigilant as it is the future of agriculture which could be at stake," Hollande's office said.

French politicians have queued up in recent days to express reservations about the proposed Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) pact, while public support for the pact has also noticeably been sagging in neighbouring EU powerhouse Germany.

Hollande said France was watching the TTIP proposals take shape "but will say no to any conclusion which would put our agriculture in difficulty."

He added that France wanted to see trade based on principles "including environmental ones," while stressing the importance of certain products retaining protected designation of origin status, such as cheeses and champagne.

Hundreds of products across the European Union enjoy such status within an EU legal framework.

Hollande weighed into the debate after French Prime Minister Manuel Valls warned Tuesday that any deal "will not succeed if it does not guarantee that the (quality) standards we have in France for our citizens' health and environment will be maintained."

France's minister of state for foreign trade Matthias Fekl is also hawkish on the outcome.

Asked if a deal may be reached before the end of US President Barack Obama's term in January, Fekl, French envoy to the TTIP talks, said last week: "No, I don't think so. The likelihood, or risk, of reaching any accord is fading."

Also last week, French Finance Minister Emmanuel Macron said "there is no urgency" to sign a deal which France has to be sure is "complete, ambitious and which does not disown any of our interests."

TTIP aims to topple regulatory and tariff barriers to trade and investment between the United States and Europe, open up the EU services sector and better European access to US government procurement projects.

Negotiators said last week they had made significant progress in New York targeting a deal by the end of the year.

But they warned that significant sticking points remain, noting that while 97 percent of tariff issues had been covered, three percent -- the most challenging, including for farm products, remained and could be some of the last things to deal with.
By Ingrid Melander and Gerard Bon PARIS (Reuters) - French far-right veteran Jean-Marie Le Pen on Sunday said his daughter Marine was doomed to lose in presidential elections next year, throwing the spotlight on their family feud at the National Front's May 1st celebrations. Marine Le Pen forced her father, the FN's founder, out of the party last year over comments playing down the Nazi Holocaust. The feud burst into the open after she had sought to soften the anti-immigration party's image to help her quest for power. "I say it with gravity and sadness but since there have been no efforts (on her part) for reconciliation, the FN president will lose in the second round and maybe even in the first," Jean-Marie Le Pen told reporters at a Paris ceremony before a statue of Joan of Arc. For the first time, Le Pen father and daughter paid homage separately to the 15th century martyr, who is regularly invoked by the FN as a nationalist symbol, after the 87-year-old gate-crashed a May Day event last year for his daughter, making an unscripted and unwelcome appearance on stage. Jean-Marie Le Pen was party chief until he passed the helm to his daughter in 2011 but they later fell out over political strategy. Unlike her maverick father, Marine is not content with attracting protest votes and targets power. Following a strategy of "de-demonization", she has sought to make the FN a mainstream party and more politically respectable - something her father regards as a mistake. Marine's growing popularity has not suffered from her father's expulsion. But while polls see her topping the first round of the presidential elections in April next year, she is seen losing the run-off to former prime minister Alain Juppe from the center-right Les Republicains party. Socialist President Francois Hollande would not qualify for the run-off, polls show. Though it is improving its scores election after election, the FN is struggling to transform this into victories. The latest upset came in regional elections in December where it won no constituency despite leading in the first round. After being uncharacteristically quiet since the December upset, Marine told a crowd of 2,000 at an indoors rally on Sunday that she wanted to do politics differently. "I want to be away from the Paris political swamp as much as possible," she said, adding that she would focus on debating with voters and using social media. "With you, with your strength, your energy, we will make the impossible possible", she told voters, who applauded cheering "Marine, President". (Writing by Ingrid Melander; Editing by Richard Balmforth)
Youll probably hail an autonomous taxi long before youll have the opportunity to buy your own self-driving car.

Alan Hall, who handles technology, research, and innovation communications for Ford, expects that the first application of the technology will be in automated taxis in certain cities.

The idea would be similar to the way ride-sharing services work now. Youd summon your ride with a smartphone, and it would send a car to your location, then deliver you to your destination. Except, no driver.

That is, provided your destination was within the city. Hall says that early implementations of self-driving cars would work only in a defined area that is mapped, in appropriate weather, in a city environment.

More on Self-Driving Cars

Experts agree that it will be a very long time before autonomous vehicles will have free rein over every road in America. Before that happens, every road, highway, byway, bridge, and obstacle needs to be mapped. And were not just talking the ordinary maps currently in your cars navigation system. According to Googles Chris Urmson, autonomous cars need detailed 3D maps that capture all features of the road, including lane markers and traffic signs.

Weather is also a big concern. Snow covers up the lane lines that cars cameras use to find their way. To counteract that, Ford has been testing cars at Mcity, a 32-acre simulated urban driving environment at the University of Michigan. The cars use high-resolution 3D maps, which provide information about road markings, signs, geography, landmarks, and topography. The goal is that when the Ford cant see the actual road, it will still be able to detect above-ground landmarks to orient itself on the map.

A self-driving cars software has to be ready for even the most bizarre circumstances and be ready to temporarily violate traffic lawssay, if a police officer or traffic worker waves the car into oncoming traffic lanes to avoid an obstacle. Could a car know to stop at a green traffic signal to avoid hitting a person chasing their dog into the street? Imagine the billions of lines of software code needed to accomplish that.

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Editor's Note: This article also appeared in the May 2016 issue of Consumer Reports magazine.





More from Consumer Reports:

8 Ways to Boost Your Home Value

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Get the Best Cell Phone Plan for Your Familyand Save up to $1,000 a Year





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BERLIN (Reuters) - German Economy Minister Sigmar Gabriel has fallen ill and therefore canceled a trip to Iran where he was expected to co-chair an economic conference with his Iranian counterpart, a German government official said on Sunday. German industry has been hoping for a surge in exports to Iran after international sanctions were lifted in January in return for the Islamic Republic complying with a deal to curb its nuclear program. The government official did not give further details on Gabriel's illness. No new date for a visit had been fixed, the official said. The minister had planned to co-chair an economic conference with Iranian counterpart Ali Tayyebnia in Tehran on Tuesday, and German companies had seen the event as a potential catalyst for increasing exports to Iran to as much 5 billion euros per year, double their current worth. But the head of the German banking association on Friday dampened such expectations, saying it would take some time to restore banks' financial ties with Iran due to old debt still owed to Berlin and general transparency concerns. Iran owes Germany about 500 million euros ($569 million) under so-called Hermes covers, a German government arrangement that protects German companies if foreign debtors fail to pay. (Reporting by Gernot Heller; Writing by Michael Nienaber; Editing by Raissa Kasolowsky)
Dubai (AFP) - Al-Qaeda franchises have emerged on several continents since Osama bin Laden founded the Sunni jihadist network in 1988.

Although the rival Islamic State group (IS) is considered the main extremist threat at present, groups affiliated with Al-Qaeda -- whose name means The Base in Arabic -- have held their ground.

Here is a recap of Al-Qaeda's branches:

- Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) -

Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula was formed in January 2009 through a merger of the Yemeni and Saudi branches of Al-Qaeda, and is seen by Washington as the most active branch of the jihadist network, mainly in Yemen.

The group has exploited conflict between the Yemeni government and Shiite rebels who overran the capital Sanaa in September 2014, expanding its control in the country's south.

AQAP in June 2015 said it had appointed Qassem al-Rimi as its leader after his predecessor Nasser al-Wuhayshi was killed in a US drone strike.

Both Rimi and Wuhayshi had tunnelled their way out of a Sanaa prison in 2006 along with 21 others.

AQAP claimed the January 2015 attack against satirical French weekly Charlie Hebdo in Paris, in which 12 were killed, and a botched attack on a US airliner flying to Detroit on Christmas Day in 2009.

Before forming AQAP, Al-Qaeda in Yemen claimed the October 2000 attack on the destroyer USS Cole in Aden that killed 17 US military personnel.

- Syria's Al-Nusra Front -

The Al-Nusra Front first emerged in January 2012, 10 months after the start of anti-government protests in Syria that were brutally repressed by President Bashar al-Assad's regime.

It was an offshoot of the Islamic State in Iraq (ISI), then an Al-Qaeda affiliate.

Al-Nusra, led by Abu Mohammad al-Jolani, is estimated to have between 7,000 and 8,000 combatants, according to specialist Thomas Pierret.

In April 2013, Al-Nusra refused to join IS and pledged allegiance to Al-Qaeda chief Ayman al-Zawahiri, who later proclaimed Al-Nusra the only branch of Al-Qaeda in Syria.

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After that announcement, IS pushed Al-Nusra out of its stronghold in the eastern oil-rich province of Deir Ezzor.

- Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) -

AQIM was founded in 2007 when the Algerian Islamist Salafist Group for Preaching and Combat pledged allegiance to Bin Laden.

AQIM, which has drawn combatants from all over the Sahara region, set up bases in northern Mali, established drug trafficking networks and kidnapped westerners for ransoms. Some of its hostages were killed.

AQIM withdrew to southern Libya following a January 2013 Franco-African military intervention in Mali.

It is still active in the Maghreb and the Sahel regions where it has committed numerous attacks, notably in Algeria, Burkina Faso, Ivory Coast and Mali.

- Al-Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS) -

In September 2014, Al-Qaeda announced the launch of a South Asian branch, Al-Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS), covering its home turf in Afghanistan and Pakistan along with India, Bangladesh and Myanmar.

Its strength is estimated at 500 to 600 jihadists, but it is linked to groups with thousands more combatants, such as the Afghani and Pakistani Taliban, according to analyst Amir Rana.

In 2015-16, AQIS claimed several murders in Bangladesh of publishers and bloggers who were critical of Islam.

- Somalia's Shebab -

Stemming from Somalia's Islamic Courts, the Shebab group led an armed insurgency that has plunged Somalia into chaos since 1991, declaring their allegiance to Al-Qaeda in 2010.

The group was chased out of the Somali capital Mogadishu in 2011, but remains a threat in both Somalia and neighbouring Kenya where it carries out regular attacks.
Brussels (AFP) - A massive US-EU trade deal would harm the environment and consumer safety, Greenpeace said Monday citing secret documents it leaked, as Brussels dismissed the release as a "storm in a teacup".

The campaign group published 248 pages online to "shine a light" on the closed-door talks to forge a so-called Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP), which would be the world's largest ever bilateral trade pact.

Greenpeace said the deal would place corporate interests above the environment and consumer safety, and inflict a dangerous lack of standards on US and European consumers.

"This treaty is threatening to have far reaching implications for the environment and the lives of more than 800 million citizens in the EU and US," said Greenpeace as it presented the documents in Berlin.

Washington and Brussels have been negotiating the mega-deal since 2013 and want it completed this year before US President Barack Obama leaves office, but it has faced mounting opposition on both sides of the Atlantic.

The European Commission, which negotiates trade deals on behalf of the 28 EU member states, said Greenpeace was "flatly wrong" in its interpretation of the documents.

"I am simply not in the business of lowering standards," said Trade Commissioner Cecilia Malmstroem in a blog.

"Many of today's alarmist headlines are a storm in a teacup," she said, adding that the papers "reflect each side's negotiating position, nothing else."

In Washington, the US Trade Representative said: "The interpretations being given to these texts appear to be misleading at best and flat out wrong at worst."

- 'Dark forebodings' -

In Europe there is deep suspicion that TTIP will erode ecological and health regulations to the advantage of big business with officials in France and Germany also increasingly voicing doubts about the deal.

Greenpeace said the papers show, for example, that the US wants to be able to scrap existing EU rules in areas such as food labelling or approval of dangerous chemicals if it they spell barriers to free trade.

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"TTIP is about a huge transfer of power from people to big business," the group said.

The leak, a snapshot from ongoing talks, represents two-thirds of the TTIP draft text as of the latest round of talks in April, and covers a range of sectors from telecoms to autos to agriculture.

Germany's Sueddeutsche Zeitung daily said the documents "show that the opponents' fears are not unfounded ... They show that the reality of the negotiations is worse than these dark forebodings."

One of the many controversial demands is a refusal by the US to stop production of 17 American wines that use names protected in Europe, including Sherry, Chianti and Champagne.

Another controversial TTIP proposal is the goal to set up private investor courts that would allow multinational companies to sue governments if they deem public policy to hinder the terms of the deal.

- 21st century deal -

TTIP is billed as a free-trade deal for the 21st century, focused on harmonising regulations, lowering barriers on investment, opening access to government contracts and addressing new areas like data trade.

Last week, Obama and German Chancellor Angela Merkel made a joint pitch for TTIP, saying it would spur much-needed economic growth.

Following the latest negotiations last month, US and EU said they had made progress but "substantial work" remained to agree a deal in 2016.

They said that while 97 percent of tariff issues had been covered, three percent -- the most challenging, including for farm products -- remained.

French newspaper Le Monde, which also had access to the leaked documents early, said they showed that "the Europeans (are) more involved and more interested in negotiations" than the Americans, whose stance it described as "reluctant".

But the EU's chief negotiator Ignacio Garcia Bercero said he found it "difficult to understand" how anyone "came to the conclusion that the differences are irreconcilable based on the documents."

Greenpeace meanwhile decried the lack of mention at all in the proposed text of global goals to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

"These leaked documents confirm what we have been saying for a long time," said Greenpeace EU director Jorgo Riss. "TTIP would put corporations at the centre of policy-making, to the detriment of environment and public health."
Baku, Azerbaijan, May 1

Trend:

President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev and his wife Mehriban Aliyeva have visited Tartar, Barda and Aghdam districts, which are located on the line of contact between the Armenian and Azerbaijani armed forces.

The head of state first visited a military unit in Tartar district. Minister of Defense Zakir Hasanov informed Supreme Commander-in-Chief Ilham Aliyev about the current situation on the front line.

President Ilham Aliyev visited the headquarters, canteen and barracks of the military unit.

The Supreme Commander-in-Chief met with servicemen, and gave gifts to those who displayed valour while repulsing Armenian armed forces` provocation on the line of contact.

Then President Ilham Aliyev and Mehriban Aliyeva visited the city of Tartar, Gapanli village, located 200 meters from the line of contact, as well as Mahrizli village in Aghdam region, which were damaged at a result of Armenian army`s shelling from large-caliber weapons and artillery on the night of April 27 to 28.

The Supreme Commander-in-Chief viewed the destroyed houses, and talked to local residents. The head of state gave instructions to restore the houses as soon as possible.

Later President Ilham Aliyev and his wife Mehriban Aliyeva visited Barda Treatment and Diagnostics Center to see civilians, who were wounded as a result of Armenian armed forces` shelling.
by Justine Marjan

Ken Paves is one of the most influential hairstylists of the 21st century, styling some of the biggest music performers in their prime. Yes thats right, he was on tour with Jessica Simpson, styling J.Lo, working with the Beckhams, creating a namesake salon, and building a line of haircare all at the same time. While we are huge fans of his, we are equally huge fans of Larry Sims, who in Kens image, styles some of the biggest pop and R&B sensations, including Mary J. Blige and Zendaya. But we didnt know when we set the two up for this feature that Larry was a dancer prior to his career as a hairstylist and that he actually assisted Ken. Having met on set for a Jessica Simpson dance rehearsal, Ken quickly took Larry under his wing and moulded him into the hairstylist he is today. To learn just what song Larry was dancing to when they met and what haircut they both made iconic, just keep reading!

KEN: Larry!! Whats goin on? Whats happening man?!

LARRY: This is so cool! Im so glad you were able to do this!

KEN: Oh my god, are you kidding me?! I was so excited when I heard, I was like Larry?! of course! Larry inspires me.

LARRY: Aww you inspire me!

KEN: I think the coolest thing about these hair talks is that Im so inspired by other artists, thats one of the things I love about hanging out with you and getting to see your work. Its really cool to see people who come together who know each other and people who dont know each other getting together and talking about what drives you.

LARRY: I love it!

KEN: You and I have talked so much about work, being artists, going to the next level, and pursuing your dreams. I really do think you are such an amazing example of an artist whose found a way to transition that vision and artistry as a hairdresser. The funny thing is Im here in New York for Fashion Week with Victoria Beckham. Victoria and David were both clients of yours for quite a while and you left such a great imprint on both of them. I think thats one of the things thats trademark Larry Sims is that youve got this infectious personality and its an honor to the craft.

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LARRY: Thank you!

KEN: You know that! Anyone thats ever worked with you has always been left with this amazing feeling and great respect for you. I think thats one of the biggest things you need in this industry for longevity, and Ive been doing this for 22 years. I think leaving an imprint on people and always doing your best is really important. You and I met oddly enough because you, at the time, were a back-up dancer, with some really killer moves. You were dancing to a country song in cowboy boots with Jessica Simpson for These Boots Were Made For Walkin. With a little heel toe and a spin-around. I think you had on a flannel shirt and a tank top. A mutual friend introduced us and said hes an amazing dancer, but hes also an amazing hairdresser. Im just curious, as an artist, how everything youve done in the past, where youve travelled, where youve come from, etc. I want to know how your history lends itself to your artistry.

LARRY: That is a great question. Absolutely. Its been an incredible journey for you also. Id assume its one of those things youre born into. You cant be taught to dance and you cant be taught to have the talent you have that inspires me and so many others. And Ive always admired everything thats beautiful and being able to exercise my god-given talent. You know I didnt go to college, instead I went South Africa to dance for Gillette!

KEN: That is college! The world is the best university!

LARRY: Exactly! So Ive always just had to rely on the things I was naturally okay at doing. I guess the validation came from people saying, Yeah, youre good at that and we want you around. Thats whats always driven me to pursue the things that I have. Being in the industry, Ive been really lucky to be able to be a dancer and work on sets and have glam friends and see what that world looks like. I thought at one point, okay I dont want to look up and be 40, auditioning for Britney Spears, I gotta kick this hair thing into high gear.

KEN: And what moment was that? When did you have that revelation?

LARRY: I was about 27, and I remember thinking to myself. and it was weird because everyone I danced for from Missy Elliot to TLC, I became their hairdresser on the side.

KEN: Yeah like, I wouldnt mind getting a paycheck for this too!

LARRY: Exactly! There was no pay involved. But you and I have talked about this. If you never got paid to do this, youd still do it because its what you love.

KEN: Its the passion.

LARRY: Yeah, its the passion! Thats one thing that Ive admired about you. Especially when you gave me the opportunity to just be around you. I was such a sponge. People always say, be around the best, and I was lucky to have the opportunity to learn from one of the best. Im completely honored and completely lucky in that respect. I remember you once said, Ive never done this for the money. Your money and your success and accolades have come because youre passionate and amazingly talented at what you do. Thats something that Ive always carried with me. People miss out on beautiful opportunities and experiences because they think about money first. Thats something Ive always carried with me that you taught me, so thank you for that.

KEN: Of course, and it is true. I think Im pretty decent at what I do and Ive done this for a minute, 22 years, but I also say that I dont think Im the best business person because Ive never asked how much I was making. I was never that person that said, well whats the day rate or what am I getting? It was never that. I did it because of the passion, because of the client, because of the job, and I just absolutely love it. Thats how you gotta do this. I think its cool that at 27 years old, you made this huge change too and you were driven by something else, the desire to do this. What other career path can you change? At 27 years old a lot of people have already put so much school behind them and they gotta keep moving forward in what theyre doing, but you were able to make this incredible change and follow your heart. I completely admire that. So I thank you for what you said to me, but you also inspired the shit out of me.

Im glad that weve remained friends through all of this and its cool to see you work. The thing that everyone always asks is whats your look? or whats your style? and one of the things that I always admired about you, and I hope that my work embodies as well, is that a lot of people think of me as big sexy hair, Ive heard that eight MILLION times (and eight million times too many), but traveling and seeing things, I love the fact that your work is all over the place in the best way. Youre not in a box, you dont do just one look and I think that your history lends itself to your artistry. You take every situation and you evaluate it and you create a look based on that situation, based on who that client is, based on where shes going, how shes feeling, based on what the mood or the fashion is. I think thats a really cool thing to be able to do.

LARRY: Thank you so much. Ive been lucky enough to be able to work with so many different facets of women. The things that I would throw on Lupita Nyongo I obviously cant throw on Mary J. Blige, you know what I mean? I t feels good to have that versatility in terms of clientele that allow me to basically play. Its like a kid playing in a playground. I remember working with you and you showed up with a ton of hair.

KEN: A Uhaul in the back of my car full of hair! Yeah I remember.

LARRY: A Uhaul! Thats another thing I learned from you is to always be prepared for anything. The arsenal that you carry around in your kit is so unbelievable. I remember just being with you and brushing out tons and tons and tons of hair. I remember you brought me to work with you and J.Loand that was the day I lost your kit.

KEN: I wasnt gonna touch base on the day the Uhaul got lost!!!

LARRY: You had an arsenal you pulled out of your left sleeve!

KEN: We picked up hair off the floor, some gum we were chewing, and put it all together and made it work!

LARRY: Exactly! And thats another thing Ive always taken from you: be prepared and show up for whatever is thrown your way. There is nothing that you cant pull off in the Ken Paves Kit.

KEN: I do remember that day, looking back at each other like oh shit, wheres the kit? But the great thing about it too is that nobody knew, and thats the other thing I think is important. Were in such an intimate space with these incredible people and incredible artists who are affected by our energy. I think its really important to never allow whatevers going on with you to influence the person that youre working with. Our job in the service industry is to serve them, and provide the best service possible; which also means the best energy and environment. So the great this is I was looking at you like oh shit, but nobody knew what was going on.

LARRY: Nobody knew what was going on, cut to I was shaking in pants like, I cannot believe that this happened to me. And you were so gracious and so sweet, so professional, and so amazing. Thats the thing I have to say about you Ken, what you embody. You are the nicest, most humble, genuine, and generous person of the people that Ive known in this business.

KEN: Thank you!

LARRY: Its so true! Your generosity catapulted my career. Everybody across the board has said this about you. Ken, everybody loves you, your energy is infectious, and you make everyone feel special. I remember when you were taking me to the Oprah makeovers, and one thing I always remembered about those experiences is how you made people feel. You would run through Oprahs staff, and you would do their hair. They werent even getting makeovers, but we would makeover the staff! Insane! I remember just watching you tirelessly work without hardly getting any sleep (because our call times were so early). You would stay and prep everything, and the staff of women would come through your chair and just want to be touched by you. You would make everybody feel amazing and I think that is so beautiful.

KEN: I know youve said this too, but Im so grateful for this. I went to school originally to teach deaf children and tried to figure out all the things I wanted to do and was too scared to tell my dad I wanted to be a hairdresser. I really wanted to do this and when I finally got into it, I was embraced by a community, but also embraced by the people that I work with. Giving them something, they gave me something back, which was self-worth and value in myself, and for that I am always forever grateful. Those were some crazy days, those 18 hours at the Oprah studios, and itd be 1am and Id be like oh great! lets bring 7 producers down and lets all start doing some haircuts!

LARRY: You made everyone feel amazing.

KEN: It is funny when you said Jennifer [Lopez], because I thought of the whole Victoria [Beckham] thing. When Victoria first came to the U.S., I was in Rome at Tom and Katies wedding. I was doing Jennifers hair, and Victoria said I want the guy that I met that had all the hair, which was hysterical! But, you and I had been working together, and I thought that you were such an amazing fit for the both of them, for David and Victoria. It was really cool for me while I was still working with them to see you work with the two of them and do so many incredible things. What are some of your favorite looks that youve done with David and Victoria?

LARRY: First of all, you sending me was one of those nervous, pep talk Larry, you can do it, you can do it moments. They were really the first people of that magnitude that I had ever touched outside of working with you, or blowing out Eva Longoria, or helping you out with Jessica [Simpson]. But to go on my own, where you believed in me more than I believed in myself, you trusted me. Most people in our profession arent generous in that way. They wouldnt send someone on their behalf for a job or a client of that magnitude. People think, I want to keep it for me. It becomes an almost selfish, insecure kind of a thing.

KEN: That whole thats my client thing is kind of one of the worse parts of our industry because at the end of the day, its about the client. We have to be selfless and ego-less enough to want whats best for him or her. At that moment with David and Victoria, we had been working together for awhile, and you had come out to do cool stuff with me. When they needed somebody full time, I did think about you, and I knew that you could absolutely do it. The funny part is I do remember when someone asked, can you send over his book? and at the time we were just working together so we didnt have anything set up. I just answered, he doesnt need a book, this is Larry Sims! And theyre like oh okay, send him around. Pan to a couple months later and youre doing Armani and traveling around the world on a tour!!! Go get it Larry!

LARRY: But you helped me prepare for that. And that whole era of the Victoria Beckham bob became the bane of my existence. That was the pivotal moment in my career, where people paid attention, people wanted to know who Larry Sims was because of the bob that really took on a life of its own. The David Armani underwear campaigns also became this huge massive thing for me and from there, people just started calling. But it wouldnt have happened if it werent for you and your generosity.

KEN: You know the takeaway from that moment is that there are times when other people believe in us more than we believe in ourselves. Oribe was a huge influence in my career and there were amazing people who believed in me and pushed me more than I was pushing myself. But the reality check in that kind of thing is that you can give people opportunities, and I think thats so important.

I remember running into you at the Met Ball, you worked with David and Victoria and I remember checking it out and being like so howd you do that? Wait a minute

LARRY: That twisted updo, out of that bob!

KEN: When I knew how short her hair was I was like, okay, so Larrys done with the bob. He is officially done with the bob, the bob has left the building kids!

LARRY: The bob has left the building! The thing with David and Victoria is theyre such style icons. Theyre so chic and shes very directional, which I love. When she trusts you, she trusts you, and thats a beautiful thing.

KEN: My favorite quote from her I always say, we were filming one of the videos for Vogue or something and somebody said, oh you have a flyaway and she says flyaways are modern, and I was like OH YES, I LOVE THAT. Anytime a camera person ever says to me, oh theres a flyaway, I look back and tell them flyaways are modern in my English accent. It was better executed when she said it, but nonetheless I will use that quote for all eternity.

LARRY: I want to talk about the whole Jessica Simpson Bardot, thing you brought back. You brought that to life. That was like an iconic era that became a staple, like a Ken Paves staple. You had raised the bar so high that it was a thing and a technique that people would pay tickets to sit in a class to learn from you, seriously. I was able to learn firsthand from you, no, no, no, leave that fringe there, we want that fringe, and no, no, no, dont curl it too tight, dont curl it too perfect, leave those ends straight.

KEN: Lived in!

LARRY: Lived in baby, yes! Those things from what you did, it has completely evolved. When you look at hair from back then to now, its more of that good stuff. The flyaways, the textures, the texture sprays that gives it all of that magic, I love that. Lupita was definitely another aha moment in my career with the evolution of what we had been able to create with her, from the first golden globes in that red dress..

KEN: Come on! Like seriously, that was so incredible. I remember I wrote to you and said you shut the whole thing down. Everybody else, go home. Its great to see when people work with natural texture and shorter lengths of hair to show all the different variations that you can do, because theres not enough out there of people showing different options and ways to wear shorter hair and textured hair, and its really just cool to see you do that. Where are you going now with Lupitas hair?

LARRY: So we have grown it out, she was done with the shaved side. Shes also collaborative and directional. We send each other references all the time. We decided to grow her hair out, but were still looking for inspiration. Im always looking on Pinterest and whats going on overseas, and at your work. Coming up with really cool inventive things that read modern and read fashion. Were playing with natural hair extensions, which a lot of people arent using inventively or coming up with cool styles and shapes to pull it off. Weve been playing with a lot of extension pieces and Ive gotten into making specific pieces for her, which I had never done before. I had never picked up a wig cap and, you know, made pieces, but were gonna run with it so its been really cool to have a client like her thats daring and is like yeah lets go there.

KEN: And she wears fashion so well, hair is such an amazing accessory and it literally completes the look. I hope you give her some mahogany hair at some point. The mahogany moments, theres so many,

LARRY: Yes! Absolutely, I think that would be fabulous. You would be great working with her also, just so she can experience what that feels like. That Ken Paves touch. I think that would be amazing.

KEN: You know Ive worked with so many different people, and I dont often get starstruck but I flew next to her on a flight and I was so excited that I didnt say one word. Just sat next to her and smiled awkwardly and weird. Shed probably be like, oh theres that weird guy from the plane, he kept looking at me weird. I didnt even get up the courage to say Hi, I know Larry, I love your hair. I didnt even say anything, just smiled at her awkwardly all the way from New York to LA.

LARRY: She would love you Ken, she would love you. She also uses Ted Gibson, who is amazing.

KEN: I love Ted.

LARRY: Yeah, I love Ted too. She just has a great group of people around her. Next time you see her, you HAVE to say something! Im gonna tell her we had this conversation. So what inspires you?

KEN: What inspires me, you know me, my thing has always really been even the luxury of all those times we did hair and makeup on the Oprah show. My thing has always been wanting to celebrate women; and celebrating them as themselves, not trying to change them. So Im always inspired by women everywhere. I was travelling to Italy and China and Id go out on the street just to meet people and absorb the culture. Its important in this industry that we stop homogenizing everything, Its about changing that and breaking all those rules and creating your own beauty. So for me, what inspires me now are women everywhere. I embarrass myself with women all the time. Ill go up to them and ask if I can take a picture of the back of their hair. I want to learn from the women who are doing amazing things with their own hair. Art always inspires me. Mahogany is my favorite film on the planet. I got to meet the legendary Diana Ross once. I did her daughters wedding in Hawaii. I could barely speak, I was so starstruck. Oribe told me to watch the film, Eyes of Laura Mars. Thats an amazing film. I think watching film is important. That was actually one of the really cool things that I loved about Oribe when I first started working. I was still doing all the strippers hair at the strip club, and just trying to make ends meet, honing in on my craft, and Oribe said watch old films. The first one he recommended was Eyes of Laura Mars with Faye Dunaway. The fashion in that film is just ridiculous. If I could recommend any two films, to anybody, it would be Mahogany with Diana Ross and Eyes of Laura Mars with Faye Dunaway. I think art imitates life and life imitates art, but I think you just have to get out there, absorb all the culture that you can. Im also inspired by people like you and a lot of people that work in the salon with me. Theres an amazing guy, Geno Chapman, who won NAHA and is now cutting David Beckhams hair and Gordon Ramsays hair and all the guys hair that I cut because hes a far better mens haircutter than I am, way better

LARRY: Hes so talented!

KEN: I go in and watch him in awe and then I have to leave, because Im embarrassed of my ability, I feel like I have to slowly moonwalk backwards and just check myself outta there, because what hes doing is so crazy and technical. Hes so talented! I like to be inspired by other people and look around and see what everybody else is doing, and in that, giving kudos to what theyre doing because I think we all deserve to be acknowledged for our talent and our gift and just share that, its like a responsibility to share that. I was just reading the Hair Talk between Sally Hershberger who I love and Mark Townsend who I worked with years ago and I was reading their interview and I was like, oh my god, thats so crazy and so cool.

LARRY: Yeah! Okay so let me ask you this because I feel like you can take over the world. You started so many things, how did you get to a place where you wanted to write? You are beautiful, publicly, youve had amazing huge success with HairDo, youve done so many amazing things with your career, what could possibly be next? Youre already a life-changer, a philanthropist, an amazing hair artist, master. Also what has been the highest moment in your career? I would love to know both of those!

KEN: Wow, okay, the high point in my career, theres so many amazing moments. Ive had so many incredible moments with Jessica, and Eva and Jennifer. Theres a Met Ball picture with Jennifer thats just my favorite thing Ive ever done. It was a short, kind of 1920s fuzzy bob with this million dollar Lorraine Schwartz brooch in the hair that I just live for. Then theres her CW or CFDA Awards updo, and that old kind of Breakfast at Tiffanys updo on Jessica. Its funny because theyre all moments where its not that big sexy down hair, its all the moments where the hair is up! Then theres with Eva and Victoria. When I did them before the Elton John Oscar Party, Victoria had this really short cropped hair and I wanted them to look like they were on a date.

LARRY: YES!

KEN: So I gave her a very manly style, very Victor Victoria because she was wearing a long gown and Eva was in a tuxedo, so I gave Eva this really crazy beautiful Bardot updo with curtains in the front. But then theres also moments, standing in front of Oprah Winfrey, who I idolized for so many years before I was even on the show, who I thought gave a voice to people, who dont necessarily always get a voice; even to me, growing up gay in Detroit. I didnt have a voice, but she gave voices to the people who stand in front of her. I raised 2.2 million dollars in 10 days for a childrens charity with the help of all my friends, Victoria, David, you, Eva, everybody. All the human moments, making over women, and making over homeless women to walk down a red carpet in a way that nobody knew that they were homeless. Those are the most defining moments for me, it was something that meant something to somebody else.

Then with HairDo, I gave up to a million dollars a year in free wigs to women around the world in medical need. Id tell them to send me a picture of their best hair day, then I would take a wig and cut it up just like that and send it out to them.

Then theres my products, You Are Beautiful. I created my product line and launched it into Walmart because I wanted it to become a mantra for the majority of women, so that every time they looked at that product, they defied any label or any adjective that someone may have put on them and they looked at that bottle and could say you are beautiful to themselves.

Im so blessed. Ive accomplished so many amazing things. Now I want to take this opportunity and make a difference. Our work can either intimidate and exclude or our work can inspire and include, and I want to be a part of the movement where our work only inspires and includes. My product line was one of the first multitextural lines where I took every hair texture and type into consideration.

So moving forward, philanthropy, Im part of a big new charity called Campowerment. I met the woman from it on Oprah makeover. Ive got a trip coming up to Africa soon, and I want to do more and more things that just make a difference. Whether its in my backyard or anywhere around the world. We have a responsibility with success to give back. We have to recognize that it took people helping us to get to where we are.

Thank you for mentioning it, because my philanthropic heart is what Im most proud of, and touching peoples lives with this career..

LARRY: Yes, exactly. I have to say that your career has been such a blueprint. You gotta have a lot of balls to even try to accomplish a portion of what youve done. You continue to inspire us all, to push, to be great, to think outside of the box, and take our careers to levels that have been unreachable before you. You are a game-changer in this industry and youve set the bar so high. Youre one of the hardest working people that I know. You work tirelessly and you deserve every accolade and every accomplishment that comes to you, because you work your ass off. Its so inspiring to see on so many levels.

KEN: I love love love the work, it doesnt feel like work. I love to be busy and I think all artists, if we dont have enough going on, our minds start going crazy. But Im actually looking at you in the exact same way. I adore so many incredible artists, I love seeing what Orlando Pitas doing and Guido Palau. There are so many artists out there and Im humbled when I hear you say that because I dont feel like that. Im looking out at people like you and Im so blown away. It continues to push me to do and be better. Even with Mane Addicts, I love seeing all the people, the younger generations of everybody coming up and coming together. Etienne Ortega and all these amazing people. Its like this huge community. Its so interesting how our professions have really come to the forefront. Were definitely celebrated for having a talent, and that is such a cool feeling. I remember getting a haircut for 8 dollars, thinking that I wanted to be a hairdresser, and the hairdresser was perming me and my mother and shaving us up on the back and the sides, it was glamorous believe me! Its completely different today.

LARRY: It definitely is! So last question that I have for you is what advice would you give to the younger Ken Paves knowing where you are now? What advice would you give your younger self?

KEN: I wouldve worked for more people. I wouldve assisted more people. I went to Vidal Sassoon straight out of school, I went to Mark Parsons academy, and I assisted this amazing guy outside of Detroit, Kenny Mcdonald at the Q, and then I went to Oribe and Oribe was so kind to me. He saw a couple strippers I was working on and said their hair was genius! Then he went to the strip club with me at night to see what I was really doing. Everything kind of happened very quickly. Mind you, at that time I was having a really difficult time making my rent in Miami and I was doing any job that came along, but I wish that I wouldve taken more time. Luckily jobs came along that were paying when I was an independent hairstylist, but I wish I wouldve assisted more people and taken things a little slower just to see what people were doing. Its what Im doing now, playing catch up. Ill go to the salon, you know I dont work out of the salon taking clients because my schedule doesnt necessarily permit me to take regular clients, but I go in all the time and Ill sit back and just watch what other people are doing. I believe we become a culmination of all the things that influence us, like picking up things from other people and seeing how somebody does it. Even when we worked together, seeing you do one part of the hair while I did another part, then Id step back and say, oh your part actually looks better! Learn from as many people as you can, it will all happen in due time, just dont rush it. Learn and be a student for as long as you can.

LARRY: Well the younger Ken Paves and the older Ken Paves and the now Ken Paves are all brilliant. I just want to thank you for doing this, this was absolutely a joy. Its so cool to have a conversation or an interview with someone that really inspires me and has been so influential in my career. I feel super special to even have my name mentioned in the same article as you. Im really honored and I just want you to know that.

KEN: That means so much to me, you have no idea. The ironic thing about this is this is a conversation you and I have had and do have every time we run into each other. I am so crazy happy for you. I love Instagram so that I can watch and see what other people are doing. We may not get to chat on the phone everyday, but I still get to watch and see the amazing stuff that youre doing. The cool thing is as artists, were always inspired and recognized by each other, so I think this is an amazing platform to reach out to each other with our conversation.

LARRY: It is and now were sharing that conversation with the world.

For more #manespiration, be sure to follow @larryjarahsims and @kenpaves.
N'Djamena (AFP) - With US and European support, African states threatened by Boko Haram are out to smash the militant Islamist group terrorising the region -- but a coordinated response is required if they are to succeed.

A regional offensive launched early last year against the group by Chad, and Nigeria under new President Muhammadu Buhari has seen Boko Haram driven out from numerous towns and villages that it controlled in northeastern Nigeria.

Two weeks ago, Nigeria's military said it would raid the group's Sambisa Forest stronghold on the Cameroon border. The group also has hideouts within nearby Lake Chad's huge maze of small islands and swampland.

Despite losing some ground in recent months the insurgents retain the capacity to launch attacks almost at will, notably via suicide attacks which require few resources.

British NGO Action on Armed Violence said earlier this week that Boko Haram attacks claimed three times as many victims last year as in 2014.

The group started wreaking havoc in Nigeria in 2009 and according to World Bank estimates has killed around 20,000 people, also sowing chaos and fear inside neighbouring Cameroon, Chad and Niger.

US and British troops will join the international coordination effort against the group, while Nigeria and France on Thursday signed an agreement on closer military cooperation, including intelligence sharing.

Nigerian Defence Minister Mansur Dan Ali saluted the deal as evidence of a "growing partnership" between Abuja and Paris.

An 8,500-strong multinational force has been drawn up to track the jihadists, but its deployment has been haphazard with little to indicate the extent of real progress.

Even so, the Nigerian general overseeing the force, Lamadi Adeosun, indicated Friday during a meeting with French Defence Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian that "much has been done and is still being done to win the battle and ultimately win the peace".

The Nigerian army is expected to launch an offensive in the coming days so as "to deny Boko Haram its traditional Sambisa sanctuary", according to Chad military sources in the capital N'Djamena.

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Such an offensive has been in the offing ever since Buhari took office a year ago but has yet to materialise.

- Imminent action -

"The idea is to be able to announce at the next Abuja summit (on May 14) that this sanctuary no longer exists. That is a military and also a political imperative," says a source close to the president.

The summit will bring together leaders of Cameroon, Chad, Niger and Nigeria -- allied neighbours in the fight against Boko Haram -- as well as French President Francois Hollande and representatives from Britain and the United States.

Boko Haram leader Abubakar Shekau appeared in a video late last month and "he still seems to be the leader and is hiding out in the Sambisa Forest," according to a French military source.

The group is thought to number somewhere between 100,000 and 30,000. Its exact strength is hard to evaluate but the French source says that experienced fighters who have returned from Mali or Libya are no more than a small hard core.

The multinational force is preparing its own offensive along the border with Cameroon, Chad and Niger but time is of the essence with the rainy season approaching.

- IS link? -

The multinational force, whose HQ is at N'Djamena although each nation's contingent is under its own command, will have access to intelligence compiled by French and US drones and fighter planes -- but communications, transport and logistics hardware are in short supply.

Coordination is paramount.

"If they are not coordinated they will never be able definitively to curtail Boko Haram," a French military source warned.

General Adeosun says the international community should be doing more -- red tape has held up 50 million euros ($55 million) of EU aid -- and has asked for lifejackets and a consignment of flat-bottomed boats to take the fight to the enemy across the huge expanse of Lake Chad.

There are concerns Boko Haram may have received weapons via Libya from Islamic State through individual go-betweens, though Le Drian says that "for now we do not have proof of close links" between the jihadists.

On Saturday, Le Drian promised to do away with Boko Haram "barbarity" as he visited the Ivorian resort of Grand-Bassam, scene of a deadly March 13 attack blamed on an Al-Qaeda affiliate which killed 19.

"We are determined to fight together with the Ivory Coast authorities for our freedoms and against barbarity," said Le Drian a day after pledging to lift the French troop contingent in the country from 600 to 900.
With the final judging line-up for this years X Factor still very much up in the air, one name not in the ring is Louis Walshs choice, Nicole Scherzinger.

Pace/BEI/Shutterstock

According to reports the ex-Pussycat Doll has turned down Simon Cowells offer to return to the show to replace Cheryl.

Si is said to be keen on getting an X Factor veteran back in the judges chair, instead of relying on new blood like last year.

But Nic already has plans, opting for a role in Cats on Broadway instead. Shes obviously not feline the love.

Jim Smeale/BEI/Shutterstock

A source told the Daily Star: Simon wants to know he is in safe hands this year after last years disaster. He wants everything to run smoothly. In his eyes that means a tried and tested panel rather than going for a big name who could be a risk.

He knows that Sharon, Louis and Nicole all work well. They offer the right balance of star quality, fun and personality.

Matt Baron/BEI/Shutterstock

Simon has really learned from Britains Got Talent that if the panel work well then everything else snowballs from there and thats what he wants to create with this years X Factor again.

Louis and Sharon have already unofficially agreed to return. Could this leave the door open for Rita Ora to make a comeback too?
An Indian teenager accidently shot himself in the head with his father's gun while trying to take a "selfie" photograph, police said Sunday, the latest in a series of such accidents.

The 15-year-old is being treated in hospital at Pathankot in Punjab state and is expected to survive, said the city's deputy police superintendent, Manoj Kumar.

The accident happened on Friday evening when the schoolboy was playing at home with the licensed revolver which is normally kept in a wardrobe, Kumar told AFP.

"The boy's father and family said that he was trying to take a selfie with his gun," he said.

"We will speak to the boy when he is declared medically fit. We think that part of the blame obviously goes to the father for not keeping his loaded gun under lock and key at their home."

A teenager was run over and killed in the southern Indian city of Chennai in February as he tried to take a selfie in front of an oncoming train.

In January police in the western city of Mumbai moved to crack down on dangerous selfies after a man drowned trying to save a girl who fell into the sea while snapping one.

Police identified 16 dangerous selfie spots in Mumbai and asked the local council to erect warning signs and deploy lifeguards.

A man was seriously injured in April by an elephant when he tried to snap a selfie with the chained animal at a festival in Kerala, according to the Hindustan Times on Sunday.
By Stephen Kalin and Ahmed Rasheed BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Protesters camped out in Baghdad's Green Zone for 24 hours left the heavily fortified government district on Sunday after issuing demands for political reform but they pledged to return by the end of the week to keep up the pressure. Iraq has endured months of wrangling prompted by Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi's attempt to replace party-affiliated ministers with technocrats as part of an anti-corruption drive. A divided parliament has failed to approve the proposal amid scuffles and protests. Deep frustration over the deadlock culminated in a dramatic breach on Saturday of the Green Zone by supporters of powerful Shi'ite Muslim cleric Moqtada al-Sadr. Sadr wants to see Abadi's proposed technocrat government approved, ending a quota system blamed for rampant corruption. Powerful parties have resisted, fearing the dismantling of patronage networks that sustain their wealth and influence. Abadi has warned continued turmoil could hamper the war against Islamic State, which controls large swathes of northern and western Iraq. The Green Zone protesters issued an escalating set of demands, including a parliamentary vote on a technocrat government, the resignation of the president, prime minister and parliamentary speaker and new elections. If none of the demands are met, a spokeswoman for the protesters said in a televised speech that they would resort to "all legitimate means" including civil disobedience. Hundreds of protesters peacefully exited the Green Zone moments later. The peaceful defusing of the crisis came after Abadi convened a high-level meeting with Iraq's president, parliament speaker and political bloc leaders who called the breach of the Green Zone "a dangerous infringement of the state's prestige and a blatant constitutional violation that must be prosecuted". They said the high-level meetings would continue in coming days "to ensure radical reforms of the political process". A politician who attended the talks said Abadi had faced accusations of mishandling the crisis. Another said the conflict had become an intra-Shi'ite battle over who will run Iraq. Two suicide car bombs claimed by Islamic State killed at least 32 people and wounded 75 others on Sunday in the center of the southern city of Samawa, police and medics said. GREEN ZONE: "EVEN THE PLANTS ARE DIFFERENT" The Green Zone, a 10-square-kilometre district on the banks of the Tigris River which also houses many foreign embassies, has been off-limits to most Iraqis since the U.S.-led invasion in 2003. In an unprecedented breach on Sunday, hundreds of people pulled down and stormed over concrete blast walls, celebrating inside parliament and attacking several deputies. Many protesters, including some women and children, had spent Sunday in the square, taking refuge inside event halls from 37 degree Celsius heat, while others lay on the grass or cooled off in a large fountain topped with a military statue. A demonstrator named Humam said he was shocked by the contrast between the poverty in which most Iraqis like him live and the comparative luxury inside the central district, which he had never entered before. "There is electricity and street lighting, there is more water here than I expected. Even the plants are different," he said. "It is the people's right to enter this area because (the politicians) are living in conditions that don't even exist in Iraq. I didn't imagine this existed in Iraq." Another protester who referred to parliament as "the council of traitors" said he wanted to see top officials removed. "They have done nothing good for Iraq, only destruction, sectarian wars, hunger and no services." (Additional reporting by Thaier al-Sudani; Writing by Stephen Kalin; Editing by Raissa Kasolowsky and Gareth Jones)
A little-known hacker group with ties to the Islamic State recently posted a list of over 3,000 names and addresses of New Yorkers allegedly being sought by the terrorist sect. The United Cyber Caliphate, as the group is known, published the list to the encrypted messaging app Telegram last week.

The names on the list appeared to be outdated, according to one source who spoke to the Reuters on the condition of anonymity, and included the names of State Department and Homeland Security government employees alongside a host of "average New Yorkers."

One of the men listed, an 88-year old named Art, told NBC News that he was more skeptical of the credibility of the threats than concerned for his own safety.

"It sounds like psychological warfare," he said. "Make 3,000 people in this city very upset."

This isn't the first time an Islamic State affiliate has made threats of this kind.

Last year, a group linked to the radical terror group published a list containing the names of 100 U.S. military service members, beseeching its followers to attack and kill them.

According to NBC, the FBI and NYPD officials are in the process of systematically informing individuals who have been named so as not to cause panic, since there is no direct threat of violence being posed to them.

In an emailed statement, an FBI spokesman told the Christian Science Monitor: "While our standard practice is to decline comment on specific operational and investigative matters, the FBI routinely notifies individuals and organizations of information collected during the course of an investigation that may be perceived as potentially threatening in nature."

A report from the cybersecurity group Flashpoint investigating the credibility of the threats found that, although the link to ISIS was "of high concern," there was little chance of attacks actually materializing, since the hacking group isn't officially recognized by ISIS and "it is still poorly organized (and likely under-resourced)."

That probably means that there's no need to panic  for now, anyway.
NEW YORK, May 1 (Reuters) - Shares of U.S. retailer J.C. Penney could double in price over the next three years, Barron's reported over the weekend.

The report said the company had made substantial progress over the past year but remained under the radar.

At $9.28, the stock price is down from the $43 hit in February 2012. But Barron's said that if the company's new chief executive, Marvin Ellison, could extend the improvements already in place, Penny's shares could rise anywhere from 50 percent to 100 percent.

"The turnaround potential is promising," said Chris Terry, portfolio manager at Hodges Capital in Dallas. Hodges has held the stock for more than a year but recently added to its holdings.

"Marvin is the real deal and 100 percent focused on creating shareholder value," he added.

Terry estimates that when the turnaround of the company is completed within three to five years, J.C. Penny could earn $2 per share. Using an undemanding price-earnings multiple of 10, the stock would be worth $20, double the current price, the report said.

(Reporting by Gertrude Chavez-Dreyfuss; Editing by Peter Cooney)
EastEnders star Jacqueline Jossa has spoken out about her characters imminent return to Walford.

BBC/EastEnders

Lauren Branning was last seen in September when she popped over from New Zealand and tried to stop her dad being jailed for murder. She also popped out a baby during her visit, little Louis.

In real life, Jac has been taking time out to spend with her fiance, Dan Osborne, and their adorable daughter, Ella.

Rex/Shutterstock

But, with her maternity leave over, Jac is keen to get back to work. She told the Daily Star: ve loved being a mum at home but now Im really excited to go back.

They wanted me to go back full-time when we were filming the trial but I didnt feel like Id had long enough away.

She also revealed that shes seen her comeback scripts - and is impressed with how Lauren is brought back into the action.

She said: It is a dramatic return. Its not your average EastEnders thing where people are screaming and shouting but it will shock people.

Lauren left with Peter Beale in February 2015 after discovering that Bobby Beale had killed Lucy and that Jane had covered the whole thing up.

BBC/EastEnders

With Jake Woods (Max Branning) sabbatical almost over as well, were hoping that Laurens return will have something to do with Max getting out of prison.

Now that Jack (Scott Maslen) is back in Walford and Abi has been kicked out of the Mitchells, its time for a Branning resurgence.


Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, May 1



By Huseyn Hasanov- Trend:

Turkmen President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov's official visit to Saudi Arabia on May 1-3 will be an important milestone in the history of the inter-state relations, the Turkmen government said April 30.

As part of the upcoming high-level meeting, the leaders of both countries will discuss the issues of the international policy and the prospects for development of cooperation in political, trade-economic and cultural-humanitarian spheres.

Turkmenistan and Saudi Arabia established diplomatic relations in 1992. The two countries fruitfully cooperate as part of the UN, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, the Non-Aligned Movement.

President Berdimuhamedov paid his first foreign visit to Saudi Arabia in April 2007.

Saudi Arabia is interested in the Turkmen market.

"The forthcoming high-level talks will give a new impetus to the bilateral relations and help achieve the most effective measures aimed at further intensification of a constructive political dialogue," Turkmen Dovlet Habarlary state news agency said.

"These measures are also aimed at expanding, diversifying the trade-economic partnership and strengthening of traditional cultural and humanitarian contacts," the agency said.

Special attention will be paid to the promising areas, in particular, such as fuel and energy, trade and economic and transport spheres. Saudi Arabia expresses its full support to the international initiatives put forward by Ashgabat.

A package of documents is expected to be signed in Riyadh following the talks.
Martin Sheen touched on a rare topic among honoree Jane Fondas friends on Saturday night at the Pasadena Playhouse gala when he talked about her visit to Hanoi, Vietnam, decades ago.

She risked everything to awaken the slumber of this nation. Very early, Jane found something to fight for, he said about his Grace and Frankie co-star, calling it her self-sacrifice to work on peace to applause from the crowd. Many Americans are still steamed at Fonda for that visit to the North Vietnamese capital back then.

Fonda, in her acceptance speech, talked about her love for community theater coming from her father, Henry, who started his career at the Omaha Playhouse in Nebraska.

When a community has a hub like this, its the heart of the community, she said. Its a nationally famous theater, but the value to the community cannot be overemphasized.

Also honored was Richard Perry, whose Baby Its You started its journey to Broadway at the Pasadena Playhouse. Its a distinct pleasure to be here, brings back great memories, he said.

The gala, emceed by Sandra Tsing Loh and dubbed A Night in the Catskills, included performances by Sam Harris, Freda Payne and Geno Henderson. It included an auction that helped raise funds for the nearly 100-year-old Pasadena Playhouse with such items as Adele concert tickets, tickets to Conan show taping and a walk-on role in this years Panto at the Playhouse.

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For all their monumental success, Marvel Studios dont necessarily have the best track record for maintaining relationships with directors. To date, no director has stayed with the MCU for more than two movies.

This will soon change when the Russo Brothers, directors of Captain America: The Winter Soldier and the newly released Civil War, take the helm on the two-parter Avengers: Infinity War - though we can scarcely fail to note they will be replacing Joss Whedon, who has made it clear he has no intention of working with Marvel again after Avengers: Age of Ultron.

Jon Favreau, the director who started it all with Iron Man, infamously had a rough time on Iron Man 2 which saw him step down from directing the films at that point. However, he has now hinted that his time as a director with Marvel may not be over.

Speaking to IGN, Favreau (who has gone on to direct current hit The Jungle Book) says Marvel could tempt him back with a great story.

I know the people over there. I like them. I still executive produce the Avengers series and I like what theyre doing a lot now, I do.

Still, Favreau (who also co-stars in all three Iron Man movies as Tony Starks bodyguard Happy) concedes that hes not sure Marvel really needs him anymore:

By the same token I feel like Ive made my mark; whatever we did in those early days has continued and is in good hands with new filmmakers with fresh voices.



I think theyre hiring the right kinds of filmmakers  I couldnt be more impressed with this one [Civil War], and Guardians of the Galaxy I thought was an unexpected,delightful film.

I just think how I fit in now might be different. Its 10 years later, and now Im more of an elder statesman. But we talk a lot about how I could be involved there and I exist both in front of and behind the camera in the Marvel universe, which puts me in a unique position which I enjoy.



Were always trying to figure out if theres a way for me to contribute beyond just being an executive producer there. I wouldnt be surprised if something pops up soon, but theres no one property that were identifying that Id want to helm up and shoulder.

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Because now that the universe has gotten so big over there, I dont know that I understand how it all fits together anymore. I was there in the early days when the universe was very small. Now the universe is very big there and they seem to have it well in hand.



Still, with Robert Downey Jr recently declaring hed up up for a fourth Iron Man solo movie, could there be a suitable film for Favreaus return in the future?

Favreau, Whedon and the Russos are at present the only filmmakers to direct more than one MCU movie; however, James Gunn will soon be added to this number, as hes currently at work on Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2, and Peyton Reed is also expected to be back for Ant-Man and The Wasp.

The studios one-and-done directors to date are Louis Letterier (The Incredible Hulk), Kenneth Branagh (Thor), Joe Johnston (Captain America: The First Avenger), Shane Black (Iron Man 3), and Alan Taylor (Thor: The Dark World).

Marvels latest, Captain America: Civil War, is in cinemas now.

Picture Credit: Marvel

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DCs The Flash Movie Loses Director




ALMATY (Reuters) - Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev, facing a growing wave of protests against planned changes to land ownership, evoked the image of war-torn Ukraine on Sunday as he called for national unity. Speaking at an event in Almaty to mark the annual May 1 Unity Day celebrations, Nazarbayev highlighted Ukraine, where street protests in 2013-2014 toppled the government of Viktor Yanukovich, as an example of what could happen in the absence of unity. "Ukraine, the second-biggest ex-Soviet state, today has an economy which is half the size of Kazakhstan's," the president said. "Because there is no unity, no sense of purpose, no tasks are being solved, (people) are busy with other things: fighting, killing, brawling." Though relatively small, the rallies are a challenge to Nazarbayev, 75, who has run the oil-rich Central Asian nation since 1989 with little tolerance for dissent since 1989. The collapse in global oil prices has hurt the economy and the government's fiscal position, prompting Fitch Ratings to cut the country's long-term sovereign debt ratings on April 29. The protests which are entering their second week, were sparked by fears that land reforms will allow foreigners to take over farmland, although some analysts say many Kazakhs have attended the demonstrations to express their general discontent. A legal overhaul due to take effect on July 1 will allow the government to sell farmland to joint ventures, provided they are controlled by Kazakh residents, and lease it to foreigners for up to 25 years. Previously they were only allowed leases for up to 10 years. Opponents of the new law, who staged their first protest in the city of Atyrau last Sunday, see the change as a threat to national security, especially after the government announced several agreements with neighboring China for agricultural projects. Rallies have taken place in several cities during the week, despite warnings from Nazarbayev and the prosecutor general's office that the organizers would be punished. On Sunday, political activists said dozens of people took to the streets of provincial capital Kyzylorda in southern Kazakhstan. One video posted online showed protesters scuffling with police in full riot gear at a square where official celebrations of the Unity Day holiday were taking place. In another video police were seen marching in formation at a group of protesters and then chasing them down the street as they tried to scatter. A spokesman for the local police said by telephone that several people had been charged with misdemeanors over the protest which was illegal because it had not been agreed in advance with the authorities. In the town of Zhanaozen, the site of a deadly clash between striking oil workers and police in 2011, dozens of protesters took to the streets and sang the national anthem in the city's main square, according to videos posted on the Internet by activists. Zhanaozen police could not be reached for comment. (Reporting by Olzhas Auyezov and Shamil Zhumatov; Editing by Nerys Avery)
What Can Investors Expect from Kellogg's 1Q16 Results?

(Continued from Prior Part)

Whats Kelloggs strategy

In the recent Consumer Analysts Group of New York Investor Conference, Kellogg Company (K) discussed it 2020 growth strategy. The strategy addresses four pillarsWin in Breakfast, Global Snacks Powerhouse, Emerging Markets, and Win Where the Shopper Shops. The company aims to grow sales and share along with expanding its operating margin through these strategies.

The company plans to invest in its food by returning its Kashi brand to growth in 2016. It aims to lead in plant-based nutrition and win with food forward consumers. Its visibility into the future also includes accelerating the Latin America business, doubling the Asian business, tripling the Arabian business, and transforming the African business. The company also targets increasing sales capabilities in developed markets by investing back in technology to improve the effectiveness of its direct store distribution system.

Returns to shareholders

In 2015, Kellogg returned more than $1.4 billion to shareowners through dividends and share repurchases. The company also approved a $1.5 billion share repurchase program that will run through 2016 and 2017. It expects to repurchase ~$700 million$750 million of shares in 2016.

Currently, Kellogg has a dividend yield of 2.6%. The companys management has been raising the dividend on a consistent basis for the last five years. It increased at an average annual rate of 4.7%. The company paid ~$1.98 per share in dividends to shareholders in 2015.

Recent dividend paid

On February 19, the company announced that its board of directors declared a dividend of $0.50 per share on the companys common stock. The dividend was paid on March 15, 2016, to shareowners of record at the close of business on March 1, 2016. The ex-dividend date was February 26, 2016. This dividend marks the 365th dividend paid by the company to owners of common stock since 1925.

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Kelloggs competitors in the industry include Flowers Food (FLO), McCormick & Company (MKC), and General Mills (GIS). They reported year-to-date returns of -10.4%, 8.7%, and 6.0%, respectively. The First Trust Value Line Dividend Index Fund (FVD) invests 0.56% of its portfolio in Kellogg.

Continue to Next Part

Browse this series on Market Realist:
Kirk Cameron, the ever-outspoken evangelical Christian, is making it clear where he thinks a woman's place is: right behind wherever her husband is. In a recent interview with ChristianPost, the former star of the ABC hit show Growing Pains said marriages comes with guidelines essentially forcing women to remain obedient and loyal to their male counterpart.

"A lot of people don't know that marriage comes with instructions, and we find them right there in God's word," Cameron told the publication. Those rules, according to Cameron, include never providing their husband's counsel on how to be better men.

I'm totally going to take Kirk Cameron's marriage advice. Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha. NO.pic.twitter.com/n3wpuMppUb

"Wives are to honor and respect and follow their husband's lead, not to tell their husband how he ought to be a better husband," he continued. "Wives, submit yourselves to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord. Husbands, love your wives and do not be harsh with them."

Since his stint in the Hollywood limelight, Cameron has toured the country speaking at churches throughout, preaching similar sentiments of female obedience in marriage, as well as honoring "their husband's lead." He also asserted during the interview it doesn't necessarily matter how a husband treats their wife, as long as they're doing "their part right."

"When each person gets their part right, regardless of how their spouse is treating them, there is hope for real change in their marriage," he said. So, what would Cameron's advice be to the 3 to 4 million women in the U.S. each year who are beaten by a husband, ex or intimate partner?

Of course, nobody was having Cameron's outdated marital values online:

Too many women are getting hurt for me not to speak out against @KirkCameron's unbiblical/unhealthy marriage advice http://www.jorymicah.com/kirk-candace-cameron-teach-unbiblical-unhealthy-view-of-wifely-submission/ ...

Dang. It's quieter than Kirk Cameron's ideal wife in here this morning.

On his new tour Kirk Cameron urges women to submit to their husbands and "follow their lead," giving renewed hope to insecure men everywhere

Also, why do we really care what a former child star thinks about marriage anyway?
ISTANBUL (Reuters) - The Kurdistan Freedom Hawks (TAK), an offshoot of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) militant group, said on Sunday it carried out a suicide bombing in the northwestern Turkish city of Bursa last week. In a statement on its website, TAK said one of its female members carried out the attack, which wounded eight people. It said she had detonated the explosives before reaching her intended target. The woman blew herself up near the main mosque in Bursa, Turkey's fourth-largest city and an industrial hub directly south of Istanbul across the Marmara Sea. It was the fifth suicide bombing in a major urban center this year. TAK claimed responsibility for two of the other suicide bombings this year, both of them in the capital Ankara. The first, a car bombing that targeted soldiers, killed 29 people in February. The second, at a transport hub in the city, killed 37. TAK says it split from the PKK, which has waged a three-decade insurgency against the Turkish state to push for Kurdish autonomy in the largely Kurdish southeast, but experts who study the militant groups say they retain close links. A senior PKK commander described the first Ankara attack as payback, saying Turkey could see "thousands" of such bombings in response to military operations against the PKK in the southeast, where a ceasefire collapsed last July. (Reporting by Humeyra Pamuk; Editing by Nick Tattersall)
By David Milliken LONDON (Reuters) - Labour party has launched an inquiry into how to tackle anti-semitism after suspending former London mayor Ken Livingstone days before it contests elections in London, Scotland and Wales. Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn - a close ally of party veteran Livingstone - said in a statement that he would propose a new code of conduct explicitly banning anti-semitism and other forms of racism. "There is no place for anti-semitism or any form of racism in the Labour party, or anywhere in society," he said. Labour suspended Livingstone on Thursday after he said Hitler was "supporting Zionism" when he proposed in 1932 that Jews be moved to Israel. Livingstone served as mayor from 2000 to 2008. Labour has been struggling to pull together after Corbyn, from the party's hard-left, swept into the leadership in September on a wave of enthusiasm among younger members for change and an end to 'establishment politics'. On Saturday Livingstone said his remarks were historic fact and not anti-semitic, but had been seized on by supporters of former prime minister Tony Blair in the Labour party to discredit Corbyn. "If anyone was upset by what I said of course I'm really sorry for that," he told broadcaster LBC. "This is about the struggle of embittered old Blairite MPs to try and get rid of Jeremy Corbyn. They whipped this issue up." Polls suggest Labour's current candidate for London Mayor, Sadiq Khan, is on course to defeat his Conservative opponent Zac Goldsmith on May 5, but that Labour risks losing ground in a series of elections elsewhere in Britain. British media reported again on Saturday that Corbyn could face a leadership challenge if the results are especially bad. Goldsmith, in a BBC radio interview on Saturday, said Khan was "part of the same movement in the Labour party" as Livingstone and had not been clear enough in his condemnation of anti-semitism until recent weeks. "You need to be very clear on these issues not to ride two horses. Until the mayoral campaign began, Sadiq Khan has not been anything like as clear on this issue as he has been in recent weeks," Goldsmith said. Khan called Livingstone's remarks about Hitler appalling and pressed for him to be suspended. Labour's inquiry into anti-semitism will be led by Shami Chakrabarti, the former head of civil rights charity Liberty. She will consult Jewish and other minority groups on what counts as anti-semitism and racism, and how to deal with allegations. (Editing by Richard Balmforth)
Tehran, Iran, May 1

By Mehdi Sepahvand - Trend:

Tehran and Seoul will launch a direct flight by the end of this year, said South Korean Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport Kang Ho-in in a meeting with Iran's Minister of Transport Abbas Akhondi.

He added that Iran and South Korea are set to sign two MoUs in the rail transport section, the Iranian government's official website reported May 1.

The MoUs will be signed during South Korean President Park Geun-hye's visit to Tehran, who arrived in the Iranian capital on Sunday afternoon, local time.

Geun-hye is the first South Korean president who visits Iran, heading a large business delegation of over 230 executives during the three-day visit.

The first of the projects to become operational is a railway connecting two major Iranian cities Isfahan and Ahwaz, Ho-in said.

The second will be signed with South Korea's Hundai for providing Iran with 450 train wagons, he added.

Iran-South Korea trade turnover stood at $6.1 billion in 2015. The figure was $17.4 in 2011, Before Western countries imposed sanctions against Iran.

South Korea is among the largest importers of Iranian oil.
May 1 is Law Day, an event that honors liberty, justice and equality under law which our forefathers bequeathed to the United States.

famouslawyers

Those were the words of President Dwight Eisenhower in 1958, when he issued a proclamation urging the legal profession and the media to promote and participate in the celebration. Congress added Law Day to the federal code three years later.

Today, the American Bar Association helps to coordinate Law Day as a series of public and private events for people of all types, including educators and students who engage in activities that promote learning.

The theme of Law Day 2015 is the 800th anniversary of the Magna Carta. President Barack Obama has issued the annual Law Day proclamation to celebrate the document that first spelled out the rights and liberties of man.

By the way, the president is a graduate of the Harvard Law School and a former lecturer on constitutional law. In fact, 24 presidents were lawyers at some point in their careers.

And among the Founding Fathers, 35 of the 55 delegates who attended the Constitutional Convention of 1787 were lawyers or had legal training.

In honor of Law Day, heres a look at 10 people you may recognize who were lawyers at some point in their lives.

1. Alexander Hamilton

Hamilton was admitted to the bar when he was 25 years old and learned on the job. He had a successful firm, where he specialized in maritime litigation. Hamilton gave it up to enter public service, and returned to the firm in 1795 to pay for his expenses.

2. Aaron Burr

Burr was a formidable attorney in his own right and also appeared with Hamilton early in his career in court proceedings. (However, the legend that they were law partners isnt true.) Maria Reynolds, the woman at the center of a sex scandal involving Hamilton, was represented by Burr in her divorce case. After leaving public life, Burr had a successful law practice.

3. Abraham Lincoln

Lincolns abilities as a lawyer were legendary even before he was elected president in 1860. Unlike Hamilton and Burr, Lincoln had little formal schooling. He also always had a law partner. Lincoln argued one case in front of the U.S. Supreme Court, which he lost. His skills were reading juries and making oral arguments.

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4. Gandhi

Mohandas Gandhi studied law in London, briefly practiced in India, and then he went to South Africa, where he spent two decades. Gandhi originally went there as a legal adviser, but his life changed as he became an advocate for the rights of the oppressed.

5. Clarence Darrow

Many people know the character of Darrow from the play and movie, Inherit the Wind, which is a fictionalized portrayal of the Scopes monkey trial. (His name was changed in the play to Henry Drummond.) His high-profile roles in the cases of accused murderers Leopold and Loeb, union leader Eugene Debs, and the McNamara brothers made him a household name.

6. Thurgood Marshall

The future Supreme Court justice had a stellar legal career. He was the chief legal counsel for the NAACP and won his first Supreme Court case at the age of 32. Marshall won 29 out of 32 cases he argued in front of the high court, including Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka. Marshall joined the Supreme Court in 1967 as its first African-American member.

7. Sandra Day OConnor

OConnor earned her law degree at Stanford, where she graduated third in her class in 1952. But OConnor couldnt get a job in a legal position at a California law firm because of her gender. (She reportedly had offers to be a secretary instead.) OConnor took several positions as an attorney in public agencies and started her own law firm in Arizona in 1957. After a return to public service, OConnor joined the Supreme Court in 1981 as its first female justice.

8. Janet Reno

Like President Obama, Reno is a Harvard Law graduate. She was a partner in a private Florida law firm before going into public service. In 1993, Reno became the first woman to be confirmed as the attorney general of the United States.

9. John Grisham

John Grisham isnt really famous for his legal career. It is his series of bestselling books, which spawned several blockbuster movies, that are his biggest contributions to the legal community. He worked for a decade as a trial lawyer while pursuing an interest in writing. His second book, The Firm, became a national hit, and hes sold more than 100 million books in his writing career.

10. Nelson Mandela

The anti-apartheid icon was also a lawyer. He was the only black person in his law class and in 1952, Mandela and his partner, Oliver Tambo, established the first black law firm in South Africa. His role in the African National Congress soon eclipsed his legal career.

Historical Stories on Constitution Daily

Forgotten facts about George Washingtons private life

The most underrated Founding Father: Oliver Ellsworth?

50 interesting facts about Abraham Lincolns life

10 surprising birthday facts about President James Monroe
Istanbul (AFP) - A car bomb on Sunday struck the Turkish city of Gaziantep, a major refugee hub near the Syrian border, killing at least two policemen and wounding 22 people as the country reels from a succession of militant attacks.

On a day of violence dubbed "Black Sunday" by local media, three Turkish soldiers died in a separate attack in the province of Mardin to the east, in an ambush by Kurdish militants who have killed hundreds of security forces in a renewed insurgency since last year.

With Turkey on high alert for May Day celebrations, four suspected jihadists were detained in Ankara on suspicion of planning attacks and other May 1 events were cancelled elsewhere over security fears.

One policeman was killed when the car bomb went off outside the police headquarters in Gaziantep and 23 people were wounded, including 19 police, the office of Gaziantep regional governor Ali Yerlikaya said in a statement.

One more police officer later died of his wounds in hospital. The governor's office statement did not say which group could be to blame.

- 'Link to IS jihadists' -

Turkish news reports said the investigation was focusing on the possibility the attack was carried out by Islamic State (IS) jihadists who still control territory in Syria on the other side of the border.

Police arrested the father of a known IS member in the city, named as Ismail G., and were carrying out DNA tests to ascertain if the son was the perpetrator, the Hurriyet daily said.

One of the main cities of Turkey's southeast, Gaziantep has a population of around 1.5 million and is an important centre for refugees who have fled the war in neighbouring Syria.

The bombing comes with Turkey on edge after two deadly attacks in Istanbul this year blamed on IS jihadists and a pair of attacks in Ankara that were claimed by Kurdish militants and killed dozens.

The latest attack in the heart of one of the country's main urban centres is likely to further raise alarm about security in Turkey, which has seen tourism fall sharply since the start of the year.

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A top flight Turkish basketball league match between Fenerbahce of Istanbul and Gaziantep due to be played in the city Sunday afternoon was postponed after the attack.

- Three soldiers killed by PKK -

M

eanwhile three Turkish soldiers were killed and 14 others wounded in the attack in Kurdish-dominated Mardin province to the east of Gaziantep carried out by Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) militants, the army said.

The attack took place in the Nusaybin district of Mardin, where the army has been conducting a military operation backed by a curfew against the PKK, it said.

The Dogan news agency said the PKK opened fire with rockets on an army bomb disposal team.

The PKK -- which has fought an insurgency against the Turkish state for more than three decades -- has killed hundreds of members of the security forces in the southeast since a truce collapsed last summer.

With Turkey on edge, a female suicide bomber on Wednesday blew herself up in the usually peaceful former Ottoman capital of Bursa, south of Istanbul.

The Kurdistan Freedom Falcons (TAK) -- a radical splinter group of the better-known PKK -- on Sunday claimed the Bursa attack, saying the female suicide bomber had detonated her charge before reaching the intended target.

- New IS rocket strike on Kilis -

Also on Sunday, four people were wounded in the Turkish town of Kilis, just south of Gaziantep, by rockets fired from an IS-controlled area of Syria, Anatolia said.

Eighteen people, including Syrian refugees, have been killed in Kilis by IS rocket attacks since January, prompting anxiety and anger among local residents.

Following reconnaissance by drones after the latest strikes, Turkish artillery hit IS positions in Syria on Sunday, Anatolia said, adding that nine jihadists were killed.

Separately, Turkish police detained four suspected IS jihadists who were allegedly planning an attack on May Day celebrations in the capital Ankara, state media said.

Planned May Day events in the southern cities of Adana and Sanliurfa were also scrapped after the authorities reportedly received intelligence of a possible suicide bomb plot.
HONG KONG, May 1 (Reuters) - Macau, the world's biggest casino hub, posted a drop of 9.5 percent in gambling revenue for April, with the pace of decline decreasing from the previous month as the southern Chinese territory struggled to lure high-spending punters.

April marked the 23rd consecutive monthly decline for the former Portuguese colony, where revenue has halved over the last two years and hit lows not seen in over five years.

China's pervasive campaign against conspicuous spending among public officials together with slowing economic growth are widely regarded as the central reasons behind the slump.

April revenue fell to 17.34 billion patacas ($2.17 billion), government data showed on Sunday, though the decline was not as bad as the 11-16 percent drop that analysts had expected.

($1 = 7.9810 patacas) (Reporting by Donny Kwok and Farah Master; Editing by Kim Coghill)
Many of the elite in Hollywood  from Shonda Rhimes to Kerry Washington, gathered this past weekend to attend the White House Corespondents Dinner. And while many were probably sharing a laugh over President Obamas final speech, one table probably had some inside jokes of their own. An unexpected friendship formed during the dinner, namely DJ Khaled and Bill Nye the Science Guy.

Im looking forward to talking science and major s with @djkhaled at tonights #WHCD.  Bill Nye (@BillNye) April 30, 2016

Im looking forward to talking science and major keys with @djkhaled at tonights #WHCD, Nye tweeted ahead of the event. All attendants were there due to their commitment to empowering underprivileged young people. DJ Khaled oddly enough attended the dinner with Ariana Huffington of the Huffington Post, which landed him a seat next to Bill Nye.

Theres no telling what the two talked about during their table discussion, hopefully well get a hint in Khaleds next Snapchat story.
Malia Obama is set to be a Harvard Pilgrim.

The oldest daughter of President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama has officially committed to the Cambridge, Massachusetts, university, and will begin her freshman year next fall.

The President and Mrs. Obama announced today that their daughter Malia will attend Harvard University in the fall of 2017 as a member of the Class of 2021, the office of the first lady announced on Sunday. Malia will take a gap year before beginning school.

After announcing Malias college pick, a White House official says that the Obamas left the residence to meet with Obama Presidential Center Foundation staff to go over design and architecture proposals for the future presidential library. While the library will be in Chicago, the president had made previous comments about sticking around Washington, D.C., for the next few years while younger daughter Sasha finishes her school.

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Malia, who will graduate from D.C.s Sidwell Friends School this Spring, spent the past year touring multiple private colleges including Ivy Leagues Princeton, Harvard, Brown and the University of Pennsylvania ahead of the college application deadlines last winter.

The teen had her fathers sage wisdom to turn to while making the decision to continue her education at Harvard.

One piece of advice that Ive given her is not to stress too much about having to get into one particular college, Obama said during a town hall on college affordability in Des Moines, Iowa, last September. There are a lot of good colleges and universities out there ... Just because its not some name-brand, famous, fancy school doesnt mean that youre not going to get a great education there.

He also tipped the 17-year-old off to being open to new experiences.

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Dont go to college just to duplicate the same experience you had in high school, the President added.

And what will be Malias focus? Michelle previously told PEOPLE in 2012 that her daughter has an interest in filmmaking.

Just like her father, she is an avid reader, and she enjoys movies and the whole process, Michelle said.
Baku, Azerbaijan, May 1

By Fatih Karimov - Trend:

The National Iranian Gas Exports Company (NIGEC) and South Korean KOGAS signed a MoU for gas cooperation.

Based on the document, the parties will cooperate in exporting Iran's gas in form of LNG, gas marketing and transfer of experiences, the oil ministry's SHANA news agency reported May 1.

Founded in 1983, KOGAS(Korea Gas Corporation) is one of the main LNG importers in the world.

Earlier the day, South Korean Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport Kang Ho-in met Iran's Oil Minister Bijan Zanganeh in Tehran where they discussed bilateral oil and gas condensate trade.

Zanganeh said Iran welcomes South Korea for joint investment in LNG projects as well as oil field development and refinery construction.

In mid-March, the media in Seoul reported that KOGAS is looking into Iran-Oman gas pipeline project which experts say requires an investment of at least $1.5 billion.

Project owners and KOGAS could sign either a memorandum of understanding or a framework agreement, the media reported.
Malia Obama is set to be a Harvard Pilgrim.



The oldest daughter of President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama has officially committed to the Cambridge, Massachusetts, university, and will begin her freshman year next fall.



"The President and Mrs. Obama announced today that their daughter Malia will attend Harvard University in the fall of 2017 as a member of the Class of 2021," the office of the first lady announced on Sunday. "Malia will take a gap year before beginning school."



Malia, who will graduate from D.C.'s Sidwell Friends School this Spring, spent the past year touring multiple private colleges including Ivy Leagues Princeton, Harvard, Brown and the University of Pennsylvania ahead of the college application deadlines last winter.







The teen had her father's sage wisdom to turn to while making the decision to continue her education at Harvard.



"One piece of advice that I've given her is not to stress too much about having to get into one particular college," Obama said during a town hall on college affordability in Des Moines, Iowa, last September. "There are a lot of good colleges and universities out there a Just because it's not some name-brand, famous, fancy school doesn't mean that you're not going to get a great education there."



He also tipped the 17-year-old off to being "open to new experiences."



"Don't go to college just to duplicate the same experience you had in high school," the president added.





Why We Should Thank First Lady Michelle Obama for Beyonce's Instagram Workout Video





And what will be Malia's focus? Michelle previously told PEOPLE in 2012 that her daughter has an "interest in filmmaking."



"Just like her father, she is an avid reader, and she enjoys movies and the whole process," Michelle said.



 Reporting by SANDRA SOBEIRAJ WESTFALL
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Go Crimson: Malia Obama is headed to Harvard.

"The President and Mrs. Obama announced today that their daughter Malia will attend Harvard University in the fall of 2017 as a member of the Class of 2021," a White House press statement issued Sunday reads. "Malia will take a gap year before beginning school."

SEE ALSO: Malia Obama giving Sasha and Ryan Reynolds the thumbs-up is peak sibling behavior

Tough news for dad/President Barack Obama, who attended Occidental College and then fellow Ivy Columbia University as an undergraduate student. But we're sure he isn't taking it too hard both he and Michelle Obama are graduates of Harvard Law.

Malia's choice to settle on Harvard comes after much speculation as to where the elder Obama daughter would choose to spend her undergraduate years. As the New York Times reports, she's taken tours of the East Coast Ivy Leagues in addition to liberal arts institutions across the country.

As for Malia's plans for her upcoming gap year  typically a year-long break in one's academic career following high school graduation  we're hoping she's landed a cool-teen internship. Not that we're worried she was an intern on HBO's 'Girls' after all.

Start brushing up on your dorm-room hacks, Malia. No word yet on whether her dad will help her move in while wearing a tucked in t-shirt. But as we've seen, he's got plans for mom jeans in his future.
WASHINGTON, DC - NOVEMBER 25: Malia Obama, daughter of U.S. President Barack Obama, participates in the turkey pardoning ceremony in the Rose Garden at the White House November 25, 2015 in Washington, DC. In a tradition dating back to 1947, the president pardons a turkey, sparing the tom -- and his alternate -- from becoming a Thanksgiving Day feast. This year, Americans were asked to choose which of two turkeys would be pardoned and to cast their votes on Twitter. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

After months of rampant speculation, The White House announced the Malia Obama has chosen to attend Harvard University.

The high school senior at Sidwell Friends School will take a gap year after she graduates, according to a statement from the East Wing. She will begin her freshman year at Harvard in the fall of 2017, graduating with the class of 2021.

She sparked rumors about her college choices after she went on a tour of the Ivies, Stanford and NYU last year.

Many believed that demonstrated her interest in film studies and an internship in New York City on the set of HBO's "Girls," would lead her to choose NYU, which has a top-ranked film program.

Other top guesses were first lady Michelle Obama's alma mater of Princeton University or President Obama's undergraduate institution Columbia University.

Her pick, however, still connects her to her parents, both of whom attended Harvard Law School.

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While the Ivy League has deep roots in the families of America's presidents, Malia Obama's decision to attend Harvard University as an undergraduate actually makes her one of the only first children to do so in years.



Caroline Kennedy attended the school in the late '70s, but more recent first children such as Jenna Bush, Amy Carter and Chelsea Clinton have opted for other choices  though the history of first children who are Harvard alums stretches back to the founding fathers.



Thomas Adams, son of President John Adams, attended Harvard in the late-18th century. Years later, all of President Franklin Roosevelt's sons did the same  except Elliott.



(Myriad presidents and their kids have passed through the halls of Harvard's post-graduate institutions, such as its law and business schools.)













Obama, 17, is set to graduate from the Sidwell Friends School, in Washington, D.C., this spring; and spent the past year touring Princeton, Brown and other schools. She'll head to Harvard in 2017, after a gap year, her family said Sunday.



He father, who went to Harvard Law School three years after mom Michelle Obama earned her Harvard Law degree, gave her this guidance as she made her decision:









"One piece of advice that I've given her is not to stress too much about having to get into one particular college," President Barack Obama said in September during a town hall on college affordability in Des Moines, Iowa.



"There are a lot of good colleges and universities out there ... Just because it's not some name-brand, famous, fancy school doesn't mean that you're not going to get a great education there," he said.
President Barack and First Lady Michelle Obamas oldest daughter is planning to call Cambridge, Mass., her new home. The Washington Post reports that Malia Obama will attend Harvard University in fall 2017.

This news arrives after multiple reports stated that Malia, 17, was on an East Coast college tour where the young adult reportedly considered New York University, Brown University, Columbia University, and Barnard College.

BREAKING: White House: Malia Obama to take a year off before attending Harvard University in 2017.  The Associated Press (@AP) May 1, 2016

In a recent issue of Seventeen Magazine, Mrs. Obama shared priceless advice with her daughters on taking your time when selecting a school to further their education.

The one thing Ive been telling my daughters is that I dont want them to choose a name, she said. I dont want them to think, Oh I should go to these top schools. We live in a country where there are thousands of amazing universities. So, the question is: Whats going to work for you?

Now, it looks like Malia wants to continue the legacy of the Obamas at Harvard, an institution that both Mrs. Obama and the president attended for law school. The First Lady carried out her undergraduate studies at Princeton University, while President Obama took his talents to Columbia.

Congrats Malia!
Vienna (AFP) - Austria's embattled chancellor was greeted Sunday with loud boos as he addressed around 80,000 people in Vienna on May Day, a week after the government's disastrous defeat at the hands of the far-right in a presidential ballot.

The jeering and whistling at times threatened to derail Werner Faymann's speech as he sought to defend the ruling coalition's handling of the migrant crisis and rising unemployment.

Many in the crowd gathered outside the city hall held up signs reading: "Retirement for Faymann! Step down now!"

Raising his voice, Faymann urged party supporters and trade unions to choose a "united path for a fair, socially equal Austria".

The coalition, made up of Faymann's Social Democrats (SPOe) and the conservative People's Party (OeVP), has been haemorrhaging voters to the far-right Freedom Party whose presidential candidate Norbert Hofer won the first round of a presidential election last weekend.

Meanwhile candidates from the two main parties, which have effectively run Austria since the end of World War II, failed to even make it into the runoff on May 22.

The FPOe also looks set to do well in the scheduled general election in 2018, consistently scoring more than 30 percent in voter opinion polls.

In light of this, there has been a growing rift in the SPOe between those pushing for closer cooperation with the FPOe and those strongly opposed to any rapprochement.

Several regional party heads have also demanded Faymann's resignation in recent days -- a call he has so far rejected.

Austria received 90,000 asylum demands last year, the second-highest number in the bloc on a per-capita basis.

In response, the government introduced border fences and imposed tough restrictions on asylum-seekers.

But this has not stemmed growing dissatisfaction among Austria's regional leaders who say their states are unable to shoulder the burden of the many new arrivals.

In addition to the migrant crisis, Austria also no longer has the lowest unemployment rate in the European Union and Faymann's coalition, in power since 2008, has bickered over structural reforms.
Istanbuls riot police cracked down on protesters headed for Taksim square on Labor (or May) Day, with reports of one man killed when he was run over by a water cannon vehicle. Security around the symbolic square was heightened and it remained off-limits to protesters on May 1. Thousands came out in the bazaar area of Istanbuls Bakrkoy district instead to mark the day.

The lead video shows a lone protester unfurling a banner in Taksim square before being forcefully removed by police. Credit: Twitter/@sodap74
Good Morning America

As it looks ahead to a decisive winter, Russia is constructing a massive fortification in the eastern Ukrainian territory it occupies, according to satellite imagery and statements by a key ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin. Satellite imagery provided by Planet Labs shows significant work is underway to build a trench in Russian-occupied eastern Ukraine, with a planned length of some 120 miles. In satellite images taken on Oct. 17, the fortifications for this defensive line begin just south of Russian-held Popasna in the Luhansk region.
By Lucy Nicholson and Jane Ross

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Hundreds of people marched through Los Angeles on Sunday in a May Day rally that took aim at Republican presidential front-runner Donald Trump for his anti-illegal immigration platform that includes building a wall along the U.S. border with Mexico.

The demonstration in America's second most populous city, which has a large immigrant population, came just days after protesters smashed the window of a police car and blocked traffic outside a Trump campaign event in Costa Mesa, California, 40 miles (64 km) southeast of Los Angeles.

On Friday, demonstrators blocked the entrance of a hotel hosting the California Republican convention in Burlingame, south of San Francisco, forcing Trump to halt his motorcade and go through a back entrance to deliver his speech.

The rally in Los Angeles remained peaceful and drew smaller crowds than some past May Day demonstrations in the city, with several hundred people marching through downtown at one point but largely dispersing by midafternoon.

Members of the crowd carried a large blow-up effigy of Trump holding a Ku Klux Klan hood, along with signs that read: "Dump Trump."

"He's threatened that should he become president of the United States, in his first 18 months in office, he fully intends to deport all 11 million-plus undocumented persons in the United States. We don't take that lightly," said Juan Jose Gutierrez, of the Full Rights for Immigrants Coalition.

Others waved Mexican or U.S. flags or signs that called for immigration reform and an end to deportations.

A Los Angeles Police Department spokeswoman said no arrests were made and there were no reports of violence.

Protests have become common outside rallies for Trump, 69, the New York billionaire businessman. He has aroused criticism for his pledge to deport illegal immigrants, even as it helped propel him in the race for the Republican nomination for the Nov. 8 election to succeed Democratic President Barack Obama.

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He has accused Mexico of sending drug dealers and rapists to the United States and has promised to build a wall along the southern border and make Mexico pay for it.

Trump said on Sunday he will have essentially sealed the Republican nomination if he wins Tuesday's contest in Indiana, where he holds a big lead over chief rival Ted Cruz, a U.S. senator from Texas.

California holds its presidential primary on June 7.

(Reporting by Lucy Nicholson and Jane Ross; Additional reporting and writing by Dan Whitcomb; Editing by Peter Cooney)
Tehran, Iran, May 1

By Mehdi Sepahvand -- Trend:

In the wake of the January removal of sanctions on Iran, the country's oil and gas condensates export to South Korea has quadrupled, moving from 100,000 barrels a day to 400,000.

South Korean Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport Kang Ho-in met Iran's Oil Minister Bijan Zanganeh in Tehran where they discussed bilateral oil and gas condensate trade, the oil ministry's Shana news agency reported May 1.

Zanganeh said despite the removal of sanctions, banking relations with South Korea have not been eased yet, but added that the case is being pursued for a solution.

The two countries are going to sign, among others, a MoU in the energy sector during South Korean President Park Geun-hye's formal visit to Tehran.

Iran-South Korea bilateral trade shrunk to $6.1 billion under sanctions. Iran's export to South Korea in the meantime amounted to $2.3 billion while that of South Korea to Iran reached $3.7 billion.

The oil minister said Iran welcomes South Korea for joint investment in LNG projects as well as oil field development and refinery construction.

He said Iran has made a condition regarding the joint LNG projects, requiring South Korea to buy the LNG product, to which Seoul has agreed.
A story that doesnt get told enough is how Mercedes directly gave Audi the tools to become a heated rival. In the process, the door might have been held open for BMW, too.

In the first decades after World War II, Audi was lying dormant in the Auto Union family with Horch and Wanderer. DKW was the only active brand of the four rings. While its three-cylinder, two-stroke products were powerful, they were rudimentary. So DKW remained in the lower market segments, and Auto Unions outlook was bleak. Sales were slow, which was worrisome to companys then-parent company Daimler-Benz.

During this same time, Mercedes had been flirting with the idea of re-entering some of the more mass-produced market segments it had served before the war. There were a few prototypes created, including the W118 (later W119) sedan/coupe seen here in the early 1960s.

RELATED: The Mercedes-Benz 220 S Cabriolet is a German Icon

Today we can understand the potential appeal in a premium small car like this. The W118s large Mercedes tri-star emblem was a feature shared with the flashy SL cars, and this one had the wide grille to match the recently introduced Pagoda. Even Mercedes officially acknowledged the similarities, With their SL face, low beltline, roof attachment clearance and rear design, the test vehicles produced were close to the Mercedes-Benz 230 SL (W113) in terms of style.

So when it was clear DKW needed help, Mercedes saw its baby Benz as the way forward. They sent its head of Advanced Passenger Car Development, Ludwig Kraus, down to Auto Union in Ingolstadt. He was armed with the design for the W118/W119 and a new high-compression 1.7-liter four-stroke engine codenamed M118.

The first fruit of this action could be seen in the 1963 DKW F102 model. The squared-off unibody car was a radical departure from the companys previous rounded models. The uncluttered three-box design with thin pillars and a large greenhouse had more than a passing resemblance to Mercedes-Benzs W118. But this car still had the old fashioned two-stroke motor.

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RELATED: See Photos of the 1969 Audi 100

The German public turned up its nose to the smoky old technology. Slow sales of the F102 was the last stand for Mercedes. The company explained, Auto Union was focused on the lower market segment; for Daimler-Benz AG to enjoy success in the lower mid-range would have meant too great a financial investment.

Mercedes wanted cash to build a new truck plant, and so they sold Auto Union to Volkswagen in 1964. During this acquisition two key elements remained in IngolstadtKraus and the plans for the M118 motor.

Auto Union would update the F102 to the F103 in 1965, and two pivotal events happened. The new car utilized a new four-cylinder, four-stroke motor. It was also decided that the DKW name was too tarnished in the publics mind, and so the first post-WWII car with an Audi badge was born.

RELATED: The Audi Auto Union Type D Racer is a Stunning Machine

The high-compression (11.5:1) motor based on the Mercedes M118 design was the exact opposite of the antiquated two-stroke that it replaced. In fact, the power was so good, the engineering was utilized to expand the range of Audi vehicles into larger and more upscale market segments.

The water-cooled motor was also vastly different from the technology used by Volkswagen at the time. That gave Kraus, now Chief Engineer at Auto Union, the confidence to insist that his engineering department be separate from its VW parent. This is a key factor that allowed Audi to grow its new reputation so rapidly.

It would take many more strategic engineering steps for the quad-ringed brand to climb from one of the lowest segments in the market to the top rung. Still, its hard to deny that a giveaway by Mercedes decades ago sowed the seeds for one of its chief rivals today.

RELATED: The GM Aerotrain Was a Project Gone Off the Rails

100 Jahre Audi

It should also be noted that this development timeline is close to BMWs New Class premium compact cars that are credited with saving the company. This makes for an interesting speculation of what the market would look like if Daimler-Benz had continued the development of the W118/119 as its own? Had this compact car been sold under the tri-star badge, would Audi be as distant a memory as Horch? Would BMW not have had a wide-open segment for its corporate recovery?

Today, Mercedes-Benzs overall success requires little pity for missed opportunities. But it is interesting how one moderately priced car changed the whole premium marque landscape.

RELATED: Driving the Dangerous and Dynamic Dymaxion




President Barack Obama turned up his charismatic persona a hundred notches when he took center stage at his final White House Correspondents Dinner on Saturday evening (Apr. 30).

The leader of the free world probably had more viewers laughing at his jokes rather than crying at the fact that the First Family is slowly on their way out the White House. Despite the latter statement, spectators at home and within the venue L-O-Led at Obamas witty one-liners and jabs at present journalists to current presidential hopefuls.

On Donald Trump, Obama said regardless of the Republicans lack of foreign policy knowledge, he might prevail in this particular situation. Theres one area where Trumps experience could be invaluable  closing down Guantanamo, he said. Trump knows a thing or two about running waterfront properties into the ground.

Obama later praised his wife, First Lady Michelle Obama and how she still looks like a fountain of youth since they took office. Meanwhile, Michelle has not aged a day. The only way you can date her in photos is by looking at me. Take a look. Here we are in 2008. Here we are a few years later. And this one is from two weeks ago.

Michelle has not aged a day. The only way you can date her in photos is by looking at me. @POTUS sharing photos: pic.twitter.com/hloflknfMZ  The White House (@WhiteHouse) May 1, 2016

The president also aimed his humorous comments in Kendall Jenners direction, stating, We had the chance to meet her backstage and she seems like a very nice woman. Im not sure what she does, but Im told my Twitter mentions are about to go through the roof.

Kendall Jenner is also hereIm not really sure what she does. Obama savage level 100 pic.twitter.com/uWLyS0kEnh  The Lounge (@TheLoungeSite) May 1, 2016

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But it was his epic conclusion that had everyone in a celebratory frenzy. At the end of his reminiscent speech, Obama closed, With that I just have two more words to say: Obama out, proceeding to drop the mic in the most composed way possible.

The Nightly Show host Larry WIlmore, who served as the MC for the evening, also took the podium and went viral for his own comments. In Obamas direction, Wilmore said, Yo Barry, you did it my ni**a!

Watch the entire comical speeches below.
Little Drian Juarez didnt play like other boys. Instead of Tonka trucks and wrestling, he preferred Barbie dolls and dressing up in his mothers clothing. Whenever he asked for a dab of her lipstick, she told him it was inappropriate for little boys. Other kids made fun of everything from his mannerisms to his tone of voice. Some threatened to beat him up. Something is wrong with me, he thought. Something is different.

Juarez was born male, but he felt female.

Eric Vilain, a pediatric geneticist at the University of California, Los Angeles, probes the brain and genome for what determines whether Juarez and others feel male or female, and whether theyre attracted to the same or opposite sex. Last June, Vilains lab presented a model to predict homosexuality, and he hopes to test whether kids can outgrow gender dysphoria, challenging the recent push among parents to help them transition as early as possible. In fact, he remains skeptical of the very concept of gender identity, a stance that has sparked controversy in the communities he studies. You talk about variations like the color of your skin, he says in a thick French accent between sips of masala chai in a cozy tea lounge in San Francisco, where he was visiting to ring in the New Year. But when it comes to sex, its very, very normative.

Until Caitlyn Jenner made international news last summer, the concept of transgender was unfamiliar to most people outside the LGBTQ world. Granted, its a small population, although pinpointing the number of transgender people is difficult. Last year, a U.S. Census Bureau paper gave a rough estimate based on the numbers of people who changed their registered name and sex with the Social Security Administration. Among Americans who had responded to the 2010 Census, 89,667 had changed their registered names, and 21,833 had changed sex as well. Other surveys have calculated higher estimates, with 700,000 being the most commonly cited figure. In any case, the word transgender is entering the mainstream, and stirring controversy. North Carolina, for instance, just passed a law that prohibits trans people from using the bathroom that corresponds with their gender identity. Trans people are infamously vulnerable to violence, both suicide and murder. And there is no single transgender experience or definition, leaving many people, in and out of the queer world, confused. Vilain is using science, of all things, to help demystify gender.

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20160422 vilain toned 039

Geneticist Eric Vilain studies the biological mechanisms of gender in his lab at UCLA.

Source Kendrick Brinson for OZY

***

Vilain, 50, is dressed in fitted charcoal pants, a flannel button-up shirt and a black collared jacket, with a silver puzzle ring. He looks a bit like Quentin Tarantino with his square, stubbled jawline and heavy brow bone, jutting out over piercing, wide-set eyes. Dont be so surprised. Theres a reason he defies the stereotype of the dowdy, disheveled scientist  gay men. Specifically, researchers at his lab, who gave their boss a makeover. His hair was a disaster, says Francisco Sanchez, a former postdoctoral researcher. They got him a hairdresser and dentist and suggested trading in his clunky specs for contact lenses.

As an adolescent in Paris  an asexual time, he says  Vilain was a geek. The son of a schoolteacher and a manager at a Colgate factory  both of whom encouraged an open-minded outlook  he excelled in school, even skipping a grade, and buried himself in the writings of Jean-Paul Sartre, Michel Foucault and other French philosophers, adopting their humanist credo that people should decide their own destiny. He also read the memoirs of Herculine Barbin, a 19th-century intersex person, discovered and published by Foucault. Designated female at birth, Barbin committed suicide after a medical exam revealed that she also had male genitalia. But Vilain didnt give intersexuality any more thought until he was 19. At the time, he was fulfilling his childhood dream of becoming a pediatrician at Lhopital NeckerEnfants Malades (Necker HospitalSick Children) in central Paris. His first rotation? The referral center for all intersex newborns born at the hospital.

If a trans woman believes she was once a girl trapped in a boys body, Who am I to tell them, Thats probably not true? Vilain says. Can I do that as a scientist?

Seeing his patients for the first time left Vilain shocked  and intensely fascinated. I felt this urge to understand why on Earth it was possible to have genitals develop in such a broad variety, he says. But the surgeons he worked with, according to Vilain, didnt share his awe. When they presented case studies on Saturday mornings, they seemed less concerned with why an infants genitalia appeared a certain way than how to fix it. Reconstructive surgery to make the genitalia look normal would prevent psychological consequences  that was their reported stance, despite the lack of evidence to support their claims. In fact, surgery might even lead to loss of sensation and other complications, necessitating additional surgeries. But Vilain saw them make recommendations anyway. It was very paternalistic, he recalls.

Yves Aigrain, chief of the pediatric urology unit at Necker, wrote in an email that the attitude of French surgeons around the time of Vilains training was for sure more paternalistic than it is today, but it is always very difficult to judge the medical decisions taken more than 20 years ago with todays knowledge. He fully disagrees that they were uninterested in understanding the development of their patients genitalia. Although they had based their decisions more on their own experience monitoring intersex children into adulthood than on controlled studies, they have since begun that research and now inform parents of the possible consequences of different courses of action. The option of delaying any surgical decision until the child may ask himself or herself for a specific repair has to be considered, Aigrain notes.

20160422 vilain toned 032

Eric Vilain

Source Kendrick Brinson for OZY

Disturbed by the hospitals approach to intersex conditions, Vilain took a hiatus from his residency to pursue a Ph.D. in genetics at the Pasteur Institute. To improve care for intersex infants, he needed to understand the genetic mechanism of sex determination and how it can go awry. After earning his Ph.D. and completing his residency, he began a postdoctoral fellowship at UCLA on a sunny, 80-degree day in December 1995. Two years later, he accepted a faculty position and started his own research group, the Center for Gender-Based Biology.

At UCLA, Vilain earned a reputation for brashness. Sanchez recalls his mentors penchant for editorializing during colleagues talks. He has no qualms with vocalizing how bad the presentation is  even though everyone in earshot hears him, says Sanchez, now an assistant professor of at the University of Missouri. During the first talk he attended with Vilain, Sanchez sank sheepishly in his chair as some audience members snickered, while others glared. If he thinks something is bad, he lets you know its bad. Thats just Eric.

While unraveling the genetics of sex determination in the lab, Vilain also saw patients in the pediatric clinic, many of them older than the infants he had worked with in Paris. His mind turned to how sexuality develops later in life: What genes determine who we find attractive? Scientists had been pursuing the same question since at least the 1950s and 60s, with the first studies of homosexuality in twins. They found that if one twin was gay, there was a greater likelihood that the other would be too  especially among identical twins, who share the same genetic code. Spurred by evidence supporting the heritability of homosexuality, researchers began their quest for the gay gene. In 1993, geneticist Dean Hamer published a paper in Science that reported a likely link between homosexuality and a region at the tip of the X chromosome, Xq28, bolstered by a larger study in 2014. But scientists have yet to pinpoint the precise genes involved in sexuality. Maybe its a complex trait, Vilain recalls thinking. Maybe theres a part of the environment that plays a role. He began investigating how the environment might affect DNA by adding chemical markers that turn genes on and off, known as epigenetics.

20160422 vilain toned 019

Fruit flies in Eric Vilains lab at UCLA.

Source Kendrick Brinson for OZY

Last June, there was a backlash after a talk that a former postdoctoral researcher in his lab, Tuck Ngun, gave on a project he had helped lead at the American Society of Human Genetics meeting. To tease apart the environments role, Ngun compared an epigenetic change called methylation  chemical tags that turn genes off  between gay and straight twins. Thirty-seven of the twin pairs in the study consisted of one gay and one straight twin, while in the remaining 10 pairs, both were gay. Ngun scanned DNA extracted from the twins saliva for 400,000 methylation tags. Among those, five differed significantly between gay and straight twins. He then used those tags to develop a model that predicts a mans sexual orientation with 67 percent accuracy. Media outlets ran with the findings, while members of the scientific community criticized the small sample size and statistical methods. Emory University geneticist Peng Jin adds that the methylation differences between gay and straight twins might be too small to translate into any detectable differences in biological function. (Vilain says his lab is recruiting more twins, but hes confident about the statistical methods used for the preliminary sample. Ngun could not be reached for comment.)

Vilain has built on his work in the science of sexuality and started investigating the science of gender identity, or whether we perceive ourselves as male or female. Among male-to-female trans people, gender identity often follows a so-called feminine essence narrative  someone born biologically male feeling like a woman trapped inside the wrong body. Some researchers have proposed that certain brain regions differ in men and women, and that transgenderism results when one or more of these regions arent consistent with the individuals biological sex. One of Vilains projects involves scanning the brains of male-to-female transsexuals for evidence of these male and female brain regions. He hasnt found anything compelling so far  and neither have other researchers. Although he cant rule out the possibility yet, Vilain remains skeptical. His lips tremble nervously, and he stares into his Greek yogurt, grasping for the precise words, aware of their weight: The idea of gender identity as something innate  Im not sure it exists. It may simply be a reflection of how others perceive our gender, which suggests that transgenderism might not exist.

In a Los Angeles Times op-ed he co-wrote last year, Vilain questioned the increasingly common practice of encouraging gender-nonconforming children to socially transition (calling them by an opposite gender name, for instance). He noted that while some gender-nonconforming boys later identify as trans women, the vast majority  more than 80 percent  outgrow their gender dysphoria by puberty, identifying as gay men. Vilain wants to investigate whether the same genetic or epigenetic changes in gay men are found in gender-nonconforming boys. If so, that would suggest gender dysphoria is more often a precursor to homosexuality than to transgenderism. Studies have also found men pushed to transition as children are more likely to identify as transgender  but, Vilain wonders, is that whats best for them? Later, they might decide to fully transition with surgery and hormones, which carry their own risks and side effects. They might even outgrow their gender dysphoria and regret the decision.

Dana Beyer, executive director of Gender Rights Maryland, worries that relying too heavily on findings that most gender-nonconforming boys dont identify as trans could lead parents and others to deny them the right to transition. You cant harm the trans girls because you want to protect those gay boys, she says. But Vilain says hes a big proponent of parents allowing gender-nonconforming children to express themselves in ways typical of the opposite sex  letting their sons play with dolls or grow out their hair. Thats OK, he says, but that does not mean youre a girl. For him, it amounts to another attempt to box people into normative gender categories. Perhaps parents should allow children to dwell in the middle of the spectrum, rather than in the black-and-white extremes. Why cant a boy who likes wearing dresses identify as male?

These gender categories dont exist in nature, points out Juarez, now a transgender woman and program manager of the Transgender Economic Empowerment Project at the Los Angeles LGBT Center. An elephant doesnt collect pink flowers for a girl baby elephant, she says. Humans created narratives about what it means to be masculine or feminine. Restricting ourselves to two neat identities is our way to bring order to the maelstrom of gender and sexuality; we fear uncertainty. Even Juarez wonders, what if she had grown up in an environment where she could explore the in-between region of the gender spectrum? I might not have landed on a specific male or female identity, she says. The new generation is more open to fluidity, she says, with the emergence of heteroflexible, pansexual and a multitude of other labels. Ultimately, however, gender might be something bigger than we even have the language to describe, she says, and thats OK.

***

But it also makes clashes inevitable. Vilains fervid devotion to science above everything else  public opinion especially  has triggered intense reactions. Over the years, hes weathered criticism, invectives, even threats. He recalls a Traditional Values Coalition blog post that slammed the use of taxpayer dollars to fund his research on deviant sexual behaviors. (Traditional Values Coalition President Andrea Lafferty wrote in an email that the organization continues to monitor taxpayer-funded research, the grant process and the abuse of these funds.) One trans activist even labeled him a monster. He has received letters containing what he describes as veiled suggestions of violence. Some of the concerns are ethical. People have accused him of promoting a type of science, he says, one that could be used to screen and abort fetuses. Albert Einstein College of Medicine bioethicist Tia Powell agrees that whether someone decides to distort scientists research findings lies beyond their purview. Still, they should mention how others might abuse their work, which Vilain has done in public lectures about his research, dismissing myths about the cause of homosexuality  clarifying that they dont include a distant father or controlling mother, for instance. Its impossible to end this kind of research and inappropriate to do so, Powell says. Questions around sexual attraction and what people think about romantic love are among the questions people care most about in the world.

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And the discovery that the environment can influence sexuality implies that it can be changed through conversion therapy or other means. Others point out that it undermines the argument often invoked to secure equal rights for LGBT individuals  that they cant change their orientation. Vilain finds it a very strange use of the science. Although his findings dont entirely rule out genetics, he says LGBT individuals deserve basic human rights regardless. Vilain also knows his research lies at odds with the narratives of the very communities he studies, and he grapples with the existential questions it raises. If a trans woman genuinely believes she was once a girl trapped in a boys body, Who am I to tell them, Thats probably not true? Vilain says. Can I do that as a scientist?

Trans critics often point out that, as a white cis man  a male who was born biologically male  Vilain can easily discount the feeling of being trapped in the wrong body, having never experienced it himself. Juarez cant help but think that would influence his work. Whether the individual would acknowledge it or not, hes been given privilege. Trans people are tired of cis academics treating them like curiosities and telling their stories, she says. Vilain, though, claims not to have an identity  in fact, he staunchly spurns the very concept. Questions about his own experiences with gender and sexual orientation make him cagey. Sanchez described attending a birthday party hosted by Vilain and his wife at their Brentwood home, but Vilain neither confirms nor denies his marital status. I dont identify as LGBT  he pauses  or straight either. Its not something I wake up in the morning and think about. Even if he did identify as cis, he notes that just as atheists can still study the impact of religion on behavior, gender and sexuality researchers neednt be sexual minorities themselves to understand them. Thats not how science works.

Vilain insists that his only agenda is to understand what makes us human. Our sexuality forms a huge part of who we are, he says. Society can decide what to do with the science. Still, amid the constant opposition and scant funding, Vilain sometimes feels tempted to walk away. A few months ago, a UCLA colleague invited him to collaborate on a project to investigate Ebola susceptibility in the Congo. Securing grant money would be a breeze, and who would protest Ebola research? I could have it easier, Vilain admits, but I feel like my work is not done.

This article has been updated to reflect Francisco Sanchezs latest position.

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Quick thinking helped save the lives of North Carolina mother Carolyn Lloyd and her daughter Rachel after the pair got lost for four days during a hike in New Zealand.



Carolyn, 45, was visiting daughter Rachel, 22, in New Zealand  where she's studying at Massey University  when the decided to trek through Tararua Forest Park, they told ABC News.



After getting lost, however, Rachel fell in the water and hit her head on a rock, quickly "fading,"  a situation her mother called "terrifying."



"I was speaking with my mom  I was actually [sic] had to go through kind of my dying wishes, which was the hardest thing  watching my mom watch me suffer and die slowly," Rachel said. "My mom was incredible. She carried me on her back for a little while when she could."







Fearing the worst, Rachel and Carolyn rationed their food supplies and huddled together to survive the near-freezing temperatures. Gathering branches and sticks, the pair created "help" signs to help point search teams to their location



"I was scared to death," Carolyn told ABC. "I thought they wouldn't find us."



Eventually, however, the signs helped an Amalgamated Helicopters rescue team track down the women, and airlift them to a hospital, the New Zealand Hearald reported.



"They were certainly keen to make their presence known," Amalgamated Helicopters director and chief pilot Jason Diedrichs, who found the Lloyds, told the Herald. "They were a little bit worse for wear, they'd been in there for four nights out in the open with very little food so they were definitely feeling the effects of that."



Carolyn's husband and Rachel's father Barry Lloyd told ABC that Rachel was still hospitalized as of Sunday, but is expected to make a full recovery.





Watch the Dramatic Rescue of an 18-month-old Utah Toddler Trapped in a Car for Nearly 14 Hours





The Lloyd's harrowing rescue was similar to that of three men who were found after being stranded on an island in the Pacific Ocean earlier this month.



The men, who were stuck on the island for three days, were also found after using palm fronds to spell out "HELP," which flagged the U.S. Coast Guard.
By Alan Baldwin SOCHI, Russia, May 1 (Reuters) - Formula One will decide by July which head protection device it favours for 2017 with more testing likely at the Spanish and Monaco Grands Prix, race director Charlie Whiting said on Sunday. Red Bull tested an 'aeroscreen' fitted to the front of the cockpit in Friday practice at the Russian Grand Prix while Ferrari tried out a 'halo' device in pre-season testing in Barcelona. Whiting told reporters in Sochi that it "would be unreasonable" to leave a decision any later than July 1 because teams needed to incorporate the new device into their 2017 designs. New rules, aimed at making cars faster and more exciting with wider tyres and revised aerodynamics, are being introduced for 2017. "There are different load cases for each design because the halo has a central mounting and the 'aeroscreen' has two on the sides with nothing in the middle," Whiting said. Whiting, who also oversees safety for the governing International Automobile Federation (FIA), said only one of the two concepts would be taken forward with a likely sole supplier. The FIA's F1 Commission will make the final decision. Before then, further tests will be carried out to ensure there is no risk of the driver's head hitting the structure in an impact. "What we are doing is some sledwork with a dummy to try to simulate more precisely just how much room you need in order to make sure that the driver's head doesn't make contact with it -- as they are both substantial structures," Whiting added. "That is the next phase of work, which I am told should be completed within two weeks." Red Bull were also seeking special coatings for the interior and exterior of the 'aeroscreen' to reduce glare and ensure nothing sticks to it. The halo has no screen. "It's quite difficult where you have tall buildings, trees, low sun, those sorts of effects, that you will probably get in Monaco and Monza, where there are natural features," Whiting said of the screen. Improving head protection has become a priority after the deaths last year of Briton Justin Wilson, who was hit by debris in an IndyCar crash, and Frenchman Jules Bianchi. Sunday also marked the anniversary of the 1994 death of Brazilian triple champion Ayrton Senna at Italy's Imola racetrack. The front wheel of the Williams bounced back in that impact with the wall, with Senna's helmet penetrated by a suspension arm. (Editing by John O'Brien)
By Alan Baldwin SOCHI, Russia, May 1 (Reuters) - Ferrari's Sebastian Vettel let rip with a blast of swear words after two first lap collisions with Red Bull's Daniil Kvyat dumped him out of the Russian's home race on Sunday. The two had traded barbs at the previous Chinese Grand Prix when Vettel took issue with an aggressive first lap overtake down the inside by the Russian that triggered a collision between the Ferraris. They lined up together on the fourth row of the grid in Sochi and chaos ensued. The Russian twice smashed into the rear of the Ferrari at successive corners, the second impact shunting the four times world champion -- who won his titles with Red Bull -- into the wall. Vettel's reaction over team radio was mostly censored with bleeps for television audiences. "I'm out. Crashed. Somebody hit me in the ... rear at turn two, and then somebody hit me in the ... rear again in turn three," the German ranted. "Honestly. what the ... are we doing here?," exclaimed the German, who had called Kvyat a 'madman' in China and accused him of launching himself like a torpedo through the field. Stewards imposed a 10 second stop/go penalty on Kvyat for causing the collisions. The Russian had said before the start that he would do nothing different. "You can never know how the start is going to go, it's all about instinct. you have to react on what is happening around you so I really don't know what the start will be like," he had told reporters. Vettel, who won three races last season for Ferrari and finished second in China, got out after the impact and picked up the shattered front wing, trying to stuff it into the cockpit. He then commandeered a scooter from a marshal, riding it back to the paddock with the official behind as a passenger, before seeking out Red Bull team principal Christian Horner on the pitwall. "It was not my fault - there was nothing I would do differently," the German told the BBC. "I don't dislike him (Kvyat). I think he did a mistake two weeks ago and I think he did a mistake today." The race was Vettel's second blank in four this season, the German failing to start in Bahrain after his car's engine blew on the formation lap. He finished third in the Australian season-opener. (Reporting by Alan Baldwin, editing by Pritha Sarkar)
By Alan Baldwin SOCHI, Russia, May 1 (Reuters) - Red Bull's Daniil Kvyat apologised to Ferrari's Sebastian Vettel, and braced for criticism, after crashing into the German in a moment of May Day madness at his home Russian Grand Prix on Sunday. Kvyat misjudged his braking point and hit the back of the red car twice on the opening lap to leave Vettel in the wall and fuming. "There was a bit going on," said Kvyat by way of explanation. "I think in the last moment I didn't expect it (the Ferrari) to slow so much. "All the mess came from me," he added. "Of course it doesn't feel great but these things happen sometimes. It's probably the messiest (start) of my career. I will learn from it, and of course apologies to everyone involved. "Everyone will attack me, but I'm okay with that," said the Russian, who had been branded a 'madman' by Vettel for an overtake at the previous race in China that triggered a collision between the Ferrari drivers. Vettel, who won his four world titles with Red Bull before departing to Ferrari and allowing Kvyat to graduate from sister team Toro Rosso, went to have a word with Red Bull principal Christian Horner when he returned to the pit lane. Horner accepted that his driver, who was handed a 10-second stop/go penalty by the stewards, was at fault. "The bottom line is he misjudged it, he hit the back of Seb, that concertina-ed into (Red Bull's) Daniel (Ricciardo) and that was pretty much the end of our afternoon, unfortunately," he told reporters. Australian Ricciardo, who had finished fourth in the previous three races, ended up 11th with Kvyat crossing the line 15th. "I'm sure he was pumped up for his home race but I think it just took him by surprise from what he said, about how quickly the car stopped ahead of him," said Horner. "He's young and it's the first time he's been involved in an incident like this and I'm sure he'll learn from it." Asked what Vettel had said to him, Horner replied: "He said hello and made his thoughts well known and all I could do was apologise to him." (Editing by Ed Osmond)
[UPDATED 9:32 PM with video of President Obamas full remarks.]

Im sorry I was a little late tonight, I was running on CPT, said President Barack Obama tonight kicking off his remarks at his final White House Correspondents Dinner. Which stands for Jokes white people should not make, he added in what was the first clear blast of the night in reference to the ill considered and racially themed routine Hillary Clinton and NYC Mayor Bill De Blasio did onstage in the Big Apple a few weeks back to much criticism. With often lackluster response, Obamas remarks on Saturday night slammed Clinton and also Donald Trump, Ted Cruz and CNN with shout-outs to Game Of Thrones and Dame Helen Mirren.

You know I have to talk about Trump, Obama teased near the end of his speech in the jokes everyone was waiting for tonight. Is this dinner too tacky for the Donald? he jabbed remarking on all the cameras and celebs in attendance and the absence of past dinner guest Trump.

Donald Trump Washington Post Book

After hitting out Trump running waterfront properties into the ground, Obama said he would back off on the GOP candidate but then went right after him again. I think we can all agree that from the start hes gotten the appropriate amount of coverage fitting the seriousness of his candidacy, the President added with a smile. I hope you all are proud of yourselves, he zinged the assembled media. The guy wanted to give his hotel business a boost and now were praying that Cleveland makes it through July, Obama added with a reference to potential violence at the GOP convention in the Ohio city if Trump is denied the nomination. Surprisingly Trump did not rise to the bait online by responding to the jokes at his expense.

In an homage to Kobe Bryants remarks at the end of his last game earlier this month, the President literally dropped the mic and said Obama Out after praising the value of a free press in public life.

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With that, I have just two more words to say: Obama Out. @POTUS #WHCD pic.twitter.com/RQSDh92YsU  The White House (@WhiteHouse) May 1, 2016

Before that rather staged exit, Obama also made fun of Clinton in contrast to rival Bernie Sanders Feel The Bern slogan with what he said should be hers  Trudge Up The Hill.

You got to admit though, the incumbent added after listing a series of Clintons attributes, Hillary trying to appeal to young voters is a little bit like your relative who just signed up for Facebook. He followed that with the line did you get my poke and a rather poor impersonation of Aunt Hillary after giving Sanders, who stood up to big applause, some kinder words  not that Obama obviously thinks the Vermont Senator is following him to the White House.

hillary clinton nov 3 2015 2

Next year at this time, someone else will be standing here in this very spot but its anyones guess who she will be, the President quipped earlier with an obvious shout to his former Secretary of State and Democratic frontrunner Clinton. Still Hillary time wasnt over yet as her Wall Street speaking fees got a dig from Obama too. If this material works well, Im going to use it at Goldman Sachs next year, earn me some serious Tubmans, he cracked about the soon-ish new face of the $20 bill.

But it was Donald Trump that Obama really had in his sights tonight.

The last time I was this high I was trying to decide on my major, said Obama of his current polls numbers. To explain the latest rise in his popularity, the President then showed very unflattering photos of GOP contenders Ted Cruz and Donald Trump. Obama also slammed Trump for supposedly inflating his income in relation to guest and fellow billionaire Michael Bloomberg, who is actually worth the amount of money he says he is.

After slamming the loose GOP race and the hope of many that House Speaker Paul Ryan was running and not chicken or fish Cruz and Trump, Obama slagged Ohio Gov. John Kasich as someone who isnt polling high enough to warrant his own joke tonight. A duel image of Kasich eating was then shown on the monitor.

Hollywood got a lot of airtime in the Presidents remarks tonight. Obama gave HBOs Game of Thrones an unspecified reference when mentioning the bloody Red Wedding episode in regards to maybe how he should deal with Republicans who want to block his SCOTUS nominee. Naming Spotlight stars in the house, Obama called the Oscar winning film about chasing down the truth and holding the powerful accountable the best fantasy film since Star Wars  before admitting that was maybe a cheap shot against journalists in general. Im not sure what she does but I hear my Twitter mentions are about to go through the roof, said Obama of Kendal Jenner before offering a genuine appreciation of Helen Mirren, who stood to even bigger applause than Sanders.

As he has in past years, POTUS took potshots at the cable news networks. Jake Tapper left journalism to join CNN, Obama said to big laughs and some jeers from the well-heeled media crowd, which included Tapper himself. However, Obama did praise the Pulitzer Prize winning journalism of the Boston Globes Spotlight team  who were in the house with the cast and creatives of the Oscar winning film based on their work. Oddly, Obama laid off Fox News, which has long been an object of his WHCD scorn in past years.

The Presidents remarks Saturday night before First Lady Michelle Obama, the media and Hollywood elite will be followed by Larry Wilmore. The Nightly Show host has said that he will be bringing up issues of race, the Presidents legacy and the 2016 election in his routine. As usual, The New York Times doesnt have tables at the WHCD but Fox News Channel, CNN, NBC News, ABC News, CBS News, the Boston Globe (who actually invited the director and cast members from Oscar winner Spotlight and the real-life journalists who inspired the pic), the Wall Street Journal, the Washington Post, Vanity Fair, Bloomberg are all there with their own stars and headline attracting guests. From what I hear from sources, FNC superstar and Trump on and off-nemesis Megyn Kelly was by far one of the biggest attractions of this years WHCD.

RelatedLarry Wilmore On White House Correspondents Dinner: Im Going To Open With A Yo Mama So Fat Joke

Will Smith WHCD 2016

Though some said the Tinseltown glamour was looking like it could dim this year, the 102nd gathering of the White House Correspondents Association was Hollywood A-lister strong for 2016. Long time Obama supporters Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith brought a big spotlight and then there was a trio of fictional POTUS there as well with Independence Day: Resurgences Sela Ward, Scandals Tony Goldwyn and Deep Impacts Morgan Freeman. Beverly Hills powerhouses WMEs Ari Emanuel, whose brother Rahm was Obamas first Chief of Staff and is the current Mayor of Chicago, and UTAs Jay Sures, who is Wilmores agent and a pal of fellow attendee Vice President Joe Biden, are there tonight too. AMPAS President Cheryl Boone Isaacs and MPAA boss Chris Dodd are at the Washington Hilton as guests of FNC. The representation of real-life former Commander-in-Chief Lyndon Baines Johnson is there in the form of HBOs All The Ways Bryan Cranston as is a real-life White House contender in Sen. Sanders and his wife Jane.

Carrie Fisher, Tom Hiddleston

Democratic frontrunner Hillary Clinton and GOP frontrunner Donald Trump were not among the 2,700 guests in the Washington Hilton ballroom. However, while the ex-Apprentice host has attended as recently as last year, his eldest sons Donald Jr. and Eric were there tonight representing the family. As for Team Hillary, the former First Ladys right hand lady Huma Abedin is in the Hilton Ballroom.

Among the Tinseltown guests: Star Wars star Carrie Fisher and her dog, The Night Managers Tom Hiddleston, Quanticos Priyanka Chopra, acting royalty Helen Mirren, Keanus Keegan-Michael Key (who helped POYUS bring the house down last year), ID 2s Jeff Goldblum and Vivica Fox, black-ishs Anthony Anderson, Tracee Ellis Ross and series creator Kenya Barris, Blindspots Jaime

Jared Leto whcd 2106

Alexander, Suicide Squads Jared Leto looking relatively fashion tame, TGIT mastermind Shonda Rhimes, Kerry Washington and almost the entire cast of Scandal. Also in attendance: The West Wing alum Dule Hill, ex-Vampire Diaries star Nina Dobrev, the co-hosts of The View, Emma Watson, DJ Khaled, UnReals Constance Zimmer, Bill Nye the Science Guy, Blue Bloods Bridget Moynahan, Keeping Up With the Kardashians Kendall Jenner, House of Cards Michael Kelly and Neve Campbell, Gabrielle Union, Daredevil star and big time Sanders supporter Rosario Dawson, Miles Teller, Aretha Franklin, Downton Abbeys Michelle Dockery and more bringing the glam factor.

The fact is if the reigns of Bill Clinton and George W. Bush saw celebrity wattage rising, the Obama Era has seen it become the brightest thing about the once dusty WHCD after the POTUS himself. Even with that the WHCA gave out a round of scholarships and awards tonight. Receiving a standing ovation when Association prez Carol Lee introduced him, Washington Post journalist Jason Rezaian, who was imprisoned in Iran up until January this year, handed out the awards for White House coverage. The WSJs Lee herself received the Aldo Beckman Memorial Award For Outstanding White House Coverage, which must have been a pretty stellar way to the near end of her term heading the WHCA. The pre-remarks portion of the event also featured an 8-minute greatest hits video of the Obama administration that also included teleprompter mishaps, verbal gaffs and an Eminem soundtrack.

With some literal bathroom humor thrown in, Obama in his remarks joked about Canadian PM Justin Trudeau as the new bright light of Western leaders, the death panels of his Health Care reforms, gridlock in DC, if hes black enough and how he has aged in office  the latter being a pretty standard line in his WHCD remarks over the years. Its a tough transition, he said about his final year in office. Similar to what Bill Clinton did in his final year, Obama then showed a video costarring Biden and former Speaker John Boehner about what Obama would do in DC after leaving the White House.

Watch Couch Commander here:

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Hail to the chief, baby.

At the White House Correspondents' Dinner on Saturday, President Obama proved he can drag Donald Trump way harder than Trump has ever managed to drag the president, devoting several minutes of his closing routine to taking the real-estate billionaire and presumptive Republican down a notch.

Obama really dragged Trump in front of everyone like that. I'm gonna miss this man so much. #WHCD #obamaouthttps://amp.twimg.com/v/b994b5bd-2b44-4a42-a8bf-d0cf8c3a0527 ...

"The Republican establishment is incredulous that he's their most likely nominee," Obama said. "Incredulous! Shocking! They say Donald lacks the foreign policy experience to be president. But in fairness, he has spent years meeting with leaders around the world  Miss Sweden, Miss Argentina, Miss Azerbaijan."

I am really going to miss President Obama. Because his ultimate trolling of Donald Trump right now is fantastic. #WHCD #NerdProm

Trump or Clinton? President Obama will be a very tough act to follow at #NerdProm. His comedic timing is quite impressive.

Obama on Trump: I'm a little hurt that he's not here... We had so much fun the last time...Is this dinner too tacky?pic.twitter.com/9pxx8FIZYd https://pbs.twimg.com/media/ChVlnj_UoAANP4g.jpg:large

Obama str8 clowning Trump. http://snpy.tv/1QJFgmA

"And there's an area where Donald's experience could be invaluable, and that's closing Guantanamo," the president continued. "Because Trump knows a thing or two about running waterfront properties into the ground."

Mocking the media's obsession with Trump, Obama joked about likely chaos at the Republican National Convention this year: "The guy wanted to give his hotel business a boost and now we're praying that Cleveland makes it through July." Later, he said Republicans attending the correspondents' dinner, unable to decide between steak or fish, "wrote in 'Paul Ryan.'"

Obama also took a swipe at Trump's chances vs. Democratic frontrunner Hillary Clinton in the general election, saying "Next year this time someone else will be standing here in this very spot. It's anyone's guess who she will be."

Finally, he ended the routine with the perfect send-off.

Watch Obama drop the mic at the end of his last #WHCDhttp://snpy.tv/1r7p9uf

God damn. The U.S. constitution prohibits Obama from running for a third term, but can we at least get the guy a late-night show or something?
Iran is ready to transfer its experience in fighting terrorism to the international community, Head of Iran's Expediency Council Ayatollah Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani said on Saturday, Irna reported.

He made the remarks in a meeting with visiting President of Belgian Senate Christine Defraigne.

Iran is a victim of terrorism and the present security in the country is due to the Islamic Republic's longstanding fight against terrorism, the senior cleric added.

Ayatollah Rafsanjani said that Iran is ready to transfer its experience in fighting terrorism to the international community.

Referring to the spread of terrorism in the world and recent criminal attacks in Brussels and Paris, he called terrorists as a global danger.

He warned about access of terrorists to Weapons of Mass Destruction including the chemical weapons and said that elimination of this dangerous phenomenon requires fundamental global action.

Ayatollah Rafsanjani called for a boost in all-out ties between Iran and Belgium, adding that there is no limitation for expansion of ties between Tehran and other European capitals including Brussels.

He pointed to the results of parliamentary elections in Iran after the nuclear deal and said that it is better for US and EU to avoid throwing obstacles on the way of execution of the nuclear deal.

The world expected the US to do its best in implementing the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action similar to what Washington did for finalizing it, the official added.
Washington (AFP) - US President Barack Obama's eldest daughter Malia will attend Harvard University in 2017 after taking a year off from her studies, the White House said Sunday.

The 17-year-old will be following in the footsteps of her parents, both of whom went to Harvard Law School.

The news came in a statement from the office of First Lady Michelle Obama, which did not specify what Malia will do during her break after graduating from high school.

Students often use a "gap year" to travel, work or otherwise gain experience outside the classroom.

Malia Obama will attend Harvard starting in the autumn of 2017 and is scheduled to graduate in 2021.

Where Malia would go to college has been a subject of much speculation and interest in Washington.

As part of her college search she visited several Ivy League and liberal arts schools on the East Coast, the New York Times reported.

The Obamas have said they will keep living in Washington after the president leaves office in January, so that their younger daughter, Sasha, can finish her high school studies here.
Baghdad (AFP) - Thousands of wide-eyed Iraqis marvelled at the fountains, flowers and perfect lawns in Baghdad's Green Zone on Sunday, a day after protesters breached the walls of the fortified area.

"This is the first time I've been here since I came with my school under Saddam (Hussein)," said 32-year-old Yusef al-Assadi after snapping a "selfie" in front of the monument to the unknown soldier.

The visitors were mostly protesters who broke in on Saturday but also included Baghdadis taking the opportunity to see an area that was off-limits for so many years that it acquired almost mythical status in the psyche of ordinary citizens.

Small groups formed sporadically to wave Iraqi flags and chant slogans against Iraq's "corrupt political elite" or in support of Moqtada al-Sadr, the young cleric who masterminded weeks of protests demanding a new cabinet.

But there was a fairground atmosphere in most of the areas of the Green Zone protesters could access Sunday, with disparate groups visiting all of the key sites one by one like tourists.

"I will never forget this day," said Ali Jabbar Taher, pacing around the corridors under the monument to the unknown soldier, a striking memorial designed by an Italian architect in the late seventies.

"Look at all this, it's incredible... There's a door here... and another there," he said, as he used the torchlight on his mobile phone to explore the monument's basement.

- Baghdad blind spot -

"I never thought I would come here one day. And the grass, the fountains in the Green Zone... all the politicians were keeping all of it to themselves."

The Green Zone houses parliament, which protesters stormed on Saturday, the prime minister's office, the presidency and several other key institutions and top officials' homes.

At the foot of the unknown soldier's monument, men removed their sandals and waded in a cascading fountain to cool off.

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"My God, this water is amazing. It's not like the water we get in Sadr City," said one middle-aged man who lives in the huge neighbourhood in northern Baghdad where Moqtada al-Sadr enjoys a large following.

The euphoria of discovering what had been a blind spot on most Iraqis' map for years yielded other equally fanciful claims, but nobody seemed ready to let hard facts break the spell of a perfect day.

"These are the most beautiful days of my life," said Hussein al-Ali, who had laid blankets under a tree to rest with four of his friends.

"These flowers, this grass... Iraq is rich, all of Iraq should be like this," said Ali, a soft-spoken 53-year-old from the southern city of Basra with a short salt-and-pepper beard and a white skullcap.

On the nearby parade grounds, almost everybody stopped for a picture under the "Crossed Swords monument", another Baghdad landmark that had remained out of bounds since invading US-led forces established the Green Zone in 2003.

- 'A crazy day!' -

Huge crossed swords held by hands said to have been modelled on those of former president Saddam Hussein form the two triumphal arches.

Between the two arches, men took it in turns to sit in the chairs on the presidential stand, some mimicking Saddam's military salute, others imitating his speeches.

One ecstatic youngster got on the phone as soon as he'd had his turn. "I sat in Saddam's chair! I'm not joking, it's a crazy day!"

All around the parade grounds, protesters laid down blankets and set up a few tents, sometimes gathering for prayers.

Boys in their underwear jumped from a military statue into a pool, while vendors did brisk business selling everything from popsicles to mobile phone chargers.

The peaceful and joyful atmosphere belied the momentous nature of the situation: protesters roaming freely in the Green Zone, one of the world's most high-security institutional quarters.

The American embassy in Baghdad -- the world's largest -- lies just a few hundred yards (metres) from where the protesters who stormed parliament Saturday were gathered.

"Iraqis had a revolution in 1920 against the British, one in 1958 against the monarchy. This should be considered Iraq's third revolution," said Hussein al-Ali.

"We hope it will be peaceful."
Oscar- and Grammy-winning composer Atticus Ross and his composer-wife Claudia Sarne have listed their Hollywood Hills home for $1.69 million.

Located just a few turns off Laurel Canyon Drive, the three-level wooden treehouse has four bedrooms, 4 baths and three outdoor decks.

Ross, who won the Oscar for best achievement in music written for motion pictures, original score in 2011 for The Social Network and the Grammy for best score soundtrack for visual media in 2012 for The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, said the home's cedar beams are his favorite design feature. "They were originally salvaged from a convent downtown and beyond their obvious beauty provide a warmth, security and aesthetic which infuses the rest of the house. There's a history and soulfulness to them that no amount of glass and concrete could ever match," he told The Hollywood Reporter.

Read More: Motley Crue's Tommy Lee Lists Calabasas Home for $5.9M

The contemporary house, which was originally built using wooden beams and elements salvaged from a convent in downtown Los Angeles in 1987 but has since been rebuilt and expanded overtime, has exposed post and beam-style architecture throughout.

Though Ross cites several spaces and rooms as his favorite - including the upstairs area, master bedroom and bath and the bottom studio level ("there's nowhere else in the world I feel more creative") - he also listed the multiple decks high on his list.

"They look into the canyon and beyond - one can see the Hollywood sign in the distance," the composer told THR. "Although we're just a few minutes drive from the heart of the city, it's incredibly quiet and peaceful. Some people prefer a city view, but for me it's always been the canyon, and particularly this one where nature dominates man rather than the other way around."

Large windows and white accents across the three-tiers brighten the space, inviting the Southern California sun indoors while overlooking the expansive views of the canyon, mountain and landmarks below. For those who enjoy basking in nature, hiking trails are nearby.

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Ideal for the music-maker, the house features two recording studios, as well as a separate "man cave."

Recalling his favorite memory of the home, Ross said: "Bringing home two children to begin their lives here."

Richard Stearns and Carrie Berkman Lewis of Partners Trust are the listing agents.

See More: Oscar-Winning Composer Atticus Ross' Hollywood Hills Home (Photos)
By Manuel Mogato MANILA (Reuters) - Islamist militants in the southern Philippines released 10 Indonesian hostages on Sunday, ending a month-long ordeal during which a kidnapped Canadian held by the same group was beheaded after a ransom deadline passed. The chief of police on Jolo island said the hostages, who were crew of a Taiwanese-owned tugboat intercepted by Abu Sayyaf rebels, were delivered to the local governor's home at around 1 a.m. ET then taken to an army base. "They appeared tired but were in high spirits," said Police Superintendent Junpikar Sitin. Police and military officials said it was unclear whether or not a ransom was paid for the men. The Philippines rarely publicizes such payments, but it is widely believed no captives are released without them. The fate of four other hostages from Indonesia held by a different Abu Sayyaf faction is unknown. Indonesia's foreign ministry had no immediate comment on Sunday's release of the 10 detainees. Abu Sayyaf, a formidable and brutal militia known for amassing tens of millions of dollars from the ransom business, is now holding 13 people, among them four Malaysian seamen and Japanese, Netherlands, Canadian, Norwegian and Filipino citizens. John Ridsdel, 68, a former mining executive, was executed on Monday by the Abu Sayyaf, which kidnapped him and three others from a resort last year. His head was found in a bag a few hours after the deadline passed and a torso was discovered two days after. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau called it "an act of cold-blooded murder" and has urged countries not to pay ransoms. The price for his life was 300 million pesos ($6.41 million). Philippine President Benigno Aquino has vowed to devote all his energy to eliminating the group before he steps down in two months. But the group's network is deeply entrenched and efforts to flush out its fighters have proved to be a big challenge for the 2,500 Philippine troops engaging them. The lucrative business has allowed Abu Sayyaf, whose name translates as "Bearer of the Sword", to invest in high-powered boats, weapons and modern communications equipment. With poverty and joblessness rife, it is able to recruit with ease. Foreign ministers of the Philippines, Indonesia and Malaysia are due to meet in Jakarta this week to discuss ways to work together to secure key shipping routes in the waters between the three countries. (Reporting by Manuel Mogato; Additional reporting by Randy Fabi in Jakarta; Writing by Martin Petty; Editing by Kim Coghill)
Baku, Azerbaijan, May 1

By Farhad Daneshvar - Trend:

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani has expressed hope that the country's newly elected parliament will be in coordination with the government to fulfil the president's electoral promises.

Addressing a number of workers of the MAPNA industrial group on Labor Day, President Rouhani criticized his opponents who opposed the last year's nuclear deal with the world powers describing them as "pessimists", ILNA news agency reported May 1.

"On the implementation day of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action [JCPOA, aka nuclear deal], the pessimists said the Westerners will not fulfil their commitments regarding the JCPOA and the government will not succeed in implementing the deal," Rouhani stated.

Rouhani further criticized his opponents for downplaying the government's achievements on the nuclear deal and said the "pessimists" described the increase in Iran's oil exports after the removal of sanctions as an unimportant change.

The president also said the "pessimists" even downplayed the removal of banking sanctions following the nuclear deal.

He further stated the need for luring foreign investments and said that advancing in the industry without investments is impossible.

While Rouhani's opponents gained about 29 percent, the pro-Rouhani candidates secured about 46 percent in the 290-seat parliament following the two rounds of elections.

The run-off elections to fill 68 seats in the 290-seat parliament were held Apr. 29.

Iran held the 10th parliamentary elections on Feb. 26 with an overall turnout of 62 percent nationwide.

The new parliament is scheduled to begin its session on May 27.
Senior spring in the United States means that gazillions of 17- and 18-year-olds are RSVPing to the colleges theyll attend in the fall  and in some cases, sending along hefty tuition deposits, too.

These days, its almost four times more expensive to get a college education than it was 30 years ago. At the same time, a college education has become more of a must-have than a nice-to-have. Some experts suggest that by 2020, two-thirds of jobs will require a college education.

The result of these trends: a whopping $1.2 trillion in student-loan debt. For millennials and Gen Xers, that equals one heck of a hangover  and its effects have reverberated throughout the economy. Debt-ridden 20-somethings are less likely to own homes and set up their own households.

Which leads us to the topic of Tuesdays Point Taken debate, hosted by our own Carlos Watson and originally aired on PBS: Is college worth the price tag? Check out the episode, above, and learn more about the debate here.

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Warsaw (AFP) - A group of bikers from the infamous pro-Kremlin Night Wolves club, heading for Germany to celebrate the anniversary of victory over the Nazis, was denied entry to Poland Sunday, officials said.

The seven bikers were turned back at the Terespol-Brest post on the border between Belarus and Poland for "security" reasons, border guards said.

They were four Slovaks, two Germans and a Russian. The refusal was justified by the need to "guarantee public order", said Terespol border guards spokesman Dariusz Siennicki.

They were hoping to join some other Russian bikers already in Poland after entering at other border points, and a few dozen Polish bikers who were to escort them across the country.

"They didn't let them enter Poland, citing security reasons. It's crazy. We are heading back to Warsaw without them," the head of the Rajd Katynski Polish bikers' group, Wiktor Wegrzyn, told AFP by phone.

Poland said Friday it had banned a group of Russian motorbikers from crossing its territory on their way to Berlin on concerns that some may belong to the Night Wolves club, fiercely loyal to Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The bikers want to cross central Europe on their way to the German capital to celebrate the 71st anniversary of World War II victory on May 9.

Last year, the Night Wolves were also banned from entering Poland amid tense relations between Moscow and Warsaw.

The Russian foreign ministry last week called the ban a "malevolent and cynical gesture", designed to "prevent a group of Russian citizens from paying a tribute to Soviet soldiers killed while liberating Europe from fascism".

"It is particularly outrageous because Russian authorities allowed Poland to organise a commemorative ceremony in Smolensk, Russia in April" at the site of the 2010 plane crash that killed Polish president Lech Kaczynski and a host of the country's high-ranking officials, the ministry added in a statement.

Established in 1989, shortly before the break-up of the Soviet Union, the Night Wolves comprise 5,000 members from across the territory of the former eastern empire.

The motorbikers have appeared in Crimea, the Ukrainian peninsula annexed by Russia in March 2014, as well as in the eastern Ukrainian separatist region of Lugansk, where several Night Wolves joined the pro-Russian rebel army.
By Philip Pullella VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - Pope Francis called for "severe punishment" for pedophiles on Sunday after new details emerged in Italy of the 2014 death of a six-year-old girl who is alleged to have been thrown from an eighth-storey balcony by her abuser. "This is a tragedy. We should not tolerate the abuse of minors," Francis said, departing from prepared remarks at his weekly Sunday message and blessing to tens of thousands of people in St. Peter's Square. "We must protect minors and severely punish abusers," he said. Though the Catholic Church itself has been rocked by its own abuse scandals, he did not mention them on Sunday as he has in the past. Italians have been shocked as details emerged in the case of six-year-old Fortuna who died in June 2014 after a fall from an eighth-storey balcony in Naples. After re-opening the case, police charged a 43-year-old man with having thrown the girl to her death in a housing block in a rough area of the city after raping her. Police said they suspected he killed her so she would not talk. The man, who has also been accused of molesting other children and is now in prison in Rome, has denied the charges. On Saturday Italian President Sergio Mattarella called for an "ample, rapid and severe" judicial process concerning the case, which has dominated newspapers' front pages for days. Child abuse by priests has plagued the Roman Catholic Church itself for decades. While some cases of sexual abuse in the Church were exposed piecemeal, such as in the U.S. state of Louisiana in the 1980s, the scandal exploded in 2002, when it was discovered that U.S. bishops in the Boston area moved abusers from parish to parish instead of defrocking them. Similar scandals have since been discovered around the world and tens of millions of dollars have been paid in compensation. While the pope has vowed "zero tolerance" for abusers in the Church, victims groups have accused him of not doing enough. They say he should do much more to make bishops more accountable for covering up abuse or not preventing it. A commission he set up to advise him on how to root out abuse in the Church has struggled to find its stride. In February, Peter Saunders of Britain, a prominent and outspoken member, stepped down in protest. In March, Cardinal George Pell, under fire for his handling of sexual abuse of children by priests in Australia decades ago, gave four days of evidence to an Australian government commission, which again put the Church's problem with abuse on the world stage. (Reporting By Philip Pullella; Editing by Richard Balmforth)
President Obama delivered laughs in Washington D.C. at a dinner honoring journalists Saturday, jabbing the media and the 2016 presidential candidates.

Obama was giving his eighth and final White House Correspondents Assocation dinner and the president is known for his comedic delivery at the event, where he often pokes fun at himself and the years top headlines.

Front and center at this years dinner was the upcoming presidential election.

First up was Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders, who though behind front-runner Hillary Clinton has electrified young voters across the country, carrying several state primaries.

Bernie, you look like a million bucks or to put in terms youll actually understand you look like 37,000 small donations of $27 each, Obama said, adding a joke about his daughter Malia, 15, wanting to go to the music festival Burning Man. Bernie might have let her go, not us.

The Republican nomination fight took a hit, with Obama saying that things on the other side of the aisle were a bit more loose and cracking a joke about attempts to nominate House Speaker Paul Ryan, noting that steak and fish were the dinner options and a whole bunch of you wrote in Paul Ryan.

Obama questioned why Republican frontrunner Donald Trump wasnt in attendance, referencing the time he roasted Trump at the 2011 dinner. You know Im going to talk about Trump, although Im mad hes not here, we had so much fun the last time, he said. Is this dinner too tacky for the Donald, what could he possibly be doing instead?

Nightly Show host Larry Wilmore, this years host, joined in on the fun, earning laughs on everything from Harriet Tubmans placement on the $20 bill to Trump.

Guys I am not surprised Donald Trump is happening to America, because I watch movies,  Wilmore joked. Every time theres a black president something always comes to destroy the Earth.

The President concluded the speech by thanking the media and uttering a final good bye: Obama, out.
President Barack Obama literally dropped the mic during his final White House Correspondents' Dinner speech.

POTUS brought the house down in front of almost 3,000 guests at the Washington Hilton ballroom in Washington, D.C., on Saturday, including celebrities like Kendall Jenner, Kerry Washington, and Emma Watson.

Getty Images

WATCH: President Obama Dreams of Being on Mount Rushmore

Politicians at the event included Vice President Joe Biden, Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders, Secretary of State John Kerry and New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg.

After a blooper reel showed some of Obama's past errors -- including calling Kanye West a "jackass" when he didn't realize a mic was still on -- Obama took to the stage in a sharp blac-and-white tux to gives his final WHCD opening remarks.

"8 years ago, I said it was time to change the tone of our politics. In hindsight, I clearly should have been more specific," he said.

"It is an honor to be here at my lastand perhaps the lastWhite House Correspondents Dinner." @POTUS at the #WHCD: https://t.co/bLXImCaPI2  White House Archived (@ObamaWhiteHouse) May 1, 2016

NEWS: Kendall Jenner Stuns in Elegant Black Gown at White House Correspondents' Dinner

No one was safe from the President's jokes, including little Prince George, whom he met at Kensington Palace on April 22, where the little royal shook hands with Obama while wearing an awe-inducing robe.

"Even some foreign leaders have been giving me grief," Obama said. "Last week, Prince George showed up to our meeting in his bathrobe. That was a slap in the face. A clear breach of protocol."

"Even some foreign leaders have been giving me grief. Last week, Prince George showed up to our meeting in his bathrobe." @POTUS #WHCD  White House Archived (@ObamaWhiteHouse) May 1, 2016

NEWS: Stephen Curry and President Obama Team Up For a PSA and It's Adorable

He continued to joke about his trip over the pond, admitting, "Although, while in Englandm I did have lunch with Her Majesty the Queen. Took in a performance of Shakespeare. Hit the links with David Cameron. Just in case anybody is still debating whether I'm black enough  I think that settles the debate."

Story continues

Obama even took on the current presidential race, poking fun at Bernie Sanders' "Feel the Bern" slogan and joking that Hillary Clinton's attempts to connect with young voters make her look like an old aunt joining Facebook.

An illustration of Clinton's logo pushing a giant rock uphill came on screen with a new motto, "Trudge up the Hill," with Obama noting, "Hillary's slogan has not had the same effect."

WATCH: See Barack and Michelle Obama Go on Their Romantic First Date in Southside With You

He also questioned where Republican presidential hopeful Donald Trump was this year while explaining that the businessman does have foreign policy experience. "He has spent years meeting with leaders from around the world: Miss Sweden, Miss Argentina, Miss Azerbaijan," Obama said.

And even Kendall Jenner got a shout-out from the President. "We had a chance to meet backstage. She seems like a very nice young woman," Obama told the audience. "I'm not exactly sure what she does, but I am told my Twitter mentions are about to go through the roof."

The dinner was hosted by The Nightly Show host Larry Wilmore, who made plenty of his own cracks at POTUS, including taking digs at Obama's age.

"President Obama's hair is so white it's started saying 'All Lives Matter,'" he said. "He's breaking stereotypes. Black does crack."

Then again, Obama, 54, was a pretty good sport about his gray hairs as well. "Michelle has not aged a day. The only way you can date her in photos is by looking at me," he cracked.

WATCH: President Barack Obama Mourns Prince's Death

"Michelle has not aged a day. The only way you can date her in photos is by looking at me." @POTUS sharing photos: pic.twitter.com/hloflknfMZ  White House Archived (@ObamaWhiteHouse) May 1, 2016

Well played! Obama also announced that the First Family would be sticking around Washington, D.C., even after his second term wraps up, in part so "Michelle can stay closer to her plot of carrots."

"We've decided to stay in DC"

"Youngest daughter can finish up HS"

"Michelle can stay closer to her plot of carrots" pic.twitter.com/jAmW1ZdkzE  White House Archived (@ObamaWhiteHouse) May 1, 2016

"Presidents don't stick around after they're done. It's something I've been thinking about a lot." @POTUS at #WHCD: https://t.co/p1xFpHrSmP  White House Archived (@ObamaWhiteHouse) May 1, 2016

But let's be honest, it was Obama's final, endearingly funny move -- and Seacrest-like slogan -- that totally won the WHCD.

"With that, I have just two more words to say: Obama Out." @POTUS #WHCD pic.twitter.com/RQSDh92YsU  White House Archived (@ObamaWhiteHouse) May 1, 2016

Not a bad way to close out an 8-year presidency!

Prince Harry and Queen Elizabeth really did their own mic drop on the Obamas during a hilarious Twitter trash talking session. Watch the hilarious interaction go down in the video below.

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President Barack Obama has become one of the most-loved political figures across the globe due to his great sense of humour and quick remarks, which he perfectly demonstrated at last nights annual White House Correspondents Dinner.



And it was poor Kendall Jenner who was in the firing line this time around.

Whilst giving his speech, the actual president of the United States decided to roast the twenty-year-old supermodel, telling the crowd: Kendall Jenner is also here and we had a chance to meet backstage.

"She seems like a very nice young woman Im not exactly sure what she does. But I am told that my Twitter mentions are about to go through the roof.

Hey, we all know that Internet points are all that matter, right Obama?

Kendall took the quip in good grace as she laughed along with the rest of the crowd, later admitting that Obama was the only person who has ever left her starstruck.

When asked if she gets starstruck often Kendall told People magazine: Never. That was my first time ever.

"He was like, Say hi to Kim and Kanye, I was like 'Okay!

Kendall also revealed that her momager Kris Jenner was over-the-moon about her daughter being invited to the prestigious event, adding: Shes already Instagrammed it, I know shes proud.

"Shes all over it.

Kendall wasnt the only star to get a shoutout during Obamas speech as the politician mocked the fact that it is his final year in office and joked about his meeting with Prince William and Kate Middleton last week.

In case you somehow managed to miss it, two-year-old Prince George was allowed to stay up late to meet the American leader and his wife Michelle and was dressed in his pyjamas and dressing gown when the big moment came.

Obama told the crowd: In just six short months I will be officially a lame duck, which means Congress now will flat out reject my rhetoric and republican leaders wont take my phone calls.

Story continues

"But its not just Congress, even some foreign leaders, theyve been looking ahead to the next leader. Last week, Prince George showed up to our meeting in his bathrobe.

"That was a slap in the face - a clear breach of protocol.

Emma Watson, Will Smith and Michelle Dockery were also guests at the prestigious event.
President Obama slayed at the Correspondents Dinner with these incredible digs

President Obama slayed at the Correspondents Dinner with these incredible digs

Last night marked President Obamas eighth and final White House Correspondents Dinner (also affectionately known as nerd prom.) And as expected, after stepping up to the podium to Anna Kendricks Cups (i.e. Youre gonna miss me when Im gone), the Commander-In-Chief pulled no punches in his last-ever chance to really rag on Washington and politics in general.

Here are some of his best jokes:

He got a dig in at Hillary Clinton and New York City Mayor Bill De Blasio after they made an inappropriate (and rehearsed) joke about CPT, or colored people time, last month.

But then he hinted at what seems to be the inevitability of Clintons win in the general elections come November.

He also took a moment to jokingly criticize socialist-leaning Bernie Sanders for distancing himself from the Obama presidency.

He also took Hillary to task for trying too hard to relate to Millennials.

And President Obama didnt miss his chance to take a jab at Republican presidential candidate, Ted Cruz, by making a joke about himself.

He also went in on the media for seemingly giving up on the art of investigative journalism.

As for what the future holds for President Obama? Hell probably take a cushy job in the private sector, where hell pull in a lot of $20 bills.

Obama out!

It was an incredible final performance for the man who some call the Comedian in Chief. Obama has been popular throughout his presidency for his youth-appealing personality and sense of humor, and the White House Correspondents Dinner has gone from minor event to A-list magnet in the last eight years. No matter which candidate from either party ends up in the White House next year, its hard to imagine anyone topping Obamas comic timing and pure style.

Story continues

Watch the full speech below (starting at 2:32:00):

The post President Obama slayed at the Correspondents Dinner with these incredible digs appeared first on HelloGiggles.
A mosque under refurbishment has collapsed in Somalia, killing at least 15 people and injuring 40, BBC News reported.

It happened during Friday prayers as the building, in the capital Mogadishu, was packed with worshippers.

Hundreds of people are reported to have been inside the building when it collapsed and some are still believed to be trapped under the rubble.

An engineer on the refurbishment project has been arrested on suspicion of negligence, local media report.

Some media outlets report that worshippers were at prayer, while others say more than 100 people were pouring a concrete foundation after prayers when the structure collapsed.



Most of the dead were construction workers, the privately-owned Radio Shabelle reported.

The state-owned Somali National News Agency said the incident took place in Dayniile district.
One person was killed and at least eight people were detained in Istanbul on May 1, International Workers Day, as protesters, marching towards Taksim Square, Istanbul, clashed with police. Police deployed tight security around the square, a traditional venue for protests, which are prohibited on May 1, closing roads and using water cannon and tear gas to disperse protesters. Credit: Facebook/Halkn Kurtulus Partisi  HKP
Baghdad (AFP) - Thousands of protesters were inside Baghdad's Green Zone on Sunday after breaking into the fortified area and storming parliament, as Iraq's premier called for rioters to be pursued and punished.

Demonstrators pulled down or scaled slabs of heavy concrete blast wall to enter the fortified area where Iraq's main government institutions are located, the culmination of weeks of political turmoil and inaction by parliament.

While there is still the potential for escalation, the situation was calm on Sunday, with protesters touring the area and taking photos of places they have rarely if ever been able to access.

"This is the first time I've been here since I came with my school under Saddam (Hussein)," said 32-year-old Yusef al-Assadi, who took a "selfie" in front of the unknown soldier's monument.

"It's one of the most beautiful places to be in Baghdad. It should be for everyone, yet the people were not allowed here," he said.

Assadi said it was striking "how rich this place is. Here, there is air conditioning and electricity everywhere, but the people of Iraq suffer from power cuts all the time."

Many Iraqi politicians live in luxury, while most average citizens make do with abysmal services that include only a few hours of government-provided electricity per day at the height of summer.

Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi's office said he had ordered the pursuit of people involved in attacks or vandalism, but security forces were not taking action against protesters inside the Green Zone on Sunday.

Abadi "directed the interior minister to pursue the elements who attacked the security forces and citizens and members of parliament and vandalised state properties and to refer them to the judiciary to receive their just punishment," a statement said.

- 'System is not working' -

Protesters attacked at least one MP as well as cars they believed belonged to lawmakers on Saturday, and broke into offices in parliament.

Story continues

But others sought to contain the destruction, and many were content to take photographs of themselves in parliament, with some sitting in seats usually occupied by lawmakers.

The fact that security forces may fear the repercussions of crossing powerful Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr will likely hamper Abadi's directive.

Many of the demonstrators were supporters of Sadr, and members of his Saraya al-Salam militia group deployed around parliament on Saturday night.

The protesters broke into the Green Zone on Saturday afternoon after MPs again failed to approve new ministers to replace the current party-affiliated cabinet.

Both Abadi and Sadr have called for the change, but powerful political parties that rely on control of ministries for patronage and funds have opposed the move.

"Even the most sectarian of Iraqis are seeing the failure of their leaders and their system," said Patrick Skinner, a former CIA case officer who is now with The Soufan Group consultancy.

"The question might not be 'why now' as it relates to the anger, but 'why it took so long'. Their system is not working," he said.

Parliament approved some of Abadi's nominees earlier in the week, but "they were replacing figures who were easy to replace," said Kirk Sowell a Jordan-based political risk analyst who is the publisher of Inside Iraqi Politics.

"Abadi just looks more and more impotent... He is just very weak. He will not be impeached. But he is being made less relevant by the day," Sowell said.
Baghdad (AFP) - Protesters withdrew from Baghdad's Green Zone on Sunday after breaking into the fortified area and storming Iraq's parliament in an unprecedented security breach the day before.

The move, which lessens the pressure on politicians in Baghdad, came as rare bombings in the south killed 33 people and wounded dozens.

"The protest organising committee announces the withdrawal of the demonstrators from the Green Zone," it said in a statement, citing respect for a major Shiite pilgrimage as the reason for their departure.

The statement was distributed by the office of Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr, whose supporters make up the vast majority of the demonstrators.

Demonstrator Hussein al-Ali said that the announcement was made at Ihtifalat Square, where protesters had gathered, and that demonstrators then departed, but would be back later.

Protesters pulled down or scaled slabs of heavy concrete blast wall on Saturday to enter the Green Zone, where Iraq's main government institutions are located, the culmination of weeks of political turmoil and inaction by parliament.

Some remained overnight, and hundreds of people combined a festive demonstration with sight-seeing in the previously off-limits area on Sunday.

Protesters waved flags, clapped and chanted slogans in front of a grandstand from which Saddam Hussein once delivered addresses, in an area bordered by giant statues of twin crossed swords held in hands said to have been modelled on Saddam's own.

The Green Zone breach allowed Iraqis access to places they have rarely if ever been able to enter before.

- Parallel world -

"This is the first time I've been here since I came with my school under Saddam," said 32-year-old Yusef al-Assadi, who took a "selfie" in front of the monument to the unknown soldier.

Assadi said it was striking "how rich this place is. Here, there is air conditioning and electricity everywhere, but the people of Iraq suffer from power cuts all the time."

Story continues

Many Iraqi politicians live in luxury, while most average citizens make do with abysmal services that include only a few hours of government-provided electricity per day at the height of summer.

Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi's office said he had ordered the pursuit of people involved in attacks or vandalism, but while security forces were deployed at Ihtifalat Square on Sunday, they did not take action against the demonstrators.

Protesters attacked at least one MP as well as cars they believed belonged to lawmakers, and broke into offices in parliament.

But others sought to contain the destruction, and many were content to take photographs of themselves in parliament, with some sitting in seats usually occupied by lawmakers.

The fact that security forces may fear the repercussions of crossing Sadr will likely hamper Abadi's directive.

The protesters broke into the Green Zone after MPs again failed to approve new ministers to replace the current party-affiliated cabinet.

Both Abadi and Sadr have called for the change, but powerful political parties that rely on control of ministries for patronage and funds have opposed the move.

- South Iraq bombings -

"Even the most sectarian of Iraqis are seeing the failure of their leaders and their system," said Patrick Skinner, a former CIA case officer who is now with The Soufan Group consultancy.

"The question might not be 'why now' as it relates to the anger, but 'why it took so long'. Their system is not working," he said.

Parliament approved some of Abadi's nominees earlier in the week, but "they were replacing figures who were easy to replace", said Kirk Sowell, a Jordan-based political risk analyst who is the publisher of Inside Iraqi Politics.

"Abadi just looks more and more impotent... He is just very weak. He will not be impeached. But he is being made less relevant by the day," Sowell said.

Baghdad security forces were already on high alert prior to the storming of parliament due to the annual commemoration of Imam Musa Kadhim's death, which sees tens of thousands of Shiite faithful walk to a shrine in northern Baghdad.

But at least 23 people were killed in a bombing targeting pilgrims just outside Baghdad on Saturday.

On Sunday, two suicide attackers from the Islamic State group detonated car bombs in the city of Samawa, some 230 kilometres (145 miles) south of Baghdad.

Local security and medical officials put the death toll at 33 and said at least 50 other people were wounded.

Such attacks are rare in Iraq's deep south, which is overwhelmingly Shiite and has been largely spared the chaos that has plagued Iraq for years.
(Updates with official declaration of debt moratorium, comment from governor, background)

By Nick Brown and Daniel Bases

SAN JUAN/NEW YORK, May 1 (Reuters) - Puerto Rico's governor on Sunday declared a moratorium on a $422 million debt payment due Monday by the island's Government Development Bank, the most significant default yet for the U.S. territory facing a massive economic crisis.

Governor Alejandro Garcia Padilla said in a televised speech that he signed the moratorium on Saturday in what he characterized as a "painful decision" based on inaction from the U.S. Congress, which continues to debate a legislative fix for Puerto Rico's $70 billion debt load.

Garcia Padilla, addressing Puerto Rico's 3.5 million people in Spanish, said the island's American citizens had sacrificed much for the nation throughout history and asked Congress on many occasions for tools to restructure its financial liabilities.

"We do not want a bailout. We haven't asked for a bailout. We haven't been offered a bailout," he said as the U.S. territory's economic crisis enters its most dire stretch yet.

Puerto Rico, a tropical paradise in economic purgatory, faces a $70 billion debt bill it knows it cannot pay, a staggering 45 percent poverty rate and a shrinking population as citizens flee to the mainland.

The legality of this move to invoke the moratorium, which effectively means defaulting on the debt, is almost certain to be challenged by the GDB's creditors, and could spawn costly lawsuits and perpetuate more economic uncertainty for the island.

"One of our operating assumptions is that protracted or chaotic litigation will reduce aggregate recoveries," Moody's Investors Service senior credit officer Ted Hampton said.

Though island agencies have defaulted in the past, they have been small and isolated. The failure to pay by the GDB could reverberate through the local economy as it serves as Puerto Rico's primary fiscal agent.

"Agencies being able to access money to cover costs on a week-to-week basis is the only thing keeping Puerto Rico's doors open," said Height Securities analyst Daniel Hanson.

Story continues

GDB has held talks with groups holding some of its $4 billion in bonds to try to restructure the debt consensually. The moratorium covers Monday's payment on the GDB's 2011 Series B Senior Notes.

The missed payment at GDB could mean the beginning of the end to how the bank conducts operations. It could be wound down by a receiver and its deposits shifted to a new entity.

Some creditors say government reforms could allow the island to pay its debts without hurting its people, while Garcia Padilla, whose administration has not published annual financial statements since fiscal year 2013, insists it needs relief from debt payments.

"The government has known the GDB was a ticking time-bomb and yet nothing constructive was done to forestall a default," said Arturo Porzecanski, economist and sovereign debt expert at American University in Washington, adding that "the approach is symptomatic of all that is wrong with how Puerto Rico has dealt with its deteriorating financial situation."

The default ratchets up pressure on Congress to find a legislative solution for Puerto Rico, which owes another $1.9 billion of debt on July 1, including about $777 million in general obligation debt backed by its constitution.

U.S. House Speaker Paul Ryan initially called for a plan by March 31. However, draft legislation from the House Natural Resources Committee, which would put Puerto Rico's finances under federal oversight and allow it to restructure debt through a bankruptcy-like process, has faced opposition from liberal and conservative wings of both parties.

Congress is in recess until the week of May 9th.

"If Congress fails to authorize a mechanism to restructure our debt, the 3.5 million American citizens who live in Puerto Rico will continue to suffer," Garcia Padilla said.

(Reporting by Nick Brown and a contributor in San Juan and Daniel Bases in New York; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama and Diane Craft)
By Nick Brown and Daniel Bases SAN JUAN/NEW YORK (Reuters) - Puerto Rico's governor on Sunday declared a moratorium on a $422 million debt payment due Monday by the island's Government Development Bank, the most significant default yet for the U.S. territory facing a massive economic crisis. Governor Alejandro Garcia Padilla said in a televised speech that he signed the moratorium on Saturday in what he characterized as a "painful decision" based on inaction from the U.S. Congress, which continues to debate a legislative fix for Puerto Rico's $70 billion debt load. Garcia Padilla, addressing Puerto Rico's 3.5 million people in Spanish, said the island's American citizens had sacrificed much for the nation throughout history and asked Congress on many occasions for tools to restructure its financial liabilities. "We do not want a bailout. We havent asked for a bailout. We havent been offered a bailout," he said as the U.S. territory's economic crisis enters its most dire stretch yet. Puerto Rico, a tropical paradise in economic purgatory, faces a $70 billion debt bill it knows it cannot pay, a staggering 45 percent poverty rate and a shrinking population as citizens flee to the mainland. The legality of this move to invoke the moratorium, which effectively means defaulting on the debt, is almost certain to be challenged by the GDB's creditors, and could spawn costly lawsuits and perpetuate more economic uncertainty for the island. "One of our operating assumptions is that protracted or chaotic litigation will reduce aggregate recoveries," Moody's Investors Service senior credit officer Ted Hampton said. Though island agencies have defaulted in the past, they have been small and isolated. The failure to pay by the GDB could reverberate through the local economy as it serves as Puerto Rico's primary fiscal agent. "Agencies being able to access money to cover costs on a week-to-week basis is the only thing keeping Puerto Rico's doors open," said Height Securities analyst Daniel Hanson. GDB has held talks with groups holding some of its $4 billion in bonds to try to restructure the debt consensually. The moratorium covers Monday's payment on the GDB's 2011 Series B Senior Notes. The missed payment at GDB could mean the beginning of the end to how the bank conducts operations. It could be wound down by a receiver and its deposits shifted to a new entity. Some creditors say government reforms could allow the island to pay its debts without hurting its people, while Garcia Padilla, whose administration has not published annual financial statements since fiscal year 2013, insists it needs relief from debt payments. "The government has known the GDB was a ticking time-bomb and yet nothing constructive was done to forestall a default," said Arturo Porzecanski, economist and sovereign debt expert at American University in Washington, adding that "the approach is symptomatic of all that is wrong with how Puerto Rico has dealt with its deteriorating financial situation." The default ratchets up pressure on Congress to find a legislative solution for Puerto Rico, which owes another $1.9 billion of debt on July 1, including about $777 million in general obligation debt backed by its constitution. U.S. House Speaker Paul Ryan initially called for a plan by March 31. However, draft legislation from the House Natural Resources Committee, which would put Puerto Rico's finances under federal oversight and allow it to restructure debt through a bankruptcy-like process, has faced opposition from liberal and conservative wings of both parties. Congress is in recess until the week of May 9th. "If Congress fails to authorize a mechanism to restructure our debt, the 3.5 million American citizens who live in Puerto Rico will continue to suffer," Garcia Padilla said. (Reporting by Nick Brown and a contributor in San Juan and Daniel Bases in New York; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama and Diane Craft)
DOHA (Reuters) - Qatar National Bank, the Middle East's largest lender by assets, said it had taken immediate steps to ensure customers would not suffer any financial loss after a security breach last week exposed personal data of thousands of clients.

"We are taking every measure to protect the privacy of our customers and have engaged an external third party expert to review all our systems to ensure no vulnerabilities exist," the bank said in a statement on Sunday.

"All our customers accounts are secure," it added, although it was not clear how the bank planned to protect accounts whose details, including customer names and passwords, have already been published.

The 1.5GB trove of leaked documents posted online last week included the bank details, telephone numbers and dates of birth of several journalists for satellite broadcaster Al-Jazeera, supposed members of the ruling al-Thani family and government and defense officials.

Some files had pictures of account holders from Facebook and LinkedIn, a potentially sensitive issue in a conservative country where privacy is valued.

The bank said the breach was an attack on its reputation, rather than specifically targeted at the customers, and only involved a portion of Qatar based customers.

The statement did not mention the identity of the hackers.

QNB said some of the data released may be accurate but much of it was constructed and "contains a mixture of information from the attack as well as other non-QNB sources, such as personal data from social media channels."

A copy of the leaked content seen by Reuters contained transaction data of QNB customers that showed overseas remittance data from as recently as September 2015.

One file had information on what appeared to be 465,437 QNB accounts, although only a fraction of these accounts had anything resembling full account details.

Several known Qatari figures in the government and media whose names appeared on the list confirmed to Reuters that their account details were accurate.

Middle Eastern banks are attractive targets for cyber criminals because of the high levels of wealth in the oil-rich region. Qatar is the wealthiest country in the world on a per-capita basis, according to the World Bank.

(Reporting by Tom Finn; Editing by Clelia Oziel)
By Ho Binh Minh HANOI (Reuters) - Hundreds of people demonstrated in Vietnam on Sunday against a Taiwanese firm they accuse of causing mass fish deaths along the country's central coast, with some also blaming the government for a sluggish response to a major environmental disaster. Though an official investigation has found no links between the fish deaths and a $10.6 billion coastal steel plant run by a unit of Taiwan's Formosa Plastics, public anger against the company has not abated. Hundreds gathered in Hanoi holding banners that said: "Formosa destroying the environment is a crime" and "Who poisoned the central region's waters?" Others said: "Formosa out of Vietnam!" and took aim at the government for being aloof in what it now describes as one of its worst environmental disasters. Demonstrations are rare in Vietnam and uniformed and plain-clothes police are usually quick to suppress them. On Sunday they cleared traffic to allow demonstrators to do a lap of a big lake in the heart of Hanoi. Huge numbers of dead fish have appeared at farms and on beaches since April 6, impacting 200 km (124 miles) of coastline in four provinces, with no known cause. The environment minister has demanded Hung Nghiep Formosa Ha Tinh dig up its waste pipe at the steel project to enable government to monitor its discharge. The government's initial probe said the cause could be "red tide", when algae blooms and produces toxins, or a release of toxic chemicals by humans. What has stoked public anger was a comment by a Formosa official who said Vietnam had to choose between catching fish and shrimp and building a modern steel industry. "Here is Vietnam's territory and there shall never be any case in which a Formosa steel plant has the right to tell the Vietnamese people to choose," protester Cao Vinh Thinh said. Several hundred protesters marched in Ho Chi Minh City, the economic hub, according to multiple accounts on Facebook, which is used by 30 millions Vietnamese. State-controlled media has not reported any of the demonstrations. Social media and witnesses said protests also took place in central Quang Binh province on Friday, with fishermen throwing fish on the highway after failing to sell their catch. The accounts could not be verified by Reuters. The government on Saturday ordered the trade and agriculture ministries to help buy seafood caught during deep-sea fishing. (Reporting by Ho Binh Minh; Additional reporting by Nguyen Ha Minh; Editing by Martin Petty and Kim Coghill)
With an offense that's on a roll, the Pittsburgh Pirates hope Jeff Locke can take advantage and build on his outstanding performance at hitter-friendly Coors Field.

Pittsburgh will try to continue pouring in runs Sunday when it goes after a seventh straight win and a home sweep of the struggling Cincinnati Reds.

John Jaso set the tone for another surge Saturday with a leadoff home run as the Pirates scored five runs or more for the seventh time in nine games in a 5-1 victory.

''You're always hoping to get results but you never expect it that quickly,'' Jaso said.

David Freese and Francisco Cervelli had two hits apiece and Sean Rodriguez also homered. Freese is batting .333 with four doubles and five RBIs in his last six games.

The Pirates (15-9) have averaged 7.2 runs while batting .296 with 15 homers during this 8-1 stretch. Josh Harrison is hitting .406 with 11 RBIs in his last 13 games and fellow infielder Jordy Mercer is batting .413 with eight RBIs in his past 12.

Now they'll try to give Locke plenty of support with designs on closing out their first home sweep of the Reds since April 2013. The left-hander, however, might not need a whole lot of offensive backing if he can replicate Monday's performance.

After giving up 11 runs and 16 hits over 7 2/3 innings in consecutive losses, Locke got on track by allowing five hits and striking out eight over six scoreless innings in a 6-1 victory at Colorado. Manager Clint Hurdle said it was the best he's seen Locke pitch since he threw eight shutout innings against Cleveland on July 4.

"He got in such a strong, aggressive rhythm," Hurdle told the league's official website. "Fastball command, the intent, the conviction, the execution. Used the changeup in offensive counts, sprinkled in some curveballs... Big for us, good for him."

Locke (1-2, 5.03 ERA) has a 3.14 ERA in 12 career starts versus Cincinnati. He gave up one run - a Eugenio Suarez homer - over six innings in a 2-1 road loss April 10.

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Suarez went 3 for 3 and Adam Duvall had two doubles off him in that contest.

The Reds (9-15), though, have totaled 11 runs while hitting .181 with just three home runs in losses during this 1-8 stretch. Billy Hamilton had three of their six hits Saturday, but Duvall (2 for 18), Brandon Phillips (4 for 24), Jay Bruce (2 for 17) and Scott Schebler (4 for 46) are among those scuffling.

"It (stinks) to lose any time you lose," Phillips said. "To lose the way we've been losing is tough. We have been sloppy."

Right-hander Tim Adleman is expected to be called up from Triple-A Louisville to make his big league debut as Cincinnati tries to avoid a seventh straight defeat. Scheduled starter Raisel Iglesias was scratched due to inflammation in his shoulder.

The 28-year-old Adleman is 2-0 with a 4.24 ERA in three starts for Louisville.

"We'll try to make a decision on how much time (Iglesias) will miss," manager Bryan Price said. "We don't believe that it's considered something that will require any intrusive procedures. Surgery has been ruled out at this time. It's just some inflammation, and we hope we are able to knock it out here quickly."
Turkey remains determined to destroy the strongholds of the PKK, Daesh and DHKP-C terrorist groups, Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said Saturday, according to Anadolu agency.



In remarks made at a ceremony in Turkey's eastern Mus province, Davutoglu said: "We are determined to destroy them in their dirty strongholds, no matter who they are, be it the PKK, Daesh or the DHKP-C. We are determined to clear every part of our country from terrorism."



He recalled how several terrorist organizations began attacking Turkey following the June 7 elections as if someone had pushed a button. He said terrorist organizations had been working in tandem against Turkey.



The prime minister also referred to the Syria-based PYD terrorist group, which, according to a recent video posted online, paraded the dead bodies of Free Syrian Army (FSA) soldiers around in an open-top trailer after an armed clash in Syrian city of Afrin.



"They do not even respect the dead bodies. They are talking about justice and freedom, but then they commit the lowest savagery," he said, adding the incident had revealed the group's real face behind the mask.



Turkey considers the PYD as the Syrian affiliate of the PKK terrorist group.



The Turkish premier added that people should have honor and dignity even during times of war.
Vaalwater (South Africa) (AFP) - Thirty-three lions rescued from circuses in Peru and Colombia set paw on the African veld for the first time Sunday after an epic journey by plane and truck.

The lions roared in unison as they arrived shortly after dawn at their new home on the 5,000 hectare Emoya Big Cat Sanctuary in the north of South Africa, where they will live out their lives.

Among the first out of their crates were brothers Junior and Bumbo from Columbia, who came out cautiously, sniffing the trees and grass and marking their territory.

After ambling up and down the fences of their enclosure, they charged playfully at each other and rolled in the dust.

I am so grateful to have them here finally, its a dream come true, said Savannah Heuser, 19, who runs the sanctuary with her mother.

SLIDESHOW: Former circus lions explore new home in sanctuary >>>

They have had a long journey but they are surprisingly calm. Some of them were agitated during the trip and they have some minor injuries, but nothing serious.

The lions arrived at Johannesburgs international airport late on Saturday afternoon after flying for more than 15 hours in what is believed to be the biggest airlift of its kind, and were driven through the night to Emoya.

They have lived a life of absolute hell. Theyve been beaten and theyve been starved, Jan Creamer, the president of Animal Defenders International (ADI), an animal rights charity that organised the flight, told reporters at the airport.

Theyve been deprived of everything that makes life worth living for a lion. I believe we have brought them back to paradise, where they belong, she said.

ADI posted a picture on their Facebook page of a Colombian lion shortly after arriving at Emboya.

Iron enjoys what is clearly a very satisfying rub against a tree, his first ever, the caption reads.

The lion enclosures are set in a clearing among natural bush and veld, each with trees, rocks, a hay bale and water filled troughs.

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The lion habitats will be steadily expanded over the coming months as the lions become familiar with their new life and are introduced to each other, said ADI.

The lions were bred in captivity and many have broken teeth or other ailments  one is almost blind, another has lost an eye and most had their claws removed  which would make it impossible for them to survive in the wild.

The lions were freed with the assistance of the authorities after the use of wild animals in circuses was outlawed in Peru and Colombia.

Twenty-four lions rescued in Peru then were driven from their temporary rescue centre to Lima airport to be picked up by a cargo plane that had brought another nine over from Colombia before taking off for Africa.

The lions will be in their natural habitat for the first time in their lives, Creamer said. They should fit right into that habitat. Its the best environment for them.

They will be fed game meat for their first meal at Emoya, which is already home to six rescued lions and two tigers.




Rosario Dawson, the actress and activist known lately for hitting Hillary Clinton hard on behalf of Sen. Bernie Sanders, rushed down a red carpet Friday at the Creative Coalition and Supper Suite By STK's Gala Benefit Dinner, "The Night Before."

Dawson was among the big names at the event, which boasted a mixed of actors, lawmakers and regular citizens who scored a ticket to watch the D.C.-Hollywood mingling.

Dawson didn't have time to put on heels, "but her black suede boots looked just fine," according to a representative for the event, which was sponsored by Maestro Dobel Tequila, Blue Moon Brewing and Line 39 Wines.

During the party, the actress described her recent arrest during a march on the U.S. Capitol during a Democracy Spring protest of money in Washington.

"I had to go get fingerprinted because I got arrested two weeks ago," Dawson said, according to USA Today. "They just give you a ticket and say come back within 15 days."

Read More: Susan Sarandon, Rosario Dawson Star in Spike Lee-Directed Bernie Sanders Spot

"They just gave people tickets, the jails were full," she said, describing the mass arrests that took place around the pair of protests.

Official hosts for the dinner included Dawson, Emily Ratajkowski, Nina Dobrev, Neve Campbell, Wendi McLendon-Covey and Constance Zimmer. Other hosts included Lisa Edelstein of Girlfriends' Guide to Divorce, Richard Schiff of The West Wing, Rogue producer Matthew Rhodes from Whiplash and Esai Morales of The Brink, who offered an emotional appeal for donations to the Creative Coalition.

Ratajkowski and Zimmer. Photo: Michael R. Faulkner)

MSNBC's Lawrence O'Donnell represented the cable news business. Annalynne McCord of 90210 fame walked the red carpet in a dress with a plunging neckline dress but covered her cleavage with tinted crosses.

Ratajkowski told People that earlier Friday she'd made her first visit to Capitol Hill. She was there to lobby against funding cuts for arts education in public schools.

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She may have been bummed to learn the federal government has little control over local education budgets.

"It was disheartening," Ratajkowski told the publication. "A lot of people that you meet with don't feel powerful. And it's hard to ask them to do things when they don't feel like they can make a change themselves."

Edelstein and husband Robert Russell. Photo: Michael R. Faulkner)
With the Kansas City Royals in danger of their longest losing streak of the last three seasons, the first step in avoiding it is scoring a run.

The defending World Series champions look to avoid a winless trip and put an end to a 26-inning scoreless drought in Sunday's series finale with the red-hot Seattle Mariners.

Kansas City (12-11) is mired in a five-game skid after dropping three to the Los Angeles Angels and the first two to Seattle (13-10) on this six-game road swing. The Royals haven't dropped six in a row since losing seven straight Aug. 17-24, 2013.

The most surprising aspect of Kansas City's latest slump is a lineup suddenly incapable of scoring, getting shut out in Seattle 1-0 on Friday and 6-0 on Saturday - stretching its road skid to seven games.

The Royals haven't scored since the first inning of Wednesday's 4-2 loss to the Angels and have totaled seven runs in their last five games, dropping their season average to 3.35.

Their 26-inning drought is tied for the fourth longest in franchise history and is six shy of the record set by the 2004 club, which included the franchise's only shutout streak of three games. Kansas City was last shut out in back-to-back contests Sept. 24-25, 2013 - also in Seattle.

Mike Moustakas went 2 for 4 with a double Saturday, but the rest of the lineup combined for just three singles. Eric Hosmer's league-leading 18-game hitting streak came to a close.

"I've been through this a hundred times," Royals manager Ned Yost said. "You just keep fighting to get out of it. You know our energy is good, the guys are fighting in the dugout, they're engaged. We've been through it. You fight through it."

To end their struggles, the Royals will have to figure out 23-year-old Taijuan Walker. The right-hander is off to a hot start and will try to lift the Mariners to their third straight win and 12th in 16 games, which would include victories in six of seven at Safeco Field.

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Seattle is fresh off its first winning April since going 13-9 in 2009.

Walker (2-0, 1.44) matched a career high with 11 strikeouts in Monday's 3-2 win over Houston, including the final six he faced. He surrendered six hits and one run in seven innings while walking one, lowering his WHIP to 0.96.

"We've really seen that he has the ability to turn the dial up," manager Scott Servais told MLB's official website. "Later in games there's plenty in the tank. The adrenaline gets flowing, he gets a little emotional and he gets after it. He doesn't back off. He believes in himself and we certainly believe in him."

Seattle starters have tossed scoreless outings in three of the last five games, capped by Wade Miley's five-hitter Saturday.

Meanwhile, Kansas City's staff hasn't made it out of the sixth in the last four games and has a 7.71 ERA during its losing streak. Sunday starter Ian Kennedy started that slump, coughing up seven hits and five runs in six innings of Monday's 6-1 loss at Los Angeles.

Kennedy (2-2, 2.77) walked four batters and served up two home runs while striking out a season-low two.

The right-hander didn't fare well in last year's two starts against the Mariners, losing both while with San Diego. He totaled just 9 2/3 innings while allowing 12 hits and nine runs - six earned.

Seattle third baseman Kyle Seager, who homered Saturday, hit one of the Mariners' four home runs off Kennedy last season. Seth Smith, whose homer on Friday was Seattle's only hit, also hit one out Saturday and is 7 for 24 lifetime against Kennedy with four doubles, a home run and three RBIs.

Seattle has homered in nine straight games, totaling 15 in the stretch.
DUBAI (Reuters) - Saudi security forces killed two militant suspects and arrested a third in a two-day operation in southwestern Bisha province, the Ministry of Interior said on Sunday, accusing them of involvement in deadly attacks claimed by Islamic State. Security personnel killed two men in an exchange of gunfire during a chase to thwart an "imminent" attack on Friday, said ministry spokesman Mansour al-Turki in a televised statement. They found explosive belts and machine guns in the men's car, he added. A third suspect, named as Oqab al-Otaibi, escaped the scene and was arrested the following day. The statement said the three men were suspects in the killing of a senior security officer outside the capital Riyadh in April. Two of them, including Otaibi, were also allegedly involved in a suicide bombing last August of a security forces mosque in Abha, capital of southwestern Asir province, in which 15 people died. Islamic State claimed responsibility for both attacks, but the ministry did not directly implicate the group in its statement on Sunday. Saudi Arabia, the world's top oil exporter, has been hit by a spate of deadly shootings and bombings targeting security forces or its Shi'ite Muslim minority since last year. Islamic State's local branches have claimed many of them. The group views Shi'ites as heretics but is also bitterly opposed to the wealthy Gulf kingdom's Sunni Muslim rulers, whom it regards as having betrayed Islam through close ties with the West. (Reporting By Raissa Kasolowsky)
SDP chief Chee Soon Juan. (Photo: Joseph Nair/Yahoo Newsroom)



Singapore Democratic Party chief Chee Soon Juan and his fellow party members were in a combative mood on Sunday (1 May), rebutting what central executive committee (CEC) member Dr Paul Tambyah called the venomous attacks of various Peoples Action Party (PAP) figures.

Speaking at the SDPs second political rally for the Bukit Batok by-election, Chee first took on Minister for Culture, Community and Youth Grace Fus remarks at the PAPs rally last Friday (28 April). She said that Chee had not held a steady job for many years, and questioned his qualifications in seeking to become a Member of Parliament.

Chee said he earned royalties from the sales of his 12 books and the various articles he had written over the years, while also taking care of his three children. I have not been working? Thats not true. Ive been working very, very much, and very, very hard. Its just that Ive not been asking to be paid very, very much money, he said.



SDP vice-chairman John Tan, noting that Chee does not draw a salary despite his many responsibilities as party chief, added: Heres the problem with people like Grace Fu and her PAP colleagues They have no idea what it is like to work hard and work full-time without pay.

Tambyah also responded to Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loongs puzzling allegations of racial politicking, which he said were based on comments made by anonymous posters on the SDPs Facebook page and lacked any evidence to back it up.

Chee declared: Do a search on the Internet and tell us if we have said anything racist. And yet Grace Fu, without feeling even a bit paiseh (embarrassed), ignored her own partys racist statements.

Chee pointed to former MP Choo Wee Khiangs comments in 1992 about Little India being in complete darkness as there were too many Indians there. Chee also noted Jalan Besar MP Denise Phuas recent call in Parliament for communal areas near Little India to be ring-fenced, as the large crowds there were walking time-bombs.



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Chee wearing the garlands and shawl he received after his speech. (Photo: Joseph Nair/Yahoo Newsroom)



On character assassination



Chee also addressed a recent Lianhe Wanbao article, based on an interview with him, which said he was proud of his crazy history. Citing the article during a walkabout on Sunday (30 May), PM Lee questioned the SDP chiefs character, calling him completely hypocritical.

Chee denied what was said in the paper and noted that Wanbao had amended the online version of the story to reflect this. CEC member Bryan Lim, speaking in Mandarin, even appealed to assembled members of the media to search your conscience before writing their articles.



Several speakers also referenced Dr Lee Wei Lings recent comments about PM Lees own character. The younger sister of the Prime Minister had called her brother a dishonourable son, claiming that he was using their late father Lee Kuan Yews name to build a political dynasty. PM Lee has said that her accusations are completely untrue.



Chee said that he had held back from using Lee Wei Lings comments to gain political mileage or indulge in a personal attack on PM Lee and the PAP.



The SDP leader claimed that if his sister Chee Siok Chin had made a similar attack on him, the PAP would have gone to town with it and used the mainstream media to ensure that every man, woman, boy and girl in Singapore knew about it.



He also said that any further references to former Bukit Batok MP David Ong alleged affair by himself or his fellow party members were off the table.



But the SDP chief also elaborated on his plans for the ward, pledging to be a competent, constructive and compassionate MP.

We have built up the SDP with few resources to become one of the leading opposition parties in Singapore. Just imagine what we can accomplish for Bukit Batok if we had funding to do our work.
By Jon Herskovitz AUSTIN, Texas (Reuters) - A grandmother and four of her grandchildren were killed and another person also died in floods in Texas caused by storms that unleashed tornadoes, damaging hail and torrential rains on several central U.S. states, officials said on Saturday. The woman and her grandchildren died in Palestine, Texas, 100 miles (160 km) southeast of Dallas, after escaping a house where flood waters had reached the roof line. They were then swept away, Palestine police Captain James Muniz said. "They were able to get out but they were washed away," he said, adding their bodies were recovered on Saturday. Those killed were identified as Jamonicka Johnson, 6, Von Johnson Jr., 7, Devonte Asberry, 8, Venetia Asberry, 9, and Lenda Asberry, 64, the city said. Palestine police took the bodies to Tyler, Texas, for autopsies, officials said. A Palestine man, Giovani Olivas, 30, was swept under flood waters around Anderson County Road 370. His body was found late Saturday afternoon, according to Anderson County Sheriff Greg Taylor. Seven homes were evacuated and temporary shelters were established, officials said. The city received 7.5 inches (19 cm) of rain in less than an hour, which caused the floods. "I don't recall ever seeing this much water rise so fast and in such a short period of time," Palestine Mayor Bob Herrington said in a statement where he also offered condolences to the family of the five victims. The National Weather Service issued a flash flood watch extending from east Texas into much of Mississippi and a severe thunderstorm watch for New Orleans and the southern Louisiana region. "Strong to severe thunderstorms are expected today into this evening across the lower Mississippi Valley, Tennessee Valley, Ozarks and the Ohio Valley," it said. Strong winds in the Houston area downed trees and cut power lines, the service said. As of 10:30 a.m. local time, more than 4,200 customers in the region were without power, CenterPoint Energy reported. There were seven reported tornadoes from the storm system on Friday in Texas and Oklahoma, it said. A twister caused damage to several structures and ripped through mobile homes in Ninnekah, about 50 miles (80 km) southwest of Oklahoma City, local news reports said. (Reporting by Jon Herskovitz; Editing by Andrew Roche, Susan Thomas, Marguerita Choy and Jacqueline Wong)
details added (first version posted at 11:07)

Baku, Azerbaijan, May 1

Trend:

An explosion occurred in Turkey's south-eastern area May 1, Anadolu agency reported.

The agency reported that the explosion occurred in front of the police station in the city of Gaziantep.

"One policeman died as a result of the explosion in Gaziantep, 18 people were injured, 15 of them - police officers," TRT Haber TV channel reported.

"One policeman died, 13 people were injured," Anadolu agency reported earlier citing the governor of the Gaziantep province as saying.

"As a result of the incident, one police officer died, 10 people were injured," Haber 7 agency reported citing Mehmet Erdogan, MP from the city of Gaziantep, as saying.

According to the agency, the ambulance and emergency services arrived at the scene.
MADRID (Reuters) - A new election due to be held in Spain on June 26 is unlikely to break the political stalemate to form a government after a previous vote in December produced the most fragmented result in decades, a poll showed on Sunday. According to the monthly Metroscopia poll published by El Pais newspaper, the conservative People's Party (PP) of acting Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy would still win the election with 29 percent of the votes, from 28.7 percent in December. The Socialists (PSOE) would come second with 20.3 percent, down from 22 percent, while anti-austerity Podemos would come third with 18.1 percent, also down from 20.7 percent, and newcomer liberal Ciudadanos would remain fourth with 16.9 percent, up from 13.9 percent. The survey does not provide an estimate of how many seats each party would obtain in Spain's 350-strong parliament but the tiny variations in percentages from December are unlikely to translate into major changes on the assembly's benches, with at least three parties likely to be needed to obtain a majority. It is unclear how this unprecedented situation in Spain's modern history could be resolved if this second election is inconclusive. But despite the wrangling, the uncertainty has so far not had an impact on the economic recovery, with the output expanding at a faster-than-expected pace in the first quarter. About two third of the 1,200 Spaniards people polled between April 26 and 28, after it became clear a new election would be called, said they still favored a political system where several parties have to reach consensus instead of two big parties alternating in power with stable majorities as was the case since the country returned to democracy in the 1970s. Four months of political bickering and failure to form a government are, however, likely to boost abstention rates and marginally help the two traditionally dominant PP and PSOE against Podemos and Ciudadanos who are still seen lacking a strong structure to mobilize voters in many rural areas, the survey showed. About 30 percent of voters would abstain if the election was held today, versus 26.8 percent in December. The other main change from the last election could come from Podemos if it decided to run on a joint platform with other leftist party Izquierda Unida as a combination of the two would capture 22.3 percent of the vote, thus overtaking the Socialists as Spain's main left-wing party. The two parties last week said they were exploring such a tie-up, which could put the Socialists in the uneasy position of having to choose between being the junior coalition partner in a left-wing government or instead back a grand coalition led by the PP. (Reporting by Julien Toyer; Editing by Alison Williams)
Spring Dapper Day at Disneyland is oh-so-sophisticated

Spring Dapper Day at Disneyland is oh-so-sophisticated

This weekend, Disneyland and California Adventure celebrated spring Dapper Day. Twice a year at Disney Parks around the world, guests are invited to spend the day at Disney in sophisticated style from yesterday and today. Meaning? Put on your cutest outfit, whether its vintage or modern, and enjoy a day at the happiest/most magical place on earth. Walt Disney World in Orlando celebrated its spring Dapper Day in mid-April and this weekend (both Saturday and Sunday), West Coast Disney lovers got their chance to dress up for a day at the parks.

The people behind Dapper Day even upped the stakes by hosting a Dapper Day expo, complete with live music, dance lessons, and some pretty incredible photo ops. Here are some of our favorite looks from the day:

These people who took full advantage of the adorable Dapper Airlines backdrop at the expo:

A photo posted by Angie Marie (@ltlqueenbee) on Apr 30, 2016 at 6:20pm PDT

A photo posted by Ashley (@ashleyhug) on Apr 30, 2016 at 6:30pm PDT

A photo posted by @paulinasadventurebook on Apr 30, 2016 at 5:23pm PDT

These ladies who crushed the group costume game:

A photo posted by Tiffany Eddy (@thesteamstress) on Apr 30, 2016 at 4:20pm PDT

These people who subtly dressed as (very dapper) Disney characters:

A photo posted by Kelsey Walmer (@van_kelsing) on Apr 30, 2016 at 3:31pm PDT

A photo posted by Bows and Beads (@bowsbeadsbows) on Apr 30, 2016 at 3:27pm PDT

A photo posted by Jessica Sarai (@jessicasarai) on Apr 30, 2016 at 5:53pm PDT

These people who expertly posed with Disney characters:

A photo posted by Princess Sabrina (@disney_in_a_nutshell) on Apr 30, 2016 at 5:11pm PDT

This girl who dressed as a Dapper Stormtrooper:

A photo posted by Kelly Cercone (@anachronisminaction) on Apr 30, 2016 at 4:11pm PDT

A photo posted by Briana (@briana_in_wonderland) on Apr 30, 2016 at 6:31pm PDT

This lady with a perfect Haunted Mansion-themed look:

A photo posted by Victoria (@arya_snark) on Apr 30, 2016 at 6:14pm PDT

This Dapper dude:

A photo posted by Collin Riley (@collinrileyriot) on Apr 30, 2016 at 3:22pm PDT

This awesome lady who used master filtering skills to make her Dapper Day pic look legitimately vintage:

A photo posted by Adrienne Frost (@adrienne_frost) on Apr 30, 2016 at 3:11pm PDT

These adorable kids who we just cant get over:

A photo posted by Sarah (@villainfangirl) on Apr 30, 2016 at 5:28pm PDT

The post Spring Dapper Day at Disneyland is oh-so-sophisticated appeared first on HelloGiggles.
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) -- Marcus Stroman gave himself and the Toronto Blue Jays a birthday gift.

Stroman allowed one run in eight innings on his 25th birthday, Troy Tulowitzki hit a three-run homer during a four-run ninth and the Blue Jays beat the Tampa Bay Rays 5-1 on Sunday.

''It was awesome,'' Stroman said. ''More importantly just to get the win.''

The Blue Jays took two of three to win just their fourth series in the last 27 trips to Tropicana Field.

Stroman (4-0) scattered three hits, walked two and struck out a career-high nine. The Blue Jays' opening day starter is 8-0 in 10 starts since returning from knee surgery last year.

''A special kid,'' Toronto manager John Gibbons said. ''He's got so many things that he can attack you with. He was on today.''

Pinch hitter Darwin Barney doubled and Michael Saunders walked to open the ninth against Xavier Cedeno (2-1). Alex Colome entered and walked Josh Donaldson before striking out Jose Bautista.

After Edwin Encarnacion hit a tiebreaking RBI grounder, Tulowitzki made it 5-1 on his fifth homer.

''To come through on his birthday, it was nice,'' Tulowitzki said. ''He was great out there. It's always fun to play behind him. Pitches with that intensity.''

Tulowitzki had been hitless in his previous 10 at-bats in the series and is hitting .172.

''They made a good move to bring in Barney,'' Rays manager Kevin Cash said. ''He gets a big hit and you have that feeling, know that those guys coming up get paid to drive in runs. They capitalized and got the big hits.''

Donaldson's ninth homer with one out in the fourth was the Blue Jays' first hit and put Toronto up 1-0.

Evan Longoria tied it at 1 in the sixth on his fifth homer and second in as many days.

Jake Odorizzi gave up one run and two hits over seven innings for the Rays. Since the beginning of the 2014 season, the right-hander has allowed one earned run or fewer in 21 of 34 starts at home.

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The three Tampa Bay starters in the series - Drew Smyly, Chris Archer and Odorizzi - allowed a combined five hits in 19 innings. Four of the hits were homers.

''As tough as it's been, to get two out of three against those three pitchers down here you feel pretty good,'' Gibbons said.

Toronto had 15 hits, including eight homers in the series to become the first major league team to be held to 15 or fewer hits and hit eight or more homers in a three-game series.

TRAINER'S ROOM

Blue Jays: RHP Bo Schultz (left hip surgery) gave up three runs, three hits and walked two while getting two outs in his second rehab appearance Saturday night for Class A Dunedin.

CAUGHT BY CONGER

Rays C Hank Conger stopped a stretch where 48 consecutive runners had successfully stole a base against him when he threw out Ezequiel Carrera at second in the fifth. It was Conger's first caught stealing since last May 29.

GOING DEEP

Longoria is 6 for 12 with two homers off Stroman. ... Donaldson has three hits - all homers - in 14 at-bats against Odorizzi.

MINOR MATTERS

OF Michael Bourn is hitting .250 (7 for 28) with four RBIs in seven games with Dunedin. Released by Atlanta at the end of spring training, Bourn signed a minor league contract with the Blue Jays last month.

UP NEXT

Blue Jays: Knuckleballer R.A. Dickey (1-3) will go against Texas RHP A.J. Griffin (3-0) on Monday night in the opener of a four-game home series.

Rays: LHP Matt Moore (1-2) will face former Tampa Bay LHP Scott Kazmir (1-2) on Tuesday night when the Los Angeles Dodgers play at Tropicana Field for the first time since 2007.
Quito (AFP) - Crews have rescued a 72-year-old survivor of Ecuador's deadly earthquake almost two weeks after it struck the South American country, Venezuela announced.

A visiting Venezuelan search team located Manuel Vasquez, who had been trapped under rubble since the 7.8-magnitude quake that killed 660 people, the Venezuelan embassy in Quito said on its website.

They found Vasquez "making sounds in a partially collapsed building" on Friday in Manabi province while doing inspections for structural problems, it said.

The April 16 quake was the worst to strike Ecuador in decades, causing buildings to collapse and damaging roads and other infrastructure in tourist areas along the coast.

Vasquez was admitted to hospital with kidney trouble and lost toes. He was also dehydrated and disoriented.

Ecuador welcomed hundreds of rescue teams, doctors, nurses, firefighters and other support staff after the quake from a slew of countries.

President Rafael Correa has announced a series of drastic economic measures aimed at paying for what he estimates will be the $3 billion cost of rebuilding the shattered country.
T-Mobile's 1Q16 Results: Majority of Analysts Recommend a 'Buy'

T-Mobiles 1Q16 results

T-Mobile (TMUS) reported its 1Q16 results on April 26, 2016. The US (SPY) wireless company had an EPS (earnings per share) of $0.56 in 1Q16. The figure included $0.46 for a gain on spectrum. The telecom companys revenue increased robustly by ~10.6% YoY (year-over-year) to reach ~$8.6 billion for the quarter.

Performance of other top US wireless carriers in 1Q16

Now, lets look at the growth in wireless revenue of the other major US wireless players in 1Q16. During the quarter, Verizons (VZ) wireless revenue decreased by ~1.5% YoY to reach ~$22 billion.

Meanwhile, in the domestic component, AT&Ts (T) wireless revenue declined by ~1.3% YoY to ~$18 billion in 1Q16. Sprint (S) has not yet reported its results for the same quarter.

T-Mobiles new guidance for 2016

T-Mobile (TMUS) has provided updated guidance for 2016. The wireless carrier anticipates postpaid net additions of customers in the range of 3.2 million3.6 million for 2016. Earlier, this guidance figure was between 2.4 million3.4 million for 2016.

Additionally, its 2016 target for adjusted EBITDA (earnings before interest, tax, depreciation, and amortization) is now between $9.7 billion$10.2 billion. This has included the effect of its Data Stash, spectrum gain, and leasing plans on this EBITDA figure. Earlier, this EBITDA guidanceincluding the impact of its Data Stash and leasing planswas between $9.1 billion$9.7 billion for 2016.

Regarding its capital expenditure for 2016, T-Mobile continues to expect the figure to be between $4.5 billion$4.8 billion.

In the next part of this series, we will look at T-Mobiles performance in 1Q16.

Continue to Next Part

Browse this series on Market Realist:
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said "mutual dialogue and reconciliation" should mark talks between Turkish workers, unions, employers and civil society.

In his May 1 message issued on International Labor Day, Erdogan said he hoped the occasion would "strengthen work, peace and unity" and warned against what he called "provocation".

Major security operations are underway in Istanbul and Ankara as thousands of people mark International Labor Day with rallies and demonstrations.

Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu hosted workers at a breakfast held in the prime ministry office at Cankaya Palace in Ankara to mark May 1.

May 1 is celebrated by many labor unions and workers worldwide. May Day is generally a public holiday in many countries and is an official holiday in Turkey.
ted cruz

Sen. Ted Cruz on Sunday attempted to refute prominent transgender activist Caitlyn Jenner's criticism of the senator's support for a controversial North Carolina bathroom law.

In a video earlier this week, Jenner used the women's restroom in the Trump International Hotel in Manhattan.

Jenner was partially responding to Cruz's support for a North Carolina law that restricts the use of public bathrooms to individuals of the same biological sex, which essentially bars transgender individuals from using bathrooms that conform with their expressed gender identity.

"Thank you, Donald. I really appreciate it. By the way, Ted, nobody got molested," Jenner said, referring to Republican candidates Donald Trump and Cruz.

In a Sunday CNN interview, Cruz said Jenner wasn't his concern.

"This is the height of political correctness," Cruz said. "Frankly, the concern is not the Caitlyn Jenners in the world. But if the law is such that any man if he feels like it can go in a women's restroom and you can't ask him to leave, that opens the door for predators."

Host Jake Tapper pushed back, saying that the law would not make it any easier for male predators to go into female restrooms.

"I don't think that's what the law is," Tapper said. "You and I don't identify as female. You and I aren't transgender. This law wouldn't be about you and me going to a women's room."

"The law doesn't specify transgender. It's whatever you feel like at the given moment," Cruz responded.

Cruz is one of the only major presidential candidates left in the field who has expressed outright support for North Carolina's law.

Democratic presidential candidates Hillary Clinton and Sen. Bernie Sanders both oppose the law, while the Republican presidential frontrunner Trump argued that he did not support the law because he believed it could be damaging to businesses.

NOW WATCH: Scientists have linked the deaths of three US presidents to the same surprising cause





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Everyone is conspiring against Ted Cruz to prevent him from winning the Republican presidential nomination, at least according to Ted Cruz. The Texas senator, currently running second to Donald Trump in the GOP primary, gave a testy interview that aired on Meet the Press Sunday morning, in which he treated established facts like enemy propaganda and asserted the existence of a vast media conspiracy against him.

Not long into the discussion, which was recorded on Friday, moderator Chuck Todd, asked Cruz to address what has become a serious problem for his campaign.

Related: Indianas Governor Just Endorsed Ted Cruz. And Donald Trump

I want to go to your struggles in uniting the party around you. In fact, this is what your now running mate--

Here Cruz interrupted, sarcastically saying Tell me what you really think, Chuck.

The implication was plain: Todd was editorializing. Except that he wasnt. Cruzs problems with the members of his party who dont share his doctrinaire conservatism and Christian fundamentalism are legion and are well-documented. His inability to conjure more than a handful of (mostly tepid) endorsements from his fellow lawmakers -- even with Donald Trump as the only viable alternative at this point in the race -- points to a real trouble spot for his candidacy.

In Cruzs formulation of reality, though, that is all just motivated speculation from a news media that cant be trusted.

Related: How Many #NeverTrump Republicans Really Mean It?

Even in the face of blistering criticism from former Speaker of the House John Boehner, who last week called Cruz Lucifer in the Flesh and the most miserable son of a bitch I have ever worked with, Cruz not only contended that Boehners complaints had no justification, but suggested they might be motivated by Boehners own ambitions. I saw those comments and kinda thought Boehner was auditioning to be Trump's VP candidate, he said.

When Todd began an epic (and ultimately unsuccessful) struggle to get Cruz to simply say whether or not he would support Trump if the billionaire ultimately won the endorsement, the senator turned a fairly straightforward question into another allegation of bias against him.

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I recognize that-- that many in the media would love for me to surrender to Donald Trump, he said.

Todd, of course, had said nothing about surrender, but in the face or Cruzs insistence was forced to add, It's about the numbers. He may win. Republican voters are the ones rejecting you, this is not a media conspiracy, Senator.

Related: Is Sanders About to Play the Email Card Against Clinton?

But in Cruzs eyes, the campaign has been just that.

He went on to spin out in great detail the story he has been telling supporters at his rallies for weeks. The national television networks, which presumably earned tens of millions of dollars selling advertising during the dozen debates held earlier in the contest, he said, but are now protecting Trump by refusing to accommodate Cruzs demand that more debates be added to the schedule.

You know what's interesting, Chuck? It's been now 49 days since we've had a Republican debate, Cruz said. Donald can't answer questions about his foreign policy. He can't answer questions about how you bring jobs back to this country and wont debate.

Even though the media stands to make millions of dollars off of the debate, you hear radio silence from the media about no debates, Cruz continued. They're giving up millions of dollars. And the reason is your network's executives are partisan Democrats.

Cruz conveniently left out the fact that all 12 of the debates held earlier in the campaign were sanctioned in advance by the Republican National Committee which, among other things, wanted to avoid the circus atmosphere that the 20 debates in the 2012 cycle produced.

Related: Why Democrats Need Bernie Sanders to Stay in the Race

Cruz also neglected to mention that the primary election debate schedule was worked out in cooperation with the candidates -- including Ted Cruz.

Todd pushed back against the notion that the media is actively trying to swing the nomination to Trump in order to advance the cause of Democratic frontrunner Hillary Clinton, but Cruz wasnt done.

When Todd tried one final time to get him to say whether or not he would support Trump if the New Yorker win the nomination, Cruz accused him of personally trying to boost Trump.

He would not answer the question Cruz said, but added that Todd was free to keep asking. Youre welcome to lobby for support for Trump as much as possible, he said.

Top Reads from The Fiscal Times:
Paris (AFP) - French and Turkish police fired tear gas at protesters as tensions erupted in both countries during May Day rallies Sunday, while thousands marched across the globe for the annual celebration of worker's rights.

From Moscow to Madrid, workers chanted demands for higher wages, better conditions and more job security as many countries battle economic uncertainty and high unemployment.

Thick clouds of tear gas hung above the Place de la Nation square in Paris where youths in balaclavas and ski masks lobbed cobblestones and bottles at black-clad riot troops shouting: "Everyone hates the police."

Police estimated some 17,000 protesters marched throughout the French capital for a rally riding a wave of anger against planned labour reforms set to come before parliament on Tuesday. Ten people were arrested, while one demonstrator and one officer were lightly injured in the scuffles, police said.

The May Day rally was the second protest against the reforms in a week to descend into violence led by troublemakers known as "casseurs" (breakers) who actively seek confrontation with security forces.

"We will respond with the greatest of determination to these troublemakers... the attacks and violence against security forces are unacceptable," said French Prime Minister Manuel Valls on Sunday.

While the government hopes the reforms will reduce chronic unemployment of about 10 percent, critics believe they threaten hard-won workers' rights by making it easier to lay off people in lean times.

The government has already watered down the bill but this has failed to calm the anger among students and workers.

"Withdraw, withdraw the labour law. Not amendable, not negotiable," protesters chanted.

- Tensions in Turkey -

In Istanbul, police clamped down on unauthorised protests at a time of particular tension after a succession of deadly attacks this year in Turkey blamed on jihadists and Kurdish militants.

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Around 25,000 police were on duty, cordoning off the central Taksim Square and releasing volleys of teargas and water cannon on those trying to make their way to the protest hotspot, an AFP photographer said.

In the flashpoint area of Okmeydani, masked radical leftists threw Molotov cocktails and firecrackers at police and created burning barricades out of junk.

The office of the Istanbul governor said that 207 people were detained around the city for trying to march on Taksim. It said that 40 Molotov cocktails, 17 hand grenades and dozens of fireworks were seized.

In a separate incident, a man in his 50s was killed when he was run over by a police water cannon vehicle.

Hundreds of labour and union activists took part in an officially-sanctioned rally elsewhere in the city.

Meanwhile, Turkish police detained four suspected Islamic State jihadists who were allegedly planning an attack on May Day celebrations in the capital Ankara, the state-run Anatolia news agency said.

International Workers' Day was started in Chicago in 1886 by a union demanding an eight-hour work day and is now celebrated around the world.

- 'Destabilising' Latin America -

In Moscow around 100,000 workers joined a May Day parade on the city's Red Square, waving Russian flags and balloons near the Kremlin walls, police said.

The carefully choreographed parade took place amid an economic crisis brought on by Western sanctions over Ukraine and low oil prices.

Hundreds of thousands marched in Cuba at a rally condemning a campaign to "destabilise" leftist governments around Latin America.

"This May 1 is also a day to condemn the manoeuvres aimed at... reversing the gains achieved in social policy in our America and destabilising the leftist and progressive governments in power," Ulises Guilarte, the secretary general of the Workers' Central Union of Cuba, told a massive crowd on Havana's Revolution Square.

Thousands marched in Madrid with banners proclaiming: "Against budget cuts and for retirees."

In Austria, embattled Chancellor Werner Faymann faced jeering and boos as he addressed around 80,000 people in Vienna, a week after the government's disastrous defeat at the hands of the far-right in a presidential ballot.

In South Korea, planned labour reforms have also sparked anger among workers, and tens of thousands protested against the bill.

Labour activists say the reforms being pushed by President Park Geun-Hye and her conservative Saenuri Party will make it easier for companies to sack workers.

"Let's fight together against the evil bill!" activists and union members chanted during a protest in Seoul.
Bangladesh police detained three people on Sunday over the gruesome murder of a Hindu tailor one day earlier, the latest deadly attack on minorities claimed by the Islamic State group.

A senior officer said the principal of an Islamic madrassa and two others were being held for questioning over the hacking to death of Nikhil Chandra Joarder outside his shop in Tangail town, northwest of Dhaka.

Police suspect the 50-year-old Joarder may have been targeted on Saturday for making derogatory remarks about the Prophet Mohammed four years ago, as Bangladesh reels from rising Islamist violence.

Tangail deputy police chief Aslam Khan said the three have been "taken into police custody for questioning" including a local leader of the country's largest Islamist party, Jamaat-e-Islami.

"The madrassa principal filed a complaint against the deceased in 2012 for making derogatory remarks against the Prophet Mohammed," Khan told AFP.

The attack comes after two gay activists were hacked to death last week, attacks claimed by a Bangladeshi branch of Al-Qaeda, while a liberal professor was also killed days earlier.

Suspected Islamists have murdered at least 30 members of religious minorities, secular bloggers and other liberal activists, foreigners and intellectuals in Bangladesh in the past three years.

The IS group claimed responsibility for the latest attack, carried out by three unknown men who arrived on a motorbike.

It claimed Joarder "was known for blaspheming the Prophet Mohammed," the IS-affiliated Amaq news agency said, citing a source, according to SITE Intelligence Group.

Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan rejected the claim of responsibility on Saturday, repeating the government's stance that the jihadist group, along with Al-Qaeda, have no known presence in Bangladesh.

The secular government and the police have instead blamed local banned militant groups for the attacks.

Four years ago, Joarder was charged with hurting religious sentiments and he spent three weeks in jail, before the unknown complainant withdrew the case against him.

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In February, suspected Islamists decapitated a top Hindu priest inside a temple complex in one of the country's northern districts, an attack also claimed by the IS group.

A long-running political crisis in officially secular Bangladesh has radicalised opponents of the government and analysts say Islamist extremists pose a growing danger.

Hindus, the country's largest religious minority, make up nearly 10 percent of Bangladesh's 160 million population of mainly Sunni Muslims.
Istanbul (AFP) - Three Turkish soldiers were killed and 14 others wounded in an attack Sunday in the Kurdish-dominated southeast blamed on militants from the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), the army said.

The attack took place in the Nusaybin district of Mardin province, where the army has been conducting a military operation backed by a curfew against the PKK, it said.

The army blamed the attack on the "separatist terror group", its customary phrase for the PKK which it never mentions by name.

The Dogan news agency said the PKK opened fire with rockets on an army bomb disposal team.

Turkey has waged an offensive against the PKK after the collapse in 2015 of a two-year ceasefire declared by the group. Hundreds of members of the Turkish security forces have been killed in attacks since then.

One of the PKK's leaders, Cemil Bayik, warned in an interview with the BBC this month the group was ready to "escalate the war" in response to Ankara's military campaign.

The renewed conflict has also struck at the heart of the country, with two attacks that killed dozens of people in the capital Ankara claimed by Kurdish rebels.

Over 40,000 people have been killed since the PKK took up arms in 1984 demanding a homeland for Turkey's biggest minority. Since then, the group has pared back its demands to focus on cultural rights and a measure of autonomy.
As he moves closer to winning the Republican presidential nomination, frontrunner Donald Trump continues to tout private equity honcho Henry Kravis as his possible treasury secretary, the FOX Business Network has learned.

Kravis, meanwhile, continues to say he isnt interested.

That was the buzz in Washington D.C. Saturday night at the White House Correspondents Dinner and the well attended after parties where political insiders mingle for a night of laughter and to discuss gossip.

Several political insiders in attendance told FOX Business that they recently had conversations in which Trump suggested that Kravis has indicated he might be receptive to the offer.

But in a statement to FOX Business, Kravis said that is not his intention. While Im honored to be mentioned, I love my job and cant imagine leaving it, he stated.

Trump spokeswoman Hope Hicks did not return telephone calls and emails for comment.

This isnt the first time Trump has mentioned Kravis as a potential treasury secretary. Last year, Trump mentioned him among several candidates for the position--one in which corporate executives consider among the most important cabinet positions given its role in developing economic policy.

Other names that have been discussed by Trump for the job include former General Electric (NYSE:GE) CEO Jack Welch and billionaire activist investor Carl Icahn.

At the time, Kravis described the idea of serving as Trump's treasury secretary as "scary," while Welch is supporting Cruz and Icahn has said he is not interested, though he has endorsed Trump's candidacy.

Trump, meanwhile, could all but wrap up the GOP nomination this Tuesday if he wins the Indiana Primary. Polls have him ahead of Cruz in the contest but last week Cruz received a key endorsement from Indiana Governor Mike Pence; Cruz also announced that if he wins the nomination, his V.P. running mate would be former Hewlett Packard (NYSE:HP) CEO Carly Fiorina.

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Last night at the White House Correspondents Dinner, GOP insiders say Trump once again has been floating Kravis' name to build inroads with Republican Party insiders.

Like Trump, Kravis is a billionaire, with a long and public career in business, running private equity firm Kohlberg Kravis Roberts (NYSE:KKR) which he co-founded.

While Trump is new to the Republican Party (he has supported Democrats in the past), Kravis is a long time Republican fundraiser with deep ties to the Wall Street donor establishment.

He may be best known for his role in the takeover of RJR Nabisco in 1988, a corporate battle described in the best selling book Barbarians at the Gate: The Fall of RJR Nabisco.

Trump has so far self-financed his campaign to win the GOP nomination, but he may need outside contributors to raise the billions of dollars that many experts say is necessary to wage a successful presidential campaign against likely Democratic nominee in the 2016 contest this fall, Hillary Clinton.

Clinton is expected to easily raise an estimated $1 billion. While Trump says hes worth $10 billion, it is unclear if he has enough cash readily available for the race or whether he will tap outside sources for the funds.

That's why it's important for him to make inroads with the likes of Kravis and other well-heeled donors he has been speaking with in recent weeks, GOP insiders tell FOX Business.

In addition to Treasury Secretary, Trump has also been weighing potential candidates for his vice president.

And it has been equally difficult for him to come up with solid choices. Many Republican heavy weights such as South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley and New Mexico Governor Susana Martinez have already said they are not interested in the No.2 spot showing that Trumps insurgent campaign, where hes made controversial remarks on immigration, may cost him some establishment GOP support, if and when he wins the nomination.

The business community has been particularly wary of outwardly endorsing Trump as well, given some of his controversial remarks. Trump has also said he wants to raise taxes on hedge fund executives and private equity officials- something that might not endear him to the likes of Kravis.

Clinton once had close ties to the business community and Wall Street, but she has moved to the left on issues such as regulations and taxes amid a strong challenge for the nomination by socialist candidate Bernie Sanders.

With that, many Republican donors at the White House Correspondents Dinner say they are reluctantly moving to support Trump.

I will do whatever it takes to defeat Hillary Clinton, including giving money to Donald Trump, said one GOP moneyman at last night's dinner.

Related Articles
By Melih Aslan and Osman Orsal ISTANBUL (Reuters) - Turkish police fired tear gas and water cannon and detained more than 200 people after scuffles broke out at May Day celebrations in Istanbul and some anti-government protesters tried to breach a ban on access to the main Taksim square. Security was tight across Turkey's biggest city, which was hit twice this year by attacks blamed on Islamic State. Around 24,500 members of the security forces were deployed for the May Day celebrations, according to the Istanbul governor's office. Police scanned the streets from helicopters overhead. "Some illegal groups who want to damage the peace and safety of our people attempted illegal marches and demonstrations primarily around Taksim square ... under the pretext of May Day celebrations," the governor's office said. "A total of 207 people have been detained and some 40 Molotov cocktails, 17 hand grenades, 176 fireworks ... and lots of illegal posters have been seized," it said. A 57-year old man was killed when he was run over by a police water truck while trying to cross the street, broadcaster CNN Turk reported. The governor's office said he was struck as the vehicle was maneuvering. Taksim square was home to May Day celebrations until 1977, when dozens of people were killed during demonstrations, dubbed the 'bloody May Day'. The square was reopened for celebrations in the late 2000s but was shut again in 2013. It became the main rallying point for 2013 anti-government protests in which tens of thousands of people demonstrated against President Tayyip Erdogan, then the prime minister. A usually bustling square lined with cafes and hotels, Taksim was entirely cordoned off on Sunday and filled with riot and plain clothes police. Public transport leading to the neighborhood was shut down. Thousands of people attended celebrations in a designated area in Bakirkoy district near the airport. The mood was bittersweet with many people criticizing the government for keeping Taksim off limits. "Nobody has guns or bombs. People will come and express themselves, but the state prevents them even from coming to the area they allocated," union member Fatma Akaltu said. Brief brawls erupted in Bakirkoy, where police detained several supporters of the pro-Kurdish Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) after they chanted "Long Live Kurdistan". (Additional reporting and writing by Humeyra Pamuk; Editing by Nick Tattersall, Larry King)
Microsoft has agreed to buy 10 million strands of synthetic DNA from Twist Bioscience (Photo : YouTube/The Times of India)

Microsoft just bought 10 million stands of synthetic DNA from San Francisco-based biotech startup Twist Bioscience, which will be used in research to expand company's data centers. The biotech firm published a press release on April 27, Thursday, on its website, claiming Microsoft has confirmed the purchase.



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DNA or Deoxyribonucleic Acid is oligonucleotide fragments connected end to end to form very long chains that can be used to store digital data. Microsoft is buying millions of these strands from Twist Bioscience to experiment with its potential and find feasibility of its long-term benefits in data storage, the biotech company announced in a press release.



"DNA is a promising storage media, as it has a known shelf life of several thousand years, offers a permanent storage format and can be read for continuously decreasing costs," Emily M. Leproust who is founder and CEO of Twist Bioscience commented in the post. She also said that their silicon-based synthetic DNA delivers high-quality data storage method and they are "thrilled to work with Microsoft" as they take on the growing challenge of storing digital information.



The press release also shared comments from Doug Carmean, an architect at Microsoft, who pointed out that digital data is expanding at an exponential rate and they need a new longer-term solution. "The initial test phase with Twist demonstrated that we could encode and recover 100 percent of the digital data from synthetic DNA," he added.



Twist Bioscience offers silicon-based synthetic DNA which both data readable and writable. The new deal with Microsoft will also partner the University of Washington which will also contribute its researchers to tackle the issue of digital data storage.



Synthetic DNA has an amazing capacity to store the digital data in smallest space possible. A Microsoft research suggests that only 1 cubic millimeter of DNA can store an estimated 1,000,000,000TB or 1EB of information. While scientists have successfully encoded and recovered pictures from DNA strands, other data types are yet to be tested.



Based on the fact that researchers have extracted DNA in its entirety from million-year-old fossils, and ember-preserved specimens, data encoded into synthetic DNA can reliably last thousands of years. A working DNA-based digital storage would not only save space, but it will also increase its speed and shelf life.



Data centers of Google, Microsoft, Amazon, and Facebook alone constitute 1.2 million Terabyte of data, according to Science Focus. This storage power comes from millions of servers covering hundreds of yards of space and using a great amount of electrical energy. If we are to replace these servers with working synthetic DNA data centers, all of the companies could fit their current data into a matchbox-sized device, with trillions of terabytes still to spare.



Microsoft recently reduced free storage space of OneDrive to 5GB, which makes more sense why the tech giant is seeking DNA strands from Twist Bioscience for storage experiments. NewsBeat Social talks more about the story in this video.






BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Two suicide car bombs claimed by Islamic State killed at least 32 people and wounded 75 others in the center of the southern Iraqi city of Samawa on Sunday, police and medics said. The first blast was near a local government building and the second one about 60 meters (65 yards) away at a bus station, police sources said. The death toll was expected to keep rising. Unverified online photographs showed a large plume of smoke rising above the buildings as well as burnt out cars and bodies on the ground at the site of one of the blasts, including several children. Police and firefighters carried victims on stretchers and in their arms. Islamic State said it had attacked a gathering of special forces in Samawa, 230 km (140 miles) south of the capital, with one car bomb and then blew up the second when security forces responded to the site. Islamic State holds positions mostly in Sunni areas of the country's north and west, far from the mainly Shi'ite southern provinces where Samawa is located. Such attacks are relatively rare. The rise of the ultra-hardline Sunni insurgents has exacerbated Iraq's sectarian conflict, mostly between Shi'ites and Sunnis, which emerged after the 2003 U.S.-led invasion that toppled Saddam Hussein. The quota-based governing system put in place by the United States at the time is being challenged by hundreds of protesters who camped out overnight in Baghdad's heavily fortified Green Zone after storming the parliament building. (Reporting by Ahmed Rasheed and Haider Kadhim; Writing by Stephen Kalin; Editing by Alison Williams)
ANKARA (Reuters) - U.S.-led coalition drones struck an Islamic State explosives depot in the northern Syrian town of Dabiq after receiving intelligence from Ankara, Turkish military sources said on Sunday. Two Islamic State militants outside the building were killed in the attack and several others were thought to have been inside when the drones struck, they said. (Reporting by Orhan Coskun; Writing by Humeyra Pamuk; Editing by Louise Ireland)
BERLIN (Reuters) - The United States is threatening to prevent the easing of export controls on European cars in order to force Europe to buy more U.S. agricultural products, Germany's Sueddeutsche Zeitung newspaper and ARD public broadcaster reported on Sunday.

In talks on the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP), a sweeping U.S.-European free trade deal, the United States has also blocked a European call to replace private arbitration tribunals, responsible for corporative lawsuits, with a public state model, the reports said.

The media outlets said they obtained 240 pages of internal negotiations documents from the environment group Greenpeace. Several people familiar with the negotiations confirmed that the documents were current, the media said.

The documents suggest the United States is putting more pressure on the European Union in ongoing negotiations for a transatlantic free trade deal than previously thought, the media outlets said.

The top negotiators trying to reach agreement on the trade deal avoided agriculture, public procurement and other thorny issues in talks last week.

Instead, Assistant U.S. Trade Representative Daniel Mullaney and European Commission lead negotiator Ignacio Garcia Bercera said on Friday, they concentrated on less controversial areas such as small and medium enterprises and technical language.

But both insisted after their 13th negotiating round in New York that they can still reach an agreement this year before U.S. President Barack Obama leaves office in January.

Greenpeace said in a statement it will give a news conference on the documents in Berlin on Monday 0900 GMT.

(Reporting by Michael Nienaber, editing by Larry King)
Travis Kalanick Uber CEO

Uber wants to be everywhere.

It's already in 415 cities worldwide, and that number's increasing steadily.

But that's just in the physical world. More cleverly, Uber also wants to penetrate every corner of your online life as well. At some point, if Uber has its way, you should be able to summon an Uber from just about any piece of technology you use.

"Were in the business of being where people are, so its not sufficient to say, well you guys need to come to where we are and what we think is comfortable for us," says Chris Messina, Uber's developer experience lead in an interview at Uber headquarters. "We need to get out there and be present where people are spending their time and are comfortable."

Uber's push began in November 2014 when a button showed up in Google Maps showing potential riders how long it would take if they would call an Uber instead. It was a little tease, but to Uber, it meant being there in the moment someone was deciding how to get somewhere.

By the time Facebook announced in April that bots were coming to Messenger  a moment heralded as big as the launch of App Store, Uber was already there, having added the ability to hail a ride five months before.

But that's the start  Uber's secret weapon in the future is turning these experiences and the ride itself into magical moments.

Building its Trojan horse

Uber's strategy to be everywhere began in August 2014 when it first launched its API. This is programming method that basically enables apps to talk each other  so a Yelp restaurant page can include a Google map of a restaurant's location or a developer can add the ability to hail a car straight from their app.

In Uber's case, it opened it up to be everywhere  at least in a primitive form.

If you work in an office, you can grab an Uber from right within Microsoft Outlook, Slack, or Atlassian's HipChat. You can call an Uber from Microsoft Windows 10, or price one up via Google Maps.

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You don't even need a phone. You can hail a ride from an Apple Watch, Pebble smartwatch, or Microsoft Band 2 fitness tracker. If you ask Alexa for an Uber on your Amazon Echo, it can call one just from you talking to it in your living room.

uber messenger

As Business Insider's Matt Weinberger summarized, it's a strategy to get Uber in front of as many people as humanly possible without making them go the extra step of downloading an app.

The bot revolution

Sometimes, you don't even need to summon a ride. Thanks to its Facebook Messenger integration, if you mention you're going to take an Uber somewhere, it might pop up with a suggestion to request a ride.

Chatbots are being heralded as the next wave of communication, and Uber is right there.

Messina calls it the dawn of "conversational commerce."

"The conversational commerce concept framing for me is more about bringing brands and services into the conversational context which used to be reserved for friends and family. Having bots and businesses appear in Messenger or iMessages is the novel thing for western audiences," Messina says.

Uber's focus has been making sure it's one of the first in  it beat Lyft to an integration by several months  and one of the best.

To Rahul Bijor, Uber's head of product for strategic partnerships, Facebook's big bot announcement at F8 validates what the team has been working on since they joined up with the social network five months earlier.

"Were so entrenched in it [in Silicon Valley]  in some ways, its been reinforced after F8  but [people] have very low expectations of brands and services in a conversational context," Messina said. "What wed like to do is provide a lot more delight. So if someones like ugh I wish could I order an Uber from here suddenly they can."

Uber on Messenger request ride

That doesn't mean that the Uber app is sidelined forever  but Uber isn't also only clinging to it as the only means to reach customers.

"Uber is in the business of providing transportation logistics as a service, not building apps. An app is a way to provide our service to customers in a convenient, familiar, and friendly way, but its not the only way we provide access to our service. Ultimately we want to be everywhere our users are and also taking into consideration their environment," Messina says.

However, building a chatbot into Messenger and future messaging platforms comes with a unique challenge compared to adding a button on Google Maps: People can chat back.

Scaling up

Kristen Grenga talks to people on Messenger all day from Uber's office in Phoenix, but most people think she's a bot. Her community support team is on the front lines of dealing with the barrage of chats coming in, but it was a conscious decision to put humans behind the keyboard, and not just turn it off.

Messenger 1

"If youre going to be on any of these platforms, whether its Facebook, Twitter or so-on, eventually people are going to start mentioning you and talking to you. And if you dont respond, you sort of have this cold dead feeling," Messina says.

That didn't work for Uber.

To start, Uber is having all humans all the time respond to people chatting them on Messenger. There are some automated actions, like sending a rider an ETA or a receipt, but everything else is a human response.

Because Uber can be reached in a messaging platform, people treat talking to Uber like having a conversation  complete with a "hi" and a "bye".

"We see everything from those 'Hi', 'How are you?', 'Are you guys a bot?', 'Are you fake?', to actual support questions on rider and driver partner side," Grenga said.

While Grenga is one of the faces behind the Uber bot now, Uber may start looking at ways to add a little bit of extra automation into its chat, similar to how Amazon does now, Bijor said.

"For the most part, if 30,000 people ask a question, it doesnt make sense to have 30,000 conversations happen. We can learn from the first 10 and be like OK this is a common question that comes up, make this an automated response," Bijor said.

It's still early days though, and for now, the questions haven't even slowed down, according to Grenga. As more people start interacting with the bots, Uber will have to build up its support for people incessantly chatting it  a potential problem for a company already looking a few months down the road.

The bigger future

While the API is only two years old, creating these relationships with companies and developers is a crucial part of Uber's long term plan. One day, Uber wants to become the platform  not just integrate itself in others.

"We want people to build businesses on what were doing," Messina says. "Youll see thats actually an important play for Uber in the future, making Uber useful to more people, more places, more context."

In January, the company released the start of a plan, a project called Trip Experiences. The goal is for other businesses to reach Uber passengers while they ride, to make those rides more interesting and pleasant, instead of just dead time.

uber trip experiences api

For example, someone who has opted into letting an airline know when they're in an Uber could get updates on their flight and a map of the airport pushed to their phone while they're in a ride. Or a news organization could know that you're on a 15 minute trip and send 15 minutes worth of stories. A podcast could be split into a six-minute segment for a rider to listen to. A music company could create a 17-minute playlist to match an after work mood on a Friday.

"We look at that as businesses building on top of the platform and essentially letting businesses establish a partnership with us," Messina says.

This is nice for customers and a new channel for businesses, but it also helps Uber stand out from competitors like Lyft in the U.S. and Lyft partners like Didi Kuaidi in China and Ola in India.

"We want to make sure the experience is great and people know that its Uber," Bijor says."If we get to the point where its white label, generic commodity of an experience, for us we would have failed. We want to continue to hold ourselves to a high bar, no matter what the platform is."

NOW WATCH: Uber is making customers pay for having drivers wait





More From Business Insider


MELBOURNE (Reuters) - The uncle of a former Chinese international student who was previously studying in Sydney, has been charged for her murder, a week after her body was found in a national park. A 27-year-old man of the nearby city of Newcastle was charged by a local court in Sydney on Saturday with the murder of 25-year-old Mengmei Leng. The Australian Broadcasting Corporation reported that Leng's mother had flown from China to attend the court hearing and that the man charged is the uncle of the murdered woman. Leng's body was found last week by a tourist in a sea cave inside a national park on the Central Coast region of New South Wales. Police said she had been stabbed more than 30 times. (Reporting by Jarni Blakkarly; Editing by Jacqueline Wong)
LONDON (Reuters) - Thomas Voeckler, the popular French veteran rider, secured overall victory in the Tour de Yorkshire on Sunday with a sprint finish triumph in the 198km final stage from Middlesbrough to Scarborough. Voeckler, the 36-year-old Direct Energie rider, demonstrated all his vast experience in the professional saddle when outfoxing and outsprinting nearest rival Nicolas Roche to take the title by a mere six seconds overall. Team Sky's Roche had suffered a momentary lapse of concentration which allowed Voeckler to launch his sprint from 300 meters out and build up just enough of an advantage over the Irishman to hold on for the decisive stage win at the line. The Tour, which has grown from the extraordinary success of the 2014 Tour de France Grand Depart in Yorkshire, again drew huge crowds with more than two million spectators estimated to have lined the route over the three days. (Writing by Ian Chadband, editing by Ed Osmond)
Xiaomi is slated to release its own wearable gadget, called Xiaomi Mi smartwatch, within second quarter of 2016. (Photo : YouTube/GAESCA)

After confirming that Xiaomi will launch its new Mi Max smartphone, MIUI 8 ROM and the much anticipated Mi Band 2 on May 10, the privately-owned Chinese electronics company confirmed that they are working on their own smartwatch.



Xiaomi's co-founder and VP De Liu confirmed during a Beijing event that the company is in the works to deliver Xiaomi Mi smartwatch to consumer market. It is said that the release of Xioami Mi smartwatch may happen in the second half of 2016. The news of its Q2 2016 release came after the public announcement made by Huami's CEO, who happens to be the company who's responsible in manufacturing Xioami Mi Bands, Android Community reported.



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Although there had been numerous rumors about the development and release of Xiaomi Mi smartwatch, details about the smartwatches' software, hardware and pricing had been scarce. However, reports claim that knowing Xiaomi always deliver devices with high-end specs yet affordable in price, the Xioami Mi smartwatch may surely go against known smartwatches in market such as Apple Watch and Samsung Gear S2.



As of this writing, the only factual information about the upcoming Xiaomi Mi smartwatch is it will be equipped with a large screen and will be packed with health-related functions, NDTV Gadgets reported.



Furthermore, reports claim that Xiaomi is definitely serious in entering the wearable industry, as this is the first time the company acknowledged the existence of their upcoming Mi smartwatch. In addition, prior confirming that they will be releasing their Xiaomi Mi smartwatch this year, the Beijing-based tech company released Xiaomi Mi Bunny - a smartwatch specifically for kids - in China, which is priced at 299 Yuan or $46.



Xiaomi's new smartwatch for kids boasts top-of-the-line security zone feature, allowing parents to monitor and set the daily travel route of their kids. If in case that the child goes beyond the specified range, an emergency notification will immediately be send to the parent's smartphone, detailing the kid's location specifics.



Other features of the Xioami Mi Bunny includes contact storage of up to 12 family members, plus the ability of the child to make and receive voice calls via Mi Bunny's pre-installed SIM.



Meanwhile, along with the confirmation of developing wearable technology, Xiaomi also announced that they are not into developing automobiles - just yet. However, fresh reports suggest that instead of producing automobiles and competing with LeEco, Xiaomi will just produce products to cater the needs of short travels such as electric bikes.



Watch the fan-made video below:




It was a literary festival, and just down the way, poets discussed meter while translators bemoaned the lack of a vernacular book market. But on one panel, things felt more like a movie theater. The audience jostled to glimpse the three authors onstage behind titles like If God Was a Banker, Those Pricey Thakur Girls and I Too Had a Love Story. They sell in the millions.

Such book sales are new here in India, where half a decade ago, a best-seller sold some 20,000 copies. One of the writers onstage at this, the Zee Jaipur Literary Festival, was Anuja Chauhan, who told of being offered a 22,000-copy print run for her debut novel  a terrific contract at the time. Nowadays, though, the Indian paperback mass-market publishing world is booming. And the people raking it in seem to have something in common: business backgrounds. In India, things are going exactly the opposite direction from in the U.S., where the literary debate of the day is about whether writers ought to drop $40,000 on creative-writing grad school.

Ravi Subramanian, author of If God Was a Banker, was, yep, a banker. Chauhan is famous for creating Indias Pepsi slogans. Best-selling mythological novelist Ashwin Sanghi holds an MBA from Yale. These writers dont believe in just handing a book off to their publishers, says Game of Thrones-esque writer Amish Tripathi, an MBA whos sold around 3 million copies and will have his books turned into Bollywood and Hollywood productions alike. Indeed, over here, writers must be owners of their own products, and good books dont sell themselves, says Tripathi.

Tripathi couldnt find a publisher at first, so he self-published, and got guerrilla with his marketing, funding a movie trailer to get the word out.

The rise of Indian publishing dates back to the 1980s. Thats when the first wave of Indian writing  embodied by the Salman Rushdies and Arundhati Roys of the industry  was essentially literary, says Gautam Padmanabhan, CEO of Westland Publishing. Given that Indias a postcolonial nation, one might argue that the four decades following its 1947 independence were about appealing to European and American audiences, winning prizes like the Booker  originally open only to former Commonwealth nations. As for paperbacks? Those could be imported  John Grisham and Dan Brown would do just fine. Why bother with homegrowing such products?

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Gettyimages 506720414

Visitors at the Jaipur Literary Festival on January 25, 2016.

Source: Himanshu Vyas/Getty

Then came the rise of the Indian middle class, and with it a new type of English speaker, says Padmanabhan, who puts out a few megastars, including Tripathi. These people came to English later, for work or college, and didnt grow up seeking novels of the Queens English sort. For them, romance novels, thrillers and popularized versions of Hindu mythology, in which they can recognize themselves and their own language, are mouthwatering. So writers like Tripathi who focus on very Indian subject matter, as Padmanabhan says, are hits.

As these writers came up, and as the tech industry took root in South India and Delhis real estate boom introduced Audis and oligarch-like wealth to Delhi, the market became ripe for a change. The messiah arrived in the form of erstwhile banker Chetan Bhagat, whose second novel in 2005, One Night at the Call Center, took off, chronicling the life of middle-class Indians in a thoroughly middle-class Indian setting. Bhagat caused publishers to discover an entirely new market, says Padmanabhan.

Bhagat, Tripathi, et al. have been bemoaned in Indias intellectual media for their lack of pretty prose. The authors dont care, and wrinkle their noses at this idea that a book is not a product, as Subramanian said onstage at the literary festival. Same with teeny-bopper-beloved romance writer Ravinder Singh, who told the audience hes unashamed of his social media techniques  for instance, promoting targeted Facebook ads when hell be in town for a reading. Tripathi couldnt find a publisher at first, so he self-published, and got guerrilla with his marketing, placing samples of the first chapter of his book in bookstores and funding a movie trailer to get the word out.

Theres another way in which the commercial-fiction authors apply their biz habits to their writing  obsessive research and organization. Tripathi started his books as philosophical tomes on good and evil, and tried to use complex character maps, Excel spreadsheets and piles of writer self-help books to get things in order.

Gettyimages 476360812

Author Amish Tripathi during his book launch for Scion of Ikshvaku, at the India Habitat Centre on June 4, 2015, in New Delhi.

Source: Shivam Saxena/Getty

Yet despite all the differences between the MBA writers and the literary types, some things sound the same. Like the misty eyes with which these authors discuss the way they came to writing. For Singh, that meant grieving for his girlfriend, who died just days before their engagement. So out came the choppily titled I Too Had a Love Story. For Sanghi, writing offered a sudden spurt of meaning after years of business  hed worked on family companies since age 14 and attended business school at 21. By his mid-30s, he says, I was really looking for something else which would give me a sense of satisfaction.

Today, he works four hours a week and writes the rest of the time. He might become a full-time writer in a couple of years. This correspondent is jealous, imagining the guy with the MBA relaxing in a country home, subsisting on words  and a lot of money.

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Yesterday was International Jazz Day, and last night, ABC broadcast an edited version of the All-Star Global Concert that took place on the South Lawn of the White House on Friday. Just after Princes death, Aretha Franklin went on MSNBC to speak about him (and speculate that he mightve died from Zika virus), and at the White House concert, she paid tribute by singing Purple Rain as part of a Prince medley with Herbie Hancock, Terrace Martin, Robert Glasper, and more. The event also featured performances from Chick Corea, Esperanza Spalding, Buddy Guy, Sting, Wayne Shorter, Hugh Masekela, Al Jarreau, Pat Metheny, John McLaughlin, and many others. Watch the full 94-minute special, plus President Obamas opening remarks and a student workshop held by Michelle Obama and Herbie Hancock, below; the Prince tribute starts at around 1:11:50.
Well, hello there, John Boehner!

The former Speaker of the House, who made news this week by likening Republican presidential hopeful Ted Cruz to Lucifer in the flesh, turned out to be the unexpected guest star of President Barack Obamas eighth and final speech at the annual White House Correspondents Dinner.

PHOTOSMay Sweeps/Finale Preview: Get 100+ Spoilers, Plus Exclusive Photos!

Obama Boehner

In a pre-taped bit that closed out POTUS intermittently hilarious monologue, Obama and Boehner strolled through the White House donning Ray-Bans, wiped away tears while screening Toy Story and even threatened to partake of publicly verboten cigarettes. You want one? Hmm? asked Boehner, as Obama eyed the carcinogen with a goofy desire funnier than anything weve seen on Saturday Night Live in the last few months. (Hey, can we get an #ObamaForSNLHost hashtag trending tonight?)

RELATEDHoudini & Doyle Review: Foxs Drab Period Drama Is a No-Wit Sherlock

Still, it was the Presidents half hour-plus address that brought the loudest and most varied laughs. (Was it me, or did Obama hit his former Secretary of State/current Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton harder than he did Republican sensation Donald Trump?) Below, my countdown of the 10 best  and two least comfortable  zingers:

10. Eight years ago, I said it was time to change the tone of our politics. In hindsight, I clearly shouldve been more specific.

9. Discussing his recent surge in approval rating, POTUS joked, The last time I was this high, I was trying to decide on my major.

8. You mightve heard that someone jumped the White House fence last week. But I have to give the Secret Service credit. They found Michelle, brought her back. Shes safe back at home now. Its only nine more months, baby. Settle down!

7. Mentioning a recent trip to England in which he had lunch with the Queen, took in some Shakespeare, and hit the links with British Prime Minister David Cameron, Obama mused, Just in case anybody is still debating whether Im black enough, I think that settles the debate.

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6. If this material works well, Im gonna use it at Goldman-Sachs next year. Earn me some serious Tubmans.

RELATEDMay Sweeps Scorecard 2016: Deaths, Breakups, Weddings, Firings, Sex, Resurrections, Time Jumps and More!

5. I love Joe Biden. I really do. I want to thank him for his friendship, for his counsel, for always giving it to me straight. For not shooting anybody in the face. Thank you, Joe. (If the shooting anybody in the face punchline has you befuddled, click here.)

4. To Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders (who was in attendance), POTUS had this to say: Bernie, you look like a million bucks. Or to put it in terms youll understand  you look like 37,000 donations of 27 dollars each.

3. Obama reserved his most plainspoken but scathing joke for the assembled members of the D.C. media corps, as he cut short the part of his speech directing vitriol at Trump: Taking your lead, I wanna show some restraint. Because I think we can all agree that from the start, [Trump] has gotten the appropriate amount of coverage befitting the seriousness of his candidacy. I hope youre all proud of yourselves.

2. Further throwing shade at the Republican partys two leading candidates to contend for his place in the Oval Office, Obama noted, Guests were asked to check whether they wanted steak or fish. Instead, a whole bunch of you wrote in Paul Ryan. Thats not an option. Steak or fish.

1. Weighing in on the criticism that Donald Trump lacks foreign policy experience, Obama had this to say: In all fairness, he has spent years meeting with leaders from around the world: Miss Sweden. Miss Argentina. Miss Azerbaijan.

Of course, a couple of the jokes clearly landed with a thud with members of the audience. As Obama noted pointed to Republican Senators Tim Scott and Cory Gardner in the house, he dropped this grim barb: Security, bar the doors: [Supreme Court nominee\ Merrick Garland come out. Were gonna do this right here, right now. Its like the Red Wedding. (OK, that was an A+ Game of Thrones reference, but mmmmaybe lets not threaten to slaughter our political opponents in these extra tense times, good sir?)

Later, Obamas scathing joke about Hillary Clinton played maybe too cruel by half? Youve got to admit it, though: Hillary Clinton trying to appeal to young voters is a little like your relative who just signed up for Facebook, Obama said, before adopting a doddering old-lady voice. Dear America, did you get my poke? Is it appearing on your wall? Im not sure Im using this right. Love, Aunt Hillary. Its not entirely persuasive.

What did you think of President Obamas White House Correspondents speech? Hit the comments with your thoughts!



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The U.S. Missile Defense Agency has had to scrap 40 percent of the tests for a multibillion-dollar program that is supposed to protect the country from long-range ballistic missile threats like North Korea and Iran, according to a new federal watchdog report.

The Government Accountability Offices latest annual audit of the Ballistic Missile Defense System (BMDS) found that risky purchasing practices, including simultaneous development and production of new anti-ballistic missiles (a.k.a. interceptors), and the use of unproven targets mean the MDA might have trouble meeting the Obama Administrations goal of fielding the system by 2018.

Related: Congress Is Taking an $18 Billion Gamble with the Pentagons War Fund

Furthermore, the constant change to BMDS testing makes it difficult to trace progress and costs, according to GAO.

The system, composed of a variety of sea- and ground-based interceptors and an accompanying command-and control system, has cost taxpayers $123 billion to develop since 2002. The Defense Department estimates it will spend an additional $38 billion on BMDS through 2021, for a total of $161 billion.

However, between fiscal years 2010 and 2015, the missile agency had to scuttle 40 percent of the systems test. Unforeseen circumstances, like bad weather or test equipment malfunctions, were to blame in some instances, but others arose from high-risk acquisition strategies, that see the development and production of interceptors simultaneously and a test schedule "which leaves little to no margin to address problems that past experience has shown are likely to occur, the audit stated.

Meanwhile, technical, funding and testing woes have forced MDA to delay 12 of the 27 capabilities planned for delivery between 2016 and 2020; some of the capabilities have been pushed back a few months or years while others have been delayed indefinitely, according to the GAO report.

Related: Half a Trillion for the Pentagon? Why Defense Spending Is Only Going Higher

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The constant change to BMDS testing diminishes the traceability of progress and costs. The repeated flight test delays, renaming and combining tests, and removing tests, while necessary to some degree, make it difficult to determine what objectives have been met, when, and with what test, the audit found.

MDA is also challenged to provide the actual costs associated with testing, the GAO added.

Since the BMDS is made up of so many platforms, its difficult to tell how much the umbrella effort has been or could be delayed. For instance, GAO noted, MDA delivered missile defense capabilities, as planned and other systems years ahead of schedule.

MDA "added a new capability, expected for December 2017, designed to enable radar on the ground to track various space objects," the report stated. "It also added two capabilities, expected in December 2020, to assess intercepts from space and improve discrimination."

Related: Why Adding $1 Trillion for Nuclear Arms Might Be a Bad Idea

Still, the pressures on the agencys buying plan and testing regime could be compounded going forward as MDA plans to increase the pace and complexity of flight testing, the report warns,

To execute all of its tests through 2018and meet the deadline for the Obama administration plan for missile defense, dubbed the European Phased Adaptive Approach, MDA must increase its pace by conducting more tests than it has averaged in the past or make prioritization decisions and delay or remove tests, according to GAO.

Top Reads from The Fiscal Times:
(Photo: Gianni Penati/Getty Images)



By Kathleen Hou



The worlds wealthiest women all have the same hairstyle. Im observing this while sitting at the Paris Four Seasons Hotel during Fashion Week with Guido Palau, the creative director of Redken and hairstylist responsible for looks seen on the runway at Prada, Marc Jacobs, and Alexander Wang. Pharrell and his wife had just walked by, followed by a TV crew, as everyone pretended not to notice. Miniature dogs nestled in elbow crooks are the accessory of choice for the clientele here, where rooms start at 1,000 euros. And theres one thing all the women in this room have in common: simple, non-showy, natural-looking hair.

Related: What Makes Kim Kardashians Hair Look So Good



The new rich is the natural, Palau says. You can get all these different quirky hairstyles out of it, like you see on the runway. But women just want to wear their hair simply nowadays. You see that when you see the women gathered here. Its true. Amid the Birkins, Vetements sweatshirts, and glossy Dior sunglasses in the room, no ones hair appears done. While it doesnt quite look like theyve rolled out of bed  everyones hair is too polished and frizz-free for that  theres no distinguishable style, no deep-parted ponytails or lobs. Whether its natural, short, long, straight, or curly hair, the prevailing trend is embracing your natural texture and making it look easy.

You can see it on the runway, in an aesthetic that designers and hairstylists called individuality and that we called no-hairstyle hair. And you can see it on celebrities, specifically a cluster of wealthy women who happen to share one family: the Kardashians. Save your groans and take a look at all the Ks: Kim, Kourtney, Khloe, Kendall, and Kylie. Apart from matriarchal Kris and Kylie, who gets herself in trouble by misappropriating hairstyles, these women  who have daily hair teams  all wear largely the same look: no-hairstyle hair reflecting their natural texture. Occasionally, a ponytail or slight differentiation in the waves will set one apart from her sisters. Jen Atkin, hairstylist-at-large to the entire Kardashian clan, once told us, We just dont live in a world where we have time to do complicated hairstyles. I do spend most of my time making it look like nothing is done.

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From Atkin to Palau, no one is quite sure why this hair trend is suddenly ubiquitous. Palau speculates that it might make for a strong juxtaposition against this seasons quite rich clothes. Another theory blames Instagram: Bigger, more vivid clothing textures and colors look better in photos, but that drives women to wear their hair more simply in contrast.

Related: 6 Natural Hair Treatments That Actually Work



You dont see glamorous models with their hair done, says Palau. Its just natural, enviable hair. Its not blown, bouncy, and big. Those girls are the glamorous girls. The whole idea of glamour has changed. The caveat is that your natural hair needs to be in good condition if you want it to look luxurious, which requires the aid of lots of fancy hair products and conditioning treatments. So perhaps its no surprise that this trend seems to apply to mostly young, rich women. As usual, "doing nothing for the sake of fashion actually requires doing quite a lot.





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The Story Behind Beyonces Lemonade Braids

The 50 Most Memorable Bangs Ever

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3 Easy, Fancy Ways to Wear a Hair Comb Like Keira Knightley

How to Deal With Your Hair After the Gym


E. Coli Aftermath: Chipotles 2016 Outlook Looks Bleak

(Continued from Prior Part)

Same-store sales growth

Same-store sales growth is expressed as a percentage. It measures the increase in revenue from existing restaurants over a certain period. Same-store sales growth is driven by ticket size and traffic. Its an important metric for investors to monitor. It increases a companys revenue without increasing capital investment. Its a direct reflection of how much traffic each location is driving without simply adding more stores.

1Q16 performance

Chipotle Mexican Grill (CMG) posted a decline in its same-store sales growth of 29.7%. It was lower than analysts estimate of 28.6%. The decline in same-store sales growth was mainly due to a decline in traffic. It was down by 21.1%. After the poor performance of -36.4% in January, the company showed some improvement. In February, its same-store sales growth was -26.1%. By mid-March, its same-store sales growth was -20% to -25%.

In March 2016, four of its employees in Boston were sick. Following Chipotles protocol, the employees didnt report for work. According to its enhanced food safety procedures, the company temporarily closed its restaurants. The incident circulated in the news as another outbreak. This hurt the companys recovery. In March, the same-store sales growth was -26.4%.

To win back its customers, the company implemented several enhanced food safety measures and conducted aggressive marketing and promotional campaigns. Under the Rain Check mobile promotion, customers redeemed over 6 million free burritos in February and March. The mobile offer was followed by direct mail promotions. More than 20 million households were contacted. Its important to note that 17.5% of the mail promotions were redeemed. Despite all of these efforts, the first three weeks of April showed mixed results. The same-store sales growth was -26%. Chipotle also forms 0.08% of the holdings of the iShares Core S&P 500 ETF (IVV).

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Peer comparison

In 1Q16, Panera Bread (PNRA) and Brinker International (EAT) recorded same-store sales growth of 4.7% and -3.6%. Shake Shack (SHAK) is expected to record same-store sales growth of 4.6%. Analysts expect Shake Shack to post earnings before interest and tax margins of 8.4%compared to 8.7% in 1Q15.

Continue to Next Part

Browse this series on Market Realist:
west virginia hard times

The current opioid epidemic has plagued the entire US. But it has hit one state harder than the rest  West Virginia.

West Virginia had the highest drug-overdose death rate in the US in 2014, according to a recent CDC report.

The state also has one of the highest prescription rates of opioids in the US, trailing only Alabama and Tennessee. And it ranks in the top 10 for the highest rate of prescriptions given out for high-dose opioids and extended-release opioids  both of which are targets for abusers.

The roots of the opioid crisis in West Virginia mirror the rest of the US. But there are a couple of crucial differences.

As in the rest of the US, opioid prescriptions started skyrocketing in the mid-1990s as pharmaceutical companies introduced powerful new painkillers such as MS Contin and Oxycontin to the public. And medical groups began calling pain the "fifth vital sign" that doctors should attend to, according to Dr. Ted Cicero, a professor of psychiatry at Washington University in St. Louis and an opioid-use researcher.

"There was a big push saying we had a big problem with the under-treatment of pain," Cicero told Business Insider. "Opioid prescriptions skyrocketed from the early '90s until about 2010."

The same phenomenon applied in West Virginia  but, in Appalachia, these liberal prescribing practices collided with two other factors:

1. A disproportionate number of jobs involving manual labor like coal mining, timbering, and manufacturing; and

2. High rates of joblessness.

coal miner west virginia

West Virginia has long been known as coal country. Mining, timbering, and manufacturing play a huge role in West Virginias economy. They are all jobs that require heavy manual labor and leave workers prone to injury.

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Coal mining accounts for more than 18,000 jobs in West Virginia, nearly doubling the next state on the list, according to the US Department of Energy.

And though the state's coal mines have lost more than 7,000 jobs since 2011, the mining industry as a whole has continued to grow in the state, thanks to strong growth in the natural gas and oil industries. According to the US Bureau of Economic Analysis, mining accounted for 18% of the states overall GDP in 2014.

Mining operations proved to be flash points for opioid abuse when prescription practices liberalized, as workers tried to stave off injuries. John Temple, a professor at West Virginia University and the author of the 2015 book "American Pain," described the scene that arose at mining camps to the Charleston Gazette-Mail last year.

In a mining camp, there aren't a lot of doctors, he said. That doctor is going to be more likely to opt for the quick fix and give people pills to fix their pain and get them back into the mine, rather than give them rest or therapy or those things that can actually cure pain."

Dr. Carl "Rolly" Sullivan, who has run the addiction program at West Virginia University Hospitals since 1985, has noted the link between opioid abuse and the West Virginian economy.

West Virginia was ripe for the picking, Sullivan told the Charleston Gazette-Mail. We had a lot of blue-collar workers who were in farming and timbering and coal mining and things that were likely to produce injuries.

Cicero found a similar link in his research.

There are a lot of dangerous occupations" in Appalachia, he said. "People get prescribed opioids far more frequently" for the injuries associated with them.

A heroin addict smokes heroin in Lamu November 21, 2014. Picture taken November 21, 2014. REUTERS/Goran Tomasevic

Opioid abuse was further exacerbated by a declining economy and heavy job loss in the state over the last 20 years.

As of March 2016, West Virginia has the second-highest unemployment rate in the US, at 6.5%. It trails only Alaska. According to a Bureau of Labor Statistics report last August, West Virginia was the only state to experience a statistically significant decrease in employment over the previous year, losing 19,100 jobs from 2014 to 2015.

Though the coal-mining industry has been hit hard  jobs in the sector have decreased from 41,000 in 1983 to approximately 18,000 in 2016, according to the Mine Safety and Health Administration  other industries were struck as bad or worse. According to The Wall Street Journal, jobs in construction and manufacturing have fallen by 23% and 16%, respectively, since the recession.

With a population primed by prescriptions from work-related injuries, job loss was the gasoline on the fire.

Dr. Richard Vaglienti, the director of the Pain Management Center at West Virginia University and a co-chair of West Virginias Expert Pain Management panel, explained the problem.

The parts of the state that were worst hit were the areas in the southern coal fields that had just collapsed. It became a problem there and it spread throughout the state until it was everywhere," Vaglienti told Business Insider. "If you look at the areas that are hardest hit, they are usually the areas that have nothing going on economically.

According to Dr. Matt Cupp, a primary-care doctor in Elkins, West Virginia, substance abuse in the state becomes more common as joblessness increases.

I grew up in this area.  When there is work, [West Virginians] can bear down. They put up a house in no time at all,  Cupp told Business Insider. But when times get slow  a lot of them will turn to alcohol, tobacco, illegal drugs and get high for recreation until the next job comes along.

A 2009 report from the Appalachian Regional Commission put it even more bluntly.

Low education levels, high rates of unemployment and job-related injuries are closely linked to abuse of alcohol, illicit drugs and prescription medications, the report read, according to the Charleston Gazette-Mail.

The problem is that as opioid prescribing rose across the country, prescription opioids became the recreational drug of choice. "Pill mills" like the Sav-Rite Pharmacy in Kermit, West Virginia  which reportedly doled out 3.2 million dosage units of hydrocodone in 2006, according to Salon  thrived in the state, dispensing the drugs to anyone savvy enough to complain of pain to a doctor.

According to Sullivan, the composition of the patients at his WVU addiction program switched from 90% alcoholism in the 1990s to between 90% and 95% prescription painkiller addiction by 2002.



Not long after, the state began cracking down on the "pill mills," tightening prescription rules, and launching a prescription drug monitoring program, leading to the arrests of many physicians and pharmacists. But at that point, the epidemic was in full swing.

Joe Ciccarelli, a FBI supervisory senior resident agent in Charleston, told the Charleston Gazette in 2011 that even as law enforcement cracked down on "pill mills," drug dealers moved in and "flooded the market" with pills from outside the state.

When pill supplies did finally subside, prices on the pills rose, and drug dealers moved in with cheap heroin to capitalize on the large base of users already addicted to prescription drugs.

By 2010, the vast majority of Sullivan's patients in the addiction program were being treated for heroin addiction.

That's still the case in 2016.

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One afternoon in early February, Katja Kipping, a left-wing member of the German parliament, finally got a chance to see the free-trade deal that the U.S. and European Union hope to finish by the end of this year. There were just a few preconditions. She would only get two hours to skim through the complex legal document, which is hundreds of pages long. She would have to surrender her jacket, purse, phone and other electronics before entering the sealed-off reading room at the German Economy Ministry. A guard would watch over Kipping the entire time. And she would not be allowed to tell anyone what she would find inside the agreement.

Read More: Watch the History of Obamas Presidency, as Told Through His Jokes

I hope its not a crime to speak about this, she told me recently about the experience. They didnt tell me about any clear penalty, but they say its forbidden to speak or to write about anything you have read there. This made our interview feel, at times, like a game of 20 questions, as Kipping would only tell me what she had not seen in the document.

Since initiating the secretive negotiations in 2013, President Barack Obama and his European counterparts have promised that the treaty known as TTIPshort for the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership would cut the red tape that limits trade between the U.S. and E.U., potentially boosting their economies by a total of more than $200 billion, according to official E.U. projections. But the shroud of secrecy around the deal has not only strained transatlantic relations and provoked a massive popular backlash; it has also been embarrassingly ineffective at keeping the agreement under wraps.

On May 1, the Dutch arm of Greenpeace published nearly 250-pages of confidential TTIP documents, a leak that would seem to include most of what Kipping and other German lawmakers were ordered never to divulge. Our impression is that this is indeed, as we had feared, a document that puts large corporations, corporate power at the center of policy making, Daniel Mittler, the political director at Greenpeace International, told me after presenting the leaked files at a press conference in Berlin on May 2. He added: It is not a treaty that is designed to help small business or, indeed, people and the public good.

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That is exactly the impression that President Obama tried to dispel when he visited Germany last week. Appearing in the city of Hannover alongside German Chancellor Angela Merkel, he urged European leaders to hurry up and finish the agreement, so that Obama might have a chance of signing it before he leaves office. I know the politics are hard, he told an audience of German business leaders and politicians at the Hannover Messe, the worlds largest industrial trade fair. But we have to keep making our case, stating the facts and dispelling any misperceptions.

Read More: These 5 Facts Explain What Obama Wants From Europe

For Merkel and other TTIP supporters, it has been difficult to dispel the misperceptions around the deal when they are not allowed to publish its actual contents. I think its crazy, says Sigmar Gabriel, the economy minister in Merkels government and the deputy chancellor in her ruling coalition. Its not only the Americans. Its also the Europeans, he told me on the sidelines of the Hannover Messe during Obamas visit. We ask if its possible to publish what we have agreed, and they say, No!

This has created a bizarre dilemma. In trying to strengthen political and economic ties across the Atlantic, the centerpiece of Obamas trade agenda seems to be doing the opposite. It has sown widespread anger over what many Europeans see as an American plot to undermine their democracies and national environmental standards. A broad spectrum of German societyfrom right-wing Eurosceptics and nationalists to left-wing environmentalists and consumer protection groupshave all found common cause in opposing the deal.

Read More: Obamas Calls for an Open Germany Falter in a Tide of Refugees

In the last few years, their improbable alliance has gathered millions of signatures against TTIP and staged enormous rallies across the country, including one protest that greeted Obama on the eve of his arrival in Hannover. On social media and in the press, the movement against TTIP has also fostered an entire ecosystem of conspiracy theories, which claim that the agreement would allow the U.S. to flood Europe with genetically modified crops, which are largely banned in Europe, as well as with chlorine-tainted chicken and other contaminants.

Partly thanks to this sort of speculation, TTIP has become one of the most toxic issues in German politics, and one that Gabriel has come to personify as his countrys chief negotiator of the deal. All the secrecy has made this a punishing job. The members of parliament are all angry about it, he says. And so is a growing segment of the German public. According to a recent nationwide poll, only 17% of Germans consider the free-trade deal a good thing, compared to 55% in 2014, when the negotiations were just getting started.

On April 25, when Gabriel met with U.S. negotiators for another round of talks, his frustration bubbled over. We are adult citizens. We are adult democracies, he told his U.S. counterpart, Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker, when they appeared at a panel discussion in Hannover. It must be possible to allow somebody to look at whats already been agreed, Gabriel said, because the secrecy around the talks creates a lot of conspiracy; this creates mistrust.

It also seems rather pointless. Even before Greenpeace presented its trove of TTIP documents on Monday in Berlin, anonymous whistleblowers have leaked earlier versions of the deal to the public, including once in the spring of 2014. You will find, after some days or weeks, that the text is in the Internet, because somebody has leaked them, Gabriel noted rather presciently last week. Yet in spite of these leaks, the U.S. and E.U. still refuse to post official versions of the deal online. I think sometimes it would be good to be a little bit more, lets say, flexible, he told Pritzker.

The U.S. negotiator, who is herself a corporate titan from a powerful family of Chicago billionaires, did not seem moved. You cant negotiate something as complex as a trade agreement in the press, where its a referendum on every issue, Pritzker said, echoing an argument that E.U. negotiators have also made in the past. There is always going to be some element of compromise, Pritzker said. So you cant do it out in the open. At the same time, she added: Whats important is that we begin to debunk these myths that are out there.

Gabriel has been trying to do that. In the spring of 2014, he set up an advisory board of trade union leaders, environmental activists and cultural figures to help shape the German position on TTIP and discuss the negotiations. There was just one problem. None of its members were given access to any part of the deal. They are being used as a fig leaf, says Walter Haefeker, the head of the European beekeepers association and a vocal critic of TTIP, who says his petition to join the board was rejected.

As the public debate over the deal began to shift from confusion to hostility, Gabriel pushed for some level of parliamentary oversight in the negotiations, at least in granting the competent lawmakers the right to read a draft of the agreement and calm down their constituents. This was a heavy debate, he told me. In the end, it took two years of haggling before the U.S. and E.U. negotiators allowed him to create the TTIP reading room, which was opened to German lawmakers in February, behind two layers of security on the second floor of Gabriels ministerial headquarters in Berlin. Even in allowing that sliver of transparency, the negotiators felt the need to draft a separate document to govern the rooms existence, right down to the question of whether pens and paper could be allowed inside. That document is, of course, also confidential.

In a wry gesture of contempt for the reading room and its secrets, Greenpeace activists unveiled their own version of the room on Monday next to Berlins iconic Brandenburg Gate. It has glass walls to symbolize transparency and invites passersby to read through the leaked text of the agreement at their leisure, taking as many pictures of it as they like.

As for the reading room at the Economy Ministry, the only nice gesture it offers to German lawmakers, says Kipping, is a table in the corner with coffee and biscuits. The rest of the experience struck her as rather infuriating. I was curious to see it, but I was also angry, she says, because I was not allowed to bring some of our experts and assistants with me. That meant her only means of penetrating the documents dense legal jargon was a German-English dictionary.

The experience did little to dispel any of the myths and conspiracies that Kipping had heard about TTIP. Though she only had two hours to process the text, she says she found nothing to substantiate the claims of Merkel and Obama that the deal would benefit small businesses. She also found nothing to contradict the claims of TTIPs opponents that it would allow large corporations to circumvent European laws and regulations. If you read between the lines, she says, its clear that a company with a very successful lawyer can use some of the phrases in order to get whatever they want.

She admits, however, that her knowledge of international law was not strong enough to decipher the fine points of the deal. That would require independent experts to analyze it in detail, and the text obtained by Greenpeace may given them a chance to do just that.

But they will still have to wait a while before reading an official version of the deal, which will not be published until the negotiators agree on a final draft. The agreement, when negotiated, will become public, Pritzker said during the panel discussion last week. Before the deal goes to the legislatures in the U.S. and Europe for ratification, she said, there will obviously be plenty of time for everybody to look at it and understand it.

Asked whether that might happen this year, Gabriel answered: keine Ahnung  No idea. But even if the negotiators manage to finish the job before Obama leaves office in January, the wall of secrecy surrounding TTIP will have left many European lawmakers in no mood to ratify the deal. I feel like my mouth is closed, says Kipping. I feel they want to make me silent. And that doesnt seem like an effective way to rally anyones support.
Turkish prosecutors have demanded up to five years jail for a British university lecturer based in Istanbul on charges of making "terror propaganda" for outlawed Kurdish militants, reports said Friday.

Chris Stephenson, who teaches computer science at Bilgi University in Istanbul, was briefly arrested in mid March while protesting outside the city's main courthouse over the detention of four Turkish academics who are being tried on similar charges.

He then left for Britain with his family, but returned to Turkey a week later after local authorities confirmed he was not subject to an entry ban.

Turkish prosecutors have now completed the indictment and have asked for Stephenson to be given a jail sentence of between one and five years on charges of "making propaganda for a terror organisation", the Dogan news agency reported.

A date for the trial has yet to be set.

Prosecutors say Stephenson was on March 15 caught carrying brochures in support of the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), which is banned as a terror group by Turkey and its Western allies.

The academic, who has been based in the country for 25 years, has ridiculed the charges, saying he was only carrying invitation leaflets for the Kurdish New Year celebrations later in the month.

The case further raises alarm over freedom of speech in Turkey, with individuals accused of backing the PKK or insulting President Recep Tayyip Erdogan facing sometimes severe legal punishment.

Stephenson has been a strong supporter of four Turkish academics who have been prosecuted for signing a petition denouncing the government's military campaign against the PKK.

On the first day of their trial last week, the four -- who had been held at high-security prisons -- were released as prosecutors sought to scale back the charges against them.

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Through the white noise, whistles and warbles, the raspy, labored breathing reaches out. A womans voice sputters in and out as though distorted by many miles. Listen! Come in! she gasps. Talk to me! Seconds later, a terrified scream: Im hot! I can see a flame!

The transmission breaks up and gives way to static. In that silence, a horrifying possibility comes into focus: Perhaps this is the voice of a person dying where no one in the world can help her. Could these be the last words of a woman left to die in space?

Thats what many people thought in the early 1960s, when two Italian brothers, Giovanni and Achille Judica-Cordiglia, revealed this recording. Based in an old rural bunker rigged with radio equipment and supposedly dedicated to uncovering an earth-shattering lie, the siblings spent years creating one of historys most unnerving conspiracy theories.

Secret space missions, whether or not they were successful, didnt just mean people lost in space  [they] exacerbated fears of nuclear war.

As the space race raged, the Judica-Cordiglia brothers claimed to have evidence that one of its key players, the Soviet Union, had sent several people into orbit before Yuri Gagarins 1961 flight. The recordings, they insisted to journalists, revealed the dark side of the international rush to the final frontier: unsuccessful and secret launches in which would-be manned space flights did not come home.

The Judica-Cordiglia recordings, dating from 1960 to 1964, were made as the USSR launched Sputnik and Gagarin, and as the U.S. responded with John Glenn. Theyre still chilling to hear, and vary in quality and content, but fans of Apollo 13 and Gravity will recognize familiar themes: heavy breathing, patchy Russian dialogue through static, lost contact as a spacecraft drifts out of range and distant screams about overheating. At times, they sound eerily like the agonizing last words of Vladimir Komarov, a Soviet cosmonaut who was killed when his faulty spaceship burned up on re-entry.

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The USSR vehemently denied theyd ever covered up a space launch, and no subsequent evidence suggests otherwise. Modern analysis of the recordings shows clear inconsistencies in the Judica-Cordiglia brothers stories: Some of the Russian voices have suspiciously Italian accents, and none of the transmissions use correct Soviet Air Forces protocols or language. But this mystery of the lost cosmonauts  aka Russian astronauts  was splashed across front pages in its day and still survives among stubborn conspiracy theorists.

Vostok 1 musee du bourget p

Mock-up of the spacecraft Vostok 1 (1961), Museum of Air and Space in Paris.

Source: Public Domain

But is there more to our morbid curiosity? After all, one of our best-loved space stories, told via song, is about a lost space traveler: Ground Control to Major Tom, anyone? David Bowies Space Oddity still gets a whole generation humming and, fittingly, was the first song recorded in space.

Lost-in-space stories havent lost their cinematic appeal since 2001: A Space Odyssey. Nicolas Alcala, writer and director of the 2013 independent film The Cosmonaut, which is inspired by a more recent lost cosmonaut hoax, muses about the lasting draw of this story. Knowing that you are quarter of a million kilometers away from home and not being able to get back  its scary. And poetic. And decadently beautiful, he says, noting how it relates to an individuals fear of loneliness and detachment.

In the 1960s, the idea of a lost cosmonaut spoke to more acute fears. Despite the optimism of space exploration tales like Star Trek, the reality of space travel  from sending a dog into orbit to a man on the moon  hit the public fast and hard, and raised more life-changing questions than it did answers. Even NASA was afraid of the possibilities of space. American astronauts prepped for space flight were told they might experience space madness  literally losing their minds in isolation above Earth.

To the wider public, space represented chaos in an era of nuclear tension and uncertainty. A person lost in space was a poignant metaphor for individuals anxieties about the future  and in the Judica-Cordiglia recordings, it became a terrifyingly present possibility.

For the West, especially, lost cosmonauts had a sinister side as well. The technological changes during the new age of new exploration, 1960s historian George May explains, meant that space, as the final frontier, created new anxieties and conspiracies around the Russian space mission. Secret space missions, whether or not they were successful, he says, didnt just mean people lost in space; the notion of secret Soviet launches exacerbated fears of nuclear war.

These anxieties translated into a larger fear  and awe  of space that has carried us to the present. Our world may seem smaller and less complicated since the days of Sixties conspiracies and recorded hoaxes. But our conception of space continues to grow by the day.
Kuwait City (AFP) - Yemen's government temporarily suspended Sunday its participation in talks with Iran-backed rebels in protest at their takeover of a military base and continued ceasefire violations, officials said.

"The delegation of the republic of Yemen has suspended its participation in Kuwait talks because of the continued violations by rebels and their takeover of Al-Amaliqa base," foreign minister and head of delegation Abdulmalek al-Mikhlafi said on Twitter.

He said the suspension will last "until guarantees for compliance were provided", without providing details.

A spokesman for Mikhlafi told AFP that the government delegation has suspended its participation in both "direct and indirect" talks taking place in Kuwait.

"The suspension will continue until guarantees are provided that the rebels will stop their ceasefire violations and withdraw from the base," Mane al-Matari told AFP.

A statement by the government delegation called on the UN envoy, Kuwait and other Gulf states and countries backing the peace process "to apply pressure on the other side to comply with peace requirements."

The United Nations said it was informed by the government delegation that it will not attend a round of talks scheduled for later Sunday.

UN envoy Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed said he made contacts with members of both delegations and that he had received assurances that they would continue to try to resolve their differences but without face-to-face meetings.

Huthi rebel spokesman Mohammed Abdulsalam however criticised the Yemeni government's decision.

"Those who don't want peace ... are the ones who create false justifications and reasons to obstruct," the talks, Abdulsalam wrote on Twitter.

On Saturday, Yemen's warring parties held their first face-to-face talks since the negotiations in Kuwait began on April 21.

The UN envoy said these direct talks were "productive" and had touched on key issues.

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But later Saturday, the rebels and their allies overran Al-Amaliqa base in northern Yemen after hours of clashes, tribal and military sources said, adding that the fighting caused casualties.

The sources said the commanders of the 600-strong brigade at the base, located in the rebel stronghold province of Amran since 2014, had "chosen to remain neutral" as pro-government forces, backed a Saudi-led coalition, clashed with the insurgents across Yemen.

"The attack against Al-Amaliqa brigade torpedoes the peace consultations in Kuwait," Mikhlafi has said on Twitter.

Yemen's warring parties have repeatedly traded blame for ceasefire violations.

Government loyalists said they have recorded "3,694 ceasefire violations by the Huthis and their allies" -- troops fighting in support of former president Ali Abdullah Saleh.

Meanwhile, the rebels accused government forces and the Saudi-led coalition backing them of 4,000 breaches.

The coalition in March 2015 began a military campaign against the rebels, who have seized the capital Sanaa among other parts of the country.

The UN says that more than 6,400 people have been killed since then and around 2.8 million displaced.
Google just filed a patent for the most insanely futuristic invention

Google just filed a patent for the most insanely futuristic invention

Just when we thought Googles self-driving cars were all the rage when it comes to super high-tech and otherworldly gadgets, now, your vision can be improved with Googles new electronic device  which is injected right into your eyeball. Or could be someday. Google filled out the patent application on April 28th.

An electronic device shot into your eye? NBD, right? At least youll be able to see better. But it sounds as scary as it sounds cool.

An intra-ocular device includes an electronic lens that can be controlled to control the overall optical power of the device, the patent application states. The device can be installed within a flexible polymeric material shaped to conform to the inside surface of a lens capsule of an eye.

The lens is injected within a fluid that then solidifies. Though it sounds like itll correct bad vision, the device also sounds like a computer of sorts, with sensors, a battery, and a radio transceiver.

And how will the eyeball get its power? Wirelessly, of course, from an energy harvesting antenna. Okay, its all starting to sound scary again

Andrew Jason Conrad, Ph.D., invented it, and he also worked on the Google Contact Lens which made news in 2014. (ICYMI, that lens intends to help diabetics by measuring glucose levels in tears. Pretty rad. Science is so fascinating!) Conrad, a cell biologist, is the CEO of Verily, and the company continues to work on the Google Contact Lens.

As for whether or not well see Googles latest electronic eye device surface remains to be seen (no pun intended). But in any case, big ups for science and technology once again.

The post Google just filed a patent for the most insanely futuristic invention appeared first on HelloGiggles.
The wrangling between the FBI and Apple over an iPhone used by one of the San Bernardino, Calif., shooters in December highlights an area of confusion for many smartphone users. It's hard to know what personal data resides only on our smartphones, and what is also stored in the cloud.

To recap: In February, a court ordered Apple to help FBI investigators hack into the killers phone. The company refused to write the software necessary to comply. And since then, personal data safety has been pitted against national security in a debate pulling in politicians, mobile security experts, and privacy advocates.

On March 21, the case took a new twist, when the government said it may have found a way to defeat the iPhones security without Apples help.

You might think that in our highly connected age all personal data on a smartphone would also be stored on cloud computers. Dont cellular companies and websites retain records of phone calls, emails exchanges, bank transactions, and other tasks performed with mobile devices? But if thats true, why would the FBI need to hack into the handset?

The subject doesnt matter just for national security. Any time you use a mapping program, send a text message, or upload a photograph to a social account, some personal data is generated. Much of that data does migrate to big computers owned by corporations such as Google and Facebook. But not all of it.

Understanding the details can help you predict what companies may have access to your personal data. It can also help you understand what information can be recovered if a phone is lostand what data might be vulnerable to hackers.

Heres a brief explanation of where your phone data is stored, broken out by type of file.

Your Photos

Photographs taken by an smartphone reside solely on the phone until they are shared or backed up. Many iPhone users have their pictures saved automatically to iCloud, and both Android and iPhone users can have photos automatically backed up to other services such as Google Photos. (When personal photos were stolen from Jennifer Lawrence and other celebrities in 2014, the criminals did it by accessing their iCloud accounts.)

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A user can also manually save photos to a cloud service or computer, or share them through Facebook, email, or another forum.

The phone used by Syed Rizwan Farook, the San Bernardino killer, hadnt been backed up for more than a month, so its possible that the phone retains pictures no one else has seen. For the rest of us, avoiding backups means that photos remain privatebut vulnerable to loss if the phone is stolen or the data accidentally erased.

Standard Text Messages

Well get to Apples iMessages in a moment. But ordinary text messages transmitted from one phone to another have to pass through cell providers computer systems. Carriers retain metadata, or information on when text messages were sent, and to whom. That data is used for billing. However, most carriers only store the body of texts for as long as it takes to transmit themonce the message hits its target, the data is deleted. Verizon is an exception, though it doesnt hang onto the data for long. Text message content is generally retained for a week or less, Richard Young, a spokesman for the carrier's legislative, regulatory and policy office, says. (The company wouldnt say why it retains the data.)

iMessages

Apples own messaging app, iMessage, works differently from conventional texting services.

Carriers have no metadata on iMessages, says Dan Guido, a security researcher and Hacker in Residence at the Polytechnic Institute of New York University. It all gets sent to and from Apple.

All the cell network knows is that its transmitting an encrypted message to Apples serversand if the files are sent through Wi-Fi, they bypass the cellular carriers.

Any messages that have been backed up can be recoveredand Apple shares such information with law enforcement when provided with the right legal documentation. (Yes, Apple can decrypt iMessages stored on iCloud.) That only applies to iMessages that have been backed up by the user, either manually or through automatic backups. The company doesnt retain the messages as they are routed from one device to another.

Where You've Been

When it comes to location data, cellphones are natural born snitches. Law enforcement has long been able to ask carriers to find a customer in real time. If theres an ongoing kidnapping investigation, for instance, a cellular provider can often use multiple towers to triangulate a phones position; this method can also be used to locate phones when they make 911 calls.

Additionally, cellular companies can peer into their records to see where phones were located when making ordinary calls a year or more in the past. However, those records are highly imprecisephone calls arent always routed through the nearest tower, and towers can have a range of dozens of miles. If you remember how to calculate the area of a circle, youll see why records may only indicate where a phone was within several square miles, or even hundreds of square miles, when it made a call.

Smartphones also have GPS chips, and mobile app developers may be able trace everywhere a phones been. Google Maps, for example has an optional feature called Timeline that stores detailed location data for years, if its turned on in a phones settings. Precise doesn't begin to describe this datayou can look years into the past to see where you walked or drove on a particular day. Law enforcement can request these detailed Timeline histories from Google with a warrant.

Some geographic data is only stored locally, on the handset. The iPhone has a feature called Frequent Locations, which generates a list of specific spots you've visited, as well when and how often.

We don't do tracking of our users devices, so we don't have location logs in the way that, say, a cellular company would with their cell tower pings, says a senior Apple engineer, speaking on condition that he not be named. Frequent Locations, he confirms, is done locally on the device, as opposed to by Apple collecting everyone's location.

Apple says the feature is intended to offer services such as predictive traffic routing. The phone can learn your commuting schedule, and offer up what Apple hopes are useful notifications, such as how long your drive home may be, based on current traffic conditions. Android phones have the same capability.

Frequent Locations can be handy, but once you look at the records, the level of detail can be unsettling. If youve been to your home 58 times in the past two months, it will tell you that, along with what time you arrived and left each day. (To find this data on an iPhone go to Settings > Privacy > Location Services > System Services > Frequent Locations. Tap on the name of a town in the list of places youve been to see the details.)

The feature can be turned off. However, if it was running on Farooks iPhone, it could contain a record of locations the killer frequented in the days and weeks before the shooting.

Email, Contacts, and More

Emails are stored in the cloudif you use Gmail, for instance, the content of your correspondence resides on Google servers. It can be accessed by law enforcement armed with the right warrants. Contact lists are stored online only if theyve been backed up by the user.

Now, this isnt a complete list of the data generated by smartphones. There are browser histories, records of items purchased on Amazon, movies watched, and notes or videos created by mobile apps. Much of this data is stored somewhere in the cloud, and if investigators knew about every online service used by a smartphone owner, they could probably request subpoenas and uncover most of it. But no amount of such sleuthing would rule out the possibility that something important remained on the phone, and only on the phone.

That sort of uncertainty can be haunting, says one former prosecutor who spoke to us on the condition of anonymity. Imagine if there was another terrorist attack, and it came out that there was something on a phone that might have helped stop it, he says. You don't always know what you're looking for. You just want all of it.

Thats why theres a genuine conflict at the heart of this national debate.

If companies such as Apple can be compelled to write software that undercuts security protections, security experts say, personal and financial data will be gradually become more accessible to hackers based both in the United States and abroad. And if tech companies cant be compelled to do that, some clues in criminal investigations, even ones involved horrendous crimes, may never be discovered.

However the FBI fares in its new attempt to hack into Farook's iPhone, those tradeoffs will persist.





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Related Report blames deadly Air Algerie crash on pilot errors

Algeria's President Abdelaziz Bouteflika returned home to the North African country on Friday from Switzerland after undergoing "routine medical checks", the APS news agency said citing a presidency statement.

No further details were given about the results of the checks in Geneva, where Bouteflika went on Sunday at a time of renewed speculation about his health.

The Algerian leader, 79, suffered a stroke in 2013 that has impeded his mobility and speech. In December, he underwent two days of medical tests at a cardiology unit in the French city of Grenoble.

On the rare occasions that he appears in public, usually to receive foreign dignitaries, he has been in a wheelchair and speaking with difficulty.

Speculation over his successor has been rife in Algerian media and on social media since visiting French Prime Minister Manuel Valls tweeted a picture of a very weak-looking Bouteflika on April 10.

Rumours of worsening health abound, and opposition leaders have spoken of a power vacuum in the country which they say is in effect run by relatives including the president's brother Said.

Bouteflika has led Algeria for the past 17 years. In 2014, his decision to seek a fourth mandate sparked criticism from those who questioned his ability to rule.

He did not campaign and voted from a wheelchair, but still won 81 percent of the vote.

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The Orthodox Easter mass is a religious celebration that marks the resurrection of Jesus after his crucifixion

Egypt's Coptic Pope Tawadros II urged intellectuals and the country's educated elite to stand in the face of conflicts and terrorism around the world.

The Pope made his call during the Easter eve service held at St. Mark's Cathedral in Cairo on Saturday that was attended by some 3,000 people including a slew of top government officials and local dignitaries.

"Humanity needs owners of enlightening ideas, intellectuals, visionaries...and those with constructive knowledge to stand in the face of dark minds that hold back the progress of societies," the Pope said during his sermon.

"What kind of human mind can conceive of wars, conflicts, acts of murder and terror that have prevailed in many places east and west?" he wondered.

The Orthodox Easter mass is a religious celebration that marks the resurrection of Jesus after his crucifixion.

Egypt's President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi, the defence minister and other top government officials sent messages of congratulations and representatives to attend the religious celebration, which lasted for hours. Also present were a number of western and Arab ambassadors including those of Canada, USA, Britain and Jordan.

In Alexandria, Bishop Pavle led the Easter mass at the St. Mark's Cathedral of the Mediterranean city.

Egypt's Coptic Christians make up approximately 10 percent of the country's 90 million predominantly Sunni Muslim population.

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Scores of people have been arrested in recent weeks around Egypt following protests against the government's decision to acknowledge Saudi Arabia's sovereignty over two Red Sea islands

An Egyptian court imposed a media gag order on Saturday on the case of protesters arrested during demonstrations against a recent Egyptian-Saudi islands deal.

Scores were arrested in the capital Cairo and other governorates over the past two weeks during protests, as well as from their homes and in cafes, against Egypt's decision to acknowledge Saudi Arabia's sovereignty over the two Red Sea islands of Tiran and Sanafir.

The Dokki misdemeanour court adjourned the trial of 86 people rounded up from the rallies last week until mid-May and ordered a media gag order on the case.

The detainees face charges including "protesting without permit, disturbing public order and security" and "joining a terrorist organisation," in reference to the now-banned Muslim Brotherhood group.

A controversial 2013 protest law bans all but police-sanctioned protests. Thousands of youths have been imprisoned in the past years under the bill.

Egypts decision to transfer the islands into Saudi hands after a process of maritime demarcation has sparked widespread public outcry, with some critics accusing the government of "selling the islands." Egypt insists the islands belong to Saudi Arabia.

Thousands demonstrated on 15 April against the decision in what were believed to be the biggest protests by non-Islamists against President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi since he came to office in 2014. A second wave of the demonstrations was held on 25 April.

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The New York-based rights group said that no independent unions have been able to register officially since September 2015

Human Rights Watch (HRW) has called on Egyptian authorities to legalise independent trade unions in the country and end the single official union system.

In a report issued on Saturday to mark International Workers' Day, the New York-based watchdog said the Egyptian government is stepping on the basic rights of workers by not recognising independent unions.

Egypts government is ignoring the basic right of workers to organise independently, said Nadim Houry, deputy Middle East and North Africa director.

The government seems intent on stifling the freedom Egypts labour movement only gained after years of struggle that culminated in the 2011 uprising.

Independent trade unions thrived following the 2011 revolution, which forced out long time autocrat Hosni Mubarak, after then manpower minister Ahmed Al-Boraie introduced a declaration that lifted constraints on worker's freedom of organisation.

But the rights group said activists claim that no independent unions have been able to register since September 2015, raising fears that labour rights are at stake.

In March, the interior ministry issued a decision to stop accepting documents stamped by independent unions.

In November 2015, the cabinet ordered ministries to only deal with the government-controlled Egyptian Trade Union Federation, an umbrella body of 24 officially recognised unions.

Protecting workers rights to independently organise is a basic right, not a luxury, Houry said. Egypt needs economic development for all, but such development doesnt come with oppressing workers.

Egypt is a signatory to multiple international conventions which enshrine the rights to form or join trade unions.

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Security forces stormed late Sunday the press syndicate in Cairo and arrested two journalists who were staging a sit-in inside, a move described by syndicate head Yahia Qallash as "unprecedented".



Qallash told CBC TV that around 50 security personnel broke into the syndicate to execute arrest warrants for Amr Badr, editor-in-chief and founder of Yanair (January) news portal, and journalist Mahmoud El-Sakka, who works for the same website.

Critics said the move was a violation of Egyptian press law.

Slamming what he described as a police state," Qallash called on President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi to intervene immediately. "The security forces should have informed the syndicate beforehand ... what happened is unprecedented in the history of the syndicate," Qallash added.



The interior ministry disputed Qallash's account.

"Only four officers entered the syndicate to arrest the journalists, who willingly left the syndicate with them," the ministry spokesman Abu Bakr Abdel Karim told CBC.



The general prosecutor issued arrest warrants for both Badr and El-Sakka, who were in the syndicate protesting raids on their houses last month, for a number of charges including "spreading rumors about the disputed Red Sea islands Tiran and Sanafir."

He added that the syndicate will convene an emergency meeting of its board to formulate an appropriate course of action in response to the arrests. Meanwhile, a group of journalists, lawyers and human rights activists started a round-the-clock sit-in at the syndicate.



Two demonstrations erupted last month following Egypt's decision to acknowledge Saudi Arabia's sovereignty over the two Red Sea islands of Tiran and Sanafir. Scores were arrested and many were referred to court on a number of charges, including taking part in unauthorised protests.



Saudi and Egyptian officials said the islands belong to the kingdom and were only under Egyptian control because Saudi Arabia's founder, Abdulaziz Al Saud, asked Egypt in 1950 to protect them.

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A car bomb on Sunday hit the Turkish city of Gaziantep, a major refugee hub near the Syrian border, killing at least two policemen and wounding 22 other people, with the country on edge after a succession of militant attacks.

In a separate attack in the province of Mardin to the east, three Turkish soldiers died in an ambush by Kurdish militants who have killed hundreds of members of the security forces in a renewed insurgency since last year.

The office of Gaziantep regional governor Ali Yerlikaya said in a statement that one policeman was killed in the initial blast and 23 wounded, including 19 police. One more policeman later died of his wounds in hospital.

It said that the explosion just outside the city's main police headquarters was caused by a car bomb but did not say which group could be to blame.

NTV television said there were sounds of gunfire as clashes erupted with the security forces. Security camera footage published by Turkish media showed the moment the bomb went off outside the gates of the multi-storey police building.

Television pictures showed chaotic scenes outside the imposing police headquarters in Gaziantep as ambulances rushed to help wounded lying on the ground.

One of the main cities of Turkey's southeast, Gaziantep has a population of around 1.5 million and is an important centre for refugees who have fled the war in neighbouring Syria.

The attack comes with Turkey on edge after two deadly attacks in Istanbul this year blamed on Islamic State (IS) jihadists and a pair of attacks in Ankara that were claimed by Kurdish militants and killed dozens.

The latest attack in the heart of one of the country's main urban centres is likely to further raise alarm about security in Turkey, which has seen tourism fall sharply since the start of the year.

However there was no immediate claim for the attack in Gaziantep.

The outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) -- which has fought an insurgency against the Turkish state for more than three decades -- has killed hundreds of members of the security forces in the southeast since a truce collapsed last summer.

A female suicide bomber on Wednesday blew herself up in the former Ottoman capital of Bursa, south of Istanbul.

Press reports have suggested a link with the PKK but the authorities have so far remained tight-lipped on which group was behind the Bursa attack.

However violence has rarely touched the Gaziantep region, which lies to the west of Turkey's main Kurdish-dominated areas.

Three Turkish soldiers were killed and 14 others wounded in the attack on Sunday in Kurdish-dominated Mardin province to the east of Gaziantep, which was carried out by PKK militants, the army said.

The attack took place in the Nusaybin district of Mardin, where the army has been conducting a military operation backed by a curfew against the PKK, it said.

The Dogan news agency said the PKK opened fire with rockets on an army bomb disposal team.

Gaziantep is seen as vulnerable to attacks by IS jihadists who still control parts of Syria on the other side of the border, despite an offensive by Kurdish militias.

Also on Sunday, four people were wounded in the Turkish town of Kilis, just south of Gaziantep on the Syrian border, by rockets fired from an IS-controlled area of Syria, Anatolia said.

Kilis has regularly been hit by sometimes deadly rocket attacks by IS over the last months, prompting anxiety and anger on the part of local residents.

Following reconnaissance by drones after the latest strikes, Turkish artillery hit IS positions in Syria on Sunday, Anatolia said, adding that nine jihadists were killed.

Police security was also stepped up across Turkey on Sunday as Turkish leftist and labour activists prepare to celebrate May Day, an event that often ends in clashes with security forces.

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Three Turkish soldiers were killed and 14 others wounded in an attack Sunday in the Kurdish-dominated southeast blamed on militants from the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), the army said.

The attack took place in the Nusaybin district of Mardin province, where the army has been conducting a military operation backed by a curfew against the PKK, it said.

The army blamed the attack on the "separatist terror group", its customary phrase for the PKK which it never mentions by name.

The Dogan news agency said the PKK opened fire with rockets on an army bomb disposal team.

Turkey has waged an offensive against the PKK after the collapse in 2015 of a two-year ceasefire declared by the group. Hundreds of members of the Turkish security forces have been killed in attacks since then.

One of the PKK's leaders, Cemil Bayik, warned in an interview with the BBC this month the group was ready to "escalate the war" in response to Ankara's military campaign.

The renewed conflict has also struck at the heart of the country, with two attacks that killed dozens of people in the capital Ankara claimed by Kurdish rebels.

Over 40,000 people have been killed since the PKK took up arms in 1984 demanding a homeland for Turkey's biggest minority. Since then, the group has pared back its demands to focus on cultural rights and a measure of autonomy.

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Iran's outgoing parliament approved a motion Sunday to increase the capabilities of the country's ballistic missiles, a military programme that has been ruled dangerous by the United Nations.

Tehran considers the missile programme an essential deterrent, citing the unprovoked attacks on its cities by former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein in the nations' 1980-1988 war.

However the United States and other Western countries has said the Islamic republic's missiles threaten the Middle East, particularly Israel. Tehran's clerical rulers do not recognise Israel.

The motion was passed by the lame duck conservative-dominated parliament one day after election results showed that reformists had beaten them in polls.

Lawmakers said measures must be taken "to develop and increase ballistic missile capability" and "short, medium and long range anti-aircraft capabilities."

The new parliament will be sworn in later this month.

The ballistic missile programme was not covered by the landmark nuclear deal last summer between Iran and the United States and other leading powers under which sanctions were finally lifted in January.

Under that agreement, Tehran agreed to place curbs on its atomic programme which the West accused Iran of using to develop a bomb. Iran has always denied the allegation.

However the testing of ballistic missiles just months after the nuclear agreement was struck last year has shown the limited reach of the accord as well as highlighting that Iran and the United States remain foes.

The United States hit Iran with fresh sanctions on the missile programme on January 17, just 24 hours after nuclear-related sanctions had been lifted under the deal with world powers.

Ballistic missile tests are considered a means for Iran's military to demonstrate that the nuclear agreement will have no impact on its domestic defence plans.

But a UN panel said in December that tests conducted two months earlier breached previous resolutions aimed at stopping Tehran from developing missiles capable of carrying a nuclear warhead.

Iran, citing fatwas by the Islamic republic's clerical rulers against pursuing atomic weapons, argues that its missiles would never be designed to carry the bomb.

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Employees at the Saudi Binladin Group, a construction giant, have set fire to more than seven company buses in the latest protest by disgruntled staff over not being paid salaries for months and a large round of reported layoffs.

Maj. Nayef al-Sharif, the spokesman for the Civil Defense in the city of Mecca, said late Saturday that firefighters put out the blaze without any injuries reported.

The Binladin Group has not issued any statements about the reported layoffs or the unrest. Calls and an email request for comment to the company were not immediately returned.

For several weeks, thousands of the firm's employees have been staging rare protests in Mecca and the Red Sea coastal city of Jeddah, with some saying they have not been paid for six months.

The attack on the company's buses comes a day after the Saudi Al-Watan newspaper quoted an unnamed source as saying the company has terminated employment for 50,000 foreign workers and issued them exit visas. Many of those workers are apparently refusing to leave without being paid their late wages, the newspaper reported.

Also Friday, local newspapers reported that five construction workers were injured when an official from the Saudi Binladin Group hit them with his car after employees protesting salary delays rushed toward the vehicle. Police are investigating the incident.

Gulf-based construction firms have been among the hardest-hit due to lower oil prices that have curbed and sometimes delayed government spending on major infrastructure projects. In February, the president of the Council of Saudi Chambers of Commerce and Industry, Abdulrahman al-Zamil, wrote an open letter to King Salman saying that construction firms were struggling under the weight of delayed payments for their work on government projects.

The Saudi Binladin Group is one of the world's largest construction firms. Founded in 1931 and headquartered in Jeddah, the firm has been behind some of Saudi Arabia's most important projects, including roads, tunnels, airports, universities and hotels. It has carried out expansion work throughout the holy city of Mecca to accommodate more Muslim pilgrims, including construction of a massive clock tower with luxury hotels.

The multinational firm is also a main contractor for the Kingdom Tower in Jeddah, which will be the world's tallest skyscraper at a kilometer, or roughly 3,300 feet, high.

The Binladin family has been close to Saudi Arabia's ruling family for decades. Al-Qaeda's late leader Osama bin Laden was a renegade son of the construction firm's founder, Mohammed bin Laden, and was disowned by the family in the 1990s.

Despite the close family ties, the Saudi government barred the firm from acquiring new contracts after an initial government probe found the company was partly responsible for a crane collapse in Mecca's Grand Mosque last year that killed 111 people days before the start of the annual hajj pilgrimage in September.

The crane boom pierced the roof of the mosque housing Islam's holiest site, the Kaaba, bringing down slabs of reinforced concrete and leaving bodies of worshippers lying amid pools of blood on the mosque floors.

Saudi daily Arab News reported that the layoffs included engineers, foremen, steel fixers, carpenters and welders at the firm. The paper said employees were offered severance pay.

The newspaper cited various possible reasons for the terminations, including government restrictions on the firm and changes to Saudi labor law that have made it more difficult for firms to hire expatriates over local Saudis.

Other sectors have seen hundreds of layoffs as governments across the Gulf look to hire more of their own citizens and reduce public spending in the face of plunging revenues from lower oil prices. There have been layoffs in the United Arab Emirates' banking sector and at Qatar Petroleum and the Qatar-based news broadcaster Al-Jazeera, among others. In Kuwait, oil unions held a three-day strike against government cutbacks to their benefits and pay.

Masood Ahmed, director of the Middle East and Central Asia Department for the International Monetary Fund, told The Associated Press recently that one of the consequences of cutting back spending in the Gulf is that fewer people will be needed to work on government-backed projects.

"This is part of a sensible strategy to try and balance their budgets over time to improve and further their fiscal resilience and to reflect the new reality in terms of oil revenues," he said.

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A radical Kurdish militant group on Sunday claimed a suicide bombing in Turkey's former Ottoman capital of Bursa last week, saying the female assailant had failed to reach her intended target.

The attack on Wednesday evening near Bursa's famed 14th century Grand Mosque wounded thirteen people but caused no fatalities other than the female suicide bomber herself.

The Kurdistan Freedom Falcons (TAK) -- a radical splinter group of the better-known Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) -- said in a statement on its website that one of its members had carried out the attack.

It said the bomber was a 23-year-old woman named Eser Cali and said the attack was aimed at avenging the Turkish government's current military operation in the Kurdish-dominated southeast.

But the statement added that the bomber had detonated her charge and been killed "due an accident before she had reached the target that was to be brought to account for the massacres against our people."

It did not give details on the nature of the intended target but denied she was planning to attack the Grand Mosque.

The TAK has already claimed two attacks that killed dozens of people in the capital Ankara in February and March.

Its founders are believed to have broken away several years ago from the PKK, which has waged an over three-decade insurgency against the Turkish state.

Commentators suggested at the time that the bomber had detonated her charge prematurely, sparing Bursa an attack which could have caused considerable loss of life.

The Turkish authorities have yet to say which group was behind the attack, although press reports have suggested a link to the PKK.

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US President Barack Obama's eldest daughter Malia will attend Harvard University in 2017 after taking a year off from her studies, the White House said Sunday.

The 17-year-old will be following in the footsteps of her parents, both of whom went to Harvard Law School.

The news came in a statement from the office of First Lady Michelle Obama, which did not specify what Malia will do during her break after graduating from high school.

Students often use a "gap year" to travel, work or otherwise gain experience outside the classroom.

Malia Obama will attend Harvard starting in the autumn of 2017 and is scheduled to graduate in 2021.

Where Malia would go to college has been a subject of much speculation and interest in Washington.

As part of her college search she visited several Ivy League and liberal arts schools on the East Coast, the New York Times reported.

The Obamas have said they will keep living in Washington after the president leaves office in January, so that their younger daughter, Sasha, can finish her high school studies here.

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For the latest news, features, arts and culture from Al-Ahram's English language website, click here.


He reiterated he is only trying to uphold the verdict of the SC, which said the selection process of the VCs that is repugnant to the UGC norms, shall be void ab initio.
#Korean Air-Cebu incident Korean Air flight overruns Cebu runway, no injuries reported Korean Air Co. said Monday its flight KE631 with 173 people on board overran the runway while landing at Cebu International Airport in the Philippines a day earlier but no injuries...

#Yoon Suk-yeol Yoon calls for war against drug crimes President Yoon Suk-yeol called Monday for special measures to address drug crimes, saying they must be stopped before they become a national-level threat. Yoon gave the instruct...
This season of 'Love Is Blind' is shaping up to be absolute madness  here's what people are saying about it
Charlie Munger , the vice-chairman of Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway (NYSE: BRK.A), had some harsh words for people over-preaching about the health risks of drinking too much Coke.

The soft drink giant, along with others in the sector, has taken incoming fire from nutrition advocates concerned about the health impact of sugary drinks and fatty foods. Notably, an effort to ban soft drinks of a certain size in New York City failed in 2014, after a state court declined to renew the limit instituted by former NYC Mayor Mike Bloomberg.

"We ought to have a law ... where these people shouldn't be allowed to cite the defects without citing the advantage. It's immature and stupid," Munger said Saturday at Berkshire's annual shareholders meeting.

Berkshire has been a longtime shareholder of Coca-Cola (NYSE: KO) and owns 9.2 percent of the Dow component, according to a 13-F filing from Dec. 31.

Buffett , Berkshire's chairman and CEO, also defended the Coca-Cola stake Saturday, saying it seemed "spurious" to argue that calories from Coke alone were a significant factor in obesity levels.

He also noted that he consumes approximately 700 calories of Coke every day, and that he had seen no evidence that switching to "water and broccoli" would make it easier for him to make it to age 100.

"I'm about one-quarter Coca-Cola," he said. "I elect to get my 2,600 or 2,700 calories a day from things that make me feel good when I eat them. That's my sole test," he said. "I like fudge a lot. Peanut brittle. I am a very, very, very happy guy."

 Reuters contributed to this report.





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BEIJING (Reuters) - China has rolled out a value-added tax (VAT) system across all industries that previously had a business tax, in the most ambitious overhaul of its tax regime in three decades.

The world's second-largest economy is stumbling through its slowest growth in a quarter century but is continuing with tough reforms in its transition to a services-oriented economy from one powered by manufacturing.

The government first began experimenting with a VAT in 1979 and started applying the tax to specific sectors in 2012. The final four sectors to adopt a VAT on Sunday are construction, property, finance and life services - which includes food and beverage, healthcare and tourism industries.

Premier Li Keqiang had said the reforms would be adopted by May 1 in his work report at the annual parliament in March.

A business tax directly taxes businesses, whereas a VAT - sometimes known as a goods and services tax - is borne by the end consumer, reducing the burden on companies which are facing rising costs and a slowing economy.

Consumers will pay varying levels of VAT, depending on the industry, China's Vice Minister Shi Yaobin told a news conference in April. Most of the services sector was previously subject to a business tax rate of either 3 or 5 percent.

The government hopes the reforms will cut firms' tax burdens by more than 500 billion yuan ($77.23 billion) this year, part of a broader push for "supply-side reforms" aimed at cutting red tape and scaling back the role of government in business to allow market forces greater room to flourish.

China's 2016 government deficit is set to rise to 3 percent, up from 2.3 percent in 2015, primarily due to the discrepancies created by tax cuts for business, Premier Li had said.

Local governments are set to be worse off under the new tax scheme, as they were previously highly reliant on revenue from the business tax.

Revenues from the VAT will be shared between China's central and local governments, with each receiving 50 percent, the Ministry of Finance said on its website on Saturday.

China's services sector accounts for more than 50 percent of the economy.

(Reporting by Sue-Lin Wong and Jenny Su; Editing by Jacqueline Wong)
Domino's Pizza Starts Off 2016 on a Sour Note

Dominos 1Q16 earnings

Michigan-based fast food restaurant chain Dominos Pizza (DPZ) announced its 1Q16 results on April 28, 2016. The company posted revenues of $539.2 million and adjusted EPS of $0.89. The 1Q16 revenue represented a growth of 7.4% from 1Q15 while EPS grew by 9.6%.

Stock performance

Analysts were expecting revenues of $543.9 million and EPS at $0.98. As the results failed to meet analysts estimates, the share price declined, and Dominos Pizza ended the day with its share price down by 9.9%. The company blamed the strong dollar and increased hourly wages for the decline in EPS, which fell short of analysts estimate by 9%.

Year-to-date performance

The better-than-expected 4Q15 results and the companys guidance for fiscal 2016 had increased investor confidence, which in turn raised Dominos share price by over 20%. However, lower-than-expected 1Q16 results led to a decline in Dominos share price, which currently stands at 8.3% year-to-date. Since the beginning of 2016, Dominos peers YUM! Brands (YUM), Papa Johns (PZZA), and Starbucks (SBUX) have returned 10.1%, 1.1%, and -6%, respectively. The comparative index, the Guggenheim S&P 500 Pure Growth ETF (RPG) has returned -1.9% year-to-date. RPG has 44% of its holdings in restaurants and travel companies.

Series overview

In this series, well discuss DPZs 1Q16 performance by comparing it with the performance from the corresponding quarter in the previous year. Well also explore factors that could drive the companys revenue in the coming quarters. Finally, well conclude the series by looking at the companys valuation multiple and analysts estimates and recommendations.

Lets start by discussing Dominos 1Q16 revenue.

Continue to Next Part

Browse this series on Market Realist:
A VW emblem is pictured on a Volkswagen car in a delivery tower at the plant of German carmaker in Wolfsburg, Germany, April 28, 2016. REUTERS/Fabrizio Bensch

By Hadeel Al Sayegh and Tom Arnold

DUBAI (Reuters) - Qatar's sovereign wealth fund is reducing its focus on investments in Europe and placing more of its money with external managers following an internal review, sources familiar with the matter told Reuters.

Qatar Investment Authority, estimated by industry tracker Sovereign Wealth Fund Institute to hold $256 billion (175.2 billion) of assets, is known as an aggressive investor in high-profile European assets such as the Shard skyscraper and Harrods department store in London, as well as Credit Suisse (CSGN.VX) and Volkswagen (VOWG_p.DE).

But its review, which follows sharp falls in the prices of some of the European assets and a plunge in oil and gas prices that slashed Qatar's export revenues, led to an understanding that QIA is "overcommitted" in Europe and should put less emphasis on direct investment, the sources said.

Instead, the QIA is placing more money with external managers, who have been told that investments should be spread out globally but particularly in Asia and the United States.

The sources, who are familiar with QIA because of close business links to the fund, declined to be named because of commercial sensitivities. A public relations agency representing QIA said the fund had no comment.

The sources said one of the reasons for changing strategy was the poor performance of QIA's investments in German carmaker Volkswagen (VOWG_p.DE) and London-listed commodities trading house Glencore (GLEN.L).

Shares in Volkswagen, in which QIA is the third-largest shareholder with a 17 percent stake worth around $13 billion at market prices, are down 52 percent from their March 2015 peak after the company was caught cheating on diesel emissions tests.

QIA owns 9 percent of Glencore, a stake worth about $3 billion at market prices, according to Thomson Reuters data. Glencore's shares are down 49 percent from their 2015 peak because of concern over its ability to cope with low global metals prices.

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In the wake of these debacles, "QIA's days of glitzy investments are numbered," said one of the sources.

The sources said, however, that there was no indication that QIA would reduce its existing stakes in big European firms such as Volkswagen and Glencore.

The secretive fund does not disclose many details of its asset allocations around the world. Last September, it opened an investment office in New York and said it planned to invest $35 billion in the United States over the next five years.

Two of the sources said QIA was keen to strengthen its involvement in "responsible investing", a style of asset management which emphasises protecting the environment, consumers and human rights.

Norway's sovereign wealth fund, the world's biggest, has been focusing on responsible investing; the Norwegian parliament decided last year that the fund would divest from firms that derived more than 30 percent of their turnover or activity from coal.

(Editing by Andrew Torchia and Clelia Oziel)
Xamarin Miguel de Icaza

Xamarin

Xamarin co-founder Miguel de Icaza on stage at Microsoft Build.

In February, Miguel de Icaza and Nat Friedman finally sold their company, Xamarin, to Microsoft for a reported $400 million to $500 million, a sale that many thought was almost destined to happen.

The two founders are legends in the open source developer community with a long, close but sometimes rocky relationship with Microsoft.

Xamarin was founded in 2011 after the two lost their last jobs, where they were building open source tools that helped Windows developers write internet apps. (They had worked for Novell, and were laid off when Novell was sold to a company called Attachmate.) This was during the years when Microsoft was at war with the open source concept and open source developers disliked Microsoft in return.

But Microsoft a different organization, these days than it was back in those days under former CEO Steve Ballmer, de Icaza just told The Register, saying (emphasis ours):

Microsoft by being so opposed to open source ended up rebuilding things that the community was building, and meanwhile Google, Apple, Facebook, they were able to have their engineers solve different problems and just reuse solutions that existed. So yes, 15 years ago they were not very open source friendly, but the people that are now there are a different crowd.

As to why Microsoft bought Xamarin: it allows programmers to easily write mobile apps that work on any popular operating system: iOS, Android, Windows and then host them on their cloud of choice, Amazon Web Services, Microsoft Azure, others.

Rumors had been circulating forever that Microsoft wanted to buy Xamarin, or at least invest in it. In the meantime, Oracle tried to swoop in, striking a deal with Xamarin to put Oracles enormous salesforce behind Xamarin. In exchange, Xamarin encouraged programmers to try Oracles cloud to host their apps.

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Some months later, Microsoft announced the deal to buy the startup for a healthy multiple over its revenues, which Friedman reported as in the tens of millions of dollars.

de Icaza says theres been almost no other change to the company since Microsoft bought it because Scott Guthrie, the VP in charge of developer tools and the cloud, is taking a hands-off approach.

The one thing that is changing: Xamarins new mission is to encourage developers to use Microsofts cloud instead of competitors, but not insist on it. Like all big software makers, Microsofts future rests on growing its cloud business. The more apps its cloud hosts, the more money it makes.

Our goal is to help developers go mobile, and hopefully with Azure. What Scott told me was, your mandate is to give developers what they want and your space is mobile, so go make it happen, de Icaza told The Register.

NOW WATCH: Uber drivers reveal 5 ways to get a better passenger rating





The post Famous programmer who sold his company to Microsoft for about $400 million: Microsoft is a different company appeared first on Business Insider.
Source: Shavar Jeffries. In an interview with CNBC, a Democratic education advocate urges the U.S. to grab the "third rail" of school reform to curb the income gap.

Education reform, a traditionally contentious policy issues in America, is one that has gotten short shrift in the current race for the White House.

A 2016 campaign largely defined by economic anxiety, immigration and fears of terrorism has devoted little illumination to the state of public education, which by many indications could use the attention. Just this week, the National Assessment of Educational Progress issued a dismal report that showed most U.S. high school seniors aren't prepared for college or a career.

This lamentable state of affairs is one that animates the schools choice movement, and charter school advocates such as Shavar Jeffries. The Newark native, Columbia-trained civil rights lawyer and a self-described progressive is one of a small and rare cadre of Democrats tilting against party orthodoxy by pushing to develop charter schools. These are free public schools that are run independently, set their own performance goals and methods, but do so without union-organized teachers and administrators.

In a recent interview with CNBC, Jeffries expressed frustration over the "muted" political conversation about deteriorating primary and secondary education quality. He argued increasing school choice was crucial to solving the seemingly intractable income gap problem, particularly among black and Latino students trapped in failing public schools.

"It's not just a winning policy issue, it's a winning political issue," said Jeffries, who lost a campaign for mayor of Newark in 2014 and who now heads the charter advocacy organization called Democrats for Education Reform (DFER), an advocacy group that lobbies other Democrats for educational reform.

The group's budget, which Jeffries pegged at $12-15 million per year, is supported through private contributions. That sum, however, is dwarfed by the resources of largest U.S. teachers unions, whose annual budgets run in the hundreds of millions and are supported by member dues. Jeffries told CNBC that most charters were publicly funded, though some have obtained support from Wall Street, hedge funds and technology companies.

Story continues

Citing broad support among black and Latino students, Jeffries said school choice would "help ensure children are ready for the 21st century economy" with better educational and employment opportunities. He added that those concerned about growing inequality should pay more attention to K-12 schooling.



"I don't know how we're talking about income inequality and not talking about education," DFER's Jeffries said. "Fundamentally, for workers to get a higher share of wages, we have to increase their skill level."



Data shows that students at these institutions tend to perform better than students in traditional public schools and graduate at higher rates. A study published in the Journal of Policy Analysis and Management this year found that students who attended charter high schools are more likely to persist in college and to have higher earnings in their mid-20s.

The debate over public education comes as the gap between the rich and poor becomes a chasm, prompting academics to closely examine the link between schooling and income.

Jonathan Rothwell, a fellow at the Brookings Institution, a think tank, noted in a recent analysis that full-time workers between the ages of 25 and 64 with at least a bachelor's degree earn double what a high school graduate makes. Meanwhile, research from Harvard economists Claudia Goldin and Lawrence Katz suggests earnings disparities between college and high school graduates accounted for at least 60 percent of the rise in wage inequality between 1980 and 2005.

In Jeffries' eyes, evidence like that suggests that improving education via school reform is key to narrowing the economic gulf between the wealthy and the poor.

"Education levels are so directly linked to economic opportunity and wealth creation," he said. "There's no credible way of addressing the income inequality gap without increasing [black and Hispanic] levels of education."

Still, they are fiercely opposed by most prominent Democratsmany of whom rail against income inequalityand powerful teachers unions who argue charter schools deprive traditional schools of needed public funding. Charter school proponents argue that evidence proves the model's efficacy, but opponents have countered the data are inconclusive at best.

The United Federation of Teachers, a New York teachers' union, noted in a 2015 report that charter schools don't enroll or retain the same percentages of high-needs students, and neighborhood public schools that lose students to charter schools can sometimes fail to fill vacated seats. Meanwhile, studies from institutions like the Rand Corporation suggest charter school's impact on test scores, grades and graduation is mixed at best.

DFER's Jeffries acknowledged that "it's true that if a traditional school loses kids, that can bring some economic costs [to a school], but that's a reflection of the fact the family doesn't want the child there," he said. He chastised the idea of 'locking those kids into failing schools...even though they are not being prepared for the global economy."

The world's largest economy spends at least $600 billion nationwide on public education, a sum that has steadily increased every year for decades, according to the National Center for Education Statistics.

In fact, the U.S. spends more money on primary and secondary education that the majority of OECD countries. Yet American students rank consistently below average than many of their counterparts in other countries, a dynamic that exacerbates the income gap and cries out for school reform, some argue.



The sense of urgency has led wealthy individuals to commit vast resources to the problem. Recently, the Walton Family, which founded Walmart, committed $1 billion to charter schools, following Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg's widely publicized $100 million gift to Newark public schools. Part of that money was earmarked for charter schools.

And since the year 2000, the foundation established by Microsoft founder Bill Gates has infused more than $600 million into charter schools, data provided to CNBC by a Gates Foundation spokeswoman showed.

Although achievement gaps between white students and Hispanic and black students have narrowed significantly over the past 40 years, the gaps remain large, albeit with significant variations depending on the state, Stanford University's Center for Education Policy Analysis has said, citing data up until 2013 from math and reading tests as part of the National Assessment of Educational Progress.



For that reason, Jeffries said that solutions such as free college offered by Democratic presidential contender Bernie Sanders are cold comfort to needy students ill-prepared for the rigors of college.

"You can increase taxes and break up the banks all you want, but what's that going to do for the Newark kid who dropped out of college," Jeffries asked. "Even with a [high school] diploma, they need remediation."





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Crude oil prices (New York Mercantile Exchange: @CL.1) tumbled as much as 5 percent on Monday after the Doha "no deal," but staged a turnaround later in the session and traded higher on Tuesday.



Analysts attributed the rebound to the start of an open-ended oil workers' strike in Kuwait over the weekend that reportedly involves around 7,000 employees. The government-owned Kuwait Oil Company tweeted on April 17 that crude production had fallen to around 1.1 million barrels per day (mb/d) as a result.

The country typically produces 2.86 mb/d, according to OPEC, of which Kuwait is a member.

"The strike has had the effect of blunting some of the downward momentum in crude oil resulting from the failure of major oil exporters to reach an agreement on a production freeze in Doha yesterday. But a quick resolution of the strike could result in another selloff," Coline Schep and Greg Priddy, analysts at risk consultancy Eurasia Group, said in a report on Monday.



Brent (Intercontinental Exchange Europe: @LCO.1) and WTI crude futures (New York Mercantile Exchange: @CL.1) traded higher at 7 a.m. ET on Tuesday by around 1.8 percent and 1.4 percent respectively. Both were above the psychologically important $40 per barrel mark, which light crude fell below on Sunday.

The oil workers are striking because the Kuwaiti government plans to cut or freeze their wages and benefits in line with pending public sector salary reforms, according to Eurasia.

The government is likely to compromise on most of the workers' pay demands, due to pressure from trade unions, the consultancy said.

In the meantime, Eurasia saw oil production partially recovering, as non-striking staff is redistributed and inventories are drawn open.

"In the lower-likelihood scenario that the strike drags on, the state oil company would probably call in foreign staff to support continued operations," Schep and Priddy said.

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On Monday, Goldman Sachs warned that crude could sell off sharply again if the Kuwait disruption proved smaller than expected.

"Either way, we believe that the weekend headlines will further support the already high level of price volatility," Goldman analysts said in a report.

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Niamey (AFP) - The head of an African regional military force battling Boko Haram insurgents urged the international community on Wednesday to deliver promised support for the mission.

General Lamidi Adeosun, head of the coalition which includes troops from five countries -- Nigeria, Chad, Cameroon, Niger and Benin -- said the force was doing its best but needed "extra resources" to improve its performance.

Donors at an African Union summit in February pledged $250 million for the fight against Boko Haram, which under pressure in its native Nigeria has extended attacks in Niger, Chad and Cameroon.

Adeosun said the commitments had yet to translate into tangible support for the force's efforts.

"In concrete terms the pledges are there but on the ground not much has been achieved -- we have pledges of people to give some amount of money for specific assistance but they remain pledges, they are still in the works," he said at a news conference in Niger's capital Niamey.

"If anything has been given at all, it's a measure of communication equipment and some 11 vehicles -- that is what assistance so far we have received in concrete terms."

Adeosun, who arrived in Niamey on Monday, said he had met Niger's army chiefs to update them on the fight against Boko Haram, which launched an insurgency in Nigeria in 2009 seeking to form a hardline Islamic state.

With 8,500 soldiers, the regional force has managed to reduce Boko Haram's military activities without being able to put them completely out of action.

Niger has been hit by Boko Haram attacks since February 2015, particularly in its southeast, which neighbours the militants' strongholds in northern Nigeria.
NEW YORK, May 1 (Reuters) - Norway's $870-billion sovereign wealth fund is focusing on executive pay, targeting high salaries at companies around the world as it seeks to exert more influence on this issue, the FT.com reported on Sunday.

The world's largest wealth fund is looking for a first company to target, with its focus on pay in the coming months.

"We have so far looked at this in a way that has focused on pay structures rather than pay levels," Yngve Slyngstad, Chief Executive of the fund, told the Financial Times.

"We think, due to the way the issue of executive remuneration has developed, that we will have to look at what an appropriate level of executive remuneration is as well."

The move comes as executive pay faces increased scrutiny from shareholders, the FT said.

Norway's fund has been pushing to be more active in corporate governance matters such as the election of directors and board composition. But it has previously refrained from taking a view on executive pay given concerns that its actions would be perceived as being influenced by Scandinavian pay conditions, the report said.

Executives in the Scandinavian region are paid much less than their counterparts in Britain or U.S. and the gap between the highest and lowest paid in companies is narrower, according to the FT.

The fund believes executive compensation has become a global issue and is looking for an example of bad pay for it to launch what it calls a position paper, laying out its principles for what it expects on a subject, the report said.

"We are looking at to how approach this issue in the public space," Slyngstad said. "We will choose the right instance for the right case of voting." (Reporting by Gertrude Chavez-Dreyfuss; Editing by Diane Craft)
US singer Aretha Franklin arrives on stage during the International Jazz Day concert at the White House in Washington, DC, on April 29, 2016 (AFP Photo/Nicholas Kamm)

Washington (AFP) - For a few hours on Friday, the White House became the Blues House.

Musicians including Herbie Hancock, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Aretha Franklin and Hugh Masekela joined US President Barack Obama for a special concert to celebrate International Jazz Day.

"Tonight, we are turning this place into the Blues House. I did not issue a new executive order, I just invited all my favorite jazz musicians to play in my backyard," Obama said, kicking off the event on the South Lawn with about 550 guests.

"Perhaps more than any other form of art, jazz is driven by an unmistakably American spirit," Obama said, noting that the genre was shaped in the melting-pot southern city of New Orleans.

Quoting Duke Ellington, the president emphasized that jazz is "a good barometer of freedom."

"There is something fearless and true about jazz. This is truth-telling music," he said.

Obama shared a personal story about his father, whom he did not know well, taking him to his first jazz concert during a monthlong visit in 1971.

The young Obama saw Dave Brubeck perform in Honolulu, Hawaii.

"The world that that concert opened up for a 10-year-old boy was spectacular. And I was hooked," he said.

Franklin opened the performances with "A Song for You," which she played on a grand piano. Actor Morgan Freeman was the evening's emcee.

Chick Corea, Jamie Cullum, Al Jarreau, Diana Krall, Pat Metheny and Bobby Watson were also among the artists performing Friday night in the concert that will be broadcast Saturday on ABC.

Washington is the global host city of the 2016 International Jazz Day. The annual event was launched in 2012 by UNESCO and the Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz.
Tsai Ing-wen of Taiwan's Democratic Progressive Party won the presidency by a landslide in January 2016 as voters wary of closer China ties turned their backs on the ruling Beijing-friendly Kuomintang (AFP Photo/Sam Yeh)

Taiwan's president-elect said on Wednesday that democracy would be at the heart of future relations with China after they hit bumps recently over sensitive issues like the forced deportation of Taiwanese suspects from Kenya to the mainland.

Tsai Ing-wen, who will take office on May 20 as the island's first female president, repeated her vow to maintain the "status quo" across the Taiwan Strait that separates the island from the mainland.

"I have said several times in the past that the new government will do whatever we can to sustain the peace and stability of cross-strait ties and make them consistent and predictable," Tsai said.

"I'll abide by my promise," she said while visiting the Mainland Affairs Council, where she served as minister for four years until 2004.

But Tsai also highlighted a policy change when her China-sceptic Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) takes over the government from the Beijing-friendly Kuomintang party.

"What will be different from the past eight years is that the promotion of cross-strait ties will have to be based on the principle of democracy and people's desires" irregardless of the position of any individual political party, she said.

"Only through this can cross-strait ties be managed over a long period and the maintenance of the status quo be meaningful."

Before January's presidential vote Tsai accused the Kuomintang government of handling relations with China through an opaque process not properly overseen by parliament.

Taipei earlier this month blasted Beijing for being "rude and violent" over the deportation of 45 Taiwanese from Kenya to China, where they face investigation for fraud.

There was another bout of diplomatic sparring when Malaysia deported 20 Taiwanese fraud suspects to Taiwan, even though Chinese authorities said their offences were committed on the mainland.

Observers say China is stepping up pressure on Tsai because it does not trust her party, which has historically been pro-independence.

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Taiwan and China split in 1949 after a civil war. But Beijing still considers the island part of its territory awaiting reunification, by force if necessary.

Ties improved markedly after the Kuomintang's Ma Ying-jeou came to power in 2008, pledging to strengthen trade and tourism links. He was re-elected in 2012.

But public sentiment in Taiwan has largely turned against the Beijing-friendly approach, with voters saying trade deals have been agreed in secret and not benefited ordinary citizens.
Turkish anti-riot police detain a protester during clashes at a May Day rally in Bakirkoy, a district of Istanbul, on May 1, 2016 (AFP Photo/Bulent Kilic)

Istanbul (AFP) - Turkish police on Sunday detained over 200 people in a crackdown on unauthorised protests during a tense May Day in Istanbul, using tear gas and water cannon against demonstrators and imposing a heavy security blanket on the city.

One man in his 50s was killed when he was knocked over by a police water cannon vehicle while trying to cross the road, in an incident that caused anger on social media.

The authorities prevented all public access to Taksim Square in the centre of the city -- the traditional focus for protests -- and the usually bustling area was deserted save for police.

Hundreds of labour and union activists, brandishing slogans promoting workers' solidarity, took part in an officially-sanctioned action at a vast market ground in the outlying district of Bakirkoy close to the international airport.

However police used tear gas against members of the pro-Kurdish Peoples Democratic Party (HDP) who sought to stage a protest of their own in Bakirkoy, roughly arresting several people, an AFP photographer said.

Police also used water cannon and tear gas in the district of Sisli on protesters who were trying to march on Taksim.

In the flashpoint area of Okmeydani, masked radical leftists threw Molotov cocktails and firecrackers at police and created burning barricades out of junk.

The office of the Istanbul governor said that 207 people were detained around the city for trying to march on Taksim. It said that 40 Molotov cocktails, 17 hand grenades and dozens of fireworks were seized.

- '24,500 police deployed' -

The man who was killed was run over by a police water cannon vehicle, known by its Turkish acronym TOMA and which have become ubiquitous in recent years as the police crack down on protests.

The man, 57, was knocked down by the TOMA while trying to cross the Tarlabasi Street close to Taksim, reports said. An investigation has been opened.

Access to Taksim, the main hub in the European side of the city, was cut off by an interlocking network of police barriers.

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The square, usually filled with hundreds of people, was completely empty save for a few police and dozens of pigeons enjoying having the square to themselves.

Police also sealed off access to Istiklal Caddesi, the famed shopping avenue leading from Taksim whose stores were all shuttered.

The Istanbul governor's office had said 24,500 members of the Turkish security forces were on duty in the city.

Parliament last year passed a controversial security bill giving the police greater powers to crack down on protests, as controversy grows over what critics say is the authoritarian rule of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

May Day comes at a time of particular tension in Turkey after a succession of deadly attacks this year blamed on jihadists and Kurdish militants.

Two police were killed and 22 other people wounded Sunday in a car bomb attack in the city of Gaziantep close to the Syrian border.

Meanwhile, Turkish police detained four suspected Islamic State jihadists who were allegedly planning an attack on May Day celebrations in the capital Ankara, the state-run Anatolia news agency said.

Planned May Day events in the southern cities of Adana and Sanliurfa were also scrapped after the authorities reportedly received intelligence of a possible suicide bomb plot.